"Walking Wisely" (Ephesians 5:15-17)
Sermon manuscript, preached December 9, 2018 by Daniel Howell
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Again, our anchor for this morning's study goes all the way back to chapter four. Paul is further explaining how we live a life worthy of the calling to which we've been called (4:1). He's laying out the steps we need to take to live in the "new self," created in the image of God's righteousness and holiness (4:24). Last week we talked about that in terms of light and darkness. This week we'll study it in terms of living wisely or unwisely.
The three verses we are going to look at this morning are very practical. In fact, they can transform a person's life if they will simply put them into practice. So let's take a look at our text for this morning: Ephesians 5:15-17.
“(15) Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, (16) making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (17) Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15–17, ESV)
We want to look at each verse separately, and there are three related thoughts I want to share with you from them. So let's start with the first in verse fifteen.
1) Walk in an Attentive Way (v. 15)
Have you ever walked, or maybe climbed over the rocks along one of the creeks in the mountains? I've actually done that a lot. Of course I did as a kid when we would visit for vacations. But in recent years I've climbed them a lot to take pictures of people. Lots of couples around here want to have their pictures taken in the mountains. And of course if there's water, they want to have their picture taken sitting on a big rock out in the middle of a stream. I guess it seems romantic. So there's nothing quite like carrying a few thousand dollars worth of camera gear across wet rocks jutting out of a swift moving stream that will make you give extreme care to every single step you take.
With that thought in mind let's look at what Paul has to say here in verse 15:
“(15) Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,” (Ephesians 5:15, ESV)
This is only the first half of a sentence, but it contains the command that Paul wants us to carry out. The command is to "look." He wants us to see, to watch, to have our eyes open for something. He then describes how he wants us to look: "carefully." The word translated as "carefully" has a range of meaning from "accurately" to "precisely" to "exactly." Put together with "look," Paul is saying to give your full attention to something—in this case, "how you walk."
We've already seen that the way Paul uses the word "walk" in Ephesians has to do with the manner of a person's life. So here's what Paul is saying: Give great care and attention to how you are living your life. Be sure your "steps" are planted firmly and accurately. At the end of the verse he's comparing living carefully to living wisely. As a contrast, living carelessly would be foolish.
I think this is a very timely command for us. Even a life changing one for some folks. Many people wander through their life without a purpose. They never really have a goal. They survive from day to day. Life just happens to them, and they never really make anything happen for themselves. They are aimless. They may seem lost. We can see this clearly when it comes to a person's work life, and even their personal life. Of course Paul's focus here is going to be the spiritual.
So let me ask you some personal questions you can answer to yourself. Are you fulfilling the spiritual purpose God has for your life? Do you have spiritual goals and aspirations? Are you carefully placing your steps in this life so as to live a life that glorifies God? To walk in a spiritually attentive way means to make each step with purpose. Again, Paul has already pointed out that you are to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called (Eph. 4:1). To walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us (Eph. 5:2). In Galatians 5:16 Paul tells the church to "walk by the Spirit," and in verse 25 to "keep in step with the Spirit." So what about your steps? Are you planting your feet where you should?
Solomon's discovery of God's purpose for his steps is as true now as it was nearly 3,000 years ago when he wrote the following words in Ecclesiastes:
“(13) The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. (14) For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14, ESV)
So are you looking carefully, making sure your steps are accurately placed in alignment with God's will? Are you walking with God-given, God-glorifying purpose? In the last half of the sentence that starts here in verse fifteen Paul expands on this idea as to how we "walk" carefully and accurately.
2) Walk in an Opportune Way (v. 16)
One of the great struggles of our day is properly managing the time that has been given to us. There always seems to be so much to do, and not enough time to do it all. There are some things that are non-negotiable. Work is non-negotiable. Sleep is also non-negotiable (at least if you want to live a healthy life). There's a certain amount of time we have to spend on personal care and hygiene. There's a certain amount of time we need to spend eating, or preparing to eat. Then there are all the chores we have to do. And if you have kids the amount of time spend on many of those things gets multiplied. And we've yet to get to any recreational things... or spiritual things. So with that anxiety in mind, let's look at verse sixteen now:
“(16) making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16, ESV)
A characteristic of a person who lives wisely is that they make the best use of their time. Some translations say, "redeeming the time." That's a literal translation of the figure of speech Paul is using here.
Commentator Peter O'Brien writes the following about this statement:
"The verb ‘redeem’ is drawn from the commercial language of the marketplace, and its prefix denotes an intensive activity, a buying which exhausts the possibilities available. It seems better, then, to understand the expression as metaphorical, signifying to ‘make the most of the time’. Believers will act wisely by snapping up every opportunity that comes."1
Some authors also point to what Nebuchadnezzar says to the Chaldeans who fail to be able to interpret his dream. In Daniel 2:8 he accuses them of trying to "gain time." For their purposes, they were stalling, trying to "buy time" as we might put it, where they had none. Of course that's a somewhat negative use. But here the use is for good.
He gives the reason as being that, "the days are evil." Of course the "age," or the time in which we live is evil (cf. Gal. 1:4). Instead of allowing that time to be used for evil, or to remain evil, we are to "redeem" it—buy it back for the purposes of doing good, just as Christ redeemed us and brought us from darkness to light. This is more than just sitting around waiting for opportunities to do good and bring God glory. This is actively seeking them, even creating them out of the present evil age in which we live.
And this comes back to what we talked about in verse fifteen. To look carefully as to how you live means to plant your feet with purpose. And here, to live in an opportune way, means to make decisions about how you use your time according to that very same purpose. There's no better use of time than spiritual things! Consider a few verses with me:
“(7) Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; (8) for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7–8, ESV)
“(58) Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV)
“(9) And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (10) So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:9–10, ESV)
“(2) Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:2, ESV)
Our time should be spent training ourselves for godliness through study and prayer. Our time should be spent abounding in the work of the Lord in the opportunities we have to serve. Our time should be spent doing good, and taking every opportunity to do so that we are afforded. Our time should be spent with our minds set on the things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. The wise person redeems time—makes time—for these things. So is that true of you? Because that's God's will for your life. Which brings us to our final verse of study for this morning...
3) Walk in an Understanding Way (v. 17)
I realize I'm guilty of using my children as illustrations fairly often, so forgive me since I'm doing it again. In our house we have rules. Mommy and Daddy have a "will." We have desires for how our children are to behave, and we teach and discipline our children accordingly. While I may not always explain why we have certain rules to the smallest children, one of the things I try to do with the older ones now is explain the purposes behind the rules we have put in place. I want them to understand that our rules are not arbitrary. They are there to keep kids from getting hurt, or from suffering other serious consequences. We have them for their good. And the better they understand the rules, the better they will apply them in their behavior.
I think God deals with his children in a similar way. He has a will for us. And while the youngest "babe" in Christ needs to at least know the "what" of God's will, they should also seek to understand the "why." Paul writes:
“(17) Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:17, ESV)
"Do not be foolish" is a command. Seems like a pretty clear one. But Paul makes a statement of contrast here that is also a command, and it tells us how we go about being wise. "Understand what the will of the Lord is." The word I want you to focus in on is the word "understand." It means more than knowing of something. It also means comprehending it, having a deeper knowledge or awareness. In practice, it means understanding how it applies to you personally.
Now some people may try to use this verse in an overly personal sense. What I mean by that, is thinking there's some mystical direction God is going to whisper to them in a dream, directing their life—God's personal will for them—Whether they need to accept a job, or sell their house, or homeschool their kids, or go on a mission trip, or enter ministry. O'Brien also wrote this about this passage:
"The contemporary preoccupation with personal guidance is wrongly directed if it is not understood first of all within this framework of God’s gracious saving purposes for his world. Personalized concerns about ‘guidance’ may, in fact, be evidence of a folly which stands in contrast to, and needs to be corrected by, a true understanding of the Lord’s will."
In other words, what he (and Paul) are trying to say is that we need to understand the will of the Lord as presented in Scripture. God has a will for each of us—and it's laid out plainly in his Word! We need to understand that will first! And understanding it can help guide us in all the other things. Know the "why" for God's "what." Don't be foolish, unreasoning. Understand it. And you'll gain limitless benefit from it.
The Wise Man
You can live life wisely. It requires being attentive to your steps, and not walking aimlessly. It requires using the time given to you wisely, and making opportunities to do good. And it requires understanding God's plan, God's will for you better by knowing what Scripture teaches.
I really think the best summary statement for all this is found in the "Sermon on the Mount." It's so foundational we teach it to our kids when they are babies. Look at Matthew 7:24-27 with me for just a moment:
“(24) “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (25) And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. (26) And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. (27) And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”” (Matthew 7:24–27, ESV)
Are you hearing and doing Jesus words, his will, like the wise man? If not you can start. And that's what I invite you to do.
Works Cited:
O’Brien, Peter Thomas. The Letter to the Ephesians. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999. Print. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. ↩︎
"Children of Light" (Ephesians 5:7-14)
A Fear of the Dark
I think one of the innate things God has programmed us to develop is a fear of the dark. Each of my kids needs some sort of light in their room at night to feel safe. Even adults can be, at the very least, unnerved by the dark. Truth be told, I like to have at least a little glow of light so I don’t trip if I get up in the middle of the night. Have you ever walked through this building at night by yourself, with the lights turned off? It’s not a place I like to linger for long. Stare into the shadows long enough, and your mind will trick you into thinking they are moving.
As we grow we come to know that a large percentage of the bad things that happen in our world happen in the dark. That’s when people like to break in and steal things. That’s when drunks choose to drive home. That’s when people are mugged in parking lots and alley ways. Darkness in the wrong location can be dangerous.
Scripture often speaks of good and evil in terms of light and darkness. But this is such a universal metaphor that even other religions draw the same comparison. Light represents goodness, morality, knowledge, truth, and other things like them. On the other hand, darkness represents evil, immorality, a lack of knowledge, danger, and the like. So then it should be no surprise that our holy and righteous Father in heaven is described by John as being “light” (1 John 1:5). And Jesus also said about himself that he is the “light of the world” (John 8:12). On the other hand, Jesus spoke of those who were arresting him at his betrayal as doing so with the “power of darkness” (Luke 22:53). The terror of darkness is also used to describe the nature of God’s punishment of evil (cf. Matt. 25:30; 2 Pet. 2:4).
Light and dark are mutually exclusive of each other. Darkness cannot exist where there is light. Sure, the light may be dim, but dim light still isn’t darkness. There’s no way for the two to mix together. Light will always overwhelm darkness. Darkness isn’t the opposite of light, either. It is the absence of light. In the same way, there’s no way good and evil can acceptably “mix” somehow in the Christian. We must fight the false idea that a little evil, or a little darkness is okay. And that particular truth is at the heart of our study this morning.
Our text is Ephesians 5:7-14. It picks up where we left off last week, discussing the command to imitate God as dear children, and the need to avoid the things that others are doing to bring God’s wrath upon them. Considering some of what Paul said in the previous verses (vv. 3-6) was directed toward Christians who were likely still involved in some of the things he was rebuking them about (cf. 4:25-32), there’s a two-fold purpose to this: First, to rebuke those who aren’t living as light and show them their need to, and second, to show how a child of light behaves in relation to darkness. It’s further explanation of how we do what we studied in 4:17-24 (i.e. true conversion), in being transformed into the likeness of God. So let’s read our text:
“(7) Therefore do not become partners with them; (8) for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (9) (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), (10) and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (11) Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. (12) For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. (13) But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, (14) for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”” (Ephesians 5:7–14, ESV)
For the sake of context, remember that the “them” of verse seven looks back to the “sons of disobedience” in verse six—the ones on whom God’s wrath is coming! Don’t join in with those guilty of the sins in verses 3-6. Don’t be their partners, or partakers in the same things. But Paul adds some reasoning to this that goes beyond just fearing God’s wrath as a motivation for living righteously. And it has to do with the contrast between being darkness, and being light.
1. LIVE as a Light (v. 8-10)
Kids love to sing the song, “This Little Light of Mine.” And you know the words: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.” It also reminds me of how we often think of “light” as something we have. Or in the way John uses it, as something we “walk in” (e.g. walking in the light as He is light, 1 Jn. 1:7). The light is somehow something different from our being.
But I want you to notice how personal Paul gets in verse eight. He doesn’t say, “At one time you were IN darkness.” He says, “At one time you WERE darkness.” He’s not talking about an environment. He’s not saying they were in a bad place. He’s talking about people. The people themselves were darkness. But now as Christians, Paul also describes them in Jesus as being “light.” Again, not “walking in the light,” but the actual person is “light in the Lord.” The same is true for us. Before you were in Christ you were darkness. Now, in the Lord, you are (or rather, ought to be) light. Not just that you have a light. Not just that you are in light. You, in the Lord, are a being of light.
Let that sink in. Meditate on it for just a second. As a Christian, in Christ you ARE light. Or at least you are supposed to be. Paul adds a command to that at the end of verse eight: “Walk as children of light.” This connects right back to what Paul wrote in Eph. 5:1, in that we are to be imitators of God, “as beloved children.” Again, John wrote (1 Jn. 1:5) that God is light (i.e. holy, righteous, pure), and in him is no darkness (no evil, immorality, wickedness). And we are his beloved children. If we are going to be renewed into his likeness (4:23-24), if we are going to be imitators of our beloved heavenly Father, then that demands we live as children of His light. Paul then mentions two things that indicate we are doing this.
First, we are bearing the fruits of light (v. 9). Remember, a “fruit” in Bible terms is a result of a manner of living. So what are the fruits of living as a light? Paul wrote that those fruits are “found in all that is good and right and true.” We bear those fruits when we imitate God, when we imitate Christ. So what fruits are evident in your life? Are these? Are you a living example of God’s light? That’s something to consider.
Second, we are learning (and doing) what is pleasing to the Lord (v. 10). Thankfully you and I don’t have to guess about this. We don’t use the process of trial and error to see what pleases God. He’s told us! In His Word! What Paul is saying here is that you, as a light, need to know and do what pleases God.
As a follower of Jesus, a child of God the Father, you have a new identity to live up to: Light. Jesus referred to his followers as “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). See, living as a follower of Jesus is about more than avoidance of sin. It’s also about being a light, and shining the light of truth on the darkness of sin. And that brings us to our second thought.
2. SHINE the Light (v. 11-14)
A few years ago the commercials for an anti-smoking campaign made quite a stir. The CDC was the organization behind them, the campaign being titled Tips from Former Smokers. They were shocking. They showed the long term effects cigarettes had on some people. They were emaciated. They could hardly breath. They were covered in scars from surgeries to remove cancerous parts of their bodies. They could no longer carry out normal lives. And all of this because of a vice they refused to give up. A vice that was unfruitful, but not harmless.
How does that relate to our text? Those commercials were produced to draw attention to the harmful effects of cigarettes. To shine a light on what they can do to a person. And the hope is that they discourage some from continuing to do that harm to themselves. In a way, what they were trying to do with smoking is what Christians are tasked with doing with sin—exposing it for the harm it can cause. Let’s re-read verses 11-14 of our text:
“(11) Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. (12) For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. (13) But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, (14) for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”” (Ephesians 5:11–14, ESV)
Paul starts verse eleven by reminding them to “take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness.” This is a direct contrast to the “fruits” of walking as a child of light (v. 9). Paul is saying to stay away from those things, don’t have anything to do with them. Then he gives the alternative—“But instead, expose them.” Shine light on them, so others can see how unfruitful, how worthless such works truly are.
Just a couple things to make note of concerning this verse. I’ve seen some people use this verse as an excuse to go after people. But notice closely, Paul tells them to expose the works, and not the workers. Though the workers may be exposed in the exposing, it’s the sins themselves that are to be exposed. This verse is not an excuse for going on a theological “witch hunt” like some people do, being contentious for the faith rather than being a contender for the faith (cf. Jude 3). Likewise, the word “expose” is translated from a word that has a broad range of meaning—to rebuke, to drag into the light—practically, we’re calling something to others’ attention so they can see it. We are showing sin for what it is, and what it does.
But Paul adds something that’s important to remember in verse twelve. He says, “For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.” Some see a contradiction here at first—are we supposed to rebuke, or stay quiet? Consider a couple things with me, though. First, this is Paul’s commentary on the kinds of things that were being done behind closed doors. They were shameful, and speaking of them could be shameful, too. I’m reminded of the way he warns about how we speak of such things in Eph. 5:4, to not be filthy or crude in our speech. But also consider this: Those things need to be revealed. It’s just that as we reveal sin for what it is we don’t have to go into great amounts of detail. Think of it this way: The Bible covers a lot of very adult topics and situations—murders, adultery, fornication—yet does so very succinctly and without bringing to mind unnecessarily graphic thoughts. I think we can do the same.
Sure, we can shine light on sin in how we live our lives. Others observing the manner of our living can go a long way. But there are some things of which we, at times need to speak about. Just last week I had someone tell me that there were folks who would shy away from the preacher mentioning the “s-word” (three letters, rhymes with Chex) from the pulpit. I understand that. It feels uncomfortable for me to say it, too. But let me remind you that these epistles were read aloud to the church in the first century. If that’s what it says, it’s what I am bound to say. And let me also suggest to you that some people might have avoided some of the sins in their lives if righteous Christians hadn’t felt too embarrassed to speak of the shameful things done in secret.
There’s a balance that must be found, and maintained. Paul further adds in verses 13-14, “But when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Awake O sleeper; and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” Some people need to be “awakened” from their spiritual slumber. Maybe they are outside the church. Maybe some are inside the church. In either case, they need to arise from the death that sin brings. Jesus shines a light on life so that people can know what is true, what is right, and what is wrong. Remember what Jesus said about himself:
“(12) Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”” (John 8:12, ESV)
You and I also act as that light. And we need to be sure that we are shining—both for our sakes, as well as the good of those who have yet to see the light, or need to see it (and be it) again.
CONCLUSION
As we close, look with me to what Jesus said in the “Sermon on the Mount”:
“(14) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. (15) Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. (16) In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14–16, ESV)
As a Christian, you are light. Not just in the light—but you are the light. So shine that light. Bear the fruit of being a child of light, not a son of disobedience. Live your life in such a way to light the path for others to follow to their heavenly Father.
"Imitators of God" (Ephesians 5:1-6)
This morning we are continuing our study through Ephesians by moving into chapter five. I really hope that our study through chapter four has been helpful to you. All that we have studied in those lessons sets the scene for what we are looking at this morning. But as we begin, let me call one specific section back to your mind: Ephesians 4:17-24. Remember we talked about true conversion? It is a rejection of the empty thinking of the world, and a renewal of the mind into the image of the likeness of God. I want you to keep that in mind as we go through our study this morning. Since we have quite a bit of territory to cover I want to avoid a long introduction, and jump right into our discussion right now. Let’s read our text, then examine it.
“(1) Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. (2) And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (3) But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. (4) Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. (5) For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (6) Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 5:1–6, ESV)
1) We must be IMITATORS of God as CHILDREN. (v. 1-2)
One of the most heartwarming things to me is a child imitating their mother or father. A few years ago my son got a pulpit for Christmas. Right now it is set up in the corner of his room. Every so often I will catch the kids “playing church” (which of course I mean in the best way possible). He will get up and preach, they will sing songs, and pray. Sometimes mommy and I will get involved, too. Now I don’t know whether he will grow up to be a preacher. But I can remember back to my own childhood, and that’s how it starts. I wanted to imitate my own dad, and preach like him. I even remember asking my grandfather to build me a pulpit.
And that’s how children learn to be adults, isn’t it? They play, pretending to do what the “big people” do. And then, eventually, they actually start doing what the “big people” do. Maybe that’s why the Holy Spirit chose to put things this way in our passage. Look at the first two verses of our text with me again:
“(1) Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. (2) And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1–2, ESV)
Let’s start with the word “therefore.” This is our connection to everything we talked about in chapter four. I hope you remember our study of Eph. 4:23 a few weeks back, where Paul told them to “be renewed in the spirit of your minds.” Then in the next verse (v. 24), he tells them to “put on the new self, created after the likeness of God.” He even gives a specific example of where to imitate God, in being forgiving: “Forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (v. 32). Everything that Paul is saying in those passages could be summed up (and is summed up) into this one statement: Be imitators of God.
Don’t just be an admirer of God. Don’t just be a respecter of God. Don’t just be an evangelist for God. Be an imitator of God. Don’t just meditate on his word. Put it into practice. Don’t just speak of how much you love Jesus. Do everything you can to be like him.
Now the need to do this seems pretty obvious. So how can you this? Let me just give you three quick suggestions. I won’t go into a huge amount of detail, but maybe these suggestions can get you started in your personal study.
First, you need to know what he is really like. Be sure you have an accurate mental picture of Jesus. Spend time reading the New Testament. Make notes in your Bible as you read through the Gospels of the passages that show insight into Jesus’ character. Then as you read Acts and the Epistles, look for how others lived those things out. See how Paul, Peter, James, Jude, and John give commands that reinforce those things. For a verse that expresses this idea, consider what Peter said in 1 Peter 3:18—“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Grow in your knowledge of what Jesus said, and did, and who he really is. Then be ready to compare those notes with your own life.
Second, you need to know what you are really like. We have a tendency to fool ourselves about what we are really like. Pride blinds us into thinking we are perfectly rational people who behave correctly 99% of the time… when the truth may be far from that! And worse, often everyone else can see it better than we can. James warns of the kind of person who is merely a hearer of God’s word, who looks at himself in the “mirror” of Scripture, and may feel a brief stirring of need to change. But then he (or she) simply… doesn’t. That feeling never goes anywhere. That person forgets what they saw, what they are really like (James 1:23-24). John outright says in 1 John 1:8, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” It’s important to remember that while we can fool other people, and we (alarmingly) can even fool ourselves, we can’t fool God! He knows the truth about us. He knows the truth about you. And for you to make real, positive change in your life you must also know the truth about yourself. Again, I could make a whole sermon out of this one point, but consider what Paul told the church in Corinth on this point:
“(5) Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5, ESV)
Third, identify and imitate those who imitate him. It’s one thing to read about some skill in a book. It’s another thing to watch someone who has mastered that skill. Maybe that’s why the author of Hebrews wrote—
“(11) And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, (12) so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:11–12, ESV)
Paul wrote, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). He told the church in Philippi to “join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us” (Phil. 3:17). Christianity is a religion of imitation. A major part of faithful living consists of imitating other faithful people. Even when we read Scripture and see how we ought to live, we’re just trying to imitate Paul, or other faithful Christians like him. And they were just trying to imitate Jesus. And along with his sacrifice for our sins, Jesus came and lived an example for us to follow. John wrote, “Whoever says he abides in him [Jesus] ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6). It’s all about imitation.
What John wrote is what Paul was also getting at in verse two of our text. “Walk in love, as Christ loved.” As Christ. Like Christ. Being Christ-like.
Let’s give a moment to the command to “walk in love.” This is really a parallel statement to verse one—they mean practically the same thing. Paul has already spent time emphasizing the need to “walk” (i.e. “live”) in a manner worthy of a Christian (Eph. 4:1). That includes humility, gentleness, and patience, with a desire to keep peace (4:2-3). It means walking in righteousness and holiness, unlike the Gentiles (4:24). It means living out the list of things we looked at a couple weeks ago (4:25-32). It means being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving as God in Christ forgave you (4:32). It means loving as Jesus loved others, and loved God. Jesus laid this out and John recorded it in John 13:34-35—
“(34) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (35) By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”” (John 13:34–35, ESV)
And here’s the deal: If we concentrate on being imitators of God, imitators of Christ, imitators of faithful Christians who we see around us, then we won’t be involved in any of what we read about in verses 3-5. We will make every effort to please God. Because to do otherwise is to become something you really don’t want to be: An instigator of his wrath.
2) We must NOT be INSTIGATORS of God’s wrath. (v. 3-6)
Let’s take a moment and read through the rest of our passage:
“(3) But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. (4) Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. (5) For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (6) Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 5:3–6, ESV)
What Paul deals with in verses 3-5 is unfortunately common among religious folk today. We live in highly sexualized society. If you don’t believe me, just walk through the grocery store sometime and pay attention to the covers of the magazines (or don’t). Make note of the advertisements you see on TV. Consider the content of what’s popular on TV and in movies. For a culture that thinks it’s educated and “evolved” when it comes to this subject, it looks a lot more to me like we have a group of junior high boys running our ad agencies, and locker room conversations providing the inspiration for the plots of major movies. Sexuality isn’t treated with respect, honor, and the appreciation it deserves. It’s not used the way God intended it.
But this isn’t just a modern problem. It was evidently a problem in Ephesus, too. Idolatry was prevalent, and Ephesus was known for the temple to Artemis (Diana). The idol was considered a goddess of fertility, and part of the worship of the false goddess included prostitution. Without digging too much further, then, it ought to be obvious that those in the church in Ephesus may have been struggling with similar problems to ours today.
Paul warns them that these things must not be named among them. Sexual immorality is a blanket term, referring to all kinds of sexual sins (fornication, adultery, incest, homosexual behavior, et al.). “Impurity” refers to lustful, or lascivious thinking. Covetousness here is likely connected more to being greedy for sexually immoral behavior than for material possessions. It’s also interesting to note the connection between covetousness, which is idolatry, and sexual immorality in a city known for a temple where the worship included prostitution. In verse four he tells them that even the way they talk about sexuality needs to be pure as well. It’s not fitting to speak obscenely, or joke crudely about sexuality.
In verse five Paul tells us something we can be sure about—everyone who practices these things has no inheritance in the kingdom of God. I don’t want to get into a deep study of the use of the word “inheritance” in this lesson, but let me point out a few things which “inheritance” is connected to: Eternal life (Mark 10:17); Salvation (Heb. 1:14); Being rescued from darkness and brought into light (Col. 1:12-13). What we’re talking about is heaven. To put it bluntly for the sake of understanding, Paul is saying you can’t practice these things and go to heaven.
Verse six is where the concept of being an instigator comes in: Paul says it’s because of these kinds of behavior that God is bringing his wrath against people. Don’t be fooled. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can dabble in it and be okay. Don’t be fooled into thinking that God doesn’t care, or will turn a blind eye. Don’t be guilty of instigating God’s wrath against you because you do what others are doing to incur God’s wrath against them.
But go back with me to the last part of verse four. At the end of the verse Paul gives an alternative to the lewd and crude talk that Christians ought to avoid. He says, “But instead let there be thanksgiving.” Of course this can be taken generally, but I want to focus in on the proper perspective on the sexual relationship for just a moment. God gave it to us not so we could abuse ourselves, or use other people for this purpose. God gave it to us as a blessing. A blessing for which we ought to be thankful! That is, if it’s done within the proper context. And the writer of Hebrews gives us the only proper context for sexual activity:
“(4) Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” (Hebrews 13:4, ESV)
Let me be clear about something else: Past sins of this nature can, and will be forgiven of the person who repents. That was true for the Ephesians, too. But what Paul is saying is that once a person is a Christian, they ought to be an imitator of God, of Christ—and they can’t continue to live their life in that way! To do so is “not proper,” and is “out of place.”
Next week we will continue our study with Ephesians 5:7-20, and think further on what it means to “walk as children of light” (verse 8). But for this week I want to end with this one question: Are you an imitator of God, or an instigator of his wrath? The good news of the gospel is that he offers anyone who has been an instigator of his wrath forgiveness. He offers an opportunity to become an imitator of him, through obeying the gospel, and being a disciple of his beloved son Jesus. Do you need to respond to that gospel call today?
"Make a Joyful Noise" (Psalm 100)
(This is the manuscript for a sermon preached on November 18, 2018 by Daniel Howell)
—
"(1) A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! (2) Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! (3) Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (4) Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (5) For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations." (Psalm 100:1-5 ESV)
It’s the week of Thanksgiving again. This makes ten consecutive “thanksgiving sermons” that I’ve prepared to preach, since I always try to take on that theme on this particular week of the year. Thankfully (pun intended), there is no shortage of material in the Bible when it comes to the subject of giving thanks, or gratitude (or “grace” in the KJV). Thanksgiving is found nearly 40 times in the Bible. The word thank is found in various forms (e.g. thanks) over 130 times in the Bible. A close relative, the word praise, is found even more times—over 270 times throughout Scripture. As I said, there’s no shortage of potential material on this subject.
Instead of spending our time hopping around to various places in the Bible, this morning I want to concentrate on one passage—one psalm. In fact, the ancient title for the psalm is, “A Psalm for Giving Thanks.” That certainly fits our purposes this morning. So go ahead and turn to Psalm 100, which will serve as our text this morning.
Some call this psalm the “old hundred.” It’s short, but powerfully written. It is part of “Book Four” of the psalms, consisting of Psalms 90-106. These psalms deal with the greatness of God, as well as repeated calls to worship Him because of his greatness. And Psalm 100 is sort of a miniature version of this grouping of psalms. It contains the call to praise and worship God, as well as the cause for doing so. Some commentators suggest that verses 1-3 were sung by travelers on their way to the temple, and verses 4-5 were sung while in the temple.
There’s something in ancient Hebrew poetry called parallelism. It’s a way of structuring phrases so that they repeat the same idea using different phrases. Our psalm does this on a grander scale. Usually the parallel ideas are in lines right beside each other. In this case, there are two ideas expressed in different sections of the psalm. So that’s how we are going to approach our text this morning. This means we will skip around a little, but since the psalm is only five verses that shouldn’t be much of an issue.
1) A CALL to Give Thanks (v. 1-2, 4)
Look at what the psalmist calls us to do:
“Make a joyful noise” (v. 1)—This phrase serves as the title of our lesson. Lets momentarily set aside the jokes we sometimes make about people who don’t think they can sing making a “joyful noise” and get to the truth of the matter. The Hebrew here literally means to “shout,” or practically speaking, to “sing loudly.” A “joyful noise” is a passionate, heart-felt sound. It’s singing done with gusto! It’s not the near silent murmuring of words. It’s a proclamation from the roof-tops! Does that describe your singing?
“Serve the Lord” (v. 2)—Considering the context, the service here is referring to offering the sacrifice of worship. To worship is to show adoration. One Greek word translated in the New Testament as “worship” literally means “to prostrate oneself; to bow down before” (proskyneo, see John 4:23-24). That’s what we are being called to do. So as we continue in our study, let’s frame our understanding of this psalm in that way.
“Come into His presence” (v. 2)—Looking back to ancient Israel, going to the tabernacle or temple would have been considered entering the presence of God. In David’s great psalm of repentance (Psalm 51) you may remember that he begs God, “Cast me not away from your presence” (v. 11). What he meant by that was literally, “Don’t keep me from being able to come and worship you at your tabernacle!” Now look at the next phrase in verse four.
“Enter His gates…courts” (v. 4)—These things would have certainly brought to mind the tabernacle or temple for the Jews, and their gates and courts. While we understand coming into God’s presence in a different way as Christians (e.g. Stephen’s speech in Acts 7:48, “…The Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands…”), It’s still important that we take the time to meditate on the meaning and the reality of being in God’s presence. And our worship gathering can call that to our minds as well.
“Give thanks” (v. 4)—Simply stated, express your gratitude. That would be their purpose in coming into the presence of God, of entering his gates and courts. Sacrifices weren’t just made for sin. Some were made as free-will offerings, possibly of gratitude to the Lord (e.g Ez. 3:5). That’s also our purpose in our worship.
Now I want you to notice that each one of those phrases gives some additional instruction for who and how those things are to be done:
“Make…all the earth” (v. 1)—This is a reminder that ALL of the earth is subject to God. Everyone on earth should worship and praise the Lord. All are invited to come to Him. Every knee should bow before him (see Philippians 2:10).
“Serve… with gladness” (v. 2)—Serving the Lord shouldn’t be seen as drudgery, but as a grand opportunity. Thus, the admonition to approach the Lord with gladness in your heart.
“Come… with singing” (v. 2)—Singing was done in Israel as part of worship. And today, it’s still a major part of our worship. It’s not part of the worship entertainment as many often treat it. It’s a sacrifice, the fruit of our lips (see Hebrews 13:15). It’s important that we keep this as our perspective when it comes to our worship in song.
“Enter… thanksgiving… praise” (v. 4)—This is really at the heart of what we are doing, and thinking about now. We come into his presence with the only gift we truly have to offer God—our sacrifice of gratitude and praise (consider Psalm 50:10-15; 116:12ff.).
“Give… bless His name” (v. 4)—Just as God has blessed us, we are called to “bless” him. For us this is another way of referring to giving praise. It means speaking of the greatness of God, acknowledging his goodness.
You, personally, are called to come to God and offer your sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Again, we may do it in a different manner from the way the Jews did. But God is no less worthy of our honor and gratitude today than he was then. In fact, you and I ought to understand the goodness of God in an even deeper way—in that we stand on this side of the Cross. We’ve seen God’s love, mercy, kindness, compassion, and grace expressed in a way the writer of this psalm had yet to see! And that leads me to our second thought as we meditate through this psalm…
2) A CAUSE to Give Thanks (v. 3, 5)
Have you ever thought about this: It’s just as important to know the reasons why we worship God as it is to know that we should worship God. It’s the reasons why we worship God that demonstrate a distinction between Him and anything or anyone else a person might worship. The psalmist gives us several reasons why all the world should worship Jehovah God and not any other created thing in the universe.
He is our Creator (v. 3)—“It is he who made us, and we are his.” Truly, if it were not for God, none of us would exist! And not only did he create us, he created everything around us, and everything we need to live. He sustains us. And likewise, since he created us, we belong to him. We are his possession, in a special way in Christ (1 Peter 2:9).
He is our Shepherd (v. 3)—When I read this I think of the first line of the 23rd Psalm: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” A shepherd in those times was more than a mere farmer. He was a guide for his sheep, a protector for his sheep, a provider for his sheep. The shepherd would see to their every need. Thus it ought to be no surprise that the same picture is used to portray God’s relationship with his people. He is our guide, our protector, our provider. We are his sheep.
He is Good (v. 5)—The Hebrew word here refers to something that is desirable, beautiful, or pleasing. Sure God is morally “good,” in that he is holy and perfect. But God is good all around! This “good” is the same as the one we see in Genesis 1, where everything that God created was “good” and “very good.” It was pleasing, whole, perfect, complete—beautiful. That’s what God is. Beautiful. David wrote in Psalm 34:8, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
He is Loving (v. 5)—The ESV refers to God’s “steadfast love.” The NASB refers to His “lovingkindness.” The NKJV simply says “mercy.” This love is more than an affection. It is an undying, never ending loyalty. The Hebrew term here could be thought of as the Old Testament counterpart to the New Testament’s “agape” love. Think about how incredible and comforting this ought to be: God is eternally loyal to his people. Moses wrote, “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deut. 7:9). Which brings us to the last reason for praise that the psalmist lists.
He is Faithful (v. 5)— The NKJV says, “His truth endures to all generations.” That’s probably as good a description of the sense of this point as any. God is honest, steadfast, trustworthy. God is a God of integrity, of consistency. He keeps his promises. He who calls us is faithful, as Paul wrote in 1 Thess. 5:24. God never lies, as Paul also wrote in Titus 1:2. God’s truth endures. His promises never fail. Never.
It’s all these attributes combined that call us to praise him, to give thanks to him, to worship him. No one else has the power to give and sustain life. No one else guides, protects, and cares for us like God does. No one else is as glorious and completely beautiful as God. No one loves with the same loyal, eternal love as God has. No one else keeps their promises as God keeps his. There is no one like the Lord!
So make a joyful noise to Him! Serve Him with gladness in your heart. Come into his presence with singing from your heart! Enter his gates with thanksgiving! Because he is our creator, sustainer, and guide. We are his people, for his own possession, to do his will.
Look at what Peter wrote:
“(9) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)
Anyone and everyone should be thankful to God for their existence, and God’s providing care. But only those who are his children can proclaim his excellencies to the world around them. Only those who have come out of darkness and into light by obeying the gospel can truly, and fully give thanks to God. Can you?
"Give Me A Reason..."—Dealing With Doubts
It’s natural to have doubts about God, Jesus, and the Bible from time to time. But not all of us handle them well. We have to deal with our doubts. We can’t just stick our head in the ground like an ostrich and pretend that they will go away.
Thomas: I Need Evidence
Thomas was sure enough in his doubt to make a very bold statement:
“The other disciples therefore said to him, 'We have seen the Lord.’ So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” ” (John 20:25, NKJV)
Thomas knew how things worked. He knew that once someone died, they (generally speaking) stayed dead. Now granted, he had seen Jesus raise a man from the dead, but then again, could Jesus raise himself up if he himself was dead?
So Thomas decided that the testimony of his fellow disciples wasn’t going to be enough. I don’t know why he didn’t trust what they said. When people have doubts, sometimes the ability to stop and think critically about the situation ceases when the doubts come in. In all fairness, Thomas should have asked himself, “Why should they be lying to me about this? What do they stand to gain by making a seemingly baseless claim such as this?” But evidently this reasoning didn’t occur to Thomas.
Instead, in Thomas we see a commonality with skeptics of all times. There is a demand for hard, real, substantial evidence. A skeptic won’t be content with only someone’s testimony. Skeptics won’t even be content with just seeing pictures or video of something. After all, we live in the day of Photoshop and computer generated effects.
Even worse, sometimes a person enters a “feedback loop” where they only read books or testimony that supports their skepticism. And often the religious skeptic today is still looking for that irrefutable “sign” and overwhelming evidence to remove their doubts about whatever it may be. Can such evidence exist?
This seems to be where Thomas was. But what Thomas demonstrates to us is that an honest heart, even one in the throes of doubt, may not really need what it claims it does to make a firm decision. Actually, Jesus knows how much evidence an honest heart really needs to make up its mind, and he provides more than enough, both for Thomas and for us today.
Jesus: Here is the Evidence
Now should Thomas have believed the report of the other disciples? Yes, he should have, because they were right. But was he pushed out of the assembly of his brethren because of his lack of faith? It doesn’t appear that way. And I believe those who aren’t in the throes of doubt should be very delicate in how they deal with those who are struggling with doubt. When a person doubts, it isn’t a time to belittle or guilt them, but rather it’s a time to put your arm around them and help them find the information they need to do away with their doubts.
And that’s what we see here in how Jesus himself chooses to deal with this situation, and likewise the particular kind doubt that Thomas had, the “I need hard evidence” brand of doubt, once and for all.
As we read a moment ago, John 20:26 tells us that after eight days (meaning this would be Sunday, see verse 19 of this chapter) the disciples were again assembled together, possibly for worship. Whereas Thomas didn’t get a chance to see Jesus the time before, that won’t be the case this time.
Jesus appears in the midst of them (vs. 26), and greets them with “Peace to you!” Thomas is immediately awestruck. Notice what Jesus does first in John’s record: He offers the evidence that Thomas desired! What is Thomas’s response (vs. 28)? “My Lord and my God!” Evidently Thomas forgot all about that whole touching and feeling Jesus’ wounds idea. Jesus even offers it, but we have no record of Thomas doing such. Seeing Jesus and honestly accepting the testimony of his peers was all that he really needed. It didn’t even take what Thomas thought it would for him to believe.
This account draws to a close with the following words:
“Jesus said to him, 'Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” (John 20:29, NKJV)
What Do I Do with My Doubts?
It’s very obvious from this passage that Jesus doesn’t want doubters kicked out of the assembly, but he wants them to deal with their doubts—to work through them. His command to Thomas in verse 27 is clear. “Do not be unbelieving, but believing!” Christ demands trust.
He doesn’t just make that demand unfairly, though. Many people get the idea that faith and belief mean suspending reality. Many (especially of an agnostic persuasion) think that reality means doubt. But logic and reason demand the opposite. You see, doubt doesn’t live in reality — it suspends it until it finds sufficient “evidence.” That’s why those who doubt the power of God find themselves feeling so miserable. They aren’t living in the real world.
Maybe Thomas helps us understand this little better, since he struggled with doubt based on circumstances similar to ours. All he initially had to go on was the testimony of other credible witnesses. All we have to go on is the testimony of credible witnesses (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8). It ought to have been sufficient for him, and it has to be sufficient for us today.
At least Thomas had the advantage of seeing Jesus in the flesh. We don’t have that ability today. So what are some steps we can take to deal with our doubts?
1) Examine: What Did You Expect?
What are you expecting out of God? Are you living a land of illusion about what God says he will or won’t do? You see, the math is simple:
Your Expectations + Seeking God’s Will = Contentment & Faith
On the other hand, there is an equation that will only lead to a place where we are never happy. It is as follows:
Your Expectations – Seeking God’s Will = Despair & Doubt
When we expect things out of God that he never promised to provide (cf. James 4:1-4) we “ask amiss” or wrongly (vs. 3) and we shouldn’t expect to receive such things. If you get your expectations in line with God’s Will, you can’t be disappointed. If you aren’t disappointed because of faulty expectations, then chances are slim that you are going to start doubting.
2) Examine: What Are the Answers?
As we’ve already noted, the removal of doubt is not about the removal of your brain. Christians are not supposed to be blissfully ignorant people. On the other hand, they are to have reasons for what they believe (cf. 1 Peter 3:15). Jesus provided the means for Thomas’s “doubt-ectomy,” and shows us the means for our own care as well (cf. John 20:30-31).
Part of the doubt removal process involves looking for answers, and looking for them in the right places. If your doubts deal with apologetic topics, for instance, the existence of God, Christ’s deity, creation, evolution, etc., a good place to start is with some good apologetic material. Apologetics Press is among one of the best sources of material concerning these topics.
If your doubt has come about because of suffering or you have questions about your salvation, the best place to go is the scriptures themselves. The Psalms have many passages which help to reassure us of God’s abiding care. There are also many fine books written by members of the church which deal with guilt, depression, discouragement, and doubt, and any one of these can help guide you in your studies.
If your doubt has to do with God’s goodness and care, it also helps to step back and answer this question about yourself: Am I displaying an attitude of thankfulness for what I do have (cf. Philippians 4:6-7)? Often we can remove our doubts about such matters when we make an honest assessment of our blessings. Perspective can help so much.
3) Examine: Are You Honest in Your Search?
A heart which refuses to believe the answers that it finds is never going to find solace or comfort. Only the truth ever really sets someone free of their prison of doubts and fears (cf. John 8:32).
A dishonest heart will not seek the truth, but rather, will constantly seek comfort, or its own agenda. The dishonest heart may also never go to the right sources to find answers. There are all manner of books a person can read and websites they can visit seeking answers (or worse, validation of the ideas they already have). Many of these will do nothing but lead them astray—either to false hope, or deeper into doubt.
Part of an honest search involves going to the right places to look—going to the Bible first. If you have doubts about the Bible, deal with the Bible itself first. Consider what Paul to the church in Colossi:
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8, NKJV)
4) Examine: Are You Willing?
The final step in the removal of doubt involves actually taking the steps necessary to remove it. What are you going to do with the knowledge that you gain, and the answers that you find? If you just sit on them, your search was in vain.
We return for just a moment to the example of Thomas. Thomas was honest. Thomas was willing to accept the evidence and act to take care of his doubt. This is obvious in his assessment of Jesus when he stands before him:
“And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” ” (John 20:28, NKJV)
You have to be willing to accept the answers you find, or you may as well not start the journey. You have to be willing to change your mind about those things that need to be changed. Doubt is a decision, not a disease. Its remedy is your willingness to make it go away, and to accept truth.
Walking By Faith
We live our daily lives on the basis of the unseen. I’ve never actually seen my heart, but I know that it’s beating in my chest because I’m still alive. I have no doubts about that. Doctors treat patients of diseases or germs that the patients themselves never actually see. Any doubts of their existence or cause of illness are removed when good health comes about as result of the actions doctors take. I may not see it, but the wind blows every day. I know this because I see the effect that it has on the things it touches. Believing isn’t always about seeing. It’s about the evidence.
I’ve never seen heaven. Neither have you. I’ve never seen the face of Jesus. Neither have you. But I have some credible information about them from people who have. It’s contained in the Holy Scriptures, the Bible, and Jesus offers it to us today as the evidence we need to properly deal with our doubts (cf. John 20:30-31).
Jesus put it this way:
“Jesus said to him, 'Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” (John 20:29, NKJV)
Are you blessed in this way? If not, we would love to help you, and talk to you more about any questions you may have.
You're Not Interested in God, But He's Interested in You
"I'm not interested."
Have you ever thought about how often we have the chance to utter that phrase, or something like it?
"Are you a rewards member? No? I can sign you up today…"
"No thanks, I'm not interested."
"Want a free cruise? Just listen to our presentation about…"
"Definitely not interested. Well maybe in the cruise, but not in a presentation for a timeshare."
"Would you like to add an order of…"
"Nope. Thanks."
There are a great number of things we have conditioned ourselves to be ready to instantly reject. No thought necessary, just an immediate, final, "No." Don't even try to persuade me. My mind's made up. Done. End of discussion.
But that impulse which keeps us from opening (another) credit card, being tempted to spend money on a vacation home, or prevents us from adding an extra load of calories to our meals may also cause us to miss out on some truly life-changing information we would do well to consider.
Does that impulse trigger for you when someone talks about God? When someone wants to study the Bible with you? When someone asks you to come visit with them at church?
Are you simply not interested?
Maybe you are even more than disinterested. Maybe you feel downright antagonistic toward God.
"After all, where was he when…? Why didn't he…? I'm just fine without him, thank you very much. Not interested."
If I may, let me beg you to keep reading, because what you are about to read may be just what you need to know the most! It's this: Don't think that just because you have no interest in God that he has no "interest" in you. Just because you reject him now does not mean you are not accountable to him.
“But I don’t believe in God…”
I get it. You think that if you don't believe in him you don't have to follow his rules. It's how I personally feel about other religions. Jewish or Muslim teachings don't stop me from eating bacon or barbecue pork. I don't believe what they believe, so I don't practice what they practice, and there are no negative effects in my life from this.
But the same can't be said of rejecting the God of the Bible. Your rejection is not a release from your responsibility. Sure, if the God of the Bible were not real and all religions truly were equal you may have a point.
But God is real (the preponderance of the evidence rests on the side of his existence). And if God actually exists then all religions are not equally untrue. Thus, you are not released from your responsibility.
Let's use the story of Pharaoh as a case study. When Moses came with divine authority, commanding Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go, his response was this: "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?" (Exodus 5:2). Pharaoh didn't believe he was answerable to the "god" of the Hebrews. After all, he thought himself a god in his own right. Why should he follow the orders of a deity he rejected?
But while Pharaoh may not have been interested in God, but God was definitely interested in him!
The consequences of Pharaoh's rejection were disastrous. In a short time his failure to submit to God's demand led to the destruction of his nation's economy, health, military, and even their firstborn. It seems that this Pharaoh may have even taken his hardness of heart all the way to his grave (cf. Psalm 136:15).
Of course God is not going to bring the same kinds of horrendous plagues upon you during your life, even if you continue in disinterested rejection. My goal is not to scare you into believing because you fear such horrors. Rather, I simply want to make one obvious point: If Pharaoh was accountable despite his disbelief, then so are you!
Paul wrote to the church in Philippi that God has "highly exalted [Jesus] and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…" (Philippians 2:9-11). When Paul says every knee and every tongue he means everyone! Not just those who believe now, but everyone should (has the responsibility to) bow and submit to Jesus as Lord.
Again, you likely aren't going to be swept away in this lifetime like Pharaoh's army, but you must also consider the end of all things: the Judgement Day. Paul also preached to the Athenians that God now commands all men everywhere to repent, because a day is coming on which Jesus will judge all people, whether you believe it or not (cf. Acts 17:30-31).
And it is on that day you will most definitely bow before Jesus as Lord. But at that point it will be too late to seek his pardon (cf. Romans 14:10-12). So you can bow and confess now, or you can bow and confess later, but bow and confess you will someday do! It certainly works in your favor to do so now rather than later.
Jesus didn't say, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father but by me, if he wants to; Otherwise, sorry for bothering you with my proselytizing!" You may not feel that you need God. You may not even be remotely interested. That's entirely your choice. But consider that when someone who is a believer in Jesus and a follower of his teaching comes to you to discuss spiritual matters they don't do it out of a desire to control you, make your life boring, take your money in a collection plate, or pat themselves on the back for how many people are a part of their church.
No, a true follower of Christ comes to you knowing full well that you may not appreciate your position, but they must try to help you anyway. They know of the terror of the Lord which is to come at the judgment, and want to persuade you and others to prepare for that day by living a life devoted to Jesus. They know you may not be interested. But they also know God is interested in you! Will you give it some thought?
What's the Difference Between the Church of Christ And...
Occasionally, when a person finds out that I’m the preacher for the Sweetwater church of Christ, I will be asked, “What’s the difference between the church of Christ and (insert denomination)?”
Usually I just answer the question as asked (as I will do later in this article). But before I answer the question, I want to ask a question (or few) myself: Should this be? Should the state of Christianity be such that there are distinct differences in belief, doctrine, and practice between the assemblies of those who claim to be Christ’s followers? And should we be okay with things being as they are? Paul warns the church in Corinth to be of the same mind and judgment (1 Corinthians 1:10). So is the current state of Christianity what Jesus ever intended? I pray you will spend some thought on the answers to those questions.
To begin answering our question about the difference between the church of Christ and various denominations, I believe there are a couple of traits we have, the knowledge of which is essential to understanding who we are and what makes us different.
“...It is our sincere desire to simply be the church you read about in the New Testament. Not be “like,” but simply “be.””
First, the Bible alone is our authority. We have no additional documents (creed books, manuals, confessions, etc.) that govern our belief, teaching, and behavior. Such books are a requirement for a denomination, else how would they make themselves distinct? Yet in having the Bible alone as our guide it seems that we do distinguish ourselves from most modern groups.
Second, it is our sincere desire to simply be the church you read about in the New Testament. Not be “like,” but simply “be.” Some would say that we seek to practice “New Testament Christianity.” Of course, such a phrase is intended only to draw distinction between itself and “Denominational Christianity,” which most people practice today while unaware there is another option.
With those points in mind, let me proceed with describing a few more differences between ourselves and most major denominations. Keep in mind that the following is not intended to explain the “why” of what we believe, but the “what” (though a little of the “why” is included, it is not comprehensive). It is also not intended to argue against the beliefs or doctrines of other groups, but rather to focus on what we believe and teach. Thus, if you want further explanation about any of these things, please don’t hesitate to contact the author. He would love to hear from you!
First, if we seek to simply be the church we read about in the Bible then it will create some differences between ourselves and others in our form of worship. Worship in the early church was simple. For example, when the church in Corinth came together they prayed and sang (1 Cor. 14:15), partook of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:20-26), gave as they had been prospered (1 Cor. 16:1-2), and preached a message from God (1 Cor. 14:29-31). Those are the same things we do today.
Since the early church sang without the accompaniment of musical instruments (which were not authorized), that’s what we do. We follow the commands found in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 where the church is told to sing, and sing only. I think it’s worth noting musical instruments did not become widespread in worship until the last few hundred years. Until then most assemblies were “a cappella,” an Italian word used to refer to unaccompanied vocal music, which literally means “in chapel style.” Singing without instruments used to be the normal thing rather than the exception!
Likewise, in following the example of the New Testament church in our worship we also take the Lord’s Supper weekly. This was a major part of the early church’s weekly assembly (for example, Acts 20:7). Thus, if it’s what they did, it’s what we do.
Second, if we seek to simply be the church we read about in the New Testament there will be some major differences in our organization. Most denominations today have some sort of central office, a headquarters that oversees all things related to that denomination. The church of Christ has no such office or headquarters.
Each congregation of the church of Christ is independent and autonomous. The biblical model for church organization was of such independent assemblies, with elders (also called bishops and pastors) overseeing each congregation (see 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9). It’s important to note each “eldership” (because each congregation has multiple elders) is only responsible for the church they serve. No eldership has power over another congregation or its eldership. The elders of a church are directly answerable to Jesus Christ himself, the only head of the church (see Colossians 1:18).
Third, if we seek to simply be the church you read about in the New Testament then there will be differences between other groups and what we teach about salvation. We believe a person is saved by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8). Yet to be benefited by God’s grace one must have an obedient faith (consider Hebrews 5:9).
The Bible teaches (and early Christians believed and taught) that a person is saved by hearing and believing God’s Word (Romans 10:9-10, 17; John 3:16-17), repenting of sin (Acts 2:38), confessing before men that Jesus is the Son of God (Romans 10:9-10), being baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21), and living faithfully until death (Matthew 24:12-13; Revelation 2:10). It is no one act of obedience, but all of them together that saves.
We also reject Calvinism, which to varying degrees has influenced most protestant denominations today. Whereas Calvinism teaches that man is depraved and sinful from birth, that Jesus died only for the elect (who have been predestined, chosen by God apart from their own will), that no one can understand the Bible without the direct, miraculous operation of the Holy Spirit on their heart, and it’s impossible to lose one’s salvation, the early church did not teach nor believe any of those things. Thus, we do not believe them, but reject them and teach against them as false doctrine (consider Galatians 1:6-9).
We believe the Bible was written assuming mankind has free will, the ability to choose whether to obey or disobey God on his own volition (consider Genesis 4:6-7; Joshua 24:15; Matthew 23:37; Acts 13:46). We believe Jesus came to die for the whole world, and God’s grace is offered to anyone who will accept it through obedience (John 3:16-17; Titus 2:11-13). We believe that sin is not an inherited trait, but willful breaking of God’s laws (see 1 John 3:4), thus children (and the mentally handicapped) are in a safe state. We believe a person can know the truth if they so desire, because that is what Jesus promised (Matthew 7:7-8; John 8:32; Ephesians 3:3-5). We believe that while a person’s salvation can’t be taken away, they can willingly forfeit it by choosing to be unfaithful to the Lord (Consider Galatians 1:6; 5:4; Hebrews 6:1-9; 10:26-31; 2 Peter 2:20-22).
“To me, it only makes sense that the person who is sincerely concerned with doing God’s will and submitting to Jesus as Lord will be diligent to find out what the church of the Bible was supposed to be doing, and want to be a part of THAT church.”
Why do we believe, teach, and do such things? Well, simply because we want to be the church you read about in the New Testament. And if those are the things they believed, taught, and did, then it demands we do the same.
In closing, a couple more questions may be crossing your mind: Why put such emphasis on being the church you read about in the New Testament? Why does it matter?
Let me present two ideas in response to those questions. First, there are many passages which speak of the dangers of false doctrine (for example, Colossians 2:8; Hebrews 13:9; 2 Peter 2:1) as well as adding to or taking away from the Scriptures (John 8:31; 1 Corinthians 4:6; Revelation 22:18-19). As Jesus said in John 8:31, to be His disciples we must abide in His word (stay without the bounds of what He has said). Second, we can be certain about what God approved and disapproved of in the church we read about in the New Testament. Many modern denominations teach and practice things that are questionable at best, and often directly contradict what we read in the Bible.
To me, it only makes sense that the person who is sincerely concerned with doing God’s will and submitting to Jesus as Lord will be diligent to find out what the church of the Bible was supposed to be doing, and want to be a part of THAT church. We are certain that if we believe what they believed, teach what they taught, and do what they did, we aren’t just like them, but we are what they were: the church of Christ.
How about you?
—Daniel Howell, Preacher, Sweetwater church of Christ