" . . . the riches of His grace . . . " (Ephesians 1:7;2:7)
THERE IS NO QUESTION about man's need of redemption. The difficulty is that there was no satisfactory reason to redeem him apart from the grace of God – His loving favor. The mighty God could not be compelled to redeem man by reason alone. Nor, indeed, was the pitiful state of man sufficient reason to do so. There had to be some Divine quality – some aspect of God's character – that could compel Him to redeem undeserving sinners. For this reason, the driving force behind redemption is declared to be "the riches of His grace." That is the Divine trait will extricate men from the ravages of sin.
THIS PHRASE – "THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE" – is mentioned again in the seventh verse of the second chapter. There it is said to be "exceeding," and is associated with "His kindness." The display of this grace is declared to be the intention of God for "the ages to come." "The riches of His grace" affirm the abundance that is found in the grace of God. It is a rich depository of Divine goodness, and the scope of its effective ministry is staggering.
• JUSTIFICATION. We are "justified freely" by grace (Rom 3:24).
• CALLING. We are called "by His grace" (Gal 1:15).
• CHANGE. Effective change and spiritual productivity are traced back to "the grace of God" (1 Cor 15:10).
• CONDUCT. Godly conduct in the world is also the result of the grace of God (2 Cor 1:12).
• SALVATION. We are "saved by grace" (Eph 2:5,8).
• BELIEVING. We have "believed through grace" (Acts 18:27).
• CONSOLATION AND HOPE. God has even given us "everlasting consolation and good hope through grace" (2 Thess 2:16).
• BRINGING SALVATION. The grace of God "brings salvation" (Tit 2:11).
• TEACHING. This very grace effectively teaches us to "deny ungodliness and worldly lusts," living "soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world" (Tit 2:12).
• EQUIPPING. Grace equipped Paul to be a wise master builder, laying on the foundation of Christ (1 Cor 3:10).
• STANDING. Grace is the spiritual environment in which we stand, being stable and unmovable (Rom 5:2; 1 Pet 5:12).
• ABOUNDING. The grace of God has abounded "much more" than sin abounded (Rom 5:20).
• FREEDOM. Sin does not have dominion over those who are "under grace" (Rom 6:14).
• ENDUED BY. Grace endues the people of God with profitable spiritual gifts (Rom 12:6).
• MOVED CHRIST. The grace of Christ compelled Him to become poor, although He was rich, in order that we through His poverty might be made rich (2 Cor 8:9).
• SUSTAINING. The grace of God is sufficient to sustain a suffering soul under all circumstances (2 Cor 12:9).
• CALLED INTO. God has called us "into the grace of Christ" (Gal 1:6).
• SINGING. Grace in our hearts makes our singing acceptable to God (Col 3:16).
• SPEAKING. Grace seasons our speech so we will know how we ought "answer every man" (Col 4:6).
• FAITH AND LOVE. The grace of God is "exceeding abundant with faith and love" (1 Tim 1:14).
• SAVED AND CALLED. God has both saved and called us in accordance with His grace (2 Tim 1:9).
• STRENGTH. We can be strong in this grace (2 Tim 2:1).
• CHRIST'S DEATH. By the grace of God, Jesus tasted death "for every man" (Heb 2:9).
• HELP. Help in the time of need is ministered to us from "the throne of grace" (Heb 4:16).
• SERVING GOD. Grace enables us to serve God "acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Heb 12:28).
• ESTABLISHED HEARTS. The heart is "established with grace" (Heb 13:9).
THE GRACE OF GOD is like a treasure house that holds required riches. It is also the basis upon which God saves men, and the driving force behind His eternal purpose. Any view of salvation that does not have God's grace at its center cannot be true. Any approach to life that does not seek for and rely upon this grace is spurious, and is to be discarded immediately and with zeal. I realize this has far reaching implications, but it is true in every sense of the word.
NOWHERE DO THE SCRIPTURES speak of "the riches of law," "the riches of patterns," "the riches of procedures," or even "the RICHES of obedience." They DO speak of "the RICHES of His goodness" (Rom 2:4), "the RICHES of His glory" (Rom 9:23), "The RICHES of the glory of His inheritance in the saints" (Eph 1:18), the "unsearchable RICHES of Christ" (Eph 3:8), "The RICHES of the glory of this mystery" (Col 1:27), "the RICHES of the full assurance of understanding" (Col 2:2), and being "RICH in faith" (James 2:5). None of these things can be divorced from God's grace, and all of them rely upon and center in that grace. Thank God for the RICHES of His grace! They bring power and adequacy to us.
– Given O. Blakely
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
WHAT WE WERE
"For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another." (Titus 3:3)
ALTHOUGH IS, in a sense, painful to consider, what we were before coming into Christ is worthy of sober reflection.
FOOLISH. Regardless of the academic attainments some of us may have enjoyed, the proper assessment of our former powers of reason is "foolish!" We did not know what the issues were. We did not know who God was. We did not know what God had done. We did not even know what we had done. Our understanding of Scripture was deplorable. We did not see the world as it was. We were ignorant of heaven, Jesus, salvation, and the New Covenant. We were stumbling down the road that leads to destruction, and did not even know it. The wrath of God was abiding upon us, and we were ignorant of it. We were already condemned and were unaware of it. We did not even know what the real questions were, to say nothing of the proper answers to them. We were "foolish," living our lives just as though there was no God, no heaven, no hell, and no spiritual need. Our minds were the seed-bed for folly, vanity, and utter pointlessness. Imaginations ruled us. We were "fools" in every sense of the word. It will take a lot to save someone like that!
DISOBEDIENT. We did not simply fail to do some more important things, we were altogether "disobedient." That was our nature. If God required us to do something, we did not do it. If He said not to do it, we did it. We were "disobedient." God made us, but we were insubordinate and unruly. We were like the horse and the mule that need a bit and bridle to steer them into the right path (Psa 32:9). We were "children of disobedience" in whom the devil was working (Eph 2:2; 5:6). It will take a lot to save someone like that!
DECEIVED. Satan had "blinded" our minds, so we could not believe the Gospel (2 Cor 4:4). We had a distorted sense of values. We saw this world as the main world, and placed no significance on the world to come. We thought the day of judgment was not all that important, and rarely considered the coming of the Lord and the end of all things. We were "deceived." Satan deceived us, just as surely as he did Eve. We were "led astray" (NRSV) into the realm of spiritual jeopardy and condemnation. Like ignorant sheep, the devil led us into the area where God had no recourse but to condemn us. It will take a lot to save someone like that!
SERVING VARIOUS LUSTS AND PLEASURES. The word "serving" is unusually strong. Other versions read "enslaved to various lusts and pleasures" (NASB/NIV). Various, or divers, lusts and pleasures are desires that rivet us to this world – this cursed and passing world. They tie us to a ship that is sinking, and bind us in a building that is burning. We had variety in our lives, but it was certainly not "the spice of life," as some are wont to say. We served a variety of passions, and all of them were condemned. We could not break away from the things we wanted. We could not even stop wanting them, desiring them, craving them! It will take a lot to save someone like that!
LIVING IN MALICE AND ENVY. Our hearts were like seething pots of poison. Our own persons were the center of our universe. We were opposed to those who did not honor us, entertaining ill will toward those we did not prefer. Sometimes our malice even erupted in casting aspersions against God Himself, as though He had not been good enough to us. Instead of seeking to be like the Lord, we envied men, seeking to be like them. We tended to be jealous over the success of others. We wanted the wrong things, and sought to follow the wrong people. It will take a lot to save someone like that!
HATEFUL AND HATING ONE ANOTHER. Hatred is like an acid to the soul. It consumes the individual like fire taken into the bosom. We did not hate Satan, but those who were made after the likeness of God. We did not hate sin, but those whom we thought unworthy of our attention. We could speak against men without any compunctions. Sometimes our hatred was directed to our own families, friends, and associates. The venom of sin had infected our whole emotional makeup. It will take a lot to save someone like that!
THIS IS HOW JESUS FOUND US! When He came to "seek and to save" us, He found us ravished by sin, hopeless and bludgeoned into despair by the prince of the power of the air, who worked in us according to his own pleasure. A holy Savior found an unholy people! A compassionate Lord found a hateful people! The Son of God, who was obedient in all things, found a wayward and disobedient people!
THIS WILL BE THE TEST OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SALVATION! Will the Savior be able to rescue a people like this? Will the Lord of glory be proficient to change those with such profound and penetrating defilements? Is His arm long enough to reach into the pits of despair? Is His hand strong enough to lift them from the lowest devilish domain to the lofty heavenly places? Can He command light to shine that will dissipate the darkness that dominates this world? That is what salvation needed to do – and it did! Praise God!
– Given O. Blakely
ALTHOUGH IS, in a sense, painful to consider, what we were before coming into Christ is worthy of sober reflection.
FOOLISH. Regardless of the academic attainments some of us may have enjoyed, the proper assessment of our former powers of reason is "foolish!" We did not know what the issues were. We did not know who God was. We did not know what God had done. We did not even know what we had done. Our understanding of Scripture was deplorable. We did not see the world as it was. We were ignorant of heaven, Jesus, salvation, and the New Covenant. We were stumbling down the road that leads to destruction, and did not even know it. The wrath of God was abiding upon us, and we were ignorant of it. We were already condemned and were unaware of it. We did not even know what the real questions were, to say nothing of the proper answers to them. We were "foolish," living our lives just as though there was no God, no heaven, no hell, and no spiritual need. Our minds were the seed-bed for folly, vanity, and utter pointlessness. Imaginations ruled us. We were "fools" in every sense of the word. It will take a lot to save someone like that!
DISOBEDIENT. We did not simply fail to do some more important things, we were altogether "disobedient." That was our nature. If God required us to do something, we did not do it. If He said not to do it, we did it. We were "disobedient." God made us, but we were insubordinate and unruly. We were like the horse and the mule that need a bit and bridle to steer them into the right path (Psa 32:9). We were "children of disobedience" in whom the devil was working (Eph 2:2; 5:6). It will take a lot to save someone like that!
DECEIVED. Satan had "blinded" our minds, so we could not believe the Gospel (2 Cor 4:4). We had a distorted sense of values. We saw this world as the main world, and placed no significance on the world to come. We thought the day of judgment was not all that important, and rarely considered the coming of the Lord and the end of all things. We were "deceived." Satan deceived us, just as surely as he did Eve. We were "led astray" (NRSV) into the realm of spiritual jeopardy and condemnation. Like ignorant sheep, the devil led us into the area where God had no recourse but to condemn us. It will take a lot to save someone like that!
SERVING VARIOUS LUSTS AND PLEASURES. The word "serving" is unusually strong. Other versions read "enslaved to various lusts and pleasures" (NASB/NIV). Various, or divers, lusts and pleasures are desires that rivet us to this world – this cursed and passing world. They tie us to a ship that is sinking, and bind us in a building that is burning. We had variety in our lives, but it was certainly not "the spice of life," as some are wont to say. We served a variety of passions, and all of them were condemned. We could not break away from the things we wanted. We could not even stop wanting them, desiring them, craving them! It will take a lot to save someone like that!
LIVING IN MALICE AND ENVY. Our hearts were like seething pots of poison. Our own persons were the center of our universe. We were opposed to those who did not honor us, entertaining ill will toward those we did not prefer. Sometimes our malice even erupted in casting aspersions against God Himself, as though He had not been good enough to us. Instead of seeking to be like the Lord, we envied men, seeking to be like them. We tended to be jealous over the success of others. We wanted the wrong things, and sought to follow the wrong people. It will take a lot to save someone like that!
HATEFUL AND HATING ONE ANOTHER. Hatred is like an acid to the soul. It consumes the individual like fire taken into the bosom. We did not hate Satan, but those who were made after the likeness of God. We did not hate sin, but those whom we thought unworthy of our attention. We could speak against men without any compunctions. Sometimes our hatred was directed to our own families, friends, and associates. The venom of sin had infected our whole emotional makeup. It will take a lot to save someone like that!
THIS IS HOW JESUS FOUND US! When He came to "seek and to save" us, He found us ravished by sin, hopeless and bludgeoned into despair by the prince of the power of the air, who worked in us according to his own pleasure. A holy Savior found an unholy people! A compassionate Lord found a hateful people! The Son of God, who was obedient in all things, found a wayward and disobedient people!
THIS WILL BE THE TEST OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SALVATION! Will the Savior be able to rescue a people like this? Will the Lord of glory be proficient to change those with such profound and penetrating defilements? Is His arm long enough to reach into the pits of despair? Is His hand strong enough to lift them from the lowest devilish domain to the lofty heavenly places? Can He command light to shine that will dissipate the darkness that dominates this world? That is what salvation needed to do – and it did! Praise God!
– Given O. Blakely
Monday, January 25, 2010
THINGS AS USUAL
" For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Mat 24:38-39)
JESUS AFFIRMED THAT WHEN HE RETURNED, men would be conducting their affairs just as they were when the flood came rushing in upon the world of the ungodly of Noah's day. One hundred and twenty years after God had warned Noah of the impending destruction of the world by a flood, an unequaled cataclysmic event occurred in nature. "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." (Gen 7:11-12). I do not know the extent of the world's knowledge of the coming flood. Noah is called "a preacher of righteousness"(2 Pet 2:5). Much of his testimony no doubt preceded the building of the ark, which was itself a solemn declaration that the world had been condemned by God. Well over a century, therefore – perhaps even two or three centuries – the world of the ungodly had some warning of God's wrath. Yet, it remained wholly unaffected. Noah walked with God before the birth of his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Gen 6:9-10). God spoke to him concerning the destruction of that world, telling him to build an ark. This took place when he was about 480 years of age, for the flood came one hundred and twenty years later, when Noah was six hundred years old (Gen 7:6). Thus, his testimony could well have extended over a period of at least200-300 years.
UP UNTIL THE VERY DAY the flood came, the world conducted its business as usual. Matthew says they "were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage" right up to the day Noah entered the ark. Luke says the same thing (Luke 17:27). Luke also records an elaboration of Jesus, who likened His return to the day Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed" (Luke 17:28-30). In the flood and the destruction of Sodom, things continued as usual up to the very end. There was no serious thought about the end of all things. The people did not alter their conduct one whit, but maintained their usual manner of life, blissfully unaware they were soon to be destroyed. Beasts of the earth can sense a storm. Wild animals can detect the presence of a foe. But sin had so dulled the conscience of the people of Noah and Lot's days that they did not break the monotony of life for a single moment, even though destruction was near.
JESUS AFFIRMED THAT IS PRECISELY HOW it will be when He returns to conclude the history of the world. That conclusion will include the punishment of the ungodly, who will be "punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power" (2 Thess 1:9). Their destruction will surpass that of "the world of the ungodly" of Noah's day (2 Pet 2:5). It will dwarf the punishment of the men of Sodom who "were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly" (Gen 13:13).
JUST AS THERE WERE indicators of the coming destruction of the world and Sodom and Gomorrah, so the coming of the Lord will be attended by certain signs. Some of them include false prophets, the love of many waxing cold, strong deception, and the shaking of powers (Matt 24:11-12,29). Luke mentions signs in the sun, moon and stars, distress of nations, perplexity, men's hearts failing them for fear (Lk 21:25-26). Still, multitudes will continue to live their lives as usual – just as though nothing of any consequence was on the horizon.
WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME of all kinds of signs – indications that something of staggering proportions is around the corner. There are wars and national conflicts, growing hostility in the middle East, and terrorist activity. All manners of diseases are breaking out that were once thought to have been conquered. Even the lowly mosquito is spreading deadly disease through the country, Together with birds and swine. Violent crime is on the increase, abortion has become a burgeoning industry, and immorality is like a raging fire that is out of control. Corruption has been discovered in business and politics at staggering levels. Add to that the remarkable deterioration of spiritual life, and the replacement of church life with entertainment, and you have a time that should be most sobering. It should be a time when souls are waking up, taking personal inventory, and calling upon the name of the Lord.
BUT THIS IS NOT WHAT IS HAPPENING. Instead, things are moving along as usual. People are buying and selling, planting and building. Young people continue to do young things, and older people continue to do older things. Judging from the state of society in our country, you would think nothing at all was on the horizon. Things are continuing as usual. But we must not be lulled to sleep by these conditions. These are NOT normal times. The coming of the Lord IS drawing near. This is NOT the time to live as usual, as in the days of Noah and the days of Lot. It is a day that calls for alertness, vigilance, and an increase in zeal and commitment to the Lord.
– Given O. Blakely
JESUS AFFIRMED THAT WHEN HE RETURNED, men would be conducting their affairs just as they were when the flood came rushing in upon the world of the ungodly of Noah's day. One hundred and twenty years after God had warned Noah of the impending destruction of the world by a flood, an unequaled cataclysmic event occurred in nature. "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." (Gen 7:11-12). I do not know the extent of the world's knowledge of the coming flood. Noah is called "a preacher of righteousness"(2 Pet 2:5). Much of his testimony no doubt preceded the building of the ark, which was itself a solemn declaration that the world had been condemned by God. Well over a century, therefore – perhaps even two or three centuries – the world of the ungodly had some warning of God's wrath. Yet, it remained wholly unaffected. Noah walked with God before the birth of his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Gen 6:9-10). God spoke to him concerning the destruction of that world, telling him to build an ark. This took place when he was about 480 years of age, for the flood came one hundred and twenty years later, when Noah was six hundred years old (Gen 7:6). Thus, his testimony could well have extended over a period of at least200-300 years.
UP UNTIL THE VERY DAY the flood came, the world conducted its business as usual. Matthew says they "were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage" right up to the day Noah entered the ark. Luke says the same thing (Luke 17:27). Luke also records an elaboration of Jesus, who likened His return to the day Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed" (Luke 17:28-30). In the flood and the destruction of Sodom, things continued as usual up to the very end. There was no serious thought about the end of all things. The people did not alter their conduct one whit, but maintained their usual manner of life, blissfully unaware they were soon to be destroyed. Beasts of the earth can sense a storm. Wild animals can detect the presence of a foe. But sin had so dulled the conscience of the people of Noah and Lot's days that they did not break the monotony of life for a single moment, even though destruction was near.
JESUS AFFIRMED THAT IS PRECISELY HOW it will be when He returns to conclude the history of the world. That conclusion will include the punishment of the ungodly, who will be "punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power" (2 Thess 1:9). Their destruction will surpass that of "the world of the ungodly" of Noah's day (2 Pet 2:5). It will dwarf the punishment of the men of Sodom who "were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly" (Gen 13:13).
JUST AS THERE WERE indicators of the coming destruction of the world and Sodom and Gomorrah, so the coming of the Lord will be attended by certain signs. Some of them include false prophets, the love of many waxing cold, strong deception, and the shaking of powers (Matt 24:11-12,29). Luke mentions signs in the sun, moon and stars, distress of nations, perplexity, men's hearts failing them for fear (Lk 21:25-26). Still, multitudes will continue to live their lives as usual – just as though nothing of any consequence was on the horizon.
WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME of all kinds of signs – indications that something of staggering proportions is around the corner. There are wars and national conflicts, growing hostility in the middle East, and terrorist activity. All manners of diseases are breaking out that were once thought to have been conquered. Even the lowly mosquito is spreading deadly disease through the country, Together with birds and swine. Violent crime is on the increase, abortion has become a burgeoning industry, and immorality is like a raging fire that is out of control. Corruption has been discovered in business and politics at staggering levels. Add to that the remarkable deterioration of spiritual life, and the replacement of church life with entertainment, and you have a time that should be most sobering. It should be a time when souls are waking up, taking personal inventory, and calling upon the name of the Lord.
BUT THIS IS NOT WHAT IS HAPPENING. Instead, things are moving along as usual. People are buying and selling, planting and building. Young people continue to do young things, and older people continue to do older things. Judging from the state of society in our country, you would think nothing at all was on the horizon. Things are continuing as usual. But we must not be lulled to sleep by these conditions. These are NOT normal times. The coming of the Lord IS drawing near. This is NOT the time to live as usual, as in the days of Noah and the days of Lot. It is a day that calls for alertness, vigilance, and an increase in zeal and commitment to the Lord.
– Given O. Blakely
Friday, January 22, 2010
FADING GLORY
" . . . the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was" (2 Cor 3:7, NASB )
ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE of all human experiences is that of Moses with God on Mount Sinai. On that occasion, Moses was "there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread nor drink water" (Ex 34:28). Rarely has anyone experienced such extensive exposure to the presence of the Lord of glory – 1-1/3 months without interruption! Being in such a unique place did have an effect upon Moses' person. Although he did not know it, "his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord" (34:29, NIV). As he proceeded down the mountain, coming with the tables of the covenant to the people, he must have appeared like a portable sun, shining in its zenith.
WITNESSING HIS SHINING FACE, and knowing he had been in the presence of the Lord, the people "were afraid to come nigh him." When Moses finally began to speak to them, "he put a veil over his face" (34:33). When Moses returned to speak to the Lord, "he took the veil off," but when he spoke to the people "Moses put the veil upon his face again" (34:34-35).
ALTHOUGH THE BOOK OF EXODUS does not relate the diminishment of the glory reflected in Moses' face, our text informs us it was a "fading" glory. Because it was in the flesh, it could not last. With the passing of time, the shine, or radiance, left the face of Moses. Eventually he needed the veil no longer, and the people could look straight into his face without an intimidation at all.
WHEN JESUS WAS TRANSFIGURED, "His face did shine as the sun" (Matt 17:2), and "the fashion of His countenance was altered" (Lk 9:29). However, when He came down the mountain with Peter, James, and John, His face was no longer shining as the sun in its strength, and His garments were no longer "white and glistering." Even His flesh, sinless though it was, did not retain the glory. Much more was this true of Moses. With Jesus, the glory came from within, as well as from the Presence of the Lord. It is as though His inner glory merged with the glory to which He was exposed in His prayer. That glory remained within, even though it faded from His face and garments.
WITH MOSES, THE GLORY did not come from within, but from without. He was in the presence of Divine glory, and it caused his face to shine. Yet, because of the nature of the flesh, it was a "fading glory."
THE HOLY SPIRIT AFFIRMS Moses' experience stands for the Law as a whole. It started out in a blaze of glory, but began to fade. Soon the glory of Sinai was forgotten, and the people began to murmur and complain. Soon they could look at Moses and chide him instead of fear him. Soon they returned to their old manners, because the glory was a fading glory.THE SOURCE OF THE GLORY that lit up the face of Moses was genuine – it was the glory of God Himself. However, the treasure of that glory was in the frail vessel of the flesh, and thus began to dissipate. The flesh cannot perpetually hold what is eternal. If Divine effects are to be kept, they must go deeper than the flesh, and move beyond what can be seen.
MOSES LIVED IN AN ERA of restriction – a time when sin had not been "put away" (Heb 9:26), the Holy Spirit had not yet been "given" (John 7:39), and the world had not yet been "reconciled to God" (2 Cor 5:19). It was a time when the glory of God "faded," regardless of its greatness.
BUT THIS IS NOT THE KIND of day in which we live! This is the day of salvation – the day in which Divine glory is "rather glorious," "exceeds," and "excels" (2 Cor 3:8-10). Rather than fading, it increases, as the saints "are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (3:18), or "with ever-increasing glory" (NIV). Those in Christ can "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior" (2 Pet 3:18), and "go on to perfection" (Heb 6:1). This is NOT the time for "fading glory!"
IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO SEE professing Christians wane in their commitment to Christ, their zeal, and their devotion to the Lord. Countless numbers of church people have gone backward instead of forward. Their love for the Lord has cooled. They are not noted for any spiritual consistency. What has happened? Why is their present condition less then their beginning? It is because their glory is fading! They are a living contradiction. In the Divinely appointed day of increase, they are decreasing. During the time in which steady movement is to be made upward, they are going downward. Their glory is fading! They have less interest in the things of God, less likeness to the Lord Jesus, and less faith, hope, and love.
AND WHY IS ALL OF THIS SO? Why is their glory fading in this day of salvation? Because it has gone no further than their flesh! Their religion is not of the heart. Christ is not dwelling in their hearts by faith, nor is His word dwelling richly within them (Eph 3:17; Col 3:16). That is why their glory is fading.
– Given O. Blakely
ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE of all human experiences is that of Moses with God on Mount Sinai. On that occasion, Moses was "there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread nor drink water" (Ex 34:28). Rarely has anyone experienced such extensive exposure to the presence of the Lord of glory – 1-1/3 months without interruption! Being in such a unique place did have an effect upon Moses' person. Although he did not know it, "his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord" (34:29, NIV). As he proceeded down the mountain, coming with the tables of the covenant to the people, he must have appeared like a portable sun, shining in its zenith.
WITNESSING HIS SHINING FACE, and knowing he had been in the presence of the Lord, the people "were afraid to come nigh him." When Moses finally began to speak to them, "he put a veil over his face" (34:33). When Moses returned to speak to the Lord, "he took the veil off," but when he spoke to the people "Moses put the veil upon his face again" (34:34-35).
ALTHOUGH THE BOOK OF EXODUS does not relate the diminishment of the glory reflected in Moses' face, our text informs us it was a "fading" glory. Because it was in the flesh, it could not last. With the passing of time, the shine, or radiance, left the face of Moses. Eventually he needed the veil no longer, and the people could look straight into his face without an intimidation at all.
WHEN JESUS WAS TRANSFIGURED, "His face did shine as the sun" (Matt 17:2), and "the fashion of His countenance was altered" (Lk 9:29). However, when He came down the mountain with Peter, James, and John, His face was no longer shining as the sun in its strength, and His garments were no longer "white and glistering." Even His flesh, sinless though it was, did not retain the glory. Much more was this true of Moses. With Jesus, the glory came from within, as well as from the Presence of the Lord. It is as though His inner glory merged with the glory to which He was exposed in His prayer. That glory remained within, even though it faded from His face and garments.
WITH MOSES, THE GLORY did not come from within, but from without. He was in the presence of Divine glory, and it caused his face to shine. Yet, because of the nature of the flesh, it was a "fading glory."
THE HOLY SPIRIT AFFIRMS Moses' experience stands for the Law as a whole. It started out in a blaze of glory, but began to fade. Soon the glory of Sinai was forgotten, and the people began to murmur and complain. Soon they could look at Moses and chide him instead of fear him. Soon they returned to their old manners, because the glory was a fading glory.THE SOURCE OF THE GLORY that lit up the face of Moses was genuine – it was the glory of God Himself. However, the treasure of that glory was in the frail vessel of the flesh, and thus began to dissipate. The flesh cannot perpetually hold what is eternal. If Divine effects are to be kept, they must go deeper than the flesh, and move beyond what can be seen.
MOSES LIVED IN AN ERA of restriction – a time when sin had not been "put away" (Heb 9:26), the Holy Spirit had not yet been "given" (John 7:39), and the world had not yet been "reconciled to God" (2 Cor 5:19). It was a time when the glory of God "faded," regardless of its greatness.
BUT THIS IS NOT THE KIND of day in which we live! This is the day of salvation – the day in which Divine glory is "rather glorious," "exceeds," and "excels" (2 Cor 3:8-10). Rather than fading, it increases, as the saints "are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (3:18), or "with ever-increasing glory" (NIV). Those in Christ can "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior" (2 Pet 3:18), and "go on to perfection" (Heb 6:1). This is NOT the time for "fading glory!"
IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO SEE professing Christians wane in their commitment to Christ, their zeal, and their devotion to the Lord. Countless numbers of church people have gone backward instead of forward. Their love for the Lord has cooled. They are not noted for any spiritual consistency. What has happened? Why is their present condition less then their beginning? It is because their glory is fading! They are a living contradiction. In the Divinely appointed day of increase, they are decreasing. During the time in which steady movement is to be made upward, they are going downward. Their glory is fading! They have less interest in the things of God, less likeness to the Lord Jesus, and less faith, hope, and love.
AND WHY IS ALL OF THIS SO? Why is their glory fading in this day of salvation? Because it has gone no further than their flesh! Their religion is not of the heart. Christ is not dwelling in their hearts by faith, nor is His word dwelling richly within them (Eph 3:17; Col 3:16). That is why their glory is fading.
– Given O. Blakely
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
THERE IS STILL ROOM!
"Sir, the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room." (Luke 14:22)
THE SALVATION OF GOD is so large that many different views of it are provided in Scripture. In its broadest view, the salvation of God is encompassed in the expression "the Kingdom of God." The present reign of the Almighty focuses upon the extrication of men from the guilt and power of sin – all the while maintaining complete control over all the world as He works everything together for the good of His people.
SEVEN TIMES THE BOOK OF MATTHEW represents Jesus as saying "the kingdom of heaven is like unto . . . " In these various representations, the Lord is showing different aspects of this "great salvation." In one respect, it tends to spread like yeast (Matt 13:33). In another sense, it is like finding a great treasure that compels the finder to abandon everything else to obtain it (Matt 13:44-46). Still another view shows how salvation involves the employment of many souls, some of which will be finally rejected (Matt 13:47-50). It also involves opening up things that are both "old" and "new" (Matt 13:52). Salvation involves the employment of laborers to work in the Lord's vineyard (Matt 20:1-16). It is even like a man who made a marriage for his son, inviting guests from far and wide to be part of the occasion (Matt 22:2-10).
OUR TEXT PROVIDES yet another view of salvation, including the varied responses of humanity to God's provision of it. In this parable, Jesus said the provision of salvation was like a certain man who "made a great supper, and bade many." This was a sumptuous banquet with rich fare, and an abundance befitting of a man of great wealth. It took some time for this remarkable feast to be prepared. Before the preparations began, invitations were sent out, alerting the potential guests of the large and opulent fiesta. When it was ready, servants were sent out to all who had been invited, who, it would be expected, would rejoice to learn that the appointed time had come. The joyful sound was proclaimed, "Come, for all things are now ready" (14:17).
TO THE CONSTERNATION OF THE CRIERS, the people began to offer excuses for NOT coming to the feast – the feast to which they had previously been alerted and invited. One man said he had purchased a piece of land and simply had to go and look at it (14:18). Another said he had just bought five yoke of oxen, and was on his way to test them out (14:19). Still another said he had just married a wife, and simply was not able to come (14:20). Their daily activities, they thought, made no allowance for attending this banquet.
AS MIGHT BE EXPECTED, the servant returned to tell the master of the house of the situation. From a purely human point of view (which is always the wrong view), all of the excuses seemed reasonable enough. However, that is not the way the master of the house viewed them. Jesus declared the master was "angry" about the situation. He told the servant to "Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame" (Luke 14:21, NASB). These were people who ordinarily would NOT be invited to such a feast, and therefore would tend to appreciate it more. They were people who were more aware of their helpless condition than others. Among them were people who had no resources, were not mobile, could not see, and could not walk at all. The servant was told to "bring" them, not simply invite them.
HAVING QUICKLY OBEYED HIS MASTER, the servant reported, "Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and YET THERE IS ROOM." Ordinarily, feasts are limited, food runs out, and there can easily be more people than provisions. But here is a feast that is larger than the number availing themselves of it. There is still room. More can come. There is no established quota or limitation. The master responded, "And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled" (14:23). He added, "none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper" (14:24).
GREAT PROVISIONS DEMAND GREAT RESPONSES. Abundant supplies require abounding and gracious reactions. Yet, throughout history, a relatively small percentage of those hearing the Gospel of this bountiful banquet of salvation have actually come to the feast – though all are invited. THERE IS STILL ROOM! Still an abundance remains. The table of salvation is spread with all manner of necessities and spiritual pleasantries – a "feast of fat things," indeed (Isa 25:6). Those who refuse to come to this table have, by that very refusal, forfeited their right to participate in the banquet. God will not continue to invite those who spurn His love, refuse His provisions, and neglect His great salvation (Heb 2:3). However, there are the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. There are those wandering on the highways and hedges of loneliness who know they stand in need. These poor souls are to be brought to the feast. God wants them there!
– Given O. Blakely
THE SALVATION OF GOD is so large that many different views of it are provided in Scripture. In its broadest view, the salvation of God is encompassed in the expression "the Kingdom of God." The present reign of the Almighty focuses upon the extrication of men from the guilt and power of sin – all the while maintaining complete control over all the world as He works everything together for the good of His people.
SEVEN TIMES THE BOOK OF MATTHEW represents Jesus as saying "the kingdom of heaven is like unto . . . " In these various representations, the Lord is showing different aspects of this "great salvation." In one respect, it tends to spread like yeast (Matt 13:33). In another sense, it is like finding a great treasure that compels the finder to abandon everything else to obtain it (Matt 13:44-46). Still another view shows how salvation involves the employment of many souls, some of which will be finally rejected (Matt 13:47-50). It also involves opening up things that are both "old" and "new" (Matt 13:52). Salvation involves the employment of laborers to work in the Lord's vineyard (Matt 20:1-16). It is even like a man who made a marriage for his son, inviting guests from far and wide to be part of the occasion (Matt 22:2-10).
OUR TEXT PROVIDES yet another view of salvation, including the varied responses of humanity to God's provision of it. In this parable, Jesus said the provision of salvation was like a certain man who "made a great supper, and bade many." This was a sumptuous banquet with rich fare, and an abundance befitting of a man of great wealth. It took some time for this remarkable feast to be prepared. Before the preparations began, invitations were sent out, alerting the potential guests of the large and opulent fiesta. When it was ready, servants were sent out to all who had been invited, who, it would be expected, would rejoice to learn that the appointed time had come. The joyful sound was proclaimed, "Come, for all things are now ready" (14:17).
TO THE CONSTERNATION OF THE CRIERS, the people began to offer excuses for NOT coming to the feast – the feast to which they had previously been alerted and invited. One man said he had purchased a piece of land and simply had to go and look at it (14:18). Another said he had just bought five yoke of oxen, and was on his way to test them out (14:19). Still another said he had just married a wife, and simply was not able to come (14:20). Their daily activities, they thought, made no allowance for attending this banquet.
AS MIGHT BE EXPECTED, the servant returned to tell the master of the house of the situation. From a purely human point of view (which is always the wrong view), all of the excuses seemed reasonable enough. However, that is not the way the master of the house viewed them. Jesus declared the master was "angry" about the situation. He told the servant to "Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame" (Luke 14:21, NASB). These were people who ordinarily would NOT be invited to such a feast, and therefore would tend to appreciate it more. They were people who were more aware of their helpless condition than others. Among them were people who had no resources, were not mobile, could not see, and could not walk at all. The servant was told to "bring" them, not simply invite them.
HAVING QUICKLY OBEYED HIS MASTER, the servant reported, "Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and YET THERE IS ROOM." Ordinarily, feasts are limited, food runs out, and there can easily be more people than provisions. But here is a feast that is larger than the number availing themselves of it. There is still room. More can come. There is no established quota or limitation. The master responded, "And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled" (14:23). He added, "none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper" (14:24).
GREAT PROVISIONS DEMAND GREAT RESPONSES. Abundant supplies require abounding and gracious reactions. Yet, throughout history, a relatively small percentage of those hearing the Gospel of this bountiful banquet of salvation have actually come to the feast – though all are invited. THERE IS STILL ROOM! Still an abundance remains. The table of salvation is spread with all manner of necessities and spiritual pleasantries – a "feast of fat things," indeed (Isa 25:6). Those who refuse to come to this table have, by that very refusal, forfeited their right to participate in the banquet. God will not continue to invite those who spurn His love, refuse His provisions, and neglect His great salvation (Heb 2:3). However, there are the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. There are those wandering on the highways and hedges of loneliness who know they stand in need. These poor souls are to be brought to the feast. God wants them there!
– Given O. Blakely
Monday, January 18, 2010
TRYING TO MEND THE VEIL
"And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom" (Mark 15:38)
CERTAIN CLIMACTIC EVENTS took place when Jesus died. During the last three hours of His life, "there was a darkness over all the earth" (Lk 23:44). When He had breathed His last, a great earthquake took place "and the rocks were split" (Matt 27:51). It is even written that, at that time, "the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose" (Mat 27:52). After Jesus rose from the dead, these resurrected saints "went into the holy city, and appeared unto many" (Matt 27:53). Those were remarkable things that were apparent to many of the people.
HOWEVER, WITHIN THE TEMPLE, in a place not accessible to most of the people, something also occurred. At the very instant Jesus cried out with a loud voice, yielding up His spirit, a violent thing took place between the holy place of the Temple and the holy of holies – a place into which only the high priest could enter once a year. There was a great veil that was suspended from the ceiling to the floor that separated the two primary compartments of the temple. This was a tightly woven tapestry of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. It is estimated to have been about a hand's breadth in thickness, or at least four inches. The original veil was used to wrap the ark of the covenant when the ancient tabernacle was moved from place to place (Num 4:5).
THE MOMENT JESUS DIED, this great veil was violently "torn in two from top to bottom" (NIV). This was a deliberate action of the mighty God of heaven, and thus the veil was ripped in two starting at "the top." Suddenly, for the first time, the holy of holies was opened – a place into which it was formerly unlawful for anyone except the high priest to enter. By tearing this veil in two, God was showing that "the way into the holiest of all" was now "made manifest" – the way into His Presence (Heb 9:8).
REFERRING TO THIS MARVELOUS ENTRANCE, the Spirit urges us, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near . . . " (Heb 10:19-22). Just as the high priest entered the holiest place by pulling the veil aside, so when Christ's body was pulled from this world, and He Himself entered into heaven, the way into the Presence of God was opened for all who come to God through Him (Heb 7:25).
NOW THOSE IN CHRIST "have access into this grace wherein we stand" (Rom 5:2). Now, by the grace of God, both Jew and Gentile "have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Eph 2:18). We even "have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him" (Eph 3:12). That is the marvelous circumstance for every person who is in Christ Jesus. They can come into the presence of the Lord as often as they want, stay as long as they want, and get as much as they want – and that is a very conservative way of stating the case. There, in His presence, we can "obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need"(Heb 4:16).
BUT, ALAS, THERE ARE THOSE IDENTIFIED within the professed church who are trying to mend the veil – to put together what God has torn apart. They are not content unless some obstacle exists between men and God – some restricting influence that blocks the way into the presence of God – the way that has been left wide open by the entrance of Jesus into heaven, to sit on the right hand of God.
THE CLERGY SYSTEM, wherein only certain specially trained men are qualified to traffic in the things of God, is nothing but an attempt to mend the veil. Such a system would make no allowance for fishermen or tax collectors to be Apostles. A herdman and gatherer of fruit like Amos could never be a prophet (Amos 7:14). A man plowing with twelve yoke of oxen would never be called to take the place of the mighty prophet Elijah, as Elisha was (1 Kgs 19:19). This professional system is an obstacle, not a help. It is an attempt to mend the veil.
THIS IS ALSO A DAY OF RELIGIOUS SPECIALISTS. They range from psychological counselors to church growth gurus, and motivational and financial wizards. The people are no longer required to inquire of the Lord, entering into the holiest place. A system of religion has arisen than provides a substitute for obtaining mercy from God and finding grace to help in the time of need – all in the name of Christianity. It is an attempt to mend the veil.
EVEN IN THE DAYS OF THE EARLY CHURCH these would-be menders were present. Some went out preaching, "Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1). Others concocted special "ordinances" that directed the people to "touch not, taste not, handle not." They offered "the commandments of men" and special rigorous routines that offered hope to the helpless (Col 2:20-23). They also were trying to mend the veil.
WHEN THE GOD OF HEAVEN ripped the veil in two, He intended to instruct us that whosoever will may come! This is the time for drawing near to God – for pressing in close to the Source of life, grace, and truth. Those who do not come to the Lord, choosing to stand at a distance, are actually trying to mend the veil.
– Given O. Blakely
CERTAIN CLIMACTIC EVENTS took place when Jesus died. During the last three hours of His life, "there was a darkness over all the earth" (Lk 23:44). When He had breathed His last, a great earthquake took place "and the rocks were split" (Matt 27:51). It is even written that, at that time, "the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose" (Mat 27:52). After Jesus rose from the dead, these resurrected saints "went into the holy city, and appeared unto many" (Matt 27:53). Those were remarkable things that were apparent to many of the people.
HOWEVER, WITHIN THE TEMPLE, in a place not accessible to most of the people, something also occurred. At the very instant Jesus cried out with a loud voice, yielding up His spirit, a violent thing took place between the holy place of the Temple and the holy of holies – a place into which only the high priest could enter once a year. There was a great veil that was suspended from the ceiling to the floor that separated the two primary compartments of the temple. This was a tightly woven tapestry of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. It is estimated to have been about a hand's breadth in thickness, or at least four inches. The original veil was used to wrap the ark of the covenant when the ancient tabernacle was moved from place to place (Num 4:5).
THE MOMENT JESUS DIED, this great veil was violently "torn in two from top to bottom" (NIV). This was a deliberate action of the mighty God of heaven, and thus the veil was ripped in two starting at "the top." Suddenly, for the first time, the holy of holies was opened – a place into which it was formerly unlawful for anyone except the high priest to enter. By tearing this veil in two, God was showing that "the way into the holiest of all" was now "made manifest" – the way into His Presence (Heb 9:8).
REFERRING TO THIS MARVELOUS ENTRANCE, the Spirit urges us, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near . . . " (Heb 10:19-22). Just as the high priest entered the holiest place by pulling the veil aside, so when Christ's body was pulled from this world, and He Himself entered into heaven, the way into the Presence of God was opened for all who come to God through Him (Heb 7:25).
NOW THOSE IN CHRIST "have access into this grace wherein we stand" (Rom 5:2). Now, by the grace of God, both Jew and Gentile "have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Eph 2:18). We even "have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him" (Eph 3:12). That is the marvelous circumstance for every person who is in Christ Jesus. They can come into the presence of the Lord as often as they want, stay as long as they want, and get as much as they want – and that is a very conservative way of stating the case. There, in His presence, we can "obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need"(Heb 4:16).
BUT, ALAS, THERE ARE THOSE IDENTIFIED within the professed church who are trying to mend the veil – to put together what God has torn apart. They are not content unless some obstacle exists between men and God – some restricting influence that blocks the way into the presence of God – the way that has been left wide open by the entrance of Jesus into heaven, to sit on the right hand of God.
THE CLERGY SYSTEM, wherein only certain specially trained men are qualified to traffic in the things of God, is nothing but an attempt to mend the veil. Such a system would make no allowance for fishermen or tax collectors to be Apostles. A herdman and gatherer of fruit like Amos could never be a prophet (Amos 7:14). A man plowing with twelve yoke of oxen would never be called to take the place of the mighty prophet Elijah, as Elisha was (1 Kgs 19:19). This professional system is an obstacle, not a help. It is an attempt to mend the veil.
THIS IS ALSO A DAY OF RELIGIOUS SPECIALISTS. They range from psychological counselors to church growth gurus, and motivational and financial wizards. The people are no longer required to inquire of the Lord, entering into the holiest place. A system of religion has arisen than provides a substitute for obtaining mercy from God and finding grace to help in the time of need – all in the name of Christianity. It is an attempt to mend the veil.
EVEN IN THE DAYS OF THE EARLY CHURCH these would-be menders were present. Some went out preaching, "Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1). Others concocted special "ordinances" that directed the people to "touch not, taste not, handle not." They offered "the commandments of men" and special rigorous routines that offered hope to the helpless (Col 2:20-23). They also were trying to mend the veil.
WHEN THE GOD OF HEAVEN ripped the veil in two, He intended to instruct us that whosoever will may come! This is the time for drawing near to God – for pressing in close to the Source of life, grace, and truth. Those who do not come to the Lord, choosing to stand at a distance, are actually trying to mend the veil.
– Given O. Blakely
Friday, January 15, 2010
A SPARROW ALONE
" I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top." (Psa. 102:7)
THE 102nd PSALM IS THE PRAYER of a person in affliction – one who is being battered by the circumstances of life, and hounded by his enemies. Life has become a burden, and relief appears to be in a distant land. The afflicted one is depicted as being "overwhelmed," or "faint" (v 1, NIV). The person is "in trouble," or "distress" (NIV), and an answer to his fervent prayer is requested "speedily" (v 2). For this poor soul, life is like a burning house that is being consumed, and the hurt goes deep, even into his bones (v 3). The once strong heart is "withered like grass," and even eating is no longer appealing (v 4). In his soul, this afflicted person has become starved, like a person whose bones are covered only by his skin (v 5). He is like a lonely pelican in a barren wilderness, or a hooting owl in the midst of a thirsty desert (v 6).
CERTAINLY THIS IS A DESCRIPTION of a miserable and pitiable condition. Some might even suppose such a thing could never happen to someone who was trusting in the Lord. Yet, these are the expressions of a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22), the "sweet psalmist of Israel" (2 Sam 23:1), who was noted for his faith.
WHAT WE HAVE HERE is the expression of an honest heart. There is no attempt to pretend as though life had no burdens. Instead, with inspired articulation, David puts into words the dreadful feeling of loneliness, when it seems as though the burden of life is carried by the individual alone, with no perceived assistance. Those who know the Lord are aware that this is not really the case – yet, that is how it appears, and that is what is driving this prayer. "I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top." Other versions read, "I lie awake, I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop" (NIV), and "a solitary bird on the roof" (NLT). It would be good if loneliness could always be dissolved by a good night's rest. But the psalmist enjoyed no such luxury. Instead he lay awake, with loneliness hovering over him like a dark and foreboding cloud.
DAVID DID NOT FEEL LIKE one great eagle, swift and strong of wing. Nor, indeed, did he feel like a single ostrich, fleet of foot, and able to run at high speeds. Instead, he felt like a solitary sparrow – defined lexically as "a little hopping bird." He could not get far off the ground, and even then, it was not for long. He was not soaring like an eagle, but perched alone on a roof, confined there by weakness.
DURING THIS TIME, his enemies reproached him "all the day," and he seemed powerless against them (v 8). Life had become like a pile of dry ashes, and his tears dropped into the very waters he drank (v 9). He felt as though this was a time of chastening, when the anger of the Lord had been unleashed against him. The very God who had lifted him up, had now cast him down to the ground (v 10). He felt as though everything about life was declining, and he was withering like the grass under the blast of a hot summer sun (v 11).Keep in mind, this was the way life seemed to the psalmist. It had become a heavy burden, and no helper was apparent. Like a weak hopping little bird, he found himself on the roof of life under the blast of a scorching sun, and with his strength withering.
YET, EVEN IN THIS DREADFUL DILEMMA, a surge of strength comes into the lonely man. Suddenly his attention is turned from his own miserable experience to the Lord of glory. "But Thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and Thy remembrance unto all generations. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favor her, yea, the set time, is come" (vs 12,13). He speaks of God's servants experiencing pleasure (v 14), his enemies fearing God's name (v 15), and the Lord building up His people (v 16). With remarkable conviction he affirms that God "will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer" (v 17). He affirms God's people will praise Him instead of lamenting their loneliness (v 18). With the shout of faith he declares God will look down from the height of heaven, behold the earth, hear the groaning of the prisoners, and loose them (v 19-20). After affirming the unchangeable nature of the Living God, loneliness is swallowed up by spiritual insight and the psalmist exclaims, "The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee" (v 28).
WHAT BROUGHT THIS MARVELOUS TRANSITION ABOUT? How can a lonely sparrow on a roof top suddenly become filled with insight and praise? The grieving one himself provides the answer in this very psalm: "He weakened my strength in the way" (v 23). God had brought him to feel like a lonely little sparrow to confirm how much he needed Him. It was the Lord who made life a burden – because that is precisely what it is without the Lord. Through this experience came a fuller understanding of the need for a God who is "a very present help in the time of trouble" (Psa 46:1). The "sparrow" experience made David more discerning and teachable. It does the same for you.
– Given O. Blakely
THE 102nd PSALM IS THE PRAYER of a person in affliction – one who is being battered by the circumstances of life, and hounded by his enemies. Life has become a burden, and relief appears to be in a distant land. The afflicted one is depicted as being "overwhelmed," or "faint" (v 1, NIV). The person is "in trouble," or "distress" (NIV), and an answer to his fervent prayer is requested "speedily" (v 2). For this poor soul, life is like a burning house that is being consumed, and the hurt goes deep, even into his bones (v 3). The once strong heart is "withered like grass," and even eating is no longer appealing (v 4). In his soul, this afflicted person has become starved, like a person whose bones are covered only by his skin (v 5). He is like a lonely pelican in a barren wilderness, or a hooting owl in the midst of a thirsty desert (v 6).
CERTAINLY THIS IS A DESCRIPTION of a miserable and pitiable condition. Some might even suppose such a thing could never happen to someone who was trusting in the Lord. Yet, these are the expressions of a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22), the "sweet psalmist of Israel" (2 Sam 23:1), who was noted for his faith.
WHAT WE HAVE HERE is the expression of an honest heart. There is no attempt to pretend as though life had no burdens. Instead, with inspired articulation, David puts into words the dreadful feeling of loneliness, when it seems as though the burden of life is carried by the individual alone, with no perceived assistance. Those who know the Lord are aware that this is not really the case – yet, that is how it appears, and that is what is driving this prayer. "I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top." Other versions read, "I lie awake, I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop" (NIV), and "a solitary bird on the roof" (NLT). It would be good if loneliness could always be dissolved by a good night's rest. But the psalmist enjoyed no such luxury. Instead he lay awake, with loneliness hovering over him like a dark and foreboding cloud.
DAVID DID NOT FEEL LIKE one great eagle, swift and strong of wing. Nor, indeed, did he feel like a single ostrich, fleet of foot, and able to run at high speeds. Instead, he felt like a solitary sparrow – defined lexically as "a little hopping bird." He could not get far off the ground, and even then, it was not for long. He was not soaring like an eagle, but perched alone on a roof, confined there by weakness.
DURING THIS TIME, his enemies reproached him "all the day," and he seemed powerless against them (v 8). Life had become like a pile of dry ashes, and his tears dropped into the very waters he drank (v 9). He felt as though this was a time of chastening, when the anger of the Lord had been unleashed against him. The very God who had lifted him up, had now cast him down to the ground (v 10). He felt as though everything about life was declining, and he was withering like the grass under the blast of a hot summer sun (v 11).Keep in mind, this was the way life seemed to the psalmist. It had become a heavy burden, and no helper was apparent. Like a weak hopping little bird, he found himself on the roof of life under the blast of a scorching sun, and with his strength withering.
YET, EVEN IN THIS DREADFUL DILEMMA, a surge of strength comes into the lonely man. Suddenly his attention is turned from his own miserable experience to the Lord of glory. "But Thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and Thy remembrance unto all generations. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favor her, yea, the set time, is come" (vs 12,13). He speaks of God's servants experiencing pleasure (v 14), his enemies fearing God's name (v 15), and the Lord building up His people (v 16). With remarkable conviction he affirms that God "will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer" (v 17). He affirms God's people will praise Him instead of lamenting their loneliness (v 18). With the shout of faith he declares God will look down from the height of heaven, behold the earth, hear the groaning of the prisoners, and loose them (v 19-20). After affirming the unchangeable nature of the Living God, loneliness is swallowed up by spiritual insight and the psalmist exclaims, "The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee" (v 28).
WHAT BROUGHT THIS MARVELOUS TRANSITION ABOUT? How can a lonely sparrow on a roof top suddenly become filled with insight and praise? The grieving one himself provides the answer in this very psalm: "He weakened my strength in the way" (v 23). God had brought him to feel like a lonely little sparrow to confirm how much he needed Him. It was the Lord who made life a burden – because that is precisely what it is without the Lord. Through this experience came a fuller understanding of the need for a God who is "a very present help in the time of trouble" (Psa 46:1). The "sparrow" experience made David more discerning and teachable. It does the same for you.
– Given O. Blakely
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
ON THE VERGE OF RUIN
"I was on the verge of total ruin, in the midst of the assembly and congregation" (Prov 5:14, NKJV)
IN OTHER VERSIONS THIS TEXT READS, "I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly" (KJV), "I was almost in utter ruin in the midst of the assembly and congregation" (NASB), and "I have come to the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly" (NIV). These words are found in some instruction Solomon gave to his son, who was no doubt Rehoboam, the only son the Scriptures affirm him to have fathered (1 Kgs 11:43).
THIS PARTICULAR INSTRUCTION regarded being deceived and seduced by a deceptive woman – a picture of all forms of deception and spiritual defilement. Should such a thing take place – that is, should a soul properly raised and taught be seduced by a deceiver – Solomon affirms certain things must be acknowledged. (1) I have hated instruction (5:12a). (2) My heart despised reproof (5:12b). (3) I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers (5:13a). (4) I have not inclined my ear to those who instructed me (5:13b). In other words, in order for someone who has been taught properly to be deceived, fall away, or swept up in delusion, certain attitudes have been willingly embraced. The individual came to hate and despise instruction and spiritual discipline. Correction was considered worthless, and due consideration was not given to it. A certain disdain was held for the teacher of truth, so that his word was neither valued nor heeded.
A DEPARTURE FROM THE TRUTH is never innocent, never inadvertent, and never accidental. It is always deliberate, always willing, and always preferred above remaining in the light. When the awareness of these circumstances settles upon the soul, departures from the faith and drawing back from the Lord will be taken seriously and avoided at all cost. Unfortunately, we are living in a day of spiritual obtuseness, when sensitive souls are rare, and understanding ones are exceedingly exceptional.
NOTICE THE EXPRESSION OF OUR TEXT. These are words that a deceived soul are to SAY – a person who has been moved out of the way that leads to life by the delusions of this world. This is said of a person who has been exposed to the truth, dwelt among godly people, and was part of a righteous "assembly" or "congregation." This is a person who has had the advantage of several godly people, and was, in some sense, surrounded by all manner of holy advantages. There was every reason for such a person to excel, advance in the truth, and be faithful in every way. Such a person had the right teacher, and was among the right people.
BUT, ALAS, ALL OF THIS PROVED TO BE FUTILE. Instead of become stable, profitable, and God-honoring, the person was "on the verge of total ruin" – right in the middle of a holy assembly! Instead of experiencing deliverance from all manner of iniquity, the person was "almost in all evil" (KJV) – right in the heart of a sanctified congregation. Rather than moving further and further from the dreadful pit from which he was delivered, this soul "came to the brink of utter ruin" (NIV) – while sitting among those who could help him be stable and triumphant.
DO YOU SUPPOSE SUCH INDIVIDUALS can be found today? Are there people, young and old, who have been given the advantage of a godly assembly and good teachers, yet have come to the brink of utter spiritual ruin? Are there poor souls whose ears have become "dull of hearing" even though they were subjected to the truth of God, sound words, and the good news of the Gospel of Christ? Indeed, who can deny that there is an uncomfortably large number of people who fall into this category. They are the people of whom the Spirit says, "some shall depart from the faith" (1 Tim 4:1), "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" (2 Tim 3:5), and they "turn away their ears from the truth" (1 Tim 4:4). These are the people of whom Jesus said, "the love of many shall wax cold" (Matt 24:12), and "which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away" (Luke 8:13). Peter said they were like a dog "turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire" (2 Pet 2:22; Prov 26:11). These depict very real circumstances – circumstances that are to be viewed precisely as the Scriptures describe them.
THE FACT THAT SUCH A CONDITION can arise at all is tragic. That it occurs "in the midst of the assembly and congregation" is even more lamentable, particularly when we are speaking of "the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim 3:15).
UNLESS THE SOUL IS ITSELF INVOLVED IN THE AFFAIRS OF A GODLY ASSEMBLY, that very gathering will have no sanctifying influence upon the individual. A person can eat the Passover with Jesus, then leave the room to betray Him to His enemies (John 13:27-30). But such a thing cannot be done without purposing to do so. People cannot "come to the brink of ruin in the midst of the assembly" without closing their ears, hardening their hearts, and quenching the Spirit.
THE POINT IS, of course, that all of this can be avoided by remaining tender to the Lord and His Word. This is accomplished by resisting the devil, steadfast in the faith (1 Pet 5:8-9). When a person has the advantage of a good assembly, there certainly is no need to come to the brink of ruin while sitting there. Rather, one can be brought up higher, made more stable, and conformed more to Jesus. If any professed believer does NOT have such an advantage, they must immediately seek to gain it. When we are put into Christ (1 Cor 1:30), we are simultaneously put into His body (1 Cor 12:13,18). The fact that we are placed in that body "as it has pleased" the Lord confirms that an mystical body is not the point of reference.
A FUNCTIONING body is the point, where members edify one another, and the Head is ministering through the various joints and bands (Eph 4:15-16; Col 2:19). If that is not happening, true spiritual advantages will be exceedingly difficult to find, for that is simply the way Jesus works. Further, if such advantages are not being realized, one necessarily moves closer to the border of ruin.
– Given O. Blakely
IN OTHER VERSIONS THIS TEXT READS, "I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly" (KJV), "I was almost in utter ruin in the midst of the assembly and congregation" (NASB), and "I have come to the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly" (NIV). These words are found in some instruction Solomon gave to his son, who was no doubt Rehoboam, the only son the Scriptures affirm him to have fathered (1 Kgs 11:43).
THIS PARTICULAR INSTRUCTION regarded being deceived and seduced by a deceptive woman – a picture of all forms of deception and spiritual defilement. Should such a thing take place – that is, should a soul properly raised and taught be seduced by a deceiver – Solomon affirms certain things must be acknowledged. (1) I have hated instruction (5:12a). (2) My heart despised reproof (5:12b). (3) I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers (5:13a). (4) I have not inclined my ear to those who instructed me (5:13b). In other words, in order for someone who has been taught properly to be deceived, fall away, or swept up in delusion, certain attitudes have been willingly embraced. The individual came to hate and despise instruction and spiritual discipline. Correction was considered worthless, and due consideration was not given to it. A certain disdain was held for the teacher of truth, so that his word was neither valued nor heeded.
A DEPARTURE FROM THE TRUTH is never innocent, never inadvertent, and never accidental. It is always deliberate, always willing, and always preferred above remaining in the light. When the awareness of these circumstances settles upon the soul, departures from the faith and drawing back from the Lord will be taken seriously and avoided at all cost. Unfortunately, we are living in a day of spiritual obtuseness, when sensitive souls are rare, and understanding ones are exceedingly exceptional.
NOTICE THE EXPRESSION OF OUR TEXT. These are words that a deceived soul are to SAY – a person who has been moved out of the way that leads to life by the delusions of this world. This is said of a person who has been exposed to the truth, dwelt among godly people, and was part of a righteous "assembly" or "congregation." This is a person who has had the advantage of several godly people, and was, in some sense, surrounded by all manner of holy advantages. There was every reason for such a person to excel, advance in the truth, and be faithful in every way. Such a person had the right teacher, and was among the right people.
BUT, ALAS, ALL OF THIS PROVED TO BE FUTILE. Instead of become stable, profitable, and God-honoring, the person was "on the verge of total ruin" – right in the middle of a holy assembly! Instead of experiencing deliverance from all manner of iniquity, the person was "almost in all evil" (KJV) – right in the heart of a sanctified congregation. Rather than moving further and further from the dreadful pit from which he was delivered, this soul "came to the brink of utter ruin" (NIV) – while sitting among those who could help him be stable and triumphant.
DO YOU SUPPOSE SUCH INDIVIDUALS can be found today? Are there people, young and old, who have been given the advantage of a godly assembly and good teachers, yet have come to the brink of utter spiritual ruin? Are there poor souls whose ears have become "dull of hearing" even though they were subjected to the truth of God, sound words, and the good news of the Gospel of Christ? Indeed, who can deny that there is an uncomfortably large number of people who fall into this category. They are the people of whom the Spirit says, "some shall depart from the faith" (1 Tim 4:1), "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" (2 Tim 3:5), and they "turn away their ears from the truth" (1 Tim 4:4). These are the people of whom Jesus said, "the love of many shall wax cold" (Matt 24:12), and "which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away" (Luke 8:13). Peter said they were like a dog "turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire" (2 Pet 2:22; Prov 26:11). These depict very real circumstances – circumstances that are to be viewed precisely as the Scriptures describe them.
THE FACT THAT SUCH A CONDITION can arise at all is tragic. That it occurs "in the midst of the assembly and congregation" is even more lamentable, particularly when we are speaking of "the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim 3:15).
UNLESS THE SOUL IS ITSELF INVOLVED IN THE AFFAIRS OF A GODLY ASSEMBLY, that very gathering will have no sanctifying influence upon the individual. A person can eat the Passover with Jesus, then leave the room to betray Him to His enemies (John 13:27-30). But such a thing cannot be done without purposing to do so. People cannot "come to the brink of ruin in the midst of the assembly" without closing their ears, hardening their hearts, and quenching the Spirit.
THE POINT IS, of course, that all of this can be avoided by remaining tender to the Lord and His Word. This is accomplished by resisting the devil, steadfast in the faith (1 Pet 5:8-9). When a person has the advantage of a good assembly, there certainly is no need to come to the brink of ruin while sitting there. Rather, one can be brought up higher, made more stable, and conformed more to Jesus. If any professed believer does NOT have such an advantage, they must immediately seek to gain it. When we are put into Christ (1 Cor 1:30), we are simultaneously put into His body (1 Cor 12:13,18). The fact that we are placed in that body "as it has pleased" the Lord confirms that an mystical body is not the point of reference.
A FUNCTIONING body is the point, where members edify one another, and the Head is ministering through the various joints and bands (Eph 4:15-16; Col 2:19). If that is not happening, true spiritual advantages will be exceedingly difficult to find, for that is simply the way Jesus works. Further, if such advantages are not being realized, one necessarily moves closer to the border of ruin.
– Given O. Blakely
Monday, January 11, 2010
FILLED WITH FRUITS
FILLED WITH FRUITS
"Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." (Phil 1:11)
THE VERY THOUGHT of a person being "filled" is challenging – of an individual possessing something that pervades and impacts their entire person. Much of the religion of our day settles for much less than a "filling," to be sure. It is possible, of course, to be "filled" with the wrong thing. Some of those things include "unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, debate, deceit, and malignity" (Rom 1:29). But there are things with which we can and OUGHT to be filled. Those in Christ can be filled with "goodness" and "knowledge" (Rom 15:14), "comfort" (2 Cor 7:4), "the Spirit" (Eph 5:19), and "joy" (2 Tim 1:4). This is certainly an area worthy of much exploration.
FILLED WITH ALL ENABLING KNOWLEDGE
" . . . filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another" (Rom 15:14). To have some knowledge about the Bible is one thing. To be "filled with all knowledge" is something else! This is the kind of knowledge that enables one believer to assist another believer to move closer to heaven – to retrieve them from the snare of the devil, and to strengthen them for the good fight of faith. How could you ever hope to acquire such knowledge independently of the Holy Spirit?
FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD
"That He would grant you . . . that you may . . . know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Eph 3:16-19). The objective of God is to fill His people with Himself – "the fulness of God." This is another way of saying we become "partakers of the Divine nature" (2 Pet 1:4). This involves His character, and transforms the preferences, loves, hates, and desires of those who are in Christ Jesus. Being "filled with all the fullness of God" does not mean we become God, for we are created in His image, not created to be His co-equals. The point of being "filled with all the fulness of God" is that our created capacities are permeated with the nature of God Himself. His whole Person cannot reside in us. That could only occur in the Person of Christ, in whom the "fulness" of God dwells bodily, or in corporate form (Col 1:19; 2:9). Our capacities, however, though limited, can be dominated by the Divine nature. Because the Holy Spirit accomplishes this, the results are called "the fruit of the Spirit" (Gal 5:22; Eph 5:9). That "fruit" is nothing else than "the fulness of God," and it is not possible apart from the Spirit.
FILLED WITH THE FRUITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
"Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God" (Phil 1:11). The Lord is not content for a smattering of fruit to be found in His people – an occasional exhibit of Divine life. Jesus said of fruit bearing, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit" (John 15:3). If this is the case, and it emphatically is, how can believers produce "much fruit?" Can the glorification of the Father be accomplished by means of law, or through a disciplinary procedure? Can fruit bearing be learned through an academic regimen? The answer is obvious. We need much help in the matter of bearing fruit!
THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT the wisdom and power required for being "filled with the fruits of righteousness." These are a harvest that results from imputed righteousness. They do not constitute righteousness itself, but flow from it. Since righteousness has been imputed to us (Rom 4:22-25), the fruit of that imputation should be abundant in the saints. Those who wear the name of Jesus ought not to be as the fruitless fig tree upon which our Lord found "nothing but leaves." (Mark 11:13). After all, it is said of the Holy Spirit, " . . . the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior" (Titus 3:6).
FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL
"For this cause we also . . . do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding" (Col 1:9). One only has to have a working knowledge of Scripture, and take it seriously, to sense the great need for Divine empowerment. It is one thing to have a smattering of knowledge concerning the will of God. It is quite another to be "filled with the knowledge of His will."
"HIS WILL EXTENDS FAR BEYOND OUR PERSON. It involves God’s eternal purpose and eternal glory. As individuals, we are involved in God’s will, but our knowledge of it must be greater than the narrow perimeter of our experience. God desires for us to know what He is doing, and to actually involve us in His work. That is why Jesus said to His disciples, "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you" (John 15:15).
BEING FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL not only brings adequacy for life, but causes one to excel in praise as well as in holy activity. Thank God for a filling like that!
– Given O. Blakely
"Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." (Phil 1:11)
THE VERY THOUGHT of a person being "filled" is challenging – of an individual possessing something that pervades and impacts their entire person. Much of the religion of our day settles for much less than a "filling," to be sure. It is possible, of course, to be "filled" with the wrong thing. Some of those things include "unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, debate, deceit, and malignity" (Rom 1:29). But there are things with which we can and OUGHT to be filled. Those in Christ can be filled with "goodness" and "knowledge" (Rom 15:14), "comfort" (2 Cor 7:4), "the Spirit" (Eph 5:19), and "joy" (2 Tim 1:4). This is certainly an area worthy of much exploration.
FILLED WITH ALL ENABLING KNOWLEDGE
" . . . filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another" (Rom 15:14). To have some knowledge about the Bible is one thing. To be "filled with all knowledge" is something else! This is the kind of knowledge that enables one believer to assist another believer to move closer to heaven – to retrieve them from the snare of the devil, and to strengthen them for the good fight of faith. How could you ever hope to acquire such knowledge independently of the Holy Spirit?
FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD
"That He would grant you . . . that you may . . . know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Eph 3:16-19). The objective of God is to fill His people with Himself – "the fulness of God." This is another way of saying we become "partakers of the Divine nature" (2 Pet 1:4). This involves His character, and transforms the preferences, loves, hates, and desires of those who are in Christ Jesus. Being "filled with all the fullness of God" does not mean we become God, for we are created in His image, not created to be His co-equals. The point of being "filled with all the fulness of God" is that our created capacities are permeated with the nature of God Himself. His whole Person cannot reside in us. That could only occur in the Person of Christ, in whom the "fulness" of God dwells bodily, or in corporate form (Col 1:19; 2:9). Our capacities, however, though limited, can be dominated by the Divine nature. Because the Holy Spirit accomplishes this, the results are called "the fruit of the Spirit" (Gal 5:22; Eph 5:9). That "fruit" is nothing else than "the fulness of God," and it is not possible apart from the Spirit.
FILLED WITH THE FRUITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
"Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God" (Phil 1:11). The Lord is not content for a smattering of fruit to be found in His people – an occasional exhibit of Divine life. Jesus said of fruit bearing, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit" (John 15:3). If this is the case, and it emphatically is, how can believers produce "much fruit?" Can the glorification of the Father be accomplished by means of law, or through a disciplinary procedure? Can fruit bearing be learned through an academic regimen? The answer is obvious. We need much help in the matter of bearing fruit!
THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT the wisdom and power required for being "filled with the fruits of righteousness." These are a harvest that results from imputed righteousness. They do not constitute righteousness itself, but flow from it. Since righteousness has been imputed to us (Rom 4:22-25), the fruit of that imputation should be abundant in the saints. Those who wear the name of Jesus ought not to be as the fruitless fig tree upon which our Lord found "nothing but leaves." (Mark 11:13). After all, it is said of the Holy Spirit, " . . . the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior" (Titus 3:6).
FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL
"For this cause we also . . . do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding" (Col 1:9). One only has to have a working knowledge of Scripture, and take it seriously, to sense the great need for Divine empowerment. It is one thing to have a smattering of knowledge concerning the will of God. It is quite another to be "filled with the knowledge of His will."
"HIS WILL EXTENDS FAR BEYOND OUR PERSON. It involves God’s eternal purpose and eternal glory. As individuals, we are involved in God’s will, but our knowledge of it must be greater than the narrow perimeter of our experience. God desires for us to know what He is doing, and to actually involve us in His work. That is why Jesus said to His disciples, "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you" (John 15:15).
BEING FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL not only brings adequacy for life, but causes one to excel in praise as well as in holy activity. Thank God for a filling like that!
– Given O. Blakely
Friday, January 8, 2010
HEAVENLY PLACES
HEAVENLY PLACES"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph 2:6)
WHAT AN INTRIGUING TERM – "heavenly places." Some versions read "heavenly realms" (NIV),. The word "places" emphasizes variety – like a lot of rooms in which treasures can be found. The word "realms" stresses largeness, or vastness, that cannot be fully explored. However you choose to view it, this is where God has placed us in Christ Jesus. He had to "raise," or lift us up, to get us there, because it is far above this earth and whole domain of nature, whether without or within men.
THE STATEMENTS MADE ABOUT THIS REALM. THE statements made about this realm are all central, and conducive to much thought. They are not presented as a sort of creedal statement, but are all pertinent to our daily lives in Christ Jesus. BLESSINGS. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing IN
THE HEAVENLY PLACES in Christ" (1:3). Here is an area of blessing for the inner man – a realm of spiritual benefit and advantage. These benefits are only accessible in Jesus Christ, and come from the hand of the Living God Himself. There are no spiritual blessings that are NOT in this realm. They are ALL there. If men choose to live in the flesh, or apart from fellowship with the Son, into which we have been called (1 Cor 1:9), there are NO spiritual blessings to be had–no lasting benefits.
JESUS IS THERE. " . . . which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES, far above . . . " (1:20). This is the realm into which Jesus ascended. It is where He is presently enthroned, mediating the New Covenant, interceding for the saints, and administering the affairs of the Kingdom over which He presides. The place occupied by Jesus is described as "at His (the Father's) right hand." By being "far above all" all forms of delegated authority, we are to understand He is not subject to competing influences, and His will is invincible.
IT IS WHERE WE ARE. " . . . and raised us up together, and made us sit together IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES in Christ Jesus" (2:6). Not only has the Lord Jesus been elevated to these lofty realms, all who are in Him have also been placed there. Their presence is currently in the first fruits sense, with the fulness yet to come, when God unveils the Son in all of His glory (1 Tim 6:15). This place is experienced by faith, yet is replete with very real advantages and profound experiences for the saints.
THE TUTORING OF LOFTY PERSONALITIES. " . . . to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord" (3:10). There are other personalities in this realm. They are of a higher order than men, and are presently being taught how abundant, diverse, and effective the marvelous "wisdom of God" is. This is being made known through the church, which is the appointed repository for all the "fulness" of Christ (1:23).
THE HEAVENLY REALMS ARE ABOVE the flesh-and-blood order. From the standpoint of earthly vision, they are invisible. From the standpoint of touch and fleshly experience, they are inaccessible. There is no science or area of human knowledge that is able to plot the path into this realm. There is no facet of earthly wisdom that can enable a person to enter these "places." We occupy this domain by Divine placement alone. Everyone who is in Christ Jesus is placed there, and given the advantage of receiving "all spiritual blessings."
THIS IS A REALM OF ACUTE CONSCIOUSNESS. It is not a theoretical domain, but one of lofty experience and activity. It is accessed by faith and through the Holy Spirit. Being there is another way of saying we are in fellowship "with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3).
THIS IS WHERE THE BENEFITS that are integral to the New Covenant are passed from Deity to those who are a "new creation" in Christ Jesus. Here is where we are "filled with all joy and peace in believing," and come to "abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit" (Rom 15:13). This is the place where prayers are answered, victory over the world is realized, and change from glory unto glory takes place.
HERE IS WHERE GROWTH IS REALIZED and the flesh is crucified. The reservoir of grace is here, together with every good and perfect gift that comes down from above. The "spirit of power, love, and of a sound mind" is here (2 Tim 1:7). Here is where we are "filled with all joy and peace in believing" (Rom 15:13), and where we "go on to perfection" (Heb 6:1). Divine fellowship is realized in this domain.
THIS IS A REALM OF GOD-AWARENESS, where mercy is obtained, and grace is found to help in the time of need (Heb 4:16). It is where spiritual vision is clarified, understanding becomes fruitful, and participation in the Divine nature is realized. This is where fellowship with the Son is enjoyed (1 Cor 1:9). It is where we can put to death the "deeds of the body," putting off the "old man," and putting on the "new man" (Col 3:5,9-10; Eph 4:22-24). Without this realm, we have nothing. Within it, we have everything!
– Given O. Blakely
WHAT AN INTRIGUING TERM – "heavenly places." Some versions read "heavenly realms" (NIV),. The word "places" emphasizes variety – like a lot of rooms in which treasures can be found. The word "realms" stresses largeness, or vastness, that cannot be fully explored. However you choose to view it, this is where God has placed us in Christ Jesus. He had to "raise," or lift us up, to get us there, because it is far above this earth and whole domain of nature, whether without or within men.
THE STATEMENTS MADE ABOUT THIS REALM. THE statements made about this realm are all central, and conducive to much thought. They are not presented as a sort of creedal statement, but are all pertinent to our daily lives in Christ Jesus. BLESSINGS. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing IN
THE HEAVENLY PLACES in Christ" (1:3). Here is an area of blessing for the inner man – a realm of spiritual benefit and advantage. These benefits are only accessible in Jesus Christ, and come from the hand of the Living God Himself. There are no spiritual blessings that are NOT in this realm. They are ALL there. If men choose to live in the flesh, or apart from fellowship with the Son, into which we have been called (1 Cor 1:9), there are NO spiritual blessings to be had–no lasting benefits.
JESUS IS THERE. " . . . which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES, far above . . . " (1:20). This is the realm into which Jesus ascended. It is where He is presently enthroned, mediating the New Covenant, interceding for the saints, and administering the affairs of the Kingdom over which He presides. The place occupied by Jesus is described as "at His (the Father's) right hand." By being "far above all" all forms of delegated authority, we are to understand He is not subject to competing influences, and His will is invincible.
IT IS WHERE WE ARE. " . . . and raised us up together, and made us sit together IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES in Christ Jesus" (2:6). Not only has the Lord Jesus been elevated to these lofty realms, all who are in Him have also been placed there. Their presence is currently in the first fruits sense, with the fulness yet to come, when God unveils the Son in all of His glory (1 Tim 6:15). This place is experienced by faith, yet is replete with very real advantages and profound experiences for the saints.
THE TUTORING OF LOFTY PERSONALITIES. " . . . to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord" (3:10). There are other personalities in this realm. They are of a higher order than men, and are presently being taught how abundant, diverse, and effective the marvelous "wisdom of God" is. This is being made known through the church, which is the appointed repository for all the "fulness" of Christ (1:23).
THE HEAVENLY REALMS ARE ABOVE the flesh-and-blood order. From the standpoint of earthly vision, they are invisible. From the standpoint of touch and fleshly experience, they are inaccessible. There is no science or area of human knowledge that is able to plot the path into this realm. There is no facet of earthly wisdom that can enable a person to enter these "places." We occupy this domain by Divine placement alone. Everyone who is in Christ Jesus is placed there, and given the advantage of receiving "all spiritual blessings."
THIS IS A REALM OF ACUTE CONSCIOUSNESS. It is not a theoretical domain, but one of lofty experience and activity. It is accessed by faith and through the Holy Spirit. Being there is another way of saying we are in fellowship "with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3).
THIS IS WHERE THE BENEFITS that are integral to the New Covenant are passed from Deity to those who are a "new creation" in Christ Jesus. Here is where we are "filled with all joy and peace in believing," and come to "abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit" (Rom 15:13). This is the place where prayers are answered, victory over the world is realized, and change from glory unto glory takes place.
HERE IS WHERE GROWTH IS REALIZED and the flesh is crucified. The reservoir of grace is here, together with every good and perfect gift that comes down from above. The "spirit of power, love, and of a sound mind" is here (2 Tim 1:7). Here is where we are "filled with all joy and peace in believing" (Rom 15:13), and where we "go on to perfection" (Heb 6:1). Divine fellowship is realized in this domain.
THIS IS A REALM OF GOD-AWARENESS, where mercy is obtained, and grace is found to help in the time of need (Heb 4:16). It is where spiritual vision is clarified, understanding becomes fruitful, and participation in the Divine nature is realized. This is where fellowship with the Son is enjoyed (1 Cor 1:9). It is where we can put to death the "deeds of the body," putting off the "old man," and putting on the "new man" (Col 3:5,9-10; Eph 4:22-24). Without this realm, we have nothing. Within it, we have everything!
– Given O. Blakely
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
INIQUITY THAT IS MARKED BEFORE GOD
"For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before Me, saith the Lord GOD." (Jeremiah 2:22)
IT IS POSSIBLE FOR SPIRITUAL FILTH and defilement to so contaminate a soul that nothing can be done about it – at least not among men. Israel was in such a condition. In spite of unimaginable blessing from the Lord, it is said of them, "thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, when He led thee by the way" (2:17). They did not do this when they were in Egypt, but when He was leading them in the way. God had broken the yoke of servitude from their necks, and with one voice they responded, "I will not transgress." Then they proceeded to wander from Him on the high hills of idolatry, prostituting their affection for Him by serving other gods (2:19-20). In their beginning, the Lord God Almighty planted them, and they were "a noble vine, a seed of highest quality" NKJV. Yet, they "turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto" the Lord (2:21). Those were the conditions of our text, and they set the stage for this awesome pronouncement.
THEIR STAIN WAS ONE that could not be removed. It was like a dark stain upon their soul that could not be removed with "lye" or "much soap." NKJV God said their iniquity was "marked" before Him. Other versions read, "The stain of your iniquity is before Me" (NASB), and "You are stained with guilt that cannot be washed away" (NLT). In another place, the Lord spoke of the iniquity in these arresting words. "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars" (Jer 17:1).
"MARKED" INIQUITIES SPEAK OF A SITUATION that is unalterable. David put it this way, "If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" (Psa 130:3). This means infinitely more than having sins that are simply known to the Lord. Rather, it is like the sin at the tower of Babel, that provoked the judgment of the Lord (Gen 11:5-7). It is like the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, which came up before the Lord, and was "marked" by Him (Gen 18:20-21).
THIS IS WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO JUDAH. Their sins had become so ingrained and monumental, that God would no longer hear any petition raised for them. Thus He said to Jeremiah, "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee" (Jer 7:16). Again He said, "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble" (11:14). Let no one doubt it, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb 10:31).
THERE ARE SOME WHO BELIEVE human condition cannot get this bad. Let such souls ponder the world of Noah's day! God's Spirit ceased to strive with the people, and the judgment of the flood destroyed every living soul but eight. There is, indeed, mercy with the Lord. But when men impose upon that mercy, and willingly stumble on in the darkness, they are headed toward the place where iniquity becomes "marked," and nothing will be able to remedy their situation. Solomon also warned of such a condition when he wrote, "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy" (Prov 29:1).
JESUS HIMSELF SPOKE OF A SIN that could not be forgiven, either in this world, or the one to come. "Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come" (Matt 12:32, NKJV). Mark records, "but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" (Mk 3:29, NKJV). Our Lord did not precisely define this sin, and we do well to make no such attempts. His point was that there was a condition that could NOT be remedied, either in this world, or the one to come. It was brought on by an attitude that slowly developed in the individual. Gradually, they came to a point where they could willingly and aggressively speak against the Holy Spirit. This is not some accidental speech, or a slip-of-the-lip. It denotes a state where the heart has become so impervious to the Holy Spirit that instead of being convicted by Him, it lashes out against Him.
THAT IS THE POINT WHERE INIQUITY IS "MARKED," and the stain becomes too deep to ever be corrected. Sin has pulled such a person in a spiritual quagmire into which even the grace of God cannot reach. No person is wise in attempting to define where such a place exists, or at what time it occurs. The point is that as long as men and women serve sin, sin is staining their soul – and the stain is going deeper and deeper. Some may entertain the notion that they can cease serving sin whenever they want to. Or, worse still, that God will abort their obstinance toward him, and stop their plummet into degradation.
SOMEHOW THE CHURCH NEEDS TO MAKE PEOPLE MORE AWARE of the seriousness of sin. There is too much of it in the modern church, and too little sensitivity to its malignancy. Doctrines that make people comfortable in alienation from God are among the most dangerous things believers face. Make sure you culture and maintain a hatred for iniquity.
– Given O. Blakely
IT IS POSSIBLE FOR SPIRITUAL FILTH and defilement to so contaminate a soul that nothing can be done about it – at least not among men. Israel was in such a condition. In spite of unimaginable blessing from the Lord, it is said of them, "thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, when He led thee by the way" (2:17). They did not do this when they were in Egypt, but when He was leading them in the way. God had broken the yoke of servitude from their necks, and with one voice they responded, "I will not transgress." Then they proceeded to wander from Him on the high hills of idolatry, prostituting their affection for Him by serving other gods (2:19-20). In their beginning, the Lord God Almighty planted them, and they were "a noble vine, a seed of highest quality" NKJV. Yet, they "turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto" the Lord (2:21). Those were the conditions of our text, and they set the stage for this awesome pronouncement.
THEIR STAIN WAS ONE that could not be removed. It was like a dark stain upon their soul that could not be removed with "lye" or "much soap." NKJV God said their iniquity was "marked" before Him. Other versions read, "The stain of your iniquity is before Me" (NASB), and "You are stained with guilt that cannot be washed away" (NLT). In another place, the Lord spoke of the iniquity in these arresting words. "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars" (Jer 17:1).
"MARKED" INIQUITIES SPEAK OF A SITUATION that is unalterable. David put it this way, "If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" (Psa 130:3). This means infinitely more than having sins that are simply known to the Lord. Rather, it is like the sin at the tower of Babel, that provoked the judgment of the Lord (Gen 11:5-7). It is like the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, which came up before the Lord, and was "marked" by Him (Gen 18:20-21).
THIS IS WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO JUDAH. Their sins had become so ingrained and monumental, that God would no longer hear any petition raised for them. Thus He said to Jeremiah, "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee" (Jer 7:16). Again He said, "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble" (11:14). Let no one doubt it, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb 10:31).
THERE ARE SOME WHO BELIEVE human condition cannot get this bad. Let such souls ponder the world of Noah's day! God's Spirit ceased to strive with the people, and the judgment of the flood destroyed every living soul but eight. There is, indeed, mercy with the Lord. But when men impose upon that mercy, and willingly stumble on in the darkness, they are headed toward the place where iniquity becomes "marked," and nothing will be able to remedy their situation. Solomon also warned of such a condition when he wrote, "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy" (Prov 29:1).
JESUS HIMSELF SPOKE OF A SIN that could not be forgiven, either in this world, or the one to come. "Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come" (Matt 12:32, NKJV). Mark records, "but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" (Mk 3:29, NKJV). Our Lord did not precisely define this sin, and we do well to make no such attempts. His point was that there was a condition that could NOT be remedied, either in this world, or the one to come. It was brought on by an attitude that slowly developed in the individual. Gradually, they came to a point where they could willingly and aggressively speak against the Holy Spirit. This is not some accidental speech, or a slip-of-the-lip. It denotes a state where the heart has become so impervious to the Holy Spirit that instead of being convicted by Him, it lashes out against Him.
THAT IS THE POINT WHERE INIQUITY IS "MARKED," and the stain becomes too deep to ever be corrected. Sin has pulled such a person in a spiritual quagmire into which even the grace of God cannot reach. No person is wise in attempting to define where such a place exists, or at what time it occurs. The point is that as long as men and women serve sin, sin is staining their soul – and the stain is going deeper and deeper. Some may entertain the notion that they can cease serving sin whenever they want to. Or, worse still, that God will abort their obstinance toward him, and stop their plummet into degradation.
SOMEHOW THE CHURCH NEEDS TO MAKE PEOPLE MORE AWARE of the seriousness of sin. There is too much of it in the modern church, and too little sensitivity to its malignancy. Doctrines that make people comfortable in alienation from God are among the most dangerous things believers face. Make sure you culture and maintain a hatred for iniquity.
– Given O. Blakely
Monday, January 4, 2010
NO WASHING, NO PART
"If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." (John 13:8)
IT WAS THE NIGHT OF OUR LORD'S BETRAYAL. He had desired to eat His last Passover with His disciples (Lk 22:15). He had no heart for spending the last hours before His death with the multitudes, or those with snaring questions and carnal requests. Even though He saw the wandering multitudes as "sheep having no shepherd" (Matt 9:36), He did not want to spend this time with them. Neither, indeed, did He seek to spend this time in the Temple, or the synagogue, or a wedding feast, or in the land of the Gadarenes where He had healed that poor demoniac. This night was reserved for His disciples, and no others would be welcome. Things would transpire this night that were intended only for those who loved Him enough to forsake everything for the privilege of walking with and being taught by Him. Jesus is like that. He does not spend a lot of time with some people, while He is desirous to spent a lot of time with others.
EARLY THAT EVENING, as soon as the supper was "ended," Jesus rose from the supper "and took a towel, and girded himself." Judas had not yet left, and was at the table with the eleven. The disciples beheld Him as He "poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded" (NKJV). One by one, He moved from one disciple to another, washing and drying their feet. Finally, He came to Peter, "and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?" There is no record of Jesus ever doing this before. It apparently was a first, and Peter did not comprehend the action. It seemed out of character for Jesus, and Peter knew he was totally unworthy of such an act of humility being performed upon him.
GRACIOUSLY, JESUS ANSWERED HIM. "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." There were implications here that were not, and could not, be seen by Peter that evening. Something very significant was happening, even though Peter did not know what it was. Still, driven by a sense of his own unworthiness, Peter cried out, "Thou shalt never wash my feet." It was too demeaning for the Lord. But Jesus left no doubt about the significance of the activity. "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." This was a decisive moment: one in which Peter would either be identified with Christ, or cut off from him.THERE WAS NOT DOUBT in Peter's mind now. He replied, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head." He wanted nothing to do with having no part with Jesus. Still, there were some things that were not clear to him. Jesus clarified it some when He said, "He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet" (John 13:3-10). Peter offered no more objections, and Jesus finished washing all of their feet (13:12).
THESE WORDS OF JESUS are unusually strong, and are certainly worthy of much consideration. Two significant things were revealed, and they pertain to us today.
FIRST, IF JESUS DOES NOT WASH US, we can have nothing to do with Him. There must be no mistake about this. There is a certain pollution associated with being in this world that must be washed from us, and Jesus alone can remove it from us. This is contamination that occurs AFTER we have become His disciples – AFTER He has "washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father" (Rev 1:5-6). One might call this post-Christian defilement. It is not the result of willful disobedience, or rebellion against the Lord. It is simply the result of being "in the world." Earthly contaminants must be removed from us, with no part of this world clinging to us. Like the washing that took place the night Jesus was betrayed, only Christ can do this. But if we do not allow Him to do it, we can have no part with Him.
SECOND, THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CLEANSED from their sins do not require thorough cleansing again. The cleansing we experience when we arise and are baptized, washing away our sins (Acts 22:16) is never again duplicated. It was thorough, and is not required repeatedly. However, the part of us that touches this world, does need to be washed. It is a sort of spiritual foot washing that allows for the maintenance of sensitivity to the Lord.
THERE IS A KIND OF THINKING in the church world that leaves people relying on their original washing. They rarely consider how polluted their feet have become because of being in this world. The contaminants of worldly thought, ambitions, and assessments do not seem apparent to them. Their reasoning and their speech has been infected with the virus of carnality, yet they seem blissfully unaware of the condition. Their feet need washing! This is a circumstance that occurs to all believers.
THE WORDS OF JESUS. If the Lord does not personally cleanse us of these defilements, we can have no part with Him. Men may argue against this, but this IS what Jesus said. Furthermore, He will not do this without our consent, anymore than He would wash Peter's feet without His consent. Here is an area where improvement can be realized. It is something Jesus desires to do. Let Him do it!
– Given O. Blakely
IT WAS THE NIGHT OF OUR LORD'S BETRAYAL. He had desired to eat His last Passover with His disciples (Lk 22:15). He had no heart for spending the last hours before His death with the multitudes, or those with snaring questions and carnal requests. Even though He saw the wandering multitudes as "sheep having no shepherd" (Matt 9:36), He did not want to spend this time with them. Neither, indeed, did He seek to spend this time in the Temple, or the synagogue, or a wedding feast, or in the land of the Gadarenes where He had healed that poor demoniac. This night was reserved for His disciples, and no others would be welcome. Things would transpire this night that were intended only for those who loved Him enough to forsake everything for the privilege of walking with and being taught by Him. Jesus is like that. He does not spend a lot of time with some people, while He is desirous to spent a lot of time with others.
EARLY THAT EVENING, as soon as the supper was "ended," Jesus rose from the supper "and took a towel, and girded himself." Judas had not yet left, and was at the table with the eleven. The disciples beheld Him as He "poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded" (NKJV). One by one, He moved from one disciple to another, washing and drying their feet. Finally, He came to Peter, "and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?" There is no record of Jesus ever doing this before. It apparently was a first, and Peter did not comprehend the action. It seemed out of character for Jesus, and Peter knew he was totally unworthy of such an act of humility being performed upon him.
GRACIOUSLY, JESUS ANSWERED HIM. "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." There were implications here that were not, and could not, be seen by Peter that evening. Something very significant was happening, even though Peter did not know what it was. Still, driven by a sense of his own unworthiness, Peter cried out, "Thou shalt never wash my feet." It was too demeaning for the Lord. But Jesus left no doubt about the significance of the activity. "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." This was a decisive moment: one in which Peter would either be identified with Christ, or cut off from him.THERE WAS NOT DOUBT in Peter's mind now. He replied, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head." He wanted nothing to do with having no part with Jesus. Still, there were some things that were not clear to him. Jesus clarified it some when He said, "He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet" (John 13:3-10). Peter offered no more objections, and Jesus finished washing all of their feet (13:12).
THESE WORDS OF JESUS are unusually strong, and are certainly worthy of much consideration. Two significant things were revealed, and they pertain to us today.
FIRST, IF JESUS DOES NOT WASH US, we can have nothing to do with Him. There must be no mistake about this. There is a certain pollution associated with being in this world that must be washed from us, and Jesus alone can remove it from us. This is contamination that occurs AFTER we have become His disciples – AFTER He has "washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father" (Rev 1:5-6). One might call this post-Christian defilement. It is not the result of willful disobedience, or rebellion against the Lord. It is simply the result of being "in the world." Earthly contaminants must be removed from us, with no part of this world clinging to us. Like the washing that took place the night Jesus was betrayed, only Christ can do this. But if we do not allow Him to do it, we can have no part with Him.
SECOND, THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CLEANSED from their sins do not require thorough cleansing again. The cleansing we experience when we arise and are baptized, washing away our sins (Acts 22:16) is never again duplicated. It was thorough, and is not required repeatedly. However, the part of us that touches this world, does need to be washed. It is a sort of spiritual foot washing that allows for the maintenance of sensitivity to the Lord.
THERE IS A KIND OF THINKING in the church world that leaves people relying on their original washing. They rarely consider how polluted their feet have become because of being in this world. The contaminants of worldly thought, ambitions, and assessments do not seem apparent to them. Their reasoning and their speech has been infected with the virus of carnality, yet they seem blissfully unaware of the condition. Their feet need washing! This is a circumstance that occurs to all believers.
THE WORDS OF JESUS. If the Lord does not personally cleanse us of these defilements, we can have no part with Him. Men may argue against this, but this IS what Jesus said. Furthermore, He will not do this without our consent, anymore than He would wash Peter's feet without His consent. Here is an area where improvement can be realized. It is something Jesus desires to do. Let Him do it!
– Given O. Blakely
Friday, January 1, 2010
BEGINNING WITH LIONS
"And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them." (2 Kings 17:25)
OUR TEXT SPOKE OF A TRAGIC TIME when the Lord "removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria." It was a most lamentable time! The sins of Israel had found them out (Num 32:23). Because of their iniquity, the land, belonging to God, had spued them out, just as the Lord said it would (Lev 18:28).
NOT WANTING THE LAND TO BE IDLE, the king of Assyria brought in some colonists to occupy the land. It is written, "And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof" (2 Kgs 17:24). It seemed like a good enough strategy – at least to the flesh.
REMEMBER, THIS WAS GOD'S LAND. For that reason, nothing defiling could dwell within it. Before Israel came, the land was defiled by the Canaanites and other tribes, and God had driven them out (Lev 18:27). Now, He has expelled the Israelites for the same reason. All of this, of course, was not perceived by the new colonists. After all, they had no covenant with God, and surely godly conduct would not be expected from them. At least, that is how the flesh would think about the situation.
WHEN THE NEW SETTLERS came into the land belonging to God, they did not conduct their lives within a consciousness of God. It is written that "at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the LORD." Some versions read, "When they first lived there, they did not worship the LORD" (NIV, NRSV). Some might reason, "Well, what do you expect? After all, they were not Israelites. How were they to know they should fear or worship the Lord?" How foolish and unspiritual the flesh is! God certainly did not reason in this manner, and neither should we.
THE RESPONSE OF GOD to the failure of these non-Israelite settlers is duly noted in this text, and passed along to assist us in culturing a sound way of thinking. The result–"He sent lions among them and they killed some of the people" (NIV). The people did not know God, yet because they did not fear and worship Him, He sent lions among them – lions that killed some of them. But for the grace of God, the lions would have killed ALL of them.
THE KING OF ASSYRIA was quickly apprized of the situation. "The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the God of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what He requires" (2 Kgs 17:26, NIV). The king quickly responded. He did not send some Assyrian philosophers who had read about the Israelites to the people, nor some local expert in heathen gods. Rather, he gave this mandate: "Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land" (2 Kgs 17:27). It took someone who KNEW the manner of the Lord to acquaint the heathen people with His ways. That way, they could avoid being killed off by the lions.
IT SEEMS TO ME there is a vital principle to be learned here. We are living in a time when the church, the real house and field of God, is occupied by people who do not know the manner of the God of the church. Many of these people are being consumed by various circumstances, and do not know why. Their homes are falling apart, their marriages failing, and general chaos has come upon them. Unfortunately, such people are being sent to psychiatrists, counselors, and other people trained in the wisdom of this world.
IT IS TIME FOR SOMEONE with discernment to rise up and identify the problem. The people are ignorant of God, and are paying the price for being so. They are in a place that has been identified with God, and He will not allow defilement to continue while they remain in quiet apathy. What they need is a spiritual priest who knows the Divine manner, and can "expound" unto them "the way of God more perfectly" (Acts 18:26). Thus, the people will avoid Divine judgments, and also be provided a way to come into favor with the Living God.
AS LONG AS UNIFORMED UNSPIRITUAL MEN are allowed to lead the inhabitants of the land, the people will be devoured, so to speak, by "lions." Also, from the very beginning, those who assume identity with the Lord are to be expected to fear Him and walk before Him.
– Given O. Blakely
OUR TEXT SPOKE OF A TRAGIC TIME when the Lord "removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria." It was a most lamentable time! The sins of Israel had found them out (Num 32:23). Because of their iniquity, the land, belonging to God, had spued them out, just as the Lord said it would (Lev 18:28).
NOT WANTING THE LAND TO BE IDLE, the king of Assyria brought in some colonists to occupy the land. It is written, "And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof" (2 Kgs 17:24). It seemed like a good enough strategy – at least to the flesh.
REMEMBER, THIS WAS GOD'S LAND. For that reason, nothing defiling could dwell within it. Before Israel came, the land was defiled by the Canaanites and other tribes, and God had driven them out (Lev 18:27). Now, He has expelled the Israelites for the same reason. All of this, of course, was not perceived by the new colonists. After all, they had no covenant with God, and surely godly conduct would not be expected from them. At least, that is how the flesh would think about the situation.
WHEN THE NEW SETTLERS came into the land belonging to God, they did not conduct their lives within a consciousness of God. It is written that "at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the LORD." Some versions read, "When they first lived there, they did not worship the LORD" (NIV, NRSV). Some might reason, "Well, what do you expect? After all, they were not Israelites. How were they to know they should fear or worship the Lord?" How foolish and unspiritual the flesh is! God certainly did not reason in this manner, and neither should we.
THE RESPONSE OF GOD to the failure of these non-Israelite settlers is duly noted in this text, and passed along to assist us in culturing a sound way of thinking. The result–"He sent lions among them and they killed some of the people" (NIV). The people did not know God, yet because they did not fear and worship Him, He sent lions among them – lions that killed some of them. But for the grace of God, the lions would have killed ALL of them.
THE KING OF ASSYRIA was quickly apprized of the situation. "The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the God of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what He requires" (2 Kgs 17:26, NIV). The king quickly responded. He did not send some Assyrian philosophers who had read about the Israelites to the people, nor some local expert in heathen gods. Rather, he gave this mandate: "Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land" (2 Kgs 17:27). It took someone who KNEW the manner of the Lord to acquaint the heathen people with His ways. That way, they could avoid being killed off by the lions.
IT SEEMS TO ME there is a vital principle to be learned here. We are living in a time when the church, the real house and field of God, is occupied by people who do not know the manner of the God of the church. Many of these people are being consumed by various circumstances, and do not know why. Their homes are falling apart, their marriages failing, and general chaos has come upon them. Unfortunately, such people are being sent to psychiatrists, counselors, and other people trained in the wisdom of this world.
IT IS TIME FOR SOMEONE with discernment to rise up and identify the problem. The people are ignorant of God, and are paying the price for being so. They are in a place that has been identified with God, and He will not allow defilement to continue while they remain in quiet apathy. What they need is a spiritual priest who knows the Divine manner, and can "expound" unto them "the way of God more perfectly" (Acts 18:26). Thus, the people will avoid Divine judgments, and also be provided a way to come into favor with the Living God.
AS LONG AS UNIFORMED UNSPIRITUAL MEN are allowed to lead the inhabitants of the land, the people will be devoured, so to speak, by "lions." Also, from the very beginning, those who assume identity with the Lord are to be expected to fear Him and walk before Him.
– Given O. Blakely
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
