Be Just to Yourself

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (ESV)

How many saints struggle to forgive themselves when the forgiveness of the Father is already upon them! The statement in 1 John 1:9 is airtight and sure. If this, then that. If you have come to to the precious Christ who not only knows your sin but even died for it, and if you make it known and proclaim it to him, then nothing else you could do has a bearing on your spiritual condition. The trustworthiness and the fairness of God takes over at this point. He is faithful and just.

He is faithful in that he can be trusted. If the Lamb of God came to take away the sins of the world, then there is nothing more to atone for. His blood is sufficient. The promise of the propitiation of sins stands strong.

He is just in that he is fair. It would not be fair for Christ to die for an incomplete prize. He did not come to wash away even nine tenths of our sin, but he came for the whole. It would not be fair to Christ to give him any less that what he is fully due. Rejoice, believer, for the promise of your forgiveness and your cleansing is sure.

This has ramifications for your self-concept. Do you toil inwardly with regret? Can you not live within the status of one who has been cleansed and forgiven? Be just to yourself, as God has been just to you. Breathe in a deep and peaceful breath; you are cleansed and you are forgiven.

God’s Glory

God’s glory

is a weight of reality.

It is a thick atmosphere

of sublime presence.

It is tangible.

To be in it

is to drown

in a sea of light and of pleasant fire.

It is that which you are immediately lost in

yet never felt so yourself.

It is home,

it is peace.

The glory of God

envelopes man,

outside and in.

One is undone,

both compacted under the mountain of God,

yet filled and bursting forth into everything

by his love.

He is all.

In all and over all.

He is.

To “Nu” or Not to “Nu?”

The NIV ‘11 of 1 Thessalonians 2:7a:

Instead, we were like young children among you…

The ESV:

But we were gentle among you, …

Based on the NIV, I was going to write a post about how we are to be humble in our Gospel-sharing, but then the ESV went and ruined that by suggesting that the word is “gentle” instead of “young children.”

This comes down to a textual variant in the manuscripts. Some say ἤπιοι (“ēpioi,” meaning gentle) and others say νήπιοι (“nēpioi,” meaning infants/children). The preceding word ends in a nu (“ν”), so the question becomes, did a scribe mistakenly duplicate the nu or was it accidentally deleted?

Here is the context of the NIV, 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8

7 Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

And the ESV:

7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

As you can see, other questions abound here concerning the other various clauses. (Remember, there was no punctuation when these words were transcribed. All of that had to be decided upon later). These modifications seem to be due to our little textual variant.

What does this tell us? Well, a little nu can make a big difference! But, what does this say about scripture? I’m sure God could have sovereignly overridden this error if He wanted it to remain perfect!

So why didn’t He?

Of course I cannot know, but maybe God allowed this–yes, rather small and insignificant–mistake to persist to remind us of our humanity–our distinct “otherness” in relation to God. While there is no fault in Him, we fail to simply copy things down.

Or, perhaps it is to remind us that God uses people to accomplish his purposes. All throughout the Bible we find God’s plan being carried out by men and women unqualified to do so. God uses people like Samson, Gideon, and Saul: selfish men who hardly seem reliable for noble tasks. And yet, God uses them.

And whether or not we get all of our nu’s in the right places (we can’t), God can employ us too. Even for the missions we are sure to taint along the way.

God’s Remarkable Response to David’s Sin

Psalm 38 finds David in a low place, brought low by his sin. Whereas in other Psalms he lays claim on his innocence and seeks deliverance, here he bemoans of his guilt.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation;

there is no health in my bones because of my sin. -Psalm 38:3

In this couplet, David suffers a strickenness in direct result of his sin. We find it throughout the Psalm.

For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness,

I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning.

But David’s desolate condition is not merely the result of sin: he suffers too from the hand of God.

I know this because verse 3 informs me of it. The lack of health and soundness in David’s body is given two causes. These are God’s indignation and David’s sin, and they are inextricable.

To think that God is so gracious to be ambivalent to our sin is to misunderstand God and to belittle the devastation of sin. It is also to misunderstand grace.

Sin is not a mere quirk or untimely hiccup, it is an offense against God.

Grace is not overlooking sin, but acknowledging it face on and atoning for it. Hearing the vulgar rebukes of his mockers, Jesus, pinned to the stake cried, “Father, forgive them! For they know not what they do.” Jesus embodies perfect grace.

And God would not be God if our sin did not stir within Him an indignation. He is the Holy One.

God cares too much about us to be the ambivalent friend. Indeed, God disciplines those he loves, that they might not suffer continually from their sin. David tangibly describes God’s discipline in verse 2:

For your arrows have sunk into me,

and your hand has come down on me.

The greatest reminder from this Psalm for me is that my sin affects God and rouses from Him a response. Here it is called indignation. Paul later calls it grief (Eph 4:30). It is remarkable that the Infinite, Perfect, and Immense Creator of the Universe could have such an affection for me that my minute comings and goings could sway Him–Him! That truth is indeed too marvelous to behold.

We could never comprehend the complexities of the emotions of God, nor the perfect means by which God mingles his love for his children with his hatred of sin. But as we grow nearer to his heart, the more wisely will we live and the more fully will we love. While my sin is forgiven and atoned for, it still stirs the heart of my Father. May I be sensitive to Him and desire deeply to please Him. God help me!

God’s Tender Walk with David’s Conflicted Heart

A few observations on the following text of David’s apparent impersonation of Harrison Ford in The Fugitive:

[Saul] pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.” So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape. And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Engedi. -1 Samuel 23:25b-29

1. David is remarkably merciful by his insistence on not harming Saul.

By my estimation, David would be totally justified in wrenching the kingdom from Saul. David’s been anointed king by Samuel, and his predecessor Saul has been told that he’s been sacked (though, in denial, he continues to show up at the “office.”)

Why would David refrain from taking what is rightfully his? To some degree, his conscience can’t bear it. He ninja-style tears a corner off of Saul’s robe to show that he means him no harm (yes, when Saul is still trying to kill him), and the realization that he ruined the man’s North Face overwhelms him (1 Sam 24:5-7). Should he be this sensitive though?

I’m not sure. To me it’s David’s duty to take the throne, but it seems that, as surprising as it is to us,

2. God is willing to work within David’s conscience.

When Saul comes up in this passage with his army against David, God could have allowed the fight to break and routed Saul and company. To me, that would make sense. Hubris sends the fellow into working against God and God turns it back on his head. BOOM. That makes for a quick, clean story. Moral: served.

But it didn’t go down that way. God is tenderly raising up David, and when David feels like his conscience forbids him, God respects it and brings in the Philistines to redirect Saul away. (Again, God can work through sin and, in fact, uses it to accomplish his purposes [Gen 50:20]). This shows me that…

3. Our consciences are important and should be respected.

David has a right moral (I must not harm the Lord’s anointed!), but his information is just a bit off: he’s actually the anointed one now. But while David is still deriving the the right data and compiling, God is not going to lead David into betraying David’s conscience.

Similar situations happen with us. We can feel that something might be wrong, even when it is ambiguous or even totally acceptable. But when we do feel like we are breaking conscience, we should honor that feeling. Crossing over and disobeying one’s conscience only begets more and more disobedience. We unfortunately get used to feeling bad, and then stop feeling anything altogether. The end result is a deadened or severely weakened conscience that we need for things like life. That’s why Paul encourages the church members to respect one another’s arbitrary opinions:

One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. – Romans 14:5

We must obey the silent murmurs and even silly apprehensions of our hearts. They are there for a reason. Maybe we have the wrong data, and that will work itself out eventually. But let us be fully convinced in our own minds.

You may feel like your conscience has been so maligned by you that it is deadened beyond recovery. Take heart. It is not. You, or your heart, are never beyond recovery. Our God’s arms are never too short to reach you, nor are His healing hands ever too unskilled to restore you.

God, Genocide, and the Big Red Button

To read the Bible is to grapple with the ugliest shades of life. Shades of darkness, terror, incest, war, rape, and the like. Contrary to our childhood Sunday school classes, many of the stories are starkly graphic and disturbing.
Why?

Well, it is unfortunately true to life. It is not unfortunate that the Bible is continually relevant for thousands of years, but rather it is unfortunate that life is indeed so grim.

The following passage reveals a grim moment.

Thus says the LORD of hosts,

“I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”

– 1 Samuel 15:2-3

In this passage, we see the LORD commanding Saul to destroy the Amalekites, and later, He enables Saul to essentially do so. Some escape (we see their descendents harassing future Israel), and Saul does not follow his order completely. But largely, this genocide does indeed occur, which raises some questions: why would God order a war of this scale, eliminating even the women and children? And how can this God be good or trustworthy?

My intention is to show that God is good–indeed the source of all Goodness and in Himself Goodness perfected.

It is common for a pastor or teacher to give all of the reasons why such a commissioned catastrophe would be warranted. And, granted, surely there are many. The sins of the Amalekites is no small measure. And for Israel to remotely survive, they need to be defeated. But even such an explanation would likely be challenged by many who argue for the innocence of–at least–the children. So, the argument that the Amalekites got what was coming to them, may not stand in the eyes of our culture.

How then, can God still be good?

God is still good here only if indeed we and the Amalekites have total depravity–meaning, the only way God is righteous is if the children are truly unrighteous and if unrighteousness’ penalty is death.

There is no room in the Bible for the humanist view that people are innately good. Our world should convince us otherwise, but those that disregard diety must–for the sake of their sanity–find goodness somewhere. In the Bible, God is God and the only one that is Good. He is perfectly just in taking life. He owes us nothing. To our American, man-centered brains, this bewilders and frustrates. We want a God that is man-centered: working tirelessly for our “glory.”

But do we really?

Do we actually want a God that is man-centered in His workings? A God that would never be capable of killing the Amalekites?

I contend we do not.

Our souls were made for basking in glory. We cry and quiver and shout in stadiums and theaters and National Parks–places designated for displaying glory. But even our best worldly commencements and parades and victories fail us. Our sports icon spouts off racist remarks. Our American hero cheats on his spouse. Our elected officials make mistakes. Under the costume or uniform, we know that it’s a lie. Their glory is tainted; our satisfaction in vain.

A God who intentionally purported such glories of man, would do unto us the worst evil. It would be like being served a veggie burger when one asked for beef.

God is good because He is committed to glorifying Himself to us. It is indeed only what will satisfy us. A God so committed to man that He would be incapable of judging people or killing the Amalekites is no God at all. He would be but a cosmic prostitute–a play-thing for self-enjoyment.

It is difficult to overcome a man-centered worldview, even as a Christian. But a thorough knowledge of our depravity should help. We should know that inwardly we are all tainted pictures. None deserve their life–not to mention an eternal one. And yet God gives more grace. And yet He loves. It is refreshing to return to a true consciousness of our sin, for confession begets repentance. And repentance is the true calling of a perfect God to a broken man. Praise God for His relentless invitation to repent in the midst of our deep depravity.

Samuel’s Front Row Seat to the Surprising Love of God

16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.” 1 Samuel 9:16-17

The relationship between God and Israel is continually fascinating. I think we should pay special attention to when God acts in a surprising fashion. This is one of those moments.

This moment is fascinating because God is setting in motion a plan to fulfill the desires of Israel–the sinful desires of Israel. Israel desires a king. For protection, for war, for judgement, and also to simply be like all of the other nations around them. It is a vain desire. This desire did not come from God; indeed, in 8:7 God commands Samuel,

“Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.”

Israel rejects God! And now, God is not only allowing them to reject Him, He is seemingly helping them do so by instructing Samuel to anoint a king. This is like the father who gives money to his rebellious son who is running away from home: it seems senseless! It seems foolish! Perhaps even wrong!

But God is not senseless and God is not foolish. And, as always, God is right.

The love that provides for a rebellious son is the sort of God-love that is far more common to us than we realize. How often does God bless us, provide for us, give us intellectual capacity, physical ability, and we… use it against Him? Well… actually all the time. Like all of the times.

A day has not passed in my life in which I have not worked against God, strived against his purposes, or used his gifts to sin against Him. Every breath is a gift, and some turn to praise while others become bitterness or contempt or disparagement. And yet… God keeps on giving.

I think part of the reason that God enables us is because He can turn even our worst sins to (not only) good, but to His very purpose (Gen. 50:20). There is no darkness He cannot enlighten. There is no brokenness He cannot make whole. There is no smudge He cannot fix. There are no tears He cannot hold.

So God speaks personally to Samuel, He instructs Him to anoint a king (that is Saul), and He does all this even though it will not be good for Israel to do such a thing (cf. chapter 8) nor is it good within itself (they are rejecting God). So, why would God enable his chosen people to reject Him? Because God’s purpose is to redeem.

Through Saul (and more specifically through his successor David), God is forging a path for a king that will not oppress his people but who will bless them in the most excellent way. That King is Jesus.

Praise God that He works our sin into beauty, and praise God that He turns our disobedience into redeemed purpose.