There once was a congregation filled with pleasant people who enjoyed being together. Most of those who were in the congregation had known each other for many years, and were comfortable together. They often had meals together. They were very careful about who preached and what was said from the pulpit, and carefully screened each piece of the study material used for the Bible classes and all the lessons that were available in the tract rack, to see that they contained no false teaching. Each year they always invited a well-known preacher to preach a series of sermons, that they called their “annual gospel meeting.” They would always chose carefully the person who came to preach, trying to get the best person possible, knowing that the “annual Gospel meeting” was one of their few “ways reach the community,” along with the weekly radio program and Internet Web site where lessons were placed that had been previously been taught by “the preacher” of the congregation.

The congregation placed much emphasis on attendance to every “worship service” and all the
“faithful” always came well-dressed, because all the members knew that it was only fitting that one wear their best clothes to “show respect” to the Lord, much as you would if a visiting dignitary were to come to visit.

Everyone came with big smiles to the meetings of the church, and there were hand-shakes and hugs seen as the friendly members came together, and there was even a friendly greeting for the occasional visitor. Such visitors were invited to return, when they had the occasion to do so, and during the worship, visitors were instructed to fill out a visitors card. The “church secretary” would send the visitor a form letter signed by the “preacher” inviting them to return at their earliest convenience. Many visitors had come and gone in the past couple of decades, but few stayed very long.

The worship was very well organized and a volunteer headed up many aspects of the worship, such as the singing, prayers, the Lord’s supper, and the offering. There was also a group that saw to the cleaning of the building, and twice a year there was a building clean-up and maintenance day, one of which was immediately before the “yearly Gospel meeting.”

The congregation had only two elders left and two deacons, who did what they could to see that everything continued much the same as it always had. Previously there had been four elders and six deacons, but some had died, and some had moved away. This congregation had enjoyed an illustrious chain of well-known preachers, including many who had been known as some of the “best preachers in the brotherhood.” On the wall of one of the long halls of the building, their photographs were displayed, stretching back through the years, all the way up to the present one. The oldest of those photographs were noticeably faded and yellowed with age.

The preacher who gave all the sermons in the congregation always gave a very pleasant and well-organized lesson, usually on some doctrinal point that he feared was not getting enough emphasis, or that he had heard that some neighboring congregation was not properly observing. He was extremely well-respected by the congregation because of his “stand for the truth.” The respect that the members had for him was obvious to all, because he had been in the congregation for the last fifteen years. Despite his advanced age and the fact that he was somewhat feeble and prone to repeat the same sermon topics, with certain variations, he was still considered one of the most “faithful gospel preachers” around.

Everything seemed very happy and orderly, and generations had passed their lifetimes in the congregation in much the same way. There were a few minor differences. One was that people came in cars instead of horses and wagons. So, fifty years ago, the congregation bought and paved two small neighboring properties in order to ensure that people could park their cars and that there would be no problem with the neighbors, due to the members parking in front of their houses. Also, songs and sermons were now displayed on large projection screens and people seldom used the hymnals anymore. Air conditioning had replaced the old ceiling fans and the pot-bellied stove, and there were thick comfortable pads on the pews and carpet on the floors. Except for these rather obvious but unimportant differences, things continued about the same.

Years passed with little to disturb this routine. However, for about the last fifteen or twenty years, it had become increasingly noticeable that many of the pews that had years ago been filled with many people were empty, and the great paved parking lot was almost never filled, not even during during the “annual gospel meetings.” Although this lamentable trend was disturbing to the congregation, it was generally considered that it was probably because “people just don’t like faithful gospel preaching anymore.”

Efforts made by a few members to suggest that it was a necessity that each member prepare his/her materials in order to be ready to teach friends, acquaintances, and family the truth of the Gospel, were generally rebuffed by comments such as, “We have tried that before,” or “People just don’t want to listen,” and “Don’t we have a preacher for that, and don’t we have our Gospel meetings, and our Web site? If anyone wants to hear the God’s word, wouldn’t that be enough?” But, some insisted that the having your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace is a part of every true Christian’s armor and, as such, none should be without that preparation (Ephesians 6:15) and that if we don’t prepare ourselves, we shall never be able to share our knowledge of the Gospel with others. But, others argued that that was not their “gift” and anyway, the preacher and the elders should do that. One “knowledgeable” man in the congregation who had been there for many years stated that it was not practical to expect everyone to prepare themselves to tell others about how to be saved. But, those who were insisting that everyone prepare themselves continued to insist, saying that 1 Peter 3:15 tells us that we all should be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks us a reason for the hope that we have in Christ, and how could we have an answer if we are not prepared? But, most in the congregation agreed that such was too much to ask. But, the relentless teachers of God word continued insisting that 1 Peter 2:9 says clearly, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that you might speak of the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” Surely, they said, that verse didn’t apply only to preachers and elders. But, their efforts fell on deaf ears. Nothing could break the congregations insistence on depending on a few expertly trained “evangelists” to do the work of saving souls, Many in the congregation knew that they had friends and family that would not listen if someone who they did not know well went to teach them. But, it was easier to continue on as they had for years. After all, had they not always depended upon certain evangelists to do all that work?

So, the years passed by and the congregation continued to dwindle. Some began to suggest that perhaps it was time to get a new preacher who could “breathe new life into the congregation,” maybe someone somewhat younger who could attract more young families. But, nothing really changed, and gradually their number dwindled.

Because they were so few in number, and those who remained had neither the financial resources nor the physical strength to continue to do what they previously did, slowly those few began to agree that they could no longer maintain the building and so now, where previously for many years a congregation met, they meet no more. The building is gone and has been replaced by a school parking lot.

How long will those who call themselves Christians, continue depending on men and refuse to take upon themselves their part in the body, to carry out the purpose of Christ—that of seeking and saving the lost? How long will they continue to meet in buildings and carry on in the same way and never seek to take their part in preparing themselves and carrying out the purpose for which Christ died?

The story you have read really is not the story any one particular congregation, but it describes what is seen in many congregations that continue do these same things in the same ways. The result is always the same! We must, all of us, either set ourselves to accomplish Christ’s purpose to seek and save the lost, or gradually fade away, become increasingly irrelevant and useless and, as others before, find ourselves saying, “There was a congregation….”

1 Samuel 8

When there are problems in the things of the church, some think that having the right person or persons in charge would solve the problems.

People often see what other religious groups do and want what others have. As we read 1 Samuel chapter 8, we find that the people of God, who are already guided by Him through His word and blessed with the manifestation of his power, are looking to the people of the world and coveting the guidance that they had from their kings.

They seem completely blind to the fact that God had provided the best for His people. The fact that they had no human king was not a deficiency, but rather a blessing. Samuel told the people about the disadvantages of the human dominance, but even that did not dissuade them from making this change from dependence on God to depending upon human leadership.

The people wanted something they thought would be better. Some have the tendency to think that they have a better idea than the plan that God has revealed in his word. They trust more in their power to think it out by themselves than they trust in what God has already told them in His word.

To desire human leadership is to reject God’s authority. When men choose men’s leadership instead of God’s, they reject God’s leadership to their own hurt. Verses 7-8 of this chapter says the following:

7 And Jehovah said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto you.

PERSONAL APPLICATION

Do you look to man or God for leadership?

Do you feel uncomfortable in the congregation if there is not someone “in charge?”

Do you study the word for yourself and work to understand what it says, or do you depend on others to tell you what to think about God’s word?

Do you wait for others to tell you what to do in God’s work, and blame others when it doesn’t work?

Do you give man the praise when the church grows?

Do you blame certain people (preacher, elders, etc.) when the church does not grow and things do not go well? Do you keep on changing preachers, hoping to get the right one? Or do you realize that the church is a body, and that it depends upon the part that each one does to take God’s message to those who need it.

Do you make the serious mistake of looking at religious groups around you in the world who are using methods that God never approved and lament that the church is not as big and prosperous as they are and wish that the church of the Lord could have great “leaders” and progressive methods as they do?

Thus says Jehovah: Cursed is the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from Jehovah. Jeremiah 17:5

In the early 70’s, I remember a resurgence in interest in the Spirit. One of the characteristics of that resurgence was the idea that the Spirit of God would make you feel urges to do certain things. It was the idea that God would move you by your emotions and somehow communicate to you directly without any reference to the Bible. It is true that this was not a new idea, there had always been this idea among people enamored with the idea of spiritual gifts, but this resurgence was not limited to those religious groups that had always championed these beliefs, but rather was affecting groups that never had accepted such ideas.

In the sixties, there had been a heightened tendency to distrust reason and reject recognized authority and traditional ideas. Perhaps that promoted a resurgence in such ideas. But, now in the 21st century, these ideas are still around, attracting the attention of some. We see references to “Spirit-filled lives,” Spirit-led Christians and “Spirit-driven churches.” But, just what does all this mean, and how does the Spirit of God move us and make changes in us?

The failure to differentiate between the guidance of the Spirit and our feelings and emotions is a very serious mistake. It is a sort of Pandora’s Box. Once opened, there is no end of the destruction and hurt that awaits.

So, according to God’s word, how does the Spirit communicate with us? First, it is necessary to notice that the problem in determining the correct answer to this question has to do with time, past and present. We are dealing with two different eras. The first, an era of revelation, the word in the process of being delivered, the second, our era, the word already delivered. Not realizing that there is a difference between the two is the basis of much misunderstanding.

It is evident to most that there is a great difference between the Old Testament law and what we find in the new. Some have tried maintain part of the Old Testament law and merge it into the new. But, the truth is that it is totally different. To understand this better, it would be good to notice these scriptures:

Galatians 3:23-26 But before faith came, we were kept under Law, having been shut up to the faith about to be revealed. 24 So that the Law has become a trainer of us until Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But faith coming, we are no longer under a trainer. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

These verses make it clear that now that we are justified by faith under the law of Christ, we are no longer under the law given to Moses.

Galatians 5:1-4 Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, and do not again be held with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I, Paul, say to you that if you are circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do all the Law, 4 you who are justified by Law are deprived of all effect from Christ; you fell from grace.

Paul, being inspired by God, teaches us that now we are no longer under the Old Testament, but under the new Testament. Returning to the Old Testament law is referred to here as returning to the yoke of bondage. Those who want to be return to Old Testament law are mentioned here as having lost the salvation in Christ and having fallen from grace.

But, the Old Testament still has many things to tell us:

1 Corinthians 10:6-11 And these things were our examples, that we should not be lusters after evil, as they also lusted. 7 Nor should we be idolaters, even as some of them, as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit fornication, as some of them fornicated, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. 9 Nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted Him and were destroyed by serpents. 10 Nor murmur as some of them also murmured and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 And all these things happened to them as examples; and it is written for our warning on whom the ends of the world have come.

The Old Testament serves as history, instruction, and examples, but we are now under the law of Christ:

1 Corinthians 9:21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.

If we don’t understand which testament we are under, we wouldn’t know how or what to obey, because the New Testament is different from the Old Testament. We are under the law of Christ, not he law given to Moses.

Jeremiah 31:31-32 says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.

The Jews, themselves, with whom God had made the first covenant are the ones who broke the agreement that He had made through their disobedience. Since it was broken, Christ has established a new covenant or testament, but, not just with the Jews alone, but with all people. Therefore, we are no longer under the Old Testament, but under the New Testament.

Since the new law was to be different, it had to be revealed. The next several verses we will consider will show how that took place and what that has to do with the present subject.

1 Corinthians 2:11-13
For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Here we see that the Spirit gave the words.

2 Peter 1:20-21
knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Here again the Spirit moved them to speak, which involved words.

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Here the inspiration of the Spirit involved doctrine, which is teaching, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. This all has to do with words, because it is by words that the Scripture does these things.

Ephesians 3:1-5
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles 2 —if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:

Here again, when revelation was done, it was in words that could be read and understood.

2 Peter 1:12-19
For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. 13 Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, 14 knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. 15 Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease. 16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

Notice that when Peter says that he would “ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.” he is referring to the writing of the inspired word so that it would be available after his death.

Jude 3
Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

The Holy Spirit, by using the phrase “once for all” is indicating that through the written word, the faith was to be preserved throughout future generations and would not be given by inspiration again.

1 Corinthians 13:8-9
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

Here the Scripture does not say “he who is perfect,” as if it referred to Jesus’ coming, but it says “that which is perfect.” So we understand that having referred to the prophecy of inspired men of God as “in part” (that is to say given piece by piece), he now refers to the Bible as a whole, fully revealed, when he says “that which is perfect.” Therefore we see that the complete, perfect revelation of God’s word is able to to make us “complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work,” as we learned from 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Since we have the Scripture, we have everything we need!! There is nothing else that will be revealed!

So, we see that what we have given to us in the New Testament was given during the time that the Holy Spirit was revealing the word so that the believers could have what they needed to live, worship, and work in the Christian age. For that reason it speaks of inspiration and direct revelation. What was needed for all Christians in future years was preserved by God through writing, so that we might have everything we need. Once that revelation was written, there would be no more, and people would be dependent upon the New Testament, the complete guide for Christian living.

Since all the word has been given, and those who received that inspiration have died, we have no more such revelation. The word remains and is the only way that God guides anyone. Notice God’s words in Ephesians 6:17 “and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” This indicates that the Spirit does his work though the written word, and that is the same word that we use to do our work.

The Spirit does not use feelings, emotional nudging, dreams, or small voices in the night to guide us. He uses the revealed, written word. Does the word of God make us feel emotions? Yes, but the emotion comes from the word; we are not guided directly by feelings or emotions, but rather by the word of God. Know the difference between the two, and apply it, because our feelings can be wrong. Jeremiah 17:9 says about the human heart: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Emotions, feelings, and intuition can be mistaken! We cannot be guided by them! Only listen to and follow God’s written word. Study it and understand it. It is never wrong and it is the only way that God guides us!

Sometimes people put a path of raised stones in their yard as a path to the back gate or some other feature of their lawn, or simply as a decoration. They do serve as a place to step when there is excessive rain, but sometimes when one is crossing the yard and not noticing, they can be stumbling blocks instead. There is a great comparison between this and our lives as Christians.

It is true that there is difficulty and suffering in this world. Many who have lived their lives conscientiously and devoutly know the kind of things that await all true Christians. Paul, by the inspiration of God, put it this way in 2 Timothy 3:12: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,”

It is necessary to clarify that the suffering we are referring to here is not the natural suffering that comes from living in this world, that which comes from illness, or crime, or natural circumstance, catastrophe or poverty, but suffering that comes directly because of choosing to obey God’s word, instead of following what others are doing or what they expect us to do.

This is not an easy life we live, as Christians, but it is the only one that will help us to become what we need to be to live with God for eternity. Some, having suffered much in their lives, can sometimes begin to think that there should be an easier way, that perhaps all the effort and suffering that they have endured perhaps is too much, and they begin to lay out stepping stones, we might say, to give us the benefit of their “enlightenment” and show us how to make this life a little less difficult.

One of the favorites messages is to tell people that God is good and that He wants the best for us, that He would not want us to suffer, that He wants us to prosper and enjoy life. This message sounds good, because no one really wants to suffer. Peter, after hearing Jesus announce the suffering and death that he would have to face, presented a similar message to Jesus as we see in Matthew 16:22-26

22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Christ’s knowledge that He would have to suffer in this way weighed heavily on His heart. He had just prepared His disciples by telling them what was going to occur. It would have been great if Peter would have accepted it and would have attempted to comfort his Master in His sufferings, but instead he began to correct Him and tell Him that it such was not necessary. How much Christ wished that it were not! But, His disciple telling Him that the suffering was not necessary was a temptation from the Devil, and it was delivered by none other than one of his own disciples! That is why Christ answered as he did.

Jesus went on to explain that suffering is a natural part of following Christ. This is what it means when He said “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Suffering is necessary, and when others tell us differently, we can be sure that such a message comes from the Devil, and that its purpose is to tempt us to avoid suffering at all cost, even at the cost of failing to do what God says and carrying out his will in our life. This will cause us to fail to be come what we need to be in order to live with Christ eternally. In Philippians 3:8-10, we find this point illustrated well where Paul the apostle of Christ said:

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

Here God shows us through these words that it is though these sufferings that we endure to obey God in this wicked world that we become like Christ. When we by faith obey, even though we suffer, we, by that, become like Him because we follow the same path of obedience as He. So we become like Him. To avoid suffering and refuse to obey would result in the opposite, that is, not being like Him.

As 1 John 2:6 expresses it: “whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” And, as we find it in Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

Another “stepping stone” that many would provide for us so that we may, as they would explain it, have a happier and more prosperous life in Christ, is the message that we are saved by faith only, by grace, not by works, so we should not be so concerned, and that everything will be just fine. This is a comforting message indeed, and it has been a great consolation to many. It has been welcomed as the way to free countless multitudes from a burdensome and fretful life of “legalism.” And has supposedly brought back great joy to the Christian life, freeing us from the burdens that many in the past have had to carry. But this teaching, although it seems quite comforting, is not true.

Just as the first lie of the devil directed toward the human race, recorded in Genesis 3:4 varied from God’s word by one word “not” this message varies from the teaching of the Scripture by one word, “only.” While it is true that we are saved by grace, through faith, but God has never taught that it was by faith only. Faith, that is: certainty concerning the things hoped for and conviction of that which we cannot yet see (Hebrews 11:1) causes us to act in certain ways. In the Scripture faith was never a matter of simple mental acceptance of a fact, but a certainty and a conviction that would cause one to do something and to live in a certain way. So, faith and action (works) were always considered as two things that always went together. The rest of Hebrews 11 shows that to be true, repeating the pattern “by faith someone did something.” When we get to James 2, we see faith and works separated, not by God, but by in the mind and practice of man. We see that some considered faith as a mental assent that did nothing. And, in that same chapter, we find it condemned as being worthless, useless, dead and something like the attitude of the demons, certainly nothing that could relate one with God. The explanation in James 2 ends with the words in verse 26, “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” So for our certainty and conviction, to be worth anything, must be shown by what we do.

So, faith only is a devilish concept that is condemned by God and is worthless and dangerous. Now how about grace. We know that grace is unmerited favor. But, who receives that favor from God?Consistently in the Scripture, it is the one who makes his best effort to do what God has revealed in His word, the Bible. Paul, the apostle, in Romans 2:6-11, teaches us clearly who it is that receives that unmerited favor:

6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.

God does not show his grace upon those who willingly disobey or are careless or negligent. We see that He will give that favor only to those who continue in doing well. He does not give his grace in a willy-nilly fashion or to those who live carelessly or disobey, but to those who are always applying themselves to do good.

Yet another “stepping stone” that many would provide for us is to tell us that God wants us to be prosperous and wants us to have all the material things we might desire. It is natural that we should think of God as one who provides. In James 1:17 we read:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

It is true that God provides our needs, but he should not be thought of as our celestial servant that we simply call upon to provide everything we want.

In Colossians 3:2 God tells us: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

James 4:3 explains the great mistake it is to perceive of God as only a source of material things for our own enjoyment: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

In Matthew 6:19-33, Christ teaches us much about how our way of looking at things makes all the difference:

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

In our Bibles the sections indicated by the paragraphs of the Scripture above are considered as different topics and some editions may include separate titles such as, “Lay up treasures in heaven,” “The light of the body is the eye,” “You cannot serve two masters,” and “Seek first the kingdom of Heaven.” But, in reality, the whole passage is talking about the same thing—the way that we look at life and what is most important in life.

The first paragraph speaks of using what we have to serve God and help others rather than piling it up here, and how that affects our mentality. The second paragraph refers to our way of seeing life and says that an attitude of placing our emphasis on material things will cause us to be blind spiritually. The third says that we cannot put material things first and still serve God. It must be one or the other. The forth tells us not to allow our felt physical needs to cause us to put material things first, because in the end, we cannot really provide for ourselves. It must ultimately be God that provides, or there will be nothing. He knows our needs and if we put first the spiritual things, all the material things will come along in their time. So, God is seeking to change our way of seeing things from one focused on self to a spiritual way of thinking, so we will not be trapped into slavery to material things, and we can be freed to serve God.

And we find in, Colossians 3:1-7:

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.

So this way of looking at things, the inordinate desire for material things is described as part of the old life that we had before coming to Christ. It is something that must change. It makes serving God impossible!

Then we must ask, are these “stepping stones,” we have considered in this lesson, these efforts to make religion easier and more pleasant for people really helping, or have they not rather become “stumbling blocks” which prevent us from seeing what is really important in life and keep us from taking up our cross and following Jesus? The purpose for this journey that we make through life is not to be free from suffering, free from the responsibility to do good, or to have all the things we want. So these stepping stones that some place to guide us on our way through life, are stumbling blocks, not stepping stones. They do not help us become more like Christ, but rather they make us more like the rest of world. They keep us distracted from the real goal, and from being willing to pass through those experiences which, although they are not pleasant, are those which gradually transform us into people who think as God thinks, speak as God speaks, and do as God does. They keep us from becoming like Him.

So, those who would make serving God easier for us are inadvertently preventing us from growing into the type of people who can live with God eternally. Our purpose is not to have the best possible life here, but to be transformed into the image of Christ and to be ready for the best possible life anywhere, a life with God in Heaven.

Introduction:

The other day, while sweeping up some small leaves and grass cuttings, the wind came up and blew them back toward the place from which I had swept them. It made me think how, in the work we do for God in the spiritual sense, it is often similar. We recognize that as we work with people, we are working against spiritual forces that seem to always be blowing, as is clear from Ephesians 2:1-3:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience– 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

There are forces that are working, and they have their effect on those who do not obey God’s word, the Bible. It is because of those forces that are always at work that we feel as if we working against the wind. Of course, we are not speaking of the physical winds of natural weather patterns, but ways of thinking that affect the minds of the people with whom we work and to whom we speak the word of God.

What are the winds that are blowing?

As we speak to others about the Word of God, we often notice that the word does not seem to make the impact that we would expect, and what we feel that we have accomplished is sometimes rather quickly reversed. That is what we are referring to as working against the wind. What are the winds that are blowing in our environment today?

Refusal to accept any authority

This is a wind that has been around for many years, but seems to be blowing more strongly as time goes by. It is the refusal of any authority, whether spiritual, or governmental. The attitude that says, “I will do what I want with my life, and no one will tell me what to do,” has always been around, but this idea has increased because of the growth of atheism and other godless theories that are taught, especially in schools and universities. If there is no God, no ultimate authority. Who then has the right to say what we should do or how we should live? This idea of extreme libertinism is a strong wind blowing in our time.

But, God says:

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. (Psalms 14:1)

Also, in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14:

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Nothing is right or wrong, as long is it feels right to you.

Actually, this wind is the result of the rejection of God, authority, and moral responsibility. It is the concept that, since there is no moral authority, there cannot be any “right” way for a person to live, Therefore, each person must determine what seems right for him or her. In the minds of such people, there are no universal rules that can take into consideration all the personal circumstances of one’s life, therefore no rule or law is adequate to guide their actions. So, they say that they must do what is right for them.

But, we find this in Proverbs 16:25: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” and in Jeremiah 10:23 “I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.” And, again in Ecclesiastes 11:9:

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

The fact that one rejects the instructions of God does not exempt that person from suffering the consequences of his or her actions, any more than the rejection of the law of gravity exempts one from falling, if he throws himself off the top of a building.

You cannot judge me, I have a right to live as I please.

Many have come to the point that they reject any concept of right or wrong. This leads to the rejection of any attempt to judge the “rightness” or “wrongness”of any action or behavior. While it is true that we leave all judgment of those who do not accept God’s authority to God, we must be ready to decide between right and wrong when it involves members of the Lord’s church, as we see in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13:

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people– 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler–not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

The inability of members of the church to take these steps results in a congregation loosing its influence in the community, instead, it becomes a group that people point at and laugh about.

Everyone has their own beliefs, you have no right to impose yours on me.

This attitude does much to discourage the sharing of ideas concerning religion between people. Perhaps it has much to do with the “winds” mentioned previously. If there is no objective standard, there is no reason for one to be bothering another concerning what he believes. There are those who, although they have strong religious beliefs, are not willing to talk about them with others, especially with those with whom they do not have a strong bond of trust or if they suppose that the other person might have different views. Some consider it to be discourteous and even rude if one talks to others about personal convictions and motivations. This compounds the difficulty experienced when trying to teach God’s word to friends, family, and acquaintances.

Conclusion

All these “winds” are influences of the devil and make it harder to live and work in this world. It makes it especially hard to make help others to learn God’s will and put it into practice. Just as in nature, wind is invisible, but has a profound effect on us, sadly, these winds, though unseen, are having their effect, not only in the lives of people in the world, but even in the lives of those known as brothers and sisters.

Have these winds been affecting you? Have you accepted these false ideas? Recognize these influences, but do not be discouraged by them. Take them into consideration in your efforts to teach others God’s word and counter them with God’s word. God’s authority is real, His word is true, and it is the authority that guides our life and God’s word will judge us when Christ comes again.

John 12:48-50:

48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

There are those who teach that when the Son of God left heaven to come here and live in a human body, He left his divinity in heaven and came here as only a man. When confronted with the fact that He did supernatural things or had supernatural knowledge, they reply that he did it though the Spirit, much as the apostles or prophets did.

One idea behind this false teaching is the odd idea that if Jesus came to earth as the divine Son of God, the fact that he could resist sin would be meaningless. They say, “How could a divine being be tempted with evil?” They wish to make his coming here to earth a demonstration that Jesus, stripped of his Godhood, living here as just a man and only a man, could resist sin through the Holy Spirit. From that they draw some sort of consolation that they can also (although I never saw one who could honestly claim that they, in fact, consistently have done such).

While this idea seems somewhat plausible on the surface, if you look deeper, the Scripture clearly condemns it and also never teaches that the Savior’s purpose for coming here was to demonstrate any such thing! He came to be our sinless sacrifice, and in that way provide salvation for all who would truly believe.

In reality, this is not a new and brilliant idea, as those who propose it might think. It is, in reality, an old error that, as is the case with some of the weeds that we find in the yards of our homes, simply refuses to die. In 451 there was a council that recognized a need to publish these words, “…teach people to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man,….” The error of teaching that Christ emptied himself of his deity when he came to earth seems to have continued in various forms and modifications down through the centuries.

One very common argument for this false teaching is a misunderstanding of Philippians 2:7.

“but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ” (ESV)

The Greek word here translated “made himself nothing” means to empty oneself (so translated in the ASV). Some have misunderstood this to mean that he emptied himself of his very nature and became just like any other man. But, we must not force the passage into saying something that does not fit the context or attempt to make it say something that it does not say.

To best understand the passage, we must look at what the Spirit was teaching in Philippians 2. He was saying that just as the Son of God had a right to do what pleased or favored him, but gave up that situation up temporarily to serve mankind, so the child of God should always look for the good of others, and not what pleases him, even if this means suffering or difficulty. What exactly was he asking them to give up. Was he asking them to give up their powers or capacities? Was he telling them to cease being who they where? Of course not! That was not the point at all! He was teaching them to give themselves up in service to one another, just as Jesus did. This passage does not teach that he gave up any powers or that he quit being the divine Son of God!

Another way that we can tell that a part of the Scripture has been twisted and misused to teach something that it does not, is to look closely to see if the resulting teaching is in agreement with other clear teachings of the Scripture. If it is not, it is a false teaching, no matter how plausible it may seem. The first such Scripture to be considered is Matthew 1:23:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). This was a quote from Isaiah 7:14. Here the Spirit of God revealed that the most glorious significance of this Old Testament passage referred to Jesus. The meaning is literally, God with us. If the Son of God had left his God-like attributes and power back in heaven, this name would not have been appropriate. Also, notice that in John 1:14-18 the word tells us:

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'”) 16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

When the disciples saw Jesus, they did not see just a feeble human being with all that entails, but the glorious, divine Son of God. How could seeing Jesus reveal God, the Father, (see verse 18), if Jesus when he came here were merely a man without the attributes of God? If he were just a man, how could John the baptist say that he outranked him (verse 15). Did not Jesus say that among men, there was no man at the time greater than John? (Luke 7:28) As a man, He could not have outranked John.

John 8:19 says: They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

This He said claiming the same Spiritual image as the Father. This would be impossible if Jesus were a mere man.

In John 14:8-9 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

How could they see the Father in Jesus if he left his divinity back in Heaven?

Hebrews 1:3-6 says clearly of Jesus:

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? 6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”

How could Jesus be the “radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,” if he left that all back in Heaven. And how was he holding the universe together all that time he was here, if he gave up that power??? And, how could God command upon the introduction of Jesus into the world that the angels worship him if at that point, he was only a man. Angels do not worship men!!!

And again in Colossians 1:15-17

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

If all things hold together through him and he left that power back in heaven, who was holding all things together while he was here???

In Isaiah 9:6-7, we find the following:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Here the child, Jesus , is called “Mighty God” in this prophesy concerning his coming. When Jesus was born, the wise men came to worship him, as we see in Matthew 2:1-2:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Men do not worship a man; they worship God. That Jesus was divine at his birth. He is called “Mighty God”, not Diminished Power God, Emptied God, nor Temporarily Disabled God!!!

It is important to understand that this teaching demeans the Son of God and thus opens a Pandora’s box to a plethora of false teachings. Please see, in the light of the Scripture, the error of this idea. Someday we will stand before Jesus, the Christ, in judgment. How sad it would be if we have dishonored Him with our theories!!!

They say that the new year is coming. Everyone likes new things: New clothes, a new television, new car, a new house or new situations in life – new job, a new year at school, new friends.

It’s one thing to have new things, but the situations in our lives don’t change just because we get new things. For example, the young man who begins a new year at school, but does not get better in his grades because he continues with the same habits of not studying and not doing his best. or person begins a marriage but it ends in failure because he still hasn’t changed his way of treating others. You can buy a careless carpenter new saws, hammer, and a new tape measure, but if he doesn’t change his ways, his work will not be much better.

People talk about New Year’s resolutions, but many times tthey are broken. We are beginning an new year. If we want it to come out any differently, we have to do things differently. The definition of silly is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Will this really be a new year? What would make it a new year?

Ezekiel 18:31-32 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and live!”

Ephesians 4:22-24 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Colossians 3:9-10 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Will this truly be a new year? In what way will it be new? As you know, we could designate any date on our calendar and call it a new year. Every day, or for that matter each second is a new year compared to that same second the year before! So we see that such a designation, in itself, is not very meaningful. What would make the year NEW, spiritually speaking? It would have to be a completely different type of year:

• A year that is new because of a different outlook.

• A year that is called new because our thoughts have changed

• A year in which the aim is higher and the results equally superior.

Will we see a new year new year just because the calendar said January 1? Not necessarily. But if our sight is clearer, our aims higher, our relationship with God more according to his word, it can indeed be a NEW YEAR!!!

• Will there be new year in our homes with our husband or wife and our children?

• In our jobs as we relate to our boss or our employees, to our fellow workers? In our relationships to others outside of work?

• In our outreach for Christ to our community both individually and as a congregation?

• Will there be a new year for you or just a continuation of the old one?

We hope it will be truly a new year, a superior year. It will have to be when we follow God. Make your New Year start today and not January 1st!!

Religious music that is so common in the various denominations and is heard on almost all religious radio and television stations is different from the mindset of true Christians and has a different emphasis. The emphasis of most of the popular religious music today is emotionalism. True Christians should, indeed, feel emotion as the result of what they know about God and what He has expressed to them through his word in the Bible, but emotionalism is different. It has little connection with what one knows, but is emotion for emotion’s sake, and is promoted by expressions of praise that are repeated almost endlessly.

One cannot help but reflect concerning what would happen to all the emotionalism of modern religion if it were faced with armaments and threats of death. Such sentimentalism would, of course, melt like ice in the noon-day sun. Those who know God’s word or sincerely seek to know it, tend to be discouraged by such displays of emotion for emotion’s sake, and perhaps become discouraged and declare that religion is shallow and fake, having very little relationship to real life and its problems. (After not all of life’s problems are solved by saying, “glory to God” “hallelujah” and “amen.”)

When rational people observe religious people singing, shutting their eyes, clapping their hands, repeating phrases, and moving their heads side to side as if they were under the influence of some intoxicating drug or hallucinogen, they cannot but doubt the usefulness of such “religion.” True religion is much more related to life. The following verses show that relationship clearly:

James 1:26-27 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Religion is not something that we practice in a dimly lighted room with the music going and our hands in the air, it is a way of life, it has a price; it costs us everything! Luke 14:26-27 records the words of Jesus:

26 If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Speaking of this price is not popular, and does not tend to attract large gatherings nor create “mega-churches.” It is interesting to note that it was precisely when crowds were following Him, that Jesus spoke these words. He knew that what he called people to do would never be “popular.” You will remember also these words of Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14:

13 Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

People naturally tend to look for what is easy, what will cost them less, so naturally, many will not truly follow Christ. But, the devil offers a way that looks and feels religious, and does not require much change in the person’s life. Religion becomes, not a life-changing force, but a spare wheel, an emotional aid to escape the hurts and difficulties of life. But, it is artificial, and will not help us when we really need it. It will not create a real relationship with God, and it will not solve life’s problems; problems that can only be solved by paying the price and truly giving our life in obedience God.

When we teach, it is absolutely necessary to consider all that God’s word says about the subject we are explaining. Ignorance and lack of spiritual stability may cause us to teach a harmful error instead of giving people the spiritual food that can help them grow and be strong in their work for the Lord.

The Spirit gave these words to Peter in 2 Peter 3:16:

in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, which are some things hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable wrest (twist, pervert), as also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.

Therefore, we have to be careful when we teach as we find in 2 Timothy 2:15:

Be diligent to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

An error can arise not only by saying something that the Bible does not teach or by directly contradicting what it says, but also can be caused by twisting or not properly using the word of God. This is what happens when one emphasizes a part of the law of Christ in the New Testament more than the rest of the teachings. Some did this type of thing when Jesus lived here on earth by paying more attention to the sacrifices and ceremonial things than to the purity of the mind and soul. They had left the main point of the purpose of God, thus creating a religion that did nothing useful in the lives of people. Jesus condemned such ideas. Matthew 23:23:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone

We must always remember that God’s purpose in communicating with us in His word is to cause us to be more and more like Him in our mind and life. Today we are faced with a similar emphasis change. The popular teaching about God’s grace is being used to create belief systems that are very comfortable for people. The problem is that these systems require little or no change of heart or life. The purpose of the grace of God in Jesus Christ always was to teach us to leave evil (Titus 2:11-12):

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly,

For years we have continually heard from the pulpits the popular subject of grace, sweet grace of God, while people have strayed further and further from the truth of God in their way of life and are content with just living their lives as they please and pursuing their own purposes. Therefore, it is difficult to ask anything that involves a personal effort of such persons, who are in their view, are already “saved by grace alone” and think they have to do nothing but wait for that great moment when they will be called from the comfort of their padded pews of their religious buildings into a mansion in the sky. But this belief system does not seem anything like the life of Jesus, or Paul, or Stephen, who dedicated their lives to obedience to the Word of God with serious personal consequences.

When people who believe the doctrine of faith only hear the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 3:12 “And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” they do not understand. Equally incomprehensible to such people would be the words of Christ: “If anyone would come after me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

How long will we tolerate the teaching that life in Christ is easy and we should live it without any major concerns because we are saved by grace alone, or that it is God’s will is that all prosper economically and have a life of ease? When Peter tried to convince Jesus that he did not have to suffer for doing the will of his Father, this was the reply of our Lord:
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke him, saying: Lord, have mercy on yourself, in no way will this happen. 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan: thou art an offense to me, because you set your mind not on the things of God, but those of men.
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, If any man will come after me must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul? Or what shall a man give for his soul? 27 For the Son of man cometh in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works. (Matthew 16:22-27)

Peter, not knowing he was taking the Devil’s side, told Jesus he did not have to go through what his Father had given him to do. Those who try to convince us today that we should not be very concerned but rather just relax and live happily are today taking the same side. Many people will be surprised in the judgement day when they are rejected for not doing what God commanded.

It is clear that our ability to bring others to Christ can easily be impaired by two factors. The first is loss of conviction that the word of God is capable of making the necessary changes in the person’s life, and the other is doubt that we can live holy lives to show others the way.

Since we have been told that people no longer accept authority of any type, some have doubted that the direct teaching of the authoritative word of God is sufficient to cause a person to change. Thus the thrust of some “outreach” programs is to do nice things for people, draw them in through benevolence programs, and community activities. In short, get people in though association with them until they can get to know how nice we are and all the programs we have for people, and what a great life they can have being with us. But, we have to look at the matter, not from our perspective, but from the perspective of the people we are trying to attract. If they come to us for what they can get, is that the correct emphasis? Will that do anything to change them for the better or help them to be more like God. Their lives are already lived in the getting mode, the self-centered mode. What will this approach do to bring them closer to God in the spiritual sense? They would not have not learned anything more about he nature of God, but have simply found a new source of physical and emotional support.

Jesus did great things that the people saw, such as healing the sick or multiplying food and feeding thousands. These signs were to show them that he was the Son of God. But, He noticed that they were misunderstanding the signs. John 6:26-27 we find His words:

26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

Some religious leaders seek to have many follow them. Jesus had that, but He was not content just to have a following, He wanted changed people, and said to them:

26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-33)

He he was preparing His disciples to a life like His, a life of giving, not getting. The signs showed people that he was the Christ, but His words were necessary to show them how to live. People may begin to follow us because we are good to them, but we much show them how to be disciples, if we are to help them to become what God wants them to be. They must change their mentality from a getting mentality to a giving one. And to make the difference, we must transmit to them God’s word.

And His word is able to make the difference. Hebrews 4:12 says:

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Also, in Romans 1:15-16, God tells us this through the apostle Paul:

15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

God’s word containing the wonderful message of God’s love and salvation through Christ is the power that will make the difference in the lives of those who will believe it. Nothing else has this power. Nothing else can do what the loving, authoritative word of God can do. Not all will receive it, but it is the only hope, and it is powerful enough to do what God sends it to do. As Isaiah 55:10-11 tells us:

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

The other great impediment to the teaching of the word is the lack of confidence that the word can be lived in the life of the follower of Christ. All too frequently, we hear people who are known as brothers and sisters in Christ say that we are all only sinners saved by the grace of Christ. We know that this is true in one sense, but using such a statement to excuse ourselves from living holy lives, is not excusable.

It is God’s intention that our lives be an example for all around to see. Otherwise Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:10-16 would have no real meaning:

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

The unique nature of the life of the follower of Christ is an example for all, as he by faith puts into practice, as well as he can, with ever increasing results as he grows and matures, the wonderful word of God. If this were not possible, God’s words in 1 Peter 1:14 would be a lie:

14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

It is true that we each have many things to work on, but the necessity to make those changes to live a holy life is not optional, but is required. Christian character in the life of one who truly believes, even when he has to suffer for his convictions, is a great evidence that the unbeliever cannot logically deny. He/she may choose to ignore it, but it is always there. (For much more detail, please click on this link: Is There A Real Difference?)

We must listen no more to the voices that tell us that we cannot reach the world through the teaching of he word of God and that we must depend on other methodologies and strategies to “hook” people into association with Christians. We must also determine to do our part to make our lives an example of what a believer is, so that we can show that the way of Christ is not simply a theory that cannot be put into practice, but truly a way of life.