Take God Seriously Now, Because One Day We’ll All Take Him Seriously

Today’s Reading:

• Psalms 42-46

Faith-Stretching Verse(s):

• Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. – Psalm 46:10, NLT

Thoughts:
People will not be able to rebel forever.

I may or may not have noticed before, but this verse that talks about being still and knowing that God is God is in a not-so-peaceful context. The verses right before it say, “Come, see the glorious works of the LORD: See how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.” – Psalm 46:8-9, NLT

In other words, God conquers. Those who rage against Him fall, and their weapons are completely overwhelmed by His power. And then God speaks this verse that we’re so familiar with: “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

This isn’t the gentle call of an imploring deity. This is the overwhelming command of a conquering ruler.

For those who are among the people God is protecting, this message is greatly comforting. We will ultimately be kept safe.

But for those who reject God, this verse is a challenge and an offense precisely because God is staking His claim to be the ultimate owner and ruler of everything—and the exclamation point on His claim is the threat of crushing and violent destruction.

From the perspective of those who do not believe in our God, this verse is an example of why Christianity is an intolerant and exclusive religion that should not be tolerated. But from the perspective of those of us who do believe in Jesus, this verse is a call to sacrificially do everything we can possibly do to draw people into His kingdom before it is too late for them.

Jesus is God and King. All the world will one day know it. And His reign will have serious consequences: serious threats for His enemies and detractors, but serious freedom and life for those who walk with Him now.

For an overview of this year’s blog, please see http://threequartertank.blogspot.com/2011/01/why-do-believers-believe.html.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Follow One Voice

The message, preached on November 14th, 2010, covered 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. To follow God’s one voice as very different people, Christians need to know our God, to accept different gifts and to serve one another. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Apparent Believers, But Maybe Not

ALL – Psalm 39:1-13
ALL – Proverbs 21:30-31
OT – Job 12:1-15:35
NT – 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

Interesting passage for the day: Get some sense and quit your sinning. For to your shame I say it, some of you are not even Christians at all and have never really known God. – 1 Corinthians 15:34, The Living Bible

Thought: First, let’s summarize yesterday’s thoughts. Some heretics are still saved, and even as we approach them to correct their false beliefs we should look at them as brothers for as long as possible.

But there is a limit at some point. Paul may or may not have known which specific people he was talking about (he doesn’t call anyone out by name the way he does in his letters to Timothy). But he says, to translate more literally than the Living Bible, that, “some have no knowledge of God.” The Living Bible, as you can see, interprets this to mean that “some of you are not even Christians at all”.

Do you remember Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the tares? That’s what could be going on here. Paul could be saying that he actually believes some of the people he is addressing are not believers, even if he’s not sure yet which ones. If so, he has not yet come to the point where he’s recommending expelling any of them from the church, like he did with the immoral brother of 1 Cor. 5. Sometimes when people in the church display a lack of knowledge, we could be dealing with a wheat and tares situation—some of them are believers and some of them are not, and our goal is not to try to sort it all out, but to provide for the believers to keep growing.

If so, part of that provision includes warning people who believe false ideas that they may not know God.

Question: Have you ever urged someone you considered to be a Christian brother or sister to examine whether they actually knew God or not? What made you concerned about the reality of their relationship?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.