Jesus

DiM | “Flawless” by MercyMe

Faithful Stewardship 2 Comments

Presentation1Today is “Discernment in Music” (DiM) day here at Faithful Stewardship (2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (ESV)).

June 09, 2015. Today we’ll be taking a look at “Flawless” by MercyMe which currently sits at #19 at 20theCountdownMagazine.

We’ll continue using this top 20 song list until I find a better list. Your feedback in this would be greatly appreciated.

When I first heard this song on the radio, I was driving and didn’t catch most of the first verse, but I was really excited to hear a song talking about God’s Grace and how there is nothing we can do to earn that Grace, not before salvation or retroactively. However, now that I’ve listened to it several times and read the lyrics (part of my writing process), I’m less excited about the song. In seeking to assuage one fear (works-based righteousness before God), it conveys several poor notions. We’ll discuss those below.

VEVO Music Video

Lyrcs (via KLove)

Flawless by MercyMe

There’s got to be more
Than going back and forth
From doing right to doing wrong
‘Cause we were taught that’s who we are
Come on get in line right behind me
You along with everybody
Thinking there’s worth in what you do

Then like a hero who takes the stage when
We’re on the edge of our seats saying it’s too late
Well let me introduce you to amazing grace

No matter the bumps
No matter the bruises
No matter the scars
Still the truth is
The cross has made
The cross has made you flawless
No matter the hurt
Or how deep the wound is
No matter the pain
Still the truth is
The cross has made
The cross has made you flawless

Could it possibly be
That we simply can’t believe
That this unconditional
Kind of love would be enough
To take a filthy wretch like this
And wrap him up in righteousness
But that’s exactly what He did

Take a breath smile and say
Right here right now I’m ok because
The cross was enough

Then like a hero who takes the stage when
We’re on the edge of our seats saying it’s too late
Well let me introduce you to grace grace
God’s grace

No matter what they say
Or what you think you are
The day you called His name
He made you flawless

Publishing: MercyMe Music (ASCAP) (admin. by Music Services); Wet As A Fish Music (ASCAP) (admin. by Music Services); Soul Glow Activator Music (BMI) (admin. by Music Services); D Soul Music / Universal Music Brentwood Benson Publishing (ASCAP) (admin. by capitolcmgpublishing.com); 9t One Songs / Ariose Music (ASCAP) (admin. by capitolcmgpublishing.com). All rights reserved.
Writer(s): Bart Millard, Mike Scheuchzer, Nathan Cochran, Robby Shaffer; Barry Graul; Solomon Olds; David Garcia; Ben Glover

Discussion

Overall Intent

I believe the intent behind this song is a good one. I’m inferring intent based on the direction of the errors and the current theme in the Christian music industry. The intent is to reassure the listener that faith in Christ’s life, death, & resurrection is sufficient for salvation. That the one who believes in the Son has eternal life assured, and that nothing he does in this life can improve upon that assurance. Our rightstanding with God is by faith alone in Christ alone to the Glory of God alone. Both boasting (in our good works) and condemnation (for not measuring up to the good works of others) are excluded.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Romans 8:1-11 (ESV) | Life in the Spirit
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Hopefully, in reading through the passage in Romans, we see where MercyMe was intending to go but toward the end of that passage we see where the song gets a bit off track. Does the cross make us flawless in the here and now? Not in the flesh. This flesh is corrupted, dead, because of sin. We walk in sinful bodies, but we who are in Christ do not submit ourselves to the flesh; rather, we walk in the Spirit, meaning by faith we hold onto the promise of the Resurrection, a Promise sealed in us by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as a Gift for those who have believed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:3-9 (ESV) | Born Again to a Living Hope
1 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Peter makes it clear that our Salvation and Hope are assured, though our reception of the fullness of the Promise is not yet. How can that be? Faith.

Romans 8:23-25 (ESV) 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

No one hopes for what he sees. We hope (with assurance by faith) for what we do not yet see, our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies, the resurrection in Christ Jesus.

The cross has made you flawless in the hope that is to come, the Return of Jesus Christ. This song stays focused on hurts and sins of the past. Our bodies still bear the scars of sin… we all will die a physical death.

Problems

While I believe the overall intent of the song to have come from a good place, there are some big problems in the lyrics that bear mentioning.

Verse 1. There’s got to be more Than going back and forth From doing right to doing wrong ‘Cause we were taught that’s who we are… What is really being countered here? I mean, the truth is that this is who we are, we are simultaneously justified by faith and sinners in the flesh. If we stop teaching this as the truth of our existence, does that change the existence? No. What is the alternative? That Christians no longer sin or that sin is no longer sin for Christians? Absolutely not! So, this whole verse gets a “fail” from me. The last line of this verse, if held tightly within the context of what we’d explored as the “intent” of the song, kind of fits. But the truth is that what we do (or don’t do) has worth, it has value, within the Body of Christ. Not in our right-standing with God, but in our love for our neighbors. When (not “if”) we sin against our neighbor, we need to repent and seek forgiveness. That act has worth.

Pre-Chorus. I like the imagery of the pre-chorus. At first, I was concerned that it was making the listener the one taking the stage, but I don’t think that’s it. I think it’s the Grace of God being introduced on the stage that is being conveyed here, and I really like that. Kudos to whoever wrote this pre-chorus.

Chorus. bumps, bruises, scars… and then the cross made us flawless? I think we got a bit lost in the imagery. The power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that by His blood we are forgiven of our sin. Sin is far more than bumps, bruises, and scars… sin is death. Bumps and bruises, in light of the Gospel, are trials and tribulations of this life. They pale in comparison to the Gospel of Grace. Our flesh is scarred by sin (ours and of others). Sometimes our scars lead us to sin (habitual sins, learned sinful behavior, vengeance etc.) and only the Grace of God can heal those wounds. This chorus can be encouraging, in that thanks to the Cross of Jesus Christ, we no longer are slaves to sin or the kingdom of darkness… but the authors confused the two forms of righteousness and don’t seem to rightly understand the idea of simul justes et peccator. We are completely forgiven in Jesus’ name, and we continue to sin and repent of those sins as the Holy Spirit convicts us. Forgiveness is assured, He is Faithful and Just to forgive us our sins when we confess and repent.

Verse 2. Okay, this verse is an improvement, but it fails in the same area that the majority of popular Christian songs fail… there is no mention of repentance and forgiveness. What is available here and now is forgiveness, based on Christ’s atonement for our sin. It is a beautiful and glorious exchange, our repentance by faith exchanges our filthy rags for a robe of righteousness in Jesus’ Name.

Conclusion

We need to get back to understanding the Truth of what the Apostle Paul taught regarding our existence as simultaneously Justified and sinner. By faith we are joined with Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins. Yet, we remain walking this earth as exiles, no longer belonging to this world but not yet rid of this sinful flesh to put on fully redeemed bodies.

Philippians 3:8-16 (ESV) 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 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. 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.

As surely as the patriarchs longed for the Promised Messiah, we long for His return, for the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, when at last we will be completely healed of every remnant of sin in our mortal bodies, for we will be given new bodies in Christ Jesus. The Promise is True, He will return for His Church.

Revelation 22:20-21 (ESV) 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen.Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

CTT | Do you do well to be Angry?

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Jonah 4:1-4 (ESV) | Jonah’s Anger and the Lord‘s Compassion

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”

It’s such a simple question.   God is addressing His sulking prophet, Jonah, and rhetorically asking him, “Do you do well to be angry?” Why was Jonah angry? Let’s look at what happens in chapter 3, to see if we can grasp what it was that had Jonah angry enough to forfeit his very life.

Jonah 3 (ESV) | Jonah Goes to Nineveh

1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth.4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

Notice the wording here… it doesn’t say they believed Jonah… the people of Nineveh believed God. Jonah was preaching the Word of the Lord.

Jonah 3 | The People of Nineveh Repent

6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

God relented… He did not bring about disaster upon them because of their repentance by faith. Why do I say faith? Because they believed the Word of God spoken through the prophet Jonah. The people of Nineveh believed God, by faith, and turned from (repented) their evil way, and God forgave them and relented. And that is what displeased Jonah exceedingly, and made him angry.

Do you do well to be angry?

Jonah strongly reminds God, of why he ran in the first place. Jonah wasn’t afraid of Nineveh, and he had no doubt of God’s ability to destroy Nineveh. Jonah knew full-well it was God who caused the storm to attack the boat and he knew that God was responsible for the fish… but he also knew of God’s Mercy and Grace. He knew that if Nineveh believed the Word of God and repented, that God would show mercy. He knew it… and He didn’t want Nineveh spared. Nineveh was guilty… her walls were painted with graphic murals of her king’s torturous treatment of captives. Justice demanded Nineveh’s destruction. Jonah demanded justice. He was so angry that God relented, that Jonah decided he’d rather die than live with the knowledge that Nineveh had repented at his preaching and been forgiven.

Jonah 4:5-11 (ESV)

5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind,and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

What right does Jonah have to be angry at God for sparing a repentant Nineveh? None. Jonah doesn’t have the right. He is in no way entitled to this anger. He is angry at God for His mercy and grace to the people of Nineveh. And that same God shows him mercy and grace in this rebuke. Nineveh’s faith wanes and she is later destroyed by God (Book of Nahum)… but for now, God extends grace and delays justice.

Matthew 12:38-42 (ESV) | The Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

God is still extending Grace and Mercy… this time coming to perform an act of mercy far greater than was witnessed by Jonah. Jesus came to bear the full brunt of God’s wrath on the cross… in our place. The Pharisees lacked faith, and Jesus told them they would be condemned by the men of Nineveh who repented.

We, too, struggle with forgiveness, don’t we? We insist on earning our forgiveness… paying penance, “making things right”. Is it not because we fail to understand the gravity of our sin, of our wrong, of our guilt? Surely this is the case, because we who long for forgiveness for ourselves seem awfully keen to withhold forgiveness from others. Sure, we’ll forgive, but Justice must be served! We are entitled to closure… to satisfaction that justice has been served and that the wrongs have been made right… right?

Matthew 18:21-35 (ESV) | The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him,“I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

For a laborer, a talent was about a year’s wages. 10,000 year’s wages was forgiven him. A denarius was about a day’s wage… He couldn’t see fit to forgive the debt of 100 day’s wages in light of having been forgiven 10,000 years worth of debt.

Dear Christian… do you do well to be angry? Is there any sin your brother, sister, or neighbor can commit against you that compares to eternity? Do you think you have the right to insist on justice over forgiveness on behalf of another?

Matthew 6:7-15 (ESV)

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them,for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

The world speaks with confidence of things it doesn’t understand. The world demands Justice while it rejects the God of creation. We who are called in Jesus’ Name, out of the darkness and into the Light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we know better than to demand Justice over Mercy and Grace. At least, we should. You see, Justice comes from the One who also extends Mercy. Jonah wasn’t seeking really seeking Justice to be poured out on Nineveh… he wanted vengeance.

Do you do well to be angry?

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

Gospel Wednesday | Matthew 12:46-50

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bibleLast week, we took a look at the second portion of Matthew 12. I couldn’t quite fit in the last segment of chapter 12, and had intended to simply pick up that section today as we then move on into chapter 13. This transition away from Jesus’ declaration of who He is and His warning against the false teaching of the Pharisees toward His teaching of the masses in Parables is important.

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

Matthew 12:46-50 (ESV) | Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Now, where Matthew shares this account as a transition point in the focus of His preaching (remember, Matthew is making the case of Jesus fulfilling the Messianic Prophecies). He was preaching of Who He is, and now He will be preaching to the people in Parables (in fulfillment of scripture) while also giving clear lessons for His Apostles. Mark’s account follows a different arch, a different focus in the presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are enough clues in Mark Chapter 3 to indicate this is the same event, but Mark skips over some things and includes some others. The Gospel according to Mark focuses less on making the case for Jesus being the Promised Messiah, and more on demonstrating His Authority as the Son of God. The Gospel of Mark is an action-packed Gospel of power and compassion of God the Son. With that in mind, let us look to Mark chapter 3 where we see the cross-reference to our Matthew text.

Mark 3:13-35 (ESV) | The Twelve Apostles

13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach15 and have authority to cast out demons. 16 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

20 Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat.21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

I think it would have been easy for us to come to a skewed and dismissive view of Jesus’ comments regarding his mother and brothers if we only had the account in Matthew. Jesus’ mother and brothers had come to Jesus out of concern for Him, sure, but they sought to bring counsel, even possibly a rebuke, for what He was preaching. Jesus was not out of His mind, He was doing exactly what He was supposed to be doing. Jesus was doing the Will of the Father. Though their earthly concern for Jesus was understandable, and arguably well-intentioned, it was misguided and sinful due to a lack of faith. Jesus would not be counselled against doing the Will of God, nor would He permit being interrupted.

Alistair Begg taught on this passage in Mark a while back (2009) at it has been made available for listening on Truthforlife.org.

https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/sermon/jesus-true-family/

He ends this sermon with such a beautiful picture of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that by His death and Resurrection the Way was made for us to become heirs and joint heirs with Christ Jesus, to be His brothers and sisters by God’s Grace through faith.

Until Next Week…

Next week, we will start looking at some of Jesus’ parables in Chapter 13. Until then, spend time in the Word and in prayer. The summer is upon us, so enjoy this time with your family, and find ways of maintaining a routine of seeking the Word of God on a regular basis. I will do my best to provide supplemental material on this blog site.

Jude 1:24-25 (ESV) 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

Gospel Wednesday | Matthew 12:22-45

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bibleLast week, we took a look at the first portion of Matthew 12, where we saw Jesus declaring more boldly who He is. We saw Him clearly state that He is the Lord of the Sabbath. We also saw Him rebuke the man-made laws of the Pharisees regarding the Sabbath, thus exposing their murderous hearts. Jesus would not submit to ungodly laws made by men, and He would heal and deliver the lost sheep of Israel even on the Sabbath. We also saw Him urging those He healed not to make Him known in the streets. His time had not yet come, and the people were looking for the wrong type of Messiah. They were looking for an earthly king like David, and Jesus is far greater than David. Jesus came to do what only He could do, to set us free from sin and the grave forever.

Matthew 12:22-45 (ESV)

Matthew 12 (ESV) | Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

This passage is often used by those looking to sell how-to books on Spiritual Warfare to prop up their methodologies. The thing here is that Jesus isn’t teaching the art of spiritual warfare here… He isn’t even teaching exorcism. Jesus is rebuking the Pharisees and warning them that their current sin can forever separate them from God’s forgiveness. Rejecting the Holy Spirit, blaspheming Him to the extend of declaring His mighty works to be that of Beelzebul, will harden their hearts from the only means of salvation. To whom are the Pharisees referring when they accuse Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebul? Let’s turn to 2 Kings 1.

2 Kings 1:1-8 (ESV) | Elijah Denounces Ahaziah

1 After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness.” 3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? 4 Now therefore thus says the Lord, You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” So Elijah went. 5 The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, “Why have you returned?” 6 And they said to him, “There came a man to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says the Lord, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” 7 He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?” 8 They answered him, “He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

The charge levied against Jesus by the Pharisees wasn’t merely some academic theory, it was a pointed accusation. Remember how closely the Prophet Elijah is tied to the coming of the Messiah? Jesus spoke of John the Baptist as the Elijah who was to come. Jesus first points out the folly in suggesting that Satan would be in the business of casting other demons out of people so that they might be set free from Satan’s power.

Then there is a curious turn… Jesus points out that if He is casting demons out by demonic power, how can the Pharisees justify their own exorcisms? The Pharisees had their own rituals for exorcism (and for everything else you can think of). Okay, so usually I try to reflect back into the Old Testament, but for this point of interest, I’d like to fast-forward to the Acts of the Apostles.

Acts 19:11-20 (ESV) | The Sons of Sceva

11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

Wow. Interesting wording in Luke’s account of the event, eh? Something to think about. Getting back to our text, Jesus returns to the matter at hand. Again, He isn’t there to argue demonology 101, He is proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Jesus says to them, if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. What is Jesus saying here? He’s saying, quite plainly, that if He is casting out demons by the Spirit of God, they should understand a very clear sign that the Kingdom of God has come. This is what John the Baptist warned them about (Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand Matthew 3) and what Jesus preached throughout the region. The question of “could this be the Son of David” is the appropriate question, given the signs and wonders being performed as a testimony to Jesus as the Messiah. It is to this question the Pharisees launched a blasphemous counter-assertion. Now that we have this as our context, we have a better framework for understanding the binding of the strong-man. Again, this is not an instruction on how we can become better spiritual warriors. Jesus has come to set the captives free. From whom? The enemy, Satan. So when was the strong man (Satan) bound? The notes in the Reformation Study Bible makes an interesting point. Remember what we saw in Matthew 4:1-11? Jesus defeated Satan in the wilderness. Since then, we see the demons crying out for mercy, permission, and being silenced and cast out. We don’t see any of them contending with Him. The Kingdom of Heaven is indeed upon Israel, and the Pharisees are blinded and blaspheming the Holy Spirit out of their hate of Him. Jesus then draws a line in the sand, those who are not with Him are against Him. There is no neutral ground. Either we are with Jesus, or we are against Him.

John 3:16-18 (ESV) | For God So Loved the World

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

No middle ground. He silenced the Pharisees, and gave them grave warning for their sin. The Kingdom of Heaven was upon them, and they continue to plot against the Christ, the Son of the Living God. The tables have been turned, and Jesus isn’t finished exposing the sin of the Pharisees here. Let us continue in Matthew 12.

Matthew 12 | A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

They accused Jesus of serving a false god and they blasphemed the Holy Spirit. They will be held accountable for the words they speak, and unless they repent, their condemnation will remain upon their heads.

Matthew 12 | The Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

To defend themselves, it seems they demanded a sign, proof of who Jesus is claiming to be (the Messiah). Nevermind that they had just blasphemed at the casting out of a demon. They weren’t interested in repenting, they were simply trying to regain control of the situation, for that is their place. They measured, they weighed, they decreed, and they placed a heavy burden on God’s people. Jesus refuses, and prophesies of His own death and resurrection. Notice here, Jesus is also pointing out that the scriptures point to Him. Jonah was a foreshadow of Him. Solomon, too. A pale foreshadow of the Promised One, the Christ. The Son of God was standing in their midst, greater than Jonah, than Solomon, and they demand a sign that they might measure Him? They’ll be judged by the men of Nineveh in the day of judgment. That must have been hard to hear… if they’d had an ear to hear it.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

Again, this isn’t about teaching demonology. I believe Jesus is addressing both the man who had been set free from the demon that made him blind and mute as well as the Nation of Israel. He has come to set things in order, to clean the house. He performed many mighty works which testified of Him… for those who believed, their freedom is eternal. For those who still did not believe, their state will be worse than it was before the Kingdom of Heaven had arrived.

John 15:22-27 (ESV)

22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also.24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

Until Next Week…

Next week, we will start looking at some of Jesus’ parables in Chapter 13. Until then, spend time in the Word and in prayer.

Jude 1:24-25 (ESV) 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

Friday Sermon | Key Life Pastors’ Chat on Absolution and the Forgiveness of Sins

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Our sermon today is not a sermon. I reviewed 5 sermons this week that were good, but didn’t seem to hit the notes I felt were most important for this week. Yesterday’s DiM post was a discerning look at the role of music and Worship in the Church, from pastors who come from various reformed traditions. I attend a reformed Baptist church now, but I wanted to find something that could present a bit of a juxtaposition of Lutheran and Reformed theology. I believe this discussion does a good job of that.

We’ve listened to lectures from this year’s Liberate conference, and today we’ll be looking at a discussion between a respected Reformed Pastor Steve Brown and Lutheran Dr. Rod Rosenbladt. They had not met previously, but knew of each other by common friends and associates. Here, we have a wonderful opportunity to see the subject of Absolution and the Forgiveness of Sins, the Gospel of Grace, discussed from both the Reformed and Lutheran perspectives. There are difference, yes, but there is also common ground that is worth highlighting, that being the Gospel of Grace.

Key Life Pastors’ Chat on Absolution and the Forgiveness of Sins

[youtube https://youtu.be/5VkNNeMgZcY]

*note: At one point in this discussion (16:15), Steve Brown reflects on his encounter with Nadia Bolz-Weber, an ELCA Lutheran pastrix. While I do appreciate Steve Brown’s intention of using this anecdote to highlight the diversity of believers and the power of Grace, I don’t want anyone to come away from this thinking she is doctrinally sound or that she rightfully holds a position of pastor. She is not, and does not, and I pray she repents. She is still loved and cared for by many in the LIBERATE community. She is to the Lutheran community what Rob Bell was to the Southern Baptists, deconstructing Doctrine and minimizing sin ala the Emergent/Liberal Church.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge