(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see how)
Focus Question:
How is faith in God “vindicated?”
Intro:
Today could we just focus on our spirits? And I don’t mean that aspect of our souls, per se. I mean out attitudes, approaches to life and love…and the focus question that we’ll get to in today’s psalm, today’s wisdom segment, when we ask, “How is faith in God vindicated?”
In the last 24 hours I’ve had incredible confirmation of helping someone feel more in love with Jesus, and that thrills me to no end. AND I’ve had two, not one, conversations where someone raised an objection against Christianity that has an answer…but they are not willing to listen. And my heart is breaking.
I am reminded of how we only have one thing we can do. Remember in 2 Co when Paul was being slandered and questioned, he said
Now I, Paul, myself, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ… For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Co 10:1a, 3-5, CSB)
His answer: The Enemy is entrenched, and there is a time to battle false ideas. But how we do that is important.
Today’s passage in Matthew is the fourth of five major discourses, or sermons, of Jesus. And this particular discourse really has two themes — the first being humility, the second being forgiveness.
Let’s just listen for Jesus’ heart in this.
New Testament segment:
Passage: Matthew 18
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 35
Words: ~740
If there’s a lesson here…without going deeper than we have time for, is that our goal is reconciliation..something we do almost anything we can to enable. And there may be times when someone who appeared to be a believer maybe wasn’t…but even then our objective is conciliatory or rehabilitative, not punitive.
I imagine that if my heart breaks that someone I love has their heart set against God, I can’t even really imagine what God feels. Remember that Isaiah starts out speaking of judgment against Judah, and there’s this back-and-forth of hope, guilt and hope, and it’s that second round of hope where we pick up today. Then more talk of judgment. And then a turn in the narrative to talking about God actually redefining the future of his people, delivering grace through judgment for Isaiah.
Old Testament segment:
Passage: Isaiah 4-5
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 36
Words: ~982
In the new couple days we’ll hear about that same pattern of grace through judgment for Isaiah, Judah and Israel.
So let’s close with a psalm that cries out about injustice. And I want you to listen for the very last line.
Wisdom segment:
Passage: Psalm 58
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 11
Words: ~180
The bottom line:
To “vindicate” means to show something as true, perhaps by removing blame or falsehood. So how is your faith in God vindicated?
11 Then people will say,
“Yes, there is a reward for the righteous!
There is a God who judges on earth!” (Ps 58:11, CSB)
It’s that there is perfect justice through God who, in His time and timing that we may not understand, will set everything right.
And this, my friends, should make grace all the more beautiful, and our own posture all the more humble and focused on the real battle that can only be dealt with by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Love you!
Roger
ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
Sources and resources:
(1) Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1235.