Category Archives: Christian Life

LOVE AND OBEDIENCE

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LOVE AND OBEDIENCE

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15, NIV).

These are the hallmarks of the believer – according to Jesus. In the last precious hours with His disciples, He appealed to their love for Him as the reason for their obedience. What did He mean?  Was He simply setting up a new set of rules in place of the old ones, the ones His people failed to obey anyway? I don’t think so.

Firstly, let’s scrutinize the life of Jesus since He is the pattern God set for us to follow. It was the love relationship between Himself and His Father that controlled His life. Every temptation He went through was a test of His willingness to trust His Father’s love. How did this work out in practice?  Jesus valued the Father’s love for Him so much that He refused to say or do anything that would betray that love. He trusted what God said and He honoured and valued what was important to God. He managed His life in such a way that He brought delight, not heartache to His Father.

Wow! If you think about it, it makes a whole lot of sense. What would happen if we took His example and His plea seriously? What if you and I valued our relationship with Jesus so much that we would treasure what is important to Him and manage our lives, our decisions and choices in such a way that we do not break His heart? This would mean that we would value relationships on every level more than our own selfish wants. We would treasure and care for people and not things. We would use words to heal, not to hurt and kill. 

What if we taught our children this kind of “obedience”. It is easy to punish them when they break the rules. But what if we taught them to value our relationship with each other so much that they would not want to break our hearts? So much of our relationship with our children deteriorates into a power struggle. We cannot control our children’s behaviour. We demand; they rebel. We punish, they rebel even more. What if, instead, they learn that, whatever they might do, we will love them?  What if love becomes the standard in our homes and whatever they or we may do, we protect that love?

Why should we obey Him? Since He has our best interests at heart, He knows that disobedience is detrimental to us as well as offensive to Him.  The standard is before us, Jesus is in us. The only thing that stands between us and making it happen is the choice we make. God’s grace is in plentiful supply to help us do what we choose to do. This is God’s heart. Will you choose to value Him so much that you will do what He desires, to be a delight to Him and not a heartache? This is really loving.

WHAT IS FREEDOM?

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WHAT IS FREEDOM?

“To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are truly my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.’” (John 8:31, 32, NIV).

Freedom is an overworked and misunderstood word in our world.  For many people, “freedom” stands for “we can do anything we like, no matter what it does to us or anyone else.”

God is also passionate about our freedom because He gave it to us in the first place, but He views it from a different perspective. Firstly, He cherishes the freedom He gave us so much that He will never intrude on our freedom to choose, even though we destroy ourselves in the process.  People love to blame God for the consequences of their choices. They become embittered and turn away from Him.

Secondly, God wants us to choose to love Him. We are not robots, programmed to love Him with no choice in the matter.  We are His children, loving Him freely because we want to. 

Thirdly God wants us to love and obey Him because He knows the consequences of the wrong choices we make.  Why do we warn our child not to cross a busy street in peak hour traffic?  We know that he is likely to be injured or killed if he does.  Why does God give us commandments and prohibitions?  His laws are intended to create boundaries within which we can be safe and free. He knows that sin will destroy us if we indulge.  But He still allows us to choose.

When we choose against Him, it breaks His heart to see the suffering we endure because of our foolishness. Yet He does not interfere because we made the choice not to heed Him, and we must take the consequences.    

When we read through the Bible, we discover that God is about setting His people free.  He did miracles to set the children of Israel free from slavery in Egypt, from hostile tribes in Canaan and from captivity to invading enemy armies.  But he went much further than that. He sent His Son to free us from the guilt and penalty of sin and He gave us His Spirit to free us from sin’s power. 

Why, then, do we still insist on making the kind of choices that destroy our bodies, our souls, our families and our inner freedom? What holds us in slavery? Anger, bitterness, jealousy, unforgiveness, addictions, habits, idols?

 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”  Galatians 5:1

God treasures, values and longs for us to be free.  What about us?  If we really want to be free, Jesus offers us the solution. When we bow to Him in faith, submission and obedience and follow Him as our Master, we will enjoy the fruit of His love, joy, and peace.

THE BLOOD THAT SPEAKS

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THE BLOOD THAT SPEAKS

“You have come….to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” Hebrews 12:23, 24.

How amazing that blood has the power to speak! To the medical profession, it speaks volumes about the state of a patient’s health. How many diseases and conditions can a doctor diagnose through testing the blood; malfunctions of organs, infections and diseases in the body? 

The loss of blood also speaks. Since the life is in the blood, life ebbs away when blood flows. Severe blood-loss is a medical emergency that calls loudly for attention.

The Bible singles out the blood of two individuals that speaks of matters of eternal significance. “Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ …The Lord said, ‘What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground…’ (Genesis 4:9, 10, NIV)

Abel’s blood cried out for vengeance and judgment from the ground. His life was violently taken from him by his brother, Cain, and God heard the voice of his blood and responded to its call. Cain had to bear the punishment for refusing to heed God’s warning (Genesis 4:6, 7). There is a constant cry for vengeance from the blood of every person that has been spilt on the ground.

But the blood of Jesus speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. His blood was shed, not because He was an unwilling victim of crime, but because He willingly laid down His life for the sin of the world.

“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” (John 10:17, 18a, NIV).

He may have been condemned to death by Pilate; He may have been crucified by Roman soldiers but, without His willing sacrifice, no-one could not have taken His life from Him.

This blood speaks of many things.

Through the blood of Jesus we are declared not guilty: “We have been justified by His blood…” (Romans 5:9, NIV)

It speaks of redemption and forgiveness: “…In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins…” (Ephesians 1:7, NIV).

It speaks of atonement: “God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood…” (Romans 3:2, NIV).

His blood says that we have a new position: “But now, in Christ Jesus, you who once were far way, have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13, NIV).

Through His blood we have been reconciled to God: “…making peace through His blood shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:20, NIV).

His blood speaks victory over the enemy: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb…” (Revelation 12:11, NIV). But the blood of Jesus will cry out for vengeance on those who have not received its message of mercy. His blood will never stop speaking.

FORGIVENESS

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FORGIVENESS

“For, if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14, 15, NIV).

Forgiveness is an issue that believers struggle with, and yet it is one of the most important parts of our walk with the Lord. We know that unforgiveness hinders our fellowship with the Lord and fouls up relationships, but our anger and hurt make it difficult to let go of offences.

Jesus told a story which gives us insight into what forgiveness is about. It is a simple, step-by step process to handle our conflicts. The parable is recorded in Matthew 18:21-35.

A king wanted to settle accounts with his servants. Step one in the process of forgiveness is to take stock of the debt we are owed. Someone has caused us hurt or offence and we must know what it is.

One of the servants owed the king a large sum of money. The king had the right to demand payment even though the debt was too big for him to repay. His solution was to sell the debtor, his family and his possessions to recoup what was owed. We have the right to expect payment for the debt we are owed.

The servant, although he knew he could never repay such a large amount, pleaded for mercy and promised to pay. This is the turning point in the story. The king took pity on him, cancelled the debt and set him free. When we recognise that the one who has hurt us can never repay the debt, (what can anyone do to make up for the pain they have caused us?), we have one of two options. We can hold his debt against him and punish him by our refusal to forgive, or we can cancel the debt and let him go free. It is the compassion we feel towards our debtor when we realize that he cannot pay that will enable us to forgive the debt and release him. Forgiveness is really about cancelling the debt.

Our true attitude is often mirrored in the attitude the servant showed towards his fellow servant. He found one who owed him a small amount, grabbed him by the throat and demanded payment. He did what the king did not do – he had the debtor thrown in prison until he could pay. When the king found out, he was angry. This is what God feels about us when we refuse to forgive. Do we want to live our lives with our hands around the throat of everyone who has hurt or offended us?  The key is simple, “Why do you demand payment from someone whose debt has already been paid?” If we refuse to let go of his throat, we are demanding payment for a debt that has already been paid by Jesus, one-for-all, in full. But we must make the choice.

PSALM 23 – GROWING UP IN GOD

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PSALM 23 – GROWING UP IN GOD

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will 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 anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever. Psalms 23

There are many ways of interpreting this psalm and many fascinating images that emerge from the Hebrew text. One way of viewing it is to recognise in it a description of the process of growing up from spiritual infancy to mature and responsible adulthood. Each verse introduces us to the next stage in the process and leads us on to the final goal; to be, and to be in, the dwelling place of God.

Verse 1 describes, in the imagery of shepherd and sheep, God’s tender care and responsibility towards His people. The Hebrew implies that we will never be short-changed or become diminished in any way through our relationship with Him as our Shepherd. For the sheep it’s plus all the way.

Verse 2 describes the period of spiritual infancy when God cares for us like a mother cares for her baby, answering every prayer and taking care of every physical and emotional need. It’s all about grass and water, the concerns of the “baby” Christian which override everything else at this stage.

Verse 3 focuses on the “teenage” stage of spiritual growth, when the moral values are being formed and tested, and God’s training and discipline shapes the soul and teaches us to walk in His righteousness. He works on the failures of our childhood and exposes us to the values He treasures and wants us to embrace.

Verse 4 is the defining time of our lives when we either choose to remain in spiritual infancy or advance to spiritual maturity by submitting, in trust and obedience, to the tough discipline of our Shepherd. He takes us through “death valley” so that we can learn to stake our lives on Him instead of choosing our own way and living in the twilight zone between light and darkness. He may have to take us through “death valley” over and over again until our self-will is surrendered to His higher purposes and we submit to Him willingly and spontaneously without putting up a fight over every new instruction.

Verse 5 opens up new vistas of experience on this journey with our Shepherd; bounty, pleasure and satisfaction. The reward for enduring the process is beyond our imagination. Paul describes it like this: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared fro those who love Him – “(1 Corinthians 2:9, NIV). There is honour, abundance, and victory for those who stay with the Shepherd through the dark times, trusting in His goodness and mercy and never giving up until the valley is conquered and the way breaks out into the sunshine of God’s favour.

Verse 6 assures us that this journey is going somewhere. It is the Shepherd’s passion to make His home with us in the realm where His love and perfection rule. The final reward far outweighs the hazards and discomfort of the journey.