Tag: sin

The Shepherd's Voice

Independence Day–Our True Freedom

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For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

I rarely write what might be called “holiday posts,” with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas. With the division and chaos troubling the United States, this seemed an appropriate time to do otherwise and give us some reminders.

We Americans have long seen freedom largely as the right and ability to do what one wants. In somewhat of an extreme correction, some segments have defined freedom, however, as the right and ability to do what one should. This definition often rings true to people professing faith in Christ. The biblical perspective of freedom, however, differs from both of these.

Slaves vs. Sons

In the New Testament, we see several ideas of what it means to be free. We first turn to a well-known verse in John:

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:31–36)

In this passage, Jesus is speaking of two types of freedom–or better yet, two results of true freedom. He speaks of both freedom from the enslaving power of sin and freedom to fully enjoy God as members of God’s family. All humanity is born enslaved to sin due to the sinful nature we inherited from Adam. Since there is no reforming the flesh through education, enlightenment, or psychological treatment, the only way to free us is to kill the sinful nature and remove it. 

Because all are enslaved to sin, none is naturally a child of God. Note Jesus’ words on the difference between a son and a slave. A slave may (and often did) serve in the house, but at the end of the day, he or she had to return to the place where slaves dwelt. It is the children who “remain in the house forever.” In these comments, Jesus is saying that the freedom he offers is the freedom to enjoy God fully as his children (John 1:12-13)

Called to Liberty

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, we find some of his strongest words on the subject of freedom. He writes:

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. . . . For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:1, 13)

In the context of Galatians 5, Paul is talking about freedom of conscience. We are free to live in the way that pleases God without condemnation of the law for failing to do so perfectly (Romans 8:1). This goes far beyond the typical, “free to do as we want/should” argument. This is the freedom to live according to who we are. Since the entire Trinity consists of three self-giving Persons who seek not their own but the good of the others, we also were created to seek the good of others rather than our own. 

And we can live that way because the Son has truly set us free (John 8:36). We have a new heart and a new Spirit (Ezekiel 36:25-26). Paul’s words on freedom remind us that it’s okay that we aren’t perfect yet–we haven’t arrived. We are free to grow in love, holiness, and obedience without the law’s condemnation. Will we stumble along the way? Yes. But that is a far cry from not being able to do anything but sin.

We are no longer slaves but children of God. We were seated at his family table and invited to join in the Great Family. We all know what families look like here–loud, messy, joyful (and at times painful). God invites us to bring all of that as we learn to live out our new identity in Christ. That is true freedom, and living in a free country can never compare with that. Because that freedom can never be taken from us.

There is true freedom at the foot of the cross.

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The Shepherd's Voice

Autonomy or Security?

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And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3)

I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. (Luke 12:4)

There’s been a lot of talk over the last 50 years about “bodily autonomy.” The idea is that a person should control whatever happens to their own body. We’ve seen this most prominently, of course, in the abortion debate. At the same time, it has also appeared in large segments of the conservative church, particularly in the debate of vaccine mandates due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What’s interesting about this phrase is that one group will claim it for their issue yet deny it for the other issues. Supporters of abortion rights (with some exceptions, of course) are more likley to be in favor of vaccine mandates, thus denying the idea of “bodily autonomy” applies in that situation. Those who oppose vaccine mandates (on the principle of “my body, my choice,” and again with some exceptions) deny this principle applies to abortion.

Now, before I go any further, let me say that abortion (and by that I mean the intentional termination of pregnancy that results in the death of the unborn baby) is different from vaccine mandates, because it involves the life of another. Likewise, vaccine mandates are different in that they introduce a substance into the body that someone may or may not want in their body. But, I digress.

The common thread here is this idea of “my body, my choice.” What is the church to do with this? I have long said that it’s inappropriate and contrary to the gospel for followers of Jesus to place their idea of “rights” over the gospel. We live in a culture (at least those of us in most of the western world) that elevates individual autonomy far above the community. It’s this thinking that is behind the “my body, my choice” idea, and that idea has long been making inroads into the church. 

What the church must realize is that underneath the “my body, my choice” idea lies the deeper needs for security and significance. The deepest human need is to feel a sense of personal wholeness, and that sense comes through what we might call significance (or impact or purpose) and security (relationship, acceptance, unconditional love). Now, these needs are not the problem. They are part of how we are created. 

In fact, before the fall they were not needs but attributes of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve enjoyed a sense of personal wholeness as they knew God and walked with him. They found their security in their relationship with the Triune God, the Eternal Community. They found their significance in the fact that God created them and had given them a purpose–to take care of the garden and display his glory. When they fell into sin, however, they were cut off from God. Their sense of personal wholeness (expressed in significance and security) was gone. Those attributes now became needs.

All fallen humanity has these needs. The problem is that, being fallen, we seek to fulfill those needs outside God. When people can’t find security and significance in the world, the only thing left for them is control of their own body. Now, don’t get me wrong. As image-bearers of God, we have inherent dignity, and no one should be able to violate our body. I’m not suggesting otherwise.

What I’m suggesting, however, is that underneath the “bodily autonomy” talk is a deep, almost desparte, need to control our bodies so that we can have at least some shred (and it is a tiny shred) of personal wholeness. These needs are often so strong that even the human conscience will give way under the weight, causing us to do whatever we think we have to in order to have those needs met and avoid the soul-crushing pain of emptiness. And, these ideas have become so deeply ingrained in us, that most are unaware of them.

We’ve seen countless people kill others to preserve their own sense of importance (“if people find out what really happened, I’ll lose my security and significance”). Why would it be surprising that talk of abortion and vaccine mandates be any different? 

It’s not enough, then, to say, “You are not your own, you were bought with a price” (though that’s true). It’s not enough to just say, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” (though that’s true). It’s also not enough to say, “Abortion is murder” (even though that’s true). It’s not enough to say, “Love your neighbor” (to the opponents of vaccine mandates). As always, it comes down to the Gospel of Jesus. We need to be teaching, preaching, and living the truth that we are fully secure and significant because of what God did for us in sending Jesus to die for us on the cross. We are secure because nothing that happens to us in this life can take that away. We are significant because he has given us a great purpose–to exalt him and spread his glory among the nations. 

We need to be helping those in the church identify and repent of those sinful patterns of thinking (of which many are consciously unaware). Only then, when we experience the truth that Jesus really is enough, and that our deepest needs really are met in him, will we see major change in the church–and our society.

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The Shepherd's Voice

A Cure for the Incurable

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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. (Ezekiel 36:26)

In the last post (An Incurable Diagnosis, 2/18/2021), we saw the condition of fallen humanity. It was a grim discovery. To be blunt, the idea that humanity is basically good is a myth, which is supported by neither Scripture nor historical evidence. Humanity has, as we said in the last post, an incurably terminal disease–the disease of sin and self. Because of sin, every person is born with what we might call the Sinful Heart. 

The Sinful Heart, as we saw in the last post, is totally corrupted, and completely bent away from God. Its sole motivation is to find life apart from God and His ways. Because the heart is at the center of being, the Sinful Heart systematically programs every part of a person–mind, will, emotions, and body–in those same desires and strategies. And because every person is born with the Sinful Heart, the entire human race has been corrupted.

And this condition, according to the Lord, is terminal (leading to spiritual death) and incurable.

A Heart Transplant

It’s not enough to have a system of sacrifice in place. It’s not enough for people’s sins to be forgiven. It’s not enough to exhort people to obey the law. In order to save those doomed to separation from God, a radical solution is needed–a heart transplant. And that’s exactly what the Lord has provided. Let’s look at two passages that describe this transplant.

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 31:33–34)

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. (Ezekiel 36:25–27)

When we take these two passages together, we get a full and complete picture of how deeply the Lord responded to the plight of the human race, even beyond the needed heart transplant.

Preparation for the Surgery

The first thing the Lord says to Ezekiel in this passage is, “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” (Ezek. 36:25). To prepare us for the heart transplant, the Lord first cleanses us. As part of that, He also told Jeremiah, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:34). 

This is an important statement, since sins were not fully put away under the Old Testament sacrificial system. The author of Hebrews tells us,

[The law] can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. (Hebrews 10:1–3)

Instead of putting away sin, the sacrifices actually reminded people that they were still under sin. Their sin was covered, not forgiven. Yet, the Lord says He would not only forgive sin, but would “remember it no more.” So, under the New Covenant that the Lord is making, His people are now cleansed of sin and totally forgiven. There is no sin that cannot be forgiven and cleansed.

A New Heart

After preparing for surgery, it’s time to actually do the heart transplant. The Lord told Ezekiel, “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” (Ezek. 36:26). Let’s unpack this a little. If you’ll recall, the heart of fallen sinful man was compared to stone, on which sin had been written. This resulted in a heart totally corrupted, hostile to God’s ways and determined to find life apart from God. This heart could not be changed (hence the idea of sin being inscribed with iron and diamond). It must be replaced.

This new heart, according to the Lord will be a heart of flesh, instead of the heart of stone that resides within fallen humanity. What this means is that, instead of the Sinful Heart, then, His people would have the Spiritual Heart–a heart that is bent toward following the Lord and His ways, as much desiring to live in dependence on God as the Sinful Heart desired independence from Him.

But that’s not all; the Lord goes further. Not only does He replace the heart, but he says, “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts” (Jer. 31:33). Not only will His people  have a new heart, but that new heart is inscribed with the Law of the Lord (the direct opposite of Jer. 17:1, “[their] sin . . . is engraved on the tablet of their heart”).

A New Way to Relate

In addition to changing the very nature of His people, the Lord does something else. He gives us a new way of relating with Him. Look at these statements:

I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

They shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.

And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

These promises all boil down to one thing: intimacy with God. An intimacy that was unknown before. Yes, the Lord called Moses His servant and friend, and He called David a man after His own heart, and walked and talked with Abraham. But even they did not have the intimacy that he offers His people now. As part of the New Covenant, the very Spirit of God will reside in His people! All of His people will know Him, from the least to the greatest. There will be no distinction between priest and commoner. All will be priests. 

A Long-Awaited Answer

This is really the answer to the long-before prayer of King David. In Psalm 51, He prays:

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. . . . Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. . . . Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:1–12)

When we compare David’s prayer to the promises of the New Covenant, we find that God did fully and completely grant David’s plea. Likewise, those of us who have repented and cried out for mercy can rest assured that, as He did for David, as He promises to Israel, He will give us that same new heart and a willing spirit, in order that we will love, obey, and walk with Him. We have been made new, cleansed, and forgiven by the New Covenant sealed by Christ’s blood.

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The Shepherd's Voice

An Incurable Diagnosis

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“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars, while their children remember their altars and their Asherim, beside every green tree and on the high hills, on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your high places for sin throughout all your territory. You shall loosen your hand from your heritage that I gave to you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.” 

Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” 

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” (Jeremiah 17:1–10)

Some time ago, we looked at Jeremiah 2:12-13, exposing the root of all sin as the desire to find independence and life apart from God (see Dying of Thirst, 9/16/2019). In this post, we are going to look at another part of Jeremiah that helps us understand why we need Jesus.

Many of us in the church are probably familiar with Jer. 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” I have been for a long time. When one reads it in context, however, the reason for the problem becomes clear. We’re first going to look at that diagnosis and then look at the underlying cause.

The Diagnosis

Jeremiah diagnoses the human condition in verse 9. He writes, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” The NIV translates this as, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure,” while the NET translates it as “incurably bad.” The idea in the original language is that 1) the human heart is deceitful to the core; and 2) this condition is incurable. 

Think about those statements; the human heart (in Jewish thinking, the center of being) is rotten to the core. It is self-centered and deceitful. This is the coup de grace of all viruses, illnesses, and diseases. Even worse than that is the fact that said condition is incurable. It is what we’d call a terminal disease. In today’s modern era, we will have diseases such as cancer for which we have no cure. Some of these diseases can cause death, hence the phrase terminal disease. 

Jeremiah’s diagnosis, though, is a terminal disease of staggering proportions. The disease of sin leads to spiritual death, or what the Bible calls eternal death–being eternally separated from God. And again, there is nothing we can do about it. Our best efforts simply aren’t good enough, because we aren’t good enough. Why is this? Now we turn to the cause.

The Root of the Problem

The root of this incurable problem is found in verses 1-3. The Lord, speaking through Jeremiah, tells us:

The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars, while their children remember their altars and their Asherim, beside every green tree and on the high hills, on the mountains in the open country. (vv:1–3)

To understand the significance of the mention of “the tablet of their heart,” we need to remember that the Law of Moses was written on tablets of stone (Exodus 31:18; cf. 20:1-17). Here the Lord is displaying irony at the fact that the hearts of His people are as hard as a stone tablet, on which not the law of God, but their sin was engraved. It was engraved with such firmness that it can never be erased. As it was with Judah and Israel, so it is with all of fallen humanity. 

Now, it’s not only that individual sins were written on the tablet of their hearts, but also that sin itself was inscribed on their hearts. This gives a picture that the heart itself has been corrupted, and this is seen in how the NET translates vv. 2-3a: “Their children are always thinking about their altars and their sacred poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah, set up beside the green trees on the high hills and on the mountains and in the fields.” Here, we see that the people always have idolatry on their mind. 

In our day, many don’t think of actual gods and goddesses; rather they simply think about themselves–how they can find life apart from the Lord. Fallen humanity either creates ‘gods’ in their own image, or (for the more intellectual who shun religion), simply make themselves the god of their own life.

Because the heart itself is corrupted, everything else about fallen humanity has been corrupted–reasoning, choosing, feeling. Even the body often does not work as it was intended. Sin has corrupted everything about us.   

The Results of the Diagnosis

In verses 3b-4, the Lord tells Judah of the judgment to come as a result of their idolatry. He promises to give both their wealth and their land to others, and make them servants of foreigners. Why? He gives a straightforward answer: For in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever (v. 4).

Then, however, the Lord makes a general statement, which we can see is the result of the incurably bad heart. The Lord first says that a certain type of person is cursed. He says, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord” (v. 5). Remember what we said about the root of all sin? It’s found in the foolish desire to find life and purpose independently of God. This verse describes such a person.

When one turns his heart away from the Lord, his only recourse is to turn to himself and others. He is trusting in flesh for what he needs and wants. The problem with this is that every fallen human being is primarily concerned with his or her own well-being. The Lord says that such a person is cursed. It’s not that the Lord is placing a curse on him or her. Rather, He is simply stating what will happen to this person.

In the next verse, the Lord says, “He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land” (v. 6). The Lord has drawn a picture of the fate of a person who trusts in himself. This person, the Lord says, will always be dry and unfulfilled. Now, wait, many people seem happy with wealth, power, status, etc. Right? They seem that way, but those things can never satisfy the deepest thirst of the human soul, and so they will always strive to seek after more. Those who have wealth, power, and status want more. They are truly never satisfied. Worse, the person described by the Lord uses whatever he or she can–including others–to get what he or she thinks will bring satisfaction (only to see it too lead to emptiness).

The Blessed Person

In contrast, the Lord says the one who trusts in Him will be blessed. Notice that He says what seems to be a repeating phrase: “. . . the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord” (v. 7). They really aren’t repeating phrases, though. There are two specific emphases here. The first phrase speaks of a person who “trusts in the Lord.” This is an active phrase, indicating that one intentionally places his or her trust in the Lord at specific times. The second phrase, “whose trust is the Lord,” indicates a state of being. This person has surrendered his or her life to the Lord, and so trust in the Lord is the default attitude of the heart.

This person, the Lord says, is like a tree by the river. Like the tree, the person has been rooted deeply and receives all he or she needs from the water. This is the inevitable result of trusting the Lord. Instead of constantly seeking satisfaction on his or her own terms, the blessed person has entrusted life itself to God and has found the true Satisfier. Notice that there is a further result:  Not only does this person receive all he or she needs, but is also said to “not cease to bear fruit [even in the year of drought].” In Scripture (particularly in the New Testament), the idea of fruit almost always has the idea of going forth and doing good to others. Because the blessed person has all he or she needs, attention can now be turned to others for their good.

But there’s a problem. Where do we find such a person? How can such a person exist since all have this incurable disease of sin, resulting in the foolish attempt to live independently of God? If sin itself is written on the tablet of the fallen heart, how can one be made to turn to God?

That is the beauty of the New Covenant…. which we will discuss in the next post.

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The Shepherd's Voice

Fasting and Fighting

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“Shout loudly! Don’t be quiet! Yell as loud as a trumpet! Confront my people with their rebellious deeds; confront Jacob’s family with their sin! They seek me day after day; they want to know my requirements, like a nation that does what is right and does not reject the law of their God. They ask me for just decrees; they want to be near God. They lament, ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast? Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’ Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, you oppress your workers. Look, your fasting is accompanied by arguments, brawls, and fistfights. Do not fast as you do today, trying to make your voice heard in heaven. Is this really the kind of fasting I want? Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, bowing their heads like a reed and stretching out on sackcloth and ashes? Is this really what you call a fast, a day that is pleasing to the LORD? No, this is the kind of fast I want. I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke. I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe him! Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood! Then your light will shine like the sunrise; your restoration will quickly arrive; your godly behavior will go before you, and the LORD’s splendor will be your rear guard. Then you will call out, and the LORD will respond; you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’ You must remove the burdensome yoke from among you and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully. You must actively help the hungry and feed the oppressed. Then your light will dispel the darkness, and your darkness will be transformed into noonday. The LORD will continually lead you; he will feed you even in parched regions. He will give you renewed strength, and you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that continually produces water. Your perpetual ruins will be rebuilt; you will reestablish the ancient foundations. You will be called, ‘The one who repairs broken walls, the one who makes the streets inhabitable again.’ . . . ” Know for certain that the LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 58:1-14, NET)

There’s been a fair amount of teaching on the subject of fasting in the last twenty years within the church. Many of us know what fasting is supposed to be about, and even how to do so. There are even movements dedicated to the idea of fasting and prayer for specific things. With all the fasting going on, many wonder why we don’t see more breakthroughs. This passage sheds some light on the question.

Confronting God’s People With Their Rebellion

The Lord starts out by telling the prophet to loudly and forcefully confront the people of God (Israel/Jacob) with their sin and rebellion. Yes, He uses the word rebellion for what He is about to describe. Whatever it is, the Lord takes it seriously. In the same way, we must take His words to us as seriously.

The first thing God points out is that Israel seeks Him daily. Surely this is no sin in itself. The Lord acknowledges that Israel wants “to know my requirements, like a nation that does what is right and does not reject the law of their God. They ask me for just decrees; they want to be near God” (v. 2). Sounds like Israel is on the right track there. Israel wants to be near the Lord, but they cry out, “Why don’t you notice when we fast? Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves” (v. 3a), For some reason, God was not hearing their prayers and paying attention to their fasting. Why is that?

God does not keep the reason hidden from them: “Look, at the same time you fast, you . . . .” (v. 3b). Here the Lord begins to lay out a series of indictments. What it comes down to is this: While the people pray and fast, their heart is not pure. They are not doing what He told them to do. He called them to devote themselves to His way, and they are trying to gain His favor while doing what they want. In fact, he says:

Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, you oppress your workers. Look, your fasting is accompanied by arguments, brawls, and fistfights. Do not fast as you do today, trying to make your voice heard in heaven (vv. 3-4).

In other words, the Lord was telling Israel, “Don’t keep doing things the same way you have been and expect different results!” He calls such a fast a fake or false fast. He asks the rhetorical question,

Is this really the kind of fasting I want? Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, bowing their heads like a reed and stretching out on sackcloth and ashes? Is this really what you call a fast, a day that is pleasing to the LORD? (v. 5)

Of course the expected answer to that question is, “No!” Then the Lord tells Israel what they do need to be doing. He lays out His desires in detail:

  • to set free those bound in sin
  • to work for the freedom of the oppressed
  • to share food with the hungry
  • to shelter the homeless
  • to clothe the naked

These are the things the Lord wants His people to be about. This is not new territory either. In Deuteronomy 10, the Lord reminded Israel:

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? . . . He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:12–13, 18-19, ESV)

Because the Lord was concerned about the fatherless, widows, sojourner, and homeless, Israel was also commanded to care for these vulnerable peoples. They had failed to do that. Not only that, but they were fighting each other! Read again the Lord’s indictment: “Look, your fasting is accompanied by arguments, brawls, and fistfights” (Isa. 58:4). And James tells us where such quarrels come from:

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 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 4:1–3, ESV)

Is This For Us?

Can anyone who takes an honest look at the church today deny that these words are as much for us as they were for Israel? Do we not see the church embroiled in controversies (which often have little to no eternal value), quarrels, and even fights? Many in the church claim to be followers of Christ while aligning their heart with a political system that is anti-Christ and anti-gospel. Even if we don’t often fast, we do engage in other religious activities–church, prayer, witnessing. And when we do those things without obeying God’s commands to see and care for people, we fall under the same condemnation.

Why are we arguing about masks, vaccines, CRT, and a host of other things (and even making them essentials to the Christian faith) while pushing the very people away to whom we are to be declaring and living the gospel? Why is our only response to the chains of sin and oppression often “Receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior?” It seems that our exercises of orthodoxy, prayer, and witnessing have fallen to the same level as those of the Pharisees.

“Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you neglect what is more important in the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You should have done these things without neglecting the others. Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel! (Matthew 23:23–24, NET)

What must we do? The call to us is the same as the call to Israel:

[T]his is the kind of fast I want. I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke. I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe him! Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood! . . . You must remove the burdensome yoke from among you and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully. You must actively help the hungry and feed the oppressed. (Isaiah 58:6–7, 9-10)

When we do that, we have the same promise that God gave Israel:

Then your light will dispel the darkness, and your darkness will be transformed into noonday (v. 10).

We in the church have cursed the darkness for too long. We have “fought the culture wars” too long. It’s time to instead shine the light of Christ into the world.

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The Shepherd's Voice

The Greatest Gift of All

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[The LORD said], “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. . . . I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:6–10)

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

Some time ago on the blog, we discussed four women who each, in their own ways, asked the question, “Does God see me?” (“The God Who Sees”, 5/11/21)  In this post, we’re going to follow up on that discussion. Though we often know all the songs to sing at Christmas (such as “Immanuel”), few seem to really grasp the real impact of the birth of Christ. In fact, more and more people, it seems, are asking that same question: Does God see me? Before we get there, though, we’re going to set the answer in perspective.

Another Cry For Deliverance

It has now been 400 years since Israel (Jacob) and his people entered Egypt. All of that generation had, of course, passed away. Scripture tells us that “there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). Joseph, the one who had been used of God to save Egypt during the famine had been forgotten. By this time the people of Israel had grown tremendously, so much so that the Egyptians feared them. So, they made slaves of them. They had now been in bondage as slaves to Egypt for 400 years. 

And God calls a man named Moses to deliver them. Reluctantly, he goes to Egypt. You probably know the story. The ten plagues, culminating in the Passover. The blood of a lamb was smeared on the doorpost of every Jewish home, and the angel of the Lord “passed over” Israel as every firstborn in Egypt died. Not only did the Egyptians let Israel go, but they drove Israel out, because they were afraid they would die. God had certainly seen the suffering of His people and delivered them with a mighty hand–so much so that Israel would speak and sing about it for generations to come in the Psalms.

What part of that really made Israel’s deliverance from Egypt possible? The Passover. Israel belonged to God from the moment the lambs were slain and the blood put on the doorposts. In the law of Moses, we read that God has a claim on every firstborn, whether human or animal. The Hebrews were told to either sacrifice or redeem every firstborn. (And the law further said that every firstborn child must be redeemed.) 

Now fast forward through history. We see time and time again Israel breaking the covenant that God had given to them. Time and time again, Israel breaks the covenant, repents and sacrifices, and then sins again. In fact, the very sacrifices they offer for sin (including the Passover) simply remind them of their sin (Hebrews 10:3). They were still struggling under sin because 1) it had not been put away and 2) its power over them had not been broken. They were still in bondage–a more terrible bondage than the Egyptians, Philistines, Assyrians, or even Romans could inflict.

A Silent Night

Fast forward again. It’s now around 4 B.C. The people of Israel are once again in bondage–in fact they have been for the last several hundred years. Now it’s the Romans. Again the voice of the Lord has been silent. For 400 years, no prophet of the Lord has arisen. And again the cry of Israel goes up before Israel, as people wonder where the Lord is with His mighty promises. (They often wonder in private, mind you, for fear of exposing themselves to shame from the religious folk.) And again the Lord hears their cry, sending a deliverer.

This time is different though.

In previous times, He sent other people. Moses. Gideon. Samson. Deborah. Samuel. Saul. David. Some were good people, devoted to Him. Some turned out to be not so devoted. Yet, they were all His instruments. And they delivered Israel and gave her peace for a time–until she fell again.

This time is different. This time, the Lord decided to deal with the real bondage that enslave His people. And He decided He wasn’t going to send someone else to do the job.

He sent Himself.

His arrival follows a theme found even in the Old Testament–using those who seem the least likely to be picked (Moses, Gideon, Deborah, and David are a few examples). He arrives as a baby! Think of it: The God of the universe becomes human and lives among His sin-stained creation. Not only that, but this baby is born to a virgin who is betrothed (though not married) to a man. They were lower-end of the income scale (they could only afford two pigeons at the baby’s dedication). And finally, the family settled in Nazareth–can anything good come from Nazareth?

When Jesus grows up to manhood, what does He do? Organize an army to kick the Romans out? No. In fact, He tells people (including Pilate) that though He is a king, His kingdom is not of this world. There will come a time when His kingdom will invade the earth, but that time is not now. What He is here to do now is to deal with the real problem. That problem is the problem of their bondage to sin.

Did Jesus come to identify with our pain? Absolutely. We are told that He has suffered and been tempted in all points as we have. Where does that pain come from? The pain comes from the deepest cry of the human soul (which is to know and belong to God) that is bound in sin. Jesus came first to save us ultimately from our fallen selves. 

God sent Himself to us to tell us, “I see your pain. I hear your cry. And I hear the cry that you may not even recognize.” That is the greatest gift of Christmas.

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The Shepherd's Voice

Pressing Forward, Not Shrinking Back (Pt. 2)

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For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:26-31)

In the last post, we began looking at Hebrews 10:19-39. We said that now, because of God’s great love for us and the work of Christ on the cross, we can approach God with confidence and others in love and encouragement. In fact, we are told to press forward, moving toward God and others. In this post, we’re going to talk about the danger of shrinking back. This passage, Hebrews 10:26-31, has caused much debate in the church through misunderstandings of what it does and does not teach.

The Danger of Shrinking Back

The first statement of this passage may at first seem like an abrupt change of subject to the modern reader. We might be tempted to ask, “Who said anything about continuing to deliberately sin?” But, the author of Hebrews is making a contrast. He is contrasting the exhortations in the previous section (vv. 22-25) with “continuing to sin deliberately.” So, to state it simply,

Drawing near to God, holding fast to our faith, and encouraging each other
is in direct contrast to
Continuing to deliberately sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth

There is an important implication here that we need to think about. Based on these passages, we can say that those exhortations in vv. 22-25 (drawing near to God, holding fast to our faith, and encouraging/loving one another) are natural and expected behaviors for Christians. This is a section, like many of the more practical parts of Paul’s letters, that say, “This is what a Christian, one who has been washed by Christ’s blood, looks like.” If there is never any movement in those directions by a professed believer, then there is a problem.

Now, let’s look at that first statement fully. The author of Hebrews writes, “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries” (emphasis added). We need to be careful in understanding this sentence. First, notice what the author does not say. The author does not say there will not be forgiveness, but instead that there is no more sacrifice for sin. Why is this? Because Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient for all sin. And it’s because of Christ’s sacrifice that the believer is changed and empowered to grow in Christ.

Basically, the author of Hebrews is saying, “God has done all He can. He has provided everything we need to change and live in relationship and fellowship with Him and others.” Peter echoes this thought when he writes,

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. (2 Peter 1:3–4)

And Paul further adds,

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14)

God has given us His grace for the specific purpose of training us in righteousness and to help us avoid unrighteousness. He has given us all we need, not the least of which is His very presence. Thus, anyone who continues to willfully live in sin after receiving His grace is spurning both the grace of God and the sacrifice of Christ. What does the author say about such an attitude? There is no more sacrifice for sins. It’s as if the offernder is saying, “That’s not enough God,” but God has done everything possible.

This is why the author writes that the only thing left is “a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” Now, we need to avoid a couple of extremes here. One extreme would say, “You lost your salvation [or were never a believer at all].” The other extreme would say, “It doesn’t matter, all sins are covered by grace.” Both are contrary to the sense of the text. Notice that verse 30 says, “The Lord will judge His people.” Here, as with all the NT letters, the writer is communicating to those who at least profess the name of Christ. He sees His audience as God’s people.

To reinforce this, look at verse 29, which contains these words:”. . . . the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified” (emphasis added). Notice that the writer speaks of this one of having been sanctified by Christ’s blood. He is one of God’s people. Thus, God does judge His people. He does discipline us, to train us in righteousness (we’ll talk about that in the next post). This is why both of those extremes are in error.

Now, let’s talk about why this judgment is merited. The author of Hebrews makes an argument from the lesser to the greater. He reminds the people that those who rebelled against the law of Moses were executed without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses (v. 28). Then he asks, “How much worse punishment will be deserved “the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?” (v. 29) The one who continues to sin deliberately, shrinking back from what God has called him to, has (as we said above) essentially told God, “What you did was not enough, and I reject it.”

How to Live Without Shrinking Back

The problem with teaching about or reading passages such as this is that it’s too easy to focus on the judgment and fear. It, no doubt, is a warning against abusing the grace we have received from God. At the same time, as we commit our hearts to positively and actively following Christ, we need not fear that jdugment. Discipline? Yes. God disciplines all of us, to train us. Discipline is not always punishment, though.

The thing is, we have to remember that God describes Himself as patient (Exodus 34:6), and the writers of both the Old and New Testaments agree. 2 Peter 3:9 tell us that God is patient toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all reach repentance. Psalm 103:14 tells us that God remembers our frame, He nows that we are but dust. My translation of that is, “He knows He has to pick up our slack.” But He knows our hearts also. He knows who is His, and He knows the desire of our hearts. As our hearts are turned toward Him, He will grant our desires to obey and follow Him. We will press forward and not shrink back.

Go to Part 1

Go to Part 3

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The Shepherd's Voice

How Then Shall We Live? (Pt. 5)

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In this post, our final post in this series, we are continuing our discussion of spiritual transformation and growth. Specifically, we are going to look at the real keys to our role in transformation. In the last post, we mentioned a passage that talks about these keys.

Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God—which is your reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2, NET)

This passage marks a shift in Paul’s teaching in Romans. up until this passage, he had been teaching more theology–what to believe. Now he shifts to the working out of that theology. (“If this is true, then this is how you should live.”) Notice that he starts with “therefore.” A well-worn axiom of Bible study says, “When you see a ‘therefore,’ ask ‘What’s the ‘therefore’ there for?” Essentially, Paul is saying, “Because of the great mercy of God that He has shown to us, we should live this way.” He starts off with two ideas in this passage: total devotion and transformation.

Total Devotion: A Living Sacrifice

The first thing Paul exhorts (or encourages) us to do is to present ourselves as a sacrifice. In the Old Testament, a sacrifice was seen as something totally devoted to God. In the same way, the sacrifice of Christ showed His total devotion to the Father’s will. There’s a difference, however, between the sacrificies of the Old Testament and the giving of ourselves wholly to God. The Old Testament sacrifices were killed before being placed on the altar. We, on the other hand, are are told to present ourselves as living sacrifices. In fact, Paul says our sacifice should be “alive, holy, and pleasing to God.”

Even though we aren’t killed, part of us is killed, namely the flesh. As we offer ourselves to God on a daily basis, we live out and enforces the truth of Rom. 6:5-11, particularly the death of the old man. Being a living sacrifice, then, is also living out the truth of Rom. 6:12-14, where presenting oneself to God as an instrument of righteousness leads to transformation and the truth that the we are not under law but under grace.

The real problem with living sacrifices, as is often quipped, is that they tend to try to get off the altar. Likewise our flesh will resist such devotion, and the world and devil will give us reasons not offer ourselves to God in that way. When I was first saved, my first summer after college, my mother would often say “Don’t get too religious on us.” This was before she was saved, and thank the Lord she is with Christ now. But, she didn’t understand the spiritual truth of Romans. This sort of offering must be done daily. It is not a once-for-all sacrifice like Christ’s was for us.

Remember also that sacrifices of old had to be spotless and without blemish. Unfortunately, that is not true of any human. It is only because of Christ that we are holy and righteous. But, Paul does tell us that we have been thoroughly washed and justified by the Spirit (1 Cor. 6:9-11). That is, as you’ll recall, one of the promises of the New Covenant–cleansing and forgiveness. We stand in God’s sight as righteous–not becasue of anything we have done or will do, but solely because of Christ’s work. Because we are cleansed, though, and are continually being cleansed as we walk with Christ, we can present ourselves as that sacrifice to God, being wholly devoted to Him.

Transformation: Renewing the Mind

The second thng Paul tell us to do has two parts–a negative and positive command. The negative command is “do not be conformed to this world.” In the Greek, the word is syschēmatizō, meaning “to conform to, to assimiliate into.” It’s translated as a passive verb (something done to me) rather than active (I do something) because that’s the sense of the Greek. We might paraphrase this as, “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold.”

Conformity to the world is most often passive. We adopt thought patterns, beliefs, images, and attitudes from what we ingest–and often without even tinking about it. Unfortunately, the Sinful Heart (which we had before trusting Christ) has already throughly programmed us in the world’s ways. So, it doesn’t take much.

Renewing the mind, then, means replacing those old ways of thinking with God’s ways of thinkings. As we learn, meditate on, and put in the practice God’s Word, our mind is progressively renewed. Thinking in a biblical worldview becomes more natural to us. And as such, our behavior begins to change–not because “I should [or should not] do this,” because it’s natural to me now.

What’s the difference between “conformed” and “transformed”? Besides being mostly passive, conformed has an idea of adopting a system of thought and belief (the Greek word is where we get “system” and “systemitize”) without changing basic nature. The word translated transformed, however, is the Greek word metamorphoō, from which we get metamorphsis. To be transformed is to be changed into something new, something that did exist before. This is the idea Paul has when he writes, “If any man or woman be in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17).

Unfortunately, many Christians practice a form of spiritual growth that seeks to confrom them to Christ’s attitude and behavior rather than transforming them into His image. Changing our external behaviors isn’t enough. Seeking to sin less is a good thing, but it’s not enough. We must be transformed. And that happens as we change the way we are thinking. The Bible has another word for that.

Repentance.

Renewing the mind and being transformed equates to living in a state of repentance before God and others. We change how we think. We come into alignment with God’s word in our beliefs, images, and thoughts, then our attitudes and actions follow. As we do this, we are progressively transformed into the image of Christ. We are changed.

We are new creations in Christ.

We have the hope of being changed. The Holy Spirit was given to us for that very hope and to help us along the journey. No matter where you are or have been on your spirititual journey, there is hope for you to change. No matter what sins you struggle with, whether they be open sin or the deep hidden sin that few see, Christ offers, forgiveness, grace, healing, and change.

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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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