Striving to Reach the Goal

Philippians 3:14-21

Most of us have goals in our life.  The student in the university has a goal of getting a degree in his chosen field, then getting a good job and advancing in his career.  The athlete has goals, some of them immediate, and then other long-term goals.  The rookie baseball pitcher wants to pitch a no-hitter this game, and then be picked for a major league team.  The Apostle Paul had goals in his Christian life, and encouraged other believers to also have goals, and to press on and strive to meet those goals.  In today’s Scripture he speaks of one such goal.  Let’s take a look.

As one reads through the various letters that St. Paul wrote to the churches he helped to establish, we get the impression that he was a sports enthusiast, as he often made comparisons between certain sports and various aspects of the Christian life.  One he often used was running a race, striving to reach the finish line and win the prize.  As we begin this portion of Scripture, Paul pictured a runner pressing on to reach the mark (vs. 14).  Paul was not spiritually complacent.  He energetically sought to know Jesus more fully.  The prize is not salvation, since salvation is a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Instead it refers to the rewards, approval, and Christ- likeness that we can receive.

That should be a goal of ours, as well.  Don’t get side-tracked or give up.  Paul urged us to keep growing spiritually and keep serving the Lord faithfully.  When we grow weary we need to fix our eyes on Jesus.  He knows each challenge we face, and He will guide us to the finish line (Hebrews 12:1-2; I Corinthians 9:24-27).

As Paul continued, he instructed his readers that mature believers should share the same mindset (vs. 15-16).  We should all strive for humility, and desire ours and others spiritual growth, being dependent upon the Lord Jesus.  If we get confused about certain truths, God will continue to reveal them as we walk with Him.  In the meantime we need to live according to the truth that we already know.  God expects obedience to revealed truth.  Spiritual growth will occur when we obey the Scriptures we already know.

We all need godly examples to copy so that we can live godly lives (vs. 17).  Paul boldly invited believers to follow his example because he was closely following the example of Christ.  This is not the apostle being proud, but rather him showing confidence that he was yielding his life fully to God.  Every Christian will have some type of influence on others.  We need to ask ourselves if our life will help someone else follow Jesus more closely or not.  Are we setting a godly example in our speech, our conduct, and our priorities?

In contrast to godly examples to follow, Paul continued on to describe that there are those who are bad examples, who are actually enemies of the cross of Christ (vs. 18-19).  People can be enemies of everything the cross represents, such as mankind’s sinfulness, Jesus’ sinlessness, our inability to save ourselves, God’s justice, grace, mercy, and His shed Blood for our sins.  Some of the characteristics that Paul gave of these enemies is that their end will be destruction.  They will face eternal judgment because they reject the true Gospel.  Their god is their belly.  Their desires and appetites control them.  They glory in their shame, celebrating what should produce repentance.  And they mind earthly things, their focus being entirely on worldly concerns rather than eternal realities.  A person may profess having faith, but reveal a false profession through a life dominated by fleshly desires and worldly values.

Paul reminded the Philippians that their citizenship was in heaven, not here on earth (vs. 20).  The Philippians lived in a Roman colony and understood citizenship well.  We are all citizens of one country or another.  However, if we are Christians we belong to another kingdom.  Though we are physically on earth, our primary allegiance is in heaven.  As citizens of heaven we should be thinking and living differently than others.  We should be valuing eternal things as we anticipate Jesus’ return.

As Paul finished this portion of Scripture he spoke  of the future glorification of believers (vs. 21).  As many of us can attest to, our current bodies are subject to aging, weakness, sickness, and ultimately death.  However, one day Jesus will transform them into glorified bodies like His resurrection body.

As we close, we see our Christian life as a race towards the heavenly goal, and we need to press forward, rejecting worldly-minded living, following godly examples, and live in anticipation of Jesus’ imminent return.  Until then, Christians are to live faithfully as citizens of Heaven, pressing towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Restore Us, O God

Psalm 80

When we go through a personal crisis period in our lives, as believers it is important that we turn to the Lord for His help and deliverance.  Serious problems can often weaken our faith, and we need a revival in our spirit to draw us back into a closer relationship with Jesus.  This is also important on a national level, especially if one’s country at any time was considered a “Christian country”.  Many Christians pray not only for personal revival in their lives, but also for national revival.  Our psalm for today is such a prayer, one which the psalmist Asaph prayed for his nation Israel.

Our psalmist, Asaph, wrote this psalm during a national crisis, possibly after a serious defeat in battle, or during the years that the powerful Assyrian empire threatened the nation. He knew that many of the problems that the nation faced were due to God’s chastening because of the people’s sin and departure from Him.  Knowing this, Asaph prayed a prayer of repentance and for national revival.

As the psalm opens, Asaph addressed God as the Shepherd of Israel, the One who led Joseph as a flock, and as the One who is enthroned between the cherubim (vs. 1-3).  This was a reminder that God cares about His covenant people, and is their Leader and Sovereign.  Asaph called on the Lord on behalf of the people, as Israel was in distress, and God’s blessings appeared withdrawn.  He prayed for God’s face to again shine upon them, so they could experience His peace and restoration.

Israel’s suffering was not accidental.  These afflictions and national humiliation were allowed by God (vs. 4-7).  Sometimes God permits hardships in order to correct His people, both at the time of Asaph, and also today.  His discipline is evidence of His concern for His children.  We read this in the New Testament, in Hebrews 12:6.  When we go through a time of suffering, it is not a sign that God has abandoned us, but that He is dealing with us as His children.  In addition to praying that God would bring relief from our suffering, we should also seek to learn the lesson that God is teaching us through them.

Asaph continued in his psalm by portraying Israel as a vine which God brought up from Egypt (vs. 8-13).  This, of course, refers to His deliverance of His people from bondage to Pharaoh.  God had removed the heathen nations, prepared the land, and caused the vine of Israel to flourish, showing His gracious work in their history.  However, now the protective hedge has been removed, and enemies freely invade and destroy the country.  Israel’s protection depended on walking in fellowship with the Lord.  This can apply to us today, as well.  Christians and churches that once flourished can decline when they cease depending upon the Lord.  Just look around our cities and see how many churches are closed, or have a bare minimum of people who occasionally attend.

The psalmist prays to God to look down from heaven and protect what He had at one time planted (vs. 14-18).  He pleads to God, not for Israel’s merit, but because of His mercy.  In verse 17, the “man of Your right hand” may initially point to the king, but it ultimately finds fulfillment in Jesus Christ.  He is God’s chosen King, the One seated at God’s right hand.  The ultimate restoration of Israel will come through her Messiah, Jesus Christ.

On behalf of the people, Asaph promised a renewed faithfulness if the Lord would restore them (vs. 18-19).  Three times throughout this psalm Asaph had prayed for the Lord to turn to them and restore them (vs. 3, 7, 19), each time with a stronger plea.  The first time it was “O God”.  The second is a bit stronger, “O God of hosts”.  The final time Asaph pleads “O Lord God of hosts”.

As believers, what can we learn from this psalm/prayer for revival?  First, we see that God is both our Shepherd and also our Judge.  The same God who protects His people also disciplines them when necessary.  We also see that sin brings consequences.  Israel’s afflictions were linked to her spiritual condition.  God forgives sin, but sin often leaves painful consequences.  In this psalm we see that revival is not produced by human effort alone, but by God’s gracious intervention.  God’s covenant purposes cannot fail.  Though the vine was damaged, it was not destroyed.  The Lord God remains faithful to His promises.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only ultimate hope, both for individuals and also for each nation.  Only through Jesus can Israel or any nation be restored, can sinners be saved, and God’s purposes be fulfilled.  A nation that rejects God’s truth should not presume upon His blessings.  When God’s people experience spiritual decline, the answer is repentance, renewed dependence upon God, and confidence in His covenant faithfulness and mercy.

In closing, we need to pray the three requests that Asaph prayed in Psalm 80.  “Restore us again” - Ask God to reveal areas where spiritual renewal is needed.  “Cause Your face to shine” - Seek restored fellowship and God’s blessing.  And finally “we shall be saved” - Trust God to bring the restoration that only He can accomplish.

The Song of God's Vineyard

Isaiah 5:1-7

On a hot day I was looking forward to getting home and having a small bowl of the chilled green seedless grapes (my favorite) that I had recently bought.  With how hot it was, they would be so cool and refreshing.  So imagine my disappointment when I bit into the grapes to find that they were all sour!  No one wants a bowlful of sour grapes!  Has that ever happened to you?  In our Scripture today from the Prophet Isaiah, we read of how disappointed God was when His vineyard brought forth sour grapes.  Let’s see what Isaiah was talking about and what it can mean to us today.

The beginning verses of the 5th chapter of Isaiah are an allegory of God’s relationship to the nation of Israel.  God, pictured as a vineyard owner, had cleared the hillside of debris, planted good vines, built a watchtower for protection, and crafted a press to enjoy the results of His harvest.  The grapes are the people of Israel.  With everything that God had provided for His grape vines we would think that they would turn out perfectly sweet.  Why did the vines produce sour grapes?  Despite every possible blessing and advantage from God, the people of Israel produced spiritual corruption rather than righteousness.  What happened?

The opening verses in this allegorical “song” appear gentle and affectionate, emphasizing God’s love and care for His people.  He demonstrated love, patience, and goodness.  God had not abandoned His people in the wilderness, nor when they came into the Promised Land.  Instead, they had rejected His gracious care.

A good vineyard owner will plant the best vines he can get, and keep the vines protected with fences and watchtowers.  He will remove any unwanted debris from the grounds (vs. 2).  God had equally provided for Israel.  He delivered them from Egypt, gave them His Law and His prophets.  God had placed them in the land He had promised the Patriarchs, and protected them.  The vineyard produced fruit, but it was worthless fruit.  Despite all of God’s care, His vineyard produced sour grapes of selfishness, injustice, and oppression.  God reluctantly destroyed the vineyard, while saving a remnant of vines that someday would produce a good harvest.

God invited Judah to judge the situation themselves (vs. 3-4).  No fault could be found in the vineyard owner.  The failure rested entirely with the vineyard.  God had faithfully fulfilled His covenant obligations.  Israel could not blame Him for her spiritual condition.  As judgement, God said He would remove the hedge and break down the wall.  The vineyard would be laid waste, uncared for (vs. 5-6).  God would remove His protection.  Foreign invasion and national devastation would follow, which was ultimately fulfilled with the Babylonian captivity.

How does this apply to us today?  A person may possess religious privileges, can have Biblical knowledge, and be involved in their church, yet fail to produce godly fruit.  God is not impressed merely by appearance.  Those grapes looked good on the vine.  The ones I tried eating looked good in the bowl, yet both were sour.  God looks for those who have called upon His Son, Jesus, who pattern their life after Him, and are obedient to His Word.  God holds people accountable for their response to His truth.  He is not deficient in His provisions, rather it is rebellion in the human heart, and there comes a point when persistent rebellion will bring divine chastening.

God had desired the good fruit of justice, righteousness, holiness, and obedience, but instead found the bad fruit of oppression, violence, and spiritual corruption.  The nation looked religious, but was a sour grape.  They were morally bankrupt.  God expects His people, both then and now, to bear fruit.  Throughout Scripture we see that genuine faith is evidenced by godly fruit.  Fruit does not produce salvation, but salvation should produce fruit.

The question today is not whether you are active religiously, but whether godly fruit is evident in your life.  We need to examine our fruit.  Don’t presume upon God’s blessings.  Israel had enjoyed tremendous privileges, but still came under judgment.  Church attendance, Biblical knowledge, and Christian heritage do not guarantee spiritual health.  Like the vineyard, believers have received abundant provision, and should respond with gratitude and faithful service.  God expected righteousness and was grieved by corruption.  He still desires holiness from His people today.

Privileges bring responsibility.  God still examines the fruit of His children’s lives, and genuine faith should result in obedience, righteousness, and godly character.  The vineyard failed, not because the Owner neglected it, but because it rejected the purpose for which it had been planted.  Isaiah warns us here against having mere outward religion.  When God graciously provides every opportunity for spiritual fruitfulness, He rightly expects a harvest of righteousness.

Which Son Are You?

Matthew 21:28-32

There is a saying in English, “Actions speak louder than words.”  There are probably similar sayings in other languages.  What we do means more than what we say.  We can promise others all sorts of things, but those promises mean nothing unless we follow through with our actions.  Our Lord saw examples of this behavior in His people, and sought to teach a lesson with a parable.  Let’s take a look and see what God’s Word can teach us.

The parable of two sons was one of several that the Lord Jesus told the crowds, specifically targeted towards the religious leaders, during the last week before His crucifixion.  If one were to give a superficial look at the crowd, those leaders would seem to appear quite religious.  Scattered in the crowds, perhaps on the fringes of the group of people, were others who had unsavory backgrounds, such as prostitutes, corrupt tax collectors, etc, ones who had seemingly rejected God.  As Jesus was going to clearly show, looks can be deceiving.

Jesus told the parable of a man who had two sons.  He asked each of them to go work in his vineyard to get the crop in.  One said no, but later changed his mind and went (vs. 28-29).  The second had responded with a “Yes, sir!” but never went (vs. 30).  Jesus asked the group, specifically those Pharisees and religious elders, who was the obedient one.  In this parable, the father represents God, and the vineyard symbolizes His work and Kingdom purposes.  The first son pictured sinners who have repented of their wrong actions, and the second are self-righteous religious folks.  Both heard the father’s orders, but only one obeyed.

The first son pictures openly sinful people.  Their lives have plainly demonstrated rebellion against God.  However at some point in their life they repent, they have a change of heart towards God, change their mind about the sin in their life, and turn towards God.  This son’s repentance was proven by his action.  He didn’t merely feel sorry, he turned around and headed towards what his father asked.  True repentance leads to obedience.

The second son was polite and respectful.  He said all the right things, and outwardly he appeared superior to the first son.  However, his was an empty profession.  He talked about obedience but never actually obeyed.  He represented religious leaders who claimed devotion to God, but rejected His messengers and Word.  Many people today profess Christianity, attend church, and use religious language, but have never truly submitted to Jesus Christ.

Jesus specifically asked the religious leaders who of the two obeyed the father (vs. 31-32).  Their answer would condemn themselves, as after they answered, Jesus told them that tax collectors and prostitutes would get into the Kingdom ahead of them.  It was not because those despised people were less sinful, but because they had repented of their sins.  Salvation is not based on respectability.  It is entered by repentance and faith.  Both the prostitute and the Pharisee need God’s grace.

Right prior to the start of Jesus’ ministry, John the Baptist had preached repentance and righteousness.  His message was clear and Biblical.  Many of those who society called sinful believed John and repented.  Their lives were transformed.  However, the religious leaders also heard, and saw multitudes repent.  Yet their hearts and souls remained hardened and they refused to submit to God’s revealed truth.  A person can be very religious and still be lost.

God desires obedience rather than mere profession.  He is not impressed by religious language, external forms, and how one appears in public.  He desires obedience from the heart.  Genuine repentance will produce a change.  It is not perfection, nor emotion, but a change in one’s life, demonstrating genuine faith.  Church membership, baptism, family heritage, or Bible knowledge cannot save.  Only personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ saves.

The religious leaders saw no need for repentance.  Self-righteousness is a great barrier to salvation.  Both “religious” people and criminals must come to God the same way.  No sinner is too wicked to be saved, and it is never too late to repent.  The first son began badly, but ended well.  Many people have lived years in rebellion, yet God still extends mercy through Jesus.

In closing, God values genuine repentance and obedient faith over mere religious profession.  The repentant sinner who believes God’s message is accepted, while the outwardly religious person who refuses to obey remains outside God’s blessing.  Jesus teaches that what ultimately matters is not what we say we will do for God, but whether we actually respond to Him in repentant faith and obedience.

Once Humbled, Now Exalted

Philippians 2:5-11

How many company presidents and CEO’s have you ever heard of who help clean up around the office on a regular basis, take out the trash, or make sure there is a full pot of coffee always brewing and bring some to the secretaries?  Or how many high ranking politicians or world leaders have you heard of that forego first class accommodations and fly economy class with us regular folks, and stay in economy motels?  Generally we see that as people gain more power and wealth, they want more of the finer things, and to be served, not do the serving. For many people, including some believers, that might be a goal.  However, as we read in our Scripture today from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippian church, our model in life should be from One who did just the opposite.

The Apostle Paul had established a Christian church in the city of Philippi on one of his missionary journeys, and while there he and his companion Silas were beaten and thrown into prison.  After their release the next day they were told to leave town.  Paul wrote his letter of encouragement and teaching to the Philippian believers around ten to twelve years later.  Among many things that he was instructing them, one was to have unity among each other, without selfish ambitions, and to esteem others better than themselves.  As our Scripture passage opens, Paul pointed to the Lord Jesus as the perfect example of the type of thinking he was encouraging (vs. 5).  Many Christians, particularly those in leadership positions, desire the power and popularity that Jesus had, but are less eager to imitate His humility, which Paul said here should be forefront.

As Paul continued, he clearly pointed out that Jesus Christ is God (vs. 6).  The phrase “being in the form of God” means that Jesus possessed the very nature and essence of deity.  Jesus didn’t just resemble God, He truly is God.  Other Scriptures affirm this truth, such as John 1:1; John 10:30; Colossians 2:9; and Hebrews 1:8.  Jesus did not become God after the resurrection.  He was always God, possessing full equality with the Father in both essence and nature.  This proves false the teaching that some denominations and other religions have when they say that Jesus was just a prophet and a created being.

Jesus did not give up His deity when He became man (vs. 7).  He never ceased to be God.  Rather, He voluntarily laid aside His heavenly glory, the exercise of certain divine privileges, and the outward showing of His majesty.  Jesus remained fully God while becoming fully man.  He was not half God and half man, instead He was and is 100% God and 100% man.  When Jesus became a man, He did not choose to become a great and powerful man, like a king or emperor.  Instead the Creator became a servant.  The King of glory took the position of a servant, showing the depth of His humility.

The humility shown by Jesus did not stop at His becoming a man.  It showed itself all the way to His willingness to die for our sins upon the cross (vs. 8).  Jesus willingly chose obedience to the Father all the way to Calvary.  He not only endured the physical agony of crucifixion, but also bore the sins of everyone who ever lived.  He surrendered all of His rights for our salvation.

Because of Jesus’ obedience, the Father exalted Him (vs. 9).  This was clearly seen in His resurrection, ascension, and enthronement at God’s right hand.  His momentary humiliation was followed by exaltation.  The cross led to the crown.  No greater Name exists.  No higher authority exists.  No one deserves greater worship than Jesus.  Because of His humility and obedience, the Father has exalted Jesus to the place of highest honor (vs. 10).  The result is that every knee, all created beings, will ultimately bow before Him.  This includes all heavenly beings, all humanity, including  kings, celebrities, atheists, religious leaders, and ordinary people, and all fallen spiritual beings, such as Satan and his demons.  They will all confess that Jesus is Lord (vs. 11).

The same One who humbled Himself and died on a cross is the One who now reigns in glory and will one day be publicly acknowledged by all creation as Lord.  Those who reject Jesus now will still confess His lordship one day, but they will do so as those standing before His judgment.  The question is not whether a person will acknowledge Jesus Christ’s Lordship, the question is when.  Will it be in faith during this life, or in recognition before His judgment throne?

This future reality should affect how we, as believers, should live today.  Our worship should be sincere, our obedience wholehearted, and our witness should be urgent.  Those who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior need to hear the Gospel before the day when His Lordship is universally acknowledged.

Seeking God's Guidance

Psalm 25

At some point in your life you are likely to have to make some significant decisions.  These might be decisions in your personal life, or they might be related to your job.  Some have jobs where they might have to make very critical and life altering decisions, ones that may affect many people, such as a doctor, scientist, or a world leader.  Some of you might feel confident in your ability to make the right decision, but others seek the help and guidance of other people who hopefully will guide them in the right way.  Our psalm for this week is a prayer that King David made, asking the Lord for His guidance.  Let’s see what David prayed.

As one reads through the Bible of the life of David, we quickly see that there were many times he had to make critical decisions.  He spent years trying to escape the threats to his life by King Saul.  Then he first became the king of the southern Kingdom of Judah, and then both king of Judah and all of Israel.  As a king, and also the chief military leader, David was faced with having to frequently make very important decisions.  Though he probably had a council who would have advised when consulted, the one he went to all the time for help was the Lord God.  He always went to God for His help all throughout his life.

As David began his prayer, he surrendered himself to the Lord (vs. 1-3).  He directed his whole being towards God.  His prayers weren’t just empty words. David reached out his heart to the Lord in faith, confident that He would help him in his troubles.  David knew that God was greater than anything he faced.  Those who come in prayer and wait upon the Lord will not be ashamed. This does not mean that believers will never face difficulty, but it means that He will never fail those who trust in Him.  Like David did, when faced with uncertain difficulties and need for His direction, we should first worship, trust, and depend upon God.

After surrendering himself to the Lord, David then requested His guidance (vs. 4-7).  David prayed for God to show him, teach him, and lead him.  He recognized that spiritual guidance must come from God.  We can’t turn to other false deities for help.  David asked to be led in God’s ways, His paths, and His truth.  The Bible, God’s Word, is the primary means through which He guides His people.

David knew, as he stated in verse 7, that he needed to have a clean conscience before he could expect God to hear and answer his prayers (Psalm 66:18).  He brought his sins and faults honestly before God, depending entirely upon His grace.  Godly guidance begins with humility.  Proud people want God to approve their plans, but humble people want God’s plans.

Everything in David’s prayer rests upon who God is (vs. 8-10).  He knew that God is good, and that He desires what is best and right.  The Lord is also willing to teach and guide sinners and the humble.  He delights in teaching those who recognize their need for Him.  Pride resists instruction, but humility receives instruction.  The more teachable we become, the more God can shape us into the image of His Son.

David pleaded with God for forgiveness of his sins, which he knew he must do before God could help him (vs. 11).  David didn’t say his sin was small, or that his good works outweighed it, or even that he deserved forgiveness.  Instead, he said that his sins were great.  God is not impressed by excuses.  He responds to humble confession.  The believer who is humble enough to confess his sins is also the believer who is teachable enough to receive God’s guidance.

There are blessings for those who fear God (vs. 12-14).  This fear refers to reverential awe, worship, submission, and obedience to Him.  The blessings He bestows on those who fear Him include divine guidance.  He will direct those who desire His will.  He will also bless with spiritual prosperity and security, though not necessarily material wealth.  We are also blessed with fellowship with the Lord.  God shares His heart with believers who walk closely with Him.

David winds down his prayer with crying out to God again for deliverance from his troubles (vs. 15-21).  However, he kept his eyes fixed on God.  Looking continually at our problems will produce despair.  Instead, look continually towards God and that will produce hope.

Believers should bring every burden, every decision, and everything in our life to God.  There is no trouble too small, and no burden too heavy for Him.  When we come to Him, He will guide us.  Some of God’s paths for us may be rough and rugged, others tedious and boring, but they all are filled with His love and faithfulness.  Our path may have obstacles, but God will lead us through them all.

Who is Responsible?

Ezekiel 18:1-4, 19-32

What kind of people are your parents and your children?  Are they good, upstanding people, or are either one scoundrels?  Maybe one of them is even worse than that, and is a reprobate criminal.  Or perhaps you are the one that has lived a questionable life.  Who should bear the responsibility or carry some or all of the guilt for the infractions of the other?  Or in the case of an exemplary life, who should receive the accolades?  Should parents be held responsible for their adult children’s actions, or children for their parents' faults?  Likewise, should children receive halos for how their parents were?  This was an issue during the time of the prophet Ezekiel, and has been among some people even today.  Let’s see what the Word of God has to say about this.

As our Scripture opens, Ezekiel recounted a saying that many of the people would say and believe, “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” (vs. 1-2).  This saying implied that the children were paying the punishment for what the parents did, the guilt of the parents was transferred to their children.  Immediately God confronted their thinking.  He declared that this proverb should no longer be used, as each generation bears the responsibility of their actions.  One cannot put the blame of their actions on either the previous or the next generation, either personally nor nationally.

It is true that children sometimes experience the consequences of their parents’ actions.  If a parent drinks or gambles away their paycheck, the children will suffer.  If one or both of the parents commit crimes and are sent to prison, the children will suffer.  However, sometimes people seem to want to punish children, even adult children, for what their parents, grandparents, or even further back did.  They punish them by words or their actions.  God said that this was not acceptable to Him (vs. 3-4).  He said “the soul who sins shall die.”

God deals with people as moral agents, responsible for their own choices.  We cannot pass the blame for our behavior and our sins onto a previous generation, nor the punishment onto our children.  Every individual is personally accountable before God for his own sin.  While we may inherit circumstances from previous generations, we do not inherit guilt before God.  Each soul stands before Him personally.

As our Scripture continues further down, some of the people that Ezekiel preached to objected to this.  They felt that children should bear the guilt of the sins of the father (vs. 19).  Some today continue to feel that way.  However, God said that if the one person sins, and their offspring doesn’t, but instead follow His ways, they should not bear the punishment.  Sons are not condemned for the fathers’ sins, and fathers are not condemned for sons’ sins.  Each person stands accountable before God.

Our culture today encourages adult children to blame their parents for their failures, and parents often accept that blame.  That is not Biblical.  The Bible teaches that we are responsible to God for how we raise our children, but we are not responsible for our children’s adult choices.  Similarly some say that we should pay for the faults and sins of previous generations.  However, God makes it clear in this passage that he does not condemn a righteous person simply because of his parents’ sins.

In the same way we cannot claim our parents’ or grandparents’ righteousness for our own.  Each person must personally respond to God.  No one is saved because his parents were Christians or he came from a good and godly family.  No one is either blessed or condemned because of family background.  Every person must stand before God individually.

The sinful man is not hopeless, though (vs. 21-23).  If he turns to God, there is mercy.  Repentance brings forgiveness, and God is forgiving.  He is holy and must judge sin, but He does not delight in judgment.  He delights in repentance.  God desires that sinners turn from sin and live.

There is also a danger for a righteous person to turn away from God (vs. 24-29).  Just as a wicked man may repent, a righteous man may abandon his godly life and turn to sin.  When that happens, if they were genuinely saved, they do not lose eternal salvation, but God will bring judgment and punishment upon them.  Past righteousness does not justify present rebellion.

There are still people who argue that this is not right, that people should be responsible for the wrongs of previous generations.  God’s answer is simple: the problem is not His ways, the problem is their ways (vs. 29).  Whenever people accuse God of injustice, Scripture consistently demonstrates that God’s judgments are perfectly righteous.  Ezekiel closed with a call to repentance (vs. 30-32).  Agree with God about sin, turn from it, and turn towards a life of obedience to Him.  Each person must answer to God for his own sin.

Does it Seem Fair?

Matthew 20:1-16

“It’s not fair!”  How many times have we heard a child cry that out to their parents, teacher, or someone else?  Maybe a sibling got an extra cookie, or the teacher gives different homework assignments, or another child is seeming to get away with some infraction.  Even as adults we want to feel that there is an established set of justice, and that things are fair between one person and another.  When we have worked hard, we want to be justly rewarded, and those who haven’t shouldn’t be given the same reward.  When things don’t measure up to our sense of justice, to what we feel should be our fair share, aren’t we quick to complain that “It’s not fair!”?  Would we say that against God?  In our Scripture today from St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells a parable that brings up a scenario that some might complain “is not fair”.  Let’s take a look, and see if our thinking will line up with what the Lord is teaching.

Jesus told this parable in response to Peter’s question at the end of the previous chapter, where he asked the Lord what reward he and the other disciples would get for leaving their livelihood to follow Him (Matthew 19:27).  Jesus had promised rewards to His faithful disciples, but He knew they could become preoccupied with comparing themselves to others.

The parable begins with a landowner (who symbolizes God) with a large vineyard, who needs a lot of workers.  He goes out early in the morning, around 6 am, to hire laborers (symbolizing believers).  They agreed on a salary of a denarius for a day’s work, which was a fair day’s wage (vs. 1-2). God never deals unfairly with His people.  Whatever He gives is righteous and good.  The landowner goes out several more times throughout the day to hire more workers - 9 am, noon, 3 pm, and finally at 5 pm, an hour before the workday is over (vs. 3-7).  He promises to give them what is right.

Some believers are saved and serve God from childhood.  Timothy is an example of this.  Others are saved in adulthood.  The Apostle Paul was converted as an adult.  And then there are those who are converted near the end of life, perhaps literally on their deathbed.  The thief on the cross was saved in his final hours.  God welcomes all who come to Him through Jesus.

Then came the time for payment (vs. 8-10).  The workers hired at 5 pm received a full denarius, a full days’ wage.  This demonstrates grace.  They did not receive what they earned proportionately, they received what the master chose to give.  This made the first workers assume that they would receive more, with their expectation based on comparison.  Many spiritual problems begin when believers compare themselves to others.

The earlier workers began to complain (vs. 11-12).  They didn’t complain that they were treated poorly.  They complained that the others were treated generously.  The master didn’t do them wrong.  They received exactly what they had agreed on.  Their problem was jealousy.  Are we resentful when others receive blessings that we feel we should have gotten, or when they get more recognition?  Do we ask “Why did they get more than I did?”  We need to ask ourselves why we get upset when God is good to someone else.

As we continue reading, we see the landowner’s response (vs. 13-15).  God’s dealings are always perfectly just.  No one can ever claim that God is unfair.  He has the right to distribute blessings according to His own will.  God never owes grace.  If something is earned, it is wages.  If it is undeserved, it is grace (Romans 11:6).  The problem was not the master’s generosity.  It was the workers’ hearts.

Jesus closed His parable with a warning against pride and self-exaltation (vs. 16).  Those who think they deserve the highest place may be surprised.  Those who humbly serve may receive unexpected honor.  God’s evaluations differ from man’s evaluations.

Rewards in heaven are real, as we see in II Corinthians 5:10 and Revelation 22:12.  However, rewards are distributed by Jesus, not according to human estimates.  This parable doesn’t teach that all believers will receive the same rewards.  Rather, it teaches that God sovereignly blesses and rewards according to His perfect wisdom.  We should rejoice in His goodness towards others instead of comparing ourselves with them.

No one deserves God’s favor.  The workers who came right before the workday ended beautifully illustrate the grace shown to sinners who come late, but who truly come.  The other workers were spending too much time focusing on what others received.  One of Satan’s tools is comparison.  God calls believers to faithfulness, not competition.  The first workers lost their joy when they started looking sideways at others rather than upward to the Master.  They received exactly what was promised, yet envy robbed them of their gratitude.  God does not ask us to measure ourselves against someone else.  He asks us to be faithful where He has placed us.

To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain

Philippians 1:21-27

Have you ever been torn between wanting to be in two different places at one time?  You want to be in one place because a loved one is there, but the second location is an infinitely nicer place.  So which one do you choose - being with a loved one or being in a better place?  In our Scripture today from St. Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi, the Apostle describes being torn between two desires - to go on to heaven and be with the Savior, or remain here and continue ministering to believers and telling the lost about Jesus.

The Book of Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome for the faith.  At any moment he could have been dragged out of his prison cell and be taken to his execution.  During this time, Paul did not focus on his circumstances or his physical comfort.  Instead, he focused on the Lord.  He did not fear death, as he knew that was the doorway which would bring him into the presence of Jesus, which was naturally something he greatly desired.  However, he knew that there was still work to be done here upon earth.  The Philippian church, along with other churches he founded, needed his teaching and encouragement, and all around the world were people who needed to hear about Jesus.  His attitude is an example to us how to have joy, purpose, and steadfastness despite our circumstances.

As we begin this portion of Scripture we see Paul’s philosophy of life (vs. 21).  It wasn’t money, success, or pleasure.  Instead, Paul said “To me to live is Christ.”  Everything in his life revolved around Jesus.  He then finished the verse with “To die is gain.”  Death for the believer is not loss, but is a gain because it brings freedom from sin, suffering, temptation, and brings us immediately into the presence of Christ (II Corinthians 5:8; Romans 14:8).

Paul is torn between two good desires (vs. 22-24).  One is to depart this life and be with the Lord Jesus.  Death for the Christian is not extinction, it is a departure from one location to another (II Corinthians 5:6-8; John 14:1-3).  Paul’s second desire was to remain and minister to believers, and continue to spread the Gospel message of salvation.  Though heaven was far better, remaining alive was more beneficial for the believers he served.  This demonstrates genuine Christian love, as Paul was willing to postpone his greater blessing in order to help others spiritually.

Though Paul knew that his death could come at any moment, not just from an execution in prison, but also from the many enemies of the faith that he encountered every day, he believed that God would allow him to continue preaching the Gospel for a time (vs. 25-26).  God had given him a mandate, an order to bring the Gospel message to the lost, and to instruct and teach believers.  Until God felt that this order was finished, Paul believed he would remain and continue in obedience to that command.

Paul concluded this passage with a word of instruction for the Philippians (vs. 27).  He instructed them, and us today as well, to live a life worthy of the Gospel.  Our conduct should match the message of the Gospel that Paul proclaimed.  The Gospel is holy, therefore God’s people should live holy lives.  Here on earth we won’t achieve sinless perfection, but we can strive for consistent godliness in our life.

He instructed the believers to stand fast in unity with each other, being of one mind.  This speaks of doctrinal stability.  A mature church is not constantly blown about by false teachings.  Biblical unity is not unity at the expense of truth, it is unity around the truth.  Believers are to strive together for the Gospel, like athletes competing side-by-side on the same team.  We each have a role in advancing the message of Jesus.

As we close this passage of Scripture from Philippians, we see that Jesus was the center of Paul’s life, and should be for all of us, as well.  He did not fear death because Christ had conquered it.  His desire to be with the Savior in heaven was stronger than that of remaining on earth.  However, Paul knew that God had further work for him to do.  God leaves believers here for a purpose.  As long as you are still alive here on earth, God has work for you to do.  Our supreme purpose should be Jesus Christ.  Life is an opportunity to serve Him, death is a doorway into His presence, and until He calls us home, we are to stand firm, live worthy of the Gospel, and labor together for the advancement of the faith.

When Enemies Surround the House

Psalm 59

A common theme in action movies is when the protagonist is surrounded by his enemies, and there isn’t any safe way to escape.  The suspense grows as we wonder how he will get out of this tense situation.  Sometimes in life we might find ourselves in a similar predicament.  It might not be literal enemies who surround us, though that can happen.  It can be all sorts of immense and serious problems that surround us, with no visible way of escape.  What do we do when this happens?  In our psalm for this week we take a look at one event in the life of David, when he had enemies surrounding him, just waiting for a chance to catch and probably kill him.  Let’s see what his plan was to get out of a desperate situation.

Psalm 59 begins with an introductory heading which mentions the occasion that this psalm was written about.  After his great victory over the Philistine Goliath, King Saul took David into his royal court, both as a musician and also as an important soldier.  There he became best friends with Saul’s son Jonathan, and also married one of the king’s daughters, Michal.  Following several more victories over the Philistines, David became very popular among the people.  Saul had seriously drifted quite far away from the Lord since becoming king, and one sign from this was his jealousy of David, resulting in his multiple attempts upon David’s life.  One such time was when King Saul sent some of his men to surround the house where David and his wife, Michal, lived (I Samuel 19:11-17).  She had to help him escape out of a window in the dark of night, and he would spend the next several years living on the run from attacks and attempts on his life from Saul.

As we see when we read through this psalm is that Yahweh is the Defender of His people against wicked men, and like David knew, we see how to respond when we are surrounded by enemies, are falsely accused, and under attack.  When his wife Michal told David that Saul’s men had surrounded the house, what was the first thing he did?  Did he panic and fill with despair, or did he strap on his sword and go out to fight them on his own, since he was a skilled warrior?  No, he did none of those.  David immediately turned to God in prayer (vs. 1-2).  He did not first seek revenge.  He turned to God for His deliverance.  Our first response when we are surrounded with opposition should be prayer, not retaliation.

David knew that he hadn’t done anything to deserve this from King Saul, that he was innocent regarding the accusations (vs. 3-4).  This does not mean that David was sinless.  However, he was innocent of the specific charges being used against him.  Saul unjustly hated David, so he prayed to God for help.  David saw these enemies like vicious predators, like ferocious wild dogs circling their prey (vs. 5-7).  The world often mocks, opposes, and attacks God’s people.  He never tells us to pretend that evil does not exist.  Instead, we are to see it clearly, and trust God completely for deliverance.

What is God’s response to these enemies of David?  He tells us that God laughs at the wicked (vs. 8).  This is not an amused laugh, but instead is showing divine contempt.  God is never threatened by the schemes of wicked men.  They think that they have control, but God remains on the throne.  David later repeats this thought in another of his psalms, of God laughing in contempt of the wicked (Psalm 2:4).

Following turning to the Lord in prayer, David then shifted from fear to faith (vs. 9-10).  Instead of focusing on the enemy’s strength, he focused on God’s strength.  Faith grows when we focus on God’s character rather than on our circumstances.  Sometimes we spend more time dwelling on the problem rather than the One who can bring us out of that problem.  David shows us here what we ought to be doing.

David then prayed for God’s righteous judgment on those who were wrongly attacking him (vs. 11-13).  He didn’t ask for their immediate destruction, but for God to make them examples, which would serve as a warning to others.  These weren’t just his enemies, they were rebellious enemies of God.  He didn’t seek his own vengeance, but left the judgment in God’s hands.  Then again David depicts them as restless dogs (vs. 14-15).  Without God there is continual dissatisfaction, and no peace.

Our psalm began with danger, but ends with worship (vs. 16-17).  David had confidence.  His circumstances have not necessarily changed, but his perspective has.  He knew that God was his answer.  David didn’t hide his fear, but instead prayed to God.  He knew that He was strong, faithful, and would protect him, and he did not wait for the answer to begin his praise.  David praised God while the danger still existed.

In closing, as followers of the Lord Jesus, we must trust in His protection and justice even in times when opposition seems strong and the answers seem delayed.  David’s enemies watched his house to destroy him, however David watched his God to deliver him.  The enemy may surround our house, but remember, God surrounds His child!

An Angry Prophet

Jonah 3:10 - 4:11

Several weeks ago we had a study on a Scripture passage from the Book of Jonah where we looked at his prayer while within the belly of the giant fish or whale which had swallowed him.  Today the Lectionary for this week takes us back to the Book of Jonah where we’ll see the rest of the story.  Let’s see what happened with the prophet’s ministry.

Prior to the start of our Scripture passage, the giant fish had spat Jonah out onto the beach.  Having a giant fish swallow him whole sure got his attention, and he knew that he had better obey what God had told him to do, which was go and preach His message to the city of Nineveh.  In the third chapter of Jonah we are told that the prophet went throughout the city, preaching that the people needed to repent and turn to the Lord or else He would destroy them.  Jonah’s message reached into their hearts. The city, from the highest to the lowest, turned to Yahweh in repentance.  This is where our Scripture picks up.

Jonah’s message to the people had been a warning from God, that if they didn’t repent and turn from their wickedness, God would bring His judgment upon them.  The people did repent, and God saw this (vs. 3:10).  Because the people changed their attitude towards the Lord, He changed His dealings with Nineveh.  He spared them, and did not destroy the city.  When sinners repent, God may withhold threatened judgment.  He responds with mercy, according to His holy character.  This repentance was genuine.  Their actions demonstrated that their hearts had changed.  True repentance is not merely feeling sorry.  It involves having sorrow over our sins, turning from those sins, and turning towards God, which is what the Ninevites did.

What do you think was Jonah’s response to the repentance of the Ninevites?  Was he happy?  Did he praise the Lord for their conversion?  I’m sorry to say he did not.  The fact that the Lord saw their repentance and spared them His righteous judgment displeased Jonah (vs. 1).  Jonah had so much hate in his heart for the Assyrians. The Assyrian empire was a violent and cruel nation, and one who had attacked the northern kingdom of Israel numerous times.  They were enemies of his people, and he had allowed great hatred of them to grow in his heart, which was why he had initially refused to go and preach to them.

Jonah wanted justice, but God showed mercy which angered the prophet (vs. 2-3)  He wanted to see them destroyed!  Jonah knew God’s mercy, His patience, and loving kindness.  He knew the Scriptures, and even quoted Exodus 34:6 back to God.  Jonah’s doctrine was excellent, but his heart was not.  People may have correct theology and orthodox belief, but fail to love others.  God wants us to have both, correct doctrine and love for others.  Jonah’s bitterness and hatred had gripped his heart so deeply that he actually would rather die than see Nineveh spared!

God responded by asking Jonah if he was right in being so angry (vs. 4).  He wanted the prophet to examine his heart, and see if his anger was justified.  Jonah felt it was, and actually went and sat on a hillside outside of the city (vs. 5).  He wanted a ringside seat to watch the city go up in smoke.  He didn’t want to miss a bit of what his heart so desired.

As Jonah sat in the sun waiting for the destruction of Nineveh, God prepared a plant to quickly grow and bring shade for him (vs. 6).  That made Jonah happy.  A city’s salvation did not make him happy, but the shade of a plant did.  This reveals a misplaced value system.  However, God was not through.  The plant and what was to follow was to be an object lesson for Jonah.  God prepared a worm to eat away at the plant so that it died (vs. 7).  The God who gave the blessing removed the blessing.  Sometimes God removes comforts to expose our hearts.  Then God sent a scorching wind to make Jonah hot and miserable and he wanted to die again (vs. 8).  The loss of temporary comfort completely overwhelmed him, revealing his spiritual immaturity.

Again, God asked Jonah if he was right in being angry, and again the prophet said he was (vs. 9).  How easy it is to recognize the sins of Nineveh while excusing our own sinful attitudes.  Jonah could see Nineveh’s wickedness, but would not see his own.  Jonah cared deeply about a plant he did not create and which lasted only a day, yet he had little concern for the souls of people he hated.  Jonah valued a plant, but God values people (vs. 10).

Verse 11 is one of the greatest statements of God’s compassion in the Old Testament.  God is not indifferent towards sinners.  He takes no pleasure in judgment.  Though God is holy and must judge sin, He delights in mercy when sinners repent.  Jonah wanted judgment, but God wanted repentance.  As believers, we are called to reflect God’s compassion.  We should never desire the destruction of those whom God desires to save.  No sinner is beyond God’s grace.  Who is God calling you to love and bring His saving message to that you don’t want to love?

The Unforgiving Servant

Matthew 18:21-35

Most of us have had some type of debt at some point in our life. We may have had a house mortgage, or perhaps a car loan to pay off, and any other debt was hopefully small and manageable.   Imagine if you owed an astronomical amount of money to someone, and you had no way to pay it back.  You would be so grateful if that amount was forgiven.  It would be a tremendous blessing!  In our Scripture today, the Lord Jesus tells His followers a parable about such an instance.  Let’s see what He has to say.

As our Scripture opens, Jesus had just finished instructing His disciples on how the Church was to deal with fellow brethren who had fallen into sin.  Peter then came to Him asking how often he had to forgive someone who sinned against him, and whether seven times was sufficient (vs. 21-22).  In Jewish tradition, forgiving three times was considered generous.  By saying seven times, Peter thought he was being extremely generous.  Jesus then bursts that little bubble by telling him it should be seventy times seven.  He didn’t mean a literal 490 times, and then on the 491st time you could clobber them.  Jesus was teaching that forgiveness should be limitless.  Just like God’s forgiveness, it should be abundant, undeserved, and continual.

Jesus then told the crowd the parable of the unforgiving servant (vs. 23-34).  A king’s servant owed him 10,000 talents.  When he couldn’t pay, the king ordered him and his family to be sold until payment was made.  When that servant begged for mercy, the king had compassion and forgave the debt.  Then that servant went and found a fellow servant who owed him 100 denarii and demanded payment.  When that servant asked for mercy and promised he would get it paid, the first servant refused, and had him thrown into debtors' prison.  When the king found out, he was furious, and had that first servant delivered to the tormentors.

To understand this, we need to be familiar with the two amounts that were owed, what a talent and what a denarius was.  A talent was a weight of precious metal, usually silver.  One talent equaled 75 pounds of silver.  In Biblical times one talent would have been about 20 years salary for a laborer.  So 10,000 talents would have been way more than a lifetime’s salary, billions of dollars in today’s money.  A denarius was approximately a day’s wage for a common laborer.  100 denarii would be several month’s salary.  A goodly sum, but something manageable, and one that should have been able to be worked out between the two servants.

In this parable, the king represents God.  The first servant is a sinner forgiven by God, and the other servant is someone who has sinned against us.  The massive debt owed the king symbolizes our sin against God, which is infinite in moral weight.  The smaller debt symbolizes what others do to us, which is real, but comparatively small.  The king forgave the servant completely - total grace, no conditions.  This shows a picture of salvation.  We cannot repay our sin debt, but God forgives freely those who come to Him through Jesus Christ.  Forgiveness is undeserved and complete.

What did that forgiven servant go and do?  Despite being forgiven an impossible debt, the servant violently demanded repayment of a tiny one.  Unforgiveness in a believer is morally outrageous because it contradicts the grace they have received.  We have been recipients of maximum mercy.  Who are we to suddenly demand justice from others?  We are to show the same compassion to others that God showed us.

When the king hears of that servant’s behavior, he then orders him delivered to the tormentors.  This is not teaching a loss of salvation.  Instead it illustrates that fellowship with God is broken because unrepentant attitudes get in the way of our prayers.  It shows what bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness will produce in our spirit.

Jesus expects us to be able to forgive just as fully and completely as He has.  Forgiveness doesn’t negate the wrong done to us.  It doesn’t deny the offense or the pain.  However, it lets go of the right to get even. Vengeance is God’s responsibility, not ours (Romans 12:19).  It doesn’t mean that we have to immediately trust the one who wronged us.  We may never trust them again, but we surrender the matter to God, choosing grace over bitterness.

This parable calls us to live out the Gospel by extending the same grace that we have received.  God’s forgiveness of us is immeasurably greater than any forgiveness we must extend, and Jesus calls us to forgive others from our heart continually and without keeping score.  Unforgiveness is a serious sin that contradicts the Gospel.  A forgiving spirit is evidence of genuine salvation and spiritual maturity.  

Convictions

Romans 14:5-12

As believers and followers of the Lord Jesus, most of us have some convictions on various matters.  There are things that we choose to do or not do, things that we avoid, because we feel that as a Christian we should or should not be doing them.  Some of these convictions come straight from God’s Word, the Bible.  Others do not.  They are just a matter of our own conscience.  This is where St. Paul warns us in our Scripture today to be careful that we do not judge others or impose our own personal convictions upon others.  Let’s look into our Scripture from the Book of Romans.

As the Apostle Paul wrote his letters to various newly established Christian churches throughout the Roman Empire, not only did he expound upon doctrine and practical Christian living, he also occasionally sought to resolve problems that had arisen.  One such conflict was when some Christians were becoming judgmental and condemning their fellow believers over personal convictions that one or the other had or didn’t have, such as observing certain days, or what to eat or not eat.  Such conflicts were causing division, even hostility among believers, and were a disruption in the church.  Paul wanted to see such conflicts settled.

The issues that Paul addressed here were not moral absolutes, such as adultery, murder, or idolatry, but instead were matters of Christian liberty, such as observing a holiday, eating meat or not, and other personal scruples.  Some believers at that time, likely Jewish Christians, felt compelled to honor certain days, like the Sabbath, feast days, fast days, etc. (vs. 5-6).  Others, likely Gentile Christians, saw all days alike.  These are non-moral issues that have no bearing on salvation.  There were also some in the church who were very strict about what they would eat or not eat, while others felt free to eat whatever their tastes desired.  The two groups were becoming judgmental and condemning of each other.

Paul responded to this conflict by instructing believers that when they formed their convictions they must be fully convinced in their own mind, they must act from a conscience informed by Scripture, not from peer pressure or tradition.  With our personal convictions, things that are not Scriptural absolutes or doctrines, these should be personal, thoughtful, and God-honoring, not imposed upon us by others.

We occasionally find conflicts like this in some churches today.  There are some who will harshly judge others for what they wear, their hair styles, what they eat or not eat, and whether they watch TV or movies.  Some will even judge the other’s salvation based on these personal convictions.  Paul rebukes both sides in this matter, as both groups looked down on and condemned the other (vs. 10).  He rebuked the “strong” for despising the “weak”, and the “weak” for judging the “strong”.  We are not to condemn someone for a conviction that Scripture does not condemn, nor to look down on someone for being more cautious.  We also need to be careful that we do not elevate some personal convictions we have to the level of Christ’s commands.

Whether we are vegetarian, vegan, or enjoy a good steak, whether we enjoy an action movie, or abstain from those, we must do it unto the Lord, not because it is tradition or imposed upon us by someone else.  The Christian life is not autonomous.  Believers belong to Jesus, and He alone should govern our choices (vs. 7-8).  Each conviction that we have should be decided by the question “Does this honor my Lord?”  Our choices in gray areas, such as entertainment, holidays, or food, should reflect our desire to live for Jesus.

Paul then quoted Isaiah 45:23 to remind us that God alone is Judge (vs. 11-12).  His authority, and not our own, is ultimate.  We have no right to sit in God’s judgment seat over another’s conscience.  Each of us will personally answer to God, not to other Christians, for how we lived out our convictions.  Accountability is individual, and we should not impose our conscience in non-doctrinal or moral matters onto others, such as diet, whether we watch TV, or other such convictions.

Just as in the days of the Apostles, Christians today must allow for differences in non-essential matters without division.  We should not elevate personal standards to Biblical commands.  Nor should we mock or belittle others who have stricter convictions.  Instead, study the Bible and form thoughtful, God-honoring positions, making every choice, whether in food, entertainment, or personal standards, an act of worship.  We will answer to God, not to other Christians, in the end.

A Favorite Psalm

Psalm 103

Most Christians have a favorite psalm among the 150 psalms in the Bible.  For many that is the very familiar Psalm 23.  Though I do like that psalm, that one is not in my top three favorites.  Our psalm today, Psalm 103 ranks as second place in my list of favorite psalms, with Psalm 34 beating it out in first place.  My third favorite is Psalm 139.  Psalm 103 is one of the richest and most worship-filled psalms in Scripture.  It is David’s full-hearted call for God’s people to remember His benefits, to magnify His mercy, and to humble themselves under His fatherly compassion.  The theme could be said to bless the Lord by remembering His benefits, His mercy, and His covenant faithfulness.  Let’s take a look at this very beautiful and spiritually moving psalm.

As mentioned, this psalm was written by King David.  Unlike many of his other psalms, or the psalms of others, it contains no requests, no complaints, and mentions no enemies.  Instead, it calls us to remember who God is and what He has done for us.  It affirms the reality of God’s forgiveness, His healing, and His redemption.  It reminds us of God’s unchanging character and His faithfulness to His covenant.  All of this should stir our hearts to worship the Lord.

David begins his psalm by calling upon his soul to bless the Lord (vs. 1-2).  To bless the Lord means to speak well of Him, praising Him, and exalting His Name.  David reminds himself, and us too, not to forget all that God has done for us.  Forgetting the Lord’s blessings can lead us to drift away from Him, and thus into spiritual danger.  We need to actively recall all that He has blessed us with.

Next, David continues by listing five specific benefits that God has blessed His children with (vs. 3-5).  The first is that God has forgiven all of our sins.  After one has accepted Jesus as their personal Savior, we have total forgiveness of our sins because of His substitutionary atonement upon the cross for us.  This is not just some of our sins, but all of them.  God also heals all of our diseases.  This is not a blanket promise of immediate physical healing.  Rather, it acknowledges God as the ultimate healer, as healing is part of His mercy.  We receive spiritual healing from sin’s corruption, and final physical healing in resurrection glory.

Another benefit is that God redeems our life from destruction.  When one personally accepts Jesus, we are then rescued from eternal ruin.  God also crowns us with loving-kindness and tender mercies.  His mercy is not cold.  It is tender, fatherly, and affectionate, and based on His covenant love.  The last one that David listed is that God satisfies us with good things.  He doesn’t merely sustain, He satisfies us.  He renews our strength like that of an eagle, a picture of energy and renewed youthfulness.

David then moves from personal benefits to some of God’s divine attributes (vs. 6-10).  He is righteous, and will show justice to those who are oppressed.  He is slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.  His wrath is real, but His mercy is also abundant.  They both coexist perfectly.  We see grace and mercy here - grace in that God gives us what we do not deserve, and mercy in that He withholds what we do deserve.

Now we come to some of the most tender verses in the Bible that describe God and His dealings with His children (vs. 11-14).  Can you measure the height of the heavens?  No, as scientists say that there is no known end to the universe.  That is how great God’s mercy is to us.  He also separates our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.  North and south have set points at both poles where you start to go in the other direction.  Not so with east and west. They never meet.  This is a picture of infinite separation.  Our sins are truly gone.  If God removes our sins, and forgets them, we should, as well.

The Lord also is the perfect father who has compassion on us, knowing that we are frail humans.  As humans, we are frail - brief, fragile, and fading like grass (vs. 15-18).  However, God is eternally faithful and His mercy is everlasting.  Knowing all of this, we should join in with the angels and heavenly hosts in giving universal praise (vs. 19-22).

In closing, one of the reasons that this is one of my favorite psalms is that it reminds me of God’s forgiveness and unconditional love for His children.  To love conditionally is against God’s nature.  It is against His nature to remember forgiven sins.  Grace forgets.  He who is perfect love cannot hold grudges.  Knowing this, let us not forget to give Him all the praise and blessing.  As Blood-bought children of God, we have a lot more reasons to rejoice than to complain.

A Bowl of Stew

Genesis 25:28-34

Do you have something important in your life, something of honor or privilege, that you have taken for granted?  Then one day comes, you don’t have it anymore, and now you have deep regret.  The choices and decisions that you made have caused you to lose this important thing because at the time it didn’t seem so important, you failed to see the value and honor.  In our Scripture today we read of someone who had a position of honor and privilege, and who gave it up for something extremely trivial, and then later would deeply regret it.

Our Scripture tells of one event in the lives of two brothers, Jacob and Esau.  These brothers were the sons of Isaac, and grandsons of Abraham.  They were fraternal twins, but couldn’t have been more different from each other.  Esau, the older of the twins, was a rugged outdoorsman type, who loved hunting, and if he had lived today, would have been an all-around athlete.  Jacob was the opposite, a more bookish type.  As the firstborn, Esau had the birthright.  As we read in verse 28, Isaac’s favorite of the two was Esau because he loved the venison that his son brought back from hunting.  Their mother Rebekah loved Jacob best.

To fully understand this passage of Scripture, we must understand exactly what the birthright was, as this is something unfamiliar with many cultures today.  In the Old Testament, the birthright was given to the firstborn son of the family.  It consisted of several important privileges.  One was that the eldest son would get twice as much inheritance when the father died than any of his other siblings, twice as much property and twice as much material wealth.  He would become the patriarch or head of the clan when the father died.  The birthright also held spiritual leadership responsibilities, as he would lead the extended family in worship and sacrifices (until the sacrificial responsibility was given to the Levites).  As we can see, this was a special blessing and privilege to hold.  Why would anyone just toss that away?

As our Scripture recounts, one day Esau had gone out hunting.  Shortly before his brother returned Jacob decided to make dinner.  He seems to have been a good cook, and had a bubbling pot of delicious stew cooking outdoors at the fire pit when Esau returned.  The older brother was quite hungry following his day out hunting, and asked for a bowl.  Jacob was a devious and cunning man, and he wasn’t going to freely give a bowl of his stew without getting something in return (vs. 29-31).

The birthright was something that Jacob really wanted, and he knew that his brother didn’t care about the privilege that it was.  As his mother’s favorite, Jacob had probably been told by her of the message of God to her shortly before they were born, how the older of the two would serve the younger, how Jacob would eventually have the preeminence (Genesis 25:21-23).   Jacob did not want to wait on the Lord for this, so he took this opportunity to get the birthright.  Esau was ruled by impulse, and was dominated by the moment.  He was uninterested in spiritual things and was governed by his bodily desires.  Jacob’s methods were flawed, but he valued the birthright.

Esau was certainly not about to die of hunger as he claimed! (vs. 32).  However, he valued a bowl of food over the spiritual blessings that were his, counting them worthless.  He consciously chose the temporal over the eternal.  He would rather have a full belly than the things of God, as he held this in contempt (vs. 33-34).  He was spiritually bankrupt.

Esau’s hunger became a doorway to spiritual disaster.  The flesh always undervalues spiritual truth.  Jacob’s desire for the birthright, though obtained in a less than godly way, showed that spiritual blessings must be pursued, not neglected.  Esau’s decision led to great loss.  There are always great consequences to despising God’s gifts.

Is there a bowl of stew in your life right now?  Are temporary pleasures threatening eternal priorities?  Or do you value spiritual blessings more than physical comfort?  We must resist the temptation to sacrifice long-term spiritual health for short-term gratification, like Esau did.  “What good is the birthright to me right now?” is the essence of modern secular thinking.  Don’t trade your eternal blessings for a bowl of stew!

Restoring a Fallen Christian

Matthew 18:15-20

In many areas of our life we run across rules that we have to follow, most of them for our own good.  There are traffic rules.  We have safety rules at many places of employment, sports venues, and nature preserves.  We even have rules to ensure fair play for all sorts of games.   In our Scripture passage today from the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord set out some rules for how the Church was to deal with a member who had fallen into sin.  Let’s take a look at what the steps are and see how well our churches, and ourselves, are following our Lord’s instructions.

Immediately prior to our Scripture passage, Jesus had told His disciples the very brief parable about the one sheep who had gone astray and gotten lost, and how the shepherd set out to find the missing sheep.  Now He instructs His followers about what to do when a fellow believer goes astray, does something wrong and falls into sin.  Jesus gives us here a clear, step-by-step process for confronting sin among believers, grounded in truth, and aiming at restoration.

The first step is to be a private confrontation (vs. 15).  Jesus stated that if a fellow Christian brother, not an unbeliever, sins against us or we see that they have fallen into some type of sinful behavior, we are to go to him alone and try to talk it out.  This is to be about an actual sin, something that the Scriptures identify as wrong, not just a difference of opinion, or being super-sensitive about something.  As soon as we realize this, we are to go to them, taking the initiative.  We shouldn’t sit and stew about this.  Nor are we to go and gossip with other people about the matter.  It is to be between yourself and him alone.  This way we protect their dignity and avoid public shame.

What if the person who has fallen into some sin, and to whom you have tried talking to, won’t listen to you?  Not everyone is willing to admit they are in sin, or at fault in a matter.  Jesus then said that if this person refuses to receive correction then you are to bring one or two other witnesses with you (vs. 16).  This would typically be your priest or pastor and possibly a deacon or elder of the church.  Just one or two others, as you don’t want a mob, where the person feels like everyone is ganging up on them.  They should be godly believers and no one who would be spreading rumors around.  This follows the principle of Deuteronomy 19:15. Having witnesses ensures fairness, accuracy, and accountability.  It protects against false accusations and emotional reactions, keeping the process Biblical and not personal.

There is always the possibility that this person will not forsake the sin that he or she has fallen into, despite your godly concern, and that of the one or two that have come with you.  If the believer still refuses repentance, then Jesus instructed that the matter should then be brought before the whole congregation of the local church, where they collectively call the person to repentance (vs. 17).  If they refuse to listen to the whole congregation and get right with the Lord, then he is to be treated as an unbeliever.  He is to be excommunicated, not with hatred but with concern that they forsake the sin that they have gotten into, turn their life around, and be restored.

There are some Christians, even whole congregations, that refuse to follow these instructions that Jesus gave.  They do not want to “judge” other believers, even when they fall into sin.  However, avoiding confrontation is disobedience to God’s Word.  Church discipline is not optional.  It is commanded by Jesus for the purity of the church.  Paul spoke of this in I Corinthians 5.  A church that refuses to discipline members who have fallen into persistent sin are refusing to obey what God has instructed them to be doing.  God demands holiness among His people (I Peter 1:15-16).  He has given the church the authority to act in matters of discipline.  Jesus Himself is present when the church obeys His commands in discipline (vs. 19-20).  He stands with the church when it confronts sin.

This is Jesus’ authoritative steps for confronting sin within the local church.  It is a command, not a suggestion, nor something we should ignore because it doesn’t fit in with today’s idea of refraining from all judgment.  This protects the purity of the church, promotes unity, and reflects the Father’s heart for wandering sheep.  When a church follows this pattern, Jesus Himself stands in the midst of His people, validating their obedience and guiding their decisions.