Challenge of Modern Mind: Loss of Sense of Sinfulness—

“It is not simply, how can man be just with God, but how can sinful man be just with God? In the last analysis sin is always against God, and the essence of sin is to be against God. The person who is against God cannot be right with God. For if we are against God then God is against us. It could not be otherwise. God cannot be indifferent to or complacent towards that which is the contradiction of himself. His very perfection requires the recoil of righteous indignation. And that is God’s wrath. ‘The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men’ (Rom 1:18). This is our situation and it is our relation to God…” – John Murray

To echo the words of Luther, ‘w/out Christ God is our enemy…’

But, the challenge of modernity is that humanity has lost her concept of sinfulness. We are quick to blame all the evils in the world to the Almighty, Sovereign and Righteous God. And his sovereignty becomes quickly mutated into determinism or fate, which the Bible knows nothing of. And yes, we human beings acknowledge that there is something wrong w/ the world. But we are not keen to realize that we are also the members, or the very components of this fallen society. As MD rightly pointed out that those who go around blaming the culture, fail to make the connection that human beings are the ones who create and form culture – culture is corrupted b/c corrupted humanity is creating and running it.

Those of us who are rejected turn around rejecting others; those of us who are hurt turn around and hurt others; those of us who are discriminated against turn around and discriminate others and on and on…is it controversial to say that those who suffered racial discrimination end up becoming racists themselves? Walk down the black neighborhood…those who complain the most about whites treating blacks wrong end up shouting Chinese jokes to every nerdy Asians they come across.

This cycle of violence and hatred can only be stopped when we encounter Christ, who has willingly become sin for sinners, took up to cross and died the death we should have died and lived the life we should have lived.

The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses, a memorable quote—

“It is not accidental that the glaring socio-political and criminal problems of the late twentieth century concern matters where our society has turned against the specific directives of God’s law. Humanism has been taught in our schools and media; it has been practiced in economics, medicine, politics, and our courts. And the results have been a social disaster. Human life is treated as cheap. Sexual purity is an outdated concept. Truth and honesty have little place in the ‘real world’ of business or politics. Repeat offenders and crimes which go completely unpunished belittle the criminal justice system. Prison reform is desperately needed. In short, humanism has proven its ineffectiveness in case after case…” – G. Bahnsen, quoted by V. Poytheress

Can’t imagine that just 50 yrs ago, the major offense in public school was chewing gum and not dressing properly…now the kids go to schools w/ metal detectors b/c their own classmates carry weapons.

Josh and Caleb –

Josh and Caleb goes behind the city wall. Have a conversation w/ Rahab. Finds out what goes on behind the huge wall…that all the hearts of the people have melted and they are living in fear.

Sometimes God lets us see the big picture…sometimes he doesn’t. The times he does is to give us courage to fight on. The time he doesn’t is to challenge us to trust and follow. I wish I could go behind this unknown wall of mine and see what’s going on behind these enemy lines…

GOD's business and mine...

“He will lead you and not let you miss the signs. Rest in this: it is His business to lead, command, impel, send, call or whatever you want to call it. It is your business to obey, follow, move or what have you.” – Jim Elliot

Thank you for the reminder this morning that my life is under your loving sovereignty. I no longer want to try to figure out why’s until all is over. Rather, I want to ask for the strength to endure in these times of waiting, to never lose the hope that this momentary wilderness wandering will turn into celebration; that when I look back w/ my hind sight, I would attribute this very process of frustration as a reason for my rejoicing!

Judas—

With Easter Sunday approaching, I’ve been hearing a lot of sermons on Judas Iscariot. I’m not sure if we could definitely know why he’s betrayed JC. But, from all of the preachers I’ve heard, they all seem to agree that perhaps it was his disillusionment of what JC did not turned out to be – instead of being the earthly king w/ earthly glory, he was headed to Jerusalem, the place of death and destruction, while his kingly glory remained well hidden beneath this frail humanity…except for the few moments in the mountain w/ his 3 close disciples…no, Judas wasn’t among those...

As I was pondering about the implication of his life, I was struck w/ the thought that the times when things don’t work out the way I want it to work is the time when I am most vulnerable to Satanic attack. It was helpful reminder [thru C. Swindoll’s sermon] that Satan entered Judas after the rebuke he received from JC for speaking against Mary [c.f. Luke 22]. Not only he was growing more disillusioned w/ this whole JC movement, he also received a harsh rebuke, in public, exposing his hypocrisy. This made his heart fertile for Satan to enter his life. And we all know the outcome of it.

Often, when we are hurt and disappointed, we rightly see ourselves as victims of circumstances. And we further think that the good and loving God would finally come thru for us. But, I haven’t heard much of warning that this is the time when our hearts are very vulnerable to temptations and attacks of Satan. C. Swindoll warned that such is the time when Satan would disguise himself as the beautiful angel of light w/ the promises that he could never fulfill, enticing us to take him into our hearts, ultimately leaving us in the seat of despair and destruction.

Judah’s life is a solemn warning that when things don’t go as we hoped, we need to be extra vigilant and alert b/c Satan will come to us w/ those sweet temptations. Our reasoning must not be clouded w/ emphasis on release from such pressure. No, if anything, we must be suspicious of the promises of quick relief. We must preach to ourselves the goodness of God in spite of the circumstances he puts us thru. Rather than seeking a way out, we must seek the way thru, never losing the hope that after all of our trials, GOD will bring us to the green pasture and gives us the desire of our hearts, his way, his time. But in the mean time, we must learn to enjoy GOD in the midst of our trials – our joy and happiness does not come by removal of difficulties, rather, it’s on the intimate relationship we have our GOD.