A Beggar’s Banquet - Luke 18:11-13

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
 - Luke 18:11-13


    I made a rather bold statement the other day to another Reformed Christian. I said, “We Five Pointers are probably the best elixir the unbelievers have for coming to Christ.” Naturally, my colleague stared at me aghast and asked me, “why?” I then proceeded to lay out my case by pointing to those “Christians” most believers encounter. I think you’ve seen them and I’m almost certain you have heard them pontificate on how pious they believe they are, very much like the Pharisee in Luke’s parable.
    Naturally, unbelievers are outraged that anyone would come off as though they somehow had the market on personal perfection or holiness. I know I am. I know how far I still fall from grace in my daily life. I know that I am constantly in need of repentance and make no bones about admitting it. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” - 1 John 1:8.
    I tell the unbelievers in my sphere of influence that I, more than anyone I know, need churching and continual sanctification. Now don’t misconstrue what I mean by “churching.” It is merely a concept that is easy to grasp for those who don’t practice the Christian faith. And it is certainly easier for my acquaintances and co-workers to approach me about matters of faith when they feel that I do not claim to hold a morally superior position. I am quick to tell them that all men are sinners . . . including myself. Now again, before my words are misinterpreted, I don’t imply that my sinfulness counts in my favor - “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” - Romans 6:1-2. And with my imperfections in view, there are those who are more willing to at least listen to what I have to say.
    This nonsense that we Christians are somehow immune to temptation, that we are somehow held above human weakness by a band of angels, is ludicrous. We sometimes stumble; we sometimes fall. Even the most prayerful of us is prone to a moment of human frailty and we will continue to be so this side of glory. Your sins may be different than mine but they will still be sinful. And so our lives are to be spent in a state of constant repentance. Try to remember the first of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses  - “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”  Our entire life! We are not to merely exhibit our personal holiness on “sanctifying Sundays.”
    Perhaps Paul explains it better, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” - Galatians 2:20. Yes, we are to be like a city on a hill. Yes, we are to be like lamp-stands - “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16. After all, our primary purpose here on earth is to glorify God (WLC #1). This is a tall order so we must present ourselves as sojourners like the rest of mankind, but set apart by the grace of God. By the grace of God! And that is the only difference between God’s elect and those trapped in the darkness of unbelief. We are all beggars attending the King’s banquet and until we are glorified in His presence we will all come dressed in rags. The only difference between our sins and theirs is that our sins have been covered and forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ at the beggar’s banquet. “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7. By God’s tender mercies we who have been chosen will be purged clean.

The Tombs Of Civility - Matthew 23:27

 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” - Matthew 23:27.


    If all we’re talking about is the need for some kind of safe order in secular society then civility is a basic prerequisite. But the door of civility often falsely leads many to believe that it also provides a pretty reliable gateway to eternal salvation. Behind that door lies the tiger. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.” - Matthew 7:13.
    So what can we say of the merits of civility?  Civility is often just a more insidious form of hypocrisy. It is often the smile that hides the sneer. Enemies may be civil to one another but it neither erodes nor removes their enmity. It is often the most condescending form of hostility available. It is ostentatious, a show, a practiced not because it arises from a Godly heart but because it serves our self-interests. “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” - Matthew 12:34.
    How often I have heard the words, “Oh, I believe if you do what is right, God will recognize it and reward your good works in heaven.” What they are stating is that they are basically civil (good) people. But anyone even slightly acquainted with Scripture knows - “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.’” - Romans 3:10-12. Is Paul suggesting that no one ever does anything that can be deemed good or noble? Of course not, he is merely saying that the motivation is not stemming from Godliness but from self-interest. In other words, they’re merely being civil.
    The mask of civility may fool others but God is not confused or misled. He sees the sin nature born into all of us by virtue of Adam’s fall. And while many of us may wear the smile of civility upon our faces, it is merely a gaudy death mask designed to deceive others into believing that we are “basically good people” and that we are going to heaven. Civil? Perhaps. But good? Far from it! God has already declared that pretension will never merit salvation. “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” - Matthew 23:28   
    A serpent may have a civil tongue but his throat is still full of venom. As such, civility will never stand alone as a means to salvation. Man’s total depravity will not be undone by decorum. And while it is a preferable tool to help maintain civil order in a secular society we must never mistake it for the narrow gate which leads to salvation. There is only one - “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” - John 14:6. Let us always walk in the Way that Christ has provided for us and seek salvation in Him and through Him alone.

The Triad Of Goodness - Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:8

    Justice, mercy, humility is seen as “good” in the eyes of God. But in what application? Certainly, in today’s day and age, justice would be the first to be thrown out. Justice implies that one receives what he is due. According to holy Scripture, justice isn’t what sinners want from a just God. In fact, it’s the last thing we want. “God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.  They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” Psalm 53:2-3.             
 What we really want, what we sinners really hope for, is the second of the triad of goodness - mercy. “Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.” Psalm 25:6-7.
    Knowing that justice is a rigid and harsh mistress that requires mercy for forgiveness what then is required of us? How can we fallen sinners acknowledge that justice will be met with mercy if we are not humble enough to understand that we don’t deserve mercy in light of our sins? Thus, we reach for the third and final leg of the triad of goodness - humility. A proud heart knows no humility. “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; you who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’” - Obadiah 1:3. Humility is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. When we walk humbly with God we are pursuing our sanctification as God’s elect, thus it is only with this humility that we seek the Lord. It is only with this humility that we can stand in the justice provided for us by Jesus Christ, whose precious blood purchased the mercy we so badly need.            
 This triad of justice, mercy, and humility fairly represents the Holy Trinity in that God the Father demands justice; Jesus Christ provides mercy, and the Holy Spirit instills humility in us . May we always walk in the triad of goodness and in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

That Man! - Romans 2:23-24

You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.
 - Romans 2:23-24

    Have you ever exited a situation believing in your heart that you just may have made things worse? To me, walking the Christian walk is sometimes like that. I don’t mean sharing the Gospel; I mean trying to live the life I am preaching about. I often wonder if what I’m doing is reflecting a Godly walk to others, especially unbelievers. And if I’m not, what does that say for my desire to glorify God? I know what Christ has to say about my failure.  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” - Matthew 23:15.
    “But,” you might say, “don’t be so hard on yourself; no one is perfect.” True, but while perfection is not promised us this side of glory, what about “direction.” Despite my activities and behavior, are there would-be proselytes who hesitate in their leap of faith because of something I’ve said or done? “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.” Romans 14:13. Jesus was very insistent that we Christians do nothing that would make others stumble. “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” - Matthew 18:7. Perhaps now you might see the dismay I feel at the possibility that I might be guilty of such an offense.
    Face it; we can preach all day . . . until we’re blue in the face, but if our outward behavior doesn’t square with what we are preaching then why would someone - anyone - choose Christ? One need only pick up a newspaper or watch the nightly news to hear the pealing chorus of unbelievers and their accusations of blatant hypocrisy. I must search myself daily to see if there is any chink in my armor of light. “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” - Romans 13:12. In fact, Romans 13 speaks directly to the love we must have for our neighbors and putting on Christ! Do we? Can we?
    Certainly, we could all do more to guard against our own spiritual slippage. Someone once said that our behavior as Christians might be the only view of the Bible that an unbeliever ever gets. My desire is to reflect that Bible accurately so that unbelievers around me see the glory of God and not the woeful behavior of just another hypocrite. The notion of “Do what I say and not what I do” didn’t even work with my children. Why would I expect an unbeliever seeking a Christian example to heed such nonsense?
    It is my fervent prayer that the Holy Spirit fills my heart with the love I so much need to give witness to and glorify God in the manner He so richly deserves from a sinner saved by His grace and by His grace alone.

The Cold Result Of Unbelief - Mark 16:16

  
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
 - Mark 16:16

    The state of being simple, uncomplicated, or uncompounded is simplicity defined. The end all of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is, in its essence, simplicity defined. There are no difficult or complex equations to grasp at. There are no clever semantics to decipher. There is only the command to believe - “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” - John 3:36. Seems simple enough, so why is it so difficult for some people? I said it was simple: I didn’t say it was easy.
    Belief has always been one of those words that bring with it a level of desire. People have to want to believe. If they don’t want to believe in something they will resist belief in the face of all the evidence. Worse, they will resist belief in the very face of proof! We have often heard the skeptic’s common expression of incredulity - “Well, I can’t believe that.” Can’t or won’t?
    We continually see evidence of God’s will around us. Those of us with faith, believe. We share with each other the faith which binds us to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  But there are those who simply cannot breach the chasm between skepticism and belief. “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” - Hebrews 3:19.
    This is not to suggest that many don’t claim to be spiritual. Some even claim to believe in “a god.” They simply (there’s that word again) don’t believe in the one true triune God of the Bible. We hear the regurgitation of excuses - “Why doesn’t He make Himself known? (He has) Why doesn’t he speak directly to us? (He does) Why don’t we see evidence of His work?” We do! “But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him . . . .” - John 12:37.  Special revelation is what these unbelievers want, no - demand - from God. For them, God needs to show them particular evidence of His existence before they will lower themselves to believe. He won’t. “Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” - Matthew 13:58.
    We true believers need no more evidence than God has provided for us in the progressive revelation of His holy word. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” - 2 Corinthians 5:7. Scripture is God’s revelation to us; we need nothing more. And we believe Christ when He says, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” - John 12:48.
    May we always rest in our belief and faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and pray that the Holy Spirit will warm the hearts of those who are cold in their unbelief!

What Kind Of Heart? - Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. - Matthew 5:8

 What kind of heart do most people have? It’s a daunting question if only because it presumes to suggest that one man could possibly know what is in the heart of another. Were someone ever to ask me to make that call on a fellow human being I would “tap out” so fast it would make their head spin. That kind of judgment call is way above my pay-grade. I’m just a meat cutter by trade. And while I can assure you I could handle any meat cutting job put to me I am sorely ill-equipped to judge another’s heart.
    The Greek word for “pure” is katharos: clean, pure, unstained. Other synonyms include
upright, uncontaminated, and purged. Christ used the word to describe the only condition of the heart in which one would “see God.” But pure? Which of us can say with all certainty that our heart is pure? “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” - Jeremiah 17:9.
    How does one come to possess what Jesus told us would be required to “see God?” This question is one which continues to rise each time I attempt to spread the word of God among unbelievers. “Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: ‘Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.’” - Matthew 13: 3-4. Jesus went on to explain to His disciples - “Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.” - Matthew 13: 18-19.
    You know the scenario: two men sit in the same pew on the same Sunday and hear the word of God. One man is convicted and receives it in his heart, yet the other man hears only the background noise of a sermon being preached as he ponders those things which in his heart hold the utmost importance. What kind of hearts do we have?
    The call to cleanse our hearts of the world’s background noise is redundant in Scripture -
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” - James 4:8. “Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” - Psalm 51:10. But how does someone who doesn’t want to hear the word of God do that? Many become outright combative at the very mention of the holy name of Jesus Christ. We cannot force them to listen to us. But as Christians let us remember the words of Charles Spurgeon - “If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”
    While many will not sit still for the word of God we can still pray fervently for the redemption of their souls. What God wills cannot be undone by the machinations of mankind. Let us continue to share the Gospel with as many as will listen and God will bring the harvest.

Gospelization, Not Globalization - Philippians 3:20

   
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ . . . . - Philippians 3:20.

    2017, the call for “globalization” has never been stronger. From ideas like multi-national corporations and cosmopolitanism, to global interdependence and consciousness, to integration and inclusion, to multiculturalism and universalism, we are awash in the erroneous notion that the entire world will somehow, strictly by human intervention (enforcement of international law or WAR), come together in a grand exposition of brotherly love. It is the ultimate 1971 “Coke” commercial - “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing.” How quaint.
    But exactly how detrimental is such an idea to the Christian life? Consider this: if just one single man is sinful, the exponential for sinfulness would become immeasurable if there ever became a mankind united outside of God’s purview (think Tower of Babel - Genesis 11)! And to my knowledge there is no talk or consideration of the one true God within the conversations of globalization. Economics? Yes. Population control? Yes. Free trade zones? Yes. But God? No, there is no talk of God. The darkness of globalization is it’s most preeminent mark.
    And doesn’t God tell us to refrain from friendship with the world? “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” - James 4:4.
    True Christians certainly pray for peace toward all men, but through Christ, and through Christ alone, and certainly never through the vain imagination of men! “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” - Colossians 2:8. If history has taught us anything it is that mankind cannot be trusted!
    The simple issue of shared common flesh in the world is not an indication of God’s will!  “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” -  1 John 2:16. However, there is certainly the Scriptural truth that all men need to come to faith in Jesus Christ. “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” - Philippians 2:9-11. Man is never to put his faith in man. This is the essence of the Gospel - faith in Jesus Christ!
    Yes, there is a common place for mankind to come together in unity and brotherly love but it is not under the auspices of a United Nations proclamation, nor is it under a global decree. It is under the command of God Almighty, Himself - “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” - Romans 10:3-4. We need not be a global community; we need to be a Godly community! We must put away the specious notions of a unified mankind outside the love of Jesus Christ, for such a thing will never occur. “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.” - Matthew 24:6-7.
    Mankind’s efforts will never circumvent God’s will. Let us continue to spread the word of God to all nations and pray resistance to the tide of secular globalization!