Bible Thoughts January 20, 2002
"Into your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomedme, O Lord, God
of truth"(Psalm 31:5).
A person will commit himself to that which he values. If one values wealth, he will spend his time making as much as possible. If he values the flesh, he will make the effort to take care of the physical. Should one value friendship, such a one will put forth energy in order to cultivate friends. There seems to be an inexhaustible list of pursuits in which man expends his days(and nights).
The Psalmist committed his spirit to God. Knowing the Lord had ransomed him and forgiven him, he would dedicate himself to Jehovah. He stated that his "trust" was in the Lord(Psalm 31:6). While the one who wrote this Psalm was not perfect, he realized that any commitment should be weighed in the light of God's word. Why? The Lord knew of his "affliction," so that whether he was in pain or sorrow, he recognized the source of his help. Jehovah had knowledge of the problems and troubles he faced. The Lord still knows about the difficulties faced each day by those who are Christians. When it seems that no man, if any, cares, the Lord still listens and understands. The song "Does Jesus Care?" answers for those who are committed to the Lord and His way.
The Psalmist also knew that God would take care of him and would provide him escape from his enemy. His faith would guard and protect him from those who would harm him. When a disciple trusts in the providence and care of God, he can "rejoice and be glad" that the same divine being still offers hope for those who are committed to Jehovah and His way.
The author also felt that he was "forgotten as a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel"(v. 12) Some had taken counsel against him; others schemed to take away his life(v. 13). Slandered and afraid, the one hope he had was to commit himself and his problems to the God of Heaven. No other source could rescue him; no other source can rescue us from the sins of this life.
The Psalmist concludes by
stating, "Be strong and let your
heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord"(v. 24).
Jesus told the apostles
that "whatsoever you shall bind on
earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatsoever you loose on
earth shall have been loosed in heaven"(Matthew 18:18).
Since what they bound and loosed
had already been bound in heaven, they had no power to create
commands of themselves. The method for binding and loosing was
through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit(John 14:26). No apostle
was elevated above his fellows(i.e., Peter). All, under the
direction of the Holy Spirit, spoke the commands of God. The Lord
was very careful to emphasize this in such statements as,
"Ye know that the princes of the
Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great
exercise authority upon them. But is shall not be so among you: but
whosoever will be great among you, let him be your
servant"(Matthew 20:25-27). He even
went so far as to forbid them accepting religious titles as Rabbi,
Master, and Father(Matthew 23:7-9).
The power they were granted, that is,
revealing divine truth through inspiration of the Spirit(Acts 2:1-4),
was peculiar to the apostles. When a man attempted to purchase such,
Peter rebuked him(Acts 8:18-23). With the death of the apostles, a
personal, indwelling power ceased. There are no living voices
revealing new truth. Apostolic authority is in the New Testament,
the faith once delivered(Jude 3). To know what God desires, search
the New Testament.
"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh;
but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to
be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and
peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be"(Romans
8:5-7).
As one lives the Christian life, Christ’s sacrifice for the whole world gains greater significance as the understanding of God’s word increases. As scripture becomes better understood, mankind’s sorry state becomes more apparent and appreciation for Christ’s loving gift grows. While some merely see a replacement of laws, Moses law traded in for the superior law of Christ, others recognize that what Christ offers is not just a superior law but freedom from the law. This freedom is not from the law of Moses, but is freedom from the law of sin. This observation is particularly relevant to those who were once Gentiles. After all, if Christ’s gift is freedom from the law of Moses, then what significance does His gift have to those who were never under the law of Moses? None. His gift is freedom from the law of sin.
Sin separates man from God. Sin is man pitting his will against the will of God. When the individual does so, he places his own desires above the will of the Lord. In effect, man becomes his own god and supplants the God of Heaven. The Christian is free from this for the Christian’s mind has been transformed by the power of God(Romans 12:2). The Christian’s carnal mind has, in effect, been transplanted with the spiritual mind of God. No more is the Christian self-serving but instead is a servant of God. The Christian should be motivated in every thought and deed to please God and obey his will, just as Christ himself did, for the head of every Christian is Christ. However, there are those who will justify their actions, whether in worship or in life, by saying that “the Bible doesn’t say not to” or “where is the command not to do a particular thing?” Such questions reveal the mind that is still within them.
The Christian's purpose is to shine the light of God into the world by revealing what is good. "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord( Ephesians 5:8-10). The Christian does not merely avoid evil but rather proves what is good. God has told us what pleases him; he has told us what is good. When a person seeks to justify their actions by stating, “the Bible doesn’t say I can’t do this therefore it’s fine,” they are not proving what is good. The only thing they have proved is that they are more interested in following their way than doing it God’s way. That is the very definition of sin. In such cases, the specific action becomes irrelevant because the heart itself has rebelled against God’s will. In such cases, the mind is still bent towards serving the flesh, it is carnal. But the Christian’s mind should be set on spiritual things, bent towards serving God and obeying his commandments. Christians must recognize what they do is important but why they do it is more important. Every Christian was once lost in darkness but now the light of God shines through them, it should be sufficient to the spiritually minded to let that light shine. When Christians do so, they show God their appreciation and love which is the whole point.-Scott Huston