One Day At A Time...

By definition "time" is only a corollary of space and matter/energy and is part of God's creation; therefore God is sovereign over it, not bound by it, nor defined, or limited by it--it is irrelevant to Him!  Let's perceive reality from the divine viewpoint!  That is to say:  Put God in the equation!  You don't see the Big Picture apart from Him!

I used to like the TV show of that title in the '70s and it is a valid philosophy even for unbelievers--psychiatrists would acknowledge this too.  I'm not saying that reminiscing has no place in our lives, but where our daily focus is.  Remember the TV series "Happy Days?"  People tend to think of the olden days as the good old days, and Solomon warned us against doing this in Eccles. 7:10 saying: "Do not say, 'Why were the old days better than these?'"  God has "set eternity in the heart of man" (we have the unique ability that animals don't have to anticipate the future, but a side-effect is that we also can worry about it!) but we are not meant to live oriented only for the "here and now." "Where there is no vision, the people perish," according to Proverbs 29:18 and we must look ahead in making plans, but not in presumption or preoccupation.  ("Commit whatever you do to the LORD, and He will establish your plans.")  "There is a proper time and procedure for every purpose under heaven."  "He makes everything beautiful in its time," so it is said:  Go by God's timetable, not yours!

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).  The older we get, it seems like time is more of the essence (Ernest Hemingway said,  "Time is the thing we have the least of.").  Time goes faster and the birthdays even are a blur. Tempis fugit (time flies).   The Bible says, "As thy days, so shall thy strength be" (Deut. 33:25).  Our life is but a "vapor" that vanishes! Like the grass that withers!

Depression is rampant today: It is mainly caused by people living and dwelling on the past; misinterpreting the present; and anticipating the future.  But we should always remember the words of wisdom:  Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not yet given to us, so why not live today!  We get ahead of ourselves and make plans thinking that tomorrow is guaranteed, but we are to live one day at a time and commend the future to God's care. "Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth" (Proverbs 27:1).  Jesus taught us to pray to "give us this day our daily bread" for a reason.  Psalm 118:24 says:  "This is the day that the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Some people do the extreme of just living for the "here and now" and "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die [quoting 1 Cor. 15:22, ESV, cf. Isaiah 22:13]."  This philosophy dates back to antiquity and Democritus who espoused us to seek "man's fulfillment in the here and now of this world."  We are to live each day to the fullest, but in light of eternity, doing God's will--which is revealed one day at a time, i.e., we don't know God's will for our whole life like a rolled-out revealed agenda.  "My times [future] is in thy hands"  (Psalm 31:15).

We trust God for the future and make our plans "but the LORD establishes [our] steps" (Prov. 16:9). Since we are given one day at a time and live it one day at a time let us heed the advice of Matthew Henry:  "Live each day as if it were your last."  If you aren't prepared to die, you are not prepared to live; for it is in the fear of death that the devil holds people captive to do his will. No one is guaranteed tomorrow!  However, seeing the spiritual dimension gives you a whole new outlook.

Providence is manifest:  "A man's steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way?" (Prov. 20:24);  "I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps" (Jeremiah 10:23); "Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established"  (Prov. 16:3).  God is never frustrated and we do not ever interrupt His plans according to Ephesians 1:11 which says:  "[We are being] predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will." Daniel 4:35 says:  "...none can stay his hand, or say to him, 'What doest thou?'"

God orchestrates history and "...he does whatever he pleases"  (Job 23:13).  From God's perspective there is no time element; for He is outside, not defined, nor limited by the time-space continuum which He created for us:  This means He is all-wise (pansophic) and we must trust Providence and not try to think we can predict or see the future.  Hindsight is always 20/20 and we are all geniuses at this, so we shouldn't feel guilty and regret the past as believers.

It is time to take inventory and assess our way of life:  Are we getting what we expected and what we want out of life--life is empty without God in it (enthusiasm means putting God into it).  Nature abhors a vacuum and boredom indicates a lack of purpose and fulfillment and humans are known for this propensity whereas animals aren't.   Socrates said that the "unexamined life is not worth living."  The Latin saying carpe diem or seize the day is pertinent!  In summary:  There is no Plan B, but everything is going according to God's glory and being cognizant of Providence gives us great faith and patience in everyday events.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Should Christians Argue?

"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone ..." (2 Tim. 2:24-25).


It's been wisely said that it's better to debate a matter and not settle it than to settle it without debate.

R. C. Sproul says the Bible states we are not to be "divisive, contentious, argumentative, or judgmental;" I might add: As brethren--it is unfruitful and doesn't work to the benefit of the body. We are to seek unity and to be one in the Spirit and in agreement as much as possible (cf. Eph. 4:3).   "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God"  (Matthew 5:9).  We may be called to restore a fellowship and be mediators or go-betweens.   We don't want the reputation of being troublemakers.

By way of definition, this is the way I see it, for the purpose of this post:  Arguing is when we purposely strive to show that someone is wrong or misinformed.  The word has negative connotations for some and they refuse to have anything to do with them.  We may just be calmly debating back and forth and just asking and answering questions; it doesn't necessarily mean we are raising our voices or getting vociferous.  We should always be tactful and sensitive, all the more when we know someone.  The pitfall is when an innocent argument leads to a quarrel and worse yet a feud or permanent cleavage in a relationship.  Simple inquiries or debates can escalate into full-blown quarrels if we are not vigilant and careful.  Arguments per se are not taboo for the believer--it is one methodology of exposing truth or falsity.

To arrive at the truth you must be willing to admit you may be wrong:  the quickest way to diffuse an argument is to say, "Then, again, I may be wrong!"  That's because there is no such thing as total objectivity apart from God, and neither of the participants may be right.  As part of our image of God, we all have an inner sense of right and wrong and we always end up appealing to some standard and we end up arguing.

Notice it says "foolish and stupid arguments."  John Stott (one of the 100 most influential people in the world one year) wrote the book Christ the Controversialist.  "To avoid controversy is to avoid Christ" according to R. C. Sproul.   Christ was no stranger to controversy and dared to challenge the system with clever logic and even answering a question with a question.  Some controversies are godly and necessary; otherwise, we would not be able to refute heresy and false teaching.  But there is a difference between being contentious, argumentative, and starting arguments, and after the truth in a methodical spiritual manner.  Are we seeking to heal or hurt is the question; are we seeking the truth on a godly issue or are we being argumentative and challenging someone.

 Remember that relationships are the most important thing, not how clever we can be to outwit our win an argument.  You can win an argument and lose a friend.  Some people are familiar with each other may just know how to pull each other's strings.  Christianity is not about how smart we are but our relationship with the living God, largely manifested by our fellowship with fellow believers, especially if they are family.  It is a good thing to avoid unnecessary family tiffs.  But if it is about Christ then God says that Christ will even split a family.  Matthew 10:34 says that He came not to bring peace, but a sword!

Our debate skills (and I was on the debate team and even judged debates, so I am qualified to comment here) are not on the line in our friendships and family ties. We aren't debating our brethren in the Lord on personal matters,  and we should restrict debate to where it belongs:  politics and issues of doctrine that are paramount to the church.   We don't try to one-up our brothers and sisters or get into the habit of comparing or bragging.  "Love doesn't brag," but in a family it is understood (it is more like "news" and we believe they want to know it) that there is a place for sharing things with family members and to brag on each other--this is not the time of bragging it is talking about. What is good is when we took someone else's horn or brag about them and they don't have to do it.  We really shouldn't toot our own horn according to the Bible.

"As far as it is possible, be at peace with all men, "says Romans 12:18.  This means that we keep the peace the best we can,  and not see if we can ruffle some feathers and stir up a lively or contentious conversation that has no positive fruit. Sometimes it is easy for more educated people to see an opportunity to pick apart the brains or conversation of those less in the know or clued in (don't  "wow them with your scholarship" as Chuck Swindoll has written).  Do everything in love and seek harmony and peace, not division!  Sometimes it is tempting to let the steam out of one's balloon or deflate their ego; but Scripture says clearly to "rejoice with those who rejoice," (Rom. 12:15a).

I can remember an example when someone was really excited that our team won, and I commented that it was against a losing team:  I was not rejoicing because he replied that a w is still a w.  What this means is that if someone is happy about something that we should not find reasons for them not to be happy and bum them out and show the negative side.  If one hears good news, we don't seek the bad news somewhere hiding in the shadows.

Case in point:  Suppose brother A says that his town was chosen as the best town in the state to live and he was celebrating the good news and maybe even bragging a bit, but only to close family and friends whom he knew.  And brother B was very skeptical and challenged his "fact" and wanted to know the source of such info. What if he didn't know and interpreted B's skepticism as doubting his "word" and calling him "naive" or "gullible."  What I'm saying is that it is far better and more Christ-like to say something like:  "That's very good for your town and I'll bet you're glad you live there now!"  This sounds far more positive and constructive to a good relationship. People do take a lot of pride in the places they live and could take it as a personal offense to question their belief in it being a good place to live.

Where am I going with this and what's the conclusion of the matter?  Let's say that we must learn to pick our battles: George C. Patton wrote a book Patton's Principles: A Handbook for Managers Who Mean It.  In other words, choose an argument that is worth something and you may have something to lose or gain spiritually by.  It is not worth just arguing just for the sake of arguing just to see who wins!  We must try to stay positive and rejoice with those who rejoice and not always present the pitfalls or negative side which may bum them out!  We may even have the skills of a lawyer, but that doesn't entitle us to use them haphazardly or recklessly on family and friends if we want to stay in fellowship.  Soli Deo Gloria!

So, Are You A Sinner?

"If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar" (1 John 1:10).
"For everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness, sin is lawlessness" (per John).
"And who fain would serve Thee best
Are most conscious of wrong within."
John Stott:  "It is no use giving us rules of conduct; we cannot keep them."

That's a loaded question and not so easily expounded upon. First of all, according to R. C. Sproul, the renowned Reformed theologian, we are all sinners in that we sin and we sin because we are sinners, we are not sinners because we sin (i.e., we are born with the inclination to sin or with the cards stacked against us). We are born in sin (Psalm 51:5 says, "Surely, I was sinful at birth....")  You could say we lie because we are natural born liars and we don't become liars when we tell our first lie.

We are deeply flawed and radically corrupt and deformed in our heart, mind, and will by depravity, and are inherently evil, not basically good, as humanists assert.  My pastor says that God no longer "classifies us as sinners [though we really are]."  He also says, "Sin no longer defines us."  This means that we are above it and God no longer holds it against us (Psalm 32:2 says, blessed are those "whose sin the LORD does not count against them."

This may also seem like a trick question:  Either way, you answer it, you can be refuted!  N.B. that the Bible calls Christians "saints" and sinners are generally referred to those who are lost in their sin and not overcoming it. An exemption is Gal. 2:17 calling Christians sinners ("...we ...find ourselves also among the sinners").  We are no longer slaves to sin, nor under its power as believers.  We don't have the right to live in the flesh because we are forgiven, but the power to live in the Spirit.  Martin Luther, the renowned theologian, and pastor who inaugurated the Reformation said that we are at the same time sinners and just.  God reckons us as just as righteous as Christ because He sees us in Christ as our position.  In the Bible, when it calls people "sinners" it is generally referring to the lost or the unjust--that doesn't mean Christians aren't sinners who have reached "perfectionism" or "entire sanctification" (cf. Psalm 119:96 says, "  To all perfection I see a limit;" Prov. 20:9 says, "Who can say, 'I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin'?"

The titanic struggle that Christians have is to overcome sin; even pagan writer Ovid wrote that he "sees the better things and approve them, but he follows the worst:"  This is exactly what Paul was referring to in Romans 7 when he said that nothing good dwells in him and said, "I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it but is sin living in me" (Rom. 7:15-17).

The key to conquering sin, and we are more than conquerors in Christ, is to keep our eyes on Jesus and stop trying so hard--but learn to trust!  The more we try to stop sinning in our own strength, the more enslaved we become, because we are reinforcing it (my pastor says).  Some good ideas to avoid sin is to keep busy, especially in the work of the Lord, and to think of things of good report and of virtue as Phil. 4:8 says.   There's always a way of escape according to 1 Cor. 10:13 and we never have to sin anymore.

It is important to realize how bad of a sinner we are and that we have no hope of saving ourselves, but throw in the towel and give up the ship to Christ as one's captain.  We don't realize how bad we are till we try to be good, and, conversely, we can't be good until we realize how bad we are.   This is a catch-22 to reflect on.  We are not as bad as we can be, but are as bad off as we can be--even Hitler loved his mother and wasn't as bad as he could have been and he is considered by many to be the paradigm of evil along with Judas.

This is God's estimation of man, not man's estimation of man!  Our sin, no matter how much or how little is enough to condemn us, because to God sin is like antimatter to matter.  I am grateful that even though I am a great sinner, I have a great Savior!  I just keep short accounts and "move on" as my pastor says.  I don't live in the past.

The devil accuses you of sin, but the Holy Spirit does an open and shut case against you and there is no argument.  We all have feet of clay and have weaknesses not readily apparent. But God doesn't grade on a curve!   Jesus sees through the veneer and exposes our dark side that we want to hide--He is the only one that really knows us better than we know ourselves even.  God doesn't grade on a curve!  Yes, we are bad, but not too bad to be saved!  We are never good enough to be saved, in other words, but bad enough to need salvation:  ironically, some people don't even want to admit they are sinners because they "haven't done anything that bad."

We often compare ourselves with others who seem worse and get proud:  "Compared to Saddam Hussein I am a saint!"  We may think of ourselves as just a "run-of-the-mill" sinner, but we should be comparing ourselves to Christ who is the express image of His glory and the divine standard:  "Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48).  Caveat:  God doesn't grade on a curve;  the standard is is perfection, the test is direction!

Well, what is the biblical definition of sin?  In the study of hamartiology sin is from the Greek word hamartia, a marksman's word for "missing the mark."  It is suggested that one shoots at a target and misses the bull's eye.  When one misses achieving this standard he "sins."  There are both sins of omission and commission.  When God says in negative terms:  Thou shalt not, and we do, it is a sin of commission  When we fail to do God's will and leave something undone, which we should have done, it is also sin--this is a sin of omission.  Having a mind and willpower makes us able to sin.  Basically, sin is nonconformity to the law of God, anything not of faith, when we know the right thing to do, and fail to do it, any transgression, trespass, or perverted act.

Some things may be sin for one brother and not another.  We can sin against a brother (cf. 1 Cor. 8:12), but basically all sin is against God and only His forgiveness brings salvation from past, present, and future sins.  Any act of unbelief is a sin according to 1 John 5:10.  Sin is also lawlessness according to 1 John 3:4.  The Anglican Book of Common Prayer adds: "leaving undone that which I ought to have done."

However, Jesus internalized sin (the Pharisees had "externalized" sin by reducing it to what can be seen by men like fasting; eating kosher; ceremonial washing; et cetera), saying that "out of the heart proceed evil thoughts."  It is not a matter of having clean hands, but a clean heart to be pure in God's eyes.  "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Prov. 23:7).  Sin is a disease or an illness and we cannot say we have a little sin no more than we can say one is a little pregnant!  In short, when we sin against God, we violate His nature and holiness; when we sin against man, we violate his humanity and dignity as a human in the image of God, according to R. C. Sproul.  He goes on to say that all sin is an act of treason to overthrow God.  I have heard it said, that sin is "man's declaration of independence from God."

It is a grave mistake to rename sin with pretty names to be less offensive like:  shortcomings, errors, mistakes, habits, vices, et cetera.  Billy Graham says that this is like relabeling a poison and calling it the Essence of Peppermint, which would make it more dangerous to the kids.  The closer you get to God the more aware you are of sin:  Samuel Rutherford said, "Pray for a lively sense of sin, then you'll have less sin."   Great saints have often discounted their holiness and downgraded themselves out of humility:  John Bunyan wrote Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners."  Paul called himself "the chief of sinners."  A good definition from Charlie Riggs is "any thought, word, omission, action, or desire contrary to the Word of God."  The whole purpose of the law is to make us cognizant of our sin not to be a way of salvation, or a code to live by for good measure--we are incapable of keeping it:  "For by the law is the knowledge of sin"  (Rom. 3:20, Phil.).  The Law measures us, it doesn't save us!

To become Christians we must be willing to turn from sin (repentance) and turn to God (through faith in Christ by grace).  We need not only to be against sin in theory but renounce sin and any individual sins God has laid on our hearts.  [Believers are still sinners, by the way, according to Gal. 2:17. and John says in 1 John 1 that "if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us in v. 8.] We need to repent of all our sins, not just the ones we don't like and keep our pet sins. Legalists see sins and not sin (God can make us a new person with a victory over it by putting a new man in the suit, not a new suit on the man):  Our problem is the old sin nature, or our sinful flesh or carnal man.  We must be changed (passive case) from the inside out (i.e., God does it!).  This is due to our solidarity in Adam and what's known as "original sin" (therefore sin is universal (termed the universality of sin) and the common-held belief that nobody's perfect--as they say, "To err is human."

We don't try to be the Holy Spirit and convict people of their sins, that's the role of the Holy Spirit alone.  In due time He will show them the error of their ways:  thus we have so many Christians doing what we wouldn't because they haven't matured to our level yet.  It is the consensus that we all grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Pet. 3:18).  We go from glory to glory and increase in Christ-likeness as we grow and mature according to 2 Cor. 3:18. ("...we are transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory....").

Albert Camus said that "the absurd is sin without God."  This is true:  if there is no God, there is no absolute value system and everything is only relative.  No one can say with certainty that something is a sin.  We need a divine standard to appeal to:  some call this "natural law"--this is what convicted the Nazi war criminals who claimed they only obeyed the law of the "Fatherland."  We all have a conscience and an innate sense of right and wrong which makes us culpable for our sin.  Dr. Karl Menninger wrote a famous book: Whatever Became of Sin?  Even psychiatrists are starting to use the word again and think that "God" may have a point!

There is a very well-known preacher of a megachurch that refuses to preach on sin because he regards it as a "killjoy word."  I recall Calvin Coolidge, the man of few words, coming home from church and his wife asking him what the sermon was about:  "Sin."  "What did he say?" "He was against it!"  If  I make any point, I want you to be sure that God cannot tolerate sin in His presence (Satan was booted out of heaven) and His eyes are too pure to behold evil (Hab. 1:13). God is just and must do something about the sin question.

But God is love and also gracious and has found a way out of the dilemma.  The gospel message is that God has solved the sin problem through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  If we truly repent of our sins and receive Christ as our Lord and trust Him as our Savior we will be delivered and rescued from the coming wrath or calamity of God (1 Thess. 1:9).    Soli Deo Gloria!

Does God Seem Too Small?

J. B. Phillips wrote the book Your God Is Too Small.  And Martin Luther replied to Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam that his God is too small too, in that he said, "Your thoughts of God are too human!"

J. I. Packer says he hears often:  "I like to think of God as the great Architect (or Mathematician or even Artist)."  "I don't think of God as a Judge," "I like to think of him simply as a Father."  This is a prime example of putting God in a box or limiting God who is infinite and cannot be defined.

We don't define or label God (He only can do this), but He can do that to us.  Like a psychiatrist that labels a patient as manic-depressive, Jesus cannot be labeled by a shrink; he is too balanced and normal!  It is obvious that Christ was in full possession of His faculties, even though He claimed outright deity:  His teachings are not the rantings and ravings of a madman.  "Canst thou by search find out [figure God out] God?"  (Job 11:7).  There is always more to God than we apprehend, and we will be learning about God and getting to know Him throughout eternity (the finite cannot contain(or grasp) the infinite, the Greeks said).

"With God nothing shall be impossible," (Luke 1:37).  But God cannot be God, or do something against or contrary to His essence or nature.  God is logical; therefore, we have math and reasoning ability and we can reason with God.  Can God make 1 + 1 = 3?  No, that is not a question of the omnipotence (God is almighty) or plenipotence of God, but a matter of arithmetic!  Can God make a stone too big to lift?  No!  No matter how you answer the question, you are limiting God.

In the same reality, an immovable stone, and an unlimited force cannot exits--it's that simple (either way God would cease being God and there are certain things God has decided not to do).  God is so so big that everything is small to Him!   His love is so great that no detail or trivia is too small (like the number of the hairs on your head or the lighting of a sparrow.  Conversely, nothing is too big for God, since he is bigger than everything.

Don't ever think that some request you have for God is a "bother" or too insignificant to waste God's time (God does not live in the time-space continuum and time is irrelevant to Him!).  Just because something hasn't happened before doesn't mean it cannot happen--there's always a first time.  Don't ever get discouraged by statistics or odds, such as in recovery from illness!

How else do we limit God and make Him out to be too small?  You cannot limit the attributes of God!  For instance, you cannot say that God cannot forgive suicide or some heinous sin (even Judas could have been forgiven and Hitler could have had deathbed repentance)--that is limiting the love and mercy of God.  With God, forgiveness is a matter of quality, not quantity.   If we limit God in any way our God is too small.

Putting God in a box is the third way to have a small God:  Whenever you say, "I like to think of God as so and so."  Einstein thought of God as a mathematical mind and superior reasoning power revealed in the universe.  Some people like to think of God as a sentimental old Grandfather who dotes on us and spoils us, even being slightly senile and permissive.  Other's think of God (and they did this in antiquity) that God is like us, only more so--in other words he also lusts and just has superhuman strength like Zeus. and Hercules his son. The philosophers were embarrassed at their mythical gods.  Some people merely say, "I like to think of God as a mean Judge or a good Father.  Remember that we are imago Dei or in the image of God and we must be less than Him and not vice versa.

Examples to ponder:  The Indians thought of God as a Great Spirit in the sky.  The Romans thought Jews were atheists because they worshiped a God they couldn't see and was just in their imaginations or mind.  We could say God is Mr. Nice Guy and just think that God is always nice and never stern or strict, but a pushover and easygoing as it were.  We have a saying in Minnesota that we call something "Minnesota nice." Jonathan Edwards, initiating the Great Awakening, in 1741 preached the sermon:  "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry [God is also love] God."   I understand that God defines what nice is, but we tend to put God in a box when we go "beyond that which is written" and make our own definitions of God:  It is true that God is love; God is light; God is true, God is love, et cetera, because these expressions are biblical.  Be aware that when we say, "God is good," we are to also realize that Romans 11:22 says, "Behold therefore the goodness and severity [sternness] of God."  That is, never one at the expense of the other or compromising the other. [Emphasis mine.]

It is a sin to presume on God's nature:  "God will forgive me, for that's His business," it has been said. When we know something is a sin and deliberately insist on doing it, it is presumptuous and willful sin and David asked God to keep him from this in Psalm 19:13 says, "Keep me from willful sin  (presumptuous sin)."  I do not believe in the doctrine of "entire sanctification" or perfectionism wherein we no longer willing sin and can say, unlike the apostle Paul, that we have "arrived."

Finally, because we are the offspring of God, as Paul said in Acts 17:28 saying, " ... As some of your poets have said, 'We are His offspring.'''  What this implies is that there is no evolution--we have devolved and gotten worse, not better.  God is greater than man because  He created us and you have to be greater than something to create it.  We are in His image implies that we alone can communicate with God and are made for Him and His pleasure.

Another way we limit God is to take one attribute at the expense of the others and believe in a just God, but not a loving and merciful God. Note that mercy is withholding justice or what is due, and grace is going beyond and giving what we don't deserve, instead of our due (which is justice).   You cannot always say that God shows justice to everyone because He withholds it in mercy and grace in some of His choosing, but He is unjust to no one!  Not showing justice or non-justice is not injustice and the Supreme Judge has this right at His discretion,  We can say that God is just, but not justice epitomized!  The Bible says not only that God loves, but that He is love (this is the very essence of His character and the Bible doesn't say He has love either).  It doesn't say God is goodness, but that He is good; there is a nuance of meaning here to recognize.   To reiterate:  Having mercy and showing grace are not forms of injustice! We say that the holiness of God regulates His attributes and keeps them in balance to that we cannot put God in a box:  God is infinite by definition!

Some people like to think of Jesus as the nice one, the Father as the stern one, and the Holy Spirit as the mysterious one!  Jesus said that if we have seen (beheld) Him, we have seen the Father.  To believe is to see, not to see is to believe ("But we see Jesus..." (Hebrews 2:9). What Jesus meant is that He is the ikon or image of God and everything we need to know or see is in beholding Him "Look to Me and be saved," (Isaiah 45:22).  There is nothing "un-Jesus-like" in the Father and so forth; one is not "nicer" than the other or has more of the attributes:  They are co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent.  They all have the same essence even though they are different persons and we say there is merely one God and we must find God's will and seek God's glory.  (Soli Deo Gloria!)

In summation, if we limit God, we are limiting ourselves and what we can become in Christ, who is the ikon, the image of God (cf. Col. 1:15).   Soli Deo Gloria!

Father-filtered Tragedy

"We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).
"Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you enter various trials"  (James 1:2).


DISCLAIMER:  I DO NOT CLAIM TO HAVE A COMPLETE ANSWER TO MAN'S SUFFERING, IN FACT, NO ONE, NOR ANY RELIGION, DOES.

Good quotes:
Lord Reith said, "I do not like crises, but I do like the opportunities they provide."
"Within every adversity there lies a possibility" (Robert Schuller).

Jesus never said we'd be exempt from evil or tragedy in our lives; he didn't exempt himself, did He?
Suffering, trials, temptations, adversity, and discipline inevitably comes to all believers in Christ as part of our pruning and maturing process.  What good would an untried faith be?  Some people get mad at God and blame Him when something bad happens:  remember Job's wife who told him to "curse God and die" after losing all ten of his progeny.  "Should we accept good from God, and not trouble."  Nothing happens to us without God's sovereign permission; he is just using the devil as the instrumental means to accomplish his greater glory.  We can be assured that God will not bring into our lives anything that we cannot handle; he just trusts some more than others!

What happens to us reveals what kind of person we really are; the same sun melts the butter, hardens the clay!  It's not so much about what happens to you as to what happens in you.  Our experience is a combo of this interaction and what we learned in the so-called school of hard knocks.  Notice that we hear about tragedy around the world and never people cursing God on the media--they are usually humbled and realize that without danger there would be no courage.  We shouldn't say, "How can God be so mean?"  "No one can  stay His hand or say to Him, 'What are you doing?'"

Our reaction says more about us than about God.  You either become bitter or better in the tragedy they call life or Reality 101. It's not what happens to you, but in you!   Don't you want to find out what you are made of and more importantly, who your friends are?  Charlie Riggs says that adversity builds character and Christlikeness.  Our crosses to bear are nothing compared to His!  We are compared to silver refined in a crucible.  If we know the why of our suffering we can endure almost any how, said Viktor Frankl, the Viennese Psychiatrist captured and tortured by the Nazis.

So why do bad things happen to good (There are no good people!) people [A more appropriate question would be:  Why do good things happen to bad people?]?  Good also happens to bad people! Who's to say how much is too much or decide what is fair; God is the judge of what is fair, and He is our judge, and we not His.   "The He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me I shall come forth as gold," says Job 23:10.  God never promised us a bed or roses or a rose garden either.  However, we can rest assured of the promise:  "All things work together for good, to them that love God...."  As the crucifixion proved, God is able to make the most diabolical of events turn out for the good (e.g., Acts 2:23; 4:28).

It might be helpful to realize that if you are suffering it might be so that others won't have to, and if you aren't, it's because others have!  "We rejoice in our suffering..." (Rom. 5:3).  I like Philippians 1:29 to sum things up:  "For it has been granted unto you, not only to believe in Him, but to suffer for His sake."

Pertinent are two verses relating to God as the sole primary cause of the cosmos and using agents to accomplish His will in a voluntary manner:  Amos 3:6; Isaiah 45:7, and if one studies Job he will realize that evil from Satan must get permission from the Father--N.B. that God didn't answer Job's questions, but revealed Himself to him to humble him; God doesn't have to answer to man.  Soli Deo Gloria!

To Whom Do You Pray?

DISCLAIMER:  I recognize only one true God in three persons and one essence, known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  But in some cases praying to one's own idea of God is unbiblical in corporate prayer, even though I realize that God hears and answers all the prayers of the saints.

"For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father"  (Eph. 2:18, HCSB).

Jesus didn't just give suggestions in the Sermon on the Mount on how to pray, but directives (by the way, I will mention in passing that Jesus was the first person in the Bible to teach us how to pray!).  He called God the following each more than once:  Father, Our Father in heaven, your Father, your heavenly Father and each is appropriate and scriptural.  Note that in the Old Testament it wasn't considered "wrong" to pray to "God" because they had less light, but Jesus showed us the way to the Father.

Don't pray like an Old Testament saint, or like an angel or servant of the Lord, but like a child of God!  When we address God in a nondescript, generic way such as "O God in heaven" it seems we don't really know God too well.  God wants us to call Him Father (the Christian name for God,  N.B. that I am primarily speaking of corporate, not private prayer).  "I thought you would call Me Father" (Jer. 3:19).  When Jesus felt alienated or estranged from His Father He called Him "My God."

 It is the same with your parents; would you think of calling them anything but Mom or Dad?  That's unheard of; well, we are in the family of God and have the privilege to address God as Father and claim our sonship and honor and accept His Fatherhood.  Gal. 4:19 says:  The Spirit cries out, 'Abba, Father.  Christians should just naturally call God this because the Spirit leads them to, and it shows an intimacy with the Almighty.  When Jesus called God His Father, the Pharisees got mad because He was making Himself equal with God, but Jesus said to Mary after His resurrection:  I am going to My Father and your Father.

Jesus made the promise in John 14:14 that if we ask anything in His name He will answer it; Jesus also hears prayer, but His primary focus is on interceding and the Holy Spirit's to put our words into groaning which cannot be uttered.  It is not wrong, per se, to pray to Jesus, but note that He Himself taught us to pray to His Father.

Only after Pentecost can the believer now boldly approach the throne of grace to the Head Honcho      (the Most High) and get access into God's dimension, another world, as it were.  We enter into God's very presence--His dimension!  "Let us boldly approach the throne of grace...."  (Heb. 4:16).  The angels are not in the family of God like we are and are not the children of the Heavenly Father. In summation, go to the top of the Most High, as they say.  No one comes to the Father, except through Jesus the Son.   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Self-help Craze And Trap

Are you addicted to the manifold self-help books available (I mean to improve the real you, not educate about computers or something) and it seems like there's no end in sight?  Solomon says in Eccl. 12:12 this:  "...Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body."  You will never read everything and know it all, you have to narrow it down and prioritize and decide what is paramount to you.  Solomon had found out what knowing it all was like and it didn't bring happiness:  Some believers actually study the Bible only because they have an inner desire "to know it all."

It has been said that a Victorian Englishman is a self-made man who worships his Creator.  However, Isa. 26:12 says, "...all that we have accomplished you have done for us...."  Deut. 8:17 says that God gives us the power to get rich;  Proverbs says the way of man is not in himself; the Psalms say, "The course of my life is in Your power."  Jeremiah says the way of man is not his own, he does not direct his steps.

It's a never-ending vicious circle or merry-go-round that you can't get off.  You must see where you are going to have a purpose and be like Jesus:  A man on a mission!  We have a big God and all things are small to Him, and nothing is too small for His love--so trust Him to teach you.  If you don't learn from the Bible, you will learn from the school of hard knocks!  We don't want to go there--been there and done that!  This is all on the premise that we are able to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps and are our own island and develop our own karma.

God doesn't need another intellectual, he needs some faith ("When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?").  Jesus often said, "Where is your faith?"  Some were commended for having great faith!  We need faith that will move mountains today.  We can walk on water by faith if it is God's will!


Jonathan Edwards (Christian)  and Horace Mann (Unitarian) had their heyday, but according to the humanist John Dewey,  the test of the truth of an idea is whether it works!   This is sheer pragmatism and not biblical, but many fall for it. Did you know that Buddhism and the Eastern sects are gaining momentum nowadays because they seem to work?  TM works!  Yoga works!  Many will give sober and believable testimonies, to boot.  Then what's the problem?  Things can be wrong and still work--that doesn't make them true!  Jesus is the truth and He works because He's truth, He isn't truth because He works!

You have to understand the concept of absolute truth (that some things are always wrong, and some things are always right--whether someone believes them or not).   The world today believes in "relative truth" saying that something might be true for you, but not me!  Pilate asked Jesus at one of His trials:  "What is truth?" Romans mocked at the idea that something could be universally true for everyone--they believed each tribe or country had its own religion or truth.  Wouldn't it had been interesting if Pilate had waited around for Jesus answer?  Jesus said He came to bear witness of the truth and those who are of the truth hear Him.

When you have the gift of spiritual discernment you can tell a lie and know something is not of God. You can discern spirits and learn how to "test the spirits."  Remember Satan masquerades as an angel of light and parades in a robe of righteousness to impress people with his charisma and charm.  He masks the lies in with enough truth to be dangerous!  Self-help books are like that:  They get your focus off of Christ and on yourself.  We don't need self-esteem, but God-esteem.

True humility is not focusing on yourself at all and as soon as you think you're humble you're not! Only Moses and Jesus were called humble or meek in the Bible.  What they do is maybe even quote the Bible (they know enough to be dangerous!) to mislead the flock and deceive the elect, if possible. They don't dare downgrade the Bible in so many words, but their goal is to get you in love with their book and lose love for the Word.  It's okay to read godly books that are from teachers you trust, or entertaining books or history that have nothing to do with what I'm talking about.

If they can deceive in one area it means they may not have any qualms about leading you astray (misery loves company) and they may feel they're getting a feather in their cap by gaining a convert.  They proselytize, as it were.  They're no different from the Christian sects who do it and don't get their own converts but go into another church territory where the seed has been planted, and they bedevil and entice with seductive books and interesting reading.

The goal is not to see how much you know, but who you know!  The Bible was not written to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.  No one was the same after meeting Jesus, they had to make a moral decision and couldn't remain neutral.  There is a vast difference between knowing the Word, and knowing the Author!  You can only be wise by knowing God and finding God.  The Bible is meant to lead you to God, not tell you about Him.  It helps in your relationship with Him, not to satisfy your curiosity!  Always remember what Jesus said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free" (John 8:32). And "If the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).

In Summation, the thing to think about in self-help is this:  Who is getting the glory?  Soli Deo Gloria!  (To God alone be the glory!)  God is jealous when we seek other sources than Him to save us or help us where He has made a way in Christ.  These self-help gurus make a lot of money and have a lot of fame, and they have had their reward in this life.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Are You In A Movement?

Let me make this clear to start:  I am against movements.  Many have come and gone in the church and some more influential and misleading than others:  Some even rather harmless, but all wrong and not of God, regardless.  There are many so-called movements prevalent today or remnants of old ones remaining:  Keswick Movement, Perfectionist Movement, Neo-Pentecostal Movement, the charismatic movement, conservative-right political movement, WWJD, (or even WWJT) known as the "what would Jesus do?" movement [I am not against the imitation of Christ as Thomas a Kempis wrote his famous, widely read book, My Imitation of Christ--this is another ballgame], the "Church of What's Happening Now" movement, the one that isn't defined or named is when believers think God wants them to hang around sinners, like the Pharisees accused Jesus of doing.

Scripture says to choose your friends carefully in Proverbs 12:26 and Paul say that bad company corrupts good morals in 1 Cor. 15:33.  The thing you have to look at is who was calling them sinners (the evil Pharisees who were blind) and we are all sinners and if Jesus wasn't our friend where would we be now?   But hanging around them is different and Jesus is our friend when we were his enemies, right?  We are not Jesus and need to be careful with whom we spend our time; however, this does not mean that we need to fear man ("The fear of man proves to be a snare," says Prov. 29:25).

As an illustration, when you get saved it means you should witness to your circle of friends, not go to the local tavern and hang around expecting God to open the door for you--they will influence you more than you influence them and the devil has you right where he wants you.  If you must go there go with a fellow believer for support; Jesus sent them out in groups of two.  You are not some one's friend if you don't witness to them and they will accuse you and blame you for all eternity if you don't at least try!  Jesus didn't condone sinners in their sin, nor did He get tainted, because He couldn't; you can be!

We worship Jesus because of what He could do as the God-man.  Evil company should make us feel uncomfortable and uneasy like it did Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah--don't get callous and insensitive!  "Come out from among them and be ye separate, and I will accept you," says the Lord. (I blogged about this Sept. 7, 2014).  This was meant to be derogatory but remember:  Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.  He told the woman who sinned:  "Go and sin no more."  He didn't condone nor participate in sin--he didn't party like one of the guys!

What's wrong with WWJD? Most Christians know their Savior in a very shallow manner--they know the Scriptures a bit, but knowing Christ comes with maturity and the searching for Him is the main business of the Christian life and begins at salvation, not ends (it's better to concentrate on obeying Him than trying to be Him).   Firstly, they don't really know what Jesus would do, they just imagine it.  They might know what their mother would do if she is a Christian, that is, but they can only guess what Jesus would do.  Would he be a teetotaler?  Would he ever speed?  There are difficult questions and God gives us the liberty to have our own conscience and like it says in 1 Cor. 6:12:  "All things are permissible, but I will not be mastered by anything."  "Mama told me not to come" is a popular rock lyric. Another:  "Mama said, 'You better shop around.'"   I've heard it said, that you should always question authority, but never mother!

What's on earth is so bad about the Neo-Pentecostal movement?  They teach unsound doctrine for number one, though I admit most of them have their heart in the right place and that is important, but false teachers like to be mostly right and add a little error to deceive and the element of truth makes it palatable.  We are commanded to teach a sound doctrine as teachers (Tit. 2:1).  This movement is in competition with and even infiltrates other churches and steals sheep or proselytize by impressing them that there is "something more or missing in their experience" just like Paul was admonishing the Colossians to be aware of (mysticism, asceticism, and legalism).

The Perfectionists started with John Wesley who thought you could reach a stage of willful or unintentional sin as a mature believer or that you "have arrived."  Even Paul didn't claim such:  "I do not claim to have laid hold of it yet..." (Phil. 3:12).  The psalmist says he has seen the limit of all perfection in Psalm 119:96.  Proverbs 20:9 says:  "Who can say, 'I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin'?"

The Keswick movement is still alive via Andrew Murray's writings and devotional classic by Oswald Chambers My Utmost For His Highest."  Reading that book, I came across many doctrinal errors and whether you believe this or not, he believed in a second blessing and this is very controversial and not traditional (I blogged about this in "Where is Oswald Chambers Coming From?").  Chambers believes in perfectionism and what's called the "entire sanctification"  He believes that tongues are the initial "initial evidence validation" of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The point is that most people are ignorant of his erroneous teaching and fall for his balderdash and pious talk.  He makes a dangerous dichotomy between discipleship and salvation and doesn't seem to understand just how to become a Christian in the first place!   (I blogged on this March 3, 2014).

What's wrong with the "church of what's happening now?"  They have been led astray by Satan's masquerading as an angel of light like the rest and are on side issues away from the Bible.  They may be into the latest prophecy rage on the Internet or something else like blood moons that tickles their fancy. J. Vernon McGee was orthodox in that he entitled his study: "Back to the Bible."  The devil wants the church to get away from the Bible and doesn't deny that it's important, just not paramount!

It is better to be a "cloistered" church that sticks to the Bible (after all the Bible is all we need for spiritual growth and is not only necessary but sufficient).  They may have coffee shops in their church and a bookstore and many extra-biblical activities that get away from the Bible, like overeaters anonymous and whatnot.  So what is the latest fad, they wonder.

What's wrong with the Evangelical right?  The Pope tries to dictate politics and make members vote according to his understanding!  Most black churches are in the so-called Christian left!  First of all, not all sincere and knowledgeable believers are in agreement politically:  This does a grave disservice to Christ by labeling him politically, when He is beyond description and defies analysis.  People are going to judge Christianity by a party and Jesus is not a member of any party!  You cannot put God in a box, nor limit God!

The charismatic movement is more subtle in that it infiltrates even the Roman Catholic Church and many denominations while not having one of its own.  Basically, if you believe that the gift of tongues is a bona fide gift, you are charismatic!  Most churches today are either considered mainline denomination (which is in the state of near heresy and apostasy, losing members rapidly), the evangelical wing (like most Baptists or those who are actively "saving" people and spreading the gospel and not the so-called social gospel (which is a misnomer).  The charismatic tend to make a dichotomy among believers and make them think they are missing out; this makes them have spiritual wanderlust and they eventually leave their home church and become spiritually vulnerable.

A true church will get you into the Word and make it paramount; teaching sound doctrine devotedly.
The church is the body of Christ, not the parachurch or the electronic church.  Watching TV is no substitute for one-on-one, accountability, and fellowship.  I'm not suggesting that we don't need these organizations, because they do serve a purpose; Chuck Swindoll says that if you drink of only one fountain, you lose your perspective: however, there is some pastor out there that is just right for you right where you are spiritual. We need to stay connected and in touch spiritually and not become lone ranger type believers who are doing their own thing.

We are all entitled to opine (to have our own opinions), but not to have our own facts, and fabricate at will.  Many preachers have a personal agenda many a church has an extra-biblical program that they want to promote.   Causes are not taboo, individuals can do whatever they get called to do:  Look at William Wilberforce devoting himself to the end of slavery!   We can even have a political agenda that is self-serving, but we do not have the right to label it as "Christian."

The church needs a wake-up call:  It's okay to hand out bread, but put the gospel in its rightful place--don't get caught turning stones into the bread like Jesus was tempted to do!  "Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8).  Don't get converted to a cause or movement, but to Christ!   In conclusion, the only movement I want to be in is (Christ) the fulfilling of the Great Commission, which ought to be the main business of the church and its raison d'etre--don't forget our Marching Orders!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Checking Out The Spirit

We should always be suspicious of hyper-spirituality and so-called hyper-charismatic phenomena. Piety has its place but not to be paraded before man and to be "holier-than-thou" (Isaiah 65:5). There is the real thing out there, so there is also the counterfeit of the devil.  You can be a spiritual person without being very "religious" (expressing religiosity) at all.  The simpler your faith the better off you are--make things simple, but not more than necessary, Einstein said.

The big issue today in charismatic circles is whether one has the "baptism."  1 Cor. 12:13 says "By one Spirit we were all baptized into the body."  Baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place at salvation--that settles it!  Nowhere are we exhorted to "seek the baptism." This is a false dogma of the Neo-Pentecostal movement. There is no second work of grace to expect--they are going by experience, not Scripture.

The filling of the Spirit is another story:  It is always accompanying some ministry that the Holy Spirit has appointed to be accomplished by His power. The fillings are not permanent, but for a purpose and empower the believer for service that he couldn't accomplish alone.  When Paul was saved they told him to "be filled with the Holy Spirit."  To be filled by the Spirit for a task is to be controlled and led by God's will.  Like when the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and "spoke the Word of God with boldness."  I believe that when the Word says that the Spirit "fell on them" that it is basically the same thing.

Fillings are the result of obedience and in the service of God and doing His will, often in the context of one's spiritual gift.  No gift or fruit of the Spirit is solely for one's own benefit, but for the body's sake--they are predominately manifested in the realm of Christian service.  It is crucial to realize that it is not how much of the Spirit you have, but how much of you the Spirit has.  In other words, the degree or amount of filling depends upon our yielding to God.  It is not like Elisha getting twice the spirit of Elijah.  We all have the measure of the indwelling Spirit.

Paul exhorts the Ephesians to "be filled with the Holy Spirit."  This does not refer to a perpetual "high" on Jesus or walking in the glow of some experience.  Paul goes on to describe basic speaking manifestations--presumably to take place at the meeting of the church.  I believe that one is filled initially at salvation, but that he "leaks."  We can lose the filling and may need confession or restoration (Gal. 6:1; 1 John 1:9),  We need each other to edify and encourage each other.

"Walking in the Spirit" is another matter:  We demonstrate or exhibit the fruit of the Spirit when we are "walking in the Spirit" according to Gal. 5:16,25.  In the context of the fruit of the Spirit, he refers to "walking in the Spirit," and not filling of the Spirit.  There is overlap--they are not mutually exclusive.  It is hard to imagine a preacher, for instance, is filled with the Spirit, and not walking in the Spirit to show the fruit.  But it is easier to see one still walking in the Spirit, but not necessarily filled or anointed for his ministry or gift.

There is also the question of the anointing--also called unction.  In the Old Testament before the Spirit-filled every believer there were selective fillings and anointings, as well as seers and prophets (cf. Psalm 105:15).    1 John 2:20 says that all believers have the anointing.  There are no special believers out there who are infallible prophets or priests or preachers/teachers because they have received an anointing.  There is no Supreme Pontiff that has authority over all of us, so to speak.  The Pope is not the vicar of Christ on earth, but the Holy Spirit is.  The body works together in Christ and all parts are necessary.  We are not infallible and prone to error.  Even if our doctrine were impeccably correct, if we have not love we are nothing, God is more concerned about the condition of the heart than whether we are theologians--is it in the right place?

Being led (or guided) by the Spirit is a sign that we are sons of God (cf. Romans 8:14).  This refers to a direction in the Spirit of what to do or say, as if God were speaking through us or of something we can only attribute to God, such as writing a timely letter or knowing God's will and doing it so that God is glorified.  If we are not led by the Spirit, we are not sons of God.  Galatians 5:18 says that if we are led by the Spirit we are not under the Law. You may say, "I was inspired to do this," or "I did it at what seems a fortuitous deed."  Providence is at work because there are no impersonal forces such as luck, chance, fortune, or fate--God micromanages the universe.

We demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit as a result of obedience and in the service of God, doing His will, often in the context of our spiritual gift.  No gift or fruit of the Spirit is solely for our own benefit, but for the body's sake--they are predominately manifested in the realm of Christian service.

We could debate about what you call this or that and quibble about the meaning of words (cf. 1 Tim. 6:4), but this is unhealthy and unproductive.  God wants us to be of one accord in the Spirit (Eph. 4:3).  What is vital is not the names of things for our spiritual health but the state of our spirit and attitude.  It is God's will for us to be holy, for instance, not to debate whether we call it a filling or a walk.  God is much more practical (application is more stressed than theoretical knowledge) and less technical than that--it is like splitting hairs.  It is paramount to learn how to walk in the Spirit and how to be filled!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Developing Holy Habits

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles" (Hebrews 12:1).
"Direct my steps according to your word; let no sin rule over me" (Psalm 119:133).
 "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).
"Sin will have no power over you, because you aren't under Law but under grace" (Romans 6:14).
 "They are slaves to whatever has mastered them"  (2 Pet. 2:19).
 "'I have the right to do anything,' you say--but not everything is beneficial.  'I have the right to do anything'--but I will not be mastered by anything"  (1 Cor. 6:12).

NON-BIBLICAL FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

"To fall into a habit is to begin to cease to be," as P. D. Ouspensky has said.
"Every good thought you think is contributing its share to the ultimate result of your life," says Grenville Kleiser.
"Habit with him was all the test of truth, 'It must be right: I've done it from my youth,'" quips George Crabbe.

Why are habits crucial?
"Sow a thought  ["As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he," says Prov. 23:7; cf. Prov. 4:23], reap an act ["The soul of every act is thought," according to Robert Browning]; sow an act, reap a habit [there's a loss of self-control]; sow a habit, reap a character [We are the sum total of our thoughts]; sow a character, reap a destiny [salvation or damnation]."  It is that simple according to Charlie Riggs.  Peter said, "Whatever overpowers you, enslaves you" (2 Pet. 2:19; cf. Rom.6:16).  Sin is just like that:  it enslaves and alienates you [from God or from others].  We must "consider [our] ways" as Haggai says!  This suggests that the first step is to analyze our life.--"The unexamined life is not worth living," said Socrates.

Habits can develop into addictions if persisted in (even impulsive behaviors) and some things like drugs or coffee seem to be addictive by nature.  In those cases, one may need deliverance and the aid of other believers to intervene and intercede on your behalf.  This is why we need to nip the habit in the bud before it controls us:  it is alright if we control it!  (Cigarettes are a prime example (not a sin in themselves) and are also a medical problem that is aggravated by chemicals such as tar and nicotine.)

Having habits is like being programmed--we should be careful who is doing the programming and be aware of input error!  We are sometimes guilty of habitual behavior that is done without thinking too.  Habits may ultimately decide our eternal destiny, so we should judge them.  Some habits are just ingrained behavior due to repetition like sitting in the same seat where we feel comfortable, or taking the same way home, or going the same place and sometimes we find ourselves repeating the folly unconsciously--like when I go to the lounge instead of the laundry room, because I always go there.

Man is a creature of habit, it is said, and no one can claim to be without them. The issue is whether they are healthy or deleterious, and whether they interfere with our testimony or not. ("All things are permissible, but I will not be mastered by anything," says 1 Cor. 6:12b).   C. H. Spurgeon smoked and was asked when he would quit:  "When it became a problem."  When is that?  "When I smoke two at a time!"  There is some validity to his tongue-in-cheek remark:  The only time we need to worry about a habit is if it compromises or jeopardizes our witness to the world, or otherwise diminishes our character because most habits are fairly harmless.  Those who are married are often annoyed by the mannerisms, quirks, idiosyncrasies, and eccentricities of their mate:  Things like nail biting, procrastinating [never-ending to-do list], teeth grinding, negative thinking, potty mouth, or what-have-you.  Did the mate think he or she actually could change their mate?  Love in marriage is accepting the mate despite their faults--not demanding change.

God doesn't require us to clean up our act to become Christians.  We come as we are, but we don't stay that way.  We are changed from the inside out of all sinful habits.  It goes with coming clean and owning up to our failures, flaws, and shortcomings ( sins).  The fact is though, that God changes us and gives us the power to overcome our sin.  "He shall save His people from their sin."  God accepts us as we are and works on us "to do and to will according to His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).  I believe that the Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome our habits ("Cease striving and know that I am God," says Psalm 46:10) and develop good ones to replace them (it is a law of nature to abhor a vacuum!). Just taking them away would open the door for a worse fault or demon.  Don't replace one habit with a worse one!  Don't just clean house or turn over a new leaf, get the Lord's power to live in the Spirit.

Jesus had some "holy" habits (I'm not saying we need a longer to-do list, which would revert us to legalism like the Pharisees or known as the yoke of the Pharisees]:  he got up before dawn to pray, he gave thanks before eating, and he went to the synagogue every Sabbath to worship.  But he did not have the habit of washing his hands before eating, which drove the legalistic Pharisees nuts because he saw that as only an addendum or legalistic extension of the Mosaic Law.  He was probably known as Mr. Unclean.

It is good to have "holy" habits that develop into godliness and give God the opportunity to nurture our faith.  For me, reading the Bible is only natural and I wouldn't dream of not doing it on a daily basis.  Praying is also without ceasing as I keep the communication line open between me and my Maker.  I keep short accounts with Him and immediately confess all known sin according to 1 John 1:9 ("If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness").

One should study Brother Lawrence's book The Practice of the Presence of God to see how one can always be in fellowship with God, no matter what one is doing.  A word to the wise is sufficient:  Do not practice your piety before men, to be seen by them (per Matt. 6:1)--then you've had your reward.  To initiate godly habits one must simply take a leap of faith and just do it--try it, you will be rewarded!  And by all means don't ever get into the trap of thinking you have to do something (that is legalism)--the motive should be the unsatisfied one of love, not fear, i.e., that you want to!

To start the challenge of cultivating a "holy" habit, one should start with some goal or task that he or she believes he or she can faithfully execute.  It only takes a few days to develop a habit, so be careful what habits you are beginning.  It is a lot harder to break a habit than begin one.  We are known by our habits and we get set in a pattern or rut, you could say.  For me, the goal is to bow down to the Father first thing I wake up in the morning and thank Him and then offer my petitions for the day, of which are composed of my outstanding prayer requests and needs.  (I confess that I was brought up saying grace before eating, and hardly ever even remember to do it now as an adult, unless in company with other believers.  I just got out of the habit and don't remember anymore.)

I believe that God empowers us to break bad habits through the Holy Spirit.  We don't speak of quitting cigarette smoking, but being set free--viva la difference!  We want to give God the glory and learn to depend on His strength ("Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts," says Zech. 4:6).  Our attitude should always be to give God the credit to remember what Jesus said:  "Apart from Me you can do nothing"  (John 15:5).  If God wants us to quit, He will tell us when and all we have to be is obedient. It must be in His timing and we will be convicted by the Holy Spirit not accused or made to feel guilty by our friends or enemies.  He will give us the strength if it is His will.  It has to be in His timing, though.  It is not a matter of trying, but of trust.  It must be by faith that God gets the glory (Soli Deo Gloria! meaning to God alone be the glory).  Soli Deo Gloria!