1 John 1:5-7 "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
Do you ever watch the news and just cringe when you see one of those stories where the main character has done something blatantly foolish and is also categorized as a Christian? I have. They almost infuriate me. Because you have two things working together in unison to create a terrible picture of Christianity. You have the sometimes incomprehensible actions of the individual coupled with the media's seeming hunger for being able to portray Christianity in a negative light. Unfortunately, everyone could be the one in that story line, because we all have times where we sin and where we are not walking in the light.
What this passage boils down to is that we can't have it both ways. You've probably heard the term, "the best of both worlds." Well, when it comes to Christ and to holiness, there simply is no such thing as the best of both worlds. The world that we live in loves to portray the idea that there is no absolute truth. So if there is no absolute truth, then there are no cut and dry, black and white issues. But this passage of scripture blatantly states otherwise.
Verse 6 says that if we say we have fellowship with Him but continue to walk in darkness, we're liars. That's the problem with so much of what the world sees of Christianity. They see people walking in darkness and saying that they have fellowship with Christ. The church is full of people who show up for services to check it off the list and proceed to live their life according to their own pleasure. We see polls where 80% of Americans say that they are Christians. I have a hard time believing that. It's because the message has been watered down and those in the darkness can't tell when others are in it too.
So is it possible for someone to live in habitual sin and walk in darkness, yet still be a Christian? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Because we always have a choice of whether we want to obey or not. Even a Christian can make a choice to disobey for extended periods of time. Sadly, I must confess that I've been there in my life. And the inferred point of verse 6 is that if we're walking in darkness then we have no fellowship with the King. But the beautiful thing is that even while there is no active fellowship, the Holy Spirit never leaves a true believer. And sooner or later His conviction is more that can be borne and the illuminated truth is finally acknowledged. And it is at that point that repentance can occur.
Who really wants to live a life like that though? But how often have I been guilty of that very thing? If I'm getting aggravated with my kids and lose my temper, am I walking in light and fellowship with Christ? What about when I don't stand up for Christ in the workplace? Or what about when I let my gaze linger on an inappropriate advertisement? There are opportunities all around us to walk in darkness. The question is which is more appealing to us?
But what about the promise of this verse? It says that if I'll choose to walk in the light, then I am in a right relationship with Him and with others. Throughout the Gospel of John, we read that Jesus referred to Himself as the light. In John 8:12 He says "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." My challenge then is to walk in the light? To walk in Him. But how do I do that? By abiding in Him. By spending time in prayer and in study of the Word.
Psalm 119:105 says that God's word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path. In a world obsessed with no absolute truth and moral relativity, the Word is capable of illuminating the truth. It is capable of shining on my footsteps and showing me the way that I should follow Him. It shows me the stumbling blocks and potential pitfalls so that I don't hit them. God is light and in Him no darkness exists. He is pure light.
My friend, I beg you not to walk in darkness. Make the conscious decision to walk in the light and to forsake the darkness. Meditate on His word and allow it to illuminate all aspects of you life. Let's choose to avoid the shadows and have fellowship with the Father.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Men of Honor Thoughts
Today I was checking out a cross reference in 2 Corinthians and for some reason I just kept reading. “Some reason” just happened to be the leading of the Holy Spirit. I came across this little nugget in 2 Corinthians 7:13 – “And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all (NKJV).” Wow. What does that say about a body of believers? Let’s think about what Paul was saying here.
He was saying that Titus was refreshed. What does it mean to be refreshed? Well, have you ever worked out in the yard in the heat of the day in the middle of the summer? You get hot. And you get tired. And exhausted. And did I mention hot? If you’re not rehydrating yourself, you begin to move slower and slower. You’re dragging and your strength just isn’t there like it used to be. Ah, but what happens when you get a big glass of ice water? Or when you jump in the pool? You can feel your body temperature begin to drop. You are being refreshed. You are being taken from a state of discomfort and exhaustion to a state of freshness, energy and strength.
The Greek word for “has been refreshed” is anapauĊ which means “to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength.” That’s exactly what it’s like in the life of a Christian. As we go through our lives the weight of the world begins to drag us down. It makes us tired. We face so many obstacles and so many snares and so many temptations and so much sin that we find our spirits being exhausted. And if we are discipling anyone and pouring our lives into them then we find that it takes a lot out of us. But to find the person, or the people that will help you rest and recover and regain your spiritual strength is invaluable.
As I sit here this morning I am thinking about our Men of Honor ministry at Summit. It’s been on sabbatical for a while and we’re gearing back up to get it cranking again this fall. Men don’t usually think in the terms above when it comes to other men. That’s usually the way that ladies think. But I am personally challenged by this passage. I believe that it is the responsibility of MOH, and the entire Church, to help refresh our brethren. When we spend time together, while it should be fun, that should not be the main goal. Our main goal should be to help each other become refreshed by the Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Before we can look to others around us we must understand that it is our responsibility as leaders of our homes to ensure that we do whatever we can to refresh our families first. That is our primary responsibility. Are we leading our children first toward a personal relationship with Christ, and second, toward a deeper understanding and a closer walk with Him? Are we praying with our wives and engaging in Bible study or at least discussion of what we may be going through in our quiet times? Are we making decisions and spiritually leading those that Christ has blessed us with and entrusted to us?
It is only after we are refreshing our families that we should look to helping others. As we gather in social settings, in Bible study, in worship or whatever other arena we may enter, we should be lifting each other up. Each of us struggle with various things. But the beauty of a family is that where some struggle, others excel. Your weakness may be another’s strength. Refreshment comes with humble openness and humble help. Lest we fall into pride, we must always remember that it is but for the grace of God that we can experience proficiency or victory over anything.
So my question to you is simple. Are you refreshing anyone? Are you allowing God to work through your life to touch others and build them back up to regain their strength? It’s a difficult task and one that can only be done when we are truly seeking the face of the Almighty and giving Him the entirety of our lives. It is only then that we can experience the blessing of becoming His hands.
He was saying that Titus was refreshed. What does it mean to be refreshed? Well, have you ever worked out in the yard in the heat of the day in the middle of the summer? You get hot. And you get tired. And exhausted. And did I mention hot? If you’re not rehydrating yourself, you begin to move slower and slower. You’re dragging and your strength just isn’t there like it used to be. Ah, but what happens when you get a big glass of ice water? Or when you jump in the pool? You can feel your body temperature begin to drop. You are being refreshed. You are being taken from a state of discomfort and exhaustion to a state of freshness, energy and strength.
The Greek word for “has been refreshed” is anapauĊ which means “to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength.” That’s exactly what it’s like in the life of a Christian. As we go through our lives the weight of the world begins to drag us down. It makes us tired. We face so many obstacles and so many snares and so many temptations and so much sin that we find our spirits being exhausted. And if we are discipling anyone and pouring our lives into them then we find that it takes a lot out of us. But to find the person, or the people that will help you rest and recover and regain your spiritual strength is invaluable.
As I sit here this morning I am thinking about our Men of Honor ministry at Summit. It’s been on sabbatical for a while and we’re gearing back up to get it cranking again this fall. Men don’t usually think in the terms above when it comes to other men. That’s usually the way that ladies think. But I am personally challenged by this passage. I believe that it is the responsibility of MOH, and the entire Church, to help refresh our brethren. When we spend time together, while it should be fun, that should not be the main goal. Our main goal should be to help each other become refreshed by the Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Before we can look to others around us we must understand that it is our responsibility as leaders of our homes to ensure that we do whatever we can to refresh our families first. That is our primary responsibility. Are we leading our children first toward a personal relationship with Christ, and second, toward a deeper understanding and a closer walk with Him? Are we praying with our wives and engaging in Bible study or at least discussion of what we may be going through in our quiet times? Are we making decisions and spiritually leading those that Christ has blessed us with and entrusted to us?
It is only after we are refreshing our families that we should look to helping others. As we gather in social settings, in Bible study, in worship or whatever other arena we may enter, we should be lifting each other up. Each of us struggle with various things. But the beauty of a family is that where some struggle, others excel. Your weakness may be another’s strength. Refreshment comes with humble openness and humble help. Lest we fall into pride, we must always remember that it is but for the grace of God that we can experience proficiency or victory over anything.
So my question to you is simple. Are you refreshing anyone? Are you allowing God to work through your life to touch others and build them back up to regain their strength? It’s a difficult task and one that can only be done when we are truly seeking the face of the Almighty and giving Him the entirety of our lives. It is only then that we can experience the blessing of becoming His hands.
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