The Righteous

Dear class,

The readings in proverbs 10-12 share the common thread of the righteous. In them we see that:

Pro 10:3 - The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.
God will not forsake the righteous in his needs. Indeed as Jesus exhorted us in Mat 6:25-34, God takes care of His creations! Fret not brethren! God will take care of us.

Pro 10:11 - The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
The righteous themselves are a blessing to the people around them. Job is a classic example. It is also through the mouths of the righteous preaching the good Word that souls will be saved. We should be using our influence through Christ to bring joy and blessings to the people around us, that God be glorified (Mat 5:16)

Pro 10:16 - The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.
The godly works of the righteous makes his election sure! Not that works in themselves save (c.f. Eph 2:8-10) but the manifestation of obedience, without which one cannot be saved (Rom 6:16; 2Th 1:8). Wherefore James reminded us to demonstrate our faith through works, the latter which without, leaves the former dead! (Jam 2:20,26)
How are we labouring in His vineyard? How have we lived our lives as His workmanship created unto good works? (Eph 2:10)

Pro 10:21 - The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
This passage refers more to the spiritual needs. Indeed, as pointed out, it is through the mouths of the saints that the saving gospel is proclaimed. (Rom 10:13-15) We do God a great disservice by withholding the Messsage! From another angle, one of the roles of the eldership is to feed the flock (Act 20:28). Certainly, a God fearing church leadership is essential to the spiritual nourishment and survival of the local congregation.

Pro 10:24 - The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
The righteous can be assured of God's blessings! Not to say that we will get what we WANT, but most assuredly what God knows we NEED! The "desire" here must be taken in the context that the righteous would only desire what God desires! And certainly, as Jesus taught, those that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled! (Mat 5:6)

Pro 10:25 -  As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.
And what a foundation is that upon - the very Son of God Himself! The righteous will stand firm because he has learnt to build himself upon the solid rock of Christ. No other foundation can there be if man is to appear righteous and stedfast before God. No other foundation is able to give the righteous the stability in all disturbances thrown at us. No other foundation is from everlasting to everlasting!

Pro 10:28 - The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
Paul wrote "For we are saved by hope..." (Rom 8:24) The hope of eternal life! Certainly, all those who would be righteous in Christ would as Paul, look forward to the blessed hope of glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ (2Ti 4:8) with joy.

Pro 10:30 - The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.
That is as long as one remain faithful, our estate shall never depart from us. Jesus Himself has prepared a place for us in heaven (Jhn 14:2,3). The righteous will have their part in the book of life and they shall be joint-heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17).

Pro 10:32 - The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.
Indeed, as children of God, we are shun corrupt communication but speak that which edifies and ministers grace to the hearer (Eph 4:29; Col 4:6)! Be reminded brethren! It's so easy for us to loose control of our tongues. Truly as James put it, he who perfectly controls the tongue is the perfect man (Jam 3:2)! Let us be diligent to season our speech with salt and speak that which is acceptable to God.

Pro 11:8 - The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.
God is faithful! He will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able and would provide a way to the righteous (1Co 10:13). At the end of the day, just as Job came to realise, God has the best interests of the righteous in Him and we should tale comfort in that (c.f. Rom 8:28).

Pro 11:10 - When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
Sometimes when we read of the bible speaking of trials and persecution, we seem to get the impression Christians are a bunch of hated people! But in truth, just as Jesus has shown, it is possible to be in favor with God and men (Luk 2:52, but note the exact order!) The world in general recognises the good that righteousness brings! Indeed as the proverb writer would go on to say "righteousness exalts a nation" (Pro 14:34). Let us be encouraged and not be weary in well doing (Gal 6:9,10).

Pro 11:21 - Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
Obviously, every generation is responsible for his actions (c.f. Eze 18:20). Yet, the righteous more often than not, pave a much better way for their descendants to follow in and make them less likely to fall. In the age of the Kings we see how the children of David had "roll over" benefits (c.f. 1Ki 11:12; 2Ki 8:19, etc), yet it did not remove the fact that the beneficiaries had a personal responsibility to make right, just having the benefit of delayed consequences.

Pro 11:23 - The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
The desire of the truly righteous is what God would desire! Though in context, when we read the 2nd part of the verse that gives the contrast, we can see "desire" as the reward, the outcome. God is generous to those who love Him. And certainly the righteous have the assurance of that heavenly inheritance that ultimately awaits them.

Pro 11:28 - He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.
A sobering reminder to us, especially in our affluent society. Far too often, success is looked upon in materialistic terms. Paul too exhorts the rich not the trust in uncertain riches but lay up in good works (1Ti 6:17-19). That is where our true riches lie. That is where the righteous shall blossom and bear fruit. (Mat 6:19-21;Jhn 15:2-5)

Pro 11:30 - The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
Paul said it all in Rom10:13-15
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Let us be wise soul winners!

Pro 11:31 - Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.
Our Lord has promised us both physical and spiritual blessings. When taken in another angle, when the righteous are "recompensed" for their sins, it is God's way of chastisement that they might go back on track. We think of spiritual greats like David who have been brought low yet the mercy of the Lord enabled him to hold up his head high again.

Pro 12:3 - A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
Again, with his foundation upon Chirst, indeed the righteous have no need to worry about instability. The root is where a plant gets it's structural support as well through which, nourishment. So shall Christ be to us that we be not wavering and always well fed!

Pro 12:5 - The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
"right" here more in the sense of being just as in a well mete out judgement. Where there is without bias or ulterior motive. Such is what we should have if we allow the Word to guide us in our thinking.

Pro 12:7 - The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.
Ultimately, only those rooted in the firm foundation of Christ would be able to stand up in the face of the final judgment.

Pro 12:10 - A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
A righteous man will take care of God's blessings to him! Even livestock, with whom God has given us dominium over deserves respect and should not be exploited. Unfortunately, these times, humans will not only exploit animals but even their own kind.

Pro 12:12 - The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.
A fitting companion to pro 11:28, in Christ shall the righteous be bountiful! As Jesus spoke of the good soil that gives increase even a hundred fold! (Mat 13:8)

Pro 12:26 - The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.
This verse doesn't suggest a superiority over another but the "excellent" here alludes to the idea of seeking out or spy. It suggest being circumspect and treading with caution. Certainly, in the light of the perverse world we are in, danger lurks in every corner. The righteous would do well to be sober and vigilant (1Pe 5:8), never going about in uncontrolled wantoness, never allowing the devil to lay hold on us.

Let us all strive to be right in the sight of God.

in Him
Paul


--
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ~ Hebrews 3:13
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. ~ Colossians 2:6-8

Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. ~ Colossians 4:6

The Fear of The Lord

Dear class,

Just a quick note on one of the passages in yesterday's readings from Pro 8,9 and 1Corinthians 16.

Pro 9:10 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

A simple yet powerful statement that should be central to every Christian's life. As so it's echoed in

Pro 1:7 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Which highlights the flip side. By slighting God and His wisdom, we pronounce foolishness on ourselves. Truly, as Jeremiah exclaims, "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps."

Job 28:28
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
Job gives a further commentary - to abstain from evil. Paul would even exhort the saints to abstain from all APPEARANCE of evil (1Th 5:23).

Psa 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Fear is manifested in action! It is also one of the most effective ways to guard against the wiles of the devil and keep ourselves pure.

Ecc 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Solomon couldn't have put it any better. It is interesting that the word "duty" is merely implied. The original language expresses the idea of "entirety". Not a mere "obligation".
How then suppose shall we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength? (Mar 12:30)

Let us let the simple exhortations from the Word of God sink in and affect in us even as we go about our daily endeavours, ever mindful to prepare for eternity.

The Lord bless our day ahead.

in Him
Paul

--
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ~ Hebrews 3:13

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. ~ Colossians 2:6-8

Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. ~ Colossians 4:6

Baptized For The Dead

Dear class,

Sorry for this back dated post. This is taken from the past 2 day's readings from 1Corinthians 15.

v. 29 is one of the more difficult passages in New Testament. (certainly reminds us of what Peter said of Paul! 2Pe 3:16) But the difficulty is mainly in not able to see the verse in the entirety of the context.
Chapter 15 is basically an affirmation from Paul with regards to the fact and the significance of the resurrection, first of Christ and then of the deceased.
Paul starts off with the crux of the gospel - the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (1Co 15:1-4). Indeed if Christ be not raised, then all is vain! (1Co 15:14-19)
This it is in this background that we understand v.29 as part of the manifold arguments that Paul put forth why Christians have the confidence to 1) be in peril for Christ (v.30) 2) suffer and die for Christ (v.31) 3) fight for Christ (v.32) 4) live a sober, sinless life (v.32-34).

Some have argued that the "baptism" here refers to suffering (c.f. Mat 20:22,23). And it seems plausible with the verses that follow.
Some have argued that Paul could refer to people who held on to the hope that they would see their loved ones who have passed on. (though presumably this must have been a side motivation, since to be baptized for this sole reason wouldn't exactly constitute true belief!)
Some have even held the belief that one could be baptized on behalf of those who have passed on!

The bible obviously teaches us that we are PERSONALLY accountable for our actions and salvation. (Mark 16:16; Jhn 12:48; Rom 2:16; Gal 6:7, etc) No one can save another by proxy!
As pointed out by bro Danny in his sermon, the only chance to prepare for eternity personally is in this life. Once we die, it is a DONE DEAL! So the idea of "proxy baptism" is erroneous and merely a doctrine stemming from man's willful disregard of the authority of God.

When we see the argument in it's entirety and not just focus on Paul peculiar use of language here, it becomes easier to see that Paul was basically referring as a whole to the dire states that Christians subject themselves to in the hope of the resurrection in Christ. It is the resurrection that makes us victorious over the "last enemy" (v. 26). Baptism here is seen as a culminating expression of the obedience to the gospel and the entire Christian life. So one could see it as Paul making his opening shot with "Why are we living in Christ to prepare to die, if we do not have the assurance of a resurrection?" Upon which he goes on to elaborate the trials and sufferings of a Christian. Why bother to obey the gospel only to suffer and finally die? How can then be death be overcome if there be no resurrection? Paul's vivid rhetoric reinforces the reader's notions that YES! indeed, because Christ was raised, we obey the gospel, we are baptized into Christ, we live a faithful Christian life, yea, we prepare to die so that we too will be part of the resurrected harvest, in which Christ was first reaped.(v.20,23)

God help us all to put those thoughts continually in our minds, that we be not weary in living a faithful Christian life, but with a joyous, eager anticipation of that glorious day when we shall meet our Lord.

The Lord bless our day ahead.

in Him
Paul


--
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ~ Hebrews 3:13
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. ~ Colossians 2:6-8

Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. ~ Colossians 4:6

Of Tongues and Women

Dear class,

Today's readings are taken from Proverbs 1,2 and 1Corinthians 14:21-40

More will be said of some thoughts in the passages in Proverbs in another post.

Chapter 14 of 1Corinthians puts a cap on the arguments first surfaced in 1Co 12. One of the problems that the brethren were facing was this notion of superiority and faction. First it was the "pedigree" as we read in 1Co 1 and now even in spiritual gifts were people comparing with one another.
Even as Paul devoted an entire chapter in 13 to explain the greater concept of love over spiritual gifts, he deemed it necessary to illustrate further with practical examples and yea even an assurance that his writing were by no means "suggestions" but the very commandments of God Himself (v. 37), to quell any shadow of doubt or contention.

The church is not a "show and tell" market place where brethren try to out do one another! Everything has to be done in order and for the overall edification of the brethren (v. 26, 33, 40).

The concept of "tongue speaking" is also clearly explained in this chapter. Notice that a "tongue"
1) Can be interpreted (v. 5,13,27,28)
2) Is not unintelligible gibberish (implied in v.9-11)
3) If not understood is useless to people other than self (2,4,6,16,17)

The fact of the matter is, "tongues" even though is a literall translation of the Greek "glossa", is understood to mean "languages". This is clearly illustrated in Acts 2:4-6. And of course as pointed out by Paul in 1Co 14, is indeed not just any imaginary, mystical language but that which can be interpreted.
On the functionality perspective, we note from v. 22, it is exactly the effect that was first recorded in Acts 2 - a sign to the unbelievers. As part of all the signs/miracles to confirm the word (Mark 16:20). That gospel maybe spread quickly among all the nations. The gift of tongues, in it's real intended sense have lost it's purpose since the completion of the New Testament. Much less the modern day contortions that serve only to contribute to chaos in church and irreverence to God Almighty.

Then in the same breath, Paul arrives at a seemingly controversial statement about the behaviour of women in the church.

1Co 14:34  Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
1Co 14:35  And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

Keeping these verses in the context (c.f.v.23), we realise immediately that Paul was talking about the worship service. The manner of "speaking" was also inline with prophesying and tongues (note that the women too at that time could possess spiritual gifts. c.f. Act 2:18). When in comes to a public setting, men were to take lead and this is further affirmed by Paul in 1Ti 2:12-14. And all this comes into clearer light when Paul seemingly exclaims out of nowhere in v. 36  "What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?" What? Are you saying you Corinthians were the only ones capable of speaking the Word and that all that you do are right? Thus it seems, to make the confusion and cacophony worse, even the women joined in the fray!

Obviously, women in the church could not be utterly silent. What about the commandment to sing (and yea even teach! Col 3:16; Eph 5:19)? In a bible class situation, when called upon by an authorised teacher, women could and should speak up. The whole crux of the matter was what manner it is done and under what situation. Just like the gift of tongues, which had an intended purpose but may not be appropriate. Wherefore Paul concludes the chapter, "Let all things be done decently and in order."

It is precisely the same reason that today we have the order of worship, song leaders, prayer leaders, men serving tables, etc. All for the sake of decency and orderliness, as commanded by God. Our worship to God was never meant to be a "no-holds-barred", "anything goes", wanton and uncontrolled carnival. But an orderly, awe-provoking, reverent and solemn occasion, even as we praise God and commemorate Jesus' death on the cross.

Let us continue to practice sobriety and propriety in our worship to God.

The Lord bless our day ahead.

in Him
Paul

--
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ~ Hebrews 3:13

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. ~ Ephesians 4:29

Faith in Man

Dear class,

Today's readings are taken from Job 3,4 and 1Corinthians 2.

Just a quick note about 1Cor 2:1-5
1Co 2:1  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
1Co 2:2  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
1Co 2:3  And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
1Co 2:4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

The fact that the writing came from Paul, who was himself a learned person (c.f.Act 22:3) drives further home the point upon what/whom shall we put our faith and confidence in.
Paul was addressing a church which was struggling with unity issues (1Co 1:10-13). It was a classic case of following man and not God. Wherefore Paul reiterated our ultimate pattern to follow, even as we esteem others higher than us (1Co 11:1) - Christ.

Well did the psalmist say
Psa 118:8  It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Psa 118:9  It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

The fact remains that man, however strong has the tendency to falter. Yet God is unchanging! (c.f. Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8; Jam 1:17) It is upon Him that we should lean upon, regardless of whatever happens around us. That's how we can become deeply rooted in faith and be stedfast and unmoveable (1Co 15:58). But if we base our faith on a particular individual, what will happen if that person falls?

The passage also alludes to the fact that the power of God lies in the Word. Very often, especially in the denominational world at large, charismatic characters attract throngs of people through glib oration, sleek packaging and shrewd marketing that put the advertising professionals to shame! Yet, the bible tells us, enticing words of man will come to nought but the endearing and everlasting Word of God will never fade and indeed it what will judge us (1Pe 1:24,25; Jhn 12:48).

Let us be careful not to follow after man, but seek after God through His Word.

in Him
Paul

--
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ~ Hebrews 3:13
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? ~ 2 Corinthians 13:5

Naked I Come, Naked I Go

Dear class,

Today's readings are taken from Job 1,2 and 1Corinthians 1.

The book of Job is almost like an epic, with Job and his friends as central characters and lengthy discourses. Perhaps that's why it is most often classified as the poetry books alongside, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. Critics dismiss it as Jewish mythology yet we note just in the readings yesterday (Jam 5:11) that even James quoted of Job. Part of the challenge lies in the description of the "heavenly court" in these first 2 chapters with even Satan in the midst, as well as an extensive description of the Leviathan (Job 41), which some suppose is the dragon or some sort of dinosaur.

For sure, this "heavenly court" scene is not as what the Greek or Chinese mythologies make out to be. There is never a "plea bargain" between God and Satan! There are no "gods" of good and evil trying to outwit one another! The bible tells us clearly there is only ONE God (Deut 6:4; Mal 2:10; Eph 4:6, etc). Even the devils believe so! (Jam 2:19) There is NO NEGOTIATION between God and Satan. Satan and his minions are doomed to ultimate failure and condemned to everlasting chains (2Pe 2:4; Jud 1:6). What the account means for us, as with the grand theme of the book itself is the simple, powerful message, as Job finally came to realise - God is in control.

The time frame of Job, judging by the description of worship is likely to be in the era of Abraham. We note how physically successful Job was. If there were ever a Forbes list of the most successful people in the ancient world, Job would come up in the tops! Not only was he materially rich, he also possessed great wisdom and commanded respect (Job 29). Yet in spite of all his worldly success, his most valuable trait was his great faith in God. As God Himself gave praise (twice over!), as one who was "perfect and upright", "one that feareth God, and escheweth evil" (Job 1:8; 2:3)

Even as what we read of the particular challenges faced by the rich yesterday, Job exemplified his perfect heart in God with his profound statement in Job 1:20,21 - "Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." Even when he lost his health, when he was taunted by his own wife, the "help meet",  one who is supposed to be "one flesh" with him (Gen 2:24) (no doubt also the ploy of Satan to spare the one closest!), to "curse God, and die", he would only declare "Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" (Job 2:10)
Such faith, such noble heart! Truly, we would all be much more joyful people if we had the heart of Job!

Far too often, when the going gets tough, we find ourselves frustrated and angry, full of indignation, filled with a vehement desire to curse and swear and yes, even be angry with God Himself. Why did this happen? Why am I so "unlucky"? How could God allow this? Why me?

But think of it, as Job mentioned "shall we receive good at the HAND OF GOD". Every moment of our lives is a blessing from God! How often do we give thanks for that? If we were to make a list of our blessings verses our sufferings, I believe even someone like the apostle Paul would have an overwhelming "blessings" list. Again back to Job, in v.1:21 - "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." All we have are from God. We are but stewards of God's blessings. When we realise that we own none of these anyway, yea, even our lives, somehow the pressure and burden becomes lighter. Notice that Job, in spite of his "rambling" further into the book, he was not charged with sin. (c.f. Job 1:22; 2:10; 42:7) He did not accuse God of all his ill fortune but just wondered if God had forsaken him. He needed a boost in trust and faith in God. As usual, this was not God being in cahoots with the devil, wanting to "tempt" Job (God does not tempt! Jam 1:13), but rather His way of reinforcing Job's faith and a lesson to all that God is in control and we too should trust in God, come what may.

And at the end of the day, we know for a fact that there is that eternal glory waiting for the faithful in Christ. (2Ti 2:10; 1Pe 5:10) Now THAT in itself should be reason for us all to rejoice in whatever estate we are in. Job perhaps couldn't have seen that, but today, we have the hindsight of the people before us and the glorious promises of Christ from the Word of God. Truly as Paul wrote, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2Co 4:17). Truly, "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." (2Co 1:3,4)

What more could we want?

The Lord bless our day.

in Him
Paul

--
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ~ Hebrews 3:13
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? ~ 2 Corinthians 13:5

Woes of a Rich Man

Dear class,

Apologies again for the long break.

Today's readings are taken from Exodus 39,40 and James 5.

James 5 opens with some sobering instructions to the rich.
At first glance, it appears that the rich are being condemned. After all, Jesus Himself spoke of the great difficulty of a rich man entering the kingdom, recorded in no less than 3 of the gospel accounts (Mat 19:24; Mar 10:25; Luk 18:25). This conclusion came right after the well-known response of the rich young ruler to Jesus' demands.
Not to mention the account of the rich man and Lazarus in Luk 16:19-31. Was it really true that those who had it good on this earth will suffer in hell? (c.f. Luk 16:25)
And according to Paul, being rich seems to be more of a hazard than help! (1Ti 6:9-10).

The fact of the matter is, whether be we rich or poor, we have the same answering to do toward God.
The bible clearly shows that there are rich men who can be both spiritually and physically successful. The early patriarchs, Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph were all highly successful people in the eyes of the world. And in the New Testament, we had the example of Joseph of Arimathaea, the centurion with the sick servant, Cornelius, even Zacchaeus. Each of these individuals displayed great faith in their own right.

Going back to the context of James 5, we see that James was not just writing about the rich in general but about a certain class people whose sole intent is to enlarge their coffers even if it means using unlawful means. People who indulge in wanton living, gaining riches only to their own pleasure. I have no doubt that the rich man and his brothers in Luk 16, fall into this category. That was what Abraham was alluding to and not the mere fact that they had riches.

In 1Ti 6:9-10, if we were to examine the verses, we notice that Paul used the expression "they that WILL be rich" and then "LOVE of money", "coveted after". Granted, perhaps the rich would be more pre-disposed to a covetous attitude, yet don't we also see this also prevalent in all classes. Regardless, it is the lustful attitude toward money and riches that is condemned. Wherefore, Paul explained in v.17, for the rich to not trust in "uncertain riches" but to continue in good works. Notice that the point that Jesus was trying to make was not so much as to highlight the difficulty of a rich person entering into the Kingdom, but to illicit a strong response from the disciples to drive home a more important concept - with God, anything is possible (Mat 19:26; Mar 10:27; Luk 18:27).

Yet, the attitude of the rich in James 5 may not be all that far from us. Not forgetting the foreground of this passage earlier in James 4:13 ff. The idea of planning and going about out daily business as if God was not there and we are in total control of what happens. Fraud and violence is condemned even of the world. Far be it that Christians should be named with such. Yet when we place our worldly desires above spiritual, we are defrauding our very Father in heaven. When we choose to serve mammon over God, knowing very well we've been baptized into Christ's death and raised in newness of life, we indeed condemn ourselves and yea, crucify Christ afresh (Heb 6:6)!
Practically speaking, as we go about our day to day endeavours, we need to ask ourselves - just what or who is it am I "slogging" for? A dream car? A luxurious condo? A long holiday? Our children??? Are we striving to provide for a need or a want? A livelihood or a lifestyle? As bro Tim Burroughs mentioned, careers are good but be careful not to let it drive a wedge between us and serving God.

Perhaps when we pray for our daily living, we would do well to remember what the proverb writer wrote - "Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain." (Pro 30:8,9)

Let us all be encouraged and exhorted instead to seek after and set our affection on things above (Col 3:1,2), to lay up treasures in heaven (Mat 6:19-21) so that we be rich toward God and not ourselves (c.f. Luk 12:21).

The Lord bless our day ahead.

in Him
Paul


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But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ~ Hebrews 3:13
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? ~ 2 Corinthians 13:5