BiblicalInsights.net

The first appearance of In God We Trust on a United States coin came in 1864, when In God We Trust debuted on the 2-cent piece following public appeal for our nation’s money to recognize God.  One such plea came in the form of a letter from a minister, M. R. Watkinson who sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase in November, 1861 that proposed the motto “God, Liberty, Law.”  Secretary Chase and United States Mint Director James Pollock were moved by the minister’s letter and replied, “No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe in His defense. The trust of our people should be declared on our national coins.”
The minister’s letter resonated deeply with Pollock, who recalled a lyric from the fourth stanza of The Star-Spangled Banner. The song, written during the War of 1812, includes the line: “And this be our motto–In God is our trust.”
An 1837 law required Congressional authorization of all new mottoes and devices on the nation’s coins.  So, the addition of a motto acknowledging God would fall not in the hands of Pollock or Chase alone, but rather occur only through legislation.  In December, 1863, Mint Director Pollock proposed either Our Country; Our God or God, Our Trust to appear on the new 2-Cent piece and other coins.  Secretary Chase replied to Mint Director Pollock with this suggestion: “On [the 2-Cent coin] with the shield, it should be changed so as to read IN GOD WE TRUST.”  On April 22, 1864, Congress passed the law permitting the creation of the 2-Cent coin with the motto IN GOD WE TRUST.  Another law passed by Congress on March 3, 1865, allowed the Mint Director to inscribe IN GOD WE TRUST on all gold and silver coins that “shall admit the inscription thereon.”  (coinvalues.com July 20, 2021).
On July 30, 1956, two years after pushing to have the phrase “under God” inserted into the pledge of allegiance, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a law officially declaring “In God We Trust” to be the nations’ official motto.  The law P. L. 84-140, also mandated that the phrase be printed on all American paper currency.  The phrase had been placed on U. S. coins since the Civil War (1864).  Eisenhower’s treasury secretary, George Humphrey, had suggested adding the phrase to paper currency as well.  At a Flag Day speech in 1954, Eisenhower elaborated on his feelings about the place of religion in public life when he discussed why he had wanted to include “under God” in the pledge of allegiance: “In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war.”  (www.history.com 7/20/21).
The first paper money with the phrase “In God We Trust” was not printed until 1957.
Congress has reaffirmed the motto several times: in 2002, in 2006, and in 2011.
The motto, “In God We Trust” appeared on coins for the first time during an American crisis–the Civil War (1864).  It became the national motto in 1956 in reaction to the Communistic threat and the Cold War.
It is time to reaffirm this national motto to combat the forces of Cultural Marxism that are at work undermining Christian values and attacking and destroying marriage and the family.  In God We Trust is our national motto!  Let this motto be hearalded from every corner of this great nation.  Let every Christian reaffirm their faith in the true and living God who created us and redeems us.  Let us be willing to wear this motto in the public domain and publicize it in every legitimate way so that we can clearly let the nation know of our commitment to “reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future.” Preachers need to preach on biblical texts that affirm our trust in God.  “In thee O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion” (Psa. 71:1).  “For thou art my hope, O LORD GOD: thou art my trust from my youth” (Psa. 71:5).  “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).  “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe” (I Tim. 4:10).  “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the LORD, GOD, that I may declare all thy works” (Psa. 73:28).
July 30, 2021 is the 65th anniversary of the signing by Dwight D. Eisenhower, president of the United States, of the law making In God We Trust our national motto.  If freedom is to ring, it will be because God is our TRUST.  True freedom is found only in God our savior (John 8:32, Gal. 5:1).

The Red Trojan Horse by Alasdair Elder gives a concise account of the history of the development of Critical Theory which is behind the Critical Race Theory being taught in many educational systems in America.  He explains the background to Cultural Marxism and how it is impacting both Western culture in general and politics in America.  The book is divided into two parts.  Part one gives the history of Cultural Marxism.  Part two is a contemporary look at Cultural Marxism.  The basic thesis of the book is to examine how Cultural Marxism is undermining Western cultures by attacking the values upon which Western civilization has been built.  The attack on freedom and truth has resulted in culture wars that threaten the very existence of Western culture as we know it and experience it in America.  The church of Christ has a vested interest in the false philosophical system that forms the underpinning of Cultural Marxism because it pits Communism against Christianity.  New Testament Christians support the concepts of marriage and the family as defined by God.  The atheistic attack against the home must not be allowed to prevail.  Christians must “fight the good fight of the faith” and resist any and every Satanic attack against the God ordained institutions that form the basis of our society and our nation.  I have uploaded a copy of my review of Elder’s work.  You will find it under the Book Reviews page.  The review is a thirteen page synopsis of the book.

God’s questions probe the human heart.  Of course, God already knows the answers.  However, God leads us to discover the truth about ourselves.  Every person needs to take stock of their present circumstances.  Look back.  Look around. Look forward.  Are you in the best place that you could possibly be right now?  Where are you in your relationship with God?  Where are you in relationship to your faith?  Where are you in relationship to the truth?  Where are you in relationship to the mission/purpose God has given to you?  Now is a time for reflection, renewal, and re-commissioning.
God’s Servant
It is time for Elijah to reflect and reassess.  Elijah had just defeated the false prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel (I Kings 18).  After the great victory, he flees before Jezebel who threatens to kill him (I Kings 19:1-2).  He goes too Beersheba.  Here, he leaves his servant (19:3).  He goes a days journey and sits down under a juniper tree.  He requests for himself that he might die.  Elijah is isolated.  He is fearful. He is in despair. He feels alone.  It was time for him to slow down and stop.  It is almost impossible to reflect thoughtfully on our lives when we are constantly at full speed.  Stop and reflect. Recognize destructive patterns of thought and behavior. Identify a good direction. Make clear and correct choices.  Be ready to listen to God. Stop looking for something BIG to happen and look for small things like the still, small voice of God.
God Intervens
God sends an angel to minister to Elijah.  He is not alone.  The angel prepares food and gives him water to drink.  The physical body needs attention and care.  When we are physically depleted, it complicates our negative thoughts and feelings about ourselves.  God sends an angel to minister to Elijah a second time.  He is not alone.  The body and soul must be treated as a whole.  We must draw closer to God.  We must make the effort to close the gap between ourselves and God.  Soul care is just as important as the physical care of the body.  Do loving things.  Be constructive not destructive. Do no harm.  Be more creative.  Walk closer to God.  Elijah was in the wrong place.  God intervened and asked him, “what doest thou here, Elijah? (v. 9 and v. 13).  Elijah needed to move closer to God.
God Speaks
God confronts Elijah.  God had already demonstrated His presence and His power (I Kings 18).  God was with Elijah.  But, was Elijah with God?  God asks Elijah what he was doing in the wilderness.  Elijah replied that he was jealous for God.  Was he the only one?  God reveals to the prophet that He has seven thousand that had not bowed the knee to Baal.  Elijah knows the sins of the people.  He is aware of the threat of Jezebel. His perspective is negative and he feels alone.  God allows Elijah to experience: strong winds, an earthquake, and fire.  Then, He speaks in a still small voice.  He asks Elijah the second time what he was doing there.  The prophet is forced to take stock of his present situation in light of the past and the future.  God directs Elijah to anoint the king of Syria, the next king of Israel, and appoint Elisha as his successor.  Now, all of these individuals will fight to accomplish God’s purposes.  Elijah is not alone.  There is the angel, the seven thousand, the kings and the prophets, and God Himself!  God gives Elijah a new mission.  Elijah cannot continue to stay in the wilderness and accomplish God’s purposes.  God was not done with Elijah.
God’s Servant Responds
Elijah listens to God.  He undertakes a new mission.  He finds a meaningful purpose in living for God.  His life will end, but not in a cave in the wilderness.  Instead, it will end in glory by being taken to heaven in a chariot of fire!
Grasp God’s Perspective
God’s perspective is much more powerful and positive than ours.  We need self-care, soul-care, self-awareness, and mission for God.  We must correct hopelessness, loneliness, and isolation by listening to the still, small voice of God that leads us to be more than conquerors.  God’s voice is found in His Word.  He will guide us in the paths of righteousness. What doest thou here, Elijah?  Go forth in the strength of the LORD!

When we examine the questions that Jesus’ asks in the New Testament, we find that He asks three hundred seven questions in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  He is asked one hundred eighty-three questions and of those, He answers  fewer than ten directly. (The information given here was gathered from: Martin Copenhaver, Jesus Is The Question, Israel Wayne, Questions Jesus Asks, and Butch Entrekin, The Questions Jesus Asked).
In Mark 3:31-35, Jesus asks, “Who is my mother or my brethren?”  The question probes the value of our physical family giving us history, connection, identity, and even influencing character. It also probes the value of our spiritual family.  Our spiritual relationship with the Triune God, blesses us with salvation and sonship.  We not only have fellowship with Deity, but we have fellowship with all of those who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. The spiritual relationship that we have with Jesus Christ through the gospel is totally absent in the lives of unbelievers.  It is marginal in the lives of some Christians who are not authentically connected to Christ.  It is authentic and essential for many New Testament Christians who realize the value of spiritual relationships not only with God, Christ and the Holy Spirit, but also with those of like precious faith.
Jesus had a physical family and a spiritual family.  The spiritual relationships were more significant to Him.  The most meaningful experience that we can have in this life is when our physical family is also a part of God’s family–the church of Christ.  When this occurs, we have a double blessing.  The physical ties which are intimate and real and the spiritual ties that transcend the physical and continue into eternity combine in significant, lasting relationships.
Jesus’ Physical Family
In Mark 6:3 and Matt. 13:55-56, Jesus’ physical family is mentioned.  Jesus was the oldest child born to Mary (and the Holy Spirit–Luke 1:30-35).  Joseph was not the physical father of Jesus (Luke 3:23), but he was Mary’s husband and the acting father of Jesus on earth.  Then, there were James, Joseph (Joses), Judas (Jude) and Simon.  Jesus also had sisters who are not named. Jesus’ younger siblings were all the natural children of Joseph and Mary. At some point after Jesus turned twelve, Joseph died. Jospeh is mentioned in Luke 2, but after that he not mentioned as an active part of Jesus’ life. Jospeh was not a part of Jesus’ public ministry which began when He turned thirty (Luke 3:23).  Whenever Jesus died on the cross, He entrusted the care of Mary to John (John 19:26,27). These and other references indicate that Jospeh was no longer a part of the family of Jesus.
Before the age of thirty, Jesus’ physical family grew.  Jesus Himself grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man (Luke 2:52).  However, Jesus’ brethren did not believe that He was the Son of God and savior of the world (John 7:5).  While Jesus had natural familial connections, His family was not close due to their lack of a shared faith.  This is a common experience for many people.  There is a powerful disconnect in families when faith in Jesus Christ is not a shared experience and a common love for God and knowledge of His purposes is not shared by family members.  Jesus’ family was antagonistic to Him (Mark 3:20-21).  It’s one thing not to have our family share our faith and values, and quite another to have your family think you are mad or crazy.  We seldom think of the many ways that Jesus experienced life just as we do. He was faced with a divided family over religious views.  This part of Jesus’ experience identified Him with the human experience (Heb. 2:17).  He was tempted in all points just as we are (Heb. 4:15). Would He renounce His true identity and mission to please His family? Of course, He did not.  Would you?
Jesus’ family attempted to rescue Him from Himself!  Mark 3:31-35 records when His mother and brothers came to Him and asked Him to come outside. A crowd was sitting around and said, “your mother and brothers are outside, seeking you.”  Jesus said, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”  The answer seems obvious.  The physical family of Jesus was known. But, Jesus is now going to define His family in a different way.  Whenever Jesus was twelve, He identified His Father as God (Luke 2:49).  Now, He identifies His brothers as those who are true disciples, “For whosoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”  The spiritual relationship defines the true family of Jesus Christ. This spiritual bond is greater than the physical bond because it is more important involving the salvation of the soul.  It transcends the earthly ties.  It is eternal!
The spiritual relationship to Christ and each other does not depend on any earthly connection. It depends on the New Birth (John 3:3-5).  The New Birth (baptism into Christ) puts us into the family of God (Gal. 3:26-29).  In Christ, we are brothers and sisters or brethren.
Jesus’ Spiritual Brethren
In Heb. 2:10-12, “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is to ashamed to call them brethren.”  Jesus saves and sanctifies. He purchases His disciples with His own blood (Acts 20:28).  Salvation establishes a unique relationship with the Lord that we do not have with any other person.  This relationship is why we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:16-17).  If we belong to God, then, everything that God possesses belongs to us.
The Family of God
When we enter God’s family, we automatically have a whole new set of siblings.  We become “one body but many members.”  God’s children are unique.  They have different personalities, character traits, strengths and weaknesses, talents and material assets. But, they are all one in Christ (Gal. 3:26-29).  The family of God is bound by love (John 13:34-35).
God’s Family and Ours
When our physical family is also a part of God’s family, we experience a double blessing.  A marriage is significantly blessed when this double blessing is present. A physical family is blessed when this double blessing is present.  The ties we experience in this life, in the flesh, are even greater through the Spirit and last into eternity.  Every Christian should work and pray that the members of his/her physical family would also be a part of God’s family where all spiritual blessings are found.
Jesus’ Family After the Resurrection
Jesus’ resurrection from the dead convinced His family that He truly was the Son of God and savior of the world.  They came to believe in Him (Acts 1:14).  On the Day of Pentecost, Mary and Jesus’ brethren were gathered together, along with other disciples, in the city of Jerusalem waiting for the promise of the Father (Acts 1:4-5).  Jesus’ half brother James wrote the book of James.  His half-brother Jude, wrote the book of Jude.  At last, Jesus was able to unite His family in the faith.  When this happened, Jesus was doubly blessed.

Undesigned coincidences are a part of the overall argument for the inspiration and veracity of the Scriptures. They are an internal proof. Lydia McGrew has revived this argument from undesigned coincidences in her book Hidden in Plain View.  McGrew draws upon the past works of: William Paley, Horae Paulinae, John Blunt, Undesigned Coincidences, J. S. Howson, Studies in the Life of St. Peter; T. R. Birks, Horae Apostolicae, T. R. Birks, Horae Evangelicae; Stephen Jenner, The Three Witnesses; and James McDonald, The Life and Writings of St. John.
An undesigned coincidence is: “a notable connection between two or more accounts or texts that doesn’t seem to have been planned by the person or people giving the accounts.  Despite their apparent independence, the items fit together like pieces of a puzzle” (McGrew, p. 12).  An undesigned coincidence is a coincidence, it is not contrived and it appears undesigned in that the authors did not collude in the details of the accounts.  All undesigned coincidences in the Bible show that there is really only One Author of the Bible and that is, God (II Tim. 3:16).  Undesigned coincidences are a way of expressing intertextuality, that is, the Scriptures interconnect and so we say that Scripture is the best interpreter of Scripture.  Intertextuality demonstrates the integrity of the Scriptures and refutes the notion that Scripture contradicts itself.  Undesigned coincidences refute modernism which denies the inspiration of the Scriptures and they refute the notion that the Scriptures are fictional or mythical tales.  The details of Scripture are flawlessly harmonized and depict historical reality rather than myth.
In this study, we will consider the sayings of Jesus and Peter regarding the defilement in eating meats.
The Parable On Defilement
In Mark 7:15, Jesus said, “There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.”  These words were spoken by Jesus at Capernaum.  The Lord had come back from across the Sea of Galilee; and certain Pharisees, with some scribes from Jerusalem, visited Him, and found fault with His disciples for eating with unwashed hands.  This led Jesus to rebuke their hypocrisy by exposing that religion that consists of the observance of externals to the exclusion of internals.  Jesus then addressed the crowd and told them to hearken unto Him and understand.  “If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Connection With Peter
Consider both Matthew 15:1-20 and Mark 7:1-23.  Both Matthew and Mark tell us the disciples afterward asked the meaning of the parable.  Mark 7:17 tells us that this conversation took place in the home of Simon and Andrew.  Peter asked the Lord to tell what the parable meant (Matt. 15:15).  Peter, as usual, was ready with his words and seems honestly eager for instruction.  Jesus said that what goes into a man’s mouth merely follows the physical laws and has no necessary effect on his character.  He further taught that evil thoughts and foul desires which come from the heart do defile morally and spiritually.  Only Mark adds the thought, “This he said, cleansing all meats,” (Mark 7:19).  Jesus taught that eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.  In addition, he taught that all meats were clean (this would set aside Jewish dietary laws).  This actually did not take place until the Law of Moses was abrogated and a New Covenant was put into force at the death of Jesus (Col. 2:14) and the Law of Christ was probated by the apostles on the Day of Pentecost (Heb. 9:15-17).
Peter’s Vision in Acts 10
Now, let us move forward to the vision of Peter recorded in Acts 10.  Peter was in Joppa.  He went up on the housetop to pray about noon.  He became very hungry and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance.  He saw heaven open and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners and let down to the earth.  In the sheet were all manner of four footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.  A voice commanded, “Rise, Peter, kill, and eat.”  But Peter said, “no Lord, for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.”  The voice spake to him a second time, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” This was done three times and the vessel was received up again into heaven.  While Peter doubted in himself what the vision meant, three men sent from Cornelius in Caesarea to Joppa were at the gate of the house where Peter was staying.  In this text we have a lexical coincidence.  The same Greek word, katharizō found in Acts 10:15 was also used by Mark in Mark 7:19. Peter was instructed by an angel to go with the men from Cornelius to Caesarea “nothing doubting” (Acts 10:20).  Peter instructs Cornelius and his household in the gospel of Christ.  Cornelius and his household were Gentiles and this is the first time that the Gentiles were afforded the opportunity to hear the gospel of Christ, believe it and obey it and become New Testament Christians.  Peter’s words spoken later indicate that he understood the meaning of the vision which occurred at Joppa. “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:34-35).  In Capernaum, Jesus rebuked His disciples for not understanding His words (Matt. 15:16-17).  Now, in Caesarea, Peter understands fully.  Jesus cleansed all meats (Mark 7:19).  Peter learns, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common,” (Acts 10:15).  The cleansing of meats removed a barrier between Jew and Gentile (established by the Law of Moses) that would indicate the universal intent of God to save all men through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth;  to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”  The change in the dietary laws marked a change in the covenants.  The New Covenant, the gospel of Christ, would be a universal law intended by God to free all people from the tyranny of sin (Matt. 28:18-20).
This link of connection between Capernaum and Caesarea, between a parable, at first obscure, and the broad import of the universal teaching of the gospel, is full of interest and deserves careful attention and thought.

The justice of God is commonly understood as the execution of His judicial sentences with regard to the conduct of mankind.  The basis of this justice is God’s Word (the Truth) which proceeds from His divine nature and will (John 12:48).  The justice of God relates to His righteousness.  The word justice (dikē) means, “what is right.” The only objective “right” is “truth.”  Without truth, there can be no justice.
Truth is not relative.  Truth by its very nature is objective.  The postmodern concept of truth as relative and so “fluid” is a false concept and must be rejected.  Truth is not a social construct.  Truth is not subject to change based merely upon a change in the definition of terms or a change in circumstances.  You cannot make a word mean anything that you desire for it to mean.  This is what is referred to as the Humpty Dumpty hermeneutic.  In the book, Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll, Alice meets Humpty Dumpty while he is sitting on the famous wall.  Humpty Dumpty said, “When I choose a word, it means what I choose it to mean; nothing more or less.”  This famous quote illustrates how some people use language.  They manipulate it so that they can deconstruct old meanings and reconstruct new meanings by changing the fundamental definitions of words to mean what they desire them to mean.  It is a form of manipulating what one affirms is the truth.  It readily lends itself to deception and equivocation. Truth is that which conforms to reality as God defines reality!
The Nature of God
Righteousness and so justice is a chief perfection of the nature of God.  Righteousness is a mandatory aspect of holiness.  God is holy (I Pet. 1:15-16).  Holiness is absolute purity.  God’s nature is free from the admixture of any evil.  God is sinless, virtuous, and righteous.  His holiness extends to all of His perfections which leads to all of His words and actions.  Consequently, the words that God speaks are holy (II Tim. 3:15).  The word of God reflects the very nature of God.  God always speaks and acts in harmony with His holy nature.  God is consistent in His nature.  He does not vary (is not changeable) James 1:17.  This is set in contrast to the fluidity of relative ethics or morality that is commonly advanced today and supported by those who affirm social justice instead of God’s justice.  God demands righteousness from His moral creature–man–which involves conformity to His holiness (I Pet. 1:15-16, “Be ye holy for I am holy”). God has a right to demand righteousness from us because He created us for His glory.  All unrighteousness dishonors God and mars the image of God that we bear as His creatures (Gen. 1:27).
The Retributive Justice of God
God hates sin (Psa. 11:4-5; Proverbs 6:16-19).  Sin is the antithesis of His holiness.  God visits non-conformity to His perfection (holiness) with penal loss or punishment.  “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, ad from the glory of his power” (II Thess. 1:7-9).  The word punished is from the Greek word dikē which means “what is right.”  It refers to justice.  God’s retributive justice will be executed on the ungodly and disobedient.  The disobedient are those who transgress His holy Will.  God will punish the evil doer.  The same Greek word is found in Jude 7. “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (the word vengeance is a translation of the Greek word dikē). This sets God’s justice in strong contrast to social justice which attempts to validate and exonerate sinful conduct as is manifested by LGBTQ individuals.  Jude 7 defines the sin of Sodom and Gomorrha as fornication and specifically as “going after strange flesh” a phrase that defines sexual activity between individuals of the same sex or homosexuality (see Rom. 1:26-27).  The just verdict of God against homosexuality is eternal punishment.
The Justice of God and Man’s Justification
In Rom. 3:23-26, Paul declares by the Holy Spirit, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation though faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”  Justify is a legal term that indicates a person has been set free from sin, its penalty and practice.  To justify is to pronounce “not guilty.”  How can God give such a verdict and still be just?  The answer to this question lies in the atonement for sin.  The atonement for sin is a function of God’s love, mercy and grace.  It represents the distributive justice of God.  The atonement for sin was secured by Jesus Christ when He shed His blood on the cross (John 19:34).  Atonement means a covering for sin and sin is remitted or forgiven based upon the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross.  Forgiveness means that the debt incurred due to sin is completely eliminated.  The only verdict to follow those who are forgiven is “not guilty.”  Not only did the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross provide for atonement, but it also provided for appeasement of the wrath of God.  God’s wrath is appeased on account of the death of Jesus in the place of every sinner.  This is called substitutionary atonement and is part of the meaning of the word propitiation.  Propitiation involves remission of sins and appeasement of God’s wrath.  Paul writes, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Rom. 5:8-9).  Jesus took our place and dies in our stead. We are saved from the retributive justice of God through the distributive justice of God.  Those who are justified become the just (Rom. 1:16-17).  The just shall live by faith!   When are sins forgiven?  Peter answers this important question in his sermon that is recorded in Acts 2.  In Acts 2:38, he declares, “…Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”  Ananias told Saul (Paul), “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).  Peter declares, “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (I Pet. 3:21).  When we obey the gospel of Christ, and are baptized into Christ, our sins are washed away (forgiven) and we become a child of God (John 3:3-5).  We wash our robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14).  We are forgiven, redeemed, and justified (I Cor. 6:9-11).  What about the unforgiven?  All unbelievers are unforgiven.  If they die in their sins (John 8:24), they will face the wrath of God (II Thess. 1:7-9).  If they do not believe on Jesus Christ and obey His commands, they will be damned (Mark 16:16).  “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be damned.” “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:23-26).

Psalm 63 is a psalm of David.  It was probably written when he was in the wilderness of Judah fleeing from Absalom, his son, during the time of insurrection.  David did not quit singing while in the wilderness.  He made his worship suitable to his circumstances.  The wilderness was a barren place.  But, there was no barrenness in his heart.  His heart was full of praise for God.
The reason for this unique, unquenchable longing for God is found in v. 3, “Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.”  David’s circumstances did not dictate the passions of his heart.  His love for God did.  He compares God’s lovingkindness to life itself, indeed, a monumental comparison.
First, There is Life
There is life with all of its benefits.  The accumulation of experiences, wisdom, relationships, and accomplishments.  Add to that all of its riches.  Over the years, we accumulate wealth in property, material objects, and money.  And, to that add, all of its pleasures.  The things that we enjoy, derive pleasure from, and experience through recreational pursuits.  In addition we must add all of its honor and fame.  Every accomplishment recognized by people.  All of the applause and accolades and popularity we have obtained.  Don’t forget all of the educational attainments and the positions that we occupy along with the power that those positions give to us.  All of life must be placed on one side of the balance.  Yes, life is precious, but it is also temporal, fleeting, and filled with trouble.    “Man that is born of woman is of few days, and full of trouble” (Job 14:1).
Second, There Is God’s Lovingkindness
On the other side of the balance, we must put the lovingkindness of God.  The lovingkindness of God is a combination of His love, mercy and grace.  None of these is temporal.  They are eternal aspects of the nature of God that benefit His people.  These qualities of God’s nature and character are greater in effect than any of the aspects of life because they transform life now and prepare it for eternity.  The word better is a term of comparison wherein one thing is placed above another in value, esteem glory, and effect.  Men weary of life, but no man has ever yet been found who was weary of the love and favor of God.  What could be so desirable in life if a person hath no place in the heart of God?  The grace/favor of God is all good.  There is no sorrow in it nor is there any evil attendant in it.  The grace of God bestows the abundant life (John 10:10).  This is the spiritually optimal life.  Life cannot be any better than life in Christ with the expectation of life with God forever.  The grace of God saves (Eph. 2:8-9).  Salvation is the deliverance from the penalty and practice of sin.  Sin corrupts and destroys and leads to spiritual death.  To be saved from that condemnation is to be given life in its fullest measure.  This is spiritual life and eternal life.  The grace of God transforms us into new creatures that God claims as His people.  His people are redeemed, special, distinct from the world (Titus 2:11-12).  In short, the grace of God shapes us for eternity.  David realized in the midst of dark and desperate times that God’s lovingkindness was to be prized above life.  While contemplating this monumental comparison, it lifted his spirit and brought hope in the midst of despair.  It made his heart sing.  Fortunately, he wrote about it and preserved for all generations after him these lofty thoughts drenched with spiritual insight.
I Will Praise Thy Name
Is it possible that any man should have a dog or some other possession that he loves and he would not commend it?  Yet, none of these can stand with the love of God.  How often do we speak of Him to others?  David wrote a hymn of praise in which he declares the difference between life without God and life with God.  What can God add to my life?  His lovingkindness is better than life itself!  Interestingly, Solomon, David’s son, discerned the same thing.  After Solomon had experienced everything life had to offer, he declares, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl. 12:13).  Oneness with God is priceless.  Everything else is vanity.