We continue in our thoughts of the six principles of living for God with the letter “N,” not ashamed. Webster says of “ashamed,” “feeling shame; distressed or embarrassed by emotions of guilt, foolishness, or disgrace.” Vine says, “the feeling of shame arising from something that has been done.” I would like to mention five things of which we should not be ashamed.
NOT ASHAMED OF CHRIST
What is our attitude when someone asks if we are Christians? Do we feel too embarrassed to say yes? If someone is ridiculing Christ, do we stand up and speak up for Him or do we remain silent? Jesus says in Mark 8:38, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” If you are ashamed of Christ, there is only one result. He will be ashamed of you. If you will not confess Him before men, He will not confess you before the Father (Matthew 10:32-33).
NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16). Imagine you just received some great news. You were accepted into your first choice for college; your kids (or grandkids) received a full scholarship for college; you received a promotion you have been working very hard toward; you inherited a large amount of unexpected cash. How long would it be before you told someone? You have received even greater news: how mankind can be saved from sin. How long has it been since you told someone?
NOT ASHAMED OF FELLOW CHRISTIANS
You are living in 1st century Rome. You are in town one day and you see Paul in chains being escorted by Roman soldiers. How do you respond? Do you walk up to him and greet him with a handshake or an embrace? Or, do you hide around the corner and hope he doesn’t see you or say anything to you? “The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain;” (2 Timothy 1:16). When a fellow Christian is being persecuted, do you act like you don’t even know them?
NOT ASHAMED OF SUFFERING
“Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter” (1 Peter 4:16). How about when it is you? You are being ridiculed, tormented, persecuted because you are a Christian. Do you succumb to the pressure and deny Christ, or do you stand with conviction and confirm that you belong to Him?
NOT ASHAMED BEFORE CHRIST
“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28). When Jesus returns, will you run away in shame and try to hide? It doesn’t have to be that way. We can face Him with confidence and rejoice at His coming. We can do that by abiding in Him, living for Him, and preparing for Him.
--Lamar
About Me
- Lamar Russell
- St Mary's, GA, United States
- Weekly bulletin. Church Office Phone: (912) 882-5800
Friday, February 5, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
LIVING FOR GOD: INFLUENCE
We continue our examination of six principles/characteristics we should exhibit in our lives as we live for God. Each of these begins with one of the letters in the word living: Lord, Imitation, Vigilant, Influence, Not ashamed, and Growing. We have previously considered three of these. If we want to live for God we must make Jesus Lord and ruler of our lives; we must imitate Christ as our example; we must be vigilant in our preparation for His return.
INFLUENCE
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16). Salt and light have a powerful influence on their surroundings. Salt is used to add flavoring to food. When you add salt to food, it has a distinct impact on the taste. Light has a powerful ability to dispel darkness. One small light bulb can bring light to a dark room. Both of them penetrate their environment and their influence spreads. Jesus tells us we are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We are to have a powerful influence on our world. Too often, it works the other way and the world influences us. As Christians, we should be examples to the world. You can live your life in such a way that people look at you and say “There is a Christian.” Or, you can live and cause them to say, “There is a Christian?”
Paul tells Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). Even the young are instructed to be examples. The question arises, “How young is young?” Timothy was at least in his late 20’s if not in his 30’s when Paul wrote this to him. In our society, middle age is usually thought of as beginning at 40, or thereabout. Youth could then be classified as anything under that. However, youth is also relative. There was a time I thought 30 was old, now it seems much younger. At one time, 50 seemed ancient, but it is looking younger everyday. I guess what I am saying is do not let your age be an excuse not to adhere to the admonition of this verse. We all have a responsibility to be an example to others. Older Christians should certainly be examples to the younger, but the younger Christians can also have a great influence on the older.
In writing to the church at Corinth, Paul admonished them, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). We discussed last week that Christ is to be our supreme example, but Paul tells the Corinthians to imitate him. He does qualify the statement by adding “Just as I also imitate Christ.” Can we admonish our fellow Christians and fellowman to follow our example? We can if we are following the example of Christ.
If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
--Lamar
INFLUENCE
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16). Salt and light have a powerful influence on their surroundings. Salt is used to add flavoring to food. When you add salt to food, it has a distinct impact on the taste. Light has a powerful ability to dispel darkness. One small light bulb can bring light to a dark room. Both of them penetrate their environment and their influence spreads. Jesus tells us we are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We are to have a powerful influence on our world. Too often, it works the other way and the world influences us. As Christians, we should be examples to the world. You can live your life in such a way that people look at you and say “There is a Christian.” Or, you can live and cause them to say, “There is a Christian?”
Paul tells Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). Even the young are instructed to be examples. The question arises, “How young is young?” Timothy was at least in his late 20’s if not in his 30’s when Paul wrote this to him. In our society, middle age is usually thought of as beginning at 40, or thereabout. Youth could then be classified as anything under that. However, youth is also relative. There was a time I thought 30 was old, now it seems much younger. At one time, 50 seemed ancient, but it is looking younger everyday. I guess what I am saying is do not let your age be an excuse not to adhere to the admonition of this verse. We all have a responsibility to be an example to others. Older Christians should certainly be examples to the younger, but the younger Christians can also have a great influence on the older.
In writing to the church at Corinth, Paul admonished them, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). We discussed last week that Christ is to be our supreme example, but Paul tells the Corinthians to imitate him. He does qualify the statement by adding “Just as I also imitate Christ.” Can we admonish our fellow Christians and fellowman to follow our example? We can if we are following the example of Christ.
If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
--Lamar
Friday, January 22, 2010
LIVING FOR GOD
Last week, we began a series of articles looking at our theme for 2010: “Living For God.” An acronym was giving for “Living” to encourage us in this: Lord, Imitation, Vigilant, Influence, Not ashamed, Growing. We discussed the first of these in the fact that we must accept Jesus as Lord and Ruler of our lives. We must submit our will to His in order to live for God. Today, we will consider imitation and vigilant.
IMITATION
Webster defines imitate as “to follow or endeavor to follow in action or manner.” If we are going to live for God we must decide to imitate Christ. Peter writes, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:” (1 Peter 2:21). Peter then goes on to give us a specific example of how we are to pattern our lives after Christ: His crucifixion. When He was mistreated, Christ did not return in kind. We must copy this in our lives.
We should also follow Jesus’ example in humility. In John 13:1-17, we read of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. Can you imagine the Son of God washing feet? That was a job for the lowest servant. It was the usual custom to have a servant available to wash the feet of your guests after they entered the house. No servant was available at this time. Why didn’t one of the disciples offer to wash everyone’s feet? Scripture does not tell us, but I think we can have a pretty good idea. Considering the discussions they had about greatness and being first in the kingdom, they probably thought foot washing was beneath them. Jesus displayed a great attitude of humility by doing it Himself. In verse 15 He says, “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” He is not saying specifically that we are to wash one another’s feet, although we should if that is what is needed. He is telling them, and us, that we need to adopt an attitude of humility and service toward one another. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:5-7).
Finally, we should imitate Jesus’ desire to do the Father’s will. In the Garden of Gethsemane just before He was arrested, Jesus prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). He was willing to do whatever it took, even dying the horrible death on the cross, in order to do the Father’s will. Considering that, is anything the Father asks us to do really all that hard?
VIGILANT
We must be vigilant in resisting Satan and sin. 1 Peter 5:8 – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Satan is constantly on the prowl looking for victims and we must always be watchful. The moment we let down our guard, there he is. The psalmist writes, I said, “I will guard my ways, Lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, While the wicked are before me” (Psalm 39:1). We can slip so easily, not just with our words but in so many other ways. Be vigilant and ever watchful for the trickery and temptation of sin.
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13). Jesus admonishes us to be vigilant and watchful for His second coming. He compares His return to a thief in the night (Matthew 24:43-44). Since we do not know when He will return, we must be prepared at all times. It is through vigilance that we can do this.
Are you vigilant in your imitation of Christ?
--Lamar
IMITATION
Webster defines imitate as “to follow or endeavor to follow in action or manner.” If we are going to live for God we must decide to imitate Christ. Peter writes, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:” (1 Peter 2:21). Peter then goes on to give us a specific example of how we are to pattern our lives after Christ: His crucifixion. When He was mistreated, Christ did not return in kind. We must copy this in our lives.
We should also follow Jesus’ example in humility. In John 13:1-17, we read of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. Can you imagine the Son of God washing feet? That was a job for the lowest servant. It was the usual custom to have a servant available to wash the feet of your guests after they entered the house. No servant was available at this time. Why didn’t one of the disciples offer to wash everyone’s feet? Scripture does not tell us, but I think we can have a pretty good idea. Considering the discussions they had about greatness and being first in the kingdom, they probably thought foot washing was beneath them. Jesus displayed a great attitude of humility by doing it Himself. In verse 15 He says, “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” He is not saying specifically that we are to wash one another’s feet, although we should if that is what is needed. He is telling them, and us, that we need to adopt an attitude of humility and service toward one another. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:5-7).
Finally, we should imitate Jesus’ desire to do the Father’s will. In the Garden of Gethsemane just before He was arrested, Jesus prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). He was willing to do whatever it took, even dying the horrible death on the cross, in order to do the Father’s will. Considering that, is anything the Father asks us to do really all that hard?
VIGILANT
We must be vigilant in resisting Satan and sin. 1 Peter 5:8 – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Satan is constantly on the prowl looking for victims and we must always be watchful. The moment we let down our guard, there he is. The psalmist writes, I said, “I will guard my ways, Lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, While the wicked are before me” (Psalm 39:1). We can slip so easily, not just with our words but in so many other ways. Be vigilant and ever watchful for the trickery and temptation of sin.
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13). Jesus admonishes us to be vigilant and watchful for His second coming. He compares His return to a thief in the night (Matthew 24:43-44). Since we do not know when He will return, we must be prepared at all times. It is through vigilance that we can do this.
Are you vigilant in your imitation of Christ?
--Lamar
Friday, January 15, 2010
LIVING FOR GOD: LORD
Our elders have chosen “Living For God” as a theme for 2010. This is more than a catchy phrase, but should be a description for the life of every child of God. Paul reminds the Roman Christians, “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). Jesus tells his listeners, 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). You do not have a choice of whether or not you will be a servant; you have a choice of whose servant you will be. You do not have a choice of whether or not you will have a master; you have a choice of who will be your master. You are either living for God or living for Satan. There is no neutral territory or middle ground. You cannot straddle the fence. I would like to suggest to you six principles to keep in mind as you face 2010 and living for God.
Lord
Imitation
Vigilant
Influence
Not ashamed
Growing
These ideas will direct our thoughts in these articles for the next few weeks in discussing how we can be “Living For God” in the coming year.
LORD
Vine says of kurios (the Greek word for Lord) that it is used of an owner or one who has the disposal of anything, a master one to whom service is due, an Emperor or King. He also states that it is the New Testament representative of Jehovah (Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). Webster says “a person who has dominion over others (Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language). In his sermon on Pentecost, Peter stated, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). There is a sense in which the word is used as a name or title for God. There is also the sense in which it is used as described by Vine and Webster. It is this usage that I want us to consider.
One thing that is absolutely necessary to begin living for God is to establish Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. You will never be successful until you give up your will for His will, your way for His way, your life for His life. Jesus makes self-denial a condition of discipleship in Matthew 16:24. In John 4:34, Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” Many other times in His ministry He said similar things indicating that His purpose was to submit His will to the Father’s will. We must be willing to do the same. We need to lose ourselves and our wills to the point that we are able to say with Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Do you want to live for God? Begin now by making Jesus the Lord and Ruler of your life.
--Lamar
Lord
Imitation
Vigilant
Influence
Not ashamed
Growing
These ideas will direct our thoughts in these articles for the next few weeks in discussing how we can be “Living For God” in the coming year.
LORD
Vine says of kurios (the Greek word for Lord) that it is used of an owner or one who has the disposal of anything, a master one to whom service is due, an Emperor or King. He also states that it is the New Testament representative of Jehovah (Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). Webster says “a person who has dominion over others (Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language). In his sermon on Pentecost, Peter stated, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). There is a sense in which the word is used as a name or title for God. There is also the sense in which it is used as described by Vine and Webster. It is this usage that I want us to consider.
One thing that is absolutely necessary to begin living for God is to establish Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. You will never be successful until you give up your will for His will, your way for His way, your life for His life. Jesus makes self-denial a condition of discipleship in Matthew 16:24. In John 4:34, Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” Many other times in His ministry He said similar things indicating that His purpose was to submit His will to the Father’s will. We must be willing to do the same. We need to lose ourselves and our wills to the point that we are able to say with Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Do you want to live for God? Begin now by making Jesus the Lord and Ruler of your life.
--Lamar
Friday, December 18, 2009
WHY IS IT?
A couple of Sundays ago, as I was getting dressed, I pulled out one of my ties to put on. Wanda made comment that is was a Christmas tie. It had candy canes and snowmen on it. I asked her, “Why is it a Christmas tie? What do snowmen and candy canes have to do with Christmas?” She had no answer. So I decided to do a little research. According to thehistoryofchristmas.com:
During the 17th century, craftsmen created white sticks of candy in the shape of shephreds' [sic] crooks at the suggestion of the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The candy treats were given to children to keep them quiet during ceremonies at the living creche, or Nativity scene, and the custom of passing out the candy crooks at such ceremonies soon spread throughout Europe. Some have suggested that the cane is in the shape of the letter “J” representing Jesus, with the white representing purity and the red, His blood. I am not sure how accurate all of this is, but at least it gave me some answers.
That took care of the candy cane, now on to the snowman. How did the snowman come to be associated with the Christmas holiday? A google search and I still don’t know. Some connect it with Charles Dickens’ book, “A Christmas Carol” in which there is a lot of snow. Others say it is simply because snowmen are made out of snow which is a wintertime event, and Christmas is celebrated in winter. However, this does bring to my mind another question.
Why is it that some people want to center everything about Christmas on Jesus and others want to take Him completely out of it? Such is the nature of man, a creature of extremes. It seems strange to me that people who give Christ little or any thought the rest of the year want to make Him the total focus of their lives for a few weeks. Putting out a nativity scene and going to church once or twice during the holiday season is no substitute for a life focused on Christ 365 days a year. Don’t get me wrong; I am glad people are at least thinking about Christ this time of the year. I just wish it was a part of their thinking and lifestyle year round. That may be a part of the problem; it requires too much commitment.
Those on the other extreme want to take everything having to do with Christ out of Christmas. The idea, in and of itself, does not bother me that much. Christmas, after all, is man made and whether you want to celebrate or not is totally up to you. However, the overall mindset bothers me a great deal. It is not just Christmas these people are after; it is anything to do with Christ and Christianity. Any public mention of Christianity conveys a state sponsored religion and everyone knows that violates separation of church and state. Many people are surprised to find that the phrase “separation of church and state” does not appear anywhere in the Constitution. It is also interesting to read what many of our founding fathers has to say about the importance of Christianity (Christianity specifically, not just religion in general). Dave Miller of Apologetics Press has some excellent material on this.
--Lamar
During the 17th century, craftsmen created white sticks of candy in the shape of shephreds' [sic] crooks at the suggestion of the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The candy treats were given to children to keep them quiet during ceremonies at the living creche, or Nativity scene, and the custom of passing out the candy crooks at such ceremonies soon spread throughout Europe. Some have suggested that the cane is in the shape of the letter “J” representing Jesus, with the white representing purity and the red, His blood. I am not sure how accurate all of this is, but at least it gave me some answers.
That took care of the candy cane, now on to the snowman. How did the snowman come to be associated with the Christmas holiday? A google search and I still don’t know. Some connect it with Charles Dickens’ book, “A Christmas Carol” in which there is a lot of snow. Others say it is simply because snowmen are made out of snow which is a wintertime event, and Christmas is celebrated in winter. However, this does bring to my mind another question.
Why is it that some people want to center everything about Christmas on Jesus and others want to take Him completely out of it? Such is the nature of man, a creature of extremes. It seems strange to me that people who give Christ little or any thought the rest of the year want to make Him the total focus of their lives for a few weeks. Putting out a nativity scene and going to church once or twice during the holiday season is no substitute for a life focused on Christ 365 days a year. Don’t get me wrong; I am glad people are at least thinking about Christ this time of the year. I just wish it was a part of their thinking and lifestyle year round. That may be a part of the problem; it requires too much commitment.
Those on the other extreme want to take everything having to do with Christ out of Christmas. The idea, in and of itself, does not bother me that much. Christmas, after all, is man made and whether you want to celebrate or not is totally up to you. However, the overall mindset bothers me a great deal. It is not just Christmas these people are after; it is anything to do with Christ and Christianity. Any public mention of Christianity conveys a state sponsored religion and everyone knows that violates separation of church and state. Many people are surprised to find that the phrase “separation of church and state” does not appear anywhere in the Constitution. It is also interesting to read what many of our founding fathers has to say about the importance of Christianity (Christianity specifically, not just religion in general). Dave Miller of Apologetics Press has some excellent material on this.
--Lamar
Friday, December 11, 2009
DO NOT BE AFRAID PART 3
For the last couple of weeks, we have been discussing some things of which we should not be afraid. Today, we will conclude these thoughts with two things which we should fear: sin and God.
Sin is to be feared by every man, woman, and child. Sin the transgression of God’s law and includes every kind of moral and religious disobedience. As we watch television and movies and listen to music, sin is often glamorized and portrayed as a way to make life pleasant. Really? How pleasant do you think Tiger Woods’ life is right now? His sinful lifestyle has made his life anything but pleasant, and that says nothing about what it is doing to his wife and children. He probably thought no one would ever know, but “be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).
That is just the physical, social side of the effects of sin. What about the spiritual? “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2). Sin causes us to be separated from God and incurs His wrath. “For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:30-31). Yes, sin destroys careers, families, and lives. However, it also destroys souls. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Jesus said, “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.5 “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5). What men might do to us is limited to our existence in this body. God’s power goes beyond the grave into eternity.
We do not fear God in the sense of being afraid of unfair treatment or injustice. We fear God in that we live in awe of His greatness, we respect Him, we believe Him, and we obey Him. The decisions we make in life should be governed by a fear of the Lord. While we do not fear God in the sense of injustice, we should fear His wrath against sin and what will happen to us if that sin remains unforgiven. We need to understand that God’s response to us is determined by the choices we make. “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off” (Romans 11:22).
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
--Lamar
Sin is to be feared by every man, woman, and child. Sin the transgression of God’s law and includes every kind of moral and religious disobedience. As we watch television and movies and listen to music, sin is often glamorized and portrayed as a way to make life pleasant. Really? How pleasant do you think Tiger Woods’ life is right now? His sinful lifestyle has made his life anything but pleasant, and that says nothing about what it is doing to his wife and children. He probably thought no one would ever know, but “be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).
That is just the physical, social side of the effects of sin. What about the spiritual? “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2). Sin causes us to be separated from God and incurs His wrath. “For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:30-31). Yes, sin destroys careers, families, and lives. However, it also destroys souls. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Jesus said, “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.5 “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5). What men might do to us is limited to our existence in this body. God’s power goes beyond the grave into eternity.
We do not fear God in the sense of being afraid of unfair treatment or injustice. We fear God in that we live in awe of His greatness, we respect Him, we believe Him, and we obey Him. The decisions we make in life should be governed by a fear of the Lord. While we do not fear God in the sense of injustice, we should fear His wrath against sin and what will happen to us if that sin remains unforgiven. We need to understand that God’s response to us is determined by the choices we make. “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off” (Romans 11:22).
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
--Lamar
Friday, December 4, 2009
DO NOT BE AFRAID PART 2
Last week, we discussed some things of which we should not be afraid. We should not be afraid to use what we have been given to work for God, nor should we be afraid to get involved in doing good.
We should not be afraid to take a stand for what is right, even if it means going against the crowd. In John 9, Jesus healed a man who had been blind from birth. When the Jewish leaders questioned the parents of the healed man about this miracle, they refused to commit themselves because they did not want to go against the crowd. “His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue” (John 9:22). Certainly the right way is not always the easy one. Being a faithful Christian calls for courage. The Bible says, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). It is tempting to yield to the crowd and go along with what everyone else is doing.
Jesus taught that the majority will choose the wrong course. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). Christians should not seek to be like everyone and everything around them. Romans 12:2 encourages us, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
If we stand for what is right no matter what, it may cause us to lose friends, be ridiculed, and even suffer persecution. Paul writes, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). No, it is not always easy to do the right thing, especially when it means acting contrary to what others are doing and what they want us to do. However, if our faith in God rests firmly in our minds, worldly opposition loses its significance.
We should never be afraid to confess our faith in Christ. We are familiar of the story of Peter’s denial of Christ. Only a short time earlier, Peter had stated that he would die for Jesus. Yet, when confronted by enemies of Christ and pressured, he gave into his fear. He denied Jesus three times, the final time with cursing and swearing (Matthew 26:69-75). Jesus said, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33). May we always have the boldness and courage to declare our faith and love for Him everywhere and to everyone.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
--Lamar
We should not be afraid to take a stand for what is right, even if it means going against the crowd. In John 9, Jesus healed a man who had been blind from birth. When the Jewish leaders questioned the parents of the healed man about this miracle, they refused to commit themselves because they did not want to go against the crowd. “His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue” (John 9:22). Certainly the right way is not always the easy one. Being a faithful Christian calls for courage. The Bible says, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). It is tempting to yield to the crowd and go along with what everyone else is doing.
Jesus taught that the majority will choose the wrong course. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). Christians should not seek to be like everyone and everything around them. Romans 12:2 encourages us, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
If we stand for what is right no matter what, it may cause us to lose friends, be ridiculed, and even suffer persecution. Paul writes, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). No, it is not always easy to do the right thing, especially when it means acting contrary to what others are doing and what they want us to do. However, if our faith in God rests firmly in our minds, worldly opposition loses its significance.
We should never be afraid to confess our faith in Christ. We are familiar of the story of Peter’s denial of Christ. Only a short time earlier, Peter had stated that he would die for Jesus. Yet, when confronted by enemies of Christ and pressured, he gave into his fear. He denied Jesus three times, the final time with cursing and swearing (Matthew 26:69-75). Jesus said, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33). May we always have the boldness and courage to declare our faith and love for Him everywhere and to everyone.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
--Lamar
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)