November 1, 1994
Susan’s boy, Jason, is always pushing at the rules. If she tells him to stay on the sidewalk, he drags one foot in the gutter. If she says he needs to drink all his milk, he leaves a centimeter in the bottom of the glass. If she tells him to hurry, he dawdles.
When I watch television, I get the impression writers and producers are something like Jason. Society has certain established norms, rules that are generally accepted and required, but for whatever reasons, television shows push the rules.
For instance, it was once a norm that cursing, nudity and direct camera shots of violence or blood-spilling was not seen on prime time TV; it would not be accepted. But these days, almost anything goes.
Responsibility belongs, in part, to viewers. Because of prevailing discontentment, television audiences flick channels unceasingly, looking for new things to watch. Their entertainment must be unusual or they find it “boring.” Few like too many reruns and no one wants to see the same commercials twice in one evening.
Because of boredom, television sitcoms and talk shows are easily able to present as normal what could be called “fringe elements.” Consequently, the bizarre beliefs and behaviors of a small percent of the population become appealing. If viewers are exposed several times a week, week after week, year after year, fringe elements are soon considered normal.
Further, as viewers become accustomed to even the most bizarre, they begin demanding material that is even farther out. The capacity to be easily bored thus expands the market for everyone in the entertainment industry.
Of course this also pertains to advertising. Companies know if they can create an impression that EVERYONE is buying a new car, or EVERYONE takes a drink when they are upset, or EVERYONE looks like a New York model, consumers will want at least the same and usually more. Most of the time, these impressions are myths. Many people are not weird or even outstanding. Many still drive old cars, are able to handle their problems, and have plain faces and bodies.
How should Christian people respond to “fringe element” programming and marketing? Obviously, being a good steward of the resources entrusted to us means ignoring advertising innuendo and not buying the latest products. Certainly we do not need to abandon our “obsolete” beliefs and behaviors simply because someone pushes the myth that everyone else has rejected Christianity.
Avoiding a pull to the fringe means also taking the offense. Instead of trying to fill up with material goods or pushing the norms of our faith, we need to fully grab hold of what Christ offers. He said, “I came to give you life, and that more abundantly.”
Jesus was not talking about a Leer jet, a cottage at the beach, and wide acclaim for being “different.” He meant that following Him is a rich and meaningful way to live, even exciting and “on the edge.” But Christian living is not pushing rules or living on the fringe.
Actually, all-out living for Christ makes the most tantalizing fringe elements boring. While He does challenge us to be content with where we are and what we have, He also calls us to live beyond our visible resources, both personal and material. If we make a radical commitment to follow Him in implicit obedience, He will take us places and ask of us activity that is above and beyond anything we could hope or even imagine. He invented abundant living; we didn’t!
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Monday, June 13, 2016
No One can be Good Enough! .................. Parables 444
October 25, 1994
A certain alcoholic man decided to leave his Christian wife. He said she was “too good for him” and he could never be “that good.”
Another person responded in a similar way when she first encountered Christians. She said, “Everyone at church is so godly. I’ll never be good enough to belong in that place.”
Many of the Christians I know are amazed and saddened at statements like that. For one thing, we do not see ourselves as being “that good.” Even though we know Christ has changed our lives, we also know we constantly are in need of forgiveness and cleansing from sin. The nearer we draw to God, the more we realize how imperfect we are.
The idea that a person must be “good” in order to belong also saddens us. While Christ calls for holiness and obedient living, we are well aware it comes as a result of knowing Him, not as a prerequisite. Goodness is the consequence of believing, not the criteria.
Further, a genuine Christian should never be making an effort to be something they are not. The goodness observed by both the alcoholic husband and the new church attender is an unconscious goodness, put there because they know Christ. It is only in that relationship with the Son of God that the above described wife and congregation could possibly have characteristics that qualify as “godly.”
Is it possible for anyone be godly even when they are certain they are unable to be “that good”? Of course it is. God Himself promises to change lives. He says in Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white a snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
That means that anyone who is willing to confess their sins to God will receive His forgiveness. As He wipes the slate clean and gives them a new heart, they experience freedom from guilt and a new ability to behave as He intended. This ability comes from His Spirit, a gift to every born-again child of God.
Along with that freedom and ability, Christians find themselves without crippling despair. Instead of fighting a horrible sense of never being able to “measure up” they simply acknowledge it is true. As the Bible clearly says, everyone falls short of the high standard of God and not one person can stand before God on the basis that they are “good enough.” God accepts sinners for entirely different reasons.
This is why Romans 5:8 says Christ died for us, not after we pull up our own bootstraps, but “while we were still sinners.” He offers us love and His own godliness with no prerequisites but need. His offer of forgiveness of sin and eternal life is for to those who realize they do not deserve it.
Compare it to medical care. Those who are healthy do not need a doctor, only those who are sick. In the same way, Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance and new life. Anyone who recognizes themselves to be in that category and is willing to admit it before God, can ask for forgiveness and receive a new, changed life.
The irony is that those who honestly feel they are not good enough to be Christians are far closer to God than anyone who insists they are good enough the way they are.
A certain alcoholic man decided to leave his Christian wife. He said she was “too good for him” and he could never be “that good.”
Another person responded in a similar way when she first encountered Christians. She said, “Everyone at church is so godly. I’ll never be good enough to belong in that place.”
Many of the Christians I know are amazed and saddened at statements like that. For one thing, we do not see ourselves as being “that good.” Even though we know Christ has changed our lives, we also know we constantly are in need of forgiveness and cleansing from sin. The nearer we draw to God, the more we realize how imperfect we are.
The idea that a person must be “good” in order to belong also saddens us. While Christ calls for holiness and obedient living, we are well aware it comes as a result of knowing Him, not as a prerequisite. Goodness is the consequence of believing, not the criteria.
Further, a genuine Christian should never be making an effort to be something they are not. The goodness observed by both the alcoholic husband and the new church attender is an unconscious goodness, put there because they know Christ. It is only in that relationship with the Son of God that the above described wife and congregation could possibly have characteristics that qualify as “godly.”
Is it possible for anyone be godly even when they are certain they are unable to be “that good”? Of course it is. God Himself promises to change lives. He says in Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white a snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
That means that anyone who is willing to confess their sins to God will receive His forgiveness. As He wipes the slate clean and gives them a new heart, they experience freedom from guilt and a new ability to behave as He intended. This ability comes from His Spirit, a gift to every born-again child of God.
Along with that freedom and ability, Christians find themselves without crippling despair. Instead of fighting a horrible sense of never being able to “measure up” they simply acknowledge it is true. As the Bible clearly says, everyone falls short of the high standard of God and not one person can stand before God on the basis that they are “good enough.” God accepts sinners for entirely different reasons.
This is why Romans 5:8 says Christ died for us, not after we pull up our own bootstraps, but “while we were still sinners.” He offers us love and His own godliness with no prerequisites but need. His offer of forgiveness of sin and eternal life is for to those who realize they do not deserve it.
Compare it to medical care. Those who are healthy do not need a doctor, only those who are sick. In the same way, Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance and new life. Anyone who recognizes themselves to be in that category and is willing to admit it before God, can ask for forgiveness and receive a new, changed life.
The irony is that those who honestly feel they are not good enough to be Christians are far closer to God than anyone who insists they are good enough the way they are.
Friday, June 10, 2016
Human Value and Values .................. Parables 443
October 18, 1994
Losses from 40 years of highway and drowning accidents added to the loss from over 115 years of war (including the Boer, WW I, WW II, Korean, and Persian Gulf wars) equals a total death count of nearly 360,000 Canadian people. In less than half that time, from 1970 to 1991, there have been 1,249,601 abortions.
Statistics from the United States reveal 1,300,000 died in the American Revolution, the Civil War, WW I, WW II, the Korean and Vietnam wars. The number for legal abortions in the U.S. to 1981 is over 12 million. Many more have occurred since.
The law says swimming pools must hire life guards so people will not drown. Speed limits are enforced to make driving and highways safer. For the same reason, automobile manufacturers are given a list of standards they must meet. World leaders hold extensive and expensive summit meetings trying to end war. Yet, according to the above statistics, there are inconsistencies in how our leaders evaluate human life.
What is Canadian policy on population? We supposedly need more people, thus we open our doors to immigrants from other countries. Unlike China, we have no laws telling couples one child only. The laws is not against numerical growth, but we do have a law that allows destruction of our greatest resource.
Some who favor abortion argue human life does not start at conception. To them, it is not a person until it is actually born, or at least well along in development. But it is alive. The heart beat begins 28 days after conception. Brain waves can be recorded very early. If it is not a live human, what is an unborn child?
Others say the pregnancy was unplanned and the baby unwanted; it is better to abort than bring an unwanted child into the world. What about those parents who want babies and wait up to seven years before any are available for adoption?
Maybe the problem has more to do with values. In that regard, God is far more consistent than we are. To Him, life is important from the womb to the tomb. He even expresses interest in every stage of development.
For example, consider what King David of Israel said: “From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.... You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
Jeremiah is another instance. The Lord said to him: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
A third example is a young woman who was told she would have a child. He would be “great and will be called the Son of the Most High... he will reign... and his kingdom will never end.” This child was conceived before she was married. The man to whom she was engaged knew the baby was not his.
If Jeremiah’s or David’s mother had decided to abort, we would not have the 23rd and a host of other Psalms, nor would we have some of the most amazing prophetic utterances in Scripture. If Mary and Joseph had decided they did not want their baby, the whole world would be without a Savior.
Freedom of choice supposedly makes life better. In this case, statistics can give us only numbers. We may never know what we have missed.
Losses from 40 years of highway and drowning accidents added to the loss from over 115 years of war (including the Boer, WW I, WW II, Korean, and Persian Gulf wars) equals a total death count of nearly 360,000 Canadian people. In less than half that time, from 1970 to 1991, there have been 1,249,601 abortions.
Statistics from the United States reveal 1,300,000 died in the American Revolution, the Civil War, WW I, WW II, the Korean and Vietnam wars. The number for legal abortions in the U.S. to 1981 is over 12 million. Many more have occurred since.
The law says swimming pools must hire life guards so people will not drown. Speed limits are enforced to make driving and highways safer. For the same reason, automobile manufacturers are given a list of standards they must meet. World leaders hold extensive and expensive summit meetings trying to end war. Yet, according to the above statistics, there are inconsistencies in how our leaders evaluate human life.
What is Canadian policy on population? We supposedly need more people, thus we open our doors to immigrants from other countries. Unlike China, we have no laws telling couples one child only. The laws is not against numerical growth, but we do have a law that allows destruction of our greatest resource.
Some who favor abortion argue human life does not start at conception. To them, it is not a person until it is actually born, or at least well along in development. But it is alive. The heart beat begins 28 days after conception. Brain waves can be recorded very early. If it is not a live human, what is an unborn child?
Others say the pregnancy was unplanned and the baby unwanted; it is better to abort than bring an unwanted child into the world. What about those parents who want babies and wait up to seven years before any are available for adoption?
Maybe the problem has more to do with values. In that regard, God is far more consistent than we are. To Him, life is important from the womb to the tomb. He even expresses interest in every stage of development.
For example, consider what King David of Israel said: “From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.... You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
Jeremiah is another instance. The Lord said to him: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
A third example is a young woman who was told she would have a child. He would be “great and will be called the Son of the Most High... he will reign... and his kingdom will never end.” This child was conceived before she was married. The man to whom she was engaged knew the baby was not his.
If Jeremiah’s or David’s mother had decided to abort, we would not have the 23rd and a host of other Psalms, nor would we have some of the most amazing prophetic utterances in Scripture. If Mary and Joseph had decided they did not want their baby, the whole world would be without a Savior.
Freedom of choice supposedly makes life better. In this case, statistics can give us only numbers. We may never know what we have missed.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Theory vs. Practice .................. Parables 442
October 11, 1994
Ever hear about the child psychologist who had six theories and no children? He eventually wound up with six children and no theories!
When I was a teenager, I was full of theories too. I had many books about training horses and they filled me with ideas of how to do it. It was not until I owned horses and actually began working with them that I discovered the truth about theories.
First of all, I had to separate mere theory from tested examples. Some of the books were written by people with big ideas and not much experience. While some of their ideas may have worked, I did not want to waste my time and energy with too much experimenting.
Second, I had to follow the rules. When I tried to change them, nothing worked. The authors who tested and then wrote horse training methods based on what they discovered were far more reliable than any speculation on my part.
Third, no theories had any value until it went from the book to my head then into my sessions in the corral with that horse. Without putting those good ideas to work, they were useless, at least to me.
When I grew up, I heard people talk about the Bible as if it were theoretical. They said things like, “it is okay for you but doesn’t work for me.” It made me think of my horse training days, the theories that worked and didn’t work, and the reasons why.
While liberal thinking questions whether or not the Bible story is myth or historical reality, I have taken a look at the people who live by its principles. (Notice, that is different from those who SAY they live by it.) First examine the evidence regarding the human authors. Were they people of deceit and sin? Or were they holy men of God as the Bible claims? Did they follow what they prescribe for us to follow? Did it produce changed lives?
What I see around me in my church is tested examples — from people who take the Bible seriously. They do not play around with which part they will obey and which part they say is only a legend. They demonstrate a life of faith that the Bible talks about as a valid life. While validity is not easy, nor does it claim perfection, there is integrity in those examples.
If someone is going to be a Christian and follow Scripture, they have to do it with their whole heart. I had one horse that wanted to be caught and rode first. If I rode the other one before her, she would not let me catch her. Following Christ is like that. He comes first. Whenever anyone tries to be a Christian but other things take second place, neither theory or efforts “work.”
Scripture is not being restrictive or narrow; this is what works. We need to trust God to show us how to live just as He showed the authors of the Bible how to live. We will misinterpret it and at times we will rebel against it, but God will help us become Christlike people if we give ourselves to Him.
Also we cannot change what it says. Simply put, the Gospel is forgiveness of sin and freely given eternal life. People who accept the offer are different, sometimes uncomfortably so. He does not promise to make everyone rich or cure all our problems. He does promise us eternity in His presence and to be with us in all we experience here.
Most important, the principles of Scripture have to find their way into everything we do. It is not enough to talk about love, sacrifice, joy, and other biblical qualities. We have to be kind to those who mock us, give our time to meet needs, and praise God in all of it. Whatever Christianity is, it cannot be a religion of mere theory without practice.
Ever hear about the child psychologist who had six theories and no children? He eventually wound up with six children and no theories!
When I was a teenager, I was full of theories too. I had many books about training horses and they filled me with ideas of how to do it. It was not until I owned horses and actually began working with them that I discovered the truth about theories.
First of all, I had to separate mere theory from tested examples. Some of the books were written by people with big ideas and not much experience. While some of their ideas may have worked, I did not want to waste my time and energy with too much experimenting.
Second, I had to follow the rules. When I tried to change them, nothing worked. The authors who tested and then wrote horse training methods based on what they discovered were far more reliable than any speculation on my part.
Third, no theories had any value until it went from the book to my head then into my sessions in the corral with that horse. Without putting those good ideas to work, they were useless, at least to me.
When I grew up, I heard people talk about the Bible as if it were theoretical. They said things like, “it is okay for you but doesn’t work for me.” It made me think of my horse training days, the theories that worked and didn’t work, and the reasons why.
While liberal thinking questions whether or not the Bible story is myth or historical reality, I have taken a look at the people who live by its principles. (Notice, that is different from those who SAY they live by it.) First examine the evidence regarding the human authors. Were they people of deceit and sin? Or were they holy men of God as the Bible claims? Did they follow what they prescribe for us to follow? Did it produce changed lives?
What I see around me in my church is tested examples — from people who take the Bible seriously. They do not play around with which part they will obey and which part they say is only a legend. They demonstrate a life of faith that the Bible talks about as a valid life. While validity is not easy, nor does it claim perfection, there is integrity in those examples.
If someone is going to be a Christian and follow Scripture, they have to do it with their whole heart. I had one horse that wanted to be caught and rode first. If I rode the other one before her, she would not let me catch her. Following Christ is like that. He comes first. Whenever anyone tries to be a Christian but other things take second place, neither theory or efforts “work.”
Scripture is not being restrictive or narrow; this is what works. We need to trust God to show us how to live just as He showed the authors of the Bible how to live. We will misinterpret it and at times we will rebel against it, but God will help us become Christlike people if we give ourselves to Him.
Also we cannot change what it says. Simply put, the Gospel is forgiveness of sin and freely given eternal life. People who accept the offer are different, sometimes uncomfortably so. He does not promise to make everyone rich or cure all our problems. He does promise us eternity in His presence and to be with us in all we experience here.
Most important, the principles of Scripture have to find their way into everything we do. It is not enough to talk about love, sacrifice, joy, and other biblical qualities. We have to be kind to those who mock us, give our time to meet needs, and praise God in all of it. Whatever Christianity is, it cannot be a religion of mere theory without practice.
Monday, June 6, 2016
God’s Sovereignty in Human Affairs .................. Parables 441
October 4, 1994
A pastor struggled with feeling insignificant. He thought his work was futile and had no practical value. He even wondered if God remembered who he was. Despondent, he asked his congregation for a sabbatical.
During his holiday, he walked past a phone booth. The phone began ringing and since no one was around, he answered it. An operator came on the line saying it was a person-to-person call for Pastor... and said his name. Startled the pastor said, “This is me; speaking.”
The caller began talking. She had once seen him on a television program and wanted to get his advice. She Googled the phone number and was not sure she had written it correctly. She was glad he was there to take her call. Could he please help her?
After a few minutes of counseling, the woman was greatly encouraged. She made an appointment to visit his office and the amazed pastor hung up the phone. He then realized no matter how he felt, God not only remembered who he was, but could use him whenever He needed him, no matter where he went!
I heard this incredible story from a person who heard it from the pastor. Some might think it an extraordinary coincidence but the pastor did not receive it that way. He believed God used those odd circumstances to assure him that he was significant; he did have value in God’s plans.
Perhaps divine providence does include unusual events like wrong numbers that turn out to be right ones; however God provided a more definite demonstration of our value to Him, one that our fluctuating feelings or circumstances cannot change.
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8).
God says Christ died for us when we were powerless. We had no value to Him because in our sinful condition, we cannot do His will and our actions are simply counterproductive to His plan. However, when Jesus died for us, God could forgive every sin. Not only that, He works in those who believe to make us like Christ, powerful and useful, able to do our part to build His kingdom.
Further, Romans 8 says no one can condemn us because Christ died for our sins. More than that, He was raised to life and is at the right hand of God interceding for us. When we make mistakes, we are forgiven.
The Bible says nothing, including negative feelings about ourselves, critical attitudes from others, whatever we do or do not do, and certainly whatever anyone else does or does not do, can ever separate us from His love. We can cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us.
The worth of a commodity is determined by how much someone is willing to pay for it, practical value or not. Some items like old coins, sports cards, and comic books have little practical value but those who want such things will pay thousands of dollars for them.
Our worth could be measured by its practical value but a more stable measurement is the price Someone was willing to pay for us. When Jesus died, He established forever that we are people of great value to God.
A pastor struggled with feeling insignificant. He thought his work was futile and had no practical value. He even wondered if God remembered who he was. Despondent, he asked his congregation for a sabbatical.
During his holiday, he walked past a phone booth. The phone began ringing and since no one was around, he answered it. An operator came on the line saying it was a person-to-person call for Pastor... and said his name. Startled the pastor said, “This is me; speaking.”
The caller began talking. She had once seen him on a television program and wanted to get his advice. She Googled the phone number and was not sure she had written it correctly. She was glad he was there to take her call. Could he please help her?
After a few minutes of counseling, the woman was greatly encouraged. She made an appointment to visit his office and the amazed pastor hung up the phone. He then realized no matter how he felt, God not only remembered who he was, but could use him whenever He needed him, no matter where he went!
I heard this incredible story from a person who heard it from the pastor. Some might think it an extraordinary coincidence but the pastor did not receive it that way. He believed God used those odd circumstances to assure him that he was significant; he did have value in God’s plans.
Perhaps divine providence does include unusual events like wrong numbers that turn out to be right ones; however God provided a more definite demonstration of our value to Him, one that our fluctuating feelings or circumstances cannot change.
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8).
God says Christ died for us when we were powerless. We had no value to Him because in our sinful condition, we cannot do His will and our actions are simply counterproductive to His plan. However, when Jesus died for us, God could forgive every sin. Not only that, He works in those who believe to make us like Christ, powerful and useful, able to do our part to build His kingdom.
Further, Romans 8 says no one can condemn us because Christ died for our sins. More than that, He was raised to life and is at the right hand of God interceding for us. When we make mistakes, we are forgiven.
The Bible says nothing, including negative feelings about ourselves, critical attitudes from others, whatever we do or do not do, and certainly whatever anyone else does or does not do, can ever separate us from His love. We can cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us.
The worth of a commodity is determined by how much someone is willing to pay for it, practical value or not. Some items like old coins, sports cards, and comic books have little practical value but those who want such things will pay thousands of dollars for them.
Our worth could be measured by its practical value but a more stable measurement is the price Someone was willing to pay for us. When Jesus died, He established forever that we are people of great value to God.
Friday, June 3, 2016
Made in God’s Image? .................. Parables 440
September 27, 1994
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Those words, the first of the Beatitudes, were framed and hanging on the classroom walls when my children were in elementary school. This famous passage from the Bible describes people who know a particular kind of blessedness. It includes great inner peace and frequently amazes others who do not have it.
“Poor in spirit” is not a description of material poverty. It is not about being weak-kneed, fearful, cowardly, or without the ability to stand up against evil.
Poor in spirit is recognizing and admitting spiritual bankruptcy. It is realizing that before God, you do not have a good deed to stand on. It is knowing that sin has the upper hand and because of it, there is nothing that can give you any merit before your Maker and Judge.
Anyone who has this quality will never boast of their own goodness. As far as they are concerned, they have none. But how can this be? Everyone knows we “all have some good in us.”
If that is true, it is because God made us in His own image. Noble thoughts or any capacity for decency is there because we were supposed to think and act like Him. Unfortunately, we seldom see God’s reflection in other people. What happened to it?
The Bible says sin has muddied His image in us and we need redemption so it can be restored. Note, however, that sin is like crossing a line. It does not matter how far across the line a person is but on which side of the line they stand. Each of us is either in the kingdom of God or the kingdom of sin.
Certainly some have gone farther on the wrong side of the line than others. Some are good people who merely go their own way, but without Christ. Others are proud and selfish, hurting others and are not quite so popular. Still others do evil things such as tell lies, break laws, commit incest, or brutally abuse others.
The point Scripture makes is that none of us, without faith in Christ, can be on God’s side of the line. No matter how close we stand, we still do not consistently choose good. Sadly, even goodness will not get us over the line.
The people who realize this and grieve over it are called “poor in spirit.” God says they are “blessed” but this truth is not much of a blessing to everyone else. Proud people feel they are okay... or at least as good as other people. They feel no need for repentance and forgiveness. Selfish people are not interested either because crossing the line is a call from God to turn from personal cravings. No one can serve two masters. They must choose either themselves or the King of Kings.
Evil people are the least interested. For them, sin is too much fun, or too profitable. But God says no one can come to Him (in honesty) and retain their sinfulness. If they do, He will cleanse it out of their lives. For that reason, people who are the farthest distance from the line usually prefer to stay where they are.
God calls the poor in spirit “blessed” because they have discovered the lie, misconception and emptiness in pride, selfishness and a sinful lifestyle. They are no longer interested in fooling anyone with false, inflated images of themselves.
As the verse says, the poor in spirit are also blessed because they are heirs to a different kingdom, one where they are satisfied with God’s grace and never get enough of His righteousness. It is a kingdom where He restores His subjects to image He intended.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Those words, the first of the Beatitudes, were framed and hanging on the classroom walls when my children were in elementary school. This famous passage from the Bible describes people who know a particular kind of blessedness. It includes great inner peace and frequently amazes others who do not have it.
“Poor in spirit” is not a description of material poverty. It is not about being weak-kneed, fearful, cowardly, or without the ability to stand up against evil.
Poor in spirit is recognizing and admitting spiritual bankruptcy. It is realizing that before God, you do not have a good deed to stand on. It is knowing that sin has the upper hand and because of it, there is nothing that can give you any merit before your Maker and Judge.
Anyone who has this quality will never boast of their own goodness. As far as they are concerned, they have none. But how can this be? Everyone knows we “all have some good in us.”
If that is true, it is because God made us in His own image. Noble thoughts or any capacity for decency is there because we were supposed to think and act like Him. Unfortunately, we seldom see God’s reflection in other people. What happened to it?
The Bible says sin has muddied His image in us and we need redemption so it can be restored. Note, however, that sin is like crossing a line. It does not matter how far across the line a person is but on which side of the line they stand. Each of us is either in the kingdom of God or the kingdom of sin.
Certainly some have gone farther on the wrong side of the line than others. Some are good people who merely go their own way, but without Christ. Others are proud and selfish, hurting others and are not quite so popular. Still others do evil things such as tell lies, break laws, commit incest, or brutally abuse others.
The point Scripture makes is that none of us, without faith in Christ, can be on God’s side of the line. No matter how close we stand, we still do not consistently choose good. Sadly, even goodness will not get us over the line.
The people who realize this and grieve over it are called “poor in spirit.” God says they are “blessed” but this truth is not much of a blessing to everyone else. Proud people feel they are okay... or at least as good as other people. They feel no need for repentance and forgiveness. Selfish people are not interested either because crossing the line is a call from God to turn from personal cravings. No one can serve two masters. They must choose either themselves or the King of Kings.
Evil people are the least interested. For them, sin is too much fun, or too profitable. But God says no one can come to Him (in honesty) and retain their sinfulness. If they do, He will cleanse it out of their lives. For that reason, people who are the farthest distance from the line usually prefer to stay where they are.
God calls the poor in spirit “blessed” because they have discovered the lie, misconception and emptiness in pride, selfishness and a sinful lifestyle. They are no longer interested in fooling anyone with false, inflated images of themselves.
As the verse says, the poor in spirit are also blessed because they are heirs to a different kingdom, one where they are satisfied with God’s grace and never get enough of His righteousness. It is a kingdom where He restores His subjects to image He intended.
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Talking to Yourself? .................. Parables 439
September 20, 1994
Ever talk to yourself? Many children talk to their imaginary friends. My husband, whether at his workbench in the garage or his desk in the study, is usually discussing something with himself. As for me, when I make a mistake, I sometimes scold myself and when something goes right, I might say “Good job, Elsie.”
Although some jest this is “the first sign” (of mental illness), the practice of chatting to oneself seems normal. Some claim they do it because they cannot find a better conversational partner!
However, there is at least one situation where talking to yourself does indicate a problem. Consider this story told by Jesus: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men; extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess’” (Luke 10).
As he lists his outstanding qualities, the Pharisee sounds like a great fellow. He has a first class standing as a leader in the synagogue and owns respect of his countrymen. However, he did not know how to connect with God. Notice, he was praying to himself!
Jesus shocked His listeners when He described the contrasting prayer of the tax collector. They were startled because the only thing they despised more than Roman occupation and burdensome taxes were the people who were paid by Rome to collect those taxes.
The tax collector in this story was definitely a Jew. Romans would not be praying in the temple. He was considered a traitor. For that reason, those hearing Jesus would agree that the tax collector described himself accurately: “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’”
As Jesus described these two prayers, some must have thought He would praise the Pharisee. He was a religious leader and considered a godly man. He was faithful to the nation and had not sold out to the Romans.
Imagine their surprise when Jesus gave this verdict: “I tell you, this man (the tax-collector) went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
God will justify even the worst sinners if they humble themselves before Him. To be justified means that God not only forgives the sin but also considers the sinner guiltless. Jesus paid the full penalty so there are no charges against them. Justification means “just as if” there were no sin.
As for the Pharisee’s boast, God is not interested in any so-called accomplishments. No matter how good a person appears, God says, “Whatever is not of faith is sin” so if there is no faith in Christ, that person falls short of pleasing Him.
Instead, God looks for a heart broken over sin. Isaiah 66:2 says, “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.”
The Pharisee was so proud of himself, the direction of his prayer was not even toward God. Instead, he talked to the person he actually did rely on, trust, and worship: himself. In this case, talking to himself was a big mistake.
Ever talk to yourself? Many children talk to their imaginary friends. My husband, whether at his workbench in the garage or his desk in the study, is usually discussing something with himself. As for me, when I make a mistake, I sometimes scold myself and when something goes right, I might say “Good job, Elsie.”
Although some jest this is “the first sign” (of mental illness), the practice of chatting to oneself seems normal. Some claim they do it because they cannot find a better conversational partner!
However, there is at least one situation where talking to yourself does indicate a problem. Consider this story told by Jesus: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men; extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess’” (Luke 10).
As he lists his outstanding qualities, the Pharisee sounds like a great fellow. He has a first class standing as a leader in the synagogue and owns respect of his countrymen. However, he did not know how to connect with God. Notice, he was praying to himself!
Jesus shocked His listeners when He described the contrasting prayer of the tax collector. They were startled because the only thing they despised more than Roman occupation and burdensome taxes were the people who were paid by Rome to collect those taxes.
The tax collector in this story was definitely a Jew. Romans would not be praying in the temple. He was considered a traitor. For that reason, those hearing Jesus would agree that the tax collector described himself accurately: “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’”
As Jesus described these two prayers, some must have thought He would praise the Pharisee. He was a religious leader and considered a godly man. He was faithful to the nation and had not sold out to the Romans.
Imagine their surprise when Jesus gave this verdict: “I tell you, this man (the tax-collector) went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
God will justify even the worst sinners if they humble themselves before Him. To be justified means that God not only forgives the sin but also considers the sinner guiltless. Jesus paid the full penalty so there are no charges against them. Justification means “just as if” there were no sin.
As for the Pharisee’s boast, God is not interested in any so-called accomplishments. No matter how good a person appears, God says, “Whatever is not of faith is sin” so if there is no faith in Christ, that person falls short of pleasing Him.
Instead, God looks for a heart broken over sin. Isaiah 66:2 says, “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.”
The Pharisee was so proud of himself, the direction of his prayer was not even toward God. Instead, he talked to the person he actually did rely on, trust, and worship: himself. In this case, talking to himself was a big mistake.
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