Our Physician has no need to heal Himself ................ Parables 567

September 2, 1997

A cartoon shows an obese doctor telling his obese patient, “I want you to quit smoking and lose 40 pounds. Then I want you to come back and tell me how you did it.”

We might not laugh because we struggle ourselves with trying to break some habits that seem impossible. No one wants lung cancer, heart disease or any other medical problem interfering with enjoyment of life, yet even those concerns are sometimes not enough to motivate some people into making a total break from unhealthy addictions. For many, the feel-good sensation of alcohol, cigarettes and rich desserts has a stronger appeal than any alternative.

We also can laugh because this cartoon reminds us of “pots who call the kettle black.” Even the Bible condemns the practice of judging others if we have the same problem. Those who did were quick to hear, “Physician, heal thyself.” Jesus said, “Those without guilt can cast the first stone.”

But if we refuse to listen to losers, will we listen to a winner? When the most perfect Being tells us how to live, will we easily follow His directions? For instance, one of the Ten Commandments says, “Thou shall not envy.” But who of us has not envied? Who has not had a yen for what others have? Who has not been discontent with their own things and wanted more?

God tells us to stop all sinning. That includes envy but also other attitudes and behaviors such as selfish thoughts, unkind words, lies, violence, immoral activities, and so on. Yet God is not like the cartoon doctor. For one thing, He doesn’t struggle with the things He tells us not stop doing. He never offers a “prescription” then asks us how He can follow it too. We have the problem, not Him.

Most of us find it difficult to even admit we cannot obey God. Some say they never murder or commit adultery, as if those were the only sins. But who has not envied? Or told a lie? Or grumbled against God? Or just ignored Him?

Anyone who tries to be godly knows that stopping all sin is an impossible assignment. We are so helpless. That being the case, why does the Great Physician bother to tell us how to live? Doesn’t He realize that His Law is impossible for one hundred percent obedience?

Of course God knows. But we do not. We fail to realize how far we are from what God intended we should be, and without the Law to set His standard for us, we are ignorant of our condition. The Law is God’s eternal standard and has an unexpected purpose — it was not intended to bring us closer to God but to show us how far away we are!

In writing about envy and the Law, the Apostle Paul said, “I would not have known what sin was except through the Law. . . . so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. . . the Law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual . . . .” Paul admits that he could not stand approved before God through obeying rules. In another place, he explained why—the Law was never intended to make us better people. Instead, “the Law is our school master to lead us to Christ.”

God is not like the cartoon doctor. While He does give us a prescription of what we must do, He takes it one step farther and offers us a Living Savior who will enter into our lives and do it for us. As a Christian author once said, “The Lawgiver on the throne becomes the Law keeper in our hearts.”

Because of that wonderful reality, Paul conquered the sin of envy. He said, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. . . I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” He didn’t have to do it by himself.

Rules and absolutes? .......... Parables 510

May 14, 1996

Youth leader and speaker Josh McDowell says that young people today usually agree that lying is wrong, but most of them are unable to explain why. I asked a young friend about this and she could only say, “It’s wrong because it’s wrong, that’s all.”

According to McDowell, parents often teach rules, such as “do not tell lies” but neglect to give any foundation that supports or explains those rules. Rules or precepts without reasons for them amount to legalism. We may teach that telling lies is wrong because it is immoral, but adding that principle is a no-no in today’s culture. Too many now insist that there are no absolutes, that truth is subjective and what is true changes relative to time and situation.

McDowell says people need to know absolute truth does exist. Not only that, truth is objective, universal and constant. It can even be tested. According to Webster, truth is “fidelity to an original or a standard.” Therefore, to test if something is true, all one needs to do is measure it by the original standard.

For instance, if you wanted to test whether a liter of milk actually contained a liter, you could take it to the place where standards for weights and measures are located. A careful comparison would show if your liter is truly a liter.

In the case of lying and other moral issues, the standard is the person, character and nature of God. He is the Original, the Creator of all things who made us in His image.

Even those who doubt the existence of God would say, if God did exist He would be perfect and true, not a liar or an immoral being. The Bible confirms this: “God is light; in Him is no darkness at all” and “...it is impossible for God to lie.”

We can safely measure truth by God because He is the author of it. Obviously, lying cannot pass the test. Not only are lies the opposite of truth but they, and the act of lying, are contrary or opposite from the Original Standard.

Also, McDowell suggests that children (and adults) need to know God’s purpose for precepts, such as “do not lie.” While most people think God makes rules to ruin our fun, in reality His precepts protect us from being harmed and from harming others. In the long run, lies are destructive. They ruin relationships, undermine trust, destroy confidence and produce emotional instability. God does not want us to experience those consequences.

One of our biggest difficulties is that immediate consequences from disobeying Him may not look so bad. People steal or do other illegal and immoral things but negatives are either delayed or do not happen, at least in this life. Today’s instant society finds long-term effects difficult to visualize and ridicule the idea of eternal judgment.

Faith in God can look at eternity. As the Bible says, it is “the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” Faith believes God without seeing because sight has nothing to do with it. Faith is based on who God is and He stands firm as its foundation. Because God does not lie, we can believe what He says about the effects of lying and other wrongs.

In contrast, Jesus speaks of the fallen angel, Satan, as “a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Ultimately, lying is also wrong because of its source. Truth, and the reality of its nature, is good and right because of its source. It is grounded in the absolute and flawless character of God.