What Does The New Year Hold For Us?

It's been awhile since I wrote my last blog. This couple weeks have been my resting time to prepare for the year to come. This Blog is for all those that are asking this question right now. "What does the new year hold for me"? I hope this will help with that question. 

The year 2010 is almost gone forever. Some may be wondering, “What will the new year hold for us?” Will there be weddings? (I know of one being planned.) Will there be funerals? Will there be births (I know of one of these too!) Will there be good times? Will there be bad? Will there be changes that we don’t like? Will there be changes that are good? For man, the future is completely unpredictable and while we can expect some things to happen, we really don’t know what is going to happen, and we should not spend our time worrying about what MIGHT happen (Matthew 6:34) but we should always say, “If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that” (James 4:15). So what will the New Year hold, if the Lord will?

The New Year holds time! Not counting yesterday and today, we have before us 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8496 hours, 509760 minutes, and 30,585,600 seconds. Anyway you look at it, we have time given to us. We can only live that time one moment at a time. Each moment is precious, priceless, and pregnant with potential for us to do that which is good and right, pure and holy. There is also the potential for us to use our time to do that which is evil and wrong, rotten and defiled. Potential, however, never accomplished anything! It’s not until the potential becomes the kinetic that things happen! How will we use our time in 2011? Let us not give place to Satan, but redeem each moment doing the Lord’s will (Ephesians 5:16)!

The New Year holds opportunity! We should pray for opportunity, but we should also pray for the resources to be able to take advantage of the opportunities we have! Health, family, friends, fellow Christians, financial means, talents, and many other things are all resources that we all need to make the most of our opportunities. We can take appropriate advantage of those resources for good or we can neglect them. We also need to pray for the ability to recognize the presence of an opportunity. Many times opportunity knocks, but no one is home to hear the rap. Let’s be on the alert for ways in which we can do that which is good toward all men (Galatians 6:10).

The New Year holds optimism! A new year is not a time to be pessimistic and think of all of the terrible things that COULD happen to us. Rather, it is a time for us to think optimistically! Out of all of the people on the earth, the Christian has the knowledge to think optimistically. We know that Jesus was raised from the dead. We know that the life of the Christian is the best life one could live. We know that one day Jesus will come again! The faithful child of God has every reason to rejoice and nothing over which to brood (Philippians 4:4).

The New Year holds work! Since God created man, God has expected man to work to some degree. Man’s first job was to dress and keep the garden (Genesis 2:15). Today we have a God given work as well. Jesus’ has exemplified this work for us in his mission to seek and to save that which is lost (Luke 19:10). The church has the same work today. We must use the year 2011 fulfilling the mission that Jesus has for His body. We can fulfill this mission through our works of benevolence for the needy, edification of the saved, and evangelism for the lost. If we water and plant, then God will give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6)! Each day that passes in this New Year, let us consider how we can be involved in this great work!

The New Year holds so much more than what we have set forth here, but these four things are definite starting points for us to make this New Year a great one. The New Year holds time, opportunity, optimism, and work. Let us put our hands to the work, with an optimistic attitude, using our time to serve the Lord and looking for those opportunities which are ever before us! Happy New Year Everyone and God Bless. 

Christian Renewal

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

To be in Christ is to be different from what we were before we were in Christ. What one was before being in Christ is “old” and what one is after being in Christ is “new.” There is a change that must take place. What is this change and how does it happen? What is this renewal?

First, the Bible teaches that the sinner becomes new through the process of the new birth. Jesus said in John 3:3 “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” He explains in John 3:5: “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” In order to become new, one must be born of both the water and the Spirit. The apostle Peter expounds upon the idea of the new birth in 1 Peter 1:22-23. He says, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” Peter gives us the following insight on the new birth.

1. The soul is purified by obeying the truth.
2. We are born again through the living word of God.

What is the Spirit’s role in the new birth? The Spirit is the source of the living word of God, the truth. Hence when one obeys the truth one has been born of the Spirit. The individual who is baptized (born of water) and does so out of his desire to obey the word of God is a new creation. How so? Because he has dedicated himself to following the Lord’s will for his life.

Renewal, however, doesn’t end there. The Christian is urged to continue renewing himself on a daily basis. Paul writes to the church at Rome, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2) Our minds are renewed by transforming or changing our lives to the will of God.

Paul speaks of the Christian’s involvement in renewal in Ephesians 4:17 where he exhorts Christians not to walk as the Gentiles. Why? Because “you have not so learned Christ” (vs. 20). He instructs that if “you have heard him and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus” (vs. 21) that you put off the old man with his old lifestyle and “be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new man” (vs. 22-24). Notice Paul’s emphasis upon 1) learning Christ 2) hearing Christ, 3) being taught by Christ, and 4) the truth in Christ. Renewal occurs as a result of being taught, hearing, learning, and understanding the truth. Based upon these things, one must “put off the old man,” “be renewed,” and “put on the new man.” How? Paul explains in Ephesians 4:25-32: don’t lie, speak truth, control anger, don’t give place to the devil, don’t steal, hold down a good job, keep your speech pure, put away malice, be kind, and forgive. This is the renewed life. It is based upon “learning Christ” and being “taught by him as the truth is in Jesus.” It is a command that we “be renewed.” It is something the Christian does by following the teaching of Christ and the apostles.

We learn more about renewal in Colossians 3 where Paul explains to Christians in Colossae what it means to live the resurrected life. It means putting to death sin in our life (Colossians 3:5-9) because the Christian has put off the old man of sin (Colossians 3:9) and has put on the new man (Colossians 3:10). This new man is the man who has been “renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” The renewal of the new man is a renewal in knowledge based upon the model of Christ. Why is the knowledge important? Because that is what affects behavior and it is one’s behavior that demonstrates his new life. This new life puts off fornication, sexual immoralities, covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, impure speech, lying and puts on mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing, forgiveness, and love (Colossians 3:5-14). This is the resurrected life; this is the renewed life. Renewal is not something that God does to us, rather it is something that man is commanded by God to do with his life.

Titus 3:5 summarizes this new life where Paul states that God saved us, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” At first glance, this appears to be just the opposite of what Paul taught in Ephesians and Colossians. However, when we consider that the instructions for living the renewed life came from God, we understand them to be part of His plan for our righteousness. Moreover, since these instructions were also revealed by the Holy Spirit to the apostles and prophets, we can understand that it is the renewal of the Holy Spirit; i.e. that renewal that comes from the Holy Spirit as its source. Moreover, this renewal isn’t a one time event but an ongoing process. We are spiritually renewed every day, Paul tells us, in 2 Corinthians 4:16. There’s nothing in the context of Titus 3:5 that indicates to us that this renewal is merely a one time event only that the Holy Spirit is ultimately responsible for it.

In this brief study we’ve looked at the New Testament’s teaching regarding renewal. We’ve learned that 1) renewal is dependent upon our learning about Christ, 2) begins when we are baptized, 3) continues as we are obedient to the Lord’s will in living the Christian life, and 4) the Holy Spirit is its ultimate source. Let’s strive to live each day renewed in the knowledge of the image of Christ.

Our Attitude Towards Correction

In our lifetime we are going to sin (1 John 1:7-10). Undoubtedly, some of those sins are going to be committed in the presence of others. There are going to be times when we either do not recognize that what we did was a sin, or that we understand it to be a sin but do not want to take the appropriate action to correct it. In either of these situations, the opportunity for another person to come to us and point out our personal sin exists. What should our attitude be toward someone who approaches us with our sin and suggests correction? Let’s look at some attitudes that we might have toward personal correction in our lives.

“I haven’t done anything wrong.” Often when confronted with personal sin this will be the first response. This attitude, however, is a mistake. Even when we are reasonably sure that we have not done anything wrong, our attitude should not be that of Bart Simpson, “I didn’t do it; nobody saw me do it; you can’t prove anything.” Even popular culture recognizes the error of this fatalistic response. When confronted we should be open to the possibility that we have sinned. When it is demonstrated that we have sinned, many times the difficulty comes in swallowing the hard conclusion that I did something wrong. It takes humility and meekness to even admit the possibility and much more to admit the actuality. At this point a correct response should be, “Let’s sit down and see what the Bible has to say about the subject and if I am wrong, then I will try to make things right.”

“You don’t have a loving attitude.” This is a popular response when we confront someone who needs to be corrected. That is because it is a legitimate concern. The Bible speaks clearly that those who are going to attempt to offer correction to others must have the right attitude when so doing (Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 4:15). We must both look to ourselves and speak the truth in love when engaging in personal correction. However, to use this expression as a statement of defense falls short because it does not deal with the issue at hand. It is a diversion away from the original problem and those who say this generally are trying to avoid the real issue. Some even go to the point of saying that suggesting any form of correction is not loving. The scriptures, however, simply do not teach this and we recognize this to be true in our lives as well specifically in relationship to our children. The parent who wields no discipline upon their child is really the parent who does not love his child (Proverbs 13:24; Hebrews 12:5-11). In loving adult relationships also, reproof is required when sin is involved and this is not an indication that someone does not love another, but that they do (Galatians 4:16). When confronted with correction, we should assume that the person coming to us has the best of intentions in mind.

“The preacher is wrong.” Well, that may be the case. Sometimes preacher’s make mistakes and say things that are not correct. However, the Bible is not wrong. When the preacher sets forth scripture regarding the truthfulness of his statements and one disagrees, the proper course of action is to go discuss things with the preacher. This, however, is the last thing that the one with the incorrect attitude toward correction wants to do because if one sits down and engages in a study of the Bible, one is usually going to find things that one does not want to admit. Part of the requirements the Bible places upon preachers is to rebuke and reprove (2 Timothy 4:2). When this illuminates our personal sin, self-reflection is the appropriate course of action (1 Corinthians 13:5), not castigation of the preacher. Remember that the preacher (if he is a good one) is not setting forth his own personal opinions, but the word of God (2 Timothy 4:1).

“No one cares about me and my problems.” Many times, individuals will state these particular words out of an attitude of selfishness. “Woe is me; no one loves me; aren’t I a wreck!” We used to sing a song in grade school about eating worms. The chorus went like this, “Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, I’m gonna eat some worms.” The point of the song was that self pity usually results in actions that are self destructive. The truth is that someone does care. When we hear teaching on subjects that are uncomfortable to us it is because someone cares enough for us to present what the Bible says on the subject. Since the Bible is the ultimate standard by which we will be judged (John 12:48), it is the ultimate loving and caring thing to do. What is really meant by this statement is that no one is trying to comfort me in my sinfulness. In contrast our attitude should be, “I have problems; help me to resolve my problems.”

“Look at all the other hypocrites who need to repent too.” Similar to the “you are not being loving” line, this is a diversion. When we are confronted with the issue of our own personal sin, we have the responsibility to examine ourselves and make correction (James 1:22-25). Whether or not another person in the church is a hypocrite has nothing to do with our own personal attitude toward correction. The assertion may be true that there are others acting hypocritically, but this does nothing to correct the problems in our own lives. Pointing to others in the church who are acting hypocritically as a defense against our own personal correction simply increases bitterness in our lives toward those around us as well as toward our own personal sin. No doubt if a hypocrite is involved in the correction process, he should recuse himself until he gets his own personal sin resolved (Matthew 7:1-5). However, this does not mean that one is “off the hook” from being confronted with sin. One still must deal with the problem of one’s own personal sin.

“You just are refusing to forgive.” When the result of personal correction ends in the right way there should be forgiveness. This does not imply, however, that there will be further teaching on the subject. To the contrary, usually when a person sins this means that there needs to be additional teaching on the subject. This is the correct and appropriate response. When a child comes home with an “F” on a test paper and asks Mom and Dad for forgiveness, and forgiveness is granted, this does not mean that all study on that particular subject should cease. To the contrary, the parents will probably spend MORE time in the pursuit of that particular subject with the child. Does this mean that they have refused to forgive the child? Of course not, in fact we recognize just the opposite. True forgiveness implies that the one in need of forgiveness needs help and that the one’s who are doing the forgiving have an obligation to help. Additional studies on the subject are the natural result of forgiveness whether it is in regard to a child’s test results or an individual’s personal sin. Unintentional sin many times is due to ignorance. This implies the need for further education on the subject. So when the general subject comes up, it is not because we are refusing to forgive, but because we have actually forgiven in the way that God wants us to forgive (2 Corinthians 2:5-11).

Our attitude toward personal correction will determine our ultimate estate in heaven. It is part of God’s plan that we accept the corrective efforts of our fellow Christian when it comes to personal sin (Matthew 18: 15-17). While it is not comfortable for us to do this and while sometimes it is a painful experience, we can be assured that God will bless those who appropriate display the right attitude toward personal correction. Ultimately, we will stand before God in judgment as to how we received these efforts. On the day of judgment, do we really want to stand before God and say that we were not receptive to other’s efforts to provide personal correction? Do we really want to face God with that attitude? How much more better is God’s plan to face our own peers now and make correction than to face Him when no more opportunity for correction is available.

The Mercy of God

The Bible tells us that God’s mercy is “great” (Psalm 108:4). David said, “the earth is full of His mercy” (Psalm 119:64). The apostle Paul tells us that “He is rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4) and that He is “The Father of mercies” (2 Corinthians 1:3).

God’s Mercy Manifested

God manifests His mercy in many ways: (1) In bringing redemption to all (Psalm 86:5; Psalm 130:7; Psalm 145:9; Isaiah 55:7); (2) In giving us “life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25); (3) In being mindful and caring for us (Psalm 144:3; Matthew 6:25-34;1 Peter 5:7) (4) In preserving and blessing us (Proverbs 20:28; Ephesians 1:3); (5) In forgiving and saving us (Romans 5:8-10; 1 John 1:7-9).

In God’s Word we find several examples of those upon whom God showed mercy: (1) the penitent publican (Luke 18:9-14); (2) the thief on the cross (Luke 23:42-43); (3) the son who “repented, and went” (Matthew 21:28-31); (4) the apostle Paul (1 Timothy 1:15-16).

The Meaning Of Being Merciful

To be merciful is not simply to possess the facility for weeping, for meaningless tears do not avail. It is not merely to give and serve, for it is possible for one to give with a spirit of loathing, or insult while he serves.

Mercy is a disposition of the soul. It is a feeling for the suffering of others, and having the disposition to relieve this suffering. When one is merciful, he weeps, gives, or serves from a heart filled with pity and compassion. If we make hasty judgments which are not based on facts; if our criticisms are sharp and unkind; if we are guilty of being callous in the presence of disappointments, heartaches and suffering, we are not merciful! If we consider how little we often know about those whom we condemn, it would help us to become more merciful!

A Story Of Mercy

The story is told of an impatient preacher who was having his shoes shined by a young boy. When the preacher thought his shoes should be about finished, he looked down to find his shoes appearing worse than at the beginning. His sharp rebuke to the young boy caused the lad to look up from his shoe shining showing a face wet with tears. The little teary-eyed boy said, “I’m sorry sir, but my mother died this morning, and I’m trying to make enough money to buy some flowers to put on her coffin.” The preacher saw that it was the tears that were making his shoes impossible to shine, and condemnation left his heart.

I end with this, let us learn to be merciful as our loving Savior teaches us (Matthew 5:7). Showing mercy to others proves that we have a state (or condition) of heart which allows God to extend mercy to us (Psalm 41; cf. James 2:13).

Why Me Lord?

This Blog is one that I have been working on this week. I found myself in a situation and needed to learn and grow in this experience. This is my findings and my understandings on trials.

Sometimes trials seem to come one right after another. You wake up in the morning and your car won’t start. This unfortunate event makes you late for work, your boss chews you out, and your whole day is ruined. You later find out that your car won’t be repaired for another week and the bill makes you think you’re buying a new one. On top of this you learn that a member of your family has been diagnosed with cancer. During times like these, we are prone to ask, “Why me, Lord?” “Haven’t I been living faithfully?” Why do good people have to suffer bad things in their lives? Many people throughout the ages have pondered this very question. It seems that the righteous suffer while the wicked seem to prosper. Job saw this clearly during his time of affliction (cf. Job 21:7-15). In this article, let’s look at three biblical reasons why God allows good people to suffer.

To Establish Faith

Suffering can cause one who is not a Christian to recognize his great need for God. If one is to be saved, he must first know that he needs salvation. One who believes he is standing on dry land will not take hold of a life preserver even though he is truly drowning in the sea. Trials help to establish faith by causing us to see our condition before God (Luke 15:11-17). The Psalmist said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now have I kept thy word …. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I may learn thy statutes” (Psalm 119:67,71). God allows some to suffer in order to establish faith in Him.

To Restore Faith

Sometimes a child of God goes astray and needs to be corrected and restored to the right path. God doesn’t want to see any of His children fall away, so He chastens those who do (Hebrews 12:6-11). He did so with Israel as the Psalmist wrote, “When He slew them, then they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God” (Psalm 78:34 – NKJV), and He does so with His church today. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Revelation 3:19). When suffering, we should examine our own lives to determine if we are the recipient of divine chastisement (Psalm 119:75). Trials are designed to make us look inward at ourselves and upward to God (1 Peter 1:3-9).

To Perfect Faith

For the faithful Christian, trials serve to mature and perfect the faith that is already present. With each trial we face successfully, there is growth. As Paul wrote, “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance character; and character hope” (Romans 5:3-4 – NKJV). With spiritual growth, comes the ability to better handle problems in the future. This is why James said, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:2-3 – NKJV). We should view our trials as God’s vehicle to perfect our faith.

I end with this, God works out all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). We do not know everything that God does, but we can be certain that He is working to save as many souls as possible (2 Peter 3:9). If we have to suffer along the way, we ought not lose heart, for God is preparing us for eternity (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Everyone will occupy eternity in one place or the other (Matthew 25:41,46). How we respond to God will determine our destination. Brethren, we must not let the cares of this world and the troubles that we have deter us from our goal. Paul encourages us, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

"It's not Personal"

We have all seen one version or another of the mobster shows where the “hit man” walks up to his good buddy who has had a contract put on his life and say, “Sorry, Rico. It’s not personal, it’s just business.” At which point, Rico’s left ventricle gets very personal with a 32-mag bullet. How can the man say such a thing–”Its not personal”–when the truth is that it doesn’t get much more personal than that!

More recently, I have seen the ads for a new “reality show” called “The Apprentice” where several people are competing to work for Donald Trump. The winner gets a job with a six-figure salary. The losers get fired. One ad has Donald saying, “Its not personal, its just business!” This is all too common a mentality in our world today. When it comes to dealing with personal relationships, we seek to depersonalize them thinking that our “objectivity” will excuse us from the responsibility of our decisions in that relationship. But no matter how many times the phrase “It’s not personal” is said, there is a person on the other end of the relationship.

Christianity is about a personal relationship with Jesus. The personal Son of God, came to this earth and was crucified on a very personal cross so that the world might be personally saved. The genius of God’s plan to save is that it is a very personal plan. Each unique person has the opportunity to personally accept or reject this plan. Acceptance means that you have a very personal relationship with Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Paul wrote, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” ( Galatians 2:20). Notice the personal pronouns in this verse. Christianity is a very personal religion that depends upon individuals having a personal relationship with Christ.

When we are blessed with a personal relationship with Jesus, then He expects us to take our relationship with Him personally. In part, this means that we seek to help others have a personal relationship with him too. Jesus said, “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations…” ( Matthew 28:19 ASV). Making disciples means that we teach others to be crucified with Christ and to give themselves over to a personal relationship with Him. In turn, when these others have a personal relationship with Christ, then we have a personal relationship with them. Fellowship with other Christians is about acknowledging the personal relationship that they have with Jesus. John writes, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” ( 1 John 1:7). Too, when a Christian leaves their personal relationship with Christ they leave their personal relationship with other Christians. Jesus takes such a situation personally, and so should we. Christianity should be taken personally.

How is it, then, that someone can say, “It’s not personal” when dealing with personal relationships? Those who say such are simply not being honest. They fail to recognize that personal actions are created from personal beliefs. Jesus upheld this concept in Matthew 15:19. He said, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” The actions of our lives, whether sinful or righteous, first originate within the heart with our own personal beliefs. The truth is that when we truly and personally believe something, we will act personally upon that belief and our actions toward other people tell them what we believe. The apostle John draws on this principle through his first epistle. He states, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” ( 1 John 3:18). John tells us that mere words do not necessarily reflect the fact of our love. When someone says, “Its not personal,” and proceeds to affect you, by their actions, in a personal way, their words are not agreeing with their beliefs. John calls it lying ( 1 John 4:20).

Christianity is a personal religion that demands personal belief that results in personal actions. The relationships that we maintain, both with God and other Christians are personal. When we honestly examine those relationships, we will understand that they are built upon our own personal faith and the actions that result from that faith. When we recognize this, we will not try to depersonalize our application of the gospel. We will not think that our “objectivity” will excuse us from the responsibility of our decisions in that relationship. Instead, we will recognize that true objectivity requires of us a personal effort toward maintaining and building better relationships both with God and with one another. The expression, “its not personal” is not an expression that should be uttered from the lips of a Christian because with Christianity, its always personal.

“Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death!”

The historic conclusion of Patrick Henry's address in 1775 at Richmond, Virginia rings true to us living today. He concluded, "Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me – give me liberty or give me death!"

There Are Only Two Choices

In the reality of human existence, there are indeed only two choices for each of us – liberty or death. Those of us who have attained personal accountability, stand condemned before God because of our sins. By inspiration, Paul pronounced, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 – NKJV). The sins we have committed stand us worthy of a frightening penalty, "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). The only relief from this death sentence is to be freed from that which condemns us to it – our sin. Ironically, that freedom requires a death of its own. Paul beautifully illustrates this death when he states inRomans 6:3-7, "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.&quot

Christ Gives Us "Liberty" From Sin

Christ, who knew no sin, died to liberate us from our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). To gain that liberty, we must die with Him, crucifying our former sin-condemned self through repentance, then burying the "old man" through baptism into the death of Jesus. Because our sinful self has died and been buried with Christ, we who have undergone this process stand freed – at liberty – from sin. Liberty from sin, however, does not imply liberty to do whatever we please (Galatians 5:1,13; 1 Peter 2:16; 1 Corinthians 8:9). In fact, the totally opposite is true; "God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:17-18). You see, by freeing us from our enslavement to sin, Christ has liberated us for the privilege of becoming enslaved to Him and to His commands. Some would complain that that's not much of a trade – one slavery for another. But when the alternative is spiritual death (eternal separation from God – Isaiah 59:2), that's actually an excellent exchange.

Freedom From Sin Requires Obedience

As Paul in Romans 6:17 illustrates, our liberty is not acquired by being passive. Becoming freerequires action on our part – obedience from the heart of that to which we have been delivered by the instruction of God's word. That obedient action entails what Paul described earlier in the chapter – being baptized into Christ Jesus, into His death (Romans 6:3). Even our Lord emphasized the importance of baptism being relative to our salvation when He said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:16).

In conclusion, when we look at sin, it is important to realize that there is no "gray area" in God's eyes. We are either free from sin, through God's grace in Christ, or we die in sin – "Liberty or death," as Patrick Henry put it. And as Mr. Henry noted, the outcome depends on what course we choose to take. We can choose either to die to sin and live in Christ, obeying His will, or we can turn a dead ear to the Lord's commands, remain disobedient, and die in our sins (John 8:24; Luke 13:3; Mark 16:16). Dear reader, which do you choose? (cf. Deuteronomy 30:15-19).

The Truth About Men

Perhaps some of you have heard the country song by Tracy Byrd titled, “The Truth About Men.” The song claims to speak for all men and touts several aspects of the male gender such as eating potato chips, watching football, looking at the tools at Home Depot, hunting, golfing, playing guitars, watching action movies, working on cars, etc. However, the song also depicts men as being beer guzzling fools, lying, cheating, cussing, and sex-crazed. As a man myself, I personally am offended by this song. I do not guzzle beer; I do not lie; I do not cheat; I do not cuss; I am not sex-crazed. However, the thing about this song that offends me the most is the statement, “We ain’t wrong; we ain’t sorry, and it’s probably gonna happen again.” This statement lies at the heart of what it means to be a sinner–impenitence.

“We ain’t wrong.”

Today, many readily admit that they are in sin and commit sin on a daily basis. The song testifies in its own behalf in this regard. However, the real problem lies in the fact that many do not recognize the wrongness of sin, as stated in this song’s lyrics, “We ain’t wrong.” This is the bigger issue–that is, convincing me that I am wrong in my sin. The fact of the matter is, that if we love sin, then we are wrong (period). We read in 2 Thessalonians 2:11“Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”ESV Those who take pleasure in unrighteousness (i.e. those who fail to admit its wrongness) will be condemned for not believing the truth. We need to recognize the sinfulness of sin (Romans 7:13)! Real men recognize the sinfulness of sin and will admit its wrongness.

“We ain’t sorry.”

The song also touts an additional element of impenitence in society today–sorrow. One may get a person to admit the wrongness of their sin, but then he or she may not be sorry for it. That is, they may think that being wrong is no big deal and hence, why should I be sorry for something even though I am wrong? The Bible teaches that we ought to be sorry for our sins. Psalm 38:18 says, “For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.”KJV Sin separates man from God (Isaiah 59:2). That is truly something for which to be sorry. Sin is also what put Jesus on the cross (1 Corinthians 15:3). That is also something for which to be sorry. When we fail to be sorry for our sins, we fail to recognize our tremendous failure in our relationship with God. When we fail to be sorry for our sins, we fail to recognize the price that God had to pay to bring us back into a right relationship with him. Real men are sorry for sin!

“And it’s probably gonna’ happen again.”

We see yet a third opponent to repentance–the unwillingness on the part of the sinner to change. One may admit that sin is wrong; one may even be sorry for it, but then when it comes down to it, one may simply continue to practice the sin that one is in. As the song states, “And it’s probably gonna’ happen again.” The Bible, however, teaches that once one has repented of sin, one should not continue within it. The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Rome, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” KJV Those who have repented of sin should stop committing sin. The apostle Paul’s words regarding this aspect of repentance are recorded for us in Acts 26:20. He says that he preached to all “that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.”ASV So many simply wish to acknowledge wrong, say they are sorry, then engage in the same sin in which they were formerly involved. This is not the way of the gospel. Those who repent must do works worthy of repentance. Real men stop committing sin and do works worthy of repentance.

Repentance is not some trivial matter that makes for amusing song lyrics. It is something upon which our very salvation depends. It is critical that we recognize what repentance is and that we implement it in our life. When we recognize the sinfulness of sin, are sorry for it, and make the commitment not to let it live in our life any more, then we have experienced what the Bible describes as repentance. Notice 2 Corinthians 7:9, 10 “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”KJV Godly sorrow, the recognition of sin and proper remorse for it, brings repentance that leads to salvation to our lives. For many today, true repentance stands between them and heaven. God does not want any to perish, but one must repent to avoid eternal condemnation (2 Peter 3:9). The truth about men may be the truth about sinful men, but it is not the truth about those who want to be eternally saved in heaven with God. If you would be a REAL MAN, a NEW MAN (Colossians 3:10), let repentance live in your life, and that’s the truth about men.

The Christian's First Love

When people first become Christians, they usually are very excited about being saved. They want to go out and teach the whole world. They are burning with zeal. They love the Lord and want to share Him with everyone (cf. Acts 9:17-22).

A true disciple has given himself to the Lord, to be taught and used in His service (Luke 14:33; Gal. 2:20; Romans 12:1-2). Such a one will never grow weary in well doing (Gal. 6:9). He will remain fervent in spirit in serving Christ (Romans 12:11).

In the first century, the Christians at Ephesus somehow had lost their first love (putting Christ first in all their considerations and setting their chief concerns on Him and on spiritual things – Colossians 3:1-2). They taught the truth (Revelation 2:2) and would not tolerate false teachers. They patiently persevered and did not grow weary (Revelation 2:3). They labored in His cause, yet they had lost their first love (Revelation 2:4).

We see that people can teach the truth and perform the acts of worship outwardly in a correct way, but still not do these these things with the proper attitude of heart.

Every act of obedient service to the Lord must be done out of a genuine love for Him (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) or it is useless. If we teach or do anything in service to Him only as a sense of duty and not because we truly love Him, it will not be acceptable to Him. This is truly an important lesson for Christians to learn.

Another lesson we must learn is that we must serve the Lord by “abiding” in His teaching: “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed” (John 8:31).

Finally, let us us fully understand that “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9-10).

When Trouble Comes

When life begins to tumble in, when trouble comes, when there seems to be a new crisis every day and when it appears all our dreams are being shattered, what can we do? Is there anyone we can turn to for help? Is there any word of encouragement or advice?

The answer to all of these questions is a resounding yes! We can turn to God through His Son Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:19). We can also find in God’s Word the advice and encouragement we need. One book was written especially to deal with the problem of human suffering, that being the book of Job.

Job was faithful to the Lord when he lost his possessions and even his children. He remained stedfast when his friends criticized him and even when his wife said to him, “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die” (Job 2:9).

The book of James presents Job as an example of endurance for all who are suffering to consider. “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:10-11). Earlier in his book, James encourages his brethren to, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4 – NASV).

Job surely must have been as Moses who looked to the eternal reward rather than just the immediate problems in his life (Hebrews 11:24-26). It paid off for we read, “So Jehovah blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning” (Job 42:12). Job would have triumphed even if he had not been blessed in this life.

May we all remember the “endurance of Job” if we are ever tempted to give up when trouble comes (James 5:11 – NASV).

Patience

Our Lord proclaimed, “In your patience possess ye your souls” (Luke 21:19). From this passage it is clear that patience plays an important role in the salvation of the soul. Realizing this, it is imperative that we understand what patience is not, what it is, what it accomplishes, and how it is acquired.

Patience is not apathy, it is not a lack of interest or concern, and it is not emotional laziness. Too many confuse patience with apathy, but the two could not be any more opposite in meaning. Some mistake patience with indifference, or not caring one way or another, or deeming something as insignificant – but none of these describe patience. Neither is patience a bearing up under punishment for some wrong doing. “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God” (1 Pet. 2:20).

Patience comes from the Greek word hupomone. This Greek word is made up of two parts, hupo meaning “under,” and mone meaning to “abide.” So literally, patience means to “abide under.” patience implies suffering, enduring or waiting, as a determination of will and simply of necessity. Patience is the concept of courageous endurance which overcomes evil. It includes active resistance to hostile powers. Patience is that which enables a man to continually resist the pressures of external circumstances.

Patience will strengthen the spirit, calm the temper, overpower anger, extinguish envy, defeat pride, bridle the tongue, restrain the hand, and crush temptation. We know that patience is an attribute the Lord wants us to have as it is mentioned 27 times in the New Testament.

James tells us how to acquire patience, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (Jam. 1:2-4). Paul says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience” (Rom. 5:1-3).The study of the Old Testament also helps us to acquire the needed patience to pleasing in the sight of God (Rom. 15:4).

Patience is a much needed attribute for a Christian to possess. Beloved, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1).

How Do You Do It All?

Someone recently asked me this question on the Internet. The question wasn’t, “how do you, Josh, do it all?” The question was, with all of life’s demands, (i.e. God, work, home, and recreation) how do you balance it all, keep up with it all, do it all? It is a good question and a question that we need to consider from time to time. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on the subject of “time management.” There are many who have written books on the subject and provided valuable insight in that regard. However, I do want to set forth some biblical principles that help us as we struggle to keep our lives in balance with all of the things we daily have to do.

First, we must recognize that we can’t “do it all.” A lot of times we set unreasonable expectations for ourselves. As a result, we end up trying to do too much with too little time and resources. While it is often difficult, it is no sin to say “no” to someone’s request of your time. God never commanded us to do “everything.” What God did command is that if you say you will do something then keep your word and do it (Matthew 5:37). This isn’t always easy for us to do either and sometimes we commit to things to which we should have said no. In such situations, we simply must apologize and move on.

Second, we need to prioritize our activities. Of course, God always demands to be first in the decisions we make in our lives (Matthew 6:33, 22:37). Everything we say and do should be done with the goal of seeking Him in mind. If we do that, then God sets certain priorities for us. God expects us to show love for the church (Hebrews 13:1). God expects us to love our families (Ephesians 5:25, 6:4, Titus 2:4, 5). God expects us to provide for our families (1 Timothy 5:8). God expects us to behave appropriately with our employers (Ephesians 6:5). God expects us to show respect toward our nation and her leaders (1 Peter 2:17) and to love our fellow man (Matthew 22:39). God helps us prioritize if we will let Him lead our us.

Third, we need to set reasonable, accomplishable, yet challenging goals. For example, it would be unreasonable to say that with a handful of people we are going to knock on every door in Norfolk in a day. Setting unreasonable goals tends to discourage instead of encourage. But neither should we set goals that are so simplistic and accomplishable that we never grow in our involvement with the church. We need to have goals that we can accomplish with the talents that we collectively possess but that also challenge those collective talents. In the parable of the talents, to each was given according to their ability, yet it was still a challenge (Matthew 25:15).

Fourth, focus upon one task at a time instead of the whole project. The old adage, “How do you eat an elephant?” is appropriate. The answer: “One bite at a time.” When you look at a project as a whole, it often appears as if it will never get done. The more we focus upon that, the more we get discouraged in working on the project. Instead, we need to break down the project into tasks and focus upon the singular items one at a time. Before we know it, the entire project will be complete. Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 that we have enough worries simply trying to keep up with the things that we need to do today. And that’s exactly what we should do, take one day at a time.

Finally, there’s a song from the movie Mary Poppins that we should consider as well. “Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down.” When we find ourselves with tasks that we don’t want to do or tasks that are difficult either physically or emotionally, we should seek to see the good that will come from doing such tasks and then focus upon the good, not the bad. We can always rejoice in that we are seeking to serve God in everything we do and not man. Glorifying God in our lives should be an overriding cause for us to be happy doing the distasteful things of life (1 Corinthians 10:31).

This obviously doesn't exhaust the subject, but it does give us some principles to consider as we seek to be pleasing to God and influential for good to our fellow man. Let us then round out each of these scriptural truths with prayer on our part for wisdom to apply each of these principles appropriately each day.

Pretending

The game of pretense. We know that children play the game, and in their time of life it is innocent and a great deal of fun. But then, there’s the grown-up world, and for those in Christ, there is the reality set forth in the Word of God. Christianity is not the religion of pretense. In mythology, and in the systems men have created, one can do a great deal of pretending because all that does exist in those forms are made up by man, but not so in the system of Christ. God is, and that is reality! (Gen. 1:1). Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:16), and that is reality! Satan and sin exist, and have their influence upon men in causing men to be separated from God, and those are realities! (Eph. 2:1). In Christ, salvation is offered to man, and that is a splendid reality! (Eph. 1:13). The saved are in Christ, and thus are in the church that Jesus built (Acts 2:47), and that is reality! Christians deal in realities.

For a Christian to be a pretender is to say, then, that he is a hypocrite. Jesus saw so much of that among the Jewish leaders of his time, and repeatedly he condemned such in Matthew 23. That very word gives our word “actor,” and that is exactly what a hypocrite is, for he is merely “playing a part.” Above all else, the child of God must know that he is dealing with eternal realities, and cannot just pretend. It is dangerous to pretend, and foolish. We suggest some types of that foolishness:

(1) What of that preacher who still “pretends” to be God’s man, but he’s so careful to avoid preaching on the subjects troubling to the saints, or on those things that prominent people in the congregation might be given to? Is he not just a “pretender?” Rather than preaching the truth, and standing squarely for God, he’s in the business of men-pleasing. Forceful he is, in speaking forth those things wherein all around him are in agreement, but silent as a tomb when it comes to things wherein controversy lurks. He is simply a “pretender.”

(2) What of those elders who have the title, and have their names on the bulletin and on the stationery, but precious little time and effort is expended in seeing to the spiritual needs of the flock? Are they not just “pretenders?” These are charged with feeding the flock of God (Acts 20:28), and watching for souls (Heb. 13:17). Attending to those very duties would have stopped some divisive movements dead in their tracks, and the church would not have been hurt so terribly. But too often, we have known of elders who simply “put heads in the sand” and played the game of pretense — pretending there was no problem, pretending certain ones were not false teachers, pretending the problem would just die on its own, and pretending a problem would right itself.

Satan has his devices (2 Cor. 2:11), and all are calculated toward the defeat of God’s cause. Satan’s efforts are called “war against the Lamb (Rev. 17:14), but that conflict amounts to “war against those belonging to the Lamb” (Rev. 12:17). All of God’s children are to be faithful soldiers in the Lord’s army, and elders are to be such as will hold the Word in their hands and to use it in convicting the man of the contrary part (Titus 1:9). Liberalism all around us, and those known as elders just “pretend” that there is no problem? Indeed, they are just “pretenders.”

(3) And what of entire congregations whose main thrust today is in the realm of the economic, or social, or entertainment of its own members? The church, like a mighty army, has been placed on the field of battle, commanded by the captain of our salvation (Heb. 2:10), and is expected to expend all in casting down and pulling down anything daring to stand in the way of the knowledge of God! (2 Cor. 10:3-5). And the church builds a gymnasium? The volley ball replaces the sword of the Spirit, the word of God? (Eph. 6:17). Given just a few years of church concern turned inward toward the members’ pleasure, and those in the church will not only not desire the New Testament truth, but they will not even recognize it! But the congregation given to the social gospel and emphasis on pleasure, is that congregation not just “pretending” when it claims to be devoted to the Lord’s will and claims to be working toward the salvation of souls? Indeed, just “pretending.”

Again we stress the fact that the things of God are the things of reality! Accountability is real, and the coming day of judgment is real. Hell is an awful reality, and pictured in terms of reality in the Bible. Hell is too real for any of us to spend our time in this life just “pretending.” We must be up and about the Father’s business!