Paradise of the Heart - Jean Amos Comenius

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PARADISE OF THE HEART

by

Jean Amos Comenius (1592 –1670)

“They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented... of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth”

Editor’s Introduction

The reality of the spiritual substance of the New Covenant, secured in the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, has never been lost or mitigated in the Christian church. It has continued in His faithful remnant since the Apostolic era. Driven underground and denied access to State-controlled means of historical preservation, only bits and pieces of true church history have survived. Not many “mighty and noble” according to the flesh are called into the grace of God, and of those few, there are fewer yet whose labors have been chronicled for posterity. Jean Amos Comenius, the last surviving bishop of the Moravian Unity of the Brethren Church was not only a giant in the true Christian faith but a peerless pioneer in education: according to Jean Piaget, “the first to conceive a full scale science of education”. He wrote 154 books in his lifetime, including the first picture book for children. Cotton Mather, in his Magnalia Christi Americana, said that Comenius was invited to become the first president of Harvard College.

A casualty of the 30 Years War, after the defeat of the Protestant armies in the Battle of White Mountain, he barely escaped with his life while his house was burned down by enemy soldiers. His young wife and two small children died of the plague. For seven years he lived the life of a fugitive in his own land, hiding in deserted huts, caves, and hollow trees. Early in 1628 he joined one of the small groups of Protestants who fled their native Moravia to await better times in Poland. He never saw his homeland again. For 42 years of his long and sorrowful life he roamed the countries of Europe as a homeless refugee, always poor. His second wife died also, leaving him with four children to care for. British Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell offered Comenius and the Moravian exiles land in Ireland. But they did not accept, since they expected to return to their homeland. Cromwell also organized a collection to aid the exiles. Comenius died Nov. 1670 in Amsterdam, homeless and penniless.

When Comenius led his exiled band from their homeland to Poland in January, 1628, they stopped and knelt at the border where Comenius led them in prayer that God would preserve a “hidden seed” of his Brethren. This prayer was heard, answered and fulfilled in May, 1722, when Count Zinzendorf gave the Moravian Brethren refuge in his estate in Herrnhut. The prayers, piety and sacrificial self-giving of the Moravian Brethren had a powerful influence on key evangelists (both Whitfield and the Wesleys) and the fruits of their labors in the 18^th century spiritual awakening, especially in respect to its spiritual life (in contrast to the doctrinal life, which was drawn more from the Reformation).

The noted allegory by Comenius, The Labyrinth of the World and The Paradise of the Heart has often been compared to Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, and reads something like a blending of Bunyan’s allegory and Ecclesiastes. But the Labyrinth was written in 1623, while Comenius was in hiding, and this was five years before Bunyan was born.

The Pilgrim or narrator in the Labyrinth is a young man trying to find his way through the world with two guides, Searchall and Delusion. He comes upon a walled city, surrounded by a great abyss (the earth). He finds nothing it but delusion, deception, darkness, selfishness, dishonesty, greed, fraud, meaningless emptiness. The religious system, Jewish, Moslem and “Christian” alike, is as hollow and wicked as the rest of the world, filled with nothing but fraud, pretense, unbelief, and empty symbols. While observing all this, the pilgrim notices a small tattered group of people, without a chapel, fleeing and disappearing behind a curtain. He wants to follow these people and find what is behind the curtain, but is whisked away by his guides. Eventually, the discouraged pilgrim goes to the realm of death and sees only blackness, at the edge of the abyss.

But a voice calls him to “Return!” He retreats to a room inside himself and there he meets Christ, in dazzling light. All else is meaningless, but in Christ there is truth. He is ushered back to the tattered folks who disappeared behind the curtain. There he finds things working as they should: free from pride, greed, and lust…a community committed to its Lord. This is the Paradise of the heart.

The following are some selections from Paradise of the Heart.

God’s Laws Are Brief

Free, indeed, the Lord God wishes His children to be, but not willful. Therefore has He hedged them in by certain regulations in a fashion better and more perfect than anything that I had ever beheld in the world. There, everything was full of disorder, partly because they had no certain rules, partly because, as I saw, even when they had rules they did not heed them. But those who dwelt behind the curtain had most noble rules, and also obeyed them. They have, indeed, laws given by God Himself that are full of justice, and by which it is decreed: 1.That everyone who is devoted to God should acknowledge and know Him as the only God. 2. That he should serve Him in the spirit and in the truth without vainly imagining corporal things. 3. He should use his tongue, not for the purpose of offense, but for the glorification of God’s holy name. 4. The times and hours that are ordained for God’s service he shall employ for nothing but His inward and outward service. 5. He shall obey his parents and others whom God has placed over him. 6. He shall not injure the life of his fellow-men. 7. He shall preserve the purity of his body. 8. He shall not seize the property of others. 9. He shall beware of falsehood and deceit. 10. And lastly, he shall maintain his mind within the barriers and the ordained boundaries.

A Summing-up in Two Words

The summa of everything is that everyone should love God above all things that can be named, and that he should sincerely wish well to his fellowmen, as to himself. And this summing-up of the contents of God’s Word was, as I heard, greatly praised; indeed, I myself found and felt that it was more valuable than the countless worldly laws, rules, and decrees, for it was a thousand times more perfect.

The True Christian Requires Not Copious Laws

To him who verily loves God with his whole heart, it is not necessary to give many commandments as to when, where, how and how often he should serve God, worship and honor Him; for his hearty union with God, and his readiness to obey Him is the fashion in which he honors God best, and it leads a man to ever and everywhere praise God in his mind, and to strive for His Glory in all his deeds. He also who loves his fellow-men as himself requires not copious commandments as to where, when and wherein he should serve them, how he should avoid to injure them, and return to them what is due to them. This love for his fellow-man will in itself tell him fully, and show him how he should bear himself towards them. It is the sign of the evil man that he always demands rules, and wishes to know only from the books of law what he should do; yet at home in our heart God’s finger shows us that it is our duty to do unto our neighbors that which we wish that they should do unto us. But as the world cares not for this inward testimony of our own conscience, but heeds external laws only, therefore is there no true order in the world; there is but suspicion, distrust, misunderstanding, ill-will, discord, envy, theft, murder, and so forth. Those who are truly subject to God heed but their own conscience; what it forbids them they do not, but they do that which it tells them they may do; of gain, favor, and such things they take no care.

There Is Unanimity Among True Christians

There is therefore equality among them, and great similitude also; as if they had all been cast in one mold; all think the same things, believe the same things, all like and dislike the same things, for all are taught by one and the same spirit.

And it is worthy of wonder that…as I here saw with pleasure…men who had never seen each other, heard each other, and who were separated by the whole world, were quite similar the one to the other: for as if one had been in the body of the other, they spoke alike, saw alike, felt alike. Thus, though there was a great variety in their gifts, just as on a musical instrument the sound of the strings or pipes differs, and is now weaker, now stronger, yet a delightful harmony resounded among them. This is the purpose of the Christian unity, and the foretoken of eternity, when everything will be done in one spirit.

Sympathy Among True Christians

From this equality, sympathy among them arises; thus all rejoiced with those who rejoiced, were sorrowful with those who had sorrow. I had in the world seen a most evil thing that had grieved me not once: if one fared ill, the others rejoiced: if he erred, the others laughed; if he suffered injury, the others sought gain therefrom: indeed, for the sake of their own gain, pleasure, and amusement, they themselves led a fellow-man to his downfall and injury.

But among the holy men I found everything otherwise; for every man strove as bravely and as diligently to avert unhappiness and discomfort from his neighbors as from himself. Could he not avert it, he grieved not otherwise than if the misfortune had befallen himself, and he grieved because all were one heart, one soul. As the iron needles of a compass, when once they have been touched by the magnet-stone, all point to one and the same direction of the world, so the souls of all these men, touched by the spirit of love, all turn to one and the same direction: in case of happiness to joy, in case of unhappiness to sorrow. And here also did I understand that those are false Christians who indeed busy themselves carefully with their own matters, but care not for those of their neighbors. They steadfastly turn aside from the hand of God, and preserving carefully their own nest, they leave the others outside in the wind and rain. But different, far different, I found things here. If one suffered, the others did not rejoice: if one hungered, the others did not feast: if one was warring, the others did not sleep: everything was done in common, and it was delightful to behold this.

There Is Community in all Good Things among True Christians

As regards possessions, I saw that, though most of them were poor, had but little of the things the world calls treasures, and cared but little for them, yet almost everyone had something that was his own. But he did not hide this, nor conceal it from the others (as is the world’s way): he held it as in common, readily and gladly granting and lending it to him who might require it. Thus they all dealt with their possessions not otherwise than those who sit together at one table deal with the utensils of the table, which all use with equal right. Seeing this, I thought with shame that with us everything befalls in contrary fashion. Some fill and overfill their houses with utensils, clothing, food, gold, and silver, as much as they can: meanwhile others, who are equally servants of God, have hardly wherewith to clothe and feed themselves. But, I must say, understood that this was by no means the will of God: rather is it the way of the world, the perverse world, that some would go forth in festive attire, others naked: that some should belch from overfilling, while others yawn from hunger: some should laboriously earn silver, some vainly squander it: some make merry, others wail. Thence there sprung up among the one, pride and contempt of the others: and among these again, fury, hatred, and misdeed. But here there was nothing such. All were in community with all: indeed, their souls also.

There is Intimacy among True Christians

Therefore is there great intimacy among them, openness, and holy companionship: therefore all, however different their gifts and their callings may be, consider and hold themselves as brethren: for they say that we have all sprung from the same blood, have been redeemed and cleansed by the same blood, that we are children of one Father, approach the same table, await the same inheritance in heaven, and so forth. Except as regards non-essential matters, one man hath not more than another. Therefore I saw that they surpassed each other in kindness and modesty, gladly served one another, and each one employed his own powers for the benefit of the others. He who had judgment counseled: he who had learning taught: he who had strength defended the others: he who had power maintained order among them. If one erred in some things they admonished him. if he sinned, they punished him: and each one gladly accepted admonition and punishment, and was ready to amend everything according to what was told him, and even forfeit his life when it was shown to him that is was not his own.

Everything Is Light and Easy to the Hearts that Are Devoted to God

Nor is it bitter to them to conform to such orders; rather is it their pleasure and delight, while I had seen in the world that each man did unwillingly what he had to do. Verily, God had deprived these men of their stony hearts, and placed in their bodies fleshy, pliant ones that were obedient to the will of God. The devil, indeed, with his crafty suggestions, the world with its scandalous examples, the body with its innate tardiness on the right path, troubled them much. But this they heeded not. They drove away the devil by the artillery of their prayers: they guarded themselves against the world by the shield of resolute will: they compelled their bodies to obedience by the scourge of discipline. Thus did they joyfully perform their duties, and the spirit of Christ that dwelt with them gave them such strength that they were wanting neither in goodwill nor in good deeds (within the limits of earthly perfection). Here, then, did I truly see that to serve God with your whole heart is not labor, but joy, and I understood that those who lay too much stress on the weakness of man do not understand the strength and value of their new birth, and have, indeed, perhaps not attained it. Let them then take heed of this. I saw not that anyone among them claimed absolution from his sins because of the weakness of the flesh, or excused his evil deeds by the frailness of his nature. Rather did I see that if a man had devoted his whole heart to his Creator, who had redeemed him and consecrated his body as a temple, then following his heart, his other limbs also freely and gradually took that direction to which God willed them. Oh, Christian, whoever and wherever thou art, free thyself from the fetters of flesh! See, know, and understand that the obstacles which thou imaginest in thy mind are far too small that they could impede thy will, if it be but sincere.

I saw also that not only to do what God commands, but to also suffer what God imposes, is easy. Here no few were slapped, spat on, whipped by the worldly ones: yet they rejoiced, and lifting their hands heavenward, praised God that He had thought them worthy of suffering somewhat for His sake: for not only did they believe in Him who was crucified, but they also, they said, were crucified for His sake. Some who fared not thus envied the others with holy envy, fearing God’s wrath if they received no correction, and separation from Christ if they had no cross. Therefore they kissed the rod and stick of God wherever they touched them, and gratefully took His cross upon them.

Now, all this sprang from their complete subjection to the will of God; thus they desired to do nothing, to be nothing, but what God wished. Therefore are they certain that whatever befalls them comes to them from God, according to His providential decree. Nothing unexpected can, indeed, befall such men; for they count wounds, prison, torture, and death among God’s gifts. To live joyfully or dolefully is indifferent to them. Except that they consider the former more dangerous, the latter safer. Therefore they delight in their troubles, wounds and stripes, and are proud of them. In all things they are so hardy in God’s faith, that if they suffer not somewhat, they imagine that they are idling and losing time. But let all hold their hands aloof from these men; the more willingly they offer their back to the stripes, the more difficult it is to strike them; the more similar they are to fools, the more dangerous it is to mock them. For they are not their own masters, but belong to God; and all that is done unto them God considers as done to Himself.

From Christian History, Issue 13, (Carol Stream, IL Christianity Today Inc.) 1997

HT: Conrad Murrell

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No New Covenant Legal Code - Conrad Murrell

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The New Testament does not give us a new canon in the teachings of Christ and the Apostles. Although we do have many specific commands and exhortations in the New Testament, these fall far short of a comprehensive set of objective standards covering all moral and devotional behavior. Nor are these commands and exhortations given in the format of a unit which can be taken as a code of conduct. They are simply part of the preaching and teaching which Jesus was giving to his audience, or what an apostle was writing to a church, many of which were quotations from the Old Testament, and many of which were repeated over and over. This preaching and writing was not given with the idea of setting forth a whole New Covenant objective standard of conduct, but to illustrate a New Covenant given to us, not of the letter, nor in the letter, but in the spirit, a spiritual covenant ministered in the Holy Spirit. Enough concrete examples are given to illustrate the spiritual nature of the Covenant, and the heart righteousness God requires. This is nothing like Moses coming down from Mt. Sinai with two tables of the complete law in his hands. We can now bring up hundreds of contemporary scenarios for which we have no objective command in the New Testament. But we are not without divine law for these. We are “in-lawed” to Christ (I Cor.9:21). There is no moral or devotional issue that supreme love to God and equal love to fellow-man does not firmly address. Christ indwelling the inner man by the Spirit (Eph. 3:14-21) powerfully and effectively causes us to know, not only know what is pleasing to God in every case, but also enables us to perform His good pleasure.

--Conrad Murrell

Full article here.

Love Revealed - John 13:1

"Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus
knew that his hour was come that he should depart
out of this world unto the Father, having loved his
own which were in the world, he loved them
unto the end."-JOHN 13:1

The long-expected hour of departure had arrived. The
alternative was before Christ, either to refresh and
animate his soul by the contemplation of that world to
which he was about to ascend, or to fix his regard upon the
disciples from whom he was about to separate. There was
a bright ascending pathway before him, with principalities,
powers, and dominions, rising one above another, ready to
rejoice in his ascent-a pathway terminating at that throne
of preeminent glory assigned to the Son of God before the
world was. On the other hand, there were these few
indocile, unbelieving disciples, who had pierced his keenest
sensibilities a thousand times with their unworthy surmises,
and in whom lived, still too much unvanquished, the spirit
of human selfishness. Is it possible that his heart could do
otherwise than bound with joy at the prospect of escaping
from the dark and deadly atmosphere of this world to realms
of glory and perfect bliss? Say that he had thus
long patiently lingered on the earth under the influence
of a profound sense of man's need and of a hallowed determination
to open up a pathway of life to fallen humanity,
would he not permit himself, in the hour which should
terminate this long and bitter self-sacrifice, to rejoice with
joy unspeakable at the thought of exchanging the companionship
of these dull Galileans for that of the heavenly
hierarchies ? Shall we not see him sitting rapt and expectant,
scarcely heeding the observations of his companions,
mindful only of the seraphic sounds soon to burst on his
ear?

Nothing of all this. Having loved his own during the long
years of their fellow-pilgrimage, he loved them unto
the end. To them his thoughts were given. All his solicitude
was for them. Every emotion of their hearts, every
utterance of their lips, had for him the profoundest importance.
They were "his own." The angels are not his
own in any such sense, and therefore his thoughts were
now given, not to the angels, but to his disciples. If we
would but know it, the preference given by Christ to the
impure children of earth, whom he yearned to purify, over
the unfallen sons of God, was repeated hour by hour during
the whole of his life; and the triumph of his love was in
the perseverance with which he maintained unto the last
this preference, notwithstanding the new and sad revelations
of their unloveliness.

"He loved his own." This was their testimony. On
reviewing what had passed between him and them during
those years of his ministry, they were enabled to see that all
that he had said and done, without any exception whatever,
was fitly expressive of a marvelous love. Many things in
his conduct and in his language appeared to them at the
time, perhaps, dubiously expressive of love; but when they
had at length reached a position from whence they could
take an impartial and accurate survey of the whole of their
intercourse, they saw that in all things he had acted toward
them as toward his own peculiar treasure, and that if they
had been the apple of his eye he could not have been more
concerned for their interests.

The experience of those early disciples in this corresponds
with the experience of those who are walking with him in
these days. Sometimes he leaves them for many a long
hour toiling in rowing, but what they know not, then they
know afterward. He takes extraordinary liberties with us.
Believing in his love and having our own particular conception
of what love is, we settle it in our minds that
a certain contingency can never, by any possibility, be
allowed to come to pass. Against everything else we prepare-
not against that. We feel that it would be an
unpardonable outrage to his most loving nature to suppose
for a moment that he should suffer that contingency to
come to pass. And yet that is the very thing that he brings
to pass. We had boasted of the love of Jesus among our
neighbors, and told them that he would not suffer our
brother Lazarus to die, but ,would assuredly come and
restore him to health, and, lo! Lazarus dies and is buried,
and it is much if our sense of the love of Jesus be not
buried with him. He takes what seem to us frightful
liberties with our sensibilities and with our trust. But
there cometh sooner or later, if we only stubbornly trust
on, an hour when all his ways are vindicated, and those
apparent unkindnesses become sanctified and precious in
our memories.

Surely, he may do what he will with his own. The price
he hath paid to make them his own is a sufficient guarantee
that he will never make light of anything in which their
welfare is at all concerned. We are precious to him by
virtue of the blood which he has shed for us, and for him
to be found at any time wanting in solicitude for our
happiness would be for him to treat that blood of his
as the sinners of this world treat it. The persuasion of
Christ's love must be graven in our hearts so deeply that no
semblance of indifference on his part will ever make the
slightest impression upon us. This is the victory which
overcometh the world.

We are "his own." He hath set us apart for himself.
He has absolute dominion over us, and may do what he
will with us. There is no one in the universe that can call
him to account for any height of blessing and of privilege
he may see fit to bestow upon us. He may fill us with
all the fullness of God. He may make of us a new sharp
threshing-instrument, and thresh the mountains with us.
He may make us sit down upon his own throne and put
into our childish hand his own sublime sceptre. We are his.
Not a tongue in the universe can dare to wag, for we have
been bought with a price. There is no extravagance of love
equal or at all comparable to that of giving his life for us.
We are his own, and he is therefore identified with us.
We may boldly see the communication of all that ennobles
his own character. We are his own, and his eye will dart
flames of fire at all that would pluck us out of his hand.
He will not suffer the world to write its name upon our
foreheads beside his own.

-George Bowen

Love Revealed - A Book Recommendation

Since accepting a new job last fall as a special education teacher, along with a return to taking classes myself, I no longer find myself with as much time to read as I used to. The days of passing hours on end with a good book in hand are over, at least for a season. Along with this change has come a change in the kinds of books I seek out to read. I no longer have the time to wade through a lengthy tome searching for the four or five pieces of gold that may be found in it's pages. More and more I am turning to books that are densely packed with rich, Spiritual truth, and which present that truth in short chapters or sections that can easily be read through in a brief sitting.

One such book that I have been benefiting much from of late is Love Revealed by George Bowen. This work is a series of meditations on John 13-17, moving a verse or two at a time through this section of Scripture that has come to be called "The Upper Room Discourse." Each exposition is typically three or four pages long, but is densely packed with truth that is worthy of much reflection long after you put the book down. In fact, I dare say that I've gotten more out of the first few pages of this work than I have out of some entire books! Bowen has a way of drawing out truth from well-known passages in a way that clearly shows the fruit of much meditation on his part prior to putting pen to paper. If the book continues to be as rich as it has been so far, it will easily make my "short list" of must-reads, jumping up near The Works of John Murray. For those of you who know me, that is saying something!

All this to say that I heartily commend this book to you, and encourage you to check it out. Read it slowly and prayerfully, pausing often to stop and think about what is being said. Any time you put into it will be richly rewarded. Love Revealed can be ordered online from Harvey Christian Publishers, or it can be read online in its entirety, courtesy of Google Books. I plan to use excerpts from the book for future posts on the blog.

Prov. 10:20

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Prov 10:20-21

The tongue of the righteous is {as} choice silver,
The heart of the wicked is {worth} little.

The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of understanding (lit. "heart").
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I was just thinking how true this proverb is. The Christian has been given a real treasure from the Lord. It is a gift. We have a message of salvation and reconciliation that is worth much. The unregenerate man has no such message, no hope. Without God and without hope, the only things that are in their heart are sinful things (or even neutral things) that fade and aren't worth very much at all. In fact, they die for lack of "heart." That is, they don't have God in their heart, and thus, they don't have eternal life.

The Christian is so different. The heart of a Christian is full of the love and grace of God. Not only does it bless them in infinite eternal measure, but it also spills over and feeds many.

I think the exhortation then would be to let what is in your heart come out of your lips. Though many times when around the lost words aren't immediately necessary, or fitting the situation, these verses specifically mention the tongue and the lips (and not the hands). Share and speak what is in your heart. You have a treasure. You have food. Thank you Lord for this gift! Help us not to sleep in the time of harvest (10:5).

Don't Just Preach ABOUT the Gospel...

I believe that those sermons which are fullest of Christ are the most likely to be blessed to the conversion of the hearers. Let your sermons be full of Christ, from beginning to end crammed full of the gospel. As for myself, brethren, I cannot preach anything else but Christ and His cross, for I know nothing else, and long ago, like the apostle Paul, I determined not to know anything else save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. People have often asked me, "What is the secret of your success?" I always answer that I have no other secret but this, that I have preached the gospel,—not about the gospel, but the gospel,—the full, free, glorious gospel of the living Christ who is the incarnation of the good news. Preach Jesus Christ, brethren, always and everywhere; and every time you preach be sure to have much of Jesus Christ in the sermon. You remember the story of the old minister who heard a sermon by a young man, and when he was asked by the preacher what he thought of it he was rather slow to answer, but at last he said, "If I must tell you, I did not like it at all; there was no Christ in your sermon." "No," answered the young man, "because I did not see that Christ was in the text." "Oh!" said the old minister, "but do you not know that from every little town and village and tiny hamlet in England there is a road leading to London? Whenever I get hold of a text, I say to myself, 'There is a road from here to Jesus Christ, and I mean to keep on His track till I get to Him.'" "Well," said the young man, "but suppose you are preaching from a text that says nothing about Christ?" "Then I will go over hedge and ditch but what I will get at Him." So must we do, brethren; we must have Christ in all our discourses, whatever else is in or not in them. There ought to be enough of the gospel in every sermon to save a soul. Take care that it is so when you are called to preach before Her Majesty the Queen, and if you have to preach to charwomen or chairmen, still always take care that there is the real gospel in every sermon.

-Charles Spurgeon





HT: Justin Taylor

The Normal Christian Life - An Update

I finished reading The Normal Christian Life a couple of weeks ago, but haven't posted anything on it for some time now. The problem I ran into is that there were so many good things that Nee said, that it was hard for me to pick anything in particular to post; and I don't think I'm going to post anything more on it now either. I guess you can look at the quotes I gave before as morsels to whet your appetite for the book itself. You won't agree with everything Nee says, but you will be blessed by the book as a whole.

It can be read online at several different places which can be found with a Google search.

Granted Ministries Conference - A Reminder

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This month is going by quickly, and I wanted to remind our readers that coming up on March 27th-29th is the Granted Ministries Conference being held in Hannibal, Missouri. If you are at all able to attend, this is a conference you don't want to miss. The greatest need that every Christian has is to see "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" in a greater and clearer way, and I have no doubt that this conference will be a great help towards that end. Detailed information about the conference can be found on the Granted Ministries website.

I especially want to emphasize that if you plan on attending, then PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO REGISTER here. The registration information you provide is vital to properly planning for the event.

And please, be in prayer for this conference. "The kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power," and it will not matter how good the words are that the speakers have to say, without the accompanying power of God upon the time.

Exodus 21:22-25 and the Unborn

How does Exodus 21 speak to the abortion issue? I thought this article was helpful.

The Lord is Gentle

Exodus 13:17

Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, "The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.

How careful is the Lord in watching over his people. He doesn't let anything that would prove too much for them confront them without in some way providing a way of escape. Many times (like in the verse above) he leads us around dangers by avoiding the conflict altogether. He is the sovereign planner and director of our lives, secretly guiding every detail in his good providence, deep in unfathomable mines.

All are required to go through the fiery trials of testing. But not all go through same trials, or even the same degree of trials. For some, that can handle it and be strengthened by it, the trials are severe, and like dreadful clouds. For others, God sees fit to hold off the same trials for a time, or perhaps indefinitely. God knows what is best.

But for all, God proves to be very gentle. What injustice have we found in God? God is the God of all grace and the God of all hope. Even Jesus had many things to say to the disciples that he withheld from them because, as he said to them, “... you cannot bear them now.”

God always watches out for our best interest, rejoicing to do us good. And he never slumbers nor sleeps.

“Partaker of the human name, he knows the frailty of our frame.”

“Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take...”

The Romance of the Christian Life - Maurice Roberts

The Romance of the Christian Life

One sometimes meets Christians who use scriptural words and thoughts with no more feeling than if they were licking postage stamps. They seem to belong to a religious world whose citizens live always north of the Arctic circle in their emotions-- their spiritual affections are buried beneath yards of ice and snow. When they venture to talk about the things of God, they use good words and express sound ideas, but they are evidently in complete control of their own emotions always.

In such company, the doctrines of God's Word have the fascination of an ice-crystal or a snow-flake. The truths of Scripture look beautiful, but feel icy cold. One senses that it would be an impertinence to breathe a sigh in their presence or to utter a stifled sob. And to shed a tear would be unpardonable.

No doubt, emotion can be overdone in religion, as in all else. Not everything we say on biblical subjects needs to be said in a gush of tears or punctuated with an 'amen'. We remember hearing of a preacher whose every sentence was virtually greeted by an 'amen' from someone in the gallery. It was perhaps tolerable, but the voice then gave itself away at one point by shouting 'amen' when the number of the next hymn was announced. The zeal was artificial, scarcely more significant than a twitch of the face or a nervous habit of coughing.

For false emotions of this kind, we make no appeal here. But we are putting in a plea for more expressions of genuine emotion both in the pulpit and out of it. Dare one venture to say that it is scriptural and sound for a Christian to give vent at times to profound religious feeling? Human natures is amazingly capable of great feeling and no subjects under the sun should rouse us to deep feelings like the subjects of the being and attributes of God, the person and work of Christ, the judgment to come and life everlasting. To think and speak of these in a matter-of-fact way is to reveal a slackness of spirit and smallness of soul. All subjects of divinity oblige us to be in awe and reverence by the very majesty of their content.

To our mind, the evidence is compelling. Emotion is a proper part of the Christian's life. It is not to be stifled or supressed, but rather educated. We are not to teach ourselves how to supress our feelings, but how to express them unto edification, both our own and others. The Christian would do well to make it a habit never, if possible, to speak or think of God without deep reverence and affection. At least, he should refer to God feelingly when his circumstances permit him to do so. He should set aside time regularly to meditate on the truths most fitted to excite and enthral his soul. What moves one man may not move another.

It is good for the soul to develop the habit of expecting to feel great emotions from time to time in the use of the means of grace. The habit we refer to is to expect that God will periodically fill our hearts with wonderful melting and heavenly comfort. We believe that those who do not expect such experiences are not likely to have them. But this is much to their loss. Christ is able to fill the heart to overflowing by his felt presence and grace. The great saints of the past have had frequent experience of such gracious visitations and we are to seek to grow up into Christ as they did until we have similar spiritual experiences.

There is no doubt that the romance has gone out of the Christian life for too many believers. We have forgotten for too long that every doctrine of Scripture should have its corresponding echo in the soul: 'The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life' (Jn. 6:63). A large part of the Christian's joy and comfort is to 'feel' the force of these truths and to become familiar with them till they fill his heart with heavenly music.

When doctrines are preached with feeling, warmth and passion, they will be felt in the congregation, not by all, but by those who have a soul which thirsts after God. Those who blow the gospel trumpet have the highest privilege on earth. It would be good to see congregations everywhere thrilled and excited by the Word of God. Such emotion is sanctifying and exhilarating. it is also infectious.

- Maurice Roberts

Why A Believer Sins and What To Do About It

Why A Believer Sins and What To Do About It
by Terry Rayburn

An Experiment

If you mix baking soda and vinegar and it produces bubbles and gas, you might be amazed at first, but if you do it a few times, you come to expect it, and the amazement is sort of dissipated.

I do an experiment all the time. In a way the experiment results amaze me. And yet, the result is the same virtually all the time, and so how amazed can one be?

Here's my experiment. In fact, pretend I'm doing the experiment with you. I ask people this. I say, “I'm going to give the first half of a Bible verse, and you give me the last half of the verse. Here's the Bible verse: 'For sin shall no longer be master over you, for...'”

And then I shut up. “For sin shall no longer be master over you, for...”

Can you complete the verse? I mean that's an important verse, don't you think? A verse that is the key to why sin is no longer master over us, as believers in Jesus Christ?

If you can't complete the verse, don't feel too bad. Because in all my many times of doing this experiment, I have yet to have anyone complete the verse from memory. Isn't that amazing? Such a key verse, and yet it's not even on the radar of most Christians.

If I asked you to finish the last half of John 3:16 or Romans 8:28, many of you would be able to. But not “...sin shall no longer be master over you, for...”

O.K., here's the last half of the verse: “...for you are no longer under Law, but under grace.” (Rom. 6:14) That's why sin is no longer master over us.

The Power Of Sin Is The Law

In my experience, few believers understand the simple principle that basing our thinking and our lives on Law or rules, has no power over sin. In fact, the Scripture says that “the power of sin is the law.” (1 Cor. 15:56)

That means that when we are law-based in our thinking, instead of grace-based, sin actually gains power over us. The law inflames the sin in us, just as “Don't Touch The Wet Paint” might lure us to touch it, and then puts condemnation on us that denies the grace and forgiveness that we have in Christ. And that quenches the Holy Spirit, which is the only source of our power over sin.

Let me repeat that in a slightly different way. The law inflames sin in us, luring us to break the law, which puts condemnation on us. And that condemnation quenches the Holy Spirit, the only source of power over sin we have, and we end up sinning even more, and the cycle continues.

The Ground of Grace

But when we understand that we are no longer under Law, but under grace – when we understand that we are totally forgiven, and that all our sins are paid for by Christ, and that God loves and accepts us fully through grace, even when we sin – in other words, when we are standing on the ground of grace, then we are able to walk in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit Who is our strength, and the One who enables us to rise above sin.

As Romans 8:2 tells us, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

See that?

When we walk in the truth of the grace of God in Christ, then that truth sets us free, and then the love and life of Christ flows through us, and sin loses it's power. Truth always sets free.

But the lie that we are still under the Law, that following laws and rules are how we earn God's love and favor, that lie brings bondage. And that bondage repeats itself.

I don't care how many times you repent of a sin, if your solution to that sinning is going back to the law and buckling down to force yourself to obey that law, you will fail. Hasn't that often been your experience?

Why Do We Sin?

Well, if we understand that grace principle, then why would we ever sin? Because we do, don't we?

The answer is that we are deceived by the world, the flesh and the devil. We have these enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil. And they deceive us. And one of the ways they deceive us is that we are under the law, in the sense that our obedience to law is how we earn God's love and favor, or even keep our salvation.

That's a lie, but these enemies tell us, “Come, let us reason together. Doesn't it make sense that God will be angry at you if you sin? Doesn't it make sense that if you don't stop that sin on your own, that you don't deserve forgiveness? What kind of Christian are you? Do you really think God still forgives you when you've said you were going to stop that, and yet here you are again with the same sin? You slob, you sinner, you ungrateful wretch!”

And it's all a lie. God loves us and accepts us in the Beloved, in Christ. And He has already forgiven even the sins that we have yet to commit. It was accomplished at great cost on the Cross, but it was accomplished. It is finished. And our salvation, and our favor with God, and our staying saved, and our eventual place with Him in heaven, is all paid for...done.

And yet, those enemies will deceive us every chance they get. So I want to deal with one more dynamic. And that is, what do we do when we DO sin? Where do we go? Because I don't want to teach the error of sinless perfection.

What To Do When You Sin

Anyone who never sins, raise your hand.

I didn’t think so. Of course we do sin. Let’s get that out of the way first. 1 Jn. 1:8 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Two verses later it says, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

But wait a minute. In 1 Jn. 3:6 it says, “…Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him [that is, Jesus].” And two verses later John writes, “He who sins is of the devil.”

What’s going on here?

Well, that’s where English breaks down a little bit. The New Testament was of course written in Greek, the common Greek of the time. And when they wrote and spoke in that day, they would use different tenses of a verb that could make quite a drastic distinction in what they said. One tense might be a reference to a single action, and one tense might be a reference to a continuing action.

We do a similar thing in English, but we usually add other words, or forms of a word to get the point across. For example, if we were talking about a baseball player hitting a single home run, the announcer might say simply, “Wow, he hits a home run”. But if we were talking about a baseball player whose habit is always hitting home runs, we might say, “Wow, he sure hits home runs.” That’s his practice, that’s his norm. He’s always hitting home runs. He’s a home run champ.

So in 1 John, when it says, “Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor know Him,” we find the Greek word for “sins” is in the present tense, which refers to continuous sinning. In other words, one who lives in sin, walks in sin, continues in sin, and never really repents of it, or turns away from it.

This fits the context of 1 John also, because as we’ve already said that if we deny that we sin at all, we’re calling God a liar.

O.K. I say all that to say this:

When you sin, where do you go? Do you run straight to God, or do you do what many of us have a habit of doing? We shy away from God. We don’t exactly mean to. But we do.

Some process goes through our mind, maybe not clearly, but something like, “Oh boy. There I go again. How can I face God after that? I mean, we’ve been through that sin so many times. I know God forgives me, but does He really?

“I mean, what kind of wretch am I that I would do that again? I think I’ll just sit it out and see how it goes. I can’t go to God yet. I’m not sure I even feel like going to God right now. What would He think? Even God has His limits.

“He must really be frowning a me right now, or even downright angry. And I can’t face His frown and anger. Lord knows I deserve it, though. Do you have any idea how many times I must have disappointed Him? And after all He’s done for me.”

We may not verbalize all that, but it’s a common feeling that I’ve heard many people express one way or another.

And of course, eventually we do turn to Him, and our sweet fellowship with Him goes on. And even though we know on some level that the quicker we turn back to Him the better, yet we delay it for what we can only call crazy reasons of bad theology?

Is God Angry At Us?

Because is it accurate to see God frowning or angry at us? Is it good biblical theology?

No, it’s not. It’s a view of God that is just plain incorrect. And to get a correct view of God, and how He relates to us when we sin, we can look at a story you may be quite familiar with, the Prodigal Son. But you may not be familiar with it from the vantage point, not of the wayward son [that’s us], but of the Father in the story.

The Prodigal Son's Abba

I can't tell you how many sermons I've heard through the years on the subject of "The Prodigal Son". What he did. How he treated his father. Where he went. How he worked with the pigs. How he squandered his inheritance. Finally, how he was restored. On and on about the son, with usually some contrasting comparisons about his elder brother.

It's supposed to be a picture of us Christians when we sin or "backslide", and how we can return to God. And how there's always forgiveness, if we repent, turn 180 degrees, say our speeches to God, resolve to do better, etc., etc.

But is that really what it's about? The son?

Well, sure, but only incidentally. It's really about the Father, and His heart toward us, his children. It's a picture of God. The son is almost just a prop, added in to make a point.

I won't read the story now, but you can read the story in Luke 15, verses 11-24.

Notice that the prodigal son had a little speech prepared. A little repentance speech. A groveling speech. Sort of, "Father, I'm a low-down miserable worm, not worthy to be your son, so let me be a hired servant of yours."

Did the Father listen to the speech, and judge the son's sincerity by it? No! Remember? He never even listened to the speech! He was too overjoyed by his son's return! It's as though he said, "Oh shut up, you big lug! Give your daddy a hug! Welcome home, son!"

And that's the point:

God is not interested in the content of our little speeches. He isn't interested in our groveling, as if the more miserably we grovel, the more we "earn" His forgiveness. Why? Because He has already forgiven us, and paid for that forgiveness on the Cross.

Well, what is He interested in, then?

What God Is Interested In

He is interested in our fellowship!

If I may paraphrase the Father, he said: "Cut the speech! I get it. Go get the robe! Get the ring! Kill the fatted calf! My son has returned! That's all I want! I love you, Son! I love you! Just abide in me. I'll produce the fruit. I know you've failed, and you'll fail again. But that doesn't change my love for you! And I'm at work in you both to will and to do my good pleasure!" (Phil. 2:13)

In our heart of hearts, as believers in Jesus Christ, we don’t want to sin, do we? But the world, the flesh and the devil deceives us, and we do sin. Where do we go?

Let’s get in the habit of running to the Father. Don’t walk, run to Him. He will always, always, have His arms open to you, His child, to wrap those arms around you in love. Because the sins are already paid for, remembered no more, as far as the east is from the west, because of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May we “...be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled up to all the fulness of God..." (Eph. 3:18,19)

And then stay off of the ground of law, and stand on the ground of grace, and you'll know (and experience) that “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” (Rom. 8:2)

HT: Grace for Life