Inscription Continued

Here is a reminder of the Bible text. Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: The Lord knows those who are his, and Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness. 2 Timothy 2: 19.

These were the two indelible inscriptions we held out from the text.

The Lord knows those who are His.

Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness. 

Let’s look at each separately. Think of it like this. The coin is every sinner who has received the gift of salvation and has given his or her life to Christ. Here is truth that cannot be changed. 

The Lord knows those who are His. 

What does this say to you? What are you hearing? As for me, I’m being told that God knows all who are His and nothing and no one can change that fact. Here is one bit of stubborn assurance this inscription affords us. If we are children of God, if we belong to Jesus, then God knows it regardless of what we look like, where we’ve been and how badly we look.

Like the coin, regardless of our state and condition, no matter how sin has taken its toll on us and disguised us, so that each one of us is unrecognizable as a person of God, God will still know each one of us. Why is this so? What makes this so?  My uncompromising belief is that when we have given our lives to Christ, when we have died to self and live unto God, in Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit is given place in us. He comes as the Indwelling Spirit and takes full control. I believe that in me, God sees Himself and He knows Himself. If I am as the coin, then I cannot but reveal whose I am. I belong to Jesus. 

Yet the words of Paul to Timothy must not lose its power to bring each of us to our senses and the reality that like many others, we too can wander and stray from the truth. Yes, like sheep, we are prone to wander and prone to leave the Lord we love, the Lord we are so eager to Crown, the Lord of Love. It is in this shifting away from our Lord that we confess to another’s inscription, which we ignorantly have got tattooed on us. We then speak and act as though the resurrection has become as nothing, because we have taken Love’s work of Grace for granted.  It is then that we will surely hear these words from our Lord. Depart from me for I do not know you.

Where are you and I in this Resurrection Fallacy? Having spoken a bit about the first part of the inscription, we now turn to the other part. May I first remind you of some of what was said previously? There is not one inscription without the other. In other words, no coin has only one side. Not only that, but no Sovereign shares his or her coin with another. What I mean is this. When Jesus holds Caesar’s coin in His Holy Hands, He makes it abundantly clear for all hearing ears to hear and see this absolute fact. On both sides of the coin Caesar is being praised and glorified. Caesar does not share his coin with anyone, regardless of who it is. Do you believe the same as true for our Sovereign Lord? God does not share His Sovereignty with anyone, and this is made abundantly clear, in this other part of His inscription. 

Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness. 

Now this is what makes us take stock, even more fully. This is also an inscription written on God’s own, which none can change or annul. Listen to it carefully, with receptive hearts and minds. As long as you confess the Name of the Lord, you must turn away from all wickedness.

Can’t you see that God knows those who are His own, are sinful beings?

Can’t you see that God is aware that each one who is His own, has a sinful nature?

Can’t you see that God realizes that those who are His own, are prone to deviance? 

God knows every single thing about those who are His own. He knows every single thing about you and about me. It is precisely because He is Omniscient, and knows all things, that He has made the necessary arrangements to save us from such a dead, hell-bound, natural life. Indeed, He saved us, you and me, but take careful note of the demand. Yes, there is a command and we must adhere to it.

We conclude tomorrow, facing truth, not fallacy.