THE LIVING WORD

           Here is a summary of a speech/sermon I gave on Sept. 12th at an apartment complex. I am posting this for the reader’s personal enjoyment. Enjoy!
CHRIST: THE LIVING WORD
READ: John 1:1-14 & 1 John 1
          There are many things throughout the Scriptures that Christ reveals about Himself. I plan to quote from many different places in Scripture throughout this sermon for the sake of giving those of you who are listening a deeper understanding of our desperate need to be “students of the Word,” and to assure you that the message I bring is not made up. May God’s Spirit fill our hearts with joy as He has chosen to reveal His Son to us, who are simply clay vessels in the hand of the Potter!
            Understand that to cover all of the different ways in which Christ reveals Himself throughout the Scriptures would take a series of sermons over a number of days. One could speak of Christ as the Great Shepherd who leads, guides, and protects His sheep as found in passages such as Psalm 23, Isaiah 53, John 10, etc… At least three more sermons could consist in Christ as our Chief Prophet (Master and Teacher), Christ as our High Priest (Mediator and Intercessor), and Christ as our Eternal King (Ruler and Judge). You can probably see where I am going with this. Our primary focus today is, “What is He revealing to us in the text?”
            You may notice in these passages that there are many similarities. The Apostle John is calling our attention to the glorious reality of Christ’s revelation of Himself as the Word of Life. He doesn’t call our attention to his own excellent writing skills or the fact that he was one of Jesus’ closest disciples (even as he often referred to himself throughout his gospel as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”), and that is why we should read his books as they are recorded in the Bible. John, through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, is merely the human instrument that God had ordained to write these chapters. He directs all of our attention to the glory of Christ, in all of its fullness.
            John takes a different approach through His writing than you perhaps would find in the other gospels (Matthew, Mark & Luke). These men focused mainly on Jesus’ life and works while He walked this earth from the viewpoint of His human nature as “in the flesh.” Notice that John, however, focuses chiefly on Christ with respect to His Divine nature as “Almighty God.” Knowing Him in both His Divine and human natures are important to understanding these passages in John 1 and 1 John 1.
            John begins by emphasizing the truth that Christ as the Living Word is “from the beginning…” (vs. 1) To understand this, let us take a brief moment to turn in our Bibles to the creation account given for us in Genesis 1. Here, by the simple 2-letter pronoun “us” in verse 26, God is revealing the One Divine Being of God consisting of different Persons. There we read, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” We find proof in 1 John 5:7 that there are Three Persons in the One Being of God. “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” Going back to Genesis 1, the Triune God is communing with Himself in preparation for the creation of man “in His image…” We see Christ’s presence at Creation as that Word of Life, issuing forth from the mouth of God by Divine authority, as He brings life into existence. More proof of Christ’s presence at Creation is found in Colossians 1:12-17. There we read, “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.”
            The Scriptures make an interesting connection between Christ as the “Life-Giver” and Christ as the “Light-Giver.” Jesus Christ, as “Life-Giver,” gave up His life on the cross and rose again to conquer Death, that great and last enemy, in order that we might dwell with God everlastingly in Glory. He sends forth His Spirit to quicken us (make us alive,) who were under the wrath and curse of God because of our sin.
            Since the fall of our first father Adam into sin, mankind has been under the curse, and death came upon the whole creation. Thus, we were conceived and born in sin. A clearer picture of our human condition as a result of the fall, and of the work that Christ performs through His Spirit, is recorded for us in Ezekiel 16. This chapter (which I strongly encourage everyone to read in their own personal devotions to better grasp God’s love in spite of our sinful human condition) compares our human condition to that of a child, cast out by the side of the street, lying there in its own blood. No one cared for this child. All this child could do is lie there helplessly. Through the prophet Ezekiel, the LORD is reminding the nation of Israel and us of the tremendous love He has for His children. He gives them life, forms and fashions them, and blesses them with grace. In spite of our constant backsliding and waywardness, the LORD’S love for us never changes, and He declares to us and grants us assurance that He will remember His covenant promises to us.
            Our text goes into even greater detail of Christ as the “Light-Giver.” During His earthly ministry, Jesus declared Himself to be the “Light of the World.” God has chosen us in Christ, from before the foundation of the world, to be children of the Light. The Apostle Peter gives testimony to this truth in 1 Peter 2:8 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.”
            The Bible often makes a connection between blindness and darkness, and between light and sight. If one is physically blind, the light of day cannot be seen. In most cases, the blind will need someone or something to lead them, and to show them where to go. Such is the case with spiritual blindness as well. One who is spiritually blind needs someone to lead them toward the light of the sacred truth as we have it recorded in the Bible. The psalmist in Psalm 119 tells us in plain language of his experience as he mediates on the Word. He writes in verse 105 of this chapter, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” We can gather from this that the psalmist understood that apart from Christ, the Living Word, there is only darkness. As a sinner, he acknowledges that all that he has ever known apart from the Word is darkness, and that the only way he can see the path that he must take is by turning to the Word for illumination.  On several different occasions throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus cured people who suffered from physical blindness. There is the example in Matthew 20 of two blind men on the way back from Jericho. Another example is mentioned in John 9, where Jesus healed a man that was born blind. The key thing to notice here in John 9 is that Jesus reveals His purpose for coming into this world. In the last few verses of this chapter, Jesus makes known the revelation that He came into the world for judgment, “…that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with Him heard these words, and said unto Him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.” Here, Jesus makes known that truth that He came not to call the righteous (those who will trust in their own good work to save them), but sinners (those who recognize their need for a Savior) to repentance. The man who was blind was given not only physical sight, but spiritual sight as well. He was given “eyes of faith” to see his own need, and what Christ was revealing about His work in salvation. The Pharisees stand as those who say that they can see, but actually remain in darkness. In their mind, they were righteous in themselves, and believed that they did not need Jesus.
            To drive all of this information closer to home, the question we are left with is this: “Now, what about you?”  Have you known this Jesus as your personal Savior? Perhaps, you stand as one who says, “I’m a pretty good person. God should be happy with how well I have served Him. After all, although I am human, I am not half as bad as many others.” I’m here to tell you that if this is your attitude, you have not understood any of what was previously mentioned about Christ’s revelation of Himself, nor have you understood His purpose for coming to this earth. You stand as one who walks in darkness and will remain in darkness to eternity in Hell.
            On the other hand, perhaps you’ve experienced a time in your life where you felt undone when you realized that you were a dreadful sinner in desperate need of a Savior? Do you feel a compelling desire to bring your sins before God’s throne in humble confession, knowing that you cannot hide them from the God of Light who penetrates through the darkness of our hearts? Has the Spirit driven you to make the same desperate cry that the blind men had made in Jesus’ day, that your eyes may be opened? Then, and only then, can you have the confidence that He will not cast you out, but will fulfill His promise to receive you as a loving Father who receives His prodigal son or daughter with forgiveness in His voice and a warm, loving embrace. Then, you will enjoy this fellowship of which John speaks of in our text. Only in the way of confession and humble obedience will you know true peace and pardon. It is my prayer that all of you will come to know Jesus as your personal Savior, and may His richest grace and blessing be upon all those who love our Lord in sincerity and truth! Amen!

^"IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD, AND TO SING PRAISES UNTO THY NAME, O MOST HIGH: To shew forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound. For Thou, LORD, hast made me glad through Thy work: I will triumph in the works of Thy hands. O LORD, how great are Thy works! and Thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this. When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever: But Thou, LORD, art most high for evermore. For, lo, Thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, Thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. But my horn shalt Thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil. Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; To shew that the LORD is upright: He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him."

Psalm 91 (King James Version)

Psalm 91- "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my Refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him My salvation."

Psalm 69:3 “I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away. O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.”

There are many places in Scripture that speak of this topic of weariness. Sometimes in Scripture, reference is made to the people of God as those who are weary. Sometimes, because of our many failures and shortcomings, the Lord mentions that we weary Him. Also, there is a need to consider texts that comfort and encourage the weary, and to exhort them to live out lives of obedience because of God’s unfailing love shown through His constant acts of mercy for them. We can see clearly that this is a rather broad topic, and I hope that it can be covered in two articles. For this first article regarding the topic of weariness, I plan to write about God’s people as those who are weary.

First of all, we consider the people of God as the “weary ones.” This can be taken from different perspectives. There are three primary ways that God’s people can become weary in well-doing. These ways include the believer’s devotional life, his battle against the enemies of God, and the struggle with his own sinful flesh.

Consider this topic of weariness in regard to the devotional life of the believer. There are many texts in the Scriptures that speak concerning the matter of God’s people becoming weary. Isaiah 43:22 says, “But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.” This verse refers specifically to our lives of constant devotion to God. It can take a large amount of time out of our already busy schedules to spend even a few hours a day meditating on the Word and praying to the Father. We can easily view a life of constant devotion to God as a never ending chore, and we eventually lose interest in spending our time pursuing the heavenly things.

Sometimes, God’s people become weary because of a constant assault upon them by their adversaries. Often, those outside of the church of Christ as she is manifested on Earth pressure the saints to join them in their rebellion against God, and to pursue a life of covetousness. They question God’s knowledge and strive to get the saints to deny their faith, and to doubt God’s love for them. If the onslaught from those outside isn’t troublesome enough, there are the foes within the church that can often pressure those who submit to Christ’s authority found in the inspired Word of God.

Often, a believer can become troubled and weary in a daily struggle against his sinful flesh. Our own sins weary us, so that much time in this life is spent with sorrow and regret. In the consciousness of our sins and misery, we “groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body.” (Romans 8:23) We long for the day when we will experience full and complete deliverance from our sins.

Psalm 6 speaks more of this aspect of weariness with regard to the guilt and sorrow a child of God experiences when he falls into sin, and the fear brought upon his soul because of his spiritual foes. He asks that the Lord will help him and not rebuke him in anger. He realizes how weak and frail he is, and the guilt presses on him so hard that his bones are vexed. The weeping and groaning makes him weary. The pain is so strong that tears pour down, and his eye is consumed with grief. Those who say things like "men don't cry" are void of understanding. Real men pray that God will make them cry when they feel that they have lost that ability. He desires to cry in genuine sorrow for sin. He desires to cry real tears of joy when he hears that his wicked deeds, and the evil motives of his heart, are forgiven only for the sake of the passion and death of his Savior.

Often, we become weary because we forget that we are equipped with the Spirit of the Lord. Micah 3:8 says, “But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.” This is one aspect of how the Spirit moves in the life of the believer. God places His Spirit in His people for rebuking and edifying His church. Also, Christ sends the Spirit as the Comforter to comfort and sustain the weary. This is recorded as “a word in season” in Isaiah 50:4. We, with the prophet Isaiah, testify that “the Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.” (Isaiah 50:4) Since we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, let us walk in that Spirit, and look for opportunities to “lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.” (Hebrews 12)

My next article, Lord willing, will consider this topic of weariness from the aspect of “Wearying God.” In the meantime, the readers are encouraged to read through the Psalms in their daily devotions to capture more of an understanding of this weary life, and the comfort that these “wearied ones” receive as the Spirit unfolds the Word of Life to comfort and sustain the elect in times of adversity.

Luke 7: 47 – “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”

Beloved, in order to properly understand what this text is saying, we must consider what had just taken place prior to the time that Jesus made this statement. Most of us can probably recall the circumstances that led to this truth proclaimed by our Lord. We will take a brief moment to recall why this statement is recorded in God’s Word, and how it is applied to every believer today. In order to do this, we must first take a look at the setting.

First of all, the story begins with an invitation extended to Jesus by a Pharisee named Simon who desired to have Jesus come and eat at his house. Jesus willingly went to Simon’s house, and ate at his table. While they were eating, a woman in the city came into the house with an alabaster box of very costly ointment. One thing mentioned about this woman is that she was a sinner. She approaches the place at the table where Jesus was, trembling in the deep awareness of her sin and misery. Weeping all the while, she washes Jesus’ feet with her tears and dries his feet with her hair. Worshipping Him, she continues by kissing His feet. In spite of the stares from those gathered in the room, she continues to honor Jesus by anointing His feet with this costly ointment.

This she did in the presence of all who were there. Her love for the Lord was so great that none of this attention that she received by the others mattered. The Pharisee himself looks at the sight with disgust. In unbelief, he questions the knowledge and righteousness of Christ. “This man, if He were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth Him: for she is a sinner,” he thought to himself. Surely a righteous man would want nothing to do with such a wretch, and would certainly be quick to rebuke her and send her away!

Jesus knew Simon’s thoughts and proceeds in telling the parable of a creditor which had two debtors; one debtor owing 500 pence, and the other 50 pence. When they had nothing to pay, the creditor cancels their debt, and forgives them both. Jesus then asked Simon which debtor will love the creditor the most. We can rightfully say that Simon was using common sense when he told Jesus that the debtor who would love his creditor most would be the one who had the greatest debt cancelled. Jesus then explained that the situation with this woman was no different. Since her sins were many and her debt to the Lord was great; He gave her the assurance that she had been forgiven for all her sins. Hence, her love for her Lord could no longer be contained.

It would be wise to consider this event figuratively, and focus on the contrast between the characteristics displayed by those who are forgiven much and the characteristics displayed by those who are forgiven little.

Simon’s attitude is clearly portrayed as an attitude of pride and self-righteousness. He displays himself to be one who is “forgiven little” by his lack of love and concern for this godly woman, and ultimately for Christ Himself. He represents those who look at the law merely from an external aspect, and will hold to their own “good works” to give them a free ticket to heaven. These people establish their own righteousness as if they are the standard for all to imitate. Matthew 23 goes into great detail explaining the kind of attitude that was characteristic of the Pharisees. In Matthew 23, Jesus confirms that, instead of receiving God’s favor, these people receive God’s judgment. Because Simon held this woman in contempt, refusing to acknowledge her to be forgiven, he testified by his lack of love that his sins were not forgiven.

The woman here represents the people of God in the deep consciousness of their unworthiness. Imagine with me, if you will, a child who has just been chastised by his father for doing something wrong. This child can’t bear the thought of being under his father’s wrath and anger. So with fear and trembling, he timidly approaches his father. With true sorrow in his heart, he pleads with his father to forgive him, and not to be angry. He says, “I’m sorry, Dad. I have sinned against you and I’m sorry. Please forgive me!” The woman, by her actions, displays a genuine sorrow for her sins, and in godly faith seeks Jesus, believing Him to be the source of her salvation, and there finding hope for deliverance.

One who is truly righteous must look away from himself to Jesus, the “Author and Finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2). The people of God will only be drawn to Christ and look to Him for forgiveness if the Holy Spirit first convicts them of their sin. They may not look at the law externally, but must go deeper to consider the impossibility of keeping the least of God’s commandments. The Holy Spirit does this by giving them a deep awareness that they have provoked the Holy God, and stand exposed to His wrath. The believer must be humbled to truly say from the heart, “Surely, I am the chief of sinners! There is no one on earth that could possibly be less worthy of God’s favor than me.”

This broken, humbled sinner will see himself as naked in God’s sight, and in his shame will approach God’s throne of grace seeking to be the recipient of abounding mercy and love. He comes to Christ in holy fear, by faith believing that he will “in no wise be cast out” from communion with his Savior and Redeemer. He comes to Christ, believing not only that those sins are forgiven, but that he is still loved by God. He finds all of his own righteousness to be filthy rags, and seeks salvation outside of himself. By faith, He looks to the cross of Christ and the work accomplished on that cross.

The church, the true Israel of God, consists of these people who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. These are they which have heard the voice of their Redeemer saying, “Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more.” The one who has been forgiven much will abound in the work of the Lord, seeking to bring hope to the believer who is under a heavy burden of sin. Paul exhorts the church at Ephesus to be “kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32).

The most striking feature to notice here is that those who are the recipients of an overwhelming amount of forgiveness will seek to show love throughout their lives. This love is shown in obedience to the command of Christ. Jesus says, “This is my commandment that ye love one another; that your joy may be full.” Those who love will live thankful lives, and be full of happiness and joy. They will seek not their own welfare, but will seek to be used by God to bring hope in the life of another.

After Jesus teaches His disciples and us the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6, he says, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (verses 14, 15). This passage brings out the necessity for us to truly forgive from the heart. Others will see our joy and respond by saying, “Truly, this love and joy is a clear testimony that this person has been with Jesus, and he has experienced the forgiveness of sins.”

Here are the lyrics to a powerful song that speaks of what Christ accomplished through His death and resurrection:

In Christ alone, my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song.
This Cornerstone, this solid ground; Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love! What depths of peace! When fears are stilled, when strivings cease.
My Comforter, my All in All Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, who took on flesh Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Till on that cross as Jesus died The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory Sin's curse has lost it's grip on me
For I am His and He is mine Brought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Till He returns or calls me home Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

Psalm 122:6-7: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.”

David, in this text, is speaking of how important it is that prayer is made for the peace of Jerusalem. Why is this peace such a concern for him? We are told in Scripture that there was much war in Israel during David’s reign. The nations about Israel were constantly making war with Israel. David’s strong desire for peace was of a different nature, although the wars were a concern for him. This desire of which he speaks in this psalm was a concern for the church, as he thinks about church life, and the relationship of believers in the church to one another. David understood this need for peace in the church, and the need is ever increasing as we approach the end of time.

Is this peace our experience today? We’ve all heard of that dreadful “grapevine.” Sins of gossip and slander are common to all of us. All of us have used our sharp tongues to spread hurtful news about a brother or sister. Sure, all of God’s people fall into sin. Sometimes, these sins are very dreadful sins. Those who fall dreadfully are often the victims of the slander of the grapevine, which brings another question to mind. How can those who have fallen so far have peace with God, when the latest news going around in their own circles is a reminder of what they have done? On top of that, they are afflicted in their own conscience, and fight against a sinful flesh that loves that sin. These people need to be assured of the forgiveness of sin, just as much as those “who have no sin.” True peace is hard to find when people bite and devour one another with their words.

Perhaps we don’t associate ourselves with this gossip chain. Maybe there is another way that we destroy our brothers and sisters in Christ. One way that comes to mind is the sin of hypocrisy. Perhaps we have that accusatory finger. We can think that we do service to someone by going to them and screaming, “REPENT! REPENT!” at the top of our lungs. We often make that our righteousness before God.

We must be careful in the way that we go to someone who has sinned. We go to them in love, knowing our own depravity, and truly desiring their repentance. The sins of slander and hypocrisy are the most common ways we destroy others with our tongues. This is what James speaks of in Chapter 3 of his book when he says, “the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and is set on fire of hell,” and again, “the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” He also goes on to tell us that there is “confusion and every evil work” where the tongue is used in this way. (Verse 16).

Sure, it’s easy for us to long for peace if we are the victims of the gossip and slander, but it is equally important to pray for the peace of Jerusalem even when we have peace in our individual lives. After the words of the text considered, David gave the reason why we must always be fervent in our prayers for peace. We desire peace, not so we can feel good about ourselves and forget the rest, but “for my brethren and companion’s sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee” (Verse 8). That is why it is a deep need of ours as well as it was for Old Testament Israel to dwell in sweet accord.

What is it to have this peace, and who has this peace? This peace is the experience of the child of God whose only comfort is that he belongs to Christ. It is the feeling of joy that overwhelms the prodigal son as he is welcomed home, and embraced by the loving arms of his father. It is the experience of the believer as he stands washed in the blood of the Lamb. Only those whose sins are not imputed to them can experience this peace.

Where do we find this peace? This peace is found in the Prince of Peace, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He alone can give us the wisdom and peace from above. “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace with them that make peace.” (James 3:17-18). It speaks of the blessing of being a peacemaker. In order to make peace, this peace must already dwell in you by God’s sovereign grace.

Does this peace fill your heart today? Perhaps there is unrest in your soul because of your sin. Do you feel crushed underneath the burden of guilt on your shoulders? Does the cloud of doubt and despair hide the light of day? Do you feel unworthy to have the peace and joy of salvation? Be assured that your redemption lies in the cross of Christ, and with boldness in the confidence of faith approach the throne of grace in prayer. Salvation is for those who know their unworthiness, but who confess that the Lamb is worthy. His righteousness is imputed to us, because He took our sins and nailed it to His cross. Living in this assurance, we dwell in unity in the church, and “there the Lord commands His blessing, even life for evermore.” (Psalm133:3).

I admit that I have been neglecting my blog and spending a considerable amount of time on Facebook instead. But it seems as if people are still being strengthened in their faith by the things I have posted here. I plan to take a little break from the Psalms and post a few of the articles that I have written since I have started an account on Blogger.

For a couple of years now, I have begun writing articles for the Beacon Lights, a Protestant Reformed Church magazine. To give those who have read my blog an exposure to some of the articles I have written (mostly from experience), and to become familiar with some of the teachings of the Protestant Reformed Churches, I plan to use the next few posts for that purpose. Here is one that I have written titled, "Living a Pilgrim's Life:"

1 Peter 2:9-11 - “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

Many of us are familiar with John Bunyan’s story of “the Pilgrims Progress.” In this book, we see a man named Christian, dwelling in his house with his wife and children. One important thing to notice here in the setting of the story is that Christian is carrying a heavy burden on his back. This burden represents the heavy burden of sin that every believer carries, but only when the Spirit of regeneration works in the heart does the Christian realize it as a grievous burden sinking him deeper and deeper. At the very moment when the Spirit gives the conviction of the existence of sin in the sinner, He also gives the feeling of guilt or regret for these sins, and a desire to be rid of that burden of sin. The Spirit then continues to work in such a way as to bring the guilty sinner to his knees with the earnest, desperate cry, “What must I do to be saved?”

This was exactly the kind of conviction that Christian had, which led him to flee from his house and from the City of Destruction, and seek deliverance. Once he came to the place where the cross stood, and beheld the glorious mystery of the work that was accomplished there, he experienced that deliverance. Finally the burden he had so earnestly wanted to get rid of fell off from him, and rolled down the hill and was buried in the sepulcher at the bottom of the hill. Now that he was free, he had no desire to head back to the city in which he dwelt. He saw that city as Egypt, the spiritual place of bondage. Rather, he looked for a home far away from the vanities of this present world. He continued his journey until he reached the Celestial City, which was a picture of Heaven. During the course of this journey, the Word of God was his only rule for faith and life. He turned to this Word whenever he fought against his spiritual foes; through that Word he gained the victory.

Such is the experience of every child that God has called out of this world into His marvelous Light. The Spirit gives us a deep awareness of our sin and misery, causing us to seek some way to be delivered from the guilt and power of sin. The Spirit then points to the cross, and draws the elect irresistibly by its power to believe that the sacrifice of the Lamb of God on the cross undoubtedly covers his sins. The believer is granted the assurance that this Lamb of God is his complete Savior, so he knows that in the sight of the Holy and Just God he is righteous, but only through the death and resurrection of the Lamb. Because of the victory that Christ has accomplished for us, we are called to be pilgrims and strangers here on earth. A pilgrim is defined as a traveler to a holy place. Our life here on earth is set in that light. We set our eyes toward that goal, and seek to do so without looking to the left or right. With all fervency, we “press toward the mark” of our high calling. We learn that we are those who are set apart from the citizens of the kingdoms of this world.

Is this pilgrim’s life for everyone? Do all men have a desire to flee from sin in all of its forms? Of course not! The Bible is clear that only some people belong in the categories mentioned in the text in 1 Peter 2. In the context of verse 9, Peter refers to a chosen generation and a peculiar people. This means that from the vast multitude of all of the people that have lived or will live, there is a certain remnant that is looking for a city “which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” ( Hebrews 11:10) These elect are brought to a realization of a need for a spiritual mindset, “for to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

A spiritual mind is crucial for living a Christian life. Romans 8:7 reminds us that we are engaged in spiritual warfare against carnality. The carnal mind is enmity against God! In a materialistic culture, we often lose sight of the fact that we are fighting a battle against earthly-mindedness. In our abundance, we feel pretty comfortable with this world and what it has to offer. Our inclination is to surrender to the enemy, forgetting our victory that we have over the enemy in and through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Satan uses cunning tactics and military strategies that are designed with all craftiness to allure us to walk after the flesh, and not after the Spirit. One enticing way he does this is by causing us to forget our obligation to be good stewards of our time. Satan uses Hollywood to snare Christians to take their mind off of their heavenly home and to find a life of fun and entertainment here below. How easy it is to spend several hours a day watching the television and very little time praying and meditating on the things of God! We can easily be deceived into thinking that if its behind a TV screen, the filth of this world isn’t really so bad.

The internet is another tool Satan uses to keep the Christian from a pursuit of holiness. We all know the dangers in their vilest forms (pornography, violence, blaspheming God, etc.). Understand that Satan will stop at nothing to make our spiritual senses numb! Some more crafty and cunning ways Satan snares us are through the time we spend on Facebook, YouTube, etc. These things can be used for the spread of the Gospel and the edification of the Church, but I believe that if most of us are honest with ourselves, we realize that most of our time online usually is a waste.

Scripture makes it clear that the devil masquerades himself as an angel of light, causing us to lose sight of the reality that he is a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6 that we wrestle against principalities and powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places.If we are those who be of a spiritual mind, we must put on the whole armor of God. Ephesians 6 says that we must be equipped to fight these spiritual foes. We are equipped with truth, righteousness, faith, and the gospel of peace. We wear the helmet of salvation, so that our head is guarded against any carnal doubt that may instill in our minds concerning our redemption in Christ. We fight with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We fight also by means of prayer. We pray for boldness as we fight to make known the mystery of the gospel. We have the assurance that God’s Word will not return to Him void. We must be fervent, and lay down our lives for the sake of that gospel!

May God grant us a deeper knowledge of our salvation, and always cause us to persevere as those who seek a heavenly country that God has prepared for us, where He is not ashamed to be called our God! (Hebrews 11:16)