Paying The Price

Reaching our potential requires paying the price. But, paying the price requires commitment. I am reminded of the old story about Henrietta the hen and Pattie the pig. They were walking along together in the countryside one day and happened upon a half-starved traveler. After pondering the situation for a moment, Henrietta (being a benevolent hen) suggested to Pattie how nice it would be for them to provide the stranger with a meal of bacon and eggs. To which the astonished Pattie squealing replied: “Henrietta, that may involve a small sacrifice for You, but for Me that is Total Commitment.” Reaching our potential as Christians requires total commitment.

“Understand there is a price to be paid for achieving anything of significance. You must be willing to pay the price.” - John Wooden

Consider, the price we pay to reach our potential is more important than the talent we possess. King Hezekiah “did what was good and right and was true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began … he did it with all his heart” (2Chrn. 31:20-21).  Hezekiah paid the price, but what was the price? He had a change of lifestyle. He could not live the way his father lived. He paid the price of loneliness. He stepped out in obedience, and certainly was alone in the beginning. Hezekiah had faith in God.  He believed that God would bless his efforts. He faced criticism. He weathered the harsh questions of an older generation. He had to work hard and give up his money. He had to give up time and energy to reach his goal. Hezekiah had to daily discipline himself, he had to instill a daily regimen to bring about reform. He faced constant pressure. As king he endured the pressure of potential failure and misunderstanding.

“You will never be criticized by someone who is doing more than you. You will only be criticized by someone who is doing less.”

Further, those who are willing to pay the price will always be criticized by those who are not. One of the great tests of paying the price is how we handle criticism. Nehemiah faced the usual tactics of the opposition: ridicule (Neh. 4:1-3); resistance (Neh. 4:7,8); and rumor (Neh. 4:11,12).  He modeled the right response to all three of these challenges. He first relied on God (Neh. 4:4,5). Then, he respected the opposition (Neh. 4:9). Also, he reinforced his weak points (Neh. 4:13). Further, he reassured the people (Neh. 4: 14). Additionally, he refused to quit (Neh. 4:15). Finally, he renewed the people’s strength continually (Neh. 4:16-23).  Nehemiah chapter 4 addresses problems from without; chapter 5 deals with problems from within – disputes about food, property, and taxes.  Persistence is the ultimate gauge of commitment.  It is the secret to out lasting the critics.  Nehemiah never wavered from his purpose.

“If you fail, never give up because F.A.I.L. means First Attempt In Learning.”

Next, the price we are willing to pay to reach our potential never decreases. Jehu was a man with a mission (2Kings 10:28-29).  He accepted the charge from God to lead Israel as king. He also embraced divine instructions to destroy the house of Ahab and the worship of Baal. God told him not to spare anyone from Ahab’s family and to eliminate all traces of Baal worship in Israel. Jehu led brilliantly in fulfilling God’s commands, and God commended him for carrying out his mission, even promising him great blessings because of his obedience, but a problem eventually arose.  While Jehu obeyed God to the last detail concerning the destruction of Ahab and the worship of Baal, he compromised his devotion to God by leaving some of the idols from Israel’s past. Even after such great success, “Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord of Israel with all his heart.” Jehu accomplished great things for the Lord and the kingdom of Israel, but his compromise led to another vile form of idolatry. In the end, his disobedience overshadowed his accomplishments as a leader.

“I always had to keep improving my skills in order to remain competitive and keep winning.” - Edwin Moses

Also, the price we pay increases when we desire to change, improve or keep on winning (1 Cor 9:25). We live in a society with destination disease. Too many people want to do enough to “arrive,” and then they want to retire. We all want a quick fix, but what we really need is fitness. People who look for fixes stop doing what is right when pressure is removed. People who are constantly improving themselves do three things well.  First, they prepare. When people are intentional about learning something every day, then they become better prepared to handle whatever challenges they meet. John Wooden said, “When opportunity comes, it is too late.” Second, they spend time in contemplation. Time alone is essential to self-improvement. It allows us to gain perspective on our failures and successes so that we can learn from them. It gives us the time and the space to sharpen our personal vision. It further enables us to plan how we can improve in the future. Third, is application. There comes a time when we must stop calling the play in the huddle and execute the play.

“What I lose today I can’t make up tomorrow. I have to do it today.”

We will not be able to make up tomorrow what we fail to pay for today.  Again, John Wooden said, “Make every day a masterpiece.” We often exaggerate yesterday. We overestimate tomorrow and we underestimate today. But everyone who has accomplished great things for God has paid an extraordinary price.  Consider Paul, he was castigated by the very folks he had brought to Christ. Look at the cost of his personal journey: judged by his fellow believers, condemned to death, a spectacle to others, a fool for Christ, weak, without honor, hungry and thirsty, poorly clothed, roughly treated, homeless, toiled with his own hands, persecuted, slandered, viewed as scum and the dregs of the earth (1 Cor. 4:3-5, 9-13).

Now, are we willing to the price? Praise those who are willing to pay the price. We must keep them in our lives.

by Rickie Jenkins

Why Pray?

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (Mark 1:35 ESV) 

Why is Jesus praying? Why does Jesus need to pray? What does this teach us about prayer? Let us begin by considering what Jesus is doing by going off alone to pray. The Gospel of Mark is picturing the very active ministry of Jesus. Jesus calls his disciples, they go to Capernaum and immediately cast out an unclean spirit, which spreads the fame of Jesus throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. They leave the synagogue and go to Simon Peter’s mother-in-law and Jesus heals her. Then the whole city gathers at the door, bringing all who were sick or oppressed by demons. Jesus heals many who were sick with various diseases, casts out many demons, and would not even permit the unclean spirits to speak. What a day! Jesus had a very full day in Capernaum, a day that we would surely find to be extremely exhausting. But what does Jesus do? Jesus does not sleep in. Jesus does not take a day off. Jesus does not take a vacation. Jesus wakes up very early in the morning to pray. 

Jesus was not too busy to pray. Prayer was critical at this moment because of all that was going on in the life of Jesus. Prayer is pictured as the engine that drove the work of Jesus. Prayer is central to Jesus’ ministry. This is often the opposite of how we see the use of prayer. We get too busy to pray. Yet in a whirlwind of activity, Jesus creates the time to pray.

Therefore, prayer is not merely a way to get things from God. It is so easy for us to think of prayer this way. We pray when we need something. We leave God alone until we need something. Yet this passage in the life of Jesus shows us that prayer is a way to get more of God in our lives. Prayer is the way we draw near to God and have him as the center of our lives.

There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. (Isaiah 64:7–8 ESV)

Calling on God’s name is the same as stirring yourself up to take hold of God. Prayer is the way we strive to take hold of God. Prayer is how we bend ourselves to be in his image, molded by his hands. In fact, prayer is a defining mark of God’s people. Listen to what Moses says to Israel and their relationship to God.

For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? (Deuteronomy 4:7 ESV)

Prayer assumes the priority of the inner life with God. Most people base their inner life on outward circumstances. People are depressed because of outward circumstances. People are anxious because of outward circumstances. People are relieved because of outward circumstances. For many, the inner life is completely based on external circumstances, defined by all that happens to them. Their inner peace is based on other people’s valuation of them, their social status, prosperity, and performance. Prayer sets our inner life to be defined by God and our peace comes from that constant connection with our Father in heaven. The goal of prayer is a real, personal connection with God. Prayer is taking hold of a deep relationship with God that we desire to have with him. Thus, prayer becomes central to all we do because we want God with us in everything.

Brent Kercheville

Do All Things Without Grumbling Or Complaining

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” (Philippians 2:14–16 ESV)

While most of us have not been infected with the COVID-19 virus, that does not mean we haven’t been affected by it. Stress is an enemy of all of us, and when life serves up days of darkness, our mental state can be especially challenged. But if you are like me, I have noticed that I can complain even on good days. It seems that our favored American lifestyle can spoil us so that we expect everything about our lives to go smoothly.

Our text is central to Paul’s message to the Philippians. As Paul wrote this letter, he had been imprisoned for four years, and yet he used the words “joy” and “rejoice” sixteen times in it various forms. Never once did Paul complain about “four wasted years in chains.” Instead, Paul rejoiced that his imprisonment had furthered the gospel. As the time approached for Nero to make a decision about his life, Paul rejoiced whether the answer was life or death. Both had their advantages because it would be to the glory of Christ. Paul urged the Philippians to have the same mind: “It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” (1:29). And again, “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me” (2:17-18).

The Greek word for “grumbling” is used only once in Paul’s letters, but it is the same word used in the Greek OT numerous times to describe the murmuring of Israel. This is where we get a bold picture of God’s feelings about complaining. We often forget it was Israel’s murmuring that caused God to say, “I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest” (Psalm 95:7-11). Grumbling and disputing is a clear indication of a lack of trust in God and disappointment in his provisions. God truly hated it.

Here is the problem: grumbling is the opposite of joy. The two cannot be possessed in the same person. We cannot complain and live with joy. If you are a complainer, you lack joy. And if you live in joy, you are not a complainer. In Deuteronomy 8:2-5, God reminded Israel that he had purposely caused them to hunger, tested and disciplined them in order to know what was in their heart. As a man disciplines his son, the Lord had disciplined them so they would learn that “life” does not come from the physical but from the word of God. Do we allow ourselves and our children to complain about food and hardships? When we do, God is discovering the wickedness of our hearts and we are harming our children.

Paul exposed the primary issue of complaining: we are to be without blemish and shine as lights in the midst of a “crooked and twisted generation.” Complaining is following the tortured way of the world-culture around us, a world that lives as if there is no Father in heaven. We are to be better than that, since we know that God is the perfect Father. Everything he does is “beautiful in its time” (Eccl. 3:11). Grumbling and disputing ruins our character and destroys our opportunities to shine as lights and demonstrate our trust in the Father we love and upon whom we depend. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.”

Berry Kercheville

Prayer and Need

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Just think, we can walk right up to the King’s throne room. We have access to the King (Heb. 4:16). We can come to the throne of grace. The throne — where giving proceeds and prayers are answered. When will we find people knocking on the throne room to get in?  “Find grace to help in time of need.”

Would we pray if we never had that moment of need? Perhaps, but for people who have troubles, there is an even more compelling interest. People with needs don’t have to be reminded to pray. The need will bring us to pray. People who forget God do not have a place for God in their life. Even the most selfish, unprincipled person who gives no thought of God, is compelled to pray when the unthinkable happens to him. They get miserably sick, or find themselves dying or, they look out the window and see a tornado bearing down on their house, what happens? They will pray. No one may have taught them how to pray. They will pray. People who find themselves in a fox hole will figure out how to pray. Why? There is a sense of need. When the sense of need arises, to a compelling and overwhelming level, people will pray.

We relate to prayer and asking.  More prominent, in prayer and in scripture, were people offering thanksgiving. When compelling need has brought us to our knees and we have been forced to pray in our crisis hour, we must not forget to offer thanks.

Pray in the crisis, but do not forget to thank God when it passes. The problem with the absence of thanksgiving is a problem that originates in the heart. It is the lack of a sense of need. When we do not have a sense of need, we may not have our sense of needs met.  Without a sense of need we will not only fail to ask, we will not have thanksgiving.

Have you ever received a gift from someone that you had no need for at all? We have garage sales for things like that. You may say, “Thank you” for the gift. But are we thankful for a gift we have no need of at all? We are appreciative of the thoughtfulness of the friend, but are we thankful for something you do not want or need? Not usually.

There is a compelling thankfulness that arises when it is a gift that meets a compelling need. We say, “Thank you.” Why? Because it satisfies a need. Paul said, “I thank God…” (Rom. 7: 25a). “I thank God” for what? Who is thankful for Jesus the Lord but people who have felt the need without Him (Rom.7:24-25)? This man’s great hopeless need has been satisfied. It is such a great need that a great thanksgiving rises up. When there is no sense of need supplied there is no thanksgiving.

The greater the sense of need, the stronger the expression of gratitude.

Remember the story of the 10 lepers and how one came back? Where are the nine who had a great need and who received a great blessing? Out of no sense of compelling need supplied, the nine went their way and never said, “Thank you.” We cannot afford to join their ranks.

Quote: “Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” (J. B. Massieu)

by Rickie Jenkins

What Was Daniel Thinking?

When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upstairs room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. (Daniel 6:10 CSB)

Have you ever wondered what Daniel was thinking? The officials of the land determined that for 30 days people should only make their petitions to the king and no one else. The decree was only for 30 days. Think about all the things Daniel could have changed to conform to the government’s rule. Daniel could have closed his windows so that no one would know that he was still praying to his Lord. Daniel could have lessened the frequency of his prayers. He did not have to pray three times a day. He could have prayed less each day to avoid detection. Daniel could have prayed quietly in his heart and not aloud so that others would not know he was still praying. Daniel could have stopped praying altogether. It was only 30 days that he would have to stop praying and then he could return to praying like he had before. He only had to wait it out 30 days.

Rather than making any modifications or justifications, Daniel returns to his home and continues to do “just as he had done before.” The injunction clearly stated that petitions were only to come to the king or else be thrown into a den of lions. Yet Daniel does not seem to hesitate for a moment. Daniel hears the injunction, goes home, and prays. Why wouldn’t he just stop praying for 30 days? Why wouldn’t he just change how he prays? Why doesn’t Daniel try to figure out a way to obey the government order while still obeying God? When the charge is made against Daniel, they state that he “pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day” (6:13 ESV). So what was Daniel thinking?

First, Daniel understood that we obey the government until it conflicts with our faith. It is clear from Daniel 6 that Daniel obeyed his king and government in all he did. Daniel had distinguished himself in the kingdom so that no charge could be found against Daniel by his opponents (6:3-4). Daniel was not a disobedient person. But when the law was given which meant that it would be illegal for Daniel to pray to his Lord, he could not obey the government. He could not change anything that he had done in his worship, service, and love for his God.

Second, Daniel understood that God was more precious than life. Daniel shows that he was willing to die for the ability to continue praying to his Lord three times a day. It is a challenging thought: Daniel would rather die praying than live not praying for 30 days. Daniel would rather die maintaining what he had always done in his worship and devotion to the Lord than live by changing his spiritual routine.

Daniel shows that God is to be our very lives. Jesus is the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat (cf. Isaiah 55:1-2; John 4:13-14, 32-24; 6:55-56). We would rather die than have any aspect of our spiritual life be subtracted from us. Daniel was willing to be thrown to the lions and his friends were willing to be thrown into the fiery furnace because God was their treasure and their very lives. They belonged to a different kingdom, the kingdom of heaven, and so do we when we walk by faith like these.

Brent Kercheville

God, the Beginning and the End of the Story

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:36).

Every worldview has to answer these questions:
-Where did we come from?
-Why are we here?
-Where are we going?

Christianity has a very simple answer to all three questions – GOD. Where did we come from? We came from God, “from whom are all things” (1 Corinthians 8:6). Why are we here? We are here “for him” (Colossians 1:16), since he is the one “for whom we exist” (1 Corinthians 8:6). And where are we going? Our ultimate destination, the final goal of our existence, is God, “for from him and through him and to him are all things” (Romans 11:36).

It is this last point that I think is especially worth serious reflection – at least, I need to think about it more. It is the truth I have most neglected in my own view of the world. The question of origins is so fundamental that I – like many Christians – have placed great emphasis on the role of God as Creator and on the serious weaknesses of a purely naturalistic view of the origin of the universe, life, and consciousness. And early in my preaching, I encountered several authors who helped me see the crucial purpose for our lives as revealed in Scripture – to glorify God (as Jesus taught in Matthew 5:16).

But the answer to that third question – “where are we going” – is the one that I have failed to grasp for far too long. And yet, the Bible could not be clearer. Just as surely as God is the origin of our story, he is also the destination of our story. “To him are all things.” The end of the story for a child of God is God.

When the Bible speaks of heaven, it uses language like “many mansions” (John 14:2, KJV) and “streets of gold” (Revelation 21:21). And if our vision of eternity is not properly God-centered, then it is easy for these portraits to distract us, or even to mislead us, away from the true meaning of eternity. Heaven is not a celestial Disneyworld, where we can ride all the rides we want without waiting in line or have an endless supply of Mickey Mouse ice cream bars. For many years, if you had asked me if I would be satisfied to go to such a “heaven” even if God wasn’t there, I would have said, “YES!”

But what those biblical images are designed to convey is the much deeper truth that in heaven we will be reunited with God. The streets are said to be made of gold because heaven is the new and eternal temple of God – the dwelling place of God – and the most holy place of the temple in the Bible is always decorated with gold. This emphasis is found all throughout the glorious picture of heaven in Revelation 21-22. “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man” (21:3). Indeed, in this vision, there is no separate temple because the entire heavenly city is itself one enormous Holy of Holies, and “its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (21:22). When this reunion is realized, we “will see his face” (22:4).

The same God-centeredness is true with the “many mansions” of John 14. Jesus was not promising that everyone in heaven gets their own personal Biltmore House! The word translated “mansions” in the King James Version is better rendered “many rooms,” which is how modern translations express the point. And the point of the many rooms is that there will be plenty of room for all of Christ’s disciples to abide with him. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3).

Traditionally, the final goal of dwelling with God and seeing his face is called the “beatific vision.” But I am sad to say my own grasp of such a vision has been seriously impaired through the years. And there really is no excuse, since Scripture and reason so clearly point to this truth.

Why do I say that even reason pushes us to this conclusion? Because it speaks to universal human realities, such as truth, goodness, and beauty. Human beings have an innate desire for truth, fueled by the unique human capacity for reason. And we also have a yearning for goodness, and for its derivatives like justice and compassion. And we have a longing for beauty, that which is intrinsically deserving of adoration. And where can we find truth, goodness, and beauty? In the final and complete sense, only in the One who is Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.

This to me explains the restless longing of those who do not seek God and therefore face frustration and disillusionment. In the words of Isaiah, they “labor for that which does not satisfy” (Isaiah 55:2). Even worse, those who accept the atheistic dogma of materialism undermine the very concepts of truth, goodness, and beauty by reducing human consciousness and rationality to purely physical processes.

But I am primarily writing this for fellow Christians who, like myself, need reminding that the goal is God, that the one ambition that counts is “the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). This longing will indeed be completely and eternally fulfilled by the one who made us, “the Alpha, and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13).

One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple (Psalm 27:4).

Shane Scott

I Know My Redeemer Lives

The discourses between Job and his three friends continue on as they discuss the reason for Job’s suffering and how God runs the world. The answer that Job’s three friends have for Job is that Job must have sinned. The friends are undeterred by Job’s claims of righteousness, continuing to beat down on Job that he must have sinned. One of the important messages we are learning from the book of Job is that the way God runs the world is far more complex than just a simple rule or principle. It is not as simple as saying that God is a just God and so God acts only on that basis. There are far more factors at work which keep us from definitively answering the reason for suffering on any given occasion. The friends of Job believe they have the answer, which is that Job sinned. But the first two chapters of Job show that God’s righteousness and goodness was being challenged and this is the reason for the events that have befallen Job. Bildad now takes another opportunity to instruct Job about his suffering and the way God runs the world in Job 18.

Bildad’s discourse is a description of the wicked’s fate. Their light is put out, their steps are shortened, and their own schemes throw them down. They are hunted and must watch their steps (18:5-10). But this is not an innocent description of the wicked. Bildad starts describing what Job is experiencing to show to Job that he is wicked. The wicked have terrors frighten him on every side (18:11), lacks strength (18:12), and his skin is consumed (18:13). His children are killed (18:19) and people are appalled at him (18:20). This is surely the description of the life of the unrighteous and those who do not know God (18:21).

Bildad continues that the life of wicked people can seem good on the surface but there are dangers that lurk under the surface that will catch up to them. Thus, all the good Job experienced was wiped away because Job was wicked and wickedness always catches up to people in this life. But the writer of Ecclesiastes observed the opposite.

Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. (Ecclesiastes 8:10–11 ESV)

Bildad’s error is that justice does not always come quickly. Justice does not always come in this life. Often the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer. We must accept this. This is how God set up the world. Justice is not swift and immediate.

Job engages in another personal response to these friends in chapter 19. “How long will you torment me and break me in pieces with words?” These friends have shown no shame in attacking and wronging Job (19:3). Even if he had sinned, this is an unjustified response (19:4). Job calls out for help and justice but there is none. His honor has been stripped from his and he does not know what to do (19:8-9). God has demolished him and he is finished (19:10). God has kindled his wrath against him and counts him as his adversary (19:11). It is painful to read the devastation of Job’s life. Relatives stay away and friends turn against him (19:13-14). His family is gone and close friends have forgotten him. This is so true in trials. So many turn against you when you are going through severe trials. Job’s servants will not even listen to him when he gives them directions (19:16). Job is even repulsive to his wife and little children despise him (19:17-18). Those who he loved has turned against him (19:19). Job is nothing more than skin and bones and he is barely alive (19:20).

Job closes by pleading for the mercy of God. He begs God to stop attacking him (19:21-22). There is irony in verses 23-24 as Job wishes that his words were inscribed in a book and engraved in a rock to be read forever (19:23-24). Little did Job know that his words would be preserved by God and read by millions of people for help during suffering. But consider why Job wanted his words kept for the permanent record.

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! (Job 19:25–27 ESV)

A redeemer was a defender and benefactor, someone who would rescue when a family member was in personal and economic distress. Job says that God will be his redeemer once the facts are laid on the table. God will be his defender. Job is saying that his skin may peel off as he waits for the Lord as his Redeemer, but God will defend him because God is just. There may not be anything left of Job, which is why he wants his words permanently written in the record, but God will redeem and vindicate him at some point. At the apex of this book, Job declares that he will see God. His pain is causing him to hope for something more. Then friends should watch out what God will do to them (19:28-29). Just wait to God comes and vindicates me!

I think everyone has felt the cry for God’s justice in the face of wickedness and suffering. The wicked prosper inexplicably in the way God runs the world. How often the people is the scriptures cried out for vindication and justice from God! The Psalms are filled with people who desire to see vindication!

Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. (Psalm 26:1 ESV)

The book of Revelation follows a similar path. The people of God are pictured as being killed for the sake of Jesus (Revelation 6:9-11). Their vindication comes later as they are pictured surrounding the throne of God (Revelation 7:9-17; 14:1-5). When we read the book of Revelation, when are God’s people finally vindicated? When do the righteous receive their reward? When are the wicked finally judged for their deeds in the flesh? When does Satan finally receive the recompense for his rebellion? The book pictures nothing in this life as the time of vindication. The righteous are not vindicated now. The wicked and the righteous both die. The death of the wicked is not vindication because we will all die. Wickedness continues to run rampant and it appears that there is not justice. But God is just.

Amazingly, Job has such a great faith that he knew somehow God would do something to be just against the wicked and vindicate the righteous. He did not know how. But he wanted his life record in the book because someday God would vindicate his life. Job is correct. God will vindicate. The book of Revelation shows this judgment and vindication not until the final day of judgment. Then Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, tormented in judgment forever (Revelation 20:10). Only on the final day of judgment are the books of the dead opened and every person stands before God and receives justice (Revelation 20:11-15). So we suffer now waiting for the redemption and vindication of our lives. One day God will act. One day God must act because he is righteous, true, and just. May we sing with this hope the song, “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” as we wait for the Lord!

Brent Kercheville

Answering the Methodist Debate on Homosexuality

Question & Answer

Man asks questions. And man should look to what His Creator has revealed to determine the steps of his life and especially in the church that belongs to His appointed Son, Jesus, whom God made both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). If man does not, he should not be surprised with the ill consequences that will come. The thoughts and feelings of man are easily swayed by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. God has given us an objective standard that “is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). Therefore, we must answer these questions from the word of God and respect it in the full weight of authority that it deserves.

1.     Is homosexuality a sin?

Genesis 18:20

20 Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave,

Genesis 19:5-7, 23-24

5 And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.” 6 Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, 7 and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 

23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.

In Genesis 18:20, God reveals to Abraham that Sodom and Gomorrah are to be destroyed for their grave sins. Abraham pleads for the lives of the righteous people living there, particularly his nephew Lot, and his family. God agrees to spare the cities if ten righteous people can be found (18:23-32). Two angels are sent to Lot in Sodom but are met with a wicked mob who are then struck blind by the angelic guests (19:1-11). The wicked mob that accosts the angels are seeking to know them carnally, as is made clear by Lot offering his daughters instead. Jude’s (1:7) mentioning of Sodom and Gomorrah’s indulgence in sexual immorality and “unnatural lust” as examples in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire clearly demonstrates at least part of Sodom and Gomorrah’s wickedness that brought about their destruction was their practicing of homosexuality, and therefore it is clearly a sin, a transgression against God’s law, God’s order for His creation.

Further, in Ezekiel 16:49-50 as God is justifying himself in the desolations he is about to bring upon Jerusalem; and very largely, in this chapter, he shows the prophet, and orders him to show the people, that He did but punish them as their sins deserved.  

49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. 50 Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it.

As we continue to answer our first question with great thoroughness, now we go directly to the Law that was given to the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, through Moses.

Leviticus 20:13

13 If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them.

It could not be any clearer than this. Yes, homosexuality is a sin. It is a transgression or breaking of God’s law, God’s designed order for His creation.

But in our thoroughness we continue, and we also find in God’s law through Moses that even dressing as the opposite sex was an abomination to God.

Deuteronomy 22:5

5 “A woman shall not wear man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.

But another question we need to answer in this regard, is if anything changes from the Old Testament to the New Testament.

Remember the passages in Genesis and the situation with Sodom and Gomorrah was prior to the giving of the Law through Moses to the nation of Israel. The passages from Leviticus and Deuteronomy were a part of the Law given through Moses specifically to the nation of Israel. It is clear to this point that all of mankind was held accountable to the fact that God had revealed that homosexuality was a transgression against His law and the order of His creation and an abomination to Him.

1A. Does Jesus’ new covenant allow for homosexuality or is it still a sin?

Romans 1:18-32

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Again, it is clear that homosexuality is a product of a depraved mind, and that “those who practice such things are worthy of death,” as well as those who give approval to those who practice them.

Further consider, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11:

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Again, it is made clear that homosexuality is a sin. It is unrighteousness. It is a breaking of God’s law, the way He has ordered His creation. Those who practice such unrighteousness will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Instead of pretending like it is not a sin or falsely believing we cannot judge others (we will examine this from God’s word shortly), we should be doing as Paul did, which is teaching them that it is a sin, and striving to get them to put away that sin and be “washed”, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus.

Lastly, consider 2 Timothy 2:20-22:

20 Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 

Let us strive to be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. Those who practice homosexuality are a vessel to dishonor and of no use to the Master. This is a tragic state of being. May we be filled with love and compassion for these people and call them out of unrighteousness to pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace.

Homosexuality is not an identity. It is a choice. A choice to satisfy one’s unlawful lust of the flesh and commit sexual immorality. It is a sin and an abomination to God, who created those who are participating in it. He did not create them for such an act or purpose. Therefore, it is an act of unrighteousness and those who practice unrighteousness will not inherit the kingdom of God.

2.     What should we do when a member of Jesus’ church is practicing sin?

First of all, remember that the church belongs to Jesus (Matthew 16:18). He is the head of the body, the church (Colossians 1:18).

With that understanding, we must do all things within the church according to His authority. Our own thoughts and feelings carry no weight unless they are in line with what God has revealed in relation to Jesus’ church, which is His body.

Secondly, notice that the question says “practicing” sin. We are all sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God. We all sin and make mistakes. Of course, when we are baptized into the one body (1 Corinthians 12:13) that does not mean that we will never make a mistake again, never sin again. We are not perfect, but we have been made clean by the blood of Christ. John relates it this way:

1 John 1:5-10

5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

Therefore, “practicing” sin is when we continue in a sin as a part of our lifestyle. It is a refusal to repent, acknowledge our wrongdoing before God and then bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8). When we sin, we are to confess that what we have done is sin and ask God to forgive us and then seek to stop doing that sin. We cannot practice sin or “walk in the darkness” and then pretend like we have fellowship with God who is in the light.

Now let us answer question number two specifically.

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. 2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.

3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

Remember Paul spent much time with the Christians at Corinth (Acts 18:8-11), a year and six months at one time. He was not writing to strangers, but to family. They are all one in the body of Christ. Therefore, what we are reading about here is family discipline. This is what we are to do in order to save someone who is practicing sin from destruction. This is not something we do because we hate them. This is what we do because we love them, we want to save them from the consequences of practicing sin as well as protect other people in the body of Christ from falling into the same sin.

Notice the following:

(v. 1-2) Paul is pointing out their arrogance. They should have mourned such behavior and removed the person who had done such deed from among them.

(v. 3-5) Paul, although not currently present with them, has already judged the one who has committed such sexual immorality. Yes, he made a righteous judgment just like Jesus taught (John 7:24). Notice Paul’s purpose is to save the person. This is discipline. If nothing is done, and the person continues in this relationship practicing this sin they will suffer the eternal consequences. Those who practice such unrighteousness will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). There is another reason for removing the one who is practicing sexual immorality and it is revealed in the next verses.

(v. 6-8) A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough meaning if you allow someone who is practicing sin to remain among you it will then spread throughout the congregation. It will leaven the whole lump. Instead, Paul urges them to remain unleavened in Christ with sincerity and truth.  

(v. 9-13) Lastly, Paul explains that we must learn to live in the world among immoral people, but not be like them. He instructed them to not associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person---not even to eat with such a one. Paul is specifically teaching them to judge those who are in the church. “Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” Paul is not addressing the immoral people of the world. When it comes to the world, our mission is to seek and save the lost. This is done by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and letting God give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:5-7).

Because church discipline can be such an unpleasant necessity of the work of the church, let me bring our attention to Hebrews 12:3-17 so we can bear this in mind as well.

3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

12 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; 16 that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

3.     Did Jesus and/or Paul teach us that we are not to judge others?

We have already answered this above from the Scriptures, but I wanted to bring it here in a concise response to show very clearly what Jesus and Paul taught.

First of all, (John 7:24) Jesus taught that we are not to judge according to appearances, but rather make righteous judgments.

Further, in 1 Corinthians 5 we read of Paul explicitly telling the Christians at Corinth that he had already judged the ones practicing sexual immorality.

Matthew 7:1-5

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

Let us understand Jesus’ teaching. There is an entire Shakespeare play (Measure for Measure) that is derived from this teaching. Let us make sure we are not following Shakespeare, but rather our Lord Jesus.

-          We will be judged by the standard of measure in which we judge others. Therefore, if we are hypercritical towards others then that same measure of judgment will be brought against us.

-          This teaching is denouncing hypocritical judgment.

-          Jesus is instructing His followers to examine themselves first and make sure they are not practicing sin, before they try to remove sin from someone else’s life. Using the “log” and the “speck” makes his point stronger. This would be like someone who is cheating on their taxes and fraudulently stealing money judging someone harshly for not paying their bill at the restaurant. Both are wrong, but Jesus is saying that the person who is cheating on their taxes and fraudulently stealing money from others needs to stop practicing these sins before they have the right to go to their brother about a sin they have committed.

-          This teaching is brilliant. If we will all focus on ourselves first and foremost daily and be very strict with ourselves then we will be in a much better position to deal with our brothers in love, respect, and gentleness helping them if there is in fact a “speck” in their eye.

-          Lastly, notice verse 5, it reinforces the fact that Jesus is not teaching that you cannot judge others, but rather instructing us how to go about judging our brothers.

a.       Take the log out of your own eye.

b.       Then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

In Romans 2:1-11, Paul’s teaching mirrors Jesus’ teaching here in Matthew 7:1-5. Jesus and Paul are both condemning hypocritical judgment. We cannot judge others and practice the same thing we are judging them for. We will not escape the judgment of God in this manner.

Instead, we are to follow the teaching of John (1 John 1:5-10) and then help our brother remove the “speck” from his eye.

4.     Therefore, how should we apply everything we have learned in this Q&A from God’s word to the current debate on homosexuality in the Methodist church?

A person who is practicing homosexuality should be removed from the congregation (1 Corinthians 5) until or unless they are willing to repent and stop practicing the sin.  

The removal should not be done silently or forcefully or in a manner of hate, but rather with gentleness and respect, yet in all boldness it should be made clear that homosexuality is a sin, an abomination to the God that we are striving to love with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:36-38) and therefore we cannot tolerate the practicing of sin in the church.

The purpose of this removal is the same purpose as Paul’s removal of the sexually immoral ones in the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 5).

a.       Discipline in an attempt to save the person who is practicing homosexuality.

b.       Protect everyone else in the congregation from the spread of this sinful behavior.

It is also extremely important that I point out and remind us that in Romans 1:32 we learn of the seriousness of giving approval to those who practice sin. If our actions or judgments in any way give approval to the practicing of sin, then we should be fearful of judgment as well.

Trent Dean

dean008@gmail.com

Poor In Spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3 ESV)

If you were asked to describe the first characteristic of belonging in God’s kingdom, what characteristic would you think about? Perhaps we would think of holiness or sinlessness. Perhaps we would think of the need for perfect righteousness or obedience. Jesus begins by declaring that it is the poor in spirit who belong to the kingdom of heaven. What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Consider a parable of Jesus.

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9–14 ESV)

Why was the sinner justified? He is justified because he is poor in spirit. He will not lift his eyes to heaven and all he can say is, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” He understands his spiritual destitution. He is stripped of all self-security, self-sufficiency, and self-righteousness. This is the attitude that is required to belong to the kingdom of heaven. Depending on self is at odds with this kingdom. God wants people who know they are spiritual needy. God wants people to see that their personal goodness is not enough to measure up to God’s standards. This is the first step in order to become a true believer and follower of Jesus. You have to know that you are deep in sin and cannot do anything to save yourself but beg for the mercy of God.

Only the poor in spirit want to live in God’s kingdom because they know that they have nothing and are nothing apart from Jesus. Without poverty of spirit, we can endure only one ruler: ME! We will fight to the death to preserve our sovereign rule over our kingdom of one. We will continue to believe that what we want matters. We will continue to do what we think is best and live how we want to live and not allow Jesus to rule over us. Being poor in spirit is the only way we will allow Jesus to rule over our lives.

The beautiful song in our songbooks, “Rock of Ages” utters these very words. Listen to the second and third verses:

“Not the labor of my hands, Can fulfill the law’s demands; Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow, All for sin could not atone, Thou must save and Thou alone.”

“Nothing in my hand I bring: Simply to Thy cross I cling; Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless, look to Thee for grace; Vile, I to the fountain fly, Wash me, Savior, or I die.”

We must grasp our deadness and blindness due to sin to see the life that is available in Christ (John 9:39-41). We must stand without pretense before God, stripped of all self-sufficiency, self-security, and self-righteousness begging for the mercy of God. God uses times of uncertainty and difficulty to strip us of these things so we will have a greater awareness of how much we need Jesus. God be merciful to me, the sinner!

Brent Kercheville

The Judgment Seat of Christ

In 1 Cor.7:26, Paul offers a judgment about marriage that is rooted in “the present distress”. I’m uncertain as to the exact nature of that circumstance (though many suppose it involved some kind of persecution). What is clear is that an inspired man is offering an opinion to God’s people that he deemed wise in consideration of the events going on in the world at that time. Boy howdy, can we use some of that wisdom today.

I suspect most spiritually inclined people would have little difficulty identifying the “present distress” of our day. A global pandemic. A cultural shift away from godliness and morality. A virulent political climate. Explosive, and sometimes violent, racial unrest. Economic challenges, resulting both from the pandemic and from evolving economic philosophies. How many more elements could be added to this list? I cannot recall in my lifetime such a period of polarization, stress, vitriol, anxiety, and dissension. I have no doubt that history is full of similar “distresses”, but it’s been a generation or so since we’ve experienced such in this country.

There are many pundits presently who have determined the reasons for the circumstances of the day. Social media, and education, have made experts out of everyone, and there is a daily identification of “the problem.” You know – “The problem is……” And the closest thing there is to consensus in our day is that the problem is political (which includes the present regime, the regime immediately preceding the present, or some regime in the past that is responsible for all of our present issues). Thus, the solution is often, “change the regime…change the people in the regime…change the past…and everything will be OK.” Or… “keep the regime…keep the people in the regime…affirm the past…and everything will be OK.” Funny that we try that in this country every four to eight years and things don’t change much. But, I digress….

The problem in our country, and the problem in every country, and the problem in every generation has nothing to do with politics or economics or health or race. Certainly such issues contribute to unrest and difficulty. The problem is a dismissal of God, and therefore a dismissal of judgment. If you knew that you would stand before God and be judged by His will at the end of this day, would it change your behavior, your attitude, your priorities, your heart? I affirm that it would. And as we are living in a world that distances itself farther and farther from God, we are reaping the consequences.

One of the fundamental elements of God’s revelation is that He will hold every man accountable for his/her life. The expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden in Gen.3 is a powerful statement from God. He will judge men for their actions and He will not have fellowship with those who violate His will. While there are few references to eternal judgment in the patriarchal era, God certainly illustrated such in events such as the destruction of Sodom or the promise to Abraham which was to be fulfilled at the completion of “the iniquity of the Amorites” (Gen.15.16). God was rendering judgment temporally, and those men must have understood that God would do so eternally. At times, Job appears to look to an eternal existence, and Heb.11.8f offers a heavenly inheritance as motivation for Abraham and his descendants. Moses clearly appreciated the idea of eternal judgment, offering his own soul for those of the Israelites (Ex.32.32f). David expresses his desire for God’s mercy and eternal association repeatedly through the Psalms, and Solomon provides the clearest OT reference in Ecc.12.14, “For God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

Obviously, the NT echoes this sentiment in a number of passages: Mt.25.31f; Jn.5.28-29; Acts 17.31; Rom.14.11f; 2 Cor.5.10; 2 Tim.4.1; Rev.20.11f. If the bible is true, and therefore an accurate expression of God, of our moral history, of His plan for our redemption, and of the destiny of our universe and existence, then we will stand (or rather kneel) before Him and be judged. In Rom.13.1f, Christians are instructed to submit ourselves to temporal government both because God tells us to, but also so that we might be spared from punishment, “for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil” (v.4). We are seeing a debate presently about the necessity of a police force in our society, and we are also seeing violence escalate as people no longer fear the consequence of their actions. As is so often the case, we see the reality of the spiritual in the expression of the temporal.

“OK,” you might respond, “you’ve offered your pundit’s response. So what?” Here’s my “so what.”

First, eternal judgment is a powerful incentive to faithfulness. I realize that God’s mercy and goodness draw us to Him, but God’s justice contributes a healthy fear, and He demands that of us (Ecc.12.13). Notice that Felix responds with trembling to Paul’s teaching about “righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come” (Acts 24.25). The picture of everlasting destruction in 2 Thes.1.8-9 or the fire, anguish, decay, darkness, and gnashing of teeth in Matt.18.1f; 22.1f; or Mark 9.39f are doubtless circumstances that everyone would avoid. And yet, people daily risk such a destiny in their godlessness. We are witnessing a world and culture that is in the process of dismissing and denying the very existence of God. Rom.1.18f is playing out before our eyes. Or, as Paul goes on to note in Rom.3.23, “there is no fear of God before their eyes.” Perhaps those of us who are disciples of the Lord have been negligent for too long in our call to the world around us. Christianity in general has muffled the Lord’s cry for repentance. Many have catered to the political correctness of the age, hesitating to identify sin as such, and underscoring to the point of perversion the love, grace, and mercy of God. Certainly Jesus came to offer, reveal, and illustrate such. But where there is no warning of judgment, there will be no condemnation of sin, and no call to repentance. And the end result is a selfish people who pursue our own will, all the while convincing ourselves that God will save us in spite of such. God help us to start talking to people again about judgment.

Second, we need to remember that we will be judged as well. It’s easy to fall into a “we/they” mentality when the world around us is decaying morally. Those who are really striving to be disciples of Jesus Christ are hopefully avoiding the hatred, greed, violence, and disdain that is engulfing society. However, we should be asking ourselves some questions right now, because ungodliness is not only measured in immoral display, but in immoral disposition as well. And I will be judged for “every secret thing” (Ecc.12.14), for “the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb.4.12). So… How am I responding to the evil around me? Am I looking to save souls, or to merely deride others in my self-righteousness? How am I responding to conflict? Do I look for solutions, or do I fan the fire? Where is my focus? Am I promoting the kingdom of Jesus Christ, or more concerned for the United States of America? Am I advancing some popular social issue, some cultural problem, or am I advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ? What is my attitude toward others, and is such more determined by where they are economically, politically, racially, etc. or by where they are spiritually? Am I isolating people by my social media posts, rants, diatribes, and hobby riding, or am I being salt and light in an already divided society? Am I sacrificing my temporal opinions in order to promote peace with my brethren, as instructed in Rom.14-15 or 1 Cor.8-9? Or does unity in Christ end where my politics begin? Have I forgotten that I will be judged for my abrasiveness, my arrogance, my deriding sarcasm, my dogged adherence to what is temporal and insignificant? Am I caught up in it all? The Lord will judge me for my response to the present distress, just as he will all of those who are prompting it.

There is so much opportunity for God’s people right now to show the world what it means to live under the reign of Jesus Christ. But we must stand up for right, and warn people of the end of their ways. Furthermore, we must not forget our own accountability in doing such. It’s so easy to fall victim to the very godlessness that we deplore. God help us.

Russ Bowman