Reflections of Passion

Matthew 5:13-16

2011-10-08T14:44:00.005-04:00

"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

There is a vital application to the Christian faith that accomplishes one of two outcomes for the one who publicly professes him/herself as saved by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8). It either provides circumstantial evidence of an inward change of the heart manifested in good works from an obedient will that gives glory to God, or it polarizes those who the Christian comes in contact with by creating division and confusion as to how someone who claims to be a Christian can live a hypocritical life. This is truly the crossroads we find ourselves within a highly skeptical culture, micro-analyzing the Christian faith community for signs of authenticity and fruits of the spirit. Make no mistake, Christ's admonition in Matthew 5:13-16 is the litmus test of our faith, exemplifying our depth of Biblical character or lack thereof, and giving testimony to the glory of God for his infinite grace and mercy, or in contrast, how surface we have become in our spiritual walk with Christ that in truth does more damage than good to the cause of the Great Commission.

I find it incredibly intriguing why those who are most critical of Christians and their sinful behavior first and foremost rarely point out their issues with what the Bible defines as sinful behavior. While there are exceptions of course, most often greater emphasis is placed upon the inconsistencies of application rather than the Biblical standard. It would appear that they don't necessarily have issues with what the Bible says when Christians practice what they preach, but that rarely happens. Therefore a skeptic may conclude, "Why want what they have because it doesn't look any different than what I have?" Again this is not a blanket statement, but is this a fair criticism? Absolutely. There is no greater standard of morals, ethics and character than the Bible, yet we know as habitual sinners it is impossible to attain perfection on our own through good works. Only through Christ do we attain perfection, "For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14). And let us be reminded that sanctification does not mean made clean upon conversion and perfect from this day forward. Rather, it supposes that righteousness is a progressive trial and error process of being conformed into the image of Christ--turning from sin and submitting unto Christ and His Word in increasing application.

It is difficult to see Christians acting out in direct or indirect defiance of Scripture. How can people who profess themselves to be Christian act like they do? It is a huge stumbling block to both unbelievers and immature believers and creates a Christian cultural melting pot that is inconsistent to say the least. No doubt the apostle Paul felt this weight within the church of Corinth when he wrote, "I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?" (1 Corinthians 3:2-3). The consistency of our Biblical application is rooted within the flesh which opposes obedience and submission unto God the Father. It exalts self, thus rejecting God's protective love. Perhaps writing through his experiential application of rejecting Christ, Peter conveyed similar understanding when he declared, "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation" (1 Peter 2:11-12). If our conduct does not match the truth we hold as absolute, we dishonor God by glorifying ourselves, plain and simple.

The Bible gives strong warnings to professing Christians who fail to apply Biblical truth and become stumbling blocks to those who do not know Christ. "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea" (Mark 9:42) is a perfect example of what Jesus taught concerning the importance of practicing what we preach. And if surgical procedure is needed to extract the cancer we allow to reign in our lives, Christ implores, "And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another" (Mark 9:43-50).

What an amazing picture Christ paints for us that everyone will be salted with fire! In its most basic form, salt provides flavor as a seasoning and acts as a preservative in food while also containing antiseptic properties used for cleaning wounds. Salt is a most useful substance, yet Christ likens salt to the process of cleansing by fire. In other words, while we are washed by the blood of the lamb in the obedient act of baptism, likewise our guilt and shame are purged--burned away by fire with the salt of the Spirit that gives us our flavor (righteousness) and preserves us (sanctification) against the forces of evil that wish to destroy us by cleansing us (justification) from sinful behavior we no doubt will experience in the future due to our fallen nature.

It is extremely difficult to pause and reflect upon my own personal application of this truth because the aftermath of wrong decisions I have made throughout my life is always top of mind. Even though I find great comfort in knowing I am being salted with fire, my mind naturally gravitates upon my shortcomings and how I have failed my Lord & Savior more times than I care to remember. However, it is critical to spiritual growth and maintaining the salty flavor needed to live out the Christian faith because it promotes a balance of the past (accepting full responsibility for personal sin), present (living in constant battle against sin and temptation) and future (constantly focusing on the victory found in Christ's shed blood which pays for our entry into eternity upon acceptance of His sacrifice). In all, it requires a man to take full responsibility for his actions and embrace the process of reconciliation before God for salt is the true test of our effectiveness as Christians, not perfection through good works.

No where else in Scripture is this truth better exemplified than Psalm 51 where King David declares in repentance, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment" (Psalm 51:1-4). David understood that he had sinned gravely and sought reconciliation first before God as his ultimate judge (Note: David had to reconcile with those he directly sinned against as well, i.e. Bathsheba, etc., even though verse 4 focuses specifically upon his relationship with God). He recognized through the accountability of Nathan the prophet that his saltiness was losing its flavor and if he did not seek forgiveness and accept the consequences of his actions (which inevitably resulted in the death of his son), he was destined to be useless for the God whom he so loved and trusted.

I know I can relate to David. The greatest fall from grace I have ever experienced came when I stood proudly upon the mountaintop of hypocritical pride and self-exaltation that I (like David) was "a man after my (God's) heart" (Acts 13:22) while at the same time wallowing in the filth of my sin. How ridiculous I had become to think I could continue to willingly live in adulterous sin (James 4:4) while presenting myself before a community of Christ followers as righteous before God and worthy to do His will. There is no greater regret I have than not only destroying my own life to various degrees but destroying the lives of those around me while blaspheming the name of Christ and abusing the gift He gave through his death for my sins. Praise God though for His deliverance of my soul and restoring the years the locust has eaten (Joel 2:25) for I once was incredibly blind, but now I see more clearly and am progressively being restored to righteousness.

Perspective is an amazing grace God gives to His children. For even in my regret and despair for the pain I have caused those I love, God still chose to lift me out of the depths and restore me unto Himself. Like David, I humbly cried out, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you" (Psalm 51:10-13). Praise God! He heard my cry, for now my soul proclaims, "O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit" (Psalm 30:3). What a privilege it is now to share how Christ has redeemed me and continues to illuminate His truth to me through Scripture passages such as these! To God be the glory!

It is imperative to note that the warning of salt losing its saltiness is a stern rebuke for those who believe they can continue living in sin without reproach or consequences. We must be clear that Jesus is not saying that if you sin, you have lost your effectiveness to share the Good News of His death, burial and resurrection. Rather, it focuses specifically upon any man or woman who believes that they can knowingly live as "whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27). Make no mistake, truly seeing the full depth and breadth of our sin is crucial to understanding Christ's teaching. And I believe if we are truly being honest with ourselves, which requires prayerful introspection and the help of others who know us, there are areas of our lives where we know we are sinning and need to stop, repent and never return to. Granted, temptation will always be present, seductively luring us back into self idolatry, but we do not have to continue living in sin without the slightest care of its destruction. Often times sin is extremely discreet and indirect, virtually undetectable without Biblical accountability with fellow Christians and a daily meal-plan of the absolute truth of Scripture that is "a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). But nonetheless it must be extracted before it kills you like cancer, ravaging your spirit unto death.

We must guard against any inclination to allow our flesh (self) to elevate its desires for a quick fix to sin and its destructive wake above the righteousness of God that will use our sin as an opportunity to draw us closer unto Christ in His time, not ours. The Bible states, "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6), and that is a promise to embrace because while God will not typically remove the consequences of sinful actions, He promises that ultimately we will not pay the final price for those sins if we surrender our lives unto Christ by grace through faith. Our time on earth is temporary, therefore we must take full responsibility for our sinful actions, allowing God to purify our hearts through their consequences, so that we may retain the salty flavor God placed within us when we accepted Christ as Lord & Savior--and that is how we allow God to shine through us as light to a dark world desperately in need of the transforming and saving power found only through Jesus Christ.

If we as Christians embrace the calling God sets upon our lives to submit to his will and authority and apply His Word in our hearts, then the light that shines forth from us will not be quenched. Does that mean we will flawlessly execute our duty unto Christ? No. Rather, God allows sin to take partial residence in our hearts in order to display His grace as we seek reconciliation with Him through repentance. And this will be a testimony to all that God is merciful and "gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6) who seek His face. Bottom-line, the Christian walk is not one without freedom. We have the choice to follow absolute truth that unwaveringly withstands the test of time, or self-truth that ebbs and flows like waves upon the shore. But in obedience and thanksgiving unto Christ, we submit to God's Word and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit that He gives through baptism, knowing that the truth of Christ sets us free (John 8:32). Moreover, we embrace our born-again identity as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that we may proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

Christ's teaching in Matthew 5:13-16 should be one that we approach with reverence and humility, for the responsibility God places upon us as ambassadors for His name is incredible. Whether fair or not, those who do not share our faith scrutinize our every word and action and make judgments based on what they see and hear, which alone should bring us to our knees daily, seeking discernment and understanding from God through prayer and Scripture reflection on how we can live unto righteousness. But that does not give us permission to lord over others in judgment from what we see and hear in them, for we are subject to the same measure. "Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God" (1 Corinthians 4:5). We are called to rise above such secular philosophy, for in that we become lamps upon a stand in the homes, churches, workplaces and culture where we reside.

I pray that this Scripture passage from the mouth of Christ through the pen of Matthew inspired through the Holy Spirit grips your heart as it has mine. It has taken six months for me to finish composing this journal entry, which is by far my longest hiatus from writing since this blog began two years ago. I have wrestled with what God desires to teach me through it and been distracted and sidetracked by countless things from finishing it. As I conclude though, ultimately I believe God has taught me to take my role as a Christian man, husband, father, friend, etc., much more seriously, understanding that my thoughts, attitudes and actions reflect the condition of my heart which is of supreme importance to God. No doubt, I continue to struggle simply reading God's Word and praying daily let alone resisting selfish desires, ambitions and temptation in general, but I also understand that Satan continues to oppose every attempt I make to live for righteousness (which be encouraged, is a good sign, for Satan only seeks to devour those who are not already his). Therefore it is in my best interest to apply all I learned earlier this year studying the Beatitudes, for they are foundational to living as salt and light. God continues to build a new framework within my life as I have slowly progressed through Matthew 5, which at times has been excruciatingly convicting yet refreshing to my soul. May God continue to illuminate my heart and mind and may I continue to humble myself and maintain a reverent posture as he conforms me into the image of His Son through the power of His Word. "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success" (Joshua 1:8).

Devotion #8 – Matthew 5:10-12

2011-06-19T12:00:00.001-04:00

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

If baptism is a public proclamation of a private, internal decision to follow Christ, then persecution is the measuring stick by which a Christian knows the spirit of the living God dwells within him. Make no mistake; Jesus’ final installment of the Beatitudes carries with it the most bone-chilling of promises, that to live for righteousness’ sake, there is an assurance of persecution that validates a man’s life unto Him. For just as Paul instructed Timothy, “indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12), we too must heed the same warning that to live for Christ does not mean a life without rejection from the world and even within the church itself (which can be most destructive). Rather, we yolk with Christ under the promise that “the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:16-17).

It is imperative to know that this Beatitude does not say we are blessed if we suffer for being good or noble. The world embraces those who do good things but shuns the righteous, because righteous living convicts and from God’s perspective condemns those who live in contrary. How then do we apply the truth of Scripture in this light? Let us begin with the words of Christ who proclaimed, “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26). We must always be on guard for those who would seek to destroy us for speaking Biblical truth in love rather than sugar-coating truth or spinning it in a way where the power of the Word is diminished or even contradicted in sinful justification. For as Scripture warns, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy” (Proverbs 27:6). Therefore, we must know up front that righteousness draws a line in the sand and those who choose to stand in opposition to God’s Word will inevitably turn against us when we live righteously.

Yet in the big picture we are comforted that “the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12). Therefore, we have access to the Son of God who paid the penalty for our sins and an obligation that we will stand on His behalf before man. The Bible states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Consequently, “So everyone who acknowledges me (Jesus) before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33). Christ and His Word are inseparable. So whether you stand for Him and who He was, or for Holy Scripture which is what He said, you stand in unison on the foundation of righteousness which polarizes those who live for the world and its self-idolatrous way of living.

Bottom-line, persecution is not an easy pill to swallow. Being hated is not our goal when we take up our cross and follow Christ. Yet Jesus firmly reminds us, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19). Moreover, He instructs us to embrace persecution as an opportunity to bear witness to His name by speaking truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). “Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives” (Luke 21:14-19). For the man who lives for Christ and righteousness’ sake, lost souls are motivation enough to compel him to endure all the fiery trials that life can bring in order that men would be won for Christ and lives transformed through the power of His Word. He may get burned in the process, but that wound is only momentary because He has perspective that life apart from Christ is “vanity and striving after the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14). He hears the voice of the Savior calling, “But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded” (2 Chronicles 15:7) and he responds faithfully, resting in the promises of God and the kingdom of heaven that awaits.

Devotion #7 – Matthew 5:9

2011-06-12T12:00:00.001-04:00

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

We live in a hostile world. It seems everywhere we turn today there are people, groups and nations at war with one another on a range of political, social, cultural and religious grounds. Yet this trend is nothing new to mankind, for opposition has stood the test of time and continues to thrive in a post-modernistic world that clings to self-truth. Is there not an answer to this madness? Praise God there is, for as Christians we believe God has provided us with the tools necessary to facilitate peace. Therefore, we must look no further than the Word of God that “is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path” (Psalm 119:105) and the Holy Spirit who “searches everything, even the depths of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10) for counsel and direction.

As we have studied previously, the Beatitudes build upon one another. Therefore, a man who seeks to be a peacemaker humbly seeks God’s grace for his salvation, mourns the destructive power of sin in his life and the lives of others, casts aside his selfish desires in meekness, pursues righteousness passionately, shows mercy to others in light of the infinite mercy God has given him, and seeks a purity of heart that overshadows his entire life. He cannot fathom attaining a level of true peace without living out the first five Beatitudes. They provide support to his peacemaking and enable him to seek and promote peace at the expense of himself because he has been made holy and righteous through humble repentance unto God and living out the Gospel through his own life. Specifically, a man who is a peacemaker is one who is meek, for he has only one concern which is the glory of God amongst men.

Scripture admonishes, “Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14), because peace can only be pursued with a heart that is motivationally pure. Moreover, one’s heart must be devoid of self which directly incorporates meekness and results in a denial of self-interest and self-concern. A peacemaker must be neutral, able to check his emotions and sensitivity without becoming defensive. Stated plainly, “the peacemaker is one who is not always looking at everything in terms of the effect it has upon himself…He has seen himself and has come to see that in a sense this miserable, wretched self is not worth bothering about at all. It is so wretched; it has no rights or privileges; it does not deserve anything” (Lloyd Jones). Jesus stated, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (Luke 9:24), which means you must sacrifice your idolatrous love of self so that the glory of God may be revealed in your pursuit of peace, regardless of the repercussions it may have on you.

Practically, a peacemaker is one who is “quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19). He is calculated in his thoughts and actions because he knows that “anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down” (Proverbs 12:25). More importantly, he is grounded in the authoritative truth of God’s Word for he knows that “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12), meaning he is not the ultimate source of peace but a facilitator of peace for the Most High God. He is willing to be used by God because his posture is low and his heart is pure.

The New Testament speaks emphatically “that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another” (1 Corinthians 12:25) and the peacemaker not only takes that to heart but produces peace within the body. The apostle Paul pleaded for this cause when he said, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). Division within the church family is of supreme importance to God and cannot be minimized as simply difference of opinion. For the seeds of gossip and casting judgment have no place in the life of a Christian man and a peacemaker seeks to destroy discord amongst the body and bring unity under the umbrella of God’s glory as revealed in His Word.

Bottom-line, “the peacemaker is the man who does not talk about people when they are offensive and difficult. He does not ask, ‘Why are they like that?’ He says, ‘They are like that because they are still being governed by the god of this world. That poor person is a victim of self and of Satan; he is hell bound; I must have pity and mercy upon him.’ The moment he begins to look at him like that he is in a position to help him, and he is likely to make peace with him. So you must have an entirely new view of the other person” (Lloyd Jones). That is how a man lives out the Gospel and is transformed into a peacemaker. Are you that man?

Devotion #6 – Matthew 5:8

2011-06-05T12:00:00.002-04:00

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

One would be hard-pressed to find a passage of Scripture that is more difficult to apply than Matthew 5:8. Our fallen self, wretched of sin on a consistent basis simply wages war in opposition to it. Yet Jesus Christ did not hesitate in declaring that the ultimate prize of seeing God face to face will be reserved for those whose hearts are unconditionally pure. What an amazing statement, although finding such a man may be rare today even within the church. For “who can say, ‘I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin?’” (Proverbs 20:9) Nonetheless, it is evident from Christ’s mouth that such a level of spiritual character does exist and therefore we should aim to seek it passionately for our sanctification.

This subject matter is so potent though that a man dare attempt to wrap his head around this concept because it strikes a cord between a man’s true self and his perceived and hopeful self image. For instance, no man seeks to be an adulterer or abusive husband/father, yet he will allow seeds of lust and anger to take residence in his heart and remain stifled but not eliminated. What makes him think that if he allows lustful or angry thoughts in his mind that they will not overtake his heart and manifest themselves in destructive levels of behavior? Don’t be so foolish! A man cannot separate his thoughts and behavior from a discussion of purity. They are all interconnected and sin drives a stake in the heart of any man desiring to live a life of purity and divides it.

Remember that Jesus spoke these words to a mixed crowd, including Pharisees, addressing the ultimate impact of Pharisaical behavior (i.e. religious hypocrisy) in His closing remarks on the Beatitudes when He calls out how they suppressed the truth of God’s Word and “persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:12). Nothing brought out the righteous anger of God more than the Pharisees’ behavior because of the impurity of their hearts, and nothing is of greater importance to God than our hearts, for they are the core of our being, our inner man and willful self. Therefore we must heed Christ’s warning: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean” (Matthew 23:25-26).

Charles Spurgeon offers this thought as well: “If your language should be chaste, yet, if your heart is reveling in foul imaginations, you stand before God not according to your words, but according to your desires; according to the set of the current of your affections, your real inward likes and dislikes, you shall be judged by him.” As men of character we cannot allow our inward thoughts, attitudes, affections and desires to be inconsistent with God’s Word, nor can we place disproportionate emphasis upon our heads and not our hearts. The church is full today of over-inflated theological giants who can recite verses by memory and expound in depth upon the truth of Scripture yet never apply a single word within their hearts. We cannot fall into that trap and as D. Martyn Lloyd Jones states, “reduce the way of life and righteousness to a mere matter of conduct, ethics and behavior.” Our focus is not external but emphatically and purposefully internal to the core.

I have heard it said that there is nothing that comes out of the mouth of a drunk that wasn’t there to begin with. Jesus spoke a similar sentiment: “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Matthew 15:18-19). This magnifies the fact that “the heart is always the core of all our troubles. But the terrible, tragic fallacy of the last hundred years has been to think that all man’s troubles are due to his environment, and that to change the man you have nothing to do but to change his environment. It overlooks the fact that it was in Paradise that man fell. It was in a perfect environment that he first went wrong, so to put man in a perfect environment cannot solve his problems” (Lloyd Jones). But if you can say, “I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members” (Matthew 7:22-23), then you are aware that purity of heart is the battleground between God and Satan in your life, and you have the choice to either live in hypocrisy and never see the face of God or cry out in humble depravity, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Matthew 7:24-25). My advice: choose purity of heart “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7) and inevitably you WILL see God for your heart WILL be made clean and pure by the blood of Christ.

Devotion #5 – Matthew 5:7

2011-05-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

Up until this week we have studied Beatitudes that focus on the inner self of man—character attributes that reveal how the transforming power of Christ changes a man from the inside out. It is vital though that we know where we have come from in order to understand Christ’s proclamation that the merciful are indeed blessed. We need context for clarity’s sake to better grasp the depth and breadth that our Lord and Savior sets before us as we grow in our understanding of this prophetic sermon. Therefore, let us summarize the relationship between the first four Beatitudes and the fifth installment as follows:

“I am poor in spirit; I realize that I have no righteousness; I realize that face to face with God and His righteousness I am utterly helpless; I can do nothing. Not only that. I mourn because of the sin that is within me; I have come to see, as the result of the operation of the Holy Spirit, the blackness of my own heart. I know what it is to cry out, ‘O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me?’ and desire to be rid of this vileness that is within me. Not only that. I am meek, which means that now I have experienced this true view of myself, nobody else can hurt me, nobody else can insult me, nobody can ever say anything too bad about me. I have seen myself, and my greatest enemy does not know the worst about me, I have seen myself as something truly hateful, and it is because of this that I have hungered and thirsted after righteousness. I have longed for it. I have seen that I cannot create or produce it, and that nobody else can. I have seen my desperate position in the sight of God. I have hungered and thirsted for that righteousness which will put me right with God, that will reconcile me to God, and give me a new nature and life. And I have seen it in Christ. I have been filled; I have received it all as a free gift.”

“Does it not follow inevitably that, if I have seen and experienced all that, my attitude towards everybody else must be completely and entirely changed? If all that is true of me, I no longer see men as I used to see them. I see them now with a Christian eye. I see them as the dupes and the victims and the slaves of sin and Satan and the way of the world. I have come to see them not simply as men whom I dislike but as men to be pitied. I have come to see them as being governed by the god of this world, as being still where once I was, and would yet be but for the grace of God. So I am sorry for them. I do not merely see them and what they do. I see them as slaves of hell and of Satan, and my whole attitude toward them is changed. And because of that, of course, I can be and must be merciful with respect to them. I differentiate between the sinner and his sin. I see everybody who is in a state of sin as one who is to be pitied.” (D. Martyn Lloyd Jones)

The ability to show mercy to others is an incredible gift that cannot be taken lightly. It was the power of mercy that enabled Stephen the martyr to proclaim, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them,” (Acts 7:60) as he was being stoned for proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ. It was the power of mercy in the parable of the Good Samaritan that drove the Samaritan, not a priest or Levite, to have pity on a man left for dead and care for his neighbor when no one else would (Luke 10:30-36). And it was the power of mercy that left our Creator God in such a state of pity and compassion to send His one and only Son to save a world of sinners in the midst of their ongoing law breaking by suffering execution for their sake.

Let us not confuse grace with mercy though. While grace is especially associated with men in their sins, mercy focuses on men in their state of misery. Moreover, grace focuses upon sin as a whole while mercy targets the consequences of sin. And it is relatively easy to test how merciful you are based on the next time you suddenly find yourself in the position of having in your power someone who has transgressed against you. “Now the way to know whether you are merciful or not is to consider how you feel towards that person. Are you willing to say, ‘Well now, I am going to exert my rights at this point; I am going to be legal. This person has transgressed against me; very well, here comes my opportunity?’ That is the very antithesis of being merciful. This person is in your power; is there a vindictive spirit, or is there a spirit of pity and sorrow, a spirit, if you like, of kindness to your enemies in distress.” (Lloyd Jones)

The litmus test of mercy is simple, and in truth, it reveals whether a man has developed the ability to apply the first four Beatitudes in his life. Mercy is not something that can be faked because it flows from an outpouring of mercy shown unto you via your repentance unto God. Hence, we are subject to showing mercy to our fellow man because our own necessity for mercy unto God demands it, and thus we gladly welcome the opportunity to give mercy unto others as we undeservingly have been granted the same from our Father in Heaven.

Devotion #4 – Matthew 5:6

2011-05-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

The pursuit of happiness is a concept that virtually every man can relate to. The choices we make and actions we take all seem to revolve around a purpose that life is meant to drive a man to seek happiness as his ultimate goal. Yet we find in our culture for example that personal debt is rampant, roughly half of all marriages (Christian and non-Christian) end in divorce, and post-modernistic thinking is monopolizing our culture and the church. Where have we lost our compass? Perhaps Matthew 5:6 gives us a glimpse into our dilemma.

D. Martyn Lloyd Jones states, “The world is seeking for happiness. That is the meaning of its pleasure mania, that is the meaning of everything men and women do, not only in their work but still more in their pleasures. They are trying to find happiness, they are making it their goal, their one objective. But they do not find it because, whenever you put happiness before righteousness, you will be doomed to misery.” It is vital that we understand this distinction because while there is nothing inherently wrong with happiness, it must be a by-product that comes from a pursuit of righteousness first and foremost.

Righteousness itself is simply a desire to be one with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, through a pursuit and application of God’s absolute truth, for “all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Therefore if we desire to know God, we must begin by immersing our hearts and minds in truth, allowing change to break forth from the inside out. Within that crucible of truth, sin is magnified and we begin to understand how our thoughts and actions directly affect our relationship with God. Conversely, we also witness the power of grace and mercy found in the ultimate sacrifice of Christ that propels a Christian to pursue righteousness out of obedience in thanksgiving for the saving power of Christ in his life.

Yet do we truly understand what it means to hunger and thirst for righteousness? A simple question to ask ourselves is, “What affect would it have on me to fast for a day without food or drink?” Consider a few days and then perhaps a week. Would you be able to perform your daily duties as a husband, father, employee or friend like you do currently? Could you even fathom going a day without anything to eat or drink? So what makes any of us think that we can live righteously without proper nutrition from the Word of God on a daily basis? It simply does not make any sense, yet we predominately live in this state oblivious to the fact that we are literally starving for intimacy with God which is our only source of life. Jesus admonishes, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35), therefore “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3).

Charles Spurgeon summarizes it this way: “There is nothing in the world that is more real than hunger and thirst, and the truly blessed man has such a real passion, desire, and craving after righteousness that it can only be, likened to hunger and thirst. He must have his sins pardoned, he must be clothed in the righteousness of Christ, he must be sanctified; and he feels that it will break his heart if he cannot get rid of sin. He pines, he longs, he prays to be made holy; he cannot be, satisfied without this righteousness, and his hungering and thirsting for it is a very real thing.”

Intimacy with God is consistent, purposeful and genuine, and you cannot attain happiness without seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness—only then will it be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). Therefore to reach a point of satisfaction in your life, which is promised to the man who hungers and thirsts for righteousness, you must cast aside happiness as your goal in life and pursue true, intimate communion with Jesus Christ. The world (and even the church) is full of unhappy people with a tainted perspective on God’s economy, to which you must respond accordingly by embracing a desire to be free from the power of sin and self-idolatry in all its manifestations and forms, from which only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse. Our need is desperate, like a man wandering aimlessly in the desert without food or water, yet Jesus promises that if we pursue Him, He will meet our needs. And in the end, that is nothing but a longing and desire to be like the Lord Jesus Christ Himself which is our ultimate satisfaction this side of Heaven.

Devotion #3 – Matthew 5:5

2011-05-15T12:00:00.000-04:00

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Installment three of Jesus’ famous Beatitudes shifts the attention from an inner focus on man’s complete depravity and a proper attitude of how a true follower of Christ mourns over sin in response, to a quality that frankly is one of the most misunderstood of all the Beatitudes—meekness. It is simply not a quality we commonly reference in culture, yet its fingerprint can be found among the Mount Rushmore of character attributes. For instance, we can wrap our minds around what it means to be humble, gentle, patient, forgiving and content, yet do we understand what meekness truly entails? Rest assured that meekness carries more weight than all of these, because when combined they give us a glimpse into the mystery of meekness.

In a simplistic sense, meekness is a quiet strength, under control and without self-motivations. A man of meekness is mild-mannered, not easily irritated or provoked, and submissive to God’s divine will and purposes. He does not elevate himself over another, but yields by choice for he is content with his lot, whatever that may be. More importantly, he is not proud or intent on pursuing his own ambitions but humble and willing to accept the lowest position. He views himself honestly and without bias which expresses itself in his attitude and conduct with respect to others. In other words, meekness cannot be fabricated. It is measured by one’s thoughts and actions and sifted through a colander of self-idolatry.

Yet in the purest sense, meekness cannot be compartmentalized from pride. Like oil and water, they do not mix. Therefore a man must concede that if he desires to attain the blessing Jesus promises to those who are meek, he must slay the dragon of pride within his heart. Scripture declares, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble,” therefore “humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you” (James 4:6,10). Be ever vigilant to heed the warning that “the Lord tears down the house of the proud” (Proverbs 15:25), but that “the reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4). Allow the truth of God’s Word to wash over your heart and cleanse you from all self-righteousness. Only then will you be able to discern God’s will for your life as a man of meekness.

What we fail to recognize is that there is infinite power in meekness. Jesus Christ was the epitome of meekness which should come as an encouragement to those who assume that meekness = weakness. Jesus was all-powerful, fully man and fully God but subservient to the will of the Father. He is our ultimate example of meekness. The apostle Paul summarizes the meekness of Christ this way: “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:1-11).

Just as Jesus did not count equality with God as something you or I can grasp, neither still can meekness be completely understood. It is almost too big a concept to understand, let alone apply. But for those who claim the name of Jesus Christ as their only salvation, meekness is where the rubber meets the road. It is the outpouring of a changed heart within a depraved world. It is 100% counter-culture, just like the man who epitomized its definition, but in reality is our true test of Biblical application in our lives. You cannot fake meekness—its construct simply doesn’t allow it. But the more you die to your own selfish ambitions and embrace the role of a servant, immersed in an attitude of contentment in Christ and His provision, the more you will see the fruit of meekness break forth in your life. You don’t have to abandon your masculinity to be meek. Quite the opposite! Embrace God’s design for true masculinity and examine the behaviors of Christ, then begin applying your new-found meekness within your marriage and how you parent your children, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide your path in humility as you die to self.

Devotion #2 – Matthew 5:4

2011-05-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

The second installment of Beatitudes Jesus proclaimed in His Sermon on the Mount focuses on the process of mourning, and this is an easy verse to take out of context when we are faced with the issue of death. Logically, when we read this verse, immediately our minds filter to the comfort God promises when we lose a loved one. As difficult as the circumstance may be, Christians tend to cling to this verse for healing when faced with the reality of living life apart from someone whose impact on their life is immense. Make no mistake, there is nothing wrong with leaning upon Christ in times of mourning for strength and comfort, but what Jesus is addressing in Matthew 5:4 is a passionate mourning over the issue of sin and how that impacts a man’s heart.

Remember that the Beatitudes build upon one another, creating a staircase of character attributes that gauge the spiritual temperature of man. Each blessing is a building block that depends on that which precedes it. So in consequential form, it is safe to conclude that the process of mourning sin is integral to becoming poor in spirit. D. Martyn Lloyd Jones describes it this way: “As I confront God and His holiness, and contemplate the life I am meant to live, I see myself, my utter helplessness and hopelessness. I discover my quality of spirit and immediately that makes me mourn. I must mourn about the fact that I am like that. But obviously it does not stop there. A man who truly faces himself, and examines himself and his life, is a man who must of necessity mourn for his sins also, for the things he does…It is a good thing for every man to pause at the end of the day and meditate upon himself, to run quickly over his life, and ask, ‘What have I done, what have I said, what have I thought, how have I behaved with respect to others?’ Now if you do that any night of your life, you will find that you have done things which you should not have done, you will be conscious of having harbored thoughts and ideas and feelings which are quite unworthy. And as he realizes these things, any man who is at all Christian is smitten with a sense of grief and sorrow that he was ever capable of such things in action or in thought, and that makes him mourn. But he does not stop merely at the things he has done, he meditates upon and contemplates his actions and his state and condition of sinfulness, and as he thus examines himself he must go through that experience of Romans 7. He must become aware of these evil principles that are within him. He must ask himself, ‘What is it in me that makes me behave like that? Why should I be irritable? Why should I be bad tempered? Why am I not able to control myself? Why do I harbor that unkind, jealous, and envious thought? What is it in me? And he discovers this war in his members, and he hates it and mourns because of it.”

Great sorrow leads to great joy, and without sorrow there is no joy. This is true in how we see ourselves in the light of the truth of God’s Word and it holds true in how we must mourn the sins of others. Look around you—there is no shortage of sinful thoughts and actions surrounding you every day. Yet do you take time to mourn sin or have you become desensitized from it? Are your morals and values convoluted within the melting pot of political correctness and inclusivity? Do you mourn over and pray for God’s deliverance of salvation when you encounter people who blatantly live in contradiction to Biblical truth? Sadly, it is common-place even in the church to cast judgment upon those living in sin, but do you sincerely pray for them? Do you share the Gospel of Christ’s healing by pointing out their faults or by evangelizing through the depravity of your own soul and life experiences? True evangelism comes from a humble heart that is poor in spirit through mourning of sin. If you desire to address the issue of sin in this world, begin with your own heart and mind and allow the transforming power of the Holy Spirit change you from the inside out.

If we desire to be sanctified in the image of Christ, we must mourn over sin as He did. Scripture tells us He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief who wept over the city of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44) and shed tears of blood in the garden of Gethsemane as he willingly accepted his fate as sin-bearer of mankind (Luke 22:39-46). Therefore, this is the image of mourning we must adopt within our own lives as we live within a sinful world. Again, as Lloyds Jones describes, “The true Christian is never a man who has to put on an appearance of either sadness or joviality. No, no; he is a man who looks at life seriously; he contemplates it spiritually, and he sees in it sin and its effects. He is a serious, sober-minded man. His outlook is always serious, but because of these views which he has, and his understanding of truth, he also has ‘a joy unspeakable and full of glory.’” Therefore, let us not diminish the destructive nature of sin but mourn over it—both in the world we live in and within our own hearts and minds. Only then will we understand the joy God promises to those who are simultaneously willing to speak truth in love to others while taking their own medicine on a daily basis.

Devotion #1 – Matthew 5:1-3

2011-05-01T12:00:00.001-04:00

“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The Sermon on the Mount is perhaps the most famous teaching Jesus ever gave during His ministry. It comprises three full chapters of Matthew’s Gospel and contains some of the Bible’s most difficult truth for man to apply to his life. Yet prior to Jesus clarifying how God measures a man’s heart regarding areas such as anger, lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation, etc., He first begins His famous sermon with a series of blessings known as the Beatitudes.

I believe Charles Spurgeon said it best when he wrote, "The Beatitudes mark deepening humiliation and growing exaltation." They build upon one another, creating a staircase of character attributes that gauge the spiritual temperature of man. Each blessing is a building block that depends on that which precedes it. Therefore as a man lives his life in a spirit of humility and reverence before a righteous and holy God, the exaltation with which he is graced grows in the eyes of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. Whatever our understanding and application of humility may be, the truth remains that in order to receive the litany of blessings Jesus describes in Matthew 5, one must "put to death therefore what is earthly in you" (Colossians 3:5).

Upon further examination though it is incredibly profound that while these seven blessings build upon one another, thus elevating their level of spiritual maturity in Christ, they also in the likeness of our Lord & Savior descend in their level of humility, coming to a triumphant climax with an admonition on suffering persecution for the sake of Christ. In other words, the Beatitudes transcend understanding and more importantly require application, thus proving character attainment or lack thereof. Scripture simplifies it this way, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). Deception comes in many forms, with self-deception being the most common and unfortunately the most destructive to man's relationship with Christ.

It is imperative though from a top-line perspective that we understand what each blessing addresses and how they are intertwined in their building structure. For instance, to be "poor in spirit" a man must come to the place where he recognizes his sins and spiritual depravity, turns away from those selfish desires/actions, humbly repents seeking God's forgiveness, and in thankful obedience submits his life to Him who bore the penalty for the sins he committed, Jesus Christ. One who is poor in spirit recognizes that, "For our sake he (God) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him (Jesus) we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21), and praise God that He graciously allows all those who are poor in spirit to inhabit His heavenly abode!

God always pursues a man’s heart, and in this case, his poverty of spirit which ultimately reflects a man’s attitude towards himself. The world today places incredible emphasis upon self-confidence and self reliance, and man is prey to falling into that trap if he is not humbling himself before an Almighty and just God in reverence. Therefore, as men we must guard against self-exaltation essentially and prostrate ourselves accordingly. No where in Scripture is a man called to “be humble.” Rather, he is called to “humble himself.” In doing so, he experiences a purging of self through brokenness that validates his identity as a son of the living God and assures his final destination for eternity.

The Lord Almighty plainly states, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Therefore, what is holding you back from reaping the promises God sets before you? What in your life do you need to purge that is robbing you of a poor spirit which is pleasing to God? Examine your life and assess where you are self-confident and self-reliant to the point of squeezing God out. If you need help discerning areas of change, seek counsel from a Godly brother in Christ, but do not walk away without identifying areas of change and more importantly applying those changes. “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Peter 5:5).

Matthew 5:1-12

2011-04-10T23:00:00.007-04:00

"Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.'"

As I have grown in my spiritual walk, I have come to truly embrace and appreciate expository teaching. Allowing the Spirit to speak through a book or chapter of Scripture rather than a specific verse or verses allows for greater context and inevitably greater understanding to the true meaning of the Word. With that in mind, I am challenging myself over the coming months to discipline my heart and mind as I seek to delve as deep as I possibly can into a variety of issues Jesus taught on and clarified in comparison to the Old Testament found in Matthew, chapter 5.

The fifth chapter of the book of Matthew is rich with wisdom and casts an all-inclusive light on those who might feel exempt from various sin issues. Jesus leaves no stone unturned in this chapter, addressing not only actions but thoughts as well, and adding a layer of literal application that cuts as deeply to the heart of man as any within the entirety of Scripture. "For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:14) is a promise from Christ's lips that the way of righteousness encompasses the entire being of man and cannot be compartmentalized as an action-oriented response. Therefore, we must prepare our minds to be enlightened to a new way of thinking as Jesus addresses the depth and breadth with which the Father measures our thoughts and actions.

Yet with all the attention Jesus pays to clarifying sin issues, he begins his famous Sermon on the Mount with a litany of blessings, more commonly referred to as the Beatitudes. Now there are infinite amounts of commentaries available that aim to give understanding on this bountiful feast Jesus has prepared for our consumption, and with relative ease I could spend the majority of this post dissecting each attribute Jesus pinpoints and exploring its deepest meaning and application. However, my principle desire is simply to understand why Jesus proclaimed these blessings and how they are interconnected to one another in the hopeful prayer that the Holy Spirit will unveil a deeper understanding to Christ's motivations and revelations.

I believe Charles Spurgeon said it best when he wrote, "The seven Beatitudes mark deepening humiliation and growing exaltation." They build upon one another, creating a staircase of character attributes that gauge the spiritual temperature of man. Each blessing is a building block that depends on that which precedes it. Therefore as one lives his life in a spirit of humility and reverence before a righteous and holy God, the exaltation with which he is graced with grows in the eyes of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. Whatever our understanding and application of humility may be, the truth remains that in order to receive the litany of blessings Jesus describes in Matthew 5, one must "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you" (Colossians 3:5).

Upon further examination though it is incredibly profound that while these seven blessings build upon one another, thus elevating their level of spiritual maturity in Christ, they also in the likeness of our Lord & Savior descend in their level of humility, coming to a triumphant climax with an admonition on suffering persecution for the sake of Christ. In other words, the Beatitudes transcend understanding and more importantly require application, thus proving character attainment or lack thereof. Scripture simplifies it this way, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). Deception comes in many forms, with self-deception being the most common and unfortunately the most destructive to one's relationship with Christ.

This paradox of seven blessings that both ascend and descend simultaneously can best be understood by Jesus who proclaimed to his disciples after likening the kingdom of heaven to a master of a vineyard looking for laborers throughout the day, "So the last will be first, and the first last" (Matthew 20:16). Elevation in the kingdom of heaven comes in our ability to die to self and live righteously in obedience to Him who bore our sins on the cross of Calvary. We do not have the right to declare what is fair and what is not. Even Joseph proclaimed this wisdom when he said to his brothers who assumed he would take revenge upon them for their mistreatment of him in former years, "Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?" (Genesis 50:19). The path of obedience requires humble submission and we must recognize who we are as fallible man in respect to the almighty, infallible Godhead.

It is imperative though from a topline perspective that we understand what each blessing addresses and how they are intertwined in their building structure. For instance, to be "poor in spirit" one must come to the place where he recognizes his sins and spiritual depravity, turns away from those selfish desires/actions, humbly repents seeking God's forgiveness, and in thankful obedience submits his life to Him who bore the penalty for the sins he committed, Jesus Christ. One who is poor in spirit recognizes that, "For our sake he (God) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him (Jesus) we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21), and praise God that He graciously allows all those who are poor in spirit to inhabit His heavenly abode! Notice though that the next blessing is addressed to those that mourn, for they shall be comforted. The process of mourning in a spiritual sense is integral to becoming poor in spirit. For "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). What possibly could cause someone to confess their sins? The answer lies in the process of mourning. Yet further still, "Blessed are the meek is a benediction which no man reaches till he has felt his spiritual poverty, and mourned over it" (Spurgeon). A man of meekness can submit to authority and maintain quiet strength which comes from mourning over his spiritual depravity. "But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious" (1 Peter 3:4).

This simple progression of blessings continues through the next four. To hunger and thirst for righteousness requires recognition of sin, humble repentance, and submission to authority, creating an immense desire to live for Christ rather than in opposition to Him through love of self. Moreover, mercy comes from an understanding of knowledge and wisdom dependant upon a pursuit of truth found in God's Word. Jesus' parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35) addresses the issue of showing mercy and forgiveness clearly.

To be pure in heart is a level of character attainment that requires a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ, manifested in an attitude of death unto selfish desires and motives. For me personally, this is the point within the Beatitudes that I throw my hands up in surrender. Rarely have I encountered an individual who emulates what it means to be pure in heart. True, it presupposes that he is poor in spirit, mourns his sin, lives in meekness, pursues righteousness with passion, and shows mercy even to those who do not deserve it, haven't asked for it, and have hurt him thus requiring it. But to be pure in spirit the heart must be harmoniously in-tune with God and His Word. Scripture admonishes, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water," (Hebrews 10:22) because purity of heart lives in direct opposition to love of self, and they simply cannot co-exist.

I believe what magnifies the conviction found in those who are pure in heart can be found in the Psalms. Scripture declares: "Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation" (Psalm 24:3-5). Simple stated, a man or woman who is pure in heart stands for truth and more importantly, lives out the truth of Holy Scripture. In my life, that individual is my wife, for her intentions are almost always filtered through Scripture. She does not act outside of what the Word says for it is her daily compass steering her in the way of righteousness. People often marvel at the pureness of her heart because it mirrors what Jesus states in the Gospels: "Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it" (Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17). But I can assure you after spending almost one-third of my life with her that the pureness of her heart is a reflection of her relationship with God's Word, the Bible. It is not manufactured but something that comes from a right understanding of a truth found in Scripture that she belongs to God as His daughter. "But now thus says the Lord, he who created you O Jacob, he who formed you O Israel, 'Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine'" (Isaiah 43:1).

Yet being an heir to the throne of grace is an honor and privilege reserved for those who not only have purity of heart, hunger and thirst for righteousness, show mercy unto others, live in meekness, mourn with broken hearts, and are poor in spirit, but who make peace in spite of themselves. Jesus exhorts us that those who are peacemakers, who deliberately overcome evil with good are called sons of God. My last post on the issue of value echoes this point exactly. Our identity in Christ is contingent upon our application of faith, which is given to us through Holy Scripture and is manifested by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us when we choose to accept Christ by grace through faith. Therefore, as we are transformed from the inside out, the condition of our hearts compels us to the point of enduring hardships by not reacting nor retaliating but responding in love and wise discernment. Or as the apostle Paul would say, "To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head'" (Romans 12:20).

This leads us to Jesus' final blessing, reserved for those who are willing to sacrifice themselves and endure persecution for the the sake of truth. For Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). "For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice" (John 18:37). Therefore, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29).

The point we must realize is that the life we give to Christ and endure persecution for in His name does not belong to us. Scripture reminds us, "For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:20). Jesus summarized it this way: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” (Matthew 16:24-28).

So what does all this mean? What is the key takeaway that Jesus is teaching throughout the Beatitudes? I have wrestled immensely with these questions and have come to the conclusion that in these blessings Jesus offers us intimate communion with Himself, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father by yoking us together with the Trinity in the character attributes that produce eternal, Biblical fellowship. For when we admit our spiritual bankruptcy (blessed are the poor in spirit) and consequently repent (blessed are those who mourn), we begin to develop humble strength under control (blessed are the meek) and seek truth (blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness) manifested in an attitude of thankfulness for the mercy God has shown us (blessed are the merciful). And as we grow, we develop a heart of truth (blessed are the pure in heart) that compels us to not just live in peace but to bring about peace (blessed are the peacemakers), and if need be endure persecution for our identity in Christ (blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake).

It is difficult for me to take these truths and even fathom trying to measure how I have lived my life over 33 years in the context of Jesus' Beatitudes. For I know while I have had glimpses of these blessings throughout my life, more often than not I have chosen to glorify my name over Christ's. Yet despite my selfishness and the sinful decisions I have made, God in His infinite grace and mercy has pursued me, a fallen man unworthy to even have the honor of being called a follower of Christ. My spiritual resume is down-right pathetic when sifted through the colander of Scripture, but I know that I belong to Him because I have felt His presence, heard His voice, and answered His call on my life. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27), and I thank God that in the midst of my self-idolatrous love I heard His voice, beckoning me to simply return to Him that I might receive not what I deserve (which undoubtedly is death for breaking my covenant with Him through sin), but grace, mercy and residence as an heir to His throne in heaven.

The key to receiving the blessings Jesus describes in Matthew 5:1-12 is simply humility. And the more we begin to humble ourselves, the closer we will come to developing the character qualities esteemed in the Beatitudes that solidify intimate fellowship with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. "Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:5-7).

Luke 17:7-10

2011-03-15T12:30:00.001-04:00

"Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’"

Expectations. Entitlement. These are words that should invoke great fear and trembling within the heart of a Christian. The concepts are pervasive throughout our culture yet in the church we are universally susceptible to failure in these areas. The simple truth though is that while God does NOT need us, we DO need him and are thus indebted to Christ for the honor and privilege of serving Him. Christ's teaching here is profound. While it appears cold and callous on the outside, it drives home a deeper message that centers around our elevation of self over God. In its most simplistic form, Christ is teaching the first of the ten commandments God gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20) and admonishing "self" idolatry.

I find myself incredibly fatigued by the enormity of how vulnerable I have made myself in accordance with this teaching. It seems I have fallen prey to a universal epidemic that has spread across practically every area of my life. My flesh feeds upon recognition and acknowledgement while my soul fights to humble itself by not seeking praise. Compounded by what Dr. Gary Chapman would classify as a "words of affirmation" love language, I am prone to seek verbal confirmation for the things I do and say regardless of their merit. Words seem to validate who I am, but I am determined to destroy this fleshly sin in my life before it wreaks greater havoc.

Yet while I am thankful God has revealed my superficial desires for acknowledgement, affirmation and recognition concerning my labor and efforts throughout my life, I am convinced that Jesus is not merely addressing a surface level understanding in Luke 17:7-10. Rather, Jesus is exposing how misunderstood our relationship with the Father has become because of our prideful arrogance and independence. Christ has declared, "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first" (Revelation 2:4), and I believe that love we initially had when we surrendered our lives to Christ has shifted to a love of self that demands tangible value rather than finding spiritual value in serving our gracious and merciful Creator.

It has taken me over 5 months to compose a new post which is by far the longest period of silence I have had since beginning this blog in September, 2009. Various Scripture passages have come to mind over that time and I have wrestled repeatedly with whether the Holy Spirit was prompting me to study deeper. But I have been drawn to this passage in particular by the Holy Spirit and I am beginning to see why. Simply put, I have come to terms as I have wrestled with this passage that the reason this truth is hard to swallow is because it inevitably speaks to man's desire for meaning, value and purpose to his/her life. Look no further than the total sales of Rick Warren's book, "The Purpose Driven Life," as evidence of man's insatiable desire to answer this question. We crave an identity that has value, and to our destruction we predominately seek value in almost everything under the sun rather than Jesus Christ.

Christ himself said plainly, "For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" (Luke 9:25). In other words, if a man seeks fulfillment in any other fashion than in the sanctifying grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, he has forfeited the very essence of who he is. The apostle Paul put it this way, "You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men" (1 Corinthians 7:23). Therefore, put aside all stumbling blocks that seek to ensnare your mind, body, heart and soul. Embrace your new identity in Christ and cast off your desire for man's approval, morals and standards. "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). The quicker we begin to recognize the state that we have placed ourselves in and the enemy's schemes set to ensnare and destroy us, the more apt we are to take advantage of the way of escape God provides through every trial and temptation. For as Paul reminds us, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

In order to seek victory though, we must come to terms with this question: In whom or what do I find my value/meaning/purpose? Now before addressing that question, it is worth mentioning that the mere audacity of asking a question such as this is self-serving and self-elevating. For who can stand before an almighty God and declare that his life is his own? "But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused?" (Psalm 76:7). What value we have is not our own. It has been graciously given to us by our Father in Heaven who loves us with patience that surpasses all understanding. And if we have been bought with a price for the redemption of our sins, what right do we have to even think we have any value at all apart from Christ? Our only value is that which God the Father graciously gives us in and through Christ. Unfortunately though, we do seek to find our value in the things of this world and that is the underlying theme Jesus is addressing in Luke 17:7-10. Praise God that He has given us His Word, the Bible, as our only compass to direct us in the way of righteousness and warn us of potential dangers known as sin.

Make no mistake, the Bible without question is the most difficult book to morally and ethically accept that has ever been written. It declares itself as such without hesitation: "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). Moreover, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," (2 Timothy 3:16) therefore we cannot devalue it based upon its authorship. It is not man's words, but the Spirit's teaching. Honestly speaking though, we pick and choose what we like to hear from the Bible. Like a spiritual buffet, we tend to consume the things that taste good to us and decline reading passages that call out or cast a shining light of conviction on the sins we knowingly participate in. We would rather place a hierarchical division upon our sins, devaluing those that cast a magnifying glass upon the sick condition of our hearts. We emphatically choose not to relinquish our sinful behavior because we find our safety and security in their superficial byproduct of self-worth. Abandoning and surrendering them to the cross of Christ presents a tremendous weight of anxiety upon our hearts because we literally think we cannot survive without them. They are our self-imposed haven of refuge, but God is graciously calling us to abandon self-help and place our hope in Him and Him alone. We must call a spade a spade and not justify what the Bible clearly states as sinful behavior, lest we drive ourselves deeper into a post-modernistic pit of man-made religion.

"And he said, 'What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.'" (Mark 7:20-23)

"Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy." (Romans 13:13)

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)

These are simply a few examples of the myriad of Scripture passages that warn of sinful behavior (i.e. unrighteousness). Therefore in response, let us now resist the urge to sugar-coat or justify these sins as anything but what God's Word declares. Let us abandon our desire to mock Scripture by blame-shifting our sins on others or justifying them in any way. Through Adam we were born into sin and consequently we choose to sin and therefore must be willing to bear the responsibility of our actions that come as a result. But we must direct our attention to the fact that if we hold firm to the sins that ensnare and ultimately destroy us, we pledge allegiance to a false sense of value and self-worth and thus will never understand the mystery of Christ's teaching in Luke 17:7-10.

Eternal value comes only through Jesus who once declared, "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6:26). We need not fear as we grind our way through life this side of heaven that we have been forgotten. We have eternal value to the Father, but it is conditionally based on whether we trust in ourselves and thus live our lives in self-idolatry or choose to surrender all and live in thanksgiving and obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The entire Gospel message boils down to this decision and it is one that need not be taken lightly. We can find peace in knowing we have value in our lives, but it must be taken in context and perspective through Holy Scripture with the understanding that we are unworthy servants willingly doing what we have been commanded by Christ.

The key to breaking strongholds that give false testimony of self-worth in our lives is to admit we have no power or control over sin and death and relinquish our sinful, fleshly desires that declare we are owed something. For if we truly received recognition for the choices we have made in our lives, we would not be able to celebrate our achievements because we would have already received the just punishment for our sins that preceded our self-declared, glorious achievements. Make no mistake, "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:16). Therefore we can approach the throne of grace with confidence because we know through grace by faith "that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ...because by works of the law no one will be justified" (Galatians 2:16).

My prayer is that as I daily surrender my prideful arrogance, selfishness, and negative attitudes of expectation and entitlement, the Word of God would wash over my selfish heart and remind me that He is sufficient for all my needs, including my desire of value, purpose and meaning in His eyes. Yet in Christ, He has already promised that to me: "Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Luke 12:7). Universally, all who claim the cross of Christ for salvation can rest peacefully in that assurance, "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:5). We simply must humble ourselves in repentance and obedience, and hold firm to the words of Paul as our reverent prayer unto God: "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). Only then will we find victory over sin and death and live with an assurance of value, meaning and purpose that gives eternal peace and transcends all logical understanding.

Luke 12:35-40

2010-09-30T19:25:00.001-04:00

"Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Perhaps the greatest sacrifice we make on a daily basis is our time. Whether you are graced with resources, gifts or talents, time supersedes them all because it is something that every human has in their possession. You can waste your time or use it wisely. The choice is yours. Similarly though, we all have the choice of what we do with our time and how we spend it. In our present culture of increased productivity and efficiencies, time is a precious commodity and supremely valued. Therefore, we are typically protective of our time and (let's be honest) reluctant to share it if it is not self-serving. What is of greatest importance to God though is how we spend the time that we have been given.

We need not worry about time because time is merely a man-made measurement. Scripture teaches, "For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night" (Psalm 90:4). That is why for the believer who puts his/her faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour, the time between life and death is measured by the blink of an eye, for a day on earth is but a thousand years in heaven. Taking this into consideration, it is safe to assume that when Jesus declared, "And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (Matthew 6:27), He was highlighting the Old Testament teaching of Psalm 90:4 that time is measured very differently between heaven and earth.

Upon reading Luke 12:35-40, it is easy to gloss over the admonitions that Jesus is making concerning our use of time here on earth. For if God sees a day on earth as equivalent to a thousand years in heaven, it is fairly easy to presume that we do not have all the time in the world to live according to our own set of rules. Jesus highlighted this point in the parable of the rich fool when he taught that living without a concept of God's sovereign will and timing results in eternal judgement. "But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:20-21).

It is interesting to note that upon initial review Luke 12:35-40 appears to point toward end-times and the second-coming of Jesus Christ, which is unarguably true. But what if Christ intended a much deeper meaning and application? How would that affect our application of the Gospel? More precisely, how would it impact our use of the time we have been given, not as a whole, but every day to live in obedience to Christ and apply His Holy Word throughout our lives? What if our call to action is not limited to simply receiving salvation at one single moment in our lives but preaching the Gospel to ourselves each day as we apply God's Word? Perhaps in that context, our understanding of obedience is opened like a flower blossoming. Scripture comes alive and the call to "stay dressed for action" is illuminated in passages like Hebrews 13:2 which states, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Let us not be quick to place constraints on Christ's teaching, but rather filter the applicable pages of Scripture through the colander of Luke 35-40.

I believe J.C. Ryle beautifully summarizes this point in his exposition of the Gospels: "The lesson is one which is greatly needed in the churches of Christ. We hear a great deal about people's intentions, and hopes, and wishes, and feelings, and professions. It would be well if we could hear more about people's practice. It is not the servant who is found wishing and professing, but the servant who is found 'doing' whom Jesus calls 'blessed'...The lesson before us is not about justification, but about sanctification, not about faith, but about holiness. The point is not what a man should do to be saved, but what ought a saved man to do?"

Preparation is essential to Christian living. If you are not prepared on how to handle and respond to trials and temptations that undoubtedly come your way, how would you ever feel equipped to stand firm in righteousness? The apostle Paul expounded upon this idea as such: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified" (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). If an athlete or a soldier is not properly trained, he or she is not prepared for action and subject to injury or even death. Why then do we believe we can stray from following God's teachings and not succumb to the same painful fate? Are we not fooling ourselves by thinking we are awake and standing watch while in actuality we are sleep-walking through our obedience and submission to Scripture?

If we are to be adequately prepared for action by "girding our loins" (KJV), so as to not trip over our robes of self-righteousness that frequently hinder our journey of faith, we must again value time in God's economy as supreme over our own. Psalm 84 states, "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." This must be the perspective with which we approach the throne of grace as we humbly offer our time and efforts as a tithe-offering unto the Lord. For in tithing our time unto God, we are offering the first-fruits of our labor that are pleasing in His sight. He will not reject a sacrifice bathed in humility and submission.

Paul wrote to the church in Rome a similar proclamation: "Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light" (Romans 13:11-12). Paul understood that one of the greatest obstacles to the Christian church was an attitude of complacency and apathy toward Scripture which is as prophetic today as it was almost 2000 years ago. We must not deceive ourselves into thinking we can create our own religion and worship a version of Jesus that is un-Biblical. Make no mistake, from cover to cover the Bible reveals both aspects of God's character, His wrath and His love, which are not independent of one another but co-dependant. They are in perfect harmony and unison as they declare His glory and majesty, manifested in the cross of Calvary. One simply cannot exist without the other, for Christ's death on the cross is meaningless without both. Or as J.C. Ryle eloquently states, "The same loving Saviour who holds out mercy to the uttermost to the penitent and believing, never shrinks from holding up the judgments of God against those who despise His counsel."

For all the warnings found in this passage, there is the promise of blessing for the one who has properly prepared for his master's return. It is virtually unfathomable though that after sacrificing Himself upon the cross for the sins of man, Jesus would not only save us by grace through faith in Him, but would bestow to us the blessing of serving us Himself at the banquet feast of heaven. I can barely comprehend why Christ would die for my sins let alone grasp the overflow of blessing He promises to His faithful prepared servants! How could anyone fathom that there is greater blessing than the opportunity to worship Jesus in heaven for even one day? In reality though, I find that my heart and mind take for granted the promise of salvation for those who put their trust in Christ. The conviction within my heart speaks to me for the essence of sin is spurning the provision of God as adequate, and I cringe at the thought of how often I have made that choice rather than investing my time wisely by walking in fellowship with God through His Word and accessing His power to defeat sin through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ through the manifestation of Himself alive in my heart through the Holy Spirit.

As Jesus warns, we must remember to "be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). The call to "stay dressed for action" is most certainly magnified due to spiritual warfare. Therefore we must live our lives in such humble obedience and submission to Scripture so as to not "give opportunity to the devil" (Ephesians 4:27). For whether we care to admit it or not, when we who are exposed to the truth of Scripture reject its teaching and choose sin over righteousness, we are paying homage to Satan and spurning fellowship with God for love of self. When I think about all the times I have chosen to sin and consequently to suffer, I am shaken to the core of who I am choosing to serve especially after reading John 8:44 where Jesus emphatically proclaims, "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

The choice is simple. There is no sugarcoating this message from Christ. But where the rubber meets the road for us all is whether we will make the effort regardless of the cost to prepare accordingly for the return of Jesus Christ by not sitting idle, but actively living out the Gospel as painful and uncomfortable as it may be. Jesus said point-blank, "You will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22). But as J.C. Ryle stated, it is not about justification but sanctification and what a saved person ought to do. For by applying this perspective to Luke 12:35-40, we "lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:20). Ryle sums it up best: "What are we doing ourselves with our religious knowledge? Are we using it wisely, and turning it to good account? Or are we content with the barren saying, 'We know it, we know it,' and secretly flattering ourselves that the knowledge of our Lord's will makes us better than others, while that will is not done? Let us beware of mistakes. The day will come, when knowledge unimproved will be found the most perilous of possessions. Thousands will awake to find that they are in a lower place that the most ignorant and idolatrous heathen. Their knowledge not used, and their light not followed, will add to their condemnation."

Matthew 21:18-22

2010-07-31T12:55:00.000-04:00

In the morning, as he (Jesus) was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?" And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."

The more I study this passage of Scripture, the more convicted I become. It is a reflection of the heart's condition under the scrutiny of God's Word, one that emulates the apostle Paul's admonition: "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). Jesus performed a bone-chilling miracle that should immediately invoke a reality check in the heart and soul of every individual who publicly professes him/herself as a Christian, "for our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29) and rightly to be feared.

Charles Spurgeon once wrote, "I do not know that I ever felt more solemnly the need of true fruitfulness before God than when I was looking over this miracle-parable...The curse, you at once perceive, falls in its metaphorical and spiritual meaning upon those high professors who are destitute of true holiness; upon those who manifest great show of leaves, but who bring forth no fruit unto God. Only one thunderbolt, and that for boasting pretenders; only one curse, and that for hypocrites. O blessed Spirit, write this heart-searching truth upon our hearts!" With the additional exception of permission granted to the devils to enter two thousand pigs causing them to drown (Matthew 8:28-34), no where else in Scripture do we encounter Jesus exacting judgment on His creation, specifically sparing human beings His wrath. For "He who came to save His people from their sin and its consequences resorted to prophetic actions not directed against His people, in order to warn them of the binding power of the devil and of God's enmity against all hypocritical piety" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary). The clear takeaway is a new found understanding of Christ's compassion on humans that He would offer a glimpse of eternal judgment through pronounced wrath upon an innocent created thing (a fig tree) rather than a sinful, unrighteous human being such as me.

The context of this situation is quite compelling as we learn from Mark's Gospel account that "it was not the season for figs" (Mark 11:13). Now the fig tree was highly regarded within Palestine due to its thick foliage and ample shade it provided during the heat of summer. Therefore seeing a fig tree in full foliage bloom from a distance made it stand out on the horizon because the spring season was upon them and fig trees were far from their time of harvest. Most notably though, "In the spring it produced small immature figs called 'taksh,' which were edible but not highly esteemed. The real harvest of the fig tree came in August. When the fig tree, which had shed its leaves during winter, began to have leaves, one could expect some small green figs. They were the guarantee of a later harvest. The tree that Jesus approached was without taksh" (New International Commentary). Like a mirage in the distance, Jesus demonstrated to His disciples a simplistic lesson that fruit is evidence of a blossom, both practically and spiritually. The fig tree bore the appearance of abundance but in actuality did not even have the most simple and miniscule evidence of fruit on it. How prophetic when compared to our own spiritual health!

Jesus taught a piercing lesson on hypocrisy and authenticity that echoes that of the prophet Ezekiel: "And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it" (Ezekiel 17:24). Or stated more plainly, "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). Those who present themselves publicly as Christians must bear the fruit of God's Word in their lives, otherwise they are a greater detriment to the cause of Christ due to their unrighteous behavior. Perhaps that is why Simon Peter declared, "For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them" (2 Peter 2:21). In fairness to context, Simon Peter was addressing false teachers in this passage, but in essence, aren't we all false teachers when we admonish righteous living to those around us while failing to measure up ourselves? Indeed we have an obligation to practice what we preach, but in not doing so we stifle the message of salvation as simply lost in translation by our lack of Biblical application.

Sadly, I believe Christians are their greatest adversary in fulfilling the Great Commission. Not in that we all our sinners and will continue to sin throughout our lives despite our best efforts to live to the contrary, but rather that we (the publicly declared Christians) typically either justify or blame shift our sinful behavior as not within our control, therefore minimizing the consequences of our sin and indirectly communicating to those around us that while we claim Christ as Savior, He is (in actuality) not supremely Lord of our lives. That crown is reserved for our true master, self, meaning we determine absolute truth for righteous living, not God. If we bear the name of Jesus in our lives it must be evident that we are "doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves" (James 1:22).

When I consider this truth, I am reminded of Christ's warning: "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:13-14). Why does it surprise us then when we are confronted by our own hypocrisy? Is the fruit of God's Word not present in us because we fail to feed ourselves, opting to be spoon fed once a week our morsel of Scripture during Sunday church services? God forbid! We must take ownership of our sin by feasting upon God's Word, but we must be careful to avoid the pitfalls Satan places before us in doing so. For if I feed upon the Word and do not apply it, I am a hypocrite. And if I do not feed upon the Word and give the impression that I do, I am also a hypocrite. But if I feed upon the Word daily and allow it to take root and blossom through an attitude of brokenness and repentance, then and only then will I bear much fruit. "So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7:17-19).

J.C. Ryle beautifully summarizes the importance of this message in his exposition of Matthew's Gospel: "So long as a man is content with the leaves of religion--with a name to live while he is dead, and a form of godliness without the power--so long his soul is in great peril. So long as he is satisfied with going to church or chapel, and receiving the Lord's supper, and being called a Christian, while his heart is not changed, and his sins not forsaken--so long he is daily provoking God to cut him off without remedy. Fruit, fruit--the fruit of the Spirit, is the only sure proof that we are savingly united to Christ, and in the way to heaven. May this sink down into our hearts, and never be forgotten!" Simply stated, our call to action requires transparency before an omniscient, omnipresent and sovereign God through obedient submission and Biblical application. We must measure our lives against God's Law, His Holy Word, because without it Christ's sacrifice is meaningless. Accepting Christ as Lord and Savior automatically comes with an acceptance of His Word, for "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). That requires an honest evaluation of the condition of our hearts when confronted with the truth of God's Word, manifested in various areas such as:

FAITH: (Ex: Hebrews 4:12; John 14:6)
- Do I believe the Bible is 100% true, cover to cover, without exception?
- Do I believe the Bible is living and active today as it was when it was written?
- Do I believe Jesus is the (only) way, the truth and the life for salvation?
- Do I live my life with the Bible as my ultimate authority?
- Do I trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of my life?
- Do I believe my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?
- Do I reject Satan and the passions of my sinful flesh?
- Do I actively resist sin and temptation or do I let my guard down on occassion?
- Do I practice religion or do I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: (Ex: Titus 1:8; Philippians 4:8)
- Am I reading/studying Scripture daily with a teachable heart and mind?
- Am I praying daily, including adoration, confession and thanksgiving before offering my list of requests?
- (Men) Am I spiritually leading my family by reading the Bible and praying with my spouse/children daily?
- Am I prioritizing extracurricular activities above quality time with God in Bible study and prayer?
- Am I actively applying the truth of Scripture in my life or procrastinating change?

BIBLICAL APPLICATION: (Ex: James 1:22)
- Am I wearing a mask around others to hide who I really am?
- Am I honest and trustworthy in all aspects of my life?
- Am I unwilling to forgive someone who has hurt me?
- Am I unwilling to repent and seek forgiveness from those I have sinned against?
- Am I discontent with what I have rather than who I am?
- Am I harboring bitterness toward God in my heart during trials and tribulations?
- Am I taking credit for the blessings in my life or giving glory to God for them?

INTERPERSONAL: (Ex: Ephesians 5:22-6:4)
- Am I placing my wants/desires above others?
- (Men) Am I loving my wife?
- (Women) Am I respecting my husband?
- (Children) Am I obeying my parents?
- Am I valuing my spouse/children as a gift from God or a burden sometimes?

BEHAVIORAL: (Ex: James 3:5-6)
- Am I using foul language by myself, at home, at work or leisurely?
- Am I listening to understand when I communicate and/or conflict with others?
- Am I prone to raise my voice in anger when upset, discouraged or frustrated?
- Am I harboring bitterness toward anyone, therefore resenting or disassociating with them?
- Am I gossiping about others?
- Am I lazy in any area of my life (i.e. work, home, faith)?

SEXUAL PURITY: (Ex: 1 Corinthians 6:18; Ephesians 5:5)
- Am I sexually desiring (lusting after) someone other than my spouse?
- Am I viewing pornography or actively participating in sexual immorality?
- Am I masturbating or self-gratifying?
- Am I having sex before marriage?
- Am I craving the attention of someone other than my spouse?

BODILY ABUSE: (Ex: 1 Corinthians 6:19)
- Am I drinking alcohol in excess (more than 2 drinks max)?
- Am I obese or have an eating disorder (that is not medically justified)?
- Am I smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco or consuming illegal drugs?
- Am I addicted to any legal or prescription drugs?
- Am I exercising in order to maintain optimal health?

This is merely a starting point in assessing the state of our hearts on how well we are applying God's Word. Scripture promises that "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved" (Romans 10:9-10). Moreover, when you are saved you receive "the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (John 14:26). Therefore, you are fully equipped from the inside out to live righteously "because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

I know that I have personified the fig tree Jesus cast judgment upon in my life. I deeply regret the years I spent ministering to others in church leadership positions only to live a double-life behind closed doors with grave deficiencies in all areas previously questioned. I have personified hypocrisy and suffered severely for it. I have not been careful how I've stood and fallen from a great height on numerous occassions. However, in the midst of all my poor decisions and consequences of sin, I now have wisdom and perspective that are "more precious than jewels" (Proverbs 3:15). But I can attest with all my being that the only reason I am where I am today is because of Jesus Christ and the manifestation of who He is as found in the pages of Holy Scripture. Without God's Word and the transforming power it has to pierce joint and marrow, I would be completely lost. Simply put, God saved me through His Word! The apostle Paul states plainly, "You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men" (1 Corinthians 7:23), and that begins with daily doses of absolute truth found only in God's Word because I do not want to be "conformed to the passions of my former ignorance" (1 Peter 1:14) but "transformed by the renewal of my mind" (Romans 12:2).

Summarizing the depth and breadth of meaning behind Matthew 21:18-22 is virtually impossible for a novice student of the Bible such as myself. Therefore, I will defer to arguably the greatest pastor of the past two centuries, Charles Spurgeon, who preached this Gospel message to his congregation many years ago as a piercing conviction of the responsibility we have to take heed the warning Jesus taught through the withering of the fig tree:

"Fruit is what the Lord earnestly desires. The Saviour, when he came under the fig tree, did not desire leaves; for we read that he hungered, and human hunger cannot be removed by leaves of a fig tree. He desired to eat a fig or two and he longs to have fruit from us also. He hungers for our holiness; he longs that his joy may be in us, that our joy may be full. He comes up to each of you who are members of his church, and especially to each of you who are leaders of his people, and he looks to see in you the things in which his soul is well pleased. He would see in us love to himself, love to our fellow-men, strong faith in revelation, earnest contention for the once delivered faith, importunate pleading in prayer, and careful living in every part of our course. He expects from us actions such as are according to the law of God and the mind of the Spirit of God; and if he does not see these, he does not receive his due. What did he die for but to make his people holy? What did he give himself for but that he might sanctify unto himself a people zealous for good works? What is the reward of the bloody sweat and the five wounds and the death agony, but that by all these we should be bought with a price? We rob him of his reward if we do not glorify him, and therefore the spirit of God is grieved at our conduct if we do not show forth his praises by our godly and zealous lives. And mark here, that when Christ comes to a soul he surveys it with keen discernment. He is not mocked. It is not possible to deceive him. I have thought that to be a fig which turned out to be only a leaf; but our Lord makes no such mistake. Neither will he overlook the little figs, just breaking forth. He knows the fruit of the Spirit in whatever stage it may be. He never mistakes fluent expression for hearty possession, nor real grace for mere emotion. Beloved, you are in good hands as to the trial of your condition when the Lord Jesus comes to deal with you. Your fellow-men are quick in their judgments, and they may be either censorious, or partial; but the King gives forth a righteous sentence. He knows just where we are, and what we are; and he judges not after the appearance, but according to truth. Oh, that our prayer might this morning rise to heaven: 'Jesus, Master, come and cast thy searching eyes upon me, and judge whether I am living unto thee or not! Give me to see myself as thou seest me, that I may have my errors corrected, and my graces nourished. Lord, make me to be indeed what I profess to be; and if I am not so already, convince me of my false state, and begin a true work in my soul. If I am thine, and am right in thy sight, grant me a kind, assuring word to sink my fears again, and I will gladly rejoice in thee as the God of my salvation!'"

Luke 11:24-26

2010-07-17T13:20:00.002-04:00

"When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first."

One of my favorite Bible teachers, James MacDonald, often proclaims, "Choose to sin, choose to suffer." This piercing truth coincides precisely with the warning Jesus gives in Luke 11:24-26 and personally raises convicting application questions that I need to continually remind myself as a way of preaching the Gospel message to my fleshly heart and mind. Questions such as:

1. How often do I take time to consider the impact sin has in my life?
2. Do I minimize my sins as within my control to handle/overcome?
3. Do I hate my specific sins so as never to return to them?
4. Does the temptation to sin drive me to the cross before I fall or after?
5. Do I understand and fear God's wrath and judgment of sin?

Examining all aspects of sin is crucial to overcoming it. Sin is serious. It separates us from fellowship with God and drives the nails Jesus bore for our unrighteousness deeper still into his innocent body. The real question that must be answered though is what am I going to do about it and how committed will I be to see it through.

If there is predominant lesson I have learned through the devastation of sins I have committed, it is that true repentance and life change can only occur within a knowledge and understanding of God's Word. This requires a level of consistency and commitment to not only read the Word but apply it through my heart. It begins with an act of the will that manifests itself as self-discipline which is an intentional process that must be established with a goal in mind. Or as the apostle Paul explains, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified" (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

I believe in order to gain control over sin in our lives we must see sin for what it really is and that sin manifests itself in various forms. Scripture warns, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). We most certainly have an enemy that knows our weaknesses better than we do and exploits them in an effort to isolate us where we are less protected. Therefore we must remember "that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). The minute we break fellowship with God we are drawn into darkness where hungry lions prowl and are easy prey for self-imposed destruction.

When I reflect upon the five application questions listed above I am convicted first that I do not spend enough time reflecting upon the role sin plays in my life, for I have fallen victim to letting down my guard on countless occasions and almost lost all I held dear to me because of it. Selfish desire does that--and if left unattended it gives birth to Jesus' warning in Luke 11:26 that spirits more evil than the first will assuredly take residence in my life. James, the half-brother of Jesus, perhaps summarized it best when he said, "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death" (James 1:14-15). Sin requires focused attention and a Scriptural set of eyes to discern with, and we are fools if we do not recognize sin's impact on our relationship with God and make necessary adjustments immediately.

The second convicting question drives a knife into my prideful heart. Minimizing sin is simply an act of laziness because the effort it takes to protect against sin far outweighs the effort of declaring, "I have everything under control." I was convicted recently of this point in the book of Proverbs: "The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly" (Proverbs 26:16). It takes an incredible amount of humility to counter a self-righteous attitude that believes it is all-knowing. And whether I care to admit it, more often than not I minimize sin and consequently experience the chaos of life without God as my source of strength. Perhaps if I accepted reality that "the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men" (1 Corinthians 1:25), I might be willing to abandon my prideful attitudes and submit to a Sovereign God who supremely knows better and desires that I take my sins seriously, regardless of the depth and breadth of their severity and impact.

Questions #3 begs the question of whether I hate my sins enough never to return to them. In some instances, I can answer favorably because I have experienced the devastation of specific sins I have committed and am permanently scarred. Fear of consequences can be a powerful motivator! But again, is the practice of minimizing sin creating a hardened heart within me that lacks the righteous hatred of sin that for instance provoked Jesus to cleanse the temple in Matthew 21:13-14? Do I elevate fellowship with God over self-gratification? Am I not saying to God, "I choose ____ over you" when I prioritize sinful desires or actions over Him, thus committing idolatry? Seeing my sins for what they are must first be born from the pages of Scripture as a basis for absolute truth and a standard for righteousness which consequently manifests itself through an application of that truth in opposition to the flesh. This breeds an understanding that the Lord hates sin and should compel me to share His passionate hatred for sin as well. I need not look any further than His Word for an example on whether I recognize various sins in my own life and therefore detest them so much that I have abandoned them and never returned: "There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers" (Proverbs 6:16-19). More than I care to admit, I am greatly convicted by this simple list of sins to avoid that are merely a minuscule example of what the Bible teaches on the topic of sin.

While hating my sin never to return is essentially the abstinence method of dealing with sin, temptation is still ever present and must be addressed. Therefore, the reality of the cross of Calvary must take center-stage when I come to spiritual forks in the road where I must choose Christ or my flesh. The apostle Paul goes to great lengths to communicate the eternal impact Christ's sacrifice made: "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross" (Colossians 2:13-14). Without the cross, I have no fellowship with God and am subject to His eternal judgment. With it, I not only have hope but assurance of grace and mercy. Therefore, why would I not drive my selfish will to the foot of the cross when confronted by temptation? If I believe the almighty truth of Scripture within my heart, why do I tend to be reactive rather than proactive when confronting sin and temptation? More often than not, it is because the priority of Bible study, meditation and prayer have been replaced by worldly attitudes, such as "I'm too tired," "I don't have time," "What difference does it make," or "I'll get to it tomorrow." Bottom-line, it is laziness on my part, pure and simple, of which I need to repent of and turn away from.

Finally, the concept of Holy fear encompasses all other questions: Is God's wrath and judgment real to me? Based upon the evidence of sin in my life, I would unfortunately declare, "No," and that is heartbreaking for me to admit and more so for my Lord and Savior who died for my rebellious heart. The warning Jesus sternly gives in Luke 11:24-26 is simply that if I only clean house on sin in my life but fail to replace those sinful thoughts, actions and motives with the truth of Scripture and healthy spiritual disciplines, I am setting myself up for an even greater fall. God forbid, I do not want to be that man! I have experienced firsthand the ramifications of not applying that truth and have severely suffered the consequences of my actions in my relationship with God and those I love. Anyone who has assumed he/she had control over sin in their life and held to that belief understands this all too well, which impresses the point even harder that a Holy fear of God must be living and active in order to quench the flaming arrows of the enemy. I must universally (not just specifically) lay down my pride and arrogance and apply the truth of King Solomon's final decree after he considered and scrutinized all the pleasures of life. For when I sin, I am essentially choosing the pleasures of this world over my Lord and Savior. May this truth convict me to action to better protect myself from the effects of sin and gain victory once and for all over interwoven sins of pride and selfishness still present in my life: "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

2010-06-03T08:00:00.001-04:00

“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

It is undoubtedly true that God displays His Sovereignty through fallen man, of which I am no exception. Just as God spoke to the prophet Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" (Jeremiah 1:5), I have always felt His presence. For God knew I would be exposed to pornography at a young age and struggle resisting lustful temptations all my life. And while He protected me from countless dangers I could have easily fallen into as a result of my sin, He also loved me enough to not always withhold the sinful desires of my flesh just as He did for the nation of Israel (Numbers 11:19-20). For out of the depths of my sin, I have come to praise Him for loving me enough to let me suffer the consequences of my actions (Ezekiel 23:35) that I might see the damage I caused and repent.

In retrospect, I grew up with a works-based theology with topical knowledge of the most popular stories of Scripture. I knew who Jesus was, just not personally. I was a "surface" Christian with little depth of Biblical truth and my life reflected that for decades. I wish I could say I knew better, but truth be told I was simply lazy. I didn't have the desire to do what it takes to be a man of Biblical substance, but I could talk a good game and on the outside appeared to be further along spiritually than I was. In some ways I knew better, in other ways I deceived myself, but my pride and arrogance were strong enough to make me believe I could be an effective ministry leader for Christ without a solid foundation of spiritual disciplines. As time has passed that truth has been magnified exponentially within my sanctification.

The greatest self-realization I have experienced has come through the stern rebuke of Jesus in Matthew 23 where He casts woes of judgment upon the hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees. For at the same time God answered my prayer for a genuine hunger of His Word eight months ago, He directed me specifically to absolute truth that would address the core of my sin: my love of self manifested in hypocrisy, pride, arrogance and lust. In His Sovereignty He knew that what I needed to rid my heart of all fleshly desires was His Word that “is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). And I give Him all the glory, honor and praise because He has been faithful and just to forgive my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) through a genuine knowledge and understanding of His Word.

Make no mistake, God’s promise to blot out my transgressions for my own sake by not remembering them (Isaiah 43:25) does not in any way excuse or eliminate the consequences of actions. Scripture declares, “The Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives” (Hebrews 12:6), and I have not been pardoned from the pain I have caused by forsaking all others to gratify the desires of my flesh. Confessing sin and taking full responsibility for the pain my lustful desires have caused my wife especially is immeasurable. For years I failed to fully realize that my sin not only destroyed her self confidence by creating cancerous insecurity, doubt and anxiety, but more importantly it magnified my lack of Biblical character and integrity supremely needed to provide protection and security for our marriage. My sin left my wife vulnerable to a myriad of temptations and attacks of spiritual warfare because I was too foolish and self-absorbed to see the widespread destruction my sin had made against her.

Praise God for His deliverance though because I now proclaim, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). It has taken not only professional Biblical counseling with my gracious, merciful and forgiving wife who continually dies to herself by supporting me through rehibilitation and accountability with Christian brothers and Covenant Eyes, but a sincere desire and steadfast commitment to humble myself daily by dying to self. For when I love my wife as I love my own body (Ephesians 5:28), I begin to receive God’s promise to restore the years the swarming locusts has eaten (Joel 2:25) and fulfill my responsibility appointed by God to love my wife as Christ loves the church and gave Himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25).

Scripture states two absolute truths that address my hypocrisy perfectly: “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6). “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27). This is the ultimate litmus test of my life now because it convicts me to not only have head knowledge of Scripture, but heart application to avoid sinning deliberately and backsliding into old patterns. My heart’s desire now is to be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only deceiving myself (James 1:22). I simply want to humbly proclaim at the end of my days here on earth, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). That blessing only comes to a man who is willing to die to self, embracing the cross of Christ in repentance. And by God’s grace, the legacy I will leave one day will be unconditional brokenness and humility before a Holy God that will infinitely bless my wife and children through my commitment to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of my mind, that by testing I may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2). “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).

1 John 1:5-10

2010-05-23T16:30:00.012-04:00

"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

Transparency is perhaps the greatest opposing force to selfishness. For when we are transparent with our selfishness, we place a magnifying glass upon pride in our lives. This process can only take place within an honest environment where truth is supremely regarded and refuses to be compromised for the sake of self-protection. One cannot avoid the consequences of sin when a heart is hardened and unrepentant (nor even when it is repentant). That is the essence of darkness living and precisely the target that John is aiming at in shedding "light" on our sin nature.

John consistently identifies Jesus as "light" throughout his letters. He writes, "In him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:4-5). From John's firsthand perspective, as the ESV Study Bible notes, "Jesus as the 'light' brings to this dark world true knowledge, moral purity, and the light that shows the very presence of God." Jesus does not apologize for the truth He not only represents but is the very existence of. Rather, He simply offers salvation to those who might believe in Him as recorded in Scripture:

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life'" (John 8:12).

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God" (John 3:19-21).

"So Jesus said to them, 'The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light'" (John 12:35-36).

"I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness" (John 12:46).

The message is painstakingly clear: If our identity is not found in Jesus Christ, all hope is lost for righteous living for He is the manifestation of righteousness, the light we desperately long for. Therefore we must take heed the warning Jesus proclaims: "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:13-14). The book of James supports this point emphatically with the proclamation: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). In order to enter the narrow gate that leads to Christ, we must be intentional not to deceive ourselves that we can live in darkness (hypocritically) while maintaining the illusion that we are spiritually mature apart from Him.

It has taken 32 years of my life to realize this foundational truth that no word I speak, no act I commit nor thought I ponder is worth any positive value apart from Christ. Like the apostle Paul, I have been awakened to the bitter truth "that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out" (Romans 7:18). I am simply a fallen man who has been saved by grace through faith not because I deserved it, earned it, or even chose it, but because God gave it to me as a free gift, to which I praise and give him all the glory and honor.

For me personally, the convicting truth of 1 John 5-10 centers on the issue of hypocrisy because by definition, a hypocritical man personifies what John is teaching. Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary defines hypocrisy as "simulation; a feigning to be what one is not; or dissimulation, a concealment of one's real character or motives. More generally, hypocrisy is simulation, or the assuming of a false appearance of virtue or religion; a deceitful show of a good character, in morals or religion; a counterfeiting of religion." When I read this list I am pierced by the reality that I perfected this identity in my life for years. More specifically, I am appalled that I was so arrogant as to assume I was spiritually mature when my actions did not give evidence to the truth I was quick to proclaim to others.

It is no wonder why I struggled for the essence of hypocritical living is found within a double-minded man who is torn between God and the world. Scripture describes such a man as "unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8). James goes on to specify double-mindedness as a heart issue that requires purification, admonishing that the answer is to "draw near to God, and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8). Again, this is impossible without recognition of sin found in God's Word and a genuine repentance unto the Lord for the forgiveness of sins. We must choose to live out God's Word through the application of humble hearts, allowing God to extract the cancer within us with surgical precision so that our spirits begin to heal from the life-extracting effects of darkness living.

The true awakening I have experienced has come in owning up to the pride in my heart that I can superficially walk in light while standing firm in darkness. The Bible declares such a man a fool, and rightfully so for "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7). Moreover, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice" (Proverbs 12:15). If only I had paid attention to the warning signs God continually placed in my life and embraced the accountability God provided through those in Christ who loved me, perhaps I could have avoided the pain of self-afflicted sin. But like many, I often chose the hard road to recovery and had to endure the consequences of my sin because of my hypocrisy.

Where the rubber meets the road is simply whether we heed the perspective God has given us through the consequences of our sin. Personally, I now profess, "As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same" (Job 4:8) because I have reaped what I have sinfully sowed in my life. Without that perspective though, I would not appreciate the beauty of repentance that "those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy" (Psalm 126:5). In order to live in the light we must step out from the shadows, and that begins with confession of sin through a genuine brokenness over our hypocritical living. As King David so eloquently penned, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:17). Therefore, we are wise to apply the same wisdom in our own lives and approach the throne of grace with humble hearts as 1 John 1:9 states, that Jesus might say, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more" (John 8:11).

1 John 2:15-17

2010-04-30T00:30:00.003-04:00

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."

Love is a word that immediately invokes the connotation of emotion manifested by strong feelings of passion and desire. Culturally, love is predominately viewed in a positive sense; to love someone or something is to have affectionate feelings thereof. Biblically though, the topic of love is quite complex because it can either be a positive or negative emotion, or object of affection based upon the original Hebrew and Greek language studied.

For instance, two Greek words for love are described in verse 15: agapeo and agape. The former is an affectionate action and the latter an object of affection. In the context of John's writing, Strong's Concordance defines agapeo as "to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing." Conversely, Strong's defines agape as "affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love." The importance of studying these differences lies in the man versus God context. If we are called by John to not love the world (i.e. be well pleased or contented at or with a thing), we will not inherit the love (i.e. the affection, good will, and benevolence) of God. The two simply cannot coexist in the sense that we cannot love the things of this world and God simultaneously, and Scripture clearly defines this distinction. For even Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" (Matthew 6:24).

For instance, from the very beginning God made it clear that he does not compete with anyone or anything. "And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before [or besides] me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands [or to the thousandth generation] of those who love me and keep my commandments" (Exodus 20:1-6). This is absolutely crucial to understanding 1 John 2:15-17 because God proclaims that He is a jealous God and He will not accept a half-hearted devotion and commitment from mankind whom He sent His only Son to earth to die for their salvation. Scripture emphatically proclaims this point: "You shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God" (Exodus 34:14), "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God" (Deuteronomy 4:24).

Without a correct understanding of who God is, it is virtually impossible to grasp the magnitude of John's admonition. God's identity and purpose for mankind is foundational as Exodus details how God passed before Moses proclaiming His name: "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands [or to the thousandth generation,] forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation" (Exodus 34:6-7). This is a perfect description straight from the mouth of God Himself of what His love looks like: merciful, gracious, patient, steadfast, faithful and forgiving. How could we ever willingly trade these gifts of love for a love of created things? God forbid! But take heed that in the same breath God warns that He will by no means clear the guilty, but rather visit the iniquity of the fathers on future generations. For while God is indeed love, He is equally just; and His judgment upon the sins of mankind must be served.

The book of Nahum similarly notes, "The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty" (Nahum 1:2-3a). The context of this passage is that God is proclaiming judgment on the city of Nineveh for their idolatry, which Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary defines as "the worship of idols, images, or any thing made by hands, or which is not God." Clearly, as accurately as Exodus 34:6-7 declares God's love, Nahum 1:2-3a details His wrath.

The ESV Study Bible provides outstanding understanding of Nahum 1:2-3a: "The Lord is jealous with regard to his own honor and those in covenant fellowship with him. God's holy anger is righteous and just, in defense of his word and his people. God holds back the venting of his anger until an appropriate time. God's patience explains why the wicked often do not immediately receive the judgment they deserve. The delay in deserved judgment is not due to a lack of power or control on God's part. That the wicked seemingly prosper does not mean God regards them as innocent or has forgotten their iniquity." The important takeaway is that God is both omniscient and omnipresent. He will judge the sins of mankind according to His sovereign will and timing, but He does provide forgiveness through the shed blood of His Son to those who accept God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul describes it this way: "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross" (Colossians 2:13-14).

With a correct understanding of why loving the things of this world is detestable to God, in verse 16 John focuses specifically on what those things are that become idols within our hearts and separate us from the love of God: the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and pride in possessions. In focusing on the issue of desires, the ESV Study Bible again gives good explanation that "human desires are part of God's creation and therefore not inherently evil, but they become twisted when not directed by and toward God."

The apostle Paul clarifies this point further in his instruction to the church in Rome, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (Romans 13:14), and to the church in Galatia, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do...And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:16-17, 24). Paul clearly distinguishes that the desires of the flesh are in opposition to God as revealed in the Trinity. Therefore, to crucify the desires of the flesh one must accept salvation by faith through the atoning sacrifice Christ made on the cross of Calvary for our redemption of sins.

Similar to the flesh, the eyes desire, crave and lust for what is forbidden. Whether focused on sexual lust or cravings of treasures, riches and possessions, the eyes are not to be trusted if they cause us to sin. Jesus specifically addressed this issue when he said, "And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell" (Mark 9:47). It is interesting to note that King Solomon provides firsthand experience in the book of Ecclesiastes that the desires of the eyes are meaningless, deeming self-indulgence as vanity. "And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11).

Lastly, John addresses pride in possessions (or life) because as the New International Commentary states, "This is the essence of the 'wordly' person; it is a way of feeling, looking, and expressing oneself." The Greek word for "pride" according to Strong's Concordance is alazoneia, referred to otherwise in only James 4:16 which states, "As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil." Matthew Henry comments that within alazoneia "a vain mind craves all the grandeur, equipage, and pomp of a vain-glorious life; this is ambition, and thirst after honour and applause. This is, in part, the disease of the ear; it must be flattered with admiration and praise."

The most difficult part of studying 1 John 2:15-17 is that it places a mirror in front of us, reflecting the condition of our hearts before a holy God. For how can we, as self-proclaiming Christians especially, choose to love what the world loves over submitting to the will of God? More specifically for example, how can we as men justify looking lustfully at women other than our wives and ignore Christ's warning "that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28)? How can we ignore what the Bible repeatedly teaches on the issues of greed, disobedience, malice, drunkenness, anger, sexual immorality, idolatry, arrogance, pride, false witness, theft, slander, unforgiveness, jealousy, covetousness, quarreling, criticizing, complaining, rebellion, betrayal, laziness, and bitterness (just to name a few), and expect that we can enter the throne room of grace when our hearts are hard and bent on loving the pride and desires of the fallen world?

I know that in my own life I have failed miserably, more times than I ever care to remember, passionately desiring the lusts of the flesh and eyes, and living in prideful boasting. I have too often chosen sinful desires over submitting to the will of God where true contentment can only be found and have suffered the consequences of my sinful choices against God and those I love. I have learned the hard way that I must humble myself daily to admit as King David did, "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment...Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:3-4, 10). Only then will I be able to understand God's divine plan where His love and His wrath intersect at the cross of Calvary. For "the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:17).

As I studied this passage, I was completely convicted by two references in the Expositor's Bible Commentary concerning pride in possessions, for they expounded upon the depth of sin in my own heart and stripped away any shred of self protection and justification I had built up in my life. It states that the corporate adjective for alazoneia (alazon) "describes a pretentious hypocrite who glories in himself or in his possessions. He is a person of ostentatious pride in his own non-existent importance...If my reputation, my public image, matters more to me than the glory of God or the well-being of my followers, the 'pretentiousness of life' has become the object of my idol-worship." Shamefully that description fits me perfectly for I spent practically my whole life glorifying myself as a pretentious hypocrite rather than God. But I praise God that I am continually finding life-changing freedom in the convicting, absolute truth of God's Word that challenges my selfish heart, and I am steadfast on pulling myself out of the habitual patterns of hypocritical living I have learned to carefully master and embracing humility. For as Jesus declared, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31b-32).

I believe Matthew Henry provides the greatest synopsis of what John is communicating in 1 John 2:15-17 when he wrote, "Be crucified to the world, be mortified to the things, to the affairs and enticements, of it...love should be reserved for God; throw it not away upon the world." In other words, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2). It is an exhausting process putting to death our lustful desires and passions of this world, but we must also remind ourselves of the victory we have in Christ. For while John warns us in 1 John 2:15-17 to put off loving the world and embrace the love of the Father, he also reminds us in the book of Revelation of the prize that awaits us when God destroys evil once and for all and establishes the new heaven and the new earth. For on that day, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 20:4).

1 John 3:4-10

2010-04-15T17:20:00.001-04:00

"Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother."

Sin...such a small word with enormous implications. From cover to cover beginning with Genesis 3, the Bible speaks on the issue of sin and its ramifications for fallen man till Christ returns to establish the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21. Sin is the reason why God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die a criminal's death for our salvation and it remains the greatest obstacle that man faces because sin is at war against the holiness of God and aims to hold us captive, separated from our Creator. The apostle Paul sums up this point beautifully when he states, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7).

We simply cannot understand what sin is though apart from a comprehension of the law that defines sin according to God's standard. That is the power of God's Word and the reason why a true follower of Christ embraces the Scriptures with every facet of his or her being. "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). Without the Bible, we are simply lost and captive to spiritual anarchy and post modernism thinking whereby our standard of right and wrong is defined by our thoughts, feelings and logic rather than the concrete absolute truth found in God's Holy Word.

Make no mistake, "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse" (Romans 1:18-20). Whether someone does or does not have access to God's Word, he/she is still accountable to the wrath of God. "For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified" (Romans 2:12-13). So to clarify, one must not only observe God's law but more importantly apply its truth in his/her life in order to gain "the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day" (2 Timothy 4:8).

Yet "whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it" (James 2:10). The ramifications of this truth pave the way for 1 John 3:4-10 because if we have access to God's written law or His eternal power and divine nature, we cannot ignore our obligation to observe God's standard accordingly. This does presuppose the point that whoever seeks to apply 1 John 3:4-10 has been "saved by grace through faith...and not a result of works" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Assuming this is so, we can begin to unpack the truth John is sharing.

Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary defines sin as "The voluntary departure of a moral agent from a known rule of rectitude or duty, prescribed by God; any voluntary transgression of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act; iniquity. Sin is either a positive act in which a known divine law is violated, or it is the voluntary neglect to obey a positive divine command, or a rule of duty clearly implied in such command. Sin comprehends not action only, but neglect of known duty, all evil thoughts, purposes, words and desires, whatever is contrary to God's commands or law."

It amazes me to read this definition by Webster in correlation to 1 John 3:4-10. He conveys that sin is voluntary neglect/departure from divine law manifested in thoughts, actions, purposes, words and desires. In other words, sin is a purposeful and conscious decision to violate God's law. No wonder Paul emphatically warns, "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:26-31).

Indeed, it should shake us to our core that to deliberately sin after receiving the truth of God's Word imposes judgment and wrath from an angry God that abhors sin. Even Peter, the disciple who denied knowing Jesus, declared, "For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them" (2 Peter 2:21). Peter is conveying a most piercing truth that he learned firsthand through his failures and turning his back on the author of absolute truth, teaching us that even a man who Jesus personally addressed as a rock to build His church upon (Matthew 16:18) is as prone to sin as we are.

I believe it is imperative to point out that John is addressing in verse 9 those who make a practice of sinning, for the process of sanctification is a purifying journey where we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ. Bluntly said, sanctification is everything to the Christian walk as the apostle Paul declares to the church in Thessalonica, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thessalonians 4:3) and to the church in Rome, "For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification" (Romans 6:19). But more specifically, John places great emphasis on the word "practice," using it six times between verses 4 and 10 which conveys pretty clearly what Webster defines as "to do or perform frequently, customarily or habitually." We cannot ignore the fact that our habitual nature and tendencies that take effect within our lives draw us closer to the foot of the cross or boldly away from it.

The million dollar question though is what do we do about this spiritual dilemma? In basic terms we choose to sin or to live righteously, but actions do speak louder than words and in this case we must know how to choose our path. Fortunately, Jesus instructed his disciples on exactly how they would choose when he said, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (John 14:26). Moreover, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come" (John 16:13). God provides His children with a part of Himself that guides and directs our paths if only we allow the Spirit to lead rather than suppress the truth that He speaks to us in our moments of decision. Knowing that God's Spirit dwells within us (1 Corinthians 3:16) and accessing that divine power is absolutely crucial to choosing righteousness over sin.

Over the years I have found it difficult to abide in Christ as John declares in verse 6. For to abide, as Webster defines, is "to dwell, rest, continue, stand firm, or be stationary for anytime indefinitely." Dare I proclaim that to abide in Christ requires contentment and patience! I humbly admit that my restless soul with a natural bent toward the sins/lusts of the flesh contradicts the Spirit's desire to sanctify me from the inside out. Perhaps though, that is the true beauty of submitting to a Savior that took upon human form in order to empathize with our trials and struggles, pains and iniquities, yet remained in God the Father "perfectly one, so that the world may know that you (Father) sent me (Jesus) and loved them even as you loved me" (John 17:23).

My human nature pridefully yields to self rather than Christ more often than not, manifested in a sinful (and unsuccessful) attempt to handle my own business and independently fix my problems instead of seeking help and guidance from my Lord and Savior who is supremely sovereign. I would be greatly served to heed Jesus' loving call when he proclaimed, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-29). The truth I must personally come to grips with is whether I believe that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. The call to righteousness appears at times to be a daunting task and unconquerable mountain to climb, yet I know in obedience I am called to make the effort regardless of how I feel. I believe that is the key to whether we truly practice lawlessness or righteousness and proves as John writes whether we belong to Christ or the Devil.

The battle no doubt is ongoing and the stakes eternal in measure for those who aim to follow Jesus Christ. Like John, the apostle Paul understood this spiritual battle when he addressed the Roman church concerning his struggle with sin and righteousness. "So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin" (Romans 7:21-25).

Paul immediately goes on to remind us all though that the ultimate victory we seek is found in Christ, and that is an absolute truth that I need to remind myself of each day in order to live my life in a posture of humility and understanding before a sovereign God. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit" (Romans 8:1-5).

Psalm 32:3-5

2010-02-20T22:08:00.002-05:00

"For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.'"

When a man or woman accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8), he or she is embarking on an incredible journey, one that will test the core of what an individual thinks about him or herself. There is a shift in the heart of the individual who accepts Christ's atoning sacrifice, for the reality of sin rises to the surface as the Holy Spirit convicts and becomes the gauge by which genuineness and depth of faith is measured. "He (the Holy Spirit) will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment" (John 16:8).

Now Psalm 32:1-2 accurately describes the blessing of that process which results in forgiveness, but the following three verses of Psalm 32 give the reader understanding on what brought King David to the point of recognition his sin and repentance. In other words, verses 3-5 entail the sanctification process David endured that resulted in the blessing of forgiveness. Interestingly, in comparison to Psalm 51 written by David as a result of his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah, the emphasis on Psalm 32:3-5 is "traced not so much to the speaker's (David's) sin as to his 'silence' about his sin and to his 'covering it up'" (New International Biblical Commentary).

The apostle Paul supports this point by plainly addressing the issues of accountability (i.e. we are accountable for our sin) and sin recognition (i.e. through God's Word we have knowledge of sin) that guard us against covering up our sins. He writes, "Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:19-20). Let us be clear though that ALL men are held accountable before God, not just those who profess Jesus as Lord, and Paul essentially spends the entire first three chapters of the book of Romans addressing that singular point.

Recognition of sin (as learned through the life of David) is impossible without a Biblical construct of absolute truth. For the professing follower of Jesus Christ, knowledge of the Bible is foundational because in summation it leads to the cross of Calvary. That truth is paramount, for without the cross we would have no bridge between God's wrath (His law) and God's love (His sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the penalty of our sins). Ephesians 2:13-16 states plainly that "by the blood of Christ...he himself made us one...by abolishing the law of commandments...to reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross." Therefore we are foolish to believe that we can exist as men and women of righteousness for the sake of the Gospel if we do not feed upon our only source of absolute truth that proclaims for us God's eternal grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. However there must be a connection between knowledge of the mind and application of the heart to avoid that which David demonstrated through his silence of sin. For if God's Word does not impact our heart, we invite temptation into our lives with rapidly increasing frequency and intensity, and consequently fall prey to sinful desires.

Personally I have experienced firsthand the absolute truth David describes and have lived in the silence of private sin that undoubtedly gives Satan a foothold. I have experienced extreme conviction regarding the truth of 1 Corinthians 4:5, "Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God," and have felt the heavy hand of God that David so accurately points out. God's contempt for sin is absolute, but because He loves us He allows us to choose sin or righteousness through every thought and action we make. Make no mistake though that if you are genuinely seeking to "know him," He will expose the darkness in your life as He did mine and give you the opportunity to confess your sin before Him and those you have sinned against.

When I reflect upon my recent Psalm 32:3-5 testimony, I am haunted that I fell completely victim by my own volition to Hebrews 10:26-31. It is one of the most bone chilling and convicting passages of Scripture I have ever read and it is a model of where I recently found myself in my faith walk with Christ. It reads: "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:26-31).

To reflect upon that passage of Scripture brings an excruciatingly intense feeling of guilt and shame to my heart and enormous regret for the sins I have committed and their destruction on my life and the lives of those I have directly and indirectly sinned against. I am humbled beyond words by the honest truth that due to a lack of genuine faith (Matthew 17:20), my selfish pride and stubbornness has magnified the disconnect between my heart and mind. That is the reality of David's experience in Psalm 32:3-5 and I concur completely for I have made the same grievous mistake in my own life.

I cannot begin to describe how humbling it has been for me to accept that I have lived the majority of my life under the illusion of a logical understanding of God's Word and what a true relationship with Him looks like rather than washing myself daily through prayer and repentance, feeding my heart and mind upon God's Word. I have had to come to terms that for years I hypocritically preached to others on the constructs of righteous living while living without spiritual disciplines firmly planted in my own life. Oh, how I now emphatically confess, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24). Only recently through the process of Biblical counseling, accountability, immeasurable amounts of love, grace and mercy by others, and embracing/practicing daily spiritual disciplines has God completely taken my heart captive through the absolute truth of His Word, shattering my self-protecting pride and rebuilding me through humility and self-sacrifice.

My perspective has changed now, and like Paul I proclaim from my transformed mind and heart, "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost" (1 Timothy 1:15). For truly, if God had not heavily pressed His hand upon me I would be wasting away, covering my sins and living the life of a self-righteous hypocrite till my prideful and self-protecting walls came crashing down upon me with substantially greater destruction. Praise God that "the works of his hands are faithful and just" (Psalm 111:7), for if He did not love me He would not have allowed me to endure this sanctifying process that ultimately saved my life "and let steadfastness have its full effect, that (I) may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:4).

Psalm 32:1-2

2010-01-26T23:45:00.006-05:00

"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit."

There are infinite aspects of God's character that defy human logic or understanding, of which grace and mercy are among the top concepts that we cannot fully comprehend this side of heaven. Perhaps the greatest by-product of God's grace and mercy is His willingness to forgive sins. For as the apostle Paul declares, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace" (Ephesians 1:7). Each concept though has a distinct purpose in God's will and Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary provides incredible differentiation among these three characteristics of God's character that are worth considering:

GRACE - 1. Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from him. 2. The application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner. 3. A state of reconciliation to God.

MERCY - That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespasses and injuries, and to forbear punishment, or inflict less than law or justice will warrant. In this sense, there is perhaps no word in our language precisely synonymous with mercy. That which comes nearest to it is grace. It implies benevolence, tenderness, mildness, pity or compassion, and clemency, but exercised only towards offenders. Mercy is a distinguishing attribute of the Supreme Being.

FORGIVENESS - 1. The act of forgiving; the pardon of an offender, by which he is considered and treated as not guilty. 2. The pardon or remission of an offense or crime; as the forgiveness of sin or of injuries.

I am continually amazed by the wisdom Noah Webster defines the English language according to a Biblical perspective. Notice the explicit distinctions among these concepts. Grace is unmerited love and favor of God while mercy treats an offender better than he deserves, but forgiveness takes upon its shoulders the weight of the entire sin. As Webster states, forgiveness is the pardon of an offender by which he is considered and treated as NOT GUILTY. In other words, because God is gracious and merciful toward His children, He forgives them of their sins. Let us not be all-encompassing in this fact though, lest we assume that every human being in the history of time has been unconditionally forgiven of all their sins and is now sitting in heaven with Jesus Christ. Forgiveness is a promise given to every BELIEVER that accepts the forgiveness of their sins through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. For Jesus set forth a new covenant during His final Passover meal: "And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins'" (Matthew 26:27-28).

Scripture is rich with the promises of forgiveness God proclaims to His people based on their recognition of sin and genuine repentance through the act of humility. "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). Jesus does elaborate on the concept of forgiveness further as an act of obedience that we must display toward others in order to receive God's gracious and merciful forgiveness for ourselves, lest we be judged according to the hardness of our hearts. "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15).

The true blessing of forgiveness that David declares in Psalm 32 is based upon the promise of God's grace and mercy that flow from His character, or as The Expositor's Bible Commentary plainly states, "The psalmist declares that the forgiveness of sin, of whatever kind—whether against God or man, whether great or small, whether conscientious or inadvertent, or whether by omission or commission—is to be found in God." God is the ultimate forgiver of sin and every knee will bow to Him on the day of judgment. Therefore, we must apply the truth of Scripture into our lives that declares we are His children, and held to a higher standard than the world. For no matter the offenses we commit against others or offenses we endure, we must seek unconditionally seek forgiveness and forgive others simply for one reason: Christ forgave us and died for our sins. "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive" (Colossians 3:12-13).

I praise God that He not only treats me better than I deserve (mercy) by offering me unmerited favor (grace), but that He goes far beyond any human comprehension of love by sacrificing His one and only Son on my behalf (forgiveness through imputed righteousness) so that I may have the privilege of spending eternity with Him. Forgiveness is simply divine and it should make us proclaim as David did in Psalm 27:4, "One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple." Without forgiveness, that picture of heaven will never become a reality. It must begin with grace and repentance and accepting God's Word as true. For if we do not believe His Word, we cannot begin to comprehend His grace and mercy which produces a willingness within Him to forgive our sins based on the sacrifice He made through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus and the absolute truth of Scripture are inseparable. One cannot exist without the other and more importantly, Scripture declares that He is the manifestation of the Word of God. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Therefore, let us give thanks for the by-product of God's grace and mercy, the eternal blessing of forgiveness found only in Jesus Christ that covers sins and restores us whole to our Creator and Father in heaven, praising God for all eternity because His Word declares it as ABSOLUTE TRUTH!

Matthew 23:29-32

2010-01-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers."

The seventh and final woe Jesus proclaims to the scribes and Pharisees is perhaps the most interesting of them all. It summarizes the behavior of the previous six woes He declares and paints the big picture of their sinfulness against God and the consequential result of those sins in His imminent crucifixion. He points out their consistency of behavior over time and their lack of recognition based on the history of which they are descendants, creating the perfect storm for eternal separation between them and God. What a mighty warning we must heed in response!

The apostle Paul makes a similar argument in his letter to the Hebrews: "How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29). How proud must a man be to proclaim in the presence of his own hypocrisy that he would choose righteousness over sin. Truly, he would be better to say nothing at all! Perhaps that is why Scripture admonishes, "For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them" (2 Peter 2:21).

The scribes and Pharisees deceived themselves into believing that they were not one in the same with their forefathers, without recognizing their pattern of sinfulness that mirrored the sins of their forefathers. In other words, "They think, if they had lived in the days of the prophets, they would have heard them gladly and obeyed; and yet they rebelled against the light that Christ brought into the world" (Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible). For example, they failed to heed and apply Jesus' teaching which they had firsthand opportunity to hear in the physical presence of the Son of Man: "And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched’" (Mark 9:43-48).

Hindsight is 20/20 though and while it is easy to sit back and judge the scribes and Pharisees for their actions, I realize that in my own life I have fallen prey to the same attitudes and actions. Indeed, Jesus pointed specifically at their lineage and heritage descended from their murderous forefathers whom they lifted up in honor and glory, but are we not all descendants of sin? True, our individual bents are different and unique, but mankind identifies with itself on the foundation of sin and rejection of God's sufficiency. The scribes and Pharisees may have sat in the presence of Jesus Christ and chose not to believe He was the Messiah, but I can identify with how they fell into that trap.

Over the past 5-6 weeks, I have come to understand the impact a hardened heart can have on the ability to recognize not only my own sinfulness and selfishness, but who Jesus truly is and what He expects out of my life. It is difficult to hear the Word of God when your ears are covered, to see the hand of Christ at work around you when your eyes are closed, and to taste the mystery of God's abundant grace and mercy when your heart is closed off and self-protecting. God seeks humility of the heart but He does not force his will on anyone. God does not close off our hearts, we choose to. Is it no wonder that God proclaims: "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). God wants nothing more than our hearts fully devoted to Him and seeking righteousness over sin.

In my life, that equates to resisting sinful patterns that have eroded the bridge between my mind and heart of understanding God's Word. It is indeed true that "Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly" (Proverbs 26:11). Therefore, I must take action to cut off that sinful behavior and choose to trust in Christ, not pridefully declaring that I have arrived at any state of understanding that deems me worthy of righteousness, but humbly submitting to Christ and His Word. "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22).

This summary passage of Scripture in Matthew 23:29-32 brings to light for me a promise that the apostle Paul makes in his first letter to the church of Corinth. "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:12-13). My counselor in Christ reminded me of the power of God's promise in that passage to provide a way of escape in the midst of temptation. It is now a constant reminder for me to avoid pride and embrace humility, to die to self and cling to the cross of Jesus Christ in service to Him and my family. Because living like a scribe or Pharisee, knowing the prophesies declared and not recognizing their fulfillment right before my eyes in the person of Jesus Christ is simply inexcusable, and I can escape the tempestuous trap of hypocrisy if I choose to embrace the escape method God provides through the absolute truth of His Word. It is a mockery for me to say I trust in Jesus Christ but not fully believe His Word into my heart, trusting Him in complete faith. That is the weight my sin has laid upon my heart though, and the selfish rock my Lord and Savior is breaking in order to restore my soul to righteousness. "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives" (Hebrews 12:6), and I praise God immensely for that loving promise.

Matthew 23:27-28

2010-01-12T23:50:00.000-05:00

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

Matthew 23:27-28 is a mirror image of the verses that precede it: Matthew 23:25-26. Here, Jesus once again drives home the point of our preoccupation with dressing up the public exterior of our lives only to self-protect the inner sins and iniquity that has taken residence in our hearts. The question I have struggled with for the past 3 weeks though is what greater point Jesus is making. 2 Timothy 3:16 states that all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so there must be a finer point to Christ's rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees in comparison to verses 25-26.

It is quite poignant that Jesus uses the example of a whitewashed tomb (symbolizing death) to describe the fallen state of man in this passage "for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). We cannot understand the magnitude of our sin until we balance the truth of God's wrath with the gracious and merciful gift of His love. Jesus Christ is the bridge that allows man to exist in both states of God's being simultaneously, but that is not an opportunity to indulge in sin and hypocrisy. On the contrary, one does not want to fall into the trap of being outwardly beautiful as a whitewashed tomb glistening in the sun. The reality is that underneath the external mask of adornment is a rotten and lifeless existence that feeds upon the greatest sin of mankind: self. Left untreated, it develops into a terminal cancer.

Love of self simply results in a slow and agonizing death that leaves one numb over time to the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit. Left untreated, this wilderness attitude can drive us further into self-righteousness and inevitably, spiritual death. 2 Timothy 3:2-5 is a perfect example of the Bible's warning on how a heart can become consumed with sin: "For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power." Now this passage was written as a warning of godliness in the last days, but I believe we are living in the last days (a point my wife firmly has conveyed to me that I agree with). How do I know? I need not look any further than my own reflection in the mirror.

D.A Carson provides a profound understanding in The Expositor's Bible Commentary concerning Matthew 23:27-28: In the context of Matthew 23, the point Jesus is making is not that the scribes and Pharisees were deliberate and self-conscious hypocrites, but that in their scrupulous regulations they appeared magnificently virtuous but were actually contaminating the people. This statement is incredibly convicting to me on many levels due to the sins in my life that over the years have hardened my heart so as not to face the consequences of my actions. More importantly, as I reflect back upon the enormity of my conscious and subconscious decisions to sin and avoid punishment, I realize that in my self-protection I made it appear publicly that I indeed was virtuous and righteous. My actions, while clean on the outside, were masking a love of self that when exposed to the light of day left a destructive path on those I love the most. Therefore, I shamefully fulfilled in every sense the point Carson interprets upon in Matthew 23:27-28. I did not intentionally nor deliberately set out to be a hypocrite, but through my self-protecting actions I both knowingly and unknowingly embraced that identity and contaminated those around me, resembling dead man's bones rather than the righteousness of Jesus Christ and proclaiming myself in retrospect as the greatest of hypocrites without fully understanding my fallen state of self.

If I am being completely transparent, I believe I have fallen prey to in various degrees every sin Timothy lists in his letter, some to the point of near death. I confess that I am a man that in the deepest part of my heart has lived for himself for decades, genuinely desiring to be a man of righteousness, but unwilling to relinquish all control of my life to Christ. Through recent counseling on this issue though, I have had to come to grips that this is the most profound and convicting truth of my life, that I am not completely entrusting my heart to Christ which consequently only allows God limited access to transform me from the inside out. No doubt God has made His presence known in my life and used me as an instrument to accomplish Him will, but as it relates to the ministry he wishes to do in my life, I have self-protected for too long. Thankfully though, by God's abundant grace and mercy I found myself at a spiritual marker crossroads five weeks ago that He ordained which allowed me the opportunity to begin the processing of dying to self by choosing to live in the light of truth through confession of past sins rather than basking in the pit of darkness and essentially living under Satan's influence and lies. The moment arrived for me to apply the truth of Joshua 24:15, "choose this day whom you will serve," and I chose to serve Jesus Christ and embrace redemption through the blood of the lamb who was slain for my sins.

The beauty of redemption is that through genuine repentance, God can restore the years the locust has eaten (Joel 2:25). For as 1 Peter 2:24 states, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." Regardless of how deep I have fallen into the pit of self, God is faithful and has used grievous sins in my life to expose hypocrisy in order to bring me to an understanding of my sinful state and wisdom for how to create a new life in Jesus Christ. Therefore, I cannot ask Him to remove the thorns in my flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7) for they are the greatest reminders of my need for dependancy on Him that will keep me victoriously faithful to Him in the midst of future trials and temptations.

Consequently, the application I have found to Christ's warning in Matthew 23:27-28 is written by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans. Paul states, "For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living" (Romans 14:7-9). What an amazing truth for a follower of Jesus Christ! The real question is whether we will embrace that truth to the extent that it drives us to transparency, confession of sins, repentance, and restoration in righteousness. For me, I can attest that embracing this process and living in transparency through confession of sins and repentance is excruciatingly difficult to endure in the moment (based on consequences of sin), but the rewards far outweigh the momentary pain for this lifetime is a grain of sand compared to enormity of eternity.

Jesus said, "I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness" (John 12:46). If we believe that truth, we are assured that Christ will receive us freely and break us from the whitewashed tomb addiction that so many of us have progressively fallen into over time. And that in and of itself is reason to shout from the mountaintops "that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). I praise God for that truth in my life now!

Matthew 23:25-26

2009-12-22T20:32:00.003-05:00

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean."

In my opinion, this passage is the epitome of the human dilemma in relation to the sin of man and his consequential separation from God. It is one of the most recognizable quotes of Scripture known within the Christian church, yet it undoubtedly haunts the spiritual walk of each and every follower of Jesus. For me, this verse has recently become a cornerstone in my personal relationship with Christ and perhaps the greatest warning of Scripture that I adhere to today.

Of course, the metaphor Jesus is using with the cup and plate are symbolic of the state of our hearts, minds and spirits. The outside of the cup could be better defined as our mask, the object most used to cloak who we really are underneath. As is custom with Jesus though, He always goes after the heart and uses this imagery to make a profound point that we cannot continue to knowingly live in a state of sin yet present ourselves publicly as "worthy of the lamb who was slain" (Revelation 5:12). It is not consistent with the proclamations of Scripture and it certainly is not what the apostle Paul meant when he said, "Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness" (Romans 6:13). We must be willing to address the state of our flesh if we are bold enough to proclaim that we have been "washed in the blood of the lamb" (Revelation 7:14) and willing to accept the consequences of our actions if we truly believe the absolute truth of Scripture and are willing to apply it in our private lives.

One of the things I love most about Jesus is that when he drives home a point, He does so on more than one occasion in order to emphasize its importance from God's perspective. The gospel of Matthew records such an instance. Here, Jesus addresses this conflict of inward versus outward purity once again. "And he called the people to him and said to them, 'Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person... Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander'" (Matthew 15:10-11,17-19).

Do you notice the list at the end of that passage? It is a compilation of sinful actions AND thoughts. Therefore, we are not exempt from breaking God's law if we do not act on our thoughts. It is clear that Christ is not just concerned with outward manifestations, but more importantly the root of the problem that begins within the spiritual battlefield of the mind, infiltrating the heart, and taking captive the soul. He clearly stated his point within the following passages:

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire" (Matthew 5:21-22).

"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28).

"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, 'Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King'" (Matthew 5:33-35).

"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, 'Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you'" (Matthew 5:38-42).

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you'" (Matthew 5:43-44).

Based upon these direct teachings from Jesus Christ, there is no room for doubt that the inward workings of our flesh are absolutely the sins we must address in order to live for righteousness unto our God and Father. But how do we accomplish this? 1 Peter 2:24 answers this question plainly: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." How simple a truth from God, yet emphatically convicting! The whole solution is fairly simple in logic yet astronomical in spiritual scale and measure. Nonetheless, we must be willing to die to ourselves in order to experience a true and God-honoring personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

A friend and counselor pointed out that absolute truth to me two weeks ago in a counseling session, and frankly it shook me to the core. You see, for years I was under the influence that a habitual sin addiction I had long suffered from was contained and compartmentalized from the rest of my life. Which meant in order to obtain true victory over that particular sin, I simply needed to put parameters in place that safeguarded against it, therefore containing the sin and destroying it. But the problem never stopped and ironically it morphed into a greater sin that spiraled me down into the pit of hell itself and almost killed me and those I love most. I have come to understand the reason why now through the storm of personal injury against God and others. Love of self that equates to love of sin is the method that Satan uses most effectively to destroy our relationship with God and others. Left untreated, it will corrupt your thoughts and actions far beyond the scope and scale of any particular habitual sin you are most bent against, this I know firsthand. It will bind itself to fabric of your being and manifest itself within a myriad of greater issues, typically pride and selfishness. Meaning the road to restoration begins with the spiritual discipline of humility, brokenness over sin and genuine repentance to God and all those you have sinned against.

I have learned the hard way that not addressing the root issue of sin in my life (love of self) is truly the leading cause of death for all of us and the ultimate point of Jesus' admonition in Matthew 23:25-26. No doubt you can feasibly continue to focus solely on trying to solve the outward sin issues in your life but if you do not address the inward self, you are merely inviting Satan and his demons a first class ticket into your life. The danger and warning are admonished in Scripture: "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation" (Matthew 12:43-45).

Rest assured though that God is in control and will never allow us to face a trial alone. For if we trust in Him and allow his Holy Spirit access to our hearts and minds through fervent prayer and time spent studying God's Word for the purpose of Biblical application, He will transform us from the inside out as He is doing to me and will make us stronger than ever before, because we are choosing to build our foundation of faith upon Him and that rock cannot be shaken. "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it" (Matthew 7:24-27).

Matthew 23:23-24

2009-12-04T11:00:00.008-05:00

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!"

I love how God reveals a passage of Scripture that previously you skimmed over but suddenly are taken back by, as if you never read it before. This is one of those passages for me because Jesus is addressing a number of issues by taking a concept that practically all Christians are aware of (tithing), but adding a dimension that transcends our preconceived notions.

Leviticus 27:30 begins our understanding of what Scripture defines on this topic: "Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord." Here, God is directly addressing the discipline of giving back to Himself a portion of the monetary blessings He has bestowed on us, specifically the first fruits of our labor (Deuteronomy 26:1-4). This is critical for it provides the earthly provision needed to support the ministry of the local church, as it did for the priests and Levites of the nation of Israel. Scripture also defines within the Old Testament that the minimum value of a tithe is a tenth (Leviticus 27:32), although one should not feel limited to give by that amount. For as the apostle Paul exhorts, "The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (1 Corinthians 9:6-7).

The issue of tithing is truly paramount to the Christian faith. For if we think about it, God grants us incredible grace and mercy by providing for all our needs, of which we should not worry or stress about in the slightest. Jesus specifically addressed this point in Matthew 6:27. "And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" The beauty of Christ's message though is the cause and effect principle of trusting God's promises and our obedience of applying those truths in our lives according to His will. "Therefore do not be anxious saying, 'What shall we eat?' or ' What shall we drink' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:31-33). Tithing is simply a measure of our obedience (and indirectly our attitude as well) that God's sufficiency is greater than all we could desire. By applying the principle of tithing in our lives, we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and he consequently blesses that obedience beyond measure.

What then is the critical point that Jesus is making in Matthew 23:23-24? Tithing is indeed an important work in the life of a Christian and cannot be ignored nor neglected. Rather, Jesus is addressing a heart issue that supersedes an observance of a religious law. He is not abolishing the necessity of tithing, but rather elevating the importance of all righteous living with the principle issue of tithing. In other words, consistency of Biblical application was the scribes and Pharisees greatest flaw and one we have willingly inherited into our spiritual lives. James 1:22 states this plainly: "But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." If we choose to focus on various parts of Scripture while neglecting the importance of Scripture as a whole, we fall victim to Jesus' admonition to the scribes and Pharisees. No verse of God's Word is devalued by another verse, for "all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).

I love the context of Matthew 23:23-24 because it drives a stake directly into the condition of our hearts. The issue of tithing is simply a Scriptural law Jesus uses to make a finer point, but also a concept that can be broadened in context to expand our understanding. For if we as Christians begin to offer our lives (not just our monetary possessions) to God as a tithe offering, remembering that we are submitting unto Him our first-fruits (which can include our time, our resources, our attention, our services, our thoughts and our attitudes), we will begin to comprehend how Jesus speaks intimately to each one of us His solemn convictions. It is as if He is saying, "You obediently apply My Word (i.e. tithe) on specific issues that are passionate to your heart down to the finest detail, but you fail to recognize that you are consciously neglecting the entire truth of My Word that has the power to free you from the chains of Pharisaism."

For example, Deuteronomy 15:7-11 is a perfect illustration of Christ's point: "If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’" One should not only give a tenth of their monetary possessions to the church as a tithe offering, but should also meet the needs of others as God wills it and provides "blessing" opportunities (emphasizing Christ's point of neglecting the weightier matters of the law). Note though that helping others in need should not supersede or replace our tithe obligations, lest we diminish God's Word against itself. Both are equally important and must be applied in our daily lives.

In a deep study of a highly sensitive "religious" issue, we cannot allow our hearts and minds to be weighed down by frustration and hopelessness because we continually fall short of the mark. God promises infinite and immeasurable blessings for those who do His will and will meet us if we humble ourselves and submit to His authority and instruction. Look no further that Malachi 3:6-12 for a immeasurable promise of God's incredible grace and mercy for those who trust in Him and fulfill His commands: "For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts."

God challenges us directly to put him to the test and see for ourselves if He is not faithful. The question is simple and undoubtedly convicting though. Will you and I tithe all that we are and all that we have according to His Word and allow His Holy Spirit to shower down blessings of righteousness that are more valuable in the sight of God than gold and precious jewels? He does not promise earthly riches for our trust and obedience, but rather "a peace of God which surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). The decision is ultimately ours on how we choose to obey His commands, but Christ's warning cannot be ignored: "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many" (Matthew 7:13). Choose your path wisely!

Matthew 23:16-22

2009-11-20T01:09:00.001-05:00

"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it."

Are you someone who can be trusted? Are your words and actions written in pencil or ink? Do you feel the need to make a hard sales pitch in order to make people believe in what you say, or do you receive the benefit of the doubt because your high countenance precedes your actions? These are a few simplistic, metaphorical ways of describing the point that Jesus is making to the scribes and pharisees. Vows, oaths and promises are not bound by the objects they are made upon so as to leave room for annulment. Rather, they are bound by God because one cannot make a pledge upon anything that is not the creation of God Almighty.

At first glance, this passage of Matthew could be easily glossed over. It seems like Jesus could more easily say, "Take what you say seriously and be accountable for it." But I believe Jesus is driving a stake directly into the heart of the matter because the issue of trust is absolutely foundational in all aspects of life. Consider Isaiah 26:4 which states, "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." I love this verse because it not only answers the question of who we should trust, but why. For greater context, Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary defines a "rock" as figuratively a defense; means of safety; protection; strength; asylum; a firm or immovable foundation. Therefore we are safe to assume that when we add Webster's definition of "everlasting" (i.e. eternal; existing or continuing without end; immortal), we begin to realize that we can rely upon the Lord God unconditionally and without hesitation for He is the ultimate foundation to build our lives upon (2 Timothy 2:19).

It is amazing to research how the term everlasting is used in Scripture. For instance, the Lord God made everlasting covenants with His people (Genesis 9:16, 17:7-8, 48:4; 2 Samuel 23:5; 1 Chronicles 16:17; Psalm 105:10; Isaiah 61:8; Jeremiah 32:40, 50:5; Ezekiel 16:59-60, 37:26), He brought people and nations to everlasting ruin and shame (Psalm 9:6, 78:66), He sits upon the throne of an everlasting kingdom (Psalm 145:13; Daniel 4:3), and His name through Jesus Christ is referred to as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). These are simply not terms to describe one who cannot be depended upon. They are names that reveal who God is, what He is capable of as our Sovereign creator, and why He can be depended upon throughout eternity. The point I am trying to make is that God can be trusted because not only does His love endure forever, but He is an everlasting rock.

So if you feel compelled to be a man/woman that is trustworthy and who can be entrusted with great possession or responsibility, how do you fare as an everlasting rock? Would those in your sphere of influence perceive you as a means of safety, protection and strength without end, trustworthy of the vows, oaths and promises you make? This is a loaded question because from a discussion of trust comes the need to examine the virtue of character, which again draws us back to the nature of God himself. "For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us" (Hebrews 6:16-18).

I pray that you are beginning to understand as I am that our model of character, out of which comes our ability to be trusted, is found completely in the Lord God. It seems logical (and assumingly understood), but now we have a greater construct and perspective to work with when we begin to understand the nature and character of God, knowing what it means to put off our Pharisaical tendencies and die to Christ. We must be willing to experience the glory of being found trustworthy but also the persecution for it as well. For as the Apostle Paul states, "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope" (Romans 5:3-4).

Therefore we must understand that the sanctifying process of being made righteous comes through persecution. Jesus encourages us: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10), but he also warns us: "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20). In other words, there is great blessing for being a man/woman of character and trustworthiness but also an inevitable weight of persecution that comes with it. Be encouraged though! For if we unconditionally love as unto Christ in the face of persecution, we bear witness to the world that we are His disciples (John 13:35) and worthy of being trusted.

All that being said, we must return to the object of Christ's intention in Matthew 23:16-22 that our oaths should be made only unto God, for we must choose this day whom we will serve (Joshua 24:15). The application for that practice is found simply in Matthew 5:33-37..."Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one."

Matthew 23:15

2009-11-13T21:15:00.003-05:00

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves."

This passage is extremely intriguing to me because it directly addresses the topic of "Pharisaism" that I am extremely passionate about. In many instances, Pharisaism is virtually interchangeable with and more commonly referred to in our culture as "religion." I believe Pharisaism is perhaps the greatest detriment to Christianity and has caused those outside the church to repeatedly turn their backs on considering a personal relationship with Jesus. Why, you might ask? Because in and of itself, Pharisaism is simply cancer that left untreated becomes a breeding ground for hypocrisy and self-righteousness.

In order to gain a proper context for what Jesus is targeting in Matthew 23:15 we must first understand that Jesus is admonishing Pharisaism, not Judaism. Second, we must seek wisdom concerning two key terms, "Pharisaism" and "proselyte". Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary (perhaps the greatest American dictionary available in print) defines Pharisaism as "the notions, doctrines and conduct of the Pharisees, as a sect. Rigid observance of external forms of religion without genuine piety; hypocrisy in religion." Moreover, Webster defines a proselyte as "a new convert to some religion or religious sect, or to some particular opinion, system or party. Thus a Gentile converted to Judaism is a proselyte; a pagan converted to Christianity is a proselyte." These definitions assist in clarifying the context of Jesus' statement.

Now I believe the key to both these definitions is the phrase, "external forms of religion." When we cross-reference Matthew 23:15 with Mark 7:15: "There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him," we begin to understand that Jesus is addressing the importance of truth, of which He is the essence of (John 14:1), and we are to specifically adhere to without the aid of external and additional man-made rules, regulations, policies and/or requirements. For when we adopt man-made religion as absolute truth (even in good conscious), we are defiled from within as Jesus warns, and that is most dangerous because it affects those around us and their understanding and comprehension of how a Christian applies the absolute truth of the Bible in his/her life. Man-made religion packaged and sold as Biblical understanding is misleading and bluntly stated, complete Pharisaism.

Jesus always seeks reconciliation of the heart to God, for it is what we hold inside our hearts that makes us unclean. Therefore, if we take upon religious practices, assumptions and expectations that are above and beyond the Word of God and adopt them with sinful attitudes and self-righteous piety, we fall victim to the warnings Jesus heeds. The scribes and pharisees took great pride in the law of Moses and strictly held firm to the finest detail of the law. Where they fell short in Christ's judgment was their additional "law requirements" that not only held proselytes back from gaining access to God (Matthew 23:13-14) but rather drove them into religion rather than a personal relationship with God. Religion became the funnel in which they filtered their thoughts and actions in regard to themselves and others, and inevitably what brought the judgment of God through Jesus Christ upon them. For "the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22).

To state this more plainly, I will defer to my favorite Bible teacher, James MacDonald. In a sermon entitled, "Freedom from Religion," Pastor James states the following: "It is absolutely essential for my own growth in Godliness that I don't judge or negatively assess someone else's personal conviction in regard to something that is not explicitly stated in Scripture. And when I do judge others in regard to something that is not explicitly stated in Scripture, that is the essence of being a Pharisee, that is the essence of being a religious person; judging other people by a man-made set of rules."

I cannot fathom a more convicting statement for mankind and specifically myself because I am a habitual sinner and Pharisee and honestly ashamed to admit it. God help us to begin filtering our lives solely through the absolute truth of Scripture that we may be set free from the weight of religion and Pharisaism! It is a chronic problem and the cancerous trail it leaves behind drives a wedge further between ourselves and those around us who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and are hindered from accepting His grace by faith due to the hypocritical example we provide as self-proclaimed Christians. The Pharisaism we are selling is stifling the work of God because we have traded faith for religion. Spiritual conviction that leads to repentance and God's forgiveness has been culturally replaced by self-justification and a self-righteous, unwillingness to be broken (Proverbs 28:14).

Jesus warns us emphatically: "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:3-5). We must be honest with ourselves and admit we have adopted man-made religion in every facet of our lives. It benefits nothing if we cannot be real with the reflection in the mirror. For if we hold firm to our religion rather than walking in the absolute truth of Scripture, we will be judged not only according to God's standard but the false standard of religion that we hold so dear to (i.e. our cancerous definition of righteousness.) That is the danger of Pharisaism and we are wise to denounce our false doctrines and walk in humble righteousness through Jesus Christ and the Word of God.

Matthew 23:13-14

2009-11-06T23:03:00.002-05:00

"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation."

After laying a firm foundation in Matthew 23:1-12 on the conduct of the Jewish leaders, Jesus now begins one of His most direct admonitions in all of Scripture. Now begins the "seven woes to the scribes and pharisees" that in contrast parallels the Beatitudes, commonly referred to as the most popular section of "The Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 5:1-12). Matthew 23:13 begins a complete shift of focus in Christ's teaching. The audience has now changed and Jesus has transitioned from addressing His disciples and followers on the conduct of the scribes and pharisees and their subsequent response to submitting and obeying religious authority, to a piercing judgment specifically aimed at the ones who would inevitably crucify Him for his teachings rather than embrace Him as Messiah.

In studying this particular passage, it is interesting that Jesus is not vindictive, spiteful nor angry, but rather judicial. He is exercising His authority as Messiah with compassionate condemnations for their conduct under the Law of Moses. Keep in mind He is not allowing His supreme knowledge of what the Jewish leaders will do to Him cloud His actions. His emotions are in check and He uses the law to convict them in their wicked ways, all the while knowing that this religious group will demand and execute His crucifixion in the days to come.

For a moment, consider the context of Isaiah's prophesy with Christ's actions in this passage of Matthew's Gospel: "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth" (Isaiah 53:7). Could you or I ever imagine to respond in truth and love to our executioners if we were unjustly condemned for a crime we never committed, knowing full well the hour and torturous method of our impending death and opening not our mouths in defense? I know that in my flesh I could not. But I am reassured because God's Word reminds me that He is in full control: "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).

Jesus begins Matthew 23:13 by addressing the scribes and pharisees as "hypocrites." The 1599 Geneva Study Bible comments that "Christ, when he reproves any man sharply, uses this word to show us that there is nothing more detestable than hypocrisy and falsehood in religion." The scribes and pharisees used the law as a tool to shut others out in order to maintain religious control as "the" righteous authority and mask the covetousness within their hearts that Jesus exposes in verse 14. Note too the issue here is not that the law is flawed but that the Jewish leaders were using the law to drive people away from the kingdom of Heaven rather than toward it. Jesus stated very clearly, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17). Therefore, His focus is completely on application of the law, for the truth is what sets us free (John 8:32) and will bridge the eternal gap between man and God.

The 1599 Geneva Study Bible provides outstanding insight on verse 14 as well: "It is a common thing among hypocrites to abuse the pretence of zeal when in reality they are exercising covetousness and extortion. Literally, 'under a colour of long praying'; and the word 'and' signifies a double wickedness in them: the one, that they devoured widows goods: the other that they did it under a pretence of godliness." Therefore, when we step back and gain perspective on Matthew 23:14, it should not surprise us the incredible sins the Jewish leaders of His day were committing under the banner of religious authority and why Jesus judges their actions according to the very law they are presumed experts in.

So how do we apply this warning that Jesus addressed to the scribes and pharisees and now sets before us? For me, the study note phrase "under a pretense of godliness" is a perfect starting point because it convicts so severely and addresses the sin Jesus is targeting. I know it is rather easy for me to preach the Word of God to others on how they should live and apply it to their lives, but incredibly difficult and humbling to live it out in my life under both public scrutiny with man and private judgment before God Almighty. I know I fall victim to this pattern daily and share in the apostle Paul's frustrations: "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate" (Romans 7:15).

As with Paul though, I hold firm in faith and embrace the wisdom that the Holy Spirit spoke through him as he wrestled with this spiritual dilemma: "For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin" (Romans 7:22-25). May this absolute truth encourage you as well and bring us all to a greater understanding of God's amazing grace!

Matthew 23:8-12

2009-11-05T23:20:00.002-05:00

"But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

The singularity of the deity of Jesus Christ is perhaps the most radical and highly controversial topic in all religion. Christianity makes no apology for this stance, and that in and of itself is enough to rub culture the wrong way. We live in a day where political correctness is expected and tolerance for other religions or worldviews is preached from every angle. Unfortunately, Jesus Christ left no room for debate: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Therefore, neither should we leave room for debate.

Why then is it so important for Christians to hold firm to the singularity of the deity of Christ as the only path to God? Thankfully, Jesus directly addressed this issue when he said, "Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33). Those who profess to be Christian must realize the weight of this passage and what he/she risks by not standing up for the absolute truth of Scripture. God simply does not take this issue lightly and He expects that we will hold firm to the first commandment He gave Moses (Exodus 20:1-6), of which Jesus is the fulfillment that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14).

It is quite interesting that the issue of hierarchy is directly addressed with Jesus twice in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke by the disciples. The first occasion comes after the Transfiguration on the mountaintop by Jesus, Elijah and Moses in the presence of Peter, James and John, and the second occasion during the Last Supper meal just prior to Christ's death and crucifixion. In both instances, the disciples mistook the word "greatness" for accomplishment and/or status while Jesus sought a deeper meaning that would not only transform their perspective but also their ministerial purpose in fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

Specifically in Matthew 18:3, Jesus told his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." This statement echoes the statement made in Matthew 23:11-12 that in order to be in eternal communion with Jesus Christ, an attitude of service and humility must burst forth from the seams of our character and countenance, leaving no doubt that the grace we freely received for our salvation took root within our hearts and bore much fruit.

The Expositor's Commentary perhaps articulates the meaning of this passage best: "The child is held up as an ideal, not of innocence, purity, or faith, but of humility and unconcern for social status. Jesus advocates humility of mind (v.4), not childishness of thought." Imagine the possibilities that would flourish in our lives if we chose to filter our minds through the spiritual colander of humility, washing away all unrighteousness and iniquity that enslaves us and leaving behind only the God honoring qualities that produce the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22).

However, due to a lack of understanding the disciples again press this question of "who is the greatest" upon Jesus in His final hours at the Last Supper (Luke 22:24-30). The context of this verse is striking in Luke's Gospel. Here, within hours of His unconditional sacrifice and death upon a cross for the sins of mankind, Jesus took bread and wine and divided it among his disciples, symbolizing His broken body and shed blood. In essence, He pulled back the veil of Heaven and allowed His most trusted friends a glimpse of God's sovereignty. How incredibly amazing! And yet, all the disciples could think about was their own hierarchical standing in the kingdom of heaven, proving they had completely lost perspective.

This convicts me to the core I must admit, for how often I look past the absolute truth of God's Word set before me to fix my eyes upon the selfish longings of my heart. I repeatedly put off the blessings of Heaven that merely require a humble heart and mind and rather indulge in sinful attitudes that not only cloud my thinking but rob me of the righteousness I desperately desire in obedience to Him that paid the ultimate sacrifice for my sins. I confess that I fall victim to the warning of Proverbs 26:11: "Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly." But I pray that God will give me the strength to put off the selfishness that comes so naturally to me and draw near to the cleansing truth of His Word spoken through the prophet Hosea that I may be sanctified through humility and repentance. "Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up" (Hosea 6:1).

Matthew 23:1-7

2009-11-02T01:19:00.004-05:00

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others."

For the past week, I have been drawn specifically to Matthew 23:23 but have not been able to really write about all that God is placing on my heart. The main reason is that while I have tried to "force" an exposition of verse 23, I found it impossible to do so without first gaining proper perspective from Christ himself as He began teaching on "seven woes" directed specifically at the scribes and pharisees of His day. So in order to accurately expound upon the verse that called me to this poignant chapter of Scripture, I feel it is important to take chapter 23 piece by piece and not quench the Spirit's fire (1 Thessalonians 5:19) by rushing through all He has in store for me to learn.

According to the ESV Study Bible, "The scribes were the professional interpretive experts on the Torah itself, while the Pharisees were experts in theological matters that the Torah raised." Therefore, the scribes and pharisees represented the immense knowledge and complete authority concerning the law of Moses. No one possessed greater knowledge of God's Word, but as Jesus points out, they lacked the supreme understanding to implement the law into their own lives. Their spoken words were a testament to truth, but their inability to practice what they preached was perhaps their greatest downfall in the eyes of God.

Now it is evident that the scribes and pharisees were attentive to adhering to the law. They prided themselves upon it. However, when it came to others observing the law, they turned a blind eye and did not lend a helping hand to their brothers. Perhaps they would have been better served had they applied Ecclesiastes 4:10: "For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" Rather than helping others follow God's law, the scribes and pharisees increased the burden of others by requiring them to adhere to the extra-Biblical traditions of the rabbis. Praise God that Jesus addressed this issue when he encouraged His followers with the following: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

Verses 5-7 of Matthew 23 are certainly the convicting verses that apply not only to the scribes and pharisees, but mankind throughout history. We often fall prey to performing works that will not only portray us in a favorable light but also distance ourselves based upon our spiritual walk with Christ in contrast to those around us. We long for recognition whether it be with others and/or with God for the investment we make to live according to the principles of God's Word. But we must realize that the condition of our hearts is the true litmus test of our faith. Do we serve only ourselves or the kingdom of God which includes those who test our patience and frustrate our senses?

The apostle Paul addressed this heart condition directly: "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). In other words, if the visual evidence of your faith is how you flaunt your piety before God so as to gain favor for the deeds you have done, you are missing the boat. Repent of your sin and humble yourself before the Lord, "for toward the scorners He is scornful, but to the humble He gives favor" (Proverbs 3:34).

1 Timothy 4:12

2009-10-19T14:30:00.006-04:00

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

You are never too young to be used by God. That was the instruction the apostle Paul gave to his #1 gun, Timothy, as he was charged to lead the church in Ephesus, and that is the reminder we all need to be cognisant of not only in how we minister, but how we allow others to minister to us. Based on the apprentice-type role that Timothy held under Paul, one would assume he was in his early twenties. But various commentaries calculate Timothy's age around thirty years old at the time of this letter, which in my opinion is surprising in comparison to what I assumed for years.

It is true that wisdom typically comes with age. Job 12:12 affirms this point: "Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days." However, it is imperative that additional Scripture verses be considered when evaluating the correlation between age and wisdom. For example, Solomon was anointed as king approximately at the age of twenty and when given the opportunity to receive any gift of God, chose understanding (1 Kings 3:5-9). His youthful age was not a detriment to his decision making capability and he was subsequently blessed as a result.

The greater emphasis that Paul is making to Timothy is how he lives out his faith as pastor. His conduct is paramount to ensuring that others do not look down upon him in a condescending way and leverage his age against him. The same is true for us. We are called to not just hear the Word of God but to activity apply and implement it in our actions so as not to deceive ourselves (James 1:22). Therefore, age is not the primary focus of attention in Paul's instruction.

It is not surprising that the initial focus of Paul's attention is speech, for as the book of James notes, "The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God" (James 3:6,9). We must guard the words that come out of of our mouths just as Jesus instructed his disciples. "It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person" (Matthew 15:11). We must choose our words carefully so that we might encourage one another and build one another up (1 Thessalonians 5:11) rather than tear them down.

It is imperative to note that speech derives from the heart and that the purity that Paul is instructing Timothy to adhere to comes from a heart that longs for righteousness. We do not want to fall into the trap that the prophet Isaiah warns: "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me" (Isaiah 29:13). We must ensure that our motivations line up with God's will, for only He is sovereign and can do all things according to His perfect plan.

We must in obedience allow the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out (Matthew 23:25-26) so that our words and actions are pure and holy. They derive from the central location of our spirit (our heart) and therefore communication love, faith and purity if we are made in the image and likeness of Jesus Christ. This has been God's design from the beginning as Scripture reminds us: "Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright" (Proverbs 20:11).

Consequently, Scripture reminds us that God is the source of all understanding we seek concerning love and faith. "Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds" (Psalm 36:5). Moreover, God provides the definition for what love truly is in 1 John 4:7-21 then calls us to be an example of that love to the world by adhering to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). In other words, if you do not believe by FAITH that Jesus died for your sins, you will not know how to LOVE, for love is from God and is God. And if you do not know how to love through the love of Christ, your motives will not be PURE, directly affecting your SPEECH and ACTIONS.

So what is the prescription for such an ailment? James 2:17 is perhaps the most direct warning we have to lean upon. "Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead," meaning that your obedient display of works reflects an inward decision and commitment to righteousness by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8). Therefore, in order for Timothy (and us) to make the greatest impact for the kingdom we must live out our faith in such a way that we live in humility, allowing our lives in Christ to speak for themselves. Age is not the issue to worry about, Paul reminds us. How we live our lives for Christ is. "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 12:35).

Proverbs 31:30

2009-10-13T13:27:00.007-04:00

"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

I am blessed beyond measure. For reasons unbeknownst to me, God took it upon himself to grace me with the most extraordinary wife I could have ever dreamed of. I certainly do not deserve the gift of all she is because I fall painstakingly short of being all that God calls me to be as her husband. Nonetheless, he chose her for me and vice versa…and what a journey it has been for the time I have known her!

When I first met my wife, Amber, I was struck immediately by four dominant characteristics: 1. Her Beauty; 2. Her Sweetness; 3. Her Sense of Humor; and 4. Her Honesty. In retrospect though, I am continually amazed about what most people admire the most about her, which undoubtedly is her faith in Jesus Christ. When I first met her, we discussed our mutual Christian faith. But as time progressed and we began getting to know one another better, all the things I loved about her became a distant second to her unshakeable faith and un-apologetic belief in the Word of God. God knew I needed a strong woman to share my life with, but I had no idea that He would use her more than anything or anyone else to sharpen my faith, hold me accountable, and mold me into the man of God that I am today (Proverbs 27:17).

The issue of faith is paramount to the success of a marriage because love must be at the center. Scripture clarifies this point in 1 John 4:7: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God." This is crucial to understanding the role of God in marriage because in order to love your spouse, you must have the love of Christ within you. Otherwise, how would you know what self-sacrificing love is? God calls a man and woman (Genesis 2:24) in marriage to love like he loves. And the only way we can learn how to do that is to fill our minds with the wisdom of God’s Word and more importantly apply that understanding into every facet of our lives. That is the essence of Godliness highlighted in Proverbs 31:30 that the Bible considers greater that any other skill, talent or attribute a woman has.

In a world filled with and consumed by outer beauty and adornment, the Bible defines in 1 Peter 3:4 what God expects out of his daughters: “But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” I am so thankful that God’s will for my life included Amber because as time passes, I cannot remember life without her and more importantly, through her example I experience the person of Jesus Christ on a daily basis.

Joel 2:25

2009-10-12T23:40:00.006-04:00

"I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten."

There are extraordinary promises of God in Scripture that speak directly to the heart and soul. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16) is arguably the most familiar example of such a promise. But perhaps one of the best verses in all of Scripture that speaks specifically to the restoration of a sinful person made clean by God’s amazing grace and mercy is found in the Old Testament: Joel 2:25. The context in which this verse is written comes in the midst of God bringing forth judgment in the form of a drought and locust infestation against Judah. According to The Expositor’s Bible Commentary:

“The people had taken God and his blessings for granted. Faith had degenerated into an empty formalism and their lives into moral decadence. To Joel, the locust plague was a warning of a greater judgment that was coming unless the people repented and returned to fellowship with God. If they did, God would pardon them and restore the health of the land.”

How true of our lives today! We are a people who consistently and (if we are truly being honest with ourselves) un-apologetically take for granted the blessings and grace of God by choosing our sinful nature over God. I believe for the most part, those who have accepted Christ’s free gift of salvation do not intentionally conspire to sin against Him. But we are lulled to sleep in sorts by living a monotonous and mundane level of spiritual vigor that leaves us feeling incomplete and distant from God. Quality time with God through Bible study and prayer is often replaced with extracurricular activities, work responsibilities, etc. God has simply been squeezed out of our daily lives because a relationship with Him is often viewed as convicting and/or condemning rather than rewarding and fulfilling. We have believed the lie rather than killing the serpent! Why then should we be surprised by the lack of joy we feel in our soul based on the health of our spiritual relationship with Him?

The true beauty of Joel 2:25 is that God was (and still is) merciful toward His people when they repent and turn back to Him. No doubt we, like Judah, do not deserve His grace based on how we respond to Him through our thoughts, words and actions. However, to those who willingly return to Him with broken and repentant hearts (Luke 15:17-21), He is willing and able to restore His eternal joy and blessings that once were traded for the pleasures of this world (Genesis 25:29-34).

When I reflect upon Joel 2:25, I am burdened with immense regret for the blessings I traded in over the years by indulging in sin, particularly for me: pride and lust. Whether major or minor, I was and still am a habitual sinner in that I do not have my armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17) securely fastened and prepared for battle at all times. Honestly, we all are habitual sinners because we commit sin against God every day of our lives in one way or another and continue to make those same mistakes. The real question is whether we have repented of our sins and more importantly are actively pursuing God’s wisdom in eliminating those sins and temptations from our lives. God has promised to restore the years that locust has eaten, but we must do our part by choosing to accept His unmerited grace and mercy. It all comes down to a choice. Praise God that He is merciful beyond measure and that we have the power to accept this promise He has given, being made whole again through Jesus Christ!

2 Timothy 4:2-5

2009-10-09T20:01:00.007-04:00

"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 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, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

What an encouragement from the Word of God! When we stand up for God's truth and hold accountable false teachers and their doctrine, we are fulfilling the ministry He calls us to. I can personally attest that this act of faith is perhaps one of the hardest to apply because often it comes with some of the most ruthless persecution fathomable, both inside and outside the church walls. Therefore, it is encouraging that we are instructed to "endure suffering" for the sake of truth despite what the popular opinion of culture teaches.

I have often believed that Christians are their own greatest asset to spreading the Good News of Christ and consequently their own worst enemy. Ultimately, we are held accountable to the very faith we publicly profess. If our doctrine is not pure and Biblically sound, it will collapse on all we have foolishly built our lives upon. I have learned the hard way that the only absolute truth available to mankind is Scripture (i.e. the Word of God, the Bible). For if we do not hold firm to the sound doctrine of the Word, we not only fool ourselves but those around us that our morals, values and belief systems are based on feelings, emotions and/or opinions rather than absolute truth.

Without question, I am grieved the most these days by how many ministry and pastoral leaders are not willing to stand up for the truth of God's Word and more importantly apply what the Scriptures instruct. They are so focused on their own personal agendas that they water down the Gospel to suit their needs and justify their actions with half-truths that simply mask the selfishness and pride that has enveloped their spirits like cancer. Moreover, the audacity of many of these leaders to proclaim they are "one" in spirit with the living God while justifying their thoughts and actions without the exegetical truth of Scripture is perhaps the greatest sign of pride and arrogance the church has ever seen.

I have unfortunately experienced firsthand pastors that refute the sound doctrine of God's Word when held accountable and consequently suffered immediate persecution for holding them Biblically accountable. The tragic fact is they surround themselves with people who are willing to support their ungodly passions and insulate themselves from true Biblical accountability. Consequently their hearts and minds never receive truth spoken in love. Rather than embracing direct messages from God that He is communicating to them, they unleash all their fury and anger by persecuting the messenger God has called. They choose to mask their personal agendas publicly, but underneath the surface their true identity resides in full display to Jesus Christ--and He will not idly turn his face from their sin and unrighteousness! For Jesus said, "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37).

On the flip side, the pandemic is just as dangerous as 2 Timothy warns. Not only will false teachers surround themselves with those who will justify their sin, but ordinary men and women will seek false teachers that will accept and justify their sinful passions in return. You need not look any further than the church down the street for proof of this truth! For example, the Lutheran Church just voted in favor (69%) of allowing practicing homosexuals to lead in ministry positions within the church. Not only is one of the most serious sins Scripture will ever address rampant in society, but now it is being welcomed and escorted in with open arms of acceptance and justification within a protestant denomination.

Standing up for the truth is never easy. But if we never put our faith to the test and see if we are who we profess to be as Christians, we will never know the infinite blessings of God that come with being persecuted for Christ. The mark of Biblical persecution is learning to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and willing to stand boldly and not apologize for the absolute truth of Scripture, regardless of the persecution that may come. For Jesus stated clearly, "Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33).

Hebrews 4:12

2009-09-29T21:29:00.009-04:00

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

It has taken 31 years to teach me a valuable lesson: the Word of God is living and active! For longer than I care to admit, I have been going through life under my perceived knowledge and understanding of God's Word rather than through an exegetical study of what God actually says. Only recently have I realized how malnourished I have been in regards to a living and active relationship with Jesus Christ through His Word.

It can be embarrassing to admit how shallow your life has become at times in regards to truly knowing what the Bible says, but I firmly believe that is part of God's plan. Without proper perspective, you will never appreciate the fact that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). How amazing is that truth! That regardless of what trials you face, God works all things for good (or in other words, His glory) according to His purpose. But proper perspective only comes when you fulfill the second half of God's wisdom equation. Simply experiencing trials is not enough. Imputing the Word of God into that experience is the key to unveiling God's wisdom and understanding.

I now feel like Paul on the Damascus road, experiencing the reality of meeting his Creator face to face. And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight (Acts 9:18). I cannot begin to describe the incredible feeling of allowing God's Word to penetrate my heart on a regular basis and the perspective on all aspects of life that I am now gaining because I embraced completely the absolute truth of Hebrews 4:12. For the difference between someone who is experiencing a life-changing personal relationship with Jesus Christ and one that is going through the motions is simply defined by his/her perspective of the Bible. For it is NOT merely a historical reference book, applicable only in the day it was written. It IS alive, active and timeless!

God audibly speaks to us through His Word. It is so simple, yet we completely miss that foundational truth and wonder why we feel so distant in our faith journey with God. He is willing to reveal Himself to us if we would take time to not only read His Word, but read it with proper perspective that it is as true today as yesterday and will endure forever because it is absolute. How reassuring! There IS something concrete this side of heaven that we can trust as tried and true for all generations. My prayer is that this revelation will drive me further into the Scriptures where I may see my Saviour face to face and truly know Him.

Jeremiah 29:11

2009-09-28T16:59:00.018-04:00

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

I am continually amazed by the God I serve. How intricate His plans, how perfect His will! To know the plan he has for me and that I am made perfect through His Son, Jesus Christ, is overwhelming. I am continually gripped by the awesome nature of who He is, that someone so insignificant as me would be a priority to Him. It defies human logic that I have such substantial value to my Creator, but that is why He is who He is!

When I reflect upon His will for my life it is evident that I am on a journey and one that I am not meant to travel alone. God has taken all that I was, all that I am, and all I am meant to be, and used His divine wisdom to give me a perfect partner to share this journey with. It is hard to imagine life without Amber for she has been the greatest companion God could ever give me. She challenges me, holds me accountable, and encourages me to never become content with who I am. She is the perfect completion of God's plan in my life, for without her unconditional love and forgiveness, I would not know fully what it means to be the man God has called me to be. I am who I am because she has loved me with an everlasting love found only through Jesus Christ and I cannot imagine my life without her by my side...past, present or future.

My prayer is that over the course of time, God would return me to the days of my youth where with childlike faith, I trusted him completely. For as my life continues to be unveiled over the course of time, I am simply blessed beyond measure to share this experience with Jesus Christ. For without his grace, I would not be saved; and without his mercy, I would be crushed by the weight of my failures.