Picking and Choosing

Christians are committed to complete obedience to God. Unfortunately, we can fall into the habit of being selective in our obedience. There are many examples that I could cite, and our "selectivity" is very personal. For the purposes of illustration I'd like to address one command that I've been guilty of de-emphasizing.

In the sermon on the mount Jesus taught,

You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, Love you enemies, bless those that curse you, do good to those that hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you, so that you may become sons of your Father in Heaven. For He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."
-- Matthew 5:38-45

Christ's teaching here is profound. It is simple and easy to understand, but difficult to practice. I have to admit, that since 9/11/2001 it has been more difficult than ever. We live in a world where we are opposed by a radical, violent, hateful enemy. Women, children, and unarmed civilians are their chosen prey. How could anyone love an enemy like that?

I think there are several things that can help us in doing what Jesus commands. First, we need to realize that loving our enemies does not mean accepting them as they are or approving of their behavior. Indignation over evil and desire for justice is natural. A well-ordered society will punish evil-doers and it is God's will that the governing authorities mete out such punishment ("for it does not bear the sword in vain" Romans 13:3). But that vengeance does not belong to the individual. Nor does the need for such vengeance mean we must hate the criminal. Evil works will have their own consequences, which should be meted out with calm, dispassionate justice. Don't let others' evil create an evil, hateful heart in you.

The first step in loving my enemy is to understand the wrath of God that abides upon them with compassion, rather than satisfaction. I don't want anyone to feel the flames of hell for eternity. They need my prayers. I can pray that they will change. I can pray that they will see the evil they are committing. I can pray that something will lead them to repent and seek God's mercy. There will be justice served in the flames of hell, but God would rather (and so would I) that everyone repent and receive pardon through Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:3-4).

The second step is the realization that God loved me when I was His enemy. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Jesus died to provide the redeeming sacrifice for us while we were enemies of God in our sinful rebellion (Romans 5:10; Ephesians 2:1-5). If God had compassion for us, can we not have compassion for others?

There are, of course, other things we can be selective about. Let us continue to meditate on the word, and be honest with ourselves that we might bring "into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

--PG

Go And Sin No More

Sometimes there are phrases in scripture that we gloss over. We read them, but we don't fully consider their implications. I think one such phrase is found in John 8:11. In this instance Jesus is speaking to the woman taken in adultery. Jesus has mercy on her and tells her, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more". Have you ever really considered what that means? What did Jesus expect of this woman? Was He actually asking her to live the rest of her life without sin? Is that reasonable? Is it even possible?

We often state that no man is without sin (Romans 3:23). We know that all who have reached an accountable age are guilty of sin before God. 1 John 1:8 says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." We understand that we have all sinned. None of us is perfect. No one can stand before God on the basis of his own righteousness.

But we go further. We convince ourselves that a man cannot live without sin from day to day. We expect to fail. We forfeit the battle before it is fought. This idea is so ingrained in our thinking that it sounds arrogant to say, "I'm going to live without sin". Yet that is exactly what Jesus is asking the adulterous woman to do. He makes the same request of a man whom he healed in John 5:14 -- "Sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you." John wrote "My little children, I write these things to you that you may not sin" (1 John 2:1). That is God's standard. We can't afford to lower it.

Can you live without sin for the rest of your life? That sounds pretty intimidating! What if I told you that the Lord would return in the next 10 minutes? Could you live without sin for the next 10 minutes? How about the next half hour? Could you make it an hour?

If you can live without sin for an hour, then just take it one hour at a time. Put your trust in God and go to Him for the strength you need to make it happen. As preacher Mark Dunagan once put it, "Satan may trip me up again one of these days, but it doesn't have to be today." You can live without sin today.

Go and sin no more.

- PG

Good People

Are you a good person? I don't think we often ask this question. We rarely ask it of ourselves and certainly not of others. Perhaps we don't ask because the answer is assumed. I'm convinced that most people believe themselves to be basically good. The human conscience requires that we justify our own actions to ourselves, lest we deal with the discomfort of self-condemnation. The scriptures certainly agree with this sentiment,

All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but Jehovah weighs the spirits.
Proverbs 16:2

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but Jehovah ponders the hearts.
Proverbs 21:2

But, I return to the question, "Are you a good person?" How would you answer that question? Most people, faced with this question, would answer "Yes, I think so". Perhaps the more thoughtful would hedge a bit with "For the most part". I'd like to probe a bit deeper than just to settle for that level of self-evaluation. Let's ask a few more questions.

Q: Have you ever told a lie?
A: No, I don't lie.

Q: Any lie? At any time in your life?
A: Ok, yes, if you put it that way, I have told a lie.

Q: Have you ever stolen anything?
A: No.

Q: Really? Come on. You just told me you are a liar. Have you ever stolen anything, even something others might consider small?
A: Well, yes, I guess I have.

Q: Ok, so we have established that you are a liar and a thief. Have you ever looked on another (not your spouse) to stir up lust in your heart?
A: Yes, I suppose I have.

Q: In Matthew 5, Jesus says that you have committed adultery in your heart. Have you ever felt hatred for anyone?
A: I'm ashamed to say I have.

Q: 1 John 3:15 indicates that one who hates his brother is a murderer.

So, we have established that you (and I) are a lying, thieving, adulterous, and murderous fellow in heart if not in deed. Does that sound good to you? If God judged you today, based on these admissions, would you be innocent or guilty?

At this point we usually start in with the objections.

Objection, your honor: Everyone is guilty of these things!
Overruled: To say that all men are guilty is not to say that you are innocent. It is true that all accountable people are guilty of some, if not all, of these sins. Pointing out that all are guilty is not a defense. God does not grade on some cosmic curve. We are not judged relative to others, but based on God's universal standard.

Objection, your honor: While it is true that I used to do those things, I don't anymore. It's been hours since I last lied, stole, lusted or felt hatred.
Overruled: It doesn't matter if it has been be 2 minutes or 20 years since you last sinned. There is no statute of limitations on sin. Once you have sinned, you are a sinner and are condemned by God's just law.

Objection, your honor: But what about grace? Isn't there forgiveness?
Overruled: The question before the court is "Are you good" and "Would you be judged innocent or guilty if judged based on your own actions". Grace is not germane to the question.

The conclusion of the court then, is that based on my own actions, I am a sinner and stand condemned. This should be no surprise to any of us. If we understand the gospel of Christ, we should know this. This fact is one of the first things anyone learning the gospel of Christ must come to grips with. Without the firm conviction that we are sinners and are condemned to eternal hell-fire, we cannot appreciate the grace of God, nor can we feel the remorse that is so essential to repentance. Repentance is not possible until we are brought to our knees in the knowledge of our own sinfulness before a just God.

Thanks and praise be to God that there is forgiveness and grace in Christ Jesus. We cannot stand before God on our own merits. But, through faith in Christ Jesus and obedient trust in Him, we have redemption and forgiveness. God can declare us justified and, yes, good based on the righteousness that comes through faith (Romans 4:3).

-PG

The Lord's Supper

The Lord's Supper is one of the few scripturally instituted rites of worship in the Christian faith. Understanding and properly observing the Lord's Supper are vital to maintaining a strong and vibrant faith.

The Corinthian church had a number of serious problems. Among other things, they were improperly partaking of the Lord's Supper. There folly turns out to be our gain. In correcting this problem the apostle Paul provides us with very clear instruction concerning the nature of and the proper observance of the Lord's Supper.

The texts for these teachings are 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 and 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. What can we learn from these passages?

The Lord's Supper is a remembrance

The most obvious observation is that the Lord's Supper is a remembrance of Christ. In instituting the supper our Lord says, "Do this in remembrance of Me." While he does not explicitly say do this "in memory of my death" or "in memory of my sacrifice", other details point in that direction. First, the occasion of the instituting of the supper is on the eve of his death (vs 23). Second, the emblems themselves are very suggestive. The bread Jesus describes as His "body which is broken for you." The fruit of the vine is "the new covenant in [His] blood". Clearly, His death is central to this remembrance.

The Lord's Supper is a proclamation

In vs 26 the apostle writes that "as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death, until He come." In each observance of the Lord's Supper we publicly proclaim our faith in the redeeming power of Christ's death. We publicly proclaim that He will come again.

The Lord's Supper is an examination

Prior to taking the Lord's Supper we need to prepare ourselves. First we need to examine our lives. Do we have any sin that we have not dealt with? Are we blameless before God, or are we harboring hidden guilt or rebellion in our hearts? In Matthew 5:23-24 Jesus lays down the principle that we need to deal with sin before we approach God in worship.

In addition to that, we need to be sure that we are coming to God to worship in the proper frame of mind. God has no pleasure in those who approach him casually or flippantly. The Lord's Supper is precious to God and he that partakes of it in an "unworthy manner, eats and drinks condemnation to himself". This is a very serious matter.

The Lord's Supper is a communion

In chapter 10 the Lord's Supper is described as a communion, or sharing together, of the body and blood of Christ. I think there are two primary ways the Lord's Supper is a communion.

First, it is a communion of those partaking. "For we, the many, are one bread and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread." In partaking we are affirming our relationship to one another in that we are all members of the body of Christ. We acknowledge that we belong to the same body; we are brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. Observe in chapter 11 how often the phrase "come together" is used. It is to be found in verses 17, 18, 20, 33 and 34. The supper is something we are to do as a collective body. Collective action is the scriptural pattern. There is no example or instruction that indicates Christians can or should partake of the Lord's Supper alone. Note that one of the problems the Corinthian church had with the Lord's Supper was lack of consideration for one another when partaking. They did not wait for one another. It seems factions and cliques would take the supper apart from the rest.

Second, it is a communion with Christ. It is the communion, or sharing, of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. What, exactly, does that mean? I'm convinced that it means we are not merely spectators, but active participants in the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper is not just a memorial, where we recall the sufferings of Christ. We are invited to share in His sufferings and in His death through this supper. That seems like an extreme statement, does it not?

That may seem like an extreme way to express it, but it is eminently scriptural. In Galatians 2:20, Paul writes

I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives
in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of
God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf.

There is communion in that verse! There is sharing there! I have been crucified with Christ. I have shared in His death. Not only that, the life I now live I share with Him because I live it for Him. Consider also 2 Corinthians 5:14-15,

For the love of Christ constrains us, judging this, that if one died for all,
then all died; and He died for all, that the living ones may live no more to
themselves, but to Him who died for them and having been raised.

Again, we see communion between believers and Christ. If He died for all, then we all died. We share His death and He shares our lives.
Also, Romans 8:17-18

And if we are children, then we are heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with
Christ; so that if we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the coming glory to be revealed in us.

Not only must we share in His death, we must share in His sufferings. We are joint-heirs with Christ and will be glorified with Him, if we suffer with Him. So, putting it another way, we will share his inheritance and his glory, if we share in His sufferings.

So, if the Lord's Supper is a sharing in the death and sufferings of Christ, how, on a practical level do we do that? Very simply, in the Lord's Supper we die to ourselves again. We renew our committment to live for Christ. We renew our covenant with Christ that he is Lord of our lives. We make sure that the old man really is still crucified. We renew our inward man that Christ may live in us.

Is it any wonder that many in the Corinthian church were spiritually weak? We need a regular reminder of who we are and what committment we have made to Christ. We need a regular renewal of our covenant with Jesus. We need a genuine sense of communion with our brethren and with our Lord on a regular basis.

-PG