What's The Big Deal With The Cost of Discipleship?

Most con men oversell or stress the pros or upside, avoiding the negatives, the cons, or downside of a new venture if they're interested in the numbers game. Jesus wasn't interested in quantity, but quality and His apostles proved Him right by turning the world topsy-turvy.   Jesus was different and didn't want those interested in a "working arrangement" in His kingdom--He wanted servants.  What would you venture to bet in order to gain the whole world?  Your soul?  Well, you are if you don't know Jesus.  I hope it's not your soul because many do see only in the mundane, here and now, and not in light of eternity. It may seem like we have to give up everything to become a Christian, but God is only testing the motives and priorities of our hearts.  But the ante is up and eternity is the bet: where we end up spending it.

Discipleship, according to Jesus is no light matter and He discouraged halfhearted disciples or followers, who didn't count the cost--one could literally lose it all, even one's life; however, Jim Elliot wrote that he is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Our portion is in the Lord, not in this life.  The world has their reward in this life with all the devil has to offer and the comforts of this world. So what's the big deal then and why should we follow Christ?  We have our souls to lose and eternity to gain while we have eternal reward and blessing in heaven, not suffering and punishment in hell. In some parts of the world, conversion may cost one his family or his life, so we should be thankful for the freedom of religion in our nation.

But Paul did say that all those who desire to live godly in Christ will be persecuted--try going against the grain and the popular world's ideas, or the current culture.  Christianity is indeed counter-cultural and we must be willing to stand up for right and vehemently oppose evil, flying our Christian colors and declaring openly where we stand and not on the sidelines but daring to be for Christ even if the world opposes us.  There is no neutral territory with the believer; he's either for or against Christ, being in the world but not of it.

But prosperity theology is heresy because we don't want our "best life now," but to reap our reward in heaven when Christ crowns us, but no cross equals no crown. We shall be compensated for all the suffering we've had in Christ as we fulfill His sufferings for the sake of the Name.  But too many still think that wealth is a sign of God's sure blessing (sometimes God does give wealth, but it's not guaranteed).  If our riches increase, though, we ought not to put our faith in them!  It 's the poor that are blessed with rich faith because they have learned to rely on the Lord.    The best opportunity to find out that the only thing you need is God, is to have only God and lose everything else: then one realizes the necessity and the sufficiency of Christ. 

The reward we look forward to in the Celestial City is to know Jesus, seeing the beatific vision and the membership in God's family.  We will find out that some who are last will be first and status in this life doesn't amount to anything in the next.  It's faithfulness that we are called to, not success.  Religion is what makes us strive for human achievement, not God's blessing. God doesn't want our accomplishments but our obedience and most of all He wants us--our hearts.  Soli Deo Gloria! 

Salvation Isn't Jesus Plus ...! ...

We cannot add anything to God's grace in our salvation:  it's not Jesus plus keeping the Law, or Jesus plus doing good works, or Jesus plus tithing, or Jesus plus going to church, or Jesus plus being a success.  Jesus isn't just necessary but also sufficient!  There is never anything we can add to God's grace, improve upon it, earn it, pay it back,  deserve it, or lose it once we have it.  We must come to the realization that Jesus is enough for us and seek our treasures in heaven.  When we realize that, we've laid possession of Jesus in our hearts, not just our minds.  We don't want Him as an idea, but as a Person.

John warned us not to love the world, for if we do we lose a taste or desire for heavenly things. I's simple math that the more room we have in our hearts for the things of the world, the less room for Jesus and the spiritual delights of knowing Him.   We ought to store up our treasures in heaven and be able to possess our possessions or manage our blessings or wealth. This means they cannot control us or become idols that can rob us of God's blessing.  For where our treasure is, there our heart will be also.

Those who trust in wealth are never satisfied and always seeking just a little more.  True philanthropy is rare among the rich and powerful.  They usually are seeking the applause of men because of the insecurities of their final destiny.  We are not to live for today and be just be consumers either like the Epicureans who said, "Eat, drink, and be merry [for tomorrow we die!]."  Or today, as they say, "Grab all the gusto you can, for you only go around once."  One key way to see how much we love our wealth is how tightly we hold unto it and we refuse to render to God that which is God's.  We are only robbing ourselves because the riches of the kingdom of God are greater than the world can offer. "Freely you have received, freely give" (cf. Matt. 10:18).

Some people may wonder who can be saved if it's difficult for rich people to enter the kingdom of God. With God all things are possible though and He can transform the hardest and most stubborn of hearts.  We must realize that Christ offers the road of sacrifice not very popular with the world's mindset.   For instance, the world sees money, power or influence, and morality or good works as a sure ticket to heaven or pass out of hell.  They may compare themselves with others and feel superior but they may inwardly wonder how much is enough and are never quite sure of their salvation as the rich young ruler needed to ask Christ what he must DO.

But people are addicted to doing something for their salvation and have a works mindset.  If we had to swim a mile, we'd all be at the beaches.  Believe me, if we had to do anything or if there was just one rule to keep, we'd blow it!  It's no use giving us rules to keep; we cannot keep them--look at Adam and Eve.   But God sees the heart and motive behind every deed and says that they all amount to trash in His sight and do not qualify as good works.  All our righteousness is the gift of God and our gift to Him (cf. Isaiah 45:24).

People are good works-driven, even karma-oriented, and play the "let's compare" game, even commending themselves among themselves (cf. 2 Cor. 10:12) when they see someone worse off than them.  We must understand that salvation is free but not cheap; it costs everything we have, meaning full surrender to God's economy. We must be warned that Christ cautioned us to "count the cost."  That doesn't mean that there's a special blessing in poverty per se nor in poverty vows, nor in a martyrdom complex, thinking that the more we give to God or the more we suffer, the holier we are.  We will indeed be blessed for every sacrifice but salvation isn't by asceticism either.  God wants to bless us in this life too but that blessing isn't necessarily in materialism. God blesses our endeavors as we do His will!   In sum, we must embrace the theology that Jesus is enough for us and He will supply all our legitimate needs for His will.  Soli Deo Gloria!  

Releasing Our Inner Child

Pop psychologists urge us to release our inner child or not to inhibit our child-like nature.  Too many of us are stuck in the adult mode of existence and have forgotten what it's like to be a child much less relate to one and communicate or level with them. Jesus' own disciples rebuked the crowds for bringing their children to be blessed by Jesus, thinking that was a waste of time or effort.  But Jesus rebuked them for their interference in God's plan and thinking they knew better and their agenda would be acceptable in God's eyes.  The thing is is that in God's economy there are many paradoxes and we must all become children to become born into God's family.

There aren't too many qualifications for entering the kingdom of God, the primary one being that we realize we aren't qualified, but we must be like a child in many ways and Jesus used children as an object lesson to teach the disciple a lesson on salvation. You must realize, that in Jesus' day, children had no rights and were not respected and also didn't have a long life expectancy with a high infant mortality rate. It's the same with believers because we get no respect and also may have a high mortality rate in a sense.

But by way of analogy, let's look at some of the traits of children that Christ must've admired.  Firstly, they are humble and not arrogant, they don't think they know it all and ask questions.  Secondly, they are dependent and know it and trust their parents to meet their needs.  Thirdly, they forgive and accept forgiveness easily because they don't keep score.  Fourthly, they are vulnerable and look to their parents for support.  Fifthly, they are filled with awe and wonder and are impressed with simple things, whereas adults are blase about the space shuttle and modern ingenuity.

We may be impressed with our latest smartphones and modern technology but not so with spiritual things, but even the simplest Bible stories captivate children.  Sixthly, they are without prejudice or bias and accept people for their human dignity. Seventhly, they have that inner joy of life that is lost in adulthood, few of them are depressed about their lives.

Now God breaks us for a reason, to make us outgrow our childishness and to grow up and learn to depend on God.  It is only broken people or contrite ones that can be forgiven.  As long as we have no convictions or guilty feelings we don't qualify for salvation for He came to seek and to save not the righteous but sinners. Children outgrow their childishness but some adults never outgrow their childish faith and insecurities.

We must not think God has to abide by our visions and we don't bring our plans to Him for approval but seek His will and plan and to obey it.  When we are born again we become children of God and can see life from a new perspective and vision that the world sees not because we have the inner Spirit and the mind of Christ.    Soli Deo Gloria!

Trusting In Gods Will

"But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry given me by the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God's grace."  (Acts 20:24, HCSB).  
"But nothing, not even my life, is more important than my completing my mission..." (Acts 20:24, CEB). 
"For David, after serving his own generation in God's plan, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and decayed"  (Acts 13:36, HCSB).

"There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand," (cf. Prov. 19:21). 

We all have had come to forks in the road and wondered which way to go.  In fact, if we don't care where we end up, it doesn't matter which road we take, we'll end up somewhere for sure!  But God's will doesn't work like that: either we are in or out of it and the safest place to be is right there in the middle of God's plan for our lives.  Jesus knew this too and from the time of His youth He sensed His divine calling to be about His Father's business and superimposed that will on His, as His motto of life became "Thy will be done!"  He taught us as disciples to pray likewise and to follow in His steps.  The temptation comes to do things our way, and that is the epitome of sin--doing our own thing, that we stop trusting God and try to save ourselves by our own efforts.  But we must trust and rely solely on Jesus for salvation and not on the energy of the flesh or our own willpower.

Jesus faced a dilemma in His life when He was faced with the temptation to do things His way or the Father's way--in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Finally, in total relinquishment, He prayed, "Nevertheless, not as I will but thy will be done."  He could've decided to avoid the draft of the Father to be our Savior and just saved Himself and He'd still be God, but we would be lost sinners.  It's good He chose to die on our behalf instead of avoiding the Via Dolorosa and its crucible.  But we are to follow in His steps and to take up our cross and die to self too.  We are to live for God's will not ourselves.

We should always be assured that God knows best and also that God didn't answer some of our prayers.  He knows how to run our lives better than anyone of us and we ought to give Him full ownership.  We can be assured that Jesus knew the trials of facing these kinds of dilemmas and that the only way we can avoid regrets is to trust God with all our hearts and not lean unto our own understanding (per Prov. 3:5-6).   We have no better idea than God and His plan for us is that which is perfect and good for us.  We are to fulfill God's purpose for us and realize His will in all our ways.

The life lived for self is filled with regret, insecurity, and worry because there's no place for trusting God. "He will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee" (cf. Isaiah 26:3).  God wants our faith to be tested in the crucible of fire to make sure it's genuine, saving faith and faith isn't worth much if it's easy!  God cannot force faith either and have it worth anything because that isn't real faith, but coercion or determinism.

For this reason, God makes faith a gift of grace and elects us to believe by grace; it's not because of merit or wisdom we have it but we believe through grace (cf. Acts 18:27). Even if salvation were by wisdom or intelligence, God is the One who makes one wise or intelligent--you cannot escape grace. "Grace reigns through righteousness" (cf. Romans 5:21).    It has been granted unto us to believe; i.e., it's a privilege!  (cf. Phil. 1:29).  It's the work of God (cf. John 6:29). God works in us both to do and to will of His good pleasure (cf. Phil. 2:13).

But we can rest assured that Jesus went through every type of trial for us and we don't experience anything unique that He cannot relate to us with as a human (cf. Heb. 2:18).  "[B]ecause we don't have a high priest who can't sympathize with our weaknesses but instead one who was tempted in every way that we are, except without sin (Heb. 4:15, CEB).     Soli Deo Gloria!

Expecting Heaven On Earth

"Do not both adversity and good come from the mouth of the Most High?" (Lam. 3:38, HCSB).
"I form light and create darkness, I make success and create disaster; I, Yahweh, do all these things" (Isaiah 45:7, HCSB). 

Many people wonder where God is when it hurts or during a disaster, even a pandemic; why would God allow such evil?  "Who can command these things to happen without the LORD's permission?" (Lam. 3:37, NLT).   First, we must not believe that God intends for this life to be heaven on earth, but a dress rehearsal for the next, a trial run. Similarly, in grief people especially ask where was God when my son died?  The same place He was when His Son died!   This shows:  God cares, loves, and grieves like us being in His image.

We are here to prepare for the next life and to fulfill God's will.  We are here to make music on God's stringed instrument meant to vibrate forever. Suffering and adversity build character and people either react or respond as some improve or get better but some only get bitter, as the saying goes: the same sun melts the butter hardens the clay.

Where is God in disasters in principle, though?  He's in the hearts of His children who are His hands to care, His feet to go where needed, His ears to listen, His voice to speak, and His mind to focus on the problems and fix them if God wills.  That's why we pray for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, where it's always done.  The enthusiastic crowds of the triumphal entry of Jesus also only saw the short-term good of Christ (maybe they were a fan of His miracles like feeding the multitudes) and failed to see the big picture of His whole purpose: not to save from Rome but sin.

He clearly had bigger fish to fry and wasn't the conventional Messiah they had their hearts set on--deliverance from Roman tyranny and bondage.  He wasn't the Messiah they had in mind at all and didn't know what was meant to be by virtue of their ignorance of prophecy.  And they needed an attitude adjustment to God's plan and we must also ask ourselves if we do too. Israel had cried out "Hosanna! but failed to see what kind of Savior He really was, they missed the point!  Our salvation from sin is paramount in God's eyes--all else is circumference.  God's will was misconstrued. We don't fit God's will into our plans but our plans into God's will; we don't ask God for approval of our plans but seek His will.

It's a fact though that Israel needed redemption from Rome and they were in somewhat desperate straits due to subjugation; however, they failed to realize the seriousness of sin and how it offends God--this problem had priority.  John the Baptist started his ministry admonishing sinners to repent, Jesus did likewise inaugurating His kingdom. We also must realize what Jesus meant when He said that His kingdom is not of this world.  Our hope and reward are in heaven and "the LORD is our portion."  Nevertheless, God needed to immediately deal a death blow to sin and treat it as radically as possible--sending His Son do die.

We must see the big picture and take God at His Word, trusting in Him who holds the future.  The Bible says that where there is no vision, the people perish (cf. Prov. 29:18, KJV).  Take God's Word at face value!  We must focus on the main thing and keep the main thing the main thing, and get with the program!  It's clear the crowd missed the whole point of Christ's coming but we have the vantage point of history and the whole revelation of Scripture.

Let us all set aside our personal agendas and goals and give over ownership of our lives to Christ guiding and leading us His way and according to His perfect will.  We are seeking His kind of salvation:  eternal peace with God and deliverance from the bondage of sin, not to mention an eternal heritage.

The happiest, most fulfilled people are those who set aside their own goals and seek God's will for their life and labor for something bigger than themselves, living for and serving others, not themselves.  We live in light of eternity knowing our reward is not in this life (cf. Psalm 17:14) This is salvation:  giving over ownership of our lives to Christ as we submit to His Lordship and trust in His salvation alone.  Soli Deo Gloria!  

Less Than Expected

It doesn't pay to get our hopes up only to be shattered and neutralized.  High hopes can demoralize when unrealized.  We might even have great expectations for ourselves, only to be disappointed.  Everyone has flaws and even dreams, but we must live in reality and shoot for the stars yet realistically know our aptitude. Our real altitude is our attitude and no one can take this away. But if we aim at nothing, we're sure to get there!  It never hurts to set goals and achieve them in increments or steps that are achievable, accountable, and measurable.  We must see results to stay encouraged.  All achievements are surpassed, records are broken, reputations faded, tributes forgotten, and trophies trashed or destroyed, but God has a plan for us (cf. Job 23:14; Psalm 57:2; 138:8). When King David had achieved God's purpose, He took him (cf. Acts 23:13).  Just as we expect a lot of ourselves, God has a lot invested in us and a lot on the line and expects performance and faithfulness to Him.  Don't let God down! "We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps" (Prov. 16:9, NLT).

Jesus knew what was in man and wasn't surprised at Peter's flaws and the fact that he was only human when he said, "Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man!"  When Jesus found him sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane, He said, "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."   We must all come to this statement of faith and realize our disqualification to meet the Lord. To make the sinner realize he's a sinner is Job One for the preacher, we preach the bad news as well as the good news of Jesus.  Repentance is part of the Law, which measures us, it doesn't save us.  Sin is a killjoy word and many preachers don't want to go there for fear of offending the flock, but this is part of the message to preach:  "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" The opening words to the ministries of both John the Baptist and Jesus.   Those who think they are specimens of virtue may be further from God than any sinner who realizes his sin.  Jesus said that those who say they can see are the real blind ones.

Jesus expects us to own up to our sins, even the ones acceptable to us or our pet sins, and to make restitution spiritually and to come clean if God gives the opportunity, renouncing sin, even the one that easily besets us.  Repentance involves a complete moral turnaround from sin to God.  It's more than an AA pledge or New Year's resolution.  It's an about-face or U-turn from our sins and involves the heart, mind, and will: the whole persona.  We turn from our wrongdoing to do goodwill towards God, or His will  Anything less will not do and is a moral failure in God's eyes and lets Him down for He expects us to give ownership of our moral lives to Him.  It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance (cf. Romans 2:6).  We will be judged according to our works (cf. Romans 2:6; Psalm 62:12; Prov. 24:12).

We must not overestimate ourselves or our abilities; we all have limitations and should realize the domains God has called us to.  I hesitate to make political or scientific statements, because of a lack of formal training, despite having strong opinions.  But that's just what they are and I'm still entitled to my opinions, just not my own facts and must learn to distinguish the two. If I opine on these areas, it leaves much to be desired to a trained observer or student.  But I do know a thing a two about worldview and have studied it enough to know some facts and have educated opinions formed by experience in these academic disciplines.

We don't want to let our Lord down by becoming less than expected to Him.   He has a plan for us to be achieved if we abide by His will and walk with Him.  He has a purpose for us anyway but we want God's best for us and to have Him prosper our endeavors.  The best we can hope for is God to say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant (affirmation), you have been faithful in little and shall be in charge of much (promotion), enter into the joy of the Lord (celebration).  This involves acknowledgment of us or affirmation (good job!), and even promotion and reward for our labor in the Lord, which is not in vain (cf. 1 Cor. 15:58).

Said reward depends upon our faithfulness in the ministry God has given us and we are called to (cf. John 3:27, NLT.    This is usually found out by knowing our spiritual gifting. We all have gifts, talents, opportunities, energy, relationships, resources, and time that we are accountable for as blessings.  May we say, "Mission accomplished," as Paul said in Acts 20:24, "The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me." Finally, we want to rejoice at the final audit of our life when we go one-on-one with the Lord at the Bema or Tribunal of Christ.   (Don't let God down!)   Soli Deo Gloria! 

Preaching The Good News...

"The Desire of All Nations shall come" (cf. Haggai 2:7).
"Preach the Word, be instant in season and out" (cf. 2 Tim. 4:2). 
"Proclaim the message, persist in it whether it is convenient or not..." (2 Tim. 4:2, HCSB). 
"... And how can they believe without hearing about Him?  And how can they believe without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? ... " (Romans 10:14-15, HCSB).  

"Where there is no vision, the people perish," (cf. Prov. 29:18, KJV).  Our mission statement and vision from above should be to spread the word--the message of Christ.  "We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord," according to 2 Cor. 4:5.  But we cannot preach the good without the bad!  This is also called preaching law and gospel. Salvation is freedom from the yoke of the Law and put under a much easier yoke of  God's will and Christ's yoke.  We must get them lost first and make them realize their depravity and predicament before getting them saved!  The discerning theologian can distinguish law and gospel in the Scriptures.   Law is what God requires of us and how we measure up and fail; the gospel is what Jesus did and does for us and what we receive by grace.  Jesus and John the Baptist both inaugurated their ministries:  "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand!"  clearly Law and our duty to God.  NB:  Although repentance is demanded of us, it's a gift of God (cf. 2 Tim. 2:25; Acts 5:31; 11:18).

We must first be convicted of our sins before we can confess them! It's not our job to convict--that's the prerogative of the Holy Spirit who shall convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (cf John 16:13).  No one is more lost or blind than the one who doesn't know his sin or realizes he's lost!  Jesus told the Pharisees that because they said they could see, they were really blind; for He came to seek and to save the lost--the precondition for salvation is that we realize we don't qualify for it.  In a play on words, we sue God for peace in His divine court!  We are spiritually bankrupt and have no options but to repent and turn to God in faith! He dictates the terms and makes the rules.

Preaching is a bad news/good news announcement and preachers ought to know where the parishioners are spiritually and reach out to them in love, not over their heads, nor getting personal, nitpicking, pointing to or stressing any one sin over another as a hobbyhorse or agenda such as taking up a campaign against smoking.  We aren't doing anyone any good by bypassing or skipping the bad news of sin, judgment, and hell but giving aid and comfort to the enemy and confirming people in their sins. Having false assurance is worse than no assurance.   It's really an act of love to tell it like it is and to warn people of the wrath to come and that there's only one escape through Christ's blood.

We must not ignore the hard sayings of Jesus or the offensive truths that people don't feel comfortable with because the preacher not only can comfort the afflicted gut afflict the comfortable--false assurance is worse than no assurance.  "Speak the truth in love!"  (cf. Eph. 4:15).  To preach the Word means to do it in love and honesty, not to water it down or domesticate it!  We don't gloss over the truths that seem like a hard pill to swallow! Martin Luther said that the sinner doesn't see his sin, and it's the preacher's job to show it to him.  Only when we know the whole truth are we able to appreciate the good news and put everything into a spiritual perspective.

In sum, Arthur W. Pink said, that "there some who say they are saved, even before they have any feeling that they are lost." We must see that the gospel must be preached clear enough to be rejected too; we must not preach easy-believism or cheap grace as Dietrich Bonhoeffer called it and offer salvation without repentance but realize that repentance and faith go hand in hand and can be distinguished by not separated--believing repentance or penitent faith--they cannot be divorced! Soli Deo Gloria! 

Contending For The Faith...

"... And if someone asks you about your Christian hope, be ready to explain it," (cf. 1 Pet. 3:15).
"If you don't stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all" (Isaiah 7:9, HCSB).

"Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.  for the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear" (cf. 2 Tim. 4:2-3, NIV). 

"TELL ME YOUR CERTAINTIES; I HAVE ENOUGH DOUBTS OF MY OWN!" -JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE 

NB:  I'm focusing on the essential doctrines that make up orthodox Christianity, not keeping one's faith in them unto salvation, nor faith in faith as if faith saves, when only Christ saves--it's the object of the faith that matters.  The faith has been delineated in several creeds, but then again Christianity is not about believing a creed but knowing a Person.  

Augustine's dictum to be on the same page as much as possible in the Spirit is appropriate for a day of sects and dissension or contention in the church:  "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."  That's why the church body shouldn't be ignorant of its teaching and have a working knowledge of the doctrines of the particular church and even a refresher course might help to keep these things focused and in mind--what they stand for as a church with a church mission and statement--"Without vision the people perish," (cf. Prov. 29:18, KJV).

Paul had already condemned sectarian spirit by rebuking the carnal Corinthians for taking up partisan politics in the church: "I am for Paul; I am for Peter; I am for Apollos; I am for Christ."  Nothing so divides a church like partisan politics, even government politics, because people have their own personal loyalties in these matters and some will die for them because they are invested in tribalism or that they only believe what their tribe tells them is true.  In other words, they've closed their minds and won't even listen to plain facts that might change their minds.  Socrates said that the first step to learning is to admit our ignorance; i.e., we cannot think we know it all or have a monopoly on the truth.

Now contending doesn't mean we are to be contentious!  When the Reformation happened, contention arose because the Catholics declared tradition to be of equal authority as Scripture; therefore, the split became permanent by this Counter-Reformation at the Council of Trent in 1545-63.  There is dialogue called godly controversy which is essential, and ungodly controversy that generates more heat than light and isn't worth the adrenaline.  We must never forget that it's evil to sow discord among brethren and God hates it (cf. Proverbs 6:19).  If we cannot live in peace we ought to separate and not cause dissension, a work of the flesh.

We all have our pride and some people will never admit they're wrong, admitting all people have a basic need to be right, but their religious faith is especially vulnerable to this.  The cause of this chain of events may be church rivalry or a competitive spirit of when people tend to play the "let's compare" game (cf. 2 Cor. 10:12) and take sides, not realizing that all the members of the church body should be on the same side and even on the same page spiritually.

Paul said that he was engaged in declaring and affirming the gospel (cf. Phil 1:7), while Jude said he was contending for the faith or defending it (cf. Jude v. 3).  There are certain nonnegotiables that we cannot compromise in our faith that make it orthodox faith and there are doctrines that are gray areas and open to discussion. Some doctrines are essential to orthodox Christianity such as the inerrancy of Scripture, the deity of Christ, and the Trinity.   We ought to fight for our convictions in the sense of being able to defend them and stand up for what we believe, declaring and showing our true Christian colors and not standing on the sidelines,  but we don't die for the doctrine of adult baptism where sincere believers disagree.  We don't just want a faith we can live with but one we will die for.

Instead, we understand there are honest quarrels in the faith and we must stick to our guns and not compromise but keep the main thing the main thing and remember what's essential and that we have much more in common than we disagree on:  we agree to disagree and carry on, going forward without being disagreeable, contentious, judgmental, or divisive: this may call a believer out of his comfort zone to serve where he disagrees with something but they must learn to do it love not because they on the same page on everything, for even mates or spouses don't agree on everything--we leave room for disagreement of opinion, noting that there's a place for opinion and then there's a place for church dogma or teaching.

There are gray areas per Romans 14:1: pick your battles!  We ought to be in a church that we feel we can serve in and be in basic harmony and union with its teachings, fellowship can only happen where there's an agreement to base it on.  Our fellowship ought to be based on the personhood or personage of Christ in the Spirit.

I have heard on good authority from Pastor Neil Johnson of my church that we ought to triage our spiritual disagreements.  It is inevitable to disagree and we must be prepared.  It is said that you hold opinions, but convictions hold you, and I know that we don't just want a faith we can live with but one we will die for.  If we have nothing worth dying for, what's the point?  That's like saying if you won't die for your convictions or integrity you may have none!  It is said that we must be willing to die for Christ and our confession in Him, but fight for the faith that is essential for its teachings, and discuss and leave options to agree or disagree on gray areas (cf. Romans 14:1) where we are open-minded and willing to keep the door open to talk without being dogmatic.  In other words, there's a time to build bridges and a time to erect walls!

Sometimes believers just come from different necks of the woods and need to get to know each other before they feel comfortable or at ease; but beware that we become too at ease in Zion that we become complacent and think we've "arrived," and don't need the body by becoming a solitary saint or spiritual Lone Ranger.  No one in the body is a rock or island that is completely independent of the rest--we all need each other on some dimension or level and we are meant to complement each other just like a spouse does.  When we keep our eyes focused on Jesus, we don't get sidetracked by issues anymore that don't matter in the grand scheme of things, but welcome the brother even if he errs and doesn't see the big picture or the whole truth as Priscilla and Aquilla took Apollos aside to straighten him out and teach him the Word of God more accurately (cf. Acts 18:25). 

They say that every challenge is an opportunity and every opportunity is a challenge!  But sometimes we fail to live up to the challenge and take the easy way out and fall short of the goal; we don't want any wasted opportunities to win over our brothers in Christ by gently leading them to a knowledge of the truth, perchance God grant them repentance (cf. 2 Tim. 2:25).  Today we have too much fanaticism and tribalism in the church whereas believers adhere to a "my-way-or-the-highway" mentality and are not willing to "cross the aisle" of church dogmatics to the point of being ultra sectarian or on the verge of being a cult where a church thinks they are right and everyone else is wrong because they have a monopoly on the truth: we must KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING!

Note that the Ephesian church had its doctrines orthodox but had left their first love!  If we do not have love, our doctrines matter little.   We must prioritize our doctrines and realize that God loves all believers, not just those who are of us: the only one who can say that if they are not with Him they are against Him is Jesus.  We ought to pick our battles and not fight over something that has little at stake or we have nothing to gain: some believers even quarrel about the meaning of words in Scripture (cf. 1 Tim. 6:4)!  The man of God must not quarrel! (cf. 2 Tim. 2:24).

For some people it's difficult to admit they are wrong and to be humbled because of spiritual pride; let's beware lest we also become victims of our own spiritual pride!   We must be willing to go in the direction of the facts and truth as revealed--in the Bible.  Of all people, I have no right to condemn a believer of another church because of disagreement because I have been there and done that in my spiritual journey to know the Lord: we are all on the road to the Celestial City and are at different stages of maturity and I can see how God opened my eyes a little at a time to more accurate teachings.

We must learn to doubt our doubts and keep the faith!     CAVEAT:  Dr. Harry Ironside said there should be caution, "Beware lest we mistake our prejudices for our convictions."  I see more of danger for those who don't know what they believe and are ill-prepared to defend their faith in the open marketplace of ideas or the public square and forum.  In sum, it's much better to be at peace with our brethren than to just be right or orthodox--orthopraxy or ethics matter too.   Soli Deo Gloria! 

The Heart Of A Servant

Jesus is our Exemplar and we should learn to emulate His lifestyle and follow in His steps.  "Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for all" (cf. Mark 10:45).  We are no better than Him and are obliged to do no less.  He raised the bar on ethics by His example and incentive.  When asked who would be the greatest, He said the one who is the servant of all and humbles himself like a child (cf. Matt. 18:3).  To be child-like in faith, not childish, that is.

Therefore, we are all called into the ministry in a sense because He used the word diakonos, deacon or servant in Koine. We have the ministry of reconciliation as Paul put it. This is a dog-eat-dog world where only the strong seem to survive but we are called to minister to the down and out and reach out to the untouchables, riff-raff, and so-called scum for the Lord's sake. The trouble with this world according to Lily Tomlin is that even if you win the rat-race, you're still a rat!

But we don't want a world of the survival of the fittest or the law of the jungle with no mercy or relief organizations to aid those in need  If only the strong survive, how did they arrive? We must recognize that Christianity is counter-cultural and we stand opposed to the world's way of reckoning, even success has a new meaning.  In God's economy, we're all weak and we are to bear one another's burdens and to comfort those in need.   No one is a rock in need of no one; we're all products of God, our DNA, our nurture, and nature which is sinful.

When George Whitefield saw a condemned man go to the gallows, he said, "There but for the grace of God, go I."   Paul reiterated this by saying, "I am what I am by the grace of God (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10).  We are to have the same humility and not see ourselves as an elite in this world but as the recipients of grace that we don't deserve.  God shed His grace on us!  When we've been touched by grace and it's changed our lives, we want to pass it on and spread the word because this is what makes our faith and God unique from all other religions.

Our success is not how many servants we have, but how many we serve!  We serve by virtue of having a spiritual gift and venturing out of our comfort zone to serve (and this is how we discover it) We need to make an impact and not just an impression.  (Our righteousness is God's gift to us! per Isaiah 45:24; Hosea 14:8; Rom. 15:18)  That is, it's not so easy to make a difference for Christ.  And the only happy people are those who've learned to serve, according to Albert Schweitzer, and this is the right mindset for us as well.  As Bob Dylan said, "You've gotta serve somebody."

The servant is in a win-win situation with God because the reward is not only in the doing itself, having its own reward, but in the receiving of a great and precious reward that won't fade away.  We're in a no-lose situation!  The emphasis is on our deeds, not our confession, because there are many nominal Christians or ones who are believers in name only paying lip service, and we are to live out our faith by giving it away and showing it to the world via our deeds, letting our light shine.

We must recognize Jesus being humble enough to become one of us, getting down and dirty with us, to identify with our issues and problems, even experiencing the O.J.T. of real life, Reality 101. Jesus feels our pain and relates to us, having been "tempted in all ways like us, yet without sin" (cf. Heb. 4:15).  Jesus has been there and done that, thank God!   So John the Baptist summed it up very well: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (cf. John 1:29).  We see this interpreted as being that the way up is down in God's economy!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Defender Of Faith...

The UK's crown prince has a notion to change the motto of the sovereign from F.D. or, defender of THE faith, to defender of faith!  Instead of keeping the faith, it's keeping faith per se!  This disembowels the theology of the church because faith doesn't save, Christ does!  It's the object that matters, not the amount.  People can be sincerely wrong!  In other words, we don't have faith in faith but faith in Christ, even if it's mustard-seed-like.  Faith is seen as the channel that acquires it, grace the source that applies it, and Christ the means that accomplished it.

Faith is an abstract word that can more easily be seen than described.  People who observe us may proclaim:  "Now that's what I call faith!"   That's because true faith expresses itself, it has a testimony to share!   I'd rather exercise it any day than know its definition!  We see someone's faith by their deeds, not because they tell us they have faith.  Abraham was counted faithful because he obeyed. We must be obedient to the faith (cf. Acts 6:7; Romans 1:5; 16:26; 2 Thess. 1:8).  That implies there's no easy-believism and justifies lordship salvation.

Samuel told Saul, "To obey is better than sacrifice" (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22).   Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes."  They are linked and the only test of faith is obedience, not ecstasy, religious experiences or highs, visions, or dreams, or private messages from God.  God doesn't want our achievements either, but our obedience!  Faith is the way to offer ourselves up as living sacrifices--We are not called to martyrdom and the more we suffer doesn't mean we are holier.  Therefore, "stand firm in the faith" (cf. Isaiah 7:9, HCSB).  As believers, we are primarily people "on a mission." 

What is faith then?  It is the gift of God that opens our hearts when the Spirit woos and quickens our spirit.  "This is the work of God, that you believe..."  It is composed of Fiducia, Assensus, and Notatia in Latin, and therefore it has a volitional, emotive, and cognitive element. The elements are confidence, trust, and knowledge.  We must believe the right creed concerning Christ without heresy.  But spreading the Word or the gospel message isn't disseminating a creed but presenting a Person.

We trust God with confidence and faithfulness as we proceed from faith to faith or grow in it.  As we are saved by faith, so ought we to continue in it (cf. Col. 2:6).  We progress in maturity from one faith to another (cf. Romans 1:17).  We may get a spiritual encounter that makes us "high" on the mountaintop but God won't leave us there, He tests our renewed faith as if by fire because it's more precious than silver or gold.  Do we walk by faith or by sight (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7)?  Once we have it we realize faith goes beyond reason, not against it. 

Saving faith is not storybook faith or mere head belief, but in the heart; it's not childish, but childlike, not simplistic, but simple!   Faith is not gullibility and doesn't commit intellectual suicide, but is based on evidence and sound reasoning, and intellectual integrity.  We are not called to believe despite the evidence nor to be irrational.  We have good, sound reason to believe and should defend the faith as Jude called it to contend for the faith (cf. Jude 3).  Faith without evidence or knowing why is blind faith!

Dead faith doesn't save, we must desire to live it out (cf. Romans 7:18) and show it to the world--to give it away!   Works validate faith and without them faith is suspect.  We are not saved by works, though; but not without them either!  The formula of the Reformers was that we are "saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone."  CAVEAT:  Faith that is easy isn't worth much; there must struggle to give it merit--it's a choice a decision of the will.

There are two vital, juxtaposed factors to faith we must never forget:  faithfulness and repentance.  Faith and faithfulness go together and one can distinguish them but not separate them, likewise with repentance--don't divorce them.   Therefore they say there is no genuine repentance without saving faith and vice versa, or we come to God by penitent faith and/or believing repentance.     Soli Deo Gloria!