January 20, 1998
A simple statistic reveals human attitudes. For instance, 44% of American youth say if they do not like the candidates, there is no reason to vote. If political leaders don’t please them, they opt out of the system and refuse to support any leader.
Public support encourages leaders but voters’ personal preferences do not determine who makes a good leader. Leaders usually advocate change. Voters do not always see change as positive. They may decide to not follow that leader, even if the change would benefit them.
What if change challenges moral values, personal ethics or spiritual waywardness? Leaders who do this could be unpopular because of it. Does that make them poor leaders?
Sometimes the best leaders are the least popular. For instance, more than 99% of the population of Israel rejected Christ’s leadership. When He was arrested and taken to Calvary, His best friends abandoned Him. However, lack of popularity did not change His value as a leader.
In Jesus’ case, and perhaps in other situations where people refuse to support a leader, the difficulty is their own independence. Some people simply refuse to follow anyone. They fiercely proclaim self-reliance and will not let someone else tell them what to do.
The universal cry for freedom often means that kind of freedom. We are just like the Old Testament prophet Isaiah said we are— prone to turn to our own way. However, the Word of God says everyone is in bondage to something. Doing our own thing does not make us free. If we follow our own desires, they rule us. If we ignore the demands of political, legal, religious or social leaders, we will be at odds with a society that does not function very well without some conformity to its rules.
Besides this practical reason to follow social and political leadership, the Bible says we also are responsible for choosing our masters. Some of our options: we can follow our own lusts (they will bring us into addictions and bondage). We can follow the desires of friends (and find ourselves slaves to their demands). We can select political leaders (yet we are seldom happy with the outcome). Not one of those options gives us the leadership we want or the freedom we seek.
How startling that Jesus claimed “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Yet most people, including the Jewish leaders, did not go for that either. They liked their system of law with its 600 plus rules for life. They liked to think they were obeying those rules. They said of Jesus, “We will not have this man rule over us.”
However, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” He also said if they did not want the freedom He offered them, they would “die in their sins.”
The Apostle Paul restated it: “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience (to God), which leads to righteousness?”
Both affirm that everyone is a slave to something. Both affirm that those who do not follow God follow their own way, which is sin.
We may not like God’s definitions of our options but we do have the freedom and the responsibility of choosing our own master . . . and of accepting the outcome of that choice.
Showing posts with label righteousness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label righteousness. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Friday, February 19, 2016
Spiritual Laws are as certain as Scientific Principles ............. Parables 395
November 9, 1993
Sometimes the way nations try to govern themselves remind me of trying to fall up a tree, or out of a well. Could communist Russia put water in a pan on a hot stove and produce ice cubes? Could atheist Yugoslavia boil water and make it increase in volume, not evaporate?
Scientific laws are more reliable than that. The sun will rise tomorrow. (To be more correct, the earth should keep turning so our part of it faces the sun sometime in the next 24 hours.) Certain birds will fly south for the winter. Snow will melt in the spring. The force of gravity holds things to the earth. We can even expect mixtures of specific chemicals to explode when heated, or turn into a tasty cake, depending on the combinations.
Our world operates on scientific laws, yet other laws are necessary to our well-being, even to our survival. These are laws related to life-principles and moral values. They are as critical for human life as the law of gravity.
Some examples might include: lazy hands make a man poor; wisdom is found in those who take advice; failure to love others makes a person lonely.
Some people do try to bend them or operate without them. A lazy man may even win a lottery or inherit a fortune, and those who ignore wise advice might succeed for a little while. Even selfish, unloving people could have loyal friends, but for the most part, certain life principles are directly connected to quality of life. They make a difference.
It is the same with morals. The person who insists on an immoral lifestyle eventually finds themselves facing some kind of negative consequences. That is, the thief eventually gets caught (or lives looking over his shoulder). The murderer may lose his own life, or carry the guilt of his crime to his grave. The person who commits adultery, while he or she may not be aware of it, has lost something of their ability to properly relate to their own spouse. Anyone who gossips usually finds themselves either a victim of gossip or the recipient of a negative label.
These moral and life principles are not merely for individuals. Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”
In this verse, righteousness is talking about a principle far beyond morals or common sense axioms. Biblically, righteousness includes a right-relationship with God (gained through faith) plus a life that is lived in righteousness or in obedience to Him. Therefore, a nation whose people (in the majority) honor God, trust Him, and obey Him, is exalted. They can expect some kind of recognition and success.
However the opposite is usually more obvious: a nation characterized by sin, by rebellion against God, by lack of faith, by absence of God in the lives of their people, is seldom exalted, at least for long. Disgrace will eventually come.
Some nations receive veneration because they are founded on biblical principles and certain results can be expected. Righteousness does foster peace, happiness and productivity.
On the other hand, some nations have ignored God and godly principles. Their people fight among themselves, are unhappy (thus alcoholism, etc. is a great problem), and there is not enough of the basics like food and clothing to go around. For them, trying to be exalted without godliness is like trying to make the sun rise in the west or expecting rivers run uphill.
Sometimes the way nations try to govern themselves remind me of trying to fall up a tree, or out of a well. Could communist Russia put water in a pan on a hot stove and produce ice cubes? Could atheist Yugoslavia boil water and make it increase in volume, not evaporate?
Scientific laws are more reliable than that. The sun will rise tomorrow. (To be more correct, the earth should keep turning so our part of it faces the sun sometime in the next 24 hours.) Certain birds will fly south for the winter. Snow will melt in the spring. The force of gravity holds things to the earth. We can even expect mixtures of specific chemicals to explode when heated, or turn into a tasty cake, depending on the combinations.
Our world operates on scientific laws, yet other laws are necessary to our well-being, even to our survival. These are laws related to life-principles and moral values. They are as critical for human life as the law of gravity.
Some examples might include: lazy hands make a man poor; wisdom is found in those who take advice; failure to love others makes a person lonely.
Some people do try to bend them or operate without them. A lazy man may even win a lottery or inherit a fortune, and those who ignore wise advice might succeed for a little while. Even selfish, unloving people could have loyal friends, but for the most part, certain life principles are directly connected to quality of life. They make a difference.
It is the same with morals. The person who insists on an immoral lifestyle eventually finds themselves facing some kind of negative consequences. That is, the thief eventually gets caught (or lives looking over his shoulder). The murderer may lose his own life, or carry the guilt of his crime to his grave. The person who commits adultery, while he or she may not be aware of it, has lost something of their ability to properly relate to their own spouse. Anyone who gossips usually finds themselves either a victim of gossip or the recipient of a negative label.
These moral and life principles are not merely for individuals. Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”
In this verse, righteousness is talking about a principle far beyond morals or common sense axioms. Biblically, righteousness includes a right-relationship with God (gained through faith) plus a life that is lived in righteousness or in obedience to Him. Therefore, a nation whose people (in the majority) honor God, trust Him, and obey Him, is exalted. They can expect some kind of recognition and success.
However the opposite is usually more obvious: a nation characterized by sin, by rebellion against God, by lack of faith, by absence of God in the lives of their people, is seldom exalted, at least for long. Disgrace will eventually come.
Some nations receive veneration because they are founded on biblical principles and certain results can be expected. Righteousness does foster peace, happiness and productivity.
On the other hand, some nations have ignored God and godly principles. Their people fight among themselves, are unhappy (thus alcoholism, etc. is a great problem), and there is not enough of the basics like food and clothing to go around. For them, trying to be exalted without godliness is like trying to make the sun rise in the west or expecting rivers run uphill.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
The Good Book is in some places a rare book ................ Parables 327
July 21, 1992
In spite of the fact that the Bible is an all-time best-seller, there are over 400 million people in Western Europe that have never touched one. In fact, one of the first countries to print Bibles before the reformation now claims over 25% of its people are involved in the occult. Furthermore, the nation which produced the Bible authorized by King James (which held first place in book sales for over three centuries) has lost much of its influence as a world power through social breakdown and moral decline.
What happened to these nations that once held the Bible in high regard? Do attitudes towards God’s Word have any effect on general prosperity?
Christian historians would like to think so. Those nations founded on Biblical principles seem to enjoy certain blessings and a general prosperity that others do not — for example, contrast the United States with India.
To be fair, population, natural resources and other factors also influence prosperity. It would be more fair to compare Puerto Rico and Haiti. Puerto Rican statistics say about 20% of the population are evangelical Christians. Even though 80% are not, this figure indicates far more Puerto Ricans have a high view of Scripture than do the people of Haiti — where 85-90% are involved in varying degrees of Voodoo and witchcraft. Economically, Puerto Ricans also enjoy 10 times the prosperity of their Haitian neighbors plus a positive relationship with the United States. On the other hand, Haiti has been under economic sanctions because of ungodly government decisions.
Proverbs says: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” and “Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people.” While wicked individuals and ungodly groups often prosper for a time and righteous people may seem poor by the world’s standards, those who honor God are blessed. If in no other way, righteousness itself is a blessing.
When a nation wavers, what can only one, two or even five percent of its population do to prevent or reverse moral and spiritual decline? The small voice of those standing for Biblical values can seem lost in the loud demands of other groups who are sometimes just as small but are somehow given more attention. How can Christians be heard?
Although certain social activities may be helpful, the answer may not necessarily be in petitions, flag-waving and public outcry. If our voices go unheeded, could it be because we lift them in the wrong direction? Should we instead ask ourselves who do we want to hear us? And do governments and social agencies really know what changes are needed? Do they have the ability to make those changes? Or does the real power belongs to God?
The Lord did say to Israel, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and heal their land.” In context, the people had turned from God to follow the idolatrous practices of the nations around them and, as God said would happen, they lost the blessing of living under His favor. This conditional promise told them how to be restored — not by education, politics, or social intervention but by humility, prayer, repentance and obedience.
The Bible is a written revelation, recorded by holy men as they were moved by the Spirit of God. It explains how God works in and with mankind, how people have thought and acted in response to Him and the consequences of their actions. Not merely an ancient book of rules, this book discloses the mind of God. Through it we can know Him and how He sovereignly determines principles that affect our lives as individuals and as nations. We need His wisdom, His guidance and His enablement, not only in countries like India and Haiti but right here in Canada.
In spite of the fact that the Bible is an all-time best-seller, there are over 400 million people in Western Europe that have never touched one. In fact, one of the first countries to print Bibles before the reformation now claims over 25% of its people are involved in the occult. Furthermore, the nation which produced the Bible authorized by King James (which held first place in book sales for over three centuries) has lost much of its influence as a world power through social breakdown and moral decline.
What happened to these nations that once held the Bible in high regard? Do attitudes towards God’s Word have any effect on general prosperity?
Christian historians would like to think so. Those nations founded on Biblical principles seem to enjoy certain blessings and a general prosperity that others do not — for example, contrast the United States with India.
To be fair, population, natural resources and other factors also influence prosperity. It would be more fair to compare Puerto Rico and Haiti. Puerto Rican statistics say about 20% of the population are evangelical Christians. Even though 80% are not, this figure indicates far more Puerto Ricans have a high view of Scripture than do the people of Haiti — where 85-90% are involved in varying degrees of Voodoo and witchcraft. Economically, Puerto Ricans also enjoy 10 times the prosperity of their Haitian neighbors plus a positive relationship with the United States. On the other hand, Haiti has been under economic sanctions because of ungodly government decisions.
Proverbs says: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” and “Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people.” While wicked individuals and ungodly groups often prosper for a time and righteous people may seem poor by the world’s standards, those who honor God are blessed. If in no other way, righteousness itself is a blessing.
When a nation wavers, what can only one, two or even five percent of its population do to prevent or reverse moral and spiritual decline? The small voice of those standing for Biblical values can seem lost in the loud demands of other groups who are sometimes just as small but are somehow given more attention. How can Christians be heard?
Although certain social activities may be helpful, the answer may not necessarily be in petitions, flag-waving and public outcry. If our voices go unheeded, could it be because we lift them in the wrong direction? Should we instead ask ourselves who do we want to hear us? And do governments and social agencies really know what changes are needed? Do they have the ability to make those changes? Or does the real power belongs to God?
The Lord did say to Israel, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and heal their land.” In context, the people had turned from God to follow the idolatrous practices of the nations around them and, as God said would happen, they lost the blessing of living under His favor. This conditional promise told them how to be restored — not by education, politics, or social intervention but by humility, prayer, repentance and obedience.
The Bible is a written revelation, recorded by holy men as they were moved by the Spirit of God. It explains how God works in and with mankind, how people have thought and acted in response to Him and the consequences of their actions. Not merely an ancient book of rules, this book discloses the mind of God. Through it we can know Him and how He sovereignly determines principles that affect our lives as individuals and as nations. We need His wisdom, His guidance and His enablement, not only in countries like India and Haiti but right here in Canada.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)