Blessed Are Those . . .

Posted on May 23, 2021 by Pete

Started in on Psalm 119. These twenty-two readings in Psalm 119 are among the highlights of my annual reading plan. Twenty-two stanzas of eight verses each. Each line of each stanza beginning with the same letter of the twenty-two letter Hebrew alphabet. Beginning with Aleph, then Beth, all the way through Taw. One grand subject: the Word of God. A Spirit produced, God-breathed love letter to God’s enduring, living, active, mind-renewing, life-transforming revelation.

And something hits me anew as I read the first couple of verses. That the blessing which comes with pursuing and following God’s word is more of a cause and effect thing than it is a quid pro quo thing.

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in His ways!

(Psalm 119:1-3 ESV)

It doesn’t take long before we understand that the intended outcome for the hearer of the Word is to be a doer. Nor will this extended love song stray far from the theme that knowing God’s precepts is not just to gain knowledge but to impact how we live. Thus, the songwriter declares a double blessing on those who walk in His ways and keep His testimonies. But I wonder if we might mistake this for a quid pro quo rather than a cause and effect.

Quid pro quo. “A favor or advantage granted or expected in return for something.” God, if I obey Your word, then You will bless me. If I walk in Your ways then I will gain Your favor. I do for You, You do for me. If I measure up then You will mete out. Ugh! Who needs that kind of pressure? What tyranny is a quid pro quo blessing? Prosperity for performance? Blessing for jumping the bar? Don’t know it’s really a viable path for getting to the point where one would declare:

Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

(Psalm 119:97 ESV)

But what if the blessing of embracing the word of God is not intended to be a quid pro quo thing but a cause and effect thing?

Cause and effect. This happens because that happens. As a result of this action you realize that reaction. Less that God owes us a blessing because of our obedience, but that the natural (perhaps more accurately, supernatural) outcome of sowing seeds of obeying God’s word and walking in God’s way is reaping the fruit of the blessing of knowing God’s will. We will thrive as children of God when we think on and follow the commandments of God.

Blessed because we believe. Blessed through how we behave. Blessed because His words are the words of life and we were created, and then redeemed, that we might have life and have it to the full.

His way, the best way. His thoughts, the best thoughts. Our potential fully realized through His promises.

Blessed are those . . .

Not because God owes it to us, but because it’s just the way we’ll flourish.

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” ~ Jesus quoting Deuteronomy 8:3

(Matthew 4:4 ESV)

Blessed are those . . .

Not because of perfectly walking in God’s prescribed ways, but as the outcome of a whole-hearted pursuit of God’s perfect will.

By His grace. For His glory.

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The Sweet Psalmist

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Pete

Is Jesus a songwriter? Hovering over the following verse has me asking the question.

Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel . . .

(2Samuel 23:1 ESV)

Taking notice of how David self identifies: the son of Jessie; the man who was raised on high; the anointed of God; the sweet psalmist of Israel. And the Greater David comes to mind. The foretold Son of David, the promised Messiah. The heir to an eternal throne, the King of a kingdom come and yet to come. Immediately I think, “This could be His bio.” But then I pause and think to myself, “Self, but is Jesus also a sweet psalmist?”

To the extent that Jesus is God, and God is the Creator of all things, and all things includes music, then, to be sure, Jesus is a composer. And to the extent that Jesus is God, and God through the Spirit breathes out all Scripture, then, for sure, Jesus is a songwriter as well — every psalm is His psalm. And, for sure again, we know Jesus is a singer:

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

(Matthew 26:30 ESV)

So, could I refer to Jesus as the Sweet Psalmist? I’m thinkin’ . . .

He’s writing lyrics all the time:

. . . you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

(2Corinthians 3:3 ESV)

Add a little music to the redemption story told through our lives and you’ve got a whole range of psalms. Psalms of praise and psalms of sorrow. Psalms of thanksgiving and psalms of lament. Psalms of desperation and psalms dawning forth eternal hope. Yup, Jesus is the Sweet Psalmist.

But it’s not just the songs He’s writing now. Aren’t we also looking forward to entirely new, fresh, and unimaginable psalms to come. Songs entirely compatible with the golden oldies yet so leading edge that “we can only imagine what it will be like” (thanx again MercyMe) to sing them.

And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are Your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations!

(Revelation 15:3 ESV)

But as I much as I relish the thought of Jesus the Music-Maker bringing an as yet unrevealed catalog of tunes; as much as I wonder at what new, new lyrics He will give to telling the old, old, story; it’s the anticipation of hearing the Sweet Psalmist sing that most enraptures me.

For it was fitting that He, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why He is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, “I will tell of Your name to My brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.”

(Hebrews 2:10-12 ESV)

What will it be to hear the Son sing the praise of the Father in our midst? To hear the Sweet Psalmist give melody, words, and voice to declaring the glories of God? Unlike any worship I’ve ever heard. Like I said before, I can only imagine.

But wait . . . there’s more. Not only will the Sweet Psalmist be singing of God’s glory, but He will also have a love song or two for God’s children:

The LORD your God is in your midst, a Mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.

(Zephaniah 3:17 ESV)

He will exult over you with loud singing!

Sing it, my sweet sweet Song!

Indeed, He is the Sweet Psalmist of Israel! And the Sweet Psalmist of my soul!

Because of unfathomable grace. All for His eternal glory.

Amen?

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Jesus the Corpse

Posted on May 20, 2021 by Pete

Finishing up Mark 15 this morning. And if there’s anything the Spirit wants us to know through these post-crucifixion verses, it’s that Jesus was dead. Not mostly dead, not kinda dead, not somehow “less dead” because He was the Son of God, but dead dead.

Pilate was surprised to hear that [Jesus] should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether He was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that He was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking Him down, wrapped Him in the linen shroud and laid Him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where He was laid.

(Mark 15:44-47 ESV)

Jesus was dead and Pilate granted the corpse to Joseph. The corpse! Those two words hit me like a ton of bricks this morning.

Not new knowledge. But also not usually that first thing (or the next 10 or 20 things) that comes immediately to mind when I quiet myself, be still, and know that He is God (Ps. 46:10).

Jesus the Messiah, that comes to mind. Or, Jesus the Good Shepherd. Jesus the Rock of my salvation. Jesus the Way, the Truth, the Life. Jesus the coming King. Even Jesus the Lamb of God, the suffering Savior, the once forever atoning sacrifice. Those all find a place in my meditative thoughts much easier than does Jesus the Corpse.

What was it for the Son of Man to be dead? What was it for the Son of God who came in flesh to be found as lifeless flesh? Honestly, kind above my pay grade.

But I need to resist the inclination to “move on” from it too quickly. To think that, though “He had to be made like His brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people”, He wasn’t really made like His brothers in respect to death. To think such a thing, I think, would be failing to fully grasp the depths of Jesus’ humiliation, the depths to which He humbled Himself in order to redeem His lost, rebellious creation.

. . . though He was in the form of God, [Jesus] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

(Philippians 2:6-8 ESV)

Jesus the Corpse. Doesn’t roll off the tongue too naturally. But sit and chew on it for a bit and it overwhelms the heart and soul completely.

Alas and did My Savior bleed, and did My Sovereign die? Alas, He did.

Unfathomable.

Such is grace. To God be the glory.

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Just Say It (A 2017 Rerun)

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Pete

Finished my readings this morning, found myself hovering over Psalm 116. Particularly, the part about “rendering to the Lord” the embracing of “the cup of salvation” as a way to respond to “all his benefits to me” (Ps. 116:12). Because I knew I’d “eaten here” before, I went back and looked at some previous years posts on Psalm 116. Was reminded that Psalm 116 was the song I read to my wife 4 years ago just before she went to be with the Lord. But was also challenged to heed my own exhortation from another post in 2017. So, rather than labor over the keyboard this morning, I’m going to rerun the post so I can redeem the time by grabbing a cup of coffee, being still, and telling the Lord I love Him.

It was a promise we made to each other when we were first married and, for the most part, a promise we kept throughout 35+ years of marriage. We said we would not turn out the lights at night without saying, “I love you” to each other. And, for more nights than not, we did. For the vast majority of those nights, it was easy to do. For some of those nights, especially those that were at the end of an exhausting day, it likely was more out of habit than as a fresh expression (but hey, as a friend’s mom once told him about the habit of going to church, “At least it will be a good habit”). And, on some nights, it’s what we needed to reset the day, to repent and ask for forgiveness for some tension between us.

Not sure it was THE secret to a happy marriage, but it was one of them.

Came to mind as I read Psalm 116 this morning.

I love the LORD, because He has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because He inclined His ear to me,
therefore I will call on Him as long as I live.

(Psalm 116:1-2 ESV)

I love the Lord. You’ll only find that four word phrase here. You’d think you’d find it more often throughout Scripture, but you don’t. That simple expression of fact and feeling is found but once in all the Bible. Oh sure, we are often exhorted in the Bible to love the Lord, but how often do we articulate it? When’s the last time we spoke out loud, “I love the Lord?”

We might thank the Lord, bless the Lord, and worship the Lord. But when’s the last time we told someone, “I love the Lord?” When’s the last time we took a break from our list of people to pray for, and from the many petitions to lift up, just to say to Jesus, “Lord, I love You?”

Or, are we like that proverbial guy who responded to his wife’s complaint that he hadn’t stated his affection for her in a long time by saying, “I told you I loved you when we got married . . . and if anything changes, I’ll let you know.” Ouch!

I love the Lord. Can’t help but think that if those four words were part of our regular vocabulary it would make a difference in our relationship with the risen Christ. That, to be more purposeful in declaring to Him our affection for Him, would only enhance abiding in Him.

I love the Lord as I look again to the cross, the source of my salvation. I love the Lord as I sit at His feet and listen as I open His word, the place of my sanctification.

I love the Lord when I head out to face the day, for He has promised never to leave me nor forsake me.

I love the Lord when times are good. I love the Lord when times aren’t so good. I love the Lord when the way seems clear, and still love the Lord when I’m confused.

I love the Lord when He’s heard my voice and my pleas and answered as I asked Him to. I love the Lord when He hears and His answer is different than what I desired.

I love the Lord, because He first loved me.

I love the Lord. Say it. Say it often. Say it if only out of habit. Say it ideally from the heart.

Just say it.

Because of grace. For His glory.

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Perspective from the King’s Table

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Pete

If anyone had the right to demand justice and seek vengeance it was this guy.

Life had been anything but easy. At the age of 5, not only was his dad killed in battle but because of a tragic accident he had been left unable to walk, as well (2Sam. 4:4). Moreover, he was the grandson of King Saul, who had also been killed in battle, and thus would have naturally been placed on a hit-list so as to remove any other claimants to the throne David now possessed.

Instead, David foreshadowed the grace of the Greater David and purposed to show Mephibosheth kindness for the sake of his late father. He restored to Mephibosheth all the land of Saul and commissioned Saul’s servant, Ziba, to tend the land and harvest its crops. And then, favor beyond favor, David set a permanent place for the son of Jonathan at his own royal table. (2Sam. 9)

But when David had to flee because of Absalom’s coup attempt, Mephibosheth was nowhere to be seen in the parade of those who demonstrated their loyalty to the king by fleeing Jerusalem with him. Instead, Ziba the servant shows up with a boat load of food waving a “Bon Voyage! Be safe!” banner for the king to see. David takes notice and asks Ziba, “Where’s Mephibosheth?” Ziba reports that the lone heir of Saul had elected to stay in Jerusalem and make his own power play for the throne (2Sam. 16:1-4). Spoiler alert: Not true! Nevertheless, David buys Ziba’s story and ends up stripping Mephibosheth of all his grandfather’s assets and assigns them to this “loyal” servant.

When David returns after his army crushes the coup, he finds out what really happened. Mephibosheth comes to meet the king upon his return to Jerusalem, and Mephibosheth is a mess. “He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety” (2Sam. 19:24). It was obvious this guy had been fasting and mourning for the entire duration of David’s short exile. Then David hears the rest of the story:

“My lord the king, my servant Ziba deceived me. I told him, ‘Saddle my donkey so I can go with the king.’ For as you know I am crippled. Ziba has slandered me by saying that I refused to come.”

(2Samuel 19:26-27a NLT)

What a rat! What a jerk! What an opportunist. Ziba sees the chaos created by Absalom’s insurrection and uses it as cover to steal the inheritance of someone physically dependent upon him — even after having pledged to the king that he would care for the son of Jonathan. Like I said, if anyone had the right to demand justice and seek vengeance it was Mephibosheth, the guy crippled in both feet, the guy swindled out of his inheritance, the guy slandered before the king.

Instead, Mephibosheth says to David, in effect, “Let Ziba have it all. All that truly matters, my king, is that you’re back” (2Sam. 19:30). So what allowed the son of Jonathan to respond in such a manner?

Here’s what I’m chewing on this morning:

“For all my father’s house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?”

(2Samuel 19:28 ESV)

He had been deserving of death by nature of the family he was born into. His best hope was to be lame in life, without hope of profiting from any natural inheritance. So, that he had been swindled and slandered by a slippery servant was of little consequence because he had been shown favor by the king. He had been gifted a permanent seat at the kings table. And now, the king was back! Let Ziba have it all.

Hear Mephibosheth say, I am content to be at the king’s table. What else do I need?

Is this how Paul had learned to be a content in every situation, circumstance, and season (Php. 4:11)? Didn’t matter whether he had a little or a lot, whether he was well-fed or hungry, regardless of whether he enjoyed great abundance or endured great need. It was all good because he had a seat at the King’s table. He had known the King’s kindness. Received of the King’s over-the-top provision.

That’s all that really mattered. That’s perspective from the King’s table.

What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?

Because of grace. For His glory.

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Until Christ is Formed in You

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Pete

Working my way through Galatians. And it’s clear: Paul wasn’t content that they had prayed the prayer, he wanted them to mirror the Master.

Perhaps Paul’s most passionate letter, he comes out of the corner with both fists swinging. You are turning to a different gospel? Call it what it is, you are deserting the gospel for a distortion and I am blown away! (Gal. 1:6-7). Others are preaching a gospel other than by grace alone through faith alone? Curse them! And curse them, again! (Gal. 1:8-9).

This is a big deal! The gospel of eternal salvation was at stake. Get this wrong and everything else goes south.

What’s also evident is that Paul viewed the gospel not just as a ticket to heaven, but as the means to holiness.

It wasn’t just the “Jesus+” words that were used which vexed Paul. More than just adding Jewish practice onto genuine belief. The foolishness of it all was that they somehow thought that what had “begun by the Spirit” could then be “perfected by the flesh” (Gal. 3:3). “Perfected” — that, for Paul, was what true salvation was about, being perfected. The gospel’s endgame wasn’t in getting people to pray a prayer, but in transforming people to reflect the Redeemer.

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? . . . my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

(Galatians 4:9, 19-20 ESV)

Until Christ is formed in you. That’s the endgame. That’s what being saved is about. Not just about sinners saved, but saints seen. Not just about escaping hell, but about emerging holy. Not just about beating the devil, but about becoming like Jesus.

That’s the purpose of the gospel. That’s the power of the gospel. That’s the proof of the gospel. Christ formed in you.

We know that these Gentile believers at Galatia had authentically been saved by the gospel Paul had preached. Paul calls them brothers and sisters (4:12) because they really had been adopted as sons and daughters, sealed by the Spirit, and were part of the family of God (4:6-7). He calls them “my little children” (4:19) because they had, in fact, been born again. Yet, though their souls were secure, for Paul, he was again in the agony of wanting to birth them all over again because they weren’t meant just to be born again, they were meant to be becoming like Jesus. And that too, by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Christ formed in you. That’s what it means to be saved, to be born again, to be redeemed.

Christ formed in you. Paul would settle for nothing less. The gospel demands nothing less. The glory of God is seen through nothing less. We should labor for nothing less.

Labor in the truth of the gospel. Labor by the power of the gospel. To settle for anything less perplexed Paul. To rely on anything else astonished Paul. To prize anything more angered Paul.

Mirroring the Master. Reflecting the Redeemer. Salvation to the full.

Empowered through the dynamics of the gospel.

Until Christ is formed in you.

By His grace. For His glory.

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Are You “With Me”?

Posted on May 16, 2021 by Pete

I’ll take lesser known Old Testament characters for 1000, Alex.

This “career exile”, an exile of Gath, chose exile again, this time from Jerusalem, because of his loyalty to a king.

Who is Ittai the Gittite?

Correct!

He didn’t have to go. Though David the king needed to flee Jerusalem because of Absalom’s insurrection, Ittai the Gittite, commander of a troop of 600 from Gath, didn’t have to leave too. David released him. Told him to stay. After all, reasoned the king on the run, Ittai didn’t really have a dog in this fight.

“Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.”

(2Samuel 15:19-20 ESV)

Relative newcomers, Ittai & Co. could have chosen to walk under the banner of the same God while serving a different king. But they didn’t. How much Ittai understood the concept of God’s anointed I don’t know, but how much he had come to know, respect, love, and be loyal to David is evident.

But Ittai answered the king, “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.”

(2Samuel 15:21 ESV)

Ittai’s loyalty to David didn’t demand that the king have a palace or even that he be popular. Ittai didn’t join the parade for his own profit. But he pledged allegiance to David because David was king. Period. For better or worse. ‘Til death do them part.

Makes me think about this foreigner and exile sitting in this chair this morning, one who has also pledged allegiance to a King. Having left the world I was born into, I too have to make the choice to follow a King in exile. One increasingly rejected not just by outsiders, but even by those who think they can bear the banner of God without really acknowledging or following His Anointed. Who are okay with Jesus being their Savior, but not ready to unconditionally own Him as Lord. Okay if it comes with the benefits of ruling over a kingdom, maybe not so much if it means walking in the way of a cross.

I am Ittai. Even as the culture around me becomes increasingly secular, increasingly hostile, and increasingly intolerant of the Rightful Ruler, daily I have a choice to make. Go back and blend in or decide to follow Jesus — even in exile.

Oh, that I would be totally devoted to the King of kings during His rejection.

And by the way, Ittai’s name? It literally means “with me.”

Hear Jesus call, “Are you Ittai?” Are you with me?

Yes, Lord!

By Your grace. For Your glory.

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On Being Cavalier

Posted on May 14, 2021 by Pete

Recently, I have found myself in a few situations where I’ll say something like: Every time you encounter someone else’s sin, don’t examine them with a microscope in order to judge them, but look on them as a mirror reflecting your own propensity to sin and be warned by them. Such is the case as I hover over the story of David and Bathsheba in 2Samuel this morning.

Cavalier. That’s the word that comes to mind. Being indifferent or casual about important matters. Not really caring about something that really should be cared about.

I may not have the autonomy to pick and choose when I go into work or not. I may not have the power to call whomever I wish to fulfill whatever my lustful flesh desires. I may not have the clout to call someone off the front lines so they can sleep with their wife. I may not possess commander-in-chief status so that I can orchestrate the disposal of inconvenient truth through the General of one of my armies. But I can be cavalier.

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

(2Samuel 11:1 ESV)

When kings go out to battle . . . David remained at Jerusalem. When David the king should have been doing what kings do, he didn’t. He called in sick that spring.

How come? I’m wondering if it wasn’t because he felt he had fought his fights, he had run his race and, having made it to the top of the food chain, it was time to coast. Sure, doing battle was important stuff, but not that important — Joab could handle it. Sure, he was to model for the people of God how God’s people should behave. But his press secretary would spin that. When kings go out to battle, David didn’t. That’s where, I think, David’s sin with Bathsheba started. And to quote the old southern gospel song sung by the Cathedral quartet:

Sin will take you farther than you wanna go
Slowly but wholly taking control
Sin will leave you longer than you wanna stay
Sin will cost you far more than you wanna pay

Not caring about stuff that should be cared about, that’s what I need to beware of. Feeling like I’ve put in my time, so let someone else do it. Kidding myself into believing that I’ve attained to whatever degree and so, willing to just let my past accomplishments and momentum carry me. Or, maybe just too tired to try.

But what happens when you stop doing what you should be doing? You start looking around for something else to do. I don’t have a balcony to peer out over lower balconies from, but I have an electronic device and, with the time I’m not doing what I should be doing, I can look at pretty much whatever I want. I may not be able to orchestrate as elaborate a cover-up as David could, but I’m just as capable of sinning in secret. So I say to myself, “Self, be on guard.”

Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. (Galatian 6:1b ESV)

We know how the story goes. Though a man dies, and a baby dies, God’s purposes prevail. Though a king sins, because a King died the grace of God puts away all his sin (2Sam. 12:13). And David is restored. David does again what kings should be doing.

So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it.

(2Samuel 12:29 ESV)

Father in heaven, keep me from a cavalier attitude when it comes to walking in the manner worthy of my calling. Convict me quickly when I become casual or indifferent about the kingdom. Protect me from even starting down a path on which I don’t wanna go.

By Your grace. For Your glory.

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When Is Not the Will of God the Will of God?

Posted on May 12, 2021 by Pete

Okay, not sure how clear this is going to be, but here’s what I’m chewing on this morning . . .

Started in on Galatians and what initially grabs me and stirs my soul is this:

But when He who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son to me, in order that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone . . .

(Galatians 1:15-16 ESV)

Paul was set apart before he was born, called by grace, and given eyes to see the risen Savior and a heart to submit to Jesus as the reigning Lord of his life. God set him apart. God called him. God revealed His Son to him. God, God, God. It’s all of God.

I get that. I identify with it. It wasn’t that I sought Him as much as it was He had set me apart. I didn’t reach out to Him apart from Him first calling me. Mine wasn’t a Damascus Road experience, but He nonetheless revealed His Son to me. I get it. I’m in awe of it. I worship afresh as I chew on it.

But then, as I hover over the passage, something else pops from the page that reminds me just how high God’s ways are above my ways.

For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.

(Galatians 1:13 ESV)

Why didn’t God reveal His Son to Paul prior to Paul violently persecuting the church? Why wasn’t Paul confronted with irresistible grace before irresistibly going after God’s people? Why allow the sin nature to wreak such havoc before divinely intervening to bring about a new creation in Christ?

Because it was God’s timing? His perfect, pre-determined timing? Because it was God’s will? I’m thinkin’ . . .

But what about all the stuff that happened which we know isn’t in the will of God? Like unfounded executions (Acts 8:1)? Like ravaging the homes of ordinary, defenseless people and dragging men and women off to prison for no other reason than their faithfulness to God (Acts 8:3)? Like constantly threatening God’s people, relentlessly pursuing them in order to put them to death (Acts 9:1)? We know that executing someone without cause is not approved of by God, much less the execution of the righteous. We know that tearing apart the homes of the innocent, unwarranted persecution, and unjust imprisonment isn’t the will of God.

Unless, it would seem, it is. For God, in His perfect timing, called the one He had set apart from before birth and, according to grace alone, revealed His Son to him — timing that was post Paul’s persecution phase of life.

Things that are explicitly forbidden of God yet permitted by God. How many things like that do we encounter in day-to-day life? Not to the extent of persecution and murder, but other stuff, particularly stuff involving and impacting believers. Stuff that you gotta think, if God wanted to, God could “fix it,” or stop it, or miraculously interrupt it with a Damascus Road experience.

And yet, He doesn’t. And so we’re left to figure out how to deal with stuff that we know is not in God’s express will in a way that glorifies God because it would seem to be part of His permissive will. Maybe not so much the will of God, but at the least, the plan of God. Ultimately to accomplish the purposes of God. Purposes which we just can’t see or comprehend in the moment. Like I said, like God said:

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

(Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV)

Walking through the “not the will of God” stuff in a way that still seeks to glorify God — thinking that’s what we’re called to do sometimes.

Trusting God. Firmly convinced that He will work all things together for good (Rom. 8:28).

According to His high and holy thoughts. Through His high and holy ways. In His high and holy and perfect timing.

By His grace. For His glory.

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Examine Yourselves

Posted on May 11, 2021 by Pete

Complex. As I finish my readings in 2Corinthians, that’s my overall impression of this letter — complex. Probably because it deals little with the “simple stuff” of theology and much with the messy stuff of sociology. Less about how God worked redemption among them through Paul’s ministry, and more about the all-over-the-map responses within them to Paul’s ministry. Some even viewing their beloved father in the Lord as a lesser apostle in light of the “super-apostles” who had infiltrated their ranks (2Cor. 11:5, 12:11). In fact, some wanted proof that Christ was speaking through Paul (2Cor. 13:3). But Paul turns the tables on them.

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —  unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

(2Corinthians 13:5 ESV)

You wanna know if Christ is really in me? says Paul, then start with some self-examination and first verify that Christ is really in you. Paul was confident that if they were actually “in the faith” then they would recognize that Paul was, in fact, keeping the faith through what he wrote to them.

The big idea I’m taking away this morning? If Christ is really living in us, then it will be seen in the evidential power of Christ living through us. What is theologically true can be empirically tested. What we might be tempted to assume by default can be demonstrably apparent through detection. What we hold to by faith should be manifested in fact.

So, examine yourselves. Put under the microscope of self-assessment your faith, your character, your consistent pursuit of the kingdom. Have a look in the mirror and be honest with what you see.

Test yourselves. Prove you’re the real meal deal as a metallurgist proves the quality of the fine metals he tests. Scrutinize your talk and your walk. Through articulation give attestation of how you know your faith is genuine.

Not that their testing had to reveal a level of perfection. Rather, that their proving produced evidence of a living connection. That they were truly abiding in Christ because Christ was demonstrably abiding in them.

Apparent in their character. More like humble servants than boastful consumers. Apparent in their compassion. Tenderhearted not testy and harsh. Apparent in their engagement. Actively involved in building up the body and not just tearing it down. Contributing and not just criticizing.

Apparent in how well they knew a well-worn path to the cross. Frequent flyers in confessing the weakness of the flesh. Quick to repent because of their sensitivity to sin, as the light of Christ in them worked to drive out the remaining darkness within them. Active participants in sanctification as they anticipated glorification.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

(Psalm 139:23-24 ESV)

Jesus Christ is in you! Amazing!

Examine yourselves. Be validating.

For self-correction. For self-encouragement.

By God’s grace. For God’s glory.

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