Manslick Road church of Christ » 2007 » June
When the Pharisees criticized Jesus because His disciples plucked grain on the Sabbath, the Lord’s response included this rebuke: “But if you had known what this means, ’I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent” (Mt 12:7 ). It was one of several occasions on which Jesus chided the “experts” for how poorly they understood the Scriptures.
The passage quoted is Hosea 6:6 : “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” Surely God wanted sacrifices in Hosea’s day: He commanded them. But that is not all or even primarily what He wanted. Mostly, He wanted people whose hearts were devoted to Him, and who would therefore act compassionately toward one another. Compare Hosea 5:4-6 , where the people brought their flocks and herds to seek God, but their deeds were such that there would be no finding Him. Without faithful hearts that express themselves in love and obedience, sacrifice is empty; indeed, it is unwelcome.
Jesus cited this same passage from Hosea on another occasion, when the Pharisees rebuked Him for associating with “sinners” (Mt. 9:13 ). That may have been beneath their dignity, but not His; out of love He came to save such people.
What is the lesson? It is important to be careful about worshiping God as He directed: the right time, the right activities, etc. But let us not forget that the first requirement of acceptable worship is a right heart, one that cares about God’s will and reflects His mercy on a day-to-day basis. Careful worship does not make up for careless living. “First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering” (Mt. 5:24 ).
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3 ). Every spiritual blessing to be had is found “in Christ.”
In Christ we have forgiveness. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7 ). God does not promise forgiveness out of Christ. If you are not in Christ, that means you are unforgiven.
In Christ we are reconciled to God. Sin separates us from Him (Is. 59:1-2 ). Christ is the solution. “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them . . .” (2 Cor. 5:18-19 ). If you are not in Christ, you are still at enmity with God rather than His friend.
In Christ we are God’s children. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26 ). All are God’s children in a broad sense of being His offspring (Acts 17:28 ). But only those in Christ are His children in the spiritual sense. The alternative is sobering. If you are not in Christ, whether you realize it or not you are a child of the devil.
In Christ we have peace. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Ph. 4:7). This is not just peace with God; it is a peace of mind amidst life’s turmoil (note vv. 5-6). If you are not in Christ, you will never have the calm in the storm that could be yours.
In Christ we have eternal life. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23 ). Being dead to God now means eternal punishment after this life. If you are not in Christ, that is what is in store for you.
In Christ we have eternal glory. “After that you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Pet. 5:10 ). If you are not in Christ, you will miss out on eternal glory. Worse, you will find torment in its place.
These are but a few of the blessings we are granted in Christ. Surely you would like to enjoy them! The good news is that they are available to all.
The Bible is plain about how one comes to be in Christ. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17 ). “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27; see also Rom. 6:3-4 ). Believe in Christ, repent, and be baptized into Him. Why not do it today?
“Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Pet. 2:12 ).
Peter’s admonition reminds us of several sobering realities.
First, someone is watching us. Have you ever watched or listened to someone when he or she didn’t know you were paying any attention? Of course you have. If you have done that to others, rest assured that others are likewise observing you. Who is? Your children, grandchildren, or other young people you are around; your schoolmates, fellow workers, and neighbors; people with whom you do business; maybe even people you hardly know. Not always, but from time to time they pay close attention and make a judgment based on what they observe.
Second, the world is watching critically. Peter uses the term Gentiles, not in its technical sense, but of the world, of those who are not God’s people. He notes that they may look through faultfinding eyes, slandering you as an evildoer. That is no surprise. Remember how the world looked at Jesus. He “went about doing good,” yet He was variously regarded as a drunkard, a blasphemer, even demon possessed. “If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!” (Mt. 10:25 ). That brings us to Peter’s point. . .
We must go “above and beyond” to provide a good example. The previous verse commands us to “abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.” Any involvement in such things is all a faultfinding observer needs to dismiss us as evildoers, hypocrites. But this verse takes us a step further. Our behavior must be better than not bad; it must be excellent. This is the same word Paul used when he wrote, “For we have regard for what is honorable [excellent], not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men” (2 Cor. 8:21 ). Marginally bad speech, conduct, entertainment, and transactions must be shunned. Of course, a critical watcher may twist even the best behavior into a charge of wrongdoing. The point is, don’t give him any extra ammunition.
Why is all this so important? Because for those who are watching us, we may be the means of God’s visitation. The expression day of visitation can refer to God’s punishment, as in Isaiah 10:3 . But it can also refer to an opportunity for God’s mercy (Lk. 19:44 ); that meaning fits here. The hope is, our behavior will be such that those who at first reject God and His people will come to accept Him because they see nothing but good in us. Let each of us ask, would someone do that based on watching me?
One of Paul’s purposes in writing 2 Corinthians was to help those brethren prepare the contribution they had promised for the needy saints in Judea. Toward that end he sent Titus to assist them further. Along with Titus, Paul also sent “the brother whose fame in the things of the gospel has spread throughout the churches” (2 Cor. 8:18 ).
A famous brother. Many think it was Luke. He certainly fits all the criteria of this text and the accompanying history in Acts. Whoever it was, it was to his credit that his fame was in the gospel: his knowledge of it, his work in it, etc.
In our day we still have brethren who are highly regarded for their Bible knowledge. Others have a broad reputation for generosity. Still others are known for hospitality.
On the other hand, a few brethren are famous for other things. Some are known mostly for contentiousness; trouble seems to follow wherever they go. Some have reputations as hobby-riders; they seem to be all about one pet subject. Some are reputed for their conceit or self-will. Others have strong reputations for being weak when it comes to taking a stand on issues.
Few of us are known by brethren far and wide, but we are known at home. In whatever sphere it is, if a brother observed that you were famous for something, what would it be?