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"But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15-16)
How does someone go about "losing the holiness of God," beloved? And what does that mean anyway? We often hear Christians quote a part of this passage - "you shall be holy for I am holy" - and we shout in response, "Amen! Preach it, brother!" You see, we assume that by the words "you shall be holy" God is talking about that "holiness" that comes as a result of the working of His grace in our lives. He is holy and He makes us holy through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And all of that is so very true that now it is my turn to respond with - "Amen! Preach it, brother!"
And on our way we go, assuming that all is well in the "holiness" corner - God is holy and so are we because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. But that is not the primary thrust of Peter's words, beloved! Pay close attention to the command that precedes the quote found in these verses - "be holy yourselves in all your behavior." The apostle makes it clear that "imputed" or positional holiness is not good enough. Very simply, it matters how we live! Let me give you a personal example. I was recently involved in a wedding rehearsal for a young bride and groom when, in a moment of jesting, one of the groomsmen made an inappropriate gesture to one of the other groomsmen. He was horrified, however, to look up and catch my eyes upon him and knew instantly that I had seen the gesture. Immediately he was filled with remorse and began to apologize profusely. My own thought was that his apology was misdirected. Instead of moving horizontally, it should have been winging its way vertically!
This young man missed the point about personal holiness, beloved. He was only concerned that I had seen him and not at all that the Father had seen him also. Peter let his readers know that God wants us to be holy because He is holy, not because the pastor is holy or the deacons are holy! Beloved, it does not matter in this regard how others may be living their lives. You and I are to be holy ourselves because God is now, always has been, and always will be holy!
Peter could not possibly have been more clear in his instructions to believers of his day. He told them that God expected them to "be holy in all your (their) behavior." It is not because the pastor may find out or the Sunday School teacher may be disappointed, beloved, but rather that God sees and knows every thought, word, and deed. And whenever we fail to live according to His standard for our lives, we are losing the holiness of God!
Are we as ashamed when we sin in private and it is never known to man as we are when we sin publicly and it becomes known to others? How we answer that question will reveal how much we understand about what God expects of us and why. When we begin to really care about God's holiness being lived out in us, it will not matter to us where and when we sin. What will matter is that we do sin and fall short of the glory of God. And we will finally begin to seek earnestly to be holy in our living simply because that is what our Father wants us to do!
Ron
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
In the Shadow of the Cross
"But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14)
As a young boy growing up, beloved, how well I remember my dad praying either in a public service of worship at church or in our family setting at home. One statement that he used often and which always grabbed my attention as a young Christian was his request that God "hide us behind the cross." While I was not at all sure back then just what he meant by those words, I believe that I have a much clearer understanding today as an adult myself.
I am convinced that Dad's request of God in prayer was tied directly to the principle of living mentioned in this verse of Scripture by the Apostle Paul, specifically that of glorying "in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." You see, beloved, the cross of Jesus Christ is the focal point of every true believer's life! How could it possibly be otherwise? It was on the cross that Jesus shed His blood and laid down His life for our sins. It was on the cross that Jesus did battle with Satan and won the victory over sin, death, and Hell. And it was on the cross that Jesus forever satisfied the offended holiness of God and paved the way for each one of us to have an eternal relationship with the Father.
In what is surely one of her most beautiful and beloved hymns, Fanny Crosby captured the essence of what it means for us as Christians to be hidden behind the cross:
As a young boy growing up, beloved, how well I remember my dad praying either in a public service of worship at church or in our family setting at home. One statement that he used often and which always grabbed my attention as a young Christian was his request that God "hide us behind the cross." While I was not at all sure back then just what he meant by those words, I believe that I have a much clearer understanding today as an adult myself.
I am convinced that Dad's request of God in prayer was tied directly to the principle of living mentioned in this verse of Scripture by the Apostle Paul, specifically that of glorying "in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." You see, beloved, the cross of Jesus Christ is the focal point of every true believer's life! How could it possibly be otherwise? It was on the cross that Jesus shed His blood and laid down His life for our sins. It was on the cross that Jesus did battle with Satan and won the victory over sin, death, and Hell. And it was on the cross that Jesus forever satisfied the offended holiness of God and paved the way for each one of us to have an eternal relationship with the Father.
In what is surely one of her most beautiful and beloved hymns, Fanny Crosby captured the essence of what it means for us as Christians to be hidden behind the cross:
"Jesus, keep me near the cross - there a precious fountain,
Free to all, a healing stream, flows from Calvary's mountain.
In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find rest, beyond the river."
Free to all, a healing stream, flows from Calvary's mountain.
In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find rest, beyond the river."
For us to walk, then, "in the shadow of the cross" is to stay focused upon its message in our lives and its need in the lives of those around us. It is to be sensitive to opportunities to share this good news with folks to whom the Spirit of God may lead us. And it is to develop a biblical worldview of life on earth and to see it as part of God's unfolding plan for His eternal kingdom. It is to walk visibly in the personal righteousness of Jesus Christ, becoming an example and an inspiration to other believers and an enticement to those who do not yet know Christ to seek to know Him personally themselves.
So when we ask God to "hide us behind the cross," are we not just expressing our desire to be kept close to what is most important in our lives? Are we not asking the Father to keep us fixed upon the supreme objective of eternity, the seeking of His kingdom and His righteousness? Paul stated emphatically that for himself, he could and would only glory in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Can we who are Christians today ourselves do any less?
I am determined to live my life "in the shadow of the cross," beloved. And my continuing prayer will be for all of us that God would truly, as Dad put it so beautifully each time he prayed, "hide us behind the cross."
Thanks, Dad!
Ron
So when we ask God to "hide us behind the cross," are we not just expressing our desire to be kept close to what is most important in our lives? Are we not asking the Father to keep us fixed upon the supreme objective of eternity, the seeking of His kingdom and His righteousness? Paul stated emphatically that for himself, he could and would only glory in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Can we who are Christians today ourselves do any less?
I am determined to live my life "in the shadow of the cross," beloved. And my continuing prayer will be for all of us that God would truly, as Dad put it so beautifully each time he prayed, "hide us behind the cross."
Thanks, Dad!
Ron
Thursday, October 8, 2009
To Be Sure NOT!
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2)
The unusual statement which serves as the title for this devotional, beloved, is a well-known and oft-used declaration in the South. Whenever someone says something that is unbelievable or in any way incredulous, the listener will often respond with "To be sure not!" It's a southern way of saying "Surely that can't be true!" It may even be a common term in other parts of the country, but I know that at least it is quite common here in the South.
What may surprise those of us who have ever used this term is that the Apostle Paul had his own version of it in the first century. The Greek term me ginoito has been translated in a number of different ways depending upon the English translation which you are using. From the King James Version's "God forbid!" to the Recovery Version's "Absolutely not!" the range of translations presents a startling contrast. In the original language of the New Testament, however, the term me ginoito leaves little room for doubt as to what the apostle meant by his choice of words. The literal translation of the term is "not be" or "not become" in the sense of someone declaring "May that never happen!" To elaborate a bit upon the King James rendering, Paul could be said to have been thinking "God forbid that you should ever think such a thing!"
And what was it concerning which the apostle felt so strongly, his "to be sure not," if you will? Some to whom he wrote were suggesting that, because God's grace is sufficient to forgive us and cleanse us from all sin, why not just live more indulgently in sin so that God's grace might flow even more abundantly? And today, though we never hear any professing Christian say such a thing, still lifestyles indicate that we may at least be thinking it!
The very thought that because we are recipients of God's grace in Jesus Christ we do not have to worry about the standard of our living is absolutely contrary to the Bible's call to personal holiness in our Christian walk, beloved. No wonder that Paul's response to them was a hearty me ginoito! From the purest of thoughts to the purest of deeds, our lives are to ever become a pursuit of godliness in full view of a watching and wondering world lost in sin. We must show everyone what Jesus has done for us so that they will come to see what He can do for them. Only then will we have "earned" the right to share with them the good news of Calvary.
What do you say, beloved? Are we going to miss opportunities to reach others for Christ simply because our personal lifestyles don't line up?
Me ginoito!
Ron
The unusual statement which serves as the title for this devotional, beloved, is a well-known and oft-used declaration in the South. Whenever someone says something that is unbelievable or in any way incredulous, the listener will often respond with "To be sure not!" It's a southern way of saying "Surely that can't be true!" It may even be a common term in other parts of the country, but I know that at least it is quite common here in the South.
What may surprise those of us who have ever used this term is that the Apostle Paul had his own version of it in the first century. The Greek term me ginoito has been translated in a number of different ways depending upon the English translation which you are using. From the King James Version's "God forbid!" to the Recovery Version's "Absolutely not!" the range of translations presents a startling contrast. In the original language of the New Testament, however, the term me ginoito leaves little room for doubt as to what the apostle meant by his choice of words. The literal translation of the term is "not be" or "not become" in the sense of someone declaring "May that never happen!" To elaborate a bit upon the King James rendering, Paul could be said to have been thinking "God forbid that you should ever think such a thing!"
And what was it concerning which the apostle felt so strongly, his "to be sure not," if you will? Some to whom he wrote were suggesting that, because God's grace is sufficient to forgive us and cleanse us from all sin, why not just live more indulgently in sin so that God's grace might flow even more abundantly? And today, though we never hear any professing Christian say such a thing, still lifestyles indicate that we may at least be thinking it!
The very thought that because we are recipients of God's grace in Jesus Christ we do not have to worry about the standard of our living is absolutely contrary to the Bible's call to personal holiness in our Christian walk, beloved. No wonder that Paul's response to them was a hearty me ginoito! From the purest of thoughts to the purest of deeds, our lives are to ever become a pursuit of godliness in full view of a watching and wondering world lost in sin. We must show everyone what Jesus has done for us so that they will come to see what He can do for them. Only then will we have "earned" the right to share with them the good news of Calvary.
What do you say, beloved? Are we going to miss opportunities to reach others for Christ simply because our personal lifestyles don't line up?
Me ginoito!
Ron
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
The Wattage of Our Walk
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16)
Let's face it, beloved! The world in which we live lies in the deadly grip of utter spiritual darkness! In fact, the Apostle Paul referred to the world without Jesus Christ as "the domain of darkness" (Colossians 1:13). Imagine, then, a world and its inhabitants not only living in but reveling in the darkness of sinfulness and rebellion against God. Not only can lost mankind not save himself, he does not even want to!
As dark as is the sinful lostness of this world, so bright is the "light" that God Himself is. The Apostle John declares this pure quality of Holy God in the following way:
"And 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" (1 John 1:5)
Into a world of darkness came Jesus of Nazareth, the only begotten Son of God, announcing to lost mankind that He is Himself "the light of the world" (John 8:12). He came to bring the light of God's own personal holiness into the black void of man's sinful condition. You see, beloved, it is so very important for us to understand that "darkness" is not a color, but a void. It is what is left when the "light" of God is not present. And Jesus as "the light of the world" called men and women and boys and girls to Himself.
So what does that have to do with you and me? Simply that, as our focal verse makes so clear, you and I as followers of Jesus Christ are ourselves "the light of the world." Specifically, we are to "reflect" the light of Jesus into our world. And that reality is precisely where we run headlong into the issue of the wattage of our walk.
Have you ever noticed the difference between a lamp with a 25 watt bulb and one with a 100 watt bulb? Amazing, isn't it? One gives a soft, often almost imperceptible light, more of a glow, and the other beams brightly and sends its rays into the darkest part of the room. So dark is the darkness of this world's sin, beloved, that Jesus needs for us to let our light so shine into it that we shine with the highest possible spiritual wattage! You see, the "light" of our personal walk must first be bright enough to pierce the darkness of the sin around us. In other words, our "light" must be brighter than the darkness of the sinful world in which we live!
Just what is the "wattage of your walk," beloved? Are you sending forth a 25 watt "glow" or a 100 watt "beam"? How brightly are you shining today for Jesus Christ? Why not polish your reflectors and start burning brightly? Men need to find the light of Jesus Christ and your "beam" is what God wants to use to draw them to Himself!
Ron
Let's face it, beloved! The world in which we live lies in the deadly grip of utter spiritual darkness! In fact, the Apostle Paul referred to the world without Jesus Christ as "the domain of darkness" (Colossians 1:13). Imagine, then, a world and its inhabitants not only living in but reveling in the darkness of sinfulness and rebellion against God. Not only can lost mankind not save himself, he does not even want to!
As dark as is the sinful lostness of this world, so bright is the "light" that God Himself is. The Apostle John declares this pure quality of Holy God in the following way:
"And 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" (1 John 1:5)
Into a world of darkness came Jesus of Nazareth, the only begotten Son of God, announcing to lost mankind that He is Himself "the light of the world" (John 8:12). He came to bring the light of God's own personal holiness into the black void of man's sinful condition. You see, beloved, it is so very important for us to understand that "darkness" is not a color, but a void. It is what is left when the "light" of God is not present. And Jesus as "the light of the world" called men and women and boys and girls to Himself.
So what does that have to do with you and me? Simply that, as our focal verse makes so clear, you and I as followers of Jesus Christ are ourselves "the light of the world." Specifically, we are to "reflect" the light of Jesus into our world. And that reality is precisely where we run headlong into the issue of the wattage of our walk.
Have you ever noticed the difference between a lamp with a 25 watt bulb and one with a 100 watt bulb? Amazing, isn't it? One gives a soft, often almost imperceptible light, more of a glow, and the other beams brightly and sends its rays into the darkest part of the room. So dark is the darkness of this world's sin, beloved, that Jesus needs for us to let our light so shine into it that we shine with the highest possible spiritual wattage! You see, the "light" of our personal walk must first be bright enough to pierce the darkness of the sin around us. In other words, our "light" must be brighter than the darkness of the sinful world in which we live!
Just what is the "wattage of your walk," beloved? Are you sending forth a 25 watt "glow" or a 100 watt "beam"? How brightly are you shining today for Jesus Christ? Why not polish your reflectors and start burning brightly? Men need to find the light of Jesus Christ and your "beam" is what God wants to use to draw them to Himself!
Ron
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Playing the Blame Game
"He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion" (Proverbs 28:13)
Did you ever "play the blame game" as kids, beloved? You know, pointing the finger at the other kid when it was actually you who did the deed? When it comes to such an example from Scripture, we are always quick to point out Eve blaming the serpent when confronted by God about the forbidden fruit, or how about Adam blaming God because He was the One who gave that pesky woman to him in the first place!
Playing the blame game is always deadly when it comes to our relationship with God. This writer declares definitively that "he who conceals his sins will not prosper," no if's, and's or but's about it! To "conceal" one's sins is to hide them in any of a number of ways that we humans have become notoriously adept at doing. Sometimes we simply deny that they even exist. "What sin?" we ask with that babyish look of innocence upon our faces. If we do so long enough, perhaps those asking will just go away and we won't have to deal with them.
Or perhaps we "conceal" our sins by blaming them on someone or something else. If he or she had not said what they said to us or had not done what they did to us...you know, that sort of thing. Counselors like to call this little practice "transferal of guilt." Sometimes it is "circumstance" upon which we lay the blame for our actions. We blame the pressure or the stress or the "no way out" that we claim led to the bad choice that we made.
Whatever the "cover" that we may use, beloved, the Scriptures make it clear that such action won't cut it. The focus of "prospering" here is primarily that of the spiritual realm. In other words, God's not buying it! There will always be a ripple-effect that will eventually catch up with us whenever we "conceal" our sins and refuse to deal with them honestly and, most of all, biblically.
So what is the alternative to "the blame game"? First of all, this writer indicates that "confession" is necessary. Have you ever heard the expression that "confession is good for the soul"? Well, believe it! The word "confess" in the New Testament means primarily to agree with God or to speak the same thing that God has spoken. When God calls a thing a sin, just agree with Him and call it that in your own life. The road gets much easier when you don't start out by disagreeing with God! Just admit up front that you did the deed. Then the writer adds the quality of "forsaking" to the equation. It is far too easy, as human nature today has proven, to go and "confess" to someone, then keep right on committing the same foul deed! True confession requires total abandonment of the action. Get as far away from that sinful act as you possibly can. Put it completely and permanently out of your life. Come to hate it as much as God has always hated it, even when you were relishing the temporary pleasure of it.
God's personal promise to us is that, whenever we "confess and forsake" the sin, He will be abundant in His compassion, His mercy upon our life. Forgiveness and restoration will be ours, the welcoming back of the prodigal, whenever we face up and 'fess up as God's word here clearly commands.
Don't play the blame game, beloved. It's a dead-end street with no alleys for a quick way out. Come straight to the God who loves you and plead the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Take it from one who knows - it is the only path to cleansing of spirit and mind, to restoration of purpose and fruitfulness, to the return of joy and genuine worship. Don't play the blame game!
Ron
Did you ever "play the blame game" as kids, beloved? You know, pointing the finger at the other kid when it was actually you who did the deed? When it comes to such an example from Scripture, we are always quick to point out Eve blaming the serpent when confronted by God about the forbidden fruit, or how about Adam blaming God because He was the One who gave that pesky woman to him in the first place!
Playing the blame game is always deadly when it comes to our relationship with God. This writer declares definitively that "he who conceals his sins will not prosper," no if's, and's or but's about it! To "conceal" one's sins is to hide them in any of a number of ways that we humans have become notoriously adept at doing. Sometimes we simply deny that they even exist. "What sin?" we ask with that babyish look of innocence upon our faces. If we do so long enough, perhaps those asking will just go away and we won't have to deal with them.
Or perhaps we "conceal" our sins by blaming them on someone or something else. If he or she had not said what they said to us or had not done what they did to us...you know, that sort of thing. Counselors like to call this little practice "transferal of guilt." Sometimes it is "circumstance" upon which we lay the blame for our actions. We blame the pressure or the stress or the "no way out" that we claim led to the bad choice that we made.
Whatever the "cover" that we may use, beloved, the Scriptures make it clear that such action won't cut it. The focus of "prospering" here is primarily that of the spiritual realm. In other words, God's not buying it! There will always be a ripple-effect that will eventually catch up with us whenever we "conceal" our sins and refuse to deal with them honestly and, most of all, biblically.
So what is the alternative to "the blame game"? First of all, this writer indicates that "confession" is necessary. Have you ever heard the expression that "confession is good for the soul"? Well, believe it! The word "confess" in the New Testament means primarily to agree with God or to speak the same thing that God has spoken. When God calls a thing a sin, just agree with Him and call it that in your own life. The road gets much easier when you don't start out by disagreeing with God! Just admit up front that you did the deed. Then the writer adds the quality of "forsaking" to the equation. It is far too easy, as human nature today has proven, to go and "confess" to someone, then keep right on committing the same foul deed! True confession requires total abandonment of the action. Get as far away from that sinful act as you possibly can. Put it completely and permanently out of your life. Come to hate it as much as God has always hated it, even when you were relishing the temporary pleasure of it.
God's personal promise to us is that, whenever we "confess and forsake" the sin, He will be abundant in His compassion, His mercy upon our life. Forgiveness and restoration will be ours, the welcoming back of the prodigal, whenever we face up and 'fess up as God's word here clearly commands.
Don't play the blame game, beloved. It's a dead-end street with no alleys for a quick way out. Come straight to the God who loves you and plead the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Take it from one who knows - it is the only path to cleansing of spirit and mind, to restoration of purpose and fruitfulness, to the return of joy and genuine worship. Don't play the blame game!
Ron
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