Posts from — May 2011

“Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.”- Psalm 119:142 (NIV)

Today as I was traveling on the bus, I came across an interesting advertisement. Amongst images of everything pretty, cute, and pleasant on could think of was written, “Dressing it up doesn’t make it true.” It was an advertisement for an organization which helps to expose false messaging in advertising and take them to task. What was more striking was that the sub-heading said, “Truth matters”. In this world it seems that truth has become little more than a personal preference on the lines of a favorite color or what feels good for the moment. But looking at that sign on the bus it was encouraging to know that people still care about objective truth and whether something is universally right or wrong.

As the world comes closer together and new ideas are being constantly churned out, there are many philosophies and worldviews advertising themselves as truth. Wanting to minimize conflict between the plethora of ideas, our culture has taken the position that one truth is just as valid as any other truth. But if truth is simply reduced to something that is dependent on individual preference, we will end up living in an internal contradiction that will lead us into hypocrisy. We will find ourselves condemning a horrendous act in one context yet in the same breath justifying that same act because it took place in a different context. Two contrary ideas cannot exist side by side and there will come a point where we will have to be honest with ourselves and discover what is that objective and absolute truth.

There is only one truth in the world which brings life, and that is found in Christ Jesus. He has revealed His righteousness and law to us through His Word and wants us to be restored through Him. When we have allowed His Spirit to enter our hearts and desire to seek after Him by reading His Word, we will know that His truth is the only way through which humanity can find true hope, healing, and life abundant. If our faith in Christ is based on simply because it feels good for us, then our faith is weak for it is based on human feelings and sentiments that are prone to change and ignore the truth. But when our faith in Christ is based on understanding the truth, our faith in Him will be stronger; having the knowledge to know what is right and wrong so that we may bring life to others by His Spirit.

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.

“And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.” –Deuteronomy 10:19 (NIV)

The Israelites had gone through untold suffering in Egypt. As slaves under their Egyptian overlords, the Israelites were an oppressed people; discriminated against and forced to endure miserable conditions because of their Hebrew blood. For centuries they prayed for deliverance, and in His perfect timing God rescued them out of their enslavement in Egypt and into freedom. However, God warns them not to use the freedom He is given them to become oppressors themselves.  The Israelites had been through a lot and it would have been natural for them to treat the foreigners in their midst with contempt as a way of exercising the power they were once denied. Yet God called them, and us to a higher standard; loving others regardless of who they are so that His love and righteousness may be displayed to the world.

When we have gone through suffering ourselves, we can go either two ways. We can choose to allow our suffering to taint our interactions with others and subject them to the tyranny we experienced, or to love others remembering what it was like when we were in their position. Too often we gravitate to the former because our sinful nature wants to restore our broken pride at all costs; even if that means shattering the pride and dignity of others. Instead of bringing healing however, this only serves to continue a destructive cycle of misery that no one truly benefits from. The only way we have any hope of breaking this cycle is when we have allowed ourselves to be transformed by the love of Christ. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts, he will teach us how to love in the way which He did for us, sacrificially and unconditional. Rooting ourselves in Christ we will no longer feel bound to our past hurts for we have been restored by the work of His Spirit within us. Having found our confidence and security in Him, we will allow His love to overflow from our hearts, knowing that we live in a broken world in desperate need of the healing work of Christ.

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.

“’If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even “sinners” love those who love them.’” –Luke 6:32 (NIV)

Anyone can love those who love them. Who wouldn’t love some who is kind and considerate towards us, or who is quick to pay us a timely compliment? There are some people who are naturally charming and lovable, and it is easy for our affections to gravitate towards them. But what if that same person suddenly became an eyesore for us? Perhaps they suddenly become insensitive or uncouth. Our love for them would slowly descend into annoyance and irritation. We would become blind to their admirable qualities and all we will be able to think about is how much they anger us. However, this only proves how fragile our love is for others, prone to change and never truly constant no matte how much we may boast otherwise.

The problem with human love is that it is self-serving. When we love others out of our natural love, it is a conditional form of love. We simply love them because they make us feel good about ourselves when they treat us well out of respect and concern. True love however, is when we continue to show our affection to others even when they do nothing to be deserving of it. Few of us would be willing to show this kind of love to those who especially arouse our ire. Yet, this is the exact love which we are to imitate as children of Christ. Though He being a holy God could not tolerate we who are fallen as a result of our deliberate choice to indulge in sin, He wants to restore us so that we may have life. That is why Christ’s death and resurrection is the greatest act of love so that by His blood we are washed of our sin and made spotless in the eyes of God. When we have allowed Christ’s Spirit to enter our hearts, He will train us in how to love as He loves us; with no strings attached and a disregard for the self. Knowing that Christ loves us despite our sinfulness and will never give up on us, what right do we have to withhold love from others? It is only by abiding in His Spirit that we can truly love, so that others might find hope and healing in the love of God.

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.

“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” –Colossians 3:14 (NIV)

People want to live in a world where love forms the basis of human relationships. It is a sentiment reflected in the lyrics of songs, in the aspirations of visionaries who dream of utopia, and in the goals of organizations which seek to promote peace in the world. However, history has shown that man is incapable of bringing about this perfect world where everyone acts in love towards one another. While it is truly a noble and admirable pursuit, our innate human sinfulness prevents us from realizing this desire that we have for a better world. What ends up happening is that selfishness and pride take over our minds; causing us to sabotage any attempts that humanity may undertake to create a world where love is paramount and where everyone lives together in harmony and peace.

In the face of this reality it is easy to fall into disillusionment and hopeless. But the wonderful truth is that there is hope for a better world. However, this hope does not stem from human action. Man has proven that he cannot bring Heaven on Earth. For this reason, God seeks to bring healing to this chaotic world. He is in the business of restoring us from our fallen state and breaking the bonds that our sinful nature has enslaved us to. That is why Christ had to die for us, so that by His blood we are cleansed of our sin and through His resurrection we adopt a new nature characterized by His righteousness. When we have allowed His Spirit to enter our hearts, He will carry out the work of making us like Him in His love. Just as how Christ has shown His sacrificial love for us in paying the penalty for our sins so that we may have life, that same love will animate us as we allow His Spirit to make it overflow from within our hearts. As children of Christ we are to love one another with the love which can only come from knowing Christ as Lord; giving those around us a glimpse of the hope that we have in Christ when He will complete His restorative work to make all things new, and reign on Earth.

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.

“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” -2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NIV)

When London was being bombarded by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, the city’s inhabitants would use the famous London Underground as a massive air raid shelter. As the sirens would ring throughout the city informing them that the planes of the Luftwaffe were near, the people of London would rush to the nearest subway stations for protection. There are pictures of entire families sleeping on the platforms as they waited for the bombs to stop. These underground sanctuaries kept them safe from the bombs pounding their city and they were able to rest knowing that as long as they took refuge in these subterranean shelters, they would not fear being killed. Outside the shelter death was waiting for them, but inside there was life.

Where do we turn to find protection and strength from temptation? Often to all the wrong places. If we do not willingly go forth into it, we try to seek refuge and strength in shelters that will not stand firm against the relentless assault of sin. It could be philosophies that claim to a strong moral foundation that will protect us from destroying ourselves in wickedness. Perhaps we think our own willpower will give us the strength to fight temptation and protect us from becoming ensnared. However, when temptation strikes, these shelters crumble like a building before a falling bomb. Where then can we turn to for sanctuary? It can only be found in Christ who has conquered sin and death. Through His blood the penalty for our sin is paid in full and by His resurrection we find shelter and hope in the promise of a life that is secure. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts, He will empower us by His Spirit to fight against temptation. As we walk closely with Him, rooting ourselves in His Word and allowing Christ to train us in His righteousness, we will be safe from sin and its consequences. Should we choose to remain outside Him, we will be led along the path to a death far worse than the physical. But when we choose to remain in Him, we will find life everlasting and a peace that will never be taken away.

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.

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” –Psalm 55:22 (ESV)

Being close to the Atlantic Ocean, Nova Scotia is a place with many boat owners. When I was working there one summer, it was a common sight to see many different boats sailing in and around the harbour. One day however, it was announced that the province would be experiencing a severe storm with very powerful winds. All of us had to get anything outdoors inside our homes and I heard of many boat owners scrambling to the docks to secure their vessels. The way they did this was remarkable. Using ropes and anchors they were able to ensure that their boats were not carried away by the storm. Granted the boats may have been rocked by the power of the winds, but they remained in one place; firmly moored to the docks.

How can we survive the storms of life? It is a question that often surfaces in our minds when we are in despair. We feel as if we are being tossed about by our circumstances, never knowing whether we will be able to endure it all. In our anguish we cry out for security and strength to live and we turn to all sorts of things in the hope of attaining what we seek. But what ends up happening is that when storms come, these cords which we have trusted in to keep us secure are prone to snap; leaving us at the mercy of the wind and the waves. Where then can we find that strength which will last us through the unendurable? It is only when we have rooted ourselves in Christ. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts and submit ourselves to Him, He will lead us according to His perfect will. By living in obedience to Him and trusting in who He is, He will not allow us to be overtaken by the storms around us; empowering and sustaining us to preserve as He works through our situations for His great purposes.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” –Exodus 15:2 (NIV)

I once remember coming across an interesting account of a group of Christians in ancient Rome. Persecuted for their faith in Christ they were in chains and were being led to the coliseum to be ripped apart by wild animals. But what struck the people observing this procession was that the Christians were singing and celebrating! Where there would normally be weeping and mourning, there was joy and a confident expectation of a glorious hope. The sight struck people both as odd and as admirable that these children of Christ would have such boldness in the face of death. It has been proven that part of the reason that Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire was the witness of these Christians under persecution; causing many to seek to learn more about Christ and accept Him as Lord.

How often do we have the same attitude in the face of suffering? When confronted by adverse circumstances, the song in our hearts is usually one of despair rather than hope and joy. Feeling crushed under the weight of our trials we feel helpless and weak. Such feelings then give way to hopelessness and we succumb to a defeatist attitude which tells us that victory will forever elude us. However there is hope in the Lord of the Universe; who stand omnipotent over all. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and work in our lives, he will strengthen us by His Spirit. In leaning on Him and allowing ourselves to be rooted in His Word, we will find that strength and boldness which only comes from knowing that He works all things together for His perfect plan for us. Resting in Him we will be able to sing boldly, even in the direst of circumstances, for as Romans 8:37 says, “…we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Christ has overcome sin and death through His own death and resurrection. As His children who have become like Him in His death and resurrection, we have a strength derived from the eternal hope of being made one with 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.