YET WITHOUT SIN (Matthew Chapter 4)

The first event recorded by Matthew after Jesus’ baptism is His temptation.  He was “led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.   And the temper came…” (Matthew 4:1-3).  Three times He was tempted.  Three times He responded quoting Scripture.  Through it all He never sinned. 

Jesus never sinned.  Not then, not ever.  He “knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  He never thought a sinful thought, never did a sinful deed, never said a sinful word (1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15).  He perfectly fulfilled the Father’s will in every respect.  Never before or since has there been anyone like Him.  The Devil tempted Adam and Eve and they sinned.  Sin entered into man’s existence and every other soul born since has sinned (Romans 3:23).  But Jesus never sinned.   O Blessed truth!

In his allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan likened our world to a “Vanity Fair” where travelers are enticed by countless temptations: “Almost five thousand years ago ... Beelzebub, Apollyon and Legion, with their companions, perceiving that the pilgrims made their way through this town of Vanity, they contrived here to set up a fair wherein should be sold all sorts of vanity, and that it should last all year long. Therefore at this fair are all such merchandise sold as houses, lands, trades, places, honor, preferments, titles, countries, kingdoms, lusts, pleasures, and delights of all sorts as whores, bawds, wives, husbands, children, masters, servants, lives, bodies, souls, silver, gold, pearls, precious stones, and what not. And, moreover, at this fair there are at all times to be seen jugglers, cheats, games, plays, fools, apes, knaves and rogues, and that of every kind. Here are to be seen, too, and that for nothing, thefts, murders, adulteries, false swearers…”

John Bunyan wrote also of the temptation of Jesus: “The Prince of Princes Himself went through this town to His own country, and that upon a fair day too; yea, and as I think it was Beelzebub, the chief lord of this fair, that invited Him to buy of his vanities; yea, would have made Him lord of the fair, would He but have done him reverence as He went through the town. Yea, because He was such a person of honor, Beelzebub had Him from street to street, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a little time, that He might, if possible, allure that Blessed One to cheapen and buy some of his vanities; but He had no mind to the merchandise, and therefore left the town without laying out so much as one farthing upon these vanities.”

Jesus knew no sin—He never sinned.  He was therefore qualified to be offered up as a substitutionary sacrifice for us as a “lamb unblemished and spotless” (1 Peter 1:19).  On the basis of His death and resurrection He provides for the believer salvation from sin in every respect--freedom from its penalty, power, and—in heaven—its presence.

“He was tempted in all things as we are” (Hebrews 4:16).  Yet He never sinned.  He is therefore able to “sympathize with our weaknesses” and “come to our aid” (Hebrews 2:18).  “Jesus knows all about struggles, He will guide till the day is done; There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus—no not one!  No not one!”

Jesus was tempted with the temptations that are “common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13)--“the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:16; Cf. Genesis 3:6).  But He, the Word, responded with the word (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10).  In this respect He has provided for us a great example.  It is as the Word, the sword of the Spirit, is treasured in our hearts, that victory over sin is assured (Psalm 119:11; Ephesians 6:17)).  Indeed, the “young men” of First John were commended because they were strong and overcame the evil one.  How were they made strong?  The Word of God abided in them (1 John 2:14; Cf. Colossians 3:16).

How precious to know that in this world where sin is an ever present reality--and terrible and tenacious foe--there is One who never sinned and indeed won the victory over our great foe (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).  “Wretched man that I am!  Who will set me free from the body of this death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).

MAKING MUCH OF JESUS (Matthew Chapter 3)

If only John the Baptist had consulted with the church growth “experts,” he would have done things differently, but instead he decided to do things his own way—God’s way.

He was a man “sent from God” (John 1:6).  “He came for a witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through Him, He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light” (John 1:7-8).

He came to share the news of the coming of the Christ.  His ministry was utterly unconventional.  The religious leaders of that day sat “in the chief seats in the synagogues” (Matthew 23:6), John the Baptist “came preaching in the wilderness” (Matthew 3:1).  The Pharisees and Scribes espoused a religious of self-righteousness “(tying) up heaven loads and laying them on men’s shoulders” (Matthew 23:4), John the Baptist preached a message of repentance in view of the immanence of the “Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 3:2-4).  The leaders of his day richly adorned themselves with religious garb drawing attention to themselves, John the Baptist--akin to the prophets of old--had “a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather belt around his waist” (Matthew 3:4).  Those leaders loved “place of honor at banquets” (Matthew 23:6), John the Baptist ate “locusts and wild honey” (Matthew 23:4) in the wilderness.
Despite his unconventional ways (or, because of them) the multitudes were drawn to him.  “Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea, and all the district around the Jordan” (Matthew 3:5).  Even the religious leaders came, only to suffer his rebuke as he sensed their hypocrisy (Matthew 3:7-12).  Amongst his followers were some who would later become Jesus’ disciples (John 1:37).

He came to “bear witness of the light” and that is a matter in which his example has direct relevance to us.  He was always directing people to Jesus (not to himself).  When the religious leaders sent men to ask, “Who are you?” he replied “I am not the Christ” (John 1:19-20).  When they asked again, he affirmed his God-given role as a “voice crying in the wilderness (to) make straight the way of the Lord” (John 1:22-23; Isaiah 40:3).  He spoke of the One who would come after him “whose sandal (he) was not worthy to untie” (John 1:27).  He saw Jesus and declared “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).  Though he was born first, he spoke of the eternity of Christ in saying “He existed before me” (John 1:30).  When it came time for Jesus to be baptized he hesitated, saying: “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me? (Matthew 1:14).

He spoke to the essence of his ministry endeavor this way: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).  He came to make much of the Christ, not of himself.  And that is the nature of the ministry of any good witness for Christ—to make much of Jesus.  We are far too easily drawn to fads, and distinctions, and culturally relevant matters that distract from the task we have been given—to make much of Him.  We are given the role as ambassadors of Christ to plant and water, but it is God who causes the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).  We are but “earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7)—fragile and ordinary, but inside we bear the precious treasure of the knowledge of Christ.  It is not our task to distinguish ourselves according to the particulars of our vessels, or to make our earthen vessels relevant or compelling to the lost.  Our task is to make much of the treasure we possess, the Lord Jesus Himself.

I’m thinking we can learn a lot from John the Baptist.  He was not concerned with cultural norms or relevance.  His concern was to make much of Jesus—in that he serves as a good example to us all.

TRUE WORSHIP (Matthew Chapter 2)

We were created to worship our creator.  It is in worship of Him that we fulfill the purpose for our existence and find true meaning in life.  The obstacle to worship is sin and the rebellious estate we have inherited as a result of the fall of man.  But God has worked ever since to transform rebels into worshippers and we find such an example in Matthew chapter 2.

The chapter focuses on the account of the “magi from the east” (Matthew 2:1) who came from afar to worship the newborn King of the Jews.  Who were these men?  The NASB provides this note regarding them: “Pronounced may-ji, a caste of wise men specializing in astrology, medicine, and natural science.”  In this respect their role was akin to that to which Daniel was appointed centuries beforehand.  It is possible and likely that their predecessors first learned of a coming King of the Jews through him.

They were not kings, but Babylonian “king-makers.”  It is amazing that God would call these Gentiles from that faraway place to acknowledge the birth of the new born King!  There were undoubtedly more than three, since when the king heard of their presence in Jerusalem “he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matthew 2:3).   The thought of three is but a tradition likely rooted in the three-fold gifts.

They came to worship the King of the Jews, but how were they to find Him?  Their journey transversed hundreds of miles—through “field and fountain, moor and mountain.”  They had no knowledge of His exact whereabouts and no GPS to direct them.  But God provided for them a star.  It was no ordinary star.  They saw it “in the east” (Matthew 2:2).  As they sought out the baby Jesus in Jerusalem the star “went on before them, until it came stood over where the Child was” (Matthew 2:9).  That star led them to Jesus.

Any would be worshiper in this age is likewise dependent on God’s help in the matter of worship.  No one ventures on that journey apart from God’s intervention.  True worship demands a change of heart and unveiling of the truth.  The Holy Spirit is the worship leader—He is the “star” that leads us to the Savior.  His ministry is to open the eyes of lost sinners to the glory of the Savior and His gospel (Cf. John 16:8-11, 14; 2 Corinthians 4:4-6).  He changes hearts and then fills and overflows them praise and thanksgiving (Cf. Ephesians 5:18-21).

The worship of the magi involved extraordinary sacrifice.  They left their comfortable homes.  They endured a dangerous and arduous journey.  They were alone in what they were doing.  The apathetic religious leaders knew of the birth-place of Jesus, but shared no desire to worship (Cf. Matthew 2:4-6).  The faced the threat of a wicked king.  King Herod feigned worship, but plotted the Newborn’s death (Matthew 2:8, 16-18).  They sacrificed by imparting great gifts to Jesus.  “They fell down and worshiped Him; and opened their treasures they presented to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).  Their gifts served to acknowledge His identity as God (frankincense; Matthew 1:23), King (gold; Matthew 2:2), and Savior (myrrh; Matthew 1:21).

True worship involves sacrifice.  God calls upon the recipients of His mercies to “present (their) bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God” (Romans 12:1; Cf. 2 Corinthians 4:14-15; 8:5).  We can learn a lot from these wise men.  They “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” when they saw the star and were led to the Savior (Matthew 2:10).  True, Spirit-led, worship leads us to do the same (1 Peter 1:8b).

NO ORDINARY MAN (Matthew chapter 1)

Amongst life’s most important questions is the question asked by Christmas Hymn, “Who is He in yonder stall?”  It is more than a matter of academic concern for one’s eternal destiny is to some extent dependent on a right understanding of the truth about Jesus (Cf. John 20:31; 1 John 4:2). 

Matthew chapter 1 clearly sets forth the identity of Jesus.  He is “Jesus Christ” (Matthew 1:1).  Both names mean much.  He is the Christ, the anointed One--the promised Messiah of Israel, “THE son of David.”  David had many sons, but Jesus is called “THE Son.”  God made a promise to David, “I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12-13).  In Jesus Christ, God’s promise to David—the Davidic Covenant—is fulfilled.
Jesus Christ is “THE Son of Abraham.”  God also made a promise to Abraham—the Abrahamic Covenant—of a land, a nation, and a blessing (Genesis 12:1-3).  That promise was likewise fulfilled in Christ (Cf. Galatians 3:7-9, 15-16).  The genealogy of Matthew chapter 1 traces the lineage of Jesus, the Christ, through Joseph back to David and ultimately to Abraham.  
Jesus was unique in His birth. He was virgin born. That which was conceived in Mary was “from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20).  He was born as a man, but did not come into existence in His birth.  He is the eternal Son of God and creator of all things (Cf. John 1:1-3).  Being born as a man He fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, “’Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us)” (Matthew 1:23).  He is “God with us.”
He was given the name Jesus because “he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  “Jesus” is a transliteration of the Hebrew name “Joshua” which means “Jehovah is salvation.” In that sense His very name spoke to the reason for which He came as Savior.   Vine’s Expository Dictionary notes that it was “the name given to the Son of God in Incarnation as His personal name.”  The very first verse of the New Testament affirms these important truths about Jesus Christ: 1) He is the promised Messiah; 2) He came to save sinners.
Jesus Christ was a man, but no ordinary man.  He was fully God and fully man.  He is the Messiah of Israel.  He is the Heaven-sent Savior.  He is the fulfillment of covenants and countless prophecies.  He is unique in His genealogy, birth, identity, person, death, resurrection, and reign.  He is the glorious Son of God who became flesh and dwelt among us and ultimately died on a cross for our sins.  “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31).  Salvation is promised to those who believe in Him. Have you trusted in Him for salvation?
It is appropriate that our reading through the New Testament should begin in this fashion—with this focus on the identity of Jesus--for what is the New Testament but an unveiling of the truth about Jesus?  In the gospels we read of His life, in the book of Acts we read of the beginnings of His church.  In the epistles we read of His instructions to His church.  In the book of Revelation we read of His future return and the unveiling of His glory to all.  Read to know Him better for nothing in life matters more than this (Cf. Philippians 3:8; 2 Peter 3:18). 

‘Tis the Lord! O wondrous story!

‘Tis the Lord! The King of glory!
At His feet we humbly fall,
Crown Him! Crown Him, Lord of all!

LIKE A ROCK?

Peter was an ordinary man.  When he first met Jesus, Jesus changed his name to Peter (i.e. ‘rock’).  On a subsequent meeting, Jesus changed his occupation.  A lot of other changes would come about as a result of his relationship with Jesus.

No Fish or too many?  Peter was a fisherman.  His life was filled with the daily routine of caring for his boats and gear and putting out his nets.  That’s what he was doing when Jesus called him.  He fished hard all night without success, but then Jesus came and caused a miraculous catch.  “Depart from me, Lord,” said Peter.  “Follow me,” Jesus replied.

On water or under it?  On a storm tossed sea the disciples were frightened by what they thought to be a ghost, but it was Jesus walking on the water.  “Bid me come,” Peter said.  “Come,” Jesus replied.  And with eyes fixed on Jesus Peter walked on water.  But not for long.  He looked away, saw the wind, and began to sink.

Blessed or cursed?  “But who do you say that I am,” Jesus asked?  Peter was commended when he acknowledged Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”  “Blessed are you,” Jesus declared!  But Jesus then warned of His pending sufferings and death.  Peter rebuked Him for it and Peter heard a different word: “Get behind Me, Satan!”

Wash or don’t wash?  The Master laid aside His garments and prepared to wash the feet of His disciples.  Peter protested, “Never shall you wash my feet!”  But then Jesus, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”  Peter changed his mind and asked for cleansing of his head, his hands, and his feet. 

Confident assertion vs. unequivocal denial.  With the cross at hand Jesus warned His disciples of their pending desertion.  Peter confidently disagreed: “Even though all may fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”  Hours later Peter emphatically and repeatedly denied even knowing Jesus.  Jesus looked at Peter.  Peter remembered what Jesus had said and “went out and wept bitterly.”

In the topsy-turvy nature of his discipleship it was his most significant failure.  Jesus had given him a new name, Peter (‘Rock’), but he wasn’t living up to it.  He vacillated between acts of great faith and wisdom and lacks of faith and spiritual foolishness.  In other words—he was just like us.  After denying Christ, Peter went back to fishing.  Jesus found him there and patiently and lovingly restored him to ministry.

It is an altogether different Peter that we read about in the book of Acts.  Previously, Jesus’ repeated predictions of His pending death made absolutely no sense to Peter, but after Pentecost he boldly proclaimed the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  Previously, Peter shrunk back in fear when a slave girl asked him about his relationship with Jesus, but after Pentecost, before the Sanhedrin—who had the power to do him much harm—he boldly proclaimed Jesus to be the Christ and the sole means of salvation.

The post-Pentecost Peter is an altogether different Peter, a “like-a-rock” Apostle who stood firm and contended for the gospel in the face of unabated threats and persecution.  The fishermen was perfected the art of fishing for men.  How can we account for the difference?  What worked to bring about such a transformation? 

Prior to His arrest Jesus spoke to His disciples of the forthcoming ministry of the Holy Spirit.  He said that it was to their advantage that He (Jesus) go away, because in going He would send the “Helper.”  He was referring to the person of the Holy Spirit.  The Helper (Greek “parakletos” = “one called alongside to help”) would bear witness of Jesus, give understanding of truth, and indwell the disciples (John 14:17).  Later, Jesus spoke of the power the disciples would receive by the Spirit (Acts 1:8).  It is the Spirit of God who made all the difference in Peter’s life.  By the Spirit he was able to do things he could never have possibly done in his own strength.

And so it is for any of us.  Apart from the Spirit’s inner-working we are both unwise and impotent when it comes to spiritual matters.  As Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits not nothing” (John 6:63).  The believer is called to a walk by the Spirit.  Apart from Jesus we can’t lift a spiritual finger, but by the Spirit who works within us God is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think (John 15:5; Phil. 4:13).

BY SEARCHING

Some time ago I read a biography of Isobel Kuhn entitled “By Searching.”  Isobel (1901-1957) was a missionary to the Lisu people of Yunnan Province, China, and northern Thailand. She served with the China Inland Mission, along with her husband, John.  The following excerpt from her book tells of her experience of being interviewed as a prospective missionary by the council of China Inland Mission.  She was taken aback by the response of one of the council members, and was, at first, quite defensive.  But the council of a fellow believer led her to reconsider, and even though wrongly accused, God led her to respond in a more positive way which ultimately contributed to her preparation for ministry.  Her experience speaks to the truth of 1 Peter 2:18-20, “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.  For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up sorrows when suffering unjustly.  For what credit is there if, when you sin and harshly treated, you endure it with patience?  But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.”

“I was in Toronto some three or four weeks before being called to meet the Council. That is a formidable occasion and I was nervous, as I am not quick at thinking on my feet. I always do better with preparation and time to consider the best answer. The meeting came and went, however, and that evening after supper I was called into the sitting-room by Mr. Brownlee to hear the verdict. He said something like this: "The Council was quite satisfied with your answers today, and we in the Home have enjoyed your presence. But the Council has asked me to speak to you upon a very serious matter. Among your referees there was one who did not recommend you. The reason given was that you are proud, disobedient, and likely to be a troublemaker. This person has known you for some years, and the Council felt they could not ignore the criticism."

"Who was it?" I asked quickly, simply dumbfounded.

"The C.I.M. does not betray the confidence of referees. We write to those who have had business associations with you as well as the referees you yourself give—and we promise to keep all reports in confidence. I cannot tell you the name, but I would like to discuss with you what havoc such characteristics can cause on the field."

He then proceeded to do so. At the end of an hour of earnest exhortation, he pronounced the verdict: "The Council decided to accept you conditionally. There is an anti-foreign uprising in China just now which is very serious and we dare not send out any new candidates. That will be our public statement on this matter. For yourself alone, and we hope you will not spread it around, during your waiting period the Vancouver Council will be watching to see if any of these characteristics show themselves. If you prove that you have conquered them, you will then meet with the Western Council and be accepted fully, and sent out with the first party that goes. As we anticipate your victory in these matters, it was voted to pay your train fare to Vancouver, as en route for China. I can assure you I have not found it easy to say these things." And indeed his face was sad and tired. I felt sorry for him, even with the misery that was numbing my own heart.

"Good night." And I went up to bed, but, as you can readily believe, not to sleep. Who could be the unknown referee?

Proud. Disobedient. A troublemaker. This was the third time the adjective proud had been attached to me. The first time was by Daddy Page himself months before. He had read me an anxious lecture on the subject, to my extreme surprise, for pride was one of the human frailties of which I felt I was not guilty. I would have taken Daddy Page's lecture to heart if he had not ended it by holding up to me, as one example to emulate, a certain fellow-student. That particular student stood high in the regard of the staff, but I happened to room near her and I knew that secretly she broke many Institute rules, also she lied about her age to her boyfriends, and so on. I was sure if Dr. Page knew what I knew, he would never have held her up as a pattern of conduct. So I concluded he did not know either of us and brushed the accusation aside. China was later to be a painful revelation to me of my own heart and frailty. From this distance I now know that Dr. Page had indeed sensed a real flaw in my life but had hold of the wrong label, that was all.

I was selfish. I had whimsically divided the world into two classes—people who interested me and people who did not. I felt I was not proud, because the people who interested me were often among the poor or the uneducated, but when it was so, my friendship for them was still as warm as for those who had social or educational advantages.

Toward people who did not interest me I must have appeared proud. I cold-shouldered them and brushed them off me as time-wasters. This was of course a serious flaw for a missionary, but I fancy its basis was selfishness rather than pride.

The next point was—disobedience. How I did get indignant! There were many rules at Moody Bible Institute which were difficult to keep. The rules have been revised since, and it is no longer so, but I had been meticulous in obeying simply because I had signed a promise to do so. I felt honor-bound to keep that promise. The little matter of laundry, for instance: we had washbowls in our rooms, but their use for laundry was forbidden. To rinse one pair of stockings a day was allowed, no more. There was no laundry in Ransom Hall, so I had to waste many weary steps going to another dormitory to do my laundry and waste more precious minutes because it was required that each time I get permission from the Matron to do so. And I could not always find the Matron. This was my most galling trial. The girl who had been held up to me as an example washed all her lingerie and sometimes even nightclothes right in her bedroom at hours when she knew the inspectors would be busy elsewhere, and dried them on her radiator! "The rule is unreasonable" was her only answer when I remarked on it. But I had promised to obey, so I dragged my weary self over to the other building every week. And now the C.I.M. had been told I was disobedient!

I had been told not to spread around this second condition of my acceptance by the Mission, but I did write a few friends. They wrote back quickly, indignant and sympathetic, and I was somewhat mollified. All except one, Roy Bancroft, a music student with a beautiful baritone voice and a consecrated heart. We had invited Roy out to St. Charles Reformatory to sing to the boys and help deal with them. I happened to be writing to him those days and impulsively told him. A letter came back quickly and I opened it with a smile of anticipation, thinking that Roy too would be indignant on my behalf.

But I got a shock.

"Isobel," he wrote, "what surprised me most of all was your attitude in this matter. You sound bitter and resentful. Why, if anyone had said to me, 'Roy B., you are proud, disobedient, and a troublemaker,' I would answer: 'Amen, brother! And even then you haven't said the half of it!' What good thing is there in any of us, anyway? We have victory over these things only as we bring them one by one to the Cross and ask our Lord to crucify it for us."

These words "stabbed my spirit broad awake." Faithful friend he was, not afraid to season his words with salt even as he did not forget to speak with grace also. I was on my knees in no time asking the Lord to forgive me.

I arose from my knees with a different attitude. Instead of resentment there was alertness to watch and see if these three horrid "Diabolutians"—pride, disobedience, rebellion—were really lurking in my camp. The town of Mansoul should not protect them, if detected. This brought me into peace, even though I always shrank from the memory that I was to be watched for their appearance in my life.

Subsequently it so happened that in a most unexpected way I learned of my detractor's identity and then I knew the reason for her hostility. It will suffice here to say that she was a teacher in a school which I had attended. She wished me to assist her in spying on my fellow-pupils. I felt that was unworthy and so had incurred her displeasure by refusing. When I learned this I was tempted to clear myself with Mr. Brownlee and the Western Council. But should I? I seemed to hear a voice say, "If that had been said of me, I'd have answered 'Amen, Brother! And then you haven't told the half of it!'" Dear old Roy—he was right. Why try to make the Mission think I was lily-white? They'd have personal experience before long as to just how earthly a person I was!”

CHRISTIAN CANNIBALISM

We’ve got two dogs—Bean and Rory.  Bean is a black and white half-Lab/half-Dalmatian.  Rory is a 3 year old Golden Retriever.  They’re friends and most of the time they get along pretty well—sometimes Bean will even lick and clean Rory’s ears for her.  But Rory is kind of spoiled and tends to get a little more attention.  Bean’s response?—he sneaks in behind her, chomps on her leg, and pulls.  Kind one minute, chomping on her the next.  Dogs can be unpredictable in their behavior—just like humans.

For the last year or two--I’ve lost track of when we started--our Men’s Bible study has been doing a study through a book written by Alexander Strauch entitled “If You Bite and Devour One Another: Biblical Principles for Handling Conflict.”  The title for the book comes from Galatians 5:15, “But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you consume one another.”  It has been a wonderful study for our group.  I highly recommend it.

The title and verse speak to a very real problem—it is possible for Christians to engage in “Christian cannibalism.”  I’m not speaking, of course, of the physical kind, but Paul used such language to graphically depict what happens when Christians fail to act by the Spirit in love in their relationships to one another.  The sad reality is that you don’t have to be a Christian very long until you’ve been “chomped on” by a fellow brother or sister in Christ.

That we would engage is such behavior is testimony to the reality and tenacity of sin, though forgiven the believer is nonetheless still capable, in the flesh, of engaging in gross acts of unloving behavior.  You’ve probably got a few pieces of missing flesh or at least some tooth marks.  And you’ve likely, on more than one occasion, taken a bite out of a fellow saint.  Not very tasty!

A variety of fleshly responses can be applied to difficult situations.  Sometimes we flee the situation (how many Christians leave a church because of their unwillingness to lovingly confront a matter?).  We can fight—“enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions” are listed amongst the various deeds of the flesh (Gal. 5:20).  These kind of responses require no effort on our part.  We tend to gravitate towards them.  Like weeds in a garden their propensity to dictate our response is an ever present reality.  Even if not visibly present, they are there, lying just below the surface.

The remedy for our tendency to respond in fleshly ways is to “walk by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16).  We lack the wisdom, power, or compassion to respond on our own, to difficult situations in a God-honoring way.  It is by the Spirit that Divine resources and Christ-like virtues are borne in us and brought to bear upon a conflict.  The person of the Spirit (the one called alongside to Help) uses the Word of God to help us.  It is as the “Word of Christ richly dwells within us” that we are led to relate to one another properly (Cf. Eph. 5:18f; Col. 3:16f).

The context of Gal. 5:15-16 instructs us in the universally correct response to one another: “Through love serve one another.  For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Love must always govern our relationships within the body of Christ and our response to difficult situations.  There is never an “opt-out” when it comes to the command for us to love one another (Cf. John 13:34-35).  In our day one cannot mention the command to love without qualifying it according to its Biblical definition.  Love does not equate to tolerance, love is something far greater than that.  It has demonstrated to us and defined for us in the loving sacrifice of the Lord Jesus (1 John 3:16).  In the context of what is taught elsewhere in Scripture, a good definition of Christ-like love would be: that which actively, purposefully, and sacrificially pursues that which is best for its object.  Love coexists with truth and can only be understood in the sense of desiring “Christ’s best” for those whom we care about.  The exercise of Christ-like love depends on knowledge of the truth and discernment (Cf. Phil. 1:6).  This is the kind of love that we are to show to others, even when they don’t respond in kind.

In our study of Stauch’s book one theme has repeatedly drawn our attention—the example of Christ.  In every good way He is the perfect example for us.  He faced more and greater difficult situations than any of us will ever face, yet He never sinned in His response (Cf. Heb. 4:15).  Without condoning or tolerating sin, He was able to “speak the truth in love” in a remarkable manner (Cf. John 3:1-9; 4:11-8; 8:1-11).  He has set the standard for us in how we are to love (Cf. John 13:34-35; Eph. 4:32-5:2; 1 John 3:16).  To love like Jesus is to love in terms of 1 Cor. 13:4-7.  In consideration of His example it is readily apparent that we all have room to grow.

That reality helps us when it comes to dealing with difficult situations. Christ has for us to grow.  There is no way to avoid difficult situations.  We are all going to be “chomped on” sometime—that’s something we can’t control.  But here’s something we can control—our response.  We can respond, by the Spirit in love, in a way that honors God, contributes to healthy relationships, and adorns our testimony before the lost.  We can respond in a way that will contribute to our growing in Christ—a matter of utmost and mutual importance.

Bean doesn’t know any better, he’s just a dog.  But thank God that, in Christ, He is able to change us and grant us victory over our tendency to cannibalize ourselves.  It is in the nature of man in this dog-eat-dog world to chomp on each other, it is the nature and work of the Spirit to lead us to a higher plane of living.

Pastor Jerry