Tag: law

The Shepherd's Voice

Unintended Consequences

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In January 2019, I wrote a post that was triggered by New York’s abortion law that legalizes abortion up to 24 weeks (see “The Slaughter of the Innocents: Then and Now”). A year and a half later, I find it necessary to revisit this issue–this time to talk about a law and its implications on the other extreme. Texas recently passed a law (known simply as Senate Bill 8) that bans abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected. In a novel legal twist, however, the state does not enforce the law. Rather, it empowers private citizens to bring suit against those who “aid and abet” abortions–including providers, those who provide money, even those who drive a woman to the clinic.

Now, before I continue, let me just say that I am staunchly pro-life. (And I’m learning to be more consistently pro-life.) Abortion is simply state-sanctioned murder of the most helpless humans. That being said, this law has wider implications than many realize. By basically incentivizing lawsuits, the law allows people to profit off of the often gut-wrenching decisions that a woman must make (thankfully, the woman cannot be a target of such lawsuits). My question is, how can a follower of Christ claim to support such an action?

Not only that, but this takes us further down the road of “the end justifies the means” thinking. While some Christians may think this is a biblical idea, I disagree. Jesus never taught such a thing, nor is it found anywhere in Scripture. While we must do as our conscience dictates, that must never be allowed to be an excuse to violate Scripture.

Further, has anyone considered that such a bill will only deepen the suspicious nature of fallen humanity? A woman is pregnant and is scared, but she may suddenly feel that she cannot reach out to anyone. Why? Because anyone she reaches out to may, in the event that she has an abortion, become either a target of a lawsuit or (and worse) one who goes after “a bounty” based on that information. Again, I ask, how could a follower of Christ do that in good conscience?

There’s one more implication that we need to consider. This law reminds me of many laws in authoritarian nations that encourage people to take action against or report those who express views that are critical of the government or established policy. Such laws are often used to discourage free speech. While abortion is not a free speech issue, does such a law not open the door to a future wider use of a similar law? This should concern the church at large, but I fear it’s a case of the church being too short-sighted, looking only at the moment, and not at the future consequences. Those worldly ideas that the church thinks are great now will often be turned against us in the future to stop the preaching of the gospel.

My friends, this is not the way. We must not stoop to worldly methods and ways to advance a righteous cause. If we want to see society changed, we will only see that happen when hearts are changed by the power of Christ through the gospel. Translation? If you want to see abortion end along with other injustices and inequalities, preach the gospel. Not everyone will believe, but those who do will be saved and changed. And ultimately that will bring us one step closer to the Eternal Kingdom.

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The Shepherd's Voice

How Then Shall We Live? (Pt. 3)

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In our last post we talked a little about what it means to be holy and to grow in Christ. We said that holiness is a work of God with which we cooperate in His transforming us into the image of Christ (His image). It is primarily focused on the inner thoughts and attitudes, and is then expressed in outwardly loving behavior. All of that prompts our next question.

#4: What is the believer’s role and responsibility in the process of sanctification (growing in holiness)?

If holiness and sanctification is a work of God that He applies to us, then what is our role in this process (if any)? Do we have a role to play? The short answer to that question is “Yes!” There are numerous positive commands in the New Testament that tell us to be active and not passive in our growth. Some examples include:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1–3)

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12)

These are just some of the commands in Paul’s letters, and there are more-both in the Gospels and in the other letters. We do have a role to play The question is, “What is our role?” The answer can be summed up in something we said in our last post when talking holiness.

Growing in holiness means cooperating with the Holy Spirit in the process of being progressively transformed into God’s image, to reclaim that which has been distorted in us.

Notice the emphasized words, “cooperating with the Holy Spirit.” That is our role. As we cooperate with Him, He transforms us into the image of Christ. Now, I don’t know about you, but I tend to be a practical person. If you’re the same way, then your next question is likely, “What does that look like? How do I do that?” We’ll find some answers in this passage:

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:1–11)

Notice there are two competing ways to “walk” in this passage. The believer (the one “in Christ Jesus,” v. 1) can choose to walk according to the flesh or according to the Spirit. Now, before we talk about the difference between those terms, we need to be clear on what it means to be “in Christ,” because only those in Christ can walk according to the Spirit.

The phrase “in Christ” is one of Paul’s favorite phrases, appearing some 70 times in the New Testament. It is the state in which the believer is placed upon trusting Christ as his Savior. It is a state of union, so that what happened to Christ can be said to have happened to His people (death, burial and resurrection), of which baptism is a symbol. This is why Paul makes his argument that the believer is dead to sin (Rom. 6) and to the law (Rom. 7). When Christ was raised, we were also raised to a new life. His righteousness is given to us.

By contrast, anyone who is not “in Chirst” is “in Adam.” The contrast is seen in passages like Rom. 5:12-21 and 1 Cor. 15:22. Those who are in Adam die. Those who are in Christ are made alive together with Him. To move from being “in Adam” to “in Christ” is to be born again when one repents and trusts Christ for salvation.

So, for those in Christ, what does it mean to walk according to the Spirit? Paul gives us his definition in verse 5 of this passage. He writes, “those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” Since the believer has the new heart (the Spiritual Heart), he or she now has new desires that are prompted by the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, since the flesh remains, there are also the fleshly thoughts and desires. To walk according to the Spirit, Paul says, is to set our mind on the thoughts and desires of the Spirit. We are to identify, nourish, and live out the Spirit-led desires. As we do that, the Spirit begins to transform us to the image of Christ.

In fact, to set our minds on the things of the Spirit, Paul says, “is life and peace.” If we want to experience God’s peace, then that is the door. We meditate on God, His character, and His ways and seek to live our lives accordingly. As we do that we will experience His peace–the peace that surpasses all understanding (John 14:27; 16:33; Phil. 4:7). This peace can be had even in the hardest and darkest of times.

“But,” one may ask, “how do I know which desires are of the flesh and which are of the Spirit?” It’s a great question, and we’ll look at that in our next post.

Continue to Part 4 in the series >>>

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The Shepherd's Voice

How Then Shall We Live? (Pt. 2)

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In the last post, we began to talk about the implications of the New Covenant, that “better” covenant that we are part of as followers of Christ. We’ll continue our discussion in this post. The primary thing we need to remember here is this truth:

Under the New Covenant, there is no sin that we cannot be freed from. Change and growth is possible.

There are some who largely discount the New Covenant, practically speaking. This is a dangerous view for a few reasons. First, it denies that God keeps His promises. As we said in previous posts, God does what He says He will do. He keeps His Word. Second, if such views were true, then we are no better off than the people of Israel were. Yet, that is neither the witness of the New Testament nor the experience of millions over the centuries. So, then, how do we live in light of the New Covenant? We’ll continue with our questions.

#3: What does it mean to be holy, to grow in holiness?

This is a deep subject. Entire books have been written on the subject (not to mention the Bible itself). So, we really won’t go very deep here. Some people look at holiness in terms of my outward life–the old standard of, “I don’t smoke, drink, cuss, or chew, or go with girls who do.” Holiness in these sense means being clean on the outside. We avoid activities (and people) that may tempt us to engage in “sinful activities.” Certainly there are activities that are contrary to Scripture and should be regarded as sinful and avoided by the believer.

Holiness, however, is more than the outward appearance of righteousness. Look at a few things that Jesus said:

Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. . . . And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18)

And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” (Matthew 15:10-20)

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.(Matthew 23:23-28)

As we look at these passages, an important truth sticks out. The Pharisees and scribes appeared to do the right things. They prayed, they fasted, they gave, they tithed. Yet, Jesus clearly says that’s not enough. Why is that not enough? Because their hearts weren’t right. Firstly, they were doing those things with impure motives. They wanted the public recognition. They wanted an earthly reward for their “devotion.” Those things, though, are to be done to God’s glory and honor alone. Because of their heart attitude, Jesus said they were hypocrites–outwardly religious and righteous but inside “full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matt. 23:28). Lawlessness and hypocrisy combine to make one self-righteous, and that is the exact opposite of righteousness. Thus we can say this about holiness:

Holiness is primarily inward. As the inner attitudes are changed, so the person grows in holiness that is expressed outwardly.

There is another aspect of holiness that we need to look at here. It goes back to our identity at creation. Recall what God said about mankind when He created Adam:

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

Fundamentally, then, humans are created in God’s image. The Fall and sin have distorted that image in us, however. Contrary to schools of thought that insist the image is completely lost, we still retain God’s image. It is shrouded often by the flesh and our sin, but it’s still there. So, the second thing we can say about holiness is this:

Growing in holiness means cooperating with the Holy Spirit in the process of being progressively transformed into God’s image, to reclaim that which has been distorted in us.

There is one final aspect of holiness that we need to touch on before moving forward. It’s often taught in churches that we are to be sanctified and the actions we take are what makes us holy, or to put it another way, the more we obey the holier we become. That is not the case, however. Here is what the Lord told Israel:

Keep all my decrees by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord who makes you holy. (Leviticus 20:8, NLT, emphasis added)

What does the Lord say to Israel? He is the one who makes them holy. And He says the same to us. This is another truth that deserves special attention.

Holiness and transformation is a work of God, not man. There is nothing we can do to make ourselves holy.

We need to ponder that statement. It prompts another question about our role and responsibility in transformation. We’ll take a look at that in our next post.

Continue to Part 3 in the series >>>

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The Shepherd's Voice

How Then Shall We Live?

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

We’ve been exploring the New Covenant in the last several posts. We’ve seen that we have a better priest, a better propitiation (the spotless sacrifice), and better promises. At the end of the last post, we asked the question, “What do we do with this?” Or, as I used to say to my students, “So what?” Good theology is more than just information to be learned and believed. Good theology is that which helps us encounter God and changes our hearts. So, then, what does the New Covenant really mean for us? We’re going to look at this by asking and answering a few questions.

#1: What is the most basic, fundamental difference between the Old and New Covenants?

The Old and New Covenants have some similarities. They were both instituted by God, not man. They both required a sacrifice, and both were sealed with blood and a covenantal meal. There are many differences between the two covenants, as we have seen in the previous posts. The most basic difference lies in how the covenant people (Israel and the church) relate to the covenant and to God. Under the Old Covenant, the people obeyed (or didn’t obey) God’s law simply because it was the law. The mentality is, “The law says this. . . . I should do this. . . . I’m supposed to do this.”

Fallen human nature has no desire to obey God. In fact, fallen human nature is hostile and opposed to God and His ways. You’ve heard the saying, “I just don’t have it in me . . . “? When it comes to obeying God, fallen humanity just doesn’t have it in us. Obedience is mostly (if not fully) outward.[1) The New Covenant, however, doesn’t just give us a new way to obey, nor does it just give us a new reason to obey. The New Covenant fundamentally changes the one who trusts in Christ. He or she now has a heart that desires and longs to obey and please God, to know Him and to walk in His ways. This is why Paul can say that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). This is the most fundamental difference. The Old Covenant demands obedience but leaves the heart unchanged. The New Covenant changes the heart and then invites obedience.

#2: If the promises of the New Covenant are actual truth (not just theological or positional truth), then why do we still sin?

This is a logical question, and one that’s asked often. Unfortunately, many people assume that since Christians still sin, we must not have been actually changed. But that’s not the case. We have to ask ourselves, “Does God do what He says He will do?” The obvious answer is, “Yes!” He is faithful to keep His promises. When God gave those promises of the New Covenant in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, did He intend to keep them? Of course He did! Remember that Jesus specifically referenced the New Covenant when instituting the Lord’s Supper.

And [Jesus] took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22:19-20)

Paul certainly speaks of believers as having been changed. Look what he told the Corinthians:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, emphasis added).

Notice how Paul speaks of the Corinthians. Now, we need to remember that this was a very troubled church. The whole of 1 Corinthians addresses multiple problems in the church. When we read this passage in context, we see that Paul is saying, “You are acting like the unrighteous! Why are you acting that way, when you’ve been cleansed and changed?” So, the New Covenant, the blood of Christ, does change us.

But back to our question. If that’s the case, why do we Christians still sin? Now, we know that we do sin–unless one believes in sinless perfection, in which case that’s a totally different conversation (and you’ll find the answers here less than satisfying). But why? The short answer is the flesh. In the previous post (“Better Promises, Better Covenant“), we saw that the Lord promised, “I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36:26). We referred to the heart of stone as the Sinful Heart. The Sinful Heart is totally opposed to God, seeking to live independently of Him and His ways.

The Bible considers the heart the very center, the very core, of our being. And as such, the Sinful Heart thoroughly programs our entire body and being to live independently of God. We learn to do things our own way. We learn that we can arrange our lives to provide our own satisfaction, safety, and significance. There is no part of the human that is untouched by the corruption of the Sinful Heart. This programming, if you will, occurs through the mind. We develop beliefs and images of ourselves, God, the world, and others that reinforce the notion that we must and can live independently of God.[2]

What happens at the new birth (John 3:3) then? God promised to remove the heart of stone (the Sinful Heart) and replace it with a heart of flesh (the Spiritual Heart). Since we’ve established that God does what He says He will do, we can say that one who is saved has that new, spiritual heart. This heart, instead of being opposed to God, is inclined toward Him, desiring to worship, obey, trust, and please Him. Now, while the heart has been replaced, the old programming in the rest of us has not. The Bible calls this “the flesh.”

I like to use the analogy of the old-style mainframe computers. Back in the early days of computers there would be a mainframe computer (usually the size of a room) connected to other terminals (called “dumb terminals”). The dumb terminals took their programming from the mainframe. So, if someone wanted to infect the terminals with a virus, all that was needed was to introduce the virus into the mainframe. That’s exactly what’s happened withe the Sinful Heart. It has thoroughly programmed us with the virus of sinful independence from God.

Now, even if that mainframe were replaced, the programming in the terminals would remain, so they would need to be reprogrammed through the mainframe. That’s what God has done. He has replaced the Sinful Heart with the Spiritual Heart. But the flesh (the old programming) remains. It’s so interwoven throughout our being that it will take time (a lifetime, actually) to replace it. Remember, that old programming consists of those ideas, beliefs, and images that reinforce our independence from God. Spiritual growth and transformation, then, consists in cooperating with the Holy Spirit as He replaces that old programming. Paul calls this “renewing of the mind” (Rom. 12:2). Notice that there’s nowhere in the New Testament where we are told to have our hearts renewed or changed. That’s because our heart has already been changed.

We’ll pick up with this topic, how we grow spiritually, in our next post.

Continue to Part 2 of the series >>>

Notes

[1] There are many examples of Old Testament believers having the desire to obey God from their heart, and in fact this is what the law requires. Those people had their heart changed like what we have described.

[2] Since this isn’t a post on the theory of the person or biblical counseling, we won’t go deep into this subject. However, it is an important subject both in understanding spiritual formation/discipleship and biblical counseling.

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The Shepherd's Voice

Better Promises, Better Covenant

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But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. (Hebrews 8:6)

So far in this series, we have seen that the New Covenant has a better High Priest (“Jesus, the Highest Priest“) and a better sacrifice (“Jesus, the Spotless Sacrifice“). Those are both amazing truths, and we need to take time to understand and apply the implications of them. In this post, we are going to talk about the most fundamental difference between the Old and New Covenant. The New Covenant was founded on better promises.

As we’ve said before, it’s not that the Old Covenant (the law, if you will) was bad. In fact, even the New Testament says that the law is holy, just and good (Rom. 7:12). Why then do we need a New Covenant? Because the law could not change man’s nature, nor could it give life to men. Both Paul and the writer of Hebrews describe the law as weak (Rom. 8:3; Hebrews 7:18). The thing about the law is that it cannot make one righteous; it can only tell if someone is. One can be declared righteous only as he fully keeps the law. One slip and he is forever condemned as unrighteous.

Thus, none of us is or will ever by righteous by the law. We are all already lawbreakers. The law can only promise earthly blessings–and not eternal life. And those blessings are only given as one keeps the law. Yet, the law does not and cannot help man keep it. The law simply says, “Here are the standards, now obey them.” The law is temporal; it has power over a person only as long as he or she lives (Rom. 7:1-6).

So, if the New Covenant is better because of better promises, what are those better promises?

Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. (Ezekiel 36:22-29)

If you’ve read much of this blog over the years, you know that we’ve talked about these passages much (and if you haven’t you really should). These really are central passages to understanding the New Covenant. So, we are going to look at these passages to see the “better promises.”

Before we do that, however, one thing needs to be pointed out and clarified. Notice in these two passages that the Lord is speaking to “the house of Israel.” These prophecies, like so many in the Old Testament, were given specifically to Israel. The New Testament makes it clear that the new Covenant was first given to Israel. In fact, Jesus said that His death would institute the New Covenant. Read His words:

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:27-28)

These words are an echo of the words Moses spoke to Israel. After he read the whole law to Israel, we are told,

And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” (Exodus 24:8)

So, the New Covenant and the gospel were offered to Israel first. That the Gentiles should be included in the gospel on the same basis was a mystery, as Paul calls it. It was not revealed back then but was revealed to the apostles. He writes:

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. . . . For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (Romans 11:25; Ephesians 3:1-6)

So, Paul says that the Gentiles are now fellow-heirs with Israel in the blessings of Abraham (compare Rom. 11:11-24). More than that, Israel has experienced a partial hardening until “the fullness of the Gentiles” (or the full number of the Gentiles). Thus, this better covenant (the New Covenant) is open to all.

The Better Promises

Returning to our passages, the first thing we should notice about the promises God makes is this: They are unconditional. Notice the repetition of the phrase “I will.” Under the Old Covenant, Israel was promised blessings if they obeyed. It was an “I will if you will” arrangement. As we’ve mentioned previously, the Old Covenant did nothing to change people or help them actually obey the law. It simply said “Obey and be blessed, disobey and suffer the curses.” Not so with the New Covenant. There is no “I will if you will.” There is only “I will.” And the repetition of “I will” strongly emphasizes the unconditional nature of the covenant.

This New Covenant is a fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham so long ago. When God called Abram (later known as Abraham, father of many nations). He repeated that same “I will” (Gen. 12:1-3) Like the covenant with Abraham, the New Covenant is unconditional. Both are eternal and still stand today.

Not only is the New Covenant unconditional, but it deals with far more than just the outward temporal things. The blessings of the Old Covenant are blessings of this life. The law only has authority over those who live. Its authority ends at death. The New Covenant, however, promises eternal blessings that go beyond this life. These blessings have to do with identity and inheritance, or who we are and who we will become.

Who We Are, Then and Now

The New Covenant changes everything. Specifically, it changes everything about us. When we put those two passages together, we see four key changes:

No longer defiled

Where once we were defiled by sin, we are now cleansed. Not like the repeated washings of the Old Covenant, but through the once-for-all cleansing through the blood of Christ. The Lord promised, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. . . . And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses” (Ezek. 36:25, 29). No matter what we have done, when we turn to Christ in dependence and trust, we are cleansed from all our defiling sins. There is no sin that will escape His cleansing.

Forgiven, not just covered

Our sins are forgiven, not just covered. Under the Old Covenant, God accepted the sacrifices for an atonement or covering for sin. Yet, as we learned in a previous post, animal blood cannot take away human sin. Thus the debt of sin was continuing to pile up. The Lord promised, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:34). The New Testament bears this out in such passages as this: “Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38; see also 10:43; Eph. 1:7; Col.1:14; 2:13; 1 John 1:9; 2:12).

A new heart and motivation

Not only are we forgiven and cleansed, but we are also changed. Our very nature is changed. Notice what the Lord promised: “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. . . . I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 36:26). Why are cleansing and forgiveness not enough? Because those things, as wonderful as they are, don’t change our nature. We would continue to sin, making a mockery of that forgiveness and cleansing. So the Lord changes our heart. The old heart (the Sinful Heart, the heart of stone) is totally opposed to God and desires to live independently of Him. The new heart (the Spiritual Heart, the heart of flesh) is inclined toward God and longs to commune with Him and obey His voice. Thus, our motivation to obey has changed. We no longer obey because “the Bible says so,” but because obedience is part of who we are.

A new relationship and empowerment

The Lord promised that “no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. . . . I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Jer. 31:34; Ezek. 36:27). Imagine that. Not only are our hearts changed, but now we have a relationship with the very One who created us! The very one we dismissed and sinned against. How do we have such a relationship? Through the presence of the Holy Spirit living in us. Jesus gave us information on the Holy Spirit, in what is a fulfillment of this promise. He said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. . . . the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:16-17, 26). In the Old Testament, the Spirit was said to be upon people, but never was it said that the Holy Spirit indwelt them!

Future Glory as Sons and Daughters

Because of the New Covenant, not only are we cleansed, forgiven, having a new heart and a relationship with God, but there is still more. We have been and are being adopted into the very family of God as sons and daughters. Paul tells us, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Rom. 8:15-17, see also v. 23; 9:4; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5).

Jesus Himself calls His disciples brothers (see John 20:17 for an example). Think of it, we are considered part of the family of the God of the Universe! Because of this, we will share in Christ’s glory. Paul wrote in that passage we are heirs of God and fellow heirs of Christ and we will be glorified with Him. Nowhere in the Old Covenant will you find such statements. This is what Paul means when he often refers to our inheritance.

The Real Question

The real question here is this: What do we do with these glorious truths? Like all of Scripture, we are to believe them and then act accordingly. This is why the oft-quoted statement, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace” is so inaccurate and misleading. The Bible does not call us sinners any longer. He calls us saints–holy ones separated out for God’s own purpose. If you see yourself as a sinner, guess what you’ll continue to do? Sin. If, however, you begin to see yourself as a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) and begin to apply these truths, you’ll begin to walk in freedom from sin and victory over sin more and more. Will we be perfect in this life? No. Will we grow? Absolutely.

All thanks to Jesus and the New Covenant.

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The Shepherd's Voice

Jesus, the Highest Priest

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. (Hebrews 7:26)

In our first post in this series (“A Better Word than Abel“), we talked about why a New Covenant was needed. Beginning with this post, we’re going to look closer at the “better” word that Christ’s blood speaks and why the New Covenant is so much better. In this post, we’ll look at how Jesus is a better high priest and mediator than Moses and Aaron.

Before we begin, we should note that Moses was called and appointed by God, as was Aaron. God said of Moses, “[He is] faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord” (Numbers 12:7-8). And Aaron, according to the text, was also a faithful high priest–except for the golden calf business and ganging up with Miriam to oppose Moses in Numbers 12. They weren’t bad, especailly compared to the later rulers of Israel and Judah. Yet, the people needed things that Moses, Aaron, and the Old Covenant could not give. Thus, they needed a better high priest and mediator. So what makes Jesus better? (I mean besides being the Son of God and all.)

A New Order of Priesthood

As we know, Aaron was the first high priest of Israel, appointed by God. His sons succeeded him, and the Aaronic line continued. No one could be appointed a priest unless he came from that line. According to the Bible, however, Jesus did not come from that line, since He descended from the tribe of Judah.

For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. (Hebrews 7:13-14)

If Jesus is not descended from Aaron, then how is He a priest? The author of Hebrews tells us that He has “become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 7:20). Melchizedek? Who is this guy? It’s a fair question. We don’t read much about him. Here’s the story.

We read in Genesis 14 that Abram’s nephew had been kidnapped. Abram (later called Abraham by God) gathered his 318 men and pursued the kidnappers, defeated them, and rescued his nephew Lot. Then we are told,

After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (Genesis 14:17-20)

In terms of his story, that’s all we know about Melchizedek. The writer of Hebrews gives us a little more information when he writes,

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. (Hebrews 7:1-3)

Notice that the writer says Melchizedek “resembled the Son of God.” He is calling this priest a type of Christ. He points forward to Christ. We’re also told that Abram paid tithes to Melchizedek. Well, look at what that means according ot the author of Hebrews:

See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. (Hebrews 7:4-10)

His point here is that Levi, the ancestor of Aaron, the first High Priest of Israel, paid tithes (through his ancestor Abram) to a greater high priest.

In addition, the Aaronic priesthood terminates at death; a new high priest is chosen. The writer of Hebrews says that Melchizedek “is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life.” Now, he likely did have a mother and father, and did die. Yet what we know about him seems like he has no beginning or end. In that way he “resembles the Son of God [and] continues a priest forever.” In the same manner, the author tells us that Christ continues as a priest forever. He is of a greater order.

A Perfect Priest

Not only is Jesus from a greater order, but He, unlike the priest of the Old Covenant, is spotless and perfect. The author of Hebrews tells us this,

For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. (Hebrews 7:26-28)

Contrary to earthly high priests who had to offer sacrifices for their own sins, Jesus had no sin to atone for. His sacrifice, as we will discuss later, was wholly devoted to our salvation. The Bible affirms that Jesus was sinless, and thus had no sins to atone for:

And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. (Isaiah 53:9)

[Jesus is] one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. (1 John 3:5)

So, unlike Levi, Aaron, and every other High Priest under the Old Covenant, Jesus was perfect; He was spotless. In fact, as we’ll discuss later, He was the spotless lamb, the fulfillment of every sacrifice made under the law.

Tempted but Blameless

We metioned Hebrews 4:15, which says that Jesus is without sin. Now we’ll look at the rest of that passage and why it’s important to us.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. . . . The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 4:15–16, 23-25)

Three things stand out here. First, Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we have been. He can say, “I understand; I know what it’s like.” Second, though He was tempted, at no time did He give in to the temptation. He remained fully and completely devoted in trust and obedience to the Father. Third, because Jesus is a priest forever, He always intercedes for us, and is able to completely save those call on His name (“save to the uttermost”).

So, we can come to Him without fear in our times of temptation, because He knows what it’s like. We can come to Him not only for understanding but also help. And what is it that helps us? Grace. Notice that the author says we “receive mercy and find grace to help.” It is God’s mercy and grace that helps us in those times of struggle. And He offers it freely, not begrudgingly. Thus, we can draw near in confidence. Not confidence in ourselves, mind you, but confidence in the love, grace, and power of the one who became the Greatest High Priest.

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The Shepherd's Voice

A Better Word than Abel

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22–24)  

In case you didn’t know, Pentecost is fast approaching. It is held to be the actual formation of the church. The Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples as they were praying and gave them utterance in other tongues, power to live a godly life, and courage to proclaim the gospel  Though many people understand the basic difference between the Old and New Testaments, there is often confusion about why a new covenant was needed. Wasn’t the old one good enough? In the next several blog posts we’re going to look closely at that question.

What is a Covenant?

Before we get started, it’s a good idea to get a basic grasp of what that word covenant means. Some people think it’s a simple contract, like one my sign a contract to do work or buy a car. A covenant, however, is more than that.

The word for covenant in the Old Testament is the Hebrew berît. When referring to a covenant between God and man, the word is always said to be God’s covenant (note the phrase “my covenant” in such verses as Gen. 6:18; 9:9-15; 17:2-21; Exod. 6:4-5). It is not a contract made by equal parties. In a contract, if one party refuses to honor the terms (breaks the contract), the other party is free from the obligations. Not so in a covenant. The covenant binds all parties, and one party’s failure to honor the terms of the covenant does not free the other. Not even deceit would cancel the covenant, as Joshua found out.

But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’ Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.
At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them. And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.” And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them. (Joshua 9:3-21)

Even though the Gibeonites lied to Joshua, the covenant still stood. In fact, in David’s years, Saul had tried to wipe out the Gibeonites, and thus God’s wrath was against Israel–there was a famine in the land for 3 years (see 2 Sam. 21:1-14). God takes covenant very seriously. This is also why God kept calling Israel back to Himself when they would seek after other gods. The covenant contained blessings and curses, and in judging the sin of the nation, He was honoring the terms of the covenant.

The New Testament word for covenant is the Greek diathekes, which often means “covenant, testament, or will [specifically a last will]. It’s most often used when talking about the New Covenant. This was prophesied in the Old Testament (see Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:25-29). As we know, Israel continually broke the covenant that God made with them, so He promised a new covenant, one that wiould enable His people to obey the covenant and love Him with all their hearts.

Jesus, on the night He was to be betrayed, said that His death would inaugurate the New Covenant.

And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. (Luke 22:20)

With that cup being poured out came a better covenant.

The Better Covenant

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is “the mediator of a new covenant [whose] sprinkled blood speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” Abel, as you’ll remember, was the second son of Adam and Eve. He was killed in a jealous rage by his older brother Cain. Abel has always been declared righteous in Scripture and held up as an example of faith. Hebrews tell us that, “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4). Yet, what Jesus speaks is a “better” word, and the New Covenant is a “better” covenant.

In this series, we’ll see why the New Covenant is a far better covenant than the Old Covenant. It’s not the Old Covenant was bad. Paul calls it holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12). What we’ll see, however is that the law was “weak.” Not because of God, mind you, but because of sinful humanity. In fact, Paul says that God, by sending Jesus, did what the law could not do. He writes,

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4).

What could the law not do? According to Paul, the law could not “condemn sin in the flesh.” The law could not do away with sin. It can only pass judgment on sin. As we’ll see, this is the reason that the OT sacrifices had to continue day after day, year after year. Sin was never put away, but “in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year” (Hebrews 10:3).

Not only is there a reminder of sin, the truth is that “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). One might wonder, then, why the Old Covenant was given at all then, if that’s the case. This is an importnat question, and we’ll address it later.

In this series, we will learn what better word the blood of Christ speaks to us. It tells of:

A better high priest and mediator. Moses, though called by God as the mediator of the Old Covenant, was no less a fallen man than the Israelites he led out of Egypt. He had his own sins to reckon with, and in the end died before reaching the Promised Land because of disobedience. As we’ll see, Jesus is the fulfillment of everything that Moses and Aaron could not be.

A better sacrifice. As we mentioned, the Israelites continually offered the same sacrifices, day in and day out. They did so as an act of faith, and God was faithful to honor their faith, in that their sins were not counted against them. Yet, instead of doing away with sin, the sacrifices served only to remind people of their sin. As we’ll see, the New Covenant promises to forgive and cleanse those who trust in Christ.

A better promise. The promises of the Old Covenant were about earthly blessings. Further they were restricted to Israel and any who would enter the covenant through the prescribed way. There was, as Paul calls it, a wall of hostility between the covenant people of God and the rest of the world. The New Covenant breaks down that wall and invites the Gentiles into the blessings of God, which are far more eternal than the earthly blessings of this life (Ephesians 2:14).

The question still persists, though. Why did God do it this way? Why even establish an Old Covenant? If there had never been an Old Covenant, well, this blog would never have been written for one! Seriously, though, God established the Old Covenant to move the world toward His plan of showing all creation His attributes of wisdom, justice, holiness, love, grace, and mercy. Without the Old Covenant, man would have no sense of just how depraved he is apart from God. Man would have limited knowledge of God’s redeeming grace. Man would have no real understanding of just how holy God is.

In the end, all history is about God, not man. Though God is reconciling sinful man to Himself, He is doing it for Himself. For His glory. He alone is the one worthy of glory. Salvation is about God showing His greatness. Redemption is about God showing His love and power to redeem fallen and broken people to Himself. He invites all who will to come to Him and drink freely of the water of life.

Stay tuned….

Posts in This Series:

Jesus, the Highest Priest
Jesus, the Spotless Sacrifice
Better Promises, Better Covenant

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The Shepherd's Voice

The Law of the Lord II (Ps. 119:17-32)

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

Deal bountifully with your servant,
    that I may live and keep your word.
Open my eyes, that I may behold
    wondrous things out of your law.
I am a sojourner on the earth;
    hide not your commandments from me!
My soul is consumed with longing
    for your rules at all times.
You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,
    who wander from your commandments.
Take away from me scorn and contempt,
    for I have kept your testimonies.
Even though princes sit plotting against me,
    your servant will meditate on your statutes.
Your testimonies are my delight;
    they are my counselors.

My soul clings to the dust;
    give me life according to your word!
When I told of my ways, you answered me;
    teach me your statutes!
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
    and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
My soul melts away for sorrow;
    strengthen me according to your word!
Put false ways far from me
    and graciously teach me your law!
I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
    I set your rules before me.
I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;
    let me not be put to shame!
I will run in the way of your commandments
    when you enlarge my heart! — Psalms 119:1-16

When traveling to another country, we often encounter different cultures and social rules. A traveler from America going to France, for example, might be quite confused with the differences in culture. A traveler from Japan visiting America would definitely be shocked at some of our cultural differences. One can even see differences in culture traveling to different parts of the same country.

A Sojourner in Another Country

If one were only visiting for a short time, such things might only become a nuisance. but if one is planning to live in the new country, many problems can arise. This is the situation in which the Psalmist finds himself in this part of Psalm 119. Notice what he writes in verse 19: I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! The word translated sojourner simply means “a guest, visitor, foreigner.” The Psalmist finds himself in a place that is not home but in which he has to live. It’s the same idea employed by the writer of Hebrews when talking of the saints of old: 

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth (Hebrews 11:13, emphasis added).

So, the Psalmist, like the other Old Testament saints is acknowledging that he too is in a place other than home, a place through which he is passing. Notice what he says after that acknowledgment: don’t hide your commandments from me! Translation? “I’m in a strange and unfamiliar place, a place in which I don’t know how to live. Tell me how to live here!”In fact, this part of the Psalm opens with a plea for grace: Deal bountifully with your servant . . . open my eyes . . . (vv. 17-18). He continues to ask God for mercy and grace to understand His ways. 

He wants to know the Lord’s ways for living so intensely that his “soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times” (v. 20). He knows that the Lord rebukes and disciplines “the insolent, accursed ones who wander from your commandments” (v. 21). He reminds the Lord that he longs to know and obey the Lord’s ways, to avoid that scorn and contempt. Indeed, he doesn’t care if the power people of the land sit plotting against him; the Psalmist’s mind will be on the Lord’s ways (vv. 23-24).

Difficulties on the Journey

The Psalmist’s journey is hard, he says. Notice the two examples he gives:

My soul clings to the dust . . . 
My soul melts away for sorrow . . . 

What does he say each time?

Give me life according to your word!
Give me strength according to your word!

The Psalmist says the Lord’s word is what he needs. Can’t you hear him say to the Lord, “When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes” (v. 26)? Not only did he tell the Lord how difficult his way has been but this also has the idea of confession–wandering from the path. Again, he implores the Lord to teach him. 

As the Lord teaches him, the Psalmist changes his position, so to speak. At first his soul was clinging to the dust, now he says, “I cling to your testimonies, O Lord” (v. 31). He has begun to walk in the ways of the Lord, holding fast to His statues and testimonies.

A Word for Today

Like the Psalmist and the saints of the Old (and New) Testament, we are also sojourners, aliens and strangers on this earth. Though we are fallen (and redeemed), we were not created for the fallen world we live in. Thus, we need the Lord to show us how to live in this world. The Psalmist reminds us to cling to the Lord and His Word–not only referring to the written Word, also to the ultimate Word, Christ.

As we do cling to His precepts and testimonies, an amazing thing begins to happen. Notice the last thing the Psalmist says. He is now not walking but running “in the way of your commandments” (v. 32). Though the ESV translates it as “when you enlarge my heart,” it may also be translated as “when you set my heart free.” This is perhaps a preferable translation, and that is exactly what the Lord does for us at salvation. He frees us to know, live in, walk in, and eventually run in His ways.

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The Shepherd's Voice

Looking into the Mirror: The Root of Sin

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s (Exodus 20:17).

If the first commandment God gave His people (“no other gods before Me”) set the tone for their relationship with Him, then this last of the Ten Commandments summarizes the relationship of a man to his neighbor. Do not covet . . . anything that is your neighbor’s. As we will see, this verse underlies all the sins that have been mentioned before–murder, adultery, dishonor to parents, stealing, false witness. All spring from the heart, and the heart is where covetousness lives.

Desiring Good Things

The word covet has as its root a word that means “pleasant; delight, beauty.” The word itself (Hebrew chamad) generally means “desire.” Most often it is used in a negative or bad sense, though Paul tells the Corinthians to covet, or earnestly desire, the best spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:31). Notice that the Lord lists things that, at face value, are good. This should remind us of Eve’s experience in the Garden of Eden. After the serpent tempted her, we read that

[she] saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise (Gen. 3:6, emphasis added).

There are those words again: good, delight, desire. The things that Eve desired were good. In fact, as one writer said, she was not tempted by the evil side of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She was tempted by the good things. 

The Root of the Problem

As James says, that desire then gives birth to sin. He tells us,

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions (James 4:2-3).

As we have said in previous posts, it is the nature of the flesh, of fallen man, to try to arrange for his own satisfaction, security, and happiness. He decides what he needs, then devises plans to get it. Often, he tries to enlist others (willingly or unwillingly). Yet, James points out that we often do not have because we do not ask. And when we do ask, we ask with wrong motives–to satisfy our fleshly desires. Instead of trusting God as a Father who wishes to give good gifts to His children, asking Him becomes simply another way to get what we want.

James calls such things “friendship with the world,” and he says that people who engage in such thinking are adulterers in their heart (James 4:4). How is this adultery? It is adultery because one has turned from God and turned to the world to supply those things that only God can supply. Such a person has now placed the world above God. What we learn here is this: one cannot walk as a friend of the world and a friend of God at the same time.

The Cure for the Problem

What is the solution to this? Like all sins we have talked about, real change must begin with repentance. To repent is to first change our thinking. We have attempted to do things our own way, provide for our own wants and needs, and turned away from God in the process. We must instead see Him as our loving, trustworthy Father, who provides all that we need. Then, we must turn to Him in dependence and trust, instead of the world.

We should also bear in mind that He really is good. In fact, He is so good that He promises this:

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday (Ps. 37:4-6).

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The Shepherd's Voice

Looking into the Mirror: A True Witness

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16).

When Peter and John were arrested by the Jewish leaders for preaching the resurrection of Christ, they defended themselves by saying, “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). In this simple statement we find the definition and duty of a witness. Christ had promised His disciples would be witnesses (Acts. 1:8). Against that background stands the command to not bear “false witness” against a neighbor.

To Witness Falsely

What does it mean to bear false witness? The Hebrew phrase (`anah sheqer `ed) literally means “to give false/deceptive/lying witness/testimony.” The original meaning is likely connected to the judicial process. The phrase “against [lit. in the case of] your neighbor” refers to a reciprocal relationship between two people. Jesus defined “neighbor” broadly, and it’s best to see a broad application of this term as well.

If a witness is to testify about what he has seen and heard, then it follows that giving false testimony is to say what is untrue (ex: “I saw John coming out of Joe’s house at 1pm,” when in fact it was actually 2:30pm). Of course, false testimony need not be that blatant. Most falsehoods are far more subtle.

The Wider Context

Being a witness is not limited to judicial proceedings, however. As we pointed out earlier, Jesus says that His disciples will be His witnesses (i.e., witnesses of Him and His work). We also act as witnesses when we speak of other people in everyday conversations. The commandment is meant to protect the reputations, and giving false witness, either intentionally or carelessly, has the effect of damaging reputations. If we are to honor this commandment, then its words should have a sobering effect on what and how we speak.

In the account of Job, we found an example of what it means to be a false witness regarding God. For some context, remember that Job’s three friends came to comfort him in his time of grief after the loss of all he had. After their conversation (and God’s conversation with Job), we read these words,

After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has” (Job 42:7-8).

This is a rather serious charge. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar had spoken about God things that were untrue. The penalty under the law for testifying falsely was severe (though this event likely happened before the law was given). God tells the three that unless they make sacrifice and Job prays for them, He will deal with them “according to [their] folly.” 

Paul gives another example of being a false witness in his discussion of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. There he writes,

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either (1 Cor. 15:14-16).

Paul’s comments here are unmistakable. Anyone who says Christ was not raised from the dead is guilty of breaking the ninth commandment, since God has indeed raised Christ from the dead (this is the clear implication of his argument). 

These examples should give us pause when we consider how we speak about God to others today. In the context of bearing false witness, how does that apply when speaking of God? Violations of this commandment might include portraying God as:

  • judgmental apart from being compassionate
  • simply overlooking our sin
  • unconcerned with the needs of His people
  • anything less than absolutely sovereign and holy

Of course much more could be added to the list. The thing to bear in mind is that our portrayal of God should be according to Scripture, not what we think God should be like.

One final note is in order here. As witnesses, we not only witness with our words but with our lives. If our lives don’t match our words, we still run the risk of being false witnesses. Therefore, we must endeavor to fulfill Paul’s command to the Ephesians: 

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ (Eph. 4:15).

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