Building Up Yourselves on your Most Holy Faith

I like the way the KJV puts Jude 20: "But ye, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith." What struck me as I read this verse was that one has to work at one's faith.

It is not enough for someone else to build up your faith, though that is certainly a good thing. You must build yourself up. I take that to mean that I must apply myself to understanding and growing in my relationship with Christ. Growth will not come by osmosis, by hanging around other mature Christians and sucking up their maturity. Growth comes when I do the hard work of building myself up by getting into the word daily and by praying.

It is a "most holy faith" we pursue; we ought to pursue it with all diligence on our part.

"Transgress" or "Go on Ahead?"

I'm reading in 2 John 9 this morning and see a conundrum between the KJV and the ESV. The KJV reads: "Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ." The ESV translates this phrase: "Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ." Weird. Is it "transgress?" Or is it "goes on ahead?"

BDAG says that when it is used transitively the word παραβαίνω means "to break or transgress." When it is used intransitively it means "to go aside." I wonder why the ESV chose "goes on ahead here." Mysterious.

At any rate, the key teaching here is that the best evidence of whether or not one "has God" or "has both the Father and the Son" is whether or not they abide in the teaching of Christ. This seems to be the gold standard of whether one is truly a follower of Christ or not.

Reversal of Fortune

This is a theme that runs throughout the Scriptures. In Is 26.5 this morning it is reversal of fortune in a negative sense. Those who are lofty will be brought low. So low that God will bring it (here a city, but applicable to all) to the ground, indeed, smother it in dust.

What man exalts, God brings low. Why? Because anything that is exalted tries to in essence take the place of God. Since God is the highest conceivable being in the universe, it is morally wrong for anything else to try and take his place. This would be like trying to call an ant an elephant. It is laughable and offensive to the true elephant.

God must bring the arrogant low because now they are set into their proper place in relation to the one who created the universe, and it is an act of mercy because being made low is perhaps the only way to open one's eyes to the fact that they are not God. Perhaps then they will look for the one who is indeed God.

Behold, This is our God

I love, love, love Is 25.9. When God returns and reveals himself in all of his glory, we who are followers of God will boast, "Behold, this is our God." This is the one about whom we have been talking. We have waited for him and now he has arrived. We have waited for him and now we get to experience his salvation. What a day of joy and praise that will be. One strains to find words in the English language to express the emotions of that day.

Tanks run out of Gasoline and Artillery have no Ammo

Reading in Ps 76.6 this morning. "At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, Both the chariot and the horse are cast into a deep sleep" (KJV). Chariots and horses were much feared weapons of war, especially to the Israelites who were sorely lacking in both. It would be the equivalent today of saying that, at the word of God "tanks run out of gasoline and artillery have no ammo." God speaks and mighty weapons are impotent.

Calvin: We are thus taught that all the gifts and power which men seem to possess are in the hand of God, so that he can, at any instant of time, deprive them of the wisdom which he has given them, make their hearts effeminate, render their hands unfit for war, and annihilate their whole strength.

Beware Lest Ye Also

Peter tells his readers to "beware" lest they are led away with the "error of the wicked." The word "error" there means to wander from the path of truth. The wicked then, are defined by those who do not follow the path of truth, which Peter understands as that which is revealed by and about Christ. In wandering from the path of truth the follower of God is in danger of falling "from your own steadfastness" (2 Pet 3.17). The word "steadfastness" means "a state of security" or "firm conviction to belief" or rather both here, so "a state of security grounded in firm conviction to belief."

This is why truth is so crucial. We are not saved and kept save by an emotional commitment to Christ, we are saved by response to what is true, that Christ died for our sins according to the gospel, that he rose again, and that he will return. We should give careful attention to the truth in our own lives so that we do not wander away from it, for then we are in very grave danger.

Damnable Heresies

The KJV uses pretty colorful language in 2 Pet 2.1, when speaking about false teachers. Peter says that they "shall bring in damnable heresies." There is a certain resonance to that translation, although it is not altogether accurate. The ESV is more accurate, they will "bring in destructive heresies." The Greek word means "the destruction that one causes or experiences." Here BDAG says it is the destruction that one experiences because this type of heresy has the potential to destroy one's faith, and certainly to destroy the church.

This is exactly why both Peter and Paul wrote so strongly against false teachers and against heresies. This is also why we need to carefully guard the heart of the gospel. Satan is always working against the gospel in any way he can, by undermining it, by questioning it, by subverting it. False teachers aid and abet him.

There Shall Be Desolation

In Isaiah 17.9 today at the end of which, this ominous statement comes: "There shall be desolation" (KJV). The word "desolation" means "an area deserted and thus arousing awe or terror." I like to think of it as wandering around a deserted factory complex on a moonless night, the sheer creepiness of the surroundings abetted by one's imagination would make it an interesting experience to say the least.

The reason there will be desolation? Stated in the next verse: "Because thou has forgotten God, the God of thy salvation." Forgetfulness of God leads to desolation in life.

Fervent, Persevering, Sin-Covering Love

Peter writes to fellow believers: "Keep loving one another earnestly, for love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Pet 4.8) There is a lot said in a short amount of time when you begin to think about it. Take the little word "earnestly" for example. In the Greek it is a word that means to persevere, but also carries the implication that you don't waver in your interest or devotion while you persevere. This is perseverance that costs you something. It takes commitment, effort, and the resolution not to quit.

So we are to love one another with this love that doesn't quit. Yep, even when the other party isn't interested in returning your love. Indeed, Peter tells us to love one another fervently, earnestly, and perseveringly (is that a word?) because this type of love is a sin-covering love. It "covers a multitude of sins."

Tall order isn't it? Especially when it comes to your kids...or your spouse...or Mr. Prickly Pear cactus who always seems to drop in at the most inconvenient times. If it were easy, we wouldn't have to depend on the Holy Spirit, would we?

God is not a Man that he should Lie

Reading in Numb 23.19 this morning. John Calvin is pretty good: "Hence, however, a lesson of supreme utility may be extracted, namely, that men are altogether wrong when they form their estimate of God from their own disposition and habits. Still, almost all men labor under this mistake. For how comes it that we are so prone to waver, except because we weigh God’s promises in our own scale? In order, therefore, that we may learn to lift up our minds above the world, whenever the faithfulness and certainty of God’s word are in question, it is well for us to reflect how great the distance is between ourselves and God."

This is so often our mistake. We form our estimation of God and what he does and how he acts by looking at our own actions and attitudes. Indeed the gods of the Ancient Near East cultures (as well as Roman and Greek gods) were like men with the same greed, desires, and attitudes, only they were more powerful and lived longer.

This is not our God. We must understand that there is a great difference between us and God.

Willing Ignorance

Peter doesn't shy from the truth as is obvious from his words in 3 Pet 3.5 (KJV). He says that those who do not believe that God created the universe are willingly ignorant of that fact. I take this to mean that there is sufficient evidence to convince them, but that they will not be convinced, not due to the paucity of evidence but to the darkness in their own heart.

Christ: Shepherd; Me: Sheep

The writer to Hebrews says: "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep" (Heb 13.20, KJV). Christ is the shepherd. We are the sheep. The shepherd leads; the sheep follow. The shepherd guards; the sheep are guarded. The shepherd protects the sheep from harm; the sheep are protected. Sheep go astray; the shepherd finds them and brings them back into the fold. Sheep need food; the shepherd leads them to "green pastures." Sheep need water; the shepherd takes them to "quiet waters."

We sound so dependent, don't we? Which is the point. Sheep are dependent. This is the aim of our great God. He wants us to be dependent on him. He created us to be dependent on him. When we are independent, we get into trouble and go astray (and being the great shepherd that he is, he goes in search of us).

If you pay attention to the course of your life, you will see that one of the things God is always doing is giving you the opportunity to be a good sheep. He is (and will be) a great shepherd. Your responsibility is to be a great (which is to say, dependent) sheep.

With Reverence and Godly Fear

In Heb 12.28, this morning (well, afternoon, I had a redeye from LAX to TPA). The writer to Hebrews says that our desire ought to be to receive the grace of God so that we may serve God "with reverence and godly fear." It's interesting that he connects grace with the ability to serve. Our service comes from the grace that God provides and it should be marked by reverence and godly fear. Our culture tends to play down the reverence and godly fear stuff and we like to approach God as if he were our buddy, buddy friend (witness the rap song lyrics: "Who's in the house? J.C."). We fall short here, I think because our age does not understand the weightiness of God and the gravity of serving him. How do I know this weightiness? I certainly didn't figure it out myself. The very next words penned from the author of Hebrews: "For our God is a consuming fire."

God is...

According to Ps. 46.1, "our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (KJV). I love the simplicity of that statement. God is; not God and; or "put anything else here." When we have trouble—and we will have trouble—our refuge is not our bank account or our wisdom or intelligence, God is our refuge when our world falls apart. He is our solace when we get that nasty medical diagnosis. He remains when our financial world crumbles.

And that...we find out, is all that we really need. Him.

Be Like Abraham, not Like Mike

I'm reading in Heb 6.15, this morning where the writer to Hebrews sets up Abraham as an example of patient endurance. "After he had patiently endured," comments the author, "he obtained the promise" (speaking of Isaac, the promised heir).

The word that the KJV translates "patiently endured," is a word that BDAG says means: "to remain tranquil while waiting." After Abraham's failed machinations to bring about God's promise from his own plan, he "patiently endured" the wait for the promised heir.

The author of Hebrews points out Abraham's example because he wants to teach us a lesson. "Be like Abraham," he says. "As he patiently waited for the fulfillment of God's promise, you also wait for the fulfillment of God's promise that you will enter his rest." Indeed some of the most soaring and inspiring words that the author pens are in this section. God swore by an oath in order that "we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us" (vs. 18, KJV). "Which hope we have as an anchor for the soul, both sure and steadfast" (vs. 19, KJV).

O Christian, be like Abraham!