By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,
And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.
(Proverbs 16:6)
“Love.” America, indeed, as all of Western civilization in the late 20th, now early 21st century has an interesting view of the word. Notice I didn’t use the word, “definition”. To try to define “love” by this culture would truly be an endeavor akin to nailing Jello to a wall. Since we live in such a relativistic framework, everyone would have there own idea of what “love” would mean and believe their definition to be the most accurate.
However, in reference to a view of “love”, we have been programmed to believe that the word is actually a synonym for “tolerance”. Since Political Correctness has become the dominant religion in our governmental agencies, bureaucracies and educational institutions as well as in the Third Estate (i.e. the media), it is now assumed that if we truly love our fellow man (oops, human being, pardon-moi, since we have to be gender-neutral in our choice of terms), then we will gladly tolerate his/her choice of behaviors. Thus, with the PC mindset in place, we are comfortable with an “anything goes”, “live and let live” lifestyle. As long as what someone else does in their life does not effect me personally or prevents me from fulfilling my dreams, I can live my life peaceably and love them unconditionally...or so it seems.
On the surface the PC perspective sounds harmless enough. It even appears to be have great merit. However, when placed against the standard of God’s Word, it comes up greatly lacking because it fails to deal with the one issue that keeps us from understanding and experiencing the true and unbounded love that God wants for us, the key to which is found in a specific three-letter word—sin.
In the passage provided above, it is apparent that, prior to the atonement of iniquity or sin, there are two things that must be in place: love and truth. Love and truth are joined at the hip. In God’s economy they are never apart from one another. The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:15 tells us that we are to speak “the truth in love...”. Only when do so can we hope to share with each other the honesty necessary to keep each other right with God and in our own hearts. As Jeremiah 17:9-10 states:
The heart is more deceitful than all else
And is desperately sick;
Who can understand it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give to each man according to his ways,
According to the results of his deeds.
He gives us both truth and love to keep us on the path of what is right because God alone knows all to well how easily we can fall into sin. He wants us to follow His ways. Only by trusting Him and His Word, lovingly shared, can we ever hope to have our “iniquity atoned for.”
Political Correctness runs from sin even as it denies personal accountability. Those with this view want only the love without the truth. They want to practice their sin without any consequences. Unfortunately such “love” is empty of true meaning, such “tolerance” is short-sighted, proving to be a cover for a deeper self-centered protectionism than can ever be imagined.
May we who know the Lord personally be diligent in our truth-telling. But may we likewise never cease to be as loving as our Lord in our dealing with people. Even as this year begins, Lord, help us to see afresh Your use of us as Your instruments of grace, touching people around us with a healthy balance of truth and love so that their sins, their iniquities, like our own may be atoned for and forgiven. In Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Priorities
For those who have not been with us during the month of December, especially earlier in the month, we at EBC made a conscious effort to seek the face of God to determine what His priorities were for us in the coming year of 2010. It was interesting to see how, for some, this was a new and different experience, listening for the Lord to actually speak to His people, giving them instructions as to His will for them to accomplish. Naturally, we would never separate our desire to hear His voice from seeking Him in His Word, for He would not communicate with His people by His Spirit apart from verification by the Scriptures. So, with these parameters in place, we set out to put our spiritual “antennas” in receiving mode while diligently studying God’s Word so that when He began to share His thoughts with us, we would be receptive to His directions.
The amazing thing that transpired in the effort was this: we should not have been amazed at all to have heard His voice in response to the genuine pleas of our hearts. Rather, we should have been as expectant to hear from Him as a servant is of his/her master because the relationship is so normative. Yet, for so many of us, our prayerlives are, in reality, an exercise in ritual. Our view of God is that of a nice concept, at worst, or of a God who is far off in outer space with no genuine attachment to life on earth, at best...even as professed Christians, mind you. So, when this God of the Scriptures actually answered our prayers and spoke to our hearts, it was amazing...only because we did not believe in Him as we should have.
What then did this God of true reality share with us that we should do for 2010? On the surface, the message was so simple...yet as one plumbs it further, one finds the message far deeper and more Biblical than one could ever dream. The message to us was this:
Out of love for Christ and for each other, the Body of Christ should be:
—worshipers
—followers
—disciplers
The foundation of all that we do for Him should be based on our love for Christ and for each other in Him. That is plain and yet it is very difficult because of the degree of self-sacrifice required. One cannot be self-centered and selfish and fulfill this mandate. We must give up self and all its connections, goals, desires and dreams at the outset if we are ever to carry out His commands.
The second thing apparent in His directions to us are the three resulting actions that are expected from our loving Him and each other. We are to focus our energies on worshiping Him. Notice that He does not specify on the “how” in regards to worship, because the “how” isn’t up to us. This is the biggest mistake that we as human beings make in reference to worship, as seen so clearly today in the “worship wars” between those of the traditional and contemporary camps who fight incessantly for their own styles of music and “worship”. Worship was never designed to be what “I” like or what fits “my” desire. Worship has always been God-focused, devised originally by Him for Him because He alone is worthy of the action. Therefore, He calls us to be worshipers, focused totally on coming before Him with hearts engaged, centered on true worship.
In succession, we are to be “followers”. That is, we are to concentrate on becoming examples of Christ to all those around us. Many of those in churches today do not realize that the word “Christian” literally means “follower of Christ”, one who identifies his/her life with Him. The term was possibly intended to be a phrase of vilification, a form of mocking, at Antioch (rf. Acts 11:26). In other words, to be a “Christian” is to be so different, so much like Jesus, that the world around us notices enough as to either make fun of us or to be drawn to Him. That’s what He is desiring for us to be and to do this year.
Finally, He wants us to be “disciplers”. A “discipler” is first a disciple, one who learns at the feet of Christ, one who is disciplined in his/her study of God’s Word. This requires a commitment beyond the showing up periodically for the Sunday morning “preaching service”. He is requiring of us a daily time in the Scriptures so that His people are founded and grounded in His truth. Out of the understanding, knowledge and wisdom gained from Him as well as in the strengthening of His relationship with them there will be a natural overflow of desire to share these truths and His love with others. This is what occurred in the lives of believers in the early Church. This is what the Lord wants to happen once again in the modern Church. He wants outreach and the relay of His gospel to be as natural as breathing, never needing any artificial additives (methodologies) or assistance (clever programs or market strategies). God’s love and truth are sufficient enough for the Lord to add to our “number day by day those who (are) being saved.” (rf. Acts 2:47)
The challenge for us is this: Do we really believe enough in Him that we would accept such a message? If so, do we have the necessary faith and self-sacrifice to follow the directions set out for us by the Lord? One person cannot follow His leading in this matter and accomplish these instructions. The message is plain. It is a Body-challenge. The whole of the church has been given the mandate and, thus, the whole of the church must obey in order for there to be success in the Lord’s sight. What say you? What will your response be to His challenge for 2010?
The amazing thing that transpired in the effort was this: we should not have been amazed at all to have heard His voice in response to the genuine pleas of our hearts. Rather, we should have been as expectant to hear from Him as a servant is of his/her master because the relationship is so normative. Yet, for so many of us, our prayerlives are, in reality, an exercise in ritual. Our view of God is that of a nice concept, at worst, or of a God who is far off in outer space with no genuine attachment to life on earth, at best...even as professed Christians, mind you. So, when this God of the Scriptures actually answered our prayers and spoke to our hearts, it was amazing...only because we did not believe in Him as we should have.
What then did this God of true reality share with us that we should do for 2010? On the surface, the message was so simple...yet as one plumbs it further, one finds the message far deeper and more Biblical than one could ever dream. The message to us was this:
Out of love for Christ and for each other, the Body of Christ should be:
—worshipers
—followers
—disciplers
The foundation of all that we do for Him should be based on our love for Christ and for each other in Him. That is plain and yet it is very difficult because of the degree of self-sacrifice required. One cannot be self-centered and selfish and fulfill this mandate. We must give up self and all its connections, goals, desires and dreams at the outset if we are ever to carry out His commands.
The second thing apparent in His directions to us are the three resulting actions that are expected from our loving Him and each other. We are to focus our energies on worshiping Him. Notice that He does not specify on the “how” in regards to worship, because the “how” isn’t up to us. This is the biggest mistake that we as human beings make in reference to worship, as seen so clearly today in the “worship wars” between those of the traditional and contemporary camps who fight incessantly for their own styles of music and “worship”. Worship was never designed to be what “I” like or what fits “my” desire. Worship has always been God-focused, devised originally by Him for Him because He alone is worthy of the action. Therefore, He calls us to be worshipers, focused totally on coming before Him with hearts engaged, centered on true worship.
In succession, we are to be “followers”. That is, we are to concentrate on becoming examples of Christ to all those around us. Many of those in churches today do not realize that the word “Christian” literally means “follower of Christ”, one who identifies his/her life with Him. The term was possibly intended to be a phrase of vilification, a form of mocking, at Antioch (rf. Acts 11:26). In other words, to be a “Christian” is to be so different, so much like Jesus, that the world around us notices enough as to either make fun of us or to be drawn to Him. That’s what He is desiring for us to be and to do this year.
Finally, He wants us to be “disciplers”. A “discipler” is first a disciple, one who learns at the feet of Christ, one who is disciplined in his/her study of God’s Word. This requires a commitment beyond the showing up periodically for the Sunday morning “preaching service”. He is requiring of us a daily time in the Scriptures so that His people are founded and grounded in His truth. Out of the understanding, knowledge and wisdom gained from Him as well as in the strengthening of His relationship with them there will be a natural overflow of desire to share these truths and His love with others. This is what occurred in the lives of believers in the early Church. This is what the Lord wants to happen once again in the modern Church. He wants outreach and the relay of His gospel to be as natural as breathing, never needing any artificial additives (methodologies) or assistance (clever programs or market strategies). God’s love and truth are sufficient enough for the Lord to add to our “number day by day those who (are) being saved.” (rf. Acts 2:47)
The challenge for us is this: Do we really believe enough in Him that we would accept such a message? If so, do we have the necessary faith and self-sacrifice to follow the directions set out for us by the Lord? One person cannot follow His leading in this matter and accomplish these instructions. The message is plain. It is a Body-challenge. The whole of the church has been given the mandate and, thus, the whole of the church must obey in order for there to be success in the Lord’s sight. What say you? What will your response be to His challenge for 2010?
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