You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbors and hate your enemies, but I say to you love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.
How do I love my enemies?
#1 – Find good examples of sons and be like them. I asked a seminary professor about another former student and about his character and my professor said, “he’s a prince.” Find a prince. Find that person who exemplifies son-ship. Romans says, "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." Find someone like Stephen who said lay not this sin to their account. Find someone like David, standing over slumbering Saul saying how could I harm God’s anointed? Find someone like Joseph, looking at his brothers and saying, you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.
#2 - Think with heavenly perspective. David understood this when he wrote in the Psalms, “From Your presence let my vindication come! Let Your eyes behold the right!” God sees everything. He understands it perfectly. Let Him deal with it. You don’t have to figure out who to love and who to hate, you love everybody and let Him handle the justice part.
Proverbs says, Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
Romans 8:15, Acts 7:60, 1 Samuel 24:6, Genesis 50:20, Psalms 17:2, Proverbs 19:11
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Divorce
Divorce
You have heard that it was said, if anyone divorces his wife; let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you, that everybody who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Matthew 5:31-32
It was just yesterday that I heard the first stirrings of a possible divorce that is brewing in our church. One of the things that bother me most about divorce is our absolute unwillingness to fear God about it. Our feelings are more important than His holiness. Our happiness is more important than the beauty and glory and integrity of the gospel. And what about faith? We have faith that God will deliver us from devastating cancer. We’ve got faith that God will bring our loved ones to Himself for salvation. We have faith that God will reconcile any prodigal, but when it comes to our spouse, there’s just no hope. We believe the lie that “God won’t,” or even worse, “God can’t.”
In rare cases, divorce is allowed, but it is never commanded. In fact, Jesus Himself corrects the Pharisees (Matt. 19 – they say, why did Moses command, Jesus says Moses allowed). Consider Hosea, even in the case of an allowance, the Biblical standard is forgiveness and restoration.
For those who are remarried, please hear me say this: there is no condemnation for you. And regardless of what’s happened in your past, God can use your current marriage and that’s exactly what He wants to do.
For those contemplating divorce, decide first is it even warranted, biblically? Then, I think you must decide what you believe about God’s ability and willingness to change people. Not what you believe about that person, but what you believe about God.
For a case of abuse, while I would never recommend a wife keeping herself or her children in that situation, divorce is not biblically allowed. Don’t hesitate to call the police. If the man is a Christian, turn him over to the Church for discipline. Removing yourself and your children from the home is not the same as dissolving the marriage and in so doing giving up hope.
You have heard that it was said, if anyone divorces his wife; let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you, that everybody who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Matthew 5:31-32
It was just yesterday that I heard the first stirrings of a possible divorce that is brewing in our church. One of the things that bother me most about divorce is our absolute unwillingness to fear God about it. Our feelings are more important than His holiness. Our happiness is more important than the beauty and glory and integrity of the gospel. And what about faith? We have faith that God will deliver us from devastating cancer. We’ve got faith that God will bring our loved ones to Himself for salvation. We have faith that God will reconcile any prodigal, but when it comes to our spouse, there’s just no hope. We believe the lie that “God won’t,” or even worse, “God can’t.”
In rare cases, divorce is allowed, but it is never commanded. In fact, Jesus Himself corrects the Pharisees (Matt. 19 – they say, why did Moses command, Jesus says Moses allowed). Consider Hosea, even in the case of an allowance, the Biblical standard is forgiveness and restoration.
For those who are remarried, please hear me say this: there is no condemnation for you. And regardless of what’s happened in your past, God can use your current marriage and that’s exactly what He wants to do.
For those contemplating divorce, decide first is it even warranted, biblically? Then, I think you must decide what you believe about God’s ability and willingness to change people. Not what you believe about that person, but what you believe about God.
For a case of abuse, while I would never recommend a wife keeping herself or her children in that situation, divorce is not biblically allowed. Don’t hesitate to call the police. If the man is a Christian, turn him over to the Church for discipline. Removing yourself and your children from the home is not the same as dissolving the marriage and in so doing giving up hope.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Awareness of Sin, Astonished by Grace
27“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. – Matthew 5:27-30
If a person must be aware of their spiritual bankruptcy as the first step into the Kingdom of Heaven, then Jesus’ teaching here should point any person to that. He says, ok, so you’re not murdering. Ever hate someone? Ever insult someone? Survey says, “XXXXX!” Oh, so you don’t commit adultery? Ever look at a woman with lustful intent? You’re guilty. Any time you try to commend your righteousness to Jesus, He looks at your heart and sees exactly who you are.
I had a somewhat embarrassing episode which culminated this week. I appeared at the Fincastle Courthouse regarding a speeding ticket. I was not paying close enough attention to my speedometer, and got nailed. This is not my habit, but make no mistake, I was absolutely guilty. The officer who wrote my ticket, (interestingly a former Rainbow member), suggested I appear in court and with a clear driving record in Virginia, I would might get some leniency. I watched several other drivers try to defend themselves, and the judge was courteous and merciful, yet at the same time wise and unimpressed. When my turn came, the judge asked me about my driving record in Georgia. (I’d gotten a ticket, but it had been dismissed.) I fumbled for an answer. As I tried to sound like a perfect driver caught red handed in his first ever mistake behind the wheel, the judge assumed correctly that the defendant was less than perfect. He was kind enough to reduce my ticket and the sting of writing the check should keep me at a safer speed from now on. I learned my lesson, and was reminded of a spiritual one.
And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack…”
You see, just like the kind judge in Fincastle knew that there were no perfect drivers in his courtroom on Monday, Jesus looks right through the façades we put up and makes us aware of our spiritual poverty, and then to be astonished by His grace.
God, who is more holy than we can imagine, with love more extravagant than we can measure, redeemed people like you and me, who are more sinful than we will ever admit. - Ed Stetzer
If a person must be aware of their spiritual bankruptcy as the first step into the Kingdom of Heaven, then Jesus’ teaching here should point any person to that. He says, ok, so you’re not murdering. Ever hate someone? Ever insult someone? Survey says, “XXXXX!” Oh, so you don’t commit adultery? Ever look at a woman with lustful intent? You’re guilty. Any time you try to commend your righteousness to Jesus, He looks at your heart and sees exactly who you are.
I had a somewhat embarrassing episode which culminated this week. I appeared at the Fincastle Courthouse regarding a speeding ticket. I was not paying close enough attention to my speedometer, and got nailed. This is not my habit, but make no mistake, I was absolutely guilty. The officer who wrote my ticket, (interestingly a former Rainbow member), suggested I appear in court and with a clear driving record in Virginia, I would might get some leniency. I watched several other drivers try to defend themselves, and the judge was courteous and merciful, yet at the same time wise and unimpressed. When my turn came, the judge asked me about my driving record in Georgia. (I’d gotten a ticket, but it had been dismissed.) I fumbled for an answer. As I tried to sound like a perfect driver caught red handed in his first ever mistake behind the wheel, the judge assumed correctly that the defendant was less than perfect. He was kind enough to reduce my ticket and the sting of writing the check should keep me at a safer speed from now on. I learned my lesson, and was reminded of a spiritual one.
And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack…”
You see, just like the kind judge in Fincastle knew that there were no perfect drivers in his courtroom on Monday, Jesus looks right through the façades we put up and makes us aware of our spiritual poverty, and then to be astonished by His grace.
God, who is more holy than we can imagine, with love more extravagant than we can measure, redeemed people like you and me, who are more sinful than we will ever admit. - Ed Stetzer
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