The Purposes of God . . .

“Man proposes, but God disposes.”

— Thomas a Kempis

Often, we feel as if we are in charge, when in reality God is. That is not to say that we are off scot-free from any responsibilities; it does mean, however, that our only responsibility is obedience. That’s easier said than done, you might say. True, but the only sure path to holiness is obedience. There are no substitutes, as far as God is concerned. The sacrifice of bulls upon a brazen altar wasn’t enough. Neither, were the candles of incense upon a golden one (1 Samuel 15:22). God has always demanded more.

Surprisingly, to some, at least, grace alone is not enough either. It takes more. It takes obedience as well. Grace is free, but not without conditions, regardless of what some may teach. There’s nothing free or cheap about grace. It costs. It cost Christ his life, and it demands our obedience. Obedience alone, however, is not enough. It takes faith, and faith takes belief. This, theologians call the assent of faith. That is, we are to be in perfect agreement with what God says and demands, and that we acquiescence to His will in that regard.

Nevertheless, neither faith or obedience are super spiritual Band-Aids. The healing must go much deeper. That is where grace does it work. That is, deep inside the soul of man.

“For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 AMPC)

It essence, what Scripture is telling us is that it takes God to not only show us what to do, but tell us who we are. For it is only when we understand who we are that God can help change us to become what He is. Free will is at stake, that’s for sure. But, as Christ prayed, so should we also pray, “Father, not my will but Thine be done (Luke 22:42).”

This free act, some may see as servitude, but in essence it is far from that, it is friendship at its best. It is love personified. His love, working in and through us to bring about reconciliation. But, not reconciliation without healing. For by His stripes we were healed—both past and present. No Band-Aids here. We are healed at the very core of our being, or we are not healed at all. That love—that graceful healing, covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). Not to hide our sins, but to expose them to the light of His presence. Like a great stadium illuminated and covered by a bright light, His love also covers us (John 1:1-9; 3:16). Far be it that we should ever think of God’s love covering our sins as so much dung covered by fallen snow. Never. God’s love exposes our sinful nature in order to clean it up—that is, heal us. Again, no Band-Aids here.

Now, to properly understand God, we must understand that He is not made up of pieces. Pieces of love, or Grace, or whatever He is. He is not an admixture of all of His so-called “good qualities.” He is all of them, and all are one. Therefore, whatever God does, He is; and, whatever God is, He does. Therefore, we can trust His consistency. As the Apostle reminds us, not only are we complete in Him (Colossians 2:10), but also that the good work that He has started in us, He will complete (Philippians 1:6).

May God give us the wisdom to understand so that we may appreciate the purposes of God in and through us. Only a God as great as ours can fulfill the promise to heal us and transform us into His glory (2 Cor 3:18):

[As] we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Much, much more, could be said; however, we shall save that for another time. During the meantime, may God richly bless you and grant each of us the wisdom and fortitude of faith to commit all of our ways unto Him, for He truly cares for us (Psalm 27:5; Proverbs 16:3; I Peter 5:7).

Blessings,

JimR_/

Journey into holiness . . .

“His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.” —Song of Solomon 5:16

To fall absolutely in love with Jesus is the only sure path to true holiness. All other paths lead down blind alleys and dead end streets, spiritually. Our carnal appetites or selfish ambitions must not just simply fade, they must be abandoned altogether. To throw our lives into the arms of Jesus is to say, in so many words, “In Him I trust, there is none other (Cf. 1 Peter 5:7).”

In a word, there is no cheap path to purity. Holiness requires all that we have, and all that we are. A thousand recitations of the rosary will not do; neither will the incessant prayers of a hypocrite. God cannot be bribed or bought. His love comes freely. But, as with any love it must be reciprocated. God cannot be fooled, either. He knows the very intent of our hearts. He reads the lips that mouth “I love you;” yet, are far from Him.

Sadly many are content with the drama of what might rightly be called : “Churchianity.” (Look it up. It’s a real word.) That is to say that Christianity has devolved into a mutual admiration society. A social club. A feel good society. A church that has most often abandoned the Ten Commandments in favor of promoting Self-Help, propped up with Bible verses. This play acting must stop. Otherwise,

“Many will say to [Jesus] in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? And then will He profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:22-23)

Tough language, that’s for sure. Nonetheless, these are His words, not mine.

With brotherly affection,

JimR_/

Why call him Jesus?

What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. William Shakespeare 

Question: Why call him Jesus?

Answer: Names have a strange way of coming back to haunt many. Imagine a milquetoast with the personality of a limp spaghetti noodle answering to the name of Tiger. Or a girl named Herbert.  Both are possible, but not likely. Why? Well, because names are supposed to signify something or someone. Neither really do that. Not in a meaningful sense, at least. 

Not so with Jesus. The very name itself is packed with dynamic nuances and firm, solid meaning. In Hebrew, it means: “God saves.” So, when Gabriel gave the Son of God the name Jesus it was meant to express both Christ’s identity and His mission. His identity as the God, since only God can forgive sins and thereby save us; and, therefore, His mission to save us as well. Thus, in Jesus, God recapitulates all the history of salvation on behalf of men. That is the true meaning of the verse which states that in Him we are complete (Cf. Colossians 2:9-10), and at the name of Jesus every knee bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10,11). Therefore, rightfully the Apostle on another occasion reminds us that “we are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10).”

So sacred was the name Jesus (Jehovah) the Savior God that it was invoked only once in the year by the high priest in atonement for the sins of Israel, after he had sprinkled the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies with the sacrificial blood. It was and is, therefore, a holy name.

His name is also a sufficient name. By that we understand that it declares the purpose and power of God, His endless love and all empowering grace. It is, as such, a name that none should take lightly or fleetingly. It should give us pause and appreciation for the mighty work Christ has done for us. Truly, we can say with the Psalmist, therefore: “Blessed are all they that put their trust in him (Psalm 2:12).”

JimR__/

Why Does the Book of James not mention Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit?

Question: Dear Dr. Roane, I notice that the book of James does not mention Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit? J.O.

Answer: I get the question. What I think you are asking is "why does the book not elucidate on these two persons of the Trinity?" 

Notice: James 1:1 “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ …” That first verse alone covers your question. “The Lord” indicates that both He and the Father are to be worshiped as one Lord. Jesus is His earthly name, which means “Savior.” And, lastly, the word “Christ,” presupposes anointing by the Holy Spirit. So, both are covered here. We must also realize what the purpose of James was. The purpose was to combat “antinomianism”—that is, the belief that Grace alone is sufficient for salvation without any obedience or effort on our part. Therefore, James deals primarily with the necessity for good works.

Similarly, we should also note that the Book of Esther does not once contain the name “God” in it; yet, the book does presumes that God is there working on the behalf of the Jews.

Both of these books: James and Esther, are prime examples as to why we must first of all take the Bible as a whole, and further why we need the Church which is the “pillar and foundation of truth” (1 Timothy 3:15) to interpret these books in light of the whole of Scripture.

One last word, Let no man undermine your faith, “"As ye have received Christ Jesus so walk in Him (Colossians 2:16)."

Trust this helps.

JimR__/