“So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.” ESV Jos 11:23.
One of the most difficult aspects of the Christian life to wrap our heads around is: How much has changed, and how much hasn’t? We read passages like 2 Cor. 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” and we say to ourselves, “ALL things new? I still have so much of the old hanging on!” And confusion over this state can lead to times of near despair. You are not alone.
Fortunately, portions like the book of Joshua are meant – by means of their graphic descriptions of the invasion and conquering of the Canaan – to give us pictures of the Christian struggle as well.
So here, we have a pretty categorical statement: “Joshua took the whole land.” And if that’s all we read we think “wow! That’s it! It’s all done!” But in truth they were very, very far from “done” in terms of all God had called them to. Yes, they had entered the land. Yes, they had come to a place of dominance over the whole territory. Yes, they had rest from the necessary first invasion wars. But then we remember that the verse right before this one noted they had not been able to expel all of the Anakim – like those in Ashdod, Gaza and Gath; The very place where later, a descendant of the Anakim, Goliath of Gath would arise to challenge God’s armies. Nor have we read yet: Joshua 13:1 “Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess.”
Well which is it? Had they taken the whole land, or was there “yet very much land to possess”? Yes! It is an issue of what has been called “the already, but not yet” principle.
The idea here isn’t that the territory was entirely free of Canaanites, or that every inch of land was fully occupied. Rather, the whole was under Israel’s control. This is the same with the Believer and indwelling sin. Christ has won all of the territory of “self” for us. We now live in it so to speak – but not all sins are gone. Not every area of life is fully subdued as it ought to be and one day will be. But by God’s grace, we have entered the land and the decisive victory has been fought – even though there is massive work to be done.
Don’t be discouraged or downhearted Christian – if you are Christ’s – all things are indeed new – but not as new as they one day will be. Keep at the work. Keep battling sin. Keep looking to and trusting Christ , for one day, unlike the Israelites, you WILL be fully conformed to the image of Christ. Already new, justified, but not yet glorified. But you WILL be! By God’s good grace.
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.”
From our text, note the following:
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 Mosaic 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 Gospel is meant for: 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 and is now the PRINCIPLE under which the Believer lives.
Believers are not constrained by externals as much as they are now motivated by new internals – We have a new – underlying inclination.
We are – 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 one who has been born again, loves the righteous and holy God they once rebelled against and ran from. They now see God’s righteousness as lovely, not distasteful. They love righteousness BECAUSE they love the righteous God who loved them.
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 my parents were alive, I always knew that at any time, I could go to their house – and even if they weren’t home, I could 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 as full and complete as the Bible speaks.
The 7-Fold Purpose of the Law
The Bible itself articulates at least 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)
Whether we hold to a specific weekly “sabbath” or not, the principle remains the same: 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 stamped – 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.
John 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.
These closing chapters of Numbers find Israel at a pivotal place. Aaron’s priesthood has been transferred to his son, and Aaron has died. Moses is told to commission Joshua as his replacement. Major transitions are happening in the life of God’s people. Now we encounter Moses carrying out his last responsibilities – not the least of which we see here in 28:1. It begs a very big question.
Why all these laws, especially the daily service, reiterated and spelled out over and over? I mean, they already have all this – right? It has already been written out and explained more than once. What is going on here?
Justin Martyr in his dialog with Trypho makes the point that the reason why all of these things were pressed upon the Jews, was because of their sinfulness. He explained it this way: If God did not appoint such things, they would not naturally maintain to serve and worship him as he desired. In sinfulness, we always devolve down. Apart from such patterns built into our lives, the right honor and service to God is left to whims, fancies, tastes and then eventually – utter neglect. This is how God kept his name and presence alive in the world.
And so with us. We are not to adopt holy habits of reading and praying and public worship because God is pleased by mere activities. He doesn’t demand ritualistic service. We cultivate holy habits to counteract the downward gravitational pull of the remnants of indwelling sin. We have to weed the garden of our souls with regularity, or it will not be long before we neglect holy things altogether. We do not want to pursue legalism, but we MUST be watchful over the self-deception that we will maintain fidelity to him without such measures. It is not to earn his favor. It is to keep our hearts alive before him. It is Paul’s admonition 2 Tim. 1:6 to “fan into flame the gift of God which is within” us. Like the need to trim the lamps in the Tabernacle twice a day – so the light in us will grow dim quite quickly if we do not pay attention to it.
What is interesting here, is that the whole nation (“the people of Israel”) is charged with making sure the daily sacrificial duties which are to be carried out by the Levites – is done. It is everyone’s responsibility to make sure the Leadership does not abandon their main responsibilities. This then, even when by their own demands the Leadership is asked to pay attention to some other “needs” the Congregation might deem desirable. As congregants, we are to be vigilant that our ministers give themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word. See: Acts 6:4.
We need the grace of Jesus’ death morning and night, weekly, monthly, and at special seasons throughout the year.
If we do not do this, we grow content in our sin, not recognizing the constant need for continual cleansing – for a perpetual dependence upon Christ and His atoning work. It is not as though we’ve been cleansed and go our way. We stay here, and live in the reality of it every minute. Such is our sinfulness, that even from morning till night, it escapes our view – and needs to be stimulated over and over and over with the utmost care.
What a warning that we cannot have “morning devotions” and then just our way. The memory will fade. The vividness will quickly wane.
Oh Father, forgive us! We do our holy “duty” and think little more of it after that. We are so prone to this horrid decline, and so lacking in careful, regular, incessant attention to it. And then we wonder why we sin at the rate we do in other things. Simply, because we are not paying attention to our actual need before you. You have provided a perpetual fountain of grace, and we take our sip and go our way and think we’re fine.
Our pastor Matt Fletcher is currently preaching through the book of Esther. As we gathered in his home last evening for our “Growth Group” – our other “Matt” who led the discussion, had us consider Ps. 73 in light of the conflict between Mordecai and Haman in Esther 3.
Considering that powerful Ps. penned by Asaph, it drew me back to muse on the grand themes it explores, and jogged my mind once again. Below is the Psalm couched in verse. I pray it is blessing to you as you ponder it afresh today.
Surely the Lord our God is good Good to all his people Good to the mighty and the strong Good to the weak and feeble
But as for me, I almost fell Unsure my steps near stumbled My eyes were fixed on the arrogant On the wicked never humbled
It seemed to me they feared not death They dined, their hearts content And free from lives of burdened care Toward wickedness all bent
They wore their pride like jewelry And violence like robes Prosperous in iniquity With every blessing clothed
Their sinful thoughts ran unrestrained They mock and speak with scorn And threaten any they oppose Oppress, harass and warn
They speak against the heav’nly things Tongues strutting o’er the earth And justify among themselves Their careless life of mirth
In wickedness they dare to ask Can God know what we do? Do any think he knows our ways? He deigns our sins to view?
Considering this spectacle My heart was led to doubt Why had I walked in righteousness And sought my sins to rout?
What sense was there in keeping pure? Why turn from sin’s dark stains? Why suffer godly discipline? Why bother taking pains?
And yet I knew if thus I spoke That others may be harmed If by my doubts they strayed from God And by deceits were charmed
My mind still reeling, ill at ease Confused and not at rest I went to seek the face of God Would he my doubts address?
And there in prayer before his throne At last my eyes did see ‘Tis not the present circumstance That frames what’s yet to be
For these who walk without a care Forgetting God is there Are surely in a slippery place How will they finally fare?
The day will come when all are judged Both great and small will stand To give an answer for their lives Did they love God’s commands?
How suddenly they’re laid to waste All who reject God’s rule In judgment’s terrors swept away At last be proved the fool
How then my heart was pained within How senseless I had been With no more reason than a beast Deceived by my own sin
And then The Spirit reassured God’s hand held fast in mine His truth is truest counsel sure One day, with him I’ll dine
Oh Lord, whom do I have but you? In heaven or on earth? It’s true my heart and flesh may fail But you are all my worth
Those far from you will surely die The wicked you’ll destroy But you are my true refuge Lord Proclaiming you - my joy!
When one is devoid of the righteousness of Christ – even what they try to give God in their worship – even sacrifice, is detestable. When for those in Christ – not only is their worship acceptable, but as opposed to giving a sacrifice to God, their desiring things FROM God is His very delight. One seeks to give and is disregarded. The other seeks to receive and is delighted in.
And may our hearts grasp this truly. When we ask “what does God want from me?” We can answer with this bold assurance.
I had a position once where I reported directly to the President of a small company; and the man was impossible to read in regard to whether or not he was happy with my performance. It seemed no matter what I did, I never got an affirming hint.
One day, I went into his office and just asked – “are you happy with my performance? because I don’t know where I stand.” Puzzled, he looked up at me and said: “Until I tell you different, everything is fine.” And that was the way it was my entire tenure there. But it wasn’t comfortable.
Then I married Sky. Me, being me, and somewhat insecure, I was telling her constantly how much I loved her. Multiple times a day.
One day, she told me to stop doing that. That it felt like manipulation. Then she said: “look, I love you. That stands until further notice.” That blew a hole in my head – but when I finally simply settled into trusting her love, I found it a far more sweet and simple relationship.
Now unless I miss my guess, there is something of this dynamic which informs the relationship many Christians have with God. Some are looking for some sort of ongoing affirmation or assurance. Especially if we have actually or imagined that we’ve have sinned against Him. How do we measure our acceptance with Him?
And rather than fixing our gaze continually on the Cross – we fix it upon ourselves and our performance.
Did I read the Scriptures enough today? Pray enough? Was I kind enough, spiritual enough, did I “feel” His love? Did I tithe enough? etc. As though the word “enough” is even useful here.
This impacts above all – prayer.
In prayer, this insecurity often shows itself in how we feel we need to butter God up before we make any petitions. Like He needs us to somehow make Him feel good about Himself before we can get to OUR stuff.
We start off addressing Him with all kinds of titles and accolades to get Him in the right frame of mind to hear us.
The problems with that approach are too many for us to address here, but essentially, it is approaching Him as pagans do their idols.
If you find that factor has crept into your prayer life – it is a mark that there is a trust issue afoot. That we do not trust His love and the nature of our relationship together is not truly grace based and sealed in the Cross.
It springs from the unspoken insecurity that we just don’t know what God really expects from us. How can we be sure He’s on our side? And doesn’t this hit especially hard when go through some unexpected and severe trial or temptation?
Additionally, it is why both legalism and rituals are so attractive. If I have this specific list of do’s and don’ts, I can take my comfort based on how well I’ve ticked the boxes.
The result is, that when things seem to go awry in life, we start probing: Where have I missed the boat? Where did I fall down? Why is He letting this happen to me if everything between us is OK? I am missing the key metric. The key to knowing the nature of His love and attitude toward me.
As our text here says: “The prayer of the upright is his delight.”
What pleases God most? It is that God is believed in all that He has said, done and revealed, and trusted accordingly.
Let me repeat that – God wants above all else – to be believed, in all that He has said, done and revealed – and then trusted accordingly.
This is the faith He desires, and that pleases Him.
And this is basis of all prayer. That as we look to him in everything, he is delighted.
Would you delight your God today Christian? Look to him with your every need. And you will dwell in the warmth of his glorious smile.
Believe him. Trust him. Pray. This is ours, because of Christ Jesus.
In Jermiah 8:22, the prophet is groaning over the suffering of God’s people as a result of their sin. To make matters worse, he knows the cure to their ills, but they won’t take the physic.
Sometimes it is a hard pill to swallow, this medicine called repentance.
Jeremiah isn’t wondering out loud to God as to whether or not there is help to be found. No, he is crying out to his people to remember that there IS help to be found. That God delights to forgive and restore. There is indeed a balm, a soothing medicine for their woes. “Wake up! Is it because God hasn’t provided a balm for us that we smart so? Isn’t there help in what he has already given us in faith and repentance – in Gilead?” In the proverbial place that represents God’s lush and full promises.
We however, use this phrase differently most times. We tend to cry it out in times of suffering and distress. After long seasons of suffering, pain, confusion, doubt and trial, we might question – “do you see and feel my pain God? And is there no healing medicine to be found?” I’ve been there. Maybe you have been too. Maybe you are there right now. And it is why I recommend this little but powerful book to you – Christ and Calamity: Grace & Gratitude in the Darkest Valley by HAROLD L. SENKBEIL
Harold Senkbeil, former pastor and Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Missions at Concordia Theological Seminary has written one of the sweetest, Christ centered and useful books for Christians in calamity I’ve ever read. I will read it again. And I will send copies of it to a number of people.
Senkbeil does not write from an ivory tower. Chapter 1 begins this way: “Calamity is everywhere around us. But recently it came home to roost at my house. My wife, Jane, whose health had been declining for decades, was hospitalized twice in the middle of the covid pandemic, and then she was released on home hospice care. For the next fourteen months our lives became a slow slog toward the inevitable end. It wasn’t all horrible. We had the help of a caring hospice team, and we had each other. Best of all, we had the promises of a very gracious God.”
The book is brief, and can be easily be consumed in one or two sittings. But I would counsel you not to do that.
The very short 11 chapters are meant to be read more like a series of meditations. One a night seems best. For although his writing style is extremely accessible, the depth of each portion is hidden deceptively under his easy prose. But he is keenly aware that the soul in crisis cannot easily take in huge chunks of deep counsel. Sometimes medicine needs to be easy to sip rather than to gulp.
The contents run as follows:
Invitation to the Reader
Prayer in Time of Affliction
i Your Calamity
ii When You Are Faithless, Christ Is Your Faithfulness
iii When You Cry Out, Christ Is Your Advocate
iv When You Are Afflicted, Christ Is Your Comfort
v When You Bear Your Cross, Christ Is Your King
vi When You Are Weak, Christ Is Your Strength
vii When You Are Sad, Christ Is Your Joy
viii When You Are in Darkness, Christ Is Your Light
ix When You Are Alone, Christ Is with You
x When You Are Dying, Christ Is Your Life
xi Christ Is Your Victory
Invitation to Prayer
Prayer for Any Time
Prayer for Morning
Prayer for Evening
“Jesus, Priceless Treasure”
If I were to highlight the key features, the words which come most readily to mind are:
Readable.
Realistic.
Christ-centered.
Gentle.
Biblical.
Healing.
If you are one who is in crisis, or know someone who is, please minister to yourself or them by securing this exceptional work.
There is indeed a balm in Gilead. His name is Jesus. And Christian, he is with you in the midst of your storm.
Christ and Calamity: Grace & Gratitude in the Darkest Valley
Let’s revisit something we’ve considered somewhat before.
Sometimes when reading the Bible, we can be dismissive of things like genealogies and other things which seem to be of no importance. It is true, not every part of Scripture holds equal importance. Israel’s dietary laws don’t have quite the accessible impact of Genesis 1:1 or Rom. 1:16-17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
But just because we do not catch the use of something right away doesn’t mean God was careless in including it. It just means we don’t get it yet. He does not speak superfluously.
So it is with this opening chapter of Matthew. In it, Matthew is establishing some foundational truths about the identity of Jesus that inform everything else in his Gospel. We don’t want to miss them.
Let me suggest just a few things here.
In the first place, Matthew is establishing Jesus’ authentic Jewishness.
In the 2nd place, Jesus’ lineage makes Him fit to sit on the throne of David, to be King of The Jews should they recognize Him as such.
So Matthew’s aim in this entire 1st chapter is to answer the question – Who is Jesus?
1 – vs. 1 / a. He is the King of Israel. God’s perfect ruler.
b. The Fullness of the promise given to Abraham in person.
2 – vss. 2-16 / In every way a partaker of our humanity. And yet without sin.
3 – vs. 17 / a. The Promise of the Father.
b. God’s Presence with us in our exile.
c. The Accomplish-er of our Salvation – our Messiah.
4 – vs. 18 A participant in our shame, without sin or shame of His own.
5 – vs. 19 / Undesired.
6 – vs. 20 / Unaccepted apart from divine revelation.
7 – vs. 21 / Savior.
In the third place, we see Jesus as descended from kings, scoundrels, nobodies, men, women, Jews, Gentiles, faithful, faithless, a prostitute, nomads, warriors, prophets, farmers, those who lived in ease, those who lived in poverty, those who accomplished much, those who left nothing behind but their names. The shunned and the accepted, the steadfast and the mercurial, the creative and the dull, intellectuals and uneducated commoners.
Christ Jesus came in the likeness and lineage of fallen, broken, sin-cursed humankind. There are none who cannot be touched by Him, nor reconciled to the Father through Him. The miracle of the incarnation. What a Savior!
The word abomination as used in the Bible, refers to something that is loathsome, polluting, detestable. It is most often associated with the pagan religious practices of the nations God drove out before Israel. In the New Testament, especially in the Revelation, abomination is connected with the woman who rides “a scarlet beast”. She is denominated as “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” Babylon being the embodiment of the world system in opposition to God’s righteous rule – and all that comes from that opposition and rebellion.
But seldom do we see present day, practical and tangible examples of such abominations. Enter, my tenure serving as a local funeral home for several years in my younger days.
One of my responsibilities when working “calling hours” was to help people of a certain religious persuasion, process “Mass Cards.” These instruments, in varying denominations were secured with a donation to the society or group desired in the name of the deceased. Once “enrolled” – certain rites or services were then to be carried out either for a certain amount of time, or perpetually on behalf of the deceased.
Because few people from my background believed me when I made certain claims about this practice – the blatant selling of blessings for dead people – I had to provide proof. I give you just one example below.
Now at first blush, one might label this as mere Roman Catholic bashing. Not true. Many in Evangelicalism today sell blessings too. Mostly to the living, but who knows? Whoever does it, the abomination is the same.
Cover image:
Interior:
Disclaimer:
Did you catch that underlined portion? If they don’t get the money, “the use of this folder is spiritually void and of no benefit to anyone.”
And they say the selling of indulgences and the like is dead. Not so. You can actually void the spiritual benefits you want for your deceased loved one, because you didn’t pay up.
That my friends, is what an abomination looks like. And I do not care under what banner such horrors are peddled.
Oh that we would look to Christ and Christ alone. And remember that salvation is all of grace. And that we can say on the authority of God’s Word alone, irrespective of any institution or personage: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”
Our spiritual blessings are in Christ – and are already ours in Him. No one needs to pay one red cent beyond the priceless blood of the Lamb of God.
I’ve got a problem. I am increasingly grieved by 2 things in the realm of communications issuing from and to Christians.
In addressing these, I want to leave room for the fact that I am child of the 50’s, and the cultural milieu of that era. No, Leave it to Beaver was not reality. It was a thin veneer over the gross corruption that was (and always has been) just below the surface. But even in that, there was some sense, even in the World, that some things were a shame to talk about or drag about in public – or in “polite company” as we used to say. A sense of what was acceptable for public consumption and what was not. And I mourn the loss of that feature.
But now we are in the 21st Century. Starting with the like of Phil Donohoue, perversions of all kinds became mainstream curiosities to be gawked at and talked about everywhere. We went swiftly downhill toward Maury Povich, Jerry Springer and a host of others – making the seamiest acts and attitudes of humanity fodder for entertainment.
Aside from our cultural plummet – what troubles me more is how these things have seeped into Christianity. This, in a host of ways – but only 2 of which I want to consider here.
As I read afresh this morning in Paul’s letter to the Colossians: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Col. 4:5-6)
It seems that for the Apostle writing under the inspiration of the Spirit – salty speech isn’t risque – it is wise and useful in making Christ known.
So here’s my 2 areas of concern.
1 – The way crude words have become more and more acceptable even among Believers.
The street slang for body parts, biological functions, expletives and curses (mild to extreme) seem to be almost as popular in the everyday parlance of Christians as in the World. Such speech lacks grace. It shows favor to no one. It especially shows no favor toward the Christ we serve as one who is above the gutter.
I’ve watched this trend with increasing horror since the early 80’s. Back then, singing with my wife and our wonderful pianist Cecil Van Houten, we were asked to participate with several other Gospel musical groups at an outdoor festival. Lots of good, Gospel music.
After our set, a singer from one of the other groups came up to compliment us. He was especially enamored with Cecil’s keyboard skills. And forgive my recording his words verbatim here – I do so only to illustrate this issue: he said to me: “Man! Your keyboard player is bitchin!”
It was seriously jolting to me. In a Christian gathering, where we were all there to lift up the name of Christ in song – unblinkingly, and thinking it was an appropriate approbation – this young Christian thought nothing of it.
I, was wounded. It was so unfitting. It is not the language of Zion, as my generation was wont to say.
I won’t belabor this. I know certain words and expressions come in and out of vogue and popular use – even in the Church. But I do make a plea for us to consider passages like the one above to draw us each to consider whether or not our speech patterns communicate – or fail to communicate – Christ and how he has translated us out of the kingdom of darkness into his domain.
Are we different in our speech? Should we be? I believe so.
2 – Is how we converse in person and online especially.
I get it. Folks love to point to Luther’s sometimes crude language to justify their own. As though someone else’s foibles should ever be an excuse to adopt them for ourselves. And yes, in one place Paul used σκύβαλον, once. But these are not patterns to emulate.
Sometimes shocking language is needed for the sake of confronting and stirring the soul.
What differentiates that from what Paul is guarding us against here is found in Jude 9.
And, we need to remember that Jesus as God CAN speak in ways we cannot. He is God’s appointed judge of mankind.
The idea in our text seems to be that we are not to use words in an attempt to punish others – with the aim of hurting them by virtue of what we say. Lange says this refers to “giv[ing] a sentence of condemnation against one.”
2 Peter 2:11 – (Lange) “words of insult, anger, or words of satire and mockery.”
More to the point here, is how our speech is to be guided when around unbelievers. They need to be exposed to soundness and grace, not our roughness and rancor.
Christians who are crass and abrasive and who are always criticizing government officials, other Christians and the such, leave no place to give the lost a reason to hope – nor any evidence that WE do.
May we (as a theme of Colossians emerges) seek to walk more and more “worthily” of our place and calling.
How would you choose to speak to others before the throne of God? For that is exactly where we all are even at this very moment – corem deo.
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Some who cannot divide between meekness and weakness will think this milk-soppy. So be it. But may we labor to reveal Christ, and not our spleens.
At the time of the Great Evangelical Awakening in the 18th century – there is no question that among the incredible preachers God raised up then, George Whitefield takes 2nd place to none. God used him most extraordinarily – preaching at times up to 5 times in a day. And, it is estimated that he preached on the text of John 3 and “You must be born again” around 3,000 times.
When asked why it was he kept preaching on that same text over and over, he replied “Because you MUST be born again!”
It occurs to me more and more, especially as I see the state of our nation, and the state of the broader church in our nation, that a Biblical sense of what being a Christian is – is seldom as informed by the Bible itself, as it is by opinions, feelings, culture, and religious systems. That the need for men and women to be truly born again – is once again at a critical point – even in places where people have some sort of profession of faith – but have never experienced the internal transformation that without which – one cannot see the Kingdom of God.
What do we even mean by it? – being born again, being a Christian that is.
And let’s begin first by differentiating between two things:
1 – The Biblical DEFINITION of a Christian, and
2 – A Biblical DESCRIPTION of a Christian.
Many have argued (rightfully so) that a Christian is one who has been supernaturally regenerated – born again and indwelt by the Spirit of God;
Raised from a state of spiritual deadness to life, and given sight – Sight in terms of the reality of God and the Bible and Jesus Christ in His substitutionary atoning work;
A vision of their own sinfulness; the justness of God’s coming wrath upon that sinfulness; That their sin has separated them from God and that Jesus Christ alone can satisfy God for their sin, in such a way as to see the sinner and God reconciled.
In short, a Christian is: One who being regenerated by the Spirit God – and having heard the Gospel of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection for sinners; Believed that Gospel as true and trusted themselves and their salvation to Christ and His finished work on Calvary alone.
So BEING a Christian is not a matter of joining a particular church or group, or even simply subscribing to a set of truths – even though that is involved – but in a true, fundamental inward change supernaturally wrought by the Holy Spirit.
Unquestionably there are a host of other things that accompany these essentials, but it is absolutely certain this change is at the core.
J.C. Ryle the great 19th century Bishop preached: “Sinner, man or woman, mark that! no salvation without this new birth! Christ hath done everything for thee; He paid the price of our redemption, lived for us, died for us, rose again for us; but all shall avail us nothing, if there be not this work in us: we must be born again.” Ryle, J. C. The Christian Race and Other Sermons. Hodder and Stoughton, 1900, p. 16.
It’s of eternal importance for us to have clarity on this point – to know conclusively whether or not we are truly “born again.”
We have it in the words of Jesus Himself when conversing with Nicodemus in John 3:3 “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.””
Let me quote Ryle once more: “To be born again is as it were to enter upon a new existence, to have a new mind and a new heart, new views, new principles, new tastes, new affections, new likings and new dislikings, new fears, new joys, new sorrows, new love to things once hated, new hatred to things once loved, new thoughts of God and ourselves and the world and the life to come and the means whereby that life is attained. And it is indeed a true saying that he who has gone through it is a new man, a new creature, for old things are passed away,—behold, he can say, all things are become new! It is not so much that our natural powers and faculties are taken away and destroyed; I would rather say that they receive an utterly new bias and direction. It is not that the old metal is cast aside, but it is melted down and refined and remoulded, and has a new stamp impressed upon it, and thus, so to speak, becomes a new coin.” Ryle, J. C. The Christian Race and Other Sermons. Hodder and Stoughton, 1900, pp. 22–23.
So it is I ask everyone of you within the sound of my voice today whether or not you know something of what has just been described to you?
Nothing in all the world – this one or the next – is as important as how you answer that question.
Moving beyond the mere definition, it is also good to look at a sound description of what a Christian is.
After all, this it seems is where even more confusion arises; for the culture, individuals, various religious and even secular groups – virtually all have some idea of what a Christian ought to look like.
In our current society, that is often associated with political affiliation; stands on certain social causes; behaviors that may or may not be directed by Scripture etc.
While there may be SOME truth in that, to be clear one can be pro-life without being a Christian.
One can be conservative, or liberal, and not be a Christian.
One can hold to the existence of God, special creation, gun control or not, abortion or not, big government or not, teatotalling or not, homeschooling or not, common core or not, tattoos or not, King James only or not, or a million others, and not be a Christian.
Being a Christian will certainly impact how you stand on one or all of these things – but standing on a particular side of such things does not make one a Christian.
Well then, what kind of objective evidence, Biblical evidence might be safely marshalled to help us answer this question?
Fundamentally, all other things aside, what does a Biblical Christian (that is actually a redundancy) look like in the eyes of God? In the Bible?
It is that which brings us to the text we have today in 1 Thess. 1, specifically vss. 9-10.
Some background is helpful here. Thessalonica was a large and cosmopolitan city of 100K- 200K people. Acts 17 records Paul’s visit there, the riot that ensued and how he and Silas had to scurry away just to stay alive. Later, Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to check on the new believers. And is it Timothy’s report which notes the key things we want to look at today.
How were the Christians doing?
What marked them out AS true Christians in this large, cultural center with lots of competing religions, philosophies and ideas? What set Christians, Believers apart from moral and faithful Jews, and other groups? What could Timothy tell Paul which would set Paul’s mind at ease that these had truly become Christians?
Four things: Paul records that Timothy told him – They had –
1 Turned TO God, FROM idols.
2 To SERVE the Living God.
3 And to wait for His Son from Heaven who He raised from the dead.
4 Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.
4 Powerful descriptors that for the Apostle, assured him that these were now genuine Believers – true, Biblical, Christians.
Let’s look at each one individually.
1. They turned TO God, FROM idols.
Now this needs some unpacking. For in truth, as Acts 17 records, not all those who heard Paul preach on the 3 consecutive sabbaths he did there, were idolaters in the sense of serving literal pagan idols.
Paul’s preaching was done in the Synagogue at least primarily.
So as Acts 17:4 reads: “And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.” It was a rather mixed crowd.
History tells us that wealthy women of the day had a tendency to seek out and attach themselves to various religious groups, even funding them. Many did this with Judaism as with other religions.
Some were pagan, Gentile women intrigued with religious trends and concepts. It was a hobby of sorts, bred out of curiosity.
But if all this started in the synagogue, how did the issue of idols become front and center?
The answer is: because in essence, anything that takes the place of God in any way in our lives – is itself a “false” god – an idol – even God’s own Judaism itself.
And in truth, this is still the primary issue today.
If you were to ask me: What is the biggest problem facing the Church today, let me assure you it is NOT:
Gay Marriage. Terrorism. Islam. Homosexuality. Transgenderism. The LGBTQ+ agenda. Socialism. Evolution vs Creationism. Pornography. Divorce. Un-wed mothers. Abortion. Worship Styles. Or Gender inclusive Bible Translations.
The single biggest problem the Church is facing today is: IDOLATRY
Let me elaborate.
Idolatry comes in a number of different forms.
a. PURE or FORMAL Idolatry. Pagan worship with god substitutes represented by images of different kinds.
This is what most of think of first when we hear the term idolatry. Worship of pagan gods. The Bible names many of these especially in the OT – Molech, Baal, Ashtoroth, Rephan, etc. And some in the NT like those you can read about in the Revelation in like Emperor worship or like that of Diana in Ephesus and others.
This form of idolatry has a – not so obvious – but very interesting subset – Atheism.
For in Atheism, man makes himself the measure of all things. He worships his own desires, dreams, purposes, etc.
The idol is self. The ultimate false god.
b. MIXED Idolatry. This was especially attractive to some pagans because in its 2 varieties.
First, you simply add Christ to your existing god or gods.
This became very common during the conquest of the Mayans, Incas and other people groups in South America when the Roman Catholic missionaries tried to convert them.
They found if they let them keep their existing gods, they were pretty willing to add Jesus to them. And so the missionaries claimed success in converting them, when in fact they had just obscured Christianity and reinforced the false worship of the idolaters.
The second variety is when you in some way come to Christ but also add another god or gods to Him as valid as well.
Another term for it is syncretism.
Yes, I’m a Christian, but then there is ancient Chinese wisdom, and reverence for pagan philosophies, things like “The Secret” or “A Course in Miracles” etc.
c. DISGUISED Idolatry. This is the idolatry of the religious – like the Jews Paul was preaching to.
This is serving the God of the Bible, but doing so as though He is a pagan god. That shows itself in a number of ways.
One way is serving God, SLAVISHLY like He is a harsh task- master and needs human appeasing through our sacrifices and rituals. We have an example of this in Micah 6:1-8
Micah 6:1–8 “Hear what the Lord says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel.
“O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”
“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
God just needs me to jump through certain hoops, and if I perform the prescribed set of rites and rituals, all is well.
Truth be told, there are many who would call themselves Christians today who serve God this way. And He rejects it.
A 2nd kind of DISGUISED idolatry is serving God SUPERSTITIOUSLY
This shows itself in things like thinking God must be addressed in Elizabethan English or your not using the right magic phrases; putting superstitious emphases on certain Postures in prayer; adding requirements God never did like requiring certain amounts of time in prayer or Bible reading where if you don’t meet the quota, you’re sinning. Adopting a special “Prayer voice”. Making deals with God. Etc.
God warns against it quite plainly in Deut. 18:9-14 “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.”
A 3rd kind is like that of Nadab & Abihu in Lev. 10 – where they just decided to get real innovative with God’s prescribed form of worship and in offering strange fire before God He had not commanded. They were killed by God for it. SELF-ORIGINATED worship.
The 4th we might call SELF-CENTERED WORSHIP (Matt. 15:9). Where we craft Church after the likes and dislikes of the people, without seeking to see what God says worship ought to be like from the Scriptures.
In these last 2, worship itself becomes an idol.
At the bottom of all of these, is a man-centered approach to God, and it is as much idolatry as is outright paganism.
And this was surely where most of Judaism was in Paul’s day – where it was superstition about God’s name, following rites and rituals rather than worrying about a heart which is right before God by God’s appointed means.
And it is from all of these types of idolatry that Timothy told Paul – the Believing Thessalonians had turned FROM, and turned TO God instead.
In a word, this is the idea wrapped up in the word repentance: Turning away from one thing and to another.
Away from sin to righteousness.
Away from rites and rituals to faith in the finished work of Christ.
Away from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness.
Away from superstition to the true and living God.
Let me tease this out just a tad more for our use today.
For as I said already, an idol is anything that takes God’s rightful place in our hearts and minds. And there is a simple test we can use for hunting out possible idols in our own lives.
Let me give you a simple self-diagnostic in the form of a few questions. I give you 5 here. Which unfortunately we can’t expand upon right now.
1 – What do I FEAR most? Matt. 10:26-28 – “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops…And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
2 – What do I VALUE or DESIRE most? Matt. 6:21 “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. i.e. what elicits my greatest devotion
What fills in the box when I say: “If only X THEN, I would be happy”?
Or better, without X_ I cannot be happy.
As long as you are looking for that thing to make you happy, then your attainment of it will be dissatisfying. It will leave you unhappy and discontented.
If my ultimate and supreme happiness isn’t in Him, then I am trading “creatures” for the Creator.
3 – What do I seek my ultimate JOY in? 1Pet. 1:8 “and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”
Ps. 16:11 “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”
God in His goodness has given us countless things we may freely enjoy – but all of them are only meant to be tokens of Him – in whom we are to seek our supreme joy. Especially when we see how fleeting earthly joys are.
4 – What DICTATES my BEHAVIOUR most? Jer. 7:23-24 “But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.”
The juxtaposition of self-determination vs. love for God-determination.
How do I make up my mind about what is right or wrong to do in any given situation? My own opinion? Feelings?
Simply what is considered legal or illegal according to the laws of the land?
5 – What do I place my HOPE in? What is my hope for the future? What is my hope for right standing w/ God?
Is my hope informed by passages like 1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
What is the source of my peace of mind? What do I look to for a sense of well-being? What is my comfort in the hard times?
a. What do I FEAR most?
b. What do I VALUE or DESIRE most?
c. What do I seek my JOY in most?
d. What DICTATES my BEHAVIOR most?
e. What do I place my HOPE in?
Answer these, and you will know what your god or gods are.
And the 1st mark of the truly converted soul is that one seeks to turn away from those gods – to the true and Living God.
Nor is this done just once – but it becomes a lifestyle of turning from those false gods to the God of the Bible over and over and over.
Choosing this way of thinking and life over and over every day.
With that established we can work through the balance of these much more rapidly.
2 The genuine Christian turns from idols to God – To SERVE the Living God.
The genuine Christian now realizing all that has been done for them in Christ – seeks to serve this merciful, gracious, loving, pardoning, holy God.
You’ve saved me for yourself – now use me! How can I serve your ends, your agenda, your plans and purposes, your kingdom?
If your Christianity is all wrapped up in God just being a blessing dispenser, without any regard for what it means to be His servant, saved for His purposes, you need to ask yourself if you have truly come to faith.
Coming to Christ is not a ticket to earthly and worldly pleasures, but the gift of eternal bliss in the service of the King!
One of Christ’s harshest rebukes in the NT is couched in a parable in Luke 19.
The Nobleman in the parable (an allusion to Jesus Himself) was to go into a far country to be given final title to a land and a people. When he left, the Nobleman gave 10 servants money to invest on his behalf while gone. Startlingly, the text says: Luke 19:14 “But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying,
‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’”
What was the problem? They liked the money but they hated Him – and watch this closely – in that they did not want Him to REIGN over them.
It was fine and well to take his gifts, but they rejected his right of authority over them.
So Jesus adds after settling with those who took the money – Luke 19:27 “But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’ ”
Many is the professed Christian who wants Jesus as a gift giver, a forgiver of sins, a healer and Savior – but if they do not want Him to reign over them – He counts them His enemies, and they will not escape His wrath.
These are profoundly sobering words.
Especially to all of us who take the name Christian to ourselves today. Do we want Him to reign over us?
If not, if we have imbibed the popular but false notion that we can have Jesus as Savior but not as Lord – we are sadly and tragically mistaken.
Those who do not want Him to rule over them, are counted as His enemies. Nothing else.
The genuine Christian turns from idols to God – To SERVE the Living God… A N D
3 To WAIT for His Son from Heaven who He raised from the dead.
The genuine Christian lives a life of expectancy and hope located in the return of Jesus either to translate us or resurrect us to be with Him forever. And this hope is fueled by the conviction that Christ was raised from the dead already as the first-fruits of God’s people.
Scripture places the historic fact of Jesus’ physical resurrection from the dead as a core essential of the Gospel message to be believed. Apart from believing it, ( along with some other central revelations) one cannot be considered a Christian at all.
1 Corinthians 15:1–4 “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,”
Paul then goes on to argue that if this is not true – we have an utterly worthless religion.
At the risk of overusing my source – let me quote Ryle one last time on this, when he comments on those who have no desire for Heaven: “By nature we are altogether unfit for Christ’s kingdom in glory. The lives which we are in the habit of leading, and the practices we are fond of indulging, and the tastes we are always seeking to please, and the opinions we hold, are all such as prove we have no natural [suited-ness] for the inheritance of the saints in light. They do not follow after holiness in all their walk and conversation. Then what place can they occupy in that blessed abode where there shall enter in nothing that defile[s], nor whatsoever work[s] abomination?—how shall they stand in His presence, who charge[s] even His angels with folly, and in whose sight the very heavens are not pure! They do not take pleasure in the exercise of prayer and praise on earth; and how could they enjoy the employments of that glorious habitation, where they rest not day nor night worshipping and crying “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” [If] They do not count it a privilege to draw nigh to God through Jesus Christ, to walk with Him, to seek close acquaintance with Him; [then] where would be the comfort to them of dwelling for ever in the presence of the Lord God and the Lamb? [If] They do not strive to walk in the steps of holy men of old, [and] they do not take example from the faith and patience of the saints; [then] with what face then would they join the society of just men made perfect?—with what salutation, after a life spent in pleasing the devil and the world, would they greet Abraham and David and the Apostles and all that blessed company who have fought the good fight? Alas! beloved, a natural man in heaven would be a miserable creature,—there would be something in the air he could not breathe, the joys, the affections, the employments would be all wearisome to him, he would find himself unfitted for the company of the saints, as a beast is unfitted on earth for the company of man; he would be carnally minded, they would be spiritually minded, there would be nothing in common. I know there are vain dreamers who fancy death will work an alteration, that they may die sinners and rise again saints; but it is all a delusion, there is no work nor device nor knowledge in the grave; if we die spiritual we shall rise spiritual, if we die carnal we shall rise carnal, and if we are to be made fit for heaven our natural hearts must be changed now on earth. Ryle, J. C. The Christian Race and Other Sermons. Hodder and Stoughton, 1900, pp. 20–21.
Christians are those living now, with their eternity in view, and have stopped living for just today or the foreseeable future. They say with Paul: 2 Timothy 4:8 “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
Beloved, if you are not one who loves His appearing, and is longing and looking for it, you need to ask if you ever been truly born again?
The genuine Christian turns from idols to God – To SERVE the
Living God and to WAIT for His Son from Heaven who He raised from the dead …
4. Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Christians are living these ways, because they have a sense of the wrath of God which was due them, and the wonder of knowing they’ve been delivered from God’s coming wrath on all the world through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. All of this is wrapped up – not in religion or a system – but in Jesus Christ.
Christians know – know in their very bones, God in His holiness and justice must one day set the universe to rights.
And they have a true sense of the reality of that coming day, and have run to Christ for shelter.
They have run to the cross to have His blood plead on their behalf as having washed away their guilt and the stain of their sins.
And they keep running to Him in every failure, with every sin, with all of their brokenness, for they know that they know that they know on the authority of God’s Word, that no one can deliver them but the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
So let me bring all this down to you once again:
Have you turned and continue to turn TO God, FROM idols? Is this an ongoing part of life?
Have you turned, so as to SERVE the Living God? Seeking to be of use to Him in His plans and purposes?
Are you consciously waiting for His Son from Heaven who He raised from the dead?
Are you trusting in this Jesus alone, as the One who alone delivers you from the wrath to come?
If so, you rightly call yourself a Christian today.
If not, no matter what your religion, or profession or to use the modern parlance – your self-identification – you are still dead in your trespasses and sins, and need to be born again by the Spirit of God. The wrath of God still remains on you as Jesus said in John 3:36.
And let me be careful here – I am not asking if this is the whole of your reality – as though there is some magical amount of this that saves. We do all we do imperfectly while still in these fallen bodies and in this fallen world.
The question is – do these things have a place at all in your daily reality? And if that is not so – beloved hear me – you are in a seriously dangerous place. Your eternal soul may well be lost.
But it is not too late! You can come to Him today!
You can a call upon Him for forgiveness, and to have your guilt expunged by His blood and to be made His own and reconciled to the Father.
Won’t you come to Him today?
Plead with Him to give you the new birth. You have the warrant in Jesus’ own words: John 6:37 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”
ResponsiveReiding 