The Seed of Immortality and the Elixir of Life

spora = seed, sowing

                                      

I give you above the key Greek word found in 1 Peter 1:23 — spora, seed. This is central to the saving Gospel as Jesus preached it (Heb. 2:3: “salvation was first preached by the Lord Jesus”). Before defining the seed in the teaching of Jesus, we note that Christian sermons do not show constant interest in the staggering and stupendous words of Paul in 2 Timothy 1:10. Let me give you this below in several versions, for impact.

Presumably every believer in God would want to be sure he or she has obtained the immortality seed. This is the one and only key to living forever and ever, gaining immortality, obtaining indestructible life. Paul stated that immortality is found in the Gospel and that this immortality was brought to light in the Gospel preaching of Jesus! No Gospel of the Kingdom, no seed!

2 Timothy 1:10: “…through the appearance of our savior, Christ Jesus. He destroyed death and brought life and immortality into clear focus through the good news.” “But made [salvation] public only now through the appearing of our Deliverer, the Messiah Jesus, who abolished death and, through the Good News [Gospel], revealed life and immortality” (CJB).

 “This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (CSB).

Peter, who spent hours listening to Jesus as the Savior and teacher (Isaiah 53:11: Messiah’s “knowledge makes us right”), naturally also explained the secret of immortality to the public:

1 Peter 1:23: “You have been born again by means of the living word of God. His word lasts forever. You were not born again from a seed that will die. You were born from a seed that can’t die” (NIRV).

“For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (NIV).

“For your new birth was not from any perishable seed but from imperishable seed, the living and enduring Word of God” (NJB).

So where is the secret of immortality to be found? In the Gospel-words of Jesus and the words of all the apostles. Quite simply: go back to the precious Gospel words of Jesus in Luke 8, Mark 4 and Matthew 13 — the parable of the Sower. In Luke 8:11 we have this from Jesus: “The seed is the word of God.”

“The word of God is the word about the Kingdom” (Matthew. 13:19; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:43; 5:1).

By no means be deceived by the idea that “word of God” is a vague synonym for the Bible! It is not. The “word of God” as preached by Jesus is defined by him as “the word about the Kingdom” (Matthew 13:19), which is equivalent in Mark and Luke to “the word” and the “word of God.” It is this word/Gospel of the Kingdom as Jesus preached it (cp. also Acts 8:4, 5, 12, 14), which is the “seed of immortality”; the key to living forever, the means to indestructible life, which all of us desire!

Peter had heard Jesus preach this supreme saving truth everywhere, and he relayed it to us in 1 Peter 1:23- 25. Here we find the same key words (spora, seed, word, logos) and gospel: “preached to you as Gospel” (1 Peter 1:25). Peter understood from Jesus that being born again (“having been born again,” 1 Peter 1:23) depends on the intelligent reception of the seed message/Gospel of the Kingdom, which Jesus said was the whole point of his whole Christian mission (Luke 4:43).

In churches today we do not hear the phrase Gospel of the Kingdom! This should be cause for alarm, The saving Gospel has not been rooted in Jesus’ own words. (Hebrews 2:3 states that Jesus was the first and original preacher of the saving Gospel.) A subtle shift has taken place — away from Jesus. Tract after tract misleadingly convinces the public that the death and resurrection of Jesus was the entire Gospel.

But Paul said that Jesus’ death and resurrection were “among things of first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:3), which is obviously true. They are not the whole Gospel. Jesus preached the saving Gospel for 12 chapters in Matthew, introducing his death and resurrection only in Matthew 16:21: “he began to say…” This is a staggeringly interesting fact, little known.

A false distinction has been imagined in the mind of many. The truth is that “the Gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) is identical with the Gospel of the Kingdom (Acts 20:25). I must repeat this, if I may. The Gospel of the grace of God is precisely the same for Paul as heralding the Gospel of the Kingdom! Acts 20:24-25 puts this point beyond argument. There is absolutely no difference between the Gospel of the grace of God and the Gospel of the Kingdom! There is one saving Gospel given first to Jews and then to the whole world. We mortals all need to find and believe in that “seed” which is the vehicle of immortality, being the very seed of the immortal God (“God’s seed,” 1 John 3:9).

Is it not it fascinating that the word spora (seed) in 1 Peter 1:23 is found uniquely in the OT Greek in 2 Kings 19:29: “sowing, planting, reaping, eating fruit”? Jesus with his Gospel of the Kingdom was the ultimate sower, planter of immortality. His seed and sowing was the sowing of the germ of immortality. Sound interesting?

We do not have immortality; we have to gain it through seeking, finding and taking in the seed of immortality. Tell your friends about this Good News discovery in the Gospel teaching of Jesus about the Kingdom (Luke 4:43; Acts 8:12).

The Two-State Solution in End-Times Prophecy

Ever had the experience that something you have read “a thousand times” in the Bible all of a sudden leaps out at you? We all revel in those “light bulb” moments, those “Aha!” moments when the Spirit of God arrests and rivets our attention. I had one such moment lately. It concerns the centrally important prophetic words of Revelation 11:1-2: “I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, ‘Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshippers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.’”

Positively, the specific command is to measure the Temple, its altar and its worshippers. Negatively, the command is also precise — the outer court is not to be included in the measuring for “it has been given to the Gentiles” and will be trodden down. Then the famous words of Zechariah 12:3, LXX (Septuagint, Greek OT) are remembered as fulfilling this end-time prophecy — words also quoted by Jesus concerning the last days of this evil age (Luke 21:24): the area outside the Temple and its altar will be trampled by the Gentile nations for 42 months. God has promised to make Jerusalem “a trodden stone” by all the Gentile peoples of the earth and she will be “utterly mocked” (Zechariah 12:3, LXX). You must read the LXX here. It is a grim picture for Israel.

Why did this suddenly grab my attention? Well, this sounds like a “two state solution,” the very thing the governments of the world are pressuring for right now! Jewish and Gentile jurisdiction on the Temple mount together! We know the Islamic mosque on the Dome of the Rock stands where the second temple of Solomon stood before the Romans burned it. So how can there be a third Jewish temple to be “measured” with its “altar” and “worshippers” there on the Holy Mount? How can they exist in peace side by side with the Gentile peoples in the “outer” precincts?

I seem to recall reading the prophets foretelling that the Man of Sin (the Anti-Christ, Daniel’s “little horn,” the “Beast,” “the lawless one,” “the Assyrian” are just some of his designations, Isaiah 11:4, 2 Thessalonians 2:8) will have a penchant for brokering a covenant of peace in the Middle East. He will be able to “solve” what the world’s leaders so far have not been able to solve in all their machinations — an initial peaceful solution for two nation-states, Israel and Palestine.

This event, the covenant of peace, will cause the world to “wonder after, be amazed at the Beast,” to adore his political and religious genius and to cry, “Peace! Peace! At last.” Jesus warned that this will be an undeniable sign that the Great Tribulation will be about to be launched upon the inhabitants of the world (Matthew 24:15, 21).

I am not being sensational to report what is common knowledge, namely that the Jews have for some time been making serious preparations to rebuild their third Temple. Many of the great stones are pre-fabricated — already cut! And the Temple furniture, such as the golden candlestick, the brass (bronze) lathe, the table of the presence, and even the ark, is ready. (These facts can be verified by a simple Google search.) But with the Temple site being so venerated by Muslims it will probably never be surrendered to Israel for them to build their new temple without the danger of world war erupting. The Mosque on the Rock is Islam’s third holiest of sites.

Enter the current push by the United Nations for “a two state solution.” How long and hard has this solution been worked on by the world’s nations! How many Camp David's have we had?

Just in the last few weeks the papacy has declared its official support for a Palestinian state to stand alongside Israel. Indeed, as I write this very day, the Senate in the United States has just legislated that Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel! Yes, you read this right. Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel! And the recent United Nations vote for official Palestinian state recognition fell short by just one vote, yes, one vote! It was with the proviso that Israel come to this “solution” herself “voluntarily” (!) — otherwise it will be legislated upon her.

No one has any exact dates until the final 7 years begin when a treaty is made with the one who turns out to be an evil person.1 It seems to me the Muslim mosque on the Dome of the Rock may stand alongside a rebuilt Jewish Temple, and the world will rejoice that peace has come at last, and they will revel initially in their two-state man-made solution. The antichrist in a rebuilt temple was seen to be truth by many early pre-millennialists (believers in the future 1000-year reign of Christ on earth), and lost only when a theory of “days=years” submerged it.

Thus the reason Revelation 11:1-2 screams out to get our undivided attention. It says there will be a “two state solution” — one jurisdiction for the Jews and one jurisdiction for the Gentiles. For the Jews this will lead to an imposition, a trampling, an utter mocking of God’s holy mount and city, a desecration and defiance of their God-bequeathed heritage.

But it is clear God will eventually punish those who “divide” His land (Joel 3:2). The proposed two-state solution is an attempt to “divide” the holy land. Zechariah goes on to prophesy that God will in the end strike this Gentile trampling and mocking with a judgment causing “madness” and “astonishment” (Zechariah 12:4).

Alas for Jerusalem! Just as the prophet predicted, Zion has become “as trembling door posts” to the people round about her and is like “a trodden stone” of the Gentile nations who “utterly mock” her (Zechariah 12:2-3, LXX). It has become fashionable to squeeze Israel more and more. Friends and allies are increasingly cool towards her. Israel is at a rapid pace becoming more and more isolated and hemmed.

Alas for Israel! Such a tiny, tiny nation 260 miles long and about 70 miles wide, with Arab (Palestinian) enclaves pocketed throughout and surrounded by a billion Muslims whose aim it is to wipe her out of existence.

Yet as the prophets foretold long ago, God will, after refining them through severe discipline (Zechariah 13:9), eventually draw His ancient covenant people back to an acceptance of and faith in the Messiah. As I write there is a large influx of Jews streaming back (but still in unbelief!) to Israel from France, indeed all of Europe, the Ukraine and Russia. When Hitler ruled in Germany Europe’s population was approximately 3% Jewish. Today it is less than 0.2%!

Prime Minister Netanyahu was asked about Israel’s “homeland security.” He said that the President of the USA is rightly concerned to secure the borders and protect the homeland against terrorists. “Every day the President may well ask, ‘Is the United States safe?’ But when I wake up in the morning I ask my wife concerning Israel, ‘Are we still here?’”

The United Nations has struggled for decades to solve “the Palestinian problem.” The UN is now within a whisker of legislating that Israel accept “the two-state solution,” or it will be forced upon them by the governments of the world!

Current events in the Middle East are crying out for the predicted false “covenant of peace.” As we know, the prophets also tell us that mid-way through this “solution” the Antichrist will double-cross Israel and “break” his covenant with them (Daniel 9:27). It is at this point that those who are in Judea in those days must not enter their houses and gather their goods, but flee hastily for their very survival. At this point there will be a fearful holocaust launched against the Jews, in one final Satanic burst of pure hatred, designed to wipe out those who will then cry out for their Messiah to come and save them in the Name of the LORD (Matthew 23:39). Yes, Satan hates the prophecy of Jesus’ Second Coming, his Parousia and is not going to stop short (again) of an attempt at total annihilation of every Jew to stop their Messianic invitation! (Zechariah 13:8-9; 14:1-2).

The other amazing current development is that the national alliances the prophets speak of at the end times are now clearly forming — specifically, Iran and Russia to the north and the Sunni Arabs and Egypt to the south. The troubles come from “the north” (Daniel 11:31). When the predicted Antichrist is plainly on the scene, we should lift up our heads, for our redemption draws near (Luke 21:28), and we are going to see our King Jesus. The call to his disciples is to prepare and get ready to inherit his Kingdom and to rule this world with him (Revelation 2:26-27; Daniel 7:18, 22, 27, RSV; 1 Corinthians. 6:2; Revelation 20:4).

Just before his crucifixion Jesus told his disciples he was leaving them. In order to inform and to comfort them Jesus explained why he forewarned them: “Now I have told you before it comes to pass, so that when it does take place you may believe” (John 14:29; Mark 13:23). When we see prophecies unfolding before our very eyes it increases our faith in “the spirit of prophecy which is the spirit of Jesus” (Revelation 19:10). These teachings are not optional extras for believers in Jesus, but the very heart of his mind and spirit. Paul taught them to his congregations nearly 2000 years ago (2 Thessalonians 2:5).

Watching the promised props fall into place on the world’s stage fills me with increased faith in the prophetic word of Jesus as we approach the end of this “evil age.” King Jesus will enter center stage of history and rule as this world’s only rightful king and lord Messiah! (Luke 2:11: “lord Messiah”; Psalm 110:1: “lord,” adoni). The stone that is supernaturally cut out will in God’s time fall and crush the colossus of Daniel’s vision (Daniel 2:44), and “the times of the Gentiles” will have been fulfilled.

God announced long ago that Jerusalem would be “a trodden stone” and that all the Gentile nations would trample upon her and “utterly mock” Zion (Zechariah 12:3, LXX). Watch “the two-state solution” unfold before your very eyes. Measure the Temple and its altar and those who worship there! But leave out (probably “throw down” of Daniel 8:11) the outer precincts for the unbelieving Gentile nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on, trodden on, but for a limited time, just as Zechariah and Jesus who read him (Luke 21:24; Revelation 11:2-3) have prophesied!

Written by: Greg Deuble

What is the meaning of Lent?

Lent has been handed down to the Christendom from the Babylonian Mystery Religion originating with Nimrod and Semiramis through the Roman Catholic Church to most all the churches in Christendom. It is not biblical, not ordained of God. It's origin is pagan and there is no reason for any follower of God's anointed one Jesus to keep Lent.

The only sacrifices we are called upon to make are the following:

Hebrews 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

1 Peter 2:5 You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus the anointed One - Christ.

Hebrews 13:15 By him [God's anointed one, Jesus] therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name [Yehovah].

We as followers of the lord Jesus God's anointed One are not called upon to give up food, or anything as a sacrifice during the period known to Christendom as Lent. We can not do anything to gain salvation, that has been given to us as a free gift because Jesus offered himself up as a sacrificial sin offering on our behalf and that offering was acceptable to God as we see in the resurrection of our lord and savior. Nothing in my hand I bring, only to his cross I cling.
God looks upon the one who approaches Him our of a deep and abiding respect, with a humble and contrite heart that is willing to serve Him and His beloved son Jesus.

The only thing we have to give up is self, taking Jesus side against our own carnal human nature and putting on the new man, taking part in praising his God and our God, his Father and our Father as new creations in him. In the anointed One we have everything. Taking a position in him against self is what we can do given that God has given us His spirit to enable us to do so.

Bruce Lyon Elder: Restoration Fellowship Assembly

The Sense of Value

Mark 14:3-9 (Also Matthew 26:6-13)

“And, truly, I say to you, wherever the Gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” Mark 14:9

The importance of this passage comes to us in this last verse. This woman has done something of such significance that it would be permanently attached to the preaching of the Gospel in memory of her. There is no other passage in which a particular action of a person is specifically said by the Lord to be included as part of the preaching of the Gospel. Yet, in all my life as a Christian, I do not recall any clear message being expounded on this passage. I wonder whether it be not a symptom of the problem of the spiritual life of the Church today.

I don’t want to go into too many technicalities on this particular passage. Mark tells us that the feast took place in the house of Simon the leper. He was no longer suffering from leprosy, otherwise no one would meet in his house. Now Simon invited the Lord Jesus to this meal, as well as others, including Lazarus and his sister Martha (John 12:1-8 tells us), and of course, all of the Lord’s disciples. It was held in Bethany, which is just across the valley from Jerusalem, around the Mount of Olives.

Mary Receives Reproach for Her Act of Devotion

Now, we know from John (12:1-8) that this woman is Mary, the sister of Lazarus. During the meal, Mary produced an alabaster jar of very valuable ointment. It is given as being worth 300 days’ or ten months’ pay of the average working man. Having produced this jar, she broke it, literally smashed it. The word is a strong word for “break”. It is a word for “crush”, or “smash”, expressing a certain determination, without hesitation. She poured out the ointment upon Jesus’ head and feet. Now, when she had done this, it brought forth not applause, but indignation and reproach from the guests and, sad to say, from the disciples as well. We see from John 12 that Judas Iscariot, the traitor, was the one who led the choir of reproach among the disciples. But the Lord Jesus spoke out on her behalf and said that she has done something beautiful, something excellent, something very significant, and that she had prepared His body for the burial.

One thing about this passage disturbs me. It disturbs me because from time to time, I feel an echo. I find myself almost agreeing that what Mary did was a waste.

What is Our Sense of Value?

This is our third study and meditation on spiritual direction. In talking about spiritual direction, nothing is so important as understanding spiritual values, which govern those directions. That is to say, whatever is valuable to you is what you will direct your life to. Right? If money, status, social standing or prestige is important to you, then clearly you will direct your life to these goals. But on the other hand, if spiritual things are of value to you, then you will direct your life to spiritual goals. So the question is: what are your values?

Now, anything you do not regard as valuable, you tend to treat lightly or to reject. On the other hand, things you do value, but which you do not regard as being properly used, you will consider as being wasted. Your definition of waste depends on what is your definition of value. They regarded the ointment as wasted. To them, giving this ointment to Jesus, pouring it all out on His head and feet was a waste and, therefore, unnecessary. It would have been better to give it to the poor. Is that what you think? Is it necessary? Why not modestly pour a little bit on Jesus? See how much I love Him? Why smash this beautiful jar and pour it all out? It is excessive. We must be reasonable.

How Much is the Gospel worth to us?

I found myself tending to agree. Do you not? It, however, reveals something to me about my sense of values. I don’t wonder that this passage is not preached today when the Gospel is preached. You see, a whole set of spiritual values is embodied in this action of Mary’s. How much the Gospel is worth to you depends on your sense of values. It may be worth a bit. It may be useful on the social level. In Liverpool, we had to have a bus to pick up children for Sunday School because the parents were happy to send their children away to learn some good manners, but they themselves did not want to become Christians. They valued the Gospel only on a social level.

What is your concept of the Gospel? Do you go to Church because there are nice people who will stand by you when you get into a jam? I wonder what is our sense of values. Why do people serve the Lord? Is it always because of a spiritual reason? I often suspect there are less than spiritual reasons for serving the Lord. No wonder, a preacher can’t preach this passage without feeling the sword of the Word of God stabbing right into himself and exposing him.

Our Gratitude to the Lord

When we read this passage, we immediately ask ourselves, “What is our sense of values?” Why did Mary do this? Well, Mary’s life had obviously been utterly transformed by her contact with the Lord Jesus. She was once in the grip of sin, and is now freed. Her life which was once in darkness so that she knew not where she was going, now had spiritual direction. Her life was touched by the fragrance of Jesus. So clearly, it was out of a deep sense of unspeakable gratitude that she poured out this extremely expensive ointment. To her, it was no waste, no sacrifice. Such was her profound sense of burning thankfulness and gratitude. Now, unless you can feel this kind of gratitude, of course, you can’t understand what Mary was doing. Clearly, you cannot have this sense of gratitude unless you also experience what Mary experienced.

Has Jesus at any time touch your life in such a way that you can feel this kind of thankfulness? Or do you approach Jesus with the ‘chained door’ policy, allowing your life to open to Him only as much as the chain allows. This is limited Christianity.

The Lord says in v. 6 that she did a beautiful thing. The Greek word translated ‘beautiful’ does mean ‘beautiful’ when referring to outward appearance. But when referring to quality, we don’t translate it as ‘beautiful”. Here the reference is clearly to the quality of the action. So the word would be better translated as ‘excellent, precious or useful’. All this is expressed in her act of devotion. It is praiseworthy insofar as it expresses a profound gratitude. I don’t see this kind of gratitude among Christians. It shows you the level of your spiritual life. If you really believe, as you say you believe, that Jesus died for you in such a way as to redeem you from eternal destruction and give you eternal life, and that you are set free from the bondage of sin, where is your gratitude for this? No wonder the world does not believe our confession.

Our Spiritual Direction - Carnal or Spiritual

Do you know what eternal life is? Can you grasp the value of this incredible gift? We don’t perceive and therefore spiritual reality is non-reality to us. The apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:18

“While we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Paul has grasped the spiritual value of those things. If you don’t have any sense of spiritual values, then you have no spiritual direction. There are only two possible directions in your life. It is either spiritual or it is carnal. There is no third alternative. Carnal means you are living for the world and for the enjoyment of your flesh, which is going to pass away.

How is it possible that we come to a belief in which the things which are not seen are in fact the real things? How can we arrive at this? It is only possible through the death of Christ. It is that contact with His life and His death which does something in us - it transforms us. Spiritual things now become a reality. As you go on, they will become the only significant reality.

Preparation for Jesus’ Burial

Moved by gratitude, Mary did something of great spiritual significance. It does not mean that she herself understood the full spiritual significance of what she did. The value of an action does not depend upon your understanding its full significance. So long as it is done with a totality of devotion. The prophets themselves did not necessarily understand the full significance of what they prophesied. But that does not diminish the value of their prophecy.

Mary did an excellent thing, something praiseworthy. The Lord says that she had prepared His body for the burial. It is unlikely that she herself knew that she was preparing Jesus’ body for burial. Jesus rose from the dead before they could embalm His body. In those days, the practice was that when a person died, ointment was poured all over him to help preserve the body. But as you know in the circumstances of Jesus’ death, He was taken down from the cross immediately before sundown. After the sundown was the Sabbath, during which no one was permitted to do any work. On the first day of the week, they came to anoint His body, but He had already risen. Therefore, Mary’s anointing was the only one that He was ever to get.

The name ‘Christ’ (‘Christ’ in Greek; ‘Messiah’ in Hebrew) means someone who is anointed. In the Old Testament, prophets, priests and kings were anointed. Jesus, by being called the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, indicates that He is prophet, priest and king. However, Jesus was never anointed until this incident. Anointing was normally carried out either by a prophet or priest. Mary was neither prophet nor priest. Yet at this moment, she became both a prophetess and a priestess, in her act of devotion, doing something of the greatest spiritual significance.

Act of Total Commitment

In the Bible, the body is spoken of as a vessel (e.g. 2 Timothy 2:20,21). The breaking of a vessel symbolizes death, particularly in the breaking and the pouring out of its contents (Philippians 2:17). Therefore the breaking of this alabaster jar and the pouring out of its contents symbolizes the death and self-giving. This was exactly what the Lord Jesus was about to do, being a sacrifice for our salvation. Mary acted out a parable of Jesus’ death in that incident. Jesus gave Himself totally to us, and in turn we give ourselves for Him. Therefore the breaking of the jar and the pouring out of its contents is a picture of total commitment. Yet for this action of total commitment to Jesus, she is reproached by God’s people - the Jews, including the Lord’s disciples. It shows that even the Church can have a doubtful sense of spiritual values and therefore the spiritual direction of the Church could very quickly be in trouble as Church history tells us. Jesus poured Himself in total commitment for our salvation. Is it too much to pour out the ointment for Him?

A Vietnamese brother gave up his studies at Cambridge University when the Lord made it clear to him that he was to leave Cambridge. You know who criticized him? The Christians, saying that it was excessive and unnecessary. “What a waste!” He said to me, “I can’t understand why the things of this world are so important to Christians. They profess to have spiritual values, yet when it comes to the test, they show their hypocrisy.” What is your sense of values? I beg of you to search your heart truthfully.

Let’s close briefly with five points, as we analyze the matter a little more closely.

1. RARITY OF TOTAL COMMITMENT

This kind of total commitment that does not see anything too valuable to give to Jesus is so rare in the Church. We talk about total commitment but our commitment is very much less than total. Therefore our spiritual direction is going to be very uncertain.

2. EXCESS IN DEVOTION

Though we speak about total commitment, yet when put to the test in relation to something we love, our commitment becomes much less than total. The things we are prepared to give are not valuable to us. We’re willing to give up our time provided it is our spare tine. Reading the Bible is not giving something to Jesus, but it is for our own benefit. The same applies to prayer. Are our prayers not mostly for ourselves? We have given almost nothing to Jesus, perhaps just a few drops of ointment.

Is it possible to be excessive in devotion, in what we give to Jesus? We may give misguidedly by giving what He doesn’t want. For example, some people beat themselves until blood runs or starve themselves when fasting. Fasting is good for self-discipline, but do not think we have given to Him anything. The Lord does not take pleasure in seeing us beaten or starved. So sometimes our devotion may be misguided.

But can we talk about “total” and yet have excess? What is an excess of a total? That is a contradiction in terms Again, we reveal our hypocrisy and our lack of a sense of spiritual values.

3. CONFUSION IN SPIRITUAL VALUES

Spiritual things become confused when our sense of values is confused. It is strange how the disciples should criticize Mary for excess when they themselves have given up their own profession to follow Jesus. If they were so concerned about the poor, why did they not stay in fishing and donate their fish to the poor? It shows them to be utterly illogical unless their motive for following Jesus was impure. Those who study the Gospels are ready to concede that the motives might have been less than pure at first, at least in the case of some of the disciples. In the case of Judas, it was always impure, right to the end.

4. CRITICISM OF TOTAL COMMITMENT - SELF DEFENSE

We speak of Jesus as Lord, yet in practice we lord it over others by our criticism. Mary gave what was hers, her private possession, and had every right to do what she did. Yet, they thought they had the right to criticize. What right do I have to criticize you for what you do with what is yours? If a person decides to give up his profession, why do I criticize him? It is his life. Do we have the right to criticize? But it makes us feel uncomfortable when we see somebody breaking their alabaster jar. It makes us feel that we may have to break our own alabaster jar. We don’t want to break it, so we defend ourselves by saying that the action is unworthy and not desirable of imitation. We say that it is excessive and unnecessary. These are the ways in which we defend ourselves.

5. SELF-JUSTIFICATION THROUGH SPIRITUAL SOUNDING REASONS

Often, we cover up our real reason with a spiritual-sounding reason. John 12 tells us that Judas criticized Mary, not because he was actually concerned about the poor, but that he loved money. He justified himself by making it sound as though he was concerned about the poor. Time and again, we justify ourselves with a spiritual-sounding reason, when in fact that is not really our reason. Thus we become caught in the most dangerous mess of self-deceit. When you decide not to serve the Lord, it is your business, and nobody has the right to criticize you. But do not give it spiritual-sounding reason to cover it up. Just honestly admit you are not able to express this kind of devotion or that you are not ready. Do not say, for example, “I was going to serve the Lord but the Lord doesn’t want me to do this.” I have yet to come across anything like this in the Bible. God may send you to serve in a different place or in a different way. Yet, I have not yet heard of God rejecting someone when he comes to Him with a sincere commitment to serve Him. Be honest to say that our spiritual devotion is not adequate.

Every time we read this passage, does the feeling of waste come back? Let us ask ourselves: What is my sense of spiritual values? What is my commitment? What is my spiritual direction?

A sermon on “Spiritual Direction” by Pastor Eric H. H. Chang. This message was delivered at Chinese Gospel Church in Montreal, PQ, Canada, on January10, 1982.

This I Command You, to Love One Another

Today we continue our exposition on spiritual direction. Spiritual direction is the direction in which the Lord Jesus Himself walked. As the apostle Paul says, “For if we (Christians) live, we live for the Lord. and if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14: 8) “For the Lord” means for the very same purpose and goal for which He died for us. That direction is to lay down our lives - to wholly give ourselves for the salvation of mankind. But this embraces a large area. Lest we be left with some wonderful ideal beyond our reach, let us consider how this commitment can be put into practice. How does this teaching translate into everyday life? In many ways, we shall see that John 15:9-17 is truly a precious passage for it summarizes the points which will help us set our sights on the goal.

The Standard of Love

The commandment to love one another in John l5:l2 is quite familiar to most of us. Often there is the temptation to end this verse there. At this level, we could still get by by claiming that in some manner we do truly love the brethren. Now the Lord does not end the verse there. The Lord does not leave us in doubt how we are to love one another. We are to ‘love one another as I have loved you.’ We are to love in the same way as Christ loved. This is the Lord’s standard of love. This same love in action emerges in 1 John 3:l6,

“By this we know love that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

The Lord Jesus calls this His commandment. A commandment by its very nature is not optional. Either we determine to walk the way He walked or we shall not be His disciples. The kind of love the Lord demands is none other than the kind of love He is giving to us. So we see the Lord sets forth clearly both the standard and the necessity of love in the life of the disciple.

Love and Joy

What example of love does the Lord give us? In v. 13, we read,


“Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Let us try to catch a picture of the Church the Lord Jesus builds with His redemptive life and His blood. Capture the vision of the Church when we all obey this commandment. To date, we must frankly confess that we have not obeyed this command. I have failed as I freely confess to you. In our selfishness, we have often not been willing to have this total love. Consequently we have not lived victoriously and have often lost the joy connected with this command in v. 11.

As we begin to live in this full self-giving, there will appear a joy that we never knew before. The moment we become defensive and shut ourselves in, the joy goes. Have we not all had some experience of this? If only once, we tried giving ourselves away, not afraid to be hurt, we would experience something of the vision of the Church the Lord had in mind: a Church in which each lives for the other and all live for God.

The Requirement of Love

What is the Lord’s requirement in our love? What the Lord requires is that those who commit themselves totally to Him must also commit themselves totally to one another. Total commitment is not merely to God, as we may have thought. Much to our shock and fear, Christ requires our total commitment to love one another as well.

(In the main), we are more prepared to commit ourselves totally to God because we trust Him. He is wise. He is good. Even in His severity, God is merciful. But we don’t trust people.

This command to commit ourselves totally to our brothers and sisters is often more than we can handle. We don’t trust their judgement and wisdom. Even sometimes we have questioned their genuineness. Always there is the haunting suspicion that if we open ourselves to one another, we may get hurt. The commandment to commit ourselves totally to one another is therefore frightening. To attain to the total commitment to God seems already such an awesome task. To commit ourselves to one another - how shall we attain to this?

Love and Power in Prayer

I have, in other contexts, pointed out that the relation between Christian and Christian (is so close) to the picture of a husband to a wife. In all aspects, the commitment is total on the spiritual level. Among brothers and sisters, it is spiritual but nonetheless total to one another. Now this relationship is absolutely vital to our spiritual life and the spiritual power with which we function. To illustrate, the Lord draws attention to our power in prayer.

The Lord makes our power in prayer directly dependent upon our obedience to this command to love as He loved. Have we not all known people who have prayed and were annoyed, when God didn’t answer their every whim? What is our experience in prayer? Here the Lord demonstrates a condition for the answering of prayers - we must fulfill His requirement to love. V. 16 relates,


“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you.”

These words are the promises of the living God to give us whatever we ask. A person not totally committed to God and, much less committed to one another. need not quote this promise because the context of this promise is total commitment. Here lies the danger in quoting Scripture verses that draw our attention only to the promises of God. The very promise has an associated context. We may not claim one of these promises unless and until our life accords or conforms to the conditions set fur in the context.

Love and Experience of God

Now there is a glorious aspect in this passage. As our life and teaching manifest the teaching which accords with godliness, the Lord challenges us to take Him at His word. We may ask what we will and He will answer. The Lord does not hide Himself. He desires that we may experience Him as the living God. The Lord dares to make such a promise when we walk righteously before Him in our generation. I challenge you as well to experience evermore deeply the fellowship God desires to have with you as you walk in the light of His Word, the living Word.

The life of George Muller is a challenging testimony. Not once does the living God fail. In his autobiography, he details his many prayers for the orphans and their financial needs - he always obtained what he requested. He meticulously catalogued every prayer and answer. More than 50,000 prayers. More than 50,000 answers.. As he neared the end of his life, someone asked, “Were any of your prayers ever not answered?” He said, ‘There are two people I have prayed for and I have not got an answer yet.” After his death, inquiry was made and it was discovered his prayers had both been answered. Why? Here was a man totally committed to his God and totally committed to God’s people. This is the absolute confidence we can have in prayer. Despite my weaknesses and failings, the Lord has, in His graciousness, answered my prayers far beyond anything that I could expect or think.

Love and Salvation

Quite apart from the matter of prayer, the Lord taught me the importance of this total commitment as it relates to our salvation. This truth was revealed to me through my mother’s death. Let me relate it like this.

In 1977, I had just returned from a preaching tour in various places in Ontario. On my return, I was exhausted and there was yet before me a preaching engagement in the West a week hence. One morning my wife, Helen came in the room and just stood there in silence. She quietly handed me a telegram informing me of my mother’s death along with the message to come to Switzerland immediately. I couldn’t take it in. My last memory of her was that of a vigorous and happy lady. Had I not just received a letter from her a few days before?

When I went to my mother’s apartment, in this town in Switzerland, everything in her apartment was tidy and clean, reflecting my mother as she always was. The apartment looked as though she had just gone out for a walk. For several nights, I knelt before the Lord by the bedside and said, “Lord, I don’t understand this.” A light had gone out of my life. My heart felt like it had a great hole in it - one which was to remain for years.

I could not understand why there was this profound sense of loss because there was no deep natural affection for my mother. In my upbringing, I was closer to my father. Mother went to work, leaving me in the care of my nanny. My nanny bestowed every kindness upon me. She bore with me in all patience. In giving this account, one can see there was no natural grounds for affection for my mother. Perhaps it is the danger of some who marry young. Young mothers, in many cases, see their children as burdensome. All the more I was at a loss to account for this emptiness. Even in later years, she was deeply disappointed that I had gone to Bible college, feeling I was wasting my precious energies, rather than becoming the great man she hoped I would become in the world. Often my visits were accompanied by a coldness to the Gospel in those days.

Gradually the message of the Gospel reached into her life not through any preaching, but because my mother began to see the power of what God was doing in my life constantly. I determined a stubborn love: though there was no natural reason to love, I would love her with the love of Christ. One day she knelt beside me in prayer and received the Lord as King of her life. Wonderful [was] the moment when she yielded herself to Him. As she became totally committed, her whole attitude changed. She became a person I had not known before. A goodness, kindness and humility pervaded her life. Whereas before there was an impatience and intolerance when I came home, now there sprang forth a devotion and love. Mark well how the Lord changes a person. Thereafter I could never sleep so well as when I went home to see my mother. We gave ourselves totally to one another, having first mutually given ourselves to God. As we determine to walk close to God, our relationships will carry the fragrance of God in our lives. Why was there such a deep sense of loss when my mother died? In His goodness, the Lord showed me the reason I felt this loss so acutely: I had lost someone who was living out this very Scriptural principle we are expounding today - the totally committed person.

Another lesson dawned on me. How precious is someone who loves us not merely on some physical level, which passes away - but is spiritually committed in total love. Such is the beauty in the community of God’s people. Each individual’s love not only does not lose his quality in the group but is simply irreplaceable. Your contribution to the life of another brother or sister is indispensable. The loss will be felt. Through this painful experience, I learned this amazing lesson and began to grasp the vital importance of fulfilling the Lord’s teaching in the Church.

Love’s Commitment in God’s Family

I wonder, can we grasp what is the strength that comes from the assurance that you are loved with a total love? I began to realize that my commitment must be not only to my mother but to every single person who is my brother and sister. Has not our Lord said in Matthew 12:50,

“For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother, and sister and mother.”

To commit ourselves to everyone is rather difficult but I must commit myself to every brother and sister whom I know does the will of my Father. To such a person, one is absolutely committed. So today I would make my commitment to you as well. To those who strive to carry out the Father’s will, I want to make the same specific commitment I made to my mother: So long as I have something to eat, you will have something to eat. So long as I have a place (to live in); you will have a place (to live in). My commitment to you is unconditional, as the Lord requires - so that together as a Church, we may have the fullness of commitment the Lord died to accomplish.

Our direction is to be like Him and that the Church of God be a community like Himself. The wheat that falls into the ground and dies brings forth wheat, like unto itself. How my full heart yearns for the day when the Church of Christ is once again His glorious Church, holy and blameless, when the world can look at the Church and say, “Hey, I see the love of God. Here is total commitment.” Truly it shall be as the Lord has said on the matter of discipleship:

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another.” (John 13:35)

So I shall stand, not only for you, but with you to the limit of my ability. Now my capacities may be limited but my Father’s are unlimited. Remember His words, “Whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you.” This is exactly what we shall prove. There is no problem too big for our Father. In this line, we will aim to build a Church that shows the life and quality the Lord seeks of His people.

Love and Service

In v. 10 Jesus says,

“If you keep my commandments, you will abide (live) in my love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide (live) in His love.”

Preface this verse, with the fact that on the one hand, He commands us and on the other hand, He serves us. Thus He says in Matthew 20:28,

“Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

What we learn from this mutual commitment is a deep respect. In John 13, Jesus washes the disciples feet, emphasizing this point. Some are entrusted with leadership. Some follow. Let me stress on this one thing however, that in the Church of Christ, leadership is not a status but a function. That is to say, the leader is not a grade higher than you, he simply has a different function from you. The leader must respect those who are led. Anyone who does not understand this has no place in the Church of Christ. I profoundly respect you as my brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us put aside the worldly concept of status or position. It has no place in God’s house. The leader is the servant, as we all are, for Christ’s sake.

Love and Openness

Where there is this commitment to one another, there is joy. Joy means enjoyment. The Christian must never be ashamed of enjoyment - particularly the enjoyment of one’s brothers and sisters. If the fellowship does not bring joy, our commitment is very much in doubt. Our commitment is in trouble. Often our relationships are “chained door” relationships. We conduct ourselves behind a chained door, slightly open for fear of being hurt or exposed. The chain defines the limit. We are always watchful and guarded. Always defensive. Therefore we cannot relax with one another. After all, we may even be criticized or rebuked.

Contrast this to the full commitment to love one another. We are not afraid of our brothers and sisters. If you are committed to me, you should tell me my faults. In fact, I beg of you, to tell me my faults. I ask not for nice words. Any fault of mine could prove spiritually fatal to me. If there is something bad, please tell me. If there is nothing, what do I have to defend? What is there to fear? Why are we so touchy? I don’t have to put the chain on. Just come in. Let us learn to value our brothers and sisters so that together we can grow in the body of Christ.

Love and Friendship


“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant-does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friend, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:1)

If the Master hides nothing from us, why do we hide anything from one another? Friendship is trust and openness. Let us learn to relax with one another. Friendship is the most profound relationship any two people can have. When friendship goes out of a marriage, it is dead. It becomes just a legal union, where we are stuck with someone we can’t live with. Rather, marriage is to be friendship at its highest level. Our partner is our best friend. Endeavor to build this relation with one another, to enjoy one another. Friendship is built on mutual trust. In this verse, Christ has set the standard for every relationship. When friendship goes out of life, what remains? If there is friendship, it matters not what age we are. there will never be a generation gap.

Let us therefore be a Church where this openness and trust prevails. In so doing, the glory of God will be revealed in our midst. His power will be manifest in our prayer. We shall see glorious things as our direction of life accords with the Lord’s.

A sermon on “Spiritual Direction” by Pastor Eric H. H. Chang. This message was delivered at Chinese Gospel Church in Montreal, PQ, Canada, on January 3, 1982.