I do not know you!

I am currently reading in the Gospel according to Luke for my daily private devotions. This morning, I arrived at chap.13, and verses 13-20. Those verses contain some of the most terrible words that any mortal will ever hear. In v.27, we read these words of the Lord Jesus: "... depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity!'"

The frightening thing about those words is that they were being addressed, not to murderers; adulterers; fraudsters; drunkards; thieves; etc. They were being addressed to those who had claimed:  "'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.'" (v.26).

Now, those words were spoken in the presence of a crowd of Jewish people. However, as Paul reminded young Pastor Timothy: "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (II Tim 3:16-17). So those words must have something to say to you an to me to day! Permit me to suggest some of what they might say.

There are, sadly, too many who appear to believe that, as long as they live in a "Christian country" (if such a place can be truly found at this time!), then all is well. When they die, they will, automatically, 'go to heaven'! I am amazed at the number of notices I read in social media that announce the death of a loved one, with the assumption that that person has 'gone to heaven'! I am sorry - but there is nothing in the Bible that teaches such a view of "universal salvation"!

Yet others seem to think that attending a worship service from time to time; doing 'good' things; giving to any form of charity; being 'nice' and 'kind' is sufficient. After all, God will take all of their good works into account, and they are sure to outnumber their less benevolent actions! I am sorry - but there is nothing in the Bible that teaches such a view of "salvation by works"!

I recall, many, many years ago, that the Glasgow Evening Times published a particularly scathing article about the Rev. Prof. William Barclay, headed "Divinity professor who doesn't believe in miracles!" (or some such words!). Now, I had the distinct privilege of sitting under Prof Barclay's tutelage, and may have known more about his personal views than the author of the article appeared to know! I also had the distinct privilege of sitting under the ministry of the Rev George B Duncan in St George's-Tron Church. On the Sunday evening after the article had been published, Mr Duncan was preaching. I confess that I do not recall the complete message - but I can still see him, in my mind's eye, leaning a little over the pulpit lectern. "You know", he said, " there are some people who are going to die, and discover that there are, in heaven, those whom they had never expected to be there." He leaned back, and paused. Then he leaned forward again. " There are going to be some who die, and discover that there are some whom they had expected to be in heaven, but who are not there!" He leaned back again. Then he leaned forward a third time and, with what I can only describe as a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, said, "And, of course, there are some who are going to die, and discover that they are not in heaven themselves!"

Prof. Barclay comments: "The standards of heaven are not the standards of earth." (Daily Study Bible on Luke. p.190). Centuries before, the prophet Isaiah uttered these words of YHWH: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says YHWH. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." 

There will, indeed, be many surprises when the final membership of the Kingdom of God is revealed. The Good News is that you may be there! Not because of anything at all that you have done, are doing, or may yet do. Paul, writing to the early disciples of Jesus in Ephesus summed it up in just one sentence: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:8-9; emphases added).

Have you responded, in faith, to that wonderful grace of God - God's Riches At Christ's Expense? He has paid the price, the penalty for your sin and mine, that we may go free. As I have noted before: "He paid a debt that He did not owe, because I owed a debt that I could not pay".

Turn to Him, today. You have no guarantee of another opportunity! Another commentator writes: "... there is inevitably a time-limit on the offer of salvation. When the door of opportunity is finally shut, it will be too late. Men must strive to enter now." (Leon Morris; TP Commentary on Luke). Paul writes: "Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (II Cor 6:2).

Come now - tomorrow may be too late! 

Make yourself clear!

One of the many privileges that I have enjoyed during my increasingly long life was sitting under the ministry of the late Rev. George B.Duncan (in the original St George's-Tron), and the tutelage of the late Rev. Prof. William Barclay in the University of Glasgow.  Both men instilled in me the need to speak that others might understand.  You see, there is no point in talking to people who can't understand what you are saying.  I have been discovering that, all too often, since I came to live in France!  I speak to someone - and receive blank looks; they respond - and I look just as blank!

Paul writes to the early disciples of Jesus on the great city of Corinth, and asks: "Now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how shall I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will any one know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So with yourselves; if you in a tongue utter speech that is not intelligible, how will any one know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning; but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me." (I Cor 14:6-11).

Paul was making reference to the specific gift of speaking in a spiritual language (the gift of tongues), but the message may well be expanded.  We who are preachers have a special responsibility to keep our message so simple, and interesting, that even a child will be able to grasp it.  I have listened to many preachers who have been so intent on displaying their own academic excellence that they have simply talked "over the heads" of the gathered congregation!  But God's people are described, not as giraffes, but as sheep!  We who give out the Gospel message must keep the feed at a level that the sheep can reach!

Of course, this doesn't only apply to preachers!  All of us are preaching the Gospel, all of the time, whether we are aware that we are doing so, or not!  In the workplace; at our leisure activities; in the home (especially if we are the only disciples of Jesus there); wherever we may be, if people know that we claim to follow the Nazarene, then they are reading us, and listening to us, all of the time!

There is an old poem - that I may well have quoted on this blog before - that reminds us of this:

“Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work today;

He has no feet but our feet to lead men in His way.

He has no tongue but our tongues to tell men how He died;

He has no help but our help to bring them to His side.

We are the only Bible the careless world will read;

We are the sinner’s Gospel; we are the scoffer’s creed.

We are the Lord’s last message given in deed and word;

What if the type is crooked?  What if the print is blurred?”

The story is told of a judge who, having listened to the arguments in a divorce suit, said to the husband: "I have decided to give your wife £400/month in maintenance."  The husband's face brightened.  "That's very kind of you, your Honour.  I'll try to slip her a few quid, myself, now and then"!    A misunderstanding that may cause us to smile.  However, when it comes to the preaching of the Gospel, lack of clarity may lead to disastrous results.  Whether it is from a platform or a pulpit; in our general conversation; or when someone has asked a specific question, and we need to "... make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, ... with gentleness and reverence;" (I Peter 3:15); let us make clear that each of us is born a sinner, destined for hell (eternity without God); but that, out of His unsurpassable, immeasurable, love for us, Jesus died (and rose from the dead!) to pay the penalty for our sin.  Salvation, therefore, is the free gift of grace to all who will receive it, by faith.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:8-9).

Jesus said: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." (John 5:24).   That's pretty clear!

The fourth anchor!

In Acts 27:29, we read these words: "... fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let out four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come."
Over the past few posts, I have been suggesting that certain 'anchors' are essential if we are to survive the storms that life so often sends our way.   So far, I have suggested hope - hope that is in the Lord Jesus, the Christ; duty - duty that is steadfastly carried out; and prayer - prayer that is fervent and believing.

In this post,  want to suggest that the fourth 'anchor' which is so very necessary if we are to voyage safely, should be love.  I wonder, is there any anchor in the world that is quite like it?  Of course, I am not referring to the sentimental 'love' of the Mills & Boon novel; or the natural love of, e.g., a parent for a child; and certainly not the 'love' that is actually no more than lust.  What I am thinking about is the love that is described in the Greek language word: agape.  This is the love that has been described as "the minimum of emotion, and the maximum of evaluation." (Rev George B Duncan).

It was this love - extended towards you and me - that brought the Lord Jesus to this sinful Earth.  It was this love - extended towards you and me - that took Him to Calvary, there to suffer what has been described as the most cruel form of the execution of the death penalty that the twisted mind of man had yet devised. 

And those of us who claim to be His disciples are bidden to love in like manner.  We are called to love one another: "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love (agape) for one another." (John 13:35).  Indeed, we are called to go much further than even that!  We are called to love our enemies - those who hate us!  "...  Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ..." (Matt 5:44).

The anchor of Hope - hope that is founded in a living relationship with the Lord Jesus, the Christ;
The anchor of Duty - duty that is faithfully, and steadfastly, carried out;
The anchor of Prayer - prayer that is fervent and believing;
The anchor of Love - 'agape' love, that is modelled on the infinite love of God.

Four anchors.  Do you have them on board as you travel through on that voyage that we call life?  May none of us find, when the storms of life are raging, that our anchors have grown rusty with neglect or, even worse, that we are at sea with no anchors aboard!