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The Theif and The Kingdom

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Question: Elias takes issue with a statement I made to the effect that the dying thief on the cross “entered the kingdom in the throes of death” (Lk. 23:42-43). He points out that Christ did not at that point begin his earthly reign, therefore the thief could not have entered the kingdom.

Answer: This view seems to be based on the false assumption that a word or a symbol is always used in precisely the same way throughout Scripture. Such is not always the case. For example, Paul’s use of the term “justification” is quite different from James’s. The future earthly messianic kingdom is not the only manifestation of the kingdom of God. Paul is able to write to the Colossians and say “the Father….has [i.e. past tense, has already] delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col. 1:12-13, NKJV). Believers are already a part of the kingdom, possessing a heavenly citizenship (Phil. 3:20), even though Christ’s earthly rule is yet to come.

Below is a brief overview of some aspects or manifestations of the kingdom concept, and an indication of how the church of Jesus Christ relates–or does not–to each:

  1. The universal kingdom of God. This refers to God’s supreme rule over all, for time and eternity (Ps. 103:19; Dan. 4:34-35). There is nothing that exists that is not under His sovereign control. (The church is obviously a part of this.)
  2. The spiritual kingdom of God is that which is entered by the new birth (Jn. 3:3; Col. 1:13), and it involves the Lord’s rule over individual believers. (This concept of the kingdom may be considered equivalent to the church, the body of Christ in this age.)
  3. The Theocratic or mediatorial kingdom. (The word theocracy comes from the Greek language: theo = God, kratein = to rule.) This has to do with God’s rule being administered over the earth through a human representative or mediator.
    a) A theocratic rule was exercised, however briefly, through Adam, prior to the fall (Gen. 1:26, 28; cf. 2:19, 23). (The church was not a part of this, not being in existence at the time.)
    b) The mediatorial kingdom was instituted at a national level over Israel with the giving of the Mosaic Law. Sometimes it is called the Davidic Kingdom, in that God’s covenant with David promised one of his descendants would occupy the throne forever (II Sam. 7:12-17). As Israel’s Messiah, Christ will be the ultimate fulfilment of this covenant. The nation was to be a showcase of the blessing of being under God’s rule, and other nations were to experience blessing through Israel (Exod. 19:5-6). But Israel turned away from God to worship idols and the theocratic rule was put in abeyance with the Babylonian Captivity which began the Times of the Gentiles (Lk. 21:24). (The church is not a part of this.)
    c) The mystery form of the kingdom (Matt. 13:11) refers to “Christendom,” between Christ’s two advents. It includes both true believers and unbelievers–among whom are those who are Christian only in name (cf. Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43). (The true church is a part of Christendom, but the two are not identical.)
    d) The mediatorial kingdom will flower again as a world-wide entity when the messianic kingdom becomes a reality with Christ’s rule over the earth for a thousand years at His second coming (Mic. 4:1-8). (The Church Age saints will reign with Christ at this time, Matt. 6:10; Rev. 5:10; 20:4.)

The Process of Discipleship

The Apostle Paul instructs Timothy, a young pastor, “The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (II Tim. 2:2). This verse gives us an important overview of the process of discipleship.

1. Receive – “The things that you have heard from me…”

We each need to hear the Word of God for ourselves (hear it audibly, or as we read and study it personally). And more than just physical hearing with the ears is implied by the biblical term. Jesus shows that by His repeated use of the expression, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matt. 11:15; 13:9, 43). Of course they had physical ears. But to “hear” in this sense is to attend to, to perceive and understand, to learn. Contrast the Lord’s indictment. He told Ezekiel Israel “has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house” (Ezek. 12:2).

2. Ratify – “Among many witnesses…”

We each need to confirm, support and attest to the truth for ourselves. To that end, Paul appeals to “many witnesses” who could assure others that what he taught was true. These could include contemporary observers like the other apostles (“those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses,” Lk. 1:2; cf. I Jn. 1:1-3). But they also include the writers of the Old Testament who foretold events that were taking place (cf. Acts 17:11). The importance of this is demonstrated by the Gospel writers’ frequent assertion that things happened “as it is written” (Mk. 1:2; 7:6; 9:13; 14:21, etc.).

Today we could add the testimonies and written biographies of other Christians. Their lives are a confirmation as well. Sound and insightful Bible commentaries and study books bear witness too. And there is one more witness to consider–our own experience. The Bible says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the many who trusts in Him” (Ps. 34:8), and, “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby” (I Pet. 2:2). Spiritual growth, and the experience of the Lord’s goodness in our own lives are a significant means of personally ratifying the truth.

3. Recruit – “Commit these to faithful men…”

The next step is to prepare to pass on what we are learning. But not to just anybody. There is a place for that–for broadcasting truth widely. But here Paul counsels Pastor Timothy to seek out some particular people.

a) In this case they are to be men, because it is men who are to provide leadership in the church (cf. I Tim. 3:1-7); but in other contexts women are included too (cf. Tit. 2:1-5).

b) They are to be men of conviction, “faithful,” reliable individuals–in other words men of godly Christian character. We read of Ezra that he “prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). We cannot teach others what we are not at least in the process of learning ourselves.

c) As implied by the fourth point below, these are to be individuals who demonstrate some desire and ability to lead and to teach others.

4. Reproduce – “Who will be able to teach others also.”

The truth is to be “committed” (entrusted) to others, with a view to them passing it on to still others. We need to “hear” God’s Word with that intention. Isaiah said, “The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.” And how did God prepare him for this? “He awakens me morning by morning, he awakens my ear to hear as the learned. The Lord has opened my ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away” (Isa. 50:4-5; cf. II Cor. 1:3-4).

Some seem to come to church because it is the thing to do. If they learn anything, it is almost by accident. They make no particular effort to do so. Others come with a desire to learn for themselves, and to benefit their own spiritual lives. This is good. But there is a step beyond, illustrated by what Ezra did: To learn for one’s self with the added purpose of not only applying the truth personally but of sharing it with others.

In listening to a sermon, do you consciously consider ways and opportunities to pass on what you are hearing? In teaching a Sunday School class, do you look for those in the class to whom you might give an opportunity to teach? In your times of personal devotions, are you excited by things you could share? Without this purposeful and intentional process of multiplication there can be no healthy and consistent church growth. It is vital to the future of the local church.

Views & Reviews: The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict

The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict

This is a book about apologetics, which, as the author explains, does not mean making excuses or apologizing for the gospel. It means to defend with logical argument. If someone asks, “Why are you a Christian?” Or “How is it you can have peace and contentment under those conditions?” Peter says we are to “be ready to give a defense [in Greek apologia] to everyone who asks [us]” a reason for our hope (I Pet. 3:15).

The author Josh McDowell has spent over 30 years responding to questions about the Christian faith–especially from college students. This latest edition of his work brings two books together, providing over 700 pages of material to answer the skeptics. Topics dealt with in some depth: the authenticity and trustworthiness of the Bible itself, and the Person and work of Christ. Some useful material here. Check out The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict.

And Can It Be?

Question: Andy asks regarding the story behind the hymn “And Can It Be?”

And Can It Be?

Answer: Charles was a good man. His older brother John was, too. They’d been raised right, and it showed. Then, the day came when Charles went away to university–Oxford University, in England. And he knew what happened to some young people at university. Away from home for the first time, it was an opportunity to kick up your heels and throw off the shackles of parental rules. But he wanted none of that.

With some others he helped to form what they called “The Holy Club.” Club members read books about how to lead a good life, then shared their findings at the meetings. Each determined he was going to lead the most perfect life possible. Never satisfied, they were always trying to do better. They had rules for everything. They fasted, they prayed, they visited the needy. It was quite a contrast to the wild ways of many other students at the university.

Then came graduation–with the usual question, what now? And about that time, the brothers heard of a need for missionaries to work among the First Nations people, over in America. Filled with great enthusiasm, they enlisted. It seemed a great opportunity to teach the heathen the right way to live, to pass on the many rules for good conduct they had developed in the Holy Club.

The voyage to America was a particularly stormy one. The ship was battered and beaten, and it rolled sickeningly, as each thundering wave threatened to send it to the bottom. The brothers were utterly terrified. But there was a group of passengers on board who hardly seemed to be affected at all by the prospect of being sent to a watery grave. They were Christian missionaries. They remained calm, and even cheerful in the tempest, often sitting together praying, or singing hymns of praise. Eventually the storm abated, and they reached the harbour safely. But Charles was greatly impressed with what he had seen and wondered what the missionaries’ secret was. “How can it be?” he thought.

Soon the two brothers launched themselves into what they believed to be their “mission.” They set about the task of making the Indian people obey all those rules they had followed so soberly in their university days. But the Indians did not see the value of it all, and their work was a failure. After one year, Charles took sick and the brothers were forced to return to England. They went back greatly discouraged.

Then Charles made contact with a group of Christians who held to similar beliefs to the missionaries he had met on the trip. And through their teaching he finally understood that the way to peace is not a “do” but a “done.” Not that good conduct was unimportant. But there was something needed first. Something deeper, and life-changing. It was not what he could do for God that would bring rest to his soul, but what Christ had already done for him on the cross. He learned that “Christ died for our sins” (I Cor. 15:3). He learned that when a person puts his faith in Christ, God credits the righteousness of Christ to his account, as a free gift of His grace (Rom. 3:20-21; II Cor. 5:21).

Three days later, his brother John made the same discovery. The two brothers–John (1703-1791) and Charles (1707-1788) Wesley– then launched an evangelistic ministry that would be the greatest the English-speaking world has ever seen. And Charles wrote a hymn expressing his wonder at the love of God. We call it, “And Can It Be?”–an expression of utter amazement. It begins, “And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Saviour’s blood? / Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued? / Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”

Dietary Restrictions for Christians?

Question: Richard writes: We are a Catholic family and lately have reservations on the food we eat. About meat – can Catholics eat beef, pork, chicken and fish?

Answer: With the growing popularity (at least in North America) of a vegetarian diet, some have suggested it is wrong to eat meat at all. Not being a Catholic, I cannot speak for them. But I will share with you what I believe the Bible teaches.

At the time of creation, the Lord prescribed a vegetarian diet for our first parents (Gen. 1:29). But that was before the fall (man’s first sin), and before the flood. Conditions on earth were ideal, and a non-meat diet was sufficient not only for man, but also for the animals (Gen. 1:30). (In that world, mosquitoes did not have to draw human or animal blood to get the needed protein in their diet. Happy day!)

However, with the fall, came a “curse” upon creation, with nature out of balance becoming a kind of object lesson of the destructiveness of sin (Gen. 3:17-19). Then, with the world-wide flood of Noah’s day climatic conditions changed radically. In place of a uniform warm, moist climate from pole to pole, came more severe weather, with ice and snow, and freezing temperatures in many regions. Further, it seems a protective vapour canopy which once surrounded the earth was removed at that time. The sun’s more harmful rays began to invade the earth. (This is one reason for the dramatic fall in life spans from the pre-flood times. Where human beings once lived nearly a thousand years, longevity rapidly declined after the flood to what we know today.)

With the changes just described, God gave new instructions regarding diet, allowing human beings to eat meat (Gen. 9:3). There are ample examples in the Bible of individuals consuming meat (e.g. I Kgs. 4:22-23; 19:21; Neh. 5:18), and it is not condemned as harmful or sinful. In fact, the holy days of Judaism required the eating of meat. Take the Passover, for example. Central to the ceremony was the consumption of roast lamb (Exod. 12:1-11). And since the Lord Jesus, as to His humanity, was a Jew living under the same law (Gal. 4:4)–a law which He perfectly fulfilled–He apparently ate the Passover lamb too. And we know Jesus not only ate fish (Lk. 24:41-43), but He broiled fish and served it to His disciples (Jn. 21:9, 12-14).

One more issue remains: the dietary restrictions of the Jews. Though they were pointedly allowed to eat the meat of mammals, fowl and fish, there were some limitations. Four-footed animals that did not chew their cud and have cloven hooves were excluded (Lev. 11:4-8), as were fish without scales–as eels or shellfish do not have (Lev. 11:9-12). Birds of prey that feed on dead carcasses were also excluded (Lev. 11:13-19). Some insects were off limits, though locusts could be eaten–and the latter were part of the diet of John the Baptist (Lev. 11:20-23; Matt. 3:4). But two specific questions must be considered with regard to these restrictions.

1) Did God set these limits because the excluded animals were unhealthy to eat? If so, then what was unhealthy 3500 years ago when the Law was given would seem to be unhealthy still–and still something we should avoid. Sometimes pork is used as an example to prove this point in the affirmative. It is pointed out that without proper refrigeration pork would have been extremely dangerous. But surely the same could be said for fowl and fish. In fact, the dietary restrictions of the Jews were mainly ceremonial, not health related. Consider Leviticus 11:24 as an example. Even touching the carcass of one of the restricted animals rendered the individual “unclean,” but only “unclean until evening.” It was a ceremonial uncleanness limiting religious activities until the period of uncleanness was over.

The main reason for all the restrictions seems to be this: God wanted Israel to have a continual reminder that they were different. They had been set apart by God for Himself as a special people, a unique privilege not given to other nations (Deut. 14:2). (Note that this last text immediately precedes a review of the dietary laws.) The daily application of these laws said, “You are different. You are set apart for Me, and must live in obedience to Me, and trust in Me.” It is impossible to prove there is a consistent health problem with consuming the meats on the restricted list (as long as they are properly stored and prepared). It was a ceremonial thing. Which leads to the second issue.

2) Are we still to live by the restrictions of the Jewish Law? The answer is No. On this side of the cross, God is doing a new thing. He is bringing Jew and Gentile together in a new body (the church) through faith in Christ (I Cor. 12:12-13). Those aspects of the Old Testament Law that have to do with morality are also taught in the New Testament (e.g. not committing adultery, not stealing, etc.). But we are pointedly told that the church is not under the old Law (which included 613 commandments in all). About a dozen times this truth is restated (Rom. 6:14; 7:6, etc.).

When Peter was given a vision preparing him to extend the Christian gospel to the Gentiles, he reacted as a Jew (Acts 10:9-16). Commanded by God to eat the meat of animals he considered unclean, he refused. But a voice said, “What God has cleansed you must not call common” (vs. 15). And after Gentiles began to turn to Christ, a church council was held in Jerusalem to consider their status, and whether the Jewish Law should apply to them (Acts 15). The main dietary concern was that the Gentiles should agree not to eat meat from which the blood had not been drained. This had been a major and overarching command of Judaism for centuries (Lev. 17:10-11). Reverence for the blood related to the fact that in it was “the life of the flesh,” and it was shed in the sacrifices “to make atonement for your souls.” The early church agreed to ask for a respect for this prohibition among the Gentile believers (vs. 23; 28-29).

Significantly, nothing at all is said by the Jerusalem council about keeping to a vegetarian diet. Under grace, there is freedom of choice in this area. “Let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths [i.e. the restrictions of the Jewish Law], which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is Christ” (Col. 2:16-17) And Romans 14:1-10 pointedly says that those who believe they can only eat vegetables are “weak in the faith”! The Bible tells Christians, “The living God…gives us richly all things to enjoy” (I Tim. 6:17). Of course, as with most things, moderation is important. Too much red meat in one’s diet may indeed be harmful. Moderation is the key. If a person decides a certain diet is right for him, we may express concern if it seems an unhealthy choice. But we have no right to judge him on religious grounds. In that he has liberty, and is accountable to God, not to us.

When Righteousness Falls Short

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will be no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20).

pharisees

This must have come as a shock to many of His listeners. The Pharisees were zealous to keep even the minutest detail of the Law. The Apostle Paul states regarding his early years as a Pharisee that “concerning the righteousness which is in the law [he was] blameless” (Phil. 3:6).

I am certain many wondered how they could exceed the high standard of these ultra-religious Jews. But there were several fundamental problems with the righteousness of the Pharisees. It fell short in a number of ways that good-living, moral people fall short in even today.

  1. Their “righteousness” was based on self effort, rather than dependance on God (cf. Zech. 4:6; II Tim. 3:5).
  2. It became a matter of sinful pride (cf. Matt. 6:2, 5, 16).
  3. It prompted them to make unwise and unhealthy comparisons with others (cf. II Cor. 10:12).
  4. It involved a re-interpretation of the Law to accommodate their weakness and failings (Mk. 7:8-13).
  5. It led to play-acting (hypocrisy) to make themselves out to be better than they were (Matt. 23:14, 23, 27).
  6. It focused on adherence to an external code rather than on a personal relationship with the Lord (Matt. 15:8).
  7. It caused many of them to reject Christ because they were convicted by His true and perfect righteousness (Matt. 12:14, 24).

Problems with a Man-Made god

Israel in Old Testament times was surrounded by idol worshiping peoples. In the days of their bondage in Egypt they were confronted with them. And in their conquest of Canaan they faced many more. Time after time they were led astray and committed spiritual adultery with the false gods of the heathen. It seems to be a tendency rooted in the sinful nature of man, that he either create a god to his own liking, or try to replace God with himself. This spiritual perversion is addressed many times in the Bible. In fact, a prohibition against idolatry begins the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20:1-6).

Idolatry is not only wrong because it represents unfaithfulness to the true God, but it is in itself the epitome of foolishness. What the New King James Version calls “useless idols” (Ps. 31:6), the 1611 text labels “lying vanities.” To make an image of a piece of wood or a block of stone, and then bow down to it, and ask for its help is the height of folly. Consider the problems with that as demonstrated in Isaiah 40:19-20.

  1. The Money. The glory and splendour of your god depends on how much money you have to spend (vs. 19), not anything inherent in the god itself.
  2. The Materials. The endurance of your god depends upon the materials you use. Natural forces threaten its very existence (cf. Matt. 6:19-21).
  3. The Maker. The stability and reliability of your god depends on the skill of the manufacturer. If he is careless or unskilled, it may fall over at the slightest touch. (Better nail it down, Isa. 41:7!)

Mere logic would seem to completely invalidate such a god. Yet these same issues are at the root of a materialistic value system in the lives of countless people–most of whom would reject the idea of bowing before an image. How much does it cost? What is it made of? And who made it? The preferred answers to such questions can make a watch, a car, a house, or something else a prized possession to be sought after and coveted (cf. Col. 3:5).

What makes the true God unique above all is that fact that His many attributes are intrinsic and inherent in His very Being. His infinite splendour and majesty are to be praised. His eternal and self-sufficient existence is certain, His faithfulness to His word absolute (I Chron. 29:11-14; Ps. 36:5-9). Steve Green’s lyrics say it well: “God and God alone created all these things we call our own; / From the mighty to the small the glory in them all is God’s and God’s alone. / God and God alone is fit to take the universe’s throne; Let everything that lives reserve its truest praise for God and God alone.”

The Holy Spirit and the Tribulation

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Question: Juanita asks, “I heard that it says somewhere in the Bible that the Holy Spirit will not be on earth during the Tribulation. Is that so?”

Answer: As God, the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent. There is no place where He is not. Thus the references to Him being “sent” and “coming” at Pentecost are merely verbal tools to describe a change in ministry, not so m1|uch a change in location. The Holy Spirit was very much at work in Old Testament times, before He “came” at Pentecost. He was involved in creation (Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4), and of course He inspired the Old Testament Scriptures (II Pet. 1:21). He also came upon and “filled” individuals to equip them for a particular work (Exod. 31:3; Jud. 3:10).

Prior to Pentecost, sinners still needed to be born again through faith, and receive eternal life. That is a work of the Holy Spirit–which is why Christ (pre-Pentecost) could speak to Nicodemus of his need to be born again of the Spirit of God (Jn. 3:5-8). There are, however, some differences with regard to the ministry of the Spirit of God in the present age. His permanent indwelling of believers is new (Jn. 14:16-17), as is His baptizing work of joining Christians to Christ and to one another in His body (I Cor. 12:12-13; Gal. 3:26-28). The church is unique to the present age.

That brings us to what happens after the rapture of the church. Second Thessalonians 2:6-8 says, “Now you know what is restraining, that he [the Antichrist] may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He [meaning, I believe, the Holy Spirit] who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed…” One of the ministries of the Spirit now is to restrain the forces of evil. (Imagine what they will be like when unrestrained!) And one of the chief agencies the Spirit uses to accomplish this is the church, and concerned Christians who speak out against wrong. When the church is taken up, this restraint will come to an end.

However, that does not mean the omnipresent Spirit will no longer be here and at work. One writer says the “taking out of the way” of the Restrainer “refers not to spatial removal…but rather [to] a stepping aside.” I sometimes picture it as the opening of flood gates causing a tide of evil to sweep across the world. Millions will be saved during the Tribulation (those who have not heard the gospel and decisively rejected Christ before the rapture–Rev. 7:13-14; cf. II Thess. 2:9-12). They will be convicted by the Spirit of God, and born of the Spirit. But in many respects, judging from the limited Scripture we have on the subject, His operations seem to revert to what they were in the Old Testament.

Views & Reviews: Daily Light

Daily Light on the Daily Path

Here is a book that is over 200 years old, yet it remains immensely popular.

Back in 1794, Samuel Bagster published a compilation of daily readings taken directly from Scripture. There is a morning and an evening reading for each day, plus a selection of topical readings in the back. Each is made up of selected verses on a particular theme. Verses arranged out of context may at times seem forced to mean something other than what was originally intended. This happens occasionally. But with all the references given at the bottom of the page it is possible to look the verse up and check.

On the positive side, Bagster’s warm love for the Lord and his soundness in the fundamentals of the faith are evident. This is a small book easy for busy people to carry along and use “on the fly.” In 1998 Anne Graham Lotz published an edition of the book using the New King James Version. Recommended.

Check out Daily Light.

Unfulfilled Dreams

Solomon speaks of the desire of King David to build a temple for the Lord, and of God’s response: “Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord. But the Lord said…“You did well that it was in your heart. Nevertheless you shall not build the house…” (I Kgs. 8:17-19). God approves of David’s desire, but it is not His will for him.

David’s experience seems to fly in the face of the trite saying of a popular preacher, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” We may have many perfectly fine dreams and ambitions that will never be brought to fruition. A godly desire is not equivalent to the will of God. But how do we sort out the difference?

The difficulty for us is that the Lord does not usually communicate directly now, as He did with David. Here are some practical suggestions on how to distinguish God’s will for us from what is merely a dream or a commendable desire:

  1. It ought to conform to the standards and principles of God’s Word. That first of all. Anything less is unworthy of the child of God.
  2. It ought to be a persistent desire over time, not a passing whim or notion.
  3. We should pray earnestly for direction, and that God will close the door if it is not His will for us.
  4. We should seek the counsel and prayers of godly Christian friends who know us well.
  5. We usually should be able to see some connection between our desired goal and the gifts or experiences God has given us so far–though sometimes that connection is not evident until we look back at a later time.
  6. We should take a first tentative step and see if the Lord gives peace about it, and if He opens the door to the next step.
  7. We should be careful not to be possessive of our plans and goals. At any point, God may turn the project over to another for completion (as He did in David’s case).
  8. We should realize that God wastes nothing. A heart desire for something that will glorify God can be useful, even if we are not directly involved in its fulfilment. For example, an unfulfilled dream of going to India as a missionary may give the individual greater faithfulness in praying for, and financially supporting, missionary work in that country.

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