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What we know of James is that he and his brothers did not believe that his half-brother and the oldest of his siblings was all that He claimed to be (John 7:5).  It most likely was not until after Jesus’ resurrection that James finally did believe. However, based on what we read in these verses, I am curious if James was present when Jesus preached His sermon on the mount?  James seems to be the sermon on the mount applied to life.

 

I can’t prove it, but I believe James 1:19-27 is the first four beatitudes applied to life.  Think about the first four beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-6):

1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
2. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
3. “Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.”
4. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”

 

Permit me to share some of my initial takeaways from James 1:19-27 and then share how the first four beatitudes fit into these verses.

1. Each of us live with a nature that we wish we did not have to contend with. For some, it is lust. For others, it is anger.  If it is not lust or anger, it is something else.  When it came to lust and anger, Jesus told us in His Sermon on the Mount to take radical action to fight against such sins that come from within (see Matt. 5:21-30).  The apostle John wrote of our struggle with sin: “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).  It would really be great if we didn’t have to wrestle and contend with our sin though!

 

1. God’s Word promises us that our fight with sin can be won with the Word of God. In fact, the battle with sin is first won or lost in the mind; listen to 2 Corinthains 10:3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” James states, “ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).  You cannot win against your sin apart from the Word of God.

 

1. To believe the Bible to be the Word of God is good, but you cannot progress and grow in your relationship with God if you do not act upon His Word as it is contained in the Bible. The only way to move forward in your faith as a Christian is to hear the Word of God and then act upon the Word of God by doing what it tells you to do.  In the case of James 1:26-27, you have not really heard the Word of God if it has not affected your speech (v. 26).  You have not really heard the Word of God is you are not looking for ways to love others.  It is not enough to believe what the Bible says about the damage your words can do, the only way you will be able to start addressing the problem of your tongue is to, in the words of James, “bridle his tongue” (v. 26).

 

What God Has Said is More Important Than Your Feelings (vv. 19-21)

We live in a world filled with people who are slow to hear, quick to speak, and at the flip of a switch... explode with anger.  We easily respond to the wounding of our pride with anger.  Ecclesiastes 7:9 says of angry people: “Do not be eager in your spirit to be angry, for anger resides in the heart of fools.”  If Ecclesiastes is true, and I believe that it is, then we live in a nation of fools.  There is a righteous anger that ought to be felt and at times expressed, when necessary, but the kind of anger we see all around us has more to do with feeling triggered, hurt feelings, and whatever entitlements we think belong to us.  We will look at James 4:14 later in this sermon series, but for now, we are told: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away.”

 

What is uncomfortable about the epistle of James is that it forces us to consider the simple reality that all of us are here one moment and then we are gone.  You may have 76 years like Ozzy Ozborne or 71 years like Hulk Hogan, or... you may only have until tomorrow!  The question James wants us to ask and that he answers is this: What are you chasing after and why?  Why are you so slow to listen? Why are you so quick to speak? Why are you quick to get angry?

 

This is why Jesus started his sermon on the mount with the first step towards the life you were born to experience: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3).  To be “poor in spirit” is to recognize just how far short you fall from being right before the only One who matters—namely God. To be “poor in spirit” is to recognize that you cannot help yourself. To be “poor in spirit” is to be fully aware that you need a righteousness that you cannot generate. 

 

If you are genuinely poor in spirit, you will mourn over the sin that offended a holy God, alienated you from Him, and is the reason for the mess that is your life.  There is no coming to God unless you see your sin for what it really is, and if you see it for what it is, then you will come to him with the very keen awareness that your only hope is outside of yourself. 

 

If you really do mourn over your sin while aware that you need God to do the saving, then you will be meek.  The choice of the NASB to translate “praus” to gentle in Matthew 5:5 was a poor discission by the translators.  Every other major version of the Bible translates this world “meek” or “humble.”  To be see yourself for what you really are, and if you see yourself for what you really are, you will not be too impressed with yourself. 

 

So, James states in verses 21, “Therefore, ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility [prautēs] receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” The word James uses in verse 21 for humility comes from the same root that Jesus used in His third beatitude! If you received the word, you received the gospel.  If you received the gospel, you have been born again and the power that raised Jesus from the grave, is the same power that now resides in you in the person of the Holy Spirit who indwells and seals you (see Eph. 1:13-14; 3:20-21). 

 

How do I address the filthiness and wickedness that remains in me?  Be quick to hear what the Word of God says about it, keep your mouth shut by accepting it, and instead of responding in anger, respond in humility.  Who cares about your feelings, what you ought to really care about is what has God said and why does it matter?      

 

What God Wants to Do in Your Life is Greater than What You Know (vv. 22-25)

If I understand the Christian life and how it is that God brings change in our lives, it seems to me that for God to accomplish what He needs to in my life, He must wound my ego by exposing my thoughts and the intentions of my heart.  James exhorts us in verse 22, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves.”  The author of Hebrews said of the Word of God: “For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

 

What James states in verse 19 is primarily how it is that God uses His word in the lives of His people to live and finish well.  Why does God want this for your life?  Well, again, in verse 18, God used His word (the gospel) so that we can become born again, “so that we would be a kind of a first fruits among His creatures” (v. 18).  Here is the thing about first fruits: The Israelites were commanded to give God the first fruits of their crops which was the best of their crops.  If you are a Christian, you are God’s first fruits, which means you are of great value to Him, and what He wants for you is to thrive as His child! 

 

If you are a Christian, then it is true that you, at one time, arrived at the cross of Christ as one who was poor in spirit, one who mourned over your sin, and one who died to the any notion that you were able to save yourself by laying down your pride to embrace the cross of Christ as the only hope of your salvation and redemption.  So what has changed since then?  Not a thing! The evidence that the gospel has germinated and taken root in your life is that you are still poor in spirit, that you still mourn over your sin, and that you are still aware that it is only by the grace of God that you have been saved, are saved, and will be saved. 

 

In the mind of James, and every other person who contributed to the Bible, those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn over their sins, and those who let go of their pride come to Christ, it is not enough to only hear the word of God!  Why? Because when a person is born again, something happened that happens to all people who are alive: you are now hungry and thirsty.  But hungry and thirsty for what? Hungry and thirsty for the righteousness of God.  After the first, second, and third beatitude, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (Matt. 5:6).

 

When you are hungry and when you are thirsty for the word of God, it is not enough to just listen to the word of God.  This is the point of verses 23-25, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

 

God uses His word to form and shape His people through the power of His Holy Spirit.  To listen to His word intently will mean that you must let God’s word challenge your assumptions about who He is, how you live your life, and the world you live in.  This is why we must be both slow to speak and slow to anger.  What does that mean?  Well, if you do not like what God’s word says because of what you would like God’s word to say, you must yield your life, heart, and soul to it.  When the word of God confronts you, when it challenges your assumptions, and when it calls you to action, your best course of action is to yield to it knowing that God wants to accomplish His good will in and through your life for your joy and His glory.  This is how you address, “...all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness” in your life; this is what it means to be a doer of the word, and not just a hearer who deceives his/herself.  This will not happen in your life if you are passive about His word.

 

God Wants to Change Your Heart for Your Joy and the Good of the World (vv. 26-27)

Think for a moment about your life. Are you satisfied and happy with what comes out of your mouth?  Are you content with the way things are now?  What kind of mark do you want to leave in this world when you are gone?  What are you doing now, Christian?  What is your “religion” really worth?  How much of the world has left or is leaving its mark on you? 

 

If you think that verses 26-27 are only about what comes out of your mouth or to what extent you help those in need, then you have completely missed the point!  James is taking something Jesus said and is showing us what that looks like in day-to-day life; here is what Jesus said: “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person” (Matt. 15:18).  Against the backdrop of Matthew 15:18, think carefully about what James is addressing in verses 26-27, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

 

So, how are you doing Christian?  What does your speech and how you treat others really say about your faith in Jesus?  When Jesus said what He said in Matthew 15:18, He said of the Pharisees of His day: “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me...” (Matthew 15:7-8). If James was with us during our worship service today, I think he would ask what the Holy Spirit may be asking you right now, and that question is this: “How is your heart?” 

 

Conclusion

Listen to me now, the epistle of James is written to those who identify as Christians. James considered those to whom he wrote his letter as “brothers” and “sisters.”  What this means is that as a Christian, it is possible to have an unbridled tongue and to ignore orphans and widows for a season in your life as a Christian. The reason why James warns us of the dangers of being slow to listen, quick to speak, and easily angered is because those dangers exist for the one who has been born again. As a Christian, it is possible to be “carried away and enticed by your own lust resulting in your own sin” (v. 14). 

 

It is possible that although you are a Christian, that you have entered a season where your heart has grown far from God because you have been carried away by a desire to sin.  If that is you, then Joel 2:12-13 is for you, “‘Yet even now,” declares the Lord, ‘Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping, and mourning; and tear your heart and not merely your garments.’ Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in mercy and relenting of catastrophe.”   

 

An outward expression of repentance in the Bible involved the tearing of one’s garment.  God is not interested in what you do on the outside as much as what you are doing about the inside.  To tear your heart is to allow the word of God to speak into your heart, and if there is anything there that needs to be addressed, to address it.  It is to take the mirror of God’s word before your heart and to do something about what is seen in the mirror.  Dear Christian, what is the mirror of God’s word telling you this morning?  What are you willing to do to address what the mirror of God’s word is showing you? 

 

It is not enough to only hear God’s word; you must do something about what it is exposing, because God is for your joy more than you can ever know.  The first step is to repent by bringing whatever it is that you see before God and to commit to turning from that sin. The next step is to assess how it is that you got where you are, and to change the pattern of your life to line your heart up more with the things that please the God who saved you.  Instead of standing and staring at the things that displease the Lord, turn from your sins to His Son. 

There are two quotes that have stuck with me that have helped me over the years: The first is from AW Tozer who said, “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply.”  The second is from John Bunyan who said,

“Conversion is not the smooth, easy-going process some men seem to think... It is wounding work, this breaking of the hearts, but without wounding there is no saving... Where there is grafting there will always be a cutting, the graft must be let in with a wound; to stick it onto the outside or to tie it on with a string would be of no use. Heart must be set to heart and back to back or there will be no sap from root to branch. And this, I say, must be done by a wound, by a cut.”[1]

 

Throughout the Bible, I see the wisdom of Tozer and Bunyan’s counsel as it relates to the hard stuff we experience in life.  As much as God has used AW Tozer and John Bunyan, the real question is this: What has God said about the trials that will come and do we trust and believe Him enough to turn to Him even when we do not understand how He will work it out of our good?  It is to James that we now turn our attention to discover what God has said about it. 

 

God’s Will for the Christian’s Life is to Finish Well

God’s will for the life of the Christian is to receive the crown of life.  What is the crown of life you ask?  Ironically, it is a type of “victor’s crown” that the Christian will receive after he/she has died.  During the Isthmian games a crown in the form of a wreath would be awarded the victor who finished whatever event a Greek male athlete participated in. Like the Olympics of today, only the best of the best would compete after training harder than anything else in their lives in the hope that they could receive the coveted crown. Borrowing language from the games, Paul wrote of the Christian life: “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. So they do it to obtain a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way, as to avoid hitting air; but I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified” (1 Cor 9:25–27).  Just before he was executed, Paul wrote to Timothy: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).  The crown of life is eternal life with Jesus.

 

At first glance, it sounds like James is telling us that in order to receive the crown of life, we have got to dig deep and persevere.  This makes our salvation sound like we have to work for our salvation.  This is not what James is saying at all, and we know this because of verse 18, which states: “In the exercise of His will He gave us birth by the word of truth...”  The “word of truth” is the gospel of Jesus Christ that saves.  It is of this gospel that Paul wrote in Romans, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...” (Rom. 1:16).  It was because of God’s will that we went from spiritual death to spiritual life, and the evidence that we are now spiritually alive is with the life we are living today.  Listen to what Jesus said in John 1:12-13, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.”  In John 10:16, Jesus said that the evidence of those who belong to Him is in how they respond to Him: “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd” (John 10:16). 

 

So here is the rub that is very important that you not only hear me say, but that you take it to heart.  The one who perseveres to the end... even under and through various trials, is the one who was truly born again when they heard the gospel of Jesus Christ; it was in the moment that you were born again that you went from being spiritually dead to being alive with Christ!  The crown of life is given not based on your merit, but because of your relationship with Jesus.  It was His sinless life, His sacrificial death, and His victory over death that secured, secures, and will secure your salvation.  The crown of life is awarded on the basis of your relationship with Jesus with the understanding that His merit is all that you need!  The crown of life is not given to those who have good intentions, it is not given to those who are religious, it is not given because of some prayer you said, it is not given because you started out well, for it is given because you have been born again!  Here is what the apostle John said of those who do not persevere until the end: “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be evident that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19). 

 

If you are wondering how you can know that you belong to Jesus and that you are indeed born again, James provides us with four words: “...those who love Him.”  The evidence that you have been born again besides the fact that you will persevere under trial, is that you love Him.  This is why Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, “If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed” (1 Cor. 16:22).   If you have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and have been born again as a result, you will love Jesus... which is evidence that God first loved you (1 John 4:9-19).

 

Now, when it comes to the trials in life (v. 12) and the temptation(s) we all face, what purpose do they serve in the Christian life?  James seems to indicate that “trials” are both allowed and designed by God while temptation comes from within and is used by the devil and his demons.  What you cannot see in your English Bible is that the root of the Greek word for “trial” (peirasmos) and the root for “temptation” (peirazō) comes from the same Greek root and both words can be translated “test” or “tempt.”

 

Trials are Designed by God to Ultimately Bless the Christian (vv. 12-13)

So how do we make sense of these verses? Permit me to offer you an alternate translation of verse 13 that I think will open these verses up for you in a way that ought to help.  Here is what I think is a better and more helpful way to translate James 1:13,

No one is to say when he is tested, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.”

 

How do we know that God does not tempt us?  We know because He is a God of love, we know because He is good, and we know because He is holy! Because God is infinitely good, James states in verse 17, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”  Not only is God good, but because He is God, He has not, does not, and will not change. 

 

Because God is good, every trial that God brings or allows into your life is designed to strengthen your faith... not destroy your it.  This is why James can say in verse 12 that when the trials do come, you can receive them knowing that such trials will ultimately serve for your blessing.  How do I know that?  For starters, it is the pattern we see with God in the way that He has always dealt with His people.

 

Consider Abraham as one example of how God will use and bring trials into the lives of His people to do the kind of thing that needs to happen in the life of the one who belongs to Him.  After Issac was born and old enough to know better, God told Abraham to take his only son and to offer him as a burnt offering (Gen. 22). What was the purpose of the testing? For starters, to show Abraham that his identity was not to be found in the son he and Sarah had longed for and prayed for their entire lives.  Did God make Abraham go through with the slaughtering of his only son?  Nope.  Abraham would have done it, but God stopped him and then said to him: “For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me” (v. 12).

 

For most of Abraham’s life, he struggled to trust God.  All throughout Abraham’s life God used the various trials in Abraham and Sarah’s lives that God brought, allowed, and even the trials Abraham brought upon himself to temper his faith to the point that by the time we come to Genesis 22, he knew he could trust God even when doing so did not make sense, such as God’s instructions to sacrifice Isaac.  How do I know this, besides the fact that Abraham was so committed to obeying God that God had to stop him from following through with sacrificing Isaac?  Here is how I know: When Abraham, Isaac, and his servants arrived at the mountain where Abraham was to follow through with God’s instructions, Abraham said to his servants something that reveals that something had changed in his heart; here is what he said: “Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over there; and we will worship and return to you” (Gen. 22:5).  God told him to sacrifice Isaac, and the reason why Abraham was willing to go through with it was because over the years God was tempering Abraham’s faith to the point that he knew God well enough to know that the God who told him to kill his son was both good and able to raise the dead.  Abraham’s action was the evidence that his faith in God was not just lip service (see Jas. 2:20-23).

 

Temptation to Sin Comes from Within and Is Used by Satan to Destroy the Christian

When the trials come, the primary danger we face in such moments is from within.  Suffering can serve as a catalyst to deepen your relationship with God, or it can cause you to doubt the wisdom, goodness, and sovereignty of God.

 

To be tempted is not sin, but it is what you do with the temptation.  Notice what James says in verses 14-15, “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death” (Jas. 1:14–15). 

 

God does not tempt, but He does test.  His testing often comes in the form of trials that serve to temper our faith for the purpose of making it stronger.  Sin comes from within us, and whatever forms the temptation is that we are faced gives birth to sin when we are “carried away and enticed” by our own sin nature.  Facing the temptation is not the sin, but giving into the temptation is.  James tells us that when temptation comes (and it will), the downward progression leading to the act of sinning begins with a decision that involves both the mind and the heart.  Giving into the temptation to sin begins when you decide to dwell on the temptation instead of run from it. The next step is to be “carried away and enticed” by your own lust (this is when both your heart and mind are lured by your own lust). Our lust comes from the sin nature that is within all of us, and when left unchecked... it gives birth to sin.  Robert Plummer put it this way in his commentary on James: “...just as conception leads naturally to childbirth, giving free rein to sinful inclinations naturally results in discrete moral transgressions. Just as water runs downhill, so evil desire, if allowed to pursue its “gravitational inclination,” runs down into sinful activity.”[2]  Where does unchecked sin inevitably lead?  It leads to death.

 

Listen, most of the temptation we face comes by way of our own doing because of our own lustful desires.  The devil is just one person and can only be at one place at a time.  His demons are many, but they are also limited by their number and ability.  However, Satan is also known as the “Tempter” for a reason.  He is real and he wants to use temptation as a way to destroy your faith. The greater threat you face through is not the devil but your own heart and passions.  To “follow your passion” is horrible advice if it is not tethered to the will of God for your life that you can only know and discern through His word and prayer.

 

Conclusion

Every time Abraham trusted his own heart or caved to his own fears, he was “carried away and enticed by his own lust.” The same can be said about Adam and Eve, the Hebrews in the wilderness, King David, and every other person we read about in the Bible. It wasn’t until Abraham trusted in a good and sovereign God to lead him that he experienced the blessing God wanted for him. For Abraham, that blessing did not come when he wanted, but arrived when God knew Abraham was ready for it.  All sin comes by way of trusting what you think is right, instead of believing God and trusting Him for what He has declared is right. 

 

So, how do we face the trials of life and at the same time resist the temptation to sin?  James offers us some help in verses 16-17.

1. Don’t be deceived. Instead of trusting in what you desire, trust in the goodness of God and what He had declared to be good. “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above...” (v. 17a), so trust the One who is good and wants good for you.

 

1. Focus on God’s unchanging character instead of your desires. James tells us that all that is good comes from, “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (v. 17b). We change all the time, our emotions ebb and flow, what we think is right one day may change the next day, but God does not change! His character remains the same. Instead of being carried away by your sin, turn to the God who does not change and trust Him.

 

1. Trust God’s Word. It is because of His word that you have been born again when you heard the gospel. Tony Evens put it this way: “For many, the Bible is like the queen of England. It’s held in high esteem but wields no power over them personally. What Scripture accomplished for your salvation, though, it can accomplish for your sanctification.”[3]  When faced by temptation, Jesus used the Word of God to combat the devil; you can and ought to do the same.

 

1. Know that God loves you. God called you by the “word of truth,” and He did it because He loves you. According to James 1:18, God gave you a new birth for the purpose of being His “first fruits among His creatures.”  God instructed His people to give the first fruits of their possessions back to Him; for the Hebrew people, the first fruits were the best and first from their harvest. To be God’s first fruits among His creatures means that you are loved and treasured by Him! What He is doing in your life today, is for the purpose of something greater tomorrow that will ultimately lead to your sanctification and then glorification as His son/daughter.  His “no” from His Word is for your good, your joy, and ultimately your thriving.       

 

 

 

[1] John Piper, The Hidden Smile of God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books; 2001), 65.

[2] Robert L. Plummer, “James,” in Hebrews–Revelation, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. XII, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018), 234.

[3] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 1339.

Through every sentence and paragraph that makes up James’s epistle, it oozes with wisdom as to how the Christian can live out his/her faith.  The epistle helps us understand what faith looks like while suffering, how it responds to both poverty and wealth, how faith in Jesus impacts our speech, and how our faith as Christians helps us navigate life in our upside-down world. 

 

The group of Christians James addressed his letter to were Jewish Christians who understood what it meant to be a marginalized people, even before faith in Jesus; but after belief in Jesus as the promised Messiah, they were also ostracized by members of their community, and for some, their own family members. 

 

So, who was James? Let me begin by stating the two things that we know about the person who wrote this epistle: 1) James was the half-brother of Jesus, and 2) he did not believe in Jesus until he witnessed His resurrection.  Here is why I am mostly certain that James, the half-brother of Jesus (and not the apostle James) wrote this epistle:

1. The apostle James died by execution under Herod before this epistle was written (Acts 12:1-2), and the James mentioned in Galatians 2 and Acts 15 is the brother of Jesus who became a predominant leader in the Jerusalem church.

 

1. We are told in the gospels that Jesus had biological brothers who were born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus’ birth who did not fully believe in Jesus even though they grew up with Jesus (see Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; John 7:3-5).

 

1. Jesus appeared to his brother, James, and then to the rest of His brothers, after his resurrection (see 1 Cor. 15:6-7).

 

However, when James did finally believe in Jesus, he was all-in on who his older brother claimed to be, and his belief was backed up by his life, actions, and convictions.  Not only was James all-in when it came to Jesus, but how he introduced himself in his epistle tells us a lot about who he was as a man of God: “James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad...” (v. 1).

 

James does not introduce himself as the half-brother of Jesus, but as a “bond-servant” of God.  The Greek word for “bond-servant” is doulos, and it literally means “slave.”  In other words, James’ authority as a leader does not come from his biological relationship to Jesus, but his submission to the Lordship of Christ, not as his older brother, but as the King of kings and Lord of lords.  The other thing to note here is that James places “God” and “the Lord Jesus” side-by-side, implying that Jesus’ words before James believed are the truth that he has since bowed his knee too (see John 10:30). 

 

I believe that James finally believed that his brother was the Messiah when Jesus appeared to him after He rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:6-7), which is a good reminder right from the very beginning of James, that no one who has truly encountered the resurrected Christ can remain unchanged by an encounter with the living Christ.  James went from a doubter who grew up with Jesus to a believer who would identify himself as a slave to God, and held Jesus as the Lord over his life.   

 

The dispersed Christians James addressed his letter to most likely include hundreds of Christians who fled Jerusalem as a result of the stoning of Stephen and the great persecution Saul (before his conversion and was renamed “Paul”) and others brought upon the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem.  I think James originally addressed his letter to those we read about in Acts 8:1-3,

“Now Saul approved of putting Stephen to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles. Some devout men buried Stephen, and mourned loudly for him. But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and he would drag away men and women and put them in prison.”

 

It was to these Christians (and others), and now to us, that James’ letter addresses.  The two great themes that are repeated through this epistle are faith (a word used at least 14 times) and obedience to God as the fruit of genuine faith (there over 50 imperatives given throughout James regarding this).  This is the reason for the title of my sermon series: Faith and Works.  There were other titles I thought of while preparing for this sermon series that came to mind, such as: Faith-Acts, Faith-Works, but settled for Faith and Works.  If you are looking for a verse that encapsulates the theme of James, I submit to you James 2:17, “In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”

 

With the time that I have left, I would like to direct your attention to three categories that James addresses in verses 2-11 that set the tone for the rest of the epistle: 1) suffering and joy (vv. 2-4), 2) wisdom and knowledge (vv. 5-8), and 3) poverty and wealth (vv. 9-11).

 

Suffering and Joy are Compatible (vv. 1-4)

Suffering and joy sound just as incompatible as water and oil do they not?  Whoever wanted to sign up for a healthy dose of suffering?  You might be thinking to yourself: “Jesus did.”  You are correct in thinking so, but do not forget that on the eve of His suffering, we are told our Lord prayed while in agony over what He was about to suffer: “And being in agony, He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground” (Luke 22:44).  Jesus even included in His prayer, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done” (22:42).

 

The world tends to look at joy and suffering as incomparable, but James gives us a different perspective, he informs these dispersed Jewish Christians who have lost their homes and loved ones, “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials...” Notice that James does not use the word “some” but the word “all” when it comes to the level of joy that we should have over the “various trials” we will experience in life.  

 

Why should we consider it “all joy” when things get difficult in life? On the surface, it sounds like James is giving us the same advice Bobby McFerrin gave us in the late 80’s with his one-hit-wonder song, Don’t Worry, Be Happy. Some of you remember the song:

Here's a little song I wrote

You might want to sing it note for note

Don't worry, be happy

In every life we have some trouble

But when you worry you make it double

Don't worry, be happy

 

Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style

Ain't got no one to make you smile

Don't worry, be happy

Cos when you worry, your face will frown

And that will bring everybody down

So don't worry, be happy

 

Did you know that McFerrin’s song was number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks straight and that he received a Grammy for Song of the Year for that song?  If James told these Christians the same thing Bobby McFerrin wrote in his song, they would have assumed that James was out of touch at best, and crazy at worse!  Thankfully, James is not telling Christians who face the various trials that come our way to fake a smile and repeat to ourselves: “Don’t worry, be happy.”  That just will not work!  James also experienced the fear his dear brothers and sisters experienced when persecution came into their city, and he no doubt felt the loss of dear Stephen when he had his head and body crushed under a barrage of rocks that resulted in Stephen’s martyrdom (see Acts 7). 

 

James is not talking about putting a smile on your face or faking your joy after receiving news of a terminal illness, the loss of a job, or the death of a loved one.  He is reminding us that there is purpose behind our suffering even when it is brought to us by the hands of evil men or rouge cells in your body. Behind your suffering is a good God who does not waste your tears nor your hurts.  What James wants these Christians to understand, and what the Spirit of God wants us to know, is that the various trials you will experience are allowed into your life by design and with purpose.  Consider what two other apostles had to say about the purpose of suffering in the Christian life:

The Apostle Peter: “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ...” (1 Pet. 1:6–7)

 

The Apostle Paul: “...but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Rom. 5:3–5)

 

It is also important to note that James informs us that trials will come.  The question is not “if” they come, but “when” they come (v. 2). We will come back to the significance of verses 3-4 next week when we look at verse 12, but for now you should know that your trials are producing something in you dear Christian. What those trials are producing is the kind of endurance that is fueled by hope because what others mean for evil, or what the hard things in life will ultimately be used for is not your demise or destruction, but your good, because such trials are allowed for two purposes in your life: God’s glory and your good.  What else could verse 4 mean?  Such trials are wielded by the Almighty to bring about the following in your life: “...that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” 

 

Again, we will unpack this truth a bit more next week, but for now, think of “trials” as “trails” that God has purposed to use, to bring about verse 12 in your life: “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

 

Wisdom for Life is Found in God (vv. 5-8)

When we walk through the various trials that will come, such painful experiences can throw us through a tailspin.  This is why some “deconstruct” their faith and walk away from the Christian faith and ask questions like: “How can a good God allow such and such into my life?”  You can look at your circumstances and draw from those things your own conclusions without any regard for how God intends to use such trials to produce something much more lasting and beautiful in your life. 

 

Think about how easy it is to walk through your suffering and the hard things of life with little regard to seek wisdom from the One who has called us to walk through such trials.  The point of verses 5-8 is that all of life requires a greater wisdom that can only come from the One whose knowledge and understanding of your life and the world is infinite.  The fact of the matter is that you really do not know what is coming in while you sit and listen to this sermon.  You do not know if there is some rogue cell in your body that threatens certain parts of your body.  On a Monday (June 30th) I was told that my uncle was in hospice and by Thursday morning (July 3rd) he was dead.  This is why Jesus said, “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they” (Matt. 6:25–26)?  Jesus did not just tell us to not worry but provided the best way to fight and push back our anxiety: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you” (Matt. 6::33).

 

Listen, when the trials come in the form of waves or even tsunamis, if your faith is not tethered to the One who is sovereign over such waves, you will be “driven and tossed by the wind” (Jas. 1:6).  The point James is making in verse 5 is that we do what Jesus told us to do: Don’t lean onto your own understanding in the midst of your trial but seek wisdom from the God who wants to use your trials to produce what is lacking in you.  Instead of asking, “Why me?”  You ought to ask: “Lord, please use this trial in a way that helps me know and understand you more so that I can live the life you have called me to live better.”  Instead of running to your own conclusions, seek wisdom from the One who sees the whole picture of your life.  Instead of running to whatever solution you think is best, run to Him who knows what is best!

 

Our Treasure is Not Earthly (vv. 9-11)

Finally, regardless of what you have in your bank account, your position and status before God has nothing to do with what the world thinks of you but what God thinks of you.  The real question is not how much you have of this world, but how much of your heart does the Lord have of you?  What is your so-called “faith”?  Is it just religion?  Where or who is your treasure?  Most of those to whom James was writing, were poor. With the persecution that came to Jerusalem, they had lost their income, property, and social status.  However, there were some who were wealthy. 

 

For those who are poor, it is easy to conclude that God has forgotten them.  For those who are wealthy, it is easy to forget God.  The danger for both groups of people is to become spiritually near-sighted to the point that you fail to set your eyes on what it is that you did not work for and cannot lose.  How can you experience joy in suffering?  Where does lasting wisdom really come from, wisdom that guides rather than blinds?  It comes from setting our eyes upon that which has been given and promised to those who have been truly saved by the grace of God through faith in His Son, to receive the gift of salvation that you cannot work for or earn. 

 

Those who share in James’ status as “bond-servants of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 1), are heirs of Him who spoke and owns the cattle on a thousand hills!  The poor are to glorify in their high position as those whose inheritance and status is found in the King of kings and Lord of lords! The rich person who also is a “bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,” must hold his/her wealth with an open hand in a way that honors God and serves His people. Why? Well, in the words of the famous missionary, CT Studd: “Only one life, 'twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last.”

 

Let me leave you with this final thought: When you are going through the hard stuff, know that because of your identity as a Christian, that God is more interested in your good than you can ever wrap your mind around.  When the trials come, because you are a Christian this much is true: “You are more sinful than you know and more loved than you imagine.”

In my journey as a Christian over 43 years, I have learned a lot of lessons about spiritual growth and maturity that I wish I had known decades ago.  Since my heart attack in March, I am more aware of my need to leave a legacy to the work God has done in my life.  I’m probably not going to write a book, as too many have been written already, so I would prefer to share some of my lessons learned through sermons like this one.  My desire is to make your spiritual journey a bit smoother than mine has been.

 

1. Secular/Spiritual Dichotomy

 

First of all, I would like to share with you the snare of tolerating in your life what I call a secular/spiritual dichotomy—the idea that our spiritual life is compartmentalized into certain religious activities and our secular lives are still lived pretty much as they always were. 

 

In 2001 or 2002, I was attending a Bible study with some men from Cheyenne Hills Church.  At the time, I was a 10-year veteran in the U.S. Probation Office in Cheyenne, and looking forward to retirement in another 10-plus years.  Somebody was asking a question about what we would do after we retired.  Well, I thought I had a pretty pious-sounding answer: that I wanted to become involved in full-time ministry.  Imagine my surprise when Roy Howell, a local real estate agent, said, “Huh, I like to think that I already am.”  I knew that Roy facilitated AA groups in the jail and elsewhere.  That simple statement proved to be life-changing for me.  I realized that I needed to rethink how I approached life as a disciple of Christ, and that my first priority was to be making disciples.  I wasn’t doing that.  In short order, I was facilitating a Bible-based 12-step group in Cheyenne and I continued that until COVID.

 

Colossians 3:17 says, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

 

That word in the Greek for “everything” means…everything.  All, the whole, entire.

 

When we become Christians, we are now bondslaves of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

I Corinthians 6:19-20 says

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you have been bought for a price: therefore, glorify God in your body.”

 

Imagine walking around all day with this ministry shawl on.  I got it when I was commissioned as a minister last summer with Volunteers of America.  I feel self-conscious with it on – and maybe that’s the point!  When I have it on, I think differently, I react differently, and people see me differently.  But if I am constantly aware that my primary responsibility in life is to be a disciple of Christ and in the business of making other disciples, then I should be thinking and reacting to things all day long just as if I was wearing this ministry shawl even when I’m not.   

 

As blood-bought Christians, there are no longer any secular activities.  We don’t just go on mission trips—we live on a mission field all the time.  When we are doing regular activities like working, going to the grocery store, or the bank, or getting gas in the car, we remain aware that the Lord may use us in ministry at any given moment.  A person who needs gas; a woman crying in the parking lot; a neighbor who has medical problems; a coworker going through a divorce; a client who is suicidal.  For us, there is no more luck; no more coincidence; no more chance encounters.  We are now destined for divine appointments with people everywhere we go.  This is a startling realization, but one that greatly increases how the Lord can use us. 

 

Even our recreation changes.  For example, I love to hunt pheasants, and I did it for a long time just to enjoy pheasant hunting.  But I am more intentional now on helping introduce pheasant hunting to others and making it a blessing to them.  I took a disabled veteran out last fall to shoot his first pheasant and have introduced several men and their sons to pheasant hunting. I still go pheasant hunting but the emphasis has changed. 

 

 

1. Stimulus/Response Gap

 

Another really important realization the Lord gave me came from a book by Viktor Frankl, called “Man’s Search for Meaning.”  He was a Jewish psychologist who survived the German concentration camp at Auschwitz, and gained a lot of rich spiritual insight in the process.  He learned that the greatest of human freedoms was the ability to choose our attitude in any given set of circumstances.  He elaborated in other writings that there always exists a gap between stimulus and response.  If we know that, then we can use that gap to choose to respond appropriately. 

 

There is always a gap between stimulus and response.

 

Most people are oblivious of this gap.  They behave like Pavlov’s dogs: there is no conscious control over their response to provocation.  When Pavlov rang the bell, the dogs started drooling for food.  For people, if you insult them, they will respond in kind immediately. 

 

Even as Spirit-filled Christians, we will continue to behave as people of the world until we learn about the gap, and allow the Holy Spirit to rule that gap. This takes extreme diligence on our part.  If we are caught off-guard, almost surely, we will fail to let the Holy Spirit control our response and we will say or do something offensive. So, we must not be caught off guard!  Just as we learn to drive defensively—always anticipating other drivers to do something wrong—we learn to live defensively: always on guard for provocation, so it doesn’t blindside us and elicit a thoughtless response. 

 

When provoked, we will naturally be shocked, but if we have been anticipating that something like this might happen, we will likely have the presence of mind to beseech the Lord to help us.  In these situations, I have found that the assistance is immediate and effective as long as I continue to resist taking the provocation personally. 

 

 

 

This topic of provocation leads directly into a related discussion of anger in Ephesians chapter four.

 

In verse 26, Paul says, “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.”

 

In verse 31, he says, “All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice.”

 

How much anger must be removed from you?  All.

 

So, is Paul contradicting himself from verse 26 to 31?  Actually, no.  There are two separate Greek words for anger used in these verses.  In verse 31, Paul uses the word Strongs G3709, Orge, which means to be angry or wrathful or vengeful.  It’s a word used commonly in Scripture to refer to the wrath of God.  That is reserved for Him, and is not an appropriate response from us.  He is God; we are not.

 

The word in verse 26 is Strongs G3710, Orgizo, and means to be provoked to anger.  So, we are subject to be provoked to anger, but we choose to not act on that provocation or we would run afoul of the commandment to remove all anger from us in verse 31. 

 

Let’s say we decide that is asking a bit too much of us.  Getting angry is natural, and a little bit is okay, we just don’t want to go to bed angry.  Let’s give ourselves just five seconds to indulge in anger and then put it away.  That seems reasonable, doesn’t it? 

 

What can happen in five seconds? 

 

In five seconds, an unrestrained tongue can cause severe emotional and mental trauma and ruin a relationship.  In five seconds, an unrestrained fist can cause a physical assault.  A person carrying a concealed weapon can draw and fire in less than two seconds.  If we are indulging even a few seconds of anger every time we are provoked, we will probably have no healthy relationships in our lives.  Many people in prison are there because they let their anger go unrestrained for a few seconds. 

 

How do we stop fleshly anger?

 

With one second and the Holy Spirit. 

 

Watch how Jesus handles provocation:

 

In John 8:39-44, in a discourse in which the Jews claimed Abraham was their father, Jesus disputed that.  In verse 41,

 

“They said to Him, “We were not born as a result of sexual immorality; we have one Father: God.’”

 

Now, this was a dig at Jesus because they all knew that His mother had been betrothed to Joseph at the time she became pregnant with Jesus, and Joseph was not Jesus’ father.  They were displaying the common Jewish belief that Jesus was illegitimate. 

 

So, how does Jesus respond?

 

Verse 42: “Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came forth from God and am here; for I have not even come on My own, but He sent Me.”

 

Jesus completely ignored the insult, and did not let it distract Him from what He was trying to get them to understand. 

 

A bit later in Chapter 8, there is a similar situation. In verse 48, in response to Jesus’ statement that He is not a sinner and speaks truth, the Jews respond:

 

Verse 48: “The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not rightly say that You are a Samaritan, and You have a demon?’

 

Okay, calling a Jew a Samaritan was perhaps the ultimate put-down.  Jews despised Samaritans for historical reasons we won’t dive into here.  Not only that, but they accused Him of being demon-possessed. 

 

Here is Jesus’ response:

 

Verse 49: “Jesus answered, ‘I do not have a demon; on the contrary, I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. But I am not seeking My glory…’”

 

Jesus matter-of-factly addresses the issue about being demon-possessed, but totally ignores the comment about being called a Samaritan.  How many times do we waste our breath defending ourselves from frivolous disrespect?  We need to learn to ignore disrespect, and move on to substantive matters.

 

Well, can a Christian be angry and not be in the flesh?  I believe they can.  We see Jesus, for instance, angry with religious hypocrites in Mark 3:5.

 

Christians, if under the influence of the Holy Spirit, will be provoked to anger by hypocrisy; oppression of the poor; racism; and a host of societal evils brought on by living in a fallen world.  But we will not become angry and hostile about personal insults. 

 

If we allow the Holy Spirit to rule the gap, then our response to provocation will be reasoned, calm, and convicting.  But if we run ahead of the Holy Spirit, we will respond with pettiness, defensiveness, and will invite truthful criticism of being a hypocrite. 

 

So, let God rule the gap!

 

III. Bearing Spiritual Fruit

This is a struggle for nearly all newer Christians! 

 

Galatians 5:22-23

 

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

 

When we think about a verse like this, we know that as Christians we should be filled with these things.  So, we try to be patient, and loving and kind because, hey, that’s what we do!

 

We grow up in a society where hard work and persistence are trumpeted as the pathway to success.  Finish the sentence:

 

“If at first you don’t succeed…”

 

“Where there’s a will…”

 

“Quitters never…” 

 

“God helps those…”

 

You get the idea.

 

But trying these techniques to produce spiritual fruit will leave you stuck in the waste land of Romans Chapter 7.  You know:

 

“For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.  For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.” Romans 7: 18-19

 

I doubt there has ever been a Christian who has not felt this way, and frequently.  But I will tell you good news: Paul didn’t stay stuck here, and you and I don’t have to either. 

 

Paul calls this process of failure “the law of sin and death” in Romans 8:2, and he tells us that the “law of the Spirit of life” has set us free from it!  Past tense!  It’s done! 

 

What does the law of the Spirit of life do for you?

 

He tells us in verses 3 and 4: “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, SO THAT THE REQUIREMENT OF THE LAW MIGHT BE FULFILLED IN US WHO DO NOT WALK ACCORDING TO THE FLESH BUT ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT.”

 

So why don’t we experience practical victory in our spiritual lives?  Because we fail to apprehend how to practically walk “in the Spirit,” and instead walk “in the flesh” because we don’t know any better.

 

You see, being godly is the easiest task ever for God, and will always be impossible in our own strength.  The Gospel is not that suddenly you have a Holy Spirit Cheerleader rooting you on to be loving, kind, peaceful, joyful, patient, etc.  The harder you try to be godly, the more failure God will ensure that you experience. He will never enable you to manufacture His character through your own effort. 

 

Instead, He reminds you that you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and it is just like falling off a log for Him to be humble, patient, joyful, loving, kind, and every other character attribute you can think of to describe God.

 

The secret to seeing godly character produced in our lives is not to try harder, but to yield more. 

 

Get out of God’s way, and let Him be Himself, through you.  It seems too simple, effortless really, and it truly is once we learn to let go of our stubborn desire to do everything.

 

Romans 7 is not the common experience of a mature Christian; it is the common experience of Christians who have not yet learned the fine art of yielding to the Holy Spirit. 

 

Well, there you go.  May God use these lessons that I’ve learned the hard way to make your spiritual journey a little easier.  And be sure to share the lessons you learn the hard way with others and me, because we all need to learn from each other.

To BELIEVE in Jesus is to BE a Christian.  What I mean by “believe” is not agreeing that the Bible is true and Jesus is who He claimed to be.  What I mean by “believe” is that you are all in on what the Bible teaches and who and what Jesus claimed to be and do.  Genuine belief begins with your intellect, but it does not stop there.  Genuine belief affects your daily actions and life choices. 

 

So, to believe in Jesus is to live in a state of being as a Christian.  To “BE” is to “EXIST.”  You can believe certain things that do not affect your state of existence. An example of this is how I view the reality of math. I believe that math is both real and good, but my belief goes no further than my intellect. 

 

It is possible to “BELIEVE” in Jesus and not “BE” a Christian.  If you are a Christian, your Christianity is more than a religion or something you believe, but who you now are.  Think about what the apostle Paul wrote: “And you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you previously walked according to the course of this world.... But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ...” (Eph. 2:1, 4-5).  If you are a Christian, you were once dead, but now you are alive with Jesus.  Because you are now alive with Jesus, Paul continued in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” 

 

To go from death to life requires a change in your DNA.  By the time Jesus arrived at Lazarus’ grave, he was dead and in his tomb for four days (John 11:17).  What that means is that decomposition had already started, his body was bloated, his bodily fluids were already seeping out of the orifices of his body, his internal organs were already breaking down, and because of the breakdown of the tissues of his body there was already an overwhelming stench that was present in the tomb.  When Jesus asked for the stone of the tomb to be removed, Lazarus’ sister, Martha, said to Jesus: “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead for four days” (v. 39).  For a dead Lazarus to become a living Lazarus, his body would have to go through a complete DNA change, and that is exactly what happened when Jesus raised him from the dead when He shouted: “Lazarus, come out” (v. 43)!  Lazarus’ body experienced an immediate DNA change, he then got up, and then he walked out of the tomb. 

 

Christian, you experienced spiritually what Lazarus experienced physically the day you heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and believed. This is why Paul was compelled to remind the Ephesian Christians who they were with these words: “I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-3).  So, how do you do that?  Paul tells us: “So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15–16).  Okay, but what does that look like in the home?  It looks like husbands loving their wives in the same what Jesus loved His church and gave Himself up for her (Eph. 5:25-33).  It also looks like wives, subjecting themselves under the headship of their husbands (vv. 5:22-24).  Oh... but how does one walk in a manner worthy of our calling in the way we parent our children or in the way we respond to our parents?

 

I struggled if I should address parents and children in the reverse order than how the apostle Paul did it but decided to follow in the same order he chose. 

 

Responding to Our Parents in a Manner Worthy of Our Calling

Paul addresses children by reminding us of the fifth commandment: “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged on the land which the Lord your God gives you” (Exod. 20:12).  For some parents, this commandment is abused; for some children, this commandment is ignored.  For a lot of people in the church, I suspect that the fifth commandment is confusing.  Just so you know, the first four commandments concern our relationship with God; the last six commandments concern our relationship with people. 

 

The first commandment states: “You are to have no other gods before Me” (Exod. 20:3). How you yield your mind, life, and heart to the first commandment will affect how your respond to idols, how you use the name of the Lord in what you say and do, and what kind of time you spend with the Lord in worship. Concerning the final six commandments, I suggest to you that how you yield your mind, life, and heart to the fifth commandment will affect how value your neighbor’s wife/husband, that which does not belong to you, your integrity, and what you think you need or do not need.  It all begins with what kind of relationship you have with God.

 

Show me how a young man or woman treats their mother or father, and I will show you what kind of husband or wife that person will most likely be.  If you cannot honor the person who is responsible for sheltering you, providing food, clothing, and an education for you... then when it comes to the other people in your life... you probably will not be a very honorable person (unless something changes, such as a spiritual DNA change). 

 

Now, for the big question many of you may be asking: “At what age does the fifth command expire?”  When you are eighteen?  Twenty? How about when you are on your own?  How about after you are married and have a family of your own?  The commandment doesn’t even indicate an age, but the word the apostle Paul uses is Ephesians 6:1 is “children.”  The Greek word for “children” is teknon and it means exactly the way every English translation translates the word, and that is “children.”  The point Paul is making is that if you are a child, then you have a command from God to obey, and that is to give your parents honor. 

 

Notice the order Paul address regarding the family.  He begins with wives, then moves on to husbands, then children before he addresses “fathers.”  Why?  Because if you are alive today, then you are a child of someone.  Not everyone is a parent, but everyone is a child.  In the context of Ephesians 6:1, Paul is speaking to non-adults, and the way they are to honor their parents is by obeying them.  However, this does not exempt every person who has a parent from honoring their parent(s).  So there are two things going on with Ephesians 6:1-3. First, for every non-adult in the room, if you are unwilling to obey your parents, then you are not walking in a manner worthy of your calling as a Christian.  Second, if you are a son or a daughter with a living parent, you are not walking in a manner worthy of your calling if you are not giving them honor. 

 

Let me help you understand what exactly is being said in these verses.  Walking in a manner worthy of your calling as a Christian as a non-adult means that you honor your parent(s) by obeying them so long as what is asked of you does not violate your primary obligation to obey Christ.  If a father or mother askes their Christ-following child to sin, then that child is obligated to respectfully disobey.  Honoring your parents by obeying them does not mean that you must endure sexual or physical abuse, nor require you to lie, cheat, or steal because your father or mother told you to do something immoral or wrong.  But when it comes to the things your parent(s) ask you do such as the rules of the house you live in, you are to honor your mother and father by obeying and respecting them. 

 

Non-adult children, listen to me.  Paul states that the fifth commandment has a promise tied to it: “Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may turn out well for you, and that you may live long on the earth.” Obeying your parents who want you to thrive and succeed will help protect you from the kind of friends and habits that could ruin or shorten your life.  The other way it will turn out well for non-adult children who honor their parents through obedience and respect for them, is that you will most likely develop honorable and healthy character traits. 

 

So, how old until you do not have to obey all the rules of the home your parents pay for?  Until you can pay rent and/or move out on your own.  However, when you do move out of the home of your parent(s), to does not mean you are no longer obligated to honor your parents. 

 

So, what about those of us who are adults?  The fifth command does not state “obey” although throughout the Bible, non-adult children are expected to be obedient.  The fifth commandment is also a principle to live by.  Notice what the commandment does not say.  It does not say “Love, admire, agree with, trust, or drop everything that you are doing for your parents.”  No, what the fifth commandment states is to “Honor your father and mother.”  The relationship I had with my sons when they were toddlers was very different then, than it is today.  How I relate to my 24-year-old son is very different than how I relate to my 14-year-old son.  If the day comes that they should ever get married, my relationship with them will be very different than it is today.  So what does it mean to honor my father and mother as an adult?  I am commanded to honor them no matter where they live, how old they are, what physical condition they are in, or how they feel about me.    

 

Tim Keller provides a clear answer that honors the tone of all of scripture when it comes to our parents: “Honor is a decision to treat your parents with dignity and with courtesy, and it’s also a decision to provide long-term loyalty to their best interests.”[1]  To walk in a manner worthy of my calling as a son or daughter must include seeing my father and mother as individuals created in the image of Almighty God, and that He entrusted my life into their care, and regardless of their sins and faults, I am to honor them by treating them with dignity and to do all that I am able to do to make sure that their best interests are provided for in a way that glorifies God and serves them well.  

 

Parenting Children in a Manner Worthy of Our Calling

Now to the parents in the room.  Paul is addressing dads, but moms are not exempt.  The word that Paul uses for discipline is the Greek word, “paideia” and it also includes instruction, teaching, and training.  The other word that is used is “instruction” which can also mean admonishing, warning, or even counseling.  To discipline your children is to enforce boundaries and to provide instruction is to bring your child along guiding and persuading into a person of character because you love them. 

 

To be honest with you, parenting is difficult!  It is especially difficult in the culture and day that we find ourselves in.  To raise your child in a way that protects them from the idols of both our culture and their own hearts is hard work and if it is done poorly or in a way that is heavy on law and light on grace... or heavy on grace and light on law... the consequences can be devastating to watch and experience as a parent.  The danger in striving to raise your child well with rules is to be overbearing where truth and the rules of the house leave little room to experience love and grace for your child.  This is how you can “provoke your children to anger...” 

 

If you want to raise a resentful, frustrated, and angry child, make sure you leave little to no room for your child to experience the love that you have for him or her.  Creating rules and enforcing them is easy and important, but to do that and at the same time making space and time to pay attention to your child’s heart, to listen to your child, to be safe enough so that your child feels free to speak to you, to respect the way God put your child together in terms of their personality... takes time and energy.  Your children do not only need you be their parent, but they need you be present in their life.

 

However, Paul does not end with his charge to fathers not provoking their children to anger.  Our responsibility as parents is to, “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”    

If you want to walk in a manner worthy of the calling in which you have been called, then you must bring up your child in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.  What does it look like to bring up your child, and what does it involve?  Check out what God instructed His people to do in order to pass on the faith of the parents to their children:

“Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. And you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. You shall also tie them as a sign to your hand, and they shall be as frontlets on your forehead. You shall also write them on the doorpost of your house and on your gates.” (Deut. 6:4–8)

 

This passage in Deuteronomy is known as the Shema, and it was recited often as a prayer.  Orthodox Jews take the Shema literally in the sense that they literally tie the word of God onto their arms and their foreheads.  The scribes and Pharisees in Jesus’ time did the same thing, what they wore on their foreheads and arms were called phylacteries, and they made sure they were big enough so that everyone could see how religious they were.  Listen to what Jesus said about the scribes and Pharisees:

The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses. Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it all, but do not do as they do; for they say things and do not do them. And they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger. And they do all their deeds to be noticed by other people; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.” (Matt. 23:3–5)

 

Some of you grew up in homes with parents like this.  The scribes and Pharisees missed the entire point of the Shema! The point is not to look and act religious, but that what you say you believe in and your relationship to God is actually who you really are.  If you are really a Christian, then it should be who you really are when no one is looking, and especially in your home with those who know you better than anyone else.  So, when you are walking, when you are shopping, when you are mowing the lawn, and when it comes to the culture of your home... you really are who you say you are. 

 

When it comes to the rules in your home and the time you share with your child, and how you interact with the members of your family, consider what it means to love:

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Cor. 13:4–7)

 

When it comes to the culture of your home, consider what the fruits of the Spirit are in the life of a Christian: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Gal 5:22–23).

 

What does it look like to, “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord”? It is the kind of disciple-making Jesus commanded us to be about, and it must begin in the home out of a love for God and a love for the closest neighbors you will ever have, namely the members of your own family.

 

[1] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

Thursday morning, while at Gold’s Gym, hours before news broke of Israel’s attack on Iran (ironically named “Rising Lion”), my thoughts were consumed by the crazy protests in Los Angeles and the posturing of California’s governor and our President against one another.  I also thought about the fragile state of our world, Putin’s unrelenting push to take Ukraine and Ukraine’s resolve to remain a sovereign state.  While on the Stair Climber at Gold’s gym, as I thought about the above current events, I typed the following on my “Notes” app on my phone: “The kings of the earth will mourn when Jesus returns because they do not want to give up what belongs to the King of kings.” 

 

We are promised by God’s Word: “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.”  Of His return to judge the nations, Jesus said: “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the son of man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:30).  When Jesus comes again, He will come with “power” and “great glory.”

 

Jesus is coming, He will judge the nations, and He will come with power and great glory!  I do not know when He will come and neither do you, but what I do know is that time is running out!  My dear brothers and sisters, the hour is late and His coming draws nigh (Luke 21:25-28)!  It is possible that you are here or watching the livestream, and as you do... you are still sleeping.  Men, it is possible that you are here, or you are watching the live stream, and you are currently suffering from an identity crisis.  Permit me to explain what I mean.

 

After God created all things, on the sixth day, He created man; more specifically, we are told that He said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image according to Our likeness...” (Gen. 1:26).  We are later told in Genesis that God put Adam in the Garden and before He formed Eve from His rib, God commissioned Adam as the first man to “cultivate it and tend it” (2:15). God also said of Adam as a man, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him” (v. 20).  The man and the woman were to complement each other, but the man was also responsible to cultivate and tend to his wife, or as the apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:25, Adam was to love his wife in such a way that would later be demonstrated upon a cross by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

 

God Created You to Know and Enjoy Him (vv. 18-21)

Adam and Eve were to serve as His ambassadors in His creation; Adam was to serve as priest in his home in the way that he loved his wife and eventually parented his children alongside and with his wife.  All that was good in Adam’s home and the peace that he and his wife knew in the presence of God was vandalized by the first couple’s sin and Adam’s failure to shepherd his wife as a lover of her soul.  The serpent sought to destroy God’s image bearers bypassing Adam while targeting Eve.  Although Adam was right next to his wife while the serpent tempted and deceived her, the man did not provide, nor did he protect by refusing to protest the lies of the snake on behalf of his wife.  Eve believed the wicked serpent and ate of the fruit that God warned would bring death, and after Eve took the first bite, she then gave it to her husband, and he ate of the forbidden fruit. Both Adam and Eve were then filled with shame. 

 

I would like to suggest to you that I believe Adam bit into the fruit because he wanted glory and power that did not belong to him.  In fact, ever since Adam and Eve bit into the forbidden fruit, mankind has pursued a glory and a power that belongs only to the Creator.  I would like to suggest that the underlying motive of idol worship in whatever form it takes is a desire for power and glory.

 

What do I mean by “power and glory,” and how do they relate to idol worship?  What I mean by power is chasing after the thing, person, or experience that God has said you cannot have or that you cannot have on your terms, but on His. In the garden, God said no to the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but He provided every other fruit in the garden for their enjoyment.  Another example of how idol worship is really a pursuit of power is determining that you will go outside of God’s prescribed moral boundaries so that you can get, receive, or experience what you think is best for you.  When you do that, you make yourself to be “like” God in the same way Adam and Eve desired to be like God when they ignored His word to receive what they believed was best for themselves.  This is the point of Isaiah 45:18-21; for a moment let verse 18 settle on your soul: “For this is what the Lord says, He who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it as a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited): ‘I am the Lord, and there is no one else.’” In other words: There is only one Creator, He is Yahweh, and you are not Him.  His creation that He made was designed with your living and thriving in mind within the way that He designed all of it.  When you make decisions or act in such a way that goes against what Yahweh has declared to be good or bad, you assume an authority that is not yours.  Idol worship is assuming the role of Yahweh and the power to determine what is right and wrong, apart from Him. 

 

What I mean by “glory” is by making yourself the center of Yahweh’s creation.  By default, because He was able to create all things, He is God.  There was no one before Him and before all things, He existed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Not three different forms at different times, not by three different titles, but as One God in Three Persons.  There is no God like Him!  The good news is that He is equally holy as He is good.  He is not like the idols we humans create that can only burden and crush those who worship them.  However, when we do bow down to idols, we do so because we have determined that they can give us what God cannot.  Anytime we make something ultimate in our lives (even the good things), we essentially have determined that the thing, the person, the experience, can give us what God cannot give.  When we do this, we become guilty of self-worship and have removed God from His rightful place in our lives and placed ourselves at the center of His universe. 

 

Listen, just as it is true that any idol you create is a god of your own creation that you must carry that will only burden you... so it is true that any idol you create and bow down to is self-worship. To do this is no different than those, “Who carry around their wooden idol and pray to a god who cannot save” (Isa. 45:20).  Your idols will lead you away from the life and joy the true God intends for you, not to it!  This is why in Isaiah 45:21, Yahweh calls to all under the crushing burden of their idols: “Declare and present your case; indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this long ago? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none except Me.”  His call is one of mercy and grace that is motivated by love, but He will not share your heart with any of your idols!

 

God Provided a Way to Know and Enjoy Him (vv. 22-25)

There is a way to be free of your idols, there is a way that leads to life, there is a way to experience the kind of joy for which you were born, but it cannot be in and through any idol of your making!  This is why the Bible says, “There is a way which seems right to a person, but its end is the way of death” (Prov. 16:25).  Any way that you seek, that excludes God, to find and experience life, joy, your best life now... can only and will only lead to death because the kind of life and purpose you were born for can only be found in the One to Whom there is no comparison.  The God who made you, calls to you: “Turn to Me and be saved...” (v. 22).  Who can turn to Yahweh to be saved?  God tells us: “...all the ends of the earth.” On every continent and in every nation, God invites all to turn to Him for their salvation, and it must be on His terms alone!

 

You cannot come to Yahweh for salvation with your idols, for the only way to come to Him is by first laying your idols down before Him. We learn from Isaiah 45:19, that He is not far off and He is not hidden.  He is within reach because He alone is God and there is no other like Him!  In Isaiah 45 alone, it is repeated not twice, not three times, not even seven times, but ten times that there is no God like Yahweh.  Why is this repeated ten times?  There are 10 commandments that were given to Israel; the number ten symbolizes the divine law and the God who created mankind to know Him.  It is this God who not only has made Himself available to you and has invited you into a relationship with Him, but it is He who has pursued sinners who do not run to Him but from Him.  It is this God and no other who declares with the same power and glory that spoke creation into existence with just the word of His mouth: “I have sworn by Myself; the word had gone out from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, and every tongue will swear allegiance” (v. 23). 

 

What does it mean to bow one knee and what does it mean for one to swear allegiance to Yahweh?  It means to come to Him in humility, contrite in spirit, and trembling at His word. 

1. To tremble at God’s word is to recognize that He is God and you are not, and that you have nothing to give Him but your broken self; to tremble at God’s word is also to come to Him as one who is poor in spirit.

 

1. To be contrite in spirit is to not only recognize and see your sin for what it is, but to grieve over your sin; to be contrite in spirit is also to be one who mourns over your sin.

 

1. To be humble before God is to recognize that to Him alone belongs all glory, honor and power (see Rev. 4:11); to be humble is to be meek.

 

We are all born into sin, and because of our sin nature... our hearts are idol factories from the moment we come out of the womb and take our first breath.  The verdict according to the Word of God is this: “There is no righteous person, not even one; there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks out God...” (Rom. 3:10-11; Ps. 14:1-3).  However, God offers peace, and His offer of peace is not to be confused with an offer of truce.  A truce is an agreement between enemies to stop fighting or arguing for a season and it usually requires a compromise on both sides; this is NOT what Yahweh offers to anyone. What he offers is the unconditional surrender of sinners so that we can be saved from His wrath and experience a redemption only He can make possible: “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; the word had gone out from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, and every tongue will swear allegiance” (Isa. 45:22-23).  Why? Because “only in Yahweh are righteousness and strength” (v. 24).

 

What Adam failed to do while the serpent tempted his wife, was to lead her away from the danger of the serpent to the safety of their Creator who alone is all powerful and to Whom belongs all glory.  Adam was called to tend and cultivate the heart and soul of his wife by leading her to Yahweh, but instead he led her to an enemy and to idols that can only, “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). 

 

After Adam and Eve sinned, God promised a deliverer who would crush the serpent’s head, but also would ultimately rid the world of idols.  Eight chapters later, in Isaiah 53, we discover that God’s terms of peace is a Person who would take upon Himself the sins we are all guilty of for the purpose of saving and redeeming sinners.  This Person would be afflicted, struck down, and humiliated (Isa. 53:4).  This Person would be pierced for our offenses, He would be crushed for our sins, He would be punished for good, and it would be through His wounded body, that sinners like us would find our healing (v. 5).  This Person would bear the sins of Adam’s race by being oppressed, afflicted, and ultimately crushed for the forgiveness of sins we committed for the purpose of our redemption (vv. 6-10). 

 

It would be through this Person that salvation would be made available to all people from every tribe, nation, and tongue.  The Person Isaiah prophesied about would not be any ordinary person, for over 100 years after Isaiah wrote those words, the prophet Jeremiah declared: “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, ‘When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.  In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will live securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The Lord Our Righteousness.’” (Jer. 23:5-6).  The person Jeremiah spoke of is Jesus. He is the righteous Branch of David and He is “The Lord our Righteousness” who was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our wrongdoings, and died for our sins.  He not only died, but after He was buried, He rose on the third day!  What motivates Yahweh to offer salvation to sinners everywhere?  Love! 

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Rom. 5:8-10)

 

Of this Jesus, the apostle Paul wrote the following:

And being found in appearance as a man, He [Jesus] humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:8-11)

 

Do you see and understand what the apostle is saying here?  The One through Whom salvation will be made available to the nations and deliver us from our sins and rescue us from the crushing and weary weight of our idols is Jesus! It is to Him that every knee will bow, and every tongue will swear allegiance by confessing, “Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 

 

Husbands, fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and every person in this room today... hear me: We are not called to chase after idols, for they will only lead to burdens that crush and ultimately steal, kill, and destroy.  Every part of you was made for a purpose to know and be known by the living God whose image you bear!  God’s terms of peace is Jesus, so if you have not done so already, run to Him before your time runs out. 

 

Husbands, fathers, and grandfathers, do not fall for the tempter’s lies like a fool; do not follow in the way of Adam!  The most loving thing you can do for your wife, your children, and your grandchildren is NOT to lead them to their idols, but to lead them to the idol crusher, Whom is Jesus Christ.  There is coming a day when the time God has allotted will run out, and every idol worshiper will one day stand before the King of kings and Lord of lords.  If you are leading your wife, your children, or your grandchildren to their idols... you are ultimately leading them to God as a Judge instead of a Father they could have known had you led them to Jesus instead of the idols of their hearts.  For it is only in and through Jesus we can sing these words: 

No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven

The future sure, the price, it has been paid

For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon

And he was raised to over - throw the grave

To this I hold: my sin has been defeated

Jesus now and ever is my plea

Oh the chains are released, I can sing: I am free!

Yet not I but through Christ in me

 

Amen.

Last Sunday, I mentioned Solomon as an example of a life of faith that began so wonderfully but ended very tragically.  Solomon knew the scriptures well, we know this because of what he wrote in the book of Proverbs, and one such verse that he wrote was Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.”  In fact, according to Proverbs, real wisdom is the Old Testament Law applied to all of life.  Yet, at some point, Solomon’s heart was turned away from God and foolishly pursued what God warned would lead to heartbreak, shame, and disaster. 

 

The thing that Solomon’s father, David, was known for was that he was a man of war (1 Chron. 28:3), which Solomon was not. Solomon was known as a man of peace.  The problem was that he pursued peace even if it meant that he ignored the very Law of God that influenced his writing of Proverbs.  One of the ways the kings of other nations would enter into a peace agreement or an alliance (i.e. covenant) was by marrying the daughter(s) of the king of that nation.  We are told that Solomon, “loved many foreign women” (1 Ki. 1-2).  The problem with this is multifaceted, but here is what God commanded in His word that Solomon ignored:

Be careful that you do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their memorial stones, and cut down their Asherim —for you shall not worship any other god, because the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they would prostitute themselves with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice, and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might prostitute themselves with their gods and cause your sons also to prostitute themselves with their gods. You shall not make for yourself any gods cast in metal.” (Exod. 34:12–17)

 

Solomon, who had been known for his godly wisdom and the building of the Temple, “loved many foreign women” (1 Ki. 11:1-2).  So what happened?  Listen to what the Bible says about Solomon’s ending legacy:

So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully, as his father David had done. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abhorrent idol of Moab, on the mountain that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abhorrent idol of the sons of Ammon. He also did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.” (1 Ki. 11:6–8)

 

 

 

What Solomon thought would bring peace, contentment, and success... created a crushing burden the wrecked his life and led to the dividing of the nation of Israel into the North and the South. 

 

After the death of Solomon, the divisive spirit Solomon was responsible for creating through his many compromises led to the splitting of the nation he loved.  The king of the northern kingdom (Jeroboam) established two alternative places to worship to keep those in the North from traveling to the Southern kingdom to worship Yahweh in the Temple that Solomon built.  King Jeroboam set up golden calves not unlike the one made by the Hebrews after Moses was up on the mountain receiving the commandments of God; Jeroboam then said to the people: “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt” (1 Ki. 12:28).  The Northen Kingdom in Israel was known for its rampant and evil idolatry that included child sacrifice and gross perversions of marriage and sex, all while promoting a worldview contrary to the one of their forefathers.  After many years of God warning the Northern Kingdom through His Word and His prophets to repent from their sins, and after many years of ignoring those warnings, God used the Asyrian Kingdom to judge, destroy, and exile many of the people.

 

The Southern Kingdom was initially led by Solomon’s son, Rehoboam.  In many respects, the Sothern Kingdom remained somewhat loyal to the faith and vision of their forefathers such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David.  There were no doubt periods of idolatry, but there were also seasons of religious reform with an emphasis to return and maintain the worship of Yahweh at the Temple in Jerusalem.  Many in the Southern Kingdom believed that because they had Solomon’s Temple, that they had the presence of God.  Eventually the Southern Kingdom grew increasingly nominal in their faith to the point that God also sent them prophets to warn them of a similar fate that the Northern Kingdom suffered if they did not repent.  Because they had Solomon’s Temple, were more conservative, and were ‘not as bad’ as those in the Northern Kingdom, that they were safe.  Eventually the Southern Kingdom became known for their worship of the idols of the nation’s, instead of their worship of the God of Abraham, Moses, and David.

 

Both the Southern and Northern Kingdoms eventually experienced the crushing burden that their idols created.  But it was after the Northen Kingdom’s demise and God’s repeated warnings to the Sothern Kingdom to turn from their sins that Isaiah wrote what we read in 46:1-13.    

 

Creaturely Idols Create Crushing Burdens for those who Bow Before Them

Idols come in all shapes and sizes; they are not only physical creations made with human hands.  Idols include established gods worshiped by people groups and cultures, but they also come in the form of ideologies, things, or people that are made ultimate in the heart of their devotees.  Some of the ancient idols of long ago have taken different shapes or even cloaked in a different dress... but they are not new. 

 

In Isaiah 46, the prophet calls out the worship of the Babylonian gods known as Bel and Nebo about a century before we are introduced to Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel.  Bel was the chief god worshiped by the Babylonians who was also known as Marduk and believed to be responsible for creation and worshiped as the supreme god.  Nebo, the son of Bel (Marduk), was worshiped as the the Babylonian god of wisdom, writing, and scribes. 

In Isaiah 46, Bel and Nebo are depicted as burdens pulled by cattle; the irony of the way they are depicted is that in the days of Isaiah, when a nation was conquered, because it was believed that their gods were unable to save, the victorious army would put on display in a parade the idols of the defeated people. At least the defeated worshipers of Bel and Nebo can move, but the gods the Babylonians attribute power and knowledge to are stooped over because they are powerless, motionless, and without life.  Like every other idol in the world, Bel and Nebo have no power to save or produce what they promise. 

 

The weight of Bel and Nebo is crushing even to the cattle forced to transport them.  Why?  Because according to verses 6-7, “Those who lavish gold from the bag and weigh silver on the scale, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; they bow down, indeed they worship it. They lift it on the shoulder, carry it, and set it in its place, and it stands there. It does not move from its place. Though one may shout to it, it cannot answer; it cannot save him from his distress” (Isa 46:6–7). 

 

Those who worshiped Bel and Nebo, essentially worship a god of their own creation.  All that the gods add to the lives of those who worship them is a “burden.”  The word for burden that is used (mǎś-śā) can be translated “weight.”  There is a universal fact about what people chose to worship: Anything we create to worship... will require its creator to carry it.  Idols always promise what they cannot give, and rob those who worship them the life, joy, and salvation that those idols offer.  The only thing that created idols offer is the crushing weight of their burden.

 

Unlike the idols of the world, there is only one God who created all things!  Because He is the Creator, all of His creation is dependent upon Him.  Because He is the Creator, He is the One who carries those who worship Him: “Even to your old age I will be the same, and even to your graying years I will carry you! I have done it, and I will bear you; and I will carry you and I will save you. ‘To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal, and compare Me, that we would be alike?’” (vv. 4–5).

 

The Uncreated God Powerfully and Purposefully Saves (vv. 8-13)

Just as He did with the gods of Egypt, the God of Abraham, Moses, and David promised to do the same with the gods of Babylon.  The reality and existence of Yahweh puts everything and anyone who would set themselves up to be more than what they are... to shame.  Lucifer attempted to usurp the God who made him, God cast Him out and Jesus said of that day: “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning” (Luke 10:18).  In Isaiah 14, we are given a glimpse into the heart and motives of Lucifer:

How you have fallen from heaven, you star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who defeated the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” (Isa. 14:12–14)

 

Because God is God, He declares the end from the beginning.  What does that mean?  It means what He wills, He not only does but accomplishes!  What else could verse 10 mean? It is God who is responsible for, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My plan will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’”  There is no room for luck, chance, or karma in a universe with a God who “declares the end from the beginning.” 

 

Because Yahweh is God, he does not need anything from us.  There is no deficiency in Him because He is complete; but not complete in the way we think of completion... no, He is infinitely and eternally complete.  Only six chapters earlier, we are reminded of how big and great our God really is:

Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.... To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him? As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, and a silversmith fashions chains of silver. He who is too impoverished for such an offering selects a tree that does not rot; he seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman to prepare an idol that will not totter. (Isa. 40:15, 18-20)

 

Think about the foolishness of worshiping something you create with your own hands.  Is it not just as foolish to bow down to idols of other shapes and sizes?  As great as Solomon’s Temple was, it ultimately became an idol to the people in that they became more concerned about the performance of worship than who they were worshiping.  In Isaiah 66, God reminded Judah why it was that He did not need anything they created: “This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool for My feet. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? ‘For My hand made all these things, So all these things came into being,” declares the Lord. But I will look to this one, at one who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My word’” (Isa. 66:1–2). 

 

God does not dwell in temples, and He does not need anything from us.  Because there is not a God like Him, He does not need us to carry Him and His promises are not dependent upon our strength.  However, what He desires from us is our hearts and our devotion. 

 

Now here is the crazy thing about what we learn of God in Isaiah 46, and we see it in verses 12-13, “Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded, who are far from righteousness. ‘I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; and My salvation will not delay. And I will grant salvation in Zion, And My glory for Israel’” (Isa. 46:12–13).  The God who has no equal and cannot be added to, is He who brings His righteousness to those who are far off!  If you are a Christian, you were once far off, but now you have brought near!  If you are not a Christian, you are still far off, but it doesn’t have stay that way!  Oh dear Christian, this is great news for you!  We have seen Isaiah 46:12-13 in another passage in the New Testament, and that place is in Ephesians: “But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13). 

 

Listen, there is only One who spoke all that exists by the word of His mouth in six days and rested on the seventh day (Exod. 20:11).  There is only One who reduced Pharoah and his gods to nothing with the Ten Plagues (Exod. 7:14-11:10).  There is only One who was able to part the Red Sea (Exod. 14).  There is only One who is able to make time stand still (Josh 10:13).  There is only One who is able to move kingdoms and empires to bring about the birth of His promised Son!  There is only One God and there is no other, and it is He who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – He is Yahweh!  Christian, it is He who brought you near through the blood of His Son!  It is He who made you “His Priesthood,” “His People,” and “His Treasured Possession.”  You who were once far off, have become the objects of His love, His mercy, His grace, and are now the apple of His eye! 

 

You who ran from Him, have been found by the One who said: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light” (Matt. 11:28–30). You who were weary and burdened, have found rest in Jesus. 

 

Conclusion

So here is the rub regarding what we read in Isaiah 46: If it is true that the God of the Bible is God and there is no other; if it is true that the God of Isaiah 46 is God and there is no one like Him, and because of God, that which He wills will come to pass, then don’t you think that it is foolish to make or treat anything in your life as equal or greater than He? 

 

Yet, there are all kinds of things, dreams, and people in your life competing for the greatest and most valuable place in your life.  This is nothing new, for it has always been the tension since the garden of Eden. Just because God found you, does not mean that you will not struggle with and fight against the pull and temptation to substitute God with something else.  Adam and Eve faced this struggle in the Garden, and they lost.  Abraham wrestled throughout his life with this same struggle.  King David struggled and lost on several occasions, the most notable was his desire for Bathsheba.  Judas struggled and lost, Ananias and Saphira struggled and lost, and you may be struggling and now you find yourself losing.  Anytime we place a thing, person, dream, or ideology above the God whose rightful place in your life in preeminence... you will find the burden to be crushing.

 

We will look at Isaiah 45:22-24, but for now, I want you to consider what it is saying:

Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. “I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. “They will say of Me, ‘Only in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’ People will come to Him, and all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.”

 

There is only one to whom all will bow, and there is no God like Him... and His name is Jesus:

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:8–11)

 

What you need and what this country needs most is not for anything other than Jesus Christ to be great in your life.  He is the hope of the nations.

From the Pulpit of Keith Miller

Last fall, I preached a series of sermons on the armor of God as part of a series in the epistle to the Ephesians.  Today, I am not preaching any of those sermons.  I am preaching this sermon on a familiar passage out of a sense of urgency for all of us (me included). It might be because we are honoring six of our own from Meadowbrooke Church who have graduated from High School.  It may also be because of multiple examples we are given in the Bible of individuals who started well, but whose lives ended poorly; people like Solomon, Uzziah, Judas, and the two men Paul lists in 1 Timothy (Hymenaeus and Alexander) who did not do the things Paul urged Timothy to do, which was to, “...fight the good fight, keep the faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith” (1 Tim. 1:18–19).

 

Then there are the repeated admonitions throughout the New Testament; permit me to share some of those with you this morning:

“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.” (Matt. 24:42)

“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (1 Cor. 16:13)

“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.” (Heb. 2:1)

“So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” (Eph. 5:15-16)

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 So resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brothers and sisters who are in the world.” (1 Pet. 5:8-9)

 

Aside from the multiple examples of the moral failure of key individuals in the Bible who started off strong spiritually and then ended badly, and the many appeals throughout the New Testament to “be careful,” to “pay attention,” to “be alert,” and to be “sober minded.” Over the past 18 years and nearly 180 hours I have spent in the book of Revelation, the thing I have seen and keep seeing is the repeated appeal throughout the book to persevere until the end:

“Be faithful until death...” (Rev. 2:10)

 

“The one who overcomes, and keeps My deeds until the end...” (2:26)

 

“Hold firmly to what you have...” (3:11)

 

“The one who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.” (Rev. 21:7)  

 

The question is how do you finish well, stay alert, and endure until the end?  I believe Ephesians 6:10-18 provides us with that answer. 

 

The Enemy is Demonic and Real (v. 12)

We are specifically told that the struggle we face is both demonic and real.  We are told in Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” The reason we are told to be strong in the Lord is because our struggle is with powerful forces that are demonic in nature: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).  

 

The rulers, powers, world forces of darkness, and spiritual forces of wickedness are those angels who sided with Satan in his war against God.  Although Satan is only one demon who cannot be in more than one place at a time, he has authority over millions of demons who obey his every command. The rulers, authorities, powers, and spiritual forces of wickedness are different demons with various ranks and responsibilities; some influence governments and kings, others have a more global influence, and many focus their attacks on individual Christians. 

 

Now to be clear, we are told that when Jesus saved you and redeemed you through the life He lived, the sin-atoning death He died, and His victory over the grave... that He, “disarmed the rulers, powers, world forces, and spiritual forces of wickedness” and, “made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him [Jesus]” (Col. 2:13-15).  In his [1]book, The Warrior Savior, Owen Strachan wrote, “The crucifixion represented a real death, but not a real defeat.” 

 

Listen, the demonic powers have no claim or authority over you Christian except what you give to them.  Paul does not mince words here and leaves no room for confusion: “For our struggle...” our fight is not just a fight, but it is a wrestling match in the way that it is not off in the distance but in your face, around you, on you, and is only interested in choking you out!  And “our struggle” is not only with our flesh, but also with, “...the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Our enemy’s attacks come from afar and they come to us up close! The enemy brings his fight against us in all different way and techniques!  It comes in the form of slander, false teaching, and the temptation to sin.  Our fight can come in the form of doubt, depression, and deception.  The battle can come in the form of persecution from friends, family, or state authorities. Believe me when I say this: the enemy knows you better than you know you, and he is strategic, deceptive, and is set on silencing or sidling you in any way possible.  It is possible that you have already given the enemy ground, and you are trapped and not sure out to break free. There is One who is mightily greater than they!  

 

The Strength of the Lord is Necessary (vv. 10, 13-17)

There is no persevering, no conquering, and no victory apart from Jesus!  There is only one remedy against Satan, against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places... and that remedy is the One who disarmed them, “...having triumphed over them” (Col. 2:15).  There was only One capable of doing such a thing: “And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Col. 2:13–14).

 

Listen, when it comes to the Christian life, when it comes to standing firm, when it comes to persevering, when it comes to being a Christian, you CANNOT do it apart from Jesus!  He alone is “the first and the last, and the living One; He was dead, and behold, He is alive forevermore, and it is He who holds the keys of death and Hades” (Rev. 1:17-18).  The One who died is the Lamb of God, and because He is the Lion of Judah, He conquered death when He got up on Sunday morning and because He is both the Lamb and the Lion, He alone is worthy, “to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing” (Rev. 5:1-14). 

 

When it comes to living the Christian life, you cannot do it with Jesus at a distance, you cannot do it with Him being second, and you cannot do it out of your own strength!  You can only do it if He is your strength.  The biblical definition for the word “salvation” is not confined to a date when you believed and said some prayer.  No! The biblical definition for salvation includes the day you were saved but is only complete when you receive a resurrection and all things in creation are made new.  It is of this salvation that the great multitude in heaven that includes every nation, all the tribes, peoples, and languages who cry out at the top of their lungs: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Rev. 7:10).  The completion of your salvation in the biblical sense, cannot be done on your own, but ONLY in the strength and might of King Jesus (Eph. 6:10)! 

 

Okay, so how can you be strong in the strength and might of Jesus?  We are told that we do that by putting on the full armor of God (v. 11). What is the armor of God?  Let me first tell you what it includes:

1. The belt of truth, which is God’s truth.
2. The breastplate of righteousness, which is Christ’s righteousness.
3. The shoes of the gospel of peace, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ that that we stand firmly in.
4. The shield of faith is our hope in God that is saturated by the truth of God’s word.
5. The helmet of salvation, which is the security that we have in the assurance of our salvation.
6. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God as our offensive weapon in all the armor we are to put on.

 

For those of you who were here for the armor of God part of the Ephesian series, what I am about to say probably will not surprise you.  Each piece of the armor of God belongs to Jesus. Jesus is our belt of truth, Jesus is our breastplate of righteousness, Jesus is our peace, Jesus is our shield of faith, Jesus is our helmet of salvation, and Jesus is the Word of God.  I am convinced that the way one puts on the armor of God is by abiding in Jesus.  This is why the phrase “in Christ” or “in Him” or any other phrase related to “in Christ” is repeated about 36 times in the short six chapters that make up Ephesians.  The only way to put on the armor is by abiding in Jesus. 

 

What does it mean to abide in Jesus?  There are scores of passages we can turn to answer that question, but I will show you two: The first is in 1 John 3:24, and this is what the apostle John wrote: “The one who keeps His commandments remains in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He remains in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us” (1 John 3:24).  Listen, the only way you can know how to keep His commandments is if you know what His word says; His commandments are His words.  The second passage that unpacks what we just read in 1 John is found in the Gospel of John through the words of Jesus:

“Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.... If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.... If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.” (John 15:4, 7, 10)

 

The word “remain” can also be translated “stand.” In John the Greek word that is used is abide, menō, which is a different word than the one used in Ephesians 6:10-11, (histēmi).  The point is the same though, there is no standing firmly against the devil’s schemes unless you are abiding in Jesus by keeping His Word and making it apart of you.  There is no taking up the armor of God if you are not remaining, abiding, or standing in fellowship with Jesus.  

 

The Power of Persistent Prayer is Needed (vv. 18ff.)

There are six pieces of the armor of God that are typically emphasized in sermons and in books, and I listed all six that are mentioned in the Bible, but there is one more that does not get the kind of attention that it deserves. 

In the Bible, certain numbers are important.  The number 3 signifies divine wholeness and perfection, the number 4 symbolizes completeness in relation to creation, the number 1,000 symbolizes an extended period of time or an indefinite but great amount of time, and the number 7 symbolizes completion, wholeness, and perfection.  The number 7 appears throughout the Bible over 700 times.  In six days, God created everything and on the seventh day, He rested, which marked the completion of creation. 

 

The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit are only six pieces and do not complete the set!  Yet we are specifically told in Ephesians 6:11, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” There is a seventh piece that completes the set and that seventh piece that belongs to the “whole armor of God” is how you know you have put on the armor of God and how you know that you are abiding in Jesus!  The seventh piece of the armor of God that completes the set is found in our dependance upon Jesus through prayer; look carefully at verse 18: “With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints...” 

   

How does one stay alert?  How can the Christian persevere?  By putting on the full armor of God?  How do I put on the full armor of God?  By standing in the One to whom six pieces of the armor belongs and by dependently going to Him, “With every prayer and request...”  How often ought we to pray?  We are to pray, “at all times in the Spirit...”

 

So important is prayer as a part of the full armor of God, that the apostle Paul asked that these Ephesian Christians also pray on his behalf that God would do the following four things in his life:

1. That God give Paul the words to say.
2. That God open Paul’s mouth.
3. That God embolden Paul in the opening of his mouth.
4. That God use Paul to clearly make known the mystery of the gospel.

 

What is the point?  The point is this: There is no persevering, no conquering, and no victory apart from Jesus! The only way to stay awake and watchful, the only way to keep yourself from falling into the foolishness of sin, the only way to be aware of the schemes of the devil is if you are, “strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (v. 10).  The only way you are going to do that is if you are abiding in the Lord by keeping His word, and the evidence you are abiding in Him is if you recognize that your only recourse against His schemes is to run to God in prayer.  

 

[1] Own Strachan, The Warrior Savior (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing; 2024), p. 21.

The year was 1933. The United States, indeed, the entire world, was in the throes of the Great Depression. Often, it is difficult to pinpoint a date when something like an economic recession begins, but this time it was not.    In October of 1929, Black Thursday witnessed one of the largest stock market declines at the opening bell ever seen, with an 11% drop. Everyone was hopeful the market might stabilize after stocks closed at a much more palatable 6% decline that day. The nightmare, however, was just beginning. The following Monday, Black Monday, the market fell another 12%. The next day, another 12% was lost. Now, my academic background is in economics and finance, and I’ve realized that economists are not the most creative bunch. So, naturally, that next day was called Black Tuesday. In the 1980s, there was another Monday when the market crashed. Want to guess what it was called? That’s right. Black Monday. The moral of the story is: don’t ask an economist to do your creative writing assignment.  By the time it was all said and done, the market had shed 85% of its value. Global GDP had fallen by 15%, but in the U.S., it fell by over 30%. At the peak of the Depression, unemployment soared to 25%. Recovery would not happen until 1939 - that’s 10 years later!    This was the state of the world when Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office in 1933. In the years to come, Hitler would begin his invasion of other European nations and start the systematic, and I would argue, demonic, murder of those he and his followers did not deem worthy of living. Further, Japan would begin its imperial expansion and, on December 7, 1941, attack Pearl Harbor. This event brought The U.S. into the largest conflict the world has ever seen.  FDR would become the only President to serve more than two terms. For over 12 years, he held the nation’s highest office through some of its most challenging yet formative events. However, this pales in comparison to the time that Moses led the Israelites.    For forty years, Moses led his people through the desert. If you were an Israelite child living in Egypt, you would have heard how Moses confronted Pharoah. You would have witnessed the plagues and known it was Moses who stood in front of this tyrannical king. You would have seen the Passover lamb slaughtered and blood painted on the doorposts of your house because Moses told your family they must do it to save the oldest son in your household. Maybe that firstborn son was you. You would have left quickly in the middle of the night after Pharoah finally relented. Moses was at the forefront. You would have seen Moses wade into the sea and split the waters. Moses was the man who talked with God in the tent and met Him on the mountain, coming back glowing with radiance. You would have gotten married and had children. Moses was leading the people. Your children would have grown up and gotten married themselves. Moses was still leading the people. In all likelihood, you had grandchildren, and Moses was still there, leading the people! As with all leaders, FDR had his supporters and his detractors. Yet, when he died, the nation and the world were shocked to their core. And that is the point to be made here; when a country loses an extremely influential leader, especially during a time of significant change and tribulation, the people are going to feel that loss. Winston Churchill later recalled hearing of the President’s death being like getting struck by a physical blow. His impact was so significant that even today, when asked to rank presidents' influence on the nation, FDR consistently ranks in the top three. The other two are Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. As much as this nation went through under FDR, the nation of Israel went through much more under Moses. He was the one who led them out of slavery. He was the one who gave them the commandments of God. The loss of this man would have rocked the Israelites’ world in a way that you and I likely cannot understand. We read in Deuteronomy:   10 And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.(Deut 34:10-12) To this day, Moses is preeminent among all the prophets for the people of Israel. He is considered greater than Elijah or Isaiah and more elevated than Jeremiah or Ezekiel.   And it is at this moment in history that we pick up the book of Joshua following the death of this great man. But notice how Moses is identified. He is not the leader of Israel. He is not the worker of miracles. He is not the prophet. He is simply called the servant of the LORD. In Hebrew, the term is עבד יהוה (ebed Yahweh). This is only the second time this phrase has been used in the Bible up to this point. The first is in the chapter preceding this one, the last chapter of Deuteronomy, when Moses dies. The Hebrew term rendered here as “servant” actually means something a bit more intense than this English word suggests. This word is often translated as slave. In fact, this is the exact same word used to refer to the Israelites in Egyptian captivity.    3 Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery (עבדים), for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. (Ex 13:3) But the interesting thing here is that while slavery or servitude to Pharoah is obviously seen as a negative situation, when Moses is called the servant, or the slave, of the LORD, it is a title of honor. Nobody wants to be the servant of a despotic tyrant. But to be the servant of the most High God is the utmost honor. We see this repeatedly throughout scripture. Let me list some for you.   ·       Paul called himself a slave (Rom 1:1. Gal 1:10, Phil 1:1, Tit 1:1) ·       James, the brother of Jesus, called himself a slave (Jas 1:1) ·       Peter identified as a slave (2 Pet 1:1) ·       Jude, another brother of Jesus, likewise called himself a slave (Jud 1:1) We see consistently through scripture that “servant of the LORD” is the most incredible thing that someone can be called. However, because of our nation’s history, the words servitude and slavery can have very loaded meanings. The idea of repression and oppressive suffering is not what the Bible has in mind when calling somebody God’s servant. Keith said something compelling last week that is directly applicable here. The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself. So, let’s put that into practice. Turn with me to Philippians 2:5-11  5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11) Here, we see who Jesus really is; he is, by his very nature, one with God. He is the glorious one, the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. At His name, every knee will bow. His name is above every other name. And one day, every tongue will confess that He is Lord! He is the uncreated and eternal one. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the Word made flesh. He is the first and the last. And yet, what did he become? He became a servant! And we’re called to be the same. Check this out. Turn to Matthew 20:25 with me.   25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)             Now, here’s the rub. Our culture rejects the idea that being a servant of any kind can be a good thing. It is a part of our cultural reality that we seek after possessions, experiences, and our own pleasure. Who is most important? I am. Our success is often measured in how big our house is, how many toys we have, the vacations we get to take, the schools our kids go to, or any number of things. The idea that the most fulfilling thing, the best thing, that we can possibly be is a servant is foreign to us. In fact, our culture is so much a part of who we are that we often don’t realize we actually have made ourselves slaves. Not to God, but to our own pleasures.             Remember our series in Ephesians? Many of you are thinking, “We spent almost 40 weeks in it, how could I possibly forget?!” But look back on what Paul says.   1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Eph 2:1-3)             Brothers and sisters, this is the language of slavery and servitude. And not the kind of servitude that Moses participated in. This is oppressive. This is the language of chains.  And it may be easy here to think, “But our culture isn’t really all that bad.” But look back at the passage again!  ·       We were following the course of this world. What is the course of this world? Is it not to buy as much stuff as you can? Get the newest car, engross ourselves in entertainment, and obtain the most pleasure we can? All of this to make ourselves feel like we are fulfilled. But, let’s be honest. Does it really? All the evidence says no.  ·       We were living in the passions of our flesh. Watch TV for an hour and tell me that seeking out the passions of the flesh is not the defining feature of our time. ·       We were carrying out the desires of our body. ·       We were carrying out the desires of our mind. Isn’t this what the world tells us to do? Be true to who? God? No, seek your own desires.  ·       What was our nature? Our nature was being a child of wrath.  And listen, I’m not casting stones here. This was my story. This is my story. I’m preaching to myself as well as to you. Do you remember what happened with the Israelites after they went through the sea? They wanted to go back to slavery! They wanted to run back into the arms of Pharoah! Their true King was going before them in a pillar of fire and cloud, and they wanted to run back to the tyrant!    2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3 and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” (Exodus 16:2-3) Brothers and sisters, we suffer from the same spiritual amnesia! Remember the fire we got to sit by? Remember how good the meat was? Oh, and that bread! Never mind that we were in slavery, that food was so pleasurable to eat. This sounds stupid until we take a moment to contemplate how this is like us. We feel the constant pull back to slavery. Why? Because of the instant gratification. It feels good. It may not be meat in a pot for us. It probably is something more like what we view on the internet, whittling away our time on YouTube, or trying to make our own name great through any means we can. And again, this was me. I still feel the pull to define myself by my accomplishments rather than the King I am supposed to serve. I still find myself thinking about how happy I would be if only I had that bigger house or that car that is more fun to drive. But none of these things mean anything; none of them can possibly bring true happiness.              Now, the Bible does not teach that money is inherently bad or that having affluence is bad. However, it clearly and consistently teaches that when we prioritize our stuff and our money over God, there is a big problem. When our bank account or our stuff becomes our god, we are at risk of becoming like slaves in Egypt again. Look at what Jesus says to us in Matthew 6.   19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21) And then he says.   24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matthew 6:24) There is that pesky term again: serve. Here is the core of this. We need to, I need to, you need to stop and analyze our own lives. What are we serving? What do we put as primary in our lives? Are we laying up treasures that won’t follow us into eternity and will rot away? If someone you didn’t know looked at your bank account and where your money goes, would they know you are a Christ follower? If your conversations were transcribed, would a reader know you serve God Most High? If your activities were put on a calendar, would someone be able to tell that you are a servant of the LORD? Or would we rather be found to be a servant of something or someone else?  And this is why it is so important to read the Bible for what it is. It is not a collection of stories that have been cobbled together. It is a book that contains the entire narrative arc of salvation. This story is my story. And it is yours too. I recently came across this quote in a book called The Epic of Eden and it speaks right to the heart of this truth.   We forget that this book [the Bible] was cast upon the waters of history with one very specific, completely essential and desperately necessary objective – to tell the epic tale of God’s ongoing quest to ransom his creation. And to, thereby, give each generation the opportunity to know his amazing grace. The Bible is the saga of Yahweh and Adam, the prodigal son and his ever gracious heavenly father; humanity in their rebellion and God in his grace. This narrative begins with Eden and does not conclude until the New Jerusalem is firmly in place. It is all one story. And if you are a believer, it is your story. (Epic of Eden, 15) In this part of the story, we find Moses, the servant of the LORD, has died. Joshua, his assistant, is now being addressed by God.    1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. (Jos 1:1-2) Despite all he had done and how fervently he followed God, Moses was not without fault. He disobeyed a direct order from God and was, therefore, not allowed to enter the land of promise. Being a servant of God does not mean that we will not stumble sometimes. When we do, we run to God and ask for forgiveness. He is faithful to forgive; there may still be consequences to our actions as there were for Moses, but He is faithful to forgive. But we don’t stop there; we pray that His grace would strengthen us. We seek the help of others. We meditate on God’s word; more on that in a moment. However, we do not boast or exaggerate ourselves; this was the sin of the Pharisees. If you come across somebody teaching that they do not sin, that they never have an occasional lustful thought, that they are perfect… run. That is nowhere to be found in the Bible. We pursue holiness and sanctification, but it is a process. We should not be afraid to confess sin and continue, as the people of God, to pursue holiness. But we cannot do that if we deceive ourselves. Look at what the apostle John wrote in 1 John.  8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10) Moses was not perfect, Joshua was not perfect, David was not perfect, and Paul and John were not perfect. But praise be to God, Jesus is. He was enough for our forefathers, and He is enough for me. I am not sufficient, but His grace is more than sufficient. This is the reality of the leadership position that Joshua was stepping into. He was to fill the shoes of the greatest prophet Israel would ever know. He was not a perfect man, but he was a man who would, for all of history following, be known as the first to be called the servant of the LORD. He led his people faithfully for 40 years. Since their rescue from Egypt, Moses was all they ever knew. But the work of God was not done. It was time for the next generation to take their place. And we see this throughout the history of the Church. Paul, John, and the other apostles died, but the work of God goes on. Aquilla and his wife Priscilla were faithful servants, leading people to Jesus in the early church. Church fathers like Justin Martyr and Augustine have been buried, but still, the work continues. John Calvin and Martin Luther have passed, yet the Church works on. Men like Tim Keller and Billy Graham finally met their Savior face to face, yet we toil on.  The people of Israel mourned for 30 days after Moses died. But after that time of mourning, there was work to be done. Fortunately, God had been preparing Joshua, and Joshua had been preparing himself for this moment.    Joshua was the military commander who led the Israelites into their first battle. While others would have seen this as a position of authority, Joshua would have learned from that experience to trust in the might of God. You see, while Joshua was leading the army, Moses went up on a hill. While Moses’ hands were raised, Israel would do well in the battle, but when his arms were down, Israel would start losing the ground they gained. So, Aaron and Hur actually had to sit Moses down and hold up his arms. The lesson? It was not Joshua’s military prowess that made him successful; it was the God who went before him.   It was Joshua who would follow Moses up the mountain when he met with God and received the commandments. On their way back down, when Israel was worshiping the golden calf they made, Joshua heard the commotion and thought a battle was raging. Moses gently corrected his young assistant and said it was rather singing as the people had turned from God to worship something they had created. Joshua learned how easy it is to turn away from God. Another time, Moses corrected Joshua more harshly when Joshua heard two other people who were not Moses prophesying. Joshua wanted them to stop, but Moses said he wished all the people would have the Spirit of God rest on them. Joshua learned that God’s promises and His Spirit are for everyone, not just the elite few.  But it wasn’t just mentorship and taking on new responsibilities that shaped Joshua. Spending time with God had the most impact on him. Turn with me to Exodus 33. 7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. 10And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. 11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.(Ex 33:7-11) Joshua went with Moses to the tent, where he met with God. He would have seen the pillar of cloud come down after Moses entered the tent. He would have heard God speak to Moses, his servant, as a friend. But after Moses departed, Joshua would remain. Notice how the people would stand at the doors of their tents, but Joshua would be at the tent? It must have been a fearful thing to see, a pillar of cloud descending and knowing it was the presence of God. Yet, Joshua seemed drawn to the tent when all the others stood back.  It is worth pointing out that Joshua’s name is significant to this story. His name, in Hebrew, is pronounced Yeh-ho-shu-ah. And if you’re thinking, “That name sounds familiar.” It’s because Joshua and Jesus shared a name. Jesus, Yeh-shu-ah, is a shortened form of Yeh-ho-shu-ah. But this wasn’t always Joshua’s name. Moses gave him this name before he was sent with the other 11 spies to explore the Promised Land and give a report on it. Before this, Joshua’s name was Hoshea.    This name, Hoshea, means “salvation.” The name Yeh-ho-shu-ah adds just one syllable to that name. But oh, what a syllable it is. This new name means “God is salvation.” Yah is a shortened form of Yahweh, the covenantal name of God. As another example, the word hallelujah is actually two words, hallelu, which is a command that means “you all praise.” But who are we praising? We are praising Yah, Yahweh, our LORD.  I think Moses gave Hoshea a new name that day before he left to spy out the land because he wanted his assistant to remember that it wasn’t by his own power and might that he would gain the salvation he was looking for. Salvation belongs to God. And Joshua seems to have taken this new name to heart. He and Caleb were the only two spies who said, “Yes! Let’s go! God has given this land over to us.” The other spies, of course, said that the people were too mighty, the walls were too high, and the cities were too large. They weren’t looking to God for their salvation but were viewing things in human terms.  The people believed and followed the ten instead of the two, which led Israel to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Two years after departing from Egypt, the spies went into Canaan. That should have been the end of it. But that generation's disobedience meant they would not be allowed to enter the land; only Joshua and Caleb would, for their faith and trust in God. That is why it says “now, therefore.” That entire generation had passed away without entering the land, and Moses had also because of his disobedience.    2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. (Joshua 1:2-3) As Joshua and the people are about to embark, God reminds Joshua that He is the one giving them the land. They did not earn it; it is a gift. But to get that gift, they have to take possession of it. Joshua and the people must get up and cross the river. But, notice how it says “this Jordan.” Why not just “the Jordan?” Jump with me really quickly to Joshua 3:15: 3:15b Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest.   This wasn’t just the Jordan. This was the Jordan during the spring harvest; we know this also because the Israelites celebrated Passover right after crossing. This was the time of the spring runoff. The river was high and dangerous. This was the Jordan they were crossing. The one filled with danger.    Does anybody here remember playing the game Oregon Trail? What was the most likely way you met your demise in that game besides randomly dying of dysentery? Exactly! The most dangerous part was crossing a river.  And remember, this is the river that runs through the lowest valley in the world. The Dead Sea is the lowest place on Earth and the Jordan is the river that feeds it. Remember our series we just heard on Psalm 23? Well, Joshua and the people are just about to enter into a deep and dark valley. This was not an easy task. A steep valley that descends lower than any other was before Israel. A raging river that is ready to swallow a person followed after that. And, on the opposite side of the river were walled cities with trained warriors waiting for you. These are not what one would call small obstacles. But it is God who goes before them, and Joshua and the people have seen God working miracles for 40 years. And God promises that He will be with Joshua, just as He was with Moses.   5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. (Joshua 1:5-6) Now, this is interesting, isn’t it? God just told Joshua that He was giving the land to the Israelites, yet here, it clearly says that Joshua will cause the people to inherit the land. This is not a mistranslation. This is a very specific type of Hebrew verb. We see it as two verbs in English. Joshua “will cause” is the first verb, and the people “will inherit” is the second verb we see in our language. However, in Hebrew, it is all one verb, and it is unmistakable. And this is where it is important to not oversimplify the Bible. Remember when I said that the people must take possession of their gift? They had to rise up and cross the Jordan. There is work to be done. The story of the Bible is God operating and His people cooperating with Him under His leadership and His divine guidance.  Now, this is where this all gets extremely interesting and very, very deep. When I was first introduced to it, it blew my mind. Remember when I said that the Bible's story is our story? That is because the Bible uses what are called types to point to significant theological concepts. These types can be people, groups of people, nations, places, or even entire stories to point to a much bigger part of the story of salvation that the Bible is about.    ·       Moses is a type of Messiah – He delivers God’s people out of slavery ·       Pharoah is a type of oppressor – He is a human who is like the prince of the power of the air, that’s Satan, that we see in Ephesians ·       Egypt is a type representing a spiritual state – When we were in bondage and held captive by sin. Remember, the Bible clearly says that we were slaves of sin before we were saved through the atonement of Jesus. ·       The promised land is also a spiritual state – It is a representation of God's rest To see how this idea of types can play out in the biblical narrative, turn with me to Hebrews 3:16.    3:16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. 4:1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. (Hebrews 3:16-4:2) Do you see how the writer of Hebrews in the New Testament uses the historical story of Joshua to show a much higher spiritual reality? If you want better proof of God’s sovereignty and evidence of His eternal plan than this, I am at a bit of a loss. God orchestrated the history of Israel to point directly to our desperate need for Jesus.  What, then, does Joshua represent? You’ve probably already guessed it. Joshua is another type pointing to the promised Messiah. How was Israel going to enter the promised land? Joshua was going to lead them over; he was going to cause them to inherit the land. This land had been promised to their ancestors since Abraham. How are we to enter into the eternal rest we so desperately seek? We enter through Jesus. Let’s jump a bit in that Hebrews passage to see this play out until its end.   8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For 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. (Hebrews 4:8-12) Just as Joshua caused the people to obtain their inheritance, Jesus has created a way that we could be saved. Yeh-ho-shu-ah points us directly to Yeh-shu-ah, Jesus, the only way, the only truth, the only life. Just as God foretold that He would bring Abraham’s family into the promised land, He also foretold of a Savior through whom God’s people would be brought back to Him. Jesus is the suffering servant. Moses was a servant of the Lord but Jesus is the servant of the LORD.  This passage in Hebrews and the passage in Joshua share one other common trait. They both point to God’s word as central. In Hebrews the word of God is said to be 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. In Joshua, we read.  7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Joshua and the people are about to enter into battle. Does God command them to go and practice their military formations or train with their swords? No. He commands Joshua not to take up a sword and practice but to take up the sword, the word of God, and meditate on it. Military training will not lead to success in this war. Spending time in God’s word will. To meditate in Hebrew literally means to mutter something. The words of God should be on our lips. And how often does the text say we should do this? That’s right, day and night. What in the word of God should we be careful to do? Exactly. All of it.  It is not in Joshua’s own might that he derives strength and courage. It is through God’s promises, God’s word, and God’s strength.  God’s final words to Joshua in this passage are: 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9) If God is with you, who can be against you? Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed. Be strong and courageous. Abraham was a nomad, wandering far from home and serving a God his ancestors did not worship. Yet God promised that his ancestors would inherit the land he walked. Be strong and do not be frightened.  Joseph was sold into slavery, forcefully taken to Egypt, and then wrongly imprisoned. Yet he became second only to Pharoah and saved that nation, the surrounding area, and his own family from starvation. Brothers and sisters, be strong and very courageous.  Moses was placed in a basket in the Nile. He should have died. Yet he grew into the man who would bring his people, who were in Egypt for over 400 years and had been forced into slavery, out into freedom. Men and women of God, do not be dismayed and do not be frightened.  Joshua, though he was born a slave in Egypt, ultimately led God’s people into the land of promise. Only be strong and very courageous.  This is the story of the Bible. This is the story of God’s salvation. At the beginning of this book, Joshua is known as the assistant of Moses. However, by the end of his life, he, like his mentor, was called עבד יהוה, the servant of the Lord. We see it in the last chapter in Joshua.  29 After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being 110 years old. I don’t know where you are in your walk with the LORD. Maybe you are stuck in Egypt, awaiting your release from captivity. All I can say to you is call on Jesus, He will answer. If you have questions, we have a room full of disciples who want to help you. You are not alone. Maybe you are wandering through the desert, God is with you but you haven’t entered His rest. You’re still trying to earn your own salvation and prove your worth. You can’t. The grace of Jesus is enough. He has already accomplished everything. Follow Him down the dark valley and across the raging river that has been stopped. He is enough for you.  Maybe you are Joshua under the mentorship of Moses. Spend your time wisely and learn well, the time for you to lead will come and you should be prepared. Too often in our world people want to become influencers before they have anything to teach. Learn from those who have gone before and hang back, like Joshua did, and bask in the radiance of God. Maybe you are the Joshua at the beginning of this passage we studied, taking over the reigns of leadership. Your work is not done. Strive on until you go home or Jesus returns. The highest calling we have is to be known as God’s servant and what we learn from Moses and Joshua is that title isn’t bestowed on a saint until they go home. Maybe you are Moses, the mentor of the next generation. Don’t just finish your race. Help others walk the path you have. Others look up to you and will follow. Paul once told others to follow him as he followed Jesus. Help guide us along the path. And no matter where you are in this journey. Dive into the word of God. Meditate on it. Don’t turn either to the right or to the left. Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed. If you belong to the LORD, He is with you wherever you go.

The Bible begins with a garden, and it ends with a garden.  In the first garden, Adam and Eve sinned and what they received and what we inherited was a curse. To Eve and all her daughters, God said: “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you shall deliver children; yet your desire will be for your husband, and he shall rule over you” (Gen. 3:16).  To Adam and all his sons, God said: “Cursed is the ground because of you; with hard labor you shall eat from it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; yet you shall eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:17–19).  Essentially, what the curse would produce for them was the kind of suffering that sticks.

 

What do I mean by characterizing the curse with the kind of pain that sticks with you?  If you have ever suffered from nerve pain, you know from experience the kind of pain I am talking about.  There are some prescription medications that can help numb you to the pain, but nerve pain is very difficult to treat.  If you have had sciatica, any form of back pain, a pinched nerve, or anything of that nature, you have experienced the kind of pain that sticks. 

 

Sometime ago I read a quote from someone who said, “Our first parents’ bit into the forbidden fruit and our teeth have ached ever since.”  That person was not referring to the kind of ache you might experience when you bit into something cold or hard, no... the kind of ache is the one I experienced after having all four impacted wisdom teeth taken out of my jaw in my late 20’s.  The curse has left us with a kind of aching that sticks and is with us until our final breath, and it is this ache that leaves us with tears.  Tears over our broken world, tears over a relationship, tears over wayward children, tears over the hurt and damage caused by parents, tears over the problems sin causes in our world and to our own selves. 

 

The House that Adam and Eve Had

Adam and Eve enjoyed the presence of God in a Garden that was not at all dissimilar to the tabernacle the Israelites set up and tore down as they journeyed in the wilderness, nor was it unlike the temple Solomon built after David’s death.  The tabernacle and temple were designed as a model to reflect Eden as the “house of the Lord.” 

 

What Adam and Eve had in the garden was a gift from God that included the presence of God; In his excellent book, The Warrior Savior, Owen Strachan wrote of Eden, “From the start, God sought faithfulness on the part of his people through testing.  He gave them a forest-garden overflowing with beauty and gladness, trees spilling unblemished fruit, but he also gave them a prohibition—one delivered under the starkest terms: death from disobedience.”[1]

 

The tabernacle and the temple served to remind God’s people not only of the beauty of Eden but the promise that His people would one day be where He is... in His presence.  So, when David wrote the last line in Psalm 23, it was the promise of God to restore what was lost in Eden that he had his heart and eyes set upon.  To be in the house of the Lord is to be with the Lord.  David does not have a building in mind here, but to be in the presence of God.  The house of the Lord is not a structure but wherever it is that He dwells.  What made the loss of Eden so devastating and catastrophic was not Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the garden, but that they were driven away from the presence of God.  In other words, what made Eden home was the presence of God not the other things that were a part of Eden’s beauty. 

 

Before Adam and Eve were driven outside of the garden, God cursed the snake and promised the first couple that things would not stay cursed because He would send a Deliverer to reverse the curse of sin.  The serpent entered God’s house (the Garden) and enticed Eve and her husband to doubt God and question both His goodness and faithfulness! In the garden the crafty and cunning snake spoke: “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?” Eve replied: “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die’” (Gen. 3:2–3).  The serpent then went in for the strike: “You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:4–5).  Adam and Eve succumbed to Satan’s temptation and bit into the forbidden fruit, but that is not how the story ends!

 

God found the couple and He spoke to the great serpent what is a promise to all mankind: “And I will make enemies of you and the woman, and of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel” (Gen. 3:15). Strachan observes: “In Genesis 3, the snake spoke first. But the snake did not have the last word in Eden, just as the devil will not have the last word in history.” Strachan continues: “When God shows up, the hiding stops, and justice rolls down.... the God who comes to earth is not only pursuing a mission of justice.  This God is, even more, about to unleash a great rolling flood of mercy.”[2] 

 

It is the promise of a better Eden through the promise of a snake-stomping redeemer that David had in mind when he wrote: “Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life, and my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever” (v. 6).  Who can guide me, who can restore me, who will keep me, who will bless me, and who is it that loves me?  It is the Lord of the 23rd Psalm and He will lead me to the place where I will be able to see Him face-to-face in His house forever. 

 

The House that We are Promised

We have seen over and over again throughout this series that the Lord of the 23rd Psalm is Jesus the Good Shepherd, for He said of Himself: “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15).  The serpent is a thief, and Jesus said of him: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).  The 23rd Psalm is the promise of the abundant life that can only be experienced through the good shepherd.  The abundant life includes the table He has prepared before me in the presence of my enemies (v. 5a).  The abundant life is to have His favor in the form of the oil He has anointed my head with and the cup he has placed in my hand that is overflowing with His blessing!  This is what Paul meant when he wrote Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ...” The cup of God’s favor is Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace.” 

 

Now, think again what it is that the 23rd Psalm is saying to those of us who have been found by the good shepherd. 

The good shepherd leads me: “The Lord is my shepherd, I will not be in need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.”

 

The good shepherd restores me: “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.”

 

The good shepherd keeps me: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

 

The good shepherd blesses me: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.

 

The good shepherd loves me: Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life, and my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.

 

What does this all mean?  There are no green pastures or quiet waters without Jesus leading you.  There is no restoration for your soul or the righteousness you need apart from Jesus as your guide.  There is no walking THROUGH the valley of deep darkness apart from Jesus keeping and guarding you.  There is no blessing and treasuring of God upon you without Jesus. Finally, there is no goodness, faithfulness, and a better Eden apart from the God who loved you so much that He sent His one and only Son! 

 

Why did David long to dwell in the house of the Lord? What is it that makes heaven great? For what reasons does the promise of a better Eden outweigh all the sorrows of this world?  These questions have nothing to do with the place and location of the house of the Lord, heaven, a new and better Eden, but everything to do with the One who is in the House David longed to dwell, heaven, and the new and better Eden.

 

When Jesus prayed hours before His crucifixion, He prayed this: “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).  This is one of the reasons Jesus assured His disciples: “In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be” (John 14:2–3).  For David, the blessing of being in the house of the Lord forever was that he would be with the Good Shepherd forever. In his commentary on Psalm 23, James Johnston commented on this very point: “Take away the people and a house becomes a sad and empty place. The joy of Heaven is not mansions or streets of gold. Jesus is the joy of Heaven. It will be home because he is there.”[3]

 

The Better House that David Longed For

For starters, what we know from verse six is that it is “certainly” ours, which means that without any doubt, for those of us whose shepherd is Jesus, our dwelling will be with him.  How long will our dwelling be with Him?  The answer is simple: Forever. 

 

What is the House that we will dwell in forever, besides the fact that it is the Lord’s house?  It is the restoration of what was lost in the first Eden, but better!  It is the city that David’s great, great, great grandfather longed to receive, for we are told from the book of Hebrews: “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as a stranger in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Heb. 11:8–10). 

 

Abraham was looking for a city not made with human hands because he longed for the same thing David longed for in Psalm 23:6.  The house of the Lord is the city that belongs to the Christian: “For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come” (Heb. 13:14).  We will receive the city we are looking and longing for when God makes all things new once and for all.  It is the thing that Paul wrote about in Romans eight,

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” (Rom. 8:18–21)

 

The “house of the Lord” that David was looking forward to spending forever in is a resurrected and redeemed earth free from the curse of sin.  The Bible is full of images describing what it will be like to live in a resurrected earth free of the curse of sin.  In Revelation 21, we are told that when God does make all things new and we inherit the city He has promised us, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4). On that day, we will see God face to face in the same way that Adam and Eve did; here is what we are told in Revelation 21:3, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them...”

God will wipe away our tears because there will be no curse to cause them ever again.  The new earth will be like the Garden of Eden but better; it will also be like heaven today, but better.  We will enjoy physical bodies and a physical planet where the veil that shields our complete interaction of all that is spiritual will be pulled back.  We will walk with angels; enjoy a full and perfect creation that will include trees, mountains, and rivers.  There will be one City… the City of God where we will be able to go in and out.  We will run through the forests, climb mountains, eat amazing food, run barefoot through the prairies, enjoy the light of something more powerful and radiant than the sun.  We will dwell on a new earth that will never again know the cold of night, but the light of a day illuminated by the Glory of God.  But understand this: none of it will be worth it if our Triune God is not there!   

 

Listen, we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever because of the certainty of His goodness and faithfulness that pursues His sheep.

 

[1] Owen Strachan, The Warrior Savior (Phillipsburg, NY: P&R Publishing; 2024), 3.

[2] Ibid., 6-7.

[3] James A. Johnston, Preaching the Word: The Psalms: Rejoice, the Lord Is King—Psalms 1 to 41, ed. R. Kent Hughes, vol. 1, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015), 251.

Have you ever been chased by a dog?  I have been chased numerous times, and not once did I ever feel wanted, special, or loved by any of the dogs that pursued me. Of all the times I have been chased by dogs while on a bike, my experiences have mostly been in Cheyenne.  I now arm myself with canine safe spray that will not harm any dog that decides to pursue me but will most definitely stop them from continuing!  So, what does any of this have to do with the 23rd Psalm? 

 

In the 23rd Psalm, we have discovered that in pursuing the Lord as our shepherd, we find in Him all that we need.  In following Him, He causes me to lie down in green pastures.  When I pursue Him, He leads me to refreshing and lifegiving waters.  He is the one who restores my soul when I look to Him to satisfy my hunger and thirst for righteousness. Because the Good shepherd atoned for my sins on a cross I deserved, and then defeated death by rising from it, I fear no evil as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.  Why do I fear NO evil?  As He leads Me, He is the one who carries a rod to protect me from my enemies and a staff to protect me from myself.  He is the one who sets a feast before me in the presence of my enemies, He is the one who anoints my head with oil, and He is the one who gives me the cup of His favor that is overflowing! 

 

From the first verse to the fifth, the 23rd Psalm compels me to follow the Good Shepherd for my good and the sake of His name until we come to verse six: “Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life...”  I hope to show you why David shifts from our need to follow the shepherd to the degree, nature, and length “goodness” and “faithfulness” follows His sheep.  I hope to do this by answering the following three questions:

 

1. What is the nature of the “goodness” and “faithfulness” that is following the Jesus’ sheep?
2. To what degree is “goodness” and “faithfulness” following me?
3. For how long can I expect “goodness” and “faithfulness” to follow me?

 

What is the Nature of the “Goodness” and “Faithfulness” that is Following Me?

So, where is the “goodness” and “faithfulness” coming from and to what degree is it “following” the Lord’s sheep... and what if anything does this have to do with dogs?  To answer that question, we need figure out how in the world “goodness” and “faithfulness” follows anyone or anything? 

 

To answer this question, you need to see the verse that precedes it; look at verse 5, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...”  The “You” in verse 5 is Jesus, and it is He who prepares a table in the presence of my enemies.  Now, if He prepares a feast on a table before those who belong to Him in the presence of their enemies, what was it that the enemies were doing before the table was prepared?  Well... to answer that question, you need to consider verse 4, which states: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  Now, follow the logic and flow of these verses.  If all that the enemies of those who sit at Jesus’ table can do is to angrily watch you feast on the banquet He has prepared for you with the oil of His favor upon your head and the overflowing cup of His blessing in your hand, then what do you think the nature of the “goodness” and “faithfulness” is that is following you? 

 

To get a clearer understanding of the nature of what it is that is “following” Jesus’ sheep, you should understand the manner in which goodness and faithfulness is following them.  The Hebrew word for “follow” can be translated “follow after” but it is most commonly translated “chase” or “pursue.”  The NASB, the NJKV, and the NIV all chose to use the English word “follow” while the CSB and the NLT have chosen to use the word “pursue.”  Listen to how the NLT translates this verse: “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever” (Ps. 23:6, NLT).  The image that should come to mind from Psalm 23:6 is not that of a shepherd who passively follows His sheep with the hope to bless them, but a shepherd who pursues His sheep to lavish goodness and faithfulness upon them! 

 

Okay, but what of the goodness and faithfulness that is pursuing Jesus’ sheep?  What does that mean for you Christian?  The Hebrew word for good that is used here is used in Nahum 1:7, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.” It is the same Hebrew word used for “good” in Psalm 196:1, “Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His mercy is everlasting.”  Do you know why it is that “goodness” follows God’s people?  It is because He is good! 

 

There is another word we need to consider together to understand why Psalm 23:6 is good news, and that word is “faithfulness” and it comes from the Hebrew word, khesed, and it literally means, “mercy,” “loving-kindness,” God’s “steadfast love,” and His “enduring faithfulness.”  It is a word that describes God’s covenantal faithfulness towards His people, and it is a word God used to encourage and embolden Moses after he asked if He could see God’s glory; this is how God answered Moses: “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion to whom I will show compassion” (Exod. 33:19).  So God hid Moses in the cleft of a rock and passed by Moses, and as God passed by Moses, this is what the Lord declared:

“The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness [chesed] and truth; who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” (Exod. 34:6–7)

 

So, for God to make all His goodness to pass before Moses, He declared His covenantal love and faithfulness.  These are the two Hebrew words David uses to describe what it is that pursues and chases after those who belong to the Good Shepherd!  The oil on your head and the overflowing cup in your hand is because of the “goodness” and “faithfulness” that chases after you.  And oh, dear Christian, there is more to consider, and we will do it by answering the second question.

 

To What Degree is “Goodness” and “Faithfulness” Following Me?

The goodness of God and the covenantal faithfulness of God is who He is!  He is infinitely good, and He is infinitely faithful!  Do not misunderstand what it means to have the “goodness” and the “faithfulness” of verse 6 pursue you!  The “goodness” is God’s goodness, and the “faithfulness” is God’s faithfulness, and both chase after you because He chases after you!  He found you dear Christian!  He pursued you when and while you were still in your sins!  What does it look like to have “goodness” and “faithfulness” pursue you?  It looks like Ephesians 2:1-5,

“And you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ...” (Eph. 2:1–5)

 

What does the “goodness” and “faithfulness” of God look like?  It looks like Romans 8:28-30,

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” (Rom. 8:28–30)

 

What does it look like to have the “goodness” and “faithfulness” of God chase after you? It looks like Jesus and His promise to His sheep:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.... My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (John 10:10-11, 27–29)

 

The “goodness” of God and His covenantal “loving-kindness/faithfulness” is pursuing me because Jesus is not interested in tagging along, hanging back, and no... Jesus is not waiting to see what I will do!  Jesus is the good shepherd who pursues His sheep!  Listen, it is because of the goodness of God and His khesed (mercy, loving-kindness, steadfast love, and faithfulness):

1. That while you were dead in your sins, He made you alive together with Christ. It had nothing to do with your performance and what you could offer God and everything to do with His rich mercy, great love, and all-sufficient grace.

 

1. He pursued you not because He had to, but because He wanted to cause all things to work together for your good and His glory for His glorious purposes. He called you Christian to, “become conformed to the image of His Son” and that is why He predestined, called, justified, and one day will glorify you.

 

1. It is not because God needed you that His goodness and faithfulness pursued you; no, it is because the infinitely good and faithful shepherd laid down His life for you so that you would have life and have it abundantly in Him.

 

To what degree is “goodness” and “faithfulness” following you?  Oh dear Christian, the “goodness” and “faithfulness” of verse 6 are not two sheepdogs that the Lord sends from the rear to keep you close to the Good Shepherd. NO! The “goodness” and “faithfulness” that pursues you is the Good Shepherd Himself!

 

For How Long Will His “Goodness” and “Faithfulness” Pursue Me?

So, how long should I expect the goodness and faithfulness of God to pursue me in and through the person of the Good Shepherd?  All the days of my life!  “All” means while I am sleeping and while I am awake... God’s goodness and His faithfulness pursues me!  “All” means that in my failures and my successes... God’s goodness and His faithfulness pursues me!  “All” means, in the words of Abraham Kuper: “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”

 

So we know what “All” means, but for how long will the “goodness” and “faithfulness” of God pursue me? Here is the answer we are given: “All the days of my life.” What does this mean?  I will tell you what it does not mean.  It does not mean some days His “goodness” and “faithfulness” will pursue me. It does not mean that only when I am faithful that His “goodness” and “faithfulness” will pursue me.  It does not mean that only on my best days that His “goodness” and “faithfulness” will pursue me.  It means that in my waking and in my sleeping, in my living and even in my dying, on my good days and throughout my bad days, God’s “goodness” and “faithfulness” is pursuing me because I am held, secured, and loved by the Good Shepherd who has promised His sheep: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28). 

 

What this means is that every person whose Shepherd is the Lord of the 23rd Psalm is that He is the One who pursues us and keeps us, which is also the kind of reality we sing about:

From life's first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell, no scheme of man Can ever pluck me from His hand  

 

God’s goodness and faithfulness pursues His sheep, so instead of running from the pursuing Shepherd, the safest place is to run into His goodness and faithfulness.  Don’t run away in shame because of your sin(s) but run to the One who is faithful even when we are faithless (2 Tim. 2:13).  Run to the One who promises to satisfy what you really need.  Run to Him who will fill your hungry and thirsty soul.  Run to Him who promises to restore your soul. Run to Him who carries a rod to drive away your enemies and a staff to protect you from yourself. Run to Him who prepares a table for you in the presence of your enemies who have no claim over you. Run to Him who has already blessed you with everything you need in Him.  Run to Him whose goodness and faithfulness is more than you will ever need.  Run to Him who promises to never leave you nor forsake you (Deut. 31:6-8; Heb. 13:5).  Run to Jesus who is infinitely good and faithful; run to the One whose goodness and faithfulness is running after you.  Amen.

In 1939, J.R. Tolkin took Robert Dickman’s hypothesis one step further in a lecture he delivered titled, “On Fairy Stories.”  In his lecture, Tolkin said the following about fairytales and those who create them:

Probably every writer making a secondary world, a fantasy, every sub-creator, wishes in some measure to be a real maker, or hopes that he is drawing on reality: hopes that the peculiar quality of this secondary world (if not all the details) are derived from reality, or are flowing into it…. The peculiar quality of the “joy” in successful Fantasy can thus be explained as a sudden glimpse of the underlying reality or truth.

 

The Gospels contain a fairy-story, or a story of a larger kind, which embraces all the essence of fairy-stories….  But this story is supreme, and it is true.  Art has been verified.  God is the Lord, of angels, and of men—and of elves.  Legend and History have met and fused.[1]

 

In the Bible, the three great antagonists that we face in our story include the great serpent, the problem of sin, and death (in that order).  Satan entered into the Garden as a serpent where the first man and woman enjoyed true love with both God and each other, they were tempted to sin against God by the Serpent.  Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit that God commanded them not to eat and a curse was pronounced upon all of creation, and ever since that fateful day, sin and death have vandalized the peace we were created to enjoy with God.  In the wake of Adam and Eve’s rebellion and under the shadow of evil and death, God gifted Adam and Eve a promise: The great serpent would one day be destroyed: “And I will make enemies Of you and the woman, And of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise Him on the heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

 

So who or what is the serpent? In The Lord of the Rings, he is the Dark Lord Sauron.  In The Wizard of Oz, he is the Wicked Witch of the West.  In The Matrix, he is Agent Smith.  In The Chronicles of Narnia, he is the White Witch. In Superman, He is Lex Luther.  In Star Wars, he is Darth Vader and every evil Sith Lord before and after him.  The serpent is Lucifer, the devil, the father of lies, the accuser, and the great dragon.  There is another antagonist that is the consequence of our sin and rebellion, and that is “death.” 

The word “gospel” simply means good news, and oh is there good news my dear brothers and sisters!  The apostle Paul spoke of it in his epistle to the Romans: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). The gospel of Jesus Christ from Genesis through the last chapter of Revelation has everything that every great story requires, and it is a story that has the power to not only transform, but to save! The gospel of Jesus Christ is supreme because it is indeed true, and it is seen and heard throughout the 23rd Psalm!  

 

The Good Shepherd Guides His Sheep through the Valley of Deep Darkness

On resurrection Sunday, we looked at the first part of verse 4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me...”  Even if your first Sunday at Meadowbrooke was on that day, you should know by now that the Lord of the 23rd Psalm is the Good Shepherd, and His name is Jesus! He is my shepherd; therefore I will not be in need.  Why will I not be in need?  Well... because He is my bread of life who satisfies my hunger and quenches my thirst (John 6:35)!  Why will I not be in need?  Well... because He is the Light of the world who lights up the darkness that surrounds me (John 8:12)!  Why again will I never ever be in need so long as Jesus is my shepherd?  Well... let me tell you: He for me is the resurrection and the life who has promised that not even death can take from me what I already have in Him (John 11:25-26)!

 

Now, just because Jesus is my Shepherd, that does not mean that I am exempt from walking through the valley of the shadow of death.  As I said on Easter Sunday, we all must experience the valley of utter darkness that includes suffering, sickness, a broken world, and even death; however, those whose shepherd is Jesus only must walk through it while everyone else must walk in it.  For the one who does not know Jesus as the bread of life, the light of the world, and the resurrection of life will never know the kind of hope that transcends the grave.  For the one whose shepherd is not Jesus, the grave is death’s victory dance over you, and the news only gets worse beyond the grave.  Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28).  Again, to all who would refuse Jesus as the good shepherd, He warned: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13–14). Jesus is the narrow gate!

 

For those whose shepherd is Jesus, then the valley of the shadow of death is a temporary experience that you are only passing through.  Do you know what that means?  It means that there is life at the end of the valley!  There is a table, and there is oil, and there is a cup placed into your hand dear Christian that is overflowing with His goodness and faithfulness all the days of your life!  At that table, we will hold high that cup and toast: “Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:55-57). 

 

The Good Shepherd Comforts His Sheep with His Rod and Staff

What is the significance of Jesus’ rod and staff?  For starters, He is the one leading us through the deep dark valleys on this side of eternity; while in the valley, we have no reason to fear evil because He is with us, and while with us... He is armed with His rod and staff.  In their commentary on the Psalms, Josh Smith and Daniel Akin comment: “We are going through the deep, dark valleys because our good shepherd is leading us! The dark valley is part of the path of righteousness.”[2] Not to belabor the point I made previously, but what does the dark valley include?  It includes pain, it includes suffering, it includes disease, it includes achy joints, it includes persecution, and it even includes death!  After all, Jesus did say: “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b).  You may be saying in response to this: “Pastor Keith, what about what Jesus said in John 10:10?”  Here is what Jesus said: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.”  The thief is anything or anyone that promises to give you what only Jesus is able to give, and the abundant life is a life with Jesus. 

 

Now, what about the rod and staff?  Why not just the rod or only the staff?  Why both? The rod was typically used as offensive weapon against any predator that would threaten the sheep from the outside while the staff was used to direct, round up, and pull in the sheep.  While the rod is used to protect the sheep from enemies, the staff is used to protect the sheep from themselves.  Jesus guides me with His staff, and as He does, He leads me through the valley to the table where He has prepared a feast for me.  Because it is Jesus who carries the rod and the staff, I can be confident that Jesus will lead me to where I need to go, or as the apostle Paul put it: “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6), and He will use His rod and staff to do it.  Or as one person wrote: “Jesus Christ, our Shepherd, is no emaciated weakling. Our Shepherd is a warrior, as shepherds had to be. No one can snatch his sheep out of his hand (John 10:28). The muscles of his arm are flexed to defend his flock; he doesn’t carry a club for nothing. He is obviously enough for whatever the valley throws at us.”[3]

 

What is the point of verse 4?  Here is the point: If Jesus is my shepherd, then even in the darkest moments of life I have all that I need because I have Him.  Or, as the modern hymn, Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me, so adequately and helpfully states:

The night is dark, but I am not forsaken For by my side, the Savior, He will stay I labor on in weakness and rejoicing For in my need, His power is displayed

To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me Through the deepest valley, He will lead Oh, the night has been won, and I shall overcome Yet not I, but through Christ in me

 

The Good Shepherd Prepares a Feast for His Sheep in the Presence of Their Enemies

So, where is He leading me? Where is He leading you dear Christian? What is waiting for me, and what is waiting for all who are being led by the Good Shepherd?  A table that has been prepared by Jesus is what is waiting for His sheep.  What is on that table?  A feast is what is on that table!  What is the meaning of this feast that He has prepared?  It is a testament, it is proof, and it is a witness to God’s favor upon His sheep.  This, my friend, is the “abundant life” Jesus provides!  Again, another set of verses from Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me rings true!

No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven The future's sure, the price, it has been paid For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon And He was raised to overthrow the grave

 

To this I hold, my sin has been defeated Jesus, now and ever is my plea Oh, the chains are released, I can sing, "I am free" Yet not I, but through Christ in me

 

Where is the table set for His redeemed to feast?  It is set in the place that my enemies are made to watch and not permitted to touch, take, or taunt because of the One who has prepared the table for me. But do not miss that before my enemies and yours, He has anointed us with oil and placed a cup in each of our hands!  Besides the fact that in the dry and hot climate of the valley, oil would be used to sooth the skin and wine would be consumed to clear the throat.  However, there is more to the oil and the cup! The imagery of oil and wine in the Bible speak of joy and prosperity. 

 

Conclusion

When I think of the table in Psalm 23:5, I cannot help but think of three feasts mentioned in the Bible.  The first happened while the Hebrew people were surrounded by Egypt under the bondage of Pharoh.  On the eve of their deliverance they marked their doorposts with the blood of a lamb with no defects and feasted on that lamb.  After they feasted, God delivered the Hebrews from the bondage of slavery and defeated Pharoh and his army, and then they sang a song known as, “The Song of Moses” that included this verse: “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him...” (Exod. 15:2), and concludes with these words: “The Lord shall reign forever and ever” (15:18).

The second feast is the one Jesus celebrated with His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion and death. Like Moses and the Hebrews before, Jesus and His disciples sat at a table to the feast of the Passover.  During the meal, Jesus and his disciples no doubt recited or even sang the Song of Moses: “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation...”  There were four cups that the disciples drank from during the Passover which were,

• The cup of sanctification (holiness) to start the celebration and a reminder of the holiness of God.

 

• The cup of salvation (deliverance) symbolizing God’s deliverance which was drunk after the retelling of the Exodus story.

 

• The cup of redemption (blessing), which was drunk after the meal which represented God’s act of redeeming Israel.

 

• The cup of glory (praise) which was drunk at the very end representing the future redemption and coming of the Messiah. It was this cup that Jesus said, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.... I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it with you, new, in My Father’s kingdom” (Matt. 26:26-29).

 

After that feast, Jesus atoned for sin on the cross and then defeated the curse of sin and death by rising on the third day.  Just before He died on the cross, He declared: “It is finished” (John 19:30)!

 

The third feast has not happened yet, and we learn of it in Revelation 19:7-10; it is the Marriage feast we will celebrate with Jesus as His Bride.  I believe that at this coming feast Jesus will pick up the fourth cup and drink it with us.  Do you know what will come after that feast?  The defeat of the nations gathered against Jesus and the final defeat of Satan.  According to Revelation 15, do you know what song all of heaven will sing on that day?  Here is what we are told:

And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! “Who will not fear You, Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You, For Your righteous acts have been revealed.” (Rev. 15:3–4)

 

So, can you guess what comes after the banquet prepared before His people in the presence of our enemies in Psalm 23:5?  You guessed it!  What comes after is the triumph of the Lamb of God over all that stands against those whom He has redeemed! 

 

[1] J. R. R. Tolkien. On Fairy Stories (1939).

[2] J. Josh Smith and Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Psalms 1–50, ed. David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2022), 175.

[3] David Gibson, The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus Our Shepherd, Companion, and Host (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2023), 90.

Nobody expected Jesus to rise from the dead, not even His disciples and those closest to Him expected Him to get up and walk out of the tomb.  It did not matter to His disciples that Jesus said that He would “suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise from the dead” (Mark 8:31), because what He said fell upon deaf ears at the time. On the day of Jesus’ death, everyone believed that He had lost, and evil had won.  There was no coming back in the minds of all who watched Him die, and for good reason!  When a person was sentenced by Rome to be crucified, it was a sentence that was equally horrible as it was terminal. Jesus died and was buried in a tomb.

 

When Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to Jesus’s tomb, they went to anoint a decomposing and dead Jesus to cover up the stench of death while His disciples mourned. What these women were expecting was a very dead body.  When they arrived at the tomb and found the stone moved, they were alarmed not because they expected the resurrection, but because they thought someone messed with the body (see Mark 16:1-5).  This is why the young man, who most likely was an angel, said to them: “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; see, here is the place where they laid Him” (Mark 16:6).  What was their response? They were terrified: “...they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (Mark 16:8).

 

What the disciples saw as defeat, the angels viewed at the edge of their seats, if Peter and the rest could have heard the chatter from heaven, maybe they would have heard: “You just wait and see what’s coming!”  If it were possible to hear the angels, and if they were listening closely enough, maybe they would have heard all of heaven ask: “Did you not hear what Jesus said when He was with you?  Did you not hear Him say, “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.... No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it back. This commandment I received from My Father.’” (John 10:14-15, 18)? 

 

Some of you are feeling the way the disciples and those closest to Jesus felt in the wake of His death.  Some of you are feeling like the disciples did when they woke up on Sunday morning: stuck, unsure, afraid, frustrated, angry, and hopeless.  I want you to know today that there is a hope within your reach that can swallow up your paralysis, uncertainty, fear, frustration, anger, and hopelessness.  For me to do that, I need you to see some things in the 23rd Psalm.

 

Everyone Experiences the Valley of the Shadow of Death

Death is the great antagonist and for some strange reason, we act as though we will never experience it, and when it does come... we are surprised by it.  Just before Frank Sinatra died, he said, “I’m losing.”  The comedian, Groucho Marx’s last words were, “This is no way to live!” Caesar Borgia (chay·zaa·ray bor·zhuh) said on his deathbed: “While I lived, I provided for everything but death; now I must die and am unprepared to die.” 

 

In Psalm 23:4, we come to a very familiar sentence that has served to comfort the anxious and fearful: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  Death is something that we all must face and not one of us will be able to escape it. 

 

The “valley of the shadow of death” is not only death, but the deep darkness of sin, and it is a deep darkness that “envelops all humankind.”[1] The valley of death is a darkness that no one is exempt from, even if you are a Christian.  You see, the valley of deep darkness represents the curse our world is under and the curse that affects us all, and that curse is sin. This is why our world is a mess, this is why there is sickness and disease, and this is why we have to say “goodbye” way too often and sometimes way too soon.  The Bible says that all of us are guilty of sin (Rom. 3:23), and that it is something that has been passed down from one generation to the next. Here is what the Bible says: “...through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned.... Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the violation committed by Adam” (Rom. 5:12, 14). 

 

What the valley is to you really depends on whether or not you can say with the Psalmist: “The Lord is my shepherd, I will not be in need.”  You see, there is one group of people who will be swallowed up by the valley and then there is another group of people who will walk through the valley.  The question is this: “What group do you belong to?” 

 

Not Everyone Remains in the Valley of the Shadow of Death

Jesus said of the 23rd Psalm: “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).  Here is what the Bible says about all of us: “All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way...” (Isa. 53:3). Or to say it another way, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).  All of us have sinned and fall short of meeting the standard of a Holy God.  So what was God’s solution to address our sin problem?  Listen to the rest of Isaiah 53:3, “All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the wrongdoing [sins] of us all to fall on Him.”

 

Jesus said, “I am the Lord of the 23rd Psalm” but He did not stop there, He went on to say, “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep” (vv. 14-15).  The way that you know that the Lord of the 23rd Psalm is your Shepherd is whether or not you believe who He claimed to be and that when He laid down His life for you because of your sins, that His death on a cross is sufficient for the forgiveness of your sins.  And listen, if you really believe in Jesus, if you really belong to Him, and if you really know Him... you will believe the things that He said about Himself:

“I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)

 

“I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12)

 

“I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26)

 

Anyone can say the things Jesus said, and everyone will die one day.  If all that Jesus did was lay down his life for the sheep, then all that He is... is a dead martyr and nothing more.  But consider what Jesus said to the disciples that they missed, most likely because of how impossible they found it to believe what He said to be:

I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it back. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it back. This commandment I received from My Father.” (John 10:14-18)

 

What the disciples missed was the most important part of what Jesus said: “I lay down My life for the sheep.... I lay down My life so that I may take it back.... I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it back.”  In other words, “I will die for your sins to redeem you, and then I am coming back by way of a resurrection!”  It should not have surprised any of the disciples or the women who knew Jesus that the tomb was empty on the third day, but because the resurrection was so impossible and so beyond the limitations of their imagination that the Good Shepherd, the Lord of the 23rd Psalm, could die for sins and then conquer death by rising from it.  This is why the angel said to the women when they arrived at the place Jesus was buried: “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; see, here is the place where they laid Him” (Mark 16:6).

 

Conclusion

We all want a “happily ever after” story.  We go to the movies, and we watch sporting events just so that we might experience the impossible! We want to experience the Fellowship of the Ring and Frodo and Sam’s impossible mission to destroy the evil ring of Sauron.  For you romantics in the room, you want Jerry Maquire to walk through the door finally believing that the love of his life is his wife, Dorothy, and maybe your heart fluttered when Dorothy told Jerry to shut up, followed by the words: “You had me at hello.” If you like the kinds of movies I like, then you wanted to stand and shout just before the great battle scene in Avengers: End Game. 

 

However, when it comes to experiencing the impossible for real and in our lifetime, we are shocked. When fantasy and reality merge and the impossible really happens, we are shocked.  Perhaps you think your game is over because you are at the bottom of the 9th with three balls, two outs, a man on second, and you are down by one run! But wait, there is still a player on second and one more pitch to go over the plate.  

 

It was during the first game in 1988 World Series that Kirk Gibson, who played for the Dodgers, was injured and unable to run.  It was surprising that he was put in as a pinch hitter at the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs.  Gibson hobbled up to the plate to everyone’s surprise.  With Mike Davis on first base, Tommy Lasorda was hoping Gibson could hit a ball far enough to get Davis to home for a game tying run. Gibson fouled two pitches for two strikes, swung at another ball down the first base line for a foul, and eventually ended up with 3 out of 4 balls giving him a full count.  What this meant was that if he got another ball, he would be forced to walk or if he got one more strike, he would lose the game against the A’s by one run.  When Dennis Eckersley, the closing pitcher for the A’s, threw a backdoor slider, Gibson swung with just about all his upper body to hit the pitch and sent the ball over the right-field fence for a homerun.  The Dodgers won the world series that year, the only time Gibson was able to step up to the plate was that one time at the bottom of the 9th in the first game to hit one of the greatest homeruns in baseball history.  After Gibson stepped on home plate, the announcer said this: “In a year that seemed so improbable, the impossible has happened.”

 

There is a greater event that happened that did not happen before, nor has it happened since, and that event was the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  When He walked out of the tomb on Sunday, the impossible happened, and because it happened, it changed everything.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ affirms all that He did and claimed to be!  Because of the resurrection, we can know and experience Him to be the Bread of Life, the light of the world, the resurrection and the life, and the Good Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm. 

 

Jesus’ tomb is empty and because He defeated sin and the grave, He alone is qualified and able to guide me “in the paths of righteousness... even through I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” His rod and staff comfort me because He swallowed up the deep darkness of the valley through His resurrection!  Jesus not only walked through the valley of the shadow of death, but He also defeated it and came out on the other side as the victor and Lord of Life!  Jesus Christ is risen from the grave!  If you don’t know Him, then the 23rd Psalm is not for you and there is no going through the valley of the shadow of death. 

 

But, if you do know Him, then not only will He lead you through the valley of the shadow of death, but there is a table at the other end of it and because of the Good Shepherd, Psalm 23:6 is for you and all who hope in Jesus as the Lord of Life: “Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life, And my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.” Amen.

 

[1] Christopher Ash, The Psalms vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway; 2024), p. 271.

In Genesis 1:1, the Bible begins with a simple but profound sentence.  Most English translations of the Bible begin with ten words and end with ten words. In Genesis 1:1, we are told: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  In the final verse of the book of Revelation the Bible concludes: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen” (Rev. 22:21).  What these two verses tell me is this: We are alive and are here today because of God and by His grace. 

 

In Psalm 23, we discover that it is by the grace of God that I am brought into the fold of His sheep, and it is for His glory that He has done so.  The invitation to be included as one of His sheep has nothing to do with my performance and everything to do with His grace and glory, as John Piper put it: “God is the beginning and God is the end of all my righteousness. The path of righteousness has his grace as its starting point (for he leads me into it) and it has his glory as its destination (because his leading is for his name’s sake).”[1] What happens in the in-between is the messy part.  After He finds us, it is His goodness and faithfulness that keeps us with no intention of letting go.

 

The 23rd Psalm sounds like a pilgrimage because it is.  Remember that there are five images in this Psalm.  We looked at the first image, which was: “The Abundant Life” (vv. 2-3a).  God lets and makes me lay down in green pastures in that He causes me to do so.  How does He cause me to lay down in green pastures?  He does so by removing all that prevents me from doing so.  I was made to lay down in green pastures by waters of rest, but without the Good Shepherd we blindly go astray; according to the prophet Isaiah we were both hopeless and helpless: “All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way...” (Isaiah 53:6).  The next four images are as follows:

Image #2: The Secure Life (v. 3b)

Image #3: The Hard Life (v. 4)

Image #4: The Victorious Life (v. 5)

Image #5: The Everlasting Life (v. 6)

 

It is to the “Secure Life” that we now turn our attention.  What is it that makes His guiding in paths of righteousness for His namesake that brings security to those who belong to Him?

 

Where Does the Shepherd Lead?

Where does the Shepherd lead and how does where He is leading relate to our security?  For starters, it is in the nature of His guiding that brings His sheep security: “He guides me in paths of righteousness.”  The nature of His guiding is that it does not end and that it is ongoing; it is not a onetime event where the sheep are guided by Him such as a prayer that is said or a decision that was made. 

 

So, what are the “paths of righteousness” that He guides me into?  We are given an answer through the nature of David’s prayers like the one we find in Psalm 5, “Lord, lead me in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before me” (v. 8).  The answer to David’s prayer is Psalm 23:3, and those paths of righteousness are descripted for us in scores of verses in both the Old and New Testament.  One such passage in the Old Testament is Psalm 1:1-3,  

Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

               Nor stand in the path of sinners,

               Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

 

But his delight is in the Law of the Lord,

   And on His Law he meditates day and night.

 

He will be like a tree planted by streams of water,

               Which yields its fruit in its season,

               And its leaf does not wither;

               And in whatever he does, he prospers.

 

The paths of righteousness according to Psalm 1 includes delighting in the Law of Yahweh and meditating on His Law day and night.  The Law of the Lord is the Word of the Lord.  That which you delight in is where you desire to spend your time.  If you delight in a particular person you will want to spend time with that person.  If you have a hobby or job that you delight in, you will look for ways to spend time participating in that hobby or job that you delight in.  The evidence that you delight in the Law is seen in the amount of time you spend in the Law. 

 

The one who delights in the Law of the Lord will thrive in the kinds of ways we were meant for.  God wants you to thrive and considering the fact that it is His image we bear, thriving must include our Creator.  Later in the Psalms, David wrote: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105).

 

Jesus said something similar to Psalm 1:1-3 and 119:105; He said, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31). The Greek word used for “continue” is menō, which, as you may recall from last Sunday’s sermon, can be translated “abide.”  If you abide, if you remain, if you continue in My word... “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”  The Greek word for “know” is ginōskō, which is the kind of knowledge that is much more than head knowledge.  Jesus said, “If you remain, if you continue, if you abide in my word, you will really know [ginōskō] the truth, and the truth will set your free.”  Let me say it a different way so that you get what is being said here: “If you take up residence in the word of the Good Shepherd, you are truly His sheep, and by listening to His voice, you will live!”  Listen, the Shepherd’s guiding does not happen apart from our abiding!    

 

I am not sure if you will find this as cool as I do, but going back to John 10 where Jesus identifies as the Good Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm, He uses the same Greek word for know that He used in John 8:31. In John 10:14-16, “I am the good shepherd, and I know [ginōskō] My own, and My own know [ginōskō] Me, just as the Father knows [ginōskō] Me and I know [ginōskō] the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd.”

 

Okay, so why does any of this matter and how does Psalm 1:1-3, John 8:31-32, and John 10:14-16 help you understand the 23rd Psalm better?  So here we go: You cannot be led in the paths of righteousness if your knowledge of the Good Shepherd is only about filling your head without your heart being engaged.  I will say it another way: If you are not abiding in the Lord of the 23rd Psalm then you are not finding in Him what you need.  If you do not find in Him what you need, then you will not find in Him the green pastures and waters of rest that you were made for.  If you do not find in the Good Shepherd the green pastures and waters of rest you that were made for, then you will find that the paths of righteousness that He guides His sheep on as displeasing instead of delightful.    

 

Jesus is the Good Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm, and it is He who causes me to lie down in green pastures because He is the green pastures that will never leave me hungry.  It is He who leads me to waters of refreshment because He is the Living Water who satisfies the thirsty soul.  Jesus restores the soul because He makes all things new!  As the great Shepherd of your soul, Jesus guides those who abide in Him in paths of righteousness.  There is no guiding apart from abiding in Lordof the 23rd Psalm!

 

Why Does the Shepherd Lead?

So, why does He do it?  Why does the Good Shepherd guide his sheep in the paths of righteousness?  He does it for the sake of His name!  What does that even mean?  It means that He rescued you from the condemnation of your sins, He gives Himself to you as the Great Shepherd of your soul to meet your need for Him, He provides the green pastures and quiet waters for your good, He renews and restores your soul, and He delivered you from your crooked paths of this world and set you on the straight path of righteousness that only Jesus can provide.  God did it all, and He did it by putting His reputation on the line!

 

Our story is summed up in one verse from the prophet Isaiah: “All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all To fall on Him” (Isa. 53:6).  “To fall on who” you ask?  Ah... I am so glad you asked!  The sins of us all... fell upon Jesus who is the Lamb, the Lion, and the great Shepherd of our souls!  This is why the apostle Peter wrote: “...and He Himself brought our sins in His body up on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls” (1 Pet. 2:24-25).

 

In response to all that Jesus accomplished, Paul wrote those glorious words that ought to thrill every soul that belongs to His flock: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things” (Rom. 8:31-32)?  And He does so for His namesake!  This is why, when you read Ephesians 1:3-14 regarding how and why God saved you from your sins that we are given three answers:

1. The Father chose us before the foundation of the world and made us sons and daughters through His Son, and why did He do it that way? He did it, “to the praise of the glory of His grace...” (1:4-6).

 

1. The Son redeemed us through His blood and now we have the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. Why did He do it that way?  He did it, “to the praise of His glory” (1:7-12).

 

1. The Holy Spirit made our redemption and salvation a guarantee by sealing us as God’s own possession. Why did He do it that way? He did it, “to the praise of His glory” (1:13-14).

 

He chose his lambs for the sake of His name, He redeemed his lambs for the sake of His name, and He marked His lambs as His treasured possession by His Holy Spirit for the sake of His name!  Listen, if the Lord is your shepherd, it is only because you have turned to Jesus for the salvation of our soul: “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other” (Isa. 45:22).  Listen to what Jesus said concerning all who hear His voice and come to Him for salvation: “My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30).

 

Psalm 23:2 is a picture of the secure life because of who it is that causes us to lie down in green pastures, leads us to inexhaustible and quiet waters, restores and renews our soul, and leads us in the paths of righteousness.  The Lord of the 23rd Psalm is the God of Isaiah 46:9-11,

Remember the former things long past,

For I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is no one like Me,

 

Declaring the end from the beginning,

And from ancient times things which have not been done,

Saying, ‘My plan will be established,

And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;

 

Calling a bird of prey from the east,

The man of My purpose from a distant country.

Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.

I have planned it, I will certainly do it.

 

This is why Romans 8:1 is for you Christian: “Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

   

Conclusion

So, let me say something you may need to hear.  Just because you belong to the Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm, does not mean that you will not struggle with sin.  Just because you are abiding in Jesus and love Him truly, does not mean that you will never be tempted by the enemy’s lies of greener pastures and more satisfying waters.  The enemy is a dragon and a thief who comes, “only to steal and kill and destroy...”  Jesus, the Great and Good Shepherd, has come so that we would have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10).  There are no greener pastures or quieter waters than what can be found and experienced in Jesus. 

 

The danger for some is that the less that you listen to His voice, the less you will delight in His Word and the less frequent you will want to abide in Him.  Permit me to close with a warning from David Gibson:

Life is a journey, not a viewing gallery; we are always on the move, always traveling, and we’re going with either Jesus’s paths or a different shepherd’s paths. Maybe it’s what you’re consuming online. Maybe it’s the choices you are making with your money or your time. Two degrees of divergence this year might mean a mile’s divergence next year. Take time to consider the road you are walking, who is leading you, and where that path might end. In my experience I have found that wrong steps in life are nearly always the outworking of a prior neglect of listening to Jesus speak in the Bible. When devotion to hearing his voice begins to dwindle, then eventually, inevitably, departure from his paths begins to follow.[2]

 

There is no greener pasture outside of Jesus, for He alone is the Lord of the 23rd Psalm. Amen.

 

 

[1] J. Josh Smith and Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Psalms 1–50, ed. David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2022), 174.

[2] David Gibson, The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus Our Shepherd, Companion, and Host (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2023), 49.

The second verse in the 23rd Psalm is a peculiar one for those of us not accustomed to the undeveloped lands of the Bible.  When you read of “green pastures” and “quiet waters” you most likely think of Goshen County, WY which produces more beef cattle than any other Wyoming county in our state.  When I read Psalm 23, I think of the New Jersey Highlands consisting of lots of green and lots of water.  But the “green pastures” that David had in mind was a dry and rocky set of rolling hills with tough grass sparsely scattered throughout.  The grass was so sparsely scattered, that if one of the sheep wandered off, he would most likely starve to death if any of the predators in the region didn’t find him first, and depending on the season, water was even more difficult to find.   

 

Because sheep are the most helpless of animals; they are not just dependent on the shepherd but are in absolute need of a shepherd for survival.  Sometime ago there was a story out of Istanbul that reported the death of four sheep.  Their shepherds reportedly neglected their flock by leaving the sheep to roam free so that they could eat breakfast.  The sheep followed their leader right off a cliff; one by one, four hundred of them fell nearly 50 feet to their deaths.  The loss of sheep was estimated to be $74,000. 

 

In the ancient world, shepherding was the least respected of occupations and required the full attention of the shepherd all the time.  If a family had sheep, the youngest son was expected to serve as a shepherd.  Because David was the youngest of eight sons, his job was to shepherd the sheep for his father Jesse.  When David wrote this psalm, he wrote from his own experience, and like all other shepherds, David lived with the sheep. 

 

To appreciate this Psalm, we need to understand why it is structured the way that it is.  There are five images that include the critical role of the shepherd as he leads, guides, and provides for his sheep; each Sunday, we will consider one of the five images we are given.  So that you know where we are going, I will list them for you here:

Image #1: The Abundant Life (vv. 2-3a)

Image #2: The Secure Life (v. 3b)

Image #3: The Hard Life (v. 4)

Image #4: The Victorious Life (v. 5)

Image #5: The Everlasting Life (v. 6)

 

Today we will consider the first image, which is where the Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm is ultimately leading His sheep, and that is the abundant life.

 

What is the Way to the Abundant Life?

For a sheep to “lie down” four things need to happen: They need to be free of fear, friction, flies, and hunger.  Phillip Keller spent eight years as a shepherd before he became a pastor, in his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, he wrote of what it takes to get sheep to lie down:

It is almost impossible for sheep to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met. Owing to their timidity they refuse to lie down unless they are free of all fear. Because of the social behavior within a flock sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind. If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax. Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger.”[1]

 

It is only the shepherd who can provide the kind of trust, peace, deliverance, and pasture that the sheep need.  Yet, of the five images in this Psalm, David begins with the one about rest.  The first thing that we receive from Yahweh as our Shepherd, is rest.  How does He provide us with rest?  According to the NASB2020,

“He lets me lie down in green pastures...” 

“He leads me beside quiet waters.”

“He restores my soul...”

 

The Hebrew word for “lets” is the Hebrew word “rbṣ” and most translations translate this word as “make.”  If you are using the NIV, the ESV, or an older version of the NASB, Psalm 23:2 reads something like this: “He makes me lie down in green pastures...”  So which is it?  Does Jesus, as our good Shepherd “make us lie down” or does He, “let us lie down in green pastures”?  The Hebrew word for “lets” is both causative and imperfect so literally it can be translated, “He causes me to lie down in green pastures...” So, why does all matter?  Our Shepherd removes from His sheep every agitation and threat that would keep us from the kind of rest we were made for and the rest that we need. 

 

However, the presence of Jesus in our lives not only causes us to lie down, but He also takes us to quiet waters; in Hebrew, “quiet waters” is literally “waters of rest.”  Where the quiet waters are, so there is life for all that surrounds those waters, and where there are green pastures and still waters in the dry and rocky climate of a cursed world, there is renewal.  What kind of renewal you ask?  The kind that restores the soul of the sheep.  The Hebrew word used for “restores” means to “turn back” or “return.”  The place that the Psalmist is describing is the place where those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matt. 5:6) will be filled and refreshed by resting in the Shepherd of the 23rdPsalm.

 

It is Jesus who said, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).  It is the Lord of the 23rd Psalm who said: “I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35).  The Good Shepherd said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

 

According to Psalm 23, the Christian life begins with rest, and the kind of rest we receive is the abundant life that can only come through Jesus.  But what is the abundant life?  Is it prosperity in the world’s eyes?  Is it the pain free life?  What is the abundant life that Jesus came so that we, as His sheep, would have? 

 

What Kind of Abundant Life Does the Shepherd Provide?

The abundant life is a life rooted in Jesus.  The abundant life comes out of the abiding life.  So, what is the abiding life you ask?  Jesus told us what the abiding life is in John 6:54-56, “The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him” (John 6:54–56).  The Greek word for “remain” is “menō.” If you are using the ESV or an older version of the NASB, you will see the word “abide” instead of “remain.”  To remain or abide is to rest in Jesus and to rest in Him is to take up residence in the life of Christ.  How does one do that?  You do it by taking into your mind, heart, and soul all that Jesus is and all that he taught and commanded us to do.  The same Greek word is used in John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

 

So what does it mean to have the abundant life?  Does the abundant life mean that you have a pain free life?  If the abundant life means that the Shepherd’s will for you is to be comfortable with little to no suffering in this life, then what do you do with our Shepherd’s words to his sheep: “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b)?  The New Living Translation is closer to Jesus’ point: “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  If the green pastures and quite waters do not include the kind of agitation and trouble that suffering brings, then what do you do with Jesus’ warning to his disciples: “You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, other relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all people because of My name. And yet not a hair of your head will perish” (Luke 21:16–18).

 

If the green pastures and quiet waters that the Jesus leads his people to does not include suffering and even death, then what do you say to the fathers, the mothers, the children, and the friends of the 70 Christians who were taken from their village at 4am on the morning on February 13th of this year by a rebel group with ties to the Islamic State?  They were taken by force to a Protestant church where they were slaughtered with machetes and hammers; those 70 Christians were our brothers and sisters in the faith.  They heard the call of Jesus and followed Him (see John 10:14-16), yet when their bodies were discovered, each of them was also beheaded.  Where are the green pastures and quiet waters of those 70 beheaded Christians from the Congo if the 23rd Psalm is also for them?   

 

Those 70 beheaded brothers and sisters are now included among the martyred saints described in Revelation 6:9-11,

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on the earth?” And a white robe was given to each of them; and they were told that they were to rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, was completed also.” (Rev. 6:9–11)

 

Those 70 Christians among the masses in heaven who are asking the question: “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on the earth?”  Notice the answer they received: “rest for a little while longer, until the number of your fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who are to be killed even as you have been killed, is complete” (v. 11).  There will be more who will be massacred, butchered, and slaughtered in the name of the Good Shepherd, but that is not the end of their story! In March another 47 Christians from the Congo were martyred for following Jesus, and to date 287 Christians have been killed for their faith since Christmas of 2024. So, where was their green pasture?  Where were the quiet waters for those followers of the Good Shepherd?

 

We are given an answer in Revelation 7:9-17.  We are told that right now all 287 of those who died for their faith in the Congo sing, and they are joined with other brothers and sisters who followed the Good Shepherd to their deaths, “from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages.” Today, they shout triumphantly: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Rev.  7:9ff.).  But that is not all that we are told, for what they have is infinitely more precious than the comfort and safety we all hope to have in this life. I want to show you something from Revelation 7:13-17 that will help make sense of what is promised to us in the 23rd Psalm:

Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” 14I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. 16They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any scorching heat; 17for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

 

Do you see the answer for where the green pastures and quiet waters are for those who suffer, especially for those who suffer for their faith in the Good Shepherd?  God currently shelters the scores of martyred Christians with His presence according to Revelation 7:15, but do you see what verses 16-17 say and how familiar it sounds to Psalm 23?  Let’s look at these verses again: “They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any scorching heat; 17for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” The reason why these Christians, and every other Christian in heaven no longer hungers or thirsts is because they are in the presence of the Lamb who is their shepherd.  The sun no longer beats down on them with its scorching heat because they have been delivered from the wilderness of a cursed world! The Lamb is the spring of water of life, and it is because of the triumph of the Lamb that every tear will be wiped from their eyes.

 

Conclusion

Listen, the 70 who were beheaded, those who suffer in this life, and every other Christian who belongs to the Good Shepherd had the green pastures and quiet waters during their life on earth because they had Jesus, and they found that their hunger and thirst for righteousness was satisfied in Him.  Although the 70 Christians from the Congo lost their lives, they did not lose what belonged to them, for they have what is promised to every Christian in the 23rd Psalm because they have the Lamb who is their Shepherd. 

 

Psalm 23 is not some cute passage for coffee mugs, t-shirts, and memorial cards!  It is so much more.  If Jesus is your shepherd, you have all that you need in Him.  If you have Jesus, then you have the green pastures and quiet waters promised to all whose Lord is their shepherd.

 

My question for you dear friend, is this:

“Who is the Lamb of God to you?” 

 

“If Jesus is your shepherd, then in what ways are you abiding in Him?”

 

“How can you expect to experience the kinds of green pastures and quiet waters promised in Psalm 23 if you are not going to Jesus to satisfy the kind of hunger and thirst that only He can satisfy?”

 

[1] James Montgomery Boice, Psalms 1–41: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), 209.

The Psalms are the song book of the Bible, and as you are probably aware, songs and poems are written out of the deep well of the human heart.  The difference between the Psalms and every other song or poem is that the Psalms are inspired by God Almighty and are the Word of God.  Of all the Psalms, it is the Psalm before us that is most familiar.  In my opinion, what the Lord’s prayer is to the New Testament, Psalm 23 is to the Old Testament.  It is that familiar, and it is familiar for good reason.

 

Think for a moment what it is that Psalm 23 says of all those whose God is the Lord: He does not leave His sheep to themselves, but leads them to the place of life, nourishment, and rest with the assurance that He will not lose any that belong to Him.  As the Shepherd, He promises to be with His sheep in the face of death and will stand before them in the face of the enemy.  As the Shepherd of His sheep, those who belong to Him will only know His faithfulness and love which is a promise that not even death can take what belongs to the Lord, who is the Shepherd.

 

No wonder why this Psalm is often included in so many funerals or read at the bedside of the sick and dying. However, there is a danger with the amount of exposure we have had with the 23rd Psalm, and that danger is as the saying goes: “Familiarity breeds contempt.”  By being so familiar with the Psalm, we can lose respect for what it says or miss the point of the Psalm altogether.  My hope is that in the weeks to come, you will gain a better understanding of what this Psalm means for you and that over the weeks to come, you will experience the Lord of the 23rd Psalm.

 

Who is The Lord of Psalm 23?

For you and me to appreciate the 23rd Psalm, we have got to understand who the shepherd of the Psalm is.  For starters, He is not just any old shepherd, He is the shepherd to all who truly know Him to be the Lord. One of the ways we can lose respect for this Psalm is to assume that it applies to any and all people.  In the very first verse we are told that for the Lord to be the shepherd of any person, that person must belong to Him.  The key word used in this verse is known as a “possessive determiner”, and that word is “my.”  The way that you can know that He is your Lord is found in the second half of the first verse: “...I will not be in need.”  You can know that you are not in need because you have the Lord as your shepherd, and the way that you know that He is your Lord is because you understand that there is no other “lord” in this world that gives you what only He can give you. 

 

I have officiated many funeral and memorial services over the years, and my fear is that for some, the 23rd Psalm was printed on their memorial card more for the beauty of the Psalm than for how the deceased loved, followed, and identified with the God the Psalm describes.  Before you can ever claim the kind of comfort and assurance the Psalm is meant to provide, you must answer who the Lord of the 23rd Psalm is first.

 

The Shepherd of Psalm 23 is Yahweh

The Lord that David refers in Psalm 23 is Yahweh.  The first time the Hebrew people were introduced to God as Yahweh is in Exodus 3 when Moses encountered God through the burning bush.  Just so you know, there are many different names for God used to describe His character and nature; the name used that is God’s covenantal name is Yahweh.    

 

After 40 years of working for his father-in-law Jethro in the wilderness, God called out to Moses from a burning bush.  Moses was in the wilderness because he had killed an Egyptian guard, buried his body in the sand, learned that it was known that he did it, and had fled Egypt and went into hiding.  As Moses got closer to the burning bush, God told him to remove his sandals in His presence because the ground he was standing was now holy.  God then told Moses that He heard the cries of His people and planned to use the now 80-year-old man to deliver the Hebrew people from the bondage of slavery in Egypt.  God was not going to send Moses into Egypt before Pharaoh alone, for God assured him: “I will be with you” (v. 12).  Moses then asked what name he was to give to the Hebrews when he went back into Egypt; here is what he said: “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them” (v. 13)?

 

God’s answer gets at the heart of what Yahweh means: “I AM WHO I AM.  This is what you are to say to the sons of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (v. 14).  At the heart of God’s answer are four facts about God for why the Israelites should believe God would deliver them: Yahweh is the Creator who is above all other gods man may make.  Because Yahweh is the Creator, He sustains all things, governs all things, is sovereign over all things, and owns all things.  As Yahweh, God is eternal, for He had no beginning and will have no end; He is the Alpha and the Omega, and as the Alpha and Omega, He is the first and the last.  The essence of what Yahweh means is found in verse 14, “And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

 

God told Moses: “You tell the Hebrew slaves that I AM WHO I AM sent me to you.”  To wrap our minds around what God told Moses, I need to ask you in terms of your occupation or what you are currently doing day to day each week, “Who are you?”  I am not asking if you are a Christian or not, I am asking what is it that requires your time?  If I were to ask you to write down who you are, you may write: “I am an electrician.” Or “I am a teacher.”  You might write down, “I am a programmer.”  You might write down, “I am a stay-at-home mother.”  “I am a dad, a mom, a grandmother, or grandfather.”  Here is the thing with all of that, the answer you give today to that question will one day change.  One day you will not be able to work, one day you will retire, one day your children will move out of your home to begin a family of their own, and one day you will die.  However, with God, He is “I AM WHO I AM.” 

 

One pastor said that what God said to Moses through the burning bush is the equivalent of saying: “I BE WHO I BE.” The point is that we change, but the Lord does not change, nor will He ever change.  Why?  Because Yahweh is infinitely and perfectly self-sufficient and self-existent; if you belong to Him, He is your shepherd and there is no other god or lord that you need!  David Gibson, in his book, The Lord of Psalm 23, put it this way: “...the one whom you need to shepherd you neither needs you nor needs to be shepherded himself as he gives himself to shepherd you.  He shepherds you from his eternally undiminishing fullness, and he is never the poorer for it.”[1]

 

The Lord of the 23rd Psalm is unchanging, and it does not matter what you think of Him or what you make of Him, He is eternally who He has always been, what He still is today, and what He will always be: He is the Great I AM WHO I AM; He is Yahweh!  However, what He may or may not be to you is your Shepherd.  There is only one way to come to know Yahweh as your shepherd.

 

Jesus is the Shepherd of Psalm 23

What dominates this Psalm is the promise of a life much fuller and richer than anything that any other god or lord can offer.  The life that the Lord of the 23rd Psalm provides is the abundant life!  The kind of life that the Shepherd of Psalm 23 provides is one that includes food to satisfy the hungry, water to quench the thirsty, security for the vulnerable, and rest for the burdened sheep who come to the Shepherd out of a desperate awareness that all that the Shepherd is and has, is all that the sheep need. 

 

There are a number of statements Jesus said about Himself that include the phrase: “I Am...” Just about every time He used that phrase, it unhinged the religious leaders of His day because they understood where that phrase was coming from, for it came from Exodus 3 when God said to Moses that He, Yahweh, was “I AM Who I AM.”  One of those statements is found in the gospel of John and the way that He said it, there can be no confusion what it was that He was claiming: “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me...” (John 10:14).  Jesus said the only way to know the shepherd of the 23rd Psalm is by knowing who He is, believing in all that He claimed to be, and acting on what you know and believe concerning Him.  Consider some of the things Jesus said about Himself:

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37–38)

 

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28–30)

 

The reason Jesus was able to say these kinds of things was because He was, and is, and will forever be the good shepherd of the 23rd Psalm!  This is why He said, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All those who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:7–10). Again David Gibson offers the following insight of what it means to have the Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm: “Psalm 23 is about abundant life. It is more about the happiness of living than the sadness of dying, and all of the happiness is bound up with being able to say that this Lord who is a shepherd is also my shepherd.”[2]

 

So I ask you dear friend, who is the Shepherd to you?  Is He your Shepherd because He is your Lord?  Is He your Lord because you have found Him to be the Bread of Life who alone satisfies your hunger for more?  Is He your Shepherd because in Jesus you have found Him to be the Living Water who alone is able to quench your thirsty soul? Can you honestly say, “The Lord is my shepherd, I will not be in need” (Ps. 23:1). It will not do to only have Psalm 23 posted on your memorial card after you die unless you have found Jesus to be your life today. 

 

So, have you responded to His call?  You do know that Jesus was talking about you when He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd” (John 10:16).  Have you heard the voice of the Good Shepherd, and do you listen to His voice?  Or can it be said of you by the Lord of Psalm 23, “Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say” (Luke 6:46)? 

 

There is a 460-year-old Catechism that has been passed down from generation to generation for the purpose of reminding and encouraging Christians of all ages that just as the God Moses encountered is unchanging, so is the great Shepherd of our souls, Jesus Christ, who “is the same yesterday and today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8).  The catechism I speak of is the Heidelberg Catechism, and it begins with this question: “What is your only comfort in life and death?”  Its answer is as follows:

That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ, who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me, that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready henceforth to live unto Him.

 

If you do know the Lord of the 23rd Psalm, and I suspect that you do, then Psalm 23 is for you in both life and death!

1 The Lord is my shepherd,

 I will not be in need.

2 He lets me lie down in green pastures;

                He leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He restores my soul;

                He guides me in the paths of righteousness

 For the sake of His name.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

 I fear no evil, for You are with me;

 Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

 

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

 You have anointed my head with oil;

 My cup overflows.

6 Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me

 All the days of my life,

 And my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.

 

Amen.

 

[1] David Gibson, The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus Our Shepherd, Companion, and Host (Wheaton, IL: Crossway; 2024), p. 16.

[2] Ibid., p. 22.

When I was a child, I remember the sense of security I had while Ronald Reagan served as our president.  I also remember his farewell address to our nation and the great sense of loss that I felt knowing that he would no longer be serving as our nation’s president.  John Winthrop preached in 1630 upon arriving in Massachusetts; in his sermon Winthrop declared his fellow pilgrims: “For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.”  He also said of their future in Massachusetts:

Beloved there is now set before us life and good, Death and evil, in that we are commanded this day to love the Lord our God, and to love one another, to walk in his ways and to keep his Commandments and his Ordinance and his laws, and the articles of our Covenant with him, that we may live and be multiplied, and that the Lord our God may bless us in the land we go to possess. 

 

John Winthrop’s sermon had a profound impact upon President Reagan for he placed that line about Winthrop’s hope and expectation that one day that land he and the pilgrims discovered, “...will be as a city upon a hill.”  I still remember President Reagan’s farewell address to our nation; I was in eighth grade at Neshaminy Junior High when I heard it.  Reagan’s address is just over 20 minutes long, and although we do not have the time to listen to it, I would like to share with you his concluding remarks that I believe have affected our nation more than some of you may realize:

I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still.

 

And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was eight years ago. But more than that: After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home.

 

We've done our part. And as I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women across America who for eight years did the work that brought America back. My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger, we made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.

There is a phrase introduced to our nation from another campaign that I was going to use for the title of this sermon... a phrase I have heard many Christians say or embrace that I have chosen not to use.  I know that when some use the phrase, it has been and continues to be used out of a hope and desire for America’s good. However, I have instead chosen the phrase: “America is a shining city on hill” used by a president I still admire and respect. 

 

Jesus is Eternally the Same (vv. 7-9)

What I dislike about a sermon series like “Christians Say the Darndest Things” is that today you will receive an exposition on Hebrews 13:7-14 without the benefit of seeing the wounder of chapters 1:1-13:6.  We are skipping right to the end without gazing at the Christ who is, “the heir of all things, through whom God also made the world.”  Right out of the gate in the book of Hebrews, we discover a Jesus who is, “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact representation of His nature.”  In Hebrews we discover a Jesus who, “upholds all things by the word of His power.”  The Jesus of Hebrews 13:8 is the same Jesus who, “When he had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:1-3).   

 

Because Jesus is, “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact representation of His nature” (1:3), He is the Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:9).  Jesus is the great “I AM” (John 8:48-59) because He is equal with the Father as the eternal Son (John 5:15-23).  Jesus is He who was and is “the Light of mankind” because He is the Word who was in the beginning with God through Whom “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:1-4).  This same Jesus became flesh through the miraculous conception in Mary’s womb while still a virgin, He was born and lived among mankind yet without sin, and He lived for the purpose of dying for sinners like you and me on a cross.  This same Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb, and on the third day... He defeated sin and death by rising from the grave.  For this reason, this same Jesus is highly exalted and upon Him is, “the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:8-11).

 

Jesus is the same yesterday in that when God the Father spoke creation into existence, it was Jesus the Son who completed it: “for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Col. 1:15-16). The reason why the earth remains in orbit and every atom and molecule remains in place is because the One who is also the same today is responsible for holding, “all things together” (Col. 1:17). 

 

Jesus is the same yesterday in that He was the One before Whom Abraham bowed (see Gen. 18:1-22).  Jesus is the same yesterday in that He is the One who wrestled with Jacob (see Gen. 32:22-33). Jesus is the same yesterday in that He appeared before Joshua as the captain of the Lord’s army, and it was before Him that Joshua removed his sandals and worshiped (Josh. 5:13-15). Jesus is the same yesterday in that He was the One who was seen by King Nebuchadnezzar in the furnace as He kept Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from perishing in blazing fire of the furnace (see Dan. 3:8-30).  Jesus is the same yesterday.

Listen, the same Jesus who provided Peter, John, and James the miraculous catch of fish that compelled Peter to fall to his knees and respond: “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8), is still the same today! The same Jesus cured lepers, made the lame walk, the blind see, and the dead rise... is still the same today!  The same Jesus who died for sinners and rose from the grave is still the same today!  The same Jesus who commanded us to make disciples (Matt. 18:19-20) and promised, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judah, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8), is still the same today! And listen, the same Jesus who promised that He would come back in the same way that He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9), is the same Jesus yesterday, today, and forever!   

 

The point is that if you get Jesus wrong, or if you miss Him, or if you choose any person, thing, or ideology over Him... you will get everything else wrong! The message of Hebrews is that Jesus is a treasure that no other treasure can compare.  This is why we are told in verse 8 to, “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their way of life, imitate their faith.”  Those who truly spoke the word of God to you are those who did not get Jesus wrong! 

 

Jesus is the same yesterday.

 

Everything in this World is Consistently Unsatisfactory (vv. 10-11)

Because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever... His life, death, and resurrection provide for us a more permanent solution to our sin problem.  What this means is that Jesus’ cross is a better altar unlike ones used under the Old Covenant.  The carcasses of the animals slaughtered on the Day of Atonement during Passover were taken out of the city to be burned; if they were thrown into a pile with the city and burned, they would have defiled the city.  Not so with Jesus, for while living, he was led outside of the city to become a curse for us on the cross we deserved (Gal. 3:10-14), and by dying for our sins outside the gate, His blood is what makes us holy. 

 

What is the point?  Here is the point: There is no person, there is no religion outside of Christianity, and there is no government that can do (if you are not a Christian) or has done (if you are a Christian) what Jesus alone can do.  Paul Washer put it this way in his sermon preached to pastors some time ago answering the question as to how Jesus’ death on a cross for a few hours on a tree to save a multitude of men from an eternity in hell:

“Because that one Man is worth more of them put together. You take mountains and mole hills, crickets and clouds. You take everything. Every planet, every star, every form of beauty. Everything that sings, everything that brings delight, and you put it all on the scale, and you put Christ on the other side and HE outweighs them all, HE outweighs them ALL! Brethren, this is the one we chase after!”[1]

 

Compared to Christ, everything in this world is not only temporary but unsatisfactory.  Jesus is the living water, and all the promises of this world together cannot compare.  They are all broken and cannot deliver what they promise to deliver!  The Old Covenant only provided a temporary solution to the sin problem of the Hebrew people; the work of the priests required them to remain standing for the need of a sin covering was ongoing.  This is why just three chapters prior, we are reminded in Hebrews 10:1 of the following: “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the form of those things itself, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually every year, make those who approach perfect.”  Then in Hebrews 10:11-13, we are told of the only one qualified to address our sin problem: “Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet.” (Heb. 10:11–13)

 

So, why is it that we are chasing after the shiny things of this world that cannot deliver what only Jesus is able to provide?  Christian, if you have the One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, why are you looking for something different?  Why would you long for anything else when you have He who is the “Bright Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16)?

 

Jesus is the same today.

 

If You Have Jesus, You are Waiting for Something Greater (vv. 12-14)

These next verses serve as the crescendo of the entire epistle, and they begin with the word “Therefore” and if the author of Hebrews was texting you Hebrews 13:7-14, you would see “THEREFORE” in all caps because it is a very big THEREFORE!  In other words, in light of all that has been said from the very first sentence of this epistle to verse 11, “Jesus also suffered outside the gate, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood” (v. 12).  What was accomplished on His cross for our sins outside the gate on Golgotha’s hill has done infinitely more than anything else you have chased after thinking that person, or thing, or ideology would bring you purpose, peace of mind, or pleasure.  They cannot give you what only God is able to deliver! 

 

Dear Christian, Jesus sanctified you by dying for you, his corpse was in that tomb for three days, and the proof that Jesus sanctified you is in the fact that He marched out of that tomb three days later!  Who or what can give you what Jesus has provided?  If you are a Christian, Ephesians 1:7-8 is about you: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.”   

 

What Jesus provided on the altar of the cross is only available for those who receive it, and those who receive it will never be the same because of Him.  The evidence that you have received what Jesus has made available to you is a desire to follow Him.  To any and all who wish to know Him, must follow Him, for Jesus said: “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul” (Matt. 16:24–26)? 

 

What we read in Hebrews 13:13 is no different: “So then...”  So what?  In light of the fact that Jesus is, “the same yesterday and today, and forever” (v. 7), and what has been provided on the altar of His cross for our sins (v. 10)... “let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (v. 13).  The only reason anyone would do that is if they understood Jesus to be infinitely more precious and valuable than any person, any thing, any ideology, any city, or nation of this world. 

 

We chase after Jesus because in Him is life is and because He is life, He alone is the “Light of mankind” (John 1:4).  We chase after Jesus because He is, “the Light of the world” and the one who chases after Him, “will not walk in the darkness but will have the Light of life” (John 8:12).  Because we chase after Him and not the shiny trinkets of this world, He said of His Church: “You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.... Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:14, 16). 

 

If you are a Christian, you are the light of the world because you have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God!  He is the Alpha and Omega and He is the first and the last (Rev. 1:8, 17).  It is before Him that the nations will stand in judgment and a day is coming when it will be from Him that earth and heaven will recoil in response to His holy and majestic presence!  If you are a Christian, you belong to Him and because you belong to Him, you have no reason to fear Him who the tribes of the earth will mourn when He comes again (see Matt. 24:30).

 

This may shock some of you and it may offend others of you, but you really need to hear this: America is not a shinning city on a hill!  Here is what the Bible says about America and the nations that surround her: “Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales” (Isa. 40:15). 

 

Because we follow Jesus, we chase after another shinning city, we chase after His city... a city, “which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Heb. 11:10).  Because Jesus is the same yesterday and today, and forever, we live as foreigners, aliens, and strangers even in the United States of America.  America cannot be our shinning city on a hill because we are promised something infinitely greater: “For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking a city which is to come” (Heb. 13:14).  Here is what Revelation 21:23-27 says about the city we really belong to:

And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

 

If America is a shinning city on a hill, it is nothing more than a tiny piece of glitter in comparison to the city we really belong to, and what makes the city we are seeking, that is to come, infinitely more beautiful is the Jesus who outweighs them all.  He is the same yesterday and today, and forever!

 

[1] Shepherds’ Conference 2016 | General Session 9 - Paul Washer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkqVZm9-7jc)

“My truth...”  “Speaking my truth...” “Your truth...” I have read a number of articles to try and learn what is meant by “My truth.”  There are a number of suggestions such as:

“The way I see things may be different than the way you see things.”

 

“Be true to yourself.”

 

“A pretentious substitute for a non-negotiable personal opinion.”

 

“The way I see and understand something may be different than the way you see

and perceive it.” 

 

“I know some stuff, and it’s likely that may change over time.”

 

In a recent trailer for a show on Hulu titled, Faces of Music, one of the cast members stated what I think is the current understanding of “Your truth” with the following words: “It is not about right or wrong, it’s about your truth.”   

 

Maybe there is no real definition of what “Your truth” really means and maybe that is the point.  The reality is that we live in a day and age when truth is determined by one’s experiences and feelings which is nothing new, just a different dress.  So, is there such a thing as “your truth?”  The good news is that the Bible does address the question of truth.

 

The Unknown but Knowable God

Permit me to begin with a story. About 600 hundred years before Paul ever set foot in Athans, there was a plague that came upon Athens that none of their gods could answer or fix.  The leaders of that city learned of a man who was a prophet of what they called the “unknown God.”  They summoned a representative of this unknown god from Crete, and he instructed them what was needed for the plague to be lifted.  This representative requested two flock of sheep be brought — one white flock and one black flock.  He prayed to this unknown God and asked that all the sheep that he caused to lay down to graze, would be sacrificed to this god on a new stone alter.  Well, there were sheep that did lay down to graze, so they were sacrificed on alters to the unknown God and the plague was lifted as a result. 

 

This unknown god was worshiped and then forgotten over time until two of Athens’ elders found one of the altars and refurbished it.  One of the things they had done to this altar was that they etched into it an inscription that read: “TO THE UNKOWN GOD.”  This was the altar the Apostle discovered while walking through Athens.  This was the only God the Athens had no idols for whom they did not create or know.  This is the God who, according to the Bible, “…has planted eternity in the human heart” (Eccl. 3:11b; NLT).

 

What the altar to “THE UNKOWN GOD” teaches us is that we grope around for something to make sense of our world and to discover something more than what is visibly before us.  The reality is that each of us is born spiritually blind just as the Bible states: “...the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4).  It is not all that different with our society’s pursuit of truth. 

 

This whole business about speaking your truth or standing in your truth reminds me of the six blind people who heard about a strange animal, called an elephant, that had been brought into their village.  Because none of them were aware of an elephant’s shape or form they thought they would inspect the creature by touching it. One of the blind men grabbed the elephant’s trunk and said, “This elephant is like a big snake.”  Another blind man felt the elephant’s ear, and said the elephant seemed like the shape of a fan.  Another who felt the elephant’s leg, said, “this creature is a pillar like the trunk of a tree.”  The blind man who placed his hand upon the side of the elephant said it is like a wall that breathes. The blind man who felt its tail, described the elephant as being like a rope.  The blind man who felt its tusk, stated that the elephant is like a spear. 

 

People trying to figure out what truth is or what their purpose is in life are like those blind men. There may have been some truth to what they felt but could not understand what they were touching unless they understood that what was before them was much greater than individual experiences.  We live in a world full of blind men groping in the darkness trying to make sense of it without considering the Creator who made it all.   

 

God is Too Big to Be Manipulated (vv. 22-25)

There was a god to be worshiped for just about every occasion in Athens.  We are told that Paul’s spirit, “...was being provoked within him as he observed that the city was full of idols” (v. 16).  It is important to point out that his spirit was provoked, but it was not because he thought those who worshiped those idols knew better.  The provocation that he felt was not unlike the kind of provocation you might feel if a family was asleep in a house on fire, the provocation you would feel in your spirit would be the recognition that you had a moral obligation to do all that you could to wake the family up and get them out of the house before it was too late. 

 

What we can learn from Paul in the way he addressed the Athens is that he used their culture as a bridge to introduce them to the God they did not know who was too big to be manipulated like the gods they created.  By bringing the gospel to Athens, Paul shared how there was only one true God who was knowable only because He has made Himself known.  He alone “made the world and everything that is in it…” and He, “…does not dwell in temples made by human hands…”(vv. 24-25).  The God who made everything is not served by human hands like the hundreds of idols that filled Athans.  What Paul meant is that the God they thought was unknowable did not need to be cleaned up, polished, or fixed, because as Creator... He cannot be manipulated. As Creator and since He made everything, God is in need of nothing. Not only does the One true God need nothing, but He also cannot be treated as an idol because unlike the idols people create, He alone, “gives to all people life and breath and all things.”  What this means is that God does not adjust or yield to what we think truth is.  Because He is the Creator, by default... we are the creature; manipulating God is as impossible as it is for a statue to manipulate the artist who made it.

 

Apart from God, we are blind and what spiritually blind people are able to see are the shadows of spiritual truth.  People genuinely know that both good and evil exist.  The Greek Mythology of the Athenians proves this as do the stories we read and watch.  I believe that all humans, although spiritually blind, are able to see and sense the reality of the existence of God and his truth.  The Athenians groped in the darkness in pursuit of truth while their only hope was the gospel of Jesus Christ that allows us to know the truth of who God is and how to live in the world He created. 

 

Our Purpose Is Too Significant to Be Ignored (vv. 26-29)

When God created mankind, He created us with a deficiency that could only be met by Him.  Why else would the Apostle write that God created men and women, “if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each of us” (v. 27).  God has created in us a deep longing for Him because He has made us in His image.  In verse 28, Paul said to the Athens: “for in Him we live and move and exist...”  Think about that statement for a moment.  Our living and moving and very existence is found and experienced in God.  In other words, our purpose in life is found in Him.  Every study out there that has been done about the importance of finding your purpose in life reveals how important having purpose is. 

 

We humans are like the farmer who was seen by his neighbor shooting at his barn. As the neighbor got closer to the farmer’s barn, he noticed the many targets panted onto the side of his barn, and at the center of every single target was a bullet hole put there by the farmer’s gun.  The neighbor commented to the farmer: “Wow! You are an amazing marksman, your ability to hit the bullseye from that distance is impressive!  What is your secret, and can you teach me?”  To which the farmer replied: “It is really not that hard, for I first shoot my hole and then I draw the target around it.”  To live life like the Athens or to make up truth as you go without any consideration of who God really is, is to shoot for what we think is important and then draw the meaning of life around it. We shoot for security and then draw the meaning of life around it.  We shoot for relationships and then draw the meaning of life around it.  We shoot for what we think truth should be and then draw the meaning of life around it.  When we do that, we are like the blind person groping around in the darkness only to left with a creation out of our own imagination!  

 

Because the people Paul was speaking to probably had little understanding of the Hebrew Bible, he used the pagan poets of the day to illustrate the truth of God.  So Paul told these guys: see, even those whom you respect have said: “for in Him we live and move and exist...” Which was a statement probably taken from the same guy who 600 years ago introduced the Athenians to the unknown God.

 

The point is that we are not the creator, we are the created.  We live and move and have our being in Him because He is the One who fashioned us, not out of necessity, but out of love.  The most loving thing God could have ever done for you and me is that He created us that we might find our joy in the One in Whom we “live, and move and exist...” (v. 28).  Paul then quoted one of their poets to show that although such poets groped in the darkness, God was not far from them: “for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His descendants.’”  Paul did not stop there: “Therefore, since we are the descendants of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, and image formed by human skill and thought” (v. 29).  In other words, God is not what we make of Him, but instead our purpose, joy, and satisfaction ultimately can only be found in and through Him. 

 

Conclusion

God, the Creator, the Ancient of Day, the One who has and is “declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done” (Isa. 46:9-10) has invited you and I to know Him and to enjoy Him on a level far above the rest of creation, and He did it through His Son, Jesus Christ!  Jesus Christ, the all-sufficient payment who was sacrificed for our sins to reconcile us to God the Father.  What Paul said in conclusion to those gathered on Mars Hill is the equivalent of a mic drop: “So having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent, because He has set a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all people by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30–31).

 

God did not nor is He currently overlooking sin in the same way a negligent parent overlooks the bad behavior of their child.  No! God has and is currently overlooking the sins of people since that salvation is still available to sinners, that the offer of redemption and reconciliation through Jesus Christ is still offered to sinners everywhere. To suggest truth is what you make it is ignorant, to grope for this religion and that religion is to grope in ignorance.  Here is what Jesus said about groping in the dark:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.... And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. (John 3:16-17, 19-20)

 

Today is the day to quit groping in the dark and to take hold of the same Jesus who has declared: “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life” (John 8:12).  He is Him who said: “I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades” (Rev. 1:17b-18).

 

When the people heard this, some believed, but most were dismissive.  Think about the message of the cross for a moment.  For those of us who consider the gospel to be the power of God because we have experienced it as such, ours is a hope that sounds like it was torn right from the pages of mythology.  God got a young virgin girl pregnant by His Holy Spirit so that the child of her womb would be both a god and a man to defeat the forces of evil, fix all the ills of our world, then rule as a King on earth and the way that he would do this is to first allow His god/man child to die the most painful and humiliating death possible.  No wonder the word of the cross sounds so foolish to most people.

 

Yet it is through the message of the cross concerning the historic facts that Jesus both died for our sins and rose for the forgiveness of sin, as outrageous as it may sound, that God is rescuing sin-cursed humans from His just wrath.  Paul had shared the greatest news in the universe with the Athenians, and some, like those in our day, dismissed it as foolish.

 

Truth is truth! Whatever you think “your truth” is, if it is not shaped and informed by the God for Whom, “we live and move and exist...” (v. 28a) is to grope in the darkness of our sin and ignorance. 

 

When it comes to those who do not know Jesus, they are still groping in the darkness of their sin and ignorance.  You cannot expect people who do not know Jesus to do anything but grope in the darkness, but you can point them to the light of who Jesus is! 

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be Put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

 

You, dear Christian, are that preacher God has sent into your home, your neighborhood, into the circle of your friendships, your work, and into your world!  The apostle Paul had beautiful feet.  How beautiful are your feet?  God has called you to bring the light of Jesus into the darkness of your world.  That, my dear friend, is your truth.

What is it about our tribe that we need to make sure it is clear that we are right and everyone else is wrong?  What I mean by “our tribe” is Bible believing, church going, evangelicals who say that we agree with Jesus on everything that He said being right and true.  Just so that there is no misunderstanding about what I mean by the word “our,” I want to be clear that I am including myself in my question about “our tribe.”

 

Let me begin by acknowledging and confessing some things that I know to be true about myself. I have some very strong convictions about some things.  I hold to certain convictions that I hold to that if my heart and mind are left unchecked, I can come off sounding like an arrogant, know-it-all jerk.  There are certain convictions that are good for all people and there are convictions that are good for you.  When it comes to convictions, I believe there are three categories every person has:

1. There are convictions that I have that I believe we need to have.
2. There are convictions that I have that I believe you should
3. There are convictions that I have that I believe are good for me to have.   

 

Convictions that are of “primary” importance are convictions that are so important that to reject those convictions or ignore them is detrimental to biblical orthodoxy (right belief) and orthopraxy (right practice).  Some examples of “primary convictions” include: The origin of the universe, the inerrancy of the Bible as Holy Scripture, the person and work of Jesus Christ (his virgin birth, his suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection), the second coming of Christ to judge the living and the dead, the person and work of the Holy Spirit, and the teaching that God is One and yet three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) while existing as one God (aka the Trinity). 

 

Secondary issues I hold with an open hand because being wrong on such things does not affect my faith and salvation, nor do they have eternal consequences.  Some secondary issues are really important, and you should hold to some level of conviction regarding them. Secondary convictions may be over topics and matters the Bible does address such as the timing of Jesus’ second coming, leadership roles for men and women in the church, and even the age of the universe. 

 

Then there are those convictions we have that come out of a third category primarily related to issues of conscience that the Bible is not as clear about.  In Paul’s day it was over the use and consumption of discounted meat that came from animals sacrificed to idols.  I heard a quote referenced by Tara Leigh Cobble that I really like and believe to be great advice: “Don’t shout where scripture whispers and don’t whisper where scripture shouts.” 

 

This sermon is not about secondary or tertiary level convictions, but it is about what God primarily wants for your life.  What is it that God wants for your life?  We are told in the verses leading up to James 1:19. Here are some of the verses that clue us into what God wants for your life:

God wants your faith to endure: “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (Jas. 1:2–4)

 

God wants you to live wisely: “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (Jas. 1:5)

 

God wants you to walk humbly: “Now the brother or sister of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; but the rich person is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.” (Jas. 1:9–10)

 

God wants you to pursue Him in holiness: “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (Jas. 1:12)

 

Listen to What God Wants to Teach You (vv. 19-21)

What does it mean to be offended?  Based on the English dictionary, to be offended is to be insulted, hurt, or upset.  If I understand the Christian life and how it is that God brings change in our lives, it seems to me that for God to accomplish what He needs to in my life, He must insult my assumptions, wound my ego, and upset the trajectory of my life.  Jesus said, “And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed” (John 3:19-20).  Jesus said that for a person to be “born again” light must invade and overcome spiritual darkness; for that to happen, God must insult, hurt, and upset a person’s life so that they can go from spiritual death to spiritual life!   

 

In James 1:18, we are told: “In the exercise of His will He gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.” The word of truth includes the gospel of Jesus Christ, but it is also all of God’s written Word. We know this because of the way verses 22-27 describe how God uses His word to change and shape the lives of His people.  Spiritual life and new birth cannot happen apart from the good news of Jesus Christ; in Romans 1:16, Paul wrote of the gospel: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”  What is the gospel?  It is this: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

 

What James states in verse 19 is primarily how it is that God uses His word in the lives of His people to live and finish well.  Why does God want this for your life?  Well, again, in verse 18, God used His word (the gospel) so that we can become born again, “so that we would be a kind of a first fruits among His creatures” (v. 18).  Here is the thing about first fruits: The Israelites were commanded to give God the first fruits of their crops which was the best of their crops.  If you are a Christian, you are God’s first fruits, which means you are of great value to Him, and what He wants for you is to thrive as His child!  How one thrives as a child of God begins with James 1:19!  Be “quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger...”

 

What does it mean to be “quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger”?  Be quick to listen to what God has to say... period. Be slow to speak your mind... because God has already spoken.  Because God has spoken, and your opinions and perspective do not carry the same weight... be slow to anger by swallowing your pride.  What He has said is what ultimately matters!

 

What God wants for you is so much more than the time you have remaining with your vapor-like mortal life; this is why James wrote four chapters later: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away” (Jas. 4:13–14). What does He want for you?  Salvation, for you to stand in His wisdom, for you to walk in Christ’s humility, for His word and the Spirit to produce holiness in you! 

 

God uses His word to form and shape His people through the power of His Holy Spirit.  To listen to His word intently will mean that you must let God’s word challenge your assumptions about who He is, how you live your life, and the world you live in.  This is why we must be both slow to speak and slow to anger.  What does that mean?  Well, if you do not like what God’s word says because of what you would like God’s word to say, you must yield your life, heart, and soul to it.  When the word of God confronts you, when it challenges your assumptions, and when it calls you to action, your best course of action is to yield knowing that God wants to accomplish His good will in and through your life for your joy and His glory.  This is how you address, “...all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness” in your life.  This will not happen in your life if you are passive about His word.

 

Learn to Apply What God Wants for You (vv. 22-24)

How can you become “quick to hear”?  How do you become “slow to speak”?  You do so by apply God’s word to your life.  You do so by humbly yielding to the authority of God’s word over your life (v. 21).  You do so by becoming a “doer” of the word, and not just a “hearer” of the word.  Now you may be asking: “But I thought James 1:19 just told us to be quick to listen to God’s word?”  James does say that, for that is where we must begin, but listening to the word of God does us no good if we are not going to do what it says by applying it to our lives. 

 

Being quick to listen to God’s word is both important and necessary, but to listen to it only is like the person, “...who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.” Mirrors are good, but looking into a mirror in the morning will not fix your hair, brush your teeth, or fix whatever needs fixing before you head out the door in the morning.  The point of a mirror is to show you what you need to do.  When you read your Bible, it is telling you what to do, but if your response to reading it is only to read it, then you are like the fool who agrees with what the mirror reveals but does nothing about what he sees. 

 

To be quick to listen is to be slow to speak because you are more concerned about doing something about what you heard from God’s word!  This is why James does not end with verse 24, but continues to verses 25-27,

But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer, this person will be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (Jas. 1:25–27)

 

One pastor said of James’ epistle: “He doesn’t want to know the words you heard on Sunday unless they resulted in action on Monday. If anyone thinks he is religious, his Christianity must be practical (1:26). Vertical worship must have horizontal expression. Your faith must be seen in your conversation, your compassion, and your conduct.”[1] 

 

What is the word of God?  The word of God is, “living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).  What is the word of God?  The word of God is, “inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

 

So, dear Christian, what are you going to do with what you have heard?  What are going to do with the word of God every time you hear it?  God wants to use it along with the power of His Holy Spirit for your endurance, to grow you in living your life wisely, to humble you for the purpose of forming in you a Christ-like character, and to move you towards the kind of holiness He saved you for and is calling you towards. 

 

Conclusion

Now, listen carefully.  You should care deeply about the primary things the Bible addresses and you should care about what others believe about such things like who God is, the person and work of Jesus Christ, the inspiration and authority of God’s word, and what the Bible says about why Jesus came and what it means to follow Him.  We should and must care about all that the Bible teaches and we should care about whether people have heard about the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

 

We should care enough about what the word of God says that we desire and are willing to humble ourselves for the purpose of yielding our lives to what it says.  We should care about being doers of God’s holy word in all that we say and do.  But... and this is a big “BUT”... When it comes to matters of conscience concerning what you think about third tiered matters that rightly have pricked your conscience, but the Spirit of God has not done the same in my life... what matters is what God has said about it, not so much what Keith Miller or anyone else has said about it. 

Now in saying that, it is good and charitable to listen more and talk less when we are discussing matters of conscience.  What I mean is that instead of assuming the worst about a person’s convictions it would be good to listen to why and how that person has arrived with his/her convictions.  It is also wise and charitable to recognize some of your convictions are good for you, but the Spirit of God may not have moved in a similar way in your brother/sister in Christ who loves the same Jesus as you do.  Just because someone does not agree with you does not mean that person is against you. 

 

Permit me to share with you two sets of God’s word that ought to guide every conversation you have about your convictions or the convictions of another brother or sister in Christ:

“Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor. 13:4–7)

 

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well. Let’s not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.” (Gal. 5:22–26)

 

At the end of the day, who cares what you think about Donald Trump, what you think of Joe Biden, what you think about this thing or that thing.  What you think about who said what or what network is better than the other network.  At the end of the day your opinions are just that... opinions.  What matters is what has God said about it and what you are going to do with what He has said. 

 

In closing, let me share something with you that God said that you really should apply to your second and third tier convictions before you feel the desire or need to share those convictions with others:

“Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:13–18)

 

[1] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 1340.

What does it mean to “Forgive and forget” after you have been wronged by someone?  To forgive and forget is to stop blaming someone for something they did and to stop thinking about it.  Maybe you have heard someone say to you: “I forgive you, but I can’t forget...”  What does that really mean?  Can a person forgive and at the same time hold onto the memory of the wrong suffered? 

 

The Bible makes a big deal about forgiving a wrong suffered.  Just in case you are unfamiliar with what the Bible says about forgiving others, let me share a few scripture passages with you:

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you for your offenses.” (Mark 11:25)

 

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also.” (Col. 3:12–13)

 

Included in Jesus’ prayer that He modeled for all Christians is the expectation to forgive others: “Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6:9–13).  Of the seven petitions included in the Lord’s Prayer is the need to forgive those who have sinned against us.  But, just in case there is any confusion as to how serious Jesus is about His followers forgiving others, He followed up his prayer with these haunting words: “For if you forgive other people for their offences, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses” (Matt. 6:14-15). 

 

What Does it Mean to Forgive?

So, what does it mean to forgive and does forgiving a wrong suffered require that you forget it? Peter asked Jesus a question not all that different: “Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive him? Up to seven times?”  In other words, when am I off the hook for having to forgive a person who is a repeat offender?  When is enough... enough?  It is believed that the rabbis in Jesus’ day taught that forgiveness should be limited to three instances of premeditated sin.  If this is true, Peter asked his question about forgiving seven times thinking that seven times was more than generous with a willingness to forgive.

 

Jesus’ answer was not what Peter expected: “Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times.’”  Jesus did not mean 77 times, or 490 times, but an unlimited number of times.  How many times should I forgive the one who sins against me?  As many times as necessary.  Jesus’ answer to Peter’s question leaves us with more questions:

1. Are we supposed to forgive everyone for every offense against us?
2. Are we to forgive even when the person who sinned against us is not sorry?
3. Does Jesus want us to let others take advantage of us?

 

To answer these questions, we need to turn our attention to the parable Jesus told about forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-35. 

 

The Slave Had an Impossible Debt that Could Not be Paid

To further elaborate on His point to Peter, Jesus told a parable to illustrate why forgiving as much as necessary makes more sense than three times or even seven times.  Before we consider the parable, you should note that just before His parable, Jesus explained the process that we are to take when addressing the sins we suffer from others (see Matt. 18:15-20).  If someone sins against us, Jesus told us to go and show that person their fault in private. If we go and that person does not listen, then Jesus said we are to take one or two witnesses in an effort to address that person’s sin.  Ultimately, Jesus said that if a person repeatedly refuses to listen when you try to address their sin, that we are to treat that person as an unbeliever.  So, it is important to understand that Jesus’ parable is not about ignoring the sins of others.

 

According to Jesus’ story, there was a king who wanted to settle accounts.  As the king was seeking to settle accounts, a man was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents, which was the equivalent of about 160,000 years of wages.   If we were the man in Jesus’ story, our debt today would be in the billions of dollars.  Jesus’ point was that it was impossible for the man to pay off his debt.  Nothing the man could do would ever be enough to pay what he owed. So, the king demanded the man be sold into slavery along with his wife and children.  The only recourse the man had was to beg for mercy that his life and the lives of his wife and children be spared: “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything’” (v. 26). We are not told how the slave accumulated his impossible debt, but the fact that it was astronomically high reveals that he deserved justice instead of mercy.  Yet, it was mercy that the master gave the slave: “And the master of the slave felt compassion, and he released him and forgave him the debt” (v. 27). 

 

For the king to forgive the slave of his astronomical debt, the king had to take upon himself the great loss the slave’s debt caused.  The King showed great mercy towards his slave; mercy is when you do not give a person what they actually deserve. 

 

The Slave was Unaffected by the King’s Great Mercy

The mercy the slave received from his master should have changed him.  Because of the great debt that he had been forgiven he should have been a changed man, but he was not.  As soon as he experienced underserved pardon and freedom, we are told that the slave, “...went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe!”  What was owed to the slave was nothing compared to the debt he himself had been forgiven, yet he was unwilling to show any form of mercy to the one who owed him infinitely less.  The irony is that what was owed could have been paid back eventually; it was not unreasonable for the man who owed 100 denarii to promise to pay it back.  Yet even though the man was willing to pay every penny back, the servant who had been forgiven much chose to throw the man in prison until he paid back what was owed.  The paradox is that if you are in prison, then working off a debt is nearly impossible.

 

The great mercy the slave experienced with the cancelation of his impossible debt should have changed him, but it didn’t.  Jesus then concluded his parable with the following sobering words:

“So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their master all that had happened. Then summoning him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ And his master, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he would repay all that was owed him.” (Matt. 18:31–34)

 

If Jesus’ story ended with verse 34, then it would only be a sad story about a slave who remained unaffected by the king’s great mercy.  However, that is not how the story ended.  The story ends with Jesus’ sobering words that serve as a warning to us all: “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart” (v. 35).

 

What Jesus Teaches Us About Forgiveness

It ought to be obvious who the characters are in Jesus’ parable, but in case you are not sure, we are the slave in the story who owed an impossible debt to the king.  The King is the holy God we have sinned against.  The One who made the canceling of our great debt possible is Jesus who suffered in our place for our redemption. 

 

So there are some lessons about forgiveness that I would like to highlight that I think you will find helpful from the life of Jesus that is true if you are a Christian and I want to show you those lessons from Revelation 5.

 

Our sins will no longer be held against us (Rev. 5:6)

In Revelation 5:6, Jesus is presented in heaven as the Lamb of God standing victoriously who had been slaughtered for the sins we committed.  Throughout the Old and New Testaments, Jesus is presented as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).  Jesus did not take part of your sins away; He addressed all of your sins upon the cross where He was slaughtered! 

 

The Lamb of God is standing in Revelation 5:6 because He did not stay dead!  He rose from the grave and stands as our advocate and sin-substitute! He is, “standing, as if slaughtered...” because He bears the marks of the cross as a perpetual reminder that what He accomplished on the cross was and is all that we need!  Because He will forever be known as the Lamb of God who stands as if slaughtered, there will never be a moment in eternity that His great sacrifice for our sins will ever be forgotten. 

 

Now, you may be saying to yourself: “But Pastor Keith, what about those verses in the Bible that say that God forgets our sins?”  Let’s look at some of those verses briefly:

 

• “They will not teach again, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their wrongdoing, and their sin I will no longer remember.” (Jer. 31:34)

 

• “I, I alone, am the one who wipes out your wrongdoings for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.” (Isa. 43:25)

 

• “For I will be merciful toward their wrongdoings, and their sins I will no longer remember.”” (Heb. 8:12)

 

The verses from Jeremiah and Isaiah are promises concerning the New Covenant that God said would come through Jesus.  The passage in Hebrews is a reference to that promise that only Jesus can make possible.  The Hebrew word used in both Jeremiah and Isaiah not only can mean “remember” but it can also mean “named.”  It is not that God forgets from His memory all our sins, it is much better than that!  Because Jesus was slaughtered for our sins, our sins will never be named for the purpose of being held against us.  Our guilt has been taken away, and Jesus bears the marks of the cross for all eternity as a testament to that reality! Now, against the backdrop of that truth, listen to Psalm 104:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our wrongdoings from us.”

 

God does not forget our sins as though He suffers from amnesia, but He has chosen to never hold our sins against us because they were placed upon Jesus in our place. 

 

Principle #1: If you chose to forgive, you chose to no longer hold the offense of that person against him/her.  

 

 

We are the recipients of God’s great mercy (Rev. 5:9-10)

In heaven, the heavenly chorus includes lyrics of a new song about Jesus: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth” (Rev. 5:9–10). 

 

All our deserved hell Jesus endured to make the forgiveness of our sins possible and redemption a reality!  The way that He did it was with the shedding of His blood. In other words, He died for sinners like us.  In 2 Corinthians 5:21, we read that, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  Mercy is not getting what we deserved and what we deserved was condemnation, but praise God that He is a God who is rich in mercy, great in His love, and sufficient in His grace (see Eph. 2:4-9)! 

 

Here is what mercy cost Jesus according to Galatians 3:13-14, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a Tree”—in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3:13–14).

 

Principle #2: We who have received great mercy, are expected to extend mercy even when it is not deserved as citizens of Jesus’ kingdom. 

 

Reconciliation is impossible unless forgiveness is given, and it is received.

This is the final lesson on forgiveness from Revelation 5, and it seems obvious.  Jesus already made redemption and the forgiveness of sins possible for anyone who wants to receive it, but it is not complete for the sinner until it is received by the sinner.  The incalculable scores of angels, along with the 24 elders shout with a loud voice concerning Jesus: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing.”  In response, all of heaven affirms what is already true: “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever” (v. 13).

 

Jesus offers forgiveness through what He already accomplished on the cross and through the empty tomb, but it must be received for reconciliation with God and the forgiveness of our sins to be possible. 

 

When it comes to Jesus’ parable about forgiveness, you alone have to choose to forgive those who have sinned against you, but once you do, you have also chosen to longer hold the offence against that person.  To forgive is an act of mercy that you chose to gift to that person.  However, there is a third principle:

 

Principle #3: Reconciliation cannot be possible unless the person forgiven is willing to receive your forgiveness.  All you can do is forgive those who have sinned against you and to no longer hold their sins against them.

 

If we truly understand what it means to be forgiven of our sins and what it cost Jesus, we will hold short accounts of wrongs suffered knowing that what Jesus suffered on the cross was and is sufficient for those who have sinned aginst us.  Amen.

Have you ever had someone tell you that the motive behind their decision(s) was that “God was leading them?”  Did you ever wonder how it was that they knew God was leading them?  What if He is not leading you and you make that claim?  On some level, does that make you guilty of breaking the 9th Commandment?  In case you have forgotten what that commandment states, here it is: “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Exod. 20:16).  Is it also possible that by using God’s name as an excuse for your choices in life, that you are also guilty of violating the 3rdcommandment, which states: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain” (Exod. 20:7). You need to understand that God is holy, and He is serious about how we treat His name and how we approach Him. 

 

So, how do you know what the will of God is and when is it okay to make the bold declaration that “God is leading you...”? Get some clue how to know God’s will from Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5–6).  But what do you do with all the factors that affect how we humans make decisions such as:

• Cognitive biases: What happens when our decisions are shaped by our biases and affirmed by information and media that confirms our existing beliefs.

 

• Emotional state: How we are feeling can have a tremendous effect on our ability to reason and make decisions.

 

• Cultural factors: The culture you grew up in or the one that surrounds you today can affect your perception of truth and how you make decisions.

 

• Situational factors: Your physical atmosphere, social environment, time constraints, and circumstances that have brought you to your decision all shape the decision-making process.

 

We have so many things competing for our hearts and it can be very difficult to discern what part of the decision-making process is God’s will and leading, and what part is our feelings and wants.  So, how can you decern what the will of God is for your life and choices? I believe Acts 20:17-38 is helpful in that it shows us five things Paul practiced that helped him understand what God’s will was for his life regardless of his feelings and the circumstances that surrounded him.

 

Paul was Concerned About What God’s Word Said About Everything (vv. 20-21, 27).

The reason why Paul spent over two years in Ephesus was for the same reason he completed three missionary journeys, and that was to declare, “...the whole purpose of God.” Paul declared the full counsel of God’s Word while in Ephesus.  Jesus commanded His followers: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations... teaching them to follow all that I commanded you...” (Matt. 28:19-20), and Paul took that command very seriously.  All that Paul had to offer and give to the Ephesians was the Jesus of the Holy Scriptures.

 

Listen, Paul did not just teach and preach the Bible, his life and choices were governed by the Word of God.  How does one get to the place where he or she is able to declare all that is beneficial from the Word of God without first being in the Word of God privately?  What is the goal of being in God’s word?  Paul answered that question in his epistle to the Philippians: “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Phil. 3:10-11).  You will not get to know Jesus if you are not listening to His voice through His word, and if you are not listening to His voice, you will not know His will.

 

Step #1 for knowing the will of God: What does the word of God say about it?

 

Paul Made Sure His Choices Lined Up with the Mission of God (vv. 17-19, 24)

What is the mission of God?  “For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place frankincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be great among the nations,” Declares the Lord (Mal. 1:11)!  John piper wrote in his book, Let the Nations be Glad: “Missions exist because worship doesn’t” and he was right! Paul came to Ephesus because the Ephesians worshiped all kinds of idols, but they did not worship God because they did not know Jesus.  Paul entered Ephesus with a desire to serve the Lord “with all humility and with tears and trials” because his purpose in life was to make Jesus known first and foremost! 

 

Paul did not think he was better than the Ephesians, but because he had a great and accurate view of who God is, he was willing to die to self for the purpose of living for Jesus.  This is what he said in verse 24, “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of God’s grace.”  For Paul, his mission would include bringing the gospel to the gentiles (see Acts 9:1-19).  For you, God’s mission may look different, but the one thing that it does have in common with Paul’s mission is to make Jesus known where He is not known. 

 

If you are a Christian, you have been called into the mission of God.  That does not mean that you must become a missionary, although it may.  What the mission of God means for you is simply this: God has called you to your world, which includes your family, neighborhood, work, and church to use your talents and gifts to reach the lost and partner with your local church to accomplish the mission Jesus gave His Church.  Wherever you find yourself, Jesus said of your redeemed life: “You are the salt of the earth.... you are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13-14).  You are Jesus’ ambassador in your home, in your neighborhood, among your friends, where you work, and as a part of a community of Jesus followers within His Church. 

 

Step #2 for knowing the will of God: Will my decision allow me to continue to participate in God’s mission? 

Paul Was Sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s Leading (vv. 22-23)

Paul was sensitive to the Holy Spirit for two primary reasons: His head and heart were affected by the time he spent in the Word of God, and he strived to walk in a manner worthy of his calling (Eph. 4:1).  The fruit of listening to God’s word and obedience to it, is the filling of the Holy Spirit. From the moment you are born again, you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-24; 16:7), you are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14), and you are baptized by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5).  But with the filling of the Holy Spirit comes power and a sensitivity to His leading; this is what Paul wrote to the Ephesian Church and practiced:

“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Eph. 4:30)

 

“And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit...” (Eph. 5:18)

 

Jesus promised that to every true Christian who sets their hearts to follow Jesus in faith and trust will receive the Holy Spirit Whom He called, “The Helper” (John 14:16-17).  Jesus promised that the ministry of the Holy Spirit will be to, “guide you into all the truth...” (John 16:13).  This is exactly what Paul experienced throughout his lifetime even when others had a hard time understanding it (as we will see in Acts 21:7-14).  This is why he called the elders together before he left Ephesus to tell them how the Holy Spirit was leading him: “And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that chains and afflictions await me” (Acts 20:22–23). 

 

For Paul, the compulsion he had from the Holy Spirit did not mean that he understood or was aware what the total outcome would be for choosing to leave Ephesus, but the call was clear, and he had to go.  Paul also understood that he would not be able to come back: “And now behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face” (v. 25).

 

Sometimes the will of God is a call to leave what is stable and comfortable to a place of uncertainty and danger. Tony Merida, in his commentary on Acts, made the following observation: “The goal of life is not to have a long life but a full life, one lived to the glory of Jesus Christ. For some Christians such faithfulness will involve hardship, persecution, and even martyrdom. Paul’s example here shows how one can endure such experiences: We must value Jesus above everything, and we must rely on the Spirit.”[1]

 

Step #3 for knowing the will of God: Am I walking in step with the Holy Spirit and is He leading me in the decision-making process?  

 

Paul Understood God Was Greater than His Mission (vv. 32-34)

Paul understood two critically important things that are worth considering regarding the will of God: First, God loved the Ephesian Christians infinitely more than Paul ever could.  Second, God didn’t need Paul but chose to use him and would use others in his place after he left.  What was required of Paul and the elders of the Ephesian Church was to trust the God, “Who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number” (Job 5:8-9).

 

With Paul’s departure there would be dangers for the Ephesian Christians, so he warned the elders; he warned them that savage wolves would creep in among them with the intent to destroy them (see vv. 28-31).  Just because God was leading Paul into another season of life and ministry, did not mean that the ministry God used him to establish was safe.  However, for three years, Paul was preparing the elders and the church for the day when God would lead him elsewhere.  Paul also understood that God would provide the church what was needed in the wake of his departure, so he was confidently able to assure them: “And now I entrust you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (v. 32).  What they needed most, Paul gave them... and that was God and His Word. 

 

Step #4 for knowing the will of God: Understand and trust that God is infinitely bigger than you are and is capable of doing “great and unsearchable things...” without your involvement.

 

Paul Was Committed to Prayer (vv. 36-38)

Paul and the elders did not end with hugs and handshakes, but fervent prayer together as brothers committed to the same mission!  It is critically important to note that before there were any goodbyes, before the decision was official, before Paul got on the boat, he and the leaders of the church prayed.  Verses 36-38 are such a touching conclusion to Acts 20 as it is a reminder that there is no point in going anywhere if God is not leading you and although He may be leading you, it does not mean that it will be easy; consider these verses again: “When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they all began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship.”

 

This was not the first time Paul, and the elders, prayed about where God was leading, based on what we know of Paul’s life, prayer was the culture of his life.  Because it was the culture of his life, he was not getting on any boat before they prayed together!  Ephesians 6:18-19 gives us a glimpse into the prayer life of the apostle: “With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints...” (Eph. 6:18).  Regarding his departure, Paul prayed all the time, with all persistence, for the glory of God and the good of Christ’s Church!  It is important to also understand that Paul did not pray alone but prayed with those his decision affected most. 

 

Step #5 for knowing the will of God: Bathe your life and choices with prayer with a willingness to die to what you want for the purpose of living for God and His mission for your life.

 

Conclusion

You should know that when you follow the will of God for your life, it may not always be easy, comfortable, or agreeable for those in your life and world.  It will be hard on both those who love you and agitating for those who do not share your love for God and Christ-centered world view.  The safest and most secure pathway forward is to follow Jesus.  When Paul arrived at Ptolemais, he stayed with Philip and while with him, a prophet by the name Agabus took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this ways the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles’” (Acts 21:7-11). 

 

When everyone in the house heard what Agabus said to Paul, they begged him not to go up to Jerusalem because they loved him.  Agabus did not say anything Paul did not already know, but it was painful for those who loved Paul to hear and accept.  Paul’s response was both tender and firm: “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13).  At this point Paul’s decision was affirmed by the Word of God, the mission of God for his life, the prompting and leading of the Holy Spirit, a confidence in God’s sovereignty and power, and a decision bathed in prayer, so he was sure of what God’s will was for his life and he could not be persuaded.  Those who loved Paul saw this: “And since he would not be persuaded, we became quiet, remarking, ‘The will of the Lord be done!’” (v. 14).

 

So, before you declare that “God is leading you” to take that new job, enter into a relationship or marriage, or to move from anywhere to anywhere be sure to check what you are considering against the same five checkpoints we see in Paul’s life:

 

1. What does the Word of God say about your decision? If God’s word speaks against it, then it is not God’s will for your life.

 

1. Will my decision allow me to continue to participate in God’s mission? If your decision will further remove you from God’s mission and His people, then it may not be the will of God for your life.

 

1. Are you sure the Holy Spirit is leading you? If you are not living in obedience to God, your perspective of what God’s will for your life may be severely perverted.

 

1. Do you really believe that God can do “great and unsearchable things...” without your involvement but wants to use you anyway and that He is about His glory for your good?

 

1. Did you pray with open hands before God almighty concerning His will for your life related to whatever is before you?

 

Paul’s decision to leave Ephesus ultimately resulted in his martyrdom in Rome, but if he did not leave, he would not have written Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, Philippians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus... and those glorious epistles would not have been included in our Bibles as holy Scripture.  

 

[1] Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Acts (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 315.

Introduction (Bruce Almighty movie clip)

It is possible that you are here today and are wondering how and why it is that a good God would allow some of the hard things you were forced to experience so far.  Maybe you have said or identify with Bruce’s description of his own experience with God: “God is a mean kid sitting on an anthill with a magnifying glass, and I'm the ant. He could fix my life in five minutes if He wanted to, but he'd rather burn off my feelers and watch me squirm.”

 

If God is good, and if he is infinitely and perfectly sovereign… how and why does He allow so much suffering in the world?  How is it that He allows so much evil when he is the measure of all that is holy and good?  There seems to be a great divide between the God we read about in our Bibles and the world we live in.  What are we supposed to do with the confusion, disappointment, anger, evil, and suffering God has allowed into our lives?  Is it okay to be angry with God when we suffer?  I plan to answer the above questions, but we must start with the nature and character of God as He revealed Himself to Moses after 40 years in the desert as a fugitive of Egypt after he murdered one of Pharoah’s guards. 

 

Moses’ Encounter with a Holy God

Here is what you need to know about what led up to Moses’ experience with the burning bush.  God made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and then to Jacob that their children would become His people; the promise was threefold and included the promise of land, the increase of their people, and that their people would eventually be a blessing to the nations.  However, God also promised that they would spend years in a land where they would be afflicted (see Gen. 15:13; Exod. 12:40-41).

 

When Moses was born, the Hebrew people had spent centuries living in Egypt.  The Hebrew people were first welcomed as honored guests under Joseph (one of the sons of Jacob) who was second to Pharaoh, but as the years past, so did the memory of Joseph.  The Hebrews eventually became the slaves of another Pharaoh; he was so threatened by the birth rate of the Hebrews, that he implemented infanticide as the law of the land and wrote into law that every Hebrew son born was to be thrown into the Nile.  Moses’ mother refused to murder her baby, so she kept his birth a secret until she could not do so any longer; she put baby Moses in a basket covered with tar and pitch, put him in it, and floated it down the Nile where Pharaoh’s daughter eventually found the basket with baby Moses whom she raised as her own. 

 

Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s house, but he was also aware of his roots as a Hebrew man.  We know that Moses had a temper, and on two occasions, it cost him much.  On one such occasion, after seeing an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, Moses killed the Egyptian and buried his body in the sand (see Exod. 2:11-12). When Moses learned that others knew that he killed the Egyptian, he fled and hid in the land of Midian.  Moses spent the next 40 years of his life in Median, got married, and worked for his father-in-law Jethro.

 

What We Learn About God Through Moses’ Encounter

Before we can answer where or not it is okay to be angry with God, we need to consider the God who found Moses in Midian; against the backdrop of Joseph’s 13 years of suffering, the generations of slavery the Hebrews suffered in Egypt, and Moses’ 40 years in Midian. 

 

God is Holy: He is not like us.

Moses approached the burning bush not only because it was weird, but because God called to him, “from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses! Moses!” Moses’ response was simple: “Here I am.”  Notice that as Moses got closer to the burning bush, God said to him, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”  What made the ground holy?  The presence of God made it holy.  As R.C. Sproul wrote in his timeless and classic book, The Holiness of God: “God alone is holy in Himself.  Only God can sanctify something else. Only God can give the touch that changes it from the commonplace to something special, different, and apart.”[1] 

 

Now, just so that you are aware, it is not only Moses, a mere mortal human, who must remove his sandals in the presence of holiness.  The seraphim whose sole purpose is worship above the throne of God are not exempt from the kind of respect and reverence that was expected of Moses in the presence of the Holy One. Isaiah was invited into the throne room of Almighty God, and this is what he saw:

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim were standing above Him, each having six wings: with two each covered his face, and with two each covered his feet, and with two each flew. And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of armies. The whole earth is full of His glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. (Isa. 6:1–4)

 

The great Seraphim must cover their face and their feet in the presence of a Holy God even though they have not been stained by sin, but because they, like us, are creatures and God is the Creator.  Isaiah’s response before the Holy One was appropriate: “Woe to me, for I am ruined!”  Moses’ response was not only to remove his sandals, but to hide his face, “for he was afraid to look at God” (v. 6).  Why?  Because God is holy, and we are not.  God is not like us.

 

God is Omniscient: He sees the big picture.

When we come to verse 6, God let Moses who it was that was speaking to him: “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”  And just as God was intimately acquainted with the lives of Moses’ forefathers, He was aware of the suffering of Moses’ kinsmen in Egypt: “I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings” (v. 7). 

 

When the Hebrews entered into Egypt, they were the size of a small clan, but after hundreds of years in Egypt, they had become the size of a small nation.  When Moses fled to Midian, he was a 40-year-old used to royalty; the Moses who stood before the burning bush was any eighty-year-old shepherd.  What the Hebrews did not understand, and what Moses could not have fathomed was that God was using the ugly, the hard, and the pain for something far greater than they could have imagined.  God was aware of their suffering all along, and now in that moment was the right time to, “rescue them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from the land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey...” (v. 8) just as He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob centuries before. 

 

So, God said to Moses: “And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt” (v. 10).  To which, Moses appropriately responded: “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”  All that the Hebrews could see was their slavery and suffering; all that Moses could see was his failures and incompetence.  What God saw was that He alone can use the foolish to shame the wise and the weak to shame the strong (see 1 Cor. 1:26-31).  What God saw was that His timing was infinitely better because He saw the big picture. 

 

God is Faithful: He keeps His promises.

Remember that the Hebrew slaves in Egypt were surrounded by an Egyptian culture that worshiped Egyptian gods who were not gods, but demons (see Deut. 32:17).  Moses questioned what name he was to give to the Hebrew slaves if they were to ask Who it was that sent Moses to deliver them (v. 13). Here is God’s answer: “And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (v. 14).  Then God continued: “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is the name for all generations to use to call upon Me” (v. 15). In other words, God told Moses: “You tell them that Yahweh sent you!”

 

At the heart of God’s answer are four facts about His nature for why the Israelites should believe the He could and would deliver them:

1. Yahweh is self-existent and not dependent. God was unlike the Egyptian gods who were created by their own culture.  Yahweh is the Elohim over elohims.  The great I AM was bigger than the plight of the Israelites as He is greater than any trouble in our own lives.

 

1. Yahweh is creator and sustainer. Who wrote the Law of Thermodynamics?  Who governs the laws of gravity? Who grants the Sun permission to get up in the morning?  Who gave the song for the birds to sing?  Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills?  Who brings men into power, raises nations into prominence and then brings them to naught?  Is it not the great I AM who keeps His covenant promises. 

 

1. Yahweh is unchanging. Yahweh is the great I AM whose personality does not change. He does not suffer from a multi-personality disorder.  He does not change with the ideas of his devotees.  He is unmovable because He does not change. Because Yahweh is unchanging, He is constant unlike the gods of the Egyptians or whatever idol we may have set up in our own heart.

 

1. Yahweh is eternal. Because He is the great I AM, Yahweh will never have a beginning nor will he ever have an end.  Even though the fool has said there is no God, Yahweh is absolute reality with nothing before or after Him. The great I AM does not sleep, slumber, slack off, or slip into a daydream stupor.

 

What God told Moses is this: “Moses, you tell My people that the Covenant Keeper who promised their forefathers that He would make them into a great nation, would give them land as a nation, and would make them a blessing to the nations... you tell them the Faithful and Living One sent you!”  God keeps His promises because He alone is faithful even when we are not.

 

Conclusion

So, the question you may still be asking is whether it is or is not okay to be angry with God?  Is it okay to be angry with He who is Holy and infinitely unlike us creatures?  Is it okay to be angry with the One who sees and knows all things perfectly?  Is it okay to be angry with the One who keeps His covenant promises because He is faithful while we are faithless time and time again?  Is it okay to be angry with Yahweh who is Almighty God? 

 

As you know, God did use Moses to lead the Hebrews out of the bondage of slavery from Egypt, and He did it miraculously and profoundly.  Yet, even after God delivered them, Moses found himself shepherding and leading a people who demonstrated over and over again just how faithless they really were.  After their grievous sin of idolatry with the golden calf, Moses pleaded with God for mercy for His people who sinned, and God granted it.  In Exodus 33:17-34:9 we are given a glimpse into Moses’ heart as a shepherd absolutely in love with Yahweh, and in that exchange asked to see God.  God told Moses that he could not see His face and live, but this is what God did say He would do: “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion to whom I will show compassion” (Exod. 33:19).

 

When God did pass, He hid Moses in the cleft of a rock, and allowed His goodness to pass by him and when it did, Moses heard God proclaim of His goodness: “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth; who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations” (Exod. 34:6–7).  So, what does God’s goodness include?  It includes His mercy, patience, faithfulness, truth, and grace.  But it also includes His justice and wrath in response to sin. 

 

So, again I ask you: “Is it okay to be angry with the God who is Holy and infinitely unlike us creatures?  Is it okay to be angry with the God who sees and knows all things perfectly?  Is it okay to be angry with a holy God who is faithful while we are faithless time and time again?  Is it okay to be angry with Yahweh who is Almighty God?”  Let me reframe the question for you: If God is infinitely good and we are the ones who need to improve upon being good, do we have any right to be angry with God? 

Now, think about the effects anger has on a relationship.  When you are angry with someone because you believe you have been wronged by that person, it interferes with communication.  Anger towards a friend or a member of your family often drives a wedge between you and that person.  Anger typically results in the one offended distancing himself/herself from the person who wronged them. 

 

If there is no need for God to improve, especially in being good, then to suggest that it is okay to be angry with Him is to suggest that it is okay to accuse Him of wrongdoing.  Psalm 145 is a great Psalm to visit while suffering or confused why God would allow you to suffer; verses 8-9 say the following: “The Lord is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and great in mercy.  The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works.”  Again in Psalm 145:17-18, “The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His works.  The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” 

 

I have head Christians and Pastors console the suffering and confused: “It is okay to be angry with God.”  To which I ask, “How is it okay to be angry with He who is infinitely holy, how is it okay to be angry with Him who sees all while my vision is limited, how is it okay to be angry with the Almighty whose faithfulness has been proven time and time again while my faithfulness has been found wanting more than I count?”

 

Listen dear friend, not only are we not given permission in all of Scripture to be angry with God, but we also have no right to be angry with Him.  Here is what is permitted and even expected by God: We can be confused, frustrated, and even hurt emotionally.  If God is infinitely good, which He is, then we can run to Him with our confusion, we can run to Him with our frustration, and we can run to Him with our wounded and bleeding hearts knowing that even though we can’t see His goodness in and through our pain, we can trust that He is still good and will turn it around in His way and in His time for His glory and our good!  

 

After Moses experienced the goodness of God when His glory passed by while he was in the cleft of the rock, Moses responded on behalf of the sins of Israel: “If in any way I have found favor in Your sight, Lord, please may the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our wrongdoing and our sin, and take us as Your own possession” (Exod. 34:9).

 

Dear brothers and sisters, if your faith and trust is in Jesus as proof of God’s infinite goodness, then my plea to you is not to run from Him in anger but to him with all your pain, confusion, and frustration.  Run to the God of Romans 8:28-32,

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

 

[1] Sproul, R.C., The Holiness of God (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers; 1998), 39.

I have officiated dozens of funerals over the years as a pastor, which means that I was involved in the planning of the service, the delivery of a sermon, and some form of committal service involving the burial of the deceased’s body or placement of the ashes of those bodies that were cremated.  The first funeral I officiated was that of my 47-year-old father and since I have been responsible for burying people of all ages as young as grade school to the oldest who was 101 years old.  I have been asked to memorialize people from all walks of life, many of whom loved and walked with Jesus as fellow Christians and some who were not Christian.  The one thing that every one of the funerals and memorial services I officiated have in common is that every family and friend of the diseased who asked me to officiate the service of their loved one believed and articulated their belief that he/she was in a better place. 

 

Just as the old spiritual is true: “Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.”  So, it is true that we will grope for reasons to believe that our loved ones are in a better place regardless of what they believed or even how they lived.  Most people do not want death for anyone they love, and when death does come, we want heaven for those we love. 

 

After officiating so many funerals, I had come to the place in my experience as a pastor that I believed that I had experienced just about everything there was to experience related to funerals and grieving family member.  I am old enough and have seen enough to know better.  I remember Ian White’s family who reached out to Northwest Baptist Church (the first church I served as the Lead Pastor in Colorado).  Ian was not a Christian, nor was his family; he was found dead on the front steps of his apartment and was 34 years old.  I remember their response when I sat down with them to plan Ian’s memorial service and their request after I asked if they would like a song or two for those present to sing in honor of Ian’s life.  I expected something like Amazing Grace, but Ian’s family wanted everyone to sing Free Birdby Lynyrd Skynyrd.  

 

I remember a woman who started attending the church I planted in Colorado and the grief she carried with her with the death of her husband.  I still remember the Sunday she wanted me to know that her dead husband was with her.  In that moment I thought she meant his spirit or memory, but no... I discovered what she meant when she opened her purse to show me the urn that contained the ashes of her deceased husband. She brought the urn with her every Sunday she came, and I believe that she even sat her husband’s urn on the chair next to her.  I guess for this woman, the better place for her husband was in her purse.  

 

How do you know if a person who has died is really in a better place?  What evidence does one have to make such a claim? 

 

 

What Happens After We Die?

One of the things I say at every funeral is that when we die, we will experience the immediate judgment we are warned about throughout the Bible.  In Hebrews 9:27-28, we have one such warning: “And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”  But what kind of judgment are we destined to face? 

 

To begin, you need to know that there are two types of judgment every human will face, the first has to do with where our disembodied soul must go, which is temporary.  The second judgment we will all face is permanent.  For the Christian, the day that you die will be the moment you will be in the presence of Jesus just as we are promised in the Bible: “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight—but we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:6-8).  

 

Jesus told a parable in the Gospel of Luke about a rich man who lived a life of luxury while ignoring the poor man by the name of Lazarus (not to be confused with Jesus’ friend who Jesus raised to life in John 11:1ff.).  In Jesus’ parable, both men died; Lazarus’ soul went to where Abraham’s soul dwelled while the rich man’s soul went to Hades where he suffered torment.  Of Hades, the rich man begged for a drop of water to ease his torment because, his words: “I am in agony in this flame” (see Luke 16:19-31).  Before Jesus told His parable about the rich man and Lazarus, He said this about money: “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Luke 16:13).  The rich man was not in hell because he ignored Lazarus, he was in hell because he loved his money more than God.  Had he loved God, he would not have been able to ignore Lazarus. 

 

Jesus spoke more about hell than he did about love or heaven, and he did so for a reason.  He spoke so much about hell because he came, “…to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).  The reason why Jesus described the distance between the rich man in hell and Lazarus in heaven as a “great chasm” is because hell is the place where those are sent who, “will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:9).  Jesus described the place the rich man went to immediately after he died in the following ways: A place of torture (Matt. 18:34), a place where the wicked are cut to pieces (Matt. 24:51), and a place of scourging (Luke 12:47-48), a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 8:12; 13:42; 24:51; Luke 13:20), and a place of outer darkness (Matt. 22:13; 25:30).   

 

Just as there is a new heaven and earth that is promised to the Christian, at the same time there will exist the lake of fire where the devil and his demons will be cast into forever.  The lake of fire is described as a place where, “...their worm will not die and their fire will not be extinguished; and they will be an abhorrence to all mankind” (Isa. 66:24b).  In Revelation 20:11-15 we are told of a second judgment that we all will face:

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.... Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

 

There are only one of two outcomes every person will face the moment of death: eternal life with Jesus that will eventually include a physical resurrection and life on a new and resurrected earth, or eternal death apart from Jesus that will eventually result in eternity in the lake of fire.  Neither the lake of fire nor a resurrected life with Jesus on a new earth are temporary, but eternal. 

 

So, the question we need to answer is if it is true that every person who dies is in a better place? 

 

Jesus Is the Hope of a Better Place

There are scores of Bible passages we could have looked at today to discover whether it is true or not that all people eventually go to a better place after they die, but I thought we could settle on Revelation 1:12-18.  For me, this is one of the most hopeful and encouraging passages in all the Bible!  In verses 12-16, we are given certain details about Jesus to clue us into who He really is.  There is a lot packed into these verses that we simply do not have the time to examine, but there are some things that I must show you in order to address the topic of this sermon.

 

Jesus is a Better High Priest

First, Jesus is a better priest. Every year, on the Day of Atonement, a high priest would go into the temple in Jerusalem to enter a place called the “Holies of Holies” to bring a sin offering into the presence of God on behalf of Israel.  The high priest would do it with a rope around him just in case he died, and his corpse had to be pulled out due to any sin not yet addressed in his own life before entering.  The High Priest wore a long robe and was fitted with a type of belt or sash that was laced with gold.  Once a year, every year, the High Priest would act as a representative and advocate for all of Israel. 

 

As you know, Jesus died on a cross as “the Lamb of God” for our sins; when John turned to see the voice that was speaking, He saw Jesus dressed as a High Priest because the sacrifice He made was sufficient to cover all our sins for all time, once and for all.  For this reason, Hebrews describes Jesus in the following way: “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things having come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by hands, that is, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all time, having obtained eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:11-12).

 

Jesus is the Only Sufficient Savior

What follows in verses 14-17 are characteristics which reveal why Jesus is sufficient to redeem and save sinners such as us.  First, His hair is white like wool and as bright as snow because He is profoundly and divinely wise.  Yes, Jesus is fully man, but He is also fully God; Jesus is the Son and at the same time He is the ancient of Days with all the wisdom of eternity (see Dan. 7:9-14). Second, Jesus’ eyes were “like a flame of fire” which speak of His ability to see and know all things as God can only do.  Third, His feet were like burnished bronze to symbolize His omnipotent strength to judge the nations, crush Satan, and triumph over death as the author and giver of life.  Forth, Jesus holds the seven stars that serve as the seven messengers to the churches of which He holds in the palm of His hand; the point is that Jesus is also divinely sovereign.  Fifth, out of the mouth of the Savior comes a sharp two-edged sword symbolizing His right to Judge as King of kings and Lord of lords.  Sixth, the face of Jesus shines like a powerful sun because of His holiness, majesty, and absolute beauty as One worthy of our worship because He is God. 

 

Jesus is presented in Revelation 1:14-16 in the way that He is because of what Adam lost in the garden due to his sin and rebellion; Jesus is the only One qualified to redeem what was lost, for He is the second and greater Adam who is fully man and fully God in one Person.  Simply put, because of Adam’s sin, we are sinners under a curse that God alone is able to sufficiently and completely reverse; Jesus was qualified to do just that!

 

Jesus is the Great I AM

The One titled the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5), the Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8), the Pioneer and Perfecter of our Faith (Heb. 12:1-2), and the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16), is “the first and the last.”   Where else have we seen that kind of language: “I am the first and the last”?  I will tell you!  We see it in a host of passages, but Isaiah 44:6 will suffice: “This is what the Lord says, He who is the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of armies: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.’”  Because He is the “first and the last” He conquered death because, as the Living One, “...it was impossible for Him to be held in its power” (Acts 2:24).

 

When John saw Jesus, he fell at His feet like a dead man, but Jesus declared to him: “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore...” John had no reason to fear because Jesus stood as a greater High Priest on John’s behalf, He was the sufficient savior John spent a lifetime following, and Jesus was the only One qualified to pay the penalty for John’s sin by becoming a curse in his place.  John not only believed this, but trusted that Jesus was all that he needed, and that is why he had not need to fear.  

 

Conclusion

This Jesus is the “Almighty” and the “Alpha and Omega” (Rev. 1:8; 22:12-13).  He is the “Author of Life” (Acts 3:15).  He is the Bread from Heaven (John 6:32), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), and the Bright Morning Star (Rev. 22:16).  He is the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4) and He is the Deliverer (Rom. 11:26).  He is the Good Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm (John 10:11).  He is the rightful Heir of All Things (Heb. 1:1-2).  Jesus is the Holy and Righteous One (Acts 3:14), the Horn of our Salvation (Luke 1:69), and the Great I Am (John 8:58-59).  He is the Light of the World (John 8:12), the Gate for the Sheep (John 10:7), the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), and He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)! 

 

If all who die eventually go to a better place when there exists a very real hell designed by God for the punishment of sinners, then why did Jesus who is the “first and the last” willingly take on flesh to become like us for the purpose of dying for us to redeem sinners like us? 

 

If some don’t go to a better place, but most “morally good” people do, then why did Jesus say in conclusion to His sermon on the mount: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13-14). 

 

If religious people end up going to a better place, then why did Jesus warn us of the following possibility? “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (Matt. 7:22-23).

 

If there is another way to a better place other than through and with Jesus, then why in the world did He so confidently and boldly declare the following:

“If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, this is the one who will save it. For what good does it do a person if he gains the whole world, but loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels.” (Luke 9:23-26)

 

There is a judgment we must all face.  The verdict from the moment of conception is this: “...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), and judgment for our guilt: “The wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our lord.”

What I mean by the statement, “All dogs go to heaven”, is really a question I have been asked numerous times by both young and old: “Will my pet go to heaven when it dies?”  I want to do my best to answer that question, but I want you to know that my answer will also address a much broader question related to what God’s ultimate plan is for his creation.  We know what His plan is for humanity, but do you know if God’s plan of redemption includes animals? 

 

Let me begin by stating some things that could not be any clearer from the Bible and then we will dive into Psalm 8.  So, here is what I know beyond a shadow of a doubt:

1. The Bible assures us that God is the giver of every good thing (James 1:17); what this means is that God is not the taker of every good thing. When Nathan was five years old, we got him a kitten because we believed that he would enjoy having a cat.  You have given gifts to your children out of your love for them as well.  Here is what Jesus said about what we do for our children: “If you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him” (Matt. 7:10–11)!

 

1. God is so good that there is no room for improvement for Him to be better. I already mentioned James 1:17 but listen to what the verse actually states: “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”  In Psalm 106, we are told to “give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy is everlasting” (v. 1). According to Psalm 145, God is “righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His works” (v. 17).  Because there is no room for improvement, God is not trying to get it right in the way He exercises His goodness.

 

However, we live in a reality where the curse of sin is inseparable from our human experience and sorrow and sighing are like the compounds that come out of the curse that suck the joy out of life.  You may even feel like Bruce from the movie Bruce Almighty in the way he described God: “God is a mean kid sitting on an anthill with a magnifying glass, and I'm the ant. He could fix my life in five minutes if He wanted to, but he'd rather tear off my feelers and watch me squirm.”

 

So, let’s walk through Psalm 8 together with the hope that there is enough in these verses to help us gain a fuller appreciation of what God is doing with this sin-cursed world. 

 

A Good God Created a Grand Creation

I love the way the Bible begins: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters” (Gen. 1:1–2). The earth was a “formless and desolate emptiness” until God spoke.  He did not speak out of any need, for He was perfectly content within the fellowship of Himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  God was not lonely or bored, nor was He obligated to speak and create.  No, God created because He wanted to, and He wanted to create because He was motivated by love. Out of love, God desired to share that which nothing else could top or compare, which was Himself.  God was motivated by love to share Himself with us. 

 

Our solar system is estimated to be about 12 trillion miles wide. The diameter of our sun is estimated to be 109 times the size of our earth, and if you were to drive from the Sun to Pluto, it would take an estimated 6,000 years to complete the trip.  If that were not enough, you should know that our galaxy, the Milky Way, contains thousands of solar systems like ours.  On our little planet, in our vast galaxy, lives just over 8 billion people.  The renown astronomer, Carl Sagan, died believing that there was no compelling evidence for the existence of a Judeo-Christian-Islamic God, and said of our earth and the universe: “If we are alone in the Universe, it sure seems like an awful waste of space.” 

 

David, in Psalm 8, answers Carl Sagan’s question, and if only Sagan could have opened his eyes to see what David saw: “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, You who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!”  If you are wondering if the universe is too big if life on earth is all there is, the answer is a resounding “NO!”  The universe is the size that it is because it is testifying to the majesty and splendor of the One who spoke all of it into existence. 

 

The God who spoke all things into existence out of the overflow of His love and goodness is not only knowable but created us with purpose! 

 

A Grand God Created Mankind in His Image with Purpose

There is only one creature of all the creatures created that was created in the image of God, and that creature is all of humanity.  On the sixth day, after God created the animal kingdom and everything else, He created Adam and Eve: “Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth” (Gen. 1:26). 

 

To Adam and Eve, God gave them the responsibility to manage His creation as His image bearers.  Humans were commissioned and commanded to care for creation and at the same time add to creation by filling the earth with humans like themselves.  We are not a part of the animal kingdom; we stand above the animal kingdom as stewards of what Almighty God created!  King David marveled over this magnificent reality in his psalm: “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place; what is man that You think of him, And a son of man that You are concerned about him” (Ps. 8:3–4)?  David does not stop there, for what he says in the following verses ought to be enough to answer what place your pet has in the universe: “You have him rule over the works of Your hands; You have put everything under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the animals of the field, The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas” (vv. 6–8).

Adam and Eve were commanded to manage the Garden, to be fruitful and multiply, and not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  As you know, they ate the forbidden fruit from that one tree, and by eating the fruit they brought a curse upon God’s creation.  As a result, all of creation was cursed as the Scriptures testify: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned...” (Rom. 5:12).

 

There is only one creature who bears the image of God, and that creature is mankind.  As image bearers of the living God, we were created to live forever.   There is a part of us that lives on after death known as our soul which is also referred to as our spirit (not to be confused with the Holy Spirit).[1]  Unlike the rest of creation, humans have a soul that only God is able to destroy.  So, when it comes to death, our soul lives on even after our body dies, but death for the Christian is not the end as we are assured from the Bible:

For we know that if our earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed, in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, since in fact after putting it on, we will not be found naked. For indeed, we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. (2 Cor. 5:1–4)

 

So, when your pet dies, there is no immaterial part of them that lives on because they do not bare the image of God and therefore do not have a soul.  What this means is that when your pet does eventually die, regardless of the behavior, there is no eternal punishment or eternal life waiting for them... they simply cease to exist.  The only creature that is born and lives in active rebellion towards God are humans.  Unlike the animal kingdom, sin is now a part of our nature.

 

A Good and Gracious God Has Provided Redemption Through a Second and Perfect Adam

Now, remember what I said at the beginning of my sermon: “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights...” (Jas. 1:17).  God is a good God who is the giver of every good thing, not the taker of every good thing!  After Adam and Eve sinned, they were promised a Descendant who would reverse the curse of sin.   A second and more perfect Adam was promised who would come to reverse the curse of sin: “For if by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17). 

 

The second and more perfect Adam was also promised to David who wrote Psalm 8!  God assured David, “When your days are finished and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Sam. 7:12–13).  What will this second and more perfect Adam do? According to Jeremiah 23:5-6, He will “reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land....”  Oh, and the Name by which the Son of David will also be called will be, “The Lord Our Righteousness.” 

 

In Isaiah we are promised that when He reigns as King, “He will judge between the nations, and will mediate for many peoples; and they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives.  Nation will not lift up a sword against nation, and never again will they learn war” (Isa. 2:4).  The second Adam would, be born of a virgin as fully human and fully diving: “...a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”  When the second Adam comes to reign as King, His reign will bring the kind of peace only God is capable of restoring:

...the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and fattened steer will be together; and a little boy will lead them.  Also the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.... They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isa. 11:6-7, 9)

 

When it was announced by the angels to the shepherds that the promised King was born, it was declared to them: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). Jesus, as the second and better Adam, humbled Himself by, “taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.... He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross” (Phil. 2:7-8).  He was born to live the perfect life we could not live to die the death we all deserved.

 

There is only One who is qualified to reverse the curse of sin, and it was and is Jesus!  In Revelation 21:5, we are told that through His death and triumphant victory over death, that He is making all things new! This is what we all want and what all of creation is longing for!  We long for a day without the dark cloud of the curse of sin.  This is why Paul wrote,

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Rom. 8:18-21)

 

When Jesus entered into Jerusalem the week before He was to be crucified for the sins of mankind, the children in the temple area shouted something that irritated the chief priests and scribes.  As Jesus entered into Jerusalem, the children shouted: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (see Matt. 21:15-16).  The chief priests and scribes said to Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”  What were the children saying?  They were celebrating the promised second Adam, the “righteous Branch of David”, and the One who is to be called “The Lord our Righteousness” (see Jer. 23:5-6).  Guess how Jesus answered the irritated religious leaders who were concerned about what the children were saying?  He answered them by quoting Psalm 8:2, here is what He said: “Yes. Have you never read [chief priests and scribes], ‘From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?”

 

Do you realize what Jesus said to the chief priests and scribes? He was essentially saying that although Adam made a mess of creation through his sin in the Garden, there was a “Son of Man” who was made a little lower than the angels and God when He willingly took on human flesh to become fully human while remaining fully God at the same time!  Jesus did this for the purpose of redeeming mankind through His cross for our sins, and by doing so, made redemption possible for all creation, and this is the point of Psalm 5, “Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty!”  Do you hear Philippians 2 in Psalm 8?

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:8-11)

 

Now, against the backdrop of Philippians 2:8-11, listen what Psalm 8:7-8 promises: “You have him rule over the works of Your hands; You have put everything under his feet, All sheep and oxen, And also the animals of the field, The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.”  All of creation, including your pets, are eagerly awaiting for the completion of our redemption because when it happens to us, creation will enjoy the good and faithful reign of the second Adam over them as well, and when He comes to do that, He will make all things new and it is what He will restore that all of creation is longing for:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

 

And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”

 

On the Day Revelation 21 becomes our reality, all that was lost, will be restored and it will be even better than the Eden the first Adam lost!  I am not sure if that means He will restore and make new your pet that was lost to the curse, but I do know that it will be better!  The glory we will be crowned with will be the glory of King Jesus when, “There will no longer be any curse...” (Rev. 22:3).  We will “obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away” (Isa. 51:11)!  The great hope of our future is not who is in office as our president, but the King who is coming to restore all that was lost through the first Adam.  Christian, because you belong to the second Adam, you can declare with David: “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!”

 

[1] Soul and spirit are used synonymously in the Bible (e.g. Acts 7:54-60; Matt. 10:28).

All people want to be happy.  I have spent a lot of time with people as a pastor, and the majority of couples and individuals who met with me over the years did so because they longed to be happy.  It is also true that the motivation for couples seeking marriage or divorce, the desire for a new job or the determination to quit a job, what led to substance abuse or a willingness to break an addiction is all the same: the desire to be happy. In fact, there have been people who claimed to be Christians who sought marriage, divorce, drugs, freedom from addiction, debt, and freedom from debt out of the belief that God wanted them to be happy.

 

How about you?  Do you believe God wants you to be happy?  Do you believe that the ends justify the means to achieve and experience the happiness you believe God wants for you?  Maybe you are asking any one of the following questions: 

“I am unhappy where I live, if I have the means to do so, can I move so that I can be happier?”

 

“I am tired of driving the same old car, should I buy a new one that will make me happier?”

 

“I feel unfulfilled where I work, can I look for a new job that will fill my day with a little more joy?”

 

“I feel ignored and taken for granted in my marriage, my spouse does not meet my needs, I am unhappy, our children are miserable because we are miserable...  something needs to change so that we can be happy.” 

 

So here is what I want to do with the time we have left.  I want to show you from the Bible three things:

1. God expects you to seek happiness.
2. God commands you to pursue your joy.
3. Finding your joy/happiness is possible.

 

By answering the above three questions, I hope that you will have a clear and biblical understanding as to whether God wants you to be happy. 

 

God Expects You to Seek Happiness (vv. 1-5)

Let me begin by stating that in Psalm 95 alone, the word joy is repeated three times in the first two verses: “sing for joy...”, “shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation”, “shout joyfully to Him in songs with instruments.”  But Psalm 95 is not the only place where such language is used; consider the language from the Bible:

“Delight yourself...” (Ps. 37:4)

“Rejoice...” (Phil. 4:4)

“Rejoice always...” (1 Thess. 5:16)

“Let us rejoice and be glad...” (Ps. 118:24)

 

But where is it that God expects us to find our joy?  Again, consider the same above verses:

“Delight yourself in the Lord...” (Ps. 37:4)

“Rejoice in the Lord always...” (Phil. 4:4)

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

“This is the day which the Lord has made, let’s us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Ps. 118:24)

 

Is our happiness only to be found in God?  What about verses like Ecclesiastes 9:9, does it not tell us to enjoy life while we have it? “Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your futile life which He has given you under the sun, all the days of your futility; for this is your reward in life and in your work which you have labored under the sun.” Yes and no.  Consider the first two verses of Psalm 19 and what it says about creation: “The heavens tell of the glory of God; and their expanse declares the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” The heavens are what God created, and like your wife whom you love, like the life you enjoy, and everything else... it all points to the glory of the Creator! 

 

The reason why Psalm 95 begins with these words: “Come, let’s sing for joy to the Lord, let’s shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.  Let’s come before His presence with a song of thanksgiving, let’s shout joyfully to Him in songs with instruments” is because He is the giver of all good things!  Why should we worship Yahweh?  Because Psalm 95:3-5 is true of only Him: “For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods, in whose hand are the depths of the earth, the peaks of the mountains are also His. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, and His hands formed the dry land.”  This is why, of the Ten Commandments, Jesus summed up the first four: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37; see also Deut. 6:5; Exod. 20:1-11). 

 

Listen, God expects us to seek our joy, but not ultimately in His good gifts but in the giver who gave those good gifts... namely God Himself.  In fact C.S. Lewis rightfully observed from reading his Bible that, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.”[1] 

 

God Commands You to Pursue Your Joy (vv. 6-7)

Psalm 95 begins with an imperative, which is a command: “Come, let’s sing for joy...”  Why does He command us to pursue our joy?  Because we exist for something greater than the good gifts of His creation.  We exist because of Him and for Him! The second imperative in Psalm 95 begins with verse 6, “Come, let’s worship and bow down, let’s kneel before the Lord our Maker.”  Why are we commanded to bow before God?  Because “He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand” (v. 7).

The command to pursue our joy is not that we find it in anything, but in the One who made all things.  He is God, and by definition there is nothing and no one that is greater than He is.  To look for or expect our happiness or joy to be primarily found in anything or anyone else will not only leave you empty and disappointed, but is to worship the gift over the Giver!  To worship the gift over the Giver is to expect from the gift the thing that only the Giver, God, can provide.   

 

C.S. Lewis wrote in his book, Reflections on the Psalms, something that I have found helpful, so I will share it with you:

“I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed. It is frustrating to have discovered a new author and not to be able to tell anyone how good he is; to come suddenly, at the turn of the road, upon some mountain valley of unexpected grandeur and then to have to keep silent because the people with you care for it no more than for a tin can in the ditch; to hear a good joke and find no one to share it with.

 

Do you hear what C.S. Lewis is saying?  We praise what we value and care about and our delight is not complete until our delight is expressed. If it is true, that there is no greater beauty, reality, or person than the God who created all that is beautiful and good, true worship cannot be experienced unless it is directed at Him.  This is why the Westminster Catechism is right to begin with these words: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”  But even on this point, C.S. Lewis made the following observation that helps us get a little closer to answering the question as to what kind of happiness God wants for us; here is what Lewis wrote: “The Scotch catechism says that man’s chief end is ‘to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.’ But we shall then know that these are the same thing. To fully enjoy is to glorify. In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.”  John Piper took it one step further by swapping out the word “and” in the Westminster Catechism of Faith with the word “by”: “The chief end of man is to glorify God byenjoying Him forever.”

 

God does expect us to seek our happiness, and He does command us to pursue our joy, but a happiness and a joy that is rooted in Him.  If our happiness and joy is sought in anything other than God, it will not satisfy.  However, if the pursuit of our happiness and joy is sought in Him, there will be a joy and happiness that will be rooted in a contentment in Him. This is how and why James 1:2-3 is only true for those who find their joy in Jesus Christ: “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

 

Finding Your Joy/Happiness is Possible (vv. 8-10)

So, does God want you to be happy?  Yes, He wants you to be happy in Him!  Does that mean that He wants you to leave your marriage because it does not make you happy?  No!  Does that mean you should leave your job because it does not make you happy?  No.  Does that mean you should get a new car because it does not make you happy? No, not necessarily.  Why?  Because your happiness and joy cannot ultimately be found in anything or anyone except the God who is your Maker.

When we come to Psalm 95:8, there is a shift from the command to find your joy in God to Israel’s rebellion while they were in the wilderness, and more specifically, the Psalm refers to something that happened in Exodus 17:1-7 not long after God saved Israel from Pharoh and his army by parting the Red Sea.  While in Egypt, Israel witnessed their God and Maker do mighty deeds that should have left little room to doubt His goodness and love for His people.  Even though they had no reason to doubt God’s faithfulness to them, they still struggled to believe His faithfulness to them, so they complained: “So the people quarreled with Moses and said, ‘Give us water so that we may drink” (Exod. 17:2)!  Moses’ response gives us a glimpse into 40 years of Israel in the wilderness: “Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 

 

Throughout Israel’s existence, they were known for complaining and faithlessness towards God.  Even after 40 years in the wilderness, God said of His people: “‘Be appalled at this, you heavens, And shudder, be very desolate,’ declares the Lord. ‘For My people have committed two evils: They have abandoned Me, the fountain of living waters, to carve out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that do not hold water’” (Jer. 2:12-13).  The great evil that Israel was guilty of was that She traded God for idols that could not satisfy.  Consider another example from Isaiah 55:1-3 when God invited His people to turn away from the things that could not satisfy what they really needed:

You there! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. “Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David.

 

So what happened in Exodus 17?  Moses immediately brought Israel’s complaint before God out of a fear that they might eventually stone him to death.  Moses asked, “What am I to do with this people?” (v. 4).  Listen to the way God responded to Israel’s lack of faith and sin: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel” (17:5-6).   In other words, God said to Moses: “Moses, take your staff that ought to be used to strike Israel for their sins, and take your rod and strike the rock I will be standing on so that Israel will not die of thirst.”

 

In 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, the apostle Paul said that the rock Moses struck was a picture and example of what God would do to satisfy the thirst of all who desire to be satisfied.  The rod of God’s judgment for our sin came down upon Jesus as the rock of our salvation!  Paul said of the rock Moses struck: “for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ” (v. 4).  Now, listen to what Jesus said in John 7:37-38, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”

 

Psalm 95 begins with these words: “Come, let’s sing for joy to the Lord, let’s shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.”  Jesus is the “rock of our salvation”!  Again, Psalm 95 continues, “Come, let’s worship and bow down, let’s kneel before the Lord our Maker” (v. 6).  Of Jesus, the Bible testifies, “...for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Col. 1:16).  Because the rod of God’s holy wrath came upon Jesus in our place, we are told:

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:8-11)

 

The Psalmist then reminds us that not only is God our Maker, but that He is our God, “and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.  Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on the day of Massah in the wilderness...” (v. 7).  Can you not hear the words of Jesus in Psalm 95:7, did He not say: “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.... I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me.... And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd” (John 10:11, 14, 16).

 

Conclusion

Is joy and happiness possible for you?  The answer is Yes!  But it will not come from your car, through your job, or from any other person, but your Maker and the Great Shepherd of His sheep... namely Jesus!  If you are seeking your happiness and joy in anything other than Jesus, then C.S. Lewis’ words serve as a fitting conclusion to this sermon: “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

 

God wants you to be happy and He wants you to experience joy, but it is a happiness and a joy that can only be found in Him.  The joy and happiness that can only be found in God is the kind of joy and happiness that does not dissolve through suffering but sustains the sufferer because of the One from Whom true happiness and joy comes from.  Amen.

 

 

[1] C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer (San Diego: Harvest, 1964), p. 93.

The church in Ephesus was planted sometime around AD 52 by apostle Paul with the help of Aquila and Priscilla.  The book of Revelation was written by the Apostle John sometime in the mid 90s.  The church had existed in a very difficult city for many years; a city where Christians did not have rights, emperor worship was mandatory, and the economy was heavily dependent on the worship of Artemis. From the time the apostle brought the gospel to the city and the letter to Ephesus, written to the church and included in the book of Revelation, the challenges the church faced in Ephesus did not get easier.  Yet in its 40th year (relatively speaking), they were known for doing some really good things and what they were most known for was their doctrinal purity.

 

It would have been easy for any church present in a city like Ephesus to have fallen prey to the sin of the city had its doctrine not been rock solid.  The church was commended by Jesus for her doctrinal purity: “I know your deeds and your labor and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people, and you have put those who call themselves apostles to the test, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured on account of My name, and have not become weary” (Rev. 2:2–3).  Jesus praised the Ephesian Church for not tolerating evil people, their ability to sniff out false apostles, and perseverance to hold the line doctrinally in a city that was utterly demonic.

 

It is only because their doctrine as a church was pure that they were able to persevere and stand against the onslaught of evil people, false apostles, and every other demonic force that threatened their congregation.  Sound doctrine is good theology, and good theology is known as orthodoxy.  As a church, we spent 46 weeks in Ephesians.  Throughout the epistle were encouraged to make sure that our doctrine is pure!  We are told in Ephesians 5:26 that Jesus is cleansing and purifying His people “through the washing of the water of the word.” We, the church of Jesus Christ, are being, “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone...” (2:20-22).  Sound doctrine cannot and must not be substituted by what others feel is less offensive and more agreeable.  

 

However, there was something that Jesus did have against the church in Ephesus, and it is a danger each of us face even today. 

 

Their Love Was Found Wanting

There was a lot of good the Ephesian Church was doing that was praised by Jesus, but the thing that threatened the church most in Ephesus was not the temple of Artemus, it was not the demonic idols and sorcery the city was known for, and it was not even the Roman Empire that saw Christianity as a threat.  The thing that threatened the church was from within, and it is what threatens us today. The church looked healthy on the outside, but there was a cancer that if left untreated could turn terminal, and it was the only antidote that keeps orthodoxy from becoming dead legalism. Listen again to Jesus’ loving but stern rebuke of this church: “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (v. 4).

 

Now, there are three questions you need to answer before you can be helped and encouraged by Revelation 2:1-7, and verse 4 is at the center of those three questions.  Here are the three questions that must be answered: 

1. “What is meant by ‘first love’”?
2. “Whose love abandoned who?”
3. “Who is it that was no longer loved?” The question is this, “What is the object of their love that they left?”

 

What is meant by “first love”?

If the Bible you are using is the NIV or ESV, then your translation reads, “...you have abandoned the love you had at first.”  But the KJV and NASB versions of the Bible translate the Greek in such a way to suggest that the Ephesian Christians have left their first love.  Is the love that has been abandoned a person or is it the depth and quality of love?  Well, one way you can answer that question is to see if there are any clues in the epistle to the Ephesians that help us understand what kind of love is being talked about here, and thankfully there are two clues given to us at the beginning and end of Paul’s letter to this church.  The first clue is found in Ephesians 1:15-16, “For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you...”  The second clue is found in the very last verse in Ephesians: “Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love” (6:24). 

 

So what kind of love is it that has been abandoned?  I believe it is the quality of love they once had for another person or people.  This is why I believe the NLT version of the Bible offers the best translation of Revelation 2:4, “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!”

 

Whose Love Abandoned Who?

This is an easy question to answer.  The Ephesian church is who “left” their first love. What Paul thanked God for in Ephesians 1:15-16, they had lost.  Love is what keeps orthodoxy from becoming legalism.  Legalism is a perversion of orthopraxy (right living) that is devoid of mercy and grace.  You also need to understand that love for Jesus and His people with orthodoxy is also a deadly cancer that threatens the church. 

 

The Ephesian Church abandoned their first love, and I do not think that they did it intentionally. I believe it happened somewhere along their journey and participation in God’s mission that they did not even realize that it happened.  During my church planting years Sundays were always hard work just to make it happen.  We had to set up our platform, chairs, and equipment every single Sunday for years.  One particular Sunday, Seth wanted to go home with me so that he could play with his friends whose parents were helping me tear down.  When I was finished with what I had to do to wrap up, I headed home but it wasn’t long before I received a call from Julie (my administrative assistant at the time) who asked me if I had forgotten anything.  I immediately realized that I had forgotten my Bible to which she replied: “Yes, you did forget your Bible.  Did you forget anything else?”  At that moment, I realized I had forgotten Seth, who was about five at the time.  Somewhere along the way the passion and love for Jesus had been left behind while they held tight to their orthodoxy, but what they were left with was a legalism that threatened from within the church.

 

Who was no longer loved?

You probably already guessed by now the answer.  I believe it was their love for Jesus and His people.  When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was by a group of legalistic religious leaders, he answered: “And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matt. 22:37–39).  Your love for God will create in you a love for people; you cannot claim to love God and at the same time refuse to love others.  Your vertical love for God will overflow into a love for others, this is especially true for those who Christ died for and are now His church (people).  If you are struggling to believe what I just said, then believe the apostle John who said, “If someone says, ‘I love God,” and yet he hates his brother or sister, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother and sister whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen’” (1 John 4:20).

 

I believe the Ephesian church, who was first known for their faith in Jesus and incorruptible love for Him was the catalyst that created in them a love for one another that they were known for in the early days of the church’s existence.  Their love infused faith in Jesus and their love for all the saints was the cocktail God used to push back evil and transform lives! 

 

What Revelation 2:1-4 teaches us is that Jesus wants our obedience, but He also wants our hearts!  In fact, if Jesus has you heart, He will have your obedience.    

 

The Way Back is Always Jesus

What about you dear Christian?  Have you lost your love for Jesus and His people?  Has your love for Him waned over the years?  Have you gotten sidetracked?  Think about the days when you first encountered Jesus and believed in Him. Remember the excitement of those days.  In many respects, it is very similar to any relationship where you experienced love.

 

If you are married, think back to the days when you first met your spouse.  Try to remember what you felt on your first date.  Can you recall the day you were engaged?  Revelation 2:1-7 reminds me of a funny little article titled, “The Seven Years of the Married Cold.” I am not sure who wrote it, but I first heard about in through a sermon Pastor Greg Laurie preached; here is how the article described the first seven years of marriage dealing with the common cold:

First year of marriage: “Sugar dumpling, I’m really worried about my baby girl. You’ve got a bad sniffle and there’s no telling about these things with all the strep going around. I’m putting you in the hospital this afternoon for a general checkup and a good rest. I know the food’s lousy, but I’ll be bringing your meals in from Rozzini’s. I already have it all arranged with the floor superintendent.”

 

Second year: “Listen darling, I don’t like the sound of that cough. I’ve called Doc Miller to rush over here. Now you go to bed like a good girl, just for Poppa.”

 

Third year: “Maybe you had better lie down, honey. Nothing like a little rest when you feel lousy. I’ll bring you some soup.”

 

Fourth year: “Now look, dear, be sensible. After you’ve fed the kids, and done the dishes, and washed the floor, you better lie down.”

 

Fifth year: “Why don’t you take a couple aspirin?”

 

Sixth year: “I wish you’d just gargle or something instead of sitting around barking like a seal all evening.”

 

Seventh year: “For Pete’s sake, stop sneezing! Are you trying to give me pneumonia?”

 

I am not sure what you may be feeling concerning your marriage, but my relationship with Jesus has also had its ups and downs.  The problem in all my 33 years since the day I entered into a relationship with Jesus was never with Jesus and always with me.  I was the one who found myself growing cold.  But when I first came to faith in Jesus, I could not get enough about Jesus, nor could I stop talking about Him.

 

Who is Jesus to you today?  Have you grown weary of spending time with Him? When you sing in church is it more about what you like about the song than it is about who we are singing about?  Do you find reading your Bible to be boring? Do you find being around His people to be irritating?  Is it possible that your problem is less about music, the church you attend, and your spiritual lethargy, and more about what you have forgotten and left behind? 

 

I don’t want you to feel worse about where you are at spiritually.  But if you are experiencing a loss of awe and wonder, if you are less grateful for the miracle of your salvation, if you are motivated by duty instead of delight for God, and if you feel pressure to perform, you have lost your first love just as the church in Ephesus did.  But here is the good news: it doesn’t have to be that way any longer! Listen to what Jesus said to the church in Ephesus and what He is saying to you: “Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Rev. 2:5).

 

Here is what Jesus tells us we can do to get back to our first love: Rember where you have fallen, repent by recognizing what led you away from Jesus so that you do not do it again, and return to Jesus by serving and loving on His people. It is quite simple:

1. Remember the things you did that deepened your love for Jesus and His people.
2. Repent by beginning to do the things that fueled your love for Jesus and His people.
3. Return by finding ways to spend time with Jesus and ways you can serve with His people.

Men's Breakfast - January

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Rom 5:1-11 ESV)  

As we begin a new year, many of us are filled with hope and expectation. We set resolutions and goals in anticipation of making even more of the year ahead. However, we don’t really have control over the actual outcomes. Illness can beset us. We may experience the sudden loss of someone close to us. National or global events beyond our control can intrude upon our lives, affecting our businesses, jobs, or financial situations. On top of the uncertainty of life, we are constantly bombarded with stories of what could potentially go wrong. Will the stock market crash and take your retirement fund along with it? Will the economy enter a recession and cause my company or department to downsize? What if this country goes to war with that country? Now, the question that I want to address today is: how do we, as Christians, think about and address the uncertainty of this world and suffering when it happens to us and those close to us?

When contemplating this passage in Romans, I thought of a story and what it means to rejoice in suffering as a believer in the risen Messiah. This story is about a Chicago lawyer and businessman named Horatio Spafford. Now, Horatio had invested much of his wealth in real estate in the city.

Unfortunately, most of these properties, and thus much of his investment, were reduced to ash during the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871. The fallout from this loss and the work that he and other property owners in Chicago had to undertake to rebuild and restore would take years. The scale of this tragedy cannot be overstated. Over 17,000 buildings were destroyed, and more than 100,000 people (1/3 of Chicago’s population) were homeless. If this were not enough, the Spafford’s young son died of scarlet fever at the age of four not long after the fire.

A couple of years after the fire, Horatio decided to take his family on a trip to Europe to escape the constant work and stress of rebuilding. Who wouldn’t want to get away after all that had happened? He and his family were also going to meet up with and help the famous evangelist D.L. Moody, who was working on the continent at the time. However, some urgent business came up that needed his attention as the trip neared, so Horatio sent his wife and four daughters ahead of him.

One week after the ship set sail, it was violently struck in an accident by another boat at two in the morning. Because of how the ships collided, the vessel the Spafford family was on sank within 12 minutes. Of the 313 people on board, 226 perished. All four of Horatio’s daughters perished that night. His wife, Anna, was found unconscious, held up by floating debris. Nine days after the accident, Anna landed in Europe and sent a telegram. It read, “Saved alone. What shall I do?”

Upon receiving the message, Horatio booked the first passage he could find. However, this was during the 1800s, so this was far from a rapid process. One night, the captain called Horatio aside and informed him that they were currently sailing over the location where the ship carrying his family had sunk. As I contemplate this situation, I can’t help but ask myself how I would have responded. Would I be overcome by anguish or anger? Would I have broken down and wept or shouted out words of rage at God for allowing such a thing to happen? Instead of either of these things, Horatio returned to his cabin to attempt to try to sleep and felt a sense of comfort and hope overcome him. He wrote down these words, “It is well; the will of God be done.” These words would soon become his timeless hymn that resounds with so many gospel truths. The name of that hymn is “It Is Well with My Soul.”

It is worth reflecting on that there is a similar story in the Bible. Job, the man God Himself called blameless and upright, lost everything he owned in a single day. Additionally, his sons and daughters all died that very same day. Job responded to these events with the statement, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). Notice the similarities? These are not words of quiet resignation or defeat. The LORD may give, and He may take away. In the words of Horatio, the will of God will be done. However, regardless of what happened to these two men, their response is instructive and encouraging beyond belief. Despite what comes, the believer can say, “Blessed be the name of the LORD,” and “It is well with my soul.”

Now, these stories may be inspiring, but you’d be right in asking, “How do I develop that kind of abiding faith and trust in God?” It is so easy to marvel at the faith of others. But the reality is that knowing the stories is not enough. These same types of tragedies, and many more besides, can happen in our lives. Thankfully, as in all things, God does not leave us alone. And I know this because the verses we are looking at today have been my anchor through the most challenging times in my life. They acted as my north star, the way that God guided me through trials and kept me traveling on the path that leads to Him. So, let’s dive in.

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

            The chapter opens with the word, therefore. This means that what Paul, the apostle who wrote this letter, is about to say directly follows what he has already said. It is essential to keep this at the forefront of our minds as we read scripture; what is the context? Uncountable numbers of irresponsible teachings have come through taking verses out of context and misapplying them. So, let’s take a high-level view of what was said in the letter before our passage today. Paul was writing to the believers in Rome in anticipation of him traveling there, something he had long wanted to do. He wanted to accomplish several things. The letter to the Romans primarily concerns the gospel; Paul wanted to unify the church in Rome around the good news of Christ. Romans is a great place to start if you want a comprehensive understanding of the gospel message. Additionally, Paul wanted to prepare for the missionary journey he was planning to Spain; he wanted the Roman believers to help him on his way after he was able to visit them. Finally, Paul wanted to get in front of a growing division in the church between Jewish and Gentile believers. The focus for our study today aligns with the primary purpose for which Paul was writing: the good news of what Jesus has done. Or, as we more commonly call it, the gospel.

            Paul starts his letter by pointing to the grandeur of the universe as proof of God’s existence and that we can even learn some things about Him through creation. However, many, instead of worshiping the God who created everything, worshiped the things He made.

20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. (Rom 1:20-25)

            Paul addressed this because pagan worship was the norm in the Roman Empire. It is important to note here that the people Paul is talking about were the ones who exchanged God for created things in nature. God allowed them to choose and gave them up to what they wanted. N.T. Wright perhaps sums up this concept best.

“You become like what you worship. When you gaze in awe, admiration, and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something of the character of the object of your worship.” N.T. Wright

            This is a critical point that Paul made. It spoke directly to the heart of Roman culture and society. And it speaks directly to ours as well. The Romans, like the Greeks, worshipped a pantheon of gods who were very human in nature. They were spiteful, filled with lust, and sought their own pleasure above the good of others. Paul was saying that if you venerate that type of activity, you will act the same way. Now, consider our culture today; we may not wrap it up in religious language and ritual, but it is the same. Think about the lyrics of many of the most popular songs today. Consider the lives and actions of celebrities and others that our society lifts up and puts on a pedestal. Reflect on how often we are told in advertising by the rich, powerful, and famous how if we only buy this item or consume this service, we will be as happy and fulfilled as they are, or supposedly are. Think about how society as a whole treats marriage as trivial or that it is entirely ok to objectify other human beings, especially with what is deemed acceptable to view on the internet for our own pleasure.

Paul then addresses those who did know about the one true God, namely the Jewish nation. However, instead of commending them, Paul has a very different message. What he said was precisely what Jesus did. It doesn’t matter that you come from the line of Abraham or how well you know the Old Testament Law. God cares about and judges people based on what we actually do.

12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. (Rom 2:12-13)

            And if we stop for a minute and honestly look at our own lives, this is what we see. We know at our core that there is an absolute standard for good and evil. We know that saying one thing and then doing another is both hypocritical and wrong. We have all, myself included, done things that genuinely hurt other people, damaged relationships, and were contrary to what we know in the deepest parts of ouor being are good and right and holy. Paul quoted the Psalms to sum up this point.

10 “None is righteous, no, not one; 11     no one understands;     no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;     no one does good,     not even one.” (Rom 3:10b-12)

            Now, this is a pretty bleak letter so far. This is not something that you read at the beginning of a year to feel all warm and fuzzy inside. We’re left with all of these questions that seem pretty important and rather urgent. What if there is a creator of the universe? Spoiler alert: there is. And what if He genuinely cares about right and wrong and how we treat each other? Another spoiler alert: He does. If we’ve all fallen short, and there are consequences for that, is there something that can be done to restore ourselves to God? And here is the best spoiler alert: There is. Paul tells us how this happens.

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood (Rom 3:21-25a, NIV)

            And there it is, the gospel, the good news that Paul based his entire letter around. There is a God who created both us and the universe we live in. He is perfectly good and, therefore, has made a moral law that we all are to live by. However, all of us fall short and sin. This causes a separation between us and God. However, God did not see fit to leave us as we are. He sent Jesus to live the life we never could and die the death we deserved so that we could be reconciled to Him. This is the good news that Paul was proclaiming.

            So, we return to the opening verses of our passage today.

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

            We now see what the “therefore” is there for. We were separated from God, but we can now be justified before him by faith. And because of this good news, that we have been justified by faith, certain things happen in the believer's life. First, we have peace with God. You see, it wasn’t that we were just separated from God. We were, in fact, working against Him and were enemies.

In another letter, Paul said, “21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (Col 1:21-22, NIV). We just wrapped up an extremely deep study of the book of Ephesians here at Meadowbrooke. Remember what we were told in that letter about the state we were in before being saved?

 

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Eph 2:1-3)

            When Paul says that we now have peace with God, he doesn’t mean that we have a tranquil state of mind or something like that. Instead, when we become followers of Jesus, we go from being against God or an enemy of God to having peace with Him. Remember what Paul said earlier in the letter. Nobody is righteous; nobody does good.

            But it doesn’t stop there. We aren’t just in some truce or ceasefire with God. What has happened is so much more glorious and incredible than that. We also, through Jesus, have obtained grace. Now, grace can be a mysterious-sounding religious word. All it means is that somebody has received unmerited or unearned favor. It means we don’t deserve the favor or good things God freely bestows on us. Remember, we all sin and fall short of the glory of God; we all were, by nature, children of wrath. The Greek word that is translated here as “access” literally means “to approach” or “to bring into.” We are brought into God’s grace and can actually have a personal relationship with Him. How much has changed because of what Jesus has done for us. We who were enemies not only have peace with God but also can draw near to Him and have a personal relationship with our Creator.

            Finally, we can rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And given what we have just read, there is so much to rejoice in. But again, there is something even more glorious behind these words. We rejoice not just in our newfound peace with God or our ability to be brought into His grace. We rejoice in the hope of something else. The word “hope” in our English language is quite weak. Typically, it means something like, “I hope this year is better than the last” or “I hope my team wins the Super Bowl this year.” It expresses the desire for something to be true, but with the realization that it may not turn out that way. However, the Greek word employed here means something more like “joyful and confident expectation.” Our hope is in something that we are confident and sure of. Tim Keller remarked on this passage that, “Christian hope is not a hopeful wish – it is a hope-filled certainty.”

            But what is it that we are hopeful for? If we were to poll random people about what they most hoped for or were most looking forward to regarding the promises of God, we would likely get a broad range of answers. Many would almost certainly revolve around seeing loved ones again or being eternally happy and without pain or suffering. However, notice what Paul says here. His focus is on the glory of God. More than his own happiness or desires, the reason for Paul’s rejoicing is in the hope of being in the presence of God’s glory.

John Murray remarked on this passage, “[Believers] are interested in the manifestation of the glory of God for its own sake. The glory of God is their chief end and they long for and hasten unto that day when with undimmed vision they will behold the glory of God in its fullest exhibition and vindication.”

            What this means is that the hope of the Christian is not in the hope of our wants, desires, and comfort. Instead, our hope is in being with and living within the glory of God. The focus is on God, not on us. John Piper put this better than anybody else I have heard.

He said, “The critical question for our generation—and for every generation— is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?” Paul’s answer would be a resounding no. What makes the restored heaven and earth what they will be is that we will finally be with God in all His infinite glory. Everything else pales in comparison to that. And any heaven without that is no real heaven at all.

            Now, Paul has covered a lot of ground in his letter so far. The people listening to this being read for the first time would have been on a real rollercoaster of a ride. First, they heard about this God who is powerful and mighty enough to create the entire universe in which we live. But then they heard that this God is also perfectly good and, therefore, has a moral law. They, just like all of us, broke that law. And they, just like us, broke it repeatedly. They heard about how this created a separation between humanity and God, a chasm we could not overcome ourselves. However, when everything seemed lost and without hope, they heard about how God, through Jesus, redeemed them, and they were now justified. This justification was not through anything they had done but what Jesus had done for them. They heard that they did not have to try to earn God’s merit, and in fact, they never could. They heard that what God really sought after was their hearts and faith in Him. Finally, because of that faith, the believer has peace with God, access to God’s grace, and the hope-filled certainty of witnessing God in His full glory one day. What an experience it must have been to be the first people to hear this letter being read. Can you imagine hearing this fantastic news?

Then, the church in Rome would have heard the words, “Not only that…” Wait! There is more!?! What more could there be after being told this fantastic news? I can only imagine sitting there and anticipating new promises and hopes the apostle was about to relay. Instead, the audience heard, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings.” Wait… what? We rejoice in our suffering? Weren’t we talking about drawing close to God and witnessing His glory?

            But this is reality, isn’t it? When we decide to follow Jesus, all the hardships and suffering we’ve experienced don’t magically disappear. We still get sick. Our finances don’t magically improve; we all don’t suddenly receive private jets and mansions. We still lose loved ones, and we all certainly still experience getting older and all the wear and tear that comes from that.

            As I reflect upon this past year, the single word that comes most to mind is “difficult.” This was a challenging year for our church family, and we had to go through things, including church discipline and the termination of a staff person in a pastoral role. Individuals and families in our church have also been going through extremely difficult things. There have been cancer diagnoses, losses of family members, struggles with chronic illnesses, sudden visits to the ER, heart issues, urgent and completely unexpected surgeries, and many, many more things besides. Personally, this last year, especially the past six months, has, if I’m being completely honest, been extremely difficult. Due to an autoimmune disease, my health spiraled to a place I have not experienced in over a decade. This resulted in a 10-day stay in a hospital after losing 15% of my body weight and a substantial amount of internal bleeding. But, more importantly, it put a lot of strain on my marriage and meant I was less present as a father than I should be. The stark reality is that suffering is still a part of our lives. It has real impacts on us and those around us. But, as we’ll see, faith in Jesus is not about the cessation of pain and suffering but instead giving that suffering over to God in faith that He will use it for good.

            Paul lays out how this looks for us:

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

            Notice here that Paul says we rejoice in our sufferings, not because of our sufferings. Paul does not say that suffering suddenly becomes pleasurable for us or trivially easy to endure. He does not say that God is giving us a way to prove ourselves to Him or earn His favor by persevering through hardship. Instead, we rejoice in our sufferings because of something we know. We know that suffering can produce something within us. That something is endurance. For most of my life, and by that, I mean since I was eight, I have participated in endurance sports. This has included distance running, cycling over 100 miles in a day over multiple mountain passes, and summiting 20,000 ft peaks. I bring this up because I have learned a lot about myself and quite a bit about endurance through these activities.

            The first is that endurance is not something magical you hope to have on the day of your event. It is something that you train for diligently. It may take months or even years in some cases to train your body and mind to accomplish the goal you have set before yourself. It is possible to train and not reach the goals you set. However, if you don’t train, the goals will forever remain out of reach. And the thing about training is that a substantial amount of suffering can be involved. Mile repeats hurt. Hill training on a bike can be painful. Interval sessions have left me draped over the handlebars of my indoor trainer like a rag doll. Watching cyclists or other endurance athletes achieve the incredible can be awe-inspiring, often making it look easy. However, it isn’t. What we witness when we watch world-class athletes is the outcome of a lifetime of training and preparation.

And I can tell you from experience, every day I’ve had where I’ve looked like this, cycling up mountain passes feeling in great shape and like I could tackle the biggest of obstacles, I’ve had many more days where I’ve looked a bit more like this.

The key here is that, like in athletics, in life, endurance is not something that happens automatically or magically. It is something that is produced. And often, the production of endurance happens through the crucible of suffering.

            But, unlike endurance training for sports, the type of endurance Paul talks about is not the end goal. It serves a greater purpose. You see, our character is also changing when we develop spiritual endurance. Now, this word in Greek doesn’t just mean something like, “He is a really good person and has good character.” Instead, it is about something proven, or something tested and found to be approved. An example of this can be seen in Paul’s letter to the Philippians concerning his protégé, Timothy.

22 But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. (Phil 2:22)

            The phrase “proven worth” is the same word that is translated as character. And to some extent, we’ve all experienced this. If we have endured something before, when we have to endure it again, there is a confidence we didn’t have before. Or, thought of in a different way, if you had to go into battle with somebody, would you rather go with a special forces soldier who had been on multiple deployments or somebody who has never been through military training but plays their fair share of Tom Clancy video games? The choice is easy, right? What Paul is saying here is that when we go through suffering, endurance is produced. And when we endure our trials and tribulations, we are tested successfully or, as Paul says, our worth is proven.

            But Paul does not stop there. He says that this “testedness” produces something else: hope. And here we return to this idea of hope. Remember, this idea Paul is talking about can be best thought of as “a hope-filled certainty.” As we go through suffering, the endurance and character that result produces an ever-greater certainty that God is exactly who He has said He is and that His promises are sure. Paul then offers a proof of this. He states that hope will never put us to shame because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us. In fact, the relationship between the believer and the Holy Spirit is so close that he has been poured into our hearts.

            I had mentioned earlier that these verses have been my anchor verses through suffering. That is not an understatement in any way. I had grown up in the church. In fact, I heard hymns and the words of the Bible before I was born. As I grew up, I did all the church things, camps, and confirmation; I even started participating in lay-level leadership roles in my church. If any of those things sound a bit foreign, it is because I grew up in the Episcopal tradition. Ultimately, instead of letting God into my heart and being the Lord of my entire life, I was going through the motions. Especially in college, my life looked no different than anybody else’s. Remember those verses from Ephesians about living in the passions of our flesh and carrying out the desires of the body and the mind? That was me. Until that is, God got ahold of my heart. A group of us in ROTC decided that we wanted to start getting serious about our faith and started going to church together. We formed our own Bible study and as a small community of college-aged believers, we began trying to figure out what it meant to be Jesus followers.

            To make a long story very short, one of the members of this group would ultimately become my wife. As we deepened in our faith together as a group, I was drawn to what God was doing in her life. However, two weeks after we started dating, I started noticing an immense amount of pain in my abdomen and, even more concerning, evidence of internal bleeding. I started losing weight at an alarming rate and was ultimately diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called ulcerative colitis. Effectively, my immune system goes into overdrive and starts attacking and causing ulcers and a crazy amount of inflammation in my large intestine. Unfortunately, I have a rather severe form of the disease that affects not just a part of the intestine, but the entire thing. As is common with autoimmune diseases, finding the therapy that worked for me took a long time. Because of the severity of my diagnosis, this ultimately led me to being hospitalized seven times in the first 18 months following the onset of my symptoms.

            In addition to the pain, frustration, and confusion over what was happening, other things also started falling apart. A military career was now no longer an option for me. Because of the impact the disease was having on my body, I was sleeping 12-16 hours a day and was unable to continue pursuing my master's program. What is more, because of how the insurance I had purchased through the university was structured, it did not cover costs from chronic illnesses beyond $20,000. But through it all, God was working on my heart and my mind. He was showing me things about himself that I would likely never have learned had it not been for this. He was teaching me that my future job was not what defined me. Who I am in Jesus is what defines me. He was teaching me that the highest goal in life is not academic or professional achievement (I’m a bit of an A-type personality and struggle with making my life about accomplishments). Instead, He showed me that following Him is the highest purpose in life.

            Now, perhaps the most incredible thing about this entire story is that Michaela stayed by my side throughout all of it. We had only recently started dating, but she was there for everything. I can still remember her voice as I was coming out of anesthesia after the scoping procedure that resulted in the diagnosis of the disease. I was insanely sick, my planned career was completely shattered, treatments weren’t working, and I had a sum of medical debt that was growing increasingly large. There were so many times when I felt absolutely lost and without hope. Yet, because of this community of people, especially Michaela, I was constantly reminded of God's goodness and how He works all things for the good of those who love Him, even if we don’t see it in the moment. The Bible was my source of refuge, reminding me of the eternal promises of God that transcend our momentary afflictions.

            Things ultimately improved for me, and through a lot of help from my doctors and a lot of prayer, my condition was able to be controlled. There were still some rough points, and I experienced the occasional flare-up, but things returned to normal. Michaela and I got married, we found a way to pay off the medical debt, and life seemed to be going just fine. But what I didn’t know at the time was that as I was going through all my medical issues and seeing Michaela’s character displayed, God was showing me what it means to stand beside somebody as they are suffering.

            About two years after we got married, Michaela started showing symptoms of something, but the doctors couldn’t figure out what it was. Finally, they had her stay on a heart monitor for an extended time, and the results were so concerning that the hospital in Laramie told us that we needed to come to the hospital here in Cheyenne because they were not prepared to deal with whatever the issue was. When Michaela arrived here, they took an Xray, and they found out that there was a mass about 12cm in diameter in her chest next to her heart. We were once again told that she needed to go to another hospital because the one here had no idea what was going on. However, this time, she had to travel via ambulance. We had come in the same vehicle, but as she was leaving in an ambulance, I followed in the car we brought over. It was such a good thing that it was the middle of the night because I was an absolute mess. If there had been any traffic whatsoever, I probably would have crashed. On that drive, I was confronted with an absolutely petrifying truth. There was nothing I could do for my wife but pray. I was helpless in the face of whatever it was that she had to face. I could not protect her, and I could not save her. And this was an earth-shattering realization for me. Of course, we all intellectually know that our time here is limited and that when it is time for us to leave this world, there is nothing we can do to stop it for ourselves or those we love. However, facing that reality directly is an entirely different notion. The radical realization that I had was that in this situation, she was entirely in the Lord’s hands. The even more radical realization I would only have reflecting later on, was that this is true every moment of every day. I just don’t live like it.

            To capture this idea in his book The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” This has been precisely my experience. The eternal truths that God exists, that we desperately need Him, and that He alone is sufficient for all our needs are sometimes most clearly heard when we are in our most desperate times of need.

            Upon arriving at the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, we learned that the mass was a tumor, and it was an advanced stage of lymphoma. The doctors recommended that she start an aggressive form of chemotherapy immediately. We didn’t have time to go home and talk about it. We didn’t have time to prepare in case the therapy made it difficult or impossible to have kids. It was almost as if everything had been put onto tracks, and we were just along for the ride. Now, soon after all of this happened a good friend of mine who has been a mentor in many ways to me came by and prayed with us. Her prayers included pleas for healing, comfort, and everything else we typically lift up to God during these types of events. However, she prayed something else as well. She prayed that our hearts and minds would be open to what God had to teach us during this time of trial. It literally felt like a physical switch turned in my head. Despite all that I had been through, and all God had done in my own heart during my battles with illness, I had not stopped to consider that God may have something to teach us here as well. And teach He did. I learned how incredibly strong of a woman He made when He created my wife. I learned that I am not sufficient for her; only Jesus is. I learned that life can be extraordinarily fleeting and what we consider normal and act like will go on forever can end in an instant.

            Michaela spent the following months going to Denver for a week of treatment every three weeks. I tagged along and slept on the pullout bed on the couch in her room. That was our lives for almost four months: two weeks at home and one in the hospital. When I had to travel for work, her mom took my place. Now, you may be wondering who the better caretaker in our relationship is when the other is undergoing adversity. The answer is Michaela. You may also be wondering who deals with suffering better. The answer is also Michaela.

            Ultimately, Michaela completed the chemo regimen and has been in full remission for almost 10 years. Despite not being able to make alternative preparations, we have two incredible boys who are miracles in the fullest sense of the word. It can be easy to praise God and extol His greatness when things work out the way we hope and pray they will. However, there will come a day when I and everybody else whom I love will draw in their last breath. And in those moments, God still deserves all the glory and all the praise. I want to relay one more story before I wrap up about one of those times.

            My stepmom’s father, my grandfather, or as we called him, Papou (that part of my family is Greek), had been extremely sick for a long time. He was born in Alexandria, Egypt. His wife, my Yaiyia, was a missionary in Kenya when he proposed to her in a letter. After starting their young family, they moved to Athens so he could pastor a church while they served as missionaries. When they moved back to the States, their home was always a place of love where all were welcome. Toward the end of his life, he was unable to care for or even feed himself and had to be placed in a home to receive the care he needed. As the end of his life was drawing ever closer, he came down with a severe infection that left him almost entirely incapacitated. One day, some of our dearest family friends were visiting him. As they prepared to leave, everybody gathered to pray, potentially for the last time, over this man who had lived his life faithfully for God. However, before anybody else had a chance to speak, this saint (by the way, if you are a follower of Jesus, you are a saint as well) who could not feed himself or even sit up started to pray. I was not there to hear these words, but they still reverberate in the deepest part of my being more than a decade later. “Our precious heavenly father,” he said, “we just can’t thank you enough. You have been so good to us.”

            That is the strength that a life lived in the service and love of God bestows upon a person. The Christian lives not in quiet resignation in the face of a world that can be so cruel and cause so much suffering. Instead, the Christian can raise a triumphant cry that in our weakness, the strength of the Lord will be made perfect, and that is enough. We can, as Job did, bless the name of the Lord, come whatever may. We see this in the letter to the Corinthians:

9 But he [God] said to me [Paul], “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor 12:9-11)

            This is why Paul ends this passage with a reiteration of the gospel message. Even though each of us who follow Jesus has the real experience of having the Holy Spirit residing within us, there also is an objective truth for all to see. Christ came and died for us while we were still sinners. And this point is even more important than the point that we are physically broken and endure sufferings in this world. That point is that we are spiritually broken and separated from God, desperately in need of a Savior. Reflect with me on these closing verses.

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

            Jesus did not wait until we were perfect and had everything figured out before he came to die in our place. Instead, he came when we were still in sin, weak, and enemies of God. Unlike us, who so often act out of self-regard or do something because we view somebody as good and deserving, Jesus came to save us while we were still standing in complete opposition to God. This is the incredible news of the gospel. As much pain and suffering, as much physical brokenness that we may experience in this world, it is nothing compared to the spiritual sickness we suffer because of our separation from God. We all were far from God before coming to Christ, but he died in our place regardless and rose again, conquering death. We are justified, reconciled, and saved by what he did. And if you don’t know Jesus yet, all you must do is accept him as your Lord and Savior and begin walking with him.

            Before we leave, I wanted to review some of the things I have learned from other believers and scripture about how to endure times of suffering. None of this is groundbreaking, but it works.

• Don’t wait until you are in suffering to prepare – If you wait until the morning of a marathon to train, it won’t go well for you. The same is true here. If you wait until the moment of your trial to prepare, you are too late.
• Be in your Bible daily – The stories of those who suffer in scripture are incredibly instructive and helpful. The principles you will learn from this book will help you in your time of need. But I never would have had these verses constantly in my mind and nourishing my soul if I had not read them. God uses scripture to help His followers in their time of need.
• Build relationships with fellow believers—When Michaela and I have experienced times of suffering, it is the people of God, the Church, who have helped us more than anybody else. I have experienced the benefit of having somebody just come sit with you. Recently, while I was in the hospital, several friends visited throughout my stay. Mostly, we talked about the goodness of God. It helped me raise my eyes above my situation and stay focused on my Lord and Savior.
• Pray without ceasing – Pray for those who are going through trials. Ask others to pray for you as you endure suffering. The Church was designed so that each member could help one another. And as you pray, follow God’s Spirit in how you can help. If you feel drawn to visit somebody who is ailing, go. If you feel called to cook them a meal, do it.
• Look for what God is trying to teach you – Until our dying breath, we are running our race. As believers, we are walking down that narrow path that leads to Jesus. That path can be difficult and filled with obstacles sometimes. But even in our worst suffering, God is faithful, and He works all things for the good of those who love Him. If you let Him, He will develop in you: endurance, character, and a hope which will never be put to shame. Even in our greatest trials, He is still so incredibly good.

Many of us are probably familiar to some extent with Rahab, the Jericho prostitute who turns to God and is spared along with her family when the Israelites destroy the city.  But there is much more to her story that should cause us to marvel at God’s mercy and grace, and warn us against hypocrisy. 

 

Let’s go look at where we encounter her.  Israel had sent out two spies to check out Jericho.  They go to the home of Rahab, the prostitute, where presumably it would not be unusual to find strangers.  But someone alerts the authorities and Rahab is told to turn over the men.  She covers for them and hides them on her roof.  A search party begins looking for them near the Jordan River. 

 

Joshua 2:8-21

8 Now before [a]the spies lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have despaired because of you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the [b]Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you [c]utterly destroyed. 11 When we heard these reports, our hearts melted and no [d]courage remained in anyone any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth below. 12 Now then, please swear to me by the Lord, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s household, and give me a pledge of [e]truth, 13 and [f]spare my father and my mother, and my brothers and my sisters, and all who belong to them, and save our [g]lives from death.” 14 So the men said to her, “Our [h]life [i]for yours if you do not tell this business of ours; and it shall come about when the Lord gives us the land that we will deal kindly and [j]faithfully with you.”

15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall, so that she was living on the wall. 16 And she said to them, “Go to the hill country, so that the pursuers will not encounter you, and hide yourselves there for three days until the pursuers return. Then afterward you may go on your way.” 17 And the men said to her, “We shall be exempt from this oath [k]to you which you have made us swear, 18 [l]unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather into your house your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. 19 And it shall come about that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house outside will have [m]his blood on his own head, and we will be innocent; but anyone who is with you in the house, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be exempt from the oath which you have made us swear.” 21 She then said, “According to your words, so be it.” So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

Let’s think about a couple of things. First: How did God communicate with Rahab?  By dream? By vision? How did she learn that Yahweh was the one true God?  However He did it, we must be humbled by the love and concern God showed to a woman who was part of an accursed tribe and who lived an immoral lifestyle. 

 

Second: Think about the scarlet cord hanging out her window.  Where else do we see in Scripture that a red mark protects everyone inside a dwelling?  The night of Passover, when the blood of the lamb on the lintel and doorposts protected those who were inside.  Here is another picture of Passover, but this one is not protecting Israelites, but pagan Canaanites! Were these Hebrew spies thinking about how their relatives had been spared from wrath by a similar process? Here is an example of faith resulting in right standing with God apart from the Law, just like Abraham, proving that God is no respecter of persons. 

 

Now we pick up in Joshua Chapter 6. 

 

Most of us know how Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, so we will skip to the relevant portion for our study today:

 

 

Joshua 6:20-25

“So the people shouted, and [g]the priests blew the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down [h]flat, so that the people went up into the city, everyone straight [i]ahead, and they took the city. 21 They [j]utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword.

22 And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, just as you have sworn to her.” 23 So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives, and placed them outside the camp of Israel. 24 Then they burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the [k]house of the Lord. 25 However, Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all she had, Joshua [l]spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

 

Let’s think about this first from Rahab’s perspective.  She and her family have been listening to utter chaos and terror outside her house.  The screams of people and animals as they are brutally slaughtered.  Then, there is, literally, a deathly quiet, and then there is a knock at the door.  With great trepidation, they open the door and step out into a living nightmare.  Everything destroyed.  All people, all livestock, all structures.  Everybody Rahab and her family knew was dead, their corpses lying mutilated on the ground.   Spared, but unclean, she and her family are put “outside the camp.” So was Jesus. 

 

Hebrews 13:11-13

 

For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the Holy Place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp.  Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood.  So then, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.”

 

Jesus has a special affinity for those who are rejected, scorned, despised by the in crowd, just as Rahab was and many others.  He personally experienced that same rejection, and invites us to journey with Him to where He resides with those whom He has rescued from rejection.

 

Back to Jericho.  Imagine the terror of what Rahab’s family was feeling.  You are now totally dependent on these people who just destroyed your city and killed all your friends and neighbors.  You are feeling not just terror, but profound loneliness and sense of loss.  Imagine if Russians invaded and killed everybody in your city except you, and now you were dependent on them. 

What about the other side?  As Israelites, you were warned to kill all the Canaanites completely, to avoid being infected with their idols.  Now, what do you do with this family?  I’m sure some advocated to let them starve.  They only promised to spare their lives from the destruction of Jericho.  There were no promises about feeding and caring for them.  But Rahab knew that Yahweh was the God of heaven and earth.  God had somehow revealed Himself to her, and He would not see her abandoned.

 

But she is a profound sinner, from a foreign culture, filled with idolatrous practices, living in enforced isolation.  How does she become discipled, and an important figure in Jewish history?  Yes.  That is exactly what happens to her, but we have to fill in the details with our imagination.  As with the mystery of Melchizedek, sometimes the most profound biblical stories are about what’s left out of the narrative. 

 

There had to have been interaction between Rahab’s family and the Israelites.  Probably, there was daily interaction as more merciful heads prevailed and food was delivered to keep them alive.  But that doesn’t solve the problem.  Keeping her alive doesn’t equate to discipleship. 

 

I can imagine a godly woman provoking her husband to think about these poor people and shouldn’t someone try to teach Rahab and her family about the Lord?  I’m sure the idea was met with apprehension at first.  “What if we get infected with their idolatry?  No, it’s too risky.  Too bad they weren’t born Jews.”

 

Time passes, but somewhere along the line, at least Rahab is discipled, probably by one of those godly wives who kept persisting until her husband acquiesced!  Rahab responds and learns well.  In fact, she surpasses most of the young Israelite women in her devotion to the Lord, and becomes known for her character and the radical transformation of a changed life.  How do we know that?  Because of something revealed in the Book of Ruth and a one-sentence reference in Matthew Chapter 1. 

 

 

So, let’s turn our attention first to Ruth.

 

If you are not familiar with Ruth, it is a short book packed with depth and meaning.  The story centers around a family from Bethlehem, a husband named Elimelech and his wife Naomi.  They have two sons, Mahlon and Chilion.  A severe drought causes them to move east across the Jordan river to the area of Moab, where Naomi stays for 10 years.  While there, her husband dies.  Her sons marry Moabite women.  But then her sons die, and she is left in Moab with her two daughters-in-law, Orpah, and Ruth.  Naomi hears that the drought is gone in Bethlehem and she decides to return, and tries to convince her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab.  Orpah does, but Ruth insists on going to Bethlehem with Naomi and staying with her until her death, and will worship the God of Israel.  So, they return.

 

When they arrive in Bethlehem, it is the beginning of the barley harvest, probably mid-April.  How to get food?  Well, Ruth goes out to glean in the common area which the landowners use, and she just happens to get connected with a man named Boaz.  We need to learn something about Boaz.  He is described as “gibbor,” which is sometimes translated as “mighty man.”  It implies he is a man of substance and character, and when we read Ruth, we are touched by his compassion and concern both for Naomi and for Ruth.  He is impressed by Ruth’s devotion to Naomi, and her willingness to seek shelter under Yahweh’s wings.

 

Interestingly, he is also a kinsman redeemer (Leviticus 25:47-55) to Naomi, and is willing to redeem her land including the necessity of giving her offspring through Ruth, the Moabitess.  He was willing to marry a foreign woman.  Boaz and Ruth had a child, Obed, who was the grandfather of David.  Ruth 4:21-22.  So, Ruth the Moabite woman participates in establishing the earthly lineage of the Messiah. 

 

We are told in Ruth 4:21 that Salmon (or Salma) begot Boaz. We don’t know from the account here who Boaz’ mother is, but Matthew clears that up for us.   

 

Matthew 1:5 tells us “Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse.”

 

Salmon was the father of Boaz, and Boaz’ mother is Rahab.  Interestingly, she is not referred to as “Rahab the Harlot,” just Rahab.  She is a harlot no more.

 

Remember, Boaz is a man of influence and character in Bethlehem.  There is no doubt that Boaz’ character was formed in large part due to his mother’s influence.  She would have had to be a woman of great moral character to attract the attention of Salmon.

 

Knowing people as we do, we can be sure that Salmon was scorned and rejected by some of his peers for marrying a former pagan harlot.  That took a lot of courage on his part.  And think about his parents!  Let’s say our son came home all excited about this woman he met at a Bible study, who had been a sexual abuse victim by her stepdad, ran away from home, wound up on Colfax Avenue in Denver, was befriended by a man who turned out to be a pimp, got her strung out on fentanyl, and trafficked her as a prostitute?  Sound like something that happens every day.  But she had been arrested, detoxed, came to Christ while in substance abuse treatment, and was now a very godly young woman in love with Jesus.  We love to hear stories like that. 

 

But what if our son decided he wanted to marry her? Would we be accepting of her as a redeemed child of God, or would we be concerned about our family’s reputation, and suggest he seek out a virgin from one of the “good” families from his Awana’s group? 

 

What if your son said, “But what about that verse in Second Corinthians Five?

 

2 Corinthians 5:17

 

If anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

 

Is that true, or not?”

 

Do we feel the conviction of hypocrisy as we contemplate our reaction?  Are we interested more in what serves God’s purposes, or being concerned about what our peer group will think? 

 

Remember, God chose Rahab and Ruth (and Tamar, for that matter) to be mothers of men in the lineage of Christ.  He did that on purpose to teach us something about His mercy and grace.

No doubt, Boaz’ own family history was a strong influence for him to so readily agree to marry Ruth the Moabitess.  He knew his parent’s story, had heard from his mother Rahab about the pain of loneliness and rejection when they lived “outside the camp,” and had no hesitation to marry a foreign woman who so obviously loved God and honored Naomi. 

 

The character of Rahab may also be inferred from Hebrews.  She and Sarah are the only two women named in the Hall of Faith (Hebrews Chapter 11).  Rahab is also mentioned by James as an example of the works of faith. 

 

(Call up the worship team)

 

So, who are the Rahab’s in our life?  The people who have a checkered past, but who are growing in the Lord?  Can we see past who they were, and see what they can become as the Lord changes them?  He wants us to see with His eyes, and be His hands and feet to disciple them so they can become the godly Rahab’s of this generation.

 

The main reason why I love working in the criminal justice system is that I get to participate in God’s mission of making modern-day Rahabs.  To see a life in chaos become a godly man or woman is a privilege I have witnessed repeatedly over the past 35 years. 

 

Fact is, none of us come from “good” families.  There is only one Good Family, and that consists of all of us, from whatever background, who have repented, been born again, and belong to the body of Christ.  We all are new creations in Christ, and our sins—all of them—are forgiven and forgotten by our Lord.  May we celebrate our new beginnings every day!

We come to the end of Ephesians today.  At the beginning of his letter to these dear Christians, Paul prayed that they would come to know the significance of what it meant to be a Christian and what it meant to be the Church: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Eph. 1:18–19a).  Isn’t this what we want for our own selves?  To see with the eyes of our hearts the hope we have because of God’s calling, to wrap our hearts around the profound implications of what it means to belong to God as His inheritance, and to have our hearts full with the reality that the boundless greatness of the power of Almighty God now belongs to those of us who have been redeemed by God’s own Son. 

 

What does it mean to be a Christian?  What does it mean to be the Church?  The answer is provided for us more than 200 times in the New Testament and over 30 times in Ephesians alone; the answer given for what it means to be a Christian and what it means to be the Church is that you are a Christian and you belong to His church if you are “in Christ.” 

 

Before He spoke Creation into existence, God chose you and set His love upon you for the purpose that you would be holy and blameless... in Christ (1:4-6).  Your sin was not so great to keep you from the love of God, for He made your salvation and redemption possible through His Son who died upon a cross for your sins and lavished His grace upon you (vv. 7-12).  You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit which guarantees your complete and total salvation... and He did it “in Christ” (vv. 13-14).  Oh, dear Christian, what did you ever do to deserve so great a salvation?  Nothing, because all of it was provided for you in and through Christ! 

 

The Christ who was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly places is now yours (1:20-21)!  The Christ who is far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, the One to Whom belongs the obedience of the nations, and He who is head over all things... is now yours (vv. 22-23)!  Christian, what did you do to receive Him as yours?  You who were once dead in your offenses and sins, was there anything in you that warranted God’s grace?  You were listed among the “sons of disobedience,” you “lived in the lusts of your flesh,” you “indulged the desires of the flesh and of the mind,” and because of your sins... you were categorized by the Almighty as a “child of wrath” (2:1-3).  What was it about you that compelled God to save you instead of leaving you in your sins?  It was His rich mercy, His great love, and His all-sufficient grace that made you alive in Christ (vv. 4-9).  You are now in Christ, and all because of Christ!

 

Now that you have been saved by Christ, you who were once far away have been brought near so that He is now your truth, He is now your righteousness, and He is now your peace (2:11-16).  You are now united to Christ and belong to His body (4:1-32).  As a member of His body, you now belong to the Bride of Christ, and because you are His Bride, Jesus is cleansing and sanctifying you through His word and the power of the Holy Spirit (5:22-32). 

 

So, when you come to Ephesians 6:10 and read: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” you should know by now where it is that you are able to find that strength.  It is found... “in Christ.”  We are strong in the Lord when we put on the “full armor of God.”  Yet, the irony is that it is already provided because of our union in Jesus.  He is our belt of truth, He is our breastplate of righteousness, He is our peace through the gospel, He is our shield of faith, He is our helmet of salvation, and He is our sword of the Spirit.  We are stronger in the Lord the more we recognize our weakness and how much we need to pursue Him.

 

Listen, the only way you will discover how weak you are is by seeing how big God is, how sufficient Jesus is as your Savior, and how powerful the Holy Spirit is as the One who is keeping you. 

 

How We Are to Pray

So here is what I want to do with the remainder of our time together.  First, I want to look at how we are to pray and then I hope to show you what that kind of praying is where the power of the armor of God is experienced.

 

There are four categories of prayer that ought to be a part of our prayer life as Christians listed in Ephesians 6:18.  The Greek word that is used four times in verse 18 that can be translated “all” or “every” is the Greek word, “pas” (πᾶς). Some versions of the Bible have chosen to translate pas as “all” every time it is used in verse 18, while others like new version of the NASB translate pas as “every” and “all.”  In an effort to make the translation read smoothly, the NASB translates it this way: “With every [pas] prayer and request, pray at all [pas] times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all [pas] perseverance and every request for all [pas] the saints...”  So how are we to pray?

 

We are to pray in ALL ways to God (v. 18a).

What are the ways you can pray?  You can pray quietly to God.  You can pray vocally to God.  You can pray with groups of other Christians to God. You can pray privately to God.  You can pray while prostrate on your face to God. You can pray while standing, you can pray while kneeling, and you can pray while walking.  You can pray with your eyes closed, you can pray with your eyes open, and you can pray with your head bowed or lifted up.  You can pray in all ways to God because of who you are in Christ.

 

We are to pray at ALL times to God (v. 18b).

You can pray in the evening to God.  You can pray in the morning to God.  You can pray midday to God.  You can pray while suffering, while hungry, while in good health, or when in ill health.  It does not matter what the circumstances are or if it is in the early morning hours or in the midnight hour... there is no time when God’s door is shut, or His time limited so that His redeemed children are not permitted to come before Him in prayer. 

We are to pray with ALL perseverance (v. 18c).

While we pray in all ways and at all times in the Spirit, we are to do so while alert and do so persistently.  We stand between the first advent and the second advent when Jesus will come again as King, until He comes again, we are to remain alert for two reasons: first, while we wait, we are in enemy territory where our adversary is categorized as a roaring lion who longs to destroy and devour (1 Pet. 5:8).  Jesus told His disciples that while we wait for His return that we must, “Watch out, stay alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is” (Mark 13:33).  Sinclair Ferguson said of prayer: “Christ is building his church on territory that has been occupied by an enemy.  Alertness is always essential when living in a war zone.”[1]

 

We are to pray for ALL the saints (v. 18d).

In the same way that we pray for ourselves, we must also pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ! We do not just pray for those who we agree with theologically, but for every Christian regardless of where they fellowship, what church they attend, or in what part of the world they live.  This also means praying for your spouse, praying for your children, praying for your grandchildren, and anyone else in your world who believes in Jesus.  When it comes to their relationship with God, God cares more about their spiritual health than you ever could, so pray expecting that God can do, “far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think...” (3:20) in the lives of those saints you pray for more than your imagination can come up with. 

 

There is a fifth way we are to pray: We are to pray in all ways and at all times in the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the power that makes the armor of God effective so that you can stand strong, stand against the schemes of the devil, and stand firm on the evil day.

 

The Power of the Armor of God is in Who it Belongs To

To Pray in the Spirit according to Ephesians 6:18 is not to pray in tongues, that is a different type of praying addressed elsewhere in the Bible, but not here.  When we pray in the Spirit, we pray with the confidence that we have access to God Almighty who spoke billions of stars into existence with just the word of His power; not only does He hear us as our Heavenly Father, but He can, “do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (3:20) because we are in Christ and He is our Heavenly father.  It is the kind of confidence we read about in Romans 8:14-16, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God...”

 

Do you remember what I said about what it meant to be filled with the Holy Spirit when we covered Ephesians 4:30 and 5:18 in this sermon series? I said to be filled with the Spirit is not about you getting more of the Holy Spirit, but about the Holy Spirit getting more of you.  The more of you that the Holy Spirit has, the more power of the Holy Spirit you will experience!  Same is true when it comes to experiencing the strength of the Lord: the more of our hearts, the more of our obedience, and the more of our dependance He has of us... the more of His strength we will experience through His Holy Spirit. 

 

The power of the Armor of God is not in our ability to put it on but in the One who it belongs to! This brings us back full circle from what we read in the first sentence of Ephesians (1:1-14) to Ephesians 6:18-24.

 

Conclusion

The baby born on the first Christmas and laid in a manger is Christ the Lord! He who was born of a virgin, is the same One who formed Mary in her own mother’s womb. The One who through whom all things were created, was laid in a manger for the purpose of carrying a cross to die for sinners.  The One who lived the life we could not, to die a death we deserved is not only our Savior, but our Mediator: “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all...” (1 Tim. 2:5–6).  The Christ in the manger is ours not because of anything we have done, but because of His victory on the cross and over the grave: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us” (Eph. 1:7-8a).

 

So, it makes perfect sense that Paul would conclude his letter with a call to all of those who are in Christ to pray in the Spirit in all ways, all the time, with all perseverance, and for all the saints because in Jesus, “we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens...” (Heb. 9:1).  If you are a Christian, then one of the things you learn from Ephesians is that you are “in Christ.”  To be “in Christ” means that you now share an unbreakable union with Christ because that union was chosen by God the Father, purchased by His Son’s own blood, and sealed by His Holy Spirit.  Prayer is the fruit of our union in Christ, prayer is communion we have with God, prayer is the direct access we have to God because of our union in Christ. Prayer is the power source to the strength of the Lord that is available to the Christian with the armor of God. 

 

Jesus is the belt of truth, which is your identity in Him, but the security you have with Jesus as your truth will only be as firm as your understanding and confidence that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).  Jesus is your breastplate of righteousness, but your confidence in Him as your righteousness will only be as firm as your confidence that His righteousness is all the righteousness that you will ever need.  Jesus is the shoes of the gospel of peace, but the extent you will be able to stand firm in the gospel will only be as secure as your understanding of the reality of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the shield of faith, but your shield will only be as large as your understanding of who He is based on how saturated your faith in the Word of God is.  Jesus is the helmet of salvation, but the hope of your salvation will only be as effective as your joy in just how great your salvation really is.  Jesus is the sword of the Spirit in that all the word of God points to Him, but your ability to wield the truth of God’s word will only be as effective as you are willing to use it.  Prayer is what happens when you understand how weak you are and how big God really is.

 

Prayer is the evidence that we are growing in our relationship with Christ!  Sam Allberry, in his excellent book, One with My Lord, put it this way: “Growth in the Christian life is needing God more, not needing him less.  So we will be doing more asking over the years, not less asking.  We don’t grow out of prayer, just further into it.”[2] This is why it is only fitting that Paul would conclude his epistle with the appeal to pray at all times! The more we seek God out of a growing awareness of our weakness, the more like Jesus we will become.  Again Sam Allberry is spot on: “Prayer is not about bending God to our wills but about expressing our own wills as they are being bent to his.”[3]

 

Here is the thing though: Our union in Christ is not dependent upon our performance as Christians.  Our union in Christ was, is, and forever will be dependent upon the life and faithfulness of Jesus.  To the extent that we depend upon Him will determine just how much of our hearts He really has, and to the extent of how much of our minds, our hearts, and our will that He has will determine just how much of His power we will experience in our lives.  You will never be less in Him than you already are, but His power will only be experienced in and through your life to the extent of how much of you Jesus really has.  So, my question to you dear Christian is simply this: How much of you does Jesus really have? 

 

Oh, dear brother... oh, dear sister in Christ, do you not want to see with the eyes of your heart the hope of His calling, the riches of His inheritance, and know the power of the Holy Spirit (1:18-19a)?  Do you not want to know the joy of a life built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ as your chief cornerstone (2:20)?  Do you not long for the kind of life that comes out of comprehending the width and length and height and depth of what you have in Christ (3:14-19)?  Are you not tired of the cheap thrills this world offers when it is through Christ that you can know the kind of satisfaction that comes with walking in a manner worthy of the calling in which you have been called (4:1-3)? 

 

If you understood your union in Christ, you would seek to enjoy the unity we are called to with those who belong to His Church (4:4-6).  If you understood what it is that you share with Christ, you would desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit instead of looking for ways to grieve Him (4:30; 5:18).  Oh, because of the great redemption you now enjoy, do you not hate the things that displease Him (5:1-13)?  Do you not want to come out of this life smelling like the sweet aroma of Christ; can you not hear the Holy Spirit’s call upon your life at this very moment: “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (5:14)?

 

To be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might (6:10), the ability to stand firm against the devil’s schemes, and to be able to resist when the evil day comes... will only be experienced more frequently when you see just how weak you are and how sufficient Christ is in all things, in all ways, for all times, and for all people!  In so doing, may we be known for our love for Jesus  and in the way we live for Him and serve those around us.

 

[1] Sinclair Ferguson, Let’s Study Ephesians (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust; 2021), p. 186.

[2] Sam Allberry, One With My Lord (Weaton, IL: Crossway; 2024), p. 151

[3] Sam Allberry, One With My Lord (Weaton, IL: Crossway; 2024), p. 152.

Ancient warfare was fierce.  It was close, it was personal, it was dirty, it was aggressive, it was violent, and it was in your face. In preparation for battle, soldiers lined up in tight formation side by side with about three feet separating each soldier so that they could move freely.  Every piece of the armor was critically important: The belt kept everything he was wearing in its rightful place, the breastplate protected his vital organs, his shoes were designed so that he could stand his ground and maintain his footing, his shield helped protected him from any weapon that would pierce such as arrows or spears, and his helmet kept his head on his shoulders, protected his mind, line of sight, and neck.  The part of his armor that was designed to defend and to harm was his sword. 

 

The sword used by Rome’s soldiers between 3BC and 3AD was a double-edged short sword known as the Gladius. Roman legionaries whose shield defended them from the fiery arrows of the enemy received advanced training in using the Gladius to slash the exposed kneecaps or throat of their enemies while in formation and carried their Gladius sword on their belt, or sometimes on a shoulder strap. 

 

It was impossible to forget your belt, breastplate, and shoes when marching into battle because those pieces of the soldier’s armor were attached to his person.  However, it was possible to leave you shield, helmet, and even your sword back in the camp where it was safe and comfortable, but no skilled and experienced soldier would dare enter battle without those parts of his armor he was required to take up and put on, such as his shield, helmet, and sword. 

 

A modern equivalent to just how foolish it would be for a Roman soldier to forget any part of his armor is a Russian soldier who became the 2022 winner of the Darwin Awards.  The Darwin Awards are those awards given to honor Charles Darwin by commemorating “those who improve the gene pool – by removing themselves from it in the most spectacular way possible.” Here is the description of the unnamed Russian soldier who won this award:

You are wearing body armor in a warzone. You spot abandoned Macbook. You want Macbook. Where to hide it? With quick reflexes a Russian soldier slid that Macbook into his chest armor pocket, replacing a ballistic plate designed to save his life.

 

He was killed in Irpin, and his body was retrieved, providing a hearty laugh for all of Ukraine. 'Instant Karma' They reportedly found a stolen iPad as well. Wonder where the iPad was hidden?

 

I am no soldier, and although I love my Macbook Pro and have a great deal of respect for the way it is designed, even I know enough that in a warzone it is best to keep the ballistic plate in the chest armor pocket because a Macbook was never designed to stop a bullet. Yet, when it comes to the armor of God, how often do we intentionally or unintentionally replace that which is designed to protect with philosophies, ideologies, feelings, and practices that serve the enemy rather than our own protection? 

 

What is the Sword of the Spirit

We are told what the Sword of the Spirit is in the very same verse: It is the word of God. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible claims at least 3,000 times to be “The Word of the Lord.”  In 2 Timothy 3:16 we are told: “All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness...” We are told in the Old Testament book, Deuteronomy: “...man shall not live on bread alone, but man shall live on everything that comes out of the mouth of the Lord” (8:3), which is a verse Jesus used against the devil when He was being tempted in the wilderness (see Matt. 4:1-11).  In the Psalms, we learn of the written word of God: “The Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.  The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Ps. 19:7-8).  As it relates to the authority of God’s word, we are instructed through the prophet Isaiah: “This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool for My feet. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, so all these things came into being,” declares the Lord. But I will look to this one, at one who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isa. 66:1–2). 

 

From Genesis to Revelation the Bible claims at least 3,000 times to be “The Word of the Lord.”  The word of God in written form is contained in the 66 books that make up our Bible.  When Paul wrote that “all Scripture is inspired by God...”, we believe that it is a reference to all of the Old Testament and New Testament books that make up the Bible that were written over a period of hundreds of years with many different contributors who were all guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that what you have before you is a supernatural book unlike any other book, that is without error.  It is upon the word of God, both Old Testament (the prophets) and the New Testament (the apostles) that Jesus’ Church is being built upon (see Eph. 2:19-22).  It is the written word of God that has supernatural and transformative power to shape and transform God’s people, for from the imagery of the Roman Gladius the author of Hebrews wrote: “For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

 

Regarding the Word of God, Jesus prayed to the Father for His church: “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I am not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them away from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:14–17).  In just one chapter earlier, Paul said that the way Jesus is purifying and sanctifying His church is, “by the washing of the water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:26-27).

 

So, we know what the word of God is; the question we must answer is how do we use it as the Sword of the Spirit? 

 

How Do We Use the Sword of the Spirit

To answer that question, you need to know something about the two words that are used in reference to the word of God, and they are logos and rhēma. Logos is often translated as word or message.  Rhēma is often translated word, saying, or statement.  In Hebrews 4:12 and Isaiah 66:2 (in the Greek Septuagint) the word logos is used in reference to the Word of God.  In Deuteronomy 8:3 (in the Greek Septuagint) and Ephesians 6:17, the word rhēma is used.  So, what’s the point?  Both words are used in reference to the written and spoken word of God and its authority is based on the fact that it has come from God.  

 

Listen, every word in the Bible is authoritative because it is the Word of God and is used by the Holy Spirit of God to transform and shape the people of God.  When you read or speak out loud the Word of God, as it is given within all 66 books of the Holy Bible, the voice of God is heard through His word.  Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:17 are calculated and carefully crafted through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; do not miss what is written: “Take... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  God always uses the authority of His own words with the power of His Holy Spirit to transform, change, and divinely challenge! 

 

So, how does one use the Word of God as the offensive sword of the Spirit?  Jesus showed us how to use it as an offensive weapon when he was approached three times by the devil.  In Matthew 4:1-17 and Luke 4:1-13 we are given the details of Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the same wilderness that Israel wondered for 40 years because of their failure to believe and obey the word of God.  Each of the temptations Jesus faced was like one of the temptations Israel faced and failed, by sinning. 

1. When Israel was in the wilderness, they complained about their lack of food (see Exod. 16). The devil came to Jesus and tempted Him with these words: “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” Jesus answered with the word of God from Deuteronomy 8:3, “It is written: ‘Man Shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God’” (Matt. 4:3-4).

 

1. In the wilderness, Israel frequently put God to the test, so with the second temptation Satan took Jesus to the top of the temple and said, “If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written: ‘He will give His angels orders concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will lift You up, so that You do not strike Your foot against a stone.” The devil even quoted and twisted Psalm 91 to try to get Jesus to fall into the same sin Israel fell into in the wilderness. Again, Jesus responded rightly and skillfully with the word of God: “You shall not put the Lord Your God to the Test.” (Matt. 4:5-7).

 

1. In the wilderness and throughout Israel’s history, they were frequently guilty of false worship. In an effort to get Jesus to fall into the same sin, Satan tried to get Jesus to avoid the cross by worshiping him, to which Jesus responded with the sword of the Spirit: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only” (Matt. 4:8-11).

 

Jesus used the sword of the Spirit to counter the Devil’s temptations.  Did you ever notice that two of the three temptations Jesus faced were not inherently evil; it is not wrong to eat when you are hungry nor is it wrong to expect God to save you from harm. However, the scheming of the Devil was to try and get the Son of God to not trust the Father’s plan but to use a different plan that would have avoided the cross.  

 

We often counter our temptation to sin with human reason by believing another way is better than God’s way.  Think about the way we reason our way out of obedience to God: “I know God’s word says sex is a gift to be enjoyed within the covenant of marriage, but we’re in love and we’re going to get married anyway;” or “It’s only a little lie.” Sometimes it is more subtle: “I know God’s word says, ‘there must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or vulgar joking...’, but at least it is not a 4-letter word, it’s not gossip if it is a prayer request, it’s just an innocent joke...”  “I know that God’s word says that, ‘sexual immorality or impurity’ is sinful, but it’s only a few scenes in the movie.” Or... “It only happens once a month...” 

 

What if we learned from the way Jesus responded to temptation by countering our own with the Word of God?  Imagine what would have happened if, in the Garden, Adam responded to the serpent’s temptation with the Word of God? 

 

You can take up the word of God as the sword of the Spirit or you can leave it in its sheath.  Here is the thing though, just as handling a sword effectively takes some skill that can only come if you take it out of its sheath, to handle the sword of the Spirit with skill you must take it out and use it.  To handle the Word of God with skill, you need to use it by reading it, studying it, memorizing it, and immerse yourself into it so that it can do what God designed it to do, which is to change you, mold you, cleanse you, and guide you.  Just as you will never improve your shooting skills if you do not get out to a range and shoot, or a martial artist will only be as skilled as his time in the dojo practicing his techniques, so it is true with handling the word of God with skill. Just as there are resources to improve your aim, or your skills as a martial artist, so there are resources that God has provided through pastors, theologians, scholars, and Christian publishers to improve your skills in handling the word of God.

 

In his letter to Timothy, Paul wrote, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).  Some think that this verse is only applicable to pastors, but do you know why we know that is not true?  How do we know that every Christian needs to strive to be able to “accurately handle the word of truth”?  Because of what Jesus commanded every Christian: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19–20).

 

Conclusion

Remember that the schemes belong to the devil, but the armor of God belongs to God!  The sword of the Spirit is no exception!  The list of God’s armor begins with the belt of truth, and it concludes with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  What we have discovered about the armor of God is that the belt of truth is our identity in Jesus, the breastplate of righteousness is our righteousness in Jesus, the shoes of the gospel of peace is our redemption that Jesus has made possible, the shield of faith is provided through Jesus, the helmet of salvation is the hope of our salvation in Jesus, and the sword of the Spirit is the word of God that points us back to... Jesus!  We learn from the Bible that all the promises of God through His word find their yes and Amen in and through Jesus Christ (see 2 Cor. 19-22).    

  

In fact, Jesus is not only God’s “Yes” to all of His promises, Jesus is God’s most perfect revelation of Himself because He is the living Word of God!  In the opening verses of the Gospel of John, we learn that as the Word of God, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.” And as the Word of God, He, “became flesh, and dwelt among us...” (John 1:1-14). 

 

Not only is Jesus your belt, not only is He your breastplate, not only is He your peace, not only is He your shield and your helmet... Jesus is your sword!  How do you remain strong in the Lord?  You must find Him to be your life!  In closing, I read something in Iain Duguid’s little book, titled, The Whole Armor of God, what I am about to read to you is the essence of the Christmas message:

As the Word of God, he [Jesus] spoke the world into existence.  As the Word of God, he uniquely reveals to us the Father.  As the Word of God, he is God’s final communication to this broken and now redeemed world, come to heal the sick, rescue the lost, restore the broken, and lift up the downcast.... The Word of God in its cleansing work serves as a set of shears, a scalpel, and a sword.  Ask God to equip you with these three different tools, each one uniquely crafted to help us in the fight against temptation by the world, the flesh, and the devil.  All that sanctifying power flows into your life through the work of the Holy Spirit applying his Word.  And when you fail and fall, as you often will, the Sword of the Spirit points you back again to the fact that the gospel is still true and Christ’s power is still sufficient to keep you safe and bring you at last into your heavenly inheritance.[1]

 

[1] Iain M. Duguid, The Whole Armor of God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway; 2019), pp. 101-02.

On the first Christmas, an angel appeared to some shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks at night.  We are told that at the angel’s appearing, the shepherds were “terribly frightened.”  The angel announced to the shepherds: “And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:10–12).

 

The Christmas story does not begin with the shepherds, or with the angel’s visit to Mary with the words: “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son and you shall name Him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:31-33).  The story of Christmas began long before the promise made to Mary’s fiancé, Joseph: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:20b-21).

 

The story of Christmas begins in Genesis 1:1 with the words: “In the beginning.”  It involves an antagonist (the devil), it is all about a hero (God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit), and it is about our need to be rescued (we have a sin problem).  The story of Christmas is a story that transforms unlike any other story; it is a story identified by one word in the Bible, and that word is, “Gospel” which means, “good news.”  Of this good news, the apostle Paul wrote: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Rom. 1:16).

 

The Christmas story is about the promised savior born to be king—the Lion of the Tribe of Judah from whom, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet” (Gen. 29:10).  Christmas is the ancient promise that the Son of David would be unlike any other king in that God would, “establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Sam. 7:13).  The coming King who would save His people from their sins would be “Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14)—God with us. 

 

What is the Helmet of Salvation?

Like the soldier’s shield, the helmet could be taken of and put back on.  The helmet of the Roman soldier was made of bronze and had cheek pieces to provide protection to his head.  Like the breastplate of righteousness, Paul draws his language from Isaiah 59:17, “He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; and He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped Himself with zeal as a cloak.”  If you recall from my sermon on the breastplate of righteousness, the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 who was, “pierced for our offences, and was crushed for our wrongdoings” is the Divine Warrior of Isaiah 59, which begins with these words: “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear” (v. 1).  The One who is able to save is the One to Whom righteousness and salvation truly belongs. 

 

When redemption and righteousness was beyond the reach of sinful humanity, Immanuel “put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head” and was born of a virgin to save us from our sins. But what does it mean to be saved from our sins, and is salvation something that can be taken up and put off like a helmet? To answer those questions we must answer what “salvation” is. 

 

Salvation literally means, “preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss.”  In the strictest and most biblical sense, salvation is something that has happened in the past, but it is also happening in the present, and yes... it is also something that will happen in the future.  In other words, Jesus came to save his people from their sins so that they can be saved from the past, the present, and in the future, from the full curse of sin.  How so?  Well, think about what was announced: Jesus came to save His people from their sins. 

 

When Adam and Eve sinned, all of creation was brought under a curse, and that curse includes not only our propensity to sin against God, but also death and the vandalizing of a peace with God all of humanity was intended to enjoy.  Here is what the Bible says: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned...” (Rom. 5:12).  So, when it comes to our salvation, Timothy Keller said, “The Bible says every Christian stands in the middle of three tenses of their salvation. You can’t understand the glory and the beauty of it unless you see it. In fact, you won’t be able to understand the Scripture and you won’t be able to understand what’s happening to you if you don’t understand.”[1] 

We stand in the past tense of our salvation: You have been saved from the penalty of sin and pardoned from your guilt and now have been covered under the righteousness of Christ and are justified before a holy God (1 Pet. 3:18). We stand in the reality that we have been saved from the penalty of sin!

 

We stand in the present tense of our salvation: You are being saved in the sense that God is changing you through the power of His Holy Spirit.  The evidence of your nature to sin is still there and the struggle against your own sin is very real, but each moment that you move closer to death on this side of eternity is one step closer to Christlikeness.  This is the fight I was talking about last week. In this present life you, Christian, “fight the good fight of the faith” and by doing so, we “take hold of the eternal life to which you have been called” (1 Tim. 6:12).  We stand in the reality that we are being saved from the power of sin!

 

We stand in the future tense of our salvation:  Because we have been saved from the penalty of sin and we are being saved from the power of sin because Jesus, as the Divine Warrior of Isaiah 59, is able and will indeed rescue us from all sin.  The third verse in the carol, Joy to the Word, rightly states:

No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make his blessings flow Far as the curse is found.

 

 Jesus came to save us from our sins in the sense that He will make his blessings flow as far as the curse is found, and on that day: Death will be swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:54), what is mortal will be swallowed up by life (2 Cor. 5:4), sorrow and singing will flee away (Isa. 51:11), every tear will be wiped away (Rev. 21:1-4), and all things will be made new (Rev. 21:5).  We stand in the reality that we will be saved from the presence of sin... forever and will receive a better and more glorious Eden! 

 

The salvation that Jesus came to deliver is not something we take off and put on again, so what then is the helmet of salvation?  According to 1 Thessalonians 5:8, the helmet of salvation is the hope of our salvation: “But since we are of the day, let’s be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.” Because we are saved, being saved, and will be saved... we live in the hope of our salvation no matter what the enemy launches at us or does to us, “the night is almost gone, and the day is near” (Rom. 13:12).

 

How Do You Take Up the Helmet of Salvation?

To take up the helmet of salvation is to live in the reality that this mortal life is not the end and that you are now, and forever will, remain a child of the living God! 

 

The helmet of salvation protects your head, it protects your mind, it protects your line of sight so that you can see the hope that is yours in Christ.  When things in life seem to go south, when this life is shortened by disease, when this world’s resources are stripped away, when the proverbial rug is pulled from underneath, and when it seems that all in this world is lost... you can respond with gospel-centered hope: “For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison...” (2 Cor. 4:17).

 

The helmet of salvation is the assurance of our salvation! Listen, there are two dangers that every person faces if they are a part of any Bible teaching and gospel centered church.  The first danger is to believe that you are a Christian when you are not.  If you believe that you can believe in Jesus with your mind for the salvation of your soul with little consequence to the way you are living your life today, then you may not be a genuine Christian. 

 

True saving faith is to believe and trust that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is enough for the salvation of your soul; the evidence that you genuinely believe and trust in Jesus as your savior will be evidenced in your standing in your past salvation, present salvation, and hope in your future salvation.  Do not forget Ephesians 2:8-10!  You were saved by grace through faith in Jesus, and the purpose for your salvation is stated in verse 10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  Genuine saving faith in Jesus will be evidenced by a changing life that looks more and more like Jesus’ life over the years. 

 

The second danger you face in the local church is that the enemy can get you to doubt your salvation.  If the enemy can get you to doubt your salvation successfully, he will have a better chance of tempting you to live closer to your sin rather than closer to Jesus as your savior.  When you take up the helmet of salvation, you stand in the shoes of the gospel of peace, with your identity in Christ firmly belted around your waist, the righteousness of Christ securely fastened over your chest, so that you can take up your biblically saturated faith.  When the devil attempts to undermine your salvation, you can take up your helmet of salvation knowing that only because of Jesus, there is no condemnation for you (Rom. 8:1)! 

 

When you take up your helmet of salvation in the enemy’s presence, you do so with confidence, knowing: “...that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).  When the attacks come and the devil or your flesh is all up in your face to tempt you to doubt the sufficiency of Christ, you take up your helmet of salvation with the assurance of 2 Corinthians 4:7-9, “But we have this treasure in earthen containers, so that the extraordinary greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed...” (2 Cor. 4:7–9).

 

How do you know that the salvation Jesus provided is enough?  The One born to save His people from their sins is the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” promised long ago (Isa. 9:6-7).  He is the promised King whose, “times of coming forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2).  The One born King of the Jews is He who was declared long before His birth through the virgin Mary: “I am the first and the last, and there is no God besides Me” (Isa. 44:6; Rev. 1:17-18). Jesus can save because He is the righteous Branch of David who is called, “Yahweh Our Righteousness” (Jer. 23:5-6). He is Him who is, “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation... by Whom all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Col. 1:15-16).  The salvation Jesus provided is enough because, while He existed in the form of God as the Divine Son, He humbled Himself, “by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross” (see Phil. 2:1-11).  This is why we can have every confidence that Ephesians 1:7-8 is all that we need for the hope of our salvation: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.”

 

So, in light of all that Jesus is and all that he did to secure your salvation, who are you, Chistian?  You are chosen by God before the foundation of the world (1:4-6)!  Who are you Christian?  You are redeemed as a child of God by the blood of His own Son... namely Jesus (1:7-12)!  Who are you Christian?  You are sealed by the Holy Spirit as a child of the living God until the day when redemption is finally complete (1:13-14).  You can have all the confidence that Jesus is enough because He alone is the Divine Warrior qualified to live the life you could not live for the purpose of dying a death you deserved! Jesus is your righteousness, and He is your salvation! 

 

On December 4th, I read something Thomas Watson wrote that Jonathan Gibson’s O Come, O Come, Emmanuel included in his devotional.  When it comes to what our salvation means, Watson’s words seem to capture the beauty and magnitude of the Jesus who came to save his people from their sins:

He was poor that he might make us rich.  He was born of a virgin that we might be born of God.  He took our flesh that he might give us his Spirit.  He lay in the manger that we might lie in paradise.  He came down from heaven that he might bring us to heaven... that the Ancient of Days should be born,--that he who thunders in the heavens should cry in the cradle,--that he who rules the stars should suck the breast,--that a virgin should conceive,--that Christ should be made of a woman which himself made,--that the branch should bear the vine,--that the mother should be younger than the child she bore, and the child in the womb bigger than the mother,--that the human nature should not be God, yet one with God: this was not only amazing but miraculous.”

 

If you a Christian, Jesus is the hope of your salvation for He is the helmet of your salvation.  If you are not a Christian, you can receive Him as the Hope of your salvation by surrendering your life to Him as your Savior.

 

[1] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

It has been a few weeks since we were in Ephesians.  The last sermon I preached was on the shoes of the gospel of peace.  I have a confession to make, and it is not one to be proud of: I am not very good at creating space for my own rest. One of the symptoms that a break and vacation is needed is when your pastor takes 15-20 minutes to talk about shoes during his sermon introduction!  In preparation for this sermon, I have been thinking about the importance of rest as it is related to faith. 

 

One of the Ten Commandments is to, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exod. 20:8-11).  Here is the irony with the fourth commandment: The first four commandments address our relationship with God and the last six commandments address our relationships with one another.  I am of the opinion that a Sabbath rest has less to do with the seventh day of the week and more to do with our need to separate ourselves from the noise of life. Regarding the fourth commandment, Jesus said: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:23-28).  The purpose of the Sabbath is that it creates space for you to listen to God for the purpose being strengthened in Him.

 

The reason why the fourth commandment is sandwiched between the first three concerning our vertical relationship with God and the final six concerning our horizontal relationships with your neighbor is because if you ignore a Sabbath rest, both your relationship with God and your relationships with others will suffer.  If you ignore the fourth commandment, you will be more prone to develop idols in your heart and become little good to those around you.  So, here is what I want you to hear as we move forward: Sabbath rest stabilizes gospel grounded faith.  The kind of rest I am talking about must include the kind of rest described in Psalm 46:10, “Stop striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth.”  

 

Now, with God’s command for a Sabbath rest as our backdrop, let’s consider again the armor of God:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Eph. 6:10–13)

 

Remember that the schemes belong to the devil, but the armor we are to put on belongs to God.  The belt of truth is our identity in Christ, the breastplate of righteousness is our righteousness in Christ, and the shoes of the gospel of peace enable us to keep our footing in the whole Gospel, that includes our salvation but also the full redemption of all creation.  The whole Gospel includes our resurrection, but it also promises us a day when sorrow and sighing will flee away: “And the redeemed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with joyful shouting, and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away” (Isa. 51:11).

 

The fourth piece of God’s armor is the shield of faith.  The questions we need to answer are what is it really; and how does one use the shield of faith? 

 

What is the Shield of Faith?

The shield Paul had in mind was not the small round shield you would expect a soldier to have for hand-to-hand combat, for it was light but left most of the body exposed.  Instead, the shield Paul envisioned was more like the one a soldier carried to protect his whole body from the enemy’s arrows shot from a distance. 

 

The large shield was called a “scutum” and was typically used by Roman legionaries. It was designed not only to protect the soldier wielding it from arrows, but was designed especially to protect him from arrows that were dipped in pitch and lit on fire before they were launched.  The front of the shield was covered in leather that could be soaked in water; in this way, when the flaming arrows hit the shield, the fire would be quenched. 

 

For what purpose did a flaming arrow (aka “fire arrow”) serve?  What is fire known for doing?  The enemy would launch flaming arrows to set on fire anything that was flammable such as buildings, materials, and enemy troops.  Fire consumes and destroys, and this is exactly what the rulers, powers, world forces of this darkness, and the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places desire to do to any and all of God’s people.  We are told to take up the shield of faith to protect us from such attacks from the enemy, but what is it? 

 

Is the shield of faith a self-determined will to hold on to what you believe?  Is it something that you would have more of if you simply believed more?  Is the shield of faith more about having enough faith in what we read about in the Bible so that you can claim financial, emotional, relational, spiritual, and physical healing and wholeness for yourself?  I don’t think the shield of faith includes any of that. 

 

Remember that Paul did not just come up with the armor of God because of some Roman soldiers around him.  Paul received his shield metaphor from the Old Testament.  To address Abraham’s fear about being without an heir, God promised Him, “Do not fear Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward shall be very great.”  In Psalm 28:7, David celebrated the God who hears the prayers of His people with these words: “Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the sound of my pleading.  The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart triumphs, and with my song I shall thank Him.”  However, I think Proverbs 30:5 is the most helpful verse that helps us understand what the shield of faith is: “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”

 

So, which is it? Is God our shield and if so, how can our faith be the shield?  On this point Iain Duguid is helpful: “Faith is the means by which we flee to God for refuge.  It is how we cling to God and find in him comfort and protection in times of difficulty and distress.”[1]  It is one thing to believe that God exists but is quite another thing to flee to the God you know to be true because of the way He has revealed Himself through His Word.  The more you know about God, the more inclined you will be to flee to Him as your refuge and strength, for the Bible says, “the people who know their God will be strong and take action” (Dan. 11:32b). 

 

The way you cling to God and find Him to be your comfort and protection is through His Word!  We are told in Ephesians 5:26 that Jesus intends to sanctify and beautify His church through the washing of water with the word.  It is the word of God that we use to saturate our shield “to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”  This is not a New Testament concept; it is a Genesis through Revelation principle for living faithfully before God.  Listen to Psalm 119:10-11 and tell me if you cannot hear the same tone that you hear in Ephesians 6:16, “With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments.  I have treasured Your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against You.” 

 

How do We Use the Shield of Faith?

It is all well and good to know what the shield of faith is, but how do you use it?  To answer that question, permit me to show you something that I have read dozens of times and missed because I did not read Ephesians 6:14-17 as carefully as I should have.  There are six pieces that belong to the armor of God. The first three are all pieces that a soldier puts on and keeps on so long as he is active:

1. “...having belted your waist with truth” (v. 14a)
2. “...having put on the breastplate of righteousness” (v. 14b)
3. “...having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace” (v. 15)

 

Each of these pieces are attached to the Christian as part of his/her identity in Christ.  The belt of truth is your new identity in Christ, the breastplate of righteousness is your righteousness in Christ, and the shoes of the gospel of peace are the promise of full redemption that Jesus makes possible.  You put on these pieces of armor by standing in the gospel, confidently recognizing that all your righteousness is in Christ, and that your identity is rooted in Christ as truth for all of life!

 

Now notice the final three pieces of the armor of God and how Paul distinguishes them from the first three pieces with the words, “in addition to all...”:

1. “...taking up the shield of faith” (v. 16)
2. “...take the helmet of salvation” (v. 17a)
3. “...take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (v. 17b)

 

The soldier’s shield, helmet, and sword were all a part of his armor, but they were pieces he could take up and put down at will. The enemy can tempt you to believe that Christ is not enough, but what he already knows is that your righteousness is Christ’s righteousness; wearing the breastplate of righteousness is simply walking in light of that truth.  However, when the enemy attacks with his flaming arrows in the form of temptations, lies, and accusations, you can choose to take up the shield of faith or allow those arrows to pierce you so that their fire can overwhelm, consume, and incapacitate you.

 

If you are a Christian and you have truly been born again, the flaming arrows may not be able to destroy your soul, but they certainly can wound to the point of rendering you immobile and unable to fully engage and participate in God’s mission in the world and purpose for your life.  If you are a Christian, the enemy knows that God chose you before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4-6), that you were fully and completely redeemed by the blood of His Son (1:7-12), and that you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit as God’s inheritance to receive all of His promises (1:13-14, 18-23). 

 

In fact, I am convinced that the devil has more of a theological grasp over what it means for you to be a Christian than many Christians, but if he can deceive you, if he can aid in destroying your Christian witness, if he can paralyze you with shame and guilt to keep you from clinging to all that the cross of Christ represents, then he will do all within his ability to do just that!  Dear Christian, when those flaming arrows come, you have a shield God has given that you can take up to defend yourself from such attacks! God has given us all that we need, but faith in His promises, a dependance upon Him, and the responsibility to proactively saturate our faith with the word of God is something we must do. 

 

Conclusion

The enemy will launch his flaming arrows but make no mistake from what we have learned so far from Ephesians, there is also the danger we face from self-inflicted wounds when we fall into temptation.  The devil never makes us sin, we do that all on our own!  This is why it is important to take on the full armor of God.  When we are mindful that Jesus is our identity and not our sin, when we are fully aware that Jesus is our only hope and righteousness, and then stand in the truth of all of God’s redemptive promises, our resolve to resist sin and temptation becomes more determined. 

 

But, when the flaming arrows fly you can lower your shield and let them pierce and consume, or you can take up your shield.  When the enemy whispers: “You sinned and now you are too disgusting for God to love you!”  You take up your shield saturated with the word of God and say: “Do not rejoice over me, enemy of mine.  Though I fall I will rise; though I live in darkness, the Lord is a light for me... He will bring me out to the light, and I will look at His righteousness” (Micah 7:8, 9).  You take up your shield saturated by the word of God and say, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.... For if while we were enemies we were reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Rom. 5:8, 10).

 

Don’t you think that Mary and Joseph endured many the constant barrage of the enemy’s flaming arrows the moment they found out about the conception of Jesus while Mary was still a virgin?  Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus” (Luke 1:30-31).  Her only question was: “How?” since she was a virgin.  After the angel told her that the Holy Spirit would make it possible miraculously, her response was simply: “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word” (v. 38).  Mary could have been overwhelmed by fear over what her mother, father, relatives, and neighbors would think, but instead she raised up her shield of faith in the form of a song saturated with what she knew from the word of God:

“My soul exalts the Lord,

   And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

“For He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-servant;

      For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.

 

“For the Mighty One has done great things for me;

      And holy is His name.

“And His mercy is to generation after generation

      Toward those who fear Him.

 

“He has done mighty deeds with His arm;

      He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

“He has brought down rulers from their thrones,

      And has exalted those who were humble.

 

“He has filled the hungry with good things,

      And sent the rich away empty-handed.

“He has given help to His servant Israel,

      In remembrance of His mercy,

 

Just as He spoke to our fathers,

      To Abraham and his descendants forever. (Luke 1:47–55)

 

Joseph could have walked out on Mary in disbelief, but He took up his shield as well and believed that God was not only big enough to make the conception of Jesus supernaturally possible, but he too believed the word of God: “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14; see also Matt. 1:18-25).

 

So, how do you use the shield of faith?  How do you take it up to defend yourself?  You take up the shield of faith each time you flee to God for refuge through the truth of His word and cling to Him to find your comfort and protection in times of difficulty and distress. 

 

[1] Iain M. Duguid, The Whole Armor of God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway; 2019), p. 68.

There was a time when I could not stand the idea of exercise.  I was tired of being on cholesterol and blood pressure medicine, and finally got to the place where I became desperate enough to get healthy.  One of the first things I chose to do was join a gym, hire a trainer, and sign up for a 5K because I thought that if I did not train for it, I would die.  So, I began running twice a week while I trained at the gym three times a week.  What I learned soon after I started running was how important it was to have the right shoes. 

 

Because I grew up just outside of Philadelphia, we called anything that you could run around and play in: “sneakers.” Depending on where you grew up, you may know them as “tennis shoes.” Before I started running, I did not know that there were all types of “sneakers” depending on the kind of thing you liked to do.  For those who like to run, you can pay to have your foot analyzed to determine if you need a neutral shoe (for those with a stable foot and normal or high arch).  If you are a runner whose outer edge of your heel hits the ground first or Vis versa, then you might need to choose a more stable shoe.  If you participate in track and field, you may need a shoe with spikes designed to be more lightweight.  If you want a bit more cushion while running, there are cushioned running shoes.  If you do not like the cushion and want to feel more of the ground while running, there is the minimalist running shoe.  If you like running on trails, there is the trail running shoe.  If you are an avid runner, and do not have the right shoes, you will develop pain in your knees, feet, thighs, etc. 

 

Needless to say, wearing the right shoes are important if you are a runner.  Wearing the right shoes while hiking is important if you hike.  Wearing the right shoes doing anything is important.  Wearing the right shoes as a soldier is especially important for combat readiness, and the third piece of equipment belonging to God’s armor that we are told to put on is the shoes of the gospel of peace.

 

What are the Shoes of Gospel Peace?

Most translations insert the word “shoe” to make sense of the Greek. Shoes are assumed and the way it is translated in the NASB is the most literal of all the versions: “...and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace” (v. 15).  The English Standard Version translates the Greek in a way that really gets at the heart of the point that I believe Paul is attempting to make: “as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.”  The question we need to answer is, for what purpose do the shoes of the gospel of peace serve? 

 

The Roman soldier was fitted with a type of sandal that was heavier than what civilians wore.  The sole of the sandal was made with several layers of leather that were about ¾ of an inch thick with hollow-headed hobnail spikes on the bottom of the sole.  The sandals a soldier of Rome wore were not designed for running but did allow him to keep his footing while standing against his enemy.  The shoes Paul had in mind are the type that allowed a soldier to establish himself so that the enemy would not push him back.  Now with that in mind, consider Ephesians 6:10-13,

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

 

So, if the shoes Paul had in mind are the type that allowed a soldier to firm up his stance before the enemy, what does it mean to put on the shoes of the gospel of peace for the Christian?  I have read in a number of commentaries that to put on the shoes of the gospel of peace is Paul’s way of saying that “believers should always be ready to share the gospel.”[1]  I definitely believe that sharing the gospel is what Paul assumed would be the motive and desire of the Christian who has put on the full armor of God.  After all, he was very much aware of Isaiah 52:7, which states: “How delightful on the mountains are the feet of one who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns’” (Isa. 52:7).  Jesus did say of His followers: “You are the salt of the earth.... You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13, 14).  It is true that the only way people will hear of the gospel of Jesus Christ is if Christians everywhere tell them: “But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things” (Rom. 10:15).  However, is this the main point the apostle is making in Ephesians 6:15?  I do not believe that it is. 

 

The shoes of the gospel of peace are the good news of Jesus Christ, but the good news of Jesus Christ is not only that he died for our sins and rose from the grave for the salvation of our souls.  The good news that we are to strap onto our feet, includes Jesus’ death and resurrection; but it much more than that!  “How so?” you ask.  For starters, you need to consider the context of the shoes of the gospel of peace within Ephesians 6:10-18.  Does Paul mean that we are to put on the shoes of the gospel of peace so that we can be ready and prepared to tell people about Jesus (see also Matt. 28:19-20; 1 Pet. 3:15)?  If he did mean this, don’t you think he would have written instead: “strap upon your feet the preparation so that you can make known the gospel of peace”? Instead, Paul tells us to put on the shoes of the gospel of peace so that we would be prepared... but prepared for what?   

 

Remember that the shoes of the Gospel of peace belong to the armor of God, and by wearing them, they prepare us for something.  What is it that they prepare us for?  This is where the context of a particular passage is so important!  The gospel shoes of peace prepare us to stand firm against the devil’s schemes, they prepare us to resist on the evil day, the shoes of the gospel of peace prepare us to stand firm in the strength of the Lord!  I think the New Living Translation is helpful on this point: “For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.” What we are to strap onto our feet is the whole gospel and it is the shoes of the whole gospel that prepares us to stand firm as a Christian who has put on the full armor of God. 

 

Why are the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace Needed?

Permit me answer why the shoes of the gospel of peace are needed and then I will unpack my answer for you.  You must have the shoes of the gospel of peace securely fitted upon your feet because if you get the gospel wrong, your belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness will be compromised, and you will therefore be vulnerable when you stand before the enemy.

 

So, what is the gospel?  It is the good news that Jesus Christ, as the perfectly righteous Son of God, lived a perfectly obedient life to the Law of God on our behalf.  That He died for our sins, triumphantly conquered the grave through His resurrection on the third day, and now stands victoriously as creation’s redeemer.

 

Jesus is the Son of God

If you get Jesus wrong, you will get the gospel wrong.  There is no room for error when it comes to who Jesus is in relationship to what it means to trust and believe in Him!  As the Son of God, Jesus had no beginning, and He will have no end.  He is not a creature like us because He was and forever is eternally begotten of the Father in the sense He existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Of Jesus, the scriptures testify: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it” (John 1:1–5).   

 

Jesus was sent by the Father to become fully human while remaining fully God by immaculate conception through Mary while she was a virgin, through whom the Son of God was born: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).  He is the One of whom the prophets spoke: “For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us... and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).  By being born of a virgin, He became the righteous descendant of David who bears the name: “The Lord Our Righteousness” (see Jer. 23:5-6).  If Jesus is not fully God and if He did not become also fully human, then there would not have been a fully qualified and fully capable redeemer for mankind and the rest of creation. 

 

Jesus is Our Redeemer

As the Son of God, Jesus was the only One qualified to save sinners and reverse the curse of sin over all creation.  Jesus is the Kinsmen-redeemer who met the three requirements to redeem what was lost when Adam and Eve rebelled against God on behalf of all humanity.  The three requirements a kinsmen-redeemer was required to meet were that he had to be related to Adam’s race, he had to be willing to redeem what was lost by Adam’s race, and he had to have the means to redeem what was lost, which was not only humanity but all of creation under Adam’s headship.  The only qualified kinsmen-redeemer who could provide what was needed for redemption had to be One who was both fully God and fully human.  This is why Jesus took on flesh to become our kinsmen redeemer, and as our Kinsmen Redeemer, God, “put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:22-23). 

 

Jesus is our Triumphant King Who is making all things new!

The Bible says that Jesus is God’s “Yes” to all of His promises (2 Cor. 1:20), and His promises from Genesis through Revelation include not only the promise of redemption for sinful man, but the reversal of the curse of sin (Jer. 23:5-6; ), the defeat and destruction of the devil (Gen. 3:15; Rev. 20:1-10), and the resurrection and restoration of all things (2 Pet. 3:10-13).  The gospel of peace that belongs to the armor of God is the gospel Peter wrote about to encourage suffering Christians to stand firm: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet. 1:3–5). Jerry Bridges was absolutely correct when he wrote in his magnificent book, The Discipline of Grace: “The gospel is not only the most important message in all of history; it is the only essential message in all of history.[2]

 

Listen, when you stand in the shoes of the gospel of peace, you stand in the reality and truth of all that the gospel is, and when you have “strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace”, you stand firm in all that the gospel is for you as one who has been redeemed by the blood of the perfect Lamb of God!  When we stand with the gospel of peace securely strapped to our feet, we can say with Job in the midst of great suffering: “Yet as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last, He will take His stand on the earth. ‘Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I will see God, whom I, on my part, shall behold for myself, and whom my eyes will see, and not another” (Job 19:25–27).  When your feet are fitted with the gospel of the peace, you can respond to the uncertainties of life as the apostle Paul did: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).  When you put on the shoes of the gospel of peace, you can stand against the devil’s schemes knowing that because of Jesus, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will rejoice over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy” (Zeph. 3:17).

 

The gospel brings peace because not only does it promise our redemption, but it is the promise that Jesus is coming back and when He does, “He will judge between the nations, and will mediate for many peoples; and they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not lift up a sword against nation, and never again will they learn war” (Isa. 2:4).  The gospel brings peace because we have Jesus, we can stand in the promise of knowing that whether in life or death, we who are the redeemed, will enter into the presence of God, “with joyful shouting, and everlasting joy will be on our heads.  We will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away” (Isa. 51:11). 

 

This is why the gospel is not something you leave and move onto deeper and better doctrines!  You will never outgrow your need for the gospel.  To take on the armor of God is to stand in the gospel, to walk in light of the gospel, to march to the drumbeat of the gospel, and to fight the fight of faith while standing in the reality and truth of all that the gospel is for you... the redeemed! This is why Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13).

 

When you put on the shoes of the gospel of peace, you will be compelled to proclaim all that the gospel is to you to the world around you because of the peace that it brings in preparing you to stand firm in the evil day.  So, I leave you with the following questions in light of my sermon today:

1. What shoes are you standing in right now?

 

1. Are you standing in the full gospel of peace, firmly secured around your feet?

 

1. How tight are your laces and are they tight enough so that you will not lose your footing as you, “walking in a manor worthy of your calling” (4:1)?

 

1. Who do you know that really needs to hear about the peace that you have in Jesus?

 

[1] Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 180.

[2] Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress; 2006), p. 45.

What does it mean to be a Christian?  How do you know that you are a Christian?  What assurance can you have that you will remain a Christian?  Well it is mentioned over thirty times in Ephesians, in fact we are told about 10 times in the very first and very long sentence that makes up the first 14 verses of Ephesians:

1. In Christ, all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places now belongs to you Christian (v. 3)
2. In Christ, you were chosen before the foundation of the world (v. 4)
3. Through Christ, you were predestined and adopted as sons and daughters of the living God (v. 5).
4. In the Beloved Son of God, you are a favored child of God (v. 6).
5. In Jesus, we have redemption, forgiveness, and the riches of God’s grace through His blood (v. 7).
6. In Jesus, God made known the mystery of His will (v. 9).
7. In Christ, the Father is bringing all things together to accomplish His good plan (v. 10).
8. In Christ, we have obtained an inheritance in accordance with the plan of the Father’s perfect will (v. 11).
9. In Christ, we are the praise of God’s glory (v. 12).
10. In Jesus, you have been sealed by God’s Holy Spirit for the day of redemption (v. 13).

 

To be a Christian is to be a person who was once spiritually dead, but now is alive with Christ not because of any religious activity on our part, but only because of the work of Jesus on our behalf (Eph. 2:1-9).  This is what it means to be a Christian, but how does one become a Christian?  I believe that in the same way that you become a Christian, is the same way you put on and take up the breastplate of righteousness. 

 

Some of you will remember our time spent in the sermon on the mount during my sermon series, “Something Greater” just over two years ago.  In fact, if you are trying to make sense of the rhetoric and animosity that we are experiencing in our nation, I encourage you to read the first manuscript in that series from May 22, 2022.  If you were here for that sermon series, you discovered that not only is the sermon on the mount the greatest sermon ever preached, but Jesus’ sermon shows us what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. 

 

During our time in the beatitudes I shared that the first three beatitudes, which are also known as “beatitudes of need,” reveal what is essential for any person to understand what is necessary for the salvation of your soul.  Let me walk you through it because it will help you appreciate just how encouraging the breastplate of righteousness really is.  So here are the first three beatitudes from Matthew 5:3-5,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

 

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

 

“Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.

 

To be poor in spirit is to arrive at the cross of Christ with empty hands, recognizing that you are spiritually bankrupt of any moral virtues adequate to earn or gain God’s forgiveness for sins committed against Him.  Those who mourn are those who see and understand their sins for what they are and grieve because of them.  The meek are those who understand that their problems are beyond them, their problems are because of the sin in them, and their problems are of their own doing. 

 

To come to Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins is to come to Jesus knowing that there is no righteousness in yourself; it is to mourn over the reality that your sins offend the God who is infinitely righteous, and to come to Jesus knowing that there is not one thing you can do to generate the kind of righteousness necessary for your salvation.  The person who has been truly born again is one whose experience is now the fourth beatitude: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (Matt. 5:6).  In Jesus, “we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us” (Eph. 1:7-8). 

 

What is the Breastplate of Righteousness?

The Roman soldier’s breastplate was most likely form fitting and extended from the base of the neck to the top of the thighs, covering the thorax and abdomen for the purpose of protecting the vital organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, and bowels.  The breastplate is the second piece of God’s armor we are told to put on, but what kind of righteousness does it represent? 

 

Is the breastplate of righteousness the righteousness of Jesus that has been imputed upon you the moment you were saved through faith by Christ alone?  The imputed righteousness of Christ is when the righteousness of Jesus is applied to you the moment you believed the gospel as we are told in verses like 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  Here, consider another passage that concerns the imputed righteousness of Christ from Romans 5:18-21,

So then, as through one offense [Adam’s sin] the result was condemnation to all mankind, so also through one act of righteousness the result was justification of life to all mankind. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the offense would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, so also grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

In other words, the imputation of Christ’s righteousness is good news because God the Father no longer sees you as a sinner because of your sinfulness but sees you as righteous because Jesus’ righteousness has been applied to you permanently.   

 

Do you remember last week when I showed you that the belt of truth includes your identity in Jesus and that He is now your truth?  The One we follow is, “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6), and now we follow His way, we walk in His truth, and we are united to His life.  Some of you, like John Bunyan, really struggle with the tension between what you know the Bible says about your salvation and your very real frustration over your sin.  John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim’s Progress, a book he wrote while in prison for preaching the gospel, it has now been translated into more languages than any other book, except the Bible.  Bunyan also wrote other books, and one such book so profoundly helped me with my own struggle of desiring to live for Jesus while struggling with my own sin. One day, while Bunyan was taking a walk, he discovered something that we dare not miss concerning the righteousness of Christ; he wrote about it in his book, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:

One day, as I was walking in the field, my conscience still somewhat wounded and still fearing that all was not well, these words suddenly entered my soul: “Your righteousness is in heaven.”  And I thought, moreover, that I saw, with the eyes of my soul, Jesus Christ at God’s right hand.  I say, my righteousness was there [in heaven]; so that wherever I was, or whatever I was doing, God could not say of me, ‘He is in need of my righteousness,’ as my righteousness was right in front of him.  I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good state of heart that made my righteousness better, nor even my bad state that made my righteousness worse, since my righteousness was Jesus Christ himself, ‘the same yesterday, today, and forever’ (Heb. 13:8).

 

Now indeed the chains fell off my legs, and I was loosed from my afflictions and irons. My temptations fled away too, so that from that time those terrifying Scriptures of God stopped troubling me; I now went home rejoicing in the grace and love of God.  So when I got home I looked to see if I could find that verse: ‘Your righteousness is in heaven,' but I could find no such statement. So my heart began to sink again; the only words which came to mind were these: ‘Of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30).[1] 

 

Bunyan’s book was first published in 1666, but his words echo what so many of us struggle with today as we seek to “walk in a manner worthy of our calling” (4:1).  But is this the breastplate of righteousness that we are to put on along with the belt of truth?  The answer to that question is yes... and no.  The answer is “No” in that if you are a Christian, you do not need to apply the righteousness of Christ to your life, that is something that only God can do and already has been done for you (see Eph. 1:7-12)!  If you are a Christian, you can say with the apostle Paul, “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith...” (Phil. 3:8-9).

 

So in what way is the breastplate of righteousness the righteousness of Christ then?  We put on the breastplate of righteousness when we live and walk in the confidence and reality that all we have is Christ, and His righteousness is righteousness enough!  John Bunyan said that after he realized that all his righteousness was before the Father because Jesus is our righteousness and sanctification before God. He went on to say, “Having reached this point, I rested very comfortably here, for some time, at peace with God through Christ. ‘Oh,’ I thought, ‘Christ, Christ!’ There was nothing but Christ before my eyes.... Oh, I saw my gold was in my trunk at home, in Christ, my Lord and Saviour.  Now Christ was all – all my righteousness, all my sanctification and all my redemption.”[2]  This my dear brothers and sisters is what it looks like to take up and put on the breastplate of righteousness.  It is God’s to give, and it is now yours to rest, stand, and walk in! 

 

Why is the Breastplate of Righteousness Needed?

I am not sure I need to say much to convince you why the breastplate of righteousness is needed, but to be sure that you not only understand why it is needed, but that you are able to celebrate that it is yours to wear, I feel the need to point out a few more things. 

 

One of the great expositors and pastors of the 20th century, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, said of this piece of God’s armor: “You do not put on ‘the breastplate of experiences’, you put on the breastplate of ‘righteousness.’”  The breastplate of righteousness, like the belt of truth, is not something you generate or create out of your own strength. 

 

When Paul described the armor of God, he didn’t invent it based on what he saw the Roman soldiers wearing around him while in prison, his understanding of the armor of God came from various passages in the Old Testament such as Isaiah 59.  In Isaiah 53 we are promised a suffering servant who would be “pierced for our offenses and crushed for our wrongdoings” and that suffering servant was Jesus who was punished for our sins (see Isa. 53:5-10).  Then when we come to Isaiah 59, the suffering servant is now the divine and righteous warrior who will come to rescue His people from their sins.  Isaiah 59 begins with these words: “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short That it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. But your wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear” (vv. 1-2). 

 

As we read on, we discover similar language that is used in Ephesians 2:1-3 used in Isaiah 59:12-13, “For our wrongful acts have multiplied before You, and our sins have testified against us; for our wrongful acts are with us, and we know our wrongdoings: Offending and denying the Lord, And turning away from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart.”  Now listen to how desperate the condition of sinful humanity according to Isaiah: “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the street, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and one who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey. Now the Lord saw, and it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice” (vv. 14-15).

 

So what does Yahweh do to address the unrighteousness of His people?  He made salvation possible for those who could not save themselves!  It is in Isaiah 59:16-17 that Paul was referring to in Ephesians 6:14, “And He saw that there was no one, and was amazed that there was not one to intercede; then His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness upheld Him. He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; and He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped Himself with zeal as a cloak” (vv. 16-17).

 

The Divine Warrior promised in Isaiah 59 is He who would conquer our sin by suffering the wrath of His Father for our sins in our place!  The only truly and perfect righteous One hung on a cross for unrighteous sinners!  Upon His head was a crown of thorns to serve as a reminder of the curse of sin that He bore in our place, and once He declared that it was finished, the Divine Warrior bowed His head in death to become our salvation! 

 

Oh, dear brothers and sisters... do you see how critically important the breastplate of righteousness really is?  Jesus is not only our Divine Warrior who is qualified to save rebel sinners, but He is the One also promised in Jeremiah 23, “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. 6In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will live securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The Lord Our Righteousness’” (vv. 5-6).   

 

Jesus is our righteousness and to put on the breastplate of righteousness is to walk in confidence that He is enough because His mercy is rich, His grace is sufficient, and His love is great!  Charles Spurgeon described it this way: “Saints are so righteous in Jesus Christ that they are more righteous than Adam was before he fell, for he had but a creature righteousness, and the Christian has the righteousness of the Creator. Adam had a righteousness which he lost, but believers have a righteousness which they can never lose, an everlasting righteousness.”   To put on the breastplate of righteousness is to stand, walk, live, and run in consideration of Jesus as your truth and as your righteousness.  The breastplate of righteousness is important because when you put it on, it protects the vital organs of your faith, such as your heart.

 

Your hope and salvation are not bound to a nation, or whoever the next president will be.  Whatever happens today, tomorrow, on Tuesday, or any day before you, your Sovereign is Jesus, and it is He,

Who walks on the waters

Who speaks to the sea

Who stands in the fire beside you

He roars like a lion

He bled as the Lamb

He carries your healing in His hands!

 

He has said, “I am the first and the last, and the living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades” (Rev. 1:17-18).  Amen.

 

[1] John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press; 2000), pp. 113-14.

[2] Ibid, p.114.

October 31st marks the 507th anniversary of the protestant reformation when a Catholic monk by the name of Martin Luther wrote ninety-five complaints concerning the Roman Catholic Church and nailed those complaints to the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg in 1517.  Little did Luther know that his complaints would be taken down, translated into multiple language, and mass produced through the newly invented printing press. 

 

It was because of what Martin Luther was reading and studying in his Bible that he wrote his complaints for the purpose of debating and dialoging over what he believed were inconsistences with the teachings of the church compared to what the Bible actually taught.  Eventually, on April 17, 1521, Luther would have to appear before the Diet of Worms to give account for the vast number of texts, treatises, letters, and tracts calling into question the teachings and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. 

 

It was at the Diet of Worms Luther was given the option to recant and repent, and if he did so, he would be welcomed back into the Church.   If Luther refused, he would be branded a heretic and burned at the stake.  Luther requested an adjournment to pray and formulate an appropriate response.  The meeting was reconvened the next day on April 18th, and it was on that day that Luther delivered a speech that would forever affect the Church.  Luther was only permitted to give a short and simple answer whether he would retract his teachings or stand by them; here is the most well-known part of his answer before the Diet of Worms: 

Since your most serene majesty and your highnesses require of me a simple, clear, and direct answer, I will give one, and it is this: I cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the council, because it is clear that they have fallen into error and even into inconsistency with themselves. If, then, I am not convinced by proof from Holy Scripture, or by cogent reasons, if I am not satisfied by the very text I have cited, and if my judgment is not in this way brought into subjection to God's word, I neither can nor will retract anything; for it cannot be either safe or honest for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.

 

Luther was not burned at the stake over his answer but understood that his answer could have resulted in his death. What did happen was he had to go into hiding and change his name and appearance for a while, for his own safety.  Luther delivered his great speech because there was a truth greater and more important than his own safety, for what he was most concerned about was not what the Pope declared to be true, but what God’s word said and how everything else compared to what the Word of God said.

 

We live in a different time compared to the day Luther lived!  However, if you are a Christian, you a part of a community known as the church of Jesus Christ, and therefore are a people of one book, and that book is the Bible which contains within its pages the truth of how it is we are to live. 

 

When Paul wrote his epistle to the Ephesians, he did so while in prison.  Before the apostle was the presence of a roman soldier, and it was with the armor a soldier of Rome wore that Paul would become all too familiar. 

 

What is the Belt of Truth?

Paul lists six pieces that belong to the armor of God, seven parts if you include Paul’s statement on prayer in 6:18-19 and that there is no power apart from a dependance upon God in prayer.  The first piece of armor that he begins with is a belt.

 

The belt was an important part of a Roman soldier’s armor, not because it made it look better, but because it served two primary purposes: it was used to tuck in and keep the soldier’s garments from tripping him up, and it was used to hold the sheath for one’s sword.  It is worth noting that the belt also served to display a soldier’s military status and rank.  The belt went underneath the armor, while remaining visible so that it was obvious he was ready to fight. 

 

As the warrior’s belt was critical for his readiness in battle, truth is essential to the Christian life.  If we are going to stand in the might of the Lord, if we are going to be able to stand firm against the devil’s schemes, and if we are going to have any hope in resisting on the evil day, truth is essential to the Christian life.  It is the nature of our God and the character of His Word:

“Teach me Your way, Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.” (Ps. 86:11)

 

“God is not a man, that He would lie, nor a son of man, that He would change His mind; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num. 23:19)

 

“The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and just is He.” (Deut. 32:4)

 

Truth is not only essential to the Christian life; it is the center of the Christian faith!  Think about it, God’s fullest and most perfect expression of His faithfulness and character is in His Son, Jesus: “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:1–3a).  If you are a Christian, you follow Him who said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6b). 

 

Think about what Paul is saying in Ephesians 6:10-14; the only way you will be able to resist the father of lies (the devil) is by putting on the full armor of God, beginning with the belt of truth!  But, dear Christian, what is the belt of truth? 

I want you to think about the significance of where the belt is placed.  It is the first part of the armor that is put on and it is the one piece that is tightest and closest to your person.  I do not believe I am reading too much into this when I say that I believe the belt of truth is more than just the Word of God (although it certainly is that), it is also our new identity now that we are in Christ!  We who were once dead in our sins are now alive with Jesus (2:4-5), and now He is head over His church which we are now a part of (1:22).  We are now His body (1:23), Jesus is our peace (2:17-18), we are His temple (2:21), because Jesus now dwells in our hearts through faith (3:17).  

 

Through Christ, we are one body, sealed by one Spirit, called in one hope by one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all... (4:4-7).  Our identity is now in Jesus, which means that He is our truth!  This is why, more than any other book in the entire Bible is the phrase “in Christ” repeated more than thirty times to describe where it is the Christian finds his/her identity than in the epistle to the Ephesians! 

 

Listen, to put on the belt of truth is to do what we read in Romans 13:14, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” To put on the belt of truth is to identity with the Jesus who said: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27).  If you are a Christian, His truth is now your truth. 

 

Why is the Belt of Truth Important?

To put on the belt of truth is to be so identified with Jesus that you are freed up to, “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Eph. 4:1).  To put on the belt of truth is to stand on the foundation of the prophets and the apostles with Jesus Christ as your eye-opening, mind-captivating, and life-shaping cornerstone (2:19-20).  To put on the belt of truth is to walk in love, “just as Christ loved you and gave Himself up for us, and offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (5:1-2).  To put on the belt of truth is to subject yourself under the cleaning water of God’s word (5:26).  To put on the belt of truth is to identify with the Lordship of Jesus by doing what He says (see Luke 6:46).

 

We seem to live at a time in society when “my truth” trumps all other truths.  Since the days of Martin Luther, we have moved closer and closer to redefining truth with every form of media invented to give us more knowledge and make the world more accessible to us.  Now, do not misunderstand me, God gave us a brain to grow in our understanding and the different forms of media has made available to us some really great things, but it has also been used to pervert knowledge and truth.

 

Think for a moment of how the different forms of media have changed our lives.  The printing press paved the way for the enlightenment and modernity when truth was measured by reason.  The worldwide web paved the way for postmodernity beginning in the 60s until our present day with the conviction that reason and the human intellect is no longer the arbiter of truth, but also includes the emotions and intuition as the arbitrators of truth to the point when we now have our own truth.  Now, with the invention of AI, we are entering a new era and the way our society measures truth and morality, like modernity and postmodernity, will never be the same.  

 

Our world is changing so rapidly and so profoundly, but there is one thing that has not changed and cannot change, and that is this simple fact: all truth is God’s truth.  Truth belongs to our Creator and the lies belong to the devil.  Our identity is in Jesus who is, according to the Bible: “...the same yesterday and today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). 

 

Our world is changing, but not so with our God!  He remains infinitely good, infinitely just, infinitely holy, infinitely wise, and is equally a God of love and mercy in infinite measure!  He alone, in our ever-changing world, remains always true, always honorable, always right, always pure, always lovely, always commendable, always excellent, and always praiseworthy (see Phil. 4:8).  The God who chose you before dirt was invented, He who redeemed you with His blood, and the One who has sealed you for the day of redemption DOES NOT CHANGE!

“For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.” (Mal. 3:6)

 

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (Jas. 1:17)

 

“God is not a man, that He would lie, nor a son of man, that He would change His mind; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num. 23:19)

 

So, if the One who is truth does not change, how is it and why is it that some in the church feel the need to mold and shape what the Bible teaches to what our ever-changing world defines as true?  So here is the rub.  If you are a Christian (or thinking about becoming a Christian), you follow Jesus who said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6b).  As Lord over your life, He will make demands upon your life for His glory and your good, to put the belt of truth on is to walk in light of your identity as a Christ-follower.  You cannot and you will not “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (4:1), if you are not putting on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 13:14).

 

Because Jesus is the cornerstone of His church and the apostles and prophets are Her foundation, we, as His church, are “a pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:14-15) in a world that does not know the Truth, because it does not know Jesus.  Sam Storms said of our enemy: “Satan will always flourish in the midst of theological ignorance.” 

Can I ask you a question?  Why is it that we Christians in America tend to be surprised by the supernatural?  Think about what it is that we say we believe.  We believe the Bible to be true and supernaturally inspired by God Himself.  Because we believe the Bible to be supernaturally inspired, we believe God created all things by the act of His omnipotent will.  Because we believe the Bible to be inspired by God, we believe that there was a serpent in the Garden who successfully tempted Adam and Eve to sin, that Satan does indeed exist, as does his legions of demons. 

 

One of my favorite stories about the fight between the Kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness is the one found in 2 Kings 19:8-37.  We do not have the time to read the entire story, but I do think it is worth pointing out a few things that happened in order to teach how we can respond to the threats of our day.  Judah’s king, Hezekiah, received a letter from the king of Assyria that read:

“Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by saying, ‘Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.’ Behold, you yourself have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be saved? Did the gods of the nations which my fathers destroyed save them: Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?” (2 Kings 19:10–12)

 

What was Hezekiah’s response?  He stood firm against his enemy in the way his great grandfather David encouraged God’s people to do: “Some praise their chariots and some their horses, but we will praise the name of the Lord, our God” (Ps. 20:7).  Here is Hezekiah’s response:

Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, “Lord, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, Lord, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to taunt the living God. It is true, Lord; the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, and have hurled their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but only the work of human hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. But now, Lord our God, please, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, Lord, are God.” (2 Kings 19:14–19)

 

God didn’t use Hezekiah’s chariots or horses, but instead, He sent the angel of the Lord and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers.  So, when we read stories like that, how is it that we are surprised?  When we read Ephesians 6:10-13 and are warned about the demonic realm consisting of rulers, powers, world forces of this darkness, and spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places... how is it that we do not take such warnings as seriously as we ought? 

 

Throughout the gospels we read of Jesus encountering the demonically possessed and how the demons were terrified of Him.  We read of the Jewish exorcists in Ephesus who went from place-to-place attempting to mimic the kinds of miraculous things they saw Paul do in the name of Jesus.  At one point, in an effort to cast out the demons the Jewish exorcists said: “I order you in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches!”  The evil spirit responded: “I recognize Jesus, and I know of Paul, but who are you?” We are then told that the demon possessed man, “pounced on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded” (see Acts 19:11-16).  I wonder if Paul recalled these stories when he wrote, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).

 

As we consider Ephesians 6:12-13 this morning, there are two points that we dare not miss.  The first is, “Our enemy is spiritual, strategic, and satanic.”  The second point is, “Our fight is direct, dangerous, and dogged.” 

 

Our Enemy is Spiritual, Strategic, and Satanic

What Paul wants us to understand is that when it comes to the world that Jesus said would hate us because it hated Him, that our struggle was NOT against flesh and blood.  In other words, our enemy does not include those who reject Jesus or embrace the ideologies of this world, but instead our enemy includes, “...the rulers, the powers, the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (v. 12). 

 

Ephesians 6:10-13 is the most explicit reference to the Christian’s struggle against evil forces that we have in the Bible.  It cannot be any clearer than this!  There is no real way to tell if Paul is describing an authority structure within the demonic realm, but it does seem that way from everything else I read in the Bible.  Let me begin by sharing five things that we know about angels from the Bible:

 

1. Angels are spirit beings that possess personhood, created for the glory of God (Ps. 148:2-5), and are a part of the created order (see also Job. 38:4-7; Isa. 6:2-4; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:14; 12:22; Rev. 4:8).

 

1. Angels are temporarily above man but will be subject to judgment by Jesus’ church at the judgment (1 Cor. 6:2-3). Meanwhile they are unusually strong, swift and intelligent, and can take the appearance of man (see Ps. 103:20; Dan. 9:21; Ezek. 28:12; 1 Pet. 1:11-12; Gen. 18:1-3; Mk. 16:5).

 

1. Angels are limited in ways that man is not. Angels cannot marry, man can (Matt. 22:30; 19:4-6); angels cannot experience redemption, man can (2 Pet. 2:4; Rom. 5); angels are created as angelic beings while man is created in the image of God (Ps. 148:2-5; Gen. 1:27).

 

1. Angels possess personhood: intellect, emotion, and will (emotion: 1 Pet. 1:12; intellect: 1 Pet. 1:12; will: Jude 6).

 

1. Angels seem to be ranked by authority (1 Thess. 4:16; Jude 9; Rev. 12:7; Eph. 6:12; Col. 1:16; Isa. 6:2; Ezek. 28:14). Lucifer was God’s guardian cherub (Ezek. 28:12-17) who seems to have out ranked all the other angels, there is at least one archangel (1 Thess. 4:16; Jude 1:9), cherubim (Gen. 3:24; Ezek. 10:1-22), seraphim (Isa. 6:2-3), and a multitude of angels (Rev. 5:11ff). 

 

We are told that the there was a war in heaven; the timeframe of when the war happened is unclear.  I believe the war happened sometime between creation and Genesis 3 when we are first introduced to Satan as the serpent.  The angels who sided with Lucifer (the dragon) are now known as demons.  Here is what we read in Revelation 12:7-9, “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they did not prevail, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him” (Rev. 12:7–9). 

 

The rulers, powers, world forces of darkness, and spiritual forces of wickedness are those angels who sided with Satan in his war against God.  Although Satan is only one demon who cannot be in more than one place at a time, he has command over millions of demons who obey his every command.  Our enemy is spiritual, our enemy is strategic, and our enemy is satanic.  Our enemy is very real and although limited, they are capable of the following:

 

1. Demons can provide superhuman strength to the victims they possess (Mark 5:1-20; Acts 19:16).
2. They have the same capability that angels have in that physical barriers cannot restrict them (Mark 5:9-13; Dan. 9:21-23; 10:10-14).
3. Demons can physically harm, oppress, and possess humans (see Matt. 9:32-33; 12:22; 17:15; John 13:21-30; Acts 16:16-18; 19:11-16).
4. Behind every idol, false teaching, and anything that is against Christ are demons (1 Cor. 10:14-22; Gal. 4:3-9).
5. Demons can influence nations, world leaders, and governing authorities (read the books of Daniel and Revelation as an example).

 

It is good to have a right and biblical understanding of demons, but you must also understand that the Bible teaches us that they have no power over the Christian because of our relationship with Jesus who redeemed us!  If there is any bit of anxiety in what you have just heard about the demonic, consider what Colossians 2:13-15 promises:

And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. (Col. 2:13–15)

Our Fight is Direct, Dangerous, and Dogged

Jesus did indeed disarm the rulers and authorities through His sacrifice upon the cross and His triumph over the grave with His resurrection.  However, we are warned that we are still in a fight, and that our fight is with the demonic forces that stand opposed to God.  In this fight, we are to stand strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might by putting on the full armor of God. 

 

Our fight is a struggle; the Greek word that we get the word “struggle” (πάλη) from is a word used to describe the kind of fight that comes in the form of close hand-to-hand combat. The point is that we must be prepared for the enemy’s attacks from afar or up close, and the enemy brings his fight against us in all shapes and sizes!  It comes in the form of slander, false teaching, and the temptation to sin.  Our fight can come in the form doubt, depression, and deception.  Our struggle can be with the temptation to sin against God and others. The battle can come in the form of persecution from friends, family, or state authorities.

 

The evil day includes a greater evil that is coming, but it also includes any day you find yourself face to face with the enemy’s attacks or find yourself in his crosshairs from a distance.  The evil day will be the final cataclysmic satanic attack that will come just before Jesus’ second coming.  The evil day is your entire life as a Christian from new birth to physical death.  The evil day includes those days in the Christian life when the onslaught of the enemy seems the strongest.  The evil day are those days when the temptation to sin is more of a struggle than usual.  So, Christian, how will you resist in the evil day?  You do so by taking up the only help available to you that has been provided by God Himself: Take up the full armor of God.  The three imperatives of Ephesians 6:10-13 are as follows:

• Be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might.
• Put on the full armor of God.
• Take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day.

 

When you have done everything to put on the full armor of God, only then can you stand firm.

• Stand firm with and in all of God’s truth. His truth is the only truth that matters.

 

• Stand firm with the breastplate of Christ’s righteousness. All of Christ’s righteousness is now your righteousness.

 

• Stand firm in the peace of God as a beneficiary of His mercy. You are a child of God almighty.

 

• Stand firm with a shield of faith, saturated by the water of the word of God. God is infinitely bigger than all your problems, but you will not know that unless you receive it from His word.

 

• Stand firm with the helmet of salvation, which is the assurance that you belong to the One who chose you, redeemed you, and sealed you with His Holy Spirit. What can man do to you ultimately when the God of Life is for you?
• Stand firm with the ability to handle the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. You have the Word of God that is the authority of God who is able to change lives.

Some of the pets that I enjoyed the most growing up were the kind that ate other living things.  Most of you know that I spent the first 12 years of my life in South Jersey just across from the Delaware and then moved into Pennsylvania on the other side of the Delaware.  As a kid, I owned a lot of pets!  I had hamsters, hermit crabs, at one time we had five Doberman pinchers, and a whole bunch of cats!  If I am honest, my favorite pets were the kind that ate other living things.  For example I used to own multiple Black piranhas that I would not only feed feeder goldfish to, but I would catch salamanders to feed to my piranhas.  At one time I owned a yellow rat snack I would feed mice!  However, I have never seen an anaconda in person.  I did come across something that caught my attention with the title: “How to be Prepared for an Anaconda Attack.”  Here is a list of instructions in the event that your path does cross with an anaconda, and it decides wants to eat you for lunch:

 

1. If you're attacked by an anaconda, do not run; the snake is faster than you are.

 

1. Lie flat on the ground.

 

1. Put your arms tight at your sides and your legs tight against one another.

 

1. The snake will begin to climb over your body.

 

1. Do not panic.

 

1. The snake will begin to swallow you from the feet end.

 

1. Step 6 will take a long time.

 

1. After a while, slowly and with as little movement as possible, reach down, take your knife, and very gently slide it into the snake's mouth. Then suddenly sever the snake's head.

 

1. Be sure your knife is sharp.

 

1. Be sure you have your knife.

     

Some Anacondas can grow up to 30 feet long and weigh over 500 pounds.  You will not catch me lying flat on the ground positioning myself to be its lunch!  Clearly this list is meant to be funny.  Yet, there is a greater serpent who is much more dangerous from which we very much, in a metaphorical sense, chose not to run; instead, we make it easy for him to do the thing he wants, and what he wants is to destroy us! 

 

Be Aware of the Devil’s Schemes

When Adam and Eve were in the garden, there was something worse than an angry anaconda talking to them! He is also known as Lucifer, Satan, and the devil.  He is described in the following scary ways: he is the Beast (Rev. 14:9-10), his name is Beelzebub (Matt. 12:24), he is described as a Dragon (Rev. 12:9), he is a roaring lion (1 Pet. 5:8), the god of this age (2 Cor. 4:4), the Prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:1-2), the Ruler of Demons (Luke 11:15), the ruler of this World (John 12:31-32), Serpent of Old (Rev. 12:9).

 

Of all the places in the garden of Eden Adam and Eve could have hung out, they decided to idly stand unprepared before the one tree they were told not to eat from.  It was at that one tree that great Serpent waited and schemed his way into their minds, hearts, and lives.  It was the institution of marriage and family the Serpent wanted to attack and destroy, and he did it when Adam and Eve were unprepared!  Listen, the Serpent of Old still does the same thing today, the only difference is that he has had more practice at scheming since the Garden.  This is why Paul addressed how we can walk in a manner worthy of our calling in marriages, in our parenting, with our children, and in our working (see 5:22-6:9).  What “tree” are you idly standing in front of that you should not be? 

 

We laugh at the list I read to you about what you should do if attacked by an anaconda, but when it comes to sin and temptation, how many of lay down on the ground instead of running to Him who is the great serpent crusher, namely Jesus.  Instead of standing before trees we have no business standing in front of, we ought to be running to another tree, namely the cross of Christ!  Why?  Because “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (6:12).   

 

So, what are the devil’s schemes?  Well, he has a whole list of names that gives us some clue as to the kind of scheming he is up to.  Satan is known as the Accuser (Rev. 12:10), the Adversary (1 Peter 5:8), the Deceiver (Rev. 12:9), the Enemy (Matt. 13:39), the Evil One (John 17:15), the Father of lies (John 8:44), the Lawless One (2 Thess. 2:8-10), Murderer (John 8:44), the Tempter (Matt. 4:3), the Thief who comes ONLY to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10), and the Wicked One (Eph. 6:16).  So what do these titles and names tell us about our great enemy? 

 

1. As the accuser, Satan wants you to be paralyzed by past failures with the kind of shame and guilt that keeps you from running to Jesus in repentance because he wants you to believe that your sins are too great for God’s mercy, love, and grace!

 

1. As the adversary, the Devil seethes with hatred towards you. He will use all that is at his disposal to destroy you.  He wants to separate you from the community of God’s people because he knows that is where you are weakest. 

 

1. As the deceiver, he seeks to harm you with his cheap counterfeits by deceiving and scheming you into believe that the counterfeit will satisfy more than what God has designed for your good. He does this with sexuality, politics, and the good things that he can get you to treat as ultimate things.

 

Satan is an enemy because he wants to harm you.  Satan is the evil one because he is sinister, malicious, diabolic, heinous, crooked, vile, and malevolent... and all of his evil scheming is directed towards you and the success of God’s mission!  Satan is not only a liar, but he is also the father of lies; so of course he wants you to turn from any and all truth... especially God’s truth found in His word.  Satan is lawless, so he has no moral compass.  Satan has been a murder from the beginning, so he is no advocate for life.  Satan is a thief who only comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  Does it have to be any clearer than that?  The first step in standing firm against the schemes of the devil is to know how it is that he intends to scheme.   

 

Listen, Satan is the personification of evil, but he hides his true colors behind a veneer of what appears to be innocence. To understand the devil’s schemes you must be aware that he, “disguises himself as an angel of light”; and all the demons do the same (2 Cor. 11:14).  We will look into this more next week but know that he is not running around in a red suit and a pitchfork.  He is scheming behind the rulers, the powers, the world forces of this darkness, and the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (v. 12). 

 

Stand Against the Devil’s Schemes

If you are a Christian, you are at war!  You who were once dead in your sins and were by nature a child of wrath (2:1-3) and were under the influence and enslaved to the rulers, the powers, the world forces of this darkness, and the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (v. 12).  However, as powerful as the devil and the demonic world are, Jesus has already defeated them all!  Remember what we read in Ephesians 1:19-22; first Paul’s prayer: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Eph. 1:18–19a).  The boundless greatness that is ours who believe, is NOT our power but the power of Almighty God! 

 

What happened at the cross and the empty tomb is that Jesus defeated the devil along with the rulers, the powers, the world forces of this darkness, and the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places!  Listen to how Paul describes the way the devil and the demonic have been defeated:

“These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him head over all things to the church...” (Eph. 1:19–22)

 

All things are in subjection under the feet of Jesus, and it is He who is head over all things.  The devil has been defeated and he is not happy about it!  Because of Jesus’ victory through the cross and the His resurrection, your salvation was made possible (1:7-12; 2:4-5)!   We must stand against the devil’s schemes, but we are only able to do so in the strength of the might of King Jesus!  We do this only by putting on the full armor of God. 

Do not miss what is being said in verse 12: “Put on the full armor of God.”  This is not a suggestion, but a command (an imperative)!  Now, notice who the armor belongs to.  It is not armor we create that we are to put on, but armor that belongs to God!  The armor of God is armor He has provided, but you only need to put it on in order to “stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”   

 

Now we are going to take our time working through what each piece of the armor of God is in the weeks to come, but for now, you need to understand what it is.  We are not told to put on some of the armor to stand against the devil’s schemes, but the full armor of God; so what is the full armor of God?

 

The belt of truth: This is the first piece that a soldier would put on around his waist that would hold all the other clothing out of the way so that he could run and fight without any of his clothing under the armor getting in the way. It is not “your truth” but God’s truth that you are to put on and it is foundational for standing against the devil, but it will do you no good if you do not put it on by obeying the truth of God’s word.

 

The breastplate of righteousness: The breastplate as part of a warrior’s armor protects the vital organs, so it is no mystery why Paul would characterize the righteousness of Christ as essential to protecting the vital organs of the Christian’s faith. The breastplate of righteousness is provided by God because what we need and will always need is the righteousness of Christ!

 

The shoes of the gospel of peace: Just as any warrior cannot fight effectively without shoes, so it also true of the Christian.  The one who has the righteousness of Christ is one who hungers for the righteousness of Christ.  Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”  The shoes of the gospel of peace are the gospel of Jesus Christ that gives us shalom, which is the peace of God that prepares us to stand against the devil’s schemes as we are satisfied in Christ alone.

 

The shield of faith: The shield Paul has in mind here is not the little round shield a soldier might wield on his arm, but the kind designed to shield the whole body from the onslaught of arrows which I believe are the doubts, temptations, impure, and evil thoughts that come out of nowhere.  The shield of faith is only as large as your confidence in the Word of God, dependance upon the righteousness of Christ as your righteousness, and your conviction that only Jesus satisfies your soul.

 

The helmet of salvation: The helmet of salvation is the hope of our salvation (1 Thess. 5:8-9); it is the confidence that we belong to Christ and that there is no other who can satisfy and bring life to our whole being, but Christ alone!  The helmet of salvation is the security that we have in the assurance of our salvation.  The devil is the accuser and although he cannot rob you of your salvation, he can erode your confidence in the truth that the cross of Christ is sufficient for all your sins. 

 

The sword of the Spirit: The Sword of the Spirit is our only offensive weapon in all the armor we are to put on.  The Sword of the Spirit is the word of God, and like the shield of faith, it is only as effective as our ability to wield it through as we grow in our knowledge of it.  Of the word of God, we are told in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).  Sam Storms suggests that there are three primary ways we can use the Sword of the Spirit: “We proclaim the Word (as Jesus did; see also Rev. 12).  We pray the Word (Eph. 6:18-19; Acts 6:4; John 15:7).  And we praise with the Word (i.e., sing the Scriptures).[1]

 

Conclusion

So, how can you begin to stand firm against the devil’s schemes?  Well for starters, don’t lie down and make it easy for your enemy!  Stand firm by deciding to submit to God’s truth instead of what the culture says truth is.  Stand firm with a confidence that all the righteousness you will ever need is the righteousness of Christ.  Stand firm in the peace that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings.  Stand firm in a faith that God is both infinitely good and infinitely greater than all that stands against you.  Stand firm in the security that you are now a son/daughter of God because you are alive with Christ.  Stand firm with the confidence that the Bible is the Word of God and that it is indeed sharper than any other sword; stand firm by proclaiming the Word of God, praying the Word of God, and by praising with the Word of God. 

 

We can stand against the schemes of the devil in the strength of the One who beat the beast, bludgeoned Beelzebub, defanged the dragon, and leveled the roaring lion at the cross!  The Christ of the cross is the King of kings who is infinity greater than the god of this age. He preeminently and powerfully prevailed against the prince of the power of the air. He reigns on High and His heel is on the throat of the ruler of demons. One day soon the full weight of Jesus’ omnipotent heel will be felt upon the skull of the serpent of old, and on that Day his skull will finally and permanently be crushed!  Brothers and sisters, we can be strong in our Lord and in the strength of His might because He reigns!  We stand in the might of Jesus who said, “I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades” (Rev. 1:17-18).

 

[1] Ibid., p. 305.

The threat of sin within and among those who make up the Bride of Christ has existed since the beginning, and the danger of wolves is something we are warned about throughout the Bible.  In fact, after three years of strengthening the Ephesian Church through the faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word, Paul warned: “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.  I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:28-30).  Years after Paul had left Ephesus, Timothy served as their pastor and in his final letter before Paul was executed by Rome, he warned Timothy of difficult days ahead—days I believe we find ourselves in today:

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these. For among them are those who slip into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Tim. 3:1–7)

      

The threat we face is also individual and internal!  The desires of your own sinful flesh are the most immediate and present threat you face!  We are warned: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world” (1 John 2:15–16). This is why Paul pleaded with the Ephesian Christians to be diligent is how they lived and walked: “Be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16).

 

Although there are wolves who sneak in from the outside and there are real dangers from within, Paul wants us to understand the nature of those threats in Ephesians 6:10-13,

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Eph. 6:10–13)

 

The very real dangers we face as followers of Jesus includes wolves from the outside and our flesh and sin from within; however, our struggle is cosmic, and it is with the realm of the demonic!  My hope and plan for the weeks to come is to not only help you appreciate just how real our struggle is, but to offer you practical ways you can remain strong, stand against the schemes of the devil, and resist the spiritual forces of darkness by standing firm in your faith as a Christian. 

 

We are at War!

Today, I want to turn our attention to Ephesians 6:10, but before I do, you need to understand that if you are a Christian, you are engaged in a cosmic war!  It is a war that Paul categorizes as a “struggle.”  The Greek word Paul uses for “struggle” is palē (πάλη) which is a word used to describe what is involved in close hand-to-hand combat.  In close hand-to-hand combat, you have no choice, for you must chose to fight against the one who wants to harm you, or you must surrender to slavery or even death.  Before you were a Christian, you were, “dead in your offenses and sins...” (Eph. 2:1); according to Ephesians 2:2-3, you behaved and acted as one in agreement with the one who commands and orders the demonic realm against God and His creation: “Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath” (v. 3).

 

Jesus said, “I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18).  Out of God’s rich mercy, great love, and all-sufficient grace, you were rescued, ransomed, and redeemed through the cross of Christ.  If you are a Christian, it is because God made you alive with Christ (Eph. 2:5).  Through Jesus, God rescued you from your sin and Satan and according to Ephesians 2:6-7, He “raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”  What we learn from the first three chapters in Ephesians is that the battle over our souls has been decisively and categorically won by Jesus!  However, the prince of the power of the air, the rulers, the powers, the world forces of darkness and the spiritual forces of wickedness want to do whatever they can to take you out by any means necessary! 

 

Martyn Lloyd-Jones rightly said, “There is no grosser or greater misrepresentation of the Christian message than that which depicts it as offering us a life of ease with no battle and no struggle at all.... The first thing we must realize is that the Christian life is a warfare, that we are strangers in an alien land, that we are in the enemy’s territory.”[1]  According to Paul, this is a warfare that we are in, it is a warfare we have to engage, it is a warfare that is ongoing, and it is a warfare with demonic cosmic forces that are determined to fight until the very end.  However, our strength to fight comes from a power that is not our own!

 

 

Our War Requires Us to Be on High Alert

In order to fight and to engage the spiritual war we find ourselves in, we must be alert, and we must be strong!  The very first word is, “Finally.” After all that he has written about what it means to be a Christian and what it means to be the Church of Jesus Christ that have been filled with doctrinal exhortations, firm warnings, and great encouragements, the apostle saved what we read in Ephesians 6:10-18 for last not because it is least important but because of the great threat that faces Christ’s Church!  The word “finally” is Paul’s bugle call for the Christians to assemble for action!  As Sam Storms observed in his book on spiritual warfare: “There is never a truce or ceasefire.  Satan takes no holidays.  He observes no Sabbath rest. There may be times of greater or lesser intensity, but never a time to relax or let down your spiritual guard.”[2]

 

Notice where Ephesians 6:10 is placed!  It is strategically and intentionally placed just after the section in Ephesians where Paul explains what a Christ-centered marriage looks like, how Christlikeness ought to be displayed in parent and child relationships, and how we can be Christ-like through our work.  It was through the institution of marriage, one of the great gifts of God, that Satan attacked for the purpose of destroying the relationship Adam and Eve were created to enjoy with God and each other and how their sin affected their children and how they managed the earth through work. 

 

When Eve was tempted by the serpent while Adam stood and watched, their struggle was not only with flesh and blood, but with the demonic cosmic forces of evil! When Cain murdered Abel, his struggle was not only with flesh and blood, but with the demonic cosmic forces of evil, and it has been that way ever since!  Do not miss how it was that the demonic cosmic forces of evil attacked Adam and his family.  Satan did not tempt Adam and Eve while they were on high alert and actively engaged in the work of God, he tempted them while they were both idol and their spiritual senses were dull.  When Cain decided to murder Abel, he increasingly became insensitive to the things that pleased God until he finally caved to the sin that God warned was lurking at the door of his heart, and instead of mastering it, he gave into his sin and murdered his younger brother (see Gen. 4:1-8). 

 

We will talk about this more when we look at verse 11 and how it is we can stand against the devil’s schemes, but for now I will say that you cannot expect to walk with wisdom or in a manor worthy of your calling as a born again follower of Jesus if you are not on high alert and ready for the kind of hand-to-hand combat that is always before you Christian! You may not be able to see the devil or his demonic hoards with your physical eyes, but as John Stott once wrote: “Beneath the surface, an unseen spiritual battle is raging”[3]

 

Our War-Time Strength is From God’s Might

Now, notice the urgency in the apostle’s language! First a command: “Be strong” (v. 10), then “stand firm” (v. 11), “resist” (v. 13a), “stand firm” (v. 13b), and then another command: “Stand firm” (v. 14).  But how are we to be strong, how are we to stand firm, how are we to resist?  We are to do it in the power of the God who raised Jesus from the grave! The Greek word Paul uses for “strong” is the same word he uses in Ephesians 1:19.[4]  The point is that the source of our power does not come from within, but from an infinitely greater power source!  Remember Paul’s prayer for the Christian at the beginning of his epistle: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe.” Then Paul uses the same language in Ephesians 1:19-20 that he uses in 6:10, consider the apostle’s carefully chosen words in 1:19-20 again: “These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places...” Our power comes from His might and nowhere else!  It doesn’t come from our talents, it doesn’t come from our skills, it doesn’t come from our education, and it doesn’t come from how many verses of the Bible we fill our brains with; all those things are good, but they are not the place from where we draw our power! 

 

We have got to get this straight in our churches and especially at Meadowbrooke!  We have seen several pastors fall recently, three of the men that come to mind have had such a profound impact upon my life such as Ravi Zacharias, Tony Evens, and just this week... Steven Lawson! I have the books these men have written on my bookshelves, I have listened to scores of their sermons, and their ministries have ended due to sexual sin!  For five years Steven Lawson preached in his church and at huge conferences while maintaining an affair with a woman a third of his age. 

 

There have been many Christian song writers and worship leaders who have either renounced their faith in the name of deconstruction and we have sung their songs with the impression that they were motivated by God.  It is possible to have a demonized or even a wolf in sheep’s clothing lead in our worship services and assume his motivations are pure when instead they are predatory.  Oh how easy it is to trust in skill, and charm, and beauty, through what we see and feel and assume the power is from God when it is not from Him.  How easy it is to become idol while our spiritual senses dull to the onslaught of the demonic! 

 

In Ephesians we are told repeatedly where it is that our source of power must come from if we are going to, “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (4:1).  Notice where it is that Christ is seated in Ephesians 1:21-23; He is seated, “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:21-23).  Do you know what that means?  What it means is that He has conquered the rulers, powers, the world forces of this darkness, and the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places!  They are all under the heel of His omnipotent foot!  All the might you will ever need to be strong, to stand firm, and to resist in the evil day is in Jesus. 

 

However, if you are not abiding in Jesus, if you are not pursuing Jesus, if He is not to your life and breath, then you will grow dull in your spiritual senses!  If God’s word is not the truth you are putting into your spiritual veins, if you are feeding your mind and soul more of what this world wants you to consume, if you are more interested in playing than you are in preparing to stand before Jesus... then you are easy prey for the enemy to devour! 

 

If you are a Christian, you have been chosen by God to be holy and blameless in Jesus (1:4-6). If you are a Christian, you have been redeemed through the blood of the Lamb of God for another city God has for you (1:7-12).  If you are a Christian, you have been sealed by God’s Holy Spirit and have all of the Holy Spirit you will ever need to live in the kind of divine power to stand firm against the devil and his schemes (1:13-14).  How much of your heart does the Father have?  How much of your allegiance does the Son have?  How much of your life does the Holy Spirit have? 

 

What changes can you make to be more alert and to stand in the strength of almighty God?  Permit me to make some recommendations:

• Cut back on the time you spend on social media or what have on your watch list, and read your Bible more...

 

• Instead of being consumed by secular music, listen more to praise music during the week. Music is in our DNA, and it is something we will enjoy throughout eternity, so start filling your mind and heart with praise now.

 

• Pray! If you are not used to praying, start by praying the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4).  If you only pray a few minutes out of day, add another five minutes to your prayer time.  If you do not have a time scheduled to pray, find a time in the day and spend 5,10,15, 30 minutes, or more in prayerful conversation with God.

 

• Finally, remember that your strength is not in your ability, skills, or talents when it comes to what God wants to do in your world. Our strength must come from God’s might!  Maybe instead of rushing for a solution to fix whatever is the biggest problem you are facing in your life, you should do what we read in Psalm 46:10-11,

“Stop striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth.” The Lord of armies is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold.”

 

[1] Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Christian Warfare: An Exposition of Ephesians 6:10-13, (Grand Rapids, MI: BakerBooks; 1976), p. 21.

[2] Sam Storms, Understanding Spiritual Warfare (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective; 2021), p. 290.

[3] Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 175.

[4] In Ephesians 1:19, Paul uses dynamis (power); in 6:10, he uses endynamoō (strong).  Both words are from the same root.

In Genesis 1:26-27, we learn that both Adam and Eve were created in the image of God.  He created Adam and Eve as male and female, and he created them equal as image bearers of God.  When God created mankind, He declared: “‘Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen. 1:26-27).  Listen, every time you see a human being, whether male or female, what is seen is a physical representation of the reality and presence of God.  No other creature represents God in this way except humans!  

 

When there was no suitable helper for Adam after naming the animals, we learn from Genesis 2:18-25 that God created from his rib one who was suitable for him.  God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him” (Gen. 2:18).  So, we are told that God “caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept” (v. 21), and from Adam’s rib, God created Eve.  Adam’s response to Eve was: “At last this is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of man” (v. 23). What follows Adam’s statement in Genesis 2:24 is what makes marriage so special and unlike any relationship that a person can have; it is also the verse the apostle Paul quotes in Ephesians 5:31, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 

 

The reason why I have chosen to continue with my plan to preach on these verses in Ephesians 5:22-33 is because of what Paul said about Genesis 2:24 in Ephesians 5:32. Listen carefully to what is written: “This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.”  I cannot remember who wrote it, but someone said that humans are the physical representation of the reality and presence of God.  Just as it is true that we, as image bearers of the living God, are the physical representation of the reality and presence of God, it is equally true that marriage between a man and a woman is the physical representation of the reality and presence of Jesus’ church as His bride, and His great, faithful, and uncompromising love for her. 

 

What marriage represents is the reason why we are told in Holy Scripture, “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers” (Heb. 13:4).  It is also the reason why Paul wrote that, “sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among the saints; and there must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks” (Eph. 5:3-4).  However, Paul did not stop there!  He continued with these sobering words that we all must take very seriously: “For this you know with certainty, that no sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, which amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (v. 5).  And just in case you are tempted to view these words as archaic, outdated, or that your feelings trump the authority of such words, listen very carefully to the verse that follows Paul’s warning about the danger the sexually immoral, impure, or greedy person faces if that person does not turn from such sins: “See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (v. 6).

 

The original title of my sermon for this Sunday was, “The Grandeur of Marriage.”  I believe God wants us to focus on the main point of Ephesians 5:22-33, and it is tucked away in verses 26-27, which states: “so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”  In fact, I would like to submit to you that what Ephesians 5:22-33 teaches us is this: Just as humans are the physical representation of the reality of God, so marriage between a man and a woman is the physical representation of the reality and presence of Jesus’ church as His bride.

 

In light of that, I have titled today’s sermon: “The glory of Christ is the beauty of His church.”  Instead of focusing our attention on the sins of a pastor and brother, our attention needs to be on Jesus and what He wants of us.  Now, before we begin, I do want to read for you 1 Timothy 5:19-22, which states:

“Do not accept an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning. I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. Do not lay hands upon anyone too quickly and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.” (1 Tim. 5:19–22)

 

We did have multiple credible accusations that the one under church discipline continued to lie and deceive; even when he was brought before the Board of Elders, he continued to lie and misrepresent the truth.  Our hope is and will remain that he will repent of his sins.  Our hearts remain broken over our need and responsibility to remove him from his position as Pastor of Discipleship and Pastor. 

 

What I want to do with our time this morning is to step back and focus on our own hearts by allowing the word of God to wash over us as His people.  

 

Jesus Intends to Present His Bride as Holy and Blameless

All throughout Ephesians, we see that the reason why we have been chosen by God the Father, redeemed by Jesus the Son, and sealed by God the Holy Spirit for your holiness and blamelessness in Christ!  How will He do it?  With and through His Word!  What does His Word say?

 

The Word of God says, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love” (Eph. 1:4)

His Word says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)

 

The Word says, “Be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” (Eph. 5:1–2)

 

The Word says, “Do not participate in the useless deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.

 

The Word says, “‘Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise...” (Eph. 5:11–15)

 

Jesus intends for His people to pursue holiness!  The only way we can pursue a Christ-centered holiness is if we flee from the sins that lead us away from Christ!  The Bible calls us to, “Flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Tim. 2:22).  We must, “Flee sexual immorality” (1 Cor. 6:18).  But it is not only sexual sins that we must flee from, but we must also flee from any sin that threatens to entangle us, and in case you are wondering what sins are there that do not threaten to entangle us?  The answer is that there is no safe sin, they all threaten to entangle, and they all have the ability to destroy, rob, maim, and kill!  The list of sins is long, but here is a short list given to us in Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are six things that the Lordhates, seven that are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who declares lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers” (Prov. 6:16–19).

 

Jesus has given to His church spiritually qualified and gifted persons for the equipping and building up of his church to teach and preach His word as one way to cleanse His people, “by the washing of water with the word...” (v. 26).  What does this mean?  In the ancient east, before the bride was presented to the bridegroom, she would receive a cleansing bath with water before she was adorned in her bridal dress and presented to her groom.  We, as the Bride of Christ, are also being cleansed, and it is done through the Word of God.  We are called to this individually, but there are men like myself that are called to administer the word of God and to show you how to bath yourself in the Word of God... because the best thing I can give you is not what Pastor Keith thinks, but what the Word of God says! I am fallible but God’s word is infallible, for: “All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). 

 

This is why when a pastor, elder, or church leader fails to meet the qualifications to be in such roles as listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:7-9, such people are a danger to Jesus’s church that He loves, cherishes, is sanctifying, and has called to His Bride, “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”  Those of us called by Jesus to serve His Bride to equip His people will, “incur a stricter judgment” (Jas. 3:1); for this reason, we are to take passages like 1 Timothy 5:19-22 seriously.

 

I am deeply grieved and heartbroken by the actions of the one under church discipline. I am crushed by the damage his actions have caused others.  My prayer is that he will take 1 John 1:9 to heart which says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I also know that we are warned that what happened to our brother can happen to anyone in this room.  If a pastor can fall into unrepentant sin, then so can you, because our, “adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8); intends to bring you harm and he is really good at doing it! 

 

There are sins represented in this room such as gossip, sexual immorality, an unforgiving spirit, and more.  Some of you are so committed to your sin, that you refuse to turn from them out of a fear that you will be exposed, or you believe the enemy’s lie that you are so stuck in your sin that you are unable to turn from it. Here is what Hebrews 3:12-13 says, “Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:12–13).

 

Our adversary is fiercely loud, but Jesus has ripped out his teeth!  You may be overwhelmed by your sin, but you still have time to run to the One who still makes all things new (2 Cor. 5:17): “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

  

Jesus Will Present His Bride in All Her Glory as Holy and Blameless

How will Jesus present His Bride in all her glory as holy and blameless?  He will do it, “by the washing of water with the word” (v. 26) along with the power of His Holy Spirit (1:18-19a; 3:20-21).  God always uses the authority of His word and the power of His Spirit to do the things only He is capable of doing in our lives.  Jesus is committed to not leaving His church the way He found her.  What that means is that Philippians 1:6 is for you: “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.” However, the only way you will experience the thing He wants to do in you is if you listen to His word and obey it.  So dear Christian, what are you going to do with what you heard today?  Is Jesus asking you today, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say” (see Luke 6:46-49)?

 

Jesus will indeed present His Bride in all her glory as holy and blameless because He loves her too much to leave her the way He found her!  What will her wedding day be like?  It will be greater than any marriage you hope for or have dreamed to experience.  In Revelation 19:7-10, we are given a small peek through the curtain of eternity, and this is what we see:

Let’s rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brothers and sisters who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

 

This is why Jesus takes the sins within and by those who belong to His church very seriously.  It is the same seriousness we see demonstrated in the way the sin of Achan was addressed (Josh. 7:1-26), the sins of Eli and his two worthless sons (1 Sam. 2:12-36), and the sins of David with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:1-12:23).  It is against the backdrop of the above examples I want you to consider as the most appropriate way I feel I can conclude my sermon:

 

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits. For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. (Heb. 6:1–6)

 

For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:26–31)

 

Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:1–2)

I heard a well-meaning pastor and theologian say by way of application from his reading of Ephesians 5:22-25 these words: “Godly women want to feed their men. Godly women are designed to make the sandwiches. This is not an absolute law, like the one about making babies, and there are times when a man fends for himself and makes quite a decent sandwich. But in the general scheme of things, the apostle Paul wants the women to make the sandwiches.”[1]  My question to you, is that what Ephesians 5:22-25 is teaching? 

 

So, here is how I hope to answer that question.  I hope to answer the above question by showing you how the willful subjecting of the wife to her husband and the sacrificial love of the husband for his wife is the apostle Paul’s way of showing us what Ephesians 4:1-3 looks like in marriage; consider these verses in light of marriage: “...walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

 

The way I am going to show you what sandwiches have to do with marriage is by explaining what Ephesians 5:22-25 is saying, then I will show what these verses mean for your marriage, and finally, we will look at some examples of Jesus and what He thinks about sandwich making. 

 

What is Ephesians 5:22-25 Really Saying?

So what is Ephesians saying?  Let me begin answering that question by unpacking what the Greek word hypotassō(ὑποτάσσω) means; it can be translated as subject, subordinate, or submit.  Although every major translation except the NASB (95 and 2020 editions) decided to use the word “submit” instead of “subject” I believe “subject” is a better translation.  So what is the big deal?  Why do I think it matters how hypotassō is translated?  In the most literal sense, the word means “to order oneself under” and in the case of the wife, she is to willingly order herself under the headship of her husband, which is much less confusing than “submit” and leaves less room for this verse to be abused in the ways it has been used in an attempt to subjugate Christian women.  This is why I believe “subject” is a better way to translate this word, besides the fact that most of the time the word is used in the New Testament, it is rightfully translated as “subject.”

 

Permit me to show you two other places hypotassō is used and why “subject” is a better translation of the word for Ephesians in the way wives ought to respond to their husbands.  The first is Luke 2:41-52 when Mary and Joseph traveled from Nazareth to Jerusalem with 12-year-old Jesus to celebrate the Passover.  Because they most likely traveled with friends and family, they did not realize they left Jesus in Jerusalem on their way back home to Nazareth.  So, Joseph and Mary turned back (probably in a panic) to go get 12-year-old Jesus and it is in Luke 2:48-51 that we see how hypotassō is used and translated:

When Joseph and Mary saw Him, they were bewildered; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You!” And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” And yet they on their part did not understand the statement which He had made to them. And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued to be subject [hypotassō] to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

 

What did Jesus do at the age of 12 as fully God and fully human?  How did he respond to his mother and stepfather as the rightful King of kings and Lord of lords?  He willingly placed Himself under the headship of his mother and stepfather as a 12-year-old boy.  Jesus was in Jerusalem because He had to be in His “Father’s house” but returned to Nazareth with Joseph and Mary because He was still under their headship. 

 

The other place the word is used is in Romans 13:1. Remember that the Empire of Rome wanted to suppress Christianity, and it was because of Paul’s preaching that Rome eventually sentenced him to death by beheading, yet Paul wrote, “Every person is to be subject [hypotassō] to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”  Paul willingly subjected himself under the Roman government but refused to disobey God when Romans demanded him to do so. 

 

With the same humility that led Jesus to subject Himself under the authority of Joseph and Mary, the wife is to subject herself under the headship of her husband.  With the same understanding and trust Paul had of God and in His sovereign reign over governments the wife is called to subject herself to her husband knowing that he will have to answer for every decision made in the home and will be held to account for how he loved his wife who is first and foremost a daughter of God Almighty. 

 

Now, what is the scope that the wife is to subject herself under the headship of her husband?  Look at verse 24, for it here that we are told: “But the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.”  Paul is not saying that you, wives, must be submissive in everything your husband tells you to do but to subject yourself under his headship as the one God has called to lead as one called by God to protect and provide as priest over your home out of a motivation to lay down his life for your good out of the kind of love that led Jesus to a cross: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (v. 25). 

 

What Does Ephesians 5:22-25 Mean for Life and Marriage?

So, what does Ephesians 5:22-25 mean for your marriage?  What it means, is that, unlike the world’s perverted view of sex and marriage, you are to walk in a manner worthy of your calling in your marriage, as a parent or as a child (6:1-4), and in your obedience to those placed in authority over you, who you work for, or how you exercise your God-given authority (6:5-9).

 

Think about what we have seen in Ephesians 4:1-5:21 as the application of who you are as one who once was dead but now is alive in Christ.  You were redeemed and saved to walk in the good works Jesus redeemed us for (Eph. 2:10).  As a child of God and His representation in a dark and evil world, you are to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called...” (4:1).  In light of your calling as a child of light, we are commanded to be, “imitators of God, as beloved children” and as beloved children, we are to “walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us” (5:1-2).  Now in everything that we say and do, we are to, “be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time because the days are evil” (vv. 15-16).  So, when it comes to what we say and how we treat one another as brothers and sisters in Christ regardless of whether you are single, married, employed, a student and living at home with mom and dad, caring for your elderly parents, we are commanded by God through the apostle Paul to, “subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ” (v. 21). 

 

But what does Christlikeness look like in marriage and what does Ephesians 5:22-25 have to do with making sandwiches?  Here is the way I see it: With the same humility Christ demonstrated and we are all called to practice (see Phil. 2:3-8), wives are to subject themselves to their husbands with the same humility Jesus demonstrated on earth during His incarnation as fully human while remaining fully God.  With the same selfless love that compelled Jesus to live the life we could never live and die the death we all deserved; husbands have and demonstrate for their wives.  With the same honor and dependence Jesus demonstrated on earth regarding God the Father, so believing Children are to honor their parents.  And, with the same willingness to subject Himself under the cross imposed by the Roman empire, so Christian slaves and employees are to obediently bear the burden they are called to with the same dedication Christ had not to Rome, but for the glory of God the Father.  As a wife, or as a husband, or as a child, or as a parent, or as a boss, or as a slave/employee... we are all commanded out of love and reverent fear for Christ to, “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (4:1), and to do so as “imitators of God, as beloved children, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us” (5:1-2). 

 

What Does Jesus Say about Who Should be Making the Sandwiches in Life and Marriage?

Now, a word about who Paul expected to make sandwiches when he wrote Ephesians.  The motivation of subjecting yourself under the headship of your husband is not because you are obligated to submit to whatever he wants, but because of a motivation for your love for Jesus.  This is the point of verse 22 and Colossians 3:18, which states: “Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.”  Then, just a few verses later, we read: “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance” (Col. 3:20-21). Just because you are married does not mean that you are now a slave; if you are a follower of Christ who happens to be a wife or thinking about marriage, it is out of a radical love and deep reverence for Christ that in wanting to glorify Him in all that you do and knowing that He loves you infinitely more than any man on earth can... that you are willing to subject yourself to under the headship of your husband because of God’s design for marriage.

 

Now, a word to the men of Meadowbrooke: Consider the ways Jesus demonstrated His love for His Church during His incarnation.  We do not have the time to look at every example, but I do want you to consider some of them that we discover by reading the four gospels:

1. Well, for starters, Despite the cold shoulder Jesus received from the people He came to die for, His love compelled Him to persistently pursue them; how are you to love your wife? Be an imitator of God who is mindful of the great love and rich mercy you received because of God’s amazing grace, and walk in love before your wife and children, “just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us” (5:1-2).

 

1. Jesus demonstrated His love for His Bride even when she said and did things that frustrated Him (see Matt. 16:5-12 as an example).

 

1. Jesus grieved with His Bride when she suffered loss (see John 11:1-44).

 

1. Jesus loved His Bride when He washed the feet of His disciples in the upper room (John 13:5-20)

 

1. Jesus loved His Bride even while she could not stay awake during His hour of need and still prayed for her wellbeing (Luke 22:39-46; John 17).

 

1. Jesus loved His Bride even when She denied She knew Him (John 18:25-27).

 

1. Jesus loved His Bride even though he was abused emotionally and physically because of His love for Her (John 18:12-24, 28-19:15).

 

1. Jesus loved His Bride even to the point of carrying a cross She deserved for the purpose of dying a death He did not deserve on her behalf (John 19:16-30).

 

So, men of Meadowbrooke Church, if you love your wives in the same way Christ loved His bride, are you really going to demand that she make you a sandwich?  I do not believe for one second that Paul expected the wife to make the sandwiches!  I believe the point he was making is that if the wife and husband are walking with Jesus out of a reverence and love for Him, their marriage will be stronger for it.  She will subject herself under his headship in humility out of her reverence and love for Jesus, and he will want to love his wife deeply and sacrificially because of his deep love and reverence for Jesus. 

 

Here is why I believe Paul had in mind that both the wife and the husband would make the sandwiches.  Between the two, the kind of love that leads them to one another begins with Philia (friendship love) which has grown into an unconditional agape (unconditional love), and the fruit of that philia and agape love is eros (erotic/physical love).  The fruit of a Christ-centered marriage should be the kind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7,

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with.

 

The other reason why I reject the ridiculous notion that Paul wants the wife to make the sandwiches is because of 1 Corinthians 7:1-5 in a relationship the fruit of a genuine friendship (philia) and unconditional love (agape) is physical and erotic love (eros).  Listen to these verses carefully and you tell me if the woman is the only one called to make a sandwich?

Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. But because of sexual immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise the wife also to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise the husband also does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

 

Men and women, what if we took Ephesians 5:1-2 seriously regarding everything in life that is important?  What if we applied Ephesians 5:21 in our marriages, parenting, place of employment, and in our churches?  What if we looked at our spouse out of a motivation of Christ-like humility and love not out of selfishness, but a giving of oneself to the other and applied that humility and love to sandwich making, dirty dishes, diapers, to-do lists, walks, dates, and even the marriage bed? 

 

The top five reasons why marriages end in divorce are as follows: 1) Too much conflict, 2) a lack of commitment, 3) infidelity, 4) a lack of physical intimacy, and 5) communication problems.  If we take Ephesians 5 seriously, I believe a Christ-centered humility from the wife and a Christ-compelled love from the husband will do five things for your marriage:

 

1. Christ-centered humility and love will reduce the kind of pride that leads to conflict.

 

1. Christ-centered humility and love open your eyes to the value of your spouse and marriage.

 

1. Christ-centered humility and love will help prevent your eyes from wandering and compel you to fight against sexual sin.

 

1. Christ-centered humility and love will free both the wife and the husband to give themselves sexually to the other for the good and pleasure of the other more frequently.

 

1. Finally, Christ-centered humility and love will significantly reduce your communication problems because humility and love do wonders for marital hearing loss.

 

[1] Doug Wilson, The Natural Use of the Woman (YouTube Channel: Blog & Mablog; Jan. 24, 2022)

 

If there were ever a sentence in the Bible to serve as a trigger for anger, resentment, and resistance towards the Bible it is most likely Ephesians 5:22, “Wives, subject yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”  The reason some women bristle at verses like Ephesians 5:22-24 is because they have not known the kind of love husbands are called to demonstrate in verse 25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her...”

 

Before we can even begin to address these verses, I need you to hear something.  Marriage is an institution created by God to be celebrated, enjoyed, protected, and fought for within the covenant relationship between God and one man and one woman for a lifetime.  However, if marriage (as God’s good gift) is something that you have made into the ultimate thing for your life, then you have potentially done two things:

1. You have set your bar way too low.
2. You have made an idol out of the institution of marriage.

 

When it comes to marriage, how can you set the bar way too low by making it the ultimate thing you aspire to?  By making marriage the ultimate thing, you miss its ultimate purpose in that it serves as the only institution on earth designed to reflect Christ’s relationship with the Church and the Church’s relationship with Christ (v. 32).  What is marriage?  It is a “great mystery” because it is, “an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one” (v. 32; NLT).  In fact, in reference to the mystery of marriage, the ESV, NIV, and CSB translate the Greek word megas (μέγας) as “profound” while the KJV, NASB, and NLT use the word “great.”  The word can also be translated: large, surprising, or prominent.  What is the point?  Marriage is a big deal for reasons much more significant than two humans who want to spend a lifetime together. 

 

When you read what is written in Ephesians 5 concerning marriage, you must read and study these verses within the context of everything written in Ephesians 1:1 - 5:21.  Let me help you understand Ephesians 5:22-33 in light of the overall context of the epistle: 

 

• In Ephesians 1:1-19, the Christian was chosen before the foundation of the world to be redeemed and forgiven of all sin exclusively through the shed blood of Jesus upon a cross. If you are a Christian, at the moment you believed in Jesus, you were sealed by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of becoming holy and blameless as God’s treasured possession to the praise of His glory, so that Jesus, who is Lord over everything (vv. 19b-21), would be head over all things to the church (v. 22-23). 

 

• In Christ, those who were dead in their sins are made alive according to Ephesians 2:1-10 because of the rich mercy, great love, and sufficient grace of God. The reason why you, Christian, were made alive... is to live out your calling as God’s, “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (2:1-10). 

 

• Now that you are alive with Christ, you are a citizen “with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord...” (2:19-21). Because you are in Jesus, you now have a new identity, and as His redeemed people, we all can, “know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge” as His Church (3:14-19).

 

• As those who were once far off but have been brought near as Jesus’ redeemed people, we are to be known for walking a better way as followers of Jesus, indeed, we are to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called...” (4:1). We do this, “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (vv. 2-3).

 

• As the Church of Jesus Christ, we are His holy Bride and no longer characterized by the “useless deeds of darkness” (5:3-13) but are now “children of light” (5:8-9) who walk with wisdom while the days are evil (vv. 15-16). We do this as the “holy temple of the Spirit of God” and “body of Christ”, who will experience a marriage as His beloved Bride. Now, as those who belong to Christ, we are to diligently keep, “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” since we belong to each other as, “one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all” (4:4-6).

 

If you are a Christian, then you are the Bride of Christ, and as the Bride of Christ, we come to what I consider to be the “hermeneutical key” for understanding what Paul states in the verses to follow regarding marriage, children, and work.  Here it is: “subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ” (v. 21). 

 

God’s Intended Culture for Marriage

It is important to point out that what proceeds what Paul says to wives and husbands is one long sentence in verses 18-21 that begins with an imperative: “do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit...”  So, the culture of a healthy marriage begins by being filled with the Holy Spirit instead of filling yourself with something that leads to debauchery.  The way to do that is provided in a list of four participles: 1) Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, 2) singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord, 3) always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father, and 4) subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.

 

If you are wondering what Ephesians 5:19-21 looks like in the home, the point is not the songs you sing to one another, but what it is that moves you and motivates you as a wife or as a husband.  What Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:19-20 is not all that different than what he wrote to the Colossians: “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (3:16-17).

 

To “subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ” is to do all things, both in word and deed, in the name of the Lord Jesus.  The Greek word for “subject” is hypotassō (ὑποτάσσω) and it literally means to “put oneself under” another; here we are to humble ourselves in this way out of a reverence for Jesus.  In the case of Ephesians 5:21, we Christians are to mutually subject/submit to one another out of a humility that is empowered by the Holy Spirit which is best experienced as you are filled by the Holy Spirit.  The best way I can help you understand what Paul is communicating here is to see it against the backdrop of Philippians 2:3-8,

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.

 

Jesus, while equal to the Father, when He took on flesh during His incarnation, humbled Himself by taking the form of a bondservant.  What Jesus did, is that He subjected Himself under the authority of the Father to accomplish what was necessary for our redemption.  We are told that we must have the same mindset of Jesus in the way we treat one another.  Never was Jesus less than God, but He did willingly place Himself under the headship of the Father while He remained fully God and at the same time fully human.  We are to humble ourselves in the same way as brothers and sisters in a world where individualism and power struggles are part of the dog-eat-dog culture of the world that we live in.    

 

So, against the backdrop of Philippians 2:3-8, consider again Ephesians 5:21, “subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ” (v. 21).  Do you see it?  Do you see why this verse serves as a type of linchpin that joins what we read in verses 15-20 and the section in Ephesians that addresses husbands, wives, children, and slaves? 

 

How are Wives to “Subject” Themselves to Their Husbands?

So now we come to the word “subject” and the way it is used for how wives must respond to their husbands and how it is not used to instruct the way husbands are to respond to their wives. We will look more deeply at the husband-and-wife relationship as it is explained in these verses next week, but for now I want to set things up for next week in a way that still helps you today.

 

Within the covenant of marriage, a wife is to, “subject” herself to her husband, “as to the Lord” (v. 22).  The husband is not commanded to do the same regarding his wife.  Instead, he is commanded to love his wife “just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (v. 25).  Sinclair Ferguson states in light of Ephesians 5:21-22, there is, of course, an appropriate mutual submission in marriage.  The exhortation of 5:21 is to be obeyed by all Christians within the context of their mutual fellowship! But that is not the only aspect to the Christian life.  Mutual submission no more obliterates the command in 5:22 than it rescinds the command of Hebrews 13:7 ‘Obey your leaders’!”[1]

 

When it comes to marriage, the God who invented marriage offers a better way than the perversion of marriage propagated by the world.  Indeed, marriage was always intended to express, demonstrate, and point to a greater marriage that every Christian was chosen, redeemed, and sealed by the Holy Spirit to experience regardless of your marital status on planet earth (more on this in two weeks)!  The better way for the Christian woman, who happens to be a wife, is to illustrate how Christians (the Church) respond to the great love of Christ that compelled Him to willingly go to the cross to redeem her; the response of Jesus’ wife is to be that of joyful submission.  In a world that balks at any notion that a married woman must subject/submit to her husband; the Christian is called to a better way.

 

Listen, just as our response to Jesus should be one of deep and joyful submission to Him because of the love we have experienced from Him, the wife is to joyfully place herself under the loving headship of her husband in response to his self-sacrificing love, care, and protection for his bride. The command for wives to subject themselves to their husbands has nothing to do with value or importance, but God’s design for marriage and the kind of thriving, joy, and companionship He intends His people to enjoy within the covenant of marriage that He instituted.

 

What does it mean to “subject” yourself to your husband, as to the Lord?  Well, it certainly does not mean that you become his doormat so that he can treat you however he wants.  There is only One Lord, and that Lord is Jesus Christ.  There is a chain of command, and your first obligation is to obey Jesus as your Lord. 

 

The reason why I believe the NASB offers a better translation of hypotassō (subject) is because the wife is not commanded to enter subjugation under her husband as an inferior person to a superior human.  When a woman enters marriage, she does so as a different but equal counterpart to the man she loves.  The wife willingly and humbly places herself under her husband’s headship out of a deep trust and respect for him in response to the selfless love she has experienced and rightfully anticipates she will continue to enjoy throughout a lifetime of marriage when they come together as a one-flesh union.  Again, Sinclair Ferguson’s perspective on Ephesians 5:22-24 is very much appreciated: “Marriage is not a recipe for the subjugation of a woman, but a blueprint for her true freedom in a healthy, loving relationship with her husband.”[2]  Richard Coekin, in his little commentary on Ephesians, states:

As he [God] committed himself sacrificially to us in covenanted and exclusive love, so the most precious aspect of all our human relationships, and especially marriage, is to love and be loved, not merely with sentimental affection or sensual desire, but with sustained sacrificial kindness in every season of life—an unconditional love based not upon the other’s glamorous looks, but upon a commitment to be exclusively devoted to their best interests.  And what a stunningly wonderful blessing a happy Christian marriage is![3]

 

However, for some of you, your marriage seems anything but a “wonderful blessing.” Others of you are afraid of entering into marriage because of what you witnessed growing up.  The sad truth is that even in the Church, men and women have bought into the lie of a version of marriage that does not reflect what we read in the Bible. You need to hear that when it comes to marriage or any other relationship for that matter, God offers a better way.  Nevertheless, to experience that better way, it takes two who desire to walk in a manner worthy of their calling as followers of Jesus for God’s design for marriage to be experienced on some level.  In the weeks to come, I hope to offer you some level of help and encouragement for your marriage and your desire to follow Jesus well.

 

Before I conclude, permit me to address the woman and then the men of this church. 

 

To the women in this church: You are created in the image of God and there is no man whose love is greater for you than the one your heavenly Father has for you.  Any abuse you suffered growing up, the careless words spoken by any of the men in your life, or any treatment of you that has reduced you to an object is NOT a reflection of God’s love for you.  You are valued because God has placed value upon you as His daughter!  There is no marriage or situation where it is acceptable or okay for you to be abused or mistreated as a daughter of the God who loved you so much that He sent His only Son to die to redeem you. If you are in a marriage that seems more of a misery than the beautiful marvel it is intended to be, I want to encourage you to hang on and trust that the God who raises the dead can bring life to your marriage.  If you are in what you believe to be a dead or failing marriage, I would like to give you an assignment this week: Pray for your husband, that the God who created out of nothing, can do something with the man in your marriage.

 

To the men in this church: Everything I said to the women also applies to you.  It is possible to be in a relationship where you are demeaned, demonized, and devalued by the women in your life (more on that next week).  It is not okay for you to be treated poorly or talked down to or disrespected by your wife or children. I will say though, that we men tend to set the culture and spiritual climate of our homes; if you have not done a good job at doing that, it is not too late.  Permit me to give you an assignment this week, read John 13:1 - 19:30 and take note on what Ephesians 5:25 really means for your marriage: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”  Especially take note of what you can do differently or better to obey what is commanded of you as the husband of your wife. 

 

Finally, the God who raised Jesus from the grave cares more about your marriage than you ever could, so trust and believe that He can make something beautiful out of your mess.  It is on this point that I leave you with Ephesians 3:20-21, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

 

[1] Sinclair B. Ferguson, Let’s Study: Ephesians (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust; 2021), 149.

[2] Ibid., 151.

[3] Richard Coekin, Ephesians for You (The Good Book Company; 2019), 164-65.

From the Pulpit of Keith Miller

Meadowbrooke Church

August 25, 2024

 

 

The Walk of the Wise (part 2)

Ephesians 5:14-21

 

Introduction:

The definition of apathy is, “a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.  Atrophy is the gradual decline in effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect.  I said last week that spiritual apathy is the kind of thing that will happen when you are so paralyzed by shame that you stay in your shame instead of allowing it to motivate you into repentance.  Spiritual apathy, if left untreated, will lead to spiritual atrophy.  In Ephesians 5:14-21, we are given a four-fold pathway to keep us from spiritual apathy and to rescue us from spiritual atrophy; last week, I showed the first step for that pathway, and it was: “Run to Jesus as your only advocate.” 

 

If you are a Christian, you were once dead and now you are alive in Christ (Eph. 2:1-5).  If you are a Christian, you are alive with Jesus through the redemption of His shed blood (1:7).  You, Christian, are, forgiven of all your sin, but you have also been, “sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit.... for the day of redemption” (1:13-14; 4:30).  Because of God’s great love, rich mercy, and sufficient grace, you are His child and even more staggering (in my opinion), you are His inheritance (see 1:18-19a)!  Because of all of this, your awareness of your sin ought not lead to apathy, but to the place and time where your redemption was made possible which is the cross of Christ! 

 

With that being said, I believe Ephesians 5:15-21 is a pathway and plan to keep us from spiritual apathy and if necessary, to lead one out of spiritual atrophy. 

 

Pay Attention to How You Live (v. 15)

In consideration of that reality and hope that is yours in Jesus, the apostle Paul continues: “So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise...” (v. 15).  In light of verses 1-14, Paul does not suggest we take care how we walk, but commands it out of the utmost importance.  “be careful” is translated from Greek word “blepō” (βλέπω) and it literally means and is most commonly translated, “see” but it can also be translated in the following ways: “beware”, “watch out”, or “look.”  Verse 15 is an appeal to pay attention because there are dangers along the way as you “Walk.”  A better translation of this verse is: “Watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise people, but as wise...”

 

Consider the seven ways the word “walk” is used in Ephesians.  In Ephesians 2:1-3, the Christian once, “previouslywalked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.”  If you are a Christian, you are God’s, “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (2:10).  Because of the great price of your redemption, you are to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (4:1) instead of walking “as the Gentiles also walk... because of the hardness of their heart” (4:17-18).  As children of God, you are to “walk in love just as Christ loved you and gave Himself up for us” (5:1-2).  You, Christian, are alive with Christ, and because you are alive with Christ, you are “light in the Lord” and no longer in darkness; therefore “walk as children of light” (5:8).  This brings us to the final verse where the word “walk” is used in Ephesians: “So then, be careful [watch carefully] how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise” (v. 15).

 

To watch carefully how you walk is to do so with urgency, care, and wisdom.  So how does one walk with wisdom?  Proverbs 9:10 tells us what the first step towards wisdom requires: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”  According to proverbs, wisdom begins with a fear of the Lord.  To have some understanding of who God is will result in an appropriate response to Him, and that appropriate response is one of profound reverence, for this is what the Hebrew word for “fear”[1] means.  This is the response of the Seraphim and the prophet of Isaiah while in the presence of Almighty God, “sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted...” while the holy Seraphim covered their face and feet, Isaiah responded: “Woe to me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips” (see Isa. 6:1-5).  It was also the response of Job to a better understanding of the nature of God in light of his own suffering: “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; Therefore I retract, And I repent, sitting on dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6).  Jesus spoke of wisdom in relationship to what we do with His words and our lives:

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.” (Matt. 7:24-27)

 

To walk with wisdom is to do so with an appropriate fear for who God is and a motivation to do what His Word requires is the spirit of Psalm 1:1-2, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.”

 

In the verses to follow, Paul provides us with key ways to walk in wisdom: 1) Use your time wisely for what matters, 2) live with an awareness of God’s will for your life, and 3) be intentional about what you consume.

 

Use your time wisely for what matters (v. 16)

Life is short.  The average human life is about 29,000 days.  That is all you have... maybe.  That is of course if heart disease, cancer, or a fatal accident doesn’t get to you first.  Of our 29,000 days, we sleep 9,490 (26yrs) of our 29,000 days away leaving us with only 19,510 days on earth awake.  So, how does the average person use his/her average number of days on earth? 

• 1,095 days are spent in the bathroom
• 402 days are spent getting dressed
• 365 days are spent looking for things we lost.
• 5 hours a day are spent by the average teen staring at the screen of their computer, phone, and television (that is over 3,100 hours a year spent staring at a screen)
• 5 days a year are spent on our cell phones (if those statistics remain the same, then within my 14-year-old son’s lifetime he will have spent 4,516 days of his life on his phone).

 

Allow me to put something in perspective.  The average age of Meadowbrooke Church is somewhere in the 30’s, which means that if you are 35 years old and if you average about 6.5 hours of sleep a night, and heart disease, cancer, or an accident does not cut those remaining days short, you have about 12,960 days awake left while the average screen time in America is currently 7.3 hours a day which is another 3,942 days of no human interaction that you can scratch off of those remaining 12,960 days left awake and living.   

 

My point is simply this, your time is very limited, so don’t waste it on things that do not matter.  The apostle Paul wrote Ephesians 5:16 in a day and age when social media and screen time did not exist, but the danger of wasting one’s life on things that do not matter was still before the Christian.  The evil that surrounded the Ephesian Church is the same evil that surrounds us but with different dress.  Ephesus had the Temple of Artemis and we have the porn industry.  The Hebrews were surrounded by the worship of Molech where infants were laid upon the arms of the idol as a sacrifice, we have Planned Parenthood offering free vasectomies and abortions in their buss outside of the DNC in Chicago and a well-known gourmet hotdog place offering patrons a free hotdog after their procedures on that bus. 

 

How do you keep your soul from spiritual apathy and atrophy?  How do we make the most of our time because the days are evil?  You do it by taking God-glorifying risks and by making God-exulting sacrifices for what really matters in light of eternity!

 

Live with an awareness of God’s will for your life (v. 17)

Living in a way that is worthy of your calling and walking wisely as a follower of Jesus while the days are evil requires that you are aware of God’s will for your life and that you live in light of that awareness.  So, what is God’s will for your life?  It’s simple.  We in Ephesians alone we are told that God chose you before the foundation of the world, “that we would be holy and blameless before Him” (1:4).  You were created, saved, and redeemed in Christ Jesus, “for good works, which God prepared beforehand” (2:10).  Now that you are saved by the blood of Jesus, “you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household... being fitted together... into a holy temple in the Lord” (2:19, 21).  Because we now belong to Jesus as the Church, “we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people” (4:14).  As followers of Jesus, we are expected, “to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (4:24).  Because you are now a child of God, we are to be “imitators of God, as beloved children” (5:1) because we are now “children of light” (v. 8). 

 

What is the will of God for your life?  It is to follow Jesus in such a way that He is first and everything else is second for it is He who said: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23).  What is the will for your life?  It is your sanctification: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor” (1 Thess. 4:3-4).  What is the will of God for your life?  Here it is: “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Pet. 1:13-16).

 

Listen, any person, organization, job promotion, or desire that threatens to move you further away from God’s will for your life... IS NOT GOD’S WILL for your life!  If you want to walk in wisdom, you must live with the awareness of what God wants for your life ultimately.     

 

Be intentional about what you consume into your mind, soul, and heart (vv. 18-21)

The word worship comes from the word “worth-ship.”  What you give yourself to is what you value, and what you value most is what you ultimately attribute worth to.  What you put into your mind, you put into your heart, and what you put into your heart, you feed into your soul. 

 

Early in this series on Ephesians I said, that “you have all of God’s love you will ever need, all of the redemption in Jesus that you will ever need, and all of the Holy Spirit you will ever need.”  I followed up that statement with a question, and the question was this: “How much of your heart does God have? How much of your loyalty does Jesus have? How much of your life does the Holy Spirit have?  You see, when you believed in Jesus, you were baptized and sealed by the Holy Spirit, but the filling of the Holy Spirit comes when He has more of your heart. 

 

What Paul describes in verses 18-21 has more to do with the culture of your heart than anything else.  Anything that you put into your mind will ultimately affect the way you think, and what saturates your mind, will affect what and how you feel about certain things.  This is why Paul begins verse 18 with a prohibition: “And do not get drunk with wine...”  The point is simply this: Do not fill your stomach with something that will dull your senses, but fill your mind, soul, and heart with the God you were made to know!  R.C. Sproul wrote of this verse: “Paul is saying to drink deeply and constantly, keeping ourselves close to the Spirit of God, so that we maximize the means of grace of His presence and of His power in our lives.”[2]

 

Getting drunk with wine is debauchery.  What is debauchery?  It is having no control because the wine you have consumed has inhibited you from exercising good reason.  It is not just alcohol that can have this effect on your mind, heart, and soul.  If Paul was writing a letter to Meadowbrooke, I think it would include a sentence not all that dissimilar from Ephesians 5:18; maybe it would sound something like this: “Do not bow to your phones to be consumed by your screentime but be saturated by the word of God for the good of your mind, heart, and soul!” 

 

Think about it, how can you expect to experience the power of the Holy Spirit in your life if what is filling your mind is ultimately coming through a screen rather than the lenses of Holy Scripture?  How do you do this?  You do it by consuming God’s Word, you do it by “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs...” (v. 19), which happens when we gather for worship.  If you are consumed by the things of God, you will recognize that all the good that you have is from God (v. 20).  When you recognize that your life and all that you have belongs to God, you will submit to the authority of God over your life and to, “one another in the fear of Christ” (v. 21).  

 

The Spirit-filled life is a life governed by the Holy Spirit, and the only way you will be governed by the Holy Spirit is by pursuing the following three things:

 

1. Pursue God by seeking to know Him. Your understanding of who God is will create an appropriate response to Him, which is a deep and abiding reverence for Him and the things and life He wants for you.

 

1. Live the days you have left with a determination not to waste them but to invest them in what matters. You can do this by recognizing that after your days are up, you will live forever and how you live today is an investment for how you will live in heaven.

 

1. Be aware of what you put into your mind, heart, and soul. The more of your heart the Holy Spirit gets, the more of God’s peace and joy you will experience.  The more of God’s peace and joy you experience, the more of your purpose in this life you will experience. 

 

One challenge I would like to leave with you.  I want you to try something for a solid month, and if you do, I am confident it will help you grow closer to God and the people He has placed in your life.  Here is my challenge:

 

1. If you are single, put your phone down 30 minutes before you go to bed and thoughtfully read your Bible for 10-15 minutes (Pick any book in the Bible).

 

1. If you have children, make it a point that anytime you are sharing a meal together, that your phone is off or away from you. Before you eat dinner, thank God for your meal, while you eat dinner check in with each other about what is happening in each family member’s life, and then when diner is over, pick a verse(s) to read before you get up from the table.

 

[1] The Hebrew word for fear is “yir·ʾā(h)” (יִרְאָה); it is “a feeling of profound respect for someone or something, often a deity, conceived of as fear” according to Lexham Research Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible. [2] R.C. Sproul, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Sanford, FL: Ligonier Ministries; 2023), 78.

From the Pulpit of Keith Miller

Meadowbrooke Church

August 18, 2024

 

 

The Walk of the Wise

Ephesians 5:14-21

 

Introduction:

I understand that Ephesians 5:1-13 is a difficult section in the Bible, for at least 50% of the men and about 25% of the women in churches across America view porn at least once a month.  To listen to three weeks of sermons on Bible verses that address sexual sins when you already feel defeated is surely discouraging.  According to one study, 43 percent of Christian men and 20 percent of Christian women acknowledge that your exposure to porn (and any sexual sin for that matter) has worsened their relationship with God.[1]  What that means is that some of you not only feel stuck and defeated, but you also believe that you are far from God and that He is so disgusted by you he wants little or nothing to do with you.  I want you to know that if I just described you, you have bought into a lie! 

 

One of the titles given to the devil is “the accuser” and what is said of him is that he is, “the accuser of our brothers and sisters... the one who accuses them before our God day and night” (Rev. 12:10).  Jesus said of the devil that, “He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.  Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).  The devil is both master accuser and master liar, and he wants nothing more than for you to believe that your ongoing pattern of sins is making you more inaccessible to a Holy God whose wrath is being stored up against humanity for sins such as sexual immorality, impurity, and greed (v. 3). 

 

It is for the above reasons that I wanted to spend so much more time on Ephesians 5:14 then we were able to last week.  What you must remember is that Paul is not writing to non-Christians in his epistle to the Ephesians, but to Christians whose most dangerous adversary exists in their own flesh.  It is the thing that the apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 7:14-23,

For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold into bondage to sin. For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, that the Law is good. But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.

 

I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person, but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts.

 

What is important to point out is that Paul was not paralyzed by the tension and struggle he experienced with sin in light of his relationship with Jesus, for it is in what he wrote in response to the war he experienced within that should help us to appreciate Ephesians 5:14-21.  What are we to do with the evil that is present within?  Listen to what Paul writes in Romans 7:24-25, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”

 

I have four points that really serve as a plan to keep you from spiritual apathy that can result in the atrophy of your faith and relationship with Jesus.  I will spend all this sermon on the first point and next week, we will look at the remaining three.  However, I want to list my four points so that you know where we are going in Ephesians 5:14-21.  Here is a pathway I believe the apostle gives us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that will keep you from spiritual apathy and atrophy:

1. Run to Jesus as your only advocate (v. 14)
2. Use your time wisely for what matters (vv. 15-16)
3. Live with an awareness of God’s will for your life (v. 17)
4. Be intentional about what you consume into your mind, soul, and heart (vv. 18-21)

 

Apathy is the kind of thing that happens when you are so paralyzed by shame that you stay in your shame instead of allowing it to motivate you into repentance.  Repentance is never stagnant but always mobile in the direction where Jesus can be found.  Apathy is what happens when you give up and are no longer interested in moving forward.  Spiritual apathy, if left untreated, will lead to spiritual atrophy.  Spiritual atrophy happens when your shame renders you spiritually immobile.  

 

Run to Jesus as Your Only Advocate (v. 14)

Ephesians 5:14 is not so much an appeal to non-Christians to find Jesus, but for Christians.  Most commentators/scholars agree that verse 14 is most likely a verse from an early church hymn quoted by Paul that was familiar to the Christians in Ephesus.  What I find so fascinating about the placement of verse 14 is that it is sandwiched between verses 3-13 that address the need to refuse to participate in the “useless deeds of darkness” and 15-21 that encourages the Christian to live wisely as children of light. 

 

Here is what I think was going on and why I believe Paul felt the need to write what he wrote in Ephesians 5:3-13. I believe that there were some Christians who were spiritually and morally apathetic towards certain forms of sexual immorality, impurity, greed, filthy and foolish talk, and vulgar joking.  Not only were they apathetic, but their apathy resulted in a type of spiritual atrophy resulting in their participation in certain forms of sin, which Paul listed.  In a very real sense, there were some in the Ephesian Church, as is true in churches today, who were slumbering in certain sins.  One of the many reasons why I believe this is the case is what is written in Romans 13:11-14,

Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let’s rid ourselves of the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let’s behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and debauchery, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

 

As is true with many of the hymns and praise songs you are familiar with, the one quoted in verse 14 is infused with language from the Bible.  In fact, there is so much packed into verse 14, that I could preach multiple sermons just on this one short verse, but I will not do that.  What I will do is share four scripture passages with you that will open Ephesians 5:14 up to you in the same way they probably did for the Christians in Ephesus. I am not going to say a whole lot about the verses, I only want you to see them for reasons I believe will be obvious.  So, here we go:

Here are two passages on what is waiting for those who have been redeemed by Jesus: 

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. ‘For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you.’” (Isa. 60:1-2)

 

“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.” (Dan. 12:2)

 

Here is a passage on how the redeemed should respond to God as a Father who loving disciplines His children:

“Do not rejoice over me, enemy of mine. Though I fall I will rise; Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a light for me. I will endure the rage of the Lord Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, And I will look at His righteousness.” (Mic. 7:8-9)

 

There is a fourth scripture passage I believe is tied to Ephesians 5:14, and it is found in Jonah 1:6.  Before we look at that verse, you need to consider the story of Jonah and how he got into trouble after being commanded by God to go to Ninevah (the capital of Assyria) to preach about the coming wrath of God upon Ninevah; Jonah got on a boat to go the opposite direction from where God told Him to go.  While in disobedience, we are told, “the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea...” (Jon. 1:4) which made life very difficult for everyone on the boat.  While everyone on the boat desperately threw stuff off the boat to lighten it in hopes of surviving the storm, Jonah was sound asleep in the stern of the ship.  Put another way: The prophet Jonah was asleep in his sin of rebellion.  Finally the captain of the ship found Jonah sleeping and had some words for Jonah: “How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish” (Jonah 1:6).

 

In summary, it became obvious to the sailors that Jonah was running from His God (1:7-14).  When they asked what they needed to do to get Jonah’s God to calm the storm, the prophet told them that they needed to throw him overboard (vv. 15-16).  They tried to avoid throwing Jonah overboard, but it became clear that it was their only option, so they threw him into the sea, and while in the sea, “the Lord designated a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights” (1:17).  While in the belly of the “great fish” Jonah endured the rage and discipline of his heavenly Father because he sinned against Him.  Jonah called out to the Lord for help (Jon. 2:1-9), and God delivered His prophet by commanding the fish to vomit Jonah up onto the dry land (v. 10).  Awakened from his proverbial slumber from the stern of the ship to the belly of the great fish, Jonah obeyed God’s will upon his life by going to Nineveh to preach the word of God to a people walking in the darkness of their sins and idols (3:1-9).  

 

The whole reason why Jonah fled for Tarshish when God told him to go to Nineveh is because of what Nineveh represented.  Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire whose army has been credited with some of the earliest forms of psychological warfare.  Nineveh was filled with violent people who were guilty of some of the most horrible things against humanity.  After Jonah preached his very brief message about God’s coming wrath, the entire city repented (see Jonah 3:5-10).  Jonah’s response was resentment and anger; this is what he prayed after God spared Nineveh from His wrath: “Please Lord, was this not what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore in anticipation of this I fled to Tarshish, since I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in mercy, and One who relents of disaster” (4:1-2).

 

Against the backdrop of God’s promise of redemption for His people because of the shed blood of Jesus (Isa. 60:1-2; Dan. 12:2), how His redeemed people ought to respond to His loving discipline (Mic. 7:8-9), and Jonah’s story of his rebellion and repentance, consider Ephesians 5:14 again: “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” 

 

Conclusion

Maybe you are like Jonah, while in your sin, you are asleep in it.  Maybe you have slipped back into certain sins due to your spiritual apathy.  Maybe your apathy has become spiritual atrophy.   If you are truly a Christian, this 2 Corinthians 4:6 describes how it is you have been made alive with Christ: “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”  You are here today, not by accident, but because it is time to wake up!  The enemy of your soul wants nothing more for you than to remain in your spiritual apathy and atrophy, but today your heavenly Father summons you from the stern of your rebellious slumber: “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

 

So, how do you get up from your slumber?  You must repent by calling your sin for what it is and by turning from it to Jesus.  Listen to what the Bible says about your sin:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

 

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2)

 

The Devil is a liar and the great accuser, but Jesus is a great savior and our all-sufficient advocate!  We can run to Him in the spirit of Micah 7:8-9 and we can respond to our sins, failures, and even the devil himself: “Do not rejoice over me, enemy of mine. Though I fall I will rise; Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a light for me. I will endure the rage of the Lord Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, And I will look at His righteousness” (Mic. 7:8-9).

 

One more thing I would like to point out that I find ironic about Jonah’s story and ours.  It is possible that the “great fish” that swallowed Jonah was some other creature rather than a whale, but in my opinion that is doubtful.  I do believe that the “great fish” that swallowed Jonah was most likely a whale.  A species of whale that is large enough to swallow a human and swam in the same waters where Jonah most likely would have been tossed overboard is the sperm whale which can grow up to 60 feet long.  Do you want to know what else the sperm whale is known for?  It is known for both being one of the few whales that vomit, and it is also known for what it vomits!  The sperm whale’s vomit is called Ambergris (aka liquid gold).  In the water, it is a dung-like smelly substance, but once exposed to the sunlight and saltwater, it develops a muskier (perfumed) odor. 

 

After Jonah was vomited up onto the shore, covered in Ambergris and saltwater under the Arabic sun, it was not the stench of death and dung that Jonah was covered in, but a fragrant aroma that was the result of the forgiveness of his heavenly Father that he did not deserve that resulted in his redemption! 

 

Oh dear Christian!  Can you see the parallels of Jonah’s story and ours?  Jesus said, “...for just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights” (Matt. 12:40).  Jesus died a death we deserved for our sins, was buried in the belly of the earth, and three days later... He came out of the tomb for our redemption!  Unlike Jonah, we are not covered by Ambergris and salt water under the hot sun!  No, we are covered in something infinitely better!  If you are a Christian, it is in Jesus, that you have redemption; listen again to Ephesians 1:7-8, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.” If you are a Christian, you are covered in the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and according to the apostle Peter: “...you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” 

 

My appeal to you is the appeal of Ephesians 5:14; do not slumber in your sin and do not stay there!  Do not be apathetic towards those sins that the wrath of God is coming for and those sins for which Jesus endured that wrath you deserved.  You are covered under the blood of Jesus and because that is the case, “There is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).  So turn, “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

 

[1] Keith Rose, How Porn Affects Church Attendance (Covenant Eyes; 2023)

From the Pulpit of Keith Miller

Meadowbrooke Church

August 11, 2024

 

In 2012, D.A. Carson published his book, The Intolerance of Tolerance.  Around the time his book released, he spoke on the subject at a conference I attended; I remember thinking that his book was timely and potentially prophetic, but none of us could have fully appreciated the gravity of what was coming.  The following quote from Carson’s book illustrates exactly what I mean:

Neither the old tolerance nor the new is an intellectual position; rather, each is a social response. The old tolerance is the willingness to put up with, allow, or endure people and ideas with whom we disagree; in its purest form, the new tolerance is the social commitment to treat all ideas and people as equally right, save for those people who disagree with this view of tolerance.  Advocates of the new tolerance sacrifice wisdom and principle in support of just one supreme good: upholding their view of tolerance. So those who uphold and practice the older tolerance, enmeshed as they inevitably are in some value system, are written off as intolerant. Thus banished, they no longer deserve a place at the table.[1] 

 

I would suggest that the “older” tolerance allowed space to disagree charitably with those who did not share your point of view.  Not only are those of the “older tolerance” banished from a place at the “table.” Today, we find ourselves in a very interesting state of affairs in that if your ideology does not line up with that of the loudest and most vocal of ideological voices regarding sex, identity, what it means to be human, and what must be tolerated, you will be diagnosed with a certain phobia and placed into the category of “mental illness.”

 

So, before we get into Ephesians this morning, I thought it would be fun it first define the word Phobia and then consider some phobias that do actually exist to better appreciate Ephesians 5:11-14. 

 

So, what is a phobia?  According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), a phobia is a “intense, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger.”  Furthermore, NIH affirms that, “Although adults with phobias may realize that these fears are irrational, even thinking about facing the feared object or situation brings on severe anxiety symptoms.”  According to Wikipedia, a phobia is, “an anxiety disorder, defined by an irrational, unrealistic, persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation.”  The definition that Merriam-Webster still provides for “phobia” is, “an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation.” 

So, permit me to list a few common phobias and then share with you some other phobias that are not as common. 

1. Acrophobia: An intense fear of heights.
2. Claustrophobia: An intense fear of confined spaces.
3. Arachnophobia: An intense fear of spiders.
4. Entomophobia: An intense fear of insects.

 

Here is a list of phobias that you may not have heard of before:

1. Arachibutyrophobia: An intense fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.
2. Nomophobia: An intense fear of being without your mobile phone.
3. Plutophobia: An intense fear of money.
4. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (a 36-letter word): An intense fear of long words.

 

Taking a stance against something is not necessarily due to a phobia but possibly a moral conviction.  A legitimate question that must be answered is from what standard does your moral conviction come?  Does it come from culture, or does it come from something that transcends culture?  For the Christian, our moral standard is not culture but the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ as our cornerstone.  Here is how the apostle Paul explained what standard we use to judge what is good or evil, it is Ephesians 2:19-22, “So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

 

Jesus, who is the King of kings and Lord of lords and serves as the cornerstone of His Church, gave those who make up His Church this command, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20).  The prophets and the apostles are the foundation of Jesus’ Church, and it is the prophets and the apostles whose teachings make up the Bible as the Word of God.  The Bible is, “...inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  If we are going follow Jesus and live as though the Bible is the Word of God, we will be labeled by those still in darkness as “phobic” and “intolerant.”

 

As a people who, “were once darkness, but now... light in the Lord” we live for what God loves and we stand against what God hates.  Listen, if we are going to try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord (v. 10), we will be compelled to live counter-cultural in a world that calls evil good, and good evil.  As “children of light” we belong to the God who condemns any culture that calls evil good, and good evil: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight” (Isa. 5:20)!

We Expose the Darkness by Not Participating in It

Now we come to Ephesians 5:11 where we are commanded to avoid all participation “in the useless deeds of darkness.”  What does that mean?  The NIV translates verse 11 this way: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”  The NKJV gets closer to the heart of what Paul is communicating: “And have no fellowshipwith the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” The word used for “participate” (synkoinōneō) does not mean “fellowship” in the Greek, but it does mean “share.” It is a Greek word that is also used in Philippians 4:14, “Nevertheless, you have done well to share [synkoinōneō] with me in my difficulty.”  To share in something is to have fellowship with it.  

 

What are the useless deeds of darkness?  Well, they include but are not limited to sexual immorality, impurity, greed, filthiness, foolish talk, and vulgar joking.  The useless deeds of darkness is what we were once slaves to before we were made alive with Christ when we, “lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3).  The useless deeds of darkness is what the apostle John described in 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” 

 

You may recall how the holiness of God is used to the third degree unlike any other attribute of God mentioned in the Bible.  Day and night the seraphim do not cease to call out to one another, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come” (Rev. 4:8).  I pointed out how this is a literary devise used in the ancient languages to emphasis a very important point.  There is another literary devise I told you about when we began this series in Ephesians, which comes in the form of repeated words or phrases; one such phrase that is repeated over and over again in Ephesians are the phrases “in Christ”, “in the Lord”, “in Christ Jesus”, and “in Him”; collectively they are used about 33 times. 

 

If you are a Christian, your identity and life is in Christ.  Paul’s description of the Christian as being “in Christ” is a phrase that is equivalent to “remaining” in Jesus; here is what Jesus said about remaining in Him: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me” (John 15:1-4).  Sinclair Ferguson said this about what it means to be “in the Lord”:

To be in the Lord is to belong to a new world, to inhabit a new kingdom in which we become new men and women.  In this new kingdom, new powers are at work in us – the powers of the Spirit of the crucified, risen, ascended, reigning and returning Christ.  Once we were in the darkness.  Worse, the darkness was in us – we were darkness.  Now we have been drawn into the light, illuminated by Christ the Light of the world.  More, we have been invaded and transformed by Christ the Light.  In the Lord we are light![2]  

 

So, if we are now “children of light” because of our redemption and union with Jesus, why in the world would we want to have fellowship with or share in the useless deeds of darkness?

 

Not only are we not to participate in the “useless deeds of darkness” but we are to “expose them.”  What does Paul mean that we are to “expose” the useless deeds of darkness?  Well, it is clear Paul is not telling us to avoid the world, for that would go against the way he lived his life and much of what is written in the both the Old Testament and New Testament.  The design and plan for God’s people was always to be on mission by entering into the darkness as His instrument to light up the darkness.  Israel was saved from Egypt to be God’s kingdom of priests to be His light in a dark world: “Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exod. 19:5-6). 

 

Israel’s great failure was that they repeatedly and continually and habitually as a nation, “participated in the fruitless deeds of darkness” when by their mere existence should have exposed the emptiness and uselessness of sin. Israel’s problem was a heart problem only Jesus is able to fix.  Jesus is God’s “Yes” to the promise of Deuteronomy 30:6, “The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, so that you may live.”  Jesus is God’s answer to Ezekiel 36:26, “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”  You, Christian, are the recipient of such promises through and in Jesus, so why would you even want to have fellowship, share, and remain in the fruitless deeds of darkness that rob you of the kind of life you were designed to have in God?  Not only are the “deeds of darkness” fruitless, but the wrath of a holy God is set against such deeds!  This is why Paul wrote concerning those who continue to practice sexual immorality, impurity, and greed (5:3), “for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret” (v. 12).

 

Our Life in Christ Exposes the Uselessness of the Deeds of Darkness

The only hope for lost humanity is Jesus!  He is the only solution for our sin problem.  Only through the life of Jesus and the death that He died for sinners can the spiritually dead be raised to new life. Sinclair Ferguson is spot on in his description of what happened when the Christian was saved from the wrath of God: “We have been invaded and transformed by Christ the Light.”  Now as those who are alive with Christ, we carry the light of Jesus into the darkness of the world, this is why Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.... Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:14, 16).  So what happens when light invades a dark room?  It exposes what is in the room. 

 

One of two things will happen when light exposes what is in the darkness, it will anger those who love the darkness, or it will reveal a better way to those tired and wearied by the darkness.  To expose the darkness in the context of Ephesians is to contrast the living against the dead.  It is not picket signs on the corner, bumper stickers, or hats that protest the darkness.  It is what happens when light pierces the darkness of sin’s domain.  The light of Christ displayed in and through His people reveals to those in the darkness that there is a better way because Jesus is the only way to experience the kind of redemption of our souls and the forgiveness of all our sins that will grant us true salvation and freedom (1:7). Many will reject Christ as the only remedy for our salvation as intolerant and they will run to the darkness, but there will be some whose sin will be exposed by the light of Christ, and they will run to Him for the life only He can give.  This is the point Paul makes in verse 13, “But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.” I think the New Living Translation translates this verse in less confusing way: “But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible.”

 

Legislation and laws are good only in that it helps to suppress the evil we humans are capable of, but it can never fix the evil we are capable of.  If you are darkness, you will yield the “useless” fruits of darkness to one degree or another.  Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can remedy the dark heart of humanity! The gospel of Jesus Christ alone, “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16).  Christian, you are living proof that the same power that raised Jesus from the grave is still possible today!  You serve as a reminder everywhere you go that either the wrath of God can be avoided through Jesus, or the wrath of God is coming upon those who reject Him (see 2 Cor. 2:14-16).

 

We who were asleep and dead in our sins, are only alive because the light of Christ has shown upon us.  It is here in verse 14 that Paul quotes what was most likely an early church hymn composed on the basis of Isaiah 60:1-2 and Christ as the fulfillment of its promise:

“Awake, sleeper,

And arise from the dead,

And Christ will shine on you.”

 

Here is what Isaiah 60:1-2 promises: “Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. ‘For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you.’”  Here is another one for those who reject Jesus as God!  Only Yahweh has the power to redeem and raise the dead, yet Jesus has done in your life what only God is capable of doing.  We who were once dead, heard the voice of Christ, and we arose to follow Him and now we live! We who once enjoyed the darkness, delight in walking in light as those who now belong to the One who said, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life” (John 8:12).  Pursing Jesus is the only way to fight against our own sin and the temptation to participate in the useless deeds of darkness. 

 

Amen.

 

[1] D.A. Carson, The Intolerance of Tolerance (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; 2012), 98.

[2] Sinclair B. Ferguson, Let’s Study: Ephesians (East Peoria, IL: The Banner of Truth Trust; 2021), 132.