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"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18)
I recall vividly hearing a preacher years ago describe the impact of this word "suppress," beloved. As I remember his illustration, he said that it would be like someone trying to press down a giant spring that is meant to be fully expanded and operational, to put so much weight and pressure on it that it would forever be completely compressed, hidden and totally ineffective.
I witnessed this morning a live interview on the television news that illustrates so beautifully the effect of the term "suppress the truth" that I felt compelled to post these devotional thoughts to my blog site concerning it. An EPA scientist was being interviewed by the media this morning and revealed that he had written a report showing that further investigation on the issue of "global warming" needs to be done because his research shows that global temperatures may be dropping instead of rising. Those above him, however, instead of forwarding this scientific report to the group charged by the president with examining such facts and recommending policy to the present administration, have chosen to "shelve" his report because it is not in the best interests of the current administration leading the United States. In other words, beloved, they have chosen to "suppress" at least this truth concerning global warming!
Should that surprise us at all as Christians? Let me give you an example of other "suppression" of truth which is going on right now in the US and around the world, one that is not only having a negative impact on mankind at this present time, but which if left unchecked will have an impact for all of eternity. I am reading a wonderful book entitled Why Won't They Listen? written by well-known speaker and author Ken Ham, founder of the "Answers in Genesis" worldwide ministry. In his book, Ken shows how society has moved away from a belief in God as the creator and sustainer of life. Evolutionary thought has so invaded the thinking of people that the Bible has lost its authority in their thinking. Thus, they will not listen to the message of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross because those who are promoting such evolutionary ideas have successfully "suppressed the truth in unrighteousness." The Bible has been discredited and the existence of God discounted in the thinking of so many people. Such thinking has led to the notion that we may now establish our own standard of what is right and wrong and that we are accountable to no one except ourselves. I am quite sure that you can think of many areas of public life today, beloved, where such suppression of divine truth has led to unrighteous living!
So what is the solution for us as Christians? It is the same that it has always been. We need to proclaim the truths of God whenever and wherever we have opportunity, now more than ever. We need to rebut the false claims of evolutionary thinking by revealing the creation-truth of God's Word. The apostle Peter has himself given us the solution to this 21st century dilemma:
"But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account of the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence" (1 Peter 3:15)
More than anything else, however, we need to live out powerfully the truth of God that is being so suppressed by unrighteous people. There is no more compelling evidence to be found in any laboratory than can be seen in the life of a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ! Listen to what the apostle Peter went on to say to believers of his day:
"You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen" (2 Peter 3:17-18)
May the Holy Spirit strengthen and enrich you, beloved, as you present to a watching world the irrepressible truth of the God of all!
Ron
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Where Did All These Hats Come From?
"In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth" (Ephesians 1:8b-10)
You are all no doubt familiar with the expression "wearing many hats," beloved. My wife and I were reminiscing recently about all the jobs we held during the early years of our marriage as we tried to make ends meet. I recall specifically that I at one time or another drove a forklift loading building supplies, wore a badge as a security officer at a federal building, sold audio equipment at a discount chain, transported bulk mail to government agencies from a central federal mail room, crawled under houses as a termite exterminator, and delivered new cars in "dealer trades" for a local auto dealership. Hats? I've worn a few!
In our daily walk as Christians we encounter and get to know people from all walks of life. And these followers of Jesus are as varied and diverse in their backgrounds as are those "hats" that we have all worn at one time or another. Sometimes the diversity that exists among Christians seems so marked that we can easily wonder what the real purpose is behind it all! Or is there a single plan or objective?
The good news, beloved, is that there is such a plan, such a goal, such an objective! All this contrast, this diversity among us as believers works toward a common end. It narrows down toward a single objective. And no one has more eloquently or succinctly described this purpose than the apostle Paul in the opening words of his letter to the church in Ephesus. Note carefully here just a portion taken from the verses printed above:
"...with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ..."
Note closely the single word "administration." The Greek compound word oikonomia means literally "house plan" and is the source of our English word "economy." It refers to that moving of God in our lives through all that He is doing in directing us toward that ultimate purpose. That God definitely has a plan in mind that He is executing faithfully should be a source of tremendous comfort to every true believer today, especially the more "hats" you may be wearing right now.
And what is that "economy" that God is carrying out right now? Paul lets us know that it is the "summing up of all things in Christ." The Greek verb anakephalaioo means "bring together" in the sense of that one ultimate goal or purpose toward which the many and diverse threads of human life are moving. Just what is God up to? Where is He going with all of this mystery that we call "life"? Some would have you believe today that there is no such purpose, that we are all floating in a giant cosmic river of chance and coincidence. William Shakespeare, through his character Macbeth, declared that human history is nothing more than "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." But God has declared that human life is not insignificant, that it does move toward a divine end and that is the bringing together of all things in and for the exaltation and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. From this same Greek verb the noun kephale or "head" comes and that is how Paul describes Christ Himself today over His body, the Church (Ephesians 1:22). Thus, this "summing up" of all things in Christ is further to bring all things together under Him, that is, under His direct and eternal authority:
"Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).
Don't allow, then, the "diversity" of this life, the many "hats" you may have to wear, beloved, to cause you to lose sight of the one divine purpose toward which your life is moving. Indeed, the day will come when "every knee shall bow" and when "every tongue shall confess" that Jesus Christ is who He has always claimed to be, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And when God says "every tongue," He means quite literally every tongue! Every God-forsaking, Christ-rejecting, Christian-persecuting tongue of man shall have to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the real deal and that He rules forever over the affairs of mankind. Hallelujah!
Now go put your hat on and get busy with kingdom work, beloved! You're an essential part of the plan of the eternal God and the end is in sight!
Ron
You are all no doubt familiar with the expression "wearing many hats," beloved. My wife and I were reminiscing recently about all the jobs we held during the early years of our marriage as we tried to make ends meet. I recall specifically that I at one time or another drove a forklift loading building supplies, wore a badge as a security officer at a federal building, sold audio equipment at a discount chain, transported bulk mail to government agencies from a central federal mail room, crawled under houses as a termite exterminator, and delivered new cars in "dealer trades" for a local auto dealership. Hats? I've worn a few!
In our daily walk as Christians we encounter and get to know people from all walks of life. And these followers of Jesus are as varied and diverse in their backgrounds as are those "hats" that we have all worn at one time or another. Sometimes the diversity that exists among Christians seems so marked that we can easily wonder what the real purpose is behind it all! Or is there a single plan or objective?
The good news, beloved, is that there is such a plan, such a goal, such an objective! All this contrast, this diversity among us as believers works toward a common end. It narrows down toward a single objective. And no one has more eloquently or succinctly described this purpose than the apostle Paul in the opening words of his letter to the church in Ephesus. Note carefully here just a portion taken from the verses printed above:
"...with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ..."
Note closely the single word "administration." The Greek compound word oikonomia means literally "house plan" and is the source of our English word "economy." It refers to that moving of God in our lives through all that He is doing in directing us toward that ultimate purpose. That God definitely has a plan in mind that He is executing faithfully should be a source of tremendous comfort to every true believer today, especially the more "hats" you may be wearing right now.
And what is that "economy" that God is carrying out right now? Paul lets us know that it is the "summing up of all things in Christ." The Greek verb anakephalaioo means "bring together" in the sense of that one ultimate goal or purpose toward which the many and diverse threads of human life are moving. Just what is God up to? Where is He going with all of this mystery that we call "life"? Some would have you believe today that there is no such purpose, that we are all floating in a giant cosmic river of chance and coincidence. William Shakespeare, through his character Macbeth, declared that human history is nothing more than "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." But God has declared that human life is not insignificant, that it does move toward a divine end and that is the bringing together of all things in and for the exaltation and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. From this same Greek verb the noun kephale or "head" comes and that is how Paul describes Christ Himself today over His body, the Church (Ephesians 1:22). Thus, this "summing up" of all things in Christ is further to bring all things together under Him, that is, under His direct and eternal authority:
"Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).
Don't allow, then, the "diversity" of this life, the many "hats" you may have to wear, beloved, to cause you to lose sight of the one divine purpose toward which your life is moving. Indeed, the day will come when "every knee shall bow" and when "every tongue shall confess" that Jesus Christ is who He has always claimed to be, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And when God says "every tongue," He means quite literally every tongue! Every God-forsaking, Christ-rejecting, Christian-persecuting tongue of man shall have to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the real deal and that He rules forever over the affairs of mankind. Hallelujah!
Now go put your hat on and get busy with kingdom work, beloved! You're an essential part of the plan of the eternal God and the end is in sight!
Ron
Friday, June 19, 2009
A Father Who Trusted God
"And Abraham said, 'God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.' So the two of them walked on together" (Genesis 22:8)
Sunday is Father's Day, beloved, a day in which we honor all the dads who deserve recognition for standing strong in raising their kids to be all that they ought to be. But what is a real father? Magazine articles in doctors' offices will tell you all kinds of things that dads ought to be. Can we trust such man-made "tests" for determining what a real dad should be?
Abraham stands as a wonderful example for us of what a godly father will be in any generation, beloved. If you've ever read this passage of Scripture through, you know that what God asked of him was that he sacrifice his son, Isaac, unto the Lord in faith. With wondering eyes and amazed hearts we read of how Abraham made ready for the journey to Mt. Moriah, how in obedience he took his beloved son, Isaac, to that place of sacrifice and tied him there upon the altar he had built. We read further how at the last moment God stopped his hand and provided instead a ram caught in the thicket by his horns.
So what made Abraham the father that he was? What was the secret of his utter trust in God? We find the answers to our questions in the New Testament account of Abraham as part of God's honor-roll of faith:
"By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, 'In Isaac your descendants shall be called.' He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type" (Hebrews 11:17-19)
Note here first of all that Abraham trusted in God's plan. He did not insist upon having all his questions answered before he would obey God. He had learned that at times God's ways are beyond human understanding. It was enough for him to know that God knows what He is doing and that His way is always best.
But note also that Abraham trusted in God's promises. He recalled that God had promised him in Haran that in him all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:2-3). So Abraham chose to take God completely at His word! He knew that only through Isaac could God keep His word to Abraham. If God chose to have him sacrifice his son, then God would have to give him back to him so that God's own promise could be fulfilled.
Finally, note that Abraham trusted in God's power. Abraham had told his young servants who traveled with him to Moriah that both he and Isaac would worship on the mountain and would return to them (Genesis 22:5). He did not necessarily believe that Isaac would not die on the mountain, but rather that the power of God would restore him to his father so that the divine promise could be kept!
But why did God ask Abraham to make such a sacrifice in the first place, beloved? Could it be that what God asked Abraham to do on Mt. Moriah He Himself would later actually do on Mt. Golgotha? Could it be that in giving Isaac, Abraham's son that he loved, back to him God was foreshadowing the giving of His only begotten Son on Calvary's tree as well as His resurrection from the tomb? How can we read of Abraham's godly example and not think of those well-beloved words?
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16)
As dads today we need so much to set an example, not only for our children, but for our entire families and for all those who know us, of utter trust in God's plan, promises, and power. We need to lead the way in walking our families down the road of personal righteousness as we live by faith in Jesus Christ and seek in all that we do to glorify God. Now that is what a dad really is!
Happy Father's Day!
Ron
Sunday is Father's Day, beloved, a day in which we honor all the dads who deserve recognition for standing strong in raising their kids to be all that they ought to be. But what is a real father? Magazine articles in doctors' offices will tell you all kinds of things that dads ought to be. Can we trust such man-made "tests" for determining what a real dad should be?
Abraham stands as a wonderful example for us of what a godly father will be in any generation, beloved. If you've ever read this passage of Scripture through, you know that what God asked of him was that he sacrifice his son, Isaac, unto the Lord in faith. With wondering eyes and amazed hearts we read of how Abraham made ready for the journey to Mt. Moriah, how in obedience he took his beloved son, Isaac, to that place of sacrifice and tied him there upon the altar he had built. We read further how at the last moment God stopped his hand and provided instead a ram caught in the thicket by his horns.
So what made Abraham the father that he was? What was the secret of his utter trust in God? We find the answers to our questions in the New Testament account of Abraham as part of God's honor-roll of faith:
"By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, 'In Isaac your descendants shall be called.' He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type" (Hebrews 11:17-19)
Note here first of all that Abraham trusted in God's plan. He did not insist upon having all his questions answered before he would obey God. He had learned that at times God's ways are beyond human understanding. It was enough for him to know that God knows what He is doing and that His way is always best.
But note also that Abraham trusted in God's promises. He recalled that God had promised him in Haran that in him all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:2-3). So Abraham chose to take God completely at His word! He knew that only through Isaac could God keep His word to Abraham. If God chose to have him sacrifice his son, then God would have to give him back to him so that God's own promise could be fulfilled.
Finally, note that Abraham trusted in God's power. Abraham had told his young servants who traveled with him to Moriah that both he and Isaac would worship on the mountain and would return to them (Genesis 22:5). He did not necessarily believe that Isaac would not die on the mountain, but rather that the power of God would restore him to his father so that the divine promise could be kept!
But why did God ask Abraham to make such a sacrifice in the first place, beloved? Could it be that what God asked Abraham to do on Mt. Moriah He Himself would later actually do on Mt. Golgotha? Could it be that in giving Isaac, Abraham's son that he loved, back to him God was foreshadowing the giving of His only begotten Son on Calvary's tree as well as His resurrection from the tomb? How can we read of Abraham's godly example and not think of those well-beloved words?
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16)
As dads today we need so much to set an example, not only for our children, but for our entire families and for all those who know us, of utter trust in God's plan, promises, and power. We need to lead the way in walking our families down the road of personal righteousness as we live by faith in Jesus Christ and seek in all that we do to glorify God. Now that is what a dad really is!
Happy Father's Day!
Ron
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Oh No! Not Another Stewardship Sermon!
"On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come...Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver" (1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:7)
How often this is the unspoken heart cry of many a church member upon learning that the pastor is about to begin his annual "stewardship" series of messages! How well I recall being part of a church in which at the same time each year the pastor would preach a series of messages on the importance of being faithful in the giving of our tithes and offerings. I did not appreciate then what he was trying to do, but I can certainly see today that we as Christians do not fully understand what Dr. Jack Taylor has called "God's plan of economy"!
Three vital truths come to mind regarding the importance of our giving, beloved, the first of which is that God has made it compulsory. In both Old and New Testaments the command is clearly and succinctly stated, revealing to us that obedient giving in all the commodities of life is no option:
How often this is the unspoken heart cry of many a church member upon learning that the pastor is about to begin his annual "stewardship" series of messages! How well I recall being part of a church in which at the same time each year the pastor would preach a series of messages on the importance of being faithful in the giving of our tithes and offerings. I did not appreciate then what he was trying to do, but I can certainly see today that we as Christians do not fully understand what Dr. Jack Taylor has called "God's plan of economy"!
Three vital truths come to mind regarding the importance of our giving, beloved, the first of which is that God has made it compulsory. In both Old and New Testaments the command is clearly and succinctly stated, revealing to us that obedient giving in all the commodities of life is no option:
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse..." (Malachi 3:10)
"Give..." (Luke 6:38)
"...let each one of you put aside..." (1 Corinthians 16:2)
"Give..." (Luke 6:38)
"...let each one of you put aside..." (1 Corinthians 16:2)
In fact, so compulsory is the act of faithful giving, beloved, that God said to His people through Malachi that not to be obedient in this area is actually to "rob God" (3:8)! Thus, for us ever to consider not giving according to the leading of God's Spirit is an act of rebellion against the God who has provided all of our needs.
A second vital truth regarding the importance of our giving is that we can expect it to be compensatory. In a day in which many Christians were raised to believe that in giving to the Lord we are never to expect something in return, to "give to get," so to speak, the Scriptures have a very different perspective for us. Let's return to those same verses above which we have only considered in part:
"'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,' says the Lord of hosts, 'if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows'" (Malachi 3:10)
"Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you in return" (Luke 6:38)
It is difficult to imagine God expecting us to expect Him to bless us, beloved, but that is precisely what the Scriptures reveal to us! We cannot imagine that God's command for us is that we "give to get," yet that is without a doubt what is woven into His eternal plan of economy for us. As surely as His requirement for us to give faithfully is compulsory in every sense of the word, it is also just that much compensatory in that we should expect Him to pour out His blessings upon us.
Finally, the word of God teaches us that the importance of our giving lies in the fact that ultimately it is to be contributory. And this element is what explains fully His promise to pour out upon us such blessings that we will not be able to take them in ourselves:
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed" (2 Corinthians 9:8)
As we have discovered, good stewardship as Christians involves a giving that is compulsory, as seen in the simple command of Jesus to "give." It is further compensatory in that God has promised to bless us beyond measure when we do give faithfully, causing us to focus in our giving upon "giving to get." Finally, we discover the reason for this "giving to get" when we realize that our giving is to be contributory in that we "give to get to give again." God promises to bless us beyond measure so that we may take that abundance and pour it into the lives of others in genuine need. He wants us to have "an abundance for every good deed" because that is how He wants to have those around us see His love in us and to come to the Savior in faith.
Another stewardship sermon, then? Absolutely! And another opportunity for us as believers to finally come to see how glorious is God's "plan of economy" and to bring our lives into line with the principles by which He governs this world. How faithful are you to God's plan of economy, beloved?
Just think! GIVE! GIVE TO GET! GIVE TO GET TO GIVE AGAIN! What a way to live!
Ron
A second vital truth regarding the importance of our giving is that we can expect it to be compensatory. In a day in which many Christians were raised to believe that in giving to the Lord we are never to expect something in return, to "give to get," so to speak, the Scriptures have a very different perspective for us. Let's return to those same verses above which we have only considered in part:
"'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,' says the Lord of hosts, 'if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows'" (Malachi 3:10)
"Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you in return" (Luke 6:38)
It is difficult to imagine God expecting us to expect Him to bless us, beloved, but that is precisely what the Scriptures reveal to us! We cannot imagine that God's command for us is that we "give to get," yet that is without a doubt what is woven into His eternal plan of economy for us. As surely as His requirement for us to give faithfully is compulsory in every sense of the word, it is also just that much compensatory in that we should expect Him to pour out His blessings upon us.
Finally, the word of God teaches us that the importance of our giving lies in the fact that ultimately it is to be contributory. And this element is what explains fully His promise to pour out upon us such blessings that we will not be able to take them in ourselves:
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed" (2 Corinthians 9:8)
As we have discovered, good stewardship as Christians involves a giving that is compulsory, as seen in the simple command of Jesus to "give." It is further compensatory in that God has promised to bless us beyond measure when we do give faithfully, causing us to focus in our giving upon "giving to get." Finally, we discover the reason for this "giving to get" when we realize that our giving is to be contributory in that we "give to get to give again." God promises to bless us beyond measure so that we may take that abundance and pour it into the lives of others in genuine need. He wants us to have "an abundance for every good deed" because that is how He wants to have those around us see His love in us and to come to the Savior in faith.
Another stewardship sermon, then? Absolutely! And another opportunity for us as believers to finally come to see how glorious is God's "plan of economy" and to bring our lives into line with the principles by which He governs this world. How faithful are you to God's plan of economy, beloved?
Just think! GIVE! GIVE TO GET! GIVE TO GET TO GIVE AGAIN! What a way to live!
Ron
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Look Out, World!
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2)
Anyone at all who knows me personally, beloved, knows that I love to play golf! And anyone who knows anything about the sport knows that it carries a special language all its own. For example, a "drive" is what you hit from a funny-looking hill called a "tee box." And a "chip" or perhaps a "pitch" is what you hit when you are close to the green. And a "putt" is what you hit when you are actually on the green. And you may have noticed that I have used the word "green" twice now without telling you what it is. Yes, golf certainly does have a language of its own!
One word that is so very important, however, and needs to be used far more than it seems to be today is the word "fore." Actually, "fore" is not so much just a spoken word as it is a shout of warning, as in "FORE!" It is the word that you should quite literally yell out as loudly as you can whenever you see that the ball which you have just hit is heading in the general direction of another person on the golf course. "Fore" is the golfer's way of shouting "Look out!" And any golfer who knows anything about the danger of being hit by a golf ball knows that the proper response to this word is to DUCK!
In the letter of the apostle Paul to the church in Rome, he urged believers to heed two specific commands, two shouts of "Look out!" if you will. The first of these we find in the word "conformed." The Greek verb suschematizo means literally "to fashion alike" in the sense of conforming oneself to a specific pattern of behavior. The word strongly describes seeking to be something on the outside that we are not really like on the inside! For us as Christians, Paul's caution is that we allow nothing to become part of our lifestyle that is like this present sinful age. The word also implies something that is transitional and unstable. Such behavior simply has no place in a Christian's life and so should be avoided at all costs.
The second command of the apostle Paul, another shout of "Look out!" if you will, is found in the word "transformed." The Greek word metamorphoo means literally what it says here and refers to our inner redeemed nature as Christians becoming visible in and through our attitudes and actions. In other words, instead of putting on a "mask" and acting like an unbeliever, something you are not, allow the real you, the one whom Christ made you by grace, to shine through!
Paul's dual command is his way of telling us as believers to allow your lives to shout to everyone around us - "Look out, world!" Just as a golfer yells "Fore!" whenever a ball he has just hit is sailing in the direction of another person, so we as Christians need to let our lives say, "Look out, world! Here I come!" That is what a truly "transformed" Christian will seek to do. If we want our world to see our Savior in us, then spiritual transformation is the only way. No amount of words spoken in evangelistic effort will mean anything until those who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord can see Him lived out through our words and deeds.
FORE!
Ron
Anyone at all who knows me personally, beloved, knows that I love to play golf! And anyone who knows anything about the sport knows that it carries a special language all its own. For example, a "drive" is what you hit from a funny-looking hill called a "tee box." And a "chip" or perhaps a "pitch" is what you hit when you are close to the green. And a "putt" is what you hit when you are actually on the green. And you may have noticed that I have used the word "green" twice now without telling you what it is. Yes, golf certainly does have a language of its own!
One word that is so very important, however, and needs to be used far more than it seems to be today is the word "fore." Actually, "fore" is not so much just a spoken word as it is a shout of warning, as in "FORE!" It is the word that you should quite literally yell out as loudly as you can whenever you see that the ball which you have just hit is heading in the general direction of another person on the golf course. "Fore" is the golfer's way of shouting "Look out!" And any golfer who knows anything about the danger of being hit by a golf ball knows that the proper response to this word is to DUCK!
In the letter of the apostle Paul to the church in Rome, he urged believers to heed two specific commands, two shouts of "Look out!" if you will. The first of these we find in the word "conformed." The Greek verb suschematizo means literally "to fashion alike" in the sense of conforming oneself to a specific pattern of behavior. The word strongly describes seeking to be something on the outside that we are not really like on the inside! For us as Christians, Paul's caution is that we allow nothing to become part of our lifestyle that is like this present sinful age. The word also implies something that is transitional and unstable. Such behavior simply has no place in a Christian's life and so should be avoided at all costs.
The second command of the apostle Paul, another shout of "Look out!" if you will, is found in the word "transformed." The Greek word metamorphoo means literally what it says here and refers to our inner redeemed nature as Christians becoming visible in and through our attitudes and actions. In other words, instead of putting on a "mask" and acting like an unbeliever, something you are not, allow the real you, the one whom Christ made you by grace, to shine through!
Paul's dual command is his way of telling us as believers to allow your lives to shout to everyone around us - "Look out, world!" Just as a golfer yells "Fore!" whenever a ball he has just hit is sailing in the direction of another person, so we as Christians need to let our lives say, "Look out, world! Here I come!" That is what a truly "transformed" Christian will seek to do. If we want our world to see our Savior in us, then spiritual transformation is the only way. No amount of words spoken in evangelistic effort will mean anything until those who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord can see Him lived out through our words and deeds.
FORE!
Ron
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