Genuine Biblical Perusal

"Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law"  (Psalm 119:18, ESV).  
 "Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble" (Psalm 119: 165, ESV). 
"I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil"  (Psalm 119:162, ESV). 
"... I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food"  (Job 23:12, ESV).
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you"  (John 15:7, ESV).
"... But this is the one to whom I will look, he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word"  (Isaiah 66:2, ESV).
"[B]ut his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night"  (Psalm 1:2, ESV). 
"If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction"  (Psalm 119:92, ESV).
"Oh how I love your law!  It is my meditation all the day"  (Psalm 119:97, ESV).  
"The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple"  (Psalm 119:130, ESV).

SAINT AUGUSTINE, BISHOP OF HIPPO, HEARD A CHILD SAY, "TAKE AND READ; TAKE AND READ."


"[U]ntil what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested [tried] him"  (Psalm 105:19, ESV).  
 
CAVEAT:  DON'T DIVORCE SCRIPTURE FROM SCRIPTURE, TAKING OBSCURE, ISOLATED TEXTS OUT OF CONTEXT, BUT COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE AS ITS OWN SUPREME COURT AND INTERPRETER (PSALM 119:160A, ESV, SAYS, "The sum of your word is truth...") AN OBSCURE PASSAGE MAY BE MADE CLEAR ELSEWHERE ACCORDING TO THE WHOLE CONTEXT OF SCRIPTURE, AND THE IMPLICIT IN LIGHT OF THE EXPLICIT, USING ALL RULES OF SOUND READING AND LOGIC OR INFERENCE.  


We don't just read the Word once and set it aside! If we just want to feel "inspired" we could read Milton or Shakespeare, Christian authors, but if we want our lives transformed, read the Bible!  The Bible is said to read you as you read it!  This book, says D. L. Moody, will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from it.  To those skeptics and critics who doubt:  The Bible can defend itself; no one needs to prove it to you, you prove it yourself by reading it!  It doesn't need to be rewritten, but reread, says Billy Graham.  Even Samuel, the prophet, profited:  "... for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD"(1 Sam. 3:21, ESV).  Its importance is obvious:  "For it is no empty word for you, but your very life..." (Deut. 32:47, ESV).  Focus on this:  It wasn't written to increase our knowledge or make us scholars, but to change our lives and show us how to have a relationship with Jesus, the Author.  How else can we get regular spiritual checkups and take inventory of our spirit and soul?

God's Word feeds us, then makes us hungry, they say.  There is a blessing in the reading of the Word (cf. Rev. 1:3), and it is our only offensive weapon to fight Satan (cf. Eph. 6:17).  Sometimes Bible fatigue may set in and the Word seems to have lost its zing or pizazz, but reading another translation may make it come to life again, because passages can become overly familiar, and you must prime your pump again or recharge your spiritual batteries.  Reading God's Word and interpreting it is a privilege, but with every privilege comes responsibility, and that is to "rightly divide the Word of God" (cf. 2 Tim. 2:15).

It's the Holy Spirit's job to help you understand the Bible (1 Cor. 2:12-13).  A word to the wise:  You have received an "anointing" in the Holy Spirit and "his anointing teaches you about everything," and "you have no need that anyone should teach you," and "he will guide you into all truth," and "teach you all things"  (cf. 1 John 2:27, ESV; John 16:13, ESV; 14:26, ESV).  Truth is timeless and the Word never gets old or out of date, but is always timely and relevant--never passe nor obsolete!

We are commanded to read the Bible in Isaiah 34:16 (ESV):  "Seek and read from the book of the LORD...."  We are to meditate on it too, and this implies reading.  Jeremiah said that he digested the Word, and this implies really thinking and meditating on the nuances and what it means to him.  "Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart..."( Jer. 15:16, ESV).  Note that we forget most of what we merely read, and therefore we must learn to commit some beloved passages to memory to always have them in our hearts.

Children haven't yet learned to attend to God via the Word and depend upon the visual, or pictures (videos and movies), but as we mature we think like adults and can attend to the written Word and grow in that skill and discipline.  It is important to realize that it's not as important how much you read, but how well and how well you understand it and apply it to yourself.  Job 5:27 (ESV) says to apply it to ourselves:  "Behold, this we have searched out; it is true.  Hear, and know it for your good."

Note that it's much more important how well we know the Author than the Book, but it is the avenue for knowing Him as we apply its truths.   We need to develop a taste for Bible reading, which can become addictive and the Bible will have the preeminent place in our lives, not just an important place:  "... for you have exalted above all things your name and your word"  (Psalm 138:2, NIV).

We should love the Bible above all the gifts God has given us, according to Abe Lincoln, and it is the one book that we should never want to be without; resolve never to be remiss in daily reading! Timothy was acquainted with Scripture from youth and was exhorted to "give attention to the public reading of Scripture" in (cf. 1 Tim. 4:13).  He devoted himself to that endeavor and his progress then became evident to all, for the Word is what sanctifies (cf. John 17:17).  Note that Jesus rebuked the religious leaders:  "... 'You are wrong because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God [they're equated]" (Matt. 22:29, ESV). "Give yourself wholly to the Scriptures" (cf. 1 Tim. 4:15).   Caveat:  We are dependent on God's Word:  "And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified"  (Acts 20:32, ESV, italics mine).

Famous lines:  "The Word is an elixir for low spirits; balm for sore hearts; immunization for bad habits; pick-me-up for dreary days; stimulant for positive nerves; and a boost and shot for high spirits".  "Read the Bible to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy."  

While reading doesn't perform surgery on the text by reading into it what your preconceived ideas want to read or see.  Read in context and in light of the sum or entirety of the Word (cf. Psalm 119:160).  Beware of subjectivism because no prophecy is of any private interpretation, meaning that God doesn't show you something and not anyone else.  Scripture is its own interpreter and Supreme Court and if you don't understand one obscure passage another one may enlighten you and shed some light on the subject matter.  Read it at face value and as written (poems as poems and narrative as narrative, etc.).  A basic is to interpret narrative in light of didactic passages, not vice versa, and implicit in light of explicit!  With the privilege of reading comes the obligation to interpret it right--no spiritualizing or fabricating your own truths!  Remember, we're not at the mercy of church dogma but have been liberated to have the right to go directly to God's Word and interpret it with the aid of the Holy Spirit as our personal tutor.  

In sum, it's all about abiding in the Word as disciples or learners:  "... If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples..." (John 8:31, ESV, italics mine); "... 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word..." (John 14:23, ESV, italics mine); "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..." (Col. 3:16, ESV). So then, let's keep up our reputation as "people of the Book!").   In closing, it's not about being familiar with the Word, nor having biblical savvy, or knowing your way around the block in Scripture, but of loving the Word and learning to take every problem to it and grow to hear God's voice speaking to you through it--its value is in obeying it, doing it, and even living it, not merely knowing it! (John 13:17, ESV, says, "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.").   Soli Deo Gloria!

Once Saved, Always Saved

"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out"  (John 6:37, ESV, italics added). 

I am aware that the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, as it is known in Reformed theology (eternal security) is not universally agreed upon by Christians, and that many sincere, well-meaning believers beg to differ (Roman Catholics, Arminians, Wesleyans, Pentecostals, Salvation Army) but the majority of evangelicals, including mainline denominations such as Baptists and Presbyterians, adhere to this as dogma.  This is my position and I know that I must be careful when presenting what is called one of the doctrines of grace ( the "doctrines that divide," by some).

By definition, this doctrine assures the continuity in the state of grace for the redeemed believer and the permanency of his salvation, not based upon works but grace from beginning to end, as we are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation (cf. 1 Pet. 1:5).   God finishes what He starts and He has begun a good work in us in order to complete it in Christ (cf. Phil. 1:6). 

This aphorism is well known and quoted by skeptics who think it sums up evangelical teaching about salvation.  Also, if you have it, you never lose it; if you lose it, you never had it.   It is not meant as a security blanket so that one has the license to sin without impunity, and this is the fear, that people will lose their fear of God and become remiss in their walk.  Catholics firmly believe and teach fear of God and are quite successful at this, because they deny security and even assurance unless one is given a special divine revelation to that effect.  They would call a believer who is sure of his salvation as guilty of the sin presumption!  The Bible doesn't call it that but calls it a command to be sure in 2 Pet. 1:10 ("make your calling and election sure").

The interesting factor about losing your salvation is that no one can say what sin or work one does to lose it.  We are supposed to be in the Father's hands, not our own!  It is clear from Scripture that believers have the resident Holy Spirit permanently and, therefore cannot be guilty of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit or the so-called unforgivable sin (cf. Matt. 12:32).  The Bible makes it clear that if you could lose your salvation, you could not regain it again, yet Catholics have instituted the sacrament of penance for those who have made shipwreck of their faith.  The Bible does not have any examples of anyone who lost his salvation either (Judas was a devil from the beginning, and King Saul isn't named as lost after losing salvation or grace, even in King David's eyes).

What is paramount to realize is that assurance and security go hand in hand, and they can be distinguished, but not separated.  If you don't have security, you cannot be sure either, because you are saying that your salvation depends upon your works or performance, and not the preservation of God.  The truth is that we persevere as God preserves.  One would never be sure because he cannot predict the future and know that he might lose it by some sin--it's perpetual incertitude or conjecture.

This doctrine, "once saved, always saved", is basic to understanding grace and that our salvation is not by our works nor our performance (cf. Titus 3:5), lest we are able to boast (cf. Eph. 2:9) and totally is an act of God (i.e., monergistic).  As Reformed theologians say, the doctrine of salvation can be summed up:  Salvation is of the Lord, as Jonah 2:9 says.    It is not of man and God, nor of man alone, but totally of God, and to realize this is to be oriented to grace and not works or to be legalistic in mindset.

There are several Bible verses that point to eternal security, and that phrase is not a biblical one, but the terminology "eternal redemption" is mentioned in Hebrews 9:12 and "eternal salvation" in Heb. 5:9.  Salvation, by definition, is eternal because it's the gift of eternal, not temporary or provisional life.  Eternal life begins at salvation and not in heaven, as some mistakenly believe.  We are not saved on a provisional basis but can be sure.  God wants us to be sure of our salvation according to 1 John 5:13 and makes this point that we can know.

How could you know, if your salvation is temporary and probationary?  Again, in losing salvation, what sin are they so sure will cast them into hell, when Christ died for all their sins?  We can lose "full reward" (cf. 2 John 8), and be saved by the skin of our teeth (or "as if by fire" in 1 Cor. 3:15), but nowhere are believers cast into hell in Scripture as precedent.

Some object that they have the right to leave God because of free will.  The Bible has something to say about apostates:  "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.  But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us"  (1 John 2:19, ESV).  Actually, your destiny is in God's hands, not your own, He's the Master of your fate and Captain of your soul, and He loves you with a love that won't let go.

You didn't come to Christ on the basis of your free will without divine wooing and you cannot persevere unless God preserves you. If your salvation depended on you, you'd find some way to blow it.   All your sins, past, present, and future are forgiven upon salvation, so why worry about some unforgivable sin? We cannot lose a faith God gave us as a gift, because it's not something we conjured up in the first place--we are "preserved in Jesus Christ" [or kept] according to Jude v. 1 (NKJV).

In the final analysis, do you want to be works-oriented and legalistic and fearful, or grace-oriented and sure?  We must acknowledge that assurance and security go hand in hand and can be distinguished but not separated.   Soli Deo Gloria!   

Universal Gospel Message

"Many are called, but few are chosen"  (cf. Matt. 22:14).

The wise men or magi did seek Jesus, and wise men still do; this was to show us that Jesus' gospel is for the world at large and not just specifically for the Jews.  Paul proclaimed a universal gospel for all, Jew and Greek, or Gentile, alike.  It was unheard of for Jews at that time to even believe Gentiles could be saved, but Jesus said in John 10:16 that He had sheep of another fold, and they must come to Him too.

One hard saying of Jesus and many refused to walk with Him upon hearing this (cf. John 6:66), was that a person could not come to Jesus unless the Father granted it (cf. John 6:44). Jesus said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (cf. John 15:5); that includes believing in Him.  The Holy Spirit must woo or we won't come; if we come to Christ alone, we leave alone too.  The disciples refused to leave Jesus because He had the words of eternal life.  Our job is still to present the gospel message to all who will listen and to proclaim it, defend it, and demonstrate it, but not to debate it.  Caveat:  We cannot argue people into the kingdom; infidels are seldom convinced by debate.

Now Peter realized the gospel was for everyone in essence when he said in Acts 2:39 (ESV):  "For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself [reference to the inward call]."  This makes reference in passing to the doctrine of election, whereby God elects some to believe and passes over (the doctrine of preterition) others, and lets them go their own way without Him into eternity to receive justice, not mercy.  God is unjust to no one; some receive mercy and grace, and others receive justice--if God were obligated to be merciful or gracious, it wouldn't be grace but justice. God need not save anyone!  Some receive mercy, some justice, but God is unjust to no one; mercy is a form of non-justice.   We must bear in mind the primacy of grace:  It is written in John 15:16 (NKJV) that Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you...."

Why do some people respond and others don't (Arminians cannot answer this without contradiction), but from the work of grace in their hearts to quicken them to faith, that makes them repent and believe by conviction and regeneration?  As Paul says in Romans 11:7 (ESV):  "... The elect obtained it, and the rest were hardened."  One must realize "Salvation is of the LORD,"(cf. Jonah 2:), and not of us and the Lord--it's solely the work of grace in our hearts.  Theologians call this salvation "monergistic" (one-sided), as opposed to synergistic, which means working in cooperation with God or contributing to it--it is the work of God alone. Who are those who believe but the elect?  Note Acts 13:48 (ESV):  "... as many as were appointed to eternal life believed."  We have indeed "believed through grace,"(as the gift of God) as Acts 18:27 stipulates.

The whole point of election is that we cannot prepare ourselves for salvation, no pre-salvation work, or do any work that is worthy to deserve it: Our destiny is ultimately in God's hands; we are not elected because we believe (called the prescient view), as Arminians suggest, but we are elected unto faith because of grace, for "grace reigns through faith," as Romans 5:21 suggests (J. B. Phillips says, "grace is the ruling factor."  This saying that God's call is efficacious and we cannot resist it. (note Romans 9:19 (J. B. Phillips):  "...' If this is so, and God's will is irresistible, why does God blame men for what they do?'" God, is, therefore, in the business of making the unwilling willing--or turns hearts of stone into hearts of flesh metaphorically speaking (cf. Ezek. 36:26; Jer. 24:7).

Note:  There are two kinds of calls:  the outward one of the gospel (cf. Titus 2:11); the inward call of the Holy Spirit, which is irresistible and effectual (cf. Acts 5:32).  Many are indeed called, but few are chosen, as Matt. 22:14 claims.  We are to "... be even more diligent to make our call and election sure..." (2 Pet. 1:10, NKJV.  And cannot do it apart from grace.

Now, even though the gospel message is for everyone, and no one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be lost or disappointed, God is the one who chooses whom will be saved and on whom He will have mercy as His divine prerogative (cf. Romans 9:15).  God even hardens whom He will (cf. Romans 9:18).   Our destiny is in God's hands, not ours. 

The final proof of the efficacy of God's call is in Romans 8:29-30 (ESV, italics mine) [called the Golden Chain of Redemption by theologians], which militates against prescience and guarantees eternal security:  "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son ... And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified..." This is interpreted to mean by exegesis that God loses none in the shuffle between predestination and justification.  All who are called are justified, not just some; this is a reference to God's call, not man's call, and there is no exception of believers being called who lose their salvation or justification in God's eyes.--no one is "un-justified" nor "un-born."  Note that there isn't one legitimate example of anyone in Scripture losing his salvation.    Soli Deo Gloria!

God's Wrath Versus Man's

"Will you be angry with us forever?"  (Psalm 85:5, NIV).
"Restore us to yourself, LORD, that we may return; renew our days as of old unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure"  (Lam. 5:21-22, NIV).
"Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt [restrain]"  (Psalm 76:10, ESV).
"Has God forgotten to be gracious?  Has he in anger shut up his compassion?"  (Psalm 77:9, ESV).

"God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day" (Psalm 7:11, NIV). It's a good thing He "has not appointed us to wrath" (cf. 1 Thess. 5:9).   In the KJV it says "God is angry with the wicked every day."  Yes, God is not only a God of mercy but of justice and its consequence, wrath at the evil that must be judged, because God is holy.  The fortunate thing is that He is not angry at us, but that wrath was diverted at the cross.  We can also know that God's delights to show mercy and doesn't stay angry forever (cf. Micah 7:18). Also:  "For His anger is but for a moment..." (Psalm 30:5, NASB). And God tempers His wrath with mercy (cf. Heb. 3:2). 

We are warned in Romans 11:22 to "behold the goodness and severity of God" and realize that God means business!  When He chastises us, it isn't because He's angry at us, but about us, and we must suffer from our sins, not for them.  Man's anger doesn't achieve the righteousness of God and we are admonished to cease from anger and forsake wrath in Scripture.  The unbeliever suffers because "the wrath of God abides on him."  We are delivered from the wrath to come, according to 1 Thess. 1:10.  Proverbs advise: We are to avoid a man of quick temper, lest we learn his ways, and yet we are to fear God, for "His wrath is quickly kindled" (cf. Psalm 2:12).

One word of encouragement is that "the Lord is slow to anger" and "His patience means our salvation!"  Don't ask God to judge someone hastily, because He had so much patience with you.  God will someday mete out His justice and meet its demands, and we will no longer suffer indirectly from His wrath, which glorifies Him, even from the wrath of man (cf. Psalm 76:10)--"Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise and the survivors of your wrath are restrained"  (Psalm 76:10, NIV).  Soli Deo Gloria!

Let's Make Friends

"Therefore, 'Come out from them, and be separate, says the Lord, Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you'" (2 Cor. 6:17, NIV, italics mine). 
"The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of wicked leads them astray"  (Prov. 12: 26, NIV, italics mine).  "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother"  (Proverbs 18:24, NIV, italics mine).
"A friend loves at all times,.." (Prov. 17:17, NIV).
"Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts"  (Prov. 19:6, NIV, italics mine).
"Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm"  (Prov. 13:20, ESV).

It is commonplace knowledge that we are known by the company we keep, and only a fool has no discretion in choosing friends.  Reading Proverbs gives one plenty of warnings to avoid the evildoer and not to befriend them.  "Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company"  (Prov. 24:1, NIV).  We must be careful, lest we become like our friends, for our "buddies" influence us more than anyone else.

However, we must be friendly, and there is a difference, but keep our distance, make borders, and draw the line where we don't have the confidence to go with the Lord.  "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared"  (Prov. 22:24-25, NIV, italics mine).  The rich have many friends and everyone wants to be their friend (and it's hard for them to know their true friends), but even the friends of the poor despise them according to Proverbs.

Jesus was indeed the friend of sinners (as His enemies saw it) in reaching out to them but he did draw the line, the Pharisees had no desire to get to know Him or had any love in their hearts.  However, Jesus made it plain to the disciples that they were His friends; only those who obey Him are His friends.  Jesus had the Spirit without measure and was perfect and unspoiled by sinners, He wasn't able to be corrupted by them, as we are if we are not careful.

Now, I know this from experience and have come across sinners who've had no restraint, and the military, for example, is certainly not the place to send an innocent young person unless they are prepared to battle Satan on his turf.  In theory, you could say that a sinner cannot harm you and God protects you from being touched by the evil one (cf. John 17:5) but we are to know our limits and not tempt or test the Lord either.

The conclusion of the matter is:  If God is with me and God sends me somewhere I know that God will see me through and protect me--but that's the key--God with me in it.  A word to the wise is sufficient:  "Do not be deceived:  'Bad company corrupts good morals'"  (1 Cor. 15:33, ESV).  Take my sound advice:  Don't hang around the wrong crowd!  Becoming a Christian entails making new friends.   Soli Deo Gloria!

He Has Not Given Me Over To Death

"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him..." (Job 13:15, NKJV).

Not to be morbid, but the understanding of what is on the "other side" must begin early in life and one must be realistic even with children to teach biblical mindset and preparation.  Jesus Himself was the ultimate realist and He mentioned the grave and beyond, even hell more than heaven.   Being prepared for the hereafter is not a matter of making a will and paying or preparing for one's final expenses via life insurance.  Some people actually spend less time preparing for death than their annual vacation--this ought not to be so!  

We all need to be assured of our salvation and know that God won't take us till we are ready in His timing if we are in His will.  As Epictetus said, "I cannot escape death, but I can escape the fear of it."  We should be confident in our Lord (i.e., that we've made our peace with God) that we would say with Robert Louis Stevenson, that, even if we woke up in hell we'd still believe in Him.

David thanked the Lord that, though he had been chastened severely, he had not been given over to death (cf. Psalm 118:18).  There is a "sin which leads unto death," however, and John said not to pray for such a one (cf. 1 John 5:16).   Even Christians can go too far and be removed by divine discipline of the Lord, that is why they, too, must live in the fear of the Lord and behold both the goodness and severity of the Lord per Romans 11:22.

However, the death of believers is precious in the sight of God (cf. Psalm 116:15) and we ought to look forward to dying as a promotion, not an end, but a new beginning of a higher and different way of living to the full, the way we were meant to live.  Death is not a wall, but a door and D. L. Moody is quoted as saying, "This is my triumph, this is my coronation day!  It is glorious!"  Even Alfred, Lord Tennyson said, in his poem In Memoriam: "God's finger touched him, and he slept."  Death is a promotion and Paul said that "to live is Christ, but to die is gain" in Phil. 1:21.

We are only glad that God hasn't given us over to death as chastisement, but as our promotion to glory, for "we should live every day as if it were our last day" (Matthew Henry quote).  David went to be with the Lord in His timing:  "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep..." (Acts 13:36, NKJV).  In other words, when he had done what God had meant for him to do and God was done with him, God took him.  God knows when we are ready, we don't, that's why suicide isn't the answer.  God isn't in the business of taking lives prematurely:   (Ezek. 18:32 (NASB):  "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies...").  However, the day of death is better than the day of birth in God's eyes (cf. Eccl. 7:1).  David said that with the Lord, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints" (Psalm 116:15, ESV).  It is indeed better for the soul "to go to the house of mourning than the house of mirth" (cf. Eccl. 7:2), by the same token.

When you are confident of your coming promotion you are brave and live like David, when he told Jonathan:  "There is but a step between me and death (cf. 1 Sam. 20:3).  David lived his life on the edge and to the full!  We only want to live a long life if we are pleasing to the Lord and doing His will; otherwise, what's the use?   Is there a great reward in pursuing your own will?  We are happiest as believers only when we've learned to serve and not to live selfishly and for our own good, but for the good of others.  

David was glad God hadn't given him over to death because he then knew that he still had an opportunity to fulfill God's will; David was a man after God's own heart because he did all God's will. We should all hope and pray to go on to be with the Lord in His timing, for He makes all things beautiful in His time--i.e., we don't want to go before our time as Scripture would say.

In sum, let me quote an anecdote about Saint Francis of Assisi:  "If you had one hour left to live, what would you do?"  His answer, said while tilling his garden, was:  "I would finish this row!"  That's being prepared to die without unfinished business, unlike what God said to Hezekiah to "get his house in order" (cf. Isaiah 38:1), for he was about to die and not recover.   Soli Deo Gloria!  

The Buddy System

AA utilizes the "buddy system" (called sponsors) to keep its members in line and on track.  This is vital to their philosophy:  NO ONE IS AN ISLAND OR A ROCK, WE ALL NEED SOMEONE.  I learned the same mindset in the Army also called the "buddy system" and wouldn't have made it through had I not found someone I could count on through thick and thin when the chips were down he was there.  Basically, I was "discipled" by Navigators and learned that one must be accountable to ever grow.  It isn't just "Jesus and you," as some approach the Christian life. This is an opportunity to go one-on-one with a mature believer and to get intense personal mentoring.

We all need someone to fall back on in time of need and that knows us, even our faults and weaknesses--accepting us nevertheless.  One of the greatest tragedies in war is that many soldiers lose their buddy and it's like losing a family member or worse because they have so much invested in him.  Buddies laugh and cry together and go through experiences together so they can share their lives:  It is an awful fate to face life alone without anyone to share it with.

The Christian life is like that, it's not so much whom we know, but also who knows us and how well--are we aboveboard and forthright?  Galatians 4:9 says that it's not that we know God, but that He knows us; this is echoed in Psalm 139, which declares how well He knows us.  We are indeed "fearfully and wonderfully made."  No one can face life's challenges and adversities alone, and most people find a mate to share life with, but those who are single they must keep on searching for someone significant to bond with.  It is a gift of God to be able to remain single (called celibacy) and still find fulfillment.

It is the hard times in life that teach us to lean on Jesus and to seek help in the body of Christ, so that we don't become self-sufficient and think too highly of ourselves, or even become independent.  In the "buddy system," nobody is superior nor inferior, but both are equals in the Lord and pull each other up by their bootstrap, depending on them in time of need.  They owe each other and see eye-to-eye, not necessarily on every issue, and they can walk hand-in-hand throughout life.

The important thing is unity, not uniformity and knowing what things are negotiable--they must keep bearing in mind that they're on the same side.  Even spouses have their disagreements, quarrels, and then eventually makeup and go on living in spite of it.  We are to prefer one another above ourselves and to fully accept one another despite their faults; for we are not perfect either and Christ has accepted us.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Not Holier Than Thou

"Consider everyone as equal, and don't think that you're better than anyone else.  Instead associate with people who have no status..."  (Romans 12:16, CEV). 
"We won't dare to place ourselves in the same league or to compare ourselves with some of those who are promoting themselves.  When they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they have no understanding"  (2 Cor. 10:12, CEV).

We have no right to have a holier-than-thou attitude (cf. Isaiah 65:5) and think we've arrived (cf. Phil. 3:12), and don't need our fellow believer to encourage us or meet our needs--none of us is an island and only Christ is the Rock.  Some believers seem to become Lone Rangers or lone wolves and don't hold themselves accountable to anyone, walking with the Lord as if it were "Me and Jesus."  We are members one of another and no member of the body is self-sufficient and can stand alone.  We tend to privatize our faith especially when we are at our weakest and don't want anyone to know our faults; however, we are to accept the faults of one another and remember that we have them too. Romans 15:7 says we ought to "welcome one another" as Christ has welcomed us.   Our faith is a public matter and when stifled or muffled it cannot grow.

Remember:  We are all saints and all equally holy in God's eyes.  Martin Luther said that we are, at the same time, sinners and saints, as it says in Galatians 2:17 (ESV):  "But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin?  Certainly not!"  However, note that the Bible doesn't call us sinners, though we are, we are called saints now because we are justified in His sight, though we technically do still sin.   Even Paul didn't claim to have laid hold of it yet and become perfect, though this is the command in Matt. 5:48 stating:  "You, therefore, must be perfect, as You heavenly Father is perfect."  What does this mean but that direction is the test and perfection is the standard or goal?  We are held to a higher standard as believers than the world in our witness and testimony.

Pollyanna Christianity is erroneous and we are not to buy into the theory that, if you are walking with the Lord, everything is hunky-dory.  Christians have trials, tribulations, adversities, temptations, and many kinds of sufferings that unbelievers are unaware of and cannot relate to.  If we have certain sins that we cannot overcome, it is high time we get the body of Christ involved.  James 5:16 says that we may need to confess our faults one to another and this may be why we are sickly or ill.  The AA has a good thing going for it in that they learn the "buddy system" and realize that one-on-one help is a good system to find sympathy and survival techniques because they learn to help and encourage each other.  Every one should find someone they can relate to and be honest with because true fellowship is linked to two people being in the same boat, as it were.   What we need in the body is a little more realism; God isn't looking for the ideal person, but the real person!

Self-righteousness is one of the worst sins, and that made the Pharisees repugnant in Jesus' eyes and we must realize we can be guilty of it too when we think we are in line and are not willing to admit our faults.  Even Job found out in the end that he was guilty of it and was forced to repent!    In the story of Luke 18 about the Pharisee and the tax collector the people looked up to the Pharisees at the time as holy people and tax collectors as common sinners, but the tax collector humbled himself before the Lord and had the right mindset that he was a sinner and in need of a Savior.   To the Pharisee, his faith had degenerated into a religion of works and performance, whereby he was just trying to impress the people--his motives were wrong and that is what only God can see.

He thought that appearances were everything and that he could impress God!  Actually, the only way to impress God is to realize that you cannot impress Him and that you are at His mercy--your unworthiness is the only ticket.  In God's economy, the way up is down and we must humble ourselves in His sight to be exalted, as John the Baptist said, "He must increase, and I must decrease" (John 3:30, ESV).   The tax collector didn't actually say, "God me merciful to me a sinner," but "the sinner," because he felt so sinful in God's eyes.  The worst attitude is to look down on our brother and to judge him when we do the same thing--he wasn't comparing himself to anyone more sinful or even feeling worthy!

When we've been forgiven, we are merciful to others in their sin and don't feel so self-righteous that we are holier than everyone.  We forgive as the Lord forgave us (cf. Col. 3:13).  If we are not doing this, we have forgotten that we have been saved and that God was merciful to us.  Are our sins more easily forgiven than theirs?  That is the epitome of self-righteousness, to believe it's okay for us to be that way, but not anyone else.  The Pharisee was sure glad he wasn't like the so-called tax collectors and sinners, who were beyond redemption in his eyes.

We are all bad and as bad off as we can possibly be, but not too bad to be saved if we plead with God for mercy and realize our status as utterly sinful.  "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God," (Rom. 8:7, ESV):  Even our righteousness is as filthy rags in God's eyes (cf. Isaiah 64:6) and there is nothing we can do in our natural self to prepare for salvation or to make ourselves worthy; God must do a work of grace in our heart and make believers out of us (cf. Acts 18:27).  Apart from the Holy Spirit's wooing none of us would believe and without the Father's granting of it none of us would come to Him (cf. John 6:44, 65).

The biggest obstacle to overcoming sin is to admit it freely and to come clean; this is called repentance whereby we make a U-turn, or about-face and turn from it to believe in Christ.  We simultaneously turn from our sins toward God in faith:  "and they must change their hearts and lives as they turn to God and have faith in our Lord Jesus"  (Acts 20:21, CEV); and Acts 26:20 (ESV) says clearly "that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance."  Peter says in Acts 3:19 (ESV):  "Repent, therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out."  No one can convince us we are sinners and need repentance but the Holy Spirit, whose domain is the conviction, not our domain to convict.  We should never think that our sins are unforgivable because God can forgive any confessed sin.

But it is worse when we think other people are unredeemable and they have gone too far and are beyond salvation or grace.  We're all in the same boat as far as God is concerned, just like we all drowned, some of us in six feet of water and some in six hundred feet, but the fact is that we all drowned in sin.  If sin were yellow, we'd all be all yellow with no exceptions.  We must realize this before we can have the right mindset to repent.  We shouldn't be ashamed of our sins, because we are all sinners and have different areas of weakness, but the point is that we are all sinners, some just more refined or cultivated than others.

Personal faith becomes merely "religion" when it isn't authentic and only performance or degenerated into keeping the rules or even a philosophy instead of a relationship.  Christianity isn't a catalog of rules or a list of dos and don'ts!  Religion can never save anyone and is, in effect, an attempt to reach up to God, while Christianity is God reaching down to man in grace.  Religion is merely a do-it-yourself proposition or trying to lift yourself up by your own bootstraps, while Christianity is when God changes your heart from the inside out and gives you a new life and spirit.  We don't turn over a new leaf, make a New Year's resolution, or make an AA-like pledge, but we give our hearts to Jesus and start over with Him in charge of our new life.   Faith can degenerate into religion when one is merely worried about appearances and isn't accountable to anyone so that it becomes highly subjective.

In summation:  We are not to play the "let's compare" game and think we are better than others or thank God we are not like others:  As George Whitefield said, "There, but for the grace of God, go I," when he saw a man going to the gallows!  Soli Deo Gloria!