God Controls All

“I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.” (Ec 3:14 AV)

Let us, from the get go, state the bible position.  God is sovereign.  He has decreed all things.  Yet, man does have the ability to choose freely.  This is a mystery, and a truth of great comfort.  It is the ultimate in God’s sovereignty.  His sovereignty both includes, yet is not dependent upon, the free will choices of men.  This Biblical truth is one of great security.  This means that no matter how much I screw up, it will not cause God one iota of control over His creation.  In His foreknowledge, He already took into account my choices and has ordered His creation accordingly.  There is nothing I can to do mess up God’s plan.  He controls all!

Now that we have that out of the way, let us make come practical application.  My earthly father was a master as chess.  Not the board game.  Well, he may have been.  I never played him.  No, my dad was a grand-master at the chess game of life.  He was always three steps ahead of his children.  He was a master strategist.  Nothing could get by him.  His house was as it should be.  Sometimes, it was by direct intervention of the rod.  Other times, it was planning circumstances so the outcome would be certain.  Still others, instruction in wisdom ordered the house.  He had many tools in his tool box.  Our home was a well-oiled machine.  Not because my dad was a drill sergeant.  No.  It was so because my father could foresee all the possible outcomes of any situation and planned well in advance for his optimal outcome.  It didn’t matter where we were or what we were doing.  He had it already figured in the grand scheme of things.  This produced a healthy respect for my father.  Not that we were always afraid of him.  Although that type of fear was a factor.  The other kind of fear was also there.  That is probably why he didn’t raise rebels.  Not as other families did.  We knew that no matter what we did, he already knew it as a possibility and would eventually find out about it anyway.  We were in checkmate the moment we were born.  And that is wonderful!

To know that God is in control is the security every child of God needs.  Like a two-year-old who throws temper-tantrums to see if his daddy is going to put up with it, we test the ability of God to control things because we cannot.  Once we resign to the fact we are always in checkmate, then life gets a whole lot easier and much less stress.  Fear Him because He already has it already figured out!

Obedient Contention

“They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.” (Pr 28:4 AV)

This morning, I read an article of a ‘preacher’ who was apologizing to those who are entangled in the LGBTQ+ community for his lack of Christlike response to their condition.  Although I understand the need to confess a less than compassionate attitude towards those who need Christ, he went a bit further and involved himself in their Gay Pride march.  I recently saw a post on Facebook of a self-professed Christian which seemed to endorse gender fluidity.  Still another who attends a Bible believing church who assists in the Gay Pride movement.  It is one thing to have compassion on the sinner in hopes of presenting their need of Christ.  Quite another to refuse offending the sinner and helping them in their sin.  Note about the general disposition of the two.  If we keep the word of God, we will contend with those who do not.  Lord willing, in the hope of leading them to Christ.  If we do not keep the law, we will advance the cause and admire the wicked.  It is a general state of condition.  If we praise those who are wicked, then we generally do not keep the law.  If we condemn the actions of the wicked, the we generally keep the law.

When I was saved back in the eighties, there was a general cleaning that I experienced.  Things that I felt were no big deal, became a big deal.  I stopped watching any program that made a mockery of sin.  I stopped watching any programs that made a mockery of Christ.  I stopped watching programs that brought into doubt the veracity of the word of God.  I got rid of all the music that I had been listening to because it glorifies sin.  The books I read were about doctrine and prophecy.  No longer to I peruse magazines that glorified wickedness.  What has struck me is how mainstream these things are becoming in the lives of those who profess Christ.  We see them today and compare them with what is going on in our current culture and have determined they are really not so bad – at least in comparison to our current culture.  The problem is, if they were wrong then, they are still wrong today.

We live in a word that seeks compromise.  Compromise on the part of the saints.  Not on the part of the world.  God’s word does not change no matter how much the world changes.  God will not relax His standard of judgment because we have.  The LORD requires that all mankind live according to His word.  There is no choice.  If we refuse, the we are judged for it.  When it comes to where a person stands, there is no middle ground.  We either love and obey the law which results in rebuke of the wicked, or we despise the law and the God who gave it, resulting in loving the environment of the wicked.  Once cannot call themselves a God-loving saint and at the same time, hold those in wickedness and dear friends whom they encourage in their sin.  It is one or the other.

There Is Cause

“For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.” (Pr 23:18 AV)

The context is envy at the sinner.  The saint observes the wicked prosper in his wickedness and wonders if living in the law is really worth it.  He wonders if he is losing out on some pleasures of life by living a godly life because it seems as those who reject the LORD experience the benefit of their choices.  He wonders exactly how much he would be missing of he simply indulged the flesh from time to time, just as the sinners do.  The promise above is a promise for encouragement.  There will be an end.  There will be an eternity.  The sacrifice one is willing to make in this life will be rewarded in glory.  That which we hope for, or expect, will come to pass.  Patience is the virtue that is needed here.

This principle can be applied no matter the case.  It is not restricted to envy at the sinners.  It can also be applied to any trial of life that requires faith which we do not believe we possess.  The clearest meaning of this verse is that death will eventually come and that which we placed our faith upon will be our reality.  So, why fret about this life and what we perceive to be a disappointment.  However, we can apply this same truth in a more focused way which would include almost any trial of faith.  Not the entire life which results in death, but also any difficult time that eventually ends with an expectation as reward.  The ‘end’ does not have to be death.  It can be any state in which the Spirit desires we arrive.  A state of greater godliness or holiness.  A state of greater faith.  A state of greater dedication, sacrifice, or service.  A greater state of wisdom.  In other words, there is a purpose for what we are going through.  This purpose does have an end goal in mind.  The expectation is that upon which we place our eyes.  The relief which we can experience is dependent upon the end which we expect and our constant gaze upon it.

There is a reason for it all.  This reason, or reasons, are not a mystery.  God, in His word, has clearly revealed to us what these ends are and what our expectations should be.  In Romans chapter eight, His end is to transform us into the image of Christ.  In Revelation chapter four, His end is that we might do all things for His pleasure.  And in John chapter seventeen, His end is that we might know Him in and intimate way.  These ends should be our expectations.  If they are, then life cannot throw anything our way which the LORD cannot bring us to His purposes.

Faithfulness More Than Fraternity

“A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.” (Pr 17:2 AV)

There is a temporal idea that status matters.  To some degree, it does.  But to the LORD, it does not. Faithfulness matters more than status.  In our proverb, Solomon instructs his son that a faithful servant will be trusted more than a foolish son.  In fact, the lord of the manner may place a faithful servant over a foolish son to be his governor and guide.  The lord of the manner is more concerned with the final condition of the manner than he is a relationship between himself and a foolish heir.  The servant will be treated as equal to other heirs if he is first and foremost, faithful.

The same is true in the work of God.  We cannot be obsessed with titles or positions.  What is more important is faithfulness and trustworthiness.  The saint that is faithful in doing the simplest of tasks is worth far more to the kingdom of God than someone who knows a lot of bible, but doesn’t really live it.  The saint that is faithful in the ministries to which he is assigned is far more valuable to the kingdom of God than a saint with a big personality but cannot rule his own heart.

When I was still young in the LORD, I remember a particular sentence of a message that was preached.  I cannot remember the preacher or the passage.  But I do remember a statement he made.  It was to students of our Bible Institute.  Probably at a commencement service.  He made the statement that God will not send you half-way around the world unless you are first willing to go to your next-door neighbor.  His point, found in the parable of the talents, is God will entrust more to those who are faithful and less to those who are not.  I remember serving in a culture to which most worked in the factory.  There is an expectation of promotion based on seniority rather than merit.  This idea seeped into the church and people expected to be assigned certain positions based on pedigree or seniority.  The call of God had little to do with it.  Often, people like this were generally disqualified for the position they sought, and their lives reflected as such.

We cannot be discouraged because God may have us in what we consider a less than prominent post.  It is not what God assigns us to do that reveals our worth.  It is our faithfulness.  It doesn’t matter if our granddaddy was a preacher or our great grandmother was a founding member and long-time piano player.  What matters is what we do and how we live.  Humility, surrender, and faithfulness are far more important than fraternity.  And, God blesses for it.

Commit Thyself

“Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.” (Pr 16:3 AV)

We all have those times when we are frozen in our actions because our minds are not with it.  Whether fear, anxiety, or doubt, we don’t do anything because our minds are not one hundred percent convinced of a plan.  One way or another.  So, we sit idle, waiting for our fickle minds to finally come around.  Sometimes they never do.  We miss opportunity or fail in our duty because of some mental block that keeps us from what we believe is the right course of action.  According to the Spirit, committing the works unto the LORD will bring the mind around.  If God has said to do or not do a certain thing, then He is responsible for the outcome.  Commit it to Him.  When done or not done, the wisdom behind the right course of action will be revealed and then, and only then, will our minds catch up.

I have the unfortunate predisposition to over-think things.  This mind of mine can think of almost every possible outcome and it often can talk the will out of a path that I know is the one to take.  It reminds me of my first experience is repelling.  We went to the Niagara Gorge to do some hiking and repelling.  My oldest brother has returned from a high adventure camp and learned out to safely train and conduct a repelling exercise.  Off we went and down we went.  He taught us all how to tie a swiss seat.  He checked and double checked our work.  He then taught us how to control or descent.  We practiced on a very small scale.  He further revealed how his counter-breaking would also keep us safe.  There was no reasonable excuse why we shouldn’t trust him and descend into the gorge floor.  As one who seriously fears heights, this was a challenge.  I will not go into extremely tall buildings.  The Sears Tower is a no-no!  Feet planted firmly on terra-forma cannot fall!  But then it came my turn.  Every fiber in my mind was saying, “don’t do it.”  Your brother doesn’t like you and he may be cruel, playing a joke, and let go of his counter-break.  Surely the rope is not strong enough.  I have never done this before.  What happens if I lose control of the situation?  Will I be safe?  Will mom have to bury a sack of bones?  All these things were going through my head, and it wasn’t until I committed to the instruction that every fear dissipated.

The problem with faith is that it will not supply every answer or remove every objection.  If there were no doubts or questions, no fear or anxiety, it would no be faith.  It would be sight.  Living by faith is difficult to say the least.  However, according to Hebrews chapter eleven and verse six, it is the only way which we can please God.  Once we let go and allow God to work, it all begins to make a bit of sense.  The mind is established because the heart trusts.

ONLY

“The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.” (Pr 11:23 AV)

The outcome of our choices is an indication if how we process our world.  What our goals truly are come out when we reap what we have sown.  Good or bad.  In the above proverb, there are only two desires.  Of the righteous, his desire is good.  Therefore, his life-direction will be to produce that good which comes of it.  Conversely, the wicked see destruction as desirable.  This may seem a bit odd, but this truth is a looking glass into the truly evil condition of the heart of man.  Whether we like to admit it or not, the rebellious side of us wants to dare God to do something about our actions.  We know what we are doing is wrong.  We know that our wrong actions will result is negative consequences.  Even harmful consequences.  Yet, we go down that road anyway.  Why?  This pattern is a warning to us to change what we desire.  What we want to hone in on this morning is one word.  ONLY

This is a all or nothing truth.  We either desire God’s goodness, or we desire God’s wrath.  One or the other.  Not in every choice, but rather, an absolute direction of life.  Take, for instance, two children of the same father.  They are both caught in the same act of disobedience.  Both chastened exactly the same.  Yet, one reacts one way while the other just the opposite.  The first responds in repentance and changes his behavior.  His demeanor is one of humility and he rises from the chastening with a new resolve to not offend his father any longer.  He immediately hops to undone chores.  The other chooses to respond in resentment.  He thinks simply because there was displeasure in this one event, this necessarily means dad can never be pleased.  He goes on his marry way doing whatever he wants knowing full well that dad will spank him again.  Eventually, he sees the spankings as vindication of his belief that dad can never be pleased.  His desire for the chastening of his father is statement of independence and superior opinion.  In short, the righteous desire to please God resulting in good.  The wicked desire to offend God which results in wrath.  This is the ONLY desire if each.  There is no middle ground.

We are bent one way or another.  Perhaps more dramatic or less dramatic than the opposite position, but we are.  Our attitude of and process towards our Father in heaven determines the life we lead.  Either we will desire ONLY good, or we will desire ONLY wrath.  The second sounds ludicrous.  But it is a fact of our dark heart.  If we desire ONLY good, then we will strive to do that which pleases God.  If we desire ONLY wrath, we will strive to do that which pleases self.  But there is no middle ground.  We are one way or the other.  ONLY one way or the other.

Lesson Unlearned

“And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!” (Pr 5:12-13 AV)

Let’s be honest, we all have these moments.  Pride is the cause.  We refer to ourselves as boneheaded for doing something we know is wrong, but we do it anyway.  Specially when we have been taught otherwise.  For some reason, we think we are smarter than those who have gone on before.  Imagine how better off our world would be if we didn’t have to learn the same lessons over and again.  Imagine if the human race only had to learn a particular lesson once.  If the following generation would heed the warning and not do that which their forefathers did, then we would be that much further down the road to wisdom.

Every parent knows there were choices they made which they hope their children will never make.  Some choices indeed are never repeated.  Others, however, no matter how much instruction and warning is given, fail to hit the heart.  This is a parent’s frustration.  When they see their child go down the same road they went down knowing where it will end and unable to stop it.  Take, for instance, a fella who dated as a young man.  Because he was lost, he applied the world’s concept of dating and marriage.  This led to several failed attempts and a few immoral choices.  Having accepted Christ and meeting the love of his life, he has regrets over all those failed relationships that often are more common than successful marriages when the world’s philosophy is employed.  Now, he sees his adult children going down that same road.  He has tried to explain the Biblical concept of courtship but to no avail.  He has reminded his son or daughter that more times than not, these arrangements do not end well.  Low and behold, history repeats itself.  We all do this.  An older man may tell us that we are making the same mistakes with our children that he did.  We ignore the observation.  A more experienced driver tells us that there is a better way to our destination.  We are late because we turn a deaf ear.  A patient warns us of our bad eating habits, but we cannot say ‘no’ to our favorite fare, only to find ourselves visiting the doctor for the same issues.

Wisdom only works if we will humble ourselves, listen, and heed the life experience of those who have gone before.  Pride is the greatest enemy here.  We do not listen to our teachers because we think we can do it.  Laws are absolute and will not bend to our pride just because we have a higher evaluation of ourselves than is prudent.