Rebuke

REBUKE

Rebuke is a bad word. How many of you even like the sound of it? The thought of "rebuke" conjures up negative images for me, images of being "gotten on to" or of "getting on to someone." Those kind of situations are not pleasant.

Rebuke isn’t a bad word, it just has a bad name. The idea of "rebuking" someone is part of a larger context of teaching. The teaching process covers several phases of education: instructing, correction (rebuke) and conviction. A father instructions his son, he corrects him when he strays from what he has been taught, and over time, as the father continues to instruct and correct, the son internalizes what he has been taught. The lessons and corrections become the personal conviction of the son. For example, a father instructs his son that lying is wrong. But, when the son strays from what he has been taught and lies, what does the dad do? He corrects him, pointing out the misbehavior and even administering punishment. Over the years, as the father patiently bides with his son and continues instruction and correction, the son develops the personal conviction that lying is wrong.

This process of instruction, correction and personal conviction is a biblical process. It is easy to see this development in the Old Testament. First, God provides instruction for his people. In Exodus 20 God provides instruction through the Ten Commandments. These commandments are not just impersonal orders to force certain behavior. The purpose is to instruct the people in how to live in covenant relationship with God. The ultimate goal of these and the other commands of God are to penetrate the hearts of the people and become a personal conviction for them. And, eventually it does. When Moses confirms the covenant with the people they cry out, "Everything the Lord has said we will do." (Exodus 24:3). But, conviction does not come without correction or rebuke. Numerous Old Testament passages offer warning and threat of correction should the people violate the terms of the covenant (Psalm 50:8-22; Hosea 4:4; Micah 6:2; Isaiah 1:18f.).

Even though correction or rebuke itself is not bad, that does not mean rebuke is easy! Jesus describes the process of rebuking someone in Luke 17:3: "If your brother sins, rebuke him ..." Rebuke here means to, "Overcome with a powerful word."1 A brother who errs is to have his sin pointed out to him. The situation may even call for a "powerful word" to be directed at him. If you have ever been on either side of that "powerful word," you know it is not a pleasant experience! But, it can be a soul-saving experience! "Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins" (James 5:20).

There is a lot about rebuke in Proverbs. The following points can be made.

One, genuine rebuke is for our good.

Proverbs 3:11-12 says, "My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in."

Genuine rebuke is offered in love and kindness. But, some people hurt others with their rebuke. It is not their correction, but their attitude. They mean to hurt. They, "have one on you." Rebuke under such an attitude is not rebuke; it is vengeance. Don’t confuse dumping personal venom on someone with genuine rebuke, whether you are on the giving or receiving end of it.
Also, some people hurt others with their rebuke by their approach. Maybe they do it in public when it should be private. Some rebuke can be public, as in the case of Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8). But, generally, rebuke should be initiated as a private matter: "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you" (Matt. 18:15). Only after private attempts fail should a rebuke become public (Matt. 18:16-17).

Rebuke, done with a proper attitude and approach, is intended by God for our good. Consider these verses:
- He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. (Prov. 15:31)
- Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. (Prov. 27:5,6)

Secondly, our response to rebuke reveals the content of our heart and the depth of our discernment.

People with a healthy level of discernment may not WELCOME rebuke, but they will be open to it. They will have trained themselves over time to not react to rebuke with immediate defensiveness and denial. They will listen to what is said to them and will calmly contemplate it.

Benjamin Franklin knew the value of rebuke. He reportedly said, "Love your enemies, they tell you your faults." Even enemies have the potential to reveal to us unsavory aspects of our personalities and character. They may be intending to belittle and demean us; but that does not detract from the potential truth of their statements. If we can maintain a depth of discernment and process the pain of the "enemies" attack on us, we may gain some new insights into how others perceive us.

If our hearts are tuned for wisdom, and we can practice discernment, we can maintain an openness to the rebuke that comes our way.
A wise son heeds his father's instruction ... (Prov. 13:1)
He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. (Prov. 15:31)
A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool. (Prov. 17:10)
Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke a discerning man, and he will gain knowledge. (Prov. 19:25)

People lacking discernment will scorn rebuke.
Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. (Prov. 9:7-8)
...A mocker does not listen to rebuke. (Prov. 13:1)
A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed - without remedy. (Prov. 29:1)

Thirdly, genuine rebuke can make the wise even wiser.

My son, Wes, and his friend, Zach, used to work for an oil company during the summer. One day they were sent to the field by a supervisor to work on a piping project. The owner of the company, Rick, was driving around checking on some of his work sites. He saw the boys and stopped to see what they were doing. He attempted to show them how to perform their task. Wes and Zach explained to Rick that the supervisor had shown them a new and better way to do the job. Rick said, "Well, go to it then" and left them. Both boys were impressed that the owner of the company acquiesced to their explanation of why they were doing it differently than the boss suggested. When I talked to Rick about this he said, "What has made my business successful is that I hire key people who can do the job even better than I can." That is wisdom. It is also humility.

- My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. (Prov. 3:11-12).
- He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. (Prov. 15:31)
- Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear. (Prov. 25:12)

Rebuke IS NOT pleasant. But it has the potential for great blessing in our lives. If you are rebuked, be open hearted and open minded enough to at least consider the possible truthfulness of the rebuke. If you have to rebuke someone, do it gently and kindly, making it as palatable as possible for the other person to swallow. Remember, the objective of rebuke is to increase the wisdom of the one being rebuked, and to turn their heart toward God. We’ll have more on rebuking tomorrow on power for today.

The wisdom Solomon is concerned with is skill at functioning well in relationships: relationships with oneself, with family and with neighbors and coworkers. Such skill in relationships is wisdom. This kind of wisdom does not come in private study or reflection. It comes through interaction with others, from learning from our teachers and mentors and from gaining insight into relationship and character faux pas from those who care to rebuke us. The wise are open to and benefit from wisdom.

Finally, those who are rebuked can be closer to God.
- If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. (Prov. 1:23)

Children who are disciplined by their parents grow up loving and respecting their parents. The discipline provided by their parents - both instructive and corrective discipline - provides parameters of behavior and security. A healthy, loving discipline communicates love and concern. Children who are not disciplined, who have almost unlimited freedom in their behavior and choices, often feel unloved. I have heard teens say, "I wish my parents would give me a curfew ... I wish my parents would tell me I could not date that boy ... I wish my parents cared about where I went at night." Discipline communicates love from parent to child. It does with God to us, too.

"... My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? (Heb. 12:5b-7).

"We have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Heb. 12:9-11)

How do we know if a particular hardship we are suffering is merely a hardship or is a rebuke or discipline from God? Trying to sort through that question can be a daunting task! I have learned to regard ALL hardship as a rebuke from God. A strained relationship, embarrassment from a word rashly or harshly spoken, even criticism received (whether deserved or undeserved) can all be perceived as rebukes from God.

Viewing all hardship or hurt as a rebuke from God serves two purposes for me. One, it allows me to process the hurt rather than to allow the bad feelings to fester and lead to resentment. That spirit works against wisdom. Two, it allows me to be open to what God may be trying to teach me about myself. Very early in Proverbs Solomon urged us to keep an open heart and mind to how God is wanting to work in our lives through the rebuke that comes our way: "If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you." (Prov. 1:23).

Warren Baldwin

Notes:

1.H. Giesen, "Eπιτιμάω" in Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), p.42).

Heart of Leader #1

HEART OF A LEADER: JESUS
Matt. 4:1-11

Everyone who extends himself to lead in some way will find himself or herself challenged. Being challenged isn’t bad. Being challenged simply means that you are being tested.

We may be tested for two reasons.

1) The devil may be testing us to see how strong we are. He may be looking for weaknesses in our style or in our attitudes that he can exploit. Mostly, I think the devil is looking for weaknesses in character. Even with a poor style a leader can still do a wonderful job in the kingdom if he has good character. But, if his style is great but his character weak, the devil will exploit his weaknesses and cause great harm to the man or woman’s life. This will then affect their family, their church, their job, the whole community.

2) The lord may be testing us to see the same areas of weakness as the devil, but with this one difference: God does not want to exploit our weaknesses in style, attitudes or character. God wants to build us up and strengthen us. God wants us faithful for the long haul. Spiritual leadership that goes the distance means our family or our local church can count on us for a lifetime.

Among the qualifications, or qualities, that Paul gives for an elder in 1 Tim. 3 and Titus is that he not be a new convert, and that he has raised his children to be obedient, faithful and respectful. This means that the shepherd has been around awhile. He has been practicing his leadership for decades. True spiritual leaders grow and develop over time. Spiritual leadership is not the fruit of a short course or of a seminar. Those things give us ideas. They introduce us to people we can talk to who know about leadership. But it is the living out every day the principles of our godly walk that builds the character that sustains long-term leadership.

All those who lead sometimes ask, "Why am I doing this?" No one is exempt. No one. Every leader, man or woman, young or old, asks themselves sometime, "Why am I doing this? Am I doing the kind of job God wants? Am I reflecting the heart of God? Am I reaching people ... anyone, someone?" Those questions, and the pain behind them, are part of the training and preparation for being a spiritual leader in the kingdom of God.

Every great leader in the Bible has experienced those feelings. Moses experienced failure in his first attempts to lead. David experienced tremendous success in his early experiences at leadership. Paul was misguided in his early spiritual leadership. But God was at work in the lives of each of these men to prepare and mature them.
The same experiences occurred in the life and ministry of Jesus. Certainly God was at work in his life as Jesus was raised ...
... in a godly home
... attending worship at the temple
... learning the principles, wisdom and scriptures of his Heavenly Father. "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." Luke 2:52

Jesus had to be prepared to lead just as Moses, David and Paul had to be prepared. He had to be taught. But there also came a time when Jesus had to feel the gut-wrenching experience of being on the firing line for God. That is the story of Matthew 4:1-11

I said earlier that testing in our lives could come from God or the devil. Matthew makes it clear where this testing of Jesus came from: the devil. (V.1). In v.3 he is called the "tempter." Being the tempter means the devil is trying to find something wrong in your life. The devil works like a friend of mine, Terry Knapp. Terry used to work as an inspector for oil and gas pipelines. He would crawl through pipes that had been welded together. With a flashlight he would look for any kind of visible flaw in the welding. He studied and inspected every joint, looking for any slight crack or flaw that would allow gas or oil to escape from the pipe.

That is what the devil does in our lives. He looks closely at every detail of our hearts and lives. He is looking for any flaw, crevice or crack in our integrity and character. The very nature of the devil’s work is to analyze you, study you, investigate you, get to know every fiber of your being. He gathers all the data about it. Then, guess what he does with it? He looks at it and says, "Ok, over here, she is structurally weak. She has all the beauty, grace and poise of a young lady, but she doesn’t have her character developed yet. I will send her a young boy who will sweep her off her feet. She will not be able to resist his advances. She will fall for him. He will hurt her. He will undermine the morals her parents taught her. And I will kill her."

The devil looks at the data and says, "Ah, this is a fine young man. He respects his elders. He works hard. He has been taught the way of God. But he hasn’t had the time to mature in the ways of God. He is weak still several areas. Here is what I will do. Fresh out of college I will give him a good job with big pay. He won’t be ready to handle that money appropriately for God. He will spend it on his pleasures. In a few years, he will be spending his money on pretty pictures, then on pretty girls, young ladies who will lure his heart and body away from me. He will forget to worship God. And I will kill him."

That is the work of the tempter. And he does it so well, doesn’t he? "God, you know that man Job? He’s only following you because you reward him. Take away some of his blessings and see what he does." The story of Job unnerves me every time I go back and read it. I am thrilled that Job hung on to his integrity till the end!! I am scared that I would not be able to do the same.
The devil is watching Job, me, my son, my daughters, all of you.

He even watched Jesus to find the crack in the armor, if there was any, that he could exploit. He bided his time. He waited until the right moment ... when Jesus was very hungry. And he said, "Here Jesus, have some food."

There are three temptations in Matthew 4.
1) Food v.3-4
2) Power v.5-6
3) Authority v.7-10

Each of these temptations is an appeal to Jesus to derail him from his ministry for God. Jesus came to be the redemption of mankind. Jesus came to die. But the devil tried to appeal to Jesus’ hunger and desires to get him off track.
- Would Jesus take food from the devil? No, every good and perfect gift is from God, not the devil. Even in his hunger Jesus would not place himself at the mercy of the devil. He would not allow the devil to meet any of his needs. Only God could meet them.
- If Jesus accepted the offer of power, calling on the angels to rescue him, would he go to the cross?
- If Jesus accepted the offer of the devil to receive all the kingdoms of the world, and he had authority over all of them, would he need to go to the cross? Perhaps the devil thought he could convince Jesus that he didn’t need to die, now that he already had authority.

Each of these temptations was an appeal to needs that Jesus had. But Jesus wouldn’t fall for this trick of the devil. Jesus knows that only God can meet our deepest needs. Only God can truly satisfy hunger. Only God has the power and authority to give Jesus power and authority. Jesus knows the devil is a liar and the father of lies. The devil cannot give us anything that is ultimately good. Any gift from the devil is meant to deceive, hurt, and destroy.

Each one of these temptations was an appeal to ego needs that all of us have. We want to feel content in our bodies. We want to feel that we belong. We want to feel that we matter. Human beings will do almost anything to have these needs met.

We sin. What do you think sin is, ultimately? It is the conviction we have that we can meet our needs better than God can. God says, "Here, I give you eyes so you can take joy in the beauty of your wife and children." We say, "No, I will use my eyes to take in beauty that is not mine to enjoy." God says, "Here, I give you hands to do honest work." We say, "No, I will use my hands to do violence, and things that are dishonorable."

Sin is man’s attempt to say, "We can take better care of ourselves than God can." That was the temptation even to Jesus. But Jesus said, "NO!" Jesus’ leadership was challenged. This tempting in the wilderness was Satan’s attempt to derail the ministry of Jesus. He offered food, power, authority, wealth. Men have fallen for lesser things! Jesus maintained his integrity. He stood strong.

And we need to as well. Leadership in the kingdom is leadership for the long haul. Leadership is realizing that God is at work to build our character to be people who can endure the pain and difficulties of leadership and never give up. Leadership is realizing the deceitful work of the devil to derail us. It is to fully trust in God’s ability to meet our needs and not sell out to the devil’s lies. Leadership is being faithful for life.

Jesus was challenged, and we will be, too. We will feel those challenges in our hearts, in our spirit, in our bodies. We will wonder about our preparedness, our abilities. What do we do? We hang in there. Like Moses, David and Paul, we will have failures. Jesus was challenged, but he didn’t fail. We won’t handle things perfectly like Jesus did. But, like Jesus, we don’t have to let the devil win!

Leadership is being faithful for life. We can do that.

Warren Baldwin
10/1/06

Good That Overcomes

GOOD THAT OVERCOMES
Rom. 12:17-21

Romans 12 presents one challenge after another. Don’t conform to the world but be transformed ... encourage ... be sincere ... be devoted to one another ... bless those who persecute you .. Rejoice with those who rejoice ... live in harmony with one another. Paul doesn’t end with these. Romans 12 continues with more challenges. Do not repay anyone evil for evil .. Live at peace with everyone ... overcome evil with good ... do not take revenge. The Bible seems to burden us with some impossible demands. These admonitions seem impossible because they are so unnatural.

Do you think it is natural to overlook an offense and not seek revenge? Ask Connie Deweese. Connie dated a guy for about 8 months. He turned out to be what she called a "psycho." So, she told him to get lost. But the man, Alex, didn’t want to get lost. Turns out he was stuck on Connie. And, he got stuck in another way, too.

Alex went to see Connie. Two problems: he was drunk and it was 3:30 in the morning. Connie wouldn’t let Alex into the house. Not to be denied, Alex climbed the roof and started to climb down the chimney. Until he got stuck. When rescue crews arrived they had to cut a hole in the wall and into the chimney to let Alex out. Connie got angry, either at the damage to her house or that her ex was being freed. She yelled, "Leave him in the chimney and let him die." Her interference with the rescue workers earned her a citation.

Alex went to a local hospital to be treated. After he was released, he returned to Connie’s house. Connie was still pretty upset. So, she hit Alex with a garbage can and threw bottles at him. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20877737/

People do funny things, don’t they? Almost crazy. Maybe it is not a matter of being crazy. It’s the world. It’s sin. Sin is like a virus that infects all of us. We do things that are destructive to ourselves and people we care about. Sin alienates us from God, so we are alone and feel insignificant. We do crazy things in our sinful state, things that seem natural at the time. Why would Alex crawl down a chimney at 3:00 in the morning? In his drunken, worldly state, it seem perfectly normal at the time.

God wants to challenge what we consider normal and natural. That is what Romans 12 is about. It is a text that challenges how we approach life.

What does the text call them to do?

1) Romans 12 challenges Christians to live transformed lives. (V.12) They give their bodies as living sacrifices. In other words, Christians are to do the hard thing.


2) Specifically, Romans 12 challenges Christians to conquer evil in the world and in the church. How do we do that?! We conquer evil by an overpowering display of good. (V.17-21)

Why does the text call for this behavior?

How can God expect us to respond to overwhelming evil with overpowering good? Because the church often finds itself infected with viruses from the world.

It is easy for us in the church to think of ourselves. That is natural because we are humans. When our thumb gets hit with a hammer, we hurt. When our hearts get hit with a hammer, we hurt.
When we hurt we lash out. Have you ever seen anyone throw a hammer down after they hit themselves with it? In the same way, have you ever seen anyone lash out at another person with biting words? You may have wondered, "Where did that come from?!" They have been hurt, and they are throwing the emotional hammer and lashing out.

It is natural to lash out. But the Bible says, "Do what is unnatural. The Spirit of God guides you now, not a spirit of self-preservation or defense. You don’t have to hurt others as you have been hurt." Instead of lashing out ...
V.17 - Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
V.18 - Live at peace with everyone.
V.19 - Do not take revenge.
V.20 - If your enemy is hungry or thirsty, feed him and give him something to drink.
These responses are not natural.

But we are an unnatural people now. We do not conform to the world anymore (12:2a). We are transformed in our minds. That means our hearts and minds have moved from the realm of this world to the realm of heaven. Sounds funny to say it, but it is true, we are not "natural" or "normal" anymore.

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink." (V.20) What is normal about that? What normal person feeds and cares for an enemy? Is it even possible for us to do the unnatural and care for an enemy? "Normally" I would say, "no," but God has ways of showing us some amazing examples of how love can conquer. Years ago in the German countryside a group of hungry U.S. soldiers stumbled upon a house. "Food," they thought to themselves. They knocked on the door with their rifles drawn and ready. A young German woman came to the door, her young son clutching her skirt. She was horrified to see enemy soldiers at her door. Through broken communication she learned they were hungry. She invited them in and instructed them to put the rifles in a corner. As she prepared food she heard another knock at the door. She opened it to find a group of young German soldiers standing on her porch. They, too, were hungry. Thinking fast and speaking freely in German she told them, "You, too, may come in and eat, but leave your guns outside." When the unarmed German soldiers entered the house they came face to face with the unarmed American soldiers. Cold silence ensued, until the German woman began setting plates of hot food on the table. One soldier sat, then another, then another. And on this day, this very unusual, unnatural day, enemies in the most brutal war in history shared a pleasant meal. Kindness and goodwill, even if but for a moment, conquered the hate and killing of the natural world.

God’s goodness finds ways of piercing the most hate filled moments in the most unnatural ways. And he uses us to do it. We are the agents of God’s goodness in the world ... and in the church.

Think of the situation in the Roman church Paul is writing to. Jews and Gentiles are in church together, and Paul expects them to function as friends. Do you realize how abnormal that is? That can only happen in Christ. Could it happen today? Should we expect it to? Should we have faith that God can still do the impossible? Could a Jewish Christian and a Palestinian Christian take the Lord’s Supper in unity? Could an Iranian Christian and an American Christian sing songs of praise together?

How can we overcome such differences? By the power of transformed lives. We offer our bodies as "living sacrifices." (12:1) We can do it, because this is God’s "Good, pleasing and perfect will." (12:2)

How might we function in the church if we completely trust God’s power to transform our memories, hurts and spirit? "Do not repay evil with evil" is not a dream. It is a reality in the kingdom. Do not take revenge" is not a dream. It is a reality in the kingdom. We are that kingdom. The rule of God is in our hearts.

God reigns in our hearts. He purges the viruses that infect us from the world. It is in our hearts that God destroys hate and grows love. It is in our hearts that he banishes anger and welcomes grace. He blasts our pride and nurtures humility. God exiles resentment and invites forgiveness to take its place.

The goodness of God conquers the evil of the world one heart at a time. That’s your heart. My heart. Our hearts. So it can happen. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Warren Baldwin

The Church at Worship, pt 1

THE CHURCH AT WORSHIP
Part 1: ACTS OF WORSHIP (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

God’s people have always been a worshiping people. When God called Moses he told him, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."

Worship in the Old Testament

In Exodus 19 God came down to meet with his people. Great care is given to the preparation of the people (vs.10-15). The people have to prepare their minds and their bodies for the visit of God. They have to purify their bodies and clothes. They have to concentrate their minds on the appearance of God. Even the natural relation enjoyed by a husband and wife, and which God authorizes, is to be refrained from so they can concentrate fully upon God.

God spoke ten words on this occasion, ten words of command, order, ethics and worship (chapter 20):
"I am the Lord your God ... You shall no other gods before me." (Vs.2-3)
"You shall not make for yourself an idol ..." (V.4)
"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God ..." (V.7)
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy." (V.8)

Four of the ten commands were about our worshipful response to God. And God demanded strict allegiance! "Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed." (22:20).

One way the people worshiped God was through sacrifice and festivals (23:4). In reaching out to the people, and offering ways of worship to them, what God wanted was communion with his people. "Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David." (Isaiah 55:2a-3).

Love is behind our acts of worship, love from God toward us and from us toward God. Love shows itself toward God in acts of worship: attending festivals and offering sacrifices.1 We live in communion with God our Father. We offer him our bodies and minds. We consecrate our bodies and renew our minds. When we do, we worship God acceptably.

Worship in the New Testament

Worshiping God acceptable today is to worship through and in Jesus. John 4:24 says, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 14 says Jesus is the truth. Today we worship in the name of Jesus.

There are two parts to worship: our bodies and our hearts or minds; our actions and our attitudes. We worship from the heart but respond with our bodies. It is a total experience. There are several acts that we offer to God in worship today.

One is giving.

Paul speaks of giving as a "privilege of sharing in ... service to the saints" and as an "act of grace." ( 2 Corinthians 8:4 & 6). Financial gifts that are given to the Lord willingly are accepted by God: "For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have." (V.12).

Paul urges worshipers to give liberally: "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

Giving to God does two positive things: it supplies the needs of God’s people and it is an expression of thanks to God (v.12).

In the act giving or contributing, let’s keep in mind several perspectives on this part of our worship that Paul emphasizes:
One, giving is a community function. Gifts given can and may be used to serve brothers who are in need.
Two, giving is an act of expressing thanks to God for the gifts he has given us.
Three, God looks at the attitude of the heart on the part of the giver: God looks for a spirit of generosity and cheer.
Four, gifts given in this proper spirit are accepted by the Father.
Remember the poor widow who had only two small coins to offer in contribution. Jesus said of her, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put in more than all the others (the rich). All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." (Luke 21:3-4).

Jesus saw the spirit of generosity and cheer in the heart of the poor woman, and he accepted her worship.

A second act of worship is partaking of the Lord’s Supper.

Each time we eat of the Lord’s Supper we have bread and fruit of the vine. There is a deep theological purpose for this which Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. As we eat the bread and drink the fruit of the vine, we are remembering Jesus. But, it is actually more than remembrance, it is also proclamation. "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes." (V.26).

We proclaim two things when we take the Lord’s Supper. One, we proclaim Jesus’ death. Jesus died. His death on the cross was sacrificial and unselfish. He died for our redemption and salvation. He died so that we could be restored to an eternal relationship with the Father.

Two, we proclaim his return. Jesus died but he also arose! The grave could not contain him. Further, Jesus is coming again.

Every time we eat the Lord’s Supper we proclaim, "Jesus died for us, but he arose and is coming again for us. Jesus is alive." Because Jesus is alive, there is life in our worship, because the one we worship is alive. We have hope, expectancy and purpose in our worship and our Christian life.

Verse 26 is really a good statement for all of our worship. All of our worship celebrates a living God, a living Son and a living Spirit. Think of how bland worship could become if we worshiped a mere idol or the memory of a some great leader. We don’t do that. We celebrate life. The Lord’s Supper does that. So does our perching. Preaching celebrates the victory we have in the living Christ. Prayer is offered with view to Jesus returning. We sing praises extolling a living savior. Our worship is alive and vibrant because Jesus is coming back.

A third act of worship is singing.

Visitors notice that we sing a capella. That is, we sing without the accompaniment of instrumental music. Why? There are three basic reasons. One is reason is historical: the early church did not use instrumental music. They sang. Secondly, the scriptural witness is that the early church sang. Finally, the focus of singing is to make melody in your heart: "Sing and make melody in your hearts to the Lord."

Two important texts for singing are Ephesians 5:19,20 and Colossians 3:15-17. Three important reasons for singing can be seen in these two passages. One, when we sing we teach and admonish one another. We need words for that. Secondly, we make music in our hearts. "The worship of God will no longer focus on sensual elements such as holy cities, sacrifice, incense, special priests and temples, but now the worship of God will arise from the fountain of living water that wells up inside the people of God through the Holy Spirit."2

Thirdly, in singing we offer thanksgiving to God. Both passages connect singing to God with offering thanks to God. How can we refuse to sing? How can we be unmoved by a spiritual song? How can we simply offer judgment on singing? The very act of singing is to offer thanksgiving to God.

Preaching is a fourth act of worship.

Acts 3 records the first public proclamation of Jesus after Pentecost. Peter and John are going to the temple to pray when a crippled beggar asks them for money. Peter tells the man, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Strength returned to the man’s feet and ankles and he began to walk. But he didn’t just walk: he jumped and praised God. The people who saw him were filled with amazement and they gathered around Peter, John and the man who was healed. Peter asked the crowd, "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or holiness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus." (V.12-13).

After beginning with these two questions Peter develops his sermon as follows: One, he announces the sin of the people. "You handed him (Jesus) over to be killed ... You disowned the Holy and Righteous One ... You killed the author of life ..." (Vs.13-15). Next, Peter Affirmed the work of God being performed in their place and time: It was by faith in Jesus that the crippled man was healed." (V.16) Thirdly, Peter quickly outlines a history of the redemptive work of God, from the preaching of the prophets until the return of Jesus (vs.17-16). Finally, Peter offered an opportunity for the people to respond: "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, and that time of refreshing may come from the Lord." (V.19)

This was an evangelistic sermon in an evangelistic setting. Preaching would be the means by which God would call people into his community of the redeemed. Preaching would form them in this community. Later, as people were called into the body, preaching would continue to keep them formed and rooted in the story of God’s ongoing redemptive work. As we continue to preach today, we continue in God’s ongoing purpose of calling, redeeming and forming people in the church.

The fifth act of worship we engage in is prayer.

Prayer is something we offer to God with each other and for each other. Prayer is not about getting what we want. Prayer is about seeking what God wants for us.

In Ephesians we have two model prayers for Christians and churches to offer today. The prayers are in Ephesians 1:15-23 and 3:14-19. Paul reveals in these prayers what he wants, and God wants, for Christians.

One, Paul prays that we would know God better. (1:17). "Know" is a relationship term. Paul is not praying that we would know more about God, but that we would enter more deeply in relationship with him. This would involve having a deeper faith and catching a vision of the character of the Father.

Two, the prayer continues with the desire that we would know the hope, glory and power God has for us. (1:18-19). Understanding the hope, glory and power God is ready to offer us will give us the strength to continue to endure in our relationship with God, even when the demands of the Christian life become difficult.

Three, Paul prays that we would be strengthened in our inner being by the Spirit so that Christ may dwell in us. (3:16-17). Paul knows the trials and temptations that can come to believers. He also knows that the strengthening of the Spirit will keep us living in faith.

Four, Paul prays that we would know fully and completely the love of God experienced in community. (3:18-19). Prayer is not just individual communication to God. Prayer is also a joint communication by the church. We pray together and we pray for each other. I pray for your strength and you pray for mine. We pray for unity, understanding and love for and with each other. Pray is our cement.

Worship is an attitude of heart we bring to God. But that attitude is expressed in specific acts when we come together as the Church. Each act has the function of focusing our hearts on God and of calling us together in unity.

Warren Baldwin July 2006

Notes:
1.Love also shows itself toward God in acts of love toward others. Cf. 1 John 3:16-18.
2.John Mark Hicks, "Instrumental Music." Available on line at www.johnmarkhicks.faithsite.com/content.asp?CID=3900.

The Church at Worship, pt 2

Part 2: ATTITUDES OF WORSHIP

There are actions to worship. We sing, pray, preach, take the Lord’s Supper, and give financially to the Lord’s work. But, before we can worship in action acceptably to God, we must first have a heart for worship. Actions of worship cannot replace attitudes of worship.

Worship as Adoration

Deuteronomy 6:4,5 - "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

Is there a more profound statement in the whole Bible about the attitude in our heart toward God? So important is this statement that it is repeated, in whole or part, three times in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one."

"Hear, O Israel" is called the "Shema" after the command "to hear." To hear means to obey. "To hear God without putting into effect the command is not to hear him at all."3 I remember my Dad giving us boys instructions about working on the farm. "Make sure you pull all the weeds in the garden and clean the barn. After that, don’t forget to do the milking." Frequently after giving instructions like that Dad would follow up with, "Do you hear what I am saying?" Dad didn’t want to know if our ears were working. He wanted to know that we were going to obey and do what he said. That idea is at the heart of what God is presenting to Israel: "Listen to me with an obedient heart."

We listen to God because he is "one." He is unique, all-powerful and creative. There is no god like our God. He deserves our attention and worship. He deserves for us to hear him.

What was Israel to hear? What was she to obey? Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. We love God with all of our being, with everything we have to give.

The heart refers to our mind. To love God with our minds means we devote intellectual energy to understanding who God is. The soul refers to our inner person, or will. The soul is the essence of who we are. It is the home of our desires, plans and aspirations. Strength refers to our physical being. Even our bodies are called into lay when we love God. Loving God with our bodies means we conduct our bodies in purity and holiness. We abstain from sensual pleasure and abuse; we treat our bodies with honor and dignity. "To obey is to love God with every aspect and element of one’s being."4

How would God have us live? Notice that the Shema and the command to love God with everything we have comes right after the giving of the Ten Commandments. Six of the ten commandments have to do with how we relate to each other: honoring our parents; honoring human life by not killing people; being sexually pure; not stealing or lying; and not lusting or coveting another man’s wife or possessions. Four of the Ten Commandments are about our relationship with God: not honoring any other god but the one God of heaven; not making idols; not misusing the name of God; and setting aside a day for rest and to contemplate God. Forty percent of the commandments are about our worship and adoration of God.

Following the Shema are a number of admonitions for Israel to practice in respect to God: not forgetting God (6:12); fearing and serving only God (6:13-15) and keeping the commands of God (6:17). Also, when Israel takes the land God is giving her, she is to destroy all of the idols and pagan worship centers in the land (7:5-6). God will not accept any competition in our worship and adoration of him!

That was true in the Old Testament times, and it is true today as well. The command to love God with all of our being is quoted three times in Matthew, Mark and Luke. In two instances Jesus is asked what the most important commandment of the Old Testament is. He quotes this verse from Deuteronomy 6:5. In the third instance, in Luke 10, an expert in the law asked Jesus, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus challenges the man to answer that question from the Bible: "What is written in the law?" The man answers, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind." Salvation is found in our heart-felt response of love to God.

Different circles in the church today emphasize different aspects of the source of our salvation. Some say "preach Jesus." Some emphasize the Holy Spirit. Jesus says, "Love God."5

Whatever we adore is what we give our attention and energy to. My grandfather tried to teach a cousin of his about Christ. His cousin was extremely successful in business. He was very wealthy. "You seem to have everything," Grandpa said. "But you need God." "I need God?" His cousin spoke with a condescending and mocking tone. "What do I need God for? Everything I have I got on my own." This man loved his success. He gave everything for it - his time, his wife, his kids. He gave them all for his success ... he lost them all. But he had his business success. He loved his money, he adored his position, he was devoted to himself. All that love and energy is what God demands for himself. That is kind of love is one of the key ingredients of worshiping God with a proper attitude.


Worship as Allegiance

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
I remember saying the Pledge of Allegiance as far back as first grade. Every morning we would begin our school day by reciting this oath of allegiance to our country. We had a couple of older teachers in the four-room school house I attended who actually had us sing some of America’s patriotic songs as well. We’d sing the Battle Hymn of the Republic and America the Beautiful. I don’t know if the full significance of these songs touched me at the time, but as I grew older I think they did.

What our teachers tried to instill in us was a sense of loyalty and devotion to our country. With our right hands over our hearts we would offer through song or recitation the solemn promise of loyalty and devotion. Every day. This devotion was punctuated with an elaborate ceremony every year of walking to the local graveyard and placing little American flags on the grave sites of fallen soldiers. Allegiance.

Have you ever thought that what we do every Sunday in the singing of our songs and other acts of worship is a pledge of loyalty to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? We don’t have "a" pledge of allegiance. The entire experience of our worship functions as the pledge. We sing of God’s majesty and greatness; we recall the sacrifice of the Son for our redemption; we offer up a token of a responsive sacrifice with a financial offering; we offer a public proclamation of the Christ as the object of our devotion and we bow our heads in humble prayer, acknowledging our lowly state before the throne of the King. In all of this we remind ourselves that without God’s love for us, without Christ’s sacrifice for us and without the Holy Spirit’s continuing work of transformation among us, we would still be "foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures ... (living in) malice and envy, being hated and hating one another" (Titus 3:3). In worship we extol the "kindness and love of God our savior" which has appeared, saving us "because of his mercy" (Titus 3:4-5). Worship is a pledge of allegiance.

Everyday we face the daunting challenge of maintaining loyalty and devotion to our Savior. Numerous lesser gods vie for our attention and love. How many of us want to compare the time we spend in Bible reading to learn more about our savior with time we spend in front of the television? Take a quick look at your checkbook and compare how the money allocated for spiritual activities compares with money spent on personal pursuits or pleasures. Are we more proficient with knowledge of sports scores and statistics than we are with the number of missionaries we have serving in Africa and Asia? What songs roll from our lips when we are driving down the road - the current popular tunes, or songs of Zion? We must be careful lest we change our status as sons of the King of the Universe to become children of a lesser God.

That is why we need worship. Worship reminds us that there is one God. We sing to that God. We pray to that God. We proclaim the word of that God. We remind ourselves, "There is no one else. There is no authority above God’s authority. There is no power above his power. There is no savior but the one who came from the Father."

So we pledge allegiance. To God "we ascribe ultimate authority over our lives."6 Our worship is a declaration to the world, a pledge of allegiance to God, and a reminder to ourselves that there is no one higher, there is nothing grander, than the God we pay homage to in worship. God is our "all in all" (1 Cor. 15:28). Worship reminds us that God is our power for today.

Worship as Awe (Wonder)

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. Psalm 148:1-5

I think a lot about worship. How should worship be conducted? Every group has biblical teaching they have identified as incredibly important to who and what they are as God’s people. These passages influence what we do in worship. Some churches put more emphasis on singing, some on personal testimonials, some on the Lord’s Supper, some on preaching and even some on giving money.

Every group has traditions that build up over time. Not only do we like singing, but there are certain songs that become more dear to us than others. We like preaching, but some verses or some stories of the Bible proclaim more the heart of what we believe and how we perceive ourselves. We the Lord’s Supper, but certain ways of observing it speak more to our hearts than others. Every aspect of the actual worship service has some biblical teaching and some tradition that secures that observance in our hearts as real, biblical, meaningful and right.

That is good. When we worship we need some sense of, "God is pleased with what I am doing. My singing, my observance of communion and my attention to the sermon are all in some way feeding my spirit the way the Lord would want it to." That is important. But something else is important, too.

Have you ever been so far out in nature that you could see any cars, any houses, and roads, any power lines? That is an incredible experience. I’ve had that experience numerous times.

I remember one time being atop Pat O’Hara mountain outside of Cody, Wyoming. The snow was deep - I was sinking in the snow the full length of my legs and still not touching the ground. I slowly made my way to the top of a ridge. From this spot I could look out and see the most incredible display of untouched, uncontaminated nature that you can imagine. All around me mountain peaks poked holes in the sky. The valleys were deep, snaking their way through the mountains. I was hunting elk, but at that moment I quit hunting elk. I almost felt like the hunted, alone and exposed on top of that snowy ridge.

Emotions overwhelmed me. I couldn’t escape the majesty of this creation. The breathtaking view, the cold air in my lungs, the deep snow, the exposed rock ridges, the trees bent under the weight of snow. And the loneliness. I could scream and no one would hear me. If I hurt myself, no one was coming to my rescue. No one would know. I was alone. But it wasn’t a panicky type of aloneness. I didn’t feel fear as much as I felt reduced, reduced to someone pretty small in the grand scheme of things, nature, time, life.

But up there on that ridge I also had a sense of Wonder. Wonder at the grandeur of this natural masterpiece I was looking at. Wonder at the power of God to be able to create something this captivating of my attention and overwhelming to my senses. Wonder at the power of this natural environment I was in. Those mountains stood in proud defiance of our bulldozers and suburban sprawl. They were standing just as God created them, thousands and thousands of years ago. I wondered at the majesty, power, genius and eternity of the God who made all this. I didn’t sing, pray, preach or do any of those things we do in a worship service. But there is still a very real sense in which I worshiped that morning atop Pat O’Hara Mountain. Wonder.

The cold air dried my eyes. They teared up and I wiped them away, turned, and walked down the trail, trying to step into the holes in the snow I made on the way up. I was tired when I got back to the truck. But I was refreshed in a way, too. Wonder does that, whether it is on top of a mountain or in a church building singing along with 100 other people.

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts ... Psalm 95:1-8a.

We have to be true to the Bible verses and tradition that has shaped us. But may we never lose the sense of Wonder at the God who made us, calls us, and blesses us with his presence in our lives. And may our worship in song and scripture, in prayer and giving, and in the Lord’s Supper, ring out with our adoration, our awe, and our allegiance to the God of heaven.

Warren Baldwin July 2006

Notes:
3.Eugene H. Merrill, "Deuteronomy" in The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1994), p.162.

4.Merrill, p.163.

5.Lamar Williamson, Jr., "Mark" in Interpretation (Knoxville: John Knox Press, 1983) p.226.

6.Lee Camp, Mere Discipleship, (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2003), p.120. I owe Lee for the idea of worship being allegiance.

Sorrow-Acre

SORROW-ACRE

In Denmark a boy named Goske was accused of burning down the barn of the lord of the estate. No one saw him commit the arson but witnesses saw him in the area. The boy’s mother, a peasant widow, offered up desperate pleas for Goske, her only son, but the boy was arrested. Whether innocent or guilty, Goske would be made an example to the other peasants.

It is a heavy responsibility to preside over a large estate. There is the upkeep of the mansion and outbuildings, farming operations, financial accounting, care of the peasants who live on and work the land, and civil engagements with those of equal social standing. One of the old man’s many responsibilities was to decide what to do with a youth arson.

The boy could be sent to prison, forced into the military, or even be let off if the landowner so decreed. This situation may have been occupying the lord’s mind as he was riding among his rye fields when a peasant woman begged his attention. It was the widow Anne-Marie, the mother of Goske, the accused arsonist. "Please help my son, my only son" she cried!

"Here is what I can do for you," the rich man said. This field of rye takes three men one day to cut it. If you can, by yourself, harvest this field, I shall release your son back to you. If you fail, you will never see him again." So moved was she by the lord’s offer she kissed his riding boot.

Sunrise saw Anne-Marie swinging the scythe against the stalks of rye. Onward she moved, never stopping, never pausing, through the morning hours, the early afternoon hours, and into the evening. Exhaustion to set in. She stumbled. Someone offered her water. In sympathy someone cut a stalk of rye. "No! No one may help her! She must cut the rye herself!" bellowed the lord of the estate.

Through it all the landowner watched. "Let her have her son back," his nephew implored. "Hasn’t she done enough?" "No," said the rich man. "The role of gods is not to interfere with the tragedies of man. As owners of this estate we play the role of gods in the lives of our servants. We will watch, but we will not interfere. She knows the arrangement. If she cuts the field, her son is returned. If she fails, she will never see him again."

So Anne-Marie pressed on. Townspeople came to watch. The lord ordered her son released from prison so he could observe his mother’s work. He followed behind her, stricken with guilt at the slavery imposed upon his mother for his sake, yet powerless to help her.

Finally, the last stalk of rye was struck. Anne-Marie sunk to her knees. Her arms dropped. Women bystanders cried. Her son knelt beside her. The lord stepped forward. "Your son is free, Anne-Marie. You have done a good day’s work," he said.

Anne-Marie collapsed into the arms of Goske. She breathed her last in the embrace of the son she died to save. The lord commemorated her sacrifice by placing a stone in the field which the peasants named, "Sorrow-Acre." (Isak Dinesen, Winter’s Tales).

At another time and in another place yet another plot of ground was named to symbolize the deaths that occurred there. It was called Golgotha or, The Place of the Skull (Matt. 27:33; Luke 23:33). Here there was no pompous lord standing aloof, unmoved by the suffering of his servants. No, in this field the Lord interfered with the tragedy of the peasants by sending his own son to die for their desperate plight. "For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

Warren Baldwin

Holy Spirit Empowers Us

THE SPIRIT WHO EMPOWERS US

When I was six years old I missed a throw from my dad and the baseball hit me in the solar plexus. I passed out and woke up in the front seat of the pick up with my dad leaning over me. My head was swirling and my chest ached. That was my first experience with having the wind knocked out of me and my first awareness of how desperately I needed oxygen!

Even though I was not aware of the need for oxygen it was there for me. God did not withhold it until I was aware of what it was and what it could do for me. God in his mercy gave me oxygen even before that day I had the wind knocked out of me and learned how essential it was to my survival.

This has also been my experience with the Holy Spirit. I had studied the Holy Spirit with a view to what the Spirit does not do. I had disagreements with people over the work, nature and value of the Holy Spirit. Even now I’m not sure I can do justice in explaining just how valuable or crucial the Holy Spirit is to our lives. But I’ve had the "spiritual wind" knocked out of me a few times, and I’ve come to realize that a spiritual life without the Holy Spirit is about as fruitful and pleasant as a physical life without oxygen.

What is the Holy Spirit doing today?

What is the Holy Spirit doing in our lives right now? I will suggest four things the Holy Spirit is wanting to do in your life. More could be said, but prayerfully this is a start that God will bless.

Enlightening

One, the Holy Spirit is at work Enlightening the hearts and minds of people. In Ephesians the apostle Paul offers a prayer that reveals the Holy Spirit opening the eyes of our hearts. "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called call ..." (Eph. 1:17,18).

Paul is writing to Christians. He is concerned that even though they are Christians who may regularly pray, worship, fellowship and do good works, they are satisfied with their spiritual lives. They are not growing closer to God and they do not understand the hope they have in Jesus. Instead of a vibrant spiritual life they are stagnated. Paul challenges that with his prayer. He prays that the Holy Spirit will enlighten them to the depth of spiritual blessings God has for them.

Christians are not the only ones who are the recipients of the Spirit’s enlightening work. Jesus said the wind (or Spirit) blows wherever it pleases (John 3:8), and it pleases the Spirit to work on Christians and even on those who are not. Consider the story in Acts 16:13-15. Paul and his companions are in Philippi. On the Sabbath he searched for a place to pray. He found a place but it was being used by some women, one of them named Lydia. Paul invited himself to join the group and began teaching them. Verse fourteen says that "The Lord opened her (Lydia’s) heart to respond to Paul’s message."

This is a bit threatening if we are prone to limit the Holy Spirit. The story challenges notions about who the Holy Spirit will work upon and how he will do it. Lydia, a woman not yet a Christian, has become the target of God’s work through the Spirit.

The word for open is διανοίγω. It is used for opening things physically, such as ears. Jesus commanded the ears of a deaf man to "be opened" (Mark 7:34) so he could hear. This word can also be used figuratively. Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened (Gen. 3:5,7), not in the sense that they had been literally closed, but in the sense that they could understand things now that they didn’t before. Also, the eyes of the disciples in Luke 24:31 were opened so they could understand that the "stranger" they had been visiting and eating with was Jesus. Jesus also opened the minds of his disciples so they could understand the scriptures (V.45).

The idea of God or the Spirit opening our eyes, hearts or minds means that God makes it possible for people to better understand the meaning of his word and better grasp the richness of the blessings he has for us. For Lydia, that meant that she would be able to grasp the meaning of Paul’s teaching and have the opportunity to accept that message and respond to it. The Lord opening her mind did not mean that Lydia was without responsibility to that message: she still had to respond to it. She did, and verse fifteen says she was baptized.

Saving

There is a second work the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives, and that is saving us. Part of the enlightening work of the Holy Spirit is to make us realize our need for God to do his work in us. People can become blind to their circumstances. Many people in poor health refuse proper treatment because they don’t want to face the seriousness of their disease.
Are we much different spiritually? How many people would know that lying, adultery, gossip, envy, greed and arguing are wrong if it wasn’t for the prompting of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit of God creates a sense of discontent within us and a longing for something better. Titus 3:3 describes life without the Holy Spirit: "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another."

What a horrible existence. Being "enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures" means we live by our gut instincts, by our animal drives and cravings. A man or woman who lives by their passions doesn’t practice loyalty to their spouses but seeks pleasure elsewhere. A disobedient person lives in malice, hating others and being hated by them. His life is consumed by unholy attitudes.

An old fashioned way of training coon dogs to hunt was to throw a pup into a 55-gallon drum. Inside that drum was racoon. As soon as the dog hit the bottom of the drum the fight was on. There was barking, growling, whining, biting, and clawing. Finally, the drum would grow silent except for the whining of the one animal still alive and now in pain. If the dog won, he’ll hate coons! Put him on the trail of a coon and he’ll track it down to kill it! If the coon won, well, go get another dog to drop in the barrel. There is always room for another fight.

That is what life is like without the Holy Spirit. Without God’s presence the quality of human lives can deteriorate to that of a dog and a coon in the bottom of a barrel - we can fight, claw, scratch and bite with great vigor and excitement. Paul says we are full of hate. People who live this way devour and destroy each other by their constant biting (Galatians 5:15).

Then one day God descended into the barrel. "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior" (Titus 3:4-6).

"Washing" is likely a reference to baptism.1 At baptism we experience the washing of sin from our lives (Acts 22:16). But even more happens at our baptism: we experience renewal and rebirth. The layers of foolishness and disobedience that shrouded our existence before is peeled away. The hate and envy that penetrated our hearts is purged. We are renewed. We are new.

Because of the work of the Holy Spirit renewing and rebirthing us through baptism, we are no longer the clawing, fighting, hateful creatures thrown into a barrel to produce greater strife. Instead, we experience the reshaping and reframing of our inner lives to produce love, joy, peace, kindness and other wholesome, godly qualities (Gal. 5:19-20).

As renewed and reborn people we are now heirs of eternal life. We are no longer foolish, disobedient people who live without the Holy Spirit. God has saved us from that! The quality of our new lives reflect that change. In Titus 3:8 Paul says we are now "careful to devote (ourselves) to doing what is good."

God’s Spirit enlightens us and saves us from the miserable existence we are consigned to in this earthly existence and in the one to come for all those who do not know God as Father, Jesus as Savior, and the Holy Spirit as the empowerment of God.

Does our awareness of the Holy Spirit make any difference for our lives? We can frustrate the Spirit. But the Spirit wants to encourage us to know that God is working daily in our lives.

Sometimes we get hammered in the solar plexus. It takes our breath away. It may be finances, a fight with a child, a disappointment at church. Are we struggling with this all alone? We don’t have to. If we will humble ourselves to the Spirit’s work, God strengthens us and develops us to handle anything that thrusts itself into our lives.

Transforming

A third great work the Holy Spirit is doing is transforming the lives of God’s people. The word in the Bible for "transform" is μεταμορφόω. Our English word metamorphosis comes from this term. We use this word to describe the dramatic change in a caterpillar when it goes from being a crawly thing to a beautiful butterfly.

There is no less of a dramatic change that takes place in human beings when they come under the powerful influence of the Holy Spirit. A bold statement about this is made in 2 Corinthians 3:18: "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

This statement from Paul looks back into the Old Testament where Moses went up onto the mountain to commune with God. When Moses would come down from the mountain his face would shine radiantly from having been in God’s presence. The people were afraid to draw near to Moses so he would put a veil over his face to dim the brilliance of God’s reflection (Exodus 34:29-35).

Today, through Christ and because of the Holy Spirit, we all have the privilege of looking upon God’s glory. "With unveiled faces (we) all reflect the Lord’s glory." Reflect can mean two things. One, it can mean that God’s radiance is seen in our faces or character. When we act like God, we reflect God’s character, much like a mirror reflects the sun. Second, this word can also mean to "look at."2 We can look at God’s glory and not be intimidated like the ancient Israelites were. The Holy Spirit gives us boldness in our access to God (2 Cor. 3:12).

Something happens in our lives and to our character as we gaze steadily upon God: "We are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory." The effect of continuous gazing upon God and approaching his greatness rubs off on us. We become more like the one we are concentrating upon.

This verse indicts me. Think of all the time in church we have spent studying, discussing and even arguing over lesser-issues. Think of all the church splits over opinions that are unimportant. How many brothers have parted ways because of a disagreement over how to evangelize, run a program, or which version to read? How many splits were really due to personality differences?

How these disputes must tear at the heart of God. If we were gazing upon God as Paul encourages us to, would we have the time or desire to dispute over some of these issues? If we are gazing upon God, we are becoming more like him. Two are things happening:
One, attention is off of ourselves. As we look at God in all of his eternal glory and splendor, his power and majesty, his love and wrath, how can we keep ourselves at the center? Our personal opinions and drives pale into insignificance before the majesty of God.
Two, attention is upon God, where it needs to be. We are gazing upon the Eternal One. His very nature demands our attention and concentration and we are drawn into his personality and nature.

At Wyoming Bible Camp in Lander, Wyoming a mountain in front of the camp known as "Candy Rock" beckons campers and staff to climb it. There are relatively easy routes up the mountain but there are challenging routes as well. There is one section of a path that you can not manage alone. When you are climbing down this section you can not see where to place your feet. You have to lie on your stomach, place your feet over the edge of the rock and slide down. Someone below you has to take your foot and place in on a ledge under the rock you are lying on.
The first time I was on this section I said, "No way I am doing that!" But everyone else in the group did, so I was not going to be the only chicken. It really works out quite smoothly if you listen to the leader of the group. He’ll stand below you and say, "Listen to me, do what I say, and you will make it." He is right.

I think that is what Paul is saying in 2 Cor. 3:18. "Listen to God. Pay attention to God. Gaze upon him. If you will, the Holy Spirit will work in your life. The Spirit may not change your situation, but he will transform you. You will become more like the one you are looking at."

God enlightens us by his Spirit, he works to save us by his Spirit, and once saved, he continues to work in us with his Spirit to transform us. We are no longer clawing animals in the bottom of a barrel. We are saved and are being transformed to be like the one who saved us. In the act of transformation, God is lifting us up to be more like him in character. Over time, we see our hateful inclinations change to loving ones, our selfish motives change to graciousness, our immoral drives change to purity and chastity, our argumentative spirit to one that is tolerant and compassionate.

As God changes us we become less individualistic, less self-centered, less anti-social. We become more group-oriented. We think of others more and we are developing the character and disposition to be able to live peaceably in community with them. When that happens, we are being prepared by God to be more than just the recipients of the blessings of the Holy Spirit ... we now work in and with the Holy Spirit to help dispense those blessings to others. This is the fourth thing the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives:

Gifting

The Holy Spirit is gifting us for life in the body. There is another passage in the Bible that compares life with and without the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:15-21 presents life apart from God’s enlightening, saving, transforming and gifting work. The opening verse of this section reads: "If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other" (V.15).

Paul is writing this to Christians! It is sad to think that brothers and sisters in Christ can forget that they wear the name of God, and that the blood flowing through their spiritual veins is the Spirit of Christ. Brothers and sisters can bite and devour each other, like the racoon and dog. Their fighting destroys the life that God breathed into them at their conversion.
If people live without the Spirit of God they are living by the flesh, v.16. Some versions say, "sinful nature." "Flesh" or "sinful nature" is: "...The supreme enemy in the warfare in the soul ... To live in the flesh is the precise opposite of being a Christian ... To live in the flesh is the exact opposite of to live in the Spirit ... to be in the flesh is to be under sin (Rom. 7:14). To be dominated by the flesh and to be the slave of sin are one and the same thing."3

Life in the Flesh

Those living in the flesh are living like children in the terrible twos. During the terrible twos the kids decide they are going to rule the house. They decide on their bedtime, when to get up, when to will eat, if they will use the potty and if they want to be nice. It is the job of mom and dad to override the two year olds and repel their take over or else chaos will reign in the home.

People who live by their sinful nature are still in the terrible twos. They still think they are running their little world. They give in to their gut instincts and live by their sensual desires. They can’t say "no" to anything, even if they want to. Sin has invaded their lives and has set off an intense internal conflict. Sin is destroying their lives and they are helpless to do anything about it. Paul says: "For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal. 5:17-21

The comparison of the terrible twos conveys some of the idea here, but it is rather weak when you consider that sin is utterly destroying a person’s life. Every one of these descriptions by Paul about the sinful nature is a destructive attribute. How can you live in peace with someone who is selfishly ambitious? Who throws fits of rage? Who is jealous? You can’t. They are disruptive of every relationship. There is no peace with a terrible two who is not controlled, whether he is two years old or forty-two years old.

Sadly, the people whose lives are controlled and destroyed by the sinful nature can’t do anything about it. Some may want out, but by their own power they can do nothing. They are helplessly trapped in this internal conflict, and they are losing. Their only hope is that the Spirit of God begins his re-creative work.

A person under the control of the sinful nature can hear the Gospel, be moved by the Spirit and respond to it. God knows that people coming into the church from the world have all of these internal rages and the external sharp edges. They are often immoral, have hatred in their heart, and are prone to arguing and fits of rage. They bring the turmoil in their hearts into the church.

A family simply can not live with this kind of sinful behavior, and the Father of the family knows that. What does he do? The same Spirit who enlightens us, saves us and transforms us continues to work in us. The Spirit applies sandpaper to us. The Spirit, over time, works on those rough edges, sanding them and smoothing them out. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other" (Gal. 5:22-25).

We can live with this person at home, work or in church. This kind of personality does not just happen. It develops over time by the sanding of the Holy Spirit of our rough edges. It is even more than that. The Spirit doesn’t just work on our rough exterior: he penetrates to the inside and reworks our hearts.

When we live in the flesh we are at war. We are warriors for the evil one, at war with ourselves and everyone around us. Hatred, strife, fits of rage, arguing, factions, immorality, idolatry, witchcraft ... these are the terms of warfare for the evil one. All of these vices share a common trait: they are punctuated by selfishness. The sinful nature is "our attempt to think and live apart from God, thinking that what we have stems from ourselves alone ..."4 The fleshly person is incredibly selfish, thinking of only his own appetites and drives. He cares not how he destroys another’s life. The fleshly person robs those who try to live in peaceful community. They ruin their own families and the family of God.

Life in the Spirit

But the Holy Spirit creates another kind of person. On our own we can not defeat the evil one. We need God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit for that. When we obey Jesus and the Spirit enters our lives, we have the assurance of victory. Led by the Spirit, we find the strength to resist the unholy spirit of hate, envy, arguing, rage. We move toward the attitudes that foster peaceful community: love, joy peace, kindness and patience.

The Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to be redeemed people and to live in relationship with other redeemed people. On our own we can not function well in community. We remember too many past hurts and grievances. We harbor ill-will toward others. But the Spirit of God invades our hearts and convicts us of our own sin. He presents our selfishness to us in all of its ugly truth. He breaks our heart and moves us to continually repent. With this kind of Spirit, life in community becomes possible. You can forgive me and love me. I can forgive you and love you.

The Holy Spirit does not work in us against our will. We must make a conscious choice to "live by the Spirit," or "walk in the Spirit" (5:16). "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit" (5:25). So daily we pray, "Father, thank you for saving us from the destructive lifestyle of the flesh. Thank you for enlightening us, saving us, transforming us and gifting us for life in the community. Thank you for your church and allowing a sinful person like me to enter it. Keep me humble. Help me to forgive the rough edges of other people as they continue to forgive me. Thank you."

Warren Baldwin March 27, 2007

Notes:

1."Washing" could also be a metaphor for the cleansing provided by the Holy Spirit. See C. Michael Moss, "1,2 Timothy & Titus" in The College Press NIV Commentary (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1994), p.175-6.

2.William R. Baker, "2 Corinthians" in The College Press NIV Commentary (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1999), p.168.

3.William Barclay, Flesh and Spirit (Grand Rapids): Baker, 1962), p.19.

4.Richard N. Longnecker, "Galatians" in Word Biblcical Commentary (Nashville: Word, 1990), p.267.