There are things that are known and discussed with the Christian Church that should not be discussed in the same manner with those outside of it. One of these is with regards to the marriage relationship and the roles that God has set in place within it.
To illustrate, we look at one word: submit.
In our current culture, the word submit is not a good thing. It brings to mind images of cruel, self serving domination. The idea of being pushed down and made to not only feel but be lesser. That is basically how the word is understood and what it means in our day in age. However, that is not what it always meant nor is it what it means to God.
God says that the wife is to submit to her husband just as the Church submits to Christ (Eph.5).
For those outside of the Church, this is insanity. The reason though, is that they have no frame of reference. They do not know about submitting to Christ because they never have, therefore it is their version of submission which they use to understand the verse. And we cannot explain it to them in enough accuracy for them to truly understand - after all, it was God who had to explain to us how we are to submit to Christ.
Another problem comes up in the form of whom the Scripture is talking to. The verse is addressed to believers. Not those outside the Church nor people who go to church twice a year or on Sundays or whose parents went to whatever church. No, it is aimed at those who truly follow Christ - people who truly understand submission as a loving thing not a domination thing. It is also aimed at those men who know how to do this - they understand their responsibility as well in this. Same word, two totally different meanings.
It is unfortunate that so many do know the verse though, for many who do not follow Him have used that verse as an excuse to dominate another person. This obviously creates even more problems with making things understood, when their experiences back up the worldly definition as opposed to the Biblical ideals.
Another unfortunate part is that many who use that verse in a way it was not intended, tend to forget how the husband is supposed to treat and react to the wife, or they just never knew about that part of the Scripture.
So you can see fairly easily that there is a massive difference between how those within and those outside of the Church understand the words in Ephesians 5:21 -31, therefore, caution should be taken and approach modified slightly, when discussing matters of this nature outside of the Body.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
And The Verdict Is...
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." ~ Matthew 7:1-2
I do not know about you, but almost every time I have heard that said the person doing the quoting has always said (or implied) that by judging someone, God will judge you in the same way. Problem: it does not say "God" will judge you, which makes sense since, as believers, we know that the world as a whole has been judged and found guilty right across the board and you cannot be "more guilty" (although, you can feel more guilt).
(On a side note, there are some who will read that and say, "oh no, I am a Christian, I am not judged". Wrong. You certainly were/are and you were found guilty but Christ took the punishment that you were due.)
But if the passage does not mean that God will judge, then what does it mean? Simply put, it means that other people will judge you - it is actually really solid advice. If you, yourself, are not above reproach you probably should not start nit picking other people's behaviors, habits, etc or else you may well find them pointing out your own flaws (keep in mind that Jesus was in the middle of "discussing" the teaching and behaviors of the Pharisees). Of course, none of us are actually above reproach - only One is perfect. After all, just because you do not do <whatever> does not mean you do not do something else that is at least as bad, if not worse.
There are some who may use 1 Cor.6:3, which says "Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life" to back up their judging of another person or persons. This is, again, one of those times we must look at Scripture in context, for the passage is not talking about judging the actions of another person at all.
If we read beginning at verse one, we see the passage is talking about judging matters of dispute between believers. The point being, that we - as Christians - should understand fairness, impartiality and justice even more so than the courts do, therefore we - as a group - should be better suited to make decisions between believers. After all, the courts are free to follow or create whatever precedents they wish to but we are called to follow God.
I suspect that you may have heard people argue on the basis of "judging in love" or some other variation on that phrase but, that term is not in the Bible at all. For that matter, when it comes to judging people, there is a great deal about we are not supposed to do it as there is only One judge. For example, we see in James 4:11-12: "Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?" That's pretty blunt.
So who can we judge? No one, not even ourselves for we - and our Siblings in Christ - belong to the Lord. Only He can judge (Romans 14:4). There are passages in Scripture about judging but most of those reference judging whether a mindset or teaching is in line with the Gospel or not, and not about one person judging another person. It should be noted that this also does not apply to those outside of the Church - we have no right to demand that those who are not part of the Body think as we do.
All considered, I am baffled as to why anyone within the Body would argue that they have the "right" to judge anyone. Although, no doubt, some in the early Church wondered the same considering how often it is mentioned in the NT - would not be said if were not an issue then as well, after all.
I do not know about you, but almost every time I have heard that said the person doing the quoting has always said (or implied) that by judging someone, God will judge you in the same way. Problem: it does not say "God" will judge you, which makes sense since, as believers, we know that the world as a whole has been judged and found guilty right across the board and you cannot be "more guilty" (although, you can feel more guilt).
(On a side note, there are some who will read that and say, "oh no, I am a Christian, I am not judged". Wrong. You certainly were/are and you were found guilty but Christ took the punishment that you were due.)
But if the passage does not mean that God will judge, then what does it mean? Simply put, it means that other people will judge you - it is actually really solid advice. If you, yourself, are not above reproach you probably should not start nit picking other people's behaviors, habits, etc or else you may well find them pointing out your own flaws (keep in mind that Jesus was in the middle of "discussing" the teaching and behaviors of the Pharisees). Of course, none of us are actually above reproach - only One is perfect. After all, just because you do not do <whatever> does not mean you do not do something else that is at least as bad, if not worse.
There are some who may use 1 Cor.6:3, which says "Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life" to back up their judging of another person or persons. This is, again, one of those times we must look at Scripture in context, for the passage is not talking about judging the actions of another person at all.
If we read beginning at verse one, we see the passage is talking about judging matters of dispute between believers. The point being, that we - as Christians - should understand fairness, impartiality and justice even more so than the courts do, therefore we - as a group - should be better suited to make decisions between believers. After all, the courts are free to follow or create whatever precedents they wish to but we are called to follow God.
I suspect that you may have heard people argue on the basis of "judging in love" or some other variation on that phrase but, that term is not in the Bible at all. For that matter, when it comes to judging people, there is a great deal about we are not supposed to do it as there is only One judge. For example, we see in James 4:11-12: "Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?" That's pretty blunt.
So who can we judge? No one, not even ourselves for we - and our Siblings in Christ - belong to the Lord. Only He can judge (Romans 14:4). There are passages in Scripture about judging but most of those reference judging whether a mindset or teaching is in line with the Gospel or not, and not about one person judging another person. It should be noted that this also does not apply to those outside of the Church - we have no right to demand that those who are not part of the Body think as we do.
All considered, I am baffled as to why anyone within the Body would argue that they have the "right" to judge anyone. Although, no doubt, some in the early Church wondered the same considering how often it is mentioned in the NT - would not be said if were not an issue then as well, after all.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Diving Lessons
They arrived at the small field at the top of the cliff - five, rather excited, teenage boys. It was so hot that day, they could hardly wait. Among them, the most anxious was Bill, it was his first time coming up here. He had heard of this place numerous times but today, today was the very first time he was asked to go.
As the boys quickly slipped off their shoes and shirts, the excitement in the air grew as their voices grew louder. John was the first to make the run. He ran, full speed, towards the cliff edge and leaped off the edge with loud yell. He seemingly hung there in the air for a moment before gravity took over and down he plunged the 40 feet into the waiting pool of cool water below.
Those still atop the small cliff cheered and laughed as John hit the water, dove down into it and quickly popped back up. Then, after some playful pushing, they too ran towards the edge and leaped off one after the other: George, Tommy and then Steven each in turn. Caught up in the excitement and anticipation, Bill ran to the edge and...stopped.
He stopped at the edge and peered over the side. Sure, forty feet was not really that high but looking down from it, it seemed like miles above the deep pool below. He stared and watched as the last boy, Steven, popped back up after his dive. Questions started to enter his mind. He wondered about how to best jump off. Should he leap from both feet or should he take off from either his left or right foot first? Which of his legs was the stronger and would propel him the furthest out and up before his dive? And what of the dive itself - what form should he take? Should he free fall feet first, nose plugged or is the classic, head first dive his best option? Then simple questions began to turn into doubts as He wondered if he could jump far enough out, even though it was a straight cliff face. What if the a strong wind came and pushed him into the cliff? Worse yet, what if it pushed him to the shallow edge of the pool and instead of deep water he hit the shallows and hard stone?
As each question ran through his mind, Bill stepped backwards away from the edge and now strained his neck to see the boys playing in the water below. They called out him, urging him on. Telling him great the water is and how good it felt in the July heat of the day. They reassured him it was okay, and two even confessed to having been nervous their first time over. John even tried calling him chicken, hoping to make he defiant enough to make the leap. But the longer he stood there, frozen in place at the edge of the cliff, the less and less he heard their voices and the more he heard all the doubts and questions which filled his mind, questions now mixed with a building regret for not jumping in the first place. Bill felt sick in his heart for he knew he had to jump - he has to do this - but now doubts and fears filled his mind and he wondered how, how could he do this. How?
How amazing it is when God puts a calling on someone's life and they spring into action, throwing all caution to the wind for they know Who is waiting for them in the place they are diving into head first. They hit the ground running and seem to never falter for even a moment. Even when they hit seemingly insurmountable walls, they barely break stride as they drive forward.
It is amazing when we see that happen, but it is not what always happens. Sometimes, sometimes we hear His call and we excitedly answer but when it comes to taking the leap into the unknown, we falter. We hesitate for a moment. Sometimes, that is all it is, a mere moment before jumping off but other times, other times that hesitation turns into being frozen in place - unable to take the leap and yet knowing we cannot go back. And even worse is that sick feeling that begins to rise inside of us as we stand at the edge, unable to dive wholeheartedly into whatever it is He has called to.
Faith. Faith is confidence that our hope is not in vain and being sure of things we cannot see (Heb. 11:1). When God calls us, all we know is just that: He called us. We cannot see the journey ahead nor where it will go nor anything else. He knows all this, but we don't. All we know is that He called us.
We can try and wait until "everything is perfect" but as each thing falls into place, be sure there will be more issues show up and more doubts and more fears. Everything is not going to be all lined up perfectly before we move. If it were, it would require no faith at all to do. None. And God calls us to answer Him and follow into the unknown, just because of who He is - in spite of fears, in spite of doubts, in spite of everything else our senses and minds may try and tell us - to trust in Him, that He knows what He is doing and that He did not make a mistake in calling us.
Sometimes you just have to jump off the cliff.
As the boys quickly slipped off their shoes and shirts, the excitement in the air grew as their voices grew louder. John was the first to make the run. He ran, full speed, towards the cliff edge and leaped off the edge with loud yell. He seemingly hung there in the air for a moment before gravity took over and down he plunged the 40 feet into the waiting pool of cool water below.
Those still atop the small cliff cheered and laughed as John hit the water, dove down into it and quickly popped back up. Then, after some playful pushing, they too ran towards the edge and leaped off one after the other: George, Tommy and then Steven each in turn. Caught up in the excitement and anticipation, Bill ran to the edge and...stopped.
He stopped at the edge and peered over the side. Sure, forty feet was not really that high but looking down from it, it seemed like miles above the deep pool below. He stared and watched as the last boy, Steven, popped back up after his dive. Questions started to enter his mind. He wondered about how to best jump off. Should he leap from both feet or should he take off from either his left or right foot first? Which of his legs was the stronger and would propel him the furthest out and up before his dive? And what of the dive itself - what form should he take? Should he free fall feet first, nose plugged or is the classic, head first dive his best option? Then simple questions began to turn into doubts as He wondered if he could jump far enough out, even though it was a straight cliff face. What if the a strong wind came and pushed him into the cliff? Worse yet, what if it pushed him to the shallow edge of the pool and instead of deep water he hit the shallows and hard stone?
As each question ran through his mind, Bill stepped backwards away from the edge and now strained his neck to see the boys playing in the water below. They called out him, urging him on. Telling him great the water is and how good it felt in the July heat of the day. They reassured him it was okay, and two even confessed to having been nervous their first time over. John even tried calling him chicken, hoping to make he defiant enough to make the leap. But the longer he stood there, frozen in place at the edge of the cliff, the less and less he heard their voices and the more he heard all the doubts and questions which filled his mind, questions now mixed with a building regret for not jumping in the first place. Bill felt sick in his heart for he knew he had to jump - he has to do this - but now doubts and fears filled his mind and he wondered how, how could he do this. How?
How amazing it is when God puts a calling on someone's life and they spring into action, throwing all caution to the wind for they know Who is waiting for them in the place they are diving into head first. They hit the ground running and seem to never falter for even a moment. Even when they hit seemingly insurmountable walls, they barely break stride as they drive forward.
It is amazing when we see that happen, but it is not what always happens. Sometimes, sometimes we hear His call and we excitedly answer but when it comes to taking the leap into the unknown, we falter. We hesitate for a moment. Sometimes, that is all it is, a mere moment before jumping off but other times, other times that hesitation turns into being frozen in place - unable to take the leap and yet knowing we cannot go back. And even worse is that sick feeling that begins to rise inside of us as we stand at the edge, unable to dive wholeheartedly into whatever it is He has called to.
Faith. Faith is confidence that our hope is not in vain and being sure of things we cannot see (Heb. 11:1). When God calls us, all we know is just that: He called us. We cannot see the journey ahead nor where it will go nor anything else. He knows all this, but we don't. All we know is that He called us.
We can try and wait until "everything is perfect" but as each thing falls into place, be sure there will be more issues show up and more doubts and more fears. Everything is not going to be all lined up perfectly before we move. If it were, it would require no faith at all to do. None. And God calls us to answer Him and follow into the unknown, just because of who He is - in spite of fears, in spite of doubts, in spite of everything else our senses and minds may try and tell us - to trust in Him, that He knows what He is doing and that He did not make a mistake in calling us.
Sometimes you just have to jump off the cliff.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Wider than the sky, deeper than the ocean
Have you ever pondered just how incredibly vast and all encompassing the grace of God is?
Consider the words of Isaiah 64:6: "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags".
Those words are often used to with regards to the unsaved or someone trying to earn their way into God's good graces but it does not say only some, but rather, all.
If I were to take everything of my own - every word uttered or written, every lesson taught or preached, every good deed, every act of charity and compassion, everything He ever did through me by His power and every other tidbit I could dig up and then, then I added to my pile every act and word said and done by Spurgeon, Wesley, Martin Luther and Mother Theresa and combined all of that together the resulting ball of "righteousness" would be like nothing more than a single mouse dropping in comparison to the righteousness of God Almighty.
And in spite of how utterly vile I am in comparison He still shows me grace. He still shows me mercy upon mercy upon mercy. How overwhelming vast is the grace of our Lord God that He would show grace to one such as I. And in light of all of this, how insanely futile is it for me to think that any of my own righteous acts, thoughts or deeds could ever earn me anything or give me cause to believe that somehow I deserve anything other than the flames of hell. But through His grace which is beyond human comprehension He not only gives me life but calls me - ME - His very own, through nothing more than faith and even that, faith which He has given in the first place.
How awesome is our God. I could not earn it before, I cannot earn it now but still, still He gives that which I could never hope to earn or deserve.
If you feel unworthy, there is a reason for that: you are, you always were and always shall be. But, take heart! For He knew that already and still He chose to show you mercy and grace without measure or end. Indeed, you are truly blessed.
Consider the words of Isaiah 64:6: "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags".
Those words are often used to with regards to the unsaved or someone trying to earn their way into God's good graces but it does not say only some, but rather, all.
If I were to take everything of my own - every word uttered or written, every lesson taught or preached, every good deed, every act of charity and compassion, everything He ever did through me by His power and every other tidbit I could dig up and then, then I added to my pile every act and word said and done by Spurgeon, Wesley, Martin Luther and Mother Theresa and combined all of that together the resulting ball of "righteousness" would be like nothing more than a single mouse dropping in comparison to the righteousness of God Almighty.
And in spite of how utterly vile I am in comparison He still shows me grace. He still shows me mercy upon mercy upon mercy. How overwhelming vast is the grace of our Lord God that He would show grace to one such as I. And in light of all of this, how insanely futile is it for me to think that any of my own righteous acts, thoughts or deeds could ever earn me anything or give me cause to believe that somehow I deserve anything other than the flames of hell. But through His grace which is beyond human comprehension He not only gives me life but calls me - ME - His very own, through nothing more than faith and even that, faith which He has given in the first place.
How awesome is our God. I could not earn it before, I cannot earn it now but still, still He gives that which I could never hope to earn or deserve.
If you feel unworthy, there is a reason for that: you are, you always were and always shall be. But, take heart! For He knew that already and still He chose to show you mercy and grace without measure or end. Indeed, you are truly blessed.
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