Shoulder To Shoulder #1279 -- 2/21/22 ---- "Facing The Future With Fortitude (part Six -- Live With Consistency, and not Contradiction" A)
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER is a weekly letter of encouragement Bob has written since 1997, covering many topics selected to
motivate people to be strong students of the Word and courageous witnesses of Jesus Christ. It is a personal letter of
encouragement to you, written solely to help "lift up hands that hang down".
"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything." -- Albert Einstein
“There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have -- a cheap Christianity which offends nobody,
and requires no sacrifice, which costs nothing, -- and is worth nothing.” – J. C. Ryle
Shoulder To Shoulder #1279 -- 2/21/22
Title: "Facing The Future With Fortitude (part Six -- Live With Consistency, and not Contradiction" A)
My Dear Friend and Fellow Kingdom Seeker:
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ on a day bristling with controversy, confusion, and uncertainty. And yet, at the same it's a day with confidence, clarity, and hope. It's another sunny day in Yuma with clouds spattering the sky and only a light breeze that is bringing lower than usual temperature to our "neighborhood". With another busy week behind us, we're taking a somewhat leisurely look at the day basking in the afterglow of amazing services Sunday and a huge bundle of blessings having recently been poured out on us by the Lord.
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST:
Before we get started, please PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! FOR UKRAINE: I SO hope you are praying about the situation in Ukraine. We invested a number of years in that amazing country that is filled to the brim with wonderful and hardy people -- many of whom changed our lives. They are scattered from east to west, from the Russian border to the Polish border. But, they are planted most securely in the center of our hearts.
Intercessors For America (IFA.org) compiled this prayer guide as a way of helping Christians around the world to pray for the Ukrainians, the believers and churches and ministries there, and the need for a peaceful blood-free resolution to the threatened attack.
Pro-Russian separatists have remained in large numbers in eastern Ukraine and have initiated ongoing battles with pro-Ukrainian fighters on an almost daily basis since Russia annexed Crimea and tried to do the same thing with Donetsk and Lugansk regions (states) in 2014. It is Ukraine's longest war, lasting eight years and carried out by proxy by pro-Russian sympathizers.
Thousands have died, including several pastors and missionaries who chose to remain in order to serve the people. Thousands of people have fled the region and are now living in central and western Ukraine (or other countries) as refugees.
Go to https://www.ifapray.org/promo/ukraine-pg/?fbclid=IwAR0aqZsM-6SPKO1AlafOuWa6HEeUlSYO0BZnVvVUBFssUpMYGVt132zoUXQ . Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in your praying. Pray passionately, pray with a broken heart, pray courageously, and pray with victory in mind.
MOVING ON:
Samuel Rutherford was a 17th Century Scottish Presbyterian theologian, writer, and pastor. It was 386 years ago this past Sunday, February 20, 1636, that Archbishop Laud, the head of the Church of England and who controlled the established churches of Britain, exiled Rutherford to Aberdeen in retaliation for the publication of his book, Apology of Divine Grace. Rutherford's writings were a lesser known major influence on our founding fathers as they crafted the form of government they envisioned and sculpted our U.S. Constitution as the basis for its form. Many believe his writings were as significant to the shaping of our national founding as were William Blackstone, Montesquieu, and John Locke.
In fact, British Particular Baptist pastor, Charles Spurgeon said of Rutherford's writings, "When we are dead and gone, let the world know that Spurgeon held Rutherford's letters to be the nearest thing to inspiration which can be found in all the writings of mere man."
Rutherford's skill as a wordsmith was exceptional, and he is known for many poignant, pithy, and especially applicable quotations. Some of them seem to fit into the current climate of our own culture, and are especially significant to the current theme of this series. As we draw near its conclusion, Rutherford's quotes seem to be especially appropriate. In dealing with the clear evidence that the return of Christ could happen at any moment, we have been considering Peter's penetrating question to the First Century Christians, . . .
". . . what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, . . . ?" (II Pet 3:11b-12a).
Following our look at Jesus' predictions of the "last days" (Luke 21), we looked at the prediction of a great world-wide "Shaking" as described in Hebrews 12:18-29 in which I tried to identify why the shaking was necessary and what God was going to shake -- in fact, what He has already begun to shake:
1. Every society resting on godless values.
2. Every system set toward godless purposes.
3. Every structure depending on godless resources.
Following that, we began looking at five individual principles of life that will be necessary in order for us to not only survive, but also to thrive joyously and victoriously during the times of shaking which we might personally experience. So far, we've considered the first three:
1. Live with Conviction, not Compromise. (#1274 -- 1/17/22)
2. See with Clarity, not Confusion. (#1276 -- 1/31/22)
3. Act with Courage, not Cowardice. (#1277 -- 2/7/22)
Following an addendum to the third one and addressing the issue of obedience and disobedience, we now come to the fourth of the five principles by which we must live -- Live with Consistency, not Contradictions. I do not think it is mere coincidence that I began writing today's letter on the day that I ran across a brief article on ChristianHistory.com website pointing out Samuel Rutherford's exile.
To read something of Rutherford's life brings vivid pictures to mind of that traditional rough, craggy, strong-willed Scot we see in old movies.It appears that Rutherford was that kind of man. Depending on who you read, he was not a "squeaky-clean" man -- nor did he pretend to be. He was controversial in his own day, and remains the same even today, to say the least. So, in a way, perhaps Rutherford illustrates both sides of today's letter ---- both living with consistence and yet battling with inconsistency. To me, this is what makes many of his quotes and his writings so appropriate. And, we'll address the battle between the two right after you consider . . .
THIS 'N' THAT:
+ Harvesting Body Parts in China: If you know anything about Tony Perkins, founder and President of Family Research Council, and highly respected in the media and political circles, you know he never puts out a report unless it has been unequivocally proven to be true. So, this should make your blood boil just as surely as it is going to turn your stomach. I doubt that you can read this without a gasp, a gulp, or a gag. And to think that America does business with this country, sends our athletes to participate in the Olympics, major sports corporations and big tech moguls do business with them, and some of our top politicians have played "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" economic and political games, and pro athletes are compensated by them, . . . It all makes you wonder just what has our nation come to!!! But, of course, we already know. For the horrific story, go to https://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WA22B36&f=WU22B12&utm_medium=email&utm_source=washingtonupdate&utm_campaign=wa22b36
+ A Good Word at Just The Right Time: Ran across this touching video clip that reminds us to be sensitive to the Spirit's leading. We may have a good word that would come at just the right time to someone who needs to be encouraged, prayed for, or thanked. I think maybe I need to share it with you. Check the story out at https://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=EB0CEJNU&utm_source=GodTube%20Must-See%20(PD)&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=02/19/2022&utm_source=GodTube%20Must-See%20Video&utm_campaign=GodTube%20Must-See%20Video&utm_medium=email&utm_content=6077584&recip=521085018&aps=ee6ee118c65d61227d7de5c8fd96ff3df9e60ff816177dd8e91327686af0d297
+ A Forgotten Favorite: 386 years ago Sunday, February 20, 1636, a man who greatly influenced our founding fathers was exiled to Aberdeen, Scotland by the King of England for preaching on too strongly on God's grace. When he published his Apology on Divine Grace, Samuel Rutherford crossed the line with the British king. Charles Spurgeon thought highly of Rutherford as one of the premier preachers and writers, stating, "When we are dead and gone, let the world know that Spurgeon held Rutherford's letters to be the nearest thing to inspiration which can be found in all the writings of mere man." Read a brief thumbnail sketch of the event at https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1601-1700/rutherford-exiled-for-publishing-11630092.html?utm_source=This%20Week%20in%20Christian%20History%20&utm_campaign=This%20Week%20in%20Church%20History%20-%20Christianity.com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=6073273&recip=521085018&aps=ee6ee118c65d61227d7de5c8fd96ff3df9e60ff816177dd8e91327686af0d297
+ Ten Hollywood Celebrities You May Not Have Known Were Christians: Here are some links about famous entertainers who may may not have known were followers of Christ. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3He1aU0x24. Also check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJm0Bx1LYWU, along with
QUOTES FOR THE WEEK: (Featuring Scottish theologian Samuel Rutherford -- 1600-1661)
> “Believe God's word and power more than you believe your own feelings and experiences. Your Rock is Christ, and it is not the Rock which ebbs and flows, but [rather] your sea.” -- Samuel Rutherford
> “Whenever I find myself in the cellar of affliction, I always look about for the wine.” -- Samuel Rutherford
>
"Duties are ours, and events are the Lord's." -- Samuel Rutherford> "It is not for us to set an hourglass to the Creator of time."
-- Samuel Rutherford> “Your heart is not the compass that God steers by.” -- Samuel Rutherford
> “Faint not; the miles to heaven are but few and short.” -- Samuel Rutherford
> “[S]how yourself a Christian, by suffering without murmuring; - in patience possess your soul: they lose nothing who gain Christ.” -- Samuel Rutherford, A
> “Oh thrice fools are we who like new-born princes weeping in the cradle know not that there is a kingdom before them. Then let our Lord's sweet hand square us and hammer us and strike off the knots of pride self-love and world-worship and infidelity that He may make us stones and pillars in His Father's house.” -- Samuel Rutherford
> ". . . when you are come to the other side of the water, and set down your foot on the shore of glorious eternity, and look back to the water and to your wearisome journey, and shall see in that clear glass of endless glory nearer to the bottom of God's wisdom, you shall then be forced to say, "If God had done otherwise with me than He hath done, I had never come to the enjoying of this crown of glory.” -- Samuel Rutherford
> “The figure of the passing-away world, 1 Cor. vii. 31. is like an old man's face, full of wrinkles, and foul with weeping: we are waiting when Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, and shall come and wipe the old man's face.” -- Samuel Rutherford
THE SERIOUSNESS OF CONSISTENCY:
The Epistle of Jude is the fifth shortest book in the Bible, consisting of only a single chapter containing 25 verses, most of them very short. In the original Greek language in which it was first penned, it has only 461 words (III John is the shortest with a mere 219 words, followed by II John with 245 words, Philemon and then Obadiah in Hebrew). Yet, it is filled with rich instruction, particularly about remaining consistent and persevering in the middle of a rapidly changing world. While I'm not going to dissect the book itself, it is the foundation upon which my thoughts will rest today, though there are numerous other scriptures equally appropriate.
Jude was the half-brother of Jesus, as was James who became the pastor of the Church in Jerusalem. He identifies himself as “a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James” in the first verse of his letter. That's quite a turn-around from his earlier opinion of Jesus, because neither he nor his brothers believed at first that Jesus was truly the Messiah (Jn 7:3-5). In fact, at one point, they and Mary actually waited outside the place where Jesus was teaching so they could bring Him home with them (Matt 12:46-47). The implication is that they were acting something like a press secretary to a president when he says something that is either controversial, unanswerable, or totally "off the wall".
The Gospel writer, Mark, recounts the event indicating that they wanted “to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind’” (Mark 3:21). Most Bible scholars tend to believe that it was not until after the resurrection of Jesus that both Jude and James came to acknowledge that Jesus was indeed the Son of God and the promised Redeemer. Maybe this is why Jude never identifies himself as “the brother of the Messiah” but rather as “a servant of Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:1).
Even though Jude was never identified as one of the original twelve apostles, -- and this is one reason to believe he didn't become a true believer until after He saw Jesus risen from the dead -- he was still a major leader in the early church. Jude, and his brother James, shows us that simple familiarity with Jesus is not sufficient to save us. They, along with other siblings, actually lived in the same household for decades with the Son of God and still did not believe in Him. They knew about Him, but they did not know Him.
This is also true for many professing Christians today. There's a vast difference between true Commitment and Cultural Christianity. Cultural Christianity clearly places people in close proximity to the truth, but many have not allowed that truth to lead them to true commitment. The writer of Hebrews points out the difference in Chapter six just as clearly as Jesus did when He said, "Not everyone who calls me Lord will enter the Kingdom" (Mt 7:21).
Jude tends to point this out. When you read his short letter, you see two themes that were very important to him ---- 1) remain true to Christ and never abandon the faith or turn to false teachers (Jude 1:3-4,12-13), and 2) remain faithful in one's life in light of all the hardship, persecution, and setbacks (Jude 1:20-23).
Here's part of what Jude wrote: . . .
"But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, 'In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.' These [the mockers] are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.
"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
"And have mercy on some who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jude 1:17-25)
The conclusion of the book remains one of my favorites in the entire Bible -- From "Shaky Stumbling" to "Secure Standing!" He is able!
I can picture Jude's exhortation in my mind. He insists that it is Jesus Himself who can create such consistency in one's life that "stumbling" or "falling down" (as opposed to "falling away") can be avoided. Not only is that true, but Jesus will take the responsibility of keeping us standing on our feet "in the presence of His glory" in an entire state of blamelessness and filled with overflowing joy.
Try to picture what Jesus has in mind for us!
1. He can keep us from tripping up and falling down.
2. He will keep us so secure that we cannot ever fall away.
3. He will cause us to stand one day in the presence of His glory, -- not ours!
4. When we do, we do so totally blameless -- not a thing for which we can or will be blamed.
5. And those realities will overwhelm us with abundant joy that propels us to give Him and Him alone all glory, majesty, rule, and authority.
When I think of "stumbling", I always remember an experience I had when I was about four years old. Living in the steel mill city of Granite City, IL, where my father pastored a church, he loved taking my mother across the Mississippi River to downtown St. Louis for a rare treat of "window shopping" at the numerous department stores. We always ended the excursion by going up to the third floor of Famous and Barr Department store to eat chop suey.
On the way to the restaurant, my mother said, as we waited for the traffic light to change, "Let me take your hand." Instead, I insisted that I take hers. Gripping only two of her fingers, we stepped off the curb -- and down I went! Brushing away my tears and dabbing the blood from my skinned chin, she said, "See; I told you to let me take your hand. You can't squeeze tight enough and your hand is too small to take mine."
You get the picture, I'm sure. This is a big problem with lots of people. They think their own grip is strong enough to "hang on to Jesus!" and don't realize that the thing that gives security -- eternal security -- is Jesus' grip on us, and not our grip on Him. His grip is adequate to not only keep us in His grip, but also to keep us from "stumbling" or "falling down" -- but NEVER "falling away". "Falling away" (another subject for another time) happens only to those who never truly believed in the first place (see Heb 6). "Falling down" is about those believers who had not yet developed adequate consistency to daily trust Christ for every need in every situation. But, the time would come when they will.
No wonder Jude was so adamant about giving Christ such honor, glory, and praise. Jesus helps us not "stumble" and also enables us to "stand".
Sadly, we don't know much about Jude and what happened to him. However, there are three passages that give us a little insight. The first is found in Matthew's Gospel. Matthew states, . . .
"He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, 'Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? (That is, Jude) And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?' And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household." (Matt 13:54-57; see also Mk 6:3).
From this we know that Jesus' family -- including Jude -- grew up in the town of Nazareth, and apparently he and the rest of Jesus' siblings didn't hold the same opinion about Jesus that Mary and Joseph did. Clearly they were "not on the same page" at that time as to who Jesus was. And the fact that Jesus was so different that even His family members other than Mary and Joseph, Jude included, were not believers -- yet.
A second scripture seems to verify this fact. John records an event when it seems Jesus' brothers, including Jude, even questioned His "Jewishness", and certainly didn't believe Him -- not even the evidence of His miracles.
"After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near.
"Therefore His brothers said to Him, 'Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.' For not even His brothers were believing in Him." (John 7:1-5).
This is truly amazing, and it gives us further insight into Jude and how dramatically he later changed. It appears that they were so opposed to what Jesus was doing and teaching, and didn't believe He was Who He claimed to be, that they even scorned Him. They even went so far as to taunt Him and tell Him to go where they knew people were looking for Him to kill Him.
Then, finally, there is a tiny comment by Paul as he defends his own ministry to the Corinthians in his first letter to them. It reads, . . .
"Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working?" (I Cor 9:1-6)
By the time Paul wrote I Corinthians to the new believers in Corinth, it was apparently a known and assumed fact that Jude, James, and perhaps others of Jesus' earthly siblings were traveling around proclaiming the Gospel along with Peter (Cephas) and all the other eleven apostles. Early Church fathers have pointed out in extra-biblical literature that Jude's grandsons preached throughout Palestine, so perhaps we can conclude the same for Jude. Other traditions indicate that Jude not only preached throughout the immediate area, but also may have gone into Syria and as far east as Mesopotamia and west as Libya.
Can you see the contrast between Jude before the resurrection of Christ and Jude after? It is truly remarkable. I just wish we could know more about Jude, because whatever happened, Jude came to learn the significance of being totally committed to Christ and living a consistent life as a Christian.
Clearly the necessity of living consistently as a believer was of utmost importance to him.Perhaps it was because he at first totally rejected Jesus' claim and knew the life of a skeptic and unbeliever firsthand. And, while we find no written account, we can assume that as Jesus continued teaching and performing miracles, Jude probably found himself oscillating back and forth -- "Yes, He did; no He didn't! Yes, He IS; no, He ISN'T!" -- about his step-brother. It may be that he was even like others -- such as some of Jesus' closest disciples who even waffled back and forth following Jesus' resurrection -- until he was able to see with his own eyes.
We have no account that Jude actually saw Jesus after the resurrection, but we can easily surmise that it was probably after those 500+ who saw Him after he was raised from the dead (I Cor 15:5-8). In fact, Paul even described the sequence in which Jesus appeared to His disciples following the resurrection -- first, to Peter, then to the other disciples, then to over 500 at the same time, -- and THEN to James, possibly around which time He may have appeared to Jude.
At best, we can safely speculate that Jude was a late believer. It could be that it was his own skepticism and cynicism that motivated Jude to make a strong and heavy case for being a consistent follower of Christ. There was no place for oscillating or for being hypocritical in one's commitment to Christ. The world is full of such people today -- true believers who live more by circumstances and feelings than by faith, and those who profess to be Christ's followers but will certainly "fall away" because while they may have seen and tasted of Christ's reality, they never truly believed. This "falling away" is one of the indicators of Christ's soon return to bring out and up His true followers, gathering the "wheat" and leaving the "chaff".
So, with this background -- probably too much -- let's deal with the real topic at hand, namely, . . .
THE SAVAGERY OF INCONSISTENCY:
Inconsistency in the lives of Christians is one of the most harmful things that can come against unbelievers. It doesn't take long for them to see that there is often a glaring mismatch between the "talk" and the "walk". One of the most tragic statements ever made regarding the "talk/walk" inconsistency is that of Mahat-ma Ghandi about his own journey of faith: “I considered becoming a Christian until I met one. If it weren’t for Christians, I’d be one.”
This aversion seems to have stemmed from experiences he had as a young man. He wrote in his autobiography that he had been taught to respect all religions, but said, . . .
"Christianity at that time was an exception. In those days Christian missionaries used to stand in a corner near the high school and hold forth, pouring abuse on Hindus and their Gods. I could not endure this. I must have stood there only once but that was enough to dissuade me from repeating the experiment. About the same time, I heard of a well known Hindu having been converted to Christianity. It was the talk of the town that when he was baptized he had to eat beef and drink liquor, change his clothes and thenceforth go about in English costume including a hat. I also heard that the new convert had begun abusing the religion of his ancestors, their customs and their country. All these things created in me a dislike for Christianity." -- (An Autobiography or The Story of My Experiments with Truth, 1927, Ahmedabad: Navjivan Publishing House, p. 22-23)
Obviously it was inconsistencies and hypocrisy that he saw in the lives of Christians that turned him against the Christian faith. Later in life, however, Ghandi developed a much more favorable attitude toward Christianity and the person of Christ. After the 1931 Round Table Conference in London on his way back to India, he stopped in Rome where he visited St. Peters Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, where he saw a painting of the crucified Christ. Later he wrote of the experience, saying, . . .
"What would not I have given to be able to bow my head before the living image of Christ crucified. I saw there at once that nations like individuals could only be made through the agony of the cross and in no other way. Joy comes not out of infliction of pain on others but out of pain voluntarily borne by oneself." (Gandhi, MJK, My Religion, 1995, p. 25).
Actually, Ghandi's view of Christianity and Jesus Christ is very complex. If you'd like to further explore his attitude toward Christ, you might want to check out https://www.mkgandhi.org/articles/gandhi_christ.html.
You and I both most certainly have memories that haunt us of inconsistencies in the lives of Christians -- even in our own. They may even sometimes anger us. And, it is even possible that we personally remember inconsistencies that condemn us. We're both probably like Paul as he explained it to the believers in Rome. I especially like the honesty of it in the Living Bible:
"15 I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can’t. I do what I don’t want to—what I hate. 16 I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience proves that I agree with these laws I am breaking. 17 But I can’t help myself because I’m no longer doing it. It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do these evil things.
18 I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn I can’t make myself do right. I want to but I can’t. 19 When I want to do good, I don’t; and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. 20 Now if I am doing what I don’t want to, it is plain where the trouble is: sin still has me in its evil grasp.
21 It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love to do God’s will so far as my new nature is concerned; 23-25 but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God’s willing servant, but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin.
So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible predicament I’m in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature? Thank God! It has been done[c] by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free. So, there is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 For the power of the life-giving Spirit—and this power is mine through Christ Jesus—has freed me from the vicious circle of sin and death." (Rom 7:15-8:3)
How, then, does all this relate to me . . . and you . . . and many other Christians?
Often, we are tempted to compromise, take short-cuts, or abandon the truth of God’s Word and His standard of conduct. It is far too easy to give in to the very things of this world of which we are commanded to never love (I Jn 2:15-17) –
"Lust of the flesh" -- Do something apart from God.
"Lust of the eye" -- Have something apart from God.
"Pride of Life" -- Be somebody apart from God.
All of it is temporary and inevitably will disappear and end.
As Christians, we are called to live at a higher standard – not only in terms of durability, but also in terms of integrity. It’s a standard we can’t attain ourselves, but are nonetheless commanded to maintain – a life of godly consistency. We are not only to become faithful Christians, but we are also to behave as faithful Christians. Often in the New Testament we are confronted with how we are to live. For example, . . .
> Jas_3:13 -- “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.”
> I Pet 1:15 “. . . but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; . . “
> I Pet 2:12 “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles [unbelievers], so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
> Matt 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth; . . . . “You are the light of the world. . . Let your light so shine before men. . . .”
When we fail to live lives that are consistent -- not sinless or perfect, but at least consistent -- we compromise our own Christian character and integrity, and we pave the way with hypocrisy and pretense for others who are either trying to live consistently or who are considering Christ to become their personal savior and Lord.
THE SCOPE OF CONSISTENCY:
As we try to faithfully endure the many "shakings" that God is allowing to surround our lives, the need for consistency to overpower contradictory living is supreme. It should cover every faced of who we are, what we have, where we go, how we behave, and what we do. We are prone to compartmentalize our lives much like the culture in many parts of the Oriental world. Everything is in its own little box, and what's in one box has no impact on what's in the other boxes. This is the mindset of many parts of the East. For now, at least, let me point to five areas where we must learn to be consistent and not contradictory:
I. Be Consistent In Your Work: -- The Bible has much to say about work, and particularly the work of Christians. For example, . . .
1. Work is a gift from God. -- “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15).
2. It is man's sin and rebellion against God that makes work often hard and undesirable -- "Then to Adam He said, 'Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, *You shall not eat from it*; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return." -- Gen 3:17-19).
3. Work has been part of God’s plan for humanity from the beginning. He created it. So, the act of working is to be seen as a gift, love your job or not.
4. Those who are able to work should do so. The Bible has much to say about work and its counterpart, laziness. Example: -- “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living” (II Thess. 3:10-12).
In writing about this passage, Billy Graham wrote, “Please note that this wasn’t spoken to people who couldn’t find jobs. This was instead directed at people who had every opportunity to work—but refused to do so.”
5. Do your best to find the job and do the work to which God directs you. Your job, then, becomes your specific mission field to which God has sent you. This may come as a surprise to you, but look at your job -- whether present or future -- as being His calling you to that job, not for the purpose of having a vocation or of making money, but rather as a means of sharing the Gospel, ministering to people, and telling your story of how He has changed your life. The Psalmist wrote, “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, & establish the work of our hands upon us;..” (Ps 90:17).
7. Work like God is your immediate superior in your job and you work for Him. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (Col 3:23-24). Don't take your job lightly. It is God's gift to you.
In fact, the Bible says to strive for excellence in your work, whatever it is and whatever you do. Laziness and slackness -- that is, not doing the very best you can -- is comparable to being someone who is destructive. “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.” (Prov 18:9).
8. Work hard in order to set realistic goals and make good effective plans. Solomon, the wisest man to have ever lived understood this principle. In fact, he went on to tell us that when we work in order to please and honor God, the plans we make will be far more reliable and fruitful. He wrote, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” (Prov 16:3)
9. Even if you don't like your job, work hard at it as to the Lord. All Christians are ultimately working for the Lord. Whether you’re delivering mail, repairing automobiles, creating computer programs, making peanut butter sandwiches for little ones, typing emails in a cubicle, or scrubbing toilets, your hard work brings glory to God. Paul wrote, “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (I Cor 10:31).
10. Take time to rest. The fourth commandment says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates” (Exod 20:8-10).
You may not realize this, but the "Sabbath" never changed between the Old and New Testaments. But, when you combine the teachings of Sabbath and worship, you actually end up with two days -- a day of rest, and a day of worship. We need a day of rest to honor God and His creation. We need a day set aside just for worship to honor the Resurrection of Christ. I grew up being taught that Sunday was both -- a day of worship, and a day of rest.
What I've found as a preacher is that Sundays are usually anything but a day of rest -- and rightly so. So, I do everything possible to keep my Saturdays clear of everything possible so I am rested up mentally, physically, and spiritually in preparation for Sunday services. We've missed out on many good concerts, dinners, and parties because of that, but we've never regretted trying to maintain that discipline.
Sadly, our current culture blatantly ignores this commandment, but God sees it as still very important. Just as God created work, He also created rest. He never meant for His people to be workaholics.
II. Be Consistent in Your Words: -- Words have power! Nothing is more powerful than words. Words are the audible or written expression of a person's thoughts, ideas, plans, intended actions, -- and even his character and nature. Jesus' step-brother and first pastor of the Church in Jerusalem said, “. . . from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. . . .” (James 3:10) He described words (the tongue) as being a rudder that guides a ship and a fire that either warms or destroys.
Words can be either constructive or destructive. Years ago I decided to examine all the miracles of Jesus recorded in the Bible and was stunned to realize that of some 62 references to one of His miracles, He actually spoke the miracle in every case except two, both of which related to giving sight to the blind and both spoke and touched. That tells me just how serious it is for us who follow Him to use our words wisely and with consistency.
If you were to do a search of the Bible for every reference made to our speech, our conversation, and the use and abuse of the tongue, you'd discover that it is dealt with more than any other single subject in the Bible -- even far more than salvation, heaven, hell, worship, prayer, reading the Bible or witnessing. So, it must be pretty important. Here are some quick thoughts to help you be consistent in the way you talk.
1. Words reveal your character. What we say reveals who we really are. “The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice, the tongue that deceives will be cut off.” (Prov 10:31).
2. What you say reveals not only what's on your mind, but also what's in your heart. Someone once said, "When one who thinks himself to be a wit opens his mouth, he soon finds that he is only half right." Another person quipped, "If you question whether or not a person is a fool, let him open his mouth, and he will remove all doubt."
Scripture is clear to us that the condition of our heart -- morally, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually -- is revealed by what we say. ""The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart." (Lk 6:45).
3. We should always speak in ways that will please God and bring honor to His good name. Whatever we say -- all the time, and in whatever circumstance we may find ourselves -- should be acceptable to God. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Ps 19:14). If what we say is not acceptable to God, then it should not be acceptable to us. That should be a standing rule, and we should never compromise it. NEVER!
4. We must never talk in any way that is derogatory or destructive of either our own character and reputation or the well being of others. I will never forget the moment in 1972 during my second pastorate when the Holy Spirit convicted me of using the pulpit as a whipping post against the members of the church I pastored. I had become frustrated over inconsistencies and unfaithfulness that I saw in the congregation of some 760 members, and began lashing out at them.
I had forgotten my father's counsel -- "Never take out on the faithful who come your frustration over those who don't. Don't take your anger over those doing nothing out on those who do everything."
That was the moment when the Holy Spirit burned deep into my soul, like a branding iron burning deep into the flesh of a steer, these words. "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." (Eph 4:29). For the past 50 years I've done my best to keep that commandment.
I make every effort to never criticize anyone or by cynical in my remarks, never use foul or abusive language, never gossip about one person to another, never tell shady stories or jokes, or publicly put down or demean a person, denomination, church, or other religion. And I try my best to do the same thing in matters regarding politics, sports, education, news media, the all other areas -- even though it is incredibly difficult to do so at times. And when I need to say something that is negative in nature, I make every effort to approach it objectively and factually -- and always in a loving way.
5. It's very smart to watch your talk and maintain consistency. Guarding your talk and trying to be consistent in the way you speak is actually not only practical, but it serves as a preservative both for your character and your reputation. Reputation is what people think about you. Character is what you really are. This scripture will help in that area. “The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” (Prov 13:3).
6. When we speak, it should always be truthful and honest, and never contaminate it with distortions or lies. While people living by the world's standards can say they "misspoke" or were "partly truthful", there is no room for that in the life of a Christian. If you make a promise, keep it at all cost. If you can't, at least have the courtesy to explain why. Never lie under any circumstance. Don't try to beat around the bush. To mix truth with deception is not only wrong, but it is utterly evil in God's eyes. The Bible unequivocally says, ". . . let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil."
7. Finally, it is important to take specific and intentional steps to develop consistency in the ways, the reasons, and the occasions in which we speak -- or write. Nothing is more important to a Christian than to be sure his talk and his walk match. As someone has well said, "If you're going to talk the talk, then walk the walk." We could also say, "If you're going to walk the walk, then talk the talk that matches the walk."
The best way is to ask someone to constantly monitor your conversation. It needs to be someone better at it than you are. Hmmmmm . . . . why not ask God to do that for you? He will, you know. “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Ps 141:3).
FINALLY:
Well, I've gone on and on far too long, and there are still three other areas of life in which we need to live consistently -- our walk, our wealth, and our watch.
So, I'll cover those in my next letter.
In the meantime, my friend, -- let consistency be your end game. Don't be like a reed bending whichever way the wind moves you. Don't just "go with the flow" because it's convenient. Don't compromise or acquiesce for the sake of convenience. Stand your ground with grace. Be consistent in your work -- hobbies, church projects, community needs, family life, etc. -- and be consistent in your words.
I don't know of anything that will do more to establish your integrity in the eyes of others than when you do your best in work and speak your words with kindness and courtesy in every conversation.
Praying that you find success in developing consistency in those areas this week. we'll continue this discussion next week.
In His Bond, By His Grace, and for His Kingdom,
Bob Tolliver -- Romans 1:11
"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness,
examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." -- Dr. Luke (Acts 17:11)
"A fire kept burning on the hearthstone of my heart, and I took up the burden of the day with fresh courage and hope." -- Charles F. McKoy
Life Unlimited Ministries
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Copyright February, 2022
"If Jesus had preached the same message that many ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified." -- Leonard Ravenhill
"The time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the Church will have clowns entertaining the goats." -- Charles H. Spurgeon
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