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A Raw Psalm

Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? Arise, cast us not off for ever.
Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression? (Psalm 44:22-24).

The Psalms are well-known for their expressions of emotion. They have been valued for generations for how they can help the believer in God express his or her feelings and to be more devoted to God.

Yet where there is emotion there is volatility, and some of the most raw and strongly worded messages in Scripture come from the Psalms. Psalm 44 exemplifies this.

The sons of Korah have deep and abiding faith in YHWH the God of Israel and His great power (Psalm 44:17-18). They are struck, however, by the seeming disconnect: they have heard the great work of God for their ancestors, and how He gave them the land and independence because He favored them (Psalm 44:1-8). And yet the fathers were idolatrous! After the return after the second exile, Israel is, if nothing else, not idolatrous, and yet they remain under the hand of foreign powers, are scattered abroad, and suffer derision (Psalm 44:9-21). They feel as if they are perpetually killed for God, and in their distress they ask God to awake from sleep, wanting to know why He hides His face from them and does not assist them (Psalm 44:22-26).

When one considers the history of Israel one can sympathize with the sons of Korah. On a human level it did not make sense– Israel had cast off idols and yet remained under the hand of idolaters. Their sinful fathers gained better advantage than they did. Very few of us would be so bold as to ask God to wake up, believing that the lack of action means that God has fallen asleep, but the sons of Korah make this shocking statement in full faith and confidence in God. They know that He can redeem them, but wonder and are distressed at why He does not do so.

Nevertheless we should not believe that God was asleep or that He had somehow missed the affliction and oppression of Israel. He instead had His own plan and His own purpose that He was accomplishing, preparing Israel for her Messiah and a Kingdom that would be greater than any earthly kingdom (cf. Ephesians 3:11, Daniel 2:36-44). Had God redeemed Israel in the days of the sons of Korah, as the sons of Korah were expecting, there would have been no impulse to hope for the true redemption of Israel that God was bringing forth (cf. Luke 2:38).

There are many times in our lives that we can relate to the sons of Korah in Psalm 44. There are many times in life when, even though we have a strong and abiding faith in God, we fear that God has fallen asleep. We wonder how it could be that He loves us and yet has seemingly forgotten our affliction and oppression. We want God to address our difficulties and pain right now in the way we believe they should be addressed.

As then, so now– that feeling is understandable and one with which we easily sympathize. But God is not asleep today. He has not forgotten our affliction and our oppression.

In Romans 8:36, Paul quotes Psalm 44:22, indicating that we in the new covenant are “killed all the day long” and “accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” But consider what Paul says in Romans 8:31-35 and 37-39. He powerfully affirms that God is for us and is willing to give us all things. He demonstrates without a doubt that if we are in Him there is no condemnation and there is no external factor that can separate us from His love.

There are times in life when we will be sorely tried. We will feel as if we are being constantly led to slaughter. It will be quite easy to wonder where God is at that time, but let us not be deceived– He is there. He is watching. He will make sure that it will all work out for good. He has not forgotten nor will forget. His love will sustain you. Let us therefore trust in God, even when, according to our perspective, He does not seem to be there!

Ethan R. Longhenry

Adoption

For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).

Having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will (Ephesians 1:5).

There is a saying that goes, “you can pick your spouse, you can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you cannot pick your relatives.” This statement is designed to be humorous and to reflect a reality that exists for most people in regards to their blood relatives: there was no choice in the matter. Parents cannot choose their biological children; children cannot choose their biological parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other relatives. Most of the time, there is a sense of “blood obligation” that exists among family members. Most cultures have respected this sense of obligation– when family needs assistance, you provide that assistance.

There are many in the world, however, who do not have the luxury of family. Perhaps their relatives have died or become incapacitated because of some tragedy. Other times the parent or parents do not feel able to provide for the child. Some, tragically, do not care for their children at all.

And yet, for such children, there is hope in adoption– a family that, despite the fact that there is no blood connection, chooses to bring the child into their family and to consider him or her as one of their own. It is a very special relationship– parents by choice, not by any feeling of compulsion or obligation. A child who did not know love can now experience love.

In spiritual terms, the image of believers as “biological” children of God is present in passages like the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. We also find, however, the image of believers as adopted children of God in Romans 8:15 and Ephesians 1:5. We should not believe that these images are opposed to one another; each image, in fact, highlights a different aspect of our relationship with God.

There is great power in the image of believers as adopted children of God. Adoption is always a choice on the part of the parent, and it is a choice entirely motivated by love. Likewise, God chose to provide the means by which we could be adopted as sons and daughters– He was not forced or compelled to do so– and His motivations were entirely based in love (1 John 4:7-11). It cannot be said that an adopted child “deserved” to be adopted or any such thing; furthermore, we certainly did not “deserve” to be adopted as the children of God (cf. Romans 5:5-11). Likewise, just as adoption can take place across racial, ethnic, linguistic, and any other boundary, so God has adopted into His family people of every race, ethnicity, language, etc. (Galatians 3:28). Finally, just as the adopted child is considered as legitimate as a biological child, so we also stand able to receive the inheritance of sons and daughters on account of our adoption (cf. Romans 8:15-18).

As believers who have been adopted spiritually as sons and daughters of God, we do well, if we have opportunity, to adopt children in their distress (cf. James 1:27), reflecting in our own families what God has done for us. We should not consider adoption to be something strange or something to malign, some type of a “consolation prize” for those who cannot have biological children, or believe that adopted children are any less legitimate than biological children. Instead, we should all be thankful that God has decided to adopt us as His children, despite our various differences and past sinfulness!

Ethan R. Longhenry
written on the occasion of the adoption of his daughter Ella

Not Ashamed of the Gospel

For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16).

Paul’s bold declaration in Romans 1:16 has been popular among Christians for generations. His message is a rallying cry for faith and the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Its message also represents a significant challenge: Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel, but what about us?

Few are those who would directly admit that they are ashamed of the Gospel. We know that we should not directly contradict an Apostle! Our attitudes and actions, however, may tell a different story.

Our confidence and strength in the Gospel message is not tested among Christians in the assembly but out in the world. When we are in a group of people and spiritual matters are brought up, do we take the opportunity to speak of the truth or do we remain quiet? If we are around people who do not believe and are hostile to the truth, and they want to know if we are Christians and what we believe, do we boldly confess Jesus or do we make excuses? In our relationships with people of the world, do we ever find opportunities to talk about their spiritual condition, or are we too afraid that we are going to offend or cause discomfort?

Paul can declare that he is not ashamed of the Gospel because he attests to all the antagonism and violence he suffered on account of its message:

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).

He stood in the midst of hostile unbelievers and proclaimed the Gospel anyway. He endured beatings and imprisonments because of the message of the Gospel, and he proclaimed the Gospel anyway. Odds are that none of us will experience the kind of persecution that Paul endured; will that lead us to boldness in proclaiming the Gospel or will we become complacent?

Do we really believe that the Gospel is God’s power of salvation to everyone? If we make excuses and justify our fears and do not proclaim the message, we prove that we are ashamed of the message of Jesus Christ.

Consider: what if, during the night, you discover the cure for cancer? You know possess the knowledge that can lead to the end of suffering and death for millions of people around the world! What would you do with that knowledge? Would you keep it to yourself and not be a bother, or would you go out and proclaim it everywhere?

Let us say, for the sake of argument, that you kept it to yourself. What kind of person does such a thing? What would people think of you if they knew that you had, in your possession, the knowledge that would lead to the relief of thousands of people, and yet you did nothing with it? At best, you would be considered heartless and cruel. At worst, you are no better than a murderer!

While it is unlikely that you will discover the cure for cancer, if you are a Christian, you have in your possession the knowledge of how to overcome the most potent illness that has caused the most pain and misery in human history: the problem of sin (Romans 3:23, 6:23). You have the message of the Gospel, the message that can lead to the relief of billions of souls from the pain and slavery of sin and death (cf. Romans 1:16, 8:1-2). What kind of person are you if you keep that message to yourself?

Proclaiming the Gospel message involves personal risk. It will no doubt be uncomfortable at times. It may lead to rejection, insults, or mockery. In some cases, it could lead to physical punishment or even death. Nevertheless, the Gospel message remains the most important message that can be proclaimed, and God seeks people who are not ashamed of that message to send it out to every creature (cf. Mark 16:15-16). While the dangers are great, the rewards are far greater (cf. Romans 8:17-18). Let us boldly affirm and proclaim the Gospel of Christ, and lead those with whom we come into contact to the God who can deliver them!

Ethan R. Longhenry

Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Spirit

Let not then your good be evil spoken of: for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:16-17).

God desires for all who believe in the name of Jesus to be one (John 17:20-23) and to have the same mind and the same judgment (1 Corinthians 1:10). In order even to begin this process we must all submit ourselves under God’s mighty hand and to be instructed by Him and not the world around us (1 Peter 5:6, Colossians 2:1-9, Romans 12:1-2). And yet, even though we are to be of the same mind and the same judgment, there are matters concerning which God has provided liberty and are not of significant concern. In matters relating to the faith, we must hold firm and not compromise (Galatians 1:6-9). In matters of liberty, we must consider the interests of others and resolve to not put a stumbling block in a fellow Christian’s way (Philippians 2:1-4, Romans 14:13).

This is why the message of Romans 14:17 is so essential: we must use proper judgment to discern the matters of “eating and drinking” so as to not violate or grieve the “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

“Eating and drinking” are the matters of liberty– in context, the eating of meats (Romans 14:2). Observing days is a similar issue that is mentioned, demonstrating that we should not interpret “eating and drinking” exclusively literally (cf. Romans 14:5). These liberties involve practices or means of accomplishing practices that are within the realm of Biblical authority (Colossians 3:17) and yet for which God has not made specific provision.

“Eating and drinking” is contrasted with “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” The Kingdom of God is not about the former, but it certainly is about the latter.

“Righteousness in the Holy Spirit” involves that which God has established– doing what God has determined is right, and avoiding that which God has determined is wrong (Romans 12:9). There can be no room for compromising these standards– those who approve what God condemns or condemns what God approves are considered accursed (Galatians 1:6-9, 5:19-21). To believe that Romans 14 can provide “flexibility” in God’s standards of righteousness is misguided and certainly not Paul’s intent. The matters concerning which Paul speaks in Romans 14 are the matters of “food and drink” which are not to hinder the Kingdom of God. If God says we must do something, we must do it. if God says we must avoid something, we must avoid it.

Paul does not stop there. He also speaks of the “peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Peace is not merely the absence of hostility or strife– it involves killing hostility (cf. Ephesians 2:15-17). To have peace requires each person to seek the best interest of others and not themselves, and to work to build up– even if one’s personal preference must be sacrificed (Philippians 2:1-4, Romans 14:19). We must remember that in order for us to have the peace that surpasses understanding and to be reconciled to God, Jesus needed to kill the enmity through suffering and enduring the cross (Ephesians 2:11-18). If we will have peace in the Kingdom, we are going to have to suffer and endure (cf. Romans 8:17-18, 15:1)!

“Joy in the Holy Spirit” is based in our great salvation that God is accomplishing (cf. 1 Peter 1:3-9). There is joy when people repent and do what is right (Luke 15:7). There is joy when we walk in the truth (3 John 1:4). We are to take joy and happiness in one another and the encouragement we derive from one another in our walk of faith (cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:19, Hebrews 10:24-25). In Philippians 2:2-4, Paul tells us exactly how we can make the joy of God complete: to be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind, doing nothing out of rivalry, considering everyone better than themselves, looking toward the interests of others. This is the happiness we can have in the Spirit!

While we have examined righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit separately, it only works when all three are present. The Kingdom requires not just the righteousness of the Holy Spirit– peace and joy in the Spirit must also be present.

“Eating and drinking” may not violate the righteousness in the Holy Spirit, but if people insist on their liberties to the detriment of the consciences of their fellow Christians, or if Christians vigorously condemn fellow Christians for matters of liberty and not on the basis of revealed truth, the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit is violated, no matter how “right” or “legitimate” the doctrinal position.

God is not merely concerned about truth– He is also concerned about people (1 Timothy 2:4). We are to be known as Jesus’ disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35), and biting and devouring one another on the basis of liberties does not reflect that love (cf. Galatians 5:15).

We must hold firm to the truth and proclaim it to all men, embodying the righteousness of the Holy Spirit. But we must also work to kill any hostility that may exist among us and to seek the best interest of one another and to share in the peace and joy in the Spirit– and that is going to mean that we are going to have to sacrifice some personal opinions, desires, and liberties for the sake of one another. Let us seek to uphold the righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, building up the Kingdom, and glorify God!

Ethan R. Longhenry

Conformity

For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).

And be not fashioned [conformed] according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2).

Conformity involves taking the shape of one’s surroundings. A simple way to see conformity in action is to consider a glass of water: if the glass is tall and thin, the water is tall and thin. If you pour the water into a short and wide glass, the water will take on that shape. If the glass spills, the water spreads over the surface of the ground. It would be an odd day indeed if water no longer took the shape of its environment!

Many people have a very uneasy feeling about conformity. For the most part, being called a “conformist” is not a compliment. Nevertheless, everyone, to some degree, is a “conformist.” Everyone follows some type of pattern! Many young people seek to free themselves from the “conformity” of their parents and/or the “system,” but in the process conform themselves to the “groupthink,” habits, and styles of their peers. Even “nonconformists” conform to something, even if it is not the “standard” mold!

The Bible makes it clear that everyone conforms to something. In fact, there are only two forms to which we can conform: to the world (Romans 12:2) or to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).

Conformity to the world is easy: it does not take much effort. You can just “go along” with the flow. Conformity to the world may take on many forms. It may mean that you blindly follow the customs and traditions of your family. It may involve the repudiation of those traditions for other views. It could be just based on cultural conditioning and accepting the prejudices and norms of early twenty-first century America. It might involve following after popular religious trends or forms of “spirituality” that are not consistent with the revelation of God in the Scriptures (cf. Galatians 1:6-9). Or it may be blazing your own path and doing what you think is right. All of these, and many more, are simply different ways to conform to the world and its thoughts and lusts (cf. 1 John 2:15-17). They may be easier to handle in life, but they come with a heavy consequence in death (cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9)!

The more challenging path is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. His way is truly counter-cultural and against “conventional wisdom.” Jesus came to serve, not to be served (Matthew 20:25-28). He was humble, and declared that the humble would be exalted while the exalted would be humbled (Matthew 23:12). He loved everyone, including those who hated Him (Matthew 5:38-48). He ultimately expended His life for God’s purposes, and challenged His followers to do the same (Matthew 16:21-25).

Conformity to the image of Christ is difficult indeed. It requires constant growth and work and all of our resources (2 Peter 3:18, Galatians 2:20). We must constantly and honestly compare ourselves to Jesus our Standard and work to better reflect Him (2 Corinthians 13:5). It may lead to persecution, temptation, hardship, and perhaps even death. Yet, while it may be difficult for the time being, it cannot be compared to the eternal weight of glory that await those who are conformed to the image of Jesus the Son (cf. Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18)!

That’s the choice with which we are all faced. Shall we just go along with the crowd and conform to the world? Or shall we stand against the corruption of the world and be conformed to Christ? Eternity hangs in the balance. The path may be difficult, but let us be conformed to the image of Jesus the Christ, and obtain eternal life!

Ethan R. Longhenry

Debt

Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law (Romans 13:8).

No one has to be told anymore about the challenges that debt brings. With debt comes obligation, and obligations can often enslave. We can often joke that our money is spent before we get the paycheck– when we are indebted, that is very much true! As debt increases, so does worry and anxiety. Thousands upon thousands of people live in great fear and distress because of their debt obligations. We look at our national debt and worry about what we are leaving for our children and grandchildren.

For years our society preached a message of debt. People were encouraged to go out and buy, buy, buy, even if they didn’t have the money to cover it. As the value of houses rose, people would refinance in order to pay their debts. And then they would accrue more debt!

Yet, whatever one sows, one will reap (Galatians 6:7). Corporations and people over-extended themselves, and now they have to pay the proverbial piper. Many people are now tightening the belts and having great difficulties because they enjoyed themselves perhaps a little too much in previous years.

People are now realizing the wisdom that has always been found in God: we ought to avoid debt whenever possible. When we are unencumbered by debt, we are able to make enough to support ourselves and then give to those who are in need (cf. Ephesians 4:28). We cannot do that when our money is already pledged to others! When we have debt, we have worries and anxiety. When we are free from debt, those worries and anxiety will vanish.

Anyone who has been in debt can imagine or remember the great feeling of exhilaration that comes when a debt gets paid and one is freed from that burden. Such is wonderful!

While we would do well to avoid and/or eliminate physical debt in our lives, we must also consider the spiritual debts that we incur. When we sin, we are sold into the bondage of sin, and must pay our “master,” the evil one (Romans 6:15-16, 20-23). Unfortunately for us, once we have done that, we can never make enough “payments” to get rid of that debt. We could try and try by ourselves, and we would never pay it off (Romans 3:9-23)!

But thanks be to God that when we were unable to pay the debt, Jesus the Christ paid the debt for us by shedding His blood on the cross for our sins (Ephesians 2:4-9). His blood was the price that He paid for our sins, and, therefore, us (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). When we come to the recognition that Jesus has done this for us, and we become His obedient servants, we can enjoy the exhilaration of being released from the law of sin and death, and can then turn to serve God with everything we have (Romans 6:16-18, 8:1-2, Galatians 2:20). We then must strive to avoid returning back into the debt of the bondage of sin (2 Peter 2:20-22)!

Being indebted to men causes great distress; being indebted to Satan leads to condemnation and torment. Let us owe nothing to either!

Ethan R. Longhenry

God’s Ways

“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’
Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’
O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” declares the Lord GOD.
Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin” (Ezekiel 18:25-30 ESV).

There had been a proverb in Israel for many generations: the fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge (cf. Ezekiel 18:2). The idea was that children bear the iniquities of their fathers. The idea made sense to them. Apples don’t far too fall from the tree, in general, and children act in similar ways to their parents. God Himself warned the people that He would visit the iniquity of fathers upon children for multiple generations (cf. Exodus 20:5).

Nevertheless, the concept was faulty. While it was true that children often had to suffer directly and indirectly for the sins of their fathers, and that God would punish one generation and perhaps not the ones before it, it was not true that children bore the iniquities of their fathers. God explains quite clearly in Ezekiel 18 that the soul that sins will die for his sin, and the soul that does what is right will be saved, regardless of how their father or son might act. Furthermore, if the sinful repent, they can be saved; likewise, if the righteous plunge into sin, they will be condemned.

But Israel does not like this message. It is not consistent with the way they look at it. So what do they do? They declare that the way of God is not just!

It is not my intent to get into the complexities of the nature of the discussion here; instead, it is quite interesting to note how Israel is quite willing to declare the Author of justice to be unjust when it does not suit their perspective. Their definition of what is “just” or “fair” is different from God’s definition, and they have figured that their definition is the right one.

We can see the arrogance of their position! How dare they declare God unjust! If God is the Author of Life and all that is good and holy (Genesis 1), and if He loves justice (Psalm 33:5), how can He be declared unjust by mere humans? As it is written:

Thou wilt say then unto me, “Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will?”
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?
Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, “Why didst thou make me thus?” (Romans 9:19-20).

The Israelites were quite in the wrong, as the creation, to declare the Creator to be unjust. If they did not repent of such folly, they would stand to be condemned!

While we can step back and see how arrogant the Israelites were, have we stopped to consider if we have done the same?

Some may be so bold as to declare the way of the God as not being just or fair. Others may not declare it by word but do so by deed. Too many will attempt to subtly change God’s message, or interpret the message in a way that is more consistent with their worldview.

But the end is all the same: if we do any such thing, we are declaring that we know better than God, and our ways are more just than His ways.

In the new covenant, God has provided salvation for all who are willing to hear and obey (1 Timothy 2:4, Romans 6). That may very well mean that people who sin terribly and yet repent may be saved while some who did not live so sinfully may be condemned (1 Timothy 1:12-16, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9). It very well may mean that sincere people who thought that they knew about God find out that they really did not know Him and will pay the penalty (Matthew 7:21-23). It may mean that things we think are right or fair or just are not right, fair, or just according to God’s standard (Matthew 19:3-9, Galatians 5:19-21). It may even mean that people who worked all their lives for God’s purposes will receive the same reward as the prodigal son who returns to God later in life (cf. Matthew 20:1-16).

Many people hear such things and declare God to not be just. And who are any of us to declare His ways unjust? In so doing, we are no better than Israel, and should expect the same fate. Let us not presume to judge the qualities of God, but instead praise and thank Him for the opportunity to be redeemed from sin and death and to obtain eternal life!

Ethan R. Longhenry

Seeking God

“And he made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us: for,
‘in him we live, and move, and have our being;’
as certain even of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring'” (Acts 17:26-28).

Satisfaction does not come automatically to many people.

Sure, life might have been great when we were small children and all our needs were met. But as we grew and gained a bit of a better understanding of our environment, we all sensed that something was not quite right.

We suffered– and continue to suffer– from “dis-ease.” Not illness, per se, but discontent. We are dissatisfied with ourselves. Something is not quite right.

We agonize and search and try to find what is missing so that we may feel whole. We may think the deficiency is within ourselves, and so we seek out self-help materials to better ourselves. Even if we succeed, we still do not find contentment.

Perhaps we need other people, so we go out and develop intimate friendships and relationships. While such make us feel good and loved, we are still lacking something.

We may then turn to money, stuff, entertainment, recreation, or a thousand other pursuits in some attempt to “find ourselves” or “discover inner peace.” Whatever we discover is fleeting. That fundamental discontent remains.

Yet, in the midst of all of this searching, have we ever considered that our discontent is there for a reason?

That, in reality, something is very wrong?

As Paul of Tarsus, the Jew turned Christian, speaks to the Athenians, he does not begin by berating them for their idolatry, despite having the right to do so. Instead, he seeks to find points of commonality, and he finds it in their constant searching. All their “gods” are evidence that they are searching for something and they haven’t quite found it yet. Paul came to tell them that they were right for searching– and yet the object of their search was never far from them.

In fact, it was all around them. They existed within it. Within it they could move and exist. Indeed, Aratus was right– we are all His offspring. Who is He?

He is the One True God, our Creator and Sustainer. He created all men through one man and put it within them to seek after Him. That discontent we experience is the result of our sin having separated us from God, the Author of Life (Isaiah 59:1-2). That discontent can only be satisfied when we turn and are restored in association with God through the blood of Jesus the Christ (1 John 1).

We may not have statues of “gods” lying around, but, on a fundamental level, our challenge is the same. God set it within every soul to seek after Him. Instead of finding Him, however, too many find what God created, and serve the creature rather than the Creator (Romans 1:19-23). The Romans may have done so quite literally, but we today do so through our worship of money, sex, fame, and a host of other “gods” that advertise some kind of “satisfaction.”

We must turn from all of those “gods” and direct our “spirituality” toward its Source, God the Creator. When we do that, we will not have to go very far. The evidence of God and His blessings are everywhere: the gift of the creation, the gift of physical life, the gift of the enjoyments of life, the gift of fellow believers, and, above all, the gift of association with God and immediate access to Him at all times through Jesus (cf. Genesis 1, 1 John 1, Hebrews 4:16).

We are God’s offspring. In God we live and move and have our being. He is not far. Come home!

Ethan R. Longhenry

Faith Counted as Righteousness

And [Abram] believed in the LORD; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:6).

It is lamentable how this verse has become the focal point for the controversy regarding the roles of faith and obedience based on its quotation in both Romans 4:3 and James 2:22-23. Paul uses the incident to show how Abram’s faith here justified him without any works; James speaks of how it is fulfilled when Abram demonstrates his obedience to God by being willing to offer Isaac his son upon the altar (cf. Genesis 22). Abram’s example does not teach either that faith only saves or that works save– Abram’s example shows us that we must have faith and be obedient to God in order to obtain the blessing.

Such controversy often overshadows the great depth of faith put forward by Abram. Abram here is in his eighties; Sarai his wife is in her seventies. She has borne him no children, and he has no biological heir. God has made all of these promises regarding Abram’s offspring inheriting the land, yet Eliezer of Damascus, Abram’s servant, currently stands to inherit what remains to him (Genesis 15:2-3). Yet God promises that he will have a son, and his son will be his true heir (Genesis 15:4-5).

On what basis should Abram believe God? After all, he is well over the age most people have children, and women do not often have children in their seventies! According to the human, earthly perspective, there is no reason to believe God. On a physical level alone, Abram is doomed to have no descendants if he is waiting on Sarai.

But Abram knows that what is impossible with men is possible with God (cf. Matthew 19:26). He and 318 men just defeated four Mesopotamian kings whom the five kings of the valley could not best (Genesis 14). God had brought him from the land of Ur and Haran and had blessed him so far (Genesis 12:1-4). Abram was willing to trust God, and God counted it as righteousness.

Abram’s faith teaches us what faith should be. Faith is trust and confidence, even if there is no good earthly or physical basis on which to base that trust or confidence! The Hebrew author speaks of faith as “assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen,” (Hebrews 11:1), and this was certainly true in relation to Abram and his children. Abram had every reason not to trust in God’s promise, and he trusted anyway.

God proved faithful to Abram even when Abram was not as faithful to God. The very next chapter shows what happens when Abram and Sarai attempt to meddle in God’s purposes– Abram fathers Ishmael through Hagar, but he is not the chosen one (cf. Genesis 16). Instead, God waits another 15 years, and Sarah bears to Abraham a son, Isaac, in his old age, she at 90, he at 100 (Genesis 21, Romans 4:18-22)! What is impossible with man is possible with God.

Are there good earthly, physical reasons to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, crucified for our sin, and raised on the third day in power? Upon what basis should we accept that God will raise us also from the dead and provide glory and eternal life if we are found faithful? Why should we think that God loves us and is willing to give us all things, especially when things do not look so good for us? According to an earthly, human perspective, there are no good reasons. That’s why faith is so critical– no mere intellectual assent to a proposition, but a willingness to trust and cling to God no matter how implausible or impossible His promises may seem.

If God is able to create the universe as we know it and allowed a woman of 90 years to give birth, He is certainly able to redeem us from sin and gather us to Him for all eternity. Will we be willing to believe what is impossible according to men? Can we trust in things hoped for and show conviction despite not seeing? And are we willing to obey and serve, even if it costs us everything? If so, we will have a faith that God will count for righteousness, and we can share in all those “impossible” promises!

Ethan R. Longhenry

God and Us

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32)

Many people hold to a rather negative impression of God the Father. He is often seen as a bearded old man who sits up in Heaven, waiting to catch you in your next sin so that He can smite you. Sadly, many people have suffered under an abusive earthly father, and therefore believe that their heavenly Father is also trying to find ways to “get” them or to condemn them.

Yet this is not the picture of God that is presented in the Bible. While it is true that God is no justifier of sin, and calls upon mankind to repent of sin and serve His Son (Acts 17:30-31), God is not out to “get” anyone. God is not the enemy– the Adversary, the devil and Satan, is the enemy (cf. 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:9)! Instead, God is quite the opposite– He has worked to save mankind, not condemn him! After all, if He sought to “get” us, He would have to do nothing but wait, and we would provide plenty of reasons for our own condemnation (cf. Romans 3).

But God loves mankind (John 3:16), and has done what is necessary to allow men to be redeemed from those sins and to be restored in their relationship to God (cf. Romans 8:1-17). God does not want anyone to be lost in their sins (cf. 1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9)! God, therefore, is not out to “get” us condemned, but to “get” us saved!

Yet Paul’s message here in Romans 8 is directed primarily at those who already believe in the Lord (cf. Romans 1:7). They are to consider these rhetorical questions– if God is for us, who can be against us? If He did not spare His own Son, will He not provide many other gifts?

Why is there a need to ask such things? It is easy to become discouraged on the road of life. Sometimes, even when you believe in God and strive to serve the Lord Jesus, you can feel that God is either not there or perhaps even set against you. Some despair of any divine assistance– sure, Jesus came to redeem mankind, and will come again someday, but in the meanwhile, they think, we are out on our own.

When we feel this discouraged or have these feelings, we would do well to consider Paul’s questions. Is God for us? If we serve the Son, He is indeed for us (Romans 8:1-17). If that is the case, who can stand against us? Even if the forces marshaled against God seem great, and the trials and temptations are many, as long as God is on our side, those with us are stronger than those against us (cf. 1 John 4:4). We can overcome and have the victory (cf. Revelation 22:3-4)!

And let us not feel as if the only gift God has ever given us is His Son. Instead, let us ponder the great mystery: if God was willing to give up the Son so we could have life, what else is He willing to give? Why would God give someone so beloved and yet “skimp” on more “minor” issues? If God’s love for us meant that He was willing to see His own Son die, can we really think that God is against us, not with us, far from us, or unwilling to help us?

In the days of Israel, God delivered Israel with a mighty hand from the power of Egypt. Then, in the wilderness, Israel had no faith that God would provide food and drink, despite the great salvation wrought on their behalf. That generation died in the wilderness because of their faithlessness, and their sons inherited the promised land. If we believe that God has delivered us with a mighty hand, and has wrought a great redemption through Jesus Christ, shall we not have faith that God can see us through the wilderness to the Promised Land, providing the necessary sustenance and direction on the way? Or, despite God’s great faithfulness, will we stand faithless? Let us never doubt God’s love and devotion to us!

Ethan R. Longhenry