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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.

Serving the Lord: A Boy and his Lunch

Each of the four Gospels records the Lord’s miraculous feeding of the 5,000. It came about after the disciples’ comment that “there is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish” (Jn. 6:9). The Lord Jesus performed a remarkable miracle through one boy’s willingness to part with his lunch. His service for Christ that day has been pondered through all the centuries since. But think of what he might have done instead of what he did.

A boy shares his lunch

He might have been…

  1. Careless, and lost his lunch
  2. Wasteful, and thrown it away
  3. Selfish, and eaten it himself
  4. Exclusive, and shared it only with a friend
  5. Neglectful, and not used it at all
  6. Half-hearted, and given only a part
  7. Grasping, and sold it
  8. Deceitful, and said, “I have none”
  9. Independent, and said, “I’ll do it myself.”

But he was…

  1. Fully responsive and cooperative.

God works to bless others through our willing obedience. Warren Wiersbe comments, “The practical lesson is clear: Whenever there is a need, give all that you have to Jesus and let Him do the rest.”

Book Reviews: Henry M. Morris

Today, a winner and a loser–sort of.

The Genesis Record

For Time and Forever

The first book is highly recommended, if you are a pastor, or a Sunday School teacher, or simply an individual wanting to do some careful study of the important book of Genesis. The Genesis Record, by Henry M. Morris (published in 1976), is subtitled “A scientific and devotional commentary on the book of beginnings.” The over 650 pages are a rich treasure on both counts, science and devotion, and it provides a careful exposition of the text as well.

A solid defense of creationism. Scholarly, yet the language is clear and simple. If you want to study Genesis, you need this book in your library!

For Time and Forever

Published in 2004, this is the latest book from the pen of Henry M. Morris (Dr. Morris passed away in 2006). The author again defends the biblical account of creation, within the context of God’s eternal purposes for man.

While there is some good material scattered through this book, it tends to be repetitious and disorganized. The reason for this is likely because much of the book consists of a cobbling together of articles written by Dr. Morris in years past. If you can live with that, you will find some interesting insights in this little volume.

Ideas for Your Church: A Chain of Thanksgiving

It is not too soon to begin thinking about Thanksgiving (at least for Canadians!). Though the activity described here would suit any Worship Service emphasizing praise and thanks to God.

Thanksgiving paper chain

Before the service, distribute slips of paper approximately 9″ x 2″ to each one in attendance. Construction paper works well, and if you can use a variety of colours, so much the better. If yours is a smaller congregation, you can give two or three of these slips to each person.

Ask each person to write on the slip one thing he or she is thankful to God for. Then, at an appropriate time in the service, ask individuals to come up one at a time and give their slip(s) to a designated person at the front. (If the congregation is large, you can have several of the latter, each with a stapler.) Staple the slips into interlinked rings, attaching one to the next, and to the next, and so on.

This “Thanksgiving Chain” provides a visible expression of all for which we thank the Lord. It can be left in place several Sundays, as a continuing reminder.

The Gift of Faith

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Question: Pat writes, “Hello again, it is I with yet another question. Is there a difference between ‘regular’ faith and the ‘gift’ of faith spoken about in, I believe, 2 Corinthians?”

Answer: You ask a good (and challenging!) question.

Joseph Thayer, in his Greek-English Lexicon, describes faith as “a firm and welcome conviction.” (That is good!) Every “believer” has this kind of faith, by definition. He is one who believes. And all true faith is a gift of God. Acts 18:27 speaks of “those who had believed through grace” (those who had, through the grace of God, become believers in Christ). Paul says of the Philippians, “To you it has been granted…to believe in Him” (Phil. 1:29). And in Ephesians 2:8, “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Though in this latter case Paul likely means “that salvation is not of yourselves,” the point is similar. The ability to trust in God for salvation is sovereignly given, not generated by human effort (cf. Jn. 6:44, 65).

There are clearly different kinds of faith. Perhaps it is helpful to see these as mainly affecting, in turn, the individual’s mind, emotions, and will.

A) In The Mind. There is a kind of faith that involves an intellectual acceptance of facts. Theologian Charles Baker calls it Rationalistic Faith. Those with this level of faith know the truth, and may well accept the doctrinal realities about who Christ is and what He has done, but there is no transforming personal appropriation of the truth, no life application. James tells us “even the demons believe–and tremble” (Jas. 2:19). They know the power of Almighty God, and the certainty of their eternal destiny. The thought of it fills them with terror (cf. Lk. 8:30-31). They also know without a doubt who Christ is, but they do not bow the knee to Him in submission, and in sincere worship. Nor do they alter their aims and actions as a result.

B) In The Emotions. This is what we might call a transient enthusiasm, or in Baker’s words, Emotional Faith. It is the kind of belief that many in the crowds following Jesus had. There was a superficial acceptance of Him for a while, but with an absence of firm commitment based on spiritual insight. They exhibited an excited response to His miracles but with little substantive conviction toward Him (cf. Jn. 2:23-24). As a result, when the Lord began to speak of the cross, and the deeper truths of the spiritual life, “Many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him” (Jn. 6:66). These are represented in Christ’s parable of the sower by the seed that fell upon rock, where there was no depth of earth. “The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy [emotion]; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away” (Lk. 8:13).

C) In The Will. In contrast to the two above that fall short, there is true biblical faith, a transforming faith, that might be described as “a belief that behaves.” The mind is involved with this faith too: It is rooted in sound doctrine, an understanding of the truth. So are the feelings: There is certainly an emotional response to the truth. But it goes beyond that. There is an appropriation of the truth that leads to decisive action, and a surrender of the self to God. It is this kind of faith James speaks of when he says, “I will show you my faith by my works” (Jas. 2:18). He goes on, “Faith without works is dead” (Jas. 2:20), meaning any “faith” that does not lead to a committed response, and a change in the life, is a dead kind of faith, not the genuine article. And “without faith [genuine faith] it is impossible to please [God]” (Heb. 11:6).

It is this latter kind of faith that is involved at conversion (what is sometimes called saving faith) and in the continuing walk of the Christian life (where it has been called sustaining faith). “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (II Cor. 5:7; cf. Col. 2:6-7).

George Mueller defined such faith as follows: “Faith is the assurance that the things which God said in His Word are true; and that God will act according to what He has said in His Word. This assurance, this reliance on God’s Word, this confidence, is Faith.” But from one believer to another there are variations in both the degree and consistency of faith. (George Mueller himself was a man of outstanding faith.) With the father who came to Jesus one day many of us would cry, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief” (Mk. 9:24).

The Gift Of Faith. Finally, God does grant to some a special and unique endowment of faith which is beyond the ordinary. Not all have this. And we should not beat up on ourselves because we do not have it! “God has dealt to each one a measure of faith” (Rom. 12:3), and we should seek to exercise what we have. But in the listing of various spiritual gifts in First Corinthians 12:9, Paul adds “to another faith by the same Spirit.” In other words, to another person is given the gift of faith by the Spirit of God, who “distributes to each one individually as He wills” (vs. 11). It is likely this gift Paul has in mind when he speaks of “all faith so that I could remove mountains” (I Cor. 13:2). And perhaps it was evident in the life of Stephen, who is described as “a man full of faith” (Acts 6:5).

John MacArthur writes that this gift is “distinct from saving faith or persevering [sustaining] faith, both of which all believers possess. This gift is exercised in persistent prayer and endurance in intercession, along with strong trust in God in the midst of difficult circumstances.” This is the faith of the great pioneers of church history. Of George Mueller, mentioned earlier, who trusted God to help him feed thousands of orphans. Of missionaries like William Carey and Hudson Taylor. And of the godly men like Dwight Moody and others who founded Bible colleges and began great ministries and movements. They saw a need, as many did. They were deeply concerned, as many were. But they also had a God-given vision for what could be accomplished by His grace, and the holy boldness to launch out and attempt the seemingly impossible. We thank the Lord for this gift to the church!

True Wisdom

Solomon Prays

When Solomon took the throne, he prayed for wisdom. The Lord’s response was, “Behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart” (I Kgs. 3:12). So, what are some qualities of godly wisdom?

  1. Its Source is the Lord Himself (Dan. 2:20, 23; cf. I Cor. 1:30).
  2. Its Foundation is the fear of the Lord–giving God His rightful place in our lives (Ps. 111:10)
  3. Its Atmosphere is humility–the recognition of dependance on God (I Cor. 3:18; Lk. 10:21).
  4. In its Character it is “pure…peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (Jas. 3:17).
  5. Its Accessibility is through prayer (Jas. 1:5).
  6. Its Effect in the life is stability and a sense of security (Matt. 7:24-25).

Starting Over

Sometimes when we sin, the devil tempts us to give up and quit. But by the grace of God there can be a new beginning, and new blessings, on the other side of a fall. Samuel said to the people of Israel one day, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart” (I Sam. 12:20).

“All this wickedness” was Israel’s insistence on having a king just like the heathen nations around them. They had failed to appreciate their uniqueness, and in their craving for a king had actually rejected the rule of God over them (I Sam. 8:5, 7). Yes, they were in the wrong. But they were encouraged to make a new start with God. This has its practical application to the Christian who is discouraged because of past failure.

  1. “Do not fear” that God will utterly forsake or destroy His own. He never will (I Samuel 12:20; cf. Heb. 13:5b).
  2. Don’t quit. Don’t abandon God or His way, because every other option is unprofitable (vs. 21).
  3. You can be confident in God’s faithfulness, based on His holy character and His sovereign choice of you (vs. 22).
  4. Be assured of the support of believing friends who will pray for you, and encourage you in the right path (vs. 23).
  5. Fear the Lord–give Him His rightful place in your daily life (vs. 24).
  6. Keep on actively serving the Lord (vs. 24).)
  7. Focus on the blessings of God, and all He has done for you (vs. 24)
  8. Determine to live a godly life from here on. You will face God’s chastisement if you add more sin to a past failure (vs. 25).

He That Is Spiritual

He That Is Spiritual

Today, we are recommending an older book (written in 1918) that is still in print because it continues to have relevance.

“Spirituality,” is much talked about in our day. But to many, the word seems to refer to the emotional, intuitive part of our being. That usage is far from what the Bible means.

Many years ago, theologian Lewis Sperry Chafer produced what has been called “a classic study of the doctrine of spirituality.” He deals with various ministries of the Holy Spirit, and the three basic conditions to be met if one is to be truly spiritual. If you are looking for a sound, well-documented, easily understood work on the subject, this inexpensive little book may suit your need.

Get a copy of He That Is Spiritual.

The Son of Man – In Heaven

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Question: Glenn asks, “In John 3:13 it says, ‘No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.’ After the resurrection, was Christ still Man? And is He a Man today, in heaven, interceding for us at the Father’s right hand?”

Answer: You quote an interesting verse. Let’s deal with that first, and then with your questions. There are a few ancient (Alexandrian) manuscripts that omit the last few words. This has led some Bible versions (such as the NIV) to relegate the phrase “who is in heaven,” to a footnote. But it does have good manuscript support, and is likely authentic. If so, it can be understood in one of two ways.

  1. Possibly as a statement by Jesus indicating His omnipresence as God the Son. As deity, He is eternally everywhere at once. Though He sat conversing with Nicodemus (vs. 1), He was also present in heaven. That could be the sense of it. But there is a simpler explanation.
  2. Red letter editions of the Bible commonly print the words of Christ in red. But though such editions may continue the teaching of Jesus in John Chapter 3 down to vs. 21, there is no real evidence that it did not stop with vs. 12. (John did not use quotation marks!) If the Lord’s comments end earlier, the remainder would be an inspired commentary, given to us by the Apostle John. If that is the case (or even if vs. 13 alone is an interjection by the apostle), then John is simply informing us that, at the time he wrote his Gospel, Jesus had already ascended back into heaven.

Now, as to your specific questions, yes, Christ is still Man today–fully God and fully Man. As such He is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven (Heb. 1:3), on the Father’s own throne (Rev. 3:21). In Paul’s exhortation in First Timothy 6:13-16 he says of Christ that “[He] alone has immortality” (vs. 16). Mortality and immortality are strictly matters of the human body, not of spirit beings. Paul is saying that, so far, only Christ has immortality–i.e. a never-dying body. All others who were resuscitated (such as Lazarus) died again. But Christ “having been raised from the dead, dies no more” (Rom. 6:9). In that He “has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [in death]” (I Cor. 15:20).

Paul readily speaks of the Lord Jesus as Man–without any indication he sees this humanity as something past and done. “The grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many” (Rom. 5:15). “Since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead” (I Cor. 15:21). Peter likewise speaks of Christ as “a Man” (Acts 2:22).

As to His present ministry, Paul does not say the Mediator between God and man is a spirit, but rather “the Man Christ Jesus” (I Tim. 2:5). Christ’s resurrection body is a glorified body, as ours will one day be (Phil. 3:20-21; I Jn. 3:2), but it is no less a real human body. And it is in His glorified humanity that He will return for all to see. At His ascension, the angels said to the watching disciples, “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11; cf. Matt. 24:30).

There is a mind-boggling dimension to the resurrection of Christ and His present human body. It is that this has been part of God’s plan from eternity. The late theologian, Lewis Sperry Chafer comments as follows: “The humanity of Christ–His body, soul, and spirit–instantly became that which had been anticipated throughout all eternity, namely, perfect humanity glorified and exalted to the point that it was not only meet [fit] for heaven, but meet as well to be an integral part of the glorified theanthropic [God-Man] Person” (Systematic Theology, Vol. 5, pp. 244-245). That is, Christ’s glorified humanity is fully harmonious with the revelation of His glorious perfection as the Son of God, as we shall know Him forever in the heavenly kingdom.

Jephthah’s Vow

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Question: Judges 11:30-31 records that “Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, ‘If you will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.'” So, what did Jephthah intend by his vow? And more importantly, how was the vow fulfilled?

Answer: Judges goes on to tell how the Lord gave Jephthah power over the Ammonites (vs. 32- 33). Then, he came home to keep his promise. Quite likely animals were kept in the house at night, or in the enclosed courtyard of the house–a frequent practice in ancient times. Jephthah expected he would see a goat or some other animal on his return. He must have had good reason to believe his daughter was elsewhere at this time. But he was wrong. When his daughter (his only child) came out to meet him, joyfully celebrating his victory, Jephthah was horrified. But he felt he could not go back on his vow (vs. 34-35). He believed there was no alternative to sacrificing his daughter!

So, what happened next? Did he offer up his own daughter as a burnt offering? Debate over this has continued since earliest times. Some say Jephthah merely committed his daughter to perpetual virginity, and perhaps to lifelong service at the tabernacle (cf. Lk. 2:37). However, this seems weak in view of his reaction (vs. 35-40), and in view of the annual four days of mourning by the women of Israel for his daughter! Martin Luther’s opinion was, “The text is too clear to admit of this interpretation.” (Cf. similar wording in Gen. 22:2.) Here are some points to keep in mind:

The Law did forbid human sacrifice (Lev. 18:21; 20:2-5). And Jephthah seems to have had some knowledge of the Pentateuch (Jud. 11:12-28). However, these were certainly not days characterized by consistent Law-keeping (Jud. 17:6; 21:25). This also weakens the argument that no priest would officiate at a human sacrifice. There was an option in the Law of the monetary redemption of people dedicated to God by a vow. But Jephthah may not have known that, or may have realized it did not apply in this case. (Nor is there any law or precedent commuting an execution to temple service.) The father grieved that he must do as he said (vs. 35)–which was clearly to offer “a burnt offering” (vs. 31).

Some suggest God would not have given the victory on the basis of such a vow. But there was nothing wrong with the vow per se, at least in terms of Jephthah’s intention. Others object that Israel would not have annually commemorated such a sin (vs. 40). But the custom was to remember the fate of Jephthah’s daughter, not the act itself. And this annual remembrance is rather an extreme measure for one who had simply gone to serve the Lord at the tabernacle. The focus on the girl’s virginity (vs. 37, 38, 39) is not conclusive either. Her early death would mean she died childless, and Jephthah’s family line would come to an end. That was a further tragedy.

Jephthah had a measure of faith in God (Heb. 11:32), and the Spirit of God worked through him (Jud. 11:29). But the same can be said for carnal Samson. These men lived in a crude and violent time, when the nation was in spiritual decline, and they often reflected that. Child sacrifice is wicked and repugnant. But it was practiced by the surrounding nations, and happened many times in Israel (II Kgs. 3:27; 16:3; 17:17; II Chron. 33:6; Jer. 7:31; 19:5; 32:35). Jephthah, the son of a harlot (vs. 1), lived as a renegade, with a band of “worthless men” (vs. 3, literally, sons of Belial, meaning Satan). He lived in a semi-pagan environment, in a time of lawlessness in Israel. This cruel adherence to a pledge suits the kind of “honour code” we might expect from bold and violent men.

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