Childish Reasoning

Posted on by korgrocker

“When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 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. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:11-13 NLT

At first sight, was Paul saying to us that the spiritual gifts were “childish things”? Looking back over the previous chapters, we find theology that has shaped much of modern Christianity, with its references to the Holy Spirit and His spiritual gifts given to believers, gifts that have continued the ministry of Jesus and His presence to believers ever since. So, saying that the gifts were “childish” could not be further from the truth. In the context of this chapter, we see that Paul was referring to the time of perfection, a time when the use of spiritual gifts such as prophecy and tongues will no longer be necessary. So, who or what will “perfection” be? It can only be the time when Jesus returns. Eventually, the church will mature to the point that we reach the “fullness of Christ.” This will happen only after He arrives, but it is the course we currently pursue. The gifts are needed to help, edify, and encourage us until He comes; then they will no longer be required.

So, the childish reasoning in 1 Corinthians 13:11 refers to Paul comparing the time of a child growing up, when their worldview is totally different to that of an adult. We know that, of course. A small child has a simplistic and protected view of the adult world around them, reaching conclusions that change as they grow up. For example, a small child will believe in a fantasy called Santa, going along with the deception of writing letters and putting out signs in the street. He or she will hang up their stockings and go through the charade for a while until reality dawns and the bubble bursts. But they then continue the story for the benefit of younger friends and siblings. As a small child, I had no idea of the politics of the post-war years, but, in hindsight, I can remember my parents being concerned by events that had the potential to suck them back into more conflict. Today, my worldview is totally different from what it was as a child.

The gifts of knowledge and prophecy
provide only a partial glimpse

The season of the gifts of the Holy Spirit will come to an end one day. Now we see “puzzling reflections in a mirror” or, as the King James translation puts it, “through a glass, darkly”. The gifts of knowledge and prophecy provide only a partial glimpse of the world that God sees, but I’m sure that God, as with a child, protects His people from seeing more than they should. There was the story of Habakkuk, who cried out to God about the injustice, the violence, the evil and misery that was taking place in his day. But God knew that this prophet could be trusted to handle the message of what was about to happen. Grim and devastating times were on the way, and God said to Habakkuk, “I am raising up the Babylonians, a cruel and violent people. They will march across the world and conquer other lands” (Habakkuk 1:6). But Habakkuk knew that what God was about to do was righteous, and he said to God, “O Lord my God, my Holy One, you who are eternal— surely you do not plan to wipe us out? O Lord, our Rock, you have sent these Babylonians to correct us, to punish us for our many sins” (Habakkuk 1:12). The vision horrified Habakkuk, and after hearing God’s plans, he finally wrote, “I trembled inside when I heard this; my lips quivered with fear. My legs gave way beneath me, and I shook in terror. I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us. Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” (Habakkuk 3:16-18). 

“I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!“

We pilgrims may cry out to God with a similar complaint. The world around us is still riven with injustice, violence, sin and evil, and there will come a time when God will say enough is enough and deal with it. Jesus gave John a Revelation of what was to come, and it makes grim reading. As in Habakkuk’s day, most people will disregard the warnings and carry on living their lives of evil and wickedness until the final calamity occurs. God said to Habakkuk, “This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed” (Habakkuk 2:3). 

The End Times,
seen “through a glass, darkly”

The End Times knowledge that we have is only a partial glimpse of what is to come. Prophetic messages have added to the mystery and uncertainty, but they all lack the detail and timing that only God knows about. We see at present only “puzzling reflections in a mirror” that provide a hint of future events. If you like, we have a childish view of the End Times, with only as much as God has chosen to reveal to us, perhaps for our own protection. But one day, and many think it will be soon, Jesus will return, bringing perfection with Him. And so we pilgrims look for opportunities to warn the people around us, as Habakkuk did by writing God’s message on tablets (Habakkuk 2:2) for messengers to carry to the people of Israel. We meet people in the office and on the street, and have the opportunity to invite them into Jesus’ kingdom. The time is short, folks, so we must be prepared, as we look forward to the time when we will grow up and see what God sees.

Dear Father God. You are our loving Parent, who looks after His children. We thank You for Your grace and love, and we give You all the glory for what You have done and will be doing soon. In gratitude and in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen

The Time of Perfection

Posted on by korgrocker

“Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.”
1 Corinthians 13:8-10 NLT

Prophecy, tongues and knowledge are spiritual gifts that will be eclipsed by love, which Paul said would last forever. The three spiritual gifts he listed will become useless one day, “when the time of perfection comes”. But if we unpack what Paul meant, we find that what he wrote was really common sense. We know that even in our enlightened Charismatic and Pentecostal churches, the spiritual gifts are woefully inadequate in providing a complete view of God, His character, His plans, His thoughts, and His Kingdom. Although the most gifted Old Testament prophets delivered prophecies that were full of hints and glimpses of what was to come, some remarkably close to the mark (see Psalm 22, for example), they were only a part of what eventually happened. And then we know that Jesus Himself was unable to reveal the timing of an event that His disciples were keen to discover – when the world will end. We read in Matthew 24:3, 36 “Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?” … “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows”. Of course, I’m sure that when Jesus returned to Heaven, He would have found out what was planned, but, as a human being, even the God-man, such a revelation was kept from Him. 

It is sad that some movements and denominations, even individual churches, believe that perfection came with the canonisation of the Bible in the fourth century AD, and they therefore believe that all the spiritual gifts that Paul wrote about have no further use now. So in their church services, there will be no manifestations of the Holy Spirit gifts, lowering their expectations of what God can do. But there is much that the Holy Spirit does in the life of a believer, because He is the Power Source that drives us and helps us, as we walk on in this life. I often ponder about Ephesians 3:20, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think”. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father” (John 14:12). Was all this power just for the first-century church? I don’t think so. Jesus went on to say in the following verse, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father”. What happens today is imperfect, but we don’t give up aspiring to receive the Holy Spirit gifts, as we await the coming of the Perfect. 

“Come Lord Jesus”

There can only be one such Time, and that is the return of Jesus to this world. Ultimately, this Time is described in Revelation 21:1-2, 6 , “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband”, … “And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life”. Jesus will return to this world one day; we don’t know when, but we do know the manner of His return and where it will happen. Acts 1:11, ““Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!””. So if we had a video of Jesus rising into the clouds on the day of His Ascension, a replay in reverse would show us His return. Revelation 1:7 continues the theme, “Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him— even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen!”

In the new Heaven and the new earth, Perfection will be with us, forever. And so we pray, echoing the last recorded words of Jesus in Revelation 22:20, “He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”

Dear Lord Jesus. We echo the words of John, when he wrote, “Come Lord Jesus!” We honour You, the Perfect, today. Amen.



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God the Homemaker

Posted on by korgrocker

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.”
Psalm 19:1-4 NLT

David wrote that God “has made a home in the heavens for the sun”. Of course, we remember the creation story in Genesis 1:14-18, “Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good”. So the largest light, the sun, was there to govern the day and to “separate the light from the darkness”. In David’s words, the sun was important enough to be positioned in the heavens, as a permanent feature, giving light and warmth to God’s creation. 

The word “home’ brings to our minds all kinds of thoughts. There is something comforting to return to a familiar place, kick off our shoes, hang up our jackets, and put our cosy slippers on our feet, in a place where we live and the place we call “home”. Here we can relax and recharge our physical and emotional batteries, in a place of relative security away from the hustle and bustle of life on Planet Earth. We pilgrims also are aware of our future “home” when we will cross the Great Divide into God’s place. Jesus said to His disciples (and by implication to us modern day disciples as well), “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:1-3). We find that God has a home where we will join him and claim it to be our home as well. But what sort of place will our new home be? We don’t really know with any certainty, but we are sure that it will be far better than what we have at present.

Interestingly, God’s home will not always be in Heaven, contrary to popular opinion. In Revelation 21:3 we read, “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them”. Where will His new home be? On the new earth and located in the New Jerusalem. And there will be no home for the sun anymore, because John ” … saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone” (Revelation 21:1). Why will the sun not be there? Because “ … there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:5).

We pilgrims are truly a favoured people, because God Himself will provide all the security and comfort that we have come to expect from our earthly homes. We may not have a favourite pair of slippers but there will be something far better waiting for us. And we read, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:4). All the things of this world that we long to escape from won’t be a problem in our new home, whether in Heaven or on the New Earth, because they won’t exist. 

God is a homemaker. He created a home for us on this earth, perfect in every way, but along came the devil and corrupted it through sin and evil. But God made a promise in Genesis 1:27, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them“. God would not have created something He thought was imperfect. We have been created in His image, and as God is perfect, we too have perfection in Him within our grasp.

Dear Father God. We praise and worship our eternal Creator today, grateful for all You have done for us. Amen.