Rally to Restore Truthfulness

Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? (Galatians 4:16, NKJV).


Rally to Restore Truthfulness


It is easy to get along when you take a stand for nothing. When you not only don't straddle the fence, but don't go anywhere near anything that actually has the potential to divide. Moderation under the guise of liberal (the actual meaning of the word, not the political) tolerance is a good thing when it comes to non-essentials, but beyond that it collapses very rapidly. It has to.

Think about it for half-a-second. All ideas cannot lead to the same conclusion. Being for something necessarily means you are against it's opposite. A melody cannot play all available notes at once otherwise discord and musical chaos ensue; not symphony but cacophony. Commitment to an absolute is not insanity. It is, in fact, the only significant antidote to the gobbledegook of relativism.

The common media-blathered notion that evangelical Christians are extreme is, in itself, extreme. It is a broad-blush slander that would be upsetting if it had any meaning. If by "extreme" what is meant is "definite"  than the word extreme is misapplied. If it means "not mainstream" than so what? What in the world does mainstream have to do with logic and rationality and evidential faith?

The Bible is crystal clear about the response Christians are to expect from the world.

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. (John 15:18, 19; 1 John 3:13, NKJV).

Yet despite that, our response to the world is to be steadfast in telling the truth with love and humility and NO compromise.

but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--; Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another; in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, (Ephesians 4:15, 25; 2 Timothy 2:25, NKJV).

It's the NO compromise part that rankles. It's the definiteness that is offensive. It evokes a "how dare you think you know what's true!" response. But that kind of reaction DOES border on insanity. Why? Because if truth CAN be known (and it can), then touting otherwise is a disconnect from reality. And if someone claims knowledge of the truth, the sane response is to listen and evaluate, and compare what is claimed with what is proven and judge accordingly. Hatred is irrational.

But sadly, that is what the world is, irrational. Sin makes it blind and willfully ignorant. Consequently, it should be no surprise that the most egregious intolerance is disguised as professed tolerance, and the most anti-intellectual closed-mindedness is labeled the opposite.

So the answer to the question cited above is, "Yes." To those who do not love the truth, but love their own self-justifying sin instead, who love darkness rather than light, whose highest priority is to do what seems right in their own eyes, someone who speaks the plain simple truth of right and wrong IS an enemy. And the target of hatred.

But it doesn't matter in the end. We who know and love the truth are to continue to speak the truth with humility and love. Only God can change the heart, and maybe, just maybe, He will use one of us to do it.

Boasting

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14, NKJV).


Boasting


The older I get, the weaker I get, the longer I walk with the Lord, the less I find myself willing to boast. I think the Apostle Paul felt that way, too. He went from being somebody in the world's eyes - a young, ambitious corporate wonder with the best credentials who came from the best schools (Gamaliel's) to a scorned outcast who had to be lowered over the Damascus wall in a basket. He was a rising star until the Lord knocked him off a high horse and rendered him utterly dependent on those he had previously bossed around. He went from a position of authority to a place of reliance on the kindness of strangers and former adversaries; from the company of the best and the brightest to fellowship with lowest and the least. And I am dead certain he would not have wanted it any other way.

Drawing close to the Lord does that to a person. As their perception and understanding of Him becomes clearer, they begin to see themselves in the Light of His Being, and their own delusions of importance or quality vaporize.

There's another reason that boasting in myself has become less and less attractive or needful - the substance of it is a brittle as burnt toast. Smear all the home-churned butter on it you want, it can't disguise the bitter charcoal underneath.
 

And the final reason is this - I can't do anything on my own. I can't save myself or anyone else.  I can't provide real comfort or protection or anything at all of value if it's just me. Whatever good I do, however good I am, it's because of Christ in me, the hope of glory.

The only thing that gives me value is possible because my Lord redeemed me and made me new. And He did that by going to the Cross in my place, taking my sin on Himself, so that I could live. This means that, like 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, NKJV).

In comparison to that, everything else is just wind.

Cheap Talk

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13, NKJV).

Cheap Talk

Words are magic. It's an old belief from the dawn of time, and in a way, it's even true. Words, either spoken or written, convey meaning in the most unimaginable way possible. By that I mean, when you look at what a word actually is, either bits of ink on a page, or bits of vibrating air in the atmosphere, it is quite improbable to think that something as complex as an idea or thought could be transmitted by such ephemeral mechanisms. Of course, it is only through prior agreement that certain patterns of ink and air mean something, but it seems to me that if anything is magic, then words might be the one thing that qualifies.

There are lots of traditions about ancient incantations - collections of arcane or common words that are supposed to do something above and beyond the nearly miraculous thing that they already do, transmit significance. Spells, chants, mantras and the like sprinkle the history of man on earth like stale pepper on a boiled potato; visible, mildly interesting, but beyond making you sneeze a bit, really without any special impact.

Again, aside from conveying agreed upon meaning, most words uttered or written by humans are pretty cheap. Yeah they might ignite a war, or change the outcome of an election, or ruin a reputation, but the cause of such things is not really the words themselves, but the human reaction to them. Don't believe me? Try speaking something into existence. Now the Bible is rife with warnings about the words of man, and rightfully so, but not because the words themselves are powerful, but because the God-given human ability to understand and respond to them is the issue.

That's the point of Paul's commendation to the Thessalonican church. They heard the Apostle's preaching and responded in four significant ways, and by so doing, gave evidence that the source of Paul's words was not cheap human talk, but  the Inventor of Communication Himself. 

What was their response?

[they] received the word of God - I don't know how much frustration I have experienced in my life from knowing that my attempt at communicating something to someone bounces off their sensibilities unconsumed. It just doesn't penetrate or stick at all because the recipient may hear, but doesn't listen or absorb. The words and ideas are not received, not swallowed down into that part of the brain that chews and digests, or eschews and spits out. At times, any reaction at all is better than utter impenetrable apathy. But the Thessalonicans were not guilty of being thick. They received God's Word, and that is commendable indeed.

[they] welcomed it - like a loved one showing up at their door. I can almost imagine them saying with typical Middle Eastern hospitality, "Come in! Come in! My home is your home!" What a marvelous reaction. No wonder Paul thanked God for them unceasingly. As a sometimes teacher of the Word of God, it is unbelievably satisfying to be able to gratify an honest seeker's sincere hunger for the Word. I can understand, in part, how Paul was motivated to endure the sufferings he did in order to "preach glad tidings of good things".

not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God - they not only received and welcomed it, but they also recognized this was no cheap talk from some blathering man out for his own profit or glory. They understood it came from the Source of All Sources. They discerned its transformative power. They realized that the truth Paul had the privilege to convey was from God Himself - for them. Remarkable.

[they] believe[d] - and in believing, allowed the Word to work its power in their lives, transforming them from mere mortals into children of God. This is astonishing when you think about it, and more than a little miraculous; far more "magical" than any supposed incantation of old.

These early Christians are role models for us in this regard. Not only was Paul praising them for their initial response to God's truth, which led to their salvation, but later in the same epistle he congratulates them for continuing to allow the truth of God to conform them increasingly into the image of God's Son. His Word was working in them effectively as it was intended, for God promises that His Word will never return to Him void. It will always render the desired results, either life or death, joy or judgment, blessing or cursing.

I am not really saying, of course, that there is magic involved here, for that would be the palest possible description of what actually occurs. I am saying that there is supernatural power involved, the very same power that spoke the Universe into existence and maintains it nanosecond by nanosecond until that day when all things will be made new, and then beyond even that into eternity.

It is no accident that one of the many names of Jesus is logos, the Word, for in Him dwells all the fullness of the godhead bodily, and in Him all things were made and consist.

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12, NKJV).

Down a Well

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, (James 1:2, NKJV).

Down a Well

When are Christians trouble-free? This is not a trick question, but it is one that trips some Christians up when they are not properly steeped in the Word of God. There was teaching prevalent a few years back that the life of a Christ-follower with sufficient faith should be trouble-free, and if it weren't, well the fault was your faulty faith. It sounds like a good deal on the surface. Come to Christ and everything that follows is swell. The problem is that it is not true and never has been. Not ever. And if the reason you became a Christian is because it would make life easier, you will be sorely disappointed. You might even turn away because you may conclude that your investment isn't worth the return. That disillusionment, by the way, is a very real danger of what MacArthur calls "easy-believism", or quid pro quo Christianity. Now that I have come to Jesus, Lord, you owe me.

When are Christians trouble-free? When they depart from this world. Otherwise, walking with the Lord is a guarantee of tribulation in this life.  Not that you would necessarily escape such things as a non-believer, because the odds are you wouldn't. And even if you did, the best you had on earth is the closest you will ever get to Heaven, and at the end of your life you will be in torment for all eternity. On the other hand, the worst you may experience in this life as a Christian, no matter what it is, is the closest you will get to Hell, and at the end of your life you will be forever in Heaven “[and] God will wipe away every tear from [your] eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4, NKJV). That is one gigantic promise!

In the text above, James, the half-brother of Jesus, and the leader of the Jerusalem church is writing to God's people to encourage them in times of trouble. His perspective is very interesting. James doesn't emphasize, for instance, that in times of trouble God will sustain you. That is certainly true, but that is not the main point he makes. Nor does he say that there is any nice neat formula about trials in life; something like "if you do x then y won't happen, but be assured that if you don't avoid z then all Hell will break loose." While there are spiritual principles outlined in Scripture about why bad things happen to believers, sometimes for the purpose of correction, sometimes for the purpose of strengthening faith or character, or sometimes so that you will be better able to comfort others, that too is not where James'  emphasis lies. Instead, he focuses on the benefits trials produce, summarized by his next sentence: "knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience [or endurance]."(James 1:3, NKJV).

Here's the thing: if your life as a Christian is trouble free, you are either dead, or not a Christian. If, in fact, you are a true child of God by faith, then you are guaranteed, guaranteed, NOT to have a trouble-free life. Before I prove that conclusion, I want to point out a few things about the focus verse itself.

count it all joy - means to view with great satisfaction. A paraphrase would be "consider it PURE JOY". That can be a tall order, but it is an order, nonetheless. And the reason we our exhorted to do so is because "the testing" or "tempering" (like steel in fire) "of your faith produces" endurance. And those who endure to the end will be saved. Saved means not going to Hell. That is certainly a cause for the purest of unmitigated joy. I am not saying that endurance earns salvation, but that by enduring you prove your faith to be real.

when you fall into  - this means to be completely encompassed by, like tumbling down a well. James is not talking mild inconvenience here, but heart-wrenching, life-disruptive circumstances, events and emotions that, without the assurance that such serves a godly purpose in our lives, might make us stumble very badly.

various trials - speaks to the variety and uniqueness of each trial, and each person's unique response to that trial. A very wise man once said to me that "pain is pain". From the perspective of the suffering of a given moment, it matters little that some pain is much worse than other pain. Or more long-lived or devastating. Pain is pain.

James is reminding each one of us that our trouble-filled life is to be expected, accepted, and acquiesced to with grateful joy because it is from God. Job captures this thought beautifully.  “…The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21, NKJV). That is a monumental statement of enduring faith founded upon the knowledge that God is good and desires good for His children. Unbelievers have no such assurance in the midst of trials. From their perspective, things just happen. No rhyme, no reason, no purpose.

How do I know that trouble in a believer's life is guaranteed? Jesus said so.

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NKJV).

Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! (Luke 17:1, NKJV).

For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” (Hebrews 12:6, NKJV).

In addition, we are told in Romans that "all things work together for good to those who love God; to those who are the called according to His purpose." That's really the foundation for the joy that we are to have in times of stress. And note please, it is JOY, not HAPPINESS. There is really no correspondence between the two. One is a deep ocean of immeasurable, unchanging satisfaction. The other is a spray of water over a hot stove, soon evaporated. And the capstone of those 3 "proof texts" is this; each one balances (overbalances really) tribulation, offenses and troubles with peace, or justice, or love.

Yes, tribulation will come, but in Jesus there is PEACE because He has overcome the world.

Yes, offenses will come, but vengeance is mine, I will repay says the Lord, and WOE to those through whom the offenses come.

Yes, the Lord corrects and scourges (a very severe word, indeed) His beloved children, but it is out of His perfect LOVE.

Finally, allow me to conclude with the rest of the passage from Hebrews 12:

For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:6-11, NKJV).

Fearless, Powerful, Loving and Sane

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, NKJV).

Fearless, Powerful, Loving and Sane

It would be very nice to be rationally fearless. You know, the kind of courage that's not based on circumstances but on the sure and certain knowledge that your back is covered no matter what, that you have the power to deal with whatever confronts you, not with bitterness or anger, but with love and intelligence.

Timothy, the Apostle Paul's protege and son in the faith, needed encouragement as the young pastor of the Ephesian church nearly 2000 years ago. Paul, his mentor and spiritual father, was himself imprisoned in Rome, knowing he was about to face death at the hands of his captors. Yet, despite his own dire circumstances, he wrote two marvelous letters to Timothy, and in this second one, probably the last epistle the Apostle would ever write, he gently reminds young Timothy that those who are Christ's have no reason to fear.

Peeling away the layers of meaning in this short passage reveals several profound truths that will serve to bolster failing courage in times of fear and stress.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear - no, instead He has given us His Spirit, the Comforter, the One who pours out in our hearts the love of God, the One who is the guarantee of our eternal inheritance, and who never leaves nor forsakes us. The One who is the very Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father!" The One who testifies with our spirit that we are the children of God. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to have the intimate fellowship with God each and every moment of our lives.

God also promises to be our rear guard. He has not only our backs, but is the One who fights our battles, who will seek vengeance on our behalf, who will go before us and lead us through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28, NKJV). But in Christ, we have peace with God. That long war of rebellion is over, "So we may boldly say: 'The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:6, NKJV).

but of power  -  Paul had written earlier to the very same church that Timothy now pastored this marvelous benediction: "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man…" (Ephesians 3:14-16, NKJV). Please note the words "strengthened" and "might". Both connote power, and together they describe being continually filled with power or dunamis in the Greek, the etiological roots of our English words, dynamo and dynamite.

So not only do we have the Spirit of God, rather than the spirit of fear, but we are also benefactors of the very power of God.  Now this does not mean primarily physical power, though it can and did, as in Samson's case, and in the exploits of the Mighty Men of Israel, King David's crack commando force of 3000 years ago. But it is rather and mostly the power of character, of integrity, of steadfastness in the face of oncoming storms, of uncompromising righteousness and honesty despite monumental temptation to do otherwise. It is the power that comes from inmate fellowship with the One who has all power and authority.

and of love - this is agape love as beautifully detailed in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and written about here.

and of a sound mind - if you've ever had bouts of an unsound mind, one that is flittering about in panic, illogic and irrationality, then this is especially good news. Nothing makes a bad, stressful situation worse than unclear thinking. The flickering shadows in the dark become full-fledged monsters, the difficult challenges become insurmountable obstacles, and the very real human fear becomes paralyzing and unreasoning terror. Soundness of mind is the only foundation upon which peace of mind can be built. And only through knowing and understanding the grace of God can the peace of God be attained.

Have you ever wondered how those facing life and death trials can do so with intervals of supernatural calm, with that peace that passes understanding, with the bedrock assurance that they are known and loved by their Creator and Redeemer?

It is because He has given them Himself, and four of the manifold results are fearlessness, power, the ability to love, and sanity; not just for show, but for those times when, from the purely human perspective, none of those things are very likely at all.

Overwhelmed by Kindness

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared... (Titus 3:3, 4, NKJV).




Overwhelmed by Kindness

There are times, wondrous miraculous times, when God's love for me breaks into my awareness like a surging tide and I am swept along in wordless adoration and worship.  This is not something I can do or conjure up, it is His priceless gift, and I believe, truly believe, that this is His heart towards me always, not because of anything I am, but because of who He is.

I also believe that through my focus on the world, or things, or my life circumstances, I can cut off this awareness, I can lose sight of the lavish outpouring of His marvelous kindness. And then when the veil of my own making reopens, and I realize once more what I have been missing through my own self-centeredness and misdirected focus, I weep like a lost child finally found and once more safe in the arms of His Father.

The knowledge of God's love changes everything. His undeserved kindness toward me is so surprising and so unbelievably comforting that it makes all other knowledge and experience a mere whisper in comparison. Nothing else matters.

David, the ancient Warrior King of Israel, wrote of this often in his sweet Psalms of worship and adoration to God. John, one of the Sons of Thunder, wrote of it as well and became known to the early church as the Apostle of Love.

Satan wants the world to focus only upon God's judgment, while simultaneously denying that it applies. But the God of the Bible desires that the world know foremost of His love.

I have read the popular atheist writers of modernity. Dawkins, Hitchens and others, and the overriding sense I get is that these are angry men; angry at a God they claim does not exist; angry at a world that does not quite meet their specifications. Underneath the anger, I cannot help but see unrequited love. Their universe abandons them continually, and they are left alone to make sense of something so vast and complicated that in a terrified show of masculine intellectual bravado, they desire to believe with absolute delusional certainty that all they see of their tiny little corner of existence is all there is; like a little boy trapped in the darkness gritting his teeth and trying to rationalize a bravery he cannot possibly feel.

I have known life in this world without knowing God's love. It is empty and hateful and filled with barely disguised malice and envy. It has no meaning, and is insanely purposeless. But God's love poured out in our hearts makes sense of all that, and obliterates the darkness. He desires to shine that light of His love outward and everywhere, and asks only that we, His children, open our eyes.

When you doubt that He loves you, look at the Cross.

Nothing and Everything

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6, 7, NKJV).

Nothing and Everything

I naturally tend to do the exact opposite of this verse: anxious for everything and thankful for nothing. Part of the problem is that when I rehearse the things for which I am truly thankful, anxiety rears its ugly head over all the people and things I could lose. I am pretty sure Satan is smarter than me, and this is a brilliant tactic on his part to keep me focused on me and the world, and not God. Then my loving heavenly Father has to smack me upside the head with my own weakness and inadequacies so that I realize once again for the billionth time that any thought of control I have over my life, good or bad, is an hallucination.

Why oh why am I so thick-headed? What has my Lord ever done to make me doubt His faithfulness and love toward me? Yes, I have lost loved ones and have suffered pain and heartache, but that is life in a fallen world and without Him sustaining me by His love and grace I would have suffered far worse. Why is it that I cannot let go of the illusion that I must always do something in my own strength? He has shown me over and over again that He will give me strength and motivation when I need it. He has always been far more kind to me than I would have ever imagined. What is it about His demonstrations of love and care that I find so difficult to trust?

I could easily hide behind the excuse that I know I deserve none of His kindness so that it would be the height of arrogance for me to expect anything. But that is a noble sounding lie. What I long for in life has nothing to do with what I deserve or I expect. The longing part of me could really care less about the deserving of it. I still want and long; justice has very little to do with any of it. And here I believe is where I approach the crux of the problem, because I know and understand that the anxiety increases in proportion to the anticipated disappointment of the "not getting". I really don't want what the Lord wants for me. If I did, I could relax knowing that whatever comes is from Him, even the stuff that happens because of my own stupid action or inaction. And it will all work together for good.

The bottom line, I believe, is that I war for control over my life. I am afraid that if I submit completely to His authority, I won't be happy with the result. I don't think I'm arrogant enough to think He doesn't know what's good for me, but I do think I don't trust Him enough to leave the outcome completely in His hands. This IS incredibly arrogant; like a child thinking he or she knows better than the loving, wise parent. But it's also worse than that. The child, after all, has some justification in thinking that the parent in view isn't infallible, or perfectly loving, or powerful enough to ensure the intended outcome. It kind of makes sense in that context for even the most loving and obedient child to have twinges of doubt and fear in regard to the human parent. But if I really believed the things that I say I believe about my God and Father, I would not be anxious once I brought the situation to His attention in my heart.

Of course, He already knows all about what I am facing, but there is a transaction that seems to take place when I consciously lay those things at His feet. I give Him my cares, trusting completely that He cares for me, and in exchange, He gives me His peace that surpasses all understanding. Go back to the picture of a fearful child again. At a certain very young age, children in a loving household believe their parents are magic and powerful and can fix everything. There is an innocent trust involved that is precious and necessary in order for the young and vulnerable child to grow and mature without collapsing under the weight of reality. A loving look, a comforting hug, or kind and understanding words can obliterate mountains of the little one's fear and panic. As they get older, this effect and trust is undermined by actual experience, as they see their human and fallible parents fall far short of the standard of perfection the child thought was theirs. In a very tragic way, the growing realization that Mom and Dad are mere sinful human beings is heart-breaking.

But  as a child of God, I have no such justification. If I loved Him even in small part the way He loves me, I would NEVER be afraid for more than the time it takes me to remember Who it is who has my very breath in His hands. Who knit me together in my mother's womb. Who knows the number of my days and the hairs on my head. Who has inscribed my name on the palm of His hand.

My anxiety then is not just a lack of faith. It is a lack of love. My love for Him.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18, NKJV).

Look in the Mirror

Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:26, NKJV).

Look in the Mirror

I do not like mirrors because they always disappoint me, and invariably prevent me from nurturing my most cherished self-delusions. For a Christian though, that's a good thing. In fact, I can't think of anything more oxymoronic than a puffed-up follower of Christ; someone who thinks they are something when the Bible teaches quite plainly that we are nothing, the "offscouring" of the world. "For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence." (1 Corinthians 1:26-29, NKJV).

That's us: unwise, powerless, ignoble, foolish, weak, base, despised, insubstantial and inglorious. For someone who is helpless and hopeless, becoming conceited simply proves everything that God says about us. And the definition of the Greek word used is perfect: glorying without reason. That's why Paul declares that “…he who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” (2 Corinthians 10:17, NKJV). For the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul to warn us about something means that if we do not heed the warning, what He warns against is precisely what will occur. Never, ever disregard the many warnings in Scripture. It would be more senseless than ignoring a "Bridge Out" sign on the highway.

Conceit leads to provocation, one way or another. The mere fact of being confronted by someone who is conceited is, in and of itself, provoking. Plus, someone who is conceited deludedly thinks he or she has a basis from which to provoke someone else with impunity. I see it all the time in our dogs. The smaller one thinks he is unbelievably special, and has no qualms about strutting self-importantly all over the house like he owns the place, and all in his presence should be overwhelmingly grateful that he deigns to abide in the same universe they do. Frankly, his attitude provokes me to prove otherwise, which being several times his size and somewhat smarter than he is, I can do with remarkable success. Yet, he remains unrepentant.

At the same time, this narcissistic poodle is unaccountably envious of any affection shown to anyone else in the household, particularly when it is directed towards his larger, and more humble canine counterpart, who has seniority in terms of age and time-in-grade as a pet. It's ridiculous and demonstrates that provocation and envy are partners in crime, even in the pet world. In fact, if it weren't for the little one's saving grace of insane devotion to my wife I would be provoked to make his life much less comfortable.

So we are warned within the church of Christ not to be these things to one another. It is unseemly to those on the outside, and disruptive of unity on the inside. And I would not be surprised if Christ, the Head of the Church, would not be righteously provoked to make our lives on earth much less comfortable in response. Pride is an ugly thing indeed, and spiritual pride is particularly obnoxious.

The remedy is to look constantly in the mirror the Bible provides and fully understand who we really are: miserable unreasoning sinners saved by grace. Nothing to boast about in that, except to boast in the Savior.

"For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" (1 Corinthians 4:7, NKJV).

Fish Out of Water

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25, NKJV).

Fish Out of Water

The passages in Galatians 5:16-26 we've been looking at begin and end with the concept of "living in the Spirit". This, the second to last verse propels us inescapably toward the following conclusion: beings thrive best in the environment they were made for; like fish in water, birds in trees, and born-again Christians in the Spirit.

Until conversion we were dead in trespasses and sins, not physically, at least not for the brief span of our earthly lives, but in a far more important spiritual sense. In Christ, we have been made alive again "in the Spirit". If, once we have been regenerated spiritually it makes no sense to go back to that dead fleshly milieu. It's anti-survival. It would be like a dog returning to its vomit, or a swine wallowing in the mud. Or like a man finally freed from the rotting corpse strapped to his back struggling mightily to pick it back up and cart it around again.

But because of that war between our flesh and spirit that we fight on a daily basis, we can loose ground and slip back under the oppression of our sinful nature. It is, in fact, a piece of cake to do so, undoubtedly because we are so naturally skilled at rebellion against God and His perfect will for us. It is what our old man did best, and still does, UNLESS we comply with Paul's exhortations in these verses. We must consciously "cast off the works of darkness" and "put on the armor of light". We must "put to death the deeds of the body", "crucify our flesh", and cultivate the "fruit of the Spirit".

It all makes perfect sense, actually. That which is fed and nurtured, grows. That which is starved will not. "For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." (Galatians 6:8, NKJV).

While I am no fan of formulaic behavior, I am a firm believer in spiritual principles as they are presented in Scripture. The resulting aphorism is this: if you feed the flesh you will weaken the spirit; if you feed the spirit (on God's word, fellowship, prayer and setting your mind of things above), you will weaken the flesh. Weak opponents do not do well in battle.

Again, please understand that Paul is not saying our bodies are evil. Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made, and God intends them for good. It is our carnal, earthly nature that is hell-bent toward destruction. Christ has delivered us from that "body of death". It only makes sense that we strive to live like it.

Just Can't Kill the Beast

And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24, NKJV).




Just Can't Kill the Beast

Crucifixion is one of the most cruel deaths imaginable. It is designed to maximize suffering and minimize dignity. It is ruthless and implacable and relentless. Throughout the ordeal the body struggles reflexively to escape the pain, to rise up against the nails impaling some of the most sensitive joints in the body merely to draw yet one more breath. Ancient Roman records tell of victims literally going insane before expiring, their thirst-wracked bodies struggling ferociously, with each futile movement increasing the agony exponentially. Death comes slowly in most instances. One account speaks of a man surviving for 9 days, so desperate was he to resist the inevitable. By the time he breathed his last, his bones had pierced his emaciated and dehydrated skin, his eyes had literally exploded in petechial hemorrhaging, and his face was ravaged by scavenger birds beyond human recognition.

That is the picture Paul paints with the verse above. That is the war that goes on between a Christ-regenerated heart and the old unregenerate nature. It is the expected outcome of the battle that ensues when the "flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh." The Apostle purposefully uses this analogy to emphasize the horrendous significance of the conflict, and yet I can't help but confess that this war as waged in my own being is not nearly as intense or heated. I have certainly "not yet resisted to bloodshed striving against sin." But I should be. And if I could, the death of those fleshly lusts would truly liberate me to live life as a man after God's own heart.

Of course the analogy is figurative, not literal. The Lord does not expect His children to actually undergo crucifixion, but He does expect us to combat the passions and desires of our old nature with the same ferocity with which our old nature fights back, like that body on the Roman cross struggling relentlessly against the iron bonds that restrain its freedom. Nor is this to imply that all passions and desires deserve ruthless death, but only those that are ungodly, self-destructive, animalistic and rebellious. Be assured, there is godly passion and desire, and a Christian walking in humble surrender to His Lord is overflowing with both. But it is the kind that brings life, not death. The kind that fiercely stands for what is right, that comforts, and is kind, that is gentle and is immersed in love, not lust. It is an all-consuming desire for good and the passion to know and live in fellowship with the Father and with His Son.

And please note the ownership explicitly stated in the focus text: "And those who are Christ's…". We are His possession, bought at a price, destined for unimaginable glory. Heaven is no place for a dead man, and sin's inevitable outcome is death.

Note one final thing, the tense of the verb associated with crucified. It is past-perfect in the Greek, signifying a completed act or state. That is how God views us through His son; already perfected though we fall far short of the final "adoption, the redemption of our body". To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, we are all divine beings in the making, not yet fully cooked by any means, but from the Father's perspective, an already completed masterpiece of His Son's.

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (Romans 8:29, 30, NKJV).
 

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:6, NKJV).

Yes we will struggle. We are meant to struggle against our sin with all that is within us. Yes, we will fall, but He promises to pick us up again and again, until that last freeing moment when we no longer require the air of this raggedy life, and fully possess the heavenly inheritance that is ours in Christ.

Divine Lawlessness

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. AGAINST SUCH THERE IS NO LAW. (Galatians 5:22, 23, NKJV). 




Divine Lawlessness




It used to be that protecting the unborn was noble and good. Now the world calls it extreme and narrow-minded. "Keep your stinky Christian laws out of my uterus!" touted a pro-abortion placard not too long ago, except it said something more pejorative than 'stinky'.

It used to be that supporting and dignifying the nuclear family unit was a good thing. Now if you're not 100% behind all kinds of marriage and family configurations then you're a Neanderthal bigot. (My apologies for the gross broad-brushing of all Neanderthals by that characterization.)

Christians should not be surprised at this turn of events. It was prophesied by Isaiah 2500 years ago: "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20, NKJV). Whoa! That's a pretty concise summary of the truth underneath what passes for modern wisdom these days. Its shocking really, how accurately the Bible anticipates the rampant reversal of values we are seeing come to fruition right before our eyes. Fairly soon, I expect to see some international laws passed that would require behavior that only a generation ago would have been considered aberrant or humiliating.

Fortunately, human legislation can never, and will never, supersede divine law. No matter what insanity some elite political body devises or imposes in the future, against such things as outlined in the focus verse above there is no law. From the Lord's perspective, it will NEVER be illegal to bear the fruit of the Spirit.

In ancient Israel, devout Jews would live or die by slavish adherence to the body of religious and ceremonial regulations that blossomed around the 10 Commandments, and the 613 statutes and judgments surrounding life in their Theocracy. (If you think 613 laws are a lot, consider the number of pages that comprise the latest attempt at government controlled Healthcare in the U.S.) These embellishments were contained in writings like the Talmud or Mishna and sought to clarify God's laws. Of course, there's a fundamental flaw in thinking that God's laws needed clarification, but that's besides the point.

This body of proscribed behavior contained 100's of rules and definitions, for instance, about what God meant when He said, "you shall do no regular work on the Sabbath." Leave it to the legal geniuses of our species to take something beautifully simple and throw lots of mud on it. It was from this flimsy foundation of faulty thinking that the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day tried to trip Him up and turn public opinion against Him. Sounds a lot like the opinion czars of today, no?

They contrived a scandal out of the fact that Jesus actually made a man who had been an invalid for 38 years completely well on the Sabbath. I'm sure some of these legalists were intensely sincere about their reasoning, condemning Jesus by the letter of the law, while completing missing the underlying and profound spirit or intent of the law. Nevertheless, Paul's statement above is in direct opposition to that kind of misguided and malign thinking. His point, then and now, is that bearing the fruit of the spirit, being filled with agape love. godly joy, peace that surpasses understanding, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control ALWAYS trumps any man-made legislative attempt to curtail, define or limit such things. It is NEVER illegal to do good or be kind or love the way God loves, no matter what religious, cultural or legal tradition or statute of men may declare. God's laws cannot be abrogated or sublimated to man's laws. Ever.

That is very good to know and understand and here's why: it frees us to be like Christ. We are not bound by ritual or ceremony. We needn't wear some kind of religious uniform, or walk in lock-step to some external, superficial attempt by others to control our godliness.

But it goes even beyond that. It is an implicit warning by the Holy Spirit Himself not to even try to invent such restrictions. It's useless and futile and makes us part of the enemy in this ages-long war against God.  Against emulation of Christ, there IS NO LAW, and NEVER WILL BE.
 

The Light House

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2, NKJV).

 

The Light House

Life is foggy. There may be a moment or two of clarity here and there when you have a fairly good sense of where you're headed, but most of the time you have no idea what you'll run into over the next hour, let alone the next day or week or year. It pays then to know where the Light House is, and to keep your eye locked on it, lest you find yourself torn apart on the rocks or tossed about in the wind and the waves of the rough seas of daily life and completely lose your way.

It is no accident that Jesus self-describes his purpose as the "light of the world." The Book of John is where He says it most.

Joh 1:4* In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Joh 1:9* That [Jesus] was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

Joh 8:12* Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Joh 9:5* “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Joh 12:46 “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.

He points us to Himself as the Light-bearer, the One who leads the way and destroys the darkness.

The word translated "looking" in the verse cited above above means "fix an unwavering gaze upon." It is an act of will based on faith. It is what enabled Peter, in a magnificent display of outrageous faith, to step out of the boat amidst the stormy sea and walk on water… until He took his gaze off the Lord and began to sink. Even then, he did the next best thing and cried out, "Lord! Save me!" And Jesus reached out His hand and pulled him up. That is what He desires to do for all of us.

Know too, as it says above, that Jesus, our light and life, endured the Cross "for the joy that was set before Him." We who need the light, and look to the light, ARE THAT JOY. His death on the cross in our place was not something He did grudgingly. It was, in fact, motivated by JOY. He did it out of love for us and the Father, and for JOY that in doing so, He would save us and give us the only antidote to eternal darkness, His light.

Given all that, and the fact the He is what enables us to escape from "blackness and darkness forever",  and knowing that with Him in view, guiding the way like that Light House firmly established and blazing forth from the shore, the fog of daily life is a piece of cake. No matter how rough the seas get.

Of course, you may need to get capsized a view times to take this seriously. Very often that is what the storms are intended to do, get you to realize how flimsy that boat really is, how bad a pilot you really are, and how big the waves can become. Being the blockheads we humans are, it's not surprising that we need to get knocked around a bit before we come to the end of ourselves. For a lot of us, it's the only way to get our attention.

Look, He gives us a choice. Focus on the wind and the waves and the fog that leads inevitably to darkness, or fix our gaze upon the One who desires with all His heart to lead us to safety.

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15, NKJV).

Personal Responsibility: Yes We Can!

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, SELF-CONTROL. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22, 23, NKJV).




Personal Responsibility: Yes We Can!

Is alcoholism a disease? How about drug addiction? In my wasted youth when I drank like a fish and did just about any drugs I could get my hands on, I was overjoyed to hear that some "experts" thought so. It gave me the best excuse I could ever imagine: "It's not my fault! I'm sick!" Perfect! I viewed it as a license to indulge.

Later on, as a "responsible adult", but before I became a Christian, I suspended those behaviors because I thought they were killing me and I was afraid to die. I still considered them diseases though, and for a time ignored the fact that I had somehow managed to treat myself. I had swallowed the popular wisdom that I was afflicted with an incurable disease until I questioned the glaring disconnect of my apparent spontaneous remission. My educated friends were indignant at my Neanderthalic illusion of self-control, and aghast that I even dared to question the accepted truth. They told me my supposed cure was delusional. After fruitless argument, I dropped the whole discussion because it made me want to go out and get a drink. 



As a Christian informed about life by the inerrant, infallible Word of God, I have since come to know and believe that the world has no idea what it's talking about. Alcoholism and drug abuse are sins, pure and simple. I'm not saying these are not difficult to give up, or are not painful and destructive, or that drinkers and drug-users should be scorned and denied compassion. If I were saying that about drunks, I'd be saying the same thing about thieves and liars and everyone else in the world because we are all afflicted with sin, and Christ died to procure pardon for all of us. What I am saying is that the propaganda that these bad habits are incurable diseases is not helpful. While that equation may have been motivated initially by an outward desire for good, the real result is evil. Why? Because it relieves the sinner of personal responsibility and renders them helpless; like throwing a drowning man a mill stone instead of a life preserver.

The world, of course, has a vested interest in denying the existence of sin. It's an ongoing battle in the long war against God. Part of the strategy is to marginalize anyone who even talks about sin as being an ignorant bigoted dolt without human decency or education. Christians should not be surprised by this tactic. As far back as the New Testament, in anticipation of the continuous moral decline of the world into obvious spiritual blindness, the Apostle Paul warned in Romans Chapter 1 that there are those, "who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1:32, NKJV). That these people are now in a position to consider themselves arbiters of popular wisdom and political correctness is no shock either. They are perfect tools; useful idiots. They advance this ridiculous stratagem: no sin means no judgment and no God. Good luck with that one. You'll need it, particularly at the end of you life.

Self-control as a fruit of the Spirit enters into this discussion in that it enables us to accomplish three vitally important things in the Christian walk. The first is it gives us power over sin. Not that we are in any way sinless, but we as Christians have the option NOT to sin. We are set free from the penalty of sin and the propensity to sin. Through His Spirit within us we can have what Christians call victory over sin. I know people, and know OF many more people, who, through faith in Christ, have turned their lives completely around. Many headed toward inevitable self-destruction and severe damage to those around them have become more than conquerors. Where before they were slaves of alcohol, or drugs, or sex, or other lusts of the flesh, they are now no longer captives. In many cases, though not all, this entailed little or no effort on their part to put aside their most besetting sin. It just happened, a gift of God.

In addition to the power not to sin, Spirit-led self-control gives believers the necessary groundwork to manifest the other aspects of the fruit of the Spirit: longsuffering, kindness, goodness and gentleness, especially in the face of provocation to do otherwise. This is true because that kind of self-control is not merely an act of will, which can falter with lack of sleep or bad digestion or stress, but it is supernatural, coming from God Himself. It is what enable us to face life with the peace that surpasses understanding, and to rejoice in trials because more than just our minds and emotions are at the wheel.

And finally, it makes us virtually immune to manipulation from others. Why? For the simple and profound reason that external provocation need not penetrate our God-given defenses. When reviled, we need not revile in return. When offended, we need not take offense. When unfairly treated, we can give our cause over to a good and faithful Creator, knowing that God is our rearguard, and promises to fight our battles and vindicate us in the end.

Do not overlook the power of these life-principles. Imagine, if you will a life lived mostly on these terms: free from the slavery of sin with the  liberty NOT to sin; empowered to be truly kind and good and gentle even under duress; and immune to manipulation.

A real-life superhero.

Sweet Powerful Reasonableness

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, GENTLENESS, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22, 23, NKJV).




Sweet Powerful Reasonableness

There are five significant things to know about GENTLENESS as a fruit of the Spirit.

First, like all good gifts, it comes from above, and the word Paul uses to describe it is rich in meaning and comfort, like a soft, warm blanket on a cold wintry night. Or a full-grown formidable guard dog that despite its training and experience has not lost its essential puppy-ness.

Secondly, from the perspective of God to Man, this gentleness is best thought of as clemency. It is distinctly active, and serves as the underlying foundation of God's words and actions toward humanity. The relationship is one of superior to inferior, as in Someone having the power and authority to control and condemn, but Who nevertheless ordains a "…fundamentally…relaxing of strict legal requirements concerning others, yet doing this in order to more fully carry out the real spirit of the law. It is clemency in which there is no element of weakness or injustice." Without this gentleness from God towards man, Adam's Fall would have resulted in instant and irremediable judgement. There would have been no gospel, nor redemption nor Messiah.

Thirdly, form the perspective of man to God, it entails the humble acceptance of whatever may come from God. It is the diametric opposite of the rebellious state in which we are all born and live until we, through God's grace and mercy, accept His gift of salvation. It is supernaturally bestowed, a work of the Spirit of God in the heart of a soul that has been born again. Like all aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, it can only be grown by the Word of God planted in that good soil of a regenerated heart that hears the truth, rejoices in the truth, and abides in the Vine. As in all such things, it cannot be produced by any effort of man, but only by the combatant in the field of battle, humbly accepting the terms of surrender imposed by the just and superior force arrayed against him. It is the result of the ignominious and inglorious rebel laying down his puny weaponry, resigned to whatever comes from the victor in response. That the response is clemency and mercy is all the more cause for joy that the conflict has finally ceased.

Fourthly, within the family of God toward one another, GENTLENESS is that powerful and sweet reasonableness spawned from humility, that honest assessment of one's strengths and gifts not corrupted by the sick, self-serving and false proclamations of inadequacies and weaknesses. It is the sincere result of not thinking very much about yourself at all because you hold a firm conviction that smallness is the right self-estimate for any human being, however strong or talented. Lewis wrote, "Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call 'humble' nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all."

Lastly, in the context of gentleness from the believer to the outside world, it is strength under control, sometimes termed 'meekness', though that has modern connotations the original meaning of the word did not. It is not physical or mental strength at all, but strength of character and conviction; that quiet sense of loving substance and certainty not shouted raucously and preachily from mountaintops, but manifested through merely living the Christian life. It is a gentleness that requires no billboards or bullhorns or amplifiers, but is nonetheless a firm foundation of care and sincerity that is oddly attractive without being flashy. It is the kind of gentleness that children and dogs recognize instinctively and instantly, regardless of outward appearance.

The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I appreciate sincere gentleness, and the more I am able to differentiate it from the superficial outward civility that always reminds me of someone trying his or her best not to be flatulent. Of all the different components of the fruit of the Spirit, this one is the easiest to mistake for something which it most certainly is not: weakness. Be forewarned, true Spirit-filled gentleness is captivating and easy to be around, but it is anything but weak. It can withstand and defeat all the brutal offenses of this life because it is fueled not by human will or human determination, but by the fierce and holy fires from the very heart of the Living God Himself.

Pitfalls and Cliffhangers (To All the Honest Hippies Out There)

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22, 23, NKJV).


Pitfalls and Cliffhangers

Uncertainty is almost always damaging, and the scope of damage is directly proportional to the significance of the stakes. It may not be so traumatizing for someone to be uncertain about a new hairstyle, but a potentially fatal illness is another matter entirely.

Given this, a good rule of thumb is: the more important the question, the more certainty is required in the answer.

"Daddy, what happens when you die?"

I have been asked that at one time or another by each one of my children. Now if you believe, as much of the world does except for a few foolishly confident atheists, that physical death is not the end of existence, but an entrance into another kind of life, then the answer you give to this question is profoundly important. And the authority upon which you base your answer is more important still, since it speaks directly to the validity and reliability of your answer. Add to this the proposition of an eternal afterlife, again something most of the world does believe, then the importance, authority, validity and reliability of your response increases exponentially to, well, Biblical proportions.

If, on the other hand, you believe that "you're born you live and you die" and there's absolutely no epilogue, eternal or otherwise  (it turns out that very few people, except our intellectual superiors, actually do believe this) then how you chose to answer that child's question, if you even bother to have or interact with any children, is up to you. A suggested real uplifter on the way to your liquor cabinet is "When you die, nothing much happens, kid. Your body returns to Gaia to feed the worms."

Here's the thing though. What if you're wrong? Or more precisely, how certain are you of your answer? Are you willing to bet all eternity on it?

I am pretty sure that eternity is an irrevocably long time. It's kind of like stepping off the edge of a very sheer, very steep cliff edging an invisible bottomless pit. The decision once made can't be unmade, no matter how much regret you might feel on the way down, or how unbelieving you might have been as to the actual existence of either the cliff or the pit. Actually, every sane person understands that the cliff edge is there; hardly anyone knows someone who won't die sooner or later. But the real issue of certainty or uncertainty comes into play once you are inevitably pushed off the edge of the world.

The Bible teaches with unequivocally declared authority that falling off the edge of the world doesn't automatically result in descent. It is possible, instead, to ascend into whatever is the opposite of a bottomless pit. The Bible calls it Heaven, where God lives. That is very good news, indeed, if it's true. Or even possibly true.

"Daddy, what happens when you die?"

I think a good answer is this: "Well, honey, you leave the earth and either go up into light and life and joy, or down into despair and darkness. Forever."

Two additional questions usually follow, not necessarily in this order: "How do you know, Daddy?" And "What do ya' hafta to do to go up?"

Sometimes a third question arises, depending on the age and maturity of the questioner. It's this: Why? But the answer to that question goes beyond this post, because what this post is about is certainty. Scripture calls it FAITHFULNESS.

"There is only one way to enter Heaven, honey. Believe in Jesus - that He is the vey Son of God, that He became a Man to pay for your sins on the Cross so you won't have to, and that He rose from the grave after three days and now sits at the right hand of the Throne of God. As to how I know this is true, that's what God tells us in His Word. He promises that if we do those things, when we get pushed off the edge of the earth we will go up and not down. And we'll live forever and never have to say good-bye again."

"But how do we know that God will keep His promises, Daddy?"

"Because He is FAITHFUL honey. And He cannot lie. God is what faithful is. He knows everything and can do anything and when He says something or promises something, He means it. It HAS to happen. It can't NOT happen. Jesus said to His disciples that the sky and the earth will pass away, but not ONE WORD will fail that God has said. And if He created everything and knows everything and has all power there is NOTHING that can prevent His promise from coming true. Nothing."

"So you trust God, Daddy? Are you sure?"

"As sure as it's possible to be, honey. And there's one other thing, sweetheart."

"What, Daddy?"

"God loves us. And when you love somebody as much as God loves us, loving us enough to send His Son to die for us on the Cross, then you keep your word, no matter what. And because He's God, His word for it is all we need."

From the human perspective, we are to practice that same kind of no-matter-what FAITHFULNESS, and it has to come from God. It isn't something we can produce on our own. That doesn't mean that we will never not make good on our promises; only an omnipotent, omniscient Being can make that kind of a guarantee. But here's what it does mean. It means that as a child of God by faith, your word, your integrity, your reliability, transparency and honesty are as much a part of your existence and behavior as your lungs. It is mostly what you are above mostly everything else about you. When you commit to something you mean it, always, every time. No exceptions. No excuses. No hedging your bets.

This will have two immediate consequences if you cultivate this fruit of the Spirit in your life. One, it should make you think twice before spouting off about your intentions. Two, it should make you realize that you yourself are totally inadequate to live up to this standard. It is only Christ within you that even gets you in the running in the first place. And it is only through the continued surrendering of your will to His, will you have any hope of being this kind of faithful.

As a Christian man, woman or child, your word should be your bond. How's that for simple?

Goodness

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, GOODNESS, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22, 23, NKJV).
Goodness

The Theory of Evolution™ makes a mockery of the whole concept of moral virtue. The corollary is also true; the existence of moral virtue makes a mockery of the Theory of Evolution™.

Prior to becoming a Christian I was a self-proclaimed "origins expert", and had been since the moment I got my first blue, poured-plastic Brontosaurus (now renamed Apatosaurus) from the local hobby shop as a bespectacled eight year-old. I recall spending many hours as a geekish adolescent in the backyard painstakingly reproducing stone tools from the flint nodules in my mother's garden. Indeed, one of the final obstacles to my conversion was the apparent contradiction between the Bible and evolutionary science. Both could not be true.

I have since steeped myself in the controversy, and after examining ALL the available evidence from both sides I come down squarely in the Young-earth Creationist camp. If this discredits my intellect or judgment in your mind, all I can say is let's discuss it. I may not have all the answers but the ones I have were persuasive enough to have changed my mind on the issue, even after nearly 40 years of holding the evolutionary viewpoint.

I conclude then, that if macro-evolution is true, not species adaptation mind you, but the whole "goo through the zoo to you" kind, then there can be no such thing as goodness, or justice, or beauty, or any other kind of moral virtue. Or if there is, it's all relative and situational and as changeable as the weather. I come to this conclusion because all these things become subservient, not to some transcendent absolute standard, but to whatever makes alpha-male A get better mates than beta-male B. And by better, I mean hardier, sturdily reproducible, and less likely to die. That's it. Nothing else matters. So if in the scheme of things over the course of history our products-of-random-events-over-time, you know our brain's 'thinking', conceives of some idea that we call 'goodness', the immediate question that arises is, goodness for what survival purpose?

If my prehistoric ancestors devised a better way to wipe out the competition for food or mates or territory, evolutionist MUST define that as 'good', because it promoted the survival of the "selfish gene" pool from which I "happened" to have descended. And if they don't, their thinking is not logical or internally consistent, and if that's true, why then would I listen to anything else they have to say? Furthermore, as C.S. Lewis has written, "… if … thoughts … are mere accidental by-products [of the random movement of atoms over time], why should we believe them to be true? I see no reason for believing that one accident should be able to give me a correct account of all the other accidents."

On the other hand, if there exists a transcendent standard of goodness, then it must come from somewhere 'outside' of the material Universe. Where else could it originate?  A black hole? A quantum singularity? Some primordial hydrogen atoms? This is important, otherwise their is no point in writing any further about GOODNESS as a fruit of the Spirit. It either exists as an absolute, or it is no more significant then the "preferences" of whoever is currently in power and has the biggest stick.

As a Bible-believing Christian (there is no other kind - does that make me narrow-minded, or as I suspect, merely logical?), I know what GOODNESS is and  Who owns it. I know the definition, impact, purpose and etiology. I know what it does and guards against, and I have no doubt whatsoever that it is important.

Since I've already argued that absolute goodness must be transcendent, outside of time and space, and must in someway be imposed upon the physical universe, it makes sense to attribute the source to the One Whom the Bible describes as EXACTLY that: He who inhabits eternity. He who knows the end from the beginning. He whose purposes always come to pass (Isa 57:15; 46:10), namely God. God is also described as all powerful (omnipotent), all knowing (omniscience), and everywhere-present (omnipresent). Aquinas summed it up pretty well nearly a thousand years ago when he wrote that "God is that than which no greater can be conceived." Aquinas may have had other problems, but that was a good sentence.

Think about this, God as Designer and Creator, could have made it so that life itself was unutterably agonizing. Fulfilling the need for nourishment, for example, may have been such that while no less necessary, He could have made it excruciatingly painful. Why didn't He? Because He is good. The same is conceivable for so many of the things that give us pleasure in life and, for the most part, make us glad to be alive. Ironically, I think the most telling proof of this argument is what happened to child-bearing after the Fall because of the Curse. In judgment, and perhaps as a reminder throughout all the generations since of the goodness that was lost, God re-implemented reproduction to be painful. Before that, it was not.

To fully understand GOODNESS then, especially as a fruit of the Spirit, we need to understand the "goodness of God." To do that I suggest we look at its effect as described in Scripture, following the example Jesus provided in discussing the realm of the Spirit as an analogy to the wind (i.e.; “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” - John 3:8, NKJV).

From the verses below you will see that God's goodness: is abounding; is always directed to His children; is a cause for rejoicing; endures continually and forever; provides for the poor;  withholds no benefit; is merciful; lead us to righteousness and repentance; is instructive; is transformative; results in our goodness; gives eternal hope; is all-encompassing and comprehensive; defines what is good; silences evil; is our re-birth mark.

No worthier or more valuable fruit can be cultivated.

Ex 34:6* And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,
De 6:24 ‘And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day.
De 26:11* “So you shall rejoice in every good thing which the LORD your God has given to you and your house, you and the Levite and the stranger who is among you.
2Ch 6:41* “Now therefore, Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, And let Your saints rejoice in goodness.
Ps 52:1* <<To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of David when Doeg the Edomite went and told Saul, and said to him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.”>> Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually.
Ps 68:10* Your congregation dwelt in it; You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.
Ps 84:11* For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.
Ps 109:21* But You, O GOD the Lord, Deal with me for Your name’s sake; Because Your mercy is good, deliver me.
Ps 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.
Ho 3:5* Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days.
Mic 6:8* He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
Ro 2:4* Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
Ro 8:28* And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Ro 11:22* 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.
Ro 12:2* 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.
Php 2:13* for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
2Th 1:11* Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,
2Th 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,
1Ti 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;
2Ti 3:17* that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Heb 6:5* and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
1Pe 2:15* For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--
3Jo 11* Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.

Ancient Hippies

But the fruit of the spirit is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, KINDNESS, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22, 23, NKJV).

Ancient Hippies

I believe it is impossible to immerse yourself in the study and meditation of God's Word and come away thinking you are something. I am astonished at Christians who believe and act as if they are something special IN AND OF THEMSELVES.

Every letter in the New Testament is corrective. Every exhortation for right behavior is an explicit declaration that our tendency, even as Christians, is the opposite. "Husbands love your wives…" is there because we husbands are airheads and forget our purpose and role. "Children obey your parents…"  is a reminder to naturally rebellious and disobedient children to behave otherwise. "Wives submit to your husbands as is fitting the Lord…" would be an unnecessary instruction if the natural tendency of the saved wife was to facilitate that perfect corporate partnership that is God's intention for marriage in Christ.

Face it!  We are losers this side of Heaven. The difference, the ONLY difference, between our failure as Christians to live up to God's standards and the rest of the world's, is that we have NO EXCUSE. We, through Christ, have been "set free from sin". It no longer "has dominion over us." We have "Christ within us, the hope of glory." We are "new creations" empowered to live life in a new way, not by our own delusional self-determination, but by the Spirit of God. That we fail constantly anyway is not exactly a reason to pat ourselves on the back.

PRIDE is the most deleterious, noxious, toxic and counterproductive work of the flesh. It is an obstacle to EVERYTHING godly. And it takes so many subtle and pervasive forms that it is like a relentless, rapidly adaptive bacteria that spits in the face of all the latest antibiotics. (That was a really good sentence and I am proud of it… see what I mean!)

There is, however, an antidote, that if we would only humble ourselves enough to take it daily (every waking second even), we would see immediate improvement. It's this: strive to enter His rest, to not quench the Spirit, to cease from working in our own strength, because it is God who works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Php 2:13; 1Th 5:19; Heb 4:11). In other words, we need to bear the fruit of the Spirit by becoming that good and fertile soil that receives and obeys the seed of God's word  (Luke 8:11-15). Seeds in themselves don't do much except die so that new life becomes possible (Joh 12:24).

I have capitalized above those aspects of this singular fruit of the Spirit that are specifically in view here. But it is the three that are underlined that I will deal with in this post. For an exposition of LOVE, LONGSUFFERING, and KINDNESS, I refer you to this, which is a reprised consolidation of 16 studies on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. (You can also access each one separately in reverse order by clicking the "1 Corinthians 13:4-8" LABEL on the right navigation panel).

So then, JOY. Do not mistake joy for happiness. In fact, joy is to happiness as the ocean is to a raindrop. Happiness is transitory, situational and can evaporate in a moment. Happiness is exclusionary. It is impossible to be both happy and something else, which is why it is so fleeting and fragile because the "something else" is likely to enter into the equation at any moment. Biblical joy, in contrast, is the sea upon which we as Christians float from the moment of our conversion and forever thereafter. It is NOT based on circumstances. It is founded upon the Rock of Christ. The word for JOY is found in the New Testament 58 times. It is ALWAYS associated with or referring to Christ.

Here's the list, see for yourself: (Mt 2:10; 13:20,44; 25:21,23; 28:8; Lu 1:14,44; 2:10; 6:23; 8:13; 10:17; 15:7,10; 24:41,52; Joh 3:29; 15:11; 16:20-22,24; 17:13; Ac 2:28; 8:8; 13:52; 15:3; 20:24; Ro 14:17; 15:13,32; 2Co 1:24; 2:3; 7:13; 8:2; Ga 5:22; Php 1:4,25; 2:2; 4:1; Col 1:11; 1Th 1:6; 2:19,20; 3:9; 2Ti 1:4; Phm 7,20; Heb 12:2; 13:17; Jas 1:2; 4:9; 1Pe 1:8; 4:13; 1Jo 1:4; 2Jo 12; 3Jo 4; Jude 24).

Because Christ is our joy, Christians can have joy no matter what else is going on, be it loss, or pain, or sorrow, or even happiness. Christ never leaves us nor forsakes us. And it is no accident that Paul characterizes joy as an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit because it is not something we can WORK up. It is ours through surrender. It is ours through fellowship with the Lord. It is ours through coming to know Jesus more fully each and every day we walk with Him. It is His indescribable gift to us, and we receive it in the same way a beloved child receives the presence of a loving parent, with open arms and full assurance of faith.

PEACE. Here is an extremely comprehensive definition of Biblical peace from Thayer's Greek Lexicon, "the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is…". This is that "peace that passes all understanding." It is rightly referred to as "the peace of God", Whom Paul fittingly calls "the God of peace" no less that 5 separate times in his epistles. But you cannot know the "peace of God" until you fully understand and accept the GRACE of God. Why? Because unless you believe God's promises that you are His by grace through faith once and forever, you will NEVER have that peace described here. Never. Doubts will ALWAYS arise as to whether YOU have done enough, worked enough, to remain in His good grace.  And like joy, we obtain peace in the same way a beloved child receives the presence of a loving parent, with open arms and full assurance of faith.

Finally, I know that there will be some who have taken the time to read this and will wonder, "but doesn't this kind of 'resting in Him', this kind of 'ceasing from works' equate to a 'license to sin'"? Won't it encourage people to presume on the grace of God and just live their lives in disobedience falsely assured that how they live does not have a bearing on where they end up after death? As Paul says, "For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?--as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just. (Romans 3:7, 8, NKJV).

Think back again to that picture of a beloved child enfolded in joy and peace within the arms of his or her loving Father. Would it even occur to that child to think, "Alright! Now what can I get away with doing?" Certainly not, if that child fully understood and loved the Father in return. I submit that it would be the LAST thing he or she think about, nestled in that safety, warmth and love, and knowing how cold and lifeless and horrifying existence would be without that relationship that the child did nothing to earn, and could do nothing to lose.