Retain the Standard

2 Timothy 3:14-15 - "You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

The book of Second Timothy is a letter from the apostle Paul to a younger believer, Timothy, inviting him to join him in suffering for the gospel. This was the last epistle that was written by the apostle Paul and it gives us a good example of an older believer passing the baton to a younger believer. Paul was in prison and he recognized that his time to die was drawing near. In chapter 4 and verse 6 he says - "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." He knew that his race was over and he was preparing someone to pick up where he was leaving off in order that the work of faith would not be in vain. John writes in 2 John 8 - "Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward." This is basically what the apostle Paul is preparing Timothy for. He knows that he is getting ready to die and he wants Timothy to watch himself in order that he might not lose everything that Paul has worked for. This passing on of the Lords work is something that we see throughout Scripture. Moses handed his work off to Joshua, David prepared the materials but Solomon actually carried out the work of building the Lords house,  Elijah handed his mantle to Elisha, and on it goes. One principle that we can take from this is that the Lords work is never tied to a single person. If it's truly the Lords work then it won't die with it's leader. The Lord uses us to carry out His work but it's still His work and He can accomplish it through one man as well as another.

There are several commendable qualities which Timothy had that caught Paul's eye, and he mentions some of those things in this letter, but he doesn't sugarcoat anything. Living for the Lord is hard work and Paul makes that very clear. In his initial invitation he says "Join with me in suffering for the gospel." At the beginning of chapter 2 he likens the Christian life to the life of a soldier and invites Timothy to "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." In chapter 3 we're assured that "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."

Another main theme of this letter is holding fast to the Word of God, and this is primarily what I want to focus on right now. There is much that Paul says about our responsibility to the Word of God. We read in 2 Timothy 1:13-14 - "Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you." The Word of God is a treasure that we are to guard zealously. Even at the time that Paul was writing this letter to Timothy there were those, inside the church and out, who were seeking to undermine the Word of God or distort it to suit their own purposes. In chapter 3 he talks about those who "have a form of godliness but deny it's power." And who are "opposed to the truth." He actually goes through a rather long list of the characteristics of men in the last days, but he makes a contrast by saying of Timothy in verse 10 - "But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions and sufferings." And he continues in verses 13-17 - "But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." As long as Satan continues as the god of this world he will keep on deceiving and using those he has deceived to deceive others. In view of this we need to take careful heed to ourselves and make sure that we are continuing in the Word of God, which is Gods standard of truth. The devil hates the Bible and as long as he can keep men blind to the Word of God he can deceive them. Paul recounts a little bit of Timothy's past. He says "from childhood you have known the Sacred Writings which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." Back in chapter 1 he said how he saw the passing on of genuine faith, first from his grandmother to his mother, and then from his mother to him. Timothy's mother was a believer who brought Timothy up knowing the Word of God, and that salvation is through Jesus Christ alone. And now Paul is encouraging him to continue in the Word of God, to be faithful to it.

And just as this was true back then it is all the more so today. The need for us to know the Scriptures and hold fast to them is great. And we need to hold to them, not just in word and tongue but in deed and in truth. We should not simply give lip service to the Word of God, but the truths of the Scripture should work themselves out in our lives every day. The apostle Paul noticed the genuine faith of Timothy. How could he if what he claimed to believe didn't show itself out in the way that Timothy lived? We need to retain the standard of sound words. We need to hold firmly to the Word of God even when it's unpopular or "politically incorrect." The Word of God is the ultimate standard of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 - "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."

The Progression of Love

1 Peter 1:22 - "Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart."

There was a sequence of events in the life of the apostle Peter that must have impacted his life drastically, because he expounds on the lesson that he learned in that situation in both of his letters. The sequence of events are recorded for us throughout the four gospels, but I want to focus on John chapters 13-21. At the end of John chapter 13 the Lord Jesus was telling His disciples that He was going away and that they would not be able to follow Him yet, but Peter said to Him in verse 37 - "Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You." Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times." I believe that Peter truly thought that he loved the Lord enough to die with Him. I don't think he was speaking through his teeth when he said this, but Peter was going to learn a lesson in the following days and it was one that would stay with him. When the Roman soldiers and the religious leaders came that night to arrest the Lord Jesus all of His disciples, including Peter, left Him and fled. When Jesus was taken to Caiaphas, the high priest, we're told that Peter was following at a distance in order to see what would happen to Him. As he was sitting among the Roman officers in the courtyard of the high priest, warming himself by the fire, a servant recognized him as having been with Jesus, but Peter denied it, claiming that he didn't even know what she was talking about. Another saw him and said that he had been with Jesus, but again Peter denied it with an oath, this time saying "I do not know the man." A little later the bystanders began to accuse him of being one of Jesus' disciples, stating that even the way he talked gave him away. At that Peter began to curse and swear and cried out "I don't know the man!" and immediately a rooster crowed, and Luke tells us that at that moment the Lord Jesus turned and looked at Peter, and immediately Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, "Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times." And Peter went out and wept bitterly. Peter thought that he would lay down his life for Christ before he would deny Him. What happened? Peter failed the Lord and he was truly, deeply grieved at his failure. He was beginning to realize that he didn't love the Lord like he thought he did and that he was unable to produce the love that he needed. Before Christ died Peter was very confident of his love for the Lord, but by allowing Peter to go through this low, humiliating situation of failing the Lord in his own strength, the Lord was revealing to Peter the true condition of his love for the Lord Jesus. He began to realize that his love wasn't as it should be, and what's worse is that he didn't know how to fix it. I'm convinced that Peter wanted to love the Lord enough to die for Him, but he was helpless to help himself.

The last time we see Peter in Matthew, Mark and Luke, he is weeping bitterly. The only interaction between the risen Christ and Peter is found at the end of the book of John. If it were not for John chapters 20-21 Peter would have remained crushed under the weight of his sin, drowning in a sea of guilt and hopelessness. But the Lord wasn't through with Peter. After He rose from the dead Jesus came back to Peter to finish the lesson he had begun to learn.

In John chapter 21 the Lord Jesus asks Peter a question. He essentially says to him - "Peter, do you love Me?" And Peter honestly responds, "Lord, You know that I have affection for You." There are two different Greek words for love that are being used in this conversation. The Word that the Lord Jesus uses is agape, this is supreme, God love. The love with which God loves the world. But the word that Peter responds with is phileo, a much weaker word that could better be translated affection or brotherly kindness. Peter recognized the weakness of his love for the Lord Jesus and he didn't try to hide it. So Jesus asks him a second time - "Peter, do you agape Me?" And again Peter responds - "Yes, Lord; You know that I phileo You." The Lord Jesus asks the question a third time, only this time He changes the word that He uses. He doesn't use the word agape the third time. This time He uses the same word that Peter uses, phileo. He says - "Peter, do you phileo Me?" Essentially He is saying, "Peter, I know that you recognize that you don't love Me like you should, and you say that you only have an affection for Me. But search your heart. Do you have affection for Me? Is your love for Me even that strong?" The questions of the Lord Jesus are searching questions. He never asks a question because He lacks the information. He knows everything. So when He asks a question, He asks it in order to penetrate our hearts and cause us to search ourselves. When He asked the third time "Do you phileo Me?" We read, "Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you phileo Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I phileo You."

Peter knew where he was in his love for the Lord and the Lord didn't leave him there. He knew that his love for the Lord wasn't what it should be and he recognized that he was helpless to help himself, and so the Lord stepped in and produced that love in and through him by the work of the Holy Spirit, and we see Peter living out that agape love throughout the book of Acts. And in both of his epistles Peter shares with us this lesson that the Lord taught him.

In First Peter chapter 1 he says in verse 22 - "Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere philadelphia (a variation of phileo), fervently agape one another from the heart." He is telling us that since God has produced in us that first step of phileo, we need to take the next step of agape. And here he is talking about our relationship with one another. Our relationship with others is inseparably tied to our relationship with God. And just like we can't remain in simply a phileo relationship with the Lord, we shouldn't remain in that relationship with one another either. And, by the way, this progression of love is essential. John tells us that God is agape, and the one who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him.

In Second Peter chapter 1 Peter gives us a list of seven things that we are to add to our faith. He says in verses 5-7 - "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." The last two things in this list are the same words we saw in John chapter 21 and 1 Peter 1. We are to add to our godliness, phileo, and to our phileo, agape. We can't be content to stop at brotherly kindness. Peter goes on to say in verses 8-9 - "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. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins."

Faithful in Little

Luke 16:10 - "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much."

This truth that the Lord Jesus speaks of is illustrated for us in the parable that Christ told of the talents in Matthew 25. In that passage three servants were entrusted with something small that belonged to their master while their master was on a journey. Two of the slaves were faithful with what was entrusted to them, and the response of their master was - "Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master." He entrusted them with a little and they showed themselves faithful with it, and thus they were entrusted with more. The Bible says in Colossians 3:23 - "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men." You may feel like the work that God has lead you to right now is insignificant, but even menial, seemingly insignificant tasks can be done for Gods glory. I don't know what God has entrusted to you at this time, but I do know that He expects and in fact requires your faithfulness in it. Too many of us as believers are praying for Gods guidance in our lives and asking Him to use us in some great way, but the fact is if we're not faithful in the little things right now then we have no right to expect something greater. He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much.

As a general rule in the Scriptures we often see God using those who are already working. By and large we see examples of those who are being faithful in small things being called by the Lord to serve in bigger ways and being entrusted with more. When the Lord called Moses from the burning bush he was herding sheep. A menial and seemingly insignificant task, but though it was a little thing he was faithful in it, and while he was being faithful in this small thing God called him to be the one who would shepherd His people Israel out of their bondage in Egypt.

When the Lord called Gideon he wasn't of a great family or a great tribe, but he was working. As Israel was living in fear of the Midianites, living in dens and caves, Gideon went into the wine press in order to thresh wheat. Again, a small task but one that he was faithful to do, and as he was threshing wheat the angel of the Lord appeared to Him and revealed to Him that he was the one whom the Lord would use to deliver Israel from the Midianites.

When Samuel was sent to anoint a king for Israel he came to the house of Jesse in order to anoint one of his sons whom God had chosen to be king. Seven of his sons passed before Samuel but the Lord had not chosen any of these. Where was Gods anointed? God had chosen the youngest son who was out in the fields tending the sheep. When Samuel was sent to anoint David he was the only one of all his brothers who was working, and he is the one whom God chose to be king. Contrast this with the account of Saul being chosen by the people as their king. When Saul was going to be anointed as king he was found hiding among the baggage. When David was to be anointed king he was found in the fields working.

When Israel was living in exile under the king of Assyria and the decree was issued which allowed the Jews to return home, Nehemiah was faithfully serving the king as his royal cup bearer. When the report came to Susa that Jerusalem was in ruins Nehemiah began to pray that the Lord would build up that city once again, and the Lord used Nehemiah to answer his prayer. Nehemiah had shown himself as a faithful servant before the king, and the Lord took him from serving as a cup bearer to the king to be governor of Judah and to rebuild the walls of the city of Jerusalem.

When the Lord Jesus called Peter and Andrew they were casting their nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. When Christ called James and John they were mending their nets. God called these hard working fishermen, who were faithful in their menial task of fishing for fish, to come and serve Him by fishing for men. They were faithful in little and He called them to something greater.

I don't know the task that you're called to right now, but I do know that you are called to do it as unto the Lord and not unto men. God delights in using those who are already working. We shouldn't sit around doing nothing and praying that the Lord will use us in some mighty way because that's not His pattern. If you want to be used by the Lord be faithful in the small menial tasks He has set before you right now. Be faithful in the small things, because he who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much.

1 Corinthians 4:2 - "In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found faithful."

Forgetting What Lies Behind... (12-31-13)

Philippians 3:13-14 - "Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

To put it simply, the instruction being given here is to leave the past behind you. This doesn't mean that we never bring it to mind again, but that we learn the lesson that God has for us at the moment and then, once that thing has past, don't keep reliving it, put it behind you. If you want to live a miserable life try walking forward while always looking back. You're not going to make much progress and it could be painful and uncomfortable. I know this is foolish, but you get the idea. We're not going to make any progress in our walk with the Lord if we're continually looking backward, living in the past. The apostle Paul sets a good example of learning from our past but not living in it. In Philippians chapter three, the same passage as our text, the apostle Paul begins by recounting his past. He obviously didn't forget it, but he did leave it where it belongs. He says of himself in Philippians 3:5-11 - "Circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Paul clearly didn't completely forget his past, but he wasn't going to allow his past successes or his past failures to hold him back. Though he remembered his past, he didn't allow it to hold him back. If it was gain to him, he wasn't going to be content to let that high experience be the pinnacle of his life and simply coast through the rest of his life, but he was going to continually press on for something higher. If it was a failure in his life, he wasn't going to allow it to hold him back. He wasn't going to allow his past sin to make him useless. And this is a commendable quality that we would do well to emulate.

Once a thing is done, it makes good sense to drop it. I understand that it can be hard to let go of the past sometimes, but it is profitable for us to do so. Because the cycle of second guessing our past choices and replaying different results in our imagination is never ending. We can constantly ask ourselves the questions 'was that really the best thing? Wouldn't it have been better to do this or that?' And in a tormenting process we can lie awake at night revolving a thousand possibilities in our minds and conjuring up a thousand vague perhapses. 'If I had only done this, perhaps this result would have followed, or that would not.' And since there is never any saying except what might have happened, the labyrinth and the discontent are both endless. So it just makes good sense to follow the apostles instruction "Forgetting what lies behind, press forward." For good or bad, you cannot change the past, so just leave it alone as an accomplished fact.

Both our accomplishments and our failures need to be left behind. In Philippians chapter 3 the apostle Paul talked about all his earthly accomplishments, living according to Jewish Law, born into a good tribe, excelling in their religious system, even to the point of becoming a pharisee of pharisees and a persecutor of the church. But he goes on to say that "whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ." Paul wasn't going to let his past hold him back. He wasn't going to let the fact that he used to persecute the church keep him from being used by God to edify and build up the church. He left his past behind him, and forgetting what lies behind, he pressed on toward the goal for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus. But as well as letting go of our past sin, we also need to make sure that our past successes don't keep us from going further with Christ. Paul said to the church at Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 4:1 - "Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more." He was commending them for living lives pleasing to God, but he told them to keep going. I've recognized in my own life that after the Lord has used me in ways I never imagined I begin to coast. The Christian life is a continual uphill journey, and there is no room for coasting. If you're coasting it means you're going downhill. When God uses you it becomes real easy to look back and say, 'wasn't that great when the Lord used me in this way or in that?' And we can get so caught up in that past experience that we become completely useless. We can become satisfied with our past accomplishments and fail to climb higher and look to God to be used in even greater ways. "Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Proverbs 31 is the passage that describes the virtuous woman, and in all of the commendable qualities of this woman, one that always seems to catch my eye is in Proverbs 31:25 where it says of her - "and she smiles at the future." This is an attractive quality for two reasons. First, if she is smiling at the future it means that she is looking ahead of her. She's not stuck in the past or consumed with what might have been. Second, since she is smiling at the future she is not afraid of what it might bring. She recognizes that the future is in Gods hands and understands the principles that the Lord Jesus presents in Matthew chapter six. There is nothing more unattractive in a person than a constant fear of the future. It is the one inspiring element of Christianity that it throws us in boundless hope upon the future. A new and better growth is before us. We are to wake up in the likeness of Christ! Therefore, forgetting what lies behind, let us press forward toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

This is not just a principle that we need to put into practice as we pass from one year into the next, but this is something that we should exercise daily. Did you fail God yesterday? Repent of your sin, ask Him for forgiveness, and then press on. By all means, learn the lesson from your failure, but don't let it hold you back. Was God glorified through your life yesterday? Give Him the glory. Praise Him and thank Him for using you, but don't be content to simply look back at the time that you were useful, present yourself to Him to be used by Him for His glory today. Don't live in the past.

Philippians 3:13-14 - "Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Divine Providence

Luke 2:1-3 - "Now it came about in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city."

Around December each year we often turn to the first few chapters of Matthew and Luke, as well as John 1, Galatians 4, and various portions in the Old Testament that speak of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. But these few verses at the beginning of Luke's gospel in between the birth of John the baptist and the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ rarely get much attention. During the Christmas season our hearts and minds are filled with the wonder of the incarnation, God becoming man. "The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." This truth is indeed wonderful. It is something that we will never be able to wrap our minds around, that the eternal Creator God stepped into His creation and became something that He never was for all eternity past, a human being. He became like us, even to the point of being born as a little baby in Bethlehem. The mystery of the incarnation is a truth, not for the head, but for the heart. Here reason must submit to the truth of Gods Word and kneel in reverence to a God who is beyond understanding and past finding out.

But for now I want to turn our attention to the first three verses of Luke chapter 2, and rather than focusing primarily on the birth of Christ I want to look at Divine Providence and the Sovereignty of God as seen in the Christmas story. In Luke chapter 2 verse 1 we are told that "It came about in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth." When this verse says "all the inhabited earth" it's talking about the Roman Empire. It was at this time in world history that Rome was the world power. Through war the Roman army had forced many nations in submission to Rome, but now there was peace on the earth. However, the peace at this time was an inforced peace. Those nations, including Israel, that were under Roman control didn't dare speak out or rise up against this ruler out of fear. This was a mere cessation of war, not what we know to be true peace, but it was at this dark time that the Prince of Peace was born into the world. It was at this time of the pax Romana that the supreme world leader, Caesar Augustus, issued a decree that a census be taken of all his empire. The reason for the census or the enrollment, no doubt, was for taxing purposes. Each person would have to travel to their hometown, no matter how far it may be, in order to meet the demands that the government was placing upon them. It would have been little concern to this world leader that his command would inconvenience the masses. I'm sure he had sufficient reasons in his own mind for his decree, but he didn't know and didn't care what effect this decree was going to have on millions. Among those who were inconvenienced by the decrees of earths governments were Mary and Joseph. In verses 4-5 we read - "Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child." This young couple had to travel some seventy miles in order to meet the governments demands that they enroll in order that might be taxed. What they may not have realized and what Caesar certainly didn't realize is that God was orchestrating all of these events in order to fulfill His perfect plan. The issuing of this decree by this government didn't catch God by surprise. Back in the second chapter of the book of Daniel, king Nebuchadnezzar had a dream concerning a statue. The head of the statue was made of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. In interpreting this dream to Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel said to him "You are the head of gold. After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth. Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces." This fourth kingdom is Rome. Hundreds of years before Rome even came into power God declared that they would. And in Micah 5:2 the Scriptures prophesy - "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity." Christs birth in Bethlehem was also predicted hundreds of years before He was born. From all outward appearance it would have seemed that Caesar was the most important person in the world at that time. Millions moved and his decree. And it would also seem that Joseph and Mary were just humble, insignificant people. And yet it can now be easily seen that in reality, Caesar was the insignificant person, merely a pawn in the plan of God and Joseph and Mary were by far the most important people on earth at that moment because Mary had within her womb the Savior of the world.  Proverbs 21:1 says - "The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes." The Lord used the uncomfortable and inconvenient decree of a pagan king in a crushing empire to accomplish His purpose and fulfill His Word. We can't say for certain whether or not Joseph and Mary knew that the Christ had to be born in Bethlehem. We don't read of them knowing or not knowing. I imagine that making a journey of seventy miles at that stage of pregnancy in order to be enrolled to be taxed couldn't have been very comfortable. And I imagine that if Mary and Joseph were anything like me they must have been wondering why God was allowing all this to happen. They knew for certain that she was carrying the Son of God, how could God allow all this to happen so close to the time of His birth? "While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth." The uncomfortable, unfair taxing decreed by earths government was used by God to fulfill His plan and purpose. We may not understand what is going on in the world, and the decrees of earths governments may discourage and perplex us, but God is in control and He is using these things to fulfill His plan and to accomplish His ultimate purpose.

Daniel 4:17 - "This sentence is by the decree of the watchers and the decision is a command of the holy ones in order that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men."

Christ Our Peace

Isaiah 9:6 - "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

In this prophecy concerning the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ there are four names given to Him: Wonderful counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace. While we would be profited by a study of any one of these names I want to focus on the last one, the Prince of Peace, because as I have been reading through some of the passages concerning the incarnation this idea of peace being connected with the person of Christ has stood out to me.

I want to begin by saying that peace is something that is emphasized in our day, national leaders will meet together to discus the pursuit of global peace, that is, to try and stop the conflict between nations. Individuals will seek out religion, therapy or self fulfillment in order to obtain "inner peace." People will seek out counselors in order to try and bring peace to a relationship. But while the majority of people may claim to be seeking peace, or at least claim to want it, most people are seeking it apart from the Author of peace. The Bible is very clear that man in his sinful state cannot have peace. We read in Isaiah 57:21 - "“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”" We know from Scripture that there is none righteous, not even one, and in that same passage, in Romans 3, we're told "And the path of peace they have not known." It seems as though mankind is willing to seek for peace everywhere except where it can be found. We're willing to go to anyone and everyone except for the Prince of Peace, but the Bible is abundantly cleat that there is no peace apart from Him.

In Micah chapter 5 we have a prophecy concerning the birthplace of the Messiah, and we read in verses 2-5 - "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity. Therefore He will give them up until the time when she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren will return to the sons of Israel. And He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will remain, because at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth. This One will be our peace." The wording here is very intentional. In talking about the Christ the Lord doesn't say in this passage that He will bring peace, but He says "This One will be our peace." In Luke chapter 1 when Zacharias was talking about the role that John, his son, would play in the coming of the Messiah, he talked about him preparing the way of the Lord, and how Christ would be the Sunrise from on high, and he says in verse 79 that Christ has come - "To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." He came to guide us in the way of peace because He came to draw men to Himself and offer His righteousness in exchange for their sin. Since there is no peace for the wicked, Christ came to apply His righteousness to our account and thus provide the way of peace. There is no hope for peace apart from Christ.

After Christ was born in Bethlehem in Luke 2:8-14 we read - "And in the same region there were shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”" The proclamation of the angel is something that is sung about every year at this time, "Peace on earth good will toward men." Even in the secular world some are singing this verse of Scripture and yet many don't realize that this peace is inseparably connected to the birth of the Lord Jesus Himself. We seek for peace on earth and think that if all the nations get together and agree to stop fighting then everyone will have peace, but that will never work. Only Christ can establish peace on earth. When He was born into this world He came and presented Himself as the King of the Jews and gave a legitimate offer of peace, but His offer was rejected and was crucified, bearing in His own body the sins of the world. But this does not mean that Gods plan for peace on earth is forfeited, He will still bring peace on the earth. When Christ returns to the earth and sets up His kingdom He will rule and reign on the earth for a thousand years. At that time all global conflict will cease and for a time there will be peace on earth because the Prince of Peace will rule over the nations. In the meantime, we who belong to Christ can have peace in spite of the conflict which surrounds us. In spite of trying circumstances we are instructed in Colossians 3:15 to "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." Do you think that the Lord Jesus is worried about the way things are going in the world? Do you think He is concerned about economic and political change? Are your trials and concerns too big for Him to work out for good like He said He would? Let His peace rule in your heart. Let the Prince of Peace sit on the throne of your heart and the result will be peace. In Philippians chapter 4 we're told to "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Are you committing everything to the Lord in prayer? Are you letting the peace of Christ rule in your heart? He has offered peace. If we don't have it it's because we're looking for it in the wrong places. The Lord Jesus said in John 16:33 - "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

Ephesians 2:12-22 - "Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit."

Elizabeth

Luke 1:5-7 - "In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth."

In Luke chapter one we are introduced to a couple by the names of Zacharias and Elizabeth, who would eventually become the parents of John the baptist. There are many people we could focus on in this first chapter, but I just want to key in on Elizabeth and consider her first run in with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, in all of Scripture Elizabeth is only mentioned in this chapter, so all that we know about her is mentioned here. And I find it interesting that the only time in Scripture that Elizabeth and the Lord Jesus interact, so to speak, happens while the Lord Jesus is still in the womb of His mother.

In verses 5-7 we read - "In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years." They were both righteous, walking blamelessly before the Lord, but they had no child because Elizabeth was barren. This barrenness wasn't a result of some sin in her life or a sign of Gods displeasure. On the contrary, the Scripture makes it a point to tell us that they were both righteous and blameless before God, not just Zacharias, but both of them. God is the one who opens and closes the womb and for His own purpose He had prevented Elizabeth from having children. Just because she was righteous doesn't mean that she didn't suffer. She and her husband are advanced in years and all of her life up to this point she has suffered with the problem of barrenness.

Now, while Zacharias was in the temple performing his priestly ministry, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and revealed to him that God heard their prayers all those years and in answer to their prayers God was going to give them a son. And we read in verses 24-25 - "After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.”" For five months Elizabeth is savoring the answer to her prayer. She didn't go out, she didn't keep her normal schedule, she kept herself in seclusion. We don't really know why. Maybe just to make sure that when she did go out she would be showing and it would be evident to everyone that God had heard her prayers all those years. Can you imagine it? For forty plus years, I'm guessing, Elizabeth prayed and prayed and prayed that God would give her a child, and now after all that time the Lord grants her request and she conceives a son. Those must have been five intense months of thanksgiving.

But now we look down at verses 39-45 when Mary shows up at Elizabeth's house. Elizabeth's reaction here is almost the opposite of what we would expect it to be. If Elizabeth is anything like us I assume that all those years of barrenness she would have been consumed with her own pain, and now that the Lord has answered her prayers and taken away her reproach I assume that she would be consumed with the answer to her prayer and focused completely on the fact that the Lord had heard and answered and taken away her pain and reproach. And I would expect this to be the topic of their conversation the moment that Elizabeth and Mary meet, but it's not. Verses 39-41 say - "Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit." John the baptist, inside the womb of his mother is leaping for joy the moment that Mary comes into the room, and Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, so whatever she says now is a divine commentary. And not only is the Holy Spirit saying these things through Elizabeth, but this is her attitude as well. Verses 42-45 - "And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”" Catch the paradox. Here you have this older woman, this seasoned, experienced woman who is advanced in years and married to a priest, and she's talking to this teenage peasant girl from Nazareth, some young relative of hers, who comes into her house and she says to her "Blessed are you among woman and blessed is the fruit of your womb." Now, in this first conversation that they have after God has answered Elizabeth's lifelong prayer, wouldn't you expect her to start the conversation telling Mary of all that God had done for her? But the focus in all that Elizabeth says is on Mary and the Baby in her womb. The Holy Spirit directs the focus of the conversation so that Elizabeth is blessing Mary and she is saying how blessed it is that God has given Mary this Child. And look at the humility in verse 43 - "How has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?" The mother of John the Baptist is basically saying to the mother of Christ, "I understand that your kid is what it's all about." This attitude that Elizabeth is displaying here is the same attitude that her son, John the baptist, would later display when he says of the Lord Jesus - "He must increase and I must decrease." Up to this point in the conversation she's not even talking about her kid. And when she does mention him all she says is that when she heard Mary's greeting the baby in her womb leaped for joy. Even as an unborn baby John recognizes that it's all about Christ and he leaps for joy in his mothers womb. Elizabeth does not think more of herself or of her child than she ought. She's got the right perspective. And immediately after this brief mention of John, Elizabeth's focus turns right back to Mary and her child. "And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord."

Vs. 57-60 - "Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her. And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.”" There's just one thing I want to pull out of these verses and that is the naming of the child. I'm sure that Zacharias and Elizabeth would have at some point discussed the what they would name their child if they ever had one, and the name John most likely wasn't on the list. But Elizabeth knew that the word of the Lord concerning her child was that he was to be named John, and so that's what she named him. Elizabeth recognized that her gift from God was for something bigger than just her. She saw that this gift from God was going to be used by God as a forerunner for the Messiah. There was something bigger going on her than just Elizabeth getting the child that she has always wanted. And they named him John because that is the word that was spoke to them by the angel.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says - "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." Elizabeth demonstrates this beautifully. It didn't really matter what point she was at in her life, she displayed by the way that she lived that she was not living for herself but for God. When Elizabeth suffered the shame of barrenness for all those years she didn't blame God or turn away from Him, but she lived a righteous and blameless life. She might not have realized all that God had planned, but she displayed faith through her barrenness and it was to the glory of God. When the Lord answered her lifelong prayer for a child she recognized that this child was for His glory. It doesn't really matter what situation we're facing right now, we need to realize that a loving sovereign God is orchestrating the events of our lives for His glory, whether loss or gain, whether suffering or blessing, it's all for His glory and His ultimate purpose. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says - "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." We need to live our lives with the proper perspective, the perspective that Elizabeth had. A perspective that is able to look past present trials and suffer, a perspective that looks past present blessing, a perspective that isn't focused on self at all, but realizes that there is something bigger than me. We need the perspective that says, whether I'm experiencing suffering or blessing, He must increase and I must decrease.