Category: A Moment with the Master

Some doctrines claim the Holy Spirit acts upon a lost individual so that they might be saved. This process is described as a miraculous working upon the heart or as illumination. The idea is that the Holy Spirit works upon or is given to an individual so that they can obey God. But In Peter’s defense before the Jewish Sanhedrin, he said, “And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”[1] Peter didn’t say the Spirit was given so that people would obey God, but that the Spirit was given to those who had obeyed God.

The Spirit has revealed God’s will in Scripture. We need not wait on a miraculous operation to obey the Lord. We have His Word and His commands. The promise of the Spirit is not for those who need to obey the Lord—it is for those who have humbled themselves, placed their faith in Christ, and obeyed His commands.

[1] Acts 5:32

Jeremiah warned Judah of God’s judgment should they refuse to repent. It should have been an easy job. Judah’s cousins—the Israelites, had already suffered God’s wrath for idolatry and wickedness. That should have warned Judah to be faithful. But instead of learning from Israel’s mistakes, Judah imitated them. In Jeremiah 3:11, God says, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.”

How could Judah be considered worse than Israel? How could we be considered worse than the faithless? Perhaps verse ten provides the answer. There, God says, “…Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but in pretense…” Faithlessness will incur God’s wrath. But it seems that pretense is even worse. To pretend to serve God—to serve Him without whole-hearted devotion—God considers that treachery. It’s easy to point the finger at unbelievers, but perhaps we should examine our own hearts and ensure that pretense does not render us even less righteous than the faithless.

It has become increasingly common to hear about “misinformation.” News outlets are accused (or accuse competing outlets) of “fake news.” Political pundits proclaim their opponents are waging misinformation campaigns. And social media platforms have implemented fact-checkers, many of which require fact-checking themselves. “Misinformation,” “fake news,” and “fact-checking” might be new buzzwords, but the situation is nothing new. Deception has been practiced for a long, long time.

In Jesus’ day, He was often the target of vicious claims aimed to undermine  His influence. In perhaps the most egregious form of misinformation in history, the Pharisees claimed of Jesus, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”[1]Such a claim was not just fake news—it was blasphemous. But it reminds us of an important truth. There always have been, and always will be, people who hate the truth and are willing to tell the darkest lies to fight the light. Don’t be a victim of spiritual misinformation. Trust in God and the truth of His Word.

[1] Matthew 12:24

Modern religion often disparages any concept of Biblical law or command. This is typically the result of misinterpretation of Scripture and a healthy dose of manmade theology. It is true that the Law of Moses has been fulfilled and replaced with a new, better covenant. But that does not mean Christians are under no law whatsoever. Christians now abide by the Law of Grace and Truth—the law of Christ. It is not “legalism” to adhere to Jesus’ commands.

Those who refuse to obey the King of Kings should listen to the words of an old prophet. In Zephaniah 3:4, Zephaniah condemns Jerusalem’s leaders, saying, “Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law.” Could the same be said of you or me? If we neglect God’s law and teach others they need not obey the Lord, we act violently against God’s Word! Such is unabashed rebellion. Don’t do violence to God’s Law—submit to His Word and regard Him as holy.

Perhaps you’ve heard of someone who suffered from “delusions of grandeur.” But greatness is not the only thing in which we can suffer delusion. In his introduction to the book of Ezekiel, commentator Daniel Block says, “Ezekiel’s overriding purpose is to transform his audience’s perception of their relationship with Yahweh, exposing delusions of innocence and offering a divine understanding of reality.”[1] What a sad and terrifying condition. Many of Ezekiel’s countrymen felt righteous and innocent even as exiles in a foreign land. God’s prophet provided a reality check.

Today, it is undoubtedly true that we can still suffer from “delusions of innocence.” Perhaps, like ancient Judah, we cling to our idolatry, selfishness, or man-made religion, all the while imagining we are God’s people. If so, we drastically need a divine understanding of reality. Where can we get that? God’s Word. Read God’s Word. Does it support your faith and your life, or does it reveal your righteousness is nothing more than a delusion?

[1] Block, Daniel Isaac. The Book of Ezekiel, Chapters 1–24. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997.

Luke 7:11-17 records one of the three miracles in which Jesus raised someone from the dead. Luke intriguingly frames this miracle by drawing attention to two different crowds. Verse twelve says that Jesus went into the town of Nain, and “…his disciples and a great crowd went with him.” As they entered the town, this crowd with Jesus met another crowd. Verse twelve says that a man had died, and his widowed mother and a “considerable crowd” were carrying him out. In some ways, these two crowds could not be more different. One crowd followed the Author of Life; the other was a funeral procession.

But the beauty of the story is that there doesn’t have to be two crowds. Jesus had compassion on the bereaved widow and raised her son from the dead! The funeral procession surely transformed and joined the jubilant crowd that followed Jesus. What crowd are you in? Are you following the path that leads to death or following the life-giving Savior?

In our post-modern world, people often speak of “my truth” and “your truth.” The idea is that what might be true to me may or may not seem true to you. Now, many people decry this view of truth. But did you know that the concept of “your truth” is not a new thing? It isn’t even a post-modern thing. People have always had their view of truth, and folks have always debated whose truth was greater. Even in the Bible, a man is lauded for “his truth.” That’s right!

Third John 3 begins, “For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth…” Wow! The Apostle John praised someone for their “truth.” Of course, we need to read the rest of the verse. It continues, “…as indeed you are walking in the truth.” John didn’t extoll personal truth—he lauded a man who aligned his truth with God’s Word. What is your truth? Is it based on your ideas and feelings or the Word of God?

Jonah’s story opens with God’s command, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” What made Nineveh “great?” I’m sure by normal standards, Nineveh was a great city. It was the capital of the world super-power. The flow of commerce and wealth was likely staggering. Even God acknowledged Nineveh was a “great city.” But great doesn’t mean good or righteous. Nineveh was a great city, filled with great evil. We should remember this. The world uses many standards and metrics to gauge value, but the standards that matter are God’s. Many cities, people, companies, and so on may be considered great. But are they godly? Are they holy? Greatness is wasted when it promotes evil.

Thankfully, Nineveh was also a city of great potential. When they heard Jonah’s preaching, they humbled themselves and repented. If we seek true greatness, we must humble ourselves, repent, and follow God.

Thousands of years ago, the prophet Malachi asked a penetrating question that could aptly be asked of us. “Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?” Malachi’s question had a specific context, but the question has far-reaching applications.

We all have the same Father—God. We have all been created by Him and in His image. Further, those who have obeyed the gospel have also been adopted by the Father into His family and kingdom. These truths mean our relationships with one another are critically important. As children of God, we must be faithful to one another. We owe each other kindness and respect. We should be faithful enough to rebuke an erring brother instead of talking behind his back. We should be faithful to forgive and restore. We should serve, love, and help one another. If Malachi spoke to us today, could he ask, “Why are you faithless to one another?”

God’s mercy is unfathomable. God is more merciful than we can comprehend and certainly more merciful than we deserve. But God’s mercy does not negate His righteous judgment. And God’s mercy in no way excuses sinful rebellion. Nahum 1:3 says, “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.” Lest we think God overlooks sin because He is longsuffering, Nahum underscores God’s judgment on unrepentant sinners. Nahum doesn’t just say the guilty will be held accountable; he exclaims “by no means” will the guilty be cleared.

God’s mercy is a tremendous gift, but it is not a gift we should presume upon. It also is not an unconditional gift. God’s mercy extends to those who trust Him, repent of their sin, and faithfully follow Him. For those who persist in their rebellion (like the Ninevites Nahum addressed), their guilt will by no means be cleared, and they will face God’s wrathful judgment.