Songs (psalms) for a Good Life (Psalm 41)

“How blessed¹ is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble.” (Psalms 41:1 NAS95)

Certainly we are to help the helpless. We are to give to the poor. And here we are, in the month of December, and there is a lot of giving; a lot of gift-giving, and a lot of extra effort to give to the poor. And we realize the truth of the phrase, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”²

But I don’t believe that this is the challenge of this psalm. The first verse does not specifically say to “give” to the helpless, or, poor. Rather, it says to consider, to view the poor with understanding, and to think carefully before you judge that they do not prosper or have success simply because they are poor.³ Somehow, we must see that "a good life" and poverty or helplessness are not antithetical to one another.

Another reason that I don’t think that this psalm pronounces blessedness of giving to the poor is because of the second sentence: “The LORD will deliver him.” Who is this “him”? Will the Lord protect the one who gives to the poor. That would be nice, though I don’t know why he needs special protection right now. As the psalm flows, it seems, rather, that the “him” of the second sentence is actually the plight of the poor or helpless person. As we consider the poor, we find that they are people who stand under the special protection of God.

And that’s not all. We read that some time, somehow, he will be called “blessed” by people on the earth. His estimation in the eyes of the world will change. I wonder if it is at that time when he inherits the kingdom, because that is the promise of the first Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). They will endure over the ill treatment by their enemies (further described in verses 5-8), and they will be sustained in sickness, even though they have no access a “cadillac” health plan. On their (death?) bed, God will restore, perhaps a veiled Old Testament reference to future resurrection (compare with verse 10). These are things that we do not normally expect, unless we take time to consider the poor, that they are in position to receive a special blessing from God.

The center of the psalm seems to be verse 4: As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.” This makes sense to me, if this psalm is a consideration of the plight of the poor, that he is a blessed person; and, if this person who may be poor in material things is also poor or humble spiritually. He is in touch with his need, not only against his enemies, but in relation to his God. And he confesses that here plainly. And there is a blessing in that.

Remember Jesus’ story of the two men who went up into the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector (Luke 18:9-14). The one was so full of himself that it sounds as though he is there to instruct God! But not so the other. “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ This is the Jesus-provided visualization that we need for our consideration of the helpless. He is blessed, in that “this man went to his house justified.”

Psalm 41 not only begins with a blessing, but it also ends with one: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, From everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.” It is the poor and helpless, who is the midst of their material/spiritual poverty find that God is reaching out to them in mercy and forgiveness - it is this kind of people who are most apt to bless God. And Jesus had a story for that as well.⁴

¹_{This is the third of six psalms that begin with “Blessed.” Two earlier posts are available on Psalm 1 and Psalm 32.}

²_{Paul ascribes this phrase to Jesus in Acts 20:35, though we do not have that quote recorded in any of the Gospels. Of course Jesus said far more than what was recorded. I don’t doubt that.} 

But do you know how some phrases sound like they should be in the Bible, and then you are surprised to find that they aren’t (e.g., cleanliness is next to godliness)? Well, in my mind, this is one that I wouldn’t guess would be in the Bible, but it is. 

³_{Here is a listing from the NAS Hebrew Dictionary on how this Hebrew word is translated in its various uses. You will see that I have used a few of these renditions in giving the sense of our particular usage in Psalm 41: act wisely(1), acts wisely(3), behaved wisely(1), comprehend(1), consider(1), considers(2), discern(1), expert(m)(1), failed*(1), gain insight(2), give heed(1), give insight(1), gives attention(1), giving attention(1), had regard for(1), have insight(4), have success(m)(2), instruct(2), instructed(1), intelligence(1), prosper(1), prospered(3), prospering(2), prospers(1), prudent(2), show discernment(1), showed insight(1), showing intelligence(1), succeed(1), teaches(1), understand(4), understanding(2), understands(2), understood(1), wisdom(1), wise(7), wise behavior(1).}

⁴_{Luke 7:36-50}

The Son we don't Deserve (Isaiah 9:6)

Isaiah 9:6 tells us about Jesus: "a child will be born; a son will be given." But these phrases are not merely parallel. Yes, Jesus would be born as a child is born - one among a million. He shared in our flesh and blood. He walked in our shoes, so that he could die in our place. He fully identified with us so that he could bear our sins.

But Jesus as "son" is not just like us. Throughout world history, sons have disappointed, starting with Adam, "the son of God" (Luke 3:38), and then Adam's son, Cain. The reason that our sons disappoint is because they find that they are like their fathers. 

But Jesus, like the king on the throne, is a son in a different sense. This is the one who is appointed by God to stand in special relationship with Himself, and to represent God to the people. Psalm 2:6,7 reads,  “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”  “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You." Historically, this refers to David, the king. But theologically, it looks ahead to Jesus. 

And it is at this point that we realize that Jesus is the "son given" who is not just like us. He is the Son that we do not deserve, but the Son that we need.

Songs (psalms) for a Good Life (Psalm 32)

This second psalm of blessing (psalms that direct the godly person into a rich relationship with God; see article on Psalm 1 here) speaks directly and honestly about the need for a clear(ed) relationship with God. It speaks of the maintenance of the spiritual life that depends completely on the gracious forgiveness that only God can and will supply, and yet it calls for a thorough and honest participation on the part of the  sinner.

Let’s do a little theology before proceeding. There is a proper tension that exists between imputed righteousness, and practical righteousness; between that forensic (legal) standing that we have in Christ through justification by faith because he stood in our shoes and died in our place, and that functional walk with Christ that is the pleasant fruit of the Gospel root, that salvation, again, has not been achieved by me, but graciously provided through the sacrifice of Christ. That which is imputed and forensic is the foundation upon which the practical and functional ‘working-out’⁶ of faith operates. We must never confuse the two. The danger in this psalm is to get confused about forgiveness, failing to distinguish between that which is foundational and functional. Because of the death of Christ, all my sins, past, present, and future, are forgiven. The forgiveness of my sins, in this foundational sense, does not depend upon my confession of sin. Not one of us is even aware of all our sins - so how could we confess them all? I believe what this psalm is dealing with is the functional maintenance of a clear(ed) relationship with God, that is based on the foundation of the acceptance and forgiveness that has already been won by the grace of God in Christ. This psalm is talking about the kind of practical responsiveness to and continuance in God’s grace described in 1 John 1:9 - “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”

The center and key, I think, to the psalm is v.6: “Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found.” A clear(ed) relationship with God assumes the practice of prayer, as does the idea of godliness. Let’s be honest: If prayer is not a prominent feature of our lives, then we must face the ugly truth that there is no clear(ed) relationship with God, and that I am simply not, then, a godly person. Christians pray. A feature of their prayers is thorough and honest confession of sin. 

The problem of sin is devastating in the life of the believer. It is sand in the piston chamber of our souls that will do damage, and more damage, and then still more, as we continue to strive, or pretend, that everything is okay. It can affect our health, and will definitely affect our mood and outlook. Because of this, it directly affects our witness, and how we relate to others, whether it be family members, or the general public. It is a huge energy drain (v.4), since we lose the comfort and power of the Spirit, and so much of our energy is consumed inward with our own brooding selves rather than being turned outward, loving others. Sin makes us selfish and brutish, living properly only by fear or constraint (v.9). Perhaps the indication at the end of the psalm (v.11), corresponding to the initial statement of blessing and forgiveness at the beginning of the psalm (v.1), is an appropriate summary. A clear(ed) relationship with God results in joy, and thus, failure to live in a clear(ed) relationship with God will certainly rob us of our joy.

Isn’t it amazing how dirty our cars get? Maybe it’s not so amazing, since that car travels along roads at high rates of speed with mud and dust mixing with the road grime from dirty petroleum products. We track in and out directly to the car’s carpet from parking lots covered with sand and salt. Let alone what we spill from our drinks and snacks. How could it not be dirty? And so, car cleanness takes regular maintenance. Or, we just give in and drive around a dirty, trashy car, and hope that we aren’t put in the position of giving a stranger a ride.

And similarly, how can our souls not get dirty, living in this iniquitous world. As we travel through, it sticks to us, and we track it, and we contribute to it. And without regular confessing, and receiving the cleaning that comes from functional forgiveness, the Person with whom we most need fellowship is indeed a stranger to us, and we spend more time trying to cover over our sins rather than practicing the truth that the only way one can truly have his/her sins covered is through the forgiveness that God alone graciously offers.

Let’s abandon travelling with dirty souls and all its consequences. Let’s enjoy the blessedness of a clear(ed) relationship with God.7

¹_{notice that there are two “blessed”s in this psalm. The godly person seeking to live a good, God-oriented life is doubly blessed as he participates in a clear(ed) relationship with God.}

²_{blue marks words for sin - 4 different Hebrew words}

³_{red marks words for God’s forgiving actions}

⁴_{the two larger lines show that, on the front side of center, the “I’s and my’s” refer to the sinner; on the back side of center, they refer to God.}

⁵_{green marks words of confession, including the action of refusing to hide}

⁶<sub>“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;” (Philippians 2:12 NAS95)

7</sub>Psalm 32 is the first of 7 penitential psalms in the Books of Psalms. They are Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143

Songs (psalms) for a Good Life

Songs (psalms) for a Good Life¹ (Psalm 1)

Six psalms² begins with the word, “blessed.” They describe various aspects of what is involved in living a good life.

Psa. 1:1    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! 

Psa. 32:1    How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, 

Whose sin is covered! 

Psa. 41:1    How blessed is he who considers the helpless; 

The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble. 

Psa. 112:1    Praise the LORD! 

How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, 

Who greatly delights in His commandments. 

Psa. 119:1    How blessed are those whose way is blameless, 

Who walk in the law of the LORD. 

Psa. 128:1    (Psalm of Ascents) How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways.

A good life is lived, not in the counsel of the wicked, but in the counsel of Jesus. We are to bring every and all the issues of life into the light of his understanding, rather than the viewpoint of the scoffing world which speaks of that which it does not understand (Jude 10).

It is Jesus who is the fulfillment and enfleshment of “the law of the Lord” (v.3). Christians read the written Word (Scripture, or, the Bible) in order to find direction and instruction for living in loving relationship with the Living Word (Jesus, God’s Son). It is in Jesus and with Jesus that we are to “delight” and “meditate” (two words that are almost as churchy as “blessed”).

The phrase “day and night” helps me process these two words, “delight” and “meditate.” It has to be more than going to church or doing daily devotions. What is it that makes up the day-and-night fabric of my life? What are the essential tools of my life “day and night?” I’ll try and illustrate.

For the farmer who lived always with “an eye to the sky,” this practice is not merely discerning the clouds (cf. Luke 12:54-56), but, for instance, recognizing that we serve at the pleasure of the Lord of skies and dry land (e.g., Exodus 9:22,23), and that either flood or drought is not merely a natural calamity, but rather a feature of his good and wise providence. It changes the way one farms. 

Likewise, today’s younger generations live with a smartphone in their hands “day and night.” These devices boast constant contact and instant communication. But, the Christian young person who seeks the goodness of life that only God can give will recognize that Jesus is the only one with whom we must be in most constant contact, with a depth of relationship that goes far deeper than that of a friend list, and with a conversation that extends way beyond 140 characters or a 10-second image.

I’m a book guy. I read books “day and night.” This study has convicted me, that so much of my reading has been Christ-less. It is not that I have read ungodly books. But I have read them in ungodly fashion, because I have so often failed to talk to Jesus about what he thinks of the material, and to seek to gain his understanding of the author’s argument. We are taught in school to read critically (e.g., discerning the author’s bias). Psalm 1 tells me that, even more than reading critically, I need to read Christianly, bringing it all to Jesus for review. For the Christian living in the light of Psalm 1, the endeavor can never be merely gaining a perspective or finishing a book, but rather, learning from the ultimate Author. 

And for the mom occupied with young children 14 hours a day, trying to keep track of things, rein in attitudes and misbehaviors, fix meals and clean up messes, and still do something fun and educational, perhaps some perspectives include knowing that our God “mothers” all of us constantly, never missing a beat, and that He must find us (adults) as difficult to keep in check as we do our kids (Matthew 6:25-34); or, that Jesus was able to minister to multitudes, and he did indeed grow weary, and yet somehow he never seemed in a hurry, or frustrated (Mark 1:32-34); or, that Jesus chided Martha and held sister Mary up as an example, and that we have a lot to confess about being “worried and bothered,” and a lot to learn about “the good part” (Luke 10:38-42).

What then, do we learn about “the good life” from Psalm 1. That I cannot wring goodness from this life with the strength of my own hands. Rather, it is a gift that is discovered in consort with Jesus. We must learn to live out what we sing, “alike at work and prayer, to Jesus I repair;” or, “you’ve no other such a friend or brother, tell it to Jesus alone.” Those who desire to live out God’s good life will seek to put into practice the art and discipline of practicing a moment-by-moment companionship with Jesus that does not distract from the business of life, but rather, blesses it.

¹Why do the title of this series say, “a good life?” Why not, “a blessed life,” or, “a happy life,” or, “a successful life?” The “blessed” word is so “churchy,” I find it hard to translate into daily life. “Happy” sounds a little “sappy.” That’s not what these songs are singing. I struggle with the word “success,” since it has to be so thoroughly re-defined in the face of everyday usage in society.

By “good life,” I really mean “God-life.” These are songs for life lived in right relationship with God. They are psalms that help round out a godly life, that is, a life lived in fellowship with God.

²This collection of psalms is my own, based on a concordance search of psalms that begin with the word אַשְׁרֵ֤י (blessed). There are many other uses of this word in Scripture, but these feature “blessed” at the head of the psalm. Two of these psalms are a little irregular. Psalm 112 actually begins in Hebrew with the words (translated) “Praise the Lord.” Since this may actually be a title that heads three psalms in a row (Psalms 11-113), I see the word “blessed” as beginning the psalm. Similarly, Psalm 128 begins with the Hebrew words (translated) “song of ascents,” common to psalms 120-134, a title for the collection.

Jehoshaphat's Leadership (2 Chronicles 20:5-12)

Next Sunday we will begin a Fall series on leadership, and how God structures leadership for His people. In last Sunday’s meditation, we actually saw a great example of Biblical leadership, as King Jehoshaphat led his people (Judah) in prayer, by praying. In analyzing this prayer, we find that Jehoshaphat openly addresses three tensions that exist for all believers living in a world where we believe in God, though we cannot see Him. 

Jehoshaphat teaches us to tell the truth about God (that He is powerful), and about ourselves (that we are not). We live in a world of lies. We need leaders who will tell us the truth. But there is a kind of balance needed in the expression of that truth. Yes, there is the balance of truth and love, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Here I am talking about the kind of confession that focuses not only on our sins. We most often associate the idea of “confession” with confession of sins. But “confession” means “telling the truth.” And in a dazed and distracted world, we need to hear not only the truth about ourselves and our sins, but also the truth about God - who He is, and what He can do. Jehoshaphat prays both sides of this tension.

He also prays both the promises of God, and their own desperate predicament. He refers back to old promises, such as Abraham and the gift of the land. He remembers details, that Abraham is God’s “forever” friend. I do not believe that Jehoshaphat is using these promises as leverage so much as honoring God’s Word that He has spoken to His people. But then he also honestly states their present predicament. Our faith is not just a faith that lives in the past. It deals with contemporary realities, and brings the ancient promises to bear upon those realities. He does not sugarcoat it. They are in trouble, out-numbered, and so they come to the sanctuary and cry out to God.

This is not silly/sappy worship, but it is, nevertheless, worship. And this worship of God acknowledges both the certainties of who God is, and the mysteries of why God allows what He does. He is the LORD, Yahweh, the God who is what we need in any and every situation. He is the God of our fathers, no recent invention. He is the promise-making, covenant-keeping God upon whom we can depend, and thus, the God to whom we cry out. And yet, we do not have this God all figured out. His ways are mysterious, and parts of the path are exceedingly painful. And so Jehoshaphat prays both the certainties of God, and the mysteries. We do not know everything, but we know some things for sure. And that not allows us to pray, but it compels us to pray.

Of all the things that the king could have done in this situation, Jehoshaphat chose the proper path of prayer, and in so doing, demonstrated Biblical leadership.

Every Promise

I have almost finished marking all the promises in my Bible. I have discovered a few things, and here are some highlights:

There are more ‘negative’ promises in the Bible than ‘positive.’ I use the word ‘negative’ carefully, since God’s promises are all good, though they may spell disaster for those that stand in His way. These ‘negative’ promises can come across as threats or warnings. What I find is that we tend to focus on the positive promises, ignore the negative, and it negatively affects our carefulness and devotion.

• beware of selective reading of Scripture
• wrestle with Scripture, with God - what are you telling me?

Related to this, most promises are conditional. Yes, God will do what He will do. But He tailors His actions according to what we will do. We must not, then, presume upon the promises of God, as though they were all, or even mostly, unconditional.

• beware an attitude of 'all benefit; no responsibility' - 'cheap grace'
• grace changes a person

Third, there are more promises in the Old Testament than the New. Of course, the Old Testament is much longer, so that might make sense. But one of my discoveries was that even in the New Testament, most of the promises are rehearsals of what was promised in the Old. The New Testament writings are built on God’s Old Testament revelation.

• then you (the world) will know that I am the LORD
• I will be your God; you will be my people

Fourth, the promises in Scripture point to Christ, more than I knew. Yes, the hints are often cryptic, or  slender. But all the way through, God is paving the way for the revelation of His Son. How dark it must be to read the Old Testament without the knowledge or anticipation of the coming Christ! And yet how hopeful it is to see Him on page after page!

• whereas the Old Covenant exposed our deepest rebellions and wounds, the New Covenant heals and forgives that which we could not do ourselves
• there is cause for hope; reason to be joyful

Finally, for the purposes of this little column, I have found that we are to be people of the promise. Yes, the promises are plural, and yet their fulfillment is singular. The promises of God are fulfilled in Christ. In Him we find and know and practice the wisdom of God. In Him we receive and live out the righteousness of God. Our holiness is dependent directly on Him. Our whole redemption, our identity, is bound up with Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30).

• Christ is not an add-on, an extra topping on our ice cream. He is not an accessory to our outfit. He is the heart-beat; the life-spring. (Colossians 3:1-4)

Leaving Jacob Behind

As part of our worship, we have spent two Sundays studying Jacob (pt. 2 of Spring sermon series, “Character in Conflict,” on Esau and Jacob. Pt. 1 was Cain and Abel; pt. 3 will be Saul and David, beginning May, 2014). As we approach Easter Sunday, we have left Jacob behind. Or have we?

The strange thing is, Jacob left Jacob behind. It’s a big part of the story. After all his maneuvers and manipulations, Jacob came to the end of himself. He found himself between two grudges, Esau and Laban. He had nowhere to go, and then he found himself hard pressed against God. I guess that’s when we truly come to the end of ourselves, when we have no one to deal with except God.

Yes, Jacob left Jacob behind, because God changed who he would be. “You will be called Israel.” We know that he received a new name. We read into the text if we conclude that he also received a new heart. But I would like to think so. Esau had once left his older brother in the dust, but now it seems that he is to leave his old man in the dust. He is not to be the same person that he was, as evidenced by the new name.

The question for us is, “Have we left Jacob behind?” Whatever that means for you - whatever habits and patterns that will not be welcome in heaven, have we left those things behind? Like Bunyan’s Pilgrim, are we now called “Christian,” identified as followers of Christ? And have we left the old man behind?

The Bible talks quite a bit about striving. I think there is good striving and bad striving. Bad striving is us doing the Jacob thing - over-reaching; manipulating; deceiving; lying; stealing; blaming; justifying; excusing, etc. This is bad striving. All those contests with other people that we have to prove ourselves right and to prove them wrong - bad striving. Exalting self and putting others down - bad striving. Being an expert on other people’s sins, and making the case that their sin is “exceeding sinful,” - bad striving.

God striving is working with God to accomplish His mission through our lives. This requires a renovation of our character, which is a battle in itself. We must battle, but only God will give the victory. And then there is the striving of pushing forward against opposition and persecution, over which, again, only God can bring about victory. This is the kind of striving in which you and I need to be involved. 

But Jacob can’t do good striving. He’s too tied up in the knots of bad striving. He’s fighting with his family, and with his neighbors, and with himself. It’s time to leave Jacob behind, and begin fighting with (not against) God.

Following Jesus, and Jesus’ Fascination with the Kingdom

We aren’t really following Jesus if we don’t care about what Jesus cares about. And one cannot read the Gospels without concluding that Jesus really cares about God’s Kingdom. Do we?

A Kingdom needs a King. We tend to think of Jesus with many different terms: Friend of Sinners; Savior, etc. And He is. But He is also our King. We have not been raised knowing how to give specific allegiance to a king. We tend to do it subconsciously, to many different, competing authorities. But Jesus is not merely a competing authority. He is King. There can only be one.

• Does this kind of submissive allegiance show up in your following of Jesus?

A Kingdom needs subjects, or citizens. In the New Testament, we find that the citizens of God’s Kingdom are regarded as His adopted children. So when we use the word “Father” of God, we are actually using kingdom language, speaking to the Ruler of the universe who is our Father, and King (I believe it is Biblical to refer to both the Father and Son as king).

• Does your communication with God make up an important part of your following of Jesus?

A Kingdom also needs a realm, a dominion (the “dom” part of kingdom). But the earth under our feet at the present time is enemy territory. Therefore, we are citizens of a foreign kingdom. That kingdom is presently heavenly, though the Father has given us His Word (the Bible), and the Spirit has been given by our ascended King to us so that we are not left alone. We can be in constant communication even though we live in a dangerous place.

• Does your reliance on the Word and Spirit form the guidance system of your following of Jesus?

Note these two, key verses from Jesus Himself about the Kingdom:

“Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”” (Mark 1:14–15 NAS95)

• Do acts of repentance and faith comprise the major structures of your following of Jesus?

““Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9–10 NAS95)

• Do I deeply desire the coming of the kingdom in fullness, or do I merely desire a slightly better life in my present situation?

Jesus’ fascination with Kingdom shows up 

• in the obedience of Jesus’ followers (how they establish boundaries and priorities)
• in the prayers of Jesus’ followers (how they manage and resource their internal world), 
• in the dependence of Jesus’ followers (on God’s instruction rather than the world’s)
• in the humble acceptance of correction and change in the lives of Jesus followers,
• and in the imaginations of Jesus’ followers (their conviction that this is not all there is, and their determination not to live as though it were). 

If this is not happening, we are not really following the Jesus of the Bible.

Do We Ever Stop Talking?

Let’s link three Bible passages that encourage shutting our mouths for a moment. Yes, it’s ironic, that here I am, talking, about being quiet. I’ve had to do some personal evaluation about whether I’m doing this to promote myself, or to share a helpful truth and I am willing to adopt myself. You will have to decide whether there is something of value here.

“so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;”

(Romans 3:19 NAS95)

Romans 3 is huge in the Bible storyline. The “man” project seems to have been a major failure. “Man-apart-from-God” just doesn’t work. And it’s not from a lack of trying. The specific issue taken to task in this passage is the destruction of self-justification. Man left to his own resources has co-opted the Law of God, that is, the expression of God’s moral character in legal form, and tried to use it as a tool to make himself righteous. It doesn’t work, and so, we should just stop talking about how good we or have become as measured by moral or religious standards, and be quiet before a God who is holy in ways that we have yet to understand. Just be quiet, and take in this God who is so good and gracious, and quit making your case for your own self. There is no justification for me based on myself. But there is a God who justifies.

“If you have been foolish in exalting yourself Or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth. For the churning of milk produces butter, And pressing the nose brings forth blood; So the churning of anger produces strife.”

(Proverbs 30:32–33 NAS95)

What is the opposite of ‘churning’? I though it might be ‘peace-making’, but then I (finally) noticed that the verses already tell me the answer: ‘put your hand on your mouth.’ Peacemaking sounds grand and glorious. Shutting up, not so much. The specific human behavior that causes so much trouble is the agitation self-promotion. So much striving, trying to get ahead. I do not believe that these verses from the wisdom literature of the Bible lead us to reject all goal-setting. There is such a thing as a holy dissatisfaction with the status quo. But the problem may lie in whether our self-adopted goals have to do with a self-promoting agenda. You know, God may have an agenda as well, - perhaps even a better one. And He may have a role for you to play. Take a deep breath. Take note of what God has given, and of what God may do. Ask how you might partner with God in his gracious work of changing lives, and be willing to wait. Give it a little silence, and a lot of closet prayer.

“Then Job answered the LORD and said, “Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth. “Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; Even twice, and I will add nothing more.””

(Job 40:3–5 NAS95)

It is frightening to me to think of the path that Job travelled in order to get to this point. When stripped of all rewards and comforts, what is left? There could have been bitterness. But instead, there was a hard-wrought humility that was much more respectful of God, having lost all regard for the consumption of selfish humanity. It’s really not about me. It never is. Oh, that’s not how I often think, or act. But it’s the facts, - the truth. And, thankfully, Job experiences a new level of richness and satisfaction, when he is forced to stop talking for a time.

God is gracious enough to justify the ungodly. He is glorious enough to share His light with those that will seek His glory. He is good enough to bless those who see Him for who He is. We are conformed to these designations and roles best when we put our hands over our mouths for a moment.

A Momentous Decision

We make fewer momentous choices in life than we suppose. Many things are decided for us. We did not choose our parents, nor do parents choose their children. We think we plan when we will have our children, and those plans often go awry. We do not choose the country, or the century of our birth. As we grow up, our choices are limited and vetted by our parents. And then we come to a day like this, when two young people exchange vows with another, the other chosen by neither set of parents, but simply, independently, each by the other.

It’s a bit of a scary proposition. With over 7 billion people alive in the world, I would guess that there must be at least half a billion men or women of marriageable age and situation. But out of all that, here we are, and these two have whittled it down to one.

How different it was for Adam in the Garden. 
“Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.” (Genesis 2:18–22 NAS95)

The text does not say that Adam asked for a partner. God decided that it would be “good.” So God created Eve from Adam’s rib, and introduced them to one another. Adam made a choice of one, out of a field of one. Good choice, Adam. Way to go.

But the Biblical account informs our Christian understanding of marriage, and tempers the observations that I made a moment ago about the magnitude of this choice. We are simply not equipped to make the “right” choice from out of billions, or even hundreds. We understand that all our choices, including this one, is created and guided by a God who plans the steps of his children. The verse in Proverbs says as much: “The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 NAS95)

And so we believe that these two have made a choice - a choice which will give birth to a hundred, a million, implications for the shape of their lives, for the rest of their earthly lives. And yet we believe that they have not made this choice alone. That the idea of marriage is God’s good idea, and that this specific marriage is also God’s good idea. 

There is another choice, whether married or not, that is even more momentous in each of our lives. God has appointed and anointed His Son, Jesus, as the King of His creation, as the Cornerstone of His building, as the binding of His book, and as the Savior of His people. We each decide to find ourselves in Christ, or to lose ourselves outside of Him. We choose to live under His authority in loving submission, or to thumb our nose at him in stubborn independence. We choose to take Jesus at his unchanging word, or weather the turbulence of the world’s most recent “truth.” Your decision about Jesus is evidenced by whom you aim to please, by whom you talk to first in the morning and last at night, and by whom you consult for all those other, less momentous decisions that we make day in and day out. This decision concerning Jesus has already shaped these two lives, and is indispensably instrumental for their eternal lives. It is for you as well. We will see that this decision for Jesus must also be a pattern and guide to making their marriage the best of all earthly relationships. Let’s Pray.

Membership/Partnership in the Local Church

Church Membership as Partnership and Participation in the Local Church

Our Union with Christ is part of a Cosmic Communion. It includes believers from past and present; from far and near. Our Union with Christ is expressed by our partnership and participation with a local body of believers, a local church. The local church keeps in mind and serves the interests of this Invisible Church.

In the Bible, the term “Invisible Church” is never used. The Bible uses the word “church” both when speaking of that communion that surpasses location and date, and when speaking of the local church, which has a specific location and time.

This dual sense of “church” renders other terms a bit confusing. We often use the word “member” with regard to the local church. But the Bible, so far as I can tell, never does. It speaks of individuals being members, or parts, of the larger Body of Christ. Also, it is now common to hear of the local church being a “covenant community.” But the New Covenant is that which centers in Christ’s shed blood, for all believers in all places. Just as there are not numerous Bodies of Christ, so there are not a multiple of covenants with Christ. And so, when we use the words “membership” or “covenant” in relation to the local church, we are actually stealing, or borrowing, terms that the Bible reserves for a more grand relationship. The purpose of this paper is to attempt to guard against cheapening these important Biblical terms as we tend to the “house-keeping” duties of local church organization.

We do not wish to reduce the importance of the local church or one’s partnership and participation in the local church. We just struggle to state that connection properly, in a way that does not make the local church an end in itself, or an entity that overshadows the fellowship for which we await. To be fair, the local church is to take seriously Body membership and Covenant inclusion. We say as much when we baptize with water, with reference to the Spirit’s baptism into the Body of Christ; and when we extend invitation to the Lord’s Table, enacting a kind of covenant renewal. There can be an analogy between one’s immersion into the Body of Christ, and one’s participation in a local church; in one’s renewal of covenant enjoyment and commitment to Christ, and one’s partnership with a local church. But these are analogous. They are not identical. And I fear that often, the visible overshadows the invisible; the local outstrips the cosmic.

And so, when speaking of church membership, we stress the terms “partnership” and “participation” (one could also pursue the term “fellowship”). And these are not without difficulty. Some participate in aspects of the local church without showing many characteristics of partnership. We have to ask questions about the degree to which one should participate without partnering. And we have to ask what expressions of partnership are necessary to be considered a partner in the local church.

I suggest that there are three areas where we ought to expect agreement if we are to be in partnership together at a local church level:

1. Conversion and baptism –

2. Doctrine and life –

3. Prayer and service - 

1. We hold to a believers’ church. Therefore, you must have begun in the Christian life. You must be born again. We rely on your profession of faith, as expressed in believers’ baptism.
2. Also, we need to stand in large (but not complete) agreement on the teachings of Scripture. Local churches take particular doctrinal stances as they seek to understand the Scriptures. The Bible is not ambiguous. It gives clear, though not complete, knowledge. But doctrinal agreement also assumes an application that shapes one’s life in a godly or Christlike way. We partner as we live lives that behave according to our beliefs.
3. And third, we partner as we pray and serve together. We are not partners together merely to have names on a list. We are not partners together merely to exist. We are here to serve God’s interests, which depends upon the Spirit’s leading in our midst. This means that, alongside Scripture, we must pray, and then serve. If you are not praying and serving, then you are not partnering.

So our use of the term “church membership” means first partnership, and then participation with other believers who have joined together in this time and at this place to serve the interests of our One Head, Jesus Christ, and to function as a “part” of His one Body, the church. 

No Little Sins

We often hear that one sin is no worse than another. In a sense, this is true. If we define various sins in terms of transgressions, it fits. A transgression is crossing a line that you ought not to cross. It really doesn’t matter if you cross it by an inch or a mile. You have still crossed it. You have transgressed. You have sinned. We all must understand that one single transgression is a violation of God’s holy standard that will have to reckon with God’s judgment. Those who by faith in Jesus are covered by His blood find comfort and assurance in the fact that He has borne God’s judgment for us.

But we would have to admit that different sins carry different consequences in this life. Some sins destroy reputations and lives. Some sins lead to the destruction of family structure and affect the lives of children for decades to come. In this sense, not all sins are the same.

But I would like to turn the opening phrase around and ask, “are some sins better than others?” If one sin is no worse than another, than are some sins “less worse”? And here we must be careful. Because there are no little sins.

We have to recognize that every single sin, even if undetected by everyone around us, affects both our fellowship with God and our fruitfulness for God. Sins of attitude make sacrificial love impossible. We end up doing good things for all the wrong reasons, often leaving us worse off than when we started. These kinds of “little sins” destroy joy and contentment. They chip away at security and confidence. They will affect both whether and how we pray, and will knock the legs out from under our witness. Miserable Christians are rotten witnesses. The root of that misery can most often be traced back to “little sins” that are not really little at all, because there is no sin that is better than another.

Let’s not make peace with “little sins.” Take up the fight - by carefully confessing these sins, and turning from them with new attitudes and actions. Let’s embrace the invitation of fellowship with Christ, and pray for greater fruitfulness.

I Want It Now

The Church of Jesus Christ is the eschatological people of God. What is that word? Eschatological? It is not simple, but it is important. It means that the people of God belongs to the age-to-come, but that His people already exist, though not in final form, in the present age. We are a people who have been already brought into being, but who are not yet complete.

This truth implies that our current existence is meaningless apart from our future enjoyments. Don’t be mis-led. I did not say that our current existence is unimportant. Quite the contrary. It is highly important, so much so that our choices and behaviors now will have an effect on our enjoyments forever. But our life in the present age can never be isolated from the future reality when we will live in the presence of Jesus and the unhindered expression of the glory of God forever.

I find that a key application of this truth is very convicting. We cannot just live in and for the “now”. But we are trained by our culture to want “it” (and by “it,” I mean just about everything) now.

I want good service in any establishment to be prompt. I want it now. I want your attention when I want it - in that “now” moment when I want it. I want to get where I am going without delay. I hate delays. It messes up my “now.” 

I want to compensated and comfortable in short order. 
I want to experience fullness and satisfaction now. 
I want to be happy now. 
I want to be popular now. 

These last four statements were taken from Scripture (Luke 4:24-25) except for the one word that Jesus clearly and repeatedly pronounces over them and their attitudes. That word is “woe.”

When you and I live merely in and for the “now,” we deny the reality and distinctiveness of what it means to be God’s people. We have taken up living like those who “have no hope and are without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). 

Christian Credibility

If you believe in the creation of the universe in 6 days, you are an idiot, and there’s no point in having a conversation. And if you believe that marriage should be reserved only for men and women, shutting out loving same-sex couples, you are a hater, and you ought to be silenced. If you hold either of these positions, you have no credibility in modern society. You are an old fool who should be ignored or quarantined.

That is fast becoming the attitude toward Christians in our society. Now, not all who profess to be Christians hold to 6-day creation or a traditional definition of marriage, but I want to make a point about Christian credibility. It is not established in the court of public opinion, but depends on a consistent reliance on a firm foundation.

Biblical authority is our firm foundation. Christians are credible when they consistently form their positions from what God’s Word, the Scriptures, say. Our consciences and our conduct must be shaped by what God has said. We must face every issue with the question, “What does the Bible say?”, and then act accordingly. 

But we must face the fact that, regardless of a stiff headwind from secular society, we have created our own Christian credibility crisis. We have done so by failing to be consistent in our appeal to the Biblical witness. Pastors and churches have entertained all kinds of theories about creation, often opting for renditions that feel a little less rigid, and many have placed solid exegesis of Scripture in a secondary position. Also, Pastors and churches have not honored and protected marriage between a man and a woman, and most have ceded spiritual oversight in the area of marriage preparation and practice and also in the area of dealing with the threat and fact of divorce.

The world around us can then rightly say, “If you don’t take your own Book seriously, why should we take you seriously?” And so the issue is, if we are to have credibility, do we stand firmly on a Scriptural foundation.

Yes, there are differences in Biblical interpretation. But not so many as you may think. Most of the differences have to do with ignoring or abandoning what the Bible clearly says. 

All Truth is God’s Truth

The quote, “All truth is God’s truth,” attributed first to Augustine, implies that truth should be easy to come by. If this world belongs to God, then all that is truly true must square with God, and with His truth. But for practical purposes, our search for truth is not that simple. Many people are out there giving answers. We have to ask, “Whom can we trust?”

Our brains easily opt for true/false solutions and easy answers. What is true stands in white over against that which is false, which is painted in black. This absolute dichotomy leads to a “right answer” kind of faith that tends to trust Wikipedia more than we trust God’s Word. It’s quicker and more concise. 

So two kids are taking a true/false quiz. One student struggles with a question, because the “true” answer would be basically right, except in maybe just a couple of cases. But if it’s not true in every case, then it’s not absolutely true, and so must be false. He marks “F.” Another student has no clue, and since he has marked “F” on the 3 previous items, he throws down a “T.” The teacher judges “T” to be the right answer, but who really knows the “truth”? Point: a lot of people get the right answer and don’t know the truth.

A Hebrew (rather than Greek) approach to truth has more to do with reliability than with right answers. You go to a wise man for advice, not just to get right answers, but because he is wise, and because he has shown his wisdom through a pattern of living and advising. It is not that he does not give right answers. But his advice is more dense, contextualized, and properly applied.

When John 1:14 tells us that the Word (Jesus) is “full of grace and truth,” we are not being told that he is nice and has right answers. We are being told that he initiates a covenantal relationship in which he is completely faithful and even undertakes for the failings of his covenant partners (grace), and that he is perfectly faithful in all that he does to fulfill the covenant and in all the promises that he makes to us (truth). He rarely gives easy, right answers. But we can trust him, lean on him and learn from him, and follow him.

Prayer as Pleading

The prayer exchange between Abraham and the Lord in Genesis 18 is shocking. If you start at the beginning of the book you’ve travelled from creation in Genesis 1 and 2, where the unrivaled God makes man from the dust of the ground. He kicks man out of the Garden in Genesis 3, and wipes our humanity in the Flood in Genesis 7. It is now surprising that God would bother to invite a conversation with this lone individual, Abraham, about a subject which is much more God’s business than man’s.

The question God asks Himself, for our benefit, is this: “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” (Gen 18:16). God has willingly bound Himself to Abraham in such a way that he purposes to engage Abraham in the carrying out of His purposes, whether it be to build or destroy; whether to show mercy or exercise terrible judgment. He chooses to let Abraham in on a secret that would have been unknowable to natural man. “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7 NAS95)

Is it any different for us? Having been drawn into covenant relationship with God, through Christ, no less, does not God also purpose to engage us in His purposes, so much so that he wants us to plead with Him concerning the extension of His mercy and the delaying of His judgment? I would argue that, though Abraham is indeed a Biblical giant, followers of Christ have all the standing of sons of Abraham. In fact, the Bible identifies us as one and the same.

Abraham may not argue with God in the exchange that occurs in Genesis 18:23-32, but he certainly makes an argument. Abraham’s progression of thought is not so surprising as is God’s patience with the whole negotiation process. But when we think about it, we are not seeing Abraham move God so much as we see God moving Abraham. Abraham is growing in his realization of the loneliness of righteousness in a world and culture that is overwhelmingly dark and evil.

Perhaps Abraham assumed that Lot and his family would have had a “salt and light” influence on the city of Sodom. Surely Lot would have won over at least some of his neighbors to the worship of the one true God, and that they would be living in fear and worship of Him. I am guessing that Abraham was overly optimistic about Lot’s influence. On the other hand, it seems that Abraham under-estimated the enemy influence of sin and evil on Lot and his family. And we are left to wonder, how many righteous people were there really in Sodom? Certainly less than ten. Less than 6, or 4? Maybe not even one.

The story and after-story lead us to wonder. Lot offers his daughters to the men of the town who have lewd desires for the visiting angels. Lot pleads not to travel too far from his beloved, wicked city. His wife cannot bear to turn her back on her former, judged life, and is turned to a pillar of salt. Lot’s daughters later take matters into their own hands and get their dad drunk in order that he might impregnate the two of them. Who could dream up a story like this? We, like Abraham, like to think better of our nephews, and of ourselves. We’re not that bad. We’re better than that. But we’re not. We must conclude that the reference to “righteous Lot” in 2 Peter 2:7 is not based on Lot’s own righteousness, judged in its own right. He may have been somewhat righteous in contrast to his wicked city. He did, at least, deny the townsmen’s initial demands. Or, Lot may have been righteous due to a gift given to him rather than what he was in himself. God may have declared him righteous as a gift of His grace.

I would suggest that Abraham’s prayer helped Abraham discover both the real paucity and the absolute necessity of righteousness. Psalm 14, quoted in Romans 3, says that “there is none righteous, no not one.” There is no hope for any of us in ourselves. But there is a Righteous One, not merely one of us, but one who became like us, so that he could take our sin and give us righteousness. In 1 John 2:1, we are told that “we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.”  We see the drastic contrast with Lot’s character when Jesus is described in Hebrews 7:26 as “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens.” He’s not like Lot. He’s not like me. The old hymn tells us we have “no friend like Him who’s so high and holy; and yet no friend is so meek and lowly” (No, Not One).

The Lord’s decision to invite Abraham to engage with Him in this prayer shows me that God wants to engage with His children in the carrying out of His purposes. He is patient with me in helping me to discover the deep truths of His purposes and His ways. May I plead like Abraham for the extension of God’s amazing mercy to those living under the threatening clouds of judgment.