Posts from — February 2011

“Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?” –Isaiah 2:22 (NIV)

We like to think of ourselves as independent and powerful. As a result we often admire, even idolize, the abilities we as collective humanity possess. Looking at all the advances we have made in science and art, we say to ourselves that man is supreme and that we are the only authority we can trust. But not even the most powerful and intelligent of men can compare before God. In fact, it was Him who gave us the faculties to achieve what we boast about. Who gave us legs to travel and hands to build? Who gave us minds to invent marvellous things and create works of such artistic beauty? Who is it that gives us breath to sustain us? Was it not God who has created each and every one of us? Therefore, we cannot elevate man without looking like fools ourselves because God has enabled us to do everything we do!

When we place our trust in man, disappointment is inevitable. Eventually we will realize that man has his limitations and can never overcome his innate depravity. In whom then can we trust? Upon whom can we lean? Man was meant to live in a loving relationship with God. That is why throughout history and in all cultures, man is seeking Him. However, because of our fallen nature, man is looking for Him in all the wrong places. Yet despite our failings and our pride, God wants to restore our relationship with Him so that we may have everlasting life and peace. He does this through His Son, Jesus Christ. By His death and resurrection we are freed from our sin and are reconciled to our Creator. When we have allowed Christ to invade our hearts and have placed our trust in Him, He will open our eyes to see the world around us as it is. Looking through His eyes we will know that all have been corrupted by sin, but have the hope of being redeemed by the power of Christ. Knowing that in Christ we have an eternal confidence that cannot be stripped away, He will give us boldness to proclaim His Name so that all may be restored and have life through Him.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?” -1 Corinthians 3:3 (NIV)

Human tendency is to quarrel and fight. Sometimes there are not even any logical reasons as to why we have certain arguments. Our ire and jealousy can be stoked by even the most insignificant and trivial of things. I have seen relationships torn apart and rivalries formed over disputes that we started over reasons that were petty and simply bizarre. It used to baffle me that people were so quick to form enemies out of people who were close friends. However, understanding that we are all fallen creatures contaminated by sin places it into perspective. When sin is our master and we are under its yoke, it will make us to pick fights over matters that are of no consequence. Subsequently, and true to its nature, sin will destroy our relationships with others and distract us away from God.

Can we be free from such harmful attitudes? The answer is that indeed we can! However, it is not by any work of our own, but solely by the work of Christ in our lives. When we have allowed Christ to carry out His redemptive work in our hearts, He will break the power sin holds over us and clothes us with His righteousness. This new nature He has given us is at odds with the remnants of our old sinful nature. Having a quarrelsome and envious spirit is not part of the new nature Christ has bestowed upon us. He has called us as His children to something greater and which far surpasses the inconsequential matters of this world. When we have submitted our attitudes to Christ’s refining work in our lives, He will fill us with His love and humility. By turning our eyes upon Jesus we will be able to see things and situations through His eyes and by His enabling respond in a manner which brings glory to God and restoration to those around us.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” –Joshua 1:8 (NIV)

Repetition and practice is what helps maintain our skills. Athletes lead disciplined lives of training so that their abilities may stay sharp for the next competition. Students continuously pour over their notes and textbooks so that they may be prepared for their examinations. Failing to do these things will only prove to be detrimental and they will lose what they have gained because of a lack of concentrated practice. Even our ability to speak is not immune.  If placed in a different linguistic setting from our native tongue, we have the potential to lose our first language if there are limited opportunities to use it. Our minds need to be constantly trained because we are prone to forget, and the only cure is to continue reminding ourselves of what we know.

Similarly, we need to constantly spend time in the God’s Word. He knows that due to our fallen nature we are forgetful, and it is tempting for us to drift away from Him. That is why He implores us to always keep His Word at the forefront of our minds, write it on our hearts and to make it a practice to study it daily. Complacency is one step away from destruction and to be overconfident in our own faith and piety will eventually harm our walk with God. His Word is the path to life and when we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and carry out His redemptive work, He will give us a desire to seek His face. Unless His Spirit is working within us, we cannot live up to what God expects of us or remember to keep His commandments. Only through His enabling and prompting will we be able to live according to His righteousness. The question before us is will we open our hearts and listen to His voice?  When we do so and with obedience seek to align ourselves with Christ, we find an unshakable joy and security in Him and in His Truth.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’” –Luke 22:42 (NIV)

Crucifixion was not a peaceful death by any stretch of the imagination. In fact it was arguably the most excruciating and humiliating form of execution invented by man. Rome would not use this method to carry out justice even for its own citizens regardless of who they were. It was reserved for those who could not boast of having Roman citizenship and who were deemed to be the irreversibly degenerate and depraved. No one wished to be crucified and even Jesus knew the pain and shame that it entailed. Yet what is remarkable is that even though Jesus wished that somehow God would prevent His violent death, He acknowledged that God’s will was not up for debate. With humble obedience He went to the cross so that through His death and resurrection we may be free from sin and have life through Him.

Sometimes God will call us to do things that we really do not want to do, and go to places where we really do not want to go. We wrestle and argue with God, wishing that there was some other way. Such a reaction is indeed very human and normal. But if we allow such attitudes to take control over our minds, we harden ourselves against His will and in our stubbornness deprive ourselves of the incomparable blessings which come from being obedient to Him. God promises that His will is perfect and that it is always for good, never for evil. When we allow Christ to enter into our hearts and take reign over our lives, His Spirit will train and enable us to live in accordance with the will of God. By allowing Christ to deal with our stubborn and prideful attitudes, He will fill us with His humility and the understanding to know that when we are within His will, we will have life abundant; seeing His beautiful work carried out in our lives as well as in those around us.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Do not stand up for a bad cause…” –Ecclesiastes 8:3 (NIV)

We are taught to stand up for what we believe in. Admiring people who have stood by their principles no matter the cost, we feel inspired and compelled to do the same. Indeed there is nothing wrong with such spirited determination in and of itself. If there were, then we would be like leaves being blown by the wind; always under the whims of the powerful and those who intimidate us. It becomes a problem however when we have decided to stand behind a bad cause. In the marketplace of ideas there are a lot of ideologies, philosophies, and movements. Some of them we might find appealing and we may be drawn to them. But upon closer inspection they may prove themselves to be flawed, destructive, and even criminal.

How are we able to distinguish between a good cause and a bad one? If we try to discern this by our limited wisdom we may obtain a vague idea of what is worth defending, but not a full and complete understanding. Sin has tainted our perception and therefore our reason is imperfect. Only when the power of sin has been broken in our lives will our eyes be opened to the truth. But how can this be done. God wants to redeem us from our fallen state and He has done so through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. When we have allowed Christ to enter into our hearts He will purge us of our sin so that our minds may be able to grasp His truth. Through the Scriptures He has revealed to us His heart and when we understand the heart of God, allowing His wisdom to direct our minds, we will know that He is truth personified and worthy to be upheld. By constantly submitting ourselves to the restorative work His Spirit is doing in our lives, we will be able to see through the deceptions of the philosophies of this world and draw others into the hope and joy of personally knowing Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it…by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” -James 3:13 (NIV)

Kings and rulers often like to style themselves as being wise. Indeed, it is part of legitimizing their right to rule. No one wants a foolish monarch to rule over them and if the competency of a monarch is cast into doubt, it could be serious problem for their continued reign. Thus, they go to great lengths to convince their subjects of their wisdom. Through the titles and attributes they place upon themselves, rulers try to persuade the people that they are the right men for the job. But when given such power, human pride tends to take over and causes them to make foolish decisions. Their pride therefore, makes a mockery of their claims to wisdom; instead making them utter fools and proving that wisdom was not with them in the first place.

What does it mean to have wisdom? A truly wise person is not someone who flaunts his wisdom, but with humility knows who he is, and who it is that enables him to act. God is the real source of wisdom. It was by His wisdom that God created the world and gave it order. He assures us that when we seek to be guided by His flawless understanding, we will find life abundant and total fulfillment. But this can only come when we have submitted ourselves to His ultimate Lordship. Our human pride does not want to acknowledge this, and our refusal to do so ensures that we will continue to be slaves to our own folly. However, when we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and restore us from our sin, He will purify us of our pride. We will know that it is He who gives breath, who has given us the capacity to think, and who sustains every part of our being. By humbly permitting ourselves to be guided by His wisdom, we will be able to act in a manner that bears witness to God’s righteousness and love; becoming wise only because it is Christ who has given us understanding and knowledge.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’” -1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)

Sometimes we place too much faith in our goodness. We would like to think that because we have achieved in our eyes a high standard of moral excellence, our character is unassailable. Due to this trust in our righteousness, we think that we are good people and will be unaffected by the kind of company we keep. We may even believe that we can be a positive influence on them if they are living in a manner that is not right. However, because of our sinful nature, we are tempted to follow the crowd in their sin instead of pulling others away from it. Slowly we will make compromise after compromise attempting to justify our friend’s behaviour. Soon we will find that our goodness was a weak shield against the lures of sin and that instead of setting a good example, we have adopted attitudes and lifestyles that are immoral and destructive.

We deceive ourselves if we think that we can remain pure by our own strength. If we have not anchored ourselves in Christ, no matter how confident we may feel about our integrity, we will be swept away by the crowd. The pressure to conform to the standards of the world around us is great. We want to feel loved and accepted and this desire is strong enough to lead us into choices and patterns of behaviour that we thought would never be a problem for us. But when we have found our confidence in Christ, we will not find our worth in what other people think, but what God thinks of us as His precious children. Created in His image, we are immeasurably loved by God and nothing will be able to take that away from us. When we have allowed His Spirit to dwell within us, He will free us from our sin and enable us to walk in His righteousness; guiding us in the path which assures us abundant life. By holding the hand of Christ wherever we go and in whatever setting, we will be able to bear witness to those around us the perfect work He is doing in our lives without becoming ensnared ourselves by the traps of this world.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.