I decided to post some of my daily reflections I record when I read the Bible. Hopefully it reminds me of what God has revealed to me already. I'm praying that it encourages whoever's reading as well (: Praise God for His beautiful revelations.


23/11
HOW DO WE RESPOND TO JESUS
Mark 5:1-20

• Jesus met a man possessed by a legion of demons
• The man fell on his knees before Jesus and the demons recognised Jesus as God's Son
• Jesus cast out the demons and news of this spread to the town
• The people pleaded with Jesus to leave because they were afraid
• The man wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus told him to go home and share how Jesus had mercy on him

I think it's quite easy to take accounts of Jesus casting out demons and skim through them, especially when we've read them many times before. So I think sometimes it's good to pause and take in the gravity of these accounts. I don't think I've ever come across a demon (at least not that I know of...), but I'm pretty sure I would be terrified at the sight of such possessions. I'm already pretty scared when I watch movies like The Conjuring, so if I happened to witness this sort of thing in real life, I'd definitely be afraid. Who wouldn't right? An evil supernatural being who has power over you? I'd probably be crying.

Only when we understand this, then we might have a shot at taking in the power of Jesus. He had complete authority over this legion of demons! So much so that they couldn't even run at the sight of him! Only when He gave the permission, they were allowed to go into the pigs. In theory, in terms of power, one ought to be more afraid of Jesus. Coincidentally, that was the exact response of the people who had heard of this miracle. They were terrified at his power...

Yet the man who was healed had a completely different response. He wanted to follow Jesus. So why the different response? He personally witnessed the extent of Jesus's power, wouldn't he be more afraid? Maybe there's something about personally experiencing Jesus that differentiates itself from mere hearing about Jesus's works. Okay I'm just speculating here, but maybe the man saw more than the power of demons. Maybe he saw love. Or compassion. So strong that it compelled Jesus to have mercy on him. He saw that and he made up his mind. I want to follow him!

I don't know whether I can fully apply this to our lives but I do see some similarities here, at least when I observe how people respond to Jesus. It's clear that to date, not everyone who has heard of Jesus has believed in Him. Not everyone who has had the gospel shared to them  has decided to follow Jesus. Some are afraid of the consequences of what it might mean to follow him. Some are afraid because they've "lost" family members to Christianity.

 Reading this passage, I suspect the reason for this to be the lack of that personal encounter with Jesus. Just like the demon-possessed man, I've been in (and sometimes still am) in that filthy, broken state. And I've been healed (and encountered Jesus) in a way only the demon-possessed man will know. So, I conclude, within the core of my being, that I need Jesus. Maybe that's what it takes to compel us to follow Jesus.

31/10
DO NOT BE DECEIVED
1 Corinthians 6:7-11
James 2:14-26

Before I begin writing I think I need to pray for God to grant me a discerning mind. May my words be glorifying to Him, and true of His Word.

The longer we spend gathering in Christian communities, going to church and doing Christ-related stuff, we're bound to hear of doctrines like the "perseverance of the saints" or even hear things like "once saved always saved". However, the tendency then would be to take these reassuring doctrines and pump them into our system, without a complete understanding of them. The result of this is frightening.

Those of us who do this only prove one point right. The point that Karl Marx was making when he proclaimed, speaking of religion:

"It is the opium of the people."

I think it's terrifyingly easy for us to convey (and even BELIEVE ourselves) the absurd misunderstanding that salvation is by "admittance". There is a twisted misconception among us that being a Christian is akin to a "stamping of our eternal passport". And once I pray the sinner's prayer, I'm secured. Signed. Sealed. Insured.

Because my passport is choped, I'm free to enjoy life. After all, I'm saved by His grace right? All that repentance, fellowship, evangelism stuff are just a “good-to-have”. I'm good where I am. Plus, the body is just temporal! Whatever I do with it shouldn't have any lasting consequences right? All that matters is that my soul is guaranteed eternal life. 

If indeed we subscribe to this line of thought, Paul has a stern warning for us, as he wrote to the Corinthians. Do not be deceived. The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. This is the point when I cringe and prepare to defend my stand against those of us who exclaim:

"But PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS!"

"But Jesus's blood has made us righteous in God's sight! So, I will inherit the kingdom!"

"But I thought we are saved by grace through faith! Not works!"

Yes, I completely believe that we are justified through faith! In my faith that Jesus's bought my righteousness before God at the infinitely excruciating price of His death. But if our faith does not compel us to hate sin, if our faith doesn't cause us to desire above all else to make Him known, can we truly consider it faith? James echoes this when he writes in James 2:26.

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Yet we don’t consider this for fear of contradicting the “perseverance of the saints”. 

Do you realise what we have done? We've taken a truth that is meant to bring us assurance in Christ our Lord, and used it as a drug! To numb the promptings of the Holy Spirit which scream at us to REPENT! If my "faith" in His death does not bring about an intense hate for the very thing that caused my Saviour to be crushed; that "faith" that I so desperately cling on to, while awaiting the day that my passport is approved, is dead.

You know, it's tragically ironic. We often use the analogy of a drug addict to describe how the world is steeped in sin, inescapably addicted. So, pastors exhort their congregations, mentors warn their younger ones to avoid these worldly influences, for they are lethal in that they draw us in and leave us dead in sin. We fail to realise this: In our attempt to wean off the world's nasty influences on us, we pump our veins full of misunderstood doctrines. I plead with you, do not be deceived.

Salvation faith is sin-killing faith. Salvation faith is daily-on-my-knees-repentance faith. Salvation faith is evangelism-doing faith. Do you not know this? Salvation faith is God-granted faith.

We need to be warned about this! Does my faith in Christ's death and resurrection COMPEL me to have daily communion with my God who continually loves and pursues me? If not, Paul says to us, do not be deceived. By our apparent "faith". When I recognise how dire of a situation this is, I see that the only rational thing for me to do is to pray and depend on the Lord. If you agree with me that the only faith worthy of salvation is a God-given one, pray along with me that God grants us that faith in Him. Faith that is alive and results in every good work.

Considering how deceitful our hearts can be, we ought to be cautious when applying this truth to others. By no means are we to judge our fellow Christians on their works or apparent lack thereof. Who are we to assert that their faith is not God-given? Only God Almighty sees into the hearts of men. Plus, there could be a myriad of reasons as to why a Christian doesn't seem to be actively evangelising or even engaging in daily repentance. The lack of genuine faith is but a mere needle in the haystack of possible reasons. Could it be that they simply don't know how exactly to go about doing it?

I have to admit, I'm quick to judge, especially when it comes to things of faith. I often fail to recognise that I was once reluctant to share the gospel. I kept my secret sin for years. Who am I to judge others for having "fake faith" and cut them off or shun them? 

In the end, I've come to understand this: because of the subjective nature of faith, because we cannot see into each other’s hearts; what else are we to do but to hold fast in our journey of faith together as a community consisting of those with mature and immature faith? What else are we to do but pray that God completes the work of sanctification He starts in each and every one of us? For only God grants that genuine faith that His elected have, by no other means are we saved.