Aggressively Pursue Righteousness2/4/2024 Isaiah 51:1 ~ "“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug." The reality of gaining righteousness is two-fold. First, righteousness is a granted thing. God has granted us to be covered in the righteousness of Christ. We cannot earn a place in glory before God, there is no righteousness of our own that is remotely agreeable to God. We are told in Isaiah 64:6, "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." And we learn in Romans that there are none righteous, not even one (see Romans 3:10). So, having no righteousness of our own, we must be given the righteousness of another--and that is the righteousness of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 states, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Romans 10:4 says, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." God will impart to all who believe on the Lord Jesus, the very righteousness of Jesus. Jesus lived the life we could never live, pleasing His Father and walking in perfect obedience to the law. And now He provides for us the covering of His perfect righteousness which He purchased for us on the cross. Second, righteousness is a pursuit. There is an active aspect of righteousness in a believer's life. There are those will come to Christ and have, afterward, a passive approach to their love for Jesus. In many other endeavors of life, they will aggressively chase after those desires and passions that rule their hearts--and Christ is mildly considered. But, reader, do you aggressively pursue a righteous life? In our text, there is a parallel pursuit which reflects our desire for righteousness, and that is to "seek the Lord." Both those pursuits happen at the same time. For you cannot have a life that is righteous outside of Christ, and you cannot find righteousness without Him. But the pursuit of righteousness is not a passive condition but an active one. Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:11, "But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness." Again, the apostle reiterated it in 2 Timothy 2:22, "So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." It stands to reason that to go in pursuit of something, you also then have to flee something. And as we read in the text above, we flee youthful passions and we flee "these things." Hebrews 12:1-2 commands, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Beloved, let us do that very thing--laying aside the weights and entanglements of sin and pursue righteousness. To give you an illustration, consider a person who says they are in pursuit of a healthier life. The talk about exercise, read about healthy foods, learn about the dispelling of bad habits--but all the time they never get off the sofa, while they eat down a entire box of chocolate candy. They have not set aside their sedentary life for an active one. But the believer in Christ has something that the illustration above does not--the Christian has the Holy Spirit. Dwelling within, the third person of the Trinity who moves us to desire the righteousness of Christ will also empower us to pursue it with great fervor. Paul said that he metaphorically beat his body so that he would not be disqualified (see 1 Corinthians 9:24-27). There is a righteousness given by Christ at salvation--but there is also a righteousness that is gained in pursuit of it. Let us, then, aggressively pursue that condition of life that is pleasing to God. In His Grace, Pastor Michael
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Under the Command of God2/3/2024 Exodus 40:32 ~ "...as the Lord commanded Moses." More than a dozen times, between chapters 39 and 40 of the book of Exodus, is this statement made concerning the obedience of Moses. Often things are repeated in the Scriptures to provide the emphasis needed for the people of God. And if, between two chapters at the end of Exodus we read repeatedly that Moses did all that the Lord commanded, we may discover that obedience to the Lord is the expectation given to the redeemed. As we open this day, we shall consider the simple ramifications of this statement. Let us first realize that these are the thing that the LORD had commanded. No imagination from Moses was implemented in the setup of the Tabernacle or taken into account in the worship of God. Many times, God's people want to serve the Lord according to their own designs, but that is not left to them. The Lord God Almighty is the King, He is the righteous Ruler of the world and He does not give us the latitude to serve Him in any manner we desire. Consider the words of our Lord Jesus in Luke 6:46, "Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?" Consider the details that God established for the construction of the Tabernacle. The Lord did not give them the liberty to put the place of meeting together according to their own specs. And though the church does not have a physical temple as the nation of Israel did, we still have requirements set for us that God has commanded. How are we to know what they are? Simple... by learning the word of God. Jesus left this world with a simple command to His apostles--make disciples (see Matthew 28:19). But let us hear the final command of that Great Commission: "teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:20). Another truth to extract from this text today--Moses obeyed. As you read through chapter 40 of Exodus, you discover that all those requirements given by God were observed in obedience by Moses. He did not question, quarrel, or rage against the stipulations laid upon him by the Lord. He did not try to remake the commands and institute policies that were more congenial to his desires. He did not attempt to reword the instructions of the Lord so that they were easier to follow. He simply obeyed. When set in the heart of the believer to obey the Lord Jesus, how precious it is to Him when we do obey. It is a sign of love and devotion--of trust and faithfulness. Jesus said that if we loved Him we would keep His commands. John 14:21 says it clearly, "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." Imagine a father in the home who has his children around him and they are doing as he has instructed. Does not that father who loves his children see their obedience to him as an expression of love to him? And even if our earthly fathers fail in that regard, truly our Heavenly Father never will. He receives your obedience derived from your love for Him with tremendous joy and celebration. Look at how it is described in Luke 12:37, "Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them." The idea of being "awake" is illustrative of a servant who is alert to to his master's commands. In no way does our dutiful obedience save our souls from sin. But when we are saved by the grace of God, our hearts are warmed with the desire to show forth all our gratitude to the Lord Jesus in loving obedience to Him. From the least to the greatest tasks given, our life must be lived for His glory. So, as Moses repeatedly obeyed the Lord God, let us do the same, looking to God's word and learning how we also can walk in obedience to Christ. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Words Unsaid2/2/2024 Acts 20:27 ~ "...for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God." Do not leave good words unsaid. There are plenty of times when it is wise to remain silent. Often those malicious rants and vicious tirades would be better off when they remain unspoken. Proverbs 17:28 confirms this, "Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent." How much foolishness is exposed merely because the words refuse to remain inside? The tongue is a restless world of potential evil. James speaks on this in James 1:26, "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless." Again, James states in James 3:6, "And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell." Words cannot be retrieved once spoken. And harsh, bitter, inflammatory words are like the spark that sets a forest ablaze. Jesus gives us a stern warning about the importance of our words in Matthew 12:36-37, "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Why? What is it about our words that will either justify or condemn us? Simple--words are the verbal commentary of the heart. This is found in Luke 6:45, "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." With all that, perhaps it's better to remain silent, to refuse to speak out on anything and keep our mouths shut in the face of such risk. For the believer, however, this becomes a problem, for we have the most important message available for all people. Consider what is revealed in Jeremiah 20:9, "If I say, 'I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,' there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot." It is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks, and, my friends, if your heart is abundantly filled with the Lord Jesus Christ then you must not let your good words go unsaid. We are to "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). We must heed the instruction of 1 Peter 3:15, "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." The very first quality example Paul instructed Timothy to display was in speech (see 1 Timothy 4:12). As we see in our text, Paul did not shrink back from the whole counsel of God, but he declared it faithfully and fully. There are times when it seems that our words will fall upon deaf ears, so we ask what's the use? That's the wrong question. It is not about the response of those to whom you speak, it is about your willing faithfulness to speak God's word when the opportunity arises. Does your heart burn with the need to tell others of Jesus? Do you seek to be someone who speak God's word in your daily conversations with others? Will you refrain from the moment when God has invited you to share? My friends, do not leave good words unsaid. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Gospel Unchained2/1/2024 2 Timothy 2:8-9 ~ "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!" Beloved, we will suffer at the hands of the world for our willingness to stand firm for the gospel of Jesus Christ. This should not take us by surprise, however, as our Lord told us that these things would happen. Consider John 15:18, "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you." Again, in John 15:20, Jesus says, "Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours." It is a foolish thing, in the midst of a war raging around you, to ignore the battle taking place. Imagine yourself as a soldier on the frontlines and you live in denial of the ammunition flying overhead and the bombs exploding around you. If you take a casual stance in the conflict, you will become a casualty of war. Or, worse yet, you might decide that the struggle is not for you and so you abandon the gospel and turn away from the Lord Jesus. Hebrews 10:39 tells us much in regard to this, "But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls." Paul was not one to "shrink back." In his continual preaching and teaching the gospel, he faced constant persecution and danger for his faithfulness to the Lord. The persecution ran so violent against him that he was often jailed, beaten, and hated. If you want a comprehensive list of Paul's persecutions, read 2 Corinthians 11:21-29. But look at Paul's great boast: "the word of God is not bound!" You must understand that God has given to us an unchained--and unchainable--gospel in Jesus Christ. The term "gospel" means "good news" and it is the best news to all who have put their faith in Christ. Do you understand how impossible it is to chain the gospel of the Lord? You might as well try to stop the sun from breaching the horizon. 2 Timothy is Paul's final letter before his execution by Rome. He knows that his days are now over (see 2 Timothy 4:6-8). But the apostle does not despair or think that the cause of Christ is over at his departure. He knows that no matter how bound up God's servants might become, the gospel of the Lord Jesus is never going to stop--it cannot. And that, my friends, should give you great courage in your testifying to the salvation of Christ. Paul, bound in chains as a criminal, reminds us to "remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead." He doesn't say "remember me after I'm gone" or plead for some great mercy to come his way. No, it is Jesus Christ and the unchained gospel that is his greatest desire. Consider the encouragement that Paul gives to the church in Philippians 1:12-14, "I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear." He saw his chains as merely the means of advancing the gospel, so that it was known throughout the entire imperial guard (the praetorium) that Paul was there for the sake of Christ. I could imagine that every soldier to whom the apostle was chained heard a constant plea to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation. So, beloved, do you see your own suffering as the means by which God can use you to advance the gospel of Christ? Do not let the word of God be bound up in your heart so that you hold it back for fear that you might suffer. Let me encourage you to this: when God presents to you an opportunity, be faithful to share. In His Grace, Pastor Michael From the Mountains to the SeaEvery step we take on this journey called life ought to be used for greater understanding. I've lived from the mountains to the sea, and this blog is my personal thoughts and observations with a desire for Biblical understanding. Welcome. Archives
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