Regular Tests

“Now these are the nations which the Lord left, that He might test Israel by them.” Judges 3:1

With each generation of Israel, the Lord sent a test to see “whether they will keep the ways of the Lord, to walk in them …, or not” (Judges 2:22, cf. 3:4). Ever since God breathed life into Adam this has been the way of the Lord. No generation, Jew or Gentile, may live by the faith of their parents (although there are great advantages in having believing parents). Each person, each nation, each generation will be tested. The book of Judges records various groups in Israel being tested.

Chapter one of Judges reveals Israel’s failure to perform all that the Lord had commanded. It would appear that they failed because they lacked faith in the Lord and did not persevere in the task given. From God’s perspective we discover in Judges 2:20 -3:4 that the Lord left the ungodly nations in order to test Israel.

The professing church is facing a similar test today. We are being tested by the ungodly to reveal whether we will hold fast to and obey the word of the Lord, or not (3:4). Testing is a good thing; without it many might go through life believing their eternal destiny was heaven when in fact it was not. I have heard many testimonies of people who had believed they were Christians but on hearing a faithful Gospel presentation discovered that they had been “Christian” in name only.

This current test is revealing a division among professing Christians; between those who believe God’s word and those who do not. The tares and the wheat are being exposed by their fruit in preparation for the harvest when a complete separation will be effected. Following that separation the Lord will remove His true Church from the earth in readiness for the outpouring of His wrath on the whole earth.

In His prayer the Lord prayed to the Father, “They were yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word,” “I have given them Your word” and “Sanctify them by Your Word” (John 17:6, 14, 17). That which separates true believers from merely professing believers is their faith in the words of Jesus expressed in their own words and actions. Those who deny the words of Jesus, and thereby call Him a liar, cannot possibly be His disciples.

Each generation must be tested to expose false profession and reveal the truly born of God. That is what we are observing today.

Partakers of His Holiness

“God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten.” Hebrews 12:7

The men and women of the Old Testament have parts of their lives recorded for us as witnesses to us of God’s ways and the sinful nature within us. This is for our benefit not amusement. The key phrase in chapter eleven is “By faith.” Their experiences were as diverse as ours will be. We should never expect that God will take us along the same disciplinary path as someone else or that they will travel the same disciplinary path as us.

God’s grace may also be revealed in quite different ways. For some the grace of God in response to their believing His word brought about wonderful and miraculous miracles (11:33-35a). For others God’s grace in response to their believing His word brought horrendous trials, suffering and persecution (11:35b-38) but He delivered them out of them all. Under threat of fiery furnace Daniel’s three friends said, “… our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us from your hand” (Daniel 3:16-18). Whether by burning or preservation they knew they would be delivered from the King’s hand.

The writer exhorts us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us.” Anything that drags us back from realising God’s purpose, revealed in 12:10, should be cast off. The sin that so easily ensnares us is no mystery. This whole part of Hebrews deals with it. If believing God’s word is faith then unbelief is the sin that turns us from faith. The fact is that we become ensnared in the sin of unbelief all too easily and may thereby invoke a disciplinary action from God. This action demonstrates that we have a special Father – son relationship with Him. The absence of it may seem good but it may also reveal that we are not sons of God.

There is a huge consequence to us individually and corporately (church) when we do not take God at His word and act upon it. Matthew tells us this consequence: “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58).

Ignorance of God’s word will produce the same effect but love for Jesus will compel us to study the Bible for ourselves. No one enjoys discipline even though the outcome is good. We also know that discipline can be avoided if we study God’s word, believe it and act upon it (the evidence that we believe it).

God’s wonderful purpose in this is that His holy Divine Nature given to us (2 Peter 1:4; Hebrews 12:10) may be worked out in our experience for His glory. The O.T. record shows us many examples of God achieving this in the lives of men and women just like us.

“Behold Your Mother!”

“Then [Jesus] said to the disciple [John], ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.” John 19:27

When Jesus spoke these caring words to John he was already nailed to the cross and suffering excruciatingly from that cross and events leading up to it. We are not told how or when Joseph had died but from this passage it is clear that Jesus had assumed responsibility sometime before this for His mother’s care and well being. In Paul’s letter to Timothy Paul writes concerning the care of believing widows and the responsibility a son has for his widowed mother. He writes that it is unthinkable that Christians would not care for their ageing parents (1 Timothy 5:8). After all, it is an aspect of the fifth commandment!

It appears that Jesus was not just asking John to look after Mary until she could get back to her other sons in Galilee. He was commanding John to treat Mary as he would his own mother and Mary was to relate to John as her own son – indefinitely. At this time none of Jesus’ half-brothers believed that He was the Son of God and Israel’s Messiah. That would come later but for now they seemed to have little interest in His teaching or what was happening in His life.

Jesus wanted to ensure that a godly man was caring for His mother. That John was chosen ahead of other disciples may be for several reasons. John referred to himself as “the disciple whom [Jesus] loved” (v 26) so there was already a very special bond between Jesus and John and most likely between Mary and John also.

The society and culture in which we live is quite different but the principle remains the same. We have a privilege and a responsibility to care for our parents when they are unable to do so themselves and especially our widowed mothers (1 Timothy 5:8; John 19:26-27). As a church body we have the privilege of being able to care for them according to their need. Paul writes that we should honour such mothers by caring for them (1 Timothy 5:1) just as Jesus provided for His mother’s care even while on the cross.

There are several places in the Bible where we are told that the Lord will care for the fatherless and widows (cf. James 1:27; Psalm 146:9). The church is Christ on earth and is therefore His heart, arms and legs to minister to the need of believing widows when family is unable or unwilling to do so. The church is the “John” to the widowed mother without believing children. The application of that caring may be as varied as there are widowed mothers. We honour and reveal Jesus Christ in the world when we apply His example.

No Chocolate Soldiers, Please!

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” 2 Timothy 2:3

It might be easy for us to incorrectly apply this verse if we do not take it in context. The previous two verses set the context and the following verse gives us application.

The context is that we are recipients of God’s grace in Christ Jesus (v 1). We have received the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ but it is not a gift for us only. It is for the whole world (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2). Having received such a gift Paul expects that our reasonable service is to be faithful in telling others that they too may be recipients of the same gift. This will require “hardship.” Jesus expects that we will suffer the hardship of persecution because we go in His name (John 15:20). He has sent us into the world to make disciples of Himself (Matthew 28:19-20) and Paul expresses that in verse two in this passage.

Mature men, faithful to Jesus Christ, will disciple and teach spiritually younger men who demonstrate faithfulness to Christ. In this context Paul writes that such mature faithful men will persevere and endure as a soldier does in the heat of battle. He won’t retreat no matter how great the hardship. Those who retreat in the face of persecution or hardship demonstrate that they are not faithful soldiers of Christ (Luke 14:25-27). They are chocolate soldiers who melt away when the heat comes. That we are chocolate soldiers is perhaps confirmed by the fact that we do not sing songs like “Soldiers of Christ Arise” and Onward, Christian Soldiers” anymore. We are focussed more on self preservation than conquering the enemy.

In verse four Paul gives one reason chocolate soldiers melt away. They have a priority greater than serving Jesus Christ. They are too much in love with this world and seek to please themselves rather than pleasing the Lord Jesus. Paul writes that Christians are “enlisted” in Christ’s army (v 4). When we surrendered to Jesus Christ He enlisted us in His army to serve and please Him. The benefits of citizenship oblige us to protect that citizenship.

We live in a world made up of many spectators and few participants. It is similar on the battle field these days. A few men are fighting but multitudes watch on television and make comments of praise or criticism. This is not how the Lord intended His church to be. All who have received His grace gift of eternal life are enlisted to turn away from the affairs of this life and to serve Him in His affairs; that is, making disciples regardless of the heat of battle. No chocolate soldiers in Christ’s church, please!

In 100 Years

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” Matthew 16:25, 26

We make many, many choices every day but rarely do we take a good look at the basis on which we make them. Many choices may seem to have little consequence but that may be to underestimate the effect that a choice may have in the long run and on other people.

Paul writes that anything that our sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory we will experience in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:18). Earthly things are passing away and all that will remain is that which is eternal. The two are so far apart as not to be worthy of comparison.

In the passage above Jesus affirms that worldly treasure is only for a moment but eternal treasure is forever. It is an absurdity for a person to disregard an eternal possession (Ephesians 1:11, 14, 18) for one that will die with our bodies.

King David did make a comparison in Psalm 37 but as we read the Psalm it becomes quite evident that he realises there is no comparison. Those who choose ungodliness will lose everything for which they laboured but those who trust the Lord (v 3), delight in the Lord (v 4), commit their way to the Lord (v 5), rest in the Lord (v 7) and wait on the Lord (vv 9, 34) will have an eternal inheritance (v 18). The two destinies are not worthy of comparison.

There is no relationship that is worthy of comparison with that which we have with Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “If any one comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). Elsewhere we are commanded to love others especially our parents, spouse and children but what He is saying to us in this passage is that the love we have for them is not worthy to be compared with the love we have for Him. The reason for the disparity is who He is relative to whom our family members are.

When we make our myriad of choices during the course of the day it will be helpful to us to always have in the back of our minds whether we are choosing for the short term or eternity. We might ask ourselves, “What will it matter in 100 years? What will be the eternal consequence of that choice?” That might help us in the decision process.

The Menial and the Miraculous

“Fill the water pots with water” John 2:7

Our fallen nature usually wants us to do something of importance that will engender the praise of men or of God. At this wedding, to which Jesus’ family and His disciples had been invited, the supply of wine had been exhausted. Jesus’ mother Mary seems to have had some authority at this wedding and told the servants to do whatever Jesus asked of them.

The need was for wine but Jesus asked them to fill pots with water. The servants could not supply wine but they could supply water. They could have ridiculed Jesus because the master of the feast would get upset if his servants filled the drinking vessels of his guests with water. But the servants did as Jesus asked. The question for us is, “Would I draw water when wine is needed?” We would prefer to perform the miracle rather than the ordinary.

In all the sign miracles recorded in John’s Gospel Jesus asked someone to do what they could with what they had. Then He performed a miracle. The nobleman was told to go home and he would find his son alive (4:50). A man with an infirmity was asked to get up and walk (5:11). To feed 5,000 men plus women and children the disciples were asked to seat everyone (6:10). The disciples had only to let Jesus into their boat for a storm to cease (6:21). At Lazarus’ tomb they were asked to remove the stone and when they did so Lazarus emerged (11:39).

When our eyes are fixed on the need rather than on Jesus we might respond by trying to provide the ultimate need ourselves. We want to supply wine when we only have water. We should expect that He will ask us to do the ordinary thing, the unglamorous thing, something anyone could do, like filling pots with water, so that he can do the miraculous, that which we cannot do. Anyone can roll a stone aside but only He can give life.

It will be well for us when we are able to discern the subtleties of pride in our hearts. We need to be careful that we don’t confuse His role with ours. As servants of the Lord Jesus Christ we have the privilege of assisting others to look to Him. Anything that causes others to look at us will be a stumbling block and a loss for them. We can live Christ and share Christ but only Christ can give new life.

Eagerly Waiting

“We ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we are saved for this hope … we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” (Romans 8:23, 24, 25)

If Paul could visit our contemporary Christian Church he would probably be terribly grieved in his heart. So few of us know what he really meant. We have little or no experience of what it is to eagerly wait for Christ’s coming and the new creation and neither do we “groan” under the weight of sin, decay and death in the world.

The things that many of us seem to be eager about today is our boy/girl friend, prospective marriage partner, career, super and retirement, or the next holiday to see the world.

Paul says that this world groans to “be delivered from the bondage of decay” and that it “groans and labours with birth pangs.” Both people and the physical world we live in are “groaning” under the weight of evil and degradation more than ever.

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). It would seem that the hearts of many Christians are not eagerly waiting for Christ’s return and for the new heavens and a new earth. For many our treasure is earthly and not heavenly. Millions are still going into eternity without having the opportunity to even hear the Gospel. They are dying in natural disasters, wars, famines and through sickness, many while still children, but our concern is more focussed on our own comfort and well being. We hoard so we can live comfortably in retirement. We build “barns” to hold our ever increasing material goods, we worry about our earthly investments with only a modest thought to heavenly investments.

We have become replicas of Jonah who refused to take God’s message to Nineveh preferring they perish without God’s grace rather than that he obey the Lord and warn them of the judgment and destruction to come.

We are not called to change the world by argument or force. We are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ and prepare them for His invitation to “Come up here.” Heaven is being with Jesus.

If Jesus were to come to you and say, “Come up” would you falter or would you eagerly press into His presence?

You have answered the question in your heart. If there was a “what about …” or “who would care for …” or any other thought other than “lets go” then your treasure is on earth and you are not “eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of your body.”

You can do something about that.

A Word in our Mouth

“I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist” Luke 21:15

Jesus is answering the disciples’ question regarding the timing and sign of His Second Coming. As He describes the nature of the last days before His return He knows those who will be waiting for Him will need encouragement in the face of great opposition and extreme persecution.

The context tells us that Jesus is speaking of a situation that will eventuate in the future of Israel and the world in the time of the great tribulation and that He is speaking primarily to believing Jews. In verse twelve we read Jesus’ words, “they will lay their hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.” Unbelieving Jews will also persecute believing Jews just as they did to Jesus and also as Saul did to the Jews before Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus.

This future period of time appears to be something to fear and something that will harm the cause of Christ yet in the next verse we read that it is quite the opposite; “But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.” Just as Paul was imprisoned and found it an opportunity to witness, believing Jews in the tribulation will also find it an opportunity to witness. The other apostles and many believers since Pentecost have discovered the same reality and opportunity.

While no one would seek to be in this position it has, is and will occur to true followers of Jesus. Just as they persecuted Jesus they will persecute His followers. How will they turn such a terrible situation into an opportunity to be faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ?

Jesus says that believing Jews won’t have to worry about what they say. He will give them the right words at the right time. They will be words that come out of the One who is called Wisdom in Proverbs. Just as those who opposed and persecuted Jesus had no answer to His words those who oppose His people will have no answer to the words He will give His disciples during the tribulation.

Does this have any application to Christians today? Most assuredly! The principle stands even if the specific context does not. Just as the Lord put words in the mouths of the prophets (cf. Jeremiah 1:9; Isaiah 51:16) He does similar for Christians. Christians throughout the centuries and have found Him faithful in this regard. In the book of Acts we read some of the early occasions in the lives of Peter and Paul.

This does not need to be an unusual occurrence in the life of Christians and we should not be surprised when it happens. The Holy Spirit is the One given to help and who, leads and teaches us. He even helps us in prayer when we do not know how to pray (Romans 8:26). There is a need for caution however as we read that in just one conversation Peter spoke both from the Father and from Satan (Matthew 16:16-18; 22-23).

There is only one condition that Jesus gives and it is recorded at the end of verse twelve, “… for My name’s sake.” The qualification is that we are about His mission and not our own; that we are serving His interests and not our own; that we are walking in close intimacy with Him subject to His will to glorify His name and not our own.

Liberty in Leaving All

“So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple” Luke 14:33

This verse is the third reason in this passage that Jesus says prevents one from being His disciple. The first is in verse twenty six where He demands supreme love. Since we are commanded to love our spouse, our parents, our children, other Christians and even our enemies Jesus is surely not saying that we should actually hate them. What He is saying that if we really are a disciple of His our first and greatest love will be easily seen to be Him (cf. Revelation 2:4). An aspect of this love will be to love others as we are often told but it will leave an observer in no doubt that He has the absolute pre-eminence. Anything else is idolatry and rebellion against the first commandment (Exodus 20:3; Matthew 22:37)

The second reason that prevents a person being a disciple of Jesus is that they have other loyalties. Jesus demands supreme loyalty. Anyone who has ambitions of their own has not taken up their “cross.” Taking up one’s cross means to die to one’s own ambitions and will. Not my will but His will is the way of life. It is possible to give the appearance of dying to self without giving loyalty to Jesus. It is cloaked in terms like, “I am doing this for Jesus.” No, you are doing it for the praise of others and the feeling that you are doing good and merit Jesus’ “Well done.” I have heard many testimonies of people who started out this way only to realise later that the Lord was withholding blessing because their motive was wrong.

The third reason why a person may not be a disciple of Jesus is that they are held captive by materialism. The wealth is not the issue but the attachment to it is. Even a relatively poor person can be held captive by material possessions. Jesus came to set the captive free so a disciple is one who is experiencing supreme liberty by not being held captive to temporal possessions or the admiration of others. It is this liberty that makes him free to obey Jesus in any matter. When one knows this liberty in Jesus Christ he will not be held captive to anyone or anything else and is therefore His disciple.

The three excuses for not attending the wedding in the parable preceding this passage (vv 18-20) seem to parallel the three reasons for refusing to be a disciple of Jesus. They all had other priorities that might be considered legitimate and reasonable but they all displaced supreme love and loyalty for Jesus and liberty in Jesus. The things that prevent a person being a disciple may not be evil or wrong in themselves but they become that when they displace Jesus as Lord. We need to be careful that we do not deceive ourselves on any of these points and thereby disqualify ourselves from being a disciple of Jesus. We do want to be profitable servants of his so let us serve with Jesus following His direction and lead and not trying to do something of our choosing for Him.

Let Your Light Shine

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:16

The above statement was made by Jesus just after teaching His disciples what we now call The Beatitudes. We have a tendency to read this and similar teachings of Jesus as if they were a standard for us to strive to attain. However I believe that is not the real purpose. Like the commandments of God they are also a description of the general attitude and attributes of one who is born of God and walking in the Spirit. They are also a partial description of our Creator.

If we struggle with attaining these it may be because we are trying to live the Christian life without Christ and the Holy Spirit. This is quite impossible and absurd in the light of Jesus’ teaching (i.e. John 15:5; Colossians 1:27).

The Beatitudes are a partial description of one who is a true disciple of Jesus Christ (Luke 14:25-33). They are divided into two main categories: four passive personal qualities and four active social qualities. These qualities will characterise the true disciple of Jesus but mimicking the qualities will not make a person a disciple of Jesus.

In brief, true disciples will know that they are bankrupt spiritually apart from Jesus Christ. They know beyond any shadow of doubt that they have nothing to commend themselves to God.

True disciples mourn over sin whether it is their own, that of family, the church, governments or sin generally. They find no pleasure in sin and are broken hearted over the destruction to lives that sin brings with it. They are especially grieved that it keeps loved ones from a personal relationship with God.

True disciples maintain a disciplined control of their lives even when provoked. Meekness is not weakness.

True disciples have a genuine love for God’s righteousness and this is expressed in their love for His words and commandments (cf. Psalm 119).

True disciples will demonstrate loving kindness toward others; they will demonstrate holiness from a clean heart; they will “do the work of an evangelist” endeavouring to reconcile lost souls to God; just as Jesus did not complain on the cross they will not complain at adversity and persecution that will accompany a godly life in a fallen world.

The Beatitudes are a means by which we can renew our minds and discern whether our thinking and attitudes are from Christ in us or from sin. When we allow the Holy Spirit to manifest the life of Christ in us, of which the Beatitudes reveal some attributes, we will be a light that shines among men that will glorify our Father in heaven. He is glorified because they are also attributes of our Father in heaven.

Footnotes

"Following in the Footsteps of the Master"

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