Hate as a Quality of Good Leadership

Posted on January 20, 2015 by droseland

One of the most thought-provoking challenges I’ve ever gotten as a pastor has been the question of hate. “Hate” is one of those buzzwords today like “absolute” which is to be forbidden except in validating one’s rejection of it. For example the claim, “There are no absolutes in this life” is pretty handily dismissed by pointing out that this statement itself is a universal, an absolute. Logically this is a self-defeating paradox; functionally the hoi peloi seem comfortable with it! “Well, right there are no absolutes except one. The only absolute is that there are no absolutes.” My friend Charles Clough would say that the amoeba of unbelief has successfully reduced the obstacle of logic to accommodate the unreflective and shallow longings of the pagan heart.

What about hate? Hate is only acceptable in today’s pagan culture when you are hating hate itself. Isn’t that handy? Forget about hating sin or its ravages on the broken humans around us. Forget about the kind of hate that is driven by compassion for those victims of self-interested sin. No, the only legitimate hate is to be directed towards haters themselves. And if you find one, it’s open season! You are welcome to hate all day when you think you have the moral support of the surrounding populace to do so! Hate those haters. Does anyone doubt that ideologues who use the noun “hate” as a monolithic enemy to be dispatched always do so by expressing righteous indignation and morally-acceptable hatred of whatever ignorance they are denouncing?

That is the political maneuver out there anyway, and I understand it. However the Bible is more honest about hatred and, unsurprisingly, more reflective of the real world than this fantasy word-smithing of political correctness. Hatred is the wrong response to that which is good and loving, and hatred is right when the object is sin and evil. Let’s try it out: I hate child cancer. I hate rape and murder. I hate the ravages of war. No one really argues with moral rejection of these effects of the fall of man. If you do not experience intellectual and emotional revulsion at these things, you might look into joining the party, the flow of reality which has somehow escaped you.

Let’s explore legitimate hatred a little bit. In Exodus 18:21, hating covetousness (KJV) or “dishonest gain” (NASB) is a prerequisite for those candidates who seek positions of God-honoring leadership:

21“Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.”

Look at that list of four summary requirements. Men in command must be 1) able, 2) fearing God, 3) truthful, and 4) haters of dishonest gain. The Hebrew word for “able” (CHAYIL, חַיִל) refers to competence, bravery, and power. It is a great compliment in the Bible for whoever is so described. “Fearing God” is the Old Testament’s summary of a human’s right relationship with the Creator. One who fears the Lord worships Him as he should. “Truthful” speaks of the positive application of that relationship in personal integrity. “Hating dishonest gain” means the leader’s fear of the Lord is applied negatively in rejection of that which opposes honest dealing. The implication seems to be that a man thus equipped would be able to discern right from wrong so that he could reward the former and punish the latter. He would be a good judge.

What if this set of criteria were emphasized in our selection of leaders today? Of course the electorate would have to know about the seductive power of covetousness and the indispensability of honesty, as well as what the fear of the Lord was. This list of qualities is probably beyond the grasp of the casual participant in the American experiment these days. Ouch.

Why does God’s word say that a good leader will hate the sinful tendency to covetousness? I think it has to do with God’s delegation of responsibility. The story of the Bible can be summarized under the motif of man ruling under the authority of the Sovereign Creator. God gave all authority over the animals to Adam and Eve, and ironically they disobeyed Him in order to submit to one of those subordinate animals! Of course the serpent was indwelled and empowered for speech by Satan, and I think the human submission to the serpent was part of Satan’s strategy for maximum injury and insult. What a clever piece of work. That fall brought a curse on the realm which was man’s delegated authority. It will not be right again until the Last Adam, Jesus Christ, rules over all the nations and all the earthly creatures. This theme of man’s reign on earth really sews the Bible together from beginning to end, and the Cross occupies the center of the story.

The delegation of leadership responsibility makes the leader God’s representative on earth. We are His image, and so we bear the responsibility to execute His intent with that which is committed to us. This is why Exodus 18:21 lists the four qualities of ability, fear of God, honesty, and hatred of covetousness. These are God’s qualities, and we are to reflect them as His image. Man is to be a finite picture—image—of God. Thus the list: 1) God is so capable or “able” that He is omnipotent. 2) He does not fear Himself, but He relates perfectly to His creatures as Creator. 3) He is the God of truth, while Satan is the “father of lies.” 4) He hates sin, including covetousness.

The helpful but derided summary, “Love the sinner but hate the sin” really speaks to God’s dealings with the sinful human race. For one example, note Deuteronomy 12:31:

31“You shall not behave thus toward the Lord your God, for every abominable act which the Lord hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.”

Can everyone get behind the legitimate hatred of child sacrifice in the phallic cult of the Canaanite Baal religions? Is the protection of our most helpless not the motivational underpinning that binds our hearts as a nation to the soldiers who rise up from among us to go into harm’s way? I for one see the very patriotic endeavor of serving in the U.S. Armed Forces or in local law enforcement and firefighting as a choice to stand between my family and oppressive tyranny or criminal violence. A righteous hatred of the suffering of our women and children at the hands of invaders or criminals should drive us to arm ourselves, to train, and to vote for those who will share that zero-tolerance attitude. I am for no women or children ravaged by an invading army. Zero tolerance for murder and rape. No infants sacrificed on the altar of self-interest.

It is not hard to show that God hates sin. Deuteronomy 16:22 says He hates phallic cult idolatry, the “sacred pillars” of the Baal-Ashtoreth cult. God hates arrogant sinfulness, according to Psalm 5:5. God’s soul hates the lover of violence in Ps 11:5. Isaiah 1:14 and 61:1 say the LORD hates hypocritical worship. The concordance will show you a lot of righteous hatred from God directed against sin. What about the sinner?

In the concordance we will find places where God is said to hate the person who commits the sin. In these instances the sinner is identified by his sin, but the point that draws the Lord’s wrath is the sinful activity. Just as often, though, you will find that God loves sinners too.  He wants to save them from their sins. Romans 5:8 is one such vital statement: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus said as much in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world (of sinners) that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Don’t forget Ephesians 2:4-7:

4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Hating people is certainly forbidden in Leviticus 19:17*, but hating the abominable acts of people (sin) is exactly what God requires. I will close on today’s “order” from God through the prophet Amos. To an idolatrous Northern Kingdom Amos declared these summary words of instruction and encouragement:

Amos 5:15 (NASB95)

15Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the Lord God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

*Lev 19:17 next week

Posted in American Heritage, Apologetics, Army Leadership, Eschatology, Old Testament Commands | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fight the Good Fight!

Posted on January 13, 2015 by droseland

“Attention to Orders” is a work that has grown out of my military background and the realization that we are in a war whether we wear the uniform or not. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph 6:12, NASB).” All my life I have embraced the martial nature of the Christian walk, with Jesus as the Lord of Hosts. Learning to lead in the Army helped me put that abstract notion of spiritual warfare into concrete, experiential terms, and I am very thankful for the opportunity to serve.

When I left the Army it was with fond regret. I rightly believed I was called to a different venue of leadership which would require a great deal of additional training. I have often said that I miss the uniform and the camaraderie with my brothers in arms every day. As time marches on, the wistful notions of duty and brotherhood, gunnery and field time (always in the rain) eclipse the memories of drudgery and beauraucratic shenanigans. The conduct of actual Army business—preserving the Republic through the training for and performance of combat tasks—made the government’s wrong-headed social engineering efforts and the Army’s inevitable politicking bearable. In everything there is good and bad, and the grass is just fine on whichever side of the fence you find yourself.

They say that whatever you do, wherever you go, the different seasons of life will mark you. It was as a young officer in the Army that I learned the value of living consistently as a Christian for the benefit of those around me. Not only should I be concerned for my subordinates and superiors in my chain-of-command, I should be concerned for the eternal destinies of all those men and women in uniform around me. And the contractors. And the parents of every one of those fantastic young men and women with whom I served. And their siblings. And their pastors. The Army’s mission must be conducted with all efficiency and professionalism, but Christians are duty-bound to a higher mission under a higher command. The outcome of that mission is not temporal regional stability or even national defense but eternal life.

I am not proud to say that this thought—this responsibility—did not really occur to me until it was almost too late, and in some cases it actually was too late. And I don’t mean that I should have been handing out tracts and preaching on the corner where Motorpool Drive intersects Barracks Row. I mean that I should have been more oriented on my witness to those around me. I should have prayed for the S1 section before I went in to get some personnel actions processed. I should have prayed with the chaplains instead of looking for the places where our theologies did not line up. I should have considered every word I said as a representation of my Savior, to be empowered by His Spirit.

I don’t mind sharing lessons learned as a young man on my first tour of duty because it is in these trenches that we figure out what we’re supposed to be doing. Sure I would approach a “do-over” with a more mature perspective on these responsibilities and opportunities. However, the lessons had their impact, and now in my long “second tour,” in which I have charge of a different kind of unit, those hard-won lessons are paying off. This is how God uses life to teach us, if we are capable of being taught.

So it was when Paul told Timothy to soldier up.

1 Timothy 1:18–19 (NASB95)

18This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 19keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.

This summary instruction characterizes the Christian life as a struggle and a duty to fight through it. He doesn’t say “cruise the good cruise” or “fly the friendly skies.” Sanctification is a battle. Spiritual growth is an uphill climb. I thank God for moving Paul to so describe what every believer inevitably experiences. Does he not validate our rock-strewn path by saying it is a fight? If you are serving God and feel like you are wading through obstacles and opposition, welcome to the fight!

Let me point out three features of these verses which help us understand the full thought Paul is conveying to Timothy. First he says how we fight well: by means of “keeping faith and a good conscience.” Actually the Greek says “having faith and a good conscience.” If we maintain our trust in the only One who is worthy of our faith, the only One Who never fails, we will be empowered for all fifteen rounds of the good fight. Remember that the “shield of faith” is the only instrument in the “full armor of God” which is said to extinguish Satan’s flaming arrows (Eph 6:16).

The second point of observation I would raise is the need to maintain “a good conscience.” We really need to examine ourselves and listen to our conscience. God’s design of the human heart includes as basic equipment a capacity to evaluate our choices and experiences in light of established norms and standards. Some of these principles are inherent, no doubt, while most are learned. The conscience, then is a growing, developing feature of the inner man, and believers are responsible to keep it clean. When you notice that something is bothering you about what you are thinking or doing, it may be your conscience. If you find yourself engaged in wickedness and it does not bother you, you need some repair work done on your sensory equipment (1 Tim 4:2).

Finally, what about “the prophecies previously made concerning you”? I take this to mean that Paul and perhaps others were given direct revelation from God concerning Timothy’s calling to ministry. This revelation from God would be of an equal authority with what we have from Paul in the Bible—directly inspired communication from God. That is what the Scriptures are: prophetic declarations from men “moved along by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:21).” I believe that we have the prophetic Word from God today in the Bible; it is the prophetic Word of God. Therefore what Paul is saying to Timothy applies to us when we find things in the Bible that address our situation.

In other words, let’s pay close attention to what the Bible says about us, about our position in Christ, our eternal destiny, our calling to rule with Christ in His Kingdom. Let’s walk under the shadow of the Cross and “put on Christ.” Let’s take God’s promises about the Resurrection and our future glory to heart and bring them to bear–by believing what He says about them–on our struggle along this path that at times takes us through the “valley of the shadow of death.”  With a clear conscience about God’s expectations, let’s put up our guard, square our feet, slightly bend at the knees for balance and support, and rise to the occasion: Let’s fight the good fight.

Posted in American Heritage, Army Leadership, Christ as Example, Christian Suffering, Life Witness, New Testament Commands, Paul, Personal Evangelism, Promises, Sanctification, Studying the Word, Theological Overview | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Listen to Him!” –God the Father

Posted on January 6, 2015 by droseland

If the King is speaking, then the subjects of the realm should not be. The King’s speech is an occasion for everyone else to listen. That is not just basic courtesy; it is the only sane response to the situation. If the King is speaking, and we see people paying less and less attention to Him, we can by that measure observe our civilization’s descent into insanity. The three words of today’s command summarize my philosophy of ministry. The gathering together of God’s people is not merely to get self-help strategies or emotional self-satisfaction or baseless community involvement. It’s not about us. We come together to hear from the King.  In hearing Him we will know what we need to know, and that will often equip us to do what He wants us to do.  God’s Word is a marvelous expression of His grace to us.

The God of Heaven had special instructions in Matthew 17:5 (and Mark 9:7 and Luke 9:35) for a special person in the ministry of the Lord Jesus during his earthly sojourn. That special project was Mr. Stone, the man called Peter (Petros in Greek, Kaipha in Aramaic—never pronounced “Cephas” in his hearing!). The command follows a very intriguing conversation between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Peter was privileged to be invited to the event we call the “Transfiguration,” in which the Glory of God shown through the Humanity of Christ. This great moment of revelation in the ministry of Christ remains one of the Scriptures’ greatest mysteries, prompting several unanswered questions. Apparently, God intended to open His stores of hidden knowledge concerning Christ for the benefit of those disciples closest to Him. Their intimacy with Jesus gave them special access to this meeting between their glorified Lord and His prophets of old.  It did not really go well.

Matthew 17:1–5 (NASB95)

1Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.

2And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.

3And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

4Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

As we read the words of this story we might want to ask so much that the Text does not answer. So it is at times with other areas of life. Relationships that fracture, circumstances that spiral out of human control, and tragically missed opportunities all drive us to prayer and require our faith in the God Who is love. Disappointment and heartache may suggest that we ask “why?”.  Often the most comforting answer is that God knows even if we do not.

The stark point I want to bring out in this command is how it so simplifies the believer’s life. Peter in verse 4 makes a proposal grounded in baseless conjecture, showcasing his ignorance.  He needed to listen and learn.   He was understandably excited, and after all, he did ask if it was Jesus’ will for him to act. Nevertheless, verse 3 tells us why the Father’s words were a rebuke.  Jesus was speaking to Moses and Elijah. Peter interrupted!

Have you ever noticed someone in conversation just waiting for you to finish your remark so that they can say what they want to say? Really bad conversationalists will sometimes not even hear what you’re saying because they are so wrapped up in their own thoughts. We should strive to be better listeners.  I think we often come to the Word of God this way.  I don’t just mean when we read the Bible per se. This happens when we hear it read and taught by those “who stand in front.” Trained pastors who actually exposit God’s Word so that the hearer can understand its contents and relate them to his life will see something that baffles them every Sunday. Churchgoers, more in some churches than in others, will at times be locked up in their own heads, clueless about what is being said from God’s Word. Some do not listen, perhaps, because it never occurred to them that they should.

I said that the Father’s command here in Matthew 17:5 has been a defining statement for my philosophy of ministry as a pastor. You see, speaking in the pulpit for the edification of God’s people should not be focused on mere human correlations and theological abstractions, much less a “tell them what they want to hear” ditty that is long on shallow  and short on Bible. Our goal is to “listen to Him!” This command should drive everything we say and do in Christian ministry, for we are of Christ, and He is speaking. How will we know that Jesus is speaking? You will hear Him in the Word of God, for He is God the Son, the Word Who “became flesh.”

Posted in God the Father, New Testament Commands, Sanctification, Studying the Word | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stock Up! Matthew 6:19-21

Posted on December 29, 2014 by droseland

Matthew 6:19–21 (NASB95)

19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

20“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

As the New Year approaches it is common to take stock of our use of resources and see if we need to make some adjustments for the next time around the sun. In two commands Jesus here helps us cut through all the misaligned priorities and clear the decks to embrace what really matters. Please consider the following rationale:

  1. Our walk in this frame of life is limited to a discrete number of days.
  2. Our experience in the eternal state after this life is without end.
  3. The decisions we make in this frame affect our future eternal treasury. Today’s choices affect eternity’s bank account (Mt 6:20).
  4. Therefore we must adopt a constant view that looks for eternal impact from our temporal decisions.

As you contemplate just what it means to “store up treasures in Heaven” I want to bring an axiom to the discussion: the way one accumulates is through the use of resources. “Store up,” literally “treasure up”—θεσαυροω, THESAUROO—means to save, to squirrel away, to amass. The amassing of wealth requires either saving what one already has or spending it on something to save. There is really no other option.

So here’s the very challenging question to stimulate our obedience to Jesus’ loving command of maximum heavenly wealth: what are you storing up? What treasure? As I look at life, I think we generally agree that life itself is most precious. We arrange entire industries and gargantuan endeavors to the preservation of human life. People spend vast portions of their personal wealth to afford themselves a little more precious time in this dying tent of a mortal body. So, one might first think it wise to treasure up time. Well, you can’t. That candle wick is burning whether you are using the light or not!

If I cannot save time, then I must spend it. What will I spend it on? I suggest taking the route of currency exchange. There is no time left over when you come to the end of your life. Your account will show a zero balance for time in this frame of life when you enter eternity. Since you are absolutely stuck spending your time at the rate of sixty seconds per minute, why not use it to buy heavenly treasure? Of course that’s the best investment with our most precious resource. If I invest my time in God’s eternal wealth, I won’t align my life around the acquisition of money. “Mammon” is such a horrible return for the priceless time which composes our fleeting lives. Yes, work, and work hard, but don’t slave for mere money! Money has a really short shelf-life—one human lifespan. Eternal wealth has no expiration date.

Is there such a thing as a “money value of time”?

 

Here again is the great question of questions: how do I trade my time and resources for heavenly treasure? What is the treasure? It should not really be surprising to us that heavenly riches for believers arise from God’s judgment on our “deeds.” You see, as a believer your life in Christ is hurtling forward to a wondrous evaluation of all your choices, and Jesus Himself will recompense you for these expenditures of your resources:

2 Corinthians 5:10 (NASB95)

10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Do the math. Eternal treasure is infinitely better than earthly wealth because you cannot take the latter with you, and you can never use the former up—ever. I implore you to pay attention to God’s orders. We know from what He has said what He wants us to know, to be, and to do. We have His Spirit in us to enable our obedience through His grace. And yet we still must choose. Don’t sell your life cheaply for mere earthly pursuits.  Let’s orient to eternity and make our decisions as though they matter eternally, for they do.

I pray for your great joy and peace in our Savior for 2015 and beyond.

Posted in Eternal Rewards, Jesus, New Testament Commands, Sanctification | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Get Wisdom!

Posted on December 15, 2014 by droseland

Christmas is for kids, they say. We commonly hear the sentiment that somehow the kid in all of us wakes up for the holiday season, when a child’s imagination and expectation go into overdrive. Things seem fresh and new, “merry and bright.” Our increasingly “spiritual” culture mystically longs for “something other” out there that will satisfy our common lack of meaning and significance. We know there must be more to life than we can see and touch, but as a people we have lost our conviction that God’s revelation in the Bible tells us about it. It may be that in a frame of such meaninglessness, the “holidays” with their “White Christmas” and “Silver Bells” are the best one could hope for.

The Bible, of course, proposes a different approach to life. It is the message of a loving Creator Who wants real fellowship with His creatures. Our sin gets in the way, and yet He does not compromise His character to reconnect with us. God sent His Son in the flesh to remove our sin and thus reconcile us to Himself. God the Son came on Christmas so that we could become the children of His Father, according to John 1:12-13:

12But as many as received Him (Christ), to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

I mention the Bible’s presentation on the significance of human existence as a matter of context. The whole of Scripture communicates this message: God loves you and wants to have fellowship with you. One expression of that love is found in Proverbs 4, where we see God’s design for the transmission of real wealth from generation-to-generation within a family. I call Proverbs 4 “Grandpa’s Lesson on Wisdom.” This is an exciting family affair to me because when Solomon says, “my father told me” he is referring to King David. Today I want to work with Grandpa David’s lesson in its entirety, where we will find today’s command: “Get wisdom.”

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Proverbs 4:3–9 (NASB95) 3When I was a son to my father, Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother, 4Then he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live;5Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6“Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. 7“The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. 8“Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. 9“She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty.”

Now let’s take this little lesson step-by-step to see how it is structured:

vv3-4a, Lesson Setting: Verses 3-4 set up the lesson.

Imagine a wise king, a flawed man with true devotion to God, “a man after God’s own heart,” taking some time with his beloved little boy who will one day follow him as king.

3When I was a son to my father,

Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother,

4Then he taught me and said to me,

v4b, Lesson Introduction: Prioritizing Concentration on the Father’s Teaching.

In v4b we find a good beginning to any lesson for a young boy: LISTEN UP! Two commands jump out at us (commands are in red):

  • “Let your heart hold fast my words;
  • Keep my commandments and live;

Notice that with this introduction there is a promise: an attentive student should expect that he will live.

v5, Lesson Summary Message: Get Wisdom.

Verse 5 summarizes what David wanted Solomon to do. Did Solomon heed his lesson? Yes! When the LORD appeared to Solomon at the beginning of his reign He offered Solomon anything he wanted (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon asked for wisdom and got it.

  • 5Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!

The word “acquire” can be used at times in Hebrew to refer to a man “getting” a wife. In Proverbs, wisdom is consistently personified as a young woman who would make the ideal wife. This imagery of “Lady Wisdom” carries through the rest of David’s lesson as she blesses the young man who “gets” her.

  • Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

v6, Lesson Rationale: Desirable Consequences of Having Wisdom.

David’s words in verse 6 taught Solomon—and so us—to reason in terms of favorable consequences from having wisdom. The promises of favorable outcomes are in blue.

  • 6“Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
  • Love her, and she will watch over you.

v7, Restatement of Summary Message:

Verse 7 is ironic in that the first principle of being wise is the attainment of wisdom! David must have had a fantastic sense of humor. I look forward to getting to know him in Heaven.

  • 7“The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
  • And with all your acquiring, get understanding.

Verse 7b is challenging in that we should prioritize the most valuable attainment over the lesser pursuits. If you don’t make first things first, you won’t ever get to them.

vv8-9, Concluding Restatement of Rationale: Desirable Consequences

  • 8“Prize her, and she will exalt you;
  • She will honor you if you embrace her.
  • 9“She will place on your head a garland of grace;
  • She will present you with a crown of beauty.”

Doting grandparents love to spoil their grandchildren with blessings. They shower them with kisses and hugs. They buy them all kinds of things—clothing, toys, candy—anything to say “I love you, grandkid.” I think being a grandparent has to be one of the greatest blessings in life. It is no accident that Santa Claus is portrayed not as a young pastor in the Mediterranean coastal town of Myra, though no doubt Nicholas of Myra was that very thing at one point in his life. Rather we portray him as an elderly, white-bearded, chubby, Coca-Cola-drinking grandpa! The legendary portrait of “Saint Nicholas” is that he was a great giver. Who is a greater paradigm for giving than Grandpa?!

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So it is with King David. His words give life (v4). If you take what he’s giving, the outcome is protection, exaltation, honor, and wealth. We all know that Christmas is for the kids. We all want to give them something that will delight them, something that will communicate our love. We want to enjoy their excitement and revel in that magic of sheer joy we see on their faces when they can’t believe how well we know them or how much we love them. That common experience of all loving parents and grandparents gives us an idea of our Heavenly Father’s attitude toward us:

“He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32.

Let’s give them something of real value and enjoy their delight forever.

Posted in Apologetics, Old Testament Commands, Proverbs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pray for Wisdom

Posted on December 8, 2014 by droseland

What is wrong with us? Generally it’s us. Specifically we lack. We lack strength, we lack endurance, we lack motivation, we lack know-how. We just don’t have what it takes to do all that we want to do sometimes. We certainly don’t have what it takes to do all that God requires of us.

Think of the ultimate command for the believer in Christ:

John 13:34–35 (NASB95)

        “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Only a person so steeped in arrogant self-absorbtion that he cannot see the reality of his own shortcomings would imagine that he himself is able to love as well as  the greatest Lover in history. The bar is set a little too high for our limited, fallen natures. We need help.  Thankfully, God produces His love in us. Loving others is the “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23, and we are fully dependent on the Spirit of God for the capability to love as we have been so clearly commanded by our Savior. Certainly obedience to God’s commands involves our choice, but the power is all from the Holy Spirit.

As it happens, wisdom goes hand-in-hand with love. From an extended study of the book of Proverbs I have concluded, with most commentators, that wisdom basically means “skill” or “know-how.” Biblical wisdom, the fear of the Lord, is the skill of living life in God’s presence at His pleasure. It is not the same as knowledge or God’s word. Rather, biblical wisdom is the skill of applying the knowledge we gain from God’s word. As such, a massive component in the believer’s attainment of wisdom is learning how to love.

Each one of us is a work in progress. Final attainment of success in life is a terminal accomplishment. One can only say “it is finished” when there is nothing left to do, when God terminates our short walk on this earth. So it is with our spiritual growth. Until we die we will need to grow in the knowledge of God’s word and in it’s the application–in obedience to it. And this growth involves an ever-increasing skill in doing what God wants us to do. We need this wisdom to increase so we can constantly improve our service to Him. Enter the gracious command of James 1:5-8.

James 1:5–8 (NASB95)

    5      But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

    6      But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

    7      For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,

    8      being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Not only does God produce His love in us, He gives us wisdom. The command is fairly straightforward: pray for God to give you wisdom. I think the wording James selected is very challenging: “If anyone lacks wisdom” calls us to self-evaluation. Does anyone honestly look at himself and conclude he does not lack wisdom? Only a fool would say he has enough wisdom to live well in God’s sight. It would be a shame to miss the irony here.

Along with the instruction to pray is a magnificent description of our God. We often find some of the most profound theology side-by-side with practical instructions of the Bible. James reminds us of the great generosity of our God when he tells us that our God is literally “the giver to all liberally.” For his vivid description of our loving Father, James uses a present participle from the stock verb “to give,” διδωμι, DIDOMI.  In the order of the Greek text it reads like this: “let him ask from the giving God to all freely.” In English it should be translated like this: “let him ask from God, the one Who gives to all freely.” I love this description of God as “the Giver.” We need to meditate on that attribute and reflect our gratitude to Him. Do you believe that He is the Giver? You need to if you will obey the command in verse 5!

In verse 6 there is an important qualification to go along with the command and its resultant promise in verse 5. Your attitude as you ask is important. You need to believe that God is the Giver. You need to believe His promise to give you wisdom if you ask for it. Without faith, we are not really obeying the command to ask because we are going about it in the wrong way. And as a consequence of incomplete obedience we can expect to get nothing (v7)! Doubting is a choice that results in instability. The doubter is literally wishy-washy, “like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.”

https://i0.wp.com/www.ggwallpaper.com/file/4641/600x338/16%3A9/-sea-waves-crashing-into-the-shore-1920x1080-whites-blues-rock--brooding_2018640177.jpg

Four points of encouragement close today’s examination of God’s commands:

1. God PROMISES a liberal dose of wisdom for you if you obey the command to ask Him for it with faith.

2.  If you don’t trust Him, you dishonor Him, and you’ll get nothing.  This is a consequence of disobedience.

3.  Faith is not the same as obedience, but to obey God you must trust Him because He commands you to do so.

4. The believer who trusts in God’s promises is the stable believer who can weather the howling gales of life and the flaming arrows of the evil one.

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The Gift of Wisdom

Posted on December 1, 2014 by droseland

The favorite month is upon us. The first of December means we only have thirty more opportunities to wake up in 2014. As we say goodbye to the year we are forced to embrace the onslaught of a heavy winter and negotiate the cultural confusion of a wealthy people holding a post-Christian worldview while attempting to celebrate Christmas. The ragged getting frenzy has begun, and our people find themselves in a hurry to purchase gifts for loved ones to celebrate the Advent of the ultimate Gift while generally disregarding Him.

Tragically Christmas showcases the irony of our time in stark relief: we want “Christmas spirit” and good will toward men without a thriving personal relationship with God empowered by the Holy Spirit that makes each one the recipient of God’s good will. Forsaking our spiritual birthright we try to supplement with cheer and mirth because we reject the Source of joy and peace. We need wisdom to negotiate a landscape where the reigning perspective on the one hand seeks the most comfortable life as the highest moral good and on the other hand sentimentally proclaims “it is better to give than to receive.” We might ask, “What’s wrong with it?” and we would be starting from the wrong direction. The oversight is not in an errant addition but a catastrophic deletion. The question we need to ask is “Where is God in it?”

As usual I propose a baseline way of relating to God in one key word: obedience. I am firmly convinced, based on the massive preponderance of commands and binding instructions in the Bible, that God, Who Himself is love, has a perfect plan for maximum human flourishing, for our experience of His gracious gifts of peace and joy. This plan is something like a game, in that it has rules which define legitimate function on the field and without which play is impossible. Of course God’s plan for human flourishing is very different from a mere game because every choice matters, and the consequences of success and failure or eternal.

Please allow me to stitch together my plan for December: We need wisdom to negotiate a spiritual wasteland which has marginalized the personal basis for real morality and, really, all existence. We need to join with the rest of the civilization to celebrate our Savior’s birth, equipped to share real joy with those around us who may have occasion to question the strangely ubiquitous merriment in the name of Christ. More than anything we need to worship our loving Creator as He wants to be worshiped. Discernment, a wise answer, and real worship point to real wisdom: the skill of living your life in God’s presence and for His pleasure. Therefore the theme for the season is God’s commands in the Bible that we obtain wisdom.

Like our recent study of prayer, in which God everywhere commands that we talk to Him, we very frequently find His loving directive in the Text for us to get wisdom. God commands our blessing and our good by commanding that we become wise. We are to participate in His program of human flourishing by taking advantage of the blessings He offers. God telling us to listen to His instruction and become wise is like a command to cash a billion dollar check we’ve unexpectedly received in the mail. Let’s agree not to starve while there’s a feast spread before us. I will begin with a father’s loving command for his son to acquire wisdom in Proverbs 1:8.

8Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;

9Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck.

http://youtu.be/tr93ulRY-cw

Please Pray for Me

Staying On Task

Verse 8 very elegantly and beautifully explains the summary duty of childhood. As time flies and opportunities to learn come and go, we sometimes forget that the day is coming when school will be out. The time to gain the wisdom of our parents’ instruction is when we’re young because adulthood is a multi-decade test of how well we did in mom and dad’s schoolhouse.  Time will show that the wisdom we have acquired from our parents will benefit us and those who depend on us.  Tragically, time will also demonstrate the folly that never really got addressed.  The teaching and instruction to which Solomon refers is the Deuteronomy 6 training of children to fear and love the Lord. This is real wisdom in Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10. In New Testament language, our Lord calls this making disciples of His (Mt 28:19-20).

For Mom and Dad, the application of v8 is a high expectation that you yourselves have gained the necessary spiritual maturity to disciple your children. Maybe you are there and maybe you are not, but if you find yourself responsible for the training of children—that means you are a parent—you are responsible regardless of your capability or maturity. There is nothing like the necessity of duty to help us arrange our lives and resources around mature objectives.

For the beloved child of Christian parents, the application is clear: you really need to humble yourself and be teachable enough to recognize that whatever your parents have to teach you is God’s gift for your good. Of course Solomon’s words are directed towards his son, and v9 presents the motivation of desirable consequences to the attentive and obedient child. That young man or woman with the humility to learn from his father and mother can anticipate that the instruction itself will bring them wealth and blessing. The figure of speech evokes a universally sought-after picture that the disciplined student will have his lessons for symbols of wealth and prestige for others to observe. The wealth of his heart will be visible as if he were wearing it for all to see and admire. Other parents will be obliged to praise God for such visible encouragement as the son becomes an example to all who see him. Peer pressure directing one’s associates towards wisdom may be rare, but it can happen.

As we approach Christmas, everyone generally agrees it is a time for the kids. As boxes multiply under the tree, and we exercise restraint in the getting of the “perfect” gifts for our children, we should remember that every day is Christmas, and the gift of real wisdom is ours to give them abundantly all the time. The wealthy wasteland of post-Christian ease will be filled with wonderful and expensive gifts—all the shiny and flashy things their hearts may desire—but nothing like the enduring and life-blessing wealth of real wisdom.  If we love them, we will teach them to love God.

Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”  John 14:15

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In Everything Give Thanks

Posted on November 25, 2014 by droseland

There is no more theologically-demanding instruction in the New Testament than we find in 1 Thessalonians 5:18:

18in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

By “theologically-demanding” I mean this command makes us think theologically. I makes us move from our experience and life “under the sun” to a biblical perspective founded on God’s Word. We must bring sound “theology” to this command to properly understand it. Not doing so might ensure we misunderstand it.

Not Trivializing Your Suffering

“in everything” includes our trials and tribulations. It includes our highs and our lows, and sometimes the lows are overwhelming. The universal command stated in 1 Thes 5:18 includes the very deepest troubles we encounter. It includes the “valley of the shadow of death” times that may make us despair of life—not whether we will live on but whether it is even worth it to proceed? The fires of torturous pain in this life, usually in the form of loss of life or love, must come to mind when we consider the summary “in everything” of this sobering instruction. That God the Son suffered for us in His humanity makes us avoid the common but shallow error of trivializing our suffering. God’s Word equips us to deal with the problem of pain, but it does not remove it. Pain is bearable in the Christian frame of life, but it is also inevitable.

Not “Christian” Masochism

Another error that will at times be proposed though not stated out-right is that of embracing pain or suffering itself as a good thing. This is to turn reality on its head and say that evil is good and good is evil. If suffering itself—not its salutary effects—were good, then we could anticipate an eternity of suffering as we enjoy all good things with our Creator in His ever-expanding Kingdom (see Isaiah 9:6-7). But we are told that suffering is abnormal. Death is ultimately a perversion of God’s design, and the troubles of this cursed world are a temporary aberration which God’s justice is working history to rectify. We feel like the wheels turn too slowly sometimes (see 2 Peter 3), that pain and suffering are the norm, and as such must be embraced as inherently good in themselves. This caricature of the Christian view of pain is destructive to the Gospel message, which says sin and pain are abnormal, and One died to provide eternal relief from their ravaging. By the way, the opposite message, that Christian experience will not include suffering if we are getting it right is just as errant and detrimental to the Gospel message as “Christian” masochism.

Not Petulant Contrariness

Perhaps it goes without saying that there is more to the Christian message than “counter-intuitivism.” The Christian message is not “cute,” designed merely to cut against the grain of our common experiences. The Christian message is wholly-other and beyond what we would conclude from mere sense perception and reasoning alone. Nevertheless, this command does run contrary to what we might conclude from our unaided observation of life’s troubles.

Real Christian Thanksgiving

Enough of what a Christian attitude of thankfulness is not. What is it?  This command calls us to a proper response to all of life. All of life is not encompassed by what we experience in the ups and downs of life. In fact most of life is beyond our sensory experience. In addition to our experiences our lives include the promises of God’s special revelation. The realities of our position in Christ with its resulting destiny are far greater than our day-to-day highs and lows. The frame of life in which you most occupy your time will determine your access to a true attitude of Christian thanksgiving. It is tempting to drift along through our experiences of people, processes, enjoyments, disappointments, etc., without benefit of God’s Word to enlighten us to the greater reality of His eternal plan for us. This common approach to life in the times in which we live will deliver a fairly uniform attitude of hopelessness and despair which must dominate an existence which ends, inevitably, in physical death. Only if God has done something about death is there a reason for joy, a potential for peace, and a basis for hope.

My appeal here comes directly from the second half of 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” These words take us outside the realm of our experiences and into the reality of God’s plan. Whether you feel like God has a purpose for your life or not is irrelevant to the revealed fact that He is indeed working the details of history to a glorious conclusion. This is why Christian theology is indispensable to successful Christian living. Alongside our sorrows and pain in this life we must recall to mind God’s disclosure of His wondrous provision for us. This is not to diminish the pain but to contextualize it such that, when all inputs are finally tallied, the balance is overwhelming joy.

The math is simple, but the emotions are complicated. We must consider Romans 8:32 when we experience the crushing pain of loss in love or life:

32He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

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The mindset thus prescribed by 1 Thessalonians 5:18 is contextualized by verses like Romans 8:32. It requires a future-orientation as we trust in God’s promises despite our troubled present experience. This orientation is the key to staying power in intensified suffering. One of the most foundational passages to combine a future-orientation for contextualizing present suffering is Hebrews 12:1-3. Verses 2-3 establish Jesus as the focus of our attention so that He becomes our example and pattern in suffering:

2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Only through a perspective of faith in God’s eternal promises which are ours in Christ does “in everything give thanks” have any real traction. It is nonsense to the closed-system thinking of naturalism which sees the finality of death as ultimate and the inevitability of death as a cause for ultimate despair. The Christian message deals at its core with the real problems of life and death, and the enduring Christian attitude must rest on joy and thanksgiving because God has promised that life will win eternally. In Christ we are victors, and our constant attitude is thankfulness for God’s eternal provisions on our behalf.

Posted in American Heritage, Apologetics, Christian Suffering, Jesus, New Testament Commands, Theological Overview | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Make Your Requests Known, Philippians 4:6-7

Posted on November 17, 2014 by droseland

One of my favorite promises in the Bible is offered as a consequence of two commands Paul issued the Philippians. I take these tandem commands as two non-negotiable prerequisites for God to do on your behalf what He really wants to do. Unmerited peace is ours when we remove the barriers and lay hold of our Heavenly Father.

6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Many of those closest to me know this passage really well. I have had it memorized since I was a young child. Of course what has always appealed to me was the “peace of God which surpasses all comprehension.” That sounds pretty good! This phrase is just the kind of thing one would expect from the hand of the God who has “demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” Somewhere prominent in twelve of Paul’s thirteen letters we see this refrain: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” If you are a believer given to a naturally pessimistic frame of mind, you probably need to be reminded from time to time that God wants you to have the best and highest. Despite the trials and struggles in this life, the pain and hardship, the loss and trouble, God is ordering history on your behalf for your good. The Bible makes this point again and again.

This kind intention, in which all of history is organized to glorify Jesus Christ and thus His fellow-heirs (Rom 8:17), may not be our first thought when hard times come. When we suffer, we often switch to just the opposite rationale. It goes like this: 1) God is omnipotent, so He can do anything He wants! 2) I am hurting. 3) If God wanted me to have peace or joy or blessing, then He would take away this hurt. 4) Therefore I must conclude that God does not want me to have peace. 5) For the really self-deluded: therefore I conclude that God does not love me. This is of course man’s reasoning devoid of God’s revelation. This tendency in all of us was first suggested by God’s enemy in Genesis 3. The satanic narrative of our human condition is always that God is the cosmic torturer holding back the goodies in order to torment us.

From Noah's Ark by Tom Dooley and Bill Looney, p.44-45. Used with Permission

from Tom Dooley and Bill Looney’s Noah’s Ark

But the revelation of Scripture paints a different picture of suffering and peace. Peace is available in the storm, not only in its breaking. Suffering produces desirable effects in our character, not just pain and wear. Even our Lord was sanctified through suffering—the perfectly sinless humanity of Christ! Hebrews 5:8 says, “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.” We are not given a merely static image of our suffering Savior; we are told repeatedly how He performed under the suffering. What did He do about it? He called out to His Father, for one thing. On the Cross, Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 and Ps 31:5, both prayers to God the Father. “My God, My God why have your forsaken Me?” is an appropriate lament for our Savior as He bore our sins on the cross. And “into Your hands I commit My spirit” is the fitting conclusion to the greatest life ever lived.

Paul’s instructions that remove all barriers to God’s gift of peace in the storm echo the Lord’s pattern in His suffering. They involve a mindset and prayer, our attitude and the communication that comes from it. Check out Philippians 4:6 in a little detail:

Command 1: “Be anxious for nothing.” I have discussed this command many times in many venues because it is such a surprising thing to read and process. How can we tell people not to worry? How can we just say “stop it” to anxiety? The Christian mindset assumes the command is binding and reasons that anxiety is a choice, the opposite of faith in God. Pagan thinking cannot accept the revelation of Scripture regarding our capabilities and responsibilities, so this command is ridiculed as wishful thinking. But here’s the question, Christian: if God Who made your mind tells you how to use it, do you believe He knows what you’re capable of? Do you think He knows how to handle anxiety? This command takes you from a focus on your troubles to occupation with your Savior, the only solution to all our troubles. He’s got it. Trust Him.

Mindset thus established, we move to action:

Command 2: “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” The main command here, as it is well-translated by the NASB, goes against our theological reasoning sometimes. Does God not already know my requests? The verse does not say, “Ask Him your requests,” even though that’s what it means. Notice it says “Let your requests be made known to God.” The way Paul says it matters because it tells us to stop reasoning God’s omniscience against prayers we should offer to Him. This point is important, so I won’t leave it subtly stated: It is true that God is omniscient (all-knowing) and it is still true that He commands your communication of requests to Him. Why? Isn’t that extra? I think we’re talking about the difference between a public notice in the newspaper and an invitation in the mail.

Us:       “Why didn’t you come to my party?”

God:    “You didn’t invite Me.”

Us:       “But You knew I was having it, and You knew that I wanted You to come.”

God:    “Yes, but I told you to invite Me.”

There’s something life-defining about the personal engagement of the God in His instructions to pray to Him. I believe that this personal contact in communications is the most important part of prayer, and this is why the all-knowing Creator wants you to “make your requests known to Him.”

Do not forget thanksgiving in bringing your requests. This element is part of our reasonable service of worship; since Romans 8:28 is in effect, we can be thankful even for the hardships that God is somehow working together for good.

My prayer for you is that you try obedience on this procedure for worshiping God through the storm. If Paul, a prisoner of Christ, could rejoice through his sufferings and have this beyond-comprehension peace, then so can we. God, apparently, is waiting to dispense His peace on those who draw near to Him with a right mindset and urgent, specific requests attended by thanksgiving.

 

 

Posted in Apologetics, Christ as Example, Christian Suffering, New Testament Commands, Paul, Prayer, Theological Overview, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment