Res ipsa loquitur

Credits: Adam Ford aka Adam4d

http://adam4d.com

The superiority of the New...Part II: Reality of the law; Jesus the Judge

My father, a non-believer and critic of Christianity, said something that startled me today: "The law is like a blind man."

In this he is absolutely right. When a law is broken, there is a conflict between two parties - the plaintiff and the defendant. The plaintiff makes a case against the defendant based on the law. On his own, the plaintiff cannot make a case against the defendant, since there is no law to differentiate what is right and wrong. Therefore, a law, regardless of whether it's fair or not, is a line in the sand that states whether something is allowed or disallowed.

Yet, the law has no power on its own. The law requires an arbiter, a representative that stands in-between the plaintiff and defendant, to decide whether the defendant has broken the law. This individual is given the power of the law, to dictate the just punishment to be meted out to the defendant if found guilty. We expect this arbiter to be impartial, faithful to the law and nothing else. In other words, as my father said, the arbiter of law must be 'blind'. In order to be completely impartial, it too is a requirement that the arbiter be completely able to understand both the plaintiff and defendant.

This then is the case I bring to us, as creatures created to live with free will. We have come into conflict with God, the Creator of the universe, because we have broken His moral law by committing sin. A holy God cannot tolerate sin, and all men are judged based on His standard. And every man has been judged as having sinned, since breach of one law is sufficient to deem the whole law as breached. No man can lay claim to being free of sin.

And so we must find an arbiter, but no man can take up the role. God, by the very definition of God, must be omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. Since no man can say we can completely understand God, we the defendant cannot provide the arbiter from our party. God, in order to enforce the law He has set, then has to provide the arbiter in this court.

Jesus is this arbiter, since only a human being can understand the limitations of a human being. God cannot claim to understand us fully, since the very definition of God excludes Him from being able to connect with us on a human's level. Jesus is the Son of God, having in Himself all aspects of divinity and humanity. Only Jesus can arbitrate this court, and it is He whom God has appointed to judge all of humanity, each of us on the case of breaking the moral law.

For now, we live as men not needing to account for whether our deeds have been in keeping with the moral law. But we will all stand before the Judge of creation, Jesus Christ, to be judged. What judgment will He pronounce over you in that Day?

Postscript: One may question the role of lawyers in human courts of law, but that is fairly simple to understand. A lawyer is an appointed representative of the plaintiff or defendant. He does not get judged. The outcome does not at all affect the lawyers of either parties. For this reason, a man can just as easily represent himself in a human court of law, if he is certain he is able to present his case sufficiently well.

This I believe.

I believe in God our Father

I believe in Christ the Son

I believe in the Holy Spirit

Our God is three in one

I believe in the resurrection

That we will rise again

For I believe in the Name of Jesus

I believe in life eternal

I believe in the virgin birth

I believe in the saints' communion

And in Your holy Church

I believe in the resurrection

When Jesus comes again

For I believe in the Name of Jesus

- This I Believe (The Creed), by Hillsong Worship

Full in the heart.

My heart is full, Lord, so full of desire for You. Perhaps tomorrow will come and I will forget this feeling, but what if I don't? What if tomorrow I wake and I long for even more? What if I stopped longing for earthly things, and only had You as the only One I long for?

That will destroy me. How amusing. The very thought that it will destroy my very person doesn't upset me. Instead, it makes me wonder if I have missed the point of life up until now. I feel as if, very soon I will be like the man who wrote these words,

"For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me." (Philippians 1:21-23)

Yes, very much so. I am not afraid, for "every seed dies before it grows."

Postscript: Indeed, the things of this earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of Christ's glory and grace.

The superiority of the New...Part I: Who is this Man?

As I begin this series of posts, I feel a sense of apprehension. I am no Bible scholar, and I am concerned I may misrepresent the gospel for which my Savior made possible. Therefore, it is my disclaimer that this is not a piece of professional work, but it is my utmost for His Highest.

Let us begin by considering a simple fact of life - new things replace the old. Whether it is just a newer version of the old, or a version that has radically more capability than the old, new things replace old things. This is true of everything in the material world. One may long for the old thing, but there is no denying it, that the new takes the place of the old.

So it is with the new covenant in Jesus Christ. For there to be a well-rounded understanding of the new covenant, one must examine the old covenant, made with Israel when the Lord had brought them out of slavery in Egypt to their cruel taskmasters. Exodus 20 states the oft-quoted Ten Commandments, and on top of these moral laws, there were civil and ceremonial laws to uphold.

In summary, this is the gist of the old covenant: "If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep His covenant of love with you, as He swore to your ancestors." (Deut. 7:12) Read the words carefully, there is a legal requirement to keep the rules to receive the blessings of the Lord.

The new covenant is different, not that there is no longer a need for obedience or adherence to rules. While both the old and new covenants called for faith in God to believe that He will keep His promises to those who obeyed, the new covenant came through a very different representative - Jesus Christ. His ministry in itself was a marvel, and its glory outstripped that of Moses, not because it moved seas out of the way, but because of its intimacy with the individual human being. Jesus Christ came preaching to men, saying "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17)

Jesus demonstrated power, and taught His teachings with authority. He was not very different from the prophets before Him, except that He made a claim to be greater than the traditions and laws that Israel held in such regard. The Gospels recorded Him unapologetically forgiving sinners, while regularly condemning the religious leaders. Jesus challenged the beliefs of everyone who claimed to know God, and taught that He was the one and only way, exclusive of all else, to God. In fact, He was so controversial that the question often asked by those who met Him was this: "Who is this man?" (Luke 7:49, Mark 4:41, Luke 9:9, John 12:34)

Postscript: The pertinent question to ask for each of us is the same question. So who is Jesus to you? Do you have enough information or knowledge about Him to make a decision yet?

Help.

Dear God in Heaven,

I'm sure you hear me now.

Make the likes of me even,

In longsuffering dwell, 

And seventy times seven

Forgive everyone well.

I have an inheritance.

"I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever. Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free." - Jesus, in John 8:34-36

A son has a place in the household, an appointment given by his father. No decent earthly father fails to prepare an inheritance for his sons, and since this is so with earthly fathers, even more so it is with my heavenly Father, who is perfect and just. Therefore, hold fast, the promise will come at an opportune time. 

Every opportunity that presents itself along the way must be weighed against what is promised, so that the son should not find himself in futile activity. And sometimes, it's best to hear from the Father Himself, since He gives the promise. And in Jesus Christ, all of God's promises are "Yes!", and mine to agree with an "Amen".

Sound words.

Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.Stay away from every kind of evil.

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-24

This is sound advice, succinct and trustworthy. I urge you, read every line and ponder on it. Seek to make it a reality in your walk with God, no matter how long it takes, no matter how long you have left.

Postscript: As best as I know, this is one of two cases where Apostle Paul gives a whole string of practical advice. The other one is in Romans 12:9-21, on the subject of acts of love. It is precisely Scriptures such as these in which I experience Paul's heart (and therefore God's heart) for God's people to "understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is." (Ephesians 3:18)

I desire this.

“I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast! And when I run I feel His pleasure.” - Eric Liddell (1902-1945)

These are the words of an Olympic athlete who later turned missionary to China. I know that pleasure in my cycling. I cannot help but enjoy being on a bike, whether on a trail or on the road. I do not do it because I want to clock laps, but because it is a great pleasure, and satisfies greatly.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." - 1 Corinthians 10:31

I want my cycling about to be done for the glory of God, in that it does bring the fullness of the gospel into this earthly realm. Let my passion for life show in my cycling, the fullness and abundance of Your life in me shown in my cycling. Permit me to bring Your gospel to otherwise unopened hearts because they witness Your goodness in my life. It's not about the set of wheels I ride, but about how You grant this deep desire of my heart because You love me so much. This is my prayer, Lord Jesus, because what good is all this pleasure if it did not make Your name loud?

Narrow road.

This is my bike path, and it is a fitting image for me to bring the point across for this Easter. Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. Believing in Jesus is the start of a journey, not an endpoint.

On the left of the yellow lines is the kerb, the hard, unyielding kerb of the law. On the right is a lane of broad open road (unseen in this picture), but cars and trucks travel on this part. The safe area? That's the space between the two yellow lines. That area is, at the most, three times the width of my skinny road tires. This describes the struggle of all professing Christians - keeping a balance between strict adherence to the law of God and complete lawlessness.

Did Jesus not come to fulfill the law and free us from its obligations (Matt. 5:17)? Are we still bound to obey the law of the Old Testament? Yes and yes, but for very different reasons as one might imagine.

Jesus came to fulfill the law, and this is true. He states this fact Himself, but He continues to say in the same breath, "For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:18-19)

So...what then was Jesus really doing? He came to fulfill the law, and not take it away? If He has fulfilled it, and paid for our sins, then what good is us keeping the law? It wouldn't do us any good to keep the law then, and it even says in the Bible, "Cursed is anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out." (Deut. 27:26)

The believer's new covenant in Christ frees us from the OBLIGATIONS of the law, which in the Old Testament was a path to righteousness and hence the right to stand upright before God. This is the point - we are RIGHTEOUS, not through the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ's sacrifice upon the cross. This is a status conferred not by merit, but by God's grace. This is how much God loves us, that He is willing to do this on our behalf, so we may have unrestricted fellowship with Him. We then can have fellowship with Him, without needing to meet any special requirements...except the one to believe He is real and that Jesus is the only way to Him.

Does that mean we are free to do whatever we want? No, there is stern reproof of such a mindset in Christ's own words, "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." We are reminded that our righteousness should not be for show, but stemming from a true faith and genuine repentance. This is why I say, the image of the 'safe area' between the yellow lines is a fitting image of a Christian's life. It is HARDER, not easier. But what's a better trade? 70 years of Spirit-led careful treading for an eternity spent in heaven...or 70 years of self-willed liberal theology for an eternity in hell?

Postscript: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Matthew 7:13-14

A glass of water.

In 2 Samuel 23, there is an incredible record of David's mighty men. One particular account (v. 13-17) has always struck me as practically unbelievable, but still, it demonstrates a fierce loyalty of which any leader will be proud to have from his followers.

David was fleeing from his enemies, and here he found himself, thirsty in the heat of summer. He couldn't have been the only one thirsting, but at his mere suggestion, three of his men, all his personal bodyguards, made a daring raid into the enemy's camp...to get a glass of water for their leader.

To the casual observer, it is foolhardiness of the highest order. Yet, these three men have never been looked down upon, and for all of time, they are honored as brave men who demonstrated amazing loyalty to David.

I too want to be a mighty man to my leaders, to be able to fetch a glass of water at an opportune time. It is not a blind and poor hope, founded on the vanity of man, that I may have an opportunity to boast of my greatness. It is a desire anchored on my Lord Jesus, that He put these leaders over me, and I staunchly yearn to do so...not once or twice, but as often as is possible.

Shepherding.

"Big souls with little sanctification need much shepherding."

I read this off an article that described the importance of a mother's work in parenting, and while it's a good read, I am not commenting on the article here. I am focusing on the quote.

Shepherding is a key role of a lifegroup leader, and in many ways, I've never acknowledged the role I have in shepherding them like sheep. No, not like leading them to slaughter, but to journey through valleys and to rest in pastures of life. Ultimately, my shepherding does not replace God, but is an acknowledgement of the trust He has placed in me. Just as He is my Source of life, so should I lead these young souls, who are leaving childhood and entering maturity, to the same Source. It is my greatest joy to see them have a revelation of Jesus Christ - so much so that it is its own reward.

Teeter-totter.

I find my thoughts in a precarious place today, as is always when you actually strip all of it down to the important and the not-important. I suppose I ought to learn the lesson by now how to tell the difference between the former and the latter, instead of fussing over what is only urgent.

My thoughts are on the subject of failure. "Failure is unacceptable", I am inclined to think, and am too in the habit of expressing. Yet, a trusted mentor demonstrated to me that failure is a better teaching aid than success in the right context. I am of two minds now, whether to factor for failure in my life, or to cling to a petty but comforting illusion that failure can be planned into oblivion.

No, I am not creating space for mediocrity, but leaving room, indeed a wide and open space, for the God of the universe to dwell supremely as the center of my universe, my being, and all that I hold dear. How far do I want to trust that word of God that is in Matthew 6:33?

Postscript: "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." - Jesus in John 12:24

Of my worship.

This is the Word spoken, "Offer up the threshing floors in your life to me as an altar, the visible proof that I am your God and your Lord."

And so I will make my worship 'loud'.

Waste (wāst): To fail to take advantage of or use for profit

Imagination is a power that far exceeds whatever powers DC or Marvel can conjure up in their superheroes, since all those powers are simply products of an author's imagination. Imagination is akin to the ice-cold spring in the blazing desert of reality. Harnessed properly, imagination causes oases to spring forth and bring color to an otherwise bleak world.

I stress on the part "harnessed properly". Imagination can be misused, even abused. Pornography is the most common manner in which this power is abused, but I digress. The misuse of imagination should be a crime, but how does one legislate something that is in our nature, imparted to us because we are made in God's image? One can only educate accordingly, to draw clear boundaries in which imagination should operate, and then the person must decide whether to be wise or foolish with his or her power.

Imagination is the power that is present in every person, because we are made to overcome the hurdles of life. Without imagination, we will not have the innumerable inventions that permeate our modern lives. Yet imagination has been misused, ever more so in this generation than any before it. Imagination is inextricably tied to our desires, and what has the desires of this generation become?

Set free without moral obligations to society and God, our imaginations have become the ultimate refuge for a generation to hide and grow comfortable in. We have turned into Gideons, threshing wheat in the wine press. Where a place of abundance ought to be, we have turned to it for survival.

The youth of this generation waste their lives on small-minded games on electronic screens, then gawk in amazement at people their age who have done great things with their imaginations.

The adults of this generation yearn to own more material things, and so spend their imagination, time and energy on accreting ever larger hoards of earthly treasure.

We have wasted the power of imagination, having made our desire to please (and thereby serve) the self greater than our obligations to society and God. All hope is not lost, for Christ the Redeemer uplifts our hearts and minds so that we have a choice. A choice to serve God and His greater will, or our petty self-absorbed wills. Just as Gideon made the choice to serve God when He visited him, so must we do the same when God speaks to us in our hearts through His still, small voice.

Postscript: I am no saint, nor can I say that I have accolades to my name. But I do not want to waste the life that God the Father has breathed in me. Since you exist in the same plane as I do, bound by the same rules that I am, I urge you not to conduct your life as a wastrel does. On a separate note, this is only a progression of this post from years back.

Citing Past Me: Psalm 23

In Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."

I shall not want sin in my life, for it hinders my fellowship with God.

I shall not want to stop praising the Lord, for He has done so much good in my life.

I shall not want pride in my achievements, for all glory belongs to the Lord.

I shall not want my old nature, for I have been given a new one in Christ.

I shall not want to slave for the things of this world, for they will mothball and rust.

I shall not want worry in anything, for the Lord my God is sovereign over all things.

I shall not want to rush the schedule, for the Lord's timing is impeccable.

I shall not want to bear grudges against a fellow believer, for the Lord forgives those who forgive another's trespass.

I shall not want to work myself to the bone, for it is better to be in the presence of the Lord.

I shall not want to stop being childlike in my adoration of God, for the Lord welcomes such into His Kingdom.

I shall not want to reject discipline from the Lord, for He disciplines those whom He considers His children.

I shall not want to cease bringing gladness to the lives of people around me, for it is better to give than to receive.

I shall not want to deny another from experiencing the joy of knowing the Lord personally, for the gospel is meant for all.

I shall not want to cease being a peacemaker, for the Lord calls such the sons of God.

I shall not want to feel comfortable with the status quo, for time is short.

I shall not want to stop meeting up with believers, for the presence of the Lord is found where we gather in His name, and liberty is found in His presence.

Postscript: It helps to keep a remembrance of past decisions, especially if they were sound ones.

'Home stretch'

There is a 'home stretch' for me when I make my way home by bike. From afar, I can see the traffic light, and gauge its timing because I know its patterns. In fact, I make it a personal point to reach it as it nears turning green for me...so that I don't have to stop. This is a stretch of road in which I know I am nearly home, and I know every bump and crack in the route home.

You might imagine it is the last 200 metres home. It's not; it's 2 kilometres. It's a long distance by most people's measures. But it's the 'home stretch' to me - no matter where I'm coming from, I know every thing I experience in that last 2 kilometres represents that I am nearly home. Sometimes, there are even road works or construction works that complicate the route. Rain or shine, I am nearer to the comfort of home with each passing moment.

So it is with the church for me. Whenever I meet my church community, I am experiencing my 'home stretch'. No, I'm not home yet, but everything about it reminds me that no matter how far I've traveled, I'm nearly home. My church community may not be perfect; there may be people who are less than presentable, but like the road works in my home stretch, they are there because Someone is improving the place for our future. Therefore, I will delight in even the moments when I go the equivalent of "Wah piang, what a jarring ride!" with my church community, my 'home stretch'.

When I delight in these, God is glorified, because this is His will. And indeed, "I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior!" (Habbakuk 3:18)

Postscript: The home stretch reminds me to be thankful to God for a safe ride home, not just this time, but for the past 200 or so times...and counting.