what God Wants

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November 12, 2012

"What God Wants"

Scripture Reading:
John 15:5 (HCSB) “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit,  because you can do nothing without Me.

Devotional Reading:

So, when Gentiles began wanting into our little movement, it honestly does not seem that big a stretch to me for us to point to those scriptures and insist on compliance.  And when Paul and Barnabas, who had obviously developed an affinity for these uncircumcised Gentiles (and by that I mean a bias on this issue) took issue with that stance, there was going to have to be some clear and convincing evidence (in my mind) that God intended for us to just abandon this otherwise scriptural requirement.  Out of this background, the Jerusalem council was convened…in order to discuss the matter and in order for us to examine the evidence.  So let’s do that.  Let’s examine the evidence, and I’ll give you my thoughts on it as it comes in…Peter is first.  He reminds us all that God came to him in a dream and told him we need not be “kosher” any longer with our food choices.  Recall (Acts 11:18) that we never really had a problem with that testimony.  We do trust Peter.  But isn’t it a bit of a stretch to conclude from that dream that, along with the kosher food requirements, other requirements are now out the window as well?  And if that is true, who among us gets to choose which other requirements we no longer need to keep?  Peter goes on to make the case that God Himself seems to want the Gentiles “in”, and that Cornelius’ house proves that.  But it seems that Peter is missing the issue here…we are not questioning whether or not Gentiles get to come in.  Rather, we are simply saying they must still follow God’s laws.  I am not all that impressed with Peter’s testimony as it relates to circumcision, and I find myself wondering where it is really coming from.  Paul and Barnabas are next.  No big surprise what their position is, as they have built a large and growing church of Gentiles by letting them off the hook on this circumcision issue.  They have much to lose here and have a pretty clear bias.  So, what is their “evidence”?  They say, “Look at the numbers!” They say, “Isn’t this evidence that God is blessing us?”  ”Everybody is joining us!”  It reminds me of the very tired argument of every teenager who says, “But everyone else is doing it!”  To be clear about my skepticism here…God has NEVER used popularity as a guide for us to follow.  As a matter of fact, Jesus Himself said that the world would hate us, not love us.  Are we to then hear this testimony about sheer numbers of Gentile converts as some type of evidence that God wants to do away with circumcision?  Really?  This lawyer admires Paul’s and Barnabas’ love for their people, but this lawyer wants to remind them that love is NOT giving people what they want…it is giving them what they need.  Lastly, Pastor James speaks, and he is opening scripture.  Finally!  We can now turn to what matters the most!  James shocks us with his selection.  He skips all references in all of scripture to circumcision.  All of them.  He selects an obscure two verses out of an obscure prophet (Amos) and reads words about God’s desire to have Gentiles bear His name.  And that is it.  Nothing about circumcision at all.  This lawyer finds himself asking, “Really, James?  That is it?”  Again, it seems to me that James (like everyone else) has missed the issue.  Nobody here is questioning whether or not Gentiles get to come in!  Nobody!  There is also the unpredictable and inexplicable work of the Holy Spirit among those men (and among us today).  And who but the Holy Spirit could have caused those brilliant minds to look at THAT evidence and come to a consensus to do away with the requirement of circumcision for the Gentile believers?  That little factor has a way of changing everything, doesn’t it?  God’s plans have a way of confounding the best logic men can produce.  Our attempts at “weighing the evidence” mean nothing…NOTHING, apart from the Spirit and its influence on us.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20