Dumb Questions

 Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; 

“There are naive questions, tedious questions, ill-phrased questions, questions put after inadequate self-criticism. But every question is a cry to understand the world. There is no such thing as a dumb question.” ― Carl Sagan. The first couple years I was a pastor, I believed that every question someone asked was because they were seeking an answer and wanted my opinion. It didn’t take long to understand that not every questioner has good intentions. I also quickly learned that not every question, even if it had good intentions, was something I should concern myself with. Why did I try to answer every question? Partly because I was naive and thought every questioner had good intentions. Partly because I was proud and liked to think I could answer every question. Partly because I wanted to help people, and after all, “every question is a cry to understand the world.” If Carl Sagan had read, or believed the Bible, he would have known that wasn’t true. Paul said there are such things as dumb questions. 

What makes a question foolish? If they are idle or unlearned (2 Timothy 2:23). An unlearned question tells us that not every question is a search for the truth. Often, a question is to find out what someone else believes, or to make them think through their own position. Those are not foolish. A fool asks unanswerable questions. A fool asks questions that are impious and ungodly. Some people sit around and think of ridiculous questions about the Bible and about spiritual things. They ponder mysteries that have no spiritual benefit and no Scriptural answer. I’ll spare you examples lest you start thinking about them. It’s idle speculation. When the Bible has nothing to say about something, then your guess is as good as mine. Which also means your guess is just as worthless as mine.  Why then spend time asking questions that you’ll never know the answer to, and when you get to Heaven, at that point, you won’t even care. There is plenty of truth in the Bible to last you the rest of your life. 

Why avoid them? Because, “they are unprofitable and vain.” You should avoid them because there isn’t any good reason to indulge them. You won’t be able to answer them. And even if you could, there is no practical value it it. There isn’t any profit for you in thinking about it, or the other person when you answer. And even if you do answer it, the likelihood is extremely high that you’ll do nothing but start a fight and use the law of God to bludgeon your brother.  It’s a waste of your time, energy, and won’t do anyone any good, and won’t bring glory unto the Lord.  I’d be happy to answer any question about the  Scripture. and I've spent many hours since the blog started answering emails from readers who had questions. I love when people ponder the Bible, but just gaurd yourself from vain and fruitless questions. 

We are Not Condemned

Victor Hugo, in his work, The Last Day of a Condemned Man, writes the story of a man sentenced to death, awaiting execution. It opens with the words of the prisoner, “Condemned to death! These five weeks have I dwelt with this idea: always alone with it, always frozen by its presence; always bent under its weight…I am a captive! Bodily in irons in a dungeon, and mentally imprisoned in one idea. One horrible, one hideous, one unconquerable idea! I have only one thought, one conviction, one certitude: Condemned to death! Whatever I do, that frightful thought is always here, like a specter, beside me, solitary and jealous, banishing all else, haunting me forever, and shaking me with its two icy hands whenever I wish to turn my head away, or to close my eyes.” 

“Condemned to death.” He was tried, convicted, and sentenced. The damnatory sentence has already been pronounced. No appeals. No future court dates. Condemned to death. It consumed him because he lived under the weight of that terrible sentence. How awful, condemned to die. Did you know there is already a sentenced passed on you? In Adam, we died. In Adam, we sinned. The damnatory sentence is already passed upon all humanity. Men do not wait to stand before God at the judgment to determine their eternal destiny. You may know John 3:16, but do you know John 3:18 where Jesus said, “that believeth not is condemned already.” The sentence is passed. You are guilty and already convicted. 

But did you know there is a pardon? “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,” Romans 8:1. There is pardon available. Now. Not to wait and see, not to labor to it. Not to perform community service for God by good works to make up for it. There is free and full pardon. How? In Christ. The first part of  John 3:18 tells the tale, “He that believeth on him is not condemned.” The blessed doctrine of justification by faith, that the Lord Jesus died in the place of sinners, to pay our debt to divine justice, that we may stand, pardoned, our sins paid for, and receive his righteousness as our own. Our sins gone, and we may leave the dungeons of our wickedness, free and clear. There is now, at this present time for the Christian, no condemnation in Christ.  

We are not condemned. Chastisements are not judgments, for we are not condemned. Afflictions are not judgments, for we are not condemned. Trials are not a foretaste of Hell, but mercy in our sanctification. We may be sick, but we are not condemned. We may be poor, but we are not condemned. We may be hungry, but we are not condemned. We may be lonely, but we are not condemned. We may be hated, but we are  not condemned. We may be betrayed by brothers and forgotten by friends, but we are not condemned. 

But doesn't that do harm to justice? It's wonderful news for the condemned man, but what about righteousness? In the book, as far as I can recall, you are never explicitly told what he did. You feel for him. You feel sorry that his young daughter didn’t recognize him the last time he saw her dad. You feel for him as the crowds are lustful for his decapitation. It’s hinted he killed a man in cold blood for no reason. But hey, that’s beside the point Hugo was trying to make. He was against the death penalty and he wants you to think twice about what is happening to the condemned man when he’s about to die. Whether he knew it or not, he was against more than capital punishment. He was also against justice and righteousness. When you fail to punish the guilty, you punish the innocent.

The condemned murder suffered because the weight of his execution was at hand, and that was dreadful —  it was also dreadful for the widow, also sitting home alone, suffering because of the weight of her grief over her murdered husband. It’s sad to think of the condemned man’s little girl — but what if the murdered man also had a little girl and what will that do to her for the rest of her life? What would it do to the little girl to know the man who murdered her daddy was set free to live his life because Victor Hugo was against justice? His book wants to do away with the consequences of sin. Yes, it’s sad a man has to die. But it’s also sad for the murdered man’s family. For society. For justice.

God pardons. God forgives. God sets free. But God also loves justice. God doesn’t let sin slide by. When God forgives, he doesn’t do harm to justice. He doesn’t fail to punish evil. Exodus 34:6-7  tells us the Lord is “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,  keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” Amen and hallelujah!  God is merciful. God forgives sin! And if you keep reading verse seven, it says the Lord “will by no means clear the guilty.” That’s not good news for sinners, because sinners break God’s law, and are guilty. So how does God forgive sin AND not clear the guilty? The cross.  Jesus died on the cross and took all the guilt and sin of his people. The Father then dealt with Jesus like he was a sinner. Instead of dealing with me like a sinner and punishing my sin, Jesus took my sin and took my place and the Father and punished my sin in Jesus. God didn’t do away with justice or let sin slide. The sinless Christ was my substitute. He bore my sin and sacrificed himself so I may live. On the cross, Jesus paid my debt to justice in full (Psalms 85:10).

No Condemnation

From Octavius Winslow's book, No Condemnation in Christ Jesus

"Christian! There is NOW no condemnation for you. Be yours, then, a present and full joy. “Christ has made atonement and with it God is satisfied. And if so, well may you be satisfied — delighting yourselves greatly in the abundance of peace, going forth even now in the light an liberty of your present enlargement. 

In Christ they were chosen — to Christ they were betrothed — with Christ they were united — by Christ they are saved — and sitting with Christ on His throne, they shall reign with hi for ever and ever. 

It is a mutual in-dwelling — Christ in us, and we in Christ. Here is our security. The believer is in Christ as Jacob was in the garment of the elder brother when Isaac kissed him, and he “smelled the smell of the raiment, and blessed him and said, See, the smell of my son I was the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed.” He is in Christ, as the poor homicide was within the city of refuge when pursued by the avenger of blood, but who could not overtake an slay. He is in Christ as Noah was  enclosed within the ark, with the heavens darkening above him, and the waters heaving beneath him, yet with not a drop of the flood penetrating his vessel, nor a blast of the storm disturbing the serenity of his spirit.  How expressive are these scriptural emblems of the perfect security of a b believer in Christ! He is clothed with the garment of the Elder Brother, the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, “Who is unto all, and upon all them that believe.” On that garment the Father’s hands are placed; in that robe the person of the believer is accepted; it is to God :as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed” the blessing of the heavenly birthright is his — and for him there is no condemnation. Pursued by the avenger of blood the threatenings of a condemning law, he has reached the city of refuge, the Lord Jesus Christ. Fearful and trembling, yet believing and hoping, he has crossed the sacred threshold, and in an instant he is safe — and for him there is no condemnation. Fleeing from the gather storm — “the wrath which is to come,” — he has availed himself of the open door of the sacred ark — the crucified Saviour — has entered, God shutting him in and for him, there is no condemnation. 

Yes, Christ Jesus is our sanctuary, beneath whose shadow we are safe. Christ Jesus is our strong tower, within whose embattlements no avenger can threaten. Christ Jesus is our hiding-place from the wind, and covert from the tempest; and no one drop of the “wrath to come” can fall upon the should that is in him. O how completely accepted, and how perfectly secure, the sinner who is in Christ Jesus! He feels he is saved on the basis of a law, whose honor is vindicated; through the clemency of a righteous Sovereign, whose holiness is secured; and through the mercy of a gracious God, the glory of whose moral government is eternally and illustriously exhibited. And now is his head lifted up above his enemies round about him; for there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.  

Reader, are you in Christ Jesus? Is this your condition? We repeat the solemn declaration, “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Are you that new creature? Prove, examine, and ascertain. For if you are not born again of the Spirit, be well assured you are still under the curse and sentence of the law. And while condemnation, in dark and gloomy characters is written upon the brow of every unbelieving sinner out of Christ, Christ has said of all who have fled out of themselves to him, He that heareth my word and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.” 

Marvel

A marvel is something that stops you and  captures your attention, something that astonishes. The interesting thing about being marveled is it says just as much about the person who is astonished as it does the act. There is quite a bit of marveling in the Scripture.  John 3:4-10, “Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? … Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. … Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?”

Jesus preached truth about regeneration, the new birth. Nicodemus jaw dropped and couldn’t believe what he was hearing, you must be “born again?”. He was astonished. Jesus said, “marvel not.” Jesus in turn, marvels at Nicodemus. “You’re a teacher and you don’t know these things?” The dullness of men and their attitudes toward truth marveled the Lord. In Mark 6:1-6, Jesus traveled with his disciples back home to Nazareth and on the Sabbath, taught in the synagogue. When people heard his message and teaching, they were astonished. Not by the truth. Not by God’s Word. Not by the doctrine. But by Jesus. “That’s a good thing, right?” Sadly, not in this case. They didn’t marvel at the glory of Christ, but found it incredulous that Jesus, of all people, was preaching this truths. “Where did he learn this? Where did this wisdom come from? This carpenter’s son?” Their attitude was the reason why Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.” The Lord left Nazareth without doing very many works. Verse six said, “And he marveled because of their unbelief.” The Jews marveled at Jesus preaching and Jesus marveled at their unbelief.

In Matthew 8, a Centurion came to Jesus to ask if he would heal his servant, who was sick in a bad way. Jesus said he would come to his house and heal him. “No need! I’m a man of authority and if I tell my servant to do something, he does it. I’m not worthy to have you enter my home. Speak the Word, Lord, and he’ll be healed. In verse 10, it says, “when Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”  The Lord marveled at the Centurion’s faith, not because he was surprised, but because it was true and Jesus gloried in truth. Grace caught his attention and glorified His Father and rejoiced at the obedience and the worship of this Gentile man. What captures your attention and makes you stand in wonder? Do you marvel at grace or are you suspicious of God’s power to save lost sinners? Many marveled or worshiped the Lord (Matthew 8:27; 9:8; 9:33; John 5:20; 5:28). Some marveled at his doctrine (Mark 12:17; (Luke 20:26). Still others marveled of low expectations (John 7:14-15) or because Jesus because he did something they did not expect him to do, because they expected Jesus to act like themselves (Mark 15:5; Luke 11:38). What is it about the Lord that captures your attention?

In John 4:27, "And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?" 

What the disciples didn’t say says a lot. They didn’t ask the woman what she wanted. They didn’t ask the Lord why he was talking to her, even though they were thinking about it. It arrested their attention and they were astonished. Not by grace but because the Lord’s actions were not what they expected, and not in a good way.

When Jesus didn’t wash his hands before dinner, the Pharisee  marveled. Why? Because Jesus didn’t meet his expectations. The Pharisee had expected to the Lord Jesus to act like he acted. The Pharisee thought washing before dinner to be of the utmost importance and Jesus didn’t do it, so it astonished him. Pilate was used to men groveling and begging and pleading their case not to be executed. But when Jesus, a clearly innocent man didn’t answer, he was shocked. This kind of wonder is what the disciples had. They were shocked by the Lord Jesus. Shocked that Jesus would talk to this woman. Shocked that he had any dealings with her. Shocked because that’s not what they thought the Lord should be doing. 

Rather than marveling at the truth we often will be astonished just when things happen against our expectations. Either someone exceeds our expectations for them or someone doesn't live up to them. But either way, our expectations are the standard. We should follow the Lord’s example and marvel in what is true -  that should be the standard and it should arrest us as sad and incomprehensible when someone rejected the truth of Christ. The disciples marveled that the Lord would even talk to the woman, let alone save her soul. What do you think their reaction was to that? Shocked, no doubt. Are you shocked with the Lord works in someone's life? The disciples didn't expect the Lord to save that woman, or anyone in that area, otherwise, they would have brought others to Jesus, like the woman, when she marveled at the grace of God. 

Repent

I never thought I would read a pro-repentance piece in the New York Times. I suppose repentance is acceptable as long it's from the right sin and to the right god.

Infallible Word

The 1689 London Baptist Confession says, "The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible "rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience..."

It's sufficient. It's enough. It's equal to what it says it does. We don't need anything more than the Bible and with the Bible we are not lacking. God's Word is exactly the right amount of light. It's also certain. It's sure, true, and unfailing. And it's infallible. Indeed the Bible is inerrant, or without error. But infallible means it's without the possibility of error.

The Bible is infallible. Not only does it contain no errors, but there is nothing coming up tomorrow that will eventually prove the Bible wrong. There is no secret buried in Jerusalem that will one day be discovered by archeologist to disprove the Scripture. There is no lost text that will turn up to overthrow the truth of the Bible. No event will happen to undo the promises of God. The inerrancy of Scripture tells me God's word is true. The infallibility of Scripture tells me God's Word will stand. I don't have to fear tomorrow. Nothing can stop God's program. No event will take God by surprise. No tragedy will undermine the Word. It cannot fail because HE cannot fail.

Metaphorically Speaking

The sixth chapter of Romans is a hard chapter to wrap our minds around. Every born again child of God knows the difficulty of rightly understanding and then living out our relationship to the law and living under grace. Paul deals with the truth by showing how our justification by faith and our union in Christ makes it a contradiction for a Christian to continue to live in sin. After explaining the truth, Paul restates it and illustrates the point. He says Romans 6:19, “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh.” In other words, Paul’s going to give us an illustration from life to help us connect the dots of this spiritual reality.

People think in metaphors and illustrations. God created us to think in illustrations. Some functional MRI brain imaging studies done by the University of Arizona show, “when you hear a metaphor such as "she had a rough day," regions of the brain associated with tactile experience are activated. If you hear, "he's so sweet," areas associated with taste are activated. And when you hear action verbs used in a metaphorical context, like "grasp a concept," regions involved in motor perception and planning are activated,”(University of Arizona. (2019, April 2). How the brain finds meaning in metaphor. ScienceDaily).  They studied the brain with an EEG while participants read three synonymous sentences, two literal renderings and the third using a metaphor, and the brain acted much faster when the person read the metaphor.

Because of the weakness of humanity, the latter part of Romans 6 and the first part of chapter 7 are illustrations to restate the doctrine. Paul explains the doctrine, then provides some illustrations to drive the point home. Why? Because our creator knows how He made us. Don’t feel bad if you read something in the Bible and at first don’t understand or if you don’t grasp a doctrine or a concept immediately. Also, don’t give up! One of the keys to Bible study is if there is a difficult verse that you are having trouble grasping, there are often other passages that shed more light in other places. Or, as in our case, there are illustrations and further explanation. So, if you had trouble grasping Romans 6:14 or 6:18, God has given us an illustration to think about it another way.

This is another example of God’s goodness. God could have given us a Bible all in one genre of writing. Explicit truth number one. Truth number two. Truth number three, and therefore and etc. But God has given us a book with different ways of revealing his truth. Some poetry, some history, some parables, but  all unfolding the unified truth revealed by our Creator. You should expect parts of the Scripture to be deep and profound. We are dealing with truths about the Holy God and eternity. But God wants His people to know, so He gave us a book to explain it.

Our Relationship to the Law

Romans 6:15  What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. (1)

What are Christians supposed to do with the law? It’s a statement of fact, we are no longer under the law. It’s a statement of fact that we are under grace. But what does that mean? Romans 6 tells us we are not to use grace as a way to serve sin. For the Christian, the law of God cannot condemn us (Romans 8:1) nor can the law cannot save us (Romans 3:28). As human beings, we are born with the imputed guilt of Adam’s sin (Romans 5). Born, under the law, born in sin, born owing a debt to God’s justice. We cannot earn salvation with the law, and we are justly condemned for our sins by the law. In Christ, we are freely justified by faith in the propitiatory work of Christ and faith in his blood. We are justified, having full and free forgiveness of our sins and the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:25-26).

We are no longer in Adam, but in Christ. We have righteousness in His obedience to the law  imputed to us and by His righteousness, God has declared us justified unto life (Romans 5:18). The law came so that we would see the sinfulness of sin, and the more we see our sin, the more we come to Christ. The law shows us how bad we truly are and God's grace abounds in our minds when we see the depth of our depravity. But that doesn’t mean the Christian keeps on sinning and is free to break God’s law.  The moral law of God doesn’t change. Our relationship to God’s moral law changes.

Sin is the transgression of the law. The Christian is not to live in sin. But, in Christ, we have been justified. We are declared righteous. We have the righteousness of Christ, and we are not only free from sin but we are counted as righteous in Christ. Jesus’ active obedience is mine and I’m a righteous person. In union with Christ, I died with him and now I live unto God with him. Therefore, I’m no longer “under” the law’s judgment. Apart from Christ, you are in your sin and already condemned.  In Christ, I am free from condemnation and live, not under the condemnation of the law, but under the grace of God.

How then does someone take Romans 6 and come to the conclusion we can live in sin? “I’m no longer under the law, I’m in the law of Christ.” Amen. But what is the law of Christ and how does it differ from the Old Testament laws that concern our piety towards God, our love for our neighbor, and the regulation of our hearts?

As a Christian, I follow the law of Christ, which  is the same, in substance and spirit as the law of the Old Testament. You may object to that and say, “I’m supposed to love my neighbor and God, I’m not supposed to follow the book of Leviticus.” Where in the Bible do you find that law to love your neighbor? Was Jesus the first to say that? If not, who was and where would you find it? It’s not as easy as saying “Old Testament bad. New Testament Good.” The same chapter, Leviticus 19, that tells us to love our neighbor is the same chapter that tells us not to wear garments of mixed fabric. The law of Christ is the same in substance and in matter in the Old Testament as it is in the New and you will find the law of Christ throughout the entire Scriptures. This law is agreeable to God and directs one to godliness, love toward our neighbor. God gave it to us as a rule of righteousness. It would be simple if there was one section that said, “Christian, do this and only this.”Then we could read it straight through and call it a day. But God wants his people to think about how they live and think about what God requires of us and to apply the truth. The legalistic spirit wants a list. Either a list to follow or a list to throw in the trash for the antinomian, but a list all the same.

It’s is God’s way, and a mercy to us, that we must be discerning people. To pray over matters, to search the Scriptures, and to mediate on God’s law day and night. That's walking in the Spirit.

The law doesn’t change, but your relationship to the law is based on your relationship to Christ. Thomas Boston said we should think of it this way, you don’t take the law from Moses hands. We don't take the law from God's hands apart from Christ. But we take the law from Christ. The Law remains the same, but our relationship to the law changes.

But what about mixed fabric and shellfish? God gave Israel laws that prefigured and pictured Jesus by type, ceremony, and worship. There were laws given to Israel to show the difference between God's people and to protect Israel from the idolatry of the heathens of the land. Laws to teach and remind the people of God they were a separate, sanctified people. In Christ and in the blessings of the New Covenant, the need for those elementary reminders are gone.

When you first start learning a stringed instrument like the violin or the cello, the teacher will put tape on the fingerboard so the student knows approximately where to place the fingers. There are no frets on a fiddle, so learning where to put your finger is challenging for the new student. But, as you advance in knowledge and ability, the tapes are not needed. To play the F note on a violin, the master and the student will put their fingers in the same spot on the string. But only the student needs the elementary guide and reminder.

When Jesus came, those laws are no longer necessary. Why celebrate the Passover when Christ delivered us from sin, and death, and died for our sins by shedding His blood? Why go to an inferior priest, when Christ is our High Priest? Why offer blood sacrifices of bulls and goats, that never washed away sin, when Christ died once for all for sin forever? The Old Testament was a figure of the New, so  it is no longer needed. Waking in the Spirit, in the blessing of the New Covenant is far supervisor than the laws of separation, though the principle is still the same.

Moses was a man under two covenants, Abraham's, and also, the covenant established in Exodus. However, God is of one purpose. God didn't change the covenant to Abraham and will not change. God also didn’t change when he gave the law to Moses. He's the same God in Genesis as He is in Leviticus as He is in Galatians. Those covenants were not antagonistic. The nation of Israel was put under the tutelage of a strict ruler (the law), to both keep them and to point them to the coming Christ. But once Christ came, the vehicle of the Old Covenant that bring us to Christ was no longer needed. The Old Covenant was a servant to take God's covenant people from Abraham to Christ. It would be like if I bought a car and drove across country to see the Pacific Ocean, and the proceed to sit in the car, with its luxurious seating and "fine Corinthian Leather" for 40+ hours, arrive at the beach, then be content to stay in the car and smell the breeze of the salt air, but never go to the water. I’d be crazy to rejoice in the car. The car brought me to the ocean, but it wasn’t the point of the trip. There is nothing wrong with the car. In fact, the car is good and I would recommend it to everyone because it served its purpose.

 To remain in the Old Covenant is to view the means as the end. In Christ, God's children walk in the Spirit, not under the law. Now, we get to the crux of the issue. Which Old Testament Laws would the Holy Spirit tell you to break? Which law are you comfortable breaking in the name of Christ? Which of Christ’s laws will you break in Heaven? Will you take the Lord's name in vain in Heaven? Will you build an altar to Beelzebub? If the law has nothing to say to the Christian, what do we make of this? Revelation 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

I can eat shellfish because I have Acts 10. I can wear mixed fabric because I have Acts 15. I can understand Sunday because I have Matthew 12. The New Testament shows me what was designed to lead to Christ and what was a law designed to show me sin and holiness. There were also laws given to the country of Israel, to rule the people. Since we don't live in ancient Israel, the laws of that country do not apply, though we can still see what pleases and displeases God in those laws. During the virus restrictions, the law of New York doesn't apply to me in West Virginia. In fact, our government has made restrictions by county. So the restrictions at my house are different than if I drive a mile down the road and cross the county line. Civil laws of any nation apply to it's citizenry.

Ancient Israel was a theocracy. We expect the civil laws to reflect God's holiness. Exodus 22:18, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” That’s a civil law for the nation of that time, not for me. But, what does that tell me God thinks of witchcraft? Do you think God is pleased with witchcraft today? Many of my more liberal minded brethren will wax poetic about illegal immigration, and feel free to quote a few verses down. Exodus 22:21-22, “Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child” (It's funny to me that these same men scoff at people for praying and believing 2 Chronicles 7:14). Do we throw out the widows and orphans because it’s in the same chapter as Exodus 22:26, “If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down.”

I’m not under the law. I've never taken my friends Carhartt jacket as collateral. But, should I not pay back my neighbor if I borrow something from him, and should I not be generous to him? Should I steal from orphans and not care for widows because I'm no longer under the law? Should I join a Wiccan coven? Here’s another question I won’t provide the answer to. Is it wrong for a man to dress like a woman? Does the Bible forbid it and if so, where? I believe we should read the Bible like Paul, who said that we are not under the law, but also said, in Timothy 5:18, "For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward." Paul quotes Luke and Deuteronomy to show the principle of paying your pastor. He didn't take it out of context. He didn't twist the scripture. He used his mind and applied the principle of the law.

Take tithing for example. Christians are to give to God. Christian are to give unto God through the church (2 Corinthians 9:6-15). How much? What amount should I give unto Christ? The principle of giving in scripture is a tenth. Abraham, 400+ years before the law was given, tithed to Melchisedec 10%. This tithe was continued in the Old Covenant, and different amounts were for different purpose. They brought their tithes to the Levite Priests. After the priesthood of Aaron ended, God’s people are still to give, right? Muzzling the ox and etc. Do God’s people have to tithe? No, you are free to give much more than 10%. Is giving God a tenth of what he has given you a burden? Is counting every penny to the last red cent a way to be a cheerful giver? Does the law of Christ free us to be less giving than our Old Testament brethren?

The remainder of the laws reveal to us our sinfulness and God's holiness and how we are to live in our desire for living under grace. If we use the law to gain favor with God, or to try and earn with God we are wrong. If we use the law to show us what is pleasing and unpleasing to God, then we use the law, lawfully.

I’m not free TO sin, but free from sin’s dominion. I am not under the law, that I must earn favor with God, but I’m under grace that I am justified and have Christ’s righteousness.

But, does that mean, that since I’m united to Christ, by faith, I am free to live under the domain of sin? Does that mean that I take my body and use it as instruments of Sin? Of course not I'm not under the law. I'm under God's amazing grace. I'm free to serve righteousness unto holiness.


(1) I'm preaching through Romans on Wednesday night and made it to Romans 6 last Wednesday. I was also asked a question of Facebook by a dear brother in Christ about the Old Testament law, in a post under a sermon I preached. Since I'm not on Facebook, and my long-suffering wife explained a 2,000 word essay was probably too long for a post, I'll leave my answer here.

Believe the Bible when you read

John 4:5  Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

Read your Bible like a Christian. John believed the book of Genesis. I point this out because many commentators and authors don’t. Some well educated scholars like to clear their throats and mumble things about the primitive times and offer apologies for the rubes who didn’t know any better to believe the stories of Genesis, including the Apostle John. John is one of those people who believed the historical account of Genesis. Even that is a bridge too far for some.

The New Testament authors believed in the historical account of Genesis. As a Christian, you should have the same view of the Old Testament as the men who wrote the New Testament. Don’t be fooled by people who want you, as a Christian, to read the Old Testament like a heathen. John, wrote the inspired Scripture, God’s very word, believing the historical account. You should too.

Is there Truth?

I’m not a doctor, but I think I may have whiplash. Last week, I read one columnist assure his readers everything is going to be fine regarding the virus. The next article was from his colleague, that assured us the world is on fire and that we are weeks away from entering the realm of the Lord of the Flies. So while I have the conch, I will like to tell you why there are so many opposite stories.

"Lord of the Flies" by Gonzalo Martínez Moreno 

 In logic, there is an axiom called “the law of noncontradiction”. The law means two contradictory statements can’t be true, when used in the same sense. For example, everything is fine and the world is about to devolve into anarchy cannot be true at the same time. Certainly, both can be false, but they can’t both be true. That’s simple enough, but let’s go a bit further. How does this happen? Are both groups lying? Perhaps. Another possibility is they both believe what they are saying and are wrong.  The media purports itself to be unbiased, but I am of the opinion that there is no such thing. Unless you are a jellyfish, you come to every issue with preconceived notions and beliefs. And, perhaps even these gelatinous scyphozoan are fixed in their view of the world.

Some are calm, collected, and reassuring, but have no grounds for their hope other than a hunch or a wrongheaded idea of reality. Others are running in circles with their hands flailing about to and fro in a panic because they can foresee no other possibility than scientific models of worst-case scenarios playing out — because they have misplaced trust in fallible scientific models, or what I like to call “guesses”. These opposite views are more like siblings. They have hope and fear based on their presuppositions. Two people can read the same news story, one go out and buy gold along with 3,400 rolls of toilet paper while the other will read it and roll their eyes and think it’s preposterous. I’m not suggesting the noble “third way” but to consider your source. Not just the source of what your read and hear, but the source of how you read and interpret. What’s your bias?

People look at things from the perspective of their beliefs. I am a pastor, and I write this column every week, not as some unbiased entity who is above it all, but a man who is convinced Jesus is Lord and Christ, and the Bible is the Word of God. The law of noncontradiction is true, but only because there is truth. God's Word is true. The Bible is sure in a day of troubles. It's a stronghold and won't change with the times and seasons. When the world is passing around falsehoods, rumors, and hunches, it's a must for God's people to rest in God’s truth. All men are liars. Trust God's sure and true promises. Pick up God's Word and ground yourself in a trustworthy word.

Plodding On

"Ah, fellow-servants of Christ, take to heart this word—"John also was baptizing." His season of popularity might be over: his light might be eclipsed by that of a greater: the crowds might have become thin; but, nevertheless, he plodded on and faithfully persevered in the work God had given him to do! "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Gal. 6:9). John performed his duty and fulfilled his course.…This is ever a favorite device with him, to make one servant of the Lord envious at the greater success enjoyed by another. And alas! how frequently does he gain his wicked ends thus. It is only those who seek not honor of men, but desire only the glory of their Lord, that are proof against such attacks."

AW. Pink, The Gospel of John 

Don't Worry

Philippians 4:6-7  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The Christian isn’t supposed to be full of care and worry. And no, that’s not easy for me to say.  Anytime you face some unknown situation, or a dangerous problem, you should be concerned enough to analyze the facts and take into consideration the possible outcomes and prepare for them. If you are not concerned for yourself or for others when situations arise that are life threatening, or life changing then there is something wrong. This passage isn't saying that we are to be stoics, apathetic and uncaring about everything in life. It would be sinful if we didn't care and had no concern about whether or not people go to Hell, or for the well being of our friends and family (cf. I Corinthians 12:25; Philippians 2:25).

The passage is dealing with is the state of continual anxiousness. There comes a point when we have done everything we can do within our power. You’ve prepared as best you can, you’ve taken all the precautions, and now, it’s in God’s hands. Now we must be trusting in the Lord. But what do we do with that anxiety? You read about the virus, and you get concerned and take the precautions, but now what?  The text tells us the care is in the heart and in the mind, otherwise a God given peace wouldn’t be necessary. If you were free from care, why would God need to give you peace? You need peace when you don’t have it, and if you are anxious, you don’t have peace.

What do you do with the anxiety? Take it to the Lord in prayer. The Christian should not live in a state of anxiety but rather take everything to God and pour your heart out to Him in prayer. Everything. Don’t hide from God. When the heart is full of care, PRAY. The text says “let your requests be made known unto God”. Tell Him. Make them known. But doesn’t God already know? Jesus said “your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him”. Why do we have to make known our requests, if God already knows? God wants us to pray to him. God uses our prayer as the instrument of fulfilling his will. And prayer is good for us. It’s the way God provides peace for the anxious soul trusting in Christ. The instruction was to pray unto God and let God know why have worry and anxiety.  Through Christ Jesus, he will give you peace. He will protect and keep your heart and mind. Christ will give you peace, because He cares for you. Come to Christ in prayer, praise him in thanksgiving, make your requests known, and trust him. Rest your soul, knowing your God will keep you.

Prudence, Panic, and Pandemics

Prudence is not the same thing as panic. We are not dealing with an unprecedented disease, though we may be dealing with unprecedented fearfulness.  You need to act with wisdom, take precautions, and not tempt God. Being cautious, careful, and prudent is not the same thing as panic. I am thankful to God this is not as bad as it could be. It’s not even close to being as bad as things were a little over a century ago.  In her book Flu, Gina Kolotal tells the story of the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic where 25% of Americans contracted the virus and somewhere between 20-100 million people died world-wide. At Fort Devens, an Army base in Massachusetts, 129 soldiers died in 48 hours. Of the 45,000 men stationed at the base, 8,000 were hospitalized. A few days later, the flu spread outside the camp, and on  “September 26, 1918, 123 Bostonians died of the flu and 33 succumbed to pneumonia.” A month later, in Philadelphia, close to 11,000 died from the flu. In one day, 759 Philadelphia residents past away — just to put this current virus in perspective.

Christian, please don’t panic. Psalm 91:9-11, “Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” Remember, God is Sovereign. God was not taken by surprise by this virus. The Lord Jehovah is not merely in control when things go the way we want them to. Nothing is outside of his dominion. No event happens outside of his will. Also understand, that no amount of “social-distancing” will give you eternal life. Job 14:5, “Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass.” God is even sovereign over the day of your death. But after we have done all we can, we must trust in the Lord and rest in his sovereignty. What happens if it gets worse? Trust in the Lord. Our God hears His people in distress (Psalm 107:16-21) so go to the Lord in prayer. Psalms 41:3 tells us, “The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.”

You can also love your neighbor during this time, and for that matter, anytime. You are commanded by your Lord to be “courteous” (1 Peter 3:8). Cover your mouth when you cough. There really is no excuse for any adult to be coughing and hacking in public without covering their mouth. It’s selfish. Yes, it may be a great burden to bend your elbow all the way to your mouth (Proverbs 26:15) but that should be a sacrifice you are willing to make for the sake of the people around you. Another way to love your neighbor is to stay home if you are sick. The graveyard is full of indispensable men. Don’t think so highly of yourself to believe that the world can’t go on without you for a few days. You need to check your heart and your priorities if that’s the case.

This virus has been revealing. It’s showed how quickly things can go south. It’s showed us that people are irrational in a panic. What are the symptoms of the coronavirus? Fever and cough. What are the stores sold out of? Toilet paper. I can’t imagine what would happen in a real crisis situation. This was a good test run to show us the world is ripe for the picking for a Strongman to come along and take control. People will gladly give up their freedoms for an exchange of relative safety. I hope it’s shown some Christians their need to be members of a church. James tells the sick to call for the elders — but if you are not a member of a church, you are missing out on a great benefit of the Christian life, to have members of the church care for your soul. I also hope it’s shown some Christians that life is short, and that you need to wake up out of your sleep, get your mind out of the vanity fair of this world, and be vigilant and on guard. You don't’ know when the Master will return. You don’t know when you’ll be summoned to meet Him.

This virus revealed to a great number of people that life is frail. The world can change overnight. The things you thought were sure aren’t as strong as you imagined. I pray that this virus has opened your eyes to eternity. No one has the promise of tomorrow. It’s an illusion to believe things will go on like they always have forever. Eternity is just a heartbeat away. The Bible tells us the wages of sin is death. And those who die in their sin face the wrath of a holy God. The only hope man has is Jesus Christ, who came to save sinners.

Young Men, Study Your Bible

Titus 2:6-8  Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded … in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity.  

Young men, you need to read and study your Bible. There is much that can and does occupy your time and your mind, but it is vitally important for you to know doctrine and be sound in the faith. Young man, study your Bible because God has commanded it. Doctrine is not something only the preacher needs to know. It's telling that when a young man knows the Word of God and is grounded in doctrine, everyone tells him he ought to be a preacher. The problem with that view, is the assumption that you don't have to know doctrine if you are not a preacher. Whether or not you preach the word, you may have or will have a young wife, and young children who are going to look to you for spiritual guidance. They will look to you for wisdom, understanding, and advice. As a man, you need to be able to answer and help them truthfully. You will have people looking to you to lead them and how terrible to not know where you are going yourself.

Now is the time to start. Ecclesiastes 12:1, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them." As a young man, you have the time, the energy and the mental capacity to study and remember great amounts of information. You can memorize the names of ball players and statistics, know the genealogies and story arcs of all the Marvel superheroes, or know every lyric to every country song on the radio. But don't let this season of strength and ability pass without studying God's Word and learning true doctrine. Now is the time to remember your Creator.

Young man, study your Bible to have a pure doctrine. An impure theology will give you a wrong understanding of God, and indeed, perhaps a wrong gospel, which is no gospel at all.  To study doctrine should be for the goal of knowing God.  And, for God's people, doctrine should inform practice. The child of God should live out what they believe. Knowing about God, salvation, future things, the church should inform how the man lives his life. Psalms 119:9, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word."

Young man, study your Bible with gravity and sincerity. This is God's Word, after all. The Bible isn't a text book, nor is it a literature book that you have to cram before the day of your test. So when you read your Bible, you should be sincere and serious about it. Adam Clarke wrote, this type of doctrine would, "[Mix] nothing with the truth; taking nothing from it; adding nothing to it; and exhibiting it in all its connection, energy, and fullness.

Or Cats

Titus 2:4 says,  That [the aged women] may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

AT Robertson wrote, "This exhortation is still needed where some married women prefer poodle-dogs to children."

Some things never change, apparently.

Soldiers, Mercenaries, and Hypocrites

I had a friend who was ex-military and an Iraqi war veteran. He told me about his service and the difficulties of coming back home. He went from leading a team of men, being trusted with million dollar machines of war, to come back home and work an entry level job and the financial struggles his family had.

I told him we don't pay our military enough. With all the foolish things our country spends money on, we should take better finical care of our warriors. I wasn't too surprised when he said that would be a terrible idea, because he said that to me quite often. But I was intrigued on why an ex-military man would not want to be paid more. He told me you want "hungry soldiers." He also said he didn't join the Army to become rich and he didn't want to fight beside a mercenary. Military service is a sacrifice and if a person fought for money, when it came to a choice between sacrifice and profit, the mercenary is going to choose the profit, because that's why he fights.

In the mid 1600's, pastor William Gurnall wrote a book, The Christian in Complete Armour. He compared  hypocrites  to mercenaries, saying they were "Like some soldiers [who] when once they meet with a rich booty at the sacking of some town, are spoiled for fighting ever after." Gurnall made the point that a hypocrite can do the right thing, for a long time, for the wrong reason. A hypocrite is an actor. And, for whatever purpose, he plays the part of a Christian. It could be to stay in good graces with the family. It could be to make contacts in the community. It could be to advance a career by joining a church that has some social sway. Maybe they think going through the motions of religion puts them on good terms with God, so following the path of the Christian is for their own end amd glory. Judas followed Christ for money. Simon the Sorcerer for power.

But when it comes to the place where he must either give up his act and save his skin, or press on in his profession, he'll save what is most precious to him. If a person went to church to stay in good graces with Mom and Dad, but they get to the point in life where the pleasures of the world outweigh the pleasure of pleasing their parents, they fall away. Why? Because they were never following Christ, but following their own selfish motives, which they could gain through playing the part of a Christian.  The path of their own desires and the path of following Christ, for a season, were parallel roads. But there comes a point where the roads separate and the way of Christ is the hard way. Then you find the answer to the question, why do you fight? Why do you follow? 

The way of the Lord is strength

"Perhaps thou findest thy duty of thy calling too heavy for thy weak shoulders, make bold by faith to lay the heaviest end of thy burden on God's shoulder, which is thine (if a believer) as sure as God can make it by promise.   When at any time thou art sick of thy work, and ready to think with Jonas to run from it, encourage thyself with that of God to Gideon, whom he called from the flail to thrash the mountains, ‘Go in this thy might,’ hath not God called thee?   Fall to the work God sets thee about, and thou engagest his strength for thee. The way of the Lord is strength.   Run from thy work, and thou engagest God's strength against thee; he will send some storm or other after thee to bring home his runaway servant.   How oft hath the coward been killed in a ditch, or under some hedge, when the valiant soldier stood his ground and kept his place got off with safety and honor?  ... In a word, Christian, rely upon thy God, and make thy daily applications to the throne of grace for continual supplies of strength; you little think how kindly he takes it, that you will make use of him, the oftener the better, and the more you come for, the more welcome."

Gurnall,  The Christian in Complete Armour

I missed it

I missed my Monday morning post on Bible reading last week. I had one of those weeks where I was swamped with things I had to do. Sick kids. Extra responsibilities. New problems that came up and other urgent deadlines to meet. I didn't have time to write the Monday post.

In other words, I'm a human being living on Earth. It's not uncommon to have a hectic week. That's just the way life works in a fallen world. So what do you do when you have a really busy week and it seems every minute is filled with some pressing need? You have to do first things first, and let other things slide. Posting this devotional wasn't the most important thing I had to do, so I skipped it.

Some days, you are going to be so busy it feels like you won't be able to breathe. You might oversleep and have to rush out the door. You might be the sick one. In times like that, it's important to get the most important things done first, or at least, prioritize what's most important. Then, the decision becomes what is least important and what do I need to leave out.

And what if you failed? What if you whiffed and didn't read your Bible? That doesn't mean you give up. Keep going. Don't stop. And if you trip and fall flat on your face yesterday, today is a good day to start again. There's no rule that you must read the Bible in a calendar year. So if you messed up, pick up where you left off and keep moving forward.

Courage to Despise the Shame

"Not it requires courage to despise the shame which the Christian must expect to meet withal for his singularity. Shame is that which proud nature most disdains, to avoid which many durst not 'confess Christ openly,’ John 7:13.  Many lose heaven because they are ashamed to go in a fool's coat thither.  Again, as some will mock, so others will persecute to death, merely for this nonconformity in the Christian's principles and practices to them.  This was the trap laid for the three children; they must dance before Nebuchadnezzar's pipe, or burn.  This was the plot laid to ensnare Daniel, who walked so unblameably, that his very enemies gave him this testimony, that he had no fault but his singularity in his religion, Dan. 6:5.  It is a great honour to a Christian, yea, to religion itself, when all their enemies can say is, They are precise, and will not do as we do.  Now in such a case as this, when the Christian must turn or burn, leave praying, or become a prey to the cruel teeth of bloody men; how many politic retreats and self-preserving distinctions would a cowardly unresolved heart invent?  The Christian that hath so great opposition had need be well locked into the saddle of his profession, or else he will soon be dismounted."

William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour

The Lord is my Helper

Psalms 120-134 are a collection of Psalms titled,  "Songs of degrees." which means songs for going up. They were traveling songs and most likely a collection the saints sang as they made their way up to Jerusalem. The faithful left their homes and traveled to God's appointed place of worship. Depending on where you lived, it could take anywhere up to five days for some to make it (Luke 2:41). If everyone was going up to the feast, the road would be full of travelers. Families would travel together and communities linked up and a caravan of the godly making their way to the worship of God As they traveled to worship, the sang the songs of Zion.

And when they left the house, it probably didn't seem like too bad a trip. Just a couple days. But after walking all day in the hot sun, and sleeping on the ground in the cool moonlight, knowing you are going to have to do it the next day, and the day after, and the day after, and then you STILL have to come back home, it could get discouraging. Psalm 121 is a hopeful song.  The underlying theme of the song is that the journey is tough. But the main theme is God will see us through.

As we make our pilgrimage to our Heavenly home, it's often a hard road. There are problems, trials, temptations and setbacks we all face on our pilgrimage. But God's people can go through life hopeful that the Lord will see us through. Psalm 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. The Psalmist must  lift up his eyes because he was still in the valley. He hadn't yet made it to his destination. His eyes were downcast, but with faith, he lifted them and looked to where his help comes. His help comes from the Lord. By faith, he's making his way to the worship of the Lord walking in the will of God and doing what God has commanded him to do.

He lifts his eyes up to the hills, but there are hills yet to climb. God's people don't get to skate through life with no problems. Abraham lost Sarah. Isaac lost his sight. He also lost his boys in their fighting and hatred. Jacob experienced one trial after the next. He lost his beloved Rachel as she gave birth. He lost his son Joseph, convinced he died. Joseph's brother hated him and sold into slavery. Then, falsely accused and thrown in prison.  The children of Israel were slaves of the Egyptians. Naomi lost home to famine. Lost her husband and both her sons to death. Hannah couldn't have children and  her husband's other wife mocked her for it. You can't read the Bible and say the people of God will live without trouble. But God's people have hope because we have  a helper who is able to save.

Not Condemned

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God," John 3:18.

The soul that trusts in Jesus Christ shall be saved, shall not perish nor be condemned. This verse is about your legal standing before God, not your good works. If I condemn someone, what am I doing? I'm passing judgment on them and I've declared them guilty. If I find myself in court, and I hear, "Doug Newell, the court finds you guilty on all charges and sentences you to hang by the neck until dead," I'm a condemned man. Some people might cheer, some might cry, but I'm condemned. The trial is over and my fate is sealed. Jesus said, if you do not believe in him, you are condemned already.  Right now. Guilty. A condemned man.

But Jesus gives life and pardon. Jesus did not come to condemn because we were already condemned. Jesus came to save sinners who needed saving. He came to give life to those who didn't have it. He came to give pardon to those who were due to perish. To see or enter in to the kingdom of God, a man must be born again. The natural man needs spiritual life that can only come by the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit of God. Whosoever has faith in the Son of God, shall not perish. But why would he perish? Because he is a sinner and has broken the law. The natural man is dead in trespasses and in sins, born under a curse. We willingly break God's law and are unwilling to do right and the condemnation for law breakers is death. The wages of sin is death, and unless we are born again, we will not only die in the flesh but die the second death in the fires of Hell.

"But he who believes is not condemned," is present tense. That means those who believe have life, and  the promise and hope of eternal life, but also have be justified. We have been found innocent. How can guilty sinners be found innocent? The righteousness of Jesus Christ has been imputed to our account by faith. Freed from the condemnation of sin that we deserved and  declared innocent of all charges. We face judgment in the future because our sins have already been dealt with. The Father judged our sins in Christ Jesus, who was made sin for us.  Jesus was declared guilty on my behalf, because he bore my sins and was punished on the cross in my stead. The Father was satisfied with the punishment and the debt of sin was paid. I was pardoned, forgiven. I also, by faith, received Jesus' righteousness. By faith in Christ, by God's grace, I'm righteousness. I'm innocent because I've been pardoned, forgiven, cleansed and then given the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Proverbs for Today

 One of my favorite episodes of Andy Griffith show is "The Sermon for Today." I'm sure you are surprised, nay shocked! that a preachers favorite episode was about the preacher. But, to be fair, it was my favorite before I started preaching. It's the one where the visiting preacher from New York City passes through and preaches a message to the good people of Mayberry. It wasn't a very good message; he didn't take his Bible into the pulpit for one and he said the meaning of life can be found by relaxing and enjoying the simple pleasures of life, which is malpractice for a parson. I could go on, but I'll refrain from breaking down the faults of a fictional preacher scene by scene. But the theme of his message is my theme today. Slow down – specifically, slow down when your read the proverbs.

Joe Wilson said Proverbs are, "Counsel from Above for Conduct Below." Sidlow Baxter, perhaps after being locked in a room with a thesaurus, said the Proverbs are, 'Pointed Precepts for Practical Prudence." The Proverbs teach men how to walk in the fear of the Lord and how to walk in the Spirit. They are short, pithy sayings that force you to stop and think them through. They are one –liners that require a little bit of work to get the full meaning.

Maybe it would help to think of the Proverbs as episodes. Each line of these proverbs are self-contained. They are artfully crafted pieces of truth designed to help you remember them. But since they are designed to be short, they also must generalize to make the point. In order to understand the proverb, you have to slow down and work them out in your mind. But once you have the picture, it's easy to remember them, thus easier to apply them. Proverbs 20:1, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." If a young man is tempted to drink, it's going to be easier for him in the moment to remember this picture in the moment and apply it.  But, first, you have to think about that Proverb to get it in your mind. Wine is portrayed as a mocker. She's laughing at you and making fun of you. Why? Because she's controlling you and making you do her will. Wine can make fun of you because she can make you do things you would have NEVER done. And, it's usually going to be embarrassing at best, ruinous to your soul at worst. Then, you can picture Mr. Whiskey. He's in a rage. Hang out with him, and you'll be fighting HIS battles and running your mouth. And if you aren't careful, they'll both trick you into thinking you can handle it, and most people can handle their drink and change, but you can. But if you think that, you're deceived and not wise.  Making wine and whiskey into characters is memorable.

And, to paraphrase Barney as he left the church building, "That's one subject you just can write enough about – sin."

Psalms 19:7  ...the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

You should read your Bible everyday because it's sure. It's firm and established. "The science is settled!" Until it's not, or until they change their mind or find evidence to the contrary. That's the thing about science, its based on observation. Settled science can change based on new information. I read an article last week on theories of why airplanes stay in the air. We can fly all over the world and can design airplanes, but we aren't 100% sure of the reason why they stay in the air.  

God's word is firm. It's settled in Heaven. God's testimony isn't going to change. I change. My body changes. My feelings change. My circumstances change. The world around me changes. But God's word, God's promises, God's testimony are sure. He's not going to change. He's not going be proven wrong. He's not going to go back on his word. Read something sure.

Read something that can give you wisdom. The sure testimonies of God can make a simple one, void of understanding wise. I've read some books where I feel like they made me dummer for having finished them. I've tossed some books in the trash because I KNEW if I kept reading I would be worse off for it, and if I contributed nothing else to society, at least someone wouldn't read that copy. The Bible is good for your soul. It will give you wisdom. Read it. 

Converting the Soul

Psalms 19:7  The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.

You should read the Bible because of it's power to covert the soul. Conversion isn't limited to the moment when the Lord saves you. Conversion means to turn to the Lord (Psalm 22:27), to restore the soul (Psalm 23:3), to rescue the soul (Psalm 35:17). It's to be brought back to right fellowship (James 5:19; Luke 22:32). The born again believer can be converted when we are out of fellowship with the Lord Jesus, or when we have fallen in sin, error,  or when we have grown cold in our soul. Those who wander away from the Lord first wander away from the Word or receiving the benefit of the Word.

Read your Bible with faith. It's more important to receive truth and hear the Lord when you read than to check off the daily reading. There is no law that says you must read the Bible in 365 days, so if you come to a passage where you need to stop and pray and repent and meditate, do that. Feed your soul with the perfect word that can convert the soul.

Crown of Glory...IF

Proverbs 16:31  The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

Matthew Henry, commenting on this verse said, “It ought to be the great care of old people to be found in the way of righteousness, the way of religion and serious godliness. Both God and man will look for them in that way; it will be expected that those that are old should be good, that the multitude of their years should teach them the best wisdom; let them therefore be found in that way. Death will come; the Judge is coming; the Lord is at hand. That they may be found of him in peace, let them be found in the way of righteousness (2Pe_3:14), found so doing, Mat_24:46. Let old people be old disciples; let them persevere to the end in the way of righteousness, which they long since set out in, that they may then be found in it.

If old people be found in the way of righteousness, their age will be their honour. Old age, as such, is honourable, and commands respect (Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, Lev_19:32); but, if it be found in the way of wickedness, its honour is forfeited, its crown profaned and laid in the dust, Isa_65:20. Old people therefore, if they would preserve their honour, must still hold fast their integrity, and then their gray hairs are indeed a crown to them; they are worthy of double honour. Grace is the glory of old age."

Poetry?

A few years ago, I told one of my boys he would be taking an introductory poetry course in school. I was not too shocked when he despaired with great lamentations, sackcloth and ashes. He didn't want to read poetry because poems were, according to his mind, about "prissy girls picking flowers in the fields and having tea parties." Poetry was feminine and he wanted none of it. Flashback one week before, I found him in my study with a copy of Beowulf. He devoured it and couldn't stop talking about its awesomeness – heroes, monsters, swords, treasure! After I explained Beowulf was a poem he had a world changing paradigm shift that took him a couple days to process. That couldn’t be poetry, because, well, Beowulf was about battle and fighting. I think that many Americans have similar view of poetry. It has to be dainty and you can only read it while wearing a top hat and monocle  simultaneously stroking a honey colored beard and sighing deep, contemplative sighs. 

That’s a fair misunderstanding, and the fault of modern poets. But I hope you don’t think all poetry is like that. Did you know the Bible is full of poetry? The book of Psalms is a collection of poetry. The Song of Solomon, Lamentations, and Job are all extended poems. There are poems in the prophets and Paul quotes a poet in Titus. Most of it was written by David, hardly an effete milksop. David grew up “on the farm” a shepherd of his father’s sheep. He was a mighty warrior, and then a king. As a young man, other’s wrote songs about his life. “Saul killed his thousands, David his tens of thousands.” He was the warrior poet who wrote this memorable line, “Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD (Psalm 58:6),” and that stanza, like the man,  was anything but dainty. 

Another legitimate issue some have with poetry is the time factor. You can’t read poetry quickly and get anything from it. The very nature of the art requires you to read it several times, and think about the words. Poetry uses language to express a meaning. It requires time, slow reading, and meditation to get the meaning. When poetry became an elitist exercise, purposefully written over the heads of the average person who doesn’t read Latin or ancient Greek to be the domain of the literature department, a lot of people quit reading it. But, God gave us poetry. God wanted you to read it and God wants you to love his poetry. And God’s poetry can be understood and enjoyed by all His people. The poetry in the Bible is beautiful. And it’s true. So you can spend time, reading and reading again the word pictures painted through the inspiration of God, and think deeply and repeatedly about the words and about the images and know you’ll profit from them. 

Heavy Wrath

On a farm located on a church estate in southern Iceland, sits a rock. I think I’m going to need to back up a little. A couple hundred years ago, as legend has it, Pastor Björnsson was the pastor of both a church and sheep. He built a sheep pen of stone, and used a flat, 401 lb. stone for the gate. By and by, the stone became famous, and not for being much heavier than any door needs to be, but as a competition for feats of strength. For a couple centuries, men have tested their strength by trying to lift the rock and move it. Last year,  a 6’8”, 420lb giant of a man, broke the world record the world record carrying the stone 322 feet. His name is also Björnsson. Now, believe it or not, people travel from all over the world to Iceland, drive out to this farm, and make their way to the sheep gate where there’s a rock laying on the ground. They try to pick the thing up, and if they can lift it, they carry it as far as they can. Men like to test their strength. Another popular competition is the sandbag throw. Contestants take sandbags ranging from 50-100 lbs and throw them backwards, over their heads, to cross a beam 15 ft in the air.  Sand and stone are routinely used as implements in Strongmen competitions and have been for hundreds of years because they are heavy. Even the strongest men in the world can only bear the weight of heavy sand and stone for a short time before they succumb.

Proverbs 27:3, “A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.” Solomon uses these heavy implements to describe the heaviness of the wrath of a foolish person. The weight of the fool’s wrath is intolerable for most to bear (Exodus 5:5-10). The fools wrath is heavy because it is without righteousness. God told the nation of Israel they were to judge, an eye for an eye. That’s a law of equal justice and righteousness, not revenge. God curbs the wrath of the fool who wants an eye for a fingernail (Matthew 18:21-35). Their anger and fury isn’t controlled by justice. Once they become ignited in their hatred and passions, there is no end to their fury.

The fools wrath is heavy with folly. Wrath untethered from the wisdom of God is dedicated toward defending our personal glory and honor. And so it’s heavy because the stroke is made without just cause. I knew a person who hated their neighbor with unbridled passion. I asked him why and what started it, and they couldn’t really explain. He looked at me incredulously like it was self evident why they hated this person, and doubted my sound judgment that I had to ask why. The fools wrath starts quickly (Proverbs 14:29) and never ends. While our God is long suffering, the fool has a quick fuse and long memory. This makes the fools wrath both cruel (Proverbs 27:4) and dangerous (Proverbs 17:12).

Works For Amens Too

Amen?

The Word is Perfect

Psalms 19:7-11  The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul

We’ve entered into a new month. Time to flip the calendar and notice February is different this year than last year, we have an extra day.  The days are getting a little longer. The winter is dragging on here in West Virginia.  One thing that hasn’t, doesn’t, and never will change is God’s Word. I hope you are still reading your Bible every day. You should because it's perfect.

The Bible is perfect. Perfection means God’s Word can’t get any truer or better than it already is, otherwise, it wouldn’t be perfect. And, it also means it can’t get any worse. I listened to a podcast this week about War and Peace, one of the best novels ever written. But, it’s not perfect, by any stretch. It was written by a man with limited understanding. It was written by a man who had a sin nature and saw the world through fallen eyes. Though it could be one of the pinnacles of man’s work, it isn’t perfect.

God’s Word is true, in every aspect. No other book will give you unadulterated truth. You can trust the perfection of God’s Word. It will never lie to you. It will never lead you astray. It will never give you wrong information. It will never be disproven by science. It will never be proven false by archaeologist.

Read your Bible and believe it’s perfect. Beware of men who constantly are telling you what’s wrong with your Bible. Read your Bible and believe what it says. Study to make sure you understand what it says, but don’t come to the perfect law of the Lord with the idea you need to correct what God says. Read your Bible and trust what it says.

Read your Bible, it's profitable

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

It's the fourth Monday of the year, and I hope you've been reading your Bible. If not, today's a great day to begin again.

You should read your Bible everyday because it’s profitable. I’m not asking you to do something that’ll waste your time. I’m asking you to do something that will be for your own good. Reading the Bible will profit your soul.

It’s profitable for learning doctrine. If you read your Bible, you'll learn truth about yourself, about God, about the world, about the end of the world, and about the world to come. Have you ever made a bad decision in life because you didn't have all the facts? Think about the profit of knowing truth about your own heart! Truth about God! Truth about why we are on this Earth and what happens when we die.

It’s profitable to tell you the truth about yourself. God will correct you when you read the Bible. That’s chastisement and discipline, and that’s good for you. When you don’t read the Bible you are not listening to your God. As a father, I come from a long tradition of men, who for about 6,000 years or so, have children who from time to time, don't listen to what I tell them. When that happens, I have to take the discipline up a notch. It's much easier for children to listen to correction and then make the correction than to ignore it and endure the next step. Reading your Bible, receiving correction, is the first gentle step of rebuke from a loving Father.

It’s profitable to tell you how to live and instruction in righteousness. The whole world is ready to tell you how to live. What you should wear, what you should drive, what you should eat, how you should think, and much of it is destructive. But when you read your Bible, God is instructing you in how to live.

It’s profitable for a future day. You might read something tomorrow morning, that doesn’t apply to your life in any way, shape or form. But who knows what the next day will bring? When tragedy comes, it’s too late to start a systematic Bible study to figure what to believe. Consider Job. When the horrors of that terrible day came upon him, he leaned on the truth he learned in happier days. Read your Bible in the sunshine, and it will pray it will bear fruit in a needful day to come.

Read your Bible, it’s profitable.

It’ll Get You Nowhere

Proverbs 29:5  A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.

I read somewhere that flattery is a poison that makes everyone sick but the person who swallows it. Honeyed words and fair speech is dangerous for the person on the receiving end of fawning toadyism and grave error for the one who dishes it out. Flattery is a deceptive tactic designed to swell the pride and manipulate the mind of the target, to promote the self-interest of the flatterer. It’s excessive, insincere, and oftentimes undeserved praise. It’s a manipulative lie. Our proverb warns us here — flattery is a trap. Be on guard and watch out for the net, an effective snare indeed. Flattery is just someone else telling us what we likely already think about ourselves, namely that we are awesome and finally, someone gets it.

The problem with flattery is it’s not just a lie, but it’s a destructive lie (Proverbs 26:28). When you flatter someone, you are not helping them, you are not loving them, but you are showing you hate their soul and working for their harm. Flattery works ruin. Those in any positions of leadership need to be leery of a Wormtounge in their midst, who heaps undue praise upon him, and not meddle with the flatterer (Proverbs 20:19).

Many marriages have been ruined by flattery (Proverbs 7:5,21). Men need to love their wives and be thankful they tell them the truth and recognize the sweet words coming from women other than their wife is a trap. Really. You’re not that awesome. Believe your wife.

Christians, you need to watch out for preachers who use flattery (1 Thessalonians 2:5). A man that reads the Bible and lives among sinners and can’t preach a message on sin is wanting something from you. Of course, if a preacher can only preach about how bad “those people are” out there, he is using flattering words. It’s not for the faint of heart to stand before people on Sunday morning, and on the authority of God, rebuke sin in the camp, then go stand at the back door and shake the hands of those you rebuked. But a man will do it if he loves the people he preaches to. On the other hand, if the preacher loves himself, he’ll preach sweet and pretty words to you, and come down hard on the sins of others, because they aren’t as right, and good, and holy as you are, and you’ll eat your Sunday dinner in comfort and satisfaction of soul. That’s a trap.

The flatter has an ulterior agenda. He’s double-hearted and doubleminded. Their unfaithful mouths are like an open tomb, and poison is under their tongue. The very craft of this sin is based on wicked plotting and evil machinations and the undiscerning victim only realizes this way too late. Beware that you aren’t found in the camp of the flatterer. Better to speak hard truths than soft lies. God knows the score and will judge flatterers (Psalm 12; 5:9-10).

Inspiration

2 Timothy 3:16  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 perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

This is the third Monday of the year. I hope you are keeping up your Bible reading. Whether you are reading through the Bible in the whole year or not, I hope you are picking up God's Word every day and feeding your soul with the only book given by inspiration of God. No New York Times Bestseller comes by inspiration. No Facebook post, no blog article, no news story comes by inspiration of the Holy One. No other book will give you God's Word. No other book will you find God speaking to you.

And to close this article out, I'll repost something I wrote here a while back.

"The Holy Scriptures are our letter from home."  So wrote Augustine about the inspired Word of God. When I say inspired, I don't mean the writers of Scripture gazed upon a beautiful mountain one early spring morning and then were inspired to write. No, the Scriptures are God breathed. Men penned the Words God spoke as they were "moved" by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:16-21). People, not just helped by the Spirit, or guided by the Spirit, but moved and carried along by the Spirit of God, so what they wrote was not theirs, but God's. 

The Bible was written over a 2,000 year period by 40 different people.  Kings and cupbearers, prophets and priests, fishermen and farmers, scholars and slaves all carried along by the Holy Spirit to write the very words of the Lord. They wrote different genres; history, letters, poetry, and prophesy. They wrote from different places under various circumstances; in times of prosperity, and dominance, times of bondage and suffering.  And through it all, the amazing thing is there isn't any disagreement in the message. From Moses to John, from Genesis to Revelation, there is no discrepancy in the message of the Bible. How is that possible, so many men from so many different walks of life? Because they are not the words of men, but the words of God Himself. You'll find no inconsistency in message because there is one author of the book -- God.
"All scripture is give by inspiration of God" and He didn't give the ideas and let the men fill in the blanks. God gave every word - every part of speech, in every chapter and verse, just the way he wanted it. Our creator revealed the truth about Him and about us. How can we know the mind of God, unless God tells us (1 Corinthians 2:10-13)? When you read your Bible, you are reading what the Holy Spirit is teaching you. "All scripture is give by inspiration of God" and not just the parts we like. The Old Testament is just as much God's Word as the New. The Words in red are not more God's Word than the black.  So many people want to hear from God. Today, we have more access to Bibles in the United States than any other people in history. Yet, week after week, people cry out for "a word from the Lord." You have a word from God, it is your Bible! Love this precious book. A living book that speaks to us. An active book that comforts us. A relevant book for guidance in your life. How fast we search all over creation to get wisdom, when we have God's Word. Don't leave it on the shelf, hide it in your heart. God spoke to us in His Word!

Vehement Desire and Zeal

I read a clever definition of a fanatic, “One who is highly enthusiastic about something in which you are not even remotely interested.” It's one of those words, like fundamentalist, legalist, or Pharisee that is usually defined as people who disagree with me. A legalist is anyone who tells me to do something I don’t want to do. A Pharisee is anyone who tells me not to do something I enjoy. A fundamentalist is anyone who restricts my liberty, in any way. Here's the real definition of both zeal and fanatic, to show what I mean. Zeal; passionate ardor in the pursuit of anything. In general, zeal is an eagerness of desire to accomplish or obtain some object. Fanatic; wild and extravagant in opinions, particularly in religious opinions; excessively enthusiastic; possessed by a kind of frenzy. What’s the difference between someone who is excessively enthusiastic and someone who is eager? Who makes that judgment?

Others will say being balanced and moderate is the best way. Not too extreme, but a centrist who keep the main thing the main thing. But, you can fiddle with that idea as well. Balance can be another way of avoiding conflict or keeping coalitions. I have been called extremist, a fanatic, a fundamentalist and I’ve also been called a moderate and a squish – over the same issue.  It just depends on who you talk to. Either I’m not very good at explaining myself, or there is something else at play. Those who think I’m harsh and extreme disagree with my position and how much importance I put on it, while those who think I'm wishy-washy, may agree with me, but don’t think I judge the issue important enough. And, there are those in the middle who like their position because they can tell everyone they are wrong. The truth is, in some things, we need to be moderate. And, we also need to be zealous. We don’t want to be fanatical, but the Bible must be our judge, not other men.

Second Corinthians was written to the church at Corinth after Paul had rebuked them and corrected them in the 1 Corinthians. Some repented and Paul commented on the characteristics that proved their sorrow over sin was a godly sorrow – vehement desire and zeal (2 Corinthians 7:11). Desire, passion, zealousness is a gift of the Holy Spirit. It's not a curse or an evil to avoid. Zealousness doesn’t make you and extremist and vehement desire doesn’t make you a fanatic. These are the characteristics of one who has repented of their sin and turned to Christ for salvation, who has been born again and revived in spirit.

Emotions are not sinful, but how we use emotions can be sinful. Letting emotions rule us and not seeking guidance from Scripture to rule our emotions can be sinful. Desiring the wrong things is sinful. However, emotions, of themselves, are natural to human beings. God has not made us robots, but human beings and God's Word must direct us.

“Yea, what vehement desire…” 2 Corinthians 7:11.. Desire isn’t wrong, as long it’s the right kind. It's simple a great longing for something you want but don't yet have.  The problem in Corinth was they cared about the wrong things and were apathetic about things they should have cared about. Desire is a God given human emotion. Like a great many things, it can be good or bad, depending on the object of your desire. Deuteronomy 5:21 says, “Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife…or any thing that is thy neighbour's.” Craving something you have no lawful right to is wicked. Desiring your neighbor's wife is sinful, but, desiring your own wife is godly, “I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me,” Song of Solomon 7:10. Or, desiring a wife when you don't have one is godly, but, if you desire the wrong kind of woman, that's going to lead you to trouble (see Proverbs and the life of Solomon). Young Christian man, it’s good to desire to marry a godly woman, one who will love you, love the Lord, and not lead your heart away from Christ. It’s a sign of the last times that false teacher tell young men not to desire a wife (1 Timothy 4:1-3).

Desiring a spiritual gift or office you don’t have is not sinful, “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work,” 1 Timothy 3:1. The desire to serve the Lord is good, but desiring something that you have no right or authority for is bad. Just because you want to be a pastor doesn't mean you ought to be one. But, if you don't want to be one, you certainly shouldn't -- there needs to be desire so you can serve, not out of constraint, but willingly (1 Peter 5:2).

Deuteronomy 7:25, “The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.”  Desiring false worship, idols, and the money from wickedness is a sinful longing. Beware the snare of the desire of fame, fortune, and worldliness, even if it is just “internet famous”. Many abandon the faith for the love of money, prestige, and a nice building. However, desiring God is good. Psalms 73:25, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” Having desire for lawful things is a godly desire (Psalms 10:17, Isaiah 26:8, Psalm 38:9, Proverbs 11:23, Mark 11:24). When God gives repentance, he brings a right order of our desires. Being controlled by your emotions is wrong but not having any emotions is wrong. Falling apart at the drop of a hat is wrong and not caring that everything is falling apart is wrong. We must rule our desires for God's glory.

What do you desire and why? Have you ever stopped and asked yourself, if what you long for is good? Have you ever read the Bible and seen that men and women in the Bible loved things that you don't love, or loved them more than you? We are all in different seasons of our lives, and things change, I know that, but desire for God shouldn't change. Our ministry to the Lord will change but our love for God and his glory should grow, not diminish. So when a church acts, when a church deals with issues, when a church proclaims the gospel, what is our motivation? Do we do, for God's glory or ours? For a desire for God or our own desires? Does your godly longing include the desire to see the lost saved (Romans 10:1)? The desire for spiritual gifts  (1 Corinthians 14:1)? Or the desire for courage and perseverance (Ephesians 3:13)? Desire for knowledge and understanding (Colossians 1:9)? Desire the Bible (1 Peter 2:2)? Once our desires are ordered, that transitions to action. And a vehement desire yields a burning zeal. Zeal will get you in trouble.

Zeal is a passionate enthusiasm in the pursuit of something (1 Corinthians 7:11).  Zeal can be either good or bad, it just depends on what you are passionate about and how you pursue it. Maybe the best example of how that works is Saul of Tarsus. He was a zealous man. He was passionate in what he believed and pursued his goal with full force. Early in life, he was zealous in his Judaism to the point he persecuted anyone who disagreed (Philippians 3:6). Then, he met the Lord Jesus and was born again. After he was saved, Paul mellowed out and realized being balanced and moderate was the best way to win the culture for Christ. Just kidding. Paul was more zealous as a preacher of the gospel than he was as a hit man for the Pharisees. Christ didn’t take away his zeal, he sanctified it and used it in the right way for the right reasons. Paul's zeal was guided by Christ, and for Christ. And it got him in trouble, just with a different group of people. The apostles could have quietly worshiped Jesus in their homes, as long as they didn't mention the name of Jesus publically. But how could they not tell about what they saw and heard? Their zeal for something good got them in trouble (Acts 4:17-20).

Zeal can be thought of as a fire, it can be good or bad. Fire can keep you warm and cook your food, but out of control and undirected, it can also burn down a forest. Wild, out of control passion without guidance and direction is dangerous. Passionate enthusiasm isn't always a good thing. Years back, I was down south on a trip and enthusiastically making my way back home on the interstate. I made a quick pit stop and got back on the road. An hour later, I realized I  was driving the wrong direction. My zeal for getting home didn't change the fact I was going the wrong way.

In John 2:13-17,  Jesus was righteously angry at the wicked men dishonoring his Father’s House. They turned a house of prayer into a den of thieves. His love and desire for the glory of His father and his indignation at this wanton sinfulness is displayed in his zeal by crafting a whip and running out the money changers. Jesus didn’t lose his cool. He wasn’t controlled by his emotions, but a true human man could not stand by idly and watch this wickedness without being zealous for the cause of God.  Isaiah 9:7, “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will.” The opposite of fanaticism isn't stoicism. Christian, you need to be zealous for the glory of God.

Zeal is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The answer to bad zeal is not to be a moderate and season our speech with anodyne musings. Sometimes "balance" in the Christian life is a euphemism for luke-warm. Other times, having balance means everyone around you is wrong in every direction. When God blesses with repentance, he blesses with zeal, a gift of the Spirit, a characteristic of repentance, and an attribute of revival. If we rightly order our desires by the Bible, and then are passionate to see those desires carried out, then we are righteously zealous. Galatians 4:17-18, “They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.” Make sure those you listen to affect you well.  I’ve been fired up by the wrong people for the wrong reasons and it never ends well for me. A zealous man is powerful and will stir people up. But a zealous man isn't always a right man. Just because a person can get you roused, doesn't make them good or right. What I need is zeal in serving the Lord, in all my life. Romans 12:11, “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” Christians are not Jedi Warriors or Buddhist monks. We are called to be fervent and passionate people in all we do, and not put on a show of stoic indifference. If I'm fervent at work, for the glory of myself then I'm wrong, but, if I am fervent in serving the Lord, I'll do my job for the right reason. I won't put work above Christ. I won't value reputation above my Lord. I won't put work before my family. I won’t serve men, but I’ll do my job as a servant of Christ.

God saves us to be zealous. Anything we do, we ought to do for God’s glory, and I believe that should be done will all our heart. Christians must have zeal in good works. Titus 2:14, “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” God didn’t save you because of your good works, but he certainly saved you to do good works. God’s people shouldn’t have to be whipped and driven to do good, but we should be zealous of good works because the Lord of glory died for us and saved us, and made us his own.

What are we zealous about? Do you care about the things of God? Do you support the church with your tithes? Do you attend the services?  Do you spread the gospel of Jesus Christ? Do you pray for the membership? Do you pray for the preaching service? Do you labor to help others? Do you meditate on your spiritual gifts and seek to improve them?

Scripture is the best test to see if your desires are in the right place and if you are righteously zealous about the right things. Maybe another test, though fallible, would be, are the right people calling you an extremist and a fanatic? Having zeal is going to get you in trouble. If you have the wrong kind of zeal, you are going to sin against the Lord, and that won't bode well for you. If you have the right kind of zeal, that’s going to get you in trouble with the world. A good zeal is going to make the right people angry. I’m not a contrarian and I don’t like to fight with people. But sometimes, that’s to my detriment. The Lord didn’t call me to a life of tranquility in this world. Peace I have because peace He gave me. But I don’t have peace in this world and I won’t have peace with the enemies of the truth and the enemies of my king. A zealous Christian is going to make the right people nervous and the right people angry. And that’s what we want, for the glory of Christ.

Revelation 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.