It’s Not How You Start

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Photo by Jonathan Chng on Unsplash

As I write this article, we are in the middle of a rain event and it is not clear if there will be widespread flooding or not. For many farmers, the rain is coming at a critical time, threatening to downgrade or ruin the harvest.

For a farmer it is not enough to sow seed into a paddock. The process is not over until the seed has grown, the plant matured and the crop safely into storage. Storms, fires, mice and a hundred other hazards can destroy an otherwise valuable product.

Parenting likewise comes with a long term goal of producing well-adjusted, happy adults who can live their own life fruitfully. The humorous goal of “Just don’t kill them before they turn 18” is a very low bar to set. If you quit parenting when the child is a toddler you have pretty much failed.

There is a tree that grows in the Middle East which actively cools the air around it. This tree does more than provide shade; it actually makes the air cooler. The catch is that, if you plant a seed now, it will be your grandchildren who get the benefit of your care and nurturing.

There are many parts of life where we can make a great start, but we miss out on a reward because we don’t persevere to the end – music and dance lessons, a university degree, a promising sports career.

I have seen many people decide to follow Jesus, but after a month or several years, they just give up. Other things intervene, life gets hard.

The apostle Paul wrote, “I press on to reach the end of the race and the heavenly prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling us.”

It’s not how you start the race of faith that matters, but how you finish. The good news is that even if you walked away from the race, for whatever reason, you can always get back on the track.

If it’s been a while since you have found yourself in church, why not give it a go this weekend?

Ephesians 6:14

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Here is my commentary on Ephesians 6:14. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 6:14

“Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.”

Paul now starts to describe the armour of God and its various components .

First there is the belt of truth. This belt (or girdle as it is translated in some older versions) served to hold up the flowing robes so that the soldier was able to move freely. it also provided a place to carry various weapons and other equipment, as well as holding the other pieces of armour together.

The belt was foundational to the protection of a soldier. Truth is likewise foundational to the health and well-being of the Christian.

Jesus is the truth (John 14:6) so we must make Jesus the foundation of all we do. Jesus must be in our mind, in our heart, and in our mouth at all times.

Our culture has completely destroyed the concept of truth. We live in a post- truth society. Truth has become an internal, personal quality rather than an objective quality that can be tested and either refuted or confirmed.

People can define their own truth, and it is perfectly reasonable to declare,”What is true for you is not true for me.” People are allowed to define the gender identity as if their self-centred thoughts somehow overrule biology and DNA.

Despite the wishful thinking of post-modern men and women, objective truth reigns in the created universe. Stepping over a cliff will cause you to accelerate downwards at the rate of 9.8 metres per second squared, whether or not you believe in gravity. Two vehicles colliding will obey the laws of physics, regardless of our beliefs about our freedom to choose which side of the road to drive.

The God who has revealed himself in scripture and through the testimony of the church, also stands outside of our post- truth beliefs. We might want to believe that there are many ways to God, but Jesus says,” nobody comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:7). We might want to believe that everyone goes to heaven when they die, but God says that those who resist Him will be thrown into a lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15).

Truth is more than doctrines. It is also a moral or ethical quality. To be a person of Truth means that we internalise the grace of God and our beliefs about Him. In other words, the gospel must transform our heart and our lifestyle, or else we have not received the truth. Our actions must line up with our beliefs otherwise we show that we do not really believe what we claim to believe.

The Old Testament prophets frequently express the heart of God towards his people. “These people worship me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Isaiah 29:13)

Righteousness is described as a breastplate. The breastplate was designed to protect the vital organs such as the heart and lungs. Paul is saying that righteousness protects our spiritual life in the same way.

Jesus is our righteousness. He not only imputed righteousness to us through His death on the cross, but He makes us righteous in fact.

God demands that his people must be holy, as He Himself is holy. To be holy, or to be righteous, means that we live a life that is free from sin.

This righteousness is about the way we live from day to day. No longer are we pulled by our sinful desires or the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). A righteous person discerns what is the right thing to do and proceeds to do it, regardless of the short-term costs .

Every part of our life must be covered by righteousness. At work, we must not act unethically, even if it costs us our job. At the shop, we must not take advantage of errors in calculating change or applying prices. At home, we must seek to treat family with the love and care that Jesus does.

Both truth and righteousness are at the heart of the Christian character. We are to be people who live in truth and injustice.

Key points in this verse:

  • We must seek God’s truth and put it at the centre of our lives
  • Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
  • God has revealed to us truth that is eternal and objective
  • Righteousness in our dealings with other people will protect and nurture our spirit
  • Jesus is our righteousness. He sets us free from fleshly desires

Reflection on 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

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Scripture

It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will be transformed.

Observation

Our dying physical bodies cannot inherit God’s kingdom. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed.

When the last trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to eternal life. Those who are alive at the time will be transformed and receive immortal bodies.

Death will be swallowed up in the victory of Christ. Sin is the sting that empowers death. Thank God! In Christ we have the victory over sin and death.

Application

There is much that is unclear about the end times. One thing that is certain is that those who are dead will be raised in a moment. Those who are alive in Christ will be transformed in the twinkling of an eye.

This promise is to everyone who puts their trust in Christ. Christ has defeated sin and death, and if we are in Christ we share the spoils of the victory.

Those who are not in Christ have not had their sins forgiven. They will be raised also, to be judged by God. They will be cast into a Lake of Fire along with satan and the demons.

Faith is a matter of life and death – eternal life and eternal death.

God is not wanting anyone to perish, so He delays the final day to save as many as possible.

Prayer

Thank you Lord Jesus for saving me. Yours is the victory and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.