The Right Tool For The Job - 2 Timothy 2: 20-21

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
 - 2 Timothy 2:20-21

   
    In the truest sense are we all not tools in God’s hands? Does God not use as He sees fit? Ahh, the question then arises: does He indeed use us all? I believe our title verses speak directly to that point. If we are to useful to Him we must be cleansed (a key word here) vessels of honor, sanctified, useful, and prepared for every good work.
    The act of cleansing is indicative of our sanctification, a process of becoming more like Jesus, guaranteed to every one saved. As R.C. Sproul put it, “Sanctification is an inevitable consequence of justification.”Contrast that image with that of the un-cleaned vessels. God hasn’t sullied these vessels of the world; He simply hasn’t graced them with justification, ergo there is no cleansing. For God’s elect He has cleaned us with the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ - “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” - 1 John 1:7.
    Cleansed by the blood of Christ we become useful to God and prepared for every good work. God will use us as He sees fit. But we must first be cleansed - “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” - Matthew 23:25-26.
    May God grant me the blessing of my cleansing so that He may find me prepared for every good work. Then, and only then, will I be the right tool for the job.

The Pope’s Conundrum - Galatians 1:8

 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. - Galatians 1:8

    Sunday, May 24th, 2015 - The New York Times, “Pope’s Focus on Poor Revives Scorned Theology.” The headline caught my immediate attention so I paid the price to see if the story supported the headline. It did. What exactly was this “scorned theology?” I read the article a second and a third time just to make sure I wasn’t taking it out of context. I wasn’t.
    After discussing the Catholic Church’s beatification of Archbishop Oscar Romero, a much loved martyr to the Salvadorian people, the article delved into the subject of Liberation Theology - the much maligned modern heresy of subjecting the Gospel to the desire of whichever “oppressed class, race, ethnicity, etc.” could shout the loudest. In this case it is the Pope, living in the Vatican’s splendor, who is shouting and oddly enough his particular plea is for “the poor.” Now before I am accused of being insensitive let’s take the words of the writers themselves and see exactly what they were saying.
    “Liberation theory includes a critique of the structural causes of poverty and a call for the church and the poor to organize for social change. Mr. Lee said it was a broad school of thought: Movements differed in different countries, with some more political in nature and others less so. The broader movement emerged after a major meeting of Latin American bishops in Medellín, Colombia, in 1968 and was rooted in the belief that the plight of the poor should be central to interpreting the Bible and to the Christian mission.”
    Allow me to break this down. “The broader movement emerged after a major meeting of Latin American bishops,” not some small radicalized sub-sect but the broader movement! I continue - “rooted in the belief,” not some nuanced little doctrinal difference but a root belief that “the plight of the poor should be central to interpreting the Bible (i.e. the Gospel) . . .” hermaneutically extrapolated to insist that the poor are central to the meaning and purpose of Holy Scripture. “ . . . and to the Christian mission.” That would be in direct opposition to the Great Commission as given to us by Jesus Christ, Himself!
    I suppose it would be in the interest of clarity if we first defined what the Pope means by “the poor.” Are we speaking about the poor, as in “poor choices,” or the impoverished? Because there is a decided difference. There are millions of people who have less than others simply because of the poor choices they have made (and continue to make). Whether it be pregnancy out of wedlock, disproportionately high drop-out rates, drug and alcohol addiction, or anti-social and criminal behavior there are many reasons that account for poverty. So are these the people the Pope is pleading for? And exactly what is it the Pope hopes to achieve, especially in an environment where the church is unwelcome in the secular arena? Does he really believe that by polluting and muddying the true message of the Gospel he can bring an end to poverty? “For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.” - Matthew 26:11.
    And why stop at poverty? Why not preach Black Liberation Theology, Gay Liberation Theology, the Right To Choose Theology, or Feminist Theology? If he’s going to corrupt the message of the Gospel why stop at liberation theology? Is he seeking political power for the Catholic Church? “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.’” - John 18:36.
    There is but one Gospel and that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, brought unto mankind for salvation through Christ and Christ alone. There is no economic equality promised. There is no political power promised. There is no health and wealth promised. There is only salvation by grace through Christ, our Lord and Savior! Any other promise is a false teaching - a false gospel.
    This pope is nothing more that a false teacher and we have been warned that false teachers would come among us. And we know how we are to respond to such wolves in sheep’s clothes - “As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” - Galatians 1:9.
    There was a time when the popes who spoke for the Catholic Church conducted their nefarious business with at least a modicum of propriety. Apparently those days are over.

Bookends - Luke 12:51

Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.
 - Luke 12:51

    In 1968 Simon and Garfunkle released an album called “Bookends.” On that LP (that’s ‘Long playing album’ for you younger folks) there was a sad song named “Old Friends.” The lyrics read, “Can you imagine us years from today, sharing a park bench quietly?” How quaint. How nice it would be if the words rung true, wouldn’t it? And perhaps they would were it not for the fact that truly faithful Confessional Christians will have to contend mightily for the truth. And therein lies the problem for old friends.
    From bitter experience I can testify to the fact that if you openly identify yourself as a Bible-believing Christian; preach the word of God in season and out, and vigorously defend the faith you will be the most unpopular member of your circle of friends! Even members of your own family - your own flesh and blood - will keep their distance from you. “For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;  and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’” - Matthew 10:35-36
    True, your own family and your oldest friends will turn their backs on you if they don’t share your belief in and your passion for Christ! Perhaps the answer to Paul Simon’s question is, “No, in fact I can no longer imagine sharing a park bench quietly.” I can only envision sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the people I love and cherish. “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” - 1 Corinthians 1:18. May we always share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, especially with those we call our “old friends.”

Sinners Anonymous - 1 Timothy 1:15

 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. - 1 Timothy 1:15

    This utterly beautiful passage presents the living root of the Gospel to us. Within these words we have our very eternity! And this single verse is just a part of a greater doxology dedicated to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When read in its entirety it is one of the most inspiring praises ever uttered by man - “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” - 1 Timothy 1:12-17.
    Paul speaks to us like he is a new member of Sinners Anonymous. You can almost hear him cry out, “My name is Paul . . . and I am a sinner . . . .”  He claims his sinful status and owns his sin. He doesn’t run from his confession; He runs to it! There is no 12 Step Program here. It is clear by his very words that it is by grace alone that he has been saved. It is by grace alone that he receives mercy and he thanks not some clever man-contrived methodology but God who alone is wise.
    Paul speaks about a ‘pattern’ of mercy based on Christ’s longsuffering that is more than validated by holy scripture.  “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” - 2 Peter 3:9. The Lord understands the resistance of sinners and yet He is longsuffering toward us! No matter where sin has positioned us in this life God is ready, willing, and able to bestow His grace upon us for our redemption and salvation. Mercy toward sinners who believe in Christ; who were once ignorant in unbelief; who now believe.
    Let us all praise God with the enthusiastic gratitude that Paul sets forth for us. Let us all believe on Him for everlasting life.