Evil in the Midst 6 ...Spiritual Gifts Are Not Spirituality

How could it be that God appeared to be using him so marvelously and yet he was so thoroughly evil so long?

…Because we confuse spiritual gifts with spirituality.

There are about twenty specific local churches mentioned by name in the New Testament. Out of these twenty most would agree that the single weakest church was the Corinthian church. Paul wrote many epistles to churches describing in detail their strengths and weaknesses. Acts reveals to us the inner workings of some of the early churches. John in Revelation painstakingly and clearly diagnoses the strengths and weaknesses of seven churches. Yet it remains the dubious distinction of the Corinthian church to bear the brunt of being labeled as the most carnal church described in the Scriptures. The Corinthian church could be called many things but spiritual was not one of them.

          With that in mind, I would call you to notice a fascinating statement Paul makes to this church about this church. In the early stages of the first epistle we find Paul paying this carnal church some tremendous compliments. In the midst of these introductory compliments we find the following commendation: ye come behind in no gift. (I Corinthians 1:7) Paul says here, in essence, that the church at Corinth had just as many spiritual gifts as any other church. He said this while knowing full well the carnal nature of much of their religious activity.

          Later, in I Corinthians, Paul devotes a considerable amount of attention to the misapplication of the Corinthian church’s spiritual gifts. If I may say so, the Corinthian church had a veritable plethora of spiritual gifts in action with a veritable paucity of spirituality.

What is the lesson here for us? It is indeed possible to be exercising God given spiritual gifts in His service without even having much spirituality while doing so.

We all know this is not only possible, but all too often probably the case. That special number that just blessed your heart with thoughts of heaven? The spiritual gift may well have been exercised while pride of performance occupied chief place in the soloist’s heart. That soul winner in your church who repeatedly wins large numbers of souls to Christ? It might be that gifts which in secular society would lead to many sales are being used in God’s service but with just as little real spirituality behind them as is evident in a used car salesman. That woman in the church you always ask to host the missionary because she does an absolutely stunning job? Perhaps the gift of hospitality is mingled with Martha’s resentment and wrong priorities. The revival meeting that resulted in flooded altars and weeping reconciliations? Perhaps the evangelist in question, while exercising his spiritual gifts well, has been nursing a root of bitterness and resentment against a previous pastor for a minute love offering.

The result intended here is not that you become suspicious of everybody in your life whom God is using to edify you. The result intended is that we better understand the clear distinction between spiritual gifts and spirituality. One does not necessarily always accompany the other. They should, and there is no acceptable excuse why they do not, but we must often admit such is the case.

Scripture teaches us that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (Romans 11:29) God no more takes back a preacher’s speaking ability when he backslides than He does take back his salvation. They are both spiritual gifts and as such are permanent. The spiritual gift, however, can certainly be exercised in the absence of a true heart for God. This is demonstrated by the Corinthian church, Scriptural examples such as Samson, historical testimony, and our own sorely purchased experience.

Forgive this next illustration but I have on occasion watched Jay Leno’s ability to move a crowd to laughter so effortlessly. He has an undeniable gift. The rare politician who actually speaks from his heart and soul instead of reading from a teleprompter often rises to great heights. The passion and effectiveness of such men’s gifts has led me to wonder whether God created them to pastor some church and they never answered the call. They were gifted by God, but certainly are not using those gifts to spiritual ends, or with a heart tender toward God.

          Such is the case with men who appear to be accomplishing great things for God while all the while becoming evil in the midst of the congregation. They practiced their spiritual gifts effectively without the spirituality that ought to accompany such exercise.

Evil in the Midst, Part Five... Whether He Be a Sinner or No I Know Not

Healing a Blind Man, Brian Jekel

How could it be that God appeared to be using him so marvelously and yet he was so thoroughly evil so long? …Because the spiritually blind do not notice whether or not you are a sinner; all they notice is that now they can see.



Blindness is used in Scripture as an example of an individual’s lost spiritual condition. For instance, Paul tells us in Romans that the Jewish people were spiritually blind in not recognizing the Messiah. On another occasion Paul speaks of sinners who cannot see God but are searching for Him by feeling for Him. Isaiah in a passage that is clearly Messianic equates the coming of Christ to the coming of light to men in darkness.

The Apostle John tells us the story of an encounter Jesus had with a blind man one day. The apostles were eager to fix the blame while Christ was eager to display God’s power. Our Saviour spit on the ground, mixed clay, anointed the blind man’s eyes, and literally sent (Siloam) him to wash it off in a specific pool of water. The result of this man’s faith and obedience coupled with the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through Christ resulted in a complete reversal of the man’s natural blindness and he came seeing. Just before healing the blind man in this fashion Christ announced yet again, I am the light of the world. (John 9:5) Clearly this story is an illustration of Scriptural salvation available through Christ via the Holy Spirit when we exercise our faith in Christ with simple obedience.

To a very real extent this blind man’s story is the story of all of us. We were all darkened by sin until by the grace of God the light of the glorious gospel shone, and the day star arose in our hearts. In almost every case of which I am aware this illumination - while empowered by the Holy Spirit using the Scriptures - was facilitated by human intervention. Someone handed you a tract. Someone invited you to hear the evangelist. Someone knocked on your door with an offer of salvation. Someone brought your name repeatedly before the Throne of Grace in intercessory prayer. Someone opened up the Scriptures and took you step by step through the plan of salvation and lead you to place your faith in Christ. Scripture, history, and experience show us that God chooses to use men to advance His Kingdom and share His Gospel with the lost. This is an undeniable fact. We do not mix the clay or apply a poultice of our own devising. We do not send the blind where we wish. We do not in any way heal them. Yet it is through our human instrumentality that others come to see the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings. (Malachi 4:2)

Often when such wondrous sights are revealed for the first time to the spiritually blind the result is a great love, affection, and even loyalty to the man God used to bring them healing for their sin sick soul. This in no way detracts from the glory of the Great Physician. In actuality, it only adds to the sweetness of our earthly spiritual relationships. Paul admonishes the wayward Corinthians as dear sons in one verse and in the next explains why they have such a relationship: For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. (I Corinthians 4:15) Christ did the saving but He used the human instrument of Paul in so doing, and that resulted in a warm relationship between God’s man and the people he had reached.

It is also true there can be a danger here. Sometimes this great affection and loyalty between the people of God and the man of God who has been instrumental in their salvation and spiritual growth can result in an unwitting blindness to the flaws of their spiritual father and mentor. The old phrase “Love is blind” has a great deal of truth. Consequently, when those whom we love as fathers in Christ are clearly seen to be in error by others less emotionally attached it is not rare to find still a great loyalty and affection amongst those whom God enabled that man to reach.

The blind man healed by the Saviour in John 9 was soon swept into the clutches of the Pharisees who were looking for a pawn in their attacks upon Christ. His parents, out of fear, would not defend their son, and so he was shortly called to account for his own miraculous healing. After repeatedly explaining exactly what happened the Pharisees endeavored to get the blind man to agree that his Healer was a sinner. The blind man’s answer is tremendously revealing. He said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. (John 9:25) The point in no way is that the Saviour was a sinner. The point rather is that we notice the reaction of the newly saved to the human instrument that brought them healing.

The people God in His grace enables us to reach often do not realize to what extent we actually are sinful. Indeed, they rarely notice that. What they do notice is their own sight, and with grateful eyes and loving hearts they reject any calls by cooler heads who endeavor to call attention to their spiritual father’s error.

Have you ever wondered how some men, after many repeated and public revelations of secret sin, still have a hard core group of loyalists loudly proclaiming their virtues to the entire world? Those people were often reached personally by them in some way, and their reaction all too often is Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.

The great danger here is that this can lead to feelings of spiritual invulnerability about the consequences of personal and private sin on the part of the man of God. Some crack in his carefully cultivated reputation is exposed to the harsh light of day and his people do not even blink an eye. They are focused on all he has done for them, and thus ignoring the danger signs they unwittingly contribute by such unquestioned devotion to the corruption and pride within his heart. While Scripture clearly admonishes us not to be critical of God’s men we also ought not allow our personal feelings of gratitude, loyalty, and affection for them to cause us to bury our head in the sand when red flags are flying. But sadly, many do, and this in its own way enables all evil in the midst of the congregation.

Your new converts and Sunday School students do not know if you walked with God this week. They only know that they can see now. They have no notion of what is hidden in the chambers of your imagery. They only know that because of you they see some great spiritual truth or gain some wonderful spiritual benefit. Their loyalty and love for you springs from the care and help you have extended to them, and they often do not even notice your sins.

In some sense this can be encouraging. What man has not at some point questioned his fitness to teach, preach, or witness because of sin present in his life? We need to remind ourselves that the people we will hand tracts to today do not care if we struggle with some besetting sin; they only care about the spiritual blindness with which they suffer and with which we might help them. This thought can motivate us to continue with ministry even when the devil would discourage us with thoughts of our own unworthiness.

Yet it is also true that we must not leave our people there! While it is enjoyable to accept the respect, affection, and loyalty of people we have helped we must lead them to maturity in Christ. Such maturity will enable them to look behind even the façade we construct as their leaders, and discern for themselves what is right and wrong in our life. While it might be more convenient for us to leave our people dependent on us, blind to our imperfections, and while we might justify such a condition as only natural and conducive to good leadership, we must be cognizant of the danger inherent in such an approach. We must rather lead our people to become them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:14)

Evil in the Midst, Part Four... Oh What a Dust I Raise!

How could it be that God appeared to be using him so marvelously and yet he was so thoroughly evil so long?
…Because this leader, applying Scriptural principle, grows his pride to the place where he thinks he is accomplishing something for God in spite of his sin.

 
What thoughts pass through the mind of men who lead a ministry growing by leaps and bounds in spite of their hidden sin? Perhaps some of the faulty thinking that equates Scriptural success to accomplishment blinds the eyes of the wicked leader in question to the gravity of his own spiritual condition. He has applied and taught some Scriptural principle and people have flocked to hear him as a result. The excitement engendered by such a crowd draws even more. The whole time he has been coming increasingly under the thrall of some particular perversion or another, yet his ministry continues to expand. Perhaps his pride and self-justification lead him to think thus: “Look, what I am doing in secret cannot be all that bad for God is still blessing.”

The story is told of a fly who sat upon the top of a coach and four traveling at a fast rate of speed in a dry region of the country. As he looked behind him he noticed the vast dust cloud left behind in the wake of the coach. Impressed with the size of the plume he sagely muttered, “Oh, what a dust I raise.” The truth is he had nothing whatever to do with the size of the reaction. He had done none of the actual work. It had all been done by the horses. But because he sat on the top and saw the extent of the accomplishment he soon considered himself to be the author of it.

Many a preacher, at the top of a growing church, acquiring a national reputation by leaps and bounds, has thought himself responsible for the accomplishment. The truth is he had little or nothing whatever to do with the size of the accomplishment. The Holy Spirit had done all of the actual work. But because he sat on the top and saw the extent of the accomplishment he soon considered himself to be the author of it. This dangerous pride, when combined with a life of secret sin, may soon render the preacher invulnerable in his own thinking to any accounting for his wickedness. It is tremendously easy to justify one’s own sinful actions as not all that bad when we think we are raising quite a dust.

The very first king of Israel, Saul, seemed to be accomplishing great things initially. He forged the scattered people together as one and punished the Ammonites and the Philistines, throwing their yoke from the neck of the people of Israel. Yet upon closer examination of the story in I Samuel we read such phrases as “And the Spirit of God came upon Saul” and “the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent” (I Samuel 11:6, 7). So we see that it was God who was doing the actual work involved in the excellent beginning that Saul made of his reign.

Later, after his reign had degenerated into a bitter travesty of justice filled with attempts on the life of David, and marked by his own pride and rebellion in dealing with Samuel and Samuel’s God, Scripture records “And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?” (I Samuel 15:17). Saul’s pride, which stemmed from his “success”, led him to sin in jealousy, rebellion, wrath, and disobedience. He lost the proper humility of his early years, and proudly secure in his position of power and authority, he allowed the cancer of sin to eat away at his insides.

Many a man of God starts off with the best of motives and intentions. He applies Scriptural principle and begins to see some “success.” He wrongly begins to think that accomplishment is success and pride enters his heart. This pride leads him to overlook his own growing sin problem because God is still apparently blessing. He begins to feel a certain invulnerability to judgment as he views how important and successful his service for the Lord is. His followers, meanwhile, remain completely ignorant of his growing sin problem, content to proclaim him used of God based upon all they see happening around him.

There is something to be said about the massive folly of a man who believes his own publicity reports…”Oh, what a dust I raise.”

Evil in the Midst, Part Three... Scriptural Principle Applied Works

   And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. (Luke 16:1-9)
     In this parable we find our Saviour telling the story of a sinful man for the Scripture repeatedly labels him as unjust. Yet we also find that same unjust man acted with some wisdom and was rewarded in this life for those wise actions. So we find then that an unjust or sinful man can apply wisdom and have it work out in his favor.
     The bearing of the above parable on our own question is clear. Many a wicked preacher in all evil in the midst of the congregation has applied sound Scriptural principles in his public ministry and had some good come out of it as a result. Even a bad cook - if she faithfully follows the instructions contained within the recipe and uses proper ingredients - can obtain some good results.
     For example, Scripture teaches that men will respond in love to one that loves them first. We love him, because he first loved us. (I John 4:19) A preacher, even one harboring wickedness in secret, can produce a group of people who love him exceedingly by pouring compassion on them first. Scripture teaches a soft answer turneth away wrath. (Proverbs 15:1) A preacher, even one harboring wickedness in secret, who applies deft care in handling interpersonal relationships will draw a crowd by virtue of the fact he does not drive off very many people. If he then begins to teach others how to handle well the intimate relationships of life even more people will flock to hear him.
     Many an inwardly wicked man has drawn a crowd and thus been deemed a success because he simply applied and taught some Scriptural principles.
     One of the continuing tragedies that befall the cause of Christ when such a man’s secret sin is exposed is that men often question the very principles that he taught from the Scripture. Certainly some do not question Scriptural principles in such a situation out of sincerity. Rather they will use such secret sins exposed as justification for their own rebellion against sound Scriptural teaching.
     When Nathan pointed his finger boldly in King David’s face and told him that his secret sin was the sin in question he also instructed David that such a secret sin had given God’s enemies terrible opportunities. In fact, the death of the child that was God’s divine punishment in this sad situation was a direct result, not just of David’s adultery and murder, but of the excuse that David had furnished to God’s enemies to blaspheme Him. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. (II Samuel 12:14)
     But whether such criticism of Scriptural principles is done in pretence or in truth, the fact remains that it is often done. Men’s wicked hearts will lead them to place the blame where it does not belong, namely, on the very Scriptural teachings that were functioning in spite of the secret sin of the teacher. Thus it is that the cause of Christ is damaged in yet another way. Such attacks often lead to justification of sin in yet another person’s life and the vicious cycle is repeated.

Evil In the Midst, Part Two… The Deception of Success and Excitement

Success, in our generation, has taken on all the allure of Californian gold in the summer of 1849. It has become the be all and end all, the motivation and justification, and the only measuring stick most use in assessing another individual’s life. “How to” books replete with self help theories that inevitably lead to success fly off the shelves. Seminars specializing in and promising people success are packed and jammed. Television shows about how to be successful according to the most recent expert garner high ratings. Our world is fascinated with success.

Or is it?

For what exactly is success, and is it that with which our world is so entranced?

The foundation of all truth is the Scripture, and Scripture only uses the word ‘success’ on one occasion: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:8)

When a person gives their life to reading, meditating, studying, memorizing, and most importantly obeying Scripture the end result is clear – a life in which every decision made and every step taken is prosperous and successful, for every step taken is Scriptural. The root word for success in the original language here is elsewhere translated as understand, understanding, wise, wisely, prudent, skill, etc. the idea being that a person who knows and follows the precepts of Scripture will behave themselves wisely. It is this behaving of oneself wisely, and conducting oneself and ones actions with prudence and Scriptural understanding that IS success. In other words, success is not to be found in what I have accomplished but rather in how closely I have structured my life in accordance with the Scripture.

So we see that the world frantically goes about measuring a man’s level of accomplishment to determine that man’s level of success. If his bank account is big enough, and if his title is long enough, and if he has possession of the corner office he is deemed a success. Nothing could be further from the Scriptural truth.

In the religious realm such thinking often pervades Christians as well. While not as crass or worldly, perhaps, as society in general, many will still seek to measure a preacher’s success based upon what he has apparently accomplished. They will look at the number of bodies sitting in his pews, the size and condition of the buildings his church and ministries occupy, and the amount of money flowing into the collection plates as evidence of his success. Nothing could be further from the Scriptural truth.

If we carefully examine Scripture we will find countless examples of men commended by God for great faith and obedience who, in the eyes of men, accomplished very little. Abel did nothing of any significance beyond simply giving a Scriptural sacrifice and becoming a murder victim. Enoch built no great enterprise but his testimony was “that he pleased God” (Hebrews 11: 5). Noah only produced seven converts in 100 years of preaching. Jeremiah, known as the Weeping Prophet, had little to no accomplishment in his ministry. Jesus Himself died with only 2 people still faithful to Him looking on and one of them was His mother! Yet all of these were undoubtedly successful for all of these undoubtedly structured their lives in complete obedience to revealed will of God.

Please do not misunderstand the teaching here. Little churches are not more spiritual or successful than big ones, but neither are big ones more spiritual or successful than little ones. Scripturally obedient churches and Scripturally obedient men are successful, period. When Christians have labeled with certainty that God is, in fact, using a particular man greatly because of what they can see happening in his ministry those Christians have misunderstood Scriptural success.

Allow me to again interject a personal testimony. I have had the privilege of being part of some huge, exciting ministries. I have been an active member for a period of years in a church numbering in the thousands. I have sat in that great congregation, enjoying immensely the gifted musicians, the high grade pulpiteering, the professional level of services, and the veritable plethora of programs offered by such a church. I am not against such big, exciting ministries; I am for them and all they do for the cause of Christ. But I have been around the block long enough to understand that a fair number of the people wound up in the middle of that big, exciting ministry are not wound up about serving and obeying God; rather they are wound up about the excitement.

It has been well said that nothing succeeds like success. When a church reaches a certain size a higher level of excitement is reached by those in its embrace as well. It is more exciting to hear 500 amens than five. It is more exciting to hear of thousands saved than dozens. It is more exciting to hear a choir of hundreds than it is a choir of nine. It is more exciting to flood into a packed church with the crowd than to trickle into a half empty church with the remnant. This exciting atmosphere breeds on itself until it is assumed, because of the very excitement about “what God is doing here,” that the preacher of that church is clearly marked with the favor of God. Maybe, and maybe not. Maybe that bigness is due to excitement, and that excitement is not about obedience to Christ but about the excitement.

People in the midst of an exciting religious situation often want to stay there. Many a young person has moved to a large church to train for the ministry and ended up staying there for decades, and in a sense who can blame them? The big, exciting church has all sorts of things to offer them that a lonely life of service on the cold and dark Arctic mission field cannot. Sometimes it is also true that people can make poor spiritual decisions because of the very atmosphere of excitement in which they find themselves. That was certainly the case with Peter in the midst of the most exciting spiritual experience of his life, the experience which birthed the explanatory phrase ‘a mountaintop experience,’ when he said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. (Matthew 17:4) He did not want to leave that location of religious excitement and made a poor spiritual decision because of it.

Let it be carefully reiterated that excitement in the service for Christ is not bad. What is bad is the belief that God is working in a great way in a particular church or movement, and using a particular preacher in a great way simply because the atmosphere surrounding him is exciting. That atmosphere can often deceive the most sincere Christian into using the measuring stick of accomplishment, size, national reputation, etc. when the Scriptural measuring stick is obedience to precepts of Scripture. Perhaps that atmosphere of success is merely man’s achievement produced by exciting religious experiences, and not simple success, which is obedience.

Evil in the Midst, Part One

          “I have sinned!” he wailed, looking into the assembled television cameras of the world, with tears streaming down his cheeks. Thus began an exceedingly public and painful revelation of the secret wickedness of one of the world’s most respected religious leaders. In the months and years to come his secret sin would be played across the airwaves and pages of the media in excruciatingly minute detail. Each twist and turn down his increasingly perverted path would be recounted by journalists, eager to be the first to ferret out another evidence of his total hypocrisy. His willing participants would cash in on their fifteen minutes of dubious fame by selling their side of the story. In conjunction with the equally squalid tale of other famous televangelists, his story still reverberates decades later, told with glee by worldlings confronted with a testimony of righteousness in a coworker or relative. And whether it is the head of a national evangelical organization, or a seasoned independent Baptist megachurch pastor, new stories constantly stir up the old.

          “I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and the assembly” (Proverbs 5:14) Solomon said, in a warning to his son that he himself would not heed later in his life. Down through history there have been countless instances of such hypocrisy. Men, God’s men, lifted up as leaders before His people, are routinely discovered to have been “in all evil in the midst of the congregation.”

          Such was the case with Samson, a judge in Israel in ancient times. While being used of the Lord to deliver His people from the overbearing rule of the Philistines he slept with prostitutes and saw the Philistine Delilah in secret.

          Such was the case with David, the second king of Israel, and arguably its greatest king. While enjoying a sterling reputation and the affection of God’s people he committed adultery, and then attempted to cover it up with murder and remarriage.

          Such was the case with the devil before time even started. While serving God in Heaven, on intimate terms with all that is holy and pure, pride crept into his heart. In the home of all righteousness, enjoying the confidence of the other angels, he fomented evil in the midst of that heavenly congregation.

          Scripture plainly teaches that, sooner or later, every man with such secret sin hidden “in the chambers of his imagery” (Ezekiel 8:12) will have that secret sin exposed to the harsh light of a judgmental world. Moses instructed men in the tribes of Gad and Reuben “be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). Christ Himself, while discoursing with the disciples in a public manner warned them “that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops” (Luke 12:3). While men constantly close the door and pull the blinds in an attempt to keep evil in the midst of the congregation hidden, or drive to a distant city where they think they are unknown, and carefully check that no acquaintance will see them, they proverbially fail to look UP! “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:24). God knows, and in the perfection of His timing, the whole world knows as well.

          When this private sin, done in secret by God’s man, is discovered by the portion of God’s people following that man, they are often completely at a loss. They are disgusted, disappointed, and usually discouraged in their own service for Christ. Many a bitter, disillusioned Christian sitting on the sidelines of Christianity found his place there in reaction to the discovery of “evil in the midst of the congregation” on the part of God’s man. The shock and dismay of good people who were following what they sincerely believed was a good man is painful in the extreme. The wound is not confined to the immediate family, or even the immediate church, but spreads like a blot across all whose lives he touched in his service for Christ. The hurt infects the hearts of congregations, friends, and family, and often metastasizes until it swallows up the effective Christianity of whole groups of God’s people, and brings intense reproach upon the name of Christ.

          One of the common and most oft heard imprecations uttered in the wake of such a spiritual disaster is this: “How could it be that God appeared to be using him so marvelously and yet he was so thoroughly evil so long?” Christians with a unique and loyal love for the man they feel God used in a special way in their own life will react with incredulity and befuddlement, wondering about all they have seen God do in their own life, and in their church’s life, with that man.

          I know…because I experienced it myself personally…twice.

          When I was just a boy, one of God’s choice servants, fresh out of Bible college, with all the zeal and enthusiasm of youth on fire for God, moved into our area and accepted the pastorate of a dying church not far from ours. Within the space of a few years he had built that church from 30 to 400, with all the accompanying buildings, ministries, plaudits, and praise that go along with it. As a teenager I got to know him somewhat, and watched carefully, for I was already preparing to pastor myself, and thought I might learn much from such a man. Then the day came that he suddenly resigned the pulpit of a growing, successful work, and slowly but surely the sordid details leaked out. The devastation that man’s life wrought in that youth group I knew so well, in the Christian school his church sponsored that I attended, in that church, in neighboring churches, and even across the country in a somewhat limited national way is incalculable. While I saw some Christians react with grace and maturity, many if not most reacted with the sorrow and befuddlement I have already described. I spent many a hurt and lonely hour puzzling over the how and why myself. Surely it was only by the grace of God that I did not become another bitter and disillusioned casualty, blaming my own Christian immaturity on another man’s sins.

          Later, while in Bible college, a man on staff at the college, greatly respected and followed for his apparent zeal in service for Christ, left his wife and his calling after becoming “evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.” I had heard him preach often, and actually shared some shifts with him at a steel mill he worked at part time in the summers, and his private sin, publicly revealed, likewise caused pain and puzzlement in my heart.

       How is it possible, that these men, serving God and seeming to achieve great things while doing so, are revealed to have been hiding some terrible sin for so long?

       I have pondered long and hard on that. If you will allow me to say this humbly, I have searched the Scriptures for the answer. The pain and puzzlement I spoke of in my own life is replicated in thousands of others on an all too frequent basis, and perhaps the Lord will grant to them some measure of consolation and understanding in the answers He has given me. To that end, “that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (II Corinthians 1:4) over the next eight weeks I am going to offer for your consideration those answers that have most helped me. I am sure I do not have all the answers and, as always, I welcome your comments and questions. But I hope that these next few weeks will help God's people to understand these awful situations better, and thus be emotionally and spiritually prepared when they happen.

On the Death of a Child

          Recently I was asked to conduct the funeral service for a baby girl. Mandy and I – having endured our own loss in this area – have made it a point to reach out to those in similar situations in their grief. The parents, a local pastor and and his wife, had contacted us as their still unborn daughter's situation deteriorated. We did our best to be a blessing and to point them in the direction of God's comfort. They are undergoing the worst of times right now but I am confident that with God's grace they will come through. As I sat down to prepare for the funeral I wanted to make the service personal and as sweet as possible. Taking the story of David and Bathsheba's loss as my text I unfolded it in the course of the message. To me, the great comfort of that passage is the certainty David expressed about joining his child in Heaven. Late at night, with only the ticking of my living room clock accompanying me, I penned these words to close the message.

The peaceful Pennsylvania hillside where my daughter Abigail is buried

"I shall go to him"

With heartbreak David said

He wiped the tears from off his face

And took a bite of bread

For seven days he'd prayed

He'd lain upon the ground

His heart inside was broken

His soul with sorrow crowned

The little boy lay lifeless

His breath stilled once for all

His tiny face unmoving

Where death had cast its pall

A week he'd graced this Earth

Short and none too sweet

His eyes now closed in death

His heart had ceased to beat

The awful news soon spread

Throughout the palace round

David's servants feared to tell him

Afraid to make a sound

His grief had been so sharp

He'd nearly come unhinged

Afraid to bear the message

Against the wall they cringed

Yet deep in David's grief

He noticed their discussion

He heard their conversation

And whispered them a question

"Is the child dead?

Is the boy departed?

Has his life now ended?

For Heaven has he started?"

In sadness servants answered

Their hearts all filled with woe

Yet face the truth they must

They gently dealt the blow

Long moments he lay quiet

The storm it howled and battered

Seeking to gain purchase

Within a heart now shattered

Then up he picked himself

Rising from the floor

Through a mist of tears

He stumbled toward the door

A week's long worth of grime

Swirled right down the drain

And with it all the hope

Replaced by piercing pain

Weeping for a night

Yea, seven in a row

His tears now mingled fresh

With water and with woe

In stillness loud he dressed

His motion heedless slow

His mind was in a fog

Numb misery did grow

He'd begged, O how he'd begged

He'd fasted, wept, and prayed

Screamed in desperation

Alone, unkempt, afraid

Yet God had paid no mind

Careless of David's pang

Heaven's door stayed close

No matter how he rang

Now cleansed and clothed he crawled

To worship he went crying

His body vertical

Inside his spirit dying

He slumped into his seat

Lifelong habit driven

Despair sat down beside him

Inside his heart was riven

Hark now the anthem chorus

Raised by Asaph's singers

Perhaps a psalm of David's

Harps played with skillful fingers

Unseen into his soul

Peace steals on quiet feet

Her twin of comfort too

Arrives and soon they meet

Inside of David's heart

They take up residence

Ushered in by faith

They bide and ne'er go hence

The tears still flow but now

No longer filled with torment

Instead hope rises winging

To heaven thoughts now bent

With pace anew and quickened

He turns to his abode

His servants note the difference

Puzzled how he rode

On sorrow's wings on leaving

On hope's when he returned

What caused this different feeling?

What in the Temple learned?

Summoning their courage

One of their number braced him

"David, why the change?

What caused your pain to dim?

Why have you forsaken

The grief that laid you low?

Why have you washed and eaten?

Why don't your tears still flow?"

In quiet calm he answered

With heart still hurt but hopeful

He looked into their faces

Spoke words serene and helpful

"I shall go to him"

With heartbreak David said

He wiped the tears from off his face

And took a bite of bread

…

Dear hearts who gather here

In mourning and in sorrow

I bid you lift your spirits

The Balm of Gilead borrow

Let peace and comfort enter

Bid faith and hope walk in

Remind yourself of Heaven

No night, no pain, no sin

No crepe upon the doorknob

Death's gone and won't return

Abundant life eternal

God's promise sure and firm

Charissa Lynn is waiting

Cross Jordan's far bright shore

She will not come to us

But we will go to her

Alcohol 12 - A Side Helping of Charity

note: a few years ago someone emailed me a question about what is perhaps the most difficult verse in the Bible in relation to alcohol; for my last blog post about alcohol in this series I offer you my answer to him

Dear _______________,

De 14:26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,

Some time ago you asked me a question about this verse, and I told you I would get back to you about it. I have spent some time studying the subject of the Bible and alcohol, and in fact preached a series of six sermons about it on Wednesday nights a couple of years ago. (If you want them I will be glad to send them to you). In that series I come down on the side of abstention, though at the same time I can be charitable in my mind to those of my brethren who disagree with me. I have zero patience for some of their arguments i.e. Jesus made alcohol, 'wine' in the Bible is always alcohol, etc. but there are at least two verses that I freely (albeit painfully) acknowledge give me a bit of a pause. One is the verse above and the other is I Tim 3.8. I don't believe these two verses allow a restrained use of alcoholic beverages, but I can certainly see why some would believe they do, so I can be charitable in my mind to those who disagree with me.

One of my guiding principles in hermeneutics is this: which side does the weight come down on? This is especially true when dealing with issues that are not particularly clear cut i.e. certain doctrinal aspects of soteriological terms, aspects of calvinism, dress standards, etc. In my six sermon series on alcohol I used literally hundreds of Bible verses to establish the danger and folly of drinking. On the other hand there are, at most, only two that seem to say the opposite, or that I cannot clearly reconcile in my own mind. So when I stack up several hundred verses on one side (don't drink) against the only two I can't explain completely on the other side, I come down on the side of don't drink with a side helping of grace/charity for those who disagree with me.

That is the big picture of my approach. Now let me give you something more specific to Deut 14.26. There are some conservative Christians who assert that 'strong drink' here doesn't mean alcohol. I disagree. I do agree that 'wine' doesn't always mean alcohol, but 'strong drink' is rather clear to me, and as a KJV man who doesn't believe in correcting the Bible I cannot hold that position only until it is convenient for me to correct the Bible. IOW, I do believe Moses is here stating that one is free to purchase alcoholic beverages and consume them during the consumption of the tithe feast at Jerusalem.

Having admitted that potentially damaging statement into evidence, let me add two other thoughts with direct bearing on this verse.

1) This is in the direct context of an OT Jewish feast observance, or at least of a Jewish ceremonial law observance. I strongly believe the NT Christian is still under the moral code of the OT Law (nine of the 10 commandments) but I am convinced that the NT Christian is not under the ceremonial or civil aspects of OT Law. Deuteronomy 14.26 is not a part of the moral code of the OT Law. As such, it is no longer applicable to the Christian in the NT. Do you take your tithe to the Tabernacle/Temple @ Shiloh or Jerusalem once a year and use it to throw your family and employees a party? Of course not, and for good reason. Then an intellectually honest argument cannot use this verse to defend a pro-drinking position for the NT Christian. One cannot rationally say, 'I have the right to apply one part of this verse and the right to reject the rest.' Either apply it all or reject it all.

2) You are familiar, I'm sure, with the doctrinal concept of progressive revelation. God, in the process of giving His Word over 1600 years, became progressively more specific about Who He is and what He expects of us. There are certainly aspects of OT practice that the NT, in essence, frowns on. Polygamy is a great example of this. Divorce is another. It was allowed under Mosaic Law but Jesus revealed to us more of God's mind in that incredibly revealing statement, 'Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives:' To me, though here good men too disagree, the NT is clear. Divorce is not allowed, for God doesn't want it, even if He will allow you to do it b/c you want it so strongly. The expanded/progressive revelation contained in the rest of Scripture reveal God's full mind on the subject, and show that even though divorce is allowed it shouldn't be done. I think that exact same thing applies to Deuteronomy 14.26. God allowed them to buy/consume alcohol b/c they strongly wanted to do so, but as the revelation of Himself progresses throughout the rest of Scripture we can see His mind quite clearly on the subject of alcohol - it is to be completely avoided.

I try to be intellectually honest with myself when studying/preaching/practicing the Scriptures. I'm sure I don't always do it correctly. But for these reasons, amongst others, I feel perfectly content getting up and preaching complete abstention rather than just controlled drinking. I think I'm quite clearly on the right side of the issue as it is explained in Scripture. I don't assert that blindly, either, for I have studied it a bit. On the other hand, there is just enough murkiness in Bible statements on this so as to prevent me from absolutely trashing another person who disagrees with me on this. I'm right, and they're wrong, and I don't hesitate to preach that, but I do think I should do so with humility in my position - just in case I'm wrong. ;)

Hope that helps you to answer this question, and, of course, I would welcome your feedback when you get around to it. Praying for you all, and especially your upcoming trip to Texas.

Alcohol 11 - Water Into Wine

note: this was originally published February 17, 2014 as Life of Christ 25; I repeat it here because any discussion of alcohol simply must involve this passage

            I'm a teetotaler. That is just an old-fashioned term for someone who doesn't drink alcohol. I do not mean by this that I only occasionally imbibe, but rather that I never do. In fact, I'm one of those rare people in existence who never have. I know that beer smells bad, but I have no idea what it tastes like, let alone wine or spirits. I do this out of the conviction that drinking alcoholic beverages is wrong for God's people. This doesn't make me better than those who do - though I would argue it makes me wiser (Proverbs 20.1) - but it does mean I'm going to have this story (John 2.1-11) thrown at me about a million times in my life. It usually goes something like this:

            'What? You don't believe in drinking? C'mon, man! Everybody knows that Jesus Himself turned water into wine. If it's good enough for Him it's good enough for me.'
            I realize that there are many good Christians who disagree with me on this issue. They take the position that the Bible condemns drinking in excess, but not drinking in moderation. They, like I, believe drunkenness is a sin, but they, unlike I, see nothing wrong with enjoying an occasional alcoholic beverage. They point to a long tradition of such behavior being accepted by the Church, and they point especially to passages such as this as evidence that moderate drinking is perfectly appropriate for the Christian.

            For these reasons, amongst others, some years ago I decided I needed to study out the issue in some depth. I compiled a number of different books, and spent a good amount of time looking at both those books and the hundreds of Bible references to wine and strong drink. I am confident I have come to a good understanding of what the Bible teaches on the issue, and while I will not take time to present everything I learned on this blog at this time, I do want to briefly address this story from this perspective for it is something that comes up so often.

           One of the mistakes we make in our generation is to take a twenty first century definition and put it to a first century biblical word or phrase. To us, 'wine' always means an alcoholic drink. In Jesus' day, this was not the case, as the word was used to mean grape juice preserved in both an alcoholic and a non-alcoholic manner. Christians who believe in moderate drinking take the position that it the secret to preserving grape juice over time in a non-alcoholic state was unknown prior to Thomas Bramwell Welch applying pasteurization to it in 1869. Those Christians are most assuredly wrong. There are literally dozens of extant quotes from historical sources that soundly establish a large variety of cultures, even back in Bible times, knew how to preserve grape juice in a non-alcoholic manner for a long period of time, and that people used the term 'wine' interchangeably to refer to both.

            The simple truth is that 'wine' in the Bible sometimes means alcoholic wine, and sometimes simply preserved, non-alcoholic grape juice, and it is my understanding that we generally figure out which is which by examining the context of the usage.

            This wine that Jesus made was not at the beginning of the feast, but later on, after they had already drunk what was there. Those who assert that 'wine' in the Bible is always alcoholic have to understand that the people at the feast in Cana were already well on their way to being soused when the wine ran out. A firkin is about nine gallons, so each stone water pot held between 18-27 gallons, and there were six of these, meaning these water pots held between 108 and 162 gallons. Let us take the middle number of 135 gallons. If what Jesus miraculously manufactured was alcoholic wine then we must understand that He just dumped into the laps of a border-line drunken crowd a staggering 135 more gallons of premium alcoholic wine. If that was the case, in light of all that the Bible has to say about the negative effects of alcohol, what kind of a wedding feast would have resulted? I propose to you it would be the kind of feast that Noah had in Genesis 9 and that Lot had in Genesis 19, a drunken, debauched, and sensual party.

            Is that how Jesus would have wanted the holy institution of the marriage of this couple to begin? Is that how Jesus would have wanted to begin His public ministry? Is that how Jesus would have wanted to enter into the initial training of His few disciples? Is that the kind of wedding feast He would have wanted His mother to attend? No, no, no, and again, no! The Word made flesh would never have so contradicted the written Word of the Old Testament prophets.

            For many years we have had small children in our home, and they drink a fair amount of juice. One of the cheapest places to buy it in our neighborhood is ALDI, and my wife will frequently bring home some apple or grape juice from there. Personally, and do not tell my children please, I refuse to drink it. I find the flavor to be completely unacceptable. The container says 100% juice, and I assume they are telling the truth, but I cannot bring myself to imbibe as the taste is so poor.

Bruiloft van Cana, Maerten de Vos, 1596

            On the other hand, I contrast this in my mind with an afternoon walk I took in an orchard some years back. We had gone together, as is our custom, in the Fall to pick some apples together as a family. This particular day was unseasonably warm for October in our region of the country, and the sun was shining brightly. On the way back to the section of trees to be picked that day we happened to walk by a grape arbor. Seeing the plump purple grapes hanging down in clusters, on impulse, I grabbed a bunch, and as I walked I began to eat them. Much to my delight, I found those perfectly ripened and sun warmed grapes, plucked fresh just moments ago from the vine, to be absolutely divine. As I walked I began to squeeze them, one by one, into my mouth, popping them out of the skin, and savoring the taste until the red juice began to dribble down my chin. I have never forgotten that taste, and although I've also never been able to replicate it, I have enjoyed it many times in my mind.

            Yes, Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana. I accept that, and indeed, even embrace it. It was the sweet beginning to our Saviour's public ministry. But, and if you will forgive the poverty of the illustration, what He did was replace the just run out of ALDI 100% juice reconstituted from concentrate with the just squeezed blood of perfectly ripened sun warmed grapes plucked moments ago from the vine.

            …and the governor's eyes lit up, just as mine did, on that October walk in the apple orchard, a few years ago.