For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. -Acts 23:8

It turns out that even in Biblical times, there were religious scoffers. In this case, they were the Sadducees, and they virtually denied the spiritual realm: though they did—in some vague way—believe in God.

But Jesus reproved them for their foolishness. Here is one instance when the Lord was dealing with them, and was speaking to them on the subject of the afterlife:

And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err. -Mark 12:26-27

Forsaking
All
I
Trust
Him

This saying is a very good and memorable acrostic. Moses did the very same thing in His own lifetime:

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. -Hebrews 11:27

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. -Matthew 5:44-45

Throughout Scripture, we are continually told to behave in the same way that God behaves. No, we’re not all-powerful, all-knowing, or the like. But, we are made in His image, and we take after our Father in a lot of ways: and, not surprisingly, we can imitate His character in our everyday lives.

God blesses those that honor Him

Be ye holy; for I am holy. -1 Peter 1:16

In God’s laws and commandments, you’ll notice that God rewards those that exhibit character that is like His own, and He punishes those that act contradictory to Him. Since we are made in His image, it makes sense to take after and imitate the One that created us.

Here are some ways we are similar to God, and how we can honor Him in our everyday lives:

Authority and stewardship:

As mentioned above, we’re not all powerful, so we’re not equal to God in power. But, we are similar to God. We are made in His image, and in the same way as God is “the boss” over us, God has given us authority over things in His creation. We’re “the boss” over the animals, the birds, the fish, and the earth.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. -Genesis 1:26

In addition to this, we can honor God in other positions of authority as well. For instance, in our employment situations, we can honor God by being far employees, and for those in a leadership role, by being a fair boss.

Sabbath day resting

Just as God worked for six days, and rested on the seventh, so too ought we to honor His commandment—for our own health and good—and set aside a day to rest, and a day to honor the Lord.

For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. -Exodus 20:11

Forgiveness and mercy

God is very patient with us, and bears with us despite all our faults. So too ought we to bear with others, and look at them through the eyes of Christ’s love. We ought not to hold any grudge against anyone for wrongdoing: would we want God to hold a grudge against us? And surely if He were to hold a grudge, His consequences and anger would be much more detrimental and severe than any small earthly grudge that we might hold against our brother or sister.

So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. -Matthew 18:35

Purity and righteousness

Would God ever make a promise, and then utterly turn His back on us? The Bible says that it’s impossible for God to lie, and He always remains true and faithful to His word. So ought we to remain true and faithful to our God. If He has given us His very own Son as a payment for our sins, what would be too much to ask in return? If He has loved us with such a selfless love, shouldn’t we also love others with this same love?

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. -John 15:12-13

And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD. -Joshua 9:14

Here in the ninth chapter of Joshua, we see a perfect example of trusting one’s own senses and intellect, rather than seeking God’s counsel. The key phrase from the above verse is: “asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.” I believe this was written to draw specific attention to their actions, that they were about to commit a big no-no.

Inclined to trust our own instincts

The situation that was occurring in the above verse was that God’s people had entered into the promised land, and they were to conquer everyone in the land and make peace with no one. The exception was if they were from a distant land outside of God’s promised land: in which case they were permitted to make peace with them.

So, the people of Gibeon sought to trick God’s people, and sent ambassadors that were dressed up to look very ragged and tired—as if from a long journey from a distant land—and then sought to make a pact of peace with the Israelites.

And, sure enough, the people fell for it, and made an agreement for peace:

And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them. -Joshua 9:15-16

The regret of a hasty decision

Once Joshua and the rest of the Israelites realized that they had made peace with a nation that was their nearby neighbors, they had regret. They had sworn by God Himself, and they couldn’t reverse the decision. “[W]e will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them” (Joshua 9:20).

As God had said to them, they had now become as thorns in their sides, and a liability: one which has quickly exposed in Joshua chapter 10 when they had to come to their ally’s defense.

The cause of poor decision-making

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. -Romans 8:6

At its core, the cause of Joshua being deceived—and the resulting poor decision—was all rooted and grounded in a trust in the carnal mind. The men of Gibeon that approached Joshua appealed to the senses and logic of the people. Joshua and the Israelites heard with their ears how tired their voices probably sounded. They saw their worn-out shoes. They perhaps felt their ragged clothes. They could probably smell the old moldy bread, and taste the grape-juice-turned-wine that they were carrying. They evaluated the situation with all of their senses, and reasoned that everything that they were experiencing must truly be reality.

They were well aware of the keen dangers of making peace with their neighbors, and even asked them multiple times: “Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you? …Who are ye? and from whence come ye?” (Joshua 9:7-8). They were aware of the dangers, and yet they simply trusted in what they saw and heard. It looked so convincing that they didn’t even think it necessary to seek God’s help.

Always seek God’s guidance in big decisions

It may seem like obvious advice to always seek God’s leading in a big decision, but how often do we sometimes see things as a no brainer? We think, “well, of course this is the way that God wants me to go, it’s obvious.” And our mind continues, “this is so obvious, I don’t even need to pray about it!”

The attitude that we don’t need to pray about a big decision should send up a red flag immediately. This is a warning sign that the devil could be working his delusions. If a great opportunity quickly arises, and we instinctively react and seize the opportunity before even a word of prayer, we are entering dangerous ground.

Nearly all important life decisions, even if they arise suddenly, will allow you at least a minute or two of contemplation: if not much more ample time, such as weeks, months, or even years.

Sometimes, you don’t have a lot of time. One trick that I sometimes use, if it comes down to it, is to just slip away into the bathroom for a few minutes to pray: you’ll have immediate privacy and peace with your Heavenly Father. But whatever you do, don’t be too proud and say in your heart, “this is so obvious, I don’t even need to ask.”

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. -Proverbs 3:5-7

The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. -Luke 22:25-26

Well over 1,000 years before the Magna Carta was issued, Jesus Christ was teaching His disciples about a very similar principle: the principle of servant leadership.

That is, leaders ought not to take advantage of their power, and use it in a self-promoting way. They ought instead to consider it a privilege to lead, and to lead by example, and through servitude.

A long history of servant leadership

But even Jesus’ words, which were nearly 1,200 years before the Magna Carta, there were the commands and laws that Moses issued on leadership: some 2,500 years before the Magna Carta was issued, advising a limitation on the king’s powers.

Moses begins:

When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. -Deuteronomy 17:14-15

And after this introduction, a list of limitations and recommendations are given for the king:

Military power:

The king was not to build up an excessive amount of horses. By this, I interpret this to mean military power and might, as the horse-drawn chariot was one of the top weapons of war at the time. “But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way” (Deuteronomy 17:16).

Women:

The king was not to have an excessive number of wives. Since he could virtually have any woman that he pleased, his office could easily be abused. “Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away…” (Deuteronomy 17:17a).

Money:

The king was not to use his office for increasing personal wealth. “…[N]either shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold” (Deuteronomy 17:17b).

Study and learn of God’s laws:

The king was required to hand-copy a duplicate of the book of God’s laws, and read and learn of them so that he would be an informed and wise leader. “And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them” (Deuteronomy 17:18-19).

A pattern for humility

At the end of this passage in Deuteronomy chapter 17, we see the ultimate motivation for these commands. In essence, it is humility, and servant leadership at its best:

That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. -Deuteronomy 17:20

Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light. -V. Raymond Edman

What better illustration do we have of God’s trial of faith than that of light and darkness?

God proves Himself to us in the light. He shows us His credentials: that He is faithful and trustworthy. He then tests our faith, to see if it is true. His testing comes in the darkness, when we can’t see or make sense of our present situation.

And what is some of the best advice to hear while in darkness? Never doubt. Cling to the things that God has already shown you, and have faith that your trial—your darkness—will one day pass.

Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God. -Isaiah 50:10

Think on the boiling flames of hell, the lake of fire: if I deal thus so intensely with My enemies, what then shall I do to the ones that I love? (From Tears from a Lonely God – Chapter Eight: Unshade My Light.)

As I’ve written previously on what the Bible teaches on hell, and how no one would ever want to go to there on account of its intensity, so too, I believe, heaven will be a place of similar intensity.

As hell is bad, so heaven is good.

Consider the parable of the wheat and the tares. God’s people are represented as the good and desirable “wheat,” and those that have rejected Christ’s gospel are represented by the unenviable “tares.” God then says:

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. -Matthew 13:30

And Jesus further clarifies this parable and explains the glory that awaits us, and the terror that awaits those who were fearful and unbelieving.

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. -Matthew 13:41-43

Did you notice a similar burning? One is a burning unto misery, and another is a burning unto joy. One is from God’s wrath in hell, and the other is from God’s communion in heaven. As the prophet Daniel has written, we will shine!

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. -Daniel 12:3