Quick Note – Proverbs 28:19b – The Discontentment of the Heart

Proverbs 28:19b – “…But he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.”

Just last weekend, I went to the world-famous San Diego Comic-Con, the world’s most-renowned comic book and pop culture convention.  This convention takes place once a year in San Diego, CA, bringing in millions of people from around the world to the historic Gaslamp district in San Diego.  The convention originally catered to comic book nerds, who would meet to talk about comic books, as well as, shake hands with their favorite creators.  But over time, it grew to a convention that catered to pop culture fanatics in general.  Nowadays, Comic-Con has a little something for everyone, whether you are into cosplay (dressing up in costumes), collectible toys (from Mattel and Hasbro), gaming (tabletop or electronic), anime and manga (Japanese comics and cartoons), and/or even TV/movie entertainment (related to Sci-fi, Fantasy, Action-Adventure, or Horror).  Comic-Con has really grown into one of the largest conventions of all time. 

All together I have attended this convention three times (2008, 2011, and 2014), and each time has brought a new and different experience.  The first time I went was in 2008, and I can only describe the experience as captivating, for my jaw dropped when I saw the massive exhibit hall filled with goodies for me to pick up and enjoy.  I wandered down the aisles looking for missing issues in my collection; I waited in line to get my favorite comics signed by writers and artists; I admired the beautiful exhibits and costumes put together by companies and people.  I really loved it.  It was paradise for a fanboy.  The second time I went was in 2011.  This time I was prepared for what I was going to see, so I planned out routes and schedules for me to get everything I wanted to get done done.  Although it was still fun and appealing, my simple stroll in 2008 had now transformed into a mission to achieve all that I wanted to achieve.  My goal switched from just meeting comic book creators to getting as many freebies as I could, and I must say I came home with a lot.  The third time I went happened this weekend, but this time everything was different.  I had planned to get my freebies, meet the creators, and enjoy the show all together.  But when I got into that hall and saw the massive lines of people waiting to buy “con-exclusive” toys, I could not help but notice that my convention was gone.  All that was left was a marketplace that catered to the covetousness and discontentment found in the heart of all mankind.  It was all about buying stuff.  You want this thing, pay $20.  You want this other thing, pay $50.  You want this con-exclusive statue, pay $100.  Everybody was there to buy and sell and do business.  I was caught up in it too and in reality still am, for I often find myself entrapped in the weeds of this world, desiring the temporary riches of this earth.  

Observing all these people who were just interested in getting more and more stuff, as well as, reflecting on my own heart reopened my eyes to discontentment.  All of us have a problem with wanting to get more and more things.  We spend all our lives trying to get the things of this earth.  We chase after luxury cars, model homes, and upcoming tech, but every time we obtain it, we are still left empty.  And even worse, these are things that over time will just break down.  Our passage in Proverbs today reminds us how foolish it is for us to pursue these worthless things.  The proverb states that following after worthless things only ends in poverty – financial poverty for those who chase after worthless time activities, emotional poverty for those who try to find fulfillment in these plastic objects, and spiritual poverty for those who seek hope and salvation in these things. Although the proverb was likely referring to activities that simply waste time instead of being productive, it can easily apply to chasing after the things of this earth, for these things are worthless if we use an eternal viewpoint and can only lead to more discontentment of the heart, which is true spiritual poverty.  Instead of investing our time in creating a closer relationship with God, we waste our time on these fleeting pursuits.  Christ reminded His disciples in Matthew 6:19-20 what their hearts should pursue – ““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”  Instead of following worthless pursuits that will end in poverty, let us sow, reap, and harvest things of heavenly value like a close relationship to Him, the fruit of the Spirit, and the salvation of souls. It is only in Christ, that we can find true contentment, for the gifts He gives are not fleeting but eternal. 

John 1:37-38 – “What Are You Seeking?”

John 1:37-38 – “37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, ‘What are you seeking?’ And they said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”

“What do you want out of this relationship?”  Isn’t that one of the most important questions to ask when a two people are developing a relationship?  The relationship could be between a boy and girl who are falling in love, between two random people who are to become best friends, or between two people who are about to make a new business partnership.  If we decide to put in the effort to answer that question in all our earthly relationships, then why would we not put in the same effort to answer this question in our spiritual relationship with Christ?

In our passage today, Christ asked this exact question to two disciples who were going to follow Him.  These two disciples were first disciples of John the Baptist, but when John declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” they left him to follow Christ.  As they were following Him, Christ asked them this critical question, “What are you seeking?”  He was basically asking them why they were following Him, or simply, “What do you want?”  These two disciples then answered that they wanted to see where He was staying.  Now, these disciples were not looking for this answer to bring a bunch of paparazzi to that location; they were asking so that they could know the location where they can visit Christ.  Matthew Henry’s commentary stated that they likely did this so that they could come back at a more appropriate time to learn from Him.  They wanted to know Christ in a more intimate way.^[1]  They didn’t just want to hear that He was the Lamb of God from John the Baptist, but they wanted to see and know if it was true themselves.  Christ then said, “Come and see,” which was His way of inviting them to see first-hand who He was and what He was going to do.  This one day that they spent with Jesus Christ moved them so much that one of these disciples, Andrew, even, brought his brother Peter to follow Christ as well.  Andrew and this other disciple sought Christ to know Him more and to learn of Him and that is what they got.  Eventually, Andrew, Peter, and the rest of Christ’s apostles would follow Him not merely for what they could learn or what they could get but simply because He was the Son of God.

The question every Christian should ask himself today is “What am I seeking when I follow Christ?”  Are you looking for security?  Are you looking for guidance or direction?  Are you looking for comfort?  Are you looking for salvation from hell?  What is it that you want?  If you answered, “Yes” to any of these questions, then the truth is that you are seeking Christ for what He can give you instead of for who He is.  Simply, you are pursuing Christ for selfish reasons.  He can and will certainly provide all these things but should this be the reason why a disciple follows Christ – for what he can get?  Of course not!  Many Christians, including myself, began pursuing Christ for what we could get out of Him.  But as we mature spiritually that reason should shift so that we stop following Christ for what we can get but for who He is.  Andrew and this other disciple followed Christ because the wanted to learn His teachings, but after three years of following Him, their reason changed – they followed Him because He was the Son of God. 

What are you seeking when you turn to Christ?  He will be your Savior if you seek salvation.  He will be your Comforter if you seek comfort.  He will be your Rock if you seek security.  But most importantly, let Him be your Lord, maturing your faith to the point where even if all these blessings were taken, you would still follow Him for the express reason that He is LORD. 

 

^[1] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: Complete and unabridged in one volume (1922). Peabody: Hendrickson.

Quick Note – Acts 13:38-39 – Freedom in Christ

Acts 13:38-39 – “Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.”

This weekend, as Americans, we celebrated the 4th of July, the day we declared our independence from England in 1776. It is a time of joy and celebration, where most families throw a barbecue or picnic, watch fireworks, and give thanks for the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans. It is truly a very patriotic day. My family doesn’t tend to do anything big on the 4th, but we do get the day off to reflect on the wonderful freedoms we have like freedom of religion and freedom of speech. But even though many of us get to enjoy these freedoms (whether you are an American or not), many of us are still enslaved. Enslaved to what you may ask? The simple answer is to sin and to our desires to sin and to the results of sin. Jesus stated it best in John 8:34, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” Sin is a horrible curse that has fallen upon all of humanity. We all have practiced sin and are/were slaves to it; without Christ changing the sin nature in our hearts, we cannot help but sin. Even the Law, which God had set for us in the Old Testament, could not do anything to free us from sin. All it could do was temporarily pay for the punishment of our sins. It could never fully deal with the sin problem of the heart. It dealt with the surface issue of a sinful act but never with the deep issue of a sinful nature. Paul addressed this in our passage today, when he was speaking to the Jews in Antioch of Pisidia, when he said, “…Through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by Him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” Paul was speaking of the one Person who could set us truly free from sin – Jesus Christ.

In our passage today, Paul said that Christ could set us free from everything by which we could not be freed from by the Law of Moses. What were those things? The first thing is the penalty for our sin. The Law of Moses provided sacrifices that could pay the penalty for the individual sins we do like lying, cheating, stealing. Each of one these actions had a specific offering that could be brought before the Temple and used to cover for the sin, but it could not pay for the actual problem – missing the mark that God had set for us – perfection. That penalty is clearly stated for us in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death…” That penalty was paid for us by Christ’s death on the cross. The perfect, sinless Lamb of God died in our place so that we would not have to pay that penalty. All we need to do is trust Christ as our Savior. The second thing is our sin nature, in other words, our natural inclination to sin and to be in the wrong. Ever since the fall of man that fateful day when Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, we have all fallen prey to sin. Once again, sin simply means that we have missed the mark that God has set for us, which is perfection. We can never be perfect; therefore, we will always miss the mark and will always be considered sinful. But when Christ came and died for our sins, He not only paid the penalty for them, He completely wiped out that nature and replaced it with a new one for those who choose to give their lives to Him. That is why 2 Corinthians 5:17 states that we are all new creatures in Christ. Our sin nature which could not be changed by the Law of Moses can be changed in Christ. All we need to do is trust Him as our Lord. The third thing is the guilt from our sins. Before we became Christians, sin did not really matter to us. We may have felt a little sorrow for doing what was wrong, but that sorrow always went away with time. But when we gave our lives to Christ, whenever we sin, guilt overcomes our hearts. It is a good thing, for it is a reminder that we have sinned. But the thing is that we need not dwell on that guilt any longer and allow it to bring us to depression, for Christ has forgiven us of our sins both now and forever. 1 John 1:9 says that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The Law of Moses allowed for us to wipe away the guilt of a particular sin, knowing that it was covered until we sinned again, but it could never place us in the right standing before God all the time. We could only be presented before God as fully forgiven for everything from all our sins to our sin nature if we accept Christ’s gift of salvation from sin. All we need to do is trust Him as our Forgiver.

 

What the Law of Moses could not do, Christ did for us. He is our Savior, Lord, and Forgiver. Find your freedom from sin in Him. You no longer are a slave to sin but free in Christ (and in actuality a slave to Christ – 1 Corinthians 7:22). Let Him set you truly free, so that the next 4th of July, you won’t just be thanking God for the freedoms you enjoy here on earth but the freedom in Christ as well.