What's The Answer?

"If a man is not made for God, why is he happy only in God?  If man is made for God, why is he opposed to God?" --Blaise Pascal 
"People live lives of quiet desperation." --Henry David Thoreau
"We have found all the questions, now let's find the answers." --G. K. Chesterton
"Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none" (Psalm 69:20, KJV, italics added).
"Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; and without the life, there is no living." --Thomas a Kempis

According to the Rev. Billy Graham, man is pursuing a "Great Quest" that has him searching for answers and meaning in life. Man is empty with a vacuum only God can fill according to Blaise Pascal.  Billy Graham says also that "we grasp at every passing straw and even as we clutch, it disappears." The world has little to offer by way of the reason for living, or what makes life worthwhile.  All religions and worldviews do attempt to answer man's dilemma, but they all fall short except Christianity.  Christ is not the best way, nor one of many ways, but the only way according to A. W. Tozer.  

So how does man seek fulfillment? He may think the answer is in higher education, a better standard of living, or in political power and freedom.  But note that the Germans, during the Nazi era, had this and still developed into a depraved society bent on evil such as has never been seen by any nation in modern history.  The devil will sow evil wherever his seed can take root in empty souls.

It is commonplace today for many to find crutches to lean on: humanism or self-help such as pop psychology; cynicism or an attitude of negativism; supernaturalism or into the occult; and even escapism or using drugs and artificial means to evade reality altogether.  We all have a crutch, but the Christian has a reliable and trustworthy one in the Word of God, which has stood the test of time and is relative to everyone. In the final analysis, it's good to feel so bad, empty and needy, even hurt, for then we might realize our bankruptcy before God and seek His face in salvation, who is our only Answer and Peace.

But there is hope to this lost world where the blind lead the blind:  Jesus is the Answer and the Answerer and those who follow Him see the light!  We don't need to know everything or all the answers to believe and to be content!  We know to whom to go for consolation and comfort in our time of need.  Jesus solves every dilemma of man and has a balm for every sore, a balsam for every wound.  In Christ, we can be content in any circumstance and rejoice in the Lord regardless!  The joy of the Lord is our strength in times of crisis and trial.  

If you just want to go somewhere and don't much care where, it matters not who you follow or what direction you go, eventually you'll get somewhere!  But with Christ, our past is forgiven, our present given meaning and our future and destiny assured and certain, and we have an eternal home to anticipate while we live in light of eternity.  We must attempt great things for God and expect great things from God, according to William Carey, father of modern missions.  They say, "If you aim at nothing, you'll get nowhere!"

The devil and the world have a lot to offer to get us off track from the spiritual dimension and take away from our thirst for the Word and God.  We must realize our enemy is threefold: the world, the flesh, and the devil; however, we are our own worst enemy.  We live in an enemy-occupied territory or Satan's turf and must engage in angelic warfare with God's armor.  But be of good cheer:  the battle is the Lord's!  Note that when we become believers that the battle has just begun and we get on Satan's hit list.  And so there is not a yin/yang struggle of good and evil, for evil is only a parasite and deprivation of good and cannot exist in itself apart from it.   We must grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ and learn to discern good and evil in order to fight the good fight and keep the faith.

In conclusion, the answer to life's dilemmas of sin, sorrow, and death is an on-going relationship with Jesus, not a code of conduct to follow, a creed to adhere to, or catalog of religious ideas or meditations to escape reality; for Plato was right to the point:  to know how to live in reality we must know what God is really like; and we can take comfort in the fact that God is like Jesus, whom to know is eternal life (cf. John 17:3).   In the final analysis, you'll never know all the answers and shouldn't just study to try to learn them all, but learn to grow dependent on the Great Answerer Himself in faith!         Soli Deo Gloria!

Investing Your Life

"But nothing, not even my life, is more important than my completing my mission" (Acts 20:24, CEB).  "Seek not to be a man of success but of value." --Albert Einstein
"Expect Great Things From God, Attempt Great Things for God." -- a sermon by William Carey, "the Father of Modern Missions"

"Invest your life in something that will outlast it." (William James). 

It is widely said that the purpose in life is to live with purpose; this is partly true, but only when fulfilled in God's will. God will fulfill His purpose for us (cf. Psa. 57:2, 138:8; Job 23:14).  It is also said that life makes no sense without God in the equation!  Bertrand Russell, famed atheist and philosopher-mathematician, said, "Unless you assume a God, the question of life's purpose is meaningless."  Jean-Paul Sartre said we are a "useless passion" without God in the picture.  God created all of us for His glory (cf. Isa. 43:7; Prov. 16:4) and we realize it as vessels of honor or dishonor--accountability is the issue: God created us all for such a time as this (cf. Esth. 4:14)!

There is not too much evil in the world for God's glory to be revealed through us!  We must not just look at the evil and ask, "Where's God?" but look at the good and see God--where did it come from?  God restrains evil and turns it into good (cf. Gen. 50:20).  He even makes the wrath of man to bring praise to Him (cf. Psa. 76:10).  Those who don't see God have a problem of the heart, for there's enough evidence for the willing, but never enough for the stubborn and rebellious heart--it's always a matter of the hear (that's the very heart of the matter)!  We all leave a legacy whether we want to or not but our purpose is not to be remembered, but to prepare for our eternal home!  We should really live for something bigger than ourselves and will outlast us--living for self is suicidal, depressing, and self-defeating, for one never feels fulfilled that way.

The only meaningful way to live is in light of eternity and not for the here and now.  There is a much bigger world out there and it's not about us!  This is why The Westminster Shorter Catechism addresses the issue:  "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." (I might add, glorify God by enjoying Him forever per John Piper in Desiring God)   God is most pleased with us when we find joy in doing God's will with a smile--that's true holiness according to Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

God isn't against good works, He just won't reward those done in the flesh! Those in the flesh cannot please God (cf. Rom. 8:8).   Rick Warren says, [A]ll achievements are eventually surpassed, records are broken, reputations fade, and tributes are forgotten."   I might add:  Diplomas fade into obscurity too--for all our achievements in the flesh are as filthy rags (Isa. 64:6) to God and all we do is God's gift to us as He works it all through us by grace (cf. Isa. 26:12; Hos. 14:8)--He is at work within us to do His will (cf. Phil 2:13)!  Paul said that he would venture not to boast of anything but what Christ had accomplished through him (cf. Rom. 15:18).

All our good deeds will be weighed in the balance and found wanting, measured by the plumb line of the Word, and tried in the crucible of fire to see whether they are worthy of reward, or just done selfishly with wrong motives.  That's where a lot of people who have had great ambition, but it was not holy ambition, but selfish ambition will be surprised.  Anyone can accomplish much if he has the motive, and some people have impure ones.  True morality is when the motive, means and end result are all pure in God's eyes. Point in fact:  Our righteousness is God's gift to us (cf. Hos. 14:8; Isa. 26:12; Isa. 45:24)--what we do with it is our gift to God.

We can make an impact in this world and make a mark not to be forgotten--for we all seek significance and importance instinctively.  No one wants to be a nobody.  We all want to feel we are contributing to the greater good of our fellow man and being a giver, not just a taker, returning some of what we consume and paying back to society somehow. out of our abundance.  We all need fulfillment and to feel that we make a difference!  This means a man wants to be acknowledged and recognized, not ignored or unnoticed. With God we have dignity, without Him we are nothing!  I am reminded of a man who complained to God that his special achievement had been lost and regretted he couldn't bring it into eternity and then the Lord told him He was going to burn it up anyway!  Some people will suffer loss for their motives are impure but they will be saved as if by fire (cf. 1 Cor. 3:15).

Each day we are given opportunities, time, gifts, resources, relationships, and tools to use for God's glory with our talents, spiritual gifts and abilities, but to whom much is given much is required!  We are accountable to God for all His blessings and provisions and will be judged for all our deeds done in the flesh (cf. Rom. 2:6; Psa. 62:12) as to whether they deserve compensation and reward.  If all goes well according to God's will we will be affirmed, promoted, rewarded and celebrated--for we will enter the joy of the Lord and be glorified to His image.  NB:  Religion is about man's achievements, but Christianity is about God's accomplishment!   In sum, when push comes to shove, all in all, God doesn't want our achievements--He wants our obedience to His will and cooperation with the Spirit; i.e., He wants us as a living sacrifice; i.e., to live for Him!" 

IN CLOSING:  WILLIAM CAREY SAID, "ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD; EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD."     Soli Deo Gloria!

Better Than Sacrifice

"... 'Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams'" (1 Sam. 15:22, NIV). 
"For I desire steadfast love [or mercy] and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6:6, ESV).

God isn't interested in what we give up for Him (like giving up something for Lent), but that we dedicate our lives to Him in full surrender to His will. It's not what you give up but that you give up yourself.  Living the Christian life costs something in the long term, but not living it costs more!  To obey is better than sacrifice  (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22)!  He desires mercy and not sacrifice (cf. Hos. 6:6; Matt. 9:13)!  When we bring our offerings to God, and our whole life is to be an offering, we are doing that which costs us something--the ownership of our lives.  The kinds of sacrifices that please God are the sacrifice of praise (cf. Heb. 13:15), the sacrifice of righteousness (Psa. 4:5) and the sacrifice of thanksgiving (cf. Psa. 107:22, 116:17)! "To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice" (Prov. 21:3, NIV).  The sacrifice that pleases God is a broken spirit and contrite heart (cf. Psa. 51:17).

If we are just going through the motions of sacrifice and it becomes a matter of routine, duty, or habit, we've lost it.  Some people just memorize the Dance of the Pious and put on a show for God as they nod to God to fulfill their guilty conscience.  We can never know the joy of worship when we are not free in the Spirit of all guilt and sin.  We worship with our lives, not just in church!  We don't go to church to just to sing a worship song because the full service is worship to Him.  Sometimes it seems we don't get much out of the worship but this ought not to be so.  If we don't get anything out of worship we did it for the wrong reason and may be in a worship rut.  Worship is God-centered and we must learn to focus on Christ and get our eyes off ourselves.  We lose ourselves in worship and enjoy doing it and by not letting it become perfunctory. When all's right with God our worship will show it and we get recharged as a by-product!  We empty ourselves to get filled!  The way to entree into God's presence, actually being ushered into the throne room, is by offering thanksgiving and praising Him.  "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise...," (Psalm 100:4, NIV).

Sacrifice entails that it costs us something, as David said he would not "offer to God that which cost [him] nothing."  Our salvation costs Christ His blook, subordination, and life but is freely offered to us when we trust Him as Savior and submit to Him as Lord.  It's free, but it costs everything we've got!   True holiness consists in doing the will of God with a smile according to Mother Teresa of Calcutta.  Christians are to be hedonists in the sense of finding their joy in the Lord!  (Nehemiah 8:10, NIV) says "... [F]or the joy of the LORD is your strength...." What is the chief end of man?  "We ought to rejoice in the Lord always and glorify God by enjoying Him forever" (paraphrase from The Westminster Shorter Catechism). God is most pleased and glorified with us when we enjoy Him and take pleasure in Him: take delight in the Lord and He will give you the delights of your heart (cf. Psa. 37:4).

Our lives are to "offer [our] bodies as a living sacrifice ... this is [our] true and proper worship" (cf. Rom. 12:1) and that means salvation isn't by martyrdom or asceticism (i.e., the more we suffer, the holier we are!) but we must desire to live out our faith!  And we must offer ourselves to God's altar daily and renew our commitment regularly-it's not just a one-time event or decision!  We are to be so filled with the Spirit (cf. Eph. 5:18) that we overflow to be a blessing to others as a conduit as our cup overflows (cf. Psa. 23:5;  Zech. 8:13). Christians have the beatific vision as an eternal hope and will enter into the "joy of the Lord" in glory as a reward.     Soli Deo Gloria!

Enjoying Our Freedom In Christ

Christ is still in the business of changing lives and sets the sinner free, not having anything to say to the so-called righteous who see no need for him, but only for the so-called losers of society, even the outcasts, the untouchables, and the riffraff!  Remember, we are slaves to whom we choose to obey! (cf. Romans 6:16; cf. 2 Pet. 2:19).  But, the more enslaved to Christ, the freer we are in spirit.

Acts 13:39 says that he who believes is freed from all things!  He is no longer the slave or servant of sin, but of righteousness.  That doesn't mean he's lawless (as the antinomian would suggest), but that he has the power to live in the Spirit, being freed from the power of sin and the flesh.  In salvation, we are not only forgiven for what we've done, but delivered from what we are (this is our justification and sanctification).  

When someone sins, he's not demonstrating his freedom but proving his slavery!  Romans 6:16 says that we are slaves to the power we choose to obey.  Christ will not save those He cannot command and obedience is the measure of our faith and its manifestation.  As Bonhoeffer said, "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes."  We are never free to do what is wrong or to do our own thing or what is wrong in our brother's eyes.  Our liberty is curtailed by our brother's conscience.

The antinomian (one who is a law unto himself) sings the song:  "Freed from the law, O blessed condition; now I can sin all I want and still have remission."  We must never be presumptuous and take advantage of God's patience and grace.  There is sin unto death too (cf. Psalm 118:18; 1 John 5:16) and God disciplines His own and brings them back to the fellowship (cf Heb 12:5-6).  We know that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one but he cannot touch us (cf. 1 John 5:18-19).  

Antinomianism is the license to sin and leads to moral laxity and becoming slack in the faith (namely, backsliding).  It's also known as libertinism and is really the quest for moral liberty gone amuck.  We never have the freedom to do as we want, but as we ought!  Israel tended towards libertinism in Judges when it's described as each man doing that which is right in his own eyes (cf. Judges 17:6, 21:25).

On the contrary, true freedom is the power to live in Spirit because of walking with Christ in fellowship with Him or filled with the Spirit.  The new nature needs no law; the old nature knows no law.  Being free doesn't imply that there are no laws; for example, a free park has rules or it would be chaos. We should never go beyond that which is written though (cf. 1 Cor. 4:6).  Legalists tend to make people feel bound where they should be free.

We remain free by not becoming legalists and learning of the power of the Spirit to lead us and guide us--for we are never free from the will of God!  We do this by not majoring on the minors or emphasizing minor sin and ignoring a more serious one, like the Pharisees who tithed their spices like "... mint, dill, and cumin. But [they] have neglected the more heavy matters of the law--justice, mercy, and faithfulness.  [They] should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.  [They are] blind guides!  [They] strain out the gnat but swallow a camel" (Matt. 23:23-24, NIV).  It is too easy to pay attention to the letter of the law like the Pharisees did, and ignore the Spirit of the law,  "... for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Cor. 3:6, NIV).

"[B]ecause through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2, NIV). Legalism is spiritual tyranny and antinomianism tends to think the Bible sanctions the right to do one's thing.   Legalism is the antithesis of antinomianism but just as fatal to our faith and the only way to steer clear of their paralysis is to have a knowledge of the Word.  

In sum, the more enslaved to Christ we are and the more we allow Him to inhabit us and we're surrendered to His will, the freer we are--in slavery to Christ we are free! We are both the bondslaves of Christ and Christ's free man!   WE ARE SLAVES THAT WE MAY BE FREE!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Keeping The Faith...

Some earnest believers urge men to "keep the faith," while this may seem like a reasonable exhortation, it's meaningless.  The motto of the sovereign of the UK is "F.D." or Fidei Defensor, meaning that be the "defender of the faith," while crown prince Charles wants to change it to simply "defender of faith."  To him, it matters not what your faith is as long as you defend it.  The Bible also speaks of contending for the faith, not just faith per se, and refers also to our Christian credo or constitution.  All in all, it's not how big our faith, but how big our God and through our repentance.  There's no saving faith without genuine heartfelt repentance (cf. Acts 26:20). We have penitent faith or believing repentance.  We don't have faith in faith!  Faith is only as valid as the object it's placed in. We don't need perfect faith--just sincere, unfeigned faith!

As you may recall, Paul urged Timothy to keep the faith and many in the latter days would abandon the faith or bail out theologically as it were.  Paul boasted in his swan song (2 Tim. 4:7, NIV) that he had "fought the good fight, [he] finished the race, [he] kept the faith" (emphasis mine)"   This is all that's required of the believer!  Note that Paul wasn't resting on his laurels!   We don't have to win the race--Christ won for us!  We must finish the course tailored for us!  We are only His ambassadors in this world.  And we persevere in the faith only because He preserves us to the end.  

The angelic war or conflict with Satan comes with the territory and we sign up for this at salvation as our battle just begins as we get on Satan's hit list and become his spiritual enemy--but remember:  the battle is the Lord's! We live in enemy-occupied turf!  But we are our own worst enemy!  The key is to know the threefold enemy: the world, the flesh, the devil.  In affliction, the same sun melts the butter, hardens the clay! Becoming bitter or better.   Our faith must be tested as if by fire!  "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold," (Job 23:10, NIV).  WE MUST NEVER DIVORCE FAITH FROM FAITHFULNESS!

Now how exactly did Paul maintain his faith in such an inhospitable, unwelcome environment as Rome?  The way we do:  we keep our faith by giving it away!  The measure of our faith is the works it produces as fruit. Without works our faith is suspect!  Good soil produces a good crop, not foliage.  Paul would say that faith must be proved by works, and James would say works must spring from faith!  Reiterating:  Paul teaches that works must bloom from the faith; James teaches faith must be demonstrated and validated by works!  Don't divorce them!  They go hand in hand and cannot be separated, only distinguished.  We must realize that the faith we have is the faith we show!  If our faith has no works, it's dead (cf. James 2:17) and that kind of faith cannot save.  We must bear in mind the formula of the Reformers:  "We are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone."

God will certainly reward us for our work done in His name (2 Chron. 15:7) and we are rewarded according to our works, not our faith--so we must turn our faith and creed into deeds!  We must be sold out for Christ and serve Him with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength and in the Spirit.  God is not against good works, just those done in the flesh.  "...' You reward everyone according to what they have done'" (Psalm 62:12, NIV).  "God 'will repay each person according to what they have done'" (Rom. 2:6, NIV).  True faith expresses itself!  Some people will suffer loss and be saved as if by fire because their works were nothing but wood, hay, and stubble and burned up at God's fire of judgment (cf. 1 Cor. 3:15).

According to Isaiah, we must be firm in the faith to withstand the trials and afflictions coming our way as we signed up for.  "... If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all," (Isa. 7:9, NIV).  We are culpable for any lapses in our faith and must not grow lax in the faith due to carnality or lack of spiritual discipline. For those without discipline do not belong to Him and are illegitimate children.  We all have a cross to bear--no cross, no crown!  We must not be ignorant of Satan's schemes! "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Cf. Rom. 8:31, NIV).

God gives to each of us a measure of faith (cf. Rom. 12:3) and what we do with this faith gift is our gift to God.  He gives us faith, but we must exercise it!  Paul would say, "I'll show you my good deeds by my faith," while James would counter, "I'll show you my faith by my good deeds" (Js. 2:18)." Israel was known for the sin of backsliding and Hosea is a book of promise to heal the backslider at heart:  "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them," (Hos. 14:4, NIV). We must remember that affliction and trial belong to Reality 101 in our Christian walk, but for the backslider at heart, he can only blame himself:  "..your sins have been your downfall!" (Hos. 14:1, NIV).

We are to abide in Christ and He will abide in us (John 15:4) for it's possible to walk with the Lord for one's entire life if one is obedient as Enoch, for that is the only true measure of faith--not ecstasies nor experiences!  God is not looking for our achievements, but our obedience--He wants us!  We must be cognizant that we can do nothing without Christ's power (cf. Jn. 15:5); i.e., of our own strength. Our righteousness is God's gift to us (cf. Isa. 45:24) but what we do with it is our gift to God.  Faith is given, not achieved!  

NB: Jesus said in John 15:5 that apart from Him we can do nothing  (even believe!).  In sum, "... make every effort to confirm your calling and election. ... you will never stumble" (2 Pet. 1:10, NIV).   Soli Deo Gloria!