The Heaton File

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (3 John 4)

The Greatest Joy

There are many things that bring joy in life. A babies smile, a long walk with a close friend, good cups of coffee on an early morning, reading an inspiring book or spending time with grandchildren. The list goes on and on. God has placed in this world many joys that warm the heart. When measuring the joys of things that matter most, there is no greater joy than the fellowship of salvation. The apostle John was a man filled with the spirit of writing about love. His gospel declares the love of God in sending Jesus to die for all men. Three epistles exalt the many characters of love toward God and man. One of the greatest joys John had was to know of the continued faith of his brethren.

God’s people need God’s people. Everyone struggles with the challenges of life continually being assaulted by Satan. It is easy to think of the negative things in life and problems in the church. John’s approach was positive. He rejoiced to know that his fellow saints were still walking in the truth. It mattered to him. The relationship he had with the elect lady and her children was the joy knowing they all walked in the bounty of God’s grace. And John told them of his joy.

It is not easy being a Christian. Walking the path of truth is a narrow course. Being separated from the world can be a challenge. Many lose sight of where they are going falling away from salvation. John wanted everyone to know his joy that his fellow saints were still walking in the truth. There can be no greater joy because nothing else matters. Gaining all the wealth of the world will be lost in death. Fame is a fleeting mirage that many seek for without happiness. Fleshly lusts are exciting and fun for a time but then fade to the ravages of the body as it dies. The angels of God must shake their head in dismay to see the pride of man when there is nothing for man to be proud of. Without God, man is nothing. With God, man is everything.

Joy is an expression of utmost happiness. I am thankful for my faithful brethren who encourage me and admonish my heart with their love and grace. The greatest joy in life will be to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy.” Wow. Did you hear that? We get to enter into a world where joy is everywhere. No greater joy is to know of my brethren who faithfully walk the path of righteousness. The greatest joy is when we share together in the blessed home of Christ our Savior. Looking for joy? Find it in the relationship of joy by walking in the truth.

What is happiness other than the grace of being permitted to unfold to their fullest bloom all the spiritual powers planted within us. (Franz Werfel, Between Heaven and Earth, 1944)

Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, and give attention to know understanding; for I give you good doctrine: do not forsake my law. When I was my father’s son, tender and the only one in the sight of my mother, he also taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words; keep my commands, and live. Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you.” (Proverbs 4:1-9)

Wisdom Is The Principal Thing

The wisdom literature of scripture is rich with truths applicable to every generation of man. There is no book that addresses the needs of every man like the Bible. What is true today was true one thousand years ago and if the Lord wills, a thousand years in the future. Mining the gems of scripture from the Proverbs is a wealth of simple nuggets of eternal truth. Happiness comes from following the law of God. There are commandments to keep, knowledge to grasp, understanding to achieve and a love for things that are established in the wisdom of God. When man exhausts all efforts to find the meaning of life within himself, he will only find happiness when he turns to the word of God.

Children must be taught to love the word of God. Retaining the stories of old is vital to the happiness of man. The heart learns to trust in the words of God retaining them for days to come knowing the proper way to live before God and man. There has never been a better system of knowledge than the wisdom gleaned from the words of the Creator. Knowledge is power because it emboldens the spirit of man to rise about the mediocrity of man’s ignorance. Spending time in the book of Genesis explains the origins of man and the beginnings of all nations. Exodus unfolds a pattern of grace when God shows His mercy and love to rebellious man. Throughout the pages of Old Testament writ the majesty of the one true God is glorified on pages of His majesty. The gospels unveil the only truth that will bring man hope in this life and life to come. Opening the books and letters of the New Testament disciples shows how the power of God’s wisdom gives glory to God.

Solomon exhorts man to keep, get, not forget or turn away, love, and exalt the wisdom of God. Following the words of the Lord will preserve the heart. Not forgetting the word of God takes effort to spend time in the word. He exhorts the reader never to turn away from the power of God’s word or to forsake what is written. The wisdom of God must reside in the heart of man. True happiness will only come when we stand firm in the eternal truth of God’s knowledge. Love is a strong emotional word that binds the heart to another. Loving the word of God is a deep attraction for its power. To keep the wisdom of the Lord is to love the Lord with every fiber of our being.

Wisdom is the principal thing because nothing else will bring happiness. The knowledge of God is the only means that man will find his worth. Of all the things we need to get in life – getting understanding of the will of God is paramount. Exaltation comes from the humble mind filled with the grace of a loving Savior. Having a spiritual relationship with the Father in this life will bring honor in the life we now live and the life to come. Yes, wisdom tells us there is something better in the next life. The Bible shows us a world to come that is beyond imagination. A crown of glory awaits those who fill their lives with the wisdom of God. Let the word of the Lord dwell deeply in your life. That is the principal thing.

All the wisdom of the world is childish foolishness in comparison with the acknowledgement of Jesus Christ. (Martin Luther; 1483-1546; Table Talk)

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; (Ephesians 6:17)

Protecting The Head

Roman soldiers were very common in the early days of the church. The Roman Empire flexed its power by showing force through the occupying armies throughout the land reminding its subjects who ruled over them. Ephesus was located in Asia Minor and while a city of great nobility, it required the presence of an armed force to insure law and order. Drawing upon the image of the Roman soldier, Paul describes the warfare of God’s people as fighting against huge numbers of evil forces such as principalities, powers and rulers of the darkness of the age. Satan threw a formidable foe against the saints of the Lord. With this in mind, the apostle uses the Roman military fighting garment as a spiritual application to fight against the wiles of the devil.

Each part of the Roman armor was an integral part of the protection of the soldier. No piece was less important than the other was as each one is dependent upon the design of each part. The helmet of the soldier was as vital as any other piece of armor because if the head takes a crushing blow the battle is over. It also identified the soldier to the army it belonged so that all could see whose side the soldier was loyal. Paul describes the helmet of the Christian as the character of salvation.

Truth is girded about the waist with righteousness embracing the heart as a breastplate. The feet are clothed in the power of the gospel. Faith is found as a shield protecting the soldier of Christ from the fiery darts of the evil one. With prayer the battle is engaged with the sword of God’s word casting down all arguments against the will of God. It is in the helmet the focus of the Christian’s life is described. The head must be protected as the seat of knowledge. In this knowledge is the means to engage in a spiritual war against Satan. The head is where the brain processes information making decisions in a split second. With the eyes, the soldier is able to see clearly the battle in front of him. Hearing is key to survival as he hears danger approaching. With the mouth the soldier is able to voice commands and exhort his fellow soldiers to fight on.

The helmet of salvation contains all the elements of the soldier’s purpose in battle. It protects the mind from the doubts, fears and assaults of the devil to dissuade the child of God from fighting. Paul tells the Thessalonians the helmet is the hope of salvation. Satan is adamant in trying to cause uncertainty in the hearts of God’s people. The hope of salvation is the blessed assurance possessed by the mind of the Lord’s soldier the battle is won – victory is guaranteed. Hope is the focus of the soldier of Christ. He lives for the coming of Christ knowing he is saved. The helmet protects the eyes so the child of God can see clearly where he is fighting and how to defeat Satan. It also protects the ears and mouth so that at the sound of trouble the child of God will turn and face the devil head-on destroying him with the sword of God’s word. Christians exhort one another to fight on because of the hope they possess in Christ. The helmet is their salvation.

The helmet of salvation will be removed one day when the soldier of Christ goes home. In its place will be a crown. Hope is where the Christian finds his strength to fight. The helmet of salvation is living each day with the knowledge that God has promised eternal life to the child of God. Heaven is not a maybe. Eternal life is real. Fighting each day against the forces of Satan can only be possible when we look through the visor of the helmet encircling our head knowing victory has been made sure by the power of Christ. Death has no sting and the grave has no victory. The hope of salvation is our assurance in the promises of God.

There are only war veterans in Heaven, who have fought the good fight for the Kingdom of God. (Fulton Sheen)

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (Mark 7:14-23)

Things That Come Out Of A Man

There has always been a struggle for the inner soul of man. The first thing Satan did in Eden was attack the heart of Eve. He did not touch her. There was no coercion. The devil simply posed a question to the heart of Eve bringing doubt to the word of God. Battling for the heart has been the success of the devil. He knows that when he gains the heart, everything will follow. Controlling the spirit of man is how the evil one subdues righteous men to do his bidding. Filling the mind with ungodliness ensnares the whole man.

The Pharisees and scribes were offended at the disciples of Jesus because they ate with unwashed hands. They challenged Jesus for allowing His disciples to disregard the tradition of the elders. Following His rebuke of the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders, the Lord concludes with a short parable about defilement. The parable seemed vague to His disciples and they inquired to its meaning. Jesus explained it was not the matter of unwashed hands that would defile a man but rather the unwashed hearts that were defiled. Eating with dirty hands may not change the character of a person because this is only a biological act. The worse kind of filth is what is allowed to fill the heart and come forth in the actions of the person.

Thirteen sinful acts of a defiled heart are listed by the Lord. Adultery does not come except from a heart that has filled the mind with lustful desires. Sexual immorality is not a moment’s reckless folly. It was a seed festering in the mind that allowed the act to happen. Murder comes from hearts that are filled with rage, jealousy and wrath. Cutting the hand off will not stop stealing because it is a matter of the heart. Wickedness is born from a heartfelt desire to do evil things. All of the sins listed by Jesus begin in the heart. We may speak harsh words and then apologize saying we did not mean to say what we did. The sad truth is we said what was in our heart. This can be a rash statement that we allowed unguarded to be said but what was said was in the heart. All these things come from within our own hearts.

The solution is obvious. If the hands are dirty, they need washing. If the heart is filled with the filth of sin, it needs cleansing. This will be a lifelong struggle to bring the heart under the control of a loving God. The more we practice good habits of daily heart cleaning the less likely we will allow wrong things to come out of our hearts. Learning lessons when the tongue is used with unrighteous language or thoughts are measured by the wickedness we allow the eyes to see will help clean up our hearts. Road rage is common because the heart has been defiled with pride, arrogance and anger. Lust will grow into action if we do not check what we see on the internet. Evil thoughts come from thoughts that are evil. Prideful hearts defile a man. The word of God is the cleansing agent to remove the stains of sin. Scrub the mind with the Brillo pad of God’s word and there will be less things escaping the heart that defile.

When God measures man, He puts the tape around his heart – not his head. (Guideposts, September 1962)

Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God. So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.” And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. And the name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim). Then the land had rest from war. (Joshua 14:6-15)

He Wholly Followed The Lord

When the children of Israel first came to Canaan, their hearts melted within them because of the giants in the land. Ten spies returned from surveying the land telling the people there was no hope to conquer Canaan. Caleb, the son of Jephunneh had a different story. Along with Joshua, they had pleaded with the people to trust in the power of God gaining victory over the inhabitants of a land promised to them. Because of their unbelief, God punished the nation with forty years of wandering in the wilderness as the rebellious generation died. Caleb must have been heartbroken. At the age of forty years, the promised land was an invitation to enjoy the blessings of God. He would have to wait forty-five years to live out his dream. At the age of eighty-five, Caleb still had fight left in him.

The Anakim were giants in the land. A greater giant stood among the people of God. Caleb was not just a man who stood with the Lord. The Holy Spirit makes emphasis that this man of Judah wholly followed the Lord. This was not just a Sunday-go-to-meeting kind of man who served God when it was convenient. Caleb was a man who at the age of forty wholly followed the Lord and continued to do so at the age of eighty-five. He wholly followed the Lord God of Israel because his life was immersed in the power of God. He had seen the affliction of the people while living in Egypt. His eyes saw the wonder of the Lord’s power inflict destruction upon the nation of Pharaoh. The parting of the Red Sea never left his mind. Sinai thrilled Caleb to hear the thunderous majesty of God’s presence. The book of the Law was his delight. When he spied the land with Joshua, he could only see the word of the Lord coming true in victory over the people of Canaan. His trust remained in the Lord as he had to endure forty years of trials and tribulations. Victory at Jericho and the conquering of the land guaranteed his faith in the promise of his God. Old age did not diminish his faith. He wholly followed the God that saved him.

We need the faith of Caleb. It is one thing to be a follower of Christ but there is something different about wholly following the Lord. It is easy to become a Christian of ‘once-in-a-while’ service doing as little as needed to keep our membership active. What separated Caleb from others was he lived the Lord God, he breathed the Lord God, he spoke the words of the Lord God, he dressed for the Lord God, he thought about everything in the word of the Lord God. Everything about his life – everything – was service to the Lord. Can we do less?

Jesus died on the cross. He wholly followed the Father. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must bear a cross. One thing is certain when you bear a cross for Christ. You have to be committed. You are going in one direction. Whatever happens is no longer your control. Crucifixion is wholly following the Lord. Whether we are forty or eighty-five, our hearts must be entirely focused on serving the one who died for us. It is time to be serious about our commitment to Jesus Christ.

Faith is more than intellectual acceptance of the revelation in Jesus Christ; it is whole-hearted trust in God and His promises, and committal of ourselves to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. (Walter M. Horton, Christian Theology, 1955)

Now the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding in the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?” Then Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph. And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon, by the road. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had indeed come. So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the camp, with the people encamped all around him. Then David answered, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay all around him.

Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!” But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” David said furthermore, “As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But please, take now the spear and the jug of water that are by his head, and let us go.” So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.

Now David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great distance being between them. And David called out to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Do you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered and said, “Who are you, calling out to the king?” So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king. This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not guarded your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the jug of water that was by his head.”

Then Saul knew David’s voice, and said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” And he said, “Why does my lord thus pursue his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in my hand? Now therefore, please, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ So now, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord. For the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.” Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will harm you no more, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Indeed I have played the fool and erred exceedingly.” And David answered and said, “Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it. May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.” Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, my son David! You shall both do great things and also still prevail.” So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. (1 Samuel 26)

Respect For The Lord’s Anointed

David was a man after God’s own heart in many ways. His courage before Goliath is legendary. The prose of his poetry has lifted spirits for generations. Infidelity  marred his story with the affair of Bathsheba and murder of Uriah, her husband. The stories of his sons rebelling against him are tragic. There is one story that shows the deep love he had for the Lord God when he is being pursued by Saul. The king is seeking to kill David. Jealousy has destroyed the heart of Saul and he chases the son of Jesse through the countryside like a partridge in the mountains or looking for a flea. It is story that will end in the death of king Saul and his sons. In a contrast of characters, David refuses to harm the man who is trying to kill him.

This will not be the first time David has come so close to Saul to kill him. Earlier, the king was sleeping in a cave and David slipped in cutting off a corner of Saul’s robe. He restrained his men from killing Saul for the same reason he now refuses to harm the king. David understood what it meant for the Lord to choose Saul as king. He was the “Anointed One.” The Anointed One was the chosen of God. David also waited for the will of the Lord to be accomplished. It was not David’s place to go ahead of the Lord to decide how Saul would die. He had told Abishai the Lord would strike Saul and David would not presume to act on God’s behalf. Judgment came later when the Philistines fought against Israel killing Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua, Saul’s sons. Mortally wounded by archers, Saul fell on his sword and died. After the death of Saul, an Amalekite came to David seeking fame in the death of Saul. He claimed to have killed Saul and David had him executed for putting his hand against the Lord’s anointed.

Respect is such an important part of the relationship with God. When men begin to presume they know what God’s will is without seeking the counsel of the Lord they fail in showing honor to the word of God. David honored the Lord by respecting the will of God. He did not go beyond His word. Understanding that Saul was the anointed one governed the actions of the man of God. We can do no less to follow only the word of God. David trusted in the word of God to be accomplished in its own way without forcing the question. He could have killed Saul on two occasions but he had no authority from God to do so. Respecting the word of God is letting the will of the Lord be the only guide. Religion today is misguided by the principles that men know more than God. They think they have a better way and God approves. The word of the Lord remains unchanged. Respecting the word for its foundational truth of obedience is necessary to be pleasing to God. It matters not what I think. It matters everything what God says.

Now that is a great story.

And it came to pass in the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, ‘Aha! She is broken who was the gateway of the peoples; now she is turned over to me; I shall be filled; she is laid waste.’ “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,’ says the Lord God; ‘it shall become plunder for the nations. Also her daughter villages which are in the fields shall be slain by the sword. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.’ “For thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, with chariots, and with horsemen, and an army with many people. He will slay with the sword your daughter villages in the fields; he will heap up a siege mound against you, build a wall against you, and raise a defense against you. He will direct his battering rams against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. Because of the abundance of his horses, their dust will cover you; your walls will shake at the noise of the horsemen, the wagons, and the chariots, when he enters your gates, as men enter a city that has been breached. With the hooves of his horses he will trample all your streets; he will slay your people by the sword, and your strong pillars will fall to the ground. They will plunder your riches and pillage your merchandise; they will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses; they will lay your stones, your timber, and your soil in the midst of the water. I will put an end to the sound of your songs, and the sound of your harps shall be heard no more. I will make you like the top of a rock; you shall be a place for spreading nets, and you shall never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken,’ says the Lord God. (Ezekiel 26:1-14)

His Word Is Still True

Prophecy is one of the greatest proofs of the veracity of the Bible. These are not mere guesses or conjecture. Bible prophecy is the word of God seen in its fulfillment, the force of its argument is confirmed year after year, and the clear evidence that can be seen with the eyes. Ezekiel writes about the many nations surrounding Israel and reminding the people of God those who deal harshly with His people will be punished. The city of Tyre was no exception. Judgment would come hard upon these people as her strongholds would be destroyed with many nations coming against her. Originally, the city was inland. Nebuchadnezzar is named as one of the kings who would cast battlements against the city razing it to the ground. One of the remarkable parts of the prophecy is when the ruins of the city are cast into the sea.

When Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, he came to Tyre and laid siege to the city for thirteen years. When the city fell, the inhabitants fled to a small island about one half mile from the coast. The people were secure on their island fortress until the arrival of Alexander the Great in 333 BC. Refusing to capitulate to Alexander, the Greeks took the ruins of the old city of Tyre and threw them into the sea building a causeway gaining access to the city walls. After a seven month siege, the city fell in July 332 BC.

It would seem improbable when Ezekiel wrote the prophecy about Tyre the events would unfold in exact detail. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the word of God is true to every detail. The city ruins were cast into the sea and her foundation was scraped bare. In any generation, travelers will marvel at the causeway that remains – leading out to the ruins of the tiny island; and there in plain sight are nets spread across the rocks. Ezekiel’s prophecy remains fulfilled today.

Looking at the Bible through the evidence of present truth should impress upon the reader that everything else in the Bible is true. Fulfilled prophecy is of the highest caliber of proof to the message of God. If what is said about Tyre is shown to be true in every detail, everything else in the Bible will find its fulfillment in the words God spoke to all men. There is a man called Jesus who is the Son of God. Sin is real. Salvation is real. Hope is promised and truth is absolute. There will be a day of reckoning and judgment. Nothing is to be left out when we read the Bible. Believe it and obey it. The grace of God infuses its pages with the promise that His word is true.

To declare a thing shall come to be, long before it is in being and then to bring about that very thing according to the same declaration – this or nothing, is the work of God. (Justin Martyr)

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God. (Romans 1:1)

First Things First

Paul, James, Peter and Jude share a common bond. They each begin their epistles with the designation of themselves being “bondservants” of God. This word has little significance to our modern minds that are horrified by the idea of slavery. It was a very common word in the New Testament times because it was normal to see a servant or slave carrying out their duties under the hand of a master. Some became slaves as the Romans conquered nations subjecting the citizens to slave labor. Others became slaves because of debt and served under temporary conditions. No matter the reason, a slave was a person who gave up all their rights to serve to the wishes of the master.

Ralph Walker pointed out in a lesson recently the text of Romans 1 was significant because of the order Paul declared his pedigree. We all recognize Paul as the great apostle to the Gentiles who wrote most of the books of the New Testament. His missionary journeys fill the pages of Luke’s historical account of the early disciples. There were few men like Paul and fewer men today who measure to his stature. Writing to the Roman church, he begins his epistle in a manner characteristic of the humility of Jesus Christ. He does not boast of his place as an apostle or a man sent directly by God. His message is filled with admonitions of showing the Roman Christians the grace of God in perfect love. The readers will be startled to hear of the need to obey civil government and having a love for one another regardless of nationality. He begins his letter with servitude.

Paul sets the tone of the epistle in the verse few words. Paul was a bondservant. He did not begin with his apostleship. His message was one of humility. The pattern of service to the Lord must begin with servitude before it can show its true work. Everything begins with a cross. Other writers will use the same course in their letters expressing the need to be bondservants. This was not literary prose. The significance of Paul’s order was the feeling in the heart of his relationship with God and the importance of showing the brethren an example of true humility. There was much that Paul could boast as an apostle. He was a power broker in the community of Christians. However, to the heart of Paul, he was a slave to the mastery of Jesus Christ.

His letter shows that he was a servant and then he was called as an apostle. There is significance between the two. The first is what Paul was. The second was what he had become by God’s grace. He would not enjoy the second without the first. It was important to show to the brethren what must come first. The lesson still resonates with the hearts of God’s people today. First things first come from a heart of humility that knows the power of slavery to the Lord Jesus Christ. We serve a loving master who will care for us in every way. To be a faithful Christian we must first subjugate our whole lives to the will of the Father. First, become a servant. Then comes the work. Giving up our rights to the will of God is where we learn the heart of humility. Christians are bondservants. We serve. He rules. We obey. He commands. We hope. He promises. Thank God for the joy of being a bondservant of Jesus Christ.

True humility never makes a show of herself, nor uses many humble words. (Francis of Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 1609)

I cried out to God with my voice – to God with my voice; and He gave ear to me. In the day of my trouble, I sought the Lord; my hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.

You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search. Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies?

And I said, “This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the works of the Lord; surely, I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds. Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; who is so great a God as our God? You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples. You have with Your arm redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph.

The waters saw You, O God; the waters saw You, they were afraid; the depths also trembled. The clouds poured out water; the skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flashed about. The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightning’s lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook. Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, and Your footsteps were not known. You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. (Psalm 77; To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.)

I Remembered God And Was Troubled

Life is filled with troubles that often seem to overwhelm. It is not uncharacteristic for people of God to be troubled by the calamities that try the soul as in the story of Job. These faith-building experiences temper the steel of one’s resolve to look more closely to the Father in heaven. Asaph was not a stranger to the heartaches of life. Whatever misfortune he was living through was so difficult he could find no rest in sleep. It was a long night with no answers. Pleading to the Lord would find comfort but only after a difficult road of measuring faith against the harshness of his troubles.

The psalmist could not sleep. Troubles overwhelmed him all through the night. He pondered the memories of his past seeking refuge in the knowledge of the protecting hand of the Lord. His trial causes him to question if the Lord will deliver him. Was the trouble from others or was it something he brought upon himself? He worries that God will cast him off forever and show no mercy upon his plight. The affliction of his soul is rooted in the knowledge of how severe the judgment hand of God is upon unrighteousness. Can it be that God is so angry with Asaph there is no more mercy? His heart is troubled. He is vexed sorely.

Asaph was a man of experienced faith. Facing the darkest hour of his trial and feeling abandoned, the psalmist knew the joy of God’s eternal mercy and grace. Whatever he was burdened by, the man of God remembered the love of the Lord in his life. Through the years, the Lord had never forsaken him. The works of God were profoundly impressed on his mind. Asaph secured his life on the word of God finding the answers to hope within its pages. Worship was key to his deliverance. He would not abandon the Lord because the Lord had never abandoned him. His ending was abrupt but the point had been made in this powerful psalm. Facing deep troubles, Asaph found courage in remembering everything about God. He remembered God’s love, mercy, grace, power and love. That is all he needed to sustain him.

All of us face trials and troubles in life. There are days that overwhelm. Everything seems to be crashing down around us and upon us. There is little joy. We may even question where God is when these days come. Asaph reminds us to remember the Lord. Take time to remember that God will never forsake us or leave us – He will never abandon us. The trials may be part of our character building to give us deeper faith and hope. Like fire tempering metal, our lives need those difficult days to remind us to remember the Lord. He has not changed and will always deliver us from the furnace of trial. Remember! Evoke the power of God in your mind to know He will never allow His children to be tempted beyond what we can endure. He will never allow this. Remember that!

Everyone knows how to be resigned amid the joys and happiness of prosperity, but to be so amid storms and tempests is peculiar to the children of God. (Francis of Sales; 1567-1622, Consoling Thoughts of, ed. Huguet)

Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John–where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. (Matthew 21:23-27)

The Necessity Of Authority

It was clear that Jesus of Nazareth was not like any teacher the people had seen. His teaching was with the voice of authority that no man could challenge. He did not seek to please men. Jesus spoke the way of God in truth caring not about anyone or regarding the person of men. When the Jewish leaders came to Him, they recognized the power of His teaching as one of authority. They also recognized the two elements of authority necessary to establish truth: first, the need for authority; second, the need for authority to be given by a higher power.

In the Roman world, authority was very clear. The only way the officials could hold together the empire was to establish clear boundaries of authority. Kings and governors ruled over the land of Canaan because authority had been given to them by higher powers in the Roman government. The Jews felt the sting of this authority as it had subjugated the nation of God under the rule of harsh taskmasters. Roman rule was evident in every part of life and going beyond this authority was the peril of death.

Answering the question of the Jewish leaders, Jesus establishes the character of authority. There are only two kinds of authority: that which proceeds from heaven and that which comes from man. No other kind of authority exists. The rule of law among men is necessary for nations to exist. Men have established boundaries since the beginning of time as they carve out their lands to distinguish them from their neighbors. Rule of law establishes the conduct of the citizens. The Jews also recognized the law of God and the need for authority in matters of worship to the Lord. However, they had changed the law of God to fit their own desires corrupting the will of the Lord to carnal desires.

Jesus placed authority on its proper level. Authority is necessary. Without it, there would be anarchy. Heaven established the first authority as the word of God was spoken to man. The Lord allowed man to establish a body of authority to properly govern the people. There can be no other authority. The baptism of John was either from God or from man. Not willing to be shown ignorant, the Jewish leaders simply refused to answer. This did not change the fact of authority and that John’s baptism was from God. Jesus taught a powerful lesson on the requirement to establish everything by authority.

The religious world is filled with every imaginable denomination of faith devised by man. In blind ignorance, many act as if religious diversity is pleasing to God. In churches throughout the land, there is no understanding of authority or the need for authority. The beliefs, practices, organization and plans of the church are not based upon what the Bible says but what the whims of the people want. When authority is removed from the teaching of God, it becomes the authority of man. Why are there so many churches? Simple. There is no authority. When there is no authority, anarchy reigns. Anarchy is disorder or chaos and it is easy to see with so many different kinds of churches why the Bible is so hard to understand. Man refuses to establish authority from the Bible alone.

Authority is necessary. The basis of judgment will be on one authority – the word of God. All of the authority of man will be gone. There will be nothing left to appeal to but the word of God. It will be then that most people will recognize the importance of authority.

Authority permeates, guides, shapes our lives. The acceptance of authority is the acceptance of what is given by those who have more than we. (Paul Tillich, The New Being, 1955)