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Reasons for Joy!

Joy, in its outward expression, may range from calm delight to an overflowing holy exuberance, but it is rooted in spiritual perceptions, rather than being a superficial reaction to circumstances. It may, in fact, run counter to the latter, especially in the believer’s response to trials (cf. Jas. 1:2). Here is a sampling of the things that bring joy to the heart of the child of God.

1) Joy in salvation (Isa. 12:3; cf. Lk. 10:20; 15:10)

2) Joy in worship and praise (I Chron. 15:25; II Chron. 23:18; Ezra 6:16)

3) Joy in Christian fellowship (Phil. 1:4-5; II Tim. 1:4)

4) Joy in persecution (Acts 5:41; 13:50-52; Col. 1:11)

5) Joy in victory and deliverance (II Chron. 20:27; Ps. 105:42-43)

6) Joy in studying the Scriptures (I Thess. 1:6; cf. Ps. 1:2; 119:24, 77)

7) Joy in service for the Lord (Ps. 40:8; Acts 20:24; Phil. 1:18; cf. Lk. 10:17)

8) Joy in the spiritual progress of others (Phil. 2:2; I Thess. 2:19; Heb. 13:17; III Jn. 3)

Views & Reviews: Focus on WWII

They Looked for a City

They Looked for a City

The Holocaust has been documented in a number of secular films and books. To cite two examples, the story of Oscar Schindler’s rescue of hundreds of Jews has been dramatized in the motion picture Schindler’s List; and the treatment of the Jews through the war years is the connecting fabric of the two historical novels by Herman Wouk, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance.

But to get an exciting look at what the Lord did for one Jewish family read Lydia Buksbazen’s book They Looked for a City. The true story of a family of Polish Jews, the book gives us a glimpse of their culture and customs, as well as witnessing to the wonderful saving grace of God. A love story, an adventure in faith, it is one of those books it is difficult to put down. Highly recommended.

Once Upon a Town

This is not a Christian book, but its application to the body of Christ will be apparent when you read it.

Using extensive interviews, journalist Bob Greene has put together the true story of a little town in Nebraska and what they did to help and encourage those in the American military during World War Two. The publisher calls it “The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen,” how a small town of 12,000 people served coffee and sandwiches (and more!) to some 6 million servicemen and women, all without any outside help. It is an incredible, heart-warming story. One you will not only be blessed by yourself, but will want to share with others. Highly recommended is Once Upon a Town.

Ideas for Your Church: Honour Health Care Workers

Have you ever thought of having a service in your church to honour some particular group of care givers in your community? (We did it for those involved in health care. But it could be done for those in law enforcement, fire fighting, education, or some other group.) It is a way of demonstrating that your church is supportive of the community at large, and provides a unique audience for the gospel.

helping hands

Whichever group you decide to work with, you will need a good liaison person within that group. This is key. Someone who will pass on the information and actively encourage attendance.

We built our service honouring health care providers around the theme Helping Hands. Each person who came received a pen inscribed “Thank you for the helping hand!” A couple of members of our church gave a word of commendation in the service, thanking doctors and nurses for their care for them personally. After the service we served a lunch, giving more of our folk a chance to express their gratitude. We donated a podium to the hospital which could be of use in the chapel area. In addition, a plaque was prepared which was put up in the local hospital, expressing the appreciation of our congregation. I preached on “The Hands of Jesus.” (There are many references to the hands of Christ in the gospels.) Outline: 1. Curing Hands; 2. Caring Hands; 3. Crucified Hands.

Could Jesus Have Sinned?

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Question: (This is a follow-up question from a reader of Glenn’s query on the sinlessness of Christ. In my response I indicated that not only did Christ not sin, He could not sin.)

Matt asks, “How does Hebrews 4:15 fit in what you say? In whose ‘like as [we are]’ is the temptation? Would this not suggest that Jesus had two natures? One nature is God. The other nature is human. Jesus felt the temptation on his human side and could have sinned if He wanted to do so. He did not want to do so. How could He be touched with our infirmities if Jesus could not sin?”

Answer: You ask a good question, Matt, and I hope I can clarify things for you. The issue is what’s known in theology as the impeccability of Christ. Could Jesus have sinned if He wanted to? Or was it impossible for Him to sin? There are conservative scholars on both sides of the debate, but I believe the greater weight of argument falls on the latter position. Let me make several points.

Christ was indeed “in all points tempted as we are” (Heb. 4:15). Not that He experienced every single temptation we do. (For example, I doubt He was tempted to smoke cigarettes as they had not been invented yet.) But He experienced every category of temptation common to humanity. The same Greek word is used in Acts 10:12. “All kinds of four-footed animals” does not mean every species on earth, but representatives of the various kinds.

As God the Son, Christ cannot be tempted to sin (Jas. 1:13). But as Man He willingly exposed Himself to the temptations common to humanity. Christ was truly tempted (in your words, He “felt the temptation”), but He did not sin. This truth is emphasized many times (e.g. II Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26; I Pet. 2:22; I Jn. 3:5). In being tempted He is like us, and can sympathize with us when we are tempted. He did not have to be able to sin to do that. One theologian uses this illustration to support the point: We cannot say because a powerful army cannot be conquered that it cannot therefore be attacked.

Yes, Christ has had, since His incarnation, two natures. He is both fully God and fully Man. But we must not divide those in a schizophrenic fashion as though He had some kind of split personality. The two natures are fully integrated. “In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9). He is one Being, not two. And He cannot do something as Man that would be impossible for Him to do as God. For example, the Bible says God “cannot lie” (Tit. 1:2). It is an act which is contrary to His nature.

As perfect Man Christ possessed no sin nature, and in His perfection He fully submitted Himself to the will of God the Father (Jn. 5:19; 8:29). As God the Son–and therefore also as the God-Man–it was impossible for Him to sin. In fact, one of the purposes of His temptation may well have been to demonstrate without doubt that He could not sin!

Views & Reviews: Hymn Stories

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101 More Hymn Stories

For years I have written a weekly newspaper column on the subject of our traditional hymns. I am often asked where I get my information, or to recommend a good book on the subject.

Quite a few of the prominent hymn writers published autobiographies, or had their life’s stories told by others. However, most of these works are long out of print. Even secondary sources that drew upon them are often unavailable. Some of the books in my own library date from well over a century ago. Occasionally, you will come across recent reprints of these. Other times, they can be picked up in used book stores.

Of the more recent books, two of the best are by Kenneth Osbeck. Between them they provide us with over 200 stories of the more familiar hymns. They are:

Ideas for Your Church: Praying Around the Clock

As the fall season comes upon us, many ministries will kick into high gear. It is important for us to begin the church year with a sense of dependence on God, and an anticipation of what He will accomplish through our service for Him. Setting aside time for a Day of Prayer provides an opportunity for the congregation to unite in calling upon the Lord to bless. This can be done with a program held at in the church itself. But as an alternative you could have members of the congregation sign up to pray at home.

24 Hours of Prayer?

Draw up a schedule for 24 hours, marked off in 15 minute blocks. If your group is small, you could either reduce the total time involved or encourage individuals to sign up for a couple of time periods. If you have a larger church, you could allow for two people to sign up in each space. The object is to have continual prayer ascending to the throne of heaven for the day.

To direct the prayers to some extent, you could provide a hand-out which listed some important praise items and requests. And it might be worthwhile ending the schedule on a Sunday morning, so the theme of prayer can be used in the morning worship hour. Songs and Scriptures about prayer, as well as testimonies concerning answered prayers, could precede a message on prayer.

“There is none who seeks after God”

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Question: Bill asks, “Can you please explain what Paul was teaching in Romans chapter 3 where he refers to no one seeking God. Is this a general condition of mankind? There are many people who think they are seeking God, so to what was Paul referring?”

Answer: The short answer is that Paul is speaking of sinful fallen human beings left to themselves, and without divine intervention. But let’s dig a little deeper.

The entire passage, Romans 3:9-19 is devastating. The sin problem affects both Jews (favoured by God’s covenants, 3:1-2) and Gentiles. They are “all under sin” (vs. 9), and “all the world…[stands] guilty before God” (vs. 19). The passage is referring to each and every fallen human being, without exception. The virgin born Son of God, of course, was not corrupted by sin, nor did He commit sins. But apart from Him, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (vs. 23).

The most striking note in the passage, is its unrelenting insistence on sin’s inclusiveness. Drawing from six different Old Testament passages, Paul carefully supports his argument: “all under sin” (vs. 9); “none righteous, no not one” (vs. 10); “none who understands…none who seeks after God” (vs. 11); “all turned aside…none who does good, no not one” (vs. 12). It is impossible to miss the point!

Then, the apostle looks at the subject from a different angle. Not only has sin corrupted us all, it has entirely corrupted each of us–that is, every part of our beings. Here is “total depravity” writ large. All of our conduct shows the result. Sin’s pollution affects what we say (vs. 13-14); the way we go, or what we do (vs. 15-17), and the object of our faith or allegiance (vs. 18). The unsaved may do good works, in a temporal and material sense, but not good that is free of fleshly effort and sinful pride. Any “good” the unregenerate might do is thus “unprofitable [worthless]” (vs. 12) in a spiritual and eternal sense. It cannot earn him acceptance with God.

Paul’s goal is to show the absolute necessity of the gospel of grace. To do that he begins with the “bad news”: that sin’s devastating effects are universal and entire. Then, the “but” of vs. 21 begins the “good news” and the answer: That righteousness (i.e. a righteous standing before God) comes through faith in Christ (vs. 22), and those who trust in Him are justified (pronounced righteous) “freely by His grace” (vs. 24; cf. 4:4-5).

Yes, there are many people who think they are seeking after God, or salvation. But it may be a god of their own imagining and a salvation of their own devising, and both are vanity and lead only to destruction. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov. 16:25). The condition of each individual born into the world is described as being “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1, 5). This deadness involves both a spiritual insensitivity and spiritual inability. No one in such a condition has the spiritual perception to understand God and His ways (I Cor. 2:14), or the power to respond to Him appropriately, even if he could understand (Rom. 5:6).

The only answer is for God to step in. Since man would never seek God on his own, God must act first. As Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father draws him,” and “no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him by My Father” (Jn. 6:44, 65). Part of this is the convicting work of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16:8). He also energizes the spirit to respond in faith. We believe “through grace” (Acts 18:27). (Cf. “To you it has been granted…to believe in Him,” Phil. 1:29). And, when the individual reaches out in faith and becomes a new creation in Christ, it is only by the continuing ministry of the Spirit of God that Christlike conduct is produced (Gal. 5:22-23).

Jesus and Sin?

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Question: Glenn asks, “Referring to Romans 8:3, the author of the footnotes in my Bible says, ‘Jesus, as God, took on our human nature, a nature that was susceptible to temptation. Although He was tempted, He never sinned.’ I don’t believe that Jesus took upon himself our sinful nature. Is there a difference to what the author says in my Bible? Thanks.”

Answer: Both you and the author have a point. The Lord Jesus took upon Himself our humanity–a real human nature, but a sinless nature (Heb. 4:15). (Humanity’s corruption was avoided through His miraculous conception in the womb of the virgin Mary, Lk. 1:35.)

Think of the serpent in the wilderness, to which Christ compares Himself in John 3:15-16 (cf. Num. 21:5-9). It was like the poisonous snakes infesting the camp, but without the poison. Similarly, God sent “His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom. 8:3). Notice it does not say “in sinful flesh” (implying that He too was corrupted by sin). Nor does it say simply “in the likeness of flesh” (implying that He was not a real human being).

I am a little more bothered by the phrase “susceptible to temptation” in your Bible’s footnote. If the author means Jesus could be tempted, we know that is so (cf. Matt. 4:1-11). But is he inferring some weakness in the face of temptation? (Susceptible means: admitting of, or accessible to.) Then he is incorrect. The Lord Jesus Christ not only did not sin, He could not sin and still be who He is (Jas. 1:13). He could be attacked by the devil–and was. And the attack was all the more intense because He consistently resisted it without succumbing. But He could not fall.

The Place of Service

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“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it”

Prov. 3:27

This verse speaks to us of opportunity and ability.

1) Opportunity. The description in Proverbs is not meant as a moral evaluation (i.e. I’ll help him if I think he deserves it). “Let us do good to all,” the Word of God tells us (Gal. 6:10), exemplifying the principle of grace.“Those to whom [good] is due” are our neighbours. These can be broadly defined as any whom circumstances bring across our path, those with whom we come in contact day by day.

2) Ability. “When it is in the power of your hand to do it.” We are to use what we have–what He has given us–in the Lord’s service. In the words of John Wesley, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

The parable of the Good Samaritan gives us a beautiful instance of the intersection of these two points (Lk. 10:30-37). When he came upon the injured man, he seized the opportunity presented and used the resources God had given to help him.

Does Jesus Care?

Two particular texts in the Gospels provide jarring examples of the Lord’s actions being misinterpreted. Twice He was confronted with the question, “Don’t You care?” And of course the answer is He does care, infinitely.

1) About Our Salvation

When the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee, a terrible storm arose. “But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’” (Mk. 4:38).

In the context, this deals with physical danger. But it is possible to draw a parallel to the eternal peril of the soul. Does He care that we are perishing? Yes, He does. And Calvary shows it (Jn. 3:16).

2) About Our Service

When He was visiting in the home of Mary and Martha, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet to hear His word. On the other hand, “Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?’” (Lk. 10:40).

But the Lord commends Mary’s sense of priorities (vs. 41-42). Service for Christ is an important part of the Christian life. But so is fellowship with Him. Without prayer, and meditation on His Word, our service will soon become powerless and sterile.

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