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Hope

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Introduction

There are many key terms and concepts in Scripture like faith, hope, love, joy, grace, peace, pleasing the Lord, etc. that we come across as we read our Bibles, but often these are just vague concepts for many people. The following study is designed to provide a condensed biblical explanation of hope as it is found in the Word of God. As time allows we will provide other such condensed studies on key terms, especially of the New Testament.

A Definition of Hope

What is hope? Is it a wishy washy maybe or a kind of unsure optimism? The modern idea of hope is “to wish for, to expect, but without certainty of the fulfillment; to desire very much, but with no real assurance of getting your desire.”

In Scripture, according to the Hebrew and Greek words translated by the word “hope” and according to the biblical usage, hope is an indication of certainty. “Hope” in Scripture means “a strong and confident expectation.” Though archaic today in modern terms, hope is akin to trust and a confident expectation.

Hope may refer to the activity of hoping, or to the object hoped for—the content of one’s hope. By its very nature, hope stresses two things: (a) futurity, and (b) invisibility. It deals with things we can’t see or haven’t received or both .

Romans 8:24-25 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

Biblically, from the standpoint of the object hoped for, hope is synonymous with salvation and its many blessings, past, present, and future, as promised in Scripture. This is true even with what we have already received as believers because these blessings come under the category of what we cannot see. We may see some of the results, but it still requires faith and hope. For example, we do not see the justifying work of God, the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to our account, nor do we see the indwelling of the Holy Spirit when we are saved, nor our co-union with Christ. We believe this to be a reality, but this is a matter of our hope. We believe in the testimony of God in the Word and hope for the results in our lives.

In summary, hope is the confident expectation, the sure certainty that what God has promised in the Word is true, has occurred, and or will in accordance with God’s sure Word.

A Description of Hope

It is Dynamic or Active

In the Bible, hope is never a static or passive thing. It is dynamic, active, directive and life sustaining. This is everywhere obvious as we read the Word. Take a concordance, look up the word “hope” and you will find reference after reference pointing out the active results of hope in the lives of those who truly have a biblical hope and live accordingly.

In other words, a biblical hope is not an escape from reality or from problems. It doesn’t leave us idle, drifting or just rocking on the front porch. If our hope is biblical and based on God's promises, it will put us in gear.

It has Results

(1) It changes how we see ourselves. It changes us into pilgrim persons, people who see this life as temporary sojourn.

2 Peter 1:13 And I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,

1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul.

(2) It changes what we value. Hope, if biblical, makes us heavenly minded rather than earthly minded. Our Lord’s words here blast our deception away.

Matthew 6:19-21 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

(3) It affects what we do with our lives—our talents, time, treasures.

Titus 2:1-13 But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored. 6 Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; 7 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, 8 sound in speech which is beyond reproach, in order that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. 9 Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect. 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus;

1 John 3:1-3 See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

The Christian life, if it is grasped according to God's truth, is a magnificent obsession with an eternal hope, a hope that does not lead to an escapist attitude, but to the pursuit of life on a whole new dimension. It makes you bullish, as we might say today, on the potentials of this life as stewards of God. It gives us power to live courageously, to be all God has called us to be in Christ.

So then, why are we so quick to opt for earthly treasure and so slow to be obsessed with the heavenly? Perhaps it is because we do not believe in heavenly realities. They represent a celestial cliche in our minds, but no more.1 You see, it is the person who believes in this heavenly hope and who is so fixed on it, in the words of Peter, that he or she is able to have such a light grip on the things of this world that he or she is able to put first things first.

In other words, a biblical hope is never an escape from reality or from problems. It doesn’t leave us idle, drifting or just rocking on the front porch. If our hope is biblical and not just a heavenly cliche or like the sign, “in case of emergency, break glass,” it will put us in gear.

But, being dynamic, hope also has something else:

It has Rewards and Blessings

(1) It gives us joy and peace.

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

(2) It gives us protection.

Psalm 33:18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness,

(3) It gives us strength, courage, boldness.

Psalm 31:24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.

(4) It gives us endurance, comfort, confidence in the face of death.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope.

(5) It gives us confidence in ministry.

1 Timothy 4:10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

The Derivation (Origin) of Hope

Where and How Do We Get Hope?

    Negative--warnings regarding false hope

There are a number of warnings in Scripture against putting our hope in anything other than the Lord because these things will leave us ashamed, frustrated, disappointed, and in ruin.

Job 8:11-15 11 Can the papyrus grow up without marsh? Can the rushes grow without water? 12 While it is still green and not cut down, Yet it withers before any other plant. 13 So are the paths of all who forget God, And the hope of the godless will perish, 14 Whose confidence is fragile, And whose trust a spider's web. 15 He trusts in his house, but it does not stand; He holds fast to it, but it does not endure.

Psalm 33:17 A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. Point: deliverance must come from the Lord.

Psalm 146:5 How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD his God; i.e., rather than man.

Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes.

Proverbs 11:7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, And the hope of strong men perishes. The strong man hopes in his physical strength, his money, or power or position, but ultimately, it must perish.

Proverbs 24:14 Know that wisdom is thus for your soul; If you find it then there will be a future, And your hope will not be cut off. Without God’s wisdom which gives god’s hope, your hope will be in the wrong thing and it will be cut off.

    Positive--the means and basis of the only true hope

God is called “the God of Hope.” This means He is the source of all real hope. If we are going to have hope (confident expectation), it must come from Him for He alone has the power to give it.

Psalm 62:5 My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him.

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 62:5 My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him.

If you are without Christ, you are without God and without hope.

Ephesians 2:12 …remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

1 Timothy 1:1-2 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope; 2 to Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

(1) Hope depends on knowing the Word of God.

Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Colossians 1:5-6 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;

(2) Hope depends on knowing and resting in God’s Grace.

2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,

(3) Hope depends on the Spirit Filled life.

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Friends, on what have you fixed your hope? Does your life prove it? Has it changed who you are, what you value, and what you are doing with your life?


1 John White, The Cost of Commitment, p. 4.

Related Topics: Comfort

Perspectives of Faith in the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:19-34)

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Part 1:
Where Are Your Treasures?
(Matt. 6:19-24)

In our materialistic society, perhaps no passage is more practical than Matthew 6:19-34 which deals with our pursuit of earthly treasures. Why is this so? Because our treasures are so determinative regarding our pursuits and what we do with our lives. However, to fully come to grips with the message of this wonderful passage, we need to integrate Matthew 6:19-34 within the immediate context of Matthew or we will miss a very important part of the challenge of these verses.

In chapters 5-7, Matthew gives us what is popularly called the Sermon on the Mount. This discourse contains the principles of the King which should characterize His subjects and followers. In His sermon, the Lord taught several things: (1) the true spiritual nature and intent of the Law, to show man his sin that he might rest in God’s provision of righteousness, (2) the error of the teaching of the religious leaders of Israel and their gross externalism, and (3) the kind of character the subjects of the kingdom must possess, not as a means of salvation or entrance into the kingdom, but as an evidence of faith and the reality of God in one’s life or of fruit that is in keeping with repentance (3:8). But the King was going to be rejected, and so, anticipating this and the postponement of the kingdom that He was offering, this discourse also added a fourth important ingredient. Finally, (4) it demonstrated the purpose of the subjects of His kingdom (His disciples) during the interim stage until the establishment of the kingdom.

In 5:3-16 we are given a Picture or Description of the character of the subjects and followers of the King. They are described first from the standpoint of their character and rewards (5:3-12). This is the Beatitude section.

This is followed in 5:13-16 by a Portrayal and Declaration of the calling of His subjects. In these verses our Lord challenged His disciples with a startling fact of who they were. He said, “you, you are the salt of the earth.” Then, in the very next verse he followed with, “you, you are the light of the world.”

They were His representatives and it was their purpose to function as salt and light. They were to have a dynamic impact on society. They were here to serve the King and not themselves. The subjects were to bring forth fruit to God. If they failed to do this, then they were useless to God as far as God’s purposes are concerned.

So we are faced with an important question: What then is needed if the servants of the King, His subjects, are to fulfill their calling? They must bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance and a deep faith in God. There must be a dramatic change in the direction of their lives, but for that to happen, they must understand and operate by the precepts and perspectives of the righteousness of faith and the principles of the King. Their righteousness must exceed that of the religious Pharisees; it must be different in source and in nature or character.

Thus, in 5:17-7:12, we are given The Principles or Decrees of the King. This falls into three categories or aspects as follows:

(1) Principles Concerning the Nature of Righteousness Needed (5:17-48). It was to be the product of the inner man and genuine fellowship with dependence on God.

(2) Principles Concerning the Practice of Righteousness (6:1-18). It was to be done as unto the Lord and not before men or for their praise.

(3) Principles Concerning the Perspective of Righteousness (6:19-7:12). This deals with one’s perspective regarding true values as so evidenced in our pursuit of wealth and possessions.

Without this understanding and focus we will be no different than the Pharisees who were externalists, selfish, stingy, and blind leaders of the blind. They brought no one closer to God. They were failures in their purpose as the leaders of Israel. Also, very important in their perspective of life, just as in our society today, was material wealth or treasures on earth. “In his public ministry, Jesus repeatedly rebuked them for the prominence they gave to material wealth.”1 Not only were the Pharisees characterized by hypocrisy, but also by avarice or greed. Why were they like this? Perhaps because they had perverted the promises of God in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, particularly Deuteronomy, Israel was promised blessing for obedience and discipline for disobedience. The blessing was largely material (see Deut. 28:3-6). To the Pharisees, material blessing became a sign of righteousness and God’s blessing. Pentecost writes:

On the basis of this principle the Pharisees built a system in which they sought to enrich themselves by doing things the Law demanded. The Pharisee, as our Lord said in Matthew 6, gave to the poor, prayed incessantly, and fasted twice a week. But he did it to obtain material prosperity from God. He wanted to bind God to pour out blessing on him because of his righteousness. The Pharisees misapplied a scripture verse to convey their concept toward material possession: “Whom the Lord loveth, He maketh rich.” The acquisition of material wealth became the greatest goal in life for the Pharisees. It was a sure sign their righteousness satisfied God and that God had rewarded them by pouring material blessing upon them.

Solomon sought to deter the nation in their pursuit of this philosophy in Proverbs 23:4: “Labor not to be rich,” that is, do not make it the goal of your life to obtain riches. Then Solomon explained why he had given this warning, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent” (28:20). Solomon recognized that a man whose goal is to accumulate material wealth will ultimately stoop to any means to attain that goal. He will defile himself in the sight of God to reach his own ends.2

Unfortunately, we find the same perspective today in the church. Many equate material wealth or physical blessing of any kind with the blessing of God for their righteous behavior, but if they face trials or have the absence of health and financial prosperity, it is a sign that God is angry with them for some reason. The three friends of Job had the same mentality, but they were wrong and so is this mentality. If such were the case, then God was angry with the Apostle Paul who faced all kinds of suffering and lack.

But Matthew 6:19-34 is important to us for an additional reason. We live in a somewhat different kind of materialistic society. What exactly is the materialism of our day? The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia defines materialism for us.

Materialism (me-tr--e-lzem), in philosophy, a widely held system of thought that explains the nature of the world as entirely dependent on matter, the final reality … 3

Materialism is not just a preoccupation on the material world of money and possession, but is a philosophy which operates as though God didn’t exist. And when we live life materialistically, though we may believe in God and claim a relationship to Him, we are in essence living as though He didn’t exist, without faith in His loving care. This is why the Lord addressed the disciples as “O men of little faith.”

Application: So it can be with us. Unless we grasp the significance of these verses and operate by their truth, we too will fail to fulfill our purpose as the people of God. We are here as the representatives of the Lord, ambassadors of Christ. We are here to promote the proclamation of the Word throughout the whole world starting in our Jerusalem and extending outward to the uttermost part of the earth.

But highly critical in all of this is a system of values as evidenced in our attitudes, perspective, and pursuit of wealth and possessions, and the stewardship of all God has given us. But the principles here apply equally to anything that captures our hearts and drives our lives like position, praise, power, or any of the things that men lust after to find significance, security, satisfaction, and happiness by their own human plans and wisdom.

The Commands Regarding Treasures (6:19-20)

    The Negative: What we are not to do (vs. 19a)

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth”

The Greek uses a construction (present imperative plus the negative particle me) which can command either, (a) the cessation of action in progress, “Stop it,” or (b) it is a general precept that we are to abide by continuously. It could mean either “Never let this be your focus,” or “Stop letting it be your focus.” It points to the fact that those the Lord was speaking to either had the wrong view of earthly wealth or material possessions which was controlling their lives and their choices, or were in danger of it because of the influence of the Pharisees for whom it was a clear problem.

The verb “lay up” is thesaurizo and “treasures” is thesauros, “treasure, wealth, valuable possession, whether physical, spiritual or intellectual.” It refers to a reservoir of wealth. Our word thesaurus, which mean a treasury of words, comes from this word. The Greek verb means, “to treasure up, store, hoard, stock pile.” It looks at wealth that is ineffectively used or misused (1 Cor. 7:30-31).

We might paraphrase, “never be or stop treasuring up futile treasures.”

“For yourselves” is an important phrase. It means for your personal advantage, for selfish ends and futile reasons. Saving with a view to rainy days and retirement is not the issue here.

The phrase “upon earth” is also significant. It marks a contrast with the positive command, “in heaven.” It reminds us, as do the illustrations that follow (moth, rust, and thieves), that this earth is passing away because it is under a curse. When man accumulates what is on earth, he accumulates that which is passing away. Not only can we lose it now, we cannot take it with us after death. Someone quipped, “Have you ever seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul?” The ancient pharaohs of Egypt thought they could, but their pyramids stand as a commentary against the foolishness of their hope.

So, the Lord uses three figures to remind us of the transient nature and insecurity of this life and everything in it by the graphic images of the moth and rust which destroy, and thieves who break in and steal.

    The Reason: The Futility and Temporality of Earthly Treasures (vs. 19b)

“Where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal”

Moths destroy clothing: In ancient times even as today, a person’s clothing was used to make a statement about one’s wealth. Most of the clothing was made of wool and the moth loves wool and could ruin an expensive garment overnight.

The word “rust” is literally “that which consumes, an eating away,” and is translated “food, meat” everywhere but here. It brings to mind those things in this life which disfigure, destroy, and ruin the things we value like rust, rats, mice, roaches, termites, and worms.

The word “destroy” highlights the idea because it means “to disfigure, corrupt, or render invisible” whether by time or by weather or by other forces.

Change and decay are all around us and, if we weren’t so blind, they would be a constant reminder and check on the value system that drives our lives.

Thieves of course refers to the age-old problem of those who, rather than working for their living, intrude and force their way into homes and take the property and valuables of others. Both verbs here are customary presents and stress these factors as constants in life. They remind us that (1) in light of the brevity of life and (2) the constant insecurity of wealth, to lay up treasures on earth is foolish; it shows a completely wrong orientation and a lack of faith in God.

An important phrase is in the words “for yourselves.” When we accumulate possessions simply for our own sakes—whether (1) to hoard because of insecurity or (2) to spend selfishly and extravagantly seeking happiness and security in the details of life rather in the Lord, we make those possessions our idols because we are seeking to live independently of the Lord. We attribute to them and to ourselves godlike abilities.

    The Positive Command: What We Should Be Doing (vs. 20a)

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven”

The verb here is in the present continuous tense. It refers to that which is to be the constant pattern and objective of one’s life.

Three key questions should occupy our minds here:

(1) How do we lay up treasures in heaven?

(2) What are the treasures? Note that they are plural.

(3) Why should I lay up treasures in heaven rather than on earth? There are other reasons beyond the fact this world is passing away and my time here is also very temporal.

What does it mean to lay up treasures in heaven and how is it done?

First, to lay up treasures in heaven means that we recognize the brevity of life and that we are here as sojourners, as temporary residents here on special assignment for the Lord (cf. Ps. 39:4-6; 90:12). It means faith in the realities and promises of heaven, it means to have faith in heaven and to live like it .

Second, to lay up treasures means to use your God given potential as a good steward of the manifold grace of God. To store treasures in heaven requires earthly time and commitment of our lives to new values and priorities. God has entrusted each of us with a five-fold stewardship, five key assets, for which we are responsible before God during our stay here on earth. These five are:

  • TIME (it takes earthly time to store up heavenly treasure),
  • TALENTS (gifts and abilities),
  • TREASURES (earthly wealth, money, things, etc.),
  • TEMPLE (the believer’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit), and
  • TRUTH (the gospel).

Our stewardship consists in how well we invest those assets for the Lord and heavenly treasure. But how do we use this wonderful potential?

Third, to lay up treasures, as Paul teaches us, is in essence to “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” We lay up treasures when we pursue Christlikeness, when we abide in Him as the source of life and experience the fruit of His life in ours. The results are eternal rewards or heavenly treasures.

But just how does godliness yield heavenly treasure? Why should we lay up heavenly treasures and what do they consist of?

    The Reason: the Benefits or Blessings (vs. 20b)

“Where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal”

It is tremendously important that we see that heavenly treasure or wealth first consists of godliness itself which brings great blessing into the life. In 1 Timothy 6:6-7, Paul shows us what our Lord had in mind. He says, “But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.”

We might paraphrase verse 6, “godliness with contentment is man’s greatest gain,” or “godliness is man’s greatest wealth.” The concept is that true godliness gives contentment. It takes away the pain and all sorts of evil that come with a life of greed.

Proverbs 15:16 reads, “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and turmoil with it.” Proverbs 16:8 has, “Better is a little with righteousness than great income with injustice.”

Godliness is beneficial or profitable because it yields double dividends, dividends for this present life and the life to come (1 Tim. 4:7b-8). As stressed above, heavenly treasure in indestructible, it is completely safe from the destructive forces on the earth, but it also has great blessing now.

The dividends of godliness for this present life consist of that which the world and its way of life and its rewards simply cannot give. Godliness gives peace with God, inner peace, Christlike joy and strength regardless of circumstances, and inner happiness with meaning and purpose and hope (Phil. 4:10-13).

The future dividends of godliness or heavenly treasures include glory to God, life in the presence of God’s glory, and eternal rewards—crowns and special places of ministry throughout all eternity. These are rewards that are described as imperishable—untouched by death or decay, undefiled—unstained by evil, and unfading—unimpaired by time (1 Pet. 1:4).

The key question is this: What do I really value? What kind of value system do I have? Just what are my treasures?

Well, why are values so important? Because they determine what we store, where we store, and how we store.

Application: Why do some hearts love or value this world’s goods and treasures and make them their god while other hearts love the things of heaven? The answer is found in part, at least, in the explanations our Lord gives in verses 21-24 because this demonstrates the character of one’s devotion. Other reasons will be seen in the application the Lord makes in vss. 24-34.

But for now, let’s ask an important and heart searching question:

What does it mean to lay up treasures in heaven?

It means to keep a very light grip when it comes to the material things of life because our hope is truly anchored in eternal realities (cf. 2 Cor. 4:16-18; 1 Pet. 1:17-21; 2:11).

It means learning contentment, independence of circumstances and condition so these things cannot dictate what we do with our lives (Phil. 4:10-13).

It means measuring life and making crucial choices by eternal values, by heavenly treasure (Matt. 6:21-23).

It means becoming good stewards of the assets God has given us (2 Cor. 4:1-2).

It means total commitment, biblical giving, loving service, Christlike living.

Why We Must Pursue Heavenly Treasures (6:21)

“For where your treasure is, there will you heart be also.”

In this verse, “treasure,” thesauros, stands for value or for what means the most to us. What is of the greatest value to us?

“Heart” refers to the center of the personality embracing the mind, emotions, and will, or it may simply refer to the whole inner man as the seat of affections, emotions, desires, and appetites.

In this context it has the meaning of devotion and looks at our inner longings. It refers to that which one commits his physical and spiritual energies to because that’s where his heart is. It stands close in concept to ambition.

Question: So, where are our hearts?

Answer: Christ tells us, they are wherever our values are. Our value system determines what we do with our lives: our time, our energy, our money, our pursuits, and our concerns.

Question: Why do some hearts love or value this world’s goods and treasures and make them their god while other hearts love and pursue the things of heaven? In other words, what determines our values system?

Answer: The answer is found in part, at least, in the two illustrations which determine the character of devotion seen in verses 22-24, the lamp and one’s master. Other reasons will be given later in the application the Lord makes in vss. 25-34.

The Illustrations of the Character of Devotion (Matt. 6:22-24)

    Devotion has its source in vision, in perspective (6:22-23)

“The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad; your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

The Analogy: As the human eye gives light to our bodies so we can make careful choices in where and how we walk, so our spiritual vision affects how we walk and what we do with our lives.

Verse 22. “If therefore your eye is clear, …” “Clear” is the Greek word haplous which means “simple, single,” and then from that, “sound, healthy, clear” when used of the eye. But the basic idea is that of single clear vision versus double vision which, of course, is blurred.

Verse 23. “But if your eye is bad, …” “Bad” is poneros which means: (a) in the physical sense, “in poor condition, sick,” and (b) in the ethical sense, “worthless, evil, bad, base.”

Clear vision, or spiritual understanding as given by the Word and the Holy Spirit, gives the ability to recognize the true values of life so we can avoid the evil perspectives and distortions of the world. If what Oscar Wilde said in his day was true, it is even more so today. He said, “Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”4

It is these true values that give one the capacity to make value choices, those based on a single vision of eternal or heavenly treasure.

If our vision is clear which means single minded and fixed on eternal or heavenly treasure, then the whole of our lives will be full of light, insight, and we will have the ability, the wisdom, the desire, and the will to make wise choices in life.

But if our vision is evil which means we either have false vision, or double vision, the vision of heaven and the world mixed together, then our lives will be flooded with darkness. We will either be going in a completely wrong direction or we will be perpetually trying to go in two directions. Either way, we will be unable to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives because these conflicting images are imposed over one another.

“How great is the darkness” means how great are the consequences of false or double vision. It means a life wasted in terms of eternal rewards.

Basic Principle: Outlook always determines outcome.

Some Applications: Vision, perspective determines values, values determine priorities, priorities determine pursuit, and pursuit determines character.

The Lord is teaching us that a man’s spiritual insight and his focus will determine his goals; that his goals will determine the course of his life. The end to which men press will always determine the character of their lives.

If, in covetousness and greed, we pursue what is earthly, corrupt, and transitory, our conduct in life will never manifest a righteousness pleasing to God (cf. Eph. 4:17-20; 1 Tim. 6:6-18).

Through a biblical vision or the perspective of faith we need personal renewal and reevaluation concerning who we are and why we are here. This will allow us to develop a new horizon with new goals and purposes. Only then will we be able to accomplish God’s purposes and goals for life as His representatives, as salt and light.

    Devotion cannot be divided (6:24)

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Note that the two masters mentioned in the first clause are defined in the last clause as God and mammon or material wealth. This tells us that either God is the master of our lives or material wealth is. There is no in between position. We simply cannot ride the fence. If we try we will be like a man with double vision, one eye for heaven and the other for earth, and we will be unable to make the right choices, those based on true values.

What determines who is in charge? First, our vision, second, our values, and third, the choices we make, or what we do with the assets God has given us.

Are we laying up treasures in heaven? Do we have a single and clear eye for the eternal verities of the Word?

A look at Matthew 13:45-46 and the pearl of great price has an important message for us:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

The exact meaning of this parable is disputed. For instance, Ryrie writes:

The parables of the treasure and pearl indicate the incomparable value of the kingdom, which will cause a man to do everything possible to possess it. Another possible interpretation equates the man with Christ (as in v. 37) who sacrifices His all to purchase His people.5

While I believe the pearl is the church and the man is Christ who gives all for the pearl, I also believe it illustrates how value through perspective or outlook determines output or what a person does with his or her life.

Conclusion

In John White’s book, The Cost of Commitment, he tells a story of a communist that illustrates how the right perspective or values truly can determine our output. White wrote: “Let me quote to you a letter written by an American communist in Mexico City, a letter breaking his engagement with his fiancee.”

We communists suffer many casualties. We are those whom they shoot, hang, lynch, tar and feather, imprison, slander, fire from our jobs and whose lives people make miserable in every way possible. Some of us are killed and imprisoned. We live in poverty. From what we earn we turn over to the Party every cent which we do not absolutely need to live.

We communists have neither time nor money to go to movies very often, nor for concerts nor for beautiful homes and new cars. They call us fanatics. We are fanatics. Our lives are dominated by one supreme factor—the struggle for world communism. We communists have a philosophy of life that money could not buy.

We have a cause to fight for, a specific goal in life. We lose our insignificant identities in the great river of humanity; and if our personal lives seem hard, or if our egos seem bruised through subordination to the Party, we are amply rewarded—in the thought that all of us, even though it be in a very small way, are contributing something new and better for humanity.

There is one thing about which I am completely in earnest—the communist cause. It is my life, my business, my religion, my hobby, my sweetheart, my wife, my mistress, my meat and drink. I work at it by day and dream of it by night. Its control over me grows greater with the passage of time. Therefore I cannot have a friend, a lover or even a conversation without relating them to this power that animates and controls my life. I measure people, books, ideas and deeds according to the way they affect the communist cause and by their attitude to it. I have already been in jail for my ideas, and if need be I am ready to face death.

White then responded to the letter and wrote:

If the letter fails to stir you, you may already have begun to die. Like a traveler lost in a blizzard, unaware your body freezes in a snow bank, you are drifting to sleep … 

As you read the letter, you also feel he has been set free. Having broken from the possessions that clutter our own lives, he is consumed by a passion that despises both prudence and pleasure …6

While we should feel pain and sorrow for those who are blinded by the Satanic philosophy of Communism, we cannot help but feel admiration for such commitment which so beautifully illustrates how our values can truly revolutionize our purposes and the way we live.

This is the way Christianity should impact our lives as Christians, the same way it impacted the life of the Apostle Paul, whose life, from the stand point of his values and commitment, was very much like this communist. Listen to what the Apostle wrote:

2 Corinthians 4:6-18 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death works in us, but life in you. 13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore also we speak; 14 knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

See also 1 Corinthians 4:9-13 and 2 Corinthians 11:22-33.

It was the eternal weight of glory, heavenly treasure, a value far beyond all comparison, and Paul’s focus on that value that set the Apostle free to be the man God had called him to be enduring whatever hardships life might bring.

Part 2:
Where is Your Trust?
Commands Against Worldly Anxiety
(Matthew 6:25-34)

Jesus Christ made it clear that a mark of true spirituality was a right attitude toward wealth. The mark of godliness or the mark of a righteous man is his preoccupation with God and heavenly treasure rather than earthly treasure.

Scripture has a tremendous amount to say about money or material possessions. Sixteen of thirty-eight parables of Jesus deal with money. One out of every ten verses in the New Testament deal with that subject. Scripture has 500 verses on prayer, less that 500 verses on faith, but over 2000 verses on the subject of money. This is obviously important, but why? Because a person’s attitude or bearing toward money is so determinative on his relationship with God, on the fulfillment of his purpose in this life, and on the character of his life.

Matthew 6:19-34 forms a complete section dealing with the subject of materialism and its impact on our relationship with God. Verses 19-24 stressed the pursuit of heavenly treasure in single-hearted devotion to God.

Now with verses 25-34 the Lord makes application. The Father will take care of us. Our primary responsibility is to trust God and give Him implicit, complete, whole-hearted devotion that is free from anxiety about the details of life. Our Father in heaven, who loves us, will take care of us.

The heart of the message of the passage is “stop worrying” or “stop being anxious” over the details of life like food, drink, and clothing. This is stressed three times: cf. vss. 25, 31, and 34. These items are illustrations of the details of life that so entangle us. Please note that these are commands. It is not an option. This is just as binding on us as “you shall not murder” or “you shall not commit adultery.”

The first command of verse 25 is equivalent to “stop worrying.” The other two mean, “never be worrying.”

The Greek word for “anxious,” merimnao, means “to be troubled with cares, to be anxious, worried.” In its root idea, merimnao means “to be drawn in two different directions, to be distracted, divided.” A good illustration of this idea is found in the reception at Bethany where we find Mary sitting at the feet of Christ to hear the Word and Martha who was distracted with all her serving, was “worried (merimnao) and bothered (troubled) about so many things” (Luke 10:40-41).

When we are worried and troubled about the cares of this life, we become divided and distracted from devotion to God and from what should be our primary focus and pursuit.

The KJV’s “take no thought” (Matt. 6:25) is confusing and implies an unplanned disregard for future or even daily needs. Scripture teaches us we are to pray for daily needs, we are to work for our necessities, and we are even to plan for the future. The emphasis and problem here is anxious concern and preoccupation with material things because such will divide our allegiance and choke out the pursuit of God (vs. 33).

Five times the Lord employs provocative questions to show how wrong and unreasonable it is to worry about the details of life like “what you shall eat, or what you shall drink” (see the five question in vss. 25, 26, 27, 28, & 30).

This passage gives at least five reasons why it is wrong to be guilty of worldly anxiety or anxious concern over the cares of the world.

But why shouldn’t we be concerned with these issues? What’s wrong with it? The main body of the passage is devoted to setting forth five reasons why we must not be anxious.

Why it is Wrong to Worry

Matthew 6:25 For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing?

(1) It is UNFAITHFUL because God is to be our master and because it distracts from the pursuit of heavenly treasures (6:25a).

“For this reason I say to you” takes us back to the preceding context. Since (1) heavenly values far exceed earthly concerns, (2) since you cannot serve two masters, God and materialism, and (3) because of the awesome consequences of an evil eye (cf. 6:23 with Prov. 28:22), this command against worldly cares is mandatory. Stop being overly anxious about worldly concerns, about the basic details of life because it has extremely destructive consequences.

Preoccupation with food, clothing, etc., will always divide our allegiance and distracts us from the pursuit of heavenly treasures. It causes us to ignore God and His Word and His purposes. It makes us unfaithful to God who is our master. Compare Mark 4:19, and 1 Timothy 6:9.

(2) It is UNREASONABLE because of the makeup of man (6:25b).

This question in verse 25, according to Greek grammar, demands the answer, “yes.” The question is directed against the spirit of the materialism in a world that lives as though the physical is all there is to life.

Jesus mentions three necessities (food, drink, and clothing) all of which are related to the body. Are we just a body or are we more than a body? Within the body is a spiritual being. The body dies, but the inner man, the soul and spirit goes on living. If saved, he lives with God, if unsaved he exists in hell and will be eternally separated from God.

There is a side to man that is much more important than the physical, yet taking care of the body has always been a common obsession with men. We pamper the body, decorate it, exercise it, protect it from disease and pain, slender it, build it and the whole nine yards, and when balanced properly, this is not wrong. But caring for the physical becomes wrong when it gets out of balance, when it becomes our purpose for living, when we become preoccupied with our bodies and the details of life so that we act as though life consisted only in food, drink, and clothing.

Listen to the confession of Erma Bombeck:

I did as I was told. I was fussy about my peanut butter, fought cavities, became depressed over yellow wax buildup. … I was responsible for my husband’s underarms being protected for twelve hours. I was responsible for making sure my children had a well-balanced breakfast. I alone was carrying the burden for my dog’s shiny coat. … We believed if we converted to all the products that marched before our eyes we could be the best, the sexiest, the freshest, the cleanest, the thinnest, the smartest and the first in our block to be regular. Purchasing for the entire family was the most important thing I had to do.7

In response to this confession of the humorous Erma Bombeck, Tom Sine writes:

In our upwardly mobile lifestyles, being good consumers is for many of us the most important thing we do. Shopping has become a major leisure-time activity for many. Increasingly, our sense of identity and self-worth is integrally connected to what we buy. We have come to really believe we are what we own—and that the more we own, the more we are. Our entire view of the better future is seen largely in materialistic terms of what we consume.

The folks on Madison Avenue have done a remarkable job of tantalizing us and persuading us to scale their illusory peaks and buy into their empty dreams. They have tried to convince us that an ever-increasing level of consumerism is synonymous with happiness. And they constantly seek to convince us we have new needs that we didn’t know we had and that can only be satisfied by the new products they offer. As a consequence, when they tell us to “move on up,” “grab the gusto,” and “have it our way,” most of us obediently begin to lockstep up their mountain together—non-Christian and Christian alike.8

When we pursue this course, we have not only lost sight of the eternal, but we have lost sight of the basic makeup of man as created in the image of God and we have bought into the idea of a secular humanist world that man is nothing more than the product of time plus chance, nothing more than a highly evolved animal who only goes around once and needs to get all the gusto he can.

By comparison, how much time do we spend on our spiritual food and drink and on our spiritual clothing? (cf. Isa. 55:1-3; Rom. 13:14; Rev. 3:17-18; Eph. 4:22f; 6:10f)

(3) It is UNNECESSARY because of the much more care of our Father (6:26-30).

The basic thrust of these verses is that based on three object lessons or illustrations taken from God’s creation, we have absolutely no reason to worry because God, through faith in Christ, is our personal and heavenly Father who, with a Father’s heart, cares intimately for each of us with an infinite love far beyond any human father (cf. 6:11).

Object Lesson # 1: The birds of the air and its object lesson about food (6:26)

Here the Lord says in effect, learn the lesson of God’s care for the birds. When God created, He assumed responsibility to provide for His creation. God has not abandoned His creatures. Well, if God has done that for even the birds, how much more will He not do for us whom He created in His image and who become His spiritual children by faith in Christ. Two things to keep in mind: (1) As human beings we have a special place in His plan above the animal kingdom. This is clearly evident in Genesis 1-2. And (2) as believers in Christ we stand in relation to Him as His children, sealed in His Beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Rom. 8:31).

Object Lesson # 2: The longevity of life and question concerning man’s inability to add to his life’s span (6:27)

This question deals with the futility of worry. Can worry lengthen your life? No! In fact worry can shorten it.

Object Lesson # 3: The lilies of the field and the object lesson about clothing (6:28-30)

The first illustration dealt with the animal kingdom. This deals with the plant kingdom, and applies the same principle to demonstrate God’s loving concern for His people. God clothes the field with the beauty of flowers so that they surpass even Solomon in all his glory, and these flowers are here today and gone tomorrow. Now if God does that for His plant kingdom, how much more will He not do for His children who have eternal purposes in the kingdom of God.

But it’s imperative that we note the concluding words! When He says, “O men of little faith,” the Lord puts His finger right smack on the issue.

First, He is showing the main reason for worry is a lack of faith in both the worth and trustworthiness of God. It is really a matter of independent living, of seeking to handle life and find happiness by our own strategies of self-management.

Second, He is reminding us that worry over the cares of this life is not a trivial sin. When we worry we are acting as though our heavenly Father is untrustworthy in His word and promises, that we do not believe He is enough, and that He will really care for us. We are showing we really are not living by faith.

This is the real heart of the matter. Little Faith. We talk about loving God, how much He means to us, about heaven and God’s sovereignty, but then we live as though none of this really exists when the cares of the world or the details of life draw us away from the pursuit of God and heavenly treasures.

Verses 31-34 give us the Lord’s conclusion and the final application of these facts on our lives. Note the “then” in verse 31. This is oun, a particle of consequence, and means “therefore, wherefore, or then.” The ideas is simply, “In the light of God’s care and the issue of faith, the following is essential.”

(4) It is UNBECOMING because of our testimony as God’s children (6:31-33).

The Command Repeated (6:31)

For emphasis to drive the issue home, the command against anxiety is repeated, only now it is followed with a fact to consider, a promise to know and claim, another command, the ultimate issue, and another promise to believe and live by.

A Fact To Consider (6:32a)

The word “seek” is an intensive form, epizeteo, a double compound verb that means not merely “to search or seek,” but “to search after” stressing direction toward an object. It has the connotation of “run or strive after or toward some object.” The unbelieving world is constantly and striving after all these things.

The meaning of “seek” plus the present tense of habitual or continuous action brings out or portrays the rat race of the world in its pursuit of the details of life in its endless dither and struggle of daily living. But with that struggle is a depressing sense of going nowhere, like a dog chasing his tail, or a gerbil on its monotonous wheel.

This pursuit of the details of life characterizes the unbelieving world that eagerly seeks to accumulate, but it does so because the things it seeks like position, power, pleasure, possessions, financial security, etc., are the only security and source of happiness it has. The world is without hope because it knows not God. It has no God in whom it can trust.

Application: For the child of God to live like the world which has no faith or hope in a personal relationship with God through Christ is truly unbecoming to the child of God whose life should be anchored in three marvelous truths: (a) the finished work of Christ, rejoicing in the fact of our salvation from sin, (b) the eternal treasures and the heavenly hope kept by the power of God to be revealed at the return of Christ (cf. 1 Pet. 1:3f), and (c) the fact we stand under the omniscient and omnipotent care of a loving heavenly Father.

Anxious concern over the details of life, which distracts, divides ones attention, allegiance, and service to the Lord, hurts the testimony of the children of God as those who have infinitely more than the world has to offer. We have a heavenly Father who knows, cares, and has taken personal responsibility for His children.

Our heavenly Father knows our needs, whatever they may be and will supply (Phil. 4:19). Knowing this, we should relax and put first things first. So … 

A Command To Obey (vs. 33a)

“But seek ye first …”

“But” is a conjunction of contrast. In contrast to a world without God and its mad search for happiness in the details of life, there must be a completely different priority for believers.

“Seek,” the Greek, zeteo, means “to attempt to do something, to endeavor, go about, to inquire after, or desire.” It implies diligence, effort, and focus, a preoccupation with the object sought, i.e., the things of God.

Note also that the verb is in the continuous present tense. This must become the goal and pattern of our lives. But by implication there is the warning in this of the ever present pull of the world to get us preoccupied with other things, to distract, divide, and draw us away from the Lord.

“Seek first” drives this home as a matter of the highest priority. Why? Because of what is at stake, eternal treasures and the experience of God’s righteousness versus the loss of those treasures and moral degeneracy. When the pursuit of earthly treasures becomes the priority, moral breakdown in society is never far behind.

What are we to seek? The divine priority consists of two parts: God’s kingdom and His righteousness and the two are always related as root is to fruit.

The word “kingdom” means rule, dominion. To seek God’s kingdom is:

To seek His sovereign rule, His will, and authority in one’s life.

It is to promote those things that will produce the same in those around us. It means to promote, support, and work for the edification and growth of believers and evangelism and outreach of the lost.

We also seek His kingdom when we yearn for His coming kingdom with the return of the King and live accordingly, with a view to heavenly treasures and the glory of God.

We are also to seek His righteousness. This in essence means Christlike character. But please note two things: (1) When God is in control of our lives we will experience His righteousness through the ministry of the Spirit. And (2) righteousness is to be a priority objective rather than the cares of a world which has its heart fixed on material possessions. WHY? Remember the principle? Outlook (our objectives) determine output. Where your treasure is there will your heart be also. If we replace God’s righteousness with desires for the physical blessings of the world like position, power, possessions, etc., we lose God’s control. We become the slaves of mammon. Mammon becomes our god and that always results, eventually, in unrighteousness—in fraud, in murder, in neglect of family, in a loss of concern for others at the expense of the almighty dollar.

A Promise To Claim (vs. 33b)

The command to “seek first” is followed with a promise, “and all these things shall be added to you.”

Note the contrast: In verse 32 we have, “for all these things the Gentiles seek,” now we have for those whose priority is God’s kingdom and righteousness, “all these things shall be added to you.”

There is a two-fold emphasis and promise:

  • This is a promise that God will meet the needs of the believers if they will trust Him and put first things first. He has promised to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus and to do exceedingly above all that we could ask or think (Phil. 4:19; Eph. 3:20).
  • There is in this the promise of the future blessings and glories of both the millennial and eternal reigns of the King. All the physical blessings of the millennium will be forthcoming. We may suffer in this life, experience hardships and pain for the king, but it will be only temporary. Ahead are the blessings of the future kingdom.

(5) It is UNWISE because of the nature of today and the nature of tomorrow (6:34).

Jesus tells us, “do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.” This is not a mandate against planning nor the careless philosophy of the hedonist who lives only for his present enjoyment, “live, eat, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”

It is right to make some plans for the future as several passages in Scripture teach (Luke 14:28; 2 Cor. 12:14; 1 Tim. 5:8; and Prov. 21:5; 27:23-24). But it is wrong to become preoccupied with it and to go to extremes, to think we have to have enough today for the rest of our lives before we can be secure. The child of God knows that tomorrow will take care of itself because it is in the Father’s sovereign hands (Ps. 103:19; 115:3; 112:7).

“Someone has said that the average person is crucifying himself between two thieves: the regrets of yesterday and the worries about tomorrow.”9

Jesus said, “each day has enough trouble of its own.” The point is that worrying about tomorrow robs us of the ability to handle the potentials, blessings, and problems of today. We can’t concentrate on meeting the temptations, trials, opportunities, and struggles of today if we are uptight about tomorrow.

We must each learn to live one day at a time. God promises His grace for tomorrow when tomorrow comes, but He only gives His grace one day at a time. Worrying about tomorrow cannot change tomorrow, but it can ruin today.

Conclusion

In summary, I think there are three keys in this passage for daily living and for a life that is totally yielded to the Lord so we each can become good stewards of the life He has given us: our time, talents, treasures, temple, and truth.

(1) There Is the Principle Of Faith (6:30). We must live by faith. We must trust God and really believe in the reality of His person, promises, and sovereignty.

(2) There Is the Truth of God as Our Father (6:32). With our faith solidly anchored in God’s Word, we must know and count on the fact of God as our loving and kind heavenly Father who knows and cares about out needs.

(3) There Is the Principle of First Things First (6:33). God’s rule and righteousness must be the number one priority of our lives. If it is not, we will waste the stewardship of life that God has given us in the pursuit of the details of life like the unregenerate world around us.

We will have an entrance into heaven if we have trusted Christ as our personal Savior, but it will be an entrance without the abundance of rewards, like a man dashing though the fire.

May we each ask ourselves, where is my treasure and what are my priorities? Am I being a good steward of the manifold grace of God?

There are a lot of needs in the world, the need of abundant giving, the need of workers, people available to teach Sunday School and home Bible classes or lead care groups, and to do dozens of things around our churches and in our cities. Frankly those needs would not exist, or would certainly be cut to a minimum if we were all living according to the truth of Matthew 6:19-34.


1 John F. Walvoord, Matthew: Thy Kingdom Come, Moody Press, Chicago, 1972, p. 54.

2 J. Dwight Pentecost, The Sermon On the Mount, Multnomah Press, Portland, 1980, p. 150.

3 The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia, Columbia University Press, 1995, electronic media.

4 The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations, Columbia University Press 1995, electronic media.

5 Charles C. Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible, Expanded Edition, NASB, Moody Press, Chicago, 1995, p. 1969.

6 John White, The Cost of Commitment, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1976, pp. 50-52.

7 Erma Bombeck, Aunt Erma’s Cope Book, Fawcett Crest, New York, 1979, pp. 47-53.

8 Tome Sine, Why Settle For More and Miss the Best? Word Publishing, Dallas, 1987, p. 7.

9 Warren Wiersbe, Be Loyal, Victor Books, Wheaton, 1980, p. 48.

Related Topics: Ecclesiology (The Church), Faith, Finance

The Quiet-Time: What, Why, and How

Related Media

Introduction

God has called us into fellowship with his son, Jesus Christ our Lord (cf. 1 Cor 1:9). The term “fellowship” in this case means to “share our lives in common,” to “become friends” of the most intimate sort. Though he is King and Sovereign, he dwells with the humble in heart and under new covenant provisions has taken up residence, as Paul says, in our hearts (Romans 5:5). The miracle is that he wants to know me and make himself known to me in increasingly intimate ways. The divine family has come to abide in me (John 14:23) and I am called to remain in Christ (John 15:7). I need to know him (Phil 3:10-11). I was created to love him, serve him, and above all enjoy him forever. How can we neglect “so great a salvation” (Heb 2:3)?

But there are bumps and potholes in the road and the journey is filled with pitfalls, distractions (surely the worst enemy of the committed Christian), and struggles. In the midst of the fight—and that is certainly what it is—we are really asking for two things. Owen summarizes them well:

Strength and comfort, power and peace, in our walking with God, are the things of our desires. Were any of us asked seriously, what it is that troubles us, we must refer it to one of these heads:—either we want strength or power, vigour and life, in our obedience, in our walking with God; or we want peace, comfort or consolation therein. Whatever it is that may befall a believer that doth not belong to one of these two heads, doth not deserve to be mentioned in the days of our complaints.1

What Is A Quiet-Time?

In order to worship God properly we need strength and consolation in the Christian life. Strength to faithfully obey and consolation when we fail. In particular, we need strength to pray, to meditate on Scripture in Christ’s presence, and to obey what God makes known to us. We need mercy in our times of wandering from the Lord.

Paul told the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing” and God told Joshua to meditate on his word day and night (1 Thess 5:17; Joshua 1:8). And this we do as well. We praise the Lord in our cars going to work and we make intercession for others as we go through our day. Some people also memorize scripture on their way to work and think about it all day long, asking God for further insight and strength to follow him. The point is that we often pray and think about scripture as we’re engaged in other activities.

But as we flow in these two important privileges (i.e., prayer and the Word) throughout the day, we run into distractions, interruptions, and other important “things” that we must respond to and give our undivided attention to. Therefore, there arises the need in the yearning soul to draw aside for regular times of uninterrupted prayer and scriptural meditation. This is what I mean by a quiet-time. It is a time set aside in a certain place where a person can “get away,” be alone, and draw near to the Lord. Thus a quiet-time involves a period of concentrated, uninterrupted fellowship with God in a place often designated beforehand. As important as prayer throughout the day is—and it is important—it comes with distractions and our heart is somewhat divided; it’s the nature of the case. Again, the discipline of having a daily quiet-time is designed to give a person undivided time with the Lord.

Before we move on, however, let me clarify one thing. This article is posted on a website which thousands and thousands of people visit each day. And we’re thankful to God for that! But this means that there will be many readers out there who come from different religious and societal backgrounds. So I need to make one thing clear right up front: having a quiet does not secure favor with God; it is the privilege and joy of a redeemed heart—a heart that has already entered into friendship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ. If you have not yet repented of your sin and turned to trust in Christ for forgiveness and cleansing, I encourage to do that now. If the point of a quiet-time is fellowship with God, then let that begin now by turning to him in faith and calling on the name of the Lord! He will forgive you whatever sins you’ve committed, cleansing and strengthening you for life in communion with Him (cf. 1 John 1:9).

So then, we are not working for grace, but from grace. We’re not hoping that God will accept us; we know that he already has in Christ (1 John 5:13). What he wants with us now is a deeper friendship and intimacy.

Why Have A Consistent Quiet-Time?

There are as many reasons for having a consistent quiet-time as there are benefits that flow from these times of undistracted prayer and scriptural meditation. I want to subsume them, however, under three general headings. First, we seek the Lord’s presence in undistracted fellowship simply because he has called us into this friendship; the cry of the regenerate heart is to know God and enjoy him forever. Second, the Lord uses consistent quiet-times to transform us into his likeness. Third, drawing aside regularly to be with the Lord not only leads to a deeper friendship with him and to Christ-like transformation, but it also impacts our view of the world and the mission God has called us to. It is through regular fellowship with the Lord that we begin to get on our hearts what’s on his heart. It is here that we begin to develop a passion for reaching the lost and world missions. Let’s look at each of these in a little more detail.

Knowing Christ: Intimacy with a Friend

The first and ultimate reason we set aside a specific time in which to draw aside and be with the Lord is the exciting thought of deepening our friendship with him. Jesus said in John 15:14-15 that he no longer calls his disciples “slaves,” but “friends.” We are no longer in the dark as to what our Master is doing, but we have been graciously invited into the inner circle—the divine circle in this case—and privileged with the knowledge of what our Master is feeling, thinking, and doing. Though we sometimes act like it, we are not mere acquaintances, but each of us who knows Christ personally, is his friend. Everything that Jesus has heard from his Father he has willingly made known to us. To open up your heart to someone, as God has done with us, is a gesture of friendship.

I studied at Dallas Seminary for some time. During my stint there I had numerous occasions to speak with noted Bible teacher Dr. J. D. Pentecost. Anybody who knows Dr. Pentecost knows that he loves kids and loves to take them in his arms and bless them. My kids used to love to go by and see him. Indeed, his nickname, Dr. P., came from a youngster who couldn’t pronounce his last name very well and so asked if he could simply refer to him as Dr. P.

But Dr. Pentecost is also well known, not only for his love of children, but also for his contribution to discussions on Biblical prophecy. He has been speaking on the issue for “decades.” I heard the story that on one occasion he was asked to come to a rather small church and speak on the doctrine of the second coming of Christ and all its attendant details. So he decided to give five sermons on the subject, but in the middle of the conference he decided to insert a sermon on “The Loveliness of Christ.” During his sermons about the second coming and “end times,” as it is often referred to, the place was packed. Everyone showed up. But, during the one sermon about the “Loveliness of Christ” the church was only half full. Sad, isn’t it. Is not the second coming really about the coming of Jesus! Shouldn’t we be more interested in him and his “loveliness” than in a detailed chronology of events, some of which we’re not all that uncertain about?

Where are you? Is Christ a deep personal friend to you or merely an acquaintance? Would you recognize him if you bumped into him on the street (cf. Luke 24:13-27)? Do you desire his company and do you know him well or are you fiddling around in life with second and third best? Listen to God through the prophet Jeremiah: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight” (Jer 9:23-24). The quiet-time is a specific time in which we seek the face of the Lord, to know his friendship personally and to worship and understand him better.

The friendship into which God has called us—also referred to as fellowship (1 Cor 1:9)—came with a severe price. John says the Lord Jesus laid down his life for us: “There is no greater love than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus has left his palace, moved across town, lived in the slums, and has rescued us for himself, so that we might enjoy his presence in friendship. Surely we can set aside time to be alone with him!

In Charles Dickens’s Tale of Two Cities there is a wonderful illustration of the extent to which Christ went to secure a friendship with us. In the story, Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton are two people who become close friends. Darnay happens to be thrown into a dungeon and faces the guillotine the next morning. Carton, on the other hand, a lawyer by profession, has piddled away his life through loose living in England. Carton hears of Darnay’s predicament and through a series of circumstances gets himself into the prison and the cell where Darnay is being held. He changes garments with Darnay and the next morning faces the guillotine while his friend Carton escapes to freedom. “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends!” Dickens even quotes this passage (i.e., John 15:13). So is Christ’s love for his friends!

A good and vibrant friendship is built on many necessary and beautiful virtues. One of them is willing disclosure. Another is a “willingness to risk” or courage. A third is mercy. All of them are grounded in love for another person and result in the desire to “make oneself known” and to leave the response in God’s hands. For there can be no intimate friendship without a willingness to lay one’s heart on one’s sleeve. This Jesus has done. His desire for friendship is not rooted in codependence or sinful weakness, but rather in the riches of his overabundant love and concern for us. It is also motivated in the hope of a reciprocal gesture on our part. Jesus has graciously invited each of us into his story; his friendship is life changing. This is the ultimate reason we draw aside to be with him. This is ultimately why we have a quiet-time.

Becoming Like Christ: Finding Strength for Holiness

I remember growing up in a fairly good neighborhood. But there were some kids on the street that my mom and dad were animate I not “hang around” with. Though I never heard them speak the words, I’m sure my parents were conscious of the proverb, “bad company corrupts good character.” In the same way, I had other friends who were “good kids”—as my parents used to say—and they encouraged me to keep up my friendships with them. These were kids with a healthy respect for others and a sense of purpose and direction in their lives. I find myself today urging the same things on my four children. There are kids I will not let them play with and there are kids I will let them play with. The bottom line is that every parent knows friendships can “make or break” a person. Why? Because friendships often involve spending protracted time together wherein values are transferred/inculcated and concomitant habits are taken on. Friendships can often play a huge role in determining a person’s outlook on life and their ability to respond to life’s challenges.

Not only do I spend time with Jesus in order to know him better, that is, to deepen the friendship and to enjoy him, but also to receive both his values and the strength it takes for living them out. It is through personal communion and friendship with the Lord, especially in quiet-time when there are no distractions, that I listen and am able to receive from him. Over the years of fellowshipping intimately with the Lord, a most unusual thing happens: I start to think and act like him, albeit imperfectly. I notice myself hating what he hates and loving what he loves. Have you noticed that? This is the heart of the new covenant ministry of the Spirit wherein he focuses our attention on Christ and in the process transforms us into our Friend’s image from one degree of glory to another. In 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul says: “And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

It is in fellowshipping with the Lord that we begin to really hate sin and love righteousness. It is in that time that we resolve to say “no” to sin and “yes” to God. It is there that we experience the greatest impact of his friendship on our lives. It is there that we receive mercy from the Lord for all our sin and find grace to help us in our weakness (Heb 4:16). It is there that we learn to cast all our cares, problems, anxieties, and concerns upon the one who cares for us (1 Pet 5:7). This is how Christ’s strength is conveyed directly to us. It is through prayerful meditation on scripture in his presence—with our eyes on him—that we receive mercy and grace to help us in time of need. It is in that daily time of unhindered communion that the Lord draws us a picture, as it were, of his loveliness!

A kindergarten teacher asked her students to draw a picture of whatever interested them. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed little Phillip working feverishly. She went over to the young lad and asked him what it was he was drawing. “God,” he replied, rather matter-of-factly. “Oh,” she said, “you can’t do that. Nobody knows what he looks like.” But the little, blond-haired boy looked up and with a grin said, “They will when I’m done!”

This is the point of the quiet-time, namely, to allow the Spirit of God to draw you a picture of Christ’s loveliness. Though we cannot see him, we do begin to behold his glory during prayer and meditation. It is in his presence in this way that we are convicted of our sin and shown what it means to be holy. It is here that we begin to learn what character is all about. So then, the second primary reason we draw aside to be alone with the Lord is so that we might get a clear “picture” of him in order that we might become like him. Not only do we draw aside in daily quiet-time so that we might deepen our friendship with Christ, but also so that we might allow that friendship to impact us, to change our character into his. Let me explain.

God has chosen us in eternity past and predestined us to be conformed to the image of his Son (Eph 1:3-4; Rom 8:29). That’s where we’re heading. Christ-like character. He has given us several “means of grace” to accomplish this. First, of course, is the Spirit of God who unites us with Christ in his death and resurrection. The Spirit uses other “means” such as the word of God, the people of God, the sacraments prescribed by God, as well as the circumstances God ordains for our lives. All these combine in a divine mix to bring about Christlikeness in us. The end and goal of the process is realized at glorification (Rom 8:30). So then, we need to ask the question: “What is our God-given responsibility throughout this process until glorification?”

First, we must recognize that we are in a fight and that growth in Christlikeness will not come without struggle. We are in a fight for holiness against three formidable enemies: the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Listen to John and Paul on the matter:

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 2:16 because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world.

Galatians 5:17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

Second, in the midst of this war (1 Peter 2:11) we are to express our trust and love for the Lord by “sowing to please the Spirit.” Again listen to Paul:

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows, 6:8 because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

Paul said that we have these “means of grace,” supremely managed and ignited by the Spirit of holiness, so that we might cooperate with the Spirit’s work of sanctifying us. He leads, we follow (Phil 2:12-13). This involves us in the moment-by-moment, ongoing process of saying “yes” to God and “no” to sin. Daily, we say “yes” to faith and love, “yes” to truthfulness, “yes” to purity, honesty, self-control, and compassion. Daily, we say “yes” to sound doctrine, courage, conviction, and Christ-like humility. But we say “no” to slothfulness, laziness, and lying. We say “no” to deceit, sexual immorality, adultery, slander, gossip, unrighteous anger, idolatry, envy, strife, and murder. The former are consistent with our new calling and the latter are inconsistent. God loves the former and hates the latter. Therefore, let us put on the “new man” in our relationships and put off the “old man.” Let us “put on the Lord Jesus and make no provision for the flesh” (Rom 13:14).

Now the Spirit does a most incredible feat as we follow him in saying “yes” to righteousness and “no” to sin: he transforms our character. We begin to acquire deep seated dispositions toward righteousness and a loathing for sin. A new character is forming, one that in its weakness is actually stronger in the Lord. We become stronger through Him and less blown and tossed by every wind of doctrine and every problem that God permits to enter our airspace. Ellen Wheeler Wilcox expresses it well:

One ship sails east.
One ship sails west.
Regardless of how the winds blow.
It is the set of the sail
And not the gale
That determines the way we go
.2

See, it is the “set of the sail and the not gale” that determines which way we go. This is what it means to grow up in Christ. Our character determines in large measure the fruitfulness of our lives. To be sure, none of us reaches perfection in this life and our goal is not to be rigid moralists, but to love Christ and others. Thus renewed repentance and trust is constantly required. But make no mistake about it, Christ-like character is not instantaneous, but is rather forged by the Word and Spirit, over time, through the furnace, with the help of God’s people, as we learn to say “yes” to God and “no” to our enemies.

Those who know me will have to take it by faith but I have been going to the gym for the past few months. I can scarcely think of anything more boring, but I need to do it for health reasons. Anyway, I’ve noticed—as many of you fellow “exercisers” have—that after working out for a while, our muscles begin to develop greater strength for the increased load placed upon them. In other words, I can lift more now and with greater ease than I could at first. And, in a few months I will be able to lift more than I do now. And so it is in the Christian life. Developing the Christ-like habit of saying “yes” to God—a habit nurtured in quiet-time—develops a disposition in us that enables us to withstand greater “loads” placed upon us—loads that perhaps right now we might crumble under.

The one character trait that we need along the way is perseverance and does it ever seem to be in short supply these days. There are times when we all want to quit and throw in the towel. I cannot tell you how many times I have felt that way with respect to the ministry. But when I draw aside to be with the Lord and he shines his light into my heart and sets me on my feet again, everything changes. I am reminded of the words: “consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men so that we will not grow weary and lost heart” (Heb 12:3). This is why God has placed us in a community, given us his word, and called us to his side through the Spirit. That is why we need to daily fellowship with him in prayer and scriptural meditation. He gives us new and fresh grace for the battle. The habit of meeting with him daily to strengthen the bond of our friendship is like daily renewing marriage vows and commitments; it reminds us to whom we belong and gives us encouragement to live faithfully in the relationship.

Living for Christ: A Vision for the World

So we see that daily, uninterrupted communion with the Lord deepens our friendship with the Savior. We also see that it is in those times of talking alone with him that he begins to impact us in terms of a holy life. We begin to take in his values and virtues and to discard those that are not worthy of him. Thus we often leave our times of intimate fellowship with Christ and hit the day with renewed zeal to say “yes” to God and “no” to sin. Over time a character is formed in us. As the old saying goes:

Sow a thought, reap an act.
Sow an act, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny.

But there is a third reason we seek to fellowship daily with the Lord in quiet-time. It is so that we can get on our hearts what is on his heart, namely, his church and the salvation of lost sinners (e.g., world missions). It is when we are with him that we are impacted by his mind on the issue. Again, there has never been a movement of God that is not in one way or another connected to prayer and the saints communing with their Lord. Remember that Jesus called the disciples to be with him so that by being with him he might make them fishers of men. In Mark 1:17, Jesus says: “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Later he chose twelve “that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach…” (Mark 3:14). Notice the order: (1) they spent time with Jesus, and (2) he sent them out. The inevitable result of being with Jesus, as the pattern in the life of the disciples illustrates, is a desire and commitment to serve Him both by serving his people and by carrying the gospel to the world.

A great modern day example of this is the life of Dawson Trotman, founder of the christian organization called the Navigators. Through this one man God has touched not only my life, but also the lives of thousands of others throughout the world. But the work was born out of extended times of prayer and a daily habit of meeting with the Savior. “Daws,” as many called him, recorded these entries in his journal during 1929:

Saturday, August 24—We had a wonderful meeting at San Pedro…Afterwards Ed, Bill, Jim, Walter, and I had prayer meeting lasting until about 11 o’clock…Jim, Walt and I continued all night in prayer to God.

Sunday, August 25—At 6 a.m. we were met by five others and had a prayer meeting on the hill.

Wednesday, August 28—Had a talk with Miss Mills after prayer meeting…

Thursday, August 29—…Then a prayer meeting on the hill—alone with God.

Friday, August 30—I went to the old church around 9 o’clock p.m. and prayed until I could stay awake no longer and laid down on the floor and slept until daybreak, at what time I again poured out my heart to the Lord.

Around two years later he wrote:

Slept till 7 o’clock (shame). Because of this I must begin the day with but a few minutes of prayer. Thus is sin.

On July 18, 1931 he wrote:

Spent three or four hours (with Henry and Walt in a quiet rendezvous in the hills) with God. God has never yet failed to bless such a season to the quickening of the inward man, and striking some needed blows to the carnal man.

And then on March 17, 1931 he testifies:

While waiting upon the Lord and reading His Word, He speaks to me very definitely. I was reading II Sam. the first 7 chapters. I was strangely aware that God was nigh unto me. God was…with David for his people, Israel’s sake. II Sam. 5:10-12. David enquired [sic] many times of the Lord. I am and was then peculiarly and especially aware of mine own insufficiency and dependence upon the Lord. Chapter 7, wherein David was promised what God should verily do, burst with special significance before me. While reading the second time Hebrews 6:16-18 flashed into my mind; not knowing what it was I looked it up. I cannot explain how definitely the Lord spoke to me in view of the boys’ work in the light of America’s, yea the world’s need. O, but that through Chapter 7, also Isaiah 41:10 and Hebrews 6:16-18, Romans 4:20, 21 He did speak. I am as sure as that Carey the missionary knew. I trust God, His Word, not myself nor my feelings.3

Dawson Trotman’s experience was by no means unique; countless numbers of saints have walked this path of the quiet-time—daily investing an uninterrupted time in prayerful meditation on Scripture in God’s presence. Such notables include Moses, Joshua, David, the prophets, Jesus, the twelve, Paul, Augustine, Huss, Luther, Calvin, Owen, Whitefield, Wesley, Edwards, Hudson Taylor, William Carey, Watchman Nee, Robert Murray M’Cheyne, and a myriad of others. We might stop and learn a lesson. It was out of their close personal communion with God that their love for him grew, their likeness to him developed, and their heart for his work blossomed. This is why we daily draw aside to seek friendship with the Lord.

So, How Do I Have A Quiet-Time?
Some Principles

In the space that remains I would like to suggest a few thoughts for developing a consistent quiet-time. As you go about this process remember that it will not be easy nor without a fight. That you can be sure of. So arm yourself. There are four things to think about. First, a consistent time. Second, a consistent place. Third, a consistent plan. Fourth, a reward.

A Consistent Time

It is important in the process of developing a regular and meaningful quiet-time, where you can be alone and away from distractions, to nail down a specific time each day. For those of you who have a set schedule every day this is usually not too difficult. I find the best time is early in the morning, before I go to work. This may work for many guys who are working outside the home. Some of you may find the evening a better time. It’s up to you; trial and error. Others of us, say, women with young children, may find it easier to sit down and pray when the children are either having a nap or, if they’re old enough, immediately after they’ve gone to school and before the day gets rolling. The important thing is that you have a block of time (15 minutes? 30 minutes? 1 hour?, etc.) set aside each day (or as often as you can) in which to draw near to the Lord. Guard this time and ask the Lord to keep it free for prayer and meditation on scripture. Obviously we are not saying that you cannot have a quiet-time at any other time, but it is important in developing a good (holy) habit to pave the way by seeking consistency.

A Consistent Place

Another important factor is a consistent place, preferably not in front of the T.V.! Again, think of a place where you will have no distractions (or at least as close to none as possible) and where you will have freedom to pray out loud. Again, we can have a quiet-time anywhere (e.g., on the subway travelling to work), but not if we’re being distracted constantly by various intrusions. One of the reasons Jesus went up into the hills at night to pray was because there were no crowds there and he could focus on the Father without interruption. Whatever place we decide on, it should be similarly chosen.

A Consistent Plan

Once we’ve decided on the place and time, we should then set about the task of determining what portion of scripture we’ll be reading. It should be a portion long enough to provide some context to the story or teaching, but short enough so that much time can be spent in meditating on what has been read. It is here that we ask the Lord not only what the text means, but also what it now means for me. I recommend a Psalm, a paragraph or two in Paul, or an episode in the narrative literature such as the gospels or OT. You will also want to take along a pen and journal to record your thoughts and to list things to pray about. In my prayers I often use the acronym ACTS: A=adoration; C=confession; T=thanksgiving; and S=supplication.

The Reward

The best way to envision your quiet-time is not as another thing to do—on top of the already overwhelming list of things to do—but as an opportunity to deepen a bond of love with the ultimate Friend. We should look forward to it like we did Christmas morning as youngsters. Remember Christmas Eve? Guests were over, mom and dad were sitting in the living room talking with friends, lights were twinkling on the tree, presents underneath, and the sound of laughter all around; excitement filled the air like a rich perfume. No kid can wait for Christmas morning. My prayer is that God would fill our hearts with that sense of excitement and expectation as we come to fellowship with him each day. Come to each quiet-time with that expectation and see if the Lord does not reward your seeking him. I leave you with a passage of scripture:

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who comes to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.


1 John Owen, Mortification, Banner of Truth, VI: 21.

2 As reproduced in Charles R. Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart and 1,501 Other Stories (Nashville, TN: Word, 1998), 63.

3 For this quotation and the previous material see Betty L. Skinner, Daws: The Story of Dawson Trotman Founder of the Navigators (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1974), 50-61.

Related Topics: Basics for Christians

Help for Troubled Hearts (John 13:31-14:31)

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Introduction

With the traitor dismissed (13:31), the cross looming large before Him, and His departure near at hand, the Savior sought to encourage His disciples with a number of truths that were vital to their own peace of mind as well as to their ability to represent Him to a lost and hostile world. The entire passage from John 13:31 through chapter 16 is one long farewell address often interrupted by questions from the disciples who are mentioned often in chapters 13 and 14. The character of these chapters is that of final instruction designed to provide help for troubled hearts. This element is marked out by Jesus’ words in 14:1 and 27.

14:1 Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.

14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

Prior to these words, however, Jesus had been teaching His disciples about forgiveness, about His betrayal, His glorification, and His departure. Because of their lack of understanding of His purpose in the plan of God and their inability at that point at least, to relate all of this to their own existence and purpose, their hearts were extremely troubled. The truth they needed to settle their disturbed hearts was necessary for both their unity and courage. The fears and hostilities they would face, the unanswered questions, the differences in temperament and the jealousies which had existed among them would alienate them from one another and render them useless in the plan of God.

The Teaching Regarding His Glorification (13:31-32)

Before mentioning His departure, the fact of His glorification is mentioned five times in two short verses (vss. 31-32). Consistently, throughout His ministry, reference to His glorification was a reference to His death as the culmination of the Father’s purpose for the Savior (see John 7:39; 12:16, 23; 17:1). Included was His resurrection which would validate the significance of His death. By His death, which demonstrated God’s love and Christ’s faithfulness, both Christ and the Father would be glorified (vs. 31). In Christ’s resurrection and exaltation the Father would glorify Christ and validate not only His claims, but the accomplishment of redemption through the cross (vs. 32).

But there was surely another reason. Once His death was accomplished, He must depart to return to the Father, but the accomplishments of His death and the message of God’s love would now need to be proclaimed and manifested by Christ’s disciples. Through daily cleansing and fellowship with Him (John 13:1-17) and by the Spirit of truth, the Helper whom He would send to indwell them (John 14:15-18), they would be able to manifest the victorious Savior to the world.

However, at this point in their understanding, they simply had not grasped all of this nor could they yet comprehend it (John 16:7, 12). Once the Spirit had come, it would then not only make sense, but revolutionize their lives.

The Teaching Regarding His Departure (vs. 33)

Jesus began this instruction by addressing the disciples as “little children.” The Greek word here is teknion, a diminutive form of teknon, “children.” This was a term of love and expressed Jesus’ special concern for His own. It is used only here by Jesus in this Gospel. John used it seven times in his first epistle (1 John 2:1, 12, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21), and Paul used it once (Gal. 4:19). But it appears that Jesus used it here in this context to communicate a vital truth. Though He would leave them and though they could not follow Him, at least not then, His departure was not because He did not care for them. Indeed, His departure was vital to their needs (16:7).

The Teaching Regarding the New Commandment (vss. 34-35)

The command that God’s people love one another was, of course, not new. As an outworking of love for God, loving others is at the heart of the Law and expresses the last half of the Ten Commandments. So why does the Lord call this a new commandment?

“New” is the Greek kainos (kainvo”), which often denotes what is qualitatively new as compared to what has existed until now, what is better than the old versus what is “young, recent.” It speaks of what is new in the sense of unused, fresh. The religious leaders had missed the heart of the Law and had failed to truly lead the people into God’s love and love for others. So while loving others was not new in the sense of “recent,” it was new in the sense no one had fully manifested God’s love as had the Savior in such a sacrificial way—it was unused.

In contrast to the self-righteous religious Pharisees, the Lord Jesus had come to fulfill the Law and demonstrate its true meaning in both supreme devotion to God and in love for others. The new commandment to love one another, then, is based on His example, “even as I have loved you.” The command is new in that it is a special love for other believers based on the sacrificial example of Christ’s love.

The goal is expressed in the last part of verse 34, “that you also love one another.” Mutual love for one another brings comfort and help to the Christian community, but it is a powerful means of manifesting Christ to a hostile world and is an evidence for the dynamic reality of the message of Christ (vs. 35).

Nevertheless, this talk about His betrayal (13:21-30) and then about His departure was tremendously discouraging to His disciples (13:31-33). Later in this scene, Peter would be told that he would disown the Savior (13:36-38). So, their hopes and expectations were progressively, piece by piece, being dismantled; they had all kinds of reasons to be troubled or agitated in their hearts.

That they were troubled is clear from the Lord’s words in 14:1, “Let not your heart be troubled,” and by the promise of His peace in 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” This coupled with the repeat of His exhortation against troubled and fearful hearts shows they were perplexed.

John 14, then, is one of those marvelous passages of the Word that is sublime in its promises and profound in its significance to the life of the body of Christ or to His disciples. As those who would represent the Savior in a hostile world, they need the Savior’s personal assurances found in this chapter.

In view of the perplexed hearts of the disciples, John 14:1 is pivotal and the key verse of chapters 13-14. It points us to two needs and two problems every disciple faces in his or her walk in the world.

The first problem is troubled hearts, but we should note up front that a troubled heart is really the result of a deeper problem that will be addressed later.

The first need is “Let not your heart be troubled.” “Troubled” is the Greek tarassw. Literally, it means “to agitate, stir up, trouble (a thing, by the movement of its parts to and fro) as with water” (cf. John 5:7). Metaphorically, it means “to cause inward commotion, take away calmness of mind, disturb one’s equanimity.” Thus, it means “to disquiet, make restless; to strike one’s spirit with fear and dread; to render anxious or distressed.”

Further, this is given in the form of a prohibition, a negative command. But we must not allow an English translation such as, “let not …” imply a mere permissive idea. It is more like, “Do not let your heart be troubled” or “You must not let your heart be troubled.” The aspect or action of this present negative imperative verb commands the cessation of their troubled hearts as well as the continuation of this as a pattern of life. By applying the truth of Scripture, like those given in this passage, we are to consistently calm the agitation of our hearts. The disciples were troubled and the Lord was here calling on them to deal with their fears.

The second problem and the root is fear coupled with unbelief. The greatest problem in man is his fear caused by his unbelief in God. This is the root and heart of all wickedness and wickedness leads to troubled hearts. Isaiah wrote, “But the wicked are like the tossing sea, for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up refuse and mud. ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked’” (Isa. 57:20-21).

It is here, then, that we find the second need, but this need is one which, when corrected, also becomes the solution. What men need is a relationship with God through belief or faith in God. As the Lord points out, to believe in God is to also believe in Him who is “the way, the truth, and the life.” Uncertainty or an ignorance or a lack of spiritual understanding about God and His plan weaken our faith. This naturally results in troubled hearts. The disciples had troubled hearts because of their lack of understanding of the Word as it related to the sufferings of Messiah. Though clearly taught in the Old Testament, they had as yet not grasped the need of the cross. They believed in Him as the Messiah, the Son of God, but they were struggling with His repeated comments about His death and resurrection.

So how do we get understanding? By asking questions and by getting answers through instruction. And that is precisely what begins to happen in verse 2.

In this section of verses there are a number of questions asked by the disciples, questions by Peter (13:36-37), by Thomas (14:5), by Philip (14:8), and by Judas [not Iscariot] (14:22). Further, there is actually an unasked question that the Lord answers (14:12-14).

It is helpful to notice that these questions portray perplexities of the human heart which unsettle hearts and trouble minds. But marvelously, all of the questions find their answer only in the person and work of Jesus Christ and His purpose for us as His disciples.

In summary, let’s note how these verses speak to our innermost needs and philosophical questions of life. But as the text shows, the answers to these questions are found in the death, resurrection, ascension, session, and return of Christ.

Crucial Questions That Trouble Hearts
(13:36-14:31)

The Question of Peter, a Question of Destiny (13:36-37)

While Peter’s question was directed toward the Lord’s departure mentioned in verse 33, it really concerned the question, where are we going? He was asking the Savior, what’s going to happen to us if you leave us? In other words, is our future secure? There is clearly an element of fear here—what about heaven and how are we going to get there? The Lord answers this in 14:2-3 where He promises His personal return for the body of Christ, specifically the rapture of the church, as further developed by Paul in his epistles (1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). Christ’s answer shows us human destiny involves both a place and a person. The place is the Father’s house, a place that will contribute to happiness, but being there comes from knowing a person—Christ Himself.

The Question of Thomas, a Question of Skepticism (14:5)

Thomas shows us the same uncertainty about where we are going, but he specifically adds the question, how are we going to get there? He wanted to know who would show us the way? Christ gives the answer in verses 6 and 7. Thomas, like the other disciples (except Judas Iscariot), were believers and knew the Lord in that sense, but they did not know Him as deeply and intimately as they needed to. They needed a deeper understanding of the Savior. They had not penetrated the life of Christ as the suffering Savior as had Mary, who sat at His feet to hear His word (Luke 10:38) and who also anointed His feet with ointment in preparation of His death (John 12:3-7). So, when Christ said, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also” He was not suggesting Thomas was not a believer. He was not using “know” in the sense of faith in Christ for salvation, but “know” in the sense of the intimacy and a deeper spiritual perception of a more mature faith. Christ did not say that He knew the way or that He would teach them the way, but that He Himself was “the way, the truth, and the life.” “Solutions to human problems are never found in skepticism, but rather in the affirmation of faith.”1 And the only affirmation of faith that leads us into life and into an eternal destiny is faith in Jesus Christ.

The Question of Philip, a Question of Realism (14:8-9)

Here we see the longing and need in men to get a glimpse of God and experience His reality. “Show us God and we will believe” is what Philip was asking. Philip was a materialist who wanted something more tangible than metaphysical distinctions or theological abstractions. He wanted to see some concrete evidence. This desire in man is why we are so prone to various forms of idolatry and the pursuit of things we can see and touch and hold. The answer comes in verses 9-11. To see the Lord Jesus was to see and experience the Father, the living God as Jesus’ life, words, and works made clear (John 1:14, 18).

The Unasked Question, a Question of Direction (Purpose) (14:12-14)

In pointing to the greater works His disciples would accomplish with His departure, the Lord was indirectly addressing another issue, though not actually a question asked by the disciples, because it is an issue that speaks to a basic longing in man. It’s the question of significance and purpose. Unless this question is answered and found in a personal relation with Christ, as one who abides in Him (John 15), it is an issue that not only drives men incessantly from one pursuit after another, but diverts them from the call of God on their lives. Typically, however, this question goes unresolved because, like a dog chasing his tail, men persistently, being deceived by Satan’s world system, pursue the wrong things. In fact, King Solomon addressed this very issue in Ecclesiastes; regardless of man’s accomplishments or accumulation, when he tries to live life without faith in God he experiences nothing but futility.

Here, then, is a question of the heart that people may not even know they are asking. Like a spiritual submarine, it is a question that runs silently and deeply beneath the surface in the unconscious waters of the heart. Here is a question and a longing that unsettles and troubles the hearts of men—it is the question, what is my purpose in life? Why am I here? It is the quest for significance. But it is also a question that is very much related to the Lord’s promise to prepare a place and to return for His own because it is at this time that He will surely reward His saints for the faithful use of their lives.

The big question, then, is the question of PURPOSE: Why am I here or what are we here for? What is the reason for this life? What is my purpose here on earth? What am I to do with my life?

This question and its answer, given here as a promise to the church, lies at the heart of this passage and points us to one of the key helps to untroubled hearts. Herein lies one of the major causes of perplexity, disunity, and unrest in men; here is a question that every disciple, if he or she is to be effective, must come to grips with.

John White, a Christian author and psychiatrist, has pointed out one of the spiritual problems that he has found causing serious mental disorders is being without an adequate purpose for life.2

Stephen Eyre took a survey on the values and motivations of college students at campuses in the Southeastern United States. One striking discovery of the survey was that there was little internal sense of cause or duty among students. Primary motivations centered on personal enjoyment and development of job-related skills.3

Several things can be noted here: (1) Being without God or without a right relationship with God creates a huge void in the heart of man. This leads to an almost pathological obsession with climbing the ladder of success as defined by the world (cf. John 7:37-39; Eph. 4:17f). (2) And how does the world defines success? It defines it in terms of prosperity, prestige, position, power, pleasure, and possessions. It defines it in terms of numbers, names, and noses—and too many Christians and churches seek their significance the same way. Such can only lead to troubled hearts filled with disunity, competition, and resentment. (3) At the top of this ladder called “success” there is supposed to be a place called happiness paved with streets named fulfillment, peace, and security. We might be wise to remember how Paul warns us that one of the signs of the last days and its apostasy will be the world’s pursuit of “peace and safety (security) at all cost” (1 Thess. 5:3).

At the top of the ladder of success there may be some kind of luxury automobile, a mansion on a hill top overlooking the Pacific or a beautiful mountain range, or one’s name in lights, or great recognition in some area—but is the climb worth it? The Lord warned his disciples against seeking to gain the world, while losing their souls, that is, wasting their lives from God’s standpoint and purpose. Like a bad dream, true happiness and meaning in life will always be just out of reach unless it is sought and found in the answers the Savior gives us in this passage. The picture the world offers of meaning and happiness in the good life, in peace and safety, is a satanic mirage.

As Christians who are to be disciples and disciple makers, we must realize the pursuit of the so-called ‘good life’ consumes people in a process that is ruinous and destructive. Not only does it not pay off, it has definite negative consequences.

It draws us, like a vortex or a black hole, into a pursuit that Solomon describes as “chasing wind” in Ecclesiastes. In essence, this pursuit is a paradox.

In the selfish pursuit of our own happiness, we ruin our lives and the lives of our families, and we fail to experience true meaning in life—Christ’s purpose.

It causes us to neglect our health, our mates, our children, our friends.

We become blind and callused to people in need all around us, and above all, we blatantly neglect God.

It is a pursuit that becomes selfish and immoral because it is based on wrong values and priorities, those that are self-centered rather than other-centered.

With this in mind, let’s look at 14:12-18. These verses constitute several promises, but promises that are directly related to one primary promise, one concerning the principle of direction or purpose.

    The Certainty of the Promises, “Truly, Truly” (14:12)

“Truly” is the Greek emhn (emhn). It means “to be firm, secure.” It not only points to the certainty of a particular truth, but it was used by the Lord to arrest the attention because the teaching that would follow is not at all optional but is fundamental and indispensable to life. In the context of this passage, what we have before us is as indispensable to effective disciples and untroubled hearts as is oxygen to the breath we breath (cf. vs. 1 with vs. 27).

    The Consignee (the Who) of the Promise, “he who believes in Me” (14:12)

Please note: The promises and message of this passage are not restricted to ministers or missionaries or preachers. It speaks to every believer, to all of us. The one issue here is faith in Christ. Faith in the Savior enters one into union with both His life and His purpose. It brings both the power of God and the purpose of God to bear on every believer’s life and includes a call to ministry as partners with the Savior in His enterprise on earth. God wants all believers to be disciples.

The Lord’s promise in these verses about ‘greater works’ speaks to the whole body of Christ. It drives home the biblical mandate of every member needs to get involved in God’s purpose for his or her life.

    The Content (the What) of the First Promise (14:12)
      The Continuation of His Work—”the works that I do shall he do also

Underline the word “also.” Here the Lord resumed the main thrust of His teaching in these chapters. He wanted to impress us with the fact that He was not disbanding the disciples and nor ending His purposes in the face of His departure.

Indeed, His departure would be the basis of the continuation of His work on earth.

Acts 1:1 is what is called the “resumptive preface.” “To do” refers to Christ’s works of love as He reached out to a hurting world. “To teach” is equivalent to His words of love, the gospel message, but the two go together and speak of the mission of the church to reach out to the world as partners of the Lord Jesus with His life fleshed out in ours.

This is what John Stott calls incarnational Christianity. “In ‘incarnational’ Christianity the church is both a people called out of the world to worship God and a people sent back into the world to bear witness to Him and to serve Him.”4 But the point is that it is incarnational in the sense that God’s people are fleshing out the very life of Christ by the way they live in their values, pursuits, and concern for a dying world. This will become evident in our Lord’s answer to Judas (not Iscariot) in verses 23f.

      The Amplification of His Work—“and greater than these shall he do”

The disciples were given temporary gifts that were miraculous in nature like the gift of miracles and healing. But such miraculous powers is not the point here. This applies to all believers or the church of all time until the return of Christ.

The greater works here do not refer to greater in degree, but greater in the sense of extent and effect.

  • As to extent, Christ’s ministry was limited to Palestine, to places like Judea, Peraea, Decapolis, Galilee, and Samaria, but through the church, His work would spread all over the globe.
  • As to effect, multitudes from all over the world would come to know Christ and be placed into the body of Christ, the church.

In other words, every believer and every church is to be a part of a world-wide purpose and ministry empowered by the living Christ through the Holy Spirit whom He gave to the church after His glorification, His death and resurrection and ascension.

    The Cause (the Why) of the Promise (14:12c-14)

There are three reasons given in the text. First, His Ascension and Session, second, our Intercession, and third, the Holy Spirit’s Procession.

(1) The Ascension (His departure) and the Session (His arrival)— “because I go to the Father”

The point here is that power for such a ministry would be the result of the power, authority, ministry, and gifts of the exalted Lord. This is explained and developed in the verses that follow and throughout the New Testament. Power for ministry would originate from the exalted Lord—and two further results of that which the Lord now turns our attention to—the privilege of intercession and the procession, the gift of the Holy Spirit.

(2) The Intercession of the Church—“and whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, …”

As believers in Christ, we have access into the very presence of God through the Lord Jesus who is there for us. But what does this mean? What must the disciple understand here? He is there for us:

Permanently—having once and for all dealt with our sin.

Exaltedly—all power and authority having been given to Him because of His glorious defeat of Satan, Sin and Death.

Sympathetically—having become man, He is able to feel for our infirmities and needs, always there for us.

Compassionately—always caring for a dying world.

Our ministries are often impotent because we are prayerless or because we fail to pray purposefully according to the goals of Scripture. We might also note something else: the promise, “whatever you ask …” is given in connection with accomplishing the greater works of Christ. This is not a blank check for selfish wants (Jam. 4:3). But power in prayer and effectiveness in ministry would depend on something else. We would not only need access, but we would need spiritual enabling and direction in our prayer life and in our ability to reach out to the world.

(3) The Procession (the sending of the Holy Spirit from the Father through the Son)— “and I will ask the Father …” (John 14:16-17, 18f, 26)

“Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this …” (Acts 2:33)

Several times the Lord spoke of the Holy Spirit as the "Helper" or "Enabler." He is God's gift to the body of Christ to enable believers to both live the Christian life and fulfill God's individual purposes for them. A passage that is particularly pertinent here is Zechariah 4:10. God gave Zechariah a special message for Zerubbabel that was vital for his success and the completion of the task he faced. Completing the task successfully did not depend not on man’s might or power, but on the Spirit Himself. All kinds of power available to man are meant: physical, mental, moral. These at their best are insufficient for the tasks at hand or for any work of God, because it is He who supplies the power of the Spirit of God who alone is sufficient for our tasks in the hostile world in which we live.

How timely, then, is this message for our day with its complex and manifold committees, boards, drives, plans, organizations, contests, budgets, sponsors, rallies, groups, methodologies, techniques, and so much more. “These can never avail in themselves to bring about the accomplishment of the task God has entrusted to us; since it is from first to last a spiritual work, it must be by the omnipotent and unfailing and unerring Spirit of God. The arm of the flesh fails; He never does.”5 Compare 2 Cor. 2:16; 3:4-5.

Application

The issue, then, is what does all this mean to us believer's in Christ?

(1) This is first of all a call to ministry, to envisioning an every member kind of ministry, to envisioning an entire church devoted to continuing what our Lord began.

(b) It is a call to being a Spirit-filled people, a people controlled and led by the Spirit as was the Lord Himself whose very works were the result of abiding in the Father.

(c) And it is a call to intercession, to a life in which prayer plays such a priority that it becomes the foundation of our ministry and outreach in the world.

We now turn to one last question, the question of Judas (not Iscariot), verse 22. This question is important to our grasp of the passage and its message.

The Question of Judas (not Iscariot), the Issue of Revelation (14:22)

From Judas’ question, we see one last question, one last perplexity. Why don’t you reveal yourself to the world now? Why only to us?

Let’s note the Lord’s answer. Verse 23 answers the question of Judas, and then verse 24 summarizes and concludes His instruction in answer to these questions.

At first his answer doesn’t appear to really answer all of Judas’ question, especially the part about disclosure to the world. But at closer inspection and in the light of the rest of Scripture it does. The point is, as men love the Lord, as they keep His Word, they will know deeper and deeper levels of intimacy with God. In the process they will flesh out God’s love, His values, purposes and will, and that will result in a vast disclosure of Christ’s person and that of the Father to a needy world in all that He began both to do and to teach.

Conclusion

We should note that if 14:1 introduces our subject, “let not your heart be troubled,” 14:27 concludes it and points us to the results we experience, but only when we accept the Lord's answers, claim His promises, and abide in His life, as the next chapter (15) so dramatically teaches us in the figure of the Vine and the branches.

People everywhere want peace, do they not? But they are looking for it in all the wrong places … The world can’t give it. Only Jesus Christ can give us peace and untroubled hearts, and only those who, as committed disciples, are sold out to Him and the life He has left us to live—a life as His partners—can know His peace and meaning in life.

Let’s ask ourselves some important, soul-searching questions, questions we must also ask our disciples:

(1) Am I running on that proverbial gerbil wheel of fortune or on some other wheel in search of satisfaction, significance, and security? Am I chasing the wind?

(2) What are those specific expectations that keep me pushing and running on this wheel of my futile expectations?

(3) What is it costing me to stay on this wheel in terms of my time, my relationships with God, family, friends, in terms of the ministry God may have for me, and in terms of my own mental or physical health?

(4) What motivates me to keep climbing?

Regardless of what people say they believe, their actions and lifestyle reveal their ultimate values and trust are economic, not biblical, and that is idolatrous. Fifteen years ago, the dominant value among college freshmen was finding an adequate philosophy of life. Today that value has dropped to number eight on the list. Predictably, being well off financially is now number one on the list.6

When the world is seen largely as an arena for economic and commercial activity, individuals tend to derive both their sense of identity and their sense of worth from what they produce and consume. We identify ourselves by where we work, what we live in, and what we drive—the more we own, the more we are.7

(5) Is there a longing within my heart to be a part of a larger cause? Do I long to see God use my life in a way that makes a difference? If so, I need to seek to identify and describe my sense of what God’s purpose might be for my life.


1 Merrill C. Tenney, John: The Gospel of Belief, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, 1948, p. 214.

2 John White, Putting the Soul Back in Psychology, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, 1987, p. 36f.

3 Stephen Eyre, Defeating the Dragons of the World, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, 1987, pp.10, 12.

4 Bibliothecra Sacra, July-Sept., 88, p. 245.

5 Charles Lee Feinberg, Zechariah: Israel’s Comfort and Glory, American Board of Missions to the Jews, New York, 1952, pp. 44-45.

6 Tom Sine, Why Settle For More and Miss the Best, Word Publishing, Dallas, 1987, p. 30.

7 Sine, p. 32.


J. Hampton Keathley III, Th.M. is a 1966 graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and a former pastor of 28 years. Hampton currently writes for the Biblical Studies Foundation and on occasion teaches New Testament Greek at Moody Northwest (an extension of Moody Bible Institute) in Spokane, Washington.

Related Topics: Suffering, Trials, Persecution, Comfort

<font face="MAC C Times">Na{iot Bog: Velik vo Mo}ta i Slavata</font> (Our God Battling - Macedonian)

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Macedonian Font

Edna od karakteristikite na Bo`jata golemina e negovata beskone~na i izvonredna mo}, poka`ana osobeno vo sozdavaweto i prostuvaweto. Vo edna detska kniga so naslov Dali Siniot Kit e Najgolemoto Ne{to [to Postoi? Robert Vels n dava prikaz na Bo`jata sila vo sozdavaweto; toj n prenesuva od golemina koja mo`eme da ja sfatime vo golemina koja ne mo`eme.1

Najgolemoto `ivotno na Zemjata e siniot kit. Samo perkite na negovata opa{ka se pogolemi od bilo koi `ivotni na zemjata.

No siniot kit ne e golem kolku planina. Ako stavi{ stotici sini kitovi vo golema tegla, bi mo`el da stavi{ milioni tegli so kitovi vo izdlaben Mont Everest.

No, Mont Everest ne e ni blisku po goleminata so zemjata. Ako naredime sto Mont Everesta eden vrz drug, tie bi bile samo musta~e na Zemjata.

I Zemjata ne e golema kolku Sonceto. Bi mo`ele da stavime milion zemji vo Sonceto.

No Sonceto, za koe nau~nicite velat deka e yvezda so sredna golemina, ne e golema kolku crvenata supergigantska yvezda nare~ena Antar. Pedeset milioni - to~no, prebrojte - pedeset milioni na{i sonca bi sobralo vo Antar.

No Antar, ne e nitu pribli`no golem kolku galaksijata na Mle~niot Pat. Milijardi yvezdi, me|u koi i supergigantski, kako Antar, kako i bezbrojni kometi i asteroidi, vsu{nost ja so~inuvaat galaksijata na Mle~niot Pat.

No galaksijata Mle~en Pat, ne e nitu odblizu golema kolku univerzumot. Postojat bukvalno, milijardi drugi galaksii vo univerzumot. I sepak, ispolneti so milijardi galaksii, univerzumot e skoro potpolno prazen. Rastojanijata od edna do druga galaksija se so golemini preku na{ite najbogati fantazii. Tie ednostavno protivre~at so bilo kakvo razbirawe. I taka e i Onoj koj gi sozdal! Zamislete deka Toj go storil s ova so samo iska`an zbor! Neverojatno! Praveden... kako {to go narekuvaat nekoi mladi lu|e, ovie denovi. No ako se znae vistinata, toa bilo samo beskone~no ograni~en izraz na negovata mo}. Toj go storil ova dodeka spiel!

Taka, koga mu prio|ate na va{iot Bog denes, pojdete so poniznost, so dlaboko ~uvstvo na v~udoneviduvawe i silen strav od negovo nezadovolstvo. Bidej}i Toj e velik vo mo}ta i e bestra{en i nemilosrden voin za negovite lu|e. Postoi dobra pri~ina zaradi {to Evreite go narekle El [addai, Velikiot, I{ Milhamah, ~ovek od vojna!

Bog e semo}en; nema kraj na negovata mo} za da ja ispolni negovata cel vo spasenieto. Prorokot Jeremij rekol O Gospodi Bo`e, Ti go sozdade neboto i zemjata so silata Tvoja golema i krenata mi{ka; za Tebe ne postoi ni{to nevozmo`no(32:17)!

Koi i da se va{ite potrebi, nema da ja potro{at negovata sila i mo}. Koi i da se va{ite gri`i, nema da go presu{at negoviot bunar na ~uvstva. Vo koja situacija da se nao|ate, negovata raka nikoga{ nema da e prekratka za da ve spasi, da vi dade, da ve povede i da se bori za vas. Kolkavi i da se va{ite navredi protiv nego, na nemu ne mu e zabraneto prostuvawe, osloboduvawe i pribli`uvawe na li~nosta koja navistina se kae. Ni{to ne e prete{ko za nego!

Razmisluvajte za pesnata na Mojsej od Vtorata kniga Mojseeva (Ishod) 15 i podvle~e te gi razli~nite imiwa, karakteristiki i akcii koi mu se pripi{uvaat na Boga, Toj e vreden za na{ata bezuslovna pokornost i posvetenost. Isto taka razmislete i za Mojseeviot odgovor za Gospodovoto spasenie! Bog e sekoga{ zafaten so spasuvawe na negovite lu|e i za sprotistavuvawe so onie koi mu se protivat.

15:1 Toga{ Mojsej i sinovite Izrailevi ja zapeaja ovaa pesna na Gospoda, velej}i: Da Go vospeam Gospoda, za{to slavno se proslavi: kowite i kowanicite gi frli v more. 15:2 Pomo{nik i zakrilnik mi be{e vo spasenieto. On e Bog moj, i }e Go proslavuvam; Bog na tatkoto moj, i }e go prevoznesuvam. 15:3 Gospod gi ni{ti vojnite; imeto Mu e Gospod. 15:4 Kolite Faraonovi gi frli v more; izbranite vojvodi negovi se udavija vo Crveno More. 15:5 Bezdnite gi pokrija; tie potonaa vo dlabo~inite kako kamen. 15:6 Desnicata Tvoja, Gospodi, se proslavi so sila; desnata raka Tvoja, Gospodi, go uni{ti neprijatelot. 15:7 I so veli~ieto na slavata Tvoja Ti gi sobori onie, koi stanaa protiv Tebe, Ti go izli gnevot Svoj, i toj gi izgore kako slama. 15:8 Od zdivot na gnevot Tvoj vodite se rascepija, vodite se izdignaa kako bedem; srede moreto branovite se zatvrdnaa. 15:9 Neprijatelot re~e: ]e gonam, }e stignam, plen }e razdelam, }e gospodari rakata moja. 15:10 Ti duvna so zdivot Tvoj, i moreto gi pokri; i tie potonaa kako olovo vo silnite vodi. 15:11 Koj e kako Tebe me|u bogovite, Gospodi? Koj e kako Tebe proslaven vo svetosta Svoja, prekrasen vo slavata Svoja i Tvorec na ~udesa? 15:12 Ti ja pru`i desnicata Svoja a zemjata gi goltna. 15:13 Spored milosta Tvoja go vode{e narodot, kogo Ti go izbavi, i go ute{uva{e so silata Svoja, vodej}i go vo `iveali{te na Svetosta Tvoja. 15:14 Narodite }e ~ujat i }e se voznemirat: u`as }e gi opfati `itelite na zemjata Filistejska. 15:15 Toga{ }e pobrzaat i poglavarite edomski, strav i trepet }e gi obzeme knezovite moavski, }e se upla{at site `iteli hananski. 15:16 Neka gi opfati strav i u`as od silata na rakata Tvoja neka onemeat kako kamen, dodeka ne pomine narodot Tvoj Gospodi, kogo si go pridobil. 15:17 Odvedi go i smesti go vo planinite, nasledstvoto Tvoe, vo mesto, koe Ti, Gospodi, si go prigotvil za `iveali{te Svoe, vo svetili{teto sozdadeno od racete Tvoi Gospodi! 15:18 Gospod }e caruva sekoga{ i vo ve~nost. 15:19 Koga kowite Faraonovi so kolite ngovi i so kowanicite negovi vlegoa vo moreto, Gospod gi povrati vrz niv vodite morski: a sinovite Izrailevi pominaa po suvo srede more. 15:20 I proro~icata Marijam, sestrata Aronova, zede timpan vo rakata svoja, a po nea izlegoa site `eni so timpani i vo hor. 15:21 I zapea Marijam pred niv Pejte Mu na Gospoda, za{to slavno se proslavi: kowot i kowanikot v more gi frli.

Isto taka razmislete i za zborovite na angelot do Filadelfiskata crkva (videte go potcrtaniot del):

3:7 I na angelot na Filadelfiskata crkva napi{i mu: vaka veli Svetiot, Vistinskiot, Onoj, Koj go ima klu~ot Davidov, Koj otvara, i nikogo nema da zatvori, - i Koj zatvori, nikoj ne }e otvori 3:8 gi znam delata tvoi. Ete ti dadov vrata otvorenam i nikoj ne mo`e da ja zatvori; ti ima{ mala sila i sepak go zapazi slovoto Moe, i ne odre~uvaj se od imeto Moe. 3:9 Ete, }e ti dadam nekoi od satanskata zbornica onie, {to velat deka se Judejci, a ne se, tuku la`at ete, }e napravam da dojdat i da se poklonat pred nozete tvoi i da poznaat, deka Jas te zasakav. 3:10 Bidej}i ti go zapazi slovoto na trpenieto Moe, i Jas }e te zapazam od ~asot na isku{enieto, koe }e dojde nad celata vselena, za da gi isku{a onie koi `iveat na zemjata. 3:11 Ete, idam skoro: dr`i, {to ima{, za da ne go zeme nikoj venecot tvoj. 3:12 Onoj, koj pobeduva, }e go napravam stolb vo hramot na Mojot Bog, i nema ve}e da izleze nadvor; i }e go zapi{am nad nego imeto na Mojot Bog i imeto na gradot na Mojot Bog, na noviot Erusalim, koj slegnuva od neboto od Mojot Bog i Moeto novo ime. 3:13 Koj ima uvo, neka ~ue, {to im zboruva Duhot na crkvite.


1 Robert Wells, Is A Blue Whale the Biggest Thing There Is? (Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman, 1993).

Related Topics: Theology Proper (God), Devotionals

„Trzy ważne pytania”

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Tłumaczenie Hanna Kowalczyk.

W przeszłości bardzo lubiłem pływać i uważałem się za dobrego pływaka ( nigdy nie domyślilibyście się tego, patrząc na mnie teraz. Proszę, żadnych komentarzy.) W każdym razie, z racji tego, że moi rodzice byli wojskowymi, mieszkaliśmy w pobliżu wojskowej bazy lotniczej. I jak większość, jeżeli nie wszystkie, wojskowe bazy w Kanadzie, ta miała kilka krytych i kilka odsłoniętych basenów. Kiedy byłem nastolatkiem, odwiedzałem regularnie te „wodne dziury” latem z moimi przyjaciółmi. Spędzaliśmy tam godziny popołudniami, wygrzewając się w słońcu i bawiąc w basenie.

Ale w pobliżu było również kilka jezior ( to raczej niemożliwe dorastać w Nowej Szkocji i nie mieszkać blisko jezior). Miałem bliskiego przyjaciela, którego rodzice byli właścicielami chatki na brzegu jednego z takich jezior. Tak więc całą gromadą często chodziliśmy nad to jezioro na ryby, żeby popływać i po prostu dobrze się bawić.

Pewnego razu ja i mój przyjaciel postawiliśmy sobie wyzwanie przepłynięcia jeziora przy całkiem sporym wietrze. Przyjąłem bez wahania ( i nieco bezmyślnie) wyzwanie przepłynięcia jednej czwartej mili i razem przygotowaliśmy się do startu. Ponieważ spędzałem wiele czasu na basenie, uważałem, że będzie to fraszka. Ale okazało się inaczej. Jest istotna różnica miedzy spokojną wodą w basenie, a otwartymi wodami jeziora ( teraz to wiem). Na jeziorze tworzą się fale – i to czasem duże fale, – jeżeli wzbierze wiatr. Podobnie jak z wieloma innymi rzeczami w moim życiu, musiałem nauczyć się twardej lekcji. Być może masz podobne doświadczenia.

W każdym razie mój przyjaciel i ja zanurkowaliśmy i rozpoczęliśmy wyprawę ramię przy ramieniu. Na początku radziłem sobie całkiem nieźle, ale po niedługim czasie Tim wysunął się na czoło. Po prostu nie mogłem dotrzymać mu tempa, w końcu był o 3 lata starszy ode mnie. Jednak wkrótce możliwość przegrania wyścigu stała się moim najmniejszym zmartwieniem. W momencie, gdy wynurzałem się, żeby zaczerpnąć oddech, fala rozbiła się o moją twarz i bezwiednie napiłem się wody.

Czy kiedykolwiek przydarzyło wam się coś podobnego? Jesteś daleko od brzegu, zmęczony, z trudem oddychasz, a na dodatek nabierasz potężny łyk wody. Nic przyjemnego! Natychmiast zacząłem się dusić i nie mogłem złapać oddechu. Po krótkim czasie moja sytuacja wyglądała naprawdę źle. Szybko dotarło do mnie, że jestem „ w kłopotach” i w żaden sposób nie jestem w stanie temu zaradzić. Pomimo tego, że się dusiłem, próbowałem krzyczeć do Tima. Ale on prawdopodobnie myślał, że żartuję ( usiłując zmusić go do zwolnienia, żebym mógł go w ten sposób dogonić), a może nawet nie dosłyszał z powodu wiatru.

Prawda jest taka, że tonąłem już, kiedy mój przyjaciel dotarł do mnie. Z jakiegoś powodu Tim zatrzymał się i obejrzał do tyłu, żeby zobaczyć, gdzie jestem. Ponieważ nie mógł mnie dostrzec, wpadł w panikę i szybko zawrócił, płynąc w moim kierunku.Kiedy dotarł do mnie, byłem pod wodą. Wielkim atutem Tima była jego wspaniała kondycja fizyczna; był on prawdziwym kulturystą.Chwycił moja rękę i wyciągnął mnie na powierzchnię, tak, że mogłem oddychać. Krótko mówiąc, uratował mi życie. Z jego pomocą dotarłem na brzeg.

Często niezbędny jest ktoś silniejszy lub wyższy rangą, żeby dopomóc nam w czasie potrzeby, nieprawdaż? I kiedy toniesz w okolicznościach życia, nie potrzebujesz dobrej rady, potrzebujesz zbawiciela! Właśnie jego. Pewnej nocy w telewizji kanał wiadomości odtwarzał nagranie człowieka porwanego przez rozszalałą rzekę. Podczas gdy był on miotany przez wody, z głową wynurzającą się na powierzchnię co kilka sekund, można było niemal poczuć smak beznadziejności jego sytuacji. Nikt w patrolującym helikopterze nie dawał mu wiele nadziei. Ten człowiek potrzebował natychmiastowej pomocy. Byli tam pewni życzliwi ludzie, stojący na brzegu rzeki i wykrzykujący mu rady: „ Przypłyń tutaj!”, „ Chwyć się gałęzi!”, „ Płyń silniej!”. Ale znowu, taka rada – jakkolwiek dobrze zamierzona – jest jednak całkowicie bezużyteczna dla osoby przygniecionej przez siłę tysięcy ton pędzącej wody. W sytuacji takiej jak ta, nie płyniesz po prostu tu i tam, nie manewrujesz, ani nie posuwasz sprawy do przodu w żaden inny sposób. Jesteś na łasce wody, potrzebujesz wybawiciela.

Być może niektórzy z was znajdują się teraz w najtrudniejszej sytuacji swojego życia. Jesteś w samym środku tonięcia na jeziorze i wydaje się, że nikt nie słyszy twojego wołania o pomoc. Jesteś schwytany przez prąd skręcających jelita wydarzeń i masz nadzieję, że ktoś rzuci ci linę ratunkową. Czujesz się jak schwytany w sidła królik, wyczerpany i bez sił po wielokrotnych próbach wyzwolenia się o własnych siłach z pułapki myśliwego. Im bardziej się szamoczesz i wyrywasz, tym mocniej pętla okoliczności bez wyjścia zdaje się zacieśniać swój uścisk.

W takich bolesnych i stresujących sytuacjach, powstają przynajmniej trzy przeszywające pytania, które nieustannie torturują nasze nadwątlone dusze, odsłaniając żywe mięso naszych przestraszonych i zranionych serc: „ Czy Bóg jest dobry?”, „ Czy troszczy się o mnie?”,” Czego ode mnie oczekuje?”. Tak jak kot, wdrapujący się na salonowe firanki ku wielkiemu niezadowoleniu właściciela, te małe pytania zagłębiają swe pazury w strukturę naszej duszy, aby ostatecznie zagnieździć się w naszej świadomości. Codziennie toczą walkę z naszymi sercami. Nic nie jest lepszym sprawdzianem naszego zawierzenia się Bożej dobroci, obecności, troskliwej opiece i kompetencji niż ciężkie próby i kryzysowe sytuacje.

W tym momencie właśnie, wiara wielu z nas zaczyna maleć, tracimy pewność siebie, a nasza nadzieja więdnie jak zużyta para bawełnianych spodni. Stajemy się źli na Boga. Odsuwamy od siebie innych ludzi jako naiwnych i całkowicie nieświadomych naszego bólu. Ich reakcja często wydaje się tak płytka i nietrafna, jak tych gapiów, krzyczących na mężczyznę uwięzionego przez rzekę. Ale znowu to pytanie ożywa w naszym umyśle. Czy Bóg jest dobry? Czy się troszczy? Czego On w ogóle ode mnie chce? Oczywiście nie wiem dokładnie, co Bóg czyni w twoim życiu, jednak wiem, że, jeżeli wierzysz w naszego Pana Jezusa Chrystusa, Kapitan twojej duszy może prowadzić cię do miejsc, od których najchętniej trzymałbyś się z daleka, aby przekształcić cię na podobieństwo Chrystusa i przynieść chwałę Jego imieninowi przez to wszystko. On jest dobry i On się troszczy. Nie miej żadnych wątpliwości co do tego (Rzymian 8: 28 – 29: „ A wiemy, że Bóg współdziała we wszystkim ku dobremu z tymi, którzy Boga miłują, to jest z tymi, którzy według postanowienia jego są powołani. Bo tych, których przedtem znał, przeznaczył właśnie, aby stali się podobni do obrazu jego Syna, a On, żeby był pierworodnym spośród wielu braci.”) I wiedz również z całą pewnością, że nic w tym życiu nie może cię oddzielić od niego i od jego zwycięskiej miłości (Rzymian 8: 38 – 39). Jednak On używa najcięższych prób, aby obalić fundamenty naszego samozaufania, pohamować naszą życiową samokontrolę i pogłębić nasze zawierzenie się Jego celom tak, abyśmy mogli mieć udział w Jego świętości. On chce, abyś uczestniczył w duchowym, moralnym ( a pewnego dnia cielesnym, tj. przy zmartwychwstaniu i uwielbieniu naszych ciał) charakterze samego Chrystusa. W tym jest prawdziwe i trwałe szczęście.

Tak więc, twój Ojciec cię kocha. Nie oddalaj się od tej prawdy i nie dawaj przez to diabłu zwycięstwa. Inkarnacja, śmierć i zmartwychwstanie Chrystusa zwiastuje nam prawdę, raz na zawsze, że Bóg nas kocha i urzeczywistnił swoją miłość do nas przez swego Ducha ( Rzymian 5: 1 – 8: „ …Chlubimy się nadzieją chwały Bożej. A nie tylko to, chlubimy się też z ucisków, wiedząc, że ucisk wywołuje cierpliwość, cierpliwość doświadczenie, doświadczenie zaś nadzieję, a nadzieja nie zawodzi, bo miłość Boża rozlana jest w sercach naszych przez Ducha Świętego, który jest nam dany…). Kiedy doświadczenia przynoszą „ dystans” między tobą a Bogiem, zastępcza śmierć Chrystusa jest boskim megafonem, który nieustannie ogłasza: „ Bóg cię kocha”, „ Bóg cię kocha”, „ Przyjdź do domu”.

Tak więc, chociaż nie wiem dokładnie, co przeżywasz teraz, wiem jedną rzecz: Boża niecofająca się miłość do ciebie jest kamieniem węgielnym, dokoła którego został zbudowany twój dom. Jeszcze raz, śmierć i zmartwychwstanie Chrystusa jest odpowiedzią na pytanie, czy Bóg jest dobry i czy się troszczy. Te odpowiedzi to „ tak” i „ tak”.

Wiem również, że nauczyłem się czegoś bardzo wartościowego tego dnia na jeziorze: są chwile, kiedy potrzebujesz zbawiciela, a nie rady, jakkolwiek dobra by nie była. Są chwile w tym życiu, kiedy Bóg musi opuścić niebo dla ciebie, albo wszystko będzie skończone. Nie mówię tutaj o codziennych zmaganiach, którym stawiamy czoło – jakkolwiek trudne nie są, – ale raczej o tych sytuacjach bez wyjścia, w których tylko sam Bóg może zesłać ratunek. On uczynił tak na krzyżu, pokonał naszego największego wroga, samą śmierć. Ale On chce czynić to dla nas również teraz, w naszych „ codziennych zagrożeniach” tego życia. Apostoł Paweł powiedział pewnego razu, ze doświadczył tak straszliwej próby, że zwątpił nawet o swoim życiu, w swoim sercu czuł „ wyrok śmierci”. Ale mówi: „ to zdarzyło się, byśmy mogli nie polegać na sobie samych, ale na Bogu, który wzbudza zmarłych”( 2 Korynt. 1: 9).

Dlatego zwycięska śmierć Jezusa na krzyżu jest wzorcem tego, jak Bóg rozprawia się z „ognistymi próbami” naszego życia dzisiaj. To jest naprawdę dobra nowina dla tych z nas wiszących na końcu liny, próbujących ocalić drogie im życie. To właśnie z myślą o twojej sytuacji, jakakolwiek by nie była, chce pożegnać cię fascynacją historią, prawdziwie wyzwalającą relacją Bożego wszechmogącego wybawienia. To jest historia, która ostatecznie odpowiada na wszystkie te pytania, które prześladują nas w trudnych chwilach: Czy Bóg jest dobry?, Czy się troszczy?, Czego On w ogóle ode mnie chce?

Jest moją modlitwą, żeby, podczas gdy rozmyślasz nad tą historią w obecności samego Boga, wyrył On trwałe odpowiedzi na te pytania w twojej duszy. Prawdopodobnie nie grozi ci wroga armia -tak jak ludziom w tej historii, – ale jednak grozi ci coś, co wydaje się sytuacją bez wyjścia. Jest moją modlitwą, żebyś zobaczył w tym fragmencie Boga pracującego nad twoim życiem.

Tym fragmentem jest 2 Kronik 20. W tej niesamowitej scenie, zajmującej wszystkie 30 wierszy, jesteśmy zaproszeni osobiście przez Ducha Bożego w celu pouczenia, wiary i uwielbienia, aby podpatrzyć, jak Bóg rozprawiał się z królem i jego narodem – władcą i jego ludźmi powalonymi na kolana z powodu rzeczywistej groźby nagłego unicestwienia. Tragedia była tuż tuż, utrata życia wygłodniale gapiła się na naród jak stado wściekłych wilków. Nikt nie był wykluczony – kobiety i ich dzieci, od największego do najmniejszego w kraju – wszyscy stali bez ruchu przed Panem, gorliwie wyczekując Jego reakcji. Przymiotnik „ beznadziejna” w jakiś sposób oddaje ponurość tej sytuacji.

Być może czujesz się teraz podobnie. Nie błądź, są chwile w życiu każdego z nas, kiedy popadamy w rozpacz, łapiemy oddech na jeziorze, opadamy na dno. Być może jesteś wyczerpany, pełen obaw, nawet w o własne życie. Być może jest tak właśnie teraz. Powodem mogą być pieniądze, zdrowie, przemoc, narkotyki, rząd twego kraju lub jeszcze coś innego. Każdy chrześcijanin będzie musiał krzyczeć do Boga o ratunek – ratunek, który tylko On będzie w stanie przynieść.

Ten epizod z 2 Kronik został celowo przygotowany przez Ducha Bożego dla wszystkich pokoleń Bożych ludzi. Pokazuje nam skalę Bożych wysiłków, aby wyratować tych, których nazywa swoja własnością. Wybierzmy się na krótką przechadzkę po tym fragmencie. Otwiera się on realnością i pewnością zbliżającej się wojny, rozlewu krwi, zniszczenia i nędzy ( 20: 1 – 4), a zamyka śpiewem i pokojem ( 20: 28 – 30). W tym przejściu od lamentu do chwały przypomina Psalmy, odzwierciedlając tak jak one podstawowe doświadczenie świętych, którzy podróżują przez ziemię gorzkich zmagań, aby ostatecznie dotrzeć do bezpiecznej kryjówki radosnego zaufania Bogu. Główna historia zawarta w tym fragmencie ma trzy warstwy. W pierwszej narrator odtwarza skoncentrowaną wokół Boga modlitwę króla Jehoszafata ( 20: 5 – 19). Zwróć uwagę na odwołanie się króla do Bożej niepodważalnej suwerenności ( w.6) i Jego celów dla swojego ludu zawartych w przymierzu ( ww. 8 – 10). I dopiero wówczas, po uznaniu, kim Bóg jest, ten mądry król kończy wezwaniem do Boga o Jego boskie wyzwolenie ( ww. 10 – 13; Mat. 6: 9 – 13). Po drugie, dowiadujemy się o Bożej odpowiedzi w rozdziale 20: 14 – 19. Niesamowite! Natychmiast po poście i modlitwie, Boży Duch wkracza do akcji. Oby Bóg dał ci oczy, abyś widział i uszy, abyś słyszał…oraz odpowiedzi na trzy fundamentalne pytania – odpowiedzi przygotowane specjalnie dla ciebie. On uwielbia mówić bezpośrednio do swoich dzieci ( Jan 10: 14).

2 Kronik 20:

„ Po tych wydarzeniach ruszyli Moabicie, Ammonici, a z nimi także niektórzy Maronici na wojnę z Jehoszafatem. I przyszli posłańcy do Jehoszafata z doniesieniem: Ruszyło przeciwko tobie wielkie wojsko z tamtej strony morza, z Domu i oto są już w Chaseson – Tamar, to jest w En – Geni. Wtedy Jehoszafat zląkł się i postanowił zwrócić się do Pana, ogłosił też post w całej Judzie. Zebrali się więc Judejczycy, ażeby zwrócić się do Pana o pomoc, również ze wszystkich miast judzkich przyszli, żeby szukać Pana. Jehoszafat stanął wobec zgromadzenia Judy i Jeruzalem w świątyni Pańskiej przed nowym dziedzińcem i rzekł: Panie, Boże ojców naszych! Czy Ty nie jesteś Bogiem w niebiesiech? Ty władasz nad wszystkimi królestwami narodów. W Twoim ręku jest siła i moc i nie ma takiego, kto by Ci mógł sprostać. Czy nie Ty, Boże nasz, wypędziłeś mieszkańców tej ziemi przed swoim ludem izraelskim i dałeś ją potomstwu Abrahama, przyjaciela swego, na wieki?

Oni zamieszkali w niej i zbudowali w niej świątynię imieniu twemu, powiadając:, Jeżeli spadnie na nas nieszczęście, miecz karzący, zaraza czy głód, to staniemy przed tą świątynią i przed twoim obliczem, gdyż Twoje imię mieszka w tej świątyni i będziemy wołać do Ciebie z głębi naszego ucisku, a Ty wysłuchasz i ocalisz.

Oto właśnie teraz Ammonici, Moabici mieszkańcy gór Seiru, do których nie pozwoliłeś wkroczyć Izraelowi, gdy szedł z ziemi Egipskiej, tak, iż ominęli ich i nie zniszczyli, właśnie oni tak nam się odpłacają, że ruszają na nas, aby nas wypędzić z twojego dziedzictwa, które dałeś nam w posiadanie. Boże nasz! Czy ich nie osądzisz? Bo myśmy bezsilni wobec tej licznej tłuszczy, która wyruszyła przeciwko nam; nie wiemy też, co czynić, lecz oczy nasze na Ciebie są zwrócone.

Podczas tego stali przed Panem wszyscy Judejczycy, nawet ich małe dzieci, ich kobiety i synowie. A wtedy podczas tego zgromadzenia, Duch Pański spoczął na Jachazielu, synu Zachariasza, syna Benjasza, syna Jaiela, syna Mattaniasza, Lewicie, z potomków Asafa, i ten rzekł: Posłuchajcie uważnie wszyscy Judejczycy wy, mieszkańcy Jeruzalem i ty, królu Jehoszafacie! Tak mówi do was Pan: Wy się nie bójcie i nie lękajcie się tej licznej tłuszczy! Gdyż nie wasza to wojna, ale Boża. Jutro zejdźcie się naprzeciw nich, pójdą oni stokiem Sis, a natkniecie się na nich na skraju doliny przed pustynią Jeruel. Nie waszą rzeczą będzie tam walczyć, ustawcie się tylko i stójcie i oglądajcie ratunek Pana, o Judo i Jeruzalemie! Nie bójcie się i nie lękajcie się! Jutro wyjdźcie przed nich, a Pan będzie z wami!

Wtedy Jehoszafat pochylił głowę twarzą aż do ziemi, a także wszyscy Judejczycy i mieszkańcy Jeruzalem padli przed Panem, oddając pokłon Panu. Lewici zaś z rodu Kehatytow i z rodu Korachitow wstali, aby chwalić Pana, Boga Izraelskiego, głosem nader donośnym. Wstawszy wcześnie rano, wyruszyli na pustynie Tekoa. A gdy wyruszali, Jehoszafat stanął i rzekł: Słuchajcie mnie Judejczycy i mieszkańcy Jeruzalemu! Zawierzcie Panu, waszemu Bogu a ostaniecie się! Zawierzcie jego prorokom, a poszczęści się wam.

A naradziwszy się z ludem, wyznaczył śpiewaków dla Pana, którzy odziani w święte szaty mieli kroczyć przed zbrojnymi i śpiewać hymn pochwalny: Wysławiajcie Pana, albowiem na wieki trwa łaska jego. Gdy tylko zaczęli śpiewać radosne pienia pochwalne, Pan zastawił zasadzkę na Ammonitow, Moabitów i mieszkańców pogórza Seir, którzy ruszyli na Judę i zostali pobici. Ammonici i Moabicie wystąpili bowiem przeciwko mieszkańcom pogórza Seir, aby ich doszczętnie wytracić, a gdy wybili mieszkańców Seiru, dopomogli sobie nawzajem do zguby. Gdy zaś Judejczycy doszli do wieży strażniczej u wejścia na pustynię i spojrzeli na tłuszczę, oto wszędzie leżały trupy na ziemi i nikt nie ocalał. A gdy Jehoszafat i jego lud zbrojny zabrali się do zagarniania łupu, znaleźli wiele bydła, różnego mienia, szat i kosztownych naczyń i nabrali tyle, że nie mogli unieść. Trzy dni zagarniali łup, gdyż był tak obfity. Czwartego dnia zebrali się w dolinie Beraka, tam bowiem błogosławili Pana; dlatego miejscowości tej nadali nazwę Dolina Beraka i nosi ją ona do dnia dzisiejszego.

Potem powrócili wszyscy mężowie judzcy i jeruzalemscy na czele z Jehoszafatem do Jeruzalem, a wrócili radośni, gdyż Pan uradował ich wyzwoleniem od ich nieprzyjaciół. I wkroczyli do Jeruzalem przy dźwiękach lutni i cytr i trąb, i poszli do świątyni Pańskiej. I padł strach przed Bogiem na wszystkie królestwa ziemi, gdy usłyszano, że Pan walczył z nieprzyjaciółmi Izraela. A królestwo Jehoszafata zażywało spokoju, którego jego Bóg zewsząd mu udzielił.”

Related Topics: Theology Proper (God), Devotionals

Twój osobisty „strażnik serca”

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Tłumaczenie: Hanna Kowalczyk

Modlitwa jest najstarszą, najpowszechniejszą i najbardziej emocjonalną ekspresją religijnego intelektu. Dotyka ona nieskończenie odległych krańców, ponieważ jest jednocześnie najprostszą formą mowy, której próbują nawet usta niemowląt i najwyższej jakości dziełem sztuki, która dociera do Majestatu na wysokości. Jest ona naprawdę życiodajnym oddechem chrześcijanina i jego codziennym powietrzem. – J. Oswald Sanders (poprzedni dyrektor Zagranicznej Organizacji Misyjnej).

Istotnie! Modlitwa jest żywą krwią odrodzonego serca. Dla dojrzewającego chrześcijanina jest tak naturalna, jak oddychanie powietrzem i podobnie jak generalnie ludzka dusza, rozwija się pośród wielkich prób i zmagań. Jednak obawiam się, że gdybyśmy mieli wziąć słowa pana Sanders’a dosłownie – „(modlitwa) jest życiodajnym oddechem chrześcijanina i jego codziennym powietrzem” – dla wielu chrześcijan oznaczałoby to śmierć z uduszenia już jakiś czas temu. A jest to zawstydzające, skoro wszędzie dokoła jest tyle tlenu! Ale, jako brat w Chrystusie, nie jestem tu po to, żeby ganić, ale aby po prostu przywołać nas do życia modlitwy i osobistej społeczności z Bogiem.

Fundamentalnie, przychodzimy do Boga w modlitwie, ponieważ pragnieniem naszego nowego serca jest społeczność z Nim, uwielbianie Go i szukanie Jego chwały. To nie „chleb” jest głównym powodem, dla którego podążamy za Nim w modlitwie, ale uwielbienie( Jan 6: 25-40). Pomimo tego, Jego dobrodziejstwa stają się dla nas realne przez Ducha, podczas gdy zagłębiamy się w rozważaniu Biblii i w modlitwie. Właśnie tutaj często doświadczamy Jego zwycięstwa nad grzechem, tym strasznym „wrogiem u wrót”. To jest jedna z myśli przewodnich Pawła w Liście do Filipin 4: 6-7.

4:6 Nie troszczcie się o nic, ale we wszystkim, w modlitwie i błaganiach z dziękczynieniem, powierzcie prośby wasze Bogu. 4:7 A pokój Boży, który przewyższa wszelkie zrozumienie, strzec będzie serc waszych i myśli waszych w Chrystusie Jezusie.

W tym fragmencie Paweł daje nam dwa polecenia: jedno pozytywne i jedno negatywne, – do którego, na szczęście, dołącza ekscytującą obietnicę. W tej małej kapsułce zawarta jest Boża praktyczna mądrość do radzenia sobie z niepokojem, to jest, jak uniknąć chodzenia w złudzeniu, że Twój niebieski Ojciec jest niekompetentny i nie wie, jak rozprawiać się ze złem w twoim życiu. Czy nie jest to jednym z głównych źródeł niepokoju – przekonanie, że nasz Bóg po prostu nie wie, co robi? On być może wie, jak rozwiązać finansowe wpadki innych ludzi, ich rodzicielskie koszmary, stresy związane z pracą, itd., ale po prostu nie może zarzucić swoich ramion mocy wokół mojej beznadziejnej sytuacji. W przeciwieństwie, Jezus powiedział, byśmy nie zamartwiali się z powodu naszych pytań, problemów, potrzeb, ponieważ nasz Ojciec wie, czego potrzebujemy, jeszcze zanim Go o to poprosimy (Mat. 6: 25-34). Arthur Sommers Roche powiedział kiedyś: „ Niepokój jest cienką strużką strachu, cieknącą przez nasz umysł. Zachęcony, drąży kanał, do którego ściekają wszystkie inne myśli.”

Tak więc, Paweł nakazuje nam, abyśmy przestali kłaniać się zmartwieniu, rzucając się, by odpowiedzieć na każde jego skinienie. Zmartwienie jest jak typowy dwulatek – trzyma cię rozbudzonego nocami, powtarza nieskończoną ilość razy prośby o to, co zabronione i jest pełne nieograniczonej energii, zawsze żądające, byś mu odpowiedział. Ale niepokój nie jest więcej panem nad tobą, jeżeli jesteś w Jezusie Chrystusie; jesteśmy teraz niewolnikami najwyższego Boga pokoju. Grzech z jego wyciągniętymi parzydełkami, został ucięty mieczem. Przyjdź, dziel w łupach twojego Króla! Apostoł mówi: „nie martw się!”

Jednak Boża mądrość, odzwierciedlona w tym urywku Pisma, nie jest jedynie negatywna, ale również pozytywna. Nie jest nam dane jedynie przykazanie: „nie rób”, ale także „rób”. Uwzględnione jest nie tylko „zdejmowanie”, ale również „zakładanie”. I tutaj właśnie wkracza kolejne przykazanie Pawła. Nie mamy jedynie odrzucić niepokój, jak splamiony kawałek ubrania, ale mamy modlić się o wszystko do Boga. Dlaczego nie uczynisz tego swoim zwyczajem, zaczynając od dzisiaj, by z pokorą zbliżać się do Boga i odsłaniać przed nim serce? Dzisiaj, podczas gdy spędzasz czas na pracy lub wypoczynku, powiedz mu o troskach twego serca, zranieniach, obowiązkach i niepokojach. On chce cię wysłuchać. „Wszelka troskę waszą złóżcie na niego, bo on ma o was staranie” (1 Piotra 5: 8). Nie żyj dłużej tak, jak gdyby On się nie troszczył i jakby nie mógł zrobić nic w twojej sytuacji. Przyjdź do tronu łaski i znajdź miłosierdzie oraz przyjmij łaskę ku pomocy w czasie potrzeby. (Hebrajczyków 4: 16). Zwróć szczególną uwagę na obietnicę, która towarzyszy, jak wierna Collie, temu przykazaniu. Kiedy przynosimy wszystkie rodzaje modlitw i próśb do Niego z dziękczynieniem – On obiecuje strzec naszych serc pokojem –„nie brakiem wrogości, ale obecnością pokoju”.

Czy zauważyłeś tę intrygującą obietnicę? Pokój, Boży pokój i harmonia – tutaj uosobione pod postacią Rzymskiego żołnierza – zajmą swoje miejsce u drzwi twego serca i umysłu, broniąc wstępu twoim wrogom, burząc ustawiczne nagabywania zmartwień i zmieniając trajektorię ciągłej rzezi ich ognistych pocisków. Ten dzień będzie inny! Dzisiaj będzie dzień, w którym twoje doświadczenie Bożego pokoju przewyższy wszelkie ludzkie zrozumienie. „Pan, Bóg pokoju” Bunyan’a został oficjalnie osadzony w mieście Duszy Człowieka, a harmonia objęła rządy.

Poddaj się więc Bogu pokoju i wzywaj imienia Pana z wdzięcznością i z różnego rodzaju uwielbieniem, prośbami i błaganiem. W ten sposób odetniesz wszelkie zasoby i wsparcie twojemu wrogowi. Chociaż dźwięk Marsza Trosk będzie brzmiał w twoich uszach, a wojna rozszaleje się dokoła, jednak niepokój nie wejdzie do środka. Pokuj oddali go u drzwi. Wylej swoje serce przed Panem, wyrażając „ najpiękniejszą muzykę, która dociera do Majestatu na wysokości”. W żaden sposób nie poniesiesz porażki, ponieważ Bóg da ci „dziwny pokój”, przez który zwyciężysz. Nie będzie żadnego „potoku” zmartwienia, jak powiedział Roche, ale to, co się zaczęło jako „strużka”, wkrótce samo wyschnie. Dlatego Boży pokój, doświadczony przez przywilej modlitwy, nie jest strażnikiem naszych ciał, ale naszym osobistym „strażnikiem serca”! Pozwól mu dzisiaj walczyć!

Related Topics: Prayer, Devotionals

„ Dlaczego zabawa w chowanego z Bogiem jest taka nieuczciwa?”

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Tłumaczenie: Hanna Kowalczyk

Tom Allen opowiada historię wielkiej czaszy Czerwonych Wyśmienitych jabłek, postawionej na początku kolejki do restauracji w Asbury College, teologicznym instytucie szkolącym chrześcijańskich liderów. Do tej czaszy dołączona była notatka: „Weź tylko jedno, proszę, Bóg się przygląda”. Pewien żartowniś dołączył kartkę do tacy z ciasteczkami z masłem orzechowym na drugim końcu kolejki: „Weź tyle, ile chcesz. Bóg obserwuje jabłka!”.

Śmiejemy się. Dlaczego? Ponieważ instynktownie wiemy, że Bóg widzi zarówno jabłka, jak i ciasteczka jednocześnie! Jest to częścią tego, co znaczy być jak – Bóg, Bóg Abrahama, Dawida, Jezusa i Pawła. Nawet ateiści to wiedzą.

Ale czasami nawet chrześcijanie zapominają, że ich Ojciec widzi wszystko bez najmniejszego wysiłku równie dobrze. Podobnie jak sprzęgłu w moim starym, steranym samochodzie, tej prawdzie często nie udaje się zaangażować naszych umysłów, na zawsze wślizguje się ona i wyślizguje z naszych świadomych myśli – szczególnie podczas okresów zmagań. Nie ulega wątpliwości, że jest to częściowo wina kultury, która zdetronizowała Boga, skurczyła Go do wygodnego rozmiaru, i która ma mało czasu albo nie ma go wcale na Jego wszędzie docierającą, świętą Obecność. Żyjemy w społeczeństwie ludzi, którzy myślą jedynie o sposobach ograniczenia Jego prawa do ich życia. Ale, w przeciwieństwie do bardzo popularnej opinii, Bóg nawet przez moment nie miał sklerozy. On nigdy nie zapomniał swojego Imienia, ani gdzie mieszka…, ani tych, których kocha i z którymi musi „podyskutować”. Dlatego, w zgodzie z Izajaszem – i w kontraście ze smogiem sprowadzonym przez popularnych teologów – chwalę Pana za to, że On zna koniec na początku, szczyt na dnie… i jak kanapka, całą zawartość pomiędzy. (Izajasz 44: 6-8; 45: 1-6, 21)!

Fakt, że Bóg wie wszystko, jest jednocześnie wielkim pocieszeniem i ogromnym „stresorem”. Jeżeli jesteś w Nim zakochany i szukasz Jego woli w trudnym czasie, jest to wielką pociechą. Dlaczego? Ponieważ masz dobry powód, aby spocząć we wszystko- mogących ramionach twojego Ojca. On zna twoją sytuację, problemy i potrzeby lepiej niż ty. Tak jak gruby koc podczas zimnej nocy, jest prawdziwe duchowe ciepło w osobistej wiedzy, że Jego troska bierze każdy pojedynczy szczegół pod rozwagę; nic nie może Go zaskoczyć!

Ta prawda, że Bóg wie o wszystkim, i że jest zawsze obecny z nami, powinna wypłynąć z naszego życia modlitewnego: powinniśmy modlić się inteligentnie, raczej niż paplać jak poganie, którzy myślą, że zostaną wysłuchani ze względu na ich wielomówność. Wszyscy wiemy, że Bóg słucha ludzi, a nie modlitw. Modlimy się do Niego, a nie jakiejś umniejszonej wersji Niego! To pierwsze jest żywe, chętne i potężne, to drugie – martwe, głuche i nieme! Czy nie tego uczył nas Jezus? (Mateusz 6: 5 – 8).

Jestem zadowolony, że Bóg wie wszystko o mnie, i że pamięta o mnie w każdej chwili. Prawda jest taka, że znając moją grzeszność na tyle, na ile ją znam, jestem głęboko wdzięczny, że nie mogę uciec od Jego myśli i konsekwentnie, rąk, nawet na sekundę. Obawiam się bowiem, że gdybym zdołał jakoś uciec jego uwadze, byłbym jak dziecko, które oddaliło się od matki i może już nigdy nie odnaleźć drogi do domu – byłbym na zawsze zgubiony. Chwalę Boga za to, że zna mnie na wieki jako swojego własnego syna ( Rzymian 8: 15-16, 29-30)!

Tak więc ta fundamentalna doktryna, że Bóg wie wszystko i jest wszędzie jednocześnie całą swoją istotą, jest dobrą nowiną dla tych, którzy go kochają. Ale istnieje druga strona medalu. Jeżeli uciekasz przed „Prawem”, – ponieważ tak właśnie Bóg patrzy i tak czuje ( jak Prawo) względem tych, którzy uciekają – ta myśl, że On wie wszystko, nie jest ani trochę dobrą wieścią. Innymi słowy, On nie potrzebuje APB, żeby określić twoje położenie. O, to prawda, że On mógłby zawołać cię i spytać, „Gdzie jesteś?”. Ale uwierz mi, to nie ze względu na Niego. To dla twojego dobra. Bóg wiedział cały czas, gdzie znajdował się Adam, ale czy Adam znal swoje położenie (Księga Rodzaju 3:9)?. Wątpię w to. Prawda jest taka, że większość z nas go nie zna.

Krótko mówiąc, nie ma takiego miejsca, gdzie moglibyśmy się schować przed Bogiem, który zna wszystkie kryjówki, – co oczywiście jest ewidentnie nieuczciwe w zabawie w chowanego – ale to przecież nie jest zabawa, nieprawdaż? Jeżeli znasz Pana tak, jak znał Go na przykład Jonasz i uciekasz przed Nim, bądź pewny jednej rzeczy: On już wcześniej zawiązał ci tenisówki. Nie ubiegniesz daleko i z pewnością nie wygrasz. Jeżeli właśnie zamierzasz dokonać szalonej wyprawy do twojej ulubionej kryjówki, zgadnij, kto czeka już tam na twój „zwycięski” przyjazd. Więc wróć do Pana, twojego Boga! Szukaj Go, póki można Go znaleźć! Raduj się w Nim i pozwól Jemu – temu boskiemu i zazdrosnemu kochankowi- radować się z ciebie pieśniami! Pan cię kocha; On nagradza pokornych zbawieniem! A jeżeli nie znasz Pana, na co Go wymieniasz? Czy jest to naprawdę tego warte? Czy znalazłeś taką kryjówkę, że możesz powiedzieć z pewnością, że On nic o niej nie wie (Jeremiasz 23: 24)?

Related Topics: Theology Proper (God), Devotionals

Pozbawione twarzy bóstwa naszej kultury i szukanie twarzy Boga

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Tłumaczenie: Hanna Kowalczyk

Bóg Abrahama, Izaaka i Jakuba – Bóg i Ojciec objawiony przez Jezusa Chrystusa i w Jezusie Chrystusie, mój Bóg i twój Bóg – jest doskonale osobową istotą. On stworzył cały wszechświat i teraz podtrzymuje, kocha i kieruje go do wyznaczonych przez Niego celów. On objawiał się, wybawiał i sądził na przestrzeni całej ludzkiej historii, ale najbardziej dramatycznie i stanowczo w śmierci, zmartwychwstaniu i uwielbieniu Jego Syna, Jezusa Chrystusa.

On wylał również swojego własnego Ducha na wszystkich tych, którzy przez wiarę są zaopatrywani w Jego cudowne przebaczające miłosierdzie w Chrystusie. On usłyszał z nieba i przybliżył się, aby chronić, pocieszać, wzmacniać oraz wyzwalać swych ludzi. Nawet jeden wróbel nie spada z nieba bez Jego wiedzy i wszystkie włosy na naszych głowach są policzone. On jest Świętym Izajasza i Czystą Miłością, zgodnie z apostołem Janem. Ostatnim sposobem, w jaki ktokolwiek na świecie powinien myśleć o Nim, jest jako o kimś mniej niż na wskroś osobowym. On jest Osobowością par excellence, Źródłem wszystkiego, co osobowe. Gdyby nie On, pojęcie osobowości nie istniałoby we wszechświecie!

Pozbawione twarzy bóstwa naszej kultury

Jednak sposób, w jaki modlimy się i mówimy o Nim w naszej współczesnej kulturze, ujawnia pewne niepokojące prawdy o nas. Przeegzaminowani odnośnie naszej relacji z Bogiem, okazujemy się w większości podobni raczej do taksonomistów niż ludzi zakochanych w Panu. Dla wielu z nas jest On albo całkowicie martwy albo umieszczony starannie na półce pod postacią niegroźnego rzędu nieożywionych obiektów – osobliwego reliktu z przeszłości, pobudzającego intelekt, przypuszczam, ale generalnie zupełnie nieszkodliwego.

Innym razem traktujemy Go jak maszynę – aparat na pieniądze, ściślej mówiąc; wrzucamy monety (nasze modlitwy?) i żądamy otrzymania tego, co wybraliśmy. Ale zastanawiam się, czy w końcowej analizie odsłania to więcej o nas niż o Bogu, Jego charakterze i ścieżkach w świecie?

Ta ryzykowna teoria, że Bóg jest czymś zbliżonym do maszyny lub przynajmniej wygląda i odczuwa tak jak maszyna, posiada długą i smutną historię na kowadle ludzkiego teologicznego kowalstwa. Była popierana przez szereg jednostek i grup na przestrzeni całej zarejestrowanej historii. W czasie Okresu Oświecenia, Georg. W. F. Hegel (1770-1831), chociaż bardziej zbliżony poglądami do pewnych chrześcijańskich doktryn niż jego poprzednik, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), uważał jednak, iż Bóg, ten „Absolutny Duch”, był niczym więcej, jak tylko bezosobową siłą, a cała historia przejawem jej manifestacji. Bóg Hegl’a nie miał twarzy i co smutne, nie miał również serca.

Jest rzeczą jeszcze smutniejszą, że wielu chrześcijan obecnie, przynajmniej tutaj na Zachodzie, wciąż „żyje, porusza się i istnieje w bogu Hegl’a – niemym bóstwie przypominającym bardziej bezrozumnego ducha niż El Schaddai lub YHWH Starego Testamentu. Padamy dniem i nocą ofiarą bezosobowej i niekończącej się udręki zadanej przez Heglowskie, pozbawione twarzy bóstwo lub jakąś jego wersję. Pozostajemy nietknięci przez tego boga w żadnej praktycznej dziedzinie naszego życia. Czy jest to więc dziwne, że niebo w naszym świecie jest zawsze szare? Dla niektórych z nas Bóg jest, generalnie, odległy, trzymający się na uboczu i odłączony od świata bez żalu. On z pewnością nie dba wcale o nasze zmagania, nadzieje i marzenia. Jest to oczywiście prawdą bez względu na to, czy wiemy cokolwiek o Hegl’u, czy też nie. Krótko mówiąc, wielu jest obezwładnionych przez potężny nurt skażonej filozoficznej rzeki, której siła jest wzmocniona jedynie przez ignorancję.

Dlatego znaczna część chrześcijaństwa na Zachodzie jest podobna do przysłowiowej łodzi ratunkowej, która nie tylko siedzi na wodzie, ale na nieszczęście sporo tej wody siedzi teraz wewnątrz łodzi! Wielu z nas – niektórzy nieświadomie, podczas gdy inni z zadowoleniem - zamienili dręczącą możliwość intymności z Osobą naszego Pana na wykalkulowaną nudę i emocjonalne bezpieczeństwo bożka, który nigdy się nie ukazuje i nie domaga się naszej świadomości. Tak jak większość przepisywanych dzisiaj leków, te bóstwa zdają egzamin z uwalniania nas od pewnych symptomów, ale na koniec jesteśmy tak samo chorzy, a poza tym te skutki uboczne…no…to już inna sprawa.

Te bezimienne bóstwa zaprowadziły nas, bez niespodzianki, w wielkie mroki naszej kultury – ostatni akt sztuki – i podróżujemy teraz w skręcającym duszę terrorze egzystencjalnej apatii; jesteśmy, jak gdyby, porzuconym i wolno-dryfującym poetą bez rymu ani celu. Ludzkość szuka rozpaczliwie, wszędzie raison d’e,tre. Jestem pewien, że żaden kamień nie pozostanie nieodwrócony. Ale to jest ta nieunikniona i wysoka cena za sterylizację Boga, zaprzeczenie Jego prawom do naszego życia i stłumienie Jego poszukującej obecności. Tak jak łodzi, odciętej od doku w czasie sztormu, Bóg pozwolił nam odpłynąć na falach filozoficznej teorii, ludzkiego przyrządu i ostatniej mody – pozbawionych mocy bóstw naszej kultury. Krótko mówiąc, skoro uznaliśmy za niewarte mieć Boga w naszych umysłach, On uznał za niewarte mieć nas w Jego umyśle! (Rzymian 1:28). „Pięknym za nadobne”…jak zawsze mówimy.

O tak, zgadzam się… Bóg Hegl’a i mniejsi bogowie Zachodu (własne ego, pieniądze, seks, władza, prestiż) są o wiele bezpieczniejsi od Boga Jezusa i Pawła, ale ostatecznie są bezużyteczni! Być może nie zbadają cię ani nie osądzą, ale również nie ocalą! Być może zdołasz ukryć przed nimi twoje najgłębsze, najciemniejsze tajemnice, ale przed kim odsłonisz twoje intymne tęsknoty? Być może uda ci się pozostać incognito, ale do kogo zawołasz, kiedy będziesz zgubiony?

Nie możesz mieć tego i tego równoczesnie. Tam, gdzie zyskamy iluzję bezpieczeństwa, tam stracimy jednocześnie prawdziwe znaczenie. Ci bogowie, jeżeli można ich nazwać bogami, są bezsilni; bezskutecznie walczą, by dotknąć naszych najgłębszych potrzeb. Istotnie, nie mogą nas dotknąć; nie mają przecież rąk. Nie mogą zaglądnąć do naszych serc; nie mają oczu. Nie mogą usłyszeć naszego wołania o miłosierdzie; nie mają uszu. Czy można żyć, nie wspominając o kwitnięciu z tymi pozbawionymi kończyn, udomowionymi bóstwami? Bóg Hegl’a nie może nas wybawić, nawet, gdyby chciał, ponieważ on po prostu nie ma pragnień, gustów, uczuć, mowy, władzy ani czynów. Tak jak zbici na śmierć ojcowie społeczeństwa, rzuca się on w oczy poprzez przedłużoną nieobecność, nie ma twarzy przez wystudiowany dystans i widoczny brak rozumnego zaangażowania. Jeszcze raz, on się nie troszczy; nie może, ponieważ, jak większość ludzi sądzi – on naprawdę jest czymś.

Szukanie Twarzy Boga

Ale to, co jest prawdą dla ogromnej części społeczeństwa, nie jest prawdziwe dla chrześcijanina. My mamy inne źródło użyźniające nasze dusze – czyste, życiodajne i wieczne. Źródłem naszej radości, wolności i nadziei jest żywy Bóg, który poprzez krzyż jest obecny w mocy, by błogosławić, zachęcać i obdarzać czułym miłosierdziem. On trzyma naszą rękę, kiedy przechodzimy przez ogień. On jest zawsze-obecnym Ojcem dla sieroty i czułym mężem dla wdowy. Czy to brzmi podobnie do boga Hegl’a? Do bożków naszej kultury? Dlaczego więc my, chrześcijanie, jesteśmy tak naiwnie przywiązani do chwiejnych wiatrów, które nie przestają wiać wokół nas?

Zwróć swoje serce do żywego Boga i szukaj Jego twarzy, bo Jego miłosierdzie trwa na wieki, a Jego łaska nigdy nie ustaje (Treny 3; 22-23). Pragnij Jego pięknej obecności i pij głęboko z ożywczych rzek płynących z tronu łaski (Ps. 46: 1 – 7). Nie pozwól, by świat ukradł twoje dziedzictwo (Dzieje Ap. 20: 32); rozmyślaj nad Jego prawdą w Piśmie, twoim pewnym przewodniku prowadzącym cię niezachwianie do bogatej społeczności z niebieskim Ojcem. Przybliż się do Boga, a On przybliży się do Ciebie (Jakuba 4: 8). On nie jest tym boskim, pozbawionym twarzy Kimś, kto nakręcił zegar, a potem opuścił „scenę”. Jego imię, to Cudowny Doradca, Potężny Bóg, Wieczny Ojciec, Książe Pokoju (Izajasz 9: 6)! Jednak On jest obecny z pokornym, z tymi, którzy uznają swój bunt i szukają Jego twarzy!

Wielbij Go dzisiaj z całej siły. Przez Jego łaskę śpiewaj Mu nową pieśń. A kiedy jesteś zmęczony, oprzyj się na Jego miłości i nie przestawaj Go wywyższać z coraz większym uczuciem i siłą. Wylej przed Nim swoje serce i porzuć wszelką nadzieję ujarzmienia Go. On nie pozwoli ci panować nad sobą, ale zezwoli ci podejść blisko, byś Go mógł zobaczyć na własne oczy (Exodus 33 18-23)! A kiedy jesteś zbyt zmęczony, by zrobić nawet jeden krok więcej – tak, jak maratończyk zbliżający się do półmetka – walcz o twój drugi oddech! Uwielbiaj go, aż twoje serce znajdzie swoje mieszkanie w Nim, a twoja dusza odpocznie radośnie w Jego Obecności.

Właśnie po to zostałeś stworzony. Właśnie po to Bóg cię zbawił. Bóg nagradza tych, którzy gorliwie Go szukają, więc walcz o to, co twoje (Hebrajczyków 11: 6). Zgodnie z Jezusem, to jest rodzaj ludzi, których Ojciec szuka (Jan 4: 23)! Więc szukaj Pana, póki można Go znaleźć! Być może ten Psalm najlepiej to ujmuje:

Moje serce mówi tobie, „Szukaj jego twarzy.” Twojej twarzy, o Panie, będę szukał! ( 27: 8)

Tak jak jeleń wzdycha za strumieniami wód, tak dusza moja pragnie Ciebie, o Boże. Moja dusza pragnie Boga, żyjącego Boga. Kiedy będę mógł pójść i zobaczyć Jego twarz? (Ps. 42: 1-2)

Niech Bóg będzie dla nas łaskawy i niech nas błogosławi, oby jego twarz świeciła nad nami! (Ps. 67: 1).

Related Topics: Theology Proper (God), Devotionals, Missions, Cultural Issues

„Przekształcające niewolnictwo”

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Tłumaczenie: Hanna Kowalczyk

Paweł, sługa Chrystusa Jezusa (Rzymian 1:1a)

Paweł: Boży przykład, doskonałość!

List do Rzymian mówi o ewangelii lub mocy Bożej, która podnosi nas z bagnistego dołu i stawia nasze stopy na twardej skale. Jest zadziwiającą wieścią o tym, że Bóg się troszczy i zaangażował się osobiście, wdrażając program ratunkowy. Ewangelia nie jest „nadciągającą pomocą”, jest pomocą tutaj i teraz!

List do Rzymian odpowiada na pytanie, w sposób wyraźnie wykraczający poza inne rozważania w Nowym Testamencie, jak odseparowany człowiek może żyć w prawidłowej relacji ze swoim Stworzycielem, Żywicielem, Odkupicielem i Przyjacielem, Panem Jezusem Chrystusem. Słowem-kluczem, odmykającym drzwi do znacznej części tej teologii, jest łaska lub niezasłużony dar. Łaska jest kamieniem węgielnym, wokół którego zbudowany został dom Bożego wyzwolenia. List do Rzymian głosi dobrą nowinę o tym, że Bóg zaoferował za darmo ratunek i wolność tym, którzy uznają Go swoim Wyzwolicielem.

Co jest jednak zastanawiające w tym liście łaski, to osoba, której Bóg użył do jego napisania. Po pierwsze, był on Żydem, piszącym w zdecydowanej większości do pogan. Po drugie, był kiedyś faryzeuszem, według własnej oceny – zarozumiałym, samousprawiedliwiającym się legalistą. Jak wspomina w jednym ze swoich listów, zwykł uważać się za nienagannego w swoim przywiązaniu do Zakonu Mojżeszowego (patrz: Filipian 3:1-6). Po trzecie, był on kiedyś stosującym przemoc prześladowcą kościoła i wrogiem ewangelii.

Ale ten człowiek różni się teraz od Pawła Faryzeusza, legalisty i prześladowcy. Został zdobyty przez Chrystusa i uczyniony Jego niewolnikiem. Bóg zajął się największym legalistą, jaki kiedykolwiek żył i użył go do wyjaśnienia błogosławieństw płynących z łaski! Jest nadzieja dla nas wszystkich!

Jedyną, wyłączną pasją odrodzonego serca Pawła było, by znać Chrystusa i uczynić Go znanym (3: 10-11)! Ten apostoł był, krótko mówiąc, żyjącym, oddychającym przykładem transformacji, o jakiej mówi w liście do Rzymian! Bóg wie, jak wyhodować róże w wulkanowym popiele! Paweł został przekształcony z przeraźliwej ruiny we wdzięcznego sługę! Jest on Bożym przykładem dla nas wszystkich, doskonałym przykładem!

Transformujące niewolnictwo

W tym kontekście duchowej przemiany i nowych zobowiązań, Paweł był na zawsze świadomy, że po pierwsze i najważniejsze był „niewolnikiem Chrystusa Jezusa”. Pamiętał zawsze o ratunku, jaki zesłał Bóg jego samozwańczemu życiu i nigdy nie zmęczył się uznaniem Bożych, pełnych łaski roszczeń do jego teraźniejszych i przyszłych decyzji. Tak więc, był on pełnym radości człowiekiem, określającym się „niewolnikiem Chrystusa Jezusa”. Przestrzegał przykazań Chrystusa i uważał swoje życie za całkowicie oddane do dyspozycji swego Pana.

Dla Pawła ta niewola nie była męczarnią – nie była też nią nigdy dla nikogo, kto znał Jezusa osobiście. Ale ironicznie i tajemniczo, przez zaprzedanie się Chrystusowi, niewolnictwo Pawła stało się prawdziwą wolnością, a jego pragnienie podobania się Panu prawdziwym spełnieniem. Zastanawiam się, czy to rozumiemy (Mat. 16: 25). Paweł zdawał sobie sprawę ze zaszczytu swego wielkiego powołania. Przecież Abraham, Mojżesz, Dawid i wreszcie sam Izrael byli wszyscy „niewolnikami Pana”. Z pewnością zdumiewał się nad prestiżem udzielonym chrześcijanom i nieznużenie szukał wyrażania głębi swej wdzięczności poprzez pełną wyrzeczenia i wierności służbę (Fil. 1: 21).

Zastanawiam się, co by się zdarzyło, gdybyśmy pojmowali nasze życia w ten sposób – jak niewolnicy Chrystusa Jezusa. Co by się zdarzyło, gdybym dzisiaj oddał moje życie całkowicie Panu, na użytek Jego celom? W końcu, jeżeli jestem chrześcijaninem, On jest również moim Panem! Co, gdybym szukał Pana w modlitwie i kochał każde Jego słowo, szukając łaski, by być Mu posłusznym w każdej rzeczy (Hebr. 4: 16)? Czy otworzyłby swój Skarbiec i zrosił mnie obficie deszczem swoich bogactw (Kolosa: 2:3)? Czy zabrałby moją duszę do swojej Obecności i powierzył niebieskie tajemnice, które zdradza jedynie bliskim, osobistym przyjaciołom? Czy zaprosiłby mnie w podróż, która napełniłaby moją duszę dreszczykiem emocji i zaprowadziła do błogosławienia tysięcy dusz? Zastanawiam się, co przyniesie to przekształcające niewolnictwo…Zastanawiam się…

Related Topics: Devotionals, Sanctification

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