Grace, Pt.1

First of all, my apologies to anyone who may’ve missed my Friday post.  I wasn’t even able to think straight because I was suffering from a viral infection complete with fever, headache, body aches, and loss of appetite (and if you know me, you know it’s serious then).  But I’m -at least- back to blogging health!

I can’t even put into words yet, how these past five days have been.  I’m still trying to evaluate it myself.  But the Holy Spirit has put in the forefront of my mind the value of grace, which is commonly defined as unmerited favor by Christians.  Merriam-Webster’s definition, in the context of biblical scripture, is unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration and sanctification; a virtue coming from God; a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace; approval; favor; privilege.

To receive God’s grace is so humbling.  In fact, God gives grace to the humble 9Pr 3:34).  Not the perfect, but the humble.  Paul boasted in God’s wisdom to afflict him with a thorn in his flesh along with the revelations he’d given to keep him humble (2 Co 12:7-10).  The nature of his affliction of the flesh was unknown, so we can find ourselves here.  God gives a better solution than removing the thorn:  for him to show himself strong in people’s lives despite their weaknesses.  The absolute best example is Christ’s sacrificial death on Calvary and resurrection (Lk 22:41-44; 23:26-24:35).

Paul says something so striking in Acts 20:24, and I second it: ‘…I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace’.  Or as the Michael A. Jones version goes, ‘My life wouldn’t have meant nothin’ unless I did as God told me to do, through his Word, by living a life that testifies to the gospel of his grace, which has shown that although I was messed up, God was still able to use me!’  As much as Paul had been blessed with, he also had his weaknesses, which kept him humble and fully aware that it was all God who was working in him, and not himself. 

Without grace there would be no hope.  We’d be subject to the law of sin which results in death (Ro 8:1-2).  The law was given, not to bring about redemption, but to point out the need for it, which is only offered through Jesus Christ (Jn 14:6; Ro 5:20-21, and NIV note).  The Bible tells us to be careful of taking advantage of grace.  Don’t be deceived.  God cannot be mocked.  But grace should be our motivation to obey God in love (Ro 6:1-15; Gal 6:7).

Not to deny the reality and the goodness of justice, but grace is the cornerstone of the Christian faith.  Without it, there is no hope, no faith, no Christianity.  So I conclude with these parting words John wrote until Christ’s return, ‘the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.’ (Rev 22:21)       

  

And the Second Is Like It...

And the second greatest commandment is like the first, “Love your neighbor as yourself”, Jesus says (Mt 22:39; Mk 12:31) (And this love for self is also shown in the context of a marriage union in Eph 5:28-30, where the love for a spouse is equal -on some level- as love for self, since the two have become one.).  Jesus tells us, “love one another as I have loved you…” (Jn 13:34).  (He said this was a new commandment, but it was actually an old one [Lev 19:18].  It was new in the sense that it was a mark of the disciple’s bond created by Christ’s love for them [NIV note on Jn 13:34].)  We love because God first loved us (1 Jn 4:19).  Love ultimately comes from God himself. If anyone says, ‘I love God’, but hates his brother is a liar; because anyone who doesn’t love his brother, who he has seen, cannot love God, who he hasn’t seen.  So God has given us this command:  Whoever loves God must also love his brother (1 Jn 4:20-21).  Here, the term ‘brother’ is intended to mean mankind, not simply our siblings in Christ. But those who are followers of Christ should especially care for our brothers and sisters in Christ (Jn 21:15-17; Gal 6:10).       

The parable of ‘the Good Samaritan’ illustrates this love well, and shows us who we are to regard as our neighbor.  In the presence of so-called lovers of God, Jesus commends a Samaritan –a people who Jews were openly hostile against and considered both spiritual and physical half-breeds- over a religious leader (priest) and another lay person (Levite) to show that love has no national, religious, racial, etc. boundaries (Mt 10:5; Jn 4:20,22; Lk 9:52; NIV note on Lk 10:31-33).  It was this despised Samaritan who cared for a foreigner -who would’ve probably cursed him, if he had the strength (v. 33-35).  It was him who Jesus told his fellow Jews to imitate (v. 36-37).  So, my definition of a neighbor, given the context, is anyone who isn’t you!

And again, this is a commandment from God.  To show love towards men, who were made in His spiritual image, is one way of showing love for him (which remember, is second only to directly showing love to God).  This is true, just as failing to love our brothers is to show contempt for Him.  If you follow the first and greatest commandment, the second -which is like it- will fall into place.  Love for God and love for man are inseparable.        

  

The Greatest Commandment

Jesus said, the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with everything you’ve got, with everything that you are, with your entire being (all your heart, soul, mind and strength; Dt 6:5; Mt 2337; Mk 12:29-30).  Here, the heart represents an individual’s will and desire (Ex 25:2; 1 Sa 13:4; Lk 6:45).  The soul is our true self (our immortal being, while the body is merely a temporary shell (Mt 10:28 and NIV note).  The mind encompasses our complete mental faculty: memory, perception, reasoning, opinions, views, disposition, and mood (m-w.com).  And our strength is our power to resist, our attributes or inherent assets, our ability, energy, might, and vigor (m-w.com; 1 Co 10:13; 16:13; Isa 40:31).  God wants it all!       

It was necessary for Jesus to fulfill all that had been previously taught to Israel (the Law of the Prophets, which is the Old Testament in its entirety) by making clear its full meaning.  To fulfill means to measure up to, convert into reality, and develop the full potentialities of (m-w.com).   Jesus did this by emphasizing the deep underlying principles of the law and total commitment to it rather than mere external acknowledgement and obedience (NIV note on Mt 5:17). 

It’s this commandment to love God with our all –along with the second greatest commandment- that the Law of the Prophets hangs on (Mt 22:40.)  The love shown here, to the Lord our God, is primarily in view of the love shown by a subject to a king, because to truly love God is to be his loyal and obedient servant (NIV note on Dt 6:5).  God, our king, requires complete devotion and honor.  He commands us:  not to put anything before him, not to form any idol(s), and not to misuse his name (Ex 20:3-7).         

Our love for God will be evidenced by a life that’s characterized by service to him; the perfect example being the life lived by Jesus Christ.  However, we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Ro 12:1).       

Binding and Loosening

My purpose in researching this topic was as most people see it: as a way to divinely, and selfishly get my own way (Lord forgive me.), but after reading up on the ability to bind and loose, I’ve put it in Jesus’ intended context that he originally spoke on.

Jesus Christ himself has given us the power to bind (to make secure, refine, constrain, fast or tie together, take up and hold, protect, strengthen, hamper free movement of) and loose (antonym of bind; to free from restraint, etc.).  Although Jesus’ proclamation that the physical manifestation his church would be established by Peter does not apply to us, he has given us –as believers- the ability to bind and loose as well (Mt 16:19; 18:18).  Jesus said, ‘I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven’.  When we speech, actions, thoughts line up with the Word of God, which is the Holy Bible, heaven co-signs it!   But this is not an authority to determine, but the authority to announce (guilt or innocence according to his Word) (NIV note Mt 16:19). 

For proper context, in Matthew 18:15-20 Jesus instructs us on how to properly address a brother or sister who has sinned.  It refers to disciplinary action that should be taken when they:  1) have failed to listen to the single person who’s brought the issue to them in secret 2) have failed to listen to the one, plus two others who have again –approached this person who has sinned- in a discrete manner 3) and lastly, have failed to listen to the three, plus the church now!  If they are so far gone, Jesus tells us to treat them as the despised, pagans and tax collectors (basis for excommunication; see also 1 Co 5:1-13) (Mt 18:15-17).  What Jesus is promising here is his presence and guidance when such sensitive, crucial decisions to are being made to discipline an immoral brother or sister (They are proven immoral as evidenced by their decision not to listen to the reason of those who are speaking and acting according to God’s word.) (Mt 18:19-20).      

Once again, that wasn’t even where I planned to go with that, but I’m just being obedient to the Holy Spirit.  There it is.

Have Nothing to Do With Them

We are all called to be holy and sanctified.  But if perfection was the criteria for whom God allowed us to associate with, then we’d truly be islands, not dealing with anyone.  (Furthermore, how estranged would we be from a holy God himself?) So, I believe that the instruction not to have anything to do with people who are:  lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God should be understood as being indicative of the very character of that individual (2 Tim 3:1-5).  I believe that if the overall tenor of a person’s life is marked by sin -if it doesn’t surprise you that they’ve chosen to do wrong, as opposed to right- then these are the people the Word is referring to.  These are the people we should have nothing to do with. 

To some extent, I’ve found myself in the previous description.  I can work on being more self-controlled.  I have moments of pride.  And unfortunately, there have been times when I’ve put my own pleasure first.  But my life is not characterized by these instances of failing to meet the mark.    

The Bible tells us how to further indentify these people we’re to distance ourselves from.  They seemingly lead a life that is good and holy, with a reverence for God, but they lack the power of one who does (2 Tim 3:5; NIV note on 1 Tim 2:2).  They take advantage of people’s weaknesses (v.6-7). And they oppose the truth of God’s word (v. 8).  But the Bible also lets us know that they won’t get very far, because their folly (lack of good sense, prudence, or foresight) will be clear to everyone (v. 9).  God’s not trying to deny us anything, but it’s plain to see that he wants to save us from suffering the same fate as these people because surely bad company corrupts good character (1 Co 15:33).

Similarly, these people who do not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God (the word ‘retain’ is used here because the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men [Tit 2:11]), not only continue to do these things -become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity, are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice, are gossipers, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil, they disobey their parents; they’re senseless, faithless, heartless, and ruthless- but they approve of those who practice them as well (Ro 1:28-32)! 

The Bible tells us that these people deserve death (v. 32).  But thank God, he’s loved us enough to provide us with a way out if we’re ever so caught out there that we’re given over to a mind such as this (v. 28; Jn 3:16).  Jesus Christ (our way out!) who’s given the ransom for our lives, so that we can be restored into right standing with God has offered his blameless, unblemished, perfect life for ours (Mk 10:45; Ro 5:10; 10:9; 1 Co 15:56-57; 2 Co 5:21).  Through him we have the opportunity to cheat death (Rev 12:11).  All YOU need to do is accept the gift of salvation offered, by confessing that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and you will be saved (Ro 10:9).  No, you won’t be perfect, but you will be saved.          

The Top Ten Steps to Success

10. Just keep trying.

9. Try to determine what is working.

8. Try to determine what is not working.

7. Try to find someone who’s done it.

6. Try to ask for help.

5. Try it again tomorrow.

4. Try it a little differently.

3. Try it once more.

2. Try it again.

1. Try.

Y’all notice a theme there?  I love this list!  I don’t know if you’ve seen it before, but I got it from a poster at work.  And being that I desire to live according to the word of God, I’ve grabbed instances in the Bible where people have put these guidelines for success to work; because unless these steps line up with the word of God, they’re just flowery words that will ultimately lead to failure, if one chooses to build on them (Lk 6:46-49).  Some in the Bible needed to apply many of these steps and some only a couple, but they’ve shown that with God anything’s possible (Mt 19:26).    

When Jesus’ disciples went fishing on the sea of Tiberius one night and were not able to catch anything (which must’ve been extremely frustrating considering at least two were career fisherman and nighttime was the favorable time to fish), they followed the instruction of a man that they did not recognize as Jesus to cast their net on the right side of the boat, and caught so many fish that they couldn’t pull the net onto the boat (Jn 21:1-6)!  Theses disciples decided to try once more the next day, after presumably fishing all night until early morning.  They knew enough to put their experience to work, but also had enough sense to know that it wasn’t working, and they then tried it a little differently.  And although Jesus was a carpenter, by trade, he was also 100% God and 100% man, lived a perfect life, and defeated death (Mt 13:55; Jn 1:1-2, 13; 2 Co 5:21; 1 Co 15:55-57).  Who better to listen too?  He’s done it all!  Although they didn’t ask the man for help, thank God they were willing to take his advice.    

Before his death and resurrection, when Jesus walked out onto the lake to catch up with the disciples that he’d sent forward, and they were scared -thinking he was a ghost.  He told them, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’  Peter then asked him to invite him out onto the water.  And at Jesus’ the word, Peter was able to walk on the water, as Jesus did.  But then, instead of keeping his focus on Jesus, Peter considered the wind, and began to sink.  He then called out to Jesus, crying out, ‘Lord, save me!’  And immediately, the Bible says, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, and said, ‘You of little faith.  Why did you doubt?’ (Mt 15:22-31)  Peter saw what was working, asked for help, tried it, saw that focusing on the situation wasn’t working and cried out (tried it again).  Imagine if Peter hadn’t trusted in the Lord.  Not only could he have drowned (It’s possible.), but he wouldn’t have been added to the two man list of people who’ve walked on water!

Similar stories are found in the Bible, where those who were casting out demons learned that if you don’t know the Lord for yourself, it can be detrimental to your well being to use his name (Ac 19:13-20).  David took the tools of his trade along with him (a staff, sling, and five smooth stones), as well as an assurance of victory in the Lord, instead of the bulky armor of a soldier (1 Sam 17:38-40).  And he didn’t need a sword either.  He just used Goliath’s to cut his head off (v. 51).  Timothy lead a successful ministry after being mentored by Paul (1 Tim).  And Job refused to curse the Lord during his trials, but in his affliction was restored twice the amount he’d lost after praying for his useless ‘friends’ (Job).

These people put forth a genuine effort to reach whatever goal that was ahead of them and were made successful because of their faith that they put into action (Jas 2:17).  And God, not being a respecter of persons, if it was doable for them, it’s doable for us through our Lord Jesus Christ (Ac 10:34; Php 4:13).

In Its Proper Place

(I don’t know who you may be sharing these posts with, but as the TV folk do, I’m going to put a disclaimer on this one and say that it does involve sexual content.  So, share at your own discretion.)

The main purpose of this blog is to ensure that lives are defined solely on God’s word.  And I believe one of the biggest problems for a lot of so-called believers is that their belief is in tradition as opposed to the Bible, which is holy.  They do things based on a modeled lifestyle of what someone else’s interpretation of Christianity is instead of following God’s word as the Holy Spirit gives it to them.  And if a person’s life is not characterized by the truth of God’s word, there will be internal confusion and conflict.  They’ll lack the faith necessary to please God because they’ve never, or at least not consistently, heard the word of God (Ro 10:17).  That being said, I’ll pose the question, Is sex outside of marriage wrong?  Is your answer based on assumption of what’s right, or on the truth of God’s word?

First, let’s get on the same page and define both ‘sex’ and ‘marriage’.  Sex in the context of this subject is sexual intercourse, which includes heterosexual, homosexual, and oral intercourse (Merriam-Webster Online).  In the Bible, sexual intercourse is defined as ‘laying with’ (Ge 4:1; Lev 18:22).  Marriage is the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband and wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law.  Since the Bible speaks of the necessity of a certificate of divorce, it is implied that a recognized marriage also includes a certificate of marriage, which renders the practice of ‘shacking’ or common-law unions unacceptable in God’s sight (Dt 24:1; Mk 10:4).  Some of God’s intentions for marriage are monogamy, free from adultery and intermarriage with the faithless (which includes those of other so-called faiths), between man and woman, and for life (although the only acceptable cause for divorce is marital unfaithfulness, which is a subject I’ll have to write about later) (Ge 2:24; Ex 20:14; 2 Co 6:14-18; Mal 2:16; Mt 5:32).  It’s clearly a commitment that God does not take lightly. 

Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers, the sexually immoral, fornicators, and adulterers God will judge (Heb 13:4 KJV, NIV, NASV).  Man has the habit of attempting to exclude his own sinful behavior from the truth of God’s word by justification, which includes renaming sin, which was my purpose of combing biblical versions of the scripture above.  I want to get a tight grasp on this subject, so that we’re ensured that we’re in the right, as opposed to assuming we are.  Since the Bible is not to be followed by one gender or another, but all, I will eliminate any implication of one gender or another in the definition of these words.  A whoremonger is one who consorts with a people who are sexually promiscuous or immoral, whether it is for money or not.  Fornication is simply sexual intercourse between two people who are not married to each other.  Adultery is defined as voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than their spouse.  And the sexually immoral, in general, includes those who engage in behavior previously mentioned, as well as homosexual offenders (1 Co 6:9). 

Just like it may not be necessary to announce that you’re a Christian, it probably won’t be necessary for a person to announce that they’re a whore, whoremonger, homosexual, adulterous, etc. (Mt 7:16; Lk 6:44).  If their speech and behavior suggests this, it’s clear that these are people we need to involve ourselves with only on the basis of witnessing to them (Mt 28:19-20).  Or they may need to be avoided altogether (Gal 6:1).  It’s not a sin to be tempted –Jesus himself was tempted- but it’s a sin to give in to temptation to sin (Mt 4:1-11; 1 Co 10:13; Heb 2:18).  This is a judgment of character, not a snap judgment bases completely on hearsay, popular opinion, stereotypes, etc., but sound judgment based on reasonable criteria, namely God’s word.  It’s the action that’s judged, not the individual.