Sunday, January 15, 2012
GOD's COVENANT - GOD'S CHOICE
Today we start a new theme in the church. The theme is “God's covenant”, that which he has established with his people, the covenant of which we are partakers in, and sharers in. The word “Testament” as used in our bible, is similar in it's usage to the word “Covenant”, meaning a type of contract, or binding agreement, so there is an Old Testament, as there is an Old covenant, and there is a New Testament, and a New Covenant.
Indeed when we take holy communion we recall Christ's words when he speaks of the cup being the blood of his covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matt 26:28). This is the very essence of the message of the bible, the core of God's dealing with man through the ages, there could hardly be a more important theme to start on this 2012.
So, to have scripture that anchors our understanding of the covenant, I'll suggest that we consider Jer 31:33-34 and Eph 3:6.
Jer 31:33-34
“This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD, I will place my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying. “Know the LORD”, because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their
sins no more.”
Eph 3:6
This mystery is that through the gospel, the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
So, we see that we are partakers in this new covenant spoken of in Jeremiah, just as the Israelites are. This is a glorious truth church. The new covenant assures those who partake in it that:
- they shall know God
- through the forgiveness of their sins
- by Christ Jesus
This is the happy subject with which we shall be dealing with these few weeks, the macro overview of the theme.
Today, we shall be specifically dealing with the matter of God's Choice in God's Covenant. We will be examining the scriptures to understand the truth that the establishment and the fulfillment of God's covenant is fully dependent on God's choice. It is not an easy topic, and this truth will possibly shake our ideas of self-determination and change how we see our role in our salvation. I pray that God guides us along this journey, that we continue to keep our eyes fixed on him and will treasure his truth even more as we learn about his sovereignty in all things, especially his covenant.
We'll see in the prayers of David in the Psalms, that God knows us and protects us with more intimacy and closeness than we can even understand, and we will see in Jesus' conversations with his disciples in the second reading that God's knowledge and choice extends not just to our thoughts, actions, birth and death, but in our very act of believing in his gospel, and our participation in the new covenant. May God be glorified in our time together.
We start our journey in Psalms 139. And here David begins with an alarming truth, that should radically alter how we approach God in prayer and petition. He starts his Psalm in v1 saying that “God, you have already searched me, and you know me.” And it is this realization that outlines the rest of his prayer. How would this truth affect our prayer life? For me, it challenges how I speak to God. Do I simply list off a catalogue of problems and issues that I would like him to solve, or does the fact that he knows my heart, he knows my pain and he knows my issues change my approach. I believe this truth should lead us to start to converse with God as one who is intimately aware of what we are going through, and submitting to the fact that he knows best. And this shouldn't lead us to be less persistent, or less faithful in prayer, with the attitude of, “he already knows my problems, so why should I approach him?” It is precisely because he knows all of our life's problems that we should seek to commune with him in prayer, it is the closest of friends, and the closest of
family (who know us best) that we spend most time in sharing and seeking guidance from. How much more God, who knows us more than any friend every can? In a few verses we will see how David does this in his prayer.
David continues his prayer with outlining how closely God knows him. Each verse showing us the greater and greater familiarity with which God knows David.
V2 – you know when I sit and when I rise
v3 – you discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways
v4 is almost frightening – before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely, O Lord.
He knows what David will say, and think, before he says it, or thinks it.
This leads David to say in v5 that such knowledge is too wonderful for him, and too lofty for him to attain. He simply cannot fathom or understand the full extent of these revelations the Spirit gives to him.
In v7, David starts to hypothesize where he can go to be away from the presence of God. He concludes that in the highest heights of heaven, the deepest depths of the earth, and the farthest side of the sea, the hand of the Lord continues to guide him, and his right arm hold on to him. There is no place he can go to escape the guidance of God, or the protection of God. Not only does he know us completely, his protection is complete. Jesus refers to this same analogy of remaining in God's hand with regard to the covenant of God, telling us that we remain in the covenant by the strength of God's hand
John 10:28-29 I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.
He does not promise that no one will try snatch them out of the Father's hand, rather that no one will be able to, because he is greater than all.
v15-16 is a summary of our whole lives, our entire bodily existence is summed up in two sentences of the bible. He saw our unformed body when he made us in the secret place, then he knit us together in our mother's womb, and he ordained even the day of our death, before the first day we were alive. All of it, all of it, controlled, and orchestrated by God.
But what do we do with these magnificent revelations? What sort of reaction should they elicit in us? I think David's reaction is indicative of what such revelations of God's intimate knowledge of us should produce.
v17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. An understanding of how intimately God knows us should bring in us, firstly, an earnest desire to know him intimately as well. David says, you know me fully, completely, better than I could ever even dream of knowing myself, and you decided to create me. Because of
this, I consider as precious your thoughts to me, my desire is to know you.
The second application of how David reacts to God's intimate knowledge of him is a
realisation of his own inadequacy in measuring and judging his own motives.
In v19-22, David asks God to kill those who are wicked. He says of them that they are bloodthirsty, that they speak with evil intent, they misuse the name of God. Then David seems to justify his ill-feelings about these men to God in v22, saying,
“Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them, I count them my enemies.”
He seems to be saying, in a rather noble way that we would probably applaud, that he hates those who rise up against God, and those who hate God he counts them as his enemies. Yet, the last 2 verses of the prayer should be our 2 nd reaction to the revelation that God's knowledge of us is infinitely greater than our own knowledge or ourselves. David says, in the last two verses, that, despite the fact that I believe that my thoughts, my actions, my motives are correct, and glorifying to you, I ask that you search me, and see if there is any offensive motive in my ambitions, take it out, and lead me in the way everlasting. May that be our prayer, in view of this magnificent revelation of our Lord.
So, we have seen how deeply and intimately God knows us, and every facet of our lives. Let us look at how he not only knows, but chooses for us to be partakers of the riches of knowing him in his new covenant.
In the John 1 reading, we notice that when Nathaniel comes up to him, when he has as yet not believed, Jesus says of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false” v47. It is important to consider how we understand this verse. At first glance, it would seem that Jesus is saying something about the character of Nathaniel. Saying possibly that he is of high moral character, that he is a truthful, trustworthy man. But it doesn't seem to really resonate, that Jesus, the only perfect, sinless man who ever lived, who came to save sinners, would say of another man, that in him there is nothing false.
I believe the right way to understand this verse is more clearly seen when we consider that this quote from Jesus comes from Psalms 32:2, and refers not to man's good character on his own, but rather his righteousness after partaking in the new covenant.
Ps 32:1-2
Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
So it would seem that Jesus is referring not to Nathaniel's good character, but of his righteousness before God, because of the new covenant. So, before he believes, before he confesses that Christ is the Son of God in v49, Jesus says to him, Behold, here stands one who shall have the forgiveness of sins of the new covenant. In essence, I knew that you will believe, before you believed. Not only do I know the most intimate details of your life, but I know whether or not you will partake in my covenant. This may be seen to be dependent on the interpretation of this line that I have chosen, so let us look at other scriptures to see whether this conclusion find support in the rest of the New Testament. First, lets look in the
rest of John:
John 6:67-70
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve (after many disciples left him due to the teaching of their having to eat his flesh and drink his blood). Simon Peter answered him, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”
Here we see that Jesus says that not only did he know that the Twelve would believe (hence their believing that he was the Holy One of God) but that it is he who chose them for this outcome. Peter says, “We will not leave you, for your words are life, and we have believed”, Jesus replies, “It is I who has chosen you, and I am so in control of all things am I, that even the one who shall betray me to death is among you, and I chose him to be here.”
Or perhaps most clearly stated at the Last supper with his disciples,
John 15:16
“You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last”
It is I who chose you. Not the other way around. So, don't get it wrong Peter, you have believed, but I did not choose you because you believed, but rather you believed because I chose you. I truly believe this is what Jesus is saying to his 12 apostles here. Let us see if we can extend this to a command that is given to us, who are not the Apostles who walked with Jesus, who believe because of their testimony, thousands of years later.
Is this dynamic of his choosing, then our believing, applicable to us?
Let us look at the words spoken of by Paul, about our salvation in his letter to the Ephesians:
Eph 2:1-5
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit that is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest of mankind, we were by nature objects of wrath. 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 our transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.
The reason he had to make us alive was because we were dead! The reason he had to give us sight was because we were blind! (John 9:39). He had to save you, because you could not save yourself. That is why he had to choose for you to believe, that is why he knew Nathaniel would believe before he professed his faith. It is his covenant, it is by his choosing.
In this passage in John, Jesus speaks of the fulfillment of the covenant, of the final day, when we shall fully know God, and see him in all his glory. He tells Nathaniel that the miracle that led to his believing (Jesus somehow miraculously seeing him under the fig tree before Phillip came to call him) is nothing compared to what he shall see on the last day. He says to him, “you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that...I tell you the truth, you shall see heavens open, and the angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. When we see God in all his glory, in all his magnificence, only then will we truly know him, for now, we look to that day, eagerly awaiting it.
Right now, we are limited. As David, some of his thoughts and ways are too wonderful for us to attain, to high for us to reach. His thoughts are precious to us, but they are so many, so vast, too numerous to count.
But on that day, here what the apostles have to say about it:
Paul speaks of how this day will replace our imperfect knowledge of God, with a perfect one,
he says in 1Cor 13:9-12
“For we know in part and we prophecy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
Or
1 Jn 3:2
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Or
Phi 3:20-21
But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will also transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Consider the terms the apostles use to describe this day, “see face to face”, “know fully, as we are fully known, “be like God, for we shall see him as he is”. Full knowledge – this is the fulfillment of the covenant. Jesus knows not simply that
Nathaniel will believe, but that he will see the fulfillment of God's promised covenant with his people. If you have believed on Christ, it was through his choosing that you became alive, he foreknew this, and the strength of the Father, greater than anyone else, will hold you until the great day in which you will see the heavens open up, Christ coming down in all his glory and angels, and know him fully.
Let us then rejoice in saying with Paul in Gal 1:15 that he set us apart before we were born,
he called us by his grace and was pleased to reveal to us his Son.
Difficulties that arise from this glorious truth that God's covenant is God's choice
The truth of God's sovereignty over salvation, and over the fulfillment of his covenant is a difficult one to understand. And with these sorts of sermons, I fear that the enemy, the devil, looks to take the confusion that these sorts of truths bring to our minds to make us doubt some attribute of God, and to reduce him in our minds. To hold less tightly to his Word, to withdraw some of our trust in him. It may start off with a question like:
– If the salvation of the soul is due to the choice of God, where is the place of free will?
OR
– What about those who are not chosen? What does this mean about God's love?
These questions, and many like them, are motivated by an honest attempt to clear up
confusion in our minds and there are analogies, and explanations that go far in clearing up these difficult topics. But some things will always remain mysteries, we need to first accept that some of the truths of an eternal, unlimited God will not be understood by limited, mortal beings like ourselves. Some definitely will, but some won't.
Some mysteries of God will remain mysteries to us till our grave. In realising this, there is added caution in how to receive a message like today's sermon, since we are told of the nature and the actions of the enemy, the devil.
We are told that the devil prowls around like a lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8) and again, that when the word is preached to some, it is like seed along a path, as soon as it is sown, Satan comes and takes away what was sown in them. (Mark 4:15).
If in our seeking to resolve our confusion, we are led to question his love, or his goodness, or justice, or any of his other attributes, then let us be careful to ensure that we are not falling into the snares of the devil, let us remember that he
has used scriptures before to try and cause Jesus to sin in the desert.
So, even as we seek answers to some of these paradoxes in the scriptures, let us consider the reactions that David had, after realising the vast gap between his understanding and that of God's. He spoke not a word against God's truths, but rather admitted to his inability to understand these truths.
Ps 139:6 – Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain
Ps 131: 1-2a – My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul.
Or Paul, reminding us that though we know him in part, he is still, in most part,
unsearchable and unfathomable to us in Romans 11:33-36
Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him, and through him, and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen
In view of his greatness, in view of his majesty, and where our understanding fails us in comprehending all the things of God, I believe that we have to sometimes to say, simply, that we cannot understand some of these wonderful truths God.
We are like children Paul says in the 1 Corinthians verse we looked at earlier. We talk like, think like and reason like children when we compare ourselves to God's wisdom, thoughts,and understanding. But a time is coming when all shall be revealed.
For now,before that time comes, let us give him all our praise and all our worship because he has chosen us to partake in his covenant, and to have the underserved pleasure of knowing him all the days ordained for us here on earth, and forever in heaven.
May the Lord be glorified in all things.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
The power of God...may we respond as Legion
The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare what God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole town what Jesus had done for him. (Luke 8:38-39)
The man Legion was aptly named, for so many were the demons that had entered him (v30). The mighty, frightful power of Jesus is shown by two things in this text,
Firstly is the fear that the multitude of demons had towards him when they saw him
When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and shouted with a loud voice, "Leave me alone, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I beg you, do not torment me!" (Luke 8:28)
And they began to beg him not to order them to depart into the abyss. (Luke 8:31)
Second is the fear that the people of the town of Gerasenes had when they realised that he had cast out the demons that had made Legion so fearful in their sight:
So the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus. They found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. (Luke 8:35)
The power of God is incomparable in measure. It is a glorious truth that this same power is applied to us who believe, and was most clearly illustrated when The Father raised Christ from the dead and gave him all authority on earth (Eph 1:19-22). But to see this power in action, is a frightful thing to behold. The Gospels are filled with instances of Christ's power and authority over death, sickness and nature left his followers shaking in fear:
So the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they began to glorify God, saying, "A great prophet has appeared among us!" and "God has come to help his people!" (Luke 7:15-16)
Then he said to them, "Where is your faith?" But they were afraid and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!" (Luke 8:25)
The response to the power of Christ is vital as it indicates the condition of our hearts towards him. The response to the fear that may arise in our hearts in beholding him in his power is of utmost importance as we either join him or leave him at the point at which he glorifies himself in his power.
The power of God, as like all other things in the universe, is, according to the purpose of his will, to be to the praise of his glory (Eph 1:11-13). Thus God is to be glorified in it. The people in the town of Nain (in Luke 7), when they saw Christ's power over death, they were understandably fearful, and gave glory to God, saying that "God has visited his people" (Luke 7v16). The disciples similarly marveled in their fear at his authority over the wind and waves (Luke 8v25).
In contrast, the people at Gerasenes(where Legion was from) are said to have asked him to depart from them because of the fear that seized them when they saw his power over the demons (8v37). And because of their poor response to his power, it happened that only the most ostracised member of their community, the demon-possesed Legion believed in Christ, becoming an obedient follower (v38).
We can have our eyes either too dull and unbelieving that he does not reveal his power among us (Mark 6:4-6) or too concerned with his power that we fail to give him the glory and want it for our own praise (as Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8) but his power is real, and we need to have a correct response to it when he reveals himself through it. It is for his glory and his glory alone that he reveals his power. Let us not be held back in glorifying him by our fear or our unbelieving, hardened hearts.
I suspect that it is this same danger that Paul addresses to the Thessalonian church when he advises them not to quench the Spirit, not to despise prophecies but to rather test everything, holding fast to the good. (1Thess5:19-22). Could this speak a message to some conservative evangelical thought? Are we possibly allowing our fear of the unpredictable might of God to quench what may be legitimate works of his Spirit to bring him glory? May we be humble in seeking his truth, that we may hold to what is good and not quench his Spirit.
Let us choose to be a converted Legion, who follows him obediently after seeing his power rather than an unbelieving Nation of Gerasenes that doesn't.
To him be all the glory
The man Legion was aptly named, for so many were the demons that had entered him (v30). The mighty, frightful power of Jesus is shown by two things in this text,
Firstly is the fear that the multitude of demons had towards him when they saw him
When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and shouted with a loud voice, "Leave me alone, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I beg you, do not torment me!" (Luke 8:28)
And they began to beg him not to order them to depart into the abyss. (Luke 8:31)
Second is the fear that the people of the town of Gerasenes had when they realised that he had cast out the demons that had made Legion so fearful in their sight:
So the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus. They found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. (Luke 8:35)
The power of God is incomparable in measure. It is a glorious truth that this same power is applied to us who believe, and was most clearly illustrated when The Father raised Christ from the dead and gave him all authority on earth (Eph 1:19-22). But to see this power in action, is a frightful thing to behold. The Gospels are filled with instances of Christ's power and authority over death, sickness and nature left his followers shaking in fear:
So the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they began to glorify God, saying, "A great prophet has appeared among us!" and "God has come to help his people!" (Luke 7:15-16)
Then he said to them, "Where is your faith?" But they were afraid and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!" (Luke 8:25)
The response to the power of Christ is vital as it indicates the condition of our hearts towards him. The response to the fear that may arise in our hearts in beholding him in his power is of utmost importance as we either join him or leave him at the point at which he glorifies himself in his power.
The power of God, as like all other things in the universe, is, according to the purpose of his will, to be to the praise of his glory (Eph 1:11-13). Thus God is to be glorified in it. The people in the town of Nain (in Luke 7), when they saw Christ's power over death, they were understandably fearful, and gave glory to God, saying that "God has visited his people" (Luke 7v16). The disciples similarly marveled in their fear at his authority over the wind and waves (Luke 8v25).
In contrast, the people at Gerasenes(where Legion was from) are said to have asked him to depart from them because of the fear that seized them when they saw his power over the demons (8v37). And because of their poor response to his power, it happened that only the most ostracised member of their community, the demon-possesed Legion believed in Christ, becoming an obedient follower (v38).
We can have our eyes either too dull and unbelieving that he does not reveal his power among us (Mark 6:4-6) or too concerned with his power that we fail to give him the glory and want it for our own praise (as Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8) but his power is real, and we need to have a correct response to it when he reveals himself through it. It is for his glory and his glory alone that he reveals his power. Let us not be held back in glorifying him by our fear or our unbelieving, hardened hearts.
I suspect that it is this same danger that Paul addresses to the Thessalonian church when he advises them not to quench the Spirit, not to despise prophecies but to rather test everything, holding fast to the good. (1Thess5:19-22). Could this speak a message to some conservative evangelical thought? Are we possibly allowing our fear of the unpredictable might of God to quench what may be legitimate works of his Spirit to bring him glory? May we be humble in seeking his truth, that we may hold to what is good and not quench his Spirit.
Let us choose to be a converted Legion, who follows him obediently after seeing his power rather than an unbelieving Nation of Gerasenes that doesn't.
To him be all the glory
Monday, December 12, 2011
The fuel to the fire of the Great Commission
Matthew 28:18-20
All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
So the Great Commission, the sending of the apostles is sandwiched between the phrases "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me..." and "-Behold, I am with you always to the end of the age", how do these two affect how the command is to be taken by the disciples and all who are sent through them?
It is important to realise first, that although the Great Commission was originally directed at the Apostles (Jesus was speaking to the 11 apostles here (v16) ) the fact that his sending them out to make disciples of all nations was a command in itself makes it applicable to all the converts who come after them. This is because of the statement that they should "teach them to obey all that I have commanded you (including this command I give you to disciple all nations). So the Great Commission applies to all believers as directly as it applied to the disciples. So, the fuel to do this work is of vital importance in our walk of obedience to the commands of our Lord.
The Great Commission is preceded by the truth that all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Christ. So central is this truth for the fulfillment of the Commission that the Commission begins with "Therefore...". The necessary inference being that Christ intended the obedience of the Commission to be dependent on the authority he has over all things. Since Christ, has all authority, then you are to go out and make disciples of all nations. The authority of Christ is the very reason that they are to go out and make disciples of all nations. How does this serve as a reason for discipling all nations? Jesus' prayer to his Father in John 17:1-2 goes as follows:
"Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him."
Jesus has the authority over all flesh, over all peoples. In the Great Commission, he is not delegating the authority, he remains the only one who has this authority to give eternal life to anyone he pleases. This gives us an indication as to why the discipleship is to all nations, his authority spans the globe, he gives eternal life to all that the Father has given him in all the nations (all flesh).
John 14:15-18 sheds some light on how the authority of Christ serves as reason to spread the Gospel and make disciples.
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
This fascinating passage tells us that the Helper, the Spirit of truth, is the Spirit of Jesus himself (also called the same in Phi 1:19, Acts 16:7, Rom 8:9-10,Gal 4:6). He tells the disciples that they know the Helper because at that very moment, he was dwelling WITH them, and would later dwell IN them. He also assures them that though he will leave them, he would not leave them as orphans, but that he himself would come to them even as he speaks of the Spirit is another Helper (v16), herein is the unfathomable mystery of the trinity.
This assurance of Christ is that he shall go, and ask the Father to send another Helper who will not just dwell with us (as he dwelt with the disciples when he was in the flesh) but would dwell in us, his Spirit. This indwelling, he tells his disciples, is to their advantage and as such he has to go away (in the flesh) that it may come to pass.
"But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." John 16:7
For the disciples at the time (and for the believer today), having the indwelling Spirit of Christ is of greater advantage than having the human person of Christ himself dwell among us physically, breathtaking...
The one who has authority to give eternal life to all flesh, dwells in us, brothers and sisters. This is our motivation to fulfill the Great Commission, when we spread the Gospel, the Spirit of Christ, living inside of us, who has the authority to give eternal life to all the Father has given him, does the work of conversion. Our faithfulness in presenting the full Gospel to the world is the means by which he will open eyes and grant eternal life to the unbeliever.
"So faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17)
"In him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." (Eph 1:13-14)
His final assurance is testament to the truth that the Commission indeed applies to every single believer, "Behold, I am with you to the end of the age". He dwells in the heart of every believer who will ever live till his return. In view of his authority to give eternal life to all people, and his dwelling in us enabling us to be his messengers,let us be faithful in our calling that he may do his work of glorifying the Father, bearing in mind the final words of Christ's prayer to his Father in John 17
v25-26 "O righteous Father, even though the world does now know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I have made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."
To him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.
All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
So the Great Commission, the sending of the apostles is sandwiched between the phrases "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me..." and "-Behold, I am with you always to the end of the age", how do these two affect how the command is to be taken by the disciples and all who are sent through them?
It is important to realise first, that although the Great Commission was originally directed at the Apostles (Jesus was speaking to the 11 apostles here (v16) ) the fact that his sending them out to make disciples of all nations was a command in itself makes it applicable to all the converts who come after them. This is because of the statement that they should "teach them to obey all that I have commanded you (including this command I give you to disciple all nations). So the Great Commission applies to all believers as directly as it applied to the disciples. So, the fuel to do this work is of vital importance in our walk of obedience to the commands of our Lord.
The Great Commission is preceded by the truth that all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Christ. So central is this truth for the fulfillment of the Commission that the Commission begins with "Therefore...". The necessary inference being that Christ intended the obedience of the Commission to be dependent on the authority he has over all things. Since Christ, has all authority, then you are to go out and make disciples of all nations. The authority of Christ is the very reason that they are to go out and make disciples of all nations. How does this serve as a reason for discipling all nations? Jesus' prayer to his Father in John 17:1-2 goes as follows:
"Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him."
Jesus has the authority over all flesh, over all peoples. In the Great Commission, he is not delegating the authority, he remains the only one who has this authority to give eternal life to anyone he pleases. This gives us an indication as to why the discipleship is to all nations, his authority spans the globe, he gives eternal life to all that the Father has given him in all the nations (all flesh).
John 14:15-18 sheds some light on how the authority of Christ serves as reason to spread the Gospel and make disciples.
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
This fascinating passage tells us that the Helper, the Spirit of truth, is the Spirit of Jesus himself (also called the same in Phi 1:19, Acts 16:7, Rom 8:9-10,Gal 4:6). He tells the disciples that they know the Helper because at that very moment, he was dwelling WITH them, and would later dwell IN them. He also assures them that though he will leave them, he would not leave them as orphans, but that he himself would come to them even as he speaks of the Spirit is another Helper (v16), herein is the unfathomable mystery of the trinity.
This assurance of Christ is that he shall go, and ask the Father to send another Helper who will not just dwell with us (as he dwelt with the disciples when he was in the flesh) but would dwell in us, his Spirit. This indwelling, he tells his disciples, is to their advantage and as such he has to go away (in the flesh) that it may come to pass.
"But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." John 16:7
For the disciples at the time (and for the believer today), having the indwelling Spirit of Christ is of greater advantage than having the human person of Christ himself dwell among us physically, breathtaking...
The one who has authority to give eternal life to all flesh, dwells in us, brothers and sisters. This is our motivation to fulfill the Great Commission, when we spread the Gospel, the Spirit of Christ, living inside of us, who has the authority to give eternal life to all the Father has given him, does the work of conversion. Our faithfulness in presenting the full Gospel to the world is the means by which he will open eyes and grant eternal life to the unbeliever.
"So faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17)
"In him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." (Eph 1:13-14)
His final assurance is testament to the truth that the Commission indeed applies to every single believer, "Behold, I am with you to the end of the age". He dwells in the heart of every believer who will ever live till his return. In view of his authority to give eternal life to all people, and his dwelling in us enabling us to be his messengers,let us be faithful in our calling that he may do his work of glorifying the Father, bearing in mind the final words of Christ's prayer to his Father in John 17
v25-26 "O righteous Father, even though the world does now know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I have made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."
To him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.
Monday, October 17, 2011
They will realise how I was crushed by their unfaithfulness, and loathe themselves
Ezek 6:9 Then your survivors will remember me among the nations where they are exiled. They will realize how I was crushed by their unfaithful heart which turned from me and by their eyes which lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves because of the evil they have done and because of all their abominable practices. [NET Bible]
The Lord was crushed by the unfaithful heart of the Israelites. So closely had he bound himself and his affections to the Israelites that he says to them in this chapter, that in the punishment for their iniquities, in their suffering under his wrath, what they shall realise is how grieved he is. "Crushed" he says. The ESV uses the word "Broken" and refers to their eyes as whoring, and their hearts as whoring after idols. Striking as this picture is, of the Lord Almighty "broken", the NET Bible translators correctly point out that when we come to see God as the husband of the church, and the church as his bride, then this jealousy, and brokeness because of their wayward hearts is understandable. If true love between man and woman is to be marvelled at, how much more the source of love when he binds himself to a people as a husband? How far greater the pain at the betrayal? He alludes that even the suffering Israelites shall realise the folly of their ways, and shall curse not him, but themselves. "they will loathe themselves, because of the evil they have done..."
Do our hearts look to the things of this world for our comfort? Do we yearn for his love? Or has he grown dull to us? Not exciting us as much as the joys of the world. Let us test our eyes, and watch our hearts, that nothing brings them greater joy and happiness than the love of our saviour. Let us not be wandering spouses.
Meditate on God's use of marriage to explain the unfaithfulness of the Israelites, his bride. [Ezekiel 16:4-16]
Ezek 16:4 As for your birth, on the day you were born your umbilical cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water; you were certainly not rubbed down with salt, nor wrapped with blankets.
Ezek 16:5 No eye took pity on you to do even one of these things for you to spare you; you were thrown out into the open field because you were detested on the day you were born.
Ezek 16:6 “‘I passed by you and saw you kicking around helplessly in your blood. I said to you as you lay there in your blood, “Live!” I said to you as you lay there in your blood, “Live!”
Ezek 16:7 I made you plentiful like sprouts in a field; you grew tall and came of age so that you could wear jewelry. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, but you were still naked and bare.
Ezek 16:8 “‘Then I passed by you and watched you, noticing that you had reached the age for love. I spread my cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I swore a solemn oath to you and entered into a marriage covenant with you, declares the sovereign LORD, and you became mine.
Ezek 16:9 “‘Then I bathed you in water, washed the blood off you, and anointed you with fragrant oil.
Ezek 16:10 I dressed you in embroidered clothing and put fine leather sandals on your feet. I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk.
Ezek 16:11 I adorned you with jewelry. I put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck.
Ezek 16:12 I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.
Ezek 16:13 You were adorned with gold and silver, while your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidery. You ate the finest flour, honey, and olive oil. You became extremely beautiful and attained the position of royalty.
Ezek 16:14 Your fame spread among the nations because of your beauty; your beauty was perfect because of the splendor which I bestowed on you, declares the sovereign LORD.
Ezek 16:15 “‘But you trusted in your beauty and capitalized on your fame by becoming a prostitute. You offered your sexual favors to every man who passed by so that your beauty became his.
Ezek 16:16 You took some of your clothing and made for yourself decorated high places; you engaged in prostitution on them. You went to him to become his.
[NET Bible]
Friday, September 30, 2011
Rejoice in the Lord...I say this for your safety
Paul brings his letter to the Phillipian church to a close with these words:
"Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you." 3v1 [NIV]
Paul urges them to rejoice in the Lord. Why? Because it is a safeguard for them. He continues from here in the following verse to warn them against the false, evil teachers who are trying to convince them to get circumcised to be right with God (3v2&3). How are they to guard against this threat? I believe that Paul starts this section with these words because he intends for them to fight these attacks by seeking joy, and rejoicing in God.
Paul goes on to show that for all that he has gained, and for all that may be credited to him for his deeds on earth, none compare to the joy and rejoicing that he looks forward to in the next life. He speaks of a fascinating eagerness and happiness of knowing Christ, and finally being with him on the last day in full communion. He refers to it severally in the letter
"...I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body." 1v23b-24
"Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith. So that through my being with you again, your joy in Christ Jesus may overflow on account of me." 1v25-26
I tried to not comment until the end of the passages, but I just couldn't. Paul, so eager to go and be with Christ, so filled with joy of fellowship with him, is convinced that he will not die yet, because his job is as yet not complete - to fill the Phillipian church with the same joy in Christ that he has come to know. Fascinating...is this our assurance of life on earth? Do we see the next life as so joyous, because we shall be with Christ, that the ultimate pinnacle of our love for others is to bring them into this same eager excitement for him?
" But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake Christ, what is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ..." 3v7&8
"[referring to those who live as enemies of the cross] Their destiny is destruction, their God is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly expect a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control will bring our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." 3v19-21
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" 4v4
This joy is not only our hope for our future life with Christ, but is our steadfast safeguard here on earth. It is both what keeps us on the path of seeking God and what moves us along it as through it we see the end in the distance. Consider how Paul follows up from the passage in 3v19-21 above:
"Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord." 4v1
Let us seek to rejoice in the Lord with every breath. It is a safeguard, and a beacon of hope of where we belong, and where we shall be. And as he fills us with this eager joy of his fellowship, may we give of our lives to urge others to do the same.
May he be glorified,
Love you all,
hUNJA
Friday, September 16, 2011
Your unfailing love, - Psalms 119:41-43
Psalms 119:41-43
41
May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise; 42 then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in your word. 43 Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws.
These three verses bring out some wonderful truths that got me thinking yesterday. V41 shows us that God's unfailing love is revealed in his salvation. And his salvation, came through his promise, as a fulfilment of things he said in the past.Whatever situation you may be facing today, or tomorrow, please know that it is NOT happening because God's love has been taken away, or has been tempered. No, he has already given the clearest indication of his love for us on the cross, which has wrought for us salvation, which is eternal. So our God's love, is unfailing, to the end of time. The situation you face, is not. Look unto the cross if ever in doubt of his unfailing love for you.
v42 reaches back into v41, to God's unfailing love, and grounds in it as a basis to answer he who taunts us. Revelations 12:10 calls Satan "the accuser of of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night". Satan accuses us before God, every single day. He points out our sins, he mocks our weaknesses, he tries to cast doubt over our life. Did he not seek to bring out Job's sinfulness before God in Job 1, did he not use Peter, Jesus trusted friend to try and sway him from his task in Matthew 16:23 with the innocent reply (after Jesus had explained he has to suffer all things and be killed) of "Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!" To which Jesus replies to Peter, "Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." And this is not the only time that Jesus encountered Satan in the Scriptures, as evidenced by his temptation in the desert reported in Luke 4. Let us be mindful, friends, that Satan lives, and is concerned with nothing else but to lead the world astray (Rev 12:9) and to make war against those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus (Rev 12:17). The Psalmist, however, shows us the great hope we can have in the midst of this taunting, and deception of the enemy. The Psalmist answers him, because he trusts in the Word of God. Is this true of our lives? Do we trust so fully in God's word, and do we find his unfailing love, his of salvation, according to his promise as comforting enough, and reliable enough to stand up under Satan's taunts? Revelation holds that it is this very word, and the salvation through the death of Christ that overcame Satan. Rev 12:11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
V43 gives a good idea of what such trust may look like in.The Psalmist asks that the word of truth never be snatched from his mouth, as he has put his hope in God's laws. A number of alternative translations put it as:
And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules. ESV
And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I wait for Your ordinances NASB Do not completely deprive me of a truthful testimony, for I await your justice. NET
The Psalmist's hope is in God's laws, in his rules and his justice. It is for this reason that he asks never to have the word of truth, the testimony of God, from his mouth. A quick aside, consider the intimacy the Psalmist has with God's word. He asks that it not be snatched from his MOUTH, not from his hand. The word of God is at his tongue, at his mouth, and it would make sense, if his word is my hope, the very thing I wait upon, would it not be at the very tip of my tongue at all times, ready to fire out a reply to he who taunts? Okay, back to the main thread:) So, if there is indeed a thread through these three verses, then it is that God's very word, the truth of his testimony, his laws which portray his justice that gives the Psalmist the answers to the one who taunts him. And God's salvation is his justice, in which his unfailing love is shown most clearly. We are completely forgiven. Isaiah reminds us of this: "...the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" Isaiah 53:5b Taking the passage from 43 back up to 41, the Psalmist can be seen to say that he clings to the laws and justice of God, and it is with this that he answers he who taunts him because that justice has been served through the LORD's salvation, according to his promise. Such love, such unfailing love.
May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise; 42 then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in your word. 43 Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws.
These three verses bring out some wonderful truths that got me thinking yesterday. V41 shows us that God's unfailing love is revealed in his salvation. And his salvation, came through his promise, as a fulfilment of things he said in the past.Whatever situation you may be facing today, or tomorrow, please know that it is NOT happening because God's love has been taken away, or has been tempered. No, he has already given the clearest indication of his love for us on the cross, which has wrought for us salvation, which is eternal. So our God's love, is unfailing, to the end of time. The situation you face, is not. Look unto the cross if ever in doubt of his unfailing love for you.
v42 reaches back into v41, to God's unfailing love, and grounds in it as a basis to answer he who taunts us. Revelations 12:10 calls Satan "the accuser of of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night". Satan accuses us before God, every single day. He points out our sins, he mocks our weaknesses, he tries to cast doubt over our life. Did he not seek to bring out Job's sinfulness before God in Job 1, did he not use Peter, Jesus trusted friend to try and sway him from his task in Matthew 16:23 with the innocent reply (after Jesus had explained he has to suffer all things and be killed) of "Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!" To which Jesus replies to Peter, "Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." And this is not the only time that Jesus encountered Satan in the Scriptures, as evidenced by his temptation in the desert reported in Luke 4. Let us be mindful, friends, that Satan lives, and is concerned with nothing else but to lead the world astray (Rev 12:9) and to make war against those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus (Rev 12:17). The Psalmist, however, shows us the great hope we can have in the midst of this taunting, and deception of the enemy. The Psalmist answers him, because he trusts in the Word of God. Is this true of our lives? Do we trust so fully in God's word, and do we find his unfailing love, his of salvation, according to his promise as comforting enough, and reliable enough to stand up under Satan's taunts? Revelation holds that it is this very word, and the salvation through the death of Christ that overcame Satan. Rev 12:11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
V43 gives a good idea of what such trust may look like in.The Psalmist asks that the word of truth never be snatched from his mouth, as he has put his hope in God's laws. A number of alternative translations put it as:
And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules. ESV
And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I wait for Your ordinances NASB Do not completely deprive me of a truthful testimony, for I await your justice. NET
The Psalmist's hope is in God's laws, in his rules and his justice. It is for this reason that he asks never to have the word of truth, the testimony of God, from his mouth. A quick aside, consider the intimacy the Psalmist has with God's word. He asks that it not be snatched from his MOUTH, not from his hand. The word of God is at his tongue, at his mouth, and it would make sense, if his word is my hope, the very thing I wait upon, would it not be at the very tip of my tongue at all times, ready to fire out a reply to he who taunts? Okay, back to the main thread:) So, if there is indeed a thread through these three verses, then it is that God's very word, the truth of his testimony, his laws which portray his justice that gives the Psalmist the answers to the one who taunts him. And God's salvation is his justice, in which his unfailing love is shown most clearly. We are completely forgiven. Isaiah reminds us of this: "...the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" Isaiah 53:5b Taking the passage from 43 back up to 41, the Psalmist can be seen to say that he clings to the laws and justice of God, and it is with this that he answers he who taunts him because that justice has been served through the LORD's salvation, according to his promise. Such love, such unfailing love.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Some Thoughts on DEATH
I had a thought provoking conversation with a few friends over facebook and it led me to consider the biblical position on the matter of death, and how we reconcile the pain associated with death to the Sovereignty of God. The particularly thorny passage under consideration was Job 1:27 “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord” spoken by Job just after he has received debilitating report after debilitating report about the death of all his children and all his property. The matter under discussion was whether or not God indeed does “take away” life or whether this is more the work of evil powers at work.
I think the angles I'd like to approach the question of whether God 'takes away' would be the following, The goodness of God, the Sovereignty of God, The reality of the evil of Satan and his restraint by God and the place of life and death in the scheme of God. So, on the matter of the goodness of God, i feel that thats a vital starting point for appreciating his sovereignty. Whenever the issue of God's sovereignty presents us with problems like the one above, i.e. how can God "Take people he loves away" we have to step back and see that God is the greatest good there is. Psalms 107:1 urges us to "give thanks to the Lord for he is good" Psalms 31:19 asks, almost incredulously, "how great is your goodness that you have stored up for those who fear thee, which thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in thee". So in his love, and his goodness, he is without comparison. And since he does not change, then nothing he can do can be a deviation from these his holy attributes. So even when it appears that his actions, or his lack of action results in unpleasant consequences, i would submit that we shall soon find out when we see the king that he has not shifted neither to the right or the left from the greatest of outcomes in all his actions, his glory and that of his Son, slain for us. And even this is not an act of pride, for pride is sinful, and God cannot sin, the greatest good is indeed his glory, its the greatest good that we or he can work towards. Samuel mentions how the Israelites, are beneficiaries of God's great work in creation, the display of his glory "For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own" 1Sam 12:22.
Regarding the sovereignty of God, i recently read some challenging verse, still in the book of 1Samuel, Hannah, Samuel's mother prays what is probably the most revealing prayer unto the ambit of our Lord's power and control. 1Sam2:6 says "The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up." Jesus lays down his own life, only to take it back again, he stresses that no one takes it away from him, but he has the authority to lay it down himself, and take it up (John 10:18). The fact that he brings Lazarus back to life (John 11) as well shows that he “brings up from the grave” as the Hannah prayer states, I submit that the 1st part of the verse also gives a literal meaning to the power, and possibly the actions of our Lord.
Again, even in this, where our understanding starts to let us down, we have to return to our foundational truth. There is no greater good than God and his actions, so even in his bringing death and making alive, his intentions never have a shred of malice in them.
Job, in his final response to the LORD after questioning why calamity has befallen him, admits to God's sovereignty with one of the most morally challenging quotes of the whole bible. “I know you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted”. The difficulty in this statement is that, if true, will immediately lead to the qn of why bad things actually happen, why death happens if God's plans cannot be thwarted, and if he can do all things. My humble thoughts on this follow, and they are open to criticism and correction. In fact, such are more than welcome.
The tragedies we face, the pain, suffering and death are a consequence of our fall from grace, and the groaning of the earth that resulted from the curse it was put under in Genesis 1:17. At some point as well, Satan, after being hurled to earth following his battle in heaven, was given authority over this world. 2 Cor 4:4 calls him the god of this earth. Rev 13:7 states that all authority over every tribe, nation, language and nation was given to him. If this rings true, then what happens on earth is probably more accurately seen as the interaction between God's goodness and sovereignty and Satan's evil scheming and actions. We may ask where God is when Tsunami's hit Japan, but if we consider the real power and real evil of the ruler of this world, then maybe we should start to ask how it is that the very ground beneath our feet is not disintegrating this very moment. I'd submit that the mere fact that we live is because God restricts the power and evil of Satan over the earth (Hebrews 1:1 tells us that the whole universe is upheld by the word of Christ's power). Satan HATES man, he is the anti-thesis of God, he wants nothing but our destruction. John Piper put it as “Satan is on a leash”, controlled by God. That being said, I would understand the evil of Satan, and the sovereignty of God to mean that while only God can allow death,only he brings to the grave and brings to life, then God, for a time, allows Satan, in some cases to bring death, destruction and pain unto this world. So we could say, indirectly that God is taking ppl away, if he can surely stop Satan. But Why? How? Again, my understanding fails, and I run to my foundation of comfort.
I think a helpful perspective in understanding this matter is in consideration of the true place of death and life in God's plan. The gospel of Christ is simply stated in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of Sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The worst thing about death, is not the physical pain, or the mourning of those left behind, but that death, in a world without Christ, is a final, ill-fated separation from God. Our world is fallen, and imperfect, but the Lord still acts to keep this short life bearable, in the least. Death, without Christ spells judgment for man, which means that God not only holds back the devil on a leash, but God unleashes his wrath on the rebels that we are. All this flowing from his perfect justice and holiness, he cannot tolerate sin, indeed Habbakuk 1:13 tells us that his eyes are too pure to even deign to look upon evil. Hebrews 10:31 gives a frighteningly clear expression of what a death without Christ spelt for man “It is a frightful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”
But what does life, and death mean for the Christian? Relying on the perfect sacrifice of Christ means that the Christian life is devoid of the guilt of sin, since the sacrifice has been paid in full. Satan is called the accuser of men, who accuses them before God day and night. (Rev 12:10) But we have a high priest who lives to intercede for us before God every time we sin (1John 2:1). The Christian life is a life without guilt before the holy God. Life on earth is a continual pursuit after personal holiness as we seek to know God more intimately, eagerly awaiting our final adoption as sons (Romans 8:23).
What does death mean for a Christian? Before Christ, death was the judges gavel banging down condemning man to a fiery grave of the wrath of the holy God. But he is good, oh so good, and he is loving. So much so that he came down, took on the form of a poverty stricken man, and died our death, suffering the wrath of God, multiplied countless times over for all the sins of the believers the world-over. He came down, to suffer more than any sinner shall ever suffer in hell. And he rose again, so that we are justified, fully. (Romans 4:25). So now, death to the Christian, is the passageway to our true home, our true citizenship (1 Peter 1:1). Death has turned from being a certain condemnation to being the greatest transition for the Christian, talk about being more than a conqueror! Paul says that he “desires to depart and be with Christ which is better by far” (Phi1:23) and the saints in Hebrews 11 were willing to go through gruesome suffering and death for God. They were “stoned, sawn in two and put to death by the sword – in a world not worthy of them” The book continues to say that “these were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised [as Christ was yet to come] God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”
So death is indeed a time of grieving, but like all things pertaining to the saints, God has used it for the greatest good (Rom 8:28). If we want to see the perfect outworking of God's plan for his people, unaffected by the evil of Satan and the imperfection caused by our sin, Revelations 21:4, the happiest of endings gives the full picture of what we hope for. And is the hope that we should all hold on to, “Now the dwelling of the Lord is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people and he will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who is seated on the throne said “I am making all things anew.”
Blessed be the name of the Lord. Can't wait to worship alongside you Mark, and all those who have gone before me. I shall surely mourn now, but I shall rejoice that you lived in Christ, who has conquered the grave, and thus, so shall you.
Dedicated to Mark Roux, can't wait to see you again brother
I think the angles I'd like to approach the question of whether God 'takes away' would be the following, The goodness of God, the Sovereignty of God, The reality of the evil of Satan and his restraint by God and the place of life and death in the scheme of God. So, on the matter of the goodness of God, i feel that thats a vital starting point for appreciating his sovereignty. Whenever the issue of God's sovereignty presents us with problems like the one above, i.e. how can God "Take people he loves away" we have to step back and see that God is the greatest good there is. Psalms 107:1 urges us to "give thanks to the Lord for he is good" Psalms 31:19 asks, almost incredulously, "how great is your goodness that you have stored up for those who fear thee, which thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in thee". So in his love, and his goodness, he is without comparison. And since he does not change, then nothing he can do can be a deviation from these his holy attributes. So even when it appears that his actions, or his lack of action results in unpleasant consequences, i would submit that we shall soon find out when we see the king that he has not shifted neither to the right or the left from the greatest of outcomes in all his actions, his glory and that of his Son, slain for us. And even this is not an act of pride, for pride is sinful, and God cannot sin, the greatest good is indeed his glory, its the greatest good that we or he can work towards. Samuel mentions how the Israelites, are beneficiaries of God's great work in creation, the display of his glory "For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own" 1Sam 12:22.
Regarding the sovereignty of God, i recently read some challenging verse, still in the book of 1Samuel, Hannah, Samuel's mother prays what is probably the most revealing prayer unto the ambit of our Lord's power and control. 1Sam2:6 says "The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up." Jesus lays down his own life, only to take it back again, he stresses that no one takes it away from him, but he has the authority to lay it down himself, and take it up (John 10:18). The fact that he brings Lazarus back to life (John 11) as well shows that he “brings up from the grave” as the Hannah prayer states, I submit that the 1st part of the verse also gives a literal meaning to the power, and possibly the actions of our Lord.
Again, even in this, where our understanding starts to let us down, we have to return to our foundational truth. There is no greater good than God and his actions, so even in his bringing death and making alive, his intentions never have a shred of malice in them.
Job, in his final response to the LORD after questioning why calamity has befallen him, admits to God's sovereignty with one of the most morally challenging quotes of the whole bible. “I know you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted”. The difficulty in this statement is that, if true, will immediately lead to the qn of why bad things actually happen, why death happens if God's plans cannot be thwarted, and if he can do all things. My humble thoughts on this follow, and they are open to criticism and correction. In fact, such are more than welcome.
The tragedies we face, the pain, suffering and death are a consequence of our fall from grace, and the groaning of the earth that resulted from the curse it was put under in Genesis 1:17. At some point as well, Satan, after being hurled to earth following his battle in heaven, was given authority over this world. 2 Cor 4:4 calls him the god of this earth. Rev 13:7 states that all authority over every tribe, nation, language and nation was given to him. If this rings true, then what happens on earth is probably more accurately seen as the interaction between God's goodness and sovereignty and Satan's evil scheming and actions. We may ask where God is when Tsunami's hit Japan, but if we consider the real power and real evil of the ruler of this world, then maybe we should start to ask how it is that the very ground beneath our feet is not disintegrating this very moment. I'd submit that the mere fact that we live is because God restricts the power and evil of Satan over the earth (Hebrews 1:1 tells us that the whole universe is upheld by the word of Christ's power). Satan HATES man, he is the anti-thesis of God, he wants nothing but our destruction. John Piper put it as “Satan is on a leash”, controlled by God. That being said, I would understand the evil of Satan, and the sovereignty of God to mean that while only God can allow death,only he brings to the grave and brings to life, then God, for a time, allows Satan, in some cases to bring death, destruction and pain unto this world. So we could say, indirectly that God is taking ppl away, if he can surely stop Satan. But Why? How? Again, my understanding fails, and I run to my foundation of comfort.
I think a helpful perspective in understanding this matter is in consideration of the true place of death and life in God's plan. The gospel of Christ is simply stated in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of Sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The worst thing about death, is not the physical pain, or the mourning of those left behind, but that death, in a world without Christ, is a final, ill-fated separation from God. Our world is fallen, and imperfect, but the Lord still acts to keep this short life bearable, in the least. Death, without Christ spells judgment for man, which means that God not only holds back the devil on a leash, but God unleashes his wrath on the rebels that we are. All this flowing from his perfect justice and holiness, he cannot tolerate sin, indeed Habbakuk 1:13 tells us that his eyes are too pure to even deign to look upon evil. Hebrews 10:31 gives a frighteningly clear expression of what a death without Christ spelt for man “It is a frightful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”
But what does life, and death mean for the Christian? Relying on the perfect sacrifice of Christ means that the Christian life is devoid of the guilt of sin, since the sacrifice has been paid in full. Satan is called the accuser of men, who accuses them before God day and night. (Rev 12:10) But we have a high priest who lives to intercede for us before God every time we sin (1John 2:1). The Christian life is a life without guilt before the holy God. Life on earth is a continual pursuit after personal holiness as we seek to know God more intimately, eagerly awaiting our final adoption as sons (Romans 8:23).
What does death mean for a Christian? Before Christ, death was the judges gavel banging down condemning man to a fiery grave of the wrath of the holy God. But he is good, oh so good, and he is loving. So much so that he came down, took on the form of a poverty stricken man, and died our death, suffering the wrath of God, multiplied countless times over for all the sins of the believers the world-over. He came down, to suffer more than any sinner shall ever suffer in hell. And he rose again, so that we are justified, fully. (Romans 4:25). So now, death to the Christian, is the passageway to our true home, our true citizenship (1 Peter 1:1). Death has turned from being a certain condemnation to being the greatest transition for the Christian, talk about being more than a conqueror! Paul says that he “desires to depart and be with Christ which is better by far” (Phi1:23) and the saints in Hebrews 11 were willing to go through gruesome suffering and death for God. They were “stoned, sawn in two and put to death by the sword – in a world not worthy of them” The book continues to say that “these were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised [as Christ was yet to come] God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”
So death is indeed a time of grieving, but like all things pertaining to the saints, God has used it for the greatest good (Rom 8:28). If we want to see the perfect outworking of God's plan for his people, unaffected by the evil of Satan and the imperfection caused by our sin, Revelations 21:4, the happiest of endings gives the full picture of what we hope for. And is the hope that we should all hold on to, “Now the dwelling of the Lord is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people and he will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who is seated on the throne said “I am making all things anew.”
Blessed be the name of the Lord. Can't wait to worship alongside you Mark, and all those who have gone before me. I shall surely mourn now, but I shall rejoice that you lived in Christ, who has conquered the grave, and thus, so shall you.
Dedicated to Mark Roux, can't wait to see you again brother
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