A Prayer for Those Burdened by Worry and Anxiety

Almighty God, we are easily frightened, quickly shaken, and often anxious about our lives and about those we love. Yet You have said, “Fret not,” and “Fear not,” and “Faint not.” Forgive us for so easily fretting, fearing, and fainting. Forgive us for being slow of heart in trusting You as we should. Help us, O Lord, to cast our burdens upon You, and teach us to say, “Lord, I believe.” We offer You our sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and friends. Bless each of them, Lord, and make us a part of the blessing. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Some Important Verses on Anxiety:

“Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” (Matt. 8:26).

“Do not worry about tomorrow” (Matt. 6:34).

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything”
(Phil. 4:6 TLB).

“Gideon built an altar for worshipping the Lord and called it, ‘The Lord Calms Our Fears’” (Judg. 6:24 CEV).

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you” (Psalm 55:22).

“Casting the whole of your care—all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all—on Him; for He cares for you...” (1 Peter 5:7 AB).

“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind” (Luke 12:29).

Friday Thoughts

1) Audrey and Gracie were both born in China and adopted into American families. Until recently, neither of them knew they had a twin sister. Grab some tissues and watch them meet one another for the first time. It does a soul good and it will "hit you in the feels." It is a powerful reminder of how important family is, even when you don't realize you have them. God created us for community.

2) Passing the Baton? Yes, but...

"Passing on the faith has been compared to handing off a baton in a relay race. And there are many things to commend that analogy to us. There is a real gospel—the baton—to pass on. It must be passed on individually. The one with the baton has to hold it out, and the one receiving the baton has to reach back for it and close his hand around it. There is a time to pass on the baton, the exchange zone, which does not last forever. All of these are excellent pictures to help us think through this subject.

There is a problem with this illustration, however. We are not handing off the baton at a friendly track meet. Rather, this exchange takes place on a battlefield! We are attempting to pass on this baton of the gospel while we and our children are being shot at. And what about those observing in the stands? A few are cheering us on, but many in the stands—the world—are laughing at our child’s attempt to run the race." (Chap Bettiss, The Disciple-Making Parent)

3) The year 2017 will mark the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Many conferences will meet to mark this seminal event. The year will also be marked by a number of important documentaries on important figures in the Reformation. This one by Stephen McCaskell on the life of Luther looks particularly good.

4) At the church where I serve as preacher, I have been deeply enjoying a weekly reading group with my fellow ministers. I mention this in case you serve the church as leader: dear friend, readers are leaders! 

Reflecting on the importance of reading for the Christian, I thought of this relevant passage on reading and the discipleship of the mind from Kent Hughes' excellent book, Disciplines of a Godly Man:

Along with reading the Word, we ought to be reading good books. The brilliant Jewish radio talk show host Dennis Prager, a man who makes sure he is well-informed, said in a recent interview in The Door: 

"One thing I noticed about Evangelicals is that they do not read. They do not read the Bible, they do not read the great Christian thinkers, they have never heard of Aquinas. If they’re Presbyterian, they’ve never read the founders of Presbyterianism. I do not understand that. As a Jew, that’s confusing to me.The commandment of study is so deep in Judaism that we immerse ourselves in study. God gave us a brain, aren’t we to use it in His service? When I walk into an Evangelical Christian’s home and see a total of 30 books, most of them best-sellers, I do not understand. I have bookcases of Christian books, and I am a Jew. Why do I have more Christian books than 98 percent of the Christians in America? That is so bizarre to me."

It is bizarre — especially when a commitment to Christ is a commitment to believe in things that go far beyond the surface of life. Sadly, the bulk of the non-reading Christian public are men, who buy only 25 percent of all Christian books. 

Men, to deny ourselves the wealth of the accumulated saints of the centuries is to consciously embrace spiritual anorexia. Great Christian writing will magnify, dramatize, and illuminate life-giving wonders for us. Others have walked the paths we so want to tread. They have chronicled the pitfalls and posted warnings along the way. They have also given us descriptions of spiritual delights which will draw us onward and upward. 

In preparation for speaking and writing about the subject of the mind, I mailed a questionnaire to thirty Christian leaders, including such people as Charles Colson, James Dobson, Carl F. H. Henry, J. I. Packer, Warren Wiersbe, and Calvin Miller. I received twenty-six responses. The survey asked four questions: 

1) What are the five books, secular or sacred, which have influenced you the most? 2) Of the spiritual/sacred books which have influenced you, which is your favorite? 3) What is your favorite novel? 4) What is your favorite biography? 

The devotional/theological books mentioned most were C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity, Oswald Chambers’s My Utmost for His Highest, John Calvin’s Institutes, A. W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God, and Thomas a Kempis’s The Imitation of Christ. The most frequently mentioned biographies were Mr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor’s Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret and Elisabeth Elliot’s Shadow of the Almighty. The favorite novels were Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and Fyodor Dostoyevski’s The Brothers Karamazov (which was, for example, the favorite of Charles Colson, Wayne Martindale, Harold Myra, J. I. Packer, and Eugene Peterson). These titles make a superb list from which to select if you have not done some serious Christian reading.

Also, today many books are available as audiobooks (great for listening as you drive to work or when traveling, etc.). For example, my own town’s public library carries audio versions of such great books as Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevski, the Diary of Anne Frank, Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Homer’s Odyssey, Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, and many others. 

Men, you need to fill your mind with good stuff. I am not suggesting a manic spree (George Will, for example, is able to read two hefty books a week). But many of you would do well to commit to reading two or three good books this next year.

Through Christ’s Death We Were Rescued from Satan (Hebrews 2:14-15)

14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 

The children of God, perhaps you friend, were once held in servitude by your enemy, Satan. Since we are human, our Captain, Jesus Christ, had to become human and die for us, in order to rescue us. But by doing so He was able to destroy Satan. 

The Hebrews' author doesn't mean that Satan ceased to exist or to be active. Rather the word he used for “destroy” (katargēsē) indicates the annulment of his power over those whom Christ redeems. In speaking of the devil as wielding the power of death, the writer means that Satan uses people’s fear of death to enslave them to his will. Often people make wrong moral choices out of their intense desire for self-preservation. We are being reminded that we are no longer subject to such slavery and that we can face death with the same confidence in God our Captain had.

Remember today that whatever our needs or trials, our Lord Jesus is adequate to help us since He ministers to Abraham’s descendants, not angels. The expression “Abraham’s descendants” (lit., “Abraham’s seed”) may point to the Jewishness of the writer’s audience, but even Gentile Christians can claim to be the “seed of Abraham” in a spiritual sense (Gal. 3:29). 

The help which the Lord gives to His followers is again predicated on the fact that He was made like His brothers in every way (Heb. 2:17), that is, both in terms of becoming incarnate and by virtue of suffering. 

What depth of mercy that Christ joyfully stands with His brothers! He not only grants them the name of brothers, but also the experience of His brothers, especially in trials.

Chapter 2 closes by speaking of how we have a merciful and faithful High Priest (vv. 17–18). Both of these descriptions of our High Priest are needed. If Christ were not merciful, sinners could have no confidence in coming to God. If Christ were not faithful, believers would not have a continued boldness to come before God. 

Thank God that Christ has rescued us from Satan and set us free!

10 Reasons I'm a Man of God

I recently realized that I have a habit of sharing my faith that is too academic. The reason I do this is because when God regenerated my heart and called me by faith to salvation in Christ alone, He did so by the power of the Spirit. But He also did so by working on my mind. He put men in my life whose ministries were deeply thoughtful (William Lane Craig, Ravi Zacharias, etc.) and in that way captured my intellect in order to renew my heart. 

Thus, I speak through my experience about my faith. And, as admitted, it can sometimes be too academic.

So, I thought it would be nice to challenge myself to articulate ten accessible reasons this morning that I am a man of God. Here we go:

1) God gives my life purpose and meaning.

2) I know where to go when I need answers or when I need to share my innermost thoughts (to God in prayer).

3) God is my strength and my shield.

4) He grants me wisdom and courage when I need it most.

5) With God, all things are possible (even suffering and having joy in trials).

6) He surrounds me with people who will help me, encourage me, and enlighten me (the church).

7) The more I pray and study the Bible, the more I discover the many depths of God and His word.

8) I am a better man to my family and friends because of God's love for me and my faith in Him.

9) I know God has a plan for my life and I can trust whatever comes my way as a Providence from God meant to shape and mold me into Christlikeness.

10) God provides me with my fullest satisfaction in this life and the next.

What would your list look like? What would you add that I haven't mentioned?

Biblical Faith and Fruits of Conversion

Faith is central to Christianity. The New Testament repeatedly calls people to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a definite body of content to be believed, which is part and parcel of our religious activity. But what exactly is saving faith? It is a faith that inevitably, necessarily, and immediately yields the fruit of righteousness. A faith without any yield of righteousness is not true faith.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF SAVING FAITH

What are the constituent elements of saving faith? Biblical faith has three essential aspects: notitia, assensus, and fiducia.

Notitia refers to the content of faith, the things we believe. There are certain things we are required to believe about Christ, namely, that He is the Son of God, that He is our Savior, that He has provided an atonement, and so on.

Assensus is the conviction that the content of our faith is true. One can know about the Christian faith and yet believe that it is not true. We might have a doubt or two mixed with our faith, but there has to be a certain level of intellectual affirmation and conviction if we are to be saved. Before anyone can really trust in Jesus Christ, he has to believe that Christ indeed is the Savior, that He is who He claimed to be. Genuine faith says that the content, the notitia, is true.

Fiducia refers to personal trust and reliance. Knowing and believing the content of the Christian faith is not enough, for even demons can do that (James 2:19). Faith is effectual only if one personally trusts in Christ alone for salvation. It is one thing to give an intellectual assent to a proposition but quite another to place personal trust in it. There is another element to fiducia besides trust, and that is affection. An unregenerate person will never come to Jesus, because he does not want Jesus. In his mind and heart, he is fundamentally at enmity with the things of God. As long as someone is hostile to Christ, he has no affection for Him. Satan is a case in point. Satan knows the truth, but he hates the truth. He is utterly disinclined to worship God because he has no love for God. We are like that by nature. We are dead in our sin. We walk according to the powers of this world and indulge the lusts of the flesh. Until the Holy Spirit changes us, we have hearts of stone. An unregenerate heart is without affection for Christ; it is both lifeless and loveless. The Holy Spirit changes the disposition of our hearts so that we see the sweetness of Christ and embrace Him. None of us loves Christ perfectly, but we cannot love Him at all unless the Holy Spirit changes the heart of stone and makes it a heart of flesh.

SO WHAT ARE THE FRUITS OF CONVERSION?

Theologians have traditionally recognized several elements that accompany or follow saving faith. These are called “fruits of conversion.” We will look at a few of them here...

Repentance

When someone is brought to faith by the Holy Spirit, he undergoes a conversion. His life turns around. This turning around is called “repentance,” and it is an immediate fruit of genuine faith. Some include repentance as part of genuine faith. However, the Bible distinguishes between repentance and belief. We cannot have affection for Christ until we recognize and acknowledge that we are sinners and that we desperately need His work on our behalf. Repentance includes a hatred for our sin, which comes with the new affection we are given for God. Repentance is a turning away, having a different view of sin. The Greek word for “repentance,” metanoia, literally means “a change of mind.” Previously, we rationalized our sin, but now we realize that sin is an evil thing; we have a different mind-set about it.

Adoption

When God declares us just in Jesus Christ, He adopts us into His household. His only true son is Christ, but Christ becomes our elder brother by way of adoption. No one is born into the family of God. By nature, we are children of wrath, not children of God; therefore, God is not our Father by nature. We can have God as our Father only if He adopts us, and He will adopt us only through the work of His Son. But when we put our faith and trust in Christ, God not only declares us just, He also declares us His sons and daughters by way of adoption.

Peace

Paul writes to the Romans, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:1). The first fruit of justification is peace with God. We were enemies, but the war is over. God declares a peace treaty with all those who put their faith in Christ. When He does this, we do not enter an unstable truce, such that the first time we do something wrong, God starts rattling the sword. This peace is an unbreakable, eternal peace because it has been won by the perfect righteousness of Christ.

Access to God

Paul also writes, “Through [Christ] we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:2). Another fruit is access to God. God does not allow His enemies into an intimate relationship with Him, but once we have been reconciled to God through Christ, we have access into His presence, and we have joy in the glory of who He is.

Shalom (Mark 5:21-34)

21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24 And he went with him.  

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5:21-34)

Many of you are familiar with the Hebrew word shalom. If you wanted to greet someone in Hebrew, you would say, “Shalom.” When you leave someone you don’t say, “Later, Dude,” or all of the American stuff we’ve come up with. You simply say, “Shalom” —”Peace!” This is the word Jesus used in Mark 5:34.

In the background of Mark 5:21–24, remember that Jesus had been in Capernaum on the western shores of the Lake of Galilee. He had sailed southeast to the Gentile section of Galilee and healed a demoniac. When the people of the region begged Jesus to leave them, He returned to Capernaum. Here he was met by a distraught father, but before He could deal with Jairus’ problem, a needy woman sought to touch Him.

Think about this woman in the context of first-century Judaism. Religious law (see Leviticus 15) had very serious regulations concerning hemorrhaging. The laws of bleeding not only made the woman herself unclean, but whatever and whoever she touched also became unclean. The result was embarrassment, isolation, and religious stigma. Before we think this was too horrible, remember that in biblical times people didn’t have the medicines and medical knowledge we have today. But additionally, there was fatigue. Physicians tell us when you lose more blood than you are able to create, you become anemic. This women was tired, fatigued, exhausted.

The Talmud suggested eleven specific cures for bleeding, such as sitting at a crossroads with a cup of wine, waiting for someone to come from behind to frighten you. This woman had tried every cure and spent all she had on doctors who, at that time in history, were scorned and, in this case, ineffective.

Her touching Christ was an incredible act of courage. According to the law, whoever this woman touched became unclean; yet she reached out to touch the Lord, to touch His robe. “If I can just touch Him,” she said to herself, “I know I will be healed.”

Two miracles occurred here: (1) her bleeding stopped; (2) her strength returned instantly.

When you begin touching people at the point of their need, there is a cost, a drain of spiritual power. Nothing fatigues me like preaching or ministering. But instead of being irritated, Jesus looked at this poor woman as a father would his daughter. He said: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in Shalom.” 

This is the word I want you to remember. It inferred wholeness of body and soul. It implied living a life in harmony with others, to live with the fullness and the wholeness of all of God’s blessings. 

In Numbers 6:22, the rabbis believed that the giving of peace was the climax of God’s blessings. Here was a woman isolated from her family, friends, and religious community. Jesus looked at her with fatherly compassion and said, “Daughter, go in Shalom. When you go back to your house, you go to your house in peace. When you eat with your family, you eat in Shalom. When you talk, you talk in Shalom. When you hug, you hug in Shalom. Go in Shalom.” He was bestowing on her all God’s richest blessings (see Isaiah 55:10–12). 

When Jesus says to you and me, “Go in peace,” He is saying, “Go back to your family in harmony. Recognize that once you were unclean, but now you are clean, you are literally under all of the blessings of God. Go in joy; go with celebration. Go in Shalom.”

Where is this Shalom available? Isaiah 9:6 says: “And His name will be called...”

• Wonderful Counselor. This woman had sought the advice of rabbis and doctors, to no avail, but Jesus had just the words and power she needed. Perhaps you’ve been spending a lot of money for help and advice instead of listening to the Lord and His Word. 
• Mighty God. Only God could have done for her what Jesus did. 
• Everlasting Father. Jesus said to her, “Daughter....” He is for us a compassionate “Dad.” 
• Prince of Peace. Where can we find this Shalom? Only in Christ, the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. 

Come to Jesus today and listen to Him say to you, “Son, daughter—go in Shalom.”

The Smell of Jesus (Ephesians 5:1-7)

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Eph. 5:1–2)

The sins that Paul combats in Ephesians 5:1-7 are formidable: lust and greed. Paul writes with some stridency about these because he wants to protect the Christian community, the building that is rising to the glory of God, from these corrupting influences that can rot the church from the inside. God commands purity. That is nothing new. But knowing the command does not always lead to honoring it. So Paul comes after our heart through our nose. He says we need to...

...SAVOR OUR IDENTITY (Eph. 5:1–2)

The apostle tells the Ephesians to “be imitators of God.” He reminds God’s people that they are “dearly loved children.” In the knowledge of that love provided by Christ’s blood rather than their performance, power for obedience springs. Such power will be needed because of the nature of the command that immediately follows.

In savoring their new identity the Ephesians are reminded that they are to live not only as children of God, but also to live as the Child of God. In a world full of people caught up in sinful practices and attitudes, living like Jesus for the sake of others will involve both the giving of ourselves and the dying of self. Why is this a comfort? Because it allows me to confess that there is nothing unusual or odd in me when the purity and integrity to which God calls me also hurt me. In fact, without the pain of giving and sacrifice there could be no fragrant offering to God. What enables us to bear and offer this pain is savoring our identity as children of God, and remembering that we are called to live as the Child of God who offered and sacrificed himself for us.

...SAVOR OUR PURITY (Eph. 5:3–4)

Purity is a struggle, so Paul continues his instructions by telling us how to experience the purity our heart desires. We can experience purity only by denying ourselves impurity. This means that we must deal radically with sins we are tempted to excuse such as immorality and greed. For such the apostle urges a starvation diet. We must confess what is not right for our heart, and give it no place in our life. We may need to seek the counsel of a confidential mentor or group of friends to develop accountability and honest assessment of habits. And if we are with Christian brothers and sisters whose movie, music, and television habits have been unexamined, we may need to stir up the love and courage to question whether the Bible or the culture is guiding their lives. We should be willing to be thought odd for the sake of Christ, for if we cannot stand for our convictions among Christians, then it is unlikely that we can be a witness in the world.

The apostle continues to describe our sin-starvation diet by commanding us not to indulge greed (Eph. 5:3, 5). This is the second category of sin that Paul forbids in this passage. They seem an unlikely duo: lust and greed. Why link them? Some explain that in New Testament usage the word for greed here may be laden with sexual connotation, as in being greedy for another person’s body or beauty. That dimension of greed is certainly included in this text. But the separate listing of the sin of greed seems to indicate that Paul’s reach may also be broader, as though he wants us to recognize the commonalities of sexual lust and material greed. In essence, both are the consequence of concluding that what God provides is not enough. 

Believers wrestle with the idolatry of greed when they envy a person who has a nicer car and apartment; a pastor may wrestle with similar idolatry when he sees the more luxurious lives of laypersons in his church, or other ministers in larger or more affluent churches. Greed of all kinds—sexual and material—is a destructive force of great power. A telltale sign of such idolatry is growing discontent with God’s provision for our lives. When we borrow, spend, or pout for more than we have, often we are bowing to the idol of greed. And by listing greed in the list of sins we must starve, Paul urges contentment with God’s provision.

Throughout this portion of Ephesians, the apostle confronts sin with its substitute. Christians are exhorted not to lie but to tell the truth (Eph. 4:25), not to steal but to work (Eph. 4:28), not to express bitterness but rather kindness (Eph. 4:31–32). That pattern now continues as Paul exhorts believers not to speak what is filthy, foolish, or coarse, but rather to offer thanksgiving (Eph. 5:4).

Why is thanksgiving the proper substitute for impurity? Because it is the replacement of idol worship with worship of God. Simply seeing sin’s deceptive nature will not in itself create the praise that Paul wants to substitute for idolatry. In order for Paul to elicit the thanksgiving that he believes will provide spiritual power for the Ephesians, he must also make clear the nature of God’s provision. To do so, Paul calls sin idolatry (Eph. 5:5), and he calls the people saints (Eph. 5:3). 

Paul is not talking to those who have perfect lives. If the Ephesians were perfect, there would be no reason to write to them of their idolatries of lust and greed. Yet Paul addresses these people, among whom great sin must be present, as holy ones. They are not holy by their actions, but by God’s forgiveness in Christ—the root concept motivating all imperatives in this passage. Praise to God—not simply lip service or religious ritual but profound gratitude and love for what Christ has done—fills the heart that knows God’s love. And the heart that is filled with a responsive love for God has no place for idolatry. When we fully understand the love that makes us holy, then we live as God has already reckoned us to be.

Paul teaches us to provide power over sin by proclaiming the holy status of those who are in Christ Jesus. When I know that I am not made for sin, that I am a fundamentally different creature in Christ Jesus—still sinful but reckoned holy so that no sin will satisfy me or have ultimate power over me—then I am filled with thanksgiving. And because God inhabits the praise of his people, when we are filled with his praise, we are filled with his power.

...SAVOR YOUR SECURITY (Eph. 5:5–7)

Though we gain strength for the Christian life by savoring our purity and savoring our identity, we ultimately must face the dangers of sin. If we do not recognize the danger, then we are not prepared to live the holy lives God desires. 

The requirements to heed the warning against sin and to expose the darkness in which it thrives, put every Christian in the so-called Puritan dilemma of needing to be “in the world but not of it.” Seeking to engage, rebuke, and redeem our culture remains a battle of conscience and responsibility. The battle will test us until Christ returns. But we cannot achieve any measure of victory in the battle if we simply abandon biblical instruction.

Paul cautions instead that there can be no true morality without piety, no real witness without purity, no significant revival of the soul when there is regular compromise of the heart. Paul has said to these Ephesians already that they are a temple of God (Eph. 2:21), and now he says that they are his children, his holy ones (Eph. 5:1, 3). This is the knowledge that is to fill them with praise and make out of place the impurities and idolatries of the world. They are no longer made in such a way that these things of the world can bring satisfaction; these things will, in fact, bring greater pain. These same dynamics will occur in our lives, so Paul seeks to overwhelm us with the savor of our identity, the blessings of purity, and the warnings of grace. We are to imitate God because we are his children. Nothing else will do any more; nothing else will satisfy. Paul tells us that as an odor of a sweet savor to God, we should be what we are. We are his children and we are saints. 

So we should live that way!

Leviticus 19 and Daily Christian Living

If you have been a Christian for a while, you will recognize the following truth: Christianity does more than prepare us for “the sweet by and by.” It is also meant for “the nasty now and now” - meaning, life lived here on earth. 

What we will see is an extensive listing of exhortations to holy living in Leviticus 19 that touch almost every aspect of life and life’s decisions. The chapter corrects the mistaken notion that religious relationships and social relationships are two separate worlds. Holy living before God and honest living before our neighbors are the two pillars upon which the whole of God’s demands rest. 

Jesus captured the two pillars best when he answered the question regarding which is the greatest commandment in the Law in the following way: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.… And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40). But perhaps you will be surprised to learn that Jesus describes the core of God’s revelation by quoting from the books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus? “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” says Leviticus 19:18. For Jesus and the apostles, this commandment was part and parcel of the authentic gospel. The vertical axis of love of God and the horizontal axis of love of neighbor are not at cross-purposes or even strangers; they are mother and father that give birth to genuine godly living. Leviticus 19 addresses both dimensions—holy living and honest living.

“I THE LORD YOUR GOD AM HOLY” (19:1-2)

Sixteen times in this chapter the expressions “I am the Lord” or “I am the Lord your God” appear. The reason that is important is because the grounds for the demands of holy living and honest living detailed in Leviticus 19 are the historic redemption and formation of the people of God. In other words, the Lord and Israel had a history, a relationship based on God’s gracious salvation of the nation. Together the Lord and people entered into agreements of mutual commitment. The Lord was Savior, and the people accepted obligations of loyalty in thanksgiving to the Sovereign Lord.

What this opening passage declares is that the exhortations in this chapter are rooted in the very character of God. Now, God is holy in two senses. First, he is inherently holy and the very definition of what holy means. In other words, if a person wants to define holy, he must look to God as the standard. Second, the Lord is morally pure. In every way he is inherently pure without sin or corruption. He is complete in all his perfections. For us as Christians the incarnation of Jesus provides us with a living portrait of a “holy servant” (Acts 4:27, 30). We can look to Jesus as the standard of holy living.

One final thing about these opening verses: although Moses is the one who addressed the congregation, it is not he but the Lord who originated the Law. Moreover, the very fact that it was God who gave the Law means that the Law, although ancient and delivered in a different culture, contains a message that transcends a particular time and people. Therein are important underlying principles that are relevant to any generation of believers, including ours.

Since the Lord was holy, the people of God are charged to imitate his holiness. Day-to-day choices should reflect the essence of who the Lord is and his claim on us as his unique special possession. By exhibiting the holiness of God through Israel’s conduct, the nation functioned as a witness to the nations. Christian conduct serves the same purpose to the unbelieving world. By the sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the individual Christian and in the church collectively, we are enabled to devote ourselves to the Lord and to serve others.

HOLY LIVING (19:3–8, 19–32)

What then are the characteristics of a person devoted to the Lord? Well, two collections of instructions in Leviticus 19 profile a person who is loyal to God. The commands concern a wide range of religious activities. The people were to honor the Lord’s special days, they were to offer proper worship at the sanctuary, and they were to obey the Ten Commandments, which required worship of the one true God only.

Worship the Lord (vv. 3–8). The first collection in verses 3–8 begins with a command to obey parents. At first glance we might scratch our heads, wondering why this command would be at the head of the chapter, coming even before the demand to worship only the Lord. The nature of parental authority is an ordinance that reflects a person’s loyalty to God. Parents have received delegated authority from the Lord, and when we rebel against their moral instruction, we rebel against the authority that the Lord has over the family. When we are loyal to God, we will be respectful of our parents’ teaching. The flip side of this is that parents must be ever-conscientious in their instruction and modeling of godly living, since they shoulder the responsibility that God has committed to them.

Now, with that line of authority established, the text now turns to specific traits. A loyal member of the household of faith carries out the demands of God for proper worship (vv. 5–8). The example in our text is a special provision in the eating of the peace sacrifice (cf. Leviticus 3). The peace offering was an offering by an individual who rejoiced at God’s goodness and who invited the community to participate in the fellowship meal: it brought together a private and public worship act. Now, for us as Christians, there is a proper conduct in our worship too, both privately and publicly. The epistles in the New Testament are replete with general instructions on how to carry out proper worship with the proper attitude. Worship and obedience come more easily to us when we have a true picture of the One whom we worship, God the Father.

I am reminded of the astonishment that some parents experience when they discover that their children are disruptive “monsters” when away from home in day-care centers or in school. It is as though aliens from distant worlds have taken over the bodies of their children! But when the children are picked up by parents, they become well-behaved children in an instant. What is the difference? Children know when they are in the presence of parental authority. The children show more respect for Mom and Dad because there is more accountability for their behavior. Our heavenly Father has called us to “a holy calling” (2 Timothy 1:9), and we are accountable for the decisions we make.

Obey the Lord (vv. 19–32). There is an assumption in this longish section of the chapter and it is this: that the Israelite’s conduct must be consistent with the worship of God. The way this works is this: the believer’s life must differentiate itself from the conduct of unbelievers, those who practice pagan worship. The passage uses the language of difference: “different kind[s],” “two kinds,” “distinction” (vv. 19, 20). Distinction from those who worshiped false gods is explicit and implicit. The explicit commands regulated the worship practices of Israel. (1) False religions regularly relied on magic for understanding the will of the gods. The Israelite must rely solely upon God’s word as it had been revealed through Moses. (2) The neighboring peoples practiced forms of self-mutilation through cutting their hair and bodies to show their devotion to their gods. The Israelites were prohibited from such practices. (3) Since fertility cults dominated Canaanite religion, prostitution was a common feature of its worship. An Israelite father was prohibited from forcing his daughter into prostitution. Such immoral practices polluted the land morally, making the people subject to God’s expulsion of the nation.

Also, the people showed the principle of distinction through implicit means. Cattle, clothing, crops, and treatment of sexual offenders must be treated with distinctions. In other words, there was a constant reminder that the people of God showed their worship of the one true God, the Covenant Lord, by their conduct in worship and in life’s daily settings.

The import of this for us as Christians is coming now into focus. We do not imitate all these ancient customs today, but the principle that they teach is still applicable for us. We are to live a life that shows our devotion to Christ and his moral expectations. As kingdom citizens we are commissioned to live holy lives, conducting ourselves in conformity with God’s moral standard (Ephesians 4:22–24; Colossians 3:9, 10; 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24; 1 John 3:3). The quality of the fruit of our choices in life will reveal the nature of the tree that produced it. “Thus you will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:20). For God’s people not to live holy lives is as incongruous as a husband who bears a wedding ring but only occasionally acts like a married man. His public profession has not stamped his identity.

HONEST LIVING (19:9–18, 33–36)

Holiness is not limited to the setting of worship. Holiness involves how we live with others. Godliness must also be manifested outside the walls of the church or house.

Treat others with integrity (vv. 9–16). Verses 9, 10 describe how the landowner can provide some of his produce for the poor. Poverty was not acceptable for the family of God. Steps are found in the Law to help the poor rise above their difficult circumstances. By leaving the edges of the grain harvest and the fallen fruit of the vineyards for the poor to obtain, the community sustained the impoverished (cf. Leviticus 23:22; 25:25–48). The Lord promised to grant prosperity to the nation if the people were faithful to the covenant. This would mean that there would be ample resources to share with others. Inevitably, however, the ideal was not met, and poverty was a regular feature in society (Deuteronomy 15:4, 5, 11). Jesus had this in mind when he observed, “For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them” (Mark 14:7). The agrarian economy of ancient Israel made the ownership of land critical to financial livelihood. Indebtedness often meant the loss of family lands. If poverty came upon a person due to natural disasters or by marauding bandits, the community was expected to help families in poverty. Assisting the poor was always an option and is for the godly person today in the household of faith. Generosity is characteristic of Christ and is our Master’s economic axiom: “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Verses 11, 12 restate the section of the Ten Commandments that pertains to how a person must treat his neighbor. Integrity in all dealings with fellow members of the community was demanded by the Lord. Since God had a relationship with each person under the covenant, the members of the community should treat one another as fellow members. To injure another person was an offense against God. Theft, lying, and giving false testimony in court were obviously not expressions of loving one’s neighbor. The bonds of covenant unity were more important than personal gain, especially at the expense of others. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” asked Cain. The answer was yes! Each of us has a responsibility toward others before God. 

Verses 13–16 describe offenses against a vulnerable person by taking advantage of him. A person who is a hired worker, a handicapped person, or a poor person does not have the social status to withstand the power of landowners, merchants, and government officials. Verse 16 sets the matter in a court setting where the weak is slandered, placing them at a disadvantage in court. A corrupt court system can give priority to the claims of the strong, putting the life of the weak at risk.

Treat others with love (vv. 17, 18). The guiding principle for the ethical treatment of others follows in verses 17, 18: “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (v. 18). The beginning and end of the two verses use the contrasting words “hate” and “love” to express the same idea. The two verses show parallel parts that will help us understand the fuller significance of what the Lord was commanding. “You shall not hate your brother in your heart” parallels “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge.” The passage immediately emphasizes the solidarity of the community by using terms like “brother” and “sons of your own people.” This does not mean outsiders could be hated and mistreated. The Law provides many safeguards for caring for foreigners. And Jesus answered the question, “Who is my neighbor?” by showing in the Parable of the Good Samaritan that a neighbor is anyone in need and is not limited to ethnic or economic lines (Luke 10:29–37). What it means to “hate” a brother is to hold “a grudge” and act it out by “vengeance.” Notice also that the passage refers to the internal attitude, “in your heart” and “bear a grudge.” The word translated “grudge” means “to keep, to reserve” (natar); the sense here is that a person sustains his anger. The impression from the passage is that the anger festers and results in vengeance, perhaps murder.

One of the most interesting aspects of the command to love one’s neighbor is the phrase “as yourself.” This verse is the underlying idea of the “Golden Rule” that Jesus taught: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). Jesus said we cannot substitute acts of religious piety for social justice (Mark 12:33b). James brings this out most clearly in the New Testament when he condemns prejudice against the poor within churches (James 2:1–13). Loving another person is, James says, the fulfillment of “the royal law” (2:8). This is the context for the most-quoted verse in the book of James: “faith apart from works is dead” (2:26b). We prove that our faith is real if we live by the great commandment to care for the interests of others.

Treat others with justice (vv. 33–37). Special concern over the treatment of aliens dominates the closing verses of the ethical instructions collected in this chapter. The reasons for the presence of foreigners in ancient Israel were many, including the immigration of slaves fleeing neighboring countries and the practice of intermarriage, often in the aftermath of war. Since aliens were not a natural constituency, it was easy for the native Israelites to take advantage of them. Many laws in the Mosaic legislation give aliens special protections (e.g., Exodus 20:10; 22:21). What these verses were calling for was the equitable treatment of the foreign population who had taken up residence in the land. They were to be treated with the same dignity as the native-born (Numbers 15:15–29). Aliens could especially be defrauded in court through prejudiced rulings and bribes (Deuteronomy 10:17–19). Another means of stealing from the alien as well as from the poor was through dishonest scales. Merchants could rig the scales or alter the packaging so that the customer paid more than what the weight of the commodity deserved. So notorious was later Israel for these practices that the prophets announced the destruction of the country because of such injustices (e.g., Amos 8:5; Micah 6:11). Proverbs says, “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight” (11:1). Jesus, too, scolded the religious elite for their neglect of justice (Matthew 23:23, 24; Mark 12:40). James declares that authentic religion must include care for the oppressed and troubled (1:27).

These concluding verses return to the ethical dimension of what holy living is. The chapter ends in this way to repeat the important message of the chapter. The call to holy living in the Bible always involves our obligations toward others. 

It’s true to say that Leviticus is one of the most neglected books of the Bible. This is true for two main reasons. First, the book seems quite strange to modern readers. The sacrificial worship it describes is so far removed from today’s believers that its very unfamiliarity prevents some from reading Leviticus. Second, Leviticus appears at first glance to interrupt the flow of events in the story of God’s people. We must wait until the fourth book of the Pentateuch, the Book of Numbers, to read of Israel’s journey from Mount Sinai to the edge of the promised land.

Yet Leviticus plays an essential role in God’s Word and makes a vital contribution to our understanding of God’s relationship with humankind. We need to make the extra effort required to understand its message. Despite its strangeness and apparent awkwardness, Leviticus plays an important role in the thought flow of the Pentateuch. It was of great significance for ancient Israelites and is still pertinent for modern Christians.

Praise God for Creation and Worship Him (Psalm 33:1-9)

Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!

Praise befits the upright.

Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;

make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!

Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

For the word of the Lord is upright,

and all his work is done in faithfulness.

He loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,

and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;

he puts the deeps in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;

let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!

For he spoke, and it came to be;

he commanded, and it stood firm (Psalm 33:1-9)

Traditional worship services begin with a “call to worship.” This may simply be a Scripture (often from the Psalms) read from the pulpit. Or it may take the form of a short responsive reading. Typical of the latter is this:

Leader: Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.

People: For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.

All: Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

The preceding lines, which are Psalm 33:20–22, include the elements of waiting on the Lord, acknowledging his protection, rejoicing and trusting in him, and anticipating his love and mercy. All such elements can play an important part in unifying the congregation to the purpose of worship. We must not forget that we have come to worship, and skilled worship leaders issue this call clearly.

Although the words of Psalm 33 were penned over 2,000 years ago, the purposes of and necessity for worship have not changed. If we let it, Psalm 33 can enliven and focus both our corporate and personal worship. It is often thought that Psalm 33 was used in public assemblies to thank God for a good harvest. While a national celebration of a good harvest may seem odd to those of the modern Western world, where only 2 percent of people live on farms, such a celebration was quite fitting for the ancients. Giving thanks to God is the essence of worship. When we are aware of and grateful for the blessings of adequate provisions for life, it should be natural to direct our gratitude to God. We learn several things about worship from Psalm 33:

I. The Upright Praise Him

A. Use Every Means Necessary to Worship God (vv. 1–3)

Verse 1. Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.

Verse 2. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!

Verse 3. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

B. In Worship We Acknowledge God's Attributes (vv. 4, 5)

Verse 4a. For the word of the Lord is upright,

Verse 4b. "...and all his work is done in faithfulness."

Verse 5a. He loves righteousness and justice;

Verse 5b. "...the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord."

II. The Psalmist Praises God for His Works

A. Heavens and Their Host (v. 6)

Verse 6. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

B. Waters of the Sea (v. 7)

Verse 7. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.

III. Duties of the Created

A. Who (v. 8)

Verse 8. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!

B. Why (v. 9)

Verse 9. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

The psalmist finishes this section of Psalm 33 with a return to the most baffling and amazing consideration in all of this: God’s ability to speak creation into existence. Nothing thwarts God’s creative intentions. God speaks, it happens, and it happens in a permanent way. It stands firm. This is not digital creation, but hard and fast reality. We are not independent players in this cosmic drama, but part of God’s plans and purposes. Our role is to recognize, marvel, and submit.

Churches today carefully plan and rehearse their worship times. This is designed to bring believers before the throne of God in a spirit of praise. Such elements undergird Psalm 33 as well.

Underlying this focus, however, is a broader picture of what worship is. God is not to be awe-inspiring only for an hour or two on Sunday morning; he is eternally and always so. A weekend gathering of believers might be a high point in our worship, but it should not be the only worship experience. We can worship when we see God’s activity in a gentle rain or a thundering storm. 

We can worship him when we view a glorious sunset or a clear, starry night. We can worship when we gaze into the eyes of a newborn baby. 

We can worship when we calm our hearts for sleep or when we awaken fresh for a new day. 

We can worship when we remember the many blessings God has laid in the pathways of our lives, or when we consider the many things he has for us in the future (see Ecclesiastes 3:11).

One implication of all these possibilities is that our worship should not be confined to a sanctuary or worship center in a building. By lifting our “worship awareness” to a higher level, we find endless things that point our hearts to the Lord, the maker of the heavens and the earth and the provider of our daily needs.

Look for small worship opportunities as they present themselves to you in the week ahead. When you recognize one, give a smile as an act of joy directed to the Lord, for he alone is worthy of worship. Mouth this simple prayer, “Thank you, Lord, for letting this remind me of you.” When you fill your heart with worship, you will not be disappointed.