Keeping Self

1 John 5:18 KJV

We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

We know than none of us is capable of keeping himself spiritually safe in this world. It is the reason God has given us:

• Prayer
• The Word of God
• The local church and
• The abiding ministry of the Holy Spirit

Paul said that he was persuaded that He is "able to keep that which [he had] committed unto Him against that day." His faith was in Christ and not in his own keeping. 

The wise Christian knows not to take this keeping for granted. He employs those things God has given:

• Prayer
• The Word of God
• The faithful attendance at a local church and
• Dependence upon the Holy Spirit

He keeps himself by keeping with God in fellowship through these gifts of God. He trusts in God's keeping because he is close to God through those things God loves. 

The Root of Truth

1 John 4:2 KJV

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

According to Albert Barnes, the question at stake in the day of John's writing was whether Jesus Christ was a man. Among the late first century thinkers of Christian teaching, there was little question that Jesus was the Son of God. The question they wrestled with was whether He ever was truly a man or only seemed to be.

• Perhaps, they reasoned, He only seemed to be tempted
• Perhaps He only seemed to have suffered
• Perhaps He only seemed to have died

The question then was concerning the incarnation. Did God truly become man?

The issue has turned around today. Few question the historical veracity that the man Jesus Christ lived. Even among

• Non-Christians
• Secular historians and
• Practitioners of Islam

there is little debate that Jesus lived. The question today is whether the man Jesus Christ was in fact, God. 

This passage holds true from either perspective. The doctrine that Jesus is both God and man is a foundational doctrine of truth. Not that it is the only true essential doctrine or even that is the difference between salvation or not, but it is the essential doctrine upon which all other doctrine must rest. 

Why Words Comfort

2 Chronicles 32:8 KJV

With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Under such incredible pressure as facing the Assyrians, the nation that had defeated nearly every nation neighboring Judah, including annihilating the northern kingdom of Israel, Hezekiah was able to comfort the people so that they rested themselves upon his words. What made his words so powerful?

Hezekiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord

2 Chronicles 29:2 KJV

And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.

Hezekiah walked according to those things David had done

2 Chronicles 29:2 KJV

And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.

Hezekiah had a track record of leading the nation in godliness

2 Chronicles 29:3-5 KJV

He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them.

And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,

And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.

Hezekiah’s prayers had been previously answered

2 Chronicles 30:17-20 KJV

For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD.

For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one

That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.

And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.

They had every reason to trust Hezekiah because Hezekiah had proven to them that he trusted the Lord.

The one best able to comfort us when we are in any trouble is the one we have watched walk with God before there was trouble.

Legalism vs. Liberty

2 Chronicles 30:17-20 KJV

For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD.

For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one

That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.

And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.

We often use the story of the death of Uzzah[1] as an example of "doing the right thing the wrong way" and getting very bad consequences. Here is a case of doing the right thing but not with right people, and God being gracious to them. 

I see in these two instances demonstrations of what might be thought of as:

Old Testament law vs. New Testament grace

Someone might also see them as illustrations of;

Legalism vs. liberty

What we have to reconcile is that both are equally true. Hezekiah did not excuse the ill-preparedness of these people, he rather acknowledged it and asked God to pardon it.

The conflict then is not between legalism and liberty but between legalism and license.

• Praise God that He is gracious despite our failings.
• Thank God He will accept our worship though "all have sinned and come short if the glory of God."

But woe be it to the person who expects God's acceptance. Woe to the man who views God's pardon as evidence of the justness of sin.

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[1] 2 Samuel 6:3-8 KJV

And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.

And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.

And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.

And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.

The Ruin of Us

2 Chronicles 28:23 KJV

For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

The temptation to worship false gods was in Ahaz's case, due to what he perceived to be those God's favor on the Syrians. If they had so blessed them, then perhaps they could so bless him.

Things are not so different in our own day. People still tend to follow after those they perceive to be successful and blessed. 

• In the world, it is the celebrity, the athlete, the wealthy
• In Christianity, it is the big church, the successful evangelist, the conference leaders

In either case we view them as having a sort of divine favor we want to somehow tap in to.  

Most of the time these celebrity types, just like the kings of Syria, are happy to accept the benefits of having a following but have little real interest in being a help to their followers. Still, the followers follow, hoping at last to find the secret, the combination of sacrifices and offerings, the "god" who will take their side and give them favor.

The Bible says these false gods were the ruin of Ahaz. 

• It wasn't his education
• It wasn't his parents
• It wasn't his circumstances
• It wasn't his lack of money or armies or influence

The ruin of Ahaz was his worship of other gods.

And so will it be ours. Our trouble now and in the future will not be the lack of

• Education or
• Wealth or
• Geniuses or
• Leaders

Our ruin as a people and as a nation will be our obsession with and dependence upon other gods but the living God.

How to Stay Steadfast in Faith

2 Peter 3:17 KJV

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

Gill comments on this verse, "though the saints can never finally and totally fall into sin, or from the truth, yet they may fall from their steadfastness, both as to the exercise of the grace of faith, and as to their profession of the doctrine of faith; and to be fluctuating, hesitating, and doubting in either respect, must be very uncomfortable and dishonourable."

The question is not about one losing their salvation for once a person is born again, he is saved forever. However, there is a question as to that person's steadfastness as a believer. 

• The waves of corrupt doctrine
• The seduction of the false teachers and 
• The beguiling of the flesh in this world

have prevented many a Christian from gaining a sure footing on the rock of truth that is Jesus Christ.  

That Christian who dabbles with worldliness while he half-heartedly practices his faith, or worse, plants his roots in worldly philosophy while attempting to blend in some Christian persuasion, is destined to live in discomfort in this life and to suffer loss of reward in the next.

Peter gives the antidote of this discomfort when he advises us in the next verse to "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Saviour, Jesus Christ." The best way to stay planted spiritually is to keep growing spiritually.

The True Proverb

2 Peter 2:20-22 KJV

For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Albert Barnes writes,

"There was no thorough internal change, any more than there is in the swine when it is washed, or in the dog. This passage, therefore, would seem to demonstrate that there never had been any real change of heart, and of course there had been no falling away from true religion. It should not, therefore, he quoted to prove that true Christians may fall from grace and perish. The dog and the swine had never been anything else than the dog and the swine, and these persons had never been anything else than sinners."

What a terrible thing for a person to

• Hear that there is salvation
• Approach that salvation, to even
• Teach others about this salvation and then to
• Personally turn from that salvation

It would be better for one to have never heard in this case because their judgment would be lesser.

But then there is this caveat; that even though they have not been born again, there is hope while there is breath in them that they will one day come to Him. 

John Newton was born to a mother whose desire for her son was that he grow up to be a preacher. She died when he was nine years old, and with her death went all influence toward godliness. Though there were indications of spiritual illumination in his teen years, Newton plunged into deeper and deeper sin. With deeper sins came greater degrees of bitter fruit; life becoming harsher and harsher until finally on board a ship that was doomed to sink, he wondered if there was any hope that God could be merciful to his soul. 

God was merciful. He was spared death at sea and came to place faith in Christ. With saving faith came a transformation of character until Newton was called into ministry and was greatly used in his lifetime and having written one hymn that is even still ministering to hearts. 

A More Sure Word

2 Peter 1:19 KJV

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

The prophecy being considered is that of the second coming of Jesus. Peter says that it is "a more sure word". More sure is the coming of Jesus Christ to first receive the saints to heaven and then to establish His kingdom on this earth than any prophecy previous to it: 

• More sure than his first coming
• More sure than the prophecies concerning the kingdoms of this world
• More sure than those prophecies concerning the future of Israel

This prophecy is more sure: 

• Based on the fulfillment of those prophecies before it
• Based on the coming of the Messiah the first time - which coming Peter had been an eyewitness to 
• Based on the promises of Jesus Christ Himself and
• Based on the assurance of the angels at His ascension

Our Apostle urges us then to take heed to this promise as a light in a dark place. As the days grow more evil and the night grows much darker, the child of God does best walking in the light of Jesus' soon coming. 

Motivation for Ministry

1 Peter 5:1-3 KJV

The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

Peter was nearing his final days in the earth. Knowing his time was short his focus turned to those who would carry the torch of the faith into succeeding generations. He urged them to feed their flocks:

Willingly

In each case he gave the negative to help define the positive. No man should be constrained to be a minister of the gospel, except for that constraint that comes as a result of our love for the Lord. Ministry ought to be a willing work. We do it out of desire. 

Cheerfully

Not for the sake of financial gain. This is not an occupation in the traditional sense of the word. Of course we must feed our families and put a roof above their heads. But no preacher is serving under the right state if mind if he serves for money. Churches may help their pastor in this regard, not by keeping him poor, but by being certain his material needs are provided so his mind may be on the ministry. 

Humbly

The pastor is not a lord over God's people. He is not better than them, more holy than them closer to God than them.  He is called not to use the people of God to create his own kingdom but to care for them with humility and to serve as an example of devotion, love and long suffering in the life lived for God. 

Scarcely Saved

1 Peter 4:18 KJV

And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Barnes Notes has some worthy thoughts on this passage:

“…[Peter] admits that the righteous are saved with difficulty, or that there are perils which jeopard their salvation, and which are of such a kind as to make it very near not to happen. They would indeed be saved, but it would be in such a manner as to show that the circumstances were such as to render it, to human appearances, doubtful and problematical. This peril may have arisen from many circumstances:

(a) The difficulty of forming a plan of salvation, involving a degree of wisdom wholly beyond that of man, and of such a character that beforehand it would have been problematical and doubtful whether it could be. …

(b) The difficulty of bringing those who are saved to a willingness to accept of salvation. …

(c) The difficulty of keeping them from falling away amidst the temptations and allurements of the world. …

(d) The difficulty of rescuing them from the power of the great enemy of souls.”

I am happy for the simple plan of salvation; that it is no difficult thing to be born again but that "…whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." But I am also aware that a good number of souls never come to realize the blessing of such salvation.

Countless numbers are trapped in a religion which blinds them to the way of the gospel

Still others are deceived that they have the gospel

But theirs is not the gospel of grace but another gospel which is accursed.

Many others are caught up in humanistic reasoning

They have embraced a doctrine that insists there is no salvation available nor necessary.

The salvation God offers is free to all and easily obtained. But it was hard won by Christ and only accepted by the few. It may then be said that we are scarcely saved. From the viewpoint of the man, that gospel was more likely to have been rejected than accepted.

We therefore, who are saved, have all the more reason to rejoice that we did in fact receive it. 

How to Silence the Ignorant

1 Peter 2:15 KJV

For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

Contemporary philosopher, Samuel Harris, has it out for religion, all religion. Catholic, Muslim, Hindu. (The possible exception he grants is to Buddhism). He argues from the utilitarian perspective that religion has done people more harm than good. He sees religion as oppressing personal freedom and suppressing the growth of humanity.[1]

Most Christians would argue that this is only true of eastern religions and especially of Islam; we characterize it as a religion of violence. When pressed we will agree that Catholicism also has a history of violence but we will then deny that Catholicism is pure Christianity. Trouble is that Protestantism, though having a much shorter history than Catholicism, has been no less violent. 

There is a kind Christianity that does not have a violent history.

• Instead of being oppressors, they were the oppressed
• Instead of forcing their views upon people, they won their converts through preaching and teaching the truth of the gospel
• Instead of persecuting those who disagreed with their doctrines, they prayed for them

The testimony of the ancient Anabaptists is remarkable to say the least.

So why doesn't Harris make an exception of the Anabaptists? I think it is because there is little in the Christian world that is representative of ancient Anabaptist faith. Those who have a claim to their lineage have too closely adopted the practices of Protestantism. Many would cheerfully identify with certain elements of Protestantism. Baptists, the rightful heirs of the Anabaptist heritage, have become much too focused on

• Politics
• Movements and
• Self promotion

We have trouble putting to silence the ignorance of foolish men because we are much too busy building our own self interests at the expense of others. Harris can easily argue that Baptists today are not utilitarian; do not seek to do the most good for the most people but, on the surface anyway, only seek to grow their own interests.

The old Anabaptists were interested in nothing more than the spreading of the good news of 

Jesus Christ. They were as generous with their lives as they were with the gospel. Their purpose was to advance the doctrines of Jesus Christ and not their own names, churches or possessions.

It is the will of God that we silence the enemies of Christ:

• Not by debate
• Not by intellectualism
• Not by political legislation 
• Not by overwhelming numbers

but by consistently, unwaveringly, selflessly doing the right thing.

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[1] http://www.ted.com/talks/sam_harris_science_can_show_what_s_right.html, accessed 1-29-14

Certain Sure and Definite

1 Peter 1:21 KJV

Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

People are prone to put faith and hope in all sorts of things:

• The ancients often put their faith and hope in a man made statue
• The oppressed very often put their faith and hope in a powerful leader, even if he is a dictator
• The gambler will put his faith and hope in the next roll of the dice or the next pick of the lottery
• The fearful may place their faith and hope in a system of religion or philosophy
• The sick will put their faith and hope in a doctor or a particular medical facility
• The love struck will put their faith and hope in the one they intend to marry, sometimes
• The quarreling couple will once in a while put their faith and hope in a newborn baby

In every case, the failure of this faith is rooted in the fact that none of these are perfect and sure. They each have their own failings. They may, in turn, be placing their faith and hope in the one who places faith and hope in them. 

The Bible urges us in a different direction. God's Word calls upon us to place our faith and hope in God. This is foolproof and sound because the object of the faith is

• Perfect in His character
• Sufficient in His self and
• Unchanging in His person

This hope is certain, sure and definite. It is as sure as if we had already taken possession of the thing hoped for. 

Wishing Evil vs Pronouncing Judgment

2 Chronicles 24:22 KJV

Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it.

There is a difference between wishing evil upon a person and telling them evil will come upon them. 

We are compelled to recognize a contrast between the stoning of Zechariah, here recorded and that of Stephen in the book of Acts. Stephen's words of prayer at the moment of his death are given in the spirit of forgiveness for those who so brutally took his life. Zechariah appears to have taken a different spirit, seemingly praying that he be revenged. The conflict is resolved when we see in the New Testament that Zechariah's words were not meant as a prayer for revenge but as a prophecy of the future. 

Both of these spirits are true and necessary. A Christian must faithfully pronounce that judgment is the end of the wicked. 

• There is a Tribulation
• There is a literal hell and
• There is a lake of fire and brimstone
• There is a chastening of the wayward Christian
• There is a sin unto death
• There is a worldly seed that, when sown, must be harvested

It would be calloused and irresponsible to not warn others of these judgments. On the other hand it would be unchristlike to wish any of them upon them. 

If the Lord wills and the creek don't rise

James 4:15 KJV

For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

The Bible is to be interpreted literally but understood spiritually. It means what it says but that doesn't mean we get what it says. 

"Ye ought to say, if the Lord will" carries a far deeper meaning that simply saying words. The context requires we understand this to be a dependence upon the Lord for

• Life
• Enablement and
• Means

 to do whatever it is we do. Merely saying "If the Lord wills and the creek don't rise" is a far cry from trusting the Lord for life and breath and being.

This is the true sense of the passage. 

Tread Lightly on Grace

2 Chronicles 20:18 KJV

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

Jehoshaphat is a marvelous story of recovery and the hope of another chance. A good king and a godly one, Jehoshaphat had that near fatal indiscretion of making an affinity with Ahab. He survived and not only returned home in peace but returned to demonstrate a greater spiritual ardor than previous. His rekindled faith was rewarded by great victory against an invading enemy. Truly he had not only survived his compromise with Ahab - he improved. 

But this ought not to be taken as permission to presume upon God's grace. A future, terrible price was yet top be paid. The seeds sown in his compromise did not yield fruit until his death, but it was bitter fruit indeed. 

When Jehoshaphat's son became king, his first act was to murder his brothers. Jehoshaphat's compromise introduced his son to Ahab's daughter. They married.

Whether she poisoned Jehoram alone or if the poison had already been planted by his grandfather's anger against God and his father's compromise and then sudden revival to spirituality, is difficult to tell.  Jehoram proved to be a wicked man. 

I am thankful for the grace of God; thankful for the second and sometimes third and fourth chances He gives. But I would be a fool to believe I can tread on such grace without price. 

Almost Swept Away

2 Chronicles 18:1 KJV

Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.

One of Jehoshaphat's first actions as king was to reinforce his position against Israel. Now we find him

• Befriending
• Making an allegiance with
• Marrying his son to the king of Israel's daughter and then
• Going out to war on the side of

Israel. Could it be that Jehoshaphat believed that he had strengthened himself sufficiently that Israel could no longer be a threat? Jehoshaphat could have even argued that he was being a spiritual example to Ahab. He urged him to seek the Lord prior to entering the battle and, when all of the patsy prophets had done their ritual, Jehoshaphat asked for a prophet who was loyal to the God of King David. 

But the error of Jehoshaphat's compromise became quickly apparent when, in battle, the enemy mistook him for Ahab. Though he was spared and returned home in peace, his son was not so spared. His wife, the daughter of Ahab, was a curse to Judah and to he and his children. 

We are inclined to believe, when we are strong, that we are capable of withstanding the temptations and troubles of compromise. The truth is, we are never strong enough to safely wade in the waters of worldliness. Any attempt to play in them will almost certainly result in our being swept away in the current.

The wise Christian strengthens himself against sin but always sees himself as weak and in need of the strength of God.

There All The Time

2 Chronicles 15:1-2 KJV

And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:

And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

I find it interesting that none of my usual commentaries make note of the theology of this passage; theology which so seemingly contradicts New Testament thinking. We are prone to say things such as, "You may leave God but He never leaves you." Our theology teaches us that, no matter how far we remove ourselves from the things of God, when we turn to seek Him we learn that, "He was there all the time."

What we find here is not a contradiction in theology but a demonstration of the perspective of the Old Testament believer vs. the New Testament believer. The Old Testament was more about form more than the truth, about the shadow rather than the body of doctrine. The Old Testament believer tended to see results rather than the underlying spiritual truth

• The result of forsaking God is the loss of blessing and victory
• The result of trusting God is the experience of blessing and victory

In neither case did the position of God move. He is immutable, unchangeable, without variableness or shadow of turning. God never leaves us nor forsakes us. Indeed whenever we have forsaken God, if we will but turn toward Him we will find He has never been afar off. He was "there all the time."  

However, the experience of being forsaken of a God is as real today as it was in the Old Testament. God is here; but sin still separates us from God. It breaks our sense of fellowship; it ruins our joy in the knowledge of His presence.

Asa demonstrates this truth as well. In his later years he chose to trust a foreign king for aide against an enemy. He succeeded in the battle but when the prophet rebuked him he refused to repent. In his last years he suffered with diseased feet but refused to ask God for healing. His sin was not that he sought the help of the physicians but that he rejected the help of God.

God was there but Asa couldn't enjoy His presence.