Depression is not a feeling or a mood. Rather, depression is a draining of one’s energy, usually in response to great stress in one’s life. It can be a part of a normal life, but often depression becomes overwhelming, taking away the ability to experience joy in anything, or to accomplish anything for God. When depression seems too much to bear, it needs to not just be lived with, but confronted. Below are some things to warn against in depression, and then some steps to confront your depression.
What not to do in depression
Don’t beat yourself up (Romans 14:4)
Depression is a response that is normal in your body. Don’t blame yourself for what you had no control over. Don’t blame yourself for what you are unable to do, even though you could have done it at other times.
Don’t blame others
It is easy to blame others for how you feel, especially if they have done something wrong to you. But how we respond to someone’s actions is not their fault. Some might respond in anger, in anxiety, in depression. But we cannot blame another because we are miserable.
Don’t doubt God or his ways (Deuteronomy 6:5)
In depression, many doubt God or decide to give up on trying to follow Jesus because it is “too hard.” But God wants to assist you through and out of your depression, and Jesus died to free you from all oppression, even your depression. Don’t give up on the One who is your deliverer.
Don’t use it as an excuse to do what you know is wrong (Colossians 3:5)
Many people do certain things because they want to overcome their stresses, to feel better. But to act in sin to overcome depression—using alcohol or drugs or to yell at someone, for example—does not assist your depression, but only gives you guilt that causes you to deepen your depression.
Don’t isolate (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Those in deep depression often want to be by themselves and not to have anything to do with anyone because people are just too stressful. But to isolate is to give into the depression and only deepens it.
Don’t doubt those who love you (Colossians 3:12-13)
Those who have proven themselves to be your friends and to help you often seem unsympathetic or distant when you are depressed. Perhaps they don’t know what to do for you or maybe they are trying to not treat you any different and finding it difficult to do. Remember, though, that they have not changed in their care for you, so don’t give up on them.
Don’t make promises you can’t keep (Matthew 5:37)
Often in our depression we want to pretend that we are just as able as any other time to do what we would usually do—but we are not able to. When we are depressed, we have to take care to promise to do only what we can—even if it seems that we ought to be able to do more.
Try not to express negative thoughts to those not ready for it (Galatians 6:1)
We need to confess our faults, and communicate our needs, but not everyone is ready to hear the amount of negativity our mind is feeding us when we are depressed. We need to chose those whom we communicate to carefully, so that we do not destroy others with our words.
Confronting depression
Depression isn’t just to be lived with, it must be confronted and dealt with so that we can live before God with all the energy he gave us. While it may sound like just another stress to deal with, in fact it is a simple way of living:
1. Pray for deliverance (Luke 11:5-13)When we are oppressed by our moods or lack of energy, we need to be persistent in praying to God for deliverance. Deliverance won’t come from a person or an organization, it comes only from God. We must ask him continually for deliverance. The Holy Spirit is the power of God and when we are depressed, that is the power we need. Jesus said to keep praying for that power and we will receive it.
2. Deal with the cause of depression
Often there is a reason for our depression that can be resolved: perhaps we are guilty about our sin, perhaps we are anxious about our security, perhaps we are oppressed by the evil one. If so, we can deal with these issues, and soon the depression will lift away.
3. Be grateful to God (Psalm 86:12-13)
In depression, we think no one and nothing is on our side. At these times, we need to remember all the blessings that God has given us, all the purposes he has shown us, all the works he has accomplished for us. We need to make a list of thanksgiving, so that we can give thanks to God for what he has done.
4. Resist the evil one (James 4:7)
Many times depression is an oppression visited upon one by Satan to keep one from service to God. In that time, all one has to do is command the evil one to go and he will leave. At times it is good to seek out others to pray for you in this as well.
5. Balance your rest (Proverbs 6:10,11; Psalm 127:2)
We need to have just the amount of sleep we need. If we have too little, we will be overstressed and our depression will deepen. If we have too much, we will never move to have the energy we need to live. We need to get the sleep we need, even as God has blessed us with it, but not take advantage of having too much.
6. Balance stressful situations (Matthew 22:39)
Depression is often a response to overstress, and so we don’t want to overwhelm ourselves unnecessarily. However, we also want to balance ourselves to remain involved in life, so that our body isn’t overreacting to any and every kind of stress. We need to remain active, be involved with people, but we also need to have time by ourselves, resting before the Lord.
7. Balance your nutrition (I Kings 19:7)
Depression is either caused by or induces a chemical reaction in your brain. God has given us chemicals to balance out depression in the brain—and we gain these chemicals by eating good food that the Lord gave us. Often in depression we aren’t hungry or just don’t eat. But if we don’t eat, we will not heal. We need to eat nutritionally, especially fruits and vegetables and whole grains, all of which give us energy. Also B-complex vitamins can often renew our energy.
8. Do God’s work empowered by the Spirit (Acts 1:8)
God has given each of us certain tasks that we are to do. If God had given us the task to do, then he also will provide us with the power and energy to do it. Often, when we are depressed, the best thing to do is what God has called us to do—then we are no longer dependant on our own power, but on the power of the Spirit.
9. Tell your issues to a believer you can trust and listen (James 5:13-15)
It is good to meet with brothers and sisters who will appreciate our trials and recommend positive courses of actions to deal with it. We can pray for each other and encourage each other in overcoming our needs.
10. Take medication (I Timothy 5:23)
It is not always helpful to take medication, but sometimes it is, and there is nothing wrong with needing medication to help you do what the Lord asks you to do. In evaluating a medication, remember this one test: Is this medication helping me to do what is right before the Lord or not? Is it giving more self-control so I can honor the Lord with my actions? If it does, it might be a positive medication for you.
Confront Depression with Righteousness
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
The Mission of the Church
The ultimate purpose of the church is to establish an alternative nation to those who are in the world, based on the life and teaching of Jesus. It shall not be established by carpenters, city-planners or rulers. Rather, it will be established by God’s power and revelation.
The current Mission of God’s church is to restore God’s people to himself.
God’s people who are:
The lost
The poor
The destroyed
The demonized
The mentally ill
The sick
The oppressed
Those who are taught wrong
In other words, all who are downcast and lacking in faith, and yet are soft-hearted toward God. There are Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and Hindus who want to be restored to God—they just don’t know how. There are Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mennonites, Baptists, Seventh-Day Adventists, Catholics, Orthodox and those of every Christian stripe and kind who want to be restored. It is our goal to seek out the soft-hearted—wherever and whoever they may be—and restore them.
The church’s mission is not to:
-Keep the faithful entertained and interested in God
-Call those firmly against the Lord (This is the Lord’s arena, not the church’s)
There are churches and missions who train people to be hard-hearted to God and to God’s Spirit. They are training them in superiority, in judgement, in self-exaltation, in focusing on the idols and tasks of this age. They are all rejected. Most Christian rehabs are trainers of the soft-hearted to be hard-hearted.
A few true training facilities: Some Amish, the Bruderhof, Jesus People USA, Reba Place, etc.
But they need to realize that their purpose is not to maintain a community of brothers and sisters in the Lord. Their purpose is to have a community which will train God’s people how to live, behave and work in God’s kingdom.
The Lord rejects:
Plush facilities
Expensive conferences
Christian concerts
The entertaining and care and feeding of the hard-hearted “faithful”
The church is pouring out money into efforts where they can see a “bottom line”—usually in terms of numbers of people or of financial resources. In God’s work there is no “bottom line” apart from the work of the Spirit and the living out of God’s word.
The purity of the church is important, but it is not the purity of the perfect that God seeks, but the purity of the soft-hearted, those moldable by God. Those who are soft hearted will be conformed, in time, as long as the trainers are not too impatient. But the hard-hearted, although they seem to conform in all the outward ways, will never be God’s.
There is a way to tell the difference between the soft hearted and the hard hearted—by looking at their devotion and faith.
The soft hearted are devoted to God and to his ways.
The hard hearted are devoted to their principles and to their desires.
The soft hearted are obedient to God and obey his commands.
The hard hearted are obedient to principles that do not focus on God’s command. They are usually more strict than God’s commands, and insist that others follow their decrees.
The soft hearted are dependant on God and on his power.
The hard hearted will pray, but are dependant on the ways and power of mankind.
The soft hearted believe in God’s promises and will do anything to receive them.
The hard hearted desire their own goals and are often angry at God for not fulfilling their desires.
They speak of God’s promises, but do not think that conformity to the conditions will gain them the promises.
The soft hearted love others and help them toward the Father and with their needs.
The hard hearted think that it is enough to focus on God, and find reasons to judge other followers of God. The hard hearted see their own needs and desires and use them as an excuse to not help others.
The soft hearted are humble, recognizing their own lowliness before God and mankind. They rejoice in that humility and seek to be lowly.
The hard hearted believes that humility is a tragedy at all times and they complain, mourn, and cry every time they are dishonored or suffer. They reject those who reject them and seek self-exaltation at every opportunity, proclaiming it the blessing of God.
The soft hearted are persistent in their devotion to God—obedience, faith, love and humility—and no circumstance or sin against them will turn them away from this way.
The hard hearted are double-minded—desiring both the ways of God and the ways of the world. They often seem to change their minds in what they really want, but what they really want is the ways of the world. In the end, the judgement of the world is what they will receive.
Bringing Back the Lost
We need to go out to them
We need to coax them back
We need to teach them the truth
We need to encourage them to be devoted to God
We need to pray for them and listen to the Spirit for them
We need to train them in focusing on the One Voice, not the multitude of voices around and within them
We need to maintain them (but the focus of the church should not be in matainance, but on restoring.
We need to train them to take up the cross.
The current Mission of God’s church is to restore God’s people to himself.
God’s people who are:
The lost
The poor
The destroyed
The demonized
The mentally ill
The sick
The oppressed
Those who are taught wrong
In other words, all who are downcast and lacking in faith, and yet are soft-hearted toward God. There are Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and Hindus who want to be restored to God—they just don’t know how. There are Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mennonites, Baptists, Seventh-Day Adventists, Catholics, Orthodox and those of every Christian stripe and kind who want to be restored. It is our goal to seek out the soft-hearted—wherever and whoever they may be—and restore them.
The church’s mission is not to:
-Keep the faithful entertained and interested in God
-Call those firmly against the Lord (This is the Lord’s arena, not the church’s)
There are churches and missions who train people to be hard-hearted to God and to God’s Spirit. They are training them in superiority, in judgement, in self-exaltation, in focusing on the idols and tasks of this age. They are all rejected. Most Christian rehabs are trainers of the soft-hearted to be hard-hearted.
A few true training facilities: Some Amish, the Bruderhof, Jesus People USA, Reba Place, etc.
But they need to realize that their purpose is not to maintain a community of brothers and sisters in the Lord. Their purpose is to have a community which will train God’s people how to live, behave and work in God’s kingdom.
The Lord rejects:
Plush facilities
Expensive conferences
Christian concerts
The entertaining and care and feeding of the hard-hearted “faithful”
The church is pouring out money into efforts where they can see a “bottom line”—usually in terms of numbers of people or of financial resources. In God’s work there is no “bottom line” apart from the work of the Spirit and the living out of God’s word.
The purity of the church is important, but it is not the purity of the perfect that God seeks, but the purity of the soft-hearted, those moldable by God. Those who are soft hearted will be conformed, in time, as long as the trainers are not too impatient. But the hard-hearted, although they seem to conform in all the outward ways, will never be God’s.
There is a way to tell the difference between the soft hearted and the hard hearted—by looking at their devotion and faith.
The soft hearted are devoted to God and to his ways.
The hard hearted are devoted to their principles and to their desires.
The soft hearted are obedient to God and obey his commands.
The hard hearted are obedient to principles that do not focus on God’s command. They are usually more strict than God’s commands, and insist that others follow their decrees.
The soft hearted are dependant on God and on his power.
The hard hearted will pray, but are dependant on the ways and power of mankind.
The soft hearted believe in God’s promises and will do anything to receive them.
The hard hearted desire their own goals and are often angry at God for not fulfilling their desires.
They speak of God’s promises, but do not think that conformity to the conditions will gain them the promises.
The soft hearted love others and help them toward the Father and with their needs.
The hard hearted think that it is enough to focus on God, and find reasons to judge other followers of God. The hard hearted see their own needs and desires and use them as an excuse to not help others.
The soft hearted are humble, recognizing their own lowliness before God and mankind. They rejoice in that humility and seek to be lowly.
The hard hearted believes that humility is a tragedy at all times and they complain, mourn, and cry every time they are dishonored or suffer. They reject those who reject them and seek self-exaltation at every opportunity, proclaiming it the blessing of God.
The soft hearted are persistent in their devotion to God—obedience, faith, love and humility—and no circumstance or sin against them will turn them away from this way.
The hard hearted are double-minded—desiring both the ways of God and the ways of the world. They often seem to change their minds in what they really want, but what they really want is the ways of the world. In the end, the judgement of the world is what they will receive.
Bringing Back the Lost
We need to go out to them
We need to coax them back
We need to teach them the truth
We need to encourage them to be devoted to God
We need to pray for them and listen to the Spirit for them
We need to train them in focusing on the One Voice, not the multitude of voices around and within them
We need to maintain them (but the focus of the church should not be in matainance, but on restoring.
We need to train them to take up the cross.
If You Think This Blog Is Interesting...
Well, there's a lot more. If you want to read more of Steve's stuff, or to check out other resources that relate to some of the stuff talked about in this blog, visit my other blogs. There is a little overlap, but, honestly, not very much. I must be some kind of writing machine!
Ministry To The Homeless
http://pastoralblog.blogspot.com/
A blog about my ministry to the homeless.
Steve Kimes, Anawim Esq
http://stevekimes.blogspot.com/
Posts of my comments on various sites and answers to questions I receive
The SKV—A New Translation in the Making
http://skversion.blogspot.com/
My translations-- literal and extremely dynamic-- of the Greek New Testament.
Brief Bible Basics
http://briefbiblebasics.blogspot.com/
Short summaries of Bible themes and a retelling of the story of Scripture.
A Commentary on the Sermon On the Mount
http://sermononthemountcommentary.blogspot.com/
Verse by verse commentary on Jesus' Law in Matthew 5-7.
Meditations On The Psalms
http://livingpsalms.blogspot.com/
A selection of the psalms and commentary
The Faithful: Brief Summaries of 20 Christians Who Changed The World
http://followingthefaithful.blogspot.com/
A list of my heroes throughout Christian history with a brief summary of their lives and what they teach us about following Jesus.
Class War: Thoughts On The Interaction Between Classes
http://jointheclasswar.blogspot.com/
Essays on povery and the relation between the middle and lower classes in the U.S.
Questionable Wisdom
http://pithywisdom.blogspot.com/
Short principles of life written by both me and quotes from many others.
Interesting Stuff
http://interestingbutpointlessstuff.blogspot.com/
Various stuff that I find interesting that don't fit the category of my other blogs. Movies, music, poems, internet sites, whatever.
SOON TO COME: An illustrated commentary on the book of Revelation!
Ministry To The Homeless
http://pastoralblog.blogspot.com/
A blog about my ministry to the homeless.
Steve Kimes, Anawim Esq
http://stevekimes.blogspot.com/
Posts of my comments on various sites and answers to questions I receive
The SKV—A New Translation in the Making
http://skversion.blogspot.com/
My translations-- literal and extremely dynamic-- of the Greek New Testament.
Brief Bible Basics
http://briefbiblebasics.blogspot.com/
Short summaries of Bible themes and a retelling of the story of Scripture.
A Commentary on the Sermon On the Mount
http://sermononthemountcommentary.blogspot.com/
Verse by verse commentary on Jesus' Law in Matthew 5-7.
Meditations On The Psalms
http://livingpsalms.blogspot.com/
A selection of the psalms and commentary
The Faithful: Brief Summaries of 20 Christians Who Changed The World
http://followingthefaithful.blogspot.com/
A list of my heroes throughout Christian history with a brief summary of their lives and what they teach us about following Jesus.
Class War: Thoughts On The Interaction Between Classes
http://jointheclasswar.blogspot.com/
Essays on povery and the relation between the middle and lower classes in the U.S.
Questionable Wisdom
http://pithywisdom.blogspot.com/
Short principles of life written by both me and quotes from many others.
Interesting Stuff
http://interestingbutpointlessstuff.blogspot.com/
Various stuff that I find interesting that don't fit the category of my other blogs. Movies, music, poems, internet sites, whatever.
SOON TO COME: An illustrated commentary on the book of Revelation!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Jesus' Law
First posted in MennoDiscuss in response to the question, "If we are all followers of Jesus, should Jesus' teaching be a law, and if so, how literal should we be?"
1. For those of us who declare Jesus as Lord, Jesus' teaching is law.
2. And Jesus is the only teacher of the law we have (Matt 23-- "And you shall call no one teacher, for you have but one teacher and that is the Christ")
3. Under Jesus, we are all equal in trying to understand the law of Christ and in trying to obey it.
4. We are to assist each other to be obedient to Christ
5. However, if we have a disagreement as to how to obey Jesus-- as long as we do not deny a principle of Jesus-- then we must allow other's their interpretation without judging them. (Romans 14)
6. Nor, if we hold to a more loose interpretation, should we cause our brothers to sin against their interpretation. (Romans 14)
Even this brings up a lot of points.
For instance, my "interpretation" of "love your enemies" means that followers of Jesus should never kill anyone under any circumstances. Does this mean that I can't fellowship with a brother or sister who holds to the idea of "loving them in your heart" but harming them in the flesh? I believe that the interpretation is in reality opposed to the teaching of Jesus, not in harmony with it at all. But what I can do is pray that the Holy Spirit reveal the truth to them, over time. But I shouldn't deny fellowship with them simply because of a misunderstood interpretation.
On the other hand, I would not allow such a person to teach in my congregation, because it says in Scripture that one who stands against the word of Jesus is a false teacher and shouldn't be allowed in the church (I Timothy 6; II John). I do, however, allow people to publicly have a discussion about these interpretations with me in front of my church, so people can hear the different points of view and make their own choice. It is good to allow the Holy Spirit reign to lead people as He will.
1. For those of us who declare Jesus as Lord, Jesus' teaching is law.
2. And Jesus is the only teacher of the law we have (Matt 23-- "And you shall call no one teacher, for you have but one teacher and that is the Christ")
3. Under Jesus, we are all equal in trying to understand the law of Christ and in trying to obey it.
4. We are to assist each other to be obedient to Christ
5. However, if we have a disagreement as to how to obey Jesus-- as long as we do not deny a principle of Jesus-- then we must allow other's their interpretation without judging them. (Romans 14)
6. Nor, if we hold to a more loose interpretation, should we cause our brothers to sin against their interpretation. (Romans 14)
Even this brings up a lot of points.
For instance, my "interpretation" of "love your enemies" means that followers of Jesus should never kill anyone under any circumstances. Does this mean that I can't fellowship with a brother or sister who holds to the idea of "loving them in your heart" but harming them in the flesh? I believe that the interpretation is in reality opposed to the teaching of Jesus, not in harmony with it at all. But what I can do is pray that the Holy Spirit reveal the truth to them, over time. But I shouldn't deny fellowship with them simply because of a misunderstood interpretation.
On the other hand, I would not allow such a person to teach in my congregation, because it says in Scripture that one who stands against the word of Jesus is a false teacher and shouldn't be allowed in the church (I Timothy 6; II John). I do, however, allow people to publicly have a discussion about these interpretations with me in front of my church, so people can hear the different points of view and make their own choice. It is good to allow the Holy Spirit reign to lead people as He will.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Jesus Ethics
Jesus’ teaching isn’t just some general statements, but a whole lifestyle. Jesus didn’t just tell his people to love. Rather, he told us who and how to love. And his teaching isn’t just a good idea or some wise suggestions. Rather, they are the commands of a king to his people—the law of the kingdom of God. If we live our Jesus’ commands, then we are paying attention to the following principles of Jesus: “Be alert”, be prepared for Jesus’ coming, “abide in me”, “do the Father’s will”, “come to me”, “my burden is light”, “you are the salt of the world”, “follow Me”, “in this way everyone will know that you are my disciples” and many more.
Jesus—the basis of morality
To live according to Jesus’ life, we must have Jesus. Jesus spent quite a bit of time speaking of the necessity of being committed to him. He said “believe in me”, “follow me”, “learn from me”, “whoever loves his father and mother more than me can not be my disciple” and “whoever would come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” To have Jesus, we must invite him to be king and Lord of our lives—where his nation is our nation and our first priority. To be a part of Jesus, he wants us to be baptized and to regularly participate in the Lord’s supper. But most of all, we must learn about Jesus, his teaching and live it out in all of our ways. If we commit ourselves to Jesus, He will give us the Holy Spirit—God within us—to guide us in His ways.
Jesus’ Commands—
A. The Basics
Jesus basically summarized the ten commandments, but he also applied them in specific ways.
Don’t murder
Don’t steal
Don’t defraud—This means not lying in court or trying to cheat someone in business.
Don’t commit adultery—Jesus described this as not cheating on your spouse, not having sex with someone else’s spouse—even if they are divorced—and not desiring that someone else’s spouse was your own.
Honor your parents—Jesus described this as giving respect for your parents and providing for them in their old age.
B. Loving God
“No one can serve two masters”—
This command also comes from the first two of the ten commandments. Jesus doesn’t want us serving other gods, nor does he want us to worship images as God. The main issue that Jesus spoke of in this regard was wealth. He considered wealth, money and possessions to be another god that demands service. There are certainly other gods that we can serve instead of God as well, such as sex, drugs, alcohol, or television/movies.
“The Lord’s name in vain”—
Part of respecting God, Jesus says, is using His name carefully. So we do not use God’s name in cursing, falsehood or broken promises.
“Pray this way”—
Jesus told us that we need to pray on a regular basis. When we pray, we use the Lord’s prayer as a model. Also, we need to pray for the Holy Spirit. Another thing that Jesus would often do when he prayed is to listen to God and see if he has anything to say to us.
“Clean the inside of cup”—
To be right before God, Jesus says, we have to have our intentions and motivations pure, not just our actions. Even the smallest of actions display our true intention, and that is what we will be judged on. This is why we pray for the Holy Spirit, to clean our inner thoughts.
“Don’t be as the hypocrites”—
Jesus wants us to take care when we worship or serve God that we are doing it for Him and not for other people. Jesus said that it would be good if we did some of our religious deeds in secret, so no one would know else would know we are doing them.
Porneia—
As a part of our purity before God, Jesus wants us to not participate in sexual immorality. By this Jesus meant not being involved in: sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, pornography, or incest.
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”—
Jesus wants us to focus on two things—what God says and helping people. But he doesn’t want our added traditions or commands—our religion—to in any way harm others or to stand against God’s commands. This means, for instance, that we don’t use the Bible to destroy others, emotionally.
“Faith the size of a mustard seed”—
Jesus wants us to recognize that God can do anything He wants to—and that He will respond in love to our prayers. This means sometimes that we need to step out in faith to do what God wants us to do, even if it seems crazy to those who don’t trust in God.
“Seek first the kingdom”—
Jesus wants us to do work for God, expecting no wage. There are different kinds of work Jesus affirmed—evangelism, giving to the poor, prayer, teaching Scripture, healing the sick and more. Also, Jesus tells us to pray that God would call more workers.
C. Love your neighbor
“Do Unto Others”--
Treat others as we would have them treat us. We want to be respected, communicated with and supported—so, Jesus says, we do the same to others.
“Whoever is angry”—
Jesus told us not to act in hostility against others, including insulting them or harming them in revenge.
“Look of lust”—
Jesus told us that our sexual purity must include even the smallest actions such as looking at someone with lust.
“Certificate of divorce”—
Jesus tells us that the only thing that breaks a marriage is adultery or divorce. But to divorce and get remarried is adultery, and a forced divorce could cause great harm.
“Let your Yes be Yes”—
Jesus said that if we make a promise, we must keep it, even if it’s inconvenient. To do less than keep our word, Jesus says, is of Satan.
“Love your enemies”—
Rather than getting revenge, Jesus says that we are to do good to those who do evil to us. We are always to think of how to best benefit others in all circumstances.
“Be reconciled”—
If we have done anything wrong to others, we should make our wrongs right by going to the person we have wronged.
“Judge not lest you be judged”--
Don’t judge without mercy. Always assume the best and give people a chance to make their wrongs right.
“Forgive and you will be forgiven”—
Jesus says that if anyone tries to make their wrongs right, we must take them back into relationship. We cannot keep people at arm’s length because we don’t like something they’ve apologized for.
“Give to the poor” –
Jesus says that if we see anyone in need, we should do what we can to help them.
D. Church Morality
“Love one another”—
Jesus said that in the church we are all to look out for each other, caring for each other as we would family members.
“Be at peace”—
Jesus doesn’t want us to have arguments about minor matters. Nor are we to divide ourselves from others in the church, except for continuing sin.
“Rebuke him privately”—
Jesus told the church to correct anyone in the church not living up to Jesus’ morality. This correction is to be done gently, with the intention of restoring the sinner.
“Well done, good and faithful servant”—
Jesus said that everyone in the church needs to do work for the kingdom of God, with God as our employer and rewarder.
“Wash each other’s feet”—
Jesus wants us to be hospitable to others who follow Jesus—including feeding each other, inviting others to our homes, praying for each other, and visiting each other when we are sick or in prison.
“I came to seek the lost”—
The church of Jesus is to constantly be open to those who have failed God and wants to come back to Him.
“Preach the gospel”—
Jesus tells the church that we—especially our leaders—are to proclaim God’s kingdom, the death and resurrection of Jesus and the forgiveness of sins.
“Heal the sick, cast out demons”—
The church of Jesus, especially the leaders of the church, are to pray for others to give them spiritual freedom from sickness and evil spirits.
“Beware of false teachers”—
The church is not to put leaders over ourselves who teach something apart from what Jesus taught. Nor are we to place people who are disobedient to Jesus over us as leaders.
“The last shall be first”—
The leaders of Jesus people are there to serve all the others, to be humble and merciful.
“Freely received, freely give”—
The teaching and the ministry that Jesus gave the church to give to others is to be free—without cost.
“The worker is worthy of his hire”—
The church of Jesus is to take care of their leaders, providing for their basic needs.
E. Humility and Sacrifice
“The humble will be exalted”—
Jesus says that we are to allow ourselves to be humiliated, disrespected and put down. If we do this, God will honor us and raise us up.
“Invite the poor”—
We are to give honor to the lowly, poor and outcast, who cannot repay us, so God will give us honor.
“Sell your possessions”—
Jesus wants us to not just give to the poor when it is convenient, but to sacrifice our own personal wealth for the poor.
“Turn the other cheek”—
We are to submit to authorities, even if they do us harm. The only time we do not submit is if they tell us to disobey Jesus.
“Take up the cross”—
Jesus wants our lives to be surrendered for the sake of others and God. Doing minor acts of mercy or devotion is not enough—we must surrender our whole lives, even literally if necessary.
“Rejoice and be glad”—
Jesus said that if we do get persecuted, hated, isolated, or rejected because of following his way, speaking the gospel or living for Jesus, then we shouldn’t be depressed, but happy. For God will look at our faithfulness and reward us greater than the persecutions we suffered.
Jesus—the basis of morality
To live according to Jesus’ life, we must have Jesus. Jesus spent quite a bit of time speaking of the necessity of being committed to him. He said “believe in me”, “follow me”, “learn from me”, “whoever loves his father and mother more than me can not be my disciple” and “whoever would come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” To have Jesus, we must invite him to be king and Lord of our lives—where his nation is our nation and our first priority. To be a part of Jesus, he wants us to be baptized and to regularly participate in the Lord’s supper. But most of all, we must learn about Jesus, his teaching and live it out in all of our ways. If we commit ourselves to Jesus, He will give us the Holy Spirit—God within us—to guide us in His ways.
Jesus’ Commands—
A. The Basics
Jesus basically summarized the ten commandments, but he also applied them in specific ways.
Don’t murder
Don’t steal
Don’t defraud—This means not lying in court or trying to cheat someone in business.
Don’t commit adultery—Jesus described this as not cheating on your spouse, not having sex with someone else’s spouse—even if they are divorced—and not desiring that someone else’s spouse was your own.
Honor your parents—Jesus described this as giving respect for your parents and providing for them in their old age.
B. Loving God
“No one can serve two masters”—
This command also comes from the first two of the ten commandments. Jesus doesn’t want us serving other gods, nor does he want us to worship images as God. The main issue that Jesus spoke of in this regard was wealth. He considered wealth, money and possessions to be another god that demands service. There are certainly other gods that we can serve instead of God as well, such as sex, drugs, alcohol, or television/movies.
“The Lord’s name in vain”—
Part of respecting God, Jesus says, is using His name carefully. So we do not use God’s name in cursing, falsehood or broken promises.
“Pray this way”—
Jesus told us that we need to pray on a regular basis. When we pray, we use the Lord’s prayer as a model. Also, we need to pray for the Holy Spirit. Another thing that Jesus would often do when he prayed is to listen to God and see if he has anything to say to us.
“Clean the inside of cup”—
To be right before God, Jesus says, we have to have our intentions and motivations pure, not just our actions. Even the smallest of actions display our true intention, and that is what we will be judged on. This is why we pray for the Holy Spirit, to clean our inner thoughts.
“Don’t be as the hypocrites”—
Jesus wants us to take care when we worship or serve God that we are doing it for Him and not for other people. Jesus said that it would be good if we did some of our religious deeds in secret, so no one would know else would know we are doing them.
Porneia—
As a part of our purity before God, Jesus wants us to not participate in sexual immorality. By this Jesus meant not being involved in: sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, pornography, or incest.
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”—
Jesus wants us to focus on two things—what God says and helping people. But he doesn’t want our added traditions or commands—our religion—to in any way harm others or to stand against God’s commands. This means, for instance, that we don’t use the Bible to destroy others, emotionally.
“Faith the size of a mustard seed”—
Jesus wants us to recognize that God can do anything He wants to—and that He will respond in love to our prayers. This means sometimes that we need to step out in faith to do what God wants us to do, even if it seems crazy to those who don’t trust in God.
“Seek first the kingdom”—
Jesus wants us to do work for God, expecting no wage. There are different kinds of work Jesus affirmed—evangelism, giving to the poor, prayer, teaching Scripture, healing the sick and more. Also, Jesus tells us to pray that God would call more workers.
C. Love your neighbor
“Do Unto Others”--
Treat others as we would have them treat us. We want to be respected, communicated with and supported—so, Jesus says, we do the same to others.
“Whoever is angry”—
Jesus told us not to act in hostility against others, including insulting them or harming them in revenge.
“Look of lust”—
Jesus told us that our sexual purity must include even the smallest actions such as looking at someone with lust.
“Certificate of divorce”—
Jesus tells us that the only thing that breaks a marriage is adultery or divorce. But to divorce and get remarried is adultery, and a forced divorce could cause great harm.
“Let your Yes be Yes”—
Jesus said that if we make a promise, we must keep it, even if it’s inconvenient. To do less than keep our word, Jesus says, is of Satan.
“Love your enemies”—
Rather than getting revenge, Jesus says that we are to do good to those who do evil to us. We are always to think of how to best benefit others in all circumstances.
“Be reconciled”—
If we have done anything wrong to others, we should make our wrongs right by going to the person we have wronged.
“Judge not lest you be judged”--
Don’t judge without mercy. Always assume the best and give people a chance to make their wrongs right.
“Forgive and you will be forgiven”—
Jesus says that if anyone tries to make their wrongs right, we must take them back into relationship. We cannot keep people at arm’s length because we don’t like something they’ve apologized for.
“Give to the poor” –
Jesus says that if we see anyone in need, we should do what we can to help them.
D. Church Morality
“Love one another”—
Jesus said that in the church we are all to look out for each other, caring for each other as we would family members.
“Be at peace”—
Jesus doesn’t want us to have arguments about minor matters. Nor are we to divide ourselves from others in the church, except for continuing sin.
“Rebuke him privately”—
Jesus told the church to correct anyone in the church not living up to Jesus’ morality. This correction is to be done gently, with the intention of restoring the sinner.
“Well done, good and faithful servant”—
Jesus said that everyone in the church needs to do work for the kingdom of God, with God as our employer and rewarder.
“Wash each other’s feet”—
Jesus wants us to be hospitable to others who follow Jesus—including feeding each other, inviting others to our homes, praying for each other, and visiting each other when we are sick or in prison.
“I came to seek the lost”—
The church of Jesus is to constantly be open to those who have failed God and wants to come back to Him.
“Preach the gospel”—
Jesus tells the church that we—especially our leaders—are to proclaim God’s kingdom, the death and resurrection of Jesus and the forgiveness of sins.
“Heal the sick, cast out demons”—
The church of Jesus, especially the leaders of the church, are to pray for others to give them spiritual freedom from sickness and evil spirits.
“Beware of false teachers”—
The church is not to put leaders over ourselves who teach something apart from what Jesus taught. Nor are we to place people who are disobedient to Jesus over us as leaders.
“The last shall be first”—
The leaders of Jesus people are there to serve all the others, to be humble and merciful.
“Freely received, freely give”—
The teaching and the ministry that Jesus gave the church to give to others is to be free—without cost.
“The worker is worthy of his hire”—
The church of Jesus is to take care of their leaders, providing for their basic needs.
E. Humility and Sacrifice
“The humble will be exalted”—
Jesus says that we are to allow ourselves to be humiliated, disrespected and put down. If we do this, God will honor us and raise us up.
“Invite the poor”—
We are to give honor to the lowly, poor and outcast, who cannot repay us, so God will give us honor.
“Sell your possessions”—
Jesus wants us to not just give to the poor when it is convenient, but to sacrifice our own personal wealth for the poor.
“Turn the other cheek”—
We are to submit to authorities, even if they do us harm. The only time we do not submit is if they tell us to disobey Jesus.
“Take up the cross”—
Jesus wants our lives to be surrendered for the sake of others and God. Doing minor acts of mercy or devotion is not enough—we must surrender our whole lives, even literally if necessary.
“Rejoice and be glad”—
Jesus said that if we do get persecuted, hated, isolated, or rejected because of following his way, speaking the gospel or living for Jesus, then we shouldn’t be depressed, but happy. For God will look at our faithfulness and reward us greater than the persecutions we suffered.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Judgment, Cheap Grace and Mercy
• Judgment is immediate.
It demands the quick decision and the sentence is as swift and demanding as a guillotine.
• Mercy is slow.
Mercy takes its time, deliberating, mulling over options. Mercy is often second-guessing itself, repenting of former decisions as repentance is made known.
• Cheap Grace is careless.
It cares not what the issues are, and is as swift in its decision of forgiveness as judgment is of condemnation.
• Judgment is simple.
Black and white, clear cut, no recourse, no compromise. Judgment sees all situations from a demanding, no fills position.
• Mercy seeks truth—no matter how messy.
It deliberates, considers, ponders, discusses—but not without a goal. Mercy plods, the tortoise who wins the race, slow and steady. Mercy understands that truth cannot be found in a headline, but in a feature article based on many interviews.
• Cheap Grace triumphs the ignorant.
There is no need for determinations, deliberations or decisions. The decision has already been made—freedom and blessing for all, no matter what the situation.
• Judgment focuses on the law as a principle.
“The law is a standard which once broken cannot be mended. It is the Humpty Dumpty of God. It is an ancient china doll, needing to be placed behind glass—protected, served, and loved from a distance.” But the law of judgment is cold, hard and sharp as a steel blade. Judgment claims to be for the good of society, but the only one who benefits is Judgment itself.
• Mercy loves the law as a benefit to others.
The law is to “love your neighbor,” thus mercy is the heart of the law. The law is to train us in mercy, to see the Other as the beneficiary of all of our actions. Mercy considers the well-being of all—even the law-breaker. Mercy’s law is comforting, light, for it always seeks the benefit of all.
• Cheap Grace discards the law.
“The law was a plaything of youth, but is to be set aside as unworthy of consideration. Grace has set aside all law, especially the law of Jesus, as unworthy of God.” Cheap Grace claims to speak for Mercy, but denies the heart of God.
• Judgment demands recompense.
Judgment seeks equity to the cost of the action of the law-breaker. “You broke it, you pay for it.” It seeks a balanced account book for which each debit has its equal and opposite credit—the coin of which is blood and dishonor.
• Mercy pursues reconciliation.
Mercy can lead to dishonor, should repentance be the flip side of that coin. Mercy pleads for restoration, constantly seeking an ingathering together for all the saints.
• Cheap Grace rejects cost.
Cheap Grace points to Calvary and claims that all had been accomplished there. Cheap Grace ignores the man who said, “All who would follow me must take up their own cross daily.” Cheap Grace demands no personal cost, no change, no death, no discipline, and so gains no gift, no new creation, no life, no restoration.
• Judgment has no escape. Once judged, there is no exit. The sentence is irrevocable, the differences irreconcilable, the community ununitable.
• Mercy offers an out—repentance.
The one who has harmed another—and so has defied the law—has an opportunity to be brought back under the law. To repent, to reconcile is the extent that Mercy demands, and will seek any way to achieve that goal.
• Cheap Grace is unconditional forgiveness.
It is spiritual bloodletting—seeking to heal the patient, while ignorantly killing him. Cheap Grace sees no need to gather in, to restore, for there was no separation.
• Judgment demands payment from the lawbreaker.
As the law suffered, so must the criminal. As society was harmed, so must the harmer. Judgment claims the lost deserve nothing, and so gives nothing.
• Mercy sacrifices.
Restoration also has a price, and the merciful takes that price on oneself. Mercy pays whatever the cost so the sinner can be restored. Mercy groans in prayer, endures attacks, forgives debts against it, pays debts against others, sacrifices its comfort, its family, its friendships, its resources, its very life—all for the sake of the lost.
• Cheap Grace gleefully ignores cost.
It is the thief, stealing from God’s honor. Cheap Grace receives no payment, demands nothing, gives nothing, since there is no debt incurred. Cheap Grace celebrates at the foot of grace delivered, but ignores the call of grace transferred to others. Cheap Grace requires nothing and so gains nothing.
• Judgment never forgets.
It is the elephant of virtues. It never trusts, never believes, never forgives, never restores. Judgment says “Once a sinner, always a sinner.”
• Mercy gives the benefit of the doubt.
Mercy does not forget, but allows complete restoration, a rebuilding of trust. Mercy believes in new creation, a new life, which has nothing to do with the old.
• Cheap Grace always trusts, even the hypocrite.
It always believes, even the liar. It always forgives, even the unrepentant. It accepts everyone and everything—except God’s truth.
• Judgment is Satan.
Judgment is the accuser of the brethren, the murderer of humanity for the sake of a bloodless law. It is the prosecutor seeking the death penalty.
• Mercy is Jesus.
It is the self-sacrificer, the reconciler to God, the perfect sacrifice. Mercy is the one who said, “Go and sin no more,” “The one whom the Son sets free is free indeed,” “I have come to seek and save the lost,” “Unless you repent you will likewise perish,” “I have not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance,” “Be merciful as your Father is merciful.”
• Cheap Grace is the Flesh.
It is self-seeking, self-upholding, self-deceptive. Ultimately, it upholds what is abhorrent to God as the will of God. They practice sin and gives approval to those who practice it.
• Judgment is a liar.
It claims that God does not forgive, sees the sin and not the sinner. It denies the power of God to change the one in Jesus. It is lost, for it has forsaken the mercy of Jesus. Those in the power of Judgment will die by God’s hand—“Judge and you will be judged.”
• Cheap Grace is a liar.
It claims that God’s standard is flexible, and so non-existent. It loves the lost to such a degree that it cannot be separated from the lost. It causes the lost to remain lost, and so dead. Those in the power of Cheap Grace will die by God’s hand—“Whoever does not obey the Son will not see life.”
• Mercy is the truth of God.
It upholds the law, which is to love all. It demands love, even as it offers love. It demands forgiveness, even as it offers forgiveness. It demands sacrifice, even as it sacrifices. It demands purity, even as it offers purity. It demands devotion to God, even as it offers devotion to God. “Be imitators of God, and walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.”
Mercy stands with God over against Judgment and Cheap Grace
It demands the quick decision and the sentence is as swift and demanding as a guillotine.
• Mercy is slow.
Mercy takes its time, deliberating, mulling over options. Mercy is often second-guessing itself, repenting of former decisions as repentance is made known.
• Cheap Grace is careless.
It cares not what the issues are, and is as swift in its decision of forgiveness as judgment is of condemnation.
• Judgment is simple.
Black and white, clear cut, no recourse, no compromise. Judgment sees all situations from a demanding, no fills position.
• Mercy seeks truth—no matter how messy.
It deliberates, considers, ponders, discusses—but not without a goal. Mercy plods, the tortoise who wins the race, slow and steady. Mercy understands that truth cannot be found in a headline, but in a feature article based on many interviews.
• Cheap Grace triumphs the ignorant.
There is no need for determinations, deliberations or decisions. The decision has already been made—freedom and blessing for all, no matter what the situation.
• Judgment focuses on the law as a principle.
“The law is a standard which once broken cannot be mended. It is the Humpty Dumpty of God. It is an ancient china doll, needing to be placed behind glass—protected, served, and loved from a distance.” But the law of judgment is cold, hard and sharp as a steel blade. Judgment claims to be for the good of society, but the only one who benefits is Judgment itself.
• Mercy loves the law as a benefit to others.
The law is to “love your neighbor,” thus mercy is the heart of the law. The law is to train us in mercy, to see the Other as the beneficiary of all of our actions. Mercy considers the well-being of all—even the law-breaker. Mercy’s law is comforting, light, for it always seeks the benefit of all.
• Cheap Grace discards the law.
“The law was a plaything of youth, but is to be set aside as unworthy of consideration. Grace has set aside all law, especially the law of Jesus, as unworthy of God.” Cheap Grace claims to speak for Mercy, but denies the heart of God.
• Judgment demands recompense.
Judgment seeks equity to the cost of the action of the law-breaker. “You broke it, you pay for it.” It seeks a balanced account book for which each debit has its equal and opposite credit—the coin of which is blood and dishonor.
• Mercy pursues reconciliation.
Mercy can lead to dishonor, should repentance be the flip side of that coin. Mercy pleads for restoration, constantly seeking an ingathering together for all the saints.
• Cheap Grace rejects cost.
Cheap Grace points to Calvary and claims that all had been accomplished there. Cheap Grace ignores the man who said, “All who would follow me must take up their own cross daily.” Cheap Grace demands no personal cost, no change, no death, no discipline, and so gains no gift, no new creation, no life, no restoration.
• Judgment has no escape. Once judged, there is no exit. The sentence is irrevocable, the differences irreconcilable, the community ununitable.
• Mercy offers an out—repentance.
The one who has harmed another—and so has defied the law—has an opportunity to be brought back under the law. To repent, to reconcile is the extent that Mercy demands, and will seek any way to achieve that goal.
• Cheap Grace is unconditional forgiveness.
It is spiritual bloodletting—seeking to heal the patient, while ignorantly killing him. Cheap Grace sees no need to gather in, to restore, for there was no separation.
• Judgment demands payment from the lawbreaker.
As the law suffered, so must the criminal. As society was harmed, so must the harmer. Judgment claims the lost deserve nothing, and so gives nothing.
• Mercy sacrifices.
Restoration also has a price, and the merciful takes that price on oneself. Mercy pays whatever the cost so the sinner can be restored. Mercy groans in prayer, endures attacks, forgives debts against it, pays debts against others, sacrifices its comfort, its family, its friendships, its resources, its very life—all for the sake of the lost.
• Cheap Grace gleefully ignores cost.
It is the thief, stealing from God’s honor. Cheap Grace receives no payment, demands nothing, gives nothing, since there is no debt incurred. Cheap Grace celebrates at the foot of grace delivered, but ignores the call of grace transferred to others. Cheap Grace requires nothing and so gains nothing.
• Judgment never forgets.
It is the elephant of virtues. It never trusts, never believes, never forgives, never restores. Judgment says “Once a sinner, always a sinner.”
• Mercy gives the benefit of the doubt.
Mercy does not forget, but allows complete restoration, a rebuilding of trust. Mercy believes in new creation, a new life, which has nothing to do with the old.
• Cheap Grace always trusts, even the hypocrite.
It always believes, even the liar. It always forgives, even the unrepentant. It accepts everyone and everything—except God’s truth.
• Judgment is Satan.
Judgment is the accuser of the brethren, the murderer of humanity for the sake of a bloodless law. It is the prosecutor seeking the death penalty.
• Mercy is Jesus.
It is the self-sacrificer, the reconciler to God, the perfect sacrifice. Mercy is the one who said, “Go and sin no more,” “The one whom the Son sets free is free indeed,” “I have come to seek and save the lost,” “Unless you repent you will likewise perish,” “I have not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance,” “Be merciful as your Father is merciful.”
• Cheap Grace is the Flesh.
It is self-seeking, self-upholding, self-deceptive. Ultimately, it upholds what is abhorrent to God as the will of God. They practice sin and gives approval to those who practice it.
• Judgment is a liar.
It claims that God does not forgive, sees the sin and not the sinner. It denies the power of God to change the one in Jesus. It is lost, for it has forsaken the mercy of Jesus. Those in the power of Judgment will die by God’s hand—“Judge and you will be judged.”
• Cheap Grace is a liar.
It claims that God’s standard is flexible, and so non-existent. It loves the lost to such a degree that it cannot be separated from the lost. It causes the lost to remain lost, and so dead. Those in the power of Cheap Grace will die by God’s hand—“Whoever does not obey the Son will not see life.”
• Mercy is the truth of God.
It upholds the law, which is to love all. It demands love, even as it offers love. It demands forgiveness, even as it offers forgiveness. It demands sacrifice, even as it sacrifices. It demands purity, even as it offers purity. It demands devotion to God, even as it offers devotion to God. “Be imitators of God, and walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.”
Mercy stands with God over against Judgment and Cheap Grace
Friday, December 05, 2008
What Does That Speak of Us?
How we want to be like Jesus!
We want his righteousness and his ability to please God. We want to live out his life and to always hold on to what is good. For some of us, we want him more than we want anything else - more than life itself, we desire him so. And so should it be.
But it is curious, that though it is clear the gospels teach that we are to live out his life, Jesus himself only mentioned the imitation of himself in one context: that of being persecuted by others.
Jesus said, “Remember the words I spoke to you : ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you, too. (John 15: 18-16:3)”
“If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household! (Matthew 10: 34-39)
To be like Jesus is to assuredly be persecuted like Jesus. To not be persecuteted is to fall short of the full call of Jesus and to be like the enemies of Jesus: “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their Fathers treated the false prophets. (Matthew 5: 11-12 & Luke 6:26)”
Even to attain godly character, the most sure way is to gain it through persecution. James says that perseverance of your faith comes only through trials (James 1: 2-4 & Romans 5: 3-5).
And Paul says that it is through the perseverance attained by suffering that we gain character like that of Jesus - and that it is through such character that we have hope in Christ!
It is not just an added benefit that we attain the glory of persecution and suffering - it is our very life! In fact, Paul said, “Anyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (II Timothy 3:12)”
If you live a life of the Spirit you will be rejected by mankind. If you live as Jesus lived, you will be insulted and mistreated. If you walk in the teaching of the apostles, you will be spurned and hated. If god truly resides in you, you will even be beaten, arrested, sentenced and killed (Mark 8: 31-38).
This is the meaning of the cross we must hear. This is a daily sacrifice for those who live in God.
The fact that we rarely experience persecution as a church displays our weakness. But the fact that we do everything in our power to turn aside and walk away from the slight persecutions God gives us - that we stand up in court demanding our rights as citizens for protection - when we ought to be standing in our protection God gave us... What does that speak of us?
We want his righteousness and his ability to please God. We want to live out his life and to always hold on to what is good. For some of us, we want him more than we want anything else - more than life itself, we desire him so. And so should it be.
But it is curious, that though it is clear the gospels teach that we are to live out his life, Jesus himself only mentioned the imitation of himself in one context: that of being persecuted by others.
Jesus said, “Remember the words I spoke to you : ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you, too. (John 15: 18-16:3)”
“If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household! (Matthew 10: 34-39)
To be like Jesus is to assuredly be persecuted like Jesus. To not be persecuteted is to fall short of the full call of Jesus and to be like the enemies of Jesus: “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their Fathers treated the false prophets. (Matthew 5: 11-12 & Luke 6:26)”
Even to attain godly character, the most sure way is to gain it through persecution. James says that perseverance of your faith comes only through trials (James 1: 2-4 & Romans 5: 3-5).
And Paul says that it is through the perseverance attained by suffering that we gain character like that of Jesus - and that it is through such character that we have hope in Christ!
It is not just an added benefit that we attain the glory of persecution and suffering - it is our very life! In fact, Paul said, “Anyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (II Timothy 3:12)”
If you live a life of the Spirit you will be rejected by mankind. If you live as Jesus lived, you will be insulted and mistreated. If you walk in the teaching of the apostles, you will be spurned and hated. If god truly resides in you, you will even be beaten, arrested, sentenced and killed (Mark 8: 31-38).
This is the meaning of the cross we must hear. This is a daily sacrifice for those who live in God.
The fact that we rarely experience persecution as a church displays our weakness. But the fact that we do everything in our power to turn aside and walk away from the slight persecutions God gives us - that we stand up in court demanding our rights as citizens for protection - when we ought to be standing in our protection God gave us... What does that speak of us?
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