Trayvon Martin

The case of Trayvon Martin is both sad and tragic.  Certainly there is much that we simply do not know concerning the events that took place that evening.  Many will assume that they know based on the limited information that has been slowly leaked from the media.  But the only ones who really know what happened on that night were Trayvon Martin, Mr. Zimmerman and God.  Besides that as much as we like to speculate, amateur arm-chair detectives that we are, we simply don’t have the first hand knowledge of what happened.

What do we know?  We know that it is a tragedy and that this dear family is mourning the loss of their son who at the end of the day will not be returned to them no matter what the exact circumstances were at the time, or no matter the outcome of the investigation.  We know that some things were likely not handled correctly nor with equity for all who are involved.  We also know that there are many who would seek to use this tragedy as a platform for increased visibility and as an opportunity to ride their soap box of choice.   Furthermore, we know that the apparent racial prejudices surrounding this tragedy are had on both sides.  Neither side will admit but both still harbor feelings of prejudice.  And it takes situations like this (which would not likely breach the news if both parties were either black or white) to bring out those apparent and remaining prejudices.

What does this tragic event in the life of our theoretically socially advanced society remind us of…those of us who desire a heart of wisdom and not merely a heart that holds on to bitterness and pride?

1.  Sin is still a problem.  That is a no brainer…at least it should be.  Any death is a reminder for us that sin is still a problem.  The Scripture says that the wages of sin is death.  Thus all die because all sin.  The tragic nature of death only intensifies the reality of the sin problem.  Whether a person dies of old age, cancer, a car wreck or a gunshot wound, death is both tragic in itself and a tragic reminder that mankind, the human race has a sin problem that has not yet been resolved.  But there is One who has been appointed to resolve this problem.

2.  Race is still a problem.  The way that we use race is really misleading.  If you are a person of faith then we understand that there are no separate races, for we are all born from one man, Adam.  And even if that were not so (I am speaking in foolish terms because it is inconceivable to me that we would have come from an animal which is much lesser in significance than we are in the eyes of our Creator) even if it were true that we evolved from monkeys we would still only be one race of people…all having the same ancestry, all having the same blood pulsing through our veins.  If we have all come from different places in the world or have all had different tongues in recent years, these things are not enough to makes such a grandiose claim that there is more than one race.  Thus in my mind race should not be an issue.

Furthermore, to those who have faith, in Christ there is no distinction to be made between those who are from one people group or another.  All who are in Christ are a part of God’s family and thus are brother and sister.  That ought to be our attitude.  “Our people” are God’s people.  The color of your skin, the culture of those who are closest to you in relation should not matter.  Christ should.  Now I don’t expect for those who are without the faith to understand nor to consent to this latter point.  But it saddens and sometimes deeply disturbs me to hear those who would profess to be followers of Christ quick to claim their allegiance to skin color rather than Christ.  Racial inequity continues and will continue because men are sinners.  We who have faith ought not respond as if we are just like them, without knowledge, without faith.  Continuing to focus on racial inequity, using it as a platform to further hatred and division does not help to solve the problem and it dishonors the Lord who died so that we (people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation) would have peace together in Him.

Christian, do not marvel at the sin of the world.  Magnify the glory of Christ in His Church of diverse peoples.  Use these tragic days, not as a means of perpetuating hatred but rather as a means of propogating the gospel of Christ that reconciles sinners one to another.

3.  Injustice is a problem.  This is related to the first point.  Injustice is as a result of sin.  Between a man and his neighbor, between the accused and the judge in the courtroom, between citizen and King; injustice abounds.  And this is so because of sin.  When men do unjust things to one another (whether by fist or by gunshot) we ought to mourn.  And we ought to mourn because a man has lifted up his fist against another who is also made in the likeness of God.  Both men are made in His image and thus both ought to be honored.  And yet dishonor is done between one man and another and this ought not be so.  It dishonors our collective human race when men act unjustly towards one another.  Besides which who is competent between two sinners?  Would you be a just judge between those two men who lifted up their hands against each other?  Are your hands innocent of shed blood?  Have you never hated another man in your heart?  Let you who are without sin cast the first stone against Zimmerman.   Who among men is able to do such a thing?  We dare not use our own fallen, wicked, sin stained judgment against a man whom we do not know, in a situation in which we have incomplete knowledge to judge his wickedness when we have our own.  You who call for justice, what about the justice due concerning your sin against others?  What about the hatred that you’ve had in your heart against your mother, father, brother, neighbor?  What about the times when you’ve lifted your hand in anger against another?  What about your infidelity?  What about your foolish pride?  Who will bring justice against your wickedness against the God of Heaven?  There is One who has been appointed and who is worthy to resolve this matter of injustice.

4.  Whatever happened to compassion?  We – bystanders – pride ourselves in having the “right” response of outrage, awe and are quick to judge.  I could certainly understand the response of shock, disbelief, grief, perhaps hatred, and a desire for justice from the family who lost their son in a such a senseless way.   These emotions are quite natural when we go through such trials.   But beyond the initial shock, what ought our response be to Mr. Zimmerman?  No matter what the circumstances his life is now ruined.  Do we dare think that he took lightly to murdering a young man in the street?  Do we think that he failed to consider the ramifications of this to his family?  Perhaps the answer to those things is yes.  Perhaps he was so callous as to murder a young man in cold blood.  Perhaps he simply didn’t care what ramifications it would have on him or his family.  Should we respond to him with hatred or with pity?  Whether he took these things lightly or carefully considered and did it only as a last resort as he claims, we ought not respond to him with hatred but with pity.  When he pulled that trigger he changed the lives of many.  Each one of us will give an account one day before The Judge.  The One who has All Authority to cast both body and soul into Hell.  And each one of us will stand before Him and have to answer for what deeds we’ve done in the body.   This man will have to one day give an account to the Judge, of all flesh, for why he chose to take the life of that young man on that day.  And His judgment then will be final and severe.  We do not have to seek revenge for this young man’s death.  Scripture says clearly “leave room for His vengance, ‘vengance is mine I will repay, says the Lord.’”  Rather we ought to pity him.  And we ought to, as we are also exhorted, “love our enemies.”  Whatever was his reasoning, in times past, perhaps today, (perhaps even now while you are reading my post disagreeing with my every word) you have had hatred enough in your heart to pull the trigger against another.  Bottom line…you are no better.

I recall the news of Osama Bin Laden’s death where many, including many Christians, were almost rejoicing at his death.  I wrote a post about that here  The Death of the Wicked.  My thoughts then are essentially the same as they are now.  I am speaking to you believer.  We ought not join with them in the folly of their judgments on matters too great for our limited wisdom to discern.  The Lord will Judge.  The Day is coming soon enough when justice and equity will be brought upon the Earth.  In that day, every lofty heart, every foolish thought, every bit of hatred, every ounce of prejudice, all strife, wars and rumors of wars, everyone who has ever thumbed their nose against the All Mighty God will be silenced.  And He will have His Day.  The race of men will fall.  Only those who are in the 2nd Adam will stand.

I am saddened for Trayvon, his family, Mr. Zimmerman and his family.  It saddens me that death still reigns, and that inequity and injustice are still part and parcel in our day.  What is sadder yet is all of those who presume to have a handle on how to judge others when they haven’t considered in what way they themselves will be judged by the Lord.   But I am hopeful in a God who has provided both a Savior to remedy the problem of death by taking away our sin (including our pride against others), and a Lord who will some day soon return bringing justice and equity to all.

Maranatha

Psalm 17 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 17) Part 3

God is generous.  David’s prayer here is against the ungodly.  It is against the “wicked who despoil” him.  It is against his “deadly enemies who surround” him.  They have “cold unfeeling hearts, their mouths speak proudly, they surround him in his steps, they set their eyes to look down upon him.“  Have you ever known people that way?  They set traps for you.  They speak proudly over you, as if they are better.  They seek your position, your job, your possessions, your life to destroy it.  They speak harmfully against you and look at you with condescending and proud eyes.  They seek you as a lion lurking about in the fields waiting for its prey.

How do you respond to such?  Those who seek to defame your name, though it may be righteous.  Perhaps they don’t seek to defame you directly, but they seek to harm your family, your kin, your close friends and loved ones.  How would you respond then?  What if you had unlimited power, unlimited resources and infinite wisdom in order to dispose of such people?  How would your respond then?

David speaks of God in this passage, seeking justice from Him, knowing that He is just, that He is righteous, that He is all powerful, that He has all of His infinite resources available and all wisdom in order to use those resources to the best of His ability in bringing justice upon those who would strike out against the “apple of His eye.”  And yet this all powerful, fully sufficient, all wise God does not strike back first.  Certainly there are many cases in which judgment comes swiftly to those who seek to defame the good name of the Lord or His people.  But for others the mercy of God is seen in His long suffering.  Even in His generosity by which He grants good to all of mankind.

And what greater good can God grant than the precious gift of children.  Children to love, children to nurture, children to inspire, children to revitalize, children to carry on their name.  And God in His general mercy to all, provides children to those who are His enemies.  This is what David speaks of when he speaks of the “men of this world, whose portion is in this life, and whose belly You fill with Your treasure, they are satisfied with children, and leave their abundance to their babes…”  For the ungodly and profane, this is their portion.  And it is a great portion in deed.  Children are a blessing from the Lord.  The fruit of the womb is a reward to men under the Sun.  And yet for those who seek to harm the righteous, those who are called by the name of the LORD, it is their only portion.  They may enjoy the satisfaction of the womb while they continue under the Sun.  But once they breathe their last, their enjoyment will be complete.

For in the afterlife, there is no more mercy available to those who scorn the name of the LORD.  There is no more grace.  There will be no chance nor opportunity for penance.  There will only be judgment.  And in this the righteous, even as David does here, may find comfort.  That God is not unjust so as to forget the hardships that His people endure at the hands of sinners.  Even in seeing the prosperity that they seem to enjoy in this life.  Even the prosperity of having their wombs filled with His treasure, little children.  Even when there are many who do believe and who are faithful, who may go a lifetime without such treasure.  It is the goodness and generosity of our God, the LORD that allows for this.  He grants them treasure on this side of eternity, He suffers long their arrogance, their self seeking and sinful indulgences.  He allows for them to persist in their constant belligerence towards His people until the day that He choose to “arise, to confront them [and] to bring them low.”  On that day, they will sleep and awake to His judgment.  In His generosity towards those who love Him, His promise to them is not necessarily that they will visibly see His judgment of the ungodly on this side of eternity.  But that there will come a day when we “shall behold His face in righteousness, [when] we shall be satisfied with His likeness when we awake.”

While it is still today, let us walk as children of our gracious and merciful heavenly Father.  Let us seek to do good to those who seem to desire harm for us.  Let us seek to show love to them, generous and abundant; though in their sin they may seem to escape the judgment of God here and now, though in their sin they may seem to enjoy much of what our hearts may desire, let us seek to be generous in our love now.  If perhaps God might grant them repentance.  Because we know their end.  We know that in the end the judgment of God will come swiftly and without mercy.  And let us persist in our love, however it may be rejected, entrusting ourselves to the God who has promised to refresh us in the end with His abiding righteousness, with the satisfaction of His likeness when we awake.

Make that your ambition this new year.  Not to harbor feelings of resentment or anger towards those who have wronged you, and who seem to prosper in what they do.  But to rejoice in a generous God who is leaving room and time for their repentance.  Entrust yourself and your generosity towards them to Him who judges rightly and who will ultimately reward you with His good grace.

Maranatha!

Psalm 17 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 17) Part 2

God is just. How can the righteous cry out to God for justice?  Hear the words of David “give hear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips…you have tested my heart, you have visited me in the night, you have tried me and have found nothing.  I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress…” How can the righteous cry out for justice?

God is a just God and His eyes behold good and evil.  His eyes are on the righteous and the unrighteous and it i s this that the righteous have as their confidence, that He beholds their righteous deeds.  The righteous would have no confidence whatsoever before a just God to cry to Him for help on the basis of nothing.  Certainly God is merciful to sinners.  Those who are contrite in heart and who humble themselves before Him, He accepts.  However the confidence that the righteous have is that they are in pursuit of His righteous standard.  Our hearts may condemn us in many things.  Even our works may condemn us when we make wrong choices and allow the desire of the flesh  to rule over us.  However our confidence stands, even if it be within our own hearts, before a life of purity and holiness to the Lord.  The Lord is greater than our hearts and knows all things.

However we cannot expect to have that confidence to approach the Lord of glory, the righteous Judge if our lives are also not righteous.  God has sounded forth His call from Zion, “be holy for I am holy.” The call to holiness is not in vain.  The integrity of God and His name are at stake.  Not that He needs us to uphold His holiness, but certainly our example before an unholy and perverse generation is a glory to Him and a shame to them.

What confidence would we have to approach God without holiness?  What confidence would we have to accuse the wicked or to cry out for justice if we ourselves are not maintaining His standard of righteousness?  We must pursue the righteousness of God if ever we are to stand before God, with confidence in our hearts and to cry out for His justice.  But even in our weakness, even when we fail, we know that we have an advocate.  We know and are confident ultimately that it is not our own power or might but God’s grace which is at work within us to conform us to the image of His Son’s righteousness.  And we may say with David “uphold my steps in your paths, that my footsteps may not slip,” not only in defense against the ungodly but in confidence that He who has begun His good work in us will complete it.

Psalm 17 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 17) Part 1

God is Just. Why should we cry out to the Lord in our distress?  Because God is a God of justice.  His eyes are upon the righteous and righteousness.  And His ears attend to their cry.  God desires justice from His creation because He is just.  Justness is a  part of His essential character.  There is no falsehood with God.  There is no partiality.  There is no turning of the eye to oppression.  God is just.  And because He is essentially just in His character the righteous have great reason to come to Him for justice.  This is in fact the great confidence that the righteous have, that their righteousness has not fallen on deaf ears and blind eyes.  That in the end they will be repaid for their righteousness even as the wicked are repaid for their wickedness.  Of course the righteousness of the righteous is not their own for they would have no reason to cry out to God for vindication.  But it is His righteous standard that they uphold.  It cannot be their own righteousness for why would God then fight on their behalf?  Where then would be His glory?  What then would be His praise?  He would be nothing more than a body guard.  One whose job is to protect the glory of another.  Neigh but the righteousness by which the righteous is called is God’s righteousness.  It is His name, it is His glory.  And that is also their confidence and their hope.  that His righteousness shall be in the end vindicated.  That He will pursue the vindication of His own righteous standard.

God’s justness shall prevail and His righteousness shall be vindicated.  This He has made clear in many other ways.  The glory of His name and His holiness is His great passion.  Thus to pursue His glory in our own lives is the wisest course of action.  And it is an action which again will yield great reward.  The righteous may unashamedly pursue God’s righteous standard because He will vindicate it Himself.  And in vindicating His righteous standard, they will be vindicated.

The folly of the wicked is in assuming that their own glory is necessary.  It is assuming that their own standard of righteousness is enough.  However their own standard of righteousness is as transient as their own lives.  It will in the end be cast aside.  God will bring it to nothing.  It cannot stand in comparison to His own holy and righteous Word.  They may have their “portion in this life” but in the next their portion will be to drink the cup of God’s wrath and indignation against those who have scorned His righteousness and His righteous ones.  Thus the wicked are short sighted.  They fail to see past the reality of the moment to the reality of the next.  Consequence has become an illusion to the wicked.  It has dropped out of their vocabulary along with absolute and even God.  For them there is only the moment of pleasure without the thought of consequence.  If there were no consequence, the righteous might fail in heart however the righteousness of God reminds us that it is only His great mercy which has thus with held the flood of His wrath upon this earth.  It is His mercy which has stayed His hand this long in the condemnation of the wicked.  It is not for their glory.  It is not for their cunning or wisdom which has wrought them success.  It is the merciful hand of their creator which ought to lead them to repentance, but which because of their hard hearts has led many to both mock His very existence – by whose mercy they stand – and to mock His holy and righteous ones.

What then is the final hope of the righteous?  The punishment of evildoers?  No.  It is our expectation but it is not our hope that they should meet what demise they are sure to who mock the Almighty.  Do we seek the vindication of our own name or righteousness?  No.  Before God, there are none who have reason to boast in any righteousness of their own doing because before His standard we are all guilty.  What then is our final hope?  Our final hope is that the pursuit of God’s righteousness in this life will not be for naught.  Our final hope is that because of His righteousness, “we shall see His face…[and] we shall be satisfied when we awake in His likeness.”

7 Sayings of Christ on the Cross, Saying #2

Below is the “second saying” of Christ on the Cross from Luke 23:33, 39-43 that I presented at our Good Friday Service.  I have edited it slightly since the service, noticing some things that I missed.  It was an encouragement and a blessing to hear from 6 other brothers what the Lord laid upon their hearts concerning the words of Christ on the cross.

As I awoke this morning, in thinking about the gravity of Christ’s crucifixion, I wondered how utterly tragic it must have been for the disciples on Saturday.  We talk plenty about Friday and Sunday morning…but rarely about Saturday.  What do you do…what do you say the day after the death of someone whom you love so dearly?  What do you say to a person who has lost so much the day after their loss?  Certainly there are feelings of uncertainty.  Perhaps still a great deal of shock.  And I would imagine the feeling that one was dreaming it all and that they would see this person again very soon.  For many this is the case.  For many today loved ones pass on…sometimes suddenly, and sometimes quite slowly…but I would imagine that the shock and pain are equally real.  And the response to that pain is often quite dismal.  I spoke with a fellow today at work who mentioned that his brother had been in a comma-like state for almost a year.  Doctors and nurses had written him off, but all of a sudden, just this week he awoke and has been completely aware and almost like normal ever since.  For him, before the phone call from his brother, there was no hope.  And for many who lose loved ones, either tragically to death or else to some pseudo death-like state, they are often left without hope.

But God, being rich in mercy, did not allow for His people, for the disciples of His Son to be left without hope.  He did not allow for them to remain on Saturday.  Saturday turned into Sunday, as night turns into day.  Loss is real.  Pain because of loss is real.  But God has promised something so much better for those who are His Son’s.  God has promised hope.  That is part of the message of the cross and the resurrection.  Death is real.  Sin is real.  And the penalty for sin is real.  But as real as sin and as real is death, so hope is made real through the death of Christ for our sins.  And that because death was finally defeated, while life and immortality were brought to light by the resurrection of Christ from the dead.

If you are without hope in the world today, I remember you today, and I implore you, turn from your way to the Hope that God has provided for us in Christ.  It is a living hope…and it is a living hope because He lives.  “Praise God because He has caused us to be born again to a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  I Peter 1:3

Luke 23:33, 39-43

³³ When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. … ³⁹ One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” ⁴⁰ But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹ “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” ⁴³ And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

In business, there are models for just about everything. There are…business models, leadership models, sales models, customer service models…and I bet there are models for how to appropriately use models. Models do a lot for training. In particular, models help to give every employee a standard by which to operate. Furthermore models are used to promote success. If it works, it is used so that others may benefit and also be successful.

This “word” of Christ also provides us with a model. It is a model for salvation. This is not a new model, its the same one that God has been using since the beginning of redemptive history and it is the same model which we know has existed in His mind since before time. This model is the model that all must adhere to if they desire salvation and it is the only model that works. There are three elements to this salvation model presented in the passage. This is not an exhaustive list of the elements of salvation but merely works as a part to represent the whole. The three elements of salvation are quite simple. You can remember it with three C’s. First there is God’s Choice. Second there is God’s Change and third there is God’s Character. I’ll describe these from the passage and then draw a brief conclusion.

The first element of this model is that salvation is God’s choice. V 33 indicates for us that salvation is God’s choice. It refers to the way in which Christ was crucified, being crucified in between two criminals. Mark 15:28 quotes Isaiah 53:12 indicating that Christ’s crucifixion in between these two criminals, identified as thieves, was in fulfillment of God’s plan. God said that it would happen this way. In this, our attention is also drawn to the point of Isaiah 53 in that Christ died as a substitute for the sins of God’s people. In other words, God predetermined that Christ would suffer and also how Christ would suffer. One final note, looking forward to God’s choice, we note that these two represent the whole of all who behold salvation. There are two different responses. One responds with mockery, while the other responds in faith. One is thusly ignored by Christ, while the other is granted Salvation.

The second element of this model is that salvation involves God’s change. What do I mean by that? Consider vs 39-42 again. These two men were identified as thieves. And from the lips of one of the men, they were justly condemned. There was no mistake. They were both sinners, and they both deserved judgment, not just judgment from the rulers of the earth who crucified them; but judgment from the One who rules both Earth and Heaven. So why was one granted access into the Kingdom while the other wasn’t? I alluded to it earlier. The one hurled insults at Jesus commanding that he save himself and them from death on the cross. Clearly his heart did not understand the judgment of God for sinners, nor that it rightly fell on him. The other thief rebuked the first in acknowledgment of his own utter sinfulness and rightful condemnation. He did not make excuse for his sin. He did not blame his upbringing or society. And he did not ask for relief. He knew that he sinned and that his death was justified because of it. His only desire and plea was that Jesus grant him access into his kingdom after he suffered for his sins. His response gave evidence of the sort of change that God does and that God requires in the heart of any who would believe.

The third and final element of this model is that salvation involves God’s character. Character is functioning as a noun in this sense not an adjective. The character is none other than Jesus Christ. And it is faith in this Character, this Man, that is the basis for God’s salvation. He is, as was mentioned in point one, the substitute for the sins of God’s people. He is the guilt offering according to Isaiah 53:10. v 6 of that Isaiah passage reads: “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way but the Lord has placed on him the iniquity of us all.” In that verse, turning our own way is not an admirable quality. The world loves and exalts those who do things their own way, those lone rangers, those trail blazzers and… “mavericks,” but not so for God. God has His own way to which we are all held accountable and by which we are all judged. And He has His own character, His own man by whose righteous standard we are to be judged. And that is Jesus Christ Not only is He the substitute for sins but according to vs 42-43 of our passage, He is the Lord of the Kingdom. The thief said remember me when you come into “your” kingdom. Not someone elses, not “your Fathers” though that would have been accurate too. He is the King of God’s Kingdom and therefore it is rightly called His Kingdom. And Jesus’ response affirmed His Lordship of the Kingdom, as He grants immediate access for this one to the Kingdom. He didn’t have to ask his father first. He didn’t have to pray about it. And he didn’t have to give him a waiting room in purgatory until something opened up in paradise. He was able to grant immediate access because the Father had already given Him authority to do so.

So what model are you following for salvation? Perhaps you’re here tonight and you’ve never really considered that. I’m sure that this will be further explained before the end of tonight but understand that salvation is not what you make of it. Salvation is not merely knowing to call Jesus Savior. The first thief called Him “the Christ,” but as I mentioned, was not saved. Furthermore, it is not merely coming to Church on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Its all about what God has determined in His plan. It is all about God’s choice, it is about God’s effectual change in the heart of man. And it is about faith in God’s character, Jesus Christ, whom He has appointed as both Savior and Lord over all men.

Again, what model are you following? What way will you choose? Will you continue in your way like the first thief and face the end of your way which is death? Or will you turn to God’s way as did the second thief and be received to Him through Christ in paradise?

Psalm 15 – 150 Days of Purposeful Medidation (Day 15)

God is Holy.   There are many who recognize God, in theory, as love, all that is pure and right and perfect.  And this is something that they aspire to.  Perhaps they desire his goodness and rightness as an end.  In other words, they desire to have his goodness and rightness in their end.  At the end of their lives they want the security of knowing that they will be in another much better place than the present.  The present is wrought with difficulty and chaos.  Confusion and strife, at every turn.  And people long for rest.  They want the rest that they know that no matter how hard they try and no matter what they try, they will not find in this life.  And so people envision “god” and/or heaven as the epitome of perfection and goodness and rest.  However their conception of their god is so far below the truth that they will never come to fully grasp the truth of who God is nor will they be able to fully please God according to that truth.

God is holy.  He is not just a concept of goodness and rightness and rest that we can come to enjoy at the end of our lives while living any way that we want or conceive of on our own apart from Him.  God is holy.  That should mean something.  David asked “who may sojourn in your tent, who may dwell on your holy mountain?” He doesn’t just call it a holy mountain.  He calls it literally “the mountain of your holiness.”  It is a mountain and it is holy, but it is holy because it belongs to God.  It is holy because His presence is there.  And therefore the question is rightly asked “who may sojourn…who may dwell” in such a place as that which is holy by virtue of God’s holy presence.  Who is fit for such a thing?

David goes on to take that thought to its logical end.  He doesn’t stop like so many others who would suppose that it is their right to dwell on God’s holy mountain simply because He is love.  They don’t presume upon God’s love or justice as if He were obligated to be loving toward them.  Rather, he observes the fact of God’s holiness and supposes that anyone who would enter into His holy presence, must himself also be holy.  Listen to the description…

“He who walks soundly, the doer of righteousness and who speaks truth in his heart.” I think that we could stop there.  Perhaps there are some who consider themselves sound in their lives…one who does acts of supposed righteousness and piety for others to see.  But how many can say that they speak truth in their hearts?  And how many acts of righteousness, and how many words of truth would that same one have to do in order to be considered “holy” enough to dwell on the mountain of God’s holiness.  His holiness is essential to His character.  There isn’t a time at which it could be said that He isn’t holy.  He doesn’t take a time out.  He doesn’t get tired.  He doesn’t have an off day.  He is Holy.  The very definition of holiness…the standard by which holiness is measured, is God.  That could never be said of the common man.  The common man is at times holy, does “righteous” acts, and perhaps occasionally has pure thoughts…but this is certainly not the rule for man.  We can sometimes fool other men who cannot see our hearts, but God is certainly not fooled.  The intents and thoughts of man’s heart in God’s eyes, is continually wicked.  Just look back at Psalm 14.  Already he is disqualified.  Though he would wish to sojourn and to dwell in God’s Holy mountain at the end of his life, he has no merit nor inherent holiness in himself to be fit to dwell there…and that’s just verse 2.

“He does not slander upon his tongue, nor do harm to his friend, nor lift up a reproach upon his neighbor.” The simplest way to understand this is to ask how your neighbors would classify you.  Not your family, but those who you live around.  This is somewhat different for us because our society is not as communal as it is for so many other societies in the world and as it was for Israel.  The neighbor would have been another Israelite and so their relationship to their brother in the flesh would have either glorified the God whom they worship corporately or brought disrepute to His name.  The closer correlation would probably be for those in the Church and how we either love or do not love one another.  We are all called by His name and therefore we all ought to show love for one another in His name.  But whether it is a fellow believer or not, the principles are the same.  Do you openly, or in your heart, curse your neighbor?  Do you look for opportunities to bless your neighbor or do you look for ways to take advantage of them?  Would your neighbor say that you are clean, loud and obnoxious…or would they say that you are generous and loving?  How would they characterize you?  Are you “me” centered or “others” centered?  Christ is the perfect example for us in His self-less display of love for us on the cross.  He exemplified that humble others-centered attitude that we ought to imitate in all of our relationships and especially within the body of Christ (Phil 2:3-4).

“In whose eyes the reprobate is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord, He swears to his own hurt but does not change.” Here we see that this one who is worthy to dwell on the holy mountain of the Lord despises those who are reprobate…and this is most likely reprobate in the eyes of the Lord in contrast to those who fear the Lord and are therefore accepted by Him.  Some revel in the wickedness of others.  Perhaps they themselves are not wicked but they enjoy and feed off of the lasciviousness of others.  Let me be more specific.  There are some who would not themselves fight…but who rush off to witness the fight.  There are some who would not themselves make coarse and inappropriate jokes, but who themselves would listen to and laugh at such joking.  There are some who would not…at least not normally…conceive of or commit adultery or fornication, but who would easily watch others do the same.  Do you love holiness enough to despise the wicked for their wickedness?  Do you love the holiness of God enough to hate the wickedness of wicked men who by their actions defame God’s holiness?

Conversely, do you love those who fear the Lord?  Do you…perhaps to your hurt (which may or may not be the intent of the last phrase of this verse)…intentionally honor those who live uprightly before the Lord?  Loving righteousness is not popular.  But perhaps more than that is loving others who openly stand for righteousness.  Would you associate yourself with those who call upon the Lord even when those are despised and rejected by others?  I remember the common thought about those who were virgins in high school…those who had kept themselves pure…that they were insignificant and foolish for doing so.  Furthermore those who didn’t go to all the parties and clubs were dishonored.  And anyone who associated with them…and in fact none of the “cool kids” would associate with them.  Maybe for you its a situation at work where someone, in their integrity, have made a decision that makes a lot of people upset.  And therefore are being ostracized and/or have lost their job.  Would you take your stand with this person who on account of their fear of the Lord has made an unpopular decision at the risk of your own job?  Paul said “all who desire to live godly will face persecution.”  Would you face persecution to live a holy life before your God, knowing that He is the Judge?

The third phrase of this verse speaks to his faithfulness and integrity.  “To his own hurt, he swear.”  He will not change his mind regardless of the cost to him.  He has decided upon following the Lord, upon upholding those also who follow the Lord and he will not allow the ostracizing of his peers, financial or physical harm to deter him.  Will you honor the Lord and those whom the Lord honors?  Will you pursue what the Lord honors even when its not popular…and even when it hurts?

Finally, this one “does not put out his money at interest, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent…”   Are you generous with what God has blessed you?  Do your finances control you or do you control your finances?  Paul said that the “love of money is the root of all evil.”  Money is not the root of all sorts of evil…the love of it is.  Those who would love money and the comforts that it gives would have no desire to share it with others.  And if they did share it with others they would have no desire to give without interest.  Is it inherently wrong to give out money with interest?  No.  But which demonstrates grace, to give out money with interest for the sake of gain, or to give out money without interest for the purpose of helping one who is already down?

Furthermore…and perhaps this speaks more to the judges of the land…would you take a bribe to sentence one who is truly innocent?  In other words, in spite of the facts, would you side with someone who can provide you with some benefit or service without thought to justice or truth?  The root of this issue is not so much with the act of a judge taking a bribe as it is with the heart which seeks its own gain at the expense of another, and at the expense of God’s justice and righteous standard.  Again all holiness and righteousness is measured against God’s standard, but men have perverted God’s standard for their own gain.  And the heart which accepts bribes is the heart which does not accept God’s standard.

So how does your heart measure up?  How does your life measure up to God’s standard?  In all of these things, in this description of a man who is fit to dwell on God’s holy mountain, where do you stand?  “He who does these things will never be shaken.” Why is that true?  It is not true because these are a list of things that you must do in order to be good enough.  It is true because these things show a heart and a life which has been transformed by God’s grace to exemplify His holiness.  All men sin.  All men are “worthless” in God’s eyes, according to Psalm 14.  Therefore the man who would desire to stand on God’s holy mountain…the man who would desire to see rest and the goodness of God in His life must be made worthy.  And the only way that a man can be made worthy in God’s eyes and according to God’s will is to submit to His Son Jesus who has cleansed us from our sins and has given us a new life, with a new heart which is able to live according to God’s holy standard.

“He who does these things will not be shaken eternally” because they will be in the hands of Him who is eternally strong to save.  “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them…by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified and the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying ‘ this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days says the Lord, I will put my laws upon their heart and on their mind I will write them.’  He then says ‘and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’”  (Hebrews 7:25; 10:14-17)

If you do not know Christ, then you have no hope of dwelling with God once your life is over.  If you do know Christ, and He has become your salvation, then live like it.  Forsake the idols of your heart and walk in His holiness, with thanksgiving.  Rejoice in the confidence of one who rests in the unshakable grace of the Almighty.

Psalm 13 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 13)

God is a Merciful Savior. How can a man endure strife and difficulty from among his peers/enemies?  How can a man endure heartache and sorrow to such a degree that sinks him into great despair and depression?  By remembering that God is a merciful Savior.

Hear the cry of the Psalmist “how long O Lord, will you forget me forever…how long will you hide your face from me?” How long will God be far from me?  Hear the despair in his heart.  Hear the rejection.  He has been wronged by his enemies.  They have fought against him and seem to be prevailing.  God is his hope and this he knows for certain.  But it seems that his God has turned his eye from the situation temporarily.  In moments of despair, we can certainly feel that way.  Particularly those of us who know God and who maintain our integrity before Him knowing that He is the “rewarder of those who seek Him.” We are those who seek His righteous face in righteousness and so to experience such heartache and despair, such torment from one’s enemies can be utterly confusing to us.  We ask, why?   Why now, why us? If God is for us, then how can this be against us?  And how long will He cause me to remain in this distress?

Furthermore, he says “how long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily.” From this we notice two things.  First is that despair can cause one to feel alone.  And second is that this despair often lasts for days on end.  That it makes him feel utterly alone daily, we notice that he says “how long shall I take counsel in my soul…”  He takes counsel in his own soul, perhaps to just cheer himself; but most likely because there are no others for him to turn to.  Perhaps he feels that no one else can fully understand his struggle. He is alone in his distress with no one to call upon.  And so within his own heart, he sinks and sulks.   That the despair seems to last for days on end, he says “how long shall I…have sorrow in my heart daily?” This despair is constant and pressing.  Day after day he awakes to it.  It walks with him through the day.  It beckons him moment by moment.  It causes him to recall his every action, every thought, every deed to know whether or not he has mistakenly wronged another; that perhaps the attack is justified.  Sometimes perhaps it causes him to wonder why he should care to uphold his integrity at all.  And why should he be so concerned with striving for righteousness if this is his lot.  Or perhaps it causes him to justify himself within his own heart like Job, as if he does not deserve such an attack and as if God doesn’t have any right reason for it.  Of course God doesn’t need to justify Himself any more to us than He did to Job.

He pleads with God for relief as he says “consider and hear me, O Lord my God, enlighten my eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say ‘I have prevailed against him;’ lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.” At times this distress causes us to plead with God to hear our cry.  And yet it seems that he doesn’t.  We ask for him to vindicate us lest those who “trouble” us rejoice at our fall.  We ask for God to “enlighten” us so that we may know the reason for such distress; but it never seems to come.   (Though we know that knowing the reason for the trial will probably not bring us comfort.)

So how does this man overcome despair?  He says “But I have trusted in your mercy, my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord because He has dealt bountifully with me!” First, we notice that he overcomes because he is one who trusts in the mercy of God.  In his heart, he knows that God is a God of salvation.  It is only those who are truly the Lord’s possession who can say this.  It is only those who have this type of faith who speak of the Lord as One who is a merciful Savior.  Furthermore, in his heart, he knows that because God is a merciful Savior and because God desires praise from His people, that God will bring salvation to him.  We see this from his choice of words I “have trusted…my heart shall rejoice…I will sing…”  These are words of one who is assured that the God whom he serves is a Savior who is able to bring salvation according to His mercy to those who are His.

Evil does abound.  Attacks come from all sides.  We may be tempted to think that when we are attacked, that it is personal.  Particularly if the attack is personal.  That is, if it is done through a trusted and close relationship.  However, we must remember that God is sovereign, even in our suffering.  And that even in those personal attacks, He has purpose.  I know a brother who is under such an attack.  And it is in the context of relationships that were trusted to him.  At least some of those relationships were very dear to him.  And for that reason, these attacks have caused him great distress.  But to him, I would say that difficulty of this sort is never merely about him.  And though it be personal, and though it be difficult (I speak this as one who has never experienced what he has); this particular difficulty has a greater scope.  For it involves the body of Christ and the body of Christ is always under attack by the evil one.  And though we don’t like to think that our brothers and sisters can be used by the evil one for his purposes; we must recognize that he will use any and every opportunity to attack the people of God and men of God who stand before the people as an example daily.  With that said, as difficult as these trials are he/we can persevere and we shall persevere because God is a merciful Savior.  And He is One who is able to accomplish His salvation plan for His people regardless of what may occur in the process.  Furthermore, that He may and does use these difficulties in our lives to continue to shape and mold our hearts to trust Him as the merciful Savior that He is.  And not only to trust Him; which would be enough, but to long for His eternal rest, which He has promised to those who trust Him and who also endure.  That our hearts would continue to be prepared, not for the temporary rest that we may enjoy here, but for His eternal rest.

If you are His and you are enduring such an extraordinarily difficult trial in which you may feel that God has temporarily turned His back on you, that this trial is unwarranted, that your attackers do so without cause,  and perhaps that there is no one who can truly relate to what you are experiencing; then I exhort you to remember in whom you have trusted.  He is a “Wonderful, Merciful Savior”…a “precious Redeemer and Friend” as the song says.  He is the Creator of the World, and yet is One who has chosen to forgive our transgressions against Him and to live in our hearts.  If He has done this; what ultimate good would He withhold from you?  And if this has befallen you; then you must trust that this is a part of His plan to bring about your ultimate good.

Perhaps you who endure such a trial are not ones who must be reminded to forgive.  Perhaps you are not ones who must be reminded to forget…or even that you are ones who need to be reminded to endure.  You’ve learned a great many lessons.  You have maintained your integrity before the Lord in this situation and even in handling the trial which has resulted.  But perhaps you could use the reminder that the God whom we serve is a Wonderful, Merciful Savior. And that this is His plan for you, and anyone else involved.  And therefore, perhaps what you have done is not the problem.  Perhaps who they are and who you are is not the problem.   But rather, this is about who He is and what He is doing in this situation for all who behold it.

Will you praise Him for it?  Do you believe that He is a Wonderful, Merciful Savior?  In this situation, which you know is His doing, is He still wonderful?  And do you believe that He is a Merciful Savior to you?  If you do; then you must rejoice!  You must sing!  Because He will deal bountifully with you.

Psalm 10 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 10)

God is a God of Justice.  He is infinitely Holy and therefore must judge sin and the wicked.  He is infinitely mighty and therefore can judge sin and the wicked.  He is infinitely faithful to Himself and to those who maintain their faithfulness to Him and therefore shall judge sin and the wicked.

The folly of the wicked is their shortsightedness.  They say to themselves “there is no God…God has forgotten, He has hidden His face; He will never see it.” There are those who completely reject the notion of God and there are those who reject the notion of the God who has revealed Himself in Scripture.

The former say that He does not exist.  They reject the very notion of His being.  This is of itself an abomination for how can anything come into being without an initial cause.  His pride becomes his downfall, supposing that he knows enough about the best of man’s “theories” to adequately explain away God.  And to what end?  To what end does the atheist or agnostic explain away the existence of God?  To claim some false sense of pride in not being able to know? The agnostic claims that you can’t really know for sure that God exists.  Furthermore, some would say that you can’t really know anything.  Well, how do you know that?  The agnostic, of all people, should know that you cannot claim absolutely that you can’t know the truth of God’s existence.  And if it follows that you can’t know the truth of God’s existence, then you can’t not know the truth of God’s existence.  The very premise of their claim refutes itself.  And of course they claim this so that they don’t have to believe in anything that they do not want to.  Certainly they believe in some things.  (Bear with me as I speak to their folly).  If you can’t really know anything then how can they know for example, that the feelings which they have are hunger, thirst, or exhaustion?  And if they can’t really know these things, then why would you follow through to eat, drink or rest?  It would make no sense.  Surely then they must admit that there are things that we can know.  But what they will not admit is that the things which they instinctively choose to act upon (such as eating – which is an admission that they are hungry – a fact that can be known) are those things which only suit them.  In other words, the agnostic only seeks to acknowledge the things that do not lead to him being accountable to anyone but his own desires.  And his own desires will be his downfall.

What would be the end in claiming that God does not exist?  Perhaps some false sense of pride in being the end of one’s own existence?  The atheist claims that there is no God and therefore that he is the ruler of his own life, the captain of his own ship.  No one can direct him, no one can lay claim over him.  No one can thwart him.  He is his own god.  So says the wicked fool in the Psalm, “I will not be moved, throughout all generations, I will not be in adversity.”  Pridefully he goes about his life, laying claim to the lives of others, living in accord with his own wishes and desires, without the fear or threat of reprisal.  But God is not unjust that He would allow the atheist or the agnostic to continue for long.  He will not allow them to continue to “boast in [their] hearts desire” nor to make a mockery of His name and justice, for He “has seen it, for [He has] beheld mischief and vexation to take it into [His] hands”

The latter say that He does not exist as He has said that He is.  He is something else altogether.  He is not just nor is He capable subduing injustice.  The wicked assume that they are able to continue in their reign of terror without end and that the afflicted/oppressed/innocent/unfortunate are without help in this life.  They refuse to believe God’s word that His love, toward the brokenhearted and afflicted, reaches to the heavens and that His faithfulness stretches to the skies.  They refuse to believe that He is “a helper of the orphan [and One who] vindicate(s) the orphan and the oppressed.”  They refuse to believe and understand that He is truly “The Lord [and] King forever and ever.”

Though the afflicted may cry out “how long O Lord” and “why do you stand afar off, O Lord, why do you hide yourself in times of trouble,” ultimately they will not be ashamed.  They will not be moved forever.  God will avenge His justice.  He will uphold and affirm His holiness.  He will bring judgment upon the wicked, though He may tarry, “so that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.”  And He will bring rest to those who are afflicted.

Jude 1:14-15

14 It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones,  15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Matthew 5:3-12

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.  6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Psalm 9 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 9)

God is worthy of all praise!

All of us would heartily agree that God is worthy of all praise.  He is truly praise worthy.  Thinking about the upcoming holiday of Thanksgiving this is especially significant.  And for what do we typically give thanks?  For the meal that He has provided, our family and friends, prosperity, peace.  For what does the Psalmist give thanks and what can we learn about it?

“I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart, I wil tell of all your wonders.  I will be glad and exult in You, I will sing praise to your name O most high”

He is a God of wonders.  He is a God whose very name is wonderful.  His works and His name bespeaks His essentially marvelous character and worth.  Only One who is truly marvelous can do marvelous things.  And this is the end of all of God’s works and ways, namely that His name might be magnified.  He is worthy of all praise and therefore His works envoke praise from those who truly know Him.

I think its interesting that the first thing which the Psalmist mentions is His acts of righteousness in judging those who are enemies of his people.  God is a God of vengeance.  And yet His is not so as we are.  We often react to those who wrong us because of the inconvenience, hurt or frustration that it has caused us.  We react, possibly, in order to be seen as more righteous than they are.  God Himself is eternally Righteous.  And therefore it says of Him that He judges righteously.  “But the Lord abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, and He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the people with equity.”  He is forever, they are for a moment.  Those who work iniquity shall come to an end.  He will “blot out their name forever and ever.”  They will not stand.

What have we who have trusted in His name to fear?  What have we to worry about, concerning those who work iniquity against us?  Must we seek vengeance?  Can we exact equitable vengeance greater than God?  Can we execute justice more efficiently or decisively than God?  Then why should we concern ourselves with revenge?  Certainly we should be concerned with justice.  Certainly we should look for those who govern us to be just (good luck with that).  But ought we concern ourselves with the development of the most righteous looking (outwardly) society that we can?  Does it say in vain that “the wicked will return to Sheol, even all the nations who forget God.  For the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.”

There will come a day in which the Lord will judge the world through righteousness.  He has given the righteous standard of His Son for the nations to behold and to repent.  Yet they have ignored and have scorned His righteous Son.  And so His vengeance will be just and decisive upon all.

Don’t seek for the salvation of this world.  It is wicked and shall perish in its wickedness and by its wickedness, “The nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made; in the net which they hid, their own foot has been caught…in the work of His own hands the wicked is snared.”  He who has ears to hear, let him hear and let not the Psalmist say alone, “Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged before you.  Put them in fear, O Lord; Let the nations know that they are but men.”

Beloved, turn your hearts from a love for this world and the things of this world to a love for God and His Righteous Kingdom.  Trust in the God who “abides forever,” who is “a stronghold for the oppressed,” who is a God who will never forsake, and in whom you will never be ashamed.

Psalm 7 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 7)

God is a Righteous Judge.  He always acts in accordance with His righteousness.  Hear the words of the Psalmist “The Lord judges the peoples…God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day…I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness…”

When was the last time that you gave thanks to the Lord because He is a righteous judge?  Of all the things that we commonly think of to give thanks for, how often does this really come to mind for you?  God has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness…through the only Man who is righteous of Himself, that is Jesus Christ the Righteous.  Do you look forward to that day?  Do you long for the time that God puts an end to the wickedness of this world and creates a “new heavens and earth in which righteousness dwells?”  Or are you satisfied with the ways of this world?  Are you content with the way that things are going for you, your safe job, your safe home, your safe economic status (I realize that many of these things are not safe for people today, but people still put their confidence in these things), your safe name in the community or in your work place, your safe family?  Are you satisfied with those things?

Let me put it another way.  If God were to allow you to go to a heaven where things were just like they are now (with Him in heaven and you on earth) and where you had unlimited access to all of the good things about your life; would that be enough for you?

Clearly we do not get all good things in this life.  We also get difficulty.  We get strife.  We sometimes lose…big.  We are sometimes persecuted without cause.  We are tormented and rejected by others who live with considerably less godly standards as us.  Do you ever wonder why it is that those people seem to enjoy life more?  The ones who live any way they want, why do they seem to have more money?  Why do they seem to relish their selfish inclinations and its consequences?  Why do they seem to enjoy their drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, rebellion against authority (parents, teachers, managers, etc.), laziness, improper usage of their finances and other such things?  Why do they seem to have “all the fun,” while we are stuck doing things “the right way?”  Do you ever feel like you need to get back at them or else that you might as well join them since they seem to be having a good time?

God is a Righteous Judge.  And He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world through the righteous standard of His Son.  Do you meet that standard?  Have you considered your heart, your motives, even your actions lately?  Do you meet the righteous standard of the perfect Son of God?  Can you say with a clear conscience like the Psalmist “O Lord my God, if I have done this, If there is injustice in my hands, if I have rewarded evil to my friend, or have plundered him who without cause was my adversary, let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life down to the ground and lay my glory in the dust.”  Can you say that expecting that God will “vindicate [you] according to [your] righteousness and [your] integrity within [you]?”

Have you lived with integrity?  Do you?  Do you live according to God’s standards?  Do you seek God’s righteousness?  Do you seek God’s glory?  Or do you seek your own?  The God who “judges the peoples” and who will “let the evil men come to an end, but establish the righteous” will also “try the hearts and minds of the righteous.”  What will He find when He tries your mind, your heart?  Will He find His righteousness, or will He find your version of righteousness?

God has “appointed judgment.”  Though He tarries, He will judge.  And He will judge according to His righteousness.  If you have not found His righteousness, repent.  The Lord is near.  If you have, rejoice, for our salvation is closer than when we first believed; and He has promised to vindicate us, according to His righteousness and to repay all of those who have sinned against His godly ones.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear:

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” Matthew 6:33

“Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.  Respect what is right in the sight of all men.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.  Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord’”  Romans 12:17-19

“God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, for He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”  Acts 17:30-31

“Know this first of all that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.’ For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, though which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.  But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.  But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that wiht the Lord one day is like  a thousand years and a thousand years like one day.  The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a  roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up…according to His promise we are looking for a new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”  2 Peter 3:3-13