Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.

I walked down the sidewalk toward a class and one of the young men lounging against a building said, "Babykiller." It was 1971 and no secret that I had been in the Marines or that I had not been to Vietnam. The insult stung for all the buddies I had lost in that useless conflict and my step hesitated for just a second and then I went on. The class was the book of Hebrews and it would have been a shame to miss for a fight. But, I have recently decided that he was right.

Often people ask, "How could a good God let babies die," or "suffer horrible diseases." One answer is that man sinned and sin and death are in the world and since disease and death are indiscriminate, sometimes the innocent suffer. It does not seem fair to me either that the baby should suffer because some adult sinned. It is clear that sin and disease and death are not on a one for one ratio in our lives, but there is little question that death rules the world because we keep on sinning. It is not only a result of Adam's sin as Paul clearly states, "and so death spread to all men because all sinned"-- (Rom 5:12). Death and sickness and pain and loss because I sinned, because you sinned.
 
A situation in David's life illustrates how one man's sin brought destruction on others who were innocent of what he had done.  David numbered the children of Israel over the protests of Joab. God offered him 3 choices for the punishment of this sin (lack of trust in God).

So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Take your choice: three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes with the sword of your enemy overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD — a plague on the land, the angel of the LORD bringing destruction to the whole territory of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I should take back to the One who sent me.” (1Chr 21:11-12).  David chose number three because he trusted that God was merciful. Then, as 70,000 Israelites died in the plague, he appealed to God, "And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave command to number the people? It is I who have sinned and done great evil. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father's house. But do not let the plague be on your people.” (1Chr 21:17). God stopped the plague. Whoever the 70,000 were, men, women, children, they were innocent of the sin that brought the plague.

If nothing else, we must learn that God is holy and even our "little sins" bring great consequences. Further, the consequences of sin are all around us in this life as well as awaiting us in eternity. Trust God's mercy and escape the eternal consequences though disease and death will haunt us and prefigure them all our days.

So, all have sinned and we are all responsible for the ugly diseases and unfair deaths that strike innocents and guilty alike. I am a baby killer and so are you. When will we recognize the "exceeding sinfulness of sin" and stop sinning through the power of the grace of Jesus Christ?

Jeremiah stood among the ruins of Jerusalem where many children had died in the siege by the Babylonians and exclaimed,  Why should any living person complain, any man, because of the punishment for his sins? (Lam 3:39).
 
Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.  It is lengthy, but oh so worth it.

What is our hope and is it secure? Can we rely on our hope? These are some of the things I want to address. First, we need to define "hope." In Greek, the word "hope" is elpis which means expectation or confidence. So, when Paul or Peter were discussing hope, they didn’t mean wishing, but rather something expected, in which they could have confidence. A backwards example of what I mean comes from Paul’s voyage to Rome:

Acts 27:20 “When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.”

They lost hope of being saved because there was no reasonable expectation of living through that storm. It is in the next few verses after this that Paul tells them that God promised they’d be saved. Before that promise, however, there was no reasonable expectation of surviving, so they abandoned hope. While most undoubtedly wished for something to save them, there was no hope. That’s the difference between wishing and hoping, at least in the New Testament.

Our hope, of course, is set on God and because of that, our hope is not built of flimsy wishes:

2 Cor. 1:9-10 “. . . But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. . . On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.”

If God is able to raise the dead, surely He can be counted on to fulfill His promises. Abraham certainly felt that was the case:

Rom. 4:18. “In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, ‘So shall your offspring be.’”

It’s interesting how Paul writes this “in hope he believed against hope”. There was no reasonable expectation for Abraham to have children. He was past the age of begetting children. Sarah was past menopause. She had also been barren all her life. Everything Abraham knew about the birds and bees told him to give up all hope in children, but God had promised. Abraham knew that the promises of God were sure and so he believed in the promise of God despite what earthly knowledge told him. That is how secure the promise of God is: we can reasonably believe in it when all other reason tells us it doesn’t make sense. So Abraham held to his hope and received the promise.

Abraham hoped for a seed. What is it that we hope for? I don’t know about you, but I hope for salvation from Hell. I have sinned (so have you) and the consequences of that is a ticket to Hell unless I am saved by God. In His love, He has effected this salvation and promised it to us:

Eph. 2:7-9. “so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

To emphasize what Paul wrote, salvation is by grace through faith. More pointedly, it is not by works. Grace is translated from the Greek word charis which means gift or liberality. It is often redundantly defined as unmerited favor. It is benevolence bestowed to those who don’t deserve it. If salvation is by grace as stated in Ephesians, then there is nothing I can do to earn it. It doesn’t depend on my efforts at all. And this idea doesn’t come from an isolated passage in one epistle, either:

Rom. 3:23-24 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE AS A GIFT, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Rom. 11:6. “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”

So, God is saying that salvation is His gift to us, offered freely to all who will have the faith to accept it. It is not by works and I CAN’T EARN IT. Either this is true, or God is a liar.

Now, let me slow down a bit to state some obvious things. We are saved by grace through faith, but how do we show our faith? James 2 makes it clear that saving faith is active faith, that because we believe in God, we work for Him. In John 14:23 the Lord says that if we love Him we will keep His commandments. Romans 6 says we are the bondservants of him whom we choose to follow: sin to death or God to life. So as our faith leads us to God we become His servants and servants obey their Master. So, there is work to be done, but none of that earns us salvation.

Luke 17:10 “Even so you also, when you shall have done all the things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do.”

As someone who used to study accounting, that word “unprofitable” jumps out at me. How are we unprofitable? Let me ask you a question: What was the price God paid to purchase us? 1 Cor. 6:20 clearly states that we have been bought with a price, what was the price? The death of God’s Son, that’s what the price was. If that is what it cost God to obtain us as His servants, is there any amount of work I can do to pay Him back? If every second of my life is devoted solely to Him for the rest of my life, would that balance the books? No, regardless of my efforts I am an unprofitable servant. So God purchasing me unto salvation is always benevolence granted, no matter what I do. I CANNOT EARN SALVATION. So, my hope should not rely upon how well I am living right now. My hope, instead, is in His grace

1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

And

2 Thess. 2:16-17 “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.”

According to Peter, I should set my hope fully on God’s grace. Paul tells the Thessalonians that they could take comfort is the hope of grace. In other words, God has promised us that His grace will secure our salvation. So, hoping in His grace is hoping on His promises. Which leads to the question, can we trust the promises of God? That isn’t meant to be blasphemous, but rather a reasonable question. If my hope, or reasonable expectation, is to be based on His promises, I need to know that it is reasonable to believe Him. I could spend hours nailing down from the Old Testament example after example of how God always keeps His promises, but two New Testament passages based on all that history will have to do for now:

1 Cor. 1:9 “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

God is faithful. He is trustworthy. He does what He says He will do. Paul can confidently write that because he knew of the OT history I mentioned previously. God always followed through.

Heb. 6:17-18 “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.”

Notice the phrase “it is impossible for God to lie”. So, God has a long history of fulfilling all His promises and it is impossible for Him to lie. I think it is safe to rely on His promises.

So, if my hope of salvation is not based on how good I am at any particular moment, but instead is based on the grace of God, then I can have peace. I don’t have to be constantly worried about “making it to heaven”, but can be at peace. This is how God intended it. Notice that Paul describes the Gospel as the Gospel of peace in Eph. 6:15. In fact, the readiness of the Gospel of peace are the shoes we are to wear as part of our “armor of God”. In Phil. 4, we are told to be anxious about nothing. Why, because we can take all our worries to God and He will handle them and give us the “peace of God”.

Christians should have no fear or anxiety about their salvation. I think one of the saddest things on the planet is when I hear Christians say things like “Well, if I make it to heaven. . .” or “maybe I’ll make it”. No, there is no maybe if we walk in faith. Why, because my hope isn’t in me or my righteousness but in God’s promises! Your hope isn’t in your righteousness but in God’s promises. If my line of argument isn’t good enough to convince you of that, perhaps you will listen to Peter:

1 Pet. 1:21 “who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

“Your faith and hope are in God.” So, to be saved I don’t have to figure out how to live perfectly every moment of every day. My salvation doesn’t depend on me, but on His grace. As an unprofitable servant, I can’t be saved no matter how careful I am, so I should gratefully trust in His grace and be at peace. Now, let me hasten to say that I am not trying to justify sin. I am not giving you an out for living your life however you want. If you are in sin and you know you are in sin, you had best repent and return to living faithfully before the Lord. But as it says in 1 John 1:7, if we are walking in the light his blood will cleanse us from sin.

So, I am not trying to give you assurance that you can continue in sin and be fine before the Lord, but rather that we don’t have the pressure of living a sinless life. We shouldn’t have the anxiety of hoping to die in between sins, right after we’ve prayed for forgiveness. As Christians we should be continually growing as we walk with Him. I don’t know about you, but as I’ve grown I’ve realized that some things I had been doing I probably shouldn’t be doing. That there were things I should be doing that I hadn’t been doing. That certain passages applied to me in ways that I hadn’t realized before. What if I had died before realizing those things? Would I have gone to hell? NO. Since my hope in not on my righteousness but on His grace and since I was walking in the light as best I knew how, and continuing to grow I have no doubt that my salvation was secure. Having learned to be better, however, I now need to make those changes to continue to be “in the light”. No matter how we look at it, salvation is God’s gift which I can’t earn. If we are following Him as best we can in faith according to His word, we WILL be saved by His grace. We should be at peace about that because our hope is secure in His grace, in His promises, which cannot fail.

I once heard Dee Bowman describe how he’d feel if he happened to live to see the return of the Lord. He did not mention fear. There was no dread or worry. He described jumping up and down in excitement and joy hollering “Yes! Yes! Come on, Lord!” That is the kind of faithful assurance we should all have, knowing our hope is not in our own righteousness, but instead in the promise of God. God’s promise not only assures us of salvation, it grants us peace.
 
Lucas Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Warren Berkley.

A.W. Tozer was precise and scripturally correct when he said: “Self-knowledge is so critically important to us in our pursuit of God and His righteousness that we lie under heavy obligation to do immediately whatever is necessary to remove the disguise and permit our real selves to be known.”

Central to all your character and conduct is your self-concept. This simply means how you see yourself, knowing who you are. You must avoid an unhealthy preoccupation or obsession with self. Subjective distortions can be detrimental. But there is an awareness of yourself and perception of who you are that is central to your potential. It is important to be strong and clear about who you are. Perhaps these inquiries will find a place in forming and maintaining clarity in your knowledge of who you are.

Do you see yourself as a giver or taker? Actually each of us are takers (receivers), for we are the unworthy recipients of the generosity of God evident in our very existence (Acts 17:28). Christians are recipients of the grace of God and Christ, “through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life,” (Titus 3:5b-7). Each of us, therefore, are takers (receivers, partakers). But in another sense the question ought to be weighed: Do you have greater interests in taking than giving? That goes to character. The teaching of Acts 20:35 is germane to this. “…And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’.”  The generosity of Jesus’ character & teaching ought to become our purpose, so that we are focused on giving not taking.  (See also Rom. 12:8; Isa. 32:8; 2 Cor. 8:2).

Do you see yourself as a victim or perpetrator? There is a bothersome grumbling seen in people, always blaming others, pointing to circumstances and claiming to be victims. The cry (spoken or implied) is: “Everybody else is wrong. Everybody else is incorrect. Everybody else should take responsibility. Everybody should see and acknowledge my purity and know how unfairly I’m treated!” This is childish. It will help us – when things happen and generally in life – to prayerfully and cautiously evaluate if we were victimized or did we perpetrate the event or events. If you fall into the habit of dogmatically claiming to be the victim, this reflects an absence of humility. Assuming you never do anything wrong is a wrong approach. We are not always victims! We must not always and immediately come to our defense. Sometimes we are perpetrators! In fact, we are all perpetrators in this sense: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom. 3:23). There is great value in humble self-examination.

Do you see yourself as a servant or a master? The Lord’s disciples, in their early days of coming to grips with the truth, sought greatness and vanity. Jesus responded by using a child to teach these grown men the humility they hadn’t yet embraced (Matt. 18:1-5). A few days later, the same ambition showed itself. Jesus responded again: “And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many,” (Matt. 20:27,28).

Oswald Chambers has said: “If you are going to live for the service of your fellowmen, you will certainly be pierced through with many sorrows, for you will meet with more base ingratitude from your fellowmen than you would from a dog. You will meet with unkindness and two-facedness, and if your motive is love for your fellowmen, you will be exhausted in the battle of life. But if the mainspring of your service is love for God, no ingratitude, no sin, no devil, no angel, can hinder you from serving your fellowmen, no matter how they treat you. You can love your neighbor as yourself, not from pity, but from the true centering of yourself in God.”

Ultimately, all our inquires into self need to answer the question: Am I a child of God, or a child of the devil? Because of what Jesus Christ did, you can become a child of God; you can use the Word of God to know yourself, improve yourself and give of yourself to the Creator, to the Savior, to your family, your brethren and your fellowman.
 
Warren Berkley
berksblog.net

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.
 
"It is not," I muttered under my breath when the deacon with the announcements said, "Good morning."  The problem with someone who is upwards of 80% hearing loss muttering is that it may not be as "under the breath" as he supposed.  Despite the cacophony of "good morning" replies, he heard me and with a slightly startled expression said, "Well, good morning, Keith."

Well, it was NOT a good morning.  The hurried hurricane prep before there was much thought of Dorian turning any way but right over us had my injured shoulders aching, and ladders are the bane of aging hips.  To top it off, the transmitter that goes to my hearing aids was mailed off to the shop.  When I have it, I can put it in the pulpit and tune my aids to "it only" reception.  That means the speaker's voice is as close as though his mouth was at my ear but I can still see him to lip read.  Baby noises and other noises are as far from my ear as they are from the speaker and my transmitter.

Most speakers drop their voices at the end of a phrase, especially with punchlines.  Most men who lead prayers think it is more reverent to lower their voices and sound systems magnify the whispery quality of such voices.  The transmitter enables me to have any hope of understanding either.  And, it allows me to relax and enjoy a good sermon by a good speaker. 

At 72, I was tired, sore, aching; I came anyway.  I made a couple of fairly decent comments in Bible class, in fact the best ones made (by virtue of being the only ones made).  I knew that I would not be able to hear the announcements or the prayers.  I came anyway.  At best, my hearing is a fill in the blank process wherein I hear some sounds, lip-read some sounds and make educated guesses at the other sounds to form a sentence and a paragraph and make sense of a speech.  I was too tired to manage that effort on a consistent basis and got very little from the sermons.  Things just do not make sense when you only get a word here, a phrase there, a sentence or two somewhere else.  I knew it would likely be that way before I left the house--but I came anyway.

What do you do when it is NOT a good day?  Is it an excuse?

Well, someone asks, "What did you get out of it?"  

First, that is the wrong question, we are at church to give, not to get, And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.  (Heb 10:24-25).  I was there which spoke where my loyalties and faith are.  In the intermissions, I spoke words of encouragement to some that I knew needed such.  I sang.  Now, I cannot even tell if I am on a key, much less which one, so I try to keep my volume down to avoid ruining the worship of others.  I was happy, with the exception of that blurted sentence, which was not meant to be heard.

Second, I took my place in a house built of living stones for a habitation of God in the Spirit.  God was there; I was there.   The place of worship would have been less had my stone been absent.  All would have been affected.
And yes, we are there to be built up as we build others.  I worshipped as best I could, prayed my own prayers while others prayed together, sang, gave, took the Lord's Supper with the family of God, my family, and left feeling it was not such a bad morning after all.

So are you there, "Anyway?"  or only when the stars align and it is convenient?
 
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Give thanks unto him, and bless his name.  For Jehovah is good; his lovingkindness endures forever, and his faithfulness unto all generations.  (Ps 100:4-5).
 
Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

David’s sin with Bathsheba and his subsequent murder of her husband Uriah is found in 2 Sam. 11 and is one of the better known stories in the Old Testament. Instead of being a boring rehash, I hope to help you see some new things in this old story.

In 2 Samuel 11 we find David, having already conquered all the other surrounding kingdoms, sending his army to conquer Ammon. I’ve heard some decry the fact that David stayed behind, saying that if only he had been where he should have been – at the head of his army – none of this would ever have happened. This may be true, but it is equally plausible that David had legitimate reasons for staying behind. We just aren’t told. All we know is that he stayed behind. Then this happens:

2 Sam. 11:2-5 “It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant."”

Now, first things first, let’s put to bed an old, tired, erroneous narrative. BATHSHEBA WAS NOT BATHING ON THE ROOF!!! Sorry to shout, but I get so tired of hearing people say that. Read the Bible again, it nowhere says that she is bathing on the roof. There is no mention of her on a roof. DAVID was on the roof and from the roof he saw her. Ten minutes of research into the historical context would show anyone who cares to look that most houses back then were built with a small courtyard in the center. They bathed in this court yard – they had no running water, remember – and were shielded from view on three sides by their house and on the fourth by an erected screen. No one could see them bathe, unless he happened to be on the roof of the house next door. If that happened, it was the responsibility of the accidental voyeur to turn away and not become a purposeful peeping tom. This kind of thing isn’t so far back in our own past, by the way. My father, who likes to say he was raised so far back in the Arkansas hills that they had to pump in the sunshine, didn’t have running water in his house until he was 12. His whole family, including his mother and two sisters, would take turns bathing on the back porch in warm weather. If you knew someone was taking a bath out back, you just didn’t go out back. If a visitor somehow stumbled back there when a bath was being taken, it was on him to skedaddle, and fast, too, or Granddad might start grabbing after the buckshot. So it was David at fault here, for not looking away, not Bathsheba for innocently taking a bath.

Now notice who Bathsheba was. When David asked, he is told she is “the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah”. These names meant something to David; Bathsheba wasn’t just a random woman. In 2 Samuel 23, where David’s mighty men are listed – these are the 37 greatest warriors in David’s employ and David’s power was built on their strength and loyalty – we see both of these men listed. Uriah is the last listed, in verse 39. Eliam is mentioned in verse 34 and we are told that he is the son of Ahithophel. In 2 Sam. 15:12 we find out that Ahithophel is David’s counselor and in 16:23 we learn that he was so wise that his counsel was like God’s counsel. He was, in his way, as important to David’s continued rule as were the mighty men. So, David was considering adultery with a woman who was the daughter of one of his most trusted warriors, the granddaughter of his most important advisor, and the wife of another important warrior. Basic common sense should have told him to back away from her, but David was apparently feeling pretty full of himself. After all, he was David the mighty and he could have whatever he wanted.

We know how the story goes: David’s carnal desires get the best of him. When Bathsheba winds up pregnant, he tries to get Uriah to go home to her so that all would think that the child was Uriah’s. When Uriah refuses to enjoy the comforts of home while his brothers are fighting, David has him killed and marries Bathsheba. The last line of 2 Sam. 11:27 is one of the bigger understatements in scripture: “But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.”

So, Nathan confronts David with his sin and David repents. Most people focus on 2 Sam. 12:13, where Nathan tells David that God has forgiven him and that he will not die. God’s incredible mercy is the theme of these sermons, as well as the redemption of the fallen disciple of the Lord. Truly, this is a great example of those qualities of God. We can study this and have hope, knowing that if God will forgive David of adultery and murder He will forgive us of our sins. However, that is not the only thing being taught in this passage. We shouldn’t forget what else God says through Nathan, nor the rest of the history of David’s life recorded in 2 Samuel. Read all of what Nathan says:

2 Sam. 12:10-14 “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.'" David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child who is born to you shall die."”

David was forgiven of his sins, but he’d still have to face some consequences. David was forgiven, but his life would not be as pleasant as it would have been had he not sinned. If you list the consequences Nathan names and keep that list before you while you read the remainder of 2 Samuel you will find that almost everything that is recorded after 12:14 is David living through one of these consequences. Here is the list:

1) The sword will not depart from your house.
2) I will raise up evil against you out of your own house.
3) Your neighbor will sleep with your wives in the sight of all.
4) The son born to you (by Bathsheba) will die.

The last listed consequence is the first one to be fulfilled as we see in 12:15-23. David’s son is struck ill and dies one week later. Then, in chapter 13, David’s son Amnon rapes his half-sister Tamar (evil from out of your own house) and Tamar’s full brother Absalom kills Amnon for that rape (sword not departing your house, evil against you from your own house). Chapters 15-18 detail Absalom’s revolt against David, which was so serious that David had to flee across the Jordan to avoid being killed (sword not departing, evil from own house). To show how serious he was in trying to overthrow his father Absalom set up a tent on the roof of the palace and had relations with the concubines David left behind when he fled (Your neighbor sleeps with your wives in the sight of all). This was done at Ahithophel’s suggestion (16:20-22) who had joined Absalom’s revolt. Do you think that Ahithophel might have joined Absalom because he was still angry with David for forcing his granddaughter? Seems likely. Then, as soon as Absalom’s revolt is quashed and David returns to Jerusalem, another revolt arises (chapter 20) headed by a man named Sheba (the sword will not depart).

Even though he was forgiven, David had to deal with the consequences of his sin for the rest of his life. Interestingly, when he wasn’t running for his life David was planning to build the temple of God. While he was told he couldn’t build it, he did draw up the architectural plans, gather all the materials needed (including a personal donation that would be measured in the billions of dollars in today’s money) and plan the order of worship in the Temple, all at the direction of God by His prophets (1 Chron. 28:11-19, 2 Chron. 29:25). In other words, he was still the man after God’s own heart whose life was devoted to serving his God in every way he could. And he STILL had to suffer the consequences of his sins! Even though he was forgiven. Even though his life was devoted to God, because of his sins the final years of his life weren’t as pleasant as they might have been.

And that is a lesson we can all learn from. If we truly repent, God will forgive us of all our sins. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” However, we may still have to live with life-changing consequences. God will forgive you your fornication, but you might still have to deal with an STD, some of which still can’t be cured. Or maybe you get her pregnant (or you become pregnant) and that will certainly upset your life plans. God will forgive you for getting drunk, but if you drive and get caught, you will have to deal with the DUI. If you drive and kill someone, there are longer, more stringent consequences. You can be forgiven, you can devote the rest of your life to God, but those consequences still aren’t going away.

The first reason I should want to overcome temptation is because of my love for God. He sacrificed His Son so I could be washed free of my sins and stand clean before Him. I should love Him and want to maintain that holy state. I should be willing to fight hard to maintain my purity. God also offers us another incentive to remain pure: the threat of Hell. When my fleshly desires are almost overwhelming me, the threat of eternal torment in a lake of fire combined with my desire to please God might help me defeat the temptation. However, if you find all of that to not be enough, remember the last 20 years of David’s life. I don’t want the last years of my life to be anything like David’s. There will be consequences in this life for your sins, even if you are pardoned in the next life. Those consequences hold the potential to be bad enough to scare most anyone straight. I hope the thought of those consequences helps you overcome your next temptation.

“Jehovah also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of Jehovah to blaspheme, [there will be consequences].” (2 Sam. 12:13b-14)

Lucas Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.

We know the word "righteous" means to be just or morally right.  And insofar as translation is concerned, this word accurately represents the meaning of the Greek work originally used in the New Testament.  We understand that we are righteous because God has forgiven us on the basis of our faith and not because we are morally good and deserving.

But, when all that is said and we've read several illustrations of the use of righteous or righteousness in the Bible and out, we are (or at least I am) still a bit unsure how to go about being righteous.  Of course, I can make a list of "dos" and another of "don'ts" but first that seems Pharisaical and then I still feel somewhat empty and lacking.  Righteousness is a character trait, not just an action.

Somewhere, in a commentary long since forgotten, I read that the English "righteous" came from "rightwise" and thus "righteousness" is "rightwiseness."  I just now confirmed this by several dictionaries online.  We know what "clockwise" means even though we sometimes turn the screw the wrong way and loosen when we meant to tighten. "Clockwise" is the way a clock's hands move.  "Rightwise", then, is the way "right" turns.  A person who has set his heart to be "rightwise" may get some things on THE LIST wrong, but when he discovers it he will turn the "rightwise" direction instead of being "counter-rightwise."

A person who turns his heart "counter-rightwise" too far, or especially if he obstinately ignores the loosening that is happening in his morality, will soon have his heart come apart and fall in pieces, coming under Peter's condemnation, "Cannot cease from sin." (2Pet2:14). It is no accident that righteousness is often set in contrast with lawlessness which is "wrongwiseness."

Be sure you are turning your heart "rightwise."  God is more concerned that your heart is set "rightwise" than He is in how many things you get right on THE LIST.
 
“You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions.” (Heb 1:9).
For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. (Rom 6:19).
 
Keith Ward
 

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

There are so many ways that my study of the Minor Prophets informs my reading of the New Testament. One thing I noticed in Hosea involves a difference between Hosea’s original meaning and how Paul makes use of the passage. Here’s the quote in Hosea:

Hos. 13:14 “Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.”

This comes in the midst of a declaration of judgment by God. As He gets to this verse, God seems to question whether he should forgive them yet again. His answer is clear from the last line “Compassion is hidden from my eyes.” Despite the pain punishing His people brings God – as seen throughout this book – the time for judgment has come. He calls to Death and Sheol to gather their tools and join Him: “where are your plagues? . . . where is your sting?”

Paul quotes this passage in 1 Cor. 15:55. His usage, however, is very different. Instead of calling for Death and Sheol to gather their tools, Paul is taunting them for being powerless. Instead of using this in a declaration of judgment, Paul is in the midst of a paean to the victory won by Christ for us.

How can this expression of destruction become an ode to victory? There is one tiny thing that occurred between the time of Hosea and Paul: Christ came. Through Christ, a promise of destruction became a promise of victory. And that is our reason and our hope.
 
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” ​“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Cor 15:54-57).


Lucas Ward

Do you spend any time visiting people? Jesus gave a sobering scene of the final judgment in Matthew 25. One good trait commended in that passage is, visiting disciples in need. One cause of judgment against the wicked is, “you did not visit Me” (Matt. 25:43). One of the steps Moses took toward his usefulness as a servant of God was, “it came into his heart to visit his brethren,” (Acts 7:23). In our modern fast-paced time, we easily neglect this simple duty. Or, we assume somebody else will do it (like “the preacher”). How much time do you spend visiting people and providing for their greatest needs?

Warren Berkley, berksblog, May 20, 2019

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world (Jas 1:27).

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.
 
The biker leader stood before our church, beautiful "sleeves" from wrist to upper arms. His moniker is "Sober Joe" because at that time, he had been clean for about 20 years (he still is clean). Haltingly, he said how honored he felt to read the scripture because a little more than a year before, he was "among the lost. And, now, I am reading God's Word to you."

Paul commanded Timothy, "Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching" (1Tim 4:13).  In that day, only a few could afford a copy of even a page of the Bible.  Thus, the reading at church was the only opportunity most had to learn the word of God.

In sharp contrast, in many churches today, the scripture reading is assigned to the men who can do little else but wish to participate in the services, or to a boy for training and encouraging purposes.  That most of the congregation turn to the passage and read along shows they have been conditioned to expect a muttered, barely understandable reading.  Does this show proper respect to God's word?  Those who read well are seldom allowed to do so for that would take something away from those who can do nothing else.  When, in fact, those often cannot even read the word with proper respect and clarity.

The reading of scripture should be a strong part of our worship.  First, we must teach this along with the proper honor and respect for God's word by both the reader and by the hearers.  Before the advent of printing, even illiterate people could memorize readings upon hearing them once.  We cannot do that, but both the reader and hearers can give that level of attention to the word of God. Joe had obviously practiced and was prepared to honor the word as God's.

In our culture, we stand to show respect, for the bride, for the national anthem, for the funeral, etc.  How much more should we stand for the public scripture reading?

Once upon a time, I insisted that the citation not be announced until after the scripture was read.  Turning to the passage to "read along" inadvertently communicates that the verbal reading is not very significant.  What is the reader's motivation to read with passion, to learn to read punctuation, to enunciate?  Those who care are reading it anyway and the others aren't listening anyway.  So, anyone who can mutter and speed read through the text and scramble back to their pew is acceptable.

Men must be taught the high honor they have been entrusted with when they are allowed to read God's word publicly.  Joe was not taught this, but knew it from his new heart.  They must see that it is not sufficient to read the passage through a couple of times during Bible class and then stand to read the Holy Word.  Young men should be encouraged to first learn to read and then be allowed to do so.

I once asked a well-spoken and knowledgeable man why he would not lead public prayer.  He replied that the prayer was so important that he knew he would be nervous and was afraid he would mess it up.  Would to God that some would adopt that attitude of importance and respect toward the public reading.

Elders can assign a young man to a good reader to practice for a reading to be done a month or more away.  They can practice together until the young man is ready.  The next time, he could be assigned to a different good reader where he will learn other facets of good reading.  If he will not make the effort or has not learned, the trainer should do the reading.  Men who will not make the effort to read well can also be asked to participate in such a learning program.  Are we more interested in not offending a member than we are in honoring God's word?  In fact, might not a negative reaction show a deeper need for spiritual training than for learning to read well?

The goal of public reading is that the hearer be able to understand without following along in a Bible (which can be problematic with so many translations anyway).  I recall an anecdote told by one of the teachers at Florida College:  In pioneer days, a blind preacher kept his youngest son home from the fields to read the scripture to him in preparation for next Sunday's sermon.  If he did not understand, he made the boy read it over and over until it was clear to him.  It was said that when the boy grew to manhood, many a dispute over a passage was settled by asking him to read it aloud.  His reading communicated the meaning so clearly that the dispute was settled without further argument.  I have tried to learn to read that way.  I believe our public readings should have that same goal.
 
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up.  And Ezra blessed Jehovah, the great God: and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with the lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped Jehovah with their faces to the ground…and the Levites caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.  And they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading. (Neh 8:5-8)
 
Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer, Lucas Ward.
 
2 Pet. 1:4  "whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature"
The promises of God to us are truly great.  They are the reason we follow after Him.  We want to avoid Hell and we want to be with Him in Heaven.  In Romans 8 we are told that we will be joint-heirs with Christ.  Paul teaches the Colossians that we will have the opportunity to partake of the inheritance of the saints in light (1:12).  These are vague statements, however.  Other than "streets of gold" most of us have a very cursory understanding of the promises we hope in.  We often spend more time learning about Hell.  So, why is Heaven so great, and why should I want to go there?

Heaven provides a rest.  Heb 4:9,11  "There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of God. . . Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, that no man fall after the same example of disobedience."  Ok, so we get to rest, but what does that mean?  2 Thess. 1:7  "and to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire"  So, part of the rest is a relief for those who are afflicted for their service to God.  So, all the snide comments, bullying, and out-and-out trouble we face for serving God will be at an end.  We also get rest from laboring for God:  "And I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them."  Rev. 14:13.  We sing a song, "We'll Work til Jesus Comes", and that is the life a Christian should live--being useful to God and serving Him.  Once we've inherited and live with Him in Heaven, that strenuous effort will be over.  One final way we will have rest is a surcease of all the pain and sorrow this world so often brings us.  God promises to wipe all the tears from our eyes (Rev. 21:4) and that there will be no more weeping.  In every way important, Heaven will be a rest.

Heaven is that better country that Abraham was looking for (Heb. 11:16).  And, oh, is it better.  First, realize that it was planned for us by God.  Matt. 25:34  "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world".  cf. John 14:2-3.  So, wait a minute.  You mean that the all-powerful Creator of the universe has been carefully planning and constructing  a paradise for me to live in?  Yes.  Do you think it might be nice?  Do you think that the One who created us might know what it takes to make us happy and content?  And He's had since the creation to work out all the kinks, so to speak. 

Another reason Heaven is a better country is because of who won't be there.  Eph. 5:5  "For this ye know of a surety, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."  Rev 22:14-15  "Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right to come to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.  Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie."  Notice, all the trouble makers, all those who add to the tribulations natural to this world are outside of Heaven.  No, we aren't wishing damnation on any, but knowing that the unrepentant, obnoxious sinner won't be with us for eternity is a blessing, and something to look forward to. 

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul describes a vision of Paradise.  When you compare that to some of the descriptions in Revelation 21-22 we see that Heaven is described as a return to the Garden of Eden.   Rev. 21:3 speaks of God dwelling with men; the last time that literally happened was in Eden.    Rev. 22:1-5 speaks of a river of the Water of Life and not a single Tree of Life, but a whole grove of the Trees of Life.  Heaven will be like Eden, only better.  It is a place of joy (Ps. 16:11) and glory.  Col. 3:4  "When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory."   2 Cor. 4:17  "For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory". 

The description of the New Jerusalem in Rev. 21 adds even more to our understanding of the wonder of Heaven.  Two concepts stand out in the description of New Jerusalem.  The first is the extraordinary wealth of the city.  The twelve foundations of the city are each encrusted in different jewels.  Gigantic pearls are used as gates to the city.  (Can you imagine a pearl large enough to be hollowed out and used as a gate?!)  Gold used to paving and building material for the city at large.  This is wealth such as to dwarf dreams.  The point of this over-the-top description is to emphasize the security from want that the inhabitants would enjoy.  For a people who literally had to worry about their daily bread (Matt. 6:11), this security was peace beyond imagining. 

The second aspect of the city was its extreme safety.  If you convert the measurements given in Rev. 21:16-17, the walls of the city were 1,400 miles high and over 200 feet thick.  Marauding armies had no hope of penetrating these walls.  The city was completely secure.  Again, for a people used to periodic attacks from raiders and robbers, that security was a blessing beyond belief.  When Jesus said, in John 10:28, that no one would snatch His sheep out of His hand, He meant it. 

Finally, we are told that this inheritance we will receive is incorruptible (1 Pet. 1:4) and that we will enjoy eternal life with Him in this Paradise (Matt. 25:46, Jn 6:40).  The joy and glory we will know will never end, never fade away, and never seem stale. 

So, is Heaven worth a little sacrifice?
 
Lucas Ward