Monthly Archives: November 2014

Worthy Behaviour!

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WORTHY BEHAVIOUR!

“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved – and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him but also to suffer for Him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had and now hear that I still have.” Philippians 1:27-30.

That’s quite a tall order, Paul, isn’t it?

It would be if it were given to people in any other religion. Or would it? Take, for example, those who were so convinced that they were right that they were willing to kill Christians for their conviction. They were representing the character of the god they worshipped.

The God of the Jews was, for them, a hard taskmaster. He demanded perfect obedience to a host of petty rules, or else… The gods of the Greeks and Romans were immoral, unscrupulous and unpredictable. It would not be difficult for those who worshipped them to be worthy of them. Nero was a good representative – using Christians as living torches to light up his garden parties, and putting them in the arena to face starving and ravenous wild beasts!

Paul’s call to a worthy walk was quite different and far more difficult than for all these others. Believers represented a God of grace – one who stepped in to do for them what they could not do for themselves. He was not a taker but a giver. He not only gave people, and that included those who did not even believe in Him, everything they needed to live on this planet; food, water, clothing, shelter and the beauty and bounty of the world around them. He also gave His Son as a substitute for their sin.

However people defined sin, they could not get rid of it. People today who reject God’s provision of Jesus as a sacrifice for their sin, have to come up with another solution – like going through various rituals, trying to wash their sins away, kissing or touching an object etc. How can that affect their standing before a holy God? Some even come closer to the truth by offering animal blood for their sin. Blood is required, yes, but animal blood has no value to God because no animal can atone for human sin.

But for the believer in Jesus, behaviour and a life worthy of Him is not impossible. First of all, He came to earth as a human being to live a perfect, sinless life. It had to be for Him to take our punishment for sin. The prophet Micah asked a very relevant question:

“With what shall I come before the Lord and bow before the exalted God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgressions, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” Micah 6:6, 7.

Of course none of these things can clear a guilty conscience. If they can, why do people keep going through the same rituals year after year?

Then Jesus died as a substitute for our sin. He was even made sin for us! Only a sinless human being could take the place of a sinner and pay his debt to a holy God.

“God made Him who had no sin, to be sin for us…” 2 Corinthians 5:21.

And then, miracle of miracles, He rose from the dead to set us free from the power of sin so that we are able to live a life worthy of Him. Anyone can live like the gods they worship but only through God’s power can a believer in Jesus live a life worthy of Him. Paul’s call to the Philippian church was not a vain hope but a powerful possibility because the very God they worshipped was in residence in them.

This was not a call to self-effort or self-help, ten easy steps to holiness! This was an encouragement to live out who they were, sons and daughters of God, because they were forgiven and set free from the power of sin, and they had the Holy Spirit in them to energise them to be who they were.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

To Go Or To Stay?

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TO GO OR STAY?

“If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith so that, through my being with you again, your boasting in Christ will abound on account of me.” Philippians 1:22-26.

It is essential for some people to be around for as long as possible for the sake of others. Paul knew that. It was not arrogance that made him say that it was better for him to remain in the body for a while longer. There were groups of infant believers scattered across the empire. The Philippian church was one of them. They were in the charge of elders but even the elders were relatively new believers coming out of paganism.

Paul knew just how much they depended on him as their spiritual father to lead them on towards maturity. Even though he was in prison, there were still those who visited him and interacted with him for their benefit. He was still able to communicate with the people in the little church groups, and leave a legacy of teaching and instruction which would benefit the church through the ages.

What choice did Paul have in the matter? We don’t know. He was in the hands of the Roman authorities but, even more sure than that, he was in the hands of his heavenly Father who determined his destiny over and above Rome. He knew what he wanted to do – pass the baton on and go home to the Lord. Yet, at the same time, it was imperative that he remain a while longer to shepherd the little flocks as long as he had breath in his lungs

Paul knew that his prayers and the prayers of the saints would count with God even though He had a master plan for all of them. If He removed Paul, there would be others who would continue to shepherd them. There was, of course, the indwelling Holy Spirit in whom Paul had the utmost confidence. Had he not already expressed the assurance that God would finish what He started?

The thought of passing on is always daunting, even for a believer in Jesus. It’s not about doubting His promises as much as it’s about wondering how it will happen. Will it hurt? Will I have to suffer serious illness, weakness and incapacity? Will it be sudden and painless? What will it feel like? It is natural to feel apprehensive about the unknown.

There is nothing in our experience to draw from to fire our imagination. For us, the future remains a blank except for His promise:

“What no eye has seen, what no ear had heard and what no human mind has conceived – the things God has prepared for those who love Him…” 1 Corinthians 2:9.

We must remember that, from Paul’s perspective, he was already a dead man and had been since the day of his conversion. Any benefit he was to people, any blessing to the churches, was purely because of Christ’s life in him. He knew that, as long as he was still alive, he would go on spreading the message and passing on the understanding of the gospel and the wisdom to live it out for others to see.

When he considered it better to remain in the body for the sake of the believers, it was purely for them, so that he could continue to impart truth to them and spur them on to be joyful and productive in their faith even in the face of persecution.

Not only did he anticipate staying alive but he also believed that he would be released to continue his work for as long as possible. For Paul, his destiny was not in the hands of Nero but in the hands of God. Nero was nothing but an instrument that God used to carry out His purposes. When he was finished with them, both Paul and Nero, their lives here on earth would come to an appropriate end. For both of them, their end would be the completion of what they had chosen to do and to be.

Paul had no qualms about what and where his end would be – the beginning of an eternity in the presence of the Lord he had loved and served through thick and thin. We have an amazing example of a man who lived and died for Jesus.

What about you? What about me?

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

To Live Or To Die

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TO LIVE OR TO DIE

“Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now, as always, Christ shall be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:18b-21.

This man, Paul, continues to amaze me! His concern was not to get out of prison but to have the courage to stand for Jesus whether it meant life or death. He relied on two things, the prayers of his fellow believers, and the Holy Spirit whom God had given to him at his new birth. Paul saw deliverance, not as freedom from imprisonment in Rome but freedom from his own fleshly nature which cowered at the thought of dying a gruesome death.

Prayer is a mystery, isn’t it? Why should the prayers of his brothers and sisters in Philippi make any difference to his attitude? Surely God was with him and the Holy Spirit in him there in Rome. What difference could their prayers make to him, whether he was courageous or cowardly in the face of impending martyrdom? That was his greatest concern. To face the sword or the wild beasts without flinching was more important to him than getting out of prison or staying alive.

Paul would rather die without shame than deny his Lord, and there was every possibility that he would be called on to make the choice of confessing that Caesar was Lord or facing the consequences. And with Nero there was no mercy. He hated Christians so fervently that no torture was too heinous to make them suffer for their loyalty to a Galilean Jew whom the Romans had crucified.

The thought of dying held no terror for Paul. His hope was in Jesus. He had met Him face-to-face on the Damascus road. He knew He was real, alive and with him. He knew that the moment he stepped out of his mortal body, he would be with Him forever and in the glory of the Father’s presence. In fact, he yearned for that day, the day of his release from the flesh, which had been his enemy from birth.

Living in his human, mortal body was a journey – daily dying to the demands of his sinful nature and learning to rely on the Holy Spirit who energised his spirit with the life of Jesus. He used every opportunity to rely on His strength in his human weakness. Paul was dead to himself and alive by the life of Jesus in him but, nevertheless, he found the thought of martyrdom at the hands of Nero daunting, to say the least.

The thought of the prayers of his beloved brothers and sisters in Philippi comforted him. In a way that only God understood, prayer was God’s way of engaging with His people to do His will. Of course He would give Paul the courage and strength to endure, but how much better when His people partnered with Him through prayer. Instead of feeling helpless, they could do something positive to help Paul face his trials with courage and know that, because God was a loving Father to them and to Paul, they could trust Him to do whatever was necessary to give Paul the victory.

Can you imagine life without prayer? What would it be like if we had no way of engaging with God in our suffering and in the suffering of those dear to us? How could we do God’s will if we had no way of communicating with Him? What would we do with our anxieties and fears if we could not cast them on the Lord? How could we express our love to Him and worship Him if we could not draw near to Him? We would not even be able to offload our misgivings and mistrust of Him if we could not talk to Him.

Prayer means a thousand things to us, and God knew that when He invited us to draw near to Him. Prayer is one of the greatest gifts a loving Father could ever give His child. Unlike many human fathers who are either too busy or too indifferent to listen to their children, God is passionate about our coming to Him, so passionate in fact, that He sent His Son to clear the obstacles out of the way so that we can approach Him without fear.

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:19-22.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

Did Paul Get It Wrong?

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DID PAUL GET IT WRONG?

“It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.

“But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.” Philippians 1:15-18.

What a man! It’s that old incorrigible spirit of Paul again!

Why should he not be moping in jail and bewailing his fate at because of terrible injustice? Instead he was whooping it up because, while his hands were tied, others had taken up where he left off and, in the meantime, he was equally at work among the Roman soldiers right inside Caesar’s palace.

The very fact that Paul was sitting in jail for the “crime” of preaching Jesus, was a matter of interest to the palace guard. He would have attracted no attention at all had he been incarcerated for criminal activities but for defending his message that a Jewish carpenter cum rabbi in far-off Israel claimed to be the Son of God, was executed for His claim at the insistence of the Jewish hierarchy and was then reputed to have risen from the dead, was enough to arouse their curiosity.

On top of that, the man who was teaching these things, and those who followed this Nazarene, were unusual people. They rejoiced and celebrated instead of resisting when they were arrested, imprisoned and even executed for refusing to bow to Caesar as Lord. How could they when they knew it was a false claim? Not even the threat of death deterred them from their confidence that this Jesus was who He said He was, not even to save their skin!

In every other way they were model citizens. They stuck together in small groups. They were loving, caring and unselfish, sharing their food and possessions when they were denied access to the markets because they would not bow to Caesar. Belief in Jesus had spread like wildfire across the empire and no amount of persecution or attempts to exterminate them had deterred them. In fact, it seemed to be a powerful motivation for others to join.

 

Paul was not disheartened by the opposition. That there were people who were trying to make it harder for him in jail by preaching Christ, did not deter him. Imagine that! Using Jesus as a way of getting at Paul! What could be more despicable than that? Yet Paul knew that the message, preached for whatever reason, had the power to transform lives. While there were those who had wrong motives, others took up the baton and ran with it so that the gospel would be proclaimed everywhere, even if Paul were confined to jail.

It is tragic that there are many motives for preaching Jesus Christ today, even as in Paul’s day. Human nature has not changed. Money, as always is the biggest draw card. Some even speak of Jesus as a good “product” to sell. I wonder what He thinks about that! The most heinous motive of all is to make money out of Him.

There are popular preachers today who are rolling in it because of God’s “blessing” on their lives. They hold huge conferences to which thousands of people flock; they preach fervently that God wants them all rich; they sell their books and DVDs, garner huge royalties and revel in God’s favour. They live in million-dollar mansions, and give away ten percent of their income. They take from those who attend their conferences and attribute it to God’s “favour”.

This is the message they export to the world, even to those who live in poverty in third-world countries. What must their listeners think when it doesn’t happen? What about those who are losing their homes, their possessions, their families and even their lives because they follow Jesus? What about believers who are being beheaded in the Middle East even now because they love the Lord and refuse to become Muslim? Are they under God’s curse? What about Paul? What did he have to say?

“Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:9, 10.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

Really Positive Living

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REALLY POSITIVE LIVING

“Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.” Philippians 1:12-14.

What an amazing perspective! Paul was actually seeing his imprisonment as a good thing!

How could it be a good thing for him to be incarcerated, chained, and not see the light of day, with only callous and contemptuous Roman soldiers for company, day after day? But Paul was not seeing his imprisonment from his point of view. The old Paul was dead. He died on the Damascus road many years before.

There was another Paul in his body, one who lived for only one person and worked for only one cause, Jesus Christ and the gospel. Whatever happened to him in the course of proclaiming the gospel was in the hands of his Master. If He wanted Paul in prison, Paul would rejoice for the honour of suffering with Him. He would see every person who came near him, Roman, Greek, friend or enemy, as a potential for the kingdom of God. He would love them no matter what they did to him. He would win them through kindness and the words of truth.

As far as the devil was concerned, Paul was incorrigible. Nothing would get him down. If they killed him, he would immediately be in the presence of his Lord. If they locked him up, he would tell his captors about Jesus. If they beat him, he would celebrate the honour of being like his Master. If they set him free, he would go again to every place where he had not yet proclaimed the gospel. If he had no food, he would fast to bring his body into subjection to Jesus. If he had plenty to eat, he would rejoice in God’s bountiful supply.

How could anyone, even Caesar himself, get someone like that down? How could Paul have an unconquerable spirit like that? In his letter to the Galatian church, which we have already studied, Paul gives us the secret of his unconquerable spirit. He died with Christ on the cross outside Jerusalem, not literally, of course, but as effectively as though he were nailed to the wooden torture stake. When Jesus died a criminal’s death as an innocent man He, God, died to pay the debt than humanity owed Him. Paul’s only response had to be to reckon himself dead to himself and alive to Jesus.

Of course that meant that he was no longer his own master. He belonged to Jesus because Jesus had paid the price to redeem him from the clutches of sin. It was up to his Master to determine the circumstances of his life from then on. How could he resist and complain when he no longer belonged to himself? What right had he to make demands for his own comfort and safety when his Master chose to forfeit the glories of heaven and even life itself for him?

Every adversity became another opportunity to trust his Master and to watch his Lord at work through him to advance the kingdom of God on earth. You see, God’s kingdom flourishes most in the darkest times and the toughest situations because the light is most clearly visible in the dark. Every person who embraced Jesus and stepped into the kingdom of God was another soul rescued and set free to live and love in Christ.

Paul knew that his reward was waiting for him. Even if he suffered in this life, it was short and temporary. Near the end of his days he could say with confidence:

“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me a 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 longed for His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8.

What was Paul’s perspective? What sustained him in the darkest of times?

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.