The Pastor’s Pen

Predictability in healthy relationships enrich dependability and security. When unexpected behaviour by those we depend upon creates fear, doubts, and uncertainty, it can be traumatic.

I suggest the most unpredictable and extreme behaviour witnessed in Scripture was by Judas Iscariot. Imagine the shocked thoughts that must have gone through the other eleven disciples’ minds. “Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. ⁵ They were delighted and agreed to give him money. ⁶ He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present” (Luke 22:4-6 NIV). How could you do this Judas? Well, verse 3 tells us that Satan had entered Judas, which changed everything.

Judas was nothing more than a religious man open to internal satanic influence despite walking with Jesus for 3 years. Yet, it was Jesus who had chosen Judas to be one His disciples (Mark 3:16-19). Had Jesus got it wrong? Was this an unexpected interruption to Jesus’ plans? Events like this cause us to struggle with the complex integration of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility.

However, Jesus, knowing what Judas was planning, permitted him to participate in the Passover and then exposed Judas when He said “the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. ²² For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” (Luke 22:21-22). God had determined these events, yet Judas was also a willing participant. No wonder the disciples “began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this” (Luke 22:23). But Judas knew.

Later, Judas betrayed Jesus and Peter responded by cutting off the right ear from Malchus the servant with his sword (John 18:10). But there was no outburst against Judas. Mark tells us that everyone “left him [Jesus] and fled” (Mark 14:50). So much for the support of close friends. Matthew tells us that during the fake trial of Jesus the next morning, Judas “went away and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:5). The entire scene was in human chaos.

Through these staggering events, we get to observe how Jesus and the disciples responded to Judas. There was no witch hunt, so to speak. Judas did not become the source of bitterness, or the target of personal revenge. In fact, as we read the New Testament, we don’t hear of the disciples carrying a grudge, slandering Judas’ name, or voicing their animosity against him.

Some observations may help prepare us for those times when others inflict unexpected pain upon us. First, you have no pain which has taken the Lord by surprize. Just as He knew what Judas was about to do, so also the Lord sees your circumstances coming. The Lord knows all the confusing and conflicting details and feelings with perfect clarity. The Lord knows us, our activities, our thoughts, and even our sleep patterns (Psalms 139:1-3). He knows whenever a sparrow falls and has even numbered the hairs on your head (Matthew 10:29-30). Nothing in your life escapes His attention.

Knowing this gives us the initial confidence needed to respond as Jesus did to His suffering. “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23 NIV). As he suffered, He entrusted through surrender to His Father who knew best. As we begin this short series, may we begin with trusting surrender in our heavenly Father.

For many of us, it’s difficult to be genuinely thankful to the Lord during painful times, let alone being thankful for the actual cause of pain. For most, gratitude during these times of painful purification does not come easy. However, what makes gratitude possible is understanding God’s purpose and His goals. To experience the realisation of privilege and love from our heavenly Father can be life changing. As we grow in our ability to think and prioritise as the Lord does, so our ability to express gratitude as a reflection of His pleasure becomes key in striving for Christlikeness and contentment.

Herein lies one of the greatest challenges for believers today; “be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2b). A sincere person may be able to put on good behaviour temporarily but changing the way they think takes the work of the Holy Spirit. Those patterns of thought, those heart habits, and those relentless bad attitudes which self-empower defiance and sin are so embedded within the deceived (Jer 17:9) heart, that it takes divine intervention to change.

Some rejoice in the luxuries of life, some celebrate their sense of worthiness, and others are glad that they have freedom to do as they please. But the child of God considers “it all joy, …when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2). Why is this? How can a believer think this way? Because they understand “that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:3). Steadfastness creates faithfulness in your relationship with the Lord which enables you to think through the issues and evaluate your motives, then respond correctly.

The believer chooses to “rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials” (1 Peter 1:6). This seems crazy if you are only thinking of self. But if you are thinking of God it makes sense. God administers the painful periods of life “so that the tested genuineness of your faith… may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). God kindly permits us to discover if our faith is genuine or not. And when faith is proven to be genuine, God assures us that apart from any present glory He may receive, the greatest glory shall occur when Christ returns to snatch up His bride.

So, Paul says, “let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:4). If we believers genuinely want to understand God and His sanctification in our lives to such a degree that we rejoice in the trials, we must “let steadfastness have its full effect.” There are no short-cuts, no bypass tricks, joyful sanctification takes time, patience, and a desire for God to be God in your life for His glory.

One of the blessings for a mind that is being transformed, is “that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2c). This does not speak of a dark heart attitude which challenges God. Rather, it speaks of observing the “genuineness of your faith” (1Pe 1:7) and realising that this contentment in God through sanctifying trials is God’s will for you. This understanding affirms that the sanctification is indeed “good and acceptable and perfect.” This is at the heart of living in pursuit of Christlikeness.

Through this Holy Spirit energised work of sanctification joy gets ignited by the sparks of thought, faith, and steadfastness. Intellect, for the most part, is the mechanism intended by God to fire signals to your emotions that joy is the appropriate response to the Almighty’s sanctification. May we walk in this reality as a testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ.

For most of us, when we turned to the Lord for salvation, we had no idea what our future Christian life would hold. However, Peter explains that salvation’s purpose was “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 1:2). God intended much more for our lives than we had imagined. God not only knew our future, He mapped it out so that no matter where we travelled, we would be accessible by Him to accomplish His will.

That initial divine work of salvation, which included cleansing through the shed blood of Christ, was a work of purifying sanctification by the Holy Spirit. That was the Spirit’s beginning of a life-long commitment to never stop setting you apart for greater holiness and Christlikeness. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification…” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Just as the intrinsic ministry of the Holy Spirit is inescapable, so too is His ministry of sanctification.

God the Father knows what He wants for your life, and His Spirit is bound to fulfil His purpose. Sanctification is the process of “being transformed into his image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). What a privilege, to think that the Lord wants us to accurately reflect His image. The Lord is intimately involved in this ever-changing ministry for the entirety of our time on earth. And upon completion of this life’s sanctification we get promoted to our heavenly home to enjoy eternal life (Romans 6:22). This is the rich and certain hope we have inherited from the Lord.

Although the Lord rarely sends advance notice of His intention to step up your sanctification, you can rest secure in the knowledge of His perfect purposes. You can believe Him when He says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). You can have confidence in “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

He understands your disappointments, your confusion, and your frustrations. In His purposeful ministry the Holy Spirit “helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). Rest assured; the Holy Spirit never fails to accurately present your case to your heavenly Father. Your innermost thoughts, feelings, weaknesses, and beliefs are perfectly delivered through divine language which surpasses human words. You are never as alone or without heavenly representation as the devil would have you think.

As many of God’s people will verify, during the deepest pains of change and sanctification, the Lord’s reassuring words to Paul still stand true, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

As you lean heavy into Christ during personal struggle, it can be with the expectation that the Lord will mature you to profess Christ as the apostle Paul did when dealing with his thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-8). “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

May the Holy Spirit have His way, so that “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

If you have ever experienced personal failure so catastrophic that it eradicated any hope for your future, you would identify well with Aaron. Aaron lived approximately 1530 – 1410 BC and was born a slave during Israel’s enslavement in Egypt. He was the eldest son of Amram and Jochebed, an older brother to Moses by 3 years, and the first in the Levitical priesthood. He married Elisheba, and together, had 4 sons.

When Aaron and Moses were in their eighties (Exodus 4:27-28; 7:7), God brought them together to lead Israel out from Egypt’s enslavement. As Moses had a speech impediment (Exo 4:10), Aaron would do the speaking on Moses behalf, because he could speak well (Exo 4:14).

Under the Lord’s guidance, Moses and Aaron confronted the king of Egypt (Pharaoh), ten times, performing miracles and calling him to let Israel go. Pharaoh refused, until confrontation number ten, when “at midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt” (Exo 12:29). Pharaoh “summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel…” (Exo 12:31). God then lead Israel out, miraculously through the Red Sea, and into the wilderness, free from Egypt after 430 years (Exo 12:40).

Three months later “Israel camped before the mountain [Sinai], while Moses went up to God” for the first time (Exodus 19:2-3, 7). Sometime later, God summoned Moses up the mountain for the 6^th time, but this time he was to take Aaron, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel with him (Exo 24:1). There they “saw the God of Israel,” yet they did not die (Exo 24:10).

The Lord instructed Moses alone, to come higher up “the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written…” (Exo 24:12). Joshua remained waiting for Moses, while the other men, including Aaron, returned to camp. “Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights” (Exo 24:18).

Meanwhile, the people of Israel grew impatient with both Moses and God. So, they came to Aaron and demanded, “make us gods who shall go before us” (Exo 32:1). Aaron collected the Israelite’s gold jewellery “and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” (Exo 32:4). Moses returned, only to find Aaron had fuelled the people into a frenzy of idol worship (Exo 32:25).

Aaron, Israel’s first high priest, who had seen God on Mount Sinai, lead Israel into idolatry. When confronted by Moses, Aaron blamed the people saying, “they are set on evil,” and would not accept responsibility (Exo 32:21-24). Moses “took the calf… burned it… ground it to powder… scattered it on water and made the people of Israel drink it” (Exo 32:20).

How could Aaron sink so low, so easily, and so quickly? In many ways Aaron reminds us of our many failings, our easy stumblings into sin, and our unwillingness to take responsibility for our sin.

Because of God’s promises, Moses’ intercession, God’s discipline, and Israel’s sorrow over their sin (Exo 32:26-33:6), God allowed Aaron to continue as High Priest. Although this was not his only blunder (Numbers 12), Aaron learned his lessons over time.

Aaron’s life displayed the mercy of God, undeserved grace, and God’s love which surpasses human reason. This is the same loving grace which saves us today. “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (Exo 33:19). Aaron’s life demonstrates God’s holiness, God’s grace, and that God is the God of all hope, even when we are certain that we have burnt ourselves hopeless.

Sarai lived around 2000-1825 BC, and married Abram.  Sarai and Abram had the same father, making them half brother and sister (Genesis 20:12). They were the perfect match; both tended to behave badly at critical times. Neither of them had any idea of the extraordinary life God had determined for them when they married. Nor did they realise the impact they would have on all of humanity for the future.

While Sarai was an excellent wife and life companion to Abram, she made a few shocking choices along the way. Genesis chapter 12 records Sarah’s first stumbling. Due to a famine, they moved to Egypt. Abram, realising Sarai’s beauty, and fearing that the men of Egypt would kill him to get Sarai, devised a plan. He instructed Sarai, “say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you” (Genesis 12:13), after all, they were half related. Abram was wrong in so many ways, his intent was to deceive. Equally wrong was that Sarai obeyed. Most likely out of fear, possibly from cultural pressure of a male dominant society, but she wrongly perpetuated the lie.

Well, it happened, Pharaoh conscripted Sarai into his harem (Gen 12:15-16). Eventually, in response to the Lord afflicting “Pharaoh and his house with great plagues” (Gen 12:17), Pharaoh confronted Abram. Sarai was returned, and the whole family was escorted out of Egypt (Gen 12:20). If only Sarai had stood up to her cowering husband and spoken the truth, things would have turned out quite different. However, unbeknown to either of them, God was also involved.

In Genesis 15 the Lord appeared to Abram and made a covenant with him. Included, was to give he and Sarai a son, even though Sarai was unable to bear children. Thinking she could help God, Sarai gave her maid to Abram, who foolishly slept with her. The maid conceived, then became bitter with contempt for Sarai, who then treated the maid harshly, and eventually kicked the pregnant girl out. Genesis 16 tells how the Lord miraculously fixed this terrible botch-up.

Later, when Abram was 99 years old, the Lord returned. Again, making another covenant with Abram which again included Sarai having a son. Foolishly “Abraham fell on his face and laughed” at God in disbelief (Gen 17:17). Here, God renamed them to Abraham and Sarah.

Shortly after, the Lord visited Abraham again repeating the promise of a son to Sarah.  Sarah, 90 years old, and listening from the tent door, “laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?’” (Gen 18:12). Afterward Sarah denied having laughed, but she soon turned her laughing into faith. For right or for wrong, Sarah again followed the wrong example of her husband. “The Lord… did to Sarah as he had promised. ² And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son… ³ Abraham called the name of his son… Isaac” (Genesis 21:1-3). And through Isaac, the nation of Israel has descended to this day.

Despite Sarah’s intermittent failings, God blessed her greatly. For those of us who have ever mocked, laughed at, doubted, or complained to God, Sarah shows us the blessings of having hope in her loving God. Sarah was not dependant upon her ability to please God, or the behaviour of her wayward husband. Sarah was relentless in her faltering but genuine faith in God. Sarah’s life places the beauty of God on display. For this, and other character traits of faith, Sarah appears in Hebrews 11:11, the hall of faith, as an example “since she considered him faithful who had promised.”