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THE MANY FACES OF FAITH:
ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB Hebrews 11:8-12, 17-22 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas August 25, 2019 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. 17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. 20 By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. — Hebrews 11:8-12, 17-22 ESV Before God had a name, He was known by three. “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (ref. Exodus 3:6). What did God have to do with these three men, why are they inducted into the Hebrews Hall of Faith, and what can we see in their faces of faith today? For the Hebrew people these three were the holy trinity of patriarchy. The rivers of Genesis’ prologue all pour into God’s choosing of changing of Abram to Abraham, where the history of the Old Covenant begins in earnest. From Abraham comes Isaac, from Issac comes Jacob, from Jacob comes the twelve tribes, with his name and theirs changed to Israel. For the Jewish Christians who provided the original audience for the book of Hebrews, these men were shining examples of a sold out faith in God. They forged an old covenant faith so strong that it held for two thousand years until the promised Messiah, descended from God as a descendent of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, arrived. The Lord Jesus Christ inaugurated a new and better covenant, which although new demands the same old faith as possessed by the patriarchs. For Christians gathered for worship today, these men are specific examples of the beginning, end, and middle of our Christian faith. Taking our cues from the text of Hebrews, Abraham is a picture of effectual calling, the beginning of our faith. Isaac is a picture of the promised resurrection, the end of our faith. Jacob is a picture of what we are to do with our faith from beginning to end, namely bless others and pass on the faith from person to person, generation to generation. Abraham the Called “Abraham obeyed when he was called” There is so much to say about Abraham and so much Scripture that speaks about him. His name appears over two hundred times and is used in about half of the books of the Bible. But the first thing the writer of Hebrews says about Abraham is the first thing Genesis reveals about the man of God. He was called by God. When he was called, Abraham did not merely hear, nor simply acknowledge, he obeyed. The call of the Lord is two-fold. It is general, appealing to the whole cognizant world; and, it is effectual, heard and heeded by the elect. Abram experienced the general call years before the effectual call changed him into Abraham. My prayer for those studying the life of this patriarch would be for them to hear and obey like Abraham. The general call of God comes through creation (ref. Romans 1:19-20), which calls attention to the Creator of the heavens and the earth. The general call becomes clearer in the Bible (ref. Romans 10:17), as the Law, Writings, Prophets, Gospels, Epistles, and Revelation give the complete story of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. All human beings with a baseline level of intelligence can perceive that creation has a Creator. Most human beings have read or been exposed to the Holy Scriptures. An overwhelming majority has heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the general call of God, and it does not save anybody, for it can be heard, ignored, or in the anti-Abraham way, disobeyed (ref. John 3:36). But when God calls someone effectually, salvation is irresistible (ref. Romans 8:28-30). God’s word is delivered by God’s Spirit, which opens the heart, mind, and soul to God. Sight gives way to faith and sin is turned by repentance and a new life emerges. Abram becomes Abraham, Saul becomes Paul, and the true believer becomes a new creation formed to follow the Lord Jesus Christ (ref. John 3:3, 2 Corinthians 5:17, etc.). It is an experience of grace that changes life, lasts a lifetime, and guarantees eternal life. When you experience the effectual call of the gospel, you live like Father Abraham. You go where God tells you to go, do what God tells you to do, give up what God tells you to give up, and give the whole warp and woof of your life to the One who created you for His glory. Sometimes the yoke is easy and the burden light, other times the hard work and heartache seem overwhelming. But the reward of faith is worth every instance of faithfulness to God. Abraham received faith and was faithful, which is why he is in the Hall of Faith, along with his son and grandson. Isaac the Resurrected “[Abraham] considered that God was able even to raise [Isaac] from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back” The effectual call which begins our Christian faith is actually a passive experience, not something we do but rather something done to us, a passive experience that ignites an active response. We were dead before it happened, then we become alive in Christ. The same table will be turned for us at the end of our earthbound Christian experience. We will be dead (with apologies to the exceptions Enoch, Elijah, and the raptured Christians at the end of the world), and something will be done to us that will enable us to enjoy our best life then. It is called resurrection, and the faithful Issac serves as an apt illustration. Isaac was only a boy when he was used by God to give his father, Abraham, one of the most difficult midterm exams in history (ref. Genesis 22). The test was given by God to Abraham to see if Abraham’s faith was genuine, a faith that treasures God above all earthly desires for fortune, fame, or even family. Abraham passed the test, in large part because of his belief in the resurrection. Isaac did not die, and his resurrection from the altar is likened by the writer of Hebrews to the great resurrection at the end of time. To experience the earthly resurrection of salvation is to play the rest of your life with house money. You really cannot lose. It is what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote to the Philippians, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (ref. Philippians 1:21). You were dead and were brought to life through regeneration (ref. Ephesians 2, Titus 3, etc.) and whatever little or large thing you can do for Christ with your life will add to your reward. But the real resurrection Issac illustrates is our last one. Physical death will render even the Christian passive and powerless for a moment. Death happens to us, it is done to us, by a failing heart, faulty cells, or the horror of homicide. Even suicide is not a victimless crime, for only a soul badly tortured with circumstances beyond terrible could take his own life. In the end we all lie down, passive, unresponsive, dead. Then comes resurrection. It is like the second effectual call, bringing the dead to life. Issac arose from the episode and looked into the smiling, loving face of his father. When a Christian dies, they arise to see the twinkling eyes, smiling face, and loving heart of the Heavenly Father. What blessed bookends Abraham and Isaac make. Called to saving life and called to eternal life, salvation and resurrection, beginning and never ending, justification and glorification. But what are we to do in the middle? What are we to do with our justified lives before our glorified death? This brings us to the third inductee in today’s text, Jacob. Jacob the Evangelist “By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed” Jacob got the effectual call during a wrestling match with God (ref. Genesis 32:24ff). He is limping and leaning on his staff in this snap shot from Hebrews. Jacob is not only limping, he is dying, at which time he will experience resurrection and reunion with his earthly fathers and Heavenly Father. Jacob is in the Hall of Faith based on what he did with his life, from the time of his effectual call to the resurrection of his soul. Jacob was blessing people with the blessing he himself was blessed with by God. In other words, he was passing on the covenant by passing on the gospel. We are all dying. Will the gospel die with us, or are we busy passing it on? Who are we blessing? Jacob shared the blessings of his covenant relationship with God with family first, and I doubt he was bashful about his faith with friends and neighbors, either. All of the good and godly kings of Israel, including David, and all of the faithful prophets, like Moses and Elijah, and all of the outstanding women, like Esther and Ruth, received the same faith from Jacob’s blessing as covenant faith in God was passed on from generation to generation. We can bless people with money, which will eventually be spent. We can bless people with food and water, which will eventually run out. But when we bless people with the gospel of Jesus Christ, this blessing endures forever and ever. And almost always, the blessing you share with someone else will be passed on to someone else, from generation to generation. Life, real life, begins with the effectual call of God. You know it when you experience it, like Abraham. Life never ends for the child of God, although we do pass from death to life in the miracle of resurrection, like Isaac. Life in Christ is to be shared, blessings to blessings, family to family, person to person, like Jacob. There is a God in Heaven! And indeed He is the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. I pray He is your God, too. Copyright © 2019 Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Check out the weekly happenings at Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
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THE MANY FACES OF FAITH:
ABEL, ENOCH, AND NOAH Hebrews 11:4-5, 7 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas August 18, 2019 4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. — Hebrews 11:4-5, 7, ESV After the writer of Hebrews defines the many facets of faith in the opening of chapter eleven, he goes on to show us some of the faces of faith. They are snapshots taken from the Old Testament of great saints who found grace in the sight of God, demonstrated faith to trust and obey God, and kept close fellowship with God. Christians are chosen and called upon in the same way in this New Testament age. We are saved by the grace of God, which provides faith in God, to love, trust, and obey the revelation God has given us in the living Word of God, Jesus Christ, and the written word of God, the Bible. Salvation comes by faith, not works, but faith does work. Following Jesus and obeying Scripture is hard work when done faithfully. Some find the work so daunting that they think of turning back to the lives they lived before Christ. Many first century Christians were tempted to turn away from God and the gospel, which precipitated this sermon and epistle to the Hebrews. Our twenty-first century had its owns set of challenges for us. We Gentile, American Christians need Hebrews, too. We need the encouragement of the Holy Spirit and the truth of Holy Scripture and the examples of holy saints who have gone on before us. The first class inducted into Hebrews’ Hall of Faith are three characters who lead the way when it comes to faithfully worshiping God, walking with God, and working for God. Let’s get reacquainted with Abel, Enoch, and Noah. Abel and a Faith That Worships The story of Abel and his older brother Cain can be found in Genesis 4. It is a familiar story with an unhappy ending, the murder of Abel at the hand of Cain. The crux of the matter between the two was their respective philosophies of worship (the world’s first worship war). Abel’s worship was acceptable to God, while Cain’s offering was rejected. Abel offered to God the firstfruits, the very best, of his flock. Cain’s offering came from the ordinary fruit of the ground. Some suggest God prefers meat over vegetables, a picture of a manly God indeed, but this is not necessarily the case. Later Levitical laws approve a variety of sacrificial offerings, animal and mineral, but specify the offerings as the firstfruits, not the ordinary, certainly not the leftovers. This was the difference in the two brothers’ worship. By faith, Abel understood he was created by God for worship. The scant description of Abel’s short life reveals a man who had parents, held a job, and wholly worshiped God. His parents introduced him to God, his vocation provided him with the means for living and giving, and regularly and publicly he worshiped God, a true witness to his faith. By faith, Abel understood worship should be conducted according to God’s standards, not man’s. Both boys had been taught God’s word on worship which involved time, place, devotion, and offering. Abel listened, obeyed, and conducted worship according to the word of God. Cain did his own thing his own way, proving it was himself who he worshiped, not God at all. In the earthly end, Cain got the upper hand. But eternity puts Abel in the Hall of Faith. Life is short for us all. Worship God, and worship God according to His word. Enoch and a Faith That Walks Enoch’s name means “dedicated,” and this disciple was true to his name. He flashes like a meteor across the biblical sky in Genesis 5. One short paragraph tells the tale of a gentleman who experienced a religious conversion after the birth of his son. He “walked with God” for the rest of his life before “God took him.” The writer of Hebrews makes him famous for the way his life on earth ended, a much happier ending than Abel’s. As a matter of fact, the words of Genesis and Hebrews reveal a life that had no typical end at all, but rather that of a man who was transported by God into Heaven without passing through the portal of death. Only Elijah enjoyed the same rarified airline, but the experience will be shared by millions when Christ returns to earth. By faith, Enoch was translated into the eternal presence of the Lord. But the dramatic end sometimes overshadows the means. Lives can only have glorified endings when they have been justified by faith in God and sanctified by the word of God. By faith, Enoch walked with God. “Walk” in biblical language means agreement (ref. Amos 3:3). Enoch agreed with God’s word on sin and salvation. Enoch confessed his sin and committed his life to the Lord. There is no shame and no fear in walking with God, from the beginning of the walk at conversion to the never-ending stay at the Hall of Faith. Perhaps the birth of a child turned your life around. Maybe your birth parents guided you in a godly way. When did you come to faith in God? If it was saving faith, then it was an obedient faith, for there is no real faith in God that does not love and obey God. If you, like Enoch, walk with God by faith, then be assured you will one day walk with Him right into Heaven. You may not get to take the same charter flight flown by Enoch, Elijah, and raptured Christians, but you will enjoy deathless, eternal life nonetheless (ref. John 11:26). Noah and a Faith That Works Go back and get acquainted with Abel in Genesis 4, Enoch in Genesis 5, and the large life of the next inductee in Genesis 6. Few men made a bigger splash for God like the great boat captain named Noah. His personal faith led him to worship and walk with God, too, and his faith especially demonstrates the labor of love of a totally devoted follower of God. By faith, Noah worked hard at preaching and teaching in a time when no one seemed to be listening (ref. 2 Peter 2:5). Preaching and teaching is hard work for anyone committed to doing it right. It is like wind in your sails, though, when the pews are full and the church is growing. It can be like hunkering down in a storm when the congregation is small, stagnant, or troubled. But God measures the size of the faith, not the size of the work, and anyone with a hard working faith is pleasing to God. By faith, Noah worked hard at the other work God gave him to accomplish. He built a boat bigger than a football field. He harnessed a sample of all the animals in the world. Harder still, he was a faithful husband, father, and spiritual leader. By faith, he did it all God’s way, not his own. By faith, Noah was saved, physically and spiritually, and the grace of God that grants faith to be saved was passed down from generation to generation. Hard work has its rewards, according to an American proverb. But hard work which evidences saving faith will have the greatest reward ever known. The writer of Hebrews calls Noah’s faith “reverent fear,” something that I suppose could be said about Abel, Enoch, and Noah. We do not have enough reverence and fear in the modern realm of faith. We have a lot of cheerleaders for Jesus conducting pep rallies and giving pep talks, but not a lot of believers building churches the way these men built their lives. Faith is worshiping God on God’s terms, walking with God according to God’s word, and working for God even when the work is hard. This is only one way to God, the way of faith. Anyone can float downstream with the world. It takes strong faith to go against the current and worship, walk, and work for the Lord. But this is the faith we see in these three — Abel, Enoch, Noah — and the faith God puts in the hearts of all who truly trust Him. Copyright © 2019 Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Check out the weekly happenings at Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. THE MANY FACETS OF FAITH
Hebrews 11:1-3, 6 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas August 11, 2019 1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. — Hebrews 11:1-3, 6, ESV The book of Hebrews was written by a second generation Christian to second generation Christians in order to persuade them not to abandon the Christian faith. The first wave of Christians were almost exclusively Jewish and the second wave was distinctively Hebrew, too. Many of them were thinking of going back to the old religion, which actually died with Jesus on the cross. The shed blood of Christ and the ripped veil in the Temple opened the door to a new and better covenant, New Testament Christianity, as the sole means of salvation for all of God’s chosen people. First century Christianity, however, was double trouble for Hebrews. The Roman Empire oppressed Jews and were intolerant towards Christians. For a Jewish Christian, it was a doubly hard row to hoe. More that a few were loosening their grip on the gospel plow and looking back to their old way of life. So the writer of Hebrews preached to them of the superiority of Jesus, the supremacy of Christianity, and the solas of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Ten chapters of exhorting them not to quit gives way to the quintessential eleventh chapter, often called the “Hall of Faith.” In it the many facets of faith are discussed and many faces of faith are displayed. Today we want to take on the meaning of faith before we call a great cloud of witnesses to the stand. The Meaning of Faith Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. This is by far the best definition of faith found inside or outside the Bible. The word “faith” in the original language does not merely mean mental assent or a cache of facts. It reveals an active trust in someone or something. Faith is not nebulous, but a life-pervading substance (“assurance”). Faith acts based on a confident expectation (“hope”) that what you cannot now see will soon prove itself true (“conviction”). Faith is required to drive a car. I do not know anything about automobile mechanics, but I drive. I have faith that as I approach the stop sign the brake pedal I press will engage something attached to the wheels and my car will stop before I run into something or someone else. I have faith in the car I drive (but I have about lost faith in the other drivers in our town). Faith is required to be healed, and I’m not talking about faith healing. Once I went to a doctor whose name I cannot pronounce, found out I had an ailment I cannot pronounce, got some pills with a drug in it I cannot pronounce, went right home and swallowed them whole. That’s faith. Faith has been translated on a foreign mission field with the native word for climbing in a hammock. One would jump and roll into the hammock, trusting that the ropes were strong enough to hold them up. It is total trust in something or someone totally outside of yourself to hold you and give you rest and peace. Promoting a generic definition of faith in cars, pills, or hammocks is not the aim of the book of Hebrews. Faith in Jesus Christ is in plain view. To enjoy the benefits of forgiveness and eternal life that the gospel brings, you have to be all in, totally trusting, full of faith. Gifted teachers, like the writer of Hebrews, give good definitions and follow them up with good examples. The eleventh chapter starts with the many facets of faith, then puts forth many faces of faith for all to see. The Faces of Faith For by it the people of old received their commendation. The “people of old” are the Jewish patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament who proved their genuine faith in God and provide illustrations of how New Testament Christians should believe, serve, and love the Lord Jesus Christ. That their faith was bonafide is evident by this text’s use of the term “commendation,” literally their witness. They were witnesses for God in word and deed, so much so that other people could witness it. If other people cannot see some evidence that you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then you are probably not. On the other hand, some believers are better witnesses than others. So, the writer of Hebrews is going to offer a chronicle of select people of faith. It is meant to inspire the original audience of second generation Christians to keep on keeping the Christian faith. It is meant to inspire our generation of Christians as well, and I expect it will as we look into the following verses in the following weeks. By the way, all Christians need other Christians to look up to, both dead and living. Find someone who inspires you. Read their works, put their picture up in your office. If they’re still living, listen to them. If they’re close at hand, spend time with them. We need many faces of faith to strengthen our own. But faith in other people cannot save your soul, you must have faith in the ultimate person, actually three persons in one. The Object of Faith By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. Let’s get back to the text and look at the important qualifying factor of quality faith. Faith is not a blind trust, but a bold trust in someone, the object of your faith. The main object of saving faith always has been and always should be almighty “God”. Everyone has faith, but not everyone has faith in God. Faith in God requires a bedrock belief in an eternal deity, a higher power, a supreme being who created the heavens and the earth. The author’s argument here is not geological, it is theological. He is not engaging us in an old young earth debate, but making an undebatable assertion about the deity of Jesus Christ. Who created all things? God did. Who is God? Jesus is God. “The world was made through him,” the Gospel of John says about Jesus. The book of Hebrews begins with, “God has spoken to us by his Son … through whom also he created the world.” Other texts about to attest that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are indeed the one true and triune God (ref. John 1:1, 10:30, 15:26; 1 John 2:1; etc.). Faith in things will be of no eternal use to you if you do not have faith in God. Faith in God will be of no eternal use to you if you have not found God in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Christ is the creator of heaven and earth and all mankind. Christ is the redeemer pictured in the Old Covenant rituals and sacrifices. Christ is the savior offered in the gospel and pictured in the bread and wine of New Testament communion. Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father and the good of all who have faith in Him. Make the person and work of Jesus Christ the supreme object of your faith, and your faith will be rewarded, on earth and in Heaven. The Reward of Faith And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Those without faith and those with faith in the wrong person do not please God. This means that when their days come to an end and they stand before God, God will be displeased, dismiss them from His presence forever, and they will not be able to enter into the eternal kingdom of God. Faithless people will not care about true faith until it is too late to reap its rewards. The opposite is true for those who persevere in faithfully following the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith makes it possible to “please [God],” which is a reward in and of itself. I know there are those who take people pleasing to a dysfunctional level, but is it not a good thing, a reward if you will, to please the people you love? When your parents are proud of you, when your spouse is in love with you, when people honor you for some good word or work you have done, isn’t it a great reward? How much greater will it be to hear the Lord say to you one day, “Well done, good and faithful servant … Enter into the joy of your master” (ref. Matthew 25:21). Faith makes it possible to “draw near to God,” which is a reward in and of itself. Fellowship with the true and living God is possible, on earth and in Heaven. It does not require a certain intelligence nor a series of merit badges, only faith, trust, and utter dependence upon God. Faith makes the Scriptures come alive in our quiet times with the Lord and in our public gatherings of worship, praise, and the proclamation of the gospel. Faith makes our prayers real, personal conversations with God. Faith embraces the invisible face of God and one day faith will hold a pair of visible, beautiful hands, scarred by the nails of the old rugged Cross. Faith in the first place enables us to “seek [God],” an indicator of the reward which made faith possible. True believers seek God now and will see God in the future. But in man’s natural state, “No one seeks for God” (ref. Romans 3:11). So where does such great faith come from? It comes from the grace of God, the greatest gift that makes the greatest reward possible. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (ref. Ephesians 2:8). God gives true believers the gift of faith. True believers give to God their faithful lives, over and over, until the faith becomes sight. Knowing and enjoying God now with the assurance of living with Him forever is the greatest reward possible. Faith makes this possible, though faith can cause the faithful to have many enemies. Those first century Christians had it rough, so rough that many were tempted to quit. You may be suffering or tempted yourself. Look at the many facets of faith, make sure yours is in the Lord Jesus Christ, and never let Him go. I assure you, He will never let go of you. Have faith in God when your pathway is lonely, He sees and knows all the ways you have trod; Never alone are the least of His children; Have faith in God, have faith in God. Have faith in God, He’s on His throne; Have faith in God, He watches o’er His own; He cannot fail, He must prevail, Have faith in God, have faith in God. — B.B. McKinney Copyright © 2019 Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Check out the weekly happenings at Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. HEAVENLY MINDED AND EARTHLY GOOD
Colossians 3:1-11 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas August 4, 2019 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. — Colossians 3:1-11, ESV The late Dwight L. Moody was a wonderful and fruitful Christian evangelist who left this world with many memorable quotes. One of his most famous statements has become a standard cliche. As far as we can tell, Moody was the first to say, “Some Christians are so heavenly minded they are of no earthly good.” I would humbly make the claim that Moody misspoke based on this text from the pen of the Apostle Paul. Moody was inspiring, but Paul was inspired. As he makes his classic turn from doctrine to duty in Colossians, Paul makes the case that the more heavenly mined you are, the more good you will do on earth, due in large part to what you won’t do. The gospel of Jesus Christ cuts with a sword of double-edged grace. There is amazing grace, delivered by word and Spirit, which brings one into the kingdom of God. Then, there is restraining grace, also wrought by word and Spirit, which causes one to live by the moral standards of the kingdom of God. Grace reigns in the hearts of all who claim Christ is King, and grace restrains the actions and attitudes of Christians in order to make this world a better place. The Heavenly Mindedness of Amazing Grace As Paul spread the doctrines of God’s grace throughout the civilized world, he had two very uncivil enemies. They were (and remain) legalism and licentiousness. Legalism, copyrighted by the Pharisees and carried on by the Judaizers, contended for salvation by works. Do this, don’t do that, do what we say, then the kingdom of God can be bought by your good behavior. On the other hand, early Gnostics and other pre-Pelagians preached an easy believe-ism, salvation by choice which demanded no change in moral or ethical behavior. The immaterial could be saved while the material body continued to soak in the unbounded pleasures of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Both of these extremes are graceless heresies that still hound people into Hell. Those who think they can punch the ticket of justification without getting on the train of sanctification will never arrive at the destination of glorification. Furthermore, any decision that does not result in dedication is a fabrication. Salvation is not won by our works. Salvation is not a decision devoid of dedication. Salvation is not a transaction, it is a resurrection. It is miracle of God’s grace which imputes faith and repentance to raise a dead sinner to life that results in perseverance as a holy, obedient child of God. It is wholly based on Christ’s own death and resurrection, which Christians embody in their own death to life experience. Paul phrases it very eloquently in Colossians. “If ... you have been raised with Christ” you have been regenerated. When you “set your minds on things ... above” your are being renewed. Since “Christ ... is your life” you will be rewarded. This is justification by faith, sanctification by word and Spirit, and glorification guaranteed by the person, promise, and power of Jesus Christ. This is salvation. This is heavenly mindedness. This is amazing grace. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch, like me. I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.” — John Newton The Earthly Good of Restraining Grace With apologies to Newton and a little old English, here is a sort of sequel written by yours truly: “Restraining grace, how sweet the sound, That made this wretch to see, I would have sinned and shamed my Lord, But grace restraineth me.” The same grace that makes us citizens of the heavenly kingdom also restrains us while we still live on planet earth. The grace of God’s word and Spirit serve to keep us from acting out in sinful ways which cause hurt within the body of Christ, and hypocrisy that keeps myriads of lost people from contemplating the gospel of Jesus Christ. Grace makes us do good things, like worship and serve and love one another. Grace also restrains us from doing bad things which do damage to the body of Christ and mar our witness to the world. These bad things are sinful things done with the body, mind, and mouth. “Put to death,” the Bible says literally, such sins as “sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,” all of which are related one to another. The immorality causes impurity when passion and evil desire go unrestrained by the word, Spirit, and grace of God. Such sins not only reek havoc in the people who perpetuate them, but the ripple effect is atomic in its proportion. Marriages, families, churches, and many lives have been blown up by unchecked sex, and God is deadly serious about it. Shouldn’t we be? God gives us the grace to keep His commandments and stop the body count of souls destroyed by sexual sin. Sinful actions arise from sinful attitudes, so the Scripture warn us against “covetousness, which is idolatry, ... anger, wrath, malice.” Materialism is a menace that shrinks the soul of God’s child and the strength of God’s church. Anger, wrath, and malice are weapons for the Father to use, not toys for His children to play with. We must live in contentment with what God has given us and offer to others generosity, love, and grace upon grace. Then we must watch our big mouths. Let us trust God for His grace to keep us from “slander, and obscene talk, [and] do not lie to one another.” Sins of the tongue are actions set on fire by attitudes. Like sexual sins, spoken sins divide friends, families, churches, and lost people from the saving grace of God. There is one more sin that must be restrained for God’s people to go on shedding God’s grace upon His church and our land. It is the age old sin of prejudice, of which God’s saving and restraining grace should serve as a double cure. It existed in Paul’s day between the “Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free” and it exists today across races, classes, and nationalities. Laws can try to fix it, but some things can only be eradicated and restrained by the grace of God in individuals who exhibit “Christ is all.” The first and last thing Paul mentions in this text is Jesus Christ. He is the supreme Lord and Savior, object of affection, and model of behavior for the Christian. We love what we look at and we love what we think about and we model who we love. Now more than ever, our thinking and our behavior must be governed by the love of Christ. Our twenty-first century world resembles the first century world of Jesus, Paul, and the first Christians in so many ways. We wade through a cesspool of sex. We swim in a sea of materialism. We are incited into race and class warfare by our very own government leaders, vagabond race baiters, and their heralds in the press. What can God’s people do? Well, let’s imagine. John Lennon imagined a world with no religion. I pray for a world inspired by the Christian religion. It would be a world filled with heavenly minded people who are of much earthly good. Christian people should love, laugh, and revel in the gospel of Jesus Christ and long for glorious worship with His church. Christian people should walk out after worship into the world and do good by forsaking all the bad the people all too often do to one another. Christian people should be more heavenly minded so that we can be of more earthly good. If we will, the population of Heaven will grow and the earth will be a better place to live. Copyright © 2019 Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Check out the weekly happenings at Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. |
AuthorDr. Charles F. "Chuck" DeVane, Jr., is the Pastor of Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. His weekly sermon article, "The Gospel Truth," has been published in newspapers in Arkansas and Georgia. Dr. DeVane is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has served in the pastorate for over 20 years. Contact Pastor Chuck at PastorChuck@lakehamiltonbaptistchurch.org
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