3 June
THE SALVATION PLAN OF THE TRIUNE GOD:- THE GLORY OF GOD
Christianity is a religion of salvation. Salvation in Christ, the way in which the living God (Triune God) has taken action in his grace to search out and to save humanity, is the one theme which runs through Scripture from beginning to end.
Salvation represents God’s total plan for humanity, and it includes at least three phases:
Phase one is our deliverance from the guilt and judgment of our sins, our free and full forgiveness, together with our reconciliation in God and our adoption as his children.
Phase two is our progressive liberation from the ability of evil to drag us down, beginning with our new birth into the family of God and continuing with our
transformation by the Spirit of Christ into the image of Christ.
Phase three is our final deliverance from the sin which lingers both in our fallen nature and in our social environment, when on the last day we shall be given new and glorious bodies and transferred to a new heaven and a new earth.
God has spoken once and for all and Christ has suffered once for all. This means that the Christian revelation and the Christian redemption are both complete in Christ. Nothing can be added to either without belittling Christ, either the unique glory of his divine-human Person or the absolute adequacy of his saving work.
We need to emphasise that what the Spirit speaks he speaks through what has already been spoken, and that what the Spirit does he does through what has already been done. There is no new revelation, but an unfolding understanding of what God revealed in Christ (and in the apostolic witness to Christ). There is no fresh redemption, but a progressive taking up of what God achieved in Christ.
In our previous sharing on the Gospels, we read and study the arrival of the Messiah, Jesus the Son of God; he came to carry out the plan of Salvation – a plan the Triune God has decided from eternity past to save a condemned humanity – it has its beginning in the revelation in the Old Testament and it materialised in the coming of the Son, the seed of Abraham (the man of faith), who set the motion to deliver those who believe from the guilt and judgment of their sins and to grant full forgiveness and reconciliation with God as well as adoption to be children of God.
In Acts, and the epistles, we see our transformation by the Spirit (sent by the Father and the Son) into the image of God, in the midst of the battles with the indwelling sin, the negative influence of the fallen world, and the devil – all these with the background of persecution, suffering, call to faithfulness and triumph in God.
When we shared on the book of Revelation, we see our final deliverance from the sin which lingers both in our fallen nature and in our social environment when on the last day, we shall be given new and glorious bodies and be transferred into a new heaven and new earth, where there is no longer the presence of sin, where there is no more pain, suffering or death; but glory and reigning with Christ forever and ever. But before this transfer, the final battle has to be fought – hence the sharing of AntiChrist, the false trinity, and the call for Christians to persevere, to endure and not to put the name of God to shame.
As we note the bird-eye view of Salvation, we need to ask what is the most important response needed for believers to ensure we finish the three phases and receive the “well done, thou good and faithful servant”?
What is the driving force in our lives, individually, and as God’s people in the light of our understanding of the Salvation Plan of the Triune God? What ambition dominates and directs us as his people now that we have become partakers of the divine nature – we being “in Christ” and “Christ in us”?
In the final analysis, there are only two controlling ambitions, to which all others come down in the end. One is our own glory, and the other is God’s glory. And all our discussion and sharing about the Christian life and ministry boil down to what is truly our ambition individually, and as a church. The important question we need to ask is not merely what a person or a church is doing, but why the person or the church is doing it?
In our study of the Gospels, we would come to the confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. The problem with the Pharisees: “They loved human praise more than praise from God.” (John 12:43)
To love the glory of God more than the glory of other people is to seek to bring glory to him rather than to others. It is to desire that everyone will honour God (rather than us or others), and that we and they will give God the glory that he deserves.
The Pharisees were obsessed with the quest for glory. They were not concerned to bring glory to God: they wanted it for themselves and this impaired the whole of their lives.
But pause and reflect: Pharisaism remains even in Christian hearts. Indeed, our nature is such that, even in our most sacred moments, we may find ourselves motivated by concerns for our glory, rather than God’s. And many of the problems facing Christians and the church have their root in this motivation, and it is not easy to bring this out in the lives of believers, for there would be much resistance, anger, self-justification and rationalisation, rather than facing the issue squarely for the sake of God’s glory.
We can see this problem in our worship, our evangelism and our ministry.
True heart-worship is the most God-centred, God-honouring activity in which we either can or will ever participate. It is to credit God with the glory due to his name, to be occupied with God and God alone.
Yet how subtly and swiftly can selfish vanity intrude into public worship! The minister becomes proud of the way he is leading the service, the preacher of his eloquence and learning, the choir and organist of their musical ability and the congregation of their piety (religious practice) in being in church at all! Just as our attention should be absorbed exclusively with God in self-forgetful adoration, we become self-conscious, self-righteous, self-important and self-congratulatory again..
True evangelism is allied to true worship. Paul calls it a sacrificial service in which evangelists become priests as they offer their converts to God. Evangelism is also a proclamation of the gospel by which people are rescued from self-centredness and liberated into God-centredness. Yet much of our evangelism is human-centred. Our publicity draws attention to the speaker or the sponsor more than the Saviour. We become proud of our organisation or puffed up with conceit over our own evangelistic enthusiasm.
Take the exercise of ministry in the church. ‘Ministry means ‘service’ – lowly, menial service; it is, therefore, curiously perverse to turn it into an occasion for boasting. Jesus distinguished between ‘rule’ and ‘service’, ‘authority’ and ‘ministry’.
He said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)
This is not to deny that some authority attaches to the ministry, but rather to define and limit it. It is the authority that stems from sound teaching and consistent example (hence the discussion on sound exegesis in preaching and teaching; and moral values and examples). It is never authoritarian to the extent that someone attempts to dominate another’s mind, conscience or will. “No lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1Peter 5:3), Yet lording it is exactly what the Pharisees were doing, keeping the people in subjection under them. And lording it is also prominent in many churches and organisations today – one person seems to be making all the decisions and judgments in many important issues and others are just subjecting themselves in silence, out of fear, or out of wrongful adoration of the person holding all the ‘power’ and ‘veto’ rights.
No one is to be involved in a child-father relationship of dependence or a servant-master relationship of unquestioning obedience or a pupil-teacher relationship of uncritical acceptance. Each of these is doubly wrong. For one thing it disrupts Christian fellowship – ‘you are all brethren’. For another, it assumes rights which belong to God alone.
So do we seek approval from God rather than from others (including other people)? The chief concern of the Pharisees (and those practising Pharisaism) was to be highly regarded by other people rather than God, and this made a negative impact on every aspect of their lives.
8 June
BEHOLD THE TOTAL REALITY
As we look at what is happening in this world as well as in the church, we tend to be discouraged and disappointed. There is so much anarchy; there is so much suffering and pain, so much self-centredness among people as well as several nations, we begin to wonder what is really happening.
Even in the church, the surveys and facts revealed are alarming! Whether it be the issue of morality, illicit sex, premarital sex, a great percentage of young Christians are currently involved in such practices; even pastors and leaders are caught in moral failures in increasing numbers. Large scale corruption in business practices and financial institutions (and this involves also self-proclaimed Christians) is on the rise and in fact is rampant; people are associating happiness with acquisition, rank in society, amount of wealth, and Christians are not exempted.
In the BIble colleges, many are devoting thousands of hours to the diligent study of Scripture, Theology and yet still somehow display an extraordinarily shallow knowledge of God. It reminds us that biblical knowledge can be merely academic and rigorous, but somehow not edifying and not life-giving.
In the light of all these happenings, it is refreshing for believers to behold the Total Reality revealed in Revelation 4 & 5, as well as Revelation 21 and 22.
Revelation 4 and 5 reveal God the Father on the throne, the Lamb of God before the throne and the 7 spirits of God represented by seven lamps blazing. We see the Triune God (the Trinity) reigning, in authority, in control of the world and situations in this world, receiving Praise, Worship and Honour by the angelic beings and the people of God represented by 24 elders. The worship and praise involved myriads and myriads of angels, all declaring “Holy, holy, holy to the Lord Almighty; worthy are you to receive glory and honour and power; and notice also the worship and praise are also directed to the Lamb of God, the Son of God.
The Lord God wants us to know that despite all the negative circumstances and things getting from bad to worse, the Triune God is in control and He is reigning and sovereign – the throne speaks of authority and power; also notice the rainbow the glory surrounding the throne, showing the beauty and glory and transcendence of the ALMIGHTY.
The Lamb was the only one who could open the seals; for he alone has conquered the devil, death and the guilt and power of sin. Indeed, he would dispense of even the presence of sin, although for a little while (when compared to eternity), the devil and his minions seem to create havoc and rebellion against the Lord God.
In Revelation 21 and 22, we see the consummation of God’s eternal salvation plan. God declares that He would make everything new; there would be the wedding of the bride and bridegroom, and the emerging of the new heaven and new earth. But before that, evil would be defeated and punished, judgment would be instituted towards all people, and even John bowed down and worshipped in the face of these visions but the angel told him to worship God, for he is only a servant of God.
And so it shall be: “Come Lord Jesus”; let everything be made new as God declares and there no longer would be the presence of sin and evil, and God shall dwell among His people!!
11 June
OUR IDENTITY – KNOWING GOD’S HEART FOR YOU
One New Testament professor shared about a time when the pressure of trying to find time for teaching, writing, and speaking were overwhelming him. During a worship service, God’s Spirit spoke to his heart. The Lord revealed to him that he will not always have this ministry or that ministry. These gifts will pass away when he stands before God. But the Spirit affirms, “You will always be my child”.
He felt reproved when he realised that he was behaving like Martha and was distracted – he had gotten so wrapped up in his work for God he was neglecting his love relationship with God. Although he sensed that God was pleased with his work, he recognized that more than his work, the Lord desired his fellowship (Luke 10:40).
Although we may desire to serve God in various ministries, what is unchanging is first and foremost to recognise that we will always be God’s beloved sons and daughters. We need regular times of prayer and devotion where, like undistracted Mary (Luke 10:39), we sit at the feet of Jesus and commune intimately with Him. Indeed, the indispensable condition for developing the awareness of our belovedness is time alone with God.
Our identity is defined by who we are before God, rather than what we are doing for Him. Do we really know God’s heart for us? He loves us intensely and intimately – we are His beloves!
15 June
SUFFERING AS GOD’S SERVANT AND CHILD
Recently, we have been looking at some aspects and truths from the book of Revelation. As we share on these issues, it becomes obvious that suffering is part and parcel of the calling for God’s people before the Lord Jesus comes again.
Looking at the book of Job, we see how even those who were supposedly wise could misunderstand the meaning of suffering for one who was godly like Job. Even Job’s wife reacted badly to the sufferings which came upon Job; Job himself had limited knowledge of the devil, and he thought that he was the ‘target’ of God’s.
But what about believers living in the New Testament context, awaiting the second coming?
Let us ponder on the thoughts of Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter on this subject. Before that, let me share that I was taken aback many years back when a spouse of one of the leaders in a local congregation declared that there was no such thing as suffering for God’s people, according to her understanding of the Bible. Some others, in studying Revelation, were very fearful of facing sufferings, and they hoped that they would be ‘raptured’ before the great tribulation (the subject of ‘rapture’ is controversial and we would not discuss it here). But what is clear as we study Revelation is that sufferings would come upon God’s people and church (in Christ’s letters to the seven churches, in the appearance of ‘saints’ before God who asked when God would ‘avenge’ their ‘blood’ on those who caused the death of God’s people).
The Apostle Paul never saw his sufferings as being unique; this is beyond doubt. They were part of the sufferings to which the corporate servant (i.e. the Church) was called:
“For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus. You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out (1 Thess. 2:14-15).
Paul warned those whom he visited during his tour of encouraging the churches that they must through much suffering enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). Clearly, he presupposed the inevitability, if not the necessity, of suffering.
This suffering was not something to be merely endured, for it actually formed part of the will of God (2Thess. 1:4-5). This suffering is in no way vicarious, as was Christ’s passion, but it is essentially the same as the sufferings of Christ experienced during the ministry of proclamation. Because of this, Paul frequently links his own suffering, and that of other believers, with Christ’s. To be God’s servant means being rejected by those who insist on walking in darkness (Col. 1:24-27).
Such suffering is not endured in isolation, for the believer is part of Christ’s body, and Christ is the head (Acts 9:5; 1 Cor. 12:25-26).
For Paul, suffering is not merely a sign of being part of the kingdom of God. It is a means of spiritual maturing and preparation for the glory and splendour of Christ’s appearing. This parallels the theme of Isaiah who saw Israel’s suffering as necessary for the bringing in of the Messianic kingdom (Isa. 40:1-10;54:11-14) We see this also written in Rom. 8:17-18 by Paul. Believers are in Christ; they have no condemnation, but they do share in Jesus’ sufferings as the suffering servant (Rom. 5:3-5; Isaiah 53).
We move on to Apostle Peter’s sharings on this subject:
“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because those who have suffered in their bodies have finished with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God”(1 Peter 4:1-2).
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God….So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good” (1 Peter 4:12-19).
It is interesting to note that Peter told the believers not to be surprised at the fiery ordeal that would come upon them. It affirms that we should not be taken aback or even become discouraged and ‘shocked’ when suffering comes upon us as faithful Christians – suffering is to be expected. Also, Peter used the term ‘fiery ordeal’ to tell us that sufferings can be intense and almost unbearable for faithful believers, not just ‘inconveniences’ and ‘bits and pieces of pain’ here and there. But, even in such an ordeal, we are to rejoice that we can participate in the sufferings of Christ (as shared by both Paul and Peter); and we can look forward to be overjoyed at the appearing of Christ when his glory would be revealed. In other words, we are to rejoice in the present, and we are to look forward to be overjoyed in the future at Christ’s second coming; all these in the midst of pain and sufferings as God’s faithful people.
But Peter also shared an important qualification; be sure that we are suffering for Christ, and participating in His sufferings, and not for our own sins, indiscretion and moral failures. It is shocking to hear of even supposedly Christian leaders proclaiming that they are suffering for Christ when it is clear to all that they are suffering for criminal activities, even convicted by the courts which are not ‘necessarily governed’ by believers.
But it does not really matter ultimately in the ‘eyes of God’. Judgment would certainly come from God; it begins with the household of God (which comprises of ‘wheat’ and ‘tares’ and also uncommitted Christians and ‘hypocritical believers’).
“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:27).
In the meantime, heed the warning:
“It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned” (Hebrews 6:4-8).
Be reminded that in Hebrews, the author was addressing believers (as well as believing Jewish Christians) who were undergoing much sufferings, which include loss of property, imprisonment, even death, under the persecution of their Roman authorities; yet, even in such a context, when it might be considered as understandable to ‘stumble’ in loyalty to God, the author reminded them of the eternal consequence of ‘turning their back on Christ” after having tasted God’s grace and goodness.
Brethren, do not take God’s grace for granted; His grace would be sufficient for us during such times of suffering, and we are to follow in ‘the steps of the Master’ until the consummation.
“Let us hold unwaveringly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful,..” (Hebrews 10:23).
16 June
THE TASK OF GOD’S CORPORATE SERVANT (THE CHURCH)
Jesus, the church’s Lord, has issued an order or a commission to his church. Individually and corporately, all God’s people are now in the world on the king’s business. This is perhaps one major reason why God still allows His people to remain in this fallen world – there is a task to be done.
First and fundamentally, it is the work of worldwide witness, disciple-making and church planting (Matt. 24:14; 28:19-20; Mark 13:10; Luke 24: 47-48). Jesus Christ is to be proclaimed everywhere as God incarnate, Lord and Saviour; and God’s authoritative invitation to find life through turning to Christ in repentance and faith is to be delivered to all mankind.
The appointed task is however twofold; and this is often overlooked or ignored in the carrying out of the commission of the Lord Jesus.
All Christians, and therefore every congregation of the church on earth, are called to practice deeds of mercy and compassion, a thoroughgoing neighbour-love that responds unstintingly to all forms of human need as they present themselves (Luke 10:25-27; Rom. 12:20-21).
Compassion was the inward aspect of the neighbour-love that led Jesus to heal the sick, feed the hungry; and teach the ignorant (Matty. 9:36; 15:32: 20:34; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13), and those who are new creatures in Christ must be similarly compassionate. Thereby they keep the second great commandment and also give credibility to their proclamation of a Saviour who makes sinners into lovers of God and of their fellow human beings.
If the messengers of this message do not display its power in their own lives. credibility is lost. Hence the affirmation that the messenger must reflect the message he proclaims! If fulfilling the commission of Jesus is just collecting as many number of ‘conversions’ or ‘decisions’ as possible to add to our credit as great evangelists or great disciple-maker, we have missed the second aspect of this task completely.
If the exponents of this message do display its power in their own lives, then credibility is enhanced. Good works should be visible to back up good words. This is in line with being salt of the earth, and lights of the world. It is also in line with manifesting the ‘Beatitudes’ in the lives of the messenger; the good works of God’s witnesses lead people to glorify the Father (Matt. 5:16; 1 Peter 2:11-12).
Unfortunately, oftentime, when Christians are called to fulfill the Great Commission, what comes to mind is the need for training, equipping them with skills and methodology in sharing the gospel, and the like. Very little awareness is given to the need for the messengers to be ready spiritually, to manifest lives which reflect the reality and beauty of the gospel in terms of compassion, love, genuine interest and care for those they minister to. The emphasis is to get ‘results’ in terms of numbers of ‘decisions’, numbers of positive responses; very little emphasis is given to the call to honour God and to glorify Him in the task appointed. In other words, God’s work needs to be done in God’s way; and it is not to be done in line with worldly methods and means.
But to help the messengers display the characteristics and likeness of Christ would mean the need for prayer, the study and assimilation of God’s Word; the training by God’s Spirit through practical ministry to various ones in various circumstances, and oftentimes through godly suffering.
Suffering has a way of testing the heart. It also has a way of revealing the truth. It is in the chaos of life’s sufferings and trials and our reaction and response to them that help us to learn the truth about ourselves and our readiness to be good witnesses of Christ. They would reveal what we believe about God, what we believe about ourselves, and what really matters and what are truly the priorities in our lives. The study of the book of Revelation would attest to this truth (Rev. 12:11).
Hence Paul wrote to Timothy:
“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:1-3). There is no doubt that the messengers to fulfil the task assigned by the Lord Jesus must be trained by God’s Spirit to be ready to display the compassion, love and grace of Jesus Christ in their lives.
A.W. Tozer once said that we cannot hope to plant an apple tree just by crossing overseas when we cannot even plant one at home (paraphased). In other words, just by sending a missionary who is not truly equipped by God overseas would not ensure that there would be spiritual fruit there. In fact, in reality, there were many ‘casualties’ in the mission field because those who went, apparently in triumph, returned with spiritual ‘depression’ and ‘damage’ because they were not truly ready and equipped by God.
Ultimately, it is not just whether we are combat ready, mentally prepared, and equipped with the latest methods and skills in evangelism and missions. To be victorious, we must be clothed in the person and provision of Jesus Christ the Son of God daily. Daily renewal in God’s truth must resonate at the core of our daily victory. What drives us must be the seeking of God’s honour and glory – only then can there be impactful spiritual victory. And the path to this must be along the road of self-denial, the willingness to be ‘nothing’ so that Christ can be ‘everything’; it is in the path of weakness that we find strength in Him, and true dependence on the Triune God to do His work for His glory!
Do not be mistaken that it all depends on us – our training in ministerial skills, our years of experience – when there is no real character that is essentially in the likeness of Christ.
Hence we need to note the twofold task in carrying out the marching orders of Christ, for us individually, and corporately as a church.