The Wisdom of Man versus the Power of God

 

Nobody in their right mind would want to return to life around the time Jesus was born. Infant mortality was exceptionally high, although exactly how high is anybody’s guess. Only 5-percent of the population could read or write, so 95-percent of the population could only communicate through speaking. Unless you were counted as the privileged few, life on a day-to-day basis back in the 1^st century consisted of household chores or tending your farm; and this is what you did every day, day after day. Mostly you were just barely eking out an existence. I do recall reading somewhere that one’s life expectancy wasn’t much past 35-years-old. But again, there is no way to really know.

The political system was corrupt beyond measure. You remember in the Christmas story where Herod had all the 2-year-olds in Bethlehem killed. That was a good day for King Herod. He also had his last three wives killed (he had ten of them, so there was some left to spare), and their children because he thought they were trying to usurp his throne.

There were no modern conveniences like indoor plumbing or central heating. Your wardrobe consisted of pretty much what you had on that day. Maybe an extra set of clothes to keep one set clean. Just to survive day to day took a lot of wisdom.

There is a difference between being smart and being “wise.”

Smart people have a lot of knowledge. Wise people have knowledge too, but they know what is true, useful and what is of little use.  

Consider the Apostle Paul, from the New Testament. To this day, he is arguably the greatest theologian to walk the earth. He did have some really good training, but that only led him to be very angry with God. (See Acts chapter 7-9)

Jesus came along and got a hold of him and that changed his knowledge to preaching the power of God to overcome a person’s sin. He is the best example of someone with too much knowledge getting converted to knowing how best to serve God, which is true wisdom.

Paul puts it this way in 1 Corinthians 3:18-20: (NASB)

18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”; 20 and again, “THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS.” 

What Paul is saying is that many “smart” people think they are doing well and pleasing God, but God will show them the error of their ways.

Paul’s later life was spent dodging people who wanted him dead illegally. That is why he ended up in a prison in Rome. Only God’s power kept him alive, not any intellectual mind-set on his part.

Sin is sin and has been the problem since Adam and Eve got kicked out of the garden. Sin has had different manifestations throughout time, but sexual sin, for instance, was a big problem in Paul’s day, as it is today. Some things never change, so in the sin sense, we have the same problem as everyone else throughout history. Sin is the root cause from which wars and civil unrest springs.

That is why Jesus came to save us from our sin. We have progressed, you could say, as modern society is somewhat more just and the political system isn’t quite as corrupt as it used to be. But if you live by “the wisdom of men” instead of the power of God, well, ultimately your sin makes you a slave. It really doesn’t matter what century you lived in.

Every day you are alive is a day to serve the Holy Spirit and glorify God with your life. If you do that, it really doesn’t matter what century you lived in because God knows how best to bless that individual.

Living by the Fruits of the Spirit

 

So, don’t unbelievers also show the “fruits of the spirit.” In other words, don’t they do good, kind things. Have joy and a positive attitude towards other people?

Is that what the Apostle Paul is really talking about in the “fruits of the Spirit” passage.

Well, let’s have a look. Galatians 5:22-23: (NASB)

¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. ¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, ²⁰ idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

So, in its context, Paul is comparing and contrasting the “deeds of the flesh,” and the “fruits of the Spirit.”

People who live for their fleshly appetites think that that is the way God created them and there is really nothing that can be done about it. That is the history of God’s people, Israel, found in the Old Testament. They could not give up their idolatrous ways.

And just any single “deeds of the flesh” can be present and a person will be considered ungodly in the eyes of God.

The point, however, is that Believers do not live under the law. In other words, this has nothing to do with works or behavior. It has everything to do with living by the Spirit. Jesus Himself is now directing our behavior.

The presence of the Spirit is the only difference between a Believer and one who lives for their appetites.

So, for instance, a “fleshly person” can certainly show kindness, or joy, or be good to other people. But it is all for one gain: to satisfy their fleshly lusts.

Paul calls them the “fruits” of the Spirit. In other words, they need to be cultivated, like strawberries. Once we become “led by the Spirit” through faith in Jesus, then our kindness, or goodness or positive moral behavior isn’t about ourselves, but about bringing glory to God.

But this takes time, like cultivating a strawberry patch. We only slowly leave behind our fleshly desires; and some good Christians really struggle in this area, never really knowing how to live for God and not for themselves.  

When a gardener cultivates something, God has a big part in it. Although, the person also must remember to plant, water and pull the weeds. It’s an ongoing process really.

It is an ongoing process to leave behind our fleshly lusts and live by the Spirit of God’s truth.

This is so no one can boast that he is better at being good, or joyful, or whatever positive trait you think pleases God. We were not saved for better works, but that God may be glorified. See Ephesians 2:8-10.

The Cost of Misrepresenting God, Prophets and Poetic Language cont.

 

The Old Testament prophets can be difficult to understand. They use a lot of metaphors, similes and figures of speech, otherwise known as poetic language. To understand this type of poetry, it is important to look at the context in which it resides.

The Old Testament's historical context is that God is having some serious problems with His people. Israel is worshipping false gods taken from the nations around them. God is zealous for His reputation; and the people of God, Israel, must represent God properly.

The problem that often arises in the prophets is that Israel is not representing God properly. Let’s take chapter 59 for example. God explains the problem He is having with Israel in the first couple of verses: (NASB)

59 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short
That it cannot save;
Nor is His ear so dull
That it cannot hear.
² But your wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

Don't miss the context. Yes, there is nothing God cannot save or redeem. "But" Israel's idol worship have caused separation from the living God. It is oft repeated in the prophets. And, I would add, a very unpopular notion in today’s church that God would hide His face and not hear someone’s prayers. Yet, there it is.

This theme goes on in chapter 59 of Isaiah, until verse 15, and that is where we pick it up: (NASB)

¹⁵ Truth is lacking,
And one who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey.
Now the Lord saw,
And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice.
¹⁶ And He saw that there was no one,
And was amazed that there was not one to intercede;
Then His own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him.
¹⁷ He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with zeal as a cloak.
¹⁸ According to their deeds, so will He repay:
Wrath to His adversaries, retribution to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will deal retribution.
¹⁹ So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west
And His glory from the rising of the sun,
For He will come like a rushing stream
Which the wind of the Lord drives.

Verse 16 is the key idea. There was no one to intercede between a sinful people and a Holy God. So God made a way, where there seemed to be no other way.

But, as the context goes on, there will still be “retribution to His enemies.” Because Israel had adopted the neighboring nations’ false gods, they were now included as part of God’s enemies.

So, God made a way by sending Jesus, as these are Messianic verses from the Old Testament.

However, this will not dissuade God’s eventual “retribution.” And indeed, the people Israel were overtaken by their enemies and put into exile for their idol worship. An entire generation was left in exile. That is their history.

Those are the metaphors in the last part of verse 19. God’s judgment is swift and complete, but to those who believe, God makes a way out of His judgment.

So, those who are saved from God’s judgment will fear His name; and give Him the glory He deserves from the rising of the sun to its setting; for God’s deliverance, as His judgment, is like a rushing stream which the wind of the Lord drives before Him.

Yes, the poetic themes in the Prophets are a bit confusing at times, but well worth the time it can take to understand them.

 

Poetic Language in the Bible. It's a good thing.

 

The book of Revelations is a specific type of literature called “apocalyptic” literature. Revelations is “end-times,” which is what apocalyptic means or when this world passes away and God puts in his New Order.

A working definition for apocalyptic literature is that it deals with future events and these events relate to judgment on earth by God.

By the way, God’s judgment will be and is both good and bad.

Anytime the Bible talks about the future, because it is the future, it uses a lot of poetic language. Mostly because we humans can’t actually know the future and yet it is us humans that God has given this revelation of the future to. Let's say it is "indescribable delicious."

Take the case of the Apostle John having a “vision” from God in the Book of Revelations (Revelations 1:11). He is asked to write down this vision and send it to the Christian churches in the world at that time.

Like the prophecies from the Old Testament, John’s vision has some bad things to say about the churches, but also some very good things to commend them on.

Now, the mistake most people begin to make is that they take apocalyptic literature too literally. This is what people often find confusing about apocalyptic literature. Visions from heaven only come in symbolic language because God can only be understood by His human creations in figurative or symbolic language.

So, let’s take just a brief example from the Book of Revelations to demonstrate how magnificent, but also symbolic, this type of literature is:

11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” 13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” 14 And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

The thing is, even this poetic language cannot do justice to how wonderful and marvelous and out-loud all creation will be praising God and the Lamb who was slain to receive power, riches, wisdom, honor, glory and many, many blessings.

So, it is always possible to have a good day, no matter the circumstances, when one thinks about what will happen, symbolically, on that day. The imagination, you see, is truly a wonderful thing.

 

Christian Humility: or Knowing Your Place Under God

 

Christianity makes wild claims. For instance: we claim to be in direct contact with God through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Himself residing in us. The claim: we know how God wants us to behave. Other religions claim to be in touch with nature or some sort of ether or something, but to have the kind of intercessor we have, well that is like no other faith-based thinking.

We claim that some people will go to heaven, those who believe in Jesus; and that some “sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; and in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 8:12)”

We claim that God will take vengeance on those well deserving of it. That will be none of us, even though we are as deserving of the wrath of God as anybody.

And the list goes on.

That is why all the apostle writers in the New Testament talk about proper humility in light of the amazing claims we make.

So, let’s look at 1 Peter 5:5-6: (NASB)

⁵ You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.

⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, ⁷ casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 

It is interesting to note here that Peter equates boasting pride with anxiety. If you are a boaster, ultimately it will give you anxiety because you are always trying to be better.

Humility will ultimately give you peace.

Humility to Peter is knowing your place, but more than that really. It is knowing your place and being glad for it. Losing your prejudices and relishing in the idea that you’ve much to learn and grow from. Especially from older, wiser Christians.

Perhaps the best definition of Christian humility is given by the apostle Paul in Philippians 2, starting in verse 5: (NASB)

⁵ Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. ⁸ Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

According to these verses, humility is obedience to the point of dying to self and living for God. We do, after all, make the claim that God is speaking directly to us and He is NOT going to tell us exactly what we want to hear most of the time.

The good kind of pride is doing it God’s way. As Jesus did. He could have chosen to do it another way, and that was His struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane, but instead, Jesus chose God’s way:

“Not my will, but thine by done.”

 

 

 

Will Your Morality allow Kingdom Living?

 

The common thought among “religious people” is that our morality is what saves us. That if we live good and upright lives before a watchful God, then, as a natural consequence, God will bless us in this life and the next.

Now, this isn’t necessarily untrue, but if I examine my own heart and motivations, well, morality is something I fall short of.

So, let’s examine this idea in light of Deuteronomy 6, arguable one of the more important chapters in the entire Old Testament.

Let’s take a specific example, like taking oaths. Just to refresh our memories, an oath before God or swearing by God’s name means, well, you’d better be doing what you say you’re about to do or “so help me God.”

The most obvious example of taking an oath in the 21^st century is when a person takes an oath in a courtroom to swear to tell the truth, “so help me God.”

Basically, one is recognizing that there are higher powers involved when one takes an oath or swears by that higher power.

They know whether you are telling the truth or not.

God references this in Deuteronomy 6. Let’s have a look: (NASB)

10 “Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, 12 then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13 You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. 14 You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, 15 for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.

What God is warning against is false swearing or false oath to other gods.

The whole idea is all about knowing from whom comes provisions and salvation and the truth of God. That starts in verse 12, when God says, “Then watch yourself,” lest you forget who is the One that brought you out of bondage into the Promise Land.

It is an interesting verb: “fear.” So, taking an oath isn’t just a recognition of God, but the idea that God controls life and death.

Which explains the stern warning at the end: “He (God) will wipe you off the face of the earth.”

The emphasis in the passage isn’t so much on what you are taking an oath about, but on remembering that God takes all this very, very seriously.

So seriously, in fact, that if you take an oath falsely or swear by another god or gods, well, there will be consequences and they will be serious.

This is proven out later in the Old Testament when Israel rebelled and went whoring after other gods. According to the prophets, God did indeed wipe them off the face of the earth.

But not entirely. God did restore their fortunes and the relationship, even in exile and to the next generation.

So, the application is along the lines of “it isn’t so much what you do, but Who you believe is watching what you do.”

This is why Jesus said that taking any oath at all is problematic in Matthew 5: (NASB)

 33 “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’ 34 But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. 36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.

Jesus isn’t saying you won’t take oaths or vows, we all do. And we all break them, but God has interceded for us in His Son, so that when we break those oaths, and break them we will, then God will see His Son in our lives and restore our relationship to Himself.

 

 

Kingdom Highs and Lows

As a disciple in 1^st century Palestine, you ate, slept and followed your Rabbi pretty much where ever he went. Your Rabbi was teaching you through His words and, more importantly, through His actions. As a disciple, you observed how your Rabbi treated a shop keeper, prostitute, tax collector or anyone he came in contact with. That was part of the training.

The Apostle Peter’s Rabbi was no ordinary one, of course. Peter’s Rabbi performed amazing acts. He told pertinent stories about another Kingdom. A Kingdom that was yet to come. As His disciple, you couldn’t help but admire, respect and well, love this particular Rabbi.

Peter’s particular Rabbi would often take him and his fellow disciples aside for fireside chats, as it were. This particular conversation was on a “camping trip” in the hill country known as Caesarea Philippi, north of Jerusalem.

Jesus draws them into a conversation about who exactly people think He is? I imagine this conversation took place as the sun was setting and logs were being thrown on the fire against the oncoming night’s cool.

It’s the conversation that has divided our world ever since.

Jesus looks around the campfire’s flickering glow at the faces of His disciples and asks a simple question: “Who do the people say I am?”

The answers vary, as they do today. A prophet; a scholar; The Baptist; Jesus being Whomever you want Him to be.

Jesus, as was His way, makes it personal: “But who do YOU say I am?”

This is where Peter shows remarkable insight: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” his reply.

Being that kind of objective when you are emotionally attached to another person showed remarkable insight.

Jesus instinctively knows this and replies, “Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven.”

Only God can reveal Himself to a person. A disciple’s job is to point the way through devoted lives.

Then Jesus confers upon Peter the Keys to the Kingdom, as it were.

The text doesn’t say, but I’m guessing that this goes to Peter’s head. I know it would mine.

And, just as we are experiencing our God-given highs, along come the lows.

Jesus now calls His disciples back together and explains a most difficult thing: this isn’t going to end like you’d hoped it would.

“Here’s the plan,” to paraphrase Jesus. “I’m going to go before the religious leaders and suffer many things at their hands. Ultimately, you will watch me be lifted up, crucified and die. But I will rise again on the third day.”

This is not hyperbole. This is not some script for a Hollywood movie. When Jesus said this, the disciples could picture it all too clearly in their imaginations. Crucifixions weren’t THAT common place, but everyone knew about them and had probably witnesses one or two.

The “plan” cuts Peter to his core. I’m sure he was not alone but given Peter’s new found authority as head of the church, well, time to take Jesus aside and say exactly what everyone is thinking:

“Plan sucks. Don’t even consider it anymore.” To paraphrase Peter.

Of course, one is forgetting the “rise again” phrase. Being raised from the dead was much more difficult to imagine. It is to this day.

Crucifixion, well, they didn’t need much of an imagination for that.

I often put myself in Peter’s position. I slightly shake my head at the plan. “Wow, really?! Why does the Son of Man need to die such a cruel, horrible death?”

I’m also thinking that Peter believes he will be watching this happen. Another good reason to think the plan sucks.

At least I didn’t need to be there.

The way the story ends, Peter is rebuked for his inability to see that God’s ways are not our ways; God’s plans are massively different than ours (Isaiah 55:8).

This is where the concept of “faith” is so important. I accept God at His word, no matter how much I may think that His ways don’t exactly line up with mine or anyone else’s.

I accept them by faith; and I slowly die to self and believe His will be done.

It must have broken Peter’s heart and soul to have gone through such an ordeal; most of us are not willing to suffer for our faith.

But perhaps that is Jesus’ point in rebuking Peter. What good is untested faith for Kingdom Living? Unless a faith has been “tested by fire,” as was Jesus’, then one will simply put their faith back in the idols of science, religion, good works, women, the list goes on and on.

I will never be asked to die the death Jesus died. But I will surely be asked to sacrifice my idols upon the altar of God. Pain is surely involved, but that is what it means to take up my cross.

This is the example Jesus gives us. If God loves us, separating us from our idols is the ultimate goal.

And this time, it is important to pay the proper attention to the all important phrase: "rise again on the third day."