Lacking Assurance

 

“That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all…”

(Romans 4:16 ESV)

 

In the month of October, we celebrate the Reformation. Specifically, October 31^st is recognized as Reformation Day. We do so because this date marks the beginning of the attempt of Martin Luther to reform the Catholic Church.

 

One of the primary tenets of the Reformation is the fact that we are saved by the grace of God alone. And this grace is received through faith in Christ alone. Our efforts and our own perceived goodness, in other words, play no role in it whatsoever.

 

This is a great comfort to us. However, although we know the gospel, we revert naturally back the law, seeking our salvation. We depend, once again, upon the works of the law to attain for us the forgiveness of our sins. And it’s our sinful nature that leads us to do so.

 

It leads us to depend upon ourselves, rather than Christ, to gain the mercy we so desperately need. And the result of this is that we have no peace. The result of this is that we have no assurance of salvation.

 

As we trust in the law and our obedience to it, we can never know if we’re good enough, or if we’ve done enough, to satisfy the righteous requirements of God. This, then, leaves us in a state of doubt. It leaves us in a state of uncertainty. It leaves us worried, that we may be found to have fallen short.

 

It does so because, in that case, there is no guarantee. There’s no sense of security. And there’s no confidence when it comes to our life in eternity.

 

Paul, in the fourth chapter of Romans, addresses this. And he reminds us that the promise of God, given to Abraham and his offspring, came not through the law. It came, rather, through the righteousness of faith.

 

This promise, in other words, was not dependent upon Abraham or his obedience. Nor was it dependent upon the obedience of the people. It was, from first to last, the work of God.

 

As we see above, in verse 16, this leaves no room for question or doubt. And it provides to us the assurance of our salvation. Since it depends on faith, he says, since it rests on grace, it is guaranteed to all his offspring.

 

In this case, the promise of God is sure. It’s confirmed. It’s valid, steadfast, and certain.

 

And, as he refers to Abraham’s offspring, he’s not merely talking about those who are physically descended from Abraham. He says that it does so for those who share the faith of Abraham. It’s talking, you see, about you and me.

 

By faith, we have the guarantee of God’s blessing. By faith, his blessing is sure. By faith we know that what he’s promised to us is certain.

Where Hope is Found

 “And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

We often act as if this world is all there is. We believe that it’s in this world that our hope is found. And we believe that it’s in this life that our hope is found.

Salvation means to us deliverance from all of our worldly trials. It means the end of our suffering. It means the end of illness. And it means the end of conflict. 

We often find that this was the mindset of the disciples as well. Even as they followed Jesus, even as they hung on his every word, and even as they saw his every deed, they failed to understand that he’d come to bring something more. He’d come to deliver a blessing that’s far greater.

We see this in the above passage. As Jesus was transfigured before them, and as Moses and Elijah appeared to them, they seemed to think they were here to stay. And, for this reason, they offered to make a tent or a booth for each of them.

They failed to understand, however, that this experience would soon come to an end. They failed to understand that Jesus, who stood before them in his glory, would soon appear to them as an ordinary man. And Moses and Elijah, who were there speaking with Jesus, would soon be gone.

It’s true that Jesus would one day reveal his glory always. But that day was not then. And it’s true that, one day, Moses and Elijah would be forever in their presence. But it was not in this world.

The same principle applies to us, in the circumstances in which we find ourselves. It’s true that Jesus came to deliver us from all suffering. As he paid the penalty of our sin, its consequences will also become a thing of the past. But this will happen only at the end of this age.

At the return of Christ, a new heaven and earth will come to us. Those who have died will rise from the dead, while those who remain will be transformed. And we’ll spend eternity in this place, free of sin and death.

Realizing this, we should not place our hope in this age. Nor should our hope be found in this place. We should, rather, anticipate the return of Christ and the ushering in of his new creation.

Words of Assurance

 “And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭45‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As we endure seasons of hardship, various platitudes are frequently offered in an attempt to comfort us. And, quite often, they seem like nothing more than that. They seem like nothing more than cliche statements, from which we derive no comfort.

In our moment of struggle, we’re simply unable to receive them. More than that, we’re unwilling to receive the comfort they provide. As we’re in a period of emotional and spiritual struggle, they provide little hope.

Yet, even though we derive no comfort from them, and even though they seem like nothing more than empty words, they are, in fact, true. They are accurate. And, if received, they offer us great hope.

We see this as we look at the above passage. These words were spoken by Joseph after many years of enslavement and imprisonment. And they were directed to the very men who were responsible for his suffering.

God had since delivered Joseph from his misery, making him the ruler of Egypt. And as his brothers had come, seeking provision in a time of famine, he understood why God had allowed it. God had used the wicked deed of his brothers, and even the false accusation of his master’s wife, that he might save his family along with the nation of Egypt.

Throughout his suffering, Joseph had no idea why these things were happening. And although Joseph was eventually enabled to see the reason for his suffering, this isn’t always the case. It’s not even usually the case. 

However, even if we don’t understand why God has allowed our suffering, and even if we never understand this, the fact remains that God is able to work through it. He’s able to work through it to provide his blessing. He’s able to work through it for our blessing or, perhaps, for the blessing of others.

God may not use our suffering like that of Joseph. He may not use it that our family, along with thousands of others, might be saved. But there are many subtle ways in which the Lord can use it.

As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:4, God comforts us in our affliction that we may be able to comfort others. We, then, are able to share with others the comfort that we have received from God. We’re able to bless others with a comfort we’ve received only because of an affliction suffered.

We, then, should never look at the assurances of Scripture as mere platitudes. And we should never look at them as cliche, empty words. No matter how we might feel in the moment, his promise is certain.

In the Hour of Darkness

 “And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.”

 (Genesis 39:20 ESV)

There are times in life when it seems that everything is falling apart around us. Although we pray, we feel that our words have gone unheard. In fact, we feel that we’ve been abandoned by God. 

It seems as though, rather than living in his blessing, we’re living under his curse. Instead of living in the love of God, we feel that we’re regarded as an enemy. We simply feel that he’s doing nothing to help us.

This is what came to mind as I read the account of Joseph. You may recall that, although he was loved by his father, his brothers had sold him as a slave into Egypt. And while there, he was falsely accused by his master’s wife and ended up in prison. 

If anyone had reason to feel abandoned by God, it was Joseph. Regardless of his faith, nothing seemed to work in his favor. And no matter how intentionally he lived out his faith, his circumstances only became worse.

However, as we look at his story, we find that God was with him. No matter how it seemed, and no matter how he felt, God was with him. We know this because of the truth that is repeated in his story.

After he was sold into slavery we’re told that the Lord was with Joseph and that he became a successful man. We’re told that Joseph found favor in his master’s sight, and that he was made overseer in his house and over all he had.

Although he was imprisoned, we’re told that the Lord was with him. He showed to Joseph his steadfast love. And, again, Joseph found favor with the keeper of the prison.

The Lord eventually provided for Joseph’s freedom. And he ultimately placed Joseph into a position of great authority. However, the years spent by Joseph as a slave and in prison were many.

This, you see, is important for us to remember in times of hardship and struggle. Even though life isn’t easy, this does not indicate that God has abandoned us. And even though things seem bleak, this in no way indicates that the Lord isn’t working for our blessing.

The Lord is with us in the dark times. He’s blessing us in seasons of difficulty. No matter how things may outwardly seem, God is faithful and shows to us his steadfast love.

Loving Much

 “…he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

(Luke 7:47 ESV)

Our tendency is to think we’re good people. Although we acknowledge our sin, we believe we are well intentioned. And we believe that we do far more good than bad.

When we compare ourselves to others, we come off pretty good in our own eyes. We’re always able to find those who are worse, or more sinful, than us. And this enables us to think more highly of ourselves.

When we err, we err on the side of minimizing our sin. We err on the side of overestimating our goodness. We err on the side of self-reliance.

The result of this is that, although we profess faith in the Lord, we have little love for him. We have little trust in him. And we have little need of him.

This is what Jesus is saying in the above passage. However, in the preceding words, he says the opposite. We find that, when we see our sin, when we acknowledge it for what it is, the opposite happens.

When we see our sin, when we understand it, and when we acknowledge it for what it is, we love much. When we trust in Christ and his promise, we love much. And when we receive his forgiveness and mercy, we love much.

This was expressed as a sinful woman came to Jesus. She wet his feet with her tears. She dried them with her hair. And she kissed his feet over and over again.

Jesus, then, assured her that her sins were forgiven. He told her that her faith had saved her. And he told her to go in peace.

This is also the Word, this is the assurance we receive when we come to Jesus. It’s the assurance we receive as we confess to him our sin. And it’s the assurance we receive as we look to him for deliverance.

We’re assured of the forgiveness of our sins. We’re assured that our faith has saved us. And we’re, then, enabled to go forth in peace.

Insulted by the Gospel?

 “She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.””

(‭‭Matthew‬ ‭15‬:‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

Each of us has heard the gospel many times. And we understand it. We understand that we’re sinners. We understand that we’re undeserving of forgiveness and salvation. We understand that the only way these blessings have been made available to us is through Jesus and the sacrifice he offered on our behalf.

Yet, as we read the above passage in context, it’s difficult for us. It’s difficult because Jesus seems anything but gracious and merciful. He seems, in fact, to deny this woman in her hour of need.

He ignores her at first. And when he finally does address her, he tells her that he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Being a Gentile, this seems to suggest that Jesus would do nothing for her.

Explaining himself, he goes on to say something that seems downright insulting. He tells her that it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. And we struggle with the fact that he addresses her this way.

This woman, however, doesn’t take issue with it in the least. In fact, she acknowledges it. She acknowledges the fact that she is not one of the children of Israel. And, more than that, she acknowledges the fact that she is a dog.

She in no way sought to deny God’s blessing to the people of Israel. And she acknowledges that she is undeserving of his blessing. She acknowledges that she’s in no way entitled to it. 

This is where you and I tend to struggle. We’re reluctant to acknowledge that we’re undeserving of God’s blessing. And we’re unwilling to acknowledge that we’re not, by nature, one of God’s children.

This, to us, is insulting. It’s offensive. And it’s degrading.

However, when the woman acknowledged the reality of her situation, she received exactly what she asked for. She received the blessing of God. She received it as Jesus healed her daughter.

And the same is true of us, as well. When we acknowledge the reality of our situation, Jesus will also grant us his blessing. He'll, then, provide for us exactly what we need.

The Promise

 “But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’””

(‭‭Genesis‬ ‭32‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

In our hour of need, we bring our request to God. We bring it to God in prayer. And, whatever it may be, we ask him to grant it.

But what is the basis of our request? On what grounds do we make our request? What is the justification of our request?

More often than not, we base our request upon our goodness. We base it upon the things we’ve done for the Lord. We base it upon the fact that we’ve trusted in the Lord for a number of years.

The problem with this is that we’re undeserving of God's blessings. The problem is that we can do nothing to merit his blessings. And this is a reality we’re unable to change.

What, then, are we to do? On what basis are we to bring our requests to the Lord? We find the answer in the words of Jacob above.

Jacob offered this prayer as he prepared to meet his brother, Esau. This is the same brother who had desired to kill him. And it was reported that he was coming to meet Jacob with four hundred men.

He was naturally afraid. He was afraid for himself, but also for his wives and children. And he brought this concern to God.

He told the Lord that he was unworthy of the blessings he’d received. But God had made to him a promise. God had promised that he’d make his offspring as the sand of the sea, which could not be counted.

If this promise of God was to be fulfilled, he had to survive. He could not be slaughtered by his brother, along with his family. He, then, appealed to God by this promise.

God is faithful. He does not lie, nor does he change his mind. And, for this reason, when God makes a promise, we know it is certain.

We, then, should follow the example of Jacob. We base our appeals to him not on who we are or what we’ve done. We base it on the promise he’s given us.

He’s promised us salvation. He’s promised us forgiveness and everlasting life. And he sent his Son to provide these blessings for us by his death on the cross.

This, then, is the basis of our appeal. This is the grounds on which we should base each request. And this is to be the justification for each appeal we make.

In the Face of Disappointment

 “When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭29‬:‭31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Life can sometimes be a disappointment. Not all of it, mind you. But there are often aspects of life that we’d like to be different.

Yet, no matter how often we go to the Lord about it, asking for his help, nothing seems to change. Things remain as disappointing as they’ve always been. And we begin to feel that God is withholding his hand of blessing.

This isn’t true, however, as we see in the above account. Leah found herself in difficult circumstances that never changed. And the Lord’s work in her life can give us hope.

Although she was married, she felt that her husband didn’t want her. He was with her out of obligation. And this caused her great sorrow.

He had, in fact, been deceived into marrying her. He followed through with their marriage to get the wife he truly desired. And this other woman was none other than Leah’s sister.

But, as we look at the above passage, we see something interesting. Even though Leah was hated, even though she was not loved, the Lord blessed her in another way. The Lord opened her womb and blessed her with sons.

Her disappointment didn’t go away. Her desire to be loved by her husband remained. And this, I believe, is normal. It makes sense.

Each time a son was born, Leah hoped that things might get better. She hoped that this might cause her husband to love her. But it didn’t. In fact, it created a rivalry between the sisters to see who could bear more sons for their husband.

However, the fact remains that, although Leah was never loved, although she was never desired, God blessed her in ways outside of a husband’s love. He blessed her with many children and descendants. Jesus, in fact, was born of the line of Leah.

The same can be true in these areas of our own lives. Even if these disappointments never end or never get better, God can bless us in spite of them. And he often does.

Perhaps our family life is far from ideal. But God may bless us in terms of our service, and the lives we touch. Perhaps we never find satisfaction in our work, but God blesses us in terms of family. The examples are endless.

The point is that, in spite of our disappointments, God has not forgotten us. He has not withheld his hand of blessing. He blesses us in spite of them and in ways we’d never imagine.

The greatest blessing, of course, is that of forgiveness and life everlasting. Even if this life remains disappointing, we have a great hope. He’s prepared for us an eternity where all of these disappointments will be no more.

An Undeserved Promise

 “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

(Genesis 28:15 ESV)

The passage above is a promise of God, given to Jacob. It’s a promise of God given to a man whose very name means “he cheats.” It means “supplanter.” And it refers to one who overreaches.

He was given this name because, as he was born, he was grasping the heel of his twin brother. It seemed to his parents that he was grasping for that which rightfully belonged to his brother. It seemed to them that he was grasping for that which was not his.

Not only was this their perception, and not only was this his name, it’s also something we see in his character. We learn that he took advantage of his brother to gain his birthright. And he later went along with a scheme of his mother to gain his father’s blessing.

Now, in one sense, it’s commendable that he sought God’s blessing. And it was, in fact, God’s will that Jacob would receive it. But the way he went about it was far from noble.

Yet, even though this is true, God spoke these words to Jacob. As he fled his brother’s hatred and threats, God spoke to him these words. He received this promise of God, of which he was completely undeserving.

And that’s exactly the point. He in no way deserved the promise of God. He in no way deserved the blessing of God. It was given to him by grace.

This is reassuring to us. It’s reassuring because, like Jacob, we seek God’s blessings in all the wrong ways. Rather than trusting in God, we seek to gain them for ourselves. We rely on our own wisdom and efforts, no matter how sinful they might be, to gain what we desire.

But even though this is true, even though we are sinners undeserving of God’s blessing, he’s given to us his promise. And he’s done everything necessary to ensure our blessing. He’s done everything necessary to make it possible.

He sent Jesus into the world, who atoned for our sin by his death on the cross. And because of him, God’s blessing has been made available for us. It’s been provided for us.

Like Jacob, we need only to trust in the Lord. We need only to trust in his work. We need only to trust in his promise.

God, after all, is faithful. As he assured Jacob, he will not leave us until he’s done what he promised us. He will be with us until his promises are fulfilled.

Worse Than an Unbeliever

 “Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.””

(Genesis 26:10 ESV)

Believers are often criticized for their hypocrisy. They are maligned for their failure to live according to their beliefs. And they’re condemned because their lives are seemingly no better than those of unbelievers.

And not only is this true. In many cases, the lives of unbelievers appear to be more righteous than those of believers. It seems that the unbelieving are better or more righteous than Christians.

We see an example of this in Genesis 26. After the death of Abraham, Isaac repeated a sin of his father. Fearing for his own life, he told those among whom he lived that Rebekah, his wife, was his sister. And he asked her to say the same.

When his lie was discovered, he was corrected. And he was corrected, in fact, by an unbeliever. It seems that this unbeliever was more concerned about righteous behavior than Isaac, who bore the promise of God.

Unfortunately, this is not uncommon in the least. We often find unbelievers who are more concerned about righteousness than believers. And we find unbelievers who appear to do more good than believers.

We must remember that we all bear the sinful nature. This is true of believers and unbelievers alike. And for this reason, even as Christians, we will commit acts of sin and struggle with sinful tendencies.

We, of course, must not condone the sin of any. And we must not dismiss someone’s sin simply because he professes faith in Jesus. But this reality does remind us of the source of our salvation. 

It reminds us that the blessing of God is not something we deserve, nor is it something we earn. It was provided for us by the death and resurrection of Jesus. And it’s received through faith in the promise of God.

In the case of Isaac, we’re looking at one sin. We don’t know if his life was truly more sinful than that of the unbeliever who called him to account. He may have lived a “better” life.

But, again, this isn’t what saved him. And it’s not what saves us. As those who have received the promise of God, we receive salvation as we believe God’s promise. This, Scripture says, is counted to us as righteousness.

Outside of God's Blessing?

 “After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.””

(‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

There’s no question that the promises, given to us by God, are incredible. They’re fantastic. They sound almost too good to be true. 

After all, who wouldn’t want their sins forgiven? Who wouldn’t want the blessing of life everlasting in God’s presence? And who wouldn’t want to be delivered from the devil?

For this reason, as we hear God’s promises, we receive them eagerly. We receive them with joy. And we look forward to their fulfillment.

However, as we live here in this world, we often feel that we’re outside of God’s blessing. We feel that, perhaps, God has changed his mind. Our circumstances seem to suggest that we’re under his judgment rather than his blessing.

I’m sure that Abraham felt this way in the passage above. God, after all, had given him a wonderful promise. He’d promised Abraham a son, an heir. He’d promised that his descendents would possess the land of Canaan. And he promised that the entire would be blessed through him.

Even though he was old, and even though Sarah was well past the age of child bearing, God gave to them a son. And Abraham was told that it was through this child that his offspring would be named. It was through this child that God’s promises would be fulfilled.

God, then, called on Abraham to do something that would, seemingly, undermine this promise. He called him to sacrifice this child. He called on him to offer him as a burnt offering to the Lord. 

How would Abraham become a great nation without Isaac? How would his descendents inherit the land of Canaan? And how would the world be blessed through him?

Had God lied to him? Had God changed his mind? Was God removing from Abraham the blessing he’d both granted and promised?

While we can’t say with certainty what was going through Abraham’s mind, this is what would’ve been going through mine if I were in his shoes. Yet, that being said, Abraham went through with it. He demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice Isaac according to God’s instructions.

How could he do so? This is answered for us in Hebrews 11. Starting in verse 17, of that chapter, we read: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.”

Even though God’s command seemed to contradict or to undermine his promise, Abraham believed it anyway. He reasoned that, even if he went through with it, God was able to raise the dead. God was able to keep his promise in spite of the way things outwardly looked.

And the same, you see, is true for us. No matter how things may seem, God is able to keep his promise. Although we may not see or understand what he’s doing, or what he will do, we can believe that he is faithful.

Finding Favor

 “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

Genesis‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As we look at our world, it’s quite distressing. We see the evils that were committed in the past, along with the ongoing fallout that’s resulted. We see the evils committed all around us today. And these evils, it seems, only grow worse with time.

The same, however, is true as we look at ourselves. As we honestly search our heart and our lives, we find nothing other than sin. And our guilt is abundantly clear.

Considering this, I’m always amazed at the way humanity is described in the sixth chapter of Genesis. We’re told, in verse 5, that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. This tells us that man had nothing good left in him, and the only thing that remained was sin.

It was so bad that God regretted making man on the earth. He was sorry that he’d made man. And he was grieved in his heart.

Yet, although this is true, we’re told that Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. He found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He found acceptance in the eyes of the Lord.

He’s described in verse 9 as a righteous man. He’s described to us as a just man. He’s described to us as blameless in his generation. And we’re told that he walked with God. 

That’s quite the description, and it’s quite the contrast with the rest of mankind.  But Noah was not perfect, of course. He was descended from Adam and Eve and, for this reason, shared the same sinful nature that we now bear.

His sin, his imperfection, is made clear to us after the flood, after he and his family came off of the ark. We see in Genesis 9 that he became drunk and immodest, lying naked in his tent. And we see that, as his nakedness was seen and made known, he cursed his son for doing so.

Why, then, did he find favor in the eyes of the Lord? How is he described to us as righteous and blameless? And why did he escape the Lord’s judgment?

We find the answer to this in Hebrews 11. In verse 7, of that chapter, we read: “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” 

Noah found favor with God because of his faith. He found favor as he believed the Word that God had spoken to him. And, in this way, he became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

His righteousness, you see, is not something that he possessed in himself. It was given to him. It was a gift of God received by faith.

And the same is true of us. We find favor with God and we are declared righteous not by what we do. We find favor with God, and we receive his grace, by faith.

When Wronged

 “And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Each of us has, at one time or another, been wronged. We’ve been violated or treated poorly. And, in those moments, we desire justice.

We want the wrong made right. We want the guilty to receive their due. And we want to be released from any resulting fallout of their actions.

Recognizing this desire, recognizing this tendency, the passage above stands out. It stands out as the description of Joseph’s character is brought before us. And it stands out because two of these aspects don’t seem to fit together.

We read in the first chapter of Matthew that, when Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, and before they had come together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. The natural assumption, on Joseph’s part, is that Mary had been unfaithful to him. As she was pregnant, and they’d had no relations, the only natural explanation is that she’d been impregnated by another man.

Although we’re told that this pregnancy had occurred in a supernatural way, this would be difficult for anyone to believe. It would be difficult for anyone to accept. In our experience, after all, there is only one way that a woman becomes pregnant.

After hearing this, we’re told that Joseph was a just man. We’re told that he was a righteous man. And we take this to mean that he was a man who was observant of the Word of God and whose faith was expressed in his life.

Our assumption, as we read this, is that he would want the law of God to be upheld. Our assumption is that he would want this apparent wrong to be righted. Our assumption is that he would want to be free of the consequences of Mary’s presumed actions.

However, in addition to being a just man, he was unwilling to put her to shame. He was unwilling to disgrace her. And, for this reason, he resolved to divorce her quietly. 

Although he was going to divorce her due to her apparent unfaithfulness, he wasn’t going to make a big stink of it. He wasn’t going to drag Mary through the mud. He wasn’t going to see that she received the consequences prescribed by the law.

The law of God, you see, said that the adulterer was to be put to death. It said that the adulterer was to be stoned. And by handling this quietly, Joseph sought to protect Mary from this fate.

This is very much in line with the nature and the character of God. It’s in line with his dealings with us. Although we’re sinners and deserve his judgment, he doesn’t want us to suffer this fate. And he’s done everything necessary to spare us from it.

What, then, does this mean for us? What does it mean for us as we seek to be just in the face of wrongdoing? What does it mean for us as we seek to live righteously in a world of sin?

It means loving those who have wronged us. It means being gracious and merciful toward them. Instead of receiving what they deserve, it means desiring that they’d receive the blessing they do not deserve.

Yielding our Rights

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”

(Matthew 5:38-42 ESV)

 

We’ll soon be celebrating our nation, we’ll soon be celebrating our freedom, as we ring in the 4^th of July. And these are blessings that are rightly celebrated. Living where we do is a great blessing, as are the freedoms we enjoy.

 

We sometimes, however, become quite stubborn when it comes to our freedoms. We become quite stubborn when it comes to protecting and maintaining our rights. And, on the surface, this makes sense. It makes sense because, if we surrender them, we’re not likely to get them back.

 

It can get to the point, however, where we worship them. It can get to the point where they become more important than anything or anyone. They become more important than even our neighbor.  And we’re unwilling to lay them aside, even briefly, for the welfare of those around us.

 

We see this as we look at the passage above. We believe that we have an inherent right to protect ourselves. We believe that we have a God-given right to protect our well-being and our possessions. And for this reason, we find the principle of “an eye for an eye” quite appealing.

 

Jesus, however, makes us rather uncomfortable. He tells us that we’re not to resist the one who is evil. He tells us that, if someone slaps us on the right cheek, which is more of an insult than an attack, we should turn to him the left. He tells us that, if someone sues us for our tunic, we should let him have our cloak as well. He tells us that, if anyone forces us to go with him one mile, we should go with him two.  And he tells us to give to the one who begs of us and that we’re not to refuse the one who would borrow from us.

 

This is something that’s hard to wrap our mind around. We feel that, if we put these words into practice, we’re allowing ourselves to be abused and we’re allowing others to take advantage of us.

 

This is exactly the point. We’re far too worried about such things. We’re far too worried about people taking advantage of us. And we’re far too worried about being abused.

 

Our tendency is to quickly retaliate. Our tendency is to hold tight to what is ours. And our tendency is to protect our rights before others.

 

If we are to err, however, Jesus would not have us to do so on the side of retaliation. And he would not have us do so on the side of selfishness. He would have us err on the side of yielding, of giving, and even being taken advantage of.

 

If we’re to err, we should always err on the side of loving our neighbor. We should always err on the side of extending grace. And we should always err on the side of generosity.

Embracing the Difference

 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”

 (Matthew 5:13 ESV)

Our natural desire is to be like those around us. Our natural desire is to fit in. And any time we stand out, we feel very self-conscious.

We feel, in that moment, like all eyes are drawn to us. We feel like someone walking through the mall in a clown costume. We feel like a teenager leaving the house with a huge pimple on  his forehead.

We see this in a variety of ways. Although we insist that we’re independent and that we make our own decisions, and although we insist that we don’t merely follow the crowd, we seek to dress like everyone else. We seek to talk like everyone else. And we always seem to have the same tastes and preferences as everyone else. 

I often find it humorous that this is true even when it comes to something like our cell phones. Having an Apple product, having an Iphone, has become something of a status symbol. And if someone chooses another type of phone, they are ridiculed.

This, however, is seen in ways that are far more serious. As our faith causes us to stand out, we begin to feel self-conscious. We begin to feel different and at odds with those around us.

We, then, want to adjust everything about ourselves. We want to adjust our behavior, our speech, and our dress. We even want to adjust our beliefs and our values.

The problem with this is found in the words of Jesus, above. As we read them, we find that we’ve been made by the Lord to be distinct. We find that we have been made to stand out.

Salt has a distinct taste that sets it apart from all else. But if this distinction is lost, so too is its purpose and value. If salt loses its taste, it’s good for nothing. As Jesus points out, it’s then thrown out and trampled under foot. 

And the same, you see, is true of us. If we, as believers, lose our distinctiveness, we are good for nothing. If we are the same as those who surround us, our purpose has been lost. We’re no longer able to point the world to the Savior and to the blessing he’s made available.

It’s our distinctiveness that enables us to do so. God, after all, has made us to be holy. He’s set us apart for himself. And this is something that’s visible, that is noticeable, to those around us.