The Goodness of God, Pt. 2

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The Goodness of God, Pt. 2

Part 2, The Sunshine and Rain

February 9, 2024 • Central Baptist Church

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The Goodness of God

Part 2, The Sunshine and Rain

Without question, the greatest life principles that have ever been taught are outlined in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew, chapters 5-7. In this section of the Gospels, the Son of God teaches His born-again children how to live a life that is both pleasing to God and edifying for men.

Jesus covers many topics in this epic sermon, but one was especially shocking to his Jewish audience: God expects His children to love all people, even their enemies! Their religious leaders had historically taught the Jews to hate those who hated them and Jehovah God. This is what Jesus alludes to in Matthew 5:43, Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. The premise of this misteaching was this: the Jews assumed “hate” was God’s opinion of evil men. Since, indeed, God always hates evil, and always judges evil, and will one day sentence to eternal perdition all those who choose to practice evil… THEN it seemed to the Jewish leadership that God hated evil people! After all, this is what seems to be taught in Psalm 21:8, Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee, and in Psalm 68:1, Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. And David’s inspired words in Psalm 139:19-22 sound especially vengeful…

- Psalm 139:19-22 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. 20For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. 21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

So, when the Son of God preached that His disciples should not hate, but rather LOVE their enemies, it was radical! It was shocking! It was puzzling!

How do we reconcile God’s love and goodness vs. God’s justice? This is one of those age-old, seeming paradoxes of the faith. How can God be both loving and wrathful? The answer is hinted at in Jesus’ instructions there in Matthew 5:43-48. We can summarize by simply stating that God hates sin, but He loves the sinner. He loves people! Yes, God WILL judge sinners, i.e., those, who in rebellion, choose to practice and revel in their sins. But until that time when men and women step beyond His grace (i.e., die in their sins), God is gracious, He is patient, and He is loving, not willing that any should perish! And proof of God’s loving goodness toward all men is the fact that …he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45).

Jesus’ point is that since God is good to all, then we also should be good toward all, even toward those who persecute and despitefully use us. This type of attitude and behavior reflects the gentle and kind nature of the Savior, Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committedhimself to him that judgeth righteously… (1Peter 2:23).

God is good and all of His works are righteous. Yes, we should flee from and hate sin. And we should not participate with men in their sins. But like our Savior, we should show love and patience with the sinner. And this we should do because that is what Jesus did for us! Romans 5:8 reads, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God bless and consider!

Keeping It Real, Pt. 1

May 3, 2024

May 3, 2024 Keeping It Real Part 1, The Real Danger of Self-deception Has someone ever made a fool of you, and I mean on purpose? Has someone ever played a harsh practical joke on you, or have they gossiped about one of your failures, or have you been taken advantage of? If you have been played like a fool, lured along, and taken advantage of, you know how much it can hurt, how it embarrasses you, and how it can even damage your sense of trust. In these painful, yet instructive life experiences, we learn both the definition of and the damaging nature of hypocrisy, i.e., of people acting out roles, faking, pretending, being insincere, or just going through the motions. There was a group of politico-religious leaders in Jesus’ day called the Pharisees and according to Jesus, they were the very definition of hypocrites. They were proud and arrogant, hyper-religious (legalistic) law-keepers. They loved their positions and the respect that their positions commanded. Yet Jesus looked through their pious façade and saw a decrepit situation. Jesus explained their real condition using the shocking analogy of a cemetery and its graves. In Matthew 23:27 we read, Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. A cemetery is usually well-kept, mowed, trimmed, and decorated, and it is marked out with beautiful monuments. In ancient Israel, the tombs would even be white-washed—i.e., painted—to make them appear clean and attractive. But we all know what’s inside a grave! Jesus said these hypocritical religious leaders were like white-washed tombs. Outwardly they appeared clean, beautiful, upstanding, and righteous. But inside God saw blackened, putrefied hearts, and arrogant and even hateful motives. Their unmasked nature became obvious for all to see when, in jealousy, they devised a plan to crucify the Lord of Glory. These men KNEW that Jesus was from God; Nicodemus, himself a Pharisee, admitted as much when he came to Jesus by night (John 3:2). Yet, these “leaders” were willing to kill an innocent man, even their own Messiah, rather than risk losing their place (their jobs and positions as leaders) and their nation (their national pseudo-sovereignty) (John 11:48). Yes, hypocrisy is a vile, odious, and offensive condition. We don’t like hypocrites; we don’t want to be around hypocrites. It’s something we can easily see in others, and we are repulsed. But, let me ask a sobering question. Don’t hypocrites KNOW they are being hypocritical? Don’t they know that they are being two-faced, deceitful, deceptive, odious, and vile? The answer is “Some do!” Our world is full of hypocrites-on-purpose. Their goal is to deceive the simple, the unknowing, and the innocent, and usually rake in the money! I’m speaking here of con men and con women, shysters, crooks, snake oil salesmen, and thieves. Yes, some people are hypocrites… on purpose! But is it a surprise to you that there are those among the general law-abiding populace, who DO NOT recognize their own hypocrisy? It shouldn’t be a surprise because every one of us can become hypocritical and remain hypocritical IF we are self-deceived. Israel’s ancient prophet Jeremiah was inspired to write this truth about the human heart: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it (Jeremiah 17:9)? Even though most people would bristle to hear it, God says that by nature (i.e., by birth), ALL OF US are deceitful and deceived sinners and one of the consequences of this inherent sin nature is spiritual blindness. We so clearly see the faults of others. We see the mote (i.e., that tiny bit of sawdust) in our brother's eye, but we are often oblivious to the beam (i.e., the 2x4) sticking out of our eye! And here is how it’s played out in life… We despise those who gossip about us, but then we readily turn around and gossip ourselves. We despise those who lie about us, but then we turn about and lie about others. We despise those who steal from us, but given the chance, we can and do steal from others (maybe not literally but through infidelity, cheating, and other forms of deception). God says through Jeremiah that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to understand the depth of depravity affecting our OWN hearts! We are like skunks who cannot smell our own stench! Consequently, we must use the mirror of God’s Word to reveal to us our true condition. Paul confessed in Romans 7:7, …I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. Not one of us can be THE standard of righteous living. Jesus is The Standard for righteousness and holy living. Consequently, it’s not wise to compare ourselves among ourselves (2 Corinthians 10:12) because we can always find someone in worse shape morally, giving us the excuse to think, “See, I’m not so bad!” So, friends, may it not be said of us, “There is no fool like an old fool!” Let’s keep it real! Let’s do some introspection with the Word of God and the life of Jesus as our mirror. Let’s ask God to reveal to us those areas of our life, those behaviors, those thoughts, that are hypocritical, to the end that we might repent (i.e., turn from them), and enjoy both the forgiveness of God and a changed life that blesses others. God bless and consider!

Good and Evil, Pt. 4

April 26, 2024 • Central Baptist Church

April 26, 2024 Good and Evil Part 4, The Deadline This month we’ve been musing about the “mysteries” of good and evil, a topic that has caused countless generations to puzzle and question. We started with Part 1, The Dilemma. One of the hardest things for the natural (i.e., non-spiritual) man to rationalize is the very real presence of evil in this World system! In Part 2, The Desire, we discovered that mankind’s desire was his downfall. Eve exercised her free will, she rebelled against her Creator, Adam followed, and we’ve been living in a mess ever since! But God also had a desire, a desire to rescue humanity from their foolish choice and the consequence of rebellion. Eve’s desire brought disaster, but God’s desire brought deliverance through the sacrifice of His own Perfect Son, Jesus the God-Man. In Part 3, The Doubt, we talked about the common question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” But we discovered that this question is flawed on both ends! Until we see the end of the matter (1 Corinthians 4:5) we can’t judge what is bad and what is good. And second, there are no “good” people. Jesus said, …there is none good but one, that is, God (Mark 10:18). Paul seconded that motion when under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he wrote, …there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Romans 3:12). And now we will close this month’s study of Good and Evil with Pt. 4, The Deadline. As much as humanity wants to question God, argue about good and evil, and in so doing absolve themselves of their own guiltiness, there comes an eventual reality check, a reckoning, a deadline. I’ll call it the Personal Deadline: the death of our physical body. The Hebrews author warned, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment… (Hebrews 9:27). When our soul and spirit leave our body at death, our eternal destiny is fixed. And the Bible is plain; there are no second chances, regardless of what “religion” tells us! Solomon taught this austere reality in poetic form in Ecclesiastes 11:3, …if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. In the Luke 18 account of the unnamed rich man and the beggar Lazarus, we discover that at the instant of death, each person was transported directly to their eternal destiny. There were no purgatories or limbos; there was no chance for a pardon, or for penance, or for indulgences. No matter what some religious authority tells us, God says that the unrepentant rich man was instantly in torment in that place the Bible calls Hades or Hell (a holding cell for the final prison called the Lake of Fire). And the repentant beggar Lazarus was instantly enjoying comfort and joy, in a place that Jesus called Paradise. Forgiven Lazarus will come back with Christ to this Earth, He will enjoy ruling and reigning with Christ in the literal 1000-year Kingdom, he will witness the re-creation of this sin-cursed Universe, and then enjoy living on a New Earth forevermore. The big question of life then, is not the mystery of Good and Evil, where they came from, or why our consciences innately know about them… but how God judges as either good or evil! Yes, at that moment, at the last beat of our hearts, we will either inherit God’s goodness (grace) or God’s judgment. Receiving His grace has absolutely nothing to do with what we can DO in life, how “good” we have been, or how many “good leaves” we have turned over. We can’t do enough good to pay for our sins! We can’t earn God’s forgiveness. We are spiritually dead because of our sins and dead people can’t do anything! Penance isn’t possible. We can’t purchase indulgences from religious organizations. If we could somehow earn or buy Heaven, then Christ didn’t need to die in our place! Friends, we can only access God’s grace by accepting God’s FREE GIFT of forgiveness. Again, it has to be free because it’s not possible to earn it. But it’s not cheap! It cost God dearly! The Son of God incarnated Himself in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Perfect God-Man. Jesus lived a perfect life and sacrificed Himself as a perfect sacrifice. He died in our place, the Just for the unjust. And so, the real question is somewhat like that asked by Pilate some 2000 years ago: What shall I do with Jesus (Mat 27:22)? We appropriate God’s forgiveness as did the praying publican and the thief on the cross by crying out to God in contrition and repentance asking for his forgiveness and grace (For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved – Romans 10:13). THEN God will apply the precious blood of Christ to our sin-debt, washing us as white as snow. God pleads with humanity through His prophet Isaiah,Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18). If we have cried out to God in repentance and faith for His forgiveness, then He will apply Jesus’ righteousness to our account and our sin debt will read, “Paid in Full!” The Lord is, …not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Friends, a deadline awaits us all and it always comes unannounced and often suddenly. At that last heartbeat, we’ll be accounted righteous THROUGH Christ or we will remain as guilty sinners separated eternally from God because of our unwillingness to repent and believe, and consequently, we will pay for our sins eternally. Don’t put it off. Take advantage of God’s goodness and grace TODAY! God bless and consider!

Good and Evil, Pt. 3

April 19, 2024

April 19, 2024 Good and Evil Part 3, The Doubt Why do bad things happen to good people? We talked about this just a bit in this month’s introductory lesson. This is a question that often generates doubt: doubt of God’s concern for his children, doubt of God’s ability to protect and bless his children, and sometimes even doubt of God’s existence altogether. We’ve all heard the emotional challenge, “If God is loving and all-powerful, then why_____?”, and you can fill in that blank. Unbelievers always struggle with this question, often using it as a justification why they choose NOT to believe. And even some believers struggle with it, causing them to abandon worship and service to the Savior. But… God gives us the answer to this question in His Bible! First, everything that natural men (as opposed to spiritual men) label as “bad”, whether it be in the form of disability, disease, injustice, conflict, geologic and meteorological chaos, and finally, death, is a consequence of mankind’s free will choice to sin, to rebel against God. God gave His perfect human creation free will. Our original parents exercised that free will and chose to rebel against their Creator. And with that choice came horrible consequences: an entropic world, entropic bodies, corrupted consciences, people who give themselves over to wickedness (e.g., Cain), and finally death. WE are the cause of “bad”; it is what WE inherited. WE chose it! Second, let’s define the two objects in that question: “bad things” and “good people”. Again, only our Creator, who is working all things for the good of his redeemed children, has the authority to label an event or a condition as “bad” or “good”. What appears, to the natural man, as “bad”, e.g., the congenital blindness of the man described in John 9, might actually have been the best thing that could have ever happened to this man. This man’s congenital blindness brought him into a redeemed relationship with the Messiah. Could it be that God knew, that apart from this man’s blindness, he would never have been born again? I believe this man, who is now in Heaven with Jesus Christ, is still praising God for the GRACE that allowed him to be born blind so that he might come to repentance, belief, and eternal life. Next, let’s ask, who are the “good” people? Again, the natural (i.e., the non-spiritual) man categorizes every person as “good”, if they haven’t robbed banks, abused children, or committed murder. But again, only God is qualified to define “good”, and He says, “There is none good, no not one” (Psalm 14:3; Psalm 53:3; Romans 3:12). So actually, the question itself is fallacious on both accounts. We can’t judge what is bad or good in the scope of the spiritual and eternal, and there are NO good people. We are all sinners; we all live with the debilitating consequences of sin! Third, God is Sovereign, and this means His hands are not tied by man’s choice to rebel and the hard consequences we have earned. God taught Jeremiah that we are like the potter’s clay; He can mold us and remold us as He wishes, and it will always be for our ultimate spiritual good and His glory. God can and will use those things that we consider “bad”—our consequences—for our ultimate good. And for born-again believers, He will use the tests of life to mature us and make us into the image of His Dear Son (Romans 8:29). So… “Thank you Father for loving us and even using the mess we have made to bring us to repentance and to mature us in the faith!” God bless and consider!