Entirely Clean

Posted on by korgrocker

“Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.””
John 13:9-11 NLT

Sandals were common footwear in those days, and inevitably a person’s feet became dirty and grimy after walking anywhere. In that dry and hot climate, roads and paths would have been very dusty, and of course the proliferation of livestock would have introduced more unpleasant factors. So Jesus spoke the obvious when He said that a person who had just bathed would have been clean, except for his feet. But Jesus introduced a spiritual hint into the conversation when He said that not all the disciples were “clean”. 

Spiritual cleanliness was very much sought after in Jewish life. This had roots in the idea that touching certain animals, for example, would make a person ceremonially “unclean”. Leviticus 5:2, “Or suppose you unknowingly touch something that is ceremonially unclean, such as the carcass of an unclean animal. When you realize what you have done, you must admit your defilement and your guilt. This is true whether it is a wild animal, a domestic animal, or an animal that scurries along the ground”. A skin disease such as leprosy could also be considered to make a person “unclean”. Leviticus 13:3, “The priest will examine the affected area of the skin. If the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, it is a serious skin disease, and the priest who examines it must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean.” Jesus was scathing about the cleansing rituals undertaken by the Pharisees – Luke 11:38-39, “His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness!” Of course God’s original intention was to relate holiness to a person’s spiritual condition through everyday objects and customs. Leviticus 10:10, “You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean.”

Thankfully, we pilgrims are not subject to all the Jewish rules and regulations that refer to ceremonial cleansing. We know that our state of physical cleanliness is not related to our spiritual state. Through Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins by the shedding of His blood at Calvary we are made “clean” spiritually, and attain the holiness that God demands. Ephesians 4:24, “Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” David wrote in his 24th Psalm, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully” (Psalm 24:3-4). At the moment of salvation, we are made completely clean and righteous before God and only then can we share in His godliness.

Dear Holy God. We too need to be holy to come into Your presence, our hands clean and hearts pure. Thank You for Jesus, who made it all happen. Amen.

Know the Scriptures

Posted on by korgrocker

“They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.” Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’ And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world.”
John 10:33-36 NLT

More clear speech from Jesus. Faced with a situation where the people around Him wanted to kill Him because He claimed to be the Son of God, a blasphemous claim in their eyes, Jesus pointed out what was written in Scripture. Jesus quoted a verse from Psalm 82 – “I say, ‘You are gods; you are all children of the Most High” (Psalm 82:6).  But the Psalmist, under the power of the Holy Spirit, then wrote, “But you will die like mere mortals and fall like every other ruler”. Of course, these references to “gods” were not assigning the recipients some form of divinity, but God was pointing out through the Psalmist that anyone who has some degree of control over another, such as a judge or someone in a position of authority such as an employer or civil servant, has a power that is godly (note the small “g”). And God then included a warning that such “gods” will themselves be accountable for their actions. Such judges were perhaps referred to by Paul in Romans 13:1, “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God”. Jesus was saying if those who hold a divinely appointed position can be considered “gods,” how much more can the One whom God has chosen and sent be the Son of God.

The Scriptures, what we believers refer to as the Old and New Testaments, are a rich and limitless source of information, all of which was inspired by the Holy Spirit through over 40 authors and over a period of 1500 years or so. The more we pilgrims read the Bible, the more we find out about God, and what we don’t know about Him. We can read a passage of Scripture one day, and then find more from it at a subsequent reading. Such a divinely inspired book is unique and it connects us to our Heavenly Father, inspiring us, and touching our spirits with His love and grace. Sadly, many theologians over the years have interpreted the Scriptures in certain ways and have veered away from God’s original intentions. This is how cults have developed, and some have even changed the Scriptures to suit their beliefs. 

But we pilgrims are committed to the Bible and all it contains. We take seriously the warning at the end of Revelation, “And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19). Instead, we agree whole-heartedly with Peter’s words in his first epistle, “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment” (1 Peter 2:2). The “pure spiritual milk” constitutes God’s complete, special revelation, encapsulated in what we now know as the Bible. So we pilgrims read the Bible and re-read it, feeding our souls on God’s Word. There we will find peace, purity and food for our souls. There is no other religion in the world that has a God who died for us so that we can have eternal life. All the other religions expect works to take place, so that our place in eternity is earned. We pilgrims are saved purely by grace. There is no other way into God’s presence.

Dear Father God. Only You have opened a door into Your presence. Other religions fail to find it, no matter what they claim. So we fall on our knees before You today, in grateful worship. Amen.

Being Holy

Posted on by korgrocker

“But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.””
1 Peter 1:15-16 NLT

This is a big ask. To be holy is, surely, totally beyond us humans beings. Only God is truly holy. Only He is totally without even a trace or hint of sin, and is absolutely, not relatively, holy. And yet Peter quotes the verse Leviticus 11:44a, “For I am the Lord your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. … ”. About God and His holiness we read scriptures such as 1 Samuel 2:2, “No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God”. Everything about God comes from a perspective of holiness. So His love, grace, mercy, anger and so on are all holy.  How can we become holy, as Peter demands in our verses today?

One thing we pilgrims need to appreciate about holiness is that it involves being set apart from the worldly ways and customs around us. So the sinful practices of those in our families, communities, workplaces, schools and everywhere around us where we have contact are not for us. We keep ourselves apart in an example of how God keeps Himself away from sin. It’s a very tall order, because as sinful human beings ourselves, the pleasures of sin constantly tempt us away from God’s ways. So we will find our thoughts drifting into dark alleyways, drawing us away from how we should be thinking. Temptation is always with us. But as someone once said, although we can’t stop birds flying over our heads, we can stop them nesting in our hair.

Is God, therefore, asking us pilgrims to be perfect? I don’t think He is but He is asking us to be set apart as one of His children. And we can only do that by having a right relationship with Him. A relationship that starts at the Cross, where we repent of our sins and believe in Jesus. Through our relationship with our loving Heavenly Father we keep short accounts. We confess our sins. We talk with Him. We listen to what He has to say to us. We are obedient to His commands. We read His Word, the Bible, to find out what God’s ways are all about. And it all boils down to aligning our lives to God’s standards, not the world’s. We will never be totally holy until we join God in His Heavenly home, but in the meantime, we can, with the help of the Holy Spirit nudging us along the way, make a good start. So we realign our gaze away from the worldliness around us and look up into Heavenly places. That’s where we belong.

Father God. Only You are holy. And one day we will wear holiness like a garment, as we praise and worship You. Amen.

Purity

Posted on by korgrocker

“How can a young person stay pure? 
By obeying your word. 
I have hidden your word in my heart, 
that I might not sin against you. 
Open my eyes to see 
the wonderful truths in your instructions.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:9, 11, 18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Now here’s a young person desiring to live a life without fault in God’s eyes. He wasn’t just saying that – you can tell he was really serious in his question. And the next line shows that he knows the answer – by obeying God’s Word. So that’s it – problem solved and life sorted. But hang on a minute! God’s Word starts with Genesis and ends with Revelation – how can I ever get my mind around all that, what it means, and how to apply it in my thoughts and actions, so that my life is sinless and pure. An impossible ask, I think you will agree. It’s a relief to know that God doesn’t expect that of us. Through Jesus, He shows us a better way. 

But verse 11 is key. We need to read the Bible regularly. Because then the life-words will spring out of the pages straight into our hearts, and there they will reside waiting for the Holy Spirit to bring them to our remembrance when we need them. But transitioning from an impure to pure life-state is not an instant process. If only it was. It takes a lifetime and more besides. God’s grace is amazing though. Like a parent with a toddler, God takes our hands and leads us step by step. Hear the gentle whispers, “Not that way” or “This way is better”. Remember the words read from the Scriptures, bringing us wisdom, keeping us on the right paths. Yes, we will from time to time stumble over the boulders and hurdles in our way, leaving us sprawling in the mud of our sins. But our loving Heavenly Father won’t leave us there. He picks us up, dusts us off, wipes away the tears of hurt and frustration, and that gentle whisper again – “My way is better”. If we listen to Him and let Him. So we pray with the Psalmist, “Open our eyes to see”. Amen.

The ‘Gods’

Posted on by korgrocker

“God presides in the great assembly; 
     He renders judgment among the ‘gods’: 
‘How long will you defend the unjust 
     and show partiality to the wicked? 
‘The “gods” know nothing, they understand nothing. 
They walk about in darkness; 
     all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 
Rise up, O God, judge the earth, 
     for all the nations are Your inheritance.”
Psalms‬ ‭82:1-2, 5, 8‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬

This is a strange Psalm, short but open to different interpretations. But a linguistic, theological and academic study, though interesting, is unhelpful for the punters like us living on Planet Earth. What was in the mind of the Psalmist, Asaph, when he wrote this?

Reading it I get the picture of our Heavenly Father dispensing judgement in true righteousness and purity, against the tendency of human traits to practice partiality and to favour injustice. The reference in the NIV to ‘gods’ could mean the involvement of angelic beings or prominent human figures from long ago, or be a more topical reference to demagogic leaders pursuing a popularity ticket. But however we choose to define the meaning of ‘gods’, the object of their unfairness and partiality impacts those who are least able to defend themselves in the world they find themselves. As Christians we have a responsibility to adhere to God’s laws and dispense His righteousness in the communities and societies in which we live. And this will mean a counter-cultural emphasis in the way we treat the least able members of our societies. 

The Psalmist ends his short dissertation with an appeal for God to judge the earth. That is not a reference to the inert substance on which we stand, but to the peoples who stand on it with us. One day everyone will face judgement. A weary Asaph wanted it to happen quickly. He wanted God to “rise up”, to wake up and be God in His capacity as the ultimate Judge. And in the process purifying His inheritance, the nations. It has been said that there are two certainties in life – death and taxes. To this I will add a third this morning – judgement. One day everyone will stand before God to give an account of their lives. A sobering thought that should help us in the ways we view those who live around us. But not from a position of fearfulness, but one of faith in the righteousness of our Heavenly Father, as we, His people, call on His grace and mercy.

Troops and Walls

Posted on by korgrocker

“To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, 
to the blameless You show Yourself blameless, 
to the pure You show Yourself pure, 
but to the devious You show Yourself shrewd. 
You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. 
You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. 
With Your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.”
‭Psalms‬ ‭18:25-29‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬

Verses 25 and 26 of Psalm 18, at first sight, seem a bit difficult to understand. What was the psalmist, David, getting at? He used words such as “faithful”, “blameless”, and “pure”. Was he perhaps implying that the qualities he lists have to be in our characters before we can see them in God, even though they are a part of His nature? Perhaps a faithless person wouldn’t see a faithful God because they wouldn’t understand what being faithful was all about. An impure person wouldn’t understand the purity of our Heavenly Father. But is God “shrewd”? Perhaps that is how He appears to someone with devious qualities, whether He is or not. The Psalmist goes on to explain that the quality of humility leads to salvation, unlike that for the proud, the haughty. A sentiment exemplified by Jesus, in the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:8, “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” 

David continued with positive statements about the impact God had, and continued to have, on his life. Reading the Psalms written by David, you can see that he had many dark moments but here he is declaring that God had turned around his depression into a condition of lightness. In addition, God had empowered David to take on seemingly impossible tasks, in battle for example. Think about the Goliath episode. David’s logic as explained to King Saul, was breathtakingly simple, as we can read in 1 Samuel 17:36-37, “Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Almost as an aside, David didn’t appear before Goliath with a slingshot, never having used one before. As a shepherd, he spent hours perfecting the art of projecting a stone with a sling, and he probably set himself up a target and persevered, aiming and hitting, until he had the confidence in his ability. And when a lion or bear appeared on the scene a well-aimed stone would soon discourage them. So when Goliath stood before him, he forensically looked for a chink in the armour, found it above Goliath’s eyes and clinically proceeded to despatch him with a single small stone. But. A big but. David knew that he could do nothing on his own account. He needed God in his life to lead and guide and help him achieve what he had to do. David slung the stone. God helped it to the target. David built up his faith in God in the sheepfolds, on the open hills, in the pastures, as he protected a flock of sheep from predators. And that faith stood him in good stead as he took on the battles in war-torn Palestine. He knew that with his little ability and God’s limitless resources, he could have the confidence to take on tasks that would frighten most of his peers.

To be able to trust God for whatever life throws at us, equipping us for the battles ahead, takes two steps. Firstly, like David, we must develop the skills needed for our lives. Getting an education, learning a trade, practising playing a guitar, and so on, all the time keeping our eyes on our calling, focusing on our vocation. The Apostle Peter was a fisherman, but Jesus taught him how to use those skills to be a “fisher of men”. Sometimes we will perhaps get discouraged, thinking that our simple skill can’t be of any use to God. But God has a way of turning our little into great things for Him. Secondly, we need to spend time with our Heavenly Father. By being diligent in Bible reading and prayer, communicating and building a relationship with Him, testing our faith as we go, we learn to trust Him more and more. A toddler doesn’t leap out of the cradle one day saying that he is going to walk. There are some interim challenges he faces on the way, through crawling, sitting, and getting knocks and bumps, before the big day when he stands. And then he makes the first wobbly steps. Faith doesn’t appear overnight – it takes diligence and perseverance through the knocks and bumps as we grow. 

So back to today’s verses. He keeps our lamps burning, if we let Him. And that wall in front of us, or that Goliath in the office – they are not as big a problem as the enemy would have us think. That mountain might just turn out to be a molehill. Because God is on our side.