For while we are still on earth His spiritual rule allows us a first taste of the heavenly kingdom, and in this mortal, fleeting life, some flavour of immortal, unperishable bliss. However, the purpose of temporal government is to fit us for human society for as long as we are part of it, to teach us to behave equitably among men, to reconcile us with one another and to promote and preserve public peace and calm
John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion
I want to weigh in today amongst all the news with an encouragement to vote in the 2020 election. I am a U.S. citizen and was born in Pasadena, California. Though most citizens have the right to vote once they turn 18, due to my special needs diagnosis, I had to go before the court with a lawyer to ask for the right to vote. The judge looked at my college work and determined that I was of sound mind and capable of thinking intelligently in spite of my physical and speech limitations. The judge was gracious and accepted my “Yes” responses to his questions. I walked out of court that day with my parents in the joy of the judge’s decree which granted me the right to vote. This is the second presidential race I have been able to participate in by voting. I am grateful that the judge believed in me and gave me the liberty and freedom to vote. I count it a privilege. Today I wanted to publicly announce my gratitude for the right to vote. I am only able to cast one vote, but there is power in numbers. I hope you enjoyed voting today, and there are still hours left to vote in California.
In April 2015 I received the right to vote at the Los Angeles Superior Court
The Bobcat fire in Southern California Image Credit: Mark Christensen (Instagram: @mark_christensen_photography)
As many of you have seen, whether in person or on the news, fire is powerful and devastating. However, fire is also refining. This is somewhat surprising. My dad studied geology in college, and he taught me that gold is refined when heat is applied to the metal and impurities are forced to the surface. We live near the Bobcat fire in Southern California. We could see the flames burn and spread as the smoke seeped into our home. We are grateful for the protection of God, as well as for the firemen who mightily fought off the fire. I watched in silence as my mind wondered about what I would take if we had to evacuate. I thought about the things that have meaning, the possessions I did not want to have destroyed, and that which is costly and would represent a great financial loss. Everything we own is a gift from God, but I was trying to choose what was a “must take” that could also fit in our car. As you know, on my own I cannot initiate this movement. Therefore, I decided that the most important thing to escape with is my life. I am grateful that I live with my parents, and we all agreed to grab each other and head out. Confronting the possibility of loss of life and possessions was a refiner’s fire that forced me to evaluate the things my heart clings to.
In the book of Genesis, God gives us an example of a refiner’s fire. God makes a covenant promise to Abraham that he and his barren wife Sarah would conceive and bear a son despite their old age. This son would not only be a tremendous gift to the couple, but the entire nation of Israel would descend from this child, and all nations would be blessed through him. God kept His promise; Abraham and Sarah bore Isaac. In Genesis 22, God tested Abraham. The test was to lay his precious son on the altar as a sacrifice to the Lord. Abraham was personally going through a refiner’s fire designed by God. Scripture describes Abraham’s faithfulness in carrying out the command, which is instructive to us in our consideration of what genuine faith in God looks like. Abraham passed the test with his unconditional, unswerving obedience. He did not complain, challenge God for His seemingly unloving plan, try to change God’s mind, or rationalize disobedience. After all, God promised innumerable descendants from this child. Nevertheless, Genesis only documents God’s command without further discussion. Even if Abraham did not understand the reason for the command, and even though he had waited years and years for Isaac’s birth, Abraham obeyed God. Abraham’s faithfulness was vindicated, because God did not go back on His promise given in Genesis 17:19: “I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.” The angel of the Lord called down from heaven and stopped Abraham before the killing blow. God had an animal sacrifice ready. Not a lamb, but a ram with curly horns stuck in the bushes nearby. The God of Abraham was good to spare Isaac and allow Abraham to shed the blood of an animal for the sacrifice. God knew that Abraham loved and trusted Him above all else, even if that meant sacrificing the son that God had given to him.
Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.
James 2:20-23
From all that we have witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the California fires, we are more aware that life on this earth is not going to last forever. Many homes were destroyed, property was damaged, and lives were lost. This causes me to consider more candidly what cannot be taken away. Does anything last for eternity? At the metanarrative level, this account in Genesis foreshadows God’s only Son, the Lamb of God, who would be sacrificed for the sins of the world. God the Father would not withhold His Son, in order that we might have forgiveness of our sins and eternal life. Salvation saves us from eternity in the fiery furnace of Hell in order that we may have everlasting life with God in Heaven.
Firefighters working hard to stop the spread of the Bobcat fire in Southern California Image Credit: Mark Christensen (Instagram: @mark_christensen_photography)
John records a beautiful interchange between Jesus and Martha, Lazarus’ sister, during which he tells her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). Please escape eternal destruction; receive Christ today to be your Lord and Savior, not only for today, but for all of eternity. This is a gift from God. When you repent and believe, you receive it. Absolutely nothing on this earth lasts forever, but a relationship with Christ does. After His death on the cross, Christ resurrected from the grave. He was buried in a tomb and on the third day, He appeared alive to His disciples. After 40 days, He ascended to Heaven where He functions as our Great High Priest. The spirit of those who receive Christ as Lord will also experience bodily resurrection by virtue of our union with Him. Death takes everything we have away from us, except our relationship with Christ. After death, we get even more of Christ as we enter His presence.
If you would like to dialogue more, please email your comments and questions.
Today, we are reminded of how uncertain life is due to the hand of evil. We also celebrate heroism and remember those who risk their lives to save others, regardless of ethnicity, religious belief, or economic status. This beauty is what rises from the ashes. May the survivors feel an extra measure of God’s love and peace.
Question of the Week
It has been a while since I have read Pilgrim’s Progress, but I was wondering if you had a favorite part(s) or character(s), and what you thought of the book overall?
This summer, I read The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan for the first time. My pastor reads it every year, and this inspired my family to start a book club in order to read and discuss it together. We learned that Bunyan was a Puritan preacher who was jailed for twelve years because he refused to embrace Anglicanism and would not stop preaching the Gospel. During his time in jail, Bunyan wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress. It was published in 1676 and after the Bible, The Pilgrim’s Progress is the most widely published and distributed book. It has never been out of print.
Bunyan’s main character, Christian, has many different encounters on his pilgrimage to the Celestial City on the narrow road of Christianity. The story contains examples which make me aware of areas where I might be prone to wander, and alerts me to be watchful of the pitfalls in this world. Although we, like Christian, will fall into sin and are tempted to stray off the narrow road, I am grateful that salvation is secured and sealed by the Holy Spirit. A Christian who enters through the narrow gate cannot lose their salvation.
We love the pilgrim because he is like us. He wants to make it to the Celestial City, but, like us, he detours and sins. However, he repents and is forgiven, and God refines him throughout the journey in order to be a help to others along the way, just as we seek to evangelize or to encourage those around us. Christian usually travels on the narrow way, but he does experience hard episodes off the path when he takes shortcuts or veers away from God’s will. This is instructive for us. We persevere by loving God and by living in obedience to what He calls us to do in Scripture. I am grateful for the family of God, who bless and encourage faithfulness to God and His Word.
Over and over again, Christian shares his story with those he encounters on the road. We, too, are to share God’s Gospel and how it has changed us as we travel through life. This not only gives us the opportunity to proclaim what God has done in our life, but reminds us to be grateful to God for what He has done in our life. Christian never held back from sharing, and he was also humble to admit his shortcomings, admitting how he made wrong choices on his journey. Nevertheless, he was grateful God clothed Him in Christ’s righteousness. I am greatly blessed to be on the journey because God called me and convicted me of my sin and my need for Him.
The most horrific scene is of the man in the cage, where Bunyan explains that he put himself there by choosing the lusts of this world over pursuing the love of Christ. It is a hard thing to see someone so hard-hearted that they want to be an enemy of God and follow the way of Satan, the deceiver. He thought he was choosing freedom, but instead he was trapped serving sin and Satan. Bunyan reminds the reader that Satan is fighting to the end, and his arrows are against those pursuing God. Until our death, Satan attacks man. But thanks be to God, Christ crushed the head of the serpent by His death on the cross, just as He promised He would. It was finished on the cross. When Christ returns again, there will be final victory when Satan is cast into the lake of fire.
The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Genesis 3:14-15
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
Hebrews 2:14-15
[T]he devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation 20:10
The book is divided into two parts. Some people are not aware that the second part of the book includes the journey of Christian’s wife, Christiana, and their sons, even after they refused to join Christian initially. They were convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit and sought to join Christian in the Celestial City. I especially loved this part because Christian’s family members are eager pilgrims on the journey. As they travel and make connections on the way, Christian’s family learns of Christian’s good testimony and faithfulness. The family is also made aware of Christian’s shortcomings, yet he is praised for his perseverance to make it to the Celestial City. It is interesting that the hardships Christiana and her boys encounter do not seem as dangerous, due to the fact that they are in a group with Great-heart as their guide. Having a guide is their blessing, and they do not fight his counsel or leading, but trust and listen to him.
In response to this book, I thank God for giving me faith to follow Him before my disability could turn my trust in God into discouragement, keeping me away from God. We all have a different story of how God saved us, but we all share the same reason for being saved: the glory of God shown in salvation. May my time of trial on the narrow road cause me to love and appreciate God more fervently, cling to Him more dearly, and know Him more certainly. God alone can bring man through heaven’s gate, and He will never leave us alone or turn from us on the way.
I see myself now at the end of my Journey; my toilsome days are ended. I am going now to see that Head that was crowned with thorns, and that Face that was spit upon for me. I have formerly lived by hear-say and Faith; but now I go where I shall live by Sight, and shall be with him in whose company I delight myself.
When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus streched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Matthew 8:1-3
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him” … Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.” So he went and washed and came back seeing.”
John 9:1-7
Scripture gives us tender accounts of Jesus going directly to individuals who are in great need in order to heal them and feed them. Many were society’s outcasts, unclean with illness and disease. Jesus spends time with them and even touches them when no one else ever would. Jesus’ human interaction causes me to thank God for His unconditional love and mercy.
And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.
Matthew 8:14-15
In our society today, we have a class structure with the rich, the beautiful, and the brightest on top. Everyone wants to be with them or be like them. But all people are made in the image of God, and Jesus models His love for all of us in that while we were His enemies, sinning against Him and without regard for Him, He died for us (Romans 5:8). Jesus is a living witness of how to love everyone and refuse to back away from the sick or destitute among us.
I am in a group many people avoid because disability makes a person different or hard to understand. I cannot thank God enough that He understands me, and He chose me to be His child even though I have a disability. I continue to pray for healing, but God has done the greater work by healing my heart and saving me. God has given me a message of hope, and I pray people will see God’s peace that comes through having a personal friendship with Him. God rejects no one who seeks Him. Jesus promises, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37).
Since Jesus shows unconditional compassion, we too can show similar love with the Holy Spirit’s help. Many people are hurting today, and often in these moments of greatest need, they are the most open to God and His help. I know in my life, weakness and disability have made me aware of my desperate need for a Savior every moment of every day. I believe God uses my disability to make me sensitive to others in need. My heart is eager to help because God is sustaining and helping me. I have the resources in Scripture, and a God who can do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or think.
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
Jesus did not heal everyone while He was on earth. Those He did heal did not all submit to Him as Lord or believe He is God’s Son, the second member of the Trinity (Luke 17:11-19). This reveals man’s true nature. We eagerly accept God’s blessings, but if sacrifice is involved or our prayer is not answered the way we want it to be answered, we think God is unjust or unloving. How can we dismiss the greatest love ever shown to us? Christ died on the cross in our place for all of the evil that we have committed. He is without sin; sin is our greatest sickness. If we confess Him as Almighty God and the One who has all power to save us, the lost, we are healed. Christ is our healer, since He forgives the one who comes to Him in faith.
… [T]hat whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:15-16
Jesus’ death paid the price for sin. After His death and burial, on the third day, God raised Him from the dead, and for forty days He walked the earth, showing Himself to His disciples and the people of the area. This is also part of the Great News. Jesus conquered death, and if He is your Savior, you too will not stay dead in the grave. Like Jesus, who ascended to heaven after forty days of walking the Earth, your spirit will join all believers in the presence of God until the bodily resurrection, where we will be completely healed forever and remain in continual worship. What an incredible future to look forward to!
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:8-11
‘Man’, said a thoughtless, ungodly English traveller to a North American Indian convert, ‘Man, what is the reason that you make so much of Christ, and talk so much about him? What has this Christ done for you that you should make so much ado about him?’ The converted Indian did not answer him in words. He gathered together some dry leaves and moss and made a ring with them on the ground. He picked up a live worm and put it in the middle of the ring. He struck a light and set the moss and leaves on fire. The flame soon rose and the heat scorched the worm. It writhed in agony, and after trying in vain to escape on every side, curled itself up in the middle, as if about to die in despair. At that moment the Indian reached forth his hand, took up the worm gently and placed it on his bosom. ‘Stranger’, he said to the Englishman, ‘Do you see that worm? I was that perishing creature. I was dying in my sins, hopeless, helpless, and on the brink of eternal fire. It was Jesus Christ who put forth the arm of his power. It was Jesus Christ who delivered me with the hand of his grace, and plucked me from everlasting burnings. It was Jesus Christ who placed me, a poor sinful worm, near the heart of his love. Stranger, that is the reason why I talk of Jesus Christ and make much of him. I am not ashamed of it, because I love him.”
In recent readings by Wayne Grudem, he brought to my attention that we have a role in our own sanctification. I had never seen that before. What does our role in our own sanctification look like?
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:12-13
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Matthew 5:6
It is helpful to define the terms used to discuss our walk with God. I am currently in a book club reading Holiness by J.C. Ryle, and it provides excellent teaching on the subject. Justification is solely the work of God on our behalf, and glorification is another work done solely by God on our behalf when this world as we know it ends, and our bodies are made perfect by God.
Justification is the reckoning and counting a man to be righteous for the sake of another, even Jesus Christ the Lord… It is not our own righteousness, but the everlasting perfect righteousness of our great Mediator Christ, imputed to us, and made our own by faith.
Holiness by J.C. Ryle (41)
Sanctification is that inward spiritual work which the Lord Jesus Christ works in a man by the Holy Spirit, when he calls him to be a true believer. He not only washes him from his sins in his own blood, but he also separates him from his natural love of sin and the world, puts a new principle in his heart, and makes him practically godly in life. The instrument by which the Sprit effects this work is generally the Word of God, though he sometimes uses afflictions and providential visitations ‘without the word’ (1 Peter 3:1). The subject of this work of Christ by his Spirit is called in Scripture a ‘sanctified’ man.
Holiness by J.C. Ryle (22)
However, in the time between justification and glorification, sanctification is a lifelong process of growing in our spiritual walk with God. Ryle points to Scripture to show us how increasing in sanctification is the result of the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer and convicting the believer concerning sin.
Sanctification is our own righteousness imparted, inherent, and wrought in us by the Holy Sprit, but mingled with much infirmity and imperfection.
Holiness by J.C. Ryle (41)
The Holy Spirit is in every believer, and this is a miracle. However, it is not a takeover that immediately produces a perfectly holy life. We are sanctified upon conversion as a direct result of the work of God alone, but sanctification is progressive for the rest of our lives and depends both on our work and God’s work. We are still humans who fight our sinful desires until we are made perfect in heaven. The desire to be more sanctified is a desire put on our hearts by God. It is a precursor to heaven, where we will worship God without hindrance. We know that our works do not save us. And we will never arrive at perfection on our own. I see our works of obedience to all of God’s instruction as our opportunity to show to all that we were sincere when we surrendered our life to Christ’s Lordship. At that moment of submission and faith, we are justified and sealed by God with the Holy Spirit, ensuring that we will never lose this covenant relationship.
In the plan of salvation revealed in the Bible, beyond doubt God the Father chooses, God the Son redeems, and God the Holy Spirit sanctifies every member of Christ’s mystical body.
Holiness by J.C. Ryle (290)
Ryle points out that sanctification is outward evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work in the believer. However, if a Christian is not acting in a holy manner, this is the fault of the believer. Ryle reasons, “On whom can they throw the blame if they are not sanctified, but themselves? God, who has given them grace and a new heart, and a new nature, has deprived them of all excuse if they do not live for his praise” (Ryle, 27). Therefore, the believer has the responsibility to continue growing more like Christ. Man cannot become more justified, but a believer does grow in love for God and increases in sanctification rather than remaining static in personal holiness. Increasing in sanctification comes through man’s diligence to keep “Bible-reading, private prayer, regular attendance on public worship, regular hearing of God’s Word, and regular reception of the Lord’s Supper” (Ryle, 28). These are the “channels through which the Holy Spirit conveys fresh supplies of grace to the soul, and strengthens the work which He has begun in the inward man”(Ryle, 28).
Ryle writes a lot to challenge the believer who sees sanctification as too much hard work. Why would we look forward to heaven if we do not want to live in purity on earth?
Additional Resources
A very helpful dialogue concerning many things, including sanctification, took place between John Piper and the late J.I. Packer. The section about sanctification begins at about 34:35. Credit: Desiring God.Holiness by J.C. Ryle is an outstanding book concerning sanctification and personal holiness. You may purchase a copy at Banner of Truth. Image Credit: Banner of Truth
No cross, no crown! No conflict, no saving Christianity!
Holiness by JC Ryle (296)
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
2 Timothy 3:1
In his letter to a young preacher named Timothy, the apostle Paul warns of the apostasy, or the desertion of the principles of faith, which was beginning to plague the church. This remains an evil we fight today. Paul’s warning is clear: “In the last days there will come times of difficulty” (2 Tim. 3:1). The “last days” are the span of days from the crucifixion of Christ to the glorious day of Christ’s return, where He will put an end to Satan’s power once and for all. The follower of Christ is promised to know difficulty. Therefore, Christians should not be afraid of tough days or wish they would not happen, because heaven is ahead for the believer in Jesus Christ, and God ordains all that occurs in our lives to work for our good (Rom. 8:28).
The history of Christ’s true church has always been one of conflict and war. It has been constantly assailed by a deadly enemy, Satan, the prince of this world… He is ever urging the children of this world to do his will, and to injure and harass the people of God… If he cannot rob the believers of heaven, he will vex them by the way.
Holiness by JC Ryle (295)
Christians look forward to heaven, where we will be with God forever and without any difficulty ever again. For me, this is a wonderful promise because my body will be healed and all my earthly struggles will be no more. In Revelation 21:4, we are given a description of heaven and God’s design for that time: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” All evil will cease. Can you imagine no more sinful thoughts or actions? Love and good deeds from pure motives will never cease. Everyone will live in a constant state of joy in the presence of God for eternity. It will be the perfection of Eden without temptation or tempter. For those of us struggling in our earthly body, we have the great promise that our bodies in heaven will be transformed into a glorious, perfect body like Jesus Christ’s (Phil. 3:20-21).
We are greatly helped in the last days if we keep our minds and hearts focused on the coming of our Savior. God, in His mercy, desires to give you this life to look forward to (1 Tim. 2:3-4). If you haven’t already done so, repent of your sins and pray for Jesus to redeem you so that you may be saved from Hell and eternal separation from God in His benevolence. It is only with the help of God that we can meaningfully endure life’s hardships. In Hell, there is continual, unbearable torment. Jesus described Hell as “the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mt. 13:42-43). The difficulty of the last days will continue into eternity with far greater intensity if one does not know God.
This passage was written to instruct all believers in how they are to live until Christ comes again. We are not to live in fear of the power of evil, because the Holy Spirit who lives in us is greater than those who are evil in this world (1 Jn. 4:4). Christian, be sobered by the power of sin and its evil intent to destroy. Do not participte in it, but instead live in preparation of heaven. We do not know when Christ will return, but we are certain it is God’s plan, and nothing stops His plan. Therefore, we must understand the evil in the last days and know how we must live.
The Difficulty of Living in the Midst of Ungodliness
For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
2 Timothy 3:2-5
What makes life difficult in the last days? Man’s sin. We think we know better than God, but the result is heartache. Satan continues to tempt man to disobey God with what seems to be better than God’s way, but when we give in to temptation, it leads to no good thing. Satan only lies to us because he would rather see us destroyed than following Christ.
To help us be on the alert for what is against God’s will, but will mark the last days, Paul writes out a list of sins to watch for. The list describes people as lovers of self, arrogant, and lovers of money. People will be proud of themselves and their possessions. They will also abuse others and themselves, showing no fear of God as they desecrate God’s image. The list even contains disobedience to parents, because doing so not only breaks God’s command to honor fathers and mothers, but reveals that we will not honor our heavenly Father until we honor our earthly parents. The rest of the list describes people who are not holy, those who are living in sin and unbelief as the fruit of a hard heart. Ungrateful people show discontentment that is often related to the sin of covetousness. Slander is another byproduct of an arrogant, heartless person who has no regard for anyone or the consequences of their actions. The last days will be filled with those who may be characterized simply as lacking self-control. Those without self-control are brutal. They don’t love that which is good, and they act treacherously, recklessly, and with swollen pride.
The description of people in AD 67 describes contemporary people as well. We cannot stand in pride that we are better people. We need God’s help to endure the violence and hatred of our day. For those who profess to be followers of Christ, we also need God’s help to live above the chaos. This is only possible with the Holy Spirit helping and convicting us of our sin. Man may try to fake godliness through rituals, but he will not experience the joy that comes with godly living. Paul warns Timothy to avoid “evil people and impostors who go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived,” (2 Tim. 3:13) because they seek to destroy. May I be so immersed in God’s Word that I grow in wisdom, and am not fooled by false living or false teaching.
The Difficulty of Facing Persecution
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
2 Timothy 3:12
Paul also warns Timothy of the persecution to be faced by those who live a godly life. Paul was repeatedly persecuted, sometimes even to the point of death, but the Lord continually rescued him (2 Tim. 3:11). God did not choose to prevent the suffering; He did save and sustain Paul.JC Ryle echoes Paul’s teaching concerning the struggle in this life, “The time present no doubt, is not a time of ease. It is a time of watching and praying, fighting and struggling, believing and working. But it is only for a few years. The time future is the season of rest and refreshing. Sin shall be cast out. Satan shall be bound. And, best of all, it shall be a rest for ever” (Holiness, 107).
Paul is extraordinary because he lived as both persecutor and persecuted. He was a Pharisee who boasted in his good works and adherence to the Law while he was murdering Christians. Then, he had a direct encounter with God on the way to Damascus, where he was to murder more Christians. His life was immediately changed. Paul acknowledged Christ for who He is, and was humbled by his own wretchedness. Paul was saved that day from the penalty of his sins, but this did not earn Paul a life of ease. In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul tells them, “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from drivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure” (2 Corinthians. 11:24-31). All of this did not defeat Paul or lessen his love for God. He knew Christ died to save him while he was an enemy, and in gratitude he would walk in obedience no matter the earthly cost.
How Should We Then Live?
Live like citizens of heaven. Let your light shine before men, so that the world may profit by your conduct. Let them know whose you are, and whom you serve.
Holiness by JC Ryle (302)
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for trainning in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:14-17
Paul encourages Timothy, and us by extension, to not be deceived and to remember all the Scripture we have learned. God did not leave us helpless; He has personally given instructions in the Bible for how to live in an apostate world. Everything written in Scripture is to teach, warn, correct, and train us to live righteous lives (2 Tim. 3:16). God equips us for every good work through biblical teaching, so Paul charges Timothy to always be ready to preach the Word (2 Tim. 4:2). Christians can face difficulty in the world through the instruction of the Word of God, which is known through private Bible reading, listening to pastoral sermons in the local church, and the exhortations of fellow believers.
Like Timothy, I have women (and men) who have taught me God’s Word since I was born (2 Tim. 1:5). These are the people who pray for me continually to fight the good fight, obey God’s Word, patiently endure suffering, and act as a witness for the gospel. I want my life to show that Jesus Christ is irresistably wonderful, and I want to proclaim that He paid the price for man’s sin. All must know that we are justified before God by faith in Christ alone.
I would like to end with a benediction given by Paul as a prayer for all of those in Christ: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Jesus Christ, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Romans 15:5-7).
This post is an adaptation of my submission for a class assignmentin December 2016 at Biola University.
I would like to begin by thanking all of you for subscribing to and reading this blog. This begins a weekly installment of answers to questions I received this week from readers. If you wish to submit a question for Friday Mailbag, please use the email form at the bottom of this article.
What role does gratitude play in the Christian’s life?
I believe gratitude is what fuels the actions of a godly life. Thanksgiving springs from our gratitude for all that Christ did on the cross as our substitute, the forgiveness of sin we enjoy, and the joyful relationship we have with Him. I also want to live a life that proclaims what the Lord has done for me, which is a life marked by gratitude to God for saving us from eternal separation from Him in Hell. Jesus Christ left this earth alive after He died on the cross and resurrected from the grave, but not before appearing to His disciples in order to give them the commission to spread the Good News of salvation. This is still the mandate for all disciples living today. God draws, forgives, and reconciles His people to Himself, and He gives us the Holy Spirit to seal our eternal relationship with Him. It is our great privilege to be asked to serve God, including proclaiming this most excellent Good News of salvation from death to eternal life. It is the most precious gift to be given. My heart is grateful to God for saving me, loving me, indwelling me by the Spirit, promising to never leave me or forsake me, and blessing me with eternity in His presence upon my death. Gratitude fills my heart with joy!
How should one communicate with you in person? Can we converse with you and know that you understand everything, but won’t be able to answer? Do you prefer short comments as opposed to a long one-sided conversation?
Thank you for being thoughtful about in-person conversation. What I am glad to tell you is that I understand everything. I know it is not ideal to speak with someone who struggles to reply verbally. On the other hand, I am someone you can share with who will not interrupt you or give feedback to you before thinking it through and typing a response. If you would like feedback sooner, and you have the time, I can type my thoughts because I usually carry my iPad with me. I am happy to listen, and I am grateful to have the friendship of anyone who would like to spend time with me. Time is a precious commodity, and since my body needs more time to communicate, even a greeting in person is very nice. Thank you.
Do you ever get frustrated or upset when listening to other people complain about things that you think are small or mundane compared to what you have gone through in life?
I am watchful over my heart to make sure that gratitude won’t be cancelled out by complaint. If I stop wanting God’s best for me, I know Satan will tempt me to desire what others have. Coveting is a sin because this is what the Bible teaches, and coveting is my heart complaining to God and unrighteously questioning His promises made to me. To complain is to throw a tantrum before Almighty God, challenging whether or not He loves me or knows what is best for me. I can only encourage others to trust in God if I am doing the same. I would love it if my encouragement to do so helps others draw close to God by reading the Bible and asking for forgiveness when sin chokes our assurance of God’s love. We disappoint God and others. God never disappoints us. And when the things of this world do disappoint us, we can share this with God directly in prayer, and it is more than wonderful that God miraculously fills the repentant heart with joy, peace, and love. This prohibits animosity or frustration, which can take our attention off of God.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing,that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
Philippians 2:14-16
Do you worry about what your life will be like when your parents are called to heaven?
This is a very tangible way I get to put my complete trust in God into action. I am grateful I have a most outstanding brother who has been a blessing to me all of my life. Since God has ordained our days, I can live in peace. We live with the assurance that we are in his care every day, since God is the one who supplies our oxygen. Since I trust that heaven awaits the child of God after death, I am able to trust God in the here and now.
Is there any kind of “facilitator” that could give you the physical pressure needed on your body/arm that can help you type without having someone do it? Like a blood pressure monitor? With modern technology, can something like that assist you?
Thank you for asking about facilitation. I do not fully understand the way it works. It is amazing that what seems to be natural for some is challenging for me, because something has disrupted my brain messaging. I know what I want to say and do, which means that my brain is working, and yet somewhere on the path to production, the message gets interrupted. I can get supported with a hand on my shoulder or a hand holding up my elbow, or with two fingers on my typing forearm (when my mom types with me). I type with my right hand using my pointer finger, and I keep my ideas in my head as I type. The support of another person helps me stay focused. Thank you for thinking of new technology that might help me. Perhaps this will prompt someone to create a device. I know that having a person sitting with me, although they are quiet while I type, helps my momentum just by their presence.
Interestingly, when I play the piano I can play with both hands and all fingers. The melody is my motivator, and I do not need anyone touching me. The tune is the trigger to prompt my hands. I still need someone to sit next to me, however, in order that when I get stuck, that person can cue me verbally by singing the note or the song. So far, it has been a human giving me a cue when I get stuck. It is not a lack of will or desire, but rather a “stuckness” that stops me from completing or even initiating an action. My hope is that the more I practice, the more routine things will become, and my body will inform itself until completion.
I thank those who have the courage to sit with me and bless me with their patience as I type to express myself more completely.
Thought for the Week
A photo my Dad took from a palace garden in Portugal
Contentment is a gift to the believer who has been cleansed of sin and knows the peace of God. God adopted us, loves us, and will withhold no good thing from those who walk uprightly. Our goal should be to align our wish list with God’s will, while continually remaining thankful to be a child of God. A thankful heart sees the blessing of God and tells the mind to keep trusting Him. This shows that we are delighted in God and content in Him and in Him alone.
Come, pluck up, heart, let’s neither faint nor fear.
Better, tho’ difficult, the right way to go,
Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.
John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress (1689)
By invitation of my friend from Biola, Peter Brown, I was able to share the following message to a nearby High School group in July 2019. The following is an edited version. There was also a Q&A after the talk, and I was given some time to type my responses. These are shown below as well.
I have two challenges that have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember: autism and apraxia. Both challenges limit my ability to speak and initiate movement. However, with some force pushing down on my arm, I can type on a keyboard.
I am grateful that my disabilities did not hinder God from choosing me to be a child in His family. Even with my limited capacity, the Holy Spirit gave my heart a desire for God, and the Holy Spirit equipped my mind so that I could understand and receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior. The list of things I can do is very short, but this does not prevent me from being a child of God. In my weakness, God is strong. I am not saved or favored by God because of my works, but because of all that Jesus did for me. He willingly died on the cross. He was the perfect Lamb of God who bore all of our sin and died the death we deserve.
He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:4-5
Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29
What an overwhelming love–we can be saved and forgiven! Christ died and was buried, but God raised Him from the dead on the third day, and Jesus walked the earth for 40 days so that all His disciples both then and now would know that He is alive. He then ascended to heaven, where He is currently at the right hand of God mediating for us. Now, those who are Christians can have the full assurance that we will pass from this life to life everlasting in the presence of God, where there is no more sin, sadness of any kind, or disability.
In the meantime, I am putting my full trust in the sovereign God who allows my body to operate this way. I can share with you some of the benefits of living as I do. I am able to spend a lot of time in prayer, and God does not need to hear my spoken word, because He knows our thoughts. Additionally, I have a lot of time to meditate on God’s Word. I listen to the Bible read aloud, and I find that this is a wonderful way to let Scripture saturate my heart. To hear each verse is to hear God’s voice, which allows us to know His mind and will for our lives.
I cannot let this affliction rob me of any joy because God is the one who gives me joy. I cannot worry or stress over what my purpose is because God has chosen me before the foundations of the world, and He has designed the works I am to do.
He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:5-7
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10
God can choose to heal me physically. After all, He raises the dead to life. Jesus healed many in the New Testament–even some who were mute. Regardless, I am asking God, with joy in my heart, to be honored and glorified in all that He allows me to do and say each day. Although physical healing might not be God’s will for me, I have peace because God has healed my sinful heart and sealed me with the promise that He will never leave or forsake me.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.
John 10:28-30
“I will never leave you or forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:5-6
We are living during a time when the god of the day is “man’s will.” We need to beware of wanting God on our terms, and not obeying His terms. I want God to have first place in my life with all glory going to Him. How can I not humbly, eagerly love God who is my Savior and loved me first?
I am grateful for this opportunity to share my heart with you and encourage you to trust in God, from whom all blessings flow, including every breath. We can surrender all of our needs to Him. Perhaps He allows weakness and need in our life so that we will not be self-reliant, but instead fully depend on Him as our Lord and Savior. 1 Peter 5:6-7 begins with commands that instruct us in how God wants us to relate to Him: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” God is fully trustworthy. Satan is the Christian’s adversary, and Peter warns us in verse 8 that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion seeking only to destroy. He might seem to be tempting us with something good, but we are his enemy, and he wants to ruin us. It is my desire to trust in God and His precious promises stated clearly in the Bible. I also know God’s warnings are for my good and are designed to bring about a fulfilling, righteous life. To give in to Satan’s temptation has not worked out for anyone–not for Adam and Eve, King David, or King Solomon, just to name a few. Gratefully, God forgives us when we repent. We need to keep reminding ourselves that, ultimately, sin offers nothing good for us. God is not withholding something good from us to be unfair or mean.
I find that, although there are a lot of things I cannot do in this life, what God has given me is still greater. He has given me peace deep down in my soul, and I trust in His care and provision for everything. God gives me joy, His perfect joy, and this comes directly from Him, and it is not based on my performance or any change in my circumstances. And God set his elective love on me unconditionally, and He fills me with a similar love. No one can love you sacrificially like God does. Every one of us loves with human love, and this love is conditional by definition. We easily love the lovely and the loveable, but God loves His children, even with weaknesses and disabilities, for all of eternity.
People evaluate me on my ability: I need good grades to stay in college, and I do not know who will hire me as an employee or if anyone would want to marry me. You might have some unanswered questions like me. If you are a Christian, pray and share it all with the Creator of the universe who loves you, chose you, and transforms your heart to desire Him. If God has performed this miracle in your life, which affects you for all eternity, there is no request too big or small. I love that our relationship with God lasts forever. What more do we really need?
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts you.
Isaiah 26:3
The fact that people draw opinions about us is out of our control. If I am seeking man’s approval, I usually will not measure up to man’s standards. I will never be the smartest, or the most athletic, and I cannot really initiate anything so that people can really know me. But God evaluates us not based on outward appearances, but rather according to my heart–whether I have godly desires and an obedient heart sold out for Him.
For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7
I thank you for listening and letting me tell you about what is on my heart. This is a rare privilege. Thank you.
Fellow Bible major and friend, Peter Brown
Questions and Answers
How do you keep your confidence and keep your head up?
I can get discouraged if I take God and His gift of salvation out of the equation. I am limited now, but not forever. I do enjoy my heart’s desire–studying at Biola–and my parents and brother make life fun.
Do you wish your life was any different?
Your question is good to think about. I think you have to go back to the fact that God is sovereign, and my disability is ordained by Him. My love for God directs me to trust that He knows what is best for me.
Have people ever treated you poorly because of your disability?
Thanks for looking out for me. Being dependent means I always need someone to protect me. I am never left alone. I am grateful this has protected me. Sometimes it hurts when people think I cannot understand, but more people are kind and give me a chance.
How have your challenges affected your education?
It takes me longer to study, and I graduated from high school in 2013. I take 3 classes a semester, and I hope to graduate in 2022 with a Bible degree. I love learning, and I am grateful for the teachers who welcome me in their class. I study with help from my shadow aide and my family. I prayed I could go to college, and they accepted me even though my situation is unique. I pray God uses me to allow others like me to attend college.
What future job do you want? What are your after-college plans?
I am not sure what I will be able to do for a job because of my limitations. I would love to make a blog and post words of godly encouragement from God’s Word. With technology, I have more possibilities. I also think God might give me opportunity to encourage families that are struggling in waiting rooms. I would like to share the Gospel and its eternal perspective in a pamphlet. Most parents fall into despair when they have a child like me. I would love to share how God loves them. With God, all things are possible, and I am studying Scripture to give godly answers.
Do you think there is anything beneficial about silent prayer compared to prayer out loud?
It is easy to get sidetracked when praying because other thoughts can flood our mind whenever we seek to focus. I am grateful I can still pray with my thoughts because my verbal speech is very limited. A good idea is to close our eyes to shut out where our eyes might take us, causing us to forget what we are saying to God. Because I can think all day about God, I love to continue in conversation with God throughout the day–thanking Him, asking for help, and praising Him. This discipline reminds me that I have a relationship with God. In this way, I know His presence all day as I commune with Him. The Holy Spirit helps me focus and makes my heart desire this in the first place.
What is your favorite animal?
Although we do not own any animals, I have a great fondness for all animals, especially giraffes with their long necks. We have peacocks all day long in our yard. They come from the Arboretum across the street. They are beautiful, but we do feel like our yard is their bird cage. People stop their cars in order to take photos of the peacocks on our property. We also have bunnies, and their white cotton tails are tremendous. Like each one of us is different, God made the animal kingdom with great creativity and variety. What kindness of God to give us animals to enjoy and take care of!
Some peacocks with an unhatched egg in our front yard. We have up to 25 on our property at one time.
“I have a key in my bosom, called Promise, that will (I am persuaded) open any Lock in Doubting-Castle.”
John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678)
Note to the reader: the following post is composed of my answers to questions posed by my brother, Stephen, to help introduce me and this blog.
How would you introduce yourself to a stranger?
When you look at me, you can see that I stand six feet tall, and you might notice my deep blue eyes and warm smile. I love life and I have reason to rejoice because I am a Christian. As a young boy I repented of my sins, asked Jesus to forgive me, and acknowledged Him as Lord of my life. I am so grateful that God calls us to Himself, since this is a miraculous work. God chooses to soften our hard hearts to desire Him in the first place as a result of the work of regeneration.
Naturally, we want to go through life on our own, but in the end, do we really know what we want and how to get it? If we do get our way or what we want, are we as satisfied or as joyful as we thought it would make us? My head has less hair than I desire and I am only twenty-seven years old. Additionally, when you look at me, you might notice that my body moves slightly differently and words have a hard time coming out of my mouth. I have had years of therapy to combat these challenges, but they have remained. The two labels that describe my needs are autism and apraxia. The hairline has nothing to do with these diagnoses, however. What I am grateful for, today, is that these special needs did not cause God to overlook me or prevent His salvation plan. Jesus died on the cross in the place of people from every tribe and nation, no matter our works or ability, due to God’s plan and purpose.
Why do you want to write a blog?
The list of things I cannot do overwhelms the list of what I can do. However, I can express myself through typing. I love to encourage people that life with God as my Lord and Savior gives me beautiful peace and a joy that puts a smile on my face, despite the hardship this earthly body gives me. I would love to dialogue about books I have read and verses from the Bible I am rejoicing in or grappling with. If you met me in person, we would have a harder time dialoguing, but with the fantastic invention of the computer, my thoughts are expressed more fluidly. I am happy to receive any comments or questions you might have.
Getting diagnosed at two years old allowed my parents to have an answer to my speech delay. I was compliant to attend every therapy and class in school, and I am grateful for each doctor, neurologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist and teacher. I loved learning to swim at age three, and I rode horseback and performed vaulting moves with two guides on each side of the horse. I have always loved music, and I am grateful I could learn to play piano with two hands. All of these people gave me the blessed gift of believing in me. They chose not to let my disability be the limitation, but instead chose to encourage me to have goals and have helped me to achieve them. My great blessing is to have parents and a younger brother, Stephen, who love me unconditionally and provide a great family life together. They have added biking, playing table tennis, and playing basketball to my “can-do” list, and they do, with kindness, so many things on my behalf that my body is unable to do.
You might not know how to understand me if you saw me in person. I am all the more grateful to have this opportunity to share with you what is on my mind and in my heart. Perhaps you will allow me to encourage you. God is in the details and it is a marvelous blessing to take note of all that He does.
How do you type out your thoughts? What is facilitated communication?
The expression of my thoughts as I type with my index finger on a computer is the means of showing that my brain is working. Because my body has a hard time cooperating with my brain, I need someone pushing down on my forearm while I type. My body counters the pressure by going to the letter I need. The pulse from another person helps me to organize my thoughts and keep me focused. The motion to reach and press the keys is my doing, while the counter-pressure comes from the person sitting next to me. This is called facilitated communication. This is new territory to fully understand. I am not being coerced to type, and my finger is not being used to type someone else’s thoughts. This is yet one more area for which I can express gratitude to those who believe in me.
For those of us who struggle to speak, we know the feeling of being discounted as deaf or lacking in sufficient brainpower to learn or have an individual thought. Again, I am forever grateful for all of those who believe in me. Because of the many people who patiently helped and believed in me, I graduated from Arcadia High School in 2013 and earned a diploma. I was also accepted to attend Biola University and Pasadena City College (PCC). I have attended both at the same time over the past seven years. I finished all of Biola’s general education requirements at PCC, which also meant that I earned an A.A. in Humanities this past spring from PCC. I have finished the Bible minor at Biola, and my goal is to complete the Bible major requirements in the next 2 years. I count this life as a privilege. My heart is grateful.
What is the process for creating these blog posts?
The blessing my family gives me is that they give their assistance to aid me in getting my thoughts out of my head and down in writing. My brother sometimes prompts me with various questions to respond to, and he helps by editing my work. My Mom is primarily responsible for helping to facilitate my communication by applying a downward pressure on my forearm. This is a great opportunity to share my thoughts. Stephen and my Mom are necessary to make this possible and I am grateful for them. Thank you for taking time to read and get to know me.
A Bit More About Me
California Speech and Hearing Association (CSHA) presented me with the 2013 Child Distinguished Consumer award as well as this video
In lieu of a comments section, please feel free to respond to my posts or ask questions via email using the form below.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Psalm 8:3
I imagine Psalm 8 overflowed from David’s heart in part as a result of his time spent as a shepherd guarding his father’s sheep. He would have seen many starry nights, and he would certainly have been in awe of God’s creation, the work of His fingers (8:3). David rightly points out how incredible it is that Almighty God, who spoke the world into existence and hung the stars in place, wants a personal relationship with man. David called Him “My Lord” and describes Him as “Majestic,” even while considering the staggering fact that God is mindful of us and cares for us.
I do not ever want to take for granted that God, Maker of Heaven and Earth and everything else, King over everything, is my Lord. He is whom I love and seek to obey, and He is over everything in my life. I do not want to go against the will of my Lord, who gave Himself for me and cares for me. My heart cries out, thank you God. My heart sings with David in joy because of the tremendous privilege God has given man above all other creation to enjoy such a unique fellowship with Him.
I do not ever want to take for granted that God, Maker of Heaven and Earth and everything else, King over everything, is my Lord.
Psalm 51 stands in sharp contrast to Psalm 8. We move from the heights of praise to somber confession. It is a grave message of caution to me. When we praise God and we are relationship with Him, songs of praise pour forth from our hearts (51:14). But as David points out in this psalm, man is born with a sin nature, and the sins we commit as a consequence are destructive and dishonoring to God (51:5). Though he was an extraordinary king in Israel’s history and had great power, David became ordinary when he did what is common to man. He broke God’s Law. He committed adultery, murder, and deception as he tried to cover it all up. My heart sinks when I read this account. Not David! I am warned. No one is above sinning. Even after years of steadfast faithfulness, we can act despicably.
But, praise be to God! When David was thinking clearly as he wrote this psalm, he wanted to get complete cleansing and freedom from guilt (51:7). He knew God was the only one whose forgiveness he ultimately needed, which God does because of His love and mercy (51:1). David knew he had broken God’s Law and deserved death (51:4). David could bring his plea for forgiveness before God, because David knew God would forgive him. Why did he wait so long? Do I, too, think I can hide my sin from God? David sinned against God by breaking His commands, but also hurt a woman and killed her husband, people made in the image of God. We offend the majestic God of Psalm 8, and our sin deeply affects others.
Man sins. That is the bad news. But God accepts the sacrifice of a broken spirit. “A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (51:17). The good news is that God will accept my repentance and wash me thoroughly from my sins. This cleansing is complete. God forgives it all when we admit our sin and ask Him for forgiveness. We have to be holy to have a relationship with God. I can only be holy if God forgives me, and He can only forgive me when I humble myself before Him. This account provides a stern warning, since even a man after God’s own heart can sin big.
David points out man’s tendency to want to pay God off by giving money or service to blot out our sin (51:16). God will not accept this. It counts for nothing, because God wants our honest repentance. When we are operating in purity, our motives overflow from our thankfulness to God for His love, mercy, and forgiveness.
When confronted by the prophet Nathan, King David immediately asks for God’s forgiveness. This makes him a man after God’s own heart. He could have killed Nathan and kept the secret. He had the power to do that, but he did not. David did not rationalize his sin, but admitted full guilt. This is unlike Adam and Eve, who shifted the blame when confronted by God. I want the Holy Spirit to convict me so that I never want to hold on to sin. I do not want to become hardened by unconfessed sin. I know we do not lose our salvation, but we can lose the joy of our salvation. I pray for a heart that loves God’s Law and longs to have communion with Him forever. I want to continually act so that I “cleanse [myself] from every defilement of body and spirit and make holiness perfect in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1). I am grateful that I know God’s love for me because of salvation and His forgiveness.
I want to sing aloud of God’s righteousness and forgiveness to a world sick with sin. Satan would discourage me, telling certain lies to make me feel inadequate or unworthy. God, give me Your words and the testimony of David to show there is victory in repentance and a right personal relationship with God. Whatever area God leads me to, I want God’s message of love, forgiveness, and eternal life to be available to anyone who has ears to hear. I want to create my written testimony to give out to anyone at every opportunity God gives me. The way I can share is limited, but in the hands of our majestic, creative God, the possibilities are limitless. Here I am God; please use me for Your glory.
A photo of the “Mystic Mountain” from the Hubble telescope (Source: Smithsonian Magazine)
Keys for the Kingdom 