There’s a Story Behind the Story

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Pete

Nobody knew the story behind the story. Job was living the story . . . and he didn’t know it. His buddies were late to the theatre and they were only catching the “closing act” . . . but they had no idea what was behind the story. And yet, understandably, they all had an opinion concerning the story.

One of my readings is in Job 5 this morning. Part II of Eliphaz’s response to Job’s first lament.

The story as far as Job is concerned is that he has been ruined for no apparent reason. Wealth gone . . . kids gone . . . reputation gone . . . health gone . . . wife less than supportive. That’s the story he’s living. His response? “Let the day perish on which I was born and the night that said, ‘A man is conceived.’ . . . Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire? . . . Or why was I not as a hidden stillborn child, as infants who never see the light? There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest” (Job 3:3, 11, 16-17).

Weary . . . what an understatement . . . that’s what Job was, weary!

But there was a story behind his story. A showdown in heaven between God and Satan. God had drawn Satan’s attention to His man Job as a man who was blameless and upright. A man who feared God and turned away from evil. A man like no other man on earth (Job 1:8). And Satan had said, Let me touch him and we’ll see how God-fearing and blameless and upright he remains . . . let me at him and watch him curse You, God, to Your face (1:11, 2:5).

But even though he was the story, Job didn’t know the story behind the story and so, he just wished the story had never even begun. Can’t blame him.

But it’s Eliphaz that has me thinking this morning. I read through his rebuttal of Job’s lament and, while so many of the words seem solid enough, there’s something about the attitude that bugs me. There’s an air of arrogant piety as he tries to “encourage” Job to see what’s “really happening” and trust in the Lord.

“Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker? . . . But if it were I, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before Him. . . Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty.” (Job 4:17, 5:8, 5:17 ESV)

Really can’t argue with any of those statements. But what’s a guy doing rebuking someone who has lost everything and is still throbbing with both emotional and physical pain, the likes of which Eliphaz has never known? He looks at the narrative of Job’s circumstance and figures he knows the storyline. And so he provides his pious commentary.

Not faulting him and his friends for wanting to comfort their buddy . . . but there sure has to be some instruction in here in how not to do it. And I’m thinking it has something to do with recognizing that there is always a story behind the story. Facts I’m not aware of . . . dynamics that haven’t been made known to me. And so, as I have opportunity to draw alongside, I need to do so with humility . . . and gentleness . . . and wisdom . . . and grace.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. (Romans 12:15-16 ESV)

That God’s people would be godly comforters. For other’s benefit . . . for God’s glory.

Amen?

 

Posted in Job | Leave a comment

Busted!

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Pete

There are those who suspect it was all a set up. Those who look at the facts presented and scratch their head and smell something fishy going on. After all, how does someone get “caught in adultery?” Literally the term is ” to laid hold of” or “to seize upon” or “to take possession of.” Wouldn’t a woman who is cheating on her husband ensure she was being discreet? How does the bedroom door get crashed in on unless someone was tipped off?

And hey, if she was caught in the act, then where was the guy? If they got her, what happened to him? If it was about contending for righteousness, then his sin was just as great as hers. Those subscribing to a conspiracy theory would claim entrapment . . . the guy was part of the “sting” operation . . . he copped a deal with the D.A. in order to avoid prosecution (someone’s watched too many detective shows!) After all, the Pharisees were less interested in the woman’s sin than in testing Jesus and finding something of which to accuse Him (John 8:1-6a).

But regardless of whether it was a set up or not, the fact of the matter is, she did it. She was there . . . with a man . . . a man who was not her husband . . . in violation of her marriage covenant . . . in violation of moral law . . . in violation of Mosaic law. She was busted! When all was said and done, sin had crouched at her door and she had permitted its entrance, Guilty as charged . . . without excuse . . . without a plea. And now her “secret sin” had gone public . . . and oh, so public! Brought to the temple . . . set amidst a crowd gathered to hear Jesus teach . . . on her knees before the One who many were starting to believe was Messiah. How embarrassing . . . how shameful . . . how scary, as she heard the religious leaders remind Jesus that the law commanded she be put to death by stoning for her sin. Oh, so busted!

But she was just a pawn in the Pharisee’s game. The real “sting operation” was targeted at Jesus. These hard-hearted, hypocritical “leaders in righteousness” cared nothing about her. She was just the bait to try and trap Jesus. What would He do? What would He say? They had enough exposure to Him and had heard enough of stories about Him to suspect that He wouldn’t take up a stone against this woman. They knew He ate with tax collectors and sinners . . . they knew He claimed the authority of God Himself as He who could forgive sins . . . they were sure that He would respond in such a way that they could level their accusations against Him . . . that they could accuse Him of not following the law . . . and therefore was a transgressor . . . and couldn’t be engaged in God’s work. Jesus was set up.

His response is masterful . . . what else would you expect from the Master? There’s been much speculation as to what He wrote with His finger on the ground while the Pharisees stood about Him and the woman waited for His response. But the fact of the matter is, we don’t know. What we do know is that when they pressed Jesus for an answer, He stood and addressed them. The Living Word of God spoke the living word of God, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” (8:7). And the word was living . . . “and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

That was it. He stopped speaking . . . stooped to the ground again . . . resumed writing in the ground with His finger. And the convicting power of the Spirit of God took over. . . revealing to each their own “secret sin” . . . and now they were busted! One by one they knew they were trapped. He had searched them and known them and revealed to them their wicked way (Ps. 139:23-24). They too had been caught in the act. And so they left . . . one by one . . . from the oldest to the last . . . leaving Jesus alone with the woman in the midst of the crowd (8:9).

And then, one on one, Jesus and the woman had that wonderful conversation, “Woman, has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord.” “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more” (8:10-11).

The Pharisees were pretty sure that Jesus would not condemn the woman . . . and they were so right! The woman was busted . . . the Pharisees were busted . . . and, praise God, Jesus was busted too!

The Christ would soon pay the price for her sin . . . so that forgiveness might be possible . . . so that grace might prevail . . . so that a woman caught in the act might know the power to go and sin no more.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:17 ESV)

O’, what a Savior!

 

Posted in John | Leave a comment

Driven from the Sanctuary

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Pete

Not sure what to do with it . . . but to hover over it . . . and to wonder at it . . . and be filled with dread because of it. The Spirit falls upon Ezekiel in Ezekiel 8. The prophet looks and sees “a form that had the appearance of a man.” The description of the Man’s appearance has the flavor of the vision John the Revelator had on the Isle of Patmos in Revelation 1. Thinking this is one of those theophanies, a pre-incarnate appearance of the Son of God, the Christ. And if I’m reading it right, He comes to take the prophet on a behind the scenes tour.

He takes Ezekiel, through a vision, to the temple in Jerusalem, where the depths of His peoples’ spiritual infidelity is laid bare though they said, “The LORD does not see us.” He sees first, at the entrance to the inner court, something called “the image of jealousy” . . . don’t know exactly what that is, but you gotta know it isn’t good. Digging through the wall of the outer temple, idolatrous images engraved in the temple walls are shown to Ezekiel . . . and before them, 70 elders of Israel engage in pagan worship. At the entrance of the north gate the prophet is shown women weeping before a foreign deity. And then, in the inner court, 25 men have their back to the place where the glory dwells so that they might turn their faces to the east and worship the sun.

What was it for Ezekiel to witness such flagrant rebellion and spiritual adultery. And what of the Man who accompanied Him on this “abomination tour” . . . how it must have grieved the heart of the King and provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel.

And He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel are committing here, to drive Me far from My sanctuary?” (Ezekiel 8:6 ESV)

I know it’s coming . . . that tragic account of the glory departing the temple. But this verse in Ezekiel sends chills down my spine . . . for the glory didn’t just decide to leave, it was driven from the sanctuary.

The people were sending it far away. What started as delusional belief that they could worship both the God of Abraham and the gods of this world ends with the defilement of the sanctuary and eviction of God’s presence from the place where He desired His glory to dwell. Not sure what to do with it. But it’s written for my instruction.

Certainly, I need to recognize that today there is a temple being made of living stones, Christ Himself being the cornerstone, “in whom the whole structure,being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Eph. 2:21-22). That those who seek to follow Christ are being made into a spiritual house to offer acceptable spiritual sacrifices (1Pet. 2:5). And recognizing that, how I need to be on guard against mixing pagan practice with holy worship.

But there’s something about Ezekiel’s escort being the pre-incarnate Christ . . . the Son of God . . . the Builder of a future temple, which captures my imagination. In the wrath and judgment, is there also an anticipation of His glory returning to that yet to be birthed living temple? Is there an expectancy of completing the work which will take people dead in sin and convert them into living material suitable as a house where His presence might again dwell on earth? Don’t know.

Not sure what to do with it . . . but to hover over it . . . and to wonder at it . . .

 

Posted in Ezekiel | Leave a comment

By His Righteousness

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Pete

In my readings this morning I encountered two different groups of people. The first are described as having “a hard forehead” and “a stubborn heart.” The second are those who have become “partakers of the divine nature.” Of the first it is repeatedly said that “they are a rebellious house.” Of the second, they are those who have been “cleansed from their former sins” and have “escaped the corruption that is in the world.” The first group of people grind their teeth at God for having been forcibly brought into a foreign land . . . in exile as God’s means of discipline for their rebellion. The second group await their entrance “into the eternal kingdom” of God’s Son by diligently living to “confirm their calling and election.”

And as I muse on these two groups of people . . . as I consider how I was once aligned to the first but am now counted among the second . . . I’m reminded of what made the difference. It is by His righteousness.

. . . to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ . . . (2Peter 1:1b ESV)

Started in on both Ezekiel and 2Peter as part of my reading plan. Ezekiel’s call is to speak the word of the LORD to the people of Israel . . . those in exile for spiritual infidelity . . . those repeatedly referred to as a “rebellious house” in the opening chapters of Ezekiel’s prophecy. Though they acknowledge God, they accept no claim of His authority over their lives. They have pursued what they want, when they want, with whomever they want. Stubborn hearts have resulted in hard heads and so they sit in a foreign land while God tries, through His faithful prophet, to connect the dots for them. Trying to help them see that their situation is due to their sin. And calling on them to repent and return . . . that they might be restored.

The people addressed in Peter’s letter are in a vastly different state. No grinding of teeth here, but “grace and peace multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (1:2). Given all the tools needed to pursue fullness of life and the reality of godliness. Given precious and great promises that they might be active participants in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world brought on by sinful desire (1:4). Rather than being stripped from the vine and withering away in exile, they are making every effort to add to their faith and thus being effective and fruitful in their knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (1:5-8).

And at the heart of it all . . . is a new heart. A new nature . . . a new desire . . . a precious faith . . . a firm standing. All by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

I read that as Jesus Christ, our God and Savior . . . a statement of His Deity. That the One born of a virgin, is He who is the Giver of all life. That He who trained as a carpenter, Himself formed the universe in eternity past. Jesus is that same God. And that same God, Jesus, is my Savior. The One who justly determined that the wages of sin is death, Himself paid the price for my sin, and conquered the grave that I might live. And, in so doing, imputes to all who believe His divine nature and righteousness. Hallelujah!

By His righteousness. That is my only standing this morning. Not that I am any better than that first group of people I considered this morning, but that by His divine power, and through His abundant grace, I have participated in that “like precious faith” (NKJV) of that second group.

For His glory alone . . .

 

Posted in 2Peter | Leave a comment

A Little R&R

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Pete

The reality is that there’s not too much to stoke the fire in Lamentations. After all, it’s . . . well, it’s a lamentation . . . a dirge, a wailing born out of mourning. This really isn’t the morning devo book if you’re looking for a “pick me up.” I wrapped up my readings in Lamentations this morning and as I reflect on it I’m can’t help but think that one of its messages is that our God is not to be messed with. His fury is fearful . . . His fierce anger is devastating . . . you don’t want to be on the other side of His chastening rod. But sprinkled within this sorrowful lament are diamonds . . . shining lights concerning our God and His goodness and grace.

Though both good and bad proceed from the mouth of the Most High (Lam. 3:38), He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men (3:33). God has no delight in judging sin . . . no pleasure in meeting out consequences upon His people for their disobedience and wayward determinations. But His holy character demands that sin be judged . . . and His desire for relationship propels Him to acts that will bring restoration. His purpose in judging Judah so severely was that they would return to Him and again seek Him that they might again know the blessing of being His people. His outpoured wrath and then silence were not rejection . . . “For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though He cause grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love” (3:31-32). God is compassionate and God remains faithful . . . even amidst His holy chastisement of His people. It’s because of the Lord’s mercies that the people of Israel and Judah were not totally consumed for “His mercies never come to an end.” Even in the midst of God ordained refining, He is faithful, every morning providing sufficient grace for the day (3:22-25).

And what grabbed me this morning was this closing plea by Jeremiah:

Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old . . . (Lamentations 5:21 ESV)

Restore us . . . Renew us. How’s that for a little R&R?

I’m certainly not in Judah’s place . . . scores dead . . . scores taken captivity . . . Jerusalem in shamble. But I have known times of feeling like I’m in a barren land . . . times when my sin has separated me from my God. And at some point God has faithfully done what He’s needed to do to bring me to the point of crying out, “Restore me to Yourself . . . Restore the joy of my salvation . . . Renew within me a Spirit-filled vitality.” Ok, maybe not those words exactly . . . but the same idea.

Isn’t that one of the great things about the compassion and faithfulness of God? There’s always a way back.

Jeremiah was in a pit of despair . . . literally he was in a pit (Jer. 38:6) . . . and cried out to God for rescue (3:55). Our “pits” are sometimes those of guilt because of our failure or waywardness. Those miry bogs created by knowing we’ve not been following our King wholeheartedly. But Jeremiah knew the Father’s heart for His people, and so, his encouragement to his people can be our encouragement, “Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD! Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven” (3:40-41).

That’s what the Father’s “new every morning” mercies are about . . . that’s what His never failing compassion accomplishes . . . the turning of hearts back to Himself. Yes! There’s always a way back . . . it is the way opened up through the cross of Christ . . . that once for all offering fully paying the price for all my transgressions – past, present, future . . . that shed blood of Jesus, sufficient to cleanse me from all sin. And with this way open, ours is to cry out to the God of grace, “Restore me to Yourself, Lord! Restore a right spirit within me! Renew and revitalize a flame of passion for Your presence. Nothing but You will do!”

Oh, what a great God is our God! Truly His compassions fail not. He is my portion. In Him I will hope. He will restore us . . . He will renew us . . . for our benefit and blessing . . . and for His glory. Amen?

Posted in Lamentations | Leave a comment

Good Stewards of God’s Varied Grace

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Pete

Last night we went to hear a father and his daughter speak. It was a solid, practical discussion on how upside down our world is when it comes to thinking about personal finances. Credit is king . . . we earn money so that we can finance debt. Crazy! They also offered very practical and prescriptive advice on how to shake off the chains of the lender/borrower, aka ruler/slave, relationship (Prov. 22:7). And yet, when I left I was uneasy about something. This morning, I as I reflected on last night the unease came back. As I was reading 1Peter 4, the source of the unease clicked.

“You work too hard to retire broke!” A few times that’s what was offered up as a motivation for getting out of debt . . . for getting your finances in order . . . for learning how to accumulate some wealth. I work too hard to retire broke. Reading Peter this morning presented another motivation . . .

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of Gods varied grace . . . in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1Peter 4:10, 11b ESV)

Now, I really don’t want to come across as critical. I buy the principles presented last night and know how helpful they have been to those who have adopted them. And, to be fair to the man and his daughter, their mission is focused on helping those, who have loaded themselves with a burden of debt, to remove that burden. Though this father/daughter team believe the gospel, their mission, and last nights presentation, were not for the purpose of preaching a gospel. And to be even more fair, not retiring broke wasn’t the only motivation they offered up. They also emphasized that once you are no longer a slave to the lender your are then free to be generous and become a giver. And perhaps that lines up closer to Peter’s motivation of being “good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

But for the believer, at the end of the day, what I do with my finances, or any other gifting received of the Lord, should be less motivated by how I retire or how good I might feel when I am generous, and be more motivated, I think, by the desire to bring glory to God. That’s why Peter says earlier in the chapter that followers of Christ should live their time in the flesh “no longer for human passions but for the will of God” (4:1).

I think it changes things when I shift from “I’ve worked too hard” to “He has given so much.” When it’s not about my money but about His varied grace. When my greatest motive for no longer being a slave to the lender elevates to wanting to be a faithful steward for the LORD. When everything that flows through my bank account becomes part of the everything in which God might be glorified through Jesus Christ. When my desire to be solvent is fueled by an overriding desire to serve the One to whom belongs all glory and dominion forever.

Again, not slamming last nights presenters. God’s blessing their efforts and many are finding their way to financial freedom.

But, when all is said and done, the people of God should desire financial freedom in order to glorify God. As His people, we should look not only at the treasure that flows through our hands, but also the time and the talents given to us, and seek to be just as “debt free” concerning them. We should be good stewards not only of our treasures, but also good stewards of the time allotted us . . . and good stewards of the talents God has gifted to us . . . in order that in everything God may be glorified.

Living in all things for His glory . . . relying in all things on His grace.

 

Posted in 1Peter | Leave a comment

Eating Is Believing

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Pete

Even if you don’t know what it means, you can’t help but know without a doubt what Jesus was saying. What started out as day trip to find Jesus and hopefully some more food, has escalated into a head-to-head debate between Jesus and “the Jews that grumbled.” Having followed Jesus across the sea, the people were hoping to be the beneficiaries of another food miracle. But Jesus calls them on it . . . and says that rather than wanting to fill their bellies, they should be seeking after “food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.”

Ok . . . now He has them thinking. How do we get it? What do we have to do? But, says Jesus, it’s not about what you do, but about what you believe. And then He tells them of a bread from heaven, like manna . . . but not like manna. Manna in that it too is bread given by the Father . . . not like manna in that those who ate manna eventually died, but those who eat the bread Jesus speaks of will live forever.

And then, it starts getting a bit more complicated.

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35 ESV)

The people are intrigued. The Jews, the religious leaders, start to grumble. “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” And Jesus doesn’t back off a bit.

He repeatedly affirms His claim to being “living bread” come down from heaven. And if that isn’t weird enough to them, He presses it further by stating that He’s not just showbread, but that He is bread to be eaten.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh. . . . Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. (John 6:51, 53 ESV)

Ok, so that even assaults my sensitivities. Eating flesh . . . drinking blood. No doubt of what Jesus is saying, He states it repeatedly. So what does it mean? For me it comes down to one of the first mathematic formulas I learned. If   A=B   and   B=C   then   A=C.  And here’s how I apply it

In John 6:47 Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.” Then, in John 6:54, He says, “Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” Believe and have eternal life . . . feed on His flesh, drink of His blood and have eternal life. Therefore feeding on His flesh and drinking His blood equals believing.

Jesus wasn’t talking about some mystical cannibalism . . . He wasn’t even talking about some religious rite as being the secret to eternal life . . . He was talking about believing. And not some simple, superficial mental assent. But an all in, as in consuming it all, trust and faith. Seeing in Jesus the bread that gives eternal life and pursuing it with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength. Seeking Jesus and Him alone . . . wanting nothing more than to abide with Him and for Him to abide with us. All because we believe He is the bread of life.

Eating is believing.

By the grace of God . . . for the glory of God.

 

Posted in John | Leave a comment

Seeking Jesus

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Pete

Right action . . . wrong motive. Right pursuit . . . but focused on the wrong prize. Very commendable effort . . . but too common an expectation. John says they were “seeking Jesus” . . . so they got in their boats and crossed over the sea and went to Capernaum (John 6:24). Right action . . . right pursuit . . . commendable effort. Good on them for seeking Jesus. But when they found Him, Jesus kind of asks the tough question, Why are you seeking Me?

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on Him God the Father has set His seal.” (John 6:26-27 ESV)

They sought Jesus because they had been there when He fed the 5,000 with just a few loaves and fish. But they sought Him not because they desired the One who had performed such a great miracle . . . instead they wanted more of the miracle. It was less about seeking Jesus because He just might be the Messiah, and more about seeking Jesus because they just might get to feed their fleshly wants. Though God the Father had set His seal on Jesus as the promised One through the wondrous sign of taking essentially nothing and providing food enough to feed all who are hungry, their primary focus remained on “food that perishes” rather than on the Son of Man.

And so, Jesus seeks to elevate their gaze. To turn their eyes from their stomachs and to the things of eternity.

Then they said to Him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” (John 6:28-29 ESV)

Seek not just the benefit . . . but believe in the Benefactor. When it’s just about the bread, then Jesus becomes, in a sense, our genie . . . us thinking that our wishes become His command. But when it’s about believing in the Giver-of-Bread, then Jesus becomes our Lord . . . His commands becoming our desires.

So do not labor for food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:36 ESV)

Jesus offers so much more than food for the stomach. And so much more than any blessing we would desire in this life. Whoever comes to Him . . . and not only to the blessings they might get through Him . . . there is a satisfaction of soul that is beyond imagination . . . beyond explanation . . . that is, quite literally, out of this world!

Oh, that having tasted of His goodness we might seek Jesus for no other reason than that He is good. That having believed He is the Son of God, we might pursue all that it means to follow the Son of God.

Seeking Jesus. Not for some food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life. Not relying on our strength . . . but drawing on His abundant grace. Not just for our benefit . . . but for His glory.

Amen?

 

Posted in John | Leave a comment

The Grace of Life

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Pete

Most often, if I’m thinking about grace I’m thinking about the grace that was or, the grace that is. The “grace that was” was the grace that took an enemy of God and invited him to be a child of God . . . the grace that called a deaf man to hear the Savior’s invitation . . . the grace that led a blind man to see, by faith, the Lord of Light. It’s the amazing grace we sing about that “saved a wretch like me.” The “grace that is” is the grace that is sufficient for the here and now. It is the grace sufficient for my weaknesses . . . the grace poured out to cover my waywardness . . . the abundant grace flowing as living water so that, when even in a dry land, my thirst is satisfied in His wonderfulness. Yup . . . when I think of grace, I most often go to what was and what is. This morning I’m reminded of the grace that will be.

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (1Peter 3:7 ESV)

Peter’s writing to “the elect exiles” . . . to believers who have been scattered abroad due to religious persecution . . . people on the lam because they are followers of the Lamb. The pressure has been turned up on these Christians and so, Peter writes to them to remind them of their future . . . of their hope . . . of their inheritance . . . and of their calling as God’s holy people. And he also gives them some pretty practical counsel and encouragement about maintaining godly relationships. Where there’s persecution there’s stress . . . and where there’s stress, there’s a natural temptation for people to turn on other people . . . even people they love.

And it’s while I’m reading the exhortation to husbands and wives about the secret of keeping it together in their exile-fueled pressure cooker of a life, that I’m reminded of the grace that will be.

Though the Christian husband and wife have different roles in their marriage . . . though they bring different constitutions to their relationship . . . on the most foundational of levels they share the same standing . . . they are joint heirs of the grace of life. They are equal partners in the things that encompass salvation in that they have both known the grace that saves. There is no difference in the Spirit that seals them both and allows them both to abundantly receive the grace that sustains. And, as I’m reminded this morning, they are heirs together of the grace that will be . . . the grace of life.

It’s the only time you find the phrase, grace of life, in the Bible. The main point of the verse is husbands treating their wives in a way that shows honor, a way that demonstrates the high esteem she has in his eyes . . . just as she has been highly valued through the price paid for her soul, the precious blood of the Son of God. But while the main point is the husband’s deference to his wife, the standing they share that demands such honoring treatment is the grace of life.

And I think, because it’s referred to as an inheritance, that the grace of life is the grace to come. Peter has already written of their inheritance which is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1:4). And he has already encouraged them to view their current situation in light of that future reality, “preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:13). And it is that “grace that will be brought to you” which is the “grace of life.” The inheritance shared by a believing man and his believing wife. That future focus which should act as a current catalyst for the love and respect that is to be present in a Christian home.

The grace of life should compel me to live a life of grace . . . starting at home and extending to all relationships. The grace of life is the grace that will be . . . the grace that “brought me safe thus far” and, the grace that will “lead will me home.”

To Him be all glory for the grace of life.

 

Posted in 1Peter | Leave a comment

Intereseted in the Individual

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Pete

Typically, I’m guessing, when you come across the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 in John 6, you tend to focus mostly on, well, the feeding of the 5,000. That’s the main event. The glory of Christ is seen as He takes the humble offering of a little boy, just five barley loaves and two fish, and multiplies them to feed a small arena. And not just a nibble each. John says they ate “as much as they wanted” and that Jesus stopped the food distribution “when they had eaten their fill.” And then they collected the leftovers . . . and “filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves.” And it says when the people “saw the sign” that Jesus had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

Big miracle . . . big impact. But there’s a sub-story to this story. One that I most often just blow past. A little “sidebar” that reminds me that Jesus not only cares for the crowds but that He’s also interested in the individual.

Lifting up His eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward Him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.
 (John 6:5-6 ESV)

So, I can’t help wonder if there’s a bit of a grin on Jesus’ face as He asks Philip this question. And I can’t help but wonder if there isn’t a bit of a confused countenance on Philip’s. Impossible! Even if they had a Costco to go run to, Philip does the math and realizes that there’s no way they could afford to feed so many.

But Jesus didn’t ask Philip the question so that Philip would come up with a creative plan, He asked Philip to test Him. He posed the problem to Philip for the purpose of assaying the nature of his faith. He put the “elephant in the room” right on Philip’s lap in order to see what Philip would do with it.

And while I’m thinking that Philip may not have aced this test . . . that while communing with the Lord of Creation, he says, in effect, “I don’t know how You’re gonna do this” . . . what’s really grabbed me is not Philip’s performance, but Jesus’ focus on Philip. That He’s interested in the individual.

Jesus wanted to minister to Philip. With 5,000 hungry people surrounding Him . . . will 12 disciples figuring out what it meant to follow Him . . . Jesus takes a “teachable moment” and, in a sense, feeds the one. Philip’s greatest need at the moment isn’t figuring out how to feed a hoard, but to have his focus drawn on the One who can do the impossible. Tests of faith beget faith. Sometimes they happen in large crowds, such as witnessing 12 baskets of food being picked up . . . sometimes they happen one-on-One with the Shepherd of our souls.

I don’t have many how-do-you-feed-five-thousand type of challenges in my life. But there are things that come along . . . temporary trials . . . current crises (at least in my own mind) . . . that Jesus can use to test my faith.

O that I would look beyond wrestling with all the possible solutions and, instead, simply look to the Savior. Not trying to calculate how much it might cost but be reminded of the price He has already paid . . . and the promises He has already made. Leaning not to my own understanding, but trusting in Him with my whole heart . . . acknowledging Him in all my ways, confident that He will direct my paths (Prov. 3:5-6).

By His grace . . . for His glory.

 

Posted in John | Leave a comment