The End of the Matter

Tuesday, July 19

It’s been a long time since I wrote a blog. I apologize  to you who have looked in vain for my blogs.  The joy and satisfaction in writing a blog has become an intolerable burden due to my deteriorating physical condition, particularly with my eyesight.  I knew this day was coming, and now it it here.  I believe the Lord confirmed it in a 3 A.M. message last night (probably because he couldn’t get my attention during the day).  So this will be my last blog.  God’s message was based on Ecclesiastes.  Solomon, the author, searched the world to find the meaning of life.  At first it was focused on self.  What will make me happy?  What will satisfy me?  Solomon’s conclusion is right at the beginning of the book in Ecc. 1:1-2 (ESV):  “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”  Synonyms:  meaningless (NIV), vapor, worthless.  I like his comment about books in Ecc. 12:12:  “Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.”  I wonder if God gave Solomon a glimpse of our modern professors with their fancy robes denoting their educational achievements, their medals and mortar boards and tassels–walking their dignified way down a carpeted aisle at a graduation ceremony.  Solomon gives us his final conclusion in the very next verse (Ecc. 12:13):  “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”  That’s why we’re here and that’s what I’ve done, albeit with countless imperfections.  I have been encouraged by Isaiah 55:11.  God’s word will not return void.  It was good to have you along for the ride.      

Incarnation

Monday, May 30                                                                         

One of the most awesome events in human history is God becoming man, i.e. the incarnation.  There are multiple O.T. prophecies about the incarnation, including Isaiah’s account of the virgin birth.   Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.  (Is. 7:14).  “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  This was written around 700 B.C., which I find very interesting.  The Greek gods appeared in about 700 B.C., too—by the pen of the poet, Hesiod.    Happenstance?  Maybe, but I don’t think so.  I believe Satan was at work.  He is not God and can’t know the future unless it’s revealed by God.  Isaiah’s prophecy may have given him the information he needed to try to undermine God’s plan of salvation.  Greek gods were immoral.  Some of them were pictured as cohabiting with humans, an evil form of incarnation.  The Romans admired the Greek culture.  When they conquered the Greek Empire, they made the Greek gods into Roman gods by simply giving them Roman names.    And, yes, this Satan-inspired religion viciously opposed the early Church—but it must have been  part of God’s plan of redemption.  Ironically, the Greek gods were abandoned during the Dark Ages.  God has a sense of humor, too.

Unceasing Giving

Thursday, May 26                         

God gives gifts, including salvation, and he gives rewards for serving him.  But there’s much more.  He gives us opportunities to serve him, including spreading the gospel throughout the world (Mt. 28: 19).     He gives us the Holy Spirit to motivate us and guide us (Rom. 8) and to prepare nonbelievers to hear the gospel message by convicting them of sin (John 16:8).  He gives us the authority to represent him in this world (Mt. 28:18), and backs it up by giving us divine power (2 Pet. 1:3).  Matthew ends his account of Jesus’ life with “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  He’s given us all the tools we need to be successful.  But there’s still more.  He’s given us hope.  Biblical hope is not wishful thinking.  It’s a future reality that will come to pass simply because God said it will.  Our mortal bodies are warped by sin and will be replaced by immortal bodies.  We will be free of sin and live in a sinless environment.  And above all we’ll have unlimited face to face fellowship with our Savior.  There’s still more.  God also gives to non-believers.  He warns them of eternal damnation and will give them what they deserve if they do not heed the warning.  A holy God can do no less.  You may wonder why God is an inveterate giver.  It’s because he is the epitome of love.  It should be no surprise that the Bible says God IS love (1 John 1:14).  It’s his nature to love and it’s his nature to give.  That truth is awesome—especially knowing that we are made in his image.  

Gifts and Rewards

Friday, May 20                  

Salvation comes at an enormous cost, the cruel death of the Son of God on a cross and a moment of unparalled anguish as the Father abandoned his Son because he was carrying the sins of the world.  For us, it’s a free gift.  We accept the gift when we trust Christ for dying in our place.  By that vicarious loving gift we are spared the horrors of hell and will fully enjoy the delights of heaven.  This gift is sometimes thought of as a reward, but it isn’t.  A gift is not earned.  Rom. 6:23.  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Eph. 2:8.  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”  But God gives rewards as well as gifts.  Rev. 22:12.  “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.”  James 1:12.  “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”    Heb. 6:10.  “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”  You might also check out 1 Cor. 3:10-15.  To sum up:  Salvation is a gift of God that we could never gain on our own.  It is irrevocable, guaranteed throughout our lives in this world and for all eternity.  Rewards are for good works that God’s people do following their salvation and are bestowed after this life is over. 

Unlimited Grace

Friday, May 13

A human being can be classified as a giver or a taker.  Actually, all of us are a blend of the two, but God is a giver.   Annie Johnson Flint beautifully expresses this in the hymn “He Giveth More Grace.” Here’s the first verse and chorus:   

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater;

He sendeth more strength when the labors increase,

To added affliction He addeth His mercy;

To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

His grace has no limit; His grace has no measure.

His pow’r has no boundary known unto men.

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!

God’s unlimited dedication to love and care for man is amply recorded in the Bible.  Here are two examples:  Eph. 2:4-5.  “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”  Eph. 3:20. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us . . .”   

Isaiah’s Calling

Monday, May 9                                  

I’m intrigued with Isaiah 6, Isaiah’s account of his calling.  First, why did he write five chapters of prophecy before describing his calling?  Commentaries suggest a few possible answers, none of which satisfied me.  I don’t have a good answer either, so let’s put it in the “God’s ways are past finding out” file.   Chapter 6 has only 13 verses, but each one is worthy of a sermon or two.  Isaiah was face to face with the Almighty God, the only true God, the Holy One, the Creator of the universe, and the judge of all things.   Isaiah’s response was immediate.  “I am ruined!  For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”  He fully expected to die on the spot, but God showed him grace.  He was cleansed of sin with a coal from the altar.  Free of sin, he qualified to serve God.  At that point God said “Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us?”  You might note that God didn’t demand or coerce; it was an invitation.  He was looking for a volunteer.  Although the job was to be God’s personal messenger, there was no job description or a pay scale,  but Isaiah wasted no time in accepting the invitation.  He jumped at the opportunity: “Here am I. Send me.”  We might wonder why God directed Isaiah to include a detailed description of his calling.  What Isaiah saw and experienced changed his life forever.  Can you imagine how this account of Isaiah’s calling would impact those idolatrous Jews?  This message was for them, but it’s for us, too.   God is still inviting his people to become his personal messengers to a lost world.  Are you available?    

That Fox

Friday, April 22                                              

Jesus ministered in Galilee and Judea before going to Perea.  All this territory was part of the Promised Land and was heavily populated by Jews.  As part of the Roman Empire, it was also heavily populated by Gentiles.  Jesus’ ministry was two-fold—to call the Jews to repentance and to train his disciples to evangelize.  Herod Antipas ruled as king over Galilee and Perea.  He was an Edomite, a descendant of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob.  He claimed to be a friend of the Jews, but was a ruthless enemy.  He was the one who killed John the Baptist.  All this to prepare you for an intriguing paragraph, Luke 13:31-33.  “At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.’ He replied, ‘Go tell that fox I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’  In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!”  These Pharisees were not trying to spare Jesus from being killed by Herod.  They would have rejoiced to so see Jesus put to death.  What they really wanted was to frighten Jesus into leaving Perea.  Wherever Jesus went, he scathingly rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy—publicly proclaiming the Law while privately ignoring it.  Jesus’ reply to these Pharisees carries several messages: 1. He didn’t mince words when speaking about Herod.  Because he was God, Jesus had no fear of death at the hands of Herod.  2. By calling Herod a fox, he graphicly exposed him as sly and ruthless.  3. By telling the Pharisees to “tell that fox,” Jesus implied that they were collaborating with Herod concerning Jesus.  4. Jesus had an unalterable time-table that would lead to his death.  He would continue his ministry “today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.”  This is not literal days; it’s an idiomatic expression meaning an indeterminate time period.  Then Jesus revealed his goal.  When Jesus’ said “surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem,” he declared that he would be killed in Jerusalem, not in Perea.                   

Sad and Glad

Tuesday, April 12                            

Sad times can be glad times.  Elizabeth and I recently experienced this.  Two of our former co-workers in Bolivia passed away within five weeks.  Both women were suffering and didn’t have long to live.  Those were sad days, but they were also glad days.  Mabel and Marge had faithfully served the Lord throughout their lives, decades of it as missionaries in Bolivia.  That’s something to be glad about.  As each one breathed their last breath, they were welcomed into heaven by Jesus and a crowd of people that had gone on before.  That’s super-gladness.  There was rejoicing in heaven, a gladness that will not diminish throughout eternity.  There’s another sad/glad event in human history that surpasses all others, the death of Christ.  Hundreds (probably thousands) of people witnessed this cruel death.  Imagine how his followers felt—his disciples, his mother, Nicodemus, Mary Magdalene, et al.  This has to be the saddest time in history.  But it also must be the gladdest time in history.  When Jesus said “It is finished,” he meant that his work of redemption was finished.  Even though those witnesses were still mourning his death, their redemption had just been paid for.  Jesus’ death also certified total and final victory over sin and Satan.  Sadness turned to gladness three days later when Jesus rose from the dead.   Overwhelming sadness became exhilarating joy.  Imagine the elation of his disciples, his mother, and those other followers.   Yes, sad times can be glad times.   

Proverbs

Wednesday, March 30                                                                                                

The book of Proverbs is a very practical book.  Each proverb is full of truths that can and should shape our lives.  I tend to read an entire chapter of proverbs—and fail to discover how each proverb can affect my life.  Not very smart. Every proverb calls for meditation in order to unlock its hidden treasures.  I’ll use Prov. 3:5-6 to illustrate this.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”  There are two commands in this proverb, trust and submit.  There are only two options when it comes to trust; we either trust God or we trust ourselves.  It doesn’t take a genius to determine which is the right choice.  But knowing and doing are two different things.  We hate to give up control of our lives—maybe some of it, but that’s not good enough.  That’s why the proverb says “with all your heart.”  It’s an either/or decision, no straddling the fence.  We can ignore it or postpone it—and lose the reward for obeying it.  The second command is to submit to God.  That is closely related to trusting God.  If I really trust God, I will also yield my life to him.  Again, it’s who controls my life.  There’s a caveat here, too, “in all your ways.”  Now, the reward:  “he will make your paths straight.”  That’s a metaphor, of course, and may need a little meditation, too.  The proverb pictures a godly man’s life.  The goal is to live for God throughout this life, without deviations, no wandering into worldly ways.  This reminds me of Paul’s comment at the end of his life.  2 Tim. 4:6-7.  “ . . . the time for my departure is near, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  That’s the message of Proverbs 3:5-6.       

Charles Spurgeon and Romans 10:13

Thursday, March 24 

Fast forward from the 16^th century Protestant Reformation to 19^th century England.  Charles Spurgeon grew up in a Christian environment.  His father and grandfather were pastors.  His grandfather took special interest in him, teaching him, challenging him, and praying with hum and for him.  Young Charles viewed the Bible as inspired and treated Biblical truth as though God was speaking directly to him.  He did everything he could to live a godly life.  Despite confessing his sins and pleading with God to save him, he knew he was still lost.  After a few years of this agonizing dilemma, God used Rom.10:13 to open his eyes.  “For, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  He knew that he had never done that, so he called on the name of the Lord, hoping that God would save him.  Alas, he knew that he was still unsaved.  However, he finally realized that he had tried to live a godly life by his own efforts.  The struggle to know why God didn’t save him was over, but a new struggle emerged.  Who would be in charge of his life?  Charles stubbornly resisted giving up control of his life, but eventually accepted God on God’s terms.  This was truly a coup de gras.  For the first time in his life, Spurgeon experienced real happiness.  God’s grace became the focus of his life and the core of his preaching.  God turned him into a powerful preacher.  Wherever he went crowds came to hear him preach.  He became the most famous preacher of his time.  Spurgeon’s life was amazingly like Luther’s life.  Both tried to be reconciled to God by their own efforts and both failed.  God used a single verse of Scripture to reveal that salvation is a gift of God, not something that can be earned.  Grace alone by God alone.      

Martin Luther and Romans 1:17

Wednesday, March 23           

Martin Luther was a devoted Roman Catholic monk in Germany in the early 16^th century. He was a model monk, highly respected by his superiors, but distraught and frustrated inside.  He was trying to live a godly life by obeying the Law.  He struggled for years to obey the Law, but finally gave up in despair.  He was angry with God for requiring a moral standard that was impossible to live up to.  Then God led him to Rom. 1:17.  “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”  This verse captivated Luther and turned his frustration into euphoria.  From Law to grace.  From anger to love.  From despair to delight.  This newly found grace not only radically changed Luther’s life, it led to the Protestant Reformation.   That radically changed all Christendom. 

Efforts to Be Godly

Monday, March 21    

I wonder how many of my readers caught the gross error in my last blog.  It was not deliberate; I was eager to finish the blog and got careless.  It’s the last sentence: [We need to “make every effort” (2 Peter 1:5) and God’s grace takes care of the rest.]  I apologize and want to set things straight.  God’s grace is not limited as I implied in that statement.  Nor can a Christian make himself holy by his own effort alone.  In a nutshell, God’s grace is the core element in everything he does—including the creation of the human race and his work of redemption.  The entire universe was designed to benefit man.  That’s grace.  Creating man in the image of God is grace.   Jesus dying in our place is grace—the ultimate grace.  The Holy Spirit convicting us of sin is grace.  Counting godly people in the Old Testament as redeemed is grace.  God allowing sinners to live until they hear the gospel is grace.  Forgiving sinning Christians is grace.  So, what about Peter’s admonition to make every effort to be godly?  Yes, we need to make every effort to be holy, but it’s only by God’s power that it can be done.  And that’s grace.                                            

A New Commandment

Friday, March 18

John 13:34: “A new command I give you: Love one another.”  Loving one another is not a new command.  Among many other similar passages is Lev. 19:18: “. . . love your neighbor as yourself. . . .”  But in that same verse 34 Jesus added “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”  That’s new.  And it’s a much higher standard of love.  Jesus, who was without sin and totally innocent, voluntarily died a horrible death on a cross to provide salvation for all mankind.  As finite people with sin natures we can’t do that, but we can devote ourselves to God’s standard of love.  Jesus described this higher standard in Mt. 5-7.  Concerning murder (5:21-22):  “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. . .”  Concerning adultery (5:27-28):  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”  In like manner Jesus deals with several other moral issues, none of which we can measure up to.  If that’s not enough, read verse 48:  “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  Clearly, Jesus is describing the Law, but he’s giving us a standard to strive for.  We need to “make every effort” (2 Peter 1:5) and God’s grace takes care of the rest.   

A Sin That Leads to Death

Tuesday, March 8

A passage that some Bible scholars relate to the unpardonable sin is 1 John 5:16-17.  “If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.”  These two verses are enigmatic and call for further explanation.  Bear with me; this is a bit complex.  1. Who can commit the sin?  This passage clearly involves Christians, but does it also include non-Christians?  Since Christians are not encouraged to pray for those who have committed a sin unto death, we can conclude that it’s limited to Christians because the Bible consistently instructs Christians to pray for the lost.  2. You might have a problem with “God will give them life.”  Since this passage only concerns Christians, “life” must refer to physical life.  Spiritual life is eternal life.  It can’t be rescinded and therefore can’t be restored.  3. John assumes that his readers know about the sin that leads to death.  What is that sin?  It must be a specific sin; John says a sin, not sins.  The sin is not specifically identified or described, but we might learn more about it by looking at some other passages.  Acts 5:1-11.  Ananias and Sapphira sold their property to give to needy Christians, but kept some of the money for themselves.  They individually appeared before Peter, who knew what they had done.  He said they had lied to the Holy Spirit and they dropped dead.  1 Cor. 11:27-34 is about Christians who partook of the Lord’s table unworthily.  1 Cor. 11:30. “That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.”  (To “fall asleep” is a euphemism for a Christian who has died.)  These two passages are examples of a sin that leads to death.  Anything else is speculation.          

The Unpardonable Sin

Friday, March 4                           

The unpardonable sin has been the source of debate for centuries.  In Mt. 12:31-32 Jesus said “. . . every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”  This calls for an explanation.  Blasphemy here is attributing Jesus’ miracles to Beelzebub (v. 24).  But what does that have to do with the Holy Spirit?  And why is blasphemy against the Spirit more egregious than blasphemy against Christ?  It has to do with the Spirit’s convicting people of sin.  This is the first step in the redemption process and should lead to repentance. But if a person refuses to repent he remains condemned.  John Calvin understood this.  He said “Those who commit the unpardonable sin with evil intention, resist God’s truth, although by its brightness they are so touched that they cannot claim ignorance.  They decisively reject clear Spirit-revealed truth about Jesus by attributing his mighty works to Satan” A key phrase here is “Spirit-revealed truth.”  The Holy Spirit was to convict people of sin (John 16:8).  Refusal to heed the Spirit’s call to repent is to refuse salvation.  One commentary defined unpardonable sin as “deliberate, final, and irrevocable rejection” of Christ.  If you are concerned about whether you’ve committed the unpardonable sin, relax—those who have committed that sin will never be concerned about anything but life in this evil world.     

Hypocrisy

Friday, February 25  

Pastor Russ’s recent message on hypocrisy was both interesting and pertinent.  It made me search my own heart.  Four terse statements more or less sum up the sermon. 1. Some people don’t go to church because of the hypocrites there, but they do go to stores with no such feelings about the people they meet there.  2. We are all hypocrites to some degree.  3. We pray one way and live another way.   4. The root of hypocrisy is valuing the approval of men rather than the approval of God.  5. When I enjoy the praise of men, I lose something with God.  I urge you to spend some time meditating on all this.    As you do this, remember that becoming holy is an ongoing process.  We are to “make every effort,” but we are still plagued by the sin nature.  God is still gracious, loving, encouraging, and forgiving.  We are not losers, but we need to “make every effort.”

Doubting One’s Salvation

Thursday, February 24             

I wrote a short blog (Feb, 10), focusing on 2 Peter 1:10, but there’s much more in this passage, 2 Peter 1:3-11.  His concern is for believers who are uncertain of their salvation.  God has provided the power to live godly lives (vv. 3-4).  But to achieve a godly life requires the believer’s participation.  We are to make every effort to apply God’s power to become like Christ.  Peter lists some of the key traits in vv. 5-7.  Following Peter’s advice will make us effective and productive (v. 8).  One who fails to do what Peter advises is near-sighted and blind, forgetting that he has been freed from the bondage of sin (v. 9).  [John MacArthur’s study Bible notes on verse 10 are excellent, well worth reading.]  Peter neatly captures the gist of vv. 3-9 in one sentence (v. 10).  Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,”  “Therefore” (based on vv. 3-9), believers can be certain of their salvation by following Peter’s advice in vv. 5-7.  The word  “confirm” means to “demonstrate.”  Godly living confirms or verifies one’s salvation.  Our “calling and election” means that we are chosen by God.  Following Peter’s advice it also guarantees that we will never stumble.   That doesn’t imply that we will lose our salvation.  Our salvation is already guaranteed—see 1 Peter 1:1-5 and Romans 8:38-39.  It means that we will not fall into doubt about our salvation.  As icing on the cake, Peter ends with the fact that we will receive a rich welcome when we enter heaven (v. 11).     

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Friday, February 11             

For some reason I got to thinking about the wonders of the human body.  We eat all kinds of food and our body extracts and uses what the body needs and eliminates the rest.  God also built into us the need for eating—hunger.   He gives us taste buds and an enormous variety of food so that we will enjoy eating.  This is just a simple observation of a very complex system.  There are many other miraculous systems constantly at work in our bodies.    We give a lot of attention to our bodies, but very little gratitude to the One who created us.  David was not like that.  He worshipped God daily at set times (Ps. 55:17) and his Psalms demonstrate that his prayers were not perfunctory.  He praises God for creating him in Psalm 139:13-16.  “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”  “Fearfully” here does not mean to be in dread or frightened; the Hebrew word means “with great reverence, heart-felt interest, respect.”  The word “wonderful” means “unique” or “set aside.”  We are indeed unique.  We were created in God’s image!   It’s no surprise that God loved David—despite his gross sins.      

Confirming Salvation

Thursday, February 10

2 Peter 1:10 revisited.   “ . . . make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.”   The calling is the call to salvation.    Peter was addressing believers, people whose salvation was secure, but perhaps had doubts because the sin nature was still alive in them.  The sin nature is endemic and will not be abolished in this life.  Confirming the calling is making the effort to progress in holiness as described in verses 5-7.  That utilizes God’s power to conquer sin and will keep one from stumbling—falling into sin.   

Wednesday, February 2

Becoming Holy

2 Peter 1:3-7 paints a glorious picture of the Christian life following conversion, but it’s not always like that—as Peter makes clear in v. 9.  Justification and sanctification are two different things.  We are justified when we repent and trust in Christ for salvation.  That gives us eternal life and a home in heaven, but doesn’t make us holy.  God considers us holy, knowing that he will complete the process of sanctification after we are freed from the sin nature before entering heaven.  Becoming holy is described by Peter in vv. 5-7: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love.   In verse 8 he says “If you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive. . .”   Peter says in verse 9 “But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.”  If you are a Christian, you will fit into one of these two categories—or somewhere in between.  If you’re in the nearsighted or blind category, Peter has some advice for you.  “. . . Make every effort to confirm your calling and election.  For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”   The calling and election are irrevocable; becoming holy is the issue.  The word “confirm” could be a problem.  Replace it with “demonstrate” and you will get the message.        

Precious Promises

Tuesday, February 1                       

Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:3 that God has given us everything we need to live a godly life.  Underline those words “God has given.”  We already have God’s power to live a godly life.  That doesn’t mean that we will automatically live a godly life.  We have a part in it.  Verse 4 puts it in terms of great and precious promises, things that are still to come.    Lest you take this lightly, note the result.  We will take on God’s nature!  We gradually become like Christ and will be able to escape the corruption of the world.  God provides the power and the encouragement to become righteous, but calls on us to make every effort to acquire the godly traits that characterize the divine nature (2 Peter 1:5-8).  It’s like God has given us the tools, but we need to use them.  This process of sanctification would be one of those great and precious promises, but I think Peter had a few other precious promises in mind.  Mt. 11:28-29. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”    John 10:28.  “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”  John 14:3.  “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” Mt. 28:20.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  And there are many more.

Monday, January 31

Salutations

I’ve gotten into the habit of skipping over the salutation part of New Testament epistles.  For some reason I took an interest in the salutation of 2 Peter and was amazed at what I found in the first verse.  The first verse of 2 Peter is a concise statement of redemption.  “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:”  Christianity (our faith) is a precious gift provided by Jesus Christ.  The redeemer had to be righteous, a sinless human being; only Jesus Christ met that requirement.  “Jesus” is his human name, revealed to Joseph by an angel in a dream (Mt. 1:21).     “Jesus” means “Savior.”  Christ” means “the anointed one,”  The Bible uses this term for one who is called to a specific mission, in this case, to redeem man by dying on the cross.  All this is said or implied by Peter in an opening sentence to a rather lengthy letter.  Maybe I should take a closer look at the second sentence of the salutation.

High Positions

Friday, January 28                                                        

James 1:9. “Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.”  James is reminding Christians that have little of this world’s goods that they possess something of far more value:  chosen by God to be his agents in this world, loved and cared for in this life, rewards for faithful service, and an eternal home in heaven.  The Beatitudes (Mt. 5:5-12) summarize this.  God blesses the meek, the righteous, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for their faith.  The rewards that follow are cause for rejoicing (v. 12).  James 1:10. “But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.”   Like the poor Christians of verse 9, rich Christians will be persecuted for their faith and should rejoice in their “high position” in God’s kingdom.  The gist of all this is that material things are immaterial.  May we focus on things of eternal value.    

Two Kinds of Anger

Wednesday, January 26

James 1:19-20.  “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”  James is making a distinction between human anger and godly anger.  God’s anger surfaces in multiple places throughout the Bible.  Jesus was angry when the money changers desecrated his house of prayer.  We humans can exhibit godly anger because we’re made in the image of God, and we can exhibit human anger because we’re descendants of Adam.    John McArthur notes in his study Bible that anger is not only permissible, but commanded.  We should love what God loves and hate what God hates. We should be angry with what angers God.  The essential difference between human anger and righteous anger is sin. Eph. 4:26.  “In your anger do not sin.  Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,” Paul is obviously speaking about godly anger, but why are we not to be angry past sun down?  I turned to commentaries on this one.  John McArthur:  “Righteousness can turn to bitterness.”  Bible Knowledge Commentary:  “The Devil would like to intensify a Christian’s righteous anger against sin causing it to become sin itself.”  And “Anger begins to control the believer rather than the believer controlling his anger.”  One more thought:  James’ advice in verses 19-20 is “preventive medicine.”  “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”   

The Case for Evidence

Monday, January 24                                                       

Evidence is the key factor in all court cases.  Detectives are always looking for evidence.  Some evidence can be overlooked or misinterpreted.  And some evidence can be deliberately ignored.  This fact caught the expert cold-case detective, Warner Wallace’s attention.  He wrote of  this in his book, Cold-case Christianity.  He had been an atheist for 35 years until he walked into the Saddleback Church in California and became a Christian.  Some time later he came to realize that his cold-case profession had ignored an important area of evidence, miracles.    From then on, he accepted supernatural evidence and encouraged fellow detectives to do the same.  But there’s more to this story.  He applied his Cold-case skills to the accounts of Jesus’ life in the four gospels, focusing on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.  The evidence, although centuries old, was overwhelmingly convincing.  You will find Wallace’s logic impeccable and fascinating.  You will also want to read his books, God’s Crime Scene, and Forensic Faith.  The Apostle Peter used Wallace’s technique some 2000 years earlier.  2 Peter 3:3-6.  “. . . in the last days scoffers will come, following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this coming he promised?  Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’  But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.”  There’s ample evidence of this world-wide flood. For example, while we lived in Bolivia at 5000 ft. elevation, we often found sea shells.     

The Whole Counsel of God

Thursday, January 20                 

I don’t want to leave this farewell scenario without commenting on a phrase in Acts 20:27, “the whole counsel of God.”  Other versions read “the whole will of God” or “the whole plan of God.”  All three of these are good translations, but why did Paul use that phrase?  In one sense the phrase means everything that can be known about God.  No one will know everything about God in this life—and maybe not in the next life.  Understanding every concept in the Bible wouldn’t be enough.  Rom. 11:33, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”  I can only conclude that Paul was using hyperbole.  He meant that he taught everything that people need to know to be saved and become an effective servant of God.  All the commentaries I referred to interpreted it the same way.  But “the whole counsel of God” must have included that the gospel is for the Gentiles as well as the Jews.  That’s an awesome truth for us Gentiles.

Paul and the Ephesian Elders

Wednesday, January 19         

Paul called the Ephesian elders to meet him in Miletus to bid them farewell (Acts 20:17-38).  It was a heart-wrenching meeting.  But Paul never passed up an opportunity to advance God’s agenda.  From the time the elders arrived he spoke words of encouragement.  He knew them well.  He had taught them publicly and in their own homes (Acts 19:20).  Paul was no doubt the one who appointed them to be elders.  Knowing that he would never see them again this side of heaven, he proceeded to encourage them.  Acts 20:26-27.  (ESV) “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”  The elders knew all of this, of course.  Acts 20:18-19.  “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.  I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.”  [If you’re concerned about “great humility,” forget it.  If a man is truly humble, to deny or minimize it would be lying.  Paul wasn’t bragging; he was stating a fact that was an example to the elders.]  After encouraging them (Acts 18-35), they said their farewells.  “When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.”  We could use a few more Pauls.

Paul in Ephesus

Tuesday, January 18                               

Paul took the gospel to Ephesus in about 50 A.D.  This was his third missionary trip and it would be another life-threatening experience.  Ephesus was the second largest city in the world with 250,000 people, second only to Rome with about a million people.  Ephesus was the capital of the Province of Asia.  It was also the home of the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the world.  Virtually all the inhabitants of the Province of Asia worshipped Artemis (also known as Diana).  To evangelize this area of the Roman Empire would be a formidable undertaking.  Acts 19 is a fascinating account of God’s battle against Satan to redeem the people of Ephesus and the Province of Asia.  Men and women are involved, but it’ a cosmic battle.  Please read Acts 19.   I don’t have space to do it justice.  Paul would lead the attack; he knew all about persecution.  All he had to do to stir up trouble was to preach the gospel.  In this chapter we have unbelieving Jews and Gentiles vs. converted Jews and Gentiles.  We have an imaginary man-made goddess vs. the real eternal God.  Extraordinary miracles are performed.  A demon speaks the truth.  Paul was about to risk his life to quell a riot, but was restrained.   Roman officials are involved.  No one is killed.  And everyone in Ephesus and the Province of Asia has heard the gospel (Acts 19:10).  Yes, it’s a fascinating account, but how does it affect our lives?   For me, I’ve never felt persecuted, probably because I’m not very bold in sharing the gospel.  I’ve made some progress, but have a long way to go.   

Be Perfect?

Wednesday, January 12                             

 Mt. 5:48.  “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  I have trouble with this statement, but there must be a good explanation for it.  It seems to be an egregious error, yet it’s used in most of our English Bibles.  Some commentators have rather strange interpretations of this verse.  One of them has some merit—“You will become perfect (when you get to heaven).”   But the solution is quite simple.  Check out the meaning of the Greek word for “perfect.”  The word “perfect” is derived from the Greek word “teleos,” which has a wider meaning than “perfect.”  The root meaning is “complete” or “entire.”  The same Greek word is used in other N.T. passages. In 1Cor. 2:6 it’s translated “mature,”  “We speak a message of wisdom to the mature.”  In Heb. 5:14 it’s translated “of full age” in the KJV, and “mature” in the NIV.  “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age,”  “But solid food is for the mature.”  But we should not let this problem distract us from the message.  Every one of those verses tells us that we are responsible to progress in becoming righteous.  God supplies the power but we are to make every effort to become mature (2 Peter 1:5-7).   

Our Rooting Section

Tuesday, January 11                      

Pastor David Jeremiah said “God has never called a person to sit on the bench.”  Good analogy.  Every Christian has been given an assignment and should be busily engaged in it.  The writer of Hebrews also uses a sports analogy to express the same truth.  Heb 12:1. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”  Although this is a sports analogy, the message has nothing to do with sports; it’s a life and death matter.  The “Therefore” of verse 1 refers to the list of martyrs in chapter 11.  They are pictured as spectators surrounding us as an encouragement to finish our earthly lives fully devoted to Christ.  Those retired athletes (to fit the sports analogy) might be called our fans who are rooting for us.  So how can we finish strong?  Heb 12:2. “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Jesus might be called our coach.  He recruited us and, just as he sustained and empowered those O.T. “athletes,” and trained and empowered his disciples, so will he support us.  I watched Georgia win the national college football championship.  I witnessed grown men crying, some for joy and some for what might have been.  Which will it be when we face God to account for our life?

Hermeneutics

Monday, January 10                               

One of my favorite classes in seminary was Hermeneutics, the principles of interpretation. The etymology of the word is interesting.  Hermeneutics comes from Hermes, a Greek god.  I think God delights in using Satan’s work to achieve his own goals.  Hermeneutics is important in the secular world, but is best known in Christian circles because of its critical part in translating the Bible into hundreds of languages.  In fact, Bible translators have revolutionized Hermeneutics to the point that it’s often viewed as a Christian domain.  Translators face countless problems in putting the meaning of a word or idea from one language to another.  The words in both languages will usually have two or more meanings.  Which one is the right one?  Sometimes the context will help.  Another problem is that languages constantly change.  Modern English is much different than it was about 600 years ago when the KJV was written.  The Greek language has probably changed even more since the New Testament was written almost 2000 years ago.  Fortunately, translators don’t need to deal with that.  They use the koine Greek that the N.T. writers used.  But those Greek words still have varied meanings.  A third major problem for Bible translators is the multitude of words and concepts that are foreign to remote ethnic groups.  Jungle tribes have no idea what a sheep or a donkey or a lamb is, nor do they have an adequate word for God.  Some mission boards have excellent training facilities.  All they need is people who say “Here I am I; send me.”       

Systematic Meditation

Thursday, January 6                       

Middle of the night meditation can be exhilarating and fruitful, but it’s also rare.  A more common way is to choose to meditate.  The Bible tells us to medicate.  To make meditation more effective, we can choose what to meditate on, perhaps setting aside a special time each day to do it.  My meditation is somewhat of a variation of that.  When I study a Scripture passage, I instinctively meditate, raising questions, noting the context, comparing it with other passages, and turning to commentaries when necessary.  Example:  When reading the Christmas story, I wondered about the “star” that guided the wise men.  I couldn’t fathom a star leading the wise men west to Jerusalem, then south to Bethlehem, and then stop directly over a particular house.  I was somewhat amazed at what I found in commentaries.  The North star?  A meteor?  The cloud by day and the fire by night to guide Israel to Canaan was mentioned.  But I finally got what I was looking for.  The book of Matthew was written in Greek.  Greek has no word for what guided the magi, nor does any other language.  This was a unique event.  Matthew used the word “star” because it had the closest meaning to describe what the Magi saw.    

 Standing on the Promises

Wednesday, January 5                       

 Let me tell you what prompted me to write yesterday’s blog.  A few days ago in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep, an old hymn that I hadn’t sung in years came to my mind. If you’re past 50 you probably know the hymn “Standing on the Promises.”  You also might have heard some pastors quip about Christians sitting on the premises, but I’m not going to go down that trail.  I couldn’t remember all the words, but thoroughly enjoyed meditating about how God’s promises impacted my life.  None of God’s promises were mentioned in the hymn.  I suppose the hymn writer assumed that people would remember some of God’s promises while singing the hymn—which is what I did.  Here are some of the things that came to mind. (I added the references later.)  First was my salvation.  Rom. 10:9. “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  Then came a stream of other promises.  He will guide me. Psalm 32:8. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”  Jesus will always be with me.  Mt, 28:20. “. . . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  He will forgive me when I confess my sins.  1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  There was much more.  I was in a deep peaceful sleep the rest of the night. 

Standing on the Promises

Wednesday, January 5                       

 Let me tell you what prompted me to write yesterday’s blog.  A few days ago in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep, an old hymn that I hadn’t sung in years came to my mind.

If you’re past 50 you probably know the hymn “Standing on the Promises.”  You also might have heard some pastors quip about Christians sitting on the premises, but I’m not going to go down that trail.  I couldn’t remember all the words, but thoroughly enjoyed meditating about how God’s promises impacted my life.  None of God’s promises were mentioned in the hymn.  I suppose the hymn writer assumed that people would remember some of God’s promises while singing the hymn—which is what I did.  Here are some of the things that came to mind. (I added the references later.)  First was my salvation.  Rom. 10:9. “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  Then came a stream of other promises.  He will guide me. Psalm 32:8. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”  Jesus will always be with me.  Mt, 28:20. “. . . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  He will forgive me when I confess my sins.  1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  There was much more.  I was in a deep peaceful sleep the rest of the night. 

Meditation

Tuesday, January 4                                                                

Meditating is a common trait among human beings.  When our brains are released from assigned tasks such as preparing supper, studying for a test, or watching a movie, the mind keeps on working.   Free to wander, it turns to all kinds of things, some bad, some good, and some irrelevant.   The mind doesn’t respond to “shut down.”  It keeps us awake when we want to sleep and keeps on going when we do sleep—producing good, bad, and irrelevant dreams.  We may not be able to shut down our minds, but by God’s grace we Christians can control them.  The Bible has a lot to say about meditation.  Joshua 1:8. “Keep this Book of the Law (our O.T.) always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.”   Psalm 1:1-2.  “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”   Paul speaks about meditation in Phil. 4:8.  “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”  None of these Scriptures suggest that holiness is automatic, that we have no part in the process.  Yes, God provides the power.  You might say he’s given us the tools and expects us to use them.  One of the tools is meditation.

Friday, December 31                                 Biblical Hope

This year will soon pass away.  When an old man passes away he will be eulogized.  His failures and his weaknesses will be “forgotten,” and his good traits and his accomplishments will be embellished.  When all is said and done, he may qualify for sainthood.  Not so with the passing of a year.  2021 will be viewed as a bad year; people will rejoice at its demise.  The key word for the new year will be hope.  This pattern shows up every January and fades away during the rest of the year.  But it’s a false hope because it depends on human effort.  Man’s history doesn’t give us much reason to hope.  Nor does the Bible predict a bright future.  2 Tim. 3:1-4.  “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”  This well describes today’s world.  No hope there!  But there’s hope for the Christian.  Biblical hope is not wishful thinking, something that may or may not happen.  It’s as certain as if it had already happened—simply because God said it will happen.  Hope is mentioned as one of the three verities in 1 Cor. 13:13. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”  Why is love greater than faith and hope?  Because we won’t need faith or hope when we get to heaven.   Meanwhile, we serve a faithful God in an ever-increasing evil world.

Pseudo-Christians

Thursday, December 30                                   

James 1:22 is a concise statement of a common church problem, hearers who are not doers.  The verses that follow (23-27) reveal how and why this problem exists.  James (the author) starts with an analogy that deals with how church goers use the Bible. Verses 23-24:  “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”  In contrast to that is verse 25: “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”  So, we can have two very different kinds of people sitting side by side in our churches—indifferent ones and those who are intent on serving God.  James has more to say about the indifferent ones in verse 26.  He calls them religious and deceived, and their religion is worthless. In verse 27 James comments on those who are dedicated to serving God, the “doers.”  God will count them as pure and faultless (justified); they will look after orphans and widows in their distress, and they will keep themselves from being polluted by the world.  James has described Christians and pseudo-Christians.  The latter might think they are Christians, but they are just as lost as the vilest sinner.  Satan has a way of blinding people to the truth.  How do we reach them?  Identifying them.  Sharing this passage?  Prayer?    

Self Deceit

Tuesday, December 28                                                 

James 1:22. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”  As usual, James doesn’t pull any punches.  But how does listening to (or reading) the word deceive a person?  The word “merely” suggests there’s something more important than reading the word.  The last part of the verse clarifies what that is.  We need to obey the word.   Jesus is also called “the word.”  If you were face to face with Jesus and he told you to do something, would you just walk away as if you didn’t hear him?  But where does deceit come in?  Ignoring God’s word can become a habit.  Accumulating knowledge can become an obsession that effectively undermines the obligation to do anything.   If we think that knowledge alone pleases God, we deceive ourselves. I think God would prefer a servant that knows a little less and puts what he knows into practice.  Knowledge is good, but obedience is better.  By the way, educators tell us that the best way to learn is by doing.  James 1:22 is for me.  Too often I fail to obey the word.  I thank God for his mercy and grace and his power to change me.     

Peace or Eternal Life

Monday, December 27               

Confucius taught that we should not do to others what we don’t want done to us.  His teaching led to what is called passive resistance.  Sit-down strikes, marches, and speeches, reinforced by chanting crowds carrying home-made signs, replaced brutal confrontations, long jail terms, and killings.  There’s not much wrong with passive resistance.  A few laws might be broken and a few people thrown in jail for a while.  But the laws that are broken are usually the very laws that need to be changed.  That’s the goal of passive resistance.  Passive resistance is also called peaceful resistance, which it mostly is.  It’s far better than getting rid of opponents by killing them or by armed rebellion.  Passive resistance has been used effectively in America, particularly in the area of racial inequality.   While passive resistance is good, Jesus’ teaching is infinitely better.  He said in Mt. 7:12: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.”  This is vastly different than passive resistance with its peaceful dialog for changing the status pro.  Confucius evidently trusted men to solve man’s sin problems.  Jesus is pro-active.  He paid for man’s redemption by his death on the cross, giving every human being the option of receiving eternal life.  Those who accept the free gift of salvation by trusting in Christ are commissioned then to spread the good news to the rest of the world.  That’s pro-active.  Confucius wanted peace; God wanted eternal life.  That’s infinitely better.        

Good News and Bad News

Friday, December 24                              

We have much to be thankful for as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.   God became a human being while maintaining his divinity.  He called people to repent and prepared people for the Church age.  He paid for our redemption by dying on a cross.  Millions of people throughout the world will praise and honor him during this Christmas season.  All that is wonderful.  But there’s a negative side to the Christmas season, too.  Millions of people have rejected Christ despite knowing about his miraculous birth and how he later laid down his life for them.  Many of these people will participate in the Christmas festivities right along with genuine Christians.  They are hypocrites, but far worse is their eternal destiny.  They have chosen eternal separation from God rather than eternal bliss with him in heaven.  That’s more than sad; it’s tragic!  There are also millions of people who know nothing about Christ and his provision of salvation.  That’s also sad—in two ways.  1. They remain sinners bound for hell.  2. Although the gospel has reached far more people (and ethnic groups) in the 19^th and 20^th centuries than ever before, there are millions more that have never heard of Christ—and too many Christians doing little or nothing about it.  New Year’s Day is the traditional day to make resolutions, but maybe Christmas is the time to resolve to make a greater effort to reach those who need to hear the good news.  This  may not be the normal Christmas message, but I think God might be pleased with it.

Christmas

Thursday, December 23                               Christmas

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year for most of us.  Children eagerly look forward to the gifts they will get.  Adults will be more interested in getting a day or two off work and getting together with their extended families.  Putting up lights, trimming the tree, and decorating the house adds to the excitement.  A few people might even enjoy shopping, wrapping gifts or preparing a luscious meal.  A few days later life gets back to normal, but leaving us with good memories.  As you read this, you might surmise that I’ve given you an idealistic view of celebrating Christmas.  You would be right. The hustle and bustle of shopping can be very annoying.  The kids found out where their gifts were hidden.  Why did we invite Aunt Susie?  She’s a grouch.  Uncle Charlie obviously didn’t like the belt we gave him.  The mashed potatoes were lumpy, the turkey could have had a few more minutes, and we forgot the dinner rolls.  And if husband and wife got through all this with nary a squabble, it’s a minor miracle.  I think this is a fairly typical description of how we celebrate Christmas in America, but there will be differences among different ethnic groups, poverty stricken people, homeless people, and between Christian and non-Christian homes. As God looks down on all this, I wonder what he’s thinking and how he might respond to it.

Eternal Security

Wednesday, December 22                      

Some conservative and evangelistic churches believe that a Christian can lose his salvation.  Certainly, there are Scriptures that seem to support that view.  I grew up with that teaching, but when I got serious about serving the Lord I began to dig into the Word on my own.  It took some time but eventually I had to conclude that eternal life means just that—it’s eternal.  Something eternal can never become temporal.  I respect those who believe differently and have no trouble fellowshipping with them, but I think the overwhelming evidence is to the contrary.    The following Scriptures (among others) settled it for me.  John 5:24. Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”  John 10:28. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”    Rom 8:38-39. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  2 Cor.1:21-22. “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.  He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”  All of these passages directly address the question of eternal security.

I Like R. C.

Tuesday, December 21                            

I’ve become a fan of R. C. Sproul.  His doctrine was sound. He lived his entire life combatting the liberal movement in American churches.  He wrote more than 100 books and countless articles.  He preached eloquent sermons, often at a moment’s notice.  He established mutually beneficial relationships with other outstanding conservative theologians, not only in America, but in England, Holland, and Germany, even learning Dutch to facilitate it.  R. C. could condense a major doctrine into a simple and irrefutable statement.  “If God is not sovereign, then he is not God.”  He also said “There are two predestinations, mercy to the elect and justice to the rest.”  I admire his candor. When asked why God doesn’t save everyone, he said “I don’t know.  Whatever God says is OK.” He was probably the most renowned theologian of the twentieth century.  R. C. once said “The most holy place to be is where God is.”  Since his death in 2017 he’s “where God is,” experiencing God’s holiness, which he so eloquently expressed in life. 

Holy, Holy, Holy

All Christians accept the fact of God’s holiness, but most of us don’t think about its ramifications.  God’s holiness is proclaimed throughout the Bible and is at the core of redemption, yet we rarely study it or meditate on it.  The result is that God’s holiness doesn’t penetrate our lives the way it should.  That’s why we tolerate sin in our lives.  That’s why we tend to think that eternal punishment in the lake of fire seems a bit severe.  That’s the reason we’re not serious about sharing the gospel with unbelievers.  And it’s why we have a mediocre relationship with God.  Let’s bring R. C. Sproul into the picture.  A summary of his views on holiness are found in chapter 7 of Stephen J.  Nichols’ biography, R. C. Sproul. Sproul makes the holiness of God a major doctrine.    He said “A shallow view of God will distort the view held by all other doctrines.”  God’s holiness became the foundation of his entire ministry.  He notes that most Christians don’t fully appreciate God’s holiness.  “What God repeated most we understand least.  In the entire Bible, there is only one word that God repeated three times to describe himself.  That word describes God’s most elusive and frightening characteristic, his Holiness.”  He’s referring to two Bible verses.  Is.  6:3. “And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty . . .’ ”  Rev. 4:8.  “Each of the four living creatures . . . never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty . . .’ ”  In Latin, repeating a word is a literary means of emphasizing something.  In this case it’s a double emphasis (three words), meaning it’s extremely important.  Sproul also said “If God is perfect, how can he be more perfect?”  Medieval theologians noted that the Latin Bible used a double superlative to describe God’s holiness.  That’s like saying “perfectest” in English, so they translated it “most perfect,” which sounds better, but still makes no sense in English.  Why did they do this?  They wanted to emphasize that it’s impossible to be more holy than God already is. That’s precisely what “Holy, Holy, Holy” means.  Understanding God’s holiness leads to a better understanding of other Biblical truths, including why we have to be holy before entering our eternal home.  I look forward to be free of sin and live in a sinless community.    

Awesome Images

Thursday, December 16                           

Being made in the image of God is an awesome thing.  I have a sense of morality.  I know right from wrong. I know I should choose to do what’s right, and I feel guilty when I do wrong.  Probably the most important godly trait is that I have an eternal soul and an eternal destiny.  Every ethnic group in the world instinctively knows there’s another life after death.  We get angry; so does God.  Remember that he destroyed all but eight people in the antediluvian world and that Jesus angrily overturned the money-changers’ tables.  God grieves; we grieve.  God both loves and hates; so do we.  Like God, we can be sad, happy, patient, blunt, tolerant, forgiving, encouraging, persistent, et alia. We have a sense of humor because God has a sense of humor.  The Bible verifies that God has all these traits.  But maybe there’s an exception.  Does God tell jokes?  Since telling jokes is a common trait in the human race, I’m inclined to believe that God does tell jokes.  OK, it’s a trivial thing, but if you know a Biblical passage that supports my supposition, let me know about it.  Of greater importance is how God uses these traits and how we misuse them.  We can love what God hates and hate what God loves.  We can misuse all the other traits in the same way.  All this is because of sin.  God can’t feel guilty because he doesn’t sin.  God judges; we are the judged.  And the glorious truth:  When God declares us righteous, it’s for all eternity!   

God at Work

Wednesday, December 15                         God at Work

My recent blogs have focused more on Gideon than on God, so let’s take a closer look at this series of events from God’s point of view.  First, he initiated the contact with Gideon.  He had heard their lament and was ready to take action.  God’s choice of Gideon might seem strange.  He knew Gideon’s short-comings, but he also knew that he could change him.  God did change him, but it took remarkable patience on God’s part.  He graciously met all of Gideon’s requests, no matter how foolish they were.  God’s persistence and a few miracles encouraged Gideon to destroy his father’s altar to Baal.  This was no easy decision; he was risking his life.  But God changed Joash’s heart.  He defended his son by ridiculing Baal and the Baal-worshippers.  This must have encouraged Gideon. But after recruiting an army, and then seeing it cut down to 300 men, Gideon was still reluctant to attack the Midianites. God, knowing this, sent him to spy on a Midianite camp and prompted two Midianites to express their fear of Gideon.  That was all the “mighty warrior” needed.  God is the hero of this story, not Gideon.

The Pursuit of Holiness

Monday, December 13                                  The recent blogs about Gideon were written to emphasize God’s creativity in achieving his goals in a sinful world.  From man’s point of view, he did some weird things.  It’s fascinating and entertaining, but is that why it’s a part of God’s Word?  The account of Gideon’s life should stimulate us spiritually.  Has it revealed a weakness in my spiritual life?  Am I open to new ways to serve the Lord?  Is God knocking on my heart’s door and I’m not listening? Do I have a close relationship with the Lord?  What am I actually doing to serve God?  Is there anything in my life that is more important than serving God?  Do I fear man more than I fear God?  Have I ignored God-given opportunities to witness to others?  How much do I really care about my neighbors?  How often do I rely on my own wisdom without seeking the mind of God?    Is my trust in God growing day by day?  All of these questions come directly from the Gideon narrative.  A caveat here: Becoming holy is a lifetime process due to the sin nature which will only be eradicated by death.  Perfection comes after we leave this life.  1 Cor. 15:35 ff.:  v. 43: “it (the body) is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.”  vv. 51- 52: “We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye . . .”   v. 54: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”  Although we will never be perfect in this life, we can strive for it.  1 Pet. 1:15-16: “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;

The Rout

Wednesday, December 8                          The Rout

Back with his 300-man army, Gideon armed his men with trumpets and clay pots with torches inside.  He divided his men into three companies, and gave them their instructions.  They quietly surrounded the Midianites on three sides right at midnight when the Midianites were changing their guards.  When Gideon gave them the signal with a single blast of the trumpet, his men would blow their trumpets and shout “For the Lord and for Gideon.”  They then broke their pots, their torches telling the Midianites that they were surrounded.  While Gideon’s men stayed where they were, the Midianites ran in fear.  Judges 7:22.  “When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords.”  The rout was on.  Gideon called men from Naphtali, Asher, Manasseh, and Ephraim, to complete the annihilation of the Midianite army—just as God promised in Judges.  Gideon’s later life was not pleasant.  He took credit for what God had done, despite God’s warning in Judges 7:2.  To sum up his life, he was a God-worshipping Israelite in the midst of an idolatrous Israelite community, but he was only extraordinarily successful when he fully trusted God.  When he did trust God he was a mighty warrior and leader. 

Gideon the Spy

Tuesday, December 7                       

After a crash course in trusting God (Judges 6), the “mighty warrior” was ready to fight.  Untrained Gideon and his 32,000 untrained volunteer army was camped on Mt. Gilead, just south of the Jezreel Valley where 135,000 troops of Midianites and other allied armies camped.  [The Jezreel Valley was 25 miles long (147 square miles), a large plain between Galilee and Samaria, and a part of Naphtali’s territory.  It had been an ideal battle ground for centuries before Gideon, and for centuries after him.  [The future battle of Armageddon will be fought here at the Second Advent.] Gideon’s army was outnumbered by more than 100,000 men who were trained, experienced, and disciplined soldiers.  God didn’t like the odds; Gideon’s army was too big!!  So 22,000 fearful men, who obviously didn’t trust God, were sent home.  Gideon’s remaining 10,000 man army was still too big, so was cut down to 300 men— chosen by how they drank water from a pool!  Gideon seemed to take all this in stride; maybe God had already told him how they would attack the Midianite army.  But God knew Gideon needed to be encouraged.  He sent him to spy on a Midianite outpost.  He got close enough to hear a Midianite tell his friend about his dream—a loaf of barley bread knocking over one of the Midianite tents (Judges 7:13).  His friend interpreted it; it was the sword of Gideon and God had given the Midianites into his hands (v. 14).  Gideon bowed down and worshipped God.    

Gideon’s Gaffe

Thursday, December 2                     Gideon’s Gaffe

So, Gideon was now available to God—or was he?  The Spirit of the Lord came on him (Judges 6:34), and he began to recruit an army to fight the Midianites.  Good start, but then Gideon reverted to his old ways, focusing on himself and doubting God.  This time he didn’t ask for a sign; he wanted to test God.  He told God “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised—” and then presented his test.  He spread out a fleece on the threshing floor and if the fleece had dew on it in the morning and the floor was dry, “then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.”  God’s a liar?  The next morning Gideon wrung out a bowlful of water from the fleece and the floor was dry.  Not good enough!  A second test: dry fleece and wet ground.  We should not be too surprised with Gideon’s lack of trust.  It happened to Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 17:15-17, 18:9-15).  It happened to John the Baptist (Mt. 2:1-6).  And it happens to all of us.  Faith is work in progress.  God knows that and never fails to show grace, patience, and encouragement.