THE VANITY OF LIVING WISELY - "So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. Then I said in my heart, 'What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?' And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind."
There is something to be said for making the wise choice. We all strive to make wise decisions, for no one sets out to start his day with the sole purpose of making the poorest choices possible. We seek peace and comfort, not turmoil and collateral damage, because living wisely is a noble cause to which we should all strive to emulate. There is the potential of misunderstanding what Solomon addresses in this passage though. Solomon is not supposing that wisdom has no value whatsoever. Wisdom flows from God and is to be sought after prayerfully. "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17). In contrast, what Solomon distinguishes is that while wisdom is far superior to folly, wisdom in and of itself does not satisfy the longing of a man's heart. That is why Solomon deems living wisely as vanity. In other words, the attainment of anything under the sun, whether wisdom or folly, is meaningless and void of purpose or value because it does not change the fact that every man will die one day. Death brings finality to life on earth, and the only substantiated reason to live is not to obtain wisdom or folly, but spiritual peace and salvation which are the only remedies to satisfy man's heart.
Solomon begins this passage with the assertion that there is nothing new that hasn't already been attempted. Now there are those who live to make new discoveries and inventions; who search the unknown for answers to life's questions and problems, and defy logic to prove the impossible is possible. But there are those who seek the adrenaline rush of pushing life to the extreme, ignoring danger, and putting life at risk to discover a high that sets a new standard of what living on the edge looks and feels like. In either case, wisdom or folly can be the object of our desire. It simply all depends on who or what motivates a man to live. Keep in mind, living for someone or something greater than our ourselves can be found in submission to God or enslavement by idolatry in our hearts. We cannot assume motivation is always a good thing, for many addicts would attest that the motivating desire for the next "high" or "hit" consumed and compelled them to make foolish choices that defy common-sense, in order to obtain the sinful object of their desire. Conversely, what we can do as followers of Christ is filter our motivation through God's Word to discern whether we are living for ourselves or Christ. For Scripture reminds us, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions" (Romans 6:12), because what consumes our hearts and minds will motivate our behavior. Rather, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
The true awakening Solomon experienced came in the revelation that the wisdom he acquired had no eternal value compared to the foolishness of man. How could it? Wisdom became an idol in his heart that he substituted God for. So whether he exhausted himself in all the foolishness of self-indulgence or the attainment of enlightenment through wisdom, he understood that death ultimately awaited him irregardless. Therefore, Solomon concluded that wisdom, while superior to folly, carried with it the same death-sentence as foolishness. Scripture declares, "Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not" (Job 14:1-2). It is sobering to realize that one day each one of us will die. For some, we give careful consideration to what our legacy will be and how will we be remembered long after we pass from this world. God's Word reminds us, "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children" (Proverbs 13:22a), so we should be intentional in how we live. If we desire to pass on a legacy of integrity and character or the fruits of the spirit, then how we live for righteousness will testify to that legacy's worth. However, if we live selfishly for ourselves, we will quickly realize as Esau did that we've traded our birthright of blessing as God's chosen and beloved children for the temporary satisfaction of our heart's desires. "Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. And Esau said to Jacob, 'Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!' Jacob said, 'Sell me your birthright now.' Esau said, 'I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?' Jacob said, 'Swear to me now.' So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright" (Genesis 25:29-34).
It is easy to confuse how living wisely would be considered by Solomon as vanity and striving after the wind. Too many passages of Scripture elevate the importance of wisdom and the role it plays in our sanctification. "How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver" (Proverbs 16:16). When we attempt to place monetary value on wisdom, we reveal how short-sided we are, considering wisdom and absolute truth cannot be obtained except through God. Rather, we would be better suited to proclaim in reverence our allegiance and devotion to the Father who is worthy to be praised. "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Romans 11:33). This should compel us examine our hearts to see whether we view wisdom as an entity in and of itself to be discovered through experience, knowledge and perspective, or if wisdom is simply a gift God bestows on His children per their request through prayer and faithful submission to His sovereignty. That is why James proclaimed, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind" (James 1:5-6).
Because God is the source of wisdom, we can easily determine the foolishness of the world that wages war against Him. Scripture clearly distinguishes that "folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him" (Proverbs 22:15). That rod of discipline is held by the loving hand of the Father, "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives" (Hebrews 12:6). The simple reality is that each one of us at one moment or another will find ourselves consumed by the allure and empty promises of foolish living. But we cannot be tempted to find our salvation in wisdom, for wisdom is vanity without recognizing who the source of wisdom truly is. Yes, we can choose to journey through life under the influence of worldly wisdom that is self-centered and inevitably dead ends, but true freedom comes when we relinquish control to the Lord and His Word for absolute truth and divine wisdom that unconditionally satisfies. Choosing to live for Christ acknowledges that we agree wholeheartedly with Solomon's determination that wisdom and folly are vanity. For just as Solomon understood in the end that life apart from an intimate relationship and submission to the authority of God is meaningless, we too must come to that realization if we are to begin living with proper perspective toward wisdom and apply God's will in our lives. Because in the end, we are deceived if we believe living independent of God will give us spiritual peace and eternal rest when our day of judgment arrives. "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, 'He catches the wise in their craftiness,' and again, 'The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile'" (1 Corinthians 3:18-20).
Friday, February 26, 2016
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 (Devotion)
THE VANITY OF SELF-INDULGENCE - "I said in my heart, 'Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.' But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, 'It is mad,' and of pleasure, 'What use is it?' I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 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."
The vanity of self-indulgence is perhaps the easiest of topics for us to identify with because it covers the smorgasbord of fleshly desires we most typically crave: wealth, power, status and sexual intimacy. Solomon sought after, accomplished, and exceeded these feats to the extent that no man could rival him. His vast array of riches, entitlement, personal conquests, and material accumulation were unparalleled, yet he was not supremely satisfied with his "work hard, play hard" attitude that boastfully demanded great reward for the fruits of his labor. He sought all the comforts and temporary satisfactions this world has to offer and found himself more discontent than ever. Money, women, alcohol, laughter, and parties were simply means to a spiritual black hole, void of even the slightest spiritual rest. The apostle Paul would later (indirectly) coin many of the conquests Solomon pursued as works of the flesh. "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21). Keep in mind, this is not an exhaustive list. Paul simply touches on specific sins the Spirit laid on his heart to write to the church in Galatia. The Bible expounds on many other sin issues we struggle with that would be covered under the umbrella of self-indulgence. But the main issue we must wrestle with, as Solomon did, is why our hearts grow less content the more we gain of all this world has to offer.
Pastor James MacDonald once professed regarding the topic of contentment, "Always be content with what you have; never be content with who you are." Like gravitational pull, our flesh craves temporary satisfaction in any form or fashion, whatever the cost. We are discontent more often than not with who and what God has provided to meet our needs, and we see no need to personally change because we're perfectly content with who we are. For instance, the divorce rate among Evangelicals compared to secular society proves that our propensity to sin knows no bounds because our statistics are virtually identical to atheists. In other words, we have flipped the quote James MacDonald provides and wonder why we are not happy, not living in peace, and not satisfied overall with God's provision. In truth, we are no different than our "lost" family, friends and neighbors, for we face the same challenges and opportunities, and subsequently have the personal choice to either react or respond to the life we have been given. However, contentment differentiates us as Christ-followers from the world and sets our feet on higher ground. Again, Paul beautifully illustrates this reality through his own life: "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need" (Philippians 4:11-12). Paul knew what it felt like to live in abundance, but he also knew what it meant to be stripped of everything he owned and thrown in prison. His pre-conversion life overflowed with power, status and possession, while his post-conversion life in Christ resulted in poverty, persecution, and punishment. Yet despite how we would logically equate blessing with Christianity and cursing with atheism, Paul flips the tables and reminds us that the key to spiritual peace is found in contentment, stating, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
We must die to our preconceived notions that worldly success or gain has any value to the Lord, for Jesus repeatedly provided examples to us regarding the blessings of sharing abundantly with those in need. "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Luke 12:32-34). "For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:43-45). It is safe to say that in the midst of Solomon's conquests and pursuits, he failed to recognize how selfish he had become. His love of self created a stronghold around his heart and allowed Satan to twist his illusion of contentment into a buffet of debauchery and idolatry. Make no mistake, wisdom in and of itself was not enough to wake Solomon up from his self-imposed nightmare. Only the love of God who allowed Solomon to test the limits of his human capacity, saved him from utter ruin and destruction.
The book of Proverbs states, "As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man. Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man. The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise" (Proverbs 27:19-21). If we were to take the spiritual temperature of our hearts by measuring how self-indulgent we are to all the pleasures this world has to offer, how high would our thermometers read? Would we even admit we have a high temperature? Would we remain held captive in deception, blind to our own blindness, thinking a teaspoon of spiritual Motrin will cure our fever? Or would we be honest enough and rush ourselves to an emergency room where only the Great Healer can save us from our infirmities? Because in all honestly, the majority of us already know we are fever-stricken by temptations and cancer-stricken by sin, which draws us further into self-indulgence. We are simply unwilling to relinquish complete and unconditional control of our lives to the Lord. We hold back whatever fractional percentage of control we foolishly believe we need to survive by subsequently brainwashing ourselves into thinking our vices are reserved for emergency situations only. Subsequently, that is why so many addicts relapse, because they are fearful of relinquishing full control without a safety net. But God is not content with 99.99% of our hearts. He demands a full and unequivocal 100.00%, because the price He paid for our salvation far outweighs all the riches the world or Solomon could ever dream of!
Scripture declares, "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 of life—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" (1 John 2:15-17). This incredible statement from the mouth of Jesus begs the question, "Do we believe what He says is true?" Reason being, there is an obvious disconnect between our spirit that believes this to be true and our flesh that steers us away from applying Christ's wisdom. We don't argue the truth of the matter; the truth simply gets lost in translation in the application phase of sanctification. That is why Jesus commands us, "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41 ESV). Because our Savior was born of human flesh, He understood the spiritual battle we fight every day. His ability to empathize with the temptations we face, which demands we feed our appetite of self-indulgence, allowed Him to accept the wrath of sin and death on our behalf despite His own struggle at times. For in truth, Jesus' statement to His disciples to watch and pray in order to guard themselves from temptation, came directly after He faced His own test of personal will and temptation. "And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will'" (Matthew 26:39).
In the end, the wisdom we glean from Christ's example of self-sacrifice on the cross and Solomon's pursuit of excessive self-indulgence, can save us from our own destruction if we apply what we have learned universally. In other words, we cannot keep our "spiritual" life and our "practical" life independent of one another. Our life is not compartmentalized, despite how hard we may rationalize in our minds that we can live that way. We must embrace contentment. For without contentment, we are slaves to our own flesh, unable to stop our eyes from achieving what we falsely believe will fill the void in our heart, make us happy, and/or bring us peace and comfort. Solomon understood the hard way that living the grandiose life was not all it's cracked up to be. For the more he gained under the sun, the further he drifted away from the relationship he once had with the Lord. But as we will come to understand studying Ecclesiastes, there is a time and season for everything, and the Lord redeemed Solomon just as He did for his father, King David. Therefore, we must begin anew as they did, confess our sins, and humbly request of the Lord, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10). For only then will we come to understand the depth and breadth of our Father, who loves us despite how far we fall and wayward we become pursuing our selfish passions. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:17).
The vanity of self-indulgence is perhaps the easiest of topics for us to identify with because it covers the smorgasbord of fleshly desires we most typically crave: wealth, power, status and sexual intimacy. Solomon sought after, accomplished, and exceeded these feats to the extent that no man could rival him. His vast array of riches, entitlement, personal conquests, and material accumulation were unparalleled, yet he was not supremely satisfied with his "work hard, play hard" attitude that boastfully demanded great reward for the fruits of his labor. He sought all the comforts and temporary satisfactions this world has to offer and found himself more discontent than ever. Money, women, alcohol, laughter, and parties were simply means to a spiritual black hole, void of even the slightest spiritual rest. The apostle Paul would later (indirectly) coin many of the conquests Solomon pursued as works of the flesh. "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21). Keep in mind, this is not an exhaustive list. Paul simply touches on specific sins the Spirit laid on his heart to write to the church in Galatia. The Bible expounds on many other sin issues we struggle with that would be covered under the umbrella of self-indulgence. But the main issue we must wrestle with, as Solomon did, is why our hearts grow less content the more we gain of all this world has to offer.
Pastor James MacDonald once professed regarding the topic of contentment, "Always be content with what you have; never be content with who you are." Like gravitational pull, our flesh craves temporary satisfaction in any form or fashion, whatever the cost. We are discontent more often than not with who and what God has provided to meet our needs, and we see no need to personally change because we're perfectly content with who we are. For instance, the divorce rate among Evangelicals compared to secular society proves that our propensity to sin knows no bounds because our statistics are virtually identical to atheists. In other words, we have flipped the quote James MacDonald provides and wonder why we are not happy, not living in peace, and not satisfied overall with God's provision. In truth, we are no different than our "lost" family, friends and neighbors, for we face the same challenges and opportunities, and subsequently have the personal choice to either react or respond to the life we have been given. However, contentment differentiates us as Christ-followers from the world and sets our feet on higher ground. Again, Paul beautifully illustrates this reality through his own life: "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need" (Philippians 4:11-12). Paul knew what it felt like to live in abundance, but he also knew what it meant to be stripped of everything he owned and thrown in prison. His pre-conversion life overflowed with power, status and possession, while his post-conversion life in Christ resulted in poverty, persecution, and punishment. Yet despite how we would logically equate blessing with Christianity and cursing with atheism, Paul flips the tables and reminds us that the key to spiritual peace is found in contentment, stating, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
We must die to our preconceived notions that worldly success or gain has any value to the Lord, for Jesus repeatedly provided examples to us regarding the blessings of sharing abundantly with those in need. "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Luke 12:32-34). "For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:43-45). It is safe to say that in the midst of Solomon's conquests and pursuits, he failed to recognize how selfish he had become. His love of self created a stronghold around his heart and allowed Satan to twist his illusion of contentment into a buffet of debauchery and idolatry. Make no mistake, wisdom in and of itself was not enough to wake Solomon up from his self-imposed nightmare. Only the love of God who allowed Solomon to test the limits of his human capacity, saved him from utter ruin and destruction.
The book of Proverbs states, "As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man. Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man. The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise" (Proverbs 27:19-21). If we were to take the spiritual temperature of our hearts by measuring how self-indulgent we are to all the pleasures this world has to offer, how high would our thermometers read? Would we even admit we have a high temperature? Would we remain held captive in deception, blind to our own blindness, thinking a teaspoon of spiritual Motrin will cure our fever? Or would we be honest enough and rush ourselves to an emergency room where only the Great Healer can save us from our infirmities? Because in all honestly, the majority of us already know we are fever-stricken by temptations and cancer-stricken by sin, which draws us further into self-indulgence. We are simply unwilling to relinquish complete and unconditional control of our lives to the Lord. We hold back whatever fractional percentage of control we foolishly believe we need to survive by subsequently brainwashing ourselves into thinking our vices are reserved for emergency situations only. Subsequently, that is why so many addicts relapse, because they are fearful of relinquishing full control without a safety net. But God is not content with 99.99% of our hearts. He demands a full and unequivocal 100.00%, because the price He paid for our salvation far outweighs all the riches the world or Solomon could ever dream of!
Scripture declares, "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 of life—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" (1 John 2:15-17). This incredible statement from the mouth of Jesus begs the question, "Do we believe what He says is true?" Reason being, there is an obvious disconnect between our spirit that believes this to be true and our flesh that steers us away from applying Christ's wisdom. We don't argue the truth of the matter; the truth simply gets lost in translation in the application phase of sanctification. That is why Jesus commands us, "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41 ESV). Because our Savior was born of human flesh, He understood the spiritual battle we fight every day. His ability to empathize with the temptations we face, which demands we feed our appetite of self-indulgence, allowed Him to accept the wrath of sin and death on our behalf despite His own struggle at times. For in truth, Jesus' statement to His disciples to watch and pray in order to guard themselves from temptation, came directly after He faced His own test of personal will and temptation. "And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will'" (Matthew 26:39).
In the end, the wisdom we glean from Christ's example of self-sacrifice on the cross and Solomon's pursuit of excessive self-indulgence, can save us from our own destruction if we apply what we have learned universally. In other words, we cannot keep our "spiritual" life and our "practical" life independent of one another. Our life is not compartmentalized, despite how hard we may rationalize in our minds that we can live that way. We must embrace contentment. For without contentment, we are slaves to our own flesh, unable to stop our eyes from achieving what we falsely believe will fill the void in our heart, make us happy, and/or bring us peace and comfort. Solomon understood the hard way that living the grandiose life was not all it's cracked up to be. For the more he gained under the sun, the further he drifted away from the relationship he once had with the Lord. But as we will come to understand studying Ecclesiastes, there is a time and season for everything, and the Lord redeemed Solomon just as He did for his father, King David. Therefore, we must begin anew as they did, confess our sins, and humbly request of the Lord, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10). For only then will we come to understand the depth and breadth of our Father, who loves us despite how far we fall and wayward we become pursuing our selfish passions. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:17).
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 (Devotion)
THE VANITY OF WISDOM - "I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. I said in my heart, 'I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.' And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow."
Wisdom remains one of the most prized possessions a follower of Christ can seek to attain. It helps us discern the right course of action in a given situation, and conversely protects us from making the wrong decision. Wisdom is proven true through application, for what good is it to know the right thing to do and fail to do it? More importantly, wisdom is a gift God bestows on those who not only seek understanding for the purpose and intention of living for righteousness, but who sincerely ask for it. As we learned in our study of the book of James, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him" (James 1:5). God is the fountain from whom wisdom springs forth and Solomon began his kingdom reign over Israel by asking God for wisdom to govern his people justly (1 Kings 3:1-15). He understood that wisdom was built upon submission to God's authority and faith that the Lord would guide his ways. Solomon trusted that God would fulfill His promise to protect the covenant He established through Abraham. Therefore, Solomon's great riches and success of a peaceful 40 years under his reign were a result of his choice of wisdom as the gift he most highly esteemed from the Lord.
Scripture declares, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Romans 11:33). In order to be wise or possess wisdom, we must first realize how fallible we are compared to an infallible God who does not fail or err in judgment. It was no mistake that God graciously anointed Solomon king over Israel and granted him the pure desire of his heart for wisdom, but we must understand that wisdom is multifaceted and carries with it far greater responsibility than we could ever imagine. Proverbs states, "Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars" (Proverbs 9:1). These seven pillars provide the framework for understanding the characteristics that define what wisdom practically looks like so that we would apply it to our lives. "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight (understanding); I have strength" (Proverbs 8:12-14). This should compel us to examine our hearts thoroughly concerning each one of these pillars to ensure we are seeking and applying wisdom accordingly.
It is important we understand that the desire to "know" was the bait Satan used in the garden of Eden to tempt Eve (and Adam) into eating fruit off the forbidden tree of knowledge. "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths" (Genesis 3:6-7). All of mankind down through the generations can point back to that one decision as proof that knowledge apart from God is vanity. We understand from Adam and Eve's mistake that "knowing" is not always a blessing, especially when we seek wisdom for our selfish gain. Sometimes knowing is a curse because we see the good, the bad, and the ugly of our world simultaneously. We witness wars, famine, natural disasters, chronic disease, epidemics, terrorism, abortion, etc., and wonder why God is not putting an end to them all. What we fail to understand is that God's protection is stripped away when we live for ourselves and the pursuit of fulfillment, ecstasy, and enlightenment apart from our Creator. In essence, we are left with the embarrassing reality of our spiritual nakedness, thinking that a garment of sewed fig leaves will suffice to fix our heart problem. How foolish! But that is why Solomon in his unparalleled wealth of wisdom emphatically testifies to wisdom as vanity. The attainment of more wisdom devoid of God does not satisfy, because wisdom and knowledge are simply a dead-end rather than a doorway for spiritual peace. "Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones" (Proverbs 3:7-8).
If we desire to receive wisdom from the Lord, we must first set our priorities straight and seek to KNOW the Lord above all else. "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:7-11). Our goal should not be so short-sided as to live for merely peace and tranquility, but to count ourselves blessed beyond measure for the gift of salvation God has graciously and mercifully provided. That is wisdom we have at our disposal that Solomon did not, which is enough to make all the difference in the world if we accept and apply it to our lives. For we know Jesus defeated sin for our salvation, and we can live in eternal peace because we know only Christ satisfies our every need. As Solomon accurately stated, wisdom is vanity apart from God, but we can praise the Lord that He has revealed that truth to us by His Word and made known the mystery of His love which surpasses all understanding to those who humbly receive it.
Wisdom remains one of the most prized possessions a follower of Christ can seek to attain. It helps us discern the right course of action in a given situation, and conversely protects us from making the wrong decision. Wisdom is proven true through application, for what good is it to know the right thing to do and fail to do it? More importantly, wisdom is a gift God bestows on those who not only seek understanding for the purpose and intention of living for righteousness, but who sincerely ask for it. As we learned in our study of the book of James, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him" (James 1:5). God is the fountain from whom wisdom springs forth and Solomon began his kingdom reign over Israel by asking God for wisdom to govern his people justly (1 Kings 3:1-15). He understood that wisdom was built upon submission to God's authority and faith that the Lord would guide his ways. Solomon trusted that God would fulfill His promise to protect the covenant He established through Abraham. Therefore, Solomon's great riches and success of a peaceful 40 years under his reign were a result of his choice of wisdom as the gift he most highly esteemed from the Lord.
Scripture declares, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Romans 11:33). In order to be wise or possess wisdom, we must first realize how fallible we are compared to an infallible God who does not fail or err in judgment. It was no mistake that God graciously anointed Solomon king over Israel and granted him the pure desire of his heart for wisdom, but we must understand that wisdom is multifaceted and carries with it far greater responsibility than we could ever imagine. Proverbs states, "Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars" (Proverbs 9:1). These seven pillars provide the framework for understanding the characteristics that define what wisdom practically looks like so that we would apply it to our lives. "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight (understanding); I have strength" (Proverbs 8:12-14). This should compel us to examine our hearts thoroughly concerning each one of these pillars to ensure we are seeking and applying wisdom accordingly.
- Prudence - Am I cautious to consider and examine the reasons for or against a decision? Do I foresee evil on the horizon? Am I discerning the most suitable means?
- Knowledge and Discretion - Do I have a teachable heart willing to learn? Do I have clear perception for what is true and what is not? What is my standard for absolute truth? How do I critically judge what is the correct and proper action to take?
- Fear of the Lord - Do I revere God in His majesty? Do I acknowledge Him as Creator and respect Him as Lord and Savior? Am I obedient to God as my ultimate source for absolute truth?
- Counsel - Do I seek the advice, opinions, and instruction of those who are wise and qualified to help direct and guide my judgment in decision-making? Do I seek the Lord's counsel in prayer? Do I listen and discern when I receive counsel from others?
- Sound Wisdom - Is wisdom reflected in my day-to-day behavior? Is my behavior modeled by righteousness, understanding and honesty; proven true by application?
- Insight/Understanding - Is God's Word my source of truth? Am I able to discern good and evil between the Holy Spirit's voice of conviction and Satan's lies of condemnation?
- Strength - Do I recognize how powerful the ability to reason and make sound judgments are in my life? Is my intellect submissive to God or competing with Him? Do I rely on my own strength for wisdom or seek the Lord in all things?
It is important we understand that the desire to "know" was the bait Satan used in the garden of Eden to tempt Eve (and Adam) into eating fruit off the forbidden tree of knowledge. "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths" (Genesis 3:6-7). All of mankind down through the generations can point back to that one decision as proof that knowledge apart from God is vanity. We understand from Adam and Eve's mistake that "knowing" is not always a blessing, especially when we seek wisdom for our selfish gain. Sometimes knowing is a curse because we see the good, the bad, and the ugly of our world simultaneously. We witness wars, famine, natural disasters, chronic disease, epidemics, terrorism, abortion, etc., and wonder why God is not putting an end to them all. What we fail to understand is that God's protection is stripped away when we live for ourselves and the pursuit of fulfillment, ecstasy, and enlightenment apart from our Creator. In essence, we are left with the embarrassing reality of our spiritual nakedness, thinking that a garment of sewed fig leaves will suffice to fix our heart problem. How foolish! But that is why Solomon in his unparalleled wealth of wisdom emphatically testifies to wisdom as vanity. The attainment of more wisdom devoid of God does not satisfy, because wisdom and knowledge are simply a dead-end rather than a doorway for spiritual peace. "Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones" (Proverbs 3:7-8).
If we desire to receive wisdom from the Lord, we must first set our priorities straight and seek to KNOW the Lord above all else. "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:7-11). Our goal should not be so short-sided as to live for merely peace and tranquility, but to count ourselves blessed beyond measure for the gift of salvation God has graciously and mercifully provided. That is wisdom we have at our disposal that Solomon did not, which is enough to make all the difference in the world if we accept and apply it to our lives. For we know Jesus defeated sin for our salvation, and we can live in eternal peace because we know only Christ satisfies our every need. As Solomon accurately stated, wisdom is vanity apart from God, but we can praise the Lord that He has revealed that truth to us by His Word and made known the mystery of His love which surpasses all understanding to those who humbly receive it.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 (Devotion)
ALL IS VANITY - "The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, 'See, this is new'? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after."
There comes a point in each of our lives when we stop and reflect upon where we have been, what we have done, and how far we have come. We see the timeline of events which have shaped our lives and assess how they have impacted who we are today. Typically, that assessment comes after trial and error as we seek to test our theories, ideas and opinions. But more importantly, how we react or respond to what we learn determines whether or not we make the same choices or alter course. Ecclesiastes is the epitome of life reflection as testified by King Solomon, who wrote it most likely in his advanced age. Metaphorically, it reads like a photo album or scrapbook of memories which shaped Solomon's perspective over time. What makes Ecclesiastes so intriguing is that it captures man's infatuation with chasing after fulfillment in a myriad of forms and fashions, which includes everything except God. Solomon applied himself to exhaust his pursuit of happiness through wisdom, self-indulgence, success, wealth, honor, etc. He pursued the treasures of this world to the extent that he achieved them all, only to come to the same conclusion each time that life is void of meaning and purpose without God.
The wisdom contained in the book of Ecclesiastes is emblematic of our culture today. We are bombarded from every angle with marketing and advertising schemes aimed at satisfying our fleshly desires. Opportunities are endless to wet our appetites into thinking our WANTS are truly our NEEDS, and that is precisely what Satan wants to tempt us with in order to draw us away from God's absolute truth. "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Satan preys upon our weaknesses and devises the most elaborate and intricate methods at his disposal to bait us into thinking that _____ will make us happy; _____ will bring us peace; _____ will put us back on our feet; _____ will make us feel loved, wanted and/or appreciated; _____ will get us into heaven one day; or _____ will make all the pain go away. He knows that if he can shift our focus off the absolute truth of Scripture, we will begin to struggle discerning what is right and wrong, or what is real vs. a mirage. We must remember that the forces of hell are not only fully aware of what the Bible says, they also BELIEVE it is true. "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!" (James 2:19). Therefore, we need not debate whether God's Word is worthy to be trusted, for Satan and all his demons testify to its validity and trustworthiness. And that is because the Word of God is not merely a historical timeline of events or collection of opinions from common men, but the real-life manifestation of Jesus Christ Himself who conquered sin and death for eternity. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).
Ecclesiastes carries the theme of "vanity" throughout it's twelve chapters. The vanity Solomon speaks of conveys a sentiment of emptiness or without meaning. In other words, we desire only to fill our cravings with the objects of our desires, but realize quickly that the end result leaves us void of feeling fulfilled at all. Solomon begins Ecclesiastes with a proclamation of vanity and determines that life simply comes and goes without the slightest change to time and creation. Generations come and go, the sun rises and sets, the wind blows where it wills, and waters rise and fall. All these events exist independent of man because they are ordained by God. Therefore, it matters not whether a man painstakingly toils under the sun because one day he will die. Interestingly though, underneath the surface of his litany of examples, Solomon addresses the question, "What is my purpose in life?" The purpose or meaning of life is perhaps the most speculated of personal application questions known to man. We desire to be known and make an impact on the world, and that the time we have been given here on earth will contribute to our eternal reward at the end of our lives. But we must realize up-front as we study the book of Ecclesiastes that Solomon's experiential journey for fulfillment was devoid of God. Solomon exhausted all that the world had to offer, and did so without the slightest regard for the Lord's will. He sought happiness and contentment outside of a personal relationship with his creator. And that is why Ecclesiastes is so compelling a book and rich in wisdom, because it proves that nothing in the world will ever satisfy the longing of a man's heart besides intimacy with the Lord in whom everlasting life is found.
Solomon was blessed by God with the gift of wisdom and prospered more than any man in history. However, in his arrogance he felt he could test the limits of self-fulfillment because he had the "Midas touch" and everything he touched would figuratively turn to gold. He misunderstood the Lord's provision as an opportunity to live independent of God while he pursued his passions. Simply stated, Solomon had MORE wealth, MORE sex, MORE intellect, MORE power, and MORE EVERYTHING than any man alive, yet it did not satisfy the spiritual hole in his heart. As Mark Driscoll writes, "Solomon took the old adage, 'Don't knock it 'til you try it' to the absurd by throwing himself into everything life has to offer with reckless abandon, serving as his own subject in the lab of life." No doubt, Solomon succeeded in going to the extreme, but he also forgot the prayer his father, King David, prayed over him on his death bed regarding the Lord's will for his life. "I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn" (1 Kings 2:2-3).
The most important thing to remember as we work through each chapter in Ecclesiastes is that Solomon lived the prodigal life. He started well, he finished well, but he was seriously lost somewhere in the middle. Thus, Ecclesiastes is a story of warning to those of us who think life is about our peace, our joy, our comfort, our happiness, and our contentment. We must return to God, repent for our sins of pride and selfishness, and cling to His Word for our salvation. Or as the author of Hebrews states, "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it" (Hebrews 2:1). Divine revelation has been revealed to us by God through the prophets who pointed to Christ, and the New Testament writers who testified that Jesus was the Christ. So why do we continue to wander? Why do we seek fulfillment in the pleasures of this world? As Solomon discovered, the mirage of contentment our world tempts us with will fade and pass away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever. We simply cannot buy into Satan's lie that the grass is greener on the other side. It isn't! And if we believe that it is, we will succumb to our desires, be enslaved by our flesh, held in bondage by the evil one, and forever lost till we come to our senses and declare, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son" (Luke 15:21). Let us not be foolish like Solomon and test the limits of self-consumption by throwing away what God has graciously given us through the sacrifice of His Son. Rather, let us remember that "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire" (2 Peter 1:3-4).
Monday, February 8, 2016
James 5:19-20 (Devotion)
"My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."
Our faith in Jesus Christ is the wellspring of our motivation, for what we do and say originate from hearts that are in tune with the Holy Spirit who resides within us. We simply cannot escape the fact that when we admit we are sinners, repent for our mistakes, and place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, our eternal salvation is secure and our identity permanently changed. We are no longer bound by our flesh, but set free by the Spirit of God with a clear understanding of what level of obedience is expected from us, just as the believers of old were told. "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, '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 8:31-32). What a powerful statement! To "abide" simply means to dwell, to rest, and stand firm or stationary for an indefinite amount of time. When we consider what this one word means in context to what Jesus is saying, we discover that our purpose in life is to firmly submit our will under the authority of Scripture every day of our lives, and rest in the assurance that His Word is absolute truth and worthy to be revered, trusted and applied unconditionally. For if we do not, our moral compass is distorted, our tolerance of sin weakened, and truth becomes a relative term easily swayed by popular culture, because we are choosing to remain enslaved by our flesh.
"Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed'" (John 8:34-36). This statement directly follows Jesus' command to abide in His Word and reminds us that we have the power to choose. For we are no longer enslaved to our sin and held captive by its stronghold, because Christ died for our sins and freed us from our bondage. Therefore, we choose each day to follow God's Word which flows from our identity in Christ or we dismiss it, just as our brothers and sisters in Christ do as well. But it is our universal ability to empathize with the struggles each one of us experiences that James highlights in the culmination of his letter. Of all the concluding admonitions James could have chosen after the immense of amount wisdom he has bestowed, his final commentary focuses on protecting his brethren and affirming the importance of true, Biblical community. His statement is truly profound because it assumes we have not only heard the points he has made over five chapters, but that we have prioritized self-application above all else. It is safe to assume that when James penned these words, the Spirit reminded him of life-changing wisdom Jesus spoke in his presence. "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). Make no mistake, our ability to help others in their spiritual walk is absolutely and unequivocally influenced by our choice to first apply God's Word in our own faith relationship with Jesus. For the health of our Christian faith community hinges upon what we define as our foundation of truth, and our willingness to remove specks and logs from our own eyes before helping others.
The key to personal "speck and log removal" is simple. Resist temptation and avoid sin. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 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. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace" (Romans 6:12-14). In other words, sin's dominion over us was destroyed when Jesus rose on the third day. His death and resurrection allowed us the opportunity to choose freedom over slavery, and we have chosen to admit our inability to save ourselves by accepting Christ's free gift of grace. However, many of us have wandered to one degree or another from the saving truth of Scripture. Consider the many ways James highlights where we have personally drifted from the truth of God's Word in our spiritual walk:
In closing, a link and lyrics are attached below to the song, "All I Have Is Christ." It is an incredible song molded in the same fashion many classic hymns of old were written. The lyrics are beautiful and encompass the entire theme of what it means to be a slave to sin and presented with a simple choice: Live for self or accept the gift of salvation Jesus offers freely. In particular, I have chosen this rendition of the song because it is sung by a gathering of over 10,000 men! I believe in a day and age where men are more passive than ever in leading spiritually, this song provokes tears of hope because it captures MEN coming together in community and accountability by responding to the call God has given to be meek and humble leaders in our homes and communities. My hope and prayer is that as we reflect back on all we have learned, our minds are challenged to hear the wisdom James professes, with teachable hearts submissive to the Lord's supreme authority and obedient to do what Scripture says in application. To God be the glory!
Our faith in Jesus Christ is the wellspring of our motivation, for what we do and say originate from hearts that are in tune with the Holy Spirit who resides within us. We simply cannot escape the fact that when we admit we are sinners, repent for our mistakes, and place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, our eternal salvation is secure and our identity permanently changed. We are no longer bound by our flesh, but set free by the Spirit of God with a clear understanding of what level of obedience is expected from us, just as the believers of old were told. "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, '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 8:31-32). What a powerful statement! To "abide" simply means to dwell, to rest, and stand firm or stationary for an indefinite amount of time. When we consider what this one word means in context to what Jesus is saying, we discover that our purpose in life is to firmly submit our will under the authority of Scripture every day of our lives, and rest in the assurance that His Word is absolute truth and worthy to be revered, trusted and applied unconditionally. For if we do not, our moral compass is distorted, our tolerance of sin weakened, and truth becomes a relative term easily swayed by popular culture, because we are choosing to remain enslaved by our flesh.
"Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed'" (John 8:34-36). This statement directly follows Jesus' command to abide in His Word and reminds us that we have the power to choose. For we are no longer enslaved to our sin and held captive by its stronghold, because Christ died for our sins and freed us from our bondage. Therefore, we choose each day to follow God's Word which flows from our identity in Christ or we dismiss it, just as our brothers and sisters in Christ do as well. But it is our universal ability to empathize with the struggles each one of us experiences that James highlights in the culmination of his letter. Of all the concluding admonitions James could have chosen after the immense of amount wisdom he has bestowed, his final commentary focuses on protecting his brethren and affirming the importance of true, Biblical community. His statement is truly profound because it assumes we have not only heard the points he has made over five chapters, but that we have prioritized self-application above all else. It is safe to assume that when James penned these words, the Spirit reminded him of life-changing wisdom Jesus spoke in his presence. "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). Make no mistake, our ability to help others in their spiritual walk is absolutely and unequivocally influenced by our choice to first apply God's Word in our own faith relationship with Jesus. For the health of our Christian faith community hinges upon what we define as our foundation of truth, and our willingness to remove specks and logs from our own eyes before helping others.
The key to personal "speck and log removal" is simple. Resist temptation and avoid sin. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 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. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace" (Romans 6:12-14). In other words, sin's dominion over us was destroyed when Jesus rose on the third day. His death and resurrection allowed us the opportunity to choose freedom over slavery, and we have chosen to admit our inability to save ourselves by accepting Christ's free gift of grace. However, many of us have wandered to one degree or another from the saving truth of Scripture. Consider the many ways James highlights where we have personally drifted from the truth of God's Word in our spiritual walk:
- James 1:2-18 - "Testing of Your Faith" - Do I considered my trials as joy? Have I asked God for wisdom by faith, without doubting? Have I remained steadfast during trial, not blaming God for my plight, but recognizing Satan's deception?
- James 1:19-27 - "Hearing and Doing the Word" - Am I quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger? Have I put off wickedness and received God's Word into my heart? Am I actually doing what the Word says, or simply agreeing in theory without personal application?
- James 2:1-13 - "The Sin of Partiality" - Am I favoring the powerful and wealthy over the poor? Does my social status hinder me from helping those in need? Do I judge the economic status of others by alienating myself from them? Am I loving my neighbors as myself? Am I showing mercy to others just as Christ shows me?
- James 2:14-26 - "Faith Without Works is Dead" - Do I believe my works save me in any way or have any impact on whether I enter heaven when I die? Do I recognize that true, saving faith is identified by righteous works from a thankful heart? Am I doing good works to earn favor with God for selfish gain?
- James 3:1-12 - "Taming the Tongue" - Do I have complete self-control at all times regarding the words that come out of my mouth? Do I speak words of blessing or cursing to those around me? Do I recognize that what flows out of my mouth originates from my heart? Do I understand the emotional weight and impact my words truly have on others?
- James 3:13-18 - "Wisdom From Above" - Am I wise in my own eyes? Do I have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in my heart? Am I boastful? Do I sow seeds of peace through my righteous behavior or dissension through my sinful actions?
- James 4:1-12 - "Warning Against Worldliness" - Do I allow fleshly passions and desires within my heart to direct my behavior? Is my life identified by God's grace and mercy or my personal accomplishments? Am I often prideful? Do I seek opportunities to humble myself daily? Do I speak even the slightest amount of evil against my brothers and sisters in Christ?
- James 4:13-17 - "Boasting About Tomorrow" - Do I believe I can predict the future with certainty? Do I think I know more than I actually do? Do I believe I am in control of my life's trajectory or does the Lord have full control? Do I know what God's Word says is the right thing to do and fail to do it?
- James 5:1-6 - "Warning to the Rich" - Is my personal value defined by material possessions or economic achievement? Do I take advantage of or manipulate others in order to advance my personal gain? How important is my financial portfolio to my future? Am I spiritually rich by sharing God's blessings throughout my life with others less fortunate?
- James 5:7-12 - "Patience in Suffering" - Am I enduring persecution for living out my Christian faith and defending the what the Bible says? Am I grumbling when I see others prosper while I struggle through trials and tribulations? Am I patient to trust in the Lord when my logical mind says to take matters into my own hands? Are my own words trusted by others?
- James 5:13-20 - "The Prayer of Faith" - Do I believe unconditionally that God's Word is absolute truth? Do I believe God answers prayer according to His sovereign will and not mine? Do I apply Scripture's instruction to confess my sins to others and seek the Lord's guidance, wisdom, counsel and intercession through prayer? Am I speaking truth in love to win lost and wandering souls to Christ?
In closing, a link and lyrics are attached below to the song, "All I Have Is Christ." It is an incredible song molded in the same fashion many classic hymns of old were written. The lyrics are beautiful and encompass the entire theme of what it means to be a slave to sin and presented with a simple choice: Live for self or accept the gift of salvation Jesus offers freely. In particular, I have chosen this rendition of the song because it is sung by a gathering of over 10,000 men! I believe in a day and age where men are more passive than ever in leading spiritually, this song provokes tears of hope because it captures MEN coming together in community and accountability by responding to the call God has given to be meek and humble leaders in our homes and communities. My hope and prayer is that as we reflect back on all we have learned, our minds are challenged to hear the wisdom James professes, with teachable hearts submissive to the Lord's supreme authority and obedient to do what Scripture says in application. To God be the glory!
VERSE 1
I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still
VERSE 2
But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace
CHORUS
Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life
VERSE 3
Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You
© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)
Thursday, February 4, 2016
James 5:17-18 (Devotion)
"Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit."
In many ways, the prayer of faith James describes can feel extremely daunting to those of us who struggle with the reality that no matter how hard we try to live for righteousness, we continue to fall into our addictive patterns of sin. It magnifies the fact that our ability to overcome temptation is not dependent on the strength of our own will, but the power of the Spirit who dwells in us. Even Jesus echoed this sentiment as He witnessed His disciples sleeping rather than being watchful and praying in the moments shortly before He was arrested. "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mark 14:38). Unfortunately, the disciples could not follow through on the simple instruction Jesus gave to stay awake and pray because their personal will was more important. The temptation to sleep in Christ's hour of need proved how weak their own spirits were and how susceptible they had become to relying on their own strength rather than the Spirit of God. In contrast, many of us believe we would behave differently if we were in their shoes. We can make that judgment call though, because we know the Gospel account of Jesus' life and how important that individual moment in time was. We know what transpired next in the garden of Gethsemane and the ensuing events that led to the crucifixion of Christ. However, do we realize what a privilege it is to know the Gospel story and how easy it is to believe what we read in the pages of Scripture, as opposed to not knowing the future and praying for wisdom and discernment?
The Bible declares, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Our faith affirms we believe what Scripture states is absolute and true, without blemish or question as to its validity and trustworthiness. That is our foundation as followers of Christ. Therefore, we can study the Scriptures with an uncanny ability to learn from the triumphs and failures of those who have walked before us. James provides such an opportunity through the life of Elijah to illustrate how effective and powerful prayer is, contingent upon a continuous striving to live for righteousness as opposed to an attainment of perfection. James states candidly that Elijah was not perfect, and within the story of Elijah's life we are provided evidence of his failures. He was a man with a (sin) nature like ours who faced spiritual fork-in-the-road decisions every day of his life. We do not know much about Elijah's upbringing as he first appears on the pages of Scripture beginning with his proclamation to king Ahab of a three year and six month drought, then heads for the hills per God's instruction to live in relative isolation for the drought period. In context, the drought was ordained by God in response to idolatry in the land regarding worship to Baal and Elijah was chosen to deliver God's message of judgment to the wicked king. It is imperative we don't overlook that God chose Elijah not because He was perfect, but because he was submissive to the Lord's authority and obedient to follow the Lord's instruction regardless of the consequences. Elijah experienced countless miracles in his lifetime that we cannot fathom, but it was his faithfulness to the Lord and his trust in God's sovereignty that enabled his prayers to be answered.
When we read 1 Kings 16-17, we see how God supernaturally performed miracles by simple instructions inspired through the power of the Holy Spirit to Elijah, or via fervent prayers offered to the Lord by Elijah. In either scenario, the Lord was the source of provision and Elijah was the vessel He chose to accomplish His will. This should encourage our hearts immensely! Consider how the prophet Isaiah eloquently put our identity into perspective: "But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand" (Isaiah 64:8). Like the nation Israel, we are chosen by God with an everlasting love that endures despite our repeated sins and failures. He works in us and through us, regardless of our sins because He is the author of life and will ordain His will be done because He sees what we cannot and knows what we do not. He chooses to work through our behavior (righteous and unrighteous) and brings glory to Himself despite the failures of our lives to provide grace and forgiveness through repentance. Therefore, we can trust He is in supreme control over our lives and the lives we encounter each day for the purposes of mercy or wrath in order to accomplish His will, which is perhaps one of the hardest truths of Scripture for our hearts to accept. "Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory" (Romans 9:21-23).
The key takeaway to James' example of Elijah is understanding that prayer is a work we do which testifies to our faith. Moreover, James previously stated, "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2:17), by highlighting Old Testament examples of Abraham and Rahab. In each case, James drives home the point that God used (and uses) imperfect people to accomplish His perfect will. We cannot miss that truth. For when the time comes and God speaks a word of instruction into our hearts, how will we respond? Will our lives bear witness to the teaching of Hebrews 11 as we "By Faith" obey the Lord's calling? Or will our faith simply be faith without works, evidenced by our unwillingness to submit to God's authority? Either-way, we are not ignoring the fact that we struggle to live out the Gospel daily. Even the apostle Paul understood the magnitude of his own flesh vs. spirit battle as he fulfilled his ministry calling. "For I know 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. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing" (Romans 7:18-19). And that honest testimony should give us great comfort to know that while we continue to fight temptation and resist sinful choices, even when we do fall, God is still at work in us and through us to accomplish His will despite our shortcomings.
Answered prayer is more easily made possible through righteous living, but is not contingent upon it. God still has the final say and we must accept that the vessels He creates for honorable and dishonorable use are His choice. Nonetheless, we are still called to pray and offer our heart's desires to the Lord, especially that lost souls will be found and come to repentance and salvation in Christ. Our response is simply to accept and obey His final decision despite how hard that truth is to accept at times for perhaps our prodigal family members and friends who continue to reject Christ. But we are called to pray by faith fervently and without ceasing just as Elijah did, because God brings to fruition His will in His time and in His way. There are simply too many examples of men and women who have come to salvation inspired by the faithful prayers of the righteous who have trusted God. For Jesus reminds us, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matthew 9:12b-13). Therefore, let us solidify our foundation of faith by resting soundly under the authority of God's Word, applying His teachings in submission and obedience, confessing our sins to one another, and praying without ceasing to the Lord, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).
In many ways, the prayer of faith James describes can feel extremely daunting to those of us who struggle with the reality that no matter how hard we try to live for righteousness, we continue to fall into our addictive patterns of sin. It magnifies the fact that our ability to overcome temptation is not dependent on the strength of our own will, but the power of the Spirit who dwells in us. Even Jesus echoed this sentiment as He witnessed His disciples sleeping rather than being watchful and praying in the moments shortly before He was arrested. "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mark 14:38). Unfortunately, the disciples could not follow through on the simple instruction Jesus gave to stay awake and pray because their personal will was more important. The temptation to sleep in Christ's hour of need proved how weak their own spirits were and how susceptible they had become to relying on their own strength rather than the Spirit of God. In contrast, many of us believe we would behave differently if we were in their shoes. We can make that judgment call though, because we know the Gospel account of Jesus' life and how important that individual moment in time was. We know what transpired next in the garden of Gethsemane and the ensuing events that led to the crucifixion of Christ. However, do we realize what a privilege it is to know the Gospel story and how easy it is to believe what we read in the pages of Scripture, as opposed to not knowing the future and praying for wisdom and discernment?
The Bible declares, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Our faith affirms we believe what Scripture states is absolute and true, without blemish or question as to its validity and trustworthiness. That is our foundation as followers of Christ. Therefore, we can study the Scriptures with an uncanny ability to learn from the triumphs and failures of those who have walked before us. James provides such an opportunity through the life of Elijah to illustrate how effective and powerful prayer is, contingent upon a continuous striving to live for righteousness as opposed to an attainment of perfection. James states candidly that Elijah was not perfect, and within the story of Elijah's life we are provided evidence of his failures. He was a man with a (sin) nature like ours who faced spiritual fork-in-the-road decisions every day of his life. We do not know much about Elijah's upbringing as he first appears on the pages of Scripture beginning with his proclamation to king Ahab of a three year and six month drought, then heads for the hills per God's instruction to live in relative isolation for the drought period. In context, the drought was ordained by God in response to idolatry in the land regarding worship to Baal and Elijah was chosen to deliver God's message of judgment to the wicked king. It is imperative we don't overlook that God chose Elijah not because He was perfect, but because he was submissive to the Lord's authority and obedient to follow the Lord's instruction regardless of the consequences. Elijah experienced countless miracles in his lifetime that we cannot fathom, but it was his faithfulness to the Lord and his trust in God's sovereignty that enabled his prayers to be answered.
When we read 1 Kings 16-17, we see how God supernaturally performed miracles by simple instructions inspired through the power of the Holy Spirit to Elijah, or via fervent prayers offered to the Lord by Elijah. In either scenario, the Lord was the source of provision and Elijah was the vessel He chose to accomplish His will. This should encourage our hearts immensely! Consider how the prophet Isaiah eloquently put our identity into perspective: "But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand" (Isaiah 64:8). Like the nation Israel, we are chosen by God with an everlasting love that endures despite our repeated sins and failures. He works in us and through us, regardless of our sins because He is the author of life and will ordain His will be done because He sees what we cannot and knows what we do not. He chooses to work through our behavior (righteous and unrighteous) and brings glory to Himself despite the failures of our lives to provide grace and forgiveness through repentance. Therefore, we can trust He is in supreme control over our lives and the lives we encounter each day for the purposes of mercy or wrath in order to accomplish His will, which is perhaps one of the hardest truths of Scripture for our hearts to accept. "Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory" (Romans 9:21-23).
The key takeaway to James' example of Elijah is understanding that prayer is a work we do which testifies to our faith. Moreover, James previously stated, "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2:17), by highlighting Old Testament examples of Abraham and Rahab. In each case, James drives home the point that God used (and uses) imperfect people to accomplish His perfect will. We cannot miss that truth. For when the time comes and God speaks a word of instruction into our hearts, how will we respond? Will our lives bear witness to the teaching of Hebrews 11 as we "By Faith" obey the Lord's calling? Or will our faith simply be faith without works, evidenced by our unwillingness to submit to God's authority? Either-way, we are not ignoring the fact that we struggle to live out the Gospel daily. Even the apostle Paul understood the magnitude of his own flesh vs. spirit battle as he fulfilled his ministry calling. "For I know 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. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing" (Romans 7:18-19). And that honest testimony should give us great comfort to know that while we continue to fight temptation and resist sinful choices, even when we do fall, God is still at work in us and through us to accomplish His will despite our shortcomings.
Answered prayer is more easily made possible through righteous living, but is not contingent upon it. God still has the final say and we must accept that the vessels He creates for honorable and dishonorable use are His choice. Nonetheless, we are still called to pray and offer our heart's desires to the Lord, especially that lost souls will be found and come to repentance and salvation in Christ. Our response is simply to accept and obey His final decision despite how hard that truth is to accept at times for perhaps our prodigal family members and friends who continue to reject Christ. But we are called to pray by faith fervently and without ceasing just as Elijah did, because God brings to fruition His will in His time and in His way. There are simply too many examples of men and women who have come to salvation inspired by the faithful prayers of the righteous who have trusted God. For Jesus reminds us, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matthew 9:12b-13). Therefore, let us solidify our foundation of faith by resting soundly under the authority of God's Word, applying His teachings in submission and obedience, confessing our sins to one another, and praying without ceasing to the Lord, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
James 5:16 (Devotion)
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
Just as forgiveness in many ways is the linchpin to our prayer life, confession is the catalyst of repentance which brings forgiveness to fruition. Confession is multifaceted and requires a honest and realistic personal assessment of how far we have fallen from the throne of grace. It is invaluable to our personal relationship with Christ and impossible to undervalue in Scripture. Confession is a prerequisite of salvation; acknowledging who Jesus is, what He did and why He came. "Because, 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" (Romans 10:9). It takes ownership over the damage caused by our sins. "I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin" (Psalm 38:18). It frees us from the bondage of guilt, shame and regret by bringing darkness to light. "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" (Psalm 32:5). Most importantly, it elicits brokenness within our hearts where real change takes place. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:17). Those who confess sin understand that consequences are a byproduct of their mistakes and are willing to accept whatever calamity their actions have caused. Therefore, there is not a propensity to escape but an acceptance that come what may, righteousness will be sought after and lived out no matter the cost.
Confession takes initiative; because as Solomon accurately stated, "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins" (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Realistically, no one would deny that he/she sins, but how many of us would personally classify ourselves as addicts? Consider how the American Society of Addiction Medicine categorizes addiction: "Inability to consistently abstain; impairment in behavioral control; craving; or increased “hunger” for drugs or rewarding experiences; diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships; and a dysfunctional emotional response." If we are honest with ourselves, do we not presently identify with these characteristics in our own hearts? In truth, we are all addicts because we sin every day of our lives. It is our consistency of failure that classifies our addictive behaviors as previously stated. Now in most cases, we would never admit publicly that we are addicts because that label is typically reserved for those who struggle mightily and exude no self-control over substances such as illegal or prescription drugs, alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, etc.; or behaviors such as obesity, gambling, sex, shopping, video games, internet/social media, etc. But if we set aside our stereotypes and consider the defining characteristics of what addiction behavior looks like (as opposed to specifically what we may be addicted to), how can we boldly declare that we are not enslaved by our flesh when we consistently and repeatedly sin?
Establishing our propensity towards addictive behavior and accepting our fleshly identity as addicts does not compel us to be lethargic or disinterested in living for righteousness. For the apostle Paul reminds us, "Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?" (Galatians 4:8-9). What aids our transitional focus from flesh to spirit is the practice of confession. Confession breaks the pattern of sinful behavior and allows us to get off the sin carousel. Granted, it does not guarantee we will not exit the ride and turn right around to get back in line at some point, but it does allow us the opportunity to choose. Having the ability to choose is the foundation of free will God graciously gives us, and we can use that gift to live consumed by whatever idols our hearts desire or relinquish control and align our free will with the Father's. Thus, the great divide is ever before us! Do we choose to live for ourselves or for Christ? As followers of Christ, we are comforted by the promises of God which point to His saving grace when we confess our sins and repent. "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:19-20). But if we do not come to our senses, we risk more than simply not getting our way with temporary fixations which never satisfy. We risk alienation from God and hearing Christ proclaim to us on judgment day, "Truly, I say to you, I do not know you" (Matthew 25:12).
The simply truth every man, woman and child must accept is that we are all destined to eternity in hell if we do not repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That is the ONLY escape route God provides for our salvation. But again, simply accepting Christ is not enough. Our behavior or application of Scripture must illicit fruit that testifies to spiritual growth. For Jesus boldly warns, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’" (Matthew 7:21-23). The most important aspect of confessing our sins to God and one another is that our acts of confession must be compelled by hearts broken over sin. That is why Jesus taught in His sermon on the mount, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). Most people misinterpret that verse. They associate mourning with physical death, but Jesus' intent (and context) was to affirm those who mourn over their sin to the extent that they recognize, understand and grieve over what they have done, turn from their wicked ways, and pray for the healing hand of God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.
Coming full circle, James exhorts us to diligently pray for one another; but he also emphasizes that the prayers of the righteous are the ones God hears most, to drive home the fact that living for righteousness is our highest calling. This should compel us then to live accordingly, for why would we ever waste our time praying to God for help if we have no desire to live according to what He says? Obviously, if we do not respect God enough to value His Word, then are we really so naive to expect Him to answer our prayers exactly as we wish? That is how we typically think though. We live for ourselves to the extent where we are inept and unable to satisfy our heart's desires, so we cry out to God for help expecting Him to grant our wishes like a genie in a bottle, all the while forgetting that true healing begins with genuine faith in Christ, confession of sins, and living for righteousness. The prayer of faith James lays out is not overly complicated. It simply reinforces our Biblical principles of faith, repentance, praise and worship, which are the foundation of a healthy prayer life. For if we have proper perspective on what it means to walk in the light, we will respond in submission and obedience to the Father by living out the saving freedom of His Word through confession and prayer. Only then will be experience true freedom from our bondage of 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" (1 John 1:8-10).
Just as forgiveness in many ways is the linchpin to our prayer life, confession is the catalyst of repentance which brings forgiveness to fruition. Confession is multifaceted and requires a honest and realistic personal assessment of how far we have fallen from the throne of grace. It is invaluable to our personal relationship with Christ and impossible to undervalue in Scripture. Confession is a prerequisite of salvation; acknowledging who Jesus is, what He did and why He came. "Because, 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" (Romans 10:9). It takes ownership over the damage caused by our sins. "I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin" (Psalm 38:18). It frees us from the bondage of guilt, shame and regret by bringing darkness to light. "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" (Psalm 32:5). Most importantly, it elicits brokenness within our hearts where real change takes place. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:17). Those who confess sin understand that consequences are a byproduct of their mistakes and are willing to accept whatever calamity their actions have caused. Therefore, there is not a propensity to escape but an acceptance that come what may, righteousness will be sought after and lived out no matter the cost.
Confession takes initiative; because as Solomon accurately stated, "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins" (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Realistically, no one would deny that he/she sins, but how many of us would personally classify ourselves as addicts? Consider how the American Society of Addiction Medicine categorizes addiction: "Inability to consistently abstain; impairment in behavioral control; craving; or increased “hunger” for drugs or rewarding experiences; diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships; and a dysfunctional emotional response." If we are honest with ourselves, do we not presently identify with these characteristics in our own hearts? In truth, we are all addicts because we sin every day of our lives. It is our consistency of failure that classifies our addictive behaviors as previously stated. Now in most cases, we would never admit publicly that we are addicts because that label is typically reserved for those who struggle mightily and exude no self-control over substances such as illegal or prescription drugs, alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, etc.; or behaviors such as obesity, gambling, sex, shopping, video games, internet/social media, etc. But if we set aside our stereotypes and consider the defining characteristics of what addiction behavior looks like (as opposed to specifically what we may be addicted to), how can we boldly declare that we are not enslaved by our flesh when we consistently and repeatedly sin?
Establishing our propensity towards addictive behavior and accepting our fleshly identity as addicts does not compel us to be lethargic or disinterested in living for righteousness. For the apostle Paul reminds us, "Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?" (Galatians 4:8-9). What aids our transitional focus from flesh to spirit is the practice of confession. Confession breaks the pattern of sinful behavior and allows us to get off the sin carousel. Granted, it does not guarantee we will not exit the ride and turn right around to get back in line at some point, but it does allow us the opportunity to choose. Having the ability to choose is the foundation of free will God graciously gives us, and we can use that gift to live consumed by whatever idols our hearts desire or relinquish control and align our free will with the Father's. Thus, the great divide is ever before us! Do we choose to live for ourselves or for Christ? As followers of Christ, we are comforted by the promises of God which point to His saving grace when we confess our sins and repent. "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:19-20). But if we do not come to our senses, we risk more than simply not getting our way with temporary fixations which never satisfy. We risk alienation from God and hearing Christ proclaim to us on judgment day, "Truly, I say to you, I do not know you" (Matthew 25:12).
The simply truth every man, woman and child must accept is that we are all destined to eternity in hell if we do not repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That is the ONLY escape route God provides for our salvation. But again, simply accepting Christ is not enough. Our behavior or application of Scripture must illicit fruit that testifies to spiritual growth. For Jesus boldly warns, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’" (Matthew 7:21-23). The most important aspect of confessing our sins to God and one another is that our acts of confession must be compelled by hearts broken over sin. That is why Jesus taught in His sermon on the mount, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). Most people misinterpret that verse. They associate mourning with physical death, but Jesus' intent (and context) was to affirm those who mourn over their sin to the extent that they recognize, understand and grieve over what they have done, turn from their wicked ways, and pray for the healing hand of God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.
Coming full circle, James exhorts us to diligently pray for one another; but he also emphasizes that the prayers of the righteous are the ones God hears most, to drive home the fact that living for righteousness is our highest calling. This should compel us then to live accordingly, for why would we ever waste our time praying to God for help if we have no desire to live according to what He says? Obviously, if we do not respect God enough to value His Word, then are we really so naive to expect Him to answer our prayers exactly as we wish? That is how we typically think though. We live for ourselves to the extent where we are inept and unable to satisfy our heart's desires, so we cry out to God for help expecting Him to grant our wishes like a genie in a bottle, all the while forgetting that true healing begins with genuine faith in Christ, confession of sins, and living for righteousness. The prayer of faith James lays out is not overly complicated. It simply reinforces our Biblical principles of faith, repentance, praise and worship, which are the foundation of a healthy prayer life. For if we have proper perspective on what it means to walk in the light, we will respond in submission and obedience to the Father by living out the saving freedom of His Word through confession and prayer. Only then will be experience true freedom from our bondage of 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" (1 John 1:8-10).
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