There Are No Insignificant Christians

One of the heaviest thoughts that can visit the human heart is the insignificance of the average man. Seen against the long procession of the ages and the countless multitudes of people who have inhabited the earth, we are each one no more than a grain of sand on the wide seashore.

It takes some reflection to make this appear to our minds as it really is. The human ego may be counted upon to accent our individual worth and to give a false permanence to what is anything but permanent. A man in his pride may feel himself to be so important that it is hard for him to visualize the world as continuing to endure after he is removed from the scene; but all we need to do is wait. Time will grind him to dust and toss him to the winds; his friends will disappear one by one from their old familiar haunts, and there will be no one left to remember him. The passing generations will sift over him layer upon layer of forgetfulness, and he will no longer have any earthly meaning. He will cease to be a name and will become merely a statistic.

This consideration, if no other, should dispose us to embrace the message of Christ. That message is so full and comprehensive that it is never possible to state in one paragraph or one page or one volume all that it is. It is doubtful, in fact, whether all the world could contain the books if the whole wonder of the gospel were to be written. But not the least among the benefits of the cross is its dignification of the individual.

No matter how insignificant he may have been before, a man becomes significant the moment he has had an encounter with the Son of God. When the Lord lays His hand upon a man, that man ceases at once to be ordinary. He immediately becomes extraordinary, and his life takes on cosmic significance. The angels in heaven take notice of him and go forth to become his ministers (Hebrews 1:14). Though the man had before been only one of the faceless multitude, a mere cipher in the universe, an invisible dust grain blown across endless wastes - now he gets a face and a name and a place in the scheme of meaningful things. Christ knows His own sheep "by name."

A young preacher introduced himself to the pastor of a great metropolitan church with the words, "I am just the pastor of a small church upcountry." "Son," replied the wise minister, "there are no small churches." And there are no unknown Christians, no insignificant sons of God. Each one signifies, each is a "sign" drawing the attention of the Triune God day and night upon him. The faceless man has a face, the nameless man a name, when Jesus picks him out of the multitude and calls him to Himself.

No doubt we grieve our Lord by thinking of ourselves as less than we are in the plan of God. In ourselves we are nothing, and the vast gulf of forgetfulness toward which we were heading was the proper place for us. We had earned no share in God's interest, no place in His affection; our sins had forfeited any claim we might have had upon God as Creator. But the blood of the everlasting covenant has changed all that. Our claim is that of a child upon his Father. We have a right in the Father's household, and we can sit down at His table without fear or embarrassment. In the kingdom of God we signify.

Taken from, "We Travel an Appointed Way" by Dr. A. W. Tozer  

Humility Wins Where Force Cannot

In the kingdom of heaven, weak things become mighty and mighty things often prove to be useless. God seeth not as man seeth, and the things that are held in high esteem among men may be scorned by the Most High God, maker of heaven and earth.

That carnal courage so prized in the kingdom of Adam may be the direct cause of constant and humiliating defeat among Christians. God will not be under the necessity of using fleshly means to accomplish His spiritual ends. The bold “strength of character” which helps men to forge to the front, to get the best jobs, to overawe their opponents, may stand squarely in the way of all efforts to progress in the life of the Spirit. God still gives courage to the faint, and He knoweth the proud afar off.

From Adam we inherit the instinct to meet our enemies head on, to try to win by direct assault, and it is only after many shocking failures that we learn that victories are not so won in the realm of the spiritual. The carnal approach usually does little more than to alienate the enemy still further from us and, worse than all, it puts us in a position where God cannot help us. The enemy never quite knows how to deal with a humble man; he is so used to dealing with proud, stubborn people that a meek man upsets his timetable. And furthermore, the man of true humility has God fighting on his side – who can win against God?

Strange as it may seem, we often win over our enemies only after we have first been soundly defeated by the Lord Himself. God often conquers our enemies by conquering us. He defeated Esau by defeating Jacob the night before on the bank of the Jabbok. The conquest of Esau took place in his brother Jacob. It is often so. When God foresees that we must meet a deadly opponent, he assures our victory by bringing us down in humbleness at His own feet. After that, everything is easy. We have put ourselves in a position where God can fight for us, and in a situation like that, the outcome is decided from eternity.

Taken from, "We Travel an Appointed Way" by Dr. A. W. Tozer

We Travel an Appointed Way

To the child of God, there is no such thing as accident. He travels an appointed way. The path he treads was chosen for him when as yet he was not, when as yet he had existence only in the mind of God.

Accidents may indeed appear to befall him and misfortune stalk his way; but these evils will be so in appearance only and will seem evils only because we cannot read the secret script of God's hidden providence and so cannot discover the ends at which He aims.

When true faith enters, chance and mischance go out for good. They have no jurisdiction over them that are born of the Spirit, for such as these are sons of the new creation and special charges of the Most High God.

While sojourning here below, these children of the eternal covenant may pay token tribute to nature; sickness, old age and death may levy upon them, and to the undiscerning eye, they may seem to be as other men. Here, as in all its other judgments upon Christianity, the world is completely fooled by appearances, for it cannot see that these believing ones are "hid with Christ in God." (Col. 3:3)

The man of true faith may live in the absolute assurance that his steps are ordered by the Lord. For him, misfortune is outside the bounds of possibility. He cannot be torn from this earth one hour ahead of the time which God has appointed, and he cannot be detained on earth one moment after God is done with him here. He is not a waif of the wide world, a foundling of time and space, but a saint of the Lord and the darling of His particular care.

All this is not mere dreaming, not a comforting creed woven as a garment to warm the shivering hearts of lonely, frightened souls in a dark and unfriendly world. Rather it is of the essence of truth, a fair summation of the teaching of the Bible on the subject and should be received reverently and joyously along with everything else which is taught in the Scriptures of truth.

Here then I doubt no more
But in His pleasure rest,
Where wisdom, love and truth, and power
Engage to make me blest.

The above is an extract from "We Travel an Appointed Way" by Dr. A. W. Tozer

It is very easy for us to take the Word of God or the encouragement from men of God so as to pick what we want to hear. Sadly a majority of today's Christians do this, fulfilling what the Apostle Paul wrote by the Spirit, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths (2Tim. 4:3, 4). Praise be to God for those who take the teaching of Scripture for what it is, the truth in all its fullness.

May I suggest that you conduct for yourself a small exercise. Take Psalm 37 for example, a portion from which Tozer made reference to in the extract above. Divide a page into two columns. On one side write what the Psalmist tells us of God and what God will do. On the other, write down what the Psalmist tells us we must do. You will then appreciate that in a relationship there must be faithfulness from both parties. Since God is faithful, for He cannot deny Himself (2Tim. 2:13) it remains for us to be faithful. In prayerful surrender lift up the points that you've written in the column that contains what you need to do and in sincerity of faith commit that you will, by the strength of God, make it a reality in your life. Sow this with willing determination. God will then enable you to reap a harvest.

What is the context of Tozer's writing with what I've just said? It is simply this: As we walk in faith and obedience, loving God and clinging to Him with all our heart in total surrender and submissiveness, we will experience God's hand guiding us in His appointed way. We may rest in total confidence, knowing that we are in His perfect will. "His wisdom, love and truth and power engage to make me blest."

Fear will not have a hold on us. Rather, the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard our heart and mind (Php. 4:6, 7). Grace (God's favour) and Peace is what the New Testament constantly proclaims as a blessing to all her children.

We have been created in Christ Jesus to travel an appointed way. A way wrought by God before we were created. A way that is higher than our ways. A way that is for our welfare, not for our calamity; to give us a future and a hope. Let us lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of us. We will not be disappointed.

Following Hard After God

My soul followeth hard after Thee:

Thy right hand upholdeth me. (Psa. 63:8)

We pursue God because, and only because, He has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit. "No man can come to Me," said our Lord, "except the Father which hath sent me draw Him," and it is by this very prevenient drawing that God takes from us every vestige of credit for the act of coming.

The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the out-working of that impulse is our following hard after Him; and all the time we are pursuing Him we are already in His hand: "Thy right hand upholdeth me."

In this divine "upholding" and human "following" there is no contradiction. All is of God, for as von Hügel teaches, God is always previous. In practice, however, (that is, where God's previous working meets man's present response) man must pursue God. On our part there must be positive reciprocation if this secret drawing of God is to eventuate in identifiable experience of the Divine.

In the warm language of personal feeling this is stated in the Forty-second Psalm: "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?"

This is deep calling unto deep, and the longing heart will understand it. 

An extract from, "The Pursuit of God", by Dr. A. W. Tozer

God Is For Us

He (God) is "for us" with all the infinity of His being, the omnipotence of His love, the infallibility of His wisdom... He is "for us". 

- Charles Spurgeon

Let us consider this when we read the profound words that Paul wrote in Ephesians: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

"Truly my soul finds rest in God; My salvation comes from Him." Psa. 62:1

Not Just Intensity of Prayer

Intensity of prayer is no criterion of its effectiveness. A man may throw himself on his face and sob out his troubles to the Lord and yet have no intention to obey the commandments of Christ. Strong emotion and tears may be no more than the outcropping of a vexed spirit, evidence of stubborn resistance to God's known will....

No matter what I write here, thousands of pastors will continue to call their people to prayer in the forlorn hope that God will finally relent and send revival if only His people wear themselves out in intercession. To such people God must indeed appear to be a hard taskmaster, for the years pass and the young get old and the aged die and still no help comes. The prayer meeting room becomes a wailing wall and the lights burn long, and still the rains tarry.

Has God forgotten to be gracious? Let any reader begin to obey and he will have the answer. "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him" (John 14:21).

Isn't that what we want after all? 

An Extract from "The Size of the Soul" by Dr. A. W. Tozer

The Right Road to the Desired Destination

O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.—Jeremiah 10:23

The prophet here turns to a figure of speech, one which appears in the Scriptures so frequently that it is not easy to remember that it is but a figure. Man is seen as a traveler making his difficult way from a past he can but imperfectly recollect into a future about which he knows nothing. And he cannot stay, but must each morning strike his moving tent and journey on toward—and there is the heavy problem—toward what?

It is a simple axiom of the traveler that if he would arrive at the desired destination he must take the right road. How far a man may have traveled is not important; what matters is whether or not he is going the right way, whether the path he is following will bring him out at the right place at last. Sometimes there will be an end to the road, and maybe sooner than he knows; but when he has gone the last step of the way will he find himself in a tomorrow of light and peace, or will the day toward which he journeys be "a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness." 

Dr. A. W. Tozer from The Set of the Sail

Proclaiming the Great Reality!

Sin is a disease. It is lawlessness. It is rebellion. It is transgression—but it is also a wasting of the most precious of all treasures on earth. The man who dies out of Christ is said to be lost, and hardly a word in the English tongue expresses his condition with greater accuracy. He has squandered a rare fortune and at the last he stands for a fleeting moment and looks around, a moral fool, a wastrel who has lost in one overwhelming and irrecoverable loss, his soul, his life, his peace, his total mysterious personality, his dear and everlasting all!

Oh, how can we get men and women around us to realize that God Almighty, before the beginning of the world, loved them, and thought about them, planning redemption and salvation and forgiveness?

Christian brethren, why are we not more faithful and serious in proclaiming God's great eternal concerns?

How is this world all around us ever to learn that God is all in all unless we are faithful in our witness?

In a time when everything in the world seems to be vanity, God is depending on us to proclaim that He is the great Reality, and that only He can give meaning to all other realities.

An extract from, "Christ the Eternal Son" by Dr. A. W. Tozer

Underneath Everlasting Arms

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, "Destroy!" —Deuteronomy 33:27

Surely Bible-reading Christians should be the last persons on earth to give way to hysteria. They are redeemed from their past offenses, kept in their present circumstances by the power of an all-powerful God, and their future is safe in His hands. God has promised to support them in the flood, protect them in the fire, feed them in famine, shield them against their enemies, hide them in His safe chambers until the indignation is past and receive them at last into eternal tabernacles.

If we are called upon to suffer, we may be perfectly sure that we shall be rewarded for every pain and blessed for every tear. Underneath will be the Everlasting Arms and within will be the deep assurance that all is well with our souls. Nothing can separate us from the love of God - not death, nor life, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature.

This is a big old world, and it is full of the habitations of darkness, but nowhere in its vast expanse is there one thing of which a real Christian need be afraid. Surely a fear-ridden Christian has never examined his or her defenses. 

An extract taken from "This World: Playground or Battleground?" by Dr. A. W. Tozer

A Life Betrothed to Christ

When the Lord Jesus opened our eyes to His saving grace, we believed in Him. Gracious as He is, He turned us away from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. We received forgiveness of sins and found a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Him (Acts 26:18).

It was at this time that we were betrothed to one husband, to Christ, so that we might be presented as a pure virgin to Him. However, like Paul had to write to the Corinthian Church, I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, our minds may somehow have been led astray from our sincere and pure devotion to Christ (2Cor. 11:2, 3). We became adulteresses (Jas. 4:4). To use a contemporary word in today’s relationships, we ‘cheated’ on the One we were engaged and committed to.

We knew in our hearts that there could be only one master (Mt. 6:24) and we chose the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Yet somehow we allowed ourselves to be deceived; to think that we could straddle ourselves between two loves—God and the world. We became bold to legitimize such friendship with the world by using portions of scripture turning them to suit our convenience—what some term as the ‘prosperity gospel’. Our prayers now revolve around the blessings of this earth. The temporal has become our focus and the reason for us to run to God.

Dr. A. W. Tozer, in his message on cultivating the fellowship of the Holy Spirit spoke boldly saying: “I have discovered that some people are just not ready for this teaching of commitment and consecration and devotion to the highest will of God for their lives. They are still facing both ways.” He then goes on to describe the several kinds of Christians he had observed and in one instance says, “There are those who are most interested in Christianity for its ‘insurance’ value. Believe it or not, they want the care and protection that God gives them now, and they want avoidance of hell in time of death. They want the guarantee of heaven at last. To get these things, they seem willing to support the church, give to missions and show financial interest in church projects. Amazing, but true! Some people keep on supporting the church, and they even abstain from some gross pleasures because they want protection—they are interested in the insurance value of Christianity. They want what it has to offer.”

All this time we ignored the fact that when our gracious Lord turned us to Himself, He sought that we would give Him first place in our life. There should have been no other. God who sits enthroned forever (Psa. 55:19a) should have been the only Ruler, Master and Lord of our hearts and lives. Instead we chose to cuddle into a friendship with the world (Jas. 4:4). Instead of denying ourselves, carrying our cross and following after our Master (Lk. 9:23), we indulged in the lust of the flesh (1Jn. 2:16). Instead of keeping the lamp of our body, our eye, clear and focused on the treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal (Mt. 6:19-23); we succumbed to the lust of the eyes (1Jn. 2:16). Earthly commendations and the boastful pride of life (1Jn. 2:16) have meant more to us than the approval of the Father (Jn. 5:44).

In the gospel that God has called us to, the Church is a holy people, sanctified by the blood of the Lamb. She has been prepared so as to be blameless, as a bride eagerly awaiting the coming of her groom. She has not only been called to be a light to the world—Ambassadors of the kingdom of heaven but also a power in Jesus to break every chain of the evil one; God attesting her testimony concerning Him. Through her, God has purposed to shine forth the knowledge of His glory. Her life, full of faith and good deeds is her testimony; her dazzling raiment visible for all to see, to the glory of her Master. However, instead of flying like an eagle, the Church has been hopping around like a bird with broken wings. Oh the lament of not being able to walk in the fullness of the glorious and most marvelous plan that the Almighty God wrought about for us through His Son. Oh the sadness that we as a Church are not able to rise to the lofty heights that we can soar to by the great working of the Holy Spirit.

I believe that we need to get back to the first and foremost commandment in the Holy Scripture and that is to love the Lord, our God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind (Mt. 22:37, 38). Obedience to this commandment puts God supreme over all else. Nothing and no one gets that place—not our self-life, nor our earthly possessions; not our careers, plans or dreams nor the opinions of those around us—nothing takes higher place. While God has given us all things to enjoy, we recognize that He is our only possession. While we work hard on this earth; strive to excel in whatever we do; seek God to prosper the work of our hand, yet all the time we are willing to lay our trophies and achievements at the feet of the Master for His will and His pleasure. It is this total commitment and sincerity that the Lord God is looking for in the Church and for it to happen it must begin with us as individuals.

Let us rise beyond, “these people honour Me with their lips but their heart is far away from Me.” (Mt. 15:8) Let us move from newborn babies who long for the pure milk of the Word (1Pet. 2:2) to hunger for solid food (Heb. 5:14) that God, the Holy Spirit is able to feed us. Let us not be satisfied with the experience of the outer court but strive for that of the Holy Place, for which reason the veil was rend (Heb. 6:19). Like the Apostle Paul, let us press on, reach forward and lay hold of that for which also we were laid hold of by Christ Jesus (Php. 3:12, 13). There is a wisdom that is not of this age (1Cor. 2:6); a hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory (1Cor. 2:7)—things which a natural man does not understand because they are spiritually appraised (1Cor. 2:14). But to the mature, to those whose hearts are set like a flint to honour God, God is revealing them through His Holy Spirit—things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard (1Cor. 2:9, 10).

The Lord Jesus has assured our hearts while exhorting us to seek the things above, saying, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” (Lk. 12:32) The Holy Spirit who has always been behind the Church is still there to strengthen, empower and fulfill the purpose and will of God for the Body of Christ. God will fulfill His purpose. Nothing will stop Him (Job 42:2). Let us however ensure that we are not found wanting. Let us run in such a way, as not without aim. Let us box in such a way as not beating the air. Let us buffet our body and make it our slave, lest possibly after we have preached to others we ourselves should be disqualified (1Cor. 9:26, 27); and the God who gives all grace will guard our heart and mind. With His help we will be that virgin made ready for her groom (Eph. 5:27).

Why Am I Here?

To the universally oft-asked question, “Why am I here?” or “Why do we exist?” the Bible gives us a two-fold reason.

The first is found in Acts 17:26, 27. In this passage we read that God created us that we should seek Him. Herein lies a purpose that must define how we ought to live each day of our existence. To seek God is to make the invisible Creator the source of everything we need. It is to run to the Self-sufficient, Almighty One for all that concerns us and our life. 

By habit, we run to what we see and consider strong. With our limited understanding, we seek help from or depend on that that which appeals to our wisdom and known senses. But Isaiah 31:1 says, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help (Egypt is an expression for the world), and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!” Psalm 147:10 continues in the same vein saying, “He (God) does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord favours those who fear Him, those who wait for His loving kindness.”

Though this was my mindset in the past, as a new creation in Jesus, I can now walk with a mind not conformed to the world, but one renewed by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 12:2). As one who walks in the newness of life (Rom. 6:4), I have opportunity to seek my Creator and make Him the one and only source I run to each day. For from Him, the Maker of heaven and earth comes help (Psa. 121:2). From Him who is perfect and never makes a mistake comes all wisdom. Power and might is from the sovereign One who rules in majesty from generation to generation. Because He is eternal, I can trust my tomorrows into His hand knowing that He will always guide me into that which is for my welfare, not for my calamity; a life with future and hope (Jer. 29:11). I can run to Him whose love for me is immeasurable because He will never let me stray to the left or to the right but keep me in the centre of His perfect will. I can rest in the confidence that because I trust in the One who holds me in the cup of His hand and walk righteously before Him, my steps are ordained and secure. Though I stumble, He will not let me fall headlong (Psa. 37:23, 24). I can cast all my worries on Him who neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psa. 121:3) because He cares for me (1Pet. 5:7). He knows my need before I can even ask Him (Mt. 6:8). He is able to fill every lack and provide for every need because all things are sustained by Him. For this reason Paul writes to the Philippian Church and exhorts them to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to make their request known to God. It is interesting that the apostle does not stop there. He identifies a benefit that results from such seeking – the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:6, 7).

So like the Psalmist who responded when God said to him, “Seek My face,” let us with absolute trust and confidence say, “Thy face O Lord, I shall seek.” (Psa. 27:8)       

The second reason for our existence we read of in Ephesians 2:10 – to do good works. As God’s workmanship, we have been created in Christ Jesus that we can use our entire being and all that we have been blessed with to do good. Behind this is a selfless attitude that lives not for oneself (Php. 2:3, 4). When I live each moment of every day employing the members of my body – my mind, hands, tongue, yes, my entire being – no longer for myself to walk in my lusts and desires but for Him who died and rose again on my behalf (2Cor. 5:15), I am demonstrating the essence of the new creature that I am in Christ Jesus (2Cor. 5:17). When I use each part of my being with the sole ambition to please my Master (2Cor. 5:9) who in righteousness and holiness has made His dwelling place in me (1Cor. 3:16), I am fulfilling the very reason I was given to exist (Gen. 1:26a). As an outcome of living selflessly God-ward, I automatically find a change in my attitude men-ward. We are told of our Lord Jesus that in the years that He walked on this earth, He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him (Acts 10:38). What is written of Him in the 3½ years of service was an outcome of His attitude to His Father – to do God’s will (Heb. 10:7; Jn. 4:34).

So brethren, like the Holy One who called us, let us be holy ourselves also in all our behavior (1Pet. 1:14). We will find that as His chosen people, we will shine forth as light (Mt. 5:16) and proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1Pet. 2:9).

Let us remember that whatever God does in His eternal, perfect wisdom is never aimless nor does it lack purpose. He planned long before He even created anything (Eph. 1:4) – when there was nothing but God alone – that we should exist on this terrestrial ball for a time as short as a handbreadth (Psa. 39:5). He purposed that while here, we should seek Him though He is not seen and He would reveal Himself to us though He is not far from us. He intended that we use our fearfully and wonderfully crafted being (Psa. 139:14) as instruments of righteousness (Rom. 6:13) and love and truth (Eph. 5:9). Then, after the short span of time on earth is over, that we be with Him for eternity. We can be certain that if the things that are to pass away were created in awesome power and majesty, greater and far more glorious will be the things that remain – things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all the things that God has prepared for those who love Him (1Cor. 2:9).  

It is evident that we missed the purpose and lost our way in years past. We got carried away with what the world defined as the purpose of life – wealth, control and fame. But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord for the mercy He has shown to us. In His infinite goodness He has restored us once again to the plan He so wonderfully intended for us from the beginning. 

Jesus has already told us that He has come to give us life (existence, both here on earth and in eternity) in all its fullness (Jn. 10:10) – a life that is meaningful, blessed (Eph. 1:3) and the way our perfect Father has intended. Though in this world we will have trouble (Jn. 16:33), let us walk with zeal and focus to fulfill the reason of our existence. And lo! He is with us always, even to the end of the age (Mt. 28:20).          

The Mercy and Compassion of God

As a sequel to my last article, “The Kingdom of God and the Church”, I write on the mercy and compassion of God, our Father in heaven.

I am reminded of this as I read Psalm 51. Here is a man whom God called as one after His own heart. David was chosen and called by God. He experienced the salvation and victory that was brought about by the power of God. He lived in the protection of God; was sustained by the provision of God; was elevated as king by the sovereign hand of God; was granted victory from his enemies by the strength of God; all these among so many other blessings that he tasted of and experienced.

When he fell into the sin of adultery, God sent the prophet Nathan to correct him. David heard the word of God; was convicted of his sin and sought God’s face eagerly in repentance.

God on His part, as He always does, showed His immense willingness to forgive and restore. In His unfailing love, He had mercy on David (v. 1). According to His great compassion, He blotted out his transgression (v. 1). He washed away all David’s iniquity and cleansed him from his sin (v. 2). He washed him whiter that snow (v. 7) and restored to his crushed and smitten being joy and gladness (v. 8).

God, the merciful One, created in David a pure heart once again (v. 10). God renewed within him a steadfast and committed spirit (v. 10). In His holiness, He lavished mercy on David making him righteous with the righteousness of Jesus instead of casting the man away from His presence (v. 11). He went on; permitting David to enjoy the sweet fellowship and companionship of the Holy Spirit that the king enjoyed of old – a fellowship that had put in his tongue so many psalms like the pen of a skillful writer (Read 2Cor. 13:14[b]). God did not stop there. The everlasting Father who had purposed a marvelous plan for David long before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4), restored unto him the joy that comes with the saving grace of God (v. 12) and granted to him a willing, longing, zealous spirit that would not peter out after a time but one that would be sustained (v. 12).

As a living testimony of God’s infinite compassion and tender mercy David went on to teach transgressors God’s ways that they may turn their hearts to God (v. 13). As one who experienced God’s saving grace, his tongue spoke of God’s righteousness (v. 13). The Lord opened David’s lips that his mouth could declare His praise (v. 15). David was clear what it was that pleased God. He knew the thing that God desired. “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings,” he said to His Saviour but went on to declare, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.” (Psa. 51:16, 17) He knew that a broken and a contrite heart God would not despise (v. 17). Asaph had spoken in a similar vein in the previous psalm when he wrote of what God desired. “Sacrifice thank offerings to God,” said the psalmist. “Fulfill your vows to the Most High.” (Psa. 50:14). Paraphrased to our contemporary context it could read: “Rejoice in the Lord with a grateful heart always. Be faithful to the commitment you made to God when He first called you into His Covenant.” Asaph went on to prophesy, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honour Me.” (Psa. 50:15)

It is interesting to read how David concludes his psalm of repentance. Instead of focusing on himself or on the mercy he received from God, he switched attention to Zion. “In your good pleasure make Zion prosper,” cried the psalmist. “Build up the walls of Jerusalem.” (Psa. 51:18)

In Thy good pleasure Lord, cause Thy Church, the body of Christ to prosper. Build a wall of protection around her; for Thou art great and most worthy of praise in this city (Psa. 48:1). Because of Thee O Lord, she is beautiful in loftiness, the joy of the whole earth (v. 2). The righteousness and characteristics of Thy kingdom make her like the utmost heights of Zaphon – the city of the great King (v. 2). Thou art in this Church O Lord and Thou dost show Thyself to be her fortress (v. 3). Within Thy temple O God, we meditate on Thy unfailing love (Psa. 48:9). Like Thy name O God, may Thy praises reach the ends of the earth (v. 10). May Thy Church reveal how Thy right hand is filled with righteousness (v. 10). Let Mount Zion rejoice because of Thy judgments (v. 11). Let all who walk about Zion or examine her ways say, “God is their God for ever and ever.” – For Thou wilt be her guide even to the end (Psa. 48:13, 14).

Hearken to the mercy of the Lord O redeemed children of God. Consider His goodness in our lives. For though we were once not His people; for though we were once cut off and far away from Him (Eph. 2:12), by the precious blood of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord we have been reconciled to Him and restored to His eternal purpose (Eph. 2:13). The great sacrifice of Jesus has made us white as snow. His death and resurrection has made us free from sin, righteous by faith and a new creation to live no longer for ourselves but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf (2Cor. 5:15). Consider that you are an integral part of the New Covenant which God established with us through the precious blood of His Son. A covenant is between two parties and while God is one, we are the other. He is faithful for He cannot deny Himself (2Tim. 2:13). Let us be faithful.

Be alert! Be watchful! Let not the darkness that is in the world cause us to slip into slumber (1Thes. 5:6). But like the Apostle Paul, let us fight the good fight against all that grieves God. Let us strive to finish the course. Keep the faith. In the future there is laid up for us the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to us on that day; and not only to us, but also to all who have loved His appearing (2Tim. 4:7, 8).

“Behold, I am coming quickly,” says the Lord Jesus, “And My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what He has done.” (Rev. 22:12) He who is coming will come and will not delay. The righteous ones shall however live each day with perseverance in absolute trust – in His wisdom, unfailing love and faithfulness. Cling to (cleave or adhere fast to) His purpose, His strength and to Him, the great ‘I AM’. Rely on and constantly depend on His will, His protection and His provision. (Heb. 10:37, 38; Amplified from the word faith as elaborated in the Amplified Bible.)

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”                 

The Kingdom of God and the Church

God is bringing about a separation within the Church. A separation possibly akin to what we find in the parable of the tares and the wheat (Mt. 13:24-30; 37-43). This is because while there are multitudes that believe in His name, few are they that follow Him (Jn. 6:66-68). The cross of Jesus Christ by necessity brings division (Lk. 12:51). It separates the children of God from the children of the world. It compels us to choose our master (Mt. 6:24). It brings a dividing line between righteousness and sin (Rom. 6:16-18). It gives no room for fence-sitters (Rev. 3:15, 16). The glorified Lord’s message to the seven churches in the book of Revelation brings this out clearly enough. 

What I want to say is this: The plan of redemption has brought about a body of Christ that walks in holiness. Her purpose on earth is clear – to seek His face in absolute faith and confidence (Acts 17:27) and glorify Him by her deeds (Eph. 2:10). In such individuals and in such a body, the Lord God seeks to disclose Himself (Jn. 14:21) and reveal His kingdom.

The clearly defining characteristics of the kingdom of heaven are: righteousness, love, truth, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17; Eph. 5:9). Over such a kingdom, God Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, is sovereign ruler and king. 

The citizens of this kingdom are sanctified by the precious blood of their Saviour Jesus Christ and made a new creature, not of the world but born of the Spirit of God (Jn. 3:5). People of this kingdom are defined by the nature of the kingdom. Such people have made the sovereign Lord, king over their lives and decisions. 

In them, one must see righteousness. “You shall be holy, for I am holy,” reminded the apostle Peter of what God said long ago through Moses and Aaron as he exhorted the Church that like the holy One who called us we too must be holy in all our behavior (1Pet. 1:15, 16). The ones who are pure in heart shall see God, instructed Jesus in the same vein as He taught from the mount (Mt. 5:8).  

In them, one must see love. “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another,” said Jesus as he gave a new commandment (Jn. 13:34, 35). Likewise, truth is evident in the children of heaven; not hypocrisy or men-pleasing words, but transparency and guilelessness (Rom. 12:9; 1Pet. 2:1).

In such children, one sees a distinctive character of peace. The heart of a trusting child of God knows who he has believed in. Such a heart is not anxious (Read Php. 4:7 with 4:6). Such a heart reminds itself that God has not given us a spirit of fear (2Tim. 1:7). Such a heart rests in the confidence that he is safe in the hands of his Father and no one can snatch him out from there (Jn. 10:29).  Such a child of God is also filled with joy – a gladness so overwhelming that he can smile in the face of peril.

Of such a kingdom did our Lord Jesus teach us to pray when He said, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Mt. 6:10). To such a kingdom has God saved us and called us with a holy calling (2Tim. 1:9) that as sanctified creatures, we walk by the Spirit in holiness and righteousness and not by the flesh (Rom. 8:4-14); live as a holy vessel for God to dwell (Jn. 14:23); an earthen vessel that radiates the knowledge of the glory of God (2Cor. 4:6, 7). Such a light cannot be hid but shines forth in such a way that men see it and glorify the Father who is in heaven (Mt. 5:13-16).

God’s plan through Jesus Christ in the gospel is that the Church can be such a body. He has chosen us to be a people of His possession that we may proclaim the excellencies of Him in this dark, selfish world (1Pet. 2:9). He has purposed that He can present to Himself the Church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless (Eph. 5:27).

So when we read that His winnowing fork is in His hand to separate the wheat from the chaff (Mt. 3:12; Lk. 3:17) or that He will send His angels and they will gather out of his kingdom the unrighteous so that the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Mt. 13: 41-43), such a separation should mean within the Church. For it is evident that the ungodly, unbelieving, idolatrous people in the world are clearly outside. There is nothing to separate because they are already separated (Eph. 2:12). These are already in darkness. When Jesus said, “If the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness.” (Mt. 6:22, 23), He would have been referring to us who have believed. We know that it is possible to “think” we are living in the light but in truth our heart can be far away from God (Mt. 15:8).  We have been exhorted not to take lightly the riches of God’s kindness and forbearance and patience (Rom. 2:4). We have been warned not to deceive ourselves for God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap (Gal. 6:7, 8). Jesus Himself said that not everyone who would call on Him and prophesy in His name would enter the kingdom of heaven. He warned such that He would say, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” (Mt. 7:21-23). 

These things are scary but like the author wrote in his letter to the Hebrews, “We are convinced of better things concerning you…” (Heb. 6:9) while continuing further to exhort us that we be not sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Heb. 6:12). 

As children of God, we must be careful not to grieve the Lord by our behavior (Eph. 4:30). As His holy people we must walk in a manner worthy of our calling (Col. 1:10). We must live worthy of the great sacrifice of the Lamb of God who gave Himself for us that we may walk in the newness of life (2Cor. 5:15; Rom. 6:4). We must not squander away the opportunities we have while on this earth but live with one ambition, to please God (2Cor. 5:9). When we see that this is what is expected of the children of the kingdom of heaven, it is evident that there is no room for the wishy-washy. The apostle John says that in such, the love of the Father is not in him (1Jn. 2:15). James uses stronger language calling such, “adulteresses” (Jas. 4:4).

The Lord God will accomplish what He has purposed (Job 23:13). The counsel of the Lord stands forever. The plans of His heart from generation to generation (Psa. 33:11).  He has purposed that His kingdom will be manifested here on earth. Through His zealous, obedient children He will accomplish this. Though the number of the sons of Israel (read believers in the church) be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved; for the Lord will execute His Word upon the earth thoroughly and quickly (Rom. 9:27, 28).   

Oh, that we may quickly align our heart to His will. Oh, that we may not take lightly His instructions but in submissiveness and obedience, love Him with all our heart. Oh, that through our faith in Him we can show that our God lives and reigns and leads and guides, the fruits of which will show to the glory of His name.

The Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, can with that same power give life to our mortal bodies (Rom. 8:11). Let us seek His face (Psa. 27:8). Let us wait on Him (Isa. 40:31). Let us cry unto Him for strength and help. He will make us victorious. He is the God of hope (Rom. 15:13). He is the God who gives perseverance and encouragement (Rom. 15:5). Let us hear His Shepherd voice (Jn. 10:3), cling to Him and submissively and willingly walk where He leads us (Jn. 10:4). His plans are always for our welfare giving us a future and a hope (Jer. 29:11).

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

The Sufferings and Calling of Christ

The condemning of Christ can possibly be termed as the greatest error committed in the history of mankind. While it is true that God announced beforehand that His Christ should suffer (Acts 3:18) and it is also true that man’s sin had earned him God’s wrath and judgment and the only sacrifice that could save him was the death of the spotless Lamb, Jesus; the fact remains that we disowned the Holy and Righteous one (Acts 3:14).

For though He was in the beginning with God and all things came into being by Him; and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being (Jn. 1:2, 3); this Word chose to become flesh and dwell among us (Jn. 1:14). He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not know Him (Jn. 1:10). Error No. 1

Because of our unwillingness to hear the truth, we shut our ears to what was already written. We chose not to accept and believe what God spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways (Heb. 1:1). We rejected His words of truth, calling it blasphemy. His awesome works, wrought in goodness and mercy, we termed the work of Beelzebul (Mt. 12:24). Error No. 2

We passed judgment on the One who will judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42). We hurled abuse at Him (Mt. 27:39), mocked Him (Mt. 27:29, 41), spat on Him (Mt. 26:67; 27:30), whipped Him (Jn. 19:1), chose a hardened criminal to be set free over Him (Lk. 23:18); and after all that, condemned Him to die on a cross as a public spectacle along with robbers (Mt. 27:38). Error No. 3

While, The Passion of the Christ, may have been produced using artistic liberties, it very vividly portrays the suffering of the Lord Jesus as described in the Bible. The night in the Garden of Gethsemane, the betrayal by His chosen apostle, denial from the one He loved, the accusations that were hurled at Him through the night, the arrogant and high-handed manner which He was subjected to and the whips (one word cannot quite capture the torment He went through each time the lash touched His flesh) brought alive the suffering that the Maker of all things went through at the hands of His creatures. The crude jokes, the taunts and insults, the crown of thorns, the spitting on His face, all these just added to the suffering. Finally, after a horrible night and a torment-filled morning, He was made to hang on the cross for six hours (Mk. 15:25, 34).

He was God! He is God! He need not have gone through all that He went through when self-centric, conceited, ungrateful creatures of His handiwork turned against Him. He would have been justified to abandon the whole plan of salvation, reconciliation and hope. But as a sheep remains silent before His shearers, so was He before His accusers (Isa. 53:7) and looked at the joy that was set before Him (Heb. 12:2).

He allowed His body to be broken that we may have life in all its fullness (Jn. 10:10). He shed His blood that we may be a new creation (2Cor. 5:17). He suffered that we may be reconciled to the Father (Col. 1:22) and experience, once again, the purpose for which we were created (Eph. 2:10). He rose again so that we can walk in hope and victory in righteousness, love, truth, peace and joy. (Oh, the joyousness when we understand the meaning of each of these words which incidentally characterizes the Kingdom of God. See Rom. 14:17; Eph. 5:9). 

I began by saying that the condemning of Christ can possibly be termed as the greatest error committed in the history of mankind. Yet today, each of us has hope and opportunity to change the course of our life’s history. His still, gentle voice is still calling. His word exhorts that today, if we hear His voice, we must listen to Him. He is full of mercy, overflowing with compassion, rich in loving kindness. His love that seeks our best is boundless. His wisdom that leads us into that best is perfect and eternal. His power that enables us to walk as overcomers is almighty. He is faithful. He is just. He is caring. His paths are those of peace. The outcome of His working is ineffably holy and pure. His purpose is marvellous and eternal.

Though we may have committed our life to Him at some point in the past, let us arise from the slumber (Eph. 5:14) that overtook us while we were not alert. Let us revive our first-love with a commitment that we will walk in the simplicity of single-minded devotion (2Cor. 11:3; 1Cor. 7:35) to Him, His commands and His will.

It’s not long before He will come again in a cloud with power and great glory (Lk. 21:27) to carry up to Himself His righteous ones who have been longing for His appearing (2Tim. 4:8). It’s not long when He Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God that we may meet Him in the air (1Thes. 4:16, 17). We shall be changed; the immortal replacing the mortal (1Cor. 15:51-53). We shall see Him just as He is (1Jn. 3:2). We shall reign with Him (2Tim. 2:12). We shall worship Him. We shall behold Him not for a time but for eternity.

Let us comfort and encourage one another so that we are found ready when He comes. Let us live each day in such a way recognizing that time is short (1Cor. 7:29). Let us not take the grace and kindness of God lightly (Rom. 2:4) but in holy conduct and godliness, look for and hasten the coming of the day of God (2Pet. 3:11, 12).

Now to Him who is able to keep us from stumbling, and make us stand in the presence of His glory blameless and with great joy, to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen (Jude 24, 25).