"If you have died with Christ to the world’s way of doing things, why do you let others tell you how to live? It’s as though you were still under the world’s influence. People will tell you, “Don’t handle this! Don’t taste or touch that!” All of these things deal with objects that are only used up anyway. These things look like wisdom with their self-imposed worship, false humility, and harsh treatment of the body. But they have no value for holding back the constant desires of your corrupt nature." Colossians 2:20-23
A Black Widow, similar to the spider of the same name, is a term given to wives who murder their husbands. Most often these women will commit their crimes by poisoning the food of their victims. For example, one woman attempted to kill her husband "by placing [antifreeze] in multiple beverages to be consumed by her husband." Another lady tried carrying out her evil deed "by putting eye drops into [her husband's] water for several days." A third woman attempted to kill her husband when she "proceeded to poison her husband’s glass of milk." While it is obvious, but may go unnoticed, the means by which these women carried out their plan was through deception. They would mask the poison they were using by placing it inside an otherwise harmless food item. The antifreeze was mixed into "several beverages." The eye drops were put into water. And the last lady put the poison into her husband's milk. The men were unaware of the damage that was being done to them. Within the church, there is a form of deception not unlike what these men experienced that is slowly killing the faith of many Christians. I stumbled across an article titled, "Are Narcissists Ruining the Church?" The article defines a narcissist as having "excessive interest in oneself." The narcissist will "tend to also have a lack of empathy for others simply because their focus is on themselves." Narcissism is said to be a "mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for admiration." This so-called mental disorder will lead the narcissist to things like being so busy and consumed with one's own agenda that they will be left with questions like, "What if my husband had needed to speak to me in the morning and all that I had time for was a very quick goodbye? What if I cross paths with a polite stranger that needs my help in some way and I don’t even see them? How can I help anyone else if I’m so busy with my tasks and duties?" Thus, they come to the conclusion that, "Simply thinking too much about myself and my plans is enough to ruin the church." While this article may be true in that there could be narcissistic and self-centered people who are so consumed with themselves that they have forgotten to focus on the needs and wants of others, I don't believe it is narcissism in the church that leads to people having an "excessive interest in oneself." It is legalism, masked in grace, that is doing this.
In Colossians 2, the Apostle Paul takes time to list out a few behaviors that are evidence of someone who is influenced by legalism (my conclusion). The behavior that sticks out the most to me is "harsh treatment of the body." This harsh treatment of the body can take many forms. It could be the extreme version practiced by Martin Luther who, according to one source, "plunged into prayer, fasting, and ascetic practices—going without sleep, enduring bone-chilling cold without a blanket, and flagellating himself. As he later commented, "If anyone could have earned heaven by the life of a monk, it was I."" But, the most common form it takes is simply by people being so focused on their behavior that they rob themselves of the joy of their salvation. Nearly every Christian is taught and believes how much God loves them, how they are forgiven of their sins and how nothing will separate them from God. God, in essence, is that spouse who loves them unconditionally. Yet, this stated belief is masking the poison that is truly being taught to them and that they are believing; that the grace of God is contingent on their behavior, their works, their ability to live a certain way, etc. They believe that the goal of the Christian life is to stop sinning and involve themselves in so much Christian activity there is little time for much else in their lives. These people are not narcissists, but they do display many of the traits of a narcissist. They tend to lack empathy for others because of their focus on themselves. How can you understand and share the feelings of another when all you are consumed with is your own circumstances and how you feel about them? Do you have time for your spouse or the polite stranger when it is always about you? And even if you take time out for these people, is it done out of sincere love for these people or out of your duty to God or your church and what you can get for behaving that way? You cannot help anybody else because you are so busy with your religious tasks and duties. You become cold, judgemental, unloving, bitter and critical. Why? Because you will end up treating others the way you believe God is treating you. You may say you love God and God loves you, but deep down you don't believe it because you aren't living up to the expectations no matter how hard you try. You will discover, as the Apostle Paul said, nothing is "holding back the constant desires of your corrupt nature." The more you try the worse it gets. That is the end result of letting others tell you how to live. If this describes you, it is time to stop, rest and remember it is Jesus Christ who lived the life you could not so that raised from the dead, He could live His life in and through you. Get your eyes off of yourself and on to Jesus Christ. You are married to the Lord, not to a pastor, teacher, organization or body of believers. Quit taking the poison from someone who claims to love you, but is killing your spirit and rest in the One who truly loves you and whose Spirit lives in you. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20)." Amen!
Showing posts with label works.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label works.. Show all posts
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Anything, but Cut and Dry
The question was asked, "If the Bible is so cut and dry, why do no two Christians agree on doctrine?" To expand on their question, the individual followed up with the following: "Whether it's eternal security or some other basic truth of scripture how come no two Christians will agree with the Bible? I mean there are Christians out there that don't even believe that belief is good enough for salvation when the Bible clearly says "believe in Christ and you will be saved" in multiple spots. I mean its extremely difficult to get the truth out of scripture because everyone will interpret a particular verse differently. Why isn't there just one huge believe all belief that one can pick and say "Okay I believe that. Yay! I am saved now!"? Why all the divisions in the church and among Christians? What is the truth about scripture?" One of the best pieces of advice I was ever given is to not always accept the premise behind a question or questions. To do so automatically gives credibility to the question being asked. The individual asking all these questions started out by assuming that the Bible is "cut and dry." For something to be "cut and dry" is to say that it does not require much thought or discussion; that it lacks originality and is boring. Well, the Bible is far from any of these things. According to Guinness World Records, "A survey by the Bible Society concluded that around 2.5 billion copies (of the Bible) were printed between 1815 and 1975, but more recent estimates put the number at more than 5 billion." I doubt a boring book that does not require much thought or discussion would have 5 billion copies printed of it. Furthermore, where is it written that the guideline for determining a doctrine to be true is that two Christians have to agree on it? If something is true it doesn't matter if nobody or everybody agrees on it. There is a principle in math that states, and I paraphrase, "if your foundation is wrong, your findings will be off." Therefore, if you start off wrong, but make all the right moves afterward, you will still miss the mark you were aiming for. That is the case with all these questions being asked. It would be so easy to accept the premise of the question and then get lost in the weeds as you go down endless rabbit trails trying to answer all the subsequent and open-ended questions that are asked.
However, there is one major thing missed here. The individual asking the question doesn't seem to realize that the Bible is full of examples where Christians disagreed on or didn't understand doctrine. You have the apostle Paul who said, "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law (Romans 3:28)." But, in his letter, James wrote, "As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone (James 2:24)." Peter, referring to Paul, writes, "He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16)." You have Apollos, of which the scriptures write, "He spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him in and explained to him the way of God more accurately (Acts 18:25-26)." You have Paul and Peter disagreeing on justification and whether it is by faith or by works. Peter writes about how Paul wrote some things that were difficult to understand and were then distorted by others. Priscilla and Aquila had to explain the Gospel more accurately to Apollos because all he knew was the baptism of John. My point in all of this is that these Christians didn't necessarily agree on doctrine or, at the very least, didn't fully understand it. Therefore, when someone seems perplexed enough to ask why "no two Christians agree on doctrine," as if this premise is undermining scripture, the person needs to answer why scripture gives numerous examples of Christians not agreeing? Generally speaking, the reason why Christians may not agree goes back to what they believe about Jesus and salvation; the foundational premise. Everything a person believes about the faith and their walk starts there. Honestly, the only question that matters is the question Jesus asked His disciples; "Who do you say I am (Matthew 16:15)?” The one thing that all Christians have in common is faith in Jesus Christ. Modern Christians and the first Christians didn't agree on everything, but they did agree that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world and that faith in Him alone is the only way to get to Heaven. That is all that matters in the end. Yes, doctrine matters, but I trust that God, in Christ, will teach His children the truths of His word "until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:13)."
However, there is one major thing missed here. The individual asking the question doesn't seem to realize that the Bible is full of examples where Christians disagreed on or didn't understand doctrine. You have the apostle Paul who said, "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law (Romans 3:28)." But, in his letter, James wrote, "As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone (James 2:24)." Peter, referring to Paul, writes, "He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16)." You have Apollos, of which the scriptures write, "He spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him in and explained to him the way of God more accurately (Acts 18:25-26)." You have Paul and Peter disagreeing on justification and whether it is by faith or by works. Peter writes about how Paul wrote some things that were difficult to understand and were then distorted by others. Priscilla and Aquila had to explain the Gospel more accurately to Apollos because all he knew was the baptism of John. My point in all of this is that these Christians didn't necessarily agree on doctrine or, at the very least, didn't fully understand it. Therefore, when someone seems perplexed enough to ask why "no two Christians agree on doctrine," as if this premise is undermining scripture, the person needs to answer why scripture gives numerous examples of Christians not agreeing? Generally speaking, the reason why Christians may not agree goes back to what they believe about Jesus and salvation; the foundational premise. Everything a person believes about the faith and their walk starts there. Honestly, the only question that matters is the question Jesus asked His disciples; "Who do you say I am (Matthew 16:15)?” The one thing that all Christians have in common is faith in Jesus Christ. Modern Christians and the first Christians didn't agree on everything, but they did agree that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world and that faith in Him alone is the only way to get to Heaven. That is all that matters in the end. Yes, doctrine matters, but I trust that God, in Christ, will teach His children the truths of His word "until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:13)."
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Be Still
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10
In referencing Psalm 46, one author writes, "When we are still and surrendered to God, we find peace even when the earth gives way, the mountains fall (verse 2), or the nations go into an uproar and kingdoms fall (verse 6). When life gets overwhelming and busyness takes precedence, remember Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Run to Him, lay down your weapons and fall into His arms. Acknowledge that He is God and that He is exalted in the earth. Be still and know that He is God." Psalm 46 is written in what seems to be a time of war and unrest. The psalmist takes a moment to acknowledge God as his fortress. A fortress is defined as a heavily protected and impenetrable building, a military stronghold, especially a strongly fortified town fit for a large garrison or as a person or thing not susceptible to outside influence or disturbance. Each of these definitions describes aspects of God in one way or another; although to perfectly describe the Lord is nearly an impossible task. In the modern age, while wars still exist, most of us face numerous times of trouble which come in a variety of forms. Many times it seems like we don't even have any weapons of our own to fight with against those forces causing us trouble. In some cases, it can seem like we are like the Israelites of old. Just after Moses fought for and won the freedom of the Jews from Pharoah and slavery in Egypt, they found themselves stuck between Pharoah's advancing army and the Red Sea. After the people complained about Moses and God for bringing them out of Egypt so they could "die in the desert," Moses answered them and said, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still (Exodus 14:13-14).” In other words, Moses told the Jews, "Be quiet and watch God work!" How long did it take the Jews to forget all that God had done for them before they were grumbling and complaining to go back to Egypt and be slaves again? Not too long. Did they forget all the plagues God subjected the Egyptians to, but spared them from experiencing? Did they forget the Passover where God killed the firstborn child of the Egyptians but spared them? Yes, they had forgotten. Moses told them to "be still" and watch as God delivered them from the Egyptians once and for all. God fought for them while they only had to observe.
The main battle Christians face today is a spiritual battle; a battle between the truth of God and the lies of the devil. While Christians are not Jews fleeing slavery, we are similar in that we are constantly trying to avoid being put back into bondage. Only the bondage we seek to avoid is the spiritual bondage of a works-based life. God told the Jews to be still while He works. He tells Christians to rest while He works. When Paul was chastising the church in Galatia, what was he upset about? He asks them, "After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh (Galatians 3:3)?" He could have easily asked them, "After being still and resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ, are you now trying to be slaves again to the works of the law?" What is taught today in many Christian churches is a form of "Egyptian" Christianity or Galatianism. People would rather be slaves and told what to do by their "masters" and rely on their flesh to obey instead of standing firm in the grace of God; being still and resting while God does His work in and through them. They may not complain about being led into the desert to die, but they will argue against the grace of God by claiming those who believe in it are teaching a "license to sin," labeling them as an "antinomian" (someone who's against God's law) or a "Lone Ranger Christian" (someone who doesn't need church or direction). To me, these are the slanderous words used by those who do not understand the role of the Holy Spirit in a person's life. While there may be some Christians who abuse the grace of God, it doesn't take away from the truth of God's word and what it means to those who are free to get to know Him and trust Him with their lives and eternity. You will struggle to see God as your refuge and strength in times of trouble when there is a work to be done or a law to obey in order to please Him. You cannot be still if you are working. You cannot stand firm when you are concerned with the activity of your flesh. You cannot rest and watch God work through you when you are busy working for Him. Peter asked his fellow brothers, who were teaching circumcision, "Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear (Acts 15:10)?" If this one fleshly act was considered a yoke (an act of service) that Peter's Jewish ancestors could not obey, why do we continue to put a similar yoke on Christians who were never given the law in the first place? It is time to be still, rest from your works and let God deal with those who desire to put you into bondage. My prayer is that this becomes a reality in the lives of every Christian so they will never have to see the "Egyptians" in their lives ever again.
In referencing Psalm 46, one author writes, "When we are still and surrendered to God, we find peace even when the earth gives way, the mountains fall (verse 2), or the nations go into an uproar and kingdoms fall (verse 6). When life gets overwhelming and busyness takes precedence, remember Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Run to Him, lay down your weapons and fall into His arms. Acknowledge that He is God and that He is exalted in the earth. Be still and know that He is God." Psalm 46 is written in what seems to be a time of war and unrest. The psalmist takes a moment to acknowledge God as his fortress. A fortress is defined as a heavily protected and impenetrable building, a military stronghold, especially a strongly fortified town fit for a large garrison or as a person or thing not susceptible to outside influence or disturbance. Each of these definitions describes aspects of God in one way or another; although to perfectly describe the Lord is nearly an impossible task. In the modern age, while wars still exist, most of us face numerous times of trouble which come in a variety of forms. Many times it seems like we don't even have any weapons of our own to fight with against those forces causing us trouble. In some cases, it can seem like we are like the Israelites of old. Just after Moses fought for and won the freedom of the Jews from Pharoah and slavery in Egypt, they found themselves stuck between Pharoah's advancing army and the Red Sea. After the people complained about Moses and God for bringing them out of Egypt so they could "die in the desert," Moses answered them and said, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still (Exodus 14:13-14).” In other words, Moses told the Jews, "Be quiet and watch God work!" How long did it take the Jews to forget all that God had done for them before they were grumbling and complaining to go back to Egypt and be slaves again? Not too long. Did they forget all the plagues God subjected the Egyptians to, but spared them from experiencing? Did they forget the Passover where God killed the firstborn child of the Egyptians but spared them? Yes, they had forgotten. Moses told them to "be still" and watch as God delivered them from the Egyptians once and for all. God fought for them while they only had to observe.
The main battle Christians face today is a spiritual battle; a battle between the truth of God and the lies of the devil. While Christians are not Jews fleeing slavery, we are similar in that we are constantly trying to avoid being put back into bondage. Only the bondage we seek to avoid is the spiritual bondage of a works-based life. God told the Jews to be still while He works. He tells Christians to rest while He works. When Paul was chastising the church in Galatia, what was he upset about? He asks them, "After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh (Galatians 3:3)?" He could have easily asked them, "After being still and resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ, are you now trying to be slaves again to the works of the law?" What is taught today in many Christian churches is a form of "Egyptian" Christianity or Galatianism. People would rather be slaves and told what to do by their "masters" and rely on their flesh to obey instead of standing firm in the grace of God; being still and resting while God does His work in and through them. They may not complain about being led into the desert to die, but they will argue against the grace of God by claiming those who believe in it are teaching a "license to sin," labeling them as an "antinomian" (someone who's against God's law) or a "Lone Ranger Christian" (someone who doesn't need church or direction). To me, these are the slanderous words used by those who do not understand the role of the Holy Spirit in a person's life. While there may be some Christians who abuse the grace of God, it doesn't take away from the truth of God's word and what it means to those who are free to get to know Him and trust Him with their lives and eternity. You will struggle to see God as your refuge and strength in times of trouble when there is a work to be done or a law to obey in order to please Him. You cannot be still if you are working. You cannot stand firm when you are concerned with the activity of your flesh. You cannot rest and watch God work through you when you are busy working for Him. Peter asked his fellow brothers, who were teaching circumcision, "Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear (Acts 15:10)?" If this one fleshly act was considered a yoke (an act of service) that Peter's Jewish ancestors could not obey, why do we continue to put a similar yoke on Christians who were never given the law in the first place? It is time to be still, rest from your works and let God deal with those who desire to put you into bondage. My prayer is that this becomes a reality in the lives of every Christian so they will never have to see the "Egyptians" in their lives ever again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)