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Proverbs 3:5-6

 

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

6 In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

 

                I’ve recently been working through Tim Keller’s Reason for God, and I’ve been very much enjoying the process.  Early in the book, I found one of Keller’s thoughts fascinating, and I’ll try to reproduce it in my own way below.  As I do so, we will see how a person who leans on their own understanding (Prov 3:5) will find himself or herself missing truth.

 

The Faulty Understanding

 

                Many times I have heard someone argue that if God is totally good and totally powerful, evil cannot exist.  The philosopher will then conclude that, since evil does exist, God must either be not totally good, not totally powerful, or simply non-extant.

 

                ON the surface, such reasoning is compelling, especially to someone who is looking for a way not to have to deal with the God of the Bible.  Indeed, if the premise is true that a totally good God would not allow evil to exist, the argument might seem insurmountable.

 

A Philosophical Response

 

                The argument above is, however, quite flawed.  The flaw becomes evident in the use of the word “evil.”  At this point, I have never yet read any atheistic or secular philosopher who has successfully come up with a way to define evil once the concept of the existence of God has been eliminated from the discussion.  All moral relativists must eventually relinquish such a category as evil, for they ultimately lack a final authority to appeal to for a definition of what is good or evil.

 

                Put another way, we only know what is evil or not based on the simple fact that God, the ultimate Authority, has defined evil for us,.  We could not say that murder is wrong did we not have God create us with an implicit understanding that murder is wrong and reveal that truth to us.  We would not know that leaving one’s spouse for another is wrong were it not told us by God.  (In fact, many moral relativists would argue against the second standard vehemently, and some the first standard as well.)

 

                If we understand that evil cannot be defined without there being a moral standard which is violated, a moral standard which cannot exist without there being an ultimate authority to whom or to which to appeal, we begin to see the problem with the argument posed above.  Simply put, it requires God to define what is and what is not evil. 

 

                IF it requires God to define what is truly evil, the argument above is self-defeating.  To say that the existence of evil in our world disproves the existence of God is to ultimately disprove the key premise of the argument.  If God does not exist, then evil cannot exist.  If evil cannot exist without God, then the presence of evil cannot be used to attack the concept of the existence of God.  IN essence, the weapon that the philosopher attempts to wield against God disappears the moment he tries to use it, imploding on itself.

 

A Biblical Alternative

 

                Proverbs 3:5 tells us to trust in the Lord and not to lean on our own understanding.  The Bible defines God as ultimately holy, good, wise, powerful, knowing, etc.  The Bible also makes it plain that, in comparison to God, our own understanding of the universe and right and wrong is rather puny (see Job and God’s response to his questions as an example).  Is it not then more sensible to say that if an all-good and all-knowing God has allowed the existence of evil in our world, we can assume that God has a reason for allowing the existence of evil that is beyond the ability of our minds to understand from our earthly perspective?

 

                Christians, we need not shrink back in fear from a difficult-sounding argument.  Sometimes the answers will come easily.  Sometimes the answers will be difficult.  Perhaps a good secular philosopher might find holes in my reasoning above that render my arguments invalid in their present form.  However, the truth remains that God is the God of truth.  Jesus himself told us that he is the truth (John 14:6).  God is not shaken by the darts of secular thinkers.  On the contrary, the more they attack him, the more they prove his word to be true.  God is.  God is glorious.  God is our Creator, Master, and Lord.  We will either come to him as he has commanded, or we will be judged by him according to his standards.  No philosophical argument will ever exculpate a person from the fact that they are a sinner before a holy God in need of God’s grace for life.  Thankfully, God has offered his grace to all who will simply turn away from self-reliance, trust in him, and cry out for mercy in Christ Jesus.

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

 

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

Joshua 2:8-11

 

8 Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof 9 and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. 11 And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.

 

        In Numbers 13-14, Moses sent the 12 spies into the land to bring back a report of the lay of the land and of its produce.  When the men returned to the Israelite camp, they told the people that the inhabitants of the land were too big and tough for Israel to defeat.  The courage of the Israelites melted at this report, and the nation refused to follow God’s command to enter and take possession of the land.

 

        The lack of faith of the people of God was a great offense to their Lord.  God had led the people out of Egypt by his mighty hand.  God had parted the Red Sea and destroyed Pharaoh’s army by his power.  God had miraculously fed the people and given them water in the desert.  God had proved beyond any reasonable doubt that he could indeed take care of the people.  yet, the Israelites refused to follow God’s commands to take the land.  In response, God forced them to wander the desert for the next 40 years while the faithless generation died and a new generation could take the land.

 

        In Joshua 2:8-11, we learn something very interesting.  As the spies that Joshua sent into Jericho spoke with Rahab, she told them that the people of Jericho knew of the power of God.  They heard the stories of How God led Israel out of Egypt and how God helped Israel to defeat the pagan kings outside the land.  Rahab told the spies that all the hearts of the people were deathly afraid of the Israelites, because they knew that the Israelites served the true God over heaven and earth.

 

        What’s the point?  Though the Israelites did not know it, God had caused the courage of the Canaanites to melt away.  God had prepared the way for Israel to take the land.  Maybe the Canaanites were big and tough, but they were terrified.  Israel would be able to take the land.

 

        Sadly, Israel also would have been able to take the land forty years earlier.  God had already prepared the way.  The people of the land were already afraid of Israel.  They were already terrified.  God had already set up things so that his people would be able to do his will for his glory.  Unfortunately, the people did not trust God enough to know that God had everything worked out ahead of time.  Their faith failed, and they suffered defeat because they simply refused to believe God.

 

        Today, we serve the very same God as Joshua.  The God who put trembling into the hearts of the people of Jericho is our God.  That God prepared the way for his people to do his will.  Maybe the people could not see the provision of God from the east side of the Jordan River, but the provision had nonetheless been made.  All Israel had to do was obey, and they would see how God had worked out all the details.  In just the same way, all we must do is obey our Lord to see how he has already provided everything we need to accomplish his will for his glory.

Romans 13:14

 

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

 

            How good it would be for Christians to take Romans 13:14b as a command from God.  Of course we believe it is a command, you might think, but do we indeed?  Do we really look to our lives and not only strive against sin but actually make no provision for the flesh?  Think through what that might look like.  [I readily acknowledge that I’m skipping the command of 14a, and that 14a is a key to obeying 14b,but we’ll get there another time.]

 

            Many pastors I know have an unbending policy never to be in a room alone with a woman who is not wife of the pastor in question.  This policy might seem over-rigid to some, but has prevented many a scandal or at least a raised eyebrow.  However, many more pastors I know have no such policy.  Add to this the fact that many married, Christian men I know have never considered such a standard for their lives, and you find a group of believers who are not making “no provision for the flesh.”

 

            Nearly every man I have ever met will honestly declare that he has to battle against the sin of lust.  Jesus himself told us not to even look at a woman lustfully lest we be guilty of the sinful heart of adultery (Mat 5:27-30).  Yet, how many of these same men regularly watch television shows or movies that display the bodies of unrealistically fit women with unrealistic appetites for men?  How many of these men fill their eyes with images unfair to the average woman who cannot work out for 4 hours per day and whose lines were not scripted by licentious men, but then wonder why their wives are not just the same?  Indeed, these men are not making “no provision for the flesh.”

 

            How many Christians are fighting the battle against obesity (if they are fighting at all)_ and losing the battle a pound at a time?  How many Christians bemoan their bodies’ rapid decline in health and elevation in girth?  Yet, how many of the same Christians are regulars at all-you-can-eat buffets?  While there may be nothing wrong with eating at such an establishment, is it not true that most who go to such a place have to go back for a second or even third round to “get their money’s worth?”  When we eat like this, are we making “no provision for the flesh?”

 

            Christians, I do not want to call us to prudishness or legalism.  I do not want to see us lose sight of grace.  But can we not be honest enough to know that we have not done well in obeying the clear command of God not to make provision for the appetites of our flesh?  What tempts you?  What is a weakness for you?  Stand, square your shoulders, and fight it.  Battle against sin with everything you’ve got.  If that means you turn off the TV, turn away an unaccompanied visitor from your office, or turn down a dinner invitation, at least you will be turning your strength to the battle against the lusts of your flesh.  We are called by God to organize our lives so that our flesh simply cannot win, and that kind of ordering requires solid, violent action against what tempts us.  Indeed, let us obey, making no provision for the flesh, that we might live lives of joy in the glorification of our Lord and master who is worth far more than any simple pleasure that this life can boast.

Mark 11:1-6

 

1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’ ” 4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.

 

            On the Sunday prior to his resurrection, Jesus traveled from somewhere around Jericho to Jerusalem, a pretty difficult trek, uphill all the way.  As Jesus approached the Mount of Olives, a rise that slopes down into the Kidron Valley before the final ascent into Jerusalem’s east gate, he called for something special to be done.  Jesus sent two of his disciples on a little errand.

 

            Jesus sent two men to the next town to commandeer a donkey’s colt that had never been ridden.  Somehow, Jesus knows exactly where they will find this colt, exactly what the people who are keeping the colt will say to the disciples, and exactly what the disciples need to say to succeed in their mission.  Was this because Jesus is the omniscient God?  Was it because Jesus had worked out an agreement with the donkey’s owner in a previous visit?  Either Is possible. 

 

            When the disciples head off to the next town, they find things just as Jesus had told them.  There is the colt, tied up just as Jesus said.  The disciples start to untie it, and the folks sitting around there say, “Um, excuse me, that’s not your colt.  What do you think you’re doing?”  Can you just feel the disciples tense up and give each other one of those funny looks?  Have they just been punked?  I wonder which of the disciples ended up being the one to recite the line, “The Lord needs it.”  Under his breath, was he saying, “We’re about to get arrested”?  But, it all works out.  The folks say to the disciples, “OK then, just be sure to bring it back with a full tank.”

 

            Now, before we watch the celebration unfold, let’s make sure we don’t miss an important truth.  Jesus is in control.  Jesus sent his disciples off on a crazy-sounding mission.  He gave them crazy-sounding words to say.  And, you know what, Jesus took care of every crazy little detail in the process.  Jesus provided everything his disciples needed in order to accomplish the mission he sent them to accomplish.

 

            What was true of Jesus then is still true of Jesus now.  He still calls us to do things that the world around us thinks to be crazy.  He still tells us to go places and do things that just don’t make any sense to the lost.  He still calls us to take on challenges that we have no way to provide for or fulfill on our own.  And Jesus still provides everything we need.  Jesus will never call us to do something that he does not also provide for us the means of doing.  It might require faith and sacrifice on our part; but we can be sure that Jesus will always provide everything that we need to accomplish the ministry for his glory.

 

            Christians, this truth should give you joy and call you to action.  It is a call for joy, as we know that we are in the hands of our Lord who will supply all our needs as we serve him.  We need not hide from ministry.  We need not fear to serve him.  We can trust him and do his will.  We are called to action, because we can trust him and do his will.  Christians, rejoice that Jesus is in control.

Matthew 26:63-68

 

63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” 67 Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”

 

        Cue up in your mind that legendary scene from “A Few Good Men.”  You know the one. 

 

Kaffee: I want the truth!

   

Jessep: You can’t handle the truth!

 

        Does it seem strange to you that, at the point in the gospels where Jesus is the most open with the Jewish leaders about his identity, they lose their minds?  Is it strange that, the more the Son of God tells them the truth, the more they can’t handle the truth?

 

        The scene above is a powerful reminder of what man will do with God in his natural state.  As Jesus sits before the Jews who demand he tell them the truth, the court is infuriated by his silence.  Jesus, who knew his rights and knew he did not have to answer their questions, chose to give them the information that he knew that they would use to put him to death.  The strange thing is, the information that Jesus gives them is perhaps the clearest information that he ever gave them to demonstrate to this group of religious leaders who he really is, God in flesh, God’s own Son.

 

        Have you ever thought to yourself that you just wish God would be clearer with you or with a loved one about his identity?  Have you ever wished that God would reveal himself to people more clearly, and then people would believe in him?  The scene above shows you that God’s revealing himself to sinful humanity is not what will make sinful humanity worship God.  In fact, the very opposite is true.  The more a dead-hearted sinner sees of who God is, the more that sinner hates and rebels against God.  This is not any sort of indictment on the beauty and character of God.  On the contrary, God is wonderful, beautiful, holy, and glorious.  However, sinful man, in his natural state, desires to usurp God’s throne.  That was the sin in the garden when Eve ate the fruit because it would make her “like God” (Gen 3:5).  And that sin, the desire to be free from God’s standards and to rule the universe as we please is the sin that infects the heart of every person in the world today.  No, if God were to reveal himself to us as Jesus clearly spoke to the Jews, we would try to curse, spit upon, and slap him too if we were left by God in our natural, sinfully dead, state (Eph 2:1-3; Rom 3:9-17).

 

        What you need to pray, either for yourself or for your lost friends, is not that God simply show himself to them.  Rather, you should pray that God would make alive their sinfully dead hearts.  Pray that God would give them the ability to desire him.  Pray that God would draw them to himself (John 6:44), and that he would help them to see, not just who God is, but that loving and serving God is beautiful—more soul-satisfying than anything else in the universe.

 

        You might wonder how this impacts your evangelism?  There is only one way that I would let this impact my evangelism.  If we know that people need the power of God to draw them to God, we can be very honest with them about who God is.  We can be confident that God has the power to draw men and women to him, and that he can do so without our using sneaky tricks, silly gimmicks, or emotional ploys.  If God changes people’s hearts to help them to see him as glorious, we need not fear sharing the gospel with anyone, because God can change any heart, no matter how dead it appears to be.  The fact that God must do this heart work before a person will receive him should give us the confidence that we need to share the gospel openly, honestly, freely, boldly, prayerfully, regularly, and powerfully. 

 

        In general, people can’t handle the truth.  In general, people do not want to be faced with their God, because they have been living for themselves and rebelling against God all their lives.  But, God has the ability to break through those walls.  So, accept no excuses from people about wanting the truth.  They don’t.  At the same time, tell them the truth.  Maybe they can’t handle the truth, but, if you give them the truth, it might be that God will break through and change all that, saving their soul in the process.