sin and repentence

Flashback Friday: Jesus, Savior of the Rejected

Frank

***With all the recent news related to bullying, I kept thinking back to what pushes people to school shootings. Then I remembered these posts on Matthew Murray, a young man who opened fire at Youth With a Mission and New Life Church, killing two people at each back in 2007. This is a combination of two posts right after the event, the first before too much information was known. Given the climate today, both messages are worth reposting.***

I can’t post another word without acknowledging the tragedies that happened over the weekend in Colorado. First and foremost, I want to echo the prayer of Michael Sheridan, Bishop of the Diocese of Colorado Springs.

This hits pretty close to home as it wasn’t far from the first shooting that I took some very early steps in my Christian walk. And although it’s been years since I lived in an apartment a few miles north on Wads, I still have the feeling of, “I can’t believe it happened here.” I feel the same way about the other recent shooting in Omaha. That one hit close too as I was there just the day before. So it’s hard to sort out all these feelings and try to form a coherent thought.

As of the time I’m writing this, the shooter has been identified although no motive as yet been disclosed. I fully plan to update this if/when that happens. It also looks like both the shooting in Arvada and in Colorado Springs are related. (Update: It’s been confirmed the shootings are related and that the shooter, “hated Christians” and was thrown out of Youth with a Mission three years ago.)

There is a lot of speculation as to why and how something like this could happen. As expected there are many messages posted on the Denver Post website placing the blame on the churches themselves or even Christianity as a whole. I prayed at length about this this morning and I still can’t comprehend how anyone can equate a doctrine or polity to the murder of the innocent. Regardless of any single person’s belief on any of the hot topics of the day, or what that person might hear from the pulpit, or the name above the door to the church they attend, no one deserves to be killed indiscriminately. Yet there are many (I hope and pray, only a very vocal minority) who flat out hate anyone who claims Jesus as their savior without knowing their personal creed.

But this is a very broad brush used to paint a very narrow (singular, really) issue. Let me state as clearly as I can, the Jesus I follow does not condone hate. The Good News is that he died for the forgiveness of our sins, no matter what sins those may be. And that the greatest love anyone can have is to lay down our life for another.

Now, I can’t think of any Christian who would disagree with any of those. Can anyone find any fault in what I just wrote that could excuse senseless killing? Yes, there are churches that emphasize some sins as being worse than others. But, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23) Does it matter what our sin is if we all fall short? Don’t we all need to repent of the sins that keep us from having a fulfilling relationship with God? At the same time, we cannot excuse sin. And it doesn’t matter what that sin is. “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!” (Rom 6:1-2)

But there are some that believe that since the Bible condemns their lifestyle that Christians “hate” them. That they can’t follow a God who is so arrogant to condemn anyone who disagrees with him. If we preach that Jesus is the only way to salvation, then that means we hate anyone who doesn’t believe in Jesus. The thing is, the exact opposite is true. If we really hated someone and thought we had the only golden ticket to heaven, would we bother telling them? Would we, really? For someone to say that they’re not surprised someone opened fire at a church because of current-event politics is absurd, it insults my faith and is contrary to everything Jesus lived and taught.

***

So I’m still grappling with what happened in Colorado and what would motivate someone to do such a thing. And I think about the kid in Omaha too and many, many others who turned their personal demons into another’s hell. Quite common with nonsensical shootings like these are that the shooter is overwhelmed with a feeling of rejection.

Sunday morning, before seeing the news, I taught Sunday School to a group of 3rd graders. My lesson juxtaposed the sinful woman caught in adultery in John 8 with the sinful woman who anointed Jesus in Luke 7. When I present lessons from the Bible to this age group, I need to emphasize why the story I’m telling them is important. In this case, the lesson was how Jesus accepts anyone and everyone despite their sin and despite what religious leaders might say about it. A lesson certainly applicable today. There are a lot of religious leaders, Pharisees of this day and age, who are quick to condemn, quick to judge. But not Jesus. Jesus accepts. Jesus forgives.

I think about the modern parable (an oft-forwarded email, actually) of a young man in ratty clothes, long hair, piercings and tattoos who walks late into a Catholic Mass. The church is full and he can’t find a seat and even where there is a seat available the looks from the parishioners made it clear he wasn’t welcome. So without any other seats, he sat down right in the middle of the center isle. Of course, the priest had yet to come down the isle himself and everyone in the church was breathless with anticipation to see what he would do when he came to the young man. The organ stated the opening hymn as the priest and altar boys began down the isle. But no one sang along. All eyes were on the priest to see what he would do next. Noticing everyone’s stares, the priest looked at the young man and…

sat down with him.

Maybe the young men involved in these shootings could relate to this young man. Maybe they could relate to the women described in the Gospels above. Maybe they never understood that Jesus would sit right down next to them, even if no one else would.

What makes this even more sad is that I know of ministries in and around Denver whose sole purpose is to reach out to the unaccepted, the rejected. The one that I think of first is Scum of the Earth. Yeah, you read that right. The name comes from 1 Corinthians 4:11-13, “To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.” They say Matthew Murray came from a very religious family, so maybe he had no interest in finding a community that would accept him. But sources also say that he was once part of Youth with a Mission and was looking at enrolling in Colorado Christian College. So somewhere in his heart and soul there was a desire to reach out to God.

Now some will say it’s arrogant for a Christian to say, “well, he just needed Jesus and this would’ve never happened.” To that I can respond based on experience in ministering to addicts, that while Jesus forgives us there’s no promise that he’ll heal us. No doubt he can, but there will always be scars. We need to face and deal with the baggage we carry and lay it at the foot of the cross. If he “had Jesus” would this have been prevented? There’s really no way of knowing. Did he “need Jesus”? Well, only Jesus knows the answer to that.

Instead of worrying about the arrogance of us Christians having all the answers, or of the eternal fate of the shooter, the focus should be on the victims. And to follow Jesus’ example and forgive.

R12: Why is God so serious?

Frank

We all have masks we wear. We have different ones for different times and different people. We have ones we haven’t used or needed in a long time, we have others that we’ve never used but we hold onto just in case. Masks prevent authentic community. Masks keep us from being vulnerable and revealing the real we. And on Sunday mornings we surround ourselves with tens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands of other people all wearing masks.

The fourth relationship in Romans 12 is Serving in Love which appropriately follows Sober Self-Assessment. I need to be ok with the real me before I can share that with others. I need to see myself as a sinner in need of God’s grace in order to see others the same way. Once I’m able to do that, barriers are dropped, masks are taken off, and I can begin to see authentic community.

Removing masks is only one part of authentic community however. Get a couple of beers in me and I’ll be plenty vulnerable. I’ll probably tell you more than you want to know. And you see this type of community at the local watering hole made famous by Cheers or for the younger amongst us, think Moe’s in The Simpsons.

We need to not only take off our masks, but we also need to have conviction behind our vulnerability. I share sin because I’m convicted about it. I rebuke a brother because I’m concerned about him. We need to call sin, sin and not dance around it as we are often so tempted to do. Real community begins when our love is sincere and we hate what is evil. (Romans 12:9)

My small group got together last night. It was encouraging to me to watch everyone interact. This small group has gone through several iterations over the last few years and I’m finally seeing relationships grow deep and people click. One of my best friends called me over the other night to share some of his struggles. I was encouraged to be there for him, but I was more encouraged that our friendship was strong enough that we could be vulnerable with one another. Small groups aren’t the miracle cure. And not every relationship at church will be vulnerable. But if we really want the Body of Christ to be all Jesus prayed it would be in John 17, we need to take the first steps by removing our masks and having a conviction about sin.

The importance of this is illustrated by the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. To make a long story short, this couple wasn’t sincere and wanted to put on a mask to impress the fledgling church. The results? Death, as soon as they were confronted by it and then lied to cover their tracks. While this might be an isolated incident, it is no less serious to God. The first to be thrown in the lake of burning fire in Revelation 21 are the cowards. The last are the liars. Pretty much any sin you can think of can be bookended by these two root sins. God takes this very seriously.

I encourage you to identify your masks and cast them aside. Study the Word of God and develop a conviction against sin. You need both to prevent you from living a watered-down-Gospel on one side or being an unloving fire-and-brimstone Christian cliche on the other. Jesus wants a relationship with the real you and so does the rest of His Body, the Church.

Think: What is necessary for the “real you” to show in your relationships?
Reflect: Why do you think God judges the hypocrisy of Ananias and his wife so harshly? How or where are you most prone to wear a mask?
Understand: What is the relationship between hypocrisy and purity? Is there any “secret sin” or temptation God might be speaking to you about?
Surrender: Pray Psalm 139:23-24. Commit to respond to whatever the Holy Spirit reveals to you.
Take Action: We all struggle with sin and hypocrisy. Both are like bacteria; once brought into the light, their power to infect and inflict disease is removed. Bring any “secret sin” or temptations into the light of God’s presence (1 John 1:9) and tell a trusted friend or pastor. “Confess your sins to one another that you might be healed.” (James 5:16)
Motivation: Consider downloading “Overcoming the Dragon of Lust- for Men” if you struggle with the issue. [Follow the R12 button on the right, select the Serving tab and find this lesson under “Free Resources”.]
Encourage your Pastor: E-mail, text, or drop a note to your pastor. It’s no fun sharing “convicting messages” that protect the flock from hypocrisy and impurity. Thank him for his faithfulness and courage; let him know we all need the truthful messages along with the grace of God.

Today continues our “virtual small group” covering the book Living On The Edge. For how this group is going to work, read this entry. For an introduction with disclaimers, click here. For some numbers from Barna to motivate you to continue reading, go here. For the R12 videos, click the R12 button on the sidebar to the right. Finally, as we move forward through the book you can always catch up by clicking the R12 label at the end of each post.

R12: Why is God so serious?

Frank

We all have masks we wear. We have different ones for different times and different people. We have ones we haven’t used or needed in a long time, we have others that we’ve never used but we hold onto just in case. Masks prevent authentic community. Masks keep us from being vulnerable and revealing the real we. And on Sunday mornings we surround ourselves with tens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands of other people all wearing masks.

The fourth relationship in Romans 12 is Serving in Love which appropriately follows Sober Self-Assessment. I need to be ok with the real me before I can share that with others. I need to see myself as a sinner in need of God’s grace in order to see others the same way. Once I’m able to do that, barriers are dropped, masks are taken off, and I can begin to see authentic community.

Removing masks is only one part of authentic community however. Get a couple of beers in me and I’ll be plenty vulnerable. I’ll probably tell you more than you want to know. And you see this type of community at the local watering hole made famous by Cheers or for the younger amongst us, think Moe’s in The Simpsons.

We need to not only take off our masks, but we also need to have conviction behind our vulnerability. I share sin because I’m convicted about it. I rebuke a brother because I’m concerned about him. We need to call sin, sin and not dance around it as we are often so tempted to do. Real community begins when our love is sincere and we hate what is evil. (Romans 12:9)

My small group got together last night. It was encouraging to me to watch everyone interact. This small group has gone through several iterations over the last few years and I’m finally seeing relationships grow deep and people click. One of my best friends called me over the other night to share some of his struggles. I was encouraged to be there for him, but I was more encouraged that our friendship was strong enough that we could be vulnerable with one another. Small groups aren’t the miracle cure. And not every relationship at church will be vulnerable. But if we really want the Body of Christ to be all Jesus prayed it would be in John 17, we need to take the first steps by removing our masks and having a conviction about sin.

The importance of this is illustrated by the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. To make a long story short, this couple wasn’t sincere and wanted to put on a mask to impress the fledgling church. The results? Death, as soon as they were confronted by it and then lied to cover their tracks. While this might be an isolated incident, it is no less serious to God. The first to be thrown in the lake of burning fire in Revelation 21 are the cowards. The last are the liars. Pretty much any sin you can think of can be bookended by these two root sins. God takes this very seriously.

I encourage you to identify your masks and cast them aside. Study the Word of God and develop a conviction against sin. You need both to prevent you from living a watered-down-Gospel on one side or being an unloving fire-and-brimstone Christian cliche on the other. Jesus wants a relationship with the real you and so does the rest of His Body, the Church.

Think: What is necessary for the “real you” to show in your relationships?
Reflect: Why do you think God judges the hypocrisy of Ananias and his wife so harshly? How or where are you most prone to wear a mask?
Understand: What is the relationship between hypocrisy and purity? Is there any “secret sin” or temptation God might be speaking to you about?
Surrender: Pray Psalm 139:23-24. Commit to respond to whatever the Holy Spirit reveals to you.
Take Action: We all struggle with sin and hypocrisy. Both are like bacteria; once brought into the light, their power to infect and inflict disease is removed. Bring any “secret sin” or temptations into the light of God’s presence (1 John 1:9) and tell a trusted friend or pastor. “Confess your sins to one another that you might be healed.” (James 5:16)
Motivation: Consider downloading “Overcoming the Dragon of Lust- for Men” if you struggle with the issue. [Follow the R12 button on the right, select the Serving tab and find this lesson under “Free Resources”.]
Encourage your Pastor: E-mail, text, or drop a note to your pastor. It’s no fun sharing “convicting messages” that protect the flock from hypocrisy and impurity. Thank him for his faithfulness and courage; let him know we all need the truthful messages along with the grace of God.

Today continues our “virtual small group” covering the book Living On The Edge. For how this group is going to work, read this entry. For an introduction with disclaimers, click here. For some numbers from Barna to motivate you to continue reading, go here. For the R12 videos, click the R12 button on the sidebar to the right. Finally, as we move forward through the book you can always catch up by clicking the R12 label at the end of each post.

R12: Are you a faithful lover?

Frank

Woah, getting personal, aren’t I? But that’s not the kind of lover Chip Ingram means in his book, Living On the Edge: Dare to Experience True Spirituality, aka LOTE: The Book. No, in this case you are God’s lover, a member of Christ’s bride the Church. So are you faithful?

The second relationship in R12 is Separate from the World. You cannot even begin to address this relationship without turning your Bible over to 1 John 2: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (v 15-17) We need to examine this Scripture to define the world, and Chip does an excellent job of this using some handy alliteration.

“The cravings of the sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does” is the NIV translation. Look at NASB to break this down more specifically, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life”. Three temptations, of which we can all relate. Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, the pride of life can be simplified as the temptation to feel, to have, and to be. Even further: pleasure, possessions, position; satisfaction, security, status; food, fortune, fame; girls/guys, gold, glory; or sex, salary, status. I list each of these so that hopefully one (or more) stands out to you whereas “lust of flesh, lust of eyes, pride of life” can be unrelatable because “it sounds religious”. I think the examples given show that this is not religious, but a struggle common to anyone who resides in this place we call the world.

Ministering to addicts, I relate most to the first temptation. I’m hesitant to us “sex, salary, status” because the first is more than just sex. Yes, that’s probably most common, but addiction is also about the need to feel good, or to mask feeling bad by feeling numb and calling that “good”. The warning is to HALT, if you’re Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired you’re most vulnerable to giving in to your addiction. You’re driven by feeling. But this isn’t limited to chemical addiction either. One of the examples above is “food, fortune, fame”. In fact, I was reading an article on weight loss yesterday that used the HALT example as a warning to not emotionally eat. If either of these don’t relate to you, you can always fall back on the standard “sex”. Even there, it’s a mask to cover up emotion. Pornography and masturbation is so appealing because it requires no commitment (other than a credit card!) and therefore, no emotion. Affairs begin under the same principle, but eventually real people have real emotions and someone, on either side of the affair, is bound to break.

As my family’s primary bread-winner, the second is also very tempting. I want them to be comfortable, to not have any needs. I get down on myself when things are tight as if it’s my fault. I beat myself up if there’s a patch of dead grass in the lawn, or if there’s a burned out light bulb that I haven’t yet changed. I am always giving in to this second temptation because in these cases, I lament that “the grass is greener on the other side” (especially if my grass has dead patches!). We look at the size of our home and want to upgrade. Yesterday at work, I parked next to a bright cherry-red Corvette, my dream car since I was a boy. I could not wait to get an HDTV, even though we don’t have cable or satellite. I could go on and on, but I’m sure I don’t have to. You could fill a page yourself of all the things you want because of the “lust of the eyes.” And it’s all for security. We’re fooled into thinking that “things” will make us secure and happy. That “the one who dies with the most toys wins.” But we also know that “you can’t take it with you.” The Ash Wednesday saying, “remember man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” is to remind us that the trinkets of this world are meaningless. “The world and its desires pass away…” Needtobreathe has a great song to close their most recent album The Outsiders. I love the chorus to Let us Love: (emphasis added)

Let us love
Like we are children
Let us live
Like we’re still living
In a world we know,
is burning to the ground


Finally, I relate to “the pride of life” as a professional. In fact, my primary Love Language is words of encouragement. I need to be recognized, lifted up, appreciated. But I cannot compromise my convictions to gain approval. I cannot cheat, gossip, or cut corners to get ahead. The hardest thing for me to do at my job is to sit back and just let things happen on their own. I don’t get the calls I think I should. Yet when I surrender my career to God’s Will, in other words when I stop trying to advance myself, I find myself in the exact places I’m trying to go simply by chance opportunities opening themselves up. This is a constant prayer of mine, to “not think of [myself] more highly than [I] ought, but rather think of [myself] with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given [me].” (Romans 12:3) I’m nothing special at my job. My work isn’t ground-breaking, it just is what it is. I’m owed nothing. Hard things to say, but necessary to keep myself from falling into this temptation.

I know you can relate to at least one of these. Most likely, you can relate to all three. But you’re not alone. Here’s a homework assignment. Look at the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4 and compare his temptations to this list and your own struggles. Be reminded that “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 14:15) To go further, look at the temptation of Eve and be reminded that “no temptation has seized you except what is common to man.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

So humbled, recognize that the command in 1 John is not about following any specific rules or “planting hedges” to protect ourselves from the world. The issue isn’t about what we do, but what we love. Our primary love should be God alone. Anything, or anyone, else is adultery.

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?” (James 4:4-5)

Think: What’s the single biggest issue, related to the above, that has surfaced in your life?
Reflect: How does seeing the world as a seductress change its appeal? How does reframing sin as a “relational issue” versus “breaking the rules” make you feel about times when you sin?
Understand: Which of the temptations above are you most vulnerable?
Surrender: Ask God to give you the courage to come out of your denial and rationalizations and be ruthlessly honest with yourself and Him. Remember that it’s not about rules, but about relationship.
Take Action: Do a three, five, or seven day media fast. Break away from TV, radio, the Internet and see what happens (Romans 13:14). [this will make it hard to follow this blog, but if you’re really struggling with any of the temptations above, it is well worth it]
Motivation: Listen or read “How to Break Out of a Destructive Lifestyle” from the Miracle of Life Change series found under the Separate “Free Resources” found by clicking the R12 button to the right and then the ‘Separate’ tab.
Encourage Someone: Download the message/chapter summarized here for someone you know it would help [or send them a link to this blog!].

Today continues our “virtual small group” covering the book Living On The Edge. For how this group is going to work, read this entry. For an introduction with disclaimers, click here. For some numbers from Barna to motivate you to continue reading, go here. For the R12 videos, click the R12 button on the sidebar to the right. Finally, as we move forward through the book you can always catch up by clicking the R12 label at the end of each post.

R12: Why is the Christian life so difficult?

Frank

Reposted from last week to get back on a M-F schedule…

The title speaks for itself. I could leave it there and open up for discussion on Romans 12:2 and satisfy [last] week’s blog carnival on self-control all at once. But I won’t leave it there. We need to answer this question. We need to know how to overcome.

Chapter 7 in Living On The Edge lays the groundwork to answer this in future chapters, I’m sorry to tease. But the set up is just as valuable. We can’t answer this question because we don’t know why it’s an issue to begin with. This week’s blog carnival is on self-control. The question is bound to be asked, “why, as Christians, do we still struggle with sin?” Chip Ingram poses that the reason is because we do not understand the struggle. As I mentioned last time, I learned from the book Wild At Heart that our struggle against sin has three enemies- Satan, the World, and our sinful nature. Chip comes to the same conclusion but words it differently- the who, where, and what of sin. If our religious tradition focuses only on one, or even two, of these but not all three, we are destined to fail. This is because Satan wants us to fail, we live in a world designed to discourage us, and we desire comfort that satisfies our sinful nature. We need to overcome each of these.

Chip goes into the grammar of verse 2, but I’ll spare you. One important point in each of the verbs is important though: “conform” and “transform” are both passive. That means it’s not us doing it. The world conforms us with external pressure and only God can transform us by the power of His Holy Spirit. So much of my struggle against sin is relying on my own strength. I will always fail so long as I continue to rely on myself. Trying hard to ‘do right’ or be religious cannot overcome Satan’s schemes or the World system.

So we need to come to terms with who overcomes and how. It is not us. It is not our church. It is not some self-help book or any special preacher or brand of Christianity. It is Christ alone. And we need to ask ourselves why. To be more moral than someone else? To be more holy? Will that elevate us to some closer level to God? No! We need to remember that God is our Father and as His children He only wants the best for us. So we turn ourselves over to him so that we can “test and approve” His will.

More on how next time.

Think: did you learn anything new in this discussion?
Reflect: why is the Christian life so difficult? What specific schemes of Satan in this World appeal most to your sinful nature?
Understand: how do you currently battle the temptations of the World? What works for you? What doesn’t?
Surrender: share honestly with God where you struggle most. Ask God to reveal whomever or whatever s keeping you from the fullness of your relationship with Christ.
Take action: address whatever God reveals to you as an answer to this prayer. Ask for forgiveness and claim 1 John 1:9.
Motivation: listen to the audio message How To Get God’s Best for your life by clicking the R12 button on the right.
Encourage someone: invite someone struggling spiritually over to your home for dinner, to a Bible study, or just to coffee to catch up.

Today continues our “virtual small group” covering the book Living On The Edge. For how this group is going to work, read this entry. For an introduction with disclaimers, click here. For some numbers from Barna to motivate you to continue reading, go here. For the R12 videos, click the R12 button on the sidebar to the right. Finally, as we move forward through the book you can always catch up by clicking the R12 label at the end of each post.

R12: Why is the Christian life so difficult?

Frank

Reposted from last week to get back on a M-F schedule…

The title speaks for itself. I could leave it there and open up for discussion on Romans 12:2 and satisfy [last] week’s blog carnival on self-control all at once. But I won’t leave it there. We need to answer this question. We need to know how to overcome.

Chapter 7 in Living On The Edge lays the groundwork to answer this in future chapters, I’m sorry to tease. But the set up is just as valuable. We can’t answer this question because we don’t know why it’s an issue to begin with. This week’s blog carnival is on self-control. The question is bound to be asked, “why, as Christians, do we still struggle with sin?” Chip Ingram poses that the reason is because we do not understand the struggle. As I mentioned last time, I learned from the book Wild At Heart that our struggle against sin has three enemies- Satan, the World, and our sinful nature. Chip comes to the same conclusion but words it differently- the who, where, and what of sin. If our religious tradition focuses only on one, or even two, of these but not all three, we are destined to fail. This is because Satan wants us to fail, we live in a world designed to discourage us, and we desire comfort that satisfies our sinful nature. We need to overcome each of these.

Chip goes into the grammar of verse 2, but I’ll spare you. One important point in each of the verbs is important though: “conform” and “transform” are both passive. That means it’s not us doing it. The world conforms us with external pressure and only God can transform us by the power of His Holy Spirit. So much of my struggle against sin is relying on my own strength. I will always fail so long as I continue to rely on myself. Trying hard to ‘do right’ or be religious cannot overcome Satan’s schemes or the World system.

So we need to come to terms with who overcomes and how. It is not us. It is not our church. It is not some self-help book or any special preacher or brand of Christianity. It is Christ alone. And we need to ask ourselves why. To be more moral than someone else? To be more holy? Will that elevate us to some closer level to God? No! We need to remember that God is our Father and as His children He only wants the best for us. So we turn ourselves over to him so that we can “test and approve” His will.

More on how next time.

Think: did you learn anything new in this discussion?
Reflect: why is the Christian life so difficult? What specific schemes of Satan in this World appeal most to your sinful nature?
Understand: how do you currently battle the temptations of the World? What works for you? What doesn’t?
Surrender: share honestly with God where you struggle most. Ask God to reveal whomever or whatever s keeping you from the fullness of your relationship with Christ.
Take action: address whatever God reveals to you as an answer to this prayer. Ask for forgiveness and claim 1 John 1:9.
Motivation: listen to the audio message How To Get God’s Best for your life by clicking the R12 button on the right.
Encourage someone: invite someone struggling spiritually over to your home for dinner, to a Bible study, or just to coffee to catch up.

Today continues our “virtual small group” covering the book Living On The Edge. For how this group is going to work, read this entry. For an introduction with disclaimers, click here. For some numbers from Barna to motivate you to continue reading, go here. For the R12 videos, click the R12 button on the sidebar to the right. Finally, as we move forward through the book you can always catch up by clicking the R12 label at the end of each post.

Evident to All

Frank

“…clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12)

“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.” (1 Timothy 6:11)

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” (1 Peter 3:15-16)

This week’s blog carnival topic is gentleness. A topic that sounds easy enough and was certainly easy to do a simple word-search in Bible Gateway to get the above passages. But let the above sink in for a moment. Can these scriptures describe your attitude, your character? Does it describe your brothers and sisters in Christ around you? Sadly, I think this is a fruit of the Spirit we do not see often enough.

But we should. “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” (Philippians 4:5) Our gentleness should be seen. And not just at church on Sundays, but every day, in every circumstance. “All” includes the impatient reckless driver on the freeway, the restaurant server who is rude or indifferent, the others stuck in a long line at the grocery store who all have someplace better to be. “All” also includes the non-believers acting in ways contrary to our convictions, believers who do not subscribe to the exact same doctrine, those whose politics do not align with our own, and those who just sometimes make boneheaded decisions. “All” includes our spouses, our children, our mothers-in-law. “All” means all.

We should restore gently (Galatians 6:1), instruct gently (2 Timothy 2:25), and deal gently (Hebrews 5:2) with others. All these passages are about dealing with others’ sin. Because “we have all sinned” we should be that much more patient and gentle with others.

The book Living On the Edge breaks Romans 12 into five relationships: God, the world, ourselves, other believers, and the evil around us. It is this last relationship where gentleness can be most evident:

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[a] Do not be conceited.

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary:
‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:14-21)

I will be going through this book over the next several weeks (and hopefully finding a way to tie in with the blog carnival at the same time!). I hope you come back as we break down Romans 12 so that we can grow in these relationships and prayerfully, ultimately, be gentle to all.

Evident to All

Frank

“…clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12)

“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.” (1 Timothy 6:11)

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” (1 Peter 3:15-16)

This week’s blog carnival topic is gentleness. A topic that sounds easy enough and was certainly easy to do a simple word-search in Bible Gateway to get the above passages. But let the above sink in for a moment. Can these scriptures describe your attitude, your character? Does it describe your brothers and sisters in Christ around you? Sadly, I think this is a fruit of the Spirit we do not see often enough.

But we should. “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” (Philippians 4:5) Our gentleness should be seen. And not just at church on Sundays, but every day, in every circumstance. “All” includes the impatient reckless driver on the freeway, the restaurant server who is rude or indifferent, the others stuck in a long line at the grocery store who all have someplace better to be. “All” also includes the non-believers acting in ways contrary to our convictions, believers who do not subscribe to the exact same doctrine, those whose politics do not align with our own, and those who just sometimes make boneheaded decisions. “All” includes our spouses, our children, our mothers-in-law. “All” means all.

We should restore gently (Galatians 6:1), instruct gently (2 Timothy 2:25), and deal gently (Hebrews 5:2) with others. All these passages are about dealing with others’ sin. Because “we have all sinned” we should be that much more patient and gentle with others.

The book Living On the Edge breaks Romans 12 into five relationships: God, the world, ourselves, other believers, and the evil around us. It is this last relationship where gentleness can be most evident:

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[a] Do not be conceited.

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary:
‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:14-21)

I will be going through this book over the next several weeks (and hopefully finding a way to tie in with the blog carnival at the same time!). I hope you come back as we break down Romans 12 so that we can grow in these relationships and prayerfully, ultimately, be gentle to all.

Lust or Love?

Frank

Is it lust, is it love?
Whatever it is, I can’t get enough
Is it lust, is it love?
When I look around tell me who can I trust
Is it love?
-Scorpions, Lust or Love

A while back, I speculated on the high divorce rate in this country especially amongst christians (intentional little-c). The primary reason, I figure, is the notion of “irreconcilable differences.” In other words, you’re in an argument and you just refuse to give in. I think sadly, one of the reasons divorce is so prevalent is that our society has confused lust and love. I don’t necessarily mean the desire to marry out of carnal passion, but more the contrast of lust and love and their root in our hearts.

Consider lust: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15-17, NIV) Here, lust is counted as “lov[ing] the world” and is in opposition to loving God. In the NASB translation, verse 16 reads, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” So both the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh are contrary to the love of the Father. This scripture has always challenged me, because it is a harsh priority-check. Do I love God more than myself? And that’s what lust is- loving ourselves, aka selfishness.

It is obvious then that lust stands opposed to love, because love is sacrificial. And this is where society goes off on the wrong track. Often in marriages (and most other relationships) we have the attitude of “what’s in it for me?” In an argument? You want to win. Stressful day? You want to relax and be served. House a mess? You want someone else to clean. That’s what makes lust, both of the eyes and flesh, so dangerous. We become the center of our relationships. Wife not as attractive as she was when you got married? That’s ok, go look at pornography. Husband doesn’t listen? That’s ok, have an emotional affair with a coworker. Not satisfied sexually? That’s ok, have a physical affair. And it doesn’t take long before more than half of all marriages come to a sad, selfish, lustful end.

But it was never intended to be that way. Again, love is sacrificial. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). Applied to marriages, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” (Ephesians 5:25, emphasis added) In an argument? Be the first to say I’m sorry. Stressful day? Do something for your spouse to brighten his/her day- you’d be surprised what you get in return. House a mess? Do something about it. Wife not as attractive as she was when you got married? “Rejoice in the wife of your youth” (Proverbs 5:18). Husband not listening? There’s probably something on his mind. Listen to him. Not satisfied sexually? Give like you’ve never given before and reap the benefits.

We cannot love if we are full of lust because “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and if we are lusting after the world, “the love of the Father is not in [us]”. Remember to love God first and foremost, to love ourselves last, and do not let lust rule in your heart.

Lust or Love?

Frank

Is it lust, is it love?
Whatever it is, I can’t get enough
Is it lust, is it love?
When I look around tell me who can I trust
Is it love?
-Scorpions, Lust or Love

A while back, I speculated on the high divorce rate in this country especially amongst christians (intentional little-c). The primary reason, I figure, is the notion of “irreconcilable differences.” In other words, you’re in an argument and you just refuse to give in. I think sadly, one of the reasons divorce is so prevalent is that our society has confused lust and love. I don’t necessarily mean the desire to marry out of carnal passion, but more the contrast of lust and love and their root in our hearts.

Consider lust: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15-17, NIV) Here, lust is counted as “lov[ing] the world” and is in opposition to loving God. In the NASB translation, verse 16 reads, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” So both the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh are contrary to the love of the Father. This scripture has always challenged me, because it is a harsh priority-check. Do I love God more than myself? And that’s what lust is- loving ourselves, aka selfishness.

It is obvious then that lust stands opposed to love, because love is sacrificial. And this is where society goes off on the wrong track. Often in marriages (and most other relationships) we have the attitude of “what’s in it for me?” In an argument? You want to win. Stressful day? You want to relax and be served. House a mess? You want someone else to clean. That’s what makes lust, both of the eyes and flesh, so dangerous. We become the center of our relationships. Wife not as attractive as she was when you got married? That’s ok, go look at pornography. Husband doesn’t listen? That’s ok, have an emotional affair with a coworker. Not satisfied sexually? That’s ok, have a physical affair. And it doesn’t take long before more than half of all marriages come to a sad, selfish, lustful end.

But it was never intended to be that way. Again, love is sacrificial. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). Applied to marriages, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” (Ephesians 5:25, emphasis added) In an argument? Be the first to say I’m sorry. Stressful day? Do something for your spouse to brighten his/her day- you’d be surprised what you get in return. House a mess? Do something about it. Wife not as attractive as she was when you got married? “Rejoice in the wife of your youth” (Proverbs 5:18). Husband not listening? There’s probably something on his mind. Listen to him. Not satisfied sexually? Give like you’ve never given before and reap the benefits.

We cannot love if we are full of lust because “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and if we are lusting after the world, “the love of the Father is not in [us]”. Remember to love God first and foremost, to love ourselves last, and do not let lust rule in your heart.