26 May 2010
Psalm 38; Prov. 17:1-20; 1 Tim. 3:1-16; Matt. 12:43-50

The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, but the Lord tests the heart. We can show forth many good things in our lives, speak fine truths with our lips and yet our hearts may not participate. We have learned well enough that there are things you do and things you don’t do and things you say and things you don’t say. Most of us have a sense of these things and keep ourselves in check. Some are more plain-spoken and more willing to act on impulse, even those that are wrong, than others. As the crucible and furnace expose all the impurities in silver and gold, so does the testing of our heart by the Lord expose all the impurities (sins) in our hearts. When we are put under pressure and the heat of difficulty is on us, do we reveal a pure heart, one like Jesus’ that says from the cross, “Father, forgive them”?

Those who are like Jesus, doing the will of the Father, are those He is willing to call family. He has spoken of evil spirits and the necessity of filling our hearts with good things, in order that there is no room for those evil things to return. It is not enough to be saved and cleansed, the process of becoming Christ-like requires us, once we have been saved, to fill our hearts, minds and lives with Him. It is a constant work of identifying, confessing, repenting and re-filling in order to maintain forward progress in the Christian life. When His mother and siblings come to see Him here, He speaks of family in a new way. Doing is as important as believing. Doing reveals at what level we truly believe.

This passage, which gives qualifications for leaders in the church, speaks the same truth about doing and believing. Bishops or overseers and deacons must be believers and teachers of truth but most of the qualifications have to do with conduct of their lives. Their beliefs must also control their actions. It is important that we show forth in our lives what we proclaim with our lips as the world both sees and hears. If the world were blind we could live as our impulses allow and if it were deaf we could speak from arrogance, pride, anger, and malice, but God gave both eyes and ears and we must remember that all that we do is a testimony to Him whose Name we claim.

Do not forsake me, O LORD!
O my God, be not far from me!
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!