rlosey

Pro 23:19 has the command …guide thine heart in the way.

This bit of Scripture stands in stark contrast to the common advice Follow your heart — also heard as the statement I’ve got to follow my heart.

If we disagree with a statement in the Bible, then it’s we who are wrong.  Elsewhere, the Bible says Let God be true, but every man a liar. (Rom 3:4).

The Christian’s instruction is to guide his heart, not follow it.  We should not do whatever our heart wants to do – we should guide it to right things.  There is a great and wondrous joy when our heart is in an activity that we are doing.  Young children do (or try to do) whatever they feel like doing. Christians are to grow up and put away childish ways. The mature Christian does not ask What do I want to do?, but What is the right thing to do? or What would the Lord have me to do?

Contrast this with Pro 18:2, where it is said of a fool that his delight is in his heart discovering itself.  This sounds a lot like the “follow your heart” advice.

This verse tells us that “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged” – the fact that both are listed is very important.

As an aside, the Bible is worthy of detailed study because it is the word of God, and not the word of men. Every word has a meaning; we can be assured that God never misspeaks or wasn’t sure what to say.

Iniquity cannot be purged with mercy only… God cannot “just forgive” iniquity (sin). He would not be God.  God is love, but He is not only love; He is also utterly holy and completely just.

Iniquity cannot be purged with truth only. The truth is that a Holy God demands that sin be paid for, and the wages of sin is separation — separation of the soul from the body (what we think of as “death”) as well as separation of us from God (which the Bible calls “the second death”).  The truth of the matter is that this death (both types) is what all mankind deserves.

But the good news is that our iniquity can be purged; it was purged because the sinless, only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ offered Himself in our place.  There is mercy! God can forgive sin, because it has been paid for. There is truth!

What a wonderful combination!

Recently, in Sunday School, we went through John 11. It was a good lesson, and it made we want to write down a few of my own thoughts. For those who don’t identify the chapter, John 11 is given to the events surrounding the raising of Lazarus from the dead by Jesus Christ.

When reading and studying the Scriptures, I like to imagine myself there and to think about how I would respond — these are not just people in a book; these were real people who lived real lives, and, in some ways, were like us.

The most electrifying moment to me is the conversation between Martha and Jesus. He tells her that her brother will live again. Martha, apparently, considers this to be an kind of platitude to cheer her up.  Her response sounds like the kind of thing people in mourning say to those that mean well. Her reply is: I know that he shall raise again in the resurrection at the last day. Maybe it was not so, but it sounds to me like she is treating this like many would treat statements like “he’s in a better place”, or “he’s at peace now”. Martha is saying that some day at some time, Lazarus will be raised. Jesus’ response is just electrifying and is a reminder to Martha of just Who Jesus is: I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. Jesus was not talking about sometime in the future; He meant here and now.

A few other notes: I get a laugh out of Thomas; he reminds me of Eeyore in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories – the one who seemed to always be looking on the gloomy side of things.  Thomas speaks up in this story after Jesus has announced that he will be going to visit Lazarus.  Thomas says (and I can hear the voice of Eeyore stating this): Let us also go, that we may die with him.  Full marks for loyalty, but a depressing statement.

After Jesus and Martha speak, Martha goes back and tells Mary that Jesus is calling for her.  I don’t know if this is true or not – certainly, it is  not recorded that Jesus told Martha to send Mary to Him. I’ve usually considered that Martha was making this up; given her character in other parts of the story (she seems overly concerned about other people), she may have been worried that Mary was moping around, grieving, and wanted her to meet Jesus so that she (Mary) could be encouraged as she (Martha) was. There is some indication that Mary was taking Lazarus’ death harder than Martha was (the Jews didn’t follow Martha, but they did follow Mary).

These are just a few thoughts regarding the events surrounding Lazarus being raised.

Heard a message from a guest speaker last night (our church tries to budget one conference a year for our pastor).  He did a fine job – in the course of the message, he referenced the pretty well known 2 Chron 7:14:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Many Christians I know shudder at how America has changed and would like America to be right again, and even pray for the country (all of which is fine).

But last night, I noticed something that may be lacking: God told His people to turn from their wicked ways; I think that has been lost a bit.  We mentally acknowledge that we are sinners, but we excuse our actions as “not as bad as X”, where X can be a neighbor, a politician on television, a fellow church member. As long as we don’t consider our own ways “wicked”, we may not turn from them (as God has commanded), and we certainly won’t consider them wicked.  “It’s harmless”, I say, excusing my sin. I can get this right with God, because He is merciful and full of loving-kindness.  But if Christians want the land “healed”, we must stop thinking of “them out there” as the problem.  The problem is the sin within ourselves.