September 27, 2010

2 Samuel 23

When you come to the end of your life and say your last words, what will you say? What could David have said? He could have boasted of all that he had accomplished. He could have said:

I rose from being a shepherd boy to building one of the greatest countries of the world in my region. I united my people under my leadership. I defeated the Philistines, the Amalakites, the Edomites, the Ammonites and the Syrians. I formed alliances with Egypt, Geshur, Tyre, Sidon and other countries. I ruled from the river of Egypt to Syria. I had many wives, sons and daughters. I built a new capital. I amassed great wealth for my sons to follow me.

But what did David say? He identified himself as one that God had raised up. He shared what God spoke to him about how to rule. He summed up what he had done with God’s instruction with this statement, “Although my house is not so with God, yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure.” He looked back over his life, and rather than boast upon his accomplishments, he saw the greatest significance in His life to be the covenant that he God had made with him. His greatest boast was the mercy and grace that the Lord had bestowed upon Him. Is that my greatest boast? Is that your greatest boast? If it is not, then I would say that we truly have not begun to grasp the glory of our Lord.

In contrast to him, were mighty men, men who had done wonderful exploits. One man had killed 800 men in one battle. One had fought so hard and so long in battle that his hand cramped in position in grasping his sword, and he could not let go. One stationed himself in a field of lentils and single handedly fought off an invading Philistine force when everyone else had fled. The list goes on, but what does David boast about? He could have boasted about killing Goliath or any number of other things, but his boast is in God’s mercy and grace. He had seen God’s glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

Galatians 6

Galatians is Paul's great letter on the nature of liberty in the Lord Jesus Christ. We saw a few days ago that liberty is the freedom and ability to do what is right apart from coercion and that the law can never bring liberty, only condemnation. Yet here we are told, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Is the glory of Christ that which He brings us into liberty only to enslave us with a new Law? May it never be! What then is the law of Christ which is both law and liberty? Jesus gave one and only one new commandment before His death. It can be found in John 13: 34,35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” And again in John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. The Apostle John reiterates this in 1 John 2:8-11 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. And again in 1 John 4:21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

Is Paul contradicting himself? By no means! It is the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ to liberate us in order to enable us to fulfill His law. He has the ability to live His victorious life in us! On the plane of man to man, woman to woman, if we love one another as He has loved us, all of the law is fulfilled. There is no need to coerce one another. We are not condemned by the law because we are already doing it, fulfilling it. Yes, there will be times when the old nature rears its ugly head. Yes, there will always be times when Satan succeeds in breaking that love for one another. Yes, there will be times when the world's way of thinking holds sway over our thinking. But each time when that happens, The Lord's command is brought back to our minds through Paul's reminder. If we have broken the law, then we simply bring our sin back to the Lord and, if necessary, to the one we offended. Forgiveness is full and immediate from the Lord. He will work in us to make us able to love, even the most unlovely. Now that is glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor John