What God Delights In

“His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.” (Psalm 147:10–11)

Think about the kind of people who the world admires – who they esteem.  Usually, it is based on things like:

• The size of their house
• The type of car they drive
• The money they earn
• The position they hold
• The title they have

Or it might be based on their abilities, giftings, or accomplishments in sports or music or technology or some other field. 

We have admiration for people like Lisa Carrington who has now taken out 5 gold medals for New Zealand (she is now Dame Lisa Carrington by the way), and Nico Porteous, our second only gold medallist at a Winter Olympics.  And rightly so, they showed incredible athletic skill. But those are not the kind of people God esteems, or at least, they would not be the reasons he would esteem them.

When a person of high esteem like the Prime Minister or the President of the United States or someone of Royalty walks into the room, everyone pays attention. There is instant recognition and respect.  And that is right and good.  But it would not be for those reasons that God would value and esteem such people.  When God sees someone in a high position or who is very successful, it does not excite him at all.  God already owns everything, so having expensive things mean very little to Him. He also has absolute power, so power or position or title means nothing.

No, he finds great delight in those who fear and trust Him.

• Those who know their own weakness and acknowledge his strength
• Those who mistrust their own judgment and follow his Word
• Those who stand in awe of his wisdom, power and love

He gets excited about those kinds of people.  He becomes animated they look to him in faith and say, “Lord, I need thee every hour.”  That is what excites and thrills God – not human cleverness, power and skill.

I don’t know about you, but I find that quite liberating.  In a world where we are always feeling like we need to perform and “better ourselves” in some way, it is comforting to know that God accepts us the way we are – medal or no medal, title or no title and what impresses him is simple faith and trust in his goodness, power and grace.  He loves it when we lean on him. 

I like the way Joseph Caryl puts it:

“All the strength, beauty and ability of a man are nothing to God compared to a gracious, honest and humble soul.”

I could not have said it better.

Standing Firm in Difficult Times

One of the unique things human beings have over other creatures is the ability to walk upright on two feet.  It’s something many of us take for granted – until that moment when we slip or fall.  In less than a second our sense of security vanishes as we lose our footing; a wave of panic comes over us, we feel the rush of adrenalin through our bodies and our muscles tense as we brace for impact. 

That’s not just true in the physical realm; it’s also a reality in the realm of faith.  The unexpected occurs, our spiritual “feet” start slipping and we lose our stability.  If we don’t regain our balance, doubt, discouragement and despair sink in.

Right now we are being tested as believers.  We have just endured two years of government mandates and mask-wearing and social distancing.  The cost of living has gone up but our quality of living has taken a dive.  People are frustrated and weary.  Then we look at the horror that is taking place on in Ukraine and it feels like the world is falling apart. 

It’s at these times we need a strong anchor, a firm foundation.  And we find that in God’s Word.   When we find ourselves in the midst of difficulty and it feels as if life is falling apart, there are things we need to know about God, things we need to know about mankind, and things we need to know about the gospel.

1. Things we need to know about God

There are three unshakable truths about God that will help you stand firm in days of difficulty. The first is:

1. God is good – he is gracious to the undeserving

In Psalm 103 we find these words:

¹ My soul, bless the Lord,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
² My soul, bless the Lord,
and do not forget all his benefits.
³ He forgives all your iniquity;
he heals all your diseases.
⁴ He redeems your life from the Pit;
he crowns you with faithful love and compassion. 

Forgiveness, redemption, compassion, faithful love – these are benefits because of God’s goodness.  We do not deserve any of these wonderful benefits.  What we deserve is God’s judgment.  What we deserve is death – as the psalmist makes clear in verse 10:

¹⁰ He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve
or repaid us according to our iniquities.

Let that sink in: whatever you are experiencing right now, whatever trial you are enduring, whatever deep water you are wading through, God has not dealt with you as your sins deserve.  Instead, he has shown kindness, love and forgiveness.

2. God is faithful – he can be trusted

In a world of broken promises, breached contracts, and forgotten vows it is good to know there is someone who is faithful, who does keep his word, no matter what the cost.  That is our God – he is faithful.  And his faithfulness is closely tied to his unchanging nature.  God’s unchanging nature sets him apart from everyone and everything. 

Everything else around us is in a state of flux and change.  The earth is subject to change.  People are subject to change.  They are flaky.  They promise one thing and do another.  God is not like that.  He never changes.  That is why he is compared to a rock that remains immovable, steadfast and firm even when the wind and waves beat upon it.  A.W. Pink writes:

Herein is solid comfort. Human nature cannot be relied upon; but God can! However unstable I may be, however fickle my friends may prove, God changes not… But, all praise to His glorious name, He is ever the same. His purpose is fixed, His will stable, His Word is sure!  Here then is a rock on which we may fix our feet, while the mighty torrent is sweeping away everything around us.

There’s a third truth about God that will hold us fast and it is this:

3. God is sovereign – he always has the last word

In Psalm 93 we have a clear picture of an important attribute of God that we must grasp clearly in this world: his sovereignty. 

¹ The Lord reigns! He is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed, enveloped in strength.
The world is firmly established;
it cannot be shaken.

The Lord God reigns; that is he rules, he has dominion, he has power over all creation – nature, the natural forces, nations, rulers, life, death, demons, powers in heaven and on earth – all of them come under his kingly authority.  “The world is firmly established.”  Let those words sink in.  Because God rules, the world cannot fly apart. Nothing – not sickness or disease or cancer, not Covid, not President Putin, not rising food and fuel prices are outside of his grasp.  He has a handle on everything.  Nothing can happen in this world or your personal life unless God either allows it or decrees it. 

Those are things you need to know about God.  Now let me give you some things you need to know about mankind.

2. Things we need to know about mankind

The first thing you need to know about people is:

1.  He has a sinful nature.         

I was talking to a friend the other day and he said, “I cannot believe what took place on the streets of Wellington.  I cannot believe people picked up pavement stones and threw them at Police.  I cannot believe Putin would fire missiles at innocent civilians.”  My response was, “I can.” 

Have we forgotten?  Do we not read our bibles?  How long after Genesis 3 does it take for the sinful heart of man to be revealed and they start killing each other?  Not long.  Things get so bad that by chapter 6 we are told,

“The Lord saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5)

That’s a comprehensive description of the human condition.  It doesn’t mean that people are as bad as they possibly can be (there are plenty of sinful people who do things), but their hearts and minds have been thoroughly corrupted by sin.  So it should not surprise us when we see or hear of wars and murder and rape and sex trafficking and human abuse of every kind.  That’s what sinful people do.  It might disappoint us, but it should not surprise us. 

2.  His heart is rebellious and rages against God

Now, if you ever needed any proof that the hearts of human beings are rebellious from birth, just have kids.  It’s a fantastic lab experiment. 

There’s a scene I remember with our first child.  He was about 9 months old.  We said to him, “Don’t touch the heater.”  He looked at us, turned back and reached out his hand.  We pull it back.  “No don’t touch – hot.”  He ignored us and reached his hand out again.  This went on for about 5 minutes until we finally said, “Fine – go touch the heater.”  He did and burned himself and starts screaming at us.  

That’s the rebellious heart.  It rages against authority – whether it be parents or teachers or police or government.  And God calls this rebellious heart to turn from sin (that’s repentance) and submit to his Son. 

“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 2:12)

There’s a scene in the book of Revelation, chapter 16, where God’s judgements are coming down upon the earth.  These judgements are intended to bring people to repentance, so they may turn to God and be saved. And three times it says, “they blasphemed the God of heaven and did not repent and give him glory” (vv.9, 11, 21).

If you are going to have any measure of stability and sanity in this world, you need to know what we are dealing with.  Man is born for trouble as sparks fly upwards (Job 5:7).  Unless God, by a gracious work of his Spirit does a work in our hearts, we will die in our sin – raging against God. 

3.  He cannot be trusted

Time and time again we are warned in Scripture not to put out trust in man.  Psalm 146:3-4 says,

“Do not trust in nobles, in a son of man, who cannot save. When his breath leaves him, he returns to the ground; on that day his plans die.” 

Don’t put your hope in human saviours and human leaders.  They will let you down, time and time again.  How long did it take for the people of Israel to learn this?  How many lame kings, how many sinful judges and leaders did it take before they realized they needed someone greater than Moses, someone greater Joshua and someone greater than David? 

And that brings me now to my last point:

3. Things we need to know about the gospel

When we hear the word “gospel” we think of a message offering salvation and forgiveness of sins.  And it is all that, praise God.  But when we look at the New Testament, we actually find it to be more expansive and richer than that.  Let me give you two realities of the gospel that we often overlook that our world is searching for:

1. The hope of a new heart

Every person on this planet knows they are not what they should be.  It’s instinctive.  They do not live as well as they could.  They do not love as much as they ought.  People know this.  They also do things they hate and regret.  What they desperately need is a new heart.  They need, in computer terms, a new operating system.  This is exactly what God promised he would do for the people of Israel:

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.” (Ezek 36:26–27)

This is what Jesus was referring to when he said to Nicodemus, “You must be born again” (John 3:7).  You need a new nature, Nicodemus.  You need a new heart.  And the gospel offers exactly this.  

The answer to war and injustice and racial discrimination and greed and selfishness is not new laws; it is not better education, it is not better living standards – it is the new heart.  And only Jesus can provide that new heart for us. The other reality the gospel promises is:

2. The hope of a new home

Why is it that human beings dream of a new world?  Why do they write books and songs about a utopia?  What moves songwriters like John Lennon to write “Imagine”?  Because we all long for a better world.  And as soon as we see some glimmer, some hope of that happening here on earth, that is soon quashed by another war or political scandal or failure of some kind.

The gospel promises that new world.  What was lost at Eden by the fall in Genesis 3 was reclaimed by Jesus on the cross and will one day come to full fruition in the new heaven and new earth (Rev 21:1-4). Then we will experience true peace and harmony.  No more wars, no more suffering, no more death, no more children’s hospitals being bombed, or innocent people being killed.  No more disease.  No more Covid!  No masks or mandates or isolation at home.  No more tears.  No more sorrow.  It is what our hearts long for.  It is the promise of a new home. 

In the final chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22, John is shown the river of the water of life and the tree of life – remnants of Eden, and he says, “the leaves of the tree are for healing the nations” (verse 2).  The book closes with a final invitation:

“Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.”  

That’s not an invitation in the future, it is being offered now.  God is offering to every man and woman a new heart and a new home, by coming to Jesus in faith, submitting to his kind and gracious rule, and they will drink from the water of life. 

Now, who would want to refuse that?

Conclusion

Elisabeth Elliot told how in January 1955, as she and four other women were waiting to learn of the fate of their husbands, who had flown a small plane to a sandy landing strip in an Ecuadorian jungle, she was sustained by the words of an old hymn “How Firm a Foundation”.  These I believe, are fitting words to close with:

How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word
What more can He say than to you He has said
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
 
Fear not, I am with you, O be not dismayed
For I am Thy God, and will still give you aid
I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand
 
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to His foes
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake

This post is based on a message I recently gave at our church. You can watch or listen to that message here

When flesh and heart fail

Some days you don’t feel like you’re firing on all cylinders.  Do you ever feel that?  The spark has gone, physical energy is low – just thinking about doing work makes you want to groan.  The last thing you feel like doing is opening up your bible and praying.  Yet something inside of you tells you that’s the most important thing you should be doing.

That was me this past Monday morning.  I certainly wasn’t firing on all cylinders. I would be lucky if I was firing on one.  I felt tired.  I felt discouraged.  I felt despondent when there wasn’t any reason to be so.

And then I turn to a well-known Psalm – Psalm 73 and I came to this part verses 25-26:

Who do I have in heaven but you?
And I desire nothing on earth but you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart,
my portion forever.

Do you what he is experiencing there?  A double failure – a failure of the flesh and a failure of the heart. That’s a physical and spiritual malfunction – a breakdown of sorts, that could lead to a mental, emotional and/or physical collapse.  

Our flesh fails us – and you feel it, right?  It tires.  It weakens.  It just won’t perform like you want it to.  Your mind is sluggish, your bones feel weary, and your muscles feel tired.  Your “get up and go” has got up and left.    

Our heart fails.  Hope fades; faith weakens, courage withers, love for Christ and his word wanes

BUT…

Here’s the all-important “but” – “God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever.”

You might fail God, but God won’t fail you.  When all else fails, God doesn’t. That’s the message of Psalm 73.

And that, my friends, will get you through anything.

• It will get you through sickness
• It will get you through disappointment
• It will get you through doubt and discouragement
• It will get you through failure and frustration and defeat

Spurgeon writes on this verse:

“His God would not fail him, either as protection or a joy. His heart would be kept up by divine love, and filled eternally with divine glory. After having been driven far out to sea, Asaph casts anchor in the old port. We shall do well to follow his example. There is nothing desirable save God; let us, then, desire only him. All other things must pass away; let our hearts abide in him, who alone abideth forever.”

Take that through with you today and tomorrow.

Something better than Jesus beside You

Have you ever found yourself wishing that Jesus hadn’t gone back to heaven and that he was still here on earth to help you?  Imagine you are experiencing some trial or difficulty and Jesus walked through the door and put his hand on your shoulder and said, “It’s OK, I’ve got this.”  Would that be amazing? 

Well, I have some news for you: it’s actually better that Jesus is not physically with us.  In the privacy of a small room, only hours before he went to the cross, Jesus revealed to his disciples what was going to happen after he left.  What he said was important not just for the disciples, but for every believer in every age. 

“But now I am going away to him who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:5–7)

Jesus is referring to the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for “counsellor” is paraclete; it means one who comes alongside to help or assist.  If what Jesus is saying is right (and he’s always right), there is something about the Holy Spirit’s coming or arrival after he leaves that surpasses what Jesus could do for us if he was physically beside us. 

Let’s consider some of the things the Holy Spirit does in and for a believer that wouldn’t happen if Jesus was confined to a physical body here on earth:

1. He teaches us and guides us into all truth

Jesus said in John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.”

This promise was made first and foremost to the disciples but has application to us.  The Spirit’s role is to teach us the truth of God’s Word.  You say, “Well Jesus could do that if he were here with me.”  Not as effectively as the Holy Spirit.  You remember when Jesus was teaching his disciples a parable and afterwards, they’d look at him and say “huh?”, and then he would have to explain it to them, and they still didn’t get it.  Well, the Holy Spirit helps us “get it.”  2 Corinthians 2:9-10 says:

“What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived— God has prepared these things for those who love him. Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit.”  

The Spirit is both the teacher and revealer of truth.  He reveals the meaning of God’s word to us, internally – not just in our heads, but in our hearts.  In Psalm 119:18 the author prays, “Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction.” That’s the work of the Spirit.  He makes the Bible alive to us. 

2. He empowers us to witness

In Acts 1:8 Jesus said to his disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The Spirit empowers and emboldens us to share Jesus with others.  You want to talk to someone about Jesus, but you are fearful and don’t know how, so you give a quick prayer – “Spirit God, please help me say the right thing” and then you open your mouth and start talking and not even you can believe what you’re saying.  That’s better than meeting up with Jesus beforehand and asking for tips on witnessing.

3. He assures us we are God’s children

Paul says in Galatians 4:6, “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”  The natural attitude of our hearts is not that of sons and daughters.  We don’t really trust him; we don’t love to come into his presence – we rather fear him.  But when the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts, he assures us we are God’s children.  All fear is gone.  In its place is a wonderful sense of love and trust in God.

4. He enables us to overcome sin

In Romans chapter 8, that great chapter on how to have victory over sin, Paul refers to the Spirit 22 times.  The implication is clear: the way to overcome sin in your life is to be empowered by the Spirit.  Having Jesus beside you might encourage you (or maybe frighten you), but it wouldn’t empower you like the Spirit does. 

There’s more: He also imparts to us spiritual gifts, gives us a deep love for fellow Christians, produces in us beautiful Christ-like fruits – love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness and self-control.  He also stirs us to draw near to God in prayer and gives us a deep love for fellow Christians. 

But there is another aspect of the Spirit’s work in us that we can sometimes overlook.  Dane Ortlund brings this out in his book Gentle and Lowly: The Spirit causes us to experience Christ’s heart for us.  Ortlund writes:

“The Spirit makes the heart of Christ real to us: not just heard, but seen; not just seen, but felt; not just felt, but enjoyed.  The Spirit takes what we read in the Bible and believe on paper about Jesus’ heart and moves it from theory to reality, from doctrine to experience.”

Consider again the words of Jesus to the disciples in John 16.  He has just informed him that he’s leaving them.  And he says, “Sorrow has filled your heart” (John 16:6).  They were crushed by this news.  But then further down in verse 20, Jesus says, “Your sorrow will be turned to joy.”  How can this be?  How could they be filled with joy after he was gone?  The answer is the Holy Spirit.  Jesus will be leaving in body but coming right back in the person of the Holy Spirit.  The disciples therefore will continue to enjoy the same fellowship and intimacy they enjoyed with Jesus beside them by way of the Spirit who will come and dwell in them.  In fact, more so.  The same applies to us today.

Let’s say Jesus appeared to you today, in your very room.  He put his hand on you and said, “I love you – I really do.”  How would you feel?  Wonderful, right?  That would be awesome.  Then he walks out the door.  An hour later, you mess up, you sin, you do something dumb and what are you thinking?  I bet he wouldn’t say that to me now.  The Holy Spirit – who indwells you, will comfort you and assure you of Christ’s continual love for you so that you don’t have to wait for another visit from Jesus.  And the more you are in God’s Word, the more he will assure you because that is the primary means by which the Spirit speaks to us. 

Application

So there we have it.  If you are a believer, you have something greater than Jesus besides you; you have God’s Spirit dwelling in you.  He is not some impersonal force or energy; he is a person.  He has been sent by the Father for your benefit.  He makes Jesus real to you.  He brings God’s truth alive to you.  He gifts and empowers you.  And he enables you to experience Christ’s heart for you. 

With all these things in mind, how should we respond?  Let me suggest three ways:

1. Welcome him into your heart and life. 

Some Christians down even acknowledge the Spirit’s presence.  That’s like having a guest in your home and completely ignoring him. If I were that guest, I would consider that very rude, wouldn’t you?  James 4:5 says, “The spirit he made to dwell in us envies intensely.”  The Holy Spirit loves us and yearns over us.  He earnestly desires that we allow him to have free access into our hearts and lives.  So don’t ignore him.  Don’t neglect him.  Welcome him.  Talk to him. 

If you find that difficult, first try using his name interchangeably with the Father and the Son.  Don’t worry if you think you might get it wrong.  You could say something like:

“Father – thank you for this new day.  I want to put you first in my life.  Jesus, thank you for your love for me, even when I mess up and sin.  Spirit of God, please make Christ love for me real to me today.  And empower me to speak to others about Jesus.” 

Do you see how it works?  It might seem awkward at first, but after a while it will come naturally to you.

2. Learn from him.

He is your teacher.  So let him teach you. Open up your bible and ask him to help you understand it.  Say to him, “Spirit of God, teach me today about the Father. Teach me what I need to know.  Show me the path of life.”  If you get stuck in a passage, ask for his help.  He specializes in bible interpretation.  After all – he wrote it!

3. Lean on him. 

You can’t live the Christian life in your own power. You need the Spirit’s help.  So lean on him.  Yield to him.  Surrender yourself to his power.  Do you find witnessing to others difficult for you?  Does the thought fill you with fear?  Lean on the Spirit of God.  Let his words speak through you.  Do you find serving God hard work to you?  Give it over to the Spirit.  Let him do the work for you.  D.L. Moody once said,

“How easy it is to work for God when we are filled with His Spirit!  His service is so sweet, so delightful.  He is not a hard master…. Without this power, our work will be drudgery. With it, it becomes a joyous task, a refreshing service”

If you would like to view the message in full you can watch it here (the message begins 3.20 min in)

Living the Dream

In my role as Police Chaplain, I visit the different stations in our region and get to meet and talk to some pretty amazing people.  There’s one particular individual, who is part of the dog squad (there’s a special breed in themselves) and whenever I see him and ask how he’s doing, he says the same thing: “Living the dream.”  He never explains to me what that means, but I take it that he loves his job and wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. 

What would “living the dream” look like for you?  Sitting under a Palm tree on a tropical beach?  Building your dream house?  Winning the lottery?  The problem with all those things is the experience is short-lived.  Basking on a tropical beach feels great for a week; after that, you’ll want to go home.  You might one day build your dream house, but you can’t keep reliving that for the rest of your life.  And as for winning the lottery, sooner or later the money will run out. 

A few summers ago I read Augustine’s Confessions.  It had been on my wish list for some time, and I finally got around to it.  Augustine is one of the earliest Christian philosophers and his works are now classics.  Confessions reads like a spiritual autobiography or memoir, but really, it’s a prayer.  Augustine is writing to God – about his life and conversion.  In it, there is one famous line that says, “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until it comes to rest in you.”  Augustine is making a universal statement here – our hearts ­– he has the entire human race in mind; our hearts are restless – unsettled, unfulfilled, dissatisfied, disappointed – until they find their rest in God. 

The question is how do we find that rest and what does it look like when we have it?  If Augustine is right (and I believe he is), when we get this sorted, we will be “living the dream” in any and every circumstance, because our hearts will be rightly aligned toward God – rested, happy and fulfilled.  

Jesus’ Promise of Rest

A few posts back we considered that wonderful passage in Matthew 11:28-29. 

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” 

Look again at Jesus’ words.  He is giving an invitation.  He is offering something.  He is offering rest.  The word “rest” here does not mean ceasing from activity but relief from trouble and anxiety.  He’s speaking of inner rest, a peace within the soul.  Picture the still waters of a pond versus a stormy sea.  And just we miss it, he adds at the end of verse 29, “and you will find rest for your souls.” 

This is a rest not from work but in our work, not from activity but in our activity, not from duty but in our duty, in every area of our lives – relational, spiritual, physical, mental and emotional.  And this rest is closely tied to and dependent on us being “yoked” to Jesus; that is staying in close, personal fellowship with him so that we experience his gentleness and lowliness on a daily basis.  This is exactly what I think Augustine was getting at when he said, “our hearts are restless until it comes to rest in you.” 

Back to the Gospel

The rest Jesus gives is the dream life every human is searching for.  My question for you today is, are you experiencing that rest – truly, consistently, day by day?  I think there are a lot of Christians who struggle in this area.  And here’s the problem: we have a tendency, because of our flesh to un-yoke ourselves from Jesus and revert back to self-effort, self-sufficiency and self-reliance in trying to live the Christian.  And in doing that we put ourselves right back into bondage.  Dane Ortlund puts it this way,

There are two ways to live the Christian life. You can live it either for the heart of Christ or from the heart of Christ. You can live for the smile of God or from it. For a new identity as a son or daughter of God or from it. For your union with Christ or from it.

The battle of the Christian life is to bring your own heart into alignment with Christ’s, that is, getting up each morning and replacing your natural orphan mind-set with a mind-set of full and free adoption into the family of God through the work of Christ your older brother, who loved you and gave himself for you out of the overflowing fullness of his gracious heart.

He then gives the illustration of a young boy growing up in a healthy, loving family.  As he matures, he tries to figure out how he can secure himself a place in the family.  One week he tries to create a new birth certificate for himself.  The next week he determines to spend all his extra time washing floors.  And on and on it goes.  Finally, his parents come to him and say, “what are you doing?”  He says, “I want to ensure I do all I can to secure my place in this family.”  How would you respond as a parent?  You’d say something like, “You don’t have to earn your way into this family!  You’re already part of this family.  You’re our son, no matter what.  So enjoy your sonship.” 

The truth of the matter is, we do exactly the same thing as Christians. God has done everything necessary to secure us a place in his family – at great cost.  He gave his own Son for us.  He forgave us of sin.  “To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—” (John 1:12).  And what do we do?  We try – through self-effort and rule-keeping, to earn God’s love. 

Most of us are familiar with John Newton, the author of “Amazing Grace.”  In the year 1767, he wrote to a friend and said,

Are not you amazed sometimes that you should have so much as a hope, that, poor and needy as you are, the Lord thinks of you?  But let not all you feel discourage you; for if our Physician is almighty, our disease cannot be desperate; and if he casts none out who come to him, why should you fear?  Our sins are many—but his mercies are more. Our sins are great—but His righteousness is greater. We are weak—but he is power.  Most of our complaints are owing to unbelief, and the remainder of a legal spirit.

The “legal spirit” is Newton’s way of referring to legalism or works righteousness.  That’s when we try to win God’s favour by our good performance.  It never works.  It also directly opposed the gospel and kills our sense of Christ’s love for us.  We will never find rest this way. 

The only way to experience rest, peace, wholeness, flourishing – the equivalent of shalom in the Old Testament, is to remain secure in what Christ has already done for us and experience – on a daily basis, his ongoing love for us.  As Newton goes on to say to his friend,

The more you know him—the better you will trust him. The more you trust him—the better you will love him. The more you love him—the better you will serve him. This is God’s way. You are not called to buy—but to beg; not to be strong in yourself—but in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

As Paul says the Galatians over in chapter 5, verse 1:

“For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” 

We all need constant reminders that Christ has set us free so that we do not put ourselves under a yoke of slavery to works, self-righteousness and law-keeping.  Christianity is not a ‘self-help’ religion.  It’s a ‘Jesus has done it for me’ faith. 

If you have put your faith in Christ to save you, you are justified.  You are set free.  You don’t have to remain a slave.  You are a son or daughter of God.  So live like one.  Enjoy your freedom.  Stand firm in God’s grace.  Rest in the assurance of Christ’s love for you.  Live by faith the promises of the gospel. 

Then you can truly say to those around you, “I’m living the dream.” 

God’s glory and God’s heart

This is the fourth part of a series on The Heart of Christ.  See part 1 , part 2 and part 3

We’ve spent the majority of our study in this series looking at the person of Jesus; both his earthly ministry as the gracious teacher and healer and his heavenly ministry as our compassionate High Priest.  But what about the God the Father?  Does he share the same tender and compassionate heart of his Son, or is he somehow different – sterner, unyielding and unforgiving?

Some Christians might hesitate at this point, as their minds drift toward some passages in the Old Testament.  If they were honest, they would have a hard time reconciling the compassionate Jesus of the New Testament with what appears to be an angry, unforgiving God of the Old. 

This problem is nothing new.  It goes a long way back to the second century to an individual called Marcion.  Marcion refused to accept that the God of the Old Testament was the same as the One in the New.  In fact, he believed they were two separate beings – the former an angry tribal deity of the Jews, the latter a benevolent universal god who sent Jesus to offer the world nothing but love and mercy.

To support these beliefs, Marcion rejected all of the Old Testament and much of the New, keeping only a shortened version of the Gospel of Luke and 10 of Paul’s letters.  Everything else was out.  The majority of church fathers opposed him including Tertullian, Justin Martyr and Polycarp (who called him the firstborn of Satan).  He was excommunicated and then travelled the world peddling his own version of Christianity.  And he won a lot of converts.

Unfortunately, the spirit of Marcionism has not left us.  It’s alive and well in many churches today with Christians who would prefer to, in the words of one pastor, “unhitch Christianity from the Old Testament.” But the bible simply will not allow us to do that.

In John 14, Philip asks Jesus to show him and the other disciples the Father.  “Show us the Father,” he says, “and that’s enough for us.”  Jesus responds by saying,

 “Have I been among you all this time and you do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?” (John 14:9–10)

The language Jesus uses here is that of mutual indwelling and emphasizes the unity of the first and second persons of the Trinity.  They are separate, yet they are one.  If we have known one, then we have also known the other.  As the Nicene Creed (which rejected the Marcion heresy) puts it, he is the…

“Only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father.”

You can’t put a division between God the Father and God the Son.  They are one and the same.  When you see the heart of Jesus, you’re seeing the heart of the Father.  You might say, “Then why do they appear to be so different?”  They only appear to be different because we are wearing the wrong glasses.  Put the right glasses on and everything becomes clear.  The self-revelation of God in the Old Testament naturally and beautifully flows into the New. 

There are many passages of Scripture we could turn to, but perhaps the most significant is found in the book of Exodus, chapter 34. 

Exodus 34

Moses had been called by God to lead his people out of Egypt to the Promised Land.  They had all witnessed – with their own eyes, the powerful hand of God in their midst: the parting of the Red Sea, the destruction of Pharoah’s army, the very presence and voice of God at Mount Sinai and much more.  Yet the people continue in their unbelief.  Moses, in direct contrast, can’t get enough of God.  In the highpoint of the story, he cries out to God, “Please, show me your glory” (Exodus 33:18)

When we speak of God’s glory, we are speaking of who God is, what he is like in his essence, what makes God God.  How does God respond?  “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name ‘the Lord’ before you” (verse 19).

Now doesn’t that appear a little strange to you?  We expect God to say, “I will cause all my greatness to pass in front of you.”  Isn’t greatness a far better description of his glory than goodness?  Apparently not.  God then tells Moses he will place him in a crevice of a rock, and he will let his glory pass by. Here’s what happens:

“The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6–7)

That text repeats itself many times throughout the Old Testament.  It is God’s self-disclosure.  In this disclosure, we see his heart.  And what is the first thing that comes out of God’s mouth?  “The LORD—the LORD is a compassionate (or merciful) and gracious….”  The bent of God’s heart is mercy and compassion.  When Jesus reveals his own heart in Matthew 11:29, what two words does he use?  “I am gentle (or lowly) and humble in heart.”  The phrases are very close in meaning.  

Furthermore, he is “slow to anger” – literally, “long of nostrils.”  Dane Ortlund, in his book Gentle and Lowly, describes an angry bull, pawing the ground, with nostrils flared.  That, he says, would be “short-nosed.”  God isn’t like that.  The OT speaks often of God being “provoked to anger,” but not once are we told that God is “provoked to love” or “provoked to mercy.”  “His anger requires provocation,” writes Ortlund, “his mercy is pent up, ready to gush forth.”  We are the opposite.  Anger comes naturally to us, but we need to be provoked to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24). 

“Abounding in faithful love.”  That’s the Hebrew word chesed, it speaks of loyal love, a love that will not let us go.  God doesn’t have this in small quantities; he abounds in it.

“Maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations.”  This doesn’t mean if you’re part of generation 1001, that’s it – you’re out of luck.  That’s God’s way of saying, “There’s no end date to my commitment to you.  You can’t outrun my mercy.”

And “bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation” or, as some translations have, “visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.”  That’s a reminder that God is not a big softie.  There are consequences for our sinful choices and actions, and sometimes our families pay for it. 

But notice what God says. His covenant love flows down to a thousand generations, but he limits the consequences of sin to only to the 3^rd or 4^th generation.  Our sins get passed down to our children and grandchildren, but God’s faithful love flows on down forever.

Do you get a picture of who God is here?  Do you see his heart?  Mercy and love loom large.  Judgement is something that is necessary but limited.  That’s how he reveals his glory to Moses.  And when that glory is unveiled, what do we see?  We don’t have to guess.  John tells us in his gospel:

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

Conclusion

“Show us the Father,” Philip said to Jesus, “and that will be enough for us.”  Jesus tells Philip that God the Father has revealed himself – most notably in him. But Philip has failed to see it because he has made a division between Jesus and the Father.

What is Jesus like?  He is the perfect servant-king.  He uses his power not to exploit his people, but for their good.  He uses his strength to heal people, to defeat their sin, and their enemies, and even death itself on their behalf.  He is willing even to die so that they might be made whole.

That is what Jesus is like.  That is how Jesus uses his power.  And that is therefore also what God the Father is like as well.  He is the God who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love.  His ways are not our ways, and his thoughts (toward us) are not like our thoughts (toward ourselves and others).  Even when we are at times – like the people of Israel, bent on turning from him, he will not turn from us. 

He will not give us up.  Ever. 

If you would like to view the message I gave on this post you can view it here (the message begins 2.50 mins in)

καὶ ἐσμέν

I know what you’re thinking: “it’s all Greek to me.” But these two little Greek words have profound meaning when we consider them in 1 John 3:1.

“See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are!”

The words “we are” – kai esmen, speak of actual reality, a state of being, as opposed to a mere possibility. Not only are we called children of God, we are children of God. This is not simply a label to make us feel better about ourselves; it is a stated fact for all who have placed their faith in Jesus and entered into God’s family.

Lenski writes in his commentary on 1 John, “Here the only true religion is defined; it is actual fellowship with God and not merely fellowship claimed, imagined (1:6); it is a birth from God, being actual children of God. This is Christianity; all other religions are false. Only those who receive Christ by faith are “God’s children.” (John 1:12)

Eric Geiger shares the impact these two words had on him earlier in his life, during his pastoral training. He recounts the day it happened:

The professor was reading and translating aloud from the Greek. When he got to the last phrase in the verse, he started crying as he repeated “kai esmen” several times. “Kai esmen. Kai esmen. Kai esmen.” The phrase is translated “and that is what we are” or “and we are.” He told us “you are not merely called a child of this Father. You are one.” He closed his Greek New Testament and dismissed the class. I remember being in awe of how much he was in awe of this good news.

I went to my truck and pondered the beauty of that class. We are not merely called children of God, as if that is a label that is not true of our identity. We actually are His sons and daughters.  We all have been called things that are not true of us. By some frustrated drivers, I have been called names that are not true about my identity. There are people who buy doctorate degrees online so they can be called doctor, but the title they purchased is incongruent with the truth. There is often a disconnection between the title and the truth, between the label and the reality. But the title “child of God” is more than a title; it is truth for those of us who have received Jesus. We are children of God because God chose to lavish His great love on us, prove His love by sending Jesus to die in our place, and adopt us into His family.

Take some time to ponder this truth. God gave you this for your benefit and blessings. And because he loves you as his child.

Lost and Found 2: The Elder Brother

We’re all familiar with the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15.  Even those who have never picked up a bible have at least heard something about it.  Perhaps those who identify with this story the most are parents of a wayward child.  If you don’t have one you likely know someone who does.   It’s the kid who goes off the deep end in some way or another: it might be reckless living; it might be drugs or simply getting mixed up in the wrong crowd. 

Well in this story that kid comes home. He comes home because he’s hit rock bottom and there’s nowhere else to go.  Upon his return, his father runs out to embrace him.  The younger son knows he’s wrong; he’s dishonoured his father and he’s devastated about that.  He starts blubbering out his confession.  But his father cuts him off midstream and says to his servants:

“‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:22–24)

The fattened calf was saved for special occasions and this was such an occassion. Let the party begin. 

This parable, along with the other two that precede it (see my earlier post) carries a powerful message about God’s heart for the lost.  But that’s not where it ends. In verse 25 the scene changes. While the party is getting underway, the older son is still out in the fields.  As he nears home, he hears music and dancing.  He calls one of the servants and asks what is going on.  The servant tells him that his long-lost brother has come home, and his father has killed the fattened calf for him.  He’s infuriated and refuses to go in. 

How does his father respond?  He goes out and pleads with him (verse 28).  That’s remarkable.  You’d expect him to grab him by the scruff of the neck and give him a good word or two.  But he doesn’t.  He lovingly entreats him.

The elder son will hear none of it.  He says to his father:

“Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’” (Luke 15:29–30)

Notice how he viewed his relationship with the Father: slaving.  That’s exactly how many of the Pharisees viewed their relationship with God.  They did not serve him out of delight.  They served him for payment.  They had no understanding of grace.  Therefore when God blesses the undeserving, they resent it.  They become bitter and filled with contempt. 

This parable has traditionally been entitled, “The Parable of the Lost Son,” but it should probably be called the “The Parable of the Lost Sons.” Notice the similarities between the two sons:

• Both want the father’s stuff, but they don’t want a relationship with the father.
• Both long to be free from his authority.
• Both are loved by the father.

But notice also the differences between them:

• The younger brother’s rejection of the father is bold and public.  He demands his inheritance, liquidates his assets, and skips town.
• The elder brother’s rejection of the father is more subtle.  He stays home and obeys, but his heart is hard.
• The younger brother leaves home.
• The elder brother’s heart was never at home.
• The younger brother thinks he must become a slave in order to make things right.
• The older brother has always thought of himself as a slave.

When the father demonstrates his love to the younger brother, it completely shatters him. When the father demonstrates his love for the older brother, it falls on deaf ears.  The older brother refuses to rejoice over his brother’s homecoming, and in so doing, he rejects his father.  Note the great reversal in this story: the wayward son is restored to the father, while the righteous son is left outside the feast.

If you are anything like me, you don’t want the parable to end this way.  You want the hammer to fall on the older brother because he’s acting like a Pharisee and Pharisees are self-righteous punks. 

That was until I realised the older brother is also me. 

I work hard for God.  I give up a lot of things so I can do Christian work. I slave away here at church day in and day out.  I should be rewarded. I deserve better.  I should be paid more – and on and on it goes.

John Piper has some helpful words to say on this:

Jesus is entreating the Pharisees. He is entreating all of us. Sinners of the worldly kind and sinners of the religious kind. Come in from the foreign country of misery, and come in from the porch of hard-earned merit. Both are deadly. But inside is the banquet of grace, and forgiveness, and fellowship with an all-satisfying Father, and an inheritance unfading, undefiled, incorruptible, kept in heaven for all who live by faith in grace and not by earning merit.

Jesus is giving all older brothers an invitation.  He is inviting them to join his ministry.  He is inviting them to stop opposing God’s agenda and to come into the feast.  But he’s inviting them to something more.  He’s also inviting them to accept God’s grace.  He’s inviting them to experience a close relationship with the Father.  If the Pharisees truly knew the Father, they would have longed for the lost to come home and experience what they experienced.  They would be the ones running out to the edge of town, bringing the prodigals home.  But they are not.  They don’t care about the lost; they only care about themselves and their own reputation.

Notice how the story ends – with a question.  Will the older brother have a change of heart and come into the feast?  Will he repent of his hard-heartedness?  Will he rejoice with the Father in the salvation of the lost?” 

Conclusion

So how does this parable speak to us today?  I think it’s the same message Jesus intended for the Pharisees.  Jesus is inviting us to the Father’s feast.  He is inviting us to share in his mission to seek and to save the lost. This parable is not meant to make us feel warm and cuddly.  It’s calling us to examine our own hearts. 

We need to ask ourselves:

• Do we view God as an end or a means to an end?  What is more important: God himself or what God gives? 

• Do we have a sense of entitlement?  Do we think we deserve God’s blessings?  If you feel God is indebted to you, you will never love lost people and you will oppose God’s mission of seeking and saving the lost. 

• Do we have the Father’s heart for the lost?  The Shepherd left the 99 for the one lost sheep.  The woman turned her house upside-down for that one lost silver coin.  And the father longed for the day when he could welcome his lost son home.     

Let us join Jesus in the great mission.  Let us not be like the older brother.  Let us join in the celebration of the Father in welcoming sinners home. 

This post is based on a message from the book of Luke. You can listen to that message here

Lost and Found

You’ve often heard it said, “A picture is worth a thousand words”.  Pictures, paintings, portraits, and even well-timed photographs can convey more about a certain scene or a group of people than what could be written in an entire book.  Stories can have a similar effect.  That’s why Jesus taught in parables.   A parable is a short, simple story taken from everyday life that contains a deeper meaning.  They communicate God’s truth in a way we wouldn’t otherwise be able to grasp. 

In Luke chapter 15 we find 3 of them:

1. The Parable of the Lost Sheep
2. The Parable of the Lost Coin
3. The Parable of the Lost Son

All three parables have one central theme.  It is very hard to miss it.  Something is lost and then found.

• A shepherd seeks the one lost sheep until he finds it.
• A woman loses a coin and turns her house upside-down until she finds it.
• A son goes astray and returns home.

But along with this theme, another runs parallel with it:

• Verse 6: “Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!”
• Verse 9: “Rejoice with me, for I have found the silver coin I lost”
• Verse 24: “This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!  So they began to celebrate”

What is the purpose of these stories?  What brought them on?  And who are they directed at?  The answer lies at the very beginning of the chapter. 

“All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him. And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable…” (Luke 15:1-3)

These parables were intended for the Pharisees.  The Pharisees were the religious elite.  They were experts in the law and were considered the closest to God.  Tax collectors were a despised group. They were Israelites who raised money to subsidize the Roman army that was currently oppressing the nation of Israel.  Sinners were equally despised. They were the lowlife of society; the diseased, the lame, the blind, and the sexually immoral.

These were the very people Jesus spent time with.  He ate with them and mingled with them and laughed with them.  You can see why the Pharisees hated Jesus.  He was mixing with the ungodly.  He was actually enjoying himself with them!  They couldn’t imagine how God would approve of that.  So they grumbled.  In response to their grumbling, Jesus gives them these three parables.

Parable #1 – The Lost Sheep

Picture the Middle-Eastern shepherd, out grazing his flock.  At regular intervals – as any good shepherd would, He counts all the sheep to ensure all were accounted for.  On this occasion, however, one of his sheep is missing.  It’s just one, you’ve got plenty more. Get over it.  No – shepherds care for their sheep.  Each and every sheep matters.  For those who were listening, they knew the answer:  Go after the one.  He searches and searches and when at last he finds it, he places it over his shoulders, he returns home, rejoicing. 

Parable #2 – The Lost Coin

And then, without skipping a beat, he’s into the second story.

“What woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?” (Luke 15:8)

The coin she lost is a drachma – it’s about a day’s wages.  So it’s a fair amount of money.  She “lights a lamp” – because in those days the houses were small and dark with few windows and electric lights were yet to be invented.  She sweeps the house, pulls out the couches, turns over the cushions, pulls out all the dresser and then, when she finds the coin, she gathers all her friends together and throws a party.    

Parable #3 – The Lost Son

The third parable however is the most important. It’s the one that really matters. Let’s have a look at it.

“A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.” (Luke 15:11–12)

Now you need to understand, when Jesus’ listeners heard this, they would have been utterly shocked.  Because they lived in a culture where fathers were deeply respected.  For a son to ask this from his father would be deeply offensive.

Kenneth Bailey is a biblical scholar who has lived in rural villages throughout the Middle East. In many of these places, the cultural customs haven’t changed for 2000 years. Bailey spent a few decades interviewing people in these villages. He asked hundreds of people what it meant for a son to ask for his inheritance while his father was still alive. Almost always the conversation went something like this;

“Has anyone ever made such a request in your village?”

“Never!”

“Could anyone ever make such a request?”

“Impossible!”

“If anyone ever did, what would happen?”

“His father would beat him, of course?”

“Why” “This request means – he wants his father to die!”[1]

Amazingly, his Father grants his request.  And so he’s off on his big OE with cash in his pocket and he’s ready to blow all his inheritance and wealth in wild living.  All that’s been earned, cherished, and preserved for generations is wasted quickly and recklessly.  This is how sin works.  It says, “all that matters right now is that I have a good time.” It doesn’t consider anyone else – especially family and responsibility.  It does not think about consequences. 

But then things start turning to custard.  When the money runs out so does the fun and the friends.  It’s easy to make friends.  Just buy them drinks and throw parties.  They’ll love you for it.  You’ll get plenty of attention.  And when the money runs out?  They won’t want to know you.

So what does he do?  He has to hire himself out as a servant to a stranger and that stranger puts him to work fe eding pigs.  The Jewish people of Jesus’ day would have had the same attitude towards pigs as modern-day Muslims. That was not a good job for a good Jewish boy to do.  And this boy is not only feeding pigs, but he’s obviously so ill cared for by this master that he’s serving that he longs to eat the same food that the pigs are eating.

Now at this point the moralists – the Pharisees and legalists and all waiting to hear Jesus say, “This is why you should never disrespect your father. This is why you should never ever squander your wealth. This is why you should not associate yourself with the unclean. This is why you should not spend your money on prostitutes in riotous living. This is what happens when you do.”

But that’s not what happens.  The story instead takes a surprising turn.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger!” (Luke 15:17)

What happening here?  It’s the beginning of repentance – acknowledging our error and taking ownership for what we have done.  I remember how this happened in my own life.  I had spent my entire youth recklessly and wastefully – spending everything I had chasing girls and partying it up. Looking back, I thought I was free.  But it was the kind of freedom skydivers have when they don’t have a parachute.  The ground is coming at you real fast, and it’s going to end badly. 

The younger son realizes what he’s become, and how he has offended and hurt his father.  His hearts longs to reconcile with his father.  On his way home he’s playing the conversation over in his heart – what he’s going to say – how he sinned against him and offended him and dishonoured him.  He’ll tell his father he is no longer worthy to be a son – he doesn’t deserve to be called a son. And he’s going to ask he can be his slave.  Then the story takes another startling turn:

“While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20)

This would have been shocking to the crowd because in that day it was never appropriate for an older man to run.  It was completely undignified.  But this father feels such compassion that he runs.  He lifts up his robes and runs through the village.  This pre-empts any of the villagers from hurling insults at the son.  This father shames himself before the villagers so that his son won’t have to endure shame.  At the outskirts of the village, he falls on his son and kisses him repeatedly.  This father is unlike any the audience has ever seen or heard of.  He doesn’t make his child grovel; he runs to him.  He doesn’t make his son bow to him and kiss his hand.  He literally “falls on his son’s neck,” kissing him.

The son begins to recite his apology, but his father doesn’t even let him finish.  He tells the servants to place the best robe on him – signifying to the whole village that the father had embraced and accepted him.  The servants put a ring on the son’s finger.  This was the signet ring; it was a symbol of authority within the household.  Finally, the servants place sandals on his feet.  The son is a free man; not a slave.

The younger son never thought he could be part of the family again; he figured his best bet was to work as a slave and pay off his debt.  He thinks he must be in a dream.  This can’t be real.  He must be in heaven.  And in a way, he was. 

Conclusion

And so we ask ourselves now, what is the main point of this story?  What is Jesus saying?  The point of this story is the same point Jesus was making in the other two stories and it is this:

God loves sinners.  God seeks sinners. 

God longs for sinners to come home to him.

And when one of these sinners – these individuals who have been created by him and are loved by him, comes to him in repentance and says, “Will you take me?  With all that I have done?  With all my sin and shame and folly?  Will you still take me?”  What can the Father do but rejoice?

“I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.” (15:7)

This is the Father’s heart. This is the Father’s love.  He longs for the repentance and return of the very ones we can be tempted to despise. 

The story hasn’t finished yet. It is about to take another twist. But I’ll leave that for my next post.

This post is based on a message from the book of Luke. You can listen to that message here.

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[1] Kenneth Bailey, Poet and Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes: A Literary-Cultural Approach to the Parables in Luke (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983); 161-162.

The Psalm 91 Protection Policy

It is very hard to get away from the one subject that dominates the news, media and airwaves and that is Covid-19. It has estimated that 40-70% of the world’s population will contract the virus at some point this year. We can slow it down, but as with any contagion, we can’t eradicate it. People are fearful and anxious. No one wants to get sick and die.

A number of Christian leaders around the globe are making bold claims that Christians can claim protection from Coronavirus. And a favourite is Psalm 91. A well-known pastor here in New Zealand takes verses 4 and 5 which says, “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday” claiming it as the “Psalm 91 Protection Policy.” He says, this is “the best policy that a family can have to protect them from any of these plagues and pestilences”.

But is that the right way for us to read the Psalm? How is a Christian who is on this side of the cross to read such passages that we find in the Old Testament?

The Context of Psalm 91

The context of the Psalm is likely the wilderness wanderings where an entire generation of Israelites were prevented from entering the Promised Land because of their sin of unbelief. They tested God a number of times inciting his judgement, which came in various forms – plagues and pestilence among them. When we come to the end of the book of Deuteronomy in chapter 32, Moses recounts these wanderings by way of a song. It is addressed to the second generation – the children of those who died in the wilderness. He writes:

⁵ His people have acted corruptly toward him;
this is their defect—they are not his children
but a devious and crooked generation.

We read further down in verses 16-17:

16 They provoked his jealousy with different gods;
they enraged him with detestable practices.
17 They sacrificed to demons, not God,
to gods they had not known,
new gods that had just arrived,
which your fathers did not fear.

Then Moses recounts the Lord’s response in verses 19-20

19 When the LORD saw this, he despised them,
angered by his sons and daughters.
20 He said: “I will hide my face from them;
I will see what will become of them,
for they are a perverse generation—
unfaithful children.

Now look at the judgments that God sends upon them:

23 “I will pile disasters on them;
I will use up my arrows against them.
24 They will be weak from hunger,
ravaged by pestilence and bitter plague;
I will unleash on them wild beasts with fangs,
as well as venomous snakes that slither in the dust.
25 Outside, the sword will take their children,
and inside, there will be terror;
the young man and the young woman will be killed,
the infant and the gray-haired man.

Arrows, plagues, pestilences, snakes, the sword are all mentioned in Psalm 91. These are all forms God’s judgments – not on the nations but on unbelieving Israelites – those who refused to trust in God. In Psalm 91:8 Moses says,

8 You will only see it with your eyes
and witness the punishment of the wicked.

Moses is calling upon the new generation not to follow the example of their parents.

“Don’t be like them. Don’t incite the Lord’s judgement. Flee to him for protection. Find shelter in the One who is the Most High – El Elyon; the transcendent and exalted One. Dwell in the shadow of the Almighty – El Shaddai; the all-mighty, all-sufficient One. Make him your refuge and fortress. Put your trust in him.”

Then comes this beautiful imagery in verses 3-4:

3 He himself will rescue you from the bird trap,
from the destructive plague.
4 He will cover you with his feathers;
you will take refuge under his wings.
His faithfulness will be a protective shield.

The picture here is of a mother bird, sheltering and protecting her young under her wings. God promises his personal protection for those who trust in him, from his own judgement. God protecting the faithful from God – what an amazing picture!

You say, well surely these promises must be true for believers today? Any Christian reading this Psalm should be able to claim such promises. Not yet. We can’t make that jump so soon. First, we need to ask the question, how does this Psalm apply to Jesus?

Psalm 91 and Jesus

Jesus did live under the protection of the Most High – perfectly. He did dwell in the shadow of the Almighty – faithfully. He never acted independently of his Father – even for a second. “I always do what pleases him,” he stated (John 8:29). You can’t say that. I can’t say that. Only Jesus can say that. You know as well as I do that there are many times when we have not made the Lord our refuge or sought shelter in his presence; we have behaved like the unbelieving Israelites – not trusting God, and therefore we have no business making claim to any of these promises.

The only one who can claim blanket protection from Psalm 91 is Jesus. Yet he didn’t. How do we know he didn’t? Because in Matthew 4 we find Satan tempting him to do just that.

“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Satan is quoting straight from Psalm 91 verses 11-12. Was it true? Should Jesus fall (and Jesus kept the covenant perfectly), would not God give orders and his angels would bear him up and prevent injury? Of course – yes. If someone pushed him or he jumped. But not if he deliberately fell just to make sure God would keep his promise. That would not truly be living under the protection of the Most High or dwelling in the shadow of the Almighty, would it? It would be testing the Lord. And so Jesus replies to Satan – quoting from Deuteronomy 6:16,

“It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”

Jesus is the only one who ever fulfilled the terms of this psalm perfectly. He is the only one who could without any reservation say, “My God” (Psalm 91:2). He was the faithful Son who made the Most High his dwelling place (verse 9). He knew the name of God (verse 14). And so God promised to deliver Him and rescue him and gave him honour and long life by raising him from the dead.

Psalm 91 and the Christian

Do you see how this is all falling into place? With our gospel glasses on we understand our true state. We are sinners. We are that wicked generation in the Old Testament who rightfully deserve the judgment of God for our disobedience and sin. The fact that God has not killed us, along with every other man, woman and child on the earth – whether by means of Coronavirus or something else is an act of mercy and grace. None of us deserve to live.

But we do live. And what is more, for those of us who have found redemption in Christ have received grace and mercy and the love of God – not just in a temporal sense but an eternal sense. For our security; our protection now lies in the Son.

• He who found the secret place (namely, Jesus) is the secret place.
• He who dwelt in the habitation of God (namely, the Son) is the habitation of God.
• He who knows the name of God is the name of God.

So we are privileged to take refuge in Him, and in Him every last one of these promises is ours as well. For as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:19-20

“For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen” to the glory of God.”

This does not guarantee, even at this point, that we will be spared from Covid-19. It does not guarantee that we will be spared of sickness or death. But we will be spared from a greater death – eternal separation from God. For Covid-19 cannot touch the redemption and justification and glorification of the believer. No true follower of Jesus can come to lasting harm from disease or plague or pandemic. No plague or pestilence can ultimately take them. Because ultimately, our refuge is in Christ.

Conclusion

In conclusion, how do we rightly read Psalm 91 or any other passage of the Old Testament? We read it in light of the bigger story of redemption. We read it through the lens of the cross and resurrection. We read with our gospel glasses on, understanding our true state apart from Christ and we lay claim to the promises of God that those who put their trust in His Son will not be ashamed. Then, and only then, can the promises of Psalm 91 be applied.

Consider this picture: take a cross and lay it above your open bible on Psalm 91. Where the shadow falls, there is your protection. Then your reading of Psalm 91:1 becomes,

“The one who lives under the shadow of the protection of the Son, dwells in the shadow of the Almighty”

“Because you have made the Lord Jesus—your refuge, the Son of the Most High—your dwelling place, no harm will ultimately come to you; no plague will come near your tent.”

Note: This is based on a message called “Under the Shadow of the Almighty.” It was recorded as part of our online services while we are in lockdown. You can watch and listen to the message here (starts at 9 min 30 s with reading.)

Postscript: Ajith Fernando has written a very helpful article on this same subject.  He writes, “Psalm 91 teaches that God looks after us. That is an absolute principle. Other passages in the Bible teach us that the way God looks after us is not always in the same way as he does in Psalm 91. This promise is applied in different ways by God, but it is always true. Through all of it, God will continue to bless and deliver his people.” That’s a good summary. You can read his article here.