Author: believersarmedanddangerous

There’s a tradition amongst Christian churches on Easter morning.  When greeting a fellow believer, you say “He is risen.”  The fellow believer responds: “He is risen indeed.”  But how do we really know Jesus rose from the tomb?

Did you know the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth from the dead is the best documented ancient event in history?

We have thousands of copies of excellent ancient documents written by eyewitnesses and describing the resurrection of Christ.  These would include the majority of the New Testament documents.  Even Revelation mentions Jesus’ resurrection:

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.  (Rev. 1:17-18)

Copies of these documents number in the thousands (more than 5,000 copies of the New Testament manuscripts in Greek alone and more than 19,000 copies of the New Testament manuscripts in other languages. This itself is astounding, but there’s more.

The Roman historian Tacitus, writing around 115 a.d., mentions the Christians worshipping Christ and that they taught He was raised from the dead.  Remember this was written just a few years after the death of the Apostle John who, as an apostle, was to keep the faith pure.  The faith and belief Tacitus records is the faith and belief we see today.

Another Roman historian, Josephus, writing at the end of the first century, recorded the following:

“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man if it be lawful to call him man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure.  He drew over to him many Jews, and also many of the Greeks.  This man was the Christ and when Pilate had condemned him to the cross upon his impeachment by principal man among us, those who had loved him from the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive on the third day, the divine prophets having spoken these and thousands of other wonderful things about him.”

Besides these documents, there are testimonies of lives changed by the resurrection story.

Paul was a murder of Christians and sought to destroy the faith yet miraculously, his life was changed and his alliances reversed through meeting the resurrected Jesus.

The conversion of James, the Lord’s half brother is another example.  He was a doubter but became a believer and bishop of Jerusalem after seeing the risen Christ (1 Cor. 15:7).  He was martyred for his faith in the resurrected Christ.

All of the New Testament except John’s writings was completed and circulated by 70 a.d. while there were still thousands living who had seen and heard Jesus and hundreds who had seen Him after the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:3-11).  These writings were never discounted by those who heard Jesus and followed His teachings because they were accurate accounts.

There are other proofs: the very existence of the early church in the city where Jesus was crucified.  The fact hundreds were willing to die in the arena as a testimony of the risen Jesus of Nazareth within three decades of His resurrection is another.

The greatest evidence of the risen Christ is indeed the changed lives of millions of men, women, and children who have placed their trust in the Man who rose from the dead nearly 2,000 years ago.

Why is this important?

Christianity is based solely on a truth claim, the claim of a miracle, some say a very difficult miracle to prove. Skeptics may say “It can’t be true because it’s not possible.  They’ve never seen a man who has been pronounced dead and three days later has come back to life.  The body begins to decompose almost immediately.  It just can’t happen.”

It’s not so difficult to prove, though.  The executioner who had killed hundreds of criminals and most certainly could recognize death came to Jesus’ cross and pronounced Him dead.  So, there is no doubt Jesus died on the cross.  Eyewitnesses who saw Jesus die also saw Him alive, spoke with Him, and touched Him three days later:

 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— ² the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete (1 John 1:1-4)

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty (2 Peter 1:16)

There is no doubt about this.  We have documented eyewitness accounts, accounts from skeptics, and the evidence of changed lives due to the resurrection of the Man Jesus.  So, when someone says “He is risen” to you on Easter you can reply with full confidence, “He is risen indeed!”

And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. ³ Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. ⁴ But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:2-4)

Sometimes we bite off more than we can chew.  My wife and I once left a church not because the church kept asking us to do things but because we kept saying yes.  Eventually, we were so overloaded; we had no time for the things God wanted us to do.

As Christians, we all want to serve our Lord.  We hear a driving sermon encouraging us to do more and we start volunteering.  But that may put us where God doesn’t want us.  We need to be selective.  It’s not that we need to do less for Christ.  We need to do everything we’re called to do.

Sure there are lots of things we can do generally without a particular calling.  Church clean up days, stacking chairs, greeting, ushers, directing cars in the parking lot are all things most everyone can handle and should if they are able and available.  Unfortunately, though, the old saying that 20% of church members do 80% of the work is still true.  So, the 20% take on more than they are called to do and get burned out or neglect their calling.

Bruce Wilkinson in his book “The Seven Laws of the Learner” tells a story of needing to fire a woman in his company who just wasn’t doing her job.  He decided to let her “fire herself” by asking how her job was going.  “Oh.”  She said.  “I love my job,” and she continued to tell Wilkinson all the things she had been doing.  He said he wanted to give her a raise when she was finished, but none of what she listed was included in her job description.

Will we stand before God and share a list of the things we’ve done for Him, and see His list for us is very different?  That is a constant concern of mine and should be of every Christian.  I know where God has gifted me.  I work happily doing that.  He has called me to a ministry unique to me just as He has for you.

Why is this important?

We reach a point as Christians where we need to start evaluating the things we agree to do in church.  We can’t just ask, “Is this something which will forward God’s kingdom,” and if it is, we volunteer without praying first.  We need to pray.  God has jobs for you, me, and for every other Christian.  He may have someone else He wants to use in that job, but we are taking it away from that called person by volunteering.  Doing so also takes time away from the job we’re called to do.

God has lots of places we can minister in His kingdom.  Did you know, He has the roster for those positions filled?  God has assigned individuals for particular jobs.  These folks just may not be doing those jobs.  God is waiting for them to listen to His call. 

I may catch some heat from some of my pastor friends for this.  They are sometimes desperate for a warm body, any warm body, to fill a particular position.  But, I don’t believe that’s God’s plan.  His HR department has all the jobs assigned.  Do yours, and let others do theirs.  If we do everyone else’s work, we will become weary in well doing and may even become bitter.  If you’re weary, you may be taking on more than you are called to do. 

So, like the apostles in Acts 6, we should spend our time doing what God has called us to do and leave the other tasks to those who are called to do those.

I was asked an interesting question this week:  “Why does God want us to kick someone out of church after just a couple of unheeded warnings but forgives each of us time and time again for our sins?”

It would be good to look at just what the church is.  It is the Bride of Christ, a group, a family of believers, that gather together for instruction, fellowship, and assistance.  If someone with ungodly motives comes into the church, he can mislead many.  Scripture warns us about such people:

2 Peter 2:1  But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

So, there are people who come into the church to mislead others.  Sometimes they do this purposely, but most often they do it unknowingly.  We have people in the church who are sincere but are sincerely wrong.  Sometimes these people are not apparent at first, and it takes the more mature Christians in the church to identify them.  A new or unschooled Christian might not know better. 

Last week I talked about how the church handles division and disrupters.  There’s a process, and that process is meant to correct the offender, see him repent, and bring him back into the fold.  But there are people who will not accept discipline and must be asked to leave the local body.

Sin and error in the church bring division.  They hurt the bride of Christ.  Jesus is very protective of His bride and will come against those who would try to corrupt her.

Christian individuals are to turn to the church for the reasons given above.  When an individual Christian hears something new or doesn’t sound right, that person’s responsibility is to first check it against Scripture then speak with a church leader about it.  Iron sharpens iron.  We’re here for one another.

In the early church, there were traveling preachers.  The culture was such that they would be welcomed into a local Christian’s home to stay for as long as the preacher was in town.  Other Christians would join with him in an evening meal and talk about the faith.  This served two purposes.  First the local church leaders could hear what this man had to say and endorse or correct what he taught.  If he was teaching error, he would be asked to leave.  Secondly, he would bring news and teachings from other Christian bodies.  Again, though, the local leaders would examine these teachings to accept or reject them.  This is the church in action, protecting and instructing the body.

The Christian individual, on the other hand, is also God’s pride and joy.  They are learning and growing in Christ as they are being sanctified.  We are going to make mistakes.  Jesus knows that.  He’s a man as well as God the Son.  He was tempted as we are and can identify:

¹⁸ For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Heb. 2:18)

For the Christian individual, God is constantly working in us.  He is making us more Christ-like.  Because we carry the sin nature and will until the day we die, God knows are apt to sin.  Upon our confession, he forgives us.

Why is this important?

Sometimes we think it’s kind of unfair of God to forgive us our sins but hold the false teacher or disrupter responsible for their actions.  Know that it is fair.  God is both protecting His children and His Bride.

We need to think of the church as more of a hospital and a school.  We go there for healing and instruction.  Without proper precautions, infection is much more likely to spread there.  Those who would infect us may not be repentant and must be kept from contaminating the Bride.

So, as Christian individuals, we must keep an eye out for new teachings.  Dr. Walter Martin used to say “New truth is almost always old heresy.”  Beware of new stuff. 

These false teachers can even use Scripture to seemingly support their views, but Christians must beware.  Scripture can be twisted.

And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, ¹⁶ as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. (2 Peter 3:16)

Back to the original question, a false teacher is an attack on the church, the Bride of Christ, sinful behavior is a character flaw.  God deals with each differently.  He loves His church and loves His people.  He wants to keep both pure.

As Christians we have differences with others: differences with brothers and sisters in the faith, even differences with political figures and policies. How do we handle these differences?

God is love, and we are to be loving (1 John 4:7-8).  Whatever our response to those with whom we disagree, it must be rooted in our love for our God and the love for others He commands us to display.

Let’s look at a simple disagreement with a Christian brother or sister that has resulted in bitterness.  Matt. 5:23-24 says our relationship with our fellow Christians effects our relationship with our God.  We should first settle the issue with our brother/sister before approaching God’s altar:

²³ So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Our job is to show the grace of God, to forgive and ask forgiveness.  Otherwise, bitterness will rise both in us and the person with whom we have the difference:

¹⁵ See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled^,  (Heb. 12:15)

If we have a difference with a brother that involves serious sin in their life or a difference in a major doctrine of the church, we have clear instructions. Once we follow these steps, there is nothing more to be said.  It is then a closed matter.

Matt 18:15-17 says this: ¹⁵ “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector”.

Now, what do we do with political differences?  During the 60s a.d. when most of the New Testament was written, Rome was very hostile to the Christians.  Emperor Nero made sport of them feeding them to lions, even covering them with pitch, impaling them on poles, then setting them aflame to light his garden.  What was the response of the early church?

Paul says this in Titus 3:1-2 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, ² to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

Wow! “To speak evil of no one.”  That includes politicians.  For some of us that’s a tall order even today.

The first Christian apologists wrote open letters to the Roman authorities.  They weren’t angry letters.  They were letters explaining how Christians were good citizens paying their taxes, working hard, and not disruptive.  They asked the Romans to end their persecution.  Is that how Christians act today?

Why is this important?

As I’ve said before, God has two major goals: To make heaven as full as possible and hell as empty as possible.  As Christians those are our goals too.

The commands of God dictate our behavior in such a way that we can influence the lost to come to Christ.  Angry Christians attract no one.  Christ told us His kingdom is not of this world, but we act as though it is.

Ephesians 2:19 tells us we’re citizens of the kingdom of God.  But, do we act like it?

¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

If our job is to share Christ, I wonder how much of what we are involved in is little more than distraction.

In 250 a.d. two things happened:  The Great Persecution began slaughtering Christians throughout the Roman Empire, and there was a severe plague in Rome.  5,000 Romans died each day, so the Romans who could, left the city.  The Christians stayed to nurse the sick.  Many Christians died.  Many non-believers were saved through the love that was shown by the very people they were persecuting.  The Roman common people’s view of Christians changed.  They became sympathetic.  Christians had sacrificed themselves for lost Romans. 

About 70 years later a Roman Centurion entered a church and demanded all its holy documents.  The pastor refused.  The Centurion returned to his unit and told his commander.  Rather than killing the pastor, the commander said to ask for just one document.  The pastor still refused, and the Romans left him alone.  Yes, the pastor took a stand but only after he was challenged.  God’s love changes lives.  The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God (James 1:20)

I have only come to this realization recently and as a result am reassessing my Christian walk.  I now believe it is hearts that need changing as much if not more than minds.  God is interested in the souls of the lost.  Much of what we busy ourselves in is fruitless distraction.  What we do, we must do for God and do as imitators of Christ.

I turned 73 last October and recently watched a video of myself shot last week.  I thought, “Who is that old coot?” We kid ourselves looking in the mirror, but not when we see ourselves as others do.  When I go to the VA, I see men and women younger than I using walkers and in wheelchairs.  I got to thinking about what the Bible says about old folks.

We older folks still have much to offer.  God tells His people to find wise counsel by turning to an older person:

31 ‘Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
32 ‘You shall rise up before the grayheaded, and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the LORD. (Lev. 19:31-32)

I was interested that God doesn’t stop telling us how we can be of benefit to His kingdom just because we’ve gotten a little older.  Seems He doesn’t expect us to retire from service, we are to be examples and teachers:

² Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴ and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. (Titus 2:2-5)

So, older Christians have jobs to do.  We may not have children at home anymore, but we have many children and young adults in our realm we can influence for good through our actions, our words, and our examples. 

Our lives up to now are useful, too.  Each of us have different histories.  We’ve experienced things others are going through now or are dealing with the consequences later on.  We can come along side to help.

We have people our own age who need the companionship of someone who understands their histories.  Nursing homes are full of them.  There are shut-ins who would like a visit, a kind word, a prayer.  We have the time to do these things.

A few years ago, Toby Keith wrote a song, “Don’t Let the Old Man In.”  It speaks of an old man who just doesn’t yield to the years he’s lived.  He gets up every day and makes it a point not to let the old man in.  Keith wrote the song after a conversation with the then 88 year-old Clint Eastwood who told him why he was so active at his age.

Why is this important?

I retired in 2016 at age 69.  I retired from gainful employment, but I don’t think we can ever retire from God’s service.  Every time I see something else He has for me to do, I think, “Well, I’ll be around a little longer.  God wants me to do this.”

It’s easy for older folks to give up and just await death.  We can think we can’t be useful anymore since often society treats us that way, our children are grown and have lives of their own.  We don’t see them much anymore.  Our job as parents is done. We can relax, exhale, and feelsorry for ourselves.  But, this is the time of our lives when we can be the most useful.  We have more free time.  We understand how things work, what needs to be done, and how to do it. 

We can leave the values and lessons we’ve learned to younger people who can carry them long after we’re gone.

Our days aren’t over.  We need to look where God has placed us and think of why.  We are where we are for a purpose.  If we have money, maybe God wants some of that money used for His work.  If not, maybe the situation we’re in can be used to further God’s work.  Most of us can host a Bible study, talk with our neighbors, write to shut-ins.  The opportunities are endless.  Even if you’re immobile, you can still pray for others.

My cousin used to have a bumper sticker that said, “Happiness is in inside job.”  So is unhappiness.  If you’re grumpy and depressed with your life, get active in God’s work.  A pastor friend used to say “The people on the front line are too busy to complain.”  Get on the front line.  Show them what an old coot can do.

You know how the Holy Spirit will bring a verse or passage of Scripture to mind?  It keeps coming up and you chew on it for a while.  Then it goes away for a bit then God brings it back, and you find more in that verse?  Well, that’s been happening to me lately with Jude 24.

I used to drive for a living and had long stretches with noting to think about but the passing scenery.  For a while, I memorized Scripture which included the book of Jude.  Since then, God reminds me of various parts of those 25 verses.  They come flooding back to point something out to me, to compare with something I’m reading, or for God to just teach me something new.  What He has been teaching me in verse 24 is impressive and still ongoing.

        Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,  and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,   (Jude 1:24)

Keep you from stumbling.  The obvious part of this is that God can keep us from sinning.  When we consider sinning, and we do, God is available to draw us back from the brink if we will just ask.  He’s a Gentleman, though.  He won’t act if He’s not asked.  He has told us this in 1 Cor. 10:13, where Paul tells us we will not be tempted beyond what we are able and God will give us an escape route.  We sin when we refuse to take that exit.

What’s been sticking with me lately, though, is the rest of the verse, that He (God our Savior, Who I’m assuming is Christ) will present us blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy.  Lots of stuff in there.

Faultless.  We will stand before God free from any blame for the sins we’ve committed.  A man I knew, Jim, died a couple of years ago, but about a year before he died, he gave his testimony to a men’s group.  Jim had been a pimp, a drug dealer, an alcoholic, generally a really “hopeless” sinner.  But, Christ broke through to Jim.  In his testimony, he told of a dream he had of Jesus coming to take him home.  In the dream, Jim started crying.  Jesus said, “What is it Jim?  Don’t you believe in me?”  Jim responded, “Of course I believe in You.  It’s me.”

I’ve lived a pretty clean life.  I’ve never done drugs, never been an alcoholic, or done any of the things Jim did.  But, when Jesus comes for me, I will probably react much as Jim did in his dream.  It’s not the greatness of God that will make me shrink from Him; it’s the ungodliness in me.

Jude says Jesus will present us faultless – faultless!  The Greek word means “without spot or blemish.”   How can that be?  I know what I have done, who I really am. It’s because Christianity has something no other faith has: grace.

Before the presence of His glory.  Just what is the “presence of His glory?”  It is the throne described by John in Revelation 4:2-6  At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. ³ And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. ⁴ Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. ⁵ From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, ⁶ and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

This is the throne where we will be faultlessly presented.

With exceeding joy.  I used to think this was speaking of my joy in being there before God’s throne faultless, but I no longer believe that.  Look at what Hebrews 12:2.  It says it is Jesus’ joy:   looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus Himself will be “exceedingly” joyful at our being presented before the presence of His glory. 

One more point that excites me: the Greek word for “you” here is singular.  It is not saying “you all” but “you as an individual.”  Each of us shall stand before the presence of His glory with Jesus exceedingly joyful we are there. We will be addressed and blessed individually, not corporately.

Why is this important?

Many Christians look at themselves as the sinners they are and think they can never stand before God in such a state.  Others believe they will just make it by the skin of their teeth with the smell of smoke still on their clothes.  They believe they’ll be standing in the back of a crowd hoping no one spots them and throws them out.

They’re wrong!  The truth is God has sacrificed everything for us, for the joy that was set before Him.  You are that joy.

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

We’ve all heard “All roads lead to God.  Christianity is just one of them.” 

Jesus said differently.  He made the claim only He is the way to God the Father, but how can we show that to others we meet.

Let’s look at the major religions and their gods one at a time:

Theravada Buddhism teaches that God is not a person at all.  In fact, Buddhism at it’s purest form is atheistic.  The Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path of Buddhism teach not a god but a lifestyle they believe will lead to peace.

Hinduism has millions of gods.  There are three major gods: Vishnu, Siva, and Brahma.  On top of those, there are all the other gods, but these three are the center piece.  Hinduism is polytheistic.  They have many gods.

Islam has only one God and is extremely monotheistic to the point of destroying any idols of other gods they come across.

Judaism’s God is personal.  He communicates with His people.

Hinduism’s gods are invisible, non-physical. 

Christianity’s God in the Person of Jesus is very physical.

So, if all roads lead to the same god, he is singular and multiple.  He is physical and non-physical (and doesn’t exist in Theravada Buddhism)   And, he is personal and impersonal.  This idea is akin to a belief in square circles, married bachelors, and living corpses.  It makes no sense at all.

No, there is only one true God.  So, how do we know it is the God of the Bible?  Here is one way:

The Universe is not eternal nor has it always existed.  Scientists tell us there was a Big Bang about 15 billion years ago, that the entire universe was once compressed into a particle smaller than an electron.  Steven Hawking called this particle “infinitely dense.”  With that particle so dense and so powerfully held together with all the matter of the universe and its accompanying gravitational pull, how could it explode?  The Bible says there was a time when even the particle didn’t exist, that God made the universe out of nothing and spoke it into existence out of nothing at all.

So, there was a time when the universe was not.  Then how did it come about?  Well if it had a beginning, it needed to have a cause for that beginning.  Conditions must have been right in order for the universe to come into existence.  But, that wouldn’t bring it into existence.  It needed an Agent.

Think of the beginning of universe like striking a match.  All the materials are there, the match, the striking surface, the oxygen, the fuel of the wooden match.  The match will still not strike itself.  It must have an agent to decide to strike the match.  In the same way, if all the conditions and materials were ready before the universe came into existence, it would still not exist unless an Agent “struck the match.”  In our case, that is described in the first verse of the Bible.

Now think of what that Creator God must be like.  He must be greater than the universe He created (omnipotent).  He must be incredibly intelligent to create this universe and all the laws governing it (omniscient).  He must exist outside the time He created that our universe depends upon (eternal).  He must be personal to decide to “strike the match.”  Since the universe is governed by laws and not chaos, He must be a God of order and unchanging (Immutable). 

Now which God does that sound like?

Why is this important?

We are confronted regularly by skeptics who have “all the answers” as to why they disregard the God who made them.  It is our job to help them understand what they believe is irrational.  “All roads lead to God” is just a silly statement.  It shows the person’s ignorance of those “roads.”

The God we serve as Christians, the God we want to share with others, is greater than we can imagine.  He has communicated with us in His Word.  We are of all people favored.

Matt. 19:26  But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

Back when I used to smoke, I tried several times to quit.  My problem was that I kept a pack or two around just in case I failed.  As a result, I didn’t actually quit until I threw five packs of cigarettes and a Zippo lighter into a dumpster after coughing all the way to work one day.  I couldn’t reach for that reserve pack I normally had stored away. So, I was able to quit.

We do this with sin, too.  The drug addict keeps a few pills tucked behind the bathroom mirror “just in case.”  The porn addict keeps a few pictures hidden somewhere “just in case.”  The serial adulteress keeps her address book just in case she needs to get a hold of one of those men.  Not all these provisions are quite so damning.  The gossip refuses to stop hanging around with other gossips, and so on.

We say we’re going to clean up an area of our lives, but we leave something that leads us back into the pit. Satan tells us it’s better to “taper off,” to “leave a little in case you can’t really overcome this temptation.” We fall for that again and again.

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ¹⁵ Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:14-15)

There is a progression to sin.  Temptation is not a sin.  Giving in to temptation is.  So, why keep temptations around when you want to quit cold turkey.  Rather than not trusting your self-control, trust in God’s power to fill you and help you break the addiction to sin no matter what form that sin takes.

In Matt. 9:43-47, Jesus says “And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. ⁴⁵ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. ⁴⁷ And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell.”

Of course cutting off your hand or plucking out your eye is a little hyperbolic, but we get the point.  We have no business preparing to fail.  God is a God of miracles.  He can give us the strength to overcome the sin Setting aside seeds for temptation is only going to drag us back into our failure once again. 

Why is this important?

I heard a story once of a little boy who used to fall out of bed several times a night.  His loving father would always come, comfort him, then tuck him back into bed.  One night the father asked the boy, where in his bed he was sleeping.  The boy said he was sleeping on the edge to which his father told him to sleep as far from the edge as possible, back against the wall, then he would be less likely to fall.

As Christians we need to spend time examining ourselves.  Are we living life so near the edge, so close to temptation and sin it’s easy to fall?  Or, are we willing to move away from the edge and trust God?

Provision for sin is planning to fail.  As Christians, we should be looking to shed the old man and take on the new life Christ has promised.  Let’s set aside the provision for sin and place our eyes on the race.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.  (Heb. 12:1)

A friend pointed out to me the original version of this post (posted Feb. 7) seemed to leave out the Holy Spirit in my attempt at compassion. I’ve done a couple of minor edits to show how God is always there to create in us a Christ-like heart and how He worked in mine.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  (Gal 5:22-23)

While Galatians 5 doesn’t give an exhaustive list of all the fruit of the spirit, it is a pretty good start.

Luke 6:43-45  says: ⁴³ “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, ⁴⁴ for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. ⁴⁵ The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

That’s Jesus talking there, and He’s telling us we should be producing fruit, good fruit, the fruit listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

I was thinking the other day, “Why isn’t compassion listed in Galatians chapter 5?”  In reality, compassion is in the list of fruit.  It’s right in there with love, patience, kindness, and gentleness.  In fact, there are theologians who believe “fruit” in the passage is singular, that the passage is speaking only of love and the others: joy, peace, patience, and so on are produced by that love; are aspects of that love.

Since God is love.  Again, He’s not just loving, He’s love the Bible tells us (1 John 4:8).  Compassion is a display of God’s love in us.  So, what if I don’t feel compassionate?  What can I do?

I’ve had issues with compassion since childhood.  I was raised to believe I am responsible for my own actions and so are others.  If I get myself into a tough spot, I’ve always thought it was up to me to get myself out.  I expected the same from other people. 

Once we had a guest teacher take over my Bible class, and he spoke on Barnabas: Son of Encouragement.  During the lesson, he put his hands on my shoulders and suggested to the class if they had a problem they would certainly come to me with it.  Everyone in the class smiled but shook their heads, “no.”  They saw I was not a model of compassion to say the least.  They knew my attitude was “everyone is responsible for their own actions.”  But, that attitude doesn’t seem to align well with the Christ-likeness I’m seeking.  So, I decided I needed to change – but how? 

There is a story of an evangelist in New York who used to go door to door in the tenement housing.  He would share the gospel with the people who answered.  If they listened but weren’t sure they wanted to accept Christ, he told them to pretend to be a Christian for 30 days: pray, read your Bible daily, and follow its teachings; and he would come back at the end of the 30 days to see how things went.  Strangely enough, many had turned their lives over to Christ upon his return.  Moral of the story?  If you don’t feel drawn to Christian acts, fake it and it may become a part of your life.

So, I started faking it, you know, practicing compassionate behavior without feeling the urge to be compassionate all the time praying for the Holy Spirit to fill me with compassion.  It worked.  I now find myself looking for ways to help others, to ask the store clerk if there is anything I can pray for, for instance.  I find myself looking for ways to bless others.  I text my children every day telling them I prayed for them that morning.  I text, call, and/or visit sick or struggling friends giving them support.  God has changed my heart and the fruit I produce.  I’m not faking it anymore.

Why is this important?

When we reach out to people who need help or just need to be remembered, we bless them as well as ourselves.  More importantly, of course, we bless the God who had compassion on us by sending His Son.

This isn’t just true with compassion, it’s true with all Christian behavior.  I have a Christian friend who hated Latinos.  Through a series of events, he ended up working at an orphanage in Mexico.  He told me the moment he picked up a hurting Latino child and placed him on his lap, he felt his hatred melt away, and God replaced it with love not just for the child but for the people as well.  He had sort of faked it until the love of God in him became evident.

Maybe it’s not compassion with you.  Maybe you find another Christian behavior difficult to practice.  Step out, and give it a try.  Pray, then fake it.  It may just make you a better Christian.

Psalm 128:1  ¹  Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!

Last year I watched a TED Talk by A.  J. Jacobs on the subject of his book The Year of Living Biblically.  Mr Jacobs spent a year trying to live by the rules and laws in the Bible, Old and New Testaments.  Some of what he went through as an agnostic was funny, but the best parts were how his life changed through taking seriously some of what the Bible teaches.

Now, he did get a bit messed up trying to live the Old Testament Law in 21^st Century America, but overall, it was a good experience for him.  He gave shepherding a try and found it very relaxing.  As a work a-holic, it meant a lot to Mr. Jacobs.

Giving thanks was a new experience.  He found His attitude toward life changed by just giving thanks for the dozens of good things that happen every day rather than just thinking about the few bad things.  Gratitude, he discovered, is the key to happiness.

He came to understand reverence and ritual have “something good and beautiful” about them.  When we begin to value rituals more, we can see advantages to us mentally.  He asked a Conservative Jew why he separated his clothing so he did not mix fibers.  The Jew said he didn’t know, but God knows.  Jacobs said he told the fellow he was crazy.  The Jewish man asked, how much more rational is it to set fire atop a birthday cake only to blow out the candles?

Rituals cause us to remember things, events, moments that mean something to us.  When I go to a wedding, the ritual reminds me of the ritual my wife and I went through over 50 years ago.  I remember the purity of the bride walking down the aisle toward me.  I remember declaring my love for her before dozens of friends and family members.  I remember the friend I hadn’t seen for years.  It warms my heart, and I am grateful for that memory.

Jacobs also said how observing the Sabbath, taking one day off each week to do nothing taught him to slow down and enjoy life more.

He learned not to stereotype people.  Once he set aside his preconceived notions, he found it much easier to talk with people he didn’t know or understand.  He learned a lot about others and about himself.

All of this prompted me to think about what else living biblically does for people.  Of course, our greatest benefit is our eternal life by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus.  Think, though, of the troubles in our world today.  Universal biblical living would go a long way to solve those issues. 

Don’t commit criminal acts, and you won’t end up in jail, you won’t have children who would need to grow up without you or parents who weep nightly for you.  Don’t have sex outside of marriage, and you won’t have to deal with unwanted pregnancies resulting in a lot of terrible consequences: children growing up without a father, mothers having to live in poverty because they had to leave school to support a single parent family.

Commitment to a Christian walk prevents these things and so many more.

Why is this important?

Mr. Jacobs learned even as a non-believer, living by biblical standards leads to a much happier and fulfilling life.

There’s an old philosophical axiom: “God doesn’t say things because they’re good.  They’re good because God says them.”

God doesn’t give us commandments because He wants to punish us or because He wants to see us squirm.  God’s commands are good.  They produce good results when followed.  Christians are, as a rule, happier people than non-believers.  We have hope in the darkest of times.  We have joy even in unhappy circumstances.  A good Christian life is not a perfect one, but it seldom causes the damage a non-Christian life often does.

Christians can be blessed whether rich or poor, famous or unknown, heads of families or children, employers or employees, healthy or sick.  God wants us to be blessed, and following what He tells us is the shortest road to that blessedness.

Psalm 119: 1-3  Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!