John 3:30

He Must Increase, I Must Decrease

pride

Mark 8:29

by

Mark 8:29 And he asked them, “but who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”

Dear reader, this statement is amazing! It sounds quite ordinary, or even elementary to us today. It seems obvious. Of course, he is the Christ, right?

Not so fast. I want to show you that this statement is the result of a miraculous work of God. I intend to prove that this statement was not ordinary, but rather, extraordinary! On a side note, I spelled extraordinary wrong in a spelling bee over 20 years ago, and I never will again. Back to my point now – this assertion by Peter is exceptional for the time he lives, and for eternity.

First let’s discuss the exceptionality of the statement. Here we are in Mark chapter 8. Jesus has been casing out demons, feeding thousands of people with less food than could feed the twelve and healing sickness and disease. The lame are walking, the blind are seeing, deaf are hearing and still he is not believed to be the Christ. Read Mark 3:21-22! He is even accused of being satanic!

After all of this, feeding thousands, the healings, the casting away of demons, there are still some who come to him and ask him for a “sign!” (Mark 8:11-12) Think about it, these people had witnessed signs so great that people who deny must deny their very existence, the acts are so far-fetched. They had seen what Jesus had done, but in their unbelief, the suppressing of the truth in their unrighteousness, they had to deny his deity.

Luke 13:23-27 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’

Take it from Jesus: there will be few who are saved. Ultimately, this means there will be few who profess Jesus to be the Christ, as Peter does.

Now we see the statement is exceptional. Maybe you are one of the exceptions; maybe you know Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. (Cross reference Matthew 16:15-16, Luke 9:20) My question for you is, how do you know this? Are you smarter than everyone who does not know this? Have you just worked harder at spiritual things? Not only is this statement exceptional, it is quite exclusionary; this statement makes a theological claim pertaining to the method of salvation.

Maybe you are like I was. I was a philosophy minor in college. I received all A’s and B’s in my 400 level classes. I spent my time at night reading Kant, Plato, Aristotle and Descartes. I knew more about god than anyone I knew, plus I had experience to draw upon. Couple my superior education with my God-given intellect – there was no way that spiritual truth was escaping my understanding.

But what saith the scriptures?! 1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

John 6:44,63-65 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 63
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life…65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

And finally, Matthew 16:17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

In this parallel passage to Mark 8:29, we see that the spiritual discernment required to EVEN recognize Christ is a gift of God. Jesus proclaims to Peter that ‘flesh and blood” has not revealed this knowledge to him, but his Father in heaven. Peter is not unique. Neither are you. Neither am I. No amount of worldly wisdom reveals God to us. No amount of bible study, apart from the Holy Spirit will cause you to grow in the Lord. And there is no one, no not one, who seeks after God; no one, no not one, who is good. Romans 3:9-12 and Psalm 14:1-3 testify clearly to that.

Read this sad commentary of the reaction of many to Jesus at the end of John chapter 6. Notice the two groups represented by the two different reactions to Christ:

John 6:66-69 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Dear Christian, you know Christ today because He foreknew you. It is because God chose you to be redeemed by and for His Son, Jesus Christ, in His wisdom. Trust him completely for all your needs. Lay your life at the foot of the cross! Be like Peter, John & Paul and serve Him with all your heart. Thank God you have no other to whom you can turn. Praise God if you understand today that He is the Christ!!

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

by

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures 4 And that He was buried and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

Folks, this is the gospel. This is the good news. Paul declares that in verses 1-2 of 1 Corinthians 15:
1 Corinthians 15:1-2 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

This is the gospel by which we are saved. The good news that Jesus has paid the price for the sins of those who trust Him alone for salvation. We must believe these things in order to be saved; we must trust the testimony of scripture concerning Christ’s atoning work on our behalf. (John 20:31) By the way, it is impossible to trust these things if you do not also trust that you are a sinner in need of a savior. (Luke 13:5) No one seeks a solution for that which they do not believe they have a problem. No one, who still has faith in their own righteousness, will fully cling to Christ. (Matthew 5:3).

I want to focus on the phrase leading up to verse 3: “unless you have believed in vain.” The reading is clear: we are saved by “this gospel” if we keep in memory what was preached unless we have believed in vain! This goes right along with Matthew 7:21-23 where Jesus makes it clear that many will believe in the name of Jesus Christ for the sake of vanity. Uselessness. Belief in something that is devoid of real meaning. A false Christ. Very little is as chilling as the thought of a person seriously understanding their own need for a savior, and being deceived into trusting an idea that cannot save, but the the Bible is clear that this can, and will, happen.

So how do we determine if we’ve believed in vain? Or what if we are trying to help another who we are afraid has believed in vain? How do you approach that situation? I believe examining yourself in the light of scripture is the only way. So “what saith the scripture?”

I. We will remember the gospel.

According to 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, the gospel is wherein “we stand” and something that we will “keep in memory.” Profession of faith in Christ, although a one time decision that must be made in order to be justified by faith, is not an event that occurs, and then is fleeting. According to the scriptures, we will continue to keep in memory the gospel and stand in it.

What does it mean to keep it in memory? I think the best example I’ve heard is the example that I learned from Living Waters. When someone tells me they are a Christian, I ask them to tell me in 3 minutes or less what it would take for me to become a Christian. Sometimes I tell them to pretend I’ve just been stabbed and I only have 3 minutes to live. How would they communicate to me how to be saved? Most people I meet fail this test. They say things like “believe in God” and I respond, “I do!” They said, “ask him to forgive you,” and I reply, “for what?” Most people leave out the word ‘sin’ or they leave out the name “Jesus Christ.” Many people don’t even really seem to understand why another person would need to become a Christian. I think a lot of people just believe they’ve “always been a Christian” because they grew up in church, or have gone to church for a while.

Ultimately, the point isn’t to test people’s theology or condemn them for being unskilled in sharing their faith. The point is this: if a person cannot tell me how to become a Christian, which includes why I should become a Christian (1 Peter 3:15), then I have no reason to believe they know how. Or as I put it with a young man named Christopher a few weekends ago: If you can’t tell me how to get to Heaven, why should I believe that you know the way? This sounds hateful on the surface. Testing people to see if they can answer questions about theology. This practice, in essence, refuses to take people at their word when they say they are a Christian. But there can be nothing more loving in light of 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. To trust the bible and its proclamation that all men are liars and the heart is deceitful, in order to test someone is a loving act. The goal is NOT to find false converts and gloat, nor is it just to ‘prove someone wrong.’ The goal is LOVE: to provide the person with assurance of faith if it is there, and assurance of their current condemnation if that is their state so that God may grant them repentance and lead them to faith in Christ.

2 Timothy 2:24-25 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

II. The second point made in this passage is that not only will we “remember” the gospel, but it is “wherein we now stand.”

Marks of a true believer; volumes have been written about this. Sermons have been preached to the masses for centuries and still, many fall away. (1 John 2:19) Not only will a true believer learn to be able to communicate the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and be ready with an answer for the hope that lies within him, but he will live a life that honors God. Sinless perfection: NO. (See my 1 John 1:9 posts for more on that), but a life that has a marked reduction in sin: a life of repentance and growth toward God. I’ve heard John MacArthur call it ‘direction, not perfection.’

Your feet shod with the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15), you will walk worthy of being called God’s child. You will fall and be chastened (Hebrews 12:6-7). You will grow in the knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18) Your life will be a testimony of His work for other people to see. (2 Corinthians 3:2). You will hunger for God’s Word and it will have meaning to you! (1 Peter 2:2). You will find yourself with a love for others, especially the brethren. (Galatians 6:2, Ephesians 4:32). You will realize you do not love this world (1 John 2:15), and you will feel like a stranger in a foreign land, for your citizenship is in Heaven.

Yes indeed, you will stand in the gospel in which you’ve believed. You will live there! You must! It is your home. It is the only place you truly feel safe. Praise God for that. He will not let one of His own be snared by the devil, and He will never leave you nor forsake you. Know, dear Christian brother or sister, that you have not believed in vain.

1 John 5:12-13 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

If you are not sure that you have a reconciled relationship to God through Christ, what is keeping you from it? Do you love your sin that much? So much you’d prefer to burn in eternal fire to enjoy it for a season in this life? Don’t go another day without Christ. If you have any questions or concerns, contact me and I’ll talk to you about this wonderful journey the Lord may be starting you on today!

Joshua 1:9

by

Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid; neither be though dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Let’s start with a little background on Joshua. He is an Old Testament saint who was appointed by God, through Moses, to take the Israelites into the promised land. Moses forfeited his chance to do the same when he struck the rock at Horeb instead of speaking to it, as God commanded. (Numbers 20:11-12, 26:65)

Joshua showed himself to be faithful when he and Caleb confidently reported that the Israelites, with their God, could easily enter the promised land. (Numbers 13:30, 14:6-8) So we see that Joshua is God’s appointed leader to succeed Moses, (Numbers 27:18,22-23).

What does the Lord expect of His leaders? In other words, what are the identifying or primary marks of a good leader for God? How does this differ from the world’s conventional definition of leadership?

I believe Joshua 1:9 provides insight into these questions. I will also contend that God’s commands to his leader Joshua are applicable also to anyone in any leadership position, whether it is in the church, your family, a group at work or any other situation you can imagine which requires leadership to be assumed. I’m not saying it’s a formula for success; but the obedience to doing things God’s way is the key element for which we are striving. Results-oriented success measurement is NOT how Christians ought to measure their acts of faith! Compare your behavior to scripture and rest in the promise of God to not forget your labor of love.

I think if you asked most Americans what makes an effective leader, you would be able to get a general sense of what people believe. I don’t think if you asked 100 people, you’d get 100 DISTINCTLY different answers. I think a common denominator in all the answers will be something to the effect of: “A leader must be self-sufficient, intelligent, insightful and likable.” Surely, there will be those who don’t agree with this definition in its entirety, but many will agree on several points.

But I will maintain that the human definition of a successful leader is not the same as the definition you would get if you searched the Bible; that the qualities which God desires in his people are seemingly opposite of the qualities upon which men place value.

First let’s consider the command given to Joshua: be strong and courageous. First it is interesting to note that God has repeated this to Joshua. This isn’t a one time event; he is repeatedly being exhorted to be strong and courageous. (Deuteronomy 31:6,7,Joshua 1:6) Leaders must be strong and courageous. Men are to be strong and courageous.

Adding to the positive command to be strong and courageous, God commands that Joshua avoid fear and dismay. What does this mean? That is, I am sure we understand what the words mean: strong, courage, fear, dismay: but what does that look like? How do we apply this to our lives? In other words, if we really believe God commands us in the manner described above, how should we live in order for that faith to manifest? In this case, Joshua is expected to act like a man who is not paralyzed by fear. He is to be immobilized by his own steadfastness when appropriate, unable to be moved by opposition and outside influence. Yet he must be completely mobile when appropriate, never paralyzed by fear, never trembling from intimidation. To be dismayed implies that your ordinary ‘course ‘ has been derailed, in a sense.

Don’t we all experience this? Have you, dear Christian, ever been dismayed? Have your decisions ever been driven by fear, instead of courage? How many times have you planned the conversation with your boss in your head about your rate increase, only to avoid the conversation? What lengths have you gone to in order to keep peace with others, even when you disagree with their conversation? How many times have you planned to boldly proclaim the gospel to a group, or even a single loved one or acquaintance, only to find yourself happily discussing the latest sports score or current event, careful not to even drop a hint of spiritual talk?

You, like myself, are more often than you realize, driven by fear. Your thoughts and deeds are aimed at self-preservation and seeking comfort. You partake in worldly sin and claim liberty. You participate in the world’s sinful activities and call it outreach. You fail to evangelize and say there wasn’t an “open door.” You don’t stand up for God’s laws and you call it tolerance or respect. You avoid confronting falsehood in the workplace and label it prudence. You attempt to sway others’ opinions with the arguments of man instead of the Word of God and consider yourself relevant.

You are a coward, like I am. You are a sin-cursed, self-seeking child of Adam, and you still carry with you the nature we inherited from him. You, like me, do not live each moment as if the God of the universe is watching. You do not live each moment as if you love the God who’s holy hatred for sin caused the greatest atrocity in the history of time, the murder of God himself, Jesus Christ.

We are cowards. You and me both. And if it is a pattern in life, your problem might be bigger than you think, to steal phraseology from the Lawman, Tony Miano.

Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

If you find yourself to be any of the things described, your biggest problem may be a need to repent and believe the gospel!

So how do we overcome this fear? How do we “be strong and courageous?” How do we avoid dismay and walk in the strength and confidence of God? Again, dear brother or sister, turn to scripture as your guide. “for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” You can be courageous; and you can be not afraid because God is with you. Mouse over this list of verses and take time to see what God has said with such amazing frequency:

Deuteronomy 4:31, 31:6, 31:8, Josh 1:5, 1 Samuel 12:22, 1 Kings 6:13, 1 Kings 8:57, 1 Chronicles 28:20, Nehemiah 9:31, Psalm 27:9.

It’s staggering. God has promised NOT to leave his people, nor forsake them. That is the essence of the Lord thy God being with thee, whithersoever thou goest! He is with you, dear Christian; He loves you and will never leave you. What about the New Testament? Does it testify to the same as the Old? See Hebrews 13:5 and
Matthew 28:20 b …and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

Emmanuel, God with us! What a wonderful gift! Do not fear men; do not fear the power of the devil or his demons; do not fear your own sinfulness. Instead, focus on the steadfast love of God who has promised to be with you. The God who already knows your trials and tribulations before they occur: the God who is with you wherever you go!

So what qualities does God expect in a good leader? Is reliance upon yourself, with an unwavering confidence in your intelligence and plans, the primary, or even secondary, requirement? I tell you the answer is “No.” You will find nowhere in scripture an instance where God selects his leaders or his servants that way. God’s only use for His creatures is based solely on their deep need for Him. Reliance upon God is the mark of a good leader. A Godly leader, and ultimately an effective leader will, without exception, be utterly needy as it pertains to the provision of God. His confidence will be focused on God’s faithfulness and power, rather than in himself. (Philippians 3:3)

A man who believes that God is with him ‘whithersoever he goest” will not act out of fear of the rejection of men. He will not be dismayed when his plans are derailed. Instead, the calm confidence that the sovereign God of the universe’s plans can never be thwarted will be the persistent theme in his heart which will provide the strength and courage needed to endure affliction, accept rejection, and proceed in the face of failure.

Please, if you did not already, go back through the post and mouse over the scriptures and read them. They are vital to the post and more important than anything I could write.

Ephesians 2:8-9

by

Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

Praise God for that! Hallelujah, Amen!

I could stop right there, but I won’t. 🙂 This verse is packed with implications for your theology. Soteriology is the study of salvation. How we are actually saved is an interesting thing to study. It is not the same as, what should we do once we are saved, or what must we do to be saved, but rather, the actual in depth search of what actually happens when a person truly puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and what must occur in order for that to be able to transpire.

Let’s look at this verse in detail…Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith…what does this mean? Let me use an extra-biblical analogy to try to convey the meaning in a way that may make it understandable. I could say,

To get to the fair you travel in your car using Main street.

You would know exactly what that means. Check this out:

The fair is your destination or end result, the goal, if you will.

Main street is the avenue that makes the goal reachable or attainable, it is the “way there” in a sense.

Your car is the mechanism by which you travel along the avenue or path to the goal, the fair.

So it is by car that you can make your way down Main Street to get to the fair. Reading into my analogy more we can see that the fair is representative of somewhere you are not. The fair is not a place you already are, thus, you must travel to go there. No one is at the fair except God (Romans 3:23).

The car is your tool, or mechanism, for getting there. Arriving at the fair requires that you operate the car. You must first desire to go to the fair, and then you must exercise your ability to make the car go, in order to get there.

You also need to know how to get there, in other words, you must know the right path. Thus, we have Main street. (notice there is only one way provided in my analogy) . Understand that you cannot create Main street. Main street must exist already, otherwise my car, and even knowledge of the fair, are useless to me. Main street must be provided for you to even be able to drive your car to the fair.

Let me apply this analogy to the scripture, what would that mean for our verse?

Saved, or salvation, is the destination, goal or end result like the fair.

Grace is the avenue that makes the goal reachable. Like Main Street, it’s the ONLY way to the end result, salvation.

Faith is the mechanism by which you travel to the goal, which is salvation. Faith is analogous to the car.

Just as I stated above, no one is “saved” by default, we are not “there.” Faith, like the car, is a tool that we use to meet the goal, and it must be exercised by us and we must desire to exercise it.

Grace is the right and only path. Grace is not something that we could effect ourselves, and knowledge of grace is useless without the exercise of faith. Knowing that grace is the way to salvation is not sufficient to be saved. Demons know that (James 2:19), and so do many cults and false religions that teach a grace that turns liberty into license to do whatever you desire! No, you must have faith, faith that overcomes. Faith that results in a changed life. Just as I will know you have a car when I see you drive somewhere, your faith will be known by the fruit it produces. (Mt 7:13-23)

“…and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” What is the gift of God? It seems that the gift of God must be either “salvation”, “grace” or “faith,” (faith in this verse is best described as “saving faith”). Can the gift be “grace”? Grace is the unmerited favor of God on sinners; yes, and since He is not compelled by any outside force to provide it, it is a gift in a sense, but that is not what Paul is describing here. Paul states “by grace.” Grace, as stated earlier is the path or avenue made available, not the gift itself. “Salvation” is definitely a gift, is it not? (Romans 6:23) The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. But is salvation the gift spoken of here? Let’s look at the faith you have if you are saved. According to the first 7 verses of chapter 2 of Ephesians (Eph 2:1-7), you were a slave to sin, controlled by the power of this world, a servant to your sin. Dead in trespasses and sin! Faith, the saving faith that brings a person in right standing through Christ is also a gift of God! What Paul is making clear is that saving faith is not of yourselves it is a gift from God to you. You could have no more mustered saving faith while a sinner than Lazarus could have raised himself from the dead. It required a life-giving power that we do not have!

It seems like being saved is the gift of God spoken of in Ephesians 2:8-9. To read otherwise into the text, as tempting as it may be is putting something there that isn’t there, in my interpretation. But it is also clear, given the context, that the faith we exercise is also not of ourselves, that the heart regeneration that is necessary to be able to exercise saving faith (John 3:3, 6:63, 1 Cor 2:14) is also “of God.” That no man seeks God (Romans 3:10-12) and that saving faith must be a gift from God.

Notice that I did not say that your fruit IS your faith, or that you can create the faith by the fruit. Faith comes first. Just as the only way for me to see you driving the car is for you to get in and drive it, the only way for anyone to see your faith is for you to exercise it. And that brings us to the rest of the verse…Nor is it the result of a work that you could do. Our salvation is through faith, a gift from God, NOT of works, which would require payment. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord Romans 6:23.

What is faith? Faith is knowledge, belief and trust. Think about it, you cannot believe that which you do not know, and you cannot trust in that which you do not believe. James 2:19 makes it clear that there are those that “believe” but are not saved, so being born again includes implicity trusting Christ as redeemer.

Follow me along a thought process a moment…For a man to have the ability to exercise saving faith and NOT do it would be sin. And for a man to have the ability to exercise saving faith and to do so would be the opposite of sin! Well, let’s see here, if you are “not sinning,” would you not have some reason to boast? If you, unlike your neighbor who does not exercise his faith or use his ability to believe Christ, have now believed, then praise You! What a great job you’ve done turning from your sin and choosing to believe God instead of man and the devil himself! Why, when you preach, you should be making sure to tell people of how you converted yourself from an unbelieving sinner into a faithful disciple, for the ability was always there, you just finally chose it. And how much better you are than your neighbor or coworker, who, having sufficient knowledge and built-in ability to believe has rejected (not trusted) the Savior!

What I’ve done is show you that if FAITH is not a gift from God; that if men, by their nature, can believe and be saved, then saved men have reason to boast! Because the salvation they have acquired is the due result of the faith they’ve exercised of their own power. But Paul makes clear in Eph 2:9 that THERE IS NO ROOM FOR BOASTING. That if you are saved it is wholly and undeniably the work of God. Couple that with the understanding of man’s depraved state, Jeremiah 17:9, and the need to be born again (John 3:3-7), it is clear that even faith is a provision of God.

What does this mean? It means you can REST ASSURED that your faith will overcome! 1 John 5:4-5, Romans 8:28-30. You do not need to worry about whether you will “hold on” if you have been granted that faith. For it is secure and eternal and it is not a work you could do, and now that you have it, you cannot do otherwise. You can share the gospel and sleep well, for you know that it is not up to you to manipulate another person’s will to exercise saving faith for their life. You know that saving faith will be God’s gift to them, and that faith comes by hearing the word of Christ (Rom 10:17). You do not need to water down God’s message, nor do you need to spice it up or make it more interesting or exciting. Nothing you can do will “stir up” saving faith in another, EXCEPT sharing God’s truth as meekly, temperately, boldly and lovingly as you can, and trusting that He can and will bring the increase. Pray that God will change you as you do this!

Maybe you’ve read this and you are thinking, “I don’t have this saving faith. How do I get it?” You may understand well enough that it is only up to God to grant it to you. And now you are mad or frustrated by this. Maybe you resent the God that hasn’t showered you with His unmerited favor. Instead dear fellow sinner, throw yourself before the throne of grace and beg for God’s mercy, ask Him to make you love Him and trust Christ alone, the invitation is open!

Luke 18:13-14

13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Proverbs 27:1-2

by

Proverbs 27:1-2
Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth, a stranger, not thine own lips.

Looking at Proverbs 27 is an excellent way to study the Bible! Although this is true of the entire content of God’s Word, I’ve noticed that Proverbs 27 is packed with wisdom. Again, this is not unique to this chapter of the Bible, but I believe that Proverbs 27 is a very readable, very understandable proverb which people can immediately apply to their lives.

But let’s just look at verse 1 for now. Proverbs 27:1…there is a parallel that comes immediately to mind in James 4:13-15. Our lives are but a vapor. We are here one minute and gone the next. Sure, we all know someone who has lived past an age we think of as very old…but don’t we all know someone…or at least have heard of someone who was gone too quickly from this life as well? Children die daily…there are automobile accidents that take people’s lives. I often think when driving by an accident scene, “I’m sure that person didn’t wake up today and think, ‘Maybe I’m going to get into an accident today.” I’d guess it is a RARE occurrence that someone knows the day they will die.

The point is that we do not know what may come…we ought not even plan for the future too pridefully without qualifying our plans with, as the Lord wills. But maybe the most practical application for the verse is to live each day in such a way so that if it were to be your last, you would not regret it. Please don’t accuse me of a “eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die” attitude which is clearly looked upon with disdain in scripture. I’m talking about living each day here on Earth for Jesus. Living each day with the realizatioin that He has put you here for a reason, and you ought to be fulfilling that, as grace allows, through your life! I mean acknowledging that the people around you, as well as you, may not be around tomorrow.

Who in your life have you not shared the gospel with yet? How would you feel if tomorrow it was too late? If it was you who died…would the legacy you leave be Christ honoring and Christ proclaiming? Oh that we all might strive for that in our Christian walk, resting on Christ alone for the needed power and grace.

Now onto verse 2. Another verse that forces us to fully trust in God as sovereign. Not only are we NOT to boast of our own future, for we know not what the future holds, but we are not to boast of ourselves at all! In fact, we are commanded to allow a stranger to do our boasting. “But how will people know how great I am if I don’t tell them!” you ask. Oh dear Christian, I am guilty of the same. I don’t know how! How would you cross a sea to escape angry Egyptians, or how would you have a child after your wife is past the age? How can any man get into Heaven? All of these are questions of which the answer is simple, I don’t know, but God will make a way if it is His will. And if it is not, then nevermind it anyway! So should you tell people honestly what you’ve accomplished at work in a job interview, sure, I don’t think this is an admonition against truthfully sharing, especially if asked. But does my wife need to know I emptied the dishwasher, or that it was me that finished the laundry? No, not from my lips. But what if she never finds out? That’s ok…the Lord knows.

As always, we are talking about the heart. The contents of your heart will determine what comes out your mouth. Love of self and pride will result in vain attempts to boost other’s perceptions of you. A love of Christ and desire to glorify God will result in a “He must increase, I must decrease” attitude. Turn to God in prayer if you find that you struggle with this. I don’t think you are unique if you know you need help in this area. I think you will find that the most mature Christians you know, and some of the greatest theologians and preachers you ever heard of also had to wrestle with God and allow Him to replace their pride with an earnest desire to see Him glorified. Please memorize these verses and keep them with you. Read and reread the 27th Proverb. And remember, God is sovereign and He can be trusted with your entire life!

Deuteronomy 6:5

by

Deuteronomy 6:5 – And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy strength, and with all thy might.

I know all scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim 3:16), and thus, it is all the words of Jesus Christ because He is GOD (John 10:30, John 8:58). But for some reason, and maybe it’s a good reason, the fact that He actually referred to this verse while walking as a man seems significant. If you are a red-letter Bible reader, you’ll see this verse quoted loosely, by the King himself in Matthew 22:37.

In context (Matthew 22:35-40), Jesus was responding to questions concering the law. The law of God is an exhibition of His perfection. Let me note for you, dear reader, that God DOES NOT OBEY THE LAW. God is not subject to anything…the law is, rather, a manifestion of that which He essentially is. His perfect standard is not arbitrary either; it emanates from His perfect attributes of faithfulness, love, mercy, grace, justice, humility and righteousness to name a few…all controlled by His incomprehensible holiness, His altogether “different-from-everythingness,” if you will.

Nevertheless, Christ says the whole law of God can be summed up in two phrases, love the Lord thy God with all your heart, soul, strength and might and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Taking just the verse at hand for this week, we can see how the first 4 of the 10 commandments very clearly are encapsulated by this simple phrase. Having no other gods, not worhshipping idols, using God’s name with respect (see my blog about commandment #3 Exodus 20:7) and honoring the sabbath (resting in God’s provision and not the works of our own hands); these are all examples of loving God as commanded in Deuteronomy 6:5.

In fact, the rest of the commandments all show a love for God as well, for without Love for Him, how would you love and obey His law anyway? His commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3-5) BECAUSE regenerate hearts LOVE the law, because the law reflects His glory and perfection. Loving God means loving the things He loves, taking delights in the things in which He takes delight and, contrary to much of the teaching of today, hating that which He also hates.

Dear Christian reader, do not fall into the “God is love so he cannot hate” trap set by wolves and the devil himself. Humans have made a mess of everything that God has made, hate included. The fact that we hate with a self-centered self-righteous hatred makes it so ugly that we cannot imagine a God that acts as we do. And He does not! He hates, as we do, but with a perfect hatred, a Holy hatred. A hatred that gives us hope that the wrath poured out on Christ is actually effectual for the souls of His dear elect. A hatred that gives us hope in this life that there is redemption and vindication for His children who suffer. (1 Corinthians 15:19 ) Oh yes, God hates, thank God for that! Ps 7:11, Ps 5:5, Proverbs 6:16

Finally, dear brother or sister, I want you to be encouraged. If God has saved you, you do love Him, not as much as you will tomorrow, I hope, but you do. And as hard as it is to see through your own sin, you must know that your imperfect love for him is perfect in Christ, where you rest today (in obedience to the 4th commandment, mind you!) So pray the prayer I prayed for a week straight a few years ago. It is not a magic prayer, but it was answered for me. I was listening to a teaching on Revelation and the preacher was discussing the church at Ephesus, in chapter 2. The preacher was teaching that the “first love” which had been lost in that church was a love for the Savior, that the people of the church were too busy doing the work of God, and had lost their love for God. He encouraged us to pray daily that God would cause us to love Him more. I prayed that prayer for a week straight. I meant it. And God answered it. Praise His Holy name today for answering prayers according to His perfect will. I trust He will answer that prayer for you too.