In J.I. Packer’s excellent little book “God’s Plans for You” he opens Ch. 6 “How God Leads Us” like this: “Evangelicals differ from most Roman Catholics and liberals in that they are constantly uptight about guidance. No other concern commands more interest or arouses more anxiety among them nowadays than discovering the will of God.”
Packer then goes on to quote Joseph Bayly in a 1968 monograph: “If there is a serious concern among Christian students today, it is for guidance. Holiness may have been the passion of another generation’s Christian young men and women. Or soul-winning. Or evangelizing the world.… But not today. Today the theme is getting to know the will of God.” Packer, J. I. 2001. God’s Plans for You. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
It is my experience that Packer and Bayly are both right. This is a huge issue. And maybe, just maybe, more than it ought to, or need to be.
In that regard then, I’d like us to briefly consider the events of Acts 15 and the Council at Jerusalem.
The setting is clear. vs. 1 says that some men from Judea, had gone to the largely Gentile church in Antioch telling the new Believers that unless they were circumcised in conformity to the Mosaic law, they couldn’t be saved.”
Naturally, this created quite the concern. Not simply due to the practical realities, but what impact this had on the Gospel. Paul and Barnabas vigorously confronted the issue. The text says there was “no small dissension and debate.” A right proper brouhaha broke out. With the result that Paul and Barnabas were sent to Jerusalem to put the matter before the apostles and elders there.
This is where what went on in the Council becomes interesting and I believe instructive to us.
Let’s recap the Council. It has a lot to say about the natural progression of spiritual maturity.
So, how did this group proceed to ascertain the Lord’s mind and leading on what was before them?
1 – (v 6) The apostles and elders got together to consider it.
2 – (vss 7-9) Peter stands up and appeals to his being led to preach to the Gentiles, but does not see even his extraordinary vision as definitive. What he does appeal to is the providential outpouring of the Spirit that attended his ministry at Cornelius’ house.
3 – (vss 10-11) Peter argues theologically and with reason. He especially notes the unbearable burden of salvation by obeying the Law, and then appeals to the Gospel of grace they’ve all been preaching.
4 – (v 12) Paul and Barnabas reinforce the nature of God’s providential work among the Gentiles.
5 – (vss 13-21) First, James reasons from Peter’s and Paul’s activity, and then, how this confirms or fulfills the Old Testament prophecies. His appeal to Scripture is important. He then adds that the Word will still have its impact on Believers.
6 – (vss 25 & 28) They write a group letter to the Antiochene church. The letter appeals to 3 things. a. Their arriving at consensus after discussion & debate; b. Examination of God’s providential acts; c. The verification of the Scriptures. This is termed as seeming “good to the Holy Spirit and to us.”
Now hold on to your hat. Because what is missing here is as important, maybe even more so, that what is included.
What is missing?
No vision. Here is this most important issue, striking at the very heart of the Gospel itself, and no one among the apostles, prophets and elders – gets a vision to settle the matter. No one.
No “leading”. No one just stood up and said “I feel led.” And the whole group then saying “o well then, if you feel led – let’s…”
There was no supernatural sign. No attesting miracle or anything of the like from anyone EVEN THE MOST EMINENT APOSTLES. No one said: “God told me” as definitive.
Note then, how as the church matures, calling upon God given reason informed by the Scriptures, with the counsel of others operating similarly, and confirmed in providence becomes the norm above immediate impressions or revelations.
This is vitally important. Let me repeat it.
Calling upon God – given reason informed by the Scriptures – with the counsel of others – and confirmation in providence – THIS becomes the norm over immediate impression or revelations.
Note also that the Bible does not record a litany of individuals being “led” supernaturally in personal matters – but only where there is something pivotal regarding redemptive history for the Church. It simply is not the Biblical pattern. Where key events in the Redemptive history and progress of the Church at large are at stake, yes, visions like Peter’s on the roof in Joppa occured. But here, we’re told how that event was central to opening Gospel mission to the Gentiles. It wasn’t an every day occurrence, nor was it repeated.
Note how such leadings decline the more the Word is ingested and people reason in wisdom out of God’s Word, in conference with God’s people, and in concert with providential markers. These grow fewer and fewer as the narrative of Acts proceeds.
And note too how impulses are never to be given the force of a MANDATE. To do so, puts them on par with Scripture and creates new sins which the Bible knows nothing about. For if someone fails to do what is mandated by God, such failure can be nothing other than sin, but one not applicable to any other but yourself. An entirely new category of sin is created. The individual “God told me” but I did not obey – which is not applicable to the Church at large.
Note lastly: The more a relationship matures, the less directives are needed, and the more communication shifts to fellowship.
The better I know my boss’s goals and desires, the less I have to ask for specifics, and the more I can carry out his business freely.
The better a child knows the ways and desires of the parent and matures in terms of what is good versus what is bad or harmful, the less rules are needed, and the more the child lives on the principles. We move from precept to principle as we mature. It is this way in sanctification, and this way in growing in the Spirit.
Things like God’s manifestations on Sinai are for the immature and again at pivotal moments. Once things are spoken there, the less He speaks in the same way. Once the Law was given, the Israelites did not need to go to Mt. Sinai every morning for fresh revelations. They had what He had written.
The pillar of cloud and fire disappear once they come into the promised land. They are no less led, but know that their mandate is to conquer – they are no longer wandering. Such leading signs are indicative of immaturity, earlier stages in growth and wandering, not maturity and entering into what God has sent us to do.
The supernatural manna ceases as soon as they enter the promised land, and now they are to cultivate food and feed themselves. They are no less dependent upon God, but have entered into a more mature relationship which assumes they be about God’s business, rather than looking for new leadings.
As Deuteronomy 29:29 reminds us: “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.”
Does the Spirit prompt and guide? Surely. But first and foremost through His Word, then in Providence, God given propensities, wise counsel, etc. Believers are not doomed to live constantly trying to divine God’s secret will for their individual circumstances. We are so much freer than that.
There is so much more to say, but I’ll leave it here for now. Give yourself to what God has revealed already, and trust Him in what He hasn’t.
It has been my experience, that I most often find out I’ve been “led” in the aftermath of something when it has come to pass – not before. It just might be that way most often period. After all, we walk by faith, not by sight. Needing a leading, is needing some form of sight.
“Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.” (Prov. 4:25-27)
When contemplating any course of action, it only makes sense to ask: “Where will this take me? What is the end of what I am contemplating?” In either word or deed.
But of course, this also begs the question of whether or not I am on my way to anywhere at all?
If one were to pursue a career as a lawyer – they would plot out a course that would take them there. The right undergraduate courses in college, and then Law School. Then setting their sights on passing the Bar, and then – only then – the practice of Law itself.
It is the same with anything in life. To be a teacher, a race car driver, an electrician – name it.
But, as the old saying goes, if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it – too.
Setting a course in the natural is one thing – but how many actually contemplate setting a course toward Heaven?
Do we imagine we will just stumble in there someday? That “being” a Christian is the end game, the goal itself? Do we forget Jesus words: Matthew 7:13–14 (ESV) — “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Nobody just wakes up in Heaven someday and says “whew! I made it.”
Why do so few find it? Why do so few enter in? Because so few are actually looking for it and seeking to enter in.
If you are aiming at entering heaven, keep your eyes on that destination, and make the decisions which coincide with going there. Keep looking for the door of that Great City. Keep your eyes fixed on what you intend to do and be there – and who you are longing to spend eternity with.
No one will get there by accident. Only those who inquire as to The Way – Jesus – and who order their lives to go there to be with Him and the Father.
Where are you headed?
In this case, Siri can’t help you. Only Jesus can. For as He told us: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Where was He going? To the Father. By way of the Cross.
What is the way so we can go too? Through Him. Only through Him.
Matt. 16:24: “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
And by grace, He is still issuing that call today.
About 20 years ago, I had the joy of teaching some classes in a Christian school on Worldview. I really had fun. Along with my classes – which were mostly seniors – I got to speak in chapel from time to time to the entire student body. One of those times was especially memorable to me.
I chose as my topic for that chapel, how to “Cult-proof” yourself. Five things which if you stick to, will keep one from being sucked into actual cults (i.e. Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormonism, Children of God, etc.); cultish or cult like Christian Churches or ministries; and all false religions to boot.
A pretty high claim I know. But I still stand by it.
What were those 5 things? The simple and so-called “Five Solas” of the Reformation. I didn’t invent them. But they have stood the test of time, and are as relevant now as ever. Maybe more so in an age of the wild proliferation of religious sects, and organizations like NXIVM, Scientology, Multi-level-marketing schemes, extreme breast-feeding (yes, it’s a real thing), separatists and Preppers, on and on.
1 – Sola Scriptura: Standing on the Word of God as the final authority in all matters of life and faith, especially in opposition to dreams, visions, experiences teachings and writings as located in one’s self, or another’s person or personality.
Sola Scriptura does not mean we ignore Church history, nor the teachers and preachers God has gifted His Church with throughout the ages. But it does mean we sift everything through the careful, systematic sieve of the Bible’s teaching. That we and those we listen to are held to the scrutiny of sound principles of Biblical interpretation. Requiring that doctrines and teachings are neither contrary to “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3) Note – already in place by the closing of the New Testament canon; nor invented out of whole cloth, privately interpreted or dependent upon wild or unique applications of obscure passages.
All those claiming to have some new or secret revelation are to be dismissed out of hand. “To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.” (Isa. 8:20)
It is in the Scriptures alone, that we find that we are saved by –
2 – Sola Gratia – grace alone.
Every false group, EVERY false group, no matter how seemingly orthodox, will make salvation and reconciliation to God, dependent in some way on receiving their unique teaching or brand and some form of human merit as prescribed by them. Performance in their eyes. Not the reception of free grace. Do this, don’t do that, in order to make yourself worthy as they imagine it.
Run! You can do NOTHING to make yourself worthy of salvation in the least bit. As Luther once said, we bring absolutely nothing to the table but the sin that makes our salvation necessary. Salvation has nothing to do with our worthiness, but of Christ’s. He saves the unworthy. Only the unworthy. When we inject any personal worthiness into the equation – we either say that Jesus’ righteousness imputed to us is not enough, or that we can somehow do something He couldn’t. It is a lie. Eph. 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
3 – Sola Fide – by Faith alone. The Bible also teaches us that salvation and right standing with God is received by faith alone, apart from any human effort. We always receive it as opposed to making it happen. We can never do enough. But every aberrant group will have you jumping through hoops – and never answering the question “how much is enough?”
As the passage just quoted says – “by grace you have been saved through faith.” Believing what God has said in His Word is true, and obeying the Gospel by believing and resting upon Christ and His finished work on our behalf. When those in John 6 asked Jesus what they must be doing to do the works of God – He answered: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”
On the “mount of transfiguration”, the voice of the Father was heard as Jesus stood with Moses (representative of the Old Testament Law) and Elijah (representative of the Old Testament prophets), the text says: “He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” (Matt. 17:5) He is the fulfillment of all the Law and the Prophets, so that Paul can write: “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” Phil. 3:8-9.
4 – Solus Christus – We are saved by Christ alone. We are not saved by a doctrine, a creed, nor an association with any group or person other than being found in Christ by faith. He alone saves us from the wrath to come on all human sin.
He is the one who died in the place of sinners. He alone atoned for human sin. He alone was God incarnate. He alone fulfilled all the Law required. He alone fulfilled the Scriptures. He alone died, was buried, rose again and stands at the right hand of the Father on high. He alone has the power to forgive sins. He alone will come to mete out final judgment on those who remain in their rebellion against Him, and reward the saints who have put their trust in Him. He alone will raise us from the dead.
5 – Soli Deo Gloria – All of this is to the glory of God alone.
Nothing was more important to Christ Jesus than that the cosmos would come to honor, love and revere the Father as He did. So it is when teaching us to pray, the first thing on His mind is that we seek that His name be hallowed, be restored to its rightful place. God has done all things for His own glory.
And what is this glory? Is it some sort of divine ego trip? No! God can bless us with nothing greater than revelations of Himself – for He is the source of all goodness, beauty, justice, glory, sweetness, wonder, pleasure and holiness. He can give us nothing higher than Himself. And all He needs to be glorified, is to be revealed. And where is He best revealed? “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Cor. 4:6.
After the chapel where I shared this, a young man, dressed in all black, complete with a full-length leather coat and stegosaurus spiked hair came up to me, holding up his hand with the five fingers splayed said “Cool!” He had written one sola on each finger in permanent marker. Then, make up and all he said: “I’ll bet you sing hymns in your church, don’t you.” I said yes. And he said: “I wish they did at my church.” Then he turned and walked away. He was so hungry. But he was not being fed this kind of truth in his home Church.
We’ve been examining the Lord’s Prayer of Matthew 6, under the picture of tuning a six stringed instrument – the heart. And we’ve seen how these all resonate with one another so that the whole man is brought into harmony with God’s glorious nature, plans and purposes. Nothing is of greater use in this regard. It is the epitome of being “godly minded”. As Romans 8:6 tells us – “to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” This is the most wonderful means of setting the mind on the Spirit, leading to life and peace.
In this last installment – let me play off of the tuning metaphor just a bit more. For at the very beginning of the prayer are 2 words, that act (if you will) as the two prongs of the tuning fork to serve as our key reference point. 2 words of such power, grace and wonder, that sometimes, having prayed just these – one has prayed astonishingly: “Our Father.”
Our Father.
Can there be anything more amazing to the Believer (and make no mistake, these words can only be uttered in truth by one who has been born again by the power of the Spirit) than these two realities in framing prayer?
First, “Our.”
As you’ve no doubt noted, every pronoun but those specific to the Father in this prayer is in the plural. Our, Father, not just “my” Father. Give “us” this day. Forgive “us” our debts as “we” forgive. Lead “us” not into temptation. Deliver “us” from evil.
Prayer is never a wholly solitary thing, because we have been joined together with all those in Christ by faith into one body. We are a mystically unified whole. I cannot sin without it impacting the whole, nor can you. And I cannot pray or grow in Christ’s likeness without it impacting the whole. We are part of one another, and what affects and impacts us singly, reverberates throughout. It is why we pray with one another in mind: Romans 12:5 “so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
When we pray these things beloved, we are entering into ministry to all our brothers and sisters in Christ. Never alone. This is a most sweet and wonderful reality. It will change all of your praying forever.
But secondly in this first word, is not only that we are one with each other in Christ – the “our” here includes Jesus Himself! Think on this for a moment. By virtue of the new birth, and the wonder of adoption into the family of God, Jesus teaches us to pray “Our Father” – His and mine. His and yours. His and ours. We pray as true children of the living God, with as much right of access and guaranteed as much a hearing as the very Son of God Himself.
Prayer isn’t some mere earthly religious activity – it is cosmic glory!
O that we could just soak in that for a while, but I must press to finish.
The second prong of the tuning fork then, as already hinted at is bound up in the word “Father.”
Our – Father.
There is no need to heap up multiple adjectives to try and butter up a distant deity. In Romans 8, Paul tells us that we have been given the Spirit of sonship. Romans 8:12–21 “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.”
When we pray, we come to a loving, gentle, kind, merciful, patient, perfect Father. Creator God indeed, but also our true Father.
As Sinclair Ferguson writes in his book “The Holy Spirit”: “The fact is that the Christian’s own spirit does display an awareness of sonship, as the rest of the New Testament makes clear (e.g. 1 Jn. 3:1ff.), amazing though this is. The problem is that this awareness is often weakened, and God’s children may even find themselves doubting their gracious status and privileges. What Paul is saying, however, is that even in the darkest hour there is a co-operative and affirmative testimony given by the Spirit. It is found in the very fact that, although he may be broken and bruised, tossed about with fears and doubts, the child of God nevertheless in his need cries out, ‘Father!’ as instinctively as a child who has fallen and been hurt calls out in similar language, ‘Daddy, help me!’ Assurance of sonship is not reserved for the highly sanctified Christian; it is the birthright of even the weakest and most oppressed believer. This is its glory.”
Our, Father.
This is the bedrock of all true prayer. Children coming to the one they know loves them best, who cannot err in judgement, who binds up all their wounds, who gave His own Son to die in their place that He might purchase them back from their slavery to sin, whose compassion and patience and love are beyond all knowing.
Just sit and meditate on those two words for a minute or two before seeking Him for anything else, and see if your heart is not melted, and if you are not assured that He already knows you deepest cares and concerns – and has designed to meet them with infallible wisdom and in perfect time.
If, as a true believer, the only thing you can gasp out is “Our Father” – you have prayed well, in that you have looked to Him and trusted Him with all, in true relationship – because of Christ.
The Lord’s Prayer. It is no mere side-note that Jesus includes this section in His “sermon on the mount.” The entire sermon is built around the essentials, the foundations of The Kingdom. We could outline it one way like this:
1 – 5:1-12 / The Citizens of the Kingdom – Blessed
2 – 5:13-16 / The Role of the Citizens of the Kingdom in this present age – Salt and Light
3 – 5:17-48 / The Character of the Kingdom and its Citizens – The Righteousness of God (not their own)
4 – 6:1-24 / The Life of Service in the Kingdom – Living unto the Father, not men
Alms / Fasting / Prayer / Treasure in Heaven
5 – 6:25-34 / The Sufficiency of the Kingdom – Delivered from the anxiety of this present age
6 – 7: 1-5 / The Humility of the Kingdom – Uncritically, Brother with brother
7 – 7:6 / The Otherness of the Kingdom – Preciousness and Contrariness
8 – 7:7-12 / The Privilege of the Kingdom – Access to the Father
9 – 7:13, 14 / The Entrance to the Kingdom – The Narrow Way & Gate – Christ
10 – 7:15-27 / The Integrity of the Kingdom – Doers and Hearers
Prayer then is an integral and necessary part of living the Christian life as unto God – while in the World. We are to be people of compassion regarding the needs of those around us (alms); seeking the Lord in our being burdened over sin’s destructive impact, and exercising the self-control of The Spirit (fasting); and bringing the whole of our hearts and minds into harmony with the purposes and plans of God – prayer.
And in fleshing out a fully orbed prayer life, we consider the greatest of cosmic needs – the restoration of the Father’s name and dignity; the desire for His rule and reign in Christ over all to be manifest; His will to be done as the sweetest of all possible outcomes; utter dependency upon Him; continual cleansing from the defilements of sin so as to maintain the closest, unimpeded fellowship with Him and others in our own forgiveness; and seeking to be led only in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
It is this last petition we consider today: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
While some have read this as a guard against the possibility that He might lead us into sin if we do not pray so – that is certainly not the thought here. We know this due to passages like James 1:13 “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.”
What then is this petition about? It is about mistrust of self. Of recognizing that we are weak, and that we stumble so easily into sin, that we need His constant watchfulness and deliverance, or we will be given over to our sins in a moment. For as Proverbs 21:2 reminds us – “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes.”
Even Believers tend to trust our own impulses and judgments. We seldom are very thoughtful in examining our own motives and perspectives. We tend to always give ourselves the benefit of the doubt. The benefit we tend to deny others.
Unfortunately, in present day American Evangelicalism, the “God wants you to achieve your dreams” mentality has crept in so that He has almost become an assistant to us, and not we His servants. If I have a dream, a desire, an aspiration, it is automatically baptized as good and right, and it is only fitting that God should help me get there. Whether or not that dream is best for me, more – best for His Kingdom, plans and purposes – seems at best, incidental. What it might have to do with conforming me to the image of Christ is not even considered.
But here, at the end of this majestic and glorious way of praying, Christ enjoins us to stop and consider our weaknesses, shortsightedness and sin-impacted reasoning. To submit all to Him that we might walk only in what is in perfect harmony with His own righteousness. To come again to the foot of the Cross, boasting in nothing but His mercy and grace, and recognizing the tendency so aptly put in the 3rd stanza of Come Thou Fount:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;
Prone to leave the God I love:
Take my heart, oh, take and seal it
With Thy Spirit from above.
Rescued thus from sin and danger,
Purchased by the Savior’s blood,
May I walk on earth a stranger,
As a son and heir of God.
For we are never more in tune with our God, than when we live in the reality of: “Nothing in my hands I bring; simply to thy cross I cling.”
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
Jonathan Edwards: “There is perhaps no part of divinity attended with so much intricacy, and wherein orthodox divines do so much differ as stating the precise agreement and difference between the two dispensations of Moses and Christ.”A – The Law is good IF it is used LAWFULLY or rightly.B – The Believer stands in a new RELATIONSHIP to law than they did prior to trusting Christ.
1. The Law must be used LAWFULLY – It must be used for what it was intended.
2. [The] law is not made for a righteous person – The primary use of the Law is NOT for the man who has been made righteous with the righteousness of Christ
BUT: [It IS made] for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,
3. The Believer is NOT “lawless” – Since the Law is NOT made for the righteousness man but for the lawless man – The Believer is NOT lawless, even though he is not “under” the Law.
Titus 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
1 Peter 4:3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.
Rom. 6:14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
The restoration of God’s OWN holiness to the HEART of the Believer – as it is re-inscribed there by the Holy Spirit in regeneration and energized by the indwelling presence of the Spirit is now the PRINCIPLE under which the Believer lives.
He is not constrained by externals as much as he is now motivated by new internals – He has a new inclination.
He is to use Paul’s words in 2 Cor. 5:14 – Constrained by love
1 John 5:1 “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.”
The man who has been born again, loves the righteous and holy God he once rebelled against and ran from. He now sees God’s righteousness as lovely, not distasteful. He love righteousness BECAUSE he loves the righteous God who loved him.
But – Sure, I may now LOVE righteousness, but what exactly is my relationship to God’s Law?
And that IS the key word, RELATIONSHIP
The point is, that being born again and justified by His grace and indwelt by His Spirit – we now stand in a totally different relationship to the Law than we once did.
The Law didn’t change – WE DID!
The issue is one of a change of relationship.
THE LAW IS STILL EXACTLY THE SAME FOR THE LAWLESS – 1 Tim. 1:8
Illustration: Trespassing vs. Being a co-owner (or joint-heir)
While parents were alive, I always knew that at any time, I could go to their house – and even if they weren’t home, raid the refrigerator, use the facilities, sack out on the couch, watch the TV and relax.
Now what is also true, is that I cannot do that just anywhere. If I go to stranger’s houses, the very same activities are in fact illegal and punishable by law.
If I become an heir, what did not belong to me now does – what attempting access to would once bring the charge of trespass, is now turned on its head. My relationship to it changed. I now have an entrance to the throne room of God which was once not mine to enter.
Illustration: NYS Driving age. Once I turned 16, the law that said I could not drive at 15, became the law that said I COULD drive. The law didn’t change, I did.
The Law is good IF it is used “lawfully”.
Classically – 3-Fold Purpose of the Law (Louis Berkhof) —
a. CIVIL: “The law serves the purpose of restraining sin and promoting righteousness. Considered from this point of view, the law presupposes sin and is necessary on account of sin. It serves the purpose of God’s common grace in the world at large.”
b. PEDAGOGICAL: “In this capacity the law serves the purpose of bringing man under conviction of sin, and of making him conscious of his inability to meet the demands of the law. In that way the law becomes his tutor to lead him unto Christ, and thus becomes subservient to God’s gracious purpose of redemption.”
c. DIDACTIC (or Normative): “The law is a rule of life for believers, reminding them of their duties and leading them in the way of life and salvation.” (Lutheran controversy)
Actually, while this is generally accepted, and nice and neat – it is nowhere near how the Bible speaks.
The 7-Fold Purpose of the Law
The Bible itself gives us 7 reasons for the Law.
a. EXPOSES SIN / Rom. 3:20b: “since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
Rom. 5:20: “Now the law came in to increase the trespass”
Rom. 7:7 “Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”’”
In this way, it is PURELY DIAGNOSTIC – Like an X-Ray machine.
Like an X-Ray machine for the soul, it can show you the broken bone, but has no power to MEND the broken bone.
b. INSTRUCTS / Ex. 24:12 “The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.”
In this way, the Law serves to help us know what God thinks about things – what He likes & dislikes, proscribes and warns against.
Looking at the 10 Words as ten revelations of our God Himself. Above everything else, it instructs us in a right view of God, self and life.
1 – God is God alone and must be recognized as such
2 – God is not to be reduced to an image, to anything tangible. It preserves His transcendence. Something desperately needed in our day too.
3 – God is not to be taken lightly – even in the use of His name
4 – God is to be worshipped (Calvin – Harmony of the Law – The object of this Commandment is that believers should exercise themselves in the worship of God; for we know how prone men are to fall into indifference, unless they have some props to lean on or some stimulants to arouse them in maintaining their care and zeal for religion.)
5 – Man is to be respected as created in God’s image – first with parents, and then with other authorities.
6 – Life is sacred before God. As created in His image, humankind, all members of the race are to be treated with dignity. None are to be simply disregarded, and in something like the case of abortion, as disposable.
7 – Sexual purity is required to love man.
8 – Man’s property is not to be violated.
9 – Man is not to sinned against even in the use of law.
10 – Contentment with God’s provision.
c. HUMBLES / Lev. 16:31 “It is to be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute.” (NAS95)
We need rest. We were created that way. And to ignore proper rest is to live apart from faith. It is outside the order He has created us to live in.
It reminds us that we are under His authority – not autocrats. In all places and at all times, He is the ultimate authority. And He need not give us reasons for His ordering of things. We are to trust that He is wisest and most loving and that He orders all things in life in accordance with His wisdom and love.
d. DECLARATIVE / Deut. 4:6-8 Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?
When we set ourselves properly under His authority to guide our lives and choices, we live out the Gospel in a most tangible way to those who observe us, even if they do not recognize it as such.
e. IDENTIFICATION / Same as Above – It shows we’re God’s people. We listen to Him, cherish His words, and live by His precepts.
f. PROPHETIC / Col. 2:16-17 “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.”
g. PROTECTIVE / Gal. 3:19 “Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.”
In this capacity, it is mainly protective against two things: The Wrath of God / Natural Consequences of our sins.
Also – Ga 3:24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
MUCH MORE – I want to suggest to you that due to our change in relationship to the Law, the Law may be used “lawfully” (in respect to him or herself) by the Believer in the following three ways.
Col. 2 – Due to the fact that the decrees against us have been removed out of the way (i.e. Nailed to His cross) THEREFORE we are no longer to be judged concerning Sabbath days etc. – BECAUSE – they were shadows of that which was to come (i.e. Christ) and now that the substance is here – we no longer occupy ourselves with the shadows.
When the Believer is confronted with the Law of God, his first response ought to be to look at it as “having received double” – for his sins against God.
An infinite debt PAID IN FULL!
When we consider the 10 Words (as well as other places) we have His payment placarded before us.
This is what Jesus fulfilled for us in His obedience.
And this is what Jesus paid the penalty for for our every infraction.
2. Christ’s Imputed Righteousness / Rom. 3:21-26 “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Not only has my infinite debt been canceled – this is what has been deposited into my account!
I am righteous with the righteousness of Christ Himself!
2 Cor. 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Rom. 5:19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. What Christ has done which is imputed to me.
He deals with me as though Christ’s own righteousness were mine!
What an unspeakable comfort!
3. The Glorious Promise / 1 John 3:1-3 “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”
We will wake in His likeness
Those words: Thou shalt & Thou shalt not – are promises!
We can rightfully read them this way:
This is my promise, when I am done with you dear child you will –
love me with all your heart mind soul and strength and never have some other god before me.
I will preserve you from falling prey to any idols
You will not bear my name vainly – it will not be an empty thing to say you are God’s. To bear the name – Christian.
You will rest in the perfect rest of Christ’s completed work for ever.
You will honor your mother and father.
You will not murder any more.
You’ll never commit adultery again.
You will never steal.
You will never bear false witness against your brother or covert your neighbor’s wife or anything else he has.
Quotes:
Luther: we say that the law is good and profitable, but in his own proper use: which is, first to bridle civil transgressions, and then to reveal and to increase spiritual transgressions. Wherefore the law is also a light, which sheweth and revealeth, not the grace of God, not righteousness and life; but sin, death, the wrath and judgment of God. For, as in the mount Sinai the thundering, lightning, the thick and dark cloud, the hill smoking and flaming, and all that terrible shew did not rejoice not quicken the children of Israel, but terrified and astonished them, and shewed how unable they were, with all their purity and holiness, to abide the presence of God speaking to them out of the cloud: even so the law, when it is in his true sense, doth nothing else but reveal sin, engender wrath, accuse and terrify men, so that it bringeth them to the very brink of desperation. This is the proper use of the law, and here it hath an end, and it ought to go no further. Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 302.
Now the foolishness of man’s heart is so great, that when the law hath its office and terrified his conscience, he cloth not only not lay hold upon the doctrine of grace, but seeketh to himself more laws to satisfy and quiet his conscience. “If I live,” saith he, “I will amend my life. I will do this and that.” Here except thou do quite the contrary: that is, except thou send Moses away, with his law, and in these terrors lay hold upon Christ, who died for thy sins, there is no salvation for thee.
These things are easily said: but blessed is he which knoweth how to lay sure hold on them in distress of conscience, that is, which can say when sin overweighteth him, and the law accuseth and terrifieth him: What is this to me, O law, that thou accusest me, and sayest that I have committed many sins? Indeed I grant that I have committed many sins, yea and yet still do commit sins daily without number. This toucheth me nothing: I am now dead and cannot hear thee. Therefore thou talkest to me in vain, for I am dead unto thee. But if thou wilt needs dispute with me as touching my sins, get thee to my flesh and members my servants: teach them, exercise and crucify them, but trouble not me, not Conscience, I say, which am a lady and a queen, and have nothing to do with thee: for I am dead to thee, and now I live to Christ, with whom I am under another law, to wit the law of grace, which ruleth over sin and the law. By what means? By faith in Christ, as Paul declareth hereafter.
This sentence of Paul: “through the law I am dead to the law,” is full of consolation. Which if it may enter into a man in due season, and take sure hold in his heart with good understanding, it may so work, that it will make him able to stand against all dangers of death, and all terrors of conscience and sin, although they assail him, accuse him, and would drive him to desperation never so much. True it is, that every man is tempted: if not in his life, yet at his death. There, when the law accuseth him and sheweth unto him his sins, his conscience by and by saith: Thou hast sinned. If then thou take good hold of that which Paul here teacheth, thou wilt answer: I grant I have sinned. Then will God punish thee. Nay, he will not do so. Why, doth not the law of God so say? I have nothing to do with that law. Why so? Because I have another law which striketh this law dumb, that is to say, liberty. What liberty is that? The liberty of Christ, for by Christ I am utterly freed from the law. Therefore that law which is and remaineth a law to the wicked, is to me liberty, and bindeth that law which would condemn me; and by this means that law which would bind me and hold me captive, is now fast bound itself, and holden captive by grace and liberty, which is now my law; which saith to that accusing law: Thou shalt not hold this man bound and captive, or make him guilty, for he is mine; but I will hold thee captive, and bind thy hands that thou shalt not hurt him, for he liveth now unto Christ, and is dead unto thee.
Bunyan: “Wherefore whenever thou who believest in Jesus, dost hear the law in its thundering and lightning fits, as if it would burn up heaven and earth; then say thou, I am freed from this law, these thunderings have nothing to do with my soul; nay even this law, while it thus thunders and roareth, it doth both allow and approve of my righteousness. I know that Hagar would sometimes be domineering and high, even in Sarah’s house and against her; but this she is not to be suffered to do, nay though Sarah herself be barren; wherefore serve it also as Sarah served her, and expel her out from thy house. My meaning is, when this law with its thundering threatenings doth attempt to lay hold on thy conscience, shut it out with a promise of grace; cry, the inn is took up already, the Lord Jesus is here entertained, and here is no room for the law. Indeed if it will be content with being my informer, and so lovingly leave off to judge me; I will be content, it shall be in my sight, I will also delight therein; but otherwise, I being now made upright without it, and that too with that righteousness, which this law speaks well of and approveth; I am not, will not, cannot, dare not make it my saviour and judge, nor suffer it to set up its government in my conscience; for by so doing I fall from grace, and Christ Jesus doth profit me nothing (Gal 5:1–5). John Bunyan, The Trinity and a Christian (alternate Title: The Law and a Christian), vol. 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2006), 388.
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Matt. 6:7-13.
We have been considering “The Lord’s Prayer” under the idea of using it to regularly re-tune the heart, not as a mere rote religious exercise. To go to this prayer and consider the massive implications of each phrase, as a means each time to re-tune the soul to God’s priorities; to those things He knows are best for us. So that we think with this scheme always in our minds – framing how we see reality.
It begins by calling us to consider how holy, glorious and magnificent He is first, so that we have some sense of who it is we are praying to, before we even begin. And that in recognizing Him as He is afresh, seeing that the greatest cosmic need of all is that every knee bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord – to the praise and glory of the Father (Phil. 2″11). That His glory and reputation be restored among all sentient beings. And indeed, can we truly pray until WE are seeing Him as He is first?
Secondly, Jesus tells us that the final answer to all the prayers of the saints culminate in this one grand petition – that His Kingdom would at last come. That all human and angelic rebellion against His perfect rule would at last be vanquished, and that Christ would rule unopposed both in our hearts and minds, and manifestly on earth – globally and cosmically.
And thirdly, reframing our desires to coincide with His will in all things. For we so often do not even know what to pray for. So, the Believer, humbly submits his or her requests to Him for the review of His perfect wisdom and love. We trust Him to veto foolish things, grant better than we ask, answer when it is most advantageous and base His answers on what is best for our souls and growth in Christ – long term.
Fourth, Jesus shows us that we need to look to the Father both for our simplest, basic needs, but above all that Christ would be the ultimately satisfying Bread of Life for our souls. That Christ would be broken afresh to us. That we would be satisfied in Him, above all earthly things.
And it isn’t until this point – that He leads to treat the ideas of sin and forgiveness. I find that both curious and glorious.
How often do our prayer lives begin with the confession of sin? That our starting point is far from His? That as Believers, justified by faith in Christ and His atoning work on our behalf, He is not as fixated on the sin problem as we still tend to be. We are this side of the Cross. Christ has died. He has paid the price for our sins. We come to The Father as children already, and not as groveling beggars. Not to do so is to come to Him as though Jesus’ work hasn’t already made the way. As though by obsequious shamefacedness, we now pave a new way to Him ourselves. It is as if having fallen, WE now have to do the re-set. Jesus made an initial way, but it is up to us to keep it or restore it. It is the opposite of grace, wherein we trust Christ’s righteousness as imputed to us, even as our sin was imputed to Him at Calvary.
What does this do then? It frees us to confess freely and without having to deny any of our wickedness, nor to come to Him sheepishly. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:15 & 16) We can fully agree with Him regarding our failures and guilt, while at the same time pleading for a repentant heart, and all with the confidence that we are already fully accepted in Christ and face repentance, not man-crafted penance. We cast all of it on Him.
“Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us” tunes us most keenly to the Gospel wherein we stand. And, it fills us with the wherewithal to forgive others out of the abundance of what we’ve already received. It reminds us that no one has ever sinned against us as greatly as we have sinned against Him – and gives us a bottomless reservoir out of which to draw our own forgiveness for others.
Of what a glorious salvation is ours in Christ Jesus – the Lamb slain for sin.
One of the things which commonly happens with Christians, is that we take a verse – like this one – and toss it around as a general maxim without really considering it well in context. I hear this verse quoted all the time as a stand-alone. But when we do that, we can miss the real point of the portion when taken as a whole. Does God give wisdom in general? Sure. But is that what James is after here? I don’t think so.
The context here is asking God for wisdom, regarding how to count it “all joy” when as Believers, we encounter all sorts of “trials of various kinds.” The application is intentionally narrow. And the caveat appended to it is that if we do not do so, we will find our faith quite unstable. How those fit together is essential in understanding James’ point.
Note first then that James is after helping Believers grow in steadfastness. Steadfastness is remaining the same in regard to living rightly before God, irrespective of outward circumstances. It means having a frame of mind in trusting God, no matter what changes around us externally, or even how we feel.
That being the case, the wisdom referred to here isn’t generic wisdom, but specifically related to facing trials – not only courageously, but profitably, by trusting in God’s providential care over His children. It is wisdom to take advantage of our trials in confidence that God will use them to help us mature and become complete, mature spiritually.
If we do not have faith in His care and providential appointments in our trials, then we will have no real faith at all, and as a result will be unstable in everything we encounter in life. We will always be knocked off kilter by difficulties. We must trust our God, His care, power and good will toward us in Christ.
That means then, that to “ask in faith” is to ask:
1- Trusting God’s character.
2- Trusting God’s love.
3- Trusting His wisdom in bringing us to and through our trials.
4- Trusting His sovereign appointments and care.
5- Trusting The promises in His Word.
Faith, true Biblical faith is ALWAYS rooted in His trustworthiness.
If I have no faith in that, in His trustworthiness regarding His sovereignty over my life, I will never be stable, never gain endurance, and never grow in spiritual maturity.
So today fellow Christian, if you are truly His, and you are enduring a hard place right now, He is saying to you – that if you will ask for wisdom as to how to use this trial, to co-opt it for steadfastness and growth in the image of Christ – He WILL, give it. He is faithful to do so. You can trust Him. And knowing our weakness here, He promises that He will not think little of us for needing more wisdom, but will freely, lovingly and joyfully grant it. He will not chide us for our lack. For He loves to be our great supply in such circumstances. He loves to have us call upon Him in our time of need. To know, that we are to keep coming back to Him over and over and over as the One on whom we truly rely.
Oh what precious things such as these are ours because of Christ!
The title to this post is not my own. It is a near constant reminder from my internet friend, scholar and Bible teacher – Mark Ward.
When the Apostle Paul is giving corrective instructions to the Corinthian Church, he has to address the issue that even though the Holy Spirit may supernaturally enable someone to speak in a language unknown to them – nevertheless, unless that language is translated for the assembly. So he writes in 1 Cor. 14:7-12 “If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.”
Edification – building up – requires intelligibility.
Or consider the example in Nehemiah 8 with those returning to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity. Many, did not even know their native Hebrew anymore. So we read that Ezra enlisted a group of men in the endeavor to restore the Word of God to the people. We read: “They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.” The word “clearly” there implying they gave an interpretation, paragraph by paragraph – and gave the sense too, not just the words.
Edification requires intelligibility.
Because we know this, and because we also know that most of us know neither Biblical Hebrew nor Greek, God has gifted men and women throughout the ages to study and translate the original languages into those spoken by others around the world. How grateful we must be for this.
But even when that work is done, we recognize that languages themself change over time. Due to this reality, new and new Bible translations are needed, even in the very same language over time – to be sure the message of the Bible is not lost due to the way language morphs. A good example is the graphic above showing how The Lord’s Prayer would have looked to English readers around 100 A.D. And below, are several more examples.
Thirteenth Century – Manuscript in the Library of Cambridge University: Fader oure that art in heve, i-halgeed be thi nome, i-cume thi kinereiche, y-worthe thi wylle also is in hevene so be an erthe, oure iche-dayes-bred gif us today, and forgif us our gultes, also we forgifet oure gultare, and ne led ows nowth into fondingge, auth ales ows of harme.
Fifteenth Century – Manuscript in the Library of Oxford University: Fader oure that art in heuene, halewed be thy name: thy kyngedom come to thee: thy wille be do in erthe as in heuen: oure eche dayes brede geue us to daye: and forgeue us oure dettes as we forgeue to oure dettoures: and lede us nogte into temptacion: bot delyver us from yvel.
Seventeenth Century – The King James Version of 1611: Our father which art in heauen, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdome come. Thy will be done, in earth, as it is in heauen. Giue vs this day our daily bread. And forgiue vs our debts, as we forgiue our debters. And lead vs not into temptation, but deliuer vs from euill: For thine is the kingdome, and the power, and the glory, for euer.
Now a while back, a gal came to attend our congregation, with virtually no Bible background. She needed to be brought up to speed with Biblical language for sure, and especially the nomenclature which we – as Bible-believing Christians take for granted. We use a lot of unique words. We throw around words like regeneration, justification, sanctification and the like – but seldom take the time to define those terms for the uninitiated. Even a phrase as basic as “born again” needs to be unpacked for those who have had no previous exposure, or very limited familiarity.
Coming back to the gal I just referenced – this issue popped up in a way I hadn’t remotely thought about before – even while trying to explain terms in my preaching and using a newer translation of the Scriptures like the ESV.
The problem? My beloved hymns. Take for example vs. 2 of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”, and its “Here I raise my Ebeneezer.” What in the world does that mean? Even to many raised in the Church today.
Let me make it even more basic. For this gal, the simple “thees” and “thous” of Elizabethan English in the hymns proved to be a stumbling block to intelligibility. And this, from a college educated professional. Imagine what this might mean to those doing inner-city or far rural missions! The problem is compounded.
Now for me as both a hack poet, and a child of the manse (who even knows what that means any more?) I am truly loath to give up the music and cadence of the words of sacred hymnody, let alone the melodies. I love the amazing turns of phrase and linguistic beauty of so many of the hymns that have fed my soul for all of my life.
That said, if I want the truths which were meant to be communicated in those grand “songs of Zion” (does that phrase mean anything to anyone anymore?) to still serve the souls of those coming after – we may need to rethink, and re-work these sacred works of Gospel art.
I offer up a modest attempt below. I’d love to know what you think. I labored to keep the intent of the lyrics while trying to remove anything which might hinder anyone, and yet retain memorability as well as intelligibility. May God raise up a number in our day who can take on such a project – that what can be preserved, is, and what can be modified rightly, may be, for the edification of many others in days to come.
This, from “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”. The original appears at the bottom.
I. Joyful, joyful, we adore You,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts when warmed responding to you
Turn to see the Son above
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
Drive our darkest doubts away;
You Who give eternal gladness,
Fill us with Christ’s light today
II. All your works with joy surround You,
Earth and Heaven reflect your rays,
Stars and angels sing around You,
Center of our highest praise.
Fields and forests, valleys and mountains,
Beautiful meadows, flashing seas,
Singing birds and river fountains
All sing of your majesty
III. You are giving and forgiving,
Always blessing, always blessed,
Source of all the joy of living,
Boundless sea of happy rest!
God our Father, Christ our brother,
All who abide in You are mine,
Teach us how to love each other,
Sharing in your joy divine
IV. Come and join the happy chorus
Angels long ago began;
God the Father loving, saving,
Sent in love the Son of Man.
Always singing, marching to Heaven
Spirit empowered to conquer strife,
Joyful music leads us homeward
By the power of Christ – our life.
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love; Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee, Op’ning to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day!
All Thy works with joy surround Thee, Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays, Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of unbroken praise. Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea, Singing bird and flowing fountain Call us to rejoice in Thee.
Thou art giving and forgiving, Ever blessing, ever blest, Wellspring of the joy of living, Ocean depth of happy rest! Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, All who live in love are Thine; Teach us how to love each other, Lift us to the joy divine.
Mortals, join the happy chorus, Which the morning stars began; Father love is reigning o’er us, Brother love binds man to man. Ever singing, march we onward, Victors in the midst of strife, Joyful music leads us Sunward In the triumph song of life.
As we consider prayer from Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount, we now come to the place where most think we are to make our petitions for daily provision known. And while that is not wrong per se, I think it misses the main aspect of Jesus’ intent. Why so? Because just a few verses later, Jesus tells us that the Father is already attuned to these basic issues of life. He in fact says ““Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” And why are these not to be our concern? Because if we “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness…all these things will be added to you.”
To pray in faith is to consciously say “I know you have my “daily bread” well in hand, so that I can focus instead on your kingdom and righteousness.” That is not to say we cannot or should not bring our immediate concerns to Him – but it is to say that we can exchange deep concerns over the regular needs of daily life for concerns about His priorities with complete safety and confidence that He already knows them and has made provision for them in advance. Yes, we bring them all, but not with anxiety – but trusting His love and care and concern even before we get there!
What then is He really after in this petition? I think it can be nothing more or less than the refreshing, renewing, delighting in and knowing more deeply and sweetly – the wonder of “The Bread of Life” – Jesus Himself. It is a plea for a new “taste” of Him if you will. To be satisfied in Him. To be filled with Him. To want that we desire nothing more than Him and consider knowing and partaking of Him our greatest and sweetest need. Our REAL need.
Give us as your people, as your children today, more insight into His person and work; more joy in His glory; more wonder at Him; more delight in Him – a deeply soul-satisfying partaking of Him that that spoils our appetite for the things of this world and the cravings of the flesh.
And why is this so important? Because “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” (2 Pet. 1:3) Did you get that? All things that pertain to true life and godliness come through the knowledge of Him!
Here is where get full. Here is where we get what is most important to true life. Here alone is where our deepest needs are truly met in the fullest possible way.
Our Father, you who rule and reign over all – be glorified and hallowed in us above everything. Expand your kingdom in and through us. We commit all to your perfect wisdom and unfailing love. Now Father, fill us up with Christ. Reveal Him to us increasingly as the fullness of all you have to give. Satisfy us in Him. Let our souls feast on Him today afresh. Fill us with your Son till we can contain no more. Pour out the realities of His person and work until they eclipse anything and everything else. Give us THIS day, our Daily – Bread.
ResponsiveReiding 