“The Secret of Being Content” (Exo 20:17; Phil 4:10-20) - The 10 Commandments for Today X –

“The Secret of Being Content” (Exo 20:17; Phil 4:10-20)

- The 10 Commandments for Today X –

If Only… 

The other day I had a chance to read one poem written by 14 years old boy, named Jason Lehman. I was very impressed by the depth of his insight. The title of the poem is “Present Tense”:

It was Spring, but it was Summer I wanted:

The warm days and the great outdoors.

It was Summer, but it was Fall I wanted:

The colorful leaves and the cool, dry air.

It was Fall, but it was Winter I wanted:

The beautiful snow and the joy of the holiday season.

It was Winter, but it was Spring I wanted:

The warmth and the blossoming of nature.

I was a child, and it was adulthood I wanted:

The freedom and the respect.

I was 20, but it was 30 I wanted:

To be mature and sophisticated.

I was middle-aged, but it was 20 I wanted:

The youth and the free spirit.

I was retired, but it was middle-aged I wanted:

The presence of mind without limitations.

My life was over,

and I never got what I wanted.

One day a reporter asked the billionaire Nelson Rockefeller, “How much money does it take to be happy?” Rockefeller answered, “Just a little bit more.” Sometimes we say the same thing. “If only I made a little more money.” “If only I had a little bigger place to live.” Oftentimes we are discontented with our situation in life. Singles are discontented with their singleness: “If only I could find someone to marry, it would make all the difference.” Then we get married, and we are discontented with that too. We say, “If only my spouse would do a better job of meeting my needs.”

A “Heart” Commandment

Instead of being content, we covet. Coveting is strictly forbidden by the tenth commandment: “You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Ex 20:17). What does it mean to covet? Missionary John Mackay defines the word “coveting” in this way: “a consuming desire to possess in a wrong way something belonging to another.” The tenth commandment goes straight to the heart. It is clearly a “heart” commandment. It focuses not on actions but on attitudes. It speaks not just of what we do, but of what we want to do. One rabbi compared the difference between Judaism and Christianity as follows: “One of the greatest differences between the two religions is this idea that you’ve committed a sin just by desiring or thinking it. We believe you have to actually commit the physical act before it’s really sin. Otherwise, we’d be sinning all the time!” The rabbi was right. This is exactly what the tenth commandment is intended to teach. Martin Luther said, “This last commandment, then, is addressed not to those whom the world considers wicked rogues, but precisely to the most upright – to people who wish to be commended as honest and virtuous, because they have not offended against the preceding commandments.” The tenth commandment convinces us we are sinners. It tells us that we are sinning all the time. And it graciously shows us that we need a Savior.

The Secret of Being Content

Paul was a godly man, at least outwardly, for the first part of his life. He was far ahead of his fellow Jews in his zeal for his ancestral traditions. He thought he could measure up to the perfect standard of God’s law. He did not murder. He did not commit adultery. He did not steal. He did not lie. Not only did he keep the commandments, but also proactively he even persecuted Christians in the name of God. And he thought he was offering service to God. Outwardly he was an outstanding saint. Paul did everything with conviction. But his conviction didn’t give peace, joy, and life to his heart. He was discontented with his spiritual life. One day he was on the way to Damascus to arrest Christians. There he encountered Lord Jesus who came to him as a light. Jesus said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” Paul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” And the Lord answered, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting” (Acts 26:14-15). From that moment the whole world changed. Even though Paul always believed in God, something essential was missing in his life – “Jesus Christ.” But since Jesus came into his heart as Lord, Paul has light in his soul, and floods of joy like sea billows roll.

Paul once was proud of the fact that he obeyed the law without fault. He was proud of his education and background. But since Jesus came into his heart, he considers them worthless because of what Christ has done. In fact, he considers everything as loss, rubbish, dung, compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus the Lord (Phil 3:8). After his conversion, Paul’s nickname was “plague.” When the accusers presented their case against Paul to the governor Felix, they said, “For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5, ESV). Yes, wherever he went, Paul was a contagious Christian. One time in Philippi, Paul and Silas were severely beaten and put into prison after preaching the gospel. But they were not discouraged. The Bible says, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.” They did not pray to be released. They did not pray to God to solve their problems. Their greatest concern was to glorify Christ to the fullest where they were standing, whatever situation they were in. Believe it or not, Paul and Silas were content with their situation. To be more precise, they were rejoicing because they knew they were on God’s side. They were singing praises of joy because Christ was preached. And suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake. At once all the prison doors flew open, and every prisoner’s chains came loose. But Paul and Silas did not escape. They remained in prison because their greatest concern was not to be free but to walk with Christ and preach his holy name. The jailer was amazed and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And Paul answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your household will be saved” (16:31). Paul found contentment in Christ Jesus. Have you found contentment?

Learning to Be Content

Contentment is not something that comes naturally. We have to learn contentment. Paul learned to be content. He says in Philippians 4:12, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (NIV). By nature, we are naturally discontent. We do not have contentment from ourselves. Contentment is something we have to learn. We learn contentment in our personal relationship with Christ. As we get to know Christ and have a closer relationship with him, we want more and more what he wants for us rather than what we want for us. We begin to see things from Jesus’ perspective and become content regardless of our circumstances. That’s contentment. Paul says in verse 13, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” We learn contentment in our relationship with Christ.

Last week I shared the story of Romanian pastor Richard Wurmbrand how he stood up for the truth. This morning I would like to share how he could be content even in prison under the communist regime. He wrote: “In the ensuing years, in several different prisons, they broke four vertebrae in my back, and many other bones. They carved me in a dozen places. They burned and cut eighteen holes in my body… but alone in my cell, cold, hungry, and in rags, I danced for joy every night… I rarely allowed a night to pass without dancing… I made up songs and sang them softly to myself and danced to my own music.” How could it be possible? How could he be content even in that extreme situation? It was possible because through Christ Richard’s eyes were open and able to see things above.

In Luke 10:23 Jesus said to his disciples, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.” The disciples had just come back from a tour through Palestine where they had seen horrors. Palestine was an oppressed country under the Roman Empire. During the mission trip the disciples met sickness, plagues, hunger, and sorrow. They entered houses from which patriots had been taken to prison, leaving behind weeping parents or wives. It was not a beautiful world to look upon. But still Jesus said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.” That was because they had not seen only the suffering. They had also seen the Savior. They had seen the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised in the name of Jesus Christ. When the disciples saw these things above, they were able to be content. Do you see what the disciples see? Have you learned to be content?

In Christ Alone

In his last days Scottish missionary David Livingstone had been “lost” to the outside world. Henry Stanley was sent out to find Livingstone. Finally, he found Livingstone who was suffering from tropical disease in the small village in Zambia. Stanley urged Livingstone to return to England with him. He said, “You’ve dedicated yourself to this mission for 30 years. I think that is enough. So now, why don’t you go back with me and have some rest and see your children?” Livingstone answered, “Thank you, but no. For me the ministry here is not a sacrifice, but a great privilege. Every time I think about this honorable ministry my heart is full.” After Stanley left, Livingstone was thoroughly homesick. In his journal he wrote: “March 19^th, 1872. Birthday. Lord, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any ties save the tie that binds me to Thy heart. My Jesus, my King, my life, my all, I again dedicate my whole self to Thee.” About a year later he died while kneeling in prayer at his bedside. Livingstone was alone, but he was content because he saw the things of heaven and heard Jesus’ voice. He found contentment in Christ alone. Have you found to be content?

While I was meditating on today’s scriptures, one song stayed in my mind. This song tells us the secret of being content in any circumstances. Jesus is all we need. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we become content. The more we trust in Jesus, we see the things of heaven more clearly. My prayer is that all of us in this room will experience this mystery and say, “I have found contentment in Christ!” Amen.

In Christ alone I place my trust

And find my glory in the power of the cross

In every victory let it be said of me

My source of strength, my source of hope

Is Christ alone!

“Jesus, the Truth” (Exo 20:16; Acts 5:1-11) - The 10 Commandments for Today IX –

“Jesus, the Truth” (Exo 20:16; Acts 5:1-11)

- The 10 Commandments for Today IX –

“You Shall Not Lie”

Whenever I read the ninth commandment, one incident comes to my mind. That day I told a lie to my parents. I forgot exactly what it was, but it was a big lie. My father was very angry and was about to give me the cane on the calves. So I hid behind my mother. And I thought, ‘Now I am safe.’ Do you know what happened next? My mother got the cane instead of me. She volunteered, and my father gave her the cane. I was shocked. That day I learned that to tell a lie is a serious sin.

Father of All Lies

At Sinai, God said to his people, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” This commandment is not just about the false testimony that people give in court, but also about any kind of lying. There are many different ways to lie. Sometimes we tell the half-truths. We keep silent when we have to tell the truth. We exaggerate our accomplishments and profiles. According to a survey of nearly three million job applicants, about 50 percent of American resumes contain one or more falsehoods. We mislead, misquote, and misinterpret. Intentionally and unintentionally we quarrel, slander, and gossip. These sins of speech all violate the ninth commandment because words are used to harm our brothers and sisters. Lying is a serious sin, and this sin comes from Satan. Jesus called Satan “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Probably, you remember the story of Adam and Eve. God made man and woman and put them in the garden to take care of it. He told them to eat freely from any tree in the garden, except one – the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And God said, “When you eat of it you will surely die.” It was the one and only covenant between God and man, between the Creator and the creation. God put this tree to give Adam and Eve a choice to obey him or disobey him. But one day Satan approached Eve and said, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” He distorted God’s character from loving and caring father to controlling and strict figure. And then, he said, “You will not surely die… You will be like God.” Adam and Eve were deceived and chose to disobey God. And immediately they did experience spiritual death, spiritual separation from God.

Ananias and Sapphira

Satan continues to pour into people’s heart the poison of deception. In the early church Christians shared everything they had. They cared for one another’s practical needs. One time, Joseph, called Barnabas, sold his property and gave it all back to God. It was a public gesture of total commitment to Christ. It was such a generous gift that the church acknowledged him. Ananias and Sapphria saw this. And they did the same thing to enhance their reputation in the church. On the surface, both sold a property. Both brought the proceeds. Both committed it to their disposal. The difference was that Barnabas brought all the sale money, while Ananias and Sapphira brought only a proportion. Yes, Ananias and Sapphira had the right to use their property any way they wanted. They were not required to sell their field. They were not obligated to give all their money to God. But in the context, we have to assume that before the sale they publicly made some kind of pledge to give the church the total amount raised. But they lied. The Bible says that Ananias kept back part of the money for himself. Here Luke chooses the verb nosphizomai, which means to ‘misappropriate.’ The same word was used in LXX (Septuagint, Greek Old Testament) of Achan’s theft. Ananias and Sapphira said and acted like they had done something totally for God, but in fact, they kept back for themselves and brought only a part of it. It was a sin of deception. Peter told Ananais where his sin came from. He said, “Ananais, why have you let Satan fill your heart?” (Acts 5:3 NLT) Ananais’s sin was not just from his own mind, but it actually came from a heart infected by the poison of Satan’s deception. Satan is the one who filled Ananais’s heart with lies. Every lie comes from the devil himself.

We all know what happened next. Both Ananias and Sapphira fell down and died. You may wonder why God’s punishment was so severe. Was it really fair for God to do that? The answer is yes. It was fair. It was fair because lying is a deadly sin. By this judgment God showed what he thinks about deception. The Bible says that every liar deserves to die and to suffer God’s eternal wrath against sin (ex. Rev 22:15). After this incident, every believer in the early church was scared. The Bible says great fear seized the whole church (vv. 5, 11). They were scared because they knew that they were liars too. After this incident, they realized that they too were unrighteous. They realized the real truth about them. The truth was that they were so guilty that the very Son of God had to be crucified to pay for their sins. And they were filled with the holy fear of God. Then revival came to the church. Acts 5:14 says, “More and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.”

Know the Truth

We need to have the same holy fear of God that the early church Christians had. We need to have the same sensitivity to sin, especially to the sin of Satan’s deception. We cannot be satisfied with not just telling lies. Keeping the ninth commandment means much more than not telling lies. It means telling the truth. We are called to be people of the truth because our heavenly Father is the God of truth. But if we honestly examine ourselves, we know there is no truth in us. We have the desire to do what is good, but we don’t have power. We don’t have power not to tell lies. We don’t have power to stand up for the truth (cf. Rom 7:20). But there is a way! Though there is no truth in us, Jesus is full of truth (John 1:14). Jesus is the truth (14:6). The more we know Jesus, the more we know the truth.

How do we know Jesus? Jesus is the Word – the living Word of God. The Gospel of John begins in this way: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then in verse 14 the Apostle John says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling with us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” We can know Jesus through reading his word. Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 ESV). He also said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (5:39 ESV). After Jesus was raised from the dead, he said to his disciples, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44). The Bible is all about Jesus. All scriptures point to Christ. We know Jesus and grow in him through reading the Bible. When George Muller, one of the spiritual giants in church history, was 71 years old, he made this statement: “We should read regularly through the Scriptures, consecutively, and not pick out here and there a chapter. If we do, we remain spiritual dwarfs. I tell you so affectionately. For the first four years after my conversion I made no progress, because I neglected the Bible. But when I regularly read on through the whole with reference to my own heart and soul, I directly made progress. Then my peace and joy continued more and more. Now I have been doing this for 47 years. I have read through the whole Bible about 100 times and I always find it fresh when I begin again. Thus my peace and joy have increased more and more.” How do we know the truth? We know the truth through reading the Bible which points to Christ, full of truth.

Live the Truth

Once we know the truth, then we must live the truth by the Spirit. Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). It is not easy to live out the truth. It is a narrow path. In 1945 Romanian Communists seized power and convened a congress of all Christian leaders. Many of them came forward to praise Communism and to swear loyalty to the new regime. Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand attended this meeting. Sabina said, “Richard, stand up and wash away this shame from the face of Christ.” Richard warned, “If I do so, you’ll lose your husband.” She said, “I don‘t wish to have a coward as a husband.” So, Richard declared to the 4,000 delegates that their duty is to glorify God and Christ alone. His speeches were broadcast to the whole nation. After that he had to pay for this. He was brutally tortured and had to resist brainwashing constantly. He was released after eight and half years. He moved to the small country to farm for the rest of his life. One day he prayed, “Lord, make me be more like you. Make me whole.” The Holy Spirit said to him, “Then, are you able to stand up for the truth and go to solitary confinement again?” Richard said, “Please don’t tell me to go to prison again.” The Lord said, “Then, don’t ask me to make you whole.” Richard was in agony days and nights. After a few days he surrendered and said, “Lord, I will stand up for the truth and follow you at any cost.” And he experienced heavenly peace and joy. But right after that, he was rearrested by the secret police and had to endure for another six years.

We live in the last days. The biggest lie today is that there is no universal truth. Fewer and fewer people believe there is an objective standard of truth. If we resolve to live the truth, for the time being we may lose our reputation, possessions, or relationships. But if we resolve to live the truth, the Holy Spirit will give us strength, wisdom, perseverance, and everything that we need. We are called to be people of the truth in a world of same-sex marriage, sexual immorality, racism, abortion, poverty, and persecution. Let us search the Scriptures with diligence and humility to know the truth. Let us then live the truth with love and boldness. And genuine revival will come to our church, our community, and our nation. Amen. 

“Jesus, Remember Me!” (Exodus 20:15; Luke 23:39-43) - The 10 Commandments for Today VIII –

“Jesus, Remember Me!” (Exodus 20:15; Luke 23:39-43)

- The 10 Commandments for Today VIII –

Norman Rockwell’s Picture

In his book on the Ten Commandments, Cecil Myers describes a picture by Norman Rockwell. It shows a woman buying a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. The turkey is being weighed on the scale. Both the butcher and woman look pleased. The painting shows that they are pleased because of what they are secretly doing. The butcher is pressing the scale down with his big fat thumb, to raise the price. At the same time, the woman is trying to get a better deal by pushing the scale up with her forefinger. The reason both of them look pleased is that neither is aware of what the other is doing. Myers comments in this way: “Both the butcher and the lovely lady would resent being called thieves. The lovely lady would never rob a bank or steal a car. The butcher would be indignant if anyone accused him of stealing… Neither saw anything wrong with a little deception that would make a few cents for one or save a few cents for the other.” In a word, they were stealing.

“I Am Not a Thief, Am I?”

To steal is to take something that doesn’t belong to us. Most people do not think that they violate the eighth commandment. George Barna, the founder of the market research group, tells us, “86 percent of all adults claim that they are completely satisfying God’s command regarding abstinence from stealing.” Only nine percent of the evangelicals polled said they had fallen short of God’s glory on this one. Everyone knows that stealing is wrong. But, most people fail to understand its full meaning. There are countless ways to steal. All it takes for us to be guilty of theft is one misspent hour at work; one item we “forgot” to return from the office; one personal long-distance phone call we made at company’s expense; one overpriced item in our store; one underpayment of our taxes; one false claim for Social Security; one failure in paying our tithe to the Lord. The list goes on.

The Purpose of God’s Law

Certainly the Ten Commandments and all of God’s laws regulated the lives of the Israelites, but it did not and could not provide spiritual life to the people. The law was not given to provide life. Instead, the law was given to reveal sin. It shows us our guilt. It does not make us sinners. It reveals to us that we already are sinners (Rom 3:20). The law is like a mirror. It helps us see our “dirty faces” (James 1:22–25). But we do not wash our face with the mirror! When we try to be a better person, when we try to achieve salvation by keeping the Ten Commandments – living a moral life and doing good works, it is like washing our face with the mirror. The law was not given to provide our spiritual life. It was given to reveal our sins and cause us to see our desperate need of a Savior. Galatians 3:24 says, “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith” (Gal 3:24, NIV).

When we read the Scriptures, if we feel nothing, or if we think, ‘I am doing ok. I’m better than others,’ we are missing the point. When we read the Scriptures, what is needed is to hear what the Holy Spirit says to our conscience, “That is right, and you are wrong. You are the idolater. You are the foul-mouthed sinner. You are the Sabbath-breaker and the rebel. You are the murderer, the adulterer, and the thief.” We cannot boast about keeping the part of the law while at the same time breaking another part. James 2:10-11 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.” Imagine a motorist driving down a city street and deliberately driving through a red light. He is pulled over by a policeman who asks to see his driver’s license. Immediately the driver begins to defend himself. “Officer, I know I ran that red light—but I have never robbed anybody. I’ve never killed anybody. I’ve never cheated on my income tax.” What do you think the policeman would say? The policeman would smile and say, “No amount of obedience can make up for one act of disobedience.” The Bible says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Rom 3:10-12). That is God’s verdict upon humanity. The Law concludes “all under sin” (Gal 3:22).

Godly Sorrow, Repentance, and Salvation

The Law convicts us and then leads us to Christ. One day a man came and said to Jesus, “Good teacher, what good thing must I do have eternal life?” (Matt 19:16ff.) He had tried to keep commandments all his life. He did good to his neighbor and led a very moral life, but still he felt something was missing. This is the purpose of the law – to create in lost sinners a “sense of guilt and need” and to bring him or her to Christ! But sad thing is that the young man ignored what Jesus said to his conscience, “You shall not covet! Sell your possessions and give to the poor.” When the man heard this, he went away sad. This young man was convicted and had sorrow, but he chose not to repent. He chose not to change his mind and his lifestyle.

2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (NIV). The Law creates in us godly sorrow that leads us to salvation and life in Christ. A good example of this is found in the life of Blaise Pascal. He was a prominent mathematician, physicist, and inventor. At the age of 19 he invented the world’s first mechanical calculator. He achieved both wealth and honor at a young age. Pascal grew up accepting the Bible as God's word, but in a rather abstract way. He had tried to be a better person by keeping the commandments just as the rich young man did. Pascal was a good person. But he always felt something was missing. He felt miserable and empty. He lived with a sense of spiritual desperation. Disgusted with himself he once wrote as follows: "If one does not know himself to be full of pride, ambition, concupiscence, weakness, pettiness, injustice, one is very blind. And if, knowing this, a man does not desire to be delivered, what can one say to him?" He was desperate and wandering. On this day, November 23, 1654 he got a horse carriage accident. He was thrown into the roadway, but miraculously he was saved. He saw this as a warning directly from God. That night Pascal encountered Jesus in his room. He humbly repented and put his trust in Christ. He kept a record of this experience, and for the rest of his life Pascal carried around it sewn into his coat. It says, "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of the philosophers and scholars...Joy, joy, joy, tears of joy...'This is life eternal that they might know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.' Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ...May I not fall from him forever...I will not forget your word." Godly sorrow, repentance, and salvation by faith in Christ Jesus.

Two Kinds of Men

Blaise Pascal said, “There are only two kinds of men: the righteous who think they are sinners and the sinners who think they are righteous.” Jesus died on the cross in the place of sinners, specifically in the place of thieves. The Bible says that when Jesus was crucified, “two thieves” were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left” (Matt 27:38, KJV). Christ was crucified between two thieves. One of the thieves didn’t think that he had committed a grave sin. He appealed against the ruling. He didn’t need a Savior because he thought that he was innocent and righteous. He even cursed Jesus, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other thief repented and said, “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.” In a word, he was saying, “Lord, I am a sinner.” Then, he put his trust in Christ, saying, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” When we read this story, we complain about the thief on the right. We say, “It’s not fair that this man is saved at the very last minute after living a bad life.” But actually, on the Day of Judgment, we will be and have to be one of them: either we face God with our own righteousness or we face him in repentance and faith in Christ. The story of the two thieves is a great comfort to everyone who has ever broken the eighth commandment. When Christ died on the cross, he died for thieves, so that every thief who trusts in him will be saved. Let us hear what the Spirit says to each of us and to our church today. Let us repent and trust in Christ alone, and we will hear the same words and assurances that the thief on the right heard: “You will be with me in paradise.” Amen.