Written 1,000 years before Jesus was born.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Hate Evil
“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil,” Proverbs 8:13. But I thought we were supposed to love everything, and rejoice always! And didn’t Jesus say, “Love your enemies, pray for them and bless them?” How can we be told to hate evil but love our enemies? How do we rejoice in that?
My pastor says we are to hate the sin but love the sinner. Unfortunately, what people often do is tolerate the sin and give the sinner a pass, thinking they are being compassionate and merciful.
Scripture says, God is always angry with sin, and hates evil. It says, “All men are sinners, therefore all men commit sin.” But then it says, “God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” Romans 5:8.
So He hates sin and the evil associated with it, but continues to love sinners. God’s hate is as strong as His love, but He has given man a way to escape the wrath of His hate, and it through Jesus Christ, who paid the penalty for our sin.
My pastor says we are to hate the sin but love the sinner. Unfortunately, what people often do is tolerate the sin and give the sinner a pass, thinking they are being compassionate and merciful.
Scripture says, God is always angry with sin, and hates evil. It says, “All men are sinners, therefore all men commit sin.” But then it says, “God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” Romans 5:8.
So He hates sin and the evil associated with it, but continues to love sinners. God’s hate is as strong as His love, but He has given man a way to escape the wrath of His hate, and it through Jesus Christ, who paid the penalty for our sin.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Conversion of the Passover
Jesus Christ was about to be killed on the Passover, just as the sacrificial lamb was killed on the first Passover in Egypt. On the night before He was arrested, He presented to the disciples the elements by which we are to remember Him. His body represents His teaching and His blood, the New Covenant, the Covenant of grace. On that night, the Passover was changed to the Lord's Supper.
Stop Giving
Imagine a pastor asking his congregation to support a particular godly project and the people responding so strongly in their giving that the pastor had to ask them to stop giving! Have you ever heard of a pastor doing that?
But this is exactly what happened in Exodus 35-36. Moses asked the people to give of their possessions for the making of the tabernacle and the clothes of the priests. He asked them to give willingly and from the heart. They were so stirred up with giving that Moses had to restrain them from giving, Exodus 36:6. Their giving was not out of conformity, fear, indoctrination or guilt. They did not give grudgingly or out of necessity. This is the essence of free will giving from the heart. It comes out of faith and love for God’s work.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 says, “Remember this: 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."
But this is exactly what happened in Exodus 35-36. Moses asked the people to give of their possessions for the making of the tabernacle and the clothes of the priests. He asked them to give willingly and from the heart. They were so stirred up with giving that Moses had to restrain them from giving, Exodus 36:6. Their giving was not out of conformity, fear, indoctrination or guilt. They did not give grudgingly or out of necessity. This is the essence of free will giving from the heart. It comes out of faith and love for God’s work.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 says, “Remember this: 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."
Monday, February 11, 2008
Playing the Harlot
God views the sin of idolatry in sexual terms. He treats His people as His bride and expects them to be faithful. When a wife or husband becomes unfaithful by turning to a partner outside the marriage, it is called adultery. When a nation becomes unfaithful to God, and turns to other nations and worships their gods, it is called “spiritual adultery;” and they are said to “play the harlot” with the gods of the other nations. God speaks in sexual terms because the intimacy in sexual relations in marriage is a picture of His love for His people. God loves Israel; God loves the Church. His love is of the highest order of intimacy.
Throughout the Scriptures, God is continually chastising His people for praying the harlot. They do this out of unbelief. Sometimes God’s chastisement reaches a degree of punishment, which has eternal consequences. Many in our country have played the harlot over and over, and the God of the Scriptures has been very patient with us.
The Veiled Face
The glory of God is revealed in the face of believers. After Moses had been with God for 40 days, his face shown with the glory of God. When he came down from the mountain, he covered his face before unbelieving Israel. He did not allow them to see the glory of God in his face.
Paul relates to the veiled face of Moses to explain the inadequacy of the Old Covenant to bring men to salvation and the blindness of the Jews of his day, 2 Corinthians 5:7-18. Even for today’s Jews, the veil remains on the face of Moses, whose laws they attempt to follow.
How can we relate to the veiled face? We received Christ, the Jewish Messiah, by faith, and His Holy Spirit has come to live within us. Our faces are always unveiled before Christ, and we shine with His glory. But to the unbelieving world, our faces are veiled. Scripture says, “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” And when people see your good works and give glory to God, they see God’s glory in your face. But if they choose not to glorify God, your face becomes veiled to them. The key to seeing the glory of God is believing in the true God.
Paul relates to the veiled face of Moses to explain the inadequacy of the Old Covenant to bring men to salvation and the blindness of the Jews of his day, 2 Corinthians 5:7-18. Even for today’s Jews, the veil remains on the face of Moses, whose laws they attempt to follow.
How can we relate to the veiled face? We received Christ, the Jewish Messiah, by faith, and His Holy Spirit has come to live within us. Our faces are always unveiled before Christ, and we shine with His glory. But to the unbelieving world, our faces are veiled. Scripture says, “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” And when people see your good works and give glory to God, they see God’s glory in your face. But if they choose not to glorify God, your face becomes veiled to them. The key to seeing the glory of God is believing in the true God.
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