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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

HE GAVE THEM NEW CLOTHES

They were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed.
They are in the midst of a garden paradise, recipients of the bountiful goodness of the Lord God. He had created them and placed them there with a blessing: ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’
Near to where they stand is the Tree of Life, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Before the woman had been created, the Lord God had commanded the man concerning that latter tree, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’
Also in the garden is a serpent. He is more cunning than any beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
The serpent speaks. The woman listens.
‘Has God indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden”?’
An ostensibly innocuous question. And the woman has the answer, so she thinks.
She converses with the serpent.
‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.”’
The woman overstates the prohibition.
Perhaps this is her error, or perhaps it was the fault of her husband when he relayed to her the Lord God’s command.
One of them, certainly, had added a hedge to God’s word – one tiny addition. For God had commanded the man not to eat of the tree’s fruit, but He had said nothing about not touching it.
(How easily we add to what God has spoken.)
With that one addition – oh how small and seemingly insignificant! – the woman opens the door to her adversary the Devil.
The serpent, liar and murderous deceiver that he is, assures the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’
And so the woman entertains temptation and gazes at the tree.
What a beautiful tree! How good it would be for food!
Enticed by her desire to become wise like God, she reaches out and takes its fruit.
(See, she is unharmed! The serpent was right! Surely there is no danger here.)
Having suffered no consequence from touching the fruit, she eats it. In contravention of God’s command, a fatal act.
The woman also gives to her husband, who is with her.
(Why has he not intervened to keep her from harm? Does he not see the danger?)
The man had heard the clear words of God’s voice forbidding him to eat this fruit. He had heard the Lord God’s prescient warning, ‘For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’.
In willful, unbelieving rebellion against his Creator, the man raises the fruit to his lips and eats. Sin enters the world through Adam, and death through sin. Having eaten, the eyes of the man and his wife are opened. And what they see is their own nakedness.
By God’s benevolent grace, the very instrument of their Fall is the means by which they recognize their fallen state. Innocent, they ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Guilty, their open eyes now know their own evil and lack of good: they are sinners against the Lord God and breakers of His holy Law.
As are we. For all Adam’s children born of the will of the flesh are born dead as slaves to sin. From pride or desperation, we array ourselves with the filthy rags of our best good works. And thereby we only add to the guilty dept we owe to the holy, clean and righteous God. They were both naked, the man and his wife, and now they are ashamed. They sew fig leaves together and make themselves coverings.
Yet their forlorn manufacture of leafy clothes cannot cover the shameful guilt of their sin. Nothing they do can scrub away the deadly stain; it runs too deep. And so, hearing the sound of the Lord God walking in the cool of the day, they hide themselves among the trees of the garden.
Their effort is in vain.
The Lord God calls, ‘Where are you?’, and they are found by His voice. Just as the leaves of a tree were insufficient to cover their naked guilt, even so a whole garden of trees cannot hide their shame before the Lord God who uncovers the thought and intent of every heart.
The man answers, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’
The Lord enquires as to the source of their knowledge. ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?’
Confronted with their guilt, the pitiful confessions come, such as they are. Not contrition, not repentance, but a frightened attempt to divert their burning shame in the presence of the Lord God’s voice.
‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.’
‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’
The voice that once spoke blessing now pronounces judgment: upon the serpent who beguiled; upon the woman who was deceived; upon the man who disbelieved and disobeyed.
And in passing sentence, the righteous Judge manifests His boundless mercy and grace. For He promises a Seed: a Messiah who will crush the head of that serpent and destroy all his works.
(Can it really be? Can the stain of our guilt before a holy God be erased? Can ournakedness be covered?)
The serpent brought guilt and shame to the naked man and his wife. The serpent brought fear. The Promised One shall take away their shame and guilt and bring new clothes. His perfect Love shall cast out fear.
And in earnest of His promise, the Lord God kills and makes tunics of skin; the first animal blood is shed to cover sin and shame. Yet the stain remains, for it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. And so countless more impotent sacrifices would be offered for Eve’s children, each death a reminder of sins, of nakedness, of shame.
To keep the man from eating of the Tree of Life and living forever, the Lord God drives him out of Paradise, placing cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to that tree. In the fullness of time, the long awaited Seed arrives. Not with kingly pomp, but in the squalor of a stable. The Son of God, the Lord from Heaven, makes Himself of no reputation and takes on human flesh. In the form of a slave, He is born to a virgin named Mary.
God made Man is born under the Law of God to redeem those who were under the Law. That Law – holy, just and good – promised blessing and eternal life in return for obedience. But it condemns and kills everyone, for all Adam’s children have inherited his guilt, and not one of them has been able to fulfil the Law’s demands.
Until now.
An angel of the Lord commands that this Seed be named Jesus, meaning ‘God saves’, ‘for He will save His people from their sins’.
Through 33 years of perfect obedience in fulfilment of the Law, Jesus fashions new clothes for His chosen Bride, the Church. Better than fig leaves, better than animal skins, these are robes of His very own righteousness.
Nearing the completion of His earthly work, the Bridegroom makes a New Covenant with His Beloved. The First Adam took forbidden fruit from His wife and at her bidding ate. This Last Adam breaks blessèd bread and gives it to His Bride, bidding her eat. ‘Take, eat; this is My body broken for you.’ In like manner, He proffers cupped wine, saying, ‘Drink, all of you. For this is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’
And then He lays down His life, obedient even to the death of the cross.
The spotless sacrifice Lamb of God takes His Bride’s place and for her becomes a curse. His body broken – see! – the blood of the New Covenant pours from His head, His hands, His feet. For without the shedding of this blood there can be no remission of sins. The price of her sin must be paid to propitiate the wrath of a thrice holy and righteous God – yes, even this terrible price.
The Lamb takes from His Bride her filthy rags, casting them away as far as the East is from the West. With the wine of His precious holy blood, He who is without blemish washes clean His blemished Bride. And this blood accomplishes what animal blood never could, cleansing her of every sinful stain. ‘See’, He says to her, ‘I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.’
‘It is finished’, He cries. And bowing His head, He gives up His spirit. What of the promised rich robes? Having stormed the gates of death, this holy Lamb takes up again the life He laid down. Not even all the powers of death can make Him faithless to His word.
The Father, well pleased with His Son, declares acceptable His perfect sacrifice for sin and, in exceedingly great power, raises this Lamb from the dead, seating Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named – not only in this age but also in that to come. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. At this name of Jesus, every knee shall one day bow – of those in heaven, of those on earth, and of those under the earth. Every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The Bride is now holy and without blemish. She has been clothed with rich robes fit for her marriage to her King. And in her wedding joy she sings:
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
And thus the death that came into the world through the sin of the First Adam is by the Last Adam conquered. Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? Having purchased His Pearl of Great Price at the cost of all He had, this risen conquering King casts open for His precious Bride the way to the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. Once more He bids her eat and drink, that she might forever live:
‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven – not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.’
They were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.Yet the First Adam by disobedience fell, and sin and death came. The Last Adam by obedience triumphed, and sin and death were put to flight.Now He and His Bride are clothed with His righteousness, and they are not ashamed. In His resurrection life, sin and shame and death are forever vanquished.There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Understanding the Role of the Pastor: Called to Proclaim the Word

600455_priest_5Ezekiel 2:1-5 says,
“And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
The previous verses cover the calling of Ezekiel to be a prophet to Israel. God is giving Ezekiel a task, setting him apart, to go to Israel and proclaim His (i.e. God’s) message to Israel.
Now, first and foremost, we need to understand what a prophet is. I think a common misunderstanding is that a prophet is one who solely “tells the future.” While we certainly see that happening in the Old Testament, a much better description of a prophet is simply one who is sent to proclaim a message, a message on behalf of God. God is consistently in the business of calling people to proclaim His Word, His message. Moses was called to bring a message to Egypt. Jonah was called to proclaim a message to Nineveh. Isaiah was called too and so forth, etc… you get the picture.
As we think about this in today’s context, what about here and now? Does God still speak through prophets in today’s context? Yes he does, however, not in the way that you probably think.
As we look to the New Testament we see that the scriptures speak of churches, groups of Christians, calling/appointing and ordaining pastors for the local church. Furthermore, we see in the scriptures the duties of the Pastor laid forth. As a result the church has called and ordained pastors to serve in the local church for the past two thousand years. Thus we can say that the office or role of the pastor is a divinely instituted office prescribed by scripture. The office is laid forth for the church to have and for men to fulfill.
But what makes a pastor a pastor? Very simply, I am a pastor not because of some intrinsic worth in myself. In other words, Pastor Matt Richard doesn't have a special DNA or special divine powers that make me a pastor. I am no closer to God than you are and I am just as much as a sinner as you are, if not more. So what then makes a pastor?            The answer is that a pastor is a pastor due to his calling from the local church.   Churches call pastors and churches are made up of  parishioners.                                 The church is not a building but the gathering of believers around the Word and Sacraments.  Thus, a pastor is only a pastor when they have been called by a local church to be a shepherd. Therefore my friends, there is no such thing as a self-appointed pastor.                                                                                                                              When I was starting seminary, someone asked me why I was going to seminary and I responded to them saying, “I was called.” Responding they said, “You are not called for you haven’t been called by a church.” This offended me greatly, but do you know what? They were right! Just as God called the people directly in the Old Testament to be a messenger of the Word, God works through His church, to call pastors to proclaim the Word to the flock & beyond.                                                                                                So, now that we understand that prophets of the Old and Pastors today need to be ‘called,’ what are they called to?                                                                                                In my humble opinion, the expectations of a pastor are some of the most misunderstood things in the church today. Just what does a pastor do and what is he called to? I came across a very funny job description for the ideal pastor. Here is what it says,
The ideal pastor preaches exactly twenty minutes with an hour’s content. He condemns sin, but never offends anyone. He works from 8 am to midnight, and also serves as the church janitor. He makes $40 a week, wears good clothes, and donates $30 a week to the church. He is 29 years old and has 40 years of experience. He is a strong leader, yet also follows everyone’s advice. He can effectively relate to all teenagers and spends all of his time with the elderly. He is tall and short, thin and heavyset, and has one brown eye and one blue eye. He makes 15 house calls a day, regularly visits the hospital, and is always in his office.
Now, we can all get a good chuckle out of the previous job description. I am sure many of you can relate to similar expectations in your own field of work. However, in all seriousness though, what is the pastor called to? If we could summarize the office of pastor into a simple idea, theme and job description, what would it look like? What was the primary thrust of the prophet of the Old Testament? Simply put, the pastor is to be the shepherd of the sheep.                                                                                                           
He shepherds, protects and feeds them not by his own strength or wisdom but feeds the sheep and directs the sheep by the Word. A pastor’s main job is to be a servant of the Words of God, God’s Word as printed in the Bible.
You are a servant of the Word. Follow Jesus. The Way of the Cross is a lonely, narrow path but it leads to heaven. Be more afraid of God than you are of the people. It is not the one who signs the check who provides daily bread. Do the right thing. Tell the Truth. Suffer the consequences. That is what a servant of Christ does.
It is the Preaching Office. Don’t forget that. Your relationship to the congregation is the same as the prophets to Israel. Work on teaching and converting your own people– which includes scores of folks not on the books. Preach the Gospel to them — from the pulpit, the podium, the bedside, and behind the desk. They come looking for marital advice? Tell them about Jesus dying for them. They come looking for sympathy and a listening ear? Tell them about Jesus dying for them. They have a new baby, lost their job, are afraid of retirement? Tell them about Jesus dying for them. No matter what the circumstances, what the situation, you preach Christ crucified. Never compromise the simple Truth that has saved you.
Believe your own preaching. Jesus died also for you. He called you to this Ministry. He knows what he is doing. As good or as bad as it gets, it will not last forever. He is coming back to claim His own.
The main job of a pastor is to proclaim the Word of God to his flock.                                     He is to proclaim the Word, not his opinion.                                                                       The pulpit is tied to the Word of God and the pastor is called to preach the Word.           The pastor only has authority when he is preaching the Word of God and not the opinion of man. Furthermore the pastor has no jurisdiction apart from the Word.
So, pastors are called to proclaim the Word to their flocks, however, what is so special about this Word? Why the importance of proclaiming, teaching, sharing, applying God’s Word?
There is a temptation in the church these days to excuse the spoken Word in exchange for deeds. 
The cry is, “We don’t want creeds/words, but deeds.” My friends, while it is important for us to serve our neighbor, we can never forsake the Word of God.                                         As human beings we are prone to wander and prone to leave the God that we love. Therefore, we need to hear daily and especially in the midst of the church, God’s Word. We need the Word to stand from the outside—in, speaking to us about our human condition of sin and also God’s solution, the forgiveness of sins found and purchased in Christ for us.                                                                                                                           We need someone to give us a report from the Word, we need the authoritative Word to stand outside of us and above us to tell us how things actually are.
We don’t need good advice, good techniques and good ideas to make us better parents, better spouses and better friends. No, we need God’s Word of Law announced to us to reveal sin, show us where we have been deceived, and indicate to us where we have injured our neighbors. We also need God’s Word of Forgiveness declared to us so that we might hear that we are forgiven, that we are declared righteous for Christ’s sake, that the guilt has been removed, that there is no condemnation for us in Christ.
The reason why the church calls pastors to proclaim the Word is that the message of the Cross is the power of God. In Genesis chapter 1 we read and see that God is speaking the World into existence out of nothing. God speaks, “Let there be….” And there was. Out of nothing God makes something and He does so by simply speaking, His Word. Through God’s Word He makes all things out of nothing. There is power in the Word of God! The same word that created the world is the same Word that creates and grants faith to you and me. (Rom. 10:17) The same Word that created the world is the same Word that creates and sustains the church. Through the Word of God miracles happen! You were/are saved. You are granted assurance. You are brought from death to life.
Pastors are called to proclaim the Word because in the Word of God everything hinges. My friends hear this today,
“Christ died for your and my sins and He was buried and He was raised on the third day. In Christ there is forgiveness and righteousness for you; in Christ, you are accepted, you are accepted, you are accepted.
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WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY WE CALL ‘DISCERNMENT’ REALLY ALL ABOUT

What is discernment?
Even as I mention that word, a multitude of Bible passages leaps into our minds: Ezekiel the watchman (Ezek. 3; 33); Jesus warning of the ‘false christs and false prophets’ that will arise (Matt. 24); the Jews at Berea who ‘searched the Scriptures daily’ to find out whether Paul was teaching them the truth (Acts 17); Paul telling the Thessalonians to ‘test all things; hold fast what is good’ (1 Thess. 5) and instructing Titus to ‘reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition’ (Titus 3); Peter warning about false teachers ‘who will secretly bring in destructive heresies’ (2 Peter 2). And many, many more – all helpful to us in various ways.
Paul tells the Philippians that he prays this for them:
…that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Phil. 1:9–11)
The immediate context there gives us a very good idea of what Paul means by ‘discernment’. Notice that he couples discernment with knowledge. The two are clearly related in some way.
Paul prays that the Philippians will abound ever increasingly in both these things, with the result that they ‘may approve the things that are excellent’ and ‘be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God’.
How we need this kind of knowledge and discernment! May the Lord grant it also to us in abundance, that we might too be found sincere and without offense until He comes again, being filled with the fruits of righteousness by Christ.
But we still haven’t answered our question: what is discernment?
Let us reach for a passage that is perhaps not always forefront in our minds when we think about discernment and what it means to be discerning. You know it well:
‘God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.’ (Hebrews 1:1–4)
I wish to juxtapose that with a few verses from a little further on in the same text. The ‘Therefore’ with which this next passage starts follows directly on from the premise stated in the verses above:
‘Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?’ (Hebrews 2:1–4)
God has spoken to us by the prophets and, in these last days, by His glorious Son. The same Son who has purged our sins and who now sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high. ‘Therefore, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard’, as the ESV puts it.
Why?
Lest we drift away, because we shall not escape if we neglect so great a salvation. A salvation that ‘at the first began to be spoken by the Lord’ and was confirmed by those who heard Him, with God Himself bearing witness with signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Is not true discernment this very activity of paying close attention to what we have heard about a Great Salvation?
A salvation proclaimed by Christ, undertaken for Christ, accomplished by Christ on the cross. A salvation we hear spoken of in the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit through the prophets and Apostles – and, yes, even Christ Himself.
If not by paying close attention to what we have heard about this Great Salvation, what other method is there by which we may discern, or truly be called discerning?
It now becomes clear why knowledge is an essential prerequisite for discernment: we have to know about the Great Salvation that is to be found only in Christ if we are to pay close attention to it.
Having received that Great Salvation, the love of Christ poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit now compels us to study it, proclaim it – even to contend for it. We do this in the hope that the Spirit may yet work in others faith and repentance by their hearing the Word of Christ, even granting to them the same joy that Grace has purchased at great price and freely bestowed upon us.
Discernment thus begins and ends with Christ. It is always about Christ, His person, His work.
Discernment abides in Christ. It feasts richly on His Word, for in the Scriptures alone do we find authoritative revelation of the person and work of Christ. All the Scriptures speak of Him, and in them we encounter God in human flesh, crucified for our sin and raised for our being declared righteous.
Discernment that is not centered upon Christ and His Gospel is thus utterly devoid of worth. It is fit for nothing but the dung heap.
Discernment thus rallies every believer with this cry: ‘Christ crucified for sinners and raised from the dead! To the Scriptures, which speak of Him! Contend for this faith once delivered! Shine forth this Good News – the power and wisdom of God to those who are called!’
If we were always about that business, if our every engagement were to further the cause of that Gospel? Truly, then would we be discerning discerners.
Frail as we are, may our heavenly Father, the almighty and everlasting God, grant for the sake of His Son by His Spirit that we cling to our great God and Savior with simple childlike trust, confident of all He has promised. May He give us wisdom and true discernment through His Word, keeping us from every sin and danger, governing all our doings that they may be righteous in His sight. May He cause us to hold fast to the author and finisher of our faith, even Jesus Christ, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.
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Discernment and Christian Maturity



12 Οὐχ ὅτι ἤδη ἔλαβον ἢ ἤδη τετελείωμαι, διώκω δὲ εἰ καὶ καταλάβω, ἐφʼ ᾧ καὶ κατελήμφθην ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ [Ἰησοῦ]. (Philippians 3:12-13 NA28)
12 Not that I have already received or have been completed I press on that, if possible, to apprehend it because Christ Jesus has apprehended me. (Philippians 3:12 translated from the NA28 Greek text)
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. (Philippians 3:12 ESV)
Biblical scholars consider Philippians 3:12 to be a very challenging verse. Here is a word-for-word translation, “Not that already I received or already I have been completed, I pursue but if also I might apprehend on which also I was apprehended by Christ Jesus.” What is Paul talking about?
I have been a Christian since 1986, but I grew up going to church and before God saved me I was faithful attending church nearly every Sunday so I have been around Christian evangelicals all my life. What I am about to say comes from my observations and experiences both before and after God saved me. Christians can easily become satisfied and content with the spiritual level they have attained. Before God saved me, I didn't notice anyone around me that had any particular spiritual gifts or abilities that they exhibited that I really wanted other than that thing about understanding God’s Word and praying. Those things eluded me. Then God intervened. Everything changed. I found that I could not get enough of God’s Word. I wanted to read it, devour it. I attended every Bible study I could. I took classes on how to study it. I learned how to conjugate Greek verbs, et cetera. That has never changed. I have been teaching myself Koine Greek for nearly 15 years with a lot of online help from some very good Greek Scholars. In any case, that part of my Christian walk has never diminished
However, on April 19, 1995 God allowed me to be a survivor of the Oklahoma City Federal Center bombing. I was a block south of the Federal complex when the bomb went off. I had been in the Federal Employees credit union just the day before. I knew some of those in the V.A. office. I knew some in the social security office Well, after the explosion I and one of my coworkers made our way up to what was left of the front of the Federal Building. Cars were still exploding. People were laying in the street covered in blood. Smoke was everywhere. Other than the approaching sirens, there was…silence…I had nightmares about that for months. I descended into a pit of depression and anger that lasted from that day until August 2004 when God drew me out of it for healing and I have never been the same. I look back on that period as a very dry spiritual time for me. Oh, I went to church. I taught classes. I prayed. I read my Bible. I was angry all the time. I wanted to get my hands around the throat of Timothy McVie and wring his neck.. You see, that anger was consuming me.
Did I grow spiritually during that time? I think not, but I was being prepared for what God did in 2004 to the present. There are tentacles of anger that try to pull me back to the pit sometimes. I fight depression sometimes. However, God is good. When I pull back from whatever it is that is driving me that way and seek God and His way that stuff just means nothing anymore. So, what am I saying? Have I apprehended the spiritual maturity Paul was talking about in Philippians 3:12? Not hardly, but I do know that I have been apprehended by Christ Jesus and I also know that He has given me this ministry of discernment and teaching. Neither of those things come cheap.
13 ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ ἐμαυτὸν οὐ λογίζομαι κατειληφέναι· ἓν δέ, τὰ μὲν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος τοῖς δὲ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος, 14 κατὰ σκοπὸν διώκω εἰς τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. 15 Ὅσοι οὖν τέλειοι, τοῦτο φρονῶμεν· καὶ εἴ τι ἑτέρως φρονεῖτε, καὶ τοῦτο ὁ θεὸς ὑμῖν ἀποκαλύψει· 16 πλὴν εἰς ὃ ἐφθάσαμεν, τῷ αὐτῷ στοιχεῖν. (Philippians 3:13-16 NA28)
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained. (Philippians 3:13-16 ESV)
Here is my personal translation of v13, “Brothers, I myself not consider to have apprehended; but forgetting the past and stretching forward to what lies ahead.” This verse sets up what the mature Christian does do instead of focusing on the past, dwelling on failures, letting life’s unfairness and tragedies overwhelm him or her as the immature or the not so mature Christian can find themselves doing…”I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way” This is what the mature, or maturing Christian does do. What is this pressing on toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus? Obviously it is the way the mature Christian thinks! What is it?
The goal is, of course, Christ likeness here and now, but the prize is Christ likeness in Heaven. The upward call of God is the time when God calls each believer to heaven and into His presence which will be the moment of receiving the prize which has been an unattainable goal in this life. Maturing Christians are to approach this life with this attitude. What will be the result? They will keep walking in progressive sanctification by the same principles that have brought them to their current spiritual growth.
What has this to do with discernment? First, what is it?   Who can exercise it properly? Certainly not Christians who are not walking according to the example Paul gave us here for the maturing Christian. Those who attempt to do so may be gifted by God in certain areas that are useful in the battle for the Truth, but eventually they will become compromised and will become casualties and, sadly, we have seen this quite often. Our enemy hates the truth, but he can only attack us as God allows, but if we are not walking as maturing Christians then we become liabilities in the Truth War and so our Lord may allow the enemy to take us out or nullify us. On the other hand, even if we are doing it all just as Paul directs, we will never perfectly “apprehend” it all here in this life and God will allow us to be attacked and cause us to struggle and depend on Him alone in all parts of our lives because that is the nature of the Spirit filled walk.
All of that to say, God gives discernment to His servants in order for them to serve the Body of Christ to warn them of apostate teachers and heretics. They warn the sheep of wolves trying to attack the flock. They teach and preach the truth. They help the sheep learn to discern for themselves how to tell what is Biblical from what is not. They point to certain professing “Christian leaders” who are teaching or preaching things that are un-biblical and tell the Body of Christ to run from them. The real sheep hears these warnings and do run because that very voice is coming from the Lord Himself. Real discernment is not an attack to cause disunity. It is a ministry to remove pretenders from the flock who are causing harm to it, which is, of course, the real crime of causing disunity. We simply warn and tell the truth. It is God who opens hearts and speaks the truth to them.
By Mike Ratliff Soli Deo Gloria!
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