Monthly Archives: May 2017

Testimony of the Witnesses

“You are my witnesses…so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.” (Is 43.10).  

Jesus tapped into this passage from Isaiah when he told his followers to be his witness (Acts 1.8) and when he commanded them to teach everyone to obey all he instructed (Mt 28.18-20).  Teaching others to obey includes sharing his goodness and demonstrating his love in such a way their eyes and ears will be opened to see and hear the goodness of God.  But, on a personal level, we will increase in our own belief, learning and understanding of who He is as we declare and demonstrate the nature of God.

Jesus lived as a witness to the heart, character and nature of the Father.  His life was a perfect representation of God (Hb 1.3).  He also said that anyone who looked at him, would see the Father (Jn 14.9).  This is the life we are called to replicate; to live as witnesses of God; to become witnesses of God.

The Hebrew word for witness contains an element of testimony or giving evidence within the definition.  The New Testament Greek word for witness also contains a legal, evidence-based meaning.  So, to be a witness, means to tell the story, to give testimony to the nature and acts of God.  As we testify, we give evidence of his character so others may believe and understand He is God.  In the process, we reaffirm and deepen our own belief – which increases our understanding – and helps us to become more like him.

There are a lot of ways the Church has embarked on this task of witnessing about God.  But, rather than attempting a programme or strategy, being a witness of God is more authentic when we know WHO we believe.  When we know Him, our testimony is an overflow of his love, mercy, goodness and kindness we’ve experienced.  Simply talking about WHAT we believe does not carry the same life-giving power.

Our role as witnesses of God is to represent Him; to reflect Him.  We can only accurately reflect him to the extent we are being transformed into His likeness (1 Cor 3.18).  Therefore, our purpose is to become transformed into His image so He lives through us (Gal 4.19).  At all times being sensitive to Holy Spirit who leads and empowers us for service until we are filled with the whole measure of the fulness of God (Eph 4.13) and, together, display the manifold wisdom of God (Eph 3.10).  Then, as witnesses who prove the wisdom of God (cf Lk 7.35) those who ‘see and hear’ will recognise the life of God through us, respond to it by applying faith and come to believe that He is God.

In the process, we increase in our understanding of WHO He is.

 

 

Belief of the Witnesses

“You are my witnesses…so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.” (Is 43.10).  

Even though Isaiah had been declaring the role of God’s chosen Servant, this statement means the role of leading out the blind and deaf (v.8) is now expanded to witnesses who believe, know and understand who God is.  Because true understanding of God only comes through belief, those who know and understand bear witness that He is God.  In fact, this passage seems to put God’s reputation into the hands of the ‘witnesses’.  He said, he has revealed, saved and proclaimed – but it is the job of the witnesses to prove He is God (Is 43.12).

I find it fascinating that the tense of these words indicates that the witnesses will know (and continue knowing), believe (and continue believing) and understand (and continue understanding) that God is the One, True God.  So, the more the witnesses act as witnesses of God, the more they grow in belief, knowing and understanding of Who God is.

Did you hear this?  How often do we delay saying or doing something because we “aren’t sure”?  How many times have we withheld from action because we are functioning from our reason rather than operating from soft-hearted belief?  This verse makes clear that when we are a witness of God we actually grow in belief, learning and understanding.

Think with me about this for a moment.  How often have you been in a place of spiritual dryness and then you got involved in conversation with someone asking about your faith.  It may have been a short chat, but simply by telling your story, recalling how God acted in your life, your spirit was elevated and the dryness you previously felt no longer held such a strong influence over your state of mind.  This is what happens as we are ‘witnesses’ of God.  By living in relationship with God, we prove who he is to others and, in doing so, increase our own belief and understanding of WHO he is.

It’s as if our hearts hear the words which contain the Life and Substance of God, recognise the nature of God and respond in faith – even if our hearts hear the story from our own mouths!  By being a witness, we grow in our belief, learning and understanding.

This is what Jesus wanted the people of his day to realise.  He wanted them to recognise that he was a witness of God.  Since they couldn’t accept his teaching, Jesus hoped they would hear the message through his miracles (Jn 10.38).  When they still didn’t get it, Jesus quoted this phrase from Isaiah, in a further attempt to help those who knew the Scriptures so they would believe, learn and understand that he was the Son of God.

Witnesses of God

Throughout the New Testament there is a consistent theme about how the message of God is both seen and heard.  Using a parable to illustrate his point, Jesus explained how the soil of the heart is what determines a person’s ability to recognise, receive and, essentially, understand the message of God.  In his explanation, he referred to a prophecy from the prophet Isaiah which declared that there would be a group of people who would have eyes but not see and have ears but not hear.

The authors of the Gospels mention this prophecy from Isaiah in their interpretation of why Jesus did the things he did (Jn 12.40) and Jesus himself referred to the prophecy (Mt 13.1-4; Lk 7.22) to explain his ministry.  For this reason, the prophecy from Isaiah deserves closer investigation.

Isaiah chapter 6 describes what is referred to as Isaiah’s call to be a prophet to the people of Israel.  The very first instruction the Lord gave to Isaiah was to tell the people:

“Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’  Make the heart of this people callous; and their ears dull, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” (Is 6.9-10).

We talked about possible interpretations and implications for such a prophetic declaration in a recent discussion (see post).  The purpose of such a declaration was not so God would keep people from coming to him, rather it was an acknowledgement that their refusal to believe would lead to a further hardening of their hearts.  But this prophecy was not creating, forming or announcing a permanent state of being for those it described.

The ministry of Isaiah spanned a number of years and, as he faithfully declared the message of God to the people, his message changed.  Toward the end of his life he began to prophecy of God’s coming Servant who would be a “light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness” (Is 42.7).  This was substantial because it not only spoke about opening the eyes of the blind – thereby promising that the symptoms of a hard heart would be reversed through the ministry of God’s servant – but it also spoke of God’s message being made available to those outside the nation of Israel.  The remainder of chapter 42, concentrates on God’s restoration of his people.  In particular, 42.18-25, make clear that God wants to open the eyes and ears of those who have closed them.

In chapter 43, after instructing the Servant to “lead out those who have eyes but are blind and have ears but can’t hear” (43.8), God says something that will (hopefully) sound familiar.  “You are my witnesses and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he” (43.10).

Did you hear it?!  This is the phrase Jesus used in John 10.38 when he said, “Even if you don’t believe me, believe the miracles so you may learn and understand that I am one with the father [ie. I am he].”  Jesus was declaring the prophetic statement about himself in hopes those who had eyes to see would actually see it – even if they hadn’t heard it.

But, equally substantial, and exciting to me, is that Isaiah introduced the description of how we go through a process of understanding.   Namely, that we come to know (learn) from a posture of belief which enables us to understand who he is.

These two passages are the only Scripture references I have found in which this phrase is used.  The significance of this singular reference is that Jesus fully intended his statement to be directly linked to Isaiah’s prophetic declaration – it was not a casual reference.

Biblical scholars, when they translate and interpret the Scriptures use a principle they call the Law of First Mention.  Basically, this means when a word or phrase is used for the first time, the meaning or intent of that word is largely defined by the context of its first use.  All subsequent uses of the word or phrase are reliant upon the meaning derived by the initial use.  The repeated uses will often add depth or enhance the original meaning, but they will not fundamentally change the meaning from the first mention.

Based on this law of first mention, the process of believing so we learn and understand derives a significant meaning and purpose from the context of the Isaiah passage.

Within the context of Isaiah, we learn that although God had allowed people’s hearts to become hard so they had eyes but could not see and ears but could not hear, his intention was to send his witnesses who would lead these people out of the condition of their own making.  In doing so, the witnesses, as well as the people, will all grow in belief, learning and understanding of who God is.

This will be the focus of our next discussion.

God’s Heart for People

I loved the summer season when I was growing up.  I loved playing baseball, riding my bike and warm summer evenings.  I loved just being outside.  My first ‘job’ was to cut grass at the local KFC.  They paid me $2 and large soft-drink.  What could be better for a 10-year old budding entrepreneur?!  As I got older my grass-cutting jobs evolved so I became an outdoor handy-man; somewhere between a landscaper and window washer.  I saved the money from these summer jobs and, at the age of 15, I bought a really nice drum set.  At the age of 17 I bought my own pick-up truck (an absolute must for any self-respecting teenage boy in Indiana).

I recall one summer in particular.  I had recently become a Christian and I spent much of my time praying and engaging with God as I walked the lawn-mower up & down the big gardens of my customers.  It was a season in my life when I felt happy, content and at peace. I didn’t understand enough about God’s grace to realise this was what I was experiencing; but things just seemed to ‘click’.  The baseball team had won our division championship and played a state final in the professional stadium (read, all-Ireland final in Croke Park).  The band I played for was getting invitations to play in more events around the city.  And I was being asked to speak to youth groups about my newly realised belief in Jesus.  It was one of those seasons when things just seemed to get better and better.  The more time I spent time with God, the more I grew to know Him.  The more I grew to know Him, the more I was learning His heart and learning His ways.

Starting back into school that autumn, things began to change.  The guys in the band weren’t keen on my new perspective on life.  They didn’t want their musical ambitions restricted by their drummer’s convictions about a lifestyle of purity.  The baseball team’s coaching staff changed and, for reasons still unclear to me, the new coach simply didn’t seem to like me.  I soon felt a growing distance from all who were previously my friends.  As a consequence of my desire to share what had changed in me, the entire student body seemed to conclude the once fun, popular Cope had changed; turned weird; gone ‘religious’.

Teenage years are difficult for anyone and those few months were hard for me.  But through it all I felt God’s grace and protection.  I made new friends, I didn’t waiver in my love for the Lord and I sought ways to share His love with others.

One day in class a note was passed to me.  It was from a girl who sat across the room. I only knew her from a distance and had never really spoken to her before.  She hung around in a different crowd.  She was popular and captain of the Cheerleading squad.  Her note said she had questions about God, she wanted to believe, but was afraid of what it might mean.  She didn’t know who else to talk to.  She didn’t want to be seen talking with me but wanted to know if we could exchange notes so she could ask me questions.  A series of letters back & forth eventually led to her being faced with a decision.

That experience taught me a great deal about God’s heart for people.  No matter who they are, where they come from, what they’ve been taught, or what conclusions they’ve made, God loves them.  In addition, each person, every individual has been created in the image of God and carries a unique expression of God within them that the rest of us need to experience.

My cheerleader friend wanted to follow Jesus.  He was revealing himself to her.  Holy Spirit was tugging at her heart.  But she, at the time, felt she did not want to risk the change she felt would surely come to her lifestyle.  So she chose not to respond to God.

I will always remember those letters, the knowing glances across the school hallway when I was convinced she would become a Christian and, especially, the tears that filled my prayers as I discovered the heart of God for people.

No matter what else happens in the life of a church, God’s heart for people must remain a top priority for all we do.  Jesus came to seek and save all who were lost (Lk 19.10).  He did not come to condemn the world but to save it (Jn 3.17) by destroying the works of the devil (1 Jn 3.8) and making abundant life available to all (Jn 10.10).  By coming into relationship with the Father, we have been commissioned to carry on the mission of Jesus (Jn 20.20, Mt 28.18-20).

Years later I received another letter from my cheerleader friend.  We had gone to different colleges and she went to a lot of trouble to find my address.  She wanted to thank me for being patient with her questions and not giving up on her when she chose not to follow Jesus.  Her life had spiralled downwards during her time in college until she met a group of Christians.  She wrote to say she had become a Christian and could now fully appreciate all I had tried to share with her those years before.  She was now active in campus ministries, sharing her love for God with those around her.

She had discovered God’s heart for her – and his heart for others.

 

Development of Belief

“…even if you do not believe me, believe the evidence of the miracles, that you may learn and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father” (Jn 10.38).

When Jesus made this statement, he was speaking to the religious leaders who, in their opposition to him, refused to consider the possibility that their perspective may not be the only explanation for things.  They had heard what Jesus taught but their hardness of heart meant they were unable to recognise the voice of God or understand His message.  Jesus, in his mercy, did not write them off but gave them another opportunity to hear his voice.  This time, he displayed the reality of his love by actions that were visible.   Through both circumstances, Jesus expected people to be able to recognise the voice of the God and respond by applying faith to what they heard (see post).

Responding in belief initiates a process that enables us to learn more about God’s nature and what life in his Kingdom is like.  As we submit ourselves to getting to know the One we believe, we grow more into His likeness.  One way to illustrate this process of learning is to identify the steps from belief to wisdom.

Belief / Faith

Belief is the foundation, the centre, of this process.  Throughout our discussions, we have spoken of how the Father initiates faith within us through His word.  As we recognise his word, and respond to it, we apply faith which ignites the seed of life carried within his word.

  • Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10.17; Jn 5.24)
  • It is with the heart that we believe (Rom 10.10)

While belief and faith are not the same thing, they are extremely similar.   The two English words share the same Greek root words which are translated differently according to the context.  So, for the purpose of our discussion and this illustration I have combined them.

Obey:  Belief leads to obedience.

Obedience is the standard of one who is in relationship with God.  Jesus demonstrated a life of perfect obedience to the Father (Jn 5.19) and expects the same type of humble obedience from his followers (Mt 28.20).

  • If you love me, you will obey my teaching. (Jn 14.23)
  • Anyone who comes after me must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me (Lk 9.23).  

Trust:  Obedience leads to trust.

As we walk in obedience, we learn to trust God.  A lifestyle of obedience in the different areas of our life enables us to trust that God is trustworthy, reliable and faithful.  For example, as we are obedient with our use of money, we learn to trust God as the One from whom all resources come.  Obeying God’s instruction to forgive others as we have been forgiven, we learn to trust God as the One from whom justice and grace come.  In addition, we have opportunity to more fully embrace humility and mercy.

Trusting God does not mean we don’t have questions about what He may ask of us.  Trust is displayed as we maintain a soft-hearted, belief in Him even when we don’t understand why circumstances are the way they are.

On this point, consider two people who questioned what God asked of them through the angel Gabriel.  Mary and Zechariah each asked a question about what the angel announced to them – and the words used in their questions are very similar.  Yet the angel knew that Mary’s question, “How can this be?”, came from a soft-hearted belief that was willing to trust (Lk 1.34,38).  On the other hand, Zechariah’s question, “How can I be sure of this?”, came from an unbelief that had crept into his heart (Lk 1.18,20).

 

Understand:  Trust leads to Understanding.

As we trust God throughout the various circumstances and challenges of life, we learn more about God’s nature which leads us to a deepening understanding of WHO He is.   Often, we want to leap-frog over obedience and trust to get quickly to a place of understanding God.  But that is not how belief and relationship works.

We do not believe because we understand.  We understand because we believe. Understanding comes through a process that is lived alongside the One Whom we believe.  We cannot understand the depths of Who God is unless we have learned obedience and trust.  Any attempts to bypass these areas will only give an incomplete, dichotomised portrayal of God.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from my Father I have made known to you (Jn 15.15).

In some church contexts, it may be possible to confuse the effects of a Christian sub-culture with a personal trust and/or understanding of God.  However, we must be careful not to presume that a lifestyle of Christian principles equates to an authentic, personal relationship with God, even if the principles are based on biblical standards.  A relationship with God means we know WHO we believe rather than relying on what we believe.

 

Wisdom:  Understanding leads to Wisdom.

One of the outcomes of a life based on belief is that we will grow into a people who display God’s wisdom (Eph 3.10).  As in the natural realm, wisdom can only be gained through process, experience and a humble willingness to continue learning (Pr 11.2, 13.10).  But the first step toward wisdom is through relationship with God (Ps 111.10).  So, a lifestyle of soft-hearted belief along with an active relationship based on obedience and trust will help us grow into wisdom.

Wisdom is much more than a personal characteristic or some type of achievement acknowledged by others.  Wisdom is a description of Jesus himself, who has become the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1.30).  Since we are on a journey toward becoming like Christ we, too, should expect that we will grow into wisdom which will, in turn, deepen our relationship with God (Eph 1.17).

Do you see the connection with the ever-increasing nature of this?  But, so you don’t think I am aiming for some lofty, out-of-touch philosophy; the wisdom I’m speaking about has a practical impact on those around us (James 3.13-18).  In keeping with the process of soft-hearted belief, the life of wisdom bears witness to the life, message and ministry of Jesus.

 

Believe that you may learn and understand.  Life with God is a consistent process of growth.  As we increase in faith and expand our belief through obedience, trust, understanding to wisdom we learn to say, along with the apostle Paul, “…I know the one whom I have believed” (2 Tim 1.12).

 

 

Wisdom’s Children

Have you ever noticed how Jesus can be talking about something and then, he makes a statement that appears to come completely out of the blue?  Often, this type of statement is a concluding comment after he’s been teaching about something – but, the concluding comment seems to have no relevance to the point he was just making.  Obviously, Jesus understood how to the two seemingly divergent points were connected – even if they appear confusing to us at first glance.  I’ve made a practice of studying these comments because, I really want to learn how to make the connection between points that Jesus made.

At the end of his explanation to the people about John the Baptist, Jesus made one of those concluding comments that for a long time seemed out of place to me.  After speaking about John the Baptist and affirming that the people acknowledged God’s way was right, Jesus finished his teaching with the seemingly unrelated comment, “Wisdom is proven right by all her children” (Lk 7.35).

But, as I look at this chapter in the context of our current discussion, it has become much clearer.

The Greek word used in phrase for ‘proven right’ can also be translated as ‘exhibited as right’, ‘declared as just’.  The intention of the words is that the children of God are able to do more than simply identify or recognise the wisdom of God.  They are able to declare its justice, to prove or exhibit it’s right-ness.  This is similar to the wording used in Rom 12.2, when Paul says the believer who is being transformed by the renewing of their mind, is able to ‘prove’ the perfect will God.  The children of God are able not only to recognise the character of God through his words and his actions; but they are also able to prove, approve, discern his will through the wisdom they have gained through relationship with him.

Wisdom about God, comes through our experiences with God.  Encountering him.  Engaging with him.  Learning his ways so we can know him.  This level of understanding cannot be arrived at through theory or principles.  On the contrary, this understanding is an outcome of a relationship with the One who is believed.  Only in an active, ongoing, relationship are we able to deepen our understanding of God – his character, his nature and his heart.  And this learning for understanding is based on belief in him.

 

Jesus’ seemingly out-of-place statement is actually connecting the effects of John’s ministry with what the angel Gabriel said about John when he announced his upcoming birth.  He said that John will “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people for the Lord” (Lk 1.17).

The statement about turning of the fathers’ hearts to the children points to an effect of earthly, parental relationships, but I also think it refers to the spiritual fathers & mothers who will nurture their spiritual children.  Subsequently, the children of God will display an inherent wisdom that is demonstrated in their righteous priorities, lifestyle, decision-making and pursuit of the Kingdom (cf Eph 3.10).  The result is that those separated from God (the disobedient) will hear and see the wisdom and love of God through those who live in relationship with Him. Through their humble recognition of God’s wisdom, those apart from God will recognise the voice of God (Believe), respond to the invitation to join His family and become (Learn) a people being made ready for the Lord (Understand).

Do you see how this comes full circle?   The children of God naturally display the wisdom and righteousness of God, giving those who do not yet know God an opportunity to encounter Him.  In their humility and hunger for what is right and just, people are able to recognise and respond to the wisdom and love of God.  But this depends on those who are in relationship with Him to be a witness of who God is through what they say and what they do.

 

Tell John What You’ve Seen & Heard

When John the Baptist was in prison he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the One who was to come or should we expect another?” (Lk 7.20).   In his typical manner of responding to questions, Jesus didn’t give a direct answer.

I like that. Jesus didn’t get drawn into the debates and word games the Pharisees tried to lure him into.  But, rarely did he reply to someone’s question in such a way the person would feel his response was a clear-cut, black & white answer.  Rather, Jesus usually answered in such a way as to highlight the person’s ability to choose.  He demonstrated a respect for the individual.  He honoured their right to exercise their will.  So, he gave information which would allow the questioner to explore their heart, recognise the voice of the Father, investigate the Scriptures and, ultimately, come to belief.  This process, though it may seem a bit illusive, is really the most life-giving way to respond.  It meant the one who asked the question will be able to ‘own’ the answer for themselves, rather than be expected to simply accept the answer Jesus gave.

His response to the question from John the Baptist, was for John’s disciples to go back and report what they had “seen and heard”.  Then he went on to list a number of miracles: the blind can see, the lame can walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf can hear, the dead are raised, and good news is preached to the poor.

By reminding John that the message of God is delivered through what is heard and what is seen, Jesus makes it crystal clear that the whole gospel is communicated in words (Jn 5.24, 17.8) and in action (Mt 4.23f; Acts 10.38).  Therefore, the works of Jesus were just as much a part of God’s message as the words he spoke and taught.

 

Jesus went on to teach the crowd about how John the Baptist was the messenger who prepared the way for the Messiah.  By saying this, Jesus declared that he really was the Messiah.   At the end of this declaration, the author makes an astounding statement.  “All the people, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptised by John.  But the Pharisees rejected God’s purpose, because they had not been baptised by John” (Lk 7.29-30).

This is amazing!  The people, even the tax collectors, were able to acknowledge that God’s way was right.  How could normal people, untrained in theology and the religious traditions, be able to determine the rights or wrongs of God’s ways?  How could they even be expected to identify what God’s ways were?  And what does being baptised by John have to do with being able to identify God’s purposes?

Baptism was a very public event in those days.  To have been baptised, would have meant the majority of the villagers would have either seen the baptism or quickly heard about it from others who had witnessed it.  So, anyone getting baptised would not have done so lightly.  They would have recognised a need and come to a place of humility.  It is also said that John’s baptism was one of repentance – so people would have been willing to adjust their perspective and align themselves with godly thinking.  I think it is safe to say the people would have been hungry for God and John’s preaching helped them prepare to hear the voice of God for themselves.  And, God’s people are identified by their ability to hear what he says (Jn 8.47).

This attitude of humility and repentance stands in stark contrast to the attitude expressed by the religious leaders, who seemed resolute in their pride and unwillingness to consider the possibility they could be wrong.  This refusal to repent meant their hearts remained hard (Mt 23.13; Mk 7.6) which kept them from seeing or hearing the message of God.  But, the people who had chosen repentance, displayed their humility by being baptised.

Even if their experience of John’s baptism lacked articulated depth, the people recognised something in their hearts that was ready to respond with belief.  In this way, they became exposed to the nature and character of God.  Later, when they saw the works that Jesus did, the experience led to an understanding that God’s way was right.  The good news of Jesus’ teaching, matched the good news of his miracles.  Suddenly, their experience of God held much more freedom, grace, mercy and love than they had ever encountered.  They believed, learned and understood because of what they had seen and heard.  This was precisely the opposite for the Pharisees and teachers of the Law.