Examine yourself - Contentment 008

Examine yourself - Contentment 008

But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak.

Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?"

In all this Job did not sin with his lips.   (Job 2:10 ESV)

"Evil" - from the Hebrew word meaning: literally by breaking to pieces.

Job understood and submitted to the sovereignty of God.  Happy he was not – but content?  I think so.

However, contentment is not just an, "Oh well, what can I do, God is bigger than me."

Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.  (Job 13:15 ESV)

Ah, how wonderfully human is Job.  He has committed his hope to God and is content but he will "yet" go to God and plead his case.  He is bold before the Lord but not rebellious.

And so . . . . .

This will be my salvation, that the godless shall not come before him.

Keep listening to my words, and let my declaration be in your ears. Behold, I have prepared my case; I know that I shall be in the right. Who is there who will contend with me? For then I would be silent and die.

Only grant me two things, then I will not hide myself from your face: withdraw your hand far from me, and let not dread of you terrify me. Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, and you reply to me.

How many are my iniquities and my sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin. Why do you hide your face and count me as your enemy?   (Job 13:16-24 ESV)

I'd paraphrase this as Job crying out, "Wait - wait - no more - let's talk about this.  What have I done to deserve this?"

And so we do the same don't we?  When we are in a place where our fleshly contentment is threatened we cry out to God, "What have I done to deserve this"  why are You picking on me?"

Teachable moment:
Remember, if God gave us what we deserved, we'd all be in hell right now.  We do not really want what we deserve!  That would not be a good thing!

Job is not happy - but happiness is not the same as contentment.  I believe that Job was content but confounded and confused - which is not unnatural.  But Job's hope was still in the God who had allowed these calamities to befall him.

I don't believe that God wants us to like or enjoy trials and adversity.  I would be worried about anyone who liked them.  But I know that God desires us to understand the purpose (and there is a purpose) for them.  For the believer they are neither arbitrary nor are they punishment.

Note:  "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat.” (Luke 22:31 ESV)

Uhhhhhhh - there is a real parallel here to Job's circumstances.

Note:  “but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."   (Luke 22:32 ESV)

Uhhhhhhhh - we are not alone or helpless.

Note:  Peter said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death."   (Luke 22:33 ESV)

Uhhhhhhh - We think too much of ourselves.

Note:  Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me."   (Luke 22:34 ESV)

Uhhhhhh - See what I mean?

Job was blind-sided.  Peter had clear specific warning, assurance and purpose.  But there is little difference in God's purpose in these two circumstances.  His purposes were: to glorify Himself; to refine both Job and Peter; and to present us with a greater understanding of God's working in and through His people than either Peter or Job had.

If you have been strengthened and encouraged by either or both of these examples, would you be willing to be one who experiences such trials to encourage others?  If God so desires to use you and your adversities to encourage and instruct His, could you be content with that?  Would that excite you?  If God simply wants you to go through adversity so that you will be more conformed to the likeness of His Son - could you be content with that?

I think most of us would react like Peter - but also like Peter, we would be way off base.

This and That Sin is Sin is Sin 092712

Jesus:

I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins."   Joh 8:24 

Us:

He told us the we would die in our sins, for unless we believe that He is Him (the Christ) we will die in our sins.

I’ve gotten to where I really don’t care what specific sin or sins a person is engaged in.  And I am beginning to believe it really doesn’t matter.  I am beginning to believe that we have been diverted into talking about specific sins as a means to muddle the real point.

That, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Rom 3:23 is the main, if not only pertinent point. 

I am just tired of all the foofaraw about abortion, homosexuality, gay marriage…ad infinitum.  For me it’s just a diversion, a distraction.  It leads us into too rational a debate about specifics when the real problem is general and endemic to mankind.   

Rom 3:9-18  What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,  (10)  as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;  (11)  no one understands; no one seeks for God.  (12)  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."  (13)  "Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips."  (14)  "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."  (15)  "Their feet are swift to shed blood;  (16)  in their paths are ruin and misery,  (17)  and the way of peace they have not known."  (18)  "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

The key for me is whether this is true of one who is in Christ or out of Christ.

That may shock some – but:

1Jn 1:8-10  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  (9)  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  (10)  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

I think we get terribly “fleshly” when it comes to sin.  We react to what we, individually or collectively, find to be the ickiest most revolting (or frightening) sins and we let the rest lie.  Homophobic is not just a term coined to vilify believers.  It is a term that describes a “fear” of homosexuality and hence homosexuals.  But, why would we ever fear that or them?

Tell me, what is the difference between a homosexual engaged in his or her lifestyle and a father/mother so consumed with the acquisition of wealth that they neglect their spouse or children?  What, pray tell, is the difference between “spinning” and lieing?  What is the difference between cheating on your taxes and stealing from the needy through hoarding your wealth?

Sin is sin is sin and we are all involved.  Believers and nonbelievers.

Yes, believers are no longer “slaves” to sin.  But are they “slaves” to Christ or just good buddies?  Unbelievers are indeed enemies of God but I have met some that have a higher level (sadly) of integrity than many believers I know. 

Remember the “log” vs. the “speck” thing?  Somehow logging has become a regular pastime for believers and specking not so much.

As many of you know I work as a consultant to support our ministry.  Most of my clients are either non-believers or ambivalent-believers.  I work every day in a morass of sinful attitudes and behaviors.  Trust me, greed, self-tenderness and deceit do a lot more damage in the un-saved world than many of the sins we love to rail and rant about. 

NOTE:  I recommend that you get and read Kuypers, Lectures on Calvinism.  Not to make you a Calvinist but to get a clear view of how things have been and are falling apart – just as God said.

In my work people always want to tell the “the problem.”  But rarely if ever is the problem THE problem.  Usually the problem they present is merely a symptom of a deeper problem – sin.

This is the case with believers and non-believers.  Sin.  Sin is the rejection of and/or rebellion against God.  That’s the cake – EVERYTHING ELSE is frosting and decoration. 

I would ask you to really pray about where your heart is on the knee-jerk sins we have singled out for special attention. There is only one unforgivable sin and I don’t really know that we can really know when someone has really committed it.  But, I believe that grace and mercy demand we not get obsessed with any particular sin in our dealing with the lost.  Sin is sin is sin.

Heb 12:1  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely (sin which so easily entangles us), and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,…..

Sin is sin is sin! 

I am convinced that those who God calls to Himself – from whatever “sins” they may prefer – will be led to face and deal with sin through the ministry of the Word and the work of the Holy Spirit.  Aren’t you?

Finger Thinking 060512

William Gurnall wrote:

Indeed there is no duty in the Christian's whole course of walking with God, or acting for God but is lined with many difficulties, which shoot like enemies through the hedges at him, while he is marching towards heaven: so that he is put to dispute every inch of ground as he goes.   Gurnall, William (2010-04-09). The Christian in Complete Armour (Complete & Unabridged) - The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare (Kindle Locations 125-127).  . Kindle Edition.

This is how things looked to Gurnall – way back then.  It seems it’s not so much the case today – is it?   Let me ask you (and myself), “What’s so tough about being a Christian today? “

Now, if your thoughts fly to the political, social and cultural – well, you have a point.  But what concerns me is that the political, social and cultural stuff is not the point – nor the problem.

Consider:

Sin moves by drawing the mind away from God, enticing the affections and twisting desires and paralyzing the will, thus stunting any real Christian growth.   One of the most frightening truths that Owen wants the believer to recognize is that “Your enemy is not only upon you . . . but is in you also.”  Part of understanding the battle against sin is seeing that the enemy, so to speak, is not only external, but internal, which is why Christians often have conflicting desires within them.  Owen, John; Kelly M. Kapic; Justin Taylor; John Piper (2006-10-16). Overcoming Sin and Temptation (p. 27). Good News Publishers/Crossway Books. Kindle Edition.

This is a critical point we must grasp.  Sanctification is about us, individually.  Our battle starts within and though we remove ourselves far from the world and the devil, sin goes where we go.  Could it be that as the world (and the church) church has compromised the truth and the duty of the believer we are more inured to, more callous about and less sensitive to sin?  Are we allowing a cloak of worldliness to fall around our shoulders?  Are we comfortable with a certain amount of impurity mixed with the gold?

I really think we are.  I believe that we have grown shallow or we have remained so callow in our faith that unless it’s grossly rejected by “most people,” we don’t see it as much of a sin.  I am reminded of a lesson I heard on the 10 Commandments.  When the speaker got to the tenth he simply said that this included, “Not even wanting to do the first nine.”  The first commandment is all about God the last is all about “me, mine, I.” 

 

I believe that we have been become so calloused that sin has little meaning.  And yet sin – especially covetousness permeates our culture.  The “American Dream” has morphed into a deadly and pernicious virus clouding our judgments and hindering our sensitivity.  We have succumbed to the “more, bigger, better” lies as well as the “got to’s” of marketing.  I know, I used to swim in it where now I simply wade in it.  We have been fooled into accepting, however unconsciously, that what we have (or don’t have), where we go (or don’t go) is a measure of our value and the all of our meaning.

We have ceased to be in and not of the world.  Perhaps it’s time for an Exodus?  But if we don’t see or feel the slavery we live in why would we want to leave?  Unfortunately I fear that until we experience our Pharaoh who knows not Joseph we will not want to leave.

This is not something new.  We can identify great men and women of faith in history but we find few “peoples” of faith.  We revel in reading of Spurgeon and Owen and Gurnall but they are stellar singularities in the Christian sky.  We seem to think that just “accepting Jesus” (an utterly unbiblical concept) puts us on the right side of the fence.  We are, of course, wrong.

How sensitive are you to sin?  How deeply does it pain you to discover it?  What are those sins that trouble you?  Are they biggies?  Would you refuse to steal the car of your dreams but not be bothered when you envy someone who owns one?  Would you refuse to steal money to have more, bigger, better but scowl at someone who had it?

How much tribulation, sorrow and hunger (spiritually or physically) do we really suffer?  How much are we really persecuted or rejected?  When was the last time you really examined yourself?  When was the last time you were moved to repentance.  Mine was just about five minutes ago – but then writing this makes me more sensitive than I was an hour ago.

We are indeed like the church of Laodicea.  We are neither hot nor cold – BUT we are comfortable – aren’t we.  Tolerance, as the world defines it is a sin.  But intolerance as demonstrated by the “church” may be just as big a sin.  When my intolerance is focused more outwardly than inwardly, I believe it is a sin.  “The Joneses” won’t have to answer to me; I won’t have to answer to “the Joneses but we will both have to answer to God.  So why am I so consumed with what they are doing instead of what I am or am not doing?

Yeah – I’m back on the old “log and speck” thing.  For me, the sins of another are as important as specks.  There is nothing I can do about them and little they can do to me.  My “log’ on the other hand can kill me or get me killed.  It obscures my vision, impairs my judgment and hinders my right actions.  It is very important as it affects me and my walk with Him.

We are called to be holy.  We are called to learn and live righteousness.  We are not called to do these things in comparison to others but in comparison to God.  Yes, we are redeemed from our failure, our rebellion but the call to holiness is not diminished, the expectation of our focus and efforts is not weakened.  We are to be growing in righteousness not wallowing in comfort and complacency.

This “walk” we are called to, this growth in righteousness can never be comfortable.  Therefore I have to wonder, if we are indeed comfortable, are we even walking the Way?  If we are troubled by the sins of the world are we troubles by our own?  Which of the two is our priority?  We all know which one should be.  But no one wants to repent of stuff that others find no problem with.  Huh?

OK, let’s take TV.  Let a mother and father come under a conviction that TV is more bad than good and that what is offered as entertainment on it is not something they want in their home and then let them share with others this conviction and they are immediately seen as, well, weird.  Let a group of believers come under conviction that owning property and a building is not as good stewardship as many think and they become, well, weird.  Let someone decide that bowing to “fashion,” or ‘convention,” in matters of dress and they are, well, weird.

Now a tough question.  Has not this complacency, this callousness concerning sin caused our weaker brothers and sisters to stumble?  Where we are tolerant do we not teach a bad lesson?  Where we are speck focused, are we not laying trip-wires?  Has our attitude of, “it’s not a big sin,” not muddied all the waters?  Hasn’t our failure to teach biblical self-examination and the mortification of sin left many many believers ill-equipped to live the live they are called to?

Perhaps we need to be convicted of our insensitivity to conviction.  We want to be “better” Christians when perhaps we ought to realize that it is only in Christ we are Christians at all.  What is an acceptable level of sin to you?  Yes, it is forgiven – but our liberty cannot be a license for liberality. 

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psa 51:17 

When did we last cry out for God to break “our’ spirit and make “our” heart broken and contrite? 

How about this as a thrice daily prayer:

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!  (24)  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!    Psa 139:23-24

I fear that if we are not somehow turned to be consumed with our sin we will be consumed by it.  I fear that if we are not obsessed with righteousness we will be continue to be obsessed with comfort and complacency.  I fear that until we are willing to face the shame of our sin we will not fully appreciate the shame He bore for our sin.

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."  And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.   1Pe 1:14-19  

Blast from the past

Heb 10:22-23  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  (23)  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

What an awesome privilege we have to be able to draw near to our God – and to do so in full assurance.

But where does that assurance come from?  Do we look for it in our behavior?  In our thoughts and reflections?  In miracles?  In feelings?

Yes – no and maybe!

Certainly we experience assurance in all these areas of our lives.  The problem we often face however is wanting to consistently and constantly experience our assurance in one or maybe two particular areas.  It is not my experience or my understanding or the Word that this is the way it works.  We are a whole – the sum of all our parts and it is in all our parts that we experience, have a sense of assurance.  To limit the evidence of our assurance to but one or two areas is to make ourselves spiritually myopic.

Our assurance can and does express itself in our senses.  We can “feel” that assurance.  But feelings, as we know, are fickle.  Bad food, stress, neurochemical imbalances call all radically affect our feelings.  To look too much to them is not a good idea. 

We really need to build our assurance on much more than us, our experience or behavior.  You see my assurance is not in me, it’s in Him.  As Heb.10:23 says, “he is faithful that promised.”  My assurance is Him – His faithfulness.  Next to that, my faithfulness is microscopic.

Our faith is ‘in” His faithfulness.  We have believed and we have been cleansed and now we work out our salvation – and fear and trembling is part and parcel of the process. 

Gal 2:20-21  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.  (21)  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Note the assurance in the verses above.  Many of us love to quote verse 20 but we seem to miss verse 21.

“Frustrating the grace of God,” is perhaps the most common activity we take part in.  Certainly we are to examine ourselves and “judge” ourselves but we cannot, for we have no right to condemn ourselves. 

When we examine our lives and we find sin we are to fall upon the grace of God.  Yes, we need to address the sin and forsake it but we are to do this within the wonderful grace our Lord has poured out on us. 

The Law is the tool by which we measure ourselves but it is the grace of God by which we must judge ourselves.  If sin is the way I measure my relationship with God, I will always be disappointed.  But if it is grace that I use then I, even as I struggle with sin, have every cause for rejoicing.

Without our unworthiness, grace would not be grace.  It’s tough to live with that tension but it is do-able. 

Gill says of the Galatians passage:

the life he (Paul) had was not of his own obtaining and procuring; his life of righteousness was not of himself, but Christ; his being quickened, or having principles of life and holiness implanted in him, was not by himself, but by the Spirit; and the holy life and conversation he lived was not owing to himself, to his power and strength, but to the grace of God; or it was not properly himself, or so much he that lived,

If you read the OT you will many places where god make it plain that it will never be by our efforts that we will be righteous (Deut. 5 is an example).

God says, “Thou shall not!”  but He knows we will.

God says, “Thou shall!”  but He knows we won’t.

So, why are we surprised when we do and don’t?  Why do we use our weakness (albeit redeemed) as the measure of our relationship with God when it is the faithfulness of Christ that is God’s own measure?

James presents us with a weird little insight into our lives in Christ.

Jas 3:2  For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

Accepted – we all stumble and we do so in many ways.  That is the norm – the common frustration of all the redeemed.  But look at the measure of “perfection” or “wholeness” that James gives – what we say.  If we can control our tongues – but we don’t (read the rest of the passage).

STUMBLE:   πταίω   ptaiō

Thayer Definition:

1) to cause one to stumble or fall

2) to stumble

2a) to err, make a mistake, to sin

2b) to fall into misery, become wretched

Yes, sin is bad – we should do all we can to avoid it.  But we will stumble – trip.  OK – that is common and normal for us all. 

Yes, before our redemption we all stood condemned – now, we CAN’T. 

GET THAT???  CAN’T!!!!!

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

The bottom line?  “He is faithful that promised.”  Him – not you or I, Him.

God made you – God made you His > end of one story beginning of a new one!

Psa. 5 050712

Psa 5:8-11  Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.  (9)  For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.  (10)  Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.  (11)  But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

One of my “daughters’ in the Lord sent me an encouragement and referred me to Psa. 91.  Wow – what a lift!  Have you ever noticed that when the oscillating blades are struck by compost it’s real easy to forget all the wonderful passages of assurance there are?  I do that a lot.  Being a “problem solver” I tend to immediately start thinking things through and seeking a solution – only to discover that I’m running in circles of despair.

Verse eight is a great way to begin:

Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. 

Now that petition really gets the priorities in focus.  It really brings “cheek turning” into focus.  Regardless of our enemies and their actions we are to remain focused on Him and seek to continue in His ways.

It’s so easy to plan and plot how to circumvent, retaliate, avoid, ensnare, etc. those who do us harm.  Yeah – it’s natural and normal (for that body of death we tote around).  The flesh will indeed seek it’s pound of flesh.  But this verse centers me again to what is important (even if it feels like my hair is on fire).

I want to stay in His way!  Glorify Him!  Honor my Redeemer!

But I also want to smack my attacker.  That’s a “want to” that’s hard to avoid.  It may be easier when you’re under attack 365/24/7 but most of us get blind-sided only rarely.  So we get “provoked” (Eph. 4:26) and here comes anger and we start plotting and planning.  Which is exactly why these assault are hurled our way.  The divert and distract us from the main priority.

They also do something else.  (OUCH) They humble us.  They call our minds to the fact that as His people in this world we’re never going to be trouble free.  We will not only suffer for our faith but we will suffer just because we’re here.  Humble?  Sure!  Who am I to think I get a free ride?  Who am I to suppose (whether for my faith or just because) trouble will not come my way. 

Humble?  Yep.  Especially when we think, “What did I do to deserve this?”  Now we can do a lot of things and the consequences are tough.  But when we cannot see where we have done wrong or anything to draw the attacks we can get downright fussy and mifted.

One thing we have all done to “deserve” enemies is to hold Christ as Lord.  We really don’t have to do anything else.  Which is why our battle is with our flesh and the battle with evil is His.  Satan can’t destroy us but divert and distract us.  When I am caught up in battling the “enemies” without I’m not doing anything about my flesh.  I’m even feeding my flesh by getting caught up in battling my enemies.

I think that’s why the Spirit moved David to write verse 9 and 10:

(9)  For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.  (10)  Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you. 

These verses put these enemies in the proper perspective.  They are much to be pitied and prayed for.  What they are about may be wrong but it is natural for them.  It’s the only hope they have in this world.  It’s the only thing in their hearts and characterizes their whole lives.

We, like David, need to leave them to God.  Only He can change them.  Our active retaliation will not change them, just move them to a different target.  But it is God who is their target – it’s not really us.  So we leave them for God to address.

Finally we read:

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

Ok – taking “refuge” goes against everything my “flesh” was ever taught about being a “real man.”  It’s the way of the chicken, the sissy, the coward – I write in “fleshly” terms.

In truth, taking refuge is what happened when He made us His own.  We just need to stay there.  When our enemies can taunt us into coming out or refuge and facing them on their terms we are gonna get whipped!  But if we remain in Him, under His wings, in His refuge then we can deal with the attack from a safe place – a place they cannot conquer.

It’s not easy to keep focused – but it is essential.  If I trust Him for my very eternal life – what is the occasional attack? 

I know I have nothing to lose (although it feels like it) from taking refuge in Him – I also know that if I leave His refuge I will lose much and even if I win the skirmish I will be sorely and deeply wounded.

My battle cry???

Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;

make Your way straight before me.

Thanks Stacie!!!!!

Three Things Part 1 042112

For far too long there has been a troubling lack of any meaningful and systematic catechizing or discipling taking place in the Body of Christ. It once was the case that a new believer would undergo up to a year of teaching and training prior to their baptism and acceptance into the local church as a functioning member. This was not some “initiation” process but, rather, it came from a serious commitment to follow the command found in the Great Commission.

Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

The phrase “go . . . make disciples . . . baptizing . . . teaching . . .,” is all of one cloth. It is a simultaneous and continuous operation.

Indeed, we have gone and certainly, we have baptized but we have failed miserably in making disciples and teaching. The current state of the Body of Christ is all the proof we need. It is clear that the prophesies of wolves, evil men, false teachers and so on have been and are being fulfilled.

Clearly, the Body of Christ has missed the mark and the responsibility lies specifically at the feet of those He called to be pastors and teachers (to include elders). We have either ignored or rebelled against God by both rejecting and misappropriating His gifts.

Eph 4:11-16 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, (12) to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, (13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, (14) so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (15) Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, (16) from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Unless the foundation of salvation is, indeed, that which we do or don’t do, then the discipling/teaching that has taken place in the church is contrary to the Gospel of Grace. Simply take a walk through any Christian book store and look at the discipleship or Christian living sections. Almost without exception, the books are about “doing.” This is contrary to the faith. So, too, are the plethora of classes, seminars and courses offered by well-known yet miss-directed celebrity Christians.

We have sought “right practice,” without establishing a foundation of “right belief.” We have tossed out sound theology and biblical doctrine for a “sound-bite” system of faith. In short, we have been clearly disobedient to the Lord’s commission in both spirit and letter. We have created several generations of handicapped believes and confident pretenders. As a result, the Body of Christ now resembles a mall or private club more than it does the assembly of the redeemed.

In my younger years in the Lord, I used to respond to the question, “Are you a Christian”? with a proud and resounding “Yes!!” I no longer do so. Today, my response, of necessity, is, “What do you mean”? I’ve found a cruelly deficient definition of “Christian” not only among the unredeemed but among the redeemed as well.

This little work is not intended to be definitive – I am a historian, not a theologian. But I hope that from this work, the Holy Spirit will deeply convict the reader to seek to grow in the knowledge of biblical doctrine and even theology. This seeking begins on our knees asking God to not only convict but also commit us to the diligent and proper study of His Word that we might live in this world rightly and soundly, glorifying Him.

Ah, you need a motivator? How about fulfilled prophesy?

2Ti 4:3-4 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, (4) and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

John Owen wrote:

“But in general, to be spiritually minded in an eminent degree, they cannot but esteem it a thing excellent and desirable; - but it is for them who are more at leisure than they are; their circumstances and occasions require them to satisfy themselves with an inferior measure.”

To clarify what Owen was saying, most folks won’t take the time or make the effort to do the work needed to have a sound and clear knowledge of the faith. That’s for the paid holy men or folks with nothing better to do.

Owen says of those who fail to put their spiritual (Christian) duties above all others:

“And where it is thus, this grace can never thrive or flourish, it can never advance unto any eminent degree.”

We have raised several generations of crippled Christians. Repentance is the only recourse we have to rectify our failure.

Three Things Part 1

When asked to explain my faith, I always begin with the simple statement that as a believer in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Redeemer, I am obligated to three things:

1. To love God;
2. To love my neighbor; and
3. To love those who choose to be and act as an enemy towards me (since I, as His follower, do not have the right to be anyone’s enemy).

Needless to say, this is not at all what they expect. They expect some, “How I came to Jesus,” story or a lot of references to sin and obedience, etc. I sadly fail to meet their expectations.

I always start with loving God. Why? Well, unless they can, at least for the sake of argument, consider that there is a God, what’s the point?

Now – here’s your work:

Write down all you know and understand about God. Please give careful consideration to His sovereignty, justice, holiness, love, hate, goodness, judgment, condemnation, mercy and grace as sub-headings for your work.

I know that God is holy. He said so. But what, pray tell, does that mean?

I know that God is sovereign but what does that sovereignty mean?

Get my drift?

For the redeemed, these are critical issues for growth. For the unredeemed, they are critical questions to consider.

Oh, it’s much more fun to know about spiritual gifts, miraculous probabilities and the neat stories, but without a sound knowledge and understanding of God, His character and attributes, everything else is just stuff.

What do you know and understand of His omniscience, omnipresence, etc.?

Mmmmmm. Ouch?

This is, of course, work that needs to be done. If you don’t ever increase your knowledge and understanding of God, how do you know if you are loving Him or not? Of more concern, how do you know if it’s the God of the scriptures you are loving?

Think about food. Are there foods you “love”? I had several favorite foods until I got to know and understand what was in them. Now I steer clear. I love lobster – then I discovered that they are carrion eaters (eaters of dead stuff like buzzards), no lobster, thank you.

Knowledge and understanding increase our ability to make wise choices. “God is good”! is a correct statement, but unless you understand His goodness, His sovereignty and His holiness, you’re going to have a hard time whenever the compost hits the oscillating blades!

No, I’m not going to admonish you to read your Bible. First, I shouldn’t have to and, second, just reading the scriptures will make your task harder and longer than it needs to be.

There are some excellent works that I would recommend:

Jame Frame:

The Doctrine of God;

The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God;

The Doctrine of the Word of God;

The Doctrine of the Christian Life;

D.A. Carson:

The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God

As well as the works of A.W. Tozer, John Owen, John Newton and for the hearty, the works of B.B. Warfield.

You might also want to get a dictionary of theological terms – there are some weird words out there.

Last, but never least, I suggest you get a copy of the Westminster Confession of Faith with the scripture references. It’s a great concise tool for guided study.

There are other authors I could have mentioned and many more I would warn you against. Please stay out of the “Christian Living” section of your local Bible bookstore. You will never get what you need for a solid and sound foundation there. Oh, you may find some good and neat stuff, but it’s mostly topical and sound-bite stuff – which is fine only if you already have a solid foundation.

Yeah, sounds like I’m promoting seminary doesn’t it? Seminary is fine, if you have the time and the $, but too many sound teachers have written too many sound works for you to have to do that. In retrospect, I believe that the only reason God moved me to go to seminary was so I might discover the wonder of the history of the church (my Master’s degree) and to sit under Dr. Jim North, a most diligent and wonderful church historian who made you feel you knew the people, times, places and events you studied. I learned from him that history is real people with real issues dealing with real events that have a direct bearing on real people and real issues and real events today and tomorrow.

More to come …………………………..

Copyright, Michael Sanders, 2012. All rights reserved.

Churching 032812

James 4:4  You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

I’ve just finished reading, The Churching of America 1776-2005 1776-2005 by Finke and Stark and am greatly stunned by what they found in their studies.  The clarity and focus of this work makes it a must read for anyone concerned with the direction the Church is taking and the reasons for it.

They uncover a process the church, at least in the USA, seems to follow.  To put it in my own words you have a small group who reject the status quo of the established “church” and forms a sect.  The sect is marked by an “other-worldly” perspective, a high cost or commitment and a high degree of tension with the culture in which it exists.  However, over time as the sect grows more affluent and larger it seems it begins to seek accommodation with the culture and an institution (as opposed to a Body) is formed.  As this takes place the cost/commitment of membership decreases and the institution begins to suffer in numbers and effectiveness.  Then, a small group of members, dissatisfied with the status quo ------- and over and over.

The whole process revolves, in my view, around a desire to have the acceptance of and credibility in the culture in which it exists.  Unfortunately the shift is also one from serving the Lord in individual and corporate growth in holiness to serving the “world” in the manner the world dictates.  I would hazard to suggest that at the point at which the institution makes a definitive switch in servant hood the Holy Spirit is left little recourse but to influence those still sensitive to His influence to resist the switch and ultimately move on.

One place the authors do not delve into, although they do touch on it and its consequences, is the area of the education of Pastors.  It seems that the higher the education of the Pastors the greater the susceptibility of accommodation with the culture.  Early on one acquired a Bachelors of Theology in order to be considered for ordination.  Today, since the 70s, one is typically required to have a Masters of Divinity for ordination.  The M. Div. is considered a “professional” degree (actually it’s a B. Div./B. Th. on steroids).

But here’s my quandary.  In the early days of our nation the Gospel was spread (usually) by well-trained but poorly educated intenerate preachers.  They were as well educated as those they served; more poorly paid than their “professional” counterparts and almost always died young.  It was these men who moved the church into the frontier, who tilled the soul-soil and planted the seeds and with great success.  However, the established “church” saw them as a disfigurement on the Body of Christ mostly due to their lack of formal education, their rough and ready attitudes and their lack of social graces.

The issue, for me, breaks down into “professional” verses “vocational.”  Now the two are not mutually exclusive but of the two it is the vocational that has consistently fueled the health and growth of the Body of Christ.  In the 1700 and 1800’s a man who had a sense of “calling” usually had demonstrated some skill in ministry through teaching and otherwise serving the Body.  Determined competent by his peers he would be ordained of commissioned to preach and perform the duties of a Pastor.  Where these men may not have been theologically, philosophically or socially astute as their seminary trained counterparts they were much more effective in fulfilling the Great Commission.

When we lower the minister to the level of the Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer, etc. we rob him of the true nature of his authority and limit the breadth of his work.  It is not the role off the ministry to engage the culture or science or cults.  It is the role of the ministry to:

Eph. 4:12 -  to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes

It is the duty of the pastor to shepherd the flock – and the flock is solely composed of the redeemed.

Back to my issue.  It seems that the more “successful” the “church” or “denomination” the greater the propensity for friendship with the world.  The greater the desire to be accepted and lauded by the community.  The greater the pull to be relevant to the unredeemed.  We want to be liked and valued – even as a “church.”

Accommodation is the only step to compromise which is the only step to apostasy.

Friendship – phileos – love for the world is as much (if not more) a corporate (church) issue as it is an individual issue.  It is adultery,  it is idolatry.  It begins with a desire for what the world tells you you need (church or individual) and then a lust grows and – well ------

James 1: 14 But each person ( and I would say “church”) is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

The question individual bodies of believers need to be asking is NOT are we growing numerically.  That is not our job (see Acts 2:47b).  Our job – our and in the church’s and especially the leaders is to:

Eph. 4:12 -  to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

So that the church can resist:

James 1: 14 But each person ( and I would say “church”) is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

What, “things of the world,” does the Bride of Christ seem to be enamored with?  Where does the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life assail her?  What wrongly directed desires doe she hold in her heart?

She’s not a victim – except of her own desires.

Temptation 032112

Wow ! !

“So temptation is like a knife, that may either cut the meat or the throat of a man; it may be his food or his poison, his exercise or his destruction.”  Over Coming Sin and Temptation  by John Owen

Old John didn’t mince words did he?

Temptation:  READ !!

πειρασμοσ peirasmos; from; a putting to proof (by experiment (of good), experience (of evil), solicitation, discipline or provocation); by implication, adversity: — temptation, x try.  

An experiment, attempt, trial, proving trial;  the trial of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy an enticement to sin, temptation, whether arising from the desires or from the outward circumstances an internal temptation to sin or a mental state, by which we are enticed to sin, or to a lapse from the faith and holiness adversity, affliction, trouble: sent by God and serving to test or prove one's character, faith, holiness temptation ( i. e. trial) of God by men rebellion against God, by which his power and justice are, as it were, put to the proof and challenged to show themselves.

Temptations can come in all kinds of wrappings.  The may be sweet smelling and pretty or they may stink and offend.  Allllllll tooooooo often we think of temptation in sexual terms – which is a shame.  There are more sins than the nasty ones.

I can be tempted to flatter for self-gain.

I can be tempted to defame for self-promotion.

I can be tempted to stand silent for self-protection.

I can be tempted to conform for self-worth.

I can be tempted to do a kindness to expose another’s miserliness.

I can be tempted to do good to obscure my bad acts.

Temptation – is a trial – of my heart, my faithfulness, my maturity.

I sometimes wonder if, when we are tempted, we see it too much a test of our faith as opposed to a test of our general condition “in Christ.”  Many folks seem to approach temptation as a test of whether or not the believe in the Redeemer – and maybe 

sometimes that’s what’s happening.  

But for the most part I find it to be a test of my:

Knowledge – Do I know it’s a test – do I know how to respond?

Understanding  – Are reasons X is a temptation to me clear?

Maturity – Have I so grown in Christ that I see the “fine points” of temptations I used to miss?

Surrender – Where am I on the continuum of “Not I but Christ?”  Depending on all the above I may still need a lot of growing.

Discernment – Hello!!! Am I paying attention?

Remember >>  TO BE TEMPTED IS AS PAIN BUT IT IS NOT A SIN !!!!!!!!

As a matter of (a Mikey) fact – did you ever stop to think that you can only be “tempted” if you are His?  Is that not GOOD news!  If you aren’t His then it is not a temptation.  Oh, it may be a challenge to cultural and societal expectations for the unbeliever BUT,for the believer, it ain’t no sin!

Now can you see why James says to “count it all joy?”  Temptations/trials demonstrate you are His – they bring assurance.  Failure to resist simply demonstrates that here is a place in your mind, heart and life where you need to grow more in Him. 

It also keeps us looking for His arrival.  Sometimes when I am entering a situation where I know there will be temptation (and these are unavoidable – quit thinking sex) or when a temptation pops up I laugh and pray, “Come quickly Lord!!!!”  It’s just a simple and funny way for me to keep in mind that there will be a day when there won’t be temptation – and OH Boy am I ready.  How about you?

Until them, to make a play on scripture, “Be tempted, and sin not!”  It may not be easy – but is really is that simple!