Stewards Of The Mysteries Of God

"This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.  Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy"  (1 Cor. 4:1-2, ESV).

God has revealed to us believers a quota or portion of divine truth to be used for His glory, and in His name.  We are all stewards of it and will give account for what has been revealed to us--we are not judging God's truth, but it is judging us!  If we have come up with some strange idea or a truth no one else realizes, it is not of God. Remember what Jesus said:  "To whom much is given, much is required."  We are never to make light of the revelations and insights God has granted us by grace. Truth with a capital T can be ascertained and we are in the Great Quest to find it and apply it to our lives the best we know; for to know the right thing or duty to do and be remiss or derelict in it is sinful.  Jesus said, that we shall know the truth (which is in Jesus per Eph. 4:21) and it shall set us free per John 8:32.

God only reveals mysteries to us so that they may benefit the body as a whole, not to give us inflated egos or that we might become conceited or arrogant, even condescending in our fellowships and relationships.  When we pass along the truths God has revealed to us, He grants more and illumines us to a higher degree.  Illumination is not salvation, but we grow in illumination and enlightenment as we mature in Christ--sharing in the mind of Christ Himself.  The complete mind of Christ is manifest in Scripture for us to study for all eternity since we are incapable in our finite mind to apprehend the infinite mind of God.  His mind is called the Ultimate mind, and this means there is more to the cosmos than matter and energy--there are spirit and mind, or what we might term the Logos, as Jesus is called in John 1:1.

No man has a monopoly on knowledge of the truth and is an island or rock in himself, but must learn from the body of Christ, as all share gifts for the benefit of the body.  To be a spiritual Lone Ranger (one who doesn't submit to any authority other than himself or is unbowed), or a spiritual lone wolf is in danger of going astray and doing his own thing, which is another name for sin per Isaiah 53:6 (ESV), which says, "All we like sheep have gone astray...."  People who are not sheep, or have no shepherd guiding them, are like goats in Jesus' analogy and goats do not act like sheep, who are helpless, but can fend for themselves.

If a Christian thinks he's a shepherd and not a sheep, he must be a sheep first, and he never really stops being a sheep, even though he's a shepherd; He can tell if he's a shepherd by seeing if anyone is following him or if he exhibits leadership ability. If he thinks people should listen to him, he should see if they do first!

In summation, the student is not above his teacher, according to the Word, and God is judging how good and faithful of a student one is, as well as how good and faithful a teacher the shepherd is--whether he teaches the truth and practices what he teaches, that is.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Truth Is Timeless...

"...For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world--to bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice"  (John 18:27, ESV).

"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ"  (John 1:17, ESV).

It is paramount that we ascertain the truth and be devoted to making it known; for all truth is God's truth and meets at the top.  Mahatma Gandhi (called Mohandas Gandhi or "Great Soul") said that truth is God and God is truth--this obfuscates the issue that we can know truth as an absolute and that the truth is in Jesus (cf. Eph. 4:21). The erroneous view that truth is relative is unbiblical and one must wonder, "Relative to what?"

When Jesus said that He is the embodiment or personification of truth itself, He meant we can know it and progress in our knowledge of it.  "No lie is of the truth," says 1 John. 2:21, and this emphasizes that also that truth is absolute and something cannot be true for one person and not for another, as if it's all relative.  Jesus summed it up, saying, "You shall know the truth and it shall set you free"  (cf. John 8:32). God is a God of truth and cannot lie (it's against His divine nature); what kind of God would lie to us?

We are in the business of determining truth in a world filled with lies from the father of lies himself, Satan, the deceiver. We must be willing to stand up for the truth and show our colors--faith is not believing in spite of the evidence, but obeying despite the consequences!

Sometimes the truth even hurts, but we are to always speak the truth in love (cf. Eph. 4:15).  We are not to be offensive and reply that we were only speaking the truth and being honest--tact and manners apply.  The problem is that all men are liars according to Scripture, and God is seeking an honest person--it's amazing what God can do with an honest comedian who can laugh at himself; much more can be accomplished with an honest believer who doesn't take himself too seriously.

In the end result, though even Abraham and Isaac lied, the Bible teaches that honesty is the best policy. Why? Someone said, "Oh, what a web we weave, once we practice to deceive [Lincoln said you better have a good memory!]."  I believe the Bible teaches that we cannot be too honest, because God "desires truth in the inward parts"  (cf. Psalm 51:6).  Remember, partial truth or half-truths are not truths at all. We are incapable of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us, God, because only God can do this!  Mark Twain summed it up quaintly:  "Tell the truth; it will confound your enemies and astound your friends."

There is no absolute belief or universally accepted truth; however, truth is absolute and fixed so that God determines what is truth and it's His expression or what He would decree or say.  In today's postmodern worldview, people believe truth is a short-term contract; however, there is a truth war going on and each of us must engage in this angelic conflict against lies and deception.

In the final analysis, objective, universal, absolute truth exists that is true everywhere, for everyone, for all time and is knowable in the person of Jesus Christ; it's true whether one believes it or not and is defined as the expression of God--it's true because God says so--He decreed it!   Soli Deo Gloria!  

The Battle Is The Lord's

We are engaged in a mop-up effort to fight our vanquished foe, the devil, and despite his defeat, the battle has just begun for us as believers living on his turf.  We must not remain ignorant of his deceitful schemes lest we are caught in his web.  Note, nevertheless, our victory is assured, and we are fighting from the victory at the cross, not for victory--Satan's already in a no-win situation.

The tools of his trade are psychological warfare, mind-games, lies, propaganda, drugs, "education," and ignorance, et al.  Satan knows our vulnerabilities and weaknesses and strikes at the most opportune time, often when we are on a spiritual high or in special need.  He's always at work "seeking whom he may devour."

Our threefold enemy is the world-system, the carnal nature or flesh, and the devil and his legions.  Note that our worst enemy is ourselves:  "We have met the enemy, and he is us!" (This is quoted from the Pogo character by Walt Kelly.)  We are also on Satan's hit list and are targets of his animosity and cruelty. What does Satan foster, but division, divisiveness, contention, and polarization?  Remind you of someone?  His main strategy is to divide and conquer, the opposite of the Spirit that unites us in Christ as one body.

The best strategy in warfare is to "know your enemy" according to Sun Tzu, in The Art of War.  In warfare, the troops do not need to wonder why, but to do and die (from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Charge of the Light Brigade). There are casualties in every war, and that is why it's imperative to arm ourselves with the full armor of God--to fight a spiritual war with natural weapons is sure to defeat.  The Word of God is our only offensive weapon and that is why it's important to stay in the Word and not to become negligent in the discipline.  Job One is holding down the fort and taking back the turf that Satan has stolen as the god of this age, the prince of this world.  Note that we are not to give the devil an opportunity or beachhead, and never to compromise with him.  Our SOP (standard operating procedure) is to "watch and pray" that we enter not into temptation and to stay alert to his dirty tricks--remember, Jesus said, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak [we're human and can fail in the flesh]."

One of the tactics he uses is to accuse us before the Father, but "there is, therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (cf. Romans 8:1).  The only way to silence the devil is to fight with the Word just as Jesus did, saying, "It is written."  Satan has no answer to it and must surrender or flee.  We can rest assured that we are "more than conquerors" in Christ and our battle strategy is to "stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." We are never to forget that we are on the winning side and our victory is assured because "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (cf. 1 John 4:4).

However, we have two natures, and the one we feed or cater to is the one that wins over and dominates--therefore sow to the Spirit, not the flesh!  In the final analysis, we are to "rejoice that our names are written in heaven" and not to get a big head or sense of insecurity or inferiority, as we fight the devil with God on our side--we're in a win-win situation in the end, and there's no losing proposition at all in Christ!  Soli Deo Gloria!

The Measure Of Success

"...[F]or you have done for us all our works"  (Isaiah 26:12, ESV).

"... Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the LORD of hosts" (Zech. 4:6, ESV).

We tend to see worldly success as a sign of God's approval, or even prosperity as a keynote of spirituality; however, only God can judge true success, because He knows how faithful we are; we are not called to success, but to faithfulness, in the words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.  God does promise to prosper us if we are in His will and doing what He calls us to do.  God does promise to prosper us, but not in human means when we set out to do something in the name of the Lord and God is in it--that's success!  Finding this calling.

We all have a work to do, and it will be worth it in the judgment to hear our Lord say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."  Even Jesus said that He had completed the work that God had given Him to do.  He was primarily, a man on a mission extraordinaire, and this is not a bad model for us, once we feel led to serve the Lord.  As for me, there is no greater joy than to be used by God and to be engaged in His service.

It is important to realize that it is always God using us and working through us as His vessels to accomplish His will, and we get the privilege of being used by Him and receive the joy of serving Him--who can render to God what He deserves and payback to Him for His blessings?   Isaiah 26:12 says that all that we have accomplished God has wrought through us!  We are not to boast as Israel did in Amos 6:13, when God should be given credit, as recorded:  "[You] who rejoice in Lo-debar, who say, 'Have we not by our own strength captured Karnaim for ourselves?'"

Paul summed it up in Romans 15:18 (NIV) similarly:  "I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me...." This is the faith that we leave our comfort zones in faith and do God's bidding and will and leave the results to Him--that means not comparing ourselves to each other per 2 Cor. 10:12, which is "unwise."

We are always in a win-win situation with God on our side as our autopilot and captain directing us. We must remember that God can turn evil into good and make the most out of every situation--look how He turned the humiliating crucifixion into glory!  It is always tempting for all of us to base our achievement on the visible results like measuring success by the numbers or monetary value when we should be seeing the work of God in us and miracles behind the scene.  We must admit that we cannot achieve great things for God of our own effort, we can only faithfully cooperate with Him in a Spirit of love and good deeds, which we are destined to do (cf. Eph. 2:10).

If God owns the results, they aren't ours to criticize or evaluate!  God is the one who called us and has a purpose for it--He designed the universe, how much more were our lives laid out according to Psalm 139:16.  What they often tell you is to try harder and maybe you'll get better results:  But the answer is in trusting more and leaving the results to God, or, as they say, let go and let God--we can do nothing apart from Him  (As John 15:5 says, "Apart from me you can do nothing...").  In our culture everything is results-oriented and if we don't see them immediately we think we're failures (many authors have only had their manuscripts published posthumously).  We are hard-wired for results and think that spiritual success is measured as if it were under the scientific method of measurement and observation--this is not so, we must trust God to work in us and believe Him for results, not others or especially ourselves, nor seeking man's praise, not God's alone.

It is said that you shouldn't strive to do what you enjoy, as much as learn to enjoy what you do; this is what is meant in Ecclesiastes when it says there is joy in our toil--we're hard-wired for work and a work ethic!  We are not made for idleness and boredom is unnatural and man needs purpose and fulfillment in life, that only God can accomplish.  it doesn't matter who sows or reaps, but that God gives the increase! The lesson to be heeded is to do everything in the name of the Lord, to the glory of the Lord, and that we "get" to serve God, who also will reward us for being used!  Follow your passion in your vocation, but be ready to enjoy whatever God grants and whatever you must do.

Note that the work of salvation is applicable, too.  Salvation is not man's achievement, but God's accomplishment and we are impotent to do anything to prepare ourselves for it.  Only God can transform a heart and make one anew!  Left to ourselves, none of us would have believed or come to Jesus; much less if up to our own efforts we wouldn't be able to stay saved--He preserves as we persevere; He calls and woos as we come by His resurrection power.    We must realize that we come to Christ by grace alone and stay in Christ by grace alone--it's grace all the way.   Soli Deo Gloria!  

The Expressed Faith

Faith isn't something you possess, it's something you demonstrate. "Let them see your faith!"  Your creed must be translated into deeds, be authentic, growing, and living.  Anyone can claim faith, but it can be bogus! However, as James said, "Faith without works is dead"  (cf. James 2:17). Anyone can make a profession of faith; however, the reality of faith is seen by deeds, or it's for naught. Faith and works are distinguished, but not separated, because they go hand in hand.

Faith isn't a feeling, either:  It's not about being on a perpetual religious high or on Cloud Nine.  One can even profess to know God, according to Paul in Titus 1:16, but deny Him by their works, or be a virtual practical atheist, living as if God isn't for real in your life. Faith has to be confirmed and validated by one's works, which are its evidence, not its substitute.  Faith, not feelings, please God, "For without faith it is impossible to please God," according to Heb. 11:6.  The Real McCoy is obedient as Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes."

We must be obedient to the spirit of the Law, not just the letter, deceiving ourselves as hypocrites. Paul and James both saw the correlation between faith and works in juxtaposition:  "I'll show you my faith by my works," says James; while Paul stated:  "I'll show you my works by my faith."  These statements are only complementary, not contradictory.  We are not judged by our faith (faith is a gift rendered to each of us per Rom. 12:3), but God renders us according to our works (cf. Romans 2:6). We shall know them by their fruits or deeds!  Paul mentioned the "obedience of faith," and how we must bring it to fruition or follow-through as being sincere, "unhypocritical," and unfeigned faith, but not perfect faith, which is not attainable.  They say we are "obedient to the faith." It's not how big your faith is, but how genuine it is, and in whom it is placed!  "I know whom I have believed...." (cf. 2 Tim. 1:12, emphasis mine).

All in all, faith is also a choice we make, because there is ample evidence for everyone who desires it, and no one has an excuse not to believe; it is an act of the will as God works it in us and we follow through with good deeds unto salvation.  We have sound reasons to believe; however, you have to want to have faith!  We have to be convinced in our minds before we can believe in our hearts, though.  And just like deciding to love (agape love), we decide to believe.

We are not under the law (per Rom. 6:14), nor do we merely obey the letter of the law, but the Spirit of it in love, as the fulfillment of the law.  Faith, as our expression, isn't a badge to be worn, but the gift of God, which we take no credit for:  It is received, not achieved.  If faith were a work, we'd have something to boast of and to merit; however, all the glory goes to God in our salvation and it is grace from beginning to end as we proceed from faith to faith (cf. Rom. 1:17)!    Soli Deo Gloria!