christianity

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THE DANGER OF THE UNSAVED WORLD

(Ephesians 4:17-19) So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.  They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.  Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

Isn’t it interesting that the world around the Ephesian Christians sounds like the present-day world?  Think about the words “futility of their thinking”.  In our times there seems to be frequent opportunity to form the question, “what were they thinking”?  As you read through today’s scripture, I think you’ll find that the Apostle Paul clarifies why the thinking of the world of today is illogical. 

Paul wanted the Ephesians to be careful to not fall into the darkened understanding and separation from the life of God that was going on all around them.  The world has definitely not changed regarding its spiritual condition.  Therefore, Paul’s warning is as significant for God’s children today, as it was in his day.

The common statement, “we are in the world, but not of the world,”2 is relevant.  We are members of God’s eternal kingdom, and no longer of this fallen world.  We are the redeemed, so therefore, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into living as Jesus taught us.  Jesus said that we are salt and light to the world around us.  So not living as the unsaved world is paramount.  We cannot be salt and light for our neighbors, if we are living the same life as those who live in darkness.

2 see Jesus’ prayer in John Chapter 17

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 TO OBEY

(1 John 2:3-6) We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.  Who ever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.  But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them.  This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

When you think about the word obey, what comes to mind?  Do you cringe or perhaps get defensive?  These are normal reactions from us humans.  We don’t like someone telling us what to do. In order for us to want to obey God’s commands, a relationship of love and trust must develop.  I found this truth to be very helpful while working with children.  First, build a relationship with them, and then classroom control will be much easier.   We are much more likely to obey God’s commands, if we first enter into a relationship with him.

John tells us that if a person says they know God, but they don’t do what he commands that person is a liar.  I had an exchange with a young man once that illustrates this truth.  I asked him how he was doing with the Lord.  His response was that he was doing great with the Lord.  I knew that he was intimidating others to gain what he wanted from them, and he was selling drugs.  I therefore knew that he was lying about his relationship with the Lord.  At least I knew how to pray for him.

What are God’s commands? Jesus gave us a simple answer to this question and that is to love God and to love others.  Obeying these simple commands is not that simple because it requires us to surrender our will to God.  We give God the center place in our lives, and he teaches us how to love others.  That is not easy, but it is the best way to navigate this life.

 When we let go and put our trust in God, life becomes so much sweeter.  That’s why the song says, “Trust and obey – for there’s no other way – to be happy in Jesus – than to trust and obey.” *

*Song: Trust and Obey – written by John Sammis

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LOVE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

(Romans 13:8-10) Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.  The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “you shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Love does no harm to a neighbor.  Therefor love is the fulfillment of the law.

In its simplest form the definition of righteousness is doing what is right.  These words from Paul’s letter to the Romans connect us to the relationship of love and righteousness.  If we love, we will be motivated to do the right thing toward others. If we don’t love, the desire to do right is overshadowed by the desire for self-indulgence.  Therefore, we can conclude that love is necessary in our quest to be righteous. 

When we love others, we please God because we are following his commands.  Jesus said that loving God and loving your neighbor covers all the commands of God.  In the familiar scripture from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Paul defines love.  This is a great passage to help us clarify what it means to love others.

To achieve righteousness, these scriptures give us all that we need.  The Holy Spirit will work God’s love into us.  The more we humble ourselves, and receive the work of the Holy Spirit, the more we will be filled with God’s love and be vessels of his love to others.

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OUR WORTH IN GOD

(1Peter 1:3-5) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.  It is reserved in heaven for you, who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

I am a common person.  I am not of wide renown, but just one of billions of people who are currently walking the earth.  My distinctions are that I’m a male of considerable age who has led an average life. That is my earthly existence. 

The one distinction I didn’t mention is that I am a Christian, a believer in and follower of Jesus Christ.  I am a child of the living God sealed with his Holy Spirit.  I have been granted eternal life through the redemptive action of Jesus Christ the Son of God.  I have an inheritance from God my Father reserved for me in heaven.  This distinction is not exclusive; it is offered to all who will receive him.

(1 Peter 2:9) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Our worth as the common people of the earth may say we are of little consequence, but in contrast we are of great worth to God. Christians are God’s children, a people of his own, destined to live with him in his eternal kingdom.

Knowing our true worth, let us walk with confidence as we negotiate this new year, and let us proclaim the virtues of the one who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.  

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THE FEAR OF THE LORD

(Proverbs 1:7) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and all the features that now exist on the earth.  According to the Word, all these things he spoke into existence.  There is one exception- the creation of man.  God formed man with his hands from the soil of the earth.  There was something about mankind that required his personal touch.  After the completion of creation, the Bible focuses on God’s interaction with mankind. 

God created a special garden for the first man and woman; he gave them purpose by commanding them to keep and till the earth and to populate the earth, and he gave them one thou shalt not.  He told them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  They eventually decided to ignore God’s warning, and they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  That decision was the first sin, it brought separation between God and his created ones, and evil and death to all of creation. God brought judgement on Adam and Eve, but he immediately began his plan to redeem them.

From that very day and continuing to today, sin has wrought immense havoc on the earth.  There were times when God had had enough and brought judgement to the people. The worldwide flood was the first example.  Only eight people survived to repopulate the world.  Sodom and Gomorrah experienced annihilation as God rained fire and brim stone upon them.  There are other recorded examples of God’s sovereign interventions that demonstrate his power over his creation.  Through it all, God’s plan of redemption for his people was progressing.

Finally, God’s plan to redeem us was completed with the coming of his Son.  Jesus lived for 33 years among us and then he even experienced death.  His death was not the same as ours, in as much as he who was without sin, took our sins upon himself.  Then the power of God raised him from the dead.  God’s plan to redeem us from our sins was completed. 

So, let’s visit our topic of fearing the Lord.  Should we fear God?  Yes, the one who has ultimate power over his creation deserves reverent respect.  We should also love God.  He gave us life, redeemed us from our sins and rebellion, forgave us, and offered us a life in heaven with him for all eternity.  All of this is because he loves us and has always desired to be with us.

Unlike other things we fear that make us want to run away, the fear of God should draw us closer to him.  He is the eternal source of truth and knowledge.  It is foolishness to deny God his desire to be close to us.

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LIVING A GODLY LIFE – OUR OBLIGATION TO JESUS

(2 Peter 1:3-8) His divine power has given us everything we need for a Godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I often write about the grace and love we have in Jesus, and that we have been forgiven of our sins through Jesus Christ.  I love to dwell on the good news of what Jesus has done for us, but what do we owe him in return.  Our salvation is a gift, and Jesus has done all that is necessary for us to receive it.  All we need to do is believe.  Peter points out, “His (Jesus’) divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life.”  Don’t we have an obligation in response to what Jesus has done for us?  Shouldn’t we endeavor to lead a Godly life? 

Peter thinks so because he tells us, “Make every effort to add to your faith …”  Then he gives us a list of what we are adding: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love.  These qualities are all about what it means to live a Godly life.  Peter knew that these qualities don’t appear in our lives instantaneously.  That is why he said, “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure…” 

I owe it to Jesus to make every effort to lead a Godly life.  For I truly love Jesus, and I desire to be increasingly closer to him. However, I understand that I am relying on his divine power to accomplish the goal of living a Godly life.  

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LEADING THE PERFECT LIFE

(Psalm 119: 1-4) Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the lord. Blessed are those who keep his statues and seek him with all their heart – they do no wrong but follow his ways.  You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.

Ah, living the perfect unreproachable life.  Can you imagine being perfect in all your ways?  You would have to follow all God’s decrees, do no wrong, and therefore have no regrets.  Well, the Bible says that none of us have achieved this distinction.  We have all fallen short of the glory of God.

There are a couple of factors that stand in the way of the perfect life.  We are born with a sinful, rebellious nature, and we have an enemy that constantly works at tempting us to sin.  Even when we come to God and find his love for us, we still fight the tendency to go our own way.  The Apostle Paul sums up this dilemma in Romans 7:21-25, So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.  What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?  Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

In Psalm 119 verses 5-8, the Psalmist, like Paul, laments over his failure to follow God’s decrees.  Don’t all of us who love the Lord desire to be righteous in his eyes?  In Jesus, God made a way.  Jesus took our sins and the punishment for those sins upon himself.  Through the righteousness of Jesus, we now stand righteous in the eyes of God. Since we could not accomplish perfection on our own, Jesus did it for us.

As long as we are here on earth, the perfect life will allude us, but the time will come when all will be set right. For all who remain in Jesus, the perfect life will be ours forever.  As we enter this season of Christ’s advent, let us celebrate deep in our hearts the true reason for the Christmas season.  We have been reconciled to our creator; and through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, we are perfect in his eyes.           

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SHARING THE GOSPEL

(Romans 10:14) How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

I was taught the Bible throughout my childhood.  Sunday school teachers and pastors taught me the Gospel of Jesus Christ and offered me the opportunity to receive salvation.  As a child of the 1950’s, even in public school, I heard the words of the Bible and prayed to God.  I said the sinners pray several times, and I was confirmed in the Lutheran Church. You might say I was well schooled in the Christian faith.

After the Navy, I settled into family life and soon started attending church because it was the right thing to do.  When the pastor asked if I would teach the High School Sunday school class, I said yes.  It wasn’t long until I became the youth director and leader of the high school youth group.

The teaching from pastors and Sunday school teachers of my childhood gave me a firm foundation of Biblical knowledge. They encouraged me, and they lived the faith before me.  The seeds were planted, and they began to take root.  Stubborn as I was, I finally surrendered my life to the Lord and began to live fully for him. The faithfulness of those who came before me led me to the calling God had always intended for me. 

Sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in both word and deed is God’s will for all his children. We share the good news and leave the rest to God.  He is faithful, and his timing is perfect.  (1Corinthians 3:6 NKJV, I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.)  We partner with God to bring salvation to the world.

 I’m reminded of this old-time hymn which seems to define our part quite clearly, “trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, then to trust and obey.”

 (Lyrics are from the hymn “Trust and Obey” written by John H. Sammis in 1887)

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BODY SOUL AND SPIRIT

(Matthew 10:28) Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

(Hebrews 4:12) For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

We are made up of these three parts, a body, a soul, and a spirit.  Our first scripture from Matthew points out that here in the physical world only our body can be killed,but in the spiritual world we can lose our souls in hell, and God alone has power over our souls.

 I think that these words from Jesus are given to help us understand the difference in the temporal world verses the eternal world.  Think of it.  The short time we spend here compared to the never ending of eternity.  God has placed the choose of what will happen to our souls in our hands.  Jesus’ words expose the reality of Just living our lives here and forgetting the eternity to come.  Placing all our hopes in these few years here on earth can lead to our eternal demise. 

Our body is confined to the physical world.  Our soul and spirit live on after our body dies. The second scripture from Hebrews uses the word “even” with the idea of dividing soul and spirit.  I surmise that soul and spirit are closely connected because they would be difficult to separate.  From this point on I don’t have much understanding about the difference between soul and spirit.  I do know that the soul contains the essence of who we are, and Jesus died to save our souls from hell.  As to our spirit, the Bible refers to the spirit of man but doesn’t seem to give details.  

What will it be like in eternity and what we will be like when we get there? Leaving the body and still existing, this is a great mystery.  God loves us.  All we need to do is to put our body, soul and spirit in his hands.

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THE LOVE OF GOD OR THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD?

I’ve been teaching from the book of Genesis for the last 6 months, and I’ve had some interesting insights into the way God interacts with his created beings.  His interactions seem to be based on a choice he has given us.  That choice is to live in his love and enjoy the delight of a relationship with him or go our own way and eventually encounter his judgement.  This is the ultimate decision for all of mankind, the love of God or the judgement of God.  Let’s look at how that played out in the beginning.

Adam and Eve chose to disobey God’s warning about the tree of good and evil and ate from its fruit.  The result was that death and evil entered creation.  Because evil and death cannot exist in the presence of God, Adam and Eve wound up separated from God and suffered the consequence of his judgement.

Most of the rest of humankind also chose not to follow in obedience to God, but they went their own way.  Evil and death reined unchecked for a thousand years or more.

Genesis 6:5-8 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.  The lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.  So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created – and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground – for I regret that I have made them.”  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

God’s judgement came upon his creation, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”  Noah sought relationship with God and saved himself and his family.  Noah made the right choice; apparently no one else did.  All of mankind perished except Noah and his family. 

These are the first two stories of God’s judgement on his created ones. I will continue this topic next week.  I would like to share a few more stories of God’s judgement.

Because making the right choice is ultimately important, we can choose the Love of God or the Judgement of God.  No other choice we make in this life bears the weight of this decision.