The Way of Truth

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.”
2 Peter 2:1-3 NLT

All of 2 Peter 2 is devoted to “The Danger of False Teachers”. Not a problem we have these days we might think, but to follow that line of thought is dangerous, because “the way of truth” applies across all our lives, not just those parts we spend within our church building. Surely, because we have the Bible, handed down over the centuries, and faithfully translated from early manuscripts, we have the “truth” and error is rare. Or so we might think. But it is easy to extract a part of that same Bible and elevate it to a position in our thinking that isn’t justified by the context. For example, in Romans 5:20-21, Paul wrote, “God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord“. If we build our lives on these verses, then we might end up in a permanent sinful state, because, we think, God’s grace will cover our excesses. However, we turn the page to Romans 6 and read, “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? (Romans 6:1-3). Living under the shadow of Romans 5 only might lead to a “destructive heresy“.

There are sadly examples today of false teachers in the church. I recently heard about how a minister taking a funeral twisted the John 3:16 Scripture to suit the occasion. The person in the coffin was, from all accounts, an unrepentant sinner. Of course we don’t know what happened just before death, but the minister proceeded to tell the large congregation that because Jesus came to this world, loving everyone, then their dead relative was now in Heaven regardless of the life they had lived. And that same situation would be repeated for everyone present. This is called Universalism, and many people today believe in universal salvation, thinking that a loving and compassionate God will have mercy on them and will never send anyone to the fires of hell. But they neglect the righteousness and justice of God. In Matthew 25:46 Jesus said, “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life“. This chapter in Matthew makes clear that some people, perhaps many people, will indeed end up in a place of eternal torment, a place we call hell. Thankfully, a Christian minister present in the funeral service took the celebrant to task after the service, expounding John 3:16 correctly, and adding the next verse into the discussion. Sadly, however, many people might have left the service deluded by false teaching.

The teaching of destructive heresies leads to sects such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses. They started off as a Bible study class in the nineteenth century led by Charles Russell but through a number of volumes containing his theology, the Bible came to be reinterpreted to suit. So the JW’s believe that Jesus is Michael the archangel, contradicting what we pilgrims read in John 1:1,14, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. … So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son“. To take another part of their doctrine, the JW’s believe that salvation is obtained by a combination of faith, good works and obedience. But we pilgrim Bible scholars know that salvation is by grace alone. Ephesians 2:8-9, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it“. The JW’s also reject the Trinity, believing that Jesus was a created being and the Holy Spirit to essentially be the inanimate power of God. The JW’s have retranslated the Bible to fit in with their doctrine and theology, and have produced a version they call the New World Translation. If you have such a volume on your bookshelf then bin it because it contains “destructive heresies”. And we pray that God will open the eyes of all those poor deluded people who have been deceived by their evil teaching. 

We pilgrims know the “way of truth” don’t we? John 14:6, “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”. Jesus told His disciples to follow Him because that was the only way they would get to His Father in Heaven, and the same instruction applies to us as well. The Apostle Peter obviously got the message because he said to the Jewish rulers in the Sanhedrin, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus’ statement “I am the way” is exclusive, so if anyone tries to convince us that all paths, all religions, lead to Heaven then we are in danger of falling into the category of believing “evil teaching”. Best to close the conversation and quote John 14:6 instead.

Father God, we pray Your Son’s prayer today – “And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Heresies

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves.”
2 Peter 2:1 NLT

In this, the second chapter of 2 Peter, the old disciple warned his readers about false teachers and false prophets. He wasn’t the only one who could see a problem coming down the tracks. Jesus Himself warned about such people. We read in Matthew 24:23-25, “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.” Jesus’ warning came in the middle of His discourse on the End Times, but this wasn’t going to be the only time for falsities. They can happen at anytime. The Book of Jude, just a short letter, is almost exclusively devoted to “The Danger of False Teachers”. In Jude 1:3-4 we read, “Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvellous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” 

So what are the false teachings, the heresies, that can trip up a believer? Peter called them “destructive”, and they were delivered in a clever way to deceive true believers. Early heresies on record include ones like Docetism, which maintained that Jesus did not really have a human body. Instead He was Spirit, and only appeared to have a physical body. But the Gospels clearly recorded that Jesus ate with His disciples after His resurrection. We read in Luke 24:38-43, ““Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched.” A clear confirmation that Jesus did in fact experience a bodily resurrection.

Another heresy was Gnosticism, adherents of which believed that they had to have access to a higher truth known only to a favoured few, and salvation came from finding this divine knowledge, freeing them from the consequences of sin. Paul wrote about being saved by God’s grace alone. Ephesians 2:8-9, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it“. 

We pilgrims know that the only source of infallible truth is the Bible. I meet people from time to time who maintain that the Bible is out of date and needs re-writing to bring it up to date. But they miss the whole point, which is, the Bible, and only the Bible, is the inspired and true Word of God. Sadly, sects emerge who try and rewrite parts of the Bible to fit in with their own particular doctrines. In this respect, the Jehovah’s Witnesses come to mind.

So we pilgrims have a responsibility to maintain the purity of our faith. And the only way in which this can happen is through a knowledge of the Bible. If we are told something new, or in a way that we do not recognise, we must check it out. If there is a falseness in what we hear, then it will not sit easily with the truth that we know through the Holy Spirit within us. We need to emulate the people of Berea. Acts 17:11, “And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth“. One way that error can creep into the church is through social media and channels such as YouTube. It is easy to find a video about something in the Bible that extrapolates what we know in Scripture to fill in any gaps in our knowledge. I recently started to watch a video about Noah’s Ark which tried to determine how big it was, where it ended up and so on. Many scientific and archaeological facts were included. It all looked very plausible and may have been harmless enough, but it is through such channels that subtle “facts” can be introduced into our thinking that aren’t in the Bible. In another example, I recently heard a sermon in which the preacher proposed a theory as to why Jesus didn’t heal all the sick people lying under the colonnades around the Pool of Bethesda (the story is in John 5). It was a perfectly plausible and harmless part of the message but what was said wasn’t actually backed up by Scripture.

We pilgrims must also be careful about taking Bible verses out of context or in isolation. I recently watched a well-known Christian author saying that the 1 Thessalonian 4 story of what we call the Rapture will happen before Christians experience the worst of the End Times, and so world events just now, with all the wars and atrocities being committed, shouldn’t be of concern. A great encouraging message, but such a teaching doesn’t really fit in so well with the End Times account in Revelation, and the part believers will experience. 

Peter warned his readers to beware of heresies, a warning that we pilgrims would do well to listen to and act upon. And in the process, we must be careful what we say to others because the life of a false teacher will not end well.

Dear Father God. Teach us, we pray, only the truth that You want us to hear, and we pray for protection from error. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Seeing or Believing

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendour with our own eyes when he received honour and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.”
2 Peter 1:16-19 NLT

‭‭Peter once again refers to the “experience” of the Mount of Transfiguration. It was an occasion that transformed his life. Well, why wouldn’t it? Imagine being in that situation ourselves, not only seeing Jesus in all His “majestic splendour” but seeing with Him two of the old prophets, Moses and Elijah, who should have been long dead and buried. Such an “experience” must transcend any human understanding, because it cuts right across all our scientific and natural beliefs. Imagine the scenario, trying to describe what happened to a sceptical and agnostic professor at an esteemed university. Such an academic might be impressed by our animated description of what had happened but he would be highly sceptical and more likely to assume it was a drug-induced fantasy. Neither is it the sort of tale that would be well received in the pub or our workplace. Ridicule or worse would follow. 

Just after 9/11, a girl in my office returned from her New York holiday still deeply affected, in shock even, by the sight of the Twin Towers being destroyed. Just the day before it had happened she had eaten a meal in the restaurant at the top of one of the towers, and the following day observed the attacks in real time. We were impressed by her account of what had happened, because we too had seen the event on the news reports. But imagine if we hadn’t and all the knowledge came solely from her account? Would her story have been too off the wall to be believed?

And we remember the disciple, Thomas. He wasn’t present when the resurrected Jesus appeared in the midst of the disciples. We read in John 20:24-25, “One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side””. His response came after the testimony of the remaining ten disciples (of course, Judas was no longer with them) and he still didn’t believe. A few days later, he did get to meet the risen Jesus, who said to him, “ … You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me”” (John 20:29).

It is true that no-one living on Planet Earth today has ever experienced at first hand the person of Jesus. The only recorded instant of a personal encounter after the resurrection was with Paul, who met the risen Jesus on the Damascus Road and we can read his story in Acts 9. But our future salvation does not depend on an in-the-flesh meeting with Jesus. He came to this world to save it, and we know what He said – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). We know much about Jesus from the Biblical accounts and we can develop a Holy-Spirit enlightened impression of who Jesus was. As we read in Revelation 22:4, one day we will see Jesus’ face, “And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads”. But not will we see Him. The Bible tells us we will be like Him. 1 John 3:2, “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is“. In 1 Corinthians 13:12, we read, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely“. That’s where our faith comes into play. All we need to know about Jesus we can find in God’s Word, the Bible. And the more we read it, the more we will find out about His love and grace, equipping use for life in this sad and sinful world.

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your master plan, revealing Your Son, Jesus, to all on this planet. Please help us not to squander the experience, by helping us to share our faith and belief with others who don’t know Him. Amen.

Our Legacy

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.”
2 Peter 1:14-15 NLT

Peter included in his letter to his friends in Asia Minor the sobering and sad news that his death wasn’t far away. Not a death due to an incurable disease, but a violent death at the hands of the Romans. And Peter knew this because Jesus had told him. He wasn’t sure of the exact day and hour, but he did know that it was to be soon. However, this knowledge spurred Peter on to make sure his legacy would be remembered. 

It is sometimes fascinating to walk around a graveyard in the grounds of an old church and read the inscriptions marked on the ancient gravestones. Names and a few words are all that is left, in most cases, of the memory of the person buried beneath the crumbling headstone. The letters might be difficult to read, as the weathering of wind and rain have gradually taken their toll over the years, but the writing remains. Within the church building itself there may be a few plaques embedded in the walls or floors that describe a person of note in the parish. Perhaps a benefactor or public servant. But little remains of details about who the person really was. There is a tendency to write a few words about what a person did, or how they were a much loved member of a family, but it is rarely the case that we learn much about their legacy.

Peter’s legacy is clear – he left behind him two letters that have had a significant impact on generations of believers ever since. But what about ordinary people who just continue with their life, bringing up their children, working for a living, being good neighbours, and plodding along quietly in their pilgrimage through life towards the promised land? True believers are mainly faithful people who don’t leave a high-profile legacy for others to read, but instead, by their influence at the time, make their communities, families and society in general a better place. These are believers who work out their lives as members of God’s family, in His Kingdom. Jesus said, as recorded in Luke 17:20b-21, “ … The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you“. God’s Kingdom isn’t noticed by our secular politicians. It isn’t recognised with a passport or some other record of citizenship. Instead it is a spiritual Kingdom, and our legacy is bound up within it. 

One day we will leave behind us the earthly kingdom in which we live, and our opportunities for leaving an earthly legacy will cease. At the end of our lives we may even doubt we have left any lasting impact. But we may be surprised one day to find out that, in fact, we did leave a legacy after all, as we find other believers in Heaven who are there because of us. We were faithful in living our natural lives God’s way and because of our witness and testimony they too became believers. 

How we pilgrims live our lives on Planet Earth is important. Jesus told a parable of three servants, to whom he entrusted a sum of money. The sums that each received were different (Matthew 25:15, “He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip“), but the money in itself wasn’t important. What mattered was that each servant had an opportunity to invest what they had been given. We each have different capabilities, gifts (talents) given by God, but the important thing is that we are faithful and obedient in doing with our lives what God intends. In the parable, the master returns and finds that two servants have faithfully invested their money but one just buried it and did nothing with it. The first two servants heard those wonderful words from Jesus – “ … ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together‘” (Matthew 25:23). The third servant heard words that he didn’t want to hear, because he had wasted what God hd given him..

A life full of faithful investment, sharing God’s gifts with those around us, in our families, communities, workplaces and all, is the legacy we need to leave behind us. And as we do that, these gifts are multiplied in the lives of others. All our legacies will be different – in Jesus’ parable no sum of money was the same. There is no right and wrong in the way we live our lives. But we pilgrims are faithful people who shine with our faith, illuminating the dark corners in other people’s lives.

Dear Father God. Please help us not to waste what You have invested within us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Timely Reminder?

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live.”
2 Peter 1:12-13 NLT

We all need Peters in our lives. Faithful men and women who are diligent in reminding us about the wonderful truths and promises in the Bible, and how we must be equally as diligent in applying them to our lives. But do we know a “Peter” who has a spiritual input into our lives? Are we listening when a fellow believer provides some encouragement? Or have we cut ourselves off from contact with other Christians, adopting an “I’ll do it my way” attitude? Peter said to his readers that they, of course, know the truths he is reminding them about, and that, although they probably don’t need any reminders, he is doing so anyway.

We pilgrim believers in our journey through life are constantly dealing with conflicts between two kingdoms. The Kingdom of God, and the kingdom of the world. God has provided all the resources we need in these situations, but sometimes we get a bit wobbly in our faith. The enemy will seek out our weak spots and try and capitalise on them to destroy our faith. The Holy Spirit will guide us to the right truths and promises of course, but we have to go and look for them, examining the Scriptures if we are not sure about something. And sometimes the Holy Spirit will use a “Peter” to help us, particularly if we have gone a bit spiritually deaf.

At the present time, with war in Eastern Europe and, as I write, the conflict in Palestine, we can lose sight of the fact that God is in control of His creation, His world. To think that human beings can destroy something that He created is arrogance in the extreme. In our community Bible Study yesterday we read Psalm 2, and came across verses 4-6, “But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.”” This is the reality – God will rebuke the nations who fight against Him, and He will one day in the future instal Jesus in His rightful place as ruler of the world. 

We pilgrims must always be open to the “Peters” who cross our paths. Our loving Heavenly Father is very faithful and He will often lead us to green pastures where we can find the spiritual nourishment we need. A word from a brother or sister at just the right time will often help us when we need help, but we must keep our spiritual ears open. One practical help is the use of a notebook. When we hear a sermon, write down what we are hearing and go over it afterwards. If the preacher quoted Scriptures, check them out. and the truths and promises we find may be just what God wants us to hear. And we must pray for discernment, to filter out the noise that so easily can divert us from the course. If we find a “Peter”, we may want to journey with him for a bit. But in it all, God loves and cares for us, just as He did for the people who read Peter’s message all those years ago.

Father God. Thank You for the faithful men and women who so often provide a word of encouragement when we need it. We pray today for them, and ask for Your blessings to be with them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Work Hard

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:10-11 NLT

‭‭”Work hard” Peter writes, implying that there is a need to work for our salvation. But wait a minute! Aren’t we saved by grace alone? Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God“. In Titus 3:5 we read, “he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit“. But to find out what Peter meant we have to look earlier in the chapter. He started by writing that we have to do something in response to God’s promises. 2 Peter 1:5a, “In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. …”. For example, God has promised to give us wisdom but we won’t receive it unless we ask for it. James 1:5, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking“. We may be going through some difficult times and wonder where God is, but again there is something we must do to find Him. Deuteronomy 4:29, “But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him“. 

So when Peter wrote that we must “work hard”, he was referring to the fact that we pilgrims must take an active role in our salvation process. Paul wrote, “Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:12-13). I read somewhere that the Greek verb for “work out” means “to continually work to bring something to completion or fruition”. Salvation is a process, often called sanctification, whereby we become more and more like Jesus as we pursue obedience to God’s promises and instructions. In Philippians 3:12-14, Paul wrote, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us“. Paul pressed on towards his goal. He worked hard at trying to become perfect, achieving what Jesus called him to be.

Unfortunately, some might say, there is not a manual of instructions with check boxes for the things we need to do and have completed. Sanctification is a continual, multi-facetted process and I am reminded of the plate spinners in a circus – they start a plate spinning, then another and then another, and so on, but they always have to go back and keep the earlier plates spinning. Our lives as believers can feel like that sometimes, well, that is until we realise that we have a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who I’m sure does a bit of plate spinning on our behalf when we forget. Each plate represents something in our Christian lives that we have overcome. Perhaps an addiction, or a wrong habit. Perhaps some sin or other, that has blighted our lives. However, we have become an overcomer, but always conscious that we could find ourselves lapsing back into our old ways. Thankfully, after a while, we find that God has helped us get to a point where a particular plate doesn’t need to spin any more. But there’s always a new plate ….

Jesus said that when we involve Him in our lives, things are not as hard as they otherwise could be. He said, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). Romans 8:26 reminds us that the Holy Spirit is actively on our case, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words“. So Peter reminds us that we must “work hard”. But it isn’t a drudge to respond to God’s promises and grow in the knowledge of Jesus. In fact, it is a joy to know that we are so close to God as we journey through this life.

Father God. Thank You for Your presence in our lives. Where would we be without You? Amen.

Divine Promises

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”
2 Peter 1:3-4 ESV

In the previous verse in 2 Peter 1, Peter wrote about how God’s power can help us live a Godly life. He now moves on to considering God’s promises. We read what Peter wrote about God’s divine power, accessed through our knowledge of Him, and leading to His divine promises. 2 Peter 1:4 includes an awe-inspiring revelation – that we are “partakers of the divine nature.” This is a staggering concept that calls us to recognize our profound connection with God. It suggests that as believers, we are not merely recipients of God’s blessings; we are invited to share in who He is. This divine participation transforms the identity and purpose of us pilgrims, calling us to live in a way that is reflective of our life to come In Heaven. And we note that this is not a future event – it is available to us in the here and now.

But there is a significant benefit coming from God’s power and promises – to “escape the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires.” In a world marked by decay and moral decline, God’s promises offer a way of escape. This escape is not an evasion but a transformative journey. It implies a departure from the corrosive influences of the world and an entry into the transformative power of God’s promises.

So what are these “precious and very great promises”? If we read the end of the previous verse, we see that they are connected with God’s “glory and excellence”. God has made promises to His people in His Word because He is glorious and because He is excellent. Peter was writing to those early Christians in Asia Minor, but his words apply just as much today, to us pilgrims. We can’t just gloss over these promises, though. We have to understand that they are of considerable value, coming as they do from God’s divine nature. And to find out what they are we have to read the Bible. God’s promises are all contained within this precious Book, and we will have to read it. And as we do, we will find out more and more about our wonderful heavenly Father. We will find too that the Bible is full of surprises, that will transform the way we think and behave. 

Let’s just pluck from the Bible some promises; each of these will give us a glimpse of what life with God is like now and what it will be like in the future. 
Psalm 23:6, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever“.
Isaiah 1:18, ““Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool“.
Ezekiel 36:26, “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart“. ‭‭
Matthew 11:28-30, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light“.

These are just four God-promises and there are many more. But they are not just warm, fuzzy words on a page in a dusty tome. Applying these in our lives will lead to the abundant life that Jesus spoke about. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). But we have to take these Scriptures on board and chew them over in our minds and spirits. And apply them to every aspect of our lives. There is no other way.

Dear Heavenly Father. Your ways are the only ways to find the abundant life You have promised to us. We thank You for each and every Word that is contained in Your Book. Amen.

Grace and Peace Multiplied

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,”
2 Peter 1:2 NKJV

Peter writes some encouragement for his readers, a blessing numbering just a few words but limitless in scope. And the blessing didn’t stop after it rested on the inhabitants of the five provinces – it has reverberated down through the ages right to the present day. Peter opened a door for his readers, a door labelled “Grace and Peace”, and by it he provided a glimpse into the world inside, a vista of God’s blessings disappearing without limit into the distance. 

Grace is a word that encapsulates the unmerited favour and divine kindness that God has poured out upon mankind. The benevolence that God displays started with the creation of the world and is still with us today. There is no end to His favour, and Peter presents an opportunity for his readers, of receiving more than a single portion. God’s grace, Peter says, is “multiplied” to them from a bottomless reservoir that will never be exhausted. He spoke out that blessing over them through his pen, and I’m sure his early readers would have felt the Holy Spirit pour over them.

Peter could have left his blessing just with grace, but he added to it the concept of peace. Grace paves the way for peace, creating a harmonious synergy between God and us pilgrims. Through His grace we can experience a peace so profound that it is life changing in our world, conflicted as it is by sin. But the peace that Peter wrote about is not just the absence of conflict but a profound tranquillity that surpasses understanding. Paul also wrote about this peace in Philippians 4:7, “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus“. In an age marked by chaos, the assurance of multiplied peace becomes a beacon of hope to a sad world in despair.

We pilgrims are the enlightened ones. We know God’s grace and peace. We have experienced Peter’s prayer in our lives and have warmed ourselves in the glow from God’s multiplied blessings. But we must act as reflectors, focusing the heavenly rays to those around us, alleviating their distress and despair. We pray that we have the words to say, the deeds to act, to bridge the gap and penetrate the hard outward crust covering the hunger inside our Godless friends and neighbours. Paul wrote in his second Corinthian letter, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:4). That’s multiplied grace leading to the comfort of an inner peace. The grace we receive can be multiplied to others.

But we pilgrims must never forget that God’s boundless blessings of multiplied grace and peace is for us too. We need more grace, more peace, more of God, to help us gain “the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord”. There is no limit to God’s grace and peace except ourselves.

Dear Heavenly Father. We thank You for Your many blessings and all the resources we need for our journey through life. All supplied through Jesus. We worship You today. Amen.

The Authority of Elders

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””
1 Peter 5:5 NLT

Peter moves on in his writings to include the relationship between elders and the rest of the flock. In particular, he singles out the younger members of the congregation, young in either age or the faith. And he says that they should “accept the authority of the elders”. Perhaps in Peter’s days, there was more in the way of respect between generations, but today there seems to be little. Even in my younger days, we respected anyone in authority, be they policemen, or bank managers, school teachers or ministers. But today, if we believe the news reports, there is a reluctance for anyone to assume an authoritarian position in case they conflict with “human rights” or have to challenge bad behaviour, all for fear of legislative hassles. And when it comes to social media, even the most innocuous expression of a view that is different will potentially invite a torrent of abuse. Thankfully, there are still young people today who have a different spirit, and who gain respect because they grant it to others.

But cutting through all of this is God’s model. He has laid down an authoritarian structure in His church, and the elders are responsible for implementing it, admonishing or correcting the younger members if necessary. And the “young” are told to accept what the elders say.

But Peter didn’t stop there, and went on to say that all the church members should dress in humility. Did he mean that all clothes should be similar in style using dark colours, preferably black or grey? Was Peter promoting at least one of the features of the Amish people? I don’t think he meant physical dress at all, but rather was promoting humility in the relationships we have we each other. And he quotes Proverbs 3:34 from the Greek Bible version. But from the Amplified translation this proverb reads, “Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, Yet He gives His grace [His undeserved favour] to the humble [those who give up self-importance]”. Paul wrote a lovely few verses in Philippians 2, and amongst them is verses 3 and 4, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too”. By reading this passage from Philippians again I find a witness in my spirit, confirming God’s model for His children. But the verses that Paul wrote are hugely different from world group-think, a counter-cultural presentation showing how far our societies have moved away from God’s relational model.

A good Bible verse about humility is Proverbs 11:2, “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom”. Solomon wrote that many centuries ago and it is amazing that it still applies as much today as it did then. The Apostle James wrote, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honour” (James 4:10). Showing humility before God and the human beings around us can be hard because something within us rises up and says, “What about me!” But that’s not God’s way. If there’s any promotion of an individual needed, then it is best left to God. He will do the honouring.

Dear Father God. We bow before You today in all humility and worship. It’s all about You, Lord, not about us. Amen.

Eldership Qualities

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t Lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honour.”
1 Peter 5:1-4 NLT

We continue our examination of who elders are and the qualities required for this job. We have considered how an elder is entrusted with looking after the “flock”, the members of the congregation in the churches that they lead. And we also ventured into the contentious area of eldership gender. But moving on, we find that an elder must be above reproach. Titus 1:7, “A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money”. Nothing contentious there, I would think. An elder is someone who believers in his church will look up to and whose behaviour they will emulate. After all, the elders pastor those in the church, and bad behaviour or poor leadership will hardly be of value in accomplishing their core mission.

Another quality of an elder is that he must be hospitable. Titus 1:8a, “Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home … ”. Being hospitable is mentioned in several places in the Bible, and the Greek word for hospitality is, apparently, “love of strangers”. To be hospitable to anyone is often not a convenient act but one that nevertheless is something Christians are encouraged to do. When Paul was shipwrecked on the island of Malta, he, and his colleagues and captors, were looked after through the hospitality of a local landowner called Publius, and in Acts 28:7 we read, “Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days“. That’s hospitality. We also note from Hebrews 13:2, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” An angel in my home? Amazing? Jesus also taught on hospitality, as we read in Matthew 24:35, “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home”.

‭‭‭‭Paul added the requirement of being able to teach to the role of an elder,  “ …  and he must be able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2b). To teach in a church context means having the ability to take and read the Scriptures and expound them in a way that imparts knowledge to the listeners. The Apostles and elders in the church in Jerusalem appointed deacons so ” … we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word“. 

‭Being an elder is sometimes a thankless task but one that can also be very rewarding. We pilgrims, who sit under the ministry of elders must pray for them. Hebrews 13:17, “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit“. 

Dear Heavenly Father. We do indeed pray for our church leaders, those whom You have appointed to oversee Your local expression of the Church. Please be with them, keeping them safe, we pray. Amen.