road2answers

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Being Like Others

1 Samuel 8[i]

The people of Israel had a problem.

Samuel, who had been their judge and leader for many years, had appointed his sons, Joel and Abijah, to be judges. However, Samuel's sons were greedy and wicked men. Israel had a history of such men. Samuel had been the one who pronounced God's judgment on Eli and his sons for the same problem. In addition, during the time of the judges, Israel had been repeatedly oppressed by the surrounding nations. The Moabites, the Midianites, the Ammonites and the Philistines were a few of the nations that overran and oppressed Israel.

Judges chapter 2 makes it clear that the reason these nations were able to overrun Israel is because the Israelites rebelled against God and God turned them over to their enemies.

Therefore, between evil greedy descendants of good judges and strong, powerful nations surrounding them, the children of Israel were ready for change. The elders of Israel gathered to talk with Samuel. They were not really seeking a solution. They had a solution. They saw the strong nations around them and saw that those nations all had kings. They had determined that a King was the solution to their problem.

Judges 2:21-22 says, “I will no longer drive out the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died. I did this to test Israel—to see whether or not they would follow the ways of the LORD as their ancestors did.”

The solution to Israel's problem was to follow the ways of the Lord. The answers they were seeking could have been found by seeking the Lord.

They expressed three things that they wanted from a King: 1) someone to judge them, 2) someone to lead them and 3) someone to fight their battles. These three things reflect a desire for peace and prosperity. They wanted to be strong. They wanted justice enforced. They wanted protection from the strong nations around them. They saw the solution as having a strong powerful leader in the person of a king.

However, the answer was to call upon and rely upon the name of the Lord. All these things God had promised to provide if they were but faithful to his covenant.

Proverbs 14:12 tells us, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” We are all prone to do this. As the old hymn said, "Prone to wander Lord I feel it."[ii] The things that happened to Israel happened as an example to us. We can learn much from them.

Jeremiah 17:5 says, “This is what the LORD says: "Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD.”

In the next part of the story of 1 Samuel 8, we see this curse played out. This would be 1 Samuel 8:10-18. The results are predictable. Israel had a problem. They tried to solve it in their own way without God and so the results were predictable.

A rough outline of these verses would be: 1) a King will take your sons, 2) a King will take your daughters and 3) a King will take your property. This of course describes slavery. The king would take for his own benefit without regard to the cost to the people he was ruling. This could have been seen and understood simply by looking at the nations around them. This could have been understood from Israel's own history and experience with Egypt. The prediction given in 1 Samuel 8 does not require the foreknowledge of God to understand. A good look at history would teach all the lessons here.

This is how we are when we want something. We become blind to the predictable consequences.

God describes the situation from his point of view in Isaiah 65:1-2.

The LORD says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name. All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes.”

The book of Proverbs chapter 8 (It is best if you turn to Proverbs for yourself on this one) personifies wisdom calling out to everyone and says:

¹Listen as Wisdom calls out!

Hear as understanding raises her voice!

²On the hilltop along the road,

she takes her stand at the crossroads.

³By the gates at the entrance to the town,

on the road leading in, she cries aloud,

⁴“I call to you, to all of you!

I raise my voice to all people.

⁵You simple people, use good judgment.

You foolish people, show some understanding.

Then in chapter 9 verse 12 it says, “If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.”

This predictability in life applies to so many different situations. I will list just a few as examples. The Bible warns us against so many things, but we want what we want and so we end up in slavery because we refuse to listen. We refuse to learn from history. We refuse to learn by observing those around us.

Example 1. Sex outside of marriage. God warns us against sex before marriage and sex outside of marriage. The consequences are many, varied and far-reaching. Psychological issues like trust and self-worth are involved. Social issues such as children, parenting and family are involved. Health issues such as disease and addiction are involved. I could go on, but I have other examples.

Example 2. Alcohol. God warns us about the abuse of alcohol. Proverbs 23:29-31 says:

Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks. Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.

One only has to look at the consequences of alcohol abuse in the world around us to know that it is a very serious problem. And yet, our world tends to mock teetotalers.

Example 3. Homosexual relations. God warns against it. God warns that a man should not look at a woman with lust in his heart. We are expected to turn our eyes. This applies to all sexual desires. God warns men and women against letting lust control them and/or acting on sexual desires outside of marriage. Sexual desires whether homosexual or heterosexual are to be under submission to God. The consequences for homosexual relations are much the same as for sex outside of marriage. However, we want what we want, and are blind to the consequences.

I could go on with examples. Should I talk about gluttony, greed, envy, malice, jealousy, gossip or strife?

On the other hand, perhaps I should talk about tithes and offerings. God encourages us to test his generosity, and see if he does not pay us back much more than what we give to him. Perhaps none of these examples speak to any issue in your life. However, I am certain that there are areas where your obedience to God is tested. There is a way for every person that seems right to that person, but it ends in death. (Proverbs 14:12)

We all face problems. We all want peace and prosperity. However, seeking to get these things our own way leads to predictable results. Going our own way leads to slavery and death. Moreover, if we insist, God is very practical. He will let us have our way.

This is what we see in 1 Samuel 8:19–22. In verse 22, God says, "Do as they say, and give them a king." As a background to this, we should say that God had told Samuel, "They don't want me to be their King any longer." (1 Samuel 8:7)

It is enlightening to hear what God has to say about this incident at the end of the time of the kings. Hundreds of years later, God speaks of this incident and says:

Now where is your king? Let him save you! Where are all the leaders of the land, the king and the officials you demanded of me? In my anger I gave you kings, and in my fury I took them away. (Hosea 13:10-11)

Notice especially that God says, "In my anger I gave you kings." The people got what they wanted. They may have even thought of that as a blessing. When they got their king, they celebrated and rejoiced. However, it was just as God said. Predictably, they ended up calling out to God for deliverance from the very king they had wanted.

God is very practical. He does not enslave us - he delivers us from slavery. He does not force himself on us - he invites us to himself. If we refuse him, he lets us have our own way.

Romans 1 teaches clearly on this subject. Romans 1:21 says, “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused." In the following verses, it says three times, “God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired.” These are found in verse 24, verse 26 and verse 28 of Romans 1. In summary, verses 29 through 31 say:

Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.

As we said, the things that happened to Israel happened as examples to us. To avoid their fate, it is such a simple thing. God tells us that we are blessed if we just put our trust in him. In John 14:1, Jesus told his disciples, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me."

This really is the answer. It is not in having a king. It is not in getting what we want. The good, acceptable and perfect way is the will of God.

Are you trusting Jesus for everything today?

[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

[ii] “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” Robert Robinson, 1757.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

God the King

1 Samuel 1-3[i]

Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt.

Joshua led the children of Israel in the conquest of Canaan.

After these two great men, came the period of time known as the time of the judges. During the time of the judges, Israel had no king. Their family ties, known as the 12 tribes, and the common place of worship, known as the tabernacle, were all that held them together as a nation.

Because of the tabernacle, the people of Israel shared a common priesthood. They all had the same high priest. The priesthood passed down through the line of Aaron. However, there were no direct successors to the leadership roles held by Moses and Joshua.

In the absence of strong leadership, the people's commitment to the Law of Moses and to God was not strong enough to hold them. They quickly turned to idol worship, child sacrifice and all manner of evil forbidden by the Law of Moses. Because of this rebellion, God would raise up peoples and nations who oppressed the people of Israel. This oppression caused the people of Israel to cry out to God for help and deliverance, and in response, God would raise up a leader, a judge, to deliver his people. This leader or judge would lead the people back to the Lord their God and as long as the leader lived, the people would remain faithful to God. However, after the leader was gone, the people quickly returned to their rebellious ways.

This period of Israel's history is known as the time of the judges. The pattern we just talked about is called the cycle of the judges. The book of Judges in the Old Testament tells the story of this period in Israel's history. Many Christians know the names of some of the famous judges. For example, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah and Samson are a few.

A man named Samuel was the last of these judges. The books of 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel tell the story of the establishment of a national political system ruled by a king.

The period of the judges demonstrated the inability or the unwillingness of people to follow God with a whole heart, or recognize God as their King. Two commands sum up the Law of Moses: 1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, 2) Love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus taught that these two commands encapsulate all the Law the Prophets.

The cycle of the judges of continual falling away, punishment and then renewal is consistent with how the human heart works. When God led the children of Israel out of Egypt through his servant Moses, he tested the people to see if they would follow his commands. At the end of his life, Moses gave a message to the people of Israel and said, "Remember how the LORD your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands." (Deuteronomy 8:2) This humbling and testing of the children of Israel over 40 years produced a history very similar to the cycle of the judges.

This cycle of falling away, punishment and renewal is repeated in individual lives as well. However, it is not true of everybody. The book of 1 Samuel begins with the story of a faithful man and his family. The man was a Levite and his name was Elkanah.

In Elkanah's family, we are introduced to a conflict between his two wives. 1 Samuel 1:6 tells us that Peninnah would taunt and make fun of Hannah. Because of this taunting, I assume that Peninnah was of an ungodly character. Because of her praying and seeking the Lord for help, I assume that Hannah was of a godly character. This conflict in Elkanah's family was mirrored in the leadership of the nation.

Eli was the high priest at that time. Eli seems to me to have been a godly enough man. However, his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were wicked. 1 Samuel 2:12 tells us that these sons of Eli had no respect for the Lord. They took from the Lord's offerings what was not theirs to take. They used their position as priests to take advantage of the young women who served at the entrance to the tabernacle.

Eli warned his sons saying, "I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good. If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?" (1 Samuel 2:23-25) However, he took no further action. Therefore, God sent a prophet to warn Eli that he must stop his sons’ evil behavior. In Chapter 2 verse 29, God asks a question, "Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me?" Then God warned of terrible punishments or judgments that would fall on Eli's family.

When we read the terrible judgments that were to befall the family of Eli, we must remember that they were entrusted with the leadership of the whole nation. This reminds me of the warning given to us in James 3:1, "Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly."

The root of the conflict in Eli’s family was a conflict between a commitment to God and a commitment to one’s own selfish motives. The same conflict was at the root of the conflict in Elkanah’s family. This choice between loving and obeying God and obeying self is at the root of the human cycle of the judges. The book of Judges sheds light on this problem with the statement, "In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes." (Judges 21:25)

God always reserves people that are faithful to him. Elkanah and Hannah were two such people. Hannah promised to dedicate her son to the Lord. When God gave her the son she requested, she named him Samuel which may mean “given of God” or “requested of God.” True to her promise, when Samuel was weaned Hannah took Samuel to the Tabernacle and dedicated him there to the Lord's service. Samuel lived in the Tabernacle as Eli's assistant from the time he was a small boy. (1 Samuel 1:24, 3:1)

Samuel grew up in much the same setting that Eli's two sons would have. However, Samuel was a completely different character. From the time he was a young boy, Samuel demonstrated his commitment to the Lord. 1 Samuel 2:11 says "And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest." Chapter 3 begins with the same words about Samuel serving the Lord. Where the Scriptures indicate that Eli sons were wicked, they indicate that Samuel served the Lord.

1 Samuel 3:1 also points out that "in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon." However, God chose to speak to Samuel. We are not told how old Samuel was at this time but he was apparently still quite young. The first word that Samuel received from the Lord was a repetition of the judgment pronounced by the man of God that we are told about in chapter 2. 1 Samuel 3:15 tells us that Samuel "was afraid to tell Eli what the Lord had said to him." But in spite of his fear, Samuel told Eli everything. What is more, “As Samuel grew up the Lord was with him and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable.” (1 Samuel 3:19)

God intervened and gave Hannah a son because she sought the Lord. God intervened and spoke to Samuel because he served the Lord. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” Whenever God sent a deliverer during the days of the judges, He would find a person whose heart was fully committed to Him.

Israel did not need a king. They had God. However, their hearts were not fully committed to Him. Samuel heard from the Lord, because his heart was fully committed to the Lord.

Would you like to be strengthened by the Lord?

Would you like to live your life free of the cycle of the judges?

The answer is quite simple. The Lord searches the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully His.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Love, the Best Way

1 Corinthians 13[i]

God is love. (1 John 4:8)

John 3:16 tells us God sent his Son into the world to save those who believe in him. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world. Rather, he sent his Son into the world to save the world. (John 3:17) However, John 3 ends with these rather ominous words, "And anyone who believes in God's Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn't obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God's angry judgment." (John 3:36)

I hear statements all the time to the effect that if God is a God of love, if God is love, then surely he will save all of humanity. This seems to make sense on the surface. If God can save me, then surely he can save anybody. John 3:36 and other similar Scriptures make it clear that God has not chosen to save everybody. There are many reasons for this. One of them is that love does not coerce or force itself to be reciprocated. In other words, while God loves all humanity, he forces no one to love him in return.

John 1:12 tells us, "But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God." From this, we understand that salvation is for those who believe. Those who believe become children of God, and are set apart from the rest of the world.

In the New Testament, these people are called the "ecclesia," which is translated "the Church." This word "ecclesia" is an interesting word. It literally means “those who are called out.” It derives the meaning of a gathering from the idea of the summoning of those who are gathered. It is consistent with the idea of God calling out a people for himself. The Church is the gathering of those whom God has called out or set apart for himself.

The Church is also known as his "Body."

As his Body, those called out and set apart, the Church has been given special gifts that set her apart from the rest of the world. These special gifts accompany salvation and are part of the work that God does in the hearts of his children.

1 Corinthians 12:28 lists some of these special gifts as expressed in the people who exercise them. It says, “Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

first are apostles,

second are prophets,

third are teachers,

then those who do miracles,

those who have the gift of healing,

those who can help others,

those who have the gift of leadership,

those who speak in unknown languages.

These gifts show the power of God and his working in and through his people, his children. Because of this, many people desire and seek after these gifts. As a matter of fact, 1 Corinthians 12:31 encourages us to seek after the most helpful gifts. However, these gifts are not the highest value for the Church. While these gifts are part of the tremendous riches we have in Christ Jesus, there is something even more important that we should seek to demonstrate with our lives.

1 Corinthians 12:31 says, "So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all."

What follows in chapter 13 is an explanation of this "way of life that is best of all."

In chapter 13, we see laid out for us the supremacy of love, the conduct of love and the permanence of love.

First, the supremacy of love.

Verses one through three speak of the supremacy of love. These verses speak of languages, prophecy, knowledge, faith and personal sacrifice. These are all important to the ministry and work of the Church. Without languages, we could not spread the gospel. Without prophecy, we could not understand what God is doing. Without knowledge, we would be as directionless as a ship without a rudder. Without faith and personal sacrifice, no work could be accomplished. These gifts listed here in these verses are essential to the life and ministry of the Church. However, these verses stress that without love these gifts are meaningless.

God is love, and we, his children, must seek to be like him.

But, what is love? If we are to live a life of love, what does it look like?

Verses four through seven speak of the conduct of love.

This is how love behaves. It is not so much a metaphysical definition of love; rather it is a demonstration of how love conducts itself. These verses say:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

God's love always seeks the good of the beloved. In other words, even when God hurts us, He hurts us for our good. Like a surgeon, who uses a knife to cut out cancer and hurts us badly in the process, God deals with sin in the lives of his children. However, we are not in the place of God to perform surgery on our fellow Christians. Therefore, as we exercise our gifts of knowledge or prophecy or of tongues we must be patient and kind, not demanding our own way. Because of our humanness, we cannot love perfectly as God loves, but we can seek the good of others, not looking out only for our own interests. We can consider others as more important than ourselves as is the command of Philippians 2:3&4.

Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge are all exceedingly useful gifts. God gives these gifts for the building up of his body, the Church. In seeking the good of our fellow believers, we desire to exercise our particular gift. However, this presents some challenges.

Verses 8 through 12 addresses the permanence of love.

Verse 8 says, "Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless."

It is necessary to stress that these gifts will become useless because each person can have a tendency to view his or her gift as being most important. Now, we would never say, "My gift is more important than your gift." However, we each have a unique view of the world. A person's particular giftedness shapes that person’s view of the world.

For example, a person with the gift of prophecy will have the tendency to view the world through the eyes of a prophet, while a person with the gift of helping others will have the tendency to view the world through the eyes of mercy. Both are necessary views, and both need each other. An application of the law without mercy may be a temptation for a person with the gift of prophecy. An application of mercy without proper respect for the law may be a temptation for the person with the gift of helping others.

In the church in Corinth, these differences had grown into conflicts. What is more, the believers there had developed pride in the exercise of their gifts. This pride in one's own particular gift can still be a problem today. There are deep divisions in the Church over the exercise and function of spiritual gifts. Some even go as far as to say that all believers should have their particular gift. 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 addresses this problem when it says:

Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not!

The author of Corinthians is working up to his conclusion. 1 Corinthians 14:1 says, "Let love be your highest goal!" In order to make this point, the author wants us to consider the temporary nature of many of the gifts. 1 Corinthians 14:9 says, "Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture!" Verses eight through 12 of chapter 13 stress the partial, incomplete and imperfect nature of our knowledge. Verses 10 and 12 are parallel in that they point to a future time when our knowledge will be perfected. This time of perfection will make the gifts of prophecy, languages, special knowledge, healing and other gifts useless. This is clearly talking about when Jesus returns and creates a new heaven and a new earth.

This is the great hope of the believer. Jesus promised that if he went away, he would come again to receive us to himself that we can always be with him where he is. There is great hope in 1 Corinthians 13:12. It says, "Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely."

There is a constant push and pull in church for resources, for time, for recognition and understanding. Because of the imperfect and incomplete nature of our knowledge and love, churches here on earth are imperfect places. This is why love is so necessary. Let's review again the conduct of love.

This conduct, this power of putting others before ourselves will last forever.

1 Corinthians 13 ends with the statement, "Three things will last forever – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love." God is love. Love is part of his character. Love is God's motivation for saving us, for giving us life and for being so patient with us. Since God is love, love will never end. It will always be useful. It will always be important. Special knowledge will not be special when everybody possesses it. It will be common. Prophecy will not be necessary when everybody already knows. However, we will still love each other.

At what cost do we insist on our own way?

At what cost do we lose patience or be unkind?

The "way of life that is best of all" is love.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Saved from the Power of Sin

Romans 8:9-17[i]

As believers in Jesus Christ, we have tremendous blessings that the world does not understand.

Last week we looked at the account of a Philippian jailer, who came to saving faith in Jesus Christ. When an earthquake caused all the doors of the jail to spring open, and all the chains fell off the prisoners, the jailer thought his life was over. He fell trembling before Paul and Silas and asked, "What must I do to be saved?"

What does it mean to be saved? What are we talking about when we talk about salvation? According to Google, the English word salvation means, "preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss."

When we as Christians speak about salvation, this meaning of the word is certainly part of what we are talking about. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and according to Romans 6:23, the consequence of this sin is death. Our deliverance from this ruin or loss is called salvation.

However, there is much more to salvation than this simple explanation covers. I like the explanation that we are saved from the penalty of sin, the power of sin and when we get to heaven, we will be saved from the presence of sin.

Today we are looking at Romans 8:9-17. In this passage, the apostle Paul explains some of what it means to be saved from the power of sin. It shows us some of the tremendous riches that we enjoy through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The first blessing we enjoy is that the Spirit of Christ lives in us. Romans 9:11 says, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you."

This truth is a source of hope, comfort and power.

First, Hope. Verse 9 says, "But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you." Being controlled by the Spirit does not mean that we do not sin anymore. Romans chapter 7 explains how there remains a struggle with the flesh. 1 John 1:8 is clear that if we say we no longer sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. However, Romans 8:12 tells us that we have no obligation to do what our sinful nature urges us to do. We know from John chapter 16 that the work of the Holy Spirit is involved in the conviction of sin. John 16:8 tells us, "And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment." In our lives as Christians, we experience this ministry of the Holy Spirit as he convicts us of our sin. A sign of the Holy Spirit's work is a consistent life of conviction and repentance. I am not talking about some sort of neurosis where we feel globally responsible for all that is wrong around us. Rather, there is a continual growth towards holiness as we are progressively freed from the power of sin.

The Spirit of God living within us is also a source of power. Romans 8:10 says, "And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God." This points to the fact that we will be raised from the dead, but it is not limited to this meaning. Ephesians 2: 4-5 says, "But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead."

He gave us life.

We were dead in trespasses and sins, but he gave us life.

This new spiritual life shows itself in our ability to discern spiritual truth. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means."

This hope and power resulting from the Spirit of God living within us is also a great source of comfort. In John 16, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Romans 8:11 says, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”

“He will give life to your mortal bodies.”

We have this treasure, God's Holy Spirit, living within us. The apostle Paul expresses it this way, "We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.” (2 Corinthians 4:7) This great truth of the hope and power living within us gives us the confidence that we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us.

This truth of the Spirit of God living within us is part of our salvation.

If we do not have the Spirit of God, we are not saved. Romans 8:9 tells us that if we do not have the Spirit of God we are not his. However, when we have the Spirit of God, we are children of God. This is the second great treasure that is part of our salvation that I want to look at today. Romans 8:14 says, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God."

The fact that we are children of God is a great source of freedom.

We have already mentioned verse 12 where it says, "You have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do." Romans 6 explains that at one time we were slaves to sin. Romans 8:13 says, "For if you live by its dictates…” “Living by its dictates” implies slavery. The natural man without the Spirit of God has no choice. Before we were children of God, we were slaves to sin. We were subject to the desires of our flesh. Rebelling, fighting or revolting is of no use against the sinful nature. There is only one source of freedom from this slavery, and that is salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. It comes as a result of being made children of God by the power of the Holy Spirit living within.

Romans 8:13 says, "For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live."

We are free to choose life.

We are set free from the deeds of the sinful nature. However, this verse says, "If through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature." Not one of us lives without sin. Therefore, what is it talking about when it says we are to put to death the deeds of our sinful nature?

Although we have no obligation to live according to the flesh, we still can choose to live according to the flesh. The Spirit of God gives us the power to put aside sin, but it takes our determination, our will, our strength to choose to live godly in Christ Jesus. This strength, determination and will power do not come from ourselves they are a gift of the Holy Spirit. Through faith, we rely completely on the Holy Spirit, but we strive to work out our salvation with all the strength God gives us. We love God with all our heart, soul and strength. We present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. We yield to the Holy Spirit, and seek to live in obedience to him. We have the freedom to do this because we belong to him.

We are no longer slaves.

This leads us to the third treasure that is ours because of salvation. "Together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory." This truth is a source of great confidence.

When we were slaves to sin, we were controlled by a spirit of great fear. The god of this world, Satan, the enemy of our souls, held us captive to the fear of death and subject to the weak passions of our mortal bodies. However, Romans 8:15 tells us that God adopted us as his own children.

We are not slaves.

We are his children, and as his children, we are his heirs.

Romans 8:15 also says that we now call him "Abba, Father." Psalm 25:4 says, "The LORD is a friend to those who fear him." Proverbs 3:32 says, “He offers his friendship to the godly.” That we should have such an intimate relationship with God is truly our greatest treasure. I love what Romans 8:31 says. "What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?"

This then is the confidence that we have because of our salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. "His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children." Ephesians 1:14 says, "The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people." God’s Spirit gives us confidence that we are saved. God’s Spirit gives us confidence that we are God's children. Do you experience the conviction of sin? Do you love the Word of God and feel nourished and encouraged by it? Do you desire to please God? Not one of these things is possible without the Spirit of God.

It is possible to fool people. In Matthew 7:15, Jesus says, "Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves."

In Galatians 2:4, we have an account of false brothers sneaking into a body of believers. That passage says, "Even that question came up only because of some so-called Christians there--false ones, really--who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus."

Because of these wolves in sheep's clothing, we must be vigilant. We have been given a great treasure that was purchased with the blood of Christ, a price beyond measure. There is a battle raging for souls. Our enemy, the devil, roams around like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour. False doctrines and bending of the truth are evidence of his working. This is why the Bible commands us to work hard to show ourselves approved unto God a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15) 1 John 4:3 says, “But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.”

This is my caution in regards to the confidence we have as believers. Any teaching or spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Son of God is not of God. Here is a summary of what we believe about Jesus:

We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus-Israel’s promised Messiah-was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.

It is faith in this person, Jesus Christ, that gives us salvation. The hope, power, comfort, freedom and confidence that we have are all part of the great treasure we have received in salvation.

Do you have the Spirit of God living within you?

Make sure of this today.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Beaten, Bruised and Singing

Acts 16:16-34[i]

Ephesians chapter 6, verse 12 tells us, "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

From this, we understand that we as believers are engaged in a spiritual battle. This battle can take many different forms. Depression, anger, and various emotional issues can have their source in spiritual struggles.

One thing we know about the evil one is that he is a liar. In John chapter 8 verse 44, Jesus tells us, "He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies."

When we first meet the devil in Genesis chapter 3, he tempts Eve to sin using a lie. This is his primary weapon. Ephesians 6 describes spiritual armor. In this description, we have a helmet protecting our mind called salvation. We have a sword; it is the word of God. We have a belt called truth. Much of the armor is dedicated to defending against the lies of the evil one.

As we might expect, the apostles and the early Church encountered spiritual opposition. Acts chapter 16 verses 16 through 34 gives an account in which we see an excellent example of how spiritual battles are fought and won. As we look at this account, we will find encouragement and strength for our daily lives.

The account begins, "One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a fortuneteller who earned a lot of money for her masters. She followed Paul and the rest of us shouting, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.’" (Acts 16:16-17)

Let me just take a moment here to say, we must expect the lie.

The evil one had been at work in the lives of the people of Philippi long before Paul and his companions arrived. This demon-possessed girl is evidence of this fact. Not only is there evidence of the work of evil spirits, but there is obvious greed at work. Humanity, without Christ, is not only deceived about the work of evil spirits, but often humanity eagerly embraces some forms of this work.

We must expect the lie. It is in the culture around us. It is at work in the lives of all who do not know Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:4 gives us a simple truth. It says, "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.” Satan blinds the minds of those who do not believe by getting them to believe lies. He inoculates them against the truth.

For example, Islam acknowledges that Jesus lived but not that he is God or that he rose from the dead. Islam recognizes that there is but one God, but denies the truth of the Trinity. Or, as another example, our culture in America preaches the fact that God loves everybody, but denies the consequences of sin, the existence of hell and the justice of God. Another lie that leads many astray is the teaching that all roads lead to God. This teaching would have us believe that Buddha, Mohammed, Jesus and others are all great teachers leading us to the truth. These are all lies formulated by the god of this world to blind the minds of those who do not believe.

The story continues as the text tells how this demon-possessed girl continued day after day with her shouting. Finally, Paul got so exasperated that he turned and commanded the demon to leave the girl.

The evil one is relentless and his attack is incessant. The slave girl was speaking the truth, but she was doing it in a way that would both disrupt and discredit the ministry of Paul and his companions.

Even today, the evil one works in much the same way. He will work to disrupt or discredit the ministry of the gospel. If he can distract us from the work, his purposes are accomplished.

Everything we have seen in the story so far points to the fact that the evil one works to stop the spread of the gospel. As we continue the story, we see physical opposition to the spread of the gospel. The slave girl’s owners make accusations against Paul and Silas. A mob forms against Paul and Silas, and the city officials have them severely flogged. Then they are thrown into prison and locked up with their feet in stocks.

This is physical opposition to the gospel, and it continues even to the present day. Throughout history, the evil one has sought to stop the spread of the gospel with physical opposition. Torture, imprisonment and even death have been and continue to be used.

To the human eye without faith, it appears that the evil one has won. Paul and Silas are locked up. However, let's consider their response.

In verse 25, we find Paul and Silas praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. This displays the confidence that we have through Jesus Christ our Lord. Although the devil may oppose us, we have certain victory in Jesus Christ.

Jesus assures us of his victory.

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (ESV) The rock that Jesus promises to build his Church on is the confession that Peter made that Jesus is the Christ the son of the living God. The gates of hell are all the opposition that the evil one has raised up against the knowledge of God.

What we see happening in Acts chapter 16 is a picture of how, in spite of all that the devil can throw up against the gospel, he cannot stop its spread. At the heart of the gospel message is the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. This is the foundation of the Church. The devil opposes this truth.

The Apostle John teaches us to recognize the lie of the evil one by checking what is said about Jesus. He says, “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.” (1 John 4:2-3)

Satan has built gates to stop the message and/or the messenger that would proclaim Christ. However, Jesus assures us of his victory. He said, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." 1 John 4:4 adds to this the following statement: “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (ESV)[ii]

It was this faith, this assurance of victory that was behind Paul and Silas singing through the night. They were beaten, bloody and bruised and yet their assurance of victory found them singing through the night. We should always be confident of this very thing that he who began a good work in us will perform it until Jesus Christ returns. (Philippians 1:6)

As we continue the story of acts chapter 16, we read that while Paul and Silas were singing, suddenly there was a massive earthquake. The doors of the prison burst open. The chains of every prisoner fell off. The jailer, thinking all the prisoners had escaped, pulled out his sword to kill himself.

At this point, we should add an explanation of the jailer's behavior. The jailer was entrusted with prisoners and his only job was to produce the prisoners when the prisoners were called for. If the prisoners were not produced, the jailer's life was forfeit. It was a simple and effective way to prevent prisoners escaping. However, in the case of Paul and Silas, this system failed, but none of the prisoners escaped. The locked doors and chains no longer held any of the prisoners. Only the power of God kept them in the jail, and so they all remained in their cells as if the doors were still locked.

Against the power of God, the powers of darkness do not stand a chance. The grave could not hold Jesus. The prison and the chains could not hold Paul and Silas. In the case of Jesus, when he was going to the cross, he could have called an army of angels to deliver him but he went willingly to his death in order to accomplish the purposes of God. In the case of Paul and Silas, God did not have to let them be arrested, but in order to save the jailer and his family, God allowed them both to be beaten and jailed.

The world may think the church is beaten, and that there is no hope for Christians. However, "Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)

When the jailer realized that the prisoners were still there, he was overcome by the revelation of the power of God. He thought his life was over, but it was miraculously saved by the prisoners remaining in their cells. Notice his reaction. He ran to the dungeon and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. His first question was, "What must I do to be saved?"

Remember, the slave girl had told everybody that these were the servants of the most high God and that they were telling them how they must be saved. Until this jailer saw the power of God displayed, he put no confidence in the words of the slave girl. However, God used a miraculous display of his power to open the eyes of the jailer. The blindness of mind was removed.

Their reply was simple. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." (Acts 16:31) This is the truth that Peter confessed when he said, "You are the Christ the son of the living God." This is the foundation upon which the Church is built. And, this is the power that overcomes the evil one.

1 John 5:4-5 tells us, “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Paul and Silas overcame by faith. Their faith was displayed in their singing in the middle of the night. You and I will overcome by faith. Have confidence that whatever we encounter, the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world.

[ii] Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.