Love Versus Duty

Love Versus Duty

The following is from Terry McGovern in response to some of my questions and statements from my thread on Love Contrasted With Duty (I hope he will not mind me posting it here):

I would like to give an illustration as to love versus duty. I think you have already come to some good conclusion as I have read through these posts, but I hope this helps.

Before I give the illustration let me make a few points. First we know from scripture those who say they "love" God yet do not obey him, are deceiving themselves. Love shows itself by action, and it is a motivation. I Corinthians 13 is one of my favorite chapters. This chapter stresses the importance of love being the motivation. Many can be "serving" God, yet, if love is not the motivation, it is for nothing.

I believe love does produce feelings and it is almost impossible to separate love from feeling. I do not believe love is a feeling, but that it involves our feelings. Sometimes love make me sad, sometime love makes me joyful, sometimes love constrains me. For instance if my children disobey me, it makes me sad, because of the love I have for them.

When it comes to our service for the Lord, motivation is VERY important. My service for God needs to be because I love Him.

I have been talking too much, let give my illustration.

Let’s say it is my wedding anniversary and I take my wife out to eat. I then buy her some flowers and a new dress. She then says to me, "Thank you, you really should not have done all this." I then say, "No problem, it was my duty, because it is our anniversary."

My wife would be devastated. She does not want me to do things for her because it is my "duty", but because I take pleasure in pleasing her.

Yet many times in our service for God, Christians serve him only out of a sense of duty. The Lord does not want this any more than my wife does.

God does not want me to serve because it is my "duty", but because I love him and take joy in him. Christians today fail to have their joy in God. Your joy cannot be in God, if love is not the motivation for the service.

For more studies on this theme:

Love - The Motivating Factor
Reins - What's Driving You?

Love - The Motivating Factor

Love - The Motivating Factor

Have you ever noticed how whenever something opens up to you in Scripture - perhaps the Holy Spirit is working on you in a certain area, or maybe you just learned something really significant - and then suddenly you see it everywhere in God's Word? You read some godly material, and it's there. No matter where you look in the Bible, you see it there.

In the last couple of months I have been meditating on what Scriptural love is - what the difference is between serving out of love and duty, asking some questions, bouncing some thoughts off of other godly Christians - and realizing how far I really fall short in this area (though not as far short as I was as little as a couple of months ago BEFORE God started working on me!) - wanting to make sure I serve the Lord in a manner that is pleasing to Him, wanting to make sure that I have compassion and strive to make a difference in the lives of others because of love, and not just out of duty (ie. I know I am supposed to be a witness so I better be one...). It has been a learning process.

Some things that have leaped out at me:

1) One of the seven churches in the book of Revelation is the church of Ephesus. They had everything right - all the right doctrine, I would assume all the right standards, all the right criteria for judging those who taught in their midst and being discerning enough to know when someone was false and to refuse them. YET, Jesus rebuked them for leaving their first love. (See Revelation 2:1-7) Because of this one lapse they were in danger of losing their witness (their candlestick) in the city of Ephesus. This lack was serious to Christ - so serious this had to be addressed in the first century church.

The contrast to this is the church of Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) - so "loving" that they let in all sorts of false teachings and teachers, all sorts of idolatry and immorality (much like modern Christendom...) - and Jesus threatened them with death! So of course, I didn't want to be like those in Thyatira... I was more like Ephesus...

Yes, I have all the right doctrine, certainly strive to have all the right standards, very outspoken against error and compromise - and have always found it easier to cross my t's than to deal with the faults or the misunderstandings of people, than to have compassion - so much that I would risk losing myself to win them to Christ. Sure, it is one thing to be a witness when it is easy - but do I love Christ enough to love others when it is not? I love truth enough to earnestly contend for it, but do I love the person I am interacting enough to let something go when it is not a matter of doctrine, but of opinion? Sadly, too often I was prideful and did not let the matter go - I won the battle, but lost what was most important - I lost the love I needed to show Christ living in me to those I was debating with. As a brother in Christ pointed out - "I might be speaking 'the truth' - but it wasn't 'in love'! I wasn't following 'after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another'." (See Ephesians 4:15 and Romans 14:19)

Why am I being honest here, why mention this at all? Because being honest and truthful with myself is the first step in changing what is wrong. (See Psalm 51:6) Being humble enough to acknowledge my faults (and even my sin) in this area is the first requirement for getting God's grace to be more than a conqueror over this area of my life. (See James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5-6)

2) I have seen so many professing Christians run after feelings, that somewhere along the way I learned to just ignore feelings and stick with facts, doctrine, faith (ie. accepting what God says in His Word) - that I completely put feelings out of my Christianity. I didn't know what it meant to love. I thought it meant obey (based on John 14:15 and 1 John 5:1-3) - and I thought as long as I was obeying (even if begrudgingly at times) that I was serving out of "love." Though I have really striven to analyze my thinking in this area the last few months and see what I was overlooking. Yes, obeying was the proof of love (you cannot say you love God when you are walking contrary to His Word and His commands) - but obedience is not love in itself. Based on some interaction with others, I have concluded that "Love is the motivation for the obedience."

This was posted by me in a Message Board thread in March where I was trying to figure some of this out:

"I believe God called me to preach quite awhile back. I "submitted" to that call and went forward at the altar - even before this I knew He had called me - but there was always a fear and a reluctance. Then later I went through an internal struggle about actually doing it. Now I do it because I know it would please Him and He can use my preaching to touch the lives of others, rescue them from Hell, change them. Most of the time I willingly prepare for and go to my preaching - there is the odd time where I don't want to do it (perhaps a really stressful week), but I do it anyway because I have that responsibility (though I know there is a big difference in heart attitude towards these times). There have been a few times in the past (a couple of times in my first 6 months of preaching) where I was sick or really struggling with something and I called to cancel (made arrangements for someone else to do it instead) - and I thought it was a relief to skip the preaching that week. BUT there has been a total change in my since then (over 2 years of preaching weekly now). I missed out on Friday because the antibiotics (for an abscessed tooth) were really messing me up (extreme tiredness and nausea) and I knew I wouldn't be capable of preaching. I was so excited all week about being able to present the message that the Lord laid on my heart, and it was so disappointing not to be able to be there. It was suggested to me perhaps I could preach Saturday instead. I was so looking forward to the Lord using that message for His glory and wanted to see what He would do with it. I got up to get ready to head out the door and I was so lightheaded/nauseous that I literally had to just sit for the next 1/2 hour. When I realized I couldn't preach, it bothered me so much - not because of me. I don't do it to get attention - I do it because I know it may bring others to Jesus and they might get saved and their lives transformed for His glory - if I am not there, the Lord cannot use me in that capacity. Quite a difference between the attitudes."

Someone else posted this:

"I believe that Biblical love is putting someone else above yourself, genuinely believing in your heart that the person you love is more important than you are. If this is done genuinely, the results will be doing what is in that person's best interest, not taking your own interests into consideration. This is what Christ did for us, and He is our model."

I saw this definition of love put into practice a little over a month ago, at my Dad's funeral. I was asked by my Aunts and my sister Tammy to read two things at the funeral - I knew I could do so because of my preaching experience these last couple of years - I had the confidence, so I was willing to do it. Then the day before the funeral, when I showed my brother Alex what I was going to read, he found a poem in one of my poetry books and said he wanted to read that one (I've Gone Home), to offer comfort to the family. I wasn't totally sure if he would follow through with it - as he doesn't like being around crowds and had never spoken publicly in any capacity (that I am aware of). The next day, a few minutes before we were to go to the funeral service, he said he was getting a bit nervous and needed to sit down. I told him that if he had any problems reading the poem or was too nervous that I could read it for him. He turned to me and said, "I have to do this - this is not about us, it is about all those that are here, and they need to hear it. I said a prayer a few minutes ago, and I know God will give me the strength to do it." Then he got up determined to do it no matter what.

Now that I think about it, that was 1 John 4:18 in action ("There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.") - being so filled with love that other's needs and concerns were more important than our own! How many times have I neglected witnessing because of my own lack of comfort - and here is my brother disregarding his own nervousness and fears and doing it anyway. (By the way, he did better than I did on the reading - I got choked up a few times and he was calm all the way through.)

Tonight as I am writing this and thinking about various aspects of love, 2 Timothy 1:7 comes to mind:

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

I often focus on the power to do the will of God and the sound mind (the temperance, self-control to do what is necessary), that I overlook the love in this passage. The motivation for serving the Lord, the motivation for reaching out to others.

So much more I could say - and Lord willing, I might be able to post more on this - but I will end this post now, and get back to work.

May 10th/06
Jerry Bouey

For more studies on this theme:

Love Versus Duty
Reins - What's Driving You?

Mount Sinai And Mount Zion Contrasted

Mount Sinai And Mount Zion Contrasted

The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians by Oliver B. Greene is an excellent commentary. In chapter 10, Greene presents various contrasts between Law and Grace, which is well worth reading (I have been blessed by the whole book so far). This reminded me of a contrast I had noticed in Scripture recently as well - the difference between two mountains in Scripture: Mount Sinai and Mount Zion.

Notice there are seven things mentioned about each of these mountains, which reveal the characteristics of each:

Hebrews 12:18-21 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched (1), and that burned with fire (2), nor unto blackness (3), and darkness (4), and tempest (5), And the sound of a trumpet (6), and the voice of words (7); which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

Hebrews 12:22-24 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (1), and to an innumerable company of angels (2), To the general assembly and church of the firstborn (3), which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all (4), and to the spirits of just men made perfect (5), And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant (6), and to the blood of sprinkling (7), that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

The blood of the first covenant (the old covenant, Old Testament) was the blood of goats and calves shed by the mediator Moses - it could only cover (atone for) the sins of the people.

Hebrews 9:18-22 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

The blood of the second covenant (the new covenant, New Testament) was the sinless, precious blood of Christ, the only Mediator between God and man - this not only covered the sins of the people (Romans 5:11), it bore them far away, out of the sight of God forever. This was pictured by the Scapegoat released into the wilderness on the Day of Atonement, and clearly proclaimed by John the Baptist:

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Hebrews 9:11-12 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Hebrews 9:23-26 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

The old covenant brought fear, judgment, condemnation; the new covenant brought forgiveness, peace with God, access into His presence - eternal redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ, of which all the Old Testament types pictured and all the Messianic prophecies pointed to.

I realized that I only touched the tip of the iceberg with this post (just some thoughts based on what I was reading earlier) - of what is surely an inexhaustible subject (from an inexhaustible Book!). If you ever run out of subjects to preach on, try tackling this one for a millenia or two! ;)

May 9th/06
Jerry Bouey

Mother's Day In Heaven (Poem)

My Mom went home to be with the Lord on September 22nd, 2005. This is her first Mother's Day In Heaven. I have just put up a page for this poem (see link below) on my poetry site (Home Of The Real McCoy) - so please pass this on to anyone you think may be encouraged or comforted by it. Thank you.

Mother’s Day In Heaven

It’s your first Mother’s Day in Heaven –
I'm so thankful that you're not alone;
As you behold the face of our Saviour,
And are blessed to worship at His throne.

Mom, I would love to send you flowers,
Though their fading glory could not compare
To the beautiful sights and sounds of Heaven,
And your very own mansion over there.

I never thought so much about Heaven,
As I have since you’ve gone home to that place –
Oh Mom, I miss you so very much,
And I long to see your precious face.

You see, this earthly home now seems more empty –
Its glitter and glamour can no more impress;
For Heaven is the place of God’s truest riches –
Where our Father only keeps the best!

Since you turned and trusted in the Saviour,
An amazing change has taken place;
Dwelling in the presence of Jesus now,
In Heaven - only because of His grace.

It’s your first Mother’s Day in Heaven –
With everlasting joy and peace up there.
Oh Mom, I miss you so much now,
But I know our reunion will be beyond compare.

May 8th/06
Jerry Bouey

To view this poem on my poetry site with graphics, click on the title of the poem - I will also be doing this for any future poems that I post, if there is a page on Home Of The Real McCoy for it.

Kingly Lessons - None Like These

Kingly Lessons - None Like These
(Or Lessons From The Kings)

No doubt there are many lessons we can learn from the kings of Israel and Judah: from their examples, we can learn what to do to please the Lord and what not to do. We can see which kings God honoured and why, and which kings He was against and why.

Two verses that I have always been blessed by (and likewise been encouraged/exhorted by) are regarding two different kings of Judah:

King Hezekiah - 2 Kings 18:5-7a He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth.

No king had ever trusted the Lord God quite like King Hezekiah did - he followed the Lord and clung to Him, turning to Him anytime he was faced with difficulties in his life and reign. He trusted the Lord to work all things out for him, and turned to Him in prayer first before resolving the situation that distressed him. A lesson for us all!

King Josiah - 2 Kings 23:25 And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.

No other king turned to the Lord with all his heart quite like King Josiah did - with all his heart, soul, and might. Does that remind you of any New Testament verses that we are all commanded to follow? (See Matthew 22:27-38 and Mark 12:30.)

Between these two kings, we have a great example to follow - both in learning to trust the Lord more and in turning to Him with all our heart. God will bless His children that follow Him with a perfect (complete, full) heart:

2 Chronicles 16:9a For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

A third king to learn from is King Solomon - 1 Kings 3:12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

He petitioned the Lord for wisdom at the beginning of his reign - and God blessed him with wisdom so much that no one else in history (except for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself) could even compare. A good lesson to learn: that wisdom only comes from the Lord - and as much as you need is free for the asking! (See James 1:5.) Unfortunately, Solomon also made some really foolish choices later in life - the greatest one was his lack of separation in marrying heathen wives. These led him away from the Lord into abominable idolatries. I do believe he repented of these sins later in his life and wrote the book of Ecclesiastes as his testimony of how a life lived in fulfillment of fleshly gratification is "vanity of vanities." True fulfillment is only found in the Saviour and in His will for our lives. May we all learn that lesson!

With each good example, there are also bad examples. One of which is king Ahab, who married that horribly wicked woman, Jezebel:

King Ahab - 1 Kings 21:25-26 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

But this wicked king later repented, and God had mercy upon him.

1 Kings 21:27-29 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

Another king who did very wickedly during his long reign was Manasseh:

King Manasseh - 2 Chronicles 33:9 So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.

God warned this wicked king, and eventually brought judgment:

2 Chronicles 33:10-11 And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken. Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

BUT the Lord's judgment was tempered with mercy, and it humbled a rebellious sinner:

2 Chronicles 33:12-13 And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.

I can't read that passage without tears coming to my eyes. The same mercy offered to that rebellious, utterly wicked king has been offered to me - and that same mercy that saved that utterly wicked king saved this same wicked sinner. Notice what God's Word says about Manasseh and his genuine repentance:

...he besought the LORD his God...

...and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers...

...And prayed unto him, and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication...

...Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God...

Manasseh repented (he changed his mind, resulting in a change in his conduct); this is obvious from the following verses:

2 Chronicles 33:14-16 Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah. And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.

Now Manasseh could not undo ALL his wickedness, but he certainly made a good attempt. The account of his life ends with the following words:

2 Chronicles 33:18-19 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel. His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.

Manasseh humbled himself and turned to the Lord God, in repentance and faith - he got saved and his life was changed eternally.

Definitely some lessons worth learning! But the greatest lesson of these kings (at least to me) - the King of Lessons - is that God has mercy enough and to spare for those who will humble themselves in repentance when they hear the Gospel of Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation, and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith to save them from all their sins. The King of Kings offers mercy to all who will receive it - "whosoever will may come."

A Kingly Lesson Indeed!!

I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to seeing Manasseh in Heaven - we have a lot in common: we were both poor, wretched, wicked sinners, and we both have the same wonderful Saviour!

May 5th/06
Jerry Bouey

For a poem on this interesting theme:
There Were None Like These

See also Taken From The Evil To Come

The Lord Would Not Repent

The Lord Would Not Repent

One word that I have been blessed with tracing throughout the Bible is the word repent and forms thereof. The main Greek word (metanoeo) used for "repent" in the New Testament means "to change one's mind" - and the Scriptural usage of this English word is "a change of mind resulting in a change of conduct." This can be verified through studying out each passage where this word is used. There are several good books that take an in-depth look at this word throughout the Scriptures, and I highly recommend reading both: Repentance And Soulwinning (previously entitled, Repentance Is More Than A Sinner's Prayer) by David Cloud (which can be ordered through Way Of Life Literature - this book also quotes extensively from oldtime preachers, to show what they believed and preached on this important subject, especially as it relates to salvation); and Except Ye Repent by Harry Ironside.

In relation to man, repentance always deals with their sin and wicked conduct - mostly regarding lost man, but there are also passages dealing with repentance as a believer. Therefore in those passages we see man's repentance (change of mind) regarding his sinful/wayward conduct and his turning away from that sin to the Lord either for salvation or to restore his lost fellowship with God.

However, when it comes to the Lord God, His repentance (change of mind resulting in His change of conduct towards a person or a nation, or regarding a specific thing He said He would or would not do) involves man's sin - ie. changing His mind about the way He is dealing with man: if they are righteous and turn away from the Lord to go into sin, He changes His mind about the way He is blessing and treating them, and now changes His conduct so He is chastising them for their backsliding. If it is regarding a lost man or a nation turning from his/its wickedness to the Saviour, then God repents (changes His mind) about His judgment and cursing of that person or nation, and now gives them a blessing or mercy instead. To emphasis, God's repentance is based on man's conduct - which effects how the Lord will in turn treat them.

This can be clearly seen in Jeremiah 18:

Jeremiah 18:5-10 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

That was all by way of introduction, to explain the term "repentance" and how it is used in Scripture. If you have a concordance or a Bible program, I would highly encourage you to study this word out and each corresponding context for yourself. In the Old Testament, the majority of references to repentance are actually in regards to God (changing His mind about His conduct towards man based on their obedience/faithfulness to His Word or their wickedness/rebellion against it). There are also references to certain things that the Lord has sworn or promised that He would NOT repent of - and this is the focus of my study today.

1. In the first instance, we have God swearing that He would not repent of His blessing of the nation of Israel, when Balaam was hired to curse them:

Numbers 23:19-20 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

God will not curse His chosen people - though this is spoken of in reference to the nation of Israel, I believe we can make an application to true believers in this age - God will not curse those who are in Christ. Jesus has already borne the curse for our sins and our breaking of His law (see Galatians 3:10, 13).

2. In the second instance, we have God repenting of His choice of Saul as king, and taking away the kingdom from this rebellious monarch:

1 Samuel 15:11, 35 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night... And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Then we read about God's choice of another king (David, the man after His own heart), and his line whom the Lord would never change His mind about or remove:

1 Samuel 15:28-29 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

This is significant in light of the fact that Jesus, the King of Kings, is from the tribe of Judah and in the line of David. We know that Jesus will reign from Jerusalem one day - and that reign will be eternal. The Lord has promised and will not change His mind about that! (See Isaiah 9:6-7)

3. Jesus, the great High Priest, is the Priest in the order of Melchizedek, an eternal priesthood:

Psalms 110:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:21-22 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

This is good news for believers - though we fall and falter, we will ALWAYS have a High Priest in Heaven pleading for us before the throne of God. Nothing can change that! (See Hebrews 4:14-15 and 1 John 2:1-2) God the Father would not change His mind about the Priesthood of His Son!

4. The Lord will not repent of His prophesied judgments:

Jeremiah 4:28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.

Ezekiel 24:13-14 In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.

To comment much on these passages here is beyond the scope of my present study, but I will note that for those nations and individuals that refuse to repent, there is coming a day of judgment - whether temporal (as in the cases here - whether it be past judgments on Israel and those nations surrounding them, or future judgments as they will see during the Day of the Lord) or eternal (at the Great White Throne judgment) where God will pour out His fury and wrath on the unrepentant soul. What encourages me about this is the fact that the Lord never changes - He will always be holy and will always be against sin, unlike fickle man!

5. The Lord will not repent of the salvation that He provides:

Hosea 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

Praise the Lord - He will not change His mind about our redemption! Those who are saved are saved eternally in Christ - redeemed forever, ransomed from sin, death, and Hell. There is a coming resurrection when all the righteous will be raised immortal, never more to die - and God will not change His mind about that!

6. The last one Scripture mentions is found in the book of Romans:

Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

In the context, the Apostle Paul is referring to God's plan for the nation of Israel - one future day, during the Tribulation period, all remaining Israel will be saved. God will not change His mind about that! He will also not change His mind about the Gospel call to salvation - Jesus is the way to Heaven, and eternal life is only found in Him. (See 2 Thessalonians 2:14). God will not change His mind about His "gift" of eternal life - if you are saved, you are saved forever! If you are a child of God, He has a "calling" and a plan for your life - He will not change His mind about that!

While I am sure there was more that could be brought out of each of those passages of Scripture, this gives you something to chew on today. God will not repent of His plan for the nation of Israel, His eternal salvation of believers, His judgment on the unrepentant wicked; nor will He change His mind about Jesus being the eternal High Priest and the King of Kings.

Praise the Lord for these promises! Praise the Lord that He never changes - and will not change His mind about those things we looked at in this study:

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

May 4th/06
Jerry Bouey

The Glory Of The New Testament (Covenant) - Part 2

The Glory Of The New Testament (Covenant) - Part 2

This is a continuation of the devotional study that was posted yesterday, Without Blemish In Christ - Part 1. Please read that first.

For the context of this study, please read Exodus 33-34, as I will not be able to quote it all here.

Exodus 34:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

The first stone tables (tablets) were broken by Moses, and here we see the Lord commanding him to hew out two more tablets to replace the broken ones. Then Moses was told to bring the tablets up with him to the top of Mount Sinai. There the Lord revealed Himself to Moses:

Exodus 34:5-7 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Notice the passage quoted above was in fulfillment of a promise the Lord made to Moses in the previous chapter (see Exodus 33:7-10):

Exodus 33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

Here we see the Lord speaking unto Moses face to face. Considering that Joshua is often a type of Christ - it is interesting to note that here he is continually dwelling in the tabernacle, the presence of God. (See also John 1:18.)

God had promised that His presence would dwell with His people and give them rest (Exodus 33:14), then He continues:

Exodus 33:17-23 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

For Moses to truly see God's glory and know the name of the Lord, he would have to be hidden in the cleft of the rock and covered there with the hand of God. This truly pictures the believer being put IN Christ, the Rock, and kept there by God's hand. See my study The Rock Of Horeb for a more indepth look at this wonderful type. If you want to know God the Father, you must come to Him through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In order to see the Lord’s glory, we must first be hid in Christ. There is no other way. When we come to Jesus for salvation, we are then placed in Christ forever, and no one (not even ourselves) can separate us from His love.

Moses was hid in the cleft of the Rock and there he saw God's glory - the following passage describes the effects of his time spent in the presence of God (see also Have You Been With Jesus?):

Exodus 34:29-35 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

The New Testament opens for us the picture that is presented here. Remember that it was when Moses was hidden in the cleft of the Rock (Christ) that he saw God's glory. The natural (lost) man could not see this glory - he was blinded to it!

2 Corinthians 3:13-17 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

The old testament (covenant) kept man at a distance from God - the Law showed that man was a sinner in need of a Saviour, but the Law itself did not have the power to save. We first need to see our sin in the light of God's Word - the many times we have broken God's commandments and sinned against Him. There is a vail over the lost man's heart so that he cannot understand or see the glory of God (see John 3:3 and 1 Corinthians 2:14). Yet when someone repents of their sin and turns to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation - believing the Gospel in their heart (see Romans 10:9-10), this vail is taken away - and that barrier between God and themselves is removed. They are reconciled to God AND placed IN Christ, hidden IN the Rock. NOW they can see the glory of God! Now when they read the Old Testament Scriptures, they are not blinded to the spiritual truths contained therein - no longer blinded to the types and prophecies of Jesus Christ - their eyes are opened to receive and understand the truth. Now they are no longer seeing "through a glass darkly," but instead "face to face" (just as Moses saw the Lord - though we will see Him spiritually, not physically - see 1 Corinthians 13:12) - they can see the Lord Jesus Christ from page to page in the whole of Scriptures ("in the volume of the book")!

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 4:3-6 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Have you turned to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation? Have you repented of your sins and received His free gift of salvation? If so, now the light has been turned on, and the Scriptures are opened to your view - now you can see the glory of God throughout the Scriptures - it is no longer a dry book, but a living testimony of the Saviour!

Moses' face shone when he was in the presence of the Lord - does yours?

May 2nd/06

Jerry Bouey

Without Blemish In Christ - Part 1

Without Blemish In Christ - Part 1

How many times have we looked at a mirror and saw the blemishes therein? Too often we are critical of our physical makeup - YET, unless we are slothful and negligent about our physical condition, the way we are is exactly the way God intended us to be. He not only made our bodies - imperfections (in our eyes) and all - He also made our personalities. This is expressed wonderfully in the following passage:

Psalms 139:13-16 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Where we see imperfection - God sees His perfection (completion) - His finished end product. We often look at a missing limb, a blemish, a scar, or some other physical handicap as a reason to be fretful or dissatisfied in life. But faith looks at the overall picture - the blemishes and problems we see down here will all be gone in Heaven (I am assuming that there are believers reading this blog, and I am writing these comments from that perspective), healed, made whole, perfected. What is seen as a handicap is actually to be looked upon as a reason to trust the Lord more for His strength, to lean on Him more. When we are weak, in Him we are strong. (See 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.)

Just like we are often discouraged by our physical makeup, so too we can be by our spiritual walk. While I do not want to downplay sin in any sense, often we look at our failures and sins as believers and base our standing in God's eyes on what we can currently see in our lives - ie. we consider ourselves based on our struggles, our sinful habits, our compromises. We do need to repent and forsake any sin we allow in our lives, but our value in God's sight is not based on the way we live. Sometimes the progress in godliness is slow, sometimes we falter, and sometimes we even backslide or temporarily take our eyes off of our Saviour and put them on ourselves and our situations. But the Father does not see our blemishes the same way.

When we came to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, we were put IN CHRIST. How does the Heavenly Father see us in Christ? Full of blemishes, stains, imperfections... - or does He see something else when He looks at those believers who have placed their faith personally in His Son?

Consider this Old Testament type:

When God first gave the law to the nation of Israel, He hewed it out of stone and gave it to Moses (see Exodus 32). Moses then came down from the mount and found the nation involved in idolatry and immorality. In his anger at their rebelliousness and sin he cast the two tablets of the law to the ground and they were broken. This represented the first covenant (the old testament) that fallen man had broken - when the Lord looked down from Heaven, He could see the law that the lost man had broken in His sight. (See Hebrews 8:7-8.) When He looked at mankind, He saw His broken law.

But the picture does not end there. Moses came down with newly carved tablets of stone, this time representing the second covenant - the new testament. This unbroken law was then placed in the Ark of the Covenant (which was situated within the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle), covered with the golden mercy seat, and then sprinkled with blood.

Leviticus 16:15-16 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

Like all the rest of the tabernacle furnishings, the mercy seat also represents Christ, and the blood that was shed and sprinkled on the mercy seat represents the blood that Jesus shed when He died for our sins on the cross of Calvary. Above the mercy seat dwelt the glory of God, between the cherubim. This was the very presence of God. When the Heavenly Father then looked down at the law that was placed in the Ark of the Covenant, He saw it through the blood covering the mercy seat. He saw the whole law - not a broken one - because His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, had fulfilled it completely (something which fallen man can never do). Those who come to Jesus Christ alone for salvation, trusting in His finished work of redemption, are placed IN Christ, much like the law was placed in the Ark of the Covenant, covered with the blood of Christ wiping out their sins, kept secure beneath the mercy seat - which is Christ, the propitiation for our sins. For all true believers, God no longer sees the many times we have broken His law, He sees the righteousness of the law fulfilled in us (see Romans 8:4) because we are credited with the righteousness of Christ. In Christ we are righteous - and that is what the Father sees. This is our standing IN Christ.

Now in the light of that type and what it pictured, consider these following verses, and rejoice anew in the salvation we have in Christ - the believer's standing in God's sight:

Psalms 45:13 The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.

Song of Solomon 4:7 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

Ephesians 1-3 primarily focusses on what we have IN Christ (the next time you read these chapters, notice how many times the Apostle Paul uses the phrases, "in Him" and "in Christ" - and realize that all the blessings that we have as believers is because we are "in Him"):

Ephesians 1:4, 6 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love... To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

These verses are also true of us, though they describe the process the Lord is doing and the end result of His work:

Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

2 Corinthians 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Colossians 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

Colossians 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What we are in Christ positionally right now (our standing), we will one day be in Him practically (our state). God will finish the work He has started in us the moment we turned to Him for salvation; He WILL perfect (complete) His work.

1 John 3:1-3 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Jude 1:24-25 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Lord willing, tomorrow I would like to take another look at the type of the new covenant in Christ - there is still more to this wonderful picture.

May 1st/06
Jerry Bouey

The Glory Of The New Testament (Covenant) - Part 2

Further comments by Charles Spurgeon on Ephesians 5:27: Without A Wrinkle

Jehu or Jehonadab? - Desiring A Zeal That Will Last

Jehu or Jehonadab? - Desiring A Zeal That Will Last

One Bible character that intrigued me as a young believer is Jehu, a man that the Lord anointed king. He was used of God to wipe out Baal worship in the land of Israel, and to destroy the remnant of Ahab and Jezebel's ungodly line. When God called him, he had a lot of zeal, which inspired others to likewise be fervent for the Lord:

2 Kings 10:15-16 And when he (Jehu) was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot. And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.

I encourage you to read this whole chapter on your own - as I only want to touch down on it in my comments. Jehu's zeal was commendable, but it was not complete - and it did not last. We need to learn from his example:

2 Kings 10:28-29, 31 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan... But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

Jehu did not walk in the law of the Lord with all his heart - his obedience was incomplete, halfhearted at best. And his story did not end well - eventually the Lord cut off his line as well.

But there was another man mentioned in this chapter, whose story did end well, who was commended by God, and who did have a godly heritage. This was Jehonadab the son of Rechab. He was also used of God in destroying the Baal worshippers (see verse 23). Though this chapter does not give us any more info on Jehonadab, there is another passage of Scripture that does show how his story turned out. As my pastor often says, "The evidence of how well you have raised your children is seen in your grandchildren." In Jeremiah 35 (please take the time to read this whole chapter as well), we see how this godly man - Jehonadab the son of Rechab - raised his children and influenced his future generations by the way they turned out:

Jeremiah 35:1-3 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink. Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;

Notice that the prophet Jeremiah is sent to speak to the whole house of the Rechabites, all of the descendants of Jehonadab that were living hundreds of years later at the time of the Babylonian captivity. This passage goes on to relate how he influenced his family for good - and how they still clung to his instructions and godly example, even when tested by the prophet:

Jeremiah 35:5-6, 8, 10 And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine. But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever... Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters... But we have... obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

Jehonadab's zeal lasted - it provoked his future generations, was commended by God, and recorded in His Word as an example to us. At the time of the Babylonian captivity, we do not see any mention of Jehu's temporary zeal - but Jehonadab's lasting zeal is recorded forever.

How about you - how about me? Is our zeal lasting, or is it fading, flagging, temporary? Are we like Jehonadab or like Jehu? To use another passage many of us are no doubt aware of (and which truly fits the age we live in): are we like those in the Laodicean church that the Lord Jesus rebukes in Revelation 3?

Revelation 3:15-16, 19 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth... As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Four words used in this passage above:

1. Cold - chilly. We might use this term in reference to being against Jesus and the things of God (including His Word) - but this church was not "against" Him (see Matthew 12:30) - at least not wholly.

2. Hot - to be boiling, fervent - Earnest. (From the Greek word zestos - where we get zest from.) Neither was this church sold out for Christ.

3. They were lukewarm, tepid. Neither cold nor hot, neither against NOR for Christ, neither outright rejecting the truth nor standing for it! They were sitting on the fence - and God Himself rebuked them publically and eternally for all the world to read! This is the day we live in, and sadly this is exactly how the majority of Christendom has become - because the majority of the individual professing "Christians" have become this way. Is this how your church is, is this how you are - are you lukewarm? Or are you hot or cold? Can those around you tell exactly where you are, where you stand in this apostate age? Go back and read verse 16, and see how just like lukewarm liquids make our own stomachs sick, so lukewarm "Christianity" makes God Himself sick.

4. Zealous, where we get our word zeal from: to have warmth of feeling for or against. Jesus says we need to be either cold (against Him and the things of God) or hot (fervently for Him and His kingdom). We need to get off the fence. The world - and our families - needs to see where we stand!

For the sake of eternity - for our eternal benefit - we need to be for Christ. For the sake of the lost world around us - and even for the sake of those younger Christians we can influence - we need to be for Christ; they need to see us clearly taking a stand, clearly being sold out for Christ. Then our zeal will provoke others "unto love and to good works" (see Hebrews 10:24-25).

Are we like Jehu, whom the Lord eventually had to spue out of His mouth and reject?

Or are we like Jehonadab, still being faithful and fervent years later?

Consider these three final passages:

Romans 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

2 Corinthians 9:2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

If you are (or have let yourself become) lukewarm, the Lord urges you to "be zealous therefore, and repent."

April 30th/06
Jerry Bouey

The Prodigal Son

The Prodigal Son

One of my favourite stories in the Word of God is that of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15. It seems I never tire of preaching it - there are always several different angles to tackle it from:

From the perspective of the value of one soul;
From the angle of the love of the Heavenly Father and the relationship He desires to have with all of mankind (Abba, Father);
From the view of showing the degrading nature and downward course of sin, repentance, and salvation;
Also, how each aspect of the Father's reception of the prodigal son pictures what we have in Christ: the fatted calf representing Christ dying for our sins; the best robe picturing Christ's righteousness - that replaced the prodigal's own filthy rags; the ring representing the seal of sonship; and the shoes corresponding to part of the armour of God in Ephesians 6 - our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.

Lord willing, today I will be preaching on 1. What Do You Have To Do To Go To Hell? Nothing.
2. Then What Do You Have To Do To Go To Heaven? Repentance and faith - using the story of the Prodigal Son as the illustration of this second point.

We are condemned already because of our sin:

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

We have all gone our own way in life - wandered away from God - just like this Prodigal Son:

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Psalm 10:4; Romans 3:10-12, 23; Psalm 53:1-3; Romans 6:23.

What did the Prodigal Son need to do? He had to realize where his sin had taken him - away from the Father's house, and into the muck and filth of sin, brought down to the depths of despair and ruin. That was when the Prodigal came to himself:

Luke 15:14-17 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

Even though he went the way he thought would bring him pleasure and fulfillment, eventually he found out that the swine's husks just left him empty, distraught, hungering for more than his sin could ever provide. He came to himself - he thought on his ways, and realized that his sin and wandering deserved judgment, and he repented of his sin - he no longer desired it, but instead desired to return to his father. That's what repentance is: changing your mind about sin and the Saviour; no longer desiring the sin but the Saviour, and turning from that sin in your heart to the only Saviour - the Lord Jesus Christ - to save you, as only He can do.

Luke 15:18-20a I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose...

He made a choice in his heart to turn from the pigpen of this world, to return to his father (he knew that was the ONLY solution to his distressful situation, the only way to solve the mess his sin had gotten him into - and to deliver him from the just condemnation of that sin), and he arose - he did not stay in the pigpen! He did not want to be there anymore - living in the midst of his sin, in the midst of the filth and mire of it - he turned from it, and turned to go home.

Before the Prodigal Son ever took that first physical step homeward, he had already turned home in his heart. How about you? Have you come to the place where you turned from your sin to the Saviour? He first came to himself, then he turned from his sin in his heart - and he went to his father. It is not enough to be tired of your sin, you also need to receive the Saviour.

Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Repentance AND Faith - the two sides of the coin of salvation; both must be together. Without faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation (trusting in His shed blood and finished work on the cross of Calvary), grief for sin is just human reformation, trying to clean yourself up, trying to lift yourself up to Heaven by your own good works - by your own bootstraps - and it will never work! BUT without repentance for your sin - a desire to turn from it in the heart - without seeing your lost condition in the eyes of God - turning to Christ is just being religious, just saying a prayer, just getting your "fire insurance," with no saving value! Both must be together: you must see your sin in the light of the Word of God and turn from it in your heart to the Saviour to save you from them and from the punishment due you because of those same sins - believing in your heart that Jesus can and will save you. THEN the Holy Spirit gives you eternal life, makes you a new creature in Christ Jesus, and begins to change you from the inside out. (See 2 Corinthians 5:17)

Luke 15:20-24 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Now the Prodigal Son was received with open arms and had the kiss of his Father (the kiss of reconciliation, peace with God - see Psalm 2:12); now he had the fatted calf killed for him (now he believed that Jesus died for his sins); now he was a new creature (cleaned up by the Father and forever changed); now the Father had exchanged his filthy robes for the best robe (exchanged his unrighteousness for Christ's righteousness - see Jeremiah 23:6); now he had a ring on his hand (the seal of his adoption, the sign of his sonship - see Romans 8:16 and Ephesians 1:13); now he had shoes on his feet (his feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace - see Ephesians 6:15 and Song of Solomon 7:1) - now he was in a position to tell others of the good news of salvation, of his reception at his Father's house.

Is the story of the Prodigal Son your story? Can you say, that like him you have turned from the mire of your sin to the Saviour? If so, then what was true of that Prodigal is also true of you:

Luke 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

This is one of those times where I hope the preaching of this simple message will far outweigh my ability to put these thoughts into writing. I will be preaching this message at the Gospel Mission in about 12 hours. If you read this before then, please pray for the Holy Spirit to speak through me and to open hearts to His Word and give those listening understanding to receive it. Thank you.

April 28th/06
Jerry Bouey