Jim Wilson's Blog, page 25

The God of All Comfort

Did you know that God the Father is described as the God ofhope, the God of all comfort, the God of peace, and the God of love?

Here are some of the texts.

May the God of hope fill you with joyand peace in believing so that you will abound in hope by the power of the HolySpirit. (Rom. 15:13)

Blessed be the God and Father of ourLord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, whocomforts us in all our affliction. (2 Cor. 1:3-4)

The God of peace be with you all.(Rom. 15:3) 

Now may the God of peace Himselfsanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preservedcomplete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess. 5:23)

Now the God of peace who brought youup from the dead, that Good Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of theeternal covenant, equip you with everything good… (Heb. 13:20) 

The things you have learned andreceived and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peacewill be with you. (Phil. 4:9)

 

Written December 11, 2017.

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How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

God's Patience: What Does It Mean for Us?

During a recent Sunday School class,* we were studying 2Peter 3:8-12:

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends; with theLord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. TheLord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He ispatient with you, not wanting any to perish, but everyone to come torepentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens willdisappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth andeverything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in thisway, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godlylives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”

I want to focus on two elements that this passage seems tobe indicating. First of all, since Peter is writing this letter to Christians,he indicated that God is patient with Christians, as well asnon-Christians, when it comes to fulfilling His promised return.

Secondly, since God’s desire is that no one should perishbut all come to repentance, what does this patience entail? Somehow, the way welive our lives as Christians is vital to reaching the lost and, therefore,hastening our Lord’s return.

Later in the passage, Peter asks the question, “What kind ofpeople ought you to be?” The answer given is we are to live holy and godlylives.

 

*Written November 1995.

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Defending the Hope That Is In You

Early in my Christian experience, before I knew thedefinition of apologetics, I sensed the need for an adequate apologetic forevery accusation against, and question to, the Christian faith. There were somany people who did not know God, and there were so many questions that seemedto stand between them and God. If their questions could be answered clearly,rationally, intelligently, and kindly, these students would then standconvinced and would become believers.

I set myself the task of getting the right answers. Before Ibecame accomplished in this pursuit, I began to have doubts. The doubts aroseas I began to practice my growing knowledge in face-to-face encounters(arguments) or large bull sessions. It was great fun arguing. It was more funwinning the argument. But there weren’t any results. Part of the problem wasthat I found it difficult to be kind while I was being methodically rationaland clear in my presentation.

There was another problem. It seemed that most of the peoplewho had questions didn’t really want answers to their questions. Theyjust wanted to have questions. This contradicted an assumption I had made thatpeople who had questions wanted answers.

"But in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always beprepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hopethat is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; and keep yourconscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your goodbehavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:15-16).

This is the kind of question we should generate, answer, andanswer with gentleness and respect.

 

Written May 1986.

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The Riches of His Kindness

“So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance untolife” (Acts 11:18).

“I am sending you to them to opentheir eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satanunto God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among thosewho are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:17-18).

“I preached that they should repent and turn to God andprove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20).

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness,tolerance and patience, not realizing God’s kindness leads you towardrepentance” (Romans 2:1).

“When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you byturning each of you from your wicked ways” (Acts 3:26).

“Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hopethat God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truthand that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil,who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25-26).

The words repent and turn keep recurring inthese verses. But also notice the words that precede repent and turn. They are grant,kindness, and gently. Repentance is not a harsh word. It is awonderfully soft word.

Written January 1988.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Barnabas

“He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and agreat number of people were brought to the Lord” (Acts 11:24).

This is speaking of Barnabas. The preceding verse tells usthat "he was glad and encouraged them all.” In chapter four, we find thathis name means son of encouragement. We also find that he "sold afield he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet."When he was with Paul, he was not the chief speaker (Acts 14:12), although inActs 14:1, we see, “There they spoke so effectively that a great numberof Jews and Gentiles believed."

Barnabas was good, full of the Holy Spirit, full of faith,glad, encouraging, generous, and unashamed to speak the gospel. The result wasthat great numbers were brought to the Lord. If we are not seeing great numbersturning to the Lord, it may be that we are lacking the other characteristicswhich were in Barnabas’ life.

 

Written October 1990.

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A Man Named Stephen

I would like to draw your attention to a man named Stephen,whom we meet in the Book of Acts.

“Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known tobe full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3).

“They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the HolySpirit” (Acts 6:5).

“Now, Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, didgreat wonders and miraculous signs among the people" (Acts 6:8).

“These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could notstand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by which he spoke" (Acts6:9-10).

"All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intentlyat Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15).

Stephen started his defense with the God of Glory andended his message in this manner and with these words: “But Stephen, full ofthe Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesusstanding at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and theSon of Man standing at the right hand of God’” (Acts 7:55-56).

His last two utterances were, "Lord Jesus, receive myspirit," and, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

This kind of man with this kind of speech gets two kinds ofresponses—violent anger and conversions. Both responses he got from Saul ofTarsus. Stephen's short but very powerful life has resulted in millions ofconversions.

 

Written February 1994.

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How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Walking in the Light

One of my co-workers once spoke of the effect oflight on different kinds of insects. Moths fly to the light, and cockroachesrun from it. He was simply saying that light attracts and light repels. It isthe same light in both cases.

The title of this paper comes from the seventh verse of thefirst chapter of John: “But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, wehave fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies usfrom all sin.”

However, the definition of light is found two versesearlier. “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God islight; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship withhim yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth” (1 John1:5-6).

God is light, andin Him there is no darkness at all.Some of us have been in places where there is no light at all. Even for those who are not afraid of the dark, aftera short while they begin to get scared.

However, none of us has ever been in a place where there isno darkness at all. We like to be in places that are a mixture of sunshine andshadows, light and darkness. God uses these expressions to tell us spiritualtruth. For instance, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that youmay become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked anddepraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you holdout the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I didnot run or labor for nothing” (Phil. 2:14-16).

If you have been on a U.S. Navy ship at sea or if you havebeen in a teacher’s room at an elementary school, or in any office, or in anymanufacturing plant or in any home or church or anywhere where there are two or more people, you have almostcertainly heard and/or participated in complaining.

Complaining seems to be a social norm rather than aphenomenon. “In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron”(Exodus 16:2).

One of the most common complaints is, “That’s not fair.”This is a thought that supposedly appeals to the highest standards of virtue ormorality, i.e. fairness. This may be a shock to you, but fairness is not aquality of God, nor is it from God.It is not like the fruit of the Spirit, nor is it justice or mercy. It ishumanism. When we use the phrase “that’s not fair,” we are saying thateverything is not equal, but it should be equal. The person who says, “That’snot fair, has suddenly set themselves up as the judge of right and wrong. Hehas also become the judge of everyone else—God, father, mother, boss, roommate,and anyone else who doled out this “unfairness.”

As an exercise in studying Jesus’ view of fairness, pleaseread the following:

     For the kingdom of heaven is like alandowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day andsent them into his vineyard. About nine in the morninghe went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will payyou whatever is right.’ So they went.

     He went out again about noon and aboutthree in the afternoon and did the same thing. Aboutfive in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. Heasked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

       ‘Because no one has hired us,’ theyanswered.

     He said to them, ‘You also go and work inmy vineyard.’

       When evening came, the owner of thevineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages,beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

       The workers who were hired aboutfive in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receivemore. But each one of them also received a denarius. Whenthey received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and youhave made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heatof the day.’

       But he answered one of them, ‘I amnot being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired lastthe same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to dowhat I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

       So the last will be first, and thefirst will be last. (Matt. 20:1-16)

Did you identify with the complainers, ordid you identify with Jesus? If you start with fairness as the standard, therewill be many things that you will not like about God.

Some years ago, a man was executed in thestate of Washington. There were two groups of protestors outside the locationof the execution. One group was very much against capital punishment. The othergroup was, at least in this case, very much for the death sentence.

Before the man was executed, he was shown ontelevision. He said that he had received Jesus Christ in prison and that he hadbeen forgiven by God and was going to heaven. This made the people who were forhis execution very angry. They did not want him to go to heaven. The othergroup also was not happy because he died physically. To them, life on earth wasmore important than everlasting life. Neither group thought it was fair. ButGod’s view of justice and mercy isnever the same as fairness.

There is a solution for complaining aboutfairness.

"Do everythingwithout complaining or arguing." (Phil. 2:14) 

"And whatever youdo, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, givingthanks to God the Father through him." (Col. 3:17)

"Whatever you do,work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." (Col.3:23)

"Give thanks in allcircumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thess. 5:18)

The solutions are simple: 1) do everythingin the name of the Lord Jesus, 2) to the Lord Jesus, and 3) give thanks ineverything. It is difficult to complain when you are doing these things.

However, you may find this difficult topractice, even if you realize the truth of it and the need for it. If you arecoming out of years of complaining about everything, then giving thanks in everythingis a big turn-around.

Before you can start giving thanks, you needto repent of your years of complaining. Confess and forsake the complaining.Otherwise, you will be trying to obey on top of a pile of unforgivendisobedience. That just will not work.

Once you are clean, then you can give thanksand do it in the name of the Lord Jesus.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Christians & Persecution

You may be aware that more and more Christians are being killedtoday for their faith in Jesus Christ than in all generations prior to thisone. We do not know how many have denied their faith in order to stay alive.

In my 71 years as a Christian, I have seen many who have notdenied their faith and many more who have confessed their faith underpersecution.

Over the years, I have asked many Christians if they wanted tobe godly. It is an embarrassing question. They do not want to answer it. Ifthey answered no, it wouldn’t sound right, even though it would be the truthfulanswer. They don’t want to answer yes, either. It would not be truthful, and ifthey said yes, God might help them be godly! They would lose most of theirChristian friends.

In Luke 9:23, Jesus said, “Take up the means of your ownexecution and follow Me.” So many Christians have compromised on little things.I am not sure how they would fare in a life-and-death decision.

Written January 23, 2018.

This post coordinates with today's reading in the SamePage Summer Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily readingplan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading withus.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

The Real Solution to This Country’s Problems

“When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquenceor superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For Iresolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and himcrucified…. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasivewords, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith mightnot rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2, 4-5).

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers,intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those inauthority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness andholiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to besaved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

These two texts bring us back to first priorities: preachingthe cross and praying for kings. Both of these texts have to do with thesalvation of men. God in his wisdom decided that proclaiming and praying wasour partnership in the Gospel. It is easy to get side-tracked to things likeconstitutional amendments on abortion or a balanced budget and a Christiangovernment. Paul did not have that luxury; neither does most of the worldtoday. These things are important, but they will not have a lasting effect if they are done on their own apart from the real solution. Let’s get our focus back on that real solution, the gospel of JesusChrist. Let us change the nation by proclaiming and praying.

 

Written November 1992.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

The Closeness of God

The last sentence in Ezekiel is, “And the name of the cityfrom that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE.” What a wonderful name for acity!

When He came to earth as a baby, Jesus fulfilled theprophecy recorded in Matthew 1:23: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear ason, and his name shall be called Emmanuel (which means ‘God with us’).”

Then in Revelation 21:3, “A great voice from the thronesaying, ‘Behold the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, andthey shall be His people, and God himself will be with them.’”

Finally, we have the promise in Hebrews 13:5, “I will neverleave you, nor forsake you.” At least three of these texts are speaking ofGod’s close relationship with His church. They speak of His faithfulness in Hisimminence. Thank God!

 

Written November 1990.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships