Love tested

Today’s thoughts are very deep and personal. I know what Jesus says to me, yet I cannot express His Words or my response except in general terms. Again, these questions are related to the questions He asked Peter after this disciple betrayed Him, and after His resurrection . . .

He said to (Peter) the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. (John 21:17)

Most of what I have heard or read about this passage has been negative toward Peter. This man denied knowing Jesus in words and actions, even though he swore that he would not do that. He failed utterly in his expression of love. When Jesus looked at Peter after the betrayal happened, that was enough to unglue the man. He went away weeping bitterly.

I can relate to Peter. I supposed most Christians can. At some time or other, circumstances back us into a corner and we throw out a denial to protect ourselves. Or a temptation comes along that seems impossible to resist, and instead of love and loyalty, we abandon the One who saved us from such sin and go ahead and disobey Him. Whatever form the denial takes, afterward we feel ashamed, shocked at what we have done or said, and in pain.

Chambers says that when Jesus comes to us after such a horrid thing, and speaks to us from His Word, there is an exposure of the very deepest place in our heart. He also says that the devil never hurts there, neither sin nor human affection hurts there either. Nothing gets through to that place but the Word of God.

At first I didn’t understand that, but then realized that Peter was grieved because he realized at that moment that in the real center of his personal life he was devoted to Jesus. He had been severely tested and failed, but he did not abandon Jesus totally; he came back! It was in repentance and shame and deep sorrow, but he did not walk away or hang himself as Judas did. Peter passed the test and he passed it because he really did love Jesus.

After this, Peter knew. He would not ever deny Jesus again, but the greater point is that even failure cannot sever the relationship that faith gives us with Jesus. The horror of denying Him was terrible, as was the pain of Jesus exposing his heart, but now Peter knew. Proving his love was not in ‘always doing the right thing’ or ‘being perfect’ but returning again and again to fall at His feet, no matter how badly he had failed.

Peter said, “Lord, you know everything.” He didn’t try to prove it or point to anything to confirm it. He knew, as I know, that loving Jesus is not about a perfect performance. Even though Jesus asked Peter to feed His sheep, and even though Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” Peter and every other follower of Jesus Christ will miss out, mess up, and at times wonder if they can do anything right. Yet Peter had learned earlier that Jesus was his only answer to the failures of life . . .

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, (John 6:66–68)

When Jesus asks if I love Him after all my shortcomings and failures, I can say ‘yes’ because I know in my deepest place that I do. Otherwise, when I turn away in denial or to do my own thing, I would never turn back.

Failures, hypocrisy, motivation, and transparency

2 Kings 11:1–12:21, Galatians 3:1–29, Proverbs 7:10–20

What is the difference between a selfish, controlling person, a godly person who makes mistakes, and a hypocrite? Because the Bible says we look on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart, it seems to me that motivation is more important than what can be seen on the surface.

Selfish and controlling is illustrated by Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah, king of Judah. “When she saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death.” (2 Kings 11:1–2)

After six years, Jehoiada the priest ordered the army to put Athaliah to death along with anyone who followed her. Then Joash was made king and the people rejoiced. The city was quiet after this wicked woman had been put to death.

Joash illustrates a godly man who makes mistakes. He was only seven years old when he began to reign, but he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. (2 Kings 12:2) One of his accomplishments was to rebuild the temple that had fallen into disrepair.

His error was doing as several kings before him had done. When threatened by a foreign king, Joash “took all the sacred gifts” gathered by his forefathers, and “all the gold that was found in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house” and sent them to the foreign king as a way to make him go away. It worked, but this doesn’t seem to me an act of faith. (2 Kings 12:17–18)

The woman described by Solomon in Proverbs 7 illustrates hypocrisy and an evil heart. She is after a man and “meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait. She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, ‘I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you . . . .’” (Proverbs 7:10–15)

The description shows her evil intent, but it also says she made a show of piety by making a sacrifice and paying her vows. Was anyone fooled? Solomon warns his readers to not be fooled, so there is a danger of being led into sin by a wicked hypocrite.

The people of Galatia illustrate good deed with wrong motives. They wanted to be right with God, made the initial step of faith in Christ, but instead of walking by faith, they fell into the error of trying to please God by doing good works. They may have looked righteous on the outside, but God knew their heart and didn’t like what He saw. He inspired Paul to write, “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’?” (Galatians 3:2–6)

Faith has always been the way to live and to please God. Paul explained that law was added because of transgressions until Jesus came, but it could not give life, nor could it be the way of life in Christ. Their righteousness was by faith, and so must their way of life after they received it by faith in Jesus Christ. Living by faith is a gift, just as salvation by faith is a gift.

Evil motivations will show up in evil deeds. Godly motivations will show up in godly living. As a Christian, I have Christ in my life. My aim is to live by faith, even though I sometimes fail. This usually happens when I stop trusting God and start to trust my own judgments.

When that happens, any pretense of godliness would make me a hypocrite. The only solution is transparency — that is, openly confessing my doubts about God. Funny thing, as soon as I say it, I realize how ridiculous it sounds.

Puzzles and warnings

Daniel 11:1–12:12; 2 Thessalonians 3:1–18; Job 42:10–17

Years ago someone instructed me to read the Bible until God impressed me with something, then write what I noticed in the passage. This year’s devotional book is called “Connect the Testaments.” Many days I’ve seen how they old and the new relate to one another. Today, these three readings may have connections that I do not see, but God impresses me with these truths.

Why godly people fail

Christians and the general public are shocked when a prominent Christian leader falls into sin. I’m shocked when it happens to me, a rather ordinary person. Jesus is our Savior so why does He not save us from our sinful selves? Today a verse stands out from in the midst of Daniel’s prophesies about the future. He says this: “ . . . and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.” (Daniel 11:35)

Some of the characteristics of my sinful nature are forgiven and cleansed by a simple confession. Others are so deeply ingrained that only a gross failure will persuade me to let go of them. From this verse, I see that stumbling into a particular sin is part of the salvation process. When it happens, it is the beginning of God’s refinement for He will use the failure to change my attitude toward that particular “I will rule my own life” attitude. This becomes a painful but necessary ‘stumble’ to show me that I cannot rule anything.

Increased knowledge does not mean we know everything

The Bible says that in the last days, there will be “a time of trouble . . . .” but God’s people “will be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12:1–4)

Certainly knowledge is increasing. Certainly God’s people are actively turning others to Christ. But the prophecies of Daniel are a puzzle and exactly what will happen at the end of things is hidden from us all. Only those who know the Lord even realize that God has declared truth, but that is about all we understand about the future.  It is as God said to Daniel: “For the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.” (Daniel 12:9–10)

Job’s disaster turned to blessing

The remaining child of the Alberta family who lost all three daughters in a farm accident said, “If God can make good out of bad, then something awfully good must be coming.” This faith is a gift from God, something that shone through even while Job struggled to understand what was happening to him. He was never told that his faith was being tested, but I suspect he knew as soon as, “The Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him . . . .” (Job 42:10–12)

I can relate. When God tests my faith, I’m oblivious to the why of the trying events, but when blessings come afterwards, I know God is using all things for my good. He is wise; His ways are higher than mine.

Warning to the lazy

In all of this, I could sit and do nothing, but God gives another message that is for every generation. Paul heard that some Christians were walking in idleness and was inspired by the Lord to say they were, “not busy at work, but busybodies.” He commanded and encouraged them in the Lord Jesus Christ to “do their work quietly and to earn their own living” and to “not grow weary in doing good.” This was so important that, “If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.” (2 Thessalonians 3:11–15)

God isn’t talking only about earning a living. I’m not supposed to sponge off the generosity of others, but this also hints at my responsibilities as His servant who is supposed to obey His commands. While I cannot do all of them all the time, I need to pay attention to the Holy Spirit, gladly and energetically never letting my laziness rule instead of Him.

Failure is not the end…

Faith is easy when God answers prayer, when life is going as I hoped, when I can see His purposes being fulfilled. Yet if my life is to be like the life of Christ, I will experience failure.

Consider that Jesus’ brothers did not believe and mocked Him. Remember those times when He did no miracles because faith was absent. Don’t forget that in the end, the crowd that had cried Hosanna turned against Him and cried, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” Then all the disciples left him and fled (Matthew 26:56). He was lied about in the judgment hall then mocked as the soldiers stripped Him of His clothes. Innocent and voluntarily helpless, He suffered the worst death known to man, and was buried in a borrowed tomb.

By human standards, the life of Christ was a misadventure and a failure. Isn’t much of our lives like that? Any success, and least measured by human standards, is a rare exception rather than the rule of life. We might hear about magnificent projects and brilliant hopes, but in the big picture, almost all fall into eventual ruin. Individuals who “succeed” eventually grow old and unable to perform. Business ventures encounter downturns and changes, mergers and crashes. Failure is inevitable.

I once read a book with the catchy title, “Failure, the Back Door to Success.” It was about learning from mistakes, but also defined success more like a spiritual discipline and failure as a test of faith. This makes me remember those times of enthusiasm in my heart that disappeared when I failed. Did my faith desert me too? When something goes wrong instead of right, do I feel like God has left me alone? Am I discouraged and ready to quit?

Today’s devotional writer suggests that when “failure” happens, I am appropriating half of Christ’s experience, that sense of failure, but not appropriating the other and more essential half, the persistence of faith. Because Christ lives in my, I have the power to defy failure, a power that can do this because this power is from God and is not my own.

Again, the life of Christ seemed a stunning failure, but it was followed by the most stunning victory that the universe has ever seen. What happened at the Cross is the example of all examples. Whatever God plans cannot fail. His proposals are firm, eternal, guaranteed. Regardless of any opposition, the things that are godly, honest, lovely, pure, and truthful have a vitality that cannot be destroyed or subdued.

What looks like failure in the life of a person of faith is only a triumph deferred. The energy and time spent in prayer and Christian service may not yield immediate fruits but whatever seed is sown is never lost. God promises to use it, and He keeps His promises. All may appear lost as it did at the Cross, but Good Friday was not the end…

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10–11)

I think about seeds sown in lives that seem hard and barren at the moment. God says that seed will sprout and grow. I may not live to see it, even die with my life seeming to have been a failure, but the work done in faith cannot perish. The work of Jesus Christ has transformed millions of lives and changed the world. His work brought the kingdom of God into this dark place and left us with this great promise,

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. (1 John 5:4)

I’m encouraged by this Word. Success is more about trusting God than it is about results or answers to prayer. Those who determine to put their faith in Him and do whatever He asks, are successful people. Our reward is going to be incredible, far surpassing anything we could ever expect or imagine.