Seeing the Limits of This-World Pursuits

(Continued from the last post)

“I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad.” (Psalm 119:96)

We’ve All Seen Limitations

“I have seen a limit to all perfection, . . .” The best things for which men seek all their lives, are at best still only fleeting and limited. They may pursue great wealth or knowledge or possessions. So some say, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But I add, they still die! Much money is spent in advertising products that makes us look better or younger, diet and exercise programs to help us live longer and feel better, clothing to improve our looks, or put us into the “in” crowd or perhaps fit in with the styles at work. We all know (certainly in America) how very important these external things are for the average person.

But there is a limit isn’t there? Money and knowledge do not guarantee happiness. The health and diet crazed cannot be assured beyond doubt that they will not suffer from devastating disease or keel over from a heart attack. It still can happen even though exercise is a profitable thing to do. Indeed, as Paul tells Timothy, “bodily exercise does profit a little, but godliness profits unto all things” (1 Timothy 4:8). There are limits that no man can know. But experience has taught us all that we cannot depend upon these things. “You’ve got to stop and smell the roses.” Truly. And many overlook this bit of wisdom in the endless pursuit of things or health? Have we seem the limit to all perfection?

Pursue True Contentment

Thomas Manton writes that even the best of attainments will be lacking for they cannot truly make us happy. In the midst of those things we are still empty. “Carnal affections must be mortified [put to death] before they can be satisfied. Grace must do that for you; it is godliness that brings contentment to the heart of man” (1 Tim. 6:6). Contrary to popular belief “the way to contentment is not to increase our substance, but to limit our desires.”

Further, the pursuit of “perfection” cannot make us more acceptable to God. Isn’t this after all the rub? Is this not wherein the battle lies? We fight within ourselves over whom we will please. Truly it is said of the wicked, that “God is not in all his thoughts” (Ps. 10:4, KJV). Of how many Christians might this also be said at least to some degree? Do true believers see the limits of great pursuits? What bling does God desire of us? “The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit is in the sight of God of great price” (1 Peter 3:4). Remember, says Manton, “God loves his people for the grace he puts into them, not for the outward gifts he bestows upon them.” It is grace that makes us acceptable and beautiful to God, HIS grace.

I’ll stop here. More to come on this subject . . . 

God's Word Never Outdated; It's Boundless

"I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad" (Psalm 119:96).

This is a meditation, a series of thoughts that germinated in my mind some years ago, but about which I cannot hope to comprehend. So, why bother? Well, when we consider God in any fashion we can never hope to have a full understanding of him. Still, to meditate on this very Subject is the essence of knowing God. So, it IS worth it. 

Let me put a word before you. Plenitude. Simply put, it refers to the condition of being full or complete. In reference to God, it refers to one of his attributes, viz., his fullness, his total completeness, or his inability (if you will) to ever be lacking in any fashion. The above verse caught my attention some years ago, and it seems time to write something about it. 

Perfection Is Limited
"I have seen a limit to all perfection, . . ." The Hebrew for this word (tiklah) can mean "finished, completed, accomplished, or fulfilled." We praise those of whom we can say they are "accomplished at something." Absalom, though the most handsome and charismatic in the land, had his great weaknesses. And though Solomon was the wisest of all time, even he fell dreadfully low due to his weaknesses. The best fade.

To do a good job, we describe with this saying: "You have to work hard at it." How many of us have heard or said, "Practice makes perfect?" It is an honorable thing to finish a job for sure. We admire men like Edison who labored fastidiously over the invention of the light bulb. He failed over a thousand times. But to him, those weren't failures. He said that they showed him a thousand ways it wouldn't work. Again, we admire his tenacity, his "sticktoittiveness." But at their very best, even the best things in life will all have a terminus.

Let me mention one more analogy. Think of a perfectionist. Know one? My Mom was that way. I have some tendencies that way. A job is never quite good enough for a perfectionist. They may have done a marvelous job, but they don't think so! Brahms threw music away, or didn't publish it if it didn't meet up to his high standards. The point? Even a perfectionist can only go so far. They will inevitably do marvelous work, far better than most, even to those in their own field who'd know the difference. Still, they are not happy. But they have to be finished some time. Even the best things in life will all have their terminus.

Enter Scripture.

God's Word Is Without Limits
The Psalmist continues, ". . . but your commandment is exceedingly broad." The NIV uses "boundless." What does that mean? Well, in stark contrast to perfection, it would mean that whereas the most glorious gifts have inherent flaws built within; the most fastidious labors may produce great results and still their best can only go so far. On the other hand, God's commandment (viz., his Word) is very broad, boundless. What strikes me about this comparison is that there are definitely limits to God's Word. I mean that there are only so many chapters and verses and words in the Bible. All of the words fit within a defined limit, that is between two pieces of leather. So, what amazes me is that even though there are a set number of pages, the reach of the Bible is limitless . . . boundless.

Now, what does this mean to us? Tune in tomorrow or Wednesday for how this applies to you and me.

Happy reading!

When Good News Becomes Bad News!

Even the important truth re: the conviction of sin can be overdone IF it forces the knowledge of God out. But what comes first? What do I mean? Well, I think John Newton explains it quite well in small paperback book entitled "A Pen Dipped in Love." He writes in a letter:

We commonly speak as if conviction of sin was the first work of God upon the soul that he is in mercy about to draw to himself. But I think this is inaccurate. Conviction is only a part, or rather an immediate effect of that first work; and there are many convictions which do not at all spring from it, and therefore are only occasional and temporary, though for a season they may be very sharp, and put a person upon doing many things. 

This insight is in itself enough to garner at least some respect for Newton's grasp of the work of God in salvation. But he goes further to make the larger point:

In order to a due conviction of sin, we must previously have some adequate conceptions of the God with whom we have to do.

J. C. Ryle also sees this issue:  "If you do not love Christ, let me plainly tell you what is the reason: You have no sense of debt to Him." For me to know that I have offended someone, it is evident that I must know that person. Newton goes on:

Sin may be feared as dangerous without this; but its nature and demerit can only be understood by being contrasted with the holiness, majesty, goodness, and truth, of the God against who it is committed. No outward means, no mercies, judgement, or ordinances can communicate such a discovery of God, or produce such a conviction of sin, without the concurrence of this divine light and power to the soul.

What does this mean to the Gospel message? Everything. Men by nature have a natural disinclination toward God and especially Jesus Christ. But he is exactly whom we must preach. It seems that these days, we are finding a tendency arising that wants to skirt the person of Jesus Christ in deference for his gifts. But who can want the gift he offers unless he sees his own need? And how will one see his own need until he sees how far short he comes from the absolute and majestic holiness of him whom Paul describes as a God, “who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:16) To the Jews who had a great knowledge of Scripture, Jesus responded, but "you will not come to me that you might have life." Do you not see it? The knowledge of the person of Jesus is at the heart of salvation, both in its proclamation and its experience. 

Ask not, "How will people receive this?" That is not our problem. That belongs rightly to the work of the Holy Spirit who does his job perfectly. Just like Job, men who truly come into contact with God will say, "I thought I knew you, but now I see you and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5-6).

Maybe We Really Don't Want to Overcome Our Lusts!

Thomas à Kempis tells the truth but strikes a real nerve when he writes:

"We are too occupied with our own whims and fancies, too taken up with passing things. Rarely do we completely conquer even one vice, and we are not inflamed with the desire to improve ourselves day by day; hence, we remain cold and indifferent. If we mortified our bodies perfectly and allowed no distractions to enter our minds, we could appreciate divine things and experience something of heavenly contemplation.

The greatest obstacle, indeed, the only obstacle, is that we are not free from passions and lusts, that we do not try to follow the perfect way of the saints. Thus when we encounter some slight difficulty, we are too easily dejected and turn to human consolations. If we tried, however, to stand as brave men in battle, the help of the Lord from heaven would surely sustain us. For He Who gives us the opportunity of fighting for victory, is ready to help those who carry on and trust in His grace. 

If we let our progress in religious life depend on the observance of its externals alone, our devotion will quickly come to an end. Let us, then, lay the ax to the root that we may be freed from our passions and thus have peace of mind.

If we were to uproot only one vice each year, we should soon become perfect. The contrary, however, is often the case—we feel that we were better and purer in the first fervor of our conversion than we are after many years in the practice of our faith. Our fervor and progress ought to increase day by day; yet it is now considered noteworthy if a man can retain even a part of his first fervor.

If we did a little violence to ourselves at the start, we should afterwards be able to do all things with ease and joy. It is hard to break old habits, but harder still to go against our will.

If you do not overcome small, trifling things, how will you overcome the more difficult? Resist temptations in the beginning, and unlearn the evil habit lest perhaps, little by little, it lead to a more evil one.

If you but consider what peace a good life will bring to yourself and what joy it will give to others, I think you will be more concerned about your spiritual progress."

Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1996), 17-18.

 

 

Why Resolve NOW?

I wonder what would happen to many who make New Year's Resolutions if such were not allowed? I don't mean anything political or something like that. I am posing the question for the sake of determining why it is we make them at all, and why we make them on the last day of the year? A couple of brief thoughts:

Failed Resolutions Can Prevent Future Commitment?

First, it would seem that the humor so often associated with our proverbial failure to keep our NYRs might actually work against our making any at all. You know what I mean don't you? How often have we heard it said (or said it ourselves), "Well, if I make a resolution, I know I'll just break it, so why bother?" Perhaps, we should recognize that, humor aside, resolutions are not so bad to make per se. It was Socrates who first said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." I think he was partially right. Mankind by nature is cognitive, and therefore must exercise some judgment in their choices. It will happen. He is partially wrong (if I rightly understand him), in that one may live a very organized and thoroughly self-examined existence and still live outside of God. I would suggest many do. In such cases, then, we might add, "the examined life does not necessarily result in a worthy life, unless it yields to truth as it is revealed in Jesus Christ." So, let us make resolutions, but be careful that they conform to the dictates of Scripture. Remember, it was Jesus who asked most poignantly, "What shall it profit a man if he were to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26). Examine your life. Yes. Make resolutions? Yes, if they meet the Jesus criteria.

Why Resolve Now?

Second, why make resolutions only at year's end? This admittedly is less serious than the first concern. But I was thinking . . . maybe this fits into that class of things that make you scratch your head and go "hm-m-m." I mean consider, if something were truly worthy of our making a resolution, then why would we wait until New Year's Day in order to commit to it? Just a thought. That's all. If something is worth doing, isn't it worth doing now?

Now, what will you do? 

I'm resolving to get this posted before year's end! Whew, I think I'll make it. 

"Cookie-Cutter" Christianity

In Mushrooms on the Moor, Frank Boreham (1871-1959) of Kent, England and best known in New Zealand, writes of Henry Drummond's disdain for "ready made clothes." This may seem anachronistic to those of us who know rarely anything else these days! Now, many of us have heard of Drummond as an evangelist during the days of Dwight Moody. But his predilection toward well-fitted clothing is just one other aspect of this man of God. Boreham, in his manner, utilizes this very real issue in Drummond's life as an appropriate allegory for the way in which we Christians proclaim or live out the Gospel. In our day, one way to describe this tendency would be with the term "pigeon-holing," or "forcing one into a box," or "cookie-cutter Christians." No two born-again believers will be just alike in the manner in which they absorb or display the truth of the Gospel. Assuredly, the Gospel itself is not, as they say, "up for grabs." Oh, no. Truth remains unchanging. However, there are as many ways in which we may "grow up into Christ in all things" as there are believers. At least that is how I take Boreham's thesis.

What is the point? The "ready-made" mentality affects us in various ways. For example, it prevents mission agencies from falling prey to the tendency of colonialization, the practice of forcing upon a native population the moors of the sending country. As Drummond would aver, no two men are built the same, thus neither should their clothing be the same. Tailors must have loved this man! But another more common example of this problem is found in the philosophy called legalism. We may not perceive it a philosophy, but it certainly projects itself in such a manner. Legalistic people in legalistic churches often hold to good doctrine, but they lead the way in the selling of "ready made clothes." They expect everyone to sort of look the same, and talk and act the same. One's orthodoxy is judged by the individual's adherence to a commonly held set of standards, standards mind you that are not delineated in Scripture. 

For the individual such a mind-set is important too. It is not necessarily that they will set out to be different, per se. To pursue such may tend toward "ready-made" rebellion, a sort of "gang" mentality. There is a certain freedom in Christ that allows each to seek his own knowledge of God. No one can do that for me. In helping others find peace with Christ, or power through the Holy Spirit, it is most certainly the case that it cannot be sold in a can. The hart yearns for the water brook (Ps. 42), but each hart must drink for itself. When my daughter and her husband sat with me through premarital counseling, I felt compelled to help Rachel seek out her own faith. It's not that she tended to be a blind follower. Of course, I don't mean seek out a separate OBJECT of faith. No, that's Jesus Christ. But to seek it on her own and not because her Dad was a Pastor. During the week before our discussion, a term came to me. I don't know that it's been used before but I called what she needed, "original grace." Original grace simply put is God's reaching out to (in this case) Rachel in way separate from myself or my wife or her fiance. Granted, we are not alone in this world, nor unaffected by those with whom we consort all of our lives. We very much affect others. At some point, however, each must be convinced in his own right of the verities of Scripture. We as parents should so raise our children that that is their heritage. We, as Pastors, need to do as much for the people in our flock. No two are alike. Treat each as he deserves. Some are saved very young, and others out of a grossly sinful lifestyle. Only God really knows why it occurs this way. To each we proclaim, "Seek the Lord while He may be found."

That's enough for now. You get the point. God bless you richly throughout the days ahead!

Putting Weight Behind Waiting

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” (Isaiah 30:18)

The setting is Israel turning to Egypt for help against her enemies. God is rebuking them for not seeking Him. This has been their pattern; it is the pattern of all of us when we faithlessly turn elsewhere for help.

Verse 18 is loaded. "The LORD waits to be gracious to you." Endemic to God is his desire to reveal his grace. God wants to manifest it. But isn't it the very nature of grace to do this? Isn't grace by definition God showing love and care and kindness toward the rebellious,  the recalcitrant? God gives when we do not deserve his gifts. That's grace. Of course, the pinnacle of God's rich grace is the cross. But he shows it in innumerable ways for all of us and always. As Paul puts it so well, "The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It [viz., the same grace] teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age" (Titus 2:11-12 NIV). In other words, the same exalted grace that provided the amazing atonement for mankind continues affecting change in the believer, causing him to achieve Spirit-filled fruits, "self-control, uprightness," etc. Indeed, Jehovah waits to be gracious.

Thus, Jehovah "exalts himself to show mercy." God, by all rights, should let the ax fall on all of mankind who have turned radically against him. Israel should not become the whipping boy of sin. We all fit the same pattern. Point? When by all rights God should bring down justice on our pate, and he refuses to do so, then that magnifies his grace, and his mercy. He cannot but be just. Such is God's very nature. So, for the everlasting Judge of all the earth to stay our execution is one thing. Marvelous indeed! But to go well beyond that and effect such a genetic change in us rebels that we then exhibit the DNA of God . . . well, . . . that is a mercy beyond the pale of human expression. 

Upon whom does such grace and mercy land? The answer is found in the bookend statements in this verse. "Jehovah WAITS to be gracious to you." That's the first. Then the second is, "blessed are all those who WAIT for him." Waiting is the key. It is wait of kindness and patience on God's end; it is a waiting of faith and dependence on ours. 

Let us learn to wait for God's grace and mercy and kindness and love. He delights to show it. He is exalted to offer it. We are thrice-blessed to receive it!