The Work of Reformation Must Continue

One of the passages one could preach on the theme of reform or reformation is the narrative on King Josiah's reforms in Judah (2 Kings 22-23). I have done it a few times.

At a young age of eight, Josiah became king of Judah. And in spite of more than five decades of evil and wickedness that prevailed over Judah brought about by Josiah's father and grandfather, he did not continue in the wickedness of his father and grandfather but "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his father David."

Josiah started his reforms early in his life. But one event that made him even more zealous in bringing about the needed reform in the lives of God's people was the discovery or the recovery of the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord. When that book, also called the Book of the Covenant, was read before King Josiah it brought him deep conviction leading him to respond in humility and obedience to the Word of the Lord.


God softened the heart of Josiah to obey the words written in the Book of the Law and to further the reforms all over Judah and Israel. He summoned all the people to obey God's covenant and commanded his officials to destroy every vistage of idolatry and everything in the land that does not conform to the Word of God.


Josiah's obedience to the covenant was genuine in spite of the impending judgment upon them. Dutch Reformed author S. G. De Graaf has written beautifully about this saying, "Josiah knew that the judgment upon Judah was sure to come, but he wanted to press ahead with the reformation of Judah anyway. In this he showed a diligence unmatched by any king before or after him. He did not declare that there's no point in reformation since it could not save Judah anyway. He wanted to go ahead with the reformation solely for the sake of the honor and righteousness of the Lord. The Lord has a right to be served, even if our service does not bring about our salvation" ("Promise and Deliverance," vol 2, 390, quoted in Dale Ralph Davis, "2 Kings: The Power and the Fury," 322-323).


The Prophet Isaiah prophesied about the Babylonian army coming to Jerusalem to destroy it. Jeremiah lived to see the desolation of Judah and Jerusalem. God's instrument of judgment upon His wayward people, the Babylonian army, was coming in spite of Josiah's reforms and in spite of the people's promise to obey the covenant.


God did not relent in sending judgment upon His people in spite of King Josiah's reforms. That's because the heart of many people was not changed. The landscape of Judah might have gone through significant change but the people's heart remained hard, unconvicted, and unrepentant of their sin.


According to Dr. Walter C. Kaiser Jr, while Joasianic reforms "were most successful outwardly, there is little evidence that any significant inward change took place among the people. The populace had come to treat the temple and God himself as a good luck charm; this led to the deceptive sloganeering that announced: 'The temple of Yahweh, the temple of Yahweh, the temple of Yahweh' (Jer. 7:3-4 author's translation)" ("A History of Israel," 393).


Again this tells us that while God uses His Word to bring about reformation and revival among His people that affect society, it may be the case that some, both among His people in particular and many in the world in general, will not be impressed by God's sovereign work of revival or judgment and will not amend their ways.


This serves as a warning for us who think that we are good and part of the people of God yet remain disobedient or unrepentant.


But to us who have been shown the greatness of our sin and misery and have tasted the goodness and grace of God in Christ and are united with Him by faith, we cannot remain in our sin. On the contrary, we will naturally produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives learning to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbor the way we love ourselves.

Martin Luther on the Christian Life

Martin Luther's short treatise on Christian freedom, "The Freedom of a Christian," is probably one of the best and clearest treatises on the Christian life that I have read. In an easy to understand and persuasive prose, Luther sets forth the whole of the Christian life in two seemingly contradictory propositions: first, he says that a Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none; and second, he points out that a Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.

Luther draws from Pauline letters to show that these two theses are actually like two sides of a coin. In 1 Corinthians 9:19 Paul says, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all.” Luther also quotes Paul's words in his letter to the Romans saying, “Owe no one anything, except to love one another” (Rom. 13:8).

From these two passages and his understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ, Luther argues that the foundational truth of the Christian life is that in Christ's death and resurrection we are justified and freed to serve God and others. We have been set free from the bondage and slavery of the law, sin, and Satan and we are now chained in freedom to obedience toward Christ. Freedom for the Christian is escape from the bondage of sin and submission to the yoke of Christ. It is only in submission and service to Christ where one is found truly free.

Luther then emphasizes the one thing needed for the believers to live by faith and continue in this freedom. He says, "One thing, and only one thing, is necessary for Christian life, righteousness, and freedom. That one thing is the most holy Word of God, the gospel of Christ, as Christ says, John 11:25, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall live'; and John 8:36, 'So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed'; and Matt. 4:4, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

Luther continues, "Let us then consider it certain and firmly established that the soul can do without anything except the Word of God and that where the Word of God is missing there is no help at all for the soul. If it has the Word of God it is rich and lacks nothing since it is the Word of life, truth, light, peace, righteousness, salvation, joy, liberty, wisdom, power, grace, glory, and of every incalculable blessing. This is why the prophet in the entire Psalm 119 and in many other places yearns and sighs for the Word of God and uses so many names to describe it.

"On the other hand, there is no more terrible disaster with which the wrath of God can afflict men than a famine of the hearing of his Word, as he says in Amos 8:11. Likewise, there is no greater mercy than when he sends forth his Word, as we read in Psalm 107:20: 'He sent forth his word, and healed them, and delivered them from destruction.' Nor was Christ sent into the world for any other ministry except that of the Word. Moreover, the entire spiritual estate - all the apostles, bishops, and priests - has been called and instituted only for the ministry of the Word.

"You may ask, 'What then is the Word of God, and how shall it be used, since there are so many words of God.' I answer: The Apostle explains this in Romans 1. The Word is the gospel of God concerning his Son, who was made flesh, suffered, rose from the dead, and was glorified through the Spirit who sanctifies. To preach Christ means to feed the soul, make it righteous, set it free, and save it, provided it believes the preaching."

"Faith alone," Luther adds, "is the saving and efficacious use of the Word of God, according to Rom. 10:9: 'If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.' Furthermore, 'Christ is the end of the law, that everyone who has faith may be justified' (Rom. 10:4). Again, in Rom. 1:17, 'He who through faith is righteous shall live.' The Word of God cannot be received and cherished by any works whatever but only by faith."

He then concludes, "Therefore it is clear that, as the soul needs only the Word of God for its life and righteousness, so it is justified by faith alone and not any works; for if it could be justified by anything else, it would not need the Word, and consequently it would not need faith" ("The Freedom of a Christian," from "Martin Luther: Selections From His Writings," ed. John Dillenberger, 54-55).

God's Solution to Our "Word" Problem

Pilipinas kong mahal (My beloved, Philippines): Three decades after EDSA Revolution we could have expected more honest and faithful politicians and public servants flood our country today. But that’s not the case. Not even in our churches: Evangelical Protestantism was started in 1898 in the Philippines. After 118 years of presence in the country we could have expected more solid, strong and faithful gospel-centered churches that are forerunners and pillars of truth. But our overall impact to the community and society as bearers and preachers of the truth and the gospel of Christ is not that much. Mas dumami pa yata ang bisyo kaysa mabuting asal at mas dumami pa ang masasamang tao kay sa mababait sa bansa (It seems like vices are more rampant than virtues and more wicked people thrive than good ones in our nation). Our country is crowded with dishonest, deceptive, immoral, and lawless people.

What’s the evidence? All you need to do is to listen to how people talk nowadays! Watch the news on TV or read it online in your FB newsfeed or in the paper and you’ll see. Nakaka-inis na! (It's very annoying!)

The kind of people that thrive in our world today is described in Psalm 12:2: "Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak." Three character traits are given about them: (1) they tell a lie, (2) they flatter, and (3) they deceive. The psalmist complains that people’s conversation is full of empty talk, smooth talk, and double talk, as one scholar put it. This is the analysis of the problem of society then from the perspective of heaven. In God's eyes our problem of corruption, rampant crime, increasing broken marriages and families, church fights and splits, and many other symptoms of disintegrating society are all related to our misuse or abuse of the tongue.

What is heaven's prescription in addressing this problem? Psalm 12:6: "The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times."

This is remarkable! On the one hand, our society’s problem can be diagnosed as disregard for the human word, while on the other hand, the only remedy turns out to be a high regard for the Word of the Lord which He himself promises to keep and preserve from generation to generation (v.7).

Many people who do not want to be told by the truth have many times attempted to eradicate the Bible in society. Liars and double-talkers do not want the Bible. If they do they only pay lip service to the Bible. Why? The written Word of God exposes their darkness.

One reason why churches do not have maximum impact in society today is because churches have disregarded the Bible and its essential teachings. Liberalism, tolerance, pragmatism, and emphasis on personal experience have been the pursuit of many congregations today. The essential teachings of God’s Word are now set aside by many. There’s no more teaching of sin and salvation in Jesus Christ alone. It's all salvation without reference to the heinousness of sin. No more teaching of holiness and justice of God which are the very character of God that sin and wickedness offend.

The emphasis on the love of God at the expense of the holiness and justice of God has been one of the causes of the church's impotence in our society today. The churches just want to fall in love with and want to be embraced by the world with her tolerance of evil in society. But God calls us to fight the world's lies and deception with the full armor of God which includes the belt of truth and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

And that Word, mind you, is sure, true, and flawless. Anyone learning and living by it will soon have a new tongue along with a clean heart and mind, so that his “yes” may really, perhaps even painfully, be “yes,” and his “no” be genuinely “no.”

If you are always struggling to keep your word or promise because of the pressure around you, despair no longer. God promises to deliver you if you desperately call upon Him to save you from your perennial "word" problem. On your behalf and for your sake, God has sent His Word, His beloved Son, who became flesh and dwelt among us. He is the Way, the TRUTH, and the life. He is the ULTIMATE solution to your problem of lying lips and double tongue. He not only demonstrated the love of God toward us liars and deceivers, He also showed the justice of God upon our sin by identifying with us and paying for the penalty of our sin in His death as our representative and substitute.

Christ did this in our behalf so that we who were conceived and born in sin, by faith in him, will be set free from the power and penalty of sin. Then we who have been redeemed and cleansed by the Word of God can live freely in the truth and in accordance to His Word.

So God's prescribed solution to our "word" problem is not by disregarding or softening His holy Word but by upholding it and keeping it diligently and faithfully in spite of the world's and the devil's opposition to it.

(Thanks to Dr. Nelson Kloosterman for his insightful Bible study on Psalm 12 in his "Walking About Zion: Singing of Christ's Church in the Psalms". I've used some of his thoughts in this post.)

The Ultimate Triumph of our Lord Jesus Christ over His Enemies

In my study of the final battle in Revelation 19:11-21, I was led to its Old Testament background of Ezekiel's prophecy in chapters 38-39, on the judgment of the wicked nation, Gog, for her role in attacking God's people. The parallel is that, just as God has judged Gog for her wickedness in going against His old covenant people, Israel, so also Christ will judge the wicked beast and the false prophet together with the kings and rulers and peoples of the nations whom they've gathered to battle against Him and His new covenant people.

Then I came across this beautiful concluding comment on Ezekiel 38 by Dr. Peter C. Craigie,

Thus Ezekiel's portrayal of a final and great battle is a projection onto an apocalyptic screen of the battle that has always existed in our world between good and evil. His picture is extracted, as it were, from the framework of all human history and painted now on this single canvas. And the prophet's portrayal of events in these gloomy chapters is, at bottom, an extraordinary statement of faith; ultimately, the world's evil will be conquered by the direct intervention of God in the world's affairs.

Indeed, the outcome of the final battle has been revealed in Revelation 19:20-21 and Revelation 20:10. By the power of the sharp sword that comes from the mouth of Christ, the one who rides on the white horse (Rev. 19:11), who is called 'The Word of God' (Rev. 19:13), and whose name written on His robe and on His thigh is 'the King of kings and Lord of lords' (Rev. 19:16), the enemies of God - the beast, the false prophet, and the dragon, together with their followers - will be thrown forever into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.

One pastor has rightly concluded that the battle portrayed in Revelation 19:19-21 will end in the ultimate downfall and defeat of all of God's enemies as His just punishment for their wickedness, thus vindicating the cause of His people and relieving them from all their troubles and fears. He says,

In the end, all those who were portrayed as enemies of God, the harlot in Revelation 17-18, the beast, the kings of the earth who stood with the beast, the false prophet who deceived and performed miraculous signs in the name of the beast, as well as any and all who worshiped the beast, they are all defeated and destroyed in the scene that is before us. The beast and his prophet are said to be thrown alive into the lake of fire (sulfur). This emphasizes the severity of God’s judgment and punishment upon those who deliberately conspired against Him and persecuted His church.

The One Thing

A meditation on Psalm 27:4

One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life; to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.

The psalmist David expresses his great confidence in the Lord in Psalm 27. Whether he is assailed by his foes or surrounded by his enemies David does not fail to recognize his only protection and deliverance in the Lord. No wonder his only desire, his one burning passion in verse 4 is to dwell in the house of the Lord: that he may be enthralled by the beauty and majesty of his God and Redeemer. He knows that in the mighty presence of God, under His protective care, no enemy is able to harm him. No evil can terrorize him. Nothing can cripple his living faith in the Lord.

In the midst of our busyness and challenges in daily life, it is always refreshing to go to the house of the Lord on His Day worshiping Him with His people, listening to the preaching of His Word and responding in joyful praise.

As a pastor one thing that gives me fresh air of God's presence is the Wednesday night Bible study at a member's house. We enjoy studying the Word of God meditating upon His glorious works in the gospel and savoring the beauty of His majesty. For two years, we were studying the amazing and life-transforming book of Revelation (that was on Saturday night). Just this month we started studying the book of Romans, the epistle about which John Calvin said, “When any one gains a knowledge of this Epistle, he has an entrance opened to him to all the most hidden treasures of Scripture.”

Every opportunity to know God in Jesus Christ through His Word by His Spirit brings pleasure and delight into our souls that it makes us confident in God and His providence even in dark and difficult times. I praise the Lord that He gives us this great privilege to know Him more as we study His Word in church, in a small group setting, and in our own personal and family devotion at home. Regardless of our circumstance we ought to be continually captivated by the glory of God as He is revealed in the pages of the Holy Scripture.

Do you think it's being unrealistic to meditate upon the glorious attributes of God when life and ministry is becoming hard? Finding time to meditate on God’s majesty, much less making it the “one thing” to which all else is subordinated seems almost unimaginable when one’s life is falling apart. But it’s precisely when life is at its worst that focusing our hearts on Him is the most reasonable thing to do.

If you think David can say what he does in verse 4 because, as king over Israel, he is out of touch with the pains and problems of everyday life look closely at verses 1-3. What we discover there, in conjunction with what we know elsewhere concerning David’s experience, indicates that he didn’t lead an easy life. The shattering consequences of David's adulterous affair with Bathsheba and his murderous scheme with Uriah brought on him and the nation of Israel as a whole can hardly be imagined. That is why his resolution in verse 4 is so stunning.

In view of David's circumstances, one might have excused him had he opted for a little peace and quiet or perhaps a safe home away from his enemies and away from troubles. With all the struggles he faced and the heartache he endured most of us would be willing to grant David a sabbatical leave.

But look at verses 1-3 again and get a sense of what David faced, maybe even on a daily basis. “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident” (Ps. 27:1-3).

He speaks of “evildoers” who “assail” him (v. 2). Their ravenous desire is to “eat up” his flesh (v. 2), a vivid description of their murderous intent. He speaks of “adversaries and foes” (v. 2) who sought every opportunity to destroy his reputation. He envisions an “army” (v. 3) of enemies encamped around him and “war” (v. 3) rising up to undermine his achievements. This reference to an “army” and “war” conveys the truth that no matter how great or threatening the danger may be, his confidence in the Lord never wavered.

In spite of these factors, he declares: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” If distress and trouble are as darkness, the Lord is his light! If trial and tribulation are as an army, the Lord is a mighty fortress! He is confident that God is able to protect him and save him from his foes.

Greater still is his undying aspiration to see and savor the beauty of God! “One thing have I asked of the LORD,” said David; “that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple” (v. 4).

When troubles come you and I are tempted to look for help and refuge in something or someone else somewhere. That thing maybe is our financial resources, which always isn’t much, or our skills and talents, which are not always reliable. Or in most cases we would be tempted to look to our family and relatives or our employers and masters for help.

David, however, fixed the focus of his faith on God: His uncreated beauty, His undeserving favor, His unfailing love, and His awesome power and majesty. He thought of one thing: to find a way to break free of routine entanglements that he might dwell in the presence of God; to avoid trivial activities that might divert his eyes from beholding God; to clear his mind of unnecessary details that he might meditate upon the beauty and splendor of God; to set aside less important tasks that he might bask in the light and glory of everything that makes God an object of our affection, delight and adoration.

I admit that aside from reading the Bible this year, I also enjoy (as I always do) reading J. I. Packer's “Knowing God.” I've read the book several times but every time I read it, I'm always fascinated by God, how He reveals Himself through Jesus Christ in the pages of the Holy Scripture. And it gives me that longing to know Him more.

“One thing have I asked of the Lord,” says King David, “that I may dwell in the house of the Lord...to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.” In Psalm 145:5, David also makes the same point declaring: “On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.”

I long for this unitary, single-minded resolve. Note in verse 4 how the future tense ("I shall seek") is combined with the past tense ("I have asked") to express an ardent longing which extends out of the past and into the future and therefore runs through his whole life.

Thus one writer says, “How utterly, absolutely, and incomparably practical this is! Nothing brings greater peace to the troubled soul than meditating on the majesty of God! Nothing puts life and its competing pleasures in greater spiritual perspective than a knowledge of the surpassing greatness of God as revealed in the face of Jesus Christ! Nothing empowers the will to make hard choices, often painful choices, to forego the passing pleasures of sin than does a view of the superior reward of knowing and enjoying the fellowship of our triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit!”

It is my prayer that God will enable us to gaze upon His beauty as we seek to know Him in our daily walk with and service of Him. And may the knowledge of God embolden us to face every trial that comes ahead of us.

PRAYER: Oh, Father of glory, make us a people of one thing! Give us one heart, one mind, one all-consuming passion for your name! Daily may we find you to be our life-giving light in the midst of today’s darkness. May we, like your servant David, find comfort in You as our light, salvation and stronghold. You grant sanity and peace in the midst of trouble and chaos. Bring us to Your presence by Your Spirit where our faith is strengthened and our fears are stilled. Bless our souls with Your life-giving Word, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray. Amen.

Thoughts on Coveting

My son, Yuri, and I are doing regular reading from Bob Schultz “Boyhood and Beyond: Practical Wisdom for Becoming a Man” as part of his homeschooling. There are a lot of insights from that book about real “practical wisdom” that are worth reading, re-reading and applying in daily life. This morning we came to that chapter on coveting or greed that really struck me as we read it. I would like to share some of Bob’s thoughts here. I hope it will help you fight against this idolatry which is very “rampant” among us and which we should "put away" and replace it with the precious word of God (James 1:21).

“When man covets, he is unable to enjoy the presence of God. Foremost in his mind is the item he wants. He dreams about it. He schemes about how to get it. He becomes so full of his desire that his heart has no room to experience God's presence. The man has lost his trust in God to supply his need ["according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19)]. His focus, his attention, is getting the item he wants. Sometimes he will resort to whining, to deception, and even to outright theft. That is why the Bible says that covetousness is idolatry [Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5]. It is having something in your hearts that holds more of our attention and desire than God holds….

If something doesn't belong to you, don't covet it and don't possess it. If you find an item that was lost or stolen, locate the owner and return it. The usefulness and happiness of a man does not depend upon what he acquires. Fullness of joy depends upon the awareness of God's presence ["You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." ~ Psalm 16:11]. Anything that threatens that awareness is not worth having.”

Receiving the Word of God

"And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers" 1 Thessalonian 2:13.

Every time Paul remembers how the Thessalonians accepted and treasured every gospel truth he shared to them, he can't help thanking God for such a response. Of course, we are aware that Paul's evangelistic sermons were done by the power of the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit who opened the hearts of the Thessalonians, both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, to believe and appropriate the Word of God. And that's the occasion for Paul to say, “For this reason we also constantly thank God...”. God, through His Word and Spirit is at work in them.

Through Paul's bold gospel proclamation and by the power of the Holy Spirit, coupled by their exemplary lives, the Thessalonians eagerly embraced the Word of God. They were persuaded by it (Acts 17:4), believed its truth claims, appropriated its wonderful promises, and recognized what it really is, the “word that comes from the mouth of God” and not mere words of men. That Word, I tell you, has changed them and their lifestyle.

This is very important to us as 21st century believers. The Word of God in this passage in one sense can mean the whole Bible in its written form handed down to us. It can also mean the body of doctrines that summarizes the whole Biblical teachings on God, Christ, sin, salvation, second coming and other important truths of the Christian faith which we received from our forefathers in the faith.

Amazingly, the faithful preaching of God's Word every Lord's Day can also be denominated as the Word of God, as the Second Helvetic Confession, Chapter 1, declares, “Wherefore when this Word of God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, we believe that the very Word of God is proclaimed, and received by the faithful.”

We who are deeply convinced of the power of God's Word ought to be involved in getting that Word out to the world, one way or another. We are not just talking about sending missionaries overseas, though that's part of it.

We are talking about that sense of burden and faithfulness to witness both in word and in deed to our neighbors and friends. These neighbors may have been struggling for years in life and they do not have the same hope and comfort that you have in Christ. They may have never heard about the power of God’s kingdom and the rule of King Jesus. If you go out as a friend and share the good news of Christ, both in your word and action, they might be able to taste God’s goodness, which you have been enjoying.

As one with Christ, we have the ability and resources to make that Word visible to our friends. It may start by becoming really acquainted with them and showing genuine interest in asking and listening to them. Before you know it, God may have been working in the heart of that neighbor-friend and he might just hold on to every word of God you share to him.

It is a sad situation to behold when churches that bear the name of Christ reject the Word of God and regard it as mere words of men. An equally distressing phenomenon is the disinterest of the Bible and its doctrines by many professing Christians. Instead of listening and learning from the Word of God, they lean their ears and set their minds on various ideologies and philosophies to satisfy their own selfish curiosity. Pulpits and airwaves in this county and all over the world have become venues for selling watered-down gospel and management techniques of how to grow a church.

Of course, you don't want that to happen to your and to your church, do you? But once you start neglecting the faithful preaching and teaching of God's Word you are heading for that direction, too. Once you do not diligently guard what you hear from the pulpit and church classrooms, seeds of falsehood or different gospel, which is not a gospel at all, will creep in.

Disregard of God’s Word may also manifest in your failure to find regular time for Bible reading and meditation, much more to apply the truth that you know. It could even be seen in your casual and frivolous attitude toward sin.

The way to accept and embrace the Word of God as the Thessalonians did is by, first of all, longing and thirsting for the pure preaching of God's Word every Lord's Day. Preaching of God’s Word is of primary importance for God’s people. As you let that preached Word saturate your mind you will be constrained by the Holy Spirit to act in obedience to that Word. As you patiently read and study that Word and let it regulate your heart and mind, God will show how great your sins and miseries are.

Then He will lead you to confess and repent from certain sins that you've been committing over and over. That Word of God gives you the grace to abstain from doing something immoral and destructive, like hurting your spouse, dishonoring your parents, slandering your brother, abusing your freedom in Christ or even blowing your top.

Parents, how many times have we committed foolish mistakes by flaring up in front of our children, which could have been prevented if we hide the Word of God in our heart? Or how many young boys and girls could have obeyed mom and dad promptly and nicely if they just let God's word that says, “Honor your father and your mother” or “Do all things without grumbling” dwell in their heart.

Acceptance of God's Word would be evident in our lives when we start memorizing, meditating and living that Word out daily that it becomes part of our daily thought and conversation with others. As we let the Word of God linger in our mind and heart that Word will come out in our praying, in our encouraging and even in correcting in love of our fellow believer.

By filling our minds with Scriptures, praying with Scriptures, singing the Scriptures and walking according to the Scriptures, we will be faithful recipients of the Word of God. That Word will come out naturally in our behavior and lifestyle. How serious have you been taking the Word of God?

Embracing God’s Word

"And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers." - 1 Thessalonians 2:13

Do you know what makes your missionaries really joyful in the field? It's not the monthly or quarterly financial support that you send them, though that is very important. It's not the regular letter or email of encouragement that you write them, though that is also very helpful. No. What brings real gladness to every missionary, and even to every minister, is when they see the people they are serving believe and embrace the Word of God.

Tremendous joy can overwhelm every pastor's and missionary's heart when they witness the Word of God working effectively in the lives of the people they minister. It's that kind of delight parents feel when they see their children promptly and wholeheartedly obey their word. Acceptance of God's Word manifested in the faithful and obedient lifestyle of every church member would bring pleasure in every pastor's and missionary's heart.

We turn to our text to meditate on how the Apostle Paul expresses thanks for the effective work of God’s Word. We see in this verse Paul's thanksgiving for the work of God's Word in effecting change in the life of God's people.The first thing we can notice here is the content of his thanksgiving. What is that thing or occasion that made Paul offer thanks to God?

The Thessalonians received the Word of God, which Paul and his co-workers preached to them. They heard it from Paul in the synagogue, where he reasoned with them from Scriptures (Acts 17:2). For three Sabbaths, Paul patiently explained and proved to them from the Old Testament that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead.

This Christ that Paul was telling them was no other than our Lord Jesus, the One whom the Jews rejected and put to death. He came from heaven to do His Father’s will. His mission was to save God's people from their sin. He who is God took the form of a servant and humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

He did this to fulfill all the righteousness that the law of God requires so that anyone who believes in Him will receive the righteousness that He achieved in His perfect obedience. Do you believe that Christ lived obediently to earn righteousness for you and me? Are you convinced that His death paid for the penalty of your sins?

The Thessalonians were confronted with similar questions when they first heard Paul. And they believed. They acknowledged that they were sinners in need of God's pardon. They believed that Jesus has suffered and died on their behalf so that in His suffering and death they might be spared from the coming wrath of God. They were so convicted by Paul's preaching that they turned from their idols to serve the living and true God (1:9). They were so convinced that Christ's death and resurrection brought life and hope for them who were dead in sin and enslaved by despair.

This is the Christ whom Paul proclaimed to them from the Scriptures. Is this the same Christ that you believe in? Is the Jesus that Paul proclaimed to the Thessalonians the same Jesus that you confess as your Lord and Savior?

Every time Paul remembers how the Thessalonians accepted and treasured every gospel truth he shared to them, he can't help thanking God for such a response. Of course, we are aware that Paul's evangelistic sermons were done by the power of the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit who opened the hearts of the Thessalonians, both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, to believe and appropriate the Word of God. And that's the occasion for Paul to say, “For this reason we also constantly thank God...” (v.13). God, through His Word and Spirit is at work in them.

Through Paul's bold gospel proclamation and by the power of the Holy Spirit, coupled by their exemplary lives, the Thessalonians eagerly embraced the Word of God. They were persuaded by it (Acts 17:4), believed its truth claims, appropriated its wonderful promises, and recognized what it really is, the “word that comes from the mouth of God” and not mere words of men. That Word, I tell you, has changed them and their lifestyle.

This is very important to us as 21st century believers. The Word of God in this passage in one sense can mean the whole Bible in its written form handed down to us. It can also mean the body of doctrines that summarizes the whole Biblical teachings on God, Christ, sin, salvation, second coming and other important truths of the Christian faith which we received from our forefathers in the faith. The faithful preaching of God's Word every Lord's Day can also be denominated as the Word of God as the Second Helvetic Confession, Chapter 1, declares, “Wherefore when this Word of God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, we believe that the very Word of God is proclaimed, and received by the faithful.”

We who are deeply convinced of the power of God's Word ought to be involved in getting that Word out to the world, one way or another. We are not just talking about sending missionaries overseas, though that's part of it.

We are talking about that sense of burden and faithfulness to witness both in word and in deed to our neighbors and friends. These neighbors may have been struggling for years in life and they do not have the same hope and comfort that you have in Christ. They may have never heard about the power of God’s kingdom and the rule of King Jesus. If you go out as a friend and share the good news of Christ, both in your word and action, they might be able to taste God’s goodness, which you have been enjoying.

As one with Christ, we have the ability and resources to make that Word visible to our friends and neighbors. It may start by becoming really acquainted with them and showing genuine interest in asking and listening to them. Before you know it, God may have been working in the heart of that neighbor-friend and he might just hold on to every word of God you share to him. Another soul will enter God’s kingdom as that friend of yours accepts and believes the Word of God.

It is a sad situation to behold when churches that bear the name of Christ reject the Word of God and regard it as mere words of men. An equally distressing phenomenon is the disinterest of the Bible and its doctrines by many professing Christians. Instead of listening and learning from the Word of God, they lean their ears and set their minds on various ideologies and philosophies to satisfy their curiosity. Pulpits and airwaves in this county and all over the world have become venues for selling watered-down gospel and management techniques of how to grow a church.

Of course, you don't want that to happen to yourself and to your church, do you? But once you start neglecting the faithful preaching and teaching of God's Word you are heading for that direction, too. Once you do not diligently guard what you hear from the pulpit and church classrooms, seeds of falsehood or different gospel, which is not a gospel at all, will creep in.
Disregard of God’s Word may also manifest in your failure to find regular time for Bible reading and meditation. It even shows in your lack of interest in going to a Bible study. It could also be seen in your casual and frivolous attitude toward sin.

The way to accept and embrace the Word of God the way the Thessalonians did is by, first of all, longing and thirsting for the pure preaching of God's Word every Lord's Day. Preaching of God’s Word is of primary importance for God’s people. As you let that preached Word saturate your mind you will be constrained by the Holy Spirit to act in obedience to that Word. As you patiently read and study that Word and let it regulate your heart and mind, God will show how great your sins and miseries are.

Maybe He will lead you to confess and repent from certain sins that you've been committing over and over. That Word of God gives you the grace to abstain from doing something immoral and destructive, like hurting your spouse, slandering your brother, abusing your freedom in Christ or even blowing your top.

Parents, how many times have we committed foolish mistakes by flaring up in front of our children, which could have been prevented if we hide the Word of God in our heart? Or how many young boys and girls could have obeyed mom and dad promptly and nicely if they just let God's word that says, “Honor your father and your mother” or “Do all things without grumbling” dwell in their heart.

Acceptance of God's Word would be evident in our lives when we start memorizing and meditating that Word daily that it becomes part of our daily thought and conversation with others. As we let those verses ring in our mind that Word will come out in our praying, in our encouraging and even in correcting in love of our fellow believer.

By filling our minds with Scriptures, praying with Scriptures and singing the Scriptures, we will be faithful recipients of the Word of God. That Word will come out naturally in our behavior and lifestyle. How serious have you been taking the Word of God?

Draw Near God

A meditation on Hebrews 4:15-16

The Christian life is full of difficulties. We struggle against sin and temptation day after day. As we grow in holiness and obedience we realize that temptations also grow stronger and stronger. And sometimes the battle can be tiresome and lonely. One sobering reality in our Christian life is that as we seek to live godly lives we are going to face many trials.

Good thing is these trials are designed not to put us down or to destroy our faith for in God's providence He sends them for our good. Through suffering, God purges us from our dross so we might come out pure and pleasing in His sight, fit to be used by Him. We have many weaknesses that need to be dealt with continually so we can grow more and more obedient to God.

But holiness does not come easy and it doesn't come fast. It's by patient endurance and fervent prayer, through many trials, that we move forward in the Christian life. The author of the book of Hebrews is aware of this and so for several times he summons his readers to persevere in the faith and draw strength from God through prayer.

In this passage, the author of Hebrews deals with the issue of fervent and bold prayer as an effective means to holiness and maturity in the faith. He is aware of his readers' tiresome battle against sin and temptation and against various trials in the Christian life, compounded by the reality of their own weaknesses. So in this passage God calls us to draw near Him. He calls us, weary and troubled as we are, to approach His throne of grace.

I would like to focus our attention on the main exhortation of the passage which is in v. 16, considering the question, “On what basis can we enter the throne of grace?”

To draw near to the throne of grace is the same as to draw near God. The picture of drawing near has an Old Testament background. I have particularly in mind the duty of the high priest who enters the most holy place of the tabernacle appearing before God on behalf of Israel. Only the high priest is allowed to enter the most holy place. And he can only do that once a year after purifying himself through various ceremonies and sacrificial rites prescribed by the Word of God. There in the most holy place the high priest will sprinkle the blood of the animals on the mercy seat to make atonement for the sins of Israel.

The Word of God is clear that anyone who attempts to enter that place other than the high priest at anytime except on the Day of Atonement ‘must be put to death’ (Num 3.10). God allows no presumptuous sinner to draw near Him. He doesn't want to be approached without proper recognition of who He is and how He is to be approached. On our own we are not worthy to draw near God. He is holy. We are not. He is a 'consuming fire' (Heb 12.29). Somebody must go between us.

So now v. 16 calls us to come into the presence of God, into His 'throne of grace', because Someone mediates for us before God. Now what does this 'throne of grace' remind you? Is it not the mercy seat in the Most Holy Place where the high priest sprinkles the sacrificial blood? And though this sacrifice does not actually take away the sins of the people, God accepts it on the basis of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. As our great high priest Jesus has become both the Offering and the Offerer on our behalf. Through His ‘once-for-all’ sacrifice Christ took away our sins and paved the way for us into God's presence.

Then in His ascension our Lord Jesus passed through the heavens and has become our trailblazer in the presence of God. He is now at the right hand of the throne of God in heaven, ministering continually in the most holy place, in the very presence of His Father and your Father.

Does it encourage you to know that Jesus is in the heavenly sanctuary praying for you and me 24 hours a day, seven days a week? Yes, our Lord Jesus never stops praying for you and for me that we may persevere in the faith until we grow mature, sharing in His suffering and resembling in His obedience and faithfulness to God.

Friends, we must heed God’s call to draw near Him for Christ has now enabled us to enter in. He took away the barrier that separates us from God. So God summons you to His presence. And I just want to emphasize that the author's exhortation to draw near in verse 16 is in the present tense. That means he wants his readers to keep on drawing near God through Jesus Christ. That means He wants you to keep coming to Him in prayer.

What prevents you from coming to God in prayer? Your sins? Christ has already paid for them all. Your weaknesses? Your unworthiness? Read verse 15 again. Do you notice the double negative? In effect, it emphatically says that we have a high priest in the presence of God.

A possible misunderstanding may have occured in the mind of the Hebrew Christians as far as the heavenly ministry of Christ is concerned. The readers may have been asking, “If Christ is now exalted in heaven, how can He effectively minister to those who are struggling against temptation and are facing difficulties here on earth?” We might have asked this question ourselves.

We need to understand that Christ's state of exaltation in heaven is not separated from His state of humiliation when He became man and walked here on earth. For in His incarnation Christ has been tempted in every way as we are yet without sin (v.15). Therefore as One who has endured and prevailed over temptations (v.15), Jesus Christ is able to help and sympathize with us in all our sufferings (cf. 2:18).

From the start of Jesus’ ministry to the very end, Satan leveled all of his evil power and strategies to try to get Jesus to sin. But the devil never succeeded. Jesus always obeyed the Father on our behalf. Oh, how grateful you must be to your faithful Savior and Mediator!
Your sinless Savior resisted sin. So He knows the pressure of sin. But He also triumphed over sin and temptation. His sinlessness enables Him to sympathize with your struggles and to energize you in your weakness. And how does He do that? He prays for you before God effectively and wisely since He knows the problems you and I face.

Our Lord knows exactly how you and I struggle against lingering or besetting sin. He knows that you are assaulted by the world, the flesh and the devil each day, enticing you to do what is not pleasing to God. The fact that He is in heaven doesn't mean that He is totally remote and uninvolved in your daily struggles. In fact, when Christ sympathizes with us He looks at us with compassion and He does something for us so we can deal with our struggles and misery.

This is where you must see the role of the Holy Spirit as vital in the Christian life. He is our Comforter and Power. The Spirit's work in us and through us is connected with the high priestly work of our Lord Jesus Christ. As Christ intercedes for us in the presence of the Father, the Spirit empowers us to do the will of God and to resist every impulse of our sinful nature to sin (Gal 5.16-25). He helps us endure every trial and affliction with joy (1 Thess 1.4-7). He strengthens us in our weakness and even intercedes for us when we do not know what to pray (Rom 8.26-27).

So we should bear in mind that the three persons of the Holy Trinity continue to work together to keep us and sanctify us.

Are you troubled by sin? Or persecuted by someone or afflicted by illness? Christ calls you to pray. Do you need forgiveness, wisdom, healing or strength? The Lord calls you to draw near.

Or maybe you feel spiritually weak you need strength from God to persevere but you feel so unworthy to ask Him. Come, draw near Him not on the basis of your feelings or eloquence in praying. Come to Him on the basis of the finished work of His Son on your behalf. He will never drive you away. Come to God in the person of Jesus Christ, boldly, with confidence, that you may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The Word of God is not Chained

A meditation on 2 Timothy 2:8-9

October 31, 2010 marks the 493rd anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. One of the many accomplishments of the Reformation is the recovery and the propagation of the gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. After being set aside by many for centuries, the powerful Word of God has spread in many parts of 16th century Europe, conquering many hearts with the message of salvation in Christ alone. However, the victory of the gospel has also cost the lives of many faithful believers, including preachers.

It is a fact that when the gospel advances persecution and suffering also intensify. Today, almost 500 years after the Reformation, the gospel of God continues to go out to the nations, conquering many souls for the Lord Jesus Christ. But with this conquest also comes an on-going resistance and opposition. Yet, by the power of the Holy Spirit, God's people and God's faithful ministers continue to labor in proclaiming this glorious gospel throughout the world. There are good reasons why ministers of the gospel are greatly motivated to persevere in this ministry in spite of its accompanying challenges and hardships.

In 2 Timothy 2:8-9, the Apostle Paul presents two living examples of perseverance in suffering for the sake of the gospel. First, he presents our Lord Jesus Christ (v.8); then he mentions himself (v. 9).

First, we have the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. One of Paul's repeated exhortations in this letter is for Timothy to share in suffering for the gospel as a faithful minister of Jesus Christ. In 1:8 he says, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,...”

Again in 2:3, Paul urges Timothy saying, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” This call to share in suffering, of course, is in the context of laboring for the gospel. In verses 4-6, Paul underscores “the need for suffering hardship as a good soldier of Christ with the imagery of the soldier (v.4) being supplemented with that of an athlete (v.5) and a farmer (6)” (George W. Knight, The Pastoral Epistles, p. 392). These three images (of soldier, athlete, and farmer) convey the idea of disciplined and enduring service that would eventually be rewarded.

Then in verse 8 Paul calls Timothy to focus his attention on Christ. “Remember Jesus Christ,” he says. Paul is urging Timothy here to 'keep in mind' and to 'think about' Jesus as the one raised from the dead and as the one who descended from David. The reason why Paul mentions Jesus Christ this way may not be obvious, especially as it relates to his calling Timothy to share in suffering.

However, if we'll take Paul's word that this is his gospel, that this is the good news that he preached, then we know that the two descriptions of Christ are but a shorthand of the content of the gospel. This gospel centers on the person of Jesus Christ. This gospel should encourage Timothy 'for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes' (Rom. 1:16).

In this gospel Jesus Christ is being preached as the one who has risen from the dead and the offspring of David. In saying this Paul is implicitly telling Timothy of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. And in remembering the death of Christ Timothy is also reminded of the many sufferings of Christ, especially His death on the cross.

Through His death Christ paid for the penalty of our sin, and in His death He died for sinners, like us. So the underlying truth in this is that Jesus Christ suffered and died before He was resurrected. Therefore “Timothy is to remember that Jesus is raised from death itself, and that triumph is to encourage him when he contemplates suffering hardship for Christ” (Knight, p. 397).

Also by stating that Jesus is the offspring of David, Paul is declaring that He was born from the line of David, thus underscoring His humanity, His royal descent, and His Messianic identity. His death and resurrection as the Christ, the kingly Messiah from the line of David have secured for His people eternal salvation.

Through His death He redeemed His people from their sin; through His resurrection He conquered the power of death and the devil. Paul is telling Timothy, “Remember your risen and ever-present Lord.” He went through suffering. He died but He conquered death. Now He is alive!

We all recognize the motivational and inspirational power of an extraordinary life. Some of us may have been deeply influenced, for example, by the lives of John Calvin, Martin Luther, and many other godly ministers of the past in the Reformed and Presbyterian tradition. Although inspiring, these faithful soldiers of Christ can’t help us. They are dead and their bodies rot in the ground. But listen to the testimony of the Word concerning Jesus, “Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession … He always lives to make intercession for [us]” (Heb. 4:14, 7:25). Remember Jesus Christ. He lives and empowers us by His Holy Spirit. He is the essence of the gospel. And this gospel is the message that Paul has preached.

But this gospel was offensive to many people then, as it is now. Not only because of its simple call to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, but also in its exclusive claim, that is, that apart from Jesus Christ, salvation is nowhere to be found. And this uncompromising claim to exclusivity is what makes the gospel so provocative and what gets those who preach it in trouble, especially in our relativistic and pluralistic society today. Certainly this was true in Paul’s case.

So I want to focus, secondly, on Paul's own example. The gospel that Paul has preached centers on the person of Jesus Christ. Paul received this message concerning Christ by revelation (Gal. 1:12). This is the message he preached in public places (Acts 16:13). This is the message he put forth in places of worship (Acts 17:17). This is the message he shared with people in small groups from house to house (Acts 20:20). This is the message he entrusted to others (2 Tim. 2:2).

Now in v. 9 he is telling Timothy that because of this gospel he is suffering. It was in the course of advancing the message of Christ that Paul endured suffering (1:8, 12; 2:8); that he is chained and treated as a common criminal. His chains, of course, refer to his imprisonment in Rome. This was a much worse situation than the house arrest of his first imprisonment (cf. Acts 28:16-31). This prison was a pit without normal sanitation jammed with people awaiting execution. Paul's word translated "criminal" here is the same word used for those thieves crucified with Jesus. So we may understand the shame Paul was talking about in 1:8, having been classified by the Roman government in the same way as those he was incarcerated with.

But in spite of his suffering in chains in that Roman dungeon, Paul is confidently sure that the word of God is not chained. The gospel of Christ cannot be bound by anyone. One pastor beautifully puts it this way,

It is true of the gospel enterprise that although the messenger may be fettered, the message is always free. The word of God is not chained. Chain the man and the message circulates throughout the prison (Phil. 1:13). Restrain the messenger and the other saints are rejuvenated to speak the word of God without fear (Phil. 1:14). Incarcerate the man and he writes Spirit-inspired letters which last for all eternity and which God uses to liberate untold millions from the bondage of sin. Isolate the man in jail and he, like Bunyan, writes books which God will use to draw men and women to Himself and to cause the saints to persevere in the way of holiness. Silence one preacher and another will step up to take his place. Burn martyrs like Cranmer and Ridley and God uses their dying words to quicken others to life. Burn Bibles and individual pages of Scripture and memorized verses will spread from house to house, saint to saint. Imprisonment and death in no wise slow or stop the advance of the gospel. It will accomplish the purpose for which God has sent it out (Tom Ferrell).

John MacArthur also says, “Paul affirmed that even though he was imprisoned, the gospel could never be imprisoned. That's an important message for those who say we need to soften the gospel message so we don't lose the freedom to preach it. They say we need to take away the offense of the gospel, but that would rob the gospel of its power (cf. 1 Cor. 1:23-25). Some will respond, ‘If we boldly proclaim an offensive gospel we may be arrested and jailed.’ But if that's where the Lord wants us to be, then that's great! Paul wrote to the Philippians, ‘All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household’ (Phil. 4:22). Paul was a prisoner at the time he wrote that, yet many in Caesar's household had come to faith in Christ through his witness in such circumstances. Paul viewed the circumstances of imprisonment as an opportunity to evangelize his guards.”

We know that God may permit his servants to be imprisoned, silenced or even killed, but the truth remains that the word of God is not chained and cannot be chained. And Timothy must be strengthened by that truth. We, too, must be encouraged by that truth today, but most especially when we are facing tough times in the ministry.

Some years ago, my wife borrowed a book from a friend about a man named Brother Yun, a Christian leader of the underground church in China. The book is entitled The Heavenly Man. It is an intensely dramatic story of how God took this young, half-starved boy from a poor village in Henan Province and used him to preach the gospel despite horrific opposition and persecution. Brother Yun is a man who from his youth has suffered prolonged tortures and imprisonments for his faith. However, throughout the book he kept pointing to the character and heart of Jesus.

Many Christians in North America or Europe are casually aware that outside the West, Jesus' followers experience difficulty because of their faith. I am aware that in November many churches observe a Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, but afterward people go on with their lives. You cannot read this piercing biography of Brother Yun, whose real name is Liu Zhenying, and remain unchanged. The recorded experiences show in a concrete way what it is for Chinese Christians to live hard lives of extreme danger because of their faith: police raids in the night, long imprisonment without trial, beatings, forced abortions and sterilizations, starvation, dehydration, isolation, nakedness.

However, from these, God produces lives of commitment to Christ, lives of joy, and intense motivation to carry the message of the gospel around the world, at any cost. After reading this book, you'll appreciate the impact Jesus has on civilization as the West know it. You'll see how dark and brutal civilization becomes without Christ. You'll understand why the freedom and protection you and I, from a free country, take for granted are a treasure. But you will also see how dangerous peace, safety and material prosperity can be to your spiritual health and to your commitment to serving the cause of Christ.

Almost 500 years have passed since Luther penned that famous line in his hymn that goes, “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill, God's truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever.” Yet in those words we can still hear the confidence of Luther that even though his enemies may silence him, God's word will prevail. And it did, and it does and it will prevail forever.

May we not be disheartened by the many hardships in the gospel ministry but be encouraged by the words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy saying, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead...Remember that I may be in chains but the Word of God is not chained.”