Labour in Vain

Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it…

Psalm 127:1

All efforts to improve the world are in vain if we rely on our own goodness. Even the finest humans are too depraved and corrupt to be righteous in and of themselves.

Good deeds are stained with filthy sins and are unacceptable in the sight of the most holy God. There is nothing we can do about this, unless we reconcile with God through Jesus Christ.

all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags...

Isaiah 64:6

Without God, we have no purpose. Our labor is in vain and we exist to serve temporal needs only. If we are to have any semblance of order on earth, then a Gospel foundation is the first necessity.

And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

Psalm 90:17

Photo by Scott Blake Unsplash.com

Thou Shalt Not Revile the Gods

“Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.” — Exodus 22:28

Image Credit: NPR

How difficult this commandment is for most Americans!

America’s egalitarian spirit may seem commendable, but over time has degenerated into ubiquitous, bipartisan, verbal diarrhea against any and all government officials.

Walt Whitman wrote in Leaves of Grass about that egalitarian American spirit:

“He walks with perfect ease in the capitol,

He walks among the Congress, and one Representative says to another,

Here is our equal appearing and new.

Where the citizen is always the head and ideal, and President,

Mayor, Governor and what not, are agents for pay..."

And now skip ahead to 2023 and instead of walking and conversing with ease before elected officials we have “Let’s go Brandon.”

Paul exhorts the church that “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority.[1]”

When was the last time you gave thanks and sincerely prayed for God’s mercy upon our government officials?

I say this not because we have to submit to every sinful whim of a godless bureaucracy, quite the opposite. The Church has a duty to rebuke the civil magistrate and speak truth to power, but we destroy our own testimony when we give in to railing and cursing. Be angry and sin not[2].

John the Baptist was imprisoned for telling the king that his marriage was unlawful. Unlawful how? By what standard? Only by the law of God was he condemned, because he was the highest standard of law in the physical realm. This means that the civil magistrate is accountable to the law of God and is not a law unto himself. But if John had been a railer, and said, “Let’s go Herod,” he would not be suffering for righteousness’ sake,[3] he would be suffering for his own sin's sake. Consequences are not automatically"persecution."

“For what glory is it, if, when ye shall be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, yet take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.[4]”

We must rebuke sin in our society, but do not give the scoffers room to blaspheme the name of Christ through foolish and vain speech.

“See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.” — 1st Thessalonians 5:15

Scripture References: [1] 1st Tim 2:1-2 [2] Eph 4:26 [3] Math 5:10 [4] 1stPet 2:20

Though the Lord Be High...

“Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.” — Psalm 138:6

To experience God’s deliverance, we must first humble ourselves. This is as true with our first desperate plea for salvation (God, be merciful unto me a sinner[1]) as it is for seasoned saints fighting their good warfare,[2] saying “Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper[3].”

But the proud he knoweth afar off, they dwell in a dry land,[4] they drink from broken cisterns,[5] and they are under heavy bondage. “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin[6].” says our Lord. The one that trusts in himself will find himself like the chaff driven away with the wind.[7]

“God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.” — Ps 68:6

Scripture References: [1] Luke 18:19 [2] 2nd Tim 4:7 [3] Ps 30:10 [4] Ps 68:6 [5] Jer 2:13 [6] John 8:34 [7] Ps 1:4