Thoughts in Repose

Here I am back with another meditation. It has been awhile. I am presently in the task of taking the meditations I have written so far and having them bound together in a book. And I have not been particularly moved to write another. But today is an exception. I am in the process of slowly reading through a book by that brilliant Catholic nun, the late Sister Miriam Joseph. The book is entitled Shakespeare’s Use of the Arts of Language. That dear woman forgot more about language and grammar than I will ever know. Her Catholicism notwithstanding, she was a tremendous scholar and I have learned some very valuable things from her. I hope through grace that she is one of God’s elect who was deceived by her Catholic upbringing. Should that be the case, I look forward to seeing her one day and thanking her for the contribution she made to my life and ministry. Of course, first thanks and praise go to God from Whom all blessings flow from whatever source.

Anyway, reading in her book today she was commenting on the subject of ethos. She defines ethos as “the persuasion exerted upon the minds and hearts of the audience by the personal character of the speaker, causing them to believe in his sincerity, his truth, his ability, his good will toward them.” Now it is not my intent to write today about ethos. I just thought I should let you know what it meant since I mentioned it. But as she was writing about this, she cited an example of ethos in a quote from Banquo, one of the characters in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. Here is a line from that quote that grabbed me:

“Merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature gives way to in repose!”

Let that statement sink in. Think about what you think about when you are in repose, when you are not busy with something else and your mind can go wherever. Do your thoughts turn to lust after forbidden things? Or do they indulge covetousness for things you neither need nor can afford? Do your thoughts turn to burning anger against someone who offended you so that you wish evil upon them for what they did to you? Do you relish imagining that evil happening to them? Do your thoughts visit things in the past better forgotten than played over and over in the mind? If so, these are so many “cursed thoughts that nature gives way to in repose.” And just as Banquo sought help from heaven to restrain such “cursed thoughts”, so ought you. Consider these prayers and adopt them for your own:

Psalms 19:13  Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

14  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalms 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalms 119:36  Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.

But we have a responsibility to guard against these “cursed thoughts” as well. We have this commandment given to us:

1 Peter 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ….

Now just what is it to “gird up the loins of your mind”?

Gird - To surround, encircle with a belt or girdle, esp. for the purpose of confining the garments and allowing freer action to the body. Fig. To prepare for action; to brace up for, to, or to do something.

When you gird a garment about you, you are restraining that garment so that it does not impede your movement. This would be especially true in a time when people wore flowing robes. So the lesson is that we should not allow our thoughts to roam about without restraint. We should confine them to those things that best prepare us to serve our God, wage the Christian’s warfare, and be ready for the appearing of our blessed Lord.

In attempting to “gird up the loins of your mind,” first cultivate a hatred of these “cursed thoughts.” If you hate them, you will mount greater resistance against them.

Psalms 119:113  I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.

Secondly, recognize that moments of repose, when the mind is not occupied, are moments of vulnerability. You will be more on your guard if you recognize the times when you are most vulnerable. Thirdly, fill your mind with the right kind of matter so that in moments of repose your mind tends more in that direction than in the direction of “cursed thoughts.” And consciously focus your thoughts to think on this wholesome matter so that the mind is trained and strengthened to go there when you are in repose.

Psalms 119:97  O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

Psalms 119:148  Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.

Philippians 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

It is a fact that our mind thinks on what we feed it. So be careful what you fill your head with, because that will likely be what comes to the fore when you are “in repose.” And lastly, whilst repose is a blessing and something we all need, we must guard against too much repose. The old saying is true: “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” And nowhere was this more clearly illustrated than in the infamous Sodom.

Ezekiel 16:49  Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

50  And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

May these verses rather characterize your thoughts in the hours of your repose:

Psalms 4:4  Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Psalms 63:5  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

6  When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

The Sudden Provocation

For today’s meditation I want to direct your attention to an outstanding quote from the writings of C. S. Lewis:

“Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is. If there are rats in a cellar, you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats; it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way, the suddenness of the provocation does not make me ill-tempered; it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am.”

Does that sting or does that sting? Most any person, even an ill-tempered one can display a nice disposition when everything is going his way and nothing is provoking him. Our true disposition is really revealed in the trying circumstances of life, in those circumstances that cross our wills and provoke us.

Charity, which is Christian love, is the crowning characteristic of a true Christain. Paul calls charity “a more excellent way” (1Corinthians 12:31), “the bond of perfectness” (Colossians 3:14) and “the end (fulfillment) of the commandment” (1Timothy 1:5). Christian love is love that is patterned after the example of Christ.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

To love another after the example of Christ is what shows us to be His disciples. And being a disciple of Christ is being a Christian.

Acts 11:26 ….And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

In 1Corinthians Paul defines charity by listing its characteristics. In the heart of these characteristics we find this:

1Corinthians 13:4-5 Charity…seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked….

In not seeking her own charity puts the good of others before herself. Satan is always tempting us to put our self-interest ahead of the interest of God and others. Consider that envy, vaunting, being puffed up, and unseemly behaviour, the things that charity does not do (1Corinthians 13:4-5), all proceed from self-interest and self-serving. In contrast, our Lord Jesus Christ said: “I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). This was His very meat.

John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

Fulfilling the ministry that he had received of the Lord Jesus was dearer to the apostle Paul than his very own life.

Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Such self-denial is the very crux of Christian discipleship.

Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

And it is such self-denial that will kill out those rats in the cellar that are discovered when you suddenly enter upon the scene.

Now right after Paul says “charity seeketh not her own,” he says charity “is not easily provoked.”

Provoked – ppl. a. Irritated, angry, annoyed.

This characteristic of charity logically follows upon the fact that charity “seeketh not her own.” When doing our own will, having our way is our foremost concern, we set ourselves up to be easily provoked. Consider how much our Lord, the great Exemplar of charity, endured without lashing back in anger, as we are all too often apt to do.

1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously….

  

So if you find you are easily or suddenly provoked, consider in the provocation how much your own self-interest is being crossed. Perhaps you are just too much into serving yourself and looking out for your interests rather than those of God and others. None of us would get angry as much as we do if we just weren’t so easily provoked. And none of us would be so easily provoked if we weren’t so into ourselves, our wants, our plans, and our feelings.

Now notice that it does not say that charity is not provoked at all. It is just not easily provoked. There is a place for anger. But that place is not right away or suddenly at the slightest provocation.

Proverbs 14:17 He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

Proverbs 12:16 A fool's wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.

James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

20     For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Lastly, it should be apparent from these foregoing verses that God holds us responsible for our anger and commands us to deal with it. We often like to blame our anger on others when they provoke us. But that did not work for Moses when others provoked him to anger.

Psalms 106:32 They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:

33 Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.

God still judged Moses for his outburst of anger and so will He judge us.

Filled with All the Fulness of God

Last evening I conducted a Bible study on the prayer of Paul in Ephesians 3:14-19. I zeroed in mainly on the petition of verse 19:

Ephesians 3:19 …that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

After the Bible study I had a lively discussion with Elder Conrad Jarrell and my grandson, Justin Sperry. In this discussion I gained a further insight that I would like to add in this blog.

By means of the auxiliary verb might Paul is letting us know that the Christian has both the capability and the opportunity to be filled with all the fulness of God. But how can this be, given that we are finite beings and God is infinite? Not even the universe can contain the immensity of God.

1 Kings 8:27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

It is obvious from this that we cannot be filled with all the immensity of God quantitatively considered. So I used this illustration to make the point of how we can “be filled with all the fulness of God.” Take a drop of water out of the vast ocean. That single drop of water has the same composition as all the water in all the ocean. Quantitatively considered, it is not the fulness of the ocean. But qualitatively considered, it is fully all that the ocean is. Elder Jarrell elaborated on that illustration in our discussion by suggesting that you take that single drop of ocean water and drop it on a tiny ant. In doing this the tiny ant becomes filled with all the fulness of the ocean in that he is overwhelmed in all that the ocean is in terms of its character and composition. Remember, one drop of water from the ocean is fully all that all the water in the ocean is. Take one drop of that ocean water and you have what every other drop of ocean water contains individually and collectively.

So to apply the illustration, while we cannot “be filled with all the fulness of God” quantitatively, we can “be filled with all the fulness of God” qualitatively. Whatever of God fills us, is fully the same in nature and character as all the immensity of the infinite God. The God that fills me is the same God that spoke creation into existence, the same God that brought Israel through the Red Sea, the same God that thundered from Mount Sinai and gave forth the Ten Commandments, the same God that caused a virgin to conceive and bear His Son, the same God that indwelt the body of Jesus Christ and bled on the cross of Calvary, the same God that raised Christ Jesus from the dead, the same God that empowered the church with His Holy Spirit on Pentecost, and the same God that will judge the world at the end of its history. And this same God that can fill me can at the very same time fill you so that we both are “filled with all the fulness of God.”

Oh, to “be filled with all the fulness of God”! That is, for all of God to have all of me. No life is empty and meaningless that is “filled with all the fulness of God.” For as God fills me, my life takes on His character so that I become more and more godly, which means to be like God. I can never be like God in the infinity of His Person, power, knowledge, wisdom, holiness, and goodness. But to the limited extent that my finite being is capable, I can be strong, knowledgeable, wise, holy, and good like God. The difference in my godliness and God Himself is the difference between finite and infinite. My little finite self when it is filled with all the fulness of God can be a testimony of God in this world so that men can see God in and through me by seeing the likeness of God in my character and conduct. Imagine God, all the very fulness of God in me, in you, in us! And imagine God so much in us that men can see and testify to His presence in us.

Isaiah 45:14 Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.

1 Corinthians 14:24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:

25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

Ephesians 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

The Third Manifestation of the Risen Lord

In reviewing and editing my past blogs I happened across this one that I never submitted. It deals with one of the manifestations of our Lord to His disciples after He had risen from the dead. This manifestation is recorded in John 21. John 21:14 informs us that this was “now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.” For today I want to zero in on the following passage:

John 21:1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.

2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.

The statement is made that “Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias.” Then in the next verse these disciples are named with the exception of two. They are simply called “two other.” I can do no better than cite the following words of G. Campbell Morgan found in his book Searchlights from the Word. Dr. Morgan was commenting on the “two other.”

Who were the men? They were Simon Peter and Thomas, and Nathaniel, and James and John – all outstanding figures. But there were “two other,” and they are unnamed, and I believe purposely unnamed. They represent the anonymous and hidden multitudes of faithful souls, whose names are never published in human documents, and whose deeds are never recorded in human reports. To these He manifested Himself, as surely as to the others. Those “two other” represented the majority of the saints. Let all such remember that of His fullness they also receive.

Now that is profound and well worth pondering! At this time our risen Lord manifested Himself to the “two other” unnamed disciples just as He did to those who were named.

We have additional information recorded in the Bible respecting those disciples who were named. For example, a good deal of information is recorded in the New Testament about Simon Peter, James, and John. We also have more information about Thomas and Nathanael than is recorded in this chapter. But of these “two other” we know nothing more than that they were disciples of our Lord and that He appeared to them at this time. But the fact that He appeared to them just as He did to those who are named, shows that He has the same regard for them as for the others.

Those disciples who are named are no more the disciples of our Lord than those who are not named. The named disciples are examples of the multitudes of unnamed disciples. As we study their lives we see the same struggles and the same triumphs that we experience as followers of our Lord. Peter had his moment of cowardice when he denied his Lord (Matthew 26:69-75). Thomas had his moment when he doubted (John 20:24-25). Nathanael doubted the claims of Jesus at first (John 1:45-46). James and John in blind zeal shot off at the mouth one time and had to be rebuked by our Lord (Luke 9:51-56). That the named disciples could have such struggles and yet be disciples of Christ should give hope to the many unnamed disciples. And that Christ would manifest Himself to the unnamed disciples as well as to those who are named should give them encouragement. Our Lord does not forget those who are unnamed.

The following passages assure us that although we may not be named in historical records of the disciples of our Lord, our Lord has a record of us and although we see Him not now, we shall see Him in His glory as surely as every disciple that is named in the word of God.

Malachi 3:16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

2 Timothy 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

  

Which Version Most Glorifies Jesus Christ, Part 5

The AV bears a pointed witness to the divine Sonship of Jesus Christ in Acts 4:27 & 30 in referring to Jesus as God’s “holy child.”

Acts 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together….

Acts 4:30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

In the RSV, NASV, NIV, DCV, and ESV the words “holy servant” are placed in the text instead of “holy child” thereby erasing the Holy Spirit’s testimony in these verses to the divine Sonship of Christ. The LB calls Jesus both a Son and a servant in verse 27, but does not say “Son” in verse 30. Here is another case where the NKJV joins with the other modern versions in weakening the testimony of this verse in also substituting the word servant for the word child. Even the NSRB suggests that the word servant may be substituted for the word child in these verses. Now the Scripture clearly teaches that the status of a servant is less than that of a child.

John 8:35  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

Which is greater, the temporary servant or the ever-abiding Son? And then consider this passage in Hebrews:

Hebrews 3:3 For this man (Jesus Christ) was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.

4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

This passage clearly states that “Christ as a son” was counted “worthy of more glory than Moses,” who was faithful “as a servant.” Therefore, in calling Jesus God’s “holy child” in Acts 4:27 & 30, the AV is assigning Him a status above that of a servant. It is giving more glory to Jesus Christ than the versions that merely assign Him the status of a servant in these verses. In Acts 4:27 & 30 all the others versions we are examining line up in some way against the AV’s testimony of Christ as God’s “holy child.” Now let it be asked again, “Which version most glorifies Jesus Christ?”

The Scripture teaches that the righteousness of the saints is none other than the very righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This righteousness is not the product of their obedience; it is the product of His obedience.

Romans 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption….

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith….

These verses clearly show that the righteousness of the saints is the righteousness of Christ. The AV very carefully guards this fact in its wording of Revelation 19:8.

Revelation 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

However, in this case all the modern versions we have listed in these meditations line up against this Christ-honouring fact that the righteousness of the saints is the righteousness of Christ. The NASV, NIV, and NKJV call the fine linen “the righteous acts of the saints.” The NSRB calls it “the righteousnesses, i.e. the righteous acts, of the saints.” The RSV and its revision, the ESV, call the fine linen “the righteous deeds of the saints,” while the Roman Catholic DCV calls it “the just deeds of the saints.” The LB says, “Fine linen represents the good deeds done by the people of God.”  Hence, all the modern versions have the saints arrayed in their own righteousnesses produced by their own good works. Yet the Scripture declares that “all our righteousnesses (the NSRB uses this word in Revelation 19:8 – imagine that!) are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). “Filthy rags” are a far cry from “fine linen, clean and white”! The AV surely glorifies Jesus Christ in rendering the text so as to agree with the fact that the righteousness of the saints is the righteousness of Christ. The other versions subtract from Christ’s honour by ascribing this righteousness to the works of men. Which rendering of Revelation 19:8 sounds like the prophecy of the Holy Ghost?

Lastly, the glory of Christ is plainly stated in 1Peter 4:14:

1 Peter 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

Here is a point-blank declaration in the AV text that Jesus Christ is glorified when His followers are reproached for His name. The last part of that verse, “on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified,” is deleted from the RSV, NASV, NIV, LB, DCV, and, as we have come to expect, the more recent ESV. They leave out a statement that expressly says Jesus Christ is glorified. Remembering that the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus Christ, which version sounds like the Spirit’s testimony in this case? The one that expressly says Jesus Christ “is glorified,” or the ones that don’t? In this instance, the NSRB and NKJV behave themselves and include these words in the verse, although they are questioned in the footnotes.

From the foregoing comparisons it should be obvious to anyone that sincerely loves the Lord Jesus Christ, which version most glorifies Him. All the modern versions that we have considered go counter at some point to the AV in lessening the glory that is due to Jesus Christ. When it comes to magnifying the Lord Jesus Christ, the AV stands out in front of them all. This fact provides compelling evidence that the AV is the very inspired and preserved word of God given by the Holy Ghost. The AV is right in keeping with the testimony of the Holy Spirit in glorifying Jesus Christ. God has given to Jesus Christ the preeminence in all things.

Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

God has exalted the Lord Jesus Christ above all things.

Ephesians 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church….

Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name….

God has sent the Holy Spirit to testify of this exalted Christ and to glorify Him in that testimony. From this it follows that the Bible that puts Jesus Christ up the highest is the Holy Spirit’s Bible. Therefore, we assuredly conclude that the AV is the Holy Spirit’s testimony of Jesus, His prophecy of the Scripture, His Book! May the Lord Jesus Christ be praised!