TOKONAKI ‘AKOSI 31

HOW ARE WE JUSTIFIED?

‘OKU ANGA FE FE HOTAU FAKATONUHIA‘I?

PHILIPPIANS 3:7-9

"Whatever gain I had. I counted as loss for the sake of Christ... For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him." 

FILIPAI 3:7-9

7 Ka ko e alā me‘a pehē, ‘a ia ko hoku fakakoloa ‘i mu‘a, kuo loa ‘eku lau ia ko e koto fakamasiva koe‘uhi ko Kalaisi. 8 Seuke, ‘oku ou kei lau ni foki ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ko ia kotoa ko e koto fakamasiva, koe‘uhi ko ‘ene fungani ‘a e ‘ilo‘i ‘o Kalaisi Sīsū ko hoku ‘Eiki; ‘a ‘Ene ‘Afio na‘a ku tuku ai ke mole kotoa, ‘io, ‘o u lau ko e kinoha‘a pē, koe‘uhi ke fakakoloa ‘aki au ‘a Kalaisi; 9 pea ke ‘ilo au ‘oku ou ‘iate ia, pea ‘oku ‘ikai te u ‘i ai mo au ‘eku mā‘oni‘oni ‘a‘aku, ‘a ia ‘oku mei he Lao, ka ko ia ‘oku founga ‘i he tui kia Kalaisi, ‘io, ko e mā‘oni‘oni ‘oku mei he ‘Otua, pea tefito ki he tui: 

Life is so often about what we must do in order to gain entry or acceptance. "What doI have to do to get into that school? To gain acceptance by that social circle? To reach executive status?" By nature, humans therefore wonder the same thing about spiritual realities: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 18:18, emphasis added).

We often rely on our activities - attendance at church, prayer, Bible reading. We feel confident when we do them and condemned when we don't. We see God's law as a ladder up which we climb to His acceptance of us.

In the passage leading up to this verse, Paul has just rehearsed all the earthly "gain" in his life, both inherited and achieved, from his privileged birth to his elite education. The purity of his pedigree was never in question from the day of his birth. Paul essentially says, if these factors achieve acceptance with God, you can set I had them all. Did I dot all the spiritual i’s and cross all the religious t’s ? Absolutely.

Paul had once thought he was a spiritual millionaire. He had thought he was advancing in holiness. Then one day it all changed. In one journey from Jerusalem to Damascus, Paul came to realize he was spiritually bankrupt - that he wasn't even on the path of holiness.

What gave Paul hope? On that same journey, he met the risen, crucified Jesus (Acts 9:1-191, and he grasped the doctrine of justification: that God declares the sinner to be righteous on the basis of His Son's finished work.

Far from being a ladder, God's law is more like a mirror that shows us we're in the wrong and we can't put ourselves in the right. Like Paul, every advantage we previously considered a gain is now seen to be a loss, a failure.

How can you know that Christ accepts you? Not because you come to Him with a righteousness of your own; rather, because your sin has been transferred to the account of Christ, who knew no sin but became sin for you so that you might receive His perfect righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). You cannot add anything to being justified with God. You cannot subtract anything from being justified with God. Justification is full because God gives believers Christ's righteousness, and it is final because it depends solely on God's gift of His Son.

Once you know you cannot lose your entry into eternal life, you are ready to give up everything else for the sake of the one who has gained you entry: reputation, wealth, prominence, status, possessions. Whatever you once thought gain, you can joyfully now count loss. You are willing to lose your life for Christ for you know that through Christ you have gained true life. What do you struggle to give up for Jesus? Let your justification be the engine of your wholehearted obedience.

ACTS 26:1-29

Bible Through The Year: Psalms 132-134; 2 Corinthians 10

 FALAITE ‘AKOSI 30

A TIMELY PRAYER

KO E LOTU TAIMI TONU

ACTS 4.29,31

“And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness… And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

NGAUE 4.29,31

29 ‘Eiki, ke ke me‘a ki he‘enau ngaahi fakamana, pea tuku ki ho‘o kau tamaio‘eiki, ke ‘oua ‘aupito te mau mālū‘ia ‘i he‘emau malanga‘aki ho‘o folofola,

31 Pea lolotonga ‘enau hū, na‘e ngalulululu ‘a e potu ‘oku nau fakataha ai; pea na‘e fakafonu ‘a kinautolu kātokatoa ‘i he Laumālie Mā‘oni‘oni: pea na‘a nau malanga‘aki ‘a e folofola ‘a e ‘Otua ‘o ta‘emālū‘ia.

When we feel that our culture is more determinedly turning its back on the gospel and opposing more fiercely the claims of the Scriptures, the natural question is: What do we do? Our answer should not be based on what feels comfortable but on what the Bible says. 

The early church was no stranger to social upheaval. Knowing that hope and salvation could be found in Christ's death and resurrection, Peter fearlessly preached at Pentecost, just a few weeks after he had denied knowing Jesus and being His follower (Acts 2:1-41). The bold preaching of Peter and the other apostles led to the rapid growth of the church - but it also led to tumult and persecution for the believers (v 1-22).

It's no surprise, then, when we read that they lifted their voices to God. They knew the opposition they faced, and they prayed - knowledgeably, biblically, and boldly.

“And now, Lord..." If we were asked to finish that prayer, we'd probably ask God to remove the threats, stifle the opposition, or keep us from persecution. That was not the prayer of the early believers, though. Instead, they prayed that they would declare the gospel "with all boldness."

Theirs remains a timely prayer. Surely the great need of the hour in the church of Jesus Christ is simply this for Spirit-filled, Christ-centered courage. We're living in a culture shaped by an incoherent mix of opinions and tensions. In that context, God calls us to go out and say, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). As we do so, we would do well to remember that at the very heart of the gospel is the cross. If we are going to speak the word with boldness, then we will declare, in the words of Isaiah, that on the cross Jesus "was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). As Rico Tice points out, this will require us to be brave enough to press through the pain barrier and risk the hostility of those who disagree in order to find hunger among those in whom the Lord is already at work.

The whole gospel has been given to the whole church to reach the whole world. Whether you're a musician, engineer, farmer, or pharmacist, it doesn't matter; the charge of God to each of us is to speak His word, the mystery of the gospel.

So are you willing to be bold enough to pray for boldness? Not for an easy or comfortable or healthy or admired life but for a life of witness? Will you daily make the prayer of the early church your own, asking that by God's Spirit you would be filled and emboldened to share His gospel, whatever the cost, with a world that is desperate for truth?

ACTS 4:1-22

Bible Through The Year: Psalms 129-131; 2 Corinthians 9

 TU‘APULELULU ‘AKOSI 29

A NAME LIKE NO OTHER

‘IKAI HA TOE HUAFA TATAU MO IA

PSALM 148:13

"Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven." 

SAAME 148:13

Ke nau fakamālō‘ia ‘a e huafa ‘o e ‘Eiki; He ko hono huafa pē ‘oku hākeaki‘i: Ko ho‘ona lāngilangi pē ‘oku fotu ‘i he fonua mo e langi.

God has made Himself known to us by making His name known to us. When we think of God's name, we ought to think of His nature - His essence, His character, and His attributes. His name sets Him apart from everyone and everything else, representing all of who He is.

God's encounter with Moses at the burning bush, recorded for us in Exodus 3, underscores the relationship between God's name and His character. As Moses approached the bush, God instructed him to take off the shoes from his feet, as he was standing on holy ground. In the ensuing dialogue, after being commanded to go to Pharaoh and demand the Israelites' release, Moses understandably asked, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them. ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?" what shall I say to them?" God's answer? "I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:13-14).

God uses the verb to be "I AM" to convey His name. By using this verb, He distinguishes between Himself and all false gods, which ought to call themselves "I'm not." Idols are made by human hands or, in our day, often within our hearts. Craftsmen fashion them out of wood, stone, or ivory and fasten them on pedestals. Nevertheless, they inevitably topple over and need to be righted again. An idol demands our service, but it cannot save. It never delivers what it has promised.

But for the Creator of the ends of the earth, it is justifiable and right that He should be known as I AM, for He is like no one else. He was not created. He is completely self-existent. He is completely self-fulfilled. He is in need of no one and nothing. That which He has always possessed, He still possesses. He knows neither beginning nor end. He fulfills all of His promises. He is the God of limitless life and power.

We are to exalt His name, and His name alone, for this is what we were made for. All of us struggle not to bow down before idols-those created things that we worship and make sacrifices for because we think they will bring us life. But if we would worship Him as we ought to, our idols must fall before Him. He is the only Creator, the only I AM - the only one who rules earth and heaven.

ISAIAH 46:3-11

Bible Through The Year: Psalms 126-128; 2 Corinthians 8

 PULELULU ‘AKOSI 28

A JOURNEY OF REPENTANCE

KO E HALA FONONGA ‘O E FAKATOMALA

1 JOHN 2:1

"I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 

1 SIONE 2:1

SI‘EKU fānau, ‘oku ou tohi pehē atu koe‘uhi ke ‘oua te mou momo‘i angahala. Pea ka kuo fai ha angahala ‘e ha taha, ‘oku tau ma‘u ha taukapo ki he Tamai, ko Sīsū Kalaisi ko e faitotonu;

Christianity hinges on the message of forgiveness. Other religions may a offer moralism. They may offer methods that will help us tidy up our lives or make us feel that we are good people. Christianity, however, is for the unworthy, the lost, the beleaguered, and the sinful. It's for people who need to hear that they can be forgiven. In other words, it’s for everyone.

From first to last, the gospel is about what God does, nor about what we must do. It is God, by His mercy, who gives us the desire to even want to be forgiven - and it is only when we put our faith in Jesus that we are fully pardoned. When we turn to Him in repentance and faith, we are able to look back and say we have been saved from sin's penalty. All that was against us, all that kept us from knowing God, all that kept us from discovering His love and His goodness - all of the penalty that we deserve - has been eradicated, erased through the saving work of God's Son on the cross.

As believers, then, we can-we should-rejoice in the fact that sin no longer rules over us. Yet the reality is that in our earthly lives, we still sin. We still miss the mark; we still fail to reach God's standard. And when we do, the Evil One loves to whisper, "Are you really saved? Will God really forgive you this time?" To which we must answer, "Yes, I am; and yes, He will, for the one who died for me is at this moment advocating for me."

Knowing forgiveness is not a license to sin; indeed, John wrote with the purpose "that you may not sin." When we sin, the joy we have found in God begins to fade. While He remains our heavenly Father, it should be no surprise that if we harbor sin, we will fail to enjoy all the blessings He intends for us.

And so we seek to live in obedience to our Lord, and yet, since we will not do so perfectly, we also must live in repentance to our Lord. Jesus underscored the need for and importance of daily repentance in John 13 when, while He was in the midst of washing His disciples' feet, Peter protested and said, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus responded, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me" (13:8). Forgiveness is not ours until we are washed by Jesus, and then He continues to wash us through our daily repentance and faith.

One day, you will be taken to heaven and saved from sin's presence. But until that great day, your Christian life is to be a journey of repentance. You have been saved. You will be saved. But for now, day by day, you are mercifully being saved as you repent and turn back to Jesus.

ROMANS 7:7 - 8:2

Bible Through The Year: Psalms 123-125; 2 Corinthians 7

 TUSITE ‘AKOSI 27

FINDING FAVOR

‘ILO KI AI HA HOIFUA

GENESIS 6:8

"But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." 

SENESI 6:8

Ka ko Noa na‘e ‘ilo ki ai ha hōifua ‘i he finangalo ‘o Sihova.

The Noah of popular imagination is a spiritual giant, a hero of the faith. In truth, though, he was just an ordinary man. He was like everybody else as he went about his daily tasks, earned a living, and raised his kids.

Before Noah's story unfolds, we're told that "the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart" (Genesis 6:5-6). No distinctions are made here. Without exception, the whole human race was involved in wickedness - including Noah.

The point is clear: All had sinned. All were alienated from God. All must face judgment. "But Noah..." By God's grace, the reality of sin and judgment is always tempered by a divine "but." God's grace, unexplained and unmerited, was extended to Noah. This was the only thing that eventually distinguished him from the rest of humanity. God chose Noah and his family to be the recipients of His grace, establishing a relationship with him that had not existed before. Because of this grace, Noah became "a righteous man" who "walked with God" (Genesis 6:9).

Noah could make no claim on God. Without any virtue on his part, and against all the odds, God simply intervened in Noah's life.

Many people are under the impression that grace isn't found in the Old Testament - that in the early days, it was all fire and brimstone, law and judgment, and it's not until Jesus arrives that grace comes. The reality, though, is that grace not only precedes creation but also unfolds in the midst of judgments throughout history and on every page of the Bible.

And throughout the Bible, grace works itself out. Noah built a boat in obedience to the word of God when the word of God was all he had to go on. When we experience grace in all its fullness, it diminishes us and exalts God. It makes us realize that life is all about Him and His kindness to us. It moves us to trust His word and obey His commands.

The only thing that distinguishes you from the culture around you is the same thing that marked Noah out from the people of his day: the unmerited, outreaching favor of God. So be on guard against spiritual pride as much as worldly compromise. None of us are smart enough to grasp the idea of salvation or good enough to merit the joy of salvation. You and I are not deserving - but nevertheless, God has intervened. Only when the grace of God grips our hearts will we, like Noah, walk in the way of our Creator rather than the way of our world and live in obedient humility and confident hope. Only grace has that effect.

GENESIS 6

Bible Through The Year: Psalms 120-122; 2 Corinthians 6

 MONITE ‘AKOSI 26

THE PATIENT SAVIOR

KO E FAKAMO‘UI FA‘AKATAKI

MARK 4:38-40

"They woke him and said to him. "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, 'Why are you so afraid?  Have you still no faith?’ " 

MA‘AKE 4:38-40

38Ka na‘e ‘i he taumuli ‘a Sīsū, ‘o ne mohe ki he me‘a fakamolū: pea fafangu ia, ‘o nau pehē ki ai, Tangata‘eiki, ‘oku ‘ikai te ke toka‘i ‘etau tu‘utāmaki? 39Pea ne ‘ā, ‘o ne lolomi ‘a e matangi, ‘o ne pehē ki he tahi, Longo ā, ‘oua ‘e momo‘i ngū, pea tālolo ‘a e matangi, pea hoko ha tofu lahi. 40Pea ne pehē kiate kinautolu, Ko e hā ‘oku pehē ai fau ai ho‘omou lotosi‘i? Ko e hā ‘oku ‘ikai ai ha‘amou tui?

When the storm raged and the disciples feared, Jesus displayed not only peace but also patience in His response to them.

They had accused Him of not caring that they were perishing. Yet His rebuke wasn't for them but for the wind and the waves. That is remarkable! No teacher ever had such slow learners as Jesus had in these characters - yet no other students have ever had such a patient and forgiving teacher, either.

While Jesus' patience was showcased by this episode, it was by no means exclusive to it; throughout His ministry, He consistently displayed patience in response to His disciples' feelings and failings. In Mark 6, after Jesus had fed 5,000 people from five loaves of bread and two fish, the disciples doubted Him when they saw Him walking on water, yet He lovingly replied. "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid" (6:50). Later on, Jesus repeatedly instructed them as to the necessity and purpose of His death, despite their lack of humility and understanding (8:31-33; 9:30-32; 10:32-34). Once He had risen, He did not even rebuke the disciples for being surprised by the resurrection He had foretold. Instead, He joyfully and calmly asked them thought-provoking questions and revealed His true identity to them.

We see our own frail faith reflected in the disciples. If we had been with them, we too probably would have been scrambling around in fear and voicing our doubts and accusations to Jesus. Yet still today, Christ shows us patience through our fears and doubts. He does not reject us for a moment of unbelief. He does not dismiss us for cowardice. There is no teacher like Him. Therefore, as recipients of Christ's long-suffering patience, let us return such patience to others. If you are a parent, coach, manager, ministry leader, teacher, or simply a friend, remember Jesus' example. If we want God to tolerate our faltering faith, then we should also aim to demonstrate His patience to others, and to ourselves.

Most of all, though, we are not called to follow Jesus' example but to enjoy His perfections. His patience will not fail. He never neglects or deserts those in His care. Your sins and your struggles cannot push Him beyond the limits of His forbearance. He will be patient with you today. He is your Savior, your Redeemer, your ever-patient Teacher-your Jesus.

EXODUS 33:18-34:8

Bible Through The Year: Psalm 119:89-176; 2 Corinthians 5

 SAPATE ‘AKOSI 25

RENOUNCING RETALIATION

FAKA‘IKAI‘I ‘A E FAI SAUNI

ROMANS 12:19

"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God." 

LOMA 12:19

Si‘oku ‘ofa‘anga, ‘oua te mou sauni ho‘omou ngaahi me‘a, kae tuku ia ki he Houhau: he kuo tohi, ‘Oku ‘a‘aku ‘a e sauni; ko au te u ‘atu hono tuha–ko e folofola ē ‘a e ‘Eiki.

Kāinga, vakai na‘a mou fetongi ‘a e koví ‘aki ha kovi. Tuku pē ki he ‘Otuá ke ne sauni. He kuo tala mai ‘e he ‘Eikí he Folofolá, “Ko au pē te u sauni ‘enau fai koví. Ko au pē te u tautea kinautolú.” (Liliu TAULUA)

Revenge is one of our most natural instincts. It is the way the world works, for we live in a "dog eat dog" world, where if you get in my way I will get you out of the way. It is a natural response to being wronged, then -  but it is not a Christian one. Therefore, we should guard against it continuously. Even if we avoided it yesterday, that's no guarantee we will do so again today.

Perhaps the sports field is the place where we see most how easily revenge becomes the motivator for our plans and actions. If an opposing player fouls you and it is not picked up on and punished by the referee or umpire, what do you do? Our instinct is to find a way to get them back. So we plot and plan and pick our moment and "make it even." And as it goes on the sports field, so it goes in life - at least in our imaginations if not in our behavior.

But then the Scripture cuts across that natural instinct with the words "Never avenge yourselves."

Paul did not only outline the principle; he demonstrated it. He was ministering in an environment that gave him every reason for retaliation: he himself was defamed, beaten, mocked, and imprisoned; and he was most likely still alive when Emperor Nero and his government were turning Christians into torches in the palace backyard. They tied faithful followers of Jesus to stakes, drove those stakes into the ground, covered them in wax, and set them on fire--and still the command was "Never avenge yourselves."

We often fail to distinguish between the application of divine law, which is God's prerogative; the application of criminal law, which is the state's God-ordained responsibility (Romans 13:1-4); and the practice of personal revenge, for which the Bible gives us no mandate. We are permitted to pursue criminal justice from the state, always remembering that it will not be perfect and was not designed to be final; but most of all, though, we are called to entrust ourselves to God's divine justice, just as His Son did (1 Peter 2:23). We must live remembering that today is probably not the day of final judgment, and that you and I are certainly not the judge.

We have a calling as citizens of an eternal kingdom rather than any earthly kingdom. Unbelievers will not be drawn to Christ if they see His followers proclaiming that He is the just Judge and then acting as though they are the ones who have the right to mete out judgment. Our actions will affect those around us who are struggling with sin. Let it be that they are won to Christ by our love and never driven away from considering Christ by our retaliation.

ROMANS 12:9-21

Bible Through The Year: Psalm 119:1-88; 2 Corinthians 4

 TOKONAKI ‘AKOSI 24

RECOGNITION AND RESPONSE

FAKATOKANGA‘I PEA NGAUE LEVA

JOHN 21:6-8

"He said to them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jerus loved therefore said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!' When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garments, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea."

SIONE 21:6-8

6 Pea pehē ‘e ia kiate kinautolu, ‘a‘au ‘a e kupenga ki he mata‘u ‘o e vaka, pea te mou ola. Pea nau ‘a‘au ai, pea ‘ikai ai ke nau matoho ‘eni, koe‘uhi ko e lahi ‘o e ika.  7 Ko ia na‘e pehē kia Pita ‘e he ako ko ia na‘e ‘ofa ai ‘a Sīsū, Ko e ‘Eiki pē. Pea ko Saimone–‘a Maka foki–‘i he‘ene fanongo leva ko e ‘eiki ia, na‘a ne nono‘o hono kofu, (he na‘e vala pē ‘o ne hopo ki tahi. 8 Ka ka omi ‘a e kau ako kehe ‘i he ki‘i vaka; (he na‘e ‘ikai te nau loko mama‘o mo ‘uta, fe‘unga nai mo ha kiupite ‘e uangeau ‘o nau taulani mai ‘a e kupenga mo e ika.

When the figure standing on the shore told the fishermen to cast their net on the other side of the boat - and when those fishermen saw that, having caught nothing all night, their nets were now bulging - they began to recognize who it was who had called out to them. Perhaps until now they had been supernaturally kept from identifying Him, like the men on the Emmaus road (Luke 24:16). Or perhaps the early morning mist or the distance from land to the boat was what kept them from fully recognizing their Savior.

Whichever was the case, it was not long before John, "that disciple whom Jesus loved," realized who had spoken to them - and as soon as he shared his dawning insight with Peter, Peter launched into action. John's recognition and Peter's reaction make up a partnership that beautifully displays God's intent for complementary diversity. God takes the Johns and the Peters of this world, and He puts them together so that they may be what they cannot be on their own. Throughout John's Gospel, we see John display a contemplative, steady faith. 

When he and Peter visited the empty tomb, he considered the meaning of graveclothes lying empty where a body should have been, and he believed (John 20:8). His declaration from the boat likewise reveals a man who did not consider his circumstances hastily but rather pondered them and then confidently believed. When John realized it was Jesus before him, he made that known to Peter. Peter responded to John's recognition as he often did: by taking faith-filled, impassioned, immediate action. You can just imagine him jumping into the water and then thrashing about, half swimming, half walking, straining desperately to get to his Savior on the shore. He showed no hesitation in getting out of the boat. His only thought was to reach his Lord.

Without the contemplative, insightful nature of Johns, the Peters of this world would burn out in feverish activity. Without the boldness of Peters, the Johns of this world would waste away in introspection. We all need partners to serve Christ well. Whether you are a Peter or a John, or whatever your particular temperament, God made you as you are to serve a purpose in His kingdom. Many of us spend too much time wishing we were more like others. Others of us have no problem recognizing our personality type or particular strengths, but we do have a problem with humbly using them in the service of others or with being patient with the ways of others who are different from us. What would change in how you see yourself and your purpose if you realized that every aspect of your temper ament is God-given, and that God intends for you to use it not for your own ends but in obedience to Him, in the company of His people, for the glory of His Son?

1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27

Bible Through The Year: Psalms 116-118; 2 Corinthians 3