The Heaton File

They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. (Revelation 22:4)

What Does God Look Like?

As the teacher walked around the classroom, she noticed a little girl intently drawing on a piece of paper. She asked what she was doing and the little girl said, “I am drawing a picture of God.” “Well nobody knows what God looks like,” the teacher replied. With the innocent face of youth the little girl looked her teacher in the eyes and said, “They will when I get finished.” Indeed no man knows what God looks like. Moses saw the passing glory of the Lord while at Mount Sinai but was told that no one could see the face of the Lord and live. Jesus is the only man who could claim to know what the Father looks like because He was God. Images of God range from an old, white bearded man sitting on a glorious throne to a wrathful creature passing out judgment to a cruel world. Idol worship is based on man’s desire to create an image of God as he sees God to be. A totem is the creation of man to make God like himself. In the end all man has done is form an image of what he thinks God should look like according to his fleshly desires. God is not a relative figure that can be manipulated at the whim of man.

It is clear from scripture that no one knows what God looks like. This does not remove the truth that while in the flesh we cannot know what God looks like the promise is given that one day we will see Him face to face. It is then we will know exactly what He looks like and what a day that will be. According to Jesus, most men will not want to see His Father face to face because there will be no hope for them. Passing into eternal darkness the final image imprinted on their minds will be the radiant beauty of the God they chose to disobey and disbelieve in. For the saints who have died in Christ it will be a time of untold joy and reward. They will look deep into the face of God and feel an immense eternal happiness of His love. His eyes will sparkle with the grace of His mercy and no one will be able to take their gaze away from the radiant light of His presence.

There are many things to look forward to in death but the greatest must be the knowledge that the saved will see God face to face. Pain has gone away, sorrow has been removed and the gentle hand of the Father will wipe away all tears. The music of the eternal ages will echo throughout the temple of God as angels and saints sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” All the trappings of mortality are given up for the spiritual plateaus of eternal joy as the face of God is imprinted on the minds of the saved. His name is sealed upon their foreheads. The children of the Father are home. There is no need for sun because He is the light. Joining the Heavenly realm the Son of God is seen face to face as well as the Holy Spirit. In this life we read of Jesus the Christ but we have never beheld His visage. The Holy Spirit has been a spiritual giant throughout the pages of God’s word but now we speak to him face to face. All of the saints of the ages will be gathered around the Father as we look into the face of God with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Samson, Dorcas, the early apostles and Paul. We will gaze upon the face of God and see Him as He is. What a day that will be when we all will see His face.

So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?” Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.” But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel. (Acts 2:12-16)

The Church In The Old Testament

Jesus is the Head of the church. He purchased the redeemed by His blood and became the Savior to all those who believe in Him. The New Testament is the testimony of God’s divine plan to establish His kingdom among men so they may serve Him and open the doors of salvation to the lost. Luke records the events of the Day of Pentecost when the twelve apostles ushered in the beginning of the church through the power of the Holy Spirit. Three thousand people obeyed the good news of Christ and the Lord added to the church those who were saved. The ministries of Peter and Paul fill the book of Acts as the infant church grew spreading its borders to farthest reaches of the world. Every generation is blessed by the existence of the church of Christ in every corner of the world as God’s love shines in the hearts of His people.

What is seldom recognized among many in the religious world is the church was in the eternal mind of God. Paul will prove them in his writings but looking at the events of Pentecost and the reaction of the people establishes the foundation of the church came long before Peter’s stirring message. Jesus had told the apostles to remain in Jerusalem and they would be endued from on high with the Holy Spirit. Ten days after the Lord ascended to the Father the Holy Spirit came with great power to the city of Jerusalem and the twelve apostles. A sound came from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind. Tongues as of fire appeared upon each of the apostles and being filled with the Holy Spirit they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterances. These events astonished the people and they were unsure what it meant. Part of the confusion was seeing common Galileans speaking in all the different languages of the world. Some were perplexed while still others disbelieved mocking what they saw. There were those who thought the apostles were acting like drunken men.

In a sweeping statement of inspiration, Peter begins to explain the events as a fulfillment of something Joel wrote eight hundred years before. This is vital for the Jews of that day to see what was coming to pass was clearly stated in the ancient holy scrip. Peter will quote from Joel and the prophet David to prove that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God. When he explains that Joel prophesied of this day it shows the church was in the mind of God long before the period of the New Testament. The church of Christ was not an afterthought because the Jews killed Jesus. God had planned for the church to be established on this day before the world was formed. Among the evidences of testimony was the writing of Joel. The key word in the answer of Peter is when he said “THIS” is what was spoken by the prophet Joel. There is no doubt the establishment of the church is referenced by Joel as Peter explains. The glory of the church is finally revealed on the Day of Pentecost and salvation has come to Jew and Gentile alike through the blood of Jesus Christ. What we are part of today is what Joel spoke about in his day because the church of Christ is the glory of His Son. Thank you God for you great hope in the body of Christ.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:2-11)

Virtue Needs Knowledge

When God created man, He formed a creature that was in His own image. This was a distinction that would separate man from the animals because man would be accountable to the Lord for his actions. The creatures of the world react through a natural order of instinct with no knowledge of right and wrong. Only in man is found the moral virtue of righteousness. Because of this knowledge of morality man finds himself answerable to his Creator with a judgment of eternal goodness or wrath. Life after death only comes to the creature man as animals cease to exist in death. Man was created as a free moral agent choosing whether he would obey God or fall to his own passions. The tree of knowledge of good and evil in Eden was where man fell from the grace of God beginning his long journey of redemption. Eve made a choice based upon the false knowledge spoken to her by the devil. Adam assumed the same as he took of the fruit. Immediately the reality of their nakedness was revealed to them and they felt their shame and fear. Hearing the Lord walking in the garden, Adam and Eve hid themselves because they were guilty. Knowledge led them to know their need of salvation.

From the time of the garden the power of knowledge has brought man to God. Without understanding the will of the Lord there was no hope for man. Every generation knew the difference between right and wrong because God revealed His word to them. In the days of Noah man decided to reject the truth and lived as a law to themselves. Noah saved his household because he obeyed the word of God. Through Moses the law was given to the children of Israel. They could read and understand the will of God because knowledge was given to them from God. Their choice to obey or disobey was based on whether they accepted the truth and acted upon the knowledge of the Lord. Jesus came into the world as the Word because He was the embodiment of knowledge. He declared Himself as being the only truth, the only way and the only life. No one will come to the Father unless they come through the Word. Faith will only come from hearing the word of God. Knowledge is the foundation of believing in the promises of God.

Virtue is the moral excellence given by the Lord for man to follow. This cannot be done without knowledge. Everything man needs to know to be saved is revealed within the pages of the Bible. The divine power of God has given to man all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Apart from knowledge man cannot know these things. Faith alone cannot save without knowledge. Adding knowledge to virtue is imperative for man to know what to do to be saved. Obedience can only come from a continued examination of the will of God in the hearts of His people. One of the most grievous problems in the lives of many Christian’s is the absence of knowledge. There is an assumption that baptism automatically instills everything a person must know to grow in virtue, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love in the heart. Peter will remind the readers that knowledge must abound. Most in the church are in a spiritual kindergarten of the word. When there is a lack of knowledge virtue lags. Self-control is hard to manage because of a lack of knowledge. Children of God fall by the wayside because they are ignorant of the blessings of God. Temptation destroys lives that are not filled with knowledge.

It is impossible to know the will of God without the knowledge of the will of God. The written word is given to man so that he can read and understand the mystery of the Lord. Knowledge is the power of salvation embedded in the heart that will establish walls of defense against sin and enable the heart to find peace in the presence of God. Reading the words of God must happen on a daily basis so that the heart will fill with the abounding love of His grace. Virtue is the moral compass and knowledge is the points on the compass. True north comes from a study of the word of God. Life without knowledge is an aimless life leading to nothing. Taking time to be holy requires taking time to grow in knowledge. Knowledge is power. Know the word of God and you will be strengthened in His might.

Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. (1 Corinthians 5:7)

The Joy Of Our Passover

When the Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt, the Lord sent Moses to deliver the people through a series of powerful plagues purposed to show the Pharaoh the glory of the God of Israel. Ten plagues swept across the land and it was the last and final plague that set an eternal precedent of the coming of the Seed to save all men. The nation of Egypt had been ravished by the destructive hand of God. In the final act of God’s judgment against the Egyptian nation, the death of the firstborn would testify to the mighty power of the Lord on those who would oppose Him. As in all of the plagues, the Hebrews would be spared the fury of the Lord. There was nothing the Hebrews had to do with the first nine plagues but the final pestilence would be different. God would strike dead every firstborn of man and beast. Moses instructed the people to take a lamb without blemish of the first year and after four days kill it at twilight. They would take some of the blood and put it on the doorposts and lintel of the houses where they ate the lamb. When the Lord came that night to strike the firstborn in the land of Egypt (both man and beast) and He saw the blood on the door and lintel of those who served Him, He would ‘pass over’ them and the plague would not strike them. This became the Feast of the Passover celebrated on the 14^th day of the first month (Abib or Nisan) followed by the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The night of the Passover would have been a terrifying ordeal to be a part of. When the hand of the Lord passed over the land, a great cry rose throughout Egypt and there was not a house where there was not one dead. So terrible was the plague, the land was filled with the mournful cries of families who lost loved ones. Only the Hebrews were spared but this was because of the sign of the blood. The people of God were saved because they believed and obeyed the word of the Lord. Faith alone did not save them but the obedience to the blood of the lamb sacrificed for the salvation of their lives. With this backdrop, Paul shows how Jesus is our Passover today and what vivid lessons are seen in this parallel.

All men sin and fall short of the glory of God. Under the hand of sin, we suffer eternal death separated from the Lord because of the rebellion against righteousness. There is nothing we can know or do of ourselves that can save us. Only through the grace of God will man find a way of escape. Like the deliverance of Israel, the judgment of God was coming upon Egypt. His grace told the people of the terrible dreaded hand of death descending upon the land. The grace of the Lord also told the people what they must do to be saved. Only by following the word of God would there be hope in the face of destruction. Grace being extended toward the people, they acted in faith by sacrificing the lamb in accordance with the word of God and sprinkled the blood where God told them. Grace, faith and works came together on that terrible night to save those who heeded the word of the Lord. The blood of the lamb only saved those who had obeyed the voice of God. Salvation came when the Lord saw the blood and He passed over. Death came to others because there was not blood. It did not matter whether a family believed or hoped in deliverance. If there was no blood God did not pass over.

Jesus is our Passover because He shed His blood as the Lamb for our sins. Through baptism the blood of Christ washes us from our sins. Washed in the blood of the Lamb we become blood bought people. Grace is found in God sending His Son for the sacrifice to redeem men and grace is found in the words of Jesus telling men what they must do to be saved. Grace alone cannot save because man has not ‘put the blood on the door and lintel.’ Obedience to the will of the Lord in baptism is where man comes in contact with the blood. Through faith, repentance, love, confession and a heart willing to take up the cross of Jesus Christ, salvation is found in the burial of baptism where the blood of Jesus takes away all sin. In the same figure as the original Passover, the blood becomes the evidence of salvation. When God sees the blood in the heart of the Christian, He passes over and blesses the child with eternal life. Jesus is our Passover because without His blood there would be no hope. Grace, faith and works are seen in our obedience to the gospel message.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. (Colossians 3:12-19)

The Marriage Of Eden

The relationship of the husband and wife is forged in the design of God when He formed Adam and Eve. Everything created by the Lord was very good. He intended for the home to be a place of love, peace and harmony. Before the sting of sin, Adam and Eve lived in a world without shame walking with God in the cool of the day. After the fall of man, the home began to be filled with the influence of selfishness, pride, evil lusts and bitterness. In the New Testament Paul addresses the challenges faced in the home leaving a pattern of happiness for the husband and wife.

God designed the home to be a place of perfect harmony. This can only be done when the man knows his place in the home and the woman accepts her role in the home. The man is to love his wife and not be bitter against her. For the woman, she is to submit to the man as appropriate for someone who serves the Lord. Each of the admonitions addresses a peculiar role of the man and woman. There is a greater tendency for the man to be bitter against his wife if he forces headship upon her. She is more likely to resist the leadership of her husband if she does not have a heart to obey the Lord. The will of the Father is for the man to learn to love his wife as he should and for the woman to accept submission to the man because that is the command of the Lord. How can this be done with the design of happiness intended by the scripture? The answer is found in the verses preceding the instructions for the man and woman.

One of the characteristics of a Christian is how different their lives are from the world. A child of God is one that is chosen of God or someone who is called the elect of God. This makes their lives distinct from the people of the world. They live holy lives as beloved of the Father. The husband that pleases the Father is a man who recognizes his role in the family as one governed by his relationship with God. When the wife views her place in the marriage as one established by the Lord, she will see how as the elect of God she glorifies Him by her submission first to Him; then to her husband. She is a holy person and beloved of the Lord. The role of the husband and wife is measured by their election, holiness and relationship of being the beloved of God. Because of this they are filled with tender mercies toward one another. This means they have a heart of compassion in their love for one another. No man can be bitter against his wife if he shows her the love of tender mercy. Submission is not a cruel master but one the woman is willing to enjoy as she shows her compassion and love to her husband. They are kind to one another – something that is sadly missing in many marriages. Humility is how the man sees his relationship of headship in the home and the woman is thankful to God with a heart of humility as she obeys His will. Meekness brings strength to the marriage as longsuffering will provide stability and longevity to the trials faced in the holy union. Bearing up with one another helps the man and woman understand their roles in the home.

One of the most important parts of the husband learning to love his wife and not be bitter against her is to learn the power of forgiveness. The woman will be graced with greater love when she infuses the spirit of forgiveness in her submission to the man. This is a key element to a happy marriage. It is based on the same love that Christ forgives. If we are to forgive others why should we not forgive our spouse? Paul makes a special point about this matter of forgiveness. Forgiving one another is not a choice. We must do it. Christ forgives us and we have no choice in our marriage. This can be done when we – above all things – put on love. Making love the center of marriage will bring about the bond or glue of perfection. Marriages will be more peaceful when we allow the will of God to rule our hearts. There will be more to be thankful about.

How does one have a happy marriage? Before Paul admonishes the wife to submit to her husband and the man to love his wife, he sets forth the foundation for a happy home. The reason homes are filled with anger, distrusts, fighting and rebellion is because the heart of the home is not built upon the word of Christ. His truth is to reign in the center of the home. The word of Christ is to dwell richly in all wisdom in the leadership of the man and the submission of the woman. There must be teaching and admonishing from the word of God. The husband does all he does in the name of the Lord Jesus. Every wife will find greater joy when she submits to the will of the Lord doing all they do in the name of the Lord Jesus. The home will be filled with thanksgiving when this pattern is followed. Seeking the things that are above will transform the home into a paradise of Eden. It will be like the home of Adam and Eve before sin ruled. Therefore as the elect of God, wives submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord and husbands love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.

When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (Luke 7:9)

It Made Jesus Marvel

There is no doubt that Jesus is the Son of God. John’s gospel is dedicated to the proof that Jesus of Nazareth was the Word and the Word was God. Luke writes about the one who was deity that took on flesh. Throughout his gospel, Luke will show many of the human sides of Jesus declaring his humanity by emotions and feelings that all men share. Jesus would grow tired, need to eat, feel pain, sleep, become angry and to the amazement of the reader – the Son of God can be surprised. A Roman officer had a servant who was very sick and ready to die. Luke tells of some elders of the Jews being sent by the centurion begging Jesus to heal the servant. As the Lord approached the house where the sick man lay, word came from the Gentile soldier that Jesus would not need to enter his home but say the word and the servant would be healed. What background the centurion had and connection with the teachings of Jesus is unknown. It is evident he had such an incredible faith in the power of Jesus that he believed the man from Nazareth could bring his servant back from death with only a word. This astonished Jesus.

Luke says that Jesus marveled at the faith of the centurion. To marvel after someone is to be taken back by the action of another. The Son of God did not expect this kind of faith coming from a man who was not a Jew. Sadly, the contrast given by Jesus was His desire to see this kind of faith among His own people. Because of the centurion’s faith, the servant was healed and there was great rejoicing in the home of the Roman official. There is a desire to know more about the soldier and how this impacted his life. What is known is how his story impacted the life of Jesus. It was a struggle to help the Jews see Jesus as the One sent from God. They were so blind in their prejudices and traditions they could not see the man from Nazareth as the Son of God. Often Jesus would come in conflict with the leaders who constantly sought to catch Him in His words denying the miracles that happened before their eyes. Time would come when the people would be chanting for the death of Jesus and the cross would take His life. What happened when the centurion in this story heard what they did with Jesus? He had such incredible faith it caused Jesus to marvel but now news came the man from Nazareth had been crucified. He must have been very sad to know the people could not see what he had seen and what he believed in the power of the word of the Lord.

Faith is found in many forms. The centurion believed that Jesus could heal by just saying the word. This is the kind of trust needed to see clearly the power of God. There are no miracles of healing today as this man experienced but the incredible faith of the most unlikely person resonates today as a beacon of where our trust should be. There are many things that dampen our faith. The centurion loved his servant very much and first believed that Jesus had the power to heal. That by itself was the first measure of great faith. As Jesus approached his home, the man took his faith beyond the limits of most men to suggest that his servant could be healed with just a word and Jesus did not have to be present to accomplish the healing. So strong was his faith in the Lord he went beyond the normal measure of faith accepting the impossible. Through his faith the servant was healed. Can we find such faith in our lives to trust in the Lord through the difficult times? When the impossible stands before us can we have the faith of the centurion to believe in the power of God? Will our faith cause Jesus to marvel?

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:27)

What God Can Do

The idea of a thing being impossible eliminates any probability or reality that what is considered can be done. Sometimes something may seem impossible but in time can be accomplished. For centuries, sailing beyond the horizon was certain death as many believed the world flat and nothing lay beyond. Columbus, Magellan and others proved what man thought was impossible could be done. It is beyond the imagination of man to believe he could walk on the moon and until the 20^th century was impossible. Man conquered that feat July 21, 1969 when Neil Armstrong set foot off the lunar module. For the Chicago Cubs it seemed impossible to win the World Series until they defeated the Cleveland Indians in 2016. There are many things that are viewed in the realm of impossible but through change in technology, science and exploration become realities. This meaning of impossible is not what Jesus was talking about.

There are some things that are clearly impossible for man to do regardless of his wisdom. Man will never be able to walk to the moon, be in two places at one time, ride a modified DeLorean powered by plutonium stolen from Libyan terrorists back to the future, or read the minds of others (just to name a few). A limitation is placed on man by God determining the boundaries of his habitation. This does not reside only in the physical world but also the spiritual world. It is impossible for man to live a full life with sin. It cannot be done. Jesus proved He was the Son of God by living more than thirty years without sin. The temptations of the flesh are constantly bombarding the will seeking to overthrow the spirit. Without help from the Lord, there can be little resistance. Fighting against the wiles of the devil cannot be done without the grace of God. There is no way an individual can defeat Satan standing alone in his own wisdom. Destroying the works of the flesh requires the heavenly assistance of such things as the armor of God, prayer, mercy, grace, love and the will to serve the Lord. With the power of God anything can be done.

Jesus had been challenged by the Pharisees about marriage and divorce. He clearly stated the will of His Father to the astonishment of His disciples. A young man came to Him seeking eternal life but left sorrowful. The Lord had told the ruler to sell all he had, give it to the poor and then follow Jesus. He refused. Again the disciples were stupefied by the answers of Jesus questioning who then could be saved. Jesus looked at them to drive the point home showing what man could not do by himself could be accomplished if he trusted in God. A couple find they are in an unlawful marriage and wonder how to do what God said. The answer is trusting in the Lord to make the impossible possible. When the ruler came to Jesus he wanted to be saved on his own terms. Hearing the price to be paid he scoffed at the possibility of living without his riches and chose to turn his back on the Lord. How could he live without his money? With men it was impossible but with God it could be done.

There is nothing that cannot be accomplished if we seek the will of the Father allowing His strength to carry us through our trial. He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear. Why? With God nothing is impossible. Grief may flood the soul yet trusting in the Lord will soothe the heart. Fearing death will be softened as the Lord guides the mind to understand it is only a sleep to awaken from. Job faced an insurmountable hardship but found hope in the trust he had in his heavenly Father. Paul faced many uncertain days and was strengthened in his journeys by his faith in God. The Bible is filled with stories of the faithful who believed in the promises of the Lord relying upon the possibilities of what their God would do for them. Let our hearts be strengthened in the might of His grace to see His power working in our lives.

What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding … For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints …Let all things be done decently and in order. (1 Corinthians 14:15,33,40)

Reverence In Our Worship Services

The New Testament church in Corinth faced many challenges and one of the main problems was found in their worship services. Paul addressed the questions of the Lord’s Supper, women disrupting the service, misunderstanding the purpose of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the lack of reverence in the worship service. The Lord has always wanted man to worship Him in a manner that recognizes the holiness of who He is and what He has done for man. Throughout the Old Testament God shows the dangers of insincere or perverted worship. He did not give honor to Cain’s sacrifice because of his evil heart. Nadab and Abihu (sons of Aaron the High Priest) were struck dead as well as Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) because of the lack of reverence due the name of the Lord. Moses told Aaron following the death of his sons that those who come near to worship the Lord God Almighty must regard Him as holy and before all the people the Lord must be glorified. The church at Corinth faced the same dilemma as their worship was disorderly and lacking reverence to the Lord.

Speaking in tongues was one issue that created confusion in the worship. The meaning of tongue speaking was the ability to speak in a foreign language. This was not the gibberish that is characterized by those today who claim to have the ‘gift of speaking in tongues.’ What became a problem was everyone wanting to speak in the language gifted to them by the Holy Spirit failing to give edification to the church. Imagine being in a crowd of people speaking six different languages (sometimes at once) and no one interpreting the words. It would be like a mad house. Praying and singing in a foreign language will have no benefit if no one understands the language. God is not the author of confusion desiring the worship services to be conducted in a proper manner with respect and honor for the occasion of His name. The Lord has never been pleased with the trappings of man’s irreligious worship or profaning the purpose of His glory by the disrespect of His people. True worship is one that is respectful and reverent for the purpose of which the glory of God is found as His people praise and honor Him. Paul’s conclusion is threefold: worship must be with clarity removing the confusion of distractions and engaged in a decent and orderly worship.

There are many distractions that take away from worship. A casual attitude has crept into the worship services of the Lord reflecting upon the manner of dress, refreshments, activities and teaching of children. Attempts are made to draw people in through the enticements of the world making the services more palatable for everyone. Coming to services on the first day of the week is only a blip in the radar for many as only a respite for a few moments from the rat race of the world. The problem has been the allowance of the world to intrude in the sacred privilege to come into the presence of God and worship Him. This is seen in the kind of clothes that are worn. Immodesty is one thing to deal with in the world but when women come to church services with short dresses, plunging neck lines and skin tight material it becomes an affront to the Lord. Spaghetti strapped tops are not unusual. Short shorts are not uncommon with young people. Sunday services are turning into the fashion runways of the world.

Disruption is common where casual talking and playing continues through the services. Children especially are never taught to sit quietly learning the sacred moments of why God’s people gather on the first day of the week. Playrooms are brought to the pews to entertain the children. IPads and electronic devices are given to the young people so they can never know why church services are important. Do we think we can teach our children reverence to the Lord when we allow them to frolic, play, talk, and laugh and play their favorite bubble bursting game or angry bird contest? Young children talk loudly through the services, scurry around under and over the pews, playing with neighbors behind them – and reverence to the Lord is completely lost. Parents fail to see how distracting this becomes to those who try to focus on the powerful message of the songs, the supper and the sermon. Visitors are shocked at the display of a disruptive service. This is not unlike the problems Paul faced in Corinth and the need to remind the brethren that worship service is to be with a decorum that is fitting the worship of the Most High God.

Children can learn to worship at a very early age. Adults should learn how to compose themselves during the worship as befitting the grandeur of the moment to honor the Lord. It is clear from Paul’s earlier writing about the Lord’s Supper that if the communion is not taken in a proper manner judgment will follow. How much more the worship offered God in the brief time we gather as one to honor the Lord God Almighty in reverence and devotion. We cannot allow the world to change the worship of God to be a lax and casual approach to our devotion to God. What Jesus experienced on the cross is a deeply moving time. Understanding the nature of grace and God’s love for sending His Son is a challenging emotion to consider. In the olden days of Ezra the people stood up when he read the book of God. This shows their reverence for His word. Sermons should fill our minds with the glory of God. We should leave the worship service changed people. The mandate of the Lord is His worship must be done decently and in order. It is a time of great praise and wonder.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:2-11)

Adding Some Much Needed Virtue

Moral goodness is the DNA of the Christian’s life. What separates the child of God from the world is the compass that drives their life. All men need a purpose and a guide that will help them decide what path to follow. For most of the world the fleshly pleasures and prideful gratifications is all they need to steer their hearts in the empty pursuits of their failed dreams. The problem with sin is that it is fun and exciting but for a moment followed by the emptiness and disparity of guilt. An endless cycle of headlong quest for sensual satisfaction ends with hopelessness because without a moral code man is nothing. Adding virtue to faith is the compass needed to help man find his worth and purpose in life.

Virtue is the courage to live a life of moral excellence. Two words are important in virtue: moral and excellence. The idea of virtue is found in a military term suggesting courage. A soldier going to war needs the fortitude to mold his character to fight for the cause and strength to face the enemy without reservation. Moral excellence is the spirit of the Christian who will form his life based upon the standards of God’s will. It will take courage to live by these values because the world has no standards but what the flesh desires. Morality is living by a set of rules governed by the Lord – not the world. Accepted moral standards are defined in the world by those things that are generally acknowledged as right or proper in the view of the world. Abortion is regarded by the world as an individual choice but God calls it murder. The difference is which moral code is followed. Peter’s admonition is to add to faith the grace of virtue implying strictly to follow the morality of the Lord. There is only one rule of right and wrong: God’s word.

Adding virtue to faith is more than an intellectual exercise of the mind. The spirit of moral excellence is heard in the speech of the Christian. Seasoned with the grace of God, those who have been delivered from the pollution’s of the world are known by their righteous words. This is more clearly seen in the apparel or dress of the man and woman who have devoted their lives to righteousness. Adding virtue to faith is found in the clothing that covers the body as God desires rather than the immodest clothing of the world. Christian’s who seek to show moral excellence in their life dress in a modest fashion. Virtue is invaluable to keep the mind pure escaping the pollutions that are so readily available on the internet and television shows. Faith must be bolstered by the excellence of the moral compass that is guided only by the will of the Father.

The conclusion to the graces listed by Peter is to help the child of God not stumble and to secure a place in eternal life. Moral excellence is the tool that will bring about greater joy and satisfaction in life because the trappings of sin will be defeated. A heart guided by the virtue of righteousness will see clearly the dangers of temptation. Hope is secured in the spirit of the Christian to know that salvation is assured and an entrance into the everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ awaits the courageous soul who adds virtue to faith. Remember the importance of adding this grace to faith. It will not help to add it one time. This is a lifelong commitment to continually follow the path of virtue increasing each day in faith with a spirit of moral excellence.

“A son honors his father and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence?” says the Lord of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, “In what way have we despised Your name?” You offer defiled food on My altar, but say, “In what way have we defiled You?” By saying, “The table of the Lord is contemptible.” And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! “Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” says the Lord of hosts. “But now entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us. While this is being done by your hands, will He accept you favorably?” says the Lord of hosts. “Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, so that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you,” says the Lord of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering from your hands. For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts. “But you profane it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled; and its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’ You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,” says the Lord of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” says the Lord. “But cursed be the deceiver who has in his flock a male, and takes a vow, but sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished — for I am a great King,” says the Lord of hosts, “and My name is to be feared among the nations.” (Malachi 1:6-14)

Calloused Worship

The irony of man’s place in the scheme of God’s creation is that while he is the most intelligent of all the creatures, he is the only one that seems to never learn from the mistakes of the past. There is an innate purpose of man to foil the plans of his creator at every turn. Throughout the history of the people of God, warned against disobedience, punished with the chastening of the Lord; man finds himself at the end of the story struggling to understand his place in true worship. Before the captivity of Judah to the land of Babylon, Amos had warned of a famine that would envelop the land. Not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord. This would come about in a very real sense following the book of Malachi where four hundred years would pass before the light of God’s word would shine upon the world. And how does the story end before this famine? God’s people struggling with religious laxity, dishonoring the Lord by neglect, mixed marriages and apostasy.

There is a real sense the message of Malachi is alive and well in the American church of today. The remarkable lesson from the final book of the Old Testament is a stark testimonial to where many people find themselves in the worship of the Lord. Church services seem to be boring, unrelated to everyday life, unconcerned and disinterested in seeking a higher plane of spiritual awareness. Elders are begging their members to be more enthusiastic about the work of the Lord and preachers plead from the pulpit for the hearts of disciples to be more devoted. It seems almost that we are going through the motions and declaring victory over Satan with the five acts of worship fulfilled and logged on the eternal checklist of God. Church services are such weariness. Where is the devotion to the Father? What happened to the heartfelt love for the sacrifice of Jesus as the fellowship of the table is partaken? Participates sit passively listening to the droning of the message until finally a release is given with the ‘amen.’ More regard is given to business and political leaders than the worship of God.

Malachi’s message must ring close to home. The sad reality in the kingdom of God is the ability of man to corrupt the worship of God as nothing more than a bothersome activity that must be tolerated. The Lord called for someone to shut the doors of the Temple because it would have been better to not have worship than to receive the corrupt sacrifices from hearts filled with the world. The table of the Lord was polluted and the offerings contemptible. Going through the motions was the best the people could do for the Lord and He was not pleased.

The last book of the Old Testament should be the first book we read to remind our hearts how easy it becomes to dishonor the Lord with profane sacrifice. Israel had given up on idolatry but their worship was marred by apathy, weariness, and contempt. It is easy to do and we must be diligent to guard against it. Jesus commanded that worship must be in spirit and truth. Emphasizing one over the other is corrupt worship. Failing to do either one is polluted worship. God is a great King and His name must be honored in our worship. The Lord of Hosts requires true allegiance of hearts that are tuned to His word, His will and His love. Glorify Him with the sacrifices of our lips and the joy of our hearts so that we may offer worship that is pleasing to Him.