God Takes Christ Seriously

Friday, 20th February 2009

Last Sunday, Rev Peter Koh preached a sermon based on Josh 7 entitled "God Takes Church Seriously". It is from that sermon title that today's blog entry entitled "God Takes Christ Seriously" is derived :-)

One of the activities that take place during cell meetings is a discussion of the sermon that was just preached. To facilitate this discussion, a handout containing a series of questions is distributed by the ushers together with the weekly bulletin. Here are the 6 questions for that particular sermon, which I have also taken the liberty to come up with the answers to.

1. Share with your group an experience when someone did something wrong but you were punished for it instead?

Back in May 08, someone vandalised my church carpark as well as the pillars of the flyover outside my church, writing words like "Peter Koh = pig". My name was given to the investigating officer and I had to go down to the police station to give a statement and give samples of my handwriting. Even though I was subsequently vindicated, no apology has been forthcoming from the one who implicated me, even till this day. But that's ok because God will make all things beautiful in His time.


2. In verse 1, why was God angry with all the Israelites (see 6:18-19)

He was angry because He had given them a command that everything belonged to Him but it was disobeyed. We have to keep in mind however that this happened during the Mosaic covenant. We are now of the New Covenant established upon Jesus' blood. In Isa 54:9, God swore that there would come a time when He would no longer be angry with us. That is because all His righteous anger and indignation against us was completely unleashed and extinguished upon the body of His dear Son on that cross 2,000 years ago.

Let us rightly divide the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15).


3. How did the Lord get Joshua and the Israelites back on track?

By cleansing the camp by utterly destroying Achan and everyone and everything that was of his (including his sons, daughters, oxen, donkeys and sheep -- see Josh 7:24). Remember though this happened during the Mosaic covenant, and that was God's way of getting his people back on track. For us of the New Covenant, God's way of getting us back on track was by cleansing us of all our transgressions once and for all by that perfect act of sacrifice 2,000 years ago.


4. What exactly was Achan's sin? Why do you think he did it even though he knew God's order?

Achan coveted the spoils of Jericho for himself. He did it because that is what trying to keep the law by self-efforts does to people. Paul shares about this struggle in Rom 7:15-24, wherein he did the very things he tried not to do, and vice versa. Particularly, verse 19 reads "For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want."

That is why Paul also says in 1 Cor 15:56 that the strength of sin is the law.

Paul then says in Rom 7:25 that it is Jesus Christ that set him free from that struggle. Pity that Achan lived during the Old Covenant.


5. What will happen to us when we sin and try to hide from it?

In the Old Covenant, God caused sin to come to light -- like what happened when David committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for Uriah to be killed in battle. In the New Covenant, this question is a moot point because Jesus has already paid the price for all our sins -- past, present and future. Through circumstances, wrongdoings may come to light (eg. Mike G of Planetshakers lying about his illness, or Rev Peter Koh plagiarising Rev Mathew's article) but if we believe that nothing catches God by surprise and that Jesus was already punished on our behalf for every single one of our sins, whether known or unknown to others because they are ultimately known to God, then we should not have a fearful expectation of bad, but rather a joyful expectation of good. And even if anything bad does happen to us, God will work all things such that they turn out good (Rom 8:28).


6. Do you think it is fair for God to punish Israel just because one person sinned? Why or why not?

Let me first answer this question with a question. Do you think it was fair for God to punish Jesus for another person (for that matter, every other person's sins)? Why or why not?

The obvious answer to both is that it is not fair, but that is what grace is all about, isn't it? It was not fair for Jesus, who had no sin, knew no sin (2 Cor 5:21) and did not sin, to be punished for our sin. In the same way, it is not fair for us, who deserved to be condemned to hell, to instead be considered sons and daughters of the Most High God. That is why in 1 Cor 1:23, Paul describes the gospel as scandalous to the Jew and moronic to the Greek because it goes against the human concept of fairness.

The parable of the workers in the vineyard is a great example of how God is unfair --- unfairly good. The one who worked since the morning got 1 day's wage, just like the guy who worked just 1 hour. He felt it was unfair but he got his full day's wage and not anything less. He got what he deserved and represents the law. The one who started working only in the eleventh hour did not complain, because he got what he did not deserved. What amazing grace our God bestows upon us. Amen?