I watch It’s A Wonderful Life every year around Christmas time, and this year was no exception. Something was different this year though, as I get older I get just how rich George Bailey was even before he lost the money to Mr.Potter (the antagonist). One bad moment in a lifetime made him feel as if he had nothing to live for, no friends to go to bet for him, and ultimately he was blinded to the rest of his reality.
When others felt like rushing off and conquering the world, he looked at the need to do what was right which meant putting what he wanted to do on hold. He helped many families in the community be able to own their own well built houses, he gave money out of his pocket when the market crashed, and he stood up to evil when it would have been easy to side with it.
That being said, when Mr.Potter put a hit out on George’s head, he ran from everyone that loves him. He tried to k!ll himself by jumping off a bridge, but then he ended up saving someone sent to help him. He was then revealed a reality of what life in the town would be like without him. The town was absolutely crooked and in poverty. Those who loved him didn’t even know him. Those who he had helped were helpless in this reality. It was after experiencing this twisted alternate reality that he did in fact have a wonderful life.
He really had it made and was rich in a way that money cannot put a price on. He had a great family and friends all around him willing to help him with his money issue. One thing this goes to show that life isn’t meant to be done solo.
When God made us, He made us have a natural craving for community and companionship. There’s a good reason for that, because when we ourselves are weak we have those around us who love us to help support us at our lowest points. There’s been so many times in life where I have let what is in front of me make me feel hopeless, but I have been reminded time and time again of God’s love through those around me showing His love, comfort, and support to me.
It truly is a wonderful life. I am blessed by God with being able to have a relationship with Him, amazing family and friends, and so many other things. It’s A Wonderful Life is a must watch, because there’s so much to learn from it. God bless you all, and I hope everyone has a great Christmas!
What do you love most about worship? David gives us so much to consider as we come before the Great I Am.
Neal Pollard
Psalm 95 is one of seven “enthronement” psalms, meaning it “celebrates the sovereignty of Yahweh over the whole earth” (Bratcher and Rayburn, np). In other words, God is King of kings. It is written by King David, a fact not deduced from the psalm itself bearing his “signature” but instead from the Holy Spirit telling us so in Hebrews 4:7.
This is a psalm you may recognize, especially the second half of the psalm. David shifts from the privilege of the present to the prospect of repeating the peril of the past. The Bible so often charts a course for our future by pointing to the mistakes of history. Is there a more oft-repeated example of how not to live than the generation which wandered in the wilderness?
When you break down the contents of the psalm, it appears to have three major themes:
THE WORSHIP (1-2,6)
There are acts of worship–singing and shouting (1), worshipping, bowing down and kneeling (6)
There is a call to worship–David says “let us” six times (1-2,6). We should encourage one another day after day (Heb. 3:13; 10:24-25) to engage in worship. How often do we do that? Not harassment or a guilt-trip, but a loving appeal to those who seem to be slipping in their faith to the point that they’ve stopped coming to the assemblies. God’s people need to come together to worship, and if some are struggling in this God wants us reaching out to them.
There is an Object to worship–worship is intentional, meaning that we must direct it with our hearts, minds, and bodies. Worship is “to the Lord” (1), the rock of our salvation (1), a great God and king (3), the Lord our Maker (6), and our God (7).
THE WONDER (3-5,7a)
Before worship this Sunday, spend a few moments contemplating just Who it is that you are approaching in your worship–His nature, character, attributes, and blessings. David does that within his exhortation and call to worship.
He is above all (3). He is in control of it all (4). He made it all (5-6). He leads us all (7a). With enthusiasm, we should exclaim, “Our God is an awesome God, He reigns in heaven above with wisdom, power, and love, our God is an awesome God!”
THE WARNING (7b-11)
There are three major warnings here:
There is a warning against delay (7–“Today”). When we are falling away, we may tell ourselves, “I’m not gone for good. I’ll get right…later.” We must remember that, “Tomorrow never comes” (2 Cor. 6:2).
There is a warning against desensitization (8–“Do not harden your hearts”). None of us is beyond this happening. Keeping our hearts soft to God’s will and word is essential to staying faithful to Him. Sin hardens our hearts, and that is deadly!
There is a warning against dimness (10). The root of Israel’s rejection was that they erred in the hearts and did not know His ways. Find someone who has wandered away in life, and you will find that they wandered away from His Word.
Should we worship God from hearts of delight or hands of duty? Yes! Worship should be an utter joy, but let us keep in mind that it is done on His terms and in His way. It is an obligation, one which blesses us and fills our heart with delight. It is a “corporate” activity (Let US). It is a safeguard against falling away. Sunday’s coming! “Oh come, let us bow down!”
This week we’ll look at three more questions from the list:
Is there anything wrong with being selfish?
Do we have an obligation to help others?
If you rob from the rich to give to the poor is that wrong?
A selfish person cannot or will not prioritize the needs and desires of others over their own. They will do what they want regardless of its impact on others. From a naturalistic perspective, selfishness is beneficial for whoever has the responsibility of providing for their family — why not gain some kind of advantage to help the people you love? For believers, though, “You have to view yourself the same way Christ Jesus viewed himself: He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit. Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form. During his life as a man, he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross” (Phil 2.5-8). Jesus was selfless to the point of death, and that’s our standard. Therefore, it’s never morally acceptable to prioritize our own needs over others’ when we have an opportunity to help.
“We must not get tired of doing good things for others. We will receive our harvest of eternal life at the right time. We must not give up. When we have the opportunity to do something good for someone, we should do it. This is especially true for our family of believers” (Gal 6.9-10). Yes, we have an obligation to help others whenever we get the chance. The language in this text describes putting in some serious effort to do meaningful, beneficial things for others with priority going to our Christian family. Just as parents prioritize the well-being of their own children over the well-being of someone’s child on the other side of the world (because we have finite resources and cannot be in multiple places at once), believers prioritize the physical needs of their Christian family. If at all possible, we extend our effort and resources to help non-believers too!
Yes. Theft is always wrong (I Cor 6.10; Eph 4.28; Mk 10.19). James wrote to some believers who were facing the most extreme circumstances imaginable — they were being taken advantage of by wealthy “employers” who refused to pay their wages, and many of them died because of this (Js 5.4-5). Even in those horrifying conditions God’s expectation is, “Be patient, the Master will return. Hold on until then. Farmers have to be patient while their crops grow, waiting through the first and last rain before they can harvest. You must be patient too — never stop anticipating the Master’s return. Don’t complain against each other. If you always complain against each other, you will be judged guilty. And the Judge is ready to come!” (7-9). Our lives are so short that from our perspective the Master’s return is just a breath away. James encouraged the Christians who were poor and abused to hold on until their deaths because God would give them justice. He had much to say to the wealthy who were abusing them, specifically that their destiny would be horrifying. This is difficult for us to accept, but not if we actually believe that this life is nothing.
But the government that rules us is in the heavens, and it is from there that we’re waiting for our rescuer, the Master Jesus Christ, to come. He will change our humble bodies and make them like his own glorious body. Christ can do this because of his power, the same power he can use to rule everything (Phil 3.20-21).
Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about those who have died. We don’t want you to be sad like other people — the ones who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died, but we also believe that he came back to life. So we believe that God will raise to life through Jesus any who have died and bring them together with him when he returns. What we tell you now is the Master’s own message: Those of us who are still living when the Master comes again will join him, but not before those who have already died. The Master himself will come down from the sky with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. And the people who have died and were in Christ will come back to life first. After that, we who are still alive at that time will be gathered up with those who have died. We will be taken up in the clouds and meet the Master in the air. And we will be with him forever. You should encourage each other with these words (I Thess 4.13-18).
What keeps us from realizing the true reality of our spiritual debt to God? Are we ever like Simon the leper?
Neal and Kathy Pollard
Neal Pollard
Why did Jesus speak in parables? The disciples wondered just that (Matthew 13:10). The Holy Spirit records four answers. First, Jesus used parables because not all would receive the mysteries of the Kingdom by direct revelation (13:11). Further, He did so because many hearts were dull and eyes and ears were closed (13:13-16). Those with faith would accept His teaching, but unbelievers would not understand. Then, He used parables because the prophets foretold that He would (13:34, 35). Finally, He did because there were things hidden from the foundation of the world that He must reveal (13:35).
What relevance, then, do the parables have for the modern Bible reader? Now, the parables exist as part of that written revelation. Through them, one can see prophecy fulfilled. The mystery that has been kept secret for long ages past (cf. Romans 16:25) can now be known. Thus, the parables are of paramount importance as practical instruction today.
Jesus’ parables come out of many settings. He spoke them during private talks with the disciples, in public sermons, and on the occasion of miracles and healings, but maybe the most effective parables were borne out of situations where His enemies tested him. The parable in Luke 7:41-42 is such a one. Consider four key words that aid one to better understand the so-called “Parable of Two Debtors.”
Content
The actual parable is two verses in length, as man has divided scripture. Jesus expended a total of thirty Greek words (43—NIV; 40—KJV; 34—NAS). The parable is filled with simple images that are easily comprehended. He presents the characters, a moneylender and two debtors. He presents the situation, that one owes about 500 days wages while another owes 50. He presents the predicament, namely that neither had the ability to repay their debt. He presents the lender’s response, who graciously forgives both of them. He presents the debtors’ reactions, which is left for the hearers to interpret but is easily discerned.
Two men in debt needed help beyond their ability to resolve. The lender is also the forgiver. Jesus uses financial problems to illustrate spiritual problems. How appropriate, since most people, regardless of time or geography, have suffered financial reverses. One national survey found that seventy percent of all worries involve money (Collins, Christian Counseling, 531). Suppose a person owed a single creditor $100,000 and the creditor called in the entire debt at once. The debtor is unable to pay, and the creditor sends back news that the entire debt is totally expunged from the record. How would that person feel toward the creditor, compared, say, with one who owed $1000 but whose debt was also forgiven. The parable teaches the principle of greater debt, greater appreciation, and lesser debt, lesser appreciation.
Context
The setting of the parable gives it its meaning. Jesus uses the parable to illustrate two very different people before His eyes. Consider them.
The first person is a Pharisee named Simon. One scholar points out that:
The Pharisees were the largest sect of the Jews. They grew out of an older party, the Chasidim, the Pious ones, and became the “Separatists” of ancient times. They took the name “Pharisee” probably during the rule of John Hyrcanus, BC 135-110. They favored a narrow religio-political policy, in distinction to the Sadducees who wished to see the Jews a nation among the Nations (Robertson, na).
If the Jews labeled themselves “conservatives” and “liberals,” it could be commonly agreed that the Pharisees were the former and the Sadducees the latter. While Jesus had no quarrel with their strict interpretation of the Law (cf. Matthew 23:3), He often rebuked their heart and attitude (Matthew 23:3-5). Simon the Pharisee apparently had no glaring, outward sin problems, but was guilty in Luke seven of some severe heart problems.
The second person is a woman of the city and a known sinner. Some have theorized that she was a prostitute, but nonetheless not likely to have been on Simon’s “A” List. She brings an alabaster vial of perfume, a long neck bottle Jewish women wore as an accessory around the neck and broken when festive occasions called for its use. Simon had invited Jesus for a meal, but she had “crashed” the party. It took a lot of courage for her to come where she was obviously not welcome.
When Jews ate their meals at dinner parties, they would have reclined on low couches. They leaned on their left arm with the head toward the table and the body stretched out away from it. They removed their sandals before taking this position. This is the way the woman would have found Jesus. Her emotions seemingly overcome her and her tears fall on His feet. She wiped His feet with her hair, which means she would have had to unbind her hair. This was a social taboo for Jewish women. By this point, one sees that she cared more about honoring Jesus than pleasing the crowd. She performs a slave’s task, tending to His feet.
After the parable, Jesus asks a remarkable question: “Do you see this woman?” Obviously, Simon knew she was there, but he did not see her properly. G. Campbell Morgan writes, “Simon could not see the woman as she then was, for looking at her as she had been.” There are a lot of Simons in the world who refuse to let those who become Christians forget what they once were (cf. 1 Pet. 4:4). Yet, the worst Simons can be in the church, refusing to let penitent, forgiven brothers and sisters forget their past.
The story ends with Jesus informing Simon that He had forgiven the woman’s sins. In Matthew 9:3, when He forgave the paralytic’s sins, the scribes thought Jesus a blasphemer. Yet, He does not gloss over the woman’s apparent immorality. He calls them her “many sins” (Luke 7:47). In this, He rebukes Simon for “loving little” and implies that He stood unforgiven.
Contrast
One owed much and one owed less.Both of them, however, are sinners and are in a greater debt than they can repay. Such has always been the case, as it is today (cf. Ecclesiastes 7:10; Romans 3:10,23; 1 John 5:19). Yet, the difference between the two debts is obvious.
One was forgiven much and one was forgiven less. The word “forgave” (Luke 7:42) is different from “forgiven” in verse forty-eight. “Forgave” (7:42) is from the same word family as the word translated “grace” throughout the New Testament. The word “forgiven” means “let go” or “release,” and when used in legal terms meant to be freed from an office, marriage, debt or obligation. The forgiveness Jesus offered was an act rather than a nebulous concept. It was a conditional gift she could enjoy eternally. She sought forgiveness, while Simon did not. She received it, but he did not.
One was humble and one was proud. Jesus praises the sinner and condemns the religious leader. Why? In a word, “Attitude.” The parable in Luke eighteen illustrates this well, verse fourteen pronouncing the sinful tax collector justified and the pompous Pharisee not justified. Jesus saw great potential in a “Big S” sinner who knew it than in a “little s” sinner who did not.
One loved much and one loved little. Jesus implies this in the parable and makes Simon explicitly admit it. The natural response of every forgiven person should be “much love” (cf. 1 John 4:19).
Conclusions
Consider some practical lessons one can glean from that parable for today.
No one is worthy of forgiveness.Both debtors in the parable did nothing to merit forgiveness. No one today is worthy (cf. Titus 3:5). To understand God’s grace, one must see himself as a sinner in need of it.
Not all sinners grasp the seriousness of their sinfulness. Simon was no less a sinner, but he acted like he was. Likewise, some of the hardest people to win to Christ are good, moral, but unsaved people (cf. Matthew 7:21-23).
No one can repay his debt.Not just the two fictional characters in the parable. Not just Simon and the woman. Everybody needs Jesus (Micah 6:7).
Sins of attitude are as deadly as sins of action. Ask the elder brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). Among the lusts of the flesh, wherein is listed murder, adultery, and fornication, one also finds outbursts of anger, disputes, and envy. Sins of attitude will keep one out of heaven as surely as will sins of action (cf. Romans 6:23).
Jesus freely forgives those who seek it.That is the good news and bottom line of this parable. Jesus’ forgiveness is available to everyone (Titus 2:11; 1 Timothy 2:6). Yet, one must seek it like the sinful woman did!
Which New Testament disciple do you most relate to? What aspect of Peter’s life resonates most with you?
Carl Pollard
I want to be bold, but sometimes I’m afraid. Big decisions can be intimidating. I aspire to be committed, yet I often back down even when I know I shouldn’t. I want to please people, but at times I let them down. Occasionally, I fail God. That is why Peter deeply resonates with me.
Many people relate to Peter because, as humans, we constantly fall short. However, scripture provides us with examples to reflect upon, and there is no better example than Peter. He faced failures, yet he grew from them.
Eugene Peterson once said, “Among the apostles, the one absolutely stunning success was Judas, and the one thoroughly groveling failure was Peter. Judas was a success in the ways that most impress us: he was successful both financially and politically. He cleverly arranged to control the money of the apostolic band and skillfully manipulated the political forces of the day to accomplish his goals. In contrast, Peter was a failure in ways that we most dread: he was impotent in a crisis and socially inept. At the arrest of Jesus, he collapsed—a hapless, blustering coward. In the most critical situations of his life with Jesus, such as the confession on the road to Caesarea Philippi and the vision on the Mount of Transfiguration, he often said embarrassingly inappropriate things. He was not the companion we would want in times of danger nor the person we would feel comfortable with at a social gathering. Yet time has reversed our judgments on the two men. Judas is now a byword for betrayal, while Peter is one of the most honored names in the Church and the world. Judas is a villain, and Peter is a saint. However, the world continues to chase after the successes of Judas—financial wealth and political power—while defending itself against the failures of Peter—impotence and ineptness” (quoted in Tim Kimmel, Little House on the Freeway, 191-192).
When we examine Peter, we see a committed follower of Christ. Though he stumbled often, he remained dedicated to Jesus. He abandoned his home and career to follow Him, making his life a full-time service to Christ. Many Christians today attempt to separate their spiritual lives from their “real” lives, often settling for just a piece of Jesus. In contrast, Peter desired for Christ to be his entire life.
In John 13:6-9, we read: “So He came to Simon Peter. He said to him, ‘Lord, do You wash my feet?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Never shall You wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.’ Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.’”
Peter longed for his life to be filled with Christ. Pliny the Elder, a Roman writer from the same era as Jesus, recounted a story about the erection of an obelisk that would stand 99 feet tall. Twenty thousand workers were chosen to pull on the ropes and activate the hoisting apparatus. The operation was fraught with responsibility and risk; one mistake could cause the obelisk to fall, ruining years of effort. The King demanded that the engineer focus entirely on the task, so he ordered the engineer’s own son to be strapped to the apex of the obelisk, ensuring that both his heart and mind were committed to the task.
On an even larger scale, our commitment to Christ affects thousands, perhaps even millions of people. Their souls are in the balance, and a half-hearted Christian walk does not honor that responsibility. How do we feel about Christ? Do we merely want a piece of Him on Sundays, or do we desire for Him to be immersed in every aspect of our lives?
“It is not what men eat but what they digest that makes them strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; not what we preach but what we practice that makes us Christians.”
Peter was far from a shallow disciple; he genuinely sought Christ in his life. As he said, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You” (Mark 10:28).
Recently, I asked a man about how he and his family got to be so active and faithful in their service to Christ. He said that at one time they were those members who came to church services, spoke to a few people, then left. Attendance was sporadic and they were convinced that they did not know how to elbow their way into the various works going on.
He explained how that changed for them. As their kids got older, they made themselves go to every service regularly, to every church event that was announced, and even took time off to go to Bible camp. He and his wife both started teaching and saying yes to doing things, no matter what. This was intentional. They were not happy just being those people sitting in the pews watching things happen.
At some point, he explained, people started noticing and asked them to do more. The elders started asking them to take on more. Other Christians encouraged them in different ways. Now, being busy is who they are. They could not go back and be happy, just sitting there waiting and not doing anything. Their formula was profoundly simple. Be present and available.
Church leaders have a definite responsibility to equip “the saints for the work of service” (Eph. 4:11-12). The word equipped there means ” to make fully ready” (Zodhiates, WSNTDICT, np). Elders, with the help of preachers and other members, provide ministries and works to accomplish the overall work of the church. Through various ways, they enlist the help of members to get it done. They communicate and even train.
So, what are the saints’ responsibility? Ephesians 4:16 says each individual part must be in “proper working” order. That starts by being present and available, volunteering, and saying yes to things. This family has really drawn a roadmap to involvement. Or, at least they are doing a great job of following God’s inspired roadmap. Let’s be like the very first Christians, who “were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). Such a condition is so often contagious!
In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Paul reminds his readers that, though we live in the world, we don’t fight the same way the world fights; instead, he says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God…”
In that spirit, I want to share an argument that I’ve come across somewhat recently that argues against God, and how to counter it.
The argument goes as follows: First, God knows all things; therefore, He knows what He can say or do that would convince any particular person to believe in Him. Second, God can do all things; therefore, He is able to do whatever would convince any particular person to believe in Him no matter how hard it may seem by human standards. Finally, God has stated in the Bible that He wants “all men to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). However, not everyone believes in God; therefore, He either doesn’t know what can convince someone, can’t do what would convince someone, or is lying about His desire for everyone to come to the knowledge of the truth.
At first, it can seem like a strong argument, but there are cracks in its façade. First, it’s true that God does know all things. In fact, He knows more about people than they know about themselves. Richard Dawkins used to say that he would only be convinced that God was real if he ever heard that trumpet call and saw Jesus coming down from heaven with the angels and the resurrected saints on the Day of Judgment. Nowadays, he says that even if he saw that, he would assume he was hallucinating. I saw another prominent atheist, when asked if there were any evidence that could convince him of God’s reality, ultimately responded that even if he were to see the stars in the sky move and arrange themselves to spell out “Believe in me, John,” that he would more likely believe that aliens were messing with him. There are some people who will refuse to believe no matter what evidence is presented, and in those cases, God will allow people who don’t love the truth to exchange it for a lie (Romans 1:25).
Furthermore, God is interested in something far deeper than some mere mental assent. He doesn’t want people to simply believe that He exists or even believe that He is powerful or even good and just leave it at that. Adam and Eve believed that God exists and must have been convinced of His power (He had made the world) and even His goodness (He had given them everything), but did that stop them from sinning? Cain talked with God, but still murdered his brother. The Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai were convinced of God’s existence and power, but they still made a golden calf to stand in for the Lord of heaven and earth (and that against His express command). Even the demons believe in God as James tells us, but God wants more than our acknowledgment. He wants our love and He wants our faith. And He deserves it, too!
Because the second point is that God can do all things, and He has done the unimaginable just to prove how much He really loves us. He became flesh and blood. The infinite God wrapped up in a finite, mortal shell. I can’t understand any better than I could understand turning myself into an ant. And then to sacrifice Himself to save us from our own sins!
The people who demand that God prove His existence to them in some miraculous way are arrogant. It reminds me of the Pharisees who, after Jesus had done numerous miracles, still asked for a sign. God wants everyone to come to the knowledge of the truth, and He has done everything necessary to show that. The ball is now, so to speak, in your court.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 says, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
How many tools do you use during the day? I own several toolboxes and each one of them contain different tools for different jobs. Sometimes we limit our understanding of tools as those we would find in a toolbox. God’s toolbox (church) contains far more tools than what can be contained in a single toolbox.
When you say tools, most people think hammer, screwdriver, and tape measure. What about the tools in the kitchen? The whisk, measuring cup, and mixing bowl. Or the tools on your desk, pen, paper, and a stapler.
God has many different tools in His toolbox. Each one is special and has a special purpose. You wouldn’t use a whisk to hammer a nail, but in the kitchen the whisk can be very useful. Most of us expect to find a hammer, screwdriver, or wrenches in a toolbox. We do the same thing when it comes to God’s toolbox, we expect him to use the elders, deacons, preachers, or the Sunday school teachers.
God wants to use each and everyone of us. God created us unique and different. He wants us to use our gifts for him.
Think about the tools you use each day and how they could be used by God in your hands. For example, a hammer could be used as part of a missionary trip to help build or rebuild housing for those in need. A pen could be used to write an uplifting note to someone who needs encouragement.
Now think about other tools, gifts, or abilities God has given you that can be used for His glory. Maybe it’s the ability to lead singing, teach a class, or maybe it’s the ability to help someone in need.
Now hold your Bible in your hands. This is the most powerful tool that God has given us, and we need to make sure it’s in our toolbox for everyday life. The passage in 1 Corinthians 12 talks about different gifts, different services, and different activities. Someone may have the same gift like teaching, but one may be better suited for teaching in a closed one on one setting, where the other may be better at teaching a class room of people, others may be more suited to teach by writing articles or doing on-line Bible lessons.
God has created us uniquely with our own personalities, experiences, knowledge, and abilities. He has also placed us in unique situations where we have our own area of influence. We each know and can reach people for God, that others may not know or who can’t relate to.
For the past 3 or 4 years Harold Nicks, Jim Fuqua, Bob Raby & I have been playing golf most every week. During that time, there’s been no bad language, no nasty jokes and a minimal amount of gossiping. Occasionally, as my golfing partners advance in age, some health issues arise. Shoulder pain, knees going out or a pulled hammie. Then they have to go on the injured reserve list. No problem because we go straight to the bench and in comes Elder Jim Humphries to take his place. Still, there’s no bad language, no dirty jokes and a minimal amount of cheating.
Last Friday Jim and I were playing at Paul Walker and around the 6th hole noticed a couple of older men behind us and asked if they cared to join us. They agreed and one of them hit his ball in the woods and then into the creek. A few choice words followed. Then on the next hole he hit a window in a house and then more words followed, some of which Elder Jim had not heard since his Army days back in the ’60’s.
Jim and I were talking later how nice it was to be able to play weekly with a group of brothers that chose not to behave that way, even when the ball doesn’t always go where we want it to go and that we appreciate the fellowship of our brothers in Christ.
Fellowship with our Brothers and Sisters in Christ encourages and uplifts one another to be more Christ like and has a great influence on those around us, whether it be the Crew on Grub Night, the Young at Heart Ladies, or Tuesday’s Ladies Bible Class at Kathy’s, to maintain our spiritual growth.
Remember these words:
1 Corinthians 1:9: You were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 John 1:3: That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us.
It’s not hard in today’s world to find things that discourage us. There are plenty of things that can bring us down. At times it really does feel like wherever we go, whatever we do, or say, there is something ready to discourage us. Unfortunately, people can be those roadblocks as well. That’s far from what we as Christians are called to do.
It was important in the days of the early church to encourage one another. So important that God commands it. It was important to God then – its important now. Thankfully we have blessings such as the church and our church family to help us through those discouraging times. How do we go about finding ways to encourage each other? Is it the way we speak or how we live, or is it in our faith? Is it all the above? The fellowship we have with our friends, our family, along with worshipping and singing praises, and studying God’s Word are just a few. These are blessings that we receive when we meet together no doubt, but let’s not contain our encouragements just to the assembly. Our everyday lives are just as important and those around us everywhere need to feel encouraged regularly. I just want to share briefly a few examples of what the Bible says about encouraging others and ways we can do just that.
Encouraging others is important, it’s necessary, it’s a command. Paul was one, if not the, most influential apostles of the first century church. He was a great teacher, preacher, mentor, and guess what? He was great at encouraging people. At the beginning of most of his letters he would begin with words of praise and thanks. (1 Thess. 1:2-3,) (Phil. 1:3-8,) (1 Cor. 1:4-5) are a few examples. In (Romans 1:12) Paul writes that he longs to be with them so that they can encourage one another in the faith. These types of encouragements were part of his everyday life.
We can’t discuss encouragement without mentioning Barnabas, the “son of encouragement.” He is mentioned several times in the New Testament, but he wasn’t a main character like Paul – he played a smaller, but still very important role. Paul spent his early life persecuting Christians. The people of the first churches, as well as the disciples feared this man, and rightfully so. After he became a Christian, the disciples didn’t believe he was one of them, so what did Barnabas do? He encouraged Paul by standing up for him in Jerusalem (Acts 9:26-31). He was a fellow missionary with Paul, Mark, Titus, and others. He encouraged those in Antioch to remain faithful in the Lord with steadfast purpose, (Acts 11:23.) Paul and Barnabas visited these churches, they taught, and they lived out their teachings. They encouraged them in their works and through their faith. They instilled hope, strengthening the church’s faith. (1Thessalonians 5:11) – Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. We can all benefit from their examples.
Let’s face it, life is hard at times. Certain situations bring us discouragement and can distort and change our thinking. Who wouldn’t want to be encouraged and uplifted in these hard times? It might not seem like a big deal to some, but kind words of encouragement and praise could make all the difference in the world. (Proverbs 16:24) – Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. (Proverbs 12:25) -Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. We shouldn’t be surprised that little things like sending a card or giving a compliment, sending a text message, phone call or email, could make a big difference. How underrated but so appreciated those things can be! It’s hard not to smile and be filled with some kind of encouragement if someone messages you to say they’ve missed you, and been thinking about you, been praying for you. Check in on those you haven’t seen recently – Invite someone new to dinner – someone not typically in your crowd or someone new to the church. Practice hospitality as it says in (Romans 12:13.) Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor, (Romans 12:10.)
When we encourage people we show our love, compassion, understanding, and we give them hope. It helps reset our minds, builds our confidence in each other, and allows us to see God more clearly. More than anything we are showing others how we live our faith just as Paul and Barnabas did. We show we want to be like Christ and people can see God through our actions towards them. Encouragement is powerful! Just remember that sometimes the smallest things can have the biggest impacts.
Studies have shown that the average person thinks about four times faster than they talk. This can be a blessing, or a curse. Chances are, when it comes to listening to others, you may struggle to pay attention.
Research suggests that in a single day, you will hear around 20-30,000 words. But of those 30,000 words, you will only remember about 17 percent. Let me illustrate. Last week my sermon was 2,779 words. The chances of someone remembering what it was about are slim. I’d be blown away if they could tell me 15 percent of what I said!
With all the words we hear in a day, we get to decide what we will remember, and what we will let in one ear and out the other. The power of listening, what problems could be solved if we put our focus on listening to those around us. Most people listen to respond, rather than be an objective listener. Have you ever heard of effective listening? This is a skill that takes practice and effort to achieve. A person that hasn’t worked to develop good listening skills is likely to understand and retain only about 50 percent of any conversation, and that is immediately after the conversation. 48 hours later, average retention drops to less than 25 percent.
Here’s the difference, I know you can think of conversations you’ve had with your spouse, children, or a friend. Maybe it was last month, last year, or 10 years ago, but you still remember every word. Why is that? Because you were being an effective listener in that moment. Whether it was good news, or bad news, you remember because you were truly listening. Most of our conversations fly by and we are on auto pilot, or trying to make conversation, or preoccupied.
The Power of Listening.
Our relationships would be so healthy if we practiced good listening to those we love. Healthy relationships are built on communication, and a vital part of good communication is listening. You get the point, but I hope you are listening when I say this…It is no different with God. We’ve got to tune out the distractions, and listen to our God. Satan would love nothing more than for you to tune out God.
He would love for your life to be so busy and hectic that you fail to remember your Father above. The words around us shape who we become. Studies have shown, 85 percent of what you know and who you are as a human being comes directly from the words of your parents, teachers, spouses, and friends.
Don’t leave God’s Word out of that equation.
Let His words transform and shape you. But in order for this to happen, we’ve GOT to listen! Imagine being in a noisy room, filled with the sounds of laughter, talking, music, and glasses clinking. And above the noise you hear the sound of a familiar voice calling your name. They’re trying to tell you something, so what do you do? You tune everything out, and focus in on their voice.
We live in a noisy world, and it is a world that God is trying to call us out of. The only way you’ll hear Him is if you tune out the distractions and focus on His voice. In John 10:27, Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” How can we be called Christians if we don’t listen to our Savior? The power of listening can be seen through the fact that we found salvation through hearing the word of God! “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
Are you listening? Focus on God through the chaos, and you will find peace and joy through it all!
God created us knowing our need for socialization (Gen. 2:18). Since the making of man and woman, humanity has been in or sought community. All of us are in the global community of humanity, since “He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26). Wherever or whenever you live, you share basic needs, fears, drives, and desires no matter how different your social, economic, and political circumstances are.
But think about your more immediate community. Over the last few days, Kathy and I have been reminded of this. Last Friday morning, we received a ring notification. It was a teen girl telling us our milk cow, Peaches, was in her yard! This neighbor lived far enough away that I didn’t know who she was! I immediately followed her (without my phone) while Kathy went to grab the halter. But she didn’t know where this girl lived.
In the three hour fiasco of getting her back in our pasture, it was a cooperative effort between us and multiple neighbors. Kathy went door to door talking to our neighbors, trying to find either the girl or the cow. She and our next door neighbor, Tracy Harrell, exchanged several texts through the morning trying to find our “girl.” She walked next door to our sweet neighbor, Brenda Willoughby (whose sister is Lehman’s Gracie Norton’s dear friend), in search of Peaches. It took the help of community to resolve our “crisis.”
Later that same day, coming back from Columbia, Kentucky, Kathy and I were driving back on a back road near our house. A freak storm downed two trees on Iron Bridge Road, standing between us and returning before Kathy had to leave for our Friday night singing and my speaking at a congregation’s family retreat. Vehicles began to pile up and several of us got out of our vehicles as a couple of guys with chainsaws began cutting through branches and sectioning the trees. The rest of us drug them out of the road. We moved one, then the other. Working right next to me at both trees, ironically, was Tracy’s husband, David. We were neighbors not only in a literal sense, but in the sense of cooperating to resolve a “crisis.”
God has created the church as the ultimate community. He conceived it from eternity (Eph. 3:9-11). He knew not only that He would be glorified in it (Eph. 3:21), but that we would benefit from the support, help, and strength found in it. This community is also described as a family (1 Tim. 3:15; 5:1-2). Think about how we lean on our physical families as a community, where we share, lift loads, intervene, and more. In the church, there are times when I am strong and you are weak. God tells me to bear your burdens (Gal. 6:2). Other times, I may be the one who is weak and needs your strength (Gal. 6:1). Many crises, physically, economically, socially, and spiritually, plague our wonderful spiritual community. The proper response is to rally around each other, showing our love and care by pitching in to help resolve whatever crisis arises.
Thank God that He gave us the best social network we could have to survive the challenges of this world. Tragically, some turn to politics, sports, and similar communities what God designed to supply through the community of His people. When we trust His plan, we are blessed by experiencing the beauty of the community He thought up to help us make it through this world spiritually alive! May we lean on each other, whatever our “crisis.”
Community matters a lot to God. Let me tell you why. Paul writes about unity and community so much, there must be some significance. Church isn’t a place you go. It’s a body. We don’t visit church just to have personal time with God. Jesus didn’t come just so we could have a personal relationship with Him. He is building a temple, a family, a dwelling place for God (Eph. 2:22). If you read Ephesians 2:19-20, we join ourselves with the saints, apostles, prophets, and Christ Himself.
Community is hard. Maybe we don’t like the people, the church, songs, classes, preacher, or teacher. Then we disconnect. It is hard because it is mean to tie people together that normally wouldn’t get a long (Gal. 3:28). There was Matthew the tax collector and Simon the Zealot. Paul was intelligent and well-educated, and Peter was a fisherman. The point is that we find people who have experienced Jesus lukewarm us. We learn how to love.
Personally the biggest way I have grown is through difficult relationships and difficult times. We gain spiritual growth, also learning to ask for help from friends. With spiritual growth comes greater joy, peace, patience, hope, and life.
Think on this. When we keep things surface level we are robbing the body of Christ of mature believers. We cannot avoid the difficulties of community. We must learn to mature. Here are some challenges:
Challenge One: Pray for opportunities to connect with people at church or anywhere, workplace or neighborhood, that might be isolated.
Challenge Two: Invite the new person in church for coffee or food, or just write them an encouraging card. Connect with them in some way. Don’t fly see that person as a tool for the church. While we are tools and have a purpose, we are all human.
Think of the example in Mark 2:3-5. Four friends are holding on to the corners of a mat with their paralyzed friend in it. They break open the roof and lower him down. Imagine the emotional state of these friends. They had to be in some distress for their friend. Where did that lead them? Directly to the feet of Jesus. We all face the same giant of life. Hold on to one another! Lean into community!
For those who feel lonely or isolated, take a step. Be a safe place for someone else. Reach out. Be a friend. Sometimes you have to go first.
Why did Jesus die on the cross? Some say He paid the price for our sins. God loved the world. He who knew no sin was made sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21). These are very true, but He also died so that we could be unified in community.
She sits alone in an empty house, the TV her only companion, Her children grown, her husband gone, she feels deserted, abandoned. A visitor who brings a cheery smile and sits, to spend some time together. Breaks up the clouds of isolation, and brings her sunny weather.
A family is seeking for community, they step inside our door, Their faith unshaped, their search intense, they know there must be more. The experience is new, they feel uncertain, how will they be received? Warmth and connection will influence if the gospel is believed.
A teenager who lives in a virtual world, unsure and insecure, A room full of peers can’t undo their feeling lonely and unsure. Purpose and identity are still being shaped and formed, Fear and insecurity can be expelled if those peers are kind and warm.
It is not good for man to be alone, God said from the beginning, Before He made us He had a thought both wise and also winning. “The church,” He said, “will be a place where my wisdom will be known,” He paid for it with His dear Son, made a people of His own.
Within that church a fellowship, where lives are shared completely, Where hearts are touched and lives are filled so fully and so sweetly. The world’s a cold and lonely place, and life brings pain and sorrow, We need each other yesterday, today, and still tomorrow.
Everyone on earth was intentionally designed by God. This fact should help us to remember that every person we meet is an opportunity to serve someone made in the image of God.
God created us by making a deliberate choice to design us based on what He desired. Basically, who we are is no mistake. Who we are is intentional. Who we are is by design.
Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Both men and women are equally created in the image of God. Not just male, or just female; both are created in His image.
Nothing else on earth can be what we are. God intentionally designed us this way, and that means we matter to God! Men and women were created to be a reflection of the community God has had from the beginning. Complementary in function and design, equal in value, and created to create.
God could have made a fresh batch of humans each time one died. God could have made us like self reproducing amoebas. Instead, God designed humans to multiply and fill the earth. He designed us for community. There would be a lot less division if we would remember this.
Though he designed us perfectly, our decision to reject God’s path brought brokenness into this world–affecting bodies, gender relationships, and even the ability to have healthy families. But God loved the world. He desires for all people to know him because all are equally valuable in his sight.
So God sent his son into the world. Jesus was the perfect image of the invisible God. As we saw Jesus’ perfect love, we learned of God’s perfect love and nature. He died to create a family, a spiritual family made up of every age, race, and culture and a family formed into a church who is like his bride (A bride he died to save so that we could be united with Him for all eternity).
May we never forget that we are the product of intentional design. A design created by Almighty God!
Political divide in the church is not new. I’m sure, to some degree, idealogical division has existed since the church’s conception. It’s not a coincidence that Jesus chose a militant political activist and an enemy of that political activist to be among his apostles. He expected them to set aside their differences in favor of a truth that transcended anything earth-based.
We understand this intellectually, but it’s hard for most of us to see how that’s relevant when American political issues are so different from first century issues. Most of us think (rightly so in many cases) that the intrinsic differences between conservatives and progressives are moral rather than merely ideological. How could anyone claiming to be a Christian vote for a leftist politician when theirs is the party of abortion, hedonism, and (which is ironic and paradoxical) restrictions on fundamental freedoms?
Conservative values do intersect with Judeo-Christian morals far more than progressive ones. But our values can (and have — I’ve witnessed it myself many times) cause us to ignore or blatantly violate scriptural principles. Are we ugly to people who’ve been deceived, or who tell themselves that they’re voting on an issue-by-issue basis? Do we love our enemies and pray for them? Have we determined that — even in matters not covered in scripture — we will defy governing authorities that God put in place? Do we elevate certain political or ideological figures to deity by how we perceive them? The number of conservative Christians who have conflated faith with flag is staggering. More than a couple of times, I’ve heard a Christian say something to the effect of, “God expects me to fight for my faith and my family.” Where is that even implicitly taught in scripture?
But this is not new. The overwhelming majority of Americans before (and during and after) the Civil War were reliable church-attendees.1 Brother excluded brother on the basis of ideology and ethnicity.2 I’ve preached at some old churches whose ancestral members (during the Civil War) brought their rifles to church so that they could fight their fellow countrymen after services. The odds of a believer leaving worship to slaughter a believer on the other side were quite high.
This year has been tense, to grossly understate reality. We are divided over legitimate issues of national identity and security, individual freedoms, and behavioral regulation. Christians all over the country wait with bated breath to see if the “right” political figures are installed in the next election. To conservatives and progressives alike, this is seen as a fundamentally existential election. The future of our country depends on it!
This may be true. We do live here, and we have legitimate concerns about our future and about the sanity of our culture. But many American Christians put the principles of their supposed faith in the back seat once before — at the cost of 620,000 lives (equivalent to roughly 7,000,000 Americans today by percentage of population3).
Don’t read, “Gary doesn’t think these issues are important,” or, “He doesn’t understand how bad things have gotten.” I’m far more plugged in to these issues than I should be as a die-hard conservative who professes belief in Jesus. We’ve gotten to the point, though, that we can’t have both: it’s time to choose.
Are we Christians, or are we conservative Americans? Or even progressive Americans? Don’t fall into the trap of conflating faith with flag, or faith with political issue(s)! This planet is not our home. We are not American Christians. We are Christians who happen to live in the United States! Our view of people is supposed to be colored by how Jesus would treat them — not by how friendly or hostile they are to our Constitution or Bill of Rights or natural laws! God expected his people to show patience, love, humility, and altruistic care to godless, hedonistic, depraved people who illegally put them to death (cf. Mt 5.44; I Pt 2.12-14, 3.9, 3.15, 4.7; Rom 12.14, 12.17-19).
We could legitimately say that our political opponents are, in every sense of the word, enemies. Existential, moral, ideological enemies. Do we love them? Do we pray for them? Are we kind to them? Do we bless them? Would we turn the other cheek? Do we want, more than anything, to see them saved on the last day? We do not have a monopoly on salvation — in fact, Jesus will determine who leaves with him and who stays behind by how we treat each other (cf. Mt 25.32ff). No “Christian” who fails to live by Jesus’s principles of godly love will be saved on the last day (Hb 12.14).
“Try to live in peace with everyone. And try to keep your lives free from sin. Anyone whose life is not holy will never see the master. … You have come to the meeting of God’s firstborn children. Their names are written in the heavens. You have come to God, the judge of all people. And you have come to the spirits of good people who have been made perfect. You have come to Jesus — the one who brought the new agreement from God to his people. You have come to the sprinkled blood that tells us about better things than the blood of Abel. Be careful and don’t refuse to listen when God speaks. Those people [the Israelites] refused to listen to him when he warned them on earth [not to touch the holy mountain]. They did not escape. Now God is speaking from the heavens. So now it will be worse for those who refuse to listen to him. When he spoke before, his voice shook the earth. But now he has promised, ‘Once again I will shake the earth, but I will also shake the sky.’ The words ‘once again’ clearly show us that everything that was created will be destroyed — that is, the things that can be shaken. And only what cannot be shaken will remain. So we should be thankful because we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And because we are thankful, we should worship God in a way that will please him. We should do this with respect and fear, because our God is like a fire that can destroy us” (Hb. 12:14,22-29).
Every normally functioning person is acutely aware of something wrong within them. Most people subconsciously or consciously understand that they’re horribly wrong somehow. Historically we’ve tried to fix this in different ways. The Pharisees and Sadducees are two archetypal mentalities among religious people — one extreme goes to the right and mandates excessive behavioral restrictions in an attempt to earn God’s favor through what is not far from asceticism. The other side says, “What’s the point in dwelling on it?” and mostly ignore the problem.
The problem with both groups is that they cannot control their bodies’ enslavement to sin. Paul warns against the legalist and traditionalist by saying, “These rules may seem to be wise as part of a made-up religion in which people pretend to be humble and punish their bodies. But they don’t help people stop doing the evil that the sinful self wants to do” (Col 2.23). He warns against those who show no self restraint when he said, “So do you think we should keep sinning so that God will give us more and more grace? Of course not!” (Rom 6.1).
Right now reality is enslaved to death. Death is still a thing because sin is still a thing. Death was not a part of earth’s reality until sin was. Sin introduced death to earth, and it hasn’t left us since. Sin is a proof that we will die — everyone carries that proof because everyone is going to die at some point.
We carry a different proof with us, though. We still have the proof of sin because we’re all still going to die (Hb 9.27). But we also carry proof of immortality. Paul makes it very clear in I Corinthians 15 that our death is no different from a seed being planted. It is planted as one thing, it comes back to life as something much more impressive. So death is imminent for each person because of sin, but our death brings us life! Just like sin is transcendent proof of imminent death, grace is transcendent proof of imminent immortality!
We remind ourselves that chapter breaks are an artificial addition inserted many centuries after the Bible books were written. This chapter is a prime example. Paul is drawing a conclusion in verse one based on what he’s said in 5:16-21. As God “appealed” to the Corinthians through Paul and Timothy (5:20), Paul makes an “appeal” to them not to receive God’s grace in vain (1)–another way of expressing the reconciliation process Paul has just detailed in the last several verses. As the messengers of this reconciliation and grace, Paul again sets out to defend their work and their motives.
He asserts, “We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry” (3). We don’t know all the reasons why their ministry faced fault-finders, but most who actively serve the Lord will have plenty of detractors. Paul’s opponents resorted to some pretty nitpicking and petty criticisms (see 10:10). I have had the displeasure of hearing elders, deacons, other preachers, and church workers come under fire from self-appointed spiritual analysts, and it usually tells me more about the critic than the criticized. But how much good work has been unfairly tainted by hypercritical people? Moved by the Holy Spirit, Paul goes to the trouble to counter these unnamed “analysts.”
THEY WERE EARNEST IN THEIR APPEAL (1-2)
Seeing themselves as God’s ambassadors (5:20), they urged the Corinthians not to throw away the great gift of salvation they had received (1). He quotes Isaiah 49:3, where Isaiah also feels like his words were falling on deaf ears and he himself was rejected (49:1-6), to remind them of how precious this salvation is (2). Paul is affirming that they were engaged in ministry to help the Corinthians successfully cross the spiritual finish line. It was urgent! They cared about them.
THEY WERE MINDFUL OF THEIR INFLUENCE (3-9)
In no other letter does Paul so specifically and so frequently refer to the price he paid for serving Christ (see also 4:8ff; 11:23ff; 12:10). He was mindful of not just his exhortation, but just as much his example. So they commend themselves “in every way” (4): he lists ten difficulties (4-5), nine spiritual attributes (6-7), and eight contrasting situations (8-10). They put their work and their character under the microscope, asking the Corinthians to consider their faithful discharge of their divine duty. They understood that souls and eternal destinies were at stake, so they pursued their work with great carefulness. We do well to be mindful of our example and our efforts to win people to Christ and help them mature in Him, too!
THEY WERE GENUINE IN THEIR AFFECTION (11-13)
Paul was moved by more than his duty to God. He unashamedly declares his affection for these Christians. While he felt they had not always reciprocated his affections, he humbled himself to ask that they open their hearts as wide to him and he and his coworkers had to them.
More times than I can count, I have seen elders serve from sincere motives, spending hours and expending emotion, to help a struggling brother or sister only to have these men’s love and motives unfairly questioned. The same is true of other, hardworking Christians. Our job is to strive to live above reproach knowing we will be unfairly criticized. It is also important for the critic to take personal inventory, asking if they have considered the spiritual consequences of their maligning. When we all decide to pull together and work for the same important goals, so much more gets accomplished! If you’ve faced unfair criticism, remember that God has a perfect record of your deeds. Even if others misunderstand, God doesn’t!
What is hate? In the New Testament, hate is μισεω (miseo) and has a few definitions. According to one of the best Greek-English lexicons out there, it can mean “anything from ‘disfavor’ to ‘detest’ depending on its context” (BDAG, μισεω). In other words, it doesn’t necessarily have to mean complete detestation.
“Hate” is kind of a loaded word today. It’s been hijacked by activists seeking to condone depravity. It’s been a little watered-down as a result.
Any rational person would understand if we hated someone for good reason. Our justice system has divided homicide into categories at least partially for that reason. They’re all wrong, but some forms of hatred are more understandable than others.
That’s human thinking. The short version is that it is always wrong to hate anyone for any reason (Mt 5.43ff). What about terrorists who target civilians and use them as human shields? They are our enemies. What are we supposed to do for our enemies? Love them, pray for them (5.44). God brings justice on his terms. A soldier fighting these groups may well be that instrument of justice (cf. Rom 13.4). But most of us aren’t soldiers. That’s just an example, so apply this (minus the soldier part) to illegal immigrants, to the sexually depraved indoctrinating our children in public education, to the Federal managerial state destroying our country, and to any other group/movement/individual we might hate because of their behavior and worldview.
It can be extremely difficult to do (speaking from personal experience here), but God demands perfection in this context — we have to love our enemies, we have to pray for our enemies. We don’t usually select random people as targets of our hatred. We usually have good cause! That doesn’t excuse a poor view of even the worst of people. God will deal with them, our job is to love and pray for them.
Finally, our church family is never, ever, ever a place for hatred. Hatred (μισεω, BDAG) means “having a strong aversion to” or “to disfavor” (instead of giving preferential treatment). We’ll end by letting God speak for himself:
“We know that we have left death and have come into life. We know this because we love each other. Anyone who does not love is still in death. Anyone who hates a fellow believeris a murderer. And you know that no murderer has eternal life” (I Jn 3.14-15).
Juliet’s poignant line, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, delves into the profound influence of names on identity and perception. This metaphor underscores that a name does not define the essence of a thing or person. In the play’s context, Juliet ponders over Romeo’s last name, Montague, associated with her family’s rival house. She asserts that his true self would remain unchanged even if Romeo had a different name. This argument posits that a name is merely a label without impacting a person’s or thing’s inherent qualities or worth.
Lawmakers in Maryland are proposing a solution to an environmental problem by changing the name of an invasive fish species known for damaging the local ecosystem. The snakehead fish, currently unpopular as a food source, could become more attractive to consumers if given a more appealing name. This example raises interesting questions about the power of names and labels in shaping our perceptions. The lawmakers suggest renaming the fish “Chesapeake Channa” to emphasize its connection to the Chesapeake waters where it currently resides. The aim is to rebrand the invasive species and replace its negative connotations with a more positive image. Given that snakeheads taste delicious, Maryland’s campaign may prove successful. This case illustrates how a simple name change can significantly alter our perception of an object, in this case, a fish.
Juliet’s perspective that a name is a label with no influence on the intrinsic qualities of an object is worth considering. It suggests that intrinsic attributes hold more significance than the names or labels we assign. This viewpoint allows for tactics like renaming a fish to enhance its appeal. However, what if a person or thing’s name reflects their identity and purpose? In such cases, it would be unwise to alter the name. This rose must remain a rose. This caution underscores the responsibility we bear when considering such changes.
Peter reminds us that a name holds significant meaning. In 1 Peter 4.16, he implies that if someone faces persecution, it should be solely because of their faith. For instance, if authorities punish a person for stealing, it does not count as persecution. Those to whom God has given the correction’s instrument should treat the offender lawfully, as mentioned in Romans 13. So Peter says, “But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name” (1 Peter 4.16 NASB95). Though it appears only three times in the New Testament, the term “Christian” came to describe a community of believers who followed Jesus Christ’s teachings and distinguished themselves from Jews and pagans. It is the new name God promised through His prophet, Isaiah (Isaiah 62.2).
As followers of Christ, it is crucial to identify ourselves as Christians. While being “spiritual” or “a believer” is not wrong, it does not define our identity as followers of Christ. To be faithful, we must fully embrace the responsibility that comes with the name “Christian.” This commitment involves living a life consistent with Jesus Christ’s teachings and values, actively following in His footsteps, being a part of a Christian community, and demonstrating love, compassion, and forgiveness in all aspects of our lives. Avoiding “Christian” may indicate a reluctance to accept the associated responsibility and accountability. By embracing our Christian identity, we respond to the call to serve as Jesus’ hands and feet.
In the end, while names and labels can sometimes be arbitrary or misleading, there are cases where a name carries deep significance and meaning, intricately tied to identity and purpose. Just as Juliet recognized that Romeo’s value transcended his surname, and Peter emphasized the importance of embracing the Christian name, we must carefully consider when a name represents something core that should not be rebranded or obscured. A name like “Christian” is not just a label but a calling to embody the teachings of Christ through words and actions. So, while changing names can sometimes be helpful, we must also respect when a name holds profound meaning that should be upheld rather than discarded for pragmatic purposes. Distinguishing between these situations requires wisdom and care.
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