From the Chaplain

Rich Toward God

As James begins to draw his epistle to a close, he takes a moment to admonish those that were rich. “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you” (James 5:1). The Scriptures never condemn riches or being rich. They do, however, readily condemn wrong attitudes toward wealth that ultimately affect both how wealth is acquired and used. James is consistent with the rest of the testimony of Scripture.

He first rebukes these rich men for hoarding wealth for wealth’s sake, i.e. under-employed wealth. He tells them their “riches are corrupted” and that their “gold and silver is cankered”. Their hoarded wealth has been “heaped…together for the last days” (James 5:2-3). The Scriptures teach plainly that wealth is a means to an end and not an end in itself. For the believer wealth is a test of spiritual responsibility. In his parable about the unjust steward, Christ concluded with this maxim. “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches” (Luke 16:10-11).

James makes two more points about these rich men that merit our consideration. The first has to do with how they came about their wealth. They made their fortunes through unjust business dealings by taking advantage of others. “Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth” (James 5:4). To grow my wealth by exploiting others and taking advantage of them is against the fundamental teaching of Scripture. Paul writing to the Christians in Rome commanded “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:8,10).

Of the second point, James rebukes these ones for their self-indulgent use of their wealth. “Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter” (James 5:5). To be blessed with an abundance of this world’s goods is never a license to indulge the appetites of the flesh in any fashion. Perhaps, Christ taught this lesson best in his teaching about the rich man and his barns. “The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, what shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, this will I do. I will pull down my barns, and build greater and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years. Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry” (Luke 12:16-19). He lived for himself; he lived for today with no thought of the future. “But God said unto him, thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 16:20-21).

True Religion

Previously we had examined the Apostle James’ admonition to be “doers of the word”. He makes the point that those who hear the word, but do not do it or, rather, obey it, deceive their own selves. He compares that person to a man who looks at himself in the mirror then turns away and forgets what he saw (James 1:22-24). On the other hand, that man who listens and becomes a “doer of the work…shall be blessed in his deed” (James 1:25). It is from this vantage point that James then talks about empty religion, i.e. religion that does no one any good.

He boldly asserts “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain” (James 1:26, emphasis added). It doesn’t take a seminary degree to understand this. If a man can’t control his speech, his religion isn’t much good. James calls it vain or empty. We might even say it is powerless. Put another way, we could ask what good is going to church on Sunday when you curse and take the Lord’s name in vain the rest of the week. Or, what value is there in singing the old hymns of the faith with the choir while your tongue sounds forth the bitter notes of harshness and unkindness with those you come into contact with from day to day. As James declares such a man “deceiveth his own heart”.

James is pretty matter of fact – “religion” is about a changed life. In fact, he goes on to challenge his audience with this thought provoking truth. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). This religion involves a loving and compassionate regard for others, especially the weakest and most vulnerable members of society, while refusing to be sullied with the sins of the world around us. This is true religion, life changing religion!

A scribe came to Jesus and asked him “Which is the greatest commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandments is…thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mark 12:28-31). True religion has a different view of both God and man. It changes both perspective and conduct. But to experience this change requires that we see our own self differently.

Recall that James spoke of a man who looked in a mirror, saw himself, and went his way “forgetting what manner of man he was” (James 1:24). A changed life begins with a changed heart. We must come to God as we are – sinful, spiritually bankrupt, unable to save ourselves – and He will give us life. Jesus said, “him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). Has your life been changed by Jesus Christ or is your religion vain?

Delivered From This Present Evil World

Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia that Christ “hath delivered us from this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4). He was not speaking to them of a future salvation, a home in heaven though that awaits every believer. Rather, the emphasis is on a deliverance that is both here and now. How are we to understand this truth?

Paul calls this present world an “evil” world. That is the primary characteristic of the current age in which we live. The Apostle John testifies “that the whole world lieth in wickedness” (I John 5:19). It is evil because sin dominates its inhabitants. Paul reminds us “There is none righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10). It is evil because Satan, “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), walks about freely “seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8). The fundamental truth, as Christ himself declared, is that “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). Yet Paul writes that Christ has delivered us from this world.

Paul wrote to the Colossian believers that God “hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). The believer’s translation is a finished transaction. As a believer I am right now in the kingdom of Christ. Paul describes this further (to the brethren at Philippi) as being citizens of heaven even though presently on earth. “For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:20).

The distinguishing feature of our translation is that believers are new creatures. Paul writes “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). God delivered us from this present evil world when we trusted Christ and were born again. As new creatures we are to live as citizens of a heavenly kingdom. We are no longer to be “conformed to this world” (Romans 12:1) with those who walk “in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through ignorance…because of the blindness of their heart” (Ephesians 4:17). Rather, we are to walk in newness of life and “put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).

God has made the believer a new creature, one that loves righteousness and truth. He is not of this present world though he lives here. He is to think, walk, and love differently than those who are of this world because he has been delivered. This new life is the believer’s position, privilege, and purpose. Does your life testify that you have been delivered?

Your Labor is Not in Vain

Paul declared the certainty of the resurrection to the believer and our gathering together unto the Lord when he returns in triumph over death (I Corinthians 15:51-57). In light of that he exhorts his readers, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58).

Our labor in the Lord is not in vain! The phrase “in vain” carries two significant aspects. The first is that the work is unprofitable for its intended purpose. I’m sure every law enforcement officer has wondered from time to time if what he or she is doing really makes any difference. For every crime stopped, it seems there are two that are committed. For every criminal apprehended, two more come on the scene. While virtually every job has elements of futility, the work of our law enforcement officers seems to be the poster child for vain endeavor! But this text teaches us that our labor is not in vain. Rather, it is indeed profitable.

The Lord who conquered sin and death is certainly able to bring profitability to our labors when they are done in his name. We may not see the profit of our efforts today, but God works from the vantage point of eternity. What effort seems futile to us now is made to bear fruit in time by the blessing of the Lord. Knowing this is so spurs us to greater faithfulness.

The second aspect of “in vain” suggests that the labor is without reward. For the Christian, this simply is not so. Christ Jesus will “settle up” with his children when he returns. “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12). A sense of futility can lead to despair. We wonder does anyone see? Or, even more despairing, does anyone care? Be assured that the Lord both sees and cares. He reminds us that “whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42; emphasis added).

This exhortation to “be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” is for every believer – not just pastors and missionaries. Paul wrote to the church at Colossae, “whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24). Any job performed as unto the Lord will know both his blessing and his reward!

May we give heed to the exhortation of Oded, the prophet, to Asa, king of Judah, “Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded” (2 Chronicles 15:7).

Making Truth a Commodity

Jesus was brought to Pilate for judgment by the chief priests and the people. The course and outcome of this assembly though foreordained by God nonetheless reveals the willingness of men to sell the truth for gain.

The chief priests wanted Jesus dead, so they lied about his teaching or doctrine. They asserted to Pilate that Jesus was “forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King” (Luke 23:2). This was a lie for the Lord declared plainly “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). These men were the spiritual leaders in Israel, yet they held not the truth in their hearts. They schemed and plotted to deliver Jesus to the Romans that he might be put to death. Even Pilate “knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy” (Mark 15:10).

Pilate was just as guilty in this matter as the chief priests and the people. Pilate feared the loss of his position before Rome. The Jews threatened “If thou let this man [Jesus] go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar” (John 19:12). So to maintain peace with the people, Pilate “delivered he him [Jesus] unto them to be crucified” (John 19:16).

Truth was valued cheaply in that day. It was nothing more than a commodity to be traded in order to secure something more desirable. The chief priests envied Christ and sought to eliminate him as a threat. Pilate feared disfavor with Rome and perverted judgment to safeguard his position. How tragic for them was their contempt for the truth. God was not deceived as King David himself learned many years prior.

David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and sought to hide his sin by arranging the murder of her husband in battle. But God, who sees all, sent Nathan the prophet to confront him with his sin. David testified in repentance “thou desirest truth in the inward parts” (Psalm 51:6).

Truth is essential to a right relationship with God. The Psalmist records, “Lord, who shall abide in the tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart” (Psalm 15:1-2; emphasis added). Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24; emphasis added). When we surrender truth in exchange for anything, we reveal to ourselves and others the value we place on our relationship with God. Ask yourself, “What is worth more to me than my relationship to Christ?”

Silence Does Not Mean We Are Alone

Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament written about 435 B.C. It would be over 400 years before God would speak again from heaven by sending his Son, Jesus, to be born of the virgin, Mary. It is not insignificant that the Old Testament closes with the word “curse.” Malachi writes, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6).

Over a thousand years of broken law had left the children of Israel without a claim under their covenant. In fact, one has summarized the Old Testament as unexplained ceremonies, unfulfilled prophecies, and unsatisfied longings. The Old Testament closes looking for a person, i.e. “I will send you Elijah the prophet.” God is faithful for the New Testament opens introducing us to Jesus Christ. “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1).

Though there were over 400 years of “silence” from God, he did not leave his people without his witness. His last command was “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments” (Malachi 4:6). His word is forever settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89) and Christ himself asserted “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18). God’s silence does not mean that he is not there. His promises remain faithful!

Anticipating the long, silent period, God urged his people to remember his law. He invites us to do the same today. There are periods of time in our lives when the heavens do, indeed, seem silent and unresponsive to our prayers. We are called upon to lay hold on his promises and refresh our souls by that which he has already declared. We are never alone. Jesus told his followers “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). When I do not see him working, I rest in the promise of his presence. He cannot lie and his presence is provision enough.

The prophet Haggai was sent by God to stir the people to complete the work of rebuilding the temple after their captivity. His message from God was “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house…I am with you, saith the LORD” (Haggai 1:8-13). Jesus Christ told his followers shortly before he returned to heaven “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:19-20). Child of God, whatever your burden, whatever your work, God is with you, even in the silence. He has promised.

Four Features of Conversion

The Apostle Paul and his co-workers planted the church at Thessalonica on his second missionary journey (Acts 17:1-2). In his first epistle written to those believers from Corinth, he reminded them of their conversion to Christ. “For our gospel came not unto in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake” (I Thessalonians 1:5). These four features – word, power, Holy Ghost, assurance – are found in every conversion.

The “word” has reference to the testimony of God’s revelation, the Scriptures. No one comes to Christ apart from His word. Paul reasoned with the believers in Rome “…how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard…so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:14,17). Peter testified likewise that we are “born again…by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever…and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you” (I Peter 1:23, 25). James speaking of the heavenly Father adds “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth” (James 1:18; emphasis added). The word of God is essential to salvation.

Paul’s reference to “power” speaks to the efficacy of the word in bringing about repentance and new life. Paul called the gospel “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16). The word, power, there is the word from which we get our word “dynamite.” No other power can bring life to a soul spiritually “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). It is this same power that enables the believer to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord” (2 Peter 3:18); and, thereby, enables him to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

The Holy Ghost brings salvation to each and every person that is born again. He is the Agent of every conversion imparting new life to every repentant sinner who trusts in Christ. For it is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5). Not only does He give life, but He sanctifies us making us progressively like Christ. Christ-likeness in the believer is the exclusive work of the Spirit of God. We cannot become more like Christ apart from the Spirit. “For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

Finally, an effectual conversion comes with assurance that is convincing and unwavering. The testimony of a life made new by the Spirit of God and His word is hard to refute. The Thessalonians saw the outworking of such a conversion in Paul and his co-workers, for they had scrutinized the lives of these men as they ministered among them. The result was “ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost” (I Thessalonians 1:6).

Christianity is not found in creeds or ceremonies. It is not defined by a list of “do’s and don’ts.” Christianity begins with a gospel message planted in the heart by the Spirit of God resulting in a new life that is convincingly transformed unto the glory of God. Does that describe your life?

What It Means to Follow Christ

Following Christ is a joyful life, but it is not an easy life. It requires personal discipline to study his word, learn his ways, and walk in them. The Lord challenged his audience on one occasion, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:23-24). Reflect on the weight of that prerequisite to discipleship for a moment.

What does it mean to “deny” one’s self? It means to surrender my rights, privileges, and choices to Christ – all of them. This is what the Savior meant by “lose his life for my sake.” To illustrate, it means to hold the TV remote in your hand, but whether you turn it on or what you choose to watch, those choices belong to Christ. We give him the choice by evaluating whether or what we choose to watch by his word. We ask ourselves, “Is this a good use of my time presently? Is there something better I should or could be doing? Is this show honoring to the Lord or does it glorify sinful behavior?”

We live our lives before an audience of One. We govern our thoughts, our words, our relationships, our pursuits, our entertainment, our lives by his word. It is a life-long journey that is fueled by a growing knowledge of what pleases Him. Paul wrote to the Thessalonian believers, “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more” (I Thessalonians 4:1; emphasis added).

No believer can know this kind of walk or this kind of obedience in his own power. So Christ tells those who follow him to “take up his cross daily”. The believers in Jesus’ day knew full well the implications of the cross. The cross is an instrument of death. We must die daily to self in order to “walk in newness of life” as Paul told the believers in Rome. He goes on to say “that our old man is crucified with him [Christ], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6). The old man is that nature we received from Adam at birth that is subject to the law of sin in our members. It is living daily in the light of our death to sin that enables us to follow Jesus.

He who rejects this path in order to “save his life shall lose it”. Christ goes on to say, “For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, and be cast away?” (Luke 9:25). Yes, following Jesus requires that we “lose our life for his sake.” But we dare not lose sight of the promise that goes with that requirement. Jesus promised “whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall save it.”

This admonition from the Lord remains faithful. “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). Which gate are you seeking?

One That Mocked

J. M. Boice said, “Many who have resisted a Christian’s logic have been won by his tears.” I can’t help but wonder if believers in today’s church are mired in a “tearless” Christianity. Without question our responses have been blunted to the open and unashamed sin that permeates our nation. Sexual immorality, unbridled violence, deceit and treachery fill the air waves, print media, and movie theaters. Even many of our elected officials, sports heroes, TV celebrities and opinion leaders in our communities “call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). They embrace lifestyles and ideologies that remain censured by God’s word. We are seemingly indifferent, yet the Psalmist wrote “Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy law” (Psalm 119:136).

Sin does not seem to shock us anymore. It is no longer an unexpected visitor appearing on the scene of our daily routine, but rather, it has become a frequent and welcome guest at our table. So much so that we can no longer blush at its performance. Would to God that he would remove the callousness from our hearts that we might genuinely grieve over sin and its consequences. If only we could see sin as the Lord sees it – an affront to his holiness, the ruin of countless lives, the early messenger of hell itself. Perhaps then we would see the lost as Christ himself saw them, i.e. with true compassion. How needy we are before God and we do not know it!

Maybe one reason that we are so passive toward the expression of sin around us is that we have become “good neighbors” to it in our own lives. Lot, Abraham’s nephew, was guilty of this very thing. God was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for its sins. Two angels were sent from God to Lot to deliver him from the city before fire and brimstone rained down. They told him “we will destroy this place, because the cry of them [the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah] is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it. Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law” (Genesis 19:13-14; emphasis added).

Lot seemed as “one that mocked.” His own life’s demeanor made his message of warning to seem as some kind of joke. How tragic! As a result, his sons in law died with the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah.

How would a warning against sin and its consequences sound coming from your lips? We can be sure that God will keep his word and judge sin even as he did Sodom and Gomorrah. In fact, Peter reminds his audience of God’s faithful judgment referring to those cities. “God…turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that should after live ungodly” (2 Peter 2:4-6; emphasis added). Would our warning come as from “one that mocked”?

In the Image of God

Much of our conduct one toward another in society today is characterized by unkindness, harsh words, blatant disrespect, and even outright hatred. Civility and common courtesy are simply behaviors we now read about in old novels. Our speech one toward another is often filled with outright contempt to the point that we even celebrate and commend it when expressed by others. One fundamental truth that has been eclipsed by the post-modern thought storming into our lives is that we are made in the image of God.

The Scriptures record this simple but unimpeachable testimony, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27; emphasis added). While there may be some variations in just what it means to be made in his image, most Bible scholars agree that this image includes one key consideration. God made us in his moral likeness with the capacity to fellowship, commune and worship him. Nothing else in his created universe shares this quality – only mankind. Man and woman are the very zenith of his creation. We alone are made in his image and this truth has significance and far reaching implications.

Man’s fall into sin left this image severely marred, almost to the point of being unrecognizable. Nonetheless, faint as it may be, it is there! We dare not lose sight of this truth. It is the fundamental common feature of our humanity that demands mutual honor and respect. We are each made in the image of God; therefore, we should not pervert judgment. We treat the poor and rich alike in justice and fairness. We are each made in the image of God; therefore, we show mercy and compassion to those less fortunate. We are each made in the image of God; therefore, we treat even those who violate society’s laws with dignity, however unworthy their behavior.

The fact that we are made in the image of God is of no small consequence. It is the basis for capital punishment. For one man to murder another is to disregard God’s stamp upon his creation. Consequently, God declared to Noah “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man” (Genesis 9:6; emphasis added).

This image is communicated to every man and woman. None are excluded. Even the unborn child bears this image. God told Jeremiah, the prophet, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee and ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

Yes, indeed, the image of God has been marred by sin. But God is in the business of restoring that image through the gospel of his saving grace. This gospel has to do with his Son, Jesus, who was made “to be sin for us…that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through faith in Christ we can have that image rightly restored.