Performance Driven

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Pete

Though I like to think that “I’ve come a long way” . . . and perhaps I have . . . sometimes it doesn’t seen long enough when I’m reminded of how far I still have to go. Sometimes the mirror I look in says, “Hey, not bad!” . . . but other times it shows all the blemishes. James says that the word can be a mirror, if we allow it to be. He encourages us to look “into the perfect law, the law of liberty,” take note of what we see, and then do something about it (James 1:23-25). This morning the mirror is doing its work.

I’m reading the first part of James 2. It’s an exhortation to not show partiality as we “hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (2:1). The scenario is a rich man and a poor man who both walk into the assembly of God’s people on the Lord’s day. The natural inclination, James suggests, is to pay a lot of attention to the rich guy . . . the obviously successful person . . . the one who must have his act together . . . the one you’d probably want in a picture on your website to advertise the caliber of person you attract. So while you usher the rich guy to the best seat in the house . . . ‘er, the sanctuary . . . you wave the poor man to the back of the room and don’t even bother to see if there’s an empty chair there. And you certainly don’t spend the time with the poor guy to find out where he stands with the Lord. You never even find out that he loves the Lord and is “rich in faith” and an heir of the kingdom (2:5).

And I read this and, at first, I think, “How rude!” No way should this happen. Certainly I would never do such a thing. But the word of God “is 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). And as I pause over verse 12, I’m reminded of how performance driven I can be.

So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. (James 2:12 ESV)

How I thank God that I am under the law of liberty. For to live under the law of Moses is a no-win proposition, “for whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.” To commit the sin of showing partiality under the law of Moses is to be declared “a transgressor of the law,” just as I would be if I’d committed adultery or murder (2:10-11). I don’t want to be judged under that law . . . I can’t meet that standard of performance . . . so why, asks James, would we impose anything other than the law of liberty upon others. But we do . . . or at least I do.

It’s the source of being frustrated with others . . . of being disappointed with others . . . of rolling your eyes or letting out an exasperated heavy sigh when they aren’t as “rich” as you think they should be. They’re like the poor man in James’ story. They’re not meeting some standard and so, your love, affection, and maybe even interest toward them, is dampened by it.

But what if their “sub-performance” where measured under the law of liberty? The same law with which God measures our sub-performance . . . the law augmented by the finished work of Christ on the cross . . . the law founded on perfect forgiveness and fueled by unending mercy . . . the law that, in no way diminishes the standard, but empowers and enables us towards the standard by rivers of ever-flowing grace? What if I used that as my measuring stick?

I will be judged by the perfect law, the law of liberty. Praise God! My performance will be graded on the basis of the “performance” of Another, the Lord of glory. O’ that by His grace and enabling, abiding Spirit, I might use the same law when determining how others measure up to my expectations.

For their benefit . . . for my continued sanctification . . . for God’s glory.

 

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Real Enjoyment

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Pete

I’m guessing that even the newest reader of Ecclesiastes picks up on the underlying heartbeat of “the Preacher’s” (1:1) words pretty quickly. I’m only two chapters in and the pulse is already established. Eleven times, so far, the son of David, the king of Jerusalem, the man of great wisdom and great means has repeatedly sounded the dirge of a suppressed, and sometimes depressed, perspective. Under the sun . . . under the sun . . . under heaven . . . beneath the sun . . . under the sun.

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. . . . I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. . . . What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun?
(Ecclesiastes 1:9,14; 2:22 ESV)

And the steady drumbeat of earthbound perspective will continue throughout the Preacher’s writing. Another nineteen times the vanity of life, when lived but under the sun, will throb throughout the king’s musings. Heavy sigh!

But, at the end of chapter two, though for a moment, the Preacher allows the eyes of his cloud covered perspective to look up and, behold, there’s a crack in the cover, and a glimpse of things above sun . . . a perspective sourced only in heaven.

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from Him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?
(Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 ESV)

If we’re gonna keep on keepin’ on under the sun, says the Preacher, then the best we can hope for is to find some enjoyment from it. To be able to look upon the labor and trouble of life and see in it some good. But this, he realizes, is only possible if it comes from the hand of God. We might sow in the field, but apart from the favor of God, there is no harvesting and eating. We might work our tails off, but the jazz factor really comes when we see the fruits of labor in the context of the God of heaven.

A glimmer of light . . . a foreshadow of the real enjoyment that comes not from an “under the sun” view of life, but from setting our minds on things that are above (Col. 3:1-2). Real enjoyment is found when the work our hands find to do on this earth is done “heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” . . . when “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col. 3:17, 23 ESV).

So how important is perspective? Pretty!!!

It’s what turns “vanity, vanity” into get-all-giddy-with-excitement joy. It’s what elevates “making a living” to “investing in the kingdom.” It’s what shifts our focus from how much we have in the bank, or how many toys we’ve accumulated, to the treasure that we’re laying up in heaven. When we go from under the sun to things above, then real enjoyment is possible. When we make the shift from “working for the man” to serving the risen LORD, then our joy is full.

As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.   ~ Jesus (John 15:9-11 ESV)

Jesus’ joy in us. That sounds like real enjoyment! Amen?

By His grace . . . for His glory!

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A Kind of Firstfruits

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Pete

In a sense, they were Version 1.0 . . . the initial release. Those of the “twelve tribes in the Dispersion” were more than a prototype . . . as there was nothing that had to be tweaked or improved upon before “general release.” But they were among the first to experience the miracle of regeneration . . . to know the beginning of the dynamics spoken of by the prophets . . . hearts of stone replaced with hearts of flesh . . . minds able to be filled with the knowledge of God . . . and souls and spirits that would be invaded by the Holy Spirit. As James reminds me this morning, they were a kind of firstfruits.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.   (James 1:17-18 ESV)

When I became a Christian, I was able to immediately connect with those who had already run a couple of laps of the race set before us. Those who had had some experience with being born again . . . had some experience with the implications of resurrected spiritual DNA. While my early church family and mentors didn’t know all the answers, they knew quite a few. But what of these “hot off the presses” early believers? These Jewish Christians who were among the initial converts to the way of faith? Everything was brand new. There were very much learning to ride the bike as they were . . . well, riding the bike. But of this James reminds them, they were a kind of firstfruits.

Begat through nothing of their own merit but solely by the will of God. Given life by the power of the word of truth. The Holy Spirit speaks through James that they were a new creation unlike any creation before them. They were a kind of firstfruits.

MacDonald states three implications of being a kind of firstfruits. First, they were the first . . . literally. Among the first believers of this Christian dispensation. They were the initial harvest, as it were. Second, as patterned in the Levitical law, the implications of firstfruits is that they were offered to God in gratitude for His provision. The immutable Father of lights is the giver of “every good gift and every perfect gift” and, as such, the firstfruits should be freely given to Him as a sacrifice. Third, “the firstfruits were a pledge of the full harvest to come. James likened his readers to the first sheaves of grain in Christ’s harvest. They would be followed by others down through the centuries, but they were set forth as pattern saints to exhibit the fruits of the new creation” (MacDonald).

While I might not be technically among the firstfruits as were these early Jewish believers, I am very much a part of the new creation . . . and a part of God’s ongoing harvest. And as such, I am also encouraged to respond according to firstfruits principles. I should willingly offer the firstfruits of my time and possessions . . . both good gifts from the Father of lights. As I should, the firstfruits of the sacrifice of praise . . . thanksgiving born out of a continual awe concerning God’s grace . . . worship sourced in an ever fresh remembrance of the perfect gift of salvation given freely according to the the will of a loving God. And finally, the offering of the firstfruits of my very being—having been bought with a price, the precious blood of Christ, the Gift come down from heaven—acknowledging that I am no longer my own and thus offering myself as a living sacrifice, which is my appropriate spiritual act of worship (Rom. 12:1).

I may not be part of the “initial release” . . . but I am part of a work to be completed. To Him be all glory!

 

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My Face

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Pete

The words are pointed and harsh. Jeremiah comes out of his corner swinging. The God who has called him to be a prophet to the nations from before his birth (Jer. 1:5), has put words in his mouth “to pluck up and break down, to destroy and overthrow,” before they can “build and plant” (1:9-10). And the indictments hit their mark.

No one is exempt, not priest, not scribe, not shepherd, not prophet, and certainly not the guy on the street. Though they had once shown the devotion of a young bride madly in love (2:2), they now had “changed their glory for that which does not profit” (2:11). They had forsaken God, “the fountain of living waters,” and had instead sought to hew out their own cisterns, “broken cisterns that can hold no water” (2:13). Unfaithful to the LORD, the people of God who had been planted as a “choice vine, wholly of pure seed,” had “turned degenerate and become a wild vine” (2:21). The fear of God was not in them. Instead they forsook the LORD, saying to a chunk of wood, “You are my father,” and to a stone, “You gave me birth” (2:27).

And here’s the indictment that trumps all indictments for me . . .

For they have turned their back to Me,
     and not their face.      (Jeremiah 2:27b ESV)

Might seem somewhat innocuous at first. Little harm from allowing other things to avert the glance from the God of heaven to the things of earth. Not that big of deal if, once in awhile, God takes second place to other pursuits. How much can it hurt if we periodically turn our gaze from the Glory and give Him but a partial ear to hear what He would desire of us? But eventually, the head does a full 180 . . . and God gets the back of our heads, the neck . . . and the longer the back is given to God, the stiffer the neck becomes.

As I once heard someone point out, how we position our face communicates tons. Giving someone the back of our head says, “I stand opposed to you.” Giving someone the side of your face says, “I’m interested in something or someone else. I’m indifferent to you.” But giving someone your face says, “I’m in to you.”

O, that I might not half attend to the face and voice of God and indicate my indifference. Might I beware of ever giving my back to God as something else tries to convince me that it will satisfy my thirst beyond the living water from heaven . . . that it, above God, is worthy of the firstfruits of my time and energy and provide greater returns than the One who sent His Son to redeem me. But might I always turn to Him my face.

Enamored with Him beyond the things of this earth . . . fixed upon Him more than the blessings that I have received from Him.

The Bride eyes not her garment,
But her dear Bridegroom’s face;
I will not gaze at glory,
But on my King of grace:
Not at the crown He giveth,
But on His pierced hand;
The Lamb is all the glory,
And my eternal stand!      (The Sands of Time Are Sinking by Anne R. Cousin, 1857)

My face . . . not my back. By His grace . . . for His glory.

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His Delight!

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Pete

The promise was written TO them . . . but it was also written FOR us. As, through the prophet Isaiah, God tells His ancient people of what awaits them and what He thinks of them, there is application to how God views the people of His kingdom even now. As I’m reading Isaiah 62, there is insight into the heart of God for the people called His own. Just call us His Delight!

. . . and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.
(Isaiah 62:2b-5 ESV)

The prophecy concerns Zion . . . it is the foretelling of the future restoration and glory of Jerusalem. And it’s not just about bricks and mortar of Jerusalem . . . but about its inhabitants, the redeemed people of the LORD, those who dwell in Zion, the place where the people of earth and the glory of God meet.

Is it too much then to make application to God’s present people, the church? Those who have “come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering” (Heb. 12:22)? I’m thinking not.

So I read this portion and take it personally . . . very personally. Called by a new name . . . considered a stone in the crown of beauty in the LORD’s hand. No longer forsaken . . . no longer desolate. But betrothed to another . . . the One who will one day present us to Himself as His bride. A member of the bride of Christ, she who is also called My Delight Is in Her . . . for the LORD delights in you.

That the LORD would delight in His people and, by extension, me, has caused me to pause and reflect this morning. That He would rejoice over His beloved betrothed, and, by association, me, has caused a sense of wonder and awe to settle.

Behold Your God! Taking pleasure in a people who were once not a people. Rejoicing over sinners who, by the blood of Christ, have been declared saints. If God experiences “eager anticipation,” eagerly anticipating that day when those who have been declared perfect through the finished work of Christ are presented to Himself perfect in the very presence of Christ. And so He rejoices . . . and in us, He delights.

Not because of who I am. Nor because of what I’ve done, or will do. But because of His grace-driven determination to redeem a people for Himself and make for Himself a people declared righteous in Christ . . . a people being made righteous through the Spirit . . . a people who will be righteous when, one day, they enter His presence.

Until then, we rejoice in Him who rejoices over us. We delight in Him, who delights over us!

By His grace . . . for His glory!

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD;
          my soul shall exult in my God,
  for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
        He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
  as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
         and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.       (Isaiah 61:10 ESV)

 

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Come to Mount Zion

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Pete

I can’t sit in judgment of the people Hebrews was written to. I can’t shake my head for them wanting to go back to the old way . . . the ways of the law . . . the ways of their people . . . the paths of less resistance. It might not be the “better way” based on better promises, better sacrifices, offered by a better High Priest. But, it would take off some pressure . . . it would, at least temporarily perhaps, offer some much needed relief. I can’t get too “high and mighty” with their foolishness because I know how easy it is, for reasons far, far less than persecution, to get distracted from the “better way” and head down paths of other ways.

What’s the remedy? In part, at least, it’s to heed Paul’s exhortation to the Colossians to “set your minds on things that are above” (Col. 3:2a). The writer to the Hebrews gives the same encouragement . . . but in a much more eloquent and soul-stirring manner.

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. (Hebrews 12:22-25a ESV)

The system they sought to go back to was the law given on Mt. Sinai. A mount consumed by fire . . . a mount unapproachable, save for the one called up to receive God’s word . . . a mount, that even for Moses, invoked fear and trembling (12:18-21). That’s what they wanted to return to.

Instead, says the writer to the Hebrews, set your minds on things above . . . you need not come to “the forbidding terrors of Sinai” but are beckoned to the welcoming grace of Mt. Zion. Come, pleads the author, to the Mount that is already yours in Christ. Set your feet on pilgrimage to the city of the living God . . . that which you already possess in heaven. “The future is already the present. In today we possess tomorrow. On earth we own Heaven” (MacDonald).

Look not at the ease of the old way . . . seek not the pleasures of a world that is passing away . . . spend not your strength on that which, though while it might be good, is not the best. Instead come to what you have already come to, Mount Zion.

It is the place of innumerable angels who know salvation only vicariously through those redeemed of Adam’s race . . . but know enough to rejoice over one sinner who repents thus assembled in festal gathering. It is the place of those who have gone before, the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven . . . members of the church, the Body and Bride of Christ . . . enjoying, even now, the Lord’s presence.

But more than the angels . . . more than those who have gone before . . . it is the place of the throne of God and it is the place where Jesus, our blessed mediator of a new covenant, even now prepares a place for us. It is the most holy of holy places made accessible through the blood of Jesus. And the Spirit says, “Come to Mount Zion.”

O that I might be kept from turning back. That my focus might be such that Sinai’s terror might be seen for what it is. That my gaze might be such that the appeal of the world might be no appeal at all. That I might set my mind constantly on things above. That I might relentlessly set my face toward the city which I have already arrived at by faith. That I might come to Mount Zion.

By His grace . . . for His glory.

 

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Heartburn

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Pete

It was an encounter of the divine kind. They weren’t looking for it . . . they weren’t expecting it . . . for most of it, they weren’t even aware of it. They may have been part of the crowd that welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem just a few days earlier . . . hailing Him as the hope of Israel . . . filled with a sense of anticipation as to what might transpire this Passover celebration. But as the days passed, their hopes faded.

Jesus continued to confront the religious elite . . . the opposition continued to grow . . . and the one they had hoped would be redeemer, was utterly rejected. Delivered by the chief priests and rulers, Jesus was condemned to death and crucified. And though they had been told the tomb was empty and that He was alive, it was too much to grasp. . . just too hard to believe. So now, they were going home to Emmaus . . . just the two of them . . . talking about all that had happened.

While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.   (Luke 24:15-16 ESV)

Alone with their thoughts . . . then alone with the One they were thinking about. But they didn’t know it.

He walked with them. He talked with them. He even asked them what it was that was making them sad. And as they unloaded their hearts disillusionment and confusion concerning the events in Jerusalem, He illuminates the Scriptures to them.

And He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.   (Luke 24:26-27 ESV)

What a Bible study that would have been! To be in the presence of the Word as the Word opened the word concerning Himself. From Genesis through the Prophets, revealing all the prophecies, all the shadows, all the signs pointing to the Christ.  That He would suffer and then enter His glory. That, before wearing the crown, the King would first endure the cross.

And what was the impact of such revelation? Heartburn!

And their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. And He vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?”
(Luke 24:31-32 ESV)

Their very souls were set on fire, consumed within a flame fueled by the God-breathed Scriptures, as God the Son revealed Himself to them through the word. O’ to have been there!

But wait, we can be. We have the same Scriptures. We have God the Spirit indwelling us . . . ready to lead us into all truth. We too can discover “in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” We too can experience heartburn!

By His grace . . . for His glory . . .

 

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The Lord Jesus

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Pete

This morning, reading in Luke, I came across a three word combination that jumped off the page. Each word in and of itself has appeared numerous times in Luke. That the words would be associated with each other is not unexpected . . . in fact, it’s the theme of Luke’s record. But until my reading in Luke 24, these three words have not been lined up side by side by side. And the first occurrence of this three-word phrase caused me to pause . . . and wonder . . . and consider anew the implications of such a phrase . . . of such a title.

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. (Luke 24:1-3 ESV)

The Lord Jesus. Those are the three words lined up together for the first time in Luke’s gospel. Does it surprise you? As I paused over the fact that Luke explicitly records that the body was not in the tomb, something (actually, I’m thinking Someone . . . thank you, Holy Spirit) caused me to observe that Luke says it was “the body of the Lord Jesus.” And as I looked at that phrase, “the Lord Jesus” Someone caused me to ask myself if that was the first occurrence of the phrase in Luke as I hadn’t recalled reading it before. Did a little e-concordance work, and sure enough . . . Bam! . . . first occurrence of “the Lord Jesus” is right there in Luke 24. And, even more surprising, this is only one of two times the term “the Lord Jesus” is found in all four gospels (you can check where the other occurrence is).

Again, it’s not like the idea that Jesus is the Lord is deeply hidden in the gospels . . . in fact, it’s kind of the main point. But there was something about seeing the term . . . oops! . . . there was Someone who impressed upon my heart the sacredness of the title . . . and what it should mean for me.

His name is Jesus. That was the name given to Him at birth. All men have names, and His was to be “Jehovah is salvation.” He bore a name on his birth certificate, as it were, that would foretell God’s purpose for sending His Son, “for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).

He would also be identified as Jesus Christ. As Jesus “the Anointed.” As Jesus the Messiah. The promised Son of God come to redeem and rescue. The hope of Israel, the light to the Gentiles. He who came in perfect submission to the Father’s will . . . obedient to God’s determination to purchase people out of sin and death through the suffering and death of His chosen Servant, through the shed blood of the Messiah (Isaiah 53).

But the Spirit leads Luke to write that, when they went to the tomb that Sunday morning, the body of the Lord Jesus was not there. The Lord Jesus was not there for He had risen just as He said. Jesus, the carpenter’s Son, demonstrated by way of an empty tomb that He is the Lord . . . the risen Lord . . . the Lord of heaven . . . the Lord of hosts . . . the Lord of all who have received His free gift of salvation and have owned Him as Savior.

While He calls us His friends (John 15:15), He is more than just a friend to us, He is Lord. He is my Master . . . He is the one who deserves total reign over my entire being. I am no longer my own, but I have been bought with a price and, as such, am to serve and glorify the Lord Jesus with my entire being.

Jesus . . . highly exalted of God . . . given the Name above all Names . . . that at the name of Jesus MY knee should bow . . . and MY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

I so confess! . . . by His grace . . . and for His glory!

You too?

 

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They Had No Idea

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Pete

Two passages of Scripture intersected for me this morning in a way I had not anticipated nor expected. One was in the Old Testament . . . the other, in the New. The first passage is twelve verses long and about 395 words. The second, is but a small part of a verse, and just 5 words. The Old Testament passage is unquestionably holy ground . . . every time you approach it, there is a sense of awe, wonder, and humility. The New Testament passage, if I’m any indicator, is probably passed over without much thought most times. But not this morning.

Finished up Luke 23 this morning. Jesus has breathed His last on the Romans’ cruel cross. A centurion has praised God, declaring the man Jesus to be certainly innocent and undeserving of death. The crowds have departed. Those who followed Him are standing at a distance watching these things. And Joseph, a man who was looking for the kingdom of God, asks for the body of Jesus . . . quickly prepares for burial . . . and lays it in a tomb cut in stone. And then, records Luke, . . .

On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.    (Luke 23:56b ESV)

On the Sabbath they rested. Those are the five words resonating within my soul. On the day commemorated as the day of finished work, they rested. They had no idea!

They had no idea of the transaction that had just taken place on that cross on Calvary. The hours of darkness . . . the rending of the temple curtain from top to bottom . . . they had no idea what had taken place. They wearily rested their bodies and souls in apparent defeat on that Sabbath. When, in fact, they would soon realize that it was their first rest of victory over sin and death! Cue the other passage, Isaiah 53.

My Old Testament readings preceded my New Testament ones. So, before getting to Luke, I had just been lingering over Isaiah 53. Moved again at the thought that it was God’s will to “crush” His beloved Son. Reminded again that He has borne our griefs . . . carried our sorrows . . . was pierced for our transgressions . . . was crushed for our iniquities . . .

. . . upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.   (Isaiah 53:5b ESV)

The LORD had laid on Him the iniquity of us all . . . and upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace. And on the Sabbath, the day of finished work, they rested.

It is the peace secured for all men . . . the rest made available to all people . . . appropriated by faith.

It is the rest possessed by the people of God, those who have believed Isaiah’s report . . those to whom, by God’s grace, the arm of the LORD has been revealed. A rest entered into the moment we believed. The rest re-entered into every time our flesh wins a skirmish and sin, crouching at our door, ensnares us. He bore the sin of many . . . and He bore our many sins . . . that I might know the rest of His finished work. Knowing that as I confess my sin, He is faithful and just to forgive my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9).

Praise God for such rest! To Him be all glory!

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Seeking a Homeland

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Pete

Entered faith’s “Hall of Fame” this morning. Started in on Hebrews 11. And paused to chew on the “Abraham Exhibit.” Not much to look at really. An old man . . . along with his aged wife. A few servants . . . some livestock . . . and a smattering of earthly possessions. Having left the land of his natural inheritance he wanders into a foreign land looking for a new inheritance . . . one promised of God. There he is, sitting outside his tent, but a spec in a vast land controlled by other nations and powers. Yet, he believes, he is living in the land of promise. Not much to look at right now . . . none of it belonging to him yet . . . even the ground his tent is on is but a “rental.” But someday, maybe not in his lifetime, but someday it will be in his family. And that’s why this “exhibit” is so soul-stirring and inspiring. Because, as one pilgrim to another, Abraham’s legacy cries out to all those who believe the promise and are seeking a homeland.

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city.    (Hebrews 11:13-16 ESV)

By faith, Abraham was “looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (11:10). That was the end game. And so, he went out not knowing where he was going (11:8b) . . . he left the sure thing and ventured out into the “by faith thing” . . . he traded stability for being a stranger . . . he traded predictability for the life of pilgrim. All because he was seeking a homeland.

And my heart is stirred because, by faith, I too am a pursuer of the promise of God that there awaits me an inheritance better than anything this world could offer (1Peter 1:3-5). That there is a city . . . a holy city . . . a heavenly city . . . a city where God dwells with men . . . where every tear is wiped away . . . where death exists no more . . . where old things have passed away . . . and where all things have become new. (Swim in Revelation 21, and the first part of chapter 22, to get an idea about that city).

It’s a city that God is preparing for me . . . and for all who have believed the promise of eternal life through the finished work of Christ on the cross. For those who, by faith, have asked for forgiveness of sins and have bowed the knee to Jesus as Lord of their lives. A place that even now Jesus is preparing for His people, promising that we will one day be with Him (John 14:1-3).

For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland . . .

And so, our heart is set on pilgrimage. Though we enjoy the blessings and beauty of this “foreign land,” we’re not to get too attached to it. Instead, it should be but a foretaste of what lies ahead . . . of that which is worthy of pursuing and investing in. We are not to look too intently at what might have been if we had chosen to “move in” here.  Instead, we are to set our hearts on what it will be to inhabit that place being prepared for us. Hungering to walk in that better country . . . to live eternally in that heavenly land. Desiring above all desires to be called the people of God in the city God has prepared for us.

Seeking a homeland . . . looking for a city . . . by faith, pursuing the promise of God.

By His grace . . . for His glory . . .

 

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