Providence

Apr

2020

The Corona Virus

I am writing these words during the unprecedented times of the Corona virus. Currently, we are living through a worldwide pandemic known as Covid19. Here in Britain – and elsewhere – we are under ‘lock down’ to prevent the virus spreading. This apart, every day the news reports a sad death toll. Many have lost their jobs as well as their loved ones. Normal life seems to be on hold, with the closure of non-essential shops, places of entertainment, restaurants and even churches. Thankfully, I still have a job, as technically I am a ‘key worker.’ Work though has introduced ‘social distancing’, as have the supermarkets. They have supplied us with hand sanitizer, and everywhere there are notices stressing the importance of hand washing. On a happier note, the country seems to be united in battle against the virus. On a Thursday night at 2000 hrs, we all go outside and give our beleaguered NHS workers – and other key workers – a well deserved and supportive round of applause. But do the Scriptures shed any light on the current Corona virus? Of course they do.

The Providence of God

Scripture teaches that behind every event, ultimately there lies the will of God. God is working His eternal purposes out. ‘For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory for ever. Amen’ (Romans 11:36). The events of this life then are not accidental but providential – ordained and foreordained by Almighty God. ‘God’s works of providence are His most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions’ (Shorter Catechism). Almighty God is thus is control of the farthest planet, and Almighty God is thus in control of the minutest microbe. He is God. He is beholden to no one. He knows what He is doing and why He is doing it. It would appear that He is currently thwarting some of the modern day idols – sporting events have been cancelled; social gatherings of all kinds have been prohibited and the economy has taken a downturn. It would also appear that with so many events totally beyond our control, He is reminding us that we are not in charge, but that He is the One at the helm of the universe. The Corona Virus knocks away our earthly props and teaches us just how dependent we are on God. Whatever the circumstances, the Christian is called to trust God through thick and thin. ‘Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’ (Genesis 18:25). He is under no obligation to explain His ways to us. ‘How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!’ (Romans 11:33). William Cowper wrote:-

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps on the sea
And rides upon the storm

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will

His purposes will ripen fast
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower.

Have faith in God

For the Christian, a time of crisis is an opportunity to trust in God and grow in faith. God has not vacated His throne! ‘The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all’ (Psalm 103:19). Testing times are to be trusting times, and the God of the Bible is infinitely worthy of your trust. The Bible often descries God as a ‘Rock.’ In Him we may find stability in unstable times. Isaiah 26:3,4 ‘Thou dost keep him imperfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because He trusts in Thee. Trust in the LORD for ever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.’

Be sensible

The Bible never encourages us to be presumptuous or reckless, but sane and sober minded. God uses means. He uses secondary causes. Thus we pray for daily bread – but also work so we can buy bread. We pray that God would protect us – but we also lock our doors. We pray for our unsaved friends – but also hand them a Gospel tract and even invite them to church. The Corona Virus reveals our fragility and vulnerability. It casts us on God. But this does not mean that we should not obey the government’s guidelines, so: observe your social distance; stay at home in isolation of you have the symptoms; be very careful about hygiene; seek medical advice is you are really smitten by the virus and have difficulty breathing.

Banish your fears with faith

While it is right and compassionate to be concerned about the present pandemic, fear is not compatible with faith. It is incompatible with knowing God as Father, Christ as Saviour and the indwelling comfort of God’s Holy Spirit. Isaiah 12:2 exclaims ‘Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.’

Fear is as needless as it is pointless and sinful. Why? Because our times are safely in God’s hands. Scripture reveals the He, in His providence, has foreordained both the day of our birth and the day of our death, and we will not die prematurely and we will also not breathe for a moment longer than God has foreordained. ‘In Thy book were written, ever one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them’ (Psalm 139:16).

So take heart. God is in control. Your days are in His care. You are immortal until He sees fit to call you home, whether by old age, illness, accident so-called, or even by the Corona Virus. God knows best!

Sovereign Ruler of the skies
Ever gracious, ever wise
All my times are in Thy hand
All events at Thy command

He that formed me in the womb
He shall guide me to the tomb
All my times shall ever be
Ordered by His wise decree

Plagues and deaths around me fly
Till He bids I cannot die
Not a single shaft can hit
Till the love of God sees fit.

Nov

2019

TULIP

One of my earliest memories is that of a family holiday in Holland. I have never been back since, but I can still recall the windmills, novelty clogs, the waterways of Amsterdam, a tour of an Edam cheese factory and the very friendly welcome which the Dutch people gave to us children. Most vividly of all though I can still picture the vast fields of tulips. These seemed like a great sea of red, surging and rippling in the wind.

In 1618 in Holland, the Synod of Dort was convened by the Dutch Reformed Church. The lasting outcome of this Synod was five articles, easily remembered by the acrostic T.U.L.I.P. The articles are known as the ‘Five Points of Calvinism’ and they give a very succinct summary of the Faith of the Bible. The five letters in the TULIP acrostic stand for:-

T – Total Depravity

U – Unconditional Election

L – Limited Atonement

I – Irresistible Calling

P – Perseverance of the Saints

Let us then consider these five points–also known as ‘The Doctrines of Grace’–a little more closely.

1. Total Depravity

‘Total depravity’ gives a biblical diagnosis of the human condition. As descendants of Adam, we are sinners who need to be saved, and ‘total depravity’ refers to our total inability to save ourselves. We are helpless and hopeless apart from God’s saving grace.

Total depravity does not mean that every one is as evil as it is humanly possible to be, but rather that sin has infected and affected us totally: by nature our hearts are dead towards God, so we do not naturally love Him; by nature our minds are ignorant of God – they are spiritually blind – so that we do not naturally know Him; by nature our wills – subject to our sinful nature – are disobedient towards God, so that we do not naturally seek Him or obey His law. Sin then has affected us totally. We need to be saved, but being spiritually dead in our sins, we are unable to save ourselves and reach out to God for mercy.

Total depravity then is the first point of the five points of Calvinism. There is a reason for this. How and where we start determines where we go. Defective views of human sin will lead to a defective view – or non-view – of salvation. We have to dig deep into the dark soil before we can build up high into the light. A correct diagnosis always precedes a correct cure. The biblical diagnosis of the human condition is ‘Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me’ (Psalm 51:5). ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands, no one seeks for God. All have turned aside, together they have gone wrong; no one does good, not even one’ (Romans 3:10-12).

2. Unconditional Election

Unable to save ourselves, God alone can save. Unconditional election reminds us that the initiative in salvation is God’s, not ours. He is a God of sovereign grace. Before the foundation of the world, the eternal, omniscient God saw all humanity. Out of these, He exercised His divine prerogative, and chose an innumerable number for eternal salvation from their lost, condemned plight. He chose – or elected – these for eternal blessing, and by-passed others. His elect had not yet been born, so their salvation was solely due to God’s unconditional choice of them, not to their own merit or demerit.

Divine election has never been a popular doctrine, as it is such a blow to human pride and self-sufficiency. But the Bible teaches divine election throughout its pages:- ‘He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world …’ (Ephesians 1:4). ‘We know, brethren beloved by God, that He has chosen you’ (1 Thessalonians 1:4). To those who object to God’s divine right of choosing some and not others, the Bible’s reply is ‘let God be God.’ Romans 9:21 asks the rhetorical question ‘Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for beauty and another for menial use?’

3. Limited Atonement

Limited atonement – also known as ‘particular redemption’ teaches that Christ died to procure and secure the salvation of God’s elect – the forgiveness of their sins and their eternal peace with God. Christ died, not for everyone – certainly not for those lost in hell – but for a particular people: God’s elect. His death was thus a purposeful, not a pointless one. His death did not make salvation potential or possible, but rather it actually procured the salvation of God’s elect. Christ’s death then – the central point of the five points in every way – and the redeeming benefits of His death was limited – or confined – to God’s elect. It was not for the world in general, for if so, it would have been for no one in particular. Christ’s death was neither vague nor in vain, for Scripture teaches that Christ’s death was with a view to the actual salvation of a particular people: ‘He was wounded for our transgressions …’ (Isaiah 53:5). ‘He will save His people from their sins’ (Matthew 1:21). ‘Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her’ (Ephesians 5:25) et al.

4. Irresistible Calling

Irresistible calling is the next step in the divine plan of salvation, and is both logical and theological. Irresistible calling teaches that those whom God has chosen, and those for whom Christ died to redeem, will most certainly be called to saving faith in Christ in time. God, by His Word and Spirit is active in applying the work of Christ’s atonement to His people. He overcomes all the barriers of human inability, hostility and apathy, and draws them to the foot of the cross and enables them to trust the crucified Saviour for full salvation. Jesus Himself said ‘No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him’ (John 6:44) and ‘All that the Father gives Me (that is, His elect) will come to me’ (John 6:37).

‘Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit whereby convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of God and renewing our wills, He doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the Gospel’ (Shorter Catechism).

5. Perseverance of the Saints

The perseverance of the saints refers to the divine preservation of God’s elect for eternal glory. They will not fall away, as God the Father does not cast out His children. The Bible teaches the eternal security of the Christian. Those chosen by God, redeemed by Christ and sanctified by His Spirit will never by lost but kept by God for eternal glory. Salvation is God’s work. It is He Who does the choosing, redeeming, calling and keeping, and nothing can frustrate, thwart, spoil or mar omnipotence. ‘In Him, according to the purpose of Him Who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will, we who first hoped in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of His glory’ (Ephesians 1:11,12).

Christians have come to know the Lord Jesus as their Good Shepherd Who gave His life to save them. This Shepherd will never abandon His sheep. He stated ‘My sheep hear My voice, and I known them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand’ (John 10:27,28).

There then are the doctrines of grace – the so called ‘Five Points of Calvinism.’ With election in eternity past at one end, glorification at the other, and the cross of Christ in the middle, they are an all embracing statement of Christian doctrine:- Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Calling and the Perseverance of the Saints. C.H Spurgeon referred to these five points as ‘five great lamps which help to irradiate the cross; or, rather, five bright emanations springing from the glorious covenant of our Triune God, illustrating the great doctrine of Jesus crucified.’ He was right. When the five points of Calvinism truly grip the Christian’s heart, our response can only be that of praising and magnifying the grace of God and the God of grace as revealed to us in His inerrant Word:-

Amazing grace how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost but now am found

Was blind but now I see

The Lord has promised good to me

His Word my hope secures

He will my Shield and Portion be

As long as life endures

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail

And mortal life shall cease

I shall possess within the veil

A life of joy and peace.

Timothy Cross

Nov

2019

Keeping Body and Soul Together

Physical and Spiritual Necessities

When the Apostle Paul found himself both in a Roman prison cell and approaching the end of his earthly life, he wrote the following request to my namesake Timothy: ‘When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments’ (2 Timothy 4:13). The request divides neatly into two. i. Paul requested his ‘cloak’ for his physical well-being and ii. Paul requested ‘the books and … the parchments’ for study – for his mental and spiritual well-being.

1. The Cloak

‘When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas …’ The cloak referred to here was a heavy, outer garment, made of Cicilian goats’ hair. Simple in design, it would have been sleeveless and circular in shape when laid flat, the only notable feature being a hole for the head. 2 Timothy 4:21 suggests that winter was approaching. Paul’s prison cell would have lacked our central heating! His thick cloak would have helped maintain a degree of bodily warmth and comfort.

According to the Bible, we are ‘bi-partite’ beings. That is, we are constituted of body and soul. Almighty God made us this way. ‘The LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being’ (Genesis 2:7). We should take care of our bodies, as they are the vehicle in which we glorify God our maker. This will always be so, for the ultimate Christian hope – that is, our confident expectation based on the sure promises of God – is not the salvation of the soul, but the resurrection of the body. Even now though, we should be good stewards of the bodies God has given us. They are actually – if we belong to Jesus – the temple of God Himself. ‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? … (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Food and clothing are basic requirements for our body well-being. The Lord Jesus – God’s own Son – assures us that God our Father will ensure that His adopted children will never lack either whilst their earthly life lasts. Jesus said ‘Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? … Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?’ (Matthew 6:26,28-30).

2. The Books and the Parchments

‘When you come, bring … the books and above all the parchments …’ The consensus is that Paul was here requesting the Holy Scriptures that were extant in his day – our Old Testament which foretold the coming of Christ, and perhaps the sayings of the Saviour which had been written down, similar to the kind utilised by Luke when he researched and compiled his Gospel (Luke 1:1-4). ‘The books’ refer to papyrus scrolls. ‘The parchments’ refer to the more expensive animal skins on which the scribes carefully and reverently copied the sacred Scriptures.

It is evident from our verse and its context that the Apostle Paul prized the Scriptures very highly. He knew that they were no ordinary writings but the very Word of God written. He had stated to Timothy a little earlier ‘All Scripture is inspired by God (that is ‘God-breathed’) and profitable …’ (2 Timothy 3:16). Paul was aware that his remaining time on earth was short. Nevertheless, he wished to use the time had had left profitably – and nothing was more profitable to Paul than the Scriptures. He was a life-long disciple of Christ – and the name ‘disciple’ means ‘learner.’ Thus Paul, vastly experienced in the ways of God though he was, never lost the desire to learn in the school of Christ. Paul loved the Saviour. Paul longed to know the Saviour better and make Him better known. The means by which he did this were the Scriptures – ‘the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus’ (2 Timothy 3:15). The inspired Word and the incarnate Word are, of course, distinct. Yet in our Christian experience they co-alesce and are less distinguishable. Jesus Himself said that ‘the Scriptures (are) they that bear witness to Me’ (John 5:39).

So one of Paul’s final requests on earth was for i. A cloak for his bodily warmth and ii. The Scriptures for the warmth of his soul. His desire for the Word of God surely finds an echo in every believer. A desire for and love for the Bible is one evidence that we have been truly born again. A new life has to be fed and sustained. Hence Peter – Paul’s colleague in the Faith – could write to believers ‘As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby’ (1 Peter 2:2, KJV). If we love the Saviour, we will love the Book which draws us closer to Him. As clothing is essential for our physical well-being, so the Bible is indispensable for our spiritual well-being. It will be so until we see the Saviour fact to face, and the Word in Person renders the Word in print obsolete. It is only when we see Jesus that we will need our Bibles no more.

Timothy Cross

Nov

2019

Darker Days of the Soul

When the hour goes back at the end of October each year, the daylight begins to get shorter, and the long, dark nights return once more. I have to confess that, whilst each season of the year has its compensations, this is my least favourite time of the year. A bit of me almost envies those animals that are able to hibernate until the brighter days of Spring! Living in the UK though, we cannot avoid dark days – the days when the clouds don’t go away, and the whole atmosphere seems uninviting and gloomy.

Physical darkness is one thing, but what of the dark days of the soul? How do we cope with the darker seasons of our lives – the times of sorrow and suffering, disappointment, discouragement and depression which come upon all God’s people at some time? Consider the following thoughts from the Bible:-

The Providence of God

The Bible teaches that darkness is part of God’s created order. Darkness therefore – both physical and personal – is not accidental but providential. It is ordered by God Himself. ‘God’s works of providence are His most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions’ (Shorter Catechism). The Bible reminds us ‘While the earth remains … summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease’ (Genesis 8:22). ‘Thou makest darkness, and it is night …’ (Psalm 104:20). And in Isaiah 45:6,7 God Himself pronounces ‘‘I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness …’’ Remembering then that the dark days of our lives are as equally from God as the bright ones makes them much easier to accept. God is on the throne of the universe! He is infinite in His wisdom and love. He knows how to balance both the seasons of nature and the seasons of the soul for our ultimate blessing and His eternal glory.

The Purpose of God

The Puritans used to say that ‘Grace grows in Winter.’ Darkness necessitates our walking by faith and not sight. We do not always know what God is doing in our lives – but He does, and He is infinitely worthy of our trust. With Job we may affirm ‘But He knows the way that I take … What He desires, that He does. For He will complete what He appoints for me … (Job 23:10,13,14). What is dark and puzzling to us is as clear as day to Him Who is all-knowing. Hence David’s confession that ‘even the darkness is not dark to Thee, the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light with Thee’ (Psalm 139:12).

The Presence of God

The Bible assures God’s children that He will never leave them alone in the dark. He is a God of covenant faithfulness, Who stands by His people through thick and thin, through light and darkness. His love will not let us go! There is a well known hymn which includes the lines:-

Days of darkness still come o’er me

Sorrows paths I often tread

But the Saviour still is with me

By His hand I’m safely led.

The comforting presence of God with us in our darkness is surely superior to any explanations. And in His Word God promises ‘I will never fail you nor forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5). Small wonder then that the promises of God in the Bible are often pictured as a welcome light in a dark place. ‘Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ (Psalm 119:105). ‘You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts’ (2 Peter 1:19).

The Praises of God

The Bible teaches that it is actually possible to sing cheerfully even in dark times, that is, to delight to continue to give God the praise He alone deserves. He ‘gives songs in the night’ (Job 35:10). ‘At night His song is with me’ (Psalm 42:8). We recall a certain dark, dingy, dirty, dank and disgusting prison in Philippi. Two Christian prisoners were once held captive there. Acts 16:25 though tells us that ‘about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.’ It goes to show that it really is possible to sing during dark and dreary days. The God of the Bible has not changed. He is ‘unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth’ (Shorter Catechism). In dark days He is still the God ‘Who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will’ (Ephesians 1:11). And even in dark days the truth still stands that ‘in everything God works for good with those who love Him’ (Romans 8:28), for His love towards His people cannot be extinguished by any darkness. When we realise these precious truths, a song of praise and thanksgiving is elicited from our hearts. By His grace we may ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’ (Philippians 4:4). Behind a frowning providence He surely hides a smiling face. So we may trust and praise Him on both cloudy days and clear days, in day time and in the night.

The Pre-eminence of God

Finally, the Bible teaches that, for the Christian, dark days and night time are only temporary. ‘The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day’ (Proverbs 4:18). Christians alone are children of light. ‘He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son’ (Colossians 1:13). On the cross the Lord Jesus suffered both physical, spiritual and eternal darkness. He bore our sins and God’s judgement upon them so that all who believe in Him may bask in God’s eternal light one day. So if we belong to Jesus, better, brighter and glorious times are coming. Yes, this world has its darkness. But in God’s kingdom darkness will be banished, and banished eternally. In God’s kingdom it will always be light. ‘And night shall be no more; they need no light or lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever’ (Revelation 21:5).

So, dear Christian friend, do not be surprised if you experience dark days. They are part of God’s all-wise ordering of the universe. Remember that the Lord Jesus is ‘the light of the world’ (John 8:12) and seek His grace to live with whatever circumstances He sends your way. And never forget that brighter days are surely coming, for ‘the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us’ (Romans 8:18). Your testimony will yet be ‘the LORD my God lightens my darkness’ (Psalm 18:28).

Timothy Cross

Jul

2019

The Severn Bridge

I used to work on the fifteenth floor of a tower block in Cardiff. On a clear day you could see both Severn bridges from the window. The first Severn Bridge was opened in 1966. The second one was opened in 1996. The latter is 5,128 metres in length – just over three miles.

The Severn Bridge links England and Wales. If it wasn’t for the Severn Bridge, you would have to make a fifty-seven-mile detour around Gloucester to get in or out. Before the first Severn Bridge, you would have used the Aust Ferry to cross the waters of the River Severn. The Aust Ferry began operating in 1926, but we are told that ferries across the Severn go back even to Medieval times.

If a remarkable feat of engineering was needed to literally bridge the distance between England and Wales over the River Severn, what would it take to bridge the infinite distance between you and me and God our Maker? God is surely above and beyond us. He is high and holy. We are small, and we are sinners, and it is our sin which especially and particularly separates us from God and enjoying His fellowship, and will do so eternally unless it is dealt with. Isaiah 59:2 states ‘Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you so that He does not hear.’

The Christian gospel proclaims that, in His great mercy, God Himself has built a bridge between Himself and us, and we may travel on that bridge, and reach Him, and be assured of a welcome and acceptance. That bridge is the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s own Son and the only Saviour of sinners.

In 1 Timothy 2:5 we read the statement ‘For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.’ A mediator is a ‘go-between’ – or, if you like, a bridge. How is Jesus this mediator? Scripture teaches that He is so in both His person and His work – by who He is and by what He has done.

The Person of Christ

Jesus is the one mediator between us and God because He is the God-man – God incarnate. In Christ, God came down to our human level. Philippians 2:6,7 says of Christ that ‘though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.’

The Work of Christ

Secondly, Jesus is the one mediator between God and us because He has dealt with the cause of the great separation between God and us, namely our sin. On the cross, He, the sinless one, was made accountable for our sins. He is ‘the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). 1 John 3:5 states ‘You know that He appeared to take away sins and in Him there is no sin.’ When we put of faith in Jesus then, our sin problem – the sin which separates us from God – is dealt with. Through Jesus we may be reconciled to God. His cross is the bridge – the bridge which reconciles sinners to God.

The Gospel of Reconciliation

‘Reconciliation’ therefore is one of the key words of the Christian faith and integral to the Christian gospel. To reconcile means ‘to bridge’ – to bring together two sides which were previously separated or to bring together two sides which were previously at enmity or at odds. Romans 5:11 reads ‘we … rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have received our reconciliation and 2 Corinthians 5:19 explains ‘in Christ (that is, by means of Christ) God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.’

The ‘message of reconciliation’ is thus a synonym for the Christian gospel. The gospel by implication has an evangelistic appeal. It urges a response. So the apostle continues on an urgent note ‘We beseech you, on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God’(2 Corinthians 5:20) – that is, acknowledge you are separated from your Maker by your sin; put your faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and through Him know the forgiveness of your sins, peace with God and restored fellowship with Him for time and eternity.

So, just as the Severn Bridge enables the tidal waters of the Severn to be crossed without danger, Jesus Christ alone is the one bridge between us and a holy God. ‘He to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood’ goes the hymn. Why not memorise 1 Timothy 2:5. It is a key verse of the Bible: ‘There is one God and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.’ And if you have never done so, put your faith in this one Mediator while you may.

Copyright, Timothy Cross

Jul

2019

When We Don’t Understand

John 13:7 contains these words of the Lord Jesus – words spoken in the Upper Room, as He washed His disciples feet, before His death on the cross: Jesus said ‘What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.’

John 13:7 seems to have a wider application than just its original context. The verse reveals something of the way of God with His children. The verse suggests that at any one, particular moment, we may be in the dark concerning God’s dealings with us. We might not understand what He is doing in our lives at all. The verse also suggests that, happily, one day, all will be revealed and made plain, and, with our full hindsight, we would not want things to have been any other way at all.

Jesus’ words in John 13:7 are words to hold on to. We all have our disappointments. We all can get dreadfully disillusioned and disheartened. Circumstances sometimes knock the steam right out of us and leave us very downcast. ‘Why does life have to be like this?’ we ask. The Lord Jesus’ reply is: ‘What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.’

God Knows

Almighty God is under no obligation to reveal the reason for everything to us. He is God, and as such is not obliged to explain His ways to His creatures. The secret things belong to the LORD our God … (Deuteronomy 29:29). This being so, we will not always be able to fathom His providential working in our lives. Romans 8:28 assures us that He is working all things for our ultimate blessing – but at any one moment we might not think or feel that way.

As an example of the above, consider Joseph in the Old Testament. He was rejected by his brothers. He was sold into slavery in Egypt. In Egypt he was unjustly put into prison. How did Joseph feel? Pained and perplexed for sure. Yet, sovereignly and secretly, God was working all things out for both his and the nations good. Hence, at the end of his life Joseph, with added hindsight could say to his brothers ‘As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good …’ (Genesis 50:20). At any one moment then we may not understand God’s dealings with us. ‘What I am doing you do not know now …’ The Psalmist said Thy way was through the sea, Thy path through the great waters; yet Thy footsteps were unseen.

We Know

‘What I am doing you do not know now …’ We are ignorant of much, for sure. Our understanding is limited. Yet, if we know our Bible and if we know the God of the Bible, what we do not know should not blind us to what we do know. We know that He knows! He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold (Job 23:10). We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

In our dark days, we may remind ourselves that we are not the only exception to the truth of Romans 8:28. Also, when we do not understand what God is doing in our lives, we may remind ourselves of the character of God Himself, as revealed in the Bible. This will encourage our faith and enable us to trust Him ‘in the dark.’ The Bible reveals that God is infinite in love and mercy. The Bible reveals that God is on the throne of the universe and is infinite in power. The Bible reveals that God is infinite in wisdom – He is incapable of making mistakes. All His ways are righteous. The Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is He (Deuteronomy 32:4). He is infinitely worthy of our trust, whatever our current circumstances.

We Will Know

Finally, remember that one day, if we belong to Jesus, God will explain to us all that has pained and perplexed us here on earth. All will be revealed. He will unroll the canvas and explain the reason ‘Why?’ And our response will surely be to praise Him all the more for His love, wisdom and grace whose depths until then largely unknown to us. ‘What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.’

Sometimes then we are called to bide our time and exercise patience. We seek God’s grace to ‘hang in there’ by faith. All will be made plain in eternity, when God gives us the full light of heavenly glory. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.

I do not know what you are currently going through or have been through – just as you do not know what I have been through. Life has its pains and mysteries as well as its joys. When we do not know what is going on though, Jesus’ words give us courage: ‘What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.’ We walk by faith and not by sight, knowing that our God does all things well and that, one day, all will be revealed, and all will be revealed to be well.

William Cowper, no stranger to the dark and perplexing providences himself, wrote the following well-known hymn:-

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform

He plants His footsteps on the sea

And rides upon the storm

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never-failing skill

He treasures up His bright designs

And works His sovereign will

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense

But trust Him for His grace

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face

His purposes will ripen fast

Unfolding every hour

The bud may have a bitter taste

But sweet will be the flower

Blind unbelief is sure to err

And scan His work in vain

God is His own interpreter

And He will make it plain

Copyright, Timothy Cross

Apr

2019

Sleeping Well

Our late, beloved cat Sally never used to have any difficulty in sleeping. We humans though are not quite like that. Insomnia is a very unpleasant experience which can afflict us all from time to time. It is as though the whole world is peacefully asleep, but we are awake, tossing and turning. The anxieties of the day – and perhaps bodily pain – can prevent our falling asleep at night.

Acts 12 relates a time when the Apostle Peter was put into prison. Peter was a leader in the infant church of Christ. It was a period of church growth, seeing many coming to saving faith in Christ. But it was also a time of anxiety. Stephen had been martyred for the Faith, as had James the brother of John. King Herod – keen to keep in with the Jews – decided to make life difficult for Christians. Hence he had Peter arrested and put into a Jerusalem jail. Acts 12:6 however has a very revealing verse. It tells us ‘The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.’ Peter’s sleep was so deep, that it took a sharp strike from an angel of God to wake him up, and eventually be miraculously released from the jail, so that he could continue the work God had set him to do.

Peter then slept soundly in jail. He had every reason to experience insomnia: concerns for the church without – how it was faring in the tumultuous times – and concerns for himself within. For all he knew, the next day he could have been executed, leaving the church bereft of a leader, and leaving his own family to have to fend for themselves without a husband and father. But Peter had no such anxious insomnia. He slept just like a baby, as though all was well with the world in general and with himself in particular. How do we explain this? The Bible gives us tow clues. These are i. Peter’s Friends and ii. Peter’s Faith.

Peter’s Friends

Acts 12:5 tells us that ‘Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.’ Peter had praying friends. They brought Peter’s plight to the ears of Almighty God. God heard their earnest supplications. He ministered His grace and peace to Peter, enabling him to sleep peacefully amidst the current storm. Then, in response to the prayers of Peter’s friends, God saw fit to release Peter from prison. Humanly, this was impossible, as the prison was a fortress. But Omnipotence was not and is not hindered by human impossibilities. Peter next made his way to the gathering of believers who were praying for him, and, to their amazement, appeared at the doorway. When the excited commotion calmed down, he related to them how God had heard and answered the prayers they had made. Peter had praying friends. Thank God for praying friends.

Peter’s Faith

Peter’s sleeping amidst the storm can also be explained by Peter’s faith. He knew God. He was a recipient of the saving grace of God in Christ. He knew that whatever his circumstances, not matter how tumultuous, he was safely under the love and care of his Almighty Father in heaven. He was the One who was actually on the throne, not wicked King Herod. The absolute sovereignty of God is, ultimately, the only comfort for the soul when times seem harsh and hard.

Some years later, Peter wrote the following exhortation in 1 Peter 5:7: ‘Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you.’ The Greek can also be translated as ‘It matters to Him about you.’ Peter therefore knew no stressful anxiety because He was able to cast all His anxieties on a God who was well able to bear them all for him. And he would have every Christian do the same. ‘Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you.’ There is a children’s hymn which is highly suitable for adults too. It takes up Peter’s sentiments:-

God who made the earth

The air the sky the sea

Who gave the light its birth

Careth for me

God who sent His Son

To die on Calvary

He if I lean on Him

Will care for me.

So Peter’s peaceful, prison sleep is explicable because of i. Peter’s Friends – they prayed and ii. Peter’s Faith – He trusted His God. And if we belong to Jesus, it is the same with us. Whatever our circumstances, we too may trust our Father in heaven, assured of His loving, providential care and knowing His peace in our souls. ‘He cares about you.’ The prophet Isaiah wrote ‘Thou dost keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee. Trust in the LORD for ever, for the LORD God is an everlasting rock’ (Isaiah 26:3,4).

So continue to trust in God – and sleep well!

Timothy Cross

Aug

2018

A Dose of Biblical Realism

A DOSE OF BIBLICAL REALISM

On May 19^th 2018, I – along with millions of others – watched the wedding of Prince Harry and Miss Meghan Markle, in St George’s chapel, Windsor. The couple are now known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The wedding was a wonderful occasion. Smiling faces and good wishes were everywhere, and the weather – unusual for our island – was hot and sunny, without a cloud in the sky.

The happy day, though, was not without its sadness. Due to ill health, the bride’s father was unable to be there and give his daughter away, as is traditional. The reports said – understandably – that the bride was more than a little sad at this. It made me recall the following ditty:

There is never a day so sunny, but a little cloud appears
And there is never a life so happy, but has its time of tears.

According to the Bible, the Christian cannot expect unalloyed joy in this life. Why? Because we live in a fallen world. Sin has brought disruption. Sin has brought and still brings sadness and misery in its wake. Sin has spoiled the one time perfect creation of God. The Shorter Catechism states

The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery …

All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under His wrath and curse and so made liable to all miseries in this life, to death itself and to the pains of hell for ever.

The Christian has been redeemed from sin through the atoning death of Christ. The Christian is thus – by the grace of God in Christ – heading for unalloyed joy in the nearer presence of God. ‘In Thy presence there is fullness of joy, in Thy right hand are pleasures for evermore’ (Psalm 16:11). Yet whilst unalloyed joy is guaranteed in the life to come in the blessed presence of God Himself, unalloyed joy is not and cannot be guaranteed in this fallen world. Sin has marred everything. The ground produces thorns and thistles. We are all subject to illness, pain and ultimately death. We cannot avoid stress and tension day by day, in the family, at work and even in the church. The church is the community of redeemed sinners, but still sinners nevertheless. No Christian can claim to have arrived at a state of perfect sanctification. Rare – if not extinct – is a church without its squabbles.

So the Bible does not encourage us to bury our heads in the sand and think that all in the world is wonderful. Of course, this world has many joys. Thank God for His common grace – food to eat, fresh air and sunshine, family, friends, laughter etc. But be a biblical realist. This world is a fallen world. Its joys are fragile, uncertain and temporary. Sin will leave its mark on even the happiest of days here on earth. The Christian therefore looks longingly for the better, more glorious days to come, promised by God in His Word. Revelation 21:4 tells us that in the age to come ‘God Himself will be with them; He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.’

Adelaide Anne Proctor (1825-64) captured the biblical realism of which we have been thinking very well in the following hymn:

My God, I thank Thee who has made

The earth so bright

So full of splendour and of joy

Beauty and light

So many glorious things are here

Noble and right

I thank Thee too that Thou hast made

Joy to abound

So many gentle thoughts and deeds

Circling us round

That in the darkest spot of earth

Some love is found

I thank Thee more that all my joy

Is touched by pain

That shadows fall on brightest hours

That thorns remain

So that earth’s bliss may be my guide

And not my chain

For Thou who knowest Lord how soon

Our weak heart clings

Hast given us joys, tender and true

Yet all with wings

So that we see gleaming on high

Diviner things

I thank Thee Lord that Thou hast kept

The best in store

I have enough, yet not too much

To long for more

A yearning for a deeper peace

Not known before

I thank Thee Lord that here our souls

Though amply blest

Can never find, although they seek

A perfect rest

Nor ever shall, until they lean

On Jesus’ breast.

Timothy Cross

Apr

2018

Just the Right Person for the Job

JUST THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB …

I never got to know my paternal grandmother very well, but I do remember that when something went wrong, she used to say ‘I’ll have to get the man up.’ So, when something went wrong with the water, she would call a plumber. When something went wrong with the electrics, she would call a qualified electrician I guess we can all relate to this. There is normally just the right person for a particular job that needs to be done. Few of us would undertake a bit of DIY when it comes to plumbing or electricity for fear of getting either flooded or electrocuted respectively.

Did you know that the Bible tells us that there are two distinct divine Persons available ‘on call’ for twenty four hours a day? And these Persons are just the Persons for our deepest need. These Persons are described in the original Greek of the New Testament as the ‘Parakletos.’ When translated literally, the word ‘Parakletos’ means ‘one called alongside to help.’ According to the New Testament, the Christian is blessed by having a Parakletos both in heaven and on earth.

Our Helper in Heaven

Our Parakletos in heaven is the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 John 2:1 tells us that If any one does sin, we have an advocate (parakletos) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous Jesus then is just the right Person for the job. He is our Parakletos in heaven – One called alongside the Father on our behalf, One Who speaks up in the sinner’s defence.

How though can Jesus speak up in the sinner’s defence? He certainly cannot plead our innocence, for we are all sinners by nature and practice, and as such we are guilty before God … Well Jesus, our advocate/parakletos, does not so much plead our case, but He pleads His Own case on our behalf. He intercedes for us at God’s right hand not on the basis of our works and righteousness, but His Own work and righteousness. He, as it were, reminds the Father that He has fully atoned for our sins. He paid the price for our sins at Calvary. He was punished in our stead. Because the sinless Christ was treated as ‘Guilty’, we, the guilty sinners may be declared ‘Not Guilty’ in God’s sight.

We have a Parakletos in heaven then. Jesus is our advocate with God. He ever lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25):-

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong, a perfect plea

A great High Priest, whose Name is love

Who ever lives and pleads for me

Because the sinless Saviour died

My sinful soul is counted free

For God the Just is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me.

Our Helper on Earth

Our Parakletos on earth – that is, one called alongside us to help us – is the Holy Spirit of God, the third Person of the blessed Trinity. In John 14:15,16, Jesus promised: ‘If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counsellor (that is, a Parakletos, one called alongside to help) to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth.’

The Holy Spirit of God then – the Parakletos – is the true ‘Vicar of Christ on earth.’ He is described by Jesus as another Counsellor/Comforter Just as the Lord Jesus helped His disciples, so now, all of Jesus’ present day followers may know the personal presence of Christ with them, day by day, in the Person of His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the fulfilment of Jesus’ promise in John 14:18: ‘I will not leave you desolate, I will come to you.’

It is the Holy Spirit of God Who is the personal presence of God in the lives of His children, day by day here on earth – day and night, winter and summer, in sickness and in health, in days of ease and days of stress, on happy days and on sad days The Holy Spirit’s helping ministry is, of course, vast: It is He Who initially convicted us of our sin and converted us to Christ. It is He Who leads us and guides us. It is He Who helps us to pray aright. It is He Who enables us to understand the Scriptures. It is He Who strengthens us in Christian service, and it is He Who comforts us in sorrow. The Holy Spirit of God is our Parakletos on earth – One called alongside us to help.

Thank God then that just as there is normally expert help on hand to help us when things go wrong, God has not left us to flounder along in our own devices in this world An article of the Apostles’ Creed is: I believe in the Holy Spirit He is the Parakletos of God on earth, just as the Lord Jesus is our Parakletos in heaven. This divine resource is available to every Christian, without exception He is available to you! It’s a staggering fact that whilst Almighty God presenced Himself in a particular way in the ancient temple in Jerusalem, He now no longer does so. Instead, He now presences Himself in Christians like you and me. The Bible says that it is we who are now the temple of the living God. He dwells in us, by His Holy Spirit. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Our blest Redeemer, ere He breathed

His tender last farewell

A Guide, a Comforter, bequeathed

With us to dwell

He came sweet influence to impart

A gracious willing Guest

While He can find one humble heart

Wherein to rest

Spirit of purity and grace

Our weakness pitying see

O make our hearts Thy dwelling place

And worthier Thee.

This post copyright Timothy Cross

Apr

2018

Strengthening Ourselves in God

STRENGTHENING OURSELVES IN GOD

At an especially difficult and fraught time in the life of David, all seemed lost. An enemy force had taken his family captive and rampaged the town in which he was residing. Then, to make bad matters worse, even David’s own people turned against him and threatened to stone him dead. The Bible though records that at that time, David did not give in to despair, but rather ‘David strengthened himself in the LORD, his God’ (1 Samuel 30:6). Foes, friends and fears notwithstanding, David knew that whatever his circumstances, Almighty God – ‘his God’ – was in ultimate control, and that His purposes could not be defeated and His plans could not be thwarted.

In ‘strengthening himself in the LORD his God’ David has given us an example to emulate, especially when we too find ourselves ‘up against it.’ But how exactly do we do this? We do it by applying the truth of God’s Word to ourselves and our situation. To be more specific, we take hold of at least four truths revealed in Scripture.

We are accepted with God through Christ

Ultimately, all is well with us, as the finished work of Christ at Calvary cannot be undone or rescinded. Through Christ’s merits and mediation, we are acceptable to God and will never be separated from Him. The Gospel of justification by the grace of God in Christ has great pastoral and practical implications:-

Justification is an act of God’s free grace wherein He pardoneth all our sins and accepteth us as righteous in His sight only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone’ (Shorter Catechism).

Truth be told, if we are united to Christ, we could not be more acceptable to God, for our acceptance with Him is not based on who we are or on what we do, but on who Christ is and what He has done. ‘A man is not justified (reckoned righteous) by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ’ (Galatians 2:16).

God’s grace keeps pace with whatever we face

The Bible reveals a God of sustaining grace, as well as saving grace. When Paul was in excruciating pain – a pain from which he prayed earnestly to God to be released – God’s promise to him was ‘My grace is sufficient for you’ (2 Corinthians 12:9). From this we may reason that if our Father in heaven does not see fit to remove our burdens from us in answer to our prayers, He will most certainly give us a stronger back to bear our burdens. If the path He has laid down for us is a stony one, He will surely provide us with protective shoes! His grace will prove to be as sufficient for us as it was for Paul:-

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater

He sendeth more strength when the labours incrase

To added affliction He addeth His mercy

To multiplied trials His multiplied peace

(Annie Johnson Flint, 1866-1932)

God promises wisdom to those who ask Him

‘Wisdom’ may be defined as ‘sound judgement in relation to life and conduct.’ How we all need wisdom in this complex world, so that we know how to act and react aright. But what do we do when we don’t know what to do? The Bible’s answer is ‘Ask God.’ God promises to give wisdom to those who humbly ask Him for it. ‘For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding’ (Proverbs 2:6). ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him’ (James 1:5). The Bible also states that ‘The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom’ (Proverbs 9:10). Thus, if our sincere desire is to please the Lord and if our deepest horror is causing offence to Him, He will surely make the way ahead for us clear.

‘He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength’ (Isaiah 40:29).

When we feel impotent, it is easy to forget that our Father in heaven is omnipotent. He is almighty God! Scripture abounds in reminding us of God’s absolute, sovereign might. He has no problems. He only has plans:-

‘Is anything too hard for the LORD?’ (Genesis 18:14).

‘Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is anything too hard for me?’ (Jeremiah 32:27).

‘For with God nothing will be impossible’ (Luke 1:37).

The wonder is that this God – whose might is such that He could merely speak the universe into existence – actually puts His power at the disposal of His needy children. Hence the Psalmist could testify ‘My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth’ (Psalm 121:2) and hence Paul could conclude on the encouraging thought ‘Now to Him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think’ (Ephesians 2:20).

External appearance apart, Christians are no ordinary people. We are the adopted children of God! Yes, difficulties, disappointments, trials and traumas come our way in the will of God in this fallen world – but God’s will, will be done, for He ‘accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will’ (Ephesians 1:11). If we belong to Jesus, when we are ‘up against it’ we have the privilege of bringing our difficulties and impossibilities to the Lord. He can handle them better than we can! When you are tempted to despair of yourself and your circumstances therefore, strengthen yourself in your Faith by asking yourself the rhetorical question ‘Is anything too hard for the LORD’ (Genesis 18:14). How we need to trust Him more than we do.

Is the burden intolerable?

Is the task impossible?

Is the grief inconsolable?

Not with the Lord

Is the darkness impenetrable?

Is the sky unpierceable?

Is the tear undryable?

Not with the Lord

Is the joy irrecoverable?

Is the state irreversible?

Is the case irretrievable?

Not with the Lord.

(Anon.)

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JUST THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB …

STRENGTHENING OURSELVES IN GOD

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