Tag: law

Conflict

Today’s reading is Galatians 2.

Galatians 2 is most famously known for Galatians 2:15-21 where Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia focuses on being saved by faith and not by works. Let’s talk a little bit more though about what led up to this in Galatians 2:11-14.

Here in these verses, Paul is upset with Cephas (Peter) at Antioch because he’s eating foods Jews don’t eat with the Gentiles (non-jews) and then as soon as other strict and influential Jews show up, he stops doing so. Although Peter knew the Gentiles were saved by faith and not by what food they eat, his pull back and return to only eating food Jews were allowed to eat seemed to imply again that someone can be saved by the law (works) and that you are not only saved by faith alone. Not only did Paul believe this was hypocritical and tore down the truth of the Gospel, you are saved by faith and not by works, but it also negatively influenced Barnabas to follow him. Our actions matter and lead others in a positive or negative direction.

Paul teaches us a great lesson here in Galatians 2:11.

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.

One of my mentors shared with me something he learned which was that you should “seek conflict.”  This may seem sound strange, but there is a difference between “creating conflict” and seeking it. What he meant is that when there are conflicts, talk about it and discuss it. Face it head on. Don’t let it fester..that will only make it worse. Also, don’t just talk about someone or something you don’t agree with behind their back..address it directly with them. Conflicts and disagreements will undoubtedly occur, and this is how you solve them. Paul models this and teaches us this important lesson.

Jesus also teaches us to face conflict with someone else directly.

5 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Matthew 18:15-17

Here Jesus not only tells us to face conflict with others, but He also tells us a 3 step process on how to do it. You face it with them privately, then with one or two others if they don’t stop, and thirdly, address it with the church.

Let us pray for wisdom for the courage to face conflicts head on and to do so in the manner Jesus outlined.

 

Freshness

Today’s readings are Genesis 47-48, Psalm 25, and Galatians 3.

While the new year starting can sometimes bring anxiety about what the coming year may hold, most of us get excited about the calendar turning over and the opportunity to hit the reset button on some things in our life. This year will be better we believe…better discipline on our workouts and diet, sticking to our budget, new business goals we plan to accomplish, being in the Word more, and an increased focus on our blessings and living with gratitude to name a few. So now that we are just over 3 weeks in…how are you doing?

Personally, I would say there has been some good and some bad for me, but in transparency I’ve failed in my patience, and I’ve been a little short tempered at times with those I love the most. I feel terrible about it. While many may say my actions have been very minor and just a quick overreaction, it makes my heart ache that I have caused hurt in any way…even if for just a moment…to those I love the most. I’ve asked for forgiveness similar to what we read in Psalm 25 in prayer and have apologized to Shannon and promised to do better. Why I have been this way? I don’t know..I wish I could say.  I have so much to be grateful and happy for.

Reading Galatians 3 today makes thankful and is a good reminder that we are justified and saved by our faith, not the Law or our works. I want to do better, and I must do better..but I’m not perfect and am destined to fail again…if not in this way…then in another way.

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law and do them.”

Galatians 3:10

No one is capable of doing “all things” of the Law and not making a mistake as we are also told in Romans 3:23. But we can be grateful for more clarity on how we justified in the following verses in Galatians 3.

Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Galatians 3:11

And then a few verses later..

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us- for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree-“

Galatians 3:13

We are fully redeemed and can be with God when our life here on Earth ends because of what Jesus did for you and for me. He took on the curse of death that should have been mine and yours.

Does this give us an excuse to sin and do what we want? No..absolutely not. We are told in Romans 8:9 and 1 Corinthians 6:19 that the Holy Spirit is in us when we believe.

This year I’m reading through the devotional My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. On January 20th it reads the following, “Freshness is not the result of obedience; it comes from the Holy Spirit. Obedience keeps us ‘in the light as He is in the light’ (1 John 1:7).”  A little bit later it also reads, “Being born of the Spirit means much more than we usually think. It gives us new vision and keeps us absolutely fresh for everything through the never-ending supply of the life of God.”

This serves as a reminder for me, and I hope for some reading this, to stay close to Him so that we can find forgiveness, peace, joy, life, and “freshness” from the Holy Spirit who lives in us to start over today and everyday…regardless of what we’ve done or what day it is on the calendar.

Offering

Today’s reading is from what some refer to as “The Great Eight,” in Romans chapter 8. When I think of so many of the great verses in this chapter, Romans 8:3 isn’t one that really comes to my mind at least until this assignment today, but it might arguably be the most important one.

“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,”

Within the last year our church did what we called a “Barnabas offering” through members selling something of value and giving it to the church, modeling what Barnabas did in Acts 4:36-37 when he sold a field of his. I must admit that when I began thinking about what to sell, the first things that came to mind were things that would bring value, but yet I would not really care about and likely never miss in the future. When I was thinking about my offering, I was not thinking about my best and first sadly.

When God thought about the offering He could give us for the forgiveness of OUR sin, He did not think about the smallest and easiest way He could bail us out for our transgressions…He gave us His best and first, His Son. He was willing to let His own Son pay the price in the worst, but only perfect, way for our sins. Although He gave us the Law, He knew all the way back in Genesis 3:15 right when sin entered the world that we could not keep it, and He would have to give us His best and first offering to bring us back to be one with Him in the way we were before sin entered the world. He knew that giving up His Son who was in the flesh and faced all the pains, problems, challenges, and temptations of this world, yet did not sin, as a sacrifice was the only way to truly free us and help us also realize the perfect love He has for us.

Pastor and author Mark Batterson said once when you see the word “therefore”…you should take note and see what it is there for. Typically, when “therefore” is used by an author it is used after many other sentences to then highlight the true point of everything before it. However, Paul actually starts out Romans 8 with “therefore” in Romans 8:1…

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Paul started out with “therefore” in Romans 8:1 because he wanted to highlight from the beginning how important it is that because of God’s perfect offering in His Son Jesus, we are not punished for our sins. He paid the price already, so that despite our transgressions, we can live with Him forever in Heaven. Let us begin our day today by thanking Him for the only perfect offering possible in His Son Jesus. Personally, with today being our daughter Reese’s 5th birthday, it underscores even more how big of deal it is that He gave you and me His very own.

Last Kiss

Today’s reading is Galatians 3.

Some of the most important life lessons we can teach our kids can come in the simplest moments. As a young boy, I can remember riding in the back of my parents’ car and listening to oldies from the 50s and mostly 60s. This is where my Dad taught me the most important life lesson while likely on the 25 minute drive home from Springfield to Auburn, Illinois from the grocery store or some other errand. A big thing for my father, and now me, when a song came on the radio was to ask, “What is the name of the song and who sings it?” It was then typically followed up by some other fun fact about the band or song. Due to this, I know a lot about songs from this era and I wouldn’t admit it growing up, but I love the music now! Many of you may be familiar with the song “Last Kiss” which was originally a one-hit wonder by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers and re-made by Pearl Jam in more recent years. I’m a Pearl Jam fan, but you just can’t beat the original in my opinion…but I digress. The song is about a boy, who is likely in high school, out on a date with his father’s car when a car is stalled in the road causing him to crash. His girlfriend does not survive, and he gives her a last kiss as she takes her final breaths. The chorus of the song repeats over and over, “Oh where oh where can my baby be? The Lord took her away from me. She’s gone to Heaven, so I got to be good…so I can see my baby when I leave this world.” My Dad loves the song and I can’t help but sing along when it comes on now, but he appropriately taught me at a very young age, “Chet…you know this song is wrong. You don’t get to Heaven by being good. You only get to Heaven by believing in Jesus and that He died on the cross for your sins.” Wow…the most important thing every human being should know taught to me at a very young age while riding in the back seat on a trip we took many times. One of the reasons I also know so much about the music from this era is that the same fun facts and information my Dad would tell me about each song was often told most of the time each song would come on, so this important lesson from the “Last Kiss” was told multiple times and engrained in me, but that’s a good thing. One of my mentors always said, “Repetition is the mother of learning.” This one was definitely worth repeating.

This critical information is what Paul is communicating in Galatians 3. You do not get to Heaven by being a good person or by following the Law.

“For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law and do them.’ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law for ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’”   Galatians 3:10-11

Paul says a similar thing in his letter to the Romans…

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

A key part of both of these verses is the emphasis that the only way one could be justified and brought together with God by works would be if you did “all things” correctly in Galatians 3:10 and then the singular nature of the word “sin” in Romans 6:23 tells us even one sin permanently separates of from God without Jesus’ loving sacrifice on the cross. No one, and I mean no one, no matter how good of a person they are in this world will receive the crown of righteousness in Heaven without admission of our sin and belief in Jesus because we also know Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short.

Jesus says this himself in John 14:6.

“….I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me….”

My Dad always taught me that believing one can get into Heaven by being a good person is one of the biggest myths of many Christians even and just not true based on the Word. Some may think this is harsh that there is only one way and wonder why the other “good people” don’t get in. Again, one sin separates us for eternity from God, so by God’s definition there are no “good people” without Jesus. Only He can make us holy and righteous. Only the cross provides the bridge of the great divide between man and God with the fiery pit of hell below due to our sin. This is beneficial for us to because it gives us a clear delineation of how to have eternal life with God in Heaven. Otherwise, we would have no idea what it “good enough” to get in and if past sins might forever separate us from God. This could leave us running ragged trying to do enough good and never knowing where we stand feeling anxious and depressed.

I hope that I am teaching our kids this same lesson of Jesus being the only way and more, but our kids can also teach us lessons as well. Our son Deklin is 6 and probably starting at age 2 or 3 he would say in his prayers he wanted “everybody in the city to know about Jesus.” As we’ve lost a few people we know recently, who were without a doubt good people, and one in particular who impacted so many in our community, this really hits home. Sadly, I don’t know if he knew Jesus, but I hope so. Let us follow Deklin’s prayer and Matthew 28:19-20 and not leave it to chance. I absolutely love the song “Last Kiss,” but I’m very glad J. Frank Wilson had his facts wrong on the way to Heaven because none of us could get there if that was the way. However, due to Jesus’ grace on the cross we can all get there through belief in Him…and so can everyone else…we just need to tell them.

 

What kind of inheritance will you leave?

Today’s readings in 1 Kings reminded me of a verse in Exodus 20 that helps us realize the importance of loving the LORD with all our heart for our family’s sake (a/k/a following God’s commands, 1John 5:3, John 14:15 ). How what we do now affects our family in the future. 

Here was the scripture that reminded me of this important truth in leaving an inheritance:

He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. – 1 Kings 15:3-4

Here is the scripture in Exodus 20 that it reminded me of:

“You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. – Exodus 20:3-6

Proverbs tells us a good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s, children (Proverbs 13:22). In a world that may try to have us think money is the best form of inheritance, would believing so be putting money before God and actually undermining a true inheritance of lasting wealth? Is there anything that we could leave more precious than God’s Word that calls us and restores us to Him? Anything more precious than loving God and keeping His commandments? Do we need to reevaluate, in truth, our inheritance plan?

May God’s inheritance be rich in love toward Him. May the parents have wisdom (right living, James 2:13) to disciple the children of God’s inheritance. 

Today’s reading: 1 Kings 15; Colossians 2; Ezekiel 45; Psalms 99–101

 

What’s My Job?

Today’s reading: 1 Samuel 16; Romans 14; Lamentations 1; Psalm 32

August 24th, 2016

I have heard it said that the Church of Christ needs to be known not by what it approves or disapproves of, but by the grace and salvation of Jesus. Yet, the scripture cries out to us to put certain things off and certain things on. What is the Church to do?

It is my understanding that all the prophets came to indict the culture; that Jesus did the same thing, helping the Israelites see the error of their ways, helping the humble realize their need for a Savior; that the Spirit came to give perfect remembrance to Jesus’s followers of His words and so these convictions continue to help us see the error of our ways and grow in Him. It seems clear to me that God judges perfectly, but what is the difference between God and His church?

The ESV gives Romans chapter 14 the heading Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another. It speaks to matters of conviction in food and special observance of certain days. Some felt all days were equal and others felt some special. Some felt certain foods unclean. Others felt all food clean unto itself. What then should we do? Should we eat or not, observe or not? Paul’s conclusion: Yes, let us live by faith.

If you are convicted that a certain food is unclean, do not eat it (Romans 14:14, Romans 14:23). If not, eat it. Unless by eating you may cause grief to him who thinks it unclean, then do not eat, or else you may cause them to stumble (Romans 14:15). Give way to their conviction and keep your conviction to yourself (Romans 14:22). Do not judge (Romans 14:13). Do not let food get in the way of the work of God (Romans 14:20). We are not fit to judge and for those who have struggled with feeling they need to come to the rescue of their neighbor by helping them remove the speck from their eye, Paul gives us the assurance that our LORD is their Savior, He will help them stand on that day (Romans 14:4).  

If my job is not to judge or to save, what is it? Am I doing my job in the church?

 

Extra credit.

  • Love has been written about many times on this blog. If you missed it, check out David LaFrance’s post Law of Love from yesterday.
  • When on a team not everyone does everything. Members have roles, different jobs. To understand the role of the Holy Spirit and how you can work with Him in your role I highly encourage you to listen to The Holy Spirit: God’s Prosecutor by John MacArthur. It starts this way…
  • This is a portion of Scripture that every preacher must understand: every preacher must understand, every pastor must understand, every parishioner, every Christian must understand. The text before us foundational to our mission. It is foundational to our cause in the world. It is the foundation of all gospel preaching and all gospel witness… Like many passages, however, in the Bible, it has a ring of familiarity to us, and people somehow think they know what it means, and they don’t really dig down to see the truth that is here. I want to be able to help you to understand it, perhaps, in a way you’ve never understood it before, and the way that it has to be understood in the context and the intention of our Lord. I think I’m safe in saying that most preachers don’t really get a grasp on this, as most Christians do not, and that is a crippling reality.

Need For Speed

Numbers 16; Psalms 52–54; Isaiah 6; Hebrews 13

The idea of authority is a double edge sword. We like believing there is justice in the world, some ultimate authority establishing order; but we also want to live lives of our choosing — making our own rules.

I just returned from spending most of this week in Las Vegas at a convention for the Manufactured Housing Industry (MHI). This event is really a big annual reunion for a diverse community of friends, fellow investors, home manufacturers, brokers and other service providers for an industry that provides affordable housing for approximately twenty million Americans. At an event sponsored by my incredible brokerage team, we offered clients an opportunity to drive ten of the most expensive sports cars in the world on a racing track with a personal professional driving coach; Ferarri’s, Lamborghini’s and others, you get the idea. This was sort of a drivers education for car racing. The driving coaches shared the rules of the track, the laws of physics and just in case we lost our minds, they had a brake pedal on the floor of the passenger side. We were instructed in the art of racing, when to go fast, how to go faster and how to negotiate curves at the highest possible speeds. Trust me when I say that I payed very close attention to my professional driving coach!

After five laps I was at the food truck talking with a friend about wealth and privilege. I asked him a question that popped into my head. “If you could design the perfect life for yourself — would it really be perfect?” He wasn’t sure he knew the answer. I believe we all desire the “perfect life”. The desire to find perfection is written on our hearts. But how do we find it? what are the rules, and who makes them?

If we make our own rules, aren’t we missing the opportunity to follow something better? Where do we find the rules for driving the best cars on the fast track of our lives?

I knew that in the absence of the belief in a personal God (one that’s still involved in the world He created) people often gravitate to the ideas like karma. But somehow karmic “authority” seems too vague for me even though I liked the concept. In theory, following this simple principle might even make life a little easier. If we believe that by being generally good, the universe will generally be good back to us, then we can then operate with a general, perhaps even self justified, sense of what the rules are. In this model, justice becomes more vague. The notion that someone is in charge, or that there are specific rules to follow, is more specific, more personal and more challenging. “Who said so?” and “why should I?” were my typical responses.

At times we accept the authority of science. We don’t seem to have much of a problem discovering and responding to the laws of nature as we understand them. You can choose to ignore gravity if you want, but the consequences always turn out the same.

Authority is also accepted when we want to learn a critical skill from someone who knows. If I want to learn to drive fast and safe, the importance of good instruction and understanding the rules is easy to grasp. So if we can respect the laws of physics; and advanced drivers education can be embraced by confidant adults, is it so hard to imagine that the creator of the universe might have laws for us to follow? Is it hard to grasp the possibility that there is a divine authority on how to live our lives? Might there be a more elevated definition of what it means to prosper, higher than those that the world offers us or that we can invent for ourselves?

God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. -Psalm 53:2

As I have come to have a personal relationship with God, I have come to understand the power and authority of God and how important it is in guiding my life. But the crazy thing is this; it was by experiencing God’s incredible love, through His amazing grace, that I was able to discover His awesome power and authority. God is the fairest of judges and the ultimate authority over heaven and earth. He does not condemn His children by grace. He loves and empowers and encourages and directs our steps along paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. He has made a way for all of us to return to Him, to return to our rightful place, to fulfill our destiny. God offers redemption to all. And through Jesus Christ  by grace we are given the power to live extraordinary lives, by receiving God’s Holy Spirit. Faith in God offers us lives in the spiritual fast lane. Lives of adventure and challenge and of the greater fulfillment than we could ever imagine. Will we listen and learn?

Ladies and gentlemen it’s time to start your spiritual engines! Amen.