Tag: Perseverance

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Joyful Fellowship with God and Man, Part 4: Keeping at It (1 John 2:15–29)

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I had the privilege a couple of weeks ago of visiting with a missionary to Japan. He had spent a long time of preparation to get him to the place where he now is. He is now ready to plant a church. One of the obstacles to planting a church in Japan was that he had to learn Japanese, which is a very complicated language that is very different from English. He spent 50 hours a week in language school for a year! One thing he realized was that learning Japanese was like learning English. It just took time. He just had to keep at it.

And so many good things in life are like that. To really enjoy it and get better at it, it just takes time. There are two problems with this. First, we can’t do everything. We can’t enjoy everything or be good at everything. We have to focus. We can’t wait too long to choose, either, because time is short. The second is that many things keep us from keeping at it. Some are inside us. Others are outside of us.

One of the most important things that we can do with our lives is joyful fellowship with God and man. There is really no more important pursuit than this. Without it, everything else loses its value. This is the heart of life, to know and fellowship with God and the people He has made. However, in order to enjoy this fellowship, there is one simple thing we absolutely must do: keep at it. This is hard because there are things things that throw us off our game and keep us from keeping at it. Some of those are inside us. Some of those are outside us. Fortunately, we are not left without resources. We have some amazing resources to enable us to keep at it. So, those will be the four ways we will look at this theme of keeping at it: the command, the internal and external challenges, and the resources.

The Command to Keep at It
The key to this section is the command that God gives us to keep at it, to continue in what we have received. John writes, “And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming” (1 John 2:28). Keeping at it means keeping in Him. This means that we continue in fellowship with Him. John tells us to continue in Him so that we will be ready when He comes again. Now, whether we are alive when He comes again or whether we die and go to meet Him, the goal is that we continue with Him in such a way that we are living in fellowship with Him on earth and are ready to simply transition to fellowship with Him in heaven. Continue reading “Joyful Fellowship with God and Man, Part 4: Keeping at It (1 John 2:15–29)”

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The Amazing Benefits of the Cross: Preservation (Heb. 9:11–15)

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How do we know that we will make it ultimately to heaven? There are many things that could turn us aside and lead us astray. There are many challenges that we will face. How do we know that our destiny is secure?

Let’s put this another way. One way that people have often shared the Gospel is by asking, “If you died tonight, do you know for certain that you would be in heaven?” That question is designed to show them they need to receive Jesus as their Savior to be assured of eternal life.

But here’s another question. If you die 10 years from now, can you be sure that you’ll be in heaven? How do you know you’ll still be trusting in the Lord? Maybe you’ve never thought about it, but, once you think about it deeply, it can be rather disconcerting.

The answer to that question is what we want to explore today. We will see today one more amazing benefit of the cross: preservation. It is the assurance that God will not only give us salvation but also assures us that He will keep us in it forever, through all the difficulties and challenges of this life. The blood of the cross testifies that we are secure.

The Background of the Sacrifice
In the context of the Bible, Jesus’ death on the cross is the fulfillment of the temple and the sacrificial system. Whenever you read the Old Testament and see the temple or sacrifices, it is pointing forward to Jesus and His atoning death on the cross. As John the Baptist said, “Behold! The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Or, as Paul said, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”

When Israel left Egypt, God established a tent where He was to be worshipped that was called the “tabernacle.” Later, Solomon built a permanent dwelling called the temple. It was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, and then rebuilt when the Jews returned to their land following the edict of King Cyrus the Great of Persia.

The temple consisted of four rooms. The first was the Court of the Gentiles. This place was where the people of the nations could come and worship. They could not enter the temple proper. The next room, the Outer Court, was where the Jewish people could enter to worship God. In that room, there was the bronze altar for sacrifice and bronze basin for washing. The third room, The Holy Place, was a room only the priests could enter. In it, there was the altar of incense, the table with the bread of the presence, and the menorah, the seven-branched candlestick continually burning. Finally, there was the Holy of Holies. Only the high priest could enter it and only once a year to make sacrifices on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This room contained the ark of the covenant, the great symbol and dwelling place of the presence of God in the Old Testament.

Now, to understand the temple, we should understand that the temple represents the universe, the cosmos. The Outer Court is the earth. The Holy Place represents the heavens. The Holy of Holies represents the throne room of God. It is above or beyond the heavens. We might think of the throne room of God as being in another dimension, using the terms of modern physics.

What the temple teaches us is to think of the world as the temple of God. We are here to see, enjoy, and worship God. However, our sin has brought division between us and God. The highest heaven is closed to us. We need it to be re-opened and heaven and earth united so that this world can be the holy temple to God that God intended it to be.

The work of the high priest pointed to a restoration of the world temple of God. The high priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year to make a sacrifice with the blood of another. This pointed to a restoration, but it had to be repeated, over and over again, every single year. What this means is that, “This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper” (Heb. 9:9). We are looking for something better, and that is where Jesus and His cross come in.

The Fact of the Sacrifice
Jesus did not enter the Holy of Holies. He went into what it pointed to, the highest heavens, the throne room of God. “But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation” (Heb. 9:11). He did not enter into a copy of the the throne room of God but the reality.

When He went, He brought a sacrifice but not the sacrifice of another. “He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12). Take note: this sacrifice, unlike the sacrifices of the Old Testament, obtains eternal redemption. The word redemption means payment. It is a full and complete payment that lasts forever. We will return to this point later.

The author of Hebrews contrasts Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament. These sacrifices did serve a purpose. They needed to make them outwardly clean in order to participate in the temple worship. “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean” (Heb. 9:13). They had some effect but could not cleanse the conscience.

The author then uses this efficacy of the animal sacrifices to then make a comparison. “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Heb. 9:14). It is important to note the wording here. Christ was an unblemished sacrifice. He was a human being who did not sin. But He was more than a man. If he was a mere man, His death would not be sufficient to pay for the sins of the world. He would have to suffer for one person and suffer forever. That would not make a full or eternal redemption. However, He was the Son of God. He offered Himself through “the eternal Spirit.” It was His divine nature that gave the sacrifice infinite efficacy and value so that He could pay for the human race and do it in three days, rising again, showing that His sacrifice was fully accepted! We cannot not praise this sacrifice in any higher words! It is the sacrifice of God for men, but He could not make the sacrifice unless He was a man. That’s why it’s so important to understand the two natures in one person.

The Results of the Sacrifice
What does this sacrifice do? It cleanses the conscience. It gives a real answer to the conscience. The conscious accuses us of sin and is also corrupted because of sin. Thus, it needs a full cleansing. The blood of Christ cleanses us from the guilt and corruption of sin. That’s justification and sanctification! It says that the accusations no longer have effect and that we are now empowered to live a new life.

What is the result? “[S]o that we may serve the living God!” (Heb. 9:14). This word “serve” probably refers to the worship in the temple. The priests serve in His holy temple. We join that service. As it says in Heb. 12:28–29, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.'” We become worshippers in God’s true temple. This is true in our Sunday worship as we approach the true Mount Zion each week in church, and it is true throughout the week as we present our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord. The world is the temple of the Lord, and we are called to observe His works and sing His praise. This is our calling each day, each week, and for the rest of our lives.

The author of Hebrews makes another point, though. This sacrifice restores us forever. “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant” (Heb. 9:15). Once we are called, Christ, through His terrible death on the cross, guarantees that those who are called receive the eternal inheritance. In other words, Christ’s death preserves us. Christ’s death keeps us. Christ’s death insures that we will make it to the end. This is part of His covenant or testament, the gift He bequeaths to us because of His death on the cross. This is one of the amazing benefits of the cross, we are His forever. If we are Christ’s, we can be sure that we will not only be His today but His forever.

Now, there are a couple of questions that arise in relationship to this teaching. First, isn’t it required for us to persevere? In other words, it’s not as if someone could once believe in Christ and then turn their back on Him and be saved, is it?

This is accurate. We must persevere. We must hold on to what we have been taught. We must not give up our hope. But here is what happens. Christ guarantees that we will persevere. He preserves us so that we persevere. Citing Jeremiah 31, the author of Hebrews says that in contrast to the unfaithfulness of Israel in the wilderness, God will make sure that we are faithful, “This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Heb. 8:10). This promise the author of Hebrews applies to us, the true people of God, the true Israel of God. Christ’s death insures that all those who belong to this people will make it to the end and remain faithful.

The second question is, what about the warnings of falling away? Well, it is certainly true that people can fall away from the visible church after experiencing some of its blessings, but they were never true believers who had obtained the eternal inheritance. Hebrews has some of the most severe warnings in Scripture against falling away, yet it also says things like, “Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation” (Heb. 6:9). And, “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved” (Heb. 10:39). Those who have true faith and are called and heirs will not be lost but kept unto the end.

Conclusion
There are so many angles from which we can examine the cross. It is the center of human history and a source of endless wonder, a wonder that even the angels desire to look into.

In this series, we have seen that Christ’s terrible and agonizing death on the cross gets us amazing benefits. He pays everything, and we get everything. We are justified. This means we are declared righteous because of Jesus’ righteousness. We stand perfect and innocent before the throne of God, fully forgiven of all our sins. We are adopted. We not only are criminals who are pardoned, we become princes and princesses in God’s kingdom, exalted to the highest position. We are sanctified. We are delivered from the power of sin and made more and more able to live unto God and die to the ways of sin.

Today, we learn one more amazing benefit. Once we have all these things, Christ’s death preserves us in them. He who began a good work will carry it on unto completion. We don’t have to let the threat of persecution or sword or temptation or the devil make us fear that we won’t make it. Through the covenant established by the death of our mediator, we who are called will certainly and infallibly attain the eternal inheritance. That is an amazing benefit indeed. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

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The Tragedy of King Asa (2 Chronicles 14–16)

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It’s a new year. Even if you haven’t thought about it yet, you have a whole new year ahead of you to do good. Let’s not waste it.

As we turn to the book of 2 Chronicles, we find the stories of 20 kings of Judah and King Solomon. Each story is different. As the reign of each king began, they had a fresh start. Some had a godly father and a good example to follow. Others had an evil father and a terrible example to follow. At the beginning of each reign, each king had to ask, what am I going to do with my reign? “I am in charge,” they might say, “and I have responsibility to do something for my kingdom.” What would they do? A whole reign in front of them. How would they rule? A whole year in front of us, how will we live it?

The Background of Asa’s Story
The story of 2 Chronicles begins with a united kingdom of Israel under the reign of King Solomon. In many ways, the reign of Solomon was full of splendor and wonder. It was a brilliant reflection of the glory of the future reign of Jesus Christ.

On the other hand, Solomon’s reign had some real problems. It was oppressive and demanded a lot from the Israelites. When Solomon died, his son Rehoboam took the throne. The people asked him to lighten their load. Rehoboam had a choice to make. The ball was now in his court. What would he do? How would he rule?

The older counselors from Solomon’s time urged him to listen to the people. The younger men with whom he had grown up with said that he should not. He listened to the younger men, and the result was that the northern tribes revolted from the house of David. Instead of one kingdom, there was now two. The northern kingdom was called Israel. The southern kingdom was called Judah. The house of David reigned over the land of Judah, and the book of 2 Chronicles tells the story of this kingdom from the reign of Rehoboam in the 10th century B.C. until the fall of the kingdom to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 587.

One thing Rehoboam had going for him was that he had the temple and the true worship of God. Jeroboam, the first king of Israel, set up an alternative temple with a golden calf and his own priesthood. As a result, many people emigrated from the norther kingdom, Israel, and came to live in the southern kingdom. We read, “They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, following the ways of David and Solomon during this time” (2 Chron. 11:17).

Then, things turned around. “After Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the Lord” (2 Chron. 12:1). The book of 2 Kings tells us that “Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up [God’s] jealous anger more than those who were before them had done” (1 Kings 14:22). So, Rehoboam had the temple and the true worship, but it did him no good because he did not embrace it with faith.

Rehoboam’s son Abijah reigned in his place. The book of 2 Chronicles does not make a pronouncement about him, but the book of 1 Kings tells us, “He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been” (1 Kings 15:3). Abijah and Rehoboam both did some things right, but their reigns were not characterized by seeking the Lord.

The Good Part of Asa’s Story
The next in line was Asa, the great grandson of King Solomon. What was Asa going to do? Would he go back to the ways of his Great-Great Grandfather David, or would he follow in the ways of Rehoboam and Abijah?

The name Asa means “doctor” or “healer,” and he brought healing to the land. “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God” (2 Chron. 14:2). Asa did what was right and good in the eyes of the Lord. What does that entail?

1. He devoted himself to the worship of God. “He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles” (2 Chron. 14:3). Because of the proliferation of idols in Judah, the temple of the Lord had fallen into disrepair. “[Asa] repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the portico of the Lord’s temple” (2 Chron. 15:8). Note carefully that he repaired the altar. This was a recognition that they needed an atoning sacrifice to seek the Lord. Whenever we read of the temple, we need to think about Christ and His sacrifice because that is what it pointed to.

2. He devoted himself to the community of God. Notice that he did not simply think about himself. “He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands” (2 Chron. 14:4). When he repaired the temple, he gathered everyone together to renew their commitment to the Lord. “They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul” (2 Chron. 15:12).

3. He devoted himself to the duty given by God. He was called to be king. This meant he was supposed to lead the people in the right direction. He was also supposed to defend the nation from its enemies and give them deliverance. The land had rest from enemies during most of Asa’s reign, but he did not waste the time given to him. He said, “Let us build up these towns and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars” (2 Chron. 14:7). In addition, he equipped his army “with large shields and with spears . . . [and] with small shields and with bows” (2 Chron. 14:8). “So, they built and prospered” (2 Chron. 14:7).

4. He relied on the power of God. Even though he built up the army and built walls around the cities, he did not rely on them. Inevitably, an enemy came to attack Judah. In this case, it was Zerah, the Cushite, from Africa (2 Chron. 14:9). When the enemy came upon him, he prayed, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you” (2 Chron. 14:11). The Lord heard him, and “they were crushed before the LORD and his forces.” Asa had strength, but he relied on God as his ultimate hope.

At that point, God sent a prophet, Azariah son of Obed, to encourage Asa. He said, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him he will forsake you” (2 Chron. 15:2). What this meant was that Asa should not give up doing what He was doing. Even if they had sinned against the Lord, they could humble themselves and find grace and forgiveness. Asa was on the right track, so God told him through Azariah, “as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded” (2 Chron. 15:7).

The Tragedy of Asa’s Story
The words “do not give up” turned out to be rather poignant. Unfortunately, Asa’s very good start was not the end of the story. Asa did many more good things, so much so that the text can say that “he was committed to the Lord all his life.” Now, by “all his life,” the text clearly means, “consider the whole of his life.” At the end, Asa had a total breakdown. He did give up. What happened?

Baasha, King of Israel, began to prepare for war and stop people from emigrating to Judah. Asa began to feel anxiety. There is a close connection between anxiety and sin. Much of our sin is rooted in anxiety. Now, let me be clear here. There is nothing wrong with anxiety as such. Anxiety is the emotion we get in the face of a threat. The question is always, what do we do with our anxiety?

In this case, Asa did not turn to the Lord. Instead, he sought the help of Ben Hadad, King of Aram, modern day Syria. The result was apparently successful. Ben Hadad attacked, and Baasha withdrew. However, success is not always success. It is not enough to get the right result. We have to do it the right way. God sent Hanani the seer or prophet to him and said,

Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. Were not the Cushites and Libyans a might army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war (2 Chron. 16:7–9).

Asa had done so well, but he did not continue doing good unto the end.

After that, things got worse. Asa did not humble himself. At the end, Asa got a disease in his feet. Even this did not humble Asa, “Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians” (2 Chron. 16:12). Notice that it does not say that it was wrong for him to seek the physicians. Rather, it was wrong to seek the physicians and not “seek help from the Lord.” The next year, Asa died.

Lessons from Asa’s Story
What are we to make of this story? First, we should see these kings as pointers to Christ. David had intended to build a house for God’s name, but God had told him that his son Solomon would build the temple:

. . . you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He is the one who will build a house for my Name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever (2 Chron. 22:9–10).

Solomon did build the temple, but this passage clearly refers to someone greater. It refers to the one who will reign over the house of David forever, which Solomon did not. This passage ultimately refers to the one whom the angel announced to Mary as King whose kingdom would have no end. 2 Chron. 22:9–10 shows us the connection between these kings and the great future king, our Lord Jesus Christ.

The evil kings show us our need for a better king. The good kings show us something of the goodness of the reign of Christ but in their weakness and death make us long for that coming king.

Consider Christ in relation to Asa. Christ seeks the Lord all his life. Christ defends His people from enemies. Christ walks before the Father and seeks Him. Christ renews His people in the worship of the Lord. Christ provides an altar and a sacrifice for His people by sacrificing Himself. The good in King Asa points to Christ.

However, though Asa in some ways points to Christ, he also points to us. We need to learn lessons from him about how live our lives. What are they? First, are we committing to seeking the Lord? What labor and effort are we putting into our relationship with the Lord? Is it a priority? When we seek the Lord, we will be found by Him.

Second, are we walking in humility before the Lord? One thing that Asa should teach us is our need for humility. We are dependent on God. Even our seeking of God is dependent on God. We need His help. Are we relying on ourselves for success in our homes, our business, our finances, our work, our community, our politics, or are we walking before the Lord in humility and seeking his blessing? As the Psalmist puts it, we need to build the building but always remember that unless the Lord builds the house, he labors in vain who builds it.

Third, what are we doing with anxiety? Why did Asa fail to persevere in seeking the Lord? He let anxiety control him. Anxiety is inevitable, but what are we doing with it? Are we bringing it before the Lord? Are we seeking those who will encourage us? Or are we seeking our own solution to it independent from the Lord or simply withdrawing from life? We’ve got to watch our fears and keep them continually before the Lord.

Fourth and finally, are we letting good times and success go to our head? After we experience success over a long period of time, it’s easy to think we are the source of it. That’s what Asa did. Moses warned the people about this:

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God . . . You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today (Dt. 8:10–11a, 17–18).

If times are going well, if you are feeling like you’ve succeeded, watch out! You may forget the Lord your God. Hard times produce many temptations, but good times often produce many more.

And so, as we begin this new year, let us recommit ourselves to the Lord, to continue seeking him. Let us not grow weary in doing good, for we shall reap a harvest, if we do not give up.