Roots by the River

  "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15-16). “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). There are several common things in these two commands. First, they are not suggestions. Second, they are "be" commands, not "do" commands. Third, they are in each case related to the holiness and the perfectness of the Father. We can assume that God does not command us to be something that He will not provide the means to be. Therefore, we should not think that these commands are impossible. If we think that way, then we do not believe or obey God. We are following the suggestions of the enemy. We can start by believing and wanting to be holy.   Written February 1993.

"Then the Lord said to him, 'Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure’” (Genesis 15:13-16). This text was fulfilled in the time of Joshua. It also gives us a reason for the conquest of Canaan by Joshua. The sin of the Amorites had now reached its full measure. “After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.’ No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of yo...

“And He said to them, ‘You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition’” (Mark 7:9). Rather than dwell on the specific instance mentioned by Jesus of evading the commandment, I would like to draw attention to His admiration of their abilities when He says, "You have a fine way." J.B. Phillips translates this, "It is wonderful to see how." Jesus may have been speaking in sarcasm, but regardless of how He spoke, He was pointing to the sophisticated effort the religious people made in order to disobey. Jesus quoted Isaiah: "This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me," teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. Non-religious people do not need sophisticated reasons in order to disobey. They deliberately disobey, or remain ignorant of the commandments, or do not care. Religious people not only come up with involved reasons to make their own wrong look right, but...

“I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the Gospel that I may share in its blessings” (1 Cor. 9:22-23). St. Paul’s versatility was a versatility of choice, decision. He gives the reason for his decisions: “to win as many as possible” verse 19; “to win the Jews” v. 20; “to win those under the law” v. 20; “to win those not having the law” v. 20; “to win the weak” v. 22’ and finally, “that I might save some” v. 22. His decisions were made in order to identify with the people he sought to win. He identified with opposites, and he did it without compromise. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading with us. Written August 1984.

A pure, clear conscience is a wonderful thing. A guilty conscience is an awful thing. We desire the one and do not want the other. However, there are guilty consciences that are filled with false guilt instead of true guilt. There are also seemingly clear consciences that are clear only because the conscience does not record; it has become seared. Even when a conscience is working well and is clear, that does not mean it is working perfectly according to God’s standards of right and wrong. The Apostle Paul said it this way: “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God” (1 Corinthians 4:4-5). A person may say that his conscience does not hurt, as if that were proof that he was innocent. It does not hold. The conscience...

"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:3-7). "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24-25). I selected these two very clear expressions from the writings of John and Peter because in a succinct way they tell us about God—w...

"No man can redeem the life of another, or give to God a ransom for him. The ransom for a life is costly; no payment is ever enough, that he should live on forever and not see decay… But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself” (Psalm 49:7-9, 15). This is a wonderful expression in the Old Testament of God's redemption as opposed to man's inability to redeem. Please consider the following and become students of the Old Testament: "These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” (1 Cor. 10:11). "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4). "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every g...

''T he gifts and sacrifices being offered w ere not able to clear the conscience” (Heb. 9:9). "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God" (Heb. 9:14). ''Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb. 9:22). "Just as a man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him" (Heb. 9:27-28). "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor 2: 2). The first verse tells us of the inadequacy of Old Testament sacrifices. They were a shadow, not the reality. They did not work. The next three verses tell us that the death of Christ i...

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). “It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace” (Hebrews 13:9). “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). We know that we were saved, justified, by grace. That was an event in the past that started our Christian lives. Grace, however, did not cease at that time. The three verses above represent the continuance of grace in the life of the believer. James 4:6 tells us that “He gives us more grace .” Grace is what we need for any inadequacy, weakness, or sin. This grace increases according to the needs. We cannot overdraw on the bank of grace, for “where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” Grace is really like a clean, life-giving river that never runs dry. We just need to stand in the river. "From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another” (John 1:16).   Written December 1989.

“But in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:15-16 RSV). Keep your conscience clear. It sounds like, “Keep your powder dry.” In both cases, it is a means of being ready for battle. A clear conscience is a means of shaming those who revile good behavior. A conscience is kept clear two ways: 1) Obeying God. 2) Confessing sin when disobedience occurs. I find that obedience is the simpler of the two. When I sin and my conscience is not clear, it is harder, because of pride, to confess my sin.   Written July 1984. This post coordinates with Friday's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you re...

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me" (John 15:18-21). The world is not sweetness and light; it is darkness against light. It is hatred against light. This is because of Jesus Christ coming into the world. "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world" (John 1:9). "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light...

Jesus made a statement recorded in Matthew 23:12: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” This is following a teaching that we are not to be called master, father or teacher. He said approximately the same thing in Luke 14:11, only in this case He said everyone instead of whoever . It was the conclusion of a command not to take the place of honor but to take the lowest place at a wedding banquet. Again in Luke 18:14, the same conclusion: “ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted .” This time it was the conclusion to a parable of a man who considered himself more righteous than another man. There seems to be more than one way to exalt yourself. They all seem to be evident in today’s society. They are evident because we can see self-exaltation in other people , but we do not see it in ourselv...

“Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?” (1 Cor. 5:2). "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13). There are things about which we should grieve and things about which we should not grieve. In the first category is sin in the body, the church. In the second category is the death of those who die in the Lord. Like many things, we have these backwards. Sin in the body should cause the whole body pain. “ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it ” (1 Cor. 12:26). Let us ask God for a conscience that reflects the sin of the whole body, not just our own private sin. Let us also ask for a great joy for those who go on ahead to be with Christ.   Written September 1984.

“The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason, God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” (2 Thess. 2:9-12). Whoever the “lawless one” is, he is identifiable in that his coming will be in accordance with the work of Satan. His characteristics are then spelled out: counterfeit miracles, signs, wonders—every sort of evil that deceives. Satan has always worked this way and is working this way now. The first three look good to almost everyone, and the fourth, every sort of evil, doesn’t look bad because by very nature Satan is deceptive. Jesus said, “When he lies he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the fa...

  “In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God” (John 16:26-27). In recent years, I have found that “Christians” have views of the Father that are foreign to Scripture. These views are so awful that the same people ignore the Father and put all of their focus on the Son. This focus is not so that they can come to the Father but so that they can come to the Son only. These are evangelical, trinitarian Christians. However, their views of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are so different in character that it would be impossible to have these three be one deity. Here is a suggested exercise. Go through the Gospel of John and mark every reference to the Father. I think it will be surprising to you, both in how many references there are and what they say. This post coordinates with tomorrow's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Ch...

  “Several days later Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgement to come, Felix was afraid and said, ‘That’s enough for now: You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you’” (Acts 24:24-25). Remember, Felix was the governor and Paul was the prisoner; yet it was Felix who was afraid. Perhaps it was the subject of the discourse which frightened Felix: righteousness, self-control and the judgement to come. Over in the Gospel of John, Jesus spoke of the coming of the Holy Spirit. “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement” (John 16:8). It is easy to come to three conclusions: 1) Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit. 2) Fear is one of evidence of conviction of guilt. 3) The Holy Spirit will convict the world through the speaking and living of His own peo...

“In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and earthenware and some for noble use, some for ignoble. If anyone purifies himself from what is ignoble, then he will be a vessel for noble use, consecrated and useful to the matter of the house, ready for any good work” (2 Tim. 2:20-21). “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16). We, as Christians, want to be prepared and equipped for any good work, and every good work. It looks as if the preparation takes place first by cleansing—a pure life, a holy vessel—and second, by the Word of God. A cleansed vessel and inspired Scripture—wonderful means of preparation. Written in 1983.

  In the history of the world there have been successive empires, including the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, Roman, Frankish, Mongolian, Muslim, Byzantine, Ottoman, Napoleonic and Nazi regimes. These had a few characteristics in common with each other: 1. Absolute authority 2. Required loyalty to the sovereign 3. Required absolute obedience The leaders of these empires were not noted for humility, kindness, or love. Submission was largely out of a fear of the consequences. They used the weapons of this world. Although these men had great authority, their empires lasted an average of only 250 years (Napoleon’s and Hitler’s lasted much less). Jesus said, “ All authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto me” (Mt. 28:18). That is a lot of authority. He required obedience, but not out of fear . His leadership was one of love, humility, sacrifice, and spiritual power. Many of his followers have lived their lives and deaths in obedience to and imitation of Ch...

  As you read the Bible, I trust you will see that the great purpose of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is the salvation of men and of all creation along with them. In this message, I have included a few passages of Scripture that will draw your attention to this truth. “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time” (1 Tim. 2:3–6). God is described as being our Savior and wanting all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Jesus Christ is described as the one mediator who gave Himself as a ransom for all men. “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in orde...

  God planned for normal fatigue when He put the lights out on earth every night. He also set one day aside out of every seven for additional rest. Battle fatigue is extreme: long marches, little sleep, no Sabbath rest, fear, dying and dead comrades and enemies, separation from family, no showers, inadequate food, and maybe being defeated in battle or wounded. You might get relief in a rear echelon, or you might not. This is a fatigue beyond being tired and exhausted. Eight hours of sleep and a weekend of rest cannot cure this. We are in a spiritual war here and now. This war brings battle fatigue just like other wars do. Some of the symptoms are the same. Missionaries come home burnt out, irritable, or with nervous breakdowns or marriage and family problems. There is a major difference between the soldier in physical war and the soldier in the spiritual war. The first has battle fatigue because he has obeyed his commanding officer. The second has battle fatigue because he ha...