Tag: chosen

The Anger Of The Lord

The Word of God provides so much comfort, consolation, encouragement, strength, hope, and excited anticipation. It is food and drink for the soul. David describes it as beautiful and beneficial (Psa. 19:7-10). It makes us alive and saves our soul (1 Pet. 1:22; Js. 1:18). It sanctifies (Jn. 17:17). 

Neal Pollard

The Word of God provides so much comfort, consolation, encouragement, strength, hope, and excited anticipation. It is food and drink for the soul. David describes it as beautiful and beneficial (Psa. 19:7-10). It makes us alive and saves our soul (1 Pet. 1:22; Js. 1:18). It sanctifies (Jn. 17:17). 

Yet, the Word, consistent with God’s perfect character, contains warnings, rebukes, and threats all backed by the unlimited power and perfection of God’s nature. Back when God instituted His special covenant with the Jews at Mt. Sinai, He made it clear that His promises and blessings were conditional. Moses reviews this promise of God at the end of his life, saying, “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today; and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known” (Dt. 11:26-28). 

At the end of 2 Kings, the remnant of the Jews still in the land (remember, Israel was destroyed and carried off into captivity in chapter 17) had drifted into the curse Moses spoke of. The prophets, like Jeremiah, Obadiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, had warned Judah, but the kings, priests, false prophets, elders, and the people, shunned the message. After His perfect patience had been repeatedly tried and finally exhausted, He displays His wrath.

Wicked Jehoiakim’s son, Jehoiachin, mounted the throne in his father’s place. Though he only reigned three months, the record shows that “he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father had don” (2 Ki. 24:9). The Babylonian Emperor, Nebuchadnezzar, besieged Jerusalem, carried Jehoiachin captive “his mother and his servants and his captains and his officials” (12), all the temple and king’s treasures (13), ” all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths” (14–leaving only the poorest people in the land), and “all the men of valor, seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths, one thousand, all strong and fit for war” (16). Nebuchadnezzar put a puppet king on Judah’s throne, Jehoiachin’s uncle, Mattaniah, who Nebuchadnezzar renamed “Zedekiah” (17). He did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his nephew had done (18)! Even in the face of such punishment and defeat, Judah’s leadership refused to humble itself and repent. In fact, Zedekiah was not only rebel against God but also the instrument of punishment in His hand (Babylon’s king, Jer. 25:9)(20).

Why would God allow this to happen to His chosen people? The writer of 2 Kings explains it this way: “For through the anger of the Lord this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence” (20). Perhaps the people convinced themselves that since God had not acted in punishment against their parents and grandparents, He didn’t care about how they were acting and they were going to get away with it. Peter tells us how that is part of human nature. Using the past (the days of Noah) as an illustration of the end of time, Peter says that mockers with their mocking will ask where the promise of God’s coming is. They’ll say, “Ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation” (2 Pe. 3:4). They ignore what happened in Noah’s day (5-6). They ignore that God spares or destroys this world according to the word of His power (5-7). They ignore that God is not bound by time (8). They ignore that God’s perfect patience is at work right now, as He wishes for all to come to repentance (9). But, the day of the Lord will come (10a)! He will deal out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus (2 Th. 1:8). 

But, let us be convinced of this. God wants to pour out His blessings, approval, and incredible love upon all of us! Yet, He leaves the ball in our court. He wants nothing more than to hold us close to Him and have us spend our eternity with Him (2 Pe. 3:11-15). If we respond to that love in submissive obedience, we will feel the full force of His kindness. If we don’t, He’s loved us enough to show us what that will mean for us! May we be wise enough to avoid “the anger of the Lord”! 

Who God Uses In His Service

Monday’s Column: Neal At The Cross

Jesus chose imperfect, flawed people like you and me to help Him spread the gospel. It is easy for us to think that only the super-spiritual, seemingly-perfect can be effective, but the opposite is true. None of us is too spiritual or perfect, though we should always be striving to be better and do more for the One who gave everything to save us. 

Paul is continuing his discussion about the ministry he and his co-workers have when he pens 2 Corinthians 4. As he does, he speaks candidly about himself and them–the messengers. As Christians charged with carrying out the Great Commission, we should all put ourselves in his shoes and understand better who God uses in His service. 

GOD USES PEOPLE OF INTEGRITY (1-4)

Character does not demand perfection, but it does require a conscience shaped by Scripture and a heart softened by it. This leads one to stay encouraged no matter what is encountered (1). It also leads to honesty and trustworthiness (2). We will conduct our lives righteously, and we will handle God’s Word faithfully. People can trust who we are and, thus, what we say. We may be rejected by the spiritually blind, but we won’t be a roadblock to their faith. 

GOD USES PEOPLE OF HUMILITY (5-7)

Paul gives a helpful reminder. It’s not about us, it’s about Christ. He’s the source of light, glory, and power. We’re the plain, fragile pottery God uses to demonstrate His surpassing greatness. 

GOD USES PEOPLE OF DURABILITY (8-12)

To be His servants, we have to weather storms. Those storms may be those we would avoid if we didn’t serve Him, but we understand the importance of our mission. We won’t let affliction, perplexities, persecution, and threats keep us from doing His work! God does not need spiritual sissies in His service. We draw our courage and strength from Him, and it causes Him to shine out through us!

GOD USES PEOPLE OF STABILITY (13-15)

What causes us to be stable? Faith! Because we are truly convicted of the truth, we cannot help but speak. We have faith in the reality of the resurrection, so we teach and share the message that brings grace to more and more people. This leads more people to give thanks to God and causes God to be glorified.

If I want to be a faithful servant of Jesus, I need to watch my personal conduct, lower myself, endure, and be trustworthy. That does not require perfection, but it does require dedication! But God depends on imperfect people like you and me! We cannot let Him down. 

Neal Pollard

What’s My Purpose?

Thursday’s Column: Carlnormous Comments

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Carl Pollard

As humans we want our lives to have direction and meaning. We want to wake up and know what our goal is for the day. Having purpose is what keeps us from feeling like we are spinning in place, it gives us a reason to live. When our lives lack purpose, what does it look like?
 
There will be confusion. When we don’t have purpose our goal in life is unclear. We will ask questions like, “why am I here?” And “what have I accomplished?” A lack of purpose leads to confusion, a lack of clarity, and direction.
 
Without purpose there will also be doubt. We will find ourselves second guessing every decision. If there’s no purpose, then we will begin to doubt the choices we make.
 
A life without purpose contains uncertainty. As humans we want to know for sure that we are making the right call. When we make those important decisions we want to be confident that it was the right choice. If there is no purpose, we will have no ultimate goal to base our decisions on.
 
A life without purpose is a wasted life. So what is our purpose?
 
1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
 
As Christians we are described as:
 
  • Chosen Race (God chose you to be part of something far bigger).
  • Royal Priesthood (we no longer have to be a Levite to gain access to God).
  • Holy Nation (set apart and useable by God).
  • Owned By God (a part of The Creator’s possessions).
 
Because we are chosen, royal, holy and owned by God, we have a purpose to fulfill. Peter tells us that our purpose is to proclaim the excellence of God, the one that called us out of darkness and into light (10).  
 
Our life now has a purpose. We have a calling that is greater than anything else we could set out to accomplish. We are a part of God’s plan.
 
He needs us to help Him. Our purpose in life is to help change the eternal outcome of those trapped in sin. We have meaning and direction.
 
We no longer have to worry about what we should be doing with our lives. God had told us our purpose, and we can find true happiness in serving God.