Why God, Why?

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”  II Thessalonians 2: 7 – 10

Public reference to God is taboo. Taboo, that is, until something bad happens and then God is demanded to answer two questions:

Why did you let this happen?

Where were you when this happened?

Case in point Uvaldi, Texas May 24, 2022 Robb Elementary School when Salvador Rolando Ramos fatally shot nineteen students and two teachers.

Critics blame God and guns, both of which seem to be wanted out of our society. First, the question of why He let it happen. For Him not to He would have had to deprive people of one of their most cherished traits: free will and related freedom of choice. What happened there was not the fault of God. It was the failure of a man. God takes no pleasure in a travesty, a slaughter, like that. He does not will such conduct. Ramos acted outside the will of God, freely. He misused that wonderful gift.

Second, where were you, God, when that happened? That makes it sound like it was His responsibility to be the security officer on duty. Actually, our courts and broad based public opinion has said He is not wanted in classrooms. 

The situation and Scripture actually are part of the great biblical principle.

Break down II Thessalonians 2: 7 – 10 and the following principles emerge.

First, “The mystery of lawlessness is already at work.” If there is lawlessness there must be law. This is a reference to the law of God encoded in His will. It changes not. Murder was forbidden even before there was one of the Ten Commandments which forbid it. It was, is, and always will be lawlessness.

Second, there is reference to “He who now restrains.” The one restraining is the Holy Spirit. He restrains, but does not restrict disobedience to God’s will. 

There will come a day when “He will be taken away.” With the approach of the consummation of time His restraining influence will be removed. Lawlessness without His restraint will be rampant during the Tribulation. Then notice what happens. “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish….” Why, “because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”  

The Uvaldi shooter, Salvador Rolando Ramos, did not receive the love of the truth, but acted according to his free will, not that of God.

For peace and harmony to prevail the love of God must exist. That is true in society and in personal lives. Pause and pray: “Not my will, but thy will be done.”

My Best to You

II Corinthians 13: 12

Jesus Christ bonds believers together. He has been the epoxy holding us together in love.

In leaving a church he had started Paul shared a farewell message. These elements are:

I. BE COMPLETE
Paul prayed for them to be complete (Vs. 9). The word translated “complete” means to be spiritually mature . It was a word used to describe preparing an army for battle or a ship for a voyage. For the past year our Lord has been graciously equipping this ship of Zion for a wonderful voyage.

In all you do strive for perfection. Colossians 3: 23 is an exhortation to do all
you to an audience of one, the Lord.

II. BE OF GOOD COMFORT = MEANS BE ENCOURAGED
God’s Word gives reason for comfort. The future is as bright as the promises of God.

Our English word “courage” comes from the Latin “cour,” meaning “the condition of the heart. King Richard was known as “Richard the Lion Hearted,” meaning, ‘King Richard the man with the heart of a lion.”

We are born with courage but events ware on us and a prefix emerges and we become discouraged. God come along with a big eraser and removes the prefix and inserts an new one “en,” encouragement He has done that in this church.

III. BE OF ONE MIND
Scripture admonishes us to ‘let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

As diverse as we are we are going to have differing opinions at times. We may not always think alike, but we must think with the same mental attitude of Christ. That is one of love and consideration for others.

You are sheep you must flock together.

What animal do you consider to be the best hunter in Africa? Is it the lion, jaguar, or cheetah? Lions hunt in backs. Cheetahs and jaguars depend on speed. The best hunter in Africa is the Spotted Dog, or wild dog. They hunt as a family. They hunt collaboratively.

Consider “one” in a collaborative.
1 divided by 1 equals 1. 1 times 1 equals 1
1 minus 1 equals 0 1 plus one equals 2
In a collaborative the integrator is removed and 1 and 1 is 11. 1 and 1 and 1 is 111.

It is like in Quantum physics in which there is no “I” everything is “we.”

A horse pulling contest was held at a county fair. The object was to see what horse could pull the greatest weight. The winner pulled 4,500 pounds. The second place horse pulled 4,000 pounds. It would appear that together they could pull 8,500 pounds. Hitched together they actually pulled 12,000. Their synergism enabled them to pull 3,500 pounds more.

Eleven frightened followers of Christ were together in the upper room. A transforming event occurred. When they were in “one accord” they transformed the world.

Think what you can do as a church if you pull together.

IV. LIVE IN PEACE
“Live in peace” is an exhortation needed in every church. This membership has seen what happens to a church that does not live in peace. No membership can worship the God of peace in a spirit of bitterness. We must love one another before our love for God is validated.

The peace of God which passes understanding is the environment in which we abide. Live to preserve peace among yourselves.

Verse 12, needs to be understood and employed. “Greet each other with a holy kiss.” Five times this is mentioned in the New Testament. First, it is self-evident this kiss is to be a “holy kiss.”

In synagogue worship the men sat together and the women sat together. The men kissed the men and the women kissed the women. It was the custom of that era and the habit in oriental lands today for men to kiss men and women to kiss women ON THE CHEEK!

The kiss was for two purposes. One it was a sign of agreement. Second, it was their way of being friendly. Don’t get so hung up on the method and the meaning. The important thing is to “Greet one another….”

These four attributes are possible only because of two factors mentioned in concluding this.

They are:
The God of peace and the God of love is with you.

The farewell ends with a blessing pronounced:
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (Vs. 14).

The “fellowship of the Holy Spirit” is the fellowship which the Holy Spirit created between believers and God the Father and between believers themselves. A Spirit filled church is a warm and friendly church.

If God Be for Us… And He Is! Part Four

Romans 8: 31

Romans 8:35 asks the question: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”   Following is one of the strongest passages proving the eternal security of the believer, that is, once you are saved you are kept.

The “Who” is a personal pronoun referring to Satan. He is the counter universal super power. If He can’t separate us no one can.  Observe the inventory of tyrants that try to separate us.

TRIBULATION. This is a reference to the many common problems we face. It translates a word meaning “to be squeezed or thrashed” from without.

DISTRESS. This is a compound word meaning “to be caught in a narrow place” or “to be hemmed-in with no way out.” It speaks of being trapped by oppressive circumstances.

PERSECUTION. This refers to physical or mental suffering inflicted by others.

FAMINE. Emphatically NO!

NAKEDNESS. Not even a non-designer label wardrobe.

PERIL. Any number of threatening dangers can’t.

SWORD. A reference to war. Not even it can separate us.

In all these things we are “more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (8: 37)

This was no abstract theory. This was a statement coming from a man who had experienced all of these things. Out of his personal crucible of crisis he reached this conclusion. In life or death we are more than conquerors.

In things present and things future we are more than conquerors.

Whether heights or depths, whatever dimension or space or time, we are more than conquerors. 

“We are more than conquerors,” we are B – I – G winners, super-conquerors.

“I am persuaded,” (8:38) I have reached a fixed conviction about which there is no doubt. This persuasion came from and comes from experiencing God in all circumstances.

Have you been doubting instead of being persuaded of God’s love?  You can undergo a change. Three steps are involved.

The first level is knowledge. This is easy to change. You have been afforded Biblical insight in this passage that is enough to change your knowledge level.

Second is attitude. This is tougher to change. It is knowledge that is emotionally charged. Now you know something and you feel very strongly about it positively or negatively.

The third level is behavior. You have to do something. You have to overcome an old way of thinking or habit. You have to get rid of one way of thinking and develop a new one.

“To separate” is an aorist infinitive meaning no one at any one moment in time is able to separate us from the love of God for even an instant, much less for eternity. The believer is secure in Christ.

If God Be for Us… And He Is! Part Three

Romans 8: 31

In earlier verses in Romans 8 we are assured circumstances can’t defeat us because God works them together for our good.

Having dealt with the “what” that might afford us obstacles, He now deals with the “who” that might oppose us.

If God be for us, who can possibly succeed against us? Who can prevail against God?

The little word “If” does not imply any doubt about God being for us. In Greek it is first class meaning “If, and it is so.” Literally, it means “since” or “because.”

Notice your support team.

The Father is so obviously for you He gave His Son (8:32).

The Son is so very much for you He intercedes (8:34).

The Holy Spirit is so strongly for us He helps our weaknesses (8:26).

And together they work all things together for our good (8:28).

As proof He is for us God gave His only begotten Son (8:32).

“For us” speaks of substitutionary atonement. He died on our behalf. There was a spiritual crisis facing mankind and God the Father didn’t hesitate to send His Son to resolve it. 

God the Father loved us enough when we were His enemies that He gave us His Son. Now that we are His children by spiritual adoption He will “freely give us all things.” (8:32c)

What He did on the cross He did for His enemies. What He does for us now He does for His friends.

Have you ever been falsely accused? Hurts doesn’t it?  Some people even condemn us and that is painful. However, our emotional equilibrium is maintained if we realize the only one with the authority to condemn us has forgiven us. Jesus is depicted as being seated at the right hand of the Father. There is a new PC translation of the Bible out that removes all reference to the “right hand of God” for fear of offending left handed people. In doing so they miss a very important truth. In the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court of Jesus day, two priests sat, one on each side of the High Priest. The one on the left wrote bills of condemnation. The one on the right wrote bills of acquittal. Jesus is depicted as being the one Who forgives. However, Christ’s work on the cross condemns those who reject Him. It is He Who condemns.

When your life is entrusted to Him for time and eternity it is kept for eternity and in time.

If God Be for Us… And He Is! Part Two

Romans 8: 31

The Christian life is more than a frolic; it’s a fight. It is not a playground; it is a battleground. 

Reassuringly God’s Word encourages us with great truths such as: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

This text assures us God is very busy in all things to bring the good from them. That is most reassuring regarding “things,” but how about people? That is where some of our biggest challenges arise. That was the source of Christ’s greatest hassles and it is ours.

Again God’s Word gives reason for being encouraged.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”  (Romans 8:31)

“Hey,” comes the response, “I can give you a long list.”

Ask a battered wife who can be against you and she can tell you in an instant.

Enquire of an abused child who is against you and without hesitation you get an answer.

Talk with single adults in a secular society and no doubt is left as to who is against them.

Observe virtually any secular entertainment program and you will see expressed a philosophy that opposes virtually every Christian virtue.      

Listen to an interview on MTV with Queen Latifah as she is asked about the sin of pride. “Pride is a sin?” she responds, “I wasn’t aware of that.”

Actress Kirstie Alley adds, “I don’t think pride is a sin … I think some idiot made that up.”

Pride, the original sin of Satan, is considered the standard for today. Scripture says, “The Lord detests the proud of heart.” (Proverbs 16: 5)

The text does not imply there will not be personal opposition in life. A better understanding is gained from a modern translation which renders it: “If God be for us what does it matter who may be against us?” (Norlie Translation)  Thus, those in Christ are depicted as being in a no lose position. It does not imply we won’t be opposed, resented, disliked, or even attacked. We will, but if everything is alright between us and the Lord what does it matter who opposes us?

Expect adversities, and expect the Lord to work in them.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1: 2 – 4)