My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? (James 2:1-7)
Remembering that James is addressing Christians, he reminds his audience to show no partiality between classes of people. Why? Well, first, God shows no partiality (in either direction; rich or poor). Now, this letter assumes that any partiality will be for rich over poor, and indeed that slant has been the case throughout history, although these days we tend to politically slant in favor of the poor, just because of the class itself, in order to earn merit with our fellow men, and oftentimes we can earn a great deal of wealth from championing the poor. God judges the heart of a person, and so should we. Not all poor are righteous, and not all rich are unrighteous. Historically, and even today, the rich have a more difficult time being rich in faith because they have the obstacle of wealth. Wealth and its benefits are able to block a person's spiritual development, and keep them away from a close communion with God. So, we are not to judge on appearances but on the fruit of faith, a righteous judgment that God approves of. The fruit of faith is easy to detect in rich and poor. It comes out in behavior that keeps or violates God's commandments. Unfaithful rich are easy to pick out, because they violate the commandments by outwardly oppressing others. The rich are usually the oppressive ones. They are usually the ones who sue others, and they are usually the ones who blaspheme God, Christ, and Christians in thought, word and deed. However, the poor class can violate the commandments, too, usually in the realm of self-abuse, which is the inward sin manifesting itself in the flesh. And one does not need wealth in order to blaspheme God. Many in the world today, rich and poor, disgrace the name of God with their tongues.
Now, let's look at this a different way. The pharisees were usually wealthy people. They were legalists, in that they kept the letter of the law, but not the spirit, and they judged others on whether they kept the letter of the law or not. At the same time, they were antinomians in spirit, because they did whatever they wanted to, violating the spirit of God's commandments, and encouraging others to do likewise. These are the people who persecuted Christ and stirred up the Gentiles in order to have Jesus crucified. Christ was poor in class, and so were his followers, but Christ was rich in faith. He was sinless, and he had the deepest of connections with the Father. Christ was judged on his appearance, but the pharisees never were able to condemn him on his thoughts, words, or deeds. However, due to their sin, the pharisees oppressed him. They captured him and took him to court, where the blasphemed him and persecuted him. Later they would do the same to Christians. They killed Christ, and they rallied up the rest of the world to participate in his crucifixion.
Christ is "the poor." We are not to be partial to the poor class because they are poor. We are to be partial to Christ because he is The Poor. The second part of the Trinity volunteered to be the poor, in order to be rich in faith and the heir of the kingdom. Anyone IN Christ is "the poor" as well and will be an heir of the kingdom through Christ. This he has promised to those who love him.
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Religion Pure and Undefiled
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:26-27)
Psalm 39, one of my favorites, is a perfect illustration of what James calls the difficulty in maintaining true religion. The sentiments of this psalm work in any time period. We are always in a struggle to, as James tells us, bridle our tongues and practice pure and undefiled religion before God the Father. Remember that sin covers thought, WORD and deed, so violating God's law is not restricted to just acting. Murdering someone with your hands is prohibited, but Jesus said that being angry with your neighbor falls into the same category. All ten commandments can be broken by deed and thought. The tenth commandment is a violation of thought in and of itself. All ten commandments can be violated by word as well. So, lying is directly prohibited by the ninth commandment, but slander violates the sixth and perverted speech violates the seventh. Talking disrespectfully to your parents violates the fifth. Of course, there's blaspheming God, either directly or through bad worship. The point is that the spoken word can be just as sinful as any physical act.
So, here is Psalm 39, a wonderful psalm, and it covers the struggle that we undergo to attempt to follow God and not the world. We try to not sin with our tongues, especially in the presence of the ungodly. They will either suck us into their way of life, or they will ridicule us as hypocrites. Either way, this disrespects God. Have you noticed how our language changes, depending on the company we keep? The scriptures tell us to keep silent in the midst of the wicked. But this becomes a struggle. Even David had trouble keeping silent and "hold his peace." But his distress increased, because the world will never stop attacking us in its attempt to either suck us in or show us up. David responds to his agony with a direct prayer to God. Is the prayer for the power to keep silent? No, the prayer is for an acute awareness of how short his own life is. By being always mindful of how fleeting life is, he puts more hope in the Lord, and this sentiment culminates in the line, "I am mute; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it." (39:9) Obedience to the Lord comes from maximizing the Lord himself, seeking out his glory and righteousness, and minimizing ourselves as sinners in need of salvation. When Christ's glory is made paramount, obedience to God's word necessarily follows. This is how we keep ourselves "unstained" from the world. It's not about trying harder to resist, but putting our focus on Christ and his glory, and only thinking of ourselves as wretched sinners in need of salvation.
Notice that in the practice of pure and undefiled religion before God, the qualifier "the Father" is added. Why that singular aspect of the trinity? Well, let's understand what orphans and widows means. Elsewhere in scripture, orphans are more referred to as "the fatherless." Widows are, of course, without husbands. In both cases, there is a male, guiding figure missing. We know from the scriptures that the father/husband is supposed to fill in Christ's role for the family, guiding the members in godly instruction and leading them to salvation, reminding of them the gospel of grace. Many fail in this role, but this is the godly role of the man, a great burden that holds them accountable for the well-being of their families. So, to visit widows and orphans in their affliction means what? To restore the missing Father/Husband. To show these people Christ, and to instruct them in biblical principles. To re-establish a right relationship between these people and God. With this in mind, even though we are to aid and support actual widows and orphans (as our neighbors), however this opens up the category to everyone: all are without fathers, if they don't have Christ, and all are without the guiding husband of Christ, if they are outside the true church.
So, in Matthew 25, when Christ talks about visiting the "least of these" in their affliction--clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, giving drink to the thirsty--an implied aspect of "visiting" is sharing the gospel in order to restore the "father/husband" relationship to that person. In preaching Christ, and through the repentance of the one in need, he or she is born again as a child of God and as a member of the universal, invisible church. Just providing for the needs of the people is not enough. Without Christ preached, the ungodly remain ungodly. Christ came to save sinners. Without an awareness of sin and a need for Christ, the most physically cared-for person on earth will be lost forever.
Finally, remember that Christ himself practiced pure and undefiled religion before his Father in heaven. Psalm 39 can be read from the mouth of Christ. He visited the widows and orphans in their affliction, those widows and orphans being all of mankind, who are without the God figure in our lives. He restored our relationship with God the Father and as members of the church with Christ as the head, our husband. He restored this relationship by temporarily breaking his own relationship with the Father. That is why we see Jesus cry out in Mark 15, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He took upon him the punishment that we deserved, breaking his bond with the Father, in order to seal the bond between repentant sinners and the Father they had lost. Jesus never opened his mouth. He kept himself unstained from the world. He never tried to "play along" and he never opened his Father up to attack because of foolish talk. Jesus never sinned. He was a perfect, obedient servant. He was everything we fail to be. Thanks be to God for his grace and mercy through is Son Jesus Christ! We can be forever connected with our Father and restored to our Husband. All thanks to Christ's perfect life and redeeming sacrifice.
Psalm 39, one of my favorites, is a perfect illustration of what James calls the difficulty in maintaining true religion. The sentiments of this psalm work in any time period. We are always in a struggle to, as James tells us, bridle our tongues and practice pure and undefiled religion before God the Father. Remember that sin covers thought, WORD and deed, so violating God's law is not restricted to just acting. Murdering someone with your hands is prohibited, but Jesus said that being angry with your neighbor falls into the same category. All ten commandments can be broken by deed and thought. The tenth commandment is a violation of thought in and of itself. All ten commandments can be violated by word as well. So, lying is directly prohibited by the ninth commandment, but slander violates the sixth and perverted speech violates the seventh. Talking disrespectfully to your parents violates the fifth. Of course, there's blaspheming God, either directly or through bad worship. The point is that the spoken word can be just as sinful as any physical act.
So, here is Psalm 39, a wonderful psalm, and it covers the struggle that we undergo to attempt to follow God and not the world. We try to not sin with our tongues, especially in the presence of the ungodly. They will either suck us into their way of life, or they will ridicule us as hypocrites. Either way, this disrespects God. Have you noticed how our language changes, depending on the company we keep? The scriptures tell us to keep silent in the midst of the wicked. But this becomes a struggle. Even David had trouble keeping silent and "hold his peace." But his distress increased, because the world will never stop attacking us in its attempt to either suck us in or show us up. David responds to his agony with a direct prayer to God. Is the prayer for the power to keep silent? No, the prayer is for an acute awareness of how short his own life is. By being always mindful of how fleeting life is, he puts more hope in the Lord, and this sentiment culminates in the line, "I am mute; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it." (39:9) Obedience to the Lord comes from maximizing the Lord himself, seeking out his glory and righteousness, and minimizing ourselves as sinners in need of salvation. When Christ's glory is made paramount, obedience to God's word necessarily follows. This is how we keep ourselves "unstained" from the world. It's not about trying harder to resist, but putting our focus on Christ and his glory, and only thinking of ourselves as wretched sinners in need of salvation.
Notice that in the practice of pure and undefiled religion before God, the qualifier "the Father" is added. Why that singular aspect of the trinity? Well, let's understand what orphans and widows means. Elsewhere in scripture, orphans are more referred to as "the fatherless." Widows are, of course, without husbands. In both cases, there is a male, guiding figure missing. We know from the scriptures that the father/husband is supposed to fill in Christ's role for the family, guiding the members in godly instruction and leading them to salvation, reminding of them the gospel of grace. Many fail in this role, but this is the godly role of the man, a great burden that holds them accountable for the well-being of their families. So, to visit widows and orphans in their affliction means what? To restore the missing Father/Husband. To show these people Christ, and to instruct them in biblical principles. To re-establish a right relationship between these people and God. With this in mind, even though we are to aid and support actual widows and orphans (as our neighbors), however this opens up the category to everyone: all are without fathers, if they don't have Christ, and all are without the guiding husband of Christ, if they are outside the true church.
So, in Matthew 25, when Christ talks about visiting the "least of these" in their affliction--clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, giving drink to the thirsty--an implied aspect of "visiting" is sharing the gospel in order to restore the "father/husband" relationship to that person. In preaching Christ, and through the repentance of the one in need, he or she is born again as a child of God and as a member of the universal, invisible church. Just providing for the needs of the people is not enough. Without Christ preached, the ungodly remain ungodly. Christ came to save sinners. Without an awareness of sin and a need for Christ, the most physically cared-for person on earth will be lost forever.
Finally, remember that Christ himself practiced pure and undefiled religion before his Father in heaven. Psalm 39 can be read from the mouth of Christ. He visited the widows and orphans in their affliction, those widows and orphans being all of mankind, who are without the God figure in our lives. He restored our relationship with God the Father and as members of the church with Christ as the head, our husband. He restored this relationship by temporarily breaking his own relationship with the Father. That is why we see Jesus cry out in Mark 15, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He took upon him the punishment that we deserved, breaking his bond with the Father, in order to seal the bond between repentant sinners and the Father they had lost. Jesus never opened his mouth. He kept himself unstained from the world. He never tried to "play along" and he never opened his Father up to attack because of foolish talk. Jesus never sinned. He was a perfect, obedient servant. He was everything we fail to be. Thanks be to God for his grace and mercy through is Son Jesus Christ! We can be forever connected with our Father and restored to our Husband. All thanks to Christ's perfect life and redeeming sacrifice.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
The Law of Liberty
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (James 1:22-25)
1. Be doers of the word. Is this Law? No, this is living in the new covenant of grace, because anyone still living in the old covenant is unable to be a doer of the word. Look at what Jesus says about being a doer of the word:
“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him. (Matthew 21:28-32)
The first son, who did the will of his father, was a doer of the word, because he not only heard his father, he took in the truth of his father's word in his heart. Even though he spoke with his lips that he did not wish to go, he went anyway, because the truth of the father's word compelled him. Doing the word is not an act of man, but an act of God. Likewise, those with faith in Christ will be saved, because their faith is a penitent faith that comes from a broken heart from sin, a deep repentance that brings them into doing the word, not to earn God's favor but to express gratitude for Jesus saving them. Only sinners can express such gratitude.
2. Looking intently at our natural faces. This is essentially desiring to please man rather than God. We are exercising the original sin of Adam, to live without God and to put ourselves first in all things. See what Paul says here to the Romans:
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:21-23)
All man-made successes in this life, all philosophies and religions, are futility. It is as if one looked into a mirror at oneself and then forgot himself, because he had denied the truth. All of our operations are a turning away from God. They are futility. Turning to God's truth, incorporating it in our hearts, will turn us away from the mirror, away from ourselves, and turn us towards God's word. Jesus said the truth will set us free, and the truth is found in Jesus himself.
3. What is the Law of Liberty? The best answer for this can be found a little further down in James. Remember, Jesus saves us of his own will and choice. We contribute nothing to our salvation. We did not earn it. How do we react to this truth? With gratitude, with love for God. How do we show and invisible God that we love him? By loving those we CAN see, those whom God has made. James 2:8 reads, "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well." Jesus told a parable that really brings love for God home:
“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:23-35)
The unforgiving servant was only a hearer of the word. He did not DO. What does DOING look like? Forgiving his neighbor would have shown the king his love for him. Do you see? God is invisible but our neighbor is not. When we show our neighbor that we love him, we show God that we love HIM. The doing is compelled by the love that is brought forth by the Holy Spirit in all whom Jesus has saved. That is why many will hear the gospel, but only some will truly follow Christ.
4. The Law of Liberty is freedom. Peter summarizes everything I said above with these two verses: Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:16-17) Christ has set us free, from sin, but if we continue in unrepentant sin, then we never incorporated that freedom into our lives. How do we know someone whom Christ has set free? By his love for his neighbor. The unrepentant sinner will only use his freedom as a cover to continue sinning. This one has not been regenerated at all!
Think of your sin. Think of the debt you owe to God. Realize that you will never pay it. Now realize that Christ has paid the price for your sin. You are free, but true freedom is loving your neighbor and not a continuance of selfish living. Being a doer of the word--only through the act of Christ on the cross and the response of love in your heart by the Holy Spirit--will truly set you free.
1. Be doers of the word. Is this Law? No, this is living in the new covenant of grace, because anyone still living in the old covenant is unable to be a doer of the word. Look at what Jesus says about being a doer of the word:
“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him. (Matthew 21:28-32)
The first son, who did the will of his father, was a doer of the word, because he not only heard his father, he took in the truth of his father's word in his heart. Even though he spoke with his lips that he did not wish to go, he went anyway, because the truth of the father's word compelled him. Doing the word is not an act of man, but an act of God. Likewise, those with faith in Christ will be saved, because their faith is a penitent faith that comes from a broken heart from sin, a deep repentance that brings them into doing the word, not to earn God's favor but to express gratitude for Jesus saving them. Only sinners can express such gratitude.
2. Looking intently at our natural faces. This is essentially desiring to please man rather than God. We are exercising the original sin of Adam, to live without God and to put ourselves first in all things. See what Paul says here to the Romans:
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:21-23)
All man-made successes in this life, all philosophies and religions, are futility. It is as if one looked into a mirror at oneself and then forgot himself, because he had denied the truth. All of our operations are a turning away from God. They are futility. Turning to God's truth, incorporating it in our hearts, will turn us away from the mirror, away from ourselves, and turn us towards God's word. Jesus said the truth will set us free, and the truth is found in Jesus himself.
3. What is the Law of Liberty? The best answer for this can be found a little further down in James. Remember, Jesus saves us of his own will and choice. We contribute nothing to our salvation. We did not earn it. How do we react to this truth? With gratitude, with love for God. How do we show and invisible God that we love him? By loving those we CAN see, those whom God has made. James 2:8 reads, "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well." Jesus told a parable that really brings love for God home:
“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:23-35)
The unforgiving servant was only a hearer of the word. He did not DO. What does DOING look like? Forgiving his neighbor would have shown the king his love for him. Do you see? God is invisible but our neighbor is not. When we show our neighbor that we love him, we show God that we love HIM. The doing is compelled by the love that is brought forth by the Holy Spirit in all whom Jesus has saved. That is why many will hear the gospel, but only some will truly follow Christ.
4. The Law of Liberty is freedom. Peter summarizes everything I said above with these two verses: Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:16-17) Christ has set us free, from sin, but if we continue in unrepentant sin, then we never incorporated that freedom into our lives. How do we know someone whom Christ has set free? By his love for his neighbor. The unrepentant sinner will only use his freedom as a cover to continue sinning. This one has not been regenerated at all!
Think of your sin. Think of the debt you owe to God. Realize that you will never pay it. Now realize that Christ has paid the price for your sin. You are free, but true freedom is loving your neighbor and not a continuance of selfish living. Being a doer of the word--only through the act of Christ on the cross and the response of love in your heart by the Holy Spirit--will truly set you free.
Saturday, August 27, 2016
The Implanted Word
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:19-21)
Here is some godly advice from James that seems so simple on the surface, but our sinfulness keeps us from properly exercising it:
1) Be quick to hear. Hearing isn't just listening. It's taking what you hear and storing it in your heart. It's following godly advice and rejecting ungodly advice. It's forming a deep heart knowledge that changes us. As Christians, we have been opened to the truth. The Holy Spirit causes us to thirst for truth. It is food for our souls, and so we must receive it with meekness and quietude. We can't hear anything, if our mouths are open and running. Ecclesiastes 5 reads, "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil." We are so desperate to prove ourselves to God that we just barge in and begin to offer ourselves. First we must listen to his words, because his is the purest of wisdom and can only be the most helpful of advice. Chances are, what we were about to say becomes unnecessary. We didn't need to say it. "Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth." Know where you stand. The greatest of earthly wisdom is but the braying of a donkey compared to the least wisdom from heaven. God is omnipotent. Of course we must listen to him before attempting to offer him anything we may have figured out on earth. "Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words." We feel we need to defend our positions to each other and to God. This advice goes against our grain. Shut up and listen! Let your words be few, if any!
3) Be slow to anger. Notice anger and incessant talking are linked. Have you ever heard someone talk constantly and not stop? It seems like they are angry, even if they aren't. Proverbs 14:29 reads, "Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly." Listening and hearing and storing truth in your hearts does not provoke anger. It calms you. So, we have three things linked on each side of the line. On one side we have talkativeness, anger and foolishness, and on the other we have silence, righteousness, and wisdom. Let's add a fourth thing:
4) Filthiness and rampant wickedness is the seed of foolish talk and anger. The following passage (Colossians 3:1-10) brings much clarity:
"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."
Sin, folly, anger, and loquaciousness are linked, but what of the opposite? If sin brings out rambling, anger, and foolishness, what brings out peace, wisdom, and righteousness?
5) The Implanted Word is the source. Whereas the former things are symptoms of an unchecked sinful life, the Bible itself is the source of righteousness and wisdom. All truth is in the pages of scripture, and we need to be silent and calm to receive it. We receive God's Word with meekness, not anger. An angry babbler cannot even hear a voice calling out to him, much less implant God's word in his heart.
James 3:13 reads, "Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom." The gospel saves our souls. 1 Cor 15:1-2 reads, "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain." The end result is the saving of our souls, which glorifies God, so be silent and listen.
Having trouble yet? Of course, because our sinful nature is tearing at us, getting us to open our mouths and defend ourselves, angrily for effect! But God has given us his gospel, and all words in the Bible point to his gospel. The focus is Jesus Christ alone, and when we look at his life, we see that to follow James' commands in this section is to be in Christ:
Jesus was quick to hear. He listened to everyone who approached him, even his enemies. He only spoke truth. He never let anything false come from his lips. He was slow to speak. He didn't even defend himself to Pilate, and Pilate still found him innocent. When he did speak, everything he said was Biblical and true. Jesus was slow to anger. The only incident we have of anger, really, is when he cleansed the temple. This, of course, was foreshadowing the day of wrath, when he cleanses the earth of all the ungodly. Jesus' anger is a righteous anger, without malicious intent or foolhardiness. His is an effective anger, a holy anger, a heroic anger, the climactic ending of an epic story where the evil and wicked finally get their comeuppance, and the ones who stood on the side of their righteous leader when he was ridiculed are saved forever. Jesus was without sin, so he had no source of foolishness, rambling, or petty anger. Jesus himself IS the implanted word. He is the righteousness of God. God plants him in our hearts. We receive him with meekness, not anger. His glory calms us, prevents us, stops our mouth. The gospel silences everyone. Jesus opens our ears; he opens our hearts. He bestows wisdom upon us. Right and wrong become easy to discern. Jesus saves our souls. He snatches us from the fire. He lay down his life on our behalf. He died in our place, and we live because of him.
Here is some godly advice from James that seems so simple on the surface, but our sinfulness keeps us from properly exercising it:
1) Be quick to hear. Hearing isn't just listening. It's taking what you hear and storing it in your heart. It's following godly advice and rejecting ungodly advice. It's forming a deep heart knowledge that changes us. As Christians, we have been opened to the truth. The Holy Spirit causes us to thirst for truth. It is food for our souls, and so we must receive it with meekness and quietude. We can't hear anything, if our mouths are open and running. Ecclesiastes 5 reads, "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil." We are so desperate to prove ourselves to God that we just barge in and begin to offer ourselves. First we must listen to his words, because his is the purest of wisdom and can only be the most helpful of advice. Chances are, what we were about to say becomes unnecessary. We didn't need to say it. "Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth." Know where you stand. The greatest of earthly wisdom is but the braying of a donkey compared to the least wisdom from heaven. God is omnipotent. Of course we must listen to him before attempting to offer him anything we may have figured out on earth. "Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words." We feel we need to defend our positions to each other and to God. This advice goes against our grain. Shut up and listen! Let your words be few, if any!
2) Be slow to speak. Proverbs 10:19 reads, "When words are many, transgression is not lacking," showing us that the incessant talker is ever closer to sinning than the quiet one. "But whoever restrains his lips is prudent." Proverbs 17:27 reads, "Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding." Talking is like a leak in a balloon. The more air comes out, the smaller the balloon gets, until it is completely deflated. We open our mouth to prove ourselves, and the nonsense comes out, and then all of our knowledge and understanding goes with it. In a world where we are encouraged to defend and prove ourselves, this seems like contrary advice.
3) Be slow to anger. Notice anger and incessant talking are linked. Have you ever heard someone talk constantly and not stop? It seems like they are angry, even if they aren't. Proverbs 14:29 reads, "Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly." Listening and hearing and storing truth in your hearts does not provoke anger. It calms you. So, we have three things linked on each side of the line. On one side we have talkativeness, anger and foolishness, and on the other we have silence, righteousness, and wisdom. Let's add a fourth thing:
4) Filthiness and rampant wickedness is the seed of foolish talk and anger. The following passage (Colossians 3:1-10) brings much clarity:
"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."
Sin, folly, anger, and loquaciousness are linked, but what of the opposite? If sin brings out rambling, anger, and foolishness, what brings out peace, wisdom, and righteousness?
5) The Implanted Word is the source. Whereas the former things are symptoms of an unchecked sinful life, the Bible itself is the source of righteousness and wisdom. All truth is in the pages of scripture, and we need to be silent and calm to receive it. We receive God's Word with meekness, not anger. An angry babbler cannot even hear a voice calling out to him, much less implant God's word in his heart.
James 3:13 reads, "Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom." The gospel saves our souls. 1 Cor 15:1-2 reads, "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain." The end result is the saving of our souls, which glorifies God, so be silent and listen.
Having trouble yet? Of course, because our sinful nature is tearing at us, getting us to open our mouths and defend ourselves, angrily for effect! But God has given us his gospel, and all words in the Bible point to his gospel. The focus is Jesus Christ alone, and when we look at his life, we see that to follow James' commands in this section is to be in Christ:
Jesus was quick to hear. He listened to everyone who approached him, even his enemies. He only spoke truth. He never let anything false come from his lips. He was slow to speak. He didn't even defend himself to Pilate, and Pilate still found him innocent. When he did speak, everything he said was Biblical and true. Jesus was slow to anger. The only incident we have of anger, really, is when he cleansed the temple. This, of course, was foreshadowing the day of wrath, when he cleanses the earth of all the ungodly. Jesus' anger is a righteous anger, without malicious intent or foolhardiness. His is an effective anger, a holy anger, a heroic anger, the climactic ending of an epic story where the evil and wicked finally get their comeuppance, and the ones who stood on the side of their righteous leader when he was ridiculed are saved forever. Jesus was without sin, so he had no source of foolishness, rambling, or petty anger. Jesus himself IS the implanted word. He is the righteousness of God. God plants him in our hearts. We receive him with meekness, not anger. His glory calms us, prevents us, stops our mouth. The gospel silences everyone. Jesus opens our ears; he opens our hearts. He bestows wisdom upon us. Right and wrong become easy to discern. Jesus saves our souls. He snatches us from the fire. He lay down his life on our behalf. He died in our place, and we live because of him.
Saturday, August 20, 2016
And All Jerusalem
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:1-12)
I was reading this passage to my little ones, and the doctrines of grace just came flooding out so clearly, that I had to share. Remember the acrostic TULIP. It is
Total Depravity
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement
Irresistible Grace
Perseverance of the Saints
You are wretched sinner, but God chose you before the foundation of the world, died on the cross for you, and now his Holy Spirit has brought you to faith and repentance in Christ, and he will never lose you from his grasp. This is a beautiful message of redemption that should give peace to all who hear it. This passage from Matthew also gives amazing encouragement to our hearts today when we read it, because
1) Wise men from the east are gentiles, born in the flesh outside of God's covenant people, and yet he has included them in the new covenant in Christ. God has chosen people outside of the lineage of Abraham and has died for them. They are sheep that were originally outside of the fold, but they have now been included in the fold, just like you and me. The Holy Spirit has filled them with an irresistible grace that has brought them in search of Jesus. We, too, when we are converted, seek Jesus with all of our hearts, and we find him in the pages of scripture. We follow the star of the word of God to where it leads: the Christ of the Bible and no other. We know Jesus through worshiping him in truth and love.
2) The unbelieving world is outside the covenant of grace, and it becomes troubled when it hears about Christ. Notice the words "and all Jerusalem with him." This isn't the rejection of Christ by one depraved individual. No, this is the whole community of people who believed themselves to be inside the covenant. All of Jerusalem was troubled. We know from scripture that many Jews came into the new covenant by faith, but many did not. Here we have all of Jerusalem standing in for the unbelieving world. Likewise, our current world--the secular world and the false church--not only rejects Jesus but tries to figure out how to do away with him altogether.
3) The false church attempts to flatter the people of the new covenant, so that many will fall away. Remember from Daniel 11: "Many shall join themselves to them with flattery, and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white..." The wise men are flattered but they withstand the temptations. Likewise, the false church attempts to sway true believers to its side, but we persevere.
4) Although we are wretched sinners, when we lay hold of Christ, we rejoice exceedingly. He has saved us from our sins. We are forgiven! Our only true response is worship! We lay our gifts--ourselves, our souls and bodies--at his feet as an insufficient sacrifice. It's all we have, it's tainted by sin, and yet God accepts it on the merits of his son.
5) God keeps us from falling away himself. The wise men are warned in a dream not to return to Herod. Likewise, God's spirit within us keeps us from aligning ourselves with the false church. Our ears become stopped to the syrupy sweet words. Our hearts withstand all temptations to save ourselves by our own efforts, and we only make any move toward Christ because God has drawn us out of our selfish grave clothes like Lazarus hearing the powerful words of his Lord and Savior: "Come out!"
6) Finally, Christ shows us the way to live. It is narrow and difficult, but it leads to our own country. The wise men were shown a safe way back to their country, and that country is owned and ruled by Christ. It was a place once excluded from God's kingdom, but now it is included, while his own city of Jerusalem has rejected him. Likewise, God sets up his residence in the hearts of the faithful, who have been chosen from before time began, and he lives there forever. He changes our wretched hearts of stone into palaces of light, worthy of holding him. His blood washes away all of our sins, and we fall to our knees in thankfulness due to his irresistible grace. Finally, we persevere to the end, because his will is all-powerful, and not one of his children will be lost.
“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:1-12)
I was reading this passage to my little ones, and the doctrines of grace just came flooding out so clearly, that I had to share. Remember the acrostic TULIP. It is
Total Depravity
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement
Irresistible Grace
Perseverance of the Saints
You are wretched sinner, but God chose you before the foundation of the world, died on the cross for you, and now his Holy Spirit has brought you to faith and repentance in Christ, and he will never lose you from his grasp. This is a beautiful message of redemption that should give peace to all who hear it. This passage from Matthew also gives amazing encouragement to our hearts today when we read it, because
1) Wise men from the east are gentiles, born in the flesh outside of God's covenant people, and yet he has included them in the new covenant in Christ. God has chosen people outside of the lineage of Abraham and has died for them. They are sheep that were originally outside of the fold, but they have now been included in the fold, just like you and me. The Holy Spirit has filled them with an irresistible grace that has brought them in search of Jesus. We, too, when we are converted, seek Jesus with all of our hearts, and we find him in the pages of scripture. We follow the star of the word of God to where it leads: the Christ of the Bible and no other. We know Jesus through worshiping him in truth and love.
2) The unbelieving world is outside the covenant of grace, and it becomes troubled when it hears about Christ. Notice the words "and all Jerusalem with him." This isn't the rejection of Christ by one depraved individual. No, this is the whole community of people who believed themselves to be inside the covenant. All of Jerusalem was troubled. We know from scripture that many Jews came into the new covenant by faith, but many did not. Here we have all of Jerusalem standing in for the unbelieving world. Likewise, our current world--the secular world and the false church--not only rejects Jesus but tries to figure out how to do away with him altogether.
3) The false church attempts to flatter the people of the new covenant, so that many will fall away. Remember from Daniel 11: "Many shall join themselves to them with flattery, and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white..." The wise men are flattered but they withstand the temptations. Likewise, the false church attempts to sway true believers to its side, but we persevere.
4) Although we are wretched sinners, when we lay hold of Christ, we rejoice exceedingly. He has saved us from our sins. We are forgiven! Our only true response is worship! We lay our gifts--ourselves, our souls and bodies--at his feet as an insufficient sacrifice. It's all we have, it's tainted by sin, and yet God accepts it on the merits of his son.
5) God keeps us from falling away himself. The wise men are warned in a dream not to return to Herod. Likewise, God's spirit within us keeps us from aligning ourselves with the false church. Our ears become stopped to the syrupy sweet words. Our hearts withstand all temptations to save ourselves by our own efforts, and we only make any move toward Christ because God has drawn us out of our selfish grave clothes like Lazarus hearing the powerful words of his Lord and Savior: "Come out!"
6) Finally, Christ shows us the way to live. It is narrow and difficult, but it leads to our own country. The wise men were shown a safe way back to their country, and that country is owned and ruled by Christ. It was a place once excluded from God's kingdom, but now it is included, while his own city of Jerusalem has rejected him. Likewise, God sets up his residence in the hearts of the faithful, who have been chosen from before time began, and he lives there forever. He changes our wretched hearts of stone into palaces of light, worthy of holding him. His blood washes away all of our sins, and we fall to our knees in thankfulness due to his irresistible grace. Finally, we persevere to the end, because his will is all-powerful, and not one of his children will be lost.
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