Psalm 42:1-2 (ESV) As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

What is the ultimate difference between duty and delight within the realm of Christianity? How is it that there are times in our Christian experiences where maintaining a prayer life is burdensome, reading the Bible is onerous and exemplifying Christ in all we do seems like an obligation rather than our supreme pleasure? It is my contention that duty supercedes delight in our spiritual life when we cease ‘panting for God.’ When I reflect upon the years of my Christianity, I find instances where my relationship with God is formal, mechanical and religious and it as at those times that I am not passionately pursuing God.

In the opening words of this wonderful psalm, the author portrays three metaphors in the Hebrew which cannot be extrapolated from the English text, but which have profound impact upon every believer.

1. The Need for Refreshment

The first illustration is of a fainting deer in the midst of a severe drought running from place to place in pursuit of the streams which will quench its thirst. Like the deer, the Believer must run to God for refreshment. It is not simply enough to run to Him for salvation, we must daily run to God for sustenance and strength. A Christian cannot survive in this land which is void of spiritual food and in darkness; he must daily, moment by moment return to the well-spring of Salvation.

In our day, Christians are encouraged to turn to psychologists, counsellors, self-help tapes, step-by-step programs, pastors and church leaders when the only place they can find nourishment for their spiritually fatigued soul, is GOD! How many times we forsake the fountain of living waters for the self-made cisterns which cannot satisfy.

‘Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.’ Jeremiah 2:12-13

Another consideration in this illustration is that the deer is not meandering along the path in search of this life-sustaining water; it runs with every ounce of vitality knowing that it must drink or die. It searches high and low, beyond the forest, upon the mountain tops, in the woodlands and the desert places. Finally it finds not a stagnant pond or declining brook, but a full-flowing watercourse, a gushing stream where its thirst is fully quenched. What a tremendous picture of the thirsty Christian and his God, who is not akin to some trickling creek, but the fountain of living waters that will always satisfy our souls.

2. The Need for Refuge

The second illustration is of a hunted deer which instinctively seeks after the river where it may find refuge and immerse itself in the cool waters, thereby removing the trail of its scent.

Tuberville summarises: ‘The deer that is spent and sore run will commonly descend down the stream and swim in the very middle, steering clear of all boughs and shrubbery lest the hounds should catch the scent. Sometimes the deer will lie under the water with all but its nose submersed and remain in this position until all danger is passed.’

Like the deer, the believer must run to God for refuge. There are times when the battle is too fierce and the enemies encamp against us and we must run to the water for refuge. It is at these moments that we learn what it is to abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Why when we are pursued by the enemy, when the dogs are almost upon us do we turn to friends or family when we MUST hie to God for refuge?

‘Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’     Psalm 62:8

‘The Eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms…’ Deuteronomy 33:27

3. The Need for Rest

The third illustration in this text is of a deer experiencing the sore heat of summer, longing for the cool water where it may bathe its smoking flanks and rest a while. Like the deer, the believer MUST run to God for rest. The Christian race is long and hard at times and our weary bodies need to bathe in the water of life. Our wounds, sores and blisters can be soothed by immersing ourselves in God. The believer cannot find his rest in the pleasures of this life. He cannot bury his sorrows in alcohol or entertainment as do the heathen; he must dive into his Heavenly Father and find rest in the everlasting arms. The pleasantness, peace, fulfilment and rest that the believer found in Christ at the moment of his conversion is the same that he will find upon his return. The weather-beaten garments, the stains of the day, the stench of the world are totally removed when the Christian plunges into the fountain afresh. Dear brother or sister in Christ, come to the well and rest a while. Bathe in His virtues, drink of His kindness and immerse yourself in His infinite character!

‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him….’ Psalm 37:7

‘Be still and know that I am God….’Psalm 46:10

Summary

The author of this Psalm was thirsty for God. He did not seek ease, plaudits of men, but the enjoyment of communion with God was the urgent need of his soul! One might ask ‘How do I escape the ritualism of my Christianity?’ The answer is simple; develop an insatiable, unquenchable desire for God. Not for His Word only, nor for fellowship with His people, but for Him, only Him! ‘How can I develop this insatiable desire for God?’ Run to Him, Approach Him, Learn of Him, commune with Him, not using all the spiritual jargon, but in sincerity and truth. Perhaps the great need of the hour is for God’s people to lay aside all their ministries and church commitments which can distract, and devote time to developing a genuine walk with God.

‘Give him his God and he is as content as the poor deer which at length satisfies its thirst and is perfectly happy; but deny him his Lord, and his heart heaves, his bosom palpitates, his whole frame is convulsed, like one who gasps for breath, or pants with long running. When it is as natural for us to long for God as for an animal to thirst, it is well with our souls, however painful our feelings.’ ~Spurgeon

A Passion For Thee

Written by Joe Zicherman © 1994 by the Wilds.

Set my heart, O dear Father, on Thee, and Thee only, give me a thirst for Thy presence divine. Lord, keep my focus on loving Thee wholly, purge me from earth; turn my heart after Thine. A passion for Thee; O Lord, set a fire in my soul, and a thirst for my God. Hear Thou my prayer, Lord Thy power impart. Not just to serve, but to love Thee with all of my heart.

Because of Calvary

Having a fire insurance salvation will cause us to live clinically.   Placing a ‘tick box’ next to salvation, puts Jesus as a completed item on our To Do List.  Continuing to view our salvation through only this dimension is quite sad, as it is means we have only discovered one aspect of the greater mystery that is our new life in the gospel.  Fire insurance salvation is designed to as the first step on a journey of ‘getting to know’ this incredible -self-sacrificing Saviour who voluntarily gave His life in our place.   As we do this, the foundation of our faith transforms from fire insurance to a love story for the greatest Giver of all.

Having a Love Story salvation will cause us to live generously.  It transforms our behaviour and thinking.   It creates a deeper appreciation and desire for Jesus and others.   A Love Story salvation fosters a stronger satisfaction with life and a greater longing for life beyond the grave.

The older I get, the more my faith grows towards a Love Story salvation.   The reality of fire insurance salvation is still true, but it fades into the background in the face of our loving Jesus.

Blessings

- JC

I was a good kid in high school. I sought to have personal devotions since elementary school and had a genuine desire to do right and please God. I am thankful for two wonderful, godly parents. As I progressed through high school I was generally well respected and even looked up to among my peers. I received several positions of student leadership within my Christian school and was able to use those positions to influence those around me in a positive way.

 I am thankful for the training I received from my Christian education. I learned about hard work and discipline. I learned about teamwork and leadership. Most importantly I learned much about who God is. The person I am today is due in large part to the influence those years had on my life.

Latent Legalism

Despite my sound Christian background and solid upbringing, one area of weakness in my life that I see now only in retrospect was an attitude of legalism that pervaded my mindset. It was a mindset that told me that my acceptance before God was determined by my performance. I didn’t really need to be taught to have this mindset. Nobody really does. We are all in one way or another latent legalists at heart, thinking that we can somehow earn our way into God’s good graces by the things we do or don’t do. Most people would never actually say it that way, and I don’t think I would have myself. However, my attitude towards God and a continual feeling of guilt betrayed my words. One area in particularly where I struggled with legalism was in the area of confession of sin.

Legalism as applied to confession is a belief that my acceptance before God hinges upon my ability to confess or upon my feeling of remorse. I remember spending large portions of my devotion time “doing confession.” I felt like I couldn’t move on to Scripture reading or prayer unless I had confessed all my sin and done so with a proper attitude of repentance. I felt like I wasn’t right with God if I hadn’t confessed properly. I also felt like I was powerless to do ministry. If I was about to sing in church or give a testimony, I needed to make sure that I didn’t have any un-confessed sin in my life. I also couldn’t call out to God for help in witnessing unless my sin account was short, kept that way by my confession.

And I was right in this line of thinking, wasn’t I? After all the Bible says that if we “regard iniquity in our hearts the Lord will not hear us.” This must mean that I cannot come to God in prayer with sin in my heart. I must deal with it first. Also, everyone knows the classic passage on confession, I 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.” Confession of sin is a prerequisite for forgiveness, isn’t it?

This way of thinking and relating to God left me with continual turmoil in my soul. I could never seem to confess every sin and even if I did I would commit another in no time at all.  To add to my guilt, I rarely felt remorse or a feeling of repentance as I thought I should.

When Law is Big and Grace is Small

By God’s grace, I began to see my error in this attitude towards confession. The first problem was that my view of sin was too small. I had subconsciously reduced sin to a list of dos and don’ts that could be remedied simply by confessing them to God. In reality my sin was much bigger than this. It permeated every part of me causing even my supposed righteous deeds to be worthless in the eyes of God. It went far beyond my actions to the very core of my being. Sin wasn’t something I simply did; it was who I was. Surely, confession had no power against sin when viewed in this light, and my guilt continually reminded me of this fact.

My second problem was that my view of Christ and his blood was also too small. The ever-present feeling of turmoil and condemnation revealed that I didn’t really believe that Christ had sufficiently dealt with my sin. I needed to add my own work, the work of confession, in order to cause Christ’s righteousness to apply to my account. In short, my problem was that I saw my own human effort as the solution to my sin rather than the blood of Christ.

The ultimate solution to these problems was a better understanding of the gospel. I needed to accept by faith that God has truly placed my sin away from him as far as the east is from the west. I needed to realize that on my worst days of sin and failure God accepts me because I am clothed in Christ’s righteousness. I needed the doctrine of justification, and I needed it in heavy doses.

Still Feeling Guilty?

However, what was I to do with the sin that still weighed on me every day? And how was I to deal with confessing that sin? For those of you who may feel the same way let me offer several brief thoughts:

1.  Remember Jesus’ teaching about the letter of the law.

At one point in Jesus’ ministry he allowed his disciples to pick grain to eat on the Sabbath day. When the Pharisees questioned him about what they viewed to be a breaking of God’s law, Jesus replied by saying, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Jesus’ point was that the Sabbath was meant to be a blessing to man not a curse. The Pharisees had taken what God had intended to be a day of peaceful rest and turned it into something people dreaded. I think we can also rightfully say that confession was made for man not man for confession. I believe God’s intention for confession was that it be a blessing to us by bringing us back to the only true place our sin can sufficiently be dealt with. Don’t allow the blessing of confession to become something you dread.

2.  Allow confession to be the servant of a broken and contrite heart.

By this I do not mean that we must wait to confess our sins until our hearts are properly contrite. I simply mean that God is far more concerned with our hearts than in our outward forms of confession. He knows that sometimes all we can do is weep because we do not weep over our sin and mourn because we are not broken like we desire to be.

 3.  Remember that confession is only as good as the extent to which it brings us into contact with the Savior.

While many of us know I John 1:9 by heart and can recite its instruction to confess our sin, perhaps comparatively few of us recognize how significant are the verses following. I John 2:1-2 says, “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” This is the entire foundation for 1:9. This is the reason why God can forgive us and “cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Without Christ bearing the wrath of God in our place, we would be under wrath. Without Christ’s continual intercession on our behalf we would stand condemned. Yet, Christ has borne God’s wrath for us and he does continually intercede for us! Confession is simply the means to bring us back to a proper recognition and appreciation of these truths.

Magnify God’s Grace

I cannot end without briefly making a plea to those who preach and teach and lead ministries. Please be careful how you deal with the topic of confession. In my experience (and perhaps this is due to my specific circles), teaching on confession is primarily man-centered rather than God-centered. I don’t believe this should be the case. Urge people to deal with their sin and keep short accounts with God, but never divorce it from the teaching of God’s grace that even makes this possible. Don’t allow a culture in which the only type of openness people know before God or others is just as oppressive as a Catholic confessional booth. In all your teaching and leadership focus on the glory and mercy of the gospel and allow the Spirit of God to apply those truths specifically to each life.

I am extremely thankful for the work of God in my life during my journey in the realm of confession. It’s a journey I’m still on. Along the way I have had to come face to face with fundamental errors not just in how I viewed confession but also in the way I viewed and believed the gospel. To quote one of my favorite songs, I had to ask myself the following questions: “Why are you striving these days? Why are you trying to earn grace?” Maybe you need to ask yourself the same questions.

and whom he will he hardeneth.’ Rom.11:18

In our day and age a plethora of information and articles are being written on the subject of God’s sovereignty and how it harmonises with the Freewill of man. Every so-called scholar is writing a thesis or dissertation and is seeking to provide some ‘new’ perspective on these ancient doctrines. It is high time that Christians came to the realisation that the sovereignty of God and the freewill of man are doctrines that will never be fully comprehended in this life. It is imperative that the believer realises that these incomprehensible topics must be approached in the same manner as our salvation, and that is by faith. The question, therefore must not be ‘how do I reconcile the sovereignty of God and the freewill of man’ but rather, ‘can I believe that these doctrines as revealed in Scripture are in perfect harmony in the mind of God, though I cannot understand them.’

This text is quite often found in the centre of such discussions and questions as mentioned above. It is so important that the Christian does not simply leap over such ‘difficult’ passages because of the morbid fear of incorrect exegesis, and the labels that are often associated with these studies. Every Word of God is profitable and it is essential that the student of the Bible is willing to simply take God at His Word. So many are trying to add or subtract from the Word, and what is really needed in these days of apostasy, is for God’s people to return to a place of absolute faith in the Scripture.

Our passage above deals with an uncommon subject: ‘the unrevealed will of God.’ We are often confronted with messages and challenges regarding the will of God for our lives but rarely do we discuss the unrevealed will of God. The reality of the situation is that God’s plans, methods and mind is so far removed from our sinful, finite being that we can never in this life plummet the depths, or soar to the heights of his unsearchable knowledge. One of the most encouraging passages of Scripture that I have ever read is Deuteronomy 29:29 ‘The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.’ What a comfort to know that we do not have to have all the answers. We can rest assured that the judge of all the earth will do right (Gen.18:25). As mentioned in our verse ‘he (God) will have mercy on whom he will have mercy’ and that should be satisfaction enough for the faith-filled saint.

Many Christians are quick to accuse God of being unfair or unjust. They say “How could God harden the heart of a sinner?” This question displays a total lack of understanding of God. As a Christian my responsibility is not to figure out God, or pin His existence down to a set of laws or formulas. I am to love Him, obey Him, honour Him and trust that His ways and thoughts are higher than mine (Isa.55:8-9). As humans we are proud and haughty. We like to think that we can calculate the mysteries of God as though we are somehow going to ascend to a higher realm than God Himself. Let us be satisfied in the understanding that we do not have the understanding. This does not mean that we have the liberty to simply coast through our Christian experience without ever increasing in the knowledge of God (Col.1:9), but rather that we would be content to leave the ‘secret things’ to the Lord and His righteousness.

Finally there ought to be a resident joy in the heart of every believer as they rest in the knowledge that God is just and will always do right. There is nothing that will concern or alarm the Christian who is dwelling in the secret place of the most High (Psa.91:1), and secured beneath by the everlasting arms (Deut.33:27).

Because of Calvary,

Spiritual Addiction, Part Two

This is not a post about Halloween and what I think about it.  Suffice to say, it’s definitely my least favourite American tradition, and I’m being deliberately moderate in my comment. I bring up Halloween because I want to make a connection between the surreal world of Halloween spooks and what it does to the gullible, and the diseased world of distorted theology and what it does to the spiritually addicted.  What we believe to be true solidly impacts our behaviour whether it is actually true or not.  Last week I described spiritual addiction as the inability to feel good about my relationship with God unless I ritually fulfill certain spiritual practices. If you need to catch up with this post, please read Feeling Guilty, Feeling Good.

Ghoulish Theology 

A little child who through Halloween propaganda begins to believe that spooks could live under her bed, that headless horsemen may ride through the woods on a blustery night, and that dead people arise from forgotten graves will demonstrate changes in her behaviour.  Bedtime will be frightening instead of comforting, a moonlit stroll among the trees will be a walk of terror and backward glances, and nighttime graveyards will be  zealously shunned for the unspoken horrors that lie there waiting to drag her in their nightmarish underworld.  All these terrors are almost laughable to a rational, educated adult.  We know that the ghouls which frighten her are only in her imagination.  But the child experiences sweaty palms and heart palpitations and manages her actions carefully because she truly believes the bad guys will get her if she doesn’t watch out.  Similar terrors afflict those whose understanding of God, self and Christian living has been twisted by distortion of true theology.  Here are some of the distorted spiritual concepts that hold spiritual addicts captive:

1.  A distorted view of God.  Spiritual addicts worship a god who withholds his approval unless certain criteria are met.  I’ve heard more than my fair share of sermons from “fundamental” pulpits that either imply or state outright that certain kinds of surrender or behaviours “make God happy.”  The huge unspoken implication in those statements is that God is not happy unless we meet a set of performance goals—church going, personal ministry, devotional goals, etc.  We misrepresent the gospel by presenting a god who scowls and crosses his arms waiting for us to prove ourselves to him.  On the contrary the gospel clearly teaches that Jesus Himself already satisfied the wrath of God for those who believe.  The God of the true gospel is the Father who ran to meet the prodigal, swept aside the son’s offers to pay his own way back into the family business, and showered him with the garb and feast of an honoured guest.  Why are we still trying to appease him by all our exhausting self-exertion?  By doing so, we reject His grace and love.  Jesus says to the weary, “Come and rest.”

2.  A distorted view of ourselves.  Spiritual addicts are deceived into thinking that their worth lies in what they do.  They knock themselves out trying to win approval by their spiritual performances.  The liberating truth is that our worth lies not in what we do but what has already been done for us.  “He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).  The word “accepted” can also be translated “lovely”, and the entire statement is plainly in the past tense.  Because of Jesus Christ the Beloved One, we are already lovely in His sight.  Our worth rests in His loveliness and perfection; we have nothing to prove.  Cease striving and believe.

3.  A distorted view of Christian living. The idea that we can satisfy our souls by doing the right stuff drives spiritual addictions.  “If only I could pray enough . . . if only I read my Bible more . . . if only I can be involved in more ministry. . ,” we lament as we strive to reach spiritual maturity.  But Jesus cries out to us, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38)  By soaking our souls in His person, we position ourselves for genuine growth not guilt-driven rituals.

Hope for the Hurting

Dear thirsting soul, if you are addicted to the broken cisterns of spiritual performance that can never quench your yearning for spiritual authenticity, open your eyes like Hagar of old and see the well of living water that can deliver you from dehydration of the soul.  Refuse to entertain the never-satiated ghouls of trying harder, and rest in the Lovely One.  Step back from your spiritual compulsions and take time to bask in the fullness of His unconditional love and mercy.  When you have drunk long and deep from the One who freely offers Living Water, then the liberating satisfaction of your soul will spill over, blessing others with authenticity and grace.

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out,  ”If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ’Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  John 7:37-38

 Spiritual addiction.  It’s the idea that I can’t feel good about my relationship with God unless I ritually fulfil certain “religious” duties.  In this particular lady’s case, her addiction was public repentance—a classic “altar athlete.”  She was obsessed with experiencing a certain kind of emotion in order to make her feel right with God.   For other people their spiritual aberration can take the form of certain private obligations—a set amount of prayer time, the compulsive need to pray through every item on a prayer list, having to be at church every time the doors are open regardless of other responsibilities, robotically ticking off devotions on the daily list of to-do’s.  Another kind of spiritual addiction is the pressure to be always right, to win every religious argument and have all the “right” answers.  What makes these behaviours addictions is not the behaviours themselves. Some of them are excellent spiritual disciplines and necessary means of grace.  But when they are cast in an unhealthy frame of ritual obligation, they can be symptoms of a diseased soul.

 Ask yourself a few questions to discern whether a spiritual behaviour has become an addiction.

 1.  Does unwarranted guilt follow my failure to perform the spiritual task?  For example, if I must stay home with a sick child instead of going to church, do I feel compelled to apologise and explain to cover my “failure.”  Or if my prayer time doesn’t go as planned, do I blame negative outcomes on my shortcomings in prayer?  If a witnessing opportunity didn’t result in scoring watertight arguments, do I feel hopelessly defeated?

2.  Is the obsessiveness of my spiritual behaviours destructive to normal relationships?  If church must come first–no matter what—will a family crisis be improperly managed in order to meet my addictive compulsion to be at church regardless of other real needs.  In high school I had a friend whose mother literally fasted and prayed in her bed for weeks.  Imagine the impact on her family of her being missing-in-action in her motherly role all that time!  That spiritually addictive behaviour was a destructive force in her family.  A healthy relationship with God will bear the fruit of healthy relationships with others.

3.  Do toxic levels of anxiety rise in my soul when I am unable to “get my fix”?  Do I worry about God’s acceptance of me and what other people are thinking about me if I don’t comply with my urges to perform certain spiritual acts or produce certain kinds of emotional responses such as weeping in prayer?  That kind of anxiety is what I observed in the nervous behaviour of the lady who didn’t get a chance to “go forward” at the end of our church service.

4.  Is the law of diminishing returns at work in the process?  In other words, when current levels of spiritual activity fail to produce the desired effect, do I feel the need to do more and try harder in order to feel good spiritually?

Do you see yourself in these addictive patterns?  Do you have a friend who struggles with spiritual obsessions like these?  Contrary  to the thinking of some, feeling guilty does not equal feeling good in a healthy Christian life.  False guilt will lead to false fruit rather than a Spirit-empowered, faith-filled obedience.

Next week, we’ll discuss the distorted theology that drives spiritual addictions and hope for healing of the soul.

**If you would like to read more about spiritual addiction, I recommend the book Soul Repair by VanVonderen, Ryan and Ryan.

INTRODUCTION TO HOLINESS

Most believers today are genuinely willing to engage themselves in discussion surrounding the nature and characteristics of God. The love of God, so rich a theme, is never far from the lips or mind of the saint, and in many cases, the unregenerate. The extensive grace of God and all its implications and applications for me, though hard to apprehend at times, is still a highly popular topic, and one that believers everywhere are happy to broach.

The forgotten attribute, the ignored characteristic and the most confronting trait of God for the believer and unbeliever alike, is holiness. O the grace of God is comfortable because it is given by God and gladly received by me, the sinner. The love of God brings such warmth and worth to the soul. The mercy of God brings peace, comfort and the knowledge that He has withheld His wrath and judgment which is something to rejoice in!

Verily, the holiness of God makes me tremble even as I pen these words. The holiness of God brings about an entirely new perspective on God, sin and the consequential judgment. Contrary to the doctrinal position of many, the holiness of God is STILL relevant and STILL bears repercussions in the lives of God’s children. Knowing God is holy does not distress any one of us, but, knowing God demands holiness on our part, to His standard, is life changing for the believer!

What is holiness? It is the absence of defilement, impurity and corruption, and the presence of absolute purity, clarity and innocence. ‘Holiness’ is a progressive, contrasting term; it means ‘separated’ from all that is impure, and ‘separated’ unto all that is perfect and untainted. Holiness includes the idea of ‘distinction,’ that is, God is positively pure and therefore distinct from all others. The term conveys the idea of ‘sacred’ and ‘separate.’

It is imperative that we understand that God not only possesses and acts within the domain of holiness, but that HE IS HOLY! Sometimes our limited intellect seeks to dissect and categorise God as one who only possesses grace, love, mercy and holiness. We try to form a ‘spiritual pie chart’ of God’s attributes which ‘make up’ the ‘segments’ of God. This thinking is entirely unbiblical and in total opposition to God. Yahweh IS holy, totally and completely. Yahweh IS love, totally and completely. The epitome, apex and zenith of holiness IS God.

GOD’S HOLINESS IN SCRIPTURE:

1.  The holiness of God means that He cannot tolerate sin:

(Hab.1:3, Isa.59:1-3, Psa.5:4, Psa.11:5, Deut.25:16, 2 Sam.11:27, Zech.8:17, Luke 16:15)

What is sin? Consider the following quote:

“A sin, to speak more particularly, consists in doing, saying, thinking or imagining anything that is not in perfect conformity with the mind and law of God. The slightest outward or inward departure from absolute mathematical parallelism with God’s revealed will and character constitutes a sin, and at once makes us guilty in God’s sight.”¹

2.   The holiness of God means that atonement is only possible through a perfect substitute:

(Lev.1:3, Exo.12:5, Lev.22:21, 1 Pet.1:18-19, 2 Cor.5:21, Heb.4:15, Heb.7:26)

3.  The holiness of God means that He will not hear the prayers of a defiled believer:

(Psa.66:18, Pov.1:24-25,28, Mic.3:4, 1 Sam.28:6)

It has often been said “God always answers prayer.’ That statement is Scripturally incorrect. It is obvious from the verses listed above that oftentimes our prayers do not make it past the ceiling because we have “regarded iniquity in our hearts” (Psa.66:18).

 4.  The holiness of God means that sin will not go unpunished:

1. In the life of the believer (Heb.12:6-8, Rev.3:19)
2. In the life of the unbeliever (Rom.6:23, Prov.11:9, Eze.18:4, Psa.9:17, Psa.37:38, Psa.55:23, Rev.20:12-15)

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF HOLINESS:

As believers and obedient children of God, we are instructed to be holy in every aspect of our conduct.

How can I know if I am practicing holiness?

1. I will hate the things that God hates: (Prov.6:16-19, Psa.97:10, Psa.101:3, Psa.119:104, Amos 5:15, Zech.8:17)
2. I will love the things God loves: (Psa.11:7, Psa.33:5, Prov.15:5, Prov.21:3, Psa.25:10)

Personal Questions to ponder:

1. Does it bother me when the actor in the movie I am watching takes my God’s name in vain?
2. Does it bother me when a friend is gossiping or slandering?
3. What do I do when an impure advertisement appears on the TV or computer?
4. Do I love to open the Scriptures and drink from its vast supply?
5. Am I willing to exercise grace when my flesh wants revenge?
6.  Do I long to worship and pursue God with all my heart?

               Take time to be holy, Speak oft with thy Lord;

               Abide in Him always and feed on His Word.

               Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,

               Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.²

Because of Calvary

“A faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it.  People who blithely go through life too busy or indifferent to ask hard questions about why they believe as they do will find themselves defenseless against either the experience of tragedy or the proving questions of a smart skeptic.  A person’s faith can collapse almost overnight if she has failed over the years to listen patiently to her own doubts, which should only be discarded after long reflection.  Believers should acknowledge and wrestle with doubts – not only their own but their friends’ and neighbors’.  It is no longer sufficient to hold beliefs just because you inherited them.  Only if you struggle long and hard with objections to your faith will you be able to provide grounds for your beliefs to skeptics, including yourself, that are plausible rather than ridiculous or offensive…”

The two questions I wrote in the margin of the book were as follows: “what do I doubt” and “what is the role of doubt within the context of Christian education?”  I would like to talk through the former more personal question now and the latter question in my next post.

When I asked myself the question – what do I doubt?  The answer was not immediately apparent.  The first place I looked was at the traditional culprit – crisis.  At the time of reflection and at the time of writing there is no crisis in my life, relationships, or circumstances.  While many people seem to be living in a Dickens novel my life at this time feels more like an Asterix comic (near the inevitable banquet scene).

In the absence of identifiable doubt I started looking at the environment that could lead to doubt and this stark warning “A person’s faith can collapse almost overnight if she has failed over the years to listen patiently to her own doubts, which should only be discarded after long reflection.”  I thought about the following questions in the context of my own spiritual life and I believe they have wider application among believers:

Am I relying on past spiritual experiences instead of present day spiritual vitality?  Do I refer to things that God has done last year or even decades ago without any thought to what God is doing in my own life right now?

Does the absence of doubt reflect spiritual contentment or indifference?  It is very easy (especially as men) to become invested in work or lifestyle pursuits that appear to fill the God-sized hole that we have in our lives.  If life was a game of charades would I be labeled as content or indifferent?

Am I living towards my ultimate purpose?  There are many good things that I could be doing with my time and relationships – but are they the best things?  How does my life reflect my ultimate purpose?

JK

“Godliness is a vibrant, personal relationship with God that manifests itself in actions consistent with Who God is and with what He is doing in the earth.”

“Nothing erodes progress toward godliness more than today’s entertainment mindset and the modern church’s casual Christianity.”

“Energy, enthusiasm, and emotional experiences are no substitute for the daily, personal pursuit of Christ in the Word.”

“There is much going on between the godly man and his God, and his personal quiet time with God is measured, not by minutes a week but eventually by hours a week.”

“Godliness is not accidental; it is intentional.”

From Essential Virtues, a study on II Peter chapter 1.  Well worth reading.  You can buy it on Amazon here.

Ben Kwok

1.  God does not generally use natural disasters to punish specific people for specific sins.  In Luke 13:14 Jesus rebukes those who would point a judgemental finger at others experiencing trouble: “Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?”  The immense wrath of God against sin is not satisfied by falling towers, floods or fires.  That wrath was eternally appeased by God’s punishment against His own Son on the behalf of rebellious sinners. “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.”As one of the ladies later commented in an email, “There is a potential tower waiting to fall on all who wilfully hold God at a distance.”

2.  God does not helplessly watch as the cursed earth groans under natural disasters.  Nor does He merely allow such calamities.  He purposes these events to draw people’s attention to eternity.  Ecclesiastes 7:2 reminds us, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.”  Does it bother you that God is responsible for the death of people in cyclones, earthquakes and tsunamis?  Job accused God of mocking at the calamity of the innocent (Job 9:23).  Do you agree with Job?  But God will not answer our accusations.  Instead He affirms His right to manage His own creation. “I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.” (Isaiah 41:4)  He questions those who question Him: “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4)

A newcomer listened quietly throughout our study last Wednesday  Having just arrived from China with her husband to serve in the Chinese congregation in our town, Jane was unknown, and we were uncertain of even how much English she understood.  However, at the very end she spoke and wrapped up the whole study succinctly, pointing us to Colossians 3:3: “Your life is hid with Christ in God.”  Jane reminded us that we who believe in Jesus have nothing to fear from natural disasters because we are hidden in Him.  Horrible tragedies like the Christchurch earthquake should fill us with compassion for those who are outside of Jesus, not safely tucked under the feathers of His righteousness and love.  And those who are in such a precarious spiritual state should be well-warned that one day judgment will fall on all who are without Christ.

Earthquakes and floods may alarm our world, but we are secure in Jesus, uniquely situated to offer comfort and hope to panicked souls.  Remember, these are but the beginning of sorrows to those who are lost, but for those who know Jesus, they are a sign to “lift up our heads for our redemption draweth nigh.”