Psalm 15 - 2007.09.29

"LORD, who shall abide in thy 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

In an enigmatic passage in John's gospel, the Lord Jesus uttered a word about fruit bearing, in which He seems to have made fruit bearing a test of our relationship with Him (John 15:1-11). In it He enjoins, "Abide in Me, and I in you [ v.4]." Abiding is put forth as the key to spiritual vitality, fruitfulness, fellowship and authority (cf. 15:7). If abiding in Him is not essential to salvation, certainly it is to sanctification.

In our selection for today the Psalmist asks what may be a related question: "Who shall abide...?" New Testament "abiding in Christ" may be correspondent to Old Testament "abiding" in the tabernacle of the Lord, or in His holy hill. Should such be the case, (and I believe it is,) the response to the query is most instructive, for it indicates three requisites for an abiding relationship with the Lord, involving the believer's walk, works and words.

It is most interesting to place this emphasis alongside New Testament teaching of the apostle Paul. There is an emphasis on the believer's walk, for example, in Eph. 4:17-19. "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness." The clear teaching here is that the moral environment of the Christian is to be in distinct contrast to that of the "Gentiles" around them, i.e. the lost and unbelieving of "this present evil world." In Col. 1:10 we are exhorted to "walk worthy of the Lord," and in I Thess. 2:12, "walk worthy of God;" in Eph. 4:1, "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called." Clearly the New Testament teaching is that the believer abiding in Christ will exhibit a lifestyle that contrasts with the prevailing culture around us.

And what of "works?" Much of the emphasis in today's evangelical preaching is on the priority of faith, apart from works, as the requirement for salvation. To a point, that is good, because we have clear teaching that our works contribute nothing to our salvation. For example, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast [Eph. 2:8-9]." Many similar passages punctuate New Testament teaching on salvation by grace alone.

However, it is a misconstruction of the truth that ignores the place of works once salvation is experienced by faith in Christ. The familiar passage above continues, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them [Eph. 2:10]." The same is underscored in Titus 3:8; "This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men." What these good works are, "works of righteousness," as the Psalmist puts it, is determined by the careful study and application of God's word. If one is obliged to express it in a short phrase, it is, "conformity to Christ" (Cf. Rom. 8:29)."

And as to "words," scripture has much to say about our speech in relation to our spiritual state. The Lord Jesus, indicting the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh [Mt. 12:34]." Wisely, the Psalmist in another place links heart and lips: "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer." The New Testament, admonishing us to "put on the new man," (Eph. 4:25) follows with immediate counsel regarding the tongue (cf. Eph. 4:25, 26, 29-31) with the inference that failure in this area will grieve the Holy Spirit ( v.30) and interrupt our "abiding" in Christ.

There is, after all, more to being a Christian than praying the "sinner's prayer. " Beyond birth is a life to be lived, and it is the will of God that we live it "in Christ Jesus" — abiding. When He is our dwelling place, the result will be evident in our walk, our works and our words.

"If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love" — John 15:10a

For our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 14 - 2007.09.22

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. " —Psalm 14:1

It is our inclination, I think, to categorize as sinners those who are manifestly immoral, vulgar and violent. Our text for today greatly raises the level and broadens the field. It is reinforced in the next verse, "There is none that doeth good, no, not one."

"There is no God," is as often in the heart, if not on the lips , of those in the "halls of learning" as in the manifest dens of iniquity. Noteworthy as an example is the prevailing philosophy of the scientific community that discounts the God of Creation in favor of the god "evolution," or blind, undirected chance. While this was surely not in the mind of the Psalmist when he wrote these words, it was undoubtedly comprehended in the mind of the God who inspired them.

Greater, certainly, than the sin of disregarding God, is that of denying His existence. Those who do so are here denominated as "fools" and designated as "corrupt." Their works, however impressive, are "abominable" in the sight of God, and He assigns the problem a universal scope: "There is none that doeth good."

The folly of denying the existence of God is evident to anyone who will think transparently. The "problem of God," if we may so speak, does not go away by transferring the 'origin of the species' to a mindless process implicit in a material universe. The fool who parries theology with the question, "Where did God come from?" is left with precisely the same question for his philosophy: where did primordial matter come from? If the speculative "big bang" is offered in reply, the question remains; what (or who?) initiated it? An unbelieving spokesman for the scientific community noted some years ago that sooner or later we are left with no more data to work with, and are obliged to make a "leap of faith." Reason simply will not — ever — provide us with the answer to the question of origin. It will either be afforded by revelation, or not at all.

The preference for "no God" is not hard to fathom. Given what we know about nature from observation, including the use of the microscope and the telescope, and to explain it in terms of "God," is to posit one awesome being, in comparison to Whom man pales into incredible insignificance. That is an affront to the pride of the human heart. If the "God who is there" is perceived as personal, and as involved with His creation, then the element of accountability enters, and that idea is most unwelcome to those who insist on the right to "do their own thing" without answering to anyone.

If the philosophy of the fool were correct, we would have nothing to lose: We came from nowhere, are going nowhere, and nothing in between really matters. Neither mind nor morals have any real significance, for man is but the accidental consequence of a mindless process, the direction of which is random and altogether unpredictable. It is far more difficult for me to believe that than to believe that "God is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him [Heb. 11:6]."

The existence of God, of course, is not the ultimate issue. The issues that follow include questions as to what kind of a God He is and how we stand related to Him. Again we are shut up to just two options: reason or revelation. The Bible asks the question, "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection [Job 11:7]?" The implied answer is "no." The awesome God of creation is discernible to human reason, for "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork [Psalm 19:1]," and the New Testament testifies, "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse [Rom. 1:20]." His fingerprints are all over His handiwork; but to know Him requires His self-disclosure. That, we believe, He has granted in His written word, the Bible, and the Living Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. Ignore the word, and remain a fool. Believe and obey it, and become wise!

For God's glory and our eternal good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 13 - 2007.09.15

"How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?" —Psalm 13:1

"How long… ?" This interesting two word phrase occurs a number of times in scripture in conjunction with a variety of circumstances. Joshua uttered it in the face of Israel's spiritual inertia: "And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you [Josh. 18:3]?" The prophet Elijah employed it in a challenge to Israel's degrading indecision: "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him [I Kings 18:21]." Isaiah, confronted with the revelation of the Lord's anger and impending judgment of Israel's rebellion (Isa. 6:10) declares, "Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land [Isa. 6:11-12]." And on the lips of tribulation martyrs this phrase is an expression of confident faith, wanting only a time frame for the fulfillment of God's promise: "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? [Rev. 6:10]."

In our text for today, "How long?" is a cry of distress born of seemingly relentless trial. Pressed by his circumstances, troubled by their long endurance and unable to find God in the situation, David complains, "How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?" In context, the cry yields at least three lessons of value.

The first lesson is the comfort of knowing that even the chiefest of saints have had their moments of weakness; David, here, for example. And no less than the apostle Paul knew the burden of human frailty under intense pressure, as is intimated in the account of his experience at Corinth (Cf. Acts 18:1-11, note v.9-10).

The second lesson indicates what to do when God seems far away and indifferent to our plight, or the circumstances threaten to overwhelm us. That lesson is candid prayer. David takes his defeat to the Lord with surprising candor. It is not wrong to complain to God, and there is no need to pretend we are spiritual and/or victorious when we are not. Pray when you feel like it; more importantly, pray when you don't feel like it! God hears the cry of the afflicted (Cf. II Samuel 22:7, e.g.)

The third lesson, perhaps the hardest of all to apply, is to remain in principle before the throne of the "God of all grace" until relief, if not deliverance, comes. David lingers before the Lord in this short psalm until the sigh of despair gives way to the song of praise: "… I have trusted in Thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation. I will sing unto the Lord… [Ps. 13:5-6]." The circumstances had not changed, but David's heart had. May we learn to do likewise!

There is a kind of postscript worthy of note, however, among the occurrences of our key phrase. Sometimes it is God Who voices the cry, "How long?" When men choose to ignore God and His word, He asks, "O ye sons of men, how long will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love vanity and seek after (falsehood?) [Ps. 4:2]." And again, "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and scoffers delight them in scoffing, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you; I will make known my words unto you [Prov. 1:22-23]."

It is one thing for the burdened believer to cry out in struggling faith, "O Lord, how long?" It is quite another thing when "an evil heart of unbelief" prompts God to cry "How long… !" The one is a candidate for His gracious reinforcement and eventual relief; the other is a candidate for His judgment. Should you be in the former category, take heart. Should you be in the latter, take heed! Repent and believe the gospel, putting your trust in "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world" before you exhaust the patience of the eternal God.

For God's glory,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 12 - 2007.09.08

"They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us." — Psalm 12:2-4

Among the things which reflect the image of God in man, and distinguish man from all the lower creatures in the world, the power of speech is certainly one of the most significant. While other creatures can communicate to a greater or lesser degree, only man can translate his thoughts into words and use those words in such a diverse and powerful way. And as with all of man's distinguishing characteristics, this power has been corrupted by sin.

It is the apostle James who underscores the conflicting character of the tongue, when he writes, "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so [Jas. 3:9-10]." While the psalmist's emphasis is somewhat different, the two are dealing in principle with the same thing: the corrupt use of the the tongue and the powers of speech.

The tongue of the ungodly is, in our text, charged with three perverse attitudes. First, insincerity or hypocrisy: "With flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak." Second, a malicious ingenuity: "With our tongues we shall prevail;" that is, the use of the tongue to "get ahead" in the world, if need be at the expense of others. Third, independence; "our lips are our own: who is lord over us?" As our culture moves further and further from biblical values, becoming more and more agnostic or atheistic, it is not surprising that truth and integrity of speech are increasingly subordinated to personal advantage and gain.

Confronting this attitude is the assurance that there is a Lord over us and that we will be ultimately accountable to Him. "The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things." The Son of God, addressing the Pharisees in His day, confirmed David's affirmation, in what is a very telling passage: "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned [Matt. 12:34-37, italics mine]."

It is of no small significance that each of these passages links the communication of the lips with the condition of the heart. Our speech is a kind of "heart monitor," revealing our inner condition: "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks," Jesus says. It is not surprising that the lips of the unconverted should "speak vanity," for they are the victims of hearts that are "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked," but when the tongue of the righteous is used to advance selfish ends, and/or to destroy the character and reputation of others, a grievous sin is committed which ultimately will bring reproach on the name of Christ, and we stand in need of having our hearts purified. James put it this way: "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted,ç and mourn, and weep… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, Who is able to save and destroy: who art thou that judgest another [Jas. 4:8-12]?"

If we are believers, our lips and our tongues are not our own! For, "… your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God, and ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body[I Cor 6:19-20]." "Wherefore, putting away falsehood, speak ye truth each one with his neighbor: for we are members one of another [Eph. 4:25]."

For God's glory,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 11 - 2007.09.01

"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" — Psalm 11:3

Here is a hypothetical question of considerable import. The implication is that if, indeed, the foundations can be destroyed, the righteous will be left defenseless and helpless. And the aim of the ungodly, and the wicked spirit that motivates them, is just that: to destroy the foundations of faith and banish the righteous to oblivion. Could they do so, both God and the godly would vanish from society. In fact, there is a subconscious fear in the hearts of many, sometimes bordering on panic, that the foundations of our faith are in danger of being destroyed. These point to the forces in society and government that carry on, as they always have, a relentless attack on the Truth, and seem to be gaining the upper hand. The result is often a cry of resistance: for the election of certain government officials sympathetic to "our cause," or some public activism aimed at restoring respect for standards once held that are no longer endorsed in the halls of government or the streets of our cities. Well meaning as some of these efforts may be, they manifest a pathetic ignorance of the nature and magnitude of the issue.

Let us first ask, from a biblical perspective, what are the "foundations?" Note that since the word is in the plural, there must be more than one. A careful search of the scriptures suggests that there are, in fact, two.

The first is the Son of God. Through the prophet Isaiah and the apostles Paul and Peter, God revealed the first. "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste [Isa. 28:18]." (Paraphrase, "He who believes will not need to panic!") Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit the apostle Paul declared, "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation… For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ [I Cor. 3:10-11]." Peter, linking with the same Old Testament prophecy, observes, "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded {I Pet. 2:6]." The Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation and the chief cornerstone of our faith and the salvation it offers to embattled sinners.

The second foundation is the word of God. To the saints at Ephesus the apostle remarked, "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone… [Eph. 2:19-22]." This "foundation" is the testimony of the apostles and prophets to the person and work of the Son of God, now preserved for us in the word of God, the scriptures. It is worth noting that, in fact, we have not two foundations, but a twofold foundation; the written word of God, and the living Word of God. The scriptures proclaim and confirm the Son of God as the Foundation of God's eternal purpose, and are intended to introduce us into a living relationship with the One who is "able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by Him."

These are, indeed, the foundations that are under attack in this "present evil world," by those who "take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us [Ps. 2:2-3]." But theirs, not ours, is the lost cause. "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision [ v.4]." Christ, as to His person, is a sure foundation, tried, proven and unassailable. And the scriptures are as enduring as He is. Matthew, Mark and Luke all record the Savior's declaration, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away."

The foundations will not be destroyed. Jesus Christ, the Righteous and the sure foundation, is the same yesterday, today and forever. "Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the Stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed [I Pet. 2:7-8]." "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?… And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder [Matt 21:42,44]."

No need to defend the Foundation; just proclaim Him. And live it! (See II Tim. 2:19)

For God's glory,

"Pastor" Frasier