The Four Woes of Luke 6 - Woe 2: Against Filling Up with the World

"'Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.'"

~Luke 6:25a (ESV)

<Read Part 1 | Read Part 3>

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John Piper often talks of how humans are far too easily satisfied. A young kid would enthusiastically take satisfaction in making mud pies because he can't imagine what is meant by holiday at the beach.

The word "full" here in the Greek is "ěmpiplēmi" or "ěmplēthō" (^[1]) which means to fill in or up and to satisfy. One base Greek word implies "filling to the max." It is not talking about for food per se, but an overall filling of one's self that "makes no room" for anything else because one's satisfaction is in the here and now.

But Jesus mercifully warns us of this. If we fill ourselves with earthly treasures and think that the height of satisfaction, that is the height of ignorance for soon we shall realize, "If this is all there is to life, this is pathetic! I have no more dreams!" Soon the entertainment, fame, drugs, friends, possessions, relationships, immorality, money, or anything else we try to fill ourselves with other than Christ Himself--it will fail us and prove as an ugly deception. Worldliness and lust are ugly deceptions that do nothing but harden our hearts toward God, hinder the pursuit of God, and dull our sensitivity to the Lord's leading. Settle not for them! They lie to us! They do not deliver as advertised!

Our end is to hunger without satisfaction if we settle for less than God. The word "hunger" in the Greek, "pěinaō," means to famish--to crave and be hungered ^[2]. So what we think now to be our satisfaction other than God will leave us dying in starvation.

May we remind ourselves that Christ died to save us from this deceit! What a blessed relief! The Holy Spirit has opened our once darkened eyes to see what really matters and live life in the FREEDOM of the only satisfaction, Jesus Christ. Amen!

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Challenge and Application Questions

• What things less than God most beg to be known as and claim to be satisfaction in your life?
• Do you remind yourself of the Gospel and that Christ died to save you from that deceit when you are tempted to seek satisfaction outside of God?
• In light of the Gospel, have the deceitful things of the world dimmed and been exposed for what they really are?
• How are you applying the Gospel to your Christian life of discernment?

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1. Strong's concordance (KJV), Greek Dictionary 1705. (Back to reading)
2. Strong's concordance (KJV), Greek Dictionary 3983. (Back to reading)

The Four Woes of Luke 6 - Woe 1: Against Earthly Riches

"'But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.'"

~Luke 6:24 (ESV)

| Read Part 2>

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Jesus provides us with four merciful "woes" or warnings in Luke chapter 6. And no, they're not dazzled "woahs" as in "Woah, dude!" No, these are merciful warnings as in "Woe to you" from the mouth of Christ Himself. As with all of Scripture, we will do well to heed them and grow in our love for Christ in doing so!

There are many things vying for our attention that claim to be the ultimate comfort, yet they are earthly. Anything other than God that we look to to function as God is a deception and an idol. Only God, the only comfort, can function as God, the only comfort!

The rich are warned with a merciful warning that those who look to what they have now on earth for their comfort, that indeed shall be the end of their comfort. If that is all there is to life, does life not seem meaningless? But there is so much more to it, the glory of God! Eternal satisfaction in Him that ever increases!

Shall we seek after riches on earth? Shall we store up meaningless things? Shall we create idols to "function as God" to satisfy ourselves? Then that shall be our consolation, our comfort, our reward. The fact is that we all do! Our heart is a "factory of idols," as C.J. Mahaney quotes in his excellent and life-changing (I kid you not) message series, The Idol Factory. This series revealed to me the Biblical name of my many sins and the nature of the deception of my heart. I know I can so quickly, if my eyes are not on my Savior, be deceived into thinking satisfaction can be achieved in something other that Christ.

O, may it never be that we live our lives for these things! Christ is the only One needed, Who matters, and Who satisfies with an everlasting satisfaction and an ever-increasing thirst for more of Himself.

O, Fountain of Grace,
Fountain of Mercy, truth, and life,
You are the perfect Prince of Peace
All of my days,
May I always strive for Your name praised,
You are the God over all

Challenge and Application Questions

• What does satisfaction in Christ look like in the life of a Christian and why iks it critical?
• Are you satisfied in Christ? Evaluate your thirst for God.
• What competes most for your satisfaction, energies, your heart, your thoughts, and your devotion other that Christ (like the rich man's devotion to riches)? How will you seek to defeat these idols in your life and fall more in love with Christ?

Only Jesus

"Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you."
~Psalm 73:25 (ESV)

"Lord, take me deeper into the glories of Calvary."
-Sovereign Grace Music, The Glories of Calvary

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What else have I?
Whom is there in the Heavens but You?
You are my First Love
My only love
My only desire
How I need You now!

What love is this that You have shown!
What grace beyond sweetness to the soul!
Jesus, You are my heart's cry
Jesus, You are Who I am desperate for
I am settled when I know Your nearness
And unsettled when I fail to savor You

"With every breath, Lord, how I long
To sing and sing of Jesus Who died for me!"
Show me Your glory, Lord!
I want to go deeper!
Closer and closer to You

I cannot do without more of You
Without more and more of the Bread
That satisfies my hunger, yet increases it
That quenches my thirst yet proves it unquenchable
With all satisfaction, I adore Thee, My Lord!

To You I sing a song of glory
Glory to the One to Whom all glory is due
Glory to the Only One deserving of WORSHIP!
I ascribe all glory to You...

The Great Initiator of lost souls
The only qualified Savior
The God of Grace and mercy
The Creator with sovereign arm
The One to be feared with mighty arm of strength
The limitless God of love
The Bread of Life
The Living Water
The only One for me
The only Joy

The only satisfaction

Marriage: An Everlasting Covenant

"I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me."
~Jeremiah 32:40 (ESV)

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Today is the nationally-recognized day, Valentines Day. But for the Christian couple, the covenant of marriage is not something for which the celebration is reserved for one day out of the year, but the celebration is to be lived!

Why is marriage so precious to God? Why is the confusion of it due to sin such a grieving thing to Him? Why are we, as Christians, to protect it and hold it precious as our Creator does? The apostle Paul wrote, "'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband" (Ephesians 5:31-33). The reason that marriage is so dear to the Lord's heart is because it is what He has designed as the mirror of the everlasting covenant He has made with all who have called on His name for salvation. And that is why the confusion of it and the breaking of it is so grieving to Him, because it is completely unlike Him! The covenant He has made with us as His children he will never and cannot break! It is eternally and completely sealed by the blood of His own Son, Jesus Christ!

So may today be a reflection to those who have joined in God's precious gift of marriage of the covenant life lived out every day. I can do nothing more useful right now than to let Paul take the microphone:

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."

(Ephesians 5:22-33)

So may Christians seek above all else in their marriages to reflect the covenant that God has made with us! Does this mean have the perfect marriage and never face rough learning experiences? No, that is one of the core elements of marriage--becoming more conformed to the likeness of God's Son as the presence of indwelling sin is continually revealed, conflicts are taken advantage of as opportunities to glorify the Lord and learn, and so much more! There is no perfect marriage, but the covenant of God is perfect, and that is to be the Christian standard.

What a joy! Why us? Why do sinners get to honor their spouse as a reflection of our very Creator? Wow! "Thank You, Lord, for showing sinners what is dear to Your heart and allowing us to live our lives for You."

Grace All-Sufficient

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
~2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

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What a comforting thought to behold! I have so much to do today--so many areas in which to grow! That's not unique either. Most everyone of us can say we are busy, eh?

In 2 Peter 1:3 it says that "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and Godliness" and it is provided "through the knowledge of Him who called us to his own glory and excellence." God has not and will never give us more than we can handle, meaning He will never demand of us what He does not enable! I have a quote on my door that says, "His commands are His enablings^[1]." So true! God has commanded us to live for His glory and He has given us everything we nee to do so! We lack nothing.

So often we can doubt that we'll ever learn a lesson that we've been trying to learn. In those situations, we need to ask first the why questions (i.e. Why do I want to grow in this area in the first place and for whose glory?), and then realize that God's grace is sufficient! Let us not doubt that Christ's sacrifice on our behalf is sufficient to save and transform us! Because of Christ's sacrifice, God the Father now looks on we who are clothed in Christ's righteousness with favor. He shows favor only because of what Christ has done, and because of that, He delights to rain His blessings upon us and has provided all we need for this life that comes only as the effect of the work of Christ.

If, like me, you are so often aware of your own weakness, sin, and shortcomings, remember that surely God's power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)! His grace is sufficient! He will change any open heart. Amen!

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Footnotes

1. Margaret Clarkson, quoted in Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by John Piper and Wayne Grudem (Back to where I was)

Hunger that Satisfies

"Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied."
~Luke 6:21a (ESV)

"The more I drink of Your love, the more I thirst for You."
-Telecast

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Those who are hungry for the Lord's presence, the Lord's Word, the Lord's ways, the Lord--they shall be satisfied. The believer who counts that which is hungered for in Godliness as indispensable and as far greater than and more important even than food for the stomach recognizes their need and shall be satisfied. Indeed, the very definition of Godliness is one who genuinely hungers for God and delights in His Savior at all times and in all things. There are many other aspects of Godliness, but the desire and hunger cannot be absent. Godly hunger cannot be separated from Godliness. Godly hunger is inclusive in the word "Godliness" and without it the word "Godliness" becomes meaningless and void and a mere scrambling of letters.

So do not separate Godliness and Godly hunger, for until we die and on to eternity, we need more of God and will always hunger for Him. However, the intent of this verse, as when Jesus said, "whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again" (John 4:14) and "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst" (John 6:35), those who partake of Him will never go thirsty and will never go hungry. We will never go hungry when we long for Him and seek after Him by the means of grace He has given. "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" (James 4:8). This is a promise straight from the mouth of God! We will be in an eternally satisfying state of hungering for more of the supremacy and presence of Christ, OUR SAVIOR.

So, neither separate Godliness from Godly hunger and so deceive yourself into thinking you can be Godly and not hunger, and do not separate satisfaction from Christ. Only in Him will the Godly longing of the redeemed be satisfied.

For we know the more we know You God, the more we shall hunger for You.

Treasuring Your Tests

"[G]ive thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
~I Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV - Emphasis Mine)

"In Your name, there is mercy for sin, there is safety within, in You holy name.
In Your name, there is strength to remain, to stand in spite of pain, in Your holy name."
-Vinyard Music: Your Name Is Holy

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For what more can we ask? We have mercy for sin! Our sin, deserving of God's wrath, has been washed away by Christ's blood, His own blood!

How faithful God is to remind us of this! I seem to learn a lot of lessons at bus stops. I have previous stories where God has taught me at bus stops, and He reminded me again today. I got home from school on the bus today only to realize as I arrived at my car that my keys were missing. Not only that, it's my second set of keys lost within the last 1-2 months! I've kept track of them well for years, but now I stand outside my car with no keys. The Lord reminded me of what He's taught me about complaining and helped me to realize, "Haha, yes. The Lord is definitely teaching me patience and to be grateful for tests instead of complaining."

Yet, sin remains and I still complained at times. At one point while waiting in a restaurant for key-help to come, the Lord convicted me. "Do you realize that this adventure of losing your keys is such a privilege, that it is paradise to one in Hell? You are learning from Me. You are truly doing better than you deserve. Your sins have been paid by Me in full!"

Sins paid in full.

Strength to remain.

My little tests are gifts from God's merciful and provident hand! Wow! These things, from big trials to little tests, are granted us to strengthen and mature us in Him. There is no suffering going on here. They, as I Thessalonians 5:18 says that contentment in all circumstances is the Lords will for us, are part of God's plan to love us and see His name lifted high above all things. WHAT A LIFE THIS IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN!!

"Lord, thank you for never leaving us alone! Forgive my arrogant assumption that I deserve better when I deserve nothing but Your wrath in the first place. How great You are, Lord! Move me--move us--forth in growth and gratefulness for tests."

Forever In Your Grace!

"No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you."
~Joshua 1:5 (ESV)

"Forever, You'll keep me in Your Grace, my Father.
And ever, we need not be afraid, for You're faithful."
-West Coast Revival

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I have failed,
I cannot do it
That is why Christ had to do it for me,
Live the perfect life impossible for all humanity to live

You have won,
I have nothing left to fear but You, O God
You keep me in Your grace always,
I face no condemnation for my sin

So all the more as I realize the wonders of Your love,
The wonders of Jesus crucified,
The less I fear the accusations of the enemy of my soul,
Who loves to remind me of my sin,
To try to deceive me into thinking condemnation remains,
That Your sacrifice is not sufficient to save from all sin

The enemy is defeated,
I know that my Savior lives!
Forever You'll keep me in Your grace,
My Father

Though I have failed,
Though I have questioned You so often,
Though I yet put Your face from my view at times,
Blessed mercy, how can it be?
You have forgiven and redeemed the poorly invested time,
I am still with You because You are with me,
And forever I am with You until I die

I cannot be without You!
I cannot walk in prudence and wisdom apart from You!
Father, hear my cry for help,
Come to the rescue of these needful bones

I cannot live without You,
Thank You for Your everlasting grace
That Your promise remains unbroken forever,
That You will never leave or forsake me

It's not about me, but all about YOU, JESUS!!!
We earn nothing before you, and cannot!
You freely show Your mysterious mercy to us,
And that is why we carry on

Thank You Jesus!

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Recommended Resources

• Accompanying Song: Forever In Your Grace by West Coast Revival

Do You Know Him?