Sometimes it may seem that we spend too much time refuting falsehood. All of us are chagrined at the preponderance of error both within and without the Church. We may write off those who attempt to combat it and set forth the truth in clarity over against it as “heresy hunters.” The term is used pejoratively; but should it be? Take a quick look at the Books of the New Testament, merely scratching the surface, and see what you think.
It is good for me that I was afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
Psalm 119:71
How many times have I stood by the bedside of a sick church member and read these words? This past week God has given me a fresh perspective on them and I am praying I will be a better learner because of it.
I am grateful for everyone who has communicated with me to tell me they were praying for us this past month. Our Lord had very different plans for me than I had a month ago and evidently is not finished with my tutelage just yet. Feel free to skip this particular posting and move on to some of Jay’s articles but, for the sake of those who have inquired, indulge me while I recount some of the events of the past month.
Babylon in Scripture is the epitome of wickedness, idolatry, and gross indulgence of every kind. No wonder when the Lord pictured Rome in the Book of Revelation, he called it by its code name Babylon. Peter, writing from Rome, did the same.
The exhortation everywhere—whether it be in the Old Testament when speaking of literal Babylon, or in the New when using the code—is “Come out of her!” When God was through using her to punish His people, He warned against remaining in Babylon. God’s people belonged in the holy land once the seventy-year captivity was finished. They no longer had any reason to remain in Babylon! The tragedy is that some stayed!
There are fascinating developments in store for every true believer. Some of them occur in this life; they will occur to all Christians in the life to come. Ours is not a “dull, somber, uneventful, faith.” It is an exciting one—even now—if and when you enter into it with fullness and determination.
“What does that mean?”
It means that you don’t play Christian; you live your faith. It means that you get excited whenever you discover some new truth in the Scriptures. But, of course, that doesn’t happen if you aren’t studying them. It means that you are thrilled when a relative or a neighbor to whom you have witnessed professes faith in Christ. But, of course, that doesn’t happen unless you witness. It means that your heart is warmed to see that couple who were at each other’s throats come back together in loving care and concern because you counseled them. But, of course, that doesn’t happen unless you counsel people.
“In other words, unless we understand, believe, and do what Christians ought to know, trust Him to bless our lives, and do what He commands, there will be no joy to our faith?”
You’ve got it. If your Christian experience isn’t challenging, exciting, interesting—something’s seriously missing. So, get with it, Christian. As James says, we are “blessed in the doing”(James 1:25c).
Luke makes it clear that the reason why more Jews in Berea believed than those in Thessalonica is because, being noble in their attitudes, instead of arguing, they searched the Scriptures daily to see whether the things that Paul said were true (Acts 17:11-12).
This is an important fact that every Christian should remember—whenever you can get people to earnestly search the Scriptures as the Bereans did to see if the message you present is true, you will probably begin to see converts .
Don’t settle for telling people about your experience; get them checking up on what you say in their Bibles. It is the through the hearing of the Word that people are saved.
Notice, they didn’t search to see where Paul was wrong, but for where he was right. That was why they were called “noble.”
Jonathan Edwards made many interesting comments, one of which was that
God puts a final and fatal end to the typical state of the Jews, and all things appertaining to it, blots out all of those types at once, and wipes them clean away, and poured the utmost contempt upon them, and covered them with the most dreadful darkness, and destroyed, as by one great fatal, and final blow that whole typical world . . .
That’s strong language!
But why would he say such things?
Because not only is it true, but it is the most powerful statement I know of the truth that Jesus and his spiritual church constitute the true reality to which the types and shadows pointed, and that to attempt to reconstruct any of them in any form today is not only to insult Him, but to hide the reality in the shadows.
Following up on my comments about “feelings” as a guide, I’d like to make one other point.
When I taught in the doctoral program at Westminster West, there were students—pastors, I should note—who would ask, “Prof., what do you feel about so and so?”
Often, to make the point, I’d say (with a smile), “Lousy.” Or, if the response seemed appropriate, “Great!”
Invariably, they’d go on to say something like, “No, you don’t understand. What I’d really like to know is what you feel about. . .” entirely missing my point, or unable to express themselves in any other way.
So, I’d continue, “You got my feelings. I’d like to give you my opinion, or belief, or conviction. But what you asked for is feelings.”
People today use weak language—pastors ought to be the last to do so. No one ever nailed another to the door for expressing his feelings. It’s when you state your convictions that they do!
When pastors are willing to speak in such a weak, namby-pamby way, no wonder the members of their congregations have few, if any, strong convictions. Let’s learn TO STAND UP AND PLAINLY DECLARE WHAT WE BELIEVE OR—BETTER STILL—WHAT GOD SAYS!
My thanks and gratitude to everyone who has prayed for me these past several weeks and for your thoughtful communications to Sandy and me. I am scheduled for another “stint” in the hospital tomorrow to have one more “stent” installed. It is scheduled to be just a one night stay. I will probably be out of pocket for several more days after that. If you have communicated with us and have not received a reply please know you are not being ignored. I hope to be back at my desk working through the backed up e-mail by July 1.
My cardiologist impressed upon me the great grace of God toward me through all this. He told me that had it not been for the quick and professional work of the paramedics my heart attack would have “taken me out.” Instead, he reports that there was little damage done and all should be well if I behave myself and lose some significant weight.
All through the ages, God’s people have failed to remember the goodness of God and have complained about the trials that they face at the moment. God redeemed Israel from Egypt, but in a time of trial, they groaned about the manna and wanted to go back to the leeks and garlic of Egypt!
Imagine—preferring garlic over angels’ food (Psalm 78:25)! Did you ever drive through the garlic fields of California? Well, if you haven’t, should you ever do so you’ll know that they’re somewhere ahead of you even before you get to them!
Now, leeks are a different matter. I’ve eaten leek soup in Ireland that was magnificent! But garlic—? In exchange for manna?
No, I don’t know what manna is like; and neither do you. Sure it was white, looked like coriander seed—but when it’s said to be angel’s food, that’s enough for me.
At any rate, we tend to become ungrateful as well as forgetful of God’s past mercies when we face trials. But, consider how God dealt with these complaining Israelites: Christian, read 1 Corinthians 10 again slowly when you have an opportunity. You can’t help getting a whiff of the garlic when you do. If you’re complaining, remember what you’re asking for—”send me back to the garlic fields!”
Can you give me even one good reason?
“No, I don’t need reasons—I just feel it’s so.”
That short exchange might take place many times a day between Christians. But it never should.
You may be wondering what the subject is that the two parties are discussing. It doesn’t really matter. I left it out for a good reason—to show the bare outlines of the issue.
The issue being, of course, how we know anything about God to be true or false.
There is no biblical precedent for basing the truth or the falsehood of any belief upon how one feels; yet many do so.
Do you know what a church is?
“Why, of course. It’s that building down the street where people go to worship God.”
Wrong.
“Wrong?”
The building is where the church meets. In biblical terms, the church is a group of people that God has made His own by the work of Christ on the cross.
There is a sort of legalistic view that misunderstands and, therefore, misapplies the doctrine of predestination by failing to allow for human agency. It turns out to be very close to fatalism.
I’m talking about the sort of teaching that says, “Well you’ve got to find the right girl (fellow)—the one God has for you. If you don’t, you’ll be in misery the rest of your life for having missed out on “God’s perfect will” for you. You will be saddled with a second rate existence as the result.”
You see, there just isn’t any such thing in Scripture as “missing out on God’s perfect will.”
Here’s another 3:16′er for your 3:16 list:
Nevertheless, let us walk on the same level that we have attained.
Philippians 3:16
When you go to church; when you study your Bible; when you learn a biblical truth from a brother of sister, it should change your life.
This verse follows up one in which Paul says that God will help you learn what you don’t already know. But, nevertheless—even though you may not know many things—don’t be so much concerned about them as about the ones that you do already know.
The verse says
Great wisdom from one who followed it!
On Webmail there’s a section called “trash” and another called “junk mail.”
I wonder, if God were to classify some of our communications to Him would many of them be placed under headings like those?
We know about the Pharisee and the Publican. The former asked God to propitiate him—which He did through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The latter we are told prayed with himself. His prayer wasn’t even a prayer—he was telling God how good he was. His prayer was like a balloon that got stuck on the ceiling, and never reached any further height. It was junk mail and deserved to be trashed. When Jesus said that he prayed with himself, He was saying precisely that—what he said was junk and He trashed it.
How much of your communication deserves a similar destination?
Many of the problems that a counselor is called upon to face are the direct result of the failure of churches to exercise church discipline as it is set forth by the Lord in Matthew 18:15ff. When pastors and elder boards think that they know better than Jesus about how to run His church, trouble always ensues.
Then, when other remedies prove unsatisfactory, the counselor who eventually is called upon to solve problems, and wants to do so biblically, finds his task far more difficult and complex than it would have been if Christ had been obeyed in the first place. Everyone would have been spared much agony and the Lord would have been honored.
How about that problem person you’ve been concerned about? Is church discipline called for? If so, don’t fail to exercise it—Jesus promised to be in your midst when you do.