Holy Is He!

Psalm 99

Introduction

I suspect many of you watched the closing ceremonies of the Olympics last Sunday. It was interesting to see the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin participating in a world event. It was a happy occasion, and yet, I noticed that the man never smiles. With HDTV coverage we got a pretty accurate picture of his face? Was the lack of a smile an indication of a man who has no joy? Is that what he is really like?

What about God. Do we have an accurate image of God? Does God smile? Is God always serious? Does God listen? Does God show friendliness? People have many impressions of what God is like. Some people see him as a friendly father, some as a buddy, like Morgan Freeman in the movie “Bruce Almighty.” Many people see God as a tyrant making demands of perfection and condemning anyone who does not measure up. Are these accurate images of God? The Bible gives us many words to describe God, and of course it is these words we must listen to. This morning, we will look at Psalm 99 in which one phrase is repeated three times and forms the basis of one of the most important characteristics of God. Let’s read the text.

Did you catch the repeated phrase? The phrase “Holy is He” is found in verses 3, 5 & 9. The Psalm not only declares the holiness of God, but also helps us understand something of what that means. I hope that reflection on Psalm 99 will be helpful and encouraging for you. But there is more than encouragement here. If God is holy, then we also need to think about how we relate to a holy God? Over the next few weeks, I want to think about that with you, but we need to do so on the basis of the foundation we are building today of understanding God’s holiness.

I.                God is exalted as King 1-3

Holiness is the underlying truth about God in this Psalm because it is the theme that is repeated at the end of each section. Each section helps us understand a different aspect of what that holiness is all about.

A.               The King Enthroned Upon the Cherubim!

The first thing we learn in the first verse is that God is King. But besides being called king, the sovereignty of God is also illustrated with the phrase, “He sits enthroned upon the cherubim.” When we think of cherubs, the image that comes to mind is the child-like winged creatures that represent love and gentleness. The image of cherubim in the Bible give us a much different picture, however. The first time the cherubim are mentioned in the Bible is in the Garden of Eden, in Genesis 3:24 where we read, "He drove out the man; and at the east of the Garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life." Here the Cherubim are depicted as guards, demonstrating the power of God and the reality that you can’t pass by when God’s cherubim are on guard.

The mention of Cherubim are frequent in the Bible because the tent of meeting and later the temple that Solomon built included statues of two Cherubim. In Exodus 25:18 they were instructed, "You shall make two cherubim of gold; you shall make them of hammered work, at the two ends of the mercy seat." These images of cherubim are winged beings whose wings spread out widely and who are “at the two ends of the mercy seat.” They are in the place of the presence of God and it is likely this image that is behind the statement in Psalm 99:1.

Yet these Cherubim are representative of real creatures and we meet the real creatures again in Ezekiel where it talks about how the presence of God left the temple at the time of the exile. We read a description of them in Ezekiel 10:20-21, "These were the living creatures that I saw underneath the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim. Each had four faces, each four wings, and underneath their wings something like human hands."

So with these images of God enthroned upon the Cherubim we have an amazing picture of what the holiness of God is all about. It tells us of sovereignty. It speaks of glorious majesty. In fact, we read in Ezekiel 10:19, “…the glory of the God of Israel was above them.”

The closing ceremony of the Olympics was pretty impressive with light, sound and fantastic images, but there is something about the presence of God that we can hardly imagine that is communicated by the fact that God reigns over all. This image reminds us that His presence is amazing and glorious. As we consider His holiness, this image of God must be in our minds.

B.               Great in Zion…over all people!

This powerful majesty and sovereignty of God is declared in verse 2 to be “great in Zion.” Zion is the place where God lived at the time when this was written. Zion was the place where God was present with His people and where people acknowledged the reign of God. God is great and acknowledged as great among those who are His people and who accept His reign. As we have come together to worship Him today, we are among those who believe that he is Sovereign Lord. We accept that, acknowledge it and rejoice in it.

But the second verse presents us with a bit of a twist when it says that “He is exalted over all the peoples.” Not only is God great in Zion, among those who acknowledge Him. He is also great and sovereign over those who do not acknowledge Him. Whether people acknowledge Him or not, He is Lord and King over everything. He is Sovereign over all creation, over all the earth, over every living creature and over every human being. Those who refuse to acknowledge that God even exists are still under His sovereign power. Genesis 18:25 declares that He is “Judge of all the earth.” Hebrews 4:13, speaking of God says, "And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account."

The holiness of God includes the understanding of His sovereignty over everything. He is indeed “Lord…over all the peoples.”

C.               Tremble!

How do we respond to such majesty, such sovereignty? These verses declare, “Let the peoples tremble…let the earth quake.” The holiness of God is not something that allows us to come to God with familiarity or carelessness. The holiness of God when properly perceived will drive us to our knees and shake our hearts and cause us to fear God, which is not a bad thing. To fear God is not to fear punishment at the hands of a tyrant as we will see in a moment. It is, however, to have a full and deep recognition of the glory and holiness of God in whose presence we have no right to enter apart from His invitation and before whom we must tremble because of His holiness.

We have been far too quick to approach God casually without duly understanding His holiness. Kidner says, “Holy is a word to emphasize the distance between God and man: not only morally, as between the pure and the polluted, but in the realm of being, between the eternal and the creaturely.” He also says, “The repeated cry, Holy is He! Forbids us to take it casually.”

II.             God Is Just 4-5

But holiness means more than this. The “Mighty King” also has a significant relationship to what is just and right.

I had an interesting conversation with someone a few weeks ago about governments. Their perspective was that there is no government that does right. For example, the media has portrayed the former president of the Ukraine as a tyrant who has maliciously killed the citizens of his country. If he did that, he is not just, but is that the whole story? Was he unjust in putting down rebellion in the way that he did? How do we know what is right in any given situation? Do we believe that our government is doing what is right? Some of you have experienced powerless and corrupt governments or powerful and evil governments and you would probably say that we live in a pretty good place, but I am pretty sure that not everything done in the name of the government is always right even in Canada.

In contrast, the holiness of God means that He does everything right. There are three phrases in verses 4, 5 that tell us about this, each giving a little different aspect of God’s justice.

First of all, it says that God is a “lover of justice.” He doesn’t do what is right simply because He is commissioned to do right or because He is obligated to do so. God loves justice. He does what is right because the underlying motive God has is doing what is right. Being a lover of justice tells us that, for God, doing right comes out of a heart that is committed to it.

            Out of God’s desire to do what is right we read that He has “established equity.” This tells us that God makes the rules that govern the universe. He declares what is good and what is not good. Much law today is relative often based on what is deemed best for the most people. But sometimes things are declared good based on a flawed understanding of the world and how humans operate. God, however, has created everything and He declares what is fair and just based on His knowledge of how everything works.

God has also “executed justice.” He carries it out in the world He has made. Every judgment God makes is fair and good. He does so out of a knowledge of every aspect of truth. The thing that makes justice in the human courts so difficult is that the truth is never fully known. God knows the truth. He knows the underlying motives in each situation and He understands every side of an issue.

The holiness of God speaks to His justice and when it comes to justice, if we are to use the image of the scales of justice we are assured that with God there is absolute equality.

How do we respond to this aspect of His holiness? On the one hand, this is a great encouragement because we can rest assured that in a world filled with injustices, God is not unaware. When genocide occurs, when tyrants oppress, when slavery and abuse occur, when one nation oppresses another, God is aware. He, the holy judge of all the earth, takes note and justice will be done. Whatever has been missed by the International Criminal Court in The Hague has not been missed by God and for that we can be thankful.

Yet, when we understand our own complicity in evil and sin, we also stand before the eternal judge of all the earth guilty and trembling. Once again the fear of the Lord is an appropriate response to the holiness of God who is just.

III.           God is Approachable and Holds Accountable 6-9

The holiness of God leads us to see the majestic sovereignty and perfect justice of God. These things cause us to fear before Him, but there is even more to God’s holiness than this. The next section mentions specific people who experienced God. Their stories help us understand another aspect of God’s holiness. Once again, we know that this is a description of His holiness for the Psalm ends with the phrase, “the Lord our God is holy.”

What we see in these stories is that God is approachable and forgiving. Yet the holiness of God also reminds us that this approach and this forgiveness is not such that lightly dismisses wrongdoing. God remains one who is “an avenger of their wrongdoings.” Let’s examine these things in the stories of the three Biblical characters mentioned in verse 6.

A.               Moses

Moses had many amazing encounters with God. He first met him at the burning bush, where the holiness of God was reinforced to Moses in the invitation to take off his shoes because he was standing on holy ground. He also encountered God at Mount Sinai. Exodus 24:17-18, describes that encounter when it says, "Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights."

God had chosen and prepared Moses for a life of service and Moses was willing to be God’s servant. In Exodus 40:16 we read, "Moses did everything just as the LORD had commanded him."

Psalm 99 also indicates that these men, “called on His name…and He answered them.” Moses had many experiences in which God heard his pleas. One of the most significant prayers of Moses was when the people made the golden calf. Their sin was very great and in Exodus 32:31, 32 we read the prayer of Moses for the people, "So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin; they have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will only forgive their sin…” God did forgive them and did not completely destroy the people.

In all of these encounters, we see something of the intimate and wonderful relationship that Moses had with God. God came to him, invited him into relationship, guided him, gave Him His word and helped him lead the people.

Yet the holiness of God also held Moses accountable. In Numbers 20:9-13 we read the story of how Moses dishonored the name of God before the people because of his anger and frustration with the people. We read in verse 12, "But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me, to show my holiness before the eyes of the Israelites, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

B.               Aaron

Aaron had a similar story. He was with Moses in many of the things which Moses experienced. He also encountered God and saw God in the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. He did not experience the same intimacy as Moses did, but He was aware of God’s presence with the people and He saw the power of God on the mountain and experienced the presence of God with His people.

Aaron’s effectiveness in prayer is seen particularly in the time of Korah’s rebellion which is recorded in Numbers 16. Aaron’s actions as a priest of God demonstrated his prayer and also shows how God listened to him. Because of the rebellion, God sent a plague among the people to punish them. But Aaron prayed for the people and we read in Numbers 16:47, 48, "So Aaron ran…into the middle of the assembly, where the plague had already begun among the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people. He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stopped."

Aaron experienced God’s presence and also experienced His answers to prayer, but the holiness of God was not only seen by him in God’s approachability and answering prayer. It was also seen in that God held him accountable. Numbers 12 tells the story of a time when Aaron and Miriam rebelled against the leadership of their brother Moses. God punished Miriam with leprosy for seven days, but it was Aaron who acknowledged their wrongdoing when he said in verse 11 “Oh, my lord, do not punish us for a sin that we have so foolishly committed." And so in His holiness, God was “an avenger of their wrongdoings.”

C.               Samuel

Samuel is known as one who listened to the voice of God. We all know the story. Samuel was just a young child when God spoke to Him and Samuel responded with the wonderful prayer, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” He continued in this kind of a relationship with God, experiencing the holiness of God as One who was approachable. He also experienced God as one who hears those who pray. At one time Israel was at war with the Philistines. They were afraid and we read in 1 Samuel 7:9, "So Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD; Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him."

Almost all of Samuel’s life is one in which we see the holiness of God in this relationship of knowing God, encountering God, praying to God and seeing God answer prayer. In fact in Samuel’s case, it is difficult to find any wrongdoing in him. The only flaw in his life is what we read in I Samuel 8 that “he made his sons judges over Israel…Yet his sons did not follow in his ways.” As a result of this wrongdoing, the people were provoked to ask for a king which led to all kinds of trouble for the nation.

In all of these encounters the holiness of God is revealed in that God is approachable. In spite of being the King over everything and the one who is absolutely just, God’s holiness also means that He comes to people and desires a relationship with them. His holiness also reminds us that God answers prayer. But the approachability of God is always on the terms of His holiness. When even those who have known God engage in wrongdoing, God holds them accountable. This too is part of His holiness.

Conclusion

Today we have learned about God’s holiness from Psalm 99. We have learned that His holiness includes His sovereign rule, His Justice, His forgiveness and His approachability but that He also keeps account of those who sin. All this is His holiness. We must know God in all these aspects. We cannot just look at one aspect or another, but all. We must learn to have a complete view of God.

As we come to understand God, we are brought to stand in awe of Him. Kidner exclaims, “…how exalted and holy He is, and how profound is the reverence we owe Him.” Spurgeon also invites us to such worship when he says, “…who would not farther adore Jehovah, whose character is unsullied purity, unswerving justice, unbending truth, unbounded love, in a word, perfect holiness…”

            As we, God’s children, examine God’s holiness, there is, however one fact that we cannot escape. I Peter 1:16 says, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” We understand that God’s holiness causes us to tremble before Him. We can rejoice and be thankful that God is approachable. We can know that He knows us and wants a relationship with us. But how can we be holy as He is holy? Today, I invite you to meditate deeply and carefully on the holiness of God. Over the next few weeks I want to think more with you about this call to be holy as He is holy.

Taught by Jesus

Matthew 5:21-37

Introduction

Probably many of you have been watching the Olympics this week. I have noticed not only the athletes themselves and the excitement and joy they have when they do well, but also the coaches. They are very excited when the athletes they have been coaching do well because they have been so invested in their success. They know the sport well and they know the athletes and have helped them give the best of what they have. Wouldn’t it be great to have a coach for life? There are actually people who have life coaches. As Christians, each of us has a life coach. Jesus is the one who knows us and knows what God wants and He is able to help us live well in this world and live well in our relationship with God.

Two weeks ago we talked about what God wants and we learned that God wants us to accept the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins and then to live the abundant life He has for us. Last week we talked about how God’s Spirit helps us live in that way because He lives within us. This week, we will look at Matthew 5:21-37 in order to think about how Jesus is the one who will teach us how to live the Christian life. Jesus understands God’s righteousness and He understands us and by His instruction and example, we learn how to live. Matthew 5 is an example, not only of His instruction, but also of how Jesus thinks and there is much to learn from Him in this passage.

I.                You Have Heard…But I Say

We are specifically examining Matthew 5:21-37, but the teaching of Jesus extends to verse 48. In this section, there are 6 themes addressed. Each one begins with the phrase, “You have heard that it was said.” Jesus points to the teaching of righteousness that they were very familiar with. Some of these statements come from the Ten Commandments, others from some other parts of the Old Testament and some from the customs and teachings of the Jews which have arisen the Old Testament. Those listening would have agreed with each statement which began, “you have heard that it was said.”

However, Jesus goes on to say in each of these sections, “but I say to you.” In some of these teachings, Jesus furthers their intent. For example, when he says “you have heard…don’t murder” he deepens the command to say “don’t even hate.” Regarding the issue of divorce Jesus actually contradicts what the Old Testament says. We read in verse 31 that if you want a divorce you just have to write a certificate of divorce. This comes from Deuteronomy 24:1. But Jesus says, “…don’t divorce at all.”

When Jesus said, “…but I say to you” it shows us that Jesus did not hesitate to make authoritative comments on God’s Word. As followers of Jesus, we need to listen to His teaching, but how is His teaching to be applied to us?

II.             A New Legalism?

There is no doubt that these words must be read in the context of Matthew 5:17-20 where Jesus says “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets” and “whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments...will be called least in the kingdom of heaven…”

When we read that and then read what follows, it is not difficult to come to the conclusion that what we have here is a new set of laws for Christians. Are these the new rules which Christians must obey in order to remain in relationship with God? If we fail to do these things, will that leave us outside of God’s favor?

If that is what this teaching of Jesus is telling us to do, we are in a very difficult situation because what Jesus teaches us to do is much more difficult than the laws about which He says, “you have heard that it was said.” Although it is sad that some people choose to murder others, most of us would never consider such a thing. But how many of us have been angry with or insulted a brother or sister? Adultery happens, but we all understand that it is wrong and most of us would not do it. But how many of us have at one time or another looked at someone who is not our spouse and desired that person? If we read these things in the light of the warning that if we break these commandments we will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, we are in serious trouble.

If this is a new Christian legalism, then what happens to the gospel as good news? In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus invites us “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” If Jesus is setting up a new Christian legalism in Matthew 5, where is the rest He promises in Matthew 11? Where is the yoke that is easy and the burden that is light?

In Ephesians 2:8-10 Paul declares the good news that “…by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life."

Romans 7:4 very explicitly states, "…my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God."

One of the things all three of these passages teach us is that it is by God’s grace that we have been saved and we have done nothing to earn what is a gift from God. At the same time, each of these passages also speaks of the yoke we take up when we are in Christ and that we “belong to another” in order to “do good works” and in order that “we may bear fruit for God.”

What all this teaches us is that Jesus is not calling us to a new legalism. Yet He is calling us to follow Him and to learn from Him. What is the difference? A focus on law separates between right and wrong in very linear way. It sets what is obedience to law on one side and what is disobedience to law on the other and the line is very clearly defined. Legalism makes judgments about what is success and what is failure in keeping the laws and implies that those who fail to keep the laws are under judgment. Legalism has very little room for exceptional circumstances and fails to answer every situation justly. Instead, it looks for laws to cover exceptions and applies them rigorously. When legalism is in play there is little room for grace and there is little room for considering what God really wants in any situation.

So I would suggest that although a quick reading of this text may make it look like a new set of Christian laws which we must follow, if we read the text carefully in the context of all that Jesus has said and done, we cannot come to that conclusion. Unfortunately, Christians have too often come to that conclusion. Too often we have tried to find the law that covers a situation and we have been judgmental of anyone who does not follow the laws that we think must be followed. We have also not been consistent in declaring what is a law nor have we been consistent in our judgment of those we believe have broken that law. I can’t speak for you, but I know that I have been guilty of this kind of law based perspective and judgment of others. When I was involved in the youth program a friend of mine brought a person who I don’t think was a believer to a youth event. During the course of the event, my friend asked me to take his friend to a store so he could buy some cigarettes. I refused, of course, because smoking is wrong, but it wasn’t long afterwards that I realized how legalistic and judgmental I had been and how I had failed to extend the love of Christ to that person.

III.           What is Jesus Teaching?

So if Jesus is not teaching a new Christian legalism, how do we understand this passage and how do we learn from Jesus? What is Jesus teaching?

The key is found in Matthew 5:20 where Jesus said, “…unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” The righteousness of the Pharisees was founded on their ability to obey the law. If they followed every precept laid down not only in the Old Testament Scriptures, but in all their interpretations of the Scriptures, they believed that they would be worthy of the kingdom of heaven. How do you achieve that high degree of righteousness? Is Jesus saying that if we obey the higher Christian legalism we will exceed their righteousness?

I am quite sure that is not what Jesus is saying. What is the foundation of our righteousness? Is it not the righteousness of Jesus Christ? So the way in which to exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees is to be righteous in Jesus and if we have received His forgiveness and if we have placed our trust in Him then our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees not because of anything that we have done, but because of the sinless life and freely given sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Our righteousness is in Him and that is good news and that is an easy yoke and that is rest!

            If that is what Jesus is teaching us, then what is the meaning of each of the six following issues which look, for all the world, like a new set of Christian laws? Let us examine the first four and see what Jesus is teaching us.

A.               Healing the Brokenness that Leads to Murder

The first issue which we find in verse 21 says “You shall not murder…” Murder is bad. It breaks relationships and it destroys life. When Jesus says, “But I say to you…” He invites us to a deeper teaching. What do we learn from Jesus?

The things Jesus speaks of here are those things that could lead to murder. The precursor to murder is things like anger, insult, and broken relationships. Remember, Jesus is not teaching us a new list of Christian laws. We are accepted by God because of the blood of Jesus. What Jesus is teaching us is a way to live that follows upon acceptance and that allows us to live an abundant life. Jesus is inviting us to live according to those things that will lead to life not to murder. The way of Jesus invites us to reconcile quickly with those whom we have offended and to be willing to come to terms quickly with an accuser so that we can live in good relationships with all. Human good will cannot accomplish these things. If we are wronged, we quickly cry for justice. If we wrong others, we easily excuse our abuse as a mere foible. It is only in a relationship with Jesus in which we trust Him to lead us into the future He has for us that we can live in this way. It is only when we know that He will make all things right in the end that we can have the foundation from which to live such a yielded life. This is not a new legalism, but a life of dependence on the one who accepts us on the basis of His own righteousness and invites us to live an abundant life of trust in Him. You can’t do that without a changed heart and a submissive attitude that trusts in Jesus.

B.               Healing the Brokenness that Leads to Adultery

The next issue Jesus addresses is adultery. This also was one of the Ten Commandments given to promote the sanctity of marriage.

Jesus invites us to something deeper. Let’s learn from Jesus. Once again, this is not a new Christian law which says never lust. There are some who have taken this as a new Christian law and have gouged out an eye or cut off a hand. Yet the sin of lust does not come from without, but from within, so simply making a new law does not help us live. Jesus invites us to live in a way that is life giving. On the foundation of His sacrifice, we are invited to live in a relationship with Him that rejects the source of sin and seeks to honor marriage and honor others even in the way we look at them because this is life giving.

C.               Healing the Brokenness that leads to Divorce

The temptation to treat these as a new Christian law is quite strong when it comes to divorce and remarriage. I know of many situations in which church people have told those who have left their spouse that they are condemned to hell if they don’t return to their spouse. If whether we divorce or not is the foundation of our salvation, then what happens to the gospel of grace which tells us that our sins are forgiven in Jesus? What happens to the gospel of grace that offers forgiveness? Once again we need to be careful not to make this the defining basis of righteousness.

The law from the Old Testament was a concession which Moses made so that, particularly women, would be treated with fairness when their husbands were tired of them and didn’t want them anymore.

Once again, Jesus invites us to think about that which is life giving. He invites His followers to recognize that divorce is not life giving. Talk to any person who has gone through divorce and they will tell you about the brokenness and the terrible impact it has. Divorce has huge financial implications, but even more devastating is the broken relationships it leaves in its wake. If there are children in the marriage they are impacted. There are usually changes in friendships and family relationships. No matter how long you are apart from your spouse the brokenness is always a memory. That is why Jesus encourages that divorce should be avoided at all cost. God’s original plan for marriage should be followed. Divorce is not life giving.

Yet Jesus recognized that there are situations in which remaining in a marriage is even more destructive and so he says, “…except on the ground of unchastity.” Now let’s be careful that we do not interpret this to mean that if unfaithfulness happens that is an automatic ground for divorce and let’s be careful to understand that unfaithfulness is not the only possible ground for divorce. If we do that, we are once again making this a Christian legalism and that is not what Jesus intends.

We are all sinners who have been saved by grace alone. When marriage becomes difficult, rather than find a rule that fits our situation and either break it or follow it to our hurt, we need to walk with Jesus in these situations and seek Him for that which is life giving and faith affirming.

Jesus invites us to live in such a way that our marriage relationships are life giving and life affirming. How can we do that as we walk in relationship with Him?

D.              Healing the Brokenness of Dishonest Words

The Jews had a very sophisticated system of deciding how binding an oath was by judging how closely related to God’s name it was. So if you swore by heaven and earth, that was not a binding oath. If you swore towards Jerusalem, that was binding because God lived in Jerusalem. The whole practice seems rather strange, but we do very similar things. In our court system we invite people to swear with their hands on the Bible, but how many people nevertheless perjure themselves while under oath.

Once again we need to learn from Jesus and once again He invites those who are His followers to simply be honest. This is not a new Christian law, but it is the way in which we can live in a life affirming way. As those who have been forgiven by Christ, we have no need to lie because all our needs are met in Him and because He cares for us. We have no need to put on false pretenses because we are all sinners saved by grace. So there is no need to lie and the life affirming way is to live in a basic and consistent honesty.

Conclusion

Legalism kills and Christian legalism is a travesty of the grace by which we have come to life and by which Jesus wants us to live.

Yet the temptation and the drive towards legalism is strong. We find it in each of us and it is common in the church. On the basis of it we judge one another and we are unable to acknowledge the acceptance we have in Christ.

Whether we live perfectly or fail miserably, we cannot do anything to earn our place before God. We are received by grace on the foundation of the death of Jesus on the cross. To live by law after that is a denial of the grace and of the efficacy of Jesus’ death on the cross.

Yet having experienced that grace, we are called to live in a new way. How can we do that without going into legalism? We do so on the foundation that we are accepted in Jesus. We do so on the ground that we can never be separated from the love of God. We do so with the goal holiness because we know that life is found there.

Let us learn from Jesus how to walk in Him.

Taught by the Spirit

I Corinthians 2:1-16

Introduction

How do we learn things? If you want to learn a new language, what is the process? You would need to memorize words, learn how they are pronounced, learn the grammar and ideally have an opportunity to speak with a native speaker. It takes memorization, diligence and repetition. Do we learn spiritual truths in the same way or is there more to it?

Last week we talked about what God wants. We talked about the sacrifice which He has provided in Jesus to give us forgiveness and that God wants us to accept that sacrifice. We talked about the life that God wants us to live as those who belong to Him. How do we come to understand the gospel message and how do we come to understand how to live in God’s way. Is it simply a matter of diligence in studying the Bible and repetition to make the truths part of our life or is there more to it?

First Corinthians 2:1-16 addresses such questions and teaches us some important truths about being taught by the Spirit of God.

The Corinthians had become followers of Jesus following Paul’s visit to Corinth as recorded in Acts 18. After he left that city, he continued to correspond with them. In this letter, he was addressing a problem in their relationship with him. It seems that even though he had brought the gospel to them, they were not that impressed with Paul. Other teachers had come who were stirring things up with false teaching. The Corinthians listened to them because they were impressive and could excite them and stimulate their minds and imagination with wisdom.

Paul addresses this concern and in the course of doing so teaches us important things about how we come to understand God’s way.

            The things he teaches are relevant to our time as well. This week Bill Nye debated Ken Ham on topic of the origin of life. I am quite sure that no one was convinced to follow Christ by the brilliance of the arguments presented. Why am I convinced of that? Paul’s answer to the Corinthians helps us understand that the gospel is the simple message of Christ crucified and that it is only by the Spirit that anyone can understand God’s wisdom.

Let’s examine the text and then consider its implications.

I.           Salvation by the Spirit

A.          The Weakness of the Message

When Paul came to the city of Corinth, he tells us that he had decided before hand the kind of approach he would have. Whether this was always his strategy or whether he knew something about the Corinthians that caused him to choose this strategy we don’t know, but we do know that when he went there, he decided to give them a very simple message. In fact, to them with their desire for wisdom, it was a very unimpressive message. When he came to them he came preaching two things. He preached Jesus, telling them the story of Jesus coming and ministry. He also preached the central truth about Jesus which is that Jesus died on the cross to accomplish God’s plan of salvation.

I Corinthians 1 speaks about the impression the gospel message would leave on anyone from a Greek background. They considered this message foolishness. Among the Greeks, the study of rhetoric was a highly revered study. Augustine was one who had studied this topic and was sought out as a speaker because he could put words together in such an impressive way that everyone wanted to listen to him. In the age before TV, being a public speaker was a highly respected occupation. If you could deliver significant thoughts to people, they would be impressed. But Paul had a message that did not impress most of them. They saw it as gibberish. In Acts 17:32, we read about how some of them scoffed at the message Paul proclaimed in Athens. Yet this was the message which Paul preached over and over again.

B.          The Weakness of the Messenger

The message was unimpressive and Paul was also aware that he himself as the messenger was also unimpressive. When he came to them, we read in verse 3 that he came with weakness, fear and trembling. What was this weakness with which he came to them? We are not told. Was it because of a physical illness that limited what he could do? Was it because he was not a skilled orator who would be able to “wow” them with the way he put words together? Was his weakness caused by the persecutions he suffered, or was it even his own sins. There is certainly something to that. Every messenger of the holy gospel is a flawed human begin who has sinned and could sin at any time. When he was in Corinth, God came to Paul and we read in Acts 18:9 that God told him “do not be afraid…” Perhaps it was fear that limited what he could do.

In any case, the message which the Corinthians heard was not a brilliant discourse containing words of wisdom and it was not delivered by a polished orator who could hold the audience in the palm of his hand. The message was that of Christ crucified and that message was delivered by Paul, an ordinary human being.

C.          The Power of the Spirit

In spite of the weakness of the message and the messenger, something happened.

A number of them became believers. Paul attributes this to one central fact. The Holy Spirit showed up. When Paul preached, God’s Spirit took the words he spoke and applied them to the receptive hearts of those who heard and they accepted the message and followed God’s way.

            Although Paul’s speaking was not impressive, the presence and power of the Spirit was. Verse 4 says that the message was accompanied by “a demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” The Holy Spirit’s presence and activity were evident. How was He present? Was it through signs and wonders? These certainly accompanied Jesus when he preached the gospel and contributed to the authority with which he spoke the good news. Yet signs in themselves are not enough to convince anyone of God’s way or to persuade them to follow His way. The Pharisees and others saw the signs and yet did not believe. Although these were likely present, the power of the Spirit was clearly present in the fact that conversions happened. Scripture teaches us is that each person needs to make a decision to follow God on their own. But we also know that unless the Spirit of God is involved in drawing, convicting and converting, no one is able to believe. That is why I believe that the Spirit’s power was present and evidenced in the conversions that happened.

            The weakness Paul manifested in his own person and even in the “foolishness” of the message did not mean that there was an absence of power. The presence of the Spirit of God made the message effective and people became followers of God, understanding the message of the gospel and responding to it, by the power of the Spirit.

D.          The Purpose of Weakness

Why did Paul chose this strategy? The final part of verse 5 helps us understand when it says, “so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.” What a significant statement. When they believed it was not because Paul had been impressive or because the message was so intriguing. He did not convince anyone! When they believed, it was because of something that God did.

We began by asking how we come to know God’s message and God’s way. The answer is that this happens only by the power of the Holy Spirit. And when it happens by the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s power is demonstrated and He gets the glory. At the end of the message, I want to think with you about some of the implications of this truth.

II.         We Have the Mind of Christ

Paul states that his proclamation was not made up of “lofty words or wisdom” and were given “not with not plausible words of wisdom.” He described his presentation of the gospel as given in “weakness, fear and trembling.” Does that mean that what he spoke was actually foolishness? Does the message contain anything of value?

A.          True Wisdom

In the next section, he goes on to defend the message he preached. There is indeed wisdom in what he speaks. He says, “…we do speak wisdom.” But what is the nature of this wisdom? How is it wisdom? Why do so many see it as foolishness?

            He speaks of this wisdom as “God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages...” This tells us some important things about the wisdom of the gospel message.

            For one thing, it is not some new teaching. It seems that in the world, in Paul’s day and still today, there is a constant seeking for something that is new and exciting. It seems that people have a great curiosity about the latest thing. In contrast, the wisdom of which Paul speaks is an ancient wisdom. It is something that God has thought about and purposed from the very beginning of time. The plan of God was considered before the world began. 1 Peter 1:20 speaking about Jesus says, "He was destined before the foundation of the world..." God has always had the plan to restore humanity through the death of Jesus on the cross.

            Yet this plan has not been known. It has been hidden with God. It is not a secret in the sense that it cannot be known. It is not a mystery in the sense that no one can understand it. It is God’s mystery because until the appropriate time it was not revealed to people. Yet it has now been proclaimed in the world. Paul has already indicated that the mystery of God is the wisdom of what Jesus has accomplished. It is the message of Jesus crucified for the sins of the world. It is wisdom because it has the power to save, the power to introduce people into a new kingdom and the power to bring them to the eternal kingdom.

            We also notice in these verses that it accomplishes wonderful things for those who believe it. In verse 7, the message is declared to be “for our glory.” That means that by it we are brought into the glorious presence of God and we experience glory like we have never experienced on earth before. In verse 9 it promises that those who accept it will experience “what God has prepared for those who love him.” Verse 12, tells us that this wisdom of God promises “…gifts bestowed on us by God.”

            So the message which Paul preaches, the gospel message, is indeed God’s wisdom that is amazing and accomplishes amazing things.

B.          Not Understood by This Age

Yet the text also tells us that this gospel is not understood by the people of this age. We read in verse 8, “None of the rulers of this age understood.” Those who lived in the time when Jesus was on earth did not understand what Jesus was doing. They were in the very presence of the God of the universe who had come to deal with their sins and they didn’t understand what was going on, so they crucified Him. Which, ironically, accomplished God’s purpose but which they also did not understand.

A similar message is found in verse 9 where a partial quote from Isaiah 64:4 and a partial general Old Testament comment, declares that the human eye, ear and heart cannot conceive of what God is doing. Verse 14 puts it very succinctly. "Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them..."

So what this text is saying is that there is a huge divide between God’s wisdom and the understanding of it in the world. God’s wisdom stands as having power and effectiveness but the world has no clue about that! The people who do not know God may be able to parrot it, often mock it, may be able to state it clearly, but they don’t get it. It is foolishness to them.

C.          God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

Yet in spite of this gap, the way of God can be understood. How?

Paul uses an illustration from common human understanding. We can keep secrets from other people, but most often we know what is going on within our heart. Our own spirit understands what is going on within us. If, in response to the question “How are you doing” I respond, “just fine.” You will never know if that is the truth, but I know within myself. In a similar way, the Spirit who comes from God knows what is truly in the heart and mind of God.

The good news is that God’s Spirit has been given to us. This means that we also can understand the things of God because God has given us His Spirit. Once again we come to understand what we already saw in verses 1-5 and that is that the wisdom of God which is the message of Jesus crucified can only be understood by those who have the Spirit. This is the core message of this entire passage. In verse 10 it tells us that these things “God has revealed to us through the Spirit.” Verse 12 tells us that since God’s own Spirit knows what is in God, we also understand the mind and heart of God because God has given us His Spirit. Verse 13 reinforces this thinking when it says that the wisdom of God is known by those who are “taught by the Spirit” because spiritual truths are available only to those who are spiritual. Verse 16 furthermore affirms that “we have the mind of Christ.”

            Earlier we spoke about the gap between the wisdom of God and the failure of the people of this world to understand God’s wisdom. The only way it can be known is by the Spirit. Those who trust in the death and resurrection of Christ are enabled to understand and to follow God’s way because they have been given the Holy Spirit. The distinction in this passage is not between normal Christians and super-spiritual Christians. It is between God’s followers and those who do not grasp the gospel. The point of all this is that it is the Spirit of God who reveals God’s wisdom, the wisdom of Jesus who came to die for our sins. Apart from the Spirit of God we cannot know spiritual truth, but thank God that He has given His Spirit to reveal the wisdom of God.

Conclusion

These verses speak about God’s message which is the message of the gospel, the message of Jesus crucified. They tell us that only those who have the Spirit have any hope of understanding this message. The implications of this message are far reaching and critical. Let’s consider some of them.

These truths have implications for the way in which we do evangelism. It means that we don’t have to know all the answers nor develop a brilliant argument to persuade people of God’s message. We can simply, clearly and lovingly tell people about Jesus in our words. If we were brilliant, engaging or entertaining enough to persuade people to accept the gospel or even if we could scare them into becoming Christians by our powerful words, what would we accomplish? They would believe because of us and if they believed because of us, they would come to doubt when the arguments no longer were convincing or if we failed them in some way. Thousands of people have become followers of Jesus through the ministry of Billy Graham. He would be the first to tell us that it was not him but rather the work of the Spirit. This allows us to relax about proclaiming the gospel. Not in the sense of failing to proclaim, but rather in the sense of recognizing that all we need to do is love people and tell them about Jesus. The Holy Spirit does the work of convicting, convincing and converting. Are we relying on Him as we tell people about Jesus?

What are the implications of this for our relationship to the world? The wisdom of the world is “doomed to perish” as verse 6 says. The world can never understand the way of God yet we understand the way of God. Far too often we are intimidated by the world’s lack of understanding of spiritual truths and tempted to use the world’s wisdom instead of living by God’s wisdom. Fee says, “Since they have the Holy Spirit, who is not of this world, they should desist thinking like this world.”

What are the ways in which we are tempted to think like the world? One way may be when we buy into the wisdom of this age that entices us to collect as many material possessions as possible, instead of generously investing in eternity.

Another way is in the strategies we live by in this world. For example, Winnipeg’s Chief of police is seeking to live by the wisdom that is from above. The worldly wisdom says that the police would be more effective if there were more officers patrolling our streets. Chief Clunis probably considers that as one of his strategies, but he has also called on the churches of Winnipeg to another strategy and that is to pray. For 2014, every week of the year one church will be praying for the police and for victory over crime in our city. Our turn will come during the week of June 2-8. He has been criticized by some who do not understand the ways of God but we need to support his efforts to live by and lead by the wisdom of God. We should not be intimidated by the thinking of the world.

            I think there is another tremendous encouragement in this passage. If we are followers of Jesus, having become one not by agreeing to a dogma, but by being converted by the Spirit of God, we have the Spirit of God living within us. Repeatedly we are told in this passage, “…we have received…the Spirit that is from God…” and “we have the mind of Christ.” What do those truths mean for how we process truth, make decisions and walk following God? Fee says, “Being spiritual does not lead to elitism; it leads to a deeper understanding of God’s profound mystery – redemption through a crucified Messiah.” Since we have the Spirit, let us rejoice in what He has already done in us and rely on Him and listen to the voice of God given to us by the Spirit. Living by the Spirit means not bending our mind to the wisdom of the world. Rather it means hearing the voice of the Spirit in God’s Word, through the voice of God’s people and through His still small voice. Since God’s Spirit is present within us, how will we learn to be taught by God so that we follow God’s way?

            May we rejoice in the presence of God’s Spirit with us and learn to be taught by the Spirit.
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