Song of the Drunkards

JESUS FACED A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF OPPOSITION FOR HIS HARD WORDS AND UNFLINCHING DEVOTION TO YAHWEH. NO SURPRISE THEN IF WE FIND OUR NAME FESTOONED IN BARROOM BALLADS (CF. PS 69:12).

Resist the Devil

June 23, 2024 in Bible - NT - James, Meditations, Satan

James 4:7 (NKJV)

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Some years ago, I read biographies of three men who were instrumental in the foundation of monasticism: The Life of Antony written by the early church father Athanasius as well as the lives of Paul of Thebes and of Hilarion by another early church father Jerome. For all their faults, one thing shines bright and clear in the lives of these three men: they knew they were at war with the devil. They knew that Satan was out to destroy them, out to undermine virtue, out to corrupt and taint and distort whatever vestiges of righteousness he could find. And not only did these saints know they were at war – they knew which side they were on and fought zealously for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today in our sermon we consider the devil’s assault upon the saints. I fear that we are often complacent in this war with the devil; these men were not. Read The Life of Antony – here was a man who hungered and thirsted for righteousness. Read The Life of Paul of Thebes – here was a man who sought first the kingdom of God. Read The Life of Hilarion – here was a man who panted for the Triune God and for streams of living water. Years and years they wrestled and strove and fought. Why? To overcome sin and in so doing to overcome all the wiles of the devil. For all their faults, and there are many, they understood that the stakes were high; they understood that the war with the devil was raging constantly; they understood that vigilance was imperative. 

But what of us? I fear that we often fail to perceive the seriousness of our situation. Brothers and sisters, we are at war. The devil would like to destroy us. He would like to see us complacent and corrupted. Do you see it? When you are tempted to belittle your wife – that’s the battle. When you are tempted to be bitter toward your husband – that’s the battle. When you are tempted to yell at your kids – that’s the battle. When you are tempted to disrespect your parents – that’s the battle. When you are tempted to despise your sibling – that’s the battle. A war is raging and many of us are playing with tinker toys in the corner. A war is raging and many of us are cozying up to the enemy. A war is raging and many of us are consumed with our happiness rather than passionate about our holiness.

So listen – let us get to war. Let us put to death our selfishness, our greed, our bitterness, our lust, our covetousness, our idolatry, our anger, our spite. Let us heed the exhortation of James – Submit to God, resist the devil. And then listen to the promise of God: and he, the devil, will flee from you. Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. So the Apostle John writes in his first epistle, “I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one” (2:13). You have overcome the evil one. So have you?

Reminded that we are in a war and that many of us are playing with paper dolls rather than striving against the lies and temptations of the devil, let us confess our sin to God. And as we confess, let us kneel as we are able. 

Count It All Joy

June 9, 2024 in Bible - NT - James, Meditations, Trials

James 1:2 (NKJV) 

2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials… 

Few exhortations regarding trials are more quoted and more difficult to obey than the one we find here in James’ letter. He exhorts us to count it all joy when we fall into various trials. We are to count it – reckon it, consider it to be, reorient our attitude concerning it. We are to count it all joy – not just joy, not just partial joy, not just intermittent joy, but all joy. We are to count it all joy when you fall – encounter, face, experience in God’s providence. We are to count it all joy when we fall into various trials – trials of all shapes and sizes, trials of health, of family, of work, of poverty, of war. Count it all joy when you fall into various trials.

So why should we count it all joy? It is so much easier to count it all inconvenience or tragedy or frustration or discouragement or anger. Thus, when we fall into trials, we must remind ourselves why we should count it all joy. What are our grounds, reasons, for joy? Consider a few:

  • I should count it all joy because God is sovereign. Though these trials may have caught me off guard, they have not caught Him off-guard. “I am the Lord, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things” (Is 45:6-7). 
  • I should count it all joy because God is all-powerful. Though I may be at a loss to understand or control the circumstances of this trial, yet God’s hand is not shortened. He can save. So I can call on Him. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (Is 59:1). 
  • I should count it all joy because the Sovereign, Almighty God is also my loving Father. Though my sin separates me from God, Jesus has died and risen again to forgive my sin and reconcile me to God. Therefore, I need not fear. “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Lk 12:32).
  • I should count it all joy because my loving Father has ordained this trial for my good. “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28).
  • I should count it all joy because my loving Father is using this trial to teach me patience. This is the reason James gives, “knowing that the testing of our faith produces patience” (Jas 1:3).
  • I should count it all joy because my loving Father and His Son are with me in my trial. “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (Jn 14:23). The Father and Son dwell with us by the Spirit.
  • I should count it all joy because Jesus, the Son of God, suffered in order to carry my sorrows and griefs. He will support me in my hour of trial. “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Is 53:4). 
  • I should count it all joy because Jesus, as my fellow sufferer, sympathizes with me in my trial and I can have confidence that He will hear my prayers. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:15-16).
  • I should count it all joy because Jesus, as my fellow sufferer, makes intercession for me and is able to save me from these trials. “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb 7:25).
  • I should count it all joy because the Spirit too helps me in my weakness to cry out to God for deliverance. “Likewise, the Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom 8:26).
  • I should count it all joy because Jesus bore my sin on the cross in order to purchase my peace. “The chastisement for our peace was upon Him” (Is 53:5). Trials are the opposite of peace – they are a visitation of chaos, turmoil, disruption. Therefore, my trials shall pass. Peace shall come. I have hope. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh” (Lk 6:21).
  • I should count it all joy because this momentary, temporary trial is producing for me an eternal, a perpetual weight of glory. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor 4:17).

So are you counting it all joy when you fall into various trials? If you are like me, then you will have to review this list often and add to it in order to count it all joy. And so, reminded that there are grounds for joy even when we fall into various trials, and no doubt reminded that we often give way to frustration, complaint, anger, discouragement, or despondency, let us confess that we have often lost sight of our grounds for joy and given way to discouragement and despondency. And as you are able, let us kneel as we confess our sins to the Lord.

Declared to Be the Son of God

March 31, 2024 in Bible - NT - Romans, Easter, Meditations

Romans 1:1-4 (NKJV)

1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

Today is Easter – the most significant of the various holy days in the Church calendar. More pivotal than Christmas, more central than Pentecost, more crucial than Epiphany – Easter celebrates the most transformative event in all human history. Because of the resurrection, we have the Gospel. Because of the resurrection, we have cathedrals. Because of the resurrection, we have new life, forgiveness, and peace with God – all because of the resurrection of Christ on this day.

It is this transformation that Paul highlights in the introduction to his letter to the Romans. After assuring us that Christ’s coming was proclaimed beforehand by the prophets and that he came as was foretold from David’s seed, Paul goes on to declare that Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection of the dead. So what does he mean by this clause?

Many have supposed that Paul is describing Christ’s twofold nature: according to his human nature he was of the seed of David but he was also the Son of God. However, the text does not support this idea. For how could Jesus’ status as the eternal Son of God change as a result of the resurrection? He has and ever will be the only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. This is not what Paul is addressing.

Rather, he is describing the change that occurred in Jesus’ status as a result of the resurrection. Jesus was born of the seed of David – in other words, He had the natural right to rule as God’s King. But simply having the natural right to rule does not establish that one does in fact rule. Bonnie Prince Charlie may have had a rightful claim (de iure) to the throne of England; but a rightful claim to the throne does not make one king de facto. So Paul insists that Jesus was not only born of David’s seed – not only did He have a rightful claim to the throne of His father David – by His resurrection from the dead He was declared to be the Son of God with power, authority. In other words, in the resurrection Jesus was crowned as God’s Son, His Messianic, Davidic King. Jesus not only has a lawful claim to the throne, He is now seated upon His throne, ruling with power as King.

So what is the significance of Easter? On this day we celebrate the coronation of our King. Nearly two thousand years ago Jesus was crowned King of the Universe, the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him and this includes, because He has conquered death, authority over death itself. He has the keys of death and hell. He opens and no one shuts; He shuts and no one opens. So death is conquered; death is destroyed. Christ is risen and all those who trust in Him shall arise as well. We can say to death, “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? Thanks be to God who gives us the victory in Christ Jesus our Lord!”

Is this not good news? Brethren, Christ is risen! (He is risen indeed!) Let us shout Alleluia! (Alleluia!) So give heed to the exhortation in Psalm 2, the coronation psalm of our King:

10Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. 11Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 12Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

And so reminded that Jesus is Lord of all and that we are to serve Him with fear and rejoice before Him with trembling, let us join together in confessing our sins against Him, our disloyalty to Him as a people. As you are able, please kneel before your King.