Giving your all to God - View everything as belonging to God

Mark 12:41-44 "And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of theirsurplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

Introduction:

In yesterday's post we began considering how the widow in Mark 12:41-44 gave her all to God. We saw that God is just as concerned with how we give and we also labored to show that God clearly lays out how much we give. Today's post is going to finish up our consideration of this widow and her giving of two little coins. In addition to the facts that God is interested in how we give as well as how much we give, we can notice a third observation from this widow woman's giving:

How must we view resources? We must view everything as belonging to God. Mark 12:44
Notice what God's Word says in Mark 12:44 "for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.” I think it is interesting that Jesus tells us how much the woman gave - two little coins. The coins in question were common coins of the lowest denomination - a Bronze Lepton. According to one source - two of these coins could buy 1/3 of a loaf of bread. When this widow gave her last money, she was expressing her willingness and desire to give more to God than to feed her own stomach. As far as ironies go, the specific treasury that the widow was contributing to was designed to help out people like herself. This woman was a woman of faith and thus viewed God, not man, as her source of sustinance. She purposefully gave in expression of her belief that God, not man, supplies all her needs. As the Psalmist writes in Psalm 37:25  - "I have been young and now I am old,Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

So why would this woman go to such extremes? She viewed everything in her life as coming from God and belonging to Him. The other people in this short account gave their pocket change. This woman on the other hand did not struggle with this concept of everything belonging to God. Again, Jesus commends her, which means she had God's favor already. She practiced the principle found in Proverbs 3:9-10 "Honor the Lord from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine." Or how about Malachi 3:8-10 “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, 'if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.'"

Though the widow was poor by finanical standards, yet to have one's needs met and to be content is far richer than to have a bulging purse or wallet with discontent. Psalm 50:10-11 reminds us - “For every beast of the forest is Mine,The cattle on a thousand hills. 11 “I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. 12 “If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains." Romans 11:36 reminds us that "from Him and through Him and to Him are all things....". To be able to view everything as belonging to God, as well as to consider how we give and thus how much we give are necessary if we expect to give our all to God. 

Giving your all to God - How do we give and how much should we give

Mark 12:41-44 "And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of theirsurplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

Introduction:

In yesterday's post we considered the wider context of Mark 12 as a way to better understand the significance of the widow's giving of her final bit of money in Mark 12:41-44. Today's post is going to consider this account and what Jesus teaches us about giving and stewardship through her actions. Let's notice some observations:

1. God is interested with "how you give" as well as "how much you give". Mark 12:41

When I started studying this account of the widow's mite, the phrase that immediately leapt of the page was found in Mark 12:41 "And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums." Amidst the hustle and bustle of people dropping in their contributions, Jesus watched "how they gave". That made me realize that even if we are giving 10% or more of our gross income, could it be that we could still be giving in a sinful manner? If we are going through the motions without consideration as to why we are giving or for whose glory we are giving, will our heart be found pleasing to the Lord? How we give is as important was how much we give. Notice what 2 Corinthians 8:1-3 states about how Christians gave in the churches of Macedonia in the first century - "Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord." Paul emphasizes the manner of giving as being paramount in 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 "Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed." If we are to give as the Lord has commanded us to give in Biblical stewardship, we must begin with the heart. As the saying goes: "the heart of the matter is the heart". So where is your heart and my heart? When this widow approached the treasuries of the temple, we note no hesitation. Jesus had just mentioned the fact that there were those in charge of the treasuries who were so unscrupulous as to exploit such widows as the widow in Mark 12:41-44. Regardless of that fact, the widow gave with a willing heart dedicated to her Lord. How she gave was noted by the Lord Jesus in his teaching of the disciples. Hence if we are to give our all to God, we must first ask: how am I giving?

2. How much should I give? Mark 12:42-43
In Mark 12:42-43 we read - "A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury." Jesus' statement to his disciples regarding how the widow gave "more" is obviously not a statement about here quanity compared to the other people's quanity of giving. By man-made standards - it is clear that those giving that day must had given enormous sums. But we must remember that in the Bible's teaching of stewardship, we are urged to look at resources not through man's eyes but God's. God's commands in terms of "how much we ought to give" begins with a minimum amount in proportion to one's income. 

As we study the scriptures on the subject of giving, the standard of 10% or "the tithe" is evoked as the beginning point of giving. Whatever goes beyond the tithe is offering and to the degree that one gives to the point of seeming impoverishment to themselves is classified as "sacrifical giving". The Macedonian churches for example in the above cited passage of 2 Corinthians 8:1-3 gave "beyond their ability" - hence sacrifical giving. One could argue that in regards to Paul's statements in 2 Corinthians 9:8, what is being advocated are offerings that extend beyond the tithe. God's directions in terms of how much one ought to give is built on two principles: proportion and willingness.  

I think it is fair at this point to ask the question: is tithing or giving 10% of one's own gross (not net) income still for today? As you read through scripture, the particular word "tithe" or "tithing" occurs more than forty times. The last time we find it mentioned in the Old Testament is in Malachi 3:10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows." 

Now many well-meaning Christians assume that tithing was nothing more than an Old Testament regulation, given by God under the period of the Law. Often I have heard Christians say that since we are no longer under law but under grace, that means we can now give whatever we want, since tithing went away once Christ had died on the cross. People holding to this viewpoint may very well advocate the willingness aspect of stewardship, however they neglect the other principle of proportion in our giving.

So did Jesus' death, burial and resurrection do away with the standard of tithing? Whenever studying both the Old and New Testaments, unless God has either removed or replaced a given institution or command, we can assume that the command or institution carries forth from Old to New Testament.

For example, the Levitical priesthood was done away with when Christ came, since His priesthood is of a different order. (Hebrews 7-10) We also don't sacrifice animals due to the fact that Christ's subsitutionary death satisfied the wrath of God against the sins of those who receive His work by grace through faith. (1 Peter 3:18)

Now whenever we come to the New Testament, we discover not one prohibition against tithing. The standard of 10% was ordained by God some 400 or so years before the giving of the law. Abel, Abraham and Jacob were tithing millennia before Christ and centuries before the giving of the law. The law of God served to reinforce the standard, however when Christ came, the standard was never removed nor replaced.

In studying the over 100 passages that speak on the subject of stewardship and tithing, here is what we discover:

1. A person is free to give whatever they want (offering) only after they have been already tithing.

2. Tithing represents the most basic level of stewardship, the ground floor if you will. Whenever we begin to tithe is whenever we begin to hear God in the realm of giving.

3. Wherever the believer is told to give freely as to whatever amount He feels necessary to give, it can be assumed that the believer has already been tithing. (2 Corinthians 9:6-10)

Hence the principles for stewardship laid down by God in the Old Testament (willingness and proportion - i.e tithing) still remain in effect in the New Testament. If anything, for those who try to still argue against tithing, I would point out that if anything, the New Testament raises the standard. When we see this widow in Mark 12:41-44, she is giving her last. She did not pay her bills and give God the left-overs. In her extreme level of love and faith - she gave her all. 

I truly believe that based upon other accounts in scripture that speaks of God's care of widows (1 Kings 17 for example), I think one could argue that Jesus' commendation of her giving meant that she had the grace of God already operating in her life - and that she was going to not only make it, but be blessed far beyond what her fellow givers could even begin to imagine. 

More tomorrow......

The context of the widow giving her all to the Lord

Mark 12:41-44 "And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people wereputting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

Introduction:

Mark and Luke's Gospel record for us this touching scene of the widow giving her last bit of money to the Lord's ministry. The picture above represents the type of coin the widow had when she gave everything she had. In reading this short account, much can be gleaned from the widow's actions. For one thing, Jesus is prompted to suddenly look up and take note of this widow in the midst of throngs of people. Luke 21:1 records - "And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury." Undeniably, Jesus' actions connected with the stinging indictment he makes against the temple system taking advantage of widows in Luke 20:47. As Jesus is making His final public pleas to his audiences to consider His claims to Messiahship, this small widow's actions causes the reader to slow down and watch a true follower of the Lord in action. As we think about Mark 12:41-44 and it's place in the wider context of Mark 12, I would like the reader to consider this context so as to understand why the widow's mite account is vital to our understanding. 

How Mark 12 features key ingredients in defining Jesus' identity and mission

In Mark 12:1-12, Jesus tells a parable featuring a master sending servants to check on the status of his vineyard. After repeated refusals of the servants and the eventual killing of the final servants and even the master's son, the master pronounces swift judgment. The master of course is God the Father, the servants are his prophets, the tenants is Israel and the son in the parable is none other than Jesus Himself. 

Other sections in Mark 12 appear that lead up to the account of the widow's giving of her entire livlihood. Jesus actually speaks about "rendering to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's in 12:13-17. Already we see the theme of "giving" developing in Mark 12 - with the master "giving his son" in 12:1-12 and "giving" to God in 12:13-17. In Mark 12:18-27 we see Jesus counteracting the Sadducees denial of the resurrection. Such a rebuttal makes sense in light of the context, since Jesus is trying to prepare his readers for His impending death. Arguments for the reality of resurrection are necessary, since in a span of two weeks Jesus Himself will be rising from the dead. 

The famous question raised to Jesus in Mark 12:28-34 as to what constitutes the greatest commandment occurs in the middle of this grand chapter. As we think about what Jesus is doing in this chapter, it appears he is making the final transition from public ministry to what will be His impending death. We have already witnessed the theme of "giving" in Mark 12:1-12 and 12:13-17. God gave Jesus to come and die. In Mark 12:18-27 we see Jesus arguing at length for the reality of the resurrection. The motive behind the giving of the Son and Jesus' voluntary death and powerful resurrection is that of love. 

The same love of God that led to the Son's death and resurrection is the same love that defines what it means to live out the reality of the law of God. The only way we can love with God's love is when we have received by grace through faith the credited righteousness of Jesus Christ. Such powerful love is what enables us to love God and our neighbor. 

So the question is: Who is this God that we are to love? In Mark 12:35-37 we see Jesus demonstrating by way of a rhetorical question that He is the Eternally Divine Son - One with the Father - who came to take upon himself a true humanity, descended from King David. 

It is in contrast to this marvelous message of Jesus' mission and true identity that He then warns his listeners to be aware of the Pharisees in Mark 12:38-40. Sadly, the traditions of the Pharisees, which in some cases contained such rich teaching of God's Word, ended up adding man-made thinking to Divine truth - resulting in the spiritual blindness of teachers and students alike. When one reads the parallel of Jesus' denouncement of the Pharisees in Matthew 23:13-36, it is clear how spiritually blind the Pharisees and multitudes were. The oppressive system of the Temple System of Jesus' day resulted in many people being oppressed financially and having little to no ability to identify the very God of glory in human flesh.

Summarizing Mark 12 - Jesus' final plea for people to embrace His identity and mission by faith

Jesus spells out the mission for why He came in Mark 12:1-12. Just as God gave His Son, such a motivation of giving ought to be behind our stewardship, as spelled out in Mark 12:13-17. As Jesus continues on making reference to His mission, the argument for the resurrection is necessarily connected to His allusion to His impending death in Mark 12:1-12. It is at this point in Mark 12 that we see a transition from Jesus' mission to motives. We are to love God and our neighbor, and can only do so, when the love of God is coursing through our hearts. Passages such as Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:7 and 5:1-3 link our love to God's love. According to 1 John 4:19, such love explains why we are able to love in the manner described by Jesus. Then Jesus shifts to His Messianic identity in Mark 12:35-37, warning his listeners in Mark 12:38-40 to avoid those who could obscure it through human traditions. 

The one person in Mark 12 that evidenced genuine faith - the widow with the mite

Against the backdrop of Jesus' various teachings in Mark 12 and against the backdrop of the Pharisees he denounces, we find this small but clear portrait of the the widow giving of her final bit of money to the temple treasury. The term "mite" used in describing the widow's amount is an English rendering from a Latin Roman term meaning "minute". Despite a system that Jesus said would go in the extreme of exploting people such as her, this widow gave willingly. The widow gave her all - which is fitting - being that the object of her faith was sitting across from her in human flesh. Whether her eyes met his, the text does not say. Tomorrow we will consider in closer detail this account of the widow who gave her all to the Lord. 

A wonderful poem on how the Word of God is God's Anvil

Here is a wonderful poem someone gave me the other week. May you, dear reader, find it to be a blessing as you begin your new week:

"Last Eve I passed beside a blacksmith's door
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime
Then looking in I saw upon the floor
Old hammers worn with beating years of time"

'How many anvils have you had,' said I
'To wear and batter all these hammers so?'
'Just one', said he, and then with twinkling eye,
'The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.'

"And so, thought I, the anvil of God's Word.
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The anvil is unharmed - the hammers are gone."

Outlining Galatians 2 - Avoiding the Gospel's Two Thieves

Galatians 2:1-2 "Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. 2 It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain."

These past couple of days we have been featuring posts from Galatians 2. I have found this chapter in Galatians to be vital to understanding the typical battles that rage over the Gospel in our day and age. Today's post simply offers an outline of this chapter that may be used in communicating this chapter of God's Word.

Avoiding the Gospel's two thieves

Galatians 2

I. Demonstrating the true Gospel and exposing the Gospel's two thieves. Galatians 2:1-10

a. Exposing the thief of legalism 2:1-9

b. Exposing the thief of lawlessness. 2:10

II. Defending the true Gospel against the thief of legalism.

Galatians 2:11-14

III. Defining the True Gospel that saves - Justification by faith alone. Galatians 2:15-21

The premise behind this chapter in Galatians is to assert the true Gospel of Justification by faith alone. By understanding the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, we will then see the two other thieves - legalism and lawlessness. Legalism or works righteousness tries to earn favor with God through some type of mixture of behavior with faith or prescribed ritual. The second thief, lawlessness, suggests that one can make a profession of faith and live anyway they want. Legalism and lawlessness are the two thieves that steal and leave no hope of salvation. 

The latter of these two perversions is dispensed with quickly by Paul in an indirect way in Galatians 2:10, since the first perversion - works righteousness, is the more subtle and dangerous of the two. The only way to combat and avoid the two thieves of the Gospel is to receive the Gospel by faith, know the true Gospel, live the Gospel and know the Jesus of the Gospel (hence Galatians 2:20-21). 

Avoid the two thieves of the Gospel - Galatians 2

Galatians 2:16 "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified."

Introduction:

Preachers of old have described the Gospel's relationship to two perversions of it in the imagery of Jesus' dying on the cross between two thieves (see Mark 15:27). The Gospel of course deals with how sinful man is reconciled and made right with Holy God of Eternity. The way the Gospel prescribes for this to occur is by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8) through faith alone (Ephesians 2:9; Romans 10:9-10) in Christ alone (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). 

When we consider the two thieves on either side of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are talking about the two extremes in which sinful man conceives of salvation. The first thief is that of license or lawlessness. Paul expresses the absurdity of this first thief in Romans 6:1-2 "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" There are some today who will teach that as long as someone says some type of prayer to Jesus, it doesn't matter how one lives after such a so-called profession of faith. Afterall, it is God's job to forgive. Such a thief mocks the true Gospel like the first thief did Jesus. The Gospel of lawlessness is no Gospel, but a perversion of it. Whenever Paul is recounting his preaching of the true Gospel in Galatians 2:9-10, he reminds his readers of the importance of good-works following after saving faith - "And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.10 They only asked us to remember the poor—the very thing I also was eager to do." The same James of whom Paul speaks in this verse warned of the first thief of a faith that has no works following in James 2:14-16  "What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for theirbody, what use is that?" So Paul laid to rest the charge that he was promoting some sort of salvation that required no change following saving faith. 

The second thief on the other side of the Gospel is perhaps even more subtle and more dangerous than the first. It is the so-called Gospel of law or legalism that attempts to preach salvation by works. This thief is the more seductive, more cunning of the two, since it is dressed in the garments of religion and ritual. Whenever Paul was writing Galatians 2, he was dealing with this second thief of the Gospel. A group of Jews called the "Judiaizers" were attempting to convince Paul's readers that in order to be justified or made right with God, one had to be circumcised. This particularly heresy of works righteousness proved to be so seductive that otherwise strong preachers of the true Gospel like Peter and Barnabas were beginning to compomise (see Galatians 2:13).

In our own day and age, this second thief of the Gospel, works righteousness, attempts to snake its way into our pulpits and churches. Secretly mankind, even after salvation, finds the seductive power of the so-called gospel of works righteousness appealing. Whether we add faith plus baptism or faith plus some type of ritual to the mix, the result is still the same - no salvation. Paul plainly asserts in Galatians 2:16 "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." As you read on down through Paul's main point regarding the true Gospel of the cross, he states in Galatians 2:17-21 "But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."

We as Christians must avoid these two thieves of the Gospel. Their efforts attempt to work their way into our hearts, our doctrine and our pulpits. Only the true Gospel of the cross: salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone can save. We are saved by grace through faith apart from works in order to live a faith that works. We are saved by grace through faith alone and are as Christians being saved by grace through faith that is never to be alone apart from works. The Apostle John states concerning our Lord Jesus Christ in John 1:14 that He alone was "full of grace and truth" and that in John 1:18 that "grace and truth are realized" in Jesus Christ. The two thieves attempt to emphasize one or the other, hence stealing away the Gospel. May we avoid the two thieves of the Gospel: lawlessness and works rightousness or legalism.  We must embrace the only Gospel that saves from the wrath to come - salvation by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.  

God's Divine "T"-square of Justification by faith alone in Christ alone

Galatians 2:16  "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified."

Introduction:

When I would aid my father in various building projects around the home, he would often carry with him a straight edge "T" square. The device looked like a ruler connected to a cross piece running perpendicular to the ruler. Whenever my father needed to cut boards, he would grab his "T" square and mark off a perfectly straight line. I recall in one project, all of the boards that he had ordered were slightly crooked. In order to make them usable, my dad had to take the "T" square and draw a straight-line down the entire length of each board and then saw-off the material that didn't belong. My dad did all of this to make the boards "justified" or "right" with the purposes of his project and with the standard of his "T" square. 

The bad-news: We are all born crooked or "unjustified"

Every person born into this world, including you and me, arrived just like the boards above in the illustration - crooked and unusable. Romans 3:10-11 states - "as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; 11 There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God". To extend the comparison, we are not only crooked, but rotton to the core, full of knots and ridden with bugs. Romans 3:12 reminds us:  "All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.” In Philippians 2:15 Paul writes regarding unbelieving humanity - "so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world." The boards of human nature need to be justified or made right in God's sight for people to be deemed acceptable in His sight. The principle set forth by Solomon in Ecclesisates 1:14-15 is pretty bleak - "I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. 15 What iscrooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted."

At issue is the fact that man by himself cannot make himself morally and spiritually right before God. Mankind has been affected by the fall of sin through and through. The question is raised in Job 25:4 “How then can a man be just with God?
Or how can he be clean who is born of woman?" 

The only One who can justify or make you right with God is Jesus Christ alone

When it comes to God's standards of what is right and wrong, such standards are located within His own being. In effect, God is His own "T" square. When Jesus the Son came to this world, He being very God in terms of His Divine essence took upon himself a very true and real sinless humanity. As God-incarnate, Jesus Christ walked as the Living standard of what constituted "rightness" (see 1 Corinthians 1:30). Romans 3:23-24 states - "even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus." 

The only necessary and sufficient means to receive Jesus Christ's righteousness is by faith alone

When Paul writes in Galatians 2 about the battle he was waging over how a person is made right with God, his message was emphatic: justification (being made right with God) has one basis: Jesus Christ's life and finished work. Additionally, justification has one means of reception: faith alone. Galatians 2:16 "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified." Romans 3:22-24 states in even more vivid detail - "even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus." Hence the Divine-human "T" square of living righteousness, Jesus Christ, is the only way in which our other-wise crooked and unacceptable humanity can be made acceptable. By faith alone can the Divinely-drawn straight line of Christ's life and finished work be received, credited and applied. 

Faith knows, even though it may not fully understand - a short study on Job's faith

Job 13:15 “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him."

God was developing in Job a stronger reliance upon the words of God and prayer. Undoubtedly Job was recognizing he did not understand some of the ways of God as much as he thought He did. Nevertheless, in the midst of Job's grief and pain we find two statements in Job 23:10 and 12. In Job 23:10 Job states - "But He knows the way that I take, when He has tried me I shall come forth as gold." Then we see a second statement in Job 23:12 - "I have not departed from the command of His lips, I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." The contents of these two verses represent what Job knew at that moment and time in his life. 

What was it that Job knew? Everything else: his family, his health, his possessions, his comfort and his friends were like shifting sand in the storm of his suffering. Job was learning to fear God. Job was learning to trust in God whom He did not completely understand. 

Faith that is true faith knows that it knows God, even though it may not fully comprehend about God. When I was a child, I would watch my dad construct different projects out of wood. In my little young mind, I did not understand the purpose of the particular projects nor was I able to grasp their intended end. Yet, I knew the character of my dad. I knew that whatever he was making (whether it be a chair, a window or a shelf), he was doing the work to the ultimate benefit of another. A lot of times I would gather the left over pieces of wood on the ground or make little roads in the saw dust around his tools. To me, the comfort I had in those memories derived from the fact that though I did not always understand as a childf all the work he did, I knew my dad, loved my dad and knew that he felt the same about me. God's grace frames faith, which in turn points us to Jesus Christ. Let us persevere in the grace of God by faith, since in these trying times, God aims to bring His people forth as gold for His glory.

Spiritual Boldness - A Character Study on the Prophet Nathan

2 Samuel 7:1-3 "Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of Goddwells within tent curtains.” 3 Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.”

Introduction: The prophetic office in the Old Testament

According to Dr. Gleason Archer in his book: "A Survey of the Old Testament Introduction", three main words are used to define a prophet in the Bible. The first term of course is the Hebrew word (Na-bi) translated "prophet", meaning a bearer of God's news, one who announces, summons or calls God's people to follow after God. The second term mentioned by Archer is the phrase "man of God". If the purpose of the prophet's office is defined by the title "prophet", then the one occupying the office itself is indeed a "man of God" or one who is devoted to God and personal fellowship with Him. The third term typically used to describe the prophetic office is that of "Seer". This term refers to the activity of the prophet. 

Prophets do not see things like most people see. A good example that comes to my mind is 2 Kings 6, where the prophet Elisha "saw" the armies of angels protecting he and his servant who could only see what was before him. According to Bible scholar Harold Wilmington, there are roughly 40 prophets, both writing prophets and non-writing prophets. 

The prophet Nathan - a spiritually bold prophet
As we just observed, there are roughly 40 prophets mentioned in the Bible. One of those prophets, Nathan, is used of God to bring forth the prophetic Word to two of Israel's greatest kings: David and Solomon. Nathan's name literally means: "He gives". Without a doubt, Nathan demonstrates courage and boldness in specific moments where such things were in short supply. Nathan was also priveleged by God to be the mouthpiece to deliver one of the the most important prophecies in all of the Bible - the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:8-16). When we look at Nathan's career and ministry, we find 2 main episodes in 2 Samuel (parallel accounts are also found in 1 Chronicles) and one main episode in 1 Kings:

1. Nathan's prophecy of the humanity of the ultimate King, the Lord Jesus Christ, coming through David's bloodline (i.e The Davidic Covenant). 
2 Samuel 7:1-17; 1 Chronicles 17:1-15

2. Nathan's confrontation of David over his sin with Bathsheba. 2 Samuel 12:1-25; Psalm 51

3. Nathan, along with other court officials, boldy anointed Solomon as King in opposition to a well publicized attempt by a rival brother of Solomon, Adonijah, to ascend to Israel's throne. 
1 Kings 1:1-45. 

There are some valuable lessons to learn about spiritual boldness from these three episodes of Nathan's life. Let's briefly list them...

1. Boldness to hear God. 2 Samuel 7:1-17
When David told Nathan of his desire to build a temple for Yahweh, Nathan responded with the natural assumption that it would be no problem for the King to pursue such a project. However, God later told Nathan that it would not be David, but his son who would build the temple. Moreover, God had greater plans for David that included the bringing about of the humanity of the ultimate King. 

Imagine what it must had been like the next time Nathan saw the king. The day before he told the king it was o.k to build the temple. Now he was going to tell David that God said "no", and that God had a far greater plan. We know of course David's response of praise from hearing Nathan's prophecy (2 Samuel 7:18-29). 

Nathan had the Holy Spirit-given boldness to hear God and speak for God. When we see his boldness, we need to remember that it is God we must aim to bring pleasure, not men (1 Thessalonians 2:4). Nathan was willing to forego the fear of the moment for what God in faith was showing him concerning the Divine destiny of the King. Thus we see the first lesson in being bold for God, namely the spiritual boldness to hear God. But now let us notice a second lesson about spiritual boldness from Nathan the prophet....

2. Boldness to hate sin. 2 Samuel 12
Imagine if you will being not only the King's prophet, but one of his closest friends. Word has reached your ears concerning God's planned judgment on the King. As you begin to understand what took place, it is discovered that King David has been emeshed in a conspiracy that entailed murder and forced impropriety on the wife of the man he had murdered! If you were Nathan, how would you respond? In 2 Samuel 12:1-7, we see Nathan tell a parable to King David, with David's response: "Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said,
“There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 “The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. 3 “But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb which he bought and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children.
It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, And was like a daughter to him. 4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man,
And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him;
Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. 6 He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.” 

As you see the tension mounting, the ring of inevitability is about to strike. The hammer will soon fall on David's heart. Nathan's terse response to David is one of the most penetrating sentences in all of sacred scripture, notice 2 Samuel 12:7 "Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul." 

The Prophet risked his life to deliver God's stinging indictment to King David. It took spiritual boldness to deliver God's Word. Hatred of sin is necessary if we expect to be spiritually bold for God and boldness to hear God is a requirement. Jude 1:20-23 states - But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear,hating even the garment polluted by the flesh." In spiritual matters, only when we know what we love more than anything will equip us to despise and put away from ourselves those things that get between ourselves and the object of our affections. Now let's consider one more trait of spiritual boldness from Nathan's life...


3. Boldness to full obey. 1 Kings 1
We have learned from Nathan the need to boldly hear God and hate sin in the quest for spiritual boldness. But what about full obedience? In 1 Kings 1, the proverbial sun is sinking into the horizon of David's reign. For over 30 years the prophet Nathan had stuck by his master's side. We saw him near thebeginning of David's reign in Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 7 - boldly hearing God. Then somewhere approaching the middle of David's reign, perhaps near the zenith of his power, we see Nathan boldly hate sin and confront his erring King. 

However in this final scene, we find the same King David on his bed of affliction. The throne of Jerusalem was in the cross-hairs of David's overly-ambitious son - Adonijah. David's other son - Solomon, was to be the rightful heir. Adonijah had presumed upon the moment and set up a public coronation of himself. The sound of crowds gathering could be heard. Nathan and a few of David's closest family and friends were in a dangerous position. 

To oppose Adonijah's meteoric rise to power would mean possible death. However, Nathan recalls God's Word to David that he spoke to Solomon as recorded in 1 Chronicles 22:6-12. In that passage, David promised Solomon that he would be his heir. Nathan took that to be the Word of the Lord and thus he knew he had to heed the Word and fulfill his responsibilities, along with the remainder of David's court. As you read on down through 1 Kings 1, Nathan and the rest of David's court hasten to put together a public coronation of Solomon, with shouts of "Long Live the King". The ceremony is accompanied by a Divine quaking, causing the rival Adonijah to quake in fear.  

What would you and I had done? Is full obedience to God only popular when it seems to benefit our cause. What happens when circumstances are less than ideal and the prospect of failure, ridicule or even death looms overhead? Then what? Will following through in obedience to God be so eagerly embraced? Nathan finished well. He saw Israel's next - true king - crowned. What a life of spiritual boldness! To hear God, hate sin and fully obey! Would it be that each of us, dear readers, be a spiritually bold generation for God.

Understanding how justification and sanctification relate to one another

2 Corinthians 5:21 "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

The respulsive nature of our sinfulness before saving faith that deserves judgment

Whenever you read some passages in the Bible, you may come away sometimes in shock or even disgust at the imagery and events. Certainly God's graphic description of the sins of His people is shocking and disgusting. Isn’t that what sin should be to us? Grotesque! James 4:4 reminds us - "You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." The description of Jerusalem and Judah in Ezekiel's day would had matched any other wicked city such as Ninevah in Assyria, Babylonia in Babylon or Sodom and Gomorrah. God's point was well made - sin is disgusting, repulsive and should be despised by God's people. Moreover, our sin before a Holy Righteous God does nothing for us but to make us guilty and deserving of judgment. As a result of Adam's rebellion in the garden - death, sin and guilt have been inherited and experienced by every human being born in history (with the exception of Jesus).  

How justification by faith alone removes the penalty of our sin

Whenever you turn to James 2, you read about the nature of true saving faith - that faith will always be followed by good deeds. Though we are saved by grace through faith apart from the law (the point of the book of Romans), yet saving faith should and must evidence a life that is not lawless (James' point). Both books do not conflict, but rather complement one another in seeing the same saving faith with respect to what it takes to get right with God in salvation (Romans = saved by grace alone through faith alone) and the nature of such faith following salvation (James = kept by grace and a faith that is never alone).

The Biblical doctrine of justification teaches that faith alone is necessary and sufficient to receive salvation. At saving faith, the entire active obedience of Christ in His life and passive submission in the cross and empty tomb is credited or imputed to our spiritual poverty. When Jesus was on the cross, our willful disobedient life and refusal to submit to God was credited or imputed to Jesus Christ. Hence in the Biblical teaching of justification, the spiritual transaction that occurs stems from a double-crediting, a double-imputation if-you-please. In other words, Jesus on the cross was treated like me so that in saving faith I could be credited the Father with the righteousness of Jesus Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). In justification, the penalty of my sin is removed. 

Justification by faith is likened unto a mother and the works of sanctification are the little children following 

However following salvation, good works proceeding from faith is the chief evidence demonstrating the reality of one's justification. (James 2:14-20) We are saved by grace through faith alone, however following salvation, we are being saved by a faith that is never alone. All good works that follow from the one-time Divine pronouncement of justification at saving faith is what the scriptures call "sanctification". Many over the centuries have wondered how justification by faith and sanctification in good works relate to one another. Think of faith as a mother and good deeds like the children that follow the mother. Wherever the mother is, the little children are there in close proximity. We see this in how human mothers and children relate to one another. We moreso see in the animal kingdom this same principle, such as ducklings or chicks following their mother. 

With justification, the penalty of my sin is removed and in sanctification the power of the necessity of sin is removed. Although the presence of sin won't be removed until believers are in the Lord's presence, the sanctifying work of the Spirit gives power to fight and overcome sins and desire righteousness. The wonder of sanctification is not only in being set free from sin's power, but also having the power to live right and do right for God on the basis of Jesus' credited righteousness. 

To further elaborate the distinctions between justification and sanctification: in justification, I am positionally deemed righteous by God with Christ's righteousness. In sanctification, the Holy Spirit is making me in experience whom God has declared me to be in position. Both graces together work in the Christian to make them like a child following after their Lord. 

Biblically illustrating justification and sanctification in action

We started out this post by noting the disgusting nature of sin. However James points out that a harlot by the name of Rahab was justified by faith and demonstrated such faith by hiding the Jewish spies in the days of the conquest of Jericho (James 2:25). She was justified by faith apart from works and continued living by sanctifying faith that does work. Can God save harlots? Absolutely! God's grace is the only thing that can reach you and me in the depths of our sin and Christ's blood is the only thing that can overflow the heights of our sin and wipe away its guilt. That's the relationship between justification and sanctification.