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Train Yourself to be Godly

As Christians in the 21st Century, we have more leisure time than any other people living in any other time period in history.  Technology and inventions have drastically cut down what we need to do just to survive.  But, greater time doesn’t equal better choices.  If we’re honest, we’ve become spiritual couch potatoes–especially if we compare ourselves to the pioneers who worked fifteen hours a day cutting trees and pulling stumps just to plow the ground to grow food to eat.  It was only then by oil lamp that they would study God’s Word to know His will.

I. 1 Timothy 4:6-8.  The process to get into spiritual shape is much like getting into physical shape.  Just as we must choose to deny ourselves unhealthy foods and exercise regularly, so we must deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Jesus (Mark 8:31-35).  Neither happens from the couch!

II.  1 Peter 1:13-16.  To get spiritually in shape we must be holy as God is holy–and this too is part of God’s spiritual training program.  Even though it’s hard, we must choose to be trained by it (Hebrews 12:7-13).  Sexual holiness is a big struggle for us today in this sin-soaked culture (1 Corinthians 6:12-20).

III.  Romans 12:9-13.  Someone who only works out at the gym serves only himself if he doesn’t use those muscles to help a friend move or carry in the groceries … so do those who only have a vertical relationship with God through prayer and study of His Word.  God wants us to serve others (Galatians 5:13).  What personal ministry does your spiritual training propel you to do?

We can either watch the spiritual Olympics from our spiritual couches with the spiritual remotes in our hands or we could participate in them.  Are you in training?

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Increase Our Faith!

When we’re facing a difficult task or situation, someone often compares it to eating an elephant–that it can be done one bite at a time!  Jesus uses the tiny mustard seed to describe the smallest amount of faith needed to face the challenges in your life (Luke 17:6) and then reassures us that that tiny seed can grow into an enormous tree (Luke 13:19).

I.  Luke 17:1-6.  We must have faith to walk in forgiveness.  Usually when speaking about temptation and sin, the Bible speaks about what we must do to avoid it or persevere against it, but Jesus speaks here about how we must tempt others and always forgive others who have sinned against us.

II.  Luke 17:7-19.  We must have faith to walk in obedience.  We picture ourselves as super-Christians, and beg for the participation trophy for whatever we do for God, but Jesus points out that we owe 100% of all we have and do to Him–without praise or accolades.  Our walk is about God, not us.

III.  Luke 17:20-37.  We must have faith to walk in sanctification.  Jesus tells us here that the Kingdom of God is within us, so that is what we must get cleaned up.  While the world around us engages in evil, we must walk blamelessly before God like Noah.  And, like Lot’s wife, we mustn’t turn back to what we may be missing.  We must lose our lives to preserve them.

Upon hearing the standard to which we are called to live our lives in Christ, our cry is the same as the apostles’, “Increase our faith!”  So, our reassurance is the same.  God demands perfection, but He also gives grace.  Plant your mustard seed faith and watch what grows!

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For Everything God Created is Good

“For everything God created is good,” 1 Timothy 4:4 begins.  Really?  What about mosquitoes?  Well, yes.  As much as many of us have wished that Noah had squashed those two on the ark, even mosquitoes have their place in God’s plan.  Even our smart phones can either be instruments of great good or great evil, depending on their use.  “… and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,” the verse finishes.

At first glance, this sounds like even sin is acceptable, but backing up to get the context of verses 1-5 makes us realize that the hypocritical liars who have abandoned the faith and are following deceiving spirits are being contrasted to “those who believe and who know the truth.”  It is how we interact with and use what good things God has made that is the difference.

I.  Romans 12:9-21.  We must reject sin and wrong doctrine.  We must hate evil and cling to what is good.  This is difficult in a sin-soaked world, but those who believe and who know the truth must make this choice, despite what those closest to them choose or the circumstances they are in.

II.  Matthew 18:15-20.  We’ve all heard the adage that we are free to bind or loose on earth as we please and God is okay with it–as long as we can get two or three to agree with us.  This is how a lot of denominations have developed.  But, backing up to get the context shows us that we are speaking about the status of imperfect people in this imperfect world who are calling themselves ‘brothers’ but are living in conflict with the Word of God.

We might at this point hear someone quote Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged,” to further push the idea that we are not to be our brother’s keeper in any way.  But, backing up to get the context shows that Jesus indeed tells us that we are to judge sinful actions in our brother in order to help him, but we can’t be hypocrites when we do it.

III.  Galatians 5:13-26.  Rather, we need to use the freedom we have in Christ to not indulge the sinful nature but serve one another in love.  We see that those who do indulge will not inherit the kingdom of God, but those led by the Spirit, who “believe and who know the truth,” grow the fruits of the Spirit.

God has given us a lot of freedom to interact in this world that contains things to be shunned outright or things to be used for the glory of His Name instead of for our own selfish and sinful pleasures.  Those who believe and who know the truth need to be watchful and carefully examine everything.

… but I still wish that Noah had squashed those mosquitoes!

 

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Bible.07: By Living According to Your Word

In all 176 verses in this psalm about God’s Word, one in particular gives us the cure for sin and selfishness: we need to be “living according to your word” (Psalm 119:9).  Great!  But, someone new to Christianity can be overwhelmed by the hundreds of translations out there.  How can they each read differently and still be God’s Word preserved to us through the centuries?

I. Galatians 4:4-5.  After the canon was established, the gospel continued to be spread in Greek that, thanks to Alexander the Great who conquered a few centuries earlier, was a perfect and precise language to preserve God’s Word.  The gospel spread faster by use of the Roman system of roads and preached at synagogues that existed wherever at least ten Jewish families resided.  A few decades after Constantine made Christianity a legal religion and the “masses” were forced to leave paganism to flood the churches, Jerome translated the Greek Scriptures into Latin that would hold dominate for the next 1100 years.  Latin was not very perfect or precise but careful copying by the Masoretes and monks got us to the invention of the printing press in 1455.

II. Acts 12:4.  The greater availability of God’s Word spurred on the Reformation a half century later but also stirred Erasmus to translate the Bible back into Greek.  The problem?  He didn’t have access to the over 5,900 ancient copies of the New Testament that we do today, and so he largely drew from the Latin Vulgate.  His “textus receptus” was the basis for many of the early English translations, including the King James Version (KJV).  It is the filtering of the Greek Word, pascha, through the Latin and the compromises with the pagan masses come into the church that the KJV renders that word ‘Easter’ instead of ‘Passover.’

III. Psalm 119:9-16.  Later translations and the rise of textual criticism relied on better research and bring us ever closer to the originals, of which none still exist.  In 1947, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were written about the time of Christ, confirm this in all the Old Testament books but Esther.  We can be confident, then, that the translation you have in your hand or on your phone will allow you to be “living according to [God’s] word.”

The big question is “will you?”  Most of us have more Bibles and various translations available to us than Erasmus could ever have dreamed of, yet we spend much time in other pursuits rather than studying God’s Word to live it out in our lives.  We must live according to God’s Word so that we can one day live–according to God’s Word.

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The Wise Man Built

Having grown up doing a lot of work to cut wood and bring in hay as part of a family, I’ve always been partial to rugged, outdoor clothing–even though now my work is more at a desk rather than stacking brush or throwing bales.  I glance at catalogs and shake my head at models dressed in flannels with waterproof boots, completely free of mud and sweat, who look like they’ve never worked physically a day in their lives.

They are a lot like Christians who love to hear the Word of God preached but don’t apply it.

Most have sung “The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock” from Matthew 7:24-27 and at a youth event.  There are several principles from this illustration that are important to understand.

I. Both the wise and foolish men were ‘building.’  Both were sincere in picking up the tools and actively engaged in construction.  They did not just read a book about house building and agree with the techniques used.  They both worked hard and ended up with a place to live.  Everything that we say and do–even if we refuse to say and do–we end up with a life, good or bad, that we have built.

II. The distinction between the two men is whether he puts Jesus’ words into practice.  Both hear Jesus’ words, but only the wise man applies them to the building of his life, right from the first choice, perhaps the most essential choice: which foundation to build upon.  The wise man chose the rock while the foolish one, who probably felt justified and had good excuses, chose sand.

III. The reason we must build well is because the storms of life do come.  Notice that nowhere in Jesus’ illustration does he say if the hard rains, the rising streams, and the terrible winds come.  They will, and only the wise will be prepared for them.  Throughout many years of ministry and in my own life, I have weathered and helped others weather life’s storms.  Some houses have fallen with a crash.

So, in your life are you the outdoor catalog model in new clothing, holding an unused axe?  Or, are your sleeves rolled up in readiness, your knees dirtied from prayer, and calluses lay across cracked and toughed hands?  Are you building?  Are you building on the rock?  Will your house withstand the storm?

 

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Run For Your Life!

If your home was on fire and someone shouted, “Run for your life!” you would not stop to ask questions about things that didn’t matter like what was for dinner.  Nor would you refuse to leave until you found that biology notebook from high school or stroll leisurely past the fridge to check if you needed to buy milk while you were out.  No, “Run for your life!” means that you are singularly focused on the goal of getting to safety.  And, unless it is to warn someone else who has not yet heard of the danger, you would not stop for anything.

Spiritually speaking, you must “run for your life!”

I. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20.  The first running we must do is running away from sin, specifically sexual immorality.  Joseph certainly had opportunity to give in to Potiphar’s wife and reason enough to justify sin: his own brothers had faked his death and sold him into slavery in a foreign land.  But, he determined, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Then, as she caught him by his cloak, he left it with her and ran out of the house (Genesis 39:6-12).  So we must run for our lives!

II. Galatians 5:7-10.  Distractions come often from people or circumstances in our lives.  A runner may start off well and then discover a rock in his shoe or have someone point him the wrong way.  In the Galatian church(es), some were insisting that they needed to observe the old law and become Jews before they could become Christians.  There are many things that may not be sinful but “cut in” on our good race.  Sometimes it is people or ideas that point us away from God.  Remember that we are running for our lives!

III. Hebrews 12:1-3.  To “run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” we must have the goal of heaven ever before us.  We are told to fix our eyes on Jesus, who kept the joy of eternity with the Father in view in order to endure the cross, so that we “do not grow weary and lose heart.”  Peter had the courage to step out of the boat and walk on the water to Jesus, but as soon as he let his focus slip, he sank (Matthew 14:25-33).  With perseverance and eyes fixed, we must run for our lives!

Many struggle with their Christian walk because they do not take the race as seriously as Satan knows it is.  Instead of a lion seeking to devour, perhaps he is a lot like the gators beside the race marked out for us.  The race is deadly serious.  Run for your life!

 

 

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Whatever You Do

How do we go through life?  At our very worst, we look at every moment to see what we can get from people or circumstances.  Often, we just exist, drifting through life without really thinking about life or what our purpose is.  At our best, though, we see every interaction as a ‘teachable moment,’ an opportunity to build others up and encourage them to draw closer to God.

I. Colossians 3:1-11.  We edify others because of what Christ has done for us.  We have to be active about setting our hearts and minds on things above.  This means we must reject what is wrong and choose what is right in the transformation process to become like Christ (Ephesians 4:22–5:1).

II. Colossians 3:12-16.  Before He went to the cross, Jesus spoke of a time later when those with faith would do greater things than He had done (John 14:12-14) as we are salt and light to the world around us (Matthew 5:13-16).  We are to walk as Jesus did (1 John 2:6), edifying others by various actions outlined in this passage.

III. Colossians 3:17.  To do something in Christ’s name means to do it by His power and authority, believing wholeheartedly in that power and authority.  We believe, repent, and are baptized into the name of Jesus (Acts 2:36-38), so we must say and do ‘whatever you do’ in His name, asking ourselves if Jesus would approve.

Every Christian has been given just a short time on earth to walk as Christ did for those we have influence over.  Does every word and action that comes from you build others up and encourage them to draw closer to God?  Do you see every person you meet and circumstance you are in as an opportunity for the gospel–or a teachable moment?

 

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Put It into Practice

Many try to go through life with no instructions or bad instructions!  But, what about those who have God’s instructions but don’t read and apply them?  B.I.B.L.E. can stand for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.  Jesus says that those who hear God’s Word and put it into practice are His family.

I. Hebrews 8:3-6.  The Bible itself tells us there is a pattern of sound teaching (2 Timothy 1:13-14).  Aaron’s sons tried to follow their own pattern, and it didn’t go well (Leviticus 10:1-2). Because what Moses would build in the desert was a shadow of the reality in heaven, he was told to build the tabernacle according to the pattern shown to him on the mountain.  God’s Word is a pattern for us to build our lives.

II. Luke 8:19-21.  The theme of Luke 8 is putting God’s Word into practice.  In the parable of the sower (Luke 8:4-15), it is the one who hears the Word, retains it, and perseveres in it who produces a crop.  Like a light, we are to put God’s Word on a stand by living it out for others to see (Luke 8:16-18).  So, it is no wonder that Jesus considers family those who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.

III. 1 John 2:3-6.  Though it is popular to call everyone a child of God, it is those who obey God that He considers His children (1 John 3:10).  Since Jesus is the ‘Word made flesh,’ it is no wonder that He is the perfect and sinless example of how we are to live our lives.  When we walk as Jesus did, we hear God’s Word and put it into practice.  We must read and apply God’s instructions to do this.

Many say that ‘blood is thicker than water’ to justify that family is more important than friends or strangers.  But, with Jesus, ‘His blood is thicker than our genetics,’ meaning that those who are walking as He did while on earth, as recorded in His Word, are closer to Him than physical family.

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Do This and You Will Live

A man studies hard for an interview, gets the job, but continually hits the snooze alarm instead of going to work.  How long would he be employed?  Yet, how often Christians have such joy in obeying the gospel but hit the spiritual snooze alarm in the months and years that follow!  Even Jesus told us that we must maintain our relationship with Him by DO-ing something to live eternally.

I. Luke 10:25-28.  In the lead-in to “The Good Samaritan” story, the expert in the Law asked Jesus what he must DO to inherit eternal life.  Rather than tell him that he couldn’t work his way to heaven or that nothing else was required, Jesus confirmed that loving God with all his heart, soul, strength, and mind and loving his neighbor as himself were all that the man had to DO.

II. John 15:9-14.  Jesus’ definition of DO-ing is action that proceeds from obedience.  That’s why faith is not just a mental affirmation that God exists and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross forgives our sins.  Rather, faith is the actions that come from obedience, the maintaining of our relationship in Christ.  Love for God and our neighbor is the perfect “DO” we must do and reconciles Romans 4 and James 2.

III. Philippians 2:12-16.  We are told to work our our salvation with fear and trembling.  Our salvation, then, is not something we can put on a shelf to collect dust after we’ve obeyed the gospel.  It is something we must constantly (do I dare use the word?) “work” on, but it is not a “works salvation” but actions that come from obedience that maintains it.  Love is the fufillment of what Jesus says we must DO to live eternally.

So, examine your daily walk with Christ.  Are you at your job you interviewed so hard to get … or are you hitting the snooze alarm over and over?