Judas; March 30, 2021

Posted on April 1, 2021 by jgarrott

Matthew 26:49-50 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
Jesus replied, “Friend, do what you came for.”

The Japanese has Jesus saying, “Friend, why have you come?” which the NIV gives as an alternative translation in a footnote. In either case, it is undisputed that Jesus spoke to Judas as a “friend.” I think we would have trouble doing that, knowing as Jesus did what Judas was doing. Jesus knew that Judas had been embezzling money that had been given to the ministry (John 12:6) and here he was making the ultimate betrayal, but He still called him, “Friend.” I’m sure it broke His heart that Judas was making these choices. After all, Jesus had a younger brother named Judas! (We usually just call him Jude.) That Jesus didn’t expel him from the group much earlier is an illustration, I think, of Jesus’ parable of the weeds in the wheat field. (Mat­thew 13:24-30) Even Jesus wasn’t going to rip Judas out of the group ahead of time, so to speak. Also, Jesus knew that Judas was an integral part of the fulfillment of several Scriptures about the Messiah, and He wasn’t about to interfere with that. Judas is in many ways an enigma. We can’t grasp how someone could be that close to the Son of God and yet betray Him in this way. That said, we too are prone to betray Him in countless smaller ways, failing to speak up when others use His name in vain, failing to obey when He is urging us to do something, doing things that we know are not pleasing to Him. There is no indication that Judas availed himself of God’s grace, since he took his own life rather than throw himself on the mercy of God, but I am convinced the option was still there up to the last minute, and he could have been saved had that been his choice. Judas is an extreme example of the conflict between predestination and free will. Some would say that he was predestined to do what he did, since it had been prophesied in detail ahead of time, but at every step it was his free choice; God just knew what he would choose, and told prophets about it ahead of time. This is also the ultimate example of God using vile evil for incredible good. (Romans 8:28) There was nothing good about what Judas did, but the result was salvation made available for all mankind.

I think I realized a long time ago that Judas was no more human than I was, and that I am capable of just as much evil as he was. I am to keep watch over myself, asking God to keep me in line and striving to be obedient as He does so. I am to rejoice that He calls me, “Friend,” as well, (John 15:15) but never to take that for granted or presume on it. After all, He called Judas, Friend. As the old chorus goes, “I love Thee, I love Thee, and that Thou dost know, but how much I love Thee my actions will show.” I am to live like the friend of Jesus that He calls me to be.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I hardly ever think of Judas except during Passion Week, but he is a good object lesson. May I continue to grow more and more to be like my Lord, and less like His betrayer, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Weakness; March 29, 2021

Posted on March 31, 2021 by jgarrott

Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

The last half of this verse is quite famous. It was actually used as a test sentence back in the early cays of computer translation software. The American researchers were going between English and Russian, because the Cold War was going on and translation from Russian was a priority. They ran it through both directions, first from English to Russian, and then ran that result back into English. What came out was, “The vodka is good, but the meat is rotten.” When we have such trouble between human languages it’s no wonder we have trouble understanding God sometimes! It has always struck me about this story of the Garden of Gethsemane that Jesus didn’t condemn His disciples for their weakness. He was humanly disappointed, yes, but He knew whom He had called. He had just informed Peter that he was going to disown Jesus three times, and Peter was one of the three at this moment. It has also struck me that even though they went to sleep, they obviously heard and remembered at least some of what Jesus said as He prayed. Luke records that “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.” (Luke 22:43) Whoever saw that at the time probably thought they were dreaming, and only later realized that it had actually happened. What strikes me most about the whole Gethsemane story is that Jesus’ suffering didn’t begin when He was arrested, but before that with the awareness of what was going to happen to Him. Even Jesus multiplied His own suffering by anticipating it ahead of time! The awareness that He was going to be cut off from His Father, even for a moment, was probably the worst of it all. However, our sin cuts us off from God, so He had to take that on Himself to redeem us. God gave Paul a special revelation about weakness, when Paul had some sort of physical problem. “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10) It is when we acknowledge and accept that we have no strength apart from God that we allow His strength to flow through us. It is precisely when we think we are strong on our own that we are the most vulnerable. (1 Corinthians 10:12) We aren’t to condemn ourselves, but we are to repent, asking and receiving God’s forgiveness and cleansing. (1 John 1:9)

As I have written many times, conceit has been an enduring problem for me. I’m sure that in a number of ways it has kept me from accomplishing much more than I actually have, because my strength and wisdom can’t begin to compare to that of God. Like Paul, I need to boast of my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me. I like to be “the one who knows.” Instead, I need to be at peace with not knowing, but rather trusting the One who knows everything. That’s not to say that I’m not to use the intellect I’ve been given, or seek to gain useful information, but rather to be at peace with the fact that in some ways it’s like an ant trying to grasp quantum physics. I’m reminded of the actual meaning of the word, “sophomore.” We currently use it to mean a second-year student in a four-year curriculum, but the Greek root means “wise idiot.” In other words, they’ve learned a little and think they know a lot, not knowing how much they don’t know. As I’ve grown with the Lord, I’ve learned more and more how much I don’t know!

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for Your continuing, overwhelming grace toward me. Help me indeed not trust my flesh in anything but lean totally on You, for Your strength and wisdom to be manifested through me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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King Jesus; March 28, 2021

Posted on March 31, 2021 by jgarrott

Matthew 21:4-5 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“Say to the Daughter of Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'”

Jesus was very explicitly declaring His Kingship here, knowing it would trigger His arrest and crucifixion. He had already fulfilled many prophecies, only a few of which He acknowledged at the time, but here He is deliberately initiating the fulfillment. Many in the crowd recognized the prophetic allusion, which is why they hailed Him as “The Son of David.” (verse 10) However, they were looking for a political and military king, which was exactly what the chief priests and scribes were afraid of (verse 15), knowing that it would bring the wrath of Rome down on them. Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead, (John 11) so talk of His supernatural power was going around. However, Jesus wasn’t the kind of king the people thought they needed. We often blind ourselves to things God has for us by insisting how they should be, rather than letting God do what is best. Jesus is indeed King, but right now submission to His Lordship is strictly a matter of faith and choice. The day will come when that will no longer be an option, and every tongue will confess His Lordship. (Philippians 2:11) However, if the choice hasn’t been made before then, that confession will be bitter indeed. Right now, confessing Jesus as Lord is a matter of faith that brings salvation (Romans 10:9-10), but when He returns as King and Judge, it will be a confession of guilt before sentencing. Today we see many people denying the Lordship of Jesus in no uncertain terms. Those who hold to Biblical standards are pilloried as “homophobic bigots” and the like. That is currently on public display in reaction to the ascent of Oral Roberts University in the area of college basketball, with some insisting that their stated moral code of behavior “disqualifies” them from being acknowledged as successful. Dark is becoming darker and the light all the brighter in contrast, and that is no reference to race. Believers have the privilege of proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ to all who will receive it, so that all who will receive it may be saved while there is still time.

I have dedicated my life to proclaiming that Jesus is Lord, but the question always remains of my own submission to His Lordship. As He Himself said, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) I am to be submitted to Him in order to resist the devil (James 4:7) and walk in His victory. The spiritual battle is intense, and I cannot afford to be lax. (It just hit me that LAX is the international code for Los Angeles International Airport, which is the nexus of an incredible amount of anti-christian rot!) If I am to operate in His authority, I must be submitted to that authority. Thankfully, the power is in Him and not in me. As Paul said, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) In this “graveyard of missionaries” I can proclaim Christ and bring many to repentance and faith, for their salvation and the glory of God.

Father, thank You for this powerful reminder. Thank You for all that You are doing, in and around and even through me. Thank You for the message You have given me on “King Jesus” for today, Palm Sunday. I pray that it would produce Your results, in those present and those participating electronically, for the defeat of the enemy and the salvation of many, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Servant Leadership; March 27, 2021

Posted on March 30, 2021 by jgarrott

Matthew 20:18-19 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

Jesus could not have been more explicit and clear than He was here, yet the disciples were still in total shock when these things happened. We have a strong tendency to not really hear and process things we don’t want to accept. It’s like a little child being told not to take a cookie, but then “deciding” that “they didn’t really mean that.” I think there was a rising sense that things were coming to a climax, which would explain the timing of Zebedee’s wife coming to ask for special positions for her sons in Jesus’ kingdom. As Jesus told them, they didn’t know what they were asking, even though Jesus had just been very clear. (verse 22) I would imagine it was emotionally exhausting to Jesus for His disciples to be so dense, when He had been teaching and training them for three years, but He used it as another teaching opportunity anyway. I would have been very likely to have chewed them out! In a sense that’s what He did, but He did it very gently, for the benefit of the whole group. To me this is one more example of Jesus placing His Father’s will first, His disciples second, and His own emotions and convenience a distant third. As He said, putting a point on what He was teaching them, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) That’s the example He set, that we need to follow.

This couldn’t be any more applicable than it is to me, because I am in a position of leadership. I am to be a good steward of my body and resources, but I am never to place myself ahead of serving my Lord and those to whom He sends me. Yesterday I had a call to help one of the more needy members of this church. I frankly wasn’t excited about it, but it was possible, and was taken care of fairly simply. It would have been easy to slough it off, but I did have the time, and God knew it. I am to plan my days for productivity, but I am never to close the door to God’s appointments, whether they agree with my plans or not. Frankly, I am lazy and like to move at my own convenience, but that’s not the way to real satisfaction, not to mention reward. I desire to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” (Matthew 25:21) but that won’t be the case if I listen to my flesh instead of to my Lord.

Father, thank You for this clear Word. Right now we are facing ramped-up busyness, with a large group expected Sunday, Easter activities the next Sunday, and then the prospect of restarting children’s ministry, which we haven’t had for several years. My flesh thinks it’s a good time to retire! Help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as You have told me to do, even as I fulfill each of the responsibilities You assign to me, on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Believer’s Reward; March 26, 2021

Posted on March 30, 2021 by jgarrott

Matthew 19:29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”

You could call this verse, “The Missionary’s Reward.” However, it’s not at all limited to those who go to far-off lands to serve God. In many places in the world, and recently even in America, serving God can be very costly. Countless people have been estranged from their families, or even legally disinherited, because they have chosen to follow Christ. In America these days, standing up for Biblical principles can get you ostracized in various ways, cost you your job, get you sued, or even jailed. In a way that’s a good thing, because up until recently, in the US being a Christian came with a number of social perks, and as a result there were many who were Christian in name only. You won’t find that in China, for example. Talking with Dennis Balcombe, he told me that people committing to Christ in China do so with the expectation of at least being harassed by the police, and those accepting pastoral ministry do so with the expectation of jail or even martyrdom. (He himself has been arrested many times.) Just before His crucifixion Jesus famously told us, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Just before that He said, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” (John 15:20) The cost of following Christ is real, but the rewards are disproportionately enormous. As Paul noted, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) As someone has said, “God’s retirement plan is out of this world!”

As a missionary, born and raised of missionary parents, this verse has always been very real to me. I have known several people who were disowned by their family for becoming Christians, as well as many who could have had much more lucrative careers had they not committed to follow Christ wherever He led them. At the same time, the rewards for obedience are by no means limited to heaven. When people expressed admiration to my mother for “leaving so much to be a missionary,” her response was that the only thing she felt she had left was physical proximity to family. I grew up with relatives being “those people on the other side of the ocean,” but at the same time I felt closeness to other missionary families as well as to a number of Japanese Christians. I don’t think I ever felt deprived! God has met my needs, and I don’t think I have experienced active persecution for my faith. In any case, I don’t serve God for the reward, but because He is the only One worthy of my devotion.

Father, thank You for Your gracious faithfulness. Help me respond to You fully, whatever the seeming cost in this world, not to “gain points” but because Your kingdom and Your righteousness are worth more than all the rest of it put together. Thank You. Praise God!

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Imagination; March 25, 2021

Posted on March 27, 2021 by jgarrott

Matthew 17:2-3 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

This frankly reads like something from a science fiction novel. However, many believe it is the fulfillment of what Jesus said in the last verse of the previous chapter: “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28) Jesus was experiencing the paradox of being outside of time, as part of the Godhead, but yet being in the flow of time as the fully human Son. Frankly, that’s something we can talk about but we can’t fully grasp, any more than physicists can fully grasp the multitude of dimensions they insist existed at the moment of Creation. Even when we create words to explain the idea, because we’ve never been there we don’t know what we’re talking about. Here, Peter, James, and John were given a glimpse of Christ as the King, which is to say, in His kingdom. It naturally blew them away, and I would imagine they had to compartmentalize it in their memory until after the Resurrection, when Jesus told them they could talk about it. And talk about it they did, because Matthew, who wrote this passage, was not one of those present. John was later given another glimpse of Jesus in His glory on the island of Patmos, and it was enough to make him pass out! (Revelation 1:17) We look at things through a human, temporal filter, and that filter can be very dense at times. Just because we can’t see something doesn’t mean it’s not there, and very real. There is a pitched spiritual battle raging in the world today, and it is actually a mercy that we can’t see most of it! At the same time, we can understand, with Paul, that “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) Not seeing or knowing fully now gives us the opportunity to grow in faith, and that’s a very good thing.

I had never thought of my fondness for science fiction as being an aid to spiritual understanding, but God can use anything! I have long thought that our imaginations were one of the ways that we were created to be like God. (Genesis 1:27) Like everything else good, the devil does all he can to warp, distort, and abuse our imaginations, so we do need to be on our guard. We need to remember that our enemy can present himself as an angel of light! (2 Corinthians 11:14) If we aren’t careful, our imaginations can lead us into all sorts of sins, as we act out what we have imagined. (James 1:14-15) However, sanctified imaginations can lead us into visions of what God has planned for us, and many other things our normal senses couldn’t tell us. I have been blessed with a good imagination, perhaps honed by the fiction I have read, but I need to keep it submitted to my Lord, not letting it be abused by the enemy, so that I may walk in holiness and purity, fully available for whatever God desires of me.

Father, thank You for this Word. It wasn’t expected, but then, I can hardly predict You! Help me indeed use my imagination, and everything else You place in my hands, as You intend, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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Taking Up Your Cross; March 24, 2021

Posted on March 27, 2021 by jgarrott

Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

Jesus’ disciples obviously heard what Jesus was saying, because Peter had just rebuked Jesus for talking about what He was going to go through. (verse 22) Jesus didn’t mince words! Many people today have never seen a dead person, but that certainly wasn’t the case back then. Executions were often public, just as Jesus’ crucifixion was, and the average life expectancy was much shorter in general. The disciples wouldn’t have taken Jesus’ words as metaphorical, the way we do today, but as literal, and they were shocking. Being told to “carry your cross” was graphic imagery indeed, and in Luke’s record of this teaching he even adds the word, daily. (Luke 9:23) That addition actually makes it clear that Jesus isn’t talking just about a literal piece of wood, but the imagery is still graphic in the extreme, if we really hear it the way Jesus said it. In thinking about this I remember James and John, the sons of Zebedee. James was the first of the 12 apostles to be martyred, (Acts 12:2) and John is said to have been the only one of the 12 to die a natural death, well past 90. However, both brothers took up their cross and gave their life for Jesus. I personally think James had far the easier road! We are very prone to try to “save our lives” in various ways, hanging onto things the Lord is telling us to discard, refusing risks into which the Lord is leading us, and in general “loving this world” (1 John 2:12) more than we love the things of God. We don’t like to think of martyrdom, and wonder if we would have the faith and courage to go through such a thing, but we forget about the whole “carry your cross” business of daily life. God does want us to enjoy life, and those who insist otherwise aren’t following the right Lord. (John 10:10) However, everything in this life, other than our fellowship with our eternal Lord, is temporal, and should be held lightly, even including physical life. When this life ends we will spend eternity with our Lord, so we need to choose our Lord wisely!

I grew up with the example of parents who loved and served God, and I have absolutely no question as to their eternal reward. I likewise have assurance of my own salvation, but that doesn’t mean I’m not tempted or distracted, and at times want to be through with the whole business! At such moments I indeed need to “Fix [my] eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of [my] faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. [I need to] consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that [I] will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:2-3) Jesus repeatedly made it very clear that following Him isn’t “a walk in the park,” but the end result is more than worth it. As Paul said, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17) Looking at it that way, the daily slog, or even martyrdom, is a small price to pay.

Father, thank You for Your grace to me on so many levels. May I indeed take up my cross without complaining, whatever form that cross takes, and follow Christ faithfully, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Metaphors; March 23, 2021

Posted on March 26, 2021 by jgarrott

Revelation 14:16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

There are two sickles and two harvests mentioned in this passage. Here, Christ Himself is wielding the sickle, and then in verse 19 an angel is wielding a different sickle. To me, this verse speaks of the harvest of the righteous, and the grape harvest is of the wicked, because it says the grapes are flung into “the great winepress of God’s wrath,” and the result in verse 20 is gruesome indeed. However, Christ is gathering His people into His barn, and that is a result to be celebrated. The Bible uses many metaphors, sometimes to opposite intent. Here, the grapes are gathered for punishment, but in the Upper Room Discourse Jesus famously said that He is the vine and we are the branches. (John 15:1-8) We aren’t to be slaves to the metaphors! Most of the prophecy throughout the Bible is expressed in metaphorical terms, and we are told that “Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable,” (Matthew 13:34) and parables are extended metaphors. There are many, many languages in the world, but my understanding is that metaphors are used in every one of them. The ability to illustrate one thing using another is actually a sign of higher brain function, and we do it all the time. Some metaphors are totally standard, like “a lead balloon.” (Actually, Mythbusters proved that it is possible to float a balloon made of lead foil, if the foil is thin enough.) Some truths are so big and so deep that it is impossible to express them other than through metaphors, which is why Revelation is so confusing to those who try to take it literally. I for one don’t expect heaven to be a giant cube! (Revelation 21) The thing is, God uses every method possible to express His truths to us, so we need to allow the Holy Spirit to open our minds and hearts to receive and understand them as He intends, for our blessing and His glory.

I have long delighted in metaphors of all sorts, and the “pun disease” with which I am afflicted (or with which I afflict others) is a reflection of that. I wrote my first poem when I was in the 4th grade, and have written many since. Poetry would be empty indeed without metaphors! In my preaching and teaching I need to be careful that the metaphors I use communicate rather than confuse. Jesus certainly set me a good example with His parables. I need to use every tool God places at my disposal to communicate the Gospel to all who will receive it, so that as many as possible may repent and believe for their salvation.

Father, thank You for language, on so many different levels. Help me use language, metaphorically and otherwise, as You intend, to build people up and draw them to You, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Patient Endurance; March 22, 2021

Posted on March 26, 2021 by jgarrott

James 5:7-8 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

This last part of James’ letter has many memorable verses that I have meditated and spoken on many times, but I don’t think I’ve ever really done so about this bit. It actually seems very timely at this point from a number of factors. In the first place, I’m planting a garden myself, and I’m very excited to see lots of seeds coming up. In the second place, world events are making a lot of people long for the return of the Lord! Frankly, I would have to count myself among their number, even though at the same time there are a lot of temporal events that I am very interested to see how they turn out. I’ve been a space/science fiction buff for 60 years, and I have a lot of appreciation for Elon Musk at the moment! That said, humans going to Mars can’t compare with Christ returning to Earth, so that isn’t an obstacle to my anticipation. The political situation, along with the societal decay that has engendered it, is what has so many people longing for Christ’s return. As has been very wisely said, politics is downstream from culture, and American culture has been sexualized to an amazing degree, especially over the past 100 years. There have been decadent cultures dotted throughout human history, but the scale and the intensity are currently at the upper end of the scale, especially with the wholesale slaughter of innocents on the altar of sexual pleasure. We live in an Information Age indeed, and the tsunami of information about decadence of all sorts threatens to drown us all. That makes James’ words here extremely appropriate. I like the fact that the Japanese term used here is closer to “endurance” than simply “patience.” I think we do well to think of it as “patient endurance.” Even Jesus wanted to be done with the suffering He knew awaited Him, (Luke 12:49-50) but He patiently endured on the Father’s schedule. We need to keep our eyes on the prize (2 Corinthians 4:16-17; Philippians 3:14) and know that God already has it all worked out, whatever it looks like to us in the moment.

I go through times of being excited about all that I see happening around me, and times of wishing I could already hear the Last Trumpet! (Revelation 11:15) My garden is giving me plenty of anticipation, but at the same time I know there is plenty of work to be done before the harvest. I need to approach my coming encounter with the Lord the same way, whether that encounter is strictly personal or whether it is indeed the end of the age. The fact that it hasn’t come yet means that I’ve still got work to do. Some of that work may simply be enduring! I’m not to complain, but rejoice that the Lord does choose to use me in various ways, and give myself totally to Him.

Father, thank You for this clear reminder. Thank You for all You did yesterday. That large, 3-generation family showing up yesterday was quite a shock, but hardly a bad one. It was a reminder that things can change overnight! Thank You also for the ongoing lessons of the garden. Help me receive all the lessons You have for me, responding as You intend, so that indeed, Your name may be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Active Obedience; March 21, 2021

Posted on March 23, 2021 by jgarrott

James 4:17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

Ouch! This verse has got to bite any thinking believer. We tend to think of sin in terms of commission, things we do that we shouldn’t, but this is dealing with omission, failing to do things. Actually, there is a very famous story Jesus told that deals with exactly the same thing. At the very last of the story of the judgment of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25, Jesus said, “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’” (Matthew 25:45) Then those “goats” are sent off to eternal punishment! That actually fits in very well with the even more famous parable of the talents, recorded in verses 14-30 of the same chapter, just ahead of the sheep and the goats. We like to focus on the blessing given the first two servants in that story, but the condemnation of the third servant rose from what he did not do with what had been entrusted to him. We are not to be passive in our faith, expecting everything to be handed to us. It is true that all real power comes from God and we can do nothing without Him, but we are called on to seek Him for the opportunity and the ability to do what He desires with what He provides. James distills all of that down to this one short verse.

I’ve certainly committed sins of commission, actively doing things I knew were not pleasing to God, but I have probably committed far more sins of omission, failing to do what I knew He was indicating to do. Someone has humorously observed that sins of commission are far more fun! However, sin itself is nothing to joke about, because what comes from it is death. (Romans 6:23) Like probably the vast majority of human beings, I tend to be lazy, and as James says, that can generate a lot of sin. I have a tendency to feel that simply knowing Biblical truth is enough, when, as again James points out, knowing it and failing to apply it is just deceiving myself. (James 1:22) I have long felt that verse was written especially for me! All of this said, I still am not to get anxious or frantic. God has told me personally to rest, relax, and rejoice. My heart is to be keyed to Him, desiring to do His will but trusting Him to show me what that is. There are countless “good things” I could be doing, but trying to earn God’s favor is actually the opposite of faith. I am not to draw back from anything He does want me to do, but I’m not to be neurotic about searching for things to do.

Father, thank You for this reminder and clarification. Thank You for the times You have enabled me to be obedient to You, and for Your grace and forgiveness for the times I have failed to do that. Help me hear You more accurately and obey You more completely, living out the Word You have poured into me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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