James 2 (pt 13) - 2011.12.31

The COMMANDMENTS (13)

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”  —James 2:10

If one has followed this series of messages on the commandments, two things should be obvious. First, “…by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in [God’s] sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin [Rom. 3:20].” Second, believers are not sanctified by “keeping the commandments.” No more can we attain to the divine standard after salvation than before. We said at the outset that the underlying issue is not one of obedience, but of love. And love cannot be cultivated by keeping the law. In fact, it is the other way around. Where love is, there will be an aspiration to obey the Lord, but seeing the Law through the magnifying lens of God’s word, even the “saintliest” of Christians “come short of the glory of God.” “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.”

“Good works” add nothing to our standing with God. “…All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…” (See Isa. 64:6) Unfortunately “religion,” even evangelical religion, too often cultivates the idea that there is something we can do to “please God,” and seeks to whip us into some kind of “service” as though through it we might obtain merit with God. The fact is, only as we surrender in love to His Lordship can He work through us to accomplish His will. Then all that is accomplished will be His doing, not ours, and all the praise and glory will belong to Him, not to us. Loving our neighbor is valid only as it flows out of our love for God, and our love for God is evidenced not by singing in the choir, “serving” in the church or witnessing to the lost. All these things can be done out of false motives and self-righteousness that undermines all merit. 

To illustrate:  Speaking of the day of divine reckoning the Savior said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity [Matt. 7:21-23] .”The “good works” of these empty professors are by Him characterized as works of iniquity.

The Son of God went one day to dinner where two sisters hosted Him. One labored diligently for Him, the other simply sat and listened to Him:

“Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” —Luke 10:38-42

Martha’s dutiful service is not discredited, but it is subordinated to Mary’s loving devotion. “If you love Me…”

These two women are brought to our attention again:

“Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.” —John 12:1-6

Martha is still occupied for Him; Mary is occupied with Him. And the egocentric disciple charges Mary with waste and irresponsibility. For all his words of “caring for the poor,” (loving your neighbor) the Spirit of God reveals that his real motive was false. “By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight [Rom. 3:20].”

Our root problem is heart trouble—that we have little or no heart for God. “Out of [the heart] are the issues of life [Prov. 4:23],” and “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it [Jer. 17:9]?” And “…The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” God is looking for those who have a heart for Him, who will seek Him and sit at His feet and listen. Who will pour out their richest and best, indeed, their all on Him. Insofar as that love prevails for Him, the spirit of the commandments will be evidenced in and through us. And, borrowing a fragment of scripture out of context, “Against such there is no law.”

“Oh to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be!”

"Pastor" Frasier

Christmas Letter - 2011.12.24

Dear Friends in Christ:

THANKS for the welcome greetings and kind words from so many of you. It is great to hear from you.
As for me, life goes on… The year has been routine, except for time out for kidney surgery in late May, which went very well. I continue to work in the supermarket four or five hours a day two or three days a week on average. It is my exercise and social life aside from the church fellowship.
The family are all well and busy as usual, Ange, my son-in-law in France included. Sue and Doug came for a week over Thanksgiving and we all got together at Dave and Linda’s (my son who lives nearby) for the holiday, a happy reunion. Sue (my daughter) also came for two weeks to assist me while I was recovering from surgery in June.
The first three Sundays of each month I continue to minister to a tiny handful of seniors in an assisted living facility nearby, and send out the weekly devotional by email. That is pretty much the extent of my “ministry” at present. The Lord is good, and I praise Him for His grace and love.
May He give you and yours a blessed holiday, a spiritually profitable new year and a glorious eternity through the Son of His love.

Exodus 20 (pt 12) - 2011.12.17

The COMMANDMENTS (12)

“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's..” — Exodus 20:17

“Thou shalt not covet…anything that is thy neighbor’s. A preacher acquaintance of mine many years ago developed a rather quaint phrase defining the word “covet,” calling it “the desire to acquire.” It has remained unforgettable for me, and serves as a broad general description of the term in its negative aspect in the King James Version of the scriptures. This in turn agrees well enough with the Oxford dictionary’s definition of “covetous”: “having or showing a great desire to possess something, typically something belonging to someone else.” Vine’s dictionary of New Testament words offers as parallels “desire, envy, jealous[y].”

We may consider here the reason for the commandment as it stands in the Old Testament, suggested by the Savior’s summary of the second table of the law, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Lust is the opposite of love, and wars against the character of God and His will for His children. To fulfill the spirit of this commandment is to prefer others before ourselves and to rejoice in their well-being rather than to desire their benefits as our own. Lust centers in self; love centers in others, “does not envy,” and “seeketh not her own.” (I Cor 13:4,5)

The price of passionately desiring that which is not legitimately ours (that is, whatever God withholds or forbids) is  vividly illustrated in the case of Achan in the Old Testament. When Israel went up to conquer Jericho the people were expressly prohibited from taking spoils therefrom (Joshua 6:18), but Achan disobeyed and as a result the Israelites were defeated in their next campaign, all the people suffering because of the transgression of one. When the problem was rooted out Achan confessed, “Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it [Josh. 7:20-21].” The “desire to acquire”—against the revealed will of God—can be costly. It cost Achan and his family their lives.

We are led, then, to consider the New Testament implications of this commandment. Jesus warned, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (See Luke 12:13-31) Here the Savior lifts the commandment from merely desiring what our neighbors have to an inordinate desire for anything the world has to offer. It is a prohibition against making “stuff”—even “necessary” stuff our goal in life. This is further explained for the believer in Colossians 3:5 where we are admonished to “put to death [our] members which are on earth,” including “covetousness, which is idolatry.” It will thus become evident that covetousness is a violation not only of the tenth commandment, but also of the first! Covetousness moves God out of center and makes a god out of “stuff.”

In other words, one does not have to have an idol on the shelf to be guilty of idolatry. When earthly “treasure” consumes us, we have set up idols in our hearts, invisible, it may be, to others around us, but clearly evident to our omniscient Lord. The prohibition reaches its zenith when through the apostle John the Holy Spirit warns, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever [I John 2:15-17].” And we hear the echo of the Savior’s words, “But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you [Luke 12:31].”

It is most interesting, in conclusion, that the apostle Paul offers this commandment as the one that tripped him up. “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet [Rom. 7:7].  

What really drives our lives, shapes our ambitions and determines our actions? Is it the “desire to acquire,” or simple, uncompromising faith that “[God] is, and that He is [the] rewarder of those that diligently seek Him?” With that question projected against the background of this commandment in its Old Testament roots and its New Testament revelation, any thoughtful and transparently honest person will be moved to cry out, “Thank God for Calvary!”   

“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” —Rom. 3:20

Saved by grace alone,

"Pastor" Frasier

Exodus 20 (pt 11) - 2011.12.10

The COMMANDMENTS (11)

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." — Exodus 20:16

The Lord Jesus said, in a very familiar verse, “I am the…Truth.” And of God it is written, “God…cannot lie [Titus 1:2].” We have suggested that the commandments are a reflection of God’s character, and this ninth is no exception. The God who is Truth and cannot lie counsels His own that we should “walk as He (Christ) walked,” hence we should walk in truth (II John 4). “Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight [Prov.12:22].” 

When the Savior distilled the second table of the law into  single statement He said, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” It is interesting that this terse phrase first occurs in the review of the law in Leviticus, in the context of this very commandment. “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the Lord. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord [Lev. 19:15-18].”

The perversity and power of false witnesses is amply illustrated in scripture. False witnesses, acquired under the evil genius of ungodly Jezebel, resulted in the murder of Naboth (I Kings 21:9-14). The Psalmist cried, “False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul [Ps. 35:11-12].” Godly Stephen was stoned by an angry mob after false witnesses charged him with blasphemy. (Acts 6:9-15; 7:54-60) Certainly the ultimate illustration is in the person of the Son of God, of Whom it is written, “Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee [Mt. 26:59-62]?” These false witness provided the flimsy ground upon which the Savior was condemned to the death of the cross.

Of course the outcome does not have to be so radical in order to be guilty of breaking this commandment.  False witnessing may include gossip if one repeats things that prove not to be true, and injures the reputation of another, as the above passage from Leviticus would indicate. Those preachers who deny the resurrection of Christ are false witnesses. (See I Cor. 15:14-15)  All lies and deceit told to or about others, compromising truth, fall within the scope of this commandment.

The root of all lying is Satan. Jesus said to those who opposed Him, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it [John 8:44].” Those who choose to lie are not only out of favor with God; they are in league with the devil. 

Lest there be any question about the seriousness of the commandment, we have only to consider the conclusion of the matter. In Revelation 21 the beloved apostle gives us the glorious description of the new heavens and the new earth, and the city of God that is central in it. Concluding that description he declares, “And there shall no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie…” (v.27) And lest there be any doubt or uncertainty he adds in the following chapter, “For without (the holy city) are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolators, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie [Rev. 22:15].” Such are the companions of liars!

Our tendency, I believe, is to think that lies are not always as serious as other sins. The word of God will not allow that distinction. And when we take this commandment seriously, we are once again confronted with the stunning truth that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” We will never achieve citizenship in the commonwealth of heaven on our own merits. We stand in need of a Savior, and Jesus Christ, “Who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree,” is the One through Whose stripes [we may be] healed.” (I Peter 2:24) Have you fled to Him for refuge?

Thankfully “free from the law,”

"Pastor" Frasier

Exodus 20 (pt 10) - 2011.12.03

The COMMANDMENTS (10)

“Thou shalt not steal." —Exodus 20:15

Here, on the face of it, is a commandment that seems pretty simple, easily understood and not too difficult to obey. But, as is true of many things, and especially the scriptures, the first glance does not always capture the whole picture. Paul asks the question which we may well ask ourselves, “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? (Rom. 2:21) His inference is, perhaps, twofold. First, it is easier to recognize wrong in others than in ourselves; second, there is a scope to the commandment that we do not immediately see, and we may be guilty without awareness.

A contemporary dictionary includes two interesting variations in its definition of the word “steal.” (1) To “take (another person’s property) without permission or legal right and without intending to return it.” (2) To “dishonestly pass off (another person’s ideas) as one’s own.” This latter is the stealing of another’s reputation and/or rights. In fact in Leviticus 19, a kind of reiteration of the commandments, stealing, lying and fraud are rather intertwined (Cf. Lev. 19:11, 13).

The severity of the crime, from God’s perspective, is amplified in the elaboration in Exodus 22:1-5, and in v.5 stealing is expanded to include allowing one’s beast to feed in another man’s field! The thief caught in the act and unable to make restitution was to be sold into slavery. If slain in the act of stealing, there was to be no charge leveled against the manslayer, overriding the sixth commandment. When God issues a decree, it is no light matter!

In scripture, however, there are other aspects of stealing. “If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you [Deut. 24:7].” This is echoed in the New Testament when the apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “…The law is not made for a righteous man, but for…menstealers… [I Tim. 1:9-10].” The crime is stealing another’s freedom and making merchandise of him - slavery. 

There is yet another kind of theft mentioned in the inspired word. “Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbor [Jer. 23:30].” While opinions vary in the interpretation of this passage, it would appear that any who pervert the word of God or hinder its transmission to others are guilty of stealing God’s word from his fellows. Many are those who over time have been guilty of this infraction of the commandment.

It is the prophet Malachi who takes this sin to a yet higher level and a much broader spectrum. “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation [Mal. 3:8-9].” Scripture says categorically, “the tithe…is the Lord’s.” (Lev. 27:30) When a believer fails to tithe, keeping for himself that which belongs to God, he is charged with stealing from God, thus breaking the 8th commandment at the highest level. 

As always, the New Testament takes the believer to a higher level. “…Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive [Acts. 20:35].” The key word for the Christian is not “take,” but “give,” whether with reference to man or to God. And in this we all still “come short.”

Careful reflection on these thoughts will, it is hoped, deepen the wound of the “the sword of the Spirit,” and increase our awareness that “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” [Rom. 3:20].” It should drive the unconverted to the fountain of God’s grace, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ,…that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified [Gal. 2:16, my italics].” And, it should send the redeemed to the heights of praise!

Free from the law, O happy condition, Jesus hath bled, and there is remission;
Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall,  Grace hath redeemed us once for all.
Now are we free—there’s no condemnation, Jesus provides a perfect salvation;
“Come unto Me,” O hear His sweet call, Come and He saves us once for all
Cho: Once for all, O sinner, receive it; Once for all, O  brother, believe it;
Cling to the cross, the burden will fall, Christ hath redeemed us once for all!
—P.P Bliss

"Pastor" Frasier

Exodus 20 (pt 9) - 2011.11.26

The COMMANDMENTS (9)

“Thou shalt not commit adultery." — Exodus 20:14

The term “adultery,” in scripture is sometimes limited to sexual transgression involving a married person, and sometimes used to cover the whole range of sexual sin, including “fornication,” which is sexual union outside of marriage. It is the latter, in my judgment, which is the ground of this commandment. Scripture allows that marriage alone justifies sexual union, and that between male and female. All other sexual behavior falls under the general heading of adultery and is in violation of this commandment. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply…  [Gen. 1:27-28a].”  It is marriage which is “honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge [Heb. 13:4].” Extra marital union comes up against the “thick bosses” of this commandment. 

Throughout history men have hated this restriction, and nations and cultures have defied it in practice, and by legalizing what God has denounced, America no exception. The Lord Jesus, on the other hand, sharpened the focus:

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery [Matt. 5:27-32].”

Indicted here are pornography (v.28), lust, divorce and remarriage (v.32, cf.Mark 10:11-12, Rom. 7:1-3.) With respect to sexual relations, God’s order is ‘one man and one woman for life.’ Divorce, as an act of man, does not satisfy the divine requirement. Death, which is an act of God, dissolves the relationship and removes the indictment of adultery from remarriage (Rom. 7:3.) Even the church (i.e. the visible organization called ‘the church’) has relaxed its view on these matters in this day of growing apostacy and many allow without restraint what God has clearly condemned.

Let the church recall the scripture: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind…shall inherit the kingdom of God [I Cor. 6:9-10].” God has not changed His mind, nor His standards!

At this point it may be well to note two things. First, this is not the worst of sins. It is only one among the many that place this rebellious race in jeopardy before a Holy God. Second, it is not an unpardonable sin. Christ died for all our sins, and because “His blood can make the foulest clean,” repentance and faith will bring forgiveness, cleansing and hope for eternity. But, it is only through the Savior that this wrong can be remedied. And, if we would teach these things to our children they might be better equipped to stand against the temptations thrown at them in this “adulterous and sinful generation.”

There is, however, another dimension to this commandment revealed in the course of scripture, which merits our consideration. “Adultery” is used not only in the literal sense we have considered above, but also in a figurative sense to describe infidelity in our relationship with God, corporately and individually. The Old Testament prophets are graphic in their use of the term to describe departure from the true God on the part of His people; e.g., “The LORD said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge [Israel] yea, declare unto them their abominations; That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them. Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths. For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house [Ezek. 23:36-39].” And in the New Testament the apostle James accuses, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God [Jas. 4:4].”

These are representative passages that should remind the church that God demands integrity in our relationship with our spouses and in our relationship with God. If the church does not wake up, there is no hope that the unregenerate world ever will. May God move us to “awake to righteousness and sin not.” (See I Cor. 15:34)

"Pastor" Frasier

Thanksgiving Greeting

Thanks to God Hymn

Thanks to God for my Redeemer,

Thanks for all Thou dost Provide!

Thanks for times now but a memory,

Thanks for Jesus by my side!

Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime, 

Thanks for dark and stormy fall!

Thanks for tears by now forgotten,

Thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,

Thanks for what Thou dost deny!

Thanks for storms that I have weathered,

Thanks for all Thou dost supply!

Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure.

Thanks for comfort in despair!

Thanks for grace that none can measure,

Thanks for love beyond compare!

Thanks for roses by the wayside,

Thanks for thorns their stems contain!

Thanks for home and thanks for fireside, 

Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!

Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow, 

Thanks for heavenly peace with Thee!

Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,

Thanks through all eternity!

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of 

God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

I Thessalonians 5:18

"Pastor" Frasier

Exodus 20 (pt 8) - 2011.11.19

The COMMANDMENTS (8)

“Thou shalt not kill” —Exodus 20:13

The sixth commandment enjoins respect for human life. Except for the Sabbath commandment, it is the first with its roots deeper in they Old Testament. It is the prohibition of the malicious taking of another’s life. It is somewhat more clearly rendered in other translations, “You shall not murder.” Taking of life in war and by civil authority when capital crimes have been committed is not at issue here, as some pacifists would have it. In this fallen world God has authorized war and commanded the death penalty for certain transgressions of societies and individuals. The commandment is aimed at the disposition that acts against others in hatred and violence for selfish reasons.

In the beginning all slaughter of “living creatures” (Gen. 1:24) was evidently forbidden, and man was vegetarian. After the flood the divine restriction against killing animals for food was lifted, but with it a strict prohibition was issued against the taking of human life and, in fact, at that time capital punishment was instituted under God’s direction. “…at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man [Gen. 9:5b-6].” (Those who are inclined to swallow the lie of evolution should meditate on this early text that distinguishes between animal life in general and human life as a distinct and separate creation, and note the declaration that man was made in the image of God. (See Gen. 1:27))

It is worth noting in passing that it is the deliberate act of violence that is targeted by this commandment. That the accidental killing of another was exempt is evident from the establishment of the cities of refuge in Israel after their settlement in the land, for the protection of any who accidentally slew another.

However, if that seems to ease a bit the severity of the commandment, Jesus’ treatment of it in the New Testament takes it to a much higher level:
“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing [Mat. 5:21-26].”

How, one wonders, how might church attendance (poor enough as it is) change if men were prohibited from attending and offering if there was any bitterness in their hearts toward other fellow men. As is customary with the Savior, the commandment is removed from addressing the act, and focused on the attitude. As always, “man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

There was a cartoonist whose work was published in our local newspaper when I was growing up whose lead character, when offended for some reason would carry the “thought balloon” over his or her head containing the words, “The urge to kill.” It was, sadly, reflective of that in the human spirit which the Lord here cites as “in danger of the judgment.” It is from this perspective, I think, that the apostle James says of certain in the church, “ye kill.” We cannot conclude that believers were actually murdering one another, but entertaining the attitude in their inner sanctuary that might sponsor it if they could get away with it. The apostle John is more transparent when he says, “[He that] hateth his brother is a murderer [I John 3:15].” The commandment is violated when the attitude is formed, not simply when the act is committed. “If ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the Truth [James 3:14].” There are not many overt murders in the church, but I fear there may be many who are covertly guilty by the Savior’s standards.

Nowhere, of course, is the groundless hatred of a fellow human being more evident than in that exercised by the (religious!) Pharisees who sought to murder the Son of God. Of them, and of all who violate this commandment in fact or in spirit, He says, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it [Jn. 8:44].” There is but one way out: “Repent…and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out [Acts 3:19].” That is the objective of the commandments!

To open our eyes,

"Pastor" Frasier

Exodus 20 (pt 7) - 2011.11.12

The COMMANDMENTS (7)

“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee..”—Exodus 20:12

With this commandment the emphasis in the decalogue shifts from the “vertical” to the “horizontal,” or, if you prefer, from responsibility to God to responsibilities to others under God. It is the point at which the Lord Jesus Christ divided the “ten” into two, from “God” to “neighbor.” (Cf., e.g., Matt. 22:34-40) The so called “second table” of the law is no less significant, but its immediate direction is different.

There is an implied prerequisite to this commandment that is often overlooked. That is the implication of the responsibility God places on parents in the matter of raising children. If submission to parents is to be all it should be, then parents must function in that capacity under the government of the heavenly Father. It takes godly parents to cultivate godly children. That parallel is revealed in scripture on more than one occasion, and is especially relevant to fathers. In God’s plan, the wife is to function under the authority of the husband (Eph. 5:22) and the family is to be under his control. Fathers are responsible under God to exhibit submission to God and to cultivate the spiritual order of the household. In far too many cases in the visible church this order is not followed, and spiritual initiative is left to the wife and mother. In such cases, though father and mother are still to be honored, the divine plan will not function as God intended. A man’s relationship to his heavenly Father, and a woman’s respect for her husband’s authority should illustrate the child’s relationship to his or her earthly father.

“Honor thy father and thy mother.” To honor parents is to love, respect and obey them, just as all are commanded to honor God. We honor our heavenly Father when we love Him and out of love obey Him, and our responsiveness to the first four commandments lays the ground for our children to respond to this one. Jesus reiterated this commandment on more than one occasion, with emphasis, extending it into old age: “For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition [Mt. 15:4-6, cf. Ex. 21:17, Prov. 20:20].” In addition, He exemplified it when after His adventure  in Jerusalem at the age of twelve He “…went down with [Joseph and Mary], and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them… And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man Luke 2:51-52].”

Writing to the Ephesians the apostle Paul (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) referred to this as “the first commandment with promise.” (Eph. 6:1-3). The promise is well being and long life. There are temporal benefits as well as eternal ones in keeping God’s commandments and respecting His order. 

The general tenor of scripture reinforces the importance and value of this commandment. Noah evidently had the respect of his children, long before the commandment was codified in the decalogue. As a result, when he entered the ark his children and their wives entered in with him and enjoyed as a result much longer life than had they not respected their father. While the world scoffed they evidently believed him and no doubt aided him in the construction of the instrument of deliverance. Every godly man wants all his children in the “ark” of salvation. Realizing that blessing begins with godly parents and eventuates with children who honor them.

Abraham was commended by God as one who would “…command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which hath been spoken of him [Gen. 18:19].” In sad, but striking contrast is Eli, a godly priest, but a deficient parent, of whom it is written, “And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever [I Sam. 3:11-14].”(Christian workers take note!)

May God give us enough love for our children to “train them up in the way that they should go,” and our children enough love for us in consequence that they will honor us—and Him—by “following in His steps” and “not depart from it” when they are old.

And, to God be the glory, 

"Pastor" Frasier

Exodus 20 (pt 6) - 2011.11.05

The COMMANDMENTS (6)

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”—Exodus 20:8-11

On the seventh day of the creation week “God rested from all His work,” and set that day apart as a memorial of His mighty enterprise. He “blessed the seventh day and sanctified it,” or set it apart as special. (Cf. Gen. 2:1-3) When Adam sinned, God’s sabbath rest was broken, and there is no mention of the sabbath again until the issuance of this commandment for the children of Israel. A study of scripture reveals that the sabbath actually commemorates two things: God’s role as creator (Ex. 20:11) and His role as redeemer, so noted in the reiteration of the commandments in Deut. 5:6ff, where we read in verse 15, “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.”

The objective of the Sabbath, as far as man is concerned, is suggested in Lev. 23:3, “…the seventh day is the sabbath of rest…” The Lord Jesus said, “The sabbath was made for man [Mk. 2:27],” and certainly one of God’s gracious objectives in ordering it was for our physical refreshment and renewal. A second, and obvious purpose was to maintain the awareness of His people of His Lordship and continuing involvement in their lives, both as creator, redeemer and Lord. In this connection it was established as a periodic day of worship; “keep it holy.” Disregard for the sabbath principle is a disregard for God, and for the believer’s covenant relationship with Him (see Ex. 31:16-17).

Responsibility for maintaining the sabbath was assigned to men, heads of households, who were to exercise government over family, servants, enterprise and visitors. God has always laid responsibility for spiritual order upon men (i.e. the male) and will hold them accountable. 

Probably of all the commandments this one is the most lightly regarded in Christendom today, but it behooves us to note the severity with which God imposed it. “Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death [Ex. 31:14-15 (See also Ex. 35:1-3)].” Scripture gives us an illustration of the exaction of the death penalty for violation of the sabbath; see Numbers 15:32-36.

With this background it is, perhaps, not surprising that in the gospels we see a running battle between the religious fundamentalists of the day and the Son of God, who seemed to exhibit a more relaxed attitude toward the Sabbath. For example we have in Mark 2, early in His ministry, the Pharisees indicting His disciples for snacking on grain as they walked through the fields on the sabbath day. It was then that Jesus declared that they misunderstood the purpose of the sabbath, which was to be a blessing, not a burden; and, that they failed to recognize His Person as “Lord of the sabbath.” (See Mk 2:23-28)

When we come to the New Testament era, the sabbath is no longer emphasized. Two considerations have been noted: First, that on the sabbath day the Son of God was in the grave. Second, that on “the first day of the week” He rose from the dead. There was a mighty transition from the Old Testament dispensation of the Law to the dispensation of Grace. The early church began to gather for fellowship and worship of the risen Christ on the first day of the week. Those who trust Christ as Savior move from periodic rest to a permanent sabbath-rest in Him. When that transition is made by an intelligent faith, He becomes our rest, and every day is (should be) devoted to the Lord. “For he that is entered into His [sabbath] rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his [Heb. 4:10].” That is the great redemptive sabbath that the day anticipated, and we are “no longer under the Law.” 

However, in my judgment the value of the one-in-seven principle remains to be recognized as we move from here to eternity. It should serve the believer as a reminder of our dependence upon God for our existence and for our destiny. It should provide special time for fellowship and worship. And, it will prove beneficial in the practical matter of rest and recuperation from the busy-ness of this mad, rushing world. It is both spiritually and physically therapeutic.

Time is a gift from God. We have it only as He extends it to us. It is well that we set a day apart for Him in recognition that, after all, we owe Him everything. The “first day of the week” is a good time to keep sacred as a reminder that without His grace we would be law breakers in the first degree and candidates for eternal destruction.

For His glory and our good, 

"Pastor" Frasier

Exodus 20 (pt 5) - 2011.10.29

The COMMANDMENTS (5)

“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”—Exodus 20:7

As a child growing up, guided by a mother who had great respect for the word of God, this was one of the warnings I remember. For many years I regarded the commandment as referring to the use of profanity, and still cringe when I hear the words “oh my God,” or “Jesus” or “Jesus Christ” used in profane punctuation of ordinary or vulgar conversation. This is akin to the view of many of the rabbis in bible times. The view is certainly legitimate, but woefully inadequate to plumb the depths of the commandment.

The word vain means, among other things, empty or frivolous. An official dictionary definition is, “[to] take someone’s name in vain [is to] use someone’s name in a way that shows a lack of respect.” 

There are those, of course, who deliberately choose to blaspheme God in blatant unbelief: “For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain [Psalm 139:20 my italics].”

It is my judgment that His name is also taken in vain when it is attached to advertising for the purpose of soliciting funds for man made, man centered projects more mischievous than spiritual. Recall the case of the seven sons of Sceva:

“…certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified [Acts 19:13-17].”

Employing the name of the Lord for personal advantage, these were certainly taking His name in vain—and paid the price!

An empty profession is taking the name of the Lord in vain: “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate [Titus 1:15-16].” When the lifestyle contradicts the will of God, His name is taken in vain.

My view now is that we take God’s name in vain when we say it or sing it without a proper regard for Who He is. It can happen in church. Jesus said, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men [Mt. 15:7-9].” 

Christianity pursued as a religion without a redemptive relationship to the true and living God regularly takes His name in vain. Jesus warned of this when he declared “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity [Mat. 7:21-23].”

Man, it may be, is influenced by outward profession, but “the Lord looketh on the heart.” And the heart of any man who senses the scope and depth of this commandment must be indicted before God as guilty of transgression and in need of mercy. That kind of insight will move one to fear God, revere Him and hope in His salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ that can cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It can also motivate us to a moderate and reverent lifestyle, to say nothing of the careful use of the tongue, even as Solomon declared before God, “Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain [Prov. 30:7-9].”

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. —Ps. 30:4

For His glory, 

"Pastor" Frasier

Exodus 20 (pt 4) - 2011.10.22

The COMMANDMENTS (4)

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”—Exodus 20:4-6

When visiting China two years ago, I had the dubious privilege of seeing idol worship for the first time. In the city of Shanghai we visited a Buddhist temple and there in the square before it many were burning incense and obviously praying to the idols representative of the founder of that religion. Imported to China out of India, Buddhism was founded by a real person, a kind of “religious philosopher,” who after his death was revered and eventually idolized in the literal sense. Many and varied are the figures that represent the man, but the images and the figure behind them are regarded as gods by many who follow him and the moral system he devised.

Man has an inclination to worship, but it is not generally an inclination to worship the true God. The first and second commandments are closely related. Together they forbid our bestowing our love and devotion on any god but the true God, the self-revealing God of the bible, or any representation of god in any thing in the height, breadth or depth of the natural realm. No element of creation is to be exalted as the Creator. Any such is an insult to the infinite and eternal God. Of all creation, man alone was made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26), and that image was marred beyond recognition in mankind since Adam bestowed his worship and allegiance upon the Serpent.

When men pray to “saints” and “the blessed mother,” when they idolize “the cross,” and/or put man made representations of Christ upon it, for example, the commandment is violated, however solemn and sincere the practice may appear. Sincerity is no substitute for obedience, and transgression can be wonderfully subtle.

Through the apostle Paul the Holy Spirit defines God as “…the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God,” to Whom alone belongs “honour and glory for ever and ever [I Tim. 1:17].” He is made visible only in and through the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature [Col 1:15].” It is of far more than passing significance that He left behind no statues, sketches, or other representations of Himself when He returned to the right hand of the Majesty on high. There have been many such representations created and published since, but in light of the second commandment, all of them are false and not one of them carries the endorsement of God. We may not be idolators in the formal sense, but I fear many are by default. In many a church more love and devotion is poured out on the building and/or the program, the ritual and the routine than upon the living God himself.

And, there are other ways in which idolatry manifests itself. Should you think we are going a bit overboard, we need only turn again to the authority of the word of God and read His indictment of “covetousness, which is idolatry,” in Col.3:5. Here is an idol with a shape all its own. When “things” or what an acquaintance of mine used to call “the desire to acquire” becomes our goal in life, God is belittled and outraged.

You may recall that we said in an earlier meditation that the underlying goal of the commandments is not law, but love. When we love things, and their acquisition becomes the driving force in our lives, God is marginalized, and as the “giver of every good and perfect gift,” Who has promised to supply all our need, He is justifiably heartbroken as well as outraged.

Two things at least should emerge from this, as from each of the commandments. First, you don’t have to have a statue or icon in your home or church in order to be guilty of Idolatry. You have only to shift your focus, your priority in life, your devotion from the living God to anything or anyone else in all creation, great or small. Second, rightly understood, if this were the only commandment, we would all be convicted of having “sinned and come short of the glory of God,” standing in danger of eternal damnation and desperate need of a Savior.

Meditating on this passage of scripture should move us to humble admission of guilt, a passionate trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and a growing love for “the God of all grace.” What—or who—is the primary object of your affection?

For His glory,

"Pastor" Frasier

Exodus 20 (pt 3) - 2011.10.15

The COMMANDMENTS (3)

“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”—Exodus 20:3

God reveals Himself by His Word through His Spirit. It is my contention that all divine revelation is of the Father through the Son by the agency of the Holy Spirit. Here, then, God reveals Himself through His Word in a miraculous way to His people; “God spake all these words, saying…” And what He says is a disclosure of —

(1) His person: “I am.” Recall that this is the title He authorized Moses to use when he went to Pharaoh to plead for the release of the Israelites from Egypt. It is also of no little value to remember that the Lord Jesus Christ laid claim to the title when He declared to the “the Jews,” “Before Abraham was, I am,” and so outraged them that “they took up stones to cast at Him [John 8:58 and context].” The significance of the title, with respect to deity, is afforded in Revelation 1:8, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Simply put, the Eternal One.”

(2) His position: “the LORD thy God.” It is the position of priority and authority. The significance of the word LORD is disclosed in Psalm 83:18: “…thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.”

(3) His compassion: “I… have brought thee out of Egypt, out of the land of bondage.” This signifying that what is being said is directed to the redeemed, not to the world at large. The New Testament confirms this; “…the Gentiles, … have not the law [See Romans 2:14].” As we noted previously, the commandments were not given in order that men might be saved, but that by them those who are His people might reveal themselves as such by loving submission to His revealed will. Obedience to the commandments is simply “thanks-living.”

It is important to recognize that this principle is paralleled in the New Testament “under grace.” It is to believers, not to the unregenerate that the call to obedience is issued. It is to “His own” that the Savior says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

First and foremost, then is this commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” The obvious implication is that God, because He is God, should have no competitors in our lives. No person or thing is to be the primary object of our love, to say nothing of our worship, other than He. He is to be our “first love.”

The threat of competition is illustrated variously in the New Testament. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God…[Mt. 6:33].” “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him [I John 2:15].” “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me… [Mt. 10:10].” People, position, possessions, even personal welfare—all is to be subordinated to the will of God out of love and respect for Him.

When the rich young ruler had revealed that his love for the material world was competing with love for God, “he went away sorrowful,” and the Savior turned to the disciples and said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God,” to which the disciples responded with amazement, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Impetuous Peter reacted saying, “Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?” Jesus responded, “every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.” (See the whole account, Mt. 19:16-30) God is a benevolent Master!

The first commandment, understood and taken seriously, introduces us to our spiritual bankruptcy. Paul said, “When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” That is the necessary reaction of everyone, saved or unconverted, who understands even this first precept of “the law.” If this is what God requires, we have come short; woefully short. If we are to make it to heaven, it must be on some other ground. Happily, that ground is at Calvary. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe [Rom. 3:20-22].”

“On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.”

Saved by His grace alone,

"Pastor" Frasier

Exodus 20 (pt 2) - 2011.10.08

The COMMANDMENTS (2)

“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God…” —Exodus 20:3a

                                                  

It is most interesting to note that the commandments were not laid down from “the beginning.” They come much, much later in history. Clearly, then, they are not the basis of a relationship with God. That foundation is revealed to us in a significant, but little noticed passage in the epistle to the Hebrews. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him [Heb. 11:1, 6].” Two things are posited here as necessary to a relationship with God: (1) Faith that God IS - His being; (2) Faith in His benevolence - that He is good to those who trust Him.

Adam had no problem with the first. He did not have to take God’s existence by faith; he knew God. In the garden, in the beginning, they (Adam and Eve) communed with God. (See Gen. 3:8-10) His problem was believing the God he knew! It was not an issue of trusting in God’s existence, but of believing that the God he knew was trustworthy. Giving heed to the Liar rather than to the One who is the Truth, he fell victim to the original sin, “I will be like the Most High.” That is the problem many a Christian has today. 

We see the issue as one of trust. heartily singing, “Trust and Obey.” The Savior declares it as one of love. “If ye love Me keep my commandments [John 14:15].” “Love and obey!” Again, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him [John 14:21].” And, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love [John 15:10].” This is really quite remarkable, since it shifts the fundamental ground of our relationship with God from faith to love. And, this is reflected in the Savior’s reduction of “the Ten” to “the Two,” wherein the “first and great commandment” is, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment [Matt. 22:37-38].”

Love generates trust. “And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love [I Cor. 13:13 my italics].” Adam simply loved himself more than he loved God. This astonishing principle is illustrated again in the Savior’s encounter with the ‘rich young ruler.’ He appeared to score 100 on Jesus’ test with the “second” commandment, but failed miserably, for all his temporal morality, when it became evident that he loved money more than he loved God, this present world more than “the world to come.”

The commandments, many or few, were never given to cultivate our relationship with God, but to test it. The overarching question is never “will you obey Me,” but “Do you love me?” (See John 21:15-17) We think we need redemption because we have failed in obedience to God’s rules. In fact the “ground zero” of our failure is a failure in love. A slave can be made to obey, but no one can be forced to love.

Most men (even professing Christians) think of God as a taskmaster. That is not the case. He gave to Adam only one commandment. It was the only prohibition in his world. Everything else was at his disposal, and he ruled over all—under God. The one prohibition was, clearly and undeniably, for Adam’s good. It was an expression of love on God’s part, not Self interest. And, it became the test of Adam’s love for God. Adam failed the test. So do you and I. That is why Calvary was necessary!

When you think of the commandments, remember that they were not given for the salvation of His people, but to those who were already redeemed:

“Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.” (Ex. 15:13)

For “by the law there shall be no flesh be justified in His sight [Rom. 3:20].” The commandments are simply given to “crowd us to Christ.” If we love Him, the commandments will not be hard to take, though impossible to perfectly  fulfill.  

Remember:

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked [I John 2:3-6 my italics].” Salvation, in all its aspects, is a love story!

 For the praise of the glory of His grace, 

"Pastor" Frasier

Matthew 22 (pt 1) - 2011.10.01

THE COMMANDMENTS (1)

“And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.” —Matt. 22:33

                               

“They were astonished at His doctrine.” Three of the four evangelists use this same phrase to describe the popular reaction to the teaching of the Savior. Well they might. The Lord Jesus Christ could take men deeper into truth with a short sentence than most preachers can with an hour long sermon. 

We have lost our concept of sin, both in our culture and in the “established” church. The tragic result is at least two fold. First, we have an inadequate concept of the holiness of God. Second, we lack a real appreciation of the glory of the gospel. The apostle Paul said of ‘the law,’ “When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” Subsequently he affirmed the law as “holy, and just, and good.” (See Rom. 7:9, 12) In the interest of sharpening our appreciation of  God’s grace and quickening our sense of His holiness, we will spend the next several weeks (D.V.) meditating on that distillation of ‘the law of the Lord’ popularly referred to as “The Ten Commandments.” I am well aware that we are neither saved nor sanctified by ‘keeping the commandments.’ But the New Testament makes it abundantly clear that the gospel does not destroy the law, and that redeemed men should aspire to live no less than to its standard.

Worthy of particular note is Paul’s reference to ‘the commandment’ in the singular, rather than plural. He sees the law, in spite of its apparent diversity, as one. Then recall that the Savior reduced the Ten to two: 

“When the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. [Mt. 22:34-40].”

Then, through the apostle James we are taken even deeper. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all [Jas. 2:10].” The obvious lesson is, no part of the law can be singled out as more important than another. The law, “the commandment,” is an entity. It is a revelation of the character of God, and when we violate it, He is violated. When we offend, He is offended! If it were merely a matter of keeping rules, we might be more or less successful. But given this perception of the divine law, we are at best miserable failures. Hence the need, the desperate need of the gospel of the grace of God if we are to have any “hope of glory.”

The question then becomes, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” There is a more or less familiar hymn that declares, “A ruler once came to Jesus by night, to ask him the way of salvation and light; The Master made answer in words clear and plain, ‘Ye must be born again.’” The reference, of course, is to Nicodemus, as recorded in John 3 where the Savior says “clear and plain,” “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” But, earlier and with specific reference to “eternal life,” another ‘ruler’ came to Jesus and said “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life [Mt. 19:16, cf. Luke 10:25]?” The Son of God directed him to the commandments, saying, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. And he saith unto Him, Which?” Remarkably, He who reduced the ten to two by-passed what He had referred to as “the first and great commandment,” and declared the second: “Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (See Mt. 19:16-19ff) Without hesitation the young man replied, “All these things have I kept from my youth up,” but added, What lack I yet?” revealing his uneasiness that, as good as he (thought) he was, he might not be good enough. 

Without challenging his candid response, the Savior replied, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me.” (v.21) “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” He fared well with respect to the “second commandment,” but failed miserably with respect to the first. God had a competitor in his life. And, ‘half a loaf will not do.’ 

“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” —Rom. 3:20

For our eternal good, 

"Pastor" Frasier

Jude 17-21 - 2011.09.24

KEPT and KEEPING

“But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”  — Jude 17-21

One of the great doctrines of the Bible is one usually defined by the two word expression, “eternal security.” Its essence is that a person once truly saved will never lose that salvation. The Biblical underpinnings of that great truth are considerable:

Jesus said, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37) And of His “sheep,”I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish.” (John 10:28, 29) Paul wrote, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:35-39) And again, ”…I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” (II Tim. 1:12) The apostle Peter  wrote of believers that they are “Kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”(I Peter 1:5)

If we had but one of these passages by divine inspiration, it would be enough to inspire assurance. Taken together, they provide a fabric of truth that cannot be ignored. This truth inspires confidence in the heart of every child of God who has struggled with sin in the process of his spiritual growth. Expressed in other terms, this is the doctrine of the preservation of the saints. Simply put, it is the promise that God guarantees to see the believer through, come what may, all the way from earth to glory. “Blessed assurance!”

However—having noted all that—there is another aspect of God’s word that must not be overlooked. We must never let the assurance afforded by the promise of divine preservation lead to complacency in our Christian life.Preservation—God’s part—is to be accompanied by perseverance on our part. The same God who encourages us by His great promises of security with equal vigor urges us to “keep [ourselves] in the love of God.” 

Jude perceived, at this early stage in church history, the intrusion of false doctrine and false apostles aimed at destroying “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3) With that attack launched against the believer, we are counseled here on the importance of being everlastingly on guard. We are instructed throughout the New Testament to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the progress of our redemption. 

Three things vital to our perseverance are noted here. First, to protect faith from being undermined, we are to “remember the words…spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Bible is the ground and source of what we are to believe and how we are to behave from here to eternity. The Christian who neglects and/or forgets the Word will be in danger of being thrown off course and, if not losing his salvation, losing his potential as a disciple of Christ. 

The second admonition is to spiritual growth and Spiritual prayer, the one related to the other. There is no growth without prayer, and little power in prayer on the part of those who remain spiritual babies. (See Hebrews 5:12-14) 

The third exhortation, flowing out of the first two, is “Keep yourselves in the love of God.” The Christian life, biblically defined, does not come naturally, nor progress unchallenged. We face an adversary who is fiendishly clever and persistent. And, the problems we have to confront are not only those from the unregenerate world without, which are brought to our attention in other scriptures, but those that may arise within the organized church, which is the issue here. Believers need to be discerning in the church as well as in the world at large, if they truly seek to glorify God. Let us never take God’s truth for granted!

For His glory and our good, 

"Pastor" Frasier

3 John 4 - 2011.09.17

“O TO BE LIKE THEE!”

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." — III John 4

                                                   

Every pastor, worthy of the name, can echo this sentiment of the beloved apostle John. It might be added that every Christian parent worthy of that solemn title will feel the same way. And, if we take it but a step further, the same disposition may doubtless be found in the Son of God Himself. 

John, of course, is speaking metaphorically. The “children” to whom he makes reference are those who under his ministry had responded to the gospel and professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Every true pastor is in the ministry not for personal gain or glory, but to see souls saved and lives transformed for the glory of God. When there is evidence of this in the life of one who has been under his spiritual care, it is, indeed, the ultimate reward of his labor.

The question arises, then, what does it mean to “walk in truth?” 

We will have, I think, a tendency to respond to that query in terms of doctrinal content, certain Biblical pronouncements, commandments. Certainly that is not wrong, as many other texts will verify, but it is not enough. It is of paramount importance to remember that in the New Testament “Truth” is a Person. As you are well aware, Jesus said,”I am the…truth [Jn. 14:6b].” Truth is not  simply something He communicates; it is Himself. Thus to “walk in truth” is to abide in Christ, finding in Him the reason, the resources and the regulation for living. John had said on another occasion, “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked [I John 2:6].” 

The Person is “the image of God.”  The incarnate Christ is identified in the epistle to the Hebrews, among an number of other references, as “the brightness of [God’s] glory and the express image of His person [Heb. 1:3a].” The result is that when the apostle Philip said to Jesus, “Show us the Father,” (Jn. 14:8) Jesus could respond, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father (v.9).” 

When we “walk in truth,” —to the extent that we do so— the nature of Christ will be seen in us, just as the nature of the Father was evident in Christ. It is not mere conformity to a set of rules or standards, but embraces the whole person. It involves not only outward appearance, but internal character. It includes disposition as well as deportment; doing the right thing for the right reason and in the right spirit. And it is here that we so often fail. Jesus charged some very religious persons, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity [Mt. 23:27-28].” Too often our conduct has the appearance of conformity to Christ, but our heart attitude is far from being what it ought to be. And, that is not walking in truth.

Unfortunately, external conformity to a set of standards may cause a pastor to rejoice that his “children” are walking in truth, but it will not satisfy God. As the Lord said to Samuel when looking for a king for Israel, “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart [I Sam. 16:7].”

It is what I would call the “three dimensional image of Christ,” that constitutes walking in Truth.” And that is the divine goal for every believer; “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren [Rom. 8:29].” It is not attainable by us, but in us as we devote ourselves to contemplating Christ Who is Truth, and surrender our will to His, our government to His Holy Spirit: “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord [II Cor 3:18].” The “glass” (mirror) is the word of God studied not as a theological textbook, but as a revelation of Jesus Christ and with an eye to His glory.

May we be stimulated so to seek Him who IS truth and bring joy not only to a pastor’s heart, but to be a joy to the great Shepherd (pastor) who loved us and gave Himself for us. Let others see Jesus in you! This side of heaven, that is the goal of New Testament faith.

For His joy, 

"Pastor" Frasier

2 John 9 - 2011.09.10

THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST

“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son”   —II John 9

                                                   

The doctrine of Christ is key to our relationship with God. It is not the substance of theology, but a matter of divine revelation. If we are wrong about Christ, we are wrong. If we abandon the doctrine of Christ, we are lost. That is certainly the thrust of our text for today, and of this tiny, but significant epistle.

Familiar though it may be to my readers, it bears review for our good. 

John zeroes in on the subject in v. 3, where he identifies “the Lord Jesus Christ,” as “the Son of [God] the Father.” We have become so familiar with the words that we too often miss their significance. In His essential nature, Christ is Deity; God, the Son, co-equal and co-existent with the Father and infinite in power and glory. He is the uncreated cause behind every created thing. “All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made [John 1:3].” 

He is not only the creator of all, but He is creation’s sustainer, “upholding all things by the word of His power” (cf. Heb. 1:3). This aspect of His enterprise is reinforced by the statement in the epistle to the Colossians, “He is before all things, and by Him all things consist [Col. 1:17],” where the Greek word rendered “consist” is closely equivalent to our English word, “cohere,” or “stand together.” Christ is the cohesive power of the universe, the Reason why it does not fall apart.

In addition, the scriptures indicate that He is the owner of it all, for the Father has appointed Him “heir of all things.” He owns the earth and everything related to it.  “The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein [Ps. 24:1].” One day it will all return to Him and be compelled to recognize His authority as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That day could be not too far away.

The second great emphasis of the Doctrine of Christ is disclosed in v.7; “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.” Doctrinally this is referred to as the incarnation: “God was manifest in the flesh,” becoming true humanity (Cf. I Tim. 3:16) This, of course, concurs with one of the names given to the Lord Jesus before His birth: “Emmanuel,” “God with us.” The great truth is that God, in the person of His Son, became one of us and one with us for the purpose of accomplishing our salvation, “full and free.”   John here echoes his emphasis in the first epistle, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life… [I Jn. 1:1].” It is clearly John’s conviction that the tangible flesh and blood Jesus was the eternal Son of God, and out of that incomprehensible union of the human and the divine carrying our sins “in His own body [to] the tree,” comes our hope of eternal life. And those who distort, diminish or deny this truth are here referred to as “deceivers” and “antichrist.”

Doctrine matters, and most particularly the doctrine of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

All of this is foundational to our text for today. The doctrine of Christ, as revealed in scripture, is the foundation, superstructure and capstone of our faith. Those who deny it, and those who abandon it are without God and without hope—in this world or “the world to come.” A mere “paper Christ” will not suffice. A Christ manifest only in words and not in deeds will not do. And a temporary relationship (“whosoever abideth not…”) will utterly fail in the end.

Hence John’s solemn warning, especially relevant in this day of growing apostasy and “church-ianity”: “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. (v.8) If our doctrine of Christ is sound, we cannot lose our salvation, but straying into alien territory can cost us dearly. We need to be sound in our faith, consistent in our walk and careful in our associations, lest we be “ashamed before Him at His coming.”

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.     —I Jn. 2:28

For our good, 

"Pastor" Frasier

1 John 5 - 2011.09.03

ASKING

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”  —I John 5:14-15

                                                  

“He that hath the Son hath life…” (v.12a) Life, in the proper sense of the word, is the result of union with Christ through the operation of the Holy Spirit as a result of faith in the finished work of Christ. It is the Life of God in the soul. That is what God gave man in the beginning when He consummated His creative work by breathing into man the breath (spirit) of life, and “man became a living soul.” (Gen. 2:7) That is what Adam forfeited when he aspired to be his own God and disobeyed the word and will of God. From that day to this man has not had life, but death as his birth heritage. 

We labor under the illusion that we are living, but in reality every soul on the planet is dying from the moment he is born—until and unless he is “born again” of the Spirit of the living God. “He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” Life is the gift of God; the greatest gift a man can receive. With that gift come some incredible blessings, not the least of which is he privilege of fellowship with God by prayer—a privilege all of us utilize too little, and many a professing Christian fails to enter into, to his own impoverishment.

It is no coincidence that immediately after his terse statement regarding eternal life John utters these words that suggest that with life comes this access to the treasury of heaven. Sharing His life with us, God wills to share His resources. In a familiar text the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul assures us, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus [Phil. 4:19].” And, if some neglect this privilege, there are others who would abuse it, and some today who are engaged in false teaching with reference to it. Prayer is not a blank check for us to endorse and gratify our desires. Our nugget can provide some significant insight for both extremes.

First, we are made aware that asking is requisite to receiving. “If we ask…” The Lord Jesus Christ Himself made much of this in His teaching. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened [Matt. 7:7-8].” The underlying implication of this verse is not only the prerequisite of asking, but of persevering in prayer. Fellowship with God involves more than casual contact.  The apostle James later put emphasis on the same condition when he said, “…ye have not because ye ask not [Jas. 4:2].” The prayerless Christian will be spiritually poverty stricken, notwithstanding the fact that he is an “heir of God and joint heir with with Christ.” (See Rom. 8:17)

Note, however, that there is another constraint placed upon the privilege of access to divine resources. It is “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” It is not the divine intention to gratify the old nature, but to underwrite and undergird the new life we have in Christ. When the Savior gave the disciples a pattern prayer He included the phrase, “Thy will be done.” When He Himself agonized in the garden of Gethsemene and pleaded for exemption from the cross His ultimate plea was, “If Thou be willing…not my will, but Thine be done.” He asked according to the Father’s will and went on uncomplaining to Calvary. James, having indicted some for failing to ask, proceeded to chastise others for asking “amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” Some “asked,” to be sure, but their prayers were self indulgent and missed the mark. 

When the will of God motivates our praying we will be concerned with our sanctification (I Thess. 4:3), well doing (I Pet. 2:15), the conquest of our fleshly desires (I Pet. 4:2) and the grace to suffer, if need be, for the testimony of Christ and the glory of God (I Pet. 4:19).  That is very different from much that passes for prayer today, but it is the ground upon which the confidence rests, “whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” 

Appropriate to this, and perfectly aligned with John’s teaching in this first epistle is Paul’s plea, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God [Rom. 12:1-2].”

The life we have from God is to be invested for God, and it is thus that we have unrestricted access to His limitless resources and the fulness of joy. ("Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" —Jn. 16:24)

For His joy in your life, 

"Pastor" Frasier