The Pastor’s Pen

Lincoln writes to encourage and build up God’s people with God’s Word.

The Extraordinary Nature of Unity

By / The Pastor's Pen / 3 minutes of reading

Whenever I read Romans chapter 16, I can’t help but wonder what it must have been like for Tertius, who served as Paul’s secretary by writing as Paul dictated. These closing verses reveal a close nit group of men who worked well together with the apostle Paul. Timothy, Lucius, Jason, Sosipater, Tertius, Gaius, Erastus, and Quartus, must have been a formidable team living and serving Christ within the larger church body in Corinth at the time (Romans 16:21-23).

As with all of us, circumstances, relationships, and places we call home, would change over time for these men. However, for this season in their lives, they had the privilege of working together with the apostle Paul for the cause of the gospel. In particular, I’m thinking of the human effort required to enable Paul to write this lengthy, and extremely detailed letter to the church in Rome. This was not merely a courteous letter between friends, but the most precise and thorough explanation of gospel doctrines found in the New Testament.

Obviously, due to the length of this letter to the Romans, it would have required multiple sittings. There would have been times of discussion and prayer, questions would have been directed at Paul from at least Tertius, if not other onlookers. From at least these eight men, there would have been the need for clarification, as Paul revealed the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith (Romans 16:25-26).

A part of me flickers with envy, as I consider the privilege that group had. Yet, today, serving Christ in unity is no less important, or less of a privilege. As we live in an age of individualism, it’s easy for a self-centred attitude to be counterproductive in the body of Christ. Plus, individualism can easily become weaponised to divide and permanently damage the ministry and testimony of Christ. Which Paul points out in Galatians 5:15, if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. Instead, through love serve one another (Gal 5:13), humbly considering others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2:2-4). Which is the example Christ left us (Php 2:5-8).

Can you imagine what Romans would have read like, or if it would have even got written, if Paul and these eight men were engaged in a cold war with each other? Which is why Paul prayed for the believers in Rome with such pointed passion. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God (Romans 15:5-7).

God’s glory is the primary reason for sacrificing pride for the purpose of maintaining sweet relationships in the body of Christ. All other legitimate benefits flowing from unity are secondary to His glory.

Likewise, the apostle Peter wrote of this powerful component in church life. Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind (1 Peter 3:8). May we today, give thanks for the many blessings that flow from united brothers and sisters in Christ, and may we strive to be among them.

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Lessons from a withered hand

By / The Pastor's Pen / 3 minutes of reading

Matthew chapter 12 records a spicey little encounter between Jesus, a man with a withered hand, and the Pharisees (Matthew 12:9-14). This snappy little event unfolded inside a local synagogue, enabled by an innocent bystander who had a withered hand. Deceitfully ceasing the opportunity, the Pharisees tried yet again to trap Jesus in His words. Hoping to identify some inconsistency or contradiction with their laws, they ask Jesus, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” (Mat 12:10). As the Pharisees considered healing to be “work,” they hoped to accuse Jesus of breaking their sabbath rules of rest.

Jesus, knowing the Pharisees intent, and realising the opportunity to teach onlookers, plus to do a life changing miracle for the withered handed man, goes along with it. Typical of Jesus when confronted by the Pharisees, he answers them with another question. He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? (Matthew 12:11). Realising the many Sabbath rules created by the Pharisees which surpassed the Old Testament law, Jesus personalises the issue, aiming for their hearts.

They should have realised that Jesus wasn’t about to approve of people disobeying God’s law, nor was He going to give authority to religious, manmade rules. Jesus knew, as did the Pharisees, Deuteronomy 22:4 (NIV), If you see your fellow Israelite’s donkey or ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help the owner get it to its feet. However, according to the Pharisees rules, this would be considered work, and not to be done on the sabbath. The Pharisees had elevated their rules to such a heightened authority, that rules came before the wellbeing of animals and people. There was no way that Jesus was going to approve of such a system.

Masterfully, Jesus answers His question for the antagonistic Pharisees. Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:12). Everyone present would have understood Jesus correct application of God’s law while also recognising the foolishness of manmade religious rules that leave no room for compassion. People are of infinitely greater worth! Here, Jesus qualifies healing as “good,” and yes, it can be done on the sabbath. So, in front of everyone, Jesus instructs the man to “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other (Matthew 12:13).

Obvious to everyone, would have been that this was an effortless miracle performed by Jesus. No physical work of any kind was necessary, yet in that moment of time, Jesus did heal the withered hand. Once again, the self-righteous Pharisees were ensnared by their own trap. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him (Matthew 12:14). Rather than accept the lesson from Jesus with humility, these religious leaders dived deeper into their hypocrisy. Blinded by their evil motives and intensions, they were happy to devise wicked plans (Proverbs 6:18) in violation of God’s law by planning to kill Jesus.

While it’s easy to see the Pharisees faults, we like they, find it easy to confuse our priorities and values in our Christian walk. The Pharisees would have been better to pray the prayer of David in Psalm 19:13, Keep your servant also from wilful sins; may they not rule over me. May this be our prayer today. May love for Christ and others motivate us to never permit sin the authority it seeks.

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The Joy of Grace

By / The Pastor's Pen / 3 minutes of reading

In the Christian life, there are few joys that compare with walking through life with another believer/s in the attitude and determination of God’s grace. Jesus called this discipleship, and it can apply to one on one, or one to many relationships. It happens when the gracious authority of Jesus Christ is at the controlling center of the relationship.

While it is God’s grace that freely offers salvation, it is equally God’s grace which secures and assures of eternal life. However, it’s also the Lord’s grace which transforms our earthly relationships. Paul points to the church as being the place where His glorious grace… has blessed us in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6). The assembly of God’s people is the body of Christ, where the most beloved of all God’s creation, get to experience and manifest His glorious grace. And it is glorious because it places the very heart of God on display through the lives of transformed people.

It shouldn’t surprise us then, when instructed to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Grace is not an end in itself. Grace is the means through which greater things are accomplished. This is true in all aspects of the gospel, from being chosen before the foundation of the world, to welcoming and accepting one another in the family of God. The apostle Peter is right, there should be ongoing development of our grace to others which is in proportion to our growing knowledge of Jesus Christ. Just as our knowledge of Christ should not be allowed to stagnate, neither should His grace working through us become stagnant.

You see, grace overcomes personal prejudice, it fails to see offensive diversity as barriers, and it  looks to the soul of the recipient as being in need of the loving truth of Jesus Christ. Often, it’s the gracious manner of a believer that opens the heart’s door for the gospel to be listened to. Similarly, it is grace that steps out of individual comfort for the sake of standing with a fellow believer who is struggling with life. Grace takes off our tinted glasses which so often prevent us seeing anothers’ need.

It was grace which enabled Jesus to connect with people that others avoided. Think of the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob, who said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans (John 4:9). Those the Jewish religious society prohibited contact with, Jesus graciously engaged with. There was Zacchaeus sitting up a tree in Luke 19:2, He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So Zacchaeus hurried and came down and received Jesus joyfully (Luke 19:5-6). Meanwhile, Jesus’ antagonists grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner” (Luke 19:7).

Grace enables Christlike interaction with others without compromising truth or values. Grace is sufficient to strengthen the weak (2 Corinthians 12:9). Grace motivates believers to restore a stumbling child of God in a spirit of gentleness and to bear one another’s burdens without prejudice (Galatians 6:1-2). This wonderful quality inspires us to speak only such as is good for building up… that it may give grace to those who hear (Ephesians 4:29). It’s a joy to dispense grace, just as it’s a joy to receive it. May Jesus’ grace be seen in us today for His glory.

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Gospel Grace

By / The Pastor's Pen / 3 minutes of reading

There exists within the human heart the desire to earn approval from others. It makes little  difference whether it’s approval from crowds or from a few, the heart does not like to think of receiving approval by unearned grace. This is the natural and sinful foundation that resists the gospel of Jesus Christ, as no part of the gospel can be earned.

The apostle Paul addresses this issue when writing to the Galatians. He speaks of the way in which deceivers had entered their lives and were trying to lure them into earning God’s favour by works of the law. To a Jew, this was an enticing argument, as it pulled on their national and religious heart strings, which had historic connection to the Old Testament law. Typical to Paul’s style of writing, he confronts this error head on. We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified (Galatians 2:16).

Here, Paul explains that justification before God, that is, to be approved by God with His declaration of innocence, cannot be earned by obeying the rules of the law. Yet, our arch enemy continues to employ this rule keeping strategy for diverting people away from grace through faith in Jesus. This is true for both the unsaved and believers alike. It’s ironic how often we Christians are enticed onto the treadmill of rule keeping, in the hope of maintaining God’s approval of us.

Obedience of Jesus is our worship of Him, not our means of earning approval or security. Paul speaks to a sensitive area of our heart’s affections, which creates a returning tension in our lives. There can exist a fine line within our motives for obedience, which distinguishes between obedience resulting from faith, and obedience to earn acceptance for a sense of security.

You see, grace produces freedom to obey out of love and praise for Jesus Christ. Whereas law keeping, produces continual dependency on feeding guilt which compels us to more and more rule keeping in the hope of being accepted by God.

Before salvation, Paul was advancing in Judaism… so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers (Galatians 1:14). Yet, his passion for keeping traditions could not save him. Endlessly trying to obey over 900 laws which the pharisees demanded, was impossible. Paul knew the painful reality of being a person who keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it (James 2:10). So, he declares that it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:11). Paul’s faith was in the fact that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). Faith in Jesus’ substitutional death on the cross removes the curse created by the law.

For the Christian, obedience and good works are the result of faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection (James 2:17-18). The evidence of genuine faith is a life committed to obedience out of gratitude, and a desire to be like Christ. Dependence upon rule keeping for God’s approval and acceptance is replaced with the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe (Romans 3:22). May we rest today, in the certainty of acceptance by God, due to faith in Jesus Christ.

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Hothead Nabal, impulsive David, and appeasing Abigail

By / The Pastor's Pen / 3 minutes of reading

1 Samuel 25:2-38 tells a short, volatile story involving David, and Nabal with his wife Abigail, who were opposites in every way that mattered.

At this time, David and his men were running from King Saul’s army and moved into the wilderness  of Paran. Nearby lived Nabal, a wealthy businessman who owned three thousand sheep and a thousand goats (1Sa 25:2). Sadly, Nabal was harsh and badly behaved (1Sa 25:3) as He valued money more than people.

As the story goes, David’s men were happy for Nabal’s employees to graze their sheep in the same pastures as theirs. They got on well together with David’s men watching over the shepherds to ensure nothing bad happened to them and no sheep were stolen.

One day when Nabal was shearing his sheep, David sent ten men to greet Nabal on his behalf and request some food due to their supplies getting low. After all, thought David, my men and Nabal’s shepherds have lived and worked together happily, surely Nabal will help us out just this once.

Unfortunately, grumpy Nabal didn’t respond well. Who is David…?  Shall I take my bread, my water, and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men who come from I do not know where? (1Sa 25:10-11). David’s response was equally wrong, telling his men to strap on their swords, and about four hundred men went up after David (1Sa 25:13) to seek revenge on Nabal.

Meantime, Nabal’s servants told Abigail of everything that was unfolding. Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two skins of wine and five sheep already prepared and five seahs of parched grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs (1Sa 25:18). Abigail was on a private peace mission without Nabal’s knowledge.

Meeting David and his troops, Abigail fell before David… and said, on me alone, my lord, be the guilt (1Sa 25:23-24). Humble Abigail was willing for David to place the blame for her husband’s insulting behaviour on her. Please forgive the trespass of your servant (1Sa 25:28). Abigail was seeking forgiveness for sins she had not committed.

She presented David with the gifts of food and acknowledged her understanding of the Lord’s blessing and sovereign protection over his life. She even understood that the Lord would one day appoint David as king.1 Samuel 25:32-34 tells us that David responded well to

Abigail’s gifts and words of appeasement, returning home without revenge upon Nabal. In complete ignorance of  Abigail’s peace mission, that evening Nabal held a feast… Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. The next morning Abigail explained everything to Nabal; and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. About ten days later the Lord struck Nabal, and he died (1Sa 25:36-38).

Nabal could have treated David kindly, which would have prevented this whole incident, but he didn’t. David could had responded to Nabal’s insults with grace, but he didn’t. It was Abigail’s extraordinary faith and courage that saved many lives and prevented David from the guilt of killing innocent men.

Left to hothead Nabel and impulsive David, this story would have ended in a mass killing. But Abigail’s peaceful integrity left room for God to work out His justice in His way. Her responsive faith in action provided a way forward for David without further guilt and bloodshed. Romans 12:18 instructs us; If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

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