Healing Rays of Righteousness

Overflowing With Hope

Romans 5:1-5

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

In both church and non-church conversations I hear a lot of despair and hopelessness.  The daily news is bad and the future looks increasingly violent and dangerous.  For many there seems to be very little hope for any possibility of good changes happening.  To speak of “hope” seems to these people to be just a lot of wishful thinking.

However, I am convinced that hope is a critical necessity for living, and that we cannot survive without it.  Take away hope and we will soon weaken and die spiritually, emotionally, and physically, and most likely in that order.  I believe hope is that divine gift which energizes us and enables us to envision possibility, “a way through” that shapes our responses in any and every difficult, threatening circumstance or situation.

I must remind you that there are different levels or meanings to our contemporary use of this word “hope.”  The “hope” that we hear being expressed by the biblical writers is something different than wishful thinking as in “I hope it doesn’t rain on our picnic.”  This is the most popular use of the word “hope.”

It is also different than reasonable expectation as when the doctor says to the family “We have every reason to hope for full recovery” after his medical/surgical treatment to the patient. The doctor’s past experience with similar cases makes it possible for him/her to offer hope of recovery.

The “hope” we hear expressed by the biblical writers is a dynamic word of confident assurance.  It is the confident assurance of a promised future of personally sharing in the glory of God.  That is, we will share/participate in God’s triumph over sin and death.  This is the strong, sure hope that God has given us in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Furthermore, this hope is rooted in the confident assurance that there is purposeful movement in human history towards a future filled with meaning.  We believe that our God is the God of Hope – the God who said; “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

The writer of the book of Hebrews says that “hope” is closely related to our “faith” in chapter 11, verse 1 – “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

As Christian believers we claim this “hope and future” as belonging to us, with the confident assurance that regardless of what is happening around us or to us, we can rejoice – not because of our present troubles, but because of being sure of our future glory.

Even though we do admit that In the midst of difficult experiences, hope may seem very distant and dim, we are reminded by the biblical writers that this is where hope has its beginning and growth.  Story after story throughout the Bible affirms the truth that the Christian’s confident assurance (hope) is rooted in and springs up from the soil of suffering and loss.

The reality is that without suffering and/or loss, we would have no need or reason to hope for something better.  We also know that our pain and suffering is transformed when we choose to invest it with some meaningful purpose and value.  And according to Apostle Paul, our “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” thus having eternal value in making us better children of God.

He also tells us that this hope is fully reliable because it rests on and is dependent on God alone. This hope will never disappoint us because of God’s Holy Spirit within us certifies it.  “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

The Holy Spirit does not guarantee that we shall never make mistakes or experience suffering in life.  But instead, the Holy Spirit uses the difficulties and hardships we experience to shape and transform us into new and better persons.

As children of God’s family, we have been given God’s gift of hope – an unmerited, unique opportunity to share in God’s triumphant glory and eternal life.  What an amazing gift of love!  What a reason to rejoice!

Paul concludes his theological letter to the Romans with this benediction in 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 26, 2018

A Song of Confidence

Violence and greed, disrespect and racism, political and religious animosity have escalated to a fever pitch during the past year, causing many of us to become anxious, uncertain and fearful. God’s message of hope, peace, joy and love is in danger of being silenced and forgotten by the loud, clanging noises of economic crisis, criminal violence, terrorist attack, war, racism, divisive national politics with its unstable and unpredictable leadership.

So how should you and I, who claim to have faith in God, respond to these threatening situations?  One of the truths that I have learned over the years by personal experiences and Bible study is this – God is not our protector against trouble, but he is our refuge and strength – our very present help in trouble. 

I understand this to mean that I should not expect God to prevent tragedies and pain, nor should I blame Him if they happen, but I can expect God to strengthen and sustain me in and through every difficult and threatening situation of life.

Read Psalm 46

Psalm 46 is a statement of faith declaring God to be in charge of history, and that he is more than adequate for every difficult and threatening event of life, so therefore we do not need to be afraid.  This psalm encourages us to trust God at all times and in every circumstance, and particularly when our life becomes difficult.

We may be facing an uncertain and frightening tomorrow or experiencing a very painful situation today; the earth and mountains may be shaking with storms and earthquakes of all kinds, and yet the psalmist assuredly declares that God is mighty and able to sustain and see us through the threatening darkness of evil.

The writer of this psalm reckoned with the possibility that God may allow the worst to happen in our world and life.  But in the midst of the crisis, he renounces fear and reaffirms faith with three great affirmations of faith that can keep us from being robbed of the hope, peace, joy and love that Jesus brings to us in his promise never to leave us nor forsake us.

The first affirmation is regarding God’s POWER in verse 1-3; “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.”  No matter what storm rages, the almighty God is present in the midst of the trouble to help us.  God’s strength will surround our weakness and protect us.  “Therefore we will not fear” even if the worst is happening.

The second affirmation is regarding God’s PRESENCE in verses 4-7; “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.  …The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”  The powerful, loving presence of God gives us confidence, no matter the tumult swirling around us and threatening to destroy us. Therefore, we will not faint, nor fall.

Writing to the Romans, Paul put it this way: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rm. 8:38-39).

The third affirmation is regarding God’s PEACE in verse 10; “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  When in the midst of desolations as described in this psalm, we look up and seeing God’s sovereignty, we rest in confidence of God’s exalted power and presence.  When we believe with certainty that God is present, powerful, and provides all the resources we need in the situation, God’s gift of peace settles upon us and calms our hearts.  Therefore, we will not fret.

Yes, we may be facing an uncertain and frightening tomorrow or experiencing a very painful situation today – the earth and mountains may be shaking with storms and earthquakes of all kinds – yet the psalmist assuredly declares that God is able to protect, provide, and lead us through the threatening event or situation. Because we know and trust the Lord to always keep his promises to us, we can say:

“I will not fear – I have a fortress, a place of refuge and protection. 

I will not faint – I have a river of refreshing resources from God. 

 I will not fret – I see the rainbow of God’s sovereignty and majestic glory over all the earth. 

Are we worthy of such help?  Of course not.  But God does not help us because we are worthy.  He helps us because He loves us and is gracious toward us.

It was when Martin Luther was going through a personal storm he meditated on Psalm 46 and was inspired to write, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”  If we can grasp the message of this hymn, and trust the God that this hymn exalts, I believe we also will discover the secret of living with calm confidence in the midst of fear-filled uncertainty.

“The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”  Amen.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 19, 2018

Christ In You, The Hope Of Glory

Read Colossians 1:15-23a, 25-27

Paul soars to his highest thoughts in his effort to describe the person and work of Jesus Christ. I am almost breathless as I read this passage regarding the supremacy of Christ, exalted above all “thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities.”  I become even more breathless when I realize that this superior, boundless Jesus Christ is also very personal in reconciling me to God.

The heart-core of the New Testament gospel and the whole of Christian experience, is that Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, by whom and through whom all things were created; this Jesus who is before all things and in whom all things hold together; this Jesus, in whom God was pleased for all His fullness to dwell, and through whom to reconcile to himself all things by making peace through Jesus’ blood, shed on the cross;  this Jesus, lives in me and you by the Holy Spirit.  Wow!

For the apostle Paul, the word “reconcile” is key to his thought about what Christ has done for us.  He uses the same image when writing to God’s people in Rome, “while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son,” (Rm. 5:10).  Paul is fully convinced that through Christ’s death and resurrection, the broken relationship between us and God is forgiven and restored.

However, in verses 25-27 we discover that there is much more to this reconciliation theme which Paul elaborates on in the balance of his letter.  Paul says that “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations” has now been revealed to us by God.  He says the glorious richness of this mystery is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Our reconciliation is by the death of Jesus Christ, but our complete redemption, our salvation, our being presented “perfect in Christ” (v.28) is by the life of the risen Christ living in power within us.

Again, we hear this truth expressed in the verse I partly referenced earlier from Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians, “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” (Romans 5:10).

Paul’s most vivid description of his own life in Christ was written to the Galatians:  “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20).

In one of the boldest prayers ever prayed, Paul interceded for God’s people in Ephesus, “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  …that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:17, 19).

Paul believed that in all his dealings with humanity God had been working on a deep plan, with a secret purpose that can only be discovered by the illumination of the Spirit. Throughout his epistles he lays emphasis on the deeper understanding of the gospel – this mysterious secret which has been hidden for ages, which men have sought to probe and decipher, and has now been revealed.  It is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

We talk about becoming Christian in ways like:  accepting Christ, inviting Christ into our lives, receiving Christ as Savior, surrendering our lives to Christ, giving our lives to Christ, being born again by allowing Christ to be born in us.

But whatever the language, our faith and experience is that as we confess and repent of our sins, we are forgiven and accepted by God and ushered into a new relationship with Him.  Being forgiven and reconciled by God’s grace, he then lives in us by the transforming power of his Spirit as the indwelling Christ.

What feelings does this truth of “Christ in you” awaken in your soul?  For me, it’s feelings of thankful praise and worship, singing “Amazing love, how can it be, That thou, my God, should’st die for me?”

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 12, 2018

For What Do I Labor?

Read Luke 14:1-14

Labor Day weekend is a good time to ponder “for what do I labor?”  Is it for self-status or for service to God?  Is it to receive praises from mankind or praises from God?  Do I labor for things temporal or for things eternal?

Picture a man in his fifties, distinguished and properly attired.  He is a faithful husband and strict father.  He is a respected businessman and, above all else, a deeply religious man.  In a word, he is a Pharisee.

The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were not bad people.  They were highly respected merchants with a heart for God.  In fact, it was with the Pharisees, as opposed to the Sadducees, that Jesus was most readily identified.

And it was in the home of one of these highly respected Pharisees that Jesus sat down to eat.  The table is magnificent, the servants attentive, the centerpiece impressive, and the wine chilled.  All the “right people” are there – bankers, doctors, lawyers, synagogue leaders.  Jesus is invited not because he is considered an equal but because he is a curiosity who has been in the news.

Attention was given to the proper prayers and ritual cleansings.  Everything had to be just so, and it was.  The esteemed guests are watching closely to see how Jesus fits in.  The table talk is polite, as expected – until Jesus began to speak.

At the dinner, Jesus noticed how the guests made their way to the places of honor at the table.  They were good people, and they simply wanted to be recognized as such.  But Jesus saw it differently.  He severely rebuked them for seeking out the places of honor and striving for status.  In essence he said that if you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on you face – “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus tells them that humility is more important than being esteemed.  This was contrary to the Pharisees’ way of thinking, and their puffed-up egos.  They considered themselves good, religious people and thought the community should esteem them as such.  But Jesus says that they should see themselves more as servants than rulers and that the table of fellowship is open to all.

What Jesus is saying about God’s Kingdom and entrance into it is unacceptable to the Pharisees.  And even Jesus’ own disciples struggled with this new Kingdom thinking.  Remember the story of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, asking Jesus for the honor of being seated on his right and left in his glory.  And on another occasion the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest among them.

For what do I labor – for self and status, or for service to God in serving others?

When Jesus finished rebuking the guests, he turns to the host and criticized the host’s dinner guests list.  In effect, he said, “Why do you invite only the beautiful people?  What about the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind?  Why not invite them?”

I can imagine the host thinking this was a silly question.  Good religious people know that there are standards to be upheld, reputations to consider.  Besides, this was a Sabbath dinner, not simply a common meal.

That is Jesus’ point exactly.  The Sabbath is an institution of God, who loves and invites all to his table of fellowship.  A Sabbath dinner is the perfect time and place to welcome all of God’s children.  So Jesus instructed him to “invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.”  And Jesus assured the host that if he adopts this practice he “will be blessed.  Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Jesus promises that if we live our lives under the banner of lifting up those in need and affirm their eternal worth in the sight of God, we will be blessed.  The blessing will not be from other people, but from God.  He is ultimately the only One who can bless us, or whose praise matters.

This reminds me of the words Jesus spoke as recorded by Matthew in 25:31ff:  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. …  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’   Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, …or thirsty, …a stranger, …or needing clothes, …sick or in prison?  The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

For what do I labor – for self and status, or for service to God in serving others?

(September 5, 2018)