Godly Anger Management - Part 1

Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.”

 

This last Sunday, Pastor Herk at Bass Lake’s Little Church in the Pines continued in has sermon series through the Pauline Epistle of Ephesians with a timely message for us all on “anger”. There are a couple keys to understanding this passage. The first is to consider the context in which it was written. The Apostle Paul is writing to the church (the body of Christ) as practical instruct both individually and corporately. The conventional wisdom is to take this passage and use it as a platform for a message on how to deal with anger in our individual lives. Paul deals with this more in Ephesians 4:31-32 for our individual lives saying, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” The Word of God is always multi-faceted for the intended audience of the spiritual message and in the divinely practical and purposeful application. 

 

The Apostle is giving practical instruction on how to dress the part and walk in this journey according to what Believers/Disciples already are in Jesus Christ, putting off the old things that characterized our previous “dead in sin” lives, prior to repentance, believing conversion of the soul and regeneration of the spirit, which reconciled them with Almighty God, by Christ’s atoning and redemptive work on the Cross, through saving faith. The Child of God’s transformational putting on of the “whole new you” characterized by our lives in our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ in truth. Psalm 4:4 “Be angry, and do not sin.”

 

Secondly, we need to consider the actual text. Is this passage a command or is it a condition? The Greek word for the phrase “be angry” is “orgizō”, meaning to be provoked to anger, be wroth (very angry; much exasperated). In proper context, we have to understand this phrase plainly as a command. Some translation use conditional language because we have been taught that anger is wrong. It doesn’t seem right that we would be commanded to “be angry”. This is interpreted as “righteous anger or indignation. It is an anger that is an abiding, settled attitude against that which is sinful. Be angry at what angers sovereign God. Psalm 5:4-5 says, “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity.”

 

Sin is defined as: the voluntary departure of a moral agent from a known rule of rectitude or duty, prescribed by Creator God; any voluntary transgression of the divine Moral Law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act; iniquity. Iniquity is defined as: a particular deviation from rectitude; a sin or crime; wickedness; any act of injustice. The Greek word for “wrath” in this passage is “parorgismos”, meaning indignation, exasperation, or wrath. This wrath deals with the underlying provocation cause of that anger. 

Now that we’ve determined what the background for the passage this, let’s see if we can identify the principles that God wants us to learn from in this passage. Let’s continue Pastor Herk’s message on Christian Anger Management in the next post.

 

In Christ, Brian 

A Little Help From My Friends - Part 2

Michael continues: The Apostle Paul said, the things the secular world holds dear, these things I count but dung that I may receive the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, for He is my Lord and everything else is rubbish in comparison. The humanistic world strives for trophies, medals and awards; accolades and tokens of the world’s appreciation for excelling in the things that they value the most. To be better than the competition, to be self-assured, self-fulfilled, self-confident, self-sufficient and to be self-actualized. However, these things will come to naught. The warning is this: be careful what you strive for. The greatest disappointment in life is that after climbing the ladder of success, you finally discover that your ladder was leaning against the wrong wall though all the fallen world’s sign stated otherwise.  

Paul came to this conclusion after he had prayed three times for God to remove his painful thorn in the flesh. Twice God did not answer his prayer. Thank God for unanswered prayer. Then, finally when the student is ready the teacher will come. The third time Paul prayed, God answered his prayer, but it wasn’t the answer that Paul expected. The Lord said that despite your painful thorn in the flesh: “My strength is made perfect in your weakness, my grace is sufficient for you.”

The question is, when people see you and what you do, are they witnessing the gospel of Christ and the Word of God in a true disciple? As Paul said in Philippians 1:27, only let your conversation (your exemplary behavior as a citizen) be as it becomes the gospel of Christ. The word conversation is the word for “citizenship.” Even though we hold dual citizenship as citizens of the United States and citizens of Heaven, we are Christians first and Americans second. Our first allegiance is to the kingdom of Heaven and to our Sovereign Lord, for He alone is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

This is the theme of Philippians 1:27-29, about our witness to the world as children of God and citizens of Heaven: “Only let your behavior (as citizens of heaven) be worthy of the gospel of Christ, standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for his sake.When people read the book of our lives, do our lives reflect the testimony of the Lord? As long as we draw breath upon this earth, then God hasn’t finished writing His Word upon the tablets of our heart. For we are His living epistles (His love letters), living testimonies of God’s mercy, love and grace known and read of all men.  

Often the greatest witness is not how we handle so-called success. People will sit up and take note of how we handle adversity. The Apostle Paul’s suffering, his thorn in the flesh was his “friend.” Through the suffering, like Paul, we will come to understand what God said to Paul, “my strength is made perfect in your weakness, my grace is sufficient for you”, that despite the trials, tribulation, and suffering, we may be living epistles of his strength, mercy and love to the praise of the glory of His grace! Then, like inn the words of the classic Beatles songs, we can truly say: I get by with a little help from my friends.

Your brother in Christ, Michael

A Little Help From My Friends - Part 1

Jesus in Matthew 5:1-3 seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus’ sermon on the mount starts with God’s blessings. The blessings of God are upside down from what the world considers blessings. The world thinks that poverty, mournfulness, meekness, hunger, thirst, purity, poor in spirit, and persecution are curses, not blessings. However, Jesus said, when those who live righteous in Christ are persecuted by the world, great is their reward in heaven. As the Apostle Paul said, the suffering of this present fleeting moment in time is not to be compared with the eternal glory that shall be revealed in us.

According to 1 Peter 3, even if you suffer for the sake of righteousness, you’re blessed. Jesus’ last beatitude says, Blessed are they when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven. Our friends bring us closer to the Lord. The job of the Holy Spirit is to afflict the comfortable and to comfort the afflicted. Joy is not the absence of pain. Joy is the presence of the Lord.

The Apostle Paul listed his “friends” in 2 Corinthians 11. Paul suffered and endured scourging, beatings, stoning, imprisonment, shipwrecks, in perils of the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils against false brethren. These perils were his “friends” because through the pain of his “thorn in the flesh” and through the patience of suffering, he finally understood his true calling. He came to the conclusion that for me to live is Christ and to die (to myself and to the world) is gain. 

Isaiah 40 says, nothing in this world will last. This too shall pass. Even the nations of the world will rise and fall … nations are but a drop in the bucket from God’s eternal perspective. For that which is seen is temporal, but that which is unseen, the things of the spirit of God, are eternal. The things the world considers success, God says will come to naught…. Ecclesiastes says everything is vanity… everything is [figuratively] “dust in the wind.”  

The Pharisees thought that Paul had reached the pinnacle of success. In Philippians 3:5-7, Paul listed his worldly credentials, “If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” However in verses 8-11, Paul came to the conclusion that these worldly credentials didn’t matter: “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Let's continue Micheal's message on the blessings of adversities in life on the next post. There are useful lessons be be learned and applied to our walk. 

In Christ, Brian

Just Holiness – Part 2

Pastor Sproul asks, Is there anyone who could convict a holy, perfectly righteous Creator, who out of sheer mercy creates a creature and gives them all of this blessing? Is there anything wrong with God extinguishing a creature who has the audacity to challenge His authority to rule His creation? Have you ever stopped to consider what is involved in the slightest sin? In the slightest sin, I am saying that my will has a right that is higher than the rights of God.

 

Psalm 37:28 “For the Lord loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die.”

 

It terrifies me in our culture that people do that which is sin in the eyes of God and say they have the moral right to do it. If I know anything about God, I know God has never given anyone the moral right to sin against Him. I shudder to think of what will happen when a person stands before God and says, “I had the right to do that.” Where did you get that right? Even the slightest sin—never mind a heinous sin like murder—defies the authority of God, insults the majesty of God, and challenges the justice of God. We are so accustomed to sinning and so careful to justify our disobedience that we have become recalcitrant in our hearts. Our consciences have been seared, and we think it no serious matter to disobey the King of the universe. I call it cosmic treason.

Instead of destroying mankind in the moment of that act of revolt and rebellion against His authority, God reached forth and extended His mercy. Instead of justice, He poured out His grace. God Himself complains that His forbearing mercy is designed to give us time to repent, but instead of repenting we exploit it. So we come to think that God doesn’t care if we sin, or even if He does care there’s nothing He can do about it.

 

Psalm 67:4 “Let the whole world sing for joy, because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world.”

 

Ladies and gentlemen, we need to understand the difference between justice and mercy. The minute you think that God owes you mercy, a bell should go off in your brain that warns you that you’re no longer thinking about mercy. By definition mercy is voluntary. Sovereign God is never obligated to be merciful to a rebellious creature. He doesn’t owe you mercy. As He has said, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy” (Rom. 9:15).

 

Psalm 25:7 “Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love for you are merciful, O Lord.”

 

So Pastor Sproul closes with this: a holy God is both just and merciful—never unjust. There is never an occasion in any page of sacred Scripture where God ever punishes an innocent person. God simply doesn’t know how to be unjust. I thank Him every night that He does know how to be non-just; because mercy is non-justice, but it is not injustice. God solved this problem for us in a Savior - the Person of Jesus Christ.

 

Sproul leaves you with this. When you say your prayers, don’t ever ask God to give you justice. He might do it. And if God were to deal with us according to justice, we would perish as swiftly as Nadab and Abihu, and Uzzah, and Ananias and Sapphira in the New Testament. But we live by grace, by His mercy, and let’s never forget it.

 

Psalm 45:4 “In your majesty, ride out to victory, defending truth, humility, and justice. Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds!”

 

Just Holiness, In Christ, Brian

Just Holiness - Part 1

 

Psalm 9:8 “He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness.”

 

I came across a great article by the late American Theologian and Pastor Robert Sproul on God’s Justice based upon His holiness that was enlightening and I’d like to share. He writes: A more complete understanding of God’s character enables one to see these actions of divine justice by God with greater clarity and helps us to avoid the very real danger of taking His grace for granted. The purpose of this article is to promote growth in the understanding of, and thankfulness for, God’s grace.

If we look at the period of the eighteenth century on the American frontier, we notice a recurring motif in the preaching during the Great Awakening—a sort of dual emphasis. On the one hand, the message of the preachers was that man is very, very, very bad and that God is very, very, very mad. This was an emphasis on the sinfulness of man and the wrath of God. Nahum 1:3 “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way.” God is merciful, and therefore doesn’t want to punish us. This is because  “God is love” (1 John 4:8). But the same Bible which tells us that God loves us, also tells us that God is just and therefore must punish sin. He says “I will by no means clear the guilty” (Exodus 34:7). And “the soul that sins, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). We have a problem. 

 

Psalm 11:7 “For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtuous will see His face.”

 

Dr. Hans Küng makes the point that the real mystery of iniquity, the real puzzle is not that a holy and righteous God should exercise justice. What is mysterious about a holy creator punishing willfully disobedient creatures? The real mystery is why God, through generation after generation, tolerates rebellious creatures who commit cosmic treason against His authority. Did you ever think of it like that?

 

Remember the rules that were set forth at creation, when God, the omnipotent Ruler of heaven and earth, breathed into dirt the breath of life and shaped a creature in His own image. He gave that creature the highest status on this planet and the greatest blessing and gift, which He did not owe them at all—the very gift of life—and stamped His holy image on that piece of dirt, and gave them life. And He said, “The soul that sins shall die.”

 

Psalm 36:10 “Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you; give justice to those with honest hearts.”

 

All sin in creation was viewed as a capital offense. And it was not that this punishment would be death sometime after you’ve had your threescore and ten. The terms of creation were, “The day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Now I know people look at this and say that the text is saying there that the day the transgression takes place, we suffer spiritual death. But that’s not what God said. It may be true that man suffered spiritual death the day he transgressed the law of God, but the terms of creation were: “The day that you eat, you die biologically. It’s over.” Death entered the world. There is no "cheap grace". 

Let's continue Pastor Sproul's message on God's holy justice, mercy and grace in the next post. In Christ, Brian

Speak Truth – Part 3

 

Pastor Herk continues by asking, Why is falsehood so devastating? First, it violates the character of God. The Lord, our God is sinless, holy, just, truthful and honest. God cannot lie because it is not in His nature. As He is the God of truth [Psalm 31:5], it is impossible for Him to lie. Numbers 23:19 tell us, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent.” If the Christian church is the body of Christ, then it should reflect His character of truth. Put off the old sin nature, put on the new Christ nature and reflect God’s character. Proverbs 12:22 says,“The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.” Take off falsehood and put on truth. Proverbs 19:5 confirms, “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.” Nothing escapes the all-seeing eyes of the Lord. You never really get away with a lie.

 

Second, falsehood violates the Word of God and His Moral Law. Jesus prayed in John 17:16-17 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” The born-again Believer’s true home is the kingdom of Heaven and Holy Scripture of the Bible communicates our Creator’s sacred standards of conduct in thought word and actions; how to live on this side of eternity. To think a lie, to speak a lie, and live a lie is an unproductive, counterfeit and rebellious existence. Psalm 52:2-4 “You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor. You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. You love every harmful word, you deceitful tongue!

Two things happen when our lives become characterized by falsehood. (1) we lose our integrity, trust and good reputation. People can no longer believe you. And when we are dishonest, we have trouble believing others. George Bernard Shaw wrote: the Liar’s punishment is not in the least that they have not believed but that they cannot believe anyone else. (2) We damage our relationships. Lies grieve God, harms ourselves and injures the body of Christ. Our divine, marriage, family, friends, and church relationships are damaged and ministry is hindered. Honesty is the best policy. Psalm 25:5 “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”

 

John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” In John 8:31-32 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Falsehood actually puts us in bondage to sin; a slave to sin. Jesus said in John 8:34, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” In Matthew 11:29-30 Jesus calls His people to “take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Speak the truth in love.

 

Proverbs 12:19 “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.”

Speak truth.

 

In Christ, Brian

Speak Truth – Part 2

 

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

 

Pastor Herk asks the question: Are you a different person in society, at work or at church than you are at home? Do you have different language that you use depending upon the company you are with? Godly character is doing the right thing when nobody is looking. Out of fear of what other may think of you, do you think, speak and act differently around them? If you are really honest with yourself and your life, you a guilty of a little fibbing. Jesus said in Matthew 5:37 “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” 

 

James 5:16 tells us to, “confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much.” How much do we confess sins and pray for one another. Remember that the other people get blessed also when they get a chance to pray for you and others or when they have opportunity to use their God-given gifts and talents. When you say that you are going to pray for someone, do it right then and there, plus on-going. It’s the right thing to say and the right thing to do. Everyone is accountable to God and His righteous Moral Law for all mankind. The ninth of God’s Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:16 states, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” The Greek word for “false” in this verse of Holy Scripture uttered directed from Creator God is “šeqer”, meaning (a) deception (what deceives or  disappoints or betrays one), (b) deceit, fraud, wrong, (c) fraudulently, wrongfully, (d) falsehood (injurious in testimony), 

(e) to lie, falsehood (in general). It is not called the “Ten Suggestions”. 

 

One of the biggest causes of engaging in falsehood is greed. Many believe that lying is going to get them something that they want and you want to make yourself look better than you are. These people see a benefit to false information, fabrication, exaggeration and embellishment of facts, fudged figures, fairytale accomplishments, not-so actual ideas and actions. Another big cause of lying is fear. There are consequences for our actions, whether intentional or not, so it is tempting to either deceivingly deny, claim ignorance, claim an accident or blame others to escape punishment. Falsehood is the habitual attitude of the fallen human flesh, the God-rejecting world and the demonic realm. The more that we willfully lie and get away with it, then the more likely we are to make lying a bad habit - a disposition or condition of the mind or body acquired by custom or a frequent repetition of the same act. Habit is that which is held or retained, the effect of custom or frequent repetition. Hence, we speak of good habits and bad habits.

 

Zechariah 8:16-17 “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord.”

 

The root problem is the fact that we let our pride get in our way. All of these cause for lying are centered on an overly self-centered way of life. Remember, Proverbs 6:16-17 saying, “These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, …”? Yet, it’s not just a matter of putting off falsehood, but to also put on the new core-attitude of truth in Christ. The Apostle Paul command that each of you must put off falsehood and speak is in the present and continuous tense, so always and forever keep speaking the truth as the body of Christ. Jesus proclaims in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The Greek word used for truth in this verse is “alētheia”, meaning objective truth; what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man, moral and religious truth. I am He in whom the truth is summed up and impersonated. Jesus Christ is truth. 

Let's continue Pastor Herk's message on true truth for our life on the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Speak Truth - Part 1

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

 

Pastor Herk continued in his Sunday sermon series through the Pauline epistle of Ephesians stating that being a born again Believer, a child of God, citizen of the kingdom of Heaven, and a follower of Jesus Christ, there was conversion of your soul, regeneration of the spirit and the receiving of the indwelling Holy Spirit within your transformed heart, setting you apart in sanctified holiness from the god-rejecting secular world of the unsaved in sin and hellbound by repentance and “saving” faith. By Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of Father God, Ephesians 2:6-8 explains that “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” 

 

So, put off the old man, allow God to renew your mind, and put on the new to fit the whole new godly you in Christ. This new attitude in Christ includes putting off falsehood or lying and putting on truth. Put off anger and put on reconciliation. Put off laziness and put on honest hard work, put off destructive words that tear-down and put on constructive words that build-up, Put off bitterness, rage, slander, divisive arguing and put on kindness, compassion and forgiveness. 

 

Proverbs 6:16-19 “These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” 

 

Why do people not take seriously the abominable sin in their lives that put Christ on the Cross to die for each of them? The Greek word for falsehood or lying is “pseudos” (where we get the English word Pseudo, meaning a lie – a conscious and intentional falsehood. In a broad sense, whatever is not what it seems to be – the product of perverse, impious, deceitful precepts. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines “falsehood” as: 1. Contrariety or inconformity to fact or truth; as the falsehood of a report. 2. Want of truth or veracity; a lie; an untrue assertion. 3. Want of honesty; treachery; deceitfulness; perfidy. 4. Counterfeit; false appearance; imposture. We all say things at times which are not really genuine; a falsehood. 

 

The main points of Ephesians 4:25 are to (a) put off falsehood, (b) put on truth, and (c) obey these commands because Jesus is the head of the church and we are all members of same body of Believers. Original sin was conceived by a tempting lie of Satan. Jesus said in John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” Do not be deceived. Outright lies are usually fairly simple to discern as such, but most lies are subtle or hidden half-truths to deceive people. In today’s culture this is a pretense – a holding out or offering to others something false or feigned; a presenting to others, either in words or actions, a false or hypocritical appearance, usually with a view to conceal what is real, and thus to deceive. Speak truth.

On the next post, let's continue Pastor Herk's message on putting on truth as who we are in Christ. Brian

Focus on the Solution - Part 2

Michael continues how evangelist DL Moody recalls that when he conducted a revival in England, he noticed an older gentleman on the front row who was standing, singing and raising his hands in joyful praise. His smile lit up the room. After the service Moody asked him, why are you so blessed? He said, years ago, when I was in India, I was in charge of a platoon of British soldiers. I was the worst of the worst. One night I had been drinking and stumbled into the barracks. I noticed one man fast asleep in his bunk. I knew he was a Christian and I despised Christians. I dragged him out of his bunk and onto the floor. In a blind rage, I kicked him with my muddy boots and punched him until he was bloody and nearly unconscious. Then I stumbled to my bed and fell asleep in a drunken stupor. When I woke up the next morning with a hangover, I tried to open my eyes. The first thing I noticed was my boots spit shined and polished by my footlocker. I realized the soldier I had kicked the night before had crawled through his own blood to spit shine my muddy boots. That was the first time I had ever prayed. “God, that man has something I don’t have. I want whatever he has.” That’s when I had a change of heart. God answered my prayer and I’ve been a Christian ever since.  

Jesus says that you’re of the wrong spirit if you seek vengeance and the wrath of God. Jesus said, blessed are the poor in spirit and blessed are those who mourn…. Blessed are the peacemakers. Now is the acceptable year of the Lord. He came not to condemn the world. The Son of God came not into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. Jesus didn’t come to make war but to bring peace. Blessed are the peacemakers, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. There is no peace without the Prince of Peace. Peace is the result of reconciliation and Jesus is the one who reconciles. He reconciles our hearts with God’s heart, for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

The Love of God compels a man to approach God’s throne of grace. It is the kindness, gentleness, goodness and love of God that calls a man to repentance. Jesus said to his disciples, If they rejected you, they have rejected me. If they hate you it’s because they hated me. However, as Paul said, be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. Jesus Christ himself is our example. For even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly.

In Mark 12, what are the basic precepts? Thou shalt love the lord thy God with all thy heart, with, with all thy soul, and with all thy might and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Why? Because Love covers a multitude of sins. Love is the fulfillment of the law. Love is the nature of God himself. What is it that you love most? Do you love God above all? To love God above all is to die to self. The Apostle Paul said, That I may know him and the power of the resurrection, being conformed to his death, even the death of the cross. According to Galatians 2:20, for I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I now live I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. 

The humanistic world says, you deserve a break today, so get what you deserve. Therefore, take it all in and grab for all the gusto you can get. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. People of this secular world say, “I want my just desserts.” But be careful what you desire. Because if God gave you your just desserts, the wages of sin is death.

Contrary to the fallen world’s doctrine, to die to self is to live for Christ. To love with the love of God is to be not overcome of evil with might but to overcome evil with good. Abraham Lincoln said, the best way to defeat your enemy is to make them your friend. Through believing faith that works in love, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Focus on the Solution. Despite the persecution of this world, we may live and love to the praise of the glory of His grace! 

Your brother in Christ, Michael 

Focus on the Solution - Part 1

This week Michael writes: Oswald Chambers said, if your eyes are on the problem, then you become the problem. The solution to the problem is not to focus on the problem but to focus on the Lord. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face … and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.

Despite the aimless confusion of the world, the secular chaos and materialistic pandemonium around us; and most importantly, despite the rejection of the truth of the Word of God, we can focus on Jesus Christ instead of the world’s problems. The devil distracts us to divert our attention to the chaos, conflict and confusion of this world. Regardless of the problems the world inflicts, the solution to the problem is Jesus Christ … He is the meaning of life and the purpose of the Word of God. Jesus said, in this world you shall suffer tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world. In the midst of the trials and tribulation of life, God will teach us that He alone is our sufficiency.

The secular world says that we should avoid persecution ... for persecution ridicules, bullies, offends and inflicts pain and humiliation. However, Jesus said, blessed are they when men shall revile you, persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. For great is your reward in heaven. In John 5:16, the Jews persecuted Jesus and tried to kill him. Jesus had healed a lame man on the Sabbath day, which is the fourth of God’s Ten Commandments. In 

 

Exodus 20:8-11 God commanded, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” It was against the law of the Pharisees to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus asked them, what is the right thing to do on the Sabbath? Is it right to do evil or to do good? What does God require of you on the Sabbath? According to Isaiah 58, is not the Sabbath to clothe the naked, to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, and to welcome the needy into your house? Is this not much greater than doing the religious rituals of the Pharisees? The great law of love God and love others is contrary to the rituals, traditions, and legalistic commands of the Pharisees.  

What was the difference between Cain’s offering and Abel’s? Cain did not entrusting his best to God. Why did Cain kill Abel? Because the Lord respected Abel because his offering was righteous,  but He did not respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. Sin laid at his door and its desire was for him. Cain allowed sin to rule over him. Abel was slain because the darkness of sin hates the light neither comes to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. The adversary usually hides in darkness … he rarely shows his true colors. However, the “thought leaders” of this world indoctrinate the people to call evil good and good evil. They twist the truth of the Word of God into a lie. Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

Israel who had turned from God, persecuted the prophets whom God had called to teach them, reprove them and correct them. The religious leaders who plotted to murderer Jesus also tried to eliminate the disciples of Christ. 2 Timothy 3:12 says all who suffer for righteousness in Christ will be persecuted. Those who oppose the truth of the Word of God are in rebellion against God and oppose the followers of Christ, who stand for God’s righteous standards of truth, mercy, grace, and love. Are we ready to turn the other cheek, go the second mile, and bless those who persecute us? People will not notice how well we handle successes and victory. However, They will sit up and take note how we handle adversity.

Let's continue Michael's message on Christian focus in the next Post. 

In Christ, Brian

Worship

 John 4:23-24 “The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

As you may or may not know, I was not raised in a Christian home, but a pseudo-Theistic home, where believed in the God of the Bible, and by faith knew the He existed, created everything, controlled everything, and knew the Ten Commandments; after all, we lived in a Christian nation, so that foundational truth was never in doubt; a love of God and country. And though my family only went to church once in a blue moon, that belief created a stable life and sense of daily security. We were happy and living the American dream. But, we truly just knew about God and trusted God, yet didn’t really “know God” closely and had no real concept about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, what was the real gravity of sin or about “saving faith”. Basically, we thought that God made us and protected us, that if we would live a good average life (meaning that the good things outweighed the occasional bad), then when we died we would go to Heaven; a casual relationship based more on intellectual assent. Yet, I actually once even experienced God clear and plain when I was young. Nobody could tell me that God wasn't real. Prayer was more like talking to God in childlike relationship. We were grateful and thanked God for this life, but actually worshipping God was really a foreign subject to us. I hardly knew any Bible verses and wonder if my life had anything between God’s face and mine? I wonder if any of you experienced a similar upbringing.  

 

Psalm 29:2 “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship  the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

 

Worship is the Greek word “proskyneō”, which means “to kiss the hand of the Master” in token of profound reverence, supreme respect and veneration; make obeisance, whether in order to express loyal respect or to make supplication in homage to God. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “worship: as: Chiefly and eminently, the act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being; or the reverence and homage paid to Him in religious exercises, consisting in adoration, confession, prayer, thanksgiving and the like. John 9:31 says, “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.” 

 

Acts 17:24-27 “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.”

 

But worship is also an outward expression by performing acts of praise and adoration or religious service. Our Sunday "Lord's Day" church gathering of Believers is a corporate Worship Service. Not just because of the life that the Lord gives, but because of God's plan of Salvation unto eternal life through Christ by faith does everything a child of God thinks, speaks and takes action upon is in worship. Our ever-present, almighty Father in Heaven is intimately involved in our lives. As Acts 17:28 says, “For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’"

 

Psalm 96:8-10 “Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns; The world also is firmly established,
It shall not be moved.”

 

In Christ, Brian

Our Moral Compass

 

Matthew 15:19-20 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person.

 

Being in a nation that was founded on a Judeo-Christian worldview, when we see the pagan humanistic attacks on biblical morality, we forget that this secular worldview was the depraved culture of the Pre-Christian society. Without a fixed-point, objective and absolute moral compass, fallen humanity lives by the debauched mind by the power of irresistible impulses of the sin nature of the flesh desires. God’s Moral Law of the Ten Commandments, the Mosaic Laws, and Divine statutes set the standards for morality. Christian, by the Great Commission of Jesus, revolutionized the concept of moral living in that world. The light of truth intruded into the darkness and brought moral stability into society. Today, the pagan humanism is reclaiming territory and threatening the culture filling the void when the light vacated.

 

Romans 13:12-14 “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” 

 

US President George Washington stated, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them.” Why? Because, on this side of glory, humanity is still in the fallen desires of the flesh and the ancient view of aggressively pursuing whatever appeals to the unrestrained evil imaginations of the depraved heart and erotic feelings in perversion. These sinful feelings master their lives; not their pure, just and holy Creator. Since the day that God gave the Moral Law and Christ showed us how to live moral lives, the people of God have been called to model for the pagan world the biblical worldview based upon God’s divine standards and what that God-given morality looks like in action.   

 

In 1 Corinthians 6:12-18 the Apostle Paul explains that because of Christ paying for our sins, some say: “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.

 

US President John Adams stated: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” The term “In God We Trust” is the American National Motto because the biblical worldview is to influence and keep in check the pagan secular humanistic worldview, not vice-versa. The last stanza of the American National Anthem reads: “O! thus be it ever when free men shall stand between their loved homes and the foe's desolation; Blessed with victory and peace, may our Heaven-rescued land praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just -- and this be our motto -- "In God is our trust!" And the Star-spangled Banner in triumph shall wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave.” America bless God, our moral compass.

The Lord Jesus told a Parable for us: Matthew 12:43-45 “Now when the unclean spirit departs from the person, it goes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from where I came-out’. And having come, it finds it being unoccupied, having been swept and put-in-order. Then it proceeds and takes along with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself. And having gone in, they dwell there, and the last state of that person becomes worse than the first. So it will be also with this evil generation”.

 

Be salt and light. 

In Christ, Brian

Dress the Part – Part 4

 

Ephesians 4:22-24 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

 

Pastor Herk continues by stating that when Jesus tells His followers to change their clothes to be consistent with the new life that we have in Him, its not enough just to straighten up the clothes that we have on. We have to strip off the old clothes entirely and put on completely new clothes; a whole new spiritual wardrobe. When the Apostle Paul writes: put on the new self, the Greek word for “new” is “kainos”, meaning recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn as respects to form, but as respects substance it is of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of . Something far superior to anything that we had that existed before in our old way of life that we have in Jesus. 

 

In John 8:31-32 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

 

Practically, we are to ‘be made new in the attitude of your minds’. In order to do that we first have to fill our minds with the right things. Useful, purposeful, advantageous, constructive, creative, encouraging, inspiring, uplifting, supporting, nurturing, kingdom-worthy thoughts. The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8, “brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things”. The material that we give to God to work with in our hearts is our thoughts. We need to focus our thoughts on (a) truth. We can equate the truth with the person of Jesus Christ, so (b) is to focus on Jesus. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” There is some much fake news, bad news and lies today being broadcast for our deception, distraction and manipulation; we need to seek truth and think about those things.  

 

2 Corinthians 4:14-16 “We know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

 

(c) We need to focus on the eternal. 1 John 5:11-13 cuts to the chase, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life ,and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” The eternal perspective of the true Believer is to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord in Heaven. The born-again, sanctified child of God is a citizen of the eternal Kingdom of Heaven; sojourners on this side of eternity walking in the steps of the Lord, and taking a day’s journey with Jesus daily. Fix your eyes not on what is seen, but unseen (Providence, Fruit of the Spirit, Living Water, Harmony, Tranquility, Symmetry, Order in Nature, et cetera). Our earthly existence is temporal, but the things of Heaven is eternal. Lay up for yourself treasure in Heaven. 

 

(d) We need to focus on thing above. In Colossians 3:1-3 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” The Greek word for “things above”  here is “anō”, meaning heavenly things; the calling made in heaven; those things that operate within the sphere of influence of almighty God., distinguished from the things of this materialistic and naturalistic world. The one place that we can focus on all of these aspects at the same time is in the Word of God. We need to be reading and prayerfully mediating upon Holy Scripture of the Bible every day possible and stay connected to the Vine of truth so we have continuously bear good fruit.   

 

We have to be willing to be willing and allow our heavenly Father to work in us and renew us. Jesus said in Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Commune with the Lord, your God and be in intimate relationship daily. The term “to be made new” used by the Apostle Paul is the passive tense Greek word “Ananeoō”, meaning to be spiritually transformed by the Holy Spirit, to take on a new mind given by the almighty hand of God. The One doing the work of renewal is the Lord, not us, so accept this divine gift, facilitate this heavenly work and dress accordingly. 

 

In Christ, Brian

Dress the Part – Part 3

 

Ephesians 4:22-24 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

 

Pastor Herk continues: We are all part of the human race, created by God with body, soul and spirit. But, when our original parents sinned in the Garden of Eden, the spirit died within us and broke our spiritual connection to our heavenly Father. So many do not know this fact. They may say that they do not feel that it is not fair that they have to pay for the sin of Adam and Eve, but then sin themselves almost every day in thought, word and deed. God is pure, just and perfect, so cannot commune with sin. Sin is defined as: The voluntary departure of a moral agent from a known rule of rectitude or duty, prescribed by God; any voluntary transgression [a revolt (moral or religious), rebellion, sin, transgression, trespass] of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act. Sin is evil wickedness. The Prophet of Habakkuk 1:13 declares of God, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness.” Sinners are separated from God and spiritual discernment lost. The Lord Jesus proclaimed in John 3:3 that,  “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The Apostle Paul confirms in 1 Corinthians 2:14 That, “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 

 

The Lord Jesus explains in John 3:19, “this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” Ephesians 2:1-3 authenticates the fact, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.” The God-given spirit of man is dead within us and our souls deservingly sentenced to eternity in Hells lake of Fire by a just and holy God for our sin. But, in John 3:6-7 Jesus tells us of God’s Plan of Salvation, stating “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’” By God’s grace alone, a path to redemption through Jesus Christ in the spiritual exchange of our sin for His sinless by His death on the Cross was provided.

 

In Romans 10:8-10 the Apostle Paul tells us the process of this being born again by the Holy Spirit as, “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. The Apostle explains in Ephesians 2:4-8, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. It is restoration of our Garden relationship with God.

 

This rejoiceful Gospel gift offer of eternal Salvation by faith through faith conversion by the Holy Spirit is the born-again regeneration of the spirit and transformed life process spoken by the Lord Jesus in John 3:16-18, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:36 plainly declares, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” Clearly, there is an eternal choice to make with both belief in God and repentance of sin is the key to accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord. Either we pay for our sins or we give them all up for Jesus to pay for them in our place.

 

In Matthew 7:13-14, the Blessed Savior of the World, Jesus paints the true picture of the situation and instructs us, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Jesus is the narrow gate. Because of sin in our lives, everyone is on the Highway to Hell. But, everyone has the choice to take the offramp provided by the mercy of God for straight and narrow path to Heaven instead. It is a difficult way because, though sin is bondage and death, sin is the easy way and being a lawless god unto ourselves, responsible and accountable to nobody, is in our fallen nature. Willingly turning lordship over to God is both unnatural to fallen humanity and supernatural as it leads to life abundant in Christ and life eternal. 

 

To those who accept Jesus and receive the gift of God as a born-again Believer, this earthly life is as close to Hell as they are going to get. But sadly, to those who reject the gift of God in Jesus Christ, this earthly life is as close to Heaven as they are going to get. Some errantly believe that everybody is going to Heaven when they die, and by 2 Peter 3:9 obvious that, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance”, but most do not. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, but did not save the world; He provided the opportunity for us to be saved. John 3:19-20 Jesus explains, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.” The Lord Jesus states clearly in Matthew 22:14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” The gift of God must be accepted and received. All must choose. 

 

Creator God said to the first man Adam in Genesis 3:17, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree [the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil”] of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake.” Because of the Fall of Man, sin entered the world and the fleshly hearts of man; the earth is corrupted. Because of God’s Plan of Salvation, redemption, restoration and reconciliation is possible and obtainable. The world is still corrupt in sin, and perishing are those who are of this fallen world, because of not repenting of sin nor believing God and rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. By repenting of sin, believing in God, choosing to accept and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, these converted disciples of Christ, transformed from the inside out, are not of this world; they are citizen of the Kingdom of God and given the indwelling Holy Spirit being dressed for the wedding banquet of the Lord in order to navigate through this world knowing Light and Right while growing into the likeness of the Lord every step. Sin kills, but Jesus saves.

Let's continue Pastor Herk's message on dressing the part of being a Christian in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Dress the Part – Part 2

 

Ephesians 4:22-24 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

 

Pastor Herk continues by asking, do the clothes fit the man or are we merely dressing the part according to who we want others to believe that we are. The Apostle Paul is indicating that the concept of taking off the old and putting on the new is a completed act which took place in the past “born again” conversion unto salvation process. In other words, it is a picture of our position in who we are in Christ with instructions for actions and practices that Believers are to carry out in their lives. The process begins with us changing our minds, repenting, taking off the old man and turning around. Stop walking away from God in sin, do a 180 degree turn towards the Lord, His Word, His Will and His Way of holiness and righteousness. 

 

The Greek word for “put off” is “apotithēmi”, meaning to cast off, lay apart (put aside, put down), put away, put off from oneself. So, what are we to cast off and put aside? Everything that corresponds with to our former godless way of life before knowing Christ. The Greek word for “old self” (conversation in the KJV) is “anastrophe”, meaning your secular manner of life, your worldly conduct, materialistic behavior, or earthly deportment; futile thinking, spiritual ignorance, the hardened heart against God and the things of God, the lack of guilt and shame for sins committed, of greed and lust for more. The old self, “anastrophe”, fallen way of life has been corrupted by our sin nature’s wicked desires (“wicked”, meaning evil in principle or practice; deviating from the Divine law of God; addicted to vice; sinful; immoral. This is a word of comprehensive signification, extending to everything that is contrary to the Moral Law, and both to persons and actions. 

 

The natural man may be ignorantly blind of their worldly thinking and sin against their Maker or know and live in sin due to their love of darkness, worldly passions and rebellion. In Scripture, the wicked persons who live in sin; transgressors of the Divine law of God; due to original sin and the many sins committed regularly, the wicked are all who are unreconciled to God, unsanctified or impenitent; a people laden with iniquity! Rather than focusing on the desires of God, their lives are dominated by their sinful desires which are contrary to the laws of God, and either not knowing or knowing but not believing that they need a Savior deceive themselves unto eternal damnation in Hell. The lie of Satan in Genesis 3:5b Is that “you will be like God”, a god unto yourself.  

 

Our relationship with God starts through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord which is totally and completely God’s work. Our rebellion in sin, but His love, His mercy, his election, His redemption, His forgiveness, His reconciliation, His salvation, His Son sent, His Spirit given by His grace alone to remove the old self and way of life. But, we do have a responsibility to make a response to God’s ability and dress our lives accordingly to who we already are in Christ. The first step in that process is to make sure that we lay aside all the things that characterize our old sinful secular lives. But, its not enough to just put off the old; we also have to put on the new. Jesus said in Matthew 12:43-45 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.” 

 

Fill the transformed inner being where wicked sin has been vacated with dedicated and devoted sacred holiness, Spirit-filled righteousness, Christ-mindedness, pious godly plans and virtuous ventures; our new way of life. We have to be the new person in mind, will and emotion aligned with God’s perfect Word, Will and Way. We cannot continue in the old ways, otherwise in the tempting fallen world that fallen sin nature of the flesh tends to creep back into the void. As God told Cain in Genesis 4:7, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 

  

Ephesians 1:9-10 tells us the plan, God made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. God’s plans and promises do not fail. Part of the perfection of creation is that man was made in God’s image. We are not God, but created in His image. The new man is in the process of becoming more like Christ each day in Word, Will and Way, speaking the same words and thinking the same thoughts in regard to life, living in the godly Christian worldview. Are you knowing in the knowledge of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and more like Christ then a month or year ago? That old fallen man corrupts us by sinful flesh desires, tempting worldly ideology and tantalizing seductive deceptions and distractions by the devil. But, the new man walks in the Spirit in a right relationship with God and recognizes the counterfeit life of sin. 

 

We cannot generate that holiness on our own, but God imputes to us the righteousness and the holiness of His Son at our born-again conversion from death in sin to life ib Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made Him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus came from Heaven to Earth to go to the Cross as an atoning sacrifice and took our sin upon Himself that we may be reconciled in righteousness to God and be saved, then rose to life after three days to conquer sin and death forever in every believing disciple eternally in Heaven. God’s resurrects the dead unto life as a free gift. This is the "Good News" of the Gospel.

 

Everything about the old man’s fallen way of life is based on deceit, and everything about the life of the new man in Christ is based upon truth. The new life that we have in Christ is completely a result of God’s work in our lives and a free gift. We are completely dependent upon the work that God is doing in our lives daily, and we need to reflect that. We are encouraged to dress the part according to who we are in Christ.   

Let continue Pastor Herk message on dressing the part of a Christian in the next post.

In Christ, Brian