Exodus 32:26 – Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord‘s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

Hey all, back with a new blog today. Looking at the question that Moses asked the nation of Israel in the wilderness as he stood in the gate of the camp after he returned from the mount to find that Israel had made a golden calf and started worshiping it and committing all kinds of idolatry and sin. Moses had talked to God and received the law, the ten commandments, but he returned to find Israel just as we are found before the law, we are all guilty, we all have broken and break God’s law. Many people were killed that day after Moses came back and dealt with them, and that is a picture of bringing of the  law. In John, the Bible says that the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The law condemns us, it is good, perfect and holy, but the law reveals how sinful we are, because we always break it. The law  cannot save us, it has no power to. It only reveals, it shines a light on the reality of our hearts and lives, but cannot do anything about our sinfulness. The ministration of the law was glorious, but it brought death, because we are all guilty sinners, we have all broken God’s law. That’s why God sent Jesus. Jesus is the only solution to our entire existence. He is the solution to our sinfulness, our lawlessness, our guilt, he alone forgives, saves, and gives eternal and abundant life. After all he is our Creator, and we are his creation. And who is on the Lord’s side? It is an apt question that rings today as we stand on the precipice of the Lord’s return and the finality of eternity. Jesus asked when he returns, would he find faith on the earth?

One of the things we will discover is that we must be on the Lord’s side, rather than trying to get him on our side. This may sound a little stupid or like splitting hairs, but when Joshua met the captain of the Lord’s host, the Lord Jesus Christ, before the taking of Jericho, Joshua asked him whether he was for them or against them. The angel of the Lord said in reply, Nay, but as captain of the Lord’s host am I come. We have people from all kinds of denominations, religions, walks of life, cultures, backgrounds who are trying to get together today. There is a big drive for everyone to get along, to compromise, to find common ground. Religions are trying to get along. The ecumenical movement is in full swing, as globalization increases, people from all over the world are coming together and attempting to forge peace and get along. The modern day tower of Babel.They say we are all one, and we all serve the same God, but in different ways, and all different ways and means are equally acceptable and valid. But the truth is that the only way we are truly on the same side, is if we are all on the Lord’s side. Paul said in 1 Corinthians that there should be no divisions, this is true. In Christ, there are no divisions… but we must be in Christ first. It is beign truly saved by him, by him being in us and us being in him, that makes us truly brothers and sisters in Christ. We love him, therefore we love all those that are begotten of him via the new birth… all people who are saved are born again of the Spirit of God. People do want to be one, to get along, to be part of the world, to bring the world into the church, to have a bit of everything, but they want to do it in a humanistic way, not based on truth. There is one way, Jesus said he IS the way, the truth, the life, and the ONLY way to the Father. That’s pretty exclusive, everyone can come to Jesus, but he is the ONLY way to God, to heaven. And there are two sides, the Lord’s side or the devil’s side. You cannot wash your hands, you cannot not make a choice, as Jesus said, we are either for him, or against him. There is no middle ground. We are all one or the other, a sheep or a goat.

God doesn’t take sides, he is his own side. We have to get on his side. He doesn’t get on our side while we are living in sin, while we reject the truth, while we prefer the darkness to the light. Jesus is the captain, the mighty captain, the captain of our salvation, the captain of our faith. Hebrews says that we are to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. He starts  it, he finishes it. It is easy to think that our self effort has done anything. But no. Jesus gives us our faith. It is he that is faithful. His name is FAITHFUL in the Bible. That’s why in Romans, the Bible says the righteousness of God is revealed FROM faith TO faith. It is his faith that matters. When will we learn that it is all about the Lord Jesus Christ. His blood. His cross. His sacrifice. His life. His intercession for us. He is the prophet, the priest, the king – the Christ, the Son of God. We need to get on God’s side. Our sins must be dealt with. We must be covered, cleansed and forgiven of our sins through the perfect sinless shed blood of Christ. The blood had to be applied to the doorpost for the death angel to passover in Egypt, and the true blood of Jesus which the story represents is what must be applied to our hearts for us to be saved, to be spared. Justice, mercy, and grace all meet in the person of Christ at the cross. He said, it is finished.

Idolatry was the main sin that was being committed when Moses returned from the mount before he stood in the midst and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? You will either be on the Lord’s side, or on the side of idolatry. Idolatry is subtle, idolatry occurs when we make anything other than God our god. It can be anything. We are all guilty of idolatry. Idolatry can be us serving a god that we have created in our mind. We may call this god “Jesus”, but it’s just a Jesus that excuses our sin, that is convenient to our lives, that makes us feel good. Paul warned of another Jesus, another gospel, another spirit. The devil is the king of deception, he is a counterfeiter, a robber, thief. You find what you are truly seeking… are you seeking truth? We must believe in the God of the Bible, not a god we have invented that suits us, that we would rather believe and serve over believing and serving the true God of the Bible. Idolatry is a very common sin that is happening in all false religion, all denominations with all their idolatrous distinctives, who glory in something other than the cross of Jesus Christ.

Paul said he was separated unto the gospel of Christ. We must be separated unto the gospel of Christ. The word “gospel” means good news. What news? The news of Jesus Christ. His life, his existence, his truth, his story. Do you believe what God has said of his Son? Jesus is  God, Jesus is the Son of God, Jesus is the Christ, Jesus is the way, the truth, the life, the ONLY way to the Father… do you believe that? Do you need his forgiveness, his life, or do you count his shed blood good for nothing and trample it under foot? Only when we get on the Lord’s side do we have true brothers and sisters and fellowship in Christ. It is God that brings us together, we must abandon our ways, our gods, all our rubbish. In Christ all are one, there are no divisions. But it’s in Christ. People have it in reverse though. People want to be one… but without Christ. As they said at the tower of Babel… Let us make OURSELVES a name. Jesus said the world cannot hate us, but the world hates him. The world will hate you when you are in Christ. The world wants to get along with the world, and  compromise, but in Christ there is no compromise. God divided the light from the darkness in the beginning, and he does it today. Are you light, or are you darkness?

Humans are so good at getting themselves into unbelievable messes. Humanistic messes. The simple solution lies in responding with your heart to the question of Moses – who is on the Lord’s side? The Lord’s side is one side. You are either on his side or not. You are FOR or AGAINST him. You must come to God by HIS appointed way. Jesus said to Thomas … I AM THE WAY. He is the way to the Father. Are you seeking truth? He is the truth. People want to compromise truth in order to get together. But truth must be the foundation for unity, truth is essential for true unity. Building upon lies builds a false foundation, the house upon the sand, which collapses.As Gamaliel pointed to in Acts… if it is of God it will last, if it is not of God, it will not last. Time will tell, God sorts every human being out. God lets us be shaken so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain. What will remain for you when your life is shaken? Is your faith, is your hope, is your life grounded in the sure word of prophecy, the truth of God’s word, his everlasting testimony of himself and his promises to us? The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of truth, and the Comforter. Truth brings comfort. Lies may bring temporary worldly comfort, but all the lies  come tumbling down eventually. Jesus is the cornerstone, but he is rejected of men. Most refuse Jesus. But it is all about him. Start to finish. The more you look to Jesus the less you will confused, disappointed, frustrated, empty. Are you on the Lord’s side? Get on his side today, it is the winning side, it is the side of eternal life, abundant life, a lively hope, of truth, light, forgiveness, salvation, of rest. Your choice. Today is the day.

Blog Christ Christian Faith God Gospel Heaven Hell Jesus Law Life Salvation Spirit