This time of year, the minds of many are occupied with what gifts they will give and receive. Consider what we give to others in how we treat them every day and how the treatment we receive may be influenced by it. Jesus said, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:37-38). We ordinarily will receive reciprocal treatment from others. If I am willing to give others the benefit of the doubt—believing and hoping all things (1 Corinthians 13:7)—then it is much more likely they will give me the benefit of the doubt. If I am severely critical of others, they are more likely to criticize me. Of course, there are some people who will be malicious no matter how well we treat them. Jesus was persecuted to the point of crucifixion, yet no one ever treated others with more love. Our best option then is to follow His example to choose to do good in spite of the evil done to us (Romans 12:14, 17, 20-21). But generally speaking people will respond in kind to the way we treat them.

A common pitfall is to highlight perceived faults in others without considering one’s own errors. Eli saw Hannah silently moving her mouth (1 Samuel 1:13). He thought she was drunk and rebuked her (1 Samuel 1:14). She asked that he not deem her a “daughter of Belial” and explained that she was not drunk, but rather pouring out her soul to the Lord in prayer (1 Samuel 1:15). Meanwhile, Eli’s own sons were wicked; they were “sons of Belial” (1 Samuel 2:12). While he outwardly may have told them to stop, in reality Eli benefited from their wickedness and honored his sons above the Lord (1 Samuel 2:29). He was so quick to surmise that Hannah must be sinning when she wasn’t while he dismissed sin in his own family.

Ahab called Elijah a troubler of Israel (1 Kings 18:17). In reality, it was the sinful idolatry Ahab and Jezebel had introduced in Israel that caused God to send Elijah and other faithful prophets with denouncements and to withhold rain from Israel. If Ahab and Jezebel would have repented of their wickedness, God would have relented of the trouble He was allowing Israel to face.

The Pharisees thought the man born blind was born in sins and had no right to correct them; they threw him out of the synagogue (John 9:34). But the man had not been born in sins; his blindness was not due to sin but rather as an opportunity for God to reveal His work (John 9:3). The Pharisees thought they were so much better than other men, and would brag to God about it (Luke 18:11-12). The blind man believed on Jesus the Son of God, but because the Pharisees were too spiritually blind to see the conclusion to which the miraculous evidence right before them pointed, they rejected Jesus and remained in their sins (John 9:39-41).

So, give mercy to others in the way you interact with others. It may come back to you. Ultimately, God will judge us according to the way we treat others, “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment” (James 2:13; cf. Matthew 5:7).

-Mark Day

Samson is noted for his strengths and weaknesses. He had great physical strength in fighting against men, but he had a glaring lack of moral fiber in resisting seductive women. Samson saw a Philistine woman in Timnath and wanted her to be his wife (Judges 14:1-2). Samson’s parents were conscientious in regard to their responsibility of raising the son God had given them to follow the Lord. His father Manoah asked, “O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born” (Judges 13:8). He wanted to know, “How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?” (Judges 13:12). Now that Samson was grown and making this request, they were concerned. Samson’s parents knew that this Philistine woman would not make a good choice for a wife (Judges 14:3). The Philistines served Dagon, a grain and fertility god (Judges 16:23). Thus, they tried to encourage Samson to marry a woman who believed in the true God of Israel. But Samson was insistent, saying, “Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.”

This was a time of moral and spiritual degeneration characterized by God’s people forsaking Him to serve other gods and every man doing what was right in his own eyes (Judges 2:12; 17:6; 21:25). Samson, at times, seemed to have imbibed the attitude of the day: seeking pleasure over pleasing God (cf.
2 Timothy 3:4). His lust for another Philistine woman, Delilah, cost him dearly (Judges 16). It is obvious, reading the narrative, that Delilah was bent on betraying him, but he continued to flirt with sin until it left him with his head shaved, his Nazarite vow broken, his strength departed, and his eyes gouged out (Judges 16:19-21).

However, by faith Samson—though flawed—was used by God to accomplish military victories against the wicked enemies of God’s people: the Philistines. The brief synopsis of Hebrews 11:32-34 is, “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and
of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” Samson’s marriage to the woman at Timnath did not end well, as his parents suspected, “But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel” (Judges 14:4). Because things went south between Samson and the in-laws, he slew a thousand Philistines when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (Judges 15). He went after Delilah like an ox to the slaughter, just as many strong men have been slain by an adulterous woman (Proverbs 7:22, 26). But when his hair grew, he prayed to God for one last opportunity to fight against the enemies, and killed more Philistines in his death than he
had in his life (Judges 16:28, 30).

Perhaps in your life unwise decisions and past sins have resulted in you having to face difficult situations that make it hard to be happy. But God can still use you if you will give your life to Him in faith.

– Mark Day

The apostle Paul desired to die—to depart from this life to be with Christ (Philippians 1:21-23). From prison, he wrote to the Christians at Philippi to tell them the remaining time he had would be used as a benefit to them, his fellow Christians: “And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again” (Philippians 1:25-26). If Paul would be released and see the Philippians again the result would be glorious rejoicing.

What is the first thing that comes to our minds when we think about the church? Does the phrase in verse 25, “joy of faith” come to our minds? Or do our fears about what will happen to the church come to the forefront? Do our stresses and obligations for what we should do in church work eclipse our joy? Mutual joy in the faith is tie that binds us together as Christians.

The Gospel means good news. Good news produces joy. Christian joy is not found in outward circumstances, but in the in unchanging good news of God’s love for us. In chapter 4 of this epistle to the Philippians Paul wrote, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (vv. 11-13). Paul’s joy did not come from his physical states of being full instead of hungry or having much instead of being in need. The joy of Christians is based in the faith of Jesus Christ. That God loves us so much to send His Son to die for us is the basis of joy. God wants us to be in heaven with Him so much that there is nothing He would not spare, not even His own Son, to bring us to Him (Romans 8:32). The fact that death is a doorway to great gain for the Christian helps in maintaining joy at times when we are most aware of how fleeting earthly life is (Philippians 1:21). This is why Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). Our lives today are so comfortable in many ways that we can forget the source of our joy is in the Lord. Physical suffering helps us to be reminded of this source. When we cannot pacify ourselves with outward comforts, we turn to the great spiritual truths of the faith. The faith brings joy. Can we, like Paul, learn to find joy in the Lord? Most of us are full and abound. Are we content in the Lord in our states of abundance? Let’s make sure that we try to inspire more abundant joy in one another as Christians when we come together to focus on the faith.

 

-Mark Day

In their attempt to trap Jesus, the Pharisees and the Herodians asked whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar (Matt. 22:15-17). Jesus asked for a denarius, a coin which displayed Tiberius’ image with the blasphemous inscription, “Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus” (Matt. 22:19). The reverse side of this coin read, “pontifex maximus” meaning “The most high priest.” After asking whose picture is on it, Jesus said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matt. 22:21). If they were going to use Caesar’s money, then they should pay taxes, but Caesar is only a man, and man is made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). Thus, all men have an obligation to God.

The Jews had a long, troubled history with other gods competing for the adoration that ought to belong to Jehovah alone. Isaiah wrote of the folly of a man cutting down a tree and using part of it to build a fire to serve his needs of warmth and cooking food then using the rest of the tree to carve an image, a god to which he bowed down and worshiped (Isa. 44:14-17). What was so appealing about idolatry? Idolatry gave religion without rules. Romans 1:28 shows the idolatry of the Gentiles world was due to the fact that “they did not like to retain God in their knowledge.” The concept of the Holy God who holds men accountable makes men uneasy, so they form their own image and call it god (Rom. 1:21-25). Today many say they believe in “God” but what do they mean by “God”? Many believe in a god who would never punish anyone in hell, but just wants everybody to be happy. This is a god made in their own image. “God” as the Bible defines Him is both loving and just (Rom. 11:22). Far fewer believe in Him.

Man making images goes way back; it can be found in the first book of the Bible. Rachel stole images that were her father’s gods (Gen. 31:19, 30). The Hebrew word for “images” is teraphim and refers to domestic gods who were the “guardians and givers of a comfortable life.”¹ The reference to Tiberius on the denarius as being both “son of the divine Augustus” and “most high priest” continued a tradition that permeated the ancient world—regarding rulers as gods:

Kings were revered, in many cases not merely as priests, that is, as intercessors between man and god, but as themselves gods, able to bestow upon their subjects and worshippers those blessings which are commonly supposed to be beyond the reach of mortals, and are sought, if at all, only by prayer and sacrifice offered to superhuman and invisible beings. Thus kings are often expected to give rain and sunshine in due season, to make the crops grow, and so on.²

However, the Bible shows that rulers are not to take the place of God, but to be subject to His rules. While the earth and everything in it belongs to God (Psa. 24:1), even the king could not claim land that did not belong to him, as Ahab tried to do (Lev. 25:23; Num. 36:7; 1 Ki. 21:17-22). Israel rejected God and asked for a king in His place (1 Sam. 8). God knew of this rejection aforetime, and ordered the king to keep a copy of God’s law in order to follow Him (Deut. 17:18-20). We understand now under the New Covenant that while earthly rulers are to be obeyed if their requirements do not interfere with God’s, when it comes to ungodly laws, we must obey God rather than men (Rom. 13:1-8; Acts 5:29).

Many in our nation want rulers that will give them everything to live comfortably in sin while silencing any reference to the true God who will punish sin (Rom. 1:32; 2:5-9). They are so fanatical about this that they will sacrifice anything to get their kind of rulers in power. These rulers are their gods who promise them abundance and freedom from restrictions. Will you stand up for the true God? Will you seek rulers who will honor His ways? Will you value the life of every human being as made in the image of God?

-Mark Day

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1 Wilhelm Gesenius. Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979. p. 875.

2 James G. Frazer. The Golden Bough. New York: Avenel, 1890. pp. 8-9.

God gave a law to the Jews. The law highlighted sin, making them more conscious of God’s will (Rom. 2:17-20). However, it did not cleanse them from sin; instead, the commands of the law showed how far short man falls from God’s mark (Rom. 7:11-13). The Gentile world without the law was filled with inexcusable wickedness (Romans 1:18-32). The Jews, though they had the law, did not perfectly keep the law, so they were no better than the Gentiles (Romans 2:23-25). Thus, all people, Jews and Gentiles, are guilty of sin before God (Rom. 3:10-12, 23).

Thankfully, God has provided a way through Jesus Christ for us to be saved from our sins and the death we deserve (Rom. 6:23). The Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s power to salvation; those who respond in faith can be made righteous before God (Rom. 1:16-17; Gal. 2:16). The law could not do this, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ can. God does not owe us salvation. Our works do not merit salvation (Eph. 2:8-9). We cannot stand on our own merits, we must appeal to God’s good grace. God’s grace is extended to all, Jews and Gentiles: “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom. 10:12-13). To appeal to God’s grace in faith is the only means by which we can be saved. Faith that saves is faith that puts the Lord on in baptism (Gal. 3:26-27).

Peter preached to Jews on Pentecost day who were guilty before God (Acts 2:36). He quoted Joel 2:32 in his description of what was happening that day in order to point the way to salvation, “that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). What did this mean? When the receptive crowd—convinced of their guilt—asked what they should do in Acts 2:37, Peter responded, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Calling on the Lord was not saying a prayer, but rather was believing the Gospel message, turning from sins, and being baptized to receive remission of sins.

When Paul had seen Lord on the road to Damascus, Jesus told him to go into the city and he would be told what to do (Acts 22:10). Ananias, the preacher commissioned by the Lord (Acts 9:10-16), came to Paul and said, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Paul had been praying (Acts 9:11). Yet, he still needed to arise and be baptized to have his sins washed away (Acts 9:18; 22:16). This is what it means to call on the name of the Lord.

The Jews trusted in circumcision as their mark of being God’s people. But Christians today have been spiritually circumcised by the Lord. The Lord operates and cuts off the sins of the flesh at baptism (Col. 2:11). Those who respond in faith to this operation of God are united with Christ in burial and resurrection (Col. 2:12; Rom. 6:3-4). It is in this identifying with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection in baptism that baptism saves us (Rom. 6:3-7; 17-18; 1 Pet. 3:21). Disciples of Jesus are those who have submitted to the Lordship of Jesus by believing and being baptized (Mt. 28:19; Mk. 16:16). Baptism is an essential part of God’s plan for justification.

 

-Mark Day