The Light of the world

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16

So far we’ve given most of our attention to the “salt” aspect of Jesus’ words. Let give some thought to the “light” aspect. After declaring that disciples of Christ “are the light of the world,” Jesus points out that a city set on a hill cannot be hidden. The city’s elevation mattered, especially in those days when warfare was largely based on walled cities defending themselves from invaders. The walls mattered, and if the walled city was elevated, it was all the more defensible. From atop the walled city on a hill, the people in the city could clearly see their attackers, and those outside could see how strong the city was.

Having given that illustration, Jesus employed a similar illustration of a lamp. A lamp on the floor does not illuminate the room as fully as a lamp on an elevated lampstand. Worse still, a lamp covered by a basket gives no light at all and is therefore virtually worthless.

Jesus then connected the two illustrations with His point. As “the light of the world,” God’s people are to shine in such a way that we cast the light of Christ and the gospel in the broadest manner possible. We dare not hide our light or we make ourselves worthless. We must position ourselves where the light will shine the brightest. As important as our homes and churches are, if we shine only in these hiding places, we are not acting like “the light of the world.” Disciples must get out into the spiritually dark world for our light to be seen and for people to be drawn to Christ.

Verse 16 is not about performing righteous acts for our own glory. It is about illuminating the sin-darkened world with the light of Christ and the gospel so that people will “glorify our Father in Heaven.”

One final thought on this: We are not the source of light, nor do we have any light in and of ourselves. We are more satellites than lights, in that sense. Jesus is “the Light of the World” (John 8:12). Our responsibility is to be “in Him,” and “abide in Him” so we most accurately and fully reflect His light to our world. It is Jesus the world needs, we are but His agents!

"Good for nothing"

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus said that His disciples are “are the salt…” and we “are the light…” These are not things we are to aspire to be or to become, they are who we are! The question for us to ask ourselves upon self-examination is “How salty are we, and how brightly are we shining?”

Regarding our “saltiness,” Jesus warned that when salt looses its saltiness, it is “good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under foot.” What does that mean?

First, it means that salt can loose it’s saltiness. Spiritually, when the salt loses its spiritual and moral preserving properties, it is because the Church is not inhibiting the putrefaction of the world, but is either doing nothing, or worse, is being putrefied along with the world. Not only can this happen but, sadly, Church history is marked by recurring seasons in which this happens. We are living such a season.

Second, when the salt loses its saltiness, it “good for nothing.” In other words, if our influence is not standing against the spiritual and moral putrefaction of the world, it doesn’t much matter what else we are doing!

Third, when the salt looses its preserving influence, the world stomps the Church under its feet—disregarding. mocking, and even persecuting the Church. Do we not see this happening in our world today?

But consider this: because Christians are salt—and because there is always at least a remnant of Christians who are retaining their saltiness—we are a problem for the world. Consider the moral insanity of our day. People march in the streets for the “right” to murder babies in the womb. People loudly promote the lie that gender either (a) doesn’t matter, or (b) can be changed because a mentally ill person does not “feel” they are the gender into which they were born (this lie is being taught to children in government schools, no less!). Who is standing against this spiritual and moral insanity? Not the government. Not the fields of science and medicine. The biblical Church is the last bastion that says, “No!” I say biblical Church because there are many who claim to be Christian, but are not, who have joined the insanity parade.

Biblical Christianity is not only the minority in the world but, sadly, biblical Christianity may well be in the minority among those who claim to be Christian.

This is a major reason the world hates us! Nevertheless, we must graciously, but resolutely say, “No!” to the spiritual and moral putrefaction of the world in which we live—even if we who stand are small in number. We do not want to become “good for nothing,” do we?

It is what we are, not what we are to become.

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16

“You are the salt… You are the light…” These statements are not imperatives—telling us what we are supposed to become. They are indicatives—declaring what we are. We are salt and we are light. The question is, how salty are we? The question is, where are we shining, and how brightly?

This reminds me of the difference between justification and sanctification. God’s justified people are declared to be righteous in God’s eyes even though we are not always so in practice—which is why we are being sanctified, or growing in righteousness. May we not only be salt and light, but let us grow in our saltiness, and in how brightly we shine!

In Jesus’ day salt was a seasoning, but more importantly, it was a preservative. I cannot help but believe it was the preserving aspect of salt that Jesus was referring to. The sinful world is putrefying and rotting from within due to sin and rebellion against God and His ways. God’s people are a preservative, inhibiting the spiritual and moral decay that is the natural result of unrestrained sin. I use the word unrestrained, knowing that the world is not as sinful as it could be if it were not for God’s restraining grace. But do we understand that God’s people scattered in and throughout this rotting world are His agents of restraining grace?

It is as we live moral lives, and are a voice declaring both law and gospel, that the salt preserves what otherwise would be rotting. It is God’s work, but He has ordained us as His agents. When salt loses its saltiness—or ceases to be a preserving influence, the salt is good for nothing except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

More on what that means next time.

Persecution: first words, then actions

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12

There are two forms of persecution: Words and Actions.

We were told as children, “Sticks and stone can break my bones, but words can never (you complete the saying.)” I knew you could!

Words may seem innocuous compared to actions. But as words reveal what is in one’s heart (Luke 6:45), words are frequently precursors to actions.

A recent poll revealed that among a certain age demographic in the US (I’m sure you can guess who this group is), a majority believes and affirmed the idea that “misgendering” should be considered a crime.(1) They may only think and speak this way, but how long before those who even mistakenly call a man a man—even if he insists he is a woman—could be charged with a hate crime?

You might ask, what this has to do with persecution of Christians? Besides the fact that male and female are the only two genders, according to God’s Word, preaching the gospel would also be a hate crime to those who do not want to be told they are sinners in need of Christ the Savior.

What is in one’s heart is likely to leak from one’s mouth. And what one thinks and says is likely to end up as actions. To be clear, I feel genuinely sorry for the mentally ill who believe and even say that males can become pregnant. I would even defend their right to say what is false. But that same courtesy is not extended back by those who disagree. They insist, and will persecute, those who do not join their celebration of insanity. Add to that, the fact that the single greatest barrier to the furtherance of the anti-sanity agenda are biblical Christians who must believe, speak, and follow the truth, embodied by the One who IS the Truth—even Jesus.

Buckle up Christian friends, persecution is on the way. But be encouraged; our Lord promised:

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12

(1) According to Harvard Medical School “misgendering” as the following dangerous “health” effect: …this is both exhausting and demoralizing. When people are misgendered, they feel invalidated and unseen. When this happens daily, it becomes a burden that can negatively impact their mental health and their ability to function in the world.

It will never happen here?

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12

One of the most impacting books I ever read is not a best seller. The author is not a household name. But the book changed my life. The 145 pages of this little paperback book, penned by Jan Pit, is entitled, “Persecution: It Will Never Happen Here?”

The opening words of the first chapter replay a common occurrence on a passenger airplane. The flight attendant calmly says, “In the unlikely event of an emergency…” before explaining what to do in the event of an in-air emergency.

Who listens to this memorized spiel? First time fliers. The seasoned traveler doesn’t normally pay much attention because he hasn’t experienced an emergency, so the thought of one happening is remote enough to disregard the warning and instructions. Sound familiar?

The rest of the book is about places in our world where Christianity was a fixture of society, and persecution was not expected. Until it suddenly happened! The stories are gripping. So are the warnings of why we should plan for persecution and what to do to be prepared. Some highlights include:

• Understanding what the Bible says about persecution.

• The necessity of a life dependent on the Holy Spirit.

• The necessity of a life of knowing (and memorizing) scripture.

• The necessity of being associated with a local church.

• The necessity of training our children (persecutors always take the children and forbid child evangelism).

• Understanding spiritual warfare.

• Standing on Christ’s promise that His Church cannot fail!

If you want to borrow my copy of the book, I’ll gladly loan it to you. If you want to buy your own copy, though the book is sadly out of print, you can get one from amazon: Click Here

We should not be shocked that persecution happens if we read the Bible

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12

Last time we spoke about two of three reasons we are sometimes shocked to hear of persecution. The first two were: (1)We are generally, and by comparison, almost completely sheltered from persecution. (2)We are ignorant of history.

We introduced the third with these words (promising to fill in more details this time):

We read the Bible selectively. We may be experts at quoting truncated portions of scripture such as, “I can do all things…” (Yes, there is more to that verse that is contrary to the way so many abusively treat the Word of God.). God’s Word overflows with encouragement but it also tells us the truth about the cost of following Jesus—including persecution.

The fact is, scripture is replete with the truth that life is hard, including persecution. Didn’t God tell Adam and Eve (immediately after their sin) that work will be a sweat, and childbearing will be painful (Genesis 3:14-19)?

Has God not established the fact that one of the ways He refines His people is in the furnace (Proverbs 17:3)? Has He not also demonstrated that he often disciplines His people by turning them over to their enemies (too many verses to cite!)?

Was Jesus less than clear when He warned us that following Him means denying self and taking up our crosses (the symbol of Christ’s crucifixion) (Matthew16:24-26)?

Specifically on the subject of persecution, did Jesus not say that as the godless hate Him, they will also hate His people (John 15:18-25)? And did Paul not instruct us that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12)?

My point is simply this, while we certainly recoil at the atrocities to which our persecuted brethren are subjected, that persecution happens should not be a shock—if we read all the Bible instead of only our favorite verses (often not even entire verses!) of encouragement.

Jesus spoke of both persecution and encouragement in the same verse:

John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Let us remember our suffering brethren in prayer!

Why are we shocked to hear of persecution?

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12

The fact that we in America are shocked when we hear of the persecution that so many of our brothers and sisters in the world endure routinely suggests three realities about we in the USA.

We are generally, and by comparison, almost completely sheltered from persecution. First, I am thankful we do not experience persecution. But we who are insulated from persecution are the exception, not the rule. People in vast areas of the world are persecuted as a matter of fact. Second, we dare not think our blessed freedom from persecution is earned or deserved by us. We may still be living on the spiritual capital amassed by previous generations, but we in this day can in no way think we are somehow more deserving than the persecuted Church around the world. Our national sins, including the sins of the American Church, must be a foul stench in Heaven. Be assured that a lack of persecution is nothing less than the kind providence of a gracious God. Third, we had better not think, “It will never happen here!” More on that in an upcoming post.

We are ignorant of history. The history of Christianity is littered with persecution of God’s people. While there have been seasons of less persecution in Church history, persecution has been a recurring theme. Perhaps the most ghastly truth about the persecution of God’s people is that much of the persecution of the godly has been perpetrated by the rich and the powerful from within the Church. We may never know how many great men and women of God have been martyred by religious imposters parading as the leading elite of Christianity. And even in our day, those in the “progressive church” malign true believers for not standing with them against the Bible—and what the Bible teaches about everything from the deity of our sinless Savior, to the biblical difference between men and women, to the so-called “right” to murder babies in their mothers’ wombs.

We read the Bible selectively. We may be experts at quoting truncated portions of scripture such as, “I can do all things…” (Yes, there is more to that verse that is literally antithetical to the way so many abusively treat Philippians 4:13!). God’s Word overflows with encouragement but it also tells us the truth about the cost of following Jesus—including persecution. More on that next time…

Why to people hate Christianity?

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12

Christians are the most actively persecuted people in the world today. More people have been martyred for their faith in Christ in 123 years since 1900 than in the previous 1900 years since the establishment of Christianity. We in America do not feel the sting of persecution as do so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world—for which we are grateful. But the more subtle forms of persecution we in America are facing are giving way to more aggressive forms of persecution.

Why to people hate Christianity?

Christians, by and large, are no threat either to individuals or to nations. Christians are commended by God in the Bible to love our neighbors (including our enemies!), and to obey our governments. So though we do not do these things perfectly, we should be the best neighbors and the best citizens.

So we ask again, why do people hate Christianity?

Christianity is by nature an evangelistic faith. We are commanded to tell others about Jesus. We cannot convert anyone. Only the Holy Spirit can do that—but we are to tell others about Christ and the gospel. Most people do not want to hear the gospel because they do not want to be told they are sinners in need of a Savior. So they hate the message and therefore the messengers.

People practicing other religions do not want to hear that their religions are not valid and cannot get them to heaven—which is the message of Jesus who insisted that He is the only way to the Father in Heaven (John 14:6). So they hate the message and therefore the messengers.

So the bottom line about why people hate Christianity is that they hate Christ. Jesus told His disciples we would be hated because the world hates Him (John 15:18). And why do they hate Jesus? Because trusting in and following Jesus requires acknowledging one’s sin, that one’s other religious beliefs are wrong, that Jesus is the only way, and that to follow Jesus, one must turn from sin to Christ.

This hatred of Christ is not always carried out consciously. It is most often simply the natural reaction of those who are spiritually dead in sin, and therefore living in rebellion against God.

Unless the Lord changes a person’s heart (regeneration), people naturally hate Christ and the gospel.

The persecuted are in good company

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12

The prime example of why there is a blessing associated with persecution is in the text:

…for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (v.12)

Virtually every one of God’s Old Testament prophets were persecuted. Several were martyred. And they were blessed by God—which is why they were hated by so many people!

Jesus said John the Baptist was the greatest of the prophets (Matthew 11:11). The other prophets foretold the Messiah who would arrive one day. John introduced the Messiah who had arrived already. And John was unjustly beheaded!

But the greatest Prophet of all was Jesus Himself, the One about whom all the previous prophets prophesied. Moses spoke of Jesus, calling Him a Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15). Of course, Jesus is more than a prophet. He, the Messiah, not only pointed people to God, but redeemed God’s people, reconciling them to God! He is the eternal Son of God, our Lord and our Savior!

As our Savior, Jesus was persecuted throughout His ministry—and ultimately, He was crucified.

Two differences between Jesus and the other prophets who were martyred: (1) Jesus was not martyred. No one took His life. He laid it down that He might take it up again (John 10:17-18). (2) Jesus rose from the dead! (Mark 16:6).

Christians who are persecuted and martyred are blessed along with the Old Testament prophets. Followers of Jesus who are persecuted are blessed along with our Savior, Jesus!

The blessedness of adversity

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12

How can there be blessing in persecution? The persecution itself is not a blessing—but the resulting purity in our hearts and the grace God gives by which we may endure and even rejoice in persecution are blessings indeed.

Purity from persecution. The Bible speaks of spiritual refining as a result of fire (Proverbs 17:3). As precious metals are heated to separate impurities from silver or gold, so trials of any kind—but persecution in particular—accomplishes the same in our hearts. God “fires us” again and again, purifying those He loves. God’s purification, though it be by fire, is a sanctifying blessing.

Grace given in persecution. Apart from God’s grace, who could hope to endure? But wrapped in His grace, we truly can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us. God’s grace, even when in the fire, is a sanctifying blessing.

“Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” (v.12)

Making peace through force

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
Matthew 5:9

Jesus said these words. He also said these words:

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:34-37

Did He contradict Himself? Not at all. Truth is worth fighting for when necessary!

Parents must train their children in the Lord, even when the children resist. In such cases, coercion (force) must be applied for the sake of truth (Ephesians 6:4, Proverbs 13:24).

The church must sometimes speak out against serious error for the sake of truth. This can even escalate into “disfellowshipping” (expelling) one who disrupts the church with sin or other serious error (1 Corinthians 5:1-11, Titus 3:10-11).

The state is commissioned by God to punish evildoers for the sake of law abiding citizens (Romans 13:4).

Governments must sometimes wage war to halt forces that threaten the peace of its citizens (Romans 13:4).

Sometimes force is necessary to maintain peace instead of appeasing sin and other error.

Without any doubt, the greatest demonstration of this truth was when God the Father poured out His holy and just wrath on Jesus to secure forgiveness of our sins.

Peace at what price?

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
Matthew 5:9

Jesus made peace between sinners and God, who is holy. In so doing, Jesus did not pretend that sin does not matter. Not even close.

In September of 1938, Nazi Germany was gobbling up small European countries on the continent. British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, met with the German Chancellor (Fuhrer), Adolf Hitler. The topic of discussion? Peace.

Chamberlain signed a treaty and returned home to England promising that the treaty ensured “Peace in our time.” It was one of the most naïve diplomatic blunders of all time. In order for Hitler to sign, England gave everything and demanded virtually nothing from Germany. Hitler’s diabolical track record exhibited the fact that he had no plans to halt his quest to rule all of Europe. And all who knew the Fuhrer knew that his word meant nothing at all anyway.

Sure enough, the Nazi war machine continued its stampede across Europe. Beginning in September 1940 until May 1941, the Nazis were reducing London to rubble with frenzied bombing raids.

Who can say for sure what would have happened had Chamberlain been wise enough not to make such a foolish diplomatic agreement for the promise of peace.  Chamberlain’s faulty version of diplomacy is called appeasement.

Believers are called to be peacemakers in our world. But how often are we guilty of appeasement? While we must seek always to be loving and winsome, we must not compromise truth with those who reject truth. Whenever we do—seeking to make friends with the unbelieving world—we are not only foolishly guilty of appeasement, we make ourselves enemies of God! (James 4:4 Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. )

When Christians wink at sin in hope of the gaining the world’s friendship, we are not peacemakers. We are fools, pushing God away. While there is a blessing for being peacemakers, there is no blessing for being foolish agents of appeasement.

The basis for peace with God is the gospel (Romans 1:16), which begins with calling sin, sin—and offering peace with God (forgiveness) to those who trust in Christ and who repent. No other terms result in peace. 

We are called to be peacemakers too!

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
Matthew 5:9

Jesus is the one true and ultimate Peacemaker, having made peace with God for His people. 

 As His people, we are to follow Him in making peace.  How?  Here are three essential ways:

1.  Let us be intentional about living in the peace with God He has made for us.  This means worshiping our Peacemaker, Jesus.  This means seeking to say no to temptation, since every time we sin we restate our declaration of war against God.  This means that when we do sin, we confess and repent of our sins as soon as we are aware of them.  Thank the Lord that when we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

2. Let us be intentional about living at peace with others because we have peace with God through Christ (Romans 12:18).  Our problems between ourselves are the result of not appreciating our peace with God.  Living at peace with each other means abiding in Christ that we may bear the fruit of the Spirit in our relationships with one another.  “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).  Who agrees that these would make for peace between us?

3. Let us be intentional about speaking about Christ and the gospel every time we have opportunity (Mark 16:15), declaring peace with God only through faith in Jesus.

These three are ways to show our appreciation for the peace with God that Jesus has provided for His people.  As we follow Him in these ways, we will also be peacemakers and we will receive the blessing promised in this beatitude!

Who is the ultimate Peacemaker?

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
Matthew 5:9

There is only one true and ultimate Peacemaker: Jesus. Sinful humanity has been declaring war on God since the Garden of Eden when Adam sinned. Not only are all Adam’s descendants born with sinful natures, we each act according to that sinful nature every time we sin in any way.

Enter the Prince of Peace: Jesus. Jesus made peace with God for His people by doing the following:

• He became one of us (becoming a human being, yet without sin).

• He lived sinlessly for us (living the life God requires of us that we have all failed to live).

• He died on the cross for us (receiving the penalty for our sins).

• He rose from the dead for us (proving that He is God, and defeating sin, death, & Hell for us).

• He ascended into Heaven where He ever lives to intercede for us.

Because of what He has done, “we [those He justified] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Truly Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is the one true and ultimate Peacemaker. Blessed is He!

As those for whom Jesus has made peace with God, we are to be peacemakers. How? Next time.

When I am being rejected

This is a special blog post, not a part of the Sermon on the Mount series.

I received this from a dear friend who is a professor of Biblical Counseling at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC. His name is Jim Newheiser, and he is one of the founders of FIRE (the association of churches to which our church belongs).

5 Things to tell myself when I am rejected:

1. In God’s sight I am precious, completely accepted, and loved.

Philippians 3:8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ

Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

2. What God thinks really matters, not what man thinks.

Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.

James 4:11-12 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

3. God can help me flourish even if people fail me.

Jeremiah 17:5-8 Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD. 6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. 7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

4. Jesus went through more for men that He is asking me to go through for Him.

1 Peter 2:21-25 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 "WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH"; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

5. If others are mistreating me it is because they are walking in the flesh.

Galatians 5:16-23 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Errol’s note: Of course there are times when we are not being rejected, in which case we need to understand that and let it go. But if we are being rejected, these are good points and passages to meditate on.

Pure hearts will see His beautiful face

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

As with the other beatitudes, we must first acknowledge that no mere human being has a pure heart. Romans 3:9-19 summarizes the teaching of the whole scripture concerning the purity of the sinful human heart. There is none, no not one!

Based on that, it is clear that the blessing of purity of heart is not a reward for having a pure heart. It is the blessing of receiving a pure heart by God’s grace alone, received through faith alone, in Christ Jesus alone. Only He has a pure Heart, but He graciously gives those who trust in Him new hearts that are pure as His heart is pure.

Wait a minute! The redeemed still sin! Yes, but according to Romans 6 and 7, the sinful people the elect were as children of Adam, died on the cross with Jesus and rose incorruptible with Jesus (Romans 6:3-10). As a result, the new creatures we are in Christ do not continue sin. The sin that saved people commit is because of the vestiges of sin that remain in us (Romans 7:17) even though we are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:18 & 22).

What has this to do with pure hearts? The first blessing is receiving the gracious gift of a pure heart when we were born again. The second blessing is that, having received a pure heart by virtue of being “in Christ,” we shall see God when we are glorified.

Don’t forget the Old Testament blessing of having God’s face shining on us. The fulfillment of that blessing is that we will at least see His face. We will see what we cannot see until we are glorified. We shall with pure hearts see the unimaginably beautiful face of God. What glory that will be!

Mercy is kindness

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
Matthew 5:7

Let’s consider what mercy is. One of my favorite words is “kindness.” I remember a teaching video by R.C. Sproul on the fruit of the Spirit, namely: kindness. If I remember correctly, he said, “Kindness is not easy to define, but we all know when we have been treated kindly.” That is certainly true, especially in our increasingly angry, rude, and selfish culture.

Being treated kindly means being treated respectfully. Gently. With compassion and genuine care. Being kind means selflessly putting the other person ahead of ourselves.

And who is the arch-typical example of kindness? Jesus, of course. As those who have been treated kindly by Him, what are we to do and why? Treat others with kindness because we are to be like our Savior in every way, not the least of which includes kindness. Read Paul’s words on this matter of being kind as Jesus, and because has been kind to us:

Philippians 2:1-5 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. [And who supplies the pattern for such kindness?] 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…

I rather hope that none of us are overtly nasty and generally unkind, but I’ll bet I am not the only one who exhibits flashes of unkindness with sharp words, an impatient tone, and telling facial expressions. If so, join me in asking for forgiveness, praying earnestly about kindness, and seeking to be more intentional about being kind. May we all practice first in our homes and in our church. Being merciful just might begin with efforts to be more kind.

Getting things in the correct order

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
Matthew 5:7

At first glance, this verse may appear to say that people receive mercy from God because they have been merciful to others. Is that so? Let’s hope not! If receiving God’s mercy is dependent upon us showing mercy, none will receive God’s mercy in the measure we need to be saved!

This is similar to the challenge later in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:14-15 that appears to say we will be forgiven by God based on how we forgive others. Again, who among us would want God’s forgiveness of our sins to be exactly like our forgiveness of theirs?

In both cases, we receive forgiveness and mercy from God by His grace alone. That means we have done nothing to earn or merit forgiveness or mercy. Then, having received God’s gracious forgiveness and mercy, we are to forgive and be merciful as a result. Our responsive forgiveness and mercy doesn’t earn God’s forgiveness and mercy. Neither is it payback. That we have been forgiving and merciful does not secure God’s forgiveness and mercy, but it does validate that we have received and are grateful for God’s forgiveness and mercy.

All that said, let us forgive as we have been forgiven. And let us be merciful as we have been shown mercy. What does that mercy toward others look like? Next time.

Mercy & Justice

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
Matthew 5:7

Let’s consider what mercy is. My father used to say “The guilty man wants mercy, not justice.” True enough! In this sense, mercy is escaping justice when guilty. And since God’s Word declares that we are all guilty before God, who is holy and just, only a fool would desire justice. As those who are guilty (and we all are), who realize our guilt before God (which we only do because of God’s grace), we cry out for mercy.

What is the basis of God’s mercy extended to the guilty? Jesus. His sinless life for His people, His substitutionary death and resurrection for His people purchases mercy for all who trust in Him. Mercy is supplied while justice is still served, however. Jesus took God’s justice (that the guilty deserve), and gives the redeemed the reward of Christ’s righteousness (that He alone earned and deserves).

In God’s plan of saving grace, justice is served (on the innocent One), to give mercy to the guilty ones who Jesus came to save. Hallelujah!

Have you trusted in Christ and are you following Him? If so, you have God’s mercy. If you have not trusted in Him and are not following Him, please do! Even now!

Hungering and thirsting

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Matthew 5:6

Last time we considered the righteousness aspect of this beatitude. This time, a few thoughts about the hungering and thirsting aspect.

Hunger and thirst are God’s gifts to us to remind us to eat and drink, since both are necessary to remain alive. (I smile at needing to be reminded to eat since I like to eat whether I am hungry or not!)

The three most basic needs to remain alive are air, water, and food.

1. We can only live without air for a matter of minutes so God graciously ordained us to breathe involuntarily.

2. The next most important is water, without which we can live only for days before dying of dehydration. Thirst, therefore, is an important reminder to drink since drinking is not an involuntary action.

3. The third most important is food, without which we can live only for weeks before dying of starvation. And since, like drinking, eating is not an involuntary action, hunger demands that we eat to remain alive.

Deprived of water and food, thirst and hunger are urgent reminders to drink and to eat. And the more thirsty and hungry we are, the more urgent the need to drink and eat is.

Jesus issued a blessing on those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. There are two applications. The first refers to hungering and thirsting for righteousness in order to be saved (as discussed yesterday). The second refers to continuing to hunger and thirst for righteousness to remain healthy and to grow spiritually after we are saved.

And why does anyone hunger and thirst in either case? It is by the grace of God to reveal our initial need, and then our continual need for righteousness. Join me in thanking Him, won’t you?