Alternate Plans
Bible Order: Exod 37–38
Chronological Order: Gen 48–50
Why Serve God
God really doesn’t look at things the way we do. I have always been struck by how God’s way is often counterintuitive to man’s. We think the first should be first and the last should be last but God says the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Doesn’t make sense in human terms does it? We think that if we do more good than bad we should be able to get in to Heaven but God says even being angry with someone is enough to keep you out of Heaven no matter how much good you’ve done.
In today’s reading Jesus tells a parable that says those who belong to Him will inherit Heaven and our share of Heaven will have nothing to do with how long we were a Christian. This means the guy that has lived a horrible sin-filled life and truly submits his life to Christ just a day before he dies will have the same inheritance as a person who lived faithfully as a Christian for 60 years. Theoretically a brutal mass murderer could be saved and have the same inheritance in Heaven as you or me. Would that make you mad? (I say theoretically because a brutal mass murderer would have a pretty hardened heart – Jesus could melt that heart but they would still have to submit.)
You know, I don’t believe the story Jesus tells is really about the size of our inheritance but about our attitude toward others and toward God. Do we think we really earn a greater reward because of time served? Let me tell you something, the amount of time you serve Christ is meaningless; the attitude of your heart is everything. You were a sinner before a Holy God. He chose to show you grace and mercy. Does He take anything from you if he shows grace and mercy to another? Do you lose if a last minute convert receives as much of a blessing as you? Of the people I know that are following this blog I have a hard time imagining that they would be disturbed by such a scenario, but evidently there are enough people out there that would be disturbed to warrant Jesus addressing the issue.
We all need to understand something. None of us deserves Heaven. No amount of good work, pre or post conversion, matters. We serve God after our conversion because we love Him and want to serve Him, not because we hope for a greater reward. If you are serving God for any other reason you need to examine your heart. Something is wrong. Serve God out of love not desire for gain.
Have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
Alternate Plans
Bible Order: Exod 34–36
Chronological Order: Gen 45–47
Divorce
Divorce is a problem in our nation today. It was a problem for the nation of Israel long ago as well. I recently heard a statistic that the divorce rate among self-proclaimed Christians is now higher than among non-Christians. What’s up with that? Divorce poseses a problem for Christians and the words of Christ spoken in today’s reading are some of the hardest concerning divorce in the entire Bible. Again my old friend J. Vernon McGee handles this subject very well so I thought I would share his commentary with you.
“The Pharisees came to tempt or to test Him. They were after Him, trying to put Him in opposition to the Mosaic system. They brought a problem which is just as difficult today as it was then. “Is it lawful for a man to put away [divorce] his wife for every cause?” That is an equally live issue among Christians in our day.
Let me preface this a little by saying that God has given to all of mankind certain things for the welfare of the human family. For instance, He has given marriage for the protection of the home. Marriage is something which God has given to be a blessing to mankind whether saved or unsaved. Another example is that of capital punishment which God gave for the protection of a nation, to protect the lives of its citizens. Also God gave the sabbath law for the protection of the individual, that he might have one day of rest. God gave these laws to protect the individual, the family, and the nation. These were general laws which He gave to all mankind. Later on, He made them specific for His chosen people.
Now let’s look at this question concerning marriage. Here it is in the smaller context of the nation Israel, of course. And we look at it today in the light of the contemporary Christian. “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?”
…The Lord Jesus took them back to the very beginning, back to God’s ideal of marriage. The Mosaic Law had permitted divorce on a broad basis: “When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house” (Deut. 24:1).
As far as the Mosaic Law was concerned, a divorce was not as bad as was marriage to a stranger. For instance, if the priest’s daughter married a stranger, she was shut out from the nation Israel. However, as time went on, the Mosaic Law was made meaningless, and the granting of divorce was done on the flimsiest pretexts, such as burning the bread. As a result, there was a great deal of discussion relative to divorce in our Lord’s day.
…This was God’s original plan for man and woman before sin entered the human family. Divorce was not in God’s original plan. Why? Because sin was not in God’s original plan, and divorce is always a result of sin. Regardless of what you may say, there is sin in the relationship somewhere which causes divorce. So our Lord took them back to the original plan of God.
…You ought to read Deuteronomy 24:1–4 to get the background for their question. Why did Moses permit divorce?
…Why did Moses permit it? Because of the hardness of their hearts. You see, marriage was given to mankind, and it is the tenderest and the sweetest of human relationships. There is nothing like it. And, actually, marriage was to represent the relationship between Christ and the church. Therefore, only believers can set forth this high and holy relationship. However, when they fail, and bitterness and hardness of heart enter in, then that marriage becomes a hollow sham, and it is just a mockery of marriage. My friend, marriage is either made in heaven or in hell—there is no third place to make it. When marriage is made in the wrong place, it is in trouble to begin with. Even Christians find that marriage becomes a very shaky proposition.
Because of the hardness of the human heart, God permitted divorce. God is merciful to us—oh, how merciful! But His ideal is never divorce. I recognize that we are living in a culture which is very lax in this area. There are multitudes of divorced folk who will be reading this book. Let me repeat that the background of divorce is always sin. But, after all, all of us are sinners. Since God can forgive murderers, He can also forgive divorced folk. But we need to recognize that the root cause of divorce is sin.
Now our Lord is going to give something new—
…Adultery breaks the marriage relationship and provides the one ground for divorce. Somebody says to me, “Yes, but here is this poor Christian woman, married to a drunkard!” Or a fine Christian man is married to a godless woman. What about that? Well, believers may separate on other grounds, which seems to be the whole point of 1 Corinthians 7, but divorce is permitted on only one basis, adultery.
Divorce was granted for the purpose of permitting the innocent party to remarry. This rule is applicable only to believers; God is not regulating the lives of unbelievers but is holding them to the message of the cross first. God wants the unbeliever to come to Christ. He is lost whether he is married, divorced, or single. It makes no difference until he accepts Christ. The important thing to note is that for believers He puts down one ground for divorce: adultery.
Now suppose there is a believer whose spouse got a divorce on another ground. What about the innocent party? Well, if there has been adultery there, and in most cases there has been, then the innocent party is permitted to remarry. I believe that is the whole thought in this particular case.”
McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed.). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
Alternate Plans
Bible Order: Exod 31–33
Chronological Order: Gen 43–44
Forgiven Debtors
Boy some folks make me made. I get angry when somebody cuts me off in traffic. I get angry when I see people acting disrespectfully toward others. I get mad when people use stereotypes to put down all Christians. I get particularly put out when I think someone has done me wrong. What does it take for me to forgive them?
I once heard a Christian brother put forward the idea that for a person to be forgiven they have to ask for forgiveness. In other words we are under no obligation to forgive someone if they haven’t asked for forgiveness. In terms of salvation forgiveness comes after repentance and a request for forgiveness so in that sense they are correct. Did the guy who cut me off in traffic feel bad for what he did? Did he ask me for forgiveness? To the second question I say no and to the first I say I doubt it. Does this mean I have no obligation to forgive him?
I raise the question of forgiveness because it is the subject of our reading today. Peter came up to Jesus and asked Him how often he should forgive his brother’s sin against him. Peter had come up with his own answer to that question. He suggested seven times. Do you think Peter might have had a particular person in mind when he asked that question? Perhaps he was looking for a reason to hold a grudge.
Jesus’ answer was 77 times. Now He didn’t actually mean that you should count every wrong done to you by a person and once you get to 78 you can hold a grudge. He used a large variation on Peter’s suggested 7 times to allegorically say that we should always forgive. Jesus went on to give the example of a king who forgave the debt of a man who owed him a huge amount of money. This man was forgiven much. By rights he deserved to be sold, along with his wife, children, and property, to pay his debt, but the king had mercy on him and set him free.
This newly forgiven and freed man then went to another man who owed him a much smaller debt in comparison and when that man couldn’t pay he had him put into debtor’s prison. I thought I would do a little comparison here between these debts. A Talent of gold was about 75 pounds in weight. Gold today is selling at $1,738.35 an ounce. 16 ounces equal a pound so 16 times $1,738.35 is $27,813.60. Seventy-five pounds of gold, or one Talent, therefore would be worth $2,086,020 at today’s prices. The man in question owed 10,000 talents to the king or $20,860,200,000. Did you catch that? The guy owed $20.8 Billion! If he lived today we surely would elect him to Congress! That guy could blow through money with the best of them!
So what did the other guy owe him? The Bible says a Denarii was the equivalent of one day’s wages for a laborer. The Denarii was a Roman coin made of Silver. Silver today is selling for $33.86 an ounce. The Denarii was 3.75 grams so I had to do a little converting here. A gram of silver at today’s prices would be equal to $17.42. $17.42 times 3.75 grams equals $65.33. In today’s prices a Denarii is worth $65.33. The second man owed the first 100 Denarii so his debt equaled $6,532.50 in today’s dollars.
Do you see the difference between the debt of the first guy and the debt of the second ($20 Billion versus $6,500)? Do you see the point Jesus is making here? Our debt before a Holy God is out-of-this-world-huge. It is so huge that the only way to pay it was for God Himself to come down to earth in the form of a baby and eventually die a horrible, bloody death. Jesus paid that debt for you and me. Let’s call it a $20 Billion dollar debt. God gave you grace and forgave that incredible debt.
Now someone makes you mad. How are you going to deal with that? Will you demand restitution? Will you hold a grudge? The person that offended you owes you $6,500 but God forgave you $20 Billion. Do you think you can forgive the person who is in your debt?
The Lord’s Prayer includes the following line:
Matthew 6:12
“and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
Have you forgiven your debtors? Jesus says if you won’t forgive your debtors – those that sinned against you – you will be delivered to the jailer until you shall pay all your debts.
Matthew 18:33-35 ESV
“And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
We are to forgive from the heart. Jesus is always concerned about the heart. So back to my original question, should I only forgive if someone asks me for forgiveness? Certainly, in this story, both parties asked for forgiveness so my Christian friend seems to be supported in his belief, but I’m still not sure he is correct. What happens to your heart when you hold on to anger and resentment? My heart becomes dark and if we remember from our earlier reading in Matthew what comes out of our heart is what defiles us.
Thinking back on the cross I realize that I didn’t ask Jesus to come down to earth and die for my sins. He knew I needed forgiveness and so He came and sacrificed Himself as part of His plan from the beginning. Now I must accept the forgiveness of my debt. Doing so does require that I acknowledge my sin and ask for forgiveness but that is a matter of my heart. Jesus already set forgiveness in motion which was a matter of His heart. So having been forgiven where is your heart? Can you not forgive in your heart even when the offender has not asked for forgiveness? For the sake of the other person I hope they acknowledge their debt to you and ask for forgiveness, but for your sake I hope you won’t be held hostage to their request. I hope you will forgive as you have been forgiven.
Have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
Alternate Plans
Bible Order: Exod 29–30
Chronological Order: Gen 41–42
The Little Ones Shall Not Perish
Jesus speaks about children today. In one sense He uses children as a metaphor but much of what He says concerns literal children. The disciples were evidently arguing amongst themselves as to who would be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. I suspect a few of them might have thought it would be they. Strangely Jesus’ response was to say that unless they became as children they wouldn’t even enter the Kingdom.
Matthew 18:3-4 ESV
“…Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’”
So, whoever humbles himself, like the child he called over to them, is the greatest in the Kingdom. First to enter the Kingdom of Heaven one must be born again. Being born again means you start off as a spiritual infant. Spiritual maturity comes with time and effort. Now, does a child lead or follow? A child is not given authority over others; a child has someone in authority over them and they obey that authority. The greatest in Heaven is not a leader. The greatest in Heaven is a follower. A spiritually mature Christian will not be the greatest leader in Heaven; he will be the greatest follower. He will be the one who completely submits his will to that of Jesus Christ.
You see, in Heaven Jesus will have all authority just as He will on Earth. Jesus said that if anyone wished to come after Him he must first deny himself. Humility is the mark of the greatest in Heaven. The one who does not esteem himself will be the greatest. Jesus, being God incarnate, did not come to Earth commanding worship as was His right. He submitted Himself to the will of the Father. He sacrificed His wants and desires for the well-being of others. There was no greater selfless person in the history of the world than Jesus Christ. Now we know that the greatest in Heaven will be Jesus Himself. The most esteemed, after Christ, will be those who do not esteem themselves.
This is what you are maturing toward brothers. As you grow spiritually your life will be less and less about yourself and more and more about Jesus Christ. Being about Him means that you will be about His children and the lost.
Finally, as Jesus speaks about the lost sheep we see an analogy for lost people. While I think that analogy is proper, I actually think He really is talking about children. Jesus has a child with Him as He is speaking with the disciples so when He says “See that you do not despise on of these little ones” He is speaking about children.
Matthew 18:14 ESV
“So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”
God looks out for the little children. He has given man free will but if man abuses that freedom there will be consequences; especially if he abuses a child. If Mr. Sandusky actually did abuse children he is in for a bumpy eternal ride. That said, the verse above gives us assurance that when a child dies they are not condemned to Hell because they hadn’t yet submitted their life to Christ. Children have not reached an age of accountability and God will protect them. In fact I find the following verse rather interesting.
Matthew 18:10 ESV
“… For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
“Their angels” – what do you suppose He meant by that? I think God provides protection for the little ones. That doesn’t mean they won’t suffer. We live in a perverted world and all of creation suffers. What I mean is that God watches over children and He will bring them to Him if their suffering comes to death. If you lost a child my heart breaks for you. I cannot imagine the pain you must have felt and continue to feel, but take heart in the knowledge that your child is with God and the angels.
You know I’m reminded of David who, through his adulterous affair with Bathsheba had a child. That child became sick, and while sick David mourned terribly. He was inconsolable. He didn’t eat; he lay on the ground all night for seven days until his child died. His advisors were afraid to tell him that his child had died. They figured if he was this upset by his illness he would go nuts by his passing. Contrary to their fear, upon hearing of the child’s death David got up from the ground, washed and anointed himself, changed his clothes, went and worshipped God in the temple and then went home to eat.
After eating his servants asked why he wept and mourned while the child was sick but got back to business when he died. This is how David answered:
2 Samuel 12:22-23
“He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Being dead David’s child could not come to him but David said he would go to the child. How would he do that? My friend his young child was in Heaven and David knew that he would see that child when he too got to Heaven. Mourning wouldn’t bring the child back but he had the assurance that he would one day go to the child. That was his assurance and it is our assurance today.
Have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
Alternate Plans
Bible Order: Exod 27–28
Chronological Order: Gen 38–40
The Shadow Of The Cross
The shadow of the cross hung over the manger in which Jesus lay at His birth. It continued to hang over him through His life and His ministry. As we read today that shadow gets bigger. Jesus has been preparing His disciples for His eventual departure from the first moment He called them. Today He specifically tells them He will die and be resurrected but first He is transfigured before the very eyes of Peter, James, and John. Interestingly enough the conversation He had with Moses and Elijah during the transfiguration concerned His coming crucifixion. We read of that in Luke’s version of the transfiguration.
Luke 9:30-31
“And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”
What was to be accomplished? The crucifixion was to be accomplished. His death and resurrection was to be accomplished. The salvation of all who would accept His sacrifice was to be accomplished. Moses represented the Law and Elijah represented the prophets. Jesus was the fulfillment of the law and prophecy. When Jesus hung on that cross and breathed His last He said “It is finished” and it was indeed finished. The Law and the Prophets culminated in His sacrifice; His resurrection assured.
Later, as Jesus walked down the mountain with His three disciples He told them point blank:
Matthew 17:9 ESV
“And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”
Remember that the phrase “Son of Man” is an euphemism for the Messiah and that Peter earlier stated that he was aware that Jesus was the Messiah, the “Son of Man”. This means that when Jesus says to tell no one the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead He is telling them He will die and be resurrected. Jesus did a lot of this. He told them often what was coming but they just couldn’t wrap their heads around it. They never even realized what He meant until He stood among them after His death and resurrection.
He told them a second time in today’s reading:
Matthew 17:22-23 ESV
“As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.”
So Jesus got even more explicit and they were upset for a time but still they could not comprehend His fate. Jesus did a lot of great things while He lived but His purpose was not to heal or to perform miracles or even to teach. His purpose was to die. The preparation of His disciples was intended for their purpose. Their purpose was to spread the Gospel. That is your purpose today as well. Jesus did His part and died on the cross for you, for me, and for anyone willing to turn over authority over their lives to Him. Are you doing the part assigned to you?
Have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
Alternate Plans
Bible Order: Exod 24–26
Chronological Order: Gen 35–37
You Have The Keys
In these few short verses today we have two extremely controversial statements by Christ that continue to confound many to this very day. One of these statements has become a wedge that divides the body of Christ.
Matthew 16:18 ESV
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Jesus began this conversation by challenging His disciples to properly identify Him. There was much controversy among the people of that day as to who Jesus was. Was He a prophet like Jeremiah? Was He the resurrected Elijah as promised in the Bible? Was He John the Baptist, that is to say a great teacher, but nothing more? These were the various opinions being bandied about as Jesus walked the Holy Land. It is confession of Jesus as the Son of God which leads to salvation. It is this very question “Who is Christ?” which every person to this day must answer for themself.
Now Peter, being led by the Holy Spirit answered “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Peter’s answer resulted in Jesus telling him that he was blessed because flesh and blood had not revealed this to him. Now wait a minute. Wasn’t it Jesus who mentored Peter and the other disciples? Why would this have been revealed by God in Heaven rather than by Jesus on Earth? Some of us today wish we could have been there 2,000 years ago and sat at the Master’s feet as He taught. We seem to think it would have made belief in who He is somehow easier. Evidently not. It was the Holy Spirit who revealed the identity of Christ to Peter and the others back then just as He does today.
Okay so now we have this statement that “on this rock I will build my church”. Some believe that Jesus was saying that He would build His church on Peter or on his efforts. The Catholic church believes it is this very verse that gives the Pope spiritual authority over all Christians. Well this verse and the next:
Matthew 16:19 ESV
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Others believe that verse 18 refers to the idea that a confession of faith in Jesus Christ is that upon which Christ will build His church. Still others believe that Jesus is saying He will build His church upon Himself. I find the first interpretation rather tortured and flimsy. I view the other two as rather viable. Let’s take a closer look at verse 18 shall we?
“You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church”. In the original Greek we read “You are Petros and upon this petra I will build my church.” “Petros” means “a little piece of rock” and “petra” means “bedrock”. Now clearly Jesus is using a play on words to communicate a truth. Is that truth that He will build His church on one little rock, one rather week minded and week willed fisherman nicknamed “little rock”, or is it that He will build His church on something more substantial like bedrock? Is that bedrock a confession of who Jesus Christ is or is Jesus Christ Himself? I can almost see Jesus pointing to Peter as He says “little rock” and to Himself as He says “bedrock”. Can you?
My current favorite biblical commentator is J. Vernon McGee and he thought it is upon Jesus Himself that His church is being built. I can’t argue with this but the entire context of the conversation revolves around a confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. It seems to me we are splitting hairs. The church is built upon Jesus the Christ and a confession that He is the Christ for no one comes to the Father except through Him – not through Peter.
Where in Scripture does it say that Peter will pass on this alleged spiritual authority to only one person at a time? I’m afraid some weak Pope centuries ago saw in scripture a perversion that would allow him more power. He twisted scripture to suit his own desires for power. I am sorry for him. Meeting his maker must have been rather uncomfortable for him.
All of this, however, brings us to the issue of Peter being given the keys to the kingdom of heaven and the power to bind and set free. What are the keys of heaven? I’m afraid I do disagree with Mr. McGee who says that the keys are the Word of God. I’m sorry but I just don’t see that. Keys unlock an entry way. Can Scripture open the door to heaven? No, I’m afraid many a non-believer has read the Scriptures and walked away as lost and banished as when they started.
What allows us in to Heaven? Jesus Christ allows us in to Heaven. His bloody death and glorious resurrection open the door for us. By confessing Jesus as the Christ, the One who died, was buried, and was raised three days later just as Scripture foretold, one gains forgiveness for one’s sins and entry to Heaven. So Jesus is the key as is confession of who He is. But what about this binding and loosing business?
When we don’t share Christ with a lost person they are bound on Earth and excluded from Heaven. When we share Christ, and the Holy Spirit draws that person to saving faith in Him, that person is set free on Earth and gains entry to Heaven for eternity. The promise of the keys to Heaven was not a promise to Peter alone but to every Christian as we each are given the keys and the responsibility to set people free with them.
Did you realize you have the power to set people free? You do in that you can share Christ. You can’t save anyone, only the work of the Holy Spirit can work that miracle just as He did with Peter, but if you don’t share Christ with the lost they will be forever doomed.
Okay I guess I’m going to have to hit the second controversy quickly.
Matthew 16:28 ESV
“Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Jesus has not yet returned and all the people who heard Jesus speak are long dead. How can this statement by Jesus be true? I don’t have space to go into detail but tomorrow we are going to read about the transfiguration of Christ. It was at the moment that Peter, James, and John witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus that His prophecy was fulfilled. These three saw the Son of Man coming in his kingdom at that very moment.
Let me ask you, where do you think Jesus is right now? You say Heaven right? Brothers, that is His Kingdom. Those three fellows saw Jesus as He is today. This is not a dud of a prophecy. It has already happened.
Okay, I’m closing in on 1,200 words so I’ll have to leave it all at that. Let me know what you think and have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
Matthew 20:1–19
Matthew 19
Matthew 18:21–35
Matthew 18:1–20
Matthew 17
Matthew 16:13–28
