Ezekiel

I had the greatest of intentions when I began this little series to post three articles from Second Timothy. Well since this is part three, I will continue to write and see where we end up. Today, hear the word of the Lord, as He speaks through the Apostle Paul to Timothy.

…who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 2 Timothy 1:9-11

I think it’s important to see the Sovereignty of God in this section of text, because outside of the calling, purpose, grace and salvation of a Holy God nobody would ever be saved. Given the discussion we had last time I think this is easily missed. It’s easily missed, because just like the mission, it’s an often times unpopular message. But if we don’t understand the goodness and mercy of God that controls all things, then we are to misunderstand the majority of what Scripture teaches us. So much of what I want to say can be summed up by the Prophet Ezekiel. So let’s see what God tells us through His Prophet.

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD,” says the Lord GOD, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. – Ezekiel 36:22-27

Why does God, do what He does? Isn’t it simple? He does it for His name’s sake. That is it. My work is over. You’ve been informed. Now, that wasn’t all that hard was it, or was it?

Question number one from many reformed catechisms is the same thing.

1. What is the chief end of man?
Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

Whew, again, that’s pretty simple to understand, but the bottom line, for most people is that’s really difficult if not impossible to swallow. Here is the problem. I will make a pretty bold statement here, in that it’s not only the problem, it’s the reason all heresies and false teachings arise. It all goes back to the garden and the attempted coup by Adam and his desire to kick God off His throne and become “god” himself. I’m sure by now you are hanging on a thread, well… what is it?

Man replaces God honoring worship with man honoring desires. Man-centered theology replaces God-centered theology. Man wants to rule, and he wants to subject God under his feet. But guess what? God will have none of it, and although man believes sometimes and most of the times that he is the center of the universe, God has declared that’s not so.

Psalm 2:1 – Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?

Psalm 2:4-5 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath. And distress them in His deep displeasure.

Brothers and sisters, friends and anyone else that might look upon these words, I hope you will consider today that the God of the universe, the King of all creation, the Holy One, sits on His throne and He is in charge. Not a thing escapes His attention, not a sparrow falls to the ground outside His sovereign will. Not a single human being is saved without His enabling. He calls and the elect respond. Those saved are not any more intelligent or any more capable than the worst of all the sinners outside of God’s decrees. He does His good pleasure, because He’s God.

Well, there is so much more to say, and I don’t have the time and space I desire, but we can see the gospel has been established by Christ Himself through His revelation. He came to this earth and He did what no man could accomplish. He fulfilled the law of God that sinful man might be saved; He proved this by conquering death and rising from the grave. He is worthy, and we have the written word that Paul has given us, to know the truth and the validity of the message.

As we go out today and consider God’s plan, as one that sows seed, we must sow good seed; the seed of the pure gospel. When we boldly and unashamedly proclaim the gospel, God saves. He uses the foolishness of the message to save some, for His glory. What a marvelous message, what an amazing privilege we have.

Kevin

How many times have you said this to someone? Well, as a Christian I hope you would never say this to someone, but as a Christian how many times do you say this to people in act or in deed? I’d say we all do this more times than we can imagine. I actually shudder to think how many times I do this.

Just recently a man died. His name was Jack. Jack woke up not knowing this day would be his last. I’m sure he had a lot of things on his to-do list that day and I’m certain he expected he’d accomplish all, if not most of his tasks. I didn’t know Jack; in fact, I know almost nothing about Jack except that he was in his forties. I’m sure he was a family man with a wife and kids. Maybe he was a church going man, I’m not sure. Maybe he wasn’t.

The thing is it’s possible I’ve talked to Jack at some point in my life and I wonder if in that encounter I told him about Jesus? I wonder if I told him that there is a Holy God that we will give account of our lives. I wonder if I told him that we’ve all sinned and fallen short of This God’s glory, and because of that problem justice must be served.

We are all guilty criminals; guilty of the most heinous of all crimes, against an infinitely Holy God. That God has given us life and everything good that we experience on this earth and we really have no thoughts of Him and we certainly don’t care to thank Him or honor Him. No, we just go along in our daily endeavors rarely thinking, if ever thinking, that this day might be our last, that today will be the day that we must stand in His courtroom and tell of all our deeds.

This courtroom has a much higher level of strictness and judgment than any earthly courtroom could have. In fact it is so strict that it requires perfection or we will be found guilty. In this courtroom anger is considered murder, in this courtroom looking with lust, or sexual desire is the same as adultery.

I don’t know if Jack knew that or not? I’m sure there will be a funeral where a minister will say a lot of nice things about Jack. How he was a good father, a good husband and probably a “good” man. But I wonder if that minister will remind those people that today or tomorrow could be the day they will face the judge?

Today I wonder if you or I, Mr. and Mrs. Christian, will tell people that today could be the day that they will face the judge. Will we tell them that He is a righteous judge, and that He is angry with the wicked every day? That if they don’t turn from their sin, and place their trust in Christ Jesus as their only hope that they will spend an eternity in a place called Hell, the place where God punishes guilty sinners just like I was, or just like you were?

Do we tell the guilty sinner that the only hope they have is in Christ? Not their own goodness?

Or do we really tell them to “Go to Hell!” I don’t want to take the time… I don’t want to risk the embarrassment… I don’t want to risk the rejection… I don’t want to risk being labeled a freak…

In other words, you just don’t care about their soul. In other words, I don’t care about their soul.

If we believe the Bible, and I expect most reading this post will say they do, did we forget the imperative command of the Lord Jesus Christ, when He said “Go” and make disciples, teaching them to obey My commands? (Matthew 28:18-20) Did we also forget He said He would be with us, as we did it?

Did we forget that He said the first and greatest command is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and the second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself? Loving our neighbor certainly includes calling them to repentance doesn’t it?

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.” – Ezekiel 3:17-19

My dear friends, if your evangelistic zeal is non-existent, or seriously lacking, please consider your testimony today. Do you really love people, or do you just love yourself? Do you prefer to protect yourself, or do you really desire to live for the glory of God?

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. – Luke 9:24

Let’s consider today, how many Jack’s we will pass by and tell them to “Go to Hell!”

Kevin

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