Tag: Providence Reformed Church

The book of Nehemiah is well known among many Christians for the tale of Nehemiah leading the people of Judah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. We remember Nehemiah praying as he spoke to the king. We remember Nehemiah standing strong in the face of opposition. We remember Ezra and Nehemiah opening the word of God to call the people to repentance. But do we remember the Tekoites?

 

Chapter 3 of Nehemiah lists for us the names of the families and clans who built up sections of the walls of Jerusalem. Each group was responsible for working a section, and as they worked together, the walls came up. Every group has a positive thing said about them, except for one.

 

Nehemiah3:5 – And next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord.

 

The nobles of the Tekoites would not stoop to serve their Lord. How sad. How terrifying. Can you imagine if that was the only thing written about you and it was preserved in Scripture forever? This is a big deal, and we should learn from it.

 

God has always wanted his people to work together. That was true in Nehemiah’s day. It is true for the modern church. We are supposed to join together, to serve one another, to help each other out, and to all contribute to the task at hand. None of us is exempt from the call to serve. Whether rich or poor, young or old, male or female, educated formally or informally, you are supposed to jump in with the rest to get the job of the church done.

 

How might you be called to serve in the church? How might you be called to serve the mission of Christ? It could be evangelism and missions. It could be in helping the congregation to worship. It could be in giving. It could be in simple acts of service. It could be in counseling those in need. It could be in offering care and love for someone who is hurting. It could be in preaching or teaching. It could be in prayer and leading others to pray.

 

Here is the point: Do not be like the nobles of the Tekoites. Do not refuse to stoop to serve your Lord. Serve, even when there is no prize in it for you. Serve, even when it is hard. Serve, even when others do not see it. Serve, even when it is not clean or simple. Serve, even when it costs you free time. Let us be a people who serve the Lord and who honor him by serving the body of Christ, the local church, where god has placed us.

When I was younger, I remember people asking me if I had been saved. The funny thing is, I knew I had not. I also did not know what exactly needed to happen in order to be saved. People told me to believe in Jesus, which of course I did already. Then they talked about lots of other things that did not make sense to me at all: asking Jesus into your heart, accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, giving your life to Jesus, etc.

 

It was not until much later that I began to understand the biblical process that is present in one who repents and believes to salvation. And even a bit longer from that, I saw that process clearly depicted in one Bible story.

 

Luke 23:39-43 – 39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

 

If you remember, when Jesus was crucified, both criminals who were crucified next to him mocked him. But later in the day, we see the exchange above. In that exchange, we see a criminal saved by Jesus, believing in Jesus for life. And in that encounter, we can see four things that we all should do if we are saved.

 

First, the criminal understands that he is a guilty sinner. His words show that he knows that he is receiving a proper penalty for his crimes. All who are saved must recognize that we are sinners before the Lord and deserving of his judgment.

 

Second, the criminal turns from sin, he repents. How? The criminal started off mocking Jesus. But in the encounter above, the criminal defends Jesus and calls the other man to stop mocking Jesus. There is a turning away from sin and toward what is right. Now, the man does not earn his salvation by that turn. But, any person who is saved must be willing to turn toward following God rather than following our own sinful desires.

 

Third, the criminal believes. Jesus is dying on the center cross. Yet the criminal asks Jesus to remember him when Jesus comes into his kingdom. The criminal has faith that Jesus is the promised king from God. The criminal understands that Jesus is not meeting an end on the cross. The criminal also believes that Jesus is able to grant him entrance to the kingdom of God. All who are saved must believe in Jesus.

 

Finally, the criminal asks for grace. The criminal, in the phrase “remember me,”  is asking Jesus for mercy. He is asking Jesus to forgive him. All who are saved should ask God for the salvation that only comes by God’s grace through the vehicle of faith in Christ apart from any works of our own.

 

Does this help you to know what is required for salvation? Have you been saved? Have you believed you are guilty? Have you expressed a willingness to turn from sin and follow Christ? Have you believed in Jesus? Have you asked him for mercy and salvation?

There are some things in Scripture that are so obviously true that you wonder why they had to be written down. But then, as you examine your life or you see the life of another, you realize that not everybody does what God says should be simple to understand.

 

Proverbs 15:32

 

Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,

but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.

 

OK, that proverb is about as simple and straightforward as you can imagine. If you care about your wellbeing, you will listen to others when they give you instruction. When somebody warns you about a danger in your life, you will pay attention. But, the opposite is true. If you do not listen to the opinions of others, when you do not let others speak into your life, you put your life in a place of disadvantage. The Proverb says you actually hate yourself if you will not listen to others.

 

As I said, that is just about the definition of common sense. Yet, we know that not all people around us hear it. And, if the truth be known, not all of us are able to follow it either. We often fight against allowing others to speak into our lives. We often hold back from putting ourselves in a position to learn from others and grow toward greater maturity.

 

A little life experience on my part tells me that this is not always an across-the-board problem for us. What I mean is that I will often be open to reproof in some areas of life. I have some categories that I will openly confess my shortcomings to others and ask for counsel. But there are other areas, pride points, where I do not eagerly receive the advice or counsel of others. There are areas where I am just sure I have it all figured out, and in those areas, I am not open.

 

We need to be wiser than all that. We cannot be islands to ourselves. We need to be connected to others in the family of God. WE need to be open enough to let others see our true selves. We also need to be wise enough to let others speak into our lies, even into those places where we think we have it all together. The truth is, we are all sinful and frail enough that we need help in any category. No Christian is so strong that he or she cannot still grow.

 

Let me add in one more piece of wisdom from this Proverb. Keep in mind the principle: If you hate yourself, you will not receive counsel; but if you listen to reproof, you gain intelligence. This is simply not something that a Christian can do apart from genuine and intentional connection in the local church. Yes, you can talk with people over social media or even on the phone. Yes, you can keep up with people from miles away or listen to messages from conference speakers. But if you really want to see genuine growth in your life, you cannot remove yourself from connecting to the local church. You need to be open with those who are with you from week to week. You need to be honest and seek the counsel of elders. You need to listen to reproof, even when it comes from someone you think has it less together than you. Sometimes it is from the weaker brother or sister that you and I will find points of growth. No, we do not allow people to demand we change to fit their preferences all the time. But we do listen and learn. And one of the clearest places the Lord has given us to learn in this way is the local congregation.

 

Are you wise or foolish? Are you growing or self-despising? The answer to these questions boils down to the answer to whether you receive counsel from others or refuse to listen. Let us be wise and make this commonsense proverb even more common.

After Judah went captive to Babylon, God brought back the people to rebuild the city and restore the temple. Under the leadership of Zerubbabel around 538 B.C. to the times of Haggai and Zechariah around 520 B.C., the work on the city and temple went forward. But there were problems. Locals in the land who were not part of God’s people first tried to be included in the building process and then tried to discourage the people of God from building at all.

 

Ezra 4:1-3 – 1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ houses and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.” 3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”

 

In our modern world, it is sort of assumed that, if a person claims to be a part of the religion, we should accept them as part of the faith. The modern world sees all claims to Christianity as equally valid. But they are absolutely not.

 

Just as the people of Judah told the locals in the land that only the Judeans had the right to participate in the rebuilding of the temple, so biblical Christians should not be afraid to say to those who claim to worship God that only those who come to the Lord biblically, by grace through faith in Christ alone, are part of the family of God. Not all who claim to follow the Lord actually do. Not all who claim to worship the Lord actually do. Not all who claim that they know the Lord actually do.

 

This all should not be difficult to grasp. If two people make claims that are mutually exclusive, no way can they both be correct at the same time and in the same way. If one group says that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone while another group says that salvation is by grace through faith plus works, they cannot both be correct. If one group says that the Bible is the perfect, inerrant, infallible, inspired word of God while another says that the Bible is evolving and contains errors, they cannot both be correct. If one group says that no person is forgiven apart from the grace of Christ and another says that all religions eventually lead to God, they cannot both be correct.

 

We might wish to learn from the strong response of the Jews to the people in their land. The Jews understood that those in the land were not truly following God. They were not part of the people of God. And the Jews had no shame in telling the people of the land that they are not included in the work.

 

Similarly, let us be honest. Yes, please let us be loving and kind too. But may we never give the impression that the family of God includes anyone who rejects the person and work of Christ. Let us not pretend that someone can be forgiven in any way other than by God’s grace alone through personal faith alone in Christ alone. May we be real enough with others to tell them of their need to come to Christ to seek mercy. And may we not be ashamed to say to others, even others we love, that we are not all on the same team. 

What can God do with a nation if he wants? What can God do with a political ruler, even a flawed one, if he wants? What can God do to change the circumstances of his people if he wants? The answer is clear: anything he wants.

 

At the end of 2 Chronicles, after the people of Judah have gone captive to Babylon for their rebellion against the Lord, we get a little post script.

 

2 Chronicles 36:22-23 – 22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’ ”

 

So, around 606 B.C., God had allowed the first set of nobles from Judah to go captive to Babylon. In around 586, the city of Jerusalem was destroyed, the temple razed, and the rest of the nation carried off. It looked to all sensible people like the nation was at an end. Surely the Lord could not and would not do anything to rebuild a nation of such rebels.

 

But the Lord had promised that the nation would be captive for seven decades. After that time, the Lord would return his people to their land. But again, this looks purely impossible. No observer of that day, without exercising pure faith in the Lord, could have ever believed it would happen.

 

But, this passage tells us of a decree that went out around 538 B.C., just about s decades from the original captivity of nobles. It was sent out by a Persian king, because in the intervening time, the strongest empire in the world, the Babylonian Empire, was toppled by the Medo-Persian Empire. And the ruler of Persia, led by a God he did not even believe in, gave a directive to send captive Jews back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of God. In fact, the king even funded the building project.

 

Think this through as you consider the power of God over nations or over our lives. There is nothing the Lord cannot accomplish. He can set up a nation and he can bring one down. He can restore fortunes or he can overthrow rulers. The Lord’s plans are not helped or hindered by politicians. Instead, kings, presidents, and princes are tools in the hand of the Lord.

 

May we not think our hope comes from our nation. Nor may we think our nation could ever be strong enough to stand against the Lord. Our God will do his will for his glory. We are to bow to him as the Lord. Let us obey the Lord. Let us find our hope in his goodness and his sovereign power. Let us pray that he will lead our leaders to pass laws that honor the ways of the Lord. But may we never think even for a moment that the Lord needs such things for his will to be done. God is God, sovereign over all. He is Lord, and he is worthy of all praise.

In my reading through Luke 20, one passage leapt out at me with two fascinating thoughts from the Savior. One involves his view of Scripture. The other involves his explanation of God’s view of the living and the dead.

 

Luke 20:37-38 – 37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.”

 

In a conversation with the Sadducees, Jesus needed to correct their thinking. This group opposing Jesus did not believe that there would be any future resurrection from the dead. So, they tried to use the principle of levirate marriage to disprove the biblical expectation of genuine life through resurrection after death. In the verses above, Jesus deals easily with the argument and makes some important claims.

 

First, on the issue of the Scriptures, notice that Jesus cites the words of Moses as an authoritative text to refute the teaching of the Sadducees. Unlike modern theological liberals, the Lord Jesus displays that he believed that Moses was speaking unerringly about the Lord. If Jesus did not think so, there is no way that he could base an entire argument about the resurrection on a single word.

 

Theological liberals have, since the 19^th century, argued that the Bible is a good starting point for religion just as Jesus is the ultimate beginning of the faith, but they then go onto argue that the faith and revelation evolves. Liberals suggest that the Bible contains a husk of truth that we, evolved from the simplicity of the first century, build on to grow to a higher truth.

 

But look at how Jesus used Scripture. He did not leave any room for Moses to have misunderstood the words of God. Nor did Jesus leave any room for an evolved understanding. The Lord used a specific biblical passage, including grammar and verb tenses, to display absolute truth through Scriptural revelation. Jesus trusted that Moses spoke genuine truth that did not change over nearly a millennium-and-a-half. Jesus did not believe in or teach an evolving truth. And thus, we can say that the Lord Jesus is not on the side of the theological liberal.

 

If you do not believe that we must think about the way theological liberals handle Scripture, stop to consider the way that so many today twist and even flat reject biblical teaching on issues that are frowned upon socially in our day. Whether we are talking issues of marriage, gender roles, sexual ethics, homosexuality, or any other hot-button issue, the common practice among some who claim the faith is to say that Scripture’s teaching on those topics is outdated or irrelevant. The modern move is to assume that we have come to a place of truth that the biblical authors did not understand or simply got wrong. And this is exactly the opposite of the view of Jesus and his handling of Scripture. Jesus handled Scripture as perfect, inspired, and authoritative, and so must we. We must do so, even if that trust in and faithfulness to Scripture does not make us popular.

 

A second thought that grabbed my attention in the verses above has to do with the Lord and the dead. As Jesus pointed toward a future day when the dead would be raised, he reminded his listeners that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Then Jesus said, “for all live to him.” Stop and let this sink in. God does not see any person as dead. Those who have died, faithful or unfaithful, believer or nonbeliever, saved or judged, all are alive to God. They are not artifacts of the past. They are not pieces of history. Rather, they are still souls, aware and spiritually as real as you and I are in our bodies on this earth.

 

That would mean that Moses and Abraham are alive. These men of old who die millennia ago are in the presence of the Lord. they are not simply words on dusty pages of history. They are men awaiting their resurrection bodies while they are rewarded and comforted by God. Similarly, Goliath and Judas Iscariot are also living souls. They are suffering spiritual “death” in the fact that they are not in any form of paradise or heaven. Instead, they are suffering torment as enemies of the Lord who died under his judgment. They are now aware of the wrath of God for their rebellion against him and his perfection. But they are not gone. They await the day of judgment when their ultimate sentences will be carried out.

 

This principle, the fact that all are alive in the eyes of God, reminds me that eternity is a very big deal. Those who have gone before us are not gone forever. Those who have loved the Lord in the past are not simply footnotes in history books or entries on our family tree. Instead, they are living, comforted saints in the presence of God who are looking forward to a new life with resurrection bodies. Even those dear family members of ours who slip from our minds unless something stirs our memories are not gone from the eyes of God. He knows them. He sees their living souls, even if we forget that all humans everywhere are going to exist before the Lord forever.

 

I’m not sure if there is a clean way to tie those two thoughts together. They made sense in Jesus’ argument with the Sadducees. What I see is that Jesus fully trusted Scripture, and so should we. And Jesus saw us as beings who will live eternally, and so must we. These two truths dramatically impact our worldview.

In his book, Tactics, Greg Koukl talks about something he calls “the question.” This is a question that someone puts in front of you that, regardless of your answer, you will find your position hurt. The question is designed by an adversary to make you look foolish, closed-minded, harsh, or the like. It is often presented in a format where you can only answer in a couple of ways, without qualification, and those answers both make you look bad.

 

Interestingly, in Luke 20, we see that the religious leaders of Jesus’ day tried to ask him a form of “the question.” They tried to put him in a position where they could condemn him. The religious leaders demanded that Jesus tell them where his authority came from. If Jesus claimed his authority was directly from God the Father, they would have accused him of claiming too much. If he told them that he, as God the Son, had the authority in himself, they would have disregarded him. In no way were they really looking for his answer. They wanted to trap him.

 

Luke 20:1-8 – 1 One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up 2 and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” 3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, 4 was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?” 5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

 

How did Jesus’ respond to “the question?” He refused to respond . In Jesus’ wisdom, he posed a question back at the teachers that disarmed them. The Savior asked about the teaching and authority of John the Baptist. The teachers knew that any answer they offered would get them into trouble. And when they refused to answer Jesus, he simply responded in kind, refusing to answer the trick question they asked.

 

When you and I are in conversations with others, we will find ourselves sometimes in dangerous places. People will ask our views on emotionally-charged issues. There will be times that no answer we can give will sound loving or politically correct on the one hand and consistent with Scripture on the other. This is not because there is not a loving answer, but simply because a straight answer, without qualification, cannot explain to a skeptic the loving purposes of God.

 

We can learn from Jesus when we are pressed into a corner. Ask a question of your interlocutor. Make them respond in such a way that allows you to safely respond to their question. Put them in a position where they cannot trap you by backing you into an unfair corner.

 

Koukl suggests that we respond to “the question” like this:

 

“When someone asks for your personal views about a controversial issue, preface your remarks with a question that sets the stage—in your favor—for your response. Say, ‘You know, this is actually a very personal question you’re asking. I don’t mind answering, but before I do, I want to know if it’s safe to offer my views. So let me ask you a question: Do you consider yourself a tolerant person or an intolerant person on issues like this? Is it safe to give my opinion, or are you going to judge me for my point of view? Do you respect diverse points of view, or do you condemn others for convictions that differ from your own?’” (77-78).

 

This is very similar to what Jesus did. Jesus showed the religious leaders that they were not willing to be treated as they were trying to treat him. When they would not make a stand, he simply refused to answer their question. And if a person in conversation with you will not make it safe for you to answer a difficult question, if they will not give you the opportunity to explain fully your position, you do not have to answer them either.

Sometimes in real life, we cannot get everything right, no matter how hard we try. We want to do things perfectly, but, if we are honest, we will find that we sometimes just are not getting there. This, of course, is a problem for those of us who are deeply committed to doing things in a biblical way, submitting to Scripture from start to finish.

 

King Hezekiah ran into a conflict in 2 Chronicles 30 that I think shines some light on some things that I find myself experiencing from time to time. The king wanted to help the people of God to repent of sin and worship the Lord. The people had not participated in the Passover as biblically prescribed for a very long time. Hezekiah was trying to lead the nation to repentance. He had worked to restore the neglected temple and cleanse the nation to the best of his ability.

 

The problem was, when it came time for Passover, the people were not all ready. Not all the circumstances were perfect. The celebration could not happen in the way it was commanded, at least not perfectly.

 

What was Hezekiah to do? Was he to wait until next year to obey the command to have the Passover? Or was he to go ahead with the celebration, asking the Lord for grace since the people were not going to be ceremonially clean?

 

2 Chronicles 30:1-4, 12, 18020 – 1 Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the Passover in the second month— 3 for they could not keep it at that time because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem— 4 and the plan seemed right to the king and all the assembly.

12 The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord.

18 For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon everyone 19 who sets his heart to seek God, the Lord, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.” 20 And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

 

What do we see in this passage? Hezekiah invited people to celebrate. People wanted to come and celebrate the Passover, and verse 12 tells us this was from God. But, in verses 18-20, we see that some were not ceremonially ready. In any other year, they should have been forbidden participation. But here, Hezekiah prayed for them and the Lord allowed the intention of their heart to override the letter of the law.

 

I think we should take from this both a warning and a lesson. First, let’s see the warning, as I think it has to come first as a disclaimer. We must not allow this single event to say to us that, when we do not like biblical commands, we can ignore biblical commands because we claim our hearts are for God. We cannot throw off limitations that God has clearly given in Scripture just because they are hard. We are to strive to obey.

 

Though God allowed the unclean people to be forgiven and participate in Passover here in the passage, I doubt very seriously that God would have allowed them to do so next year. The people were doing their best to get things right and they were not able to repent to a level of cleanness during this celebration. But, it would be a different story if, next year, knowing the Passover was coming, the people presumed on the Lord and still not gotten ready to handle the event rightly. God was gracious because of their heart and situation at that moment, but he was not going to say that his word did not matter in the future.

 

So, we will not intentionally violate the word of God for the sake of people’s feelings. We will not say that, if this command is hard to obey, you are not required. We will strive with all our might to be fully biblical.

 

At the same time, there is a lesson to learn that we dare not overlook. God did show mercy to those who participated in the Passover though they should not technically have been allowed to do so. God saw the repenting heart of the people, heard the gracious prayer of Hezekiah, and allowed people to participate in Passover though they were not clean. God let the intent and heart of the law outweigh the letter of the law in this circumstance.

 

Sometimes, if we are honest, we will realize that somebody is in an untenable position. Sometimes somebody wants to obey and there is just no clean way for them to do so. In that situation, we need to be wise and prayerful, gracious and kind, biblical but not legalistic. We may find that we cannot produce circumstances that we love in every situation. We may have to seek the merciful Spirit of God to help guide us through when we are in a situation that does not offer us a clearly attainable, biblical alternative.

Somewhere around 606 B.C., a young Jewish noble named Daniel was part of a large group of nobles taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. These young men were likely forced to become eunuchs and to serve in the court of the king. The obvious intent by the emperor would be to prevent the political leadership of Judah from attacking since they knew that the Babylonians had their sons.

 

Can you imagine the hard choices that Daniel had to make? When should he go along with the society around him and fit in? When should he stand on his principles and make a stand? When should he make a stand, butt not make a stink?

 

The king had the young men educated in the Babylonian system. By all accounts, Daniel and his three friends showed themselves to be the best students in the bunch. So, apparently, Daniel felt comfortable learning what he was told to learn without forcing every classroom session to be a philosophical debate. At the same time, Daniel did not compromise his true beliefs from the word of God.

 

Daniel 1:8-9 – 8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs…

 

When the king wanted to feed Daniel from his table, Daniel asked for mercy. To eat that food would be a direct and personal violation of the law of God. The people of Judah had been given by God direct commands to avoid certain foods in order to set themselves apart from the rest of the world. Daniel made this point a line in the sand. He asked for permission not to heat the king’s provision, but instead to have a more vegetarian diet.

 

Why was this the area of a stand for Daniel? Why was this the time to ask to be let out of the king’s plans? Daniel could live as a good citizen of Babylon in most areas. Daniel could go to school, learn what his teachers wanted him to learn, and get good grades on his tests. But to eat the king’s food would be Daniel’s choice to compromise himself. It was not Daniels job to stop Babylon from being Babylon. It was not his job to make them stop their odd astrology or even to change their diets. But Daniel could not go so far as to violate the law of God for the sake of peace and quiet.

 

So, Daniel spoke up, the Lord gave favor, and Daniel and his friends were allowed to eat vegetables instead of the unclean foods of the Babylonians—and no, this is not a biblical call to veganism. Instead, I would argue that it is a call to learn where you and I can compromise and where we cannot. It is not our jobs to politically turn our nation upside-down. Sometimes it may be for us to live in our nation as best we can while refusing to join in any activity that requires personal sin on our part. Then, as we live in our own Babylon, we can communicate the gospel of Christ with those around us and see our nation changed, not through the political process so much as through the process of the Lord God changing lives through the love of Christ and the power of his Spirit.

 

Christians, we are living in a Babylon. We had better start thinking like Daniel. I am not telling you what that looks like. You may feel a strong desire to participate in the political process to bring about change, and that is great. You may see that your role involves more of outreach to friends and neighbors, and that is great. Just remember that we are here to serve and worship the Lord Jesus. Remember what God commands us to actively change. Realize that the biblical command is not for us to battle against every wrong thing that those who do not know the Lord would do. Instead, we are to obey Christ, share the gospel, make a difference where we can, pray for our government, and live to the glory of the Lord even here in our Babylon.

Where do you stand before god? Why do you stand there? Is it something good in you that makes you who you are?

 

Hear the words of Jesus.

 

Luke 18:9-14 – 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

 

Jesus tells a story of two kinds of people. One man is smug. He is proud of how good he is. He is thrilled not to be like the dirty tax collector. You can imagine the sneer and the ugly tone of voice from the religious man as he looks down on the tax collector whom he sees as an unpatriotic sinner.

 

On the other hand, the tax collector is broken. He looks at his own life, and he sees nothing good in himself. He does not like what he sees. He does not think he has anything to make God want him.

 

Which one of these is pleasing to the Lord? While God probably is not at all pleased with the life of the tax collector, at the end of their prayers, it is the sinful tax collector who is forgiven. The arrogant, smug, sneering religious guy is in big trouble, because nobody can stand before God, recount his own personal righteousness, and earn God’s favor.

 

More important than the imaginary story, which kind of person are you? Do you believe that there is something in you that should make God want you? Friends, you and I have nothing in ourselves to impress God. It does not matter whether you are a criminal or a loving grandma, if you do not have the grace of Christ on yourself, you are in trouble before the Lord. We are sinful from our very beginnings. We cannot do enough good things to impress the Lord. We must, we absolutely must, have the forgiveness of God through Jesus. Otherwise, we are without hope before the Lord.

 

May we not think we are special. May we not brag on our goodness. May we not think that our giving, our turning away from sin, our commitment to our nation, or anything else makes us able to stand before God in our own strength. We must see that our only hope is to cry, “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner!” If we do that, in faith that the Lord Jesus died to cover our sins and lives even now, we will be saved. God has mercy on all who he brings to himself in faith and repentance. This is our hope. And this is no foundation for personal smugness in our religion.