In life we find that we are often trying to justify ourselves. For example when applying for a job and preparing a CV to show that we are the best candidate. When it comes to the psalmist in this passage, David appears to be justifying himself to God. He is asking God to publicly vindicate him. The meaning of the word ‘blameless’ however is not ‘perfect’ or ‘sinless’. It is used to show his trust in God which has not faltered.

This psalm is an encouragement for God’s people to keep trusting him in all situations knowing that the Lord is absolutely committed to his people. The foundation of David’s life does not rest on his blamelessness but on God’s character. For Christians it is what Christ has done for us. The cross is the perfect display of God’s love and truth. This is why Christians want to walk in his way.

Thanksgiving leads to the praise of the Lord. David’s faith has shaped his choices and this enables him to stand. We see this in verse 12. If David had trusted in his ‘blameless’ life he would not have asked God for mercy (verse 11). Instead of justifying himself David is pointing us to the God who has justified him by faith. Faith looks to Jesus Christ and what he has accomplished for us. Only in him can we stand confidently and securely.

 

 

 

This is a very valid question to ask for someone who has been thinking about the gospel (‘good news’) but not understanding the Christian life. Most Christians can identify with a person who may be considering this question, ‘how do I get faith’, because there was a time in their life when they didn’t believe either. There was a time when they had some knowledge of God and the gospel but it didn’t seem to make sense to them.

The simple answer to the question is that ‘faith comes by hearing’ …… i.e. reading the Scriptures (the gospels are a good place to start) and especially listening to the preaching of the gospel. One of the Links from this site goes to a church website for listening to sermons on line.

It should also be said that believing in Jesus cannot be separated from having a sense of need. The prodigal son in the well-known parable returned to the father out of a sense of need. Jesus name means ‘saviour’. He came to save people from their sins. Here is another reason to read the Scriptures or listen to sermons because in them we begin to see that we are all very needy people.

 

 

Where do you turn to for wisdom? There are the academics, other professional people and a seemingly endless amount of on-line information. This passage, however, points us to a completely different source. It refers us to a message … it is the message of the cross. The apostle Paul calls it the wisdom of God.

What does this mean? It means that everything we really need to know for life and eternity is found in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and his resurrection. It is regarded as foolishness to most who are looking for wisdom in the wrong places. Sophisticated knowledge which comes from purely intellectual pursuits fails to see our deepest need is for the forgiveness of our sins.

The cross is also referred to as the ‘power’ of God. For those who trust in Jesus, the priorities of their lives have changed dramatically. A new life found in relationship with God fills the believer with worship and renewed energy for living according to a different purpose. This is well put in the Lord’s Prayer … ‘Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven’.

 

 

 

 

The West is changing. There are different ideologies emerging. All this flows from different  perceptions of ‘human rights’. People tell us that the world must conform to a certain reality and no-one can challenge their view. This passage, however, shows us that Biblical reality is not one of these many types but reality itself. God reigns as Creator … we need to respond to his rule.

The problem stems from the fact that we suppress this reality and turn to idols instead. The way we live then reflects our view of reality. For the Christian this passage is a reminder that we should not limit God’s rule as the world does.  The Son, Jesus Christ, is the one who keeps this world turning and our hearts beating. This reality is the one that shapes our lives.

The ‘good news’ is that we can know the truth of this because of what Jesus has accomplished at the cross in His death and resurrection. Receiving him by faith sets us fee to enjoy God’s reality forever. Jesus, as the King of Glory points us to the cross where we are assured of being accepted ‘just as if we had never sinned’.

 

The book ‘The Shack’, which has been made into a movie, has aroused much controversy. It is certainly not a place to find Scriptural truth but it does, in some way, present the Trinity. In this passage, which does accurately present the Trinity, the apostle Paul grounds his pastoral appeal for church unity in the Triune God. Through the gospel we are connected to God, in three persons, who are in perfect unity … the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The grace of Jesus in becoming man demonstrated a breathtaking humility. This was in order to bring about radical change which enables people to embrace and overcome their weaknesses. Through Jesus people are invited to share in the fellowship of love which exists in God. It is for the whole world and received by all who trust in what Jesus has accomplished at the cross.

It is only through the fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit, however, that we can know God in relationship. He is the one who unites people to Jesus, through faith. He is the one who has condescended to dwell in the heart of every believer.

 

 

 

‘What are you looking for?” Asked the mother of a teenager as he gazed into the stocked refrigerator but then went and took a packet of chips from the cupboard. This is a reminder that instead of seeking frivolous things it is the Lord who should be sought. In these passages we see two rich men who sought Jesus but the outcomes were very different from one another.

The rich young ruler asked ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus gently shows Him that the young man’s wealth was the thing that stood in his way.  His wealth had become an ‘idol’ which prevented him giving God the first place in his life. Repentance and faith go hand in hand. You cannot cling on to idols with one hand and the cross of Christ with the other.

Zaccheus, another rich man, sought Jesus and climbed a tree so that he could see him when he passed by. Jesus said to him ‘I must stay at your house today’. Zaccheus’ response is very instructive. He said that if he had defrauded anyone he would pay them back fourfold and that he would give half his possessions to the poor. Here we see repentance. He was truly trusting in the Lord. Jesus says in response … ‘Today salvation has come to this house.’

 

 

The manager of a construction company was once asked about issues he was having with the workers. He said there were many but that the main one was ‘entitlement’. They were focused not on what they could give but on what they can get. We see something similar in these passages as we look at the apostle Peter.

Peter’s question to Jesus was ‘we have left everything and followed you. What then will there be for us?’ Jesus’ response was firstly to affirm Peter’s question but warns him by saying ‘many who were first will be last and the last first’.  The implications of this are explained in Chapter 20. The workers who came last to the vineyard and only worked for part of the day were paid first and received the same amount as those who had worked hard all day.

The point of all this is that through what Jesus Christ has accomplished on the cross every disciple has received an abundance of good things in their salvation from sin. It is not about comparisons with others or what I do but about God’s rich grace. The disciples, especially Peter, needed to be warned about the danger of seeking ownership of God’s vineyard instead of resting humbly and contentedly in their privileged position of being the workers.

There are many things which clamour for our time and attention these days but, for Christians the options are limited. This is because we are entrusted with the stewardship of the gospel message … sharing Christ is a lifestyle. Because of Christ’s love for us, to death on the cross, we live out and, in various ways, share the message of eternal life with others.

In this passage the apostle Paul says of himself …’I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some’. In saying this he still sees himself as God’s instrument because he knows that the ‘saving’ is really only ever God’s work. It is very humbling that God would use sinners whom he has forgiven in Christ as stewards of the gospel ‘treasure’.

The message is really very simple ‘believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved’. For the messengers, every believer, it is not about a rigid program or method but a lifestyle lived out in words and actions because of a new relationship with Jesus Christ. It is not about forcing people but sharing with them ‘what great things he has done for us’ with gentleness and respect.

 

 

Have you ever wondered about why there is so much trouble in the world … between nations, between individuals? The simple answer is that trouble occurs when people try to justify themselves. This is called ‘egocentric’ and it focuses inwardly. The solution is in the gospel … when we receive, by faith, what Jesus has done for us on the cross. This is called ‘Christocentric’ and it focuses of Jesus Christ.

In this passage we see the apostle Paul addressing a problem which occurred in the early church in Antioch. The gospel had been preached to Jews first and many believed in Jesus. The message had then gone out to the Gentiles (i.e non-Jews) many of whom also believed. What happened, however, was that the Jewish background believers slipped back into trying to justify themselves. They were insisting that the Gentile converts had to follow Jewish customs.

Even the apostle Peter had been ‘sucked in’. The apostle Paul strongly opposed him because it nullified the gospel. He insisted on justification by faith alone and says at the end of this passage: ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me’.

 

 

Have you ever been in a situation where you have had to wait for some important news? If so, you will have some idea of how the apostle Paul felt as we see him in this passage. Many people in Thessalonica had been coming to faith in Jesus Christ but he had to leave the city prematurely. He was anxious for the new Thessalonian believers because he knew their faith would be tested.

When Paul could wait for news of the beloved new believers no longer he sent Timothy to go and check on their progress. He received wonderful news back and his anxiety turned to joy. He said that ‘now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord’. This is a beautiful picture of how a believer can be affected by the faith of others. However, it does not and must not stop there.

Paul doesn’t just want to see them again but he wants to supply what is lacking in their faith. Spiritual children must be growing in faith. The biggest danger for a new convert is ignorance. Increasing love is the setting in which God strengthens hearts to become ‘blameless and holy’ in His presence. What about those outside the church? The grace of the gospel is, through repentance and faith in Jesus, sufficient for every nation, tribe and tongue … everyone.