Throwing The Book At Believers

"Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes.  He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God"  (1 Cor. 4:5, NIV).

"Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.  One person's faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. ... Who are you to judge someone else's servant?  To their own master, servants stand or fall.  And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand" (Rom. 14:1,4, NIV).

"...[B]ut my people know not the rules of the LORD" (Jer. 8:7, ESV).

"[F]or they do not know the way of the LORD..." (Jer. 5:4, ESV).

Some law enforcement officials like to throw the book at hardened criminals because they never seem to learn and could be repeat offenders and need an incentive to go straight.  Some overzealous police officers like to go for the maximum penalty for criminals they are offended by and they tend to get personally involved in.  We must seek to be like God who in wrath remembers mercy!  Jesus didn't exactly throw the book at the Pharisees but condemned their hypocrisy in obeying the letter of the law and ignoring the Spirit of the law.  We must never be so obsessed with minor points or the little things that we lose track of the main focus and issue of our faith, to love God and our fellow man through the power of the Spirit.

This is everyone's problem:  we don't always see our own sin.  We all have the tendency to overlook our own faults and be offended by the sins of others when we should be offended by our own sins!  The faith had degenerated into merely an externalism and Jesus intended to make it a matter of the heart and something that starts from the inside and becomes real and sincere, not just for show. 

The Jewish faith had devolved into externalism of certain favorite practices:  circumcision, fasting, Sabbath observance, tithing, dietary laws, hand-washing, and various sacrifices.  They certainly didn't impress Jesus with their religiosity and neither do we with our legalism and of going through the motions and memorizing the Dance of the Pious.  The Pharisees were rules-obsessed and also wondered what they had to do to earn salvation as if there was some merited work involved.  Jesus answered that the work of God is to believe in His Son!

Even today we still have the issue of legalism in our churches which does nothing but strike a wrong impression of our faith and create a paralysis of spirituality.  It is a parody of the real thing or life in the Spirit, walking with God.  Some Christians seem to reduce the faith to just following the rules and are just converted to the program, not to Christ Himself--they haven't yet realized the fullness of the Spirit in their lives and what it means to walk with God like Enoch, Noah, and Moses did.  According to the record in Genesis, Noah was a "just man, perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God."  That's would look good on anyone's resume!  We have the resident Holy Spirit and the full revelation of Scripture and have no excuse for not doing likewise.  

Yes, we can become friends with God and know Him as our Father in our faith.  This is the Christian privilege and we ought to make our faith real and demonstrate or prove it by our good deeds or works of faith. After all, the faith you have is the faith you show!  Without any works, our faith is suspect; our faith must be validated by works and works must spring from faith!  The Reformers had the simple formula for our salvation of being saved by faith alone in this rallying cry:  Salvation is "by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone!"

An example of the legalism of the Pharisees was their fetish about the Sabbath Day.  There really wasn't any hard-and-fast rule as to what constituted work, but they concocted 39 additional definitions or categories to be construed as work or forbidden activities to do on the Sabbath.  Observance became a burden rather than the joy it was meant to be.  Jesus warned them that they missed the point of the intent of the holy day: in that, it was made for man, not man for it (cf. Mark 2:27).  We must not reduce our faith to simply following the rules or enforcing a code of conduct, for it's a relationship and way of a new, fulfilling, abundant life in Christ.  

Only Christians are truly free, the unbeliever is a slave to sin.  Christians are those whom Christ has set free--not free to live as we want but as we ought.  We may be free from the law but not from God's will!  The law was given to convince us we don't keep it according to D. James Kennedy.  It was never meant as a way of salvation but as a measure of a man and to show him where he falls short of God's standards.  Those who rely on the law are under a curse (cf. Gal. 3:13).

We must not be so confused with works and do-goodery that we lose track of the ultimate goal of our faith; i.e., enjoying fellowship with Him and getting to know God, the aim of our salvation.  In fact, being saved can be seen simply as knowing Jesus and making Him known!  We must not feel we have to do good deeds to impress others or show off like wearing our religion on our sleeves and flaunt it, nor should we privatize it; however, we ought to grow in our faith and make it real by a life that is honoring to our Lord and worthy of Him--free of all hypocrisy; for we don't need perfect, doubtless faith but only sincere, unfeigned faith.  We must realize that hypocrisy is what offends God, not a person who says, "I believe, help mine unbelief!"

The only thing that interferes with our fellowship with God is sin in the camp or sin in our behavior and conduct.  We must keep short accounts of our sins and confess them as soon as we get convicted and realize them, not letting them stack up until we feel like making a confession.  Note that our fellowship isn't merely with the Father and the Son, but also with our fellow believers!  We cannot and must not become Lone Ranger Christians or go, rogue, because no man is an island and we all need each other in the body--no individual has all the spiritual gifts, but they are all given for the benefit of the body.

Now there are certainly gray areas or matters of personal conscience (and we all should be convinced in our own minds) and we are not to judge our brother nor flaunt our liberty and ruin their conscience or make them stumble (cf. 1 Cor. 8:12). We must not judge our brother in matters of conscience and no one has the right to lord it over another.  The weaker brother needs to grow in knowledge, while the stronger one needs to improve in his love and understanding or sympathy.  We may have the right to do something but it's not always the right thing to do nor does it benefit.  

As Paul said in 1 Cor. 10:23, HCSB, "'Everything is permissible,' but not everything is helpful.  'Everything is permissible,' but not very thing builds up."  The important thing about our liberty in Christ, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (cf. 2 Cor. 3:17) is that we must not let anything control us or make us its slave.  As Romans 6:16 says, we are slaves to the power we choose to obey.

We all have a duty to obey our conscience, and to go against it is neither safe nor right according to Luther, though it can be wrong, it should be enlightened by the Word of God.    Jiminy Cricket told us to always let our conscience be our guide, but this is only valid if it's enlightened and informed by Scripture.  We must bear in mind that the old nature knows no law, while the new nature needs no law--we do what is right naturally and God convicts us when we go astray from the straight and narrow or the fellowship of God.

We must put aside the pointing of the finger and playing the blame game (cf. Isa. 58:9), for we only seem to condemn or judge in others what we are guilty of or is our weakness or area of pride.  What most offends us, we tend to look down on others for and we may have been guilty of it ourselves.  We must always give God the glory in our defeat of sin and of having a victorious Christian life--we can not walk with God in the energy of the flesh or without newness of life in Christ.  In the final analysis, I believe that man is religious by nature and tends towards legalism because he's incurably addicted to doing something for salvation as if it's a quid pro quo.

It's the job description of the Holy Spirit to convict of sin and we should never attempt to try this ourselves because He does it good enough without our help using the Word of God.  It is said that if we live in a glasshouse, we should not throw bricks and Jesus also said that he who is without sin cast the first stone.  We need to stop being so offended by the sins of others and look within at our own hypocrisy and how repugnant our sins are to God and should be offending us.  We must always make allowance for each others' faults and realize that we are all works in progress and God isn't finished with us yet (cf. Phil. 1:6)!

NB:  Christians are not under the law as the Old Testament saints, but we have a higher law to submit to--the law of love! The law of love can never be satisfied or fulfilled, for we will always be in God's debt.  Grace does mean this:  we cannot pay it back, don't deserve it, and cannot earn it!   We have the privilege as believer-priests to go directly to God and seek restoration and continued ongoing fellowship.     Soli Deo Gloria!

Liking Someone On One's Spiritual Book

"And I pray this:  that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment" (Eph. 1:9, HCSB).
"... People without discernment are doomed [ruined]" (Hosea 4:14, HCSB).

We don't just "like" someone on Facebook, but also in everyday life as we choose for ourselves who we want to look up to and emulate or even just feel a natural affection for.  We don't have to "like" anyone, not even on Facebook!  Of course, this doesn't mean we don't have to love our enemies, our neighbors, and brethren in Christ, but this is agape love from God and is a choice of the will, not a matter of feelings.  Loving and liking are not synonymous! 

It has been pointed out that we must love our enemies (I believe this means personal ones, not enemies of the state, for example) as well as our neighbors (those in our orbit or association and those who need us) and even friends because often we cannot tell the difference; they may be the same person!  We cannot always control our feelings and have the God-given right to exercise affection to whom we will. There is usually a natural affection for our family and kin and this isn't something demanded or commanded either.  We must love with all discernment and insight and not without discrimination.

Note that the Bible doesn't command us to like our parents nor for wives to like their husbands, but to respect and honor them which is different.  The point is that you can love someone without liking them and you may not feel much affection toward a baby who needs changing, but your love doesn't waver. Love is basically a choice and an attitude, not a warm, touchy-feely, fuzzy feeling.   Love takes many forms and I do not mean to over-generalize and make it seem like it's natural or okay to dislike everyone like we're everyone's judge and critic.

But practically speaking, one may not like one's political leaders though one believes in rendering respect and honor to whom it is due; but when a politician is evil and corrupt that entitlement may be precarious and lost because of our higher allegiances to principles and God.  That doesn't mean we don't obey our leaders when giving a law or legitimate order or command, but even in the military one may dislike one's commanding officer and yet show due respect by obeying, saluting, and even saying "Yes, sir!" when necessary.

There is redeeming social value in everyone due to the image of God in them, though this image is tarnished but being renewed after salvation. The point is that no one is totally evil nor utterly corrupt, but they are radically corrupt before salvation (we are as bad off as can be but not as bad as we can be due to God's restraints) and every aspect of their character and person is affected by the fall.   But overall, we have a right to like whom we choose to like! We all must have standards and not "like" indiscriminately without discernment. 

However, even if my enemy needed me, I would respond in a loving manner no matter what I thought of his personality or character.  I think that there is more danger in saying one really likes a perceived evil ruler rather than saying he doesn't--I would wonder if he's taken leave of his senses and lacks any discernment.  Likewise, we don't have to show respect or deference to everyone either, besides not violating their person or as being fellow human beings in the image of God with personal rights and dignity--we show respect to whom it's due!

In summation, we may feel we like certain people especially and befriend them--this is an honor, not a demand--we have a right to choose our friends but not our relatives whom we must accept and tolerate, not necessarily even like.  We aren't everyone's friend either!

NB:  The terminology of liking and loving someone is overused and misused in the English language and often we need to define terms or elaborate on what exactly we intend to say like Voltaire said, "If you want to discourse with me, define your terms."   Soli Deo Gloria!

Our "Aha!" Moment

"Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions" (Psalm 119:18, NIV).

Some believers experience "Bible fatigue" (the verses lose their pazzazz or zing) i.e. when they're over-familiar with passages and need a fresh perspective or cup of discernment.  A good panacea for this is to explore various translations because there is more than one good translation no matter what methodology they use.  However, we all need a spiritual wake-up call to our calling and Christian purpose and gifts in our walk.  

Many Christians experience God in the Scriptures on a regular basis with an existential encounter with God known as an "Aha!" moment in the Word--which may be a sudden awakening or enlightenment due to the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit to open our spiritual eyes.  When we feel God is speaking to our hearts and we are hearing specifically from God in the Word, this may be seen as an "Aha!" moment also.  There should always be something in the Word that we want to "Amen!" as it opens our eyes to the spiritual.

I can remember as a youth fleeing from my girlfriend because she was trying to seduce me--that was the first time I made a moral choice to obey my conscience.  My revelation from God in the Word came when I realized that we cannot lose our salvation, known as eternal security, but, when we sin, Jesus intercedes for us and the Father disciplines us to bring us back into the fold.  That's when the Bible was opened to me and everything seems to fall into place, I practically went through the complete New Testament to see what would happen if there was no eternal security--there could be no assurance of salvation either, for they go hand in hand and can only be distinguished but not separated.  This doctrine of the perseverance of the saints was the one I cut my spiritual teeth on and now I read the Bible through the lens of sound doctrine, opening up a new dimension.  The next "Aha!" moment I had was when I realized my spiritual gift and where I was to fit in the body of Christ.

Other believers such as Peter had his personal "Aha!" moment when he realized that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God.  Paul had one on the road to Damascus when he realized he was kicking against the goads or fighting God's will.  Even pagan Socrates had his "Aha!" moment when he awoke from his dogmatic slumber and began to teach with effectiveness to such a degree of success that he got in trouble with the authorities for his strange lessons that seemed to ridicule the Greek pantheon and had to take hemlock for his punishment in corrupting the youth and speaking against the gods.

We all need to confess our faith and to share it to make it ours--the only way to keep it is to give it away!   The point is that if we relate things God has taught and shown us, He'll give us more insights, but if we ignore the light He gives, it may be withdrawn.  Some people need to learn in the school of hard knocks before they get their "Aha!" moment, but those who are able to learn via the Bible are the blessed ones in God's estimation.

The point is that everyone is entitled to an "Aha!" moment and God will try to reach everyone, even if they reject Him.  It is true that we reject Christ an average of 7.6 times before accepting His lordship over our lives and trusting Him as our Savior.   The whole world is blinded by the devil and walks in darkness according to the prince of this world and is under the power of the devil until they are set free in Christ.  If we make a positive choice, one that leans in God's direction or comes to the light, God will show us more light (give us more "insight for living")--He is no man's debtor. If we refuse light, it's withdrawn.      Soli Deo Gloria! 

The Joy Of Possessing Nothing...

"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD!  I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!"  (Hab. 3:17-18, NIV).  
"...[A]nd the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions" (Obadiah v. 17, ESV). 
"... Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich" (2 Cor. 8:9, NIV).   
"... Freely give as you have freely received" (cf. Matt. 10:8).  

We possess nothing, yet we make many rich!  Sometimes a person has to come to the end of himself financially (e.g., bankruptcy, devasting illness, traumatic event, crisis, or natural disaster) before he realizes that he doesn't need a lot of his "stuff." The Bible states life does not consist in the abundance of one's possessions!  Contrary to modern thought, he who dies with the most toys doesn't win!  Actually, riches are in the abundance of our possessions but in the fewness of our wants!  

For example, when we move many realize when taking inventory that we find out we don't need or want a lot of our "stuff" anymore and toss it or give it away.  There is a certain liberation getting rid of unneeded or unwanted belongings and paraphernalia or junk.  We find out what is really important and of value.  You hear of people in fires who say they lost everything, but money can replace much of what they are talking about.  It is the things money can't buy that are really valuable.

Friends are few and hard to find, and if you have too many you don't know who your real friends are.  You cannot put a price on friendship because friends come with benefits and there are always certain perks to knowing people--sometimes it's who you know that makes a difference in your life, not what you know.  The Bible says we cannot buy love!  Habakkuk mourned that his fields didn't bear fruit, but thanked God that he could still rejoice in the Lord despite it.  When we lose everything it may be a time to reflect on the fact that all we really need in life is God and he will take care of us and supply all our needs.

Lacking no good thing is not the same as having everything:  God blesses everyone in some ways, but some in many ways--for God is good to all.  God never promises to meet all our wants or felt-needs but has vowed to meet our needs according to His will.  Actually, the less we possess the more freedom we have (I'm talking about material goods that seem to accumulate over the years and some are even called packrats!).  It is wonderful to know that you've got God and that's what really matters!

When Jesus said that it's more blessed to give than receive, He's not just talking about monetary gifts of alms to the poor or offerings to the church, but all our material possessions (and all blessings and provision) and of giving away our "stuff" to someone who will enjoy it and make better use of it than us--and they don't have to wait till they die to will things away.  To him who would borrow, give!  That's the Spirit! 

 For instance, there is a joy in not just giving randomly, but to someone who will make good use of it and invest it for God's kingdom.  We must realize that we are mere stewards of what God has blessed us with and everything actually belongs to God and is on loan!  It has been wisely said that nothing really belongs to you till you are ready to let go of it!  The more liberal our giving of all God's provision and blessings, the more thankful we prove ourselves in our receiving.  For we are only blessed in order to be a blessing as God's conduits.

In the final analysis, we don't really possess our possessions till they are seen as belonging to God and us as stewards.  To quote Saint Patrick:  "...For it is in giving that we receive."  Corrie ten Boom, after the Holocaust, said:  "Hold all t[h]ings loosely."   In sum, sometimes we all need is to be tested to see what's of real value to us and where we place our personal worth and what kind of appraisal we give of our lives, being asked to give of what we hold dear and affectionately (e.g., time, energy, money, property, etc.) and we find out the real reason for living outside the world of materialism--we will not be happier by merely possessing more "stuff."       Soli Deo Gloria! 

Following On To Know The Lord

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27, NIV).  
"Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD..." (Hosea 6:3, ESV). 
"Acquaint now thyself with Him and be at peace..." (Job 22:21, NKJV).  
"To know Him more clearly; to follow HIm more nearly, and to love Him more dearly." (Richard of Chichester).  

We learn to lead by first being good followers, just like a commander learns first to take orders.  Jesus calls us all to discipleship and to follow Him, which is the essence or summation of our Christian ethic.  When we go astray from the straight and narrow we need a course correction of divine discipline to prod us on the right path again.  We all tend to lose our way as sheep and need a shepherd to show the way.  Jesus is not the best way, nor one of many ways, but the only way to life eternal, it has been well put.  Jesus was the teacher par excellence and our Exemplar of life to follow, not just a superlative example, but the one of perfect manhood and perfect Godhood.  But Jesus didn't just intend to be a role model but to be a Savior 

When we have decided to follow Jesus we will be tested because our faith is more precious than silver or gold.  We often have to suffer for the cause of Christ and this only occurs when we are considered worthy of the kingdom's honor and name.  The principle is that without a cross there is no crown!  The problem is that many who name the name of Christ do not wholeheartedly follow Him and are doing more harm than good to Christ's honor by their life witness.  The damage to the Name is severe by those who are nominal Christians or who only half-heartedly follow Him.  We only can know Christ by following Him; we cannot know Him second-hand or by just hearing of Him--we must find out for ourselves and put our faith into practice.

True faith manifests itself only in obedience.  The testimony that cannot be denied is how Christ does the transformation of an individual's life once he decides to follow Jesus--this is a miracle in itself.  The lesson of Reality 101, when the chips are down, is to learn that we must relinquish the throne of our lives to Christ and be willing to go wherever He leads us through thick and thin as it were.  But note that we are not saved by asceticism or martyrdom; we aren't holier by virtue of having suffered more.  We must always bear in mind that Christ left us an example that we should follow in His steps in obedience (cf. 1 Pet. 2:21). Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes." 

NB:  GOD WANTS OUR OBEDIENCE, NOT OUR ACHIEVEMENTS!   THE ESSENCE OF RELIGION IS THE STRESS ON MAN'S ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE.

In sum, there's more to Christianity than imitating Christ; we know Him progressively as we follow Him in discipleship demonstrated in obedience and love; thus our marching orders should be to know the Lord and to make Him known.   Soli Deo Gloria!

What's The Answer?

"If a man is not made for God, why is he happy only in God?  If man is made for God, why is he opposed to God?" --Blaise Pascal 
"People live lives of quiet desperation." --Henry David Thoreau
"We have found all the questions, now let's find the answers." --G. K. Chesterton
"Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none" (Psalm 69:20, KJV, italics added).
"Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; and without the life, there is no living." --Thomas a Kempis

According to the Rev. Billy Graham, man is pursuing a "Great Quest" that has him searching for answers and meaning in life. Man is empty with a vacuum only God can fill according to Blaise Pascal.  Billy Graham says also that "we grasp at every passing straw and even as we clutch, it disappears." The world has little to offer by way of the reason for living, or what makes life worthwhile.  All religions and worldviews do attempt to answer man's dilemma, but they all fall short except Christianity.  Christ is not the best way, nor one of many ways, but the only way according to A. W. Tozer.  

So how does man seek fulfillment? He may think the answer is in higher education, a better standard of living, or in political power and freedom.  But note that the Germans, during the Nazi era, had this and still developed into a depraved society bent on evil such as has never been seen by any nation in modern history.  The devil will sow evil wherever his seed can take root in empty souls.

It is commonplace today for many to find crutches to lean on: humanism or self-help such as pop psychology; cynicism or an attitude of negativism; supernaturalism or into the occult; and even escapism or using drugs and artificial means to evade reality altogether.  We all have a crutch, but the Christian has a reliable and trustworthy one in the Word of God, which has stood the test of time and is relative to everyone. In the final analysis, it's good to feel so bad, empty and needy, even hurt, for then we might realize our bankruptcy before God and seek His face in salvation, who is our only Answer and Peace.

But there is hope to this lost world where the blind lead the blind:  Jesus is the Answer and the Answerer and those who follow Him see the light!  We don't need to know everything or all the answers to believe and to be content!  We know to whom to go for consolation and comfort in our time of need.  Jesus solves every dilemma of man and has a balm for every sore, a balsam for every wound.  In Christ, we can be content in any circumstance and rejoice in the Lord regardless!  The joy of the Lord is our strength in times of crisis and trial.  

If you just want to go somewhere and don't much care where, it matters not who you follow or what direction you go, eventually you'll get somewhere!  But with Christ, our past is forgiven, our present given meaning and our future and destiny assured and certain, and we have an eternal home to anticipate while we live in light of eternity.  We must attempt great things for God and expect great things from God, according to William Carey, father of modern missions.  They say, "If you aim at nothing, you'll get nowhere!"

The devil and the world have a lot to offer to get us off track from the spiritual dimension and take away from our thirst for the Word and God.  We must realize our enemy is threefold: the world, the flesh, and the devil; however, we are our own worst enemy.  We live in an enemy-occupied territory or Satan's turf and must engage in angelic warfare with God's armor.  But be of good cheer:  the battle is the Lord's!  Note that when we become believers that the battle has just begun and we get on Satan's hit list.  And so there is not a yin/yang struggle of good and evil, for evil is only a parasite and deprivation of good and cannot exist in itself apart from it.   We must grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ and learn to discern good and evil in order to fight the good fight and keep the faith.

In conclusion, the answer to life's dilemmas of sin, sorrow, and death is an on-going relationship with Jesus, not a code of conduct to follow, a creed to adhere to, or catalog of religious ideas or meditations to escape reality; for Plato was right to the point:  to know how to live in reality we must know what God is really like; and we can take comfort in the fact that God is like Jesus, whom to know is eternal life (cf. John 17:3).   In the final analysis, you'll never know all the answers and shouldn't just study to try to learn them all, but learn to grow dependent on the Great Answerer Himself in faith!         Soli Deo Gloria!

Investing Your Life

"But nothing, not even my life, is more important than my completing my mission" (Acts 20:24, CEB).  "Seek not to be a man of success but of value." --Albert Einstein
"Expect Great Things From God, Attempt Great Things for God." -- a sermon by William Carey, "the Father of Modern Missions"

"Invest your life in something that will outlast it." (William James). 

It is widely said that the purpose in life is to live with purpose; this is partly true, but only when fulfilled in God's will. God will fulfill His purpose for us (cf. Psa. 57:2, 138:8; Job 23:14).  It is also said that life makes no sense without God in the equation!  Bertrand Russell, famed atheist and philosopher-mathematician, said, "Unless you assume a God, the question of life's purpose is meaningless."  Jean-Paul Sartre said we are a "useless passion" without God in the picture.  God created all of us for His glory (cf. Isa. 43:7; Prov. 16:4) and we realize it as vessels of honor or dishonor--accountability is the issue: God created us all for such a time as this (cf. Esth. 4:14)!

There is not too much evil in the world for God's glory to be revealed through us!  We must not just look at the evil and ask, "Where's God?" but look at the good and see God--where did it come from?  God restrains evil and turns it into good (cf. Gen. 50:20).  He even makes the wrath of man to bring praise to Him (cf. Psa. 76:10).  Those who don't see God have a problem of the heart, for there's enough evidence for the willing, but never enough for the stubborn and rebellious heart--it's always a matter of the hear (that's the very heart of the matter)!  We all leave a legacy whether we want to or not but our purpose is not to be remembered, but to prepare for our eternal home!  We should really live for something bigger than ourselves and will outlast us--living for self is suicidal, depressing, and self-defeating, for one never feels fulfilled that way.

The only meaningful way to live is in light of eternity and not for the here and now.  There is a much bigger world out there and it's not about us!  This is why The Westminster Shorter Catechism addresses the issue:  "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." (I might add, glorify God by enjoying Him forever per John Piper in Desiring God)   God is most pleased with us when we find joy in doing God's will with a smile--that's true holiness according to Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

God isn't against good works, He just won't reward those done in the flesh! Those in the flesh cannot please God (cf. Rom. 8:8).   Rick Warren says, [A]ll achievements are eventually surpassed, records are broken, reputations fade, and tributes are forgotten."   I might add:  Diplomas fade into obscurity too--for all our achievements in the flesh are as filthy rags (Isa. 64:6) to God and all we do is God's gift to us as He works it all through us by grace (cf. Isa. 26:12; Hos. 14:8)--He is at work within us to do His will (cf. Phil 2:13)!  Paul said that he would venture not to boast of anything but what Christ had accomplished through him (cf. Rom. 15:18).

All our good deeds will be weighed in the balance and found wanting, measured by the plumb line of the Word, and tried in the crucible of fire to see whether they are worthy of reward, or just done selfishly with wrong motives.  That's where a lot of people who have had great ambition, but it was not holy ambition, but selfish ambition will be surprised.  Anyone can accomplish much if he has the motive, and some people have impure ones.  True morality is when the motive, means and end result are all pure in God's eyes. Point in fact:  Our righteousness is God's gift to us (cf. Hos. 14:8; Isa. 26:12; Isa. 45:24)--what we do with it is our gift to God.

We can make an impact in this world and make a mark not to be forgotten--for we all seek significance and importance instinctively.  No one wants to be a nobody.  We all want to feel we are contributing to the greater good of our fellow man and being a giver, not just a taker, returning some of what we consume and paying back to society somehow. out of our abundance.  We all need fulfillment and to feel that we make a difference!  This means a man wants to be acknowledged and recognized, not ignored or unnoticed. With God we have dignity, without Him we are nothing!  I am reminded of a man who complained to God that his special achievement had been lost and regretted he couldn't bring it into eternity and then the Lord told him He was going to burn it up anyway!  Some people will suffer loss for their motives are impure but they will be saved as if by fire (cf. 1 Cor. 3:15).

Each day we are given opportunities, time, gifts, resources, relationships, and tools to use for God's glory with our talents, spiritual gifts and abilities, but to whom much is given much is required!  We are accountable to God for all His blessings and provisions and will be judged for all our deeds done in the flesh (cf. Rom. 2:6; Psa. 62:12) as to whether they deserve compensation and reward.  If all goes well according to God's will we will be affirmed, promoted, rewarded and celebrated--for we will enter the joy of the Lord and be glorified to His image.  NB:  Religion is about man's achievements, but Christianity is about God's accomplishment!   In sum, when push comes to shove, all in all, God doesn't want our achievements--He wants our obedience to His will and cooperation with the Spirit; i.e., He wants us as a living sacrifice; i.e., to live for Him!" 

IN CLOSING:  WILLIAM CAREY SAID, "ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD; EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD."     Soli Deo Gloria!

Better Than Sacrifice

"... 'Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams'" (1 Sam. 15:22, NIV). 
"For I desire steadfast love [or mercy] and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6:6, ESV).

God isn't interested in what we give up for Him (like giving up something for Lent), but that we dedicate our lives to Him in full surrender to His will. It's not what you give up but that you give up yourself.  Living the Christian life costs something in the long term, but not living it costs more!  To obey is better than sacrifice  (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22)!  He desires mercy and not sacrifice (cf. Hos. 6:6; Matt. 9:13)!  When we bring our offerings to God, and our whole life is to be an offering, we are doing that which costs us something--the ownership of our lives.  The kinds of sacrifices that please God are the sacrifice of praise (cf. Heb. 13:15), the sacrifice of righteousness (Psa. 4:5) and the sacrifice of thanksgiving (cf. Psa. 107:22, 116:17)! "To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice" (Prov. 21:3, NIV).  The sacrifice that pleases God is a broken spirit and contrite heart (cf. Psa. 51:17).

If we are just going through the motions of sacrifice and it becomes a matter of routine, duty, or habit, we've lost it.  Some people just memorize the Dance of the Pious and put on a show for God as they nod to God to fulfill their guilty conscience.  We can never know the joy of worship when we are not free in the Spirit of all guilt and sin.  We worship with our lives, not just in church!  We don't go to church to just to sing a worship song because the full service is worship to Him.  Sometimes it seems we don't get much out of the worship but this ought not to be so.  If we don't get anything out of worship we did it for the wrong reason and may be in a worship rut.  Worship is God-centered and we must learn to focus on Christ and get our eyes off ourselves.  We lose ourselves in worship and enjoy doing it and by not letting it become perfunctory. When all's right with God our worship will show it and we get recharged as a by-product!  We empty ourselves to get filled!  The way to entree into God's presence, actually being ushered into the throne room, is by offering thanksgiving and praising Him.  "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise...," (Psalm 100:4, NIV).

Sacrifice entails that it costs us something, as David said he would not "offer to God that which cost [him] nothing."  Our salvation costs Christ His blook, subordination, and life but is freely offered to us when we trust Him as Savior and submit to Him as Lord.  It's free, but it costs everything we've got!   True holiness consists in doing the will of God with a smile according to Mother Teresa of Calcutta.  Christians are to be hedonists in the sense of finding their joy in the Lord!  (Nehemiah 8:10, NIV) says "... [F]or the joy of the LORD is your strength...." What is the chief end of man?  "We ought to rejoice in the Lord always and glorify God by enjoying Him forever" (paraphrase from The Westminster Shorter Catechism). God is most pleased and glorified with us when we enjoy Him and take pleasure in Him: take delight in the Lord and He will give you the delights of your heart (cf. Psa. 37:4).

Our lives are to "offer [our] bodies as a living sacrifice ... this is [our] true and proper worship" (cf. Rom. 12:1) and that means salvation isn't by martyrdom or asceticism (i.e., the more we suffer, the holier we are!) but we must desire to live out our faith!  And we must offer ourselves to God's altar daily and renew our commitment regularly-it's not just a one-time event or decision!  We are to be so filled with the Spirit (cf. Eph. 5:18) that we overflow to be a blessing to others as a conduit as our cup overflows (cf. Psa. 23:5;  Zech. 8:13). Christians have the beatific vision as an eternal hope and will enter into the "joy of the Lord" in glory as a reward.     Soli Deo Gloria!

Enjoying Our Freedom In Christ

Christ is still in the business of changing lives and sets the sinner free, not having anything to say to the so-called righteous who see no need for him, but only for the so-called losers of society, even the outcasts, the untouchables, and the riffraff!  Remember, we are slaves to whom we choose to obey! (cf. Romans 6:16; cf. 2 Pet. 2:19).  But, the more enslaved to Christ, the freer we are in spirit.

Acts 13:39 says that he who believes is freed from all things!  He is no longer the slave or servant of sin, but of righteousness.  That doesn't mean he's lawless (as the antinomian would suggest), but that he has the power to live in the Spirit, being freed from the power of sin and the flesh.  In salvation, we are not only forgiven for what we've done, but delivered from what we are (this is our justification and sanctification).  

When someone sins, he's not demonstrating his freedom but proving his slavery!  Romans 6:16 says that we are slaves to the power we choose to obey.  Christ will not save those He cannot command and obedience is the measure of our faith and its manifestation.  As Bonhoeffer said, "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes."  We are never free to do what is wrong or to do our own thing or what is wrong in our brother's eyes.  Our liberty is curtailed by our brother's conscience.

The antinomian (one who is a law unto himself) sings the song:  "Freed from the law, O blessed condition; now I can sin all I want and still have remission."  We must never be presumptuous and take advantage of God's patience and grace.  There is sin unto death too (cf. Psalm 118:18; 1 John 5:16) and God disciplines His own and brings them back to the fellowship (cf Heb 12:5-6).  We know that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one but he cannot touch us (cf. 1 John 5:18-19).  

Antinomianism is the license to sin and leads to moral laxity and becoming slack in the faith (namely, backsliding).  It's also known as libertinism and is really the quest for moral liberty gone amuck.  We never have the freedom to do as we want, but as we ought!  Israel tended towards libertinism in Judges when it's described as each man doing that which is right in his own eyes (cf. Judges 17:6, 21:25).

On the contrary, true freedom is the power to live in Spirit because of walking with Christ in fellowship with Him or filled with the Spirit.  The new nature needs no law; the old nature knows no law.  Being free doesn't imply that there are no laws; for example, a free park has rules or it would be chaos. We should never go beyond that which is written though (cf. 1 Cor. 4:6).  Legalists tend to make people feel bound where they should be free.

We remain free by not becoming legalists and learning of the power of the Spirit to lead us and guide us--for we are never free from the will of God!  We do this by not majoring on the minors or emphasizing minor sin and ignoring a more serious one, like the Pharisees who tithed their spices like "... mint, dill, and cumin. But [they] have neglected the more heavy matters of the law--justice, mercy, and faithfulness.  [They] should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.  [They are] blind guides!  [They] strain out the gnat but swallow a camel" (Matt. 23:23-24, NIV).  It is too easy to pay attention to the letter of the law like the Pharisees did, and ignore the Spirit of the law,  "... for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Cor. 3:6, NIV).

"[B]ecause through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2, NIV). Legalism is spiritual tyranny and antinomianism tends to think the Bible sanctions the right to do one's thing.   Legalism is the antithesis of antinomianism but just as fatal to our faith and the only way to steer clear of their paralysis is to have a knowledge of the Word.  

In sum, the more enslaved to Christ we are and the more we allow Him to inhabit us and we're surrendered to His will, the freer we are--in slavery to Christ we are free! We are both the bondslaves of Christ and Christ's free man!   WE ARE SLAVES THAT WE MAY BE FREE!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Keeping The Faith

Some earnest believers urge men to "keep the faith," while this may seem like a reasonable exhortation, it's meaningless.  The motto of the sovereign of the UK is "F.D." or Fidei Defensor, meaning that be the "defender of the faith," while crown prince Charles wants to change it to simply "defender of faith."  To him, it matters not what your faith is as long as you defend it.  The Bible also speaks of contending for the faith, not just faith per se, and refers also to our Christian credo or constitution.  All in all, it's not how big our faith, but how big our God and through our repentance.  There's no saving faith without genuine heartfelt repentance (cf. Acts 26:20). We have penitent faith or believing repentance.  We don't have faith in faith!  Faith is only as valid as the object it's placed in. We don't need perfect faith--just sincere, unfeigned faith!

As you may recall, Paul urged Timothy to keep the faith and many in the latter days would abandon the faith or bail out theologically as it were.  Paul boasted in his swan song (2 Tim. 4:7, NIV) that he had "fought the good fight, [he] finished the race, [he] kept the faith" (emphasis mine)"   This is all that's required of the believer!  Note that Paul wasn't resting on his laurels!   We don't have to win the race--Christ won for us!  We must finish the course tailored for us!  We are only His ambassadors in this world.  And we persevere in the faith only because He preserves us to the end.  

The angelic war or conflict with Satan comes with the territory and we sign up for this at salvation as our battle just begins as we get on Satan's hit list and become his spiritual enemy--but remember:  the battle is the Lord's! We live in enemy-occupied turf!  But we are our own worst enemy!  The key is to know the threefold enemy: the world, the flesh, the devil.  In affliction, the same sun melts the butter, hardens the clay! Becoming bitter or better.   Our faith must be tested as if by fire!  "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold," (Job 23:10, NIV).  WE MUST NEVER DIVORCE FAITH FROM FAITHFULNESS!

Now how exactly did Paul maintain his faith in such an inhospitable, unwelcome environment as Rome?  The way we do:  we keep our faith by giving it away!  The measure of our faith is the works it produces as fruit. Without works our faith is suspect!  Good soil produces a good crop, not foliage.  Paul would say that faith must be proved by works, and James would say works must spring from faith!  Reiterating:  Paul teaches that works must bloom from the faith; James teaches faith must be demonstrated and validated by works!  Don't divorce them!  They go hand in hand and cannot be separated, only distinguished.  We must realize that the faith we have is the faith we show!  If our faith has no works, it's dead (cf. James 2:17) and that kind of faith cannot save.  We must bear in mind the formula of the Reformers:  "We are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone."

God will certainly reward us for our work done in His name (2 Chron. 15:7) and we are rewarded according to our works, not our faith--so we must turn our faith and creed into deeds!  We must be sold out for Christ and serve Him with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength and in the Spirit.  God is not against good works, just those done in the flesh.  "...' You reward everyone according to what they have done'" (Psalm 62:12, NIV).  "God 'will repay each person according to what they have done'" (Rom. 2:6, NIV).  True faith expresses itself!  Some people will suffer loss and be saved as if by fire because their works were nothing but wood, hay, and stubble and burned up at God's fire of judgment (cf. 1 Cor. 3:15).

According to Isaiah, we must be firm in the faith to withstand the trials and afflictions coming our way as we signed up for.  "... If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all," (Isa. 7:9, NIV).  We are culpable for any lapses in our faith and must not grow lax in the faith due to carnality or lack of spiritual discipline. For those without discipline do not belong to Him and are illegitimate children.  We all have a cross to bear--no cross, no crown!  We must not be ignorant of Satan's schemes! "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Cf. Rom. 8:31, NIV).

God gives to each of us a measure of faith (cf. Rom. 12:3) and what we do with this faith gift is our gift to God.  He gives us faith, but we must exercise it!  Paul would say, "I'll show you my good deeds by my faith," while James would counter, "I'll show you my faith by my good deeds" (Js. 2:18)." Israel was known for the sin of backsliding and Hosea is a book of promise to heal the backslider at heart:  "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them," (Hos. 14:4, NIV). We must remember that affliction and trial belong to Reality 101 in our Christian walk, but for the backslider at heart, he can only blame himself:  "..your sins have been your downfall!" (Hos. 14:1, NIV).

We are to abide in Christ and He will abide in us (John 15:4) for it's possible to walk with the Lord for one's entire life if one is obedient as Enoch, for that is the only true measure of faith--not ecstasies nor experiences!  God is not looking for our achievements, but our obedience--He wants us!  We must be cognizant that we can do nothing without Christ's power (cf. Jn. 15:5); i.e., of our own strength. Our righteousness is God's gift to us (cf. Isa. 45:24) but what we do with it is our gift to God.  Faith is given, not achieved!  

NB: Jesus said in John 15:5 that apart from Him we can do nothing  (even believe!).  In sum, "... make every effort to confirm your calling and election. ... you will never stumble" (2 Pet. 1:10, NIV).   Soli Deo Gloria!