Deciding What Is Right

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." - Proverbs 14:12

"In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." - Judges 21:25

"Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen." - Romans 1:24-25

I started this post with 3 verses and not one this time. I have been thinking about the world and what people and their governments have declared to be right and wrong. Their standard for declaring what is right and wrong is based upon traditions and the consensus of opinion. If enough people agree that something is right, then it is declared to be right. Declaring that something is wrong is determined the same way. 

Are you familiar with Venn diagrams? Simply put, it is two circles that overlap one another. The place where the circles share the same space or overlap represents a place of agreement or oneness. Think of God's definition of right and wrong as one circle and mankind's definition of right and wrong as another circle. Where the circles overlap is where mankind and God are in agreement. (That space seems to be shrinking by the day.)

As Christians we are to embrace God's circle as truth. Where there is mutual agreement, the world has no problem with us. However, if and when we reject the rest of mankind's circle because it is contrary to God's truth, that is when there are problems. Do you remember when Jesus was tested about paying taxes to Caesar?

"Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.” So, they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." - Matthew 22:17-21

In that case, Roman taxes were inside the common area.  Jesus was not saying that whatever Caesar said to do was OK. He was saying that if God has not spoken against it. If it is not contrary to the revealed will of God and his nature, then it is permissible. Remember, God has dominion over His creation, and we must resist when we are tempted to venture outside of the common area and into the circle of mankind's truth.

You don't have to look too far to see examples of the conflicts I am referring to. They confront you every day. 

"Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." - Ephesians 6:14-18

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Living With A Dual Citizenship

"Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" - Philippians 3:17-20

I have been hearing the term "Christian Nationalist" a good bit of late. It a secular term with a political, ideological nuance. It is not consistent with our faith. As a point of clarification, "Christian nationalism is the belief that the American nation is defined by Christianity, and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way. Popularly, Christian nationalists assert that America is and must remain a “Christian nation”—not merely as an observation about American history, but as a prescriptive program for what America must continue to be in the future." - Christianity Today 

I won't get into the political banter. The purpose of my writings is to encourage you in the faith. To encourage you to become more sensitive to the struggles we face living with a dual citizenship and the tension that will always exist between the two. Each vying for our devotion. As citizens of whatever country, we hail from, we do have a civic responsibility. But because I am a Christian, I must embrace Biblical truth, or should, over any political party's platform or cultural norm when it is clearly contrary to God's revealed truth. When there is contention between what God has made plain and what the culture I live in declares as right and true, I must choose God.

This is a quote from Dr. Tony Evans on this matter. [It was specifically about race, but it applies to any aspect of our lives. 

"Your Christianity must always be in the adjectival position, your color and culture [and politics] must always be in the noun position, so that if anything must be adjusted, it is the noun of your humanity and not the adjective of your faith. You and I are to define our humanity in terms of our faith, not our faith in terms of our humanity. Jesus stayed who He was, but He operated from heaven’s point of view. God is not asking you to give up who you are to [appease] somebody else [gaining their acceptance]. Don’t be so committed to your own race [or political party] that you operate outside of the Christian faith while [saying that you are] staying true to what God has made you." - Dr. Tony Evans, Focus on The Family Interview.

The tenants of this country are that all men [read all people] are created equal and they are born with certain inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Freedom of religion is at the core of the principles that are the bedrock of the United States. Think about how that fits with the exclusivity of Christian nationalism - it doesn't it. You can draw your own conclusions. 

The troubles that we see today are spiritual problems that need a spiritual solution. Our struggle is not because of political platforms or cultural conclusions about right and wrong. They are rooted in mankind's sin nature.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." - Ephesians 6:12-13

We first pledge allegiance to God and then to the flag and our country. As born-again sons and daughters of the Creator God through faith in His Son, Jesus, we render unto to Caesar what is Ceasar's and to God what is God's.  

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

The Cost Of Being Jesus' Disciple

…that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us… —John 17:21

“If you are going through a time of isolation, seemingly all alone, read John 17. It will explain exactly why you are where you are— because Jesus has prayed that you “may be one” with the Father as He is. Are you helping God to answer that prayer, or do you have some other goal for your life? Since you became a disciple, you cannot be as independent as you used to be. God reveals in John 17 that His purpose is not just to answer our prayers, but that through prayer we might come to discern His mind. God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn’t ask, “Do you want to go through this loss of a loved one, this difficulty, or this defeat?” No, He allows these things for His own purpose. The things we are going through are either making us sweeter, better, and nobler men and women, or they are making us more critical and fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way. The things that happen either make us evil, or they make us more saintly, depending entirely on our relationship with God and its level of intimacy. If we will pray, regarding our own lives, “Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42), then we will be encouraged and comforted by John 17, knowing that our Father is working according to His own wisdom, accomplishing what is best.” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

Do you think of yourself as a disciple of Jesus or are you “merely” a Christian.  In my mind, there is a difference. If you read the Gospels, you see that there was a large crowd that follow Jesus, initially.  But as He got nearer to the cross ..  fewer followed.  The life that Jesus represented was appealing to the crowds so long as there was something in it for them.  Food .. healing … being known as a Jesus follower.  But when the cross was on the horizon, even those closest to Jesus were tested in their commitment to following Him .. to being identified with Him.  I don’t presume to understand everything .. many things are a mystery to me.  For example … at what point did the disciples find salvation in Jesus?  Was it by faith before the cross?  Or was it after the cross?  The Bible doesn’t tell us.  I am thinking the former … I do know that Jesus told them to wait for the Holy Spirit .. which means that with Jesus ascended, they needed supernatural power to live and do.  Before they had it in Jesus.  After the cross, they needed it from the Spirit.  And so, by the way, do we.  

So back to the question.  Are you a disciple or “just” a Christian.  We must all answer it.  In fact, we all have.  Our level of dedication to Jesus is displayed every day by the way we live and love.  Like the parable of the talents .. have you buried the reality of your faith in the ground intending to dig it up when Jesus returns, or you join Him in heaven?  Or are you multiplying your faith by loving God more than you love the world … showing Jesus to the people you meet?  It is important that we reflect on our life in Christ.  The cares of this world are like barnacles on the hull of a ship.  If you don’t deal with them early and often, they will multiple and soon obscure who you are in Christ.  Your God-purposed life will be made impotent.  You will be lulled into a sense of satisfaction that you are living the Christian-life as it was intended.  That is until you come face to face with Jesus.

I have wondered, often, about why I write the things I do in this BLOG.  I sense that I am like a lighthouse warning the sailors that there are dangers to avoid.  I certainly am not judging anyone … but I am, instead, encouraging you to be on your guard .. to consider who you are in Christ and where you are in your faith walk.  To be alert to the dangers of embracing this world and your culture.  

“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” - Proverbs 14:12

My role is to raise an awareness, and frankly, what you do about it is between you and the Holy Spirit.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Forgiveness Made Simple - Why, How, And When

By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. —Hebrews 10:14

"We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. “…Christ Jesus…became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…” (1 Corinthians 1:30). No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

WHY do we forgive?  Because we are forgiven.  HOW can we forgive? It’s a supernatural act, not an act of our natural will to be benevolent.  It is by the power that God put within us.  WHEN do we forgive?  … as often as the repentant soul seeks forgiveness.  Peter asked Jesus about “repeat offenders” …

"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." -  Matthew 18:21-22

Jesus followed that with the parable of the unmerciful or unforgiving servant.  A man who had been forgiven but was unwilling to forgive others in the same way … even in the smallest matter.  Jesus has paid the price for sin.  Once for all. Think about it.  Why would we think that the offense against us is somehow more significant that our offense against God?  How can your reject one who has been forgiven by God .. who do you think you are?  I’ll tell you.  It goes back to the Garden.  We want to be like God.  How dare someone sin against me.  In our humanness, we think that we have power in withholding forgiveness.  Actually … in not forgiving, we are sinning.  

“If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”  - James 4:17

There is a process that a sinner follows to find forgiveness … he sins .. he is convicted by the spirit … he repents …. he confesses … he finds forgiveness from the one who has been offended.  All sin is against God.  So, you must first go to God and then to the one you have offended.  Confession means … to agree with.  God knows all things, so it is not like the sinner is going to surprise Him with his confession. 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Your Testimony Is About Jesus .. Not About You

I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ… —Colossians 1:24

"A Christian has to be a sacred “go-between.” He must be so closely identified with his Lord and the reality of His redemption that Christ can continually bring His creating life through him. I am not referring to the strength of one individual’s personality being superimposed on another, but the real presence of Christ coming through every aspect of the worker’s life. If we simply preach the effects of redemption in the human life instead of the revealed, divine truth regarding Jesus Himself, the result is not new birth in those who listen. The result is a refined religious lifestyle, and the Spirit of God cannot witness to it because such preaching is in a realm other than His. When we say, “What a wonderful personality, what a fascinating person, and what wonderful insight!” then what opportunity does the gospel of God have through all of that? It cannot get through, because the attraction is to the messenger and not the message. If a person attracts through his personality, that becomes his appeal. If, however, he is identified with the Lord Himself, then the appeal becomes what Jesus Christ can do. The danger is to glory in men, yet Jesus says we are to lift up only Him (see John 12:32)." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

"I was talking with a painter and his son one day during a Hurricane Harvey home rebuild here in Texas.  The conversation drifted from what had to be done in the house, to more personal matters … Specifically, who we are, why we are what we are.  I felt strongly that God has these men helping for His purpose.  As I shared a little about my past and why I was in Texas, the young man smiled and said that what I was doing was a great thing.  And so back to Oswald Chambers point.  

If all I did was impress those men with my service and fail to communicate Whom it is that I serve and why, then I have failed in my mission.  Testimonies are good, but are hollow and vain without the Gospel at their center.  You can impress people with the “whats” in your life but fail in your mission if you do not tell people “why” you do what you do.  (Matthew 22:37-39) Love God and Love People. Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth, 

"And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." - 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

If people are not drawn to Jesus, but to you, then you have missed the point of your encounter with them.  Be careful that you don’t neglect the Gospel, your primary mission in your new life, in favor of people being impressed with who you are or what you do.  Every bit of your service is for the glory of God, not your personal glory.  Don’t be like the some of the Pharisees. 

"Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God." -  John 12:42-43

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Choosing Something Bad And Expecting Something Good

... I should [not] boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. —Galatians 6:14

“If I dwell on the Cross of Christ, I do not simply become inwardly devout and solely interested in my own holiness— I become strongly focused on Jesus Christ’s interests. Our Lord … did not physically cut Himself off from society, but He was inwardly disconnected all the time. He was not aloof, but He lived in another world. In fact, He was so much in the common everyday world that the religious people of His day accused Him of being a glutton and a drunkard. Yet our Lord never allowed anything to interfere with His consecration of spiritual power. The Spirit of God has set a great many people free from their sin, yet they are experiencing no fullness in their lives— no true sense of freedom. The kind of religious life we see around the world today is entirely different from the vigorous holiness of the life of Jesus Christ. “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). We are to be in the world but not of it— to be separated internally, not externally (see John 17:16). Consecration (being dedicated to God’s service) is our part; sanctification (being set apart from sin and being made holy) is God’s part. We must make a deliberate determination to be interested only in what God is interested." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest 

I have known a good number of Christians who have made tremendous errors in spiritual judgement.  Those errors have derailed their lives and brought grief and heartache … sometimes that lasts a lifetime.  And yet, they persist in making the same choices based upon their emotions … their desire to “fix" the problem themselves or perhaps content to satisfy the need that seems to dominate their lives.  Although they may sing “Jesus loves me this I know” … time and again they disprove their sincerity, by choosing their own path and solutions over the path that God has laid out for them (Proverbs 16:9) 

They quench the Spirit and listen to their flesh.  They ignore the Biblical counsel of their friends and family … and repeat the same mistakes that they have made in the past with, predictably, the same result.  When I see this happening, my heart breaks because I know the joy they have rejected for the trouble that they will inevitably embrace as they suffer the consequences of their choices.  Does that sound dismal? That’s because it is.  God has called us out of that life.  But our faith must be more than a philosophy … a “get out of hell free” card.  The great gift we have came with a price .. Jesus on the cross .. yet even that is a distant thought for many.  That truth is not enough to motivate many to choose God .. to follow the Spirit .. to sacrifice the flesh.

So why does that happen? For one reason, most of us do not separate ourselves from our old life.  It’s one thing to be in the world as a Christian.  It’s quite another to continue to participate with the world.  To embrace what we know to be sin in an effort to secure the world’s substitute for God’s acceptance, will and way.  The interesting thing is that although I might speak to the wayward Christian to encourage them to draw close to Jesus, only the Spirit of God can bring conviction to their hearts and only they can yield to that conviction and turn to God in repentance.  

So what to do.  Well.  Be an example.  Love them .. not their sin … like Jesus.  Pray for them.  And bear the hurt in your heart as you watch them struggle with the impossibility of the life they have chosen.  Jesus spoke to the problem … the Apostles wrote about the problem to the churches ..  so it is not a new problem in our generation.  It is the eternal struggle between the flesh and the Spirit natures.  The nature that you feed is the one that will dominate. 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

What Can Wash Away My Sins

"But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God." - Hebrews 9:11-14

I woke up this morning with this on my mind. On the Day of Atonement, the Jewish High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies. He would then offer a sacrifice for the people of the nation of Israel with the blood of the spotless lamb on the Mercy Seat on the top of the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark contained a jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant (the Ten Commandments). By pouring the blood of the lamb on the Mercy Seat the wrath of God for the sins of the nation would be satisfied. 

"Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." - Hebrews 2:17

Propitiation means to satisfy the wrath of God - think mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant. Christians around the world just celebrated Easter, the day that Jesus, the Lamb of God, was raised from the dead. His blood was poured out as an offering, once for all. He was established as the eternal High Priest making intercession eternally for those who place their faith in Him. Just as the Jewish High Priest offered the sacrifice for those of the Jewish faith, Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice for those who are born again by faith, people of all nations, once for all. 

"He [Jesus] has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself." - Hebrews 7:27

That is what we celebrated yesterday. And, just like Christmas, the world has an alternative to focus on. It celebrates Easter with eggs, candy and a bunny rabbit in honor of their god - self. Easter is the second best-selling candy holiday in America after Halloween. But what can wash my sins away? Easter is about the Cross.

"without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." - Hebrews 9:22

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." - 1 John 1:8

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone