America Was Never a Christian Nation -- Acts 1:7-8

Acts 1:7-8

"And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’" (NKJV)
America has never been a Christian nation.

That statement likely astonishes, perhaps even angers, some of you who are reading this. I will tell you that since the Lord has been dealing with me regarding this, I have gone through a host of emotions. I was raised—and continued through my adult life until just recently—as a dyed in the wool patriot. I believed that America was the greatest country in the world, founded by Christians to be a Christian nation, one nation under God. I believed for a long time that the slow evil influences that had migrated to this country (through one method or another) were slowly tearing its Christian soul apart.

I no longer believe that. Any of it.

I would guess that my metamorphosis began years ago. I know that long ago, in a discussion with some Reformed brethren, I had asked for advice on buying a good, but concise, book on Christian history. I was referred to Bruce Shelley’s Church History in Plain Language, sort of a Christian History 101 type book. It was perfect for me at the time because it was a summary of sorts in a shorter volume (about 500 pages) and seemed fairly objective in its descriptions and critiques.

In Shelley’s book, I learned that very early on, Christianity went rather rapidly from an evangelistic religion to an imperialistic one. What does that mean exactly? It meant that Jesus’ command in Acts to go into the world went from being about individuals to being about nations. And not, I might add, with good results. How did that start? Shelley writes:

"Rome had gradually become a religious monarchy. The emperor served as the connecting link between God and the world, while the state was the earthly reflection of divine law. . . . Then came Constantine’s (the Roman Emperor) victory over his rivals—after he turned for help to the Christian God. God himself placed the emperor under the protection of the Cross and in direct dependence upon Christ. This meant, however, that Constantine was converted, not as a man, but as an emperor. Christ himself had sanctioned his power and made him the divine representative, and through Constantine’s person the God of heaven bound the empire to himself by special ties. That, at any rate, is how Eastern Christians saw it." (pp. 143-144).

Shelley goes on in the next chapters to explain that after this event, Christianity became a "national" religion in the sense that every time a nation was captured, it—and all its inhabitants—became Christians. Those who refused to bow their knee to God were enslaved or killed. (Forced salvation.)

Sound vaguely familiar?

If not, I would encourage you to do some deep research into the real history of the United States. Start with talking to Native Americans who have passed down oral history from the early days of the settlers, history that is unsettling at the least and horrifying at its worst. (Most of this I didn’t know until I became part of a Native American church.)

Additionally, we have been hoodwinked by a man named Rousas John Rushdoony. Perhaps you have heard of him, but I hadn’t until just recently. He is the father of Christian Dominionism/Reconstructionism and that doctrine is the foundation of the idea that America was founded as a Christian nation.

So I had to ask myself, is that even possible . . . for a nation to be Christian?

You might be saying, "Well of course," just like I did for many years. But what about it? The very word "Christian" means to be like Christ. Christianos (Greek) meaning a follower of Jesus Christ.

Can a nation be a follower of Jesus Christ? Constantine obviously believed so and then used his power as emperor to forcibly "convert" those who hadn’t previously been "Christians." Is that really what our Lord meant when He said that we would receive power to be witnesses? No, of course not. The power for the Christian life comes from within, comes from the very presence of the Holy Spirit working out salvation in the soul of the surrendered believer. Nations cannot be saved because they have no eternal soul.

It is impossible for a nation to be Christian.

In reading Rushdooney’s The Institutes of Biblical Law, it seems evident within the first seven pages that his doctrine of Christian imperialism is fraught with holes so wide you could sail the Titanic through them. And yet, his doctrines and their derivatives have been taught in seminaries for years and are the basis for the most of the culture clash that exists in America today. Here’s just a summary of Rushdooney’s points in the "Introduction" of his book:

• "God, in creating man, ordered him to subdue the earth and to exercise dominion over the earth." (p. 3)
• "God, in order to re-establish the Kingdom of God, called Abraham, and then Israel, to be His people, to subdue the earth, and to exercise dominion under God." (p. 3)
• "The purpose of Christ’s coming was in terms of this same creation mandate. . . . The redeemed are recalled to the original purpose of man, to exercise dominion under God." (pp. 3-4).
• "As the new chosen people of God, the Christians are commanded to do that which Adam in Eden and Israel in Canaan, failed to do. . . . Man is summoned to create the society God requires." (p. 4)

Christian Dominionism. Christian Imperialism! Is this really what the Lord called us to do?

"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you," (Matthew 5:38-44)

This doesn’t sound much like forcing our unsaved neighbors to live by Christian values so that we can be comfortable (which, by the way, is the goal and result of Christian Dominionism).

Has America ever even acted like a Christian nation?

At its founding, the early "Christian" settlers massacred Native Americans because they considered the Natives to be heathens who refused to be converted. As early as Columbus, Europeans (including Columbus) were involved with Native American slave trade and were additionally involved in the slave sex trade with indigenous girls as young as nine years old. The migrated Europeans (now in America) embraced the slave trade of the Africans. While some of the Native tribes were nomadic, others were not, but the settlers simply moved in and took the land because there were no fences. These men killed the "witches" of Salem who may have actually been no more than herbalists. Women, minorities and the poor were oppressed and didn’t have the right to participate in the democratic process until many decades (or even centuries) later.

I could go on and on, but the point is this: How does any of this reflect Christ? "Christian" means to be a follower of Christ. Would the Lord Jesus do (or condone) any of this? No, He wouldn’t. The Bible is clear about how we are to treat others. The founding of America and its subsequent growth has been quite the opposite.

Now, I don’t believe it’s actually the fault of the nation because it’s impossible for a nation to be saved. It doesn’t have a soul. And it’s impossible to live the life we are required by Christ without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I do believe that the fault lies within the Church—within us—because we should know better. If we truly knew what the Bible said and took it to heart, we would know how desperately wicked our country is. We would stop wanting the "good ol’ days" (which were only good for a few) and would be, instead pressing forward in love to do what Christ truly called us to do . . . be His witnesses.

So as American believers, if the United States isn’t a Christian nation, where do we go from here? Most of us have probably been embroiled in the culture clash that evolved from the Rushdooney mess for years! At this point, we may not even know how to love our neighbors and we probably don’t know much of what it really means to be a Christian!

First of all, we need to remember that none of the people around us are the enemy. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV). Our enemies are the Satanic forces pitted against Heaven as well as our own flesh natures! The apostle Paul writes:

"I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." (Romans 7:21-23 NKJV).

A comic from the 1970's used to say, "The devil made me do it," but the truth, more likely, is that we simply dove into the sin all by ourselves because we wanted to. We are self-indulgent and undisciplined. Our greatest enemy is ourselves! And we need to be always mindful and on watch.

Second, we need to remember that the Lord Jesus died for everyone and that God longs for all to be saved:

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV).

"The Lord is . . . longsuffering toward us." Two of the connotations of this word seem most appropriate here: "to be of a long spirit, not to lose heart" and "to be mild and slow in avenging." (Strong’s 3114). We need to understand that God doesn’t want to condemn anyone to hell. Not Hitler. Not Timothy McVey. Not the Native Americans. Not ISIS. Not anyone! The Lord isn’t on the side of Americans or Canadians or the English or the Libyans. The Lord is on His side, patiently waiting for His creations to become His children. (And also, most likely patiently waiting for the Church to start actually acting like the Church.)

Many of us have, for so many years, placed our faith in the United States as a Christian nation, rather than working to act like Christians ourselves. The apostle Paul writes:

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13 NKJV.

"Your own salvation." Heautou meaning your own, alone. We work out our individual salvation, not corporate salvation, not national salvation, not imperial salvation. We work out individual salvation with fear and trembling both for the blessings of being saved and the awesome responsibility of witnessing of that salvation to others. Christians were never called to rule, but to serve. We were never called to slaughter, but to live sacrificially toward others. We were never called to become masters, but to submit to the authorities established by God. And—most importantly of all—we were never called to be committed to this earth! This earth is going to pass away. If we could create the "perfect" God-fearing society (which is an impossibility), it would still pass away! The only goal that really has eternal ramifications is sharing the gospel with every lost and hurting soul. Anything else is, to be honest, a waste of our time and efforts.

Do you really think God wants us to waste our time?　

---

---

As a postscript, for those of you who don’t know me personally, I’m neither Native nor a minority. I’m an older, overweight white woman, raised by Southern parents, raised on the West Coast, who loves the Lord with all my heart. There’s no agenda in this for me other than loving and serving my Savior.

© 2015 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.

What the World Wants Christians to Be -- Matthew 5:14-16

Matthew 5:14-16


"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (NKJV)

There is a lot of bemoaning lately about how Christians are persecuted in America. In fact, as a believer, I have to tell you that I’m actually really tired of Christians complaining about how they are treated. There are so many problems with this kind of thinking and this kind of behavior beginning with it’s simply selfish and narcissistic. And the fact is, I’m convinced that 90% of the reaction that the American Church is getting these days is simply the consequence of our own choices, of our own sin!

The unsaved really want Christians to start acting like Christians. They want for us to be the called-out ones who refuse to embrace the evils of this generation. They want for us to shine the righteousness of Jesus in the darkness. They want for us to love as He loved, to walk as He walked, to live in the Spirit as He lived in the Spirit.

They want for us to be like Christ.

How do I know this? Because I talk to people who are on the polar opposites of the Religious Right (political conservatives). I read op-eds by atheists and gays and transgenders. I befriend addicts and adulterers and drunks. Just like Jesus did. And even though I’m in the early stages of doing this, I’m finding that we aren’t the Christians we think we are and we certainly aren’t the Christians the world needs for us to be.

1 Peter is an amazing book that talks, I believe, directly and specifically to these times. In chapter 4, Peter writes:

"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. (v. 12-15).

"Let none of you suffer as an evildoer." Peter is explicit in his admonition, and yet, I believe we are suffering often as evildoers and then claiming foul when the world berates us. We hold our heads up in pride (sin) and shake our finger in judgment at our neighbor (sin) to justify our actions (sin), when we should, instead, be humbly reaching out in love and forgiveness.

The other day, a former student and friend of mine who is now exploring her gender-ness asked why Christians celebrate Halloween which is a witch and Wiccan holiday. Her points were so valid! Why do we celebrate Halloween? I would challenge you to study the history of this "holiday" and then decide if you really want your Christian witness to look like this. This is only one small example of how the world is looking at us.

When will we start acting like Christians? How should Christians act?

"And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:7-8 NKJV).

I find Jesus’ commands so simple and yet we have seemed to put so many requirements on them. (Can you say, "Pharisees?") What does Jesus actually tell us to do?

"Heal the sick. Cleanse the lepers." If that sickness isn’t miraculously healed, then minister as doctors assist in healing. Be there. Be present. Be sacrificial.

"Raise the dead. Cast out demons." Unfortunately, most Christians in America don’t believe that people can be raised from the dead nor do we seriously believe in demons. And yet, we are commanded to do these things. Why?

"And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city." (Acts 8:6-8 NKJV).

Miracles (and healings) are not for the purpose of making Christian lives easier, but are signs to the unsaved that God is present and all-powerful. We work miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit because God wants to pour out His love to a lost generation. But we are so worried about whether or not we’re going to bake a cake for a gay wedding, that we’ve forgotten to reach out to a world that is dying! In our efforts to be right, we have lost our righteousness!


"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

Good works consist entirely of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23). A Christian—a Church—that becomes a lampstand is one that is willing to divest itself of all things that encourage selfishness and self-indulgence. It’s a Church that can’t contain its desire to reach out to the hurting and lost. It’s a Church that refuses to demand that the society around it clean up, but instead wants so to love that the holiness of God permeates from their very existence. It’s a Church that gives and gives and gives and keeps on giving because it trusts God to provide. It’s a Church that keeps one foot solidly on the earth, searching out the hurting, while one foot is gloriously in heaven, waiting for the day God calls us home. It’s a Church that gives its cloak when its coat is demanded. That will walk two miles when its required to walk one. That lives out the life of Jesus Christ every moment of every day because the only reality that’s important is preaching the gospel to a world going literally to hell.

If we can become this Church on the hill, then we will finally become relevant and desirable to our generation. Until then, we are simply another privileged group sucking the life out of the poor, the desperate, and the disenfranchised.

Which do you think Jesus wants us to be?
　

© 2015 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.

Do People Become Angels When They Die? -- Psalm 8:4-5

Psalm 8:4-5


"What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor." (NIV)

A dear friend of mine went home to be with the Lord this past week. Facebook has been flooded with condolences and posts of concern and love for the family and for our small church. My friend was a wonderful woman who truly loved the Lord and she will be missed.

What happens to people when they die? One or two of the posters made statements that indicated that there was now a new angel in heaven. While those posts may have been to indicate her sweet nature, they also might have been intended as literal. Many people believe that people who die become angels in heaven.

What are angels? Are they advanced humans who have left this earth? If we are to believe scripture, that isn’t the case. Here in Psalms 8, it is clear that humans and angels are two separate species. It clearly differentiates between the two. It also references human beings’ mortality ("a little lower than the angels").

This issue of mortality is at the direct point of the difference between angels and humans. Angels live forever always in their original bodies, which humans are born into mortal bodies and will experience death prior to eternity.

Both species, humans and angels, were created with free will, but God chose not to redeem angels. Thus, the angels who rebelled became Satan’s dark forces and will, at the time of judgment, be cast in the Lake of fire (hell). Humans also rebelled (and continue to rebel). But God’s purpose for humans was totally different than angels.

The psalmist speaks to the purpose of angels:

"Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure." (Psalm 103:20-21 NKJV).

Angels have five purposes:

"These verses show God’s purpose for angels. Angels exist to serve God in five ways: (1) to ‘bless the Lord’ (in worship and service); (2) to ‘do His word’ (concerning activities on earth); (3) to heed the voice of God’s word (as it is spoken through the saints on earth); (4) to minister on God’s behalf (as described in Heb. 1:14); and (5) to do God’s pleasure (as His hosts are at His direction)." (Hayford’s Bible Handbook: Angels).

Some of these purposes are shared by the children of God (believers). But humans were created for a far higher purpose. Humans were created to become the Bride for God’s only Son. Thus, out of His great love and mercy, God chose to redeem the fallen humans (us), but will not redeem the angels. And although the salvation of the Church (which is made up of people) will also redeem creation, angels are not included in that process. The angels which rebelled against God are eternally damned.

We often speak of angels at the time of a person’s death, perhaps, to soften the reality of what death looks like and how it feels. The truth of death can be brutal. When someone dies who hasn’t been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, they are facing eternal damnation. This isn’t because God doesn’t love them, but because they have rejected God’s love. Their damnation is a consequence of their own choice. It’s heartbreaking to think about death in these terms. I have family who I know aren’t in heaven. Their fate is beyond gruesome, but sadly it is a fate they chose.

On the other hand, when someone dies who is redeemed, they leave this world to be immediately escorted by angels into the presence of their Savior. There they will wait until they are joined by the remainder of the Bride of Christ, at that time to live forever with Him in a paradise that we cannot begin to imagine.

Humans and angels are two different species with different possible eternal destinies. When someone dies, while it might be comforting to think that they are now angels in heaven, the truth is far more important. For God’s redeemed, death brings heaven and eternity with Him. For those who have rejected Him, there is hell, eternal hell. As believers, we should be comforted with the hope of heaven and invigorated into increased evangelism with the thought of hell for those around us. Rather than, at someone’s death, placating grief, perhaps it’s time for us to become empowered with the truth that will transform lives and save even one from the fiery pit that looms before them.

© 2015 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.

Another Saint Goes Home -- Psalm 116:15-17

Psalm 116:15-17


"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants. Truly I am your servant, Lord; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains. I will sacrifice a thank offering to You and call on the name of the Lord." (NIV)

My friend and sister-in-the-Lord, Dawn, died last night. She was diagnosed four months ago with a particularly virulent type of cancer and the disease advanced as predicted. As those who have lived this experience know, it was a roller coaster ride with times that we thought she might be miraculously healed and other times that we could see the course of the disease crashing in on her frail body.

Dawn reminds me of my own mom in some ways. She was thrust into the public limelight through the relationships with her mom and with her husband. Her mother is a well-known Christian country singer in Southern California and Dawn sang with her since being a young girl. When Dawn married, her husband became both a pastor and an evangelist to Native Americans. Their music ministry took them far and wide, including to Ireland and South Africa. But when I think of Dawn, I think most of a woman who was content to be with friends and family, particularly her newest granddaughter. She was a very humble person who never realized the extent of her talent nor the reaches of her love.

She will be missed.

For the past three weeks in our small church, I have stood in the place of our pastor. As he ministered to his wife, first in the hospital and then at home in hospice, I ministered to our little congregation. It has been one of the most difficult assignments God has given me. I knew, without a doubt, that each word I spoke might have vast ramifications for these dear people who were missing Dawn and wanting her back among them. As the family walked through the valley of the shadow of death, so did we from afar. As the Holy Spirit ministered to the family, giving them hope because of eternity, He also ministered to our little congregation. It has been a difficult time and now . . . she is gone.

She will be missed . . . but we will see her again.

Those of us who have put our hope and faith in the Lord Jesus will be reunited again with her in heaven for that is where she is. I can say that without a shadow of a doubt. I know that the Lord is true, that He exists, and that His promises in His Word are faithful. If I had ever had any doubts, I no longer have them. They have been washed away in the fires of grief, been made firm through the pain of loss, and been confirmed by the Lord Himself. It is definitely true that when we walk through the worst times of suffering, the Lord is especially close.

Two weeks ago, as I woke up, the Lord said to me, "Dawn will live." At first, I was overjoyed because I immediately took this to mean that God would miraculously heal her. And then the Lord spoke again. "No, Dawn will live." I knew then exactly what God was saying.

You see, as Christians, we live and then we live!

"For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life" (2 Corinthians 5:1-4 NIV)

We live here temporarily on earth only to finally live eternally in heaven. And it is in heaven that we truly are alive. Among colors that we can’t imagine, tastes beyond this world, and smells that are truly heavenly, we will live forever in a place where death can never touch us again. But more than that, we will live where we will see the Lord Jesus face to face! "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV).

Those of us who are older have learned that life passes more quickly than one can imagine. Only years ago I was a young mother. Now I am an old grandmother. Time goes by in the blink of an eye. And as I age, I become more and more aware that there has to be something more than this. "For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow?" (Ecclesiastes 6:12a NIV). This life rushes on. I thank the Lord that this is simply preparation for the eternity that lies ahead. I thank the Lord that He will give me a new body that won’t deteriorate as this one is. I thank the Lord that when death separates us from loved ones who are saved, it is no more than a "See you later."

My friend, Dawn, has died to this earth. But she is very much alive in heaven and rejoicing with the saints who have gone before. Most of all, she is being greeted by our Father. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." When we are done with all He has asked us to do here, we get to go Home where He is waiting with open arms to welcome us. He wants us Home with Him! What a reunion that is for Dawn right now and what a reunion it will be for all of us who love the Lord and are all called according to His purposes.

My friend, Dawn, has died, but she is living far greater than she ever has before! Thanks be to the Lord Jesus Who is the giver of life.
© 2015 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.

Doctrine -- 2 Timothy 2:15

2 Timothy 2:15

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (NKJV)

 

I love to go to school. That’s not why I became a teacher because being a teacher is very different from being a student. And I love being a student. I love to learn new things; I love to read about different things; I love to write papers. So recently I bought a book at one of the local dollar stores about statistics and research. I’m about a quarter a way through it and already I’m trying to figure out how to apply what I’m learning to the data I collect at school. I’m wondering why this book isn’t being used in all the universities to help prepare graduate students for the research they need to do.

 

I was musing this thought and continuing to focus on what the book was saying when I heard the Lord speak to me softly, "You do realize, Robin, that you won’t need anything this in heaven." And I began to laugh to myself. All of the kinds of analyzing that researchers do to try to prove this conclusion or that conclusion will be gone once we enter heaven. Why? Because in heaven the Truth is evident! There won’t be any need to prove this or that. The proof will be in the face of the Savior.

 

But then I realized that there are a lot of things we learn in this life that will be useless in heaven. Lots of facts and theories and even trivia that we fill our minds and lives with everyday won’t even exist once we get to heaven. No one will care if we can compare the original Star Trek with the new. No one will need to know whether or not democracy was a better political system than a monarchy. It will be useless to debate the conventional wisdom of organic versus non-organic foods. All the time we have spent accumulating and debating knowledge will be time uselessly spent.

 

So, as believers, what do we need to know? Where should our focus be? How can we most efficiently use our time and our lives?

 

Some might say we need to know how to support ourselves financially, how to make a living. And there is some support of that in scripture. But I think by jumping to that point, we have missed what God really wants to teach us. And I think that 2 Timothy 2:15 is a great starting place.

 

In 2 Timothy 2:15 we are told a number of things:

• Be diligent (the KJV says "study")

• Present ourselves to God as approved

• Be workers who are not ashamed

• Rightly divide the word of truth

 

Rightly divide the word of truth

This scripture is, I believe, best understood if we start at the back and work forward. So, what does it mean to "rightly divide the word of truth?" The phrase "word of truth" actually means "doctrine of truth."

 

Doctrine, I believe, has gotten a bad rap. There are so many Christians who say, "I don’t have (or believe) in doctrine. I just believe in the Bible." But the fact is, every believer has doctrine! There is no way around it. Every believer has a set of beliefs based on what they have read or learned from the Bible.

 

Doctrine (from Merriam Webster): a principle or position or the body of principles in a branch of knowledge or a system of belief

 

If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that is doctrine. If you believe that the Bible should be taken literally, that is doctrine. If you believe in the Trinity, that is doctrine. Whether or not it is articulated in a formal way, every believer has a set of doctrine that they believe. The problem is that very often our doctrine is faulty, based on limited study and a lot of opinion rather than being based on the diligence to rightly divide the word of truth. This is truth even of our pastors and teachers! The doctrine of many churches in America is badly-determined "truth" based on what they read in some book or heard at some conference rather than what they determined based on rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

So what does "rightly divide" mean? Vine’s says: "The meaning passed from the idea of cutting or ‘dividing,’ to the more general sense of ‘rightly dealing with a thing.’ What is intended here is not ‘dividing’ Scripture from Scripture, but teaching Scripture accurately." (Strong’s G3718). "Rightly dividing the word of truth" then means to teach Scripture accurately using the doctrine of truth! So how do we determine "the truth?"

 

One of the first problems that we have in America is that we use our opinions or our emotions to determine whether or not something is true. If it "feels" right, then it must be right. For Christianity, nothing could be further from the truth (no pun intended). True Christian belief actually stands in opposition to our emotions which are driven by our sinful nature. So if it feels right, it’s probably wrong! I can’t say that strongly enough. Christianity naturally goes against the grain. Being a Christian is a struggle, even a painful struggle, against the natural-ness of being a human being. As Christians, we were never meant to be happy; we were meant to be holy, set apart to God for His service and His purposes. So when we use our "gut feelings" to determine doctrine, we should always have a check in our spirit and stop to see what scripture really says.

 

One of the second problems in America is that we trust teachers who have proven themselves to be untrustworthy. I can remember a discussion I had with another believer who was convinced that what a certain Bible teacher said was absolutely right. When I confronted this person with the very unrighteous lifestyle of this Bible teacher, the believer said to me, "Well, what he says is right, so I just ignore what he does." Whoa! Really? The Lord Jesus Himself told us that the way we recognize false teachers was to look at their lives: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:15-16a NKJV). The word translated "fruits" here is karpos, the exact same Greek word used in Galatians 5 for the fruit of the Spirit. Vine’s says: "As the visible expressions of hidden lusts are the works of the flesh, so the invisible power of the Holy Spirit in those who are brought into living union with Christ produces ‘the fruit of the Spirit.’" Many believers have wrongly interpreted this verse to mean the "visible" fruit of a ministry (i.e. the number of followers), but that isn’t the case at all. The Lord Jesus knew that false teachers might have hundreds (or even thousands) of followers which could result in many visible signs of success: books, conferences, television shows, movies, etc. The fruit must be the sign of the Holy Spirit in a teacher’s life, those nine qualities which cannot be faked: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).

 

Why is this important? Because when we listen to false teachers, we learn false doctrine which affects our behavior and choices. We are no longer "rightly" dividing the word of truth because what we have learned has come from a false teacher. And false teachers must, by definition, teach falsely.

 

Be workers who are not ashamed

There is a great deal of talk these days about Christians in America being persecuted. And there are many sincere Christians who are being pressed into doing things that they say are against their beliefs. That is true! They are being expected to act against what they believe, but (and here is the thing) is what they are being asked to do actually against what the Bible says? Or have their beliefs been skewed by false teachers? Are they actually "workers who are ashamed" because they are failing to live as the Holy Spirit has directed us to live?

 

I recently read an op-ed on the Huffington Post by the Rev. Dr. Susan K. Smith called "Authentic Christianity a Myth." In her article, she stated:

 

"The Gospel is pretty much ignored by Christians, an anomaly because it is a truth that since Christians call themselves the same, they ought to embrace and follow Jesus' words. Christians recognize Jesus' birth and death, and celebrate the fact that Jesus ‘died for our sins,’ but they leave the heart of his message strangely alone. . . . It would seem that present-day Christians have reshaped and redefined Christianity to fit their own ideologies and social constructs.

 

"At the heart of the Christian doctrine is the mandate to love and to obey God. Obeying God comes to Christians through their obedience to the words of Jesus the Christ, who, as Christians profess, is ‘the word made flesh.’ Christian doctrine says that Jesus the Christ is God in the flesh, the incarnation of the spiritual reality called God.

 

"But it would seem that Christians have pushed Jesus' words aside. Instead of practicing love and forgiveness, too many Christians practice exclusivity and judgment -- in spite of what Jesus says to do. Instead of being a strong force for justice and mercy, the Christian community seems to be in tatters as it attempts to redefine Christianity into something that is comfortable and more easy to do." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-dr-susan-k-smith/

authentic-christianity-a-_b_8047886.html)

 

We are becoming "workers who are ashamed" because we are failing to "rightly divide the word of truth." We are becoming a Church that is angry, that is afraid, that is running for its life and hiding in the hills, rather than Christians who trust God so fully that they are willing to be right on the front lines, standing shoulder to shoulder with those in the world who are hurting and lonely and dying.

 

There are thousands of examples of how we are wrongly interpreting God’s word, but the best example is to look around and see how adversarial we have become with the very world for whom Christ died! Is this how Jesus would have acted? Is that how He did act? No! He befriended sinners and forgave even those who executed Him. He walked willingly to stand in front of His accusers and refused to defend Himself. Why? Because He loved them. But we’re not a very loving Church anymore. And we need to ask ourselves why. We have traded love for righteous indignation, believing that somehow God needs for us to defend Him. What He needs is for us to love the world as Christ loves the world and gave His life for it! We need to learn how to let go of all this that isn’t important in order to put our arms around those souls who are so important to God.

 

"When Jesus heard that, He said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’" (Matthew 9:12-13 NKJV).

 

We are called to extend mercy to the sinners around us. What does that mean? "Have mercy" is eleos (Strong’s G1656) and "it assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it." Do we have resources? Yes, because God will provide whatever we need in order to extend mercy. So what do the sinners around us need? They need love; they need caring; they need someone willing to listen, to invest in their lives without judgment. God will judge them, but He at this time loves them and wants them to be saved. But the only love He can show is through us! Are we truly loving them?

 

We need to love them in spite of their sinful lifestyles. Now, I know that hundreds (perhaps more) of Christians claim, "We love the sinner, but not the sin," but are our actions loving? Usually they are judgmental and condemning! Jesus ate with sinners. He spent His time listening to them (not judging them), walking with them (not condemning them), and then dying for them (not refusing to acknowledge them). What are we doing with sinners?

 

Present Ourselves to God as Approved

Dr. Smith quoted the Rev. C. T. Vivian, a central figure in the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s: "We tell God we are Christian whether He likes it or not!"

 

How do we "present ourselves" to God? We must first come humbly. What does that mean exactly? To be humble is pretty much the opposite of having self-esteem. To be humble is to recognize that God is absolutely and totally in control and in charge. He gets to decide everything! In the vernacular of the school where I work, it’s His playground and He gets to make all the rules. So when we present ourselves to God, we don’t come to Him, telling Him that He needs to approve of us. We come to Him confessing that we are sinners and confessing our sins. Only then will He forgive us and approve us. You see, the fact is, we mess up everyday in every way. There’s no getting around that! We have nothing to be proud of and nothing to commend ourselves.

 

So how can we present ourselves to God as approved? What is used in this verse is actually an idiom. It’s the picture of silver being put into a hot furnace to prove that it is actually pure silver. When we are presented to God as "approved," what happens is that we are able to withstand the situations of trials and tests.

 

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:6-9 NKJV).

 

We will be grieved by the trials, but we also need to understand that trials are there to test our faith. We are being purged of those things which are not pleasing to God, which don’t honor Him, so that we can truly be approved by God. In trials we are becoming most like Christ.

 

Or we are at least supposed to be. But are we? Are we learning from the trials? Are we submitting to His will? Are we learning to trust Him in the darkness? Or are we becoming angry, hardened, self-indulgent? Are we humbling submitting to His will, even when we have to go through pain and heartache? Or we fighting against Him and demanding our own way like little children? Trials should send us to our knees. When trials come, we should pray and pray and pray some more. Prayer isn’t the last thing we should do; it should be the first thing we do in every situation!

 

We also need to understand what trials are (and what they are not). Trials are not the consequences which we live out because of our sin. Trials don’t come as a result of what we have done (or haven’t done). Trials come because God wants to teach us how to be more like Christ. Unfortunately, often as Christians we bemoan circumstances as trials when the situation is simply because we have sinned!

 

Discovering the difference between these two (a trial and a consequence of our sin) may be greatest reason that we need to be able to rightly divide the word of truth, so that we can discern the consequences of our sin from the tests of our faith. (1 Peter is wonderful to learning how to do this.)

 

Be Diligent

Lastly we are to be diligent. The KJV says, "study," but the word has much more meaning. It is spoudazo (Strong’s G4704) and means to "exert oneself, give diligence, be zealous, to labor." It means to apply all of our soul, mind, and strength to the cause of becoming approved of God by rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

This isn’t something we do only on Sundays or only at Bible study. This should be the focus of the Christian life. Our lives should be permeated with the word of God, but not just reading it to get it to agree with us, but actually allowing it to cut into our very being so that we become more and more like Christ. As we study, we need to ask ourselves, "Am I becoming more loving, more joyful, more kind, more gentle, more self-controlled?" If we rightly divide the Word, the fruit of the Spirit—all of them—should become more and more prominent in our lives. We should become more effacing, more sacrificial, less demanding, less angry. We should become more ashamed of our sin, more grateful for God’s forgiveness, more conscious of the needs of others, more willing to live with less ourselves. We should become more trusting of God regardless of our circumstances and more willing to walk wherever He leads.

 

The Word should change us into the likeness of our Savior. We are not here to change the world; we are here to be changed by the Holy Spirit so that He can save the world! Salvation brings about a changed heart. A moral culture is useless. A saved heart is everything! Which do I want and where am I going? The answer to that depends on how I divide the Word of Truth. It all comes down to my doctrine, on how I divide God’s Word for my life.

 

© 2015 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.

When God Doesn't Answer our Prayers -- James 4:2b-3

James 4:2b-3


"You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (NIV)

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-11 NKJV).

If there is a conundrum within Christian beliefs, this one is probably the most obvious. The Lord Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, teaches that if you keep asking God, if you keep seeking, if you keep knocking, you will receive. And yet, there are sincere Christians of long-standing faith that pray, often over long periods of time, for something and they don’t receive it. And, for some, the result is that they begin to doubt God; they become angry that their petitions haven’t been answered. To them it seems that God has promised but not fulfilled His promise. Their world is turned upside down because they believe their faith has been in vain.

Wherein lies the problem? Does it lie with God or His Word? Does it lie with our faith? I believe that the problem lies in perspective. You see, God sees our lives (and the lives of all people) from a far different perspective than we do. We see from the temporary. He sees from the everlasting. We see from the circumstances of this earth. He sees from eternity. The views are totally different.

*There was a wonderful Christian family. The father and mother were both pastors and not only shepherded their church, but many other churches and many missions internationally. Among their own children was a young man who was passionate for the Lord. This young man spent many years preparing to become a medical missionary to Africa. He trained for twelve years to become a doctor and a surgeon, marrying a lovely young nurse in the process. During their training they also became parents. After this long preparation period, they left for Dakar, Africa and then eventually went to a remote region of Mali where there was no other medical care within a radius of 500 miles. They were in Africa for about two years when the young man was in a terrible accident, dying a few days later. The parents were devastated. So many years of training. So many donation dollars gathered to build the new medical clinic, for what?

For what? When news of this young doctor’s death was shared, so many young people dedicated themselves to the mission field in Africa (including a number of my own parents’ friends) that the total number of missionaries who went was lost in trying to keep the accounting. One man gone, but literally hundreds rose up in his place. One man who could help hundreds, perhaps thousands, was gone. But in his place went hundreds who would end up helping hundreds of thousands of needy people. This is the view from eternity. The view from the temporary said that this man’s death was the waste of years of training, thousands of dollars in donations. But God knew better! In His plan, this young man was taken to heaven to see the face of His Savior while a host of missionaries flooded the remote areas of Africa, building hospitals, churches, schools, and clinics for the waiting people there.

James tells us that when we ask, if we don’t receive, the reason we don’t receive is because we ask with wrong motives. The NKJV says that we ask "amiss," that is, to ask in a mistaken or faulty way. James explains that this "faulty way" is due to the influence of our own lusts, our own emotions. We ask what we ask because we want to please ourselves; we want to make ourselves happy. We aren’t asking for God’s will or His way. We look at our circumstances, make our own conclusions, and then present to God our solution to our current predicament. And, of course, that solution is formulated so that we will end up happy. When God refuses to be bent to our will, we call foul, claiming that He has faulted on His promises.

The question is, can God actually default on His promises? Is that even possible? For if He can, then our prayers are solid and He is at fault. But if He cannot default, then the problem lies within us, within our own motives when we pray.

Who is God? Who do we truly believe Him to be? When we pray, our expectation of outcome is based on whatever this premise is. If we believe God to be trustworthy, then we will trust Him, regardless of whether or not the outcome suits our preconceived ideas of what should happen.

In the book of Daniel, an account is given of three young men who trusted God in the manner we should also trust Him. Their names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They served in the king’s court in Babylon as slaves and advisors to the king. At one point, the king decided to build a huge statue of himself and required everyone in the kingdom to bow down and worship the statue. If a person refused, they were to be thrown into a fiery furnace and killed.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, believing in the one true God, refused. After they were tied up and being readied to be thrown into the furnace, the king questioned them about their refusal. This was their answer:

"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’" (Daniel 3:16-18 NIV).

Notice that while they believed that God was fully capable of saving them, even if He didn’t, they would continue to trust Him and to worship Him. They were fully content to live out their lives exactly as God had already planned whether in life or death, trusting that God’s will for their lives was perfect in every detail.

God’s view of our lives and His perfect will can often be far different from ours. The apostle Paul fully understood that Christians shouldn’t fear the future, even if death looms at the door. "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better." (Philippians 1:21-23 NKJV).

For the Christian, there should be two goals: To live this life in whatever ministry we are called to and then to go, as quickly as possible, to heaven to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. This life we live isn’t about what we can do to make ourselves happy but is instead about what we can do to minister to others. And even if, as in the case of the young doctor, we believe that our lives can be effective in ministry, God may have other plans because the view from eternity is far different than the view from this life. Out of the ashes of death, God is fully able to raise up even an greater ministry, even greater numbers of servants for the gospel.

The question becomes, do we trust Him? Do we truly trust Him? If we do, then nothing that comes our way is beyond His plan. If we truly trust Him, then every circumstance, regardless of the outcome on this earth, falls within the promise of Romans 8:28: "All things work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose."
*This story is recounted in Helen Correll’s book, Lady Preacher, copyright 1995 and printed by Rhymeo Ink, available on Amazon.

© 2015 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.

A Valid Christian Ministry -- 2 Corinthians 4:1-4

2 Corinthians 4:1-4


"Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (NRSV)

If you cruise the Internet at all, there seem to be a lot of articles and op-eds about millenials leaving the Church and finding "God" in other places. And actually, who can blame them? The American Church is a mess. It seems that almost every week some prominent Christian is exposed as being involved in sexual sin. And rather than take responsibility for what’s happening, Christians want to lay the responsibility at the feet of Satan.

We need to realize that while Satan is the tempter, he is powerless against the Holy Spirit who resides within us. Satan can tempt, but he cannot force us to sin. No, instead we have become a people, a Church, that hides our sin, hoping and longing that we won’t be found out, that we will be able to totally avoid any consequences for our lustful actions and decisions.

Paul outlines three things that give validity to his ministry. They are three things that we would be wise to incorporate into our lives if we want others to look at us and see reality in our walk with the Lord:

(1) We have renounced the shameful things that one hides.

(2) We refuse to practice cunning.

(3) We refuse to falsify God’s word.

We have renounced the shameful things that one hides.

Renounce: to give up and refuse to follow and to even acknowledge any further.

As Christians, we are no longer slaves to sin. We have the power, through the Holy Spirit, to choose instead lives of righteousness. We have our consciences quickened so that sin can be readily identified and rooted out. And yet, with all that, we may still embrace sin. When we do, it is usually hidden from others. We know it is sin. We know it should be condemned. So when we do it, we do it in the darkness, in those hidden moments when no one else of the family of God can find out.

Paul not only refused to choose sin, he renounced it! He refused to even consider it any further in his life. It wasn’t that Paul suddenly decided that he would be honest about his lusts and desires and would simply do them in the open. That’s not what this says. What it says is that those things, which are often done in secret, Paul renounces because he acknowledges that they are naturally shameful.

Paul’s life was lived transparently. It was open for all to see. There were no locked doors, no solitary habits, no secret computer accounts, no clandestine meetings. Paul states: "we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God." Paul is saying that anyone can look at his life and know that his life is sinless and pure.

Can we all say that? If a television crew were allowed in our homes at this very moment with access to every drawer, every computer file, every moment of our lives, would our Christian witness continue to be a light to the world? Or would we be exposed as hypocrites and liars?

The American Church is adept at easily brushing off its own sin, but brutally condemning the sin of nonbelievers. That is so opposite from what scripture says. First, we are to judge ourselves: "But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged." (1 Corinthians 11:31 NRSV). We are so worried about "loving" ourselves, we have forgotten that if we did truly love ourselves, we would be more concerned about the sin in our lives than granting ourselves permission to be kind to ourselves. I mean, really! If a little child is playing too close to the edge of a cliff, we are not concerned about encouraging their creativity and fun, but rather are snatching them from the edge so that they aren’t dashed to their death. But when it comes to our own indulgences, we are more concerned about loving ourselves than understanding that we need to be brutal with our own lusts which are leading us closer and closer to destruction. We need to learn to daily judge ourselves so that we might make better choices.

Second, we are to judge the family of God: "For what have I to do with judging those outside? Is it not those who are inside that you are to judge? God will judge those outside. Drive out the wicked person from among you." (1Corinthians 5:12-13 NRSV). We. Are. To. Judge. That sounds so awful because we have heard for so long that we should live and let live. And yet, by judging our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are truly loving them! So what is judgment and what isn’t judgment? "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted" (Galatians 6:1 NKJV). Judgment is understanding the seriousness of sin and doing whatever is necessary to restore that person to a true relationship with God. Judging isn’t gossip, criticism, or flaunting one’s own "righteousness."

Third, we are not to judge nonbelievers. "For what have I to do with judging those outside? Is it not those who are inside that you are to judge? God will judge those outside. Drive out the wicked person from among you." (1Corinthians 5:12-13 NRSV). We are responsible for the family. God is responsible for everyone else.

We need to focus on the sin within our midst and to purge it completely through teaching and restoration.


We refuse to practice cunning
Paul is saying that he refuses to market Christianity using anything other than the truth. Sometimes I think we have gone crazy with pithy names, catchy programming, and trying to look like other than what we are. I mean, I’m sure God doesn’t care if we have fancy stage lighting if we are also taking care of the poor and widows in our community. I’m sure God doesn’t care if we have amped up the music if we are dedicating our worship to listening to His quiet voice. I’m sure God doesn’t care if we dress in our most comfy (and not always clean) clothes if our focus is on bringing Him the glory (rather than satisfying our own comfort).

What is Christianity? And have we, in an attempt to make ourselves "relevant" actually morphed the Church into something other than the Bride of Christ? When I have time to surf Facebook, I am sometimes surprised to see "Christian" posters forwarded by people that I didn’t think were Christians! Is a poster how we share our faith? Or are our lives? When people look at me, is my life such that they say, "That’s what Jesus is like"? Or is my faith so hidden that they have no idea that I’m (supposedly) sold out to Him?

If our faith relies on gimmicks, then our faith is useless. Worse than that, it is absent! Our faith should be readily evident, and, with Paul, we should be able to say that "we refuse to practice cunning" in order to win souls to Christ.


We refuse to falsify God’s Word

Paul could say this with confidence because he had taken years to learn what God’s Word actually said. In fact, Paul was raised as a Pharisee and already knew the Old Testament inside and out. Then, after his conversion, in a period from 11-17 years, Paul was engaged in ministry only slightly, but rather spent his time restudying the Word of God and learning how the Old Testament told of Jesus over and over again. Paul could say, without hesitation, that he refused to falsify God’s Word because he knew what God’s Word said.

Can we say that? Do we study God’s Word? Do we choose good biblical teachers to listen to and then study the Word to confirm what they say? Or do we simply attend church (perhaps weekly or less) and feel that we have satisfied the Father with our "Sunday obligation" attendance?

Many, many Christians falsify God’s Word without knowing it because they listen to false teachers and don’t spend the time studying themselves. Others study, but twist scriptures to say what they want them to say in order to satisfy their own desires and lusts. If we are to truly be effective in our witness to the world, we need to be able to know that we aren’t falsifying God’s Word, both in our lives and in our speech.

Paul had a valid ministry because he held himself to a high standard of conduct, the kind of conduct that is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. If we want to have an effective, powerful ministry, we need to dedicate our lives to these same standards. Only then will the American Church become spiritually strong and have the possibility of an impact on our culture. Only then will we be the light on the hill. Only then will the world truly see Christ in our lives.

© 2015 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.