It is fitting to celebrate the birth of Jesus…

Faithful Stewardship 2 Comments

ImageLuke 2:8-14 (NASB)
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

Clearly this event did not take place in the middle of winter. The Bible does not compel us to celebrate this event as a festival or a feast. We have the Passover, which served as a foreshadowing of the Christ and His sacrifice and our deliverance out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light. Nevertheless, it is good that we have a holiday that is at least in-part dedicated to honoring the gift of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  For Jesus was with God in the beginning…

John 1:1 (NASB)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14(NASB)
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

It is fitting to celebrate the birth of Jesus, just as the angels did on that wonderful night. If your celebration of Christmas is with this purpose and focus, then I have no doubt that you and your family are truly blessed. At the risk of sounding a bit trite, the birth of Savior is something we should celebrate year-round, as we live our lives joined to Him in His death and resurrection (Phil 3:7-16).

However, when I think about how mixed the messaging during this season has become, my heart aches. I’m not talking about what the world celebrates… they will always chase after their false gods, idols, deceiving spirits, and exalt themselves in humanism. That they are so lost is the reason Jesus came. We were no different than they, having been born into their sin and equal partners in their death, but by the Grace of God in the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, we have been redeemed. I’m talking about Christians… even churches… endorsing, supporting, and perpetuating the demigod of Christmas, Santa Clause. How we have allowed ourselves to become so numb to deception and idolatry is beyond me. That we invite it into our sanctuaries and our homes is worrisome.

There is only One who is all-knowing, and ever-present, and all-powerful. We don’t even grant Satan that kind of power, yet we knowingly ascribe such characteristics to a character of pure fiction. Then we tell our children that he is actually coming to the house, and we go to great lengths to present false evidence of his presence. In full knowledge of our lie and deception. For what? To get our children into the practice of putting their faith in false gods? To teach our children that we cannot be trusted with their faith? That Jesus isn’t enough for us, so we need other gods in the mix?

Proverbs 22:6 (NASB)
6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

The same holds true (doubly so, I fear) when the way we train them up is in error. My wife and I have made a conscious decision to speak truthfully to our children. We will not knowingly lie to our children. When the topic of santa comes up, and my 3 year old asks me point-blank (which has happened already), “daddy, does santa bring presents?” my answer is a quick, “no, son, he isn’t real. He’s pretend, like Micky Mouse, he isn’t real”. I will not lie to your children, nor endorse your lies. I will do what I can to simply refrain from having the discussion, as long as it is fitting that I do so. If your child asks me while we are at church or while I am in a position of authority over your child (Sunday school teacher), I will speak the truth. I am under no obligation to support you in falsehood. If my child “ruins the lie”, I will bear no remorse nor will I reprimand my child. See to it you are not found guilty of reprimanding or disciplining my children for speaking the truth; however, if they are being malicious reprimand them for that and then let me know.

Ephesians 4:17-25 (NASB)
17 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

If only santa were given no more credence than the grinch or the cat-in-the-hat, especially in Christian homes. Jack Frost and Father Winter (Old Man Winter) are other false gods that pop up in our “carols” and seasonal stories/traditions. The limitations of our English create an odd grey area around “the Christmas Spirit”… if it’s merely a mood, fine, but once it is given a persona, not good. The only spirit we engage in/with is the Holy Spirit which was sent to us by Jesus after He ascended into Heaven.

Whenever I bring this topic up, there is usually an appeal to the other extreme where the entirety of Christmas should be rejected and avoided. Sometimes it is merely a hyperbolic counter-assertion set up as a straw-man to dismiss the fundamental appeal I am making (that we lay aside falsehood), and at other times it is a sincere desire to make sure we are only celebrating what is acceptable in the Word (such as limiting ourselves to only the festivals ordained in Leviticus 23). While I see problem with limiting oneself to Levitical festivals, I also don’t agree that Christians are banned from celebrating the birth of Jesus, what we now call Christmas.  I do not think less of any Christian who, even after hearing/reading my views on this matter, lack the faith to walk away from santa or the other non-biblical traditions. If ever I am tempted to do so, I am reminded that my living, breathing, and very being is the result of divine Grace, not of my own merit. I am also reminded that we will each be made accountable to God. I think Paul put it best in his letter to the Romans:

Romans 14 (NASB)
14 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. 2 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. 3 The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. 7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; 8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

What we are commanded to do in the Scriptures, we must do. Everything else should be covered in Grace, Unity, and Liberty. I pray the Lord Bless you and your family this Christmas Season. May we all join the angels in their praise of the Savior, “Glory to God in the Highest!…”

In Him,
FS

In this world you will have trouble…

Faithful Stewardship 3 Comments

trialsWe are currently living in some stressful times. Even if you are blessed by  not being subjected to mainstream “news” media, you’ve undoubtedly heard from friends and family who are concerned about their lives and livelihood in the next several years. As Christians, we have been given the keys to life and living that we can use to reach the lost and the hurting. Unfortunately, there is a lot of false doctrine out there. Perhaps the most damaging, is the idea that if you just have enough faith (and do certain things in that faith) that you will be free from trials, tribulation, persecution, hunger, thirst, and every other imaginable hardship. That is not in keeping with the teaching given to us in the New Testament. Yes, God loves us, and has promised to meet our every need. We serve a sovereign God… He is Lord over everything. Nothing happens that He does not allow to happen. Lets begin with some references from the Gospels:

John 16:3 (NIV)
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Jesus stated very plainly that in this world we will have trouble. He is preparing His disciples for what was about to come, and His encouragement wasn’t “but if you have faith, you will be exempted from troubles”… it was “But take heart! I have overcome the world”. But why? Why allow us to face troubles? If God is sovereign, why not simply exempt His faithful followers? Let’s take a look at Peter, one of his star pupils.

Luke 22:31-32 (NIV)
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Indeed, we see that we serve a Sovereign God. But there is a reason why God allows the trials to come. Do you know why wheat needs to be sifted? Because not all of it is fitting for consumption. If you don’t sift the wheat, you’ll end up introducing impurities into the food. Notice Jesus’s prayer on Simon’s behalf… “that your faith may not fail”. You see, faith isn’t designed to grant you the power to avoid trouble, its purpose is to sustain you in Him through the trials. These are general truths. In each of our lives, God also has specific goals and purposes in mind for our individual struggles. In this case, He wanted Simon to endure the trial, and when he had recovered from it, he was to strengthen his brothers. God continues to work through His Church in this same fashion. When we go through trials and struggles, God sustains us through it all so that we might give Him praise and thanks and that we might strengthen our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Without taking away a single letter of the Law or of the many promises of God for His Love, Mercy, Provision, and desire to answer prayer, I want to present several examples throughout the new testament of the reality of trials, tribulations, and hardships that we Christians should expect until the day of Christ’s return, or until God the Father has appointed each of us to leave this world. The Apostle Paul included this truth in many of his letters to the churches:

2 Corinthians 7:8-11 (NASB)

8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us inAsia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; 9indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; 10 who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, 11 you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.

And this was on a “missions trip” so to speak. This was not an isolated trial or event; rather, it became a way of life for Paul, something he learned to take joy in.

Colossians 1:24 (NASB)
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

Paul often wrote of how we are to identify with Christ in His death, resurrection, and ascension. He also recognized that while we walk this earth in our fleshly bodies, we are to share in Christ’s afflictions, for the Church is the Body of Christ, with Christ as the Head of the body (1 Cor 12). Just as Christ endured trials, suffering, and afflictions in obedience to God the Father, how much more so should we endure for His Name sake? But it is a point of rejoicing for Paul. And he was not alone in this view/mindset.

James 1: 2-4 (NASB)

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Again, as with Jesus’ plan for Simon (Peter), there is a purpose for the suffering/trials/tribulations. We are perfected in our faith and in our understanding of Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven through our trials. The athlete who never struggles quickly grows weak. The mind that isn’t challenged grows numb. The Christian that does not face hardship will slip into sin and fall away from the faith.

In closing, let us look at what the Apostle Peter had to say:

1 Peter 5:6-11 (NASB)
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

In Him,
FS

Related articles

I can do all things…

Faithful Stewardship 2 Comments

Praise the Lord for His traveling mercies this past Thanksgiving weekend. I will have to learn to make time to update this blog while I’m on vacation, but all in due time.

Today, I’d like to share some quick thoughts on an often quoted verse, Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (NASB). Whenever I see or hear a verse of scripture presented or quoted in an encouragement, rebuke, or as basis for an opinion I become excited that someone is turning to God’s Word for Truth. If it is a verse I have not memorized or am unfamiliar with, I search the word for it, to see what else I have missed, and to be sure that the quoted verse is indeed a verse (“cleanliness is next to Godliness” isn’t in the Scriptures).

That is not to say that there aren’t some strong warning signs that flash. A surefire way to furrow my brow is to present a quoted scripture in written form without its reference. In the Internet age, there simply is no excuse to not include at least the reference for the scripture. None. Google allows you to start typing out the quote and usually within the first few results it becomes clear if the phrase is an idiom or a Scripture verse, and normally you can see the reference of the verse without following a single link. Additionally, if the quoted text is a single phrase or partial sentence, I hesitate. Why? Because I worry about the verse being used out of context. If the context is solid, and the audience is well versed, then a simple line or a partial quote is more than enough to bring the passage of scripture into the remembrance of audience and everyone walks away blessed. However, in a mixed audience, there can be room for error.

Now, getting back to Phil 4:13, it is a commonly quoted verse of scripture that has provided me with comfort and encouragement over the years. Even now, in my present-day struggles, I lean on this verse. Let us look at the verse in context:

Philippians 4:4-14 (NASB)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 14 Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.

Paul is saying a lot in this chapter. We are commanded to Rejoice in the Lord always. We are given guidelines for what we should be focused on and meditated on.  I probably provided more than was needed, but I really wanted to show the slight topic shift. After presenting the commandment for us to rejoice in the Lord, Paul now moves to his rejoicing in being remembered in his affliction. Verse 11 is when it really gets heavy… Paul has already learned how to accept God’s provision regardless of circumstance. Here he simply explained that he has learned to get along “with humble means” or “poverty” and how to live in prosperity. The secret of being filled and going hungry… in abundance and in suffering need. That secret is in knowing that I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. What a blessing to be given such profound wisdom and encouragement!

Unfortunately, this verse is often misquoted. A key phrase within the verse is “through Him”. I’ve heard this verse used in a way that conveys more of a “I can do all things because Christ strengthens me to do everything”. Do you see what is missing? There is a limitation to the “all things” that can be done… they must be done “through Him” or “in Him”. We cannot simply go through life being our own bosses and expect Jesus to serve as our hired muscle. That isn’t how the scriptures read and it is not the example Paul led for us. Even Jesus deferred to the Will of God the Father, and Jesus is God. But He demonstrated how we are to live our lives in Him and through Him. More subtly, the verse is sometimes used (or received) as a pep talk implying that Jesus will fix our circumstances. Such an interpretation generally stems from ignorance of the verses immediately preceding v13.

So, what sorts of circumstances can we count on the strength of God to provide for us as we remain in Him? Lets look at a quick list Paul provided in his rebuke to the Corinthians regarding boasting. The greater context of chapter 11 is in regards to boasting and in the defense of his apostleship, but we are looking specifically for a list of the types of circumstances Paul had to endure in Christ:

2 Corinthians 11:23-33 (NASB)
23 Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 Apart from suchexternal things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?
30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, 33 and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

Wow. My circumstances are quite comfortable by comparison. Yet, the Grace of God and of His provision is as accessible to me as it was to Paul. My appreciation and maturity pales in comparison, and I submit that it is greatly due to my comparative lack of trials. I Praise God that He has blessed me and kept me from such harm thus far. This isn’t shared that we might compare ourselves to Paul; rather, it was to highlight just how awesome our God is, and what He can do with an obedient servant.

So, whenever we think wrestle with trials and struggles, anxiety and doubt… we should return to Philippians 4. Rejoicing in the Lord always, getting our minds right (“think on these things…”) and then trusting on God to strengthen us regardless of our circumstances. I pray you find this encouraging. The next time you hear/see Phil4:13 taken out of context, I pray you will share the rest of the chapter in love and humility.

In Him,
FS

A time of Thanksgiving in the U.S.

Faithful Stewardship 1 Comment

This week, the fourth week of November, we will be celebrating the American Holiday of Thanksgiving. What a wonderful time of gathering together with family and loved ones, to give thanks. Now, this is not a Biblical festival in that it cannot be found in the Bible; nevertheless, it is one that was born in the early days of North American exploration, and has its roots in the right type of soil. Let’s look at how it became an official Holiday:

Pilgrims held their second Thanksgiving celebration in 1623 to mark the end of a long drought that had threatened the year’s harvest and prompted Governor Bradford to call for a religious fast. Days of fasting and thanksgiving on an annual or occasional basis became common practice in other New England settlements as well. During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress designated one or more days of thanksgiving a year, and in 1789 George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation by the national government of the United States; in it, he called upon Americans to express their gratitude for the happy conclusion to the country’s war of independence and the successful ratification of the U.S. Constitution. His successors John Adams and James Madison also designated days of thanks during their presidencies.

In 1817, New York became the first of several states to officially adopt an annual Thanksgiving holiday; each celebrated it on a different day, however, and the American South remained largely unfamiliar with the tradition. In 1827, the noted magazine editor and prolific writer Sarah Josepha Hale—author, among countless other things, of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb”—launched a campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. For 36 years, she published numerous editorials and sent scores of letters to governors, senators, presidents and other politicians. Abraham Lincoln finally heeded her request in 1863, at the height of the Civil War, in a proclamation entreating all Americans to ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.” He scheduled Thanksgiving for the final Thursday in November, and it was celebrated on that day every year until 1939, when Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week in an attempt to spur retail sales during the Great Depression. Roosevelt’s plan, known derisively as Franksgiving, was met with passionate opposition, and in 1941 the president reluctantly signed a bill making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November. (History.com, accessed 11/25/13 emphasis mine)

The early Pilgrims came to the New World in search of land they could call their own, and a place where they were free to practice their faith, rather than be forced to observe the faith of the State. In many way, we still struggle with these 2 things here in the U.S. Only now, unlike before, the attacks are mostly on the Christian faith above all else. Why is that? Because the world hates Jesus. Am I being melodramatic or pessimistic? No. I’m simply quoting scripture:

John 15:18-27 (NASB)

18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. 25 But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

There is much that can be said (and, in fact, is being said all over social media) about the decline of American Culture, and the fact that this nation has completely lost sight of the principles of God, that is not what this holiday is about. This holiday is about giving Thanks to God for His many blessings, and for His grace and mercy that enables us to weather the storms of life in a fallen world. Don’t let the enemy rob you of your thankfulness to God, or tempt you to complain and murmur. Throughout the Bible, thanksgiving (or thankfulness) is expressed through Praise. In fact, in many cases, it is out of our thankfulness to God that we are commanded to praise Him.

Colossians 3:12-17 (NASB)

12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (emphasis mine)

We are commanded to live in a continual state of thankfulness to God. So this holiday fits well with that command. Sure there is room to slip (gluttony, strife, ungratefulness, envy, debt, etc.) but that is always there. Let us turn our hearts to God. Remember the trials He has brought you through this year. If you are currently in a struggle, perhaps now is the time for fasting and prayer… in the same way that Governor Bradford recognized the need to seek His Face. Remember the widows, the orphans, and the poor this Thanksgiving. Now is also a time to thank God for the provision that will carry us through the winter months into a new spring. If after all of this you are still finding it hard to give thanks to God… then I pray that you will soften your heart to the things of God, and repent of your bitterness, unforgiveness, and stubbornness. The Word is very clear that God disciplines those He loves (Heb12:6), and digging in your heels or stiffening your neck only makes it worse for you.

In closing, I thought it would be cool to share Psalms 9:

Psalm 9 (NASB)
A Psalm of Thanksgiving for God’s Justice.  For the choir director; on Muth-labben. A Psalm of David.

1 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.
2 I will be glad and exult in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

3 When my enemies turn back,
They stumble and perish before You.
4 For You have maintained my just cause;
You have sat on the throne judging righteously.
5 You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6 The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins,
And You have uprooted the cities;
The very memory of them has perished.

7 But the Lord abides forever;
He has established His throne for judgment,
8 And He will judge the world in righteousness;
He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity.
9 The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed,
A stronghold in times of trouble;
10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You,
For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

11 Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion;
Declare among the peoples His deeds.
12 For He who requires blood remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13 Be gracious to me, O Lord;
See my affliction from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death,
14 That I may tell of all Your praises,
That in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may rejoice in Your salvation.
15 The nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot has been caught.
16 The Lord has made Himself known;
He has executed judgment.
In the work of his own hands the wicked is snared. Higgaion Selah.

17 The wicked will return to Sheol,
Even all the nations who forget God.
18 For the needy will not always be forgotten,
Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.
19 Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail;
Let the nations be judged before You.
20 Put them in fear, O Lord;
Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah.

May the Lord bless you and keep you in His Will.

In Him,
FS

 

Put and end to false humility

Faithful Stewardship 1 Comment

If you ask most Christians what the most dangerous thing the devil has to cause us to stumble, I bet most of them will answer “Pride”. After all, most Christians can readily quote Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling” (NASB). Well… the first part at least… and they at least will tell you it’s in Proverbs somewhere. 😉 Would you like to know the real answer to the question? Let’s look at how our Lord and Savior Jesus described the devil when he was speaking to the Pharisees who challenged the authority of Jesus:

John 8:44 (NASB) 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

He is the father of lies. That’s where he gets us. There is Truth (God is Truth… His Word is Truth) and anything that is not truth is a lie. And the devil is the father of lies. That applies to outright lies, lies by omission, and “white lies”. The big clue is in the use of the word “lie”. But there is another word that should trigger our recognition of a lie… and that word is “false”. False prophet, False doctrine, False motivation, and False humility. There are many ways we can discuss this point, but for now I’d like to limit this portion to false humility. First, lets look at our call to humility found in 1 Peter:

1 Peter 5:5-7 (NASB) 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

We are also told in James 4:10, “10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” Both sinful pride and false humility stem from the same lies… they are born of lies about who you are. For pride is thinking more highly of yourself than you are, and false humility is from confessing lies about who you are. Sometimes the lies are to protect the pride that actually fills your heart, other times the lies are a confession of the lies you believe in your heart… lies that falsely accuse you of lacking worth.  I’m more worried about negative self-talk, “I’m stupid”, “I’m a horrible person”, “I’m not worth redeeming”, “I’m not worth saving”, “No one will miss me when I’m gone”. These are not the confessions of a humble person… because True humility cannot exist contrary to the Truth of God’s Word. First, and foremost… even the sinner needs to know that he is loved by God. Accepting this Truth, by faith, is the first step toward Salvation. No wonder the enemy tries so hard to block this truth among even those who are born dead in sin….

Romans 5:8 (NIV) 8 But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Now, for those who have been born again, do you think the enemy gives up his fight against you? Absolutely not! While he cannot kill you spiritually, if he can get you to accept his lies about who you are, then he can limit your effectiveness, hinder your calling, and get you to abandon your spiritual gifts. Let’s look at a wonderful list (from Neil Anderson’s Book, “Victory over the Darkness”) of who we are as born-again believers in Christ:

  1. We are identified with Christ ► In His death (Romans 6:3,6; Galatians 2:20) ► In His Burial (Romans 6:4) ► In His resurrection (Romans 6:5,8,11) ► In His ascension (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1-3) ► In His life (Romans 6:10-11) ► In His power (Ephesians 1:19-20) ► In His inheritance (Romans 8:16-17; Ephesians 1:11-12)
  2. Through the Blood of Christ, and In Him each of us is… ► the salt of the earth (Matt 5:13) ► the light of the world (Matt 5:14) ► a child of God (John 1:12) ► part of the True Vine (John 15:1,5) ► a friend of Christ (John 15:15) ► chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit (John 15:16) ► a slave of righteousness (Romans 6:18) ► enslaved to God (Romans 6:22) ► a son of God; God is spiritually my Father (Romans 8:14-15; Galatians 3:26; 4:6) ► a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him (Romans 8:17) ► a temple — a dwelling place — of God. His Spirit lives in me (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19) ► united with the Lord and one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17) ► a member of Christ’s Body (1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 5:30) ► a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) ► reconciled to God and a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) ► a son of God and one in Christ (Galatians 3:26, 28) ► a Saint (1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1;Colossians 1:2) ► God’s workmanship–His handiwork–born anew in Christ to do His work (Ephesians 2:10) ► … (the list is huge, skipping a few…) ► chosen of God, holy and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4) ► a son of light and not of darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:5) ► … ► a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession (1 Peter 2:9-10) ► an alien and a stranger to this world in which I temporarily live (1 Peter 2:11) ► an enemy of the devil (1 Peter 5:8) ► born of God, and the evil one–the devil–cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)

Proper humility begins with knowing who you are in Christ. It continues with acknowledging that we are all one body, with Christ as the head, and that our brothers and sisters in Christ share in this identity in Christ. We are humble ourselves to each other in the presence of God, and He will lift us up. Much as Jesus instructed in Luke 14:7-11 that we should take the last seat rather than the first. When you were born again in Christ, you were made spiritually alive. You are now as spiritually alive as you will ever be… for Jesus paid the ultimate (both greatest and final) price for the removal of sin. Just as a baby is as alive as it will ever be, that is not to say the baby won’t grow and mature. In the same way, we are to grow in Him. As long as we walk in the flesh, we will be at war with the flesh, particularly the in the mind. This is the battleground for the enemy. Notice, the word calls us the enemy of the devil. At the fall of man, enmity was placed between woman and the devil. The world falsely elevates the devil to a position opposite God. God defeated the devil and booted him from the heavens long ago…and then His Son Jesus defeated him again on earth. As far as God is concerned, the devil is one seriously defeated foe. The devil wages war with us now, and after Adam we had lost that fight… but Jesus won that fight for us, so in Him we share in Christ’s victory. I hope this serves as an encouragement. Do not think of yourselves falsely, and do not make false confessions, or partake in the fruit of the devil (his lies). The only weapon we have against lies… is the Truth. Now, some of these confessions are so much easier to say than to believe and to walk out. There is a very real reason why we are told to “take up our crosses daily” and to follow Christ. We need to remind ourselves that the flesh and the inheritance of sin and death were put to rest on the cross, so that in Him we might have life, and that all of these things are true about us because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This is an important list to review regularly, and to confess over our lives. We may not always demonstrate what we confess… but we always demonstrate what we believe. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Let the Truths of your identity in Christ grow your faith, so that you may be holy and blameless in His sight. Finally… let us encourage our brothers and sisters by reminding them of who they are whenever we witness false humility (self-deprecation posing as piety)… be firm and loving in your rebuke, and then remind them of who they are in Christ.

Ephesians 4:25 (NIV) 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

In Him,
FS