09-21-09
J.A. Matteson
"And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD." Leviticus 10:1-2
The same divine fire which earlier sanctified Nadab and Abihu to the priesthood now lethally consumes them. The office to which they were divinely elected represented a sacred trust, they were to intercede before the Lord on behalf of the sins of the people, and to the people they were to make known the oracles of the Lord. The brevity of their service is underscored and so is their glaring sin.
After leaving Egypt the Lord revealed to Moses and Aaron that Israel was to perpetually offer to Him a morning and evening (twilight) sacrifice, “The one lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight...The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it the same grain offering and the same drink offering as in the morning, for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD” (Ex. 29:39, 41). The blood of the sacrifice was placed on the horns of the altar and poured out at its base to symbolically illustrate that life belongs to the Lord, hence the prohibition to eat meat with blood, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement” (Lev. 17:11).
It would appear that Nadab and Abihu, the Lord’s representatives before Israel, were guilty of self-willed worship that trifled with the clear commands previously stated. The morning sacrifice had already been offered and it may have been mid-day when the offense took place (Lev. 9:17). It is also plausible that the brothers were intoxicated which would account for the subsequent stern warning from the Lord to Aaron (Lev. 10:9). It is likely that the men were guilty of not sanctifying the Lord in their hearts to obey His commands, thus profaning His name before the people, a grievous sin, one that was met with swift and holy retribution before the people.
The quintessential attribute of the Lord is His holiness, or transcendent otherness, and He typically does not excuse anyone who willfully diminishes it. Perhaps Nadab and Abihu in their intoxicated state were goaded by the people to offer them a dazzling show of fire from heaven as before. The scene may be reminiscent of Aaron being goaded by the people to fashion the golden calf (Ex. 32:4). Seeking the glory of men they acquiesced and presented an offering at mid-day not authorized by the Lord, and He quickly brought down the dazzling fire the people had hoped for, but ironically the brothers ended up being the sacrifice, receiving justice instead of mercy, “…for the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).
The application of this historical event remains; viz., those who draw near to the Lord in worship must come on His terms and not their own, especially those sanctified to service in ministerial positions within the Church, for they are to be examples of holiness before the flock. The Lord does not suffer fools who seek the vain glory of men and will hold them accountable for their sin, what they sew they will reap for the Lord of Glory will not be mocked. After the death of Nadab and Abihu a healthy fear of the Lord came upon Aarron, his remaining sons, and the people, a reverence which brought spiritual cleansing to the camp.
The same type of spiritual cleansing is seen again in the early church after the death of Ananias and Sapphira, “So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things…yet none of the rest dared to join them, but the people esteemed them highly” (Acts 5:5, 13). The insincere and superficial “professors” stayed away from the pious followers of Christ in fear of their lives.
Beloved, as a holy priesthood in Christ, we may draw near to the Lord with confidence, so long as we do so with a heart circumcised through obedience and reverence to His holy name (Heb. 4:16), but woe to the man or woman who tramples upon the holiness of God in worship in exchange for the fleeting glory sought from sinners. Let not that person expect to receive anything from the Lord but holy retribution.
Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
Monday, September 21, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Naked and Condemned
09.17.09
J.A. Matteson
"Now if anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and becomes guilty…." Leviticus 4:27
If, as Scripture testifies, God is moral, then by necessity in accordance to His own character a future time of reckoning will come to pass when the wickedness of men will be judged by Him who is altogether righteous. The sons of Adam walk about on the face of the earth and their existence is feeble before the eyes of Him with whom they must give an account.
Spiritually blind and deaf and unbeknownst to them, their daily wanderings are chronicled perfectly; indeed, every dark thought entertained in the inner recesses of the mind is captured, each careless word spoken in haste recorded, all their deeds motivated by pride, greed, and avarice will be laid bare before the Lord of Glory. Blissfully ignorant of his immanent peril the sinner stands naked and condemned before His judge (Jn. 3:18), vulnerable, and his moment-by-moment existence is by the mercy of the Lord, "Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? How often does calamity come upon them, the fate God allots in his anger? How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a gale?” (Job 21:17-18).
Sinner, you have suppressed the reality of your plight, denying any awareness of the certain doom and destruction which awaits you (Rom. 1:18). You know in your heart—your conscience bearing witness—you are guilty of transgressing the righteousness of God—your defiled mind is still able to convict you of wrong, but you muse to yourself that all appears to be going well, you continue to prosper in every way and even enjoy good health, and your past acts of wickedness have not been exposed by others or met with divine retribution, you have convinced yourself that you have gone unnoticed.
You fool! With every breath you are storing up for yourself divine wrath, for the day of divine retribution is near where the fury of the Lord of Hosts will be unleashed against you; hear the Apostle, “because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed’ (Rom. 2:5). As an ant in the path of a tornado or a gnat at ground zero of a nuclear blast you will be obliterated in an instant, mercy will be withheld, your pleas will be unheard, and your eternal demise sealed, “But since you rejected Me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out My hand, since you ignored all My advice and would not accept My rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you—when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. Then they will call to Me but I will not answer; they will look for Me but will not find Me. Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord….” (Pr. 1:26-29).
In your ignorance you have repeatedly transgressed the Law of God throughout your life, and on judgment day claiming ignorance of the Law will not be an adequate defense as the righteousness of the Lord demands that justice be metered out in order to preserve His quintessential character of holiness. By grace the Lord sent forth His Son, Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for sinners as their substitute with the wrath of God poured out on Him, as a result all who look to Him in faith as their sin bearer will be passed over when the fury of the wrath of God is revealed, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners….” (1 Tim. 1:15).
On judgment day you can either stand before God and attempt to defend yourself—in which case you will be consigned to hell; or, you can have the Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, plead your defense in which case you will be acquitted and spend eternity in heaven. The time is near and the choice is yours, choose wisely.
Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
J.A. Matteson
"Now if anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and becomes guilty…." Leviticus 4:27
If, as Scripture testifies, God is moral, then by necessity in accordance to His own character a future time of reckoning will come to pass when the wickedness of men will be judged by Him who is altogether righteous. The sons of Adam walk about on the face of the earth and their existence is feeble before the eyes of Him with whom they must give an account.
Spiritually blind and deaf and unbeknownst to them, their daily wanderings are chronicled perfectly; indeed, every dark thought entertained in the inner recesses of the mind is captured, each careless word spoken in haste recorded, all their deeds motivated by pride, greed, and avarice will be laid bare before the Lord of Glory. Blissfully ignorant of his immanent peril the sinner stands naked and condemned before His judge (Jn. 3:18), vulnerable, and his moment-by-moment existence is by the mercy of the Lord, "Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? How often does calamity come upon them, the fate God allots in his anger? How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a gale?” (Job 21:17-18).
Sinner, you have suppressed the reality of your plight, denying any awareness of the certain doom and destruction which awaits you (Rom. 1:18). You know in your heart—your conscience bearing witness—you are guilty of transgressing the righteousness of God—your defiled mind is still able to convict you of wrong, but you muse to yourself that all appears to be going well, you continue to prosper in every way and even enjoy good health, and your past acts of wickedness have not been exposed by others or met with divine retribution, you have convinced yourself that you have gone unnoticed.
You fool! With every breath you are storing up for yourself divine wrath, for the day of divine retribution is near where the fury of the Lord of Hosts will be unleashed against you; hear the Apostle, “because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed’ (Rom. 2:5). As an ant in the path of a tornado or a gnat at ground zero of a nuclear blast you will be obliterated in an instant, mercy will be withheld, your pleas will be unheard, and your eternal demise sealed, “But since you rejected Me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out My hand, since you ignored all My advice and would not accept My rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you—when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. Then they will call to Me but I will not answer; they will look for Me but will not find Me. Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord….” (Pr. 1:26-29).
In your ignorance you have repeatedly transgressed the Law of God throughout your life, and on judgment day claiming ignorance of the Law will not be an adequate defense as the righteousness of the Lord demands that justice be metered out in order to preserve His quintessential character of holiness. By grace the Lord sent forth His Son, Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for sinners as their substitute with the wrath of God poured out on Him, as a result all who look to Him in faith as their sin bearer will be passed over when the fury of the wrath of God is revealed, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners….” (1 Tim. 1:15).
On judgment day you can either stand before God and attempt to defend yourself—in which case you will be consigned to hell; or, you can have the Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, plead your defense in which case you will be acquitted and spend eternity in heaven. The time is near and the choice is yours, choose wisely.
Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
Monday, September 14, 2009
Humbly Possessed and Diligently Applied
09.14.09
J.A. Matteson
"Moses said to the sons of Israel, 'See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri,the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.'" Exodus 35:30
Are you functioning as the Lord intends within the covenant community, or has confusion enveloped your path, hindering progress in grace endowed fruitfulness as you subtly pursue self-exaltation? Arriving at an accurate understanding of your role within the body of Christ is paramount to one day receiving commendation from the Lord, “Well done good and faithful slave….” (Matt. 25:21). And it is worth noting, dear pilgrim, that the Lord chose “slave” in describing your relationship to Him; “servant” can suggest a voluntary arrangement while slave accurately portrays the spiritual reality of your blessed redemption through the atoning blood of Christ, “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:20).
Suggesting to a fellow pilgrim that he can and ought to perform whatever he chooses is folly and an insult to the King of Glory; beloved, silly notions of this variety find no support from Holy Writ. As the Lords bond-slave what constitutes pleasing service to Him? Is it not a pliable disposition, one which submits to divine directives, those which are always in accordance to the pilgrims intended function within the covenant community as crafted by the Lord?
Bezalel serves as a type whereby the pilgrim observes in him a tender heart which hears and responds to the divine call and directive of the Lord, where the consummation of his obedience if found to be integral—along with all the saints—to the final eschatological glorification of the name of the Lord, “All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name” (Ps. 86:9).
The wisdom and characteristics implanted within the pilgrim in the form of natural abilities bring glory to the Lord when humbly possessed and diligently applied. The naïvely immature pilgrim seeks to accomplish great exploits for the Lord, sinisterly indicative of the sinful Adamic nature—exploits manifested from inner pride—those not directed by Him and to which he is not suited, those outside of his divine call and gifting, and the resultant outcome is failure, frustration, and divine chastisement.
King Uzziah served the Lord faithfully for decades, but ended his reign in disgrace, succumbing to pride by insisting on fulfilling the role of priest, a function to which he was neither called nor equipped, and he experienced the chastisement of the Lord of Hosts, “…It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the LORD God. But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the altar of incense” (2 Chr. 26:18-19).
To the unregenerate mind the gifting of the Lord appears as merely a natural endowment and he is inclined to conclude that so-and-so simply possesses an uncanny ability—a lucky endowment—to perform specific tasks well. Scripture, however, reveals a very different picture of personal giftedness, testifying that it is the result of divine grace, the Lord bestowing upon individuals particular abilities according to His good pleasure and for His purposes. When the Lord purposes to bring His design to pass He stirs the hearts of His people a desire to release that which has been implanted within them. Bezalel was gifted and called by the Lord as an artisan, his giftedness being confirmed through the excellence of that which he created, being affirmed by the Lord and the covenant community, both taking delight in his work.
Beloved, consider in what way the Lord has gifted and called you to function within the body of Christ, then enter into that work with diligence and excellence for the glory of His name.
Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
J.A. Matteson
"Moses said to the sons of Israel, 'See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri,the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.'" Exodus 35:30
Are you functioning as the Lord intends within the covenant community, or has confusion enveloped your path, hindering progress in grace endowed fruitfulness as you subtly pursue self-exaltation? Arriving at an accurate understanding of your role within the body of Christ is paramount to one day receiving commendation from the Lord, “Well done good and faithful slave….” (Matt. 25:21). And it is worth noting, dear pilgrim, that the Lord chose “slave” in describing your relationship to Him; “servant” can suggest a voluntary arrangement while slave accurately portrays the spiritual reality of your blessed redemption through the atoning blood of Christ, “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:20).
Suggesting to a fellow pilgrim that he can and ought to perform whatever he chooses is folly and an insult to the King of Glory; beloved, silly notions of this variety find no support from Holy Writ. As the Lords bond-slave what constitutes pleasing service to Him? Is it not a pliable disposition, one which submits to divine directives, those which are always in accordance to the pilgrims intended function within the covenant community as crafted by the Lord?
Bezalel serves as a type whereby the pilgrim observes in him a tender heart which hears and responds to the divine call and directive of the Lord, where the consummation of his obedience if found to be integral—along with all the saints—to the final eschatological glorification of the name of the Lord, “All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name” (Ps. 86:9).
The wisdom and characteristics implanted within the pilgrim in the form of natural abilities bring glory to the Lord when humbly possessed and diligently applied. The naïvely immature pilgrim seeks to accomplish great exploits for the Lord, sinisterly indicative of the sinful Adamic nature—exploits manifested from inner pride—those not directed by Him and to which he is not suited, those outside of his divine call and gifting, and the resultant outcome is failure, frustration, and divine chastisement.
King Uzziah served the Lord faithfully for decades, but ended his reign in disgrace, succumbing to pride by insisting on fulfilling the role of priest, a function to which he was neither called nor equipped, and he experienced the chastisement of the Lord of Hosts, “…It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the LORD God. But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the altar of incense” (2 Chr. 26:18-19).
To the unregenerate mind the gifting of the Lord appears as merely a natural endowment and he is inclined to conclude that so-and-so simply possesses an uncanny ability—a lucky endowment—to perform specific tasks well. Scripture, however, reveals a very different picture of personal giftedness, testifying that it is the result of divine grace, the Lord bestowing upon individuals particular abilities according to His good pleasure and for His purposes. When the Lord purposes to bring His design to pass He stirs the hearts of His people a desire to release that which has been implanted within them. Bezalel was gifted and called by the Lord as an artisan, his giftedness being confirmed through the excellence of that which he created, being affirmed by the Lord and the covenant community, both taking delight in his work.
Beloved, consider in what way the Lord has gifted and called you to function within the body of Christ, then enter into that work with diligence and excellence for the glory of His name.
Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
Monday, September 7, 2009
Divine Testing
09.07.09
J.A. Matteson
"…and there He tested them." Exodus 15:25
Has the mercy of the Lord brought you to the end of yourself yet or do you still stubbornly cling to illusionary notions of self-determination? The Holy Spirit has spoken clearly to you through Scripture but you doubt Him and express your unbelief through complaining to those around you. You are of no use to the Lord while you persist in the pathway of self-determination. Be on your way, chart your course back to Egypt to the house of slavery; contemplate with delight the flesh pots which await you, salivate at the memory of plump pomegranates, ripe dates and figs. While satisfying your belly these will leave you wanting, your unbelief will spring forth bitter fruit and if the Lord is gracious to you He will grant to you the gift of repentance, “When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, ‘Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life’" (Acts 11:18).
Here you are, in a desert place, and not able to control the outcome of your situation unease fills your mind, fear invades your heart, and the prince of darkness beckons you to be reasonable and return to the fertile land of the Nile. In this place you are faced with a decision; viz., to take the Lord at His word--that He is leading you to a good land flowing with milk and honey--or disbelieve Him by abandoning the way, thus demonstrating to yourself and those observing you that you are in reality an illegitimate son and not a child of Abraham in the likeness of faith. The pilgrims pathway through the wilderness is unpredictable to the mind of man but the Lord by His grace orchestrates every bend, each curve of the trail, in order to break you of the idolatry of self-sufficiency, to humble you, to bring you to the end of your self in order that you might rest completely in His mercy, obediently following His lead and commands so that eventually the border of the promised land will come into view, “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not” (Deut. 8:2).
The testing of the Lord is counter intuitive to human reason which is marred by sin. The grace of the Lord brings the pilgrim to the end of himself whereby he must either throw himself down at the foot of the cross, crying out for mercy, or perish. Divine testing characteristically removes every human enablement so that the pilgrim is forced to admit his inadequacy. Human pride is pierced through completely until brokenness produces the sweet fruit of obedience through which the Life of the Savior flows, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit” (Jn. 15:2). Grace is the source and faith is the response to divine testing in the pilgrim.
Where along the pathway to glory do you find yourself today? Have you visited the waters of Marah and have you called upon the name of the Lord to make them sweet? What bitterness of soul are you experiencing? Approaching from afar you were anticipating sweet water only to find it bitter and undrinkable. Are to grumbling or have you called upon the name of the Lord to transform your perspective making that which is bitter to sweet? Are you taking your daily allotment of mana or hoarding it in a storehouse, exhibiting unbelief that the goodness of the Lord will provide what is needed tomorrow?
Beloved the testing of the Lord is in accordance to grace, assisting you to produce the delightful fruit of obedience to the glory of God. Let not your heart be troubled when your circumstances prove contrary, but rejoice in the opportunity to demonstrate trust in the goodness of the Lord, resting in the reality that the circumstance generated by Providence does not define you, it merely reveals your heart, and the Lord’s intent is that the pilgrim manifest a heart, like king David, after His own.
Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
J.A. Matteson
"…and there He tested them." Exodus 15:25
Has the mercy of the Lord brought you to the end of yourself yet or do you still stubbornly cling to illusionary notions of self-determination? The Holy Spirit has spoken clearly to you through Scripture but you doubt Him and express your unbelief through complaining to those around you. You are of no use to the Lord while you persist in the pathway of self-determination. Be on your way, chart your course back to Egypt to the house of slavery; contemplate with delight the flesh pots which await you, salivate at the memory of plump pomegranates, ripe dates and figs. While satisfying your belly these will leave you wanting, your unbelief will spring forth bitter fruit and if the Lord is gracious to you He will grant to you the gift of repentance, “When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, ‘Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life’" (Acts 11:18).
Here you are, in a desert place, and not able to control the outcome of your situation unease fills your mind, fear invades your heart, and the prince of darkness beckons you to be reasonable and return to the fertile land of the Nile. In this place you are faced with a decision; viz., to take the Lord at His word--that He is leading you to a good land flowing with milk and honey--or disbelieve Him by abandoning the way, thus demonstrating to yourself and those observing you that you are in reality an illegitimate son and not a child of Abraham in the likeness of faith. The pilgrims pathway through the wilderness is unpredictable to the mind of man but the Lord by His grace orchestrates every bend, each curve of the trail, in order to break you of the idolatry of self-sufficiency, to humble you, to bring you to the end of your self in order that you might rest completely in His mercy, obediently following His lead and commands so that eventually the border of the promised land will come into view, “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not” (Deut. 8:2).
The testing of the Lord is counter intuitive to human reason which is marred by sin. The grace of the Lord brings the pilgrim to the end of himself whereby he must either throw himself down at the foot of the cross, crying out for mercy, or perish. Divine testing characteristically removes every human enablement so that the pilgrim is forced to admit his inadequacy. Human pride is pierced through completely until brokenness produces the sweet fruit of obedience through which the Life of the Savior flows, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit” (Jn. 15:2). Grace is the source and faith is the response to divine testing in the pilgrim.
Where along the pathway to glory do you find yourself today? Have you visited the waters of Marah and have you called upon the name of the Lord to make them sweet? What bitterness of soul are you experiencing? Approaching from afar you were anticipating sweet water only to find it bitter and undrinkable. Are to grumbling or have you called upon the name of the Lord to transform your perspective making that which is bitter to sweet? Are you taking your daily allotment of mana or hoarding it in a storehouse, exhibiting unbelief that the goodness of the Lord will provide what is needed tomorrow?
Beloved the testing of the Lord is in accordance to grace, assisting you to produce the delightful fruit of obedience to the glory of God. Let not your heart be troubled when your circumstances prove contrary, but rejoice in the opportunity to demonstrate trust in the goodness of the Lord, resting in the reality that the circumstance generated by Providence does not define you, it merely reveals your heart, and the Lord’s intent is that the pilgrim manifest a heart, like king David, after His own.
Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
Thursday, July 23, 2009
A Divine Miracle
07.23.09
J.A. Matteson
"And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken." Genesis 21:1
With regard to the Lord communicating with a fallen race the author of Hebrews is informative, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son…” (Heb. 1:1-2a); two observations may be made. First, God Almighty condescended Himself to interact with a sinner, “…the LORD visited Sarah….” Let not the amazing impact of that statement go by casually for the Lord of Glory initiated communication with a sinner continuing His plan of redemption established in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:15, 21).
Previously He visited her husband while she remained in the doorway of the tent quietly laughing at His disclosure that she—as woman far past child bearing age—would conceive and be with child. The child of promise, Isaac, would come through the lineage of the free woman, Sarah, and not the bond woman, Hagar. The Apostle labors the point that the physical birth of Isaac was a miracle and a type; i.e., directly associated with the miracle of the new birth (Gal. 4:28, 31). Just as the initiative of divine grace was a necessary precondition for an old woman’s womb to bear fruit, so it is an absolute in spiritual regeneration. The Lord Jesus Christ drove this point home to the astonishment of His disciples, “’Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ And looking at them Jesus said to them, ‘With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’" (Matt. 19:24-26).
The application of the Lord’s statement is inclusive of all sinners and not restricted to those with material riches; viz. apart from the initiative of divine grace whereby they are visited by the Holy Spirit none could be saved (Matt. 16:17), this too was the Lord’s point while speaking to Nicodemus, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (Jn. 3:8).
Second, unlike sinners the Lord has never and will never break a promise; that which is He decrees will come to pass and there is nothing in heaven or on earth to prevent it, “…the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.” In this regard the Apostle declares, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9). A year earlier the Lord promised to visit Sarah and He predictably fulfilled His word. The grace initiated effectual calling the Apostle references is not dependent upon merit, but the sovereign choice of the Lord, for He said to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION”, and thus, ‘So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy’” (Rom. 9:15-16). And that which the Lord initiates through regeneration He is faithful to complete (Phil. 1:6); viz., glorification (Rom. 8:30).
Sanctification informs the pilgrim that the indwelling Spirit is conforming him day-by-day into the image of Christ Jesus, the second Adam (2 Cor. 4:16). Sarah’s life experience serves as a type for pilgrims and ought to be a great encouragement to them. For just as she was the recipient of grace so they are as well and the new life they enjoy in the Spirit is a gift of God—like Isaac the children of promise are a divine miracle. As the Lord was faithful to His promises to Sarah He is also faithful to the saints, each promise revealed in His Word will never fail, and they may meditate upon them, rejoicing in the knowledge that all of His promises are “yes” and “amen” in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 1:20).
In seasons of difficulty and trial pilgrims may rest in the Word of the Lord, in His everlasting faithfulness and goodness, knowing that all things are working together for their good, to the praise of His glorious name.
J.A. Matteson
"And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken." Genesis 21:1
With regard to the Lord communicating with a fallen race the author of Hebrews is informative, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son…” (Heb. 1:1-2a); two observations may be made. First, God Almighty condescended Himself to interact with a sinner, “…the LORD visited Sarah….” Let not the amazing impact of that statement go by casually for the Lord of Glory initiated communication with a sinner continuing His plan of redemption established in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:15, 21).
Previously He visited her husband while she remained in the doorway of the tent quietly laughing at His disclosure that she—as woman far past child bearing age—would conceive and be with child. The child of promise, Isaac, would come through the lineage of the free woman, Sarah, and not the bond woman, Hagar. The Apostle labors the point that the physical birth of Isaac was a miracle and a type; i.e., directly associated with the miracle of the new birth (Gal. 4:28, 31). Just as the initiative of divine grace was a necessary precondition for an old woman’s womb to bear fruit, so it is an absolute in spiritual regeneration. The Lord Jesus Christ drove this point home to the astonishment of His disciples, “’Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ And looking at them Jesus said to them, ‘With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’" (Matt. 19:24-26).
The application of the Lord’s statement is inclusive of all sinners and not restricted to those with material riches; viz. apart from the initiative of divine grace whereby they are visited by the Holy Spirit none could be saved (Matt. 16:17), this too was the Lord’s point while speaking to Nicodemus, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (Jn. 3:8).
Second, unlike sinners the Lord has never and will never break a promise; that which is He decrees will come to pass and there is nothing in heaven or on earth to prevent it, “…the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.” In this regard the Apostle declares, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9). A year earlier the Lord promised to visit Sarah and He predictably fulfilled His word. The grace initiated effectual calling the Apostle references is not dependent upon merit, but the sovereign choice of the Lord, for He said to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION”, and thus, ‘So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy’” (Rom. 9:15-16). And that which the Lord initiates through regeneration He is faithful to complete (Phil. 1:6); viz., glorification (Rom. 8:30).
Sanctification informs the pilgrim that the indwelling Spirit is conforming him day-by-day into the image of Christ Jesus, the second Adam (2 Cor. 4:16). Sarah’s life experience serves as a type for pilgrims and ought to be a great encouragement to them. For just as she was the recipient of grace so they are as well and the new life they enjoy in the Spirit is a gift of God—like Isaac the children of promise are a divine miracle. As the Lord was faithful to His promises to Sarah He is also faithful to the saints, each promise revealed in His Word will never fail, and they may meditate upon them, rejoicing in the knowledge that all of His promises are “yes” and “amen” in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 1:20).
In seasons of difficulty and trial pilgrims may rest in the Word of the Lord, in His everlasting faithfulness and goodness, knowing that all things are working together for their good, to the praise of His glorious name.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Life in the Beloved
J.A. Matteson
"But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord." Genesis 6:8
The following verse (vs. 9) describes Noah as a righteous man, blameless in his time, a fellow who walked with God. An important theological aspect to the narrative is discerning the basis by which he was found righteous and blameless. The Mosaic Law had yet to be given, yet Noah was still a transgressor of it, for the eternal Law and decrees of God preceded commandments written on stone tablets.
Like the rest Noah inherited the Adamic sin nature and was by disposition a child of wrath, for like his contemporaries he too was a sinner falling short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23; Eph. 2:3); for as sin entered the world through one man—Adam—therefore all sinned (Rom. 5:12), and the just recompense for treason against the Creator is death (Rom. 6:23). It is important to consider the life of Noah against his contemporaries and to note that he walked with God because he had first found favor with God; that is, grace was extended to him as one born again, the Lord’s redemptive work was operative in his heart as His elect.
As a new creation with a regenerated spirit his heart was inclined towards obedience, to do those things pleasing to the Lord. No where in the immediate text or in the whole of Scripture is there any indication that a man is found righteous and blameless apart from divine grace, “… because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight….” (Rom. 3:20). Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, recorded the divine basis by which a man is found righteous and thus walking with God. Note that favor (grace) precedes imputed righteousness.
The order of verses 8 and 9 is theologically significant, change the order of them and a man centered religion of works emerges. Noah did not find favor with God because he was first righteous, blameless, a fellow walking with God; to the contrary, Noah was first the passive recipient of God’s favor (grace) and as a result he walked with God by faith, and it was on that basis he was found righteousness, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Rom. 3:28), and “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH’ (Rom. 1:17), and that faith is a gift of God as a result of unmerited favor (grace), “and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed”, and “For to you it has been granted…to believe in Him….” (Phil. 1:29), and “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). So then there is no place for boasting by Noah according to the flesh, for the flesh profits nothing, it is the Spirit that gives spiritual life (Jn. 6:63).
Dear pilgrim, there is no place for boasting by you if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. That you believe is a divine miracle for the grace of God has been extended to you, quickening your heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh. Your spiritual blind eyes, deaf ears, and unresponsive spirit were enabled, made alive in Christ, and as Lazarus was dead four days in the tomb beyond hope, and yet raised to new life by the initiative, will, and pleasure of Almighty God, so too the resurrection power of God on high raised your lifeless spirit to new life in the Beloved, “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh…and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ….” (Eph. 2:3-6).
To these marvelous truths John Newton penned the lyrics to his memorable hymn Amazing Grace, “Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear, and Grace my fears relieved. How precious did that Grace appear the hour I first believed”, for apart from the grace of God the heart of man does not believe in Him, fear Him or revere Him, nor does it comprehend the hellish danger his lost soul faces. Pilgrims should meditate upon the grace of God continually, giving thanks to their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the spiritual life He bestowed, considering the frightful condition of their fellow man with great sorrow and anguish of heart, and like the Apostle interceding for and pleading with all men to be reconciled to God through the cross of Christ, and as faithful ambassadors proclaiming His Gospel of salvation knowing that faith comes through hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ.
Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
"But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord." Genesis 6:8
The following verse (vs. 9) describes Noah as a righteous man, blameless in his time, a fellow who walked with God. An important theological aspect to the narrative is discerning the basis by which he was found righteous and blameless. The Mosaic Law had yet to be given, yet Noah was still a transgressor of it, for the eternal Law and decrees of God preceded commandments written on stone tablets.
Like the rest Noah inherited the Adamic sin nature and was by disposition a child of wrath, for like his contemporaries he too was a sinner falling short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23; Eph. 2:3); for as sin entered the world through one man—Adam—therefore all sinned (Rom. 5:12), and the just recompense for treason against the Creator is death (Rom. 6:23). It is important to consider the life of Noah against his contemporaries and to note that he walked with God because he had first found favor with God; that is, grace was extended to him as one born again, the Lord’s redemptive work was operative in his heart as His elect.
As a new creation with a regenerated spirit his heart was inclined towards obedience, to do those things pleasing to the Lord. No where in the immediate text or in the whole of Scripture is there any indication that a man is found righteous and blameless apart from divine grace, “… because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight….” (Rom. 3:20). Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, recorded the divine basis by which a man is found righteous and thus walking with God. Note that favor (grace) precedes imputed righteousness.
The order of verses 8 and 9 is theologically significant, change the order of them and a man centered religion of works emerges. Noah did not find favor with God because he was first righteous, blameless, a fellow walking with God; to the contrary, Noah was first the passive recipient of God’s favor (grace) and as a result he walked with God by faith, and it was on that basis he was found righteousness, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Rom. 3:28), and “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH’ (Rom. 1:17), and that faith is a gift of God as a result of unmerited favor (grace), “and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed”, and “For to you it has been granted…to believe in Him….” (Phil. 1:29), and “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). So then there is no place for boasting by Noah according to the flesh, for the flesh profits nothing, it is the Spirit that gives spiritual life (Jn. 6:63).
Dear pilgrim, there is no place for boasting by you if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. That you believe is a divine miracle for the grace of God has been extended to you, quickening your heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh. Your spiritual blind eyes, deaf ears, and unresponsive spirit were enabled, made alive in Christ, and as Lazarus was dead four days in the tomb beyond hope, and yet raised to new life by the initiative, will, and pleasure of Almighty God, so too the resurrection power of God on high raised your lifeless spirit to new life in the Beloved, “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh…and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ….” (Eph. 2:3-6).
To these marvelous truths John Newton penned the lyrics to his memorable hymn Amazing Grace, “Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear, and Grace my fears relieved. How precious did that Grace appear the hour I first believed”, for apart from the grace of God the heart of man does not believe in Him, fear Him or revere Him, nor does it comprehend the hellish danger his lost soul faces. Pilgrims should meditate upon the grace of God continually, giving thanks to their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the spiritual life He bestowed, considering the frightful condition of their fellow man with great sorrow and anguish of heart, and like the Apostle interceding for and pleading with all men to be reconciled to God through the cross of Christ, and as faithful ambassadors proclaiming His Gospel of salvation knowing that faith comes through hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ.
Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
As A Rose Cut Off
07.08.09
J.A. Matteson
The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth,
and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5
Humanism declares that man is essentially good. Scripture reveals that man is radically fallen and inclined toward evil; man is a transgressor of the Law of God, a sinner. Humanism asserts that a sinners highest good is served through an unfettered freedom to pursue the desires of his heart. Scripture brings to light that left to themselves sinners actually are capable of heinous wickedness and only the grace of God prevents them from manifesting fully the evil inclinations churning just below the surface. History and personal experience appear to validate the claim of Scripture regarding the true condition of sinners, exposing the folly of the presuppositions encapsulated within humanistic anthropology.
The fall left man and woman totally depraved in their being; that is, it affected every aspect of their being, corporeally and incorporeally. Sin introduced spiritual and physical death to the human race, and like a rose cut off from its life nourishing stem humanity has been were cut off from the spiritual life which God supplies, and while spiritual death was immediate the ramifications of physical decay ending in biological death were slower. Since the fall the soul of the sinner remains drastically polluted to which three observations may be made.
First, the sinners mind is tragically broken so that he does not think correctly as intended by his Creator. Rather than being captivated with exalting thoughts towards his Creator he is self-consumed, being utterly twisted in his overall life perspective, self-deceived in the diagnosis of his true depraved condition, and exhibiting a moral deficit to the extent that he is incapable of pleasing his Creator but is perpetually inclined towards acts of irrational stupidity, none being more glaring than idolatry; for example, worshiping a stick of wood rather than the Creator of it, “No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, ‘I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat {it.} Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!’ He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say,’ Is there not a lie in my right hand?" (Isa. 44:18-19).
Second, the sinner’s will is jaded and inclined toward rebellion against God. While the Lord would have fallen man repent of his wandering and return to Him by faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ so as to be saved, he stubbornly refuses, choosing rather evil (unbelief) over righteousness, independence over dependence, eternal death over eternal life, “…choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Josh. 24:15). So ingrained is the sinners rebellious will that if it were not for the grace of the Lord, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, none would believe, none would repent, none would be saved, “When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ And looking at them Jesus said to them, ‘With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’" (Matt. 19:25-26).
Finally, the sinner’s emotions obscure spiritual realities and he is inclined to follow wicked subjective hunches rather than objective realities. Humanism instructs sinners to follow the desires of their hearts, for in doing so they will discover fulfillment—self-actualization. Scripture, however, contrasts the destructive end for the sinner in following his heart, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9).
The pilgrim has received grace to believe. As a new creation the saint’s mind, will, and emotions are being renewed daily so as to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, to whom all praise, honor, and glory are due.
Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
J.A. Matteson
The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth,
and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5
Humanism declares that man is essentially good. Scripture reveals that man is radically fallen and inclined toward evil; man is a transgressor of the Law of God, a sinner. Humanism asserts that a sinners highest good is served through an unfettered freedom to pursue the desires of his heart. Scripture brings to light that left to themselves sinners actually are capable of heinous wickedness and only the grace of God prevents them from manifesting fully the evil inclinations churning just below the surface. History and personal experience appear to validate the claim of Scripture regarding the true condition of sinners, exposing the folly of the presuppositions encapsulated within humanistic anthropology.
The fall left man and woman totally depraved in their being; that is, it affected every aspect of their being, corporeally and incorporeally. Sin introduced spiritual and physical death to the human race, and like a rose cut off from its life nourishing stem humanity has been were cut off from the spiritual life which God supplies, and while spiritual death was immediate the ramifications of physical decay ending in biological death were slower. Since the fall the soul of the sinner remains drastically polluted to which three observations may be made.
First, the sinners mind is tragically broken so that he does not think correctly as intended by his Creator. Rather than being captivated with exalting thoughts towards his Creator he is self-consumed, being utterly twisted in his overall life perspective, self-deceived in the diagnosis of his true depraved condition, and exhibiting a moral deficit to the extent that he is incapable of pleasing his Creator but is perpetually inclined towards acts of irrational stupidity, none being more glaring than idolatry; for example, worshiping a stick of wood rather than the Creator of it, “No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, ‘I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat {it.} Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!’ He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say,’ Is there not a lie in my right hand?" (Isa. 44:18-19).
Second, the sinner’s will is jaded and inclined toward rebellion against God. While the Lord would have fallen man repent of his wandering and return to Him by faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ so as to be saved, he stubbornly refuses, choosing rather evil (unbelief) over righteousness, independence over dependence, eternal death over eternal life, “…choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Josh. 24:15). So ingrained is the sinners rebellious will that if it were not for the grace of the Lord, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, none would believe, none would repent, none would be saved, “When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ And looking at them Jesus said to them, ‘With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’" (Matt. 19:25-26).
Finally, the sinner’s emotions obscure spiritual realities and he is inclined to follow wicked subjective hunches rather than objective realities. Humanism instructs sinners to follow the desires of their hearts, for in doing so they will discover fulfillment—self-actualization. Scripture, however, contrasts the destructive end for the sinner in following his heart, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9).
The pilgrim has received grace to believe. As a new creation the saint’s mind, will, and emotions are being renewed daily so as to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, to whom all praise, honor, and glory are due.
Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
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