Christianity

Shouting in Silence

In Matthew’s gospel account, we read of the events that took place as Jesus was arrested and sent before Caiaphas, the high priest:

Mat 26:59-63  Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,  (60)  but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward  (61)  and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”  (62)  And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?”  (63)  But Jesus kept silent. (emphasis mine).

We’re told a few verses before how Peter was following at a distance to see what was going to happen. No doubt, he was concerned about the situation and what they were doing to Jesus. What do you imagine was going through his mind as he watches Jesus be questioned and ridiculed? I imagine him silently imploring Jesus to answer their questions, to tell them who He was and why He taught the things that He taught. “Tell them Lord, oh please, tell them!” But Jesus kept silent.

Consider what had happened before, when Jesus was brought first before Annas the high priest:

Joh 18:19-22  The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.  (20)  Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing.  (21)  Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.”

Jesus makes the point that it is no secret at all who He is and why He’s here. Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you! But look what happens….

 (22)  And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”

Their hearts were darkened. They were dead set against Jesus and His teaching. It would make no difference if He had elaborately explained everything to them…again!

Perhaps the silence of Jesus takes on more meaning when we look to what Isaiah had prophesied regarding Him:

Isa 53:7  He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

Have you ever considered why Jesus endured what He did, in silence? Do you ever stop and think about why Jesus had to face this abuse and the torment of the cross?

Heb 9:27-28  And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,  (28)  so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

For you. He did it for you.

God’s love for us, His creation, was shouting through the silence of Jesus.

Ask God First

I’d like for you to consider with me human reasoning and why it is not capable of guiding us in this life on its own.  

How do most people make decisions in life?  Well, typically we draw off of experiences we’ve had in the past, or we draw from the experience of others in similar situations.  We use what we’ve been able to gather with our five senses in order to draw a conclusion.  We hear the admonition from others to “follow our hearts” or “follow your gut”, and it will all work out.  I would submit to you today that it would be foolish to follow that advice.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote in Jeremiah 10:23, “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.”  Also it is written twice in the book of Proverbs, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” (14:12, 16:25)  Hearing these verses, is it becoming clear why it is not wise to rely on human reasoning to direct our lives?  

Consider this….we’ve all set out to make plans for the future, whether they be business plans or plans for our personal finances, or plans for how we will handle life circumstances.  The Bible records for us two individuals who ended up being punished for making plans!  

Luke 12:20ff, “Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’  So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’  But God said to him, ‘Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

Here this man has worked hard and earned in abundance and is making plans to retire and take his ease.  It seemed reasonable to him, but what was the problem?

James 4:13ff, “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”  But now you boast in your arrogance.  All such boasting is evil.”

Do you see the problem?  The problem was that they left God out of their plans.  They did not consider His will or His truth.  We live in a society that is pushing God away.  We’ve pushed Him out of our schools, out of the workplace, and out of our government.  We want to rely on human wisdom, fleshly wisdom to guide our paths.

Romans 8:6 says, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”  Friends, we need to consider God’s will for our lives.  We need to include Him in our plans and in our decision making.  We need to think spiritually and not carnally.  We need to allow God’s word to direct our lives and not allow emotionalism to rule the day.  

I pray that you’ve read this message today and it has caused you to reflect on your life and how you’re living it.  I hope you’ve considered the path that God would have you to take in your life.  God’s desire is for all of man “to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:4)  I encourage you to read the Bible daily to find God’s truth and to seek out a local church of Christ in your area where you will find like-minded individuals who are doing the same.

Jesus is #1
Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

For any endeavor to succeed, we must set our priorities accordingly. When starting a new business, you must prioritize how you spend your time and your money in order to achieve success. In preparing for the big game, you must prioritize your time and training if you want to have the best chance at winning.

Setting your priorities is not only important for success in your physical life, but also for your spiritual life. Where would God have us place our priorities? Did Jesus teach us what our priorities should be?

Jesus taught in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (emphasis mine) We are to seek out God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness first. It should be our top priority in life. Do we have an example of what that looks like? Look at Hebrews 11:9, “By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;”. The Hebrew writer is speaking about Abraham, who was instructed by God to gather his things and his family and leave his home to go to a place he was unaware of. He obeyed God without question and did as he was instructed. He was putting God first.

Have you ever considered this: Jesus refuses to occupy any other position in one’s life other than 1st place. And why would we put Jesus first?

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'”

Acts 4:12 “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Jesus is the only way to salvation. It cannot be had through any other person. He paid the heavy price for our sins so that we could have the hope of having Heaven as our eternal home. We must be in Christ and abiding in His doctrine if we want to have salvation. Therefore, Christ must be our priority.

How can we know if Jesus is our priority?

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (emphasis mine)

Do our actions reflect that we are following the word of God? Do others see the love of God in us? Are we striving to imitate Christ in all that we say and do? If not, we had better take a look at our priorities! God’s word is what will judge us in the end (John 12:48). We need to make it a priority to prepare for that judgment!

What condition is your soul in today? Are you lost? Or, are you saved? It is a matter of your priorities.

I’m Not _________ Enough

Often times when we reflect back on prominent individuals in the Bible we stand in awe of what they were able to accomplish. We compare ourselves to them and that often ends with us wishing we were as smart, or as brave, or as wise as they were. It is sometimes easy to gloss over the fact that they faced the same self doubts that we do which they had to overcome. Let’s consider, for instance, Moses.

In Exodus chapter 3 we have the account of Moses and the burning bush. God had heard the cry of the Israelite people who were suffering in bondage in Egypt. God had compassion for them and remembered his promise to Abraham and so was moved to deliver the people out of their bondage. He chose Moses to lead this effort and appears to Moses in the form of a burning bush to inform him of what he must do. If God were to appear to you today and give you direct instructions on how to accomplish a seemingly insurmountable task, would you trust Him and obey without question?

Moses hesitated. In verse 11 we find Moses struggling with the concept proposed to him by God. “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Moses seems shaken by what God has asked him to do. God responds, promising that He would be with him. But Moses continues to question God and would seem to doubt his own abilities. What do I say to the people of Israel? What if they don’t believe me?

God gave Moses miraculous signs to prove himself to Pharaoh and the Israelite people, but still Moses questioned. In chapter 4 verse 10, Moses states, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” This same logic and reasoning hinders a lot of Christians today from carrying out the work of the Lord. How many use the excuse, “I am not smart enough”, or “I am not good enough” to teach the Gospel of Christ to others?

Further on in the account, we read that God becomes angry at Moses. But it was God’s will that Moses be the individual to accomplish His work, so He worked with Moses and provided him the means by which he would eventually accomplish his task.

We are human. It is understandable that we would doubt ourselves and our abilities to do difficult things. Being a Christian is a difficult thing. The work of the church, God’s kingdom, is important work indeed. It will often be uncomfortable, forcing us to step out of our comfort zones to do His will. But just as God provided for Moses, He will provide for us as well. We CAN understand the Bible. We CAN know the truth. We CAN teach it to others.

John 8:32 NKJV
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

What is hindering you from serving the Lord?

The Bucket Religion

Man has devised for himself all manner of beliefs for as long as he has been in existence on this earth.  Among these beliefs is what has been termed the “bucket” religion.  Essentially, this is the belief that as long as your good outweighs your evil, you will gain entrance into heaven.  So, say you have two buckets, one carrying all of your good deeds and the other carrying all of your bad deeds.  The goal is to have your “good” bucket full and your “evil” bucket not as full as your “good” bucket.  As long as you’re a good person, as evidenced by your full “good” bucket, you will be admitted into the kingdom of heaven.  It sounds good in theory, right?  After all, God is good and wants all of his children to have heaven as their home, right?  Surely, if I’m a good person God will not send me to be punished for eternity.  There are problems with this belief and one could take a lot of time to address each one.  For the sake of this post, we will focus on perhaps the greatest illustration that we find in Scripture that argues the case against this belief.

In the book of Acts, we read of a man named Cornelius.  He is described as “a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.” (Acts 10:2)  Later in the chapter, he is further described as “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation” (Acts 10:22).  We can therefore gather from this text that Cornelius was indeed a “good” person in every sense of the word.  So was Cornelius destined to enter the kingdom of heaven on account of him being good?  The answer is no!  If you read the whole of chapter 10, Cornelius was instructed by an angel to send for the apostle Peter.  Peter, at the same time, was given a vision by God describing to him that salvation was not only meant for the Jews, but also the Gentiles, of which Cornelius was one.  Peter came to Cornelius’ house, where many had gathered, and he preached the gospel to them.  They heard the gospel, believed the gospel, and were baptized into Christ.  This wouldn’t have been necessary if the bucket religion were true.

The Bible instructs us to hear the Word, believe the Word, repent of our sins, confess Christ before men, and have our sins washed away in the waters of baptism.  This puts one into Christ, who is the only way to the Father (John 14:6).  We must be in Christ to inherit that upper kingdom promised to those who love Him.  It’s great if you’re a good person, I commend you.  But don’t stop there!!  We must be obedient as well.

I’ll Take The Spirit

You’re a newly converted Christian who is going through the process of making changes in your life in order to live according to the doctrine of Christ.  You go out to eat with some old friends and the waitress goes around the table taking orders for drinks.  “I’ll have a Bud Light”, “I’ll have a glass of Chardonnay”, “I’d like a glass of Merlot”.  She gets to you and you have to make a choice.  Everyone else at the table is indulging in an alcoholic beverage.  You remember from a recent Bible study class that in Ephesians 5:18, Paul instructed the church at Ephesus, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” Would ordering an alcoholic beverage be displeasing to God? Would it make the situation with my friends awkward and uncomfortable if I order something else when they’ve known me to drink with them in the past?

This is a very common struggle that Christians face today.  What is the Christian to do in this scenario?  The more people you ask that question, the wider the variety of answers you will get on the topic.  Even in some Bible commentaries, they say things such as, “Well, the Bible doesn’t condemn the use of wine, just the abuse of it.”  Is that true?  One thing we must remember is that as Christians, we are to look at the scriptures on the whole.  Earlier in the Ephesian letter, chapter 4 verse 27 states, “nor give place to the devil”.  The Christian should not provide an invitation for Satan to enter in and work.  So, if we decide to drink wine, even without the intent of becoming intoxicated, are we not inviting Satan in to work his deceit? There are various other scriptures that tell us to be sober and always aware.

Albert Barnes makes a very good point in his commentary: “All intoxication is prohibited in the Scriptures-no matter by what means it is produced.  There is, in fact, but one thing that produces intoxication.  It is “alcohol”- the poisonous substance produced by fermentation.  This substance is neither created nor changed, increased nor diminished, by distillation.  It exists in the cider, the beer, and the wine, after they are fermented, and the whole process of distillation consists in driving it off by heat, and collecting it in a concentrated form, and so that it may be preserved.  But distilling does not “make” it, nor change it.  Alcohol is precisely the same thing in the wine that it is in the brandy after it is distilled; in the cider or the beer that it is in the whisky or the rum; and why is it right to become intoxicated on it in one form rather than in another?  Since therefore there is danger of intoxication in the use of wine, as well as in the use of ardent spirits, why should we not abstain from one as well as the other?  How can a man prove that it is right for him to drink alcohol in the form of wine, and that it is wrong for me to drink it in the form of brandy or rum?”  It’s true, alcohol is alcohol no matter what form it is in, and it is best for the Christian to abstain from using it in any way.

And it’s not even just the use of it.  Christians are encouraged to walk worthy of our calling, so everything that we say or do reflects Christ.  If our neighbors see us in the liquor aisle at the grocery store, are they going to see Christ in us?  Sometimes we forget that people judge our character based on the places we go and the things we do.

The apostle Paul says that in being intoxicated there is dissipation.  In other translations, the ASV uses the word riot, the ESV uses debauchery, the KJV uses excess.  So what is the general idea that he’s getting at?  He’s stating the fact that all of this riotous, debauchery, abandonment of civility that gives way to sensuality and lust, all of this follows the use of alcohol.  It’s something that we’ve all witnessed.  I enjoy baseball, and if you attend a minor league or major league game, there’s a really good chance you will witness someone who has had a bit too much to drink during the game and making a fool of themselves.  Intoxication causes one to lose their inhibitions, and all of this wild and reckless behavior soon follows.  Paul likely had in mind the pagan worship of Bacchus while he was writing this to the Ephesians.  Bacchus was the “god of wine”, and during those orgies and festivals, men and women regarded it as an acceptable act of worship to become intoxicated, and with wild songs and cries to run through the streets, and fields, and vineyards.  You can imagine the chaos that ensued!

In stark contrast to such debauchery, Paul encourages those at Ephesus and us today, to be filled with the Spirit.  What does that mean?  It simply means submitting yourself to the will of God.  It’s putting away sinful pleasures of this world and continually renewing your mind, putting the word of God, given through the Holy Spirit, to work in your life.  Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and should not be tarnished by intoxicating drink. No one ever became a better Christian by filling themselves with wine.  Submission to the Spirit should instead be the Christian’s desire!

 

Running The Race

The idea of life in general being a race isn’t a new one.  It’s a race that we begin at birth when we enter this world, and we work hard towards the goals that we set before ourselves.  We’ve all heard of the term “rat race”, and certainly life does sometimes feel like a rat race, where we are just working and working, going through the motions to achieve success.  The apostle Paul used the analogy of a race while speaking to the church at Corinth.  Found in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, Paul writes, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”  

There is one point I want to make that goes along with the analogy of the Christian race.  There are many TV evangelists that mislead their followers by preaching what can be referred to as “health and wealth” type of sermons.  They urge their followers to just ask Jesus into their hearts (sinner’s prayer) and make a pledge (almost always a monetary gift) to their organization and God will bless them with health and wealth.  It would seem that being a Christian is just that easy.  Send in money and you will be saved.  But is that true?

Let’s think about Paul’s race analogy.  If living a Christian life is a race, that would imply that one would have to put forth effort in order to win that race and have the reward of Heaven as their eternal home.  Have you ever known a competitor who is running a race to remain on the starting line at the sound of the gun and win that race?  It just can’t happen.  Those competing must put forth an effort, work hard to compete in that race in order to obtain the prize.  Living a Christian life is no different.  The Bible lays out the work that a Christian must do to obtain the reward of Heaven.  One can’t simply believe and be saved, as that is equivalent to standing on the starting line while the race goes on.  Belief in Christ, repenting of sins, confessing Christ before men, and being immersed in the waters of baptism is only the beginning of the Christian’s “race” toward Heaven.  Do not be deceived by those who would have you believe otherwise.

What Christianity Is Not

What comes to your mind when someone tells you that they are a Christian?  How deep is your thinking when that claim is made?  Do you recognize that that person is living their life as Christ would, or is it more shallow than that?  Perhaps you just make a mental note to watch what you say around that person, or watch how you act.  Maybe you don’t invite them to gatherings because they might be “boring” or make the situation awkward.  The label of “Christian” seems to have a wide variety of meanings in our society today.  I know of people in my own life who call themselves Christian, but you wouldn’t know it if you observe how they are living their lives and the things that they indulge in.  False teachings abound on the matter of what it is to be a Christian, so to help correct those teachings, we will focus on what Christianity is NOT.

First, Christianity is NOT a denomination.  In other words, Christ is not divided.  There are many denominations in our world today, each claiming to be the one true church.  The Bible is clear on this.  Beginning with the truth stated in Ephesians 4 beginning in verse 4: “There is ONE body(church) and ONE Spirit, just as you were called in ONE hope of your calling; 5 ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism; 6 ONE God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Emphasis on each “ONE” mine) If there be only one of each of these things listed, how is it then that we have so many different sects of Christianity?  The answer is because of false teaching.  Jesus himself stated in Mark 3:24, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.”  Scripture teaches that the church is the body of Christ, and Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “…..on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”  Paul asked the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 1:13, “Is Christ divided?…”  They were labeling themselves according to who taught them, or who baptized them instead of recognizing that they were a part of the ONE church of whom Christ is the head.  Christians are to be united in Christ, not separated according to false doctrines promoted by man.

Christianity is NOT the “sinner’s prayer”.  Have you ever looked in scripture to find where the sinner’s prayer is recorded?  I’ll save you the time and let you know that this prayer is not recorded in scripture.  The sinner’s prayer is a false doctrine that has led many people astray from the truth.  If your place of worship promotes the sinner’s prayer as a means of salvation, I warn you that your soul is in grave danger.  Looking through scripture at each instance of conversion recorded, you will not find any reference to the sinner’s prayer being recited.  Instead, the convert is admonished to believe on the Lord, repent and be immersed for the forgiveness of their sins, and walk in newness of life in service to the Lord.  Simply reciting the sinner’s prayer will not save you from condemnation.  On the day of judgement, many will call out to the Lord and expect to be saved, but will be rejected instead.  Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’  Saying the sinner’s prayer is not sufficient for salvation.

Christianity is NOT warming a pew.  There are those who call themselves Christians, but are not found attending worship services when they are held.  Some only go on special occasions, such as Easter or Mother’s Day.  What’s the problem with that?  Well, we can’t claim ourselves to be in the ONE body of Christ and never be found among the brethren.  How do we foster relationships with our fellow Christians if we are never there?  Furthermore, how do we live according to Christ if we don’t ever hear the teachings of His word at worship services?  Should we not do as the early Christians did?  Acts 2:42, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”  Acts 20:7, “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.”  Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”  

There’s a lot more to be said on this topic, and maybe we will revisit it and add to it in future posts.  For now, I hope that you will reflect on these things and study the scriptures to make sure that if you are identifying yourself as a Christian, that you truly understand what it means to be a Christian and are making every effort to live up to that title.  God bless.