Out of a Gracious Heart

from Jonah 4:4-6

Have you experienced receiving a blessing or a gift from somebody whom you are mad at? This is a giving out of a gracious heart. In spite of what we did to that someone, s/he still gets to give us a present. It is a common scenario where people give something to those whom they have sinned against. That something is a form of peace offering. But it is rare that someone whom we have sinned against is the one who will give something to us.

This is what God did to Jonah. Remember that in previous verses, Jonah got mad at God because He forgave the Nenivites and He relented from destroying them because of their sins. Despite the sins they committed against Him and against His chosen people, the Israelites, God forgave them and spare them from His destruction. Because of this, Jonah was so angry with God to the point that he just wanted to die (Jonah 4:9).

But despite this reaction, God provided Jonah with a leafy plant (v. 6) to provide him with shade and comfort. Indeed, he was so delighted.

This is an act out of a gracious heart. This is God's heart, filled with immeasurable, unfathomable, glorious grace. According to Romans 5:8, Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. What does this mean? As sinners, we are enemies of God. We are bound for destruction in hell. Our normal reaction to our enemies is to retaliate or plan to destroy them. That's normal human behavior. But this is not the case of God. Instead of leaving us behind for His destruction, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us while we were still sinners, i.e. while we were still His enemies. Jesus' death brings forgiveness for us, and reconciliation with Him. You see. It is God Himself who made a way for our reconciliation with Him, in spite the fact that we are the ones who sinned against God. How glorious is His grace for us!

But this forgiveness and reconciliation will only come to us when we believe in Jesus Christ, accept that we are a sinner, repent from our sins, and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Without which, there will be no forgiveness and reconciliation.


Useful Links

Reconciled to God by John Macarthur

Sovereign Grace by D.L. Moody

Limited Understanding

from Jonah 4:1-3

Sometimes, some people tend to believe that they knew everything. When this happens, it is difficult for them to listen to others. They tend to believe that nobody can teach them something, especially for the things that they knew already.

Unfortunately, man's mind is very limited. In fact, it is so limited that it can only see based on what it can comprehend. The common saying can best exemplify it: "To see is to believe." For things beyond its comprehension, the human mind has difficulty of making sense of them.

This is what Jonah experienced in these verses. When God forgave the Nenivites, he could not believe it. Despite the evil deeds these people had done to God's chosen people, the Israelites, God still relented from destroying them. This created an anger inside Jonah's heart. He could not comprehend why God has to do it.

If you try to look at his argument in verses 1 and 2, we can see a very limited perspective of the situation, and of the plans of God. In fact, it shows a self-centered perspective that tries to demean God with His characters of being compassionate and gracious. What Jonah could not understand is that God has relented from destroying the people who did a great havoc among His chosen people. This perspective shows a revengeful spirit.

But God's mind is not like ours'. His thoughts are far beyond our comprehension. We have a very limited understanding of His character, of His thoughts, of His plans, and of His heart. When He does things that are beyond our understanding, we tend to disagree with Him. Worst, we tend to get mad at Him as what Jonah did, instead of just trusting His wisdom.

That is why, people could not believe that salvation is by faith alone. Many people wanted to add more to this by making sacrifices, doing good works, or even crucifying themselves in a cross in order to lessen or reduce their sins. But this is not what God designed for His salvation. His salvation is a free gift (Romans 6: 23), and could only be attained through faith in Jesus Christ, which is a grace from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). What does this mean? It simply means that you don't do anything to gain it; you just believe, trust, and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. In the process, you accept that you are a sinner, and need to a Savior. You repent from your sins, and confess in your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord. This is the only way; you don't need to beat your body or bring lots of offerings in order to obtain salvation.

Though as simple as this is the salvation of God, many people complicate it. Why? Because of their limited understanding of God's character and His salvation.


Useful Links

How to be Saved

The Greatest Thing in the World is to be Saved by John Pipe

Once Genuinely Saved Always Saved by Carmelo Caparros

The Importance of Influence

from Jonah 3: 7-10

Most of the time, when a man of influence (the one whom everyone looks up to) says something, everybody follows and believes. In these verses, we see that when the king proclaimed and published everyone in Nineveh followed him. They repented from their sins; they put on a sackloth, and cried out mightily to God according to the king's decree. The result? God relented from His decreed destruction of the city. He forgave them from their sins, and gave them salvation.

This truth is important in sharing the gospel. Though salvation comes from God alone (Psalm 62:1), sharing the gospel will be easier when the man who has an influence over others is the one who receives it first. In a family, it will be easier for the other members of the family when the father or the mother or anyone who has influence over the other members receives the gospel first. If we try to look at the history of Israel, we will see that a nation-wide spiritual revival depends on whether or not the king has a fear of God. It was easy for Hezekiah to impose revival through God's power and grace over Israel because he was able to reach out those people who have influence over other Israelites.

This whole thing brings to the fact that people of influence tend to be the voice of others. And other people put their trust on these individuals. That is why, if you were a man of influence, and you have received the gospel of Jesus Christ, you can use it to share the gospel to your subordinates. But you need to maintain your integrity in the face of the gospel so that your influence over them will continue to produce respect and honor to God.


Useful Links

The Influence of My Life by Tom Sexton

Power and Influence by Kenneth Boa

Transformation

from Jonah 3:6

When I read this verse, one lesson came to my mind: when God moves, man is transformed. The process of transformation is not by human effort. I heard a lot of stories from both strangers and friends that it is very difficult to change. Changing one's habit is not only difficult, it is impossible if done by one's own effort. Why? It is clearly stated in the Bible that everyone is a sinner and is controlled by sinful nature (Romans 3:10). Since the nature of a person is sinful, it will be easy for him or her to commit sin. It is the same situation with butterflies. Their nature is to fly, not to walk. Thus, when someone comes near to it, butterfly flies, instead of simply walks. Fishes by nature swims; thus, in all their lives they will swim. Man is sinful by nature; thus, in all his life, he will sin. Unfortunately, no one has no sin; no one is righteous.

With this, changing one's life becomes difficult; a person will have to go against his/her nature when s/he does it. Going against the natural course of life is like walking uphill. At the end, such person will become tired of doing it; and bang! He goes back to who he was before.

But when God moves in one's life, He will cause the transformation by setting that person free from his sinful nature (Romans 6:17-18). God will set a person free from his sinful nature through His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 7:25). Once the person is freed from his sinful nature, he is no longer a slave to unrighteousness, or simply, live in sinfulness; Rather, he is now aware of his sinfulness, and thus comes to God for repentance every time he sinned.

A good example of this transformation is St. Paul. He was the church persecutor during his time. But when God moved in his life, he was totally changed. Instead of being the church persecutor, he has become the Christ's "promoter." I also heard testimonies of transformation among friends and pastors. Many of them confessed that they had difficulty transforming their lives; but when God moved in them, the transformation just came; and they were amazed how they changed through time.

Thus, just as the king in this story did, when God moves in one's life, transformation is not impossible.


Useful Links

The Legalistic Son by John Macarthur

How to Change Yourself by David Pratte