Spiritual Fruit

One of the most poignant metaphors to describe the life of a true Christian, and therefore describing a true Christian, is bearing fruit. This metaphor is used by John the Baptist to describe true repentance. This metaphor is also used by Christ throughout his ministry and therefore is used throughout the synoptic gospels. We also see this metaphor used by Christ with His disciples in John 15, in his final discourse only a few hours before His crucifixion.

In the synoptic gospels, Christ tells us this in regard to false teachers, "You shall know them by their fruit." In regards to the difference between professors of Christ and possessors of Christ He says, "Good trees produce good fruit, and bad trees produce bad fruit." In the parable of the four soils, He tells us that only the good soil produces fruit, and that the other three don't. Immediately following we have a parable concerning the kingdom of heaven, in which Christ tells us that there will be tares sown among the wheat by the enemy. What is the difference between a tare and a stalk of wheat?  The wheat produces the fruit of the grain, the tare does not. Later Jesus curses a fig tree because it should be producing figs and is not...it only looks the part. He goes on to tell the Jews, "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing the fruit of it." See (Matthew 7:15-20; 13:3-8, 18-23, 24-30; 21:19, 41-43), and there are parallel passages in Mark and Luke.

In John 15 Jesus tells His disciples that bearing much fruit proves that they are His disciples and brings glory to God; and that the Father prunes the true believer so that He will bear much fruit. In this chapter He also tells us that it is only those that abide in Him who can bear fruit, and that those who truly abide in Him will bear much fruit.

Of those who do not bear fruit, here is what is said about them: They shall be cut down. They shall be taken away. They shall be gathered together and burned. They are cursed. They are workers of lawlessness (bad fruit, sin). He has never known them. They shall not be part of the kingdom of God.

Wow, pretty telling isn't it?  Christ isn't waffling here when He uses this metaphor. There is no salvation shuffle going on, just plain and to the point, in language that paints a picture that we can understand.  Why? Because salvation is at stake! So there should not be any waffling or shuffling going on when eternal destiny is on the line. Just as Christ does throughout the gospels, He draws a distinct line in the sand so that we can see which side we are standing on. And as blunt as it seems, and is, it is the grace of God to be this direct and this black and white. As I have said many times, "A proper presentation of the gospel should always leave people with the understanding of which side of the fence they are on."

The questions, though, that would be logical here are: Okay, what is spiritual fruit? What does it look like? How would I know it if I saw it, and how do I know if I am producing it?

Fortunately, as is always the case with spiritual questions, the answers are in the Scriptures. Let's take a look at what the Bible tells us about spiritual fruit.

• It is the result of the gospel, and is the obedience of faith.

Colossians 1:5-6 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth.

The key here is that the gospel is constantly, consistently, bearing fruit and increasing. And this is taking place in the life of the believer.  Remember the parable of the seeds in Matthew 13. The seeds represented the word of God (the gospel) and when the seeds fell in the good soil they produced fruit...some thirty, some sixty, some one hundred fold. The word of God is the seed from which spiritual fruit is born.

Romans 1:5-6, 13 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among the Gentiles for His name's sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ...I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

What is this fruit that Paul is wanting to obtain among the church at Rome. It is the obedience of faith.  The basket in which all spiritual fruit is gathered is the obedience of faith. All spiritual fruit is a result of obedience. So when we as believers grieve or quench the Spirit, we are not producing spiritual fruit. Being obedient to the faith is being obedient to the revealed word of God, and out of this obedience comes spiritual fruit. See also (Isaiah 55:10-11; James 1:18,21; Mark 4:26-29)

• It is the fruit of the indwelling Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...

Notice how each aspect, each facet, of the fruit of the Spirit is an inner quality, a settled disposition of the soul. Each of these facets will manifest themselves in a myriad of ways as we go about our daily lives (See Luke 6:43-45). They stand in sharp contrast to the claims of those who are clamoring to get into heaven in Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who say to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter (remember the obedience of faith). Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord,' did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.' " It is easy to get caught up in what people "do" for the Lord,  their religious activities, versus being mindful of the fruit they actually manifest. It is the manifestation and working out of what is dwelling within in which we see true spiritual fruit.

• It is the opposite of deeds of the flesh.

We can get a more complete picture of spiritual fruit by knowing what it is not, and obviously what is listed here would be considered bad fruit.

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:  immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these...(so this is not a complete list). But Paul adds to that list in Ephesians 4. They are: greediness, lusts of deceit, falsehood, stealing, unwholesome words, bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice.

And these verses still do not contain an entire list, but are enough to give us a picture of what bad fruit looks like. And who produces bad fruit? Not the good tree!

• It is born out of the dynamic qualities of faith.

II Peter 2:5-8 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing , they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So if these qualities are ours and we are growing in them, maturing in them, then we will be fruitful in our Christian life.  We will be bearing mature fruit, rich fruit, and more fruit; just as a mature tree produces more abundant and richer fruit than a young tree.

• It is good works

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Hebrews 13:20-21 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip (katartizo--to render fit, to fully train, to furnish completely) in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Colossians 1:9-10 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Remember, in John 15 we learn that our producing much fruit proves we are Christ's disciples, but is also brings glory to God the Father.  So following the logic in the verses above....

1. God has prepared beforehand good works for us to do.
2. He equips us to do these good things that please Him.
3. In these good works, good things, fruit is born...manifested.
4. In the producing of spiritual fruit God is thus glorified.

Follow the trail of good deeds in Titus 1:16, 2:7, 2:14, 3:1 3:5 3:8...to verse 3:14 where we learn "Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful." Good deeds, deeds that bear spiritual fruit, are important to God, and they should be important to us. The good deeds talked about in this short epistle to Titus result in the confirmation and adornment of the gospel. They give validity to the gospel, and in many instances pave the way for the gospel.

• It is the fruit of the Light

Ephesians 5:8-9 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth).

Goodness, righteousness, and truth all go together, they walk hand in hand. So when our light is shining before men, our walk (manner of life/way of life) will be characterized by all three. The goodness here is not a passive or meek goodness, but an active goodness, a desire for goodness that compels one to action. It is also the zeal behind righteous indignation. This is the zeal behind Christ driving out the moneychangers, in order to protect the righteousness of His Father's house. It is goodness in action, and it is a prevailing goodness. It is an infectious goodness that influences others around it. This kind of lifestyle is one that brings glory to God, for it is obvious that God is the power, and it will point men to Him.

• It is righteousness

Philippians 1:11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.  (See also James 3:18, Hebrews 12:11)

In I John 2:1 our Lord is called Jesus Christ, the Righteous. So the fruit we bear will be righteous as He is righteous. In fact, it is His righteousness that we are producing, not our own. It is the righteousness whose foundation is faith in Christ. Faith in all that He is and all He has done to secure our salvation. In fact, we are most righteous when we are living as Christ would live (Again, referring back to the obedience of faith).

• It is Godly wisdom

James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

Godly wisdom is the mind of Christ (which all true Christian's have) applied to the situations and circumstances of life in the world, and life in the church. It comes from a knowledge of the Scriptures, it comes from prayer, it is the result of knowing Christ, and comes out of a desire to be like Him in all of life.

• It is caring for the brethren

Romans 15:26, 28 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem....Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain.

We also see this in the letter to the Philippians as Paul commends them for their support for him over the years (approximately 11 years); in II Corinthians as well, as Paul talks about fully supplying the needs of the saints.

The Scriptures tell us to do good and be ready to share, and we are to be particularly sensitive to the needs of those within the family of God, our brethren in Christ. This sensitivity to, and desire to provide for the needs of the saints is a particular fruit of the Spirit, and gives testimony to the world of God's love and care for His own.

• It is the outworking of the three core components of the Christian life

I Corinthians 13:13 But faith, hope, and love, abide these three....

We should see these three distinctives manifested in not only the lives of the individuals, but also in the life of each church. If you look at the letters to the churches in Revelation, they are commended for their manifestation of these distinctives or rebuked for their lack of them. Also, the church at Thessalonica was commended for their work of faith, their labor of love, and the steadfastness of their hope; and for the church at Colossae; the object of their faith was Jesus Christ, their love was directed towards all the saints, and their hope was laid up in heaven.

Again, as the people go, so goes the church. So each church will manifest fruit in relation to the fruit produced by its people; and to the extent that faith, hope, and love are manifested in the lives of its members, they will be manifested in the life in that church.  This is what makes the churches at Thessalonica and Colossae stand out. So the question for all of us is how much of faith, hope, and love do we bring to our church?

• It is the result of our conduct

Hebrews 13:7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you, and considering the result of their conduct (the outcome of their way of life), imitate their faith.

Remember, Jesus said we shall know them by their fruit, or, in other words, you personally will be known by your fruit. You know, you really do live what you believe. Therefore your life will bear out what is actually on the inside. God has constructed life in such a way that our fruit is made known/evident through what life brings about. We see this fruit, not only in the behavior itself, but also in its consequences. This is true for all of us whether a believer or a non-believer, but is particularly crucial for leaders in the church. We should be able to see spiritual fruit in the lives those who are spiritual leaders. Again, it is not about talking a good game, but it is about the totality of our life.

• It is the life of Christ lived out in us

Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.
Galatians 4:19 My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you--
Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Colossians 1:28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

Since Christ is the vine from which the branches draw their life and sustenance, it is His life that will be reproduced in and through the branch. It is Christ who is our life, and therefore His life is being lived out through us. The essence of Christianity is not becoming a better person, but becoming more and more like Christ. He lived the life that we were supposed to live, but could not; and now lives that life out through each and every one who is truly a Christian.

So when we bear fruit, that fruit is a manifestation of Christ, His character and His attributes. This gives a richer meaning to the term Christlike. As we mature, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, we will become more like Him; and in becoming more like Him we will not only produce more fruit, but the fruit we produce will be richer and sweeter and more luxurious. It will be pleasing to the eye, flavorful to the taste, and give off an aromatic smell. It will be a delight and appealing to the spiritual senses of those who are true Christians, but will be the odor of death, and therefore offensive, to those who are not.

Our bearing fruit, and much of it, will prove that we are true disciples; and in the proving to be true disciples, God will be glorified. So, let us focus on becoming more like Christ, for in doing so we will bear much rich fruit, our Father and God will be glorified, and we will have truly done something on this earth that is not only worthwhile, but will count for eternity.

Warfare Praying

Pray then in this way:

Our Father who is in heaven,

hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done, on earth

as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:9-10

I always get amused when I hear the term "warfare praying," like it is some type of special praying, praying specifically designated for the spiritual battlefield. When people use that term I think they are missing something, something noted in the verses above.  

When giving instructions on how to pray, Jesus states that we are to request that the Father's will be done on earth as it is being done each and every moment in heaven. Think about it, each and every prayer should include the request or should be prayed in light of the Father's will being carried out here on earth (beginning with our lives first). If that is how we are to pray each and every prayer, and it is; then each and every prayer is a prayer of spiritual warfare.  

The minute we pray for God's will to be done we are praying against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places, as they are always full out against the will of the Father. The minute you pray for the Lord's will to be carried out in your life, the life of the church, or the life of your friends and family, then you have entered into the spiritual fray. If you pray for His will on the mission field, you are praying against the will of the enemy.

The Lord wants us to pray for His will to be done. Our prayers for His will to reign supreme is a prayer against the evil one and all of his schemes, and are used by God as a means by which His will is carried out.  

If this is the case, and it is, then we must realize that each and every prayer that is prayed for the will of God to be accomplished will have spiritual opposition, because our adversary and God's adversary does not want the will of God to be done....ever.  

So, with this in mind, let us pray in a more informed way, and with greater understanding of exactly what is taking place when we pray for His will to be done, and let's always include that request in our prayers.

Prayer Traps

Psalm 16:11b...In Your presence is fullness of joy;

In Your right hand are pleasures forever.

In our thinking about and considering prayer,

it should not be a task to be accomplished,

something to get done and get out of the way;

but it should be a relationship to be enjoyed,

a communion to be anticipated, a joy and a delight

in drawing near to Him and coming before His throne.

For, after all, the chief end of man is to glorify God,

and to enjoy Him forever. Our enjoying Him should

be part of our existence now, with the greater and fuller joy,

 the hope of the completeness of joy, a promise to be relished.

In considering prayer, I believe there are two traps that are easy for all of us to fall into. They are the guilt trap, and the task trap; and the two go hand in hand.

It is way too easy to make prayer a task, an item on our to do list, something to get done. And when it becomes something to get done, it becomes something to get marked off and get out of the way. When we make prayer a task, it then becomes something that we must do for God. When this is our motive for prayer, our prayers become rote, mechanical, and we are robbed of the joy and enjoyment of prayer. When prayer becomes a task to be accomplished it is one step away from becoming a form of legalism in our life.

When anything becomes a legalism in our life, we have then set ourselves up for guilt. And what happens when we feel guilty about something? Don’t we usually avoid being around the person towards whom we feel guilty? When we start feeling guilty about not praying, instead of motivating us to pray, it almost inevitably demotivates us as we start avoiding coming into the Lord’s presence. The more avoidance the more the guilt; and the more the guilt the more the avoidance. It becomes a self-defeating cycle.

How do we avoid these two traps? We avoid them by having a right understanding of prayer, and why we should pray. In no particular order here are a few reasons we should pray, and this is by no means an exhaustive list.

1. It is one of the means God has ordained in the accomplishment of His will.
2. It is one of the ways we can participate in the accomplishment of His will.
3. It is one of the ways we draw near to Him.
4. It is one of the ways we fellowship with Him.
5. It is one of the ways we encourage and build others up.
6. It is one of our weapons in spiritual warfare.
7. It is one of the means to an abundant spiritual life.
8. It is the means through which we confess sin.
9. It is one of the means of building unity in the body.
10. It is how we talk to God.

Let’s avoid the task trap and the guilt trap, and simply look forward to being with the Lord in prayer, and remember He desires to be with us as well.

The Issue of Inerrancy has Never Gone Away, nor Will It!

In the current evangelical landscape, the sufficiency of Scripture is under assault. Is the Bible sufficient in and of itself without the need of certain lenses of gender, ethnicity, socio-economics, and the like to make it more understandable, relatable, or relevant? This has certainly occupied much of the conversation in the social media world.

However, there is an issue that still has not gone away, in fact this issue underlies the sufficiency issue, and this issue is inerrancy. You see, how you view inerrancy, how you define inerrancy, what you believe inerrancy to be will color your view of Scripture and therefore how you apply Scripture. How you define inerrancy sets a theological trajectory that will ultimately lead you down the right path, or take you out to the theological weeds.

You might be thinking, "What do you mean, how you define inerrancy? Doesn't inerrant mean without error?" Well, not exactly, especially for those in academia. For the average church goer, when someone says they believe in or hold to inerrancy, they take them at face value, just as they understand the word at its face value. However, in academia, there is (and I hate this word when used theologically) nuance applied; and, for some reason, nuance is so so valued in the academic world. In fact, in many circles, you are not thought of as much of a scholar unless you can demonstrate how nuanced you are.

So, when someone in academia, or even the pastorate, uses the word inerrant, you cannot assume they hold to a view that would seem self-apparent to most who hear that word. In academia there are eight primary definitions for inerrancy. How's that for nuance? So, if someone says they hold to inerrancy or believe the Bible to be inerrant, what really needs to be asked of them is which definition of inerrancy do you hold to? With eight different views of the term inerrant, there is much room to hide behind the word and not believe all the Bible is inspired, or truthful, or correct. There is a lot of room here for word games.

For those of us in the Southern Baptist Convention, and for many of those in other denominations, the inerrancy issue never really went away, it went underground.

Back during the inerrancy controversy I read a piece by Jim Denison that listed 8 definitions of inerrancy, which highlighted for me some of the chicanery going on by those in academia who claimed to be inerrantists as some of these definitions give ample room to call oneself an inerrantist while not really being one. Here are the eight definitions of inerrancy were listed in that piece. As you read through them you will see that one can claim to hold to the inerrancy of Scripture, while denying key elements of what makes the Bible the Word of God.

1. A Common Sense/Face Value definition: The Bible can be trusted or is trustworthy in all it states or affirms. This is a God said what He meant and meant what He said and can be taken at His Word understanding of the nature and character of Scripture. This is simple and straightforward, and would be the application that most Christians would make of the word inerrant.

2. Formal Inerrancy. This view includes #1 and those who hold to this view would additionally make the claim that the Scripture does not contradict itself, or the Scriptures contain no contradictions.

3. Material or Strict or Full Inerrancy. This view contains #s 1 and 2 and goes yet further. It is best understood as defined by the Chicago Statement on Inerrancy in the section Infallibility, Inerrancy, and Interpretation. "Holy Scripture, as the inspired Word of God witnessing authoritatively to Jesus Christ, may properly be called infallible and inerrant. These negative terms have a special value, or they explicitly safeguard crucial positive truths. Infallible signifies the quality of neither misleading nor being misled and so safeguards in categorical terms the truth that Holy Scripture is a sure, safe, and reliable rule and guide in all matters. Inerrant signifies the quality of being free from all falsehood or mistake and so safeguards the truth that Holy Scripture is entirely true and trustworthy in all its assertions.

As an aside here, the introductory section, regarding the Scriptures, of the Southern Baptist Faith and Message 2000, mirrors the Chicago Statement above.

4. Limited Inerrancy. Regarding its teaching on faith and morals, the Bible is inerrant; but can contain errors in matters where it addresses history, geography, or science.

5. Purposful or Intentional Inerrancy.  Those that hold to this view of inerrancy would say that the Bible is inerrant in the accomplishment of its purpose(s), such as salvation, sanctification, or edification. However, outside of the Bible's intended purposes, errors can exist; such as science, or history, or geography, since God did not intend the Bible to be a book about science, history, or geography. This view of inerrancy has gained a lot of traction over the last couple of decades.

6. Unified Inerrancy. This approach to inerrancy would consider the unified or overall truth of the doctrines (teachings of specific subjects) of the Scriptures to be inerrant, but would not go as far as saying all words or statements are inerrant.

7. Soteriological Inerrancy. This view or definition of inerrancy means that the Bible is inerrant in what it teaches concerning salvation, but can contain errors in other areas it addresses.

8. Secondary Inerrancy. This view of inerrancy is in regards to the quotations and speeches contained in the Scriptures. Those holding this view would say that the quote or speech contained in the Scriptures is inerrant, but the actual content of the quotes or speeches themselves can contain error.

It is obvious that #3, Material or Full inerrancy, is the strongest definition of inerrancy, and does the best job of safeguarding the Scriptures from downgrade. The others do provide wiggle room; but wiggle room allows the leaven of unbelief to enter and a little leaven eventually leavens the whole lump. A little doubt will eventually turn into denial and disbelief.

 The rub here is that in academic circles you can be viewed as conservative and hold to a inerrancy view above that allows for errors in the Scriptures. This is where, in my opinion, those in academia and pastors can pull the wool over peoples eyes by calling themselves inerrantists, and in academic circles be thought of and promoted as conservative. This is where academia uses the same word but  has a different dictionary. This allows a seminary to trot out a professor and promote him as a wonderful Christian man and scholar and an inerrantist who denies the veracity and reliability of the totality of the Scriptures.

Words, terms, and their definitions are important. So it is important not only to know if a potential pastor or professor holds to inerrancy, but which definition of inerrancy does he hold to.

Having laid this out, this now brings us to the current controversy regarding Dr. Dominick Hernandez at Southern Seminary. On the one hand we have recently terminated OT professor Dr. Russell Fuller who calls into question the views on Job and other issues with Dr. Dominik Hernandez. See here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMfiRWgobOU

And then Southern's rebuttal featuring Dr. Jim Hamilton and Dr. Hernandez. See here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx10NOTO8uw&t=411s

I will bet that all three of these men, who all signed the Abstract of Principles, are not coming from the same definition of inerrancy.

One of the areas Dr Fuller questioned was Dr Hernandez's view of the person of Job, and, therefore, how he viewed Job as a book. One of the keys to note in the rebuttal is the wording Dr. Hernandez chooses to use regarding Job at 6:09 and 6:29. Notice he uses the term, "Seems to suggest that Job was a real person." He does not say, "Indicates Job was a real person." What did he mean by that? Dr. Hamilton did not question him on it. Later in the video Dr. Hamilton asks Dr. Hernandez if he is an inerrantist, and he affirms that he is. But my question is, "What type of inerrantist is he?" Obviously not the same type of inerrantist that Russell Fuller is.

Indeed, the issue of inerrancy is still with us. No matter which denomination or affiliation, people need to understand the terms and decide which definition of inerrancy they want in their academies and pastors.

The Immutability of God--The Anchor of My Relationship with Him

For I, the Lord, do not change; 

therefore you, O sons of Israel

are not consumed.

Malachi 3:6 

If you read any book or article on the attributes of God you will find Him described as immutable, and usually they will go on to talk about the unchangableness of His nature and character. However, the word has a deeper meaning than just being unchangeable, it means that in being unchangeable, one is not capable or susceptible to change. When you grasp that concept, then considering God's immutability takes on a whole new light.

This means that it is impossible for God to change, impossible for God to be other than He is. There is never the potentiality of His changing in any way, in any measure (James 1:17). His mercy will always be His mercy, His wrath will always be His wrath, His grace will always be His grace, His power will always be His power. There will never be any diminishment in who He is, because there cannot be any diminishment in who He is; and He cannot be more than He is, He cannot be improved upon, because He is already perfect. When God tells us that from age to age He is the same, we must understand that from eternity past to eternity future it is impossible for Him to not be the same.  Change in His person, purpose, thoughts, and very nature literally cannot take place. He is the rock that does not erode, the fortress and refuge that is always secure, the love that will never fail. Therefore, His yes is always yes, and His no is always no; and, therefore, His word never changes or shifts, even ever so slightly. He is the model of absolute consistency. He is the same God in the Old Testament as He is in the New Testament.

To me, this is very comforting. It gives me a deeper trust and confidence in not only Him, but in His word. It is this unchangeableness that is behind the Scriptures. It is why the Word of God cannot and will not change to meet the demands of the shifting moral climate of each era of the human race. All of this means that He is absolutely dependable, reliable, and trustworthy. It means there will be a consistency in His dealings with me, a consistency in His love for me, and a consistency in His patience with me no matter the twists and turns that I encounter in this life. It is the anchor in my relationship with Him.

So, my friends, let us consider the absolute unchangeableness of this God who has called us and claimed us, who has loved us and blessed us, and who leads us in the paths of righteousness. Let us draw near and draw great comfort in knowing it is impossible for Him to change.

The God of Forgiveness

One of the things I have noticed over the last few years is the spiritual insecurity of so many Christians. One of the ways this insecurity is manifested is in the area of forgiveness. This seems to be an area of faith where many people are struggling and where a great deal of insecurity resides. Again, in a time when the thrust of most preaching and church life is "all about you" and how God loves you and accepts you for who you are, you would think that people would not be wrestling with this. But when the teaching, preaching, and small group discussion fails to address the basic foundations of our faith because they don't think doctrine is relevant to the lives of the people, how would the people, the flock, have any basis from which to understand forgiveness, much less be able to know they are forgiven? When I was teaching in Dallas in the mid eighties the Minister of Education told me that I was teaching too much doctrine and that I needed to have more application lessons. My response to him was, "Bill, they can not apply what they do not know." This attitude that the ME had has only become more prevalent over the ensuing years. In addition to this, if you teach or preach on forgiveness you must deal with the sin that needs to be forgiven and many churches won't do that because it might make the people feel bad about themselves or offend them.

To get a handle on forgiveness you first must understand the nature and character of God and then understand what He has done so that we can be forgiven. So the rest of this post will be about the nature and character of God as it relates to forgiveness.

The best place to start is with Exodus 33:17-34:7. This section of Scripture relates the story of Moses asking God to show me your glory. I find God's response to this prayer request intriguing as He tells Moses I will make all my goodness pass before you and proclaim My name, the name of the Lord before you. So we see that God's glory is inextricably linked with His goodness and His name. His goodness is His glory and His name is representative of His glory. So God reveals that He is good and in the revelation of His goodness His glory shines forth and is displayed. As God passes by Moses and reveals Himself and His goodness listen to what He says, "The Lord, The Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished..." So we see here that forgiveness comes forth from the goodness of God, and is as much a part of His goodness as His compassion, His grace, His longsuffering, His lovingkindness, and His truth. God forgives because God is good, and His forgiveness of our sins is an extension of His goodness to us. Since His glory is displayed through His goodness, He is glorified in the forgiving of our sins. This alone is reason enough to fall on our knees as grateful beneficiaries of His goodness, which He has chosen not to withhold from us. Being forgiven is the result of the Lord lavishly bestowing His goodness upon us.

Psalm 130:4 states, "But there is forgiveness with You, that you may be feared." Here we see that His forgiveness is one of the pillars for our holy awe and reverence for the Lord. Understanding His forgiveness, experiencing His forgiveness, reveling in the fact that we are forgiven and that God has not dealt with us according to our sins, but according to His goodness and compassion as He is ever mindful that we are but dust, should bring forth in us an unmatched reverence and a heart that bows low in worship. God magnanimously bestows forgiveness upon His people and in the magnitude of His forgiveness He is glorified and exalted; and we see His worthiness of our reverence and stand in awe of His goodness because deep in our soul we know the depth of our own sin and see that for which we have been forgiven, that which no one knows but us and God.

In Nehemiah 9:17 we see that He is a God of forgiveness and in Psalm 86:5 we see that He is good, ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness for all who call upon Him. What does this mean for us? We can see that since He is a God of forgiveness that forgiveness flows from Him to us. He does not have to be coerced into forgiving us, and it is not something that He must struggle to do or something that He begrudgingly doles out like a scrooge at Christmas. In fact, it is just the opposite as we see that He is ready to forgive, He is poised to forgive, He longs to forgive so that we can be brought into right relationship with Him, and thereby enjoy sweet fellowship and communion with Him. These verses, along with I John 1:9, show us that we do not have to go to great lengths, do great penance, or go through great machinations to be forgiven, but we simply call upon Him and confess to Him our sin and it is forgiven; and we are made clean before Him, not just for that sin, but from all our unrighteousness. This, my friends, is goodness, great goodness, goodness worthy of abundant praise and worship out of a heart that has experienced gladness, true gladness, through forgiveness and cleansing.

Yes, forgiveness is ours because it flows from God to us and He is ready and waiting to forgive, not because of us, but because of His goodness. He forgives us on the basis of who He is and what He has done so that we can be forgiven. Have you asked for the forgiveness of God....so that you can come to Him and be saved, so that you can fellowship with Him, so that you can be cleansed and find rest and comfort for your soul? If not, ask Him today, confess to Him today, and in His goodness He will not refuse.

O Lord, how truly good You are, good beyond the scope of our ability to comprehend and good beyond our ability to measure. May praise and honor be heaped upon You and Your name be exalted this day because of Your goodness and forgiveness. Thank you for Your forgiveness, its availability, and its abundance. You are good and You do good. Great is the Lord and blessed be Your name. Amen.

Certaintiy in a Time of Uncertainty

You are good and do good.

Psalm 119:68

The Lord is good to all and His

mercies are over all His works.

Psalm 145:9

For You are good and ready to forgive,

and abundant in lovingkindness

to all who call upon You.

Psalm 86:5

For I the Lord do not change
Malachi 3:6

The Glory of Israel will not lie
or change His mind.
I Samuel 15:29

Every good thing given and every perfect gift
is from above, coming down from the Father
of lights, with whom there is no variation
or shifting shadow.
James 1:17

And we know that God causes all things
to work together for good to those who
love God, to those who are called
according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

The Lord will accomplish what concerns me;
Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting.
Psalm 138:8

In uncertain times, the one thing we can be
certain about is the unchanging certain
character of our good God.

The Confidence of Patience

I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait.

And in His word do I hope.

My soul waits for the Lord

More than the watchman for the morning;

Indeed, more than the watchman for the morning.

Psalm 130:5-6

After Psalm 119, the longest Psalm and longest chapter in the Bible, there is a group of short Psalms from Psalm 120-Psalm 134.  Each of these short Psalms contains great and profound truths, and this is a great section of the Scriptures to read and mediate upon.

In Psalm 130 we see a wonderful example of patience, and the Psalmist paints a picture for us of someone who is not only patient, but confidently patient. In these verses we see three keys to this confident patience.

1. 
   
   The object of our patience.  The object of our patience, the One on whom we are waiting is the Lord.  Our realization must be that the Lord is sovereign and in control, and will work our situation out according to His timing.  He is neither too early nor too late. We know that when the fullness of time came He sent forth His Son (Galatians 4:4), and at the right time Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6). We see that the timing of the most important event in the history of mankind was under the control of God.  It is the Lord whom we wait upon and His timing is always perfect. It is perfect in completing His plan and pupose for us. So if our desire is for His will to be done in our life, we can be content and wait for the unfolding of His will in our life. This kind of waiting is an active submission to the Lord's will and plan for our life, and puts our will in its proper place.
2. 
   
   The ground of our patience.  The ground of our patience is the word of God. The word of God is yay and amen. His yes is always yes, and His no is always no. In Jeremiah 1:12 He tells us that He stands over His word to perform it. In Isaiah 55:10-1 the Lord tells us that His word will not return to Him empty, without accomplishing His purpose. So we know that we can stand on whatever He says, for He will fulfill it. His word is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path. It not only guides us, but it is our ground to stand on when we are having to be patient and wait for the Lord. His word literally guides us into patience, and aids us and strengthens us to remain in that state of patience that looks unto the Lord.
3. 
   
   The confidence of our patience.  I really love the picture of confident patience the Psalmist paints here. His soul waits for the Lord to a greater degree than the watchman waits for the morning. How does the watchman wait for the morning? Confidently, very confidently, because he knows that the morning absolutely will come. In fact, the morning cannot be stopped from coming...at the exact time it should come. The Psalmist is saying that He is more confident in the Lord, and has a better ground of confidence than the watchman who knows the dawn is coming. In the darkness of the night, the watchman may not know how much longer before the dawn, but he knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it is approaching nearer with every beat of his heart. His is a knowing anticipation of the dawn breaking no matter how long or dark the night. This is a firm ground of confidence. Our confidence should be greater and more secure than this watchman's because it is the Lord we are waiting upon, and we have His word as our guarantee. 

This is faith in action, faith being put to the test and being strengthened and refined. This is the faith the Lord wants to develop in you. This faiths is an active trusting that is willing to wait for the Lord no matter how dark or long the night because it knows the breaking of the dawn is certain. This is the faith that endures as seeing Him who is unseen. This is the faith of one who knows their God.

Let us wait upon the Lord with confidence in His care and concern for us, and the knowledge that His plan is always the best plan, because we have a faithful God who will always stand by His word.