Monday, September 29, 2008
Be Strong and Courageous
Joshua 1:1-9
9/28/08 D. Marion Clark
(Preached for the ordination service of Christopher Seah.)
Introduction
Chris, thank you for inviting me to speak. I am honored to have this privilege. I chose this text because it seems to carry some parallel to your own situation. After serving an apprenticeship of sorts, Joshua was about to take leadership of a people and travel to another land. Our passage presents the charge which God himself gives to Joshua for this undertaking. That charge is to be strong and courageous. Three times in this passage, God gives this charge. Joshua actually hears it a lot. In Moses’ final words to Joshua, he tells him to be strong and courageous (Deuteronomy 31:7). The Lord then tells him the same thing as he commissions Joshua later in the chapter in verse 23. As if Joshua hadn’t got the message, leaders of the people exhort him, “Only be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:18). I don’t think Joshua had difficulty remembering his charge! Let’s see what we can learn from it.
Text
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.
Consider the circumstance. God’s first word to Joshua is the blunt statement that Moses is dead. Moses. Never had there been (and never would be until Christ) a man through whom God worked such mighty miracles, all of which Joshua witnessed. He witnessed the ten plagues brought about through Moses’ words. He walked through the Red Sea parted when Moses spread his arms, and he drank the water that poured from the rock when Moses struck it. He led the battle against the Amalekites, in which he prevailed only so long as Moses’ hands were raised.
This was Moses the lawgiver, the man Joshua accompanied on Mt. Sinai, but not to the top. For only Moses could go to the very top and stand before the Lord to receive God’s law. This was the man who formed a stiff-necked people into a covenant nation. There was never before anyone like him (and never would be again until the Messiah himself), whom the Lord knew face to face.
Joshua knew Moses better than anyone else. He went higher on the mountain with Moses than anyone. When Moses would enter the tabernacle, Joshua would be there with him. He was Moses’ right hand man, and he had expected to be at Moses’ side when Moses led the people into the Promised Land. But Moses was dead, denied entry because of one act of anger provoked by the disobedience of the people, the same people that Joshua was now to lead alone. No Moses to hold up his hands; no Moses to perform mighty miracles; no Moses who had stood as the mediator between God and the people. Just Joshua.
Joshua does, however, get his own promises from God. The Lord promises possession of the land. He promises victory against the enemies. He promises, most importantly, that he will be with Joshua just as he was with Moses. That’s a pretty good promise, but what is not included in the fine print is that the visible signs of God’s presence would be removed. The manna would cease, but in particular, we have no record of the pillar of cloud and fire, continuing into the land, the visible sign of God’s presence. Indeed the only pillars from now on will be those made by stones to remind the people to whom they belonged.
There would some miracles. Joshua would do his own leading of the people through a river, and we know how the walls of Jericho will come tumbling down, but then that’s it. Territory would be won by plain old fighting, and food would come from the earth, not from heaven.
In such a context the Lord tells Joshua “be strong and courageous.” Three times he says this to Joshua, each time with a slight distinction in the basis for making this exhortation. Let’s look at them.
Promises Demonstrated in Moses
Verses 3-6 read:
Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
Joshua has been given a daunting task – to lead an obstinate people into a land of fierce enemies. No wonder he needs to be strong and courageous. But the Lord gives him a very real basis for having such strength – his own promises of victory and of being with Joshua. And what is of particular encouragement to Joshua is that they are the same promises that Joshua witnessed being fulfilled in his mentor Moses. Just as God promised Moses the land, so he promises Joshua victory in that land. Moses did not get in. Even so, Joshua witnessed God’s promise fulfilled in Moses in delivering the people from Egypt and taking them through the wilderness. He knew from experience that the Lord kept his promises.
Even more heartening had to have been the promise that just as the Lord was with Moses, so he would be with Joshua. As mentioned before, no one knew Moses better than Joshua, for he was with Moses on Mt. Sinai; he was with Moses in the Tabernacle. He understood the presence of God that was with Moses. And so God promises that same presence. It may not be as ostentatious. But God will be with him, no less than he was with Moses. Joshua can bank on it, for God will never leave him, never forsake him. With such confidence, he may then be strong and courageous.
The Written Word
Verses 7-8 present the second basis for God’s exhortation:
Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
It would not be by miracles that Joshua would conquer the land; it would not be by a rod to clutch for confidence and do mighty works; it would not be by a pillar of cloud or fire to give him assurance of God’s presence. It would be by written words inked on material rolled into scrolls that were to keep him steady. The Lord commanded Joshua not to remember the miracles he witnessed through Moses but rather to meditate upon and obey the Book of the Law that Moses wrote, the law that God gave to him.
Knowledge of God’s Word and obedience to God’s Word – those were the keys to success. To be a military conqueror, Joshua was to be first a student of God’s written Word. To settle a large multitude in a hostile land, he needed to first know the God of Moses, and he would gain such knowledge, not through sitting in the cleft of a rock as the glory of God literally passed by, but by meditating upon the words of that same God written down by Moses. Joshua had to know the will of God to make his way prosperous. And he would learn that will, not by standing on a mountaintop before God, but by bending over a scroll and running his finger under the words as he meditated upon them.
And then do what they said to do! Joshua had to be more than a student. He had to be a disciple who followed wherever the words of the supreme Teacher led him. They would spell out the land to conquer and how to partial it. They would give the laws by which to govern the people. And so with this book that gave him knowledge of God and of the will of God, Joshua could be strong and courageous.
The Lord
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Verse 9 concludes with a final repetition of the charge and assurance of God’s presence, but there is an important nuance. The Lord says, “Have I not commanded you?”
God is saying to Joshua, “It is not Moses speaking to you, nor the people. I am speaking to you. I, the Lord, am giving you your charge.” Joshua is not taking on someone else’s mission. It is his mission given to him by no less than Yahweh, the same Lord who forty years earlier had charged Moses to deliver his people from Egypt. And this charge is a command, not a request. “Have I not commanded you? Joshua is receiving his charge from the supreme Commander. With that knowledge – knowledge that he receives his orders directly from the Commander, the Lord of hosts, so he is moved to be strong and courageous.
Lessons
So then, Chris, what are your lessons? You are not to take a sword and wage battles. You’d never get it on the plane! But you have a war to wage nevertheless; for you battle against the spiritual rulers of Satan who will scheme against you. And you will not have with you the system of support that has been here – a pastoral and church staff to support you, a fellowship of believers who encourage you. You go to a church that will look to you to lead them and shepherd them. Surely, you need to heed the words to be strong and courageous.
Know that you have the same basis as Joshua to be strong and courageous. You go with the promises of God that he will be with you and will give you victory. Your Lord Jesus Christ has promised to be with you wherever he sends you. He has given you his Holy Spirit. More so, than even Joshua would know, you know union with God through Jesus Christ who abides in you through his Spirit.
You have the very same words of God written down for Joshua, and even more. You have the books of wisdom and of the prophets; even more, you have the very words of Jesus Christ, the records of his ministry and work; you have the letters of the apostles instructing you and revealing great mysteries about God and his work through Jesus Christ. What you know, even Moses would have traded his experiences for.
And remember, the same God who gave Moses his commission and Joshua his commission and Paul his commission, is the same God who gives you yours. You know what an ordination service is. You know that when we lay hands on you, it will not be to give you our commission but to act for the great Commander who calls you into his service and sends you out. You have not been given a nice job opportunity; you have been given a command. And you are not called merely to take up another man’s mission; rather, this is your mission that you are to take up.
So know what you have. You have your orders from the Lord. You have been equipped with the Word of God. And you have God himself with you. And thankfully, you know that you are weak and fearful. Oddly enough, it is that knowledge that will keep you steady and relying on these three promises we have been talking about. A servant of God is never in a more dangerous position than when he credits his victories for his strength and courage.
Even the great apostle Paul learned this lesson. As he pleaded to God to take away a “thorn in the flesh,” the Lord taught him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul then goes on to say, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Aren’t you glad that you are a jar of clay through which Christ can display his power? Aren’t you relieved to know that it is when you know so well your weakness and fearfulness, that God will make you strong and courageous? May the Lord bless you as you go forth in service for him, and may he make you strong and courageous.
9/28/08 D. Marion Clark
(Preached for the ordination service of Christopher Seah.)
Introduction
Chris, thank you for inviting me to speak. I am honored to have this privilege. I chose this text because it seems to carry some parallel to your own situation. After serving an apprenticeship of sorts, Joshua was about to take leadership of a people and travel to another land. Our passage presents the charge which God himself gives to Joshua for this undertaking. That charge is to be strong and courageous. Three times in this passage, God gives this charge. Joshua actually hears it a lot. In Moses’ final words to Joshua, he tells him to be strong and courageous (Deuteronomy 31:7). The Lord then tells him the same thing as he commissions Joshua later in the chapter in verse 23. As if Joshua hadn’t got the message, leaders of the people exhort him, “Only be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:18). I don’t think Joshua had difficulty remembering his charge! Let’s see what we can learn from it.
Text
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.
Consider the circumstance. God’s first word to Joshua is the blunt statement that Moses is dead. Moses. Never had there been (and never would be until Christ) a man through whom God worked such mighty miracles, all of which Joshua witnessed. He witnessed the ten plagues brought about through Moses’ words. He walked through the Red Sea parted when Moses spread his arms, and he drank the water that poured from the rock when Moses struck it. He led the battle against the Amalekites, in which he prevailed only so long as Moses’ hands were raised.
This was Moses the lawgiver, the man Joshua accompanied on Mt. Sinai, but not to the top. For only Moses could go to the very top and stand before the Lord to receive God’s law. This was the man who formed a stiff-necked people into a covenant nation. There was never before anyone like him (and never would be again until the Messiah himself), whom the Lord knew face to face.
Joshua knew Moses better than anyone else. He went higher on the mountain with Moses than anyone. When Moses would enter the tabernacle, Joshua would be there with him. He was Moses’ right hand man, and he had expected to be at Moses’ side when Moses led the people into the Promised Land. But Moses was dead, denied entry because of one act of anger provoked by the disobedience of the people, the same people that Joshua was now to lead alone. No Moses to hold up his hands; no Moses to perform mighty miracles; no Moses who had stood as the mediator between God and the people. Just Joshua.
Joshua does, however, get his own promises from God. The Lord promises possession of the land. He promises victory against the enemies. He promises, most importantly, that he will be with Joshua just as he was with Moses. That’s a pretty good promise, but what is not included in the fine print is that the visible signs of God’s presence would be removed. The manna would cease, but in particular, we have no record of the pillar of cloud and fire, continuing into the land, the visible sign of God’s presence. Indeed the only pillars from now on will be those made by stones to remind the people to whom they belonged.
There would some miracles. Joshua would do his own leading of the people through a river, and we know how the walls of Jericho will come tumbling down, but then that’s it. Territory would be won by plain old fighting, and food would come from the earth, not from heaven.
In such a context the Lord tells Joshua “be strong and courageous.” Three times he says this to Joshua, each time with a slight distinction in the basis for making this exhortation. Let’s look at them.
Promises Demonstrated in Moses
Verses 3-6 read:
Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
Joshua has been given a daunting task – to lead an obstinate people into a land of fierce enemies. No wonder he needs to be strong and courageous. But the Lord gives him a very real basis for having such strength – his own promises of victory and of being with Joshua. And what is of particular encouragement to Joshua is that they are the same promises that Joshua witnessed being fulfilled in his mentor Moses. Just as God promised Moses the land, so he promises Joshua victory in that land. Moses did not get in. Even so, Joshua witnessed God’s promise fulfilled in Moses in delivering the people from Egypt and taking them through the wilderness. He knew from experience that the Lord kept his promises.
Even more heartening had to have been the promise that just as the Lord was with Moses, so he would be with Joshua. As mentioned before, no one knew Moses better than Joshua, for he was with Moses on Mt. Sinai; he was with Moses in the Tabernacle. He understood the presence of God that was with Moses. And so God promises that same presence. It may not be as ostentatious. But God will be with him, no less than he was with Moses. Joshua can bank on it, for God will never leave him, never forsake him. With such confidence, he may then be strong and courageous.
The Written Word
Verses 7-8 present the second basis for God’s exhortation:
Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
It would not be by miracles that Joshua would conquer the land; it would not be by a rod to clutch for confidence and do mighty works; it would not be by a pillar of cloud or fire to give him assurance of God’s presence. It would be by written words inked on material rolled into scrolls that were to keep him steady. The Lord commanded Joshua not to remember the miracles he witnessed through Moses but rather to meditate upon and obey the Book of the Law that Moses wrote, the law that God gave to him.
Knowledge of God’s Word and obedience to God’s Word – those were the keys to success. To be a military conqueror, Joshua was to be first a student of God’s written Word. To settle a large multitude in a hostile land, he needed to first know the God of Moses, and he would gain such knowledge, not through sitting in the cleft of a rock as the glory of God literally passed by, but by meditating upon the words of that same God written down by Moses. Joshua had to know the will of God to make his way prosperous. And he would learn that will, not by standing on a mountaintop before God, but by bending over a scroll and running his finger under the words as he meditated upon them.
And then do what they said to do! Joshua had to be more than a student. He had to be a disciple who followed wherever the words of the supreme Teacher led him. They would spell out the land to conquer and how to partial it. They would give the laws by which to govern the people. And so with this book that gave him knowledge of God and of the will of God, Joshua could be strong and courageous.
The Lord
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Verse 9 concludes with a final repetition of the charge and assurance of God’s presence, but there is an important nuance. The Lord says, “Have I not commanded you?”
God is saying to Joshua, “It is not Moses speaking to you, nor the people. I am speaking to you. I, the Lord, am giving you your charge.” Joshua is not taking on someone else’s mission. It is his mission given to him by no less than Yahweh, the same Lord who forty years earlier had charged Moses to deliver his people from Egypt. And this charge is a command, not a request. “Have I not commanded you? Joshua is receiving his charge from the supreme Commander. With that knowledge – knowledge that he receives his orders directly from the Commander, the Lord of hosts, so he is moved to be strong and courageous.
Lessons
So then, Chris, what are your lessons? You are not to take a sword and wage battles. You’d never get it on the plane! But you have a war to wage nevertheless; for you battle against the spiritual rulers of Satan who will scheme against you. And you will not have with you the system of support that has been here – a pastoral and church staff to support you, a fellowship of believers who encourage you. You go to a church that will look to you to lead them and shepherd them. Surely, you need to heed the words to be strong and courageous.
Know that you have the same basis as Joshua to be strong and courageous. You go with the promises of God that he will be with you and will give you victory. Your Lord Jesus Christ has promised to be with you wherever he sends you. He has given you his Holy Spirit. More so, than even Joshua would know, you know union with God through Jesus Christ who abides in you through his Spirit.
You have the very same words of God written down for Joshua, and even more. You have the books of wisdom and of the prophets; even more, you have the very words of Jesus Christ, the records of his ministry and work; you have the letters of the apostles instructing you and revealing great mysteries about God and his work through Jesus Christ. What you know, even Moses would have traded his experiences for.
And remember, the same God who gave Moses his commission and Joshua his commission and Paul his commission, is the same God who gives you yours. You know what an ordination service is. You know that when we lay hands on you, it will not be to give you our commission but to act for the great Commander who calls you into his service and sends you out. You have not been given a nice job opportunity; you have been given a command. And you are not called merely to take up another man’s mission; rather, this is your mission that you are to take up.
So know what you have. You have your orders from the Lord. You have been equipped with the Word of God. And you have God himself with you. And thankfully, you know that you are weak and fearful. Oddly enough, it is that knowledge that will keep you steady and relying on these three promises we have been talking about. A servant of God is never in a more dangerous position than when he credits his victories for his strength and courage.
Even the great apostle Paul learned this lesson. As he pleaded to God to take away a “thorn in the flesh,” the Lord taught him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul then goes on to say, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Aren’t you glad that you are a jar of clay through which Christ can display his power? Aren’t you relieved to know that it is when you know so well your weakness and fearfulness, that God will make you strong and courageous? May the Lord bless you as you go forth in service for him, and may he make you strong and courageous.
Good Works and the Good Work
Titus 2:11-3:8
9/27/08 D. Marion Clark
Introduction
I had the privilege of being at the hospital with Miriam and with James and Diane earlier in the day of John’s death. I asked Miriam if she there was any particular scripture she would like read. It so happened that she and John had been reading Titus and especially had been heartened by the passage that has been read today. My eyes lit up when she mentioned this passage. I had first preached on it nearly 30 years ago while in seminary for my preaching class. It makes for a great three-point sermon based on what it says about good works, and it struck me while reading it again by John’s bed, how descriptive it was of John himself. Let me take us through it.
Text
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Let me comment on the term “good works.” There are good people who work. There are people who do work well. And then there are people who do work that is for the good of others. The work directly benefits other people. It might be to hold the door open for someone whose arms are full; it might be at great cost to come to the aid of someone in need. Whatever the case, it is a good work.
The Apostle Paul is saying that the very good work of Jesus Christ – that work of dying on the cross so as to redeem people from sin – Christ did that work to produce people who are zealous to do good works. They don’t begrudgingly help their neighbor out. They are quite pleased to have the opportunity to help. It’s positive motivation for them.
Consider the next phrase: 15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work…
At my sister’s wedding many years ago, the wedding director gathered us ushers in the narthex and instructed us on how to take the ladies’ arms as they came in and usher them down the aisle. Just as she finished, a young lady walked in and then right by us into the sanctuary. The director looked at us with one of those “Well?” expressions. We had been trained to do good work. We were even desirous to do good work. But we weren’t ready. The opportunity came before we expected it and we missed it.
Paul is looking for people who are ready for good works. They take the opportunity when it comes. They are alert to the needs of those around them. They pay attention to others. They look for needs to fill. And then they themselves are prepared. They are mentally and emotionally up for the task. They are not ever ready with excuses for why they can’t help. “I’m too tired.” “I’ve got my own troubles.” “I don’t have the time.” “Someone else could do a better job.”
So, we have people who are zealous to do good works and ready to do them when the opportunity comes. There is one more trait: The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works.
This is an interesting phrase: “be careful to devote themselves to good works.” Essentially, Paul is saying to be devoted to being devoted to doing good works. Evidently he wants this matter of doing good for others to be something to which we give our full attention. One can be zealous for good works in the sense of doing good with a cheerful attitude. “Someone needs help? Sure, I’ll be glad to help.” You take it to another level when you are ready to do good. “I see that person needs help. I’ll go over.” But this instruction takes us further. We understand how important it is to do good and devote ourselves to doing good works well. We don’t get into the business of doing good works in a half-hearted way. We do it right. We are careful to give the attention needed. This is serious business.
This is the kind of Christian character that describes John Padusis. Don’t you agree? Aren’t most of you here because you admired this man’s zeal to serve his Lord through good works? Can you not attest that he took the opportunity to help others? There was a reason why he served as an elder in one church and then a deacon in another. We saw in him a Christian who was careful to be devoted to doing good works.
Now the irony here is that all of what I’ve said so far as nothing to do with why this passage meant so much to John and Miriam, who, by the way, most of you would say fits the bill here as well. What then did they focus on? These lines:
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people…
13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us…
4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
It was this hope of eternal life that heartened them. If you are going to understand the life of John Padusis, then know that earning the privilege to see his Savior was not the motivation for his good works. John did not do good works to earn acceptance by God. John’s last days were not spent hoping that he had done enough good to get into heaven. No, John’s hope was already made sure by the good work of his Savior Jesus Christ. Hear what John heard.
“…when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy…”
Do you understand what a blessing, what a relief such a statement is to a sinner’s ears? You don’t get into heaven by piling up enough good works to offset your sins. There’s no performance standard that you have got to maintain in hopes that it might be good enough when the time comes to make your case. You make it through the work of Jesus Christ, and you receive this work as a pure work of mercy. Again, you have got to hear with the ears of John. Compared to us John was a good man; indeed, better than most of us. But before his holy God, he knew he was nothing more than a sinner. And so to hear of this mercy, to know that the goodness and loving kindness of God was shown to him through his Savior dying for his sins was blessing indeed.
Consider what else he heard: “…by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior…”
He heard that not only had he been forgiven of his sins, he had been washed clean. His heart had been renewed by the Holy Spirit, who had been poured into him through his Savior. God had not merely made it possible for John to be saved. He didn’t say, “I’ve done my part, now you finish your end of the bargain.” No, he came into John. He gave him the ears to hear the gospel; he washed him; he renewed him. And he stayed with him, as he is with him now.
Are you able to follow? John rejoiced in the good work that had been done for him on the cross. He rejoiced in the good work that God was doing presently in his life. But what really excited him was the good work still to be accomplished – receiving his inheritance. You may not have known this, but John was the heir of incredible, glorious riches; riches that he would receive not when his benefactor died, but when he died. Eternal life in glory. That’s not a bad deal, especially when the terms laid did not entail the burden of doing enough goods works, but simply to receive, to trust, to believe in the good work of his Savior.
And that is why John Padusis was a man of good works. When you are filled with joy for the mercy your Lord has shown to you, then you want to be about the business of showing mercy yourself. When you have been the recipient of the greatest Good Work, then you can’t help but want to do some good works. And though he was saved when he was yet a sinner, know that John Padusis, when he appeared before his Savior, heard the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
9/27/08 D. Marion Clark
Introduction
I had the privilege of being at the hospital with Miriam and with James and Diane earlier in the day of John’s death. I asked Miriam if she there was any particular scripture she would like read. It so happened that she and John had been reading Titus and especially had been heartened by the passage that has been read today. My eyes lit up when she mentioned this passage. I had first preached on it nearly 30 years ago while in seminary for my preaching class. It makes for a great three-point sermon based on what it says about good works, and it struck me while reading it again by John’s bed, how descriptive it was of John himself. Let me take us through it.
Text
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Let me comment on the term “good works.” There are good people who work. There are people who do work well. And then there are people who do work that is for the good of others. The work directly benefits other people. It might be to hold the door open for someone whose arms are full; it might be at great cost to come to the aid of someone in need. Whatever the case, it is a good work.
The Apostle Paul is saying that the very good work of Jesus Christ – that work of dying on the cross so as to redeem people from sin – Christ did that work to produce people who are zealous to do good works. They don’t begrudgingly help their neighbor out. They are quite pleased to have the opportunity to help. It’s positive motivation for them.
Consider the next phrase: 15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work…
At my sister’s wedding many years ago, the wedding director gathered us ushers in the narthex and instructed us on how to take the ladies’ arms as they came in and usher them down the aisle. Just as she finished, a young lady walked in and then right by us into the sanctuary. The director looked at us with one of those “Well?” expressions. We had been trained to do good work. We were even desirous to do good work. But we weren’t ready. The opportunity came before we expected it and we missed it.
Paul is looking for people who are ready for good works. They take the opportunity when it comes. They are alert to the needs of those around them. They pay attention to others. They look for needs to fill. And then they themselves are prepared. They are mentally and emotionally up for the task. They are not ever ready with excuses for why they can’t help. “I’m too tired.” “I’ve got my own troubles.” “I don’t have the time.” “Someone else could do a better job.”
So, we have people who are zealous to do good works and ready to do them when the opportunity comes. There is one more trait: The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works.
This is an interesting phrase: “be careful to devote themselves to good works.” Essentially, Paul is saying to be devoted to being devoted to doing good works. Evidently he wants this matter of doing good for others to be something to which we give our full attention. One can be zealous for good works in the sense of doing good with a cheerful attitude. “Someone needs help? Sure, I’ll be glad to help.” You take it to another level when you are ready to do good. “I see that person needs help. I’ll go over.” But this instruction takes us further. We understand how important it is to do good and devote ourselves to doing good works well. We don’t get into the business of doing good works in a half-hearted way. We do it right. We are careful to give the attention needed. This is serious business.
This is the kind of Christian character that describes John Padusis. Don’t you agree? Aren’t most of you here because you admired this man’s zeal to serve his Lord through good works? Can you not attest that he took the opportunity to help others? There was a reason why he served as an elder in one church and then a deacon in another. We saw in him a Christian who was careful to be devoted to doing good works.
Now the irony here is that all of what I’ve said so far as nothing to do with why this passage meant so much to John and Miriam, who, by the way, most of you would say fits the bill here as well. What then did they focus on? These lines:
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people…
13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us…
4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
It was this hope of eternal life that heartened them. If you are going to understand the life of John Padusis, then know that earning the privilege to see his Savior was not the motivation for his good works. John did not do good works to earn acceptance by God. John’s last days were not spent hoping that he had done enough good to get into heaven. No, John’s hope was already made sure by the good work of his Savior Jesus Christ. Hear what John heard.
“…when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy…”
Do you understand what a blessing, what a relief such a statement is to a sinner’s ears? You don’t get into heaven by piling up enough good works to offset your sins. There’s no performance standard that you have got to maintain in hopes that it might be good enough when the time comes to make your case. You make it through the work of Jesus Christ, and you receive this work as a pure work of mercy. Again, you have got to hear with the ears of John. Compared to us John was a good man; indeed, better than most of us. But before his holy God, he knew he was nothing more than a sinner. And so to hear of this mercy, to know that the goodness and loving kindness of God was shown to him through his Savior dying for his sins was blessing indeed.
Consider what else he heard: “…by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior…”
He heard that not only had he been forgiven of his sins, he had been washed clean. His heart had been renewed by the Holy Spirit, who had been poured into him through his Savior. God had not merely made it possible for John to be saved. He didn’t say, “I’ve done my part, now you finish your end of the bargain.” No, he came into John. He gave him the ears to hear the gospel; he washed him; he renewed him. And he stayed with him, as he is with him now.
Are you able to follow? John rejoiced in the good work that had been done for him on the cross. He rejoiced in the good work that God was doing presently in his life. But what really excited him was the good work still to be accomplished – receiving his inheritance. You may not have known this, but John was the heir of incredible, glorious riches; riches that he would receive not when his benefactor died, but when he died. Eternal life in glory. That’s not a bad deal, especially when the terms laid did not entail the burden of doing enough goods works, but simply to receive, to trust, to believe in the good work of his Savior.
And that is why John Padusis was a man of good works. When you are filled with joy for the mercy your Lord has shown to you, then you want to be about the business of showing mercy yourself. When you have been the recipient of the greatest Good Work, then you can’t help but want to do some good works. And though he was saved when he was yet a sinner, know that John Padusis, when he appeared before his Savior, heard the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
How God Hallows His Name
Ezekiel 36:16-32
9/24/08 D. Marion Clark
The word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds. Their ways before me were like the uncleanness of a woman in her menstrual impurity. 18 So I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed in the land, for the idols with which they had defiled it. 19 I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. In accordance with their ways and their deeds I judged them. 20But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that people said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and yet they had to go out of his land.’ 21 But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came.
22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. 24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. 30 I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.
Introduction
Our typical approach to this petition in the Lord’s prayer, “Hallowed be thy name,” focuses on how we are to show reverence to the name of God. I have no problem with that and had intended to do the same until I came across this passage in Ezekiel which presents how God acts to hallow his name. As important as it is to consider what we must do, it is more fascinating to observe what God in fact does.
Text
Verses 16-21 present the dilemma facing God. Israel, through their many sins had defiled the land which God had given them (17-18). In keeping with the covenant warnings, he then proceeded to abolish them from the land, in essence from his midst. He is the holy God who cannot dwell among an unclean people, and so, to protect his holy name, he sent his defiled people into exile (19).
But this presented another problem. The act of sending the people away into other nations then led those nations to cast aspersion upon the name of God (20). The very presence of God’s covenant people in their lands raised questions, not about the people, but about God. Yes, the people got what they deserved, but evidently God is unable to control his people well enough so as to carry out his covenant intentions. The question was not whether God was just but was he able? He could start a good work, but evidently he could not finish it. That is what the exile of God’s covenant people communicated to the nations, thus leading to God’s name being profaned. Verse 21 makes clear that this dilemma concerns him.
Verses 22-23 present clearly God’s motivation. It is not for the sake of the people but for his own sake – the sake of his holy name that he will act. In verse 23, he says he will vindicate the holiness of his great name. Again, he will vindicate his holiness before the eyes of the nations. Clearly this matters greatly to God.
Verses 24-30 then spell out how God will do this work of vindication, this work of hallowing his name. Let’s look at the ways.
First, he will bring his people back. Wherever they are scattered, he will find them and bring them home. Next, he will cleanse them. He will sprinkle them with water (not immerse), and that sprinkling will cleanse them from all uncleannesses, specifically idolatry. Third, he will give them new hearts, turning hearts of stone to hearts of flesh. Fourth, he will put his Spirit within them and cause them to walk in his ways. Then there is the land. The desolate land will become fruitful. No more famine. Verses 37-38 add one more act. God will make the people fruitful. Barren wombs will bear many children and their numbers will increase. All this is how God will hallow his name.
Verses 31-32 present the impact of this work of God on his covenant people and 35-36 on the nations. First, the covenant people. Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. God’s act of redemption, which is what this is all about, is intended to provoke in his people a sense of remorse. How so? Because they understand two things: it is their sin that created the dilemma in the first place. They profaned the name of the Lord. They broke their covenant responsibilities; they defiled the land; they caused the Lord’s name to be profaned among the nations. Secondly, God makes very clear that he delivers them for his sake not theirs. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you.
Then there are the nations in verses 35-36. They will gain a newfound respect for the Lord as they behold what he is able to do. They will hallow the name of the Lord.
Lessons
1. It is the Lord who ultimately hallows his name. As sinners we are incapable of it. Our sins ever beset us and defile God’s name as we transgress his laws. Indeed, we may be more guilty than the Israelites. For we possess God’s Spirit and still disobey him. We know more clearly God’s grace and still abuse that grace. We know the love of God through Christ that they did not conceive, and we still go our own way. How often have we shamed God’s name before our unbelieving neighbors by bearing the name of Christian and then acting without the love of Christ and as though there is no calling on us to be holy? How many of our neighbors have said because of us, “If that is what it means to be a Christian, I don’t see what good it does”?
Let us give thanks that God does hallow his name. He answers the request, “hallowed by thy name.” Unlike us, he is willing and is able to uphold the honor of his name. Unlike us, he does not sin nor does he allow sin to taint him or to thwart his purposes. We are called to hallow his name precisely because he is and remains holy.
Let us give thanks for the way that God hallows his name. It is through the redemption of his people. Consider first his placing himself under covenant obligations to complete the work he purposed. God had made a promise to Abraham and he determined to carry it out even though Abraham’s descendents reneged on their part. Indeed, he saw to it that their very sins would all the more magnify his great name by the work he would do to deliver them.
God could have chosen to hallow his name by his wrath. And he does. By his holy wrath he sent his people into exile. By his wrath he punished them for their sins, and many did die. And yet, because of the covenant promise, redemption and restoration become his means of hallowing his name by what he does to his covenant people.
Aren’t you relieved that this is how God acts for the sake of his name? Aren’t you relieved that, though you do not deserve God’s favor, he nevertheless shows it to you? And consider what his hallowing his name has meant for you.
You have been gathered out of the kingdoms of this world and of Satan and brought into the kingdom of God. You have been sprinkled with the blood of Christ and cleansed from your idolatrous sins. You have been given a new heart that you might hear and believe the gospel and see a transformation take place in you. You have been given the Holy Spirit who causes you to walk in God’s statutes. You have been given a fruitful life whereby you have done good works. That is how God has hallowed his name.
2. In light of how God hallows his name, what role is there for us? Two ways. One is to follow the example of our Lord.
When we consider how God has chosen to hallow his name by redeeming us and restoring us, then let us have the same attitude in how we respond to others. We are to have the same heart of the God whom we hallow. And so, for the sake of God’s name, let us seek for redemption and restoration in others, especially those who have offended us. In regard to our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to restore transgressors in a spirit of gentleness, and if we are unable to be the restorers we are nevertheless to pray for them and desire what is good for them. We are to do unto them as we would have them do unto us. This is hallowing the name of the Lord who is their God, who has redeemed them.
In regard to our unbelieving neighbors, we are to demonstrate before them the difference a redeemed life makes, and above all, that demonstration is to be seen in the love we show to one another. By our love for one another, we are to identified with the name of Christ. Our neighbors should observe the work of the Spirit in our lives, seeing the way in which love rules our behavior, and then conclude that our God is a great God. They should see how our devotion to our God, how our concern for his honor overrides our natural selfishness. Whatever they may think of our beliefs, they are compelled to acknowledge the positive impact God makes in our lives. That is how God’s name is hallowed.
And then there is another lesson to learn from God’s means of hallowing his name. Receive the blessing of his work. One might conclude from our passage that we should be marked by shame. After all, that was God’s expressed intent in verse 32. But understand God’s intention. He wanted to make clear to the people that they could not pat themselves on the back for being worthy of God’s redemptive work. They could not say, it was because of their obedience, even their repentance, that God brought them back. All that they could point to in themselves were their sins. When God did great things for them, they could not boast before their neighboring nations that God favored them for being better than their neighbors. No, they had proven themselves no better than those who did not believe.
But remorse is not what is meant to define our lives. We have been given new hearts; we have been given the Spirit of God; we have received cleansing and the made fruitful. Therefore we hallow God’s name by rejoicing in his work that he has done in us. It is insult to reject the gift of our benevolent God. We profane the name of God when we refuse to avail ourselves of his means of grace and to rejoice in his benefits. For we reject God’s very means of hallowing his name.
We do not deserve God’s love. But God has chosen to love us. Love is what he has chosen by which to hallow his name in regard to us. Receive then that love. Rejoice in that love. Let that love be seen in the way you live, in the way you treat others. Then you will hallow God’s name.
9/24/08 D. Marion Clark
The word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds. Their ways before me were like the uncleanness of a woman in her menstrual impurity. 18 So I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed in the land, for the idols with which they had defiled it. 19 I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. In accordance with their ways and their deeds I judged them. 20But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that people said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and yet they had to go out of his land.’ 21 But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came.
22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. 24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. 30 I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.
Introduction
Our typical approach to this petition in the Lord’s prayer, “Hallowed be thy name,” focuses on how we are to show reverence to the name of God. I have no problem with that and had intended to do the same until I came across this passage in Ezekiel which presents how God acts to hallow his name. As important as it is to consider what we must do, it is more fascinating to observe what God in fact does.
Text
Verses 16-21 present the dilemma facing God. Israel, through their many sins had defiled the land which God had given them (17-18). In keeping with the covenant warnings, he then proceeded to abolish them from the land, in essence from his midst. He is the holy God who cannot dwell among an unclean people, and so, to protect his holy name, he sent his defiled people into exile (19).
But this presented another problem. The act of sending the people away into other nations then led those nations to cast aspersion upon the name of God (20). The very presence of God’s covenant people in their lands raised questions, not about the people, but about God. Yes, the people got what they deserved, but evidently God is unable to control his people well enough so as to carry out his covenant intentions. The question was not whether God was just but was he able? He could start a good work, but evidently he could not finish it. That is what the exile of God’s covenant people communicated to the nations, thus leading to God’s name being profaned. Verse 21 makes clear that this dilemma concerns him.
Verses 22-23 present clearly God’s motivation. It is not for the sake of the people but for his own sake – the sake of his holy name that he will act. In verse 23, he says he will vindicate the holiness of his great name. Again, he will vindicate his holiness before the eyes of the nations. Clearly this matters greatly to God.
Verses 24-30 then spell out how God will do this work of vindication, this work of hallowing his name. Let’s look at the ways.
First, he will bring his people back. Wherever they are scattered, he will find them and bring them home. Next, he will cleanse them. He will sprinkle them with water (not immerse), and that sprinkling will cleanse them from all uncleannesses, specifically idolatry. Third, he will give them new hearts, turning hearts of stone to hearts of flesh. Fourth, he will put his Spirit within them and cause them to walk in his ways. Then there is the land. The desolate land will become fruitful. No more famine. Verses 37-38 add one more act. God will make the people fruitful. Barren wombs will bear many children and their numbers will increase. All this is how God will hallow his name.
Verses 31-32 present the impact of this work of God on his covenant people and 35-36 on the nations. First, the covenant people. Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. God’s act of redemption, which is what this is all about, is intended to provoke in his people a sense of remorse. How so? Because they understand two things: it is their sin that created the dilemma in the first place. They profaned the name of the Lord. They broke their covenant responsibilities; they defiled the land; they caused the Lord’s name to be profaned among the nations. Secondly, God makes very clear that he delivers them for his sake not theirs. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you.
Then there are the nations in verses 35-36. They will gain a newfound respect for the Lord as they behold what he is able to do. They will hallow the name of the Lord.
Lessons
1. It is the Lord who ultimately hallows his name. As sinners we are incapable of it. Our sins ever beset us and defile God’s name as we transgress his laws. Indeed, we may be more guilty than the Israelites. For we possess God’s Spirit and still disobey him. We know more clearly God’s grace and still abuse that grace. We know the love of God through Christ that they did not conceive, and we still go our own way. How often have we shamed God’s name before our unbelieving neighbors by bearing the name of Christian and then acting without the love of Christ and as though there is no calling on us to be holy? How many of our neighbors have said because of us, “If that is what it means to be a Christian, I don’t see what good it does”?
Let us give thanks that God does hallow his name. He answers the request, “hallowed by thy name.” Unlike us, he is willing and is able to uphold the honor of his name. Unlike us, he does not sin nor does he allow sin to taint him or to thwart his purposes. We are called to hallow his name precisely because he is and remains holy.
Let us give thanks for the way that God hallows his name. It is through the redemption of his people. Consider first his placing himself under covenant obligations to complete the work he purposed. God had made a promise to Abraham and he determined to carry it out even though Abraham’s descendents reneged on their part. Indeed, he saw to it that their very sins would all the more magnify his great name by the work he would do to deliver them.
God could have chosen to hallow his name by his wrath. And he does. By his holy wrath he sent his people into exile. By his wrath he punished them for their sins, and many did die. And yet, because of the covenant promise, redemption and restoration become his means of hallowing his name by what he does to his covenant people.
Aren’t you relieved that this is how God acts for the sake of his name? Aren’t you relieved that, though you do not deserve God’s favor, he nevertheless shows it to you? And consider what his hallowing his name has meant for you.
You have been gathered out of the kingdoms of this world and of Satan and brought into the kingdom of God. You have been sprinkled with the blood of Christ and cleansed from your idolatrous sins. You have been given a new heart that you might hear and believe the gospel and see a transformation take place in you. You have been given the Holy Spirit who causes you to walk in God’s statutes. You have been given a fruitful life whereby you have done good works. That is how God has hallowed his name.
2. In light of how God hallows his name, what role is there for us? Two ways. One is to follow the example of our Lord.
When we consider how God has chosen to hallow his name by redeeming us and restoring us, then let us have the same attitude in how we respond to others. We are to have the same heart of the God whom we hallow. And so, for the sake of God’s name, let us seek for redemption and restoration in others, especially those who have offended us. In regard to our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to restore transgressors in a spirit of gentleness, and if we are unable to be the restorers we are nevertheless to pray for them and desire what is good for them. We are to do unto them as we would have them do unto us. This is hallowing the name of the Lord who is their God, who has redeemed them.
In regard to our unbelieving neighbors, we are to demonstrate before them the difference a redeemed life makes, and above all, that demonstration is to be seen in the love we show to one another. By our love for one another, we are to identified with the name of Christ. Our neighbors should observe the work of the Spirit in our lives, seeing the way in which love rules our behavior, and then conclude that our God is a great God. They should see how our devotion to our God, how our concern for his honor overrides our natural selfishness. Whatever they may think of our beliefs, they are compelled to acknowledge the positive impact God makes in our lives. That is how God’s name is hallowed.
And then there is another lesson to learn from God’s means of hallowing his name. Receive the blessing of his work. One might conclude from our passage that we should be marked by shame. After all, that was God’s expressed intent in verse 32. But understand God’s intention. He wanted to make clear to the people that they could not pat themselves on the back for being worthy of God’s redemptive work. They could not say, it was because of their obedience, even their repentance, that God brought them back. All that they could point to in themselves were their sins. When God did great things for them, they could not boast before their neighboring nations that God favored them for being better than their neighbors. No, they had proven themselves no better than those who did not believe.
But remorse is not what is meant to define our lives. We have been given new hearts; we have been given the Spirit of God; we have received cleansing and the made fruitful. Therefore we hallow God’s name by rejoicing in his work that he has done in us. It is insult to reject the gift of our benevolent God. We profane the name of God when we refuse to avail ourselves of his means of grace and to rejoice in his benefits. For we reject God’s very means of hallowing his name.
We do not deserve God’s love. But God has chosen to love us. Love is what he has chosen by which to hallow his name in regard to us. Receive then that love. Rejoice in that love. Let that love be seen in the way you live, in the way you treat others. Then you will hallow God’s name.
