2 Corinthians 2:5-11

2 Corinthians 2:5-11 - Daily Devotion - 9 October 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

5 But if anyone has caused sadness, he has not saddened me alone, but to some extent (not to exaggerate) he has saddened all of you as well. 6 This punishment on such an individual by the majority is enough for him, 7 so that now instead you should rather forgive and comfort him. This will keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive grief to the point of despair. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 For this reason also I wrote you: to test you to see if you are obedient in everything. 10 If you forgive anyone for anything, I also forgive him—for indeed what I have forgiven (if I have forgiven anything) I did so for you in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we may not be exploited by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes).

REFLECTIONS

Written by Daniel Chew

How would you respond to a fellow believer whose sin caused serious harm to your whole church? Would you say something about it publicly? Exclude them? And if they repented—could you forgive them? Could you welcome them back with open arms, or would you try to avoid them?

These are some of the tricky issues Paul addresses in our passage today. We don’t know the exact cause of Paul and the Corinthians' sadness, but we do know that someone within the Corinthian church sinned so seriously that it hurt the community and strained Paul’s relationship with the whole church. After facing some punishment—probably being excluded from the fellowship—this person repented. Now the challenge was how the church would respond to the person’s repentance.

If the Corinthians followed the "wisdom" of modern Australian morality, they might say: "Keep excluding him! Cancel him! He wronged us, so he deserves it." That’s the problem with modern morality. It has no place for grace, mercy, and forgiveness. It doesn’t acknowledge how messy and broken we all are, nor does it like to admit that every one of us has the potential to do great harm because of our sinful hearts.

But the beauty of the gospel is that it reveals how messy we truly are, yet also teaches that God forgives us in Christ. Because of this, we can forgive others who are just as broken as we are. Paul urges the Corinthians to forgive, to reaffirm their love for this person—not keeping him distant as a threat, but welcoming him back as a brother.

Our world struggles to genuinely forgive. Don’t look to the world’s standards to learn about forgiveness—that’s exactly what Satan wants. Instead, look to how Christ has forgiven you. Is there someone you need to extend that forgiveness to today?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daniel is one of our student ministers.

2 Corinthians 2:1-4

2 Corinthians 2:1-4 - Daily Devotions - 8 Oct 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 So I made up my own mind not to pay you another painful visit. 2 For if I make you sad, who would be left to make me glad but the one I caused to be sad? 3 And I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came I would not have sadness from those who ought to make me rejoice, since I am confident in you all that my joy would be yours. 4 For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not to make you sad, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Grace Ip

In these verses, Paul talks about a very difficult letter he had written to the Corinthian church, to rebuke them for tolerating sinful behaviour and call them to repentance. We don’t have that letter – he wrote it in between the letters we know as 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians. But it’s clear that Paul found it very painful to have to write those things to them. In verse 4, he tells them he wrote to them out of “great distress and anguish of heart” and “with many tears”. He did not want to grieve them or cause them hurt, but to show his deep love for them.

This verse reminds me that love sometimes requires us to say hard things. We all sometimes face similar situations in life. Whether it’s a parent disciplining a child, a friend offering honest feedback or rebuke, or a leader addressing a problem, it can be painful to speak the truth in love. It’s easy to shy away from confronting wrongdoing or addressing uncomfortable issues, because we don’t want to cause pain. Or perhaps we just want to avoid conflict at all costs. However, Paul reminds us that avoiding those difficult conversations Is actually unloving! On the positive side, when correction is motivated by love and handled with grace, it can lead to healing and growth.

Try to remember and reflect on times when someone else has lovingly corrected you. Did you find yourself resisting their correction out of pride or stubbornness, or welcoming it with thankfulness to God? How did their guidance shape you for the better?

Is there someone in your life whom God is calling you to lovingly confront or guide? Pray and ask God to help you with that:

Lord, help me to love others enough to speak truth in love and grace. Give me the wisdom and courage to speak with compassion. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Grace is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

2 Corinthians 1:21-24

2 Corinthians 1:21-24 - Daily Devotion - 7 Oct 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

21 But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.

23 Now I appeal to God as my witness, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. 24 I do not mean that we rule over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Viet Mai

Standing firm in the Christian life is never an easy task. There are so many temptations that distract us from Jesus, and we have a tendency to wander away from Jesus. But thanks be to God that he is the one who keeps us and holds onto us. Paul says that it is God who establishes us, or makes us “stand firm in Christ” (NIV).

We often think that being a Christian is like a baby monkey holding onto its mother’s back – it’s up to me to cling desperately onto Jesus with all my strength. Yet this passage tells us that the Christian life is more like a mother cat carrying its kitten. Just as the mother cat does the holding on, so God holds onto us as we continue to trust in Christ.

I pray that this truth will encourage us to keep standing firm for Jesus, knowing that God is holding on to us.

Here’s a prayer from the Anglican prayer book that expresses this trust:

“Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, we thank you for bringing us safely to this day. Keep us by your mighty power, and grant that we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but lead and govern us in all things, that we may always do what is righteous in your sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Viet is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

2 Corinthians 1:15-20

2 Corinthians 1:15-20 - Daily Devotion - 5 Oct 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

15 And with this confidence I intended to come to you first so that you would get a second opportunity to see us, 16 and through your help to go on into Macedonia and then from Macedonia to come back to you and be helped on our way into Judea by you. 17 Therefore when I was planning to do this, I did not do so without thinking about what I was doing, did I? Or do I make my plans according to mere human standards so that I would be saying both “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 But as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one who was proclaimed among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but it has always been “Yes” in him. 20 For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

Have you ever told someone you were planning to see them, and then not been able to follow through with it – maybe due to some circumstance that was out of your control?  I have, and sometimes others can feel hurt as a result.  I think I once told my daughter that I might make it to her school assembly, and I wasn’t able to due to my work.  I remember her being very understanding, and agreeing that sometimes ‘work things’ just get in the way of being able to do other loving and lovely things.  But she was also hurt.

In this passage, the apostle Paul and the Corinthians have had something similar happen.  Paul had told them of his intention to visit them, but due to circumstances beyond his control, was not able to do so.  I love how what Paul says next magnifies God in light of Paul’s own inability to control events.  My 'Yes' today might not stay as a 'Yes' tomorrow – but every 'Yes' that God has ever said will continue to be 'Yes' forever in Jesus Christ.

Here's why this is so precious to me: It means whenever I read the Bible and I read about God’s promises to his people – from Genesis through to Malachi, from Matthew through to Revelation – I know that when I accepted Jesus as my Lord, I inherited all those promises. I became a recipient of them. And not only did I inherit those promises, I can trust that anything that God has promised will one day come true. That is good news to me when I'm mourning, because he promises to wipe away every tear, and that death will be no more. It is good news to me when I am in trouble, because he is the great comforter (as we have already heard in this letter) and I will be comforted.  It is good news when I see the great evils of this world, because God will judge and avenge, and he will right all the wrongs of this world fully and completely at the time of His choosing.  And even though I too will stand judged by God, it is good news for me to know that his Son Jesus has taken this punishment for me, and he promises that I will continue to walk as a free man in his everlasting kingdom. 

Which of God's promises to you in Christ will you reflect on today?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

2 Corinthians 1:12-14

2 Corinthians 1:12-14 - Daily Devotion - 4 October 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. 13 For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, 14 as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.

(NIV)

REFLECTIONS

Written by Lauren Sing

When was the last time you heard someone boast in something – or when did you last boast? What did they (or you) boast in? Was it about a physical attribute, like looks or strength? A skill or ability? A possession? When people boast, we rarely see it as a positive trait, because the motive is mostly to bring glory to themselves.

Here, we see Paul and Timothy “boast”, but their motive is to point the Corinthians back to God.  They discuss the way they have conducted themselves, particularly in their interactions with the church in Corinth.  They have acted with “integrity and godly sincerity”, and the reason they highlight that is to reassure the Corinthians that their motives are genuine. But what’s so interesting about this boast is that they are not pointing to their own abilities or worldly knowledge. Their goal is to point to God’s grace, and to God working through them to love and care for the Corinthians in the face of adversity.

Paul and Timothy have also been transparent and honest in their writings to the Corinthians, in contrast with those who have been spreading false teachings or trying to discredit Paul’s teaching. They hoped, through their letters, that the Corinthians could come to know the truth and good news of the gospel, so that on judgement day, they would mutually bring glory to God.

When serving others and our church, do we take pride in our worldly wisdom, or do we rely on God for his grace and provision? Our goal, as we serve, love and encourage each other, should be that these actions always give glory to God. Pray that in everything we do, we would not amplify ourselves, but point others to our loving and gracious God. Pray that we would always look to Christ as our example as we strive to serve others, so that we are sincere in our intentions and act with godly integrity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 - Daily Devotion - 3 October 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, regarding the affliction that happened to us in the province of Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living. 9 Indeed we felt as if the sentence of death had been passed against us, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from so great a risk of death, and he will deliver us. We have set our hope on him that he will deliver us yet again, 11 as you also join in helping us by prayer, so that many people may give thanks to God on our behalf for the gracious gift given to us through the help of many.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

I’ve read the first chapter of 2 Corinthians many times in my life.  Most especially during the first year that I really experienced sickness which led to having chronic fatigue in my life.  But I never noticed verse 8 before until today.  In this short passage, the apostle Paul explains that he and his ministry team experienced significant hardship in their travels throughout Asia.  Throughout this hardship, even though it was like receiving a death sentence, God delivered them.  But what I didn’t notice until today was Paul’s description of their experience of that hardship. Paul describes it as a “great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired life itself”.  

I can’t say that I have felt many moments in my life like this, but one of them was in the early days of chronic fatigue. I recall an overwhelming sense of helplessness, almost like I had received a death sentence, not being able to move, let alone go for a walk. I don’t think I experienced despair, but I remember thinking that is far beyond what I was ever prepared to endure. In my helplessness, I remember being only able to call out to God, and not much more. Even though I didn’t notice it at the time, when I started to recover, looking at back, I realised that it was only in my utter helplessness that I came to truly depend on God.  Just like what Paul writes in this passage, I too share the same belief that “this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God”.  

As I reflect on this passage, and my time with sickness, I realise and thank God that he too delivered me from great peril.  But the great peril that God has delivered me from wasn't my sickness. The great peril that God has delivered me from was actually my pride.  My pride in thinking that I might work for his kingdom with my own strength, or my own smartness.  Or that somehow I could architecture my own blessings or even righteousness under my own power.  I stand today delivered from that great peril, weak and humbled, reliant on Him, and very thankful.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park Congregation.

2 Corinthians 1:5-7

2 Corinthians 1:5-7 - Daily Devotion - 2 October 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow toward us, so also our comfort through Christ overflows to you. 6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort that you experience in your patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast because we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you will share in our comfort.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Jono Truong

Have you ever been stuck in a tough situation, feeling like there was no way out? Did it leave you feeling isolated and alone?

In today’s short passage, Paul continues speaking to the Corinthian Christians about sharing abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so that their comforts may also abound through Christ. Paul confidently highlights his firm hope: that just as the Corinthians share in his sufferings, as fellow believers, they will also share in his comfort.

This reference to suffering reminded me of 1 Peter 2:21, where Peter says, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” That is, Christ suffered, so as His followers we should expect the same. This passage was a timely reminder for me that as followers of Christ, we aren’t promised a life that is free from trouble. In fact, we are called to endure hardships that mirror the sufferings of Jesus. Naturally, I do not like suffering – it is distressing, painful and leads to uncertainty. However, this passage gives me the unwavering hope that no matter what trials come my way, my hope in Christ remains firm, because I know that just as I share in his sufferings, I will also share abundantly in the overwhelming comfort that abounds through Him.

Are you currently going through a season of suffering yourself? Or do you know someone currently going through suffering and distress? Pray today that we would remember that we are not alone in our suffering. And ask God to help you encourage a brother or sister in Christ (perhaps the person you thought of yesterday), by reminding them that we are not alone in suffering, just as we’re not alone in the abounding comfort and salvation provided through Christ.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jono is a member of our Fairfield Evening church.

2 Corinthians 1:1-4

2 Corinthians 1:1-4 - Daily Devotion - 1 October 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia. 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Yesterday we read from Acts about when Paul first took the gospel to the city of Corinth. Today I’ll fill in a bit more about Corinth and the context of this letter.

Corinth was a city in Greece (back then, it was the Roman Province of Achaia). Corinth was a city of flashy wealth and prestige, where everyone was trying to climb up the social ladder to positions of higher comfort, status and honour. From Paul’s letters to them, it seems that the Christians in the church in Corinth faced constant temptation to follow the spirit of their culture, by trying to out-do each other and worry about status and prestige in the church. That meant they were also vulnerable to false teachers who would come in presenting themselves as super-spiritual super-apostles, promising victory and success in Jesus’ name.

Paul’s relationship with the Corinthian church was sometimes rocky. We know this letter as “2 Corinthians”, but it was probably the fourth letter Paul had written them. In a previous letter (which we don’t have), he had had to sternly rebuke them for a casual attitude to sexual immorality – although by the time he wrote this letter, it seems they listened to him and repented. But things were still fairly tense. So how would Paul address this letter? Would he come in with all guns blazing, throw his authority around, and beat them into grovelling and submission?

Not at all. I love the fact that Paul starts by reminding them of the “grace and peace” that has come to them from God (v2), praising God for being the God of comfort (v3), and reassuring the Corinthian Christians about the comfort that they can receive from God (v4). In fact, Paul and his companions had been through a series of intense troubles. But Paul sees these troubles are a gift from God, because they give Paul a chance to resonate with others who are suffering and to share the comfort he has received through Christ with them.

I wonder if there’s a Christian brother or sister you know who is going through a time of trouble? If you have found comfort in your troubles from knowing Jesus, and knowing the hope that is stored up for us in heaven, could you extend that gospel comfort to them today?

This letter is going to be filled with wisdom about Christian life and ministry – and I love that it starts with weakness and vulnerability. 2 Corinthians is all about how God uses our weakness and troubles to display his power, by building a genuine fellowship of suffering believers, so that Christ might be glorified. Because the Christian life and Christian ministry are cross-shaped.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Acts 18:1-11

Acts 18:1-11 - Daily Devotion - 30 September 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

Tomorrow we will be starting the letter of 2 Corinthians. Today we’ll set the context by reading the passage in Acts where Paul first brought the gospel to Corinth.

1 After this Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome. Paul approached them, 3 and because he worked at the same trade, he stayed with them and worked with them (for they were tentmakers by trade). 4 He addressed both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue every Sabbath, attempting to persuade them.

5 Now when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6 When they opposed him and reviled him, he protested by shaking out his clothes and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am guiltless! From now on I will go to the Gentiles!” 7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went to the house of a person named Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the president of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard about it believed and were baptized. 9 The Lord said to Paul by a vision in the night, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent 10 because I am with you, and no one will assault you to harm you because I have many people in this city.” 11 So he stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Trung Nguyen

What stood out to me in this passage was verses 9 to 11. I’m continually amazed that Jesus knew what was happening in Paul’s life and cared for him.

In a time when Paul may have been feeling worried he might get beaten up and deflated after his own people, the Jews, rejected him, Jesus was there to comfort and encourage Paul. The Lord Jesus spoke to Paul in verse 9 and 10 in a vision and encouraged him to not be afraid and to keep speaking the truth. Jesus continued to comfort Paul by telling him of the same words he told his disciples before he ascended into heaven: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

I’m often pumped up to share the gospel when I read the accounts in Acts when Paul is so “gung-ho” with sharing the gospel and seeing his zeal and passion for the lost to repent and trust in Jesus. Part of me also feels like I can’t do what Paul does. But this passage in Acts reminds me that Paul can do all these things because Jesus is with him, just as Jesus is with us. Jesus will be with us always, to the very end of the age. It is Jesus’ mission to the world that we are invited to be a part of, and it is Jesus who will carry us through to not be afraid and to keep on speaking.

The next time we have an opportunity to speak to someone about Jesus, let’s remember that Jesus is with us, empowering us with the words to speak and encouraging us to not be afraid.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Trung is a ministry apprentice with our Fairfield morning and evening congregations.

Growing in holy living (12)

Growing in holy living (12) - Daily Devotion - 28 September 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Earlier in the month, we read this verse from Hebrews:

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)

If you read that verse on its own, you might think it means, “Unless you’re good enough for heaven, you won’t get there.” Thankfully, the writer to the Hebrews has already made it crystal clear that believers in Jesus have already been madeholy and are being made holy through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross (see Hebrews 10:10, 14).

That doesn’t mean our effort isn’t required. God commands us to make every effort to live out our holy position. But that doesn’t mean you need to be “good enough.” It’s another way of saying: Don’t walk away from Christ! Don’t give up the struggle. Press on towards the goal (Philippians 3:12).

The effort is hard though, isn’t it? What will keep us motivated to continue striving?

Yesterday we looked at Paul’s Christ-centred perspective in Colossians 3:1-4. In the following verses, Paul describes what striving for holy living looks like in practice. He lists aspects of our old selves that we are to put to death, and characteristics of Christ that we are to put on. You’ll recognise many of the topics we have explored:

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. … 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, (Colossians 3:5, 8-9a)

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:12-14)

But sprinkled through the passage, there are also a number of motivations for holy living. The first one is a negative motivation for putting off the acts of the earthly nature:

Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. (v. 6)

This isn’t really a fear-based motivation – though the coming judgment of God is certainly a fearful prospect! But Paul’s point is that it would make absolutely no sense for us to keep throwing ourselves into the very things that are the reason for the coming judgment day.

It’s a bit like me and sun protection. My skin is sun-damaged and prone to skin cancers. I love the feeling the sun on my face – but it would be crazy for me to lie on the beach in summer with no sunscreen or protection. Sunlight on my skin is why skin cancers are coming, so why would I go back for more?

It makes just as little sense for a follower of Jesus to carelessly continue in the things that have provoked God’s righteous anger.

The rest of the motivations in the passage are all positive and grace-filled:

9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (v. 9-10)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved… (v. 12a)

Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (v. 13b)

If you are committed to Jesus being your King, you are safe and secure in God’s love. He has chosen you, forgiven you, made you holy, set his love on you; and he is at work moulding your new self into his own image. Having that security is what will most help you to live for God.

Growth in holiness comes from gazing on God and his grace, and so clothing yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14).

Let’s return one last time to the same list of practical life areas that we considered yesterday. Did you manage to choose one to work on? I’m a big fan of the general principle in life: Choose one thing to improve. It doesn’t have to be the “right” one. Don’t overthink it and don’t try to pick everything, or you’ll end up paralysed. It’s much better to work on one thing than none … so just pick one! Here they are again:

  • Money, greed, and generosity

  • Lying and keeping your word

  • Submitting to authorities

  • Anger and forgiveness

  • Sexual purity and contentment

  • Stealing and honesty

  • Slander, gossip, and gracious words

  • Coveting and contentment with what God has given you

Make a plan, put it in your diary, line up a holy-living buddy … and keep working on our three steps until they become your natural instinct: Be real with God, rest in the gospel, and resolve with God to live in devotion to him.

Because it’s all – from start to glorious finish – by his grace and power.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Growing in holy living (11)

Growing in holy living (11) - Daily Devotion - 27 September 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

For our last two devotions in our series on growing in holiness, we’re going to take a step back to see the big picture again. But at the same time, we’ll think back over the practical topics we’ve covered. Here’s a list of the areas of practical living we considered. Choose the one that stands out as the area where you most need to grow in holiness:

  • Money, greed, and generosity

  • Lying and keeping your word

  • Submitting to authorities

  • Anger and forgiveness

  • Sexual purity and contentment

  • Stealing and honesty

  • Slander, gossip, and gracious words

  • Coveting and contentment with what God has given you

As you think about those, let’s turn to Colossians 3:1-4. These verses give us such a clear and simple perspective on life as a follower of Jesus. This is the perspective on life that will help us to persevere and grow in holy living.

1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

If you have turned to Jesus as your saviour and Lord, the most important thing is not what’s happening in your life here and now. It’s your past, present, and future with Jesus. I find it helpful to visualise it as “back, up, forward”:

  1. When you look back, you remember that Jesus died and rose to deliver you from sin and devote you to God.

  2. When you look up, you remember that your true life is safe with Jesus. He has secured an eternal inheritance for you, safely guarded in heaven.

  3. When you look forward, you remember what you are eagerly waiting for: the return of Jesus in glory. When that happens, you will be raised to life and joy with him, and the only “you” left will be the new you, remade to be like Jesus.

So Paul encourages to fix both our hearts (v1) and our minds (v2) on those realities. That is, fix both your desires and your thoughts on Christ himself. Don’t get stuck focusing on what this world has to offer, or on your own troubles or failings. Work each day at developing that steady perspective of looking back, up, and forward to Jesus.

How do you do that? There are several things God has given us to help us continue clinging to his grace in Jesus. They are sometimes called “the means of grace.” We touched on one of them when we looked at the Sabbath command: gathering regularly with other believers to remind one another of the great story of salvation. That’s the story Paul has just summarised.

The two other essential means of grace are fairly obvious: filling your mind with Scripture and filling your day with prayer. We can’t gather every day, but those other tools for keeping a Christ-centred perspective are available to us every day.

So … back to the list. Decide which area of holy living you are going to prioritise over the coming weeks, or even months or years. Change can be slow, though God may also surprise you. To start with, follow our three steps:

  1. Be real with God.

  2. Rest in the gospel.

  3. Resolve with God to live in devotion to him, by his grace and power.

After that, make a plan! What will it look like for you to work hard at growing in this? Write down your plan, or put it in your diary, or set up a regular reminder on your phone. Even better, message someone now to say, “This is what I want to work on over the next few weeks – I’m not sure how I’ll go about it yet, but can you be my holy-living buddy?” Arrange to catch up with them and talk about your plan.

In all that, one final word: Always seek to be motivated by grace, not by guilt. We all feel guilty when we fail God, even though we are objectively righteous because of Jesus. It’s probably a good thing that our sin makes us feel guilty. But guilt is a lousy motivator to change. If you expect feeling guilty to do the job, you will cling to your guilt, but it will only crush you. Resting in the gospel means, after you have confessed fully and honestly, you return to filling your mind with the grace of God in Jesus. Remember that Jesus dealt fully and finally with all your guilt. Meditate on God’s amazing love in washing you clean, delivering you and devoting you to himself – all by his grace and nothing else.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Growing in holy living (10)

Growing in holy living (10) - Daily Devotion - 26 September 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Western society today seems to assume that our desires are usually good. “If you want it, it must be good.” But the Bible has a very different assessment of our condition. Ever since Genesis 3, our desires have been fundamentally disordered.

With that in mind, let’s look at the last of the Ten Commandments:

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17)

Many people think that the Old Testament law was only concerned with outward obedience, and that Jesus introduced a new kind of righteousness of the heart. You can only think that if you stop before the last commandment. Most of the commandments are about what we do – “You shall not murder,” etc. But the Tenth Commandment takes us back to the source of our actions: the thoughts, attitudes, and desires of our hearts.

Jesus explained the way that sinful deeds come from sinful desires:

21 “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23)

Both the Tenth Commandment and Jesus himself hold the highest possible standard up before us: God wants us to have desires and impulses that honour him and honour others. Living a life devoted to God means…

  • not fantasising about another person’s spouse,

  • not feeling jealous of someone because of their job or salary,

  • not feeling bitter and angry because of the car or house or clothes or holidays that another person can afford that you would love to have,

  • not imagining and toying with the idea of sin in your mind.

But … how do you obey that? It seems challenging, to say the least. For the Apostle Paul, the commandment “You shall not covet” was the one which convinced him that he was a sinner (see Romans 7:7-12).

Once again, the gospel is the answer. It brings us very good news about God’s grace in Jesus – good news that moves us to strive with all our might. God announced that good news long before Jesus, through the prophets. He promised that one day he would transform the corrupt and covetous hearts of his people. Through Jeremiah, God promised to put his law in our minds and write it on our hearts, because he would forgive our sins (Jeremiah 31:33-34). Through Ezekiel, God promised to give his people a new heart and a new spirit to obey him (Ezekiel 36:24-28).

Jesus is the fulfilment of those promises. If you trust in him, he really has put his law in your heart. He has given you his Spirit, who has implanted in you a new impulse to love God and love your neighbour.

You might doubt that sometimes – after all, the old, covetous “you” is still there, in your fleshly body. That’s why there is a battle inside us, and it’s why we need to strive to put to death the old. But imagine how much further away from holy living you would be if you didn’t know Christ! The fact that we do long to be rid of the desires that wage war against our souls shows that God’s Spirit is at work. And God’s grace and love in Jesus motivates us to strive, not desperately but with hope and confident assurance. In Philippians 2:12-13, Paul says.

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. (Philippians 2:12-13)

In week 2, we saw that true freedom isn’t just being able to do whatever I want. It’s being able to do what God wants, by his grace and power. But we can go one better: True freedom is both wanting and doing what is good and pleasing to God. What a comfort it is to know that God is the one who is working in you to produce both wanting and the doing! So keep striving.

As we finish today: What is the positive opposite of coveting? I think the answer is: contentment! Here’s a great verse to memorise:

But godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6)

If you belong to God through faith in Jesus; if he has claimed you for himself and made you holy; if your future is to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29), then you are unspeakably rich.

So today, bring the desires and impulses of your heart to God. I’m sure you know which desires in your heart most need the ongoing grace and power of God. Seek to be content by remembering that Christ is your treasure. Ask God to fill “the bottle” of your mind with Christ and his grace, and the eternal riches of knowing him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Growing in holy living (9)

Growing in holy living (9) - Daily Devotion - 25 September 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

Did you hear that saying when you were a child? How old were you when you realised that it’s complete rubbish?

There was a good intention behind that saying. It was meant to teach children not to take unkind words to heart – and sometimes that’s helpful. But try this slight variation:

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but malicious rumours and false accusations will never hurt me.”

(What? Hold on a minute…!)

The Ninth Commandment is there to guard people against false words that really do harm – and to help us guard our own words so that they bring grace instead. It says:

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)

The main situation the Ninth Commandment was intended for – its “laser pointer” meaning – was the courtroom. In ancient Israel, the words of a witness before a judge didn’t just have the potential to harm. They could kill. For example, in 1 Kings 21 the wicked queen Jezebel had Naboth put to death simply by lining up two “scoundrels” to falsely accuse him of cursing God and the king.

Australia does not have capital punishment, but even here false testimony can kill a person’s relationships, financial security, work, and reputation.

What about the “door” meaning of the Ninth Commandment? How does it open the door to different ways of living in devotion to God? It has an obvious application to how we treat others, and a more surprising application to our words and Jesus.

The obvious application is to warn us of the evil of slander, unkind rumours, and malicious gossip. Leviticus 19:16 says:

“ ‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD.’ ” (Leviticus 19:16)

The surprising thing is the way the Ninth Commandment connects to testimony about Jesus. Jesus was condemned to death based on the lies of many false witnesses (Matthew 26:59-66). But shortly afterwards, there was a crowd of eyewitnesses who testified to the truth that Jesus had risen from the dead (see Matthew 28:5-8; Acts 10:42). The Apostle Paul says:

14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead.…

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:14-15, 20)

So, for us as followers of Jesus, what is the positive life of holiness that flows from “You shall not give false testimony”? First, God calls us to commit to truthful words that give grace to others. Ephesians 4:25 says:

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. (Ephesians 4:25)

Then a few verses later, Paul takes it even further:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)

In the ESV translation, the final phrase reads: “that it may give grace to those who hear.” I love the idea that my words should be like little packets of grace, sent from my mouth to build others up and supply what they most need.

Secondly, when God devotes us to himself, he grows in us the desire to testify to what he has done for us through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

Not everyone in the church will be a brilliant evangelist; but through our actions and our words, we can be truthful witnesses to the fact that Jesus is Lord, and that he has saved us and given us the sure and certain hope of life forever with him.

Over the last week, we have seen several commandments that touch on truthfulness and our words. This is an area of holy living that matters a lot to God! Spend some time thinking about:

  • Your words about others: Are they always truthful, or are there situations in which you indulge in harmful gossip?

  • Your words to others: Are there situations in which you descend into unwholesome words, or where your words are anything less than packets of grace? (Even words of rebuke can be packets of grace – but it takes a great deal of care!)

  • Your words about Jesus: What will it look like this week for you to be a good witness for Jesus in what you do and say?

Again, use our three steps for growing in holy living – though I’ve slightly changed step 3 to make sure our reflex response always includes prayer:

  1. Be real with God.

  2. Rest in the gospel of Jesus.

  3. Resolve with God to live in devotion to him, by his grace and power.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Growing in holy living (8)

Growing in holy living (8) - Daily Devotion - 24 September 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

What is the opposite of stealing? Is it simply … not stealing?

The Eighth Commandment says:

“You shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15)

Let’s start by thinking about what stealing is before we consider its opposite. When I think of stealing, my mind usually goes to someone wearing a balaclava and breaking into a house, or a shoplifter. But as we’ve already seen, biblical commands often apply to deep heart issues, not just “big sins”.

In the Bible, examples of stealing using deceptive methods to overcharge people, like merchants who used weights that were slightly too heavy or too light when weighing out goods. Deuteronomy 25:13-15 condemns using “differing weights” and “differing measures”, and then says:

For the LORD your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly. (Deuteronomy 25:16)

Stealing involves dealing dishonestly. One author I read defined stealing in the Bible as “the act of taking property from another without permission and in secret.” Stealing stems from greed, and it usually involves taking deceptively.

Other biblical examples include shifting the boundary with your neighbour’s house to sneak some extra real estate (Deuteronomy 19:14), exploiting the poor and vulnerable by charging high interest (Exodus 22:25-27), and not paying your taxes (Mark 12:17). Can you think of other examples? Underpaying a tradesperson; not returning an item that you forgot to pay for at the supermarket; not doing the hours you’re being paid for at work.

So, what is the opposite to stealing? Last week I introduced “the bottle principle”: the best way to get all the air out of a bottle is not to try to suck the air out, it’s to fill it with water. Similarly, the best way to get rid of sin is not to try to stop loving it; it’s to replace the sin with something much better: being captivated by God. That often means meditating on the beauty of the gospel and seeing, in Christ, the attribute of God that is the antidote to the sin.

When it comes to stealing, the God-shaped opposite isgenerosity. Listen to how Paul describes the outstanding generosity of the Christians in the churches of Macedonia (Philippi and Thessalonica):

1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. (2 Corinthians 8:1-3a)

This is an extraordinary testimony! How could they give generously from a situation of “very severe trial” and “extreme poverty”? The secret ingredient was: “their overflowing joy” (v2) – a joy which came from knowing just how generous Jesus was in becoming a man and dying a slave’s death, so that we could be spiritually, eternally wealthy:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

Knowing and experiencing the generosity of Jesus, in his death for us, is what will captivate us with God, especially with the beauty of his generosity.

Is joyful generosity something you long to grow in – generosity to the needy, and generosity to ministry and to mission? Has it been a long time since you last sat down and worked out how much you are able to give, and who you will give to? If so, plan when you are will do it. And when you do, here are some Bible passages you could read to help “fill the battle” with living water:

  • 2 Corinthians 8–9

  • Luke 19:1-10

  • Acts 4:32-37

  • 1 Timothy 6:6-19

To finish: I recently listened to an episode of a podcast called “You’re Not Crazy”. Sam Allberry – one of the presenters – told a story from a book called Heaven and Hell about a Japanese thief who came to faith in Jesus. All his life, all he had known how to do was steal. But when he trusted in Christ, he and started going to a church which had the 10 Commandments on the back wall. When he read, “You shall not steal,” at first he thought: “How can I ever stop stealing? It’s all I’ve ever known.” But then he read those words again – “You shall notsteal” – and he read them as a promise. It was Jesus’ promise: “You are going to stop stealing.”

I think that is a brilliant way to read the Ten Commandments – and it’s true! When Jesus has finished with you, you will be wonderfully, warmly, joyfully generous. Resting in that assurance is what will motivate us to strive to be wonderfully, warmly, joyfully generous now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Growing in holy living (7)

Growing in holy living (7) - Daily Devotion - 23 September 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

As we begin the final week of our devotions on growing in holiness, remember the most important truth in the whole beautiful, complex topic: Holiness is a gift of God’s grace from start to finish. Christ is our sanctification. Our devotion to God flows as a gift, on the current of his constant and unrelenting forgiveness, from God the Father to all who trust in his Son.

Today might be an especially good day to remember these things, as we come to the Seventh Commandment:

“You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14)

If modern Western culture could have its way with the Ten Commandments, this one would change into: “Love is love.” It doesn’t matter who it’s with, or whether you’re married or not, as long as you truly love one another (whatever that means). The Bible’s rules about sex are too restrictive, we’re told. Even some Christians think that the Old Testament laws were harsh and judgmental, so Jesus replaced them with a better message of love.

But nothing could be further from the truth. Remember what we read yesterday:

9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Romans 13:9)

Do you see what Paul is saying? The commandments in the Old Testament are loving. They explain how to love others in practice.

In fact, the New Testament is just as clear on the issue of sexual sin. Paul says:

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. (Ephesians 5:3)

“Sexual immorality” in the New Testament means any sexual interaction that is not between a man and a woman who are married to each other. God’s Word says that for God’s holy people – for those of us who now belong to God by his grace – even flirting with sexual immorality (pardon the pun) is completely inappropriate.

Why is that? The reason the Bible urges us to flee from sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18) is because we belong to God – our whole self, including our bodies. Paul says:

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

God created us as bodily creatures, with good purposes for our bodies. That means what we do with our bodies matters.

In fact, in God’s design for our sexual selves, both singleness and marriage are concrete expressions or pictures of salvation! They both have value, dignity, and purpose. Marriage is designed to be a lifelong, faithful union of self-sacrificial love and service, which is a picture of the relationship between Christ and his church (Ephesians 5:25-32). Lifelong, faithful singleness is an even more direct picture of what we were saved for: an uninterrupted, undistracted, undiluted devotion to Christ alone (1 Corinthians 7:32-35).

Sexual purity is often very hard. Singleness can be hard. Contentment with your body and your sexual makeup can be hard. Contentment and serving your spouse in marriage can be hard. It’s especially hard because the world bombards us with messages normalising promiscuity and sexual sin. But the Bible urges us to view sex and our bodies and desires from God’s perfect perspective:

3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7)

Of course, many of us have fallen – and badly! – in the area of sexual holiness. That’s why we need to constantly return to the life-giving peace and assurance of the gospel. If you trust in Christ as your Lord, he has sanctified you (1 Corinthians 6:11). You are holy and devoted to God – even if you continue to struggle with the same sins. Don’t stop struggling – but also, don’t get trapped and paralysed by guilt. Instead, remember God’s grace, and keep practising our three steps for growing in holy living:

  1. Be real with God. Name your sin or your struggles honestly before him.

  2. Rest in the gospel of Jesus.

  3. Resolve to live in devotion to God, by his grace and power.

Spend time talking to God about this, and in particular ask him for wisdom and courage in practical steps you should take – and the first practical step might be asking a Christian friend or your minister for help.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Growing in holy living (6)

Growing in holy living (6) - Daily Devotion - 21 September 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Today we’re up to the Sixth Commandment, which is the start of a series of super-short, practical commands about relating to others:

“You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13)

If there’s one commandment that seems easy to say, “I’m fine,” this is it! Unless you’ve actually murdered someone, that is. And if you have murdered someone, and you have put your trust in Jesus, then I have good news for you: God has completely washed you clean! He has delivered you from the guilt of your murder and devoted you wholly to himself.

Well, that took a dark turn quickly, didn’t it? If you haven’t murdered anyone, did that feel intense? Because according to Jesus, that’s how intense the situation is with your sin and mine as well. Listen to where Jesus takes this commandment:

21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:21-22)

Jesus is talking here about human anger against a fellow human being, which is very different to God’s wrath against sin. God’s wrath is his perfect response, as Judge of the world, to evil. Human anger is like a fire, an irrational response that erupts in us – a desire to lash out, to take revenge, an impulse to harm without regard for whether it would glorify God.

For sinners like you and me, anger is murder without the final step.

Now it’s true that there is such a thing as “righteous anger.” However, we need to be very wary of our own anger, even when it’s right. Our motives are almost always a complex mix, and we never have all the facts to judge perfectly – which is why the Bible says we should always leave vengeance in God’s hands (Romans 12:19).

It’s also true that in one sense, murder is far more evil than anger alone, because the consequences for the victim are catastrophic. But in another sense, anger is just as bad, because without Christ, anger and murder will both leave you in exactly the same position on the day of judgment – guilty and condemned forever. Before God’s judgment throne, it’s the thought that counts.

That’s why that earlier paragraph – about how God forgives and sanctifies even murderers – was for you as well. Part of growing in holiness is discovering just how deeply evil our sins are – even those that are “only” in our thoughts and desires. Our sin is a hellish corruption of all that is good, a murder-level offence against God’s holiness.

When we grow in appreciating the evil of our sin, we also grow in thankful wonder at the cross of Jesus. It doesn’t matter how deep you plunge into the madness and evil of sin, when you come up again, you discover: Jesus died for that too.

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

But the Bible’s negative commandments also open the door to a world of positive possibilities for living in devotion to God. In fact, you can summarise the positive version of all the negative commands in a single word: love. Paul says:

8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10)

We’ll keep thinking about what love looks like next week. For today, think about the things and people that make you angry. Do you struggle to let go of your anger and replace it with love? One of my former Bible teachers once shared his own struggles with anger, and gave us some of the best advice I’ve heard. He said: Whenever I am struggling to let go of my anger against someone, especially when I think I’m in the right, I remember that at the cross of Jesus, God let go of all his righteous anger against me. So how can I hold onto my anger against someone else?

Bring your own anger to God in prayer, and ask him to fill you with his love in Jesus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Growing in holy living (5)

Growing in holy living (5) - Daily Devotion - 20 September 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Do you think of the Bible’s commands as like a laser pointer or like a door?

I guess I’d better explain. A laser pointer is designed to identify one specific thing. It narrows your view to a single point on a screen. That’s how I tend to think of the Bible’s commands: each one tells me one specific thing that I must or mustn’t do.

Let’s start with a laser-pointer approach to the Fifth Commandment:

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)

The obvious question is: What does it mean to honour my parents? If you’re still a child living at home, most of the time it’s simple: obey them! Not just through gritted teeth, but with genuine respect. What about later in life? Then we need to wrestle with the question of what “honour” means when we are no longer under their direct authority. But what if your parents are no longer alive or you don’t have any contact with them? That means this commandment is not relevant to you, right? Phew – one less to worry about!

If the Bible’s commands are like a laser pointer, then the Fifth Commandment narrows in on one thing: my attitude to my parents.

But the Bible’s commands are much more like a door. When you open your front door and step outside, it doesn’t narrow in on a single spot. It opens the way to a wide world of possibilities. The Ten Commandments are especially door-like. Each one only names one thing, but the naming is a door to a wide range of possibilities for living lives of devotion to God.

The position of this commandment is a hint that it is a door to more. Commandments 1–4 focused on us and God. Commandments 6–10 will focus on love for our neighbour. This sits in the middle, so … is it about God or about my neighbour? As we read on in the Bible, it widens out in both directions.

Let’s start with the “God” direction. It turns out that honouring our parents is connected to honouring and respecting God himself. Look at these verses from Leviticus 19:

2 “… ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. 3 Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.’ ” (Leviticus 19:2b-3)

“ ‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD.’ ” (Leviticus 19:32)

See, why did God design us to be born to human parents and grow up under their loving authority? It seems that the answer is: So that we would learn, from the very beginning, the way we should relate to the loving authority of God himself – with honour, respect, and obedience. And it goes the other way: If we are not the kind of people who honour, respect, and obey our parents, then we are not likely to relate to God that way.

But it widens out the other way as well. Parents are the first authority figures God puts us under in life. They are our first “practice ground” for learning to submit to God’s authority. But when we grow up, he puts us under all kinds of other authorities. What is God’s call to us? Honour, respect, and obey them all! Be submissive people, not rebels.

In case you think this was just an “old covenant” thing, the New Testament says exactly the same. Jesus doesn’t free us from having to submit to authorities. He frees us to submit to them even more joyfully and willingly than before – even if they are unjust or harsh. We can do that, because we know that ultimately Christ is our master, he trains and refines us through the things we suffer, and harsh authorities can’t take away the inheritance Jesus has delivered us for.

The Apostle Peter wrote to Christian believers who were suffering under harsh masters:

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:13-17)

We could add: honour the government, and the police, and the tax office, and your annoying manager. Don’t just grit your teeth and do the bare minimum. For the Lord’s sake, show them proper respect and honour – wholeheartedly and with gladness, so that those watching on might see and glorify God (1 Peter 2:12).

What are the “practice grounds” in your life for learning to honour, respect, and obey God? Pray now, and plan what you need to change in your heart or your behaviour, for the Lord’s sake.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Growing in holy living (3)

Growing in holy living (3) - Daily Devotion - 18 September 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Apologies that this has come out after the next one in the series - especially since the next one referred back to this one! Confusing, I know … I tried twice to send this one first, but had mysterious technical issues.

The next stop in our journey through holy living is the issue of truth and faithfulness. We’ll start with the Third Commandment:

“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” (Exodus 20:7)

Your name represents who you are. We might talk about dragging someone’s name through the mud – that means talking about them in a way that damages their reputation. God’s name in the Bible represents his identity and his character.

One of the issues this commandment was originally tackling was swearing oaths by God’s name – like when someone today might say, “I’ll pay you back, I swear to God.” The problem is: What if you make an oath by God’s name and then you break your word? You have tied God’s name to your word – and then … well, dragged it in the mud. Your unfaithfulness, your lie, has brought God dishonour.

How does this point forward to the holy life Jesus has freed us for and called us into? Jesus raises it to another level:

34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:34-37)

Jesus doesn’t just say, “Don’t break the promises you make in God’s name.” He tells us not to swear oaths at all. The reason is because all our words should be equally and totally truthful.

See, when someone adds “I swear” to a commitment, it usually shows that their word is actually unreliable. When we lived in Chile, we once booked a tradesman to fix something for us. Every day for a week, he simply didn’t show up; and every day when we rang him, he said, “¡Mañana, sin falta!”, which means, “Tomorrow, without fail!” Why did he add “without fail”? Because he had broken his word so many times that he had to try extra-hard to convince us that this time he was telling the truth!

God is truthful in all his words and faithful to all his promises (Numbers 23:19; Joshua 21:45). Jesus is “the truth” (John 14:6). The Spirit is transforming us to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). And our witness to the unbelievers around us will be hugely impacted by whether we love the truth and are faithful in all our words.

See, if you are a Christian, God’s reputation is always tied to your words, even if you don’t say, “I swear to God” (I hope you don’t say that!). We have been baptised into the name of the true God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-20). We bear his name. Any time we are unfaithful to our words, that affects God’s reputation with the unbelievers around us.

But … the opposite is true as well. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we had a reputation for being people of truth? Think about the other people at your work or school; your clients; the people you pay to do your garden or look after your children; the people you shop from; your cousins and neighbours and friends. Imagine if all of them knew that you are absolutely, 100% reliable and faithful in what you say. And here’s the real dream: imagine if they knew that you love the truth because you’re a follower of Jesus and you know his grace and love?

The most important prayer we can pray, according to Jesus, is:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9)

What will bring other people to honour God’s name? One thing will be us allowing the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with love for God’s truth, and fill our mouths with faithful words.

If you’re aware today that you don’t take your own truthfulness seriously, don’t despair! The thing that motivates us in holy living is not guilt, but grace. So instead of being stuck in guilt or hopelessness, here are three steps to take with any area of holy living:

  1. Be real with God. Name your sin honestly before him – in this case, lying.

  2. Rest in the gospel of Jesus. God has saved you by his amazing grace, and the power to love and obey him comes from his Spirit, not your inner goodness.

  3. Resolve to live in devotion to God, by his grace and power.

Practise those steps now, and decide how your words will be different from here on.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Growing in holy living (4)

Growing in holy living (4) - Daily Devotion - 19 September 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Before we move on to the next of the Ten Commandments, I want to pause and think about the commandments in the Old Testament law, or the Law of Moses. What role do those commandments have in our lives as Christians?

Let’s start with the negative: The New Testament insists that we are not “under” the law (Galatians 5:18). That doesn’t mean the Old Testament Law isn’t important for us. It means the Old Testament law is not the document that determines our covenant relationship with God, like it was for ancient Israel. Paul says, “you are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). The new covenant document that determines our relationship with God now is the death of Jesus on the cross for our sins, not the law. Our relationship with God is based entirely on his forgiveness and grace through faith in Jesus.

So how are Old Testament laws relevant for us? Paul says they were written to instruct us (1 Corinthians 10:11). They do that by teaching us unchanging truths about God and people. But even more importantly, they point forward to Jesus as the fulfilment of God’s plan. Some of the commands of the Law point forward to what Jesus did for us – for example, the Old Testament sacrifices point forward to Jesus’ death for sin. Other commands look forward to Jesus’ kingdom and to his Spirit’s transforming work in us.

With that in mind, the sixth Commandment of the Old Testament Law says:

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” (Exodus 20:8)

This sounds like it’s very relevant to holiness … but how, exactly? For Israel, this required setting apart Saturday to be a day entirely devoted to God, doing no work at all. Today, Christians have different views on whether we have to obey this command in the way Israel did. But almost all Christians would agree that it is wise and good to take a day to rest, gather, and focus on God and his Word.

But the meaning of the fourth Commandment was much deeper. In Exodus 31, God says to Moses:

 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.’ ” (Exodus 31:13)

They were to devote the day to the Lord as a sign or reminder that the Lord himself is the one who devotes his people to himself as holy.

In fact, the Sabbath command was all about remembering – remembering God’s plan to save. On every Sabbath, Israel were to remember two great events. The first was the creation of the world in the beginning, and the fact that God made the world as a place for us to enjoy his rest and blessing (Genesis 1–2). We lost that rest and blessing when mankind rebelled against God, and we now live in a world of toil and death (Genesis 3). But God had always planned a great rescue – to deliver his people and take them to his promised land, to enjoy his rest and blessing again.

The real purpose of Israel’s Sabbath was to remember that great story of salvation. In Exodus 20:11, they are commanded to remember the original blessing and rest of creation:

For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. (Exodus 20:11a)

Then in Deuteronomy 5, when the Sabbath command is repeated, they are told to remember the great Old Testament salvation event of the exodus:

Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:15)

How does all of this help us, as we think about growing in holy living? Here’s what it teaches us: We need to do everything we can to regularly remember the story of our salvation – how God rescued us through Jesus’ death and resurrection, how he has made us holy by devoting us to himself, and that we are heading for the true, eternal, heavenly rest with him. Our spiritual health depends on constantly remembering God’s grace in Jesus.

And for 99% of us, that means we need to gather regularly to remind one another, unless there’s some reason we physically can’t. Why? Because we’re so forgetful! It’s true that some people have good memories (I’m jealous of you, by the way!). But because of our spiritual condition, all of us will gradually forget the gospel and drift away from Christ unless we persevere in meeting to remember.

Of course, gathering to remind each other of God’s work of salvation is an amazing blessing anyway! So today, reflect on your own attitude and regularity in gathering to be reminded of the gospel. Then, with this area of holy living, practise our steps from yesterday:

  1. Be real with God.

  2. Rest in the gospel of Jesus.

  3. Resolve to live in devotion to God, by his grace and power.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Growing in holy living (2)

Growing in holy living (2) - Daily Devotion - 17 September 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Let’s jump straight into the second Commandment, which is about … well, what would you say it is about?

4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them.” (Exodus 20:4-5a)

This follows on from the first commandment, about being loyal to the Lord God above all other “gods.” The brilliant thing about the second commandment is that, in God’s kindness, it points to the thing that is most likely to take God’s place in our loyalty, love, and worship – which is … money, possessions, and comfort. (Is that what you said it’s about?)

Originally, the commandment was specifically about worshiping images, or idolatry. Idolatry means worshiping something other than the one true God – and in a way, that’s the sin that’s at the heart of all sin (see Romans 1:21-25). For ancient Israel, the most dangerous idols were carved statues of pagan deities. But the Apostle Paul applied the same warning to greed:

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. (Colossians 3:5)

For people in the modern West (including most of us), our lives are unbelievably luxurious compared to the lives of almost all human beings in the history of the world. Our forebears wouldn’t even have been able to imagine the amount of stuff we have in our houses, our  bank accounts, even our pockets. For our part, we wouldn’t be able to imagine life without constant entertainment in our fingertips, let alone without food and hot showers.

Here’s a challenging thought: Could you get rid of it all?

That’s not very realistic, so here’s a different thought: How do we guard against money, possessions, and comfort being more important and precious to us than the Lord Jesus?

Jesus had some things to say about that:

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

The way to guard against earthly treasures becoming an idol is not simply to try not to store them up. It’s to do the positive opposite: “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Jesus is encouraging us to focus our priorities, and use our possessions, on things that have true worth and eternal value – things like being generous to those who have little, and devoting your prayers, your effort, your money, your home, and your gifts to things that enable gospel preaching and Christian ministry.

That is how to shift your heart’s loyalty away from earthly possessions and to fix your heart’s loyalty and longing to your true, heavenly inheritance with Jesus. Because Jesus tells us that your heart will follow your investment. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If you invest your time, your talents, and your treasure generously and sacrificially for God’s kingdom and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33), you will train your heart to be more and more captivated and delighted by God rather than the temporary and uncertain things of this world.

This is a principle we will continue to see as we think about how to grow in holy living. I’ll call it “the bottle principle.” If you have an empty glass bottle, what’s the best way to get all the air out of it? You could just try to suck the air out and create a vacuum. But the best and most effective way to get all the air out is to fill the bottle with something else, like water!

Similarly, the bottle principle of holiness says that the best way to cure devotion to the things of this world is not to try to stop loving those things. It’s to replace them with something far better: being captivated by God.

We’ll keep thinking about how we go about pursuing holy living in the days to come. For now, think and pray about two questions: First, what things in your life – money, possessions, or comforts – are you worried might have a stronger grip on your heart than the Lord Jesus? Secondly, is there a way you can take that part of your life and use it to invest in eternity out of devotion and thankfulness to Jesus?

Here's an old prayer from the Prayer Book that you can use to help you pray:

Merciful Lord, you alone can order our disordered wills and affections. Teach us to love what you command, and to desire what you promise, so that, among the changes and uncertainties of this world, our hearts may be firmly fixed where true joys are to be found, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.