Psalm 114

Here is another Psalm that glorifies God in the history of Israel, or more specifically, in His choice of Israel.  Remember that this is in the group of “hillel” Psalms (113-118) read at feast times.  They are calls to praise that are beneficial for the people of Israel to review frequently.  But, to be sure, this is a call to praise for all the earth.

·         114:1-2: We are transported to the very beginning of the national existence of the descendents of Jacob.  They were a family until God took them out of Egypt.  Judah, the tribe in which both the palace and the temple would rest, became holy to the Lord (His sanctuary or holy place).  Israel became His dominion, the place on earth where God would exercise His kingly authority.  Remember how significant this is to the people of Israel.  They entered Egypt 70 members of a family; they endured great affliction; and by God’s grace and power, they exited Egypt a nation of millions.

·         114:3-6: What rejoicing this elicited from the parts of creation through which Israel travelled on their way to Canaan.  Both the Red Sea and the Jordan River were parted for Israel to pass through.  The great mountains of the wilderness and the little hills were like playful sheep as God brought His people into the Promised Land.

·         114:7-8: Why did these potential obstacles act in such a way?  Because they recognized the presence of the Lord in this event.  All the earth is called to tremble at His presence.  In the Exodus the Presence of God was especially evident when God provided water from the rock (Exodus 17:1-7).  When you read that story you will see God not only promised to meet the need for water; He promised to appear before the people.  God did His work through Moses, speaking to the people in Egypt and leading them out.  But at Rephidim He manifested Himself in a way that was evident to the people.  There is a Jewish tradition that the rock from which water came actually stayed with Israel throughout their years in the wilderness.  That may or may not be the case (Scripture is not clear).  But remember that the Apostle Paul put it this way: they all drank the same spiritual drink.  For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ (1 Cor. 10:4).  God manifested Himself in that rock and manifestations of God always are connected to the second member of the Trinity, the Son of God.

Today the message is the same.  Israel was to be His sanctuary and dominion.  He is present with those today who drink of the spiritual Rock, to dwell with them and to rule over them.  What worship that should elicit from each of us!  Jesus Himself said, whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life (John 4:14).

Acts 8:30-40, Faith vs. presumption (8)

f)    Faith and feelings.  Faith in God involves all of me: my mind, my will and my feelings.  For example, my mind may come to know that I am a sinful person and that Christ has provided forgiveness for me on the cross.  But I have not trusted or believed until I have made a choice, a choice to accept this free gift from Christ.  When one chooses to trust Christ for forgiveness of sin that person will often be overjoyed at the thought of being free from his sin.  In one sense it seems it would be hard not to be joyful at the thought, or to have a sense of relief.  However, if a person has been driven to Christ out of a sense of guilt, the feeling of release might not come immediately, even though the release has been applied immediately.  By the wisdom of our Creator people are “wired” differently.  I always appreciated the Campus Crusade illustration of the old-fashioned train that speaks to this issue.  In the days of the “coal powered locomotives” you had an engine followed immediately by a car loaded with coal.  At the end of the train was the caboose where, among other things, the train personnel could rest.  In the illustration, the engine was the mind where the “facts” of the gospel were considered.  The coal car was the “faith” in the gospel, that which brought life to the facts.  The caboose was the “feelings” that result from the gospel.  The train could run without the feelings, but not without the truth and faith.  Today’s passage on the Ethiopian eunuch shows all three: the facts of Isaiah 53, his faith expressed in baptism, and the rejoicing as he went on his way.

g)    Faith vs. presumption.  This has been the “title” of this section on faith, but we have not mentioned “presumption.”  For me, you can see this all over Scripture.  The Israelites “presumed” that if they took the ark into battle that God would give them victory (1 Sam. 4).  They were wrong.  Israel “presumed” that God would not destroy the temple that was built to worship Him and where He had put His name.  But after continued disobedience He did it not once (Shiloh) or twice (by Babylon) but thrice (by the Romans).  All the murmuring and complaining of the Israelites in the wilderness had an element of “presumption.”  The clearest illustration I think is in Matt. 4:5-7.  Satan tempted Jesus with the word of God, quoting Ps. 91:11-12, that God would protect Jesus.  He has a verse to back up his temptation, that Jesus could be famous if He were to jump off the pinnacle of the temple.  But the promise was never tested.  Jesus did not put His Father to the test as Israel did so often.  You shall not tempt the LORD your God (Deut. 6:16 quoted in Mt. 4:7).  He, not Satan, trusted in God’s word. 

We need one more post on this topic which we will do, Lord willing!

Romans 10:11-17, Faith vs. presumption (7)

ii)      The relationship of faith to a few other major truths of Scripture.

(1)                        The relationship of faith to LOVE

(a) Gal. 5:6: Faith energizes love.  It’s a simple thought.  Our love increases as we see God’s love in Scripture and as we are taught love from Scripture.  As we trust God, love increases.  Some would say love becomes more radical or creative.

(b)            1 Cor. 13:2: Love without faith is nothing.  It is not really love.

(c) James 2:14-17: Faith without love is also a big nothing.  Meditate on these passages and yield to the Spirit’s promptings as to how you tread other people.

(2)                        The relationship of faith to WORKS or OBEDIENCE.

(a) Rom. 4:4-5: On one hand, we are justified by faith, not by works.  Not by works of righteousness which we have done (Titus 3:5).  Not by works lest anyone should boast (Eph. 2:8-9). 

(b)            James 2:26: On the other hand, if faith does not produce works then that faith is dead.  There is no way to “show” our faith but by the works of love it produces.

(3)                        The relationship of faith to the WORD of God (Rom. 10:17).  As we study “faith” we may say, “I wish I had more or stronger faith.”  That prayer is answered when we open ourselves up to God’s word. 

(a) If you will look at the context of this verse you will see that the “word of God” is a reference to Scripture.  In other words it is not some thought that comes to you out of the blue that you attribute to God.  Romans 10 is full of references to the Old Testament, the “Scripture” of the day.  It is the gospel (10:15), the report of the prophet (10:16).  This is a universal principle of Scripture: Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

You may say, given the context, that this is only talking about the Gospel.  That is true.  But wait, what is the gospel?  It is not only the word of God that brought us life in Christ when we first believed; it is the word in which we stand through the rest of our lives (1 Cor. 15:1).  The Gospel involves the death and resurrection of Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4).  The life we live from that point on also involves the gospel.  It is the life of one who has been crucified with Christ and raised with Christ to new life (Rom. 6:1-11).  We live a “gospel centered life” until the day we are in the presence of Christ.  So don’t bemoan your lack of faith.  Make time in the word of God your daily discipline.  Hide His word in your heart so you have it available every step of every day’s walk.

Matthew 14:22-33, Faith vs. presumption (6)

ii)      False faith.  In the next few passages let’s ask how we know that the individuals involved are not really trusting the God.

(1)                        James 2:19: This one is easy in the sense that everyone knows that the devil is evil and doesn’t trust God.  But it says he believes, and he trembles as a result of what he believes about God.  So what is the problem?  Perhaps it is what we said: he believes about God but not in God.  Go back through the synonyms for faith.  They all require some knowledge about God or His word.  But “faith” is not the knowing; it is the capitulation of the heart to God, leaning on Him, finding our delight in Him, and so forth.  Later in James we see that the one who receives grace is the one who is humble … therefore submit to God (Jas. 4:6-7).  With Satan there is no submission in this faith he has.  Therefore, we need to understand that the word “believe” or “faith” can be used to speak of a false faith.  Read on.

(2)                        John 2:23-24; 6:26: Many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men … He knew what was in man.  John 6:26 uses one of the synonyms for faith: You seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Here were people who did not follower Christ; they saw the miracles/signs but not the Miracle Worker who was the Bread of Life who came from heaven.  It is interesting. “Commit” in Jn. 2:24 is pisteuo, the word for faith, to believe.  What I believe is happening here is that Jesus is concerned that He not simply have a popular following or a political landslide.  To receive Jesus (John 1:12) is an issue of the heart.  Jesus knows how people think.  I think this is the reason Jesus, on several occasions, tells people who were healed not to tell others about it, or not to tell others who He was (e.g. Mk. 2:9; Lk. 9:20-21). 

(3)                        Numbers 11:1,4-6: How do we know the people of Israel were not trusting God?  Because of their grumbling and complaining all the time.  Think about that!

(4)                        Mark 4:35-41: The presence of fear, in the presence of the Lord of Creation, is a sure sign of no faith.  Thus Jesus asked, Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?  Again, think about this!  Fear has many forms: worry (Mt. 6:24-25), timidity (2 Tim. 1:7-8) and doubt (Rom. 14:23) are a few.

2 Chron. 16, Faith vs. Presumption (5)

Let us continue our search for “synonyms” of faith.

(9)                        Psa. 34:10: “seek the LORD.”  This assumes that we believe God is real, that He can be found, and that we are in need of someone outside of ourselves.  Again, the great faith chapter helps us see this connection: But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).  To have faith in God is to diligently seek Him.

(10)                        2 Chronicles 16:7-8: rely on the LORD.  In this passage Asa, the king of Judah, is being reproved by a prophet.  Unlike a time in the past when God delivered Asa from a great army because he relied on the LORD, now against a less powerful enemy Asa had relied on the King of Syria.  The Hebrew term means to lean on someone or something for support.  Whoever we lean on is the object of our faith.  Later in this chapter we have an illustration that many of us can identify with.  When Asa became sick “he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians.”  Can the LORD use the physicians? Yes.  Could the LORD have used the Syrians?  Possibly, although that is not His usual way.  If we rely on the LORD we come to Him first, seeking Him, waiting on Him, and then committing our way to Him as He leads us.

(11)                        Acts 16:31: Just a reminder.  In the NT “believe” is the verb form (pisteuo).  “Faith” is the noun form (pistis).  The English term “trust” is synonymous, but in many English translations “trust” translates the Greek word for “hope” (elpizo).  “Hope” is synonymous with “faith” but is faith applied to something in the future.  Heb. 11:1 shows the connection: Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  We look back to the cross, believing in Christ our Savior.  We look to the future, hoping on the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13).

(12)                        Rom. 10:13: “call on.”  Acts 16 says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.  Rom. 10:13 says (quoting Joel 2:32), whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. 

(13)                        2 Thess. 3:4: “have confidence in.”  The Greek term has to do with being “persuaded.”  Paul uses it here, saying he is confident that the Lord would do His work in the Thessalonian believers.

(14)                       John 1:12: “receive.”  John’s language tells us this is the same as faith.  Whoever among the people of Jesus’ day “received” or welcomed Jesus from the heart was “believing on His name.”

1 Sam. 14:1-15, Faith vs. Presumption (4)

(I hope you have enjoyed the review of 2 Corinthians.  As our family has gone through our time of struggle I have found them helpful myself.  Perhaps at a later time we will complete that journey with Paul.  But now I believe it would be helpful to return to our studies of 12 Character Traits.  If you need to make the connection, our last post was April 10.)

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i)      Again, in searching for “synonyms” for faith, Ps. 37:3-9 has much more fruit to yield.  May I encourage you to think of times in your life when you have experienced the meaning of these descriptions of faith.  Or perhaps, a time when it would have been better to exercise these aspects of faith.

(1)                        37:4: “Delight yourself” in the LORD (also in 37:11).  Some people are surprised that God wants people to enjoy life, thinking God is more interested in taking away our “fun.”  But that is exactly what we have here.  To “delight:” is to enjoy life, to make yourself laugh.  Faith knows what it is to rejoice; but our joy comes from the LORD.  We have a faith-relationship with God when we allow Him to give us delight.  As Paul testified, he had joy when he was in prison and was the object of criticism by some in the Body of Christ (Phil. 1:12-18). 

(a) Isa. 55:2: Related to delighting in the LORD, the prophet Isaiah asked, “why spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?”  Rather, he says your soul will “delight itself in abundance” if you come buy without money.  To “buy without money” is a synonym for faith. When we come to God, desiring the satisfaction of our souls, we come bringing nothing with which to pry it out of His hands.  We extend our empty hands and He gives “joy unspeakable” (1 Peter 1:8). 

(2)                        37:5-6: “Commit your way to the LORD.”  The root idea with “commit” is to roll something, like a heavy rock, like something too big or hard for you.  To commit it to the LORD is to role it to the LORD.  Perhaps faith is like “casting all your care on the Lord for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).  Prov. 3:5-6 equates trusting in the LORD with a) not leaning on your own understanding; and b) acknowledging God in every way that we take.  This is walking by faith.

(3)                        37:7-8: “Rest in the LORD.”  To rest is to be quiet.  It is the opposite of fretting, which is more fully described in v8: “cease from anger, and forsake wrath.”  It assumes a situation that goes on longer than we might want.  So “resting” is “waiting patiently.”  Faith is not agitated but is able to rest in troublesome times.  The Psalmist took this literally, and so should we: I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me (Ps. 3:5).  I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety (Ps. 4:8).

(4)                        37:9-11: “Wait on the LORD.”  The idea here is to look for something with hope.  Faith is looking expectantly, giving God all the time He desires, but trusting that in His time, which will be the best time, He will meet the need according to His will, which is the best will. 

2 Cor. 5:1-10

Previously Paul said that his weak, earthly body (4:7) did not discourage him because he maintained an eternal focus (4:18).  In this passage he goes into more detail that we might know how God works through this eternal perspective.

The passage begins with something we know (v1).  The earthly body is like a tent.  It is temporary and subject to destruction.  We also know that the heavenly body is like a building suggesting something permanent.  It is eternal, not made with human hands.  It is a heavenly home.

Then we are reminded about how we feel (v2-4).  We groan in this body. This is not complaining nor is it a sin.  It is simply the response of God’s creation in a sin-impacted world.  The groaning leads to a deep desire, not to be without a body but to have one that does not leave us groaning.  In this life we see that our lives are being swallowed up by death.  Eventually it will completely consume us.  But we long for a body where death will be consumed by life.

What does this mean?  Perhaps you have heard the phrase applied to someone, He is too heavenly minded to be any earthly good.  That certainly cannot be applied to Paul or to the believer who follows God’s word. 

The heavenly body we anticipate is provided by God (v1,5).  We are confident that God will be true to His promise to provide us with this heavenly home because He has given the indwelling Holy Spirit as the earnest or guarantee (v5).  As believers in Christ we are confident that during this time on earth we are absent from the Lord (v6); we know this by faith (v7).  We are also confident that when we leave this body (at the time of death) we will then be present with the Lord (v8).  Our time for serving Him on earth will be over; our time of enjoying His presence for eternity will begin.

In vs. 6 & 8 Paul speaks of confidence.  This is our hope, not in the sense, I hope there’s a heaven with all it’s joys.  It is a confident hope.  We live our lives on earth in light of the certainty of what faith in God tells us about heaven.

All of this then impacts our lifestyle and ministry here on earth (vs. 9-11). 

·        This confidence leaves us with one goal in life: to be pleasing or acceptable to God.  (Cf. Rom. 12:1,2 and Heb 13:21 on being acceptable to God.)

·        Further this confidence reminds us that we will be in God’s presence at which time we will give an account to Christ for what has been done in this life, whether it has been useful or not.

·        Finally, this confidence encouraged Paul to serve with vigor, not just telling men of Christ but persuading them about Christ.  Not only did he want a well done from Christ; he desired that those who heard the gospel through him have the same.

What we do on this earth is important; we will give an account.  On the other hand there is comfort and motivation in this eternal perspective.  Do you have this hope?  Is it real to you? 

Psalm 113

Here is a wonderful, short and symmetrical (three stanzas with six lines each, and a call to praise the LORD at the beginning and end) Psalm that involves a great call to praise.  It is the first of the Hillel Psalms, Psalms 113-118 which were read at various feasts but were especially fit for Passover (according to Spurgeon in his introduction to Psalm 113).  Passover, of course, annually celebrated God’s deliverance of His people from Egypt, an event (and series of events) that could fit well the theme of praise in Psalm 113.

·         113:1-3: The servants of the LORD are called to praise Him always (from this time and forevermore) and everywhere (from the rising of the sun to its going down).  What reason is there for such praise?

·         113:4-6: Our motivation is, as always, the character and goodness of the LORD.  There is no one like Him in the way that He, the One who is high above all nations and Whose glory is above the heavens, the way that He humbles Himself to behold what is going on in the heavens and earth.  Yes, He must humble Himself to observe the goings on in heaven; He looks down upon them.  So how much greater our praise when He also pays attention to what happens on earth and cares for people there.  Do we have any examples of God doing this?  Yes!

·         113:7-9: He takes the weakest on earth, the poor and needy, and He raises them to sit with princes.  And He blesses the barren woman by granting her a home and joy like that of a mother.  Likely the writer has specific situations in mind as we generally assume that the Psalms come from the experiences of the composers.  As we noted, the desire to remember the deliverance of the enslaved people of Israel from Egypt makes this a great Hymn.

Is there actually any person who cannot give a hearty AMEN to this Psalm?  Who has experienced any blessing or privilege or encouragement that should not stop and praise the LORD for bending down from His exalted position to bless the poor and needy?  This Psalm is about the grace of God.  It is a reminder that, at all times and in every situation, any goodness we experience is from the hand of the LORD Most High who, unlike any other god has humbled Himself so as to pay attention to those He has made!

Let us make this day a great day of praise.  With our lips, and with our life, let us PRAISE THE LORD!

2 Cor. 4:7-18

In vs. 1-6 we saw that ministry is difficult when there is a lack of response.  This unresponsiveness is caused by the wicked one who blinds men to the gospel.  But Paul does not lose heart (v1).  In today’s passage we see that ministry can be difficult when there are excessive trials.  And again, whatever Paul says, he again concludes, therefore we do not lose heart (v16).  So how can one not get discouraged when their good effort in ministry is rewarded with trials one after another?

The key to Paul’s answer is found in v7.  He understands that affliction is part and parcel of living in this world.  When one becomes a believer in Christ he can be said to have within him a real treasure.  Christ has been revealed in him (Gal. 1:16).  But this does not change the fact that he still lives in this sin-affected world.  In some ways the believer’s life is more prone to difficulty because he has sided with the Lord Jesus Christ and against the god of this age. 

Why would God entrust the ministry of Christ to those who are weak?  The answer is so that God receives the glory.  The ministry of Paul is a tribute to the excellence of God’s power.  People would know that there can be no other answer to Paul’s success than that God was at work through him. 

It is sad that so often, those in ministry affirm their success by dressing and talking and using backdrops that glorify their own power and significance.  The impression one gets is that he too can be powerful like that if he will just get on board with the minister. 

Conversely, look at Paul’s list of experiences (vs.8-12).  Remember in 1:9 when Paul said he was under the sentence of death?  He meant it!  And yet it was through these kinds of situations that the glory should all go to the God who raises the dead.  Like the Psalmist (v13 is a quote from Psalm 116:10) Paul cried out to God in his trials because he believed in God.  All this he endured for the sake of the Corinthians so that they might give abundant thanks to God (v15).

Paul should not be seen here as complaining.  He does not lose heart because day by day he is being renewed (v16). 

·        He is being renewed by having the right perspective about his trials (v17); in the eternal picture they are light affliction and they are the context in which God is bringing Paul more and more into the likeness of Christ. 

·        He is being renewed daily because his focus is on Christ (v18).  Life in this earthen vessel or jar of clay is temporary; what matters is what is eternal.

Are you losing heart because serving Christ is so difficult?  Perhaps you need to consider what Paul and the Psalmist were doing in their severe trials.  Because they believed in God they cried out to Him in their trial and then continued to be faithful, trusting that God’s mercy would be evident.  In that way we too can show the excellence of the power of God through our earthen vessel!

2 Cor. 4:1-6

Aren’t these words thrilling?  This all began with Paul explaining why he had not come to Corinth as he had intended.  But Paul has used these mundane thoughts to take the reader into the glorious truths of the gospel of Christ.

Paul is a minister of the new covenant.  He has noted the blindness of the Jews, those who read Moses (3:15).  In today’s passage Paul goes further to note that there are many who are veiled so they do not receive the gospel of Christ.  They are blinded but it is not merely the blinding caused by the Law of Moses. 

The wicked one is constantly blinding people so that the light of the gospel will not shine on them.  He may use worldly philosophy, perhaps some atheistic or materialistic or hedonistic thoughts that keep people from such a simple truth as the gospel.  It may be a blindness caused by a person’s unwillingness to go against his peers or friends or family.  Thus they do not turn to Christ.

This is widespread in our day as it was in Paul’s day.  So one might wonder how Paul could continue to minister when the forces causing blindness were so strong against his ministry.  This passage reveals marvelous truth that helps the believer not to lose heart as he serves Christ in this sinful world.

o   v1: Paul does not lose heart because the One who gave him the ministry also gives him mercy to do the ministry.

o   v2: Paul does not water down or in any way change the gospel so more will listen to him and receive what he has to say.  As he warned Timothy (2 Tim. 4:3-4) many seek out teachers who will tickle their ears, who will tell them anything they want to hear.  Paul does not and will not do that!

o   v3-4a: Paul recognizes that it is Satan, the god of this age, who is blinding men to the gospel.  Some think that because of the death and resurrection of Christ that Satan has no power.  But this is not true, as is evident here: even after Christ’s resurrection Satan is still blinding men to the truth.

o   v4b,6: Paul is committed to preaching the gospel (something he already told the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 1:18-25).  The gospel reveals the glory of Christ (v4b).  Remember in the story of Moses that God revealed His glory on the mountain.  When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai the people could tell he had been with God in a special way.  Christ is the image of God (God come in the flesh, John 1:14).  In the gospel the glory of Christ shines on men.  Thus it is said that they have come to know the glory of God in the face of Christ.

o   v5: Paul does not, therefore, change his message.  He preaches Christ as Lord and tells the Corinthians that he will serve them for Christ’s sake.

Serving Christ has its difficulties.  But Paul will not change his message to make the ministry easier as that would only serve to join the god of this age and deny the Lord he serves.  Let us be careful that in our difficult times we do not change the message of the gospel.  Without it men cannot know God.

2 Cor. 3:12-18

Paul’s use of the story of Moses is a great illustration of spiritual truth in ministry.  It illustrates the difficulty of those who seek life by the ministry of death.  Those who do so are blinded, having a veil over their own faces.   The law seeks to tell them that they cannot measure up to God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). They need another solution to their sin made so evident as they read the law.

The veil is removed when one turns to Christ (v14,16).  Once a person has come to Christ the law has completed it’s purpose.  God, by His Spirit, enables the one who believes in Christ to be born again (John 1:12-13; 3:5-8).

The story of Moses also illustrates what happens when a person comes to Christ.  You may think that the teaching concerning the law indicates that God is not concerned with how a believer lives his life.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, in Christ, the standard for one’s lifestyle is not lower but higher.  The standard is the perfect life of Christ, the only One ever to fulfill the righteous demands of the law (Rom. 8:3-4).

Thus we ask how it is possible for the believer to become like Christ.  The answer is found in the story of Moses on Mt. Sinai.  Moses saw God’s glory with an unveiled face and God’s glory became Moses’ glory.

It is the same for the believer.  He must gaze upon the glory of the glorious Lord Jesus Christ.  Then the glory of Christ will become the glory of the believer as he is transformed into the same image.  This transformation is the work of the Spirit (v17) because it is a spiritual transformation.  One need not go to any physical mountain for this to happen.  Rather one must look into the right mirror so as to see the glory of the Lord.  How does this happen?

o   Through contemplation.  The believer must look intently at the Lord Jesus, the One into whose image we would be transformed (Heb. 12:1-3; Col. 3:1-4; Rom. 8:5-11; 2 Cor. 4:16-18).  He is neither contemplated in the emptying of the mind as in mysticism nor in the musings of one’s own mind.  The living Word (Christ) is best seen in the written Word (Scripture). 

o   Through reflection.  This is the idea of the phrase “behold as in a mirror”.  As one gazes intently upon Christ he begins to reflect Christ.  This is common sense, that we become like the object of our focused attention.

o   Through transformation.  The Greek word in v18 is metamorphoo from which we get metamorphosis.  As the caterpillar is changed into the beautiful butterfly the believer is changed from the inside out into the likeness of Christ. 

To confirm these truths consider Rom. 12:2: Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, perfect and acceptable will of God.  

On whom or what am I focusing my attention?  How much time and energy do I place on my time with Christ?  Is He my glorious obsession?

2 Cor. 3:7-15

There are many ideas around concerning the usability of the Law of Moses for Christians today.  This passage represents what is common teaching in the New Testament as to the limited use of the Old Testament law today.  Note first the contrasts Paul makes concerning the Old and New Testaments (Covenants):

o   The Old was glorious but served up death to people.  In effect it showed them they were dead in sin.  The New is thus more glorious being the ministry of the Spirit in that the Spirit gives life (v6).

o   The Old was a ministry of condemnation, again judging people as having fallen short of God’s glory.  The New is a ministry of righteousness in that through Christ men can be justified or declared righteous before God.  A man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law (Rom. 3:28).

There is an illustration of the lesser glory of the Old Covenant (the Law of Moses) found in Moses himself.  Paul refers to Ex. 33:17-23 and 34:29-35 when Moses had gone up on Mt. Sinai to receive the law from God.  While there he expressed his desire to know God, to see Him.  God responded by allowing Moses to get just a brief glimpse of His glory.  (God Himself is invisible but expressed Himself through His brilliant glory in Moses’ day.)  The effect of Moses’ vision of God was that his face reflected God’s glory.  When he went down the mountain a veil had to be put over his face because the people could not look at it.  This went on for a period of time but eventually the reflection faded and the veil was removed.

In today’s passage the point is expressed in v11.  The Old Covenant involving God’s law through Moses was truly glorious, but only for a while.  It was meant to give way to the more glorious ministry of Christ.  As in Gal. 3:24-25, the law was meant to lead us to Christ, showing us our need of Him.  But one who would receive Christ must not seek to do it by keeping the law but by faith in Christ.

Thus, concerning the usability of the Law of Moses today we must agree with the apostle in 1 Timothy 1:8-11:

⁸ But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, ⁹ knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, ¹⁰ for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, ¹¹ according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.

Let the Old Covenant serve it’s purpose to show people their sin and their need of Christ.  But then present Christ to them through the gospel.  Only then can dead men live.

2 Cor. 3:1-6

You may have noticed in yesterdays reading of vs.1-3 a reference to tablets of stone, something we did not talk about since it led to the following verses.  Paul is again lifting their vision to things much higher and nobler than the spat over why he didn’t come to Corinth. 

In this letter Paul is addressing not only an explanation of his decision but those people who had another agenda in even making an issue of his action at all.  They are deceitful teachers (4:2) who were peddlers of God’s word (2:17) and whose message apparently was based in a return to the Law of Moses as a rule of life.  That seems to be the reason, at least, why Paul turns the discussion of his ministry to the glorious nature of his ministry. 

Paul refers to his ministry as of the new covenant.  It is not the ministry of the old covenant that revolved around the tablets of stone.  Rather, as the Scriptures teach, it is of a covenant that involves God writing His law on the hearts of men (Jer. 31:33-34; Heb. 8:10-11).  This writing on the heart is the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Thus Paul tells the Corinthians they are a letter of recommendation written on the heart (v3) by the Spirit (v6).

Paul says the letter kills (v6).  The letter is the Law of Moses.  In what sense does it kill?  Paul argues this matter in Rom. 6-8.  Consider the following:

o   It reveals sin, Rom 7:7.

o   It increases sin, Rom 7:5,8.

o   It demands perfection (Jas 2:10; Gal 3:10-12) but provides no power (Rom 8:3; Heb 9:9; 10:1,4).

·        The law is external, Heb. 9:9-10.

·        The law is temporary, 2 Cor 3:7,11.

o   Thus the law frustrates the soul (Rom 7:24).

As Paul makes clear in Romans, the law is holy in that it speaks accurately about God’s will.  But without the work of the Holy Spirit it cannot give life.

All of this leads to the important observation Paul makes about his ministry.  He himself is not sufficient as God’s minister to make people a good letter of recommendation about Christ (2:17; 3:5a).  But, he says, our sufficiency is from God (v5).  And God had in fact made Paul sufficient for a ministry that brought life to people by the work of the Holy Spirit (v6).

This letter to the Corinthians is providing a needed opportunity for believers to examine their view of the Christian life.  Do you have the thought that you can please God by keeping His law?  Are you doing the best you can to be obedient?  You must understand that this is not enough!  As Jesus pointed out, this is in essence the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (Mt. 5:20).  The only righteousness that will do is the perfect righteousness of Christ who fulfilled the Law (2 Cor. 5:21).  For now we must be willing to repent of the thought that our righteousness is sufficient.  Your letter of commendation must be written on your heart by the Spirit of God.

2 Cor 3:1-3

In many local churches there is a tradition whereby people who move from one location to another can bring a letter of commendation written by their former church and addressed to their new church.  The letter says they were members in good standing and should be welcomed immediately.  It is efficient in that the new church need not wait for a period of time until the prospective members can be examined in their walk with Christ and fitness for service.

That is what Paul is talking about here.  He is wondering why, after his faithful ministry in Corinth, he should need to provide proof of that faithfulness through a letter of commendation.  The truth is they should be his letter of commendation!  They should already know by experience the quality of his life and ministry.  And ultimately they were epistles that recommended Christ, written as a result of Paul’s ministry, that was being read by people all over the world.  This letter of commendation, written on Paul’s heart, should have been all the commendation they needed of his integrity. Certainly they should not have been questioning his decision not to come and see them.  They should have assumed it was for good reason and that Paul could be trusted.

We may not understand the need for a letter of recommendation.  But it does make sense according to Scripture.  In 2 Corinthians this term, used 3 times in v1, is used 6 more times in the letter.  Consider what these passages teach us as servants of God.

o   4:2: Paul’s ministry was not commended by twisting God’s word that men might enjoy it more, but by his accurate, truthful handling of the word.

o   5:12: Paul hoped the Corinthians would tell the truth from their hearts about his ministry.  He did not want to commend himself.

o   6:4-10: Paul’s ministry was commended, not by the usual success stories (how many people, how big his organization, etc.) but by his patience, tribulations and constant need.

o   7:11: The Corinthian church was commended by the way they responded to Paul’s severe letter, doing the right thing with great zeal.

o   10:12: Paul did not commend his ministry by comparing himself to others.

o   10:18: Ultimately it is not the one who commends himself who is truly commendable in ministry but the one the Lord commends.

Finally, in the matter of commendation, let us remember that even God has given a letter of recommendation for Himself.  Do you wonder if God truly loves you?  The answer has been made clear in that God commended His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

We should be careful in ministry.  We should not depend simply on what people say about themselves but on testimony from those we know to be trustworthy.  The bottom line for the believer is that we are to be a letter of commendation for Christ, commending Him to the world around us.  When people read your life what do they think of Christ?Hi

 

Psalm 112

Again we see evidence that the collecting of the Psalms has some order to it.  Certainly 111 and 112 fit like two adjoining pieces of a puzzle.  The point of Psa. 111 is in the final verse:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments.  His praise endures forever.

The point of Psa. 112 is in the first verse:

Praise the Lord!  Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.

Let us not miss the fundamental truth having to do with the fear of the Lord.  Psalm 112 does not say that magic things happen to the righteous man.  His blessedness is the result of his relationship with his God!

·         112:2: The man who fears God will bring blessing on his descendents as well as his peers.  Everyone around him will be better for having him as a father or grandfather or friend.  It is not their luck but the life of the one who fears God.

·         112:3: He will be better off financially.  So it is not that God will drop extra cash in his wallet.  It is that, by fearing God, his desires/lusts are diminished.  Thus he lives on less and thus has more.  Even better, he has a treasure of righteousness that endures.

·         112:4: In the dark times he has a light on his path.  And he has a treasure of character that enables him to be compassionate to others in the dark times.  Note that these qualities are God-like; God is known for these perfections as we know from His Name (Exodus 34:6-7).

·         112:5: He is able to be helpful to others, lending to them rather than being a borrower.  His day-to-day affairs are handled with discretion, not simply doing what he is able to do but what is wise.

·         112:6: He will stand firm amidst life’s storms.  His legacy will be enduring. 

·         112:7: When bad news comes he will not melt under the pressure.  Instead he will be faithful because he trusts in the Lord.

·         112:8: And in the face of those who try to make his life miserable, who attack him without cause and who speak evil of him, he will not panic but will outlast the antagonists.  We might say, he will get the last laugh.

In the final verses (v9-10) there is a summary/conclusion of it all.  Those who fear the Lord, and thus who delight in keeping His commandments, will bless others and will be standing in the end.  On the other hand, the wicked will eventually melt before the righteous; their desires will go unmet.  The one satisfying and satisfied; the other self-centered and empty. 

It’s a little like the advertisement that always ends, so what’s in your wallet?  We might put it this way: so what’s in your heart?

2 Cor. 2:12-17

Paul knew how much he loved the believers at Corinth though some of them seemed to doubt that love.  Thus he continues to explain the situation to them regarding the fact he had not come to see them as he had intended.

Titus had gone to Corinth instead and was to meet up with Paul.  Paul had come to Troas and had a successful ministry there (a door was opened, v12).  Yet because Titus did not come Paul left Troas and crossed the Agean Sea to Macedonia (v13; perhaps to Philippi).  Apparently it was there that he met up with Titus who had a good report as to the wonderful way in which the Corinthians had received Paul’s severe letter (cf. 7:13-16).

Paul again breaks into his own explanation of his decision to explain something of greater importance.  From 2:14 through 6:10 Paul reminds the Corinthians of the essence of ministry.  While he is still defending his decision he uses the opportunity to lift our eyes to some lofty visions of Christ and how we are to serve Him.

Having said he left an “open door” in Troas one might wonder about Paul’s decision-making.  We usually think if the ministry is “growing” or prospering in some way that we should stay there.  Yet he explains his moving on to Macedonia as an act of God: Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ (v14).  From Paul’s testimony we see at least three things about the ministry that he calls “fragrant”.

o   It is people-centered (v12-13).  The successful ministry at Troas could be left in the hands of other competent associates.  But Paul’s heart-burden was for the Corinthians and how they had responded to his loving reproof.

o   It was triumphant (v14-16).  What Paul means here is that wherever he serves, God blesses.  God used him when people were being saved.  The words of the gospel lead one to give the aroma of life.  But God also used him when people rejected Christ.  The gospel leads these ones to give off the aroma of death.  The gospel of Christ is the watershed of all of life.  What men believe about Christ speaks clearly as to whether they are spiritually dead or alive.

o   It was sincere. God used Paul as a preacher of the gospel.  Thus his ministry saw many who rejected the gospel and some who received Christ by faith.  But some, Paul indicates, considered ministry a business.  They charged for the word of God.  Like any good business the goal is to make a profit, to have more buyers of your product.  The problem here is obvious: lighten up the gospel so that fewer people reject the offer of salvation through Christ alone.  But Paul would not do that!  Like the prophets of old he would only say what he had been given to say by God.

Think about this idea of fragrant ministry.  Are you engaged in this kind of ministry?  Do you support this kind of ministry?  Is your church characterized by this kind of ministry?