Serving God Anyway

Friday, February 17, 2023

by Dr. Paul Chappell

And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.

Colossians 4:11

One of the most serious issues facing the early church was the divide between Gentiles and Jews. Jesus had made it clear that He was the Saviour not just for the Jewish people, but for those of every nation who believed in Him. “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:16). Following the spread of Christianity across the Roman Empire, some people erroneously began teaching that in order to be truly saved a person had to conform to the Jewish law as well as trusting in Christ. These teachers demanded Gentile men get circumcised as Jewish men did. Paul spent a great deal of time in his epistles pointing out the error of this doctrine. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature” (Galatians 6:15).

Yet there were others, like Paul's helper Justus who rejected this false teaching and instead of opposing the truth, pointed people to salvation by grace through faith alone. No doubt Justus received criticism and scorn from those “of the circumcision” who were not willing to let go of their old beliefs and trust in Christ alone. But Justus was not deterred. Instead, he worked faithfully with Paul, which was a great encouragement and comfort to the apostle. There are always reasons a person could give for not doing what is right. There is always a heritage or tradition someone could point back to as an excuse for undermining the truth of God's Word. These must be rejected. There is no room for an obedient Christian to allow anything to take precedence over what God says. There is no excuse in culture or religious tradition that justifies failing to serve God faithfully.

Today's Growth Principle
Our service to God must not be limited by what others say or think about us but must be done faithfully as unto the Lord.

Old Testament Reading

Leviticus 21-22

CHAPTER 21

¹ And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people: ² But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother, ³ And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled. ⁴ But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself. ⁵ They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh. ⁶ They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy. ⁷ They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God. ⁸ Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy. ⁹ And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.

¹⁰ And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes; ¹¹ Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother; ¹² Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD. ¹³ And he shall take a wife in her virginity. ¹⁴ A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife. ¹⁵ Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.

¹⁶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ¹⁷ Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. ¹⁸ For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, ¹⁹ Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, ²⁰ Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; ²¹ No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God. ²² He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy. ²³ Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them. ²⁴ And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.

CHAPTER 22

¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ² Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD. ³ Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD. ⁴ What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him; ⁵ Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath; ⁶ The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water. ⁷ And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food. ⁸ That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD. ⁹ They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.

¹⁰ There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing. ¹¹ But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat. ¹² If the priest's daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things. ¹³ But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof. ¹⁴ And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing. ¹⁵ And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD; ¹⁶ Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

¹⁷ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ¹⁸ Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering; ¹⁹ Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats. ²⁰ But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you. ²¹ And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein. ²² Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD. ²³ Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted. ²⁴ Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land. ²⁵ Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you. ²⁶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ²⁷ When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD. ²⁸ And whether it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day. ²⁹ And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will. ³⁰ On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD. ³¹ Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD. ³² Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you, ³³ That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.

New Testament Reading

Matthew 28

CHAPTER 28

¹ In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. ² And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. ³ His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: ⁴ And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. ⁵ And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. ⁶ He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. ⁷ And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. ⁸ And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. ⁹ And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. ¹⁰ Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

¹¹ Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. ¹² And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, ¹³ Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. ¹⁴ And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. ¹⁵ So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. ¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: ²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 17

¹ Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife. ² A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren. ³ The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts. ⁴ A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue. ⁵ Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished. ⁶ Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers. ⁷ Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince. ⁸ A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth. ⁹ He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends. ¹⁰ A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool. ¹¹ An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him. ¹² Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly. ¹³ Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house. ¹⁴ The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with. ¹⁵ He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD. ¹⁶ Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it? ¹⁷ A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. ¹⁸ A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend. ¹⁹ He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction. ²⁰ He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief. ²¹ He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy. ²² A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. ²³ A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment. ²⁴ Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth. ²⁵ A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him. ²⁶ Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity. ²⁷ He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. ²⁸ Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.