We have three little boys who all share one room. That means that not only do all three sleep there, but there are also three dressers and clothes for three boys all in one room. The two oldest ones are just learning how to dress themselves, so as they search for clothes, they can often create a lot of disarray. Further they often drag things into their room that don’t belong there. Lets face it, the nursery becomes a mess.
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Well, my wife decided to tackle that mess. She put everything back in its place and the nursery once again looked neat and orderly. In the process though, she took aome things that did not belong there and temporarily moved them to the dining room until they could be sorted. Because the dining room was now a mess, I did not even notice how nice the nursery looked.
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My wife had worked hard and had gotten the nursery really nice, but because that mess had simply been transferred to another room, her hard work went largely unnoticed.
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Man often does the same sort of thing with sin. We might gain victory in one area, simply to realize that other sins have gotten worse. We then clean up those areas and find the first area is dirty again. Suddenly we realize that the battle against sin is like trying to keep every last leaf out of our yard in the fall while the wind in blowing.
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The apostle Paul understood that struggle when he wrote in Romans 7:15, “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” He is admitting that he ends up doing some of the things that he preaches against and ends up sinning even though he hates sin. The passage continues as the Apostle shares very personal thoughts about his inward struggle with sin. You can almost feel his frustration as you read his writing. I know I feel it myself as I examine my own life and my struggles with the sin nature.
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After understanding that apostles and pastors still struggle with sin, what kind of hope do any of us have? Paul himself seemed to ask that same question before answering it himself. “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24) The answer comes in the very next chapter of Romans as he finally writes: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)
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The point is, we cannot be sinless. Our only hope is in Christ, and as we trust Him and walk in His Spirit, we no longer have to worry about condemnation even though we are sinners. Of course Paul was not saying that this gives us license to sin. Consider his earlier clarification on this, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2)
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God’s grace is not an excuse to sin, but it is a wonderful hope to all of us as we inevitably fall into sin even after we have trusted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. As we walk in submission to the Spirit of God, let us remember the wonderful hope of His grace. “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” (Romans 5:20)
Friday, April 8, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
How to Finance God’s Work
Palm Sunday is just a few weeks away. As Jesus came to Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday, many believed that He was riding into the capital city to set up His Kingdom and to reign as a king. They likely expected Him to drive the Romans out, but instead He went to the Temple and drove out those who bought and sold. As He did so, He quoted part of Isaiah 56:7, “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.”
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Notice that God had said in Isaiah that the Temple would be a house of prayer for all people. The context of Isaiah 56:7 is that the stranger- the Gentile/non-Jew, would have the joy of praying and worshipping in the Temple. There was actually a special court set apart in the Temple just for the Gentiles. It is believed that this court was the place where the moneychangers and sellers of animals had set up shop.
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Imagine a Gentile traveling from a far country to worship the true God coming into the Temple. He would find the place that was to be set apart for him to pray looking like crazy days on Main Street. No wonder Jesus drove out those who bought and sold.
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I was recently asked how churches justify fundraising activities in their building in light of what Jesus did in the Temple. Since we do not do fundraisers (bakes sales, raffles, etc) I hesitate to say how others justify it, but let me point out that the church building is not the same as the Old Testament Temple. Since the cross of Christ, we no longer have to bring burnt offerings and sacrifices to God’s special house of prayer.
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Some believe that our modern church buildings have actually replaced the Temple but it is actually the believer’s human body that is now God’s special dwelling place. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16)
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The church building is definitely different than the temple, but this brings up another issue. How should the church be financed? Paul said that on the first day of the week (Sunday) God’s people should bring in an offering based on what they had earned throughout the week. “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” (I Corinthians 16:2). If Christians would faithfully and consistently bring in a portion of what they earned then the church wouldn‘t need to fundraise. (10% is the literal definition of the word “tithe” and offerings are above that). Malachi 3:8 says, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.”
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Consider the classic bake sale. After you figure the time and ingredients for the cake, is the church really making much more than if the baker had just given her money? As I consider that many look at these activities for their social, rather than monetary value, let us be reminded that tithes and offerings have effectively financed God’s work for thousands of years. We need not be dependant on fundraisers.
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Notice that God had said in Isaiah that the Temple would be a house of prayer for all people. The context of Isaiah 56:7 is that the stranger- the Gentile/non-Jew, would have the joy of praying and worshipping in the Temple. There was actually a special court set apart in the Temple just for the Gentiles. It is believed that this court was the place where the moneychangers and sellers of animals had set up shop.
-
Imagine a Gentile traveling from a far country to worship the true God coming into the Temple. He would find the place that was to be set apart for him to pray looking like crazy days on Main Street. No wonder Jesus drove out those who bought and sold.
-
I was recently asked how churches justify fundraising activities in their building in light of what Jesus did in the Temple. Since we do not do fundraisers (bakes sales, raffles, etc) I hesitate to say how others justify it, but let me point out that the church building is not the same as the Old Testament Temple. Since the cross of Christ, we no longer have to bring burnt offerings and sacrifices to God’s special house of prayer.
-
Some believe that our modern church buildings have actually replaced the Temple but it is actually the believer’s human body that is now God’s special dwelling place. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16)
-
The church building is definitely different than the temple, but this brings up another issue. How should the church be financed? Paul said that on the first day of the week (Sunday) God’s people should bring in an offering based on what they had earned throughout the week. “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” (I Corinthians 16:2). If Christians would faithfully and consistently bring in a portion of what they earned then the church wouldn‘t need to fundraise. (10% is the literal definition of the word “tithe” and offerings are above that). Malachi 3:8 says, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.”
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Consider the classic bake sale. After you figure the time and ingredients for the cake, is the church really making much more than if the baker had just given her money? As I consider that many look at these activities for their social, rather than monetary value, let us be reminded that tithes and offerings have effectively financed God’s work for thousands of years. We need not be dependant on fundraisers.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Making Decisions in Marriage
Ephesians 5:21 teaches mutual submission, yet the verses following teach that a wife is to submit to her husband. How can both be obeyed?
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I love to drive down roads I’ve never been on before. Often if we are not pressed for time, I will turn down a road that takes me in the direction I want to go, even though I have no idea where it goes.
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Often my wife is with me and if I ask her if she thinks it’s a good idea, she will say that she would have stayed on the main road. Even though she would prefer the main road, she calmly accepts my decision, understanding that I will take total responsibility if we get lost.
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My little driving excursions provide an illustration for a healthy marriage relationship. Ephesians 5 gives instruction to both husbands and wives. Wives are told that they are to submit to their husbands, and husbands are told that they are to love their wives. Some have balked at that teaching, claiming that it is overtly sexist.
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Though the teaching does deal with issues along gender lines, we should not think of it as oppressive. Within a husband and wife relationship decisions must be made. Since there are two people in the marriage the vote will either be 100% or split 50/50. This could present a huge problem, but in our marriage, I get the tie breaking vote because Ephesians 5:22 gives me that right.
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Now this is great for me, because I get to drive down any road I want to even if I don’t know where I’m going. For my wife, its really not that big of deal what road we go down unless she needs to get home quickly for something special she has planned.
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So what if I always exercised my right to cast the tie breaking vote, but never consulted my wife first? For example my wife may want to get home quickly because she is not feeling well. If I did not even allow her input before casting the tie breaking vote, I would not be aware of that. So what should I do with my tie breaking vote once I have that information? Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” As a loving husband, if I am to obey Ephesians 5:25, I must cast my tie breaking vote in her favor instead of mine in such a situation.
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In order for this to work, I also have to trust that my wife is telling the truth and not just lying about how she feels in order to get her way. You see, love and submission are not the only important elements in a relationship, there must also be trust and communication.
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Whenever an issue comes up where I must cast the tie breaking vote, we first communicate so that I have all the information that she has so that I can make a loving decision as I cast that vote. Then, my wife has the understanding that all the consequences of that decision will fall on my shoulders. That takes a lot of pressure off of her as she submits to the decision and it allows me to make the decision with love. My love does not mean that I always let her have her way nor does her submission mean I always decide to do what I want to do. In this way we are truly submitting one to another in the fear of God (Ephesians 5:21).
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“Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33)
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I love to drive down roads I’ve never been on before. Often if we are not pressed for time, I will turn down a road that takes me in the direction I want to go, even though I have no idea where it goes.
-
Often my wife is with me and if I ask her if she thinks it’s a good idea, she will say that she would have stayed on the main road. Even though she would prefer the main road, she calmly accepts my decision, understanding that I will take total responsibility if we get lost.
-
My little driving excursions provide an illustration for a healthy marriage relationship. Ephesians 5 gives instruction to both husbands and wives. Wives are told that they are to submit to their husbands, and husbands are told that they are to love their wives. Some have balked at that teaching, claiming that it is overtly sexist.
-
Though the teaching does deal with issues along gender lines, we should not think of it as oppressive. Within a husband and wife relationship decisions must be made. Since there are two people in the marriage the vote will either be 100% or split 50/50. This could present a huge problem, but in our marriage, I get the tie breaking vote because Ephesians 5:22 gives me that right.
-
Now this is great for me, because I get to drive down any road I want to even if I don’t know where I’m going. For my wife, its really not that big of deal what road we go down unless she needs to get home quickly for something special she has planned.
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So what if I always exercised my right to cast the tie breaking vote, but never consulted my wife first? For example my wife may want to get home quickly because she is not feeling well. If I did not even allow her input before casting the tie breaking vote, I would not be aware of that. So what should I do with my tie breaking vote once I have that information? Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” As a loving husband, if I am to obey Ephesians 5:25, I must cast my tie breaking vote in her favor instead of mine in such a situation.
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In order for this to work, I also have to trust that my wife is telling the truth and not just lying about how she feels in order to get her way. You see, love and submission are not the only important elements in a relationship, there must also be trust and communication.
-
Whenever an issue comes up where I must cast the tie breaking vote, we first communicate so that I have all the information that she has so that I can make a loving decision as I cast that vote. Then, my wife has the understanding that all the consequences of that decision will fall on my shoulders. That takes a lot of pressure off of her as she submits to the decision and it allows me to make the decision with love. My love does not mean that I always let her have her way nor does her submission mean I always decide to do what I want to do. In this way we are truly submitting one to another in the fear of God (Ephesians 5:21).
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“Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Proclaiming Christian Bias
I love science. It was in my high school science class that I learned to use pulleys to lift heavy objects. When I farmed I used the scientific research of others to determine the proper amounts of fertilizer to apply to the crops.
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Science is quite helpful, but I realize it has limits as well. Often a new product will come out that promotes higher yields, but I have my doubts. If I’m going to try it, I want independent data from someone other than the guy who is trying to sell it. The oil of a garter snake may or may not improve corn yield, but I want the data from the University, not the snake oil salesman.
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You see, I figure the salesman is too prone to bias. But what if I learned that the snake oil producers had all gotten together and given a donation to the University. Suddenly I would be suspect of their data as well.
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The issue is not that I mistrust science, it is that I mistrust the interpretation of data. I realize that it is impossible to keep bias out when coming to conclusions no matter how well intentioned a scientist may be.
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Actually this is true in any study, not just science. Our bias tends to direct our conclusions regardless of the data we are given. Now as a Christian who believes in the authority and accuracy of the Bible, I come to every issue with a bias toward the scripture. Now we may be inclined to think that all bias is bad, but if I were to try to ignore my scriptural bias, I would have to replace it with an anti-biblical bias. The point is that it is impossible to completely escape our biases.
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Since it is inevitable that I will have some sort of a bias anyway, I will make no apologies for agreeing with God on whatever issue comes up. By doing that I am actually putting my personal bias aside and simply agreeing with God. Not everyone agrees with God, but that doesn’t change the fact that He is right. “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” (Romans 3:3-4)
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If I depart from scripture, I let human bias get in the way. Yet, because I trust God, I have no fear that His Word is true, and I know that the position I hold will be justified in the end as long as it comes from Him.
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Some theologians have had such little faith in God’s Word that they rejected parts of it because the “scientific data” did not seem to support it. When we realize that bias affects all sorts of data, its not surprising that some would be able to come up with data that refutes the Bible. Lets face it, someone could come up with data to refute gravity. All you have to do is throw a ball in the air and ignore the data of it coming back down and you have given evidence that gravity doesn’t exist. So much of the data that “refutes” the Bible does just that sort of thing.
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It is not surprising that avowed atheists would stoop to such levels, but it should sadden us that even clergy would do the same. The Apostle Paul warned, “Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” (Acts 20:30) Let us not be disciples of man’s bias, but rather followers of God through His Word.
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Science is quite helpful, but I realize it has limits as well. Often a new product will come out that promotes higher yields, but I have my doubts. If I’m going to try it, I want independent data from someone other than the guy who is trying to sell it. The oil of a garter snake may or may not improve corn yield, but I want the data from the University, not the snake oil salesman.
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You see, I figure the salesman is too prone to bias. But what if I learned that the snake oil producers had all gotten together and given a donation to the University. Suddenly I would be suspect of their data as well.
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The issue is not that I mistrust science, it is that I mistrust the interpretation of data. I realize that it is impossible to keep bias out when coming to conclusions no matter how well intentioned a scientist may be.
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Actually this is true in any study, not just science. Our bias tends to direct our conclusions regardless of the data we are given. Now as a Christian who believes in the authority and accuracy of the Bible, I come to every issue with a bias toward the scripture. Now we may be inclined to think that all bias is bad, but if I were to try to ignore my scriptural bias, I would have to replace it with an anti-biblical bias. The point is that it is impossible to completely escape our biases.
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Since it is inevitable that I will have some sort of a bias anyway, I will make no apologies for agreeing with God on whatever issue comes up. By doing that I am actually putting my personal bias aside and simply agreeing with God. Not everyone agrees with God, but that doesn’t change the fact that He is right. “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” (Romans 3:3-4)
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If I depart from scripture, I let human bias get in the way. Yet, because I trust God, I have no fear that His Word is true, and I know that the position I hold will be justified in the end as long as it comes from Him.
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Some theologians have had such little faith in God’s Word that they rejected parts of it because the “scientific data” did not seem to support it. When we realize that bias affects all sorts of data, its not surprising that some would be able to come up with data that refutes the Bible. Lets face it, someone could come up with data to refute gravity. All you have to do is throw a ball in the air and ignore the data of it coming back down and you have given evidence that gravity doesn’t exist. So much of the data that “refutes” the Bible does just that sort of thing.
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It is not surprising that avowed atheists would stoop to such levels, but it should sadden us that even clergy would do the same. The Apostle Paul warned, “Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” (Acts 20:30) Let us not be disciples of man’s bias, but rather followers of God through His Word.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Faith for God’s Glory Not Mine
It is amazing how much courage we can come up with when we want to show off. I recall the time I was knee boarding behind a boat many years ago. I was much younger, more reckless, and more interested in preserving my pride than my health. One of my best friends was driving the boat when one of my other best friends said, “lets drown Jerry.”
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I could tell by the look on their faces that something was up. Soon the boat turned and headed for the wake it had just created. It was fun to jump that wake and show how “good” I was even though I really wasn’t all that “good.” Well, I had shown them that I could jump it without wiping out, so he went around again, this time hitting the double wake. I should have been thinking, “pride goes before a fall,” but instead I was thinking, “no guts no glory.” I should have just let go of the rope, but instead I crested a huge wave and landed right in front of another huge wave that caught the front of the knee board pulling it under water and putting me in a jackknife position.
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The first thing I did when I surfaced was to wiggle my toes to see if they still moved. By God’s grace they did, and after a few chiropractor visits I was alright. My friends felt really bad. They had expected that I would have just let go when I saw the big waves. They had not factored in my selfish pride.
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I fear that sometimes Christians take a similar approach to faith by confusing arrogant confidence with faithful courage. I recently heard of a pastor in a city of less than 3,000 in an area with declining population, suggesting that they should build a 70,000 seat auditorium. No doubt he had confidence, but is that the same as faith? Is it also possible that we could lack confidence and be afraid and still have faith?
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We have been studying Gideon on Sunday nights at First Baptist. He is a great example of a man who was not overly confident, and who was even scared at times, yet he was considered faithful. The book of Hebrews was written many years after Gideon, yet Hebrews 11:32 lists Gideon among those with faith.
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Gideon is such a wonderful example of faith, because he was not trusting in his own ability, but recognized that he could only have victory if God was there to help him. When he was told to go down to the enemy camp, he went even though he was afraid. You see faith is not about a lack of fear, it is about doing God’s will even when we are afraid.
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Going back to my kneeboard example, how many times don’t we go forward even when we are afraid because we think it will help us to look good? Just look at how many guys will do something scary to try to impress a cute girl. As Christians, we should have even more zeal to do things for God and His glory than we do for our own glory. We should go forward and serve Him and do what is right, even if it is scary.
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What if serving God did not improve your standing? What if doing right did not make you look better? Would you still do what God expected? As Christians we need to get out of the rut of being so focused on ourselves and our own improvement- our own pride- and focus instead on God’s glory and His will regardless of what it does for us personally.
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If you are serving God simply so you can look good, that isn’t courageous at all. But if you go forward and do what is right even if it is scary and no one notices, that is true faithfulness. Are you motivated by pride or faithfulness? Will you be found faithful?
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I could tell by the look on their faces that something was up. Soon the boat turned and headed for the wake it had just created. It was fun to jump that wake and show how “good” I was even though I really wasn’t all that “good.” Well, I had shown them that I could jump it without wiping out, so he went around again, this time hitting the double wake. I should have been thinking, “pride goes before a fall,” but instead I was thinking, “no guts no glory.” I should have just let go of the rope, but instead I crested a huge wave and landed right in front of another huge wave that caught the front of the knee board pulling it under water and putting me in a jackknife position.
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The first thing I did when I surfaced was to wiggle my toes to see if they still moved. By God’s grace they did, and after a few chiropractor visits I was alright. My friends felt really bad. They had expected that I would have just let go when I saw the big waves. They had not factored in my selfish pride.
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I fear that sometimes Christians take a similar approach to faith by confusing arrogant confidence with faithful courage. I recently heard of a pastor in a city of less than 3,000 in an area with declining population, suggesting that they should build a 70,000 seat auditorium. No doubt he had confidence, but is that the same as faith? Is it also possible that we could lack confidence and be afraid and still have faith?
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We have been studying Gideon on Sunday nights at First Baptist. He is a great example of a man who was not overly confident, and who was even scared at times, yet he was considered faithful. The book of Hebrews was written many years after Gideon, yet Hebrews 11:32 lists Gideon among those with faith.
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Gideon is such a wonderful example of faith, because he was not trusting in his own ability, but recognized that he could only have victory if God was there to help him. When he was told to go down to the enemy camp, he went even though he was afraid. You see faith is not about a lack of fear, it is about doing God’s will even when we are afraid.
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Going back to my kneeboard example, how many times don’t we go forward even when we are afraid because we think it will help us to look good? Just look at how many guys will do something scary to try to impress a cute girl. As Christians, we should have even more zeal to do things for God and His glory than we do for our own glory. We should go forward and serve Him and do what is right, even if it is scary.
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What if serving God did not improve your standing? What if doing right did not make you look better? Would you still do what God expected? As Christians we need to get out of the rut of being so focused on ourselves and our own improvement- our own pride- and focus instead on God’s glory and His will regardless of what it does for us personally.
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If you are serving God simply so you can look good, that isn’t courageous at all. But if you go forward and do what is right even if it is scary and no one notices, that is true faithfulness. Are you motivated by pride or faithfulness? Will you be found faithful?
Friday, January 28, 2011
Submission’s Humble Virtue
Our two oldest boys like candy. They really love the suckers that they are given at the bank. In fact, when I went online to check my account, once the picture of our local bank came on the computer screen, our toddler pointed and said “sucker.” He has already connected the bank with candy and really likes going there.
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As I am writing, my wife was getting ready to go to the new yarn shop open house and was talking about the coffee and cookies. That same little guy piped up, “coffee and treats!” If we did not restrict his diet, he would eat treats all day long.
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We don’t let him eat as much candy as he wants to. We place limits on our children. We expect them to obey those limits.
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Of course they would love to have their candy limit lifted, but are learning that Mom and Dad have to be obeyed even if that is not what they want. It is a good lesson, because some day they will have to obey others besides us. Once they get a job, they will have to obey their boss. Once they make money from that job, they will have to obey the government and pay taxes. There are many other laws that they will have to obey as well.
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As independent Americans, it is easy to forget that the Bible teaches that we must submit to those who are in authority. I Peter 2:13-18 instructs believers about submitting to the rules of government and those we work for. Youth are to submit to their elders (I Peter 5:5), wives to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22), believers to church leaders (Hebrews 13:17), children to parents (Ephesians 6:1), and all to God (James 4:7).
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Our submission to God must be the ruling authority for all other submission. What if an employer asks his employee to embezzle? What if a parent asks a child to lie? What if a husbands tells his wife she is not allowed to pray? What if a government orders a citizen to kill the innocent? What if a church leader uses authority to take advantage of a child or orders his followers to commit suicide? In these things and others like them, we ought to answer like the apostles: “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)
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Submission should never become an excuse for sin, but the teaching of submission must not be ignored either. We must realize that without submission there would be chaos. Romans 13:3-4 shows how submission brings stability.
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Some have balked at the idea of submission because they figure they are just as important as the person they are told they should submit to. The issue of submission is not an issue of worth. I see great worth in my little boys even though I expect them to obey. As I consider worth, no man who ever walked this earth was worth as much as the Lord Jesus Christ, yet even He submitted to His earthly parents (Luke 2:51).
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Submission is not an issue of worth, but of humility. Christ set the example of humility when He being God came to earth as a man (Philippians 2:3-8). Will we be humble enough to submit to others so that we might obey God and live a life of stability or will we be too proud to obey?
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As I am writing, my wife was getting ready to go to the new yarn shop open house and was talking about the coffee and cookies. That same little guy piped up, “coffee and treats!” If we did not restrict his diet, he would eat treats all day long.
-
We don’t let him eat as much candy as he wants to. We place limits on our children. We expect them to obey those limits.
-
Of course they would love to have their candy limit lifted, but are learning that Mom and Dad have to be obeyed even if that is not what they want. It is a good lesson, because some day they will have to obey others besides us. Once they get a job, they will have to obey their boss. Once they make money from that job, they will have to obey the government and pay taxes. There are many other laws that they will have to obey as well.
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As independent Americans, it is easy to forget that the Bible teaches that we must submit to those who are in authority. I Peter 2:13-18 instructs believers about submitting to the rules of government and those we work for. Youth are to submit to their elders (I Peter 5:5), wives to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22), believers to church leaders (Hebrews 13:17), children to parents (Ephesians 6:1), and all to God (James 4:7).
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Our submission to God must be the ruling authority for all other submission. What if an employer asks his employee to embezzle? What if a parent asks a child to lie? What if a husbands tells his wife she is not allowed to pray? What if a government orders a citizen to kill the innocent? What if a church leader uses authority to take advantage of a child or orders his followers to commit suicide? In these things and others like them, we ought to answer like the apostles: “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)
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Submission should never become an excuse for sin, but the teaching of submission must not be ignored either. We must realize that without submission there would be chaos. Romans 13:3-4 shows how submission brings stability.
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Some have balked at the idea of submission because they figure they are just as important as the person they are told they should submit to. The issue of submission is not an issue of worth. I see great worth in my little boys even though I expect them to obey. As I consider worth, no man who ever walked this earth was worth as much as the Lord Jesus Christ, yet even He submitted to His earthly parents (Luke 2:51).
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Submission is not an issue of worth, but of humility. Christ set the example of humility when He being God came to earth as a man (Philippians 2:3-8). Will we be humble enough to submit to others so that we might obey God and live a life of stability or will we be too proud to obey?
Friday, January 14, 2011
Lessons From a Baby’s Joy
Our little baby is starting to grow up. We got so excited when he rolled over for the first time and now he is able to scoot around and get wherever he wants to go. Since my office is right in the parsonage, he often ends up crawling under my desk and playing at my feet.
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As the rest of us were eating breakfast this morning, he was laying on the floor, happily exploring his surroundings. Suddenly our three year old exclaimed, “oh, oh, baby!” as he pointed at the little guy playing with the vacuum cleaner hose. Though the hose was harmless, it was connected to a handle that was leaning against the wall and could have hit him.
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I was quite pleased that our toddler saw the danger and warned of it. He has become quite the protector of his little brother when he is not sitting on him or trying to wrestle with him.
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In fact, when I told the baby, “no, no” as he started to crawl into the bathroom, his big brother again came to his aid- this time by grabbing his little feet and pulling him backwards into the living room. Ironically, the baby loved it. He smiled all the way, just as he often does when he is being sat on or wrestled with. As long as his brothers aren’t too rough with him, he loves the attention.
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As I began to reflect on our sons, I had to ask, “do I love God’s attention in the same way our baby loves the attention from his brothers?” Think of it this way, if God were to grab our feet and pull us away from trouble, would we be grateful for it, or would we feel mistreated by Him?
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Psalm 66 is a Psalm of appreciation and blessing to God. It speaks of how impressive and frightening His powerful works are and then concludes with a recognition of His mercy. Yet right in the middle of the Psalm we read of God actually causing trials in our lives and then delivering us from them. “For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.” (Ps 66:10-12)
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Notice that God caused the trials. He brings trials to refine man just like silver is refined- to get a better product in the end. Sometimes God gives us circumstances that we have to suffer through in order to grow us and even to give us a better life in the end. As we go through the trials, do we get mad at Him or are we grateful that He is paying attention to us? Our baby was grabbed by the feet and pulled to a better place. Shouldn’t we be pleased when God brings us to a better place in our walk with Him through trials? Shouldn’t we be happy that He cares enough about us to pay attention to us?
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As I watch our toddler wrestle with his little brother I often worry that he might get too rough and hurt the baby. I do not need to worry when God lays affliction on our loins though. He knows how to interact with us without going too far. In fact, as we trust Him, we are promised not to be given more than we can bear.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
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So the next time that you go through diverse trials in life, count it all joy, reacting like the baby did as he was drug from the bathroom floor to the soft carpet of the living room.
-
As the rest of us were eating breakfast this morning, he was laying on the floor, happily exploring his surroundings. Suddenly our three year old exclaimed, “oh, oh, baby!” as he pointed at the little guy playing with the vacuum cleaner hose. Though the hose was harmless, it was connected to a handle that was leaning against the wall and could have hit him.
-
I was quite pleased that our toddler saw the danger and warned of it. He has become quite the protector of his little brother when he is not sitting on him or trying to wrestle with him.
-
In fact, when I told the baby, “no, no” as he started to crawl into the bathroom, his big brother again came to his aid- this time by grabbing his little feet and pulling him backwards into the living room. Ironically, the baby loved it. He smiled all the way, just as he often does when he is being sat on or wrestled with. As long as his brothers aren’t too rough with him, he loves the attention.
-
As I began to reflect on our sons, I had to ask, “do I love God’s attention in the same way our baby loves the attention from his brothers?” Think of it this way, if God were to grab our feet and pull us away from trouble, would we be grateful for it, or would we feel mistreated by Him?
-
Psalm 66 is a Psalm of appreciation and blessing to God. It speaks of how impressive and frightening His powerful works are and then concludes with a recognition of His mercy. Yet right in the middle of the Psalm we read of God actually causing trials in our lives and then delivering us from them. “For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.” (Ps 66:10-12)
-
Notice that God caused the trials. He brings trials to refine man just like silver is refined- to get a better product in the end. Sometimes God gives us circumstances that we have to suffer through in order to grow us and even to give us a better life in the end. As we go through the trials, do we get mad at Him or are we grateful that He is paying attention to us? Our baby was grabbed by the feet and pulled to a better place. Shouldn’t we be pleased when God brings us to a better place in our walk with Him through trials? Shouldn’t we be happy that He cares enough about us to pay attention to us?
-
As I watch our toddler wrestle with his little brother I often worry that he might get too rough and hurt the baby. I do not need to worry when God lays affliction on our loins though. He knows how to interact with us without going too far. In fact, as we trust Him, we are promised not to be given more than we can bear.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
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So the next time that you go through diverse trials in life, count it all joy, reacting like the baby did as he was drug from the bathroom floor to the soft carpet of the living room.
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