BreadOfLife

Wherein lies our hope? The hearts of unbelievers can be set only on the things of this world. The “rich man” of this parable is merely one example. His wealth is not the problem; his unbelief is. He is contrasted with the beggar Lazarus (whose name is a rendition of a Hebrew name meaning “God is my help”). Is our focus on worldly matters, or on God?

Does God commend dishonest dealing? Certainly not. Note that the commendation of the unjust servant comes from his master, not our Lord. Our Lord’s exhortation begins in v. 9. It is not the steward’s dishonesty that God commends, but rather only the man’s prudence as an example for us to follow. As Christians, we too often fail to be “wise as serpents,” as Jesus exhorts us in Matthew 10:16.

Have you ever acted as though your own ideas about how to achieve happiness were better than God’s plans for you? The father in this parable represents God, and the younger son represents those who choose to go their own way. The father allowed his younger son to discover the folly of his own ideas, and to return, chastised, to his household. How blessed we are that for Jesus’ sake, we are received back.

Was there anything in the lost sheep or the lost piece of money that made them of greater worth than the other ninety-nine sheep or the other nine coins? No. What differentiated them was that they were lost. The Pharisees and scribes complained that Jesus ate with sinners, so He told these parables to illustrate the seeking love of God. We were lost. Jesus sought us out and saved us.

The first use of the Law is to show us our sins and sinful nature so that we are not deceived by the lie that we can earn salvation. It is only through Christ’s perfect life and vicarious death that our sins have been blotted out. The benefit of what Jesus has done for all mankind is received only through faith, not works.

“Stand fast” in unchanging truth. God’s enemies present compelling and eloquent assertions and reasoning designed to create widespread falling away from genuine Christian faith. Who is in danger of falling away? Those who “did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” Continually study the saving Word of God, through which the Holy Spirit will sustain and strengthen your faith.

False prophets—those who claim to speak God’s Word but in reality proclaim the devil’s lies—are nothing new. Sometimes it may seem to us as if everything is going their way. But make no mistake, their doom is certain, severe, and everlasting.

This is Paul’s valedictory statement. May God graciously grant that we too may be able to fight the good fight and keep the faith. Our eternal welfare is a matter of what Christ has done for us, not of what we do. Nonetheless, being saved by grace through faith, we are called to practice faithful discipleship unto the end.

The Bible is not human religious speculation, it is God’s Word. As such, it is the only sure basis for what we believe and what we do. This is especially important for us to remember in our day, when so many people have “itching ears,” and choose to believe charlatans who tell them whatever they want to hear.

Here we have some of the most precious words of scriptural advice. Do we suffer anxiety? Take it to the Lord, and—believing His promises—we will have peace. What sorts of things occupy our thoughts? Here’s a list of what we should think about—no, what we should meditate on! The result, again, is personal peace.

Paul counsels Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” The Greek word translated as “be strong” is literally “be invested with power.” Significantly, he then points out that as soldiers for Christ, we must endure suffering. For now, we are members of the Church Militant, and as soldiers we are to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

Suffering scorn from unbelievers and imprisonment in Rome, Paul nonetheless is not ashamed of the Gospel. Let us also follow that example when we face the relatively inconsequential derision of today’s world. We can proclaim with Paul, “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed.”