Mercy is one of the great characteristics of God. Mercy and grace are like twin sisters. Mercy has to do with delivering one from their misery, grace has to do with delivering one from their sin. Sometimes they are independent. Sometimes one is the result of the other. But if grace and mercy are twin sisters, then their mother is Love. Love is supreme over all the spiritual gifts and love is the motive behind mercy and grace. God is a God of love, mercy and grace and no passage in the Bible illustrates it more than the first few chapters of Hosea.
In Hosea chapter one God commands a young preacher named Hosea to get a wife of harlotry, and have children, as an example to the Israelites which had committed flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord. So Hosea went and took a wife by the name of Gomer. He loved her very much. Maybe he didn’t understand the harlotry part at the time. I believe the indication in scripture is that she wasn’t a harlot when he married her. We can assume that it was a mutual love, and soon she had a male child. God said name him Jezreel which means “cast away”, and referred to the atrocities of Jezebel and King Ahab. God was prophesying through the name of this child that He is going to put an end to the kingdom of Israel.
After a while, another child. a daughter, was born to Hosea’s wife. This one was named Loruhamah which means “not pitied”. God would no longer have pity or compassion on Israel. And after she had been weaned, she had another child, and it is likely that it was apparent by this time that Gomer had begun to fool around. God said to name this boy Lo Ammi, which means “you are not my people”. She was already being unfaithful to Hosea, and you can only imagine the anguish of knowing his wife was a harlot and knowing that this child wasn’t his.
God had said that he would name these children as a sign to his people, but also foretold a day of restoration: "And I will have pity on Not-Pitied, and I will say to Not-My-People, 'You are my people;' and he shall say, 'Thou art my God.'" So that even in this time when God was announcing judgment his mercy also was being shown.
Soon Gomer’s running around went from adultery to actually leaving Hosea and then moving in with another man. Over time, it seems Gomer was passed around from man to man, moving ever lower on the social ladder until at last she fell into the hands of a man who was unable to even pay for her food and her clothing. As she became more and more degraded in her adultery, she had become less desirable, eventually ending up with the worst sort of man who was unable to even take care of her. But Hosea had never stopped loving Gomer and was always watching to make sure that she was ok. And so Hosea sought out the man one day and gave him money to make sure that his former wife was fed and clothed. Even though he couldn’t be with her, he still loved her and wanted her to be cared for and provided for. But it’s doubtful that the man she was living with gave Hosea any credit for the provisions, because the passage says that she praised the man she was living with for providing her with food and clothing. And that is another picture of God’s mercy towards us, in that even while we were living in adultery away from Him, He continued to provide and watch out for us, even though we praised our idols and the works of our hands for our provision.
Finally though the day came when the man’s lifestyle had indebted him so much - or maybe he felt Gomer wasn’t desirable to him anymore - and so he put her up for auction, to be sold as a slave, which was often done in that day to satisfy a debt. And somehow Hosea found out about it and made his way to the auction. We can imagine Gomer standing there on the auction block, stripped of all her beauty, just a shell of the beautiful woman she had once been. But somehow, Hosea still loved her. The going price for a slave in those days was 30 pieces of silver and Hosea paid 15, plus a homer and a half of barley. She was no longer desirable for anything other than the lowest sort of slave, and yet Hosea still loved her and desired her. He gladly paid the price required and reclaimed her as his own.
Though over 2000 years old, the story of Gomer is my story and your story. We too have played the harlot and gone after our old lovers of the world. We give our love and attention to those things that once enslaved us, spurning the love of God, and end up used and bruised and just about worthless. Yet God never stops loving us, and while we were yet sinners running from Him, sent Jesus to purchase us. He was faithful, even when we were not.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
talent vs gifts
In I Corinthians 12 we have been studying the very difficult passage of scripture regarding spiritual gifts. There is no other area of scripture short of eschatology that I believe is more misunderstood than the area of spiritual gifts. And in studying this fact, I think it stems from a basic confusion of talents for spiritual gifts. So many people in the church today are judging things according to the way that they seem from the natural perspective. But the Bible tells us in 1Cr 2:14 that “a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised”.
Furthermore, the Bible says that the things of the flesh and the things of the Spirit are diametrically opposed. Rom. 8:6 “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” It’s important to understand this: that when you were born in the flesh, you inherited the color of your eyes, and hair and many characteristics of your body and natural abilities from your parents. You undoubtedly have natural talents that you inherited. You may be a great singer, or a superb athlete, and these are natural talents that you were born with. But those are natural talents and the Bible says that they cannot please God. Remember – no one is born a Christian. You were born dead in your trespasses and sin. Spiritually you needed to be reborn. You did not have the natural capacity for being restored to God, so God had to supernaturally indwell you by the Spirit of Christ and cause you to be born again, not of the flesh, but of the Spirit. You now are alive in your spirit because of the indwelling of the Spirit of God.
That’s why Paul says in Gal 3:3 “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” You see, our natural talents and abilities are not necessarily gifts of God. In fact, they may be an impediment to serving God. But God will supernaturally provide each of us with the gifts of the spirit as needed for the building up of the body of Christ. Not for our personal edification, but for service to the body. Consequently, our natural talents and abilities may not be acceptable for God’s purposes. Because in most cases, it is impossible for us to do so without including our pride in it as well. God says He will not share His glory with man.
Martha may have thought she was exercising her spiritual gift of service in her serving Jesus and the disciples. It was what she was good at. She may have been an accomplished cook and was working hard to prepare this meal for Jesus. And yet, Jesus rebuked her for being concerned about earthly things, when the spiritual things of Mary were so much better. Our churches today look oftentimes at the methods, means and talents of the world and try to apply these things to the church. But they are often diametrically opposed. We hire pastors and youth leaders and promote elders in the church the same way we would hire someone for a secular position. We hire professional musicians to entertain in an attempt to draw people to the church. And as a result our church services resemble a night club and we add more and more entertainment features in order to satisfy the desires of the flesh.
In reality, I think God calls us to do the things we are not comfortable doing, that we have no natural ability to do, that doesn’t match our personality assessment worksheet, and yet He promises that He will supply all our needs to accomplish His will according to His riches in glory. In physical weakness, then am I strong by the power of the Spirit. God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the wise. Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord. I Cor. 1:31
Furthermore, the Bible says that the things of the flesh and the things of the Spirit are diametrically opposed. Rom. 8:6 “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” It’s important to understand this: that when you were born in the flesh, you inherited the color of your eyes, and hair and many characteristics of your body and natural abilities from your parents. You undoubtedly have natural talents that you inherited. You may be a great singer, or a superb athlete, and these are natural talents that you were born with. But those are natural talents and the Bible says that they cannot please God. Remember – no one is born a Christian. You were born dead in your trespasses and sin. Spiritually you needed to be reborn. You did not have the natural capacity for being restored to God, so God had to supernaturally indwell you by the Spirit of Christ and cause you to be born again, not of the flesh, but of the Spirit. You now are alive in your spirit because of the indwelling of the Spirit of God.
That’s why Paul says in Gal 3:3 “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” You see, our natural talents and abilities are not necessarily gifts of God. In fact, they may be an impediment to serving God. But God will supernaturally provide each of us with the gifts of the spirit as needed for the building up of the body of Christ. Not for our personal edification, but for service to the body. Consequently, our natural talents and abilities may not be acceptable for God’s purposes. Because in most cases, it is impossible for us to do so without including our pride in it as well. God says He will not share His glory with man.
Martha may have thought she was exercising her spiritual gift of service in her serving Jesus and the disciples. It was what she was good at. She may have been an accomplished cook and was working hard to prepare this meal for Jesus. And yet, Jesus rebuked her for being concerned about earthly things, when the spiritual things of Mary were so much better. Our churches today look oftentimes at the methods, means and talents of the world and try to apply these things to the church. But they are often diametrically opposed. We hire pastors and youth leaders and promote elders in the church the same way we would hire someone for a secular position. We hire professional musicians to entertain in an attempt to draw people to the church. And as a result our church services resemble a night club and we add more and more entertainment features in order to satisfy the desires of the flesh.
In reality, I think God calls us to do the things we are not comfortable doing, that we have no natural ability to do, that doesn’t match our personality assessment worksheet, and yet He promises that He will supply all our needs to accomplish His will according to His riches in glory. In physical weakness, then am I strong by the power of the Spirit. God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the wise. Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord. I Cor. 1:31
Saturday, November 6, 2010
the first shall be last, and the last first
When the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he needed to do to obtain eternal life, Jesus answered that he was to sell all his possessions, give the money to the poor, and come and follow Him. But the Bible says in Matthew 19 that the young man went away sorrowful, because he had many possessions. He counted the cost and decided it was more than he was willing to pay.
Not long before, Jesus had said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matt. 16:24-26
After the rich young ruler left, Peter, as the spokesman for the twelve, said to Jesus, “What about us? We left everything and followed you.” And the answer Jesus gave him was a promise that in the regeneration they would sit on thrones with Christ. The Jewish world that disdained them and scorned them, would one day be judged by them.
But money or possessions are only a symptom of a greater problem that keeps us from really following God. And that greater problem that all of us are guilty of is pride. It is at the root of every sin. It was the original sin of Satan, (I will be like God), Eve, Cain, and all the way down through history to the rich young ruler. At the center of “pride” is the letter “I”. And it is also at the center of “sin”.
Like the rich young ruler, how much of our efforts in religion are founded in pride? How much of our works are for others to see our righteousness? How much is our desire for spiritual prominence or even spiritual gifts rooted in pride?
Many of us today are suffering in one way or another. But rather than looking at our trials as something we need to manipulate God to deliver us from, perhaps we need to rejoice, that God has counted us worthy to endure suffering. Let God’s pruning in us “have it’s perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” What we lose on earth we gain in heaven. “But let the brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position, and let the rich man glory in his humiliation.” James 1:9. Jesus said the humble shall inherit the earth, and the poor in spirit, or those without pride, belong to the kingdom of heaven. But many who are first shall be last, and the last, first.
Not long before, Jesus had said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matt. 16:24-26
After the rich young ruler left, Peter, as the spokesman for the twelve, said to Jesus, “What about us? We left everything and followed you.” And the answer Jesus gave him was a promise that in the regeneration they would sit on thrones with Christ. The Jewish world that disdained them and scorned them, would one day be judged by them.
But money or possessions are only a symptom of a greater problem that keeps us from really following God. And that greater problem that all of us are guilty of is pride. It is at the root of every sin. It was the original sin of Satan, (I will be like God), Eve, Cain, and all the way down through history to the rich young ruler. At the center of “pride” is the letter “I”. And it is also at the center of “sin”.
Like the rich young ruler, how much of our efforts in religion are founded in pride? How much of our works are for others to see our righteousness? How much is our desire for spiritual prominence or even spiritual gifts rooted in pride?
Many of us today are suffering in one way or another. But rather than looking at our trials as something we need to manipulate God to deliver us from, perhaps we need to rejoice, that God has counted us worthy to endure suffering. Let God’s pruning in us “have it’s perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” What we lose on earth we gain in heaven. “But let the brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position, and let the rich man glory in his humiliation.” James 1:9. Jesus said the humble shall inherit the earth, and the poor in spirit, or those without pride, belong to the kingdom of heaven. But many who are first shall be last, and the last, first.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
