Flipping Tables?

 “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.”

(Philippians 4:5 ESV)

In the modern Christian Church in America, something of which we’re routinely reminded is that Jesus flipped tables. This, of course, is a reference to his cleaning of the temple. And it’s true that he, indeed, flipped tables.

This, however, is often used as an excuse for our demanding, angry, and unloving behavior. It’s used to excuse the fact that we often behave like complete jerks to the world around us. And this is not an appropriate way to use the example of Jesus.

Looking at the gospel accounts, he likely cleansed the temple on two occasions, one at the beginning of his ministry and the other at the end. But this is not something that characterized his life and ministry. 

While Jesus taught truth, he also loved those who surrounded him. He was kind toward sinners. And, typically, his anger was reserved for the religious authorities, who were misleading the people, denying them the grace of God.

While we must stand firm under the authority of God’s Word, and while we must not compromise truth, we are called to behave in a loving manner toward our neighbor. And we see the attitude that we’re to display in the verse above.

Paul says that we’re to let our reasonableness be known to everyone. The word translated “reasonable” also means gentle, kind, or tolerant. These character traits, then, are to be evident to everyone around us.

Rather than being argumentative and insulting to those who surround us, rather than demeaning them and behaving in a condescending manner, we’re to be loving toward them. And it is possible for us to be loving and faithful to God’s Word at the same time. The two are not mutually exclusive.

There are times when righteous anger may be appropriate. But it’s safe to say that those times will be few. What should be displayed on a regular basis is kindness, gentleness, and reasonableness.

The Blessing of Labor

 "If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me."

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Labor is something that’s become a dirty word for most of us in modern society. We view work, in any form, as drudgery. We view responsibility as something beneath us. And we want nothing more than to free ourselves from it. We want nothing more than to eliminate it from our lives.

We seek to do so as we gain wealth. As we gain the ability to let go of certain responsibilities, hiring others to do them for us, we take advantage of it. We may hire someone to mow the lawn. We may hire someone to clean our home. We may hire someone to shovel the snow. Or we may hire someone to watch our children.

We also hope and plan to do so, as we grow older and retire. We set money aside throughout our career, investing it, hoping that it sufficiently grows. And when we have enough, however we define that, we plan to stop working.

Our ambition is to have no responsibility whatsoever. Our goal is having the ability to do whatever we want whenever we want. We dream of a life where we are governed not by alarm clocks or schedules, but simply our own desires.

Labor, however, is a good thing. It’s a blessing. And, as we see in the passage above, it is fruitful.

In making this statement, Paul is talking about life and death. And, in doing so, he notes that departing to be with Christ is better by far, when compared to life in this world. But life, he says, means fruitful labor for him.

Life meant that he was able to serve the Lord. It meant that he was able to serve his neighbor. And Paul sought to do so, first and foremost, through the ministry of the gospel.

This, he noted, was necessary for them, his readers. They needed the labor, they needed the ministry, he had to offer. And, for that reason, he was convinced it was not yet his time to die.

Our labor may take a different form from that of Paul. Yet, the same truth remains. Life means fruitful labor for us.

For as long as the Lord provides us with life in this world, we are able to serve him. For as long as he provides us with life in this world, we are able to serve our neighbor. We are enabled by God, in this way, to be a blessing.

And this is something that should never be despised. It’s something from which we should never flee. It’s something of which we should never aspire to rid ourselves.

There will come a day, of course, when we may no longer be able to work as we once did. We may no longer be able to have a career. But even then, in some capacity, we are able to serve and to be a blessing.

The Authoritative Word

 ‬‬

“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

(‭‭Revelation 22:18-19 ESV)

Among those of us who believe in the authority of Scripture, there is a strong emphasis on its inerrancy. There is a strong emphasis on its infallibility. And this is both right and fitting.

Scripture, after all, is God's Word, and not that of man. As God is perfect, so too is his Word. And as God is unchanging, so too is his Word.

Believing as we do, we react strongly when others take from God's Word. We react strongly when people seek to alter his Word. And we react strongly when people seek to strip it of its meaning.

When those of the liberal Church, or those of society, want to deny the clear teaching of Scripture, the hair on our neck bristles. When they argue against the clear teaching of Scripture, our stomach turns. And when they take a position that contradicts Scripture, we find it upsetting.

However, as we see in the passage above, not only is it wrong to take from God's Word. It’s equally wrong to add to it. It’s equally wrong to read into Scripture our own ideas and beliefs.

This is why Jesus reacted so strongly to the religious leaders of his day. Their tendency was not to take from God's Word, but to add to it. And they did so by making their traditions, they did so by making their teachings, as authoritative as Scripture itself.

Their interpretation of God’s Law became as authoritative as God’s Law. It was equated with God’s Law. And therein lies the problem.

This, you see, is the mistake we often make in the conservative Church of our day. We tend to add to the Word of God by way of legalism. We, at times, read into Scripture. And we make our understanding or our interpretation as authoritative as Scripture itself.

If we truly stand under the authority of God’s Word, and if our faith is guided by God’s Word alone, we will do neither. We will not take from it. But neither will we add to it.

Why Did God Save Us?

 ”But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,“

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Most of us are very familiar with the gospel message. We know that God sent his Son into the world. We know that Jesus died in our place, paying the penalty of our sin. And we know that he rose from the grave, standing victorious over death. 

The way it’s stated in Ephesians 2 is that, when we were dead in our trespasses, he made us alive together in Christ. He, then, raised us up with him, with Jesus. And he seated us with him in the heavenly places.

We learn from this message that we played no role in our salvation. It’s something that he did. It’s a work that he performed for our blessing.

Nothing about us contributes to it in any way. And nothing we’ve done contributes to it in any way. It results from God’s grace alone. And this grace is received through faith in Christ.

This message, of course, is very comforting. It’s very reassuring. And it fills us with peace. But it also begs the question: Why did God do this? 

What we find is that it had everything to do with God and nothing with us. It has everything to do with his nature, and nothing with our own. And it has everything to do with his character, and nothing with our own.

According to the above passage, he did it because he is rich in mercy. This, in other words, is God’s nature. It’s part of his character. There’s nothing about us that caused God to extend this mercy. He did so because of who he is. He did so because he is merciful.

He did so also because of the great love which which he loved us. It, then, has nothing to do with our love for God. His love for us is the reason he saved us. His love for us is the reason he gave us new life.

As God’s nature, as his character is unchanging, this provides us with assurance. As God is, and will always be, merciful, our salvation is sure. And as God’s love for us is unchanging, our salvation is sure.

Upheld

 "Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it.“

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There are times in life when we disapprove of others. We disapprove of something they’ve said. Or we disapprove of something they’ve done.

This is especially true when they are our leaders. It’s especially true, in that case, because everything they say and do is before us. Our leaders, as we often say it, live in a fishbowl.

It doesn’t have to be a moral issue that leads us to disapprove of them. Nor is it always a matter of right and wrong, for which they must be held accountable. It may, in fact, be the sin of our own heart leading us to do so.

But our disapproval leads us to speak against them. It causes us to be critical of them. And it may motivate us to challenge them.

This is what was happening in the passage above. Miriam and Aaron, we find, spoke against Moses. They did so, asking if the Lord spoke only through him. They did so, asking if the Lord hadn’t also spoken through them.

In this way, they were putting themselves on equal footing with Moses. They were claiming for themselves an authority equal to that of Moses. And the reason they did so was because of the Cushite woman Moses had married. 

There is some debate as to whether this refers to Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian, whom Moses married after fleeing Egypt, or if he had married another. The Jewish historian, Josephus, tells us that this woman was a Cushite princess, named Tharbis or Adoniah.

We also do not know why Miriam and Aaron disapproved of this woman. Was it because Moses was already married? Or was it, as some suggest, because she was black?

Although there are several unanswered questions, none of them ultimately matter. What is clear is that Miriam and Aaron disapproved of Moses’ wife. And, for this reason, they spoke against him.

The Lord, however, heard. He heard what was said by Moses’ siblings. And he upheld Moses before them. 

Moses, after all, was chosen by God. He was appointed by God for a purpose. He was called and appointed by God to bring his people out of Egypt, the land of slavery, and into Canaan, the land of promise.

As we consider the actions of Miriam and Aaron, we must realize that, whatever reason we have to disapprove of others, it’s known to God. Whatever we speak against others, God hears. And whenever we seek to bring others down, God is not unaware.

We must not, like Moses’ siblings, seek to bring others down. Nor should we bad-mouth or malign them. We should seek, rather, uplift them.

We must do so realizing that it’s God who has placed them where they are. We must do so realizing they’ve been chosen and appointed by him. And we must do so realizing that God himself will uphold them.

Obstacles

 "And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there.””

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭13‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As the blessing of the Lord is before us, we often see difficulty. As his bounty is before us, we see only obstacles. We see things that, from a worldly standpoint, would keep us from it.

Even knowing what we do about God, this becomes our focus. Even knowing his power, this becomes a source of discouragement. And even knowing his faithfulness, this becomes a source of doubt.

Rather than looking to him in faith, we question. Rather than trusting in him, we waver. And rather than believing his promise, we despair.

This is what happened to the people of Israel in the passage above. As the spies passed through the land of Canaan, which had been promised to them by God, they saw its abundance. But they saw also a major obstacle.

The people of the land were strong. The cities of the land were fortified and strong. And they saw giants, they saw descendants of Anak, living there.

From a human perspective, this made their conquest of the land difficult. It made it, in fact, untenable. They, then, feared to go up and take possession of it.

Even knowing what God had done in Egypt, they feared. Even remembering how he miraculously brought them out of slavery, they feared. And even remembering how he’d provided for them as they journeyed through the wilderness, they feared.

They didn’t seem to believe that God could, once again, fulfill his promise. They didn’t seem to believe that God could, once again, display his might. And they didn’t seem to believe that God could, once again, act on their behalf.

As a result, the people of Israel were kept from the land of promise. They did not inherit the blessing of God. They were sent back into the desert, until the last of that generation had perished.

God gave his blessing to their children. It was they who were enabled to take possession of the land. As they trusted in the Lord and his promise, his blessing became theirs.

God’s blessing, his forgiveness and salvation, are received through faith in Christ alone. We, then, must not make the mistake of the people of Israel. We must not allow our circumstances to cause fear and doubt to well up within us. If we lose faith in the Lord, if we fail to trust in him, we too could miss out on his blessing.

Grumbling or Trusting?

 "And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.“

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

When things aren’t going well for us, we have a tendency to complain. We have a tendency to whine. And we have a tendency to protest.

We do so, believing that we deserve better. We do so, believing that we’re being treated unfairly. We do so, believing that God is withholding from us his blessing.

Such behavior reflects not faith. It reflects not a trust in the Lord. And it reflects not the belief that God is good. It reflects, in fact, the opposite.

We see this, as well as the response of the Lord to such an attitude, as we look at the verse above. After their deliverance from slavery in Egypt, the people of Israel followed the Lord on their way to the Promised Land. The journey, however, was not easy.

They, then, began to complain about their misfortunes. They began to complain in the face of their distress. And they did so in the Lord’s hearing.

The Lord, in other words, knew what they were saying. He was aware of their complaints. And his anger was kindled.

As we consider them, the Lord’s feelings make sense. After being miraculously delivered from bondage, why would they fail to trust in the Lord now? What reason did they have to believe that he would not care and provide for them? And what would motivate them to believe they’d been suddenly abandoned?

Rather than complaining, they should have come to the Lord in their distress. They should have brought to him their need. And they should have looked to him for his provision.

In the same way, rather than complaining about our misfortune, we should bring it before the Lord. We should entrust it to him. We should look to him in our hour of need, knowing that he will both hear and answer.

God, after all, is good. He has always been faithful. He’s withheld from us no blessing. He even sacrificed his only Son, that we might receive adoption as his children.

The Miraculous Nature of Faith

 ”For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.“

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As we look back over our life of faith, and as we remember how we were brought to faith, we can point to those who shared with us the gospel of Christ. Maybe it was a parent or grandparent. Maybe it was a Sunday School teacher. Or maybe it was a friend.

In this way, it seems very organic. It seems natural. It seems almost worldly.

Paul, however, was another story completely. In his case, it was clearly miraculous. It was supernatural. And, for this reason, the way in which he was brought to faith seems far greater.

We remember how Jesus appeared to Paul, on the road to Damascus. And in this way, he was brought to faith. We remember how he was struck blind and how, as Ananias laid hands on him, his sight was restored.

He goes on to explain, in chapter 1 of Galatians, that he did not consult with anyone. He explains that he didn’t even go to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before him. He, rather, went away into Arabia before returning to Damascus.

His point was that he received no instruction from anyone immediately after Christ appeared to him. The gospel was not taught to him, in the traditional sense. He, rather, received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 

His point, in saying this, is not that his conversion was miraculous while that of others was not. He was stating that the gospel he proclaimed was not man’s gospel. It didn’t have a human origin.

As we consider Pau’s experience, we find that ours isn’t all that different. What I mean is that the way in which we were brought to faith is nothing less than miraculous. Although certain people shared with us the gospel, it was, in reality, delivered to us by God himself.

The Bible, after all, is the Word of God. And even though it is taught to us by man, it remains his Word. As we read it, as we hear it, it’s his voice speaking to us.

We find also that we cannot understand this Word apart from the Spirit of God. Paul tells us as much in 1 Corinthians 2. The natural person, he tells us, the person apart from Christ, does not accept the things of the Spirit of God. They are foolish to him. And he’s not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

What Paul is telling us is that, apart from the Spirit of God, we cannot understand the things of God. Apart from the Spirit of God, we cannot understand the Word of God. It’s only as he gives understanding that we’re able to comprehend it.

The fact that we’ve received the gospel, then, is nothing short of miraculous. The fact that we’ve been brought to faith is the work of God himself. Although he’s certainly used people in this process, it’s the gift of God from first to last.

Not to be Taken Lightly

"All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life."

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭7‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As much as we try to do what is right, we fall into sin. As much as we strive to live in obedience to the Lord, we fall short. We do so quite regularly. We sin, in fact, on a daily basis. 

However, although it is such a regular occurrence, we think of it as no big deal. It’s so commonplace that we’ve become dismissive of it. We’ve become so numb to it that we fail to recognize how serious it is.

We believe it’s something that affects us only in the moment. Although we may suffer some immediate consequence of our actions, we don’t believe it goes beyond that.  We don’t believe that they go beyond our time in this world.

What I’m saying is that we fail to recognize the eternal consequence of sin. And this is what stands out in the passage above. What is being described in these verses is the response of a young man to the adulteress woman. 

As she tempts him, he follows her. But look at the description. He follows her like an ox to the slaughter. He follows her as a stag that is caught fast, as a deer stepping into a noose, until an arrow pierces its liver. He follows her like a bird rushing into a snare.

He does not know that it will cost him his life. He knows not that it leads to his death. He doesn’t grasp the finality of his course.

This applies, of course, to more than this one scenario. It applies to more than this one sin, that of adultery. According to Scripture, the consequence of all sin is death.

And the death to which Scripture refers is more than physical death. It’s more than death in a worldly sense. The death to which it refers is eternal.

It speaks of the fact that we deserve not the blessings of God. We deserve, rather, his punishment. We deserve an eternity of torment in hell.

Christ, of course, has paid the punishment of our sin. He gave his life on the cross, paying the penalty of our sin. But even this should reveal to us the serious nature of sin.

It could not be overlooked by God. Nor could it be dismissed by him. If we were to be saved, the penalty had to be paid, even if the price was the life of his only Son.

We learn from this that, even as those who trust in Christ, even as those who have been forgiven, sin is not something we can take lightly. It is not something we can simply overlook or dismiss. As we are brought to see our guilt, we must look to Christ for the forgiveness and salvation he’s provided. And we must ever thank and praise him for securing our release from this fate.

Before Whom Will We Bow?

 “…He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it.”

(Isaiah 44:14–15 ESV)

We don’t see or experience much in the way of traditional idol worship here in the United States. We don’t typically see people bowing before a statue, or a carved image, praying to it. Yet this continues to take place in many parts of the world.

The first time I experienced something remotely like this was as I lived in San Diego, where I served my first congregation. Many immigrants from Vietnam lived in my neighborhood. And many of these families had a small altar outside of their home, in which they’d regularly place a small offering of rice for their ancestors.

As I’ve been in other parts of the world, on mission trips, I’ve seen temples. Although I didn’t go into these temples, they contained the gods worshiped by the people. They contained idols to which the people would bow and offer their prayers.

For those of us, unfamiliar with these customs and religions, this seems foolish. And it is foolish. Isaiah, in the passage above, makes this clear.

He presents the illustration of a man who plants a tree, he plants a cedar, and it’s nourished by the rain. It then becomes fuel for him. He takes a part of this tree and warms himself. Over the fire, he bakes his bread.

At the same time, however, he makes a god of that same tree. He makes an idol from its wood. He then worships it. He falls down before it. He cries out to it for deliverance, declaring it to be his god.

He makes clear, in this way, that an idol is nothing. He makes clear that it is the work of man. He makes clear that it is the creation of man.

This, then, makes clear the foolishness of such an act. After all, how can something man has made deliver him? How can the creation of man save him?

Although this seems foreign to us, it’s really more familiar than we tend to believe. We too practice idolatry. We too depend upon man or the work of his hands for salvation.

In our culture, we often make a god of ourselves, looking to ourselves for salvation. We may look to others. We may depend upon political leaders. We may depend upon armies. We may depend upon wealth and possessions. We may depend upon technology. The examples are endless.

And just as we see the foolishness of bowing down to a block of wood, so must we see the foolishness of our actions. We must repent of it, turning to Christ for forgiveness and salvation. And rather than looking to something we have made to save us, we must look to the one who has made us.

Where Life is Found

 “You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.“

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭18‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Our tendency is to behave like those who surround us. We do so because we want to fit in. We want to be liked and accepted by those among whom we live.

This, however, is a problem. It’s a problem because those who surround us are living in sin. They live only to satisfy their passions and desires. And, therefore, they are under God’s judgment.

This is what God was telling the people of Israel in Leviticus 18. They were not to do as they did in the land of Egypt, from which they had been delivered. Nor were they to do as they did in the land of Canaan, the land to which they were going.

Although it’s not directly stated, the people of these nations were under God’s judgment. They were under his wrath. And to live like them, then, is to be under God’s wrath.

They, rather, were to be different. They were to be distinct. They were to be holy, set apart from those who surrounded them.

They were to follow the Lord’s rules. They were to keep his statutes. And they were to walk in them.

If a person does them, God says, he will live by them. If he does them, rather than suffering judgment, he will have life. If he does them, rather than experiencing God’s wrath, his life will be preserved. It will be sustained.

As we read these words, we understand what God is saying. Yet, a difficulty soon presents itself. And the difficulty is that, no matter what we do, we cannot abide by God’s Word.

We see this played out in the history of Israel. Although they had the Word of God, and although they knew his laws, they continually violated them. And they lived like the nations who surrounded them.

It was for this reason that they fell under God’s judgment. It was for this reason that they experienced his wrath. And it’s for this reason that their nation was eventually destroyed.

The same is true of us. We cannot live according to God’s laws no matter how hard we try. Like the people of Israel, like the Jews, we continually revert to our sinful ways.

We too, then, are under God’s wrath. We are under his judgment. And we deserve nothing other than death and destruction.

The good news, however, is that God sent his Son into the world. And Jesus was able to keep the Word of God. He was able to fulfill the Law of God. 

He did so for us. He did so on our behalf. And he did so that, as we trust in him, we can receive the blessing of life.

More than that, he took our sin upon himself. He took our curse upon himself. He then died in our place, satisfying the wrath of God and paying the penalty we deserve.

Although we are still called to be different from those who surround us, and although we are still called to have distinct lives, our life is found in Jesus. Our salvation is found in Jesus. It’s found in the one who lived the perfect life we’re unable to live, and gave his life in our place.

Realistic Thinking

 “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”

(Romans 12:3 ESV)

We’re told that we can accomplish anything to which we set our mind. We’re told that we can better do anything that someone else can do. And, generally speaking, we want to believe these voices.

We think highly of ourselves. We think highly of our abilities. We think, in fact, too highly of them.

In the passage above, we are told by Paul that we’re not to think too highly of ourselves. We are, rather, to think of ourselves with sober judgment. We’re to think of ourselves rationally and within reason.

He says we’re to think of ourselves according to the measure of faith God has assigned. Faith recognizes, you see, that each blessing is a gift from God’s hand. And our faith will not take credit for the blessings and abilities given us.

If we read on, in the next couple verses, we’re reminded that the church is a body. And just as our physical body is made up of many members, so too is the church.

We, in other words, are not able to do everything. We’re not equipped, in fact, to do everything. God has called, appointed, and equipped different individuals to serve in various ways.

There are limits to our gifts. There are limits to our abilities. And this prevents pride from setting in.

While we may not always realize it, this is a blessing. It’s a blessing as we, then, don’t seek to take too much upon ourselves. It’s a blessing as others are better able to carry out certain tasks and functions. And, as they do so, they are a blessing to us.

We are able to rest. We are able to receive the ministry they have to offer. And we’re able to be blessed by them.

So, no matter what I want to believe, I cannot accomplish anything to which I set my mind. I cannot always perform a certain task better than another. And that’s OK. It’s good. And I can find rest in it.

Children of Promise

 “This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭9‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Jews of Jesus’ day believed themselves to be the children of God. They believed this even though he said otherwise. He told them, in fact, that they were children of the devil (John 8:44).

They believed this, however, because they were descended from Abraham. They believed this because they had been saved from their bondage in Egypt and given the Promised Land. They believed this because, to them, God had given his promise. And they believed this because, to them, God had given his Word.

American Christians tend to make the same mistake, when it comes to the Jews. We give them a higher status than the rest of us. And we assume that they’re saved, even apart from faith in Christ.

Paul tells us, however, that not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel. He tells us that not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring. It’s not at all an issue of descent or lineage.

 He explains, in the passage above, that it is not the children of flesh who are the children of God. It isn’t those who possess the right bloodline or heritage who are children of God. It’s the children of promise, he tells us, who are counted as offspring.

What makes a person a part of Israel, what makes him part of the people of God, then, is faith. What makes a person a child of Abraham, then, is faith. And what makes a person a child of God, then, is his faith. 

Gentile believers, like most of us, are part of Israel. We are children of Abraham. And we are children of God.

At the same time, Jews who do not believe in Jesus, are not truly Jews. They are not truly a part of Israel. They are not truly children of Abraham. And they are not truly children of God.

God, of course, desires their salvation as much as anyone’s. And he works for their salvation as much as anyone’s. But their heritage does not set them apart, nor does it set them above the rest of us.

That being said, we must take care that we don’t become arrogant, as they were. We must take care that we don’t believe ourselves to be better or above others. Just as we become the children of God by faith, so too can anyone.

And, in the same way, if we turn from this faith, no longer are we his children. If we begin to trust in our heritage, if we begin to trust in our bloodline, we’re no longer his children. Each of these blessings is received through faith in Christ alone.

Peace on Earth

 

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

(Luke 2:14 ESV)

 

As we celebrate the season of Christmas, we are often reminded of this refrain. We hear it in church, as the Scriptures are read. We read it in our children’s Bibles, as we share with them the Christmas story. And it’s something we both hear and sing in many of the carols familiar to this season.

 

In Jesus, God has provided us with peace. Peace is received by those with whom God is pleased. It’s received by those upon whom his favor rests.

 

This, however, can seem confusing as our world is anything but peaceful. Wars rage around the globe, even as we speak. And even our own streets, even our own cities and towns, are anything but peaceful.

 

The peace he’s referring to, however, is not a worldly peace. An outward peace, a societal peace, is something that will only be enjoyed only when Christ returns and sin becomes a thing of the past. It’s something that will be enjoyed as we experience life eternal in his everlasting kingdom.

 

What the angels are referring to, as they praise the Lord, is peace with God. We read about this in Romans 5:1, where Paul writes: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

Through Jesus, he says, we have been brought into a state of peace with God. We, in other words, are no longer his enemies. We are no longer in a state of condemnation and wrath. Rather than being under his curse, we are now in his blessing.

 

And this is received through faith in Christ. It, therefore, isn’t something that we deserve. Nor is it something we earn. It’s a gift of God, provided to us in his Son.

 

Jesus provided this blessing to us, as he took on flesh, becoming man. He provided it to us as he lived the perfect life we’re unable to live. He provided it to us as he died on the cross, paying the penalty of our sin. And he provided it to us as he rose from the grave, victorious over death.

 

So even if we are struggling, and even if we don’t feel at peace with God, this remains true. It remains true because it isn’t dependent upon us in any way. It’s dependent only upon Christ and what he has done for us.

 

As we, then, trust in Christ, we can know that we have peace with God. We can have full assurance of this peace. And this truth can offer us comfort in this world that is anything but peaceful.

Distinguishing Between Sins

“If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭4‬:‭27‬-‭29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Most of us tend to make a distinction between the things we’ve done wrong. We make a distinction between the intentional and the unintentional.  We distinguish between things we’ve done purposely, and those we’ve done accidentally or without thinking.

Now, in one sense, these distinctions are very real. We often commit wrongs very purposely. We do them intentionally. We know what we’re doing is wrong and, yet, we do them anyway.

However, while we readily acknowledge the sinfulness of those things done intentionally and purposely, we minimize those done unintentionally or accidentally. We want to believe that these wrongs should be overlooked or dismissed. We do so telling ourselves that our intentions are generally good.

Speaking for myself, I’m more likely to give the benefit of the doubt to someone who sinned against me unintentionally. I’m quick, in this case, to overlook their offense. And, generally speaking, I expect the same from others when I unintentionally sin against them.

But we tend to believe the same is true when it comes to God. We tend to think that only our intentional sins matter. We think that only they count against us. And we think that only they need to be forgiven.

This, however, is far from the case. And we see this clearly in the above passage. As instructions are given to the people of Israel regarding the sacrifices, we see these instructions for sins committed unintentionally.

We’re told that, when a person has unintentionally committed a sin, and when he realizes his guilt or is made aware of it, he’s to offer a sacrifice. He’s to offer a sacrifice for this sin he has committed. 

We see here that these sins do make us guilty before God. Like sins committed purposely, they too make us deserving of his wrath. And, for this reason, atonement must be made for them.

We, of course, do not offer sacrifices. The death of Jesus on the cross paid for each and every one of our sins. But this does tell us that, when we sin unintentionally, we need God’s forgiveness.

When we realize our guilt, or when we’re made aware of it, we must not take it lightly. Nor should we dismiss or excuse our sin. We must, rather,  confess it to God. We must acknowledge before him the sinfulness of our sin. And we must look to him for the forgiveness that’s found in Jesus.