The Priesthood of Believers Revelation 5:9-10
According to Scripture, the believer’s citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). In other words, we’re not going to be citizens of an eternal kingdom; we already are.
What’s more, every person who professes Jesus Christ as Lord is part of God’s priesthood. In the ancient Israelite culture, priests were the privileged servants of Almighty God. They carried out all the tasks related to keeping the Law and preserving the spiritual well-being of the people. They cared for the temple, offered sacrifices, and interceded on behalf of the community.
When John says in Revelation 1 that you and I are priests, he is placing us among the ranks of a people set apart as God’s servants. It is a blessing and calling to worship the Lord, to adore and honor Him, and to ensure that all glory is given to His name. Our duties also include interceding on behalf of others.
The one priestly task we do not have to do is perform sacrifices. God Himself offered the final sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, when His Son died in our place. Our part is to bear witness to the breadth and depth of His love for all people. Once you grasp the fact that God looks on His children--every one a former slave to sin--with unconditional devotion, you can’t keep quiet about it.
Believers are special in the eyes of their God and King. We are a sacred people and a holy order. What are you doing with your life? As a believer, you are not your own anymore (1 Corinthians 6:19). You are a priest and a privileged servant of the Most High God.
Rest Only in Christ
�But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.� (Genesis 8:9)
Unlike the raven, which Noah had sent out first, the dove could not live on the carrion floating on the floodwaters. After nine months cooped up in the Ark, she had reveled in her freedom when Noah first released her from the window of the Ark. Unaware of the outside perils while safe with Noah, she flew gaily off into the open spaces beyond, just like many a professing Christian, eager to cast off the constraints of his or her parental religion. �And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness� (Psalm 55:6-7).
But the dove could find no rest away from Noah, whose very name means �rest�! His father, Lamech, by prophetic inspiration, had called his name Noah, saying, �This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed� (Genesis 5:29). So, she finally returned, finding rest once again in Noah�s outstretched hands.
Just so, the Lord Jesus, in His greater ark of secure salvation, is waiting at its open window with arms outstretched, inviting all those weary of the doomed world outside to return to Him. �Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light� (Matthew 11:28-30). Christ�s message to the weary wanderer is: �I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, . . . return unto me; for I have redeemed thee� (Isaiah 44:22). HMM
According to Scripture, the believer’s citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). In other words, we’re not going to be citizens of an eternal kingdom; we already are.
What’s more, every person who professes Jesus Christ as Lord is part of God’s priesthood. In the ancient Israelite culture, priests were the privileged servants of Almighty God. They carried out all the tasks related to keeping the Law and preserving the spiritual well-being of the people. They cared for the temple, offered sacrifices, and interceded on behalf of the community.
When John says in Revelation 1 that you and I are priests, he is placing us among the ranks of a people set apart as God’s servants. It is a blessing and calling to worship the Lord, to adore and honor Him, and to ensure that all glory is given to His name. Our duties also include interceding on behalf of others.
The one priestly task we do not have to do is perform sacrifices. God Himself offered the final sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, when His Son died in our place. Our part is to bear witness to the breadth and depth of His love for all people. Once you grasp the fact that God looks on His children--every one a former slave to sin--with unconditional devotion, you can’t keep quiet about it.
Believers are special in the eyes of their God and King. We are a sacred people and a holy order. What are you doing with your life? As a believer, you are not your own anymore (1 Corinthians 6:19). You are a priest and a privileged servant of the Most High God.
Rest Only in Christ
�But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.� (Genesis 8:9)
Stop Robbing the Body of Christ 1 Corinthians 12:14-21
Every day, you get out of bed, put on clothes, and walk to the table to eat breakfast. You greet the rest of the household and maybe read the paper. A few minutes later, you drive to work at 60 m.p.h. on a strip of asphalt where other vehicles can pass by within four feet. In the first hour or so that you�re awake, your body completes thousands of complex tasks that are so routine they go unnoticed.
Our physical frame is a creation of remarkable beauty and intricacy. And while certain parts seem more attractive than others, all are useful. The body�s interdependent nature--that is, the way every part relies on other parts to perform properly--is an apt metaphor for a Christ-centered church. When believers use their gifts and talents to operate together lovingly, the whole body functions properly to the glory of God.
However, churches today are filled with people who feel insignificant. Upon seeing the successful work of others, they decide they�re not really needed or assume they haven�t got the �right� talents to make a worthwhile contribution. Those are lies from the Devil. When his misguidance succeeds--which is all too often--he manages to get one more Christian to back away in hopes that someone else will do the Lord�s work.
Hanging back instead of seeking a place to serve is a form of thievery: you�re robbing the Lord�s church--His people--of your unique contribution. Your role might be small or go unnoticed, but it is vital to Jesus Christ and to the smooth functioning of His body on earth.
Do We Really Need One Another
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
Believers have two responsibilities. The first is to worship God and the second is to work for His kingdom. Where and how we serve is based upon our unique talents, skills, and calling. But the one place where we are all expected to give of ourselves is the local church.
When you were saved, the Lord baptized you by the Holy Spirit into His church--the body of believers who live all over the world but are united by trust in Jesus Christ. You then chose, according to the will of God, to become part of a local, autonomous group of believers. He placed you there because He knows that you are needed (1 Cor. 12:18). You are significant to your home church.
The church is more than a community. It is an interdependent body with individual members who were created by God to function in communion with one another. We Christians, like the world at large, are a diverse group, and that means we often have to strive hard for unity. But our differences are actually something to be celebrated, because each person uniquely contributes to God�s purpose. A church that is truly operating as a unit--with all its varied gifts, talents, personalities, and intellects focused toward kingdom goals--must be a beautiful sight before the Lord.
Christianity isn�t a spectator religion. We all have jobs to do in God�s kingdom. The body of Christ functions best and most beautifully when all members resolve to serve God and each other to the best of their ability (v. 25). What are you doing for your church?
Threefold Deliverance
�For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.� (Psalm 116:8)
This is the beautiful testimony of the psalmist when the Lord answered his prayer: �The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell got hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul� (vv. 3-4). The Lord does, indeed, deliver our souls when we call upon Him for salvation in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, �for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved� (Romans 10:13).
Divine deliverance, however, is more than deliverance from death and hell. �Therefore the redeemed of the LORD . . . shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away� (Isaiah 51:11). �And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying� (Revelation 21:4). God delivers us from the penalty of our sins, from death and hell, right now, and then from all our sorrows and tears in the age to come, delivering us even from all the effects of sin forever.
But He also delivers us right now from the power of sin in our lives, which would otherwise come again to cause our downfall even after we have been saved. Many a fearful Christian, afraid that he is unable to hang on to the Lord, needs to know that it is the Lord who hangs on to him! �For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?� (Psalm 56:13). Our Savior, who died for our sins and rose again for our justification, promises this. �My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall [anyone] pluck them out of my hand� (John 10:27-28). HMM
From Alienation to Reconciliation
2 Corinthians 5:14-21
Separation, rejection, and alienation are unpleasant experiences that we usually try to avoid at all costs. But we live in a fallen world, so we cannot totally escape them.
Isolation from other people is bad enough, but what's worse is that many individuals live apart from the heavenly Father. How tragic and futile life must be when it is spent completely detached from its Creator. God planted within each of us a desire to be in relationship with Him, so until we find our connection to Him, we will always feel that something is missing.
And yet as crucial as that relationship is to our well-being, something stands in its way: Whether by our thoughts or actions, we have all violated the Lord's commands (Rom. 3:23), and our pure, holy God cannot be in the presence of sin. Romans 6:23 states that the penalty for sin is death, which is an eternal separation from the Lord. Therefore, we will always have a void.
What a bleak outlook for mankind! But our loving Father solved the dilemma by sending His Son to pay our penalty. Fully God and fully man, Jesus lived the perfect life, took all our iniquity upon Himself, and died a gruesome death on the cross. No longer are we condemned for our wrongs, because Christ took our place. And three days later, He victoriously rose to life.
Salvation is available to anyone who believes and receives this remarkable gift. John 3:16 describes how reconciliation puts an end to our alienation: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
Moses and the Shining Face
�And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses� hand . . . that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.� (Exodus 34:29)
Moses had been alone with God 40 days and 40 nights, simply communing with God and receiving the tables with the Ten Commandments. When he finally descended, the glory of God so radiated from him that the people could not bear to look at his face, and he had to wear a veil even to speak to them.
The council of Jewish leaders had a similar experience as they interrogated Stephen concerning his Christian testimony: �And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel� (Acts 6:15).
None of us today ever seem to exhibit such glowing faces, nor is anyone likely to mistake us for an angel. But perhaps this is because we have not spent the time in His presence that Moses did, nor preached the Word in the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit as Stephen did. Nevertheless, we should have a different countenance than before we met the Lord. Men should be able to say of us as it was said of Peter and John: �They marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus� (4:13).
In fact, God even promises that this will be so to the extent that we spend time in His Word, which itself is alive with the light of His glory. �But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord� (2 Corinthians 3:18).
May God enable us, therefore, to be �holding forth the word of life,� even �in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world� (Philippians 2:15-16). HMM
How to Query GodJohn Piper
Thoughts on Romans 9:20: You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?"
Clearly Paul was displeased with this response to his teaching about God. Does this mean that it's always wrong to ask questions in response to Biblical teaching? I don't think so.
Paul had said some controversial things. Peter admitted that Paul was sometimes hard to understand: "There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures" (2 Peter 3:16). Paul had said that God "has mercy on whom he wills and hardens whom he wills" (Romans 9:18). The point was: his will decides finally whether we are hard-hearted or not. "Before they were born or do anything good or evil" God had mercy on Jacob and gave Esau over to hardness (Romans 9:11-13).
Someone hears this and objects in verse 19, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" To this Paul responds, "You, a mere human being, have no right to answer back to God."
The word "answer back" (antapokrinomenos) occurs one other time in the New Testament, namely, in Luke 14:5-6. Jesus is showing the lawyers that it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. He said to them, "�Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?' And they could not answer back (antapokrithenai) to these things."
In what sense could they not "answer back"? They could not show him wrong. They could not legitimately criticize him. They could not truly contradict what he said. So the word "answer back" probably carries the meaning: "answer back with a view to criticizing or disagreeing or correcting."
That, I think, is what displeased Paul in Romans 9:20. This leaves open the possibility that a different kind of question would be acceptable, namely, a humble, teachable question that wants to understand more if possible, but not rebuke or condemn or criticize what has been said.
For example, in Luke 1:31 the angel Gabriel comes to the virgin Mary and says, "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus." Mary is astounded and baffled. Virgins don't have sons. She could have scoffed and argued. But instead she said, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:34). She did not say it can't happen; she asked, "How?"
Contrast this with Gabriel's visit to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. The angel comes and tells him, "Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John" (Luke 1:13). But Zechariah knew that "Elizabeth was barren and advanced in years" (Luke 1:7). Different from Mary, his skepticism gave rise to a different question. He said, "How shall I know this?" Not: "How will you do this?" But: "How can I know you'll do it?"
Gabriel did not like this answer. He said, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time" (Luke 1:19-20).
So I conclude that humble, teachable questions about how and why God does what he does are acceptable to God. To Mary God gave a very helpful answer, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" (Luke 1:35). This did not remove the mystery, but it helped.
I can't remove the mystery from Romans 9. But there may be more to understand than we have seen and I do not want to discourage you from pressing further up and further in to the heart and mind of God.
Wanting to be teachable with you,
Pastor John
Uncontrolled Weakness
Judges 16:1-24
The book of Judges tells of a man named Samson, who was so strong he could kill a lion with his bare hands (14:5-6). He possessed physical strength unequalled by any human being. But this could not compensate for his inner weakness.
All of us have areas of weakness. God wants these character flaws to show us how totally dependent we are upon Him. When we handle them properly, they drive us into a deeper, more intimate relationship with the Lord. But uncontrolled weakness wreaks havoc in a person�s life.
Samson�s Achilles� heel was uncontrollable lust. Although he was raised in a godly home and had a clear calling in life, he gave in to his desires and deliberately violated the truth he knew so well. Despite Nazirite laws forbidding involvement with foreign women, Samson pursued a harlot in Gaza (16:1). Later, he met a woman named Delilah, and even though her motives were blatantly treacherous, he gave himself over--heart, mind, and spirit--to sexual indulgence. He was in such bondage to the sin that he ultimately allowed it to dictate his actions, even at the cost of his life.
Before he died, Samson lost everything: his strength, eyesight, and honor. The man who once led his country mightily became a slave to his enemies (vv. 18-25).
What is your weakness? Is it lust, insecurity, fear, greed, gossip, or pride? Personality flaws can be a powerful motivation for good or ill, depending on our response. A proclivity for sin can ruin your life--as it did Samson�s--or drive you to utter dependence on God. The outcome is up to you.
The Queen of Sheba
�And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.� (1 Kings 10:1)
A thousand years after the famous visit of Sheba�s queen to the court of King Solomon, Jesus made a remarkable spiritual application of her experience. �The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here� (Matthew 12:42).
Solomon had prayed for wisdom, and the Lord gave him such legendary wisdom that the news even reached the distant land of Sheba, south of Ethiopia. We do not know what hard questions were confronting Sheba�s queen, but she finally decided she must find their solutions through Solomon and his God. God honored her searching faith, �and Solomon told her all her questions,� so that she could testify that �the half was not told me. . . . Blessed be the LORD thy God� (1 Kings 10:3, 7, 9).
In Jesus Christ �are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge� (Colossians 2:3). He who had given Solomon his great wisdom promises us that �if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him� (James 1:5).
Truly the queen of Sheba will be a witness against our present generation in the coming day of judgment. People today turn to every variety of humanistic counselors for their training and guidance but refuse to come to the one who is �made unto us wisdom� (1 Corinthians 1:30). The �Wonderful Counsellor� (Isaiah 9:6), who is far greater than Solomon, who said �I am . . . the truth� (John 14:6), and who promises that �the truth shall make you free� (8:32), is still inviting all from the uttermost parts of the earth to come. HMM
The Psalm of Life
�I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.� (Psalm 91:2)
This marvelous psalm of life and security follows a psalm of frailty and death (Psalm 90) written by Moses, who may have been the author of this psalm as well. For our devotional study today, attention is called to the change of personal pronoun throughout, implying a dialogue between three speakers.
The psalm begins as a godly teacher, or prophet, or perhaps an angel bestows a benediction upon the believer: �He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty� (Psalm 91:1), ascribing the security of the believer to the character of God.
The believer responds to this blessing by avowing his trust in God and in His character (v. 2).
To the testimony of the believer, the first speaker replies, expounding on the former blessing, detailing the protection provided by God (vv. 3-8) and the blessings of that care. Note, �because thou [the believer] hast made the LORD [Jehovah], which is my [the speaker�s] 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� (vv. 9-12).
At the end, Jehovah Himself responds, confirming all that the speaker has said: �Because he [the believer] hath set his love upon me [Jehovah], 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� (vv. 14-16). JDM
Thank God for Guilt - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
Every day, you get out of bed, put on clothes, and walk to the table to eat breakfast. You greet the rest of the household and maybe read the paper. A few minutes later, you drive to work at 60 m.p.h. on a strip of asphalt where other vehicles can pass by within four feet. In the first hour or so that you�re awake, your body completes thousands of complex tasks that are so routine they go unnoticed.
Our physical frame is a creation of remarkable beauty and intricacy. And while certain parts seem more attractive than others, all are useful. The body�s interdependent nature--that is, the way every part relies on other parts to perform properly--is an apt metaphor for a Christ-centered church. When believers use their gifts and talents to operate together lovingly, the whole body functions properly to the glory of God.
However, churches today are filled with people who feel insignificant. Upon seeing the successful work of others, they decide they�re not really needed or assume they haven�t got the �right� talents to make a worthwhile contribution. Those are lies from the Devil. When his misguidance succeeds--which is all too often--he manages to get one more Christian to back away in hopes that someone else will do the Lord�s work.
Hanging back instead of seeking a place to serve is a form of thievery: you�re robbing the Lord�s church--His people--of your unique contribution. Your role might be small or go unnoticed, but it is vital to Jesus Christ and to the smooth functioning of His body on earth.
Do We Really Need One Another
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
Believers have two responsibilities. The first is to worship God and the second is to work for His kingdom. Where and how we serve is based upon our unique talents, skills, and calling. But the one place where we are all expected to give of ourselves is the local church.
When you were saved, the Lord baptized you by the Holy Spirit into His church--the body of believers who live all over the world but are united by trust in Jesus Christ. You then chose, according to the will of God, to become part of a local, autonomous group of believers. He placed you there because He knows that you are needed (1 Cor. 12:18). You are significant to your home church.
The church is more than a community. It is an interdependent body with individual members who were created by God to function in communion with one another. We Christians, like the world at large, are a diverse group, and that means we often have to strive hard for unity. But our differences are actually something to be celebrated, because each person uniquely contributes to God�s purpose. A church that is truly operating as a unit--with all its varied gifts, talents, personalities, and intellects focused toward kingdom goals--must be a beautiful sight before the Lord.
Christianity isn�t a spectator religion. We all have jobs to do in God�s kingdom. The body of Christ functions best and most beautifully when all members resolve to serve God and each other to the best of their ability (v. 25). What are you doing for your church?
Threefold Deliverance
�For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.� (Psalm 116:8)
From Alienation to Reconciliation
2 Corinthians 5:14-21
Separation, rejection, and alienation are unpleasant experiences that we usually try to avoid at all costs. But we live in a fallen world, so we cannot totally escape them.
Isolation from other people is bad enough, but what's worse is that many individuals live apart from the heavenly Father. How tragic and futile life must be when it is spent completely detached from its Creator. God planted within each of us a desire to be in relationship with Him, so until we find our connection to Him, we will always feel that something is missing.
And yet as crucial as that relationship is to our well-being, something stands in its way: Whether by our thoughts or actions, we have all violated the Lord's commands (Rom. 3:23), and our pure, holy God cannot be in the presence of sin. Romans 6:23 states that the penalty for sin is death, which is an eternal separation from the Lord. Therefore, we will always have a void.
What a bleak outlook for mankind! But our loving Father solved the dilemma by sending His Son to pay our penalty. Fully God and fully man, Jesus lived the perfect life, took all our iniquity upon Himself, and died a gruesome death on the cross. No longer are we condemned for our wrongs, because Christ took our place. And three days later, He victoriously rose to life.
Salvation is available to anyone who believes and receives this remarkable gift. John 3:16 describes how reconciliation puts an end to our alienation: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
Moses and the Shining Face
�And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses� hand . . . that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.� (Exodus 34:29)
How to Query GodJohn Piper
Thoughts on Romans 9:20: You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?"
Clearly Paul was displeased with this response to his teaching about God. Does this mean that it's always wrong to ask questions in response to Biblical teaching? I don't think so.
Paul had said some controversial things. Peter admitted that Paul was sometimes hard to understand: "There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures" (2 Peter 3:16). Paul had said that God "has mercy on whom he wills and hardens whom he wills" (Romans 9:18). The point was: his will decides finally whether we are hard-hearted or not. "Before they were born or do anything good or evil" God had mercy on Jacob and gave Esau over to hardness (Romans 9:11-13).
Someone hears this and objects in verse 19, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" To this Paul responds, "You, a mere human being, have no right to answer back to God."
The word "answer back" (antapokrinomenos) occurs one other time in the New Testament, namely, in Luke 14:5-6. Jesus is showing the lawyers that it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. He said to them, "�Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?' And they could not answer back (antapokrithenai) to these things."
In what sense could they not "answer back"? They could not show him wrong. They could not legitimately criticize him. They could not truly contradict what he said. So the word "answer back" probably carries the meaning: "answer back with a view to criticizing or disagreeing or correcting."
That, I think, is what displeased Paul in Romans 9:20. This leaves open the possibility that a different kind of question would be acceptable, namely, a humble, teachable question that wants to understand more if possible, but not rebuke or condemn or criticize what has been said.
For example, in Luke 1:31 the angel Gabriel comes to the virgin Mary and says, "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus." Mary is astounded and baffled. Virgins don't have sons. She could have scoffed and argued. But instead she said, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:34). She did not say it can't happen; she asked, "How?"
Contrast this with Gabriel's visit to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. The angel comes and tells him, "Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John" (Luke 1:13). But Zechariah knew that "Elizabeth was barren and advanced in years" (Luke 1:7). Different from Mary, his skepticism gave rise to a different question. He said, "How shall I know this?" Not: "How will you do this?" But: "How can I know you'll do it?"
Gabriel did not like this answer. He said, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time" (Luke 1:19-20).
So I conclude that humble, teachable questions about how and why God does what he does are acceptable to God. To Mary God gave a very helpful answer, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" (Luke 1:35). This did not remove the mystery, but it helped.
I can't remove the mystery from Romans 9. But there may be more to understand than we have seen and I do not want to discourage you from pressing further up and further in to the heart and mind of God.
Wanting to be teachable with you,
Pastor John
Uncontrolled Weakness
Judges 16:1-24
The book of Judges tells of a man named Samson, who was so strong he could kill a lion with his bare hands (14:5-6). He possessed physical strength unequalled by any human being. But this could not compensate for his inner weakness.
All of us have areas of weakness. God wants these character flaws to show us how totally dependent we are upon Him. When we handle them properly, they drive us into a deeper, more intimate relationship with the Lord. But uncontrolled weakness wreaks havoc in a person�s life.
Samson�s Achilles� heel was uncontrollable lust. Although he was raised in a godly home and had a clear calling in life, he gave in to his desires and deliberately violated the truth he knew so well. Despite Nazirite laws forbidding involvement with foreign women, Samson pursued a harlot in Gaza (16:1). Later, he met a woman named Delilah, and even though her motives were blatantly treacherous, he gave himself over--heart, mind, and spirit--to sexual indulgence. He was in such bondage to the sin that he ultimately allowed it to dictate his actions, even at the cost of his life.
Before he died, Samson lost everything: his strength, eyesight, and honor. The man who once led his country mightily became a slave to his enemies (vv. 18-25).
What is your weakness? Is it lust, insecurity, fear, greed, gossip, or pride? Personality flaws can be a powerful motivation for good or ill, depending on our response. A proclivity for sin can ruin your life--as it did Samson�s--or drive you to utter dependence on God. The outcome is up to you.
The Queen of Sheba
�And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.� (1 Kings 10:1)
The Psalm of Life
�I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.� (Psalm 91:2)
Thank God for Guilt - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. -Hebrews 12:5-6
Some people say that guilt is a horrible thing. In reality, guilt is a design God has put in our souls. It is similar to the pain we feel in our bodies when something is wrong. If I'm walking down the street barefoot and step on a piece of broken glass, a signal goes through my body, saying, "Red alert! Don't step any further!" The pain effectively warns me that more pain is coming unless I stop.
In the same way, when we experience guilt, our conscience says, "Warning! Don't do that." That is the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
When someone who claims to be a Christian can live in sin without sensing it, then something is seriously wrong. I know we aren't perfect. I know we all fall short of the glory of God. But there is a difference between stumbling unintentionally and being sorry for it and living in habitual, continual sin without any pangs of conscience, guilt, or remorse.
If this is happening in your life, then it means your conscience is being "seared with a hot iron" (1 Timothy 4:2). As the Bible says in Hebrews 12, "If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?" (verse 7). In other words, if you are a child of God, when you begin to cross the line, the Holy Spirit will be there to say, "No, don't do that."
That very conviction is a reminder that you are a child of God. So rejoice when you feel guilt. Thank God for guilt.
If you can live in sin without any guilt or remorse, then one must question whether you are a child of God. Throw on the brakes if this is happening to you.
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