Matthew and Government Employees

To be honest, it is easy to rant against government employees in the current environment that we live in today. A bureaucracy as large as the United States government is surely going to breed incompetence, inefficiency, a lack of motivation, and a sense of entitlement among its workers. These and a host of other negative results are simply what bureaucracies produce. I even fell prey to some of these traits when I was a government employee during my college years. I am certain I would have exemplified these characteristics in even greater measure if I were still employed by the government. This indictment is not only true for the government, but also many other institutions and organizations. Just take a look at many local churches and their deeply imbedded bureaucracies.

My aim in this post is not to unceasingly rant against the government or to even suggest solutions for a better government. Instead, I want the Spirit of God to protect me from the joining the chorus of other people who sin in their thoughts, words, and actions in regard to their distaste for the government. In short, how do I respond to this reality of bad government in a way that pleases God? I have a few thoughts.

First, in a practical manner, there are surely exceptions in the government workforce. Not everybody fits the profile of a lazy government worker. For instance, a few weeks ago when I went to the DMV, the woman there was super helpful and even saved me some money on my car registration.

Second, I must make every effort not to join family members, friends, co-workers, and radio & television hosts in their derision of the government. Even if the content of what they are claiming is correct, I must not mimic their oftentimes mean-spiritedness in their tone. I want to find ways to agree with their assessment without giving approval to their wrath and bitterness.

Finally, I want to actually demonstrate the love of Christ to these government employees. I sense that these workers will be held in more contempt by the taxpayers in the future as our economic woes continue. Should I join in this contempt? Absolutely not! My mind now turns to the Apostle Matthew. Matthew was a government employee (tax-collector) when the Son of God came in the flesh and called him to leave his life of sin and to follow Him. At the time, these officials were greatly despised by the Jewish people. Yet, what did Jesus do? He was their friend. He talked and ate with them. What an example to us!

So, yes, we should desire an environment where government workers are hard-working, efficient, and content with decent wages & benefits paid for by the taxpayer. However, in the absence of this ideal scenario, may we, as followers of Jesus Christ, honor the good government employees, resist the mantra of anti-government screams, and truly be a friend to, “tax-collectors and sinners.”

The Terrifying Reality of Apostasy

I was recently reminded of the terrifying reality of apostasy. There have been at least three friends that I have encountered on Facebook who have clearly abandoned their faith in Jesus Christ. At one time, each one of these men seemed to show signs that they were passionate followers of Jesus Christ. Upon thinking about these men, I have a few observations.

• The path that these friends have taken is not simply sad. It is downright frightening! If these people assumed room temperature at this moment, they would spend eternity experiencing the wrathful presence of Jesus Christ.

• This terrifying reality sends healthy fear up my spine. Left to my own devices, I could just as easily follow in their footsteps. Fear of not truly believing in Christ is surely Biblical (Hebrews 4:1).

• I have to be diligently watchful that my determination to persevere in standing firm in Christ does not become a work of self-righteousness that I could boast about. I persevere only because of the redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ on my behalf and applied by the Holy Spirit on my behalf.

• It takes great discernment to know how to respond to these men. Should it be with a rod or with gentleness? I have to admit that my first inclination is to verbally spank them. However, this might not always be the wisest route to take. If I am moved to confront these friends, I need to surely ask God for the wisest approach to take.

• This turn of events among these men does not shake my robust belief in the sovereign preservation of God toward the elect. Jesus plainly declares that some people can show signs of salvation who are not truly saved (Luke 8:4-15). When the time of testing comes, they fall away. Only those who persevere until the end will be saved. Persevering believers are indeed the elect. It will be undoubtedly evident that God has protected these from apostasy. These friends of mine who have discontinued their faith in Christ are not the elect, that is, if they do not repent and come to true faith in Christ.

Lord, may I work out my own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is You who works in me, both to will and to work for Your good pleasure. Protect me from the evil pride of thinking myself superior because I am standing firm while others are forsaking you. My only hope is for You to keep me believing all my days in the saving work of Jesus Christ on my behalf.

Brokenhearted Joy

Joy in Christ is an absolutely essential component for salvation. Delight in Jesus Christ is created at the new birth when the Spirit of God breathes spiritual life into us. Happiness in Jesus is then continually commanded to us as we progress through our daily lives. This ecstasy is then consummated when we enter eternity into the joy of our Master. This gladness in the glorious Lord Jesus Christ is an everlasting gladness, and will, in fact, increase throughout eternity. It is simply mind-boggling!

However, to enter into eternity with this everlasting and ever-increasing joy in God, we must earnestly pursue this deep and lasting joy that has been bought by the blood of Christ. One common and true motto is, “No holiness, no heaven.” Equally true would be, “No joy, no heaven.” I assert this by the full authority of Scripture regardless of the many professing Christians who try to justify their joylessness by maintaining that it is merely optional in the Christian life, or, at best, less essential than other components of salvation and the Christian life.

One look at an exhaustive concordance will undoubtedly demonstrate that joy in God is a dominant theme in Scripture with broad ramifications. We neglect it at our own peril. It is indeed the God-appointed way to make much of Jesus Christ in all of life. It genuinely draws all attention to Jesus, our beautiful and all-satisfying Treasure in this age and in the age to come.

Nevertheless, as the title of this blog indicates, this joy is surely a brokenhearted joy in this present life. That is, while our joy in Christ should be inexpressible and full of glory, there are, in reality, a plethora of impediments to a full and lasting joy in God on this side of eternity. That is, this emphasis on the necessity of delighting in Jesus Christ takes in account the massive reality of sin and suffering in this world.

The apostle Paul bluntly stated in 2 Corinthians 6:10, that he was, “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” Why this paradox in the Christian life? I can attest from my own life that, by God’s transforming grace, I want to glorify Him by being completely satisfied in Him. Yet, there are so many obstacles in this quest to honor Him. Foremost, there is the grim reality of my own remaining sin. This causes so much blockage for vibrant affection for Jesus Christ. I, and I alone, bear the full responsibility for this result. Then, of course, other people’s sin can hold my joy hostage. Finally, the rampant suffering in this world combined with all the other effects of the curse on creation prevent my full and lasting happiness in Jesus Christ. May you come quickly, Lord, and create a new heaven and new earth where there will be no impediments to an everlasting and ever-increasing jubilance in you!

Am I content with a brokenhearted joy in this life? That is a tough question! I want to indeed strive to feast more and more at the banquet table of the glories of Jesus Christ. This will, no doubt, increase my happiness in God, and thus, glorify Him more, and I, in turn, can be more eternally helpful to others. Nevertheless, to whatever degree of joy I attain in this life, it will be mingled with much sin and sorrow. That is the harsh truth!

Enable me, Father, to glorify you by rejoicing in you always. Thank you, Father, for sending your Son to bear my outrageous sin on the cross in order that I may have the right to delight in you. And thank you, Father, for leaving your Spirit here in order that I may have the power to delight in you, even though, for the moment, it is a brokenhearted joy, in advance of the unimaginable delight that will be mine for all eternity. Wow!

The Profuse Benefits of the Word of God

One of the premier battles of the Christian life is to be spiritually-minded. That is, to have our thoughts unceasingly fixated on the Word of the God throughout the day, even in the midst of the rigors of our daily duties. Sound hard? Yes, indeed. Yet, it is doable, in measure, by the enabling grace of the Spirit of God. This, in turn, flavors our affections and stirs our obedience for our joy and for the glory of Jesus Christ.

As I ponder the benefits of the Word of God richly dwelling in my mind, I see at least four results. I use an alliteration to help me remember.

Worship. If the Word of God is the dominate theme of my thoughts, I can have the pleasure of exploding into satisfying worship of the God of the universe throughout the day.

Warfare. If the Word of God is foremost in my fallen but renewed mind, I can successfully war against sin in my moment-by-moment life as it attempts to pummel me with relentless temptations.

Wisdom.  If the Word of God is controlling my mental faculties, my decision-making throughout the day will be profoundly grounded with the wisdom of God.

Witness. If the Word of God is saturating my brain processing, my words can be in sync with the Word of God as I witness to others about the beauty of Jesus Christ and His saving work.

As God brings me into the new year of 2011, I desire to be filled with the Word of God in order that I may worship God, kill sin, make wise decisions, and be eternally helpful to others. Lord, I desperately need you to incline me to your Word from the moment I awake until the time you put me to sleep in the evening.