Doctrines of the Faith: The Spirit and the Unbeliever

We’ve considered the work of the Holy Spirit in creation and in the believer, but how does the Holy Spirit work with the unbeliever? The Spirit has one chief responsibility regarding the unregenerate person: conviction. Jesus said, “When [the Spirit of God] comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8-9). The word “convict” means to refute something or someone with a suggestion of shame. And that is the heart of the matter. Shame has become the enemy. But sin is shameful. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin by calling it what it is: something to be ashamed of.

Perhaps now you see the problem. Our culture has made sin something to be proud of, something to celebrate, and something to hold up as the highest goal for humanity. Those who are caught up in sinful lifestyles are told there is nothing to be ashamed of. Any message from the church that even hints at the shame of sin is shot down. Honestly, I would expect that from a world that is under the devil’s control (1 Jn 5:19).

Unfortunately, the church is falling right in step. Many churches are doing away with the conviction of sin. There is no shame. And that is to humanity’s detriment. Paul explained it like this: “Where there is no law there is no transgression” (Rom 4:15). When the church refuses to preach and teach the truth about sin, the world reasons that there is no such thing. Thus, they feel no shame for their actions. Shame is not a weapon, it is an arrow that points sinners to the cross.

One other way the Holy Spirit convicts of sin is through Christians. No, not bashing people over the head with the Bible or pointing self-righteous fingers in their faces. Christians convict unbelievers of sin by living holy lives. The truth is, a faithful Christian doesn’t have to say a word to bring about the Spirit’s conviction. The contrast between light and dark is obvious. Paul said, “God did not call us to be impure, but to live holy lives” (1 Thess 4:7). Lives that stand out. Why do you think the world hates true believers? Why do you think satan is working so hard to make the church look like the world?

The question is, are you and I helping the Spirit’s cause or hurting it? Beloved, what does your life say?

Identity

“Who am I?” “What is my identity?” Identity is the big push in our culture. But that’s nothing new. In the sixties wives and mothers were walking away from their families to “discover myself.” As psychology took a firm grip in the seventies, “knowing ourselves” became the cultural cry. I’m not sure we ever discovered anything worthwhile, we just turned all of our attention inward and brooded.
But identity is not entirely a bad thing. I believe it is important to understand who we are. Identity that recognizes one’s gifts and talents can encourage a lifelong goal. I was advised years ago by a wise friend to consider myself a writer and it spurred me to take writing seriously. We encourage Joy to think of herself as a dancer, a worship leader, or a preacher as she shows interest in all of those things. Yesterday she was a circus performer doing tricks on her trapeze. She is at that fun stage of self-discovery.
But identity has also become sorely twisted by the world as many allow sexuality or fantasy to shape who they are. Men choose to identify as women and women choose to identify as men – or as neither. High school students are identifying as animals. “This is who I am! You must accept me and accommodate me in my identity!” Worst of all, laws are being enacted demanding that the rest of us go along with their delusions.
The church is no exception. “Who I am in Christ” is a major theme in religious circles. It permeates popular Christian music and studies. It is big business for producers of kitschy Christian wall art, coffee cups, and t-shirts. Mind you, it’s not a bad thing for us to recognize that we are loved, saved, redeemed, chosen, blood-bought children of God. It really does give us Joy and hope and peace. As long as we remember why we are who we are.
I am loved because “God is love” (1 Jn 4:16). I am saved because the name of Jesus has power to save (Acts 4:12). I am redeemed because God is merciful (Rom 9:16). I am chosen because the Lord is gracious (Eph 1:11). I am a child of God because He claimed me as His own (1 Jn 3:1). I know who I am in Christ because my identity is Him. Don’t look within to find your identity. Look to the One who claimed you and saved you and made you His own. That, Beloved, is who you are.

If the Truth Offends . . .

According to Scripture, my job as a Bible teacher is to make you mad. My brothers will tell you I’ve been practicing for this my whole life. The writer of Hebrews said, “Let us spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (10:24). The word “spur” means “to incite, irritate, or provoke” and it comes from a root word that suggests a sharp disagreement. “But wait a minute,” you say, “I thought we were supposed to always get along and be at peace with one another.” We are. But sometimes peace requires confrontation. The church suffers greatly because we are not willing to confront uncomfortable issues like what a Christian should look like. The writer pointed to two specific things: Love and good deeds.
Jesus said that love would be the distinguishing mark of His followers (John 13:35), and His Apostle John went a step further (on someone’s toes) and said if you don’t love fellow believers in Christ, that’s a good indication that you are not in Christ (1 John 2:9-11). Love is non-negotiable for the Christian.
We are also called to do good deeds. Paul said that we are saved by grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). But James said that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Who’s right here? Both. Salvation comes by faith in the grace of God and is evidenced by good works. No, you don’t have to go to Calcutta and join Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity to prove that you are a Christian. Simple acts of love, kindness, gentleness, and compassion are good fruit in the believer’s life. Hate, harshness, rudeness, and indifference are evidence that one is not a Christ-follower. If there’s no good fruit there is no root in Christ.
Love and good deeds are the identifying marks of the Christian. If they are absent, then Christ is not present. If that makes you mad then take it up with God – He’s the one who said it first, not me. Also, you might need to re-examine your relationship with Him.
The writer of wisdom said, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Prov 27:17). Sharpening iron involves rubbing it with an abrasive stone to grind the edge. Sometimes we need kind words and other times we need a gritty whetstone. I’m called to give you both, Beloved. I love you too much to not tell you the whole truth – in love – even if it makes you mad.

Spiritual Weakness

I am getting to the age where body parts hurt. I’ve been dealing with knee pain for over a year and my hip has decided to join the party. Now my wrist started hurting and typing these words this morning is painful. But I am a a mom and a nana so I refuse to let a few aches slow me down. I will pop a couple of ibuprofen and push through the pain. Pain I can handle. What I didn’t count on was weakness.
The reason my knee hurts is because of arthritis that has worn away the cartilage in my knee joint – the stuff that allows the knee to move freely. Without it, my knee locks up and stops me in my tracks. Carpel tunnel syndrome is affecting my wrist, elbow, and shoulder and those joints don’t function as they should. And now the pain is overpowering the meds. But I’m not trying to give you a rundown of my health issues. There is a point – a spiritual application – to all this.
Yesterday I came across a verse that is still bumping around in my head: “You may be sure your sin will find you out” (Num 32:23). Moses was warning some of the Israelites that if they failed to keep their word, their sin would not go unnoticed. Sin will always catch up with us and I have found that one way it tells on us is with weakness. Sin causes us to become spiritually weak, no matter how well we think we conceal it.
David said, “For when I kept silent [about his sin], my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer” (Ps 32:3-4). Sin saps our strength because it comes between us and God. Isaiah said, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear” (Is 59:2). It is not that God turns His back on His disobedient child, but he turns His face – His favor – from us.
But David knew the answer. “I acknowledged my sin to you . . . and you forgave the guilt of my sin: (Ps 32:5). God turned His face back to David and restored his strength. Beloved, has sin drained you? Run to God in confession and repentance. He will receive and restore you. Remember, “The Joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh 8:10).

Acts: What the World Doesn’t Want to Hear

Do you know why the world is filled with such hatred toward Christians? Because we are a constant reminder of their unrighteousness. I know how judgmental that sounds, and believe me, that’s not my intent. But it is the truth. And let’s be honest, some “Christians” leave a very bitter taste in people’s mouths – but I am talking about Christians who talk the talk and walk the walk as they follow in Jesus’ footprints. People like Paul. Please take a minute to read Acts 24:24-27. Remember that Paul is in custody in Caesarea, awaiting trial for accusations brought by his fellow Jews. Because of an encounter with Jesus, Paul’s life had radically changed and he devoted himself to preaching the gospel – and living it out.
Felix, who would decide his fate, found Paul’s testimony intriguing. One day he brought his wife, who was also a Jew, to hear the man speak. His topic, “righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come” stirred fear in Felix’s heart. Wonder why? Probably because his wife, Drusilla, who was a strikingly beautiful woman had, at the age of fourteen, been married to Azizus, the king of a small, insignificant Syrian state. She was unhappy in her marriage, and Felix, who was captured by her beauty, wooed her away from her husband and married her when she was sixteen. Scholars contend that she was the likely source of Felix’s information about “the Way,” and probably requested the private meeting with Paul. Little did she or Felix know what was to come.
Was Paul pointing his finger at their sin? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, Felix was afraid and quickly dismissed Paul. Therein lies the animosity towards Christians. Paul broached the subject of righteousness, self-control, and judgment – all things a ruler who stole another man’s wife – and a sinful world – would rather not confront. Christians who speak about righteousness shine a blinding light on sin. And we don’t even have to say a word. Believers who live righteously are offensive to the world because their lives stand in sharp contrast to the darkness and wickedness of their own.
Did you notice Felix’s response to Paul’s words? “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” Those who are lost in sin only want God when it is convenient for them. If it ever is.
Don’t let the world squelch your message of righteousness – whether spoken or lived out. Beloved, shine your light.

Fruit Inspector

If Christianity isn’t about behavior, why does our behavior matter so much? Paul said, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious . . .” (Gal 5:19), and he listed several: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. But he also included some we might not expect, like hatred, discord, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, and factions (vs. 19-21). What does that mean?
If you claim to be a Christian, but you indulge in porn, someone will likely question your claim. If you profess to be a Christian, but profanity spews out of your mouth, others are going to doubt you. If you tell your friends that you’re a Christian, but you’re always stirring up arguments, they are going to find it hard to believe you. If you can sing the old hymns or the latest Christian songs, but you lie and deceive, your songs also lie. If you are in church on Sunday morning and are yelling at everyone in your house by Sunday evening, your family will wonder why you bother to go to church at all. If money is your passion and you step on others to climb the ladder, your actions – not your claims – tell the truth about you.
But the converse is also true. If you claim to be a Christian and you are kind and patient with your elderly, grouchy neighbor, your neighbor will tend to believe you. If you say you are a Christian and you strive for peace, your co-workers are more apt to agree. If you go to church on Sunday morning and are still full of joy on Thursday, if moral goodness marks your life, if you’re gentle in word and action, if you bring peace instead of strife wherever you go, if you are loving and faithful to your spouse – your family members will trust you and they will trust what you say about this Jesus you claim to follow.
Paul said our actions reveal our true nature. You either confirm or refute your testimony by how you live. The proof – the fruit as he said in v. 22 – reveals the true condition of your soul. Mind you, I am not judging anyone – that’s not my place. But Jesus said we should be fruit inspectors. And yes, I see some bad apples in my own life. No, this is not about behavior modification, this is about your eternal destiny because Paul also said that “those who live like this [the first paragraph] will not inherit the kingdom of God” (v. 21). Check your fruit. What is true about your life Beloved? What is true about your soul?

Turn it Up!

I was driving the other day with Joy in the back seat when she asked me a question. I turned the radio down so that I could hear her and kept it low as we talked about what was on her mind. After we discussed her burning issue, she got quiet again – I’m sure she was pondering her Nana’s great wisdom. The radio was still low; I could barely hear the song that was playing. I tried singing along but something was off. I was in the wrong key. I knew the words, but I was not in tune with the music. Once I turned the radio up again, I immediately corrected myself and even Joy started listening to the song. She said, “I like that song, Nana, you sing pretty.” I don’t have to tell you that my heart sang louder than my voice.

It made me think of the words of Scripture. Over and over and over again the Bible says, “Hear the word of the Lord.” It is repeated so often I can’t list all the references. God sent prophets to His people to tell them how to live in right relationship with Him, but they tuned them out. “They refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen . . .” (Zech 7:11-12). They even demanded silence: “You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, and stop preaching against the house of Isaac” (Amos 7:16). This would be the culture today.

But there’s another danger that I think affects Christians the most. We tend to turn down the voice of the Lord so that we can hear the voice of the world. We hear the culture loud and clear, but the truth is almost undetectable. Then we try to sing God’s song without clearly receiving His tune. We’re off key and nothing sounds right. And those around us notice.

Jesus came to deliver the Word of the Lord in person. Jesus IS the Word of the Lord (John 1:1, 14), and He is still speaking. The question is, are we listening? Whose voice is louder in your ear? Beloved, if you want to get in tune with God, you must turn down the world and turn up the Word.

Why God Can Never Coexist

Warning: get your steel-toed boots on this morning. I’m dipping in and out of Jeremiah this morning. Jeremiah was called by God to prophesy to the Southern kingdom of Judah before and during the Babylonian captivity. He was not popular among the Jewish hierarchy because he spoke against their greed and idolatry, proclaiming the coming judgment of the Lord.

Why would God bring such hardship upon His chosen people? “Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in the house, which bears my Name, and say, ‘We are safe’ – safe to do all these detestable things? ‘I have been watching!’ declares the Lord.” (Jer 7:9-11).

The people – God’s people – thought they could commit all these sinful things and worship pagan gods and still run to the Lord for His protection and provision. They believed God was there only to serve them whenever they called for Him. They refused to obey Him but they expected Him to accommodate them. Is it any wonder that He sent the Babylonians to deliver His judgment?

I hope you can see the correlation to the church today. We have taken the Lord God for granted. We have made Him an accessory to our lives – a convenience when we need Him and a Deity-on-a-shelf when we don’t want Him to disturb us. We expect Him to come to our rescue in a catastrophe and fade back into the background when the crisis abates (see 9/11). We have welcomed all sorts of evil and wickedness into the Body in the name of “inclusion” – which means we have excluded Him.

Consider God’s words in the verse above. What might He say to the church today? It ought to throw us to our knees. One thing is for certain – He is still watching. He sees the parades of sin and celebrations of evil in His house. He sees the way we dishonor and discredit Him in our daily lives. He hears us give lip-service to His Word and live as if we have never read it.

I realize this has not been a warm and fuzzy devotional, but it is a word that God has burned into my heart. Make no mistake: God cannot and will never coexist with any other religion or god. He stands alone as the One True God. All others are pretenders to His throne – not the one in heaven, but the one in your heart. Beloved, won’t you give Him His rightful place?

Prepare for Battle

When God prepares a people for a great move on His part, He always calls them to repentance – confessing and turning away from sin – and consecration – setting oneself apart exclusively for the Lord. Before the exodus out of Egypt, the people were to cleanse their houses and anoint their doorframes with the blood of a Lamb. By this, they were set apart from the Egyptians who would suffer the wrath of God (Exodus 12). Just before they crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land, the Israelites were commanded to consecrate themselves “for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Joshua 3:5). Often David ordered his men to consecrate themselves the day before a great battle.

All four gospels note the message of John the Baptist who called the nation of Israel to “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him” (Mark 1:3). Before a king came to visit one of his cities, the call would go out to level the roads on his path. John was also calling for “straight paths” before the coming King, but again, it was a call to repentance and consecration.

What do all these ancient practices have to do with you and me?

For many years, Christians have pleaded with God for a great move of His Spirit in the United States. We want God to “do amazing things among us.” We want Him to remove the influence of evil in our nation. We want Him to return our country to her Judeo-Christian heritage. Yet America is more sinful and brazen than ever before. What are we missing, Church?

Maybe we need to ask ourselves some questions. Are we – God’s people hearing the call to prepare the way for the King? Are we heeding the call for repentance? We love to claim 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Are we humbling ourselves? Are we praying? Are we seeking His face? Have we turned from our wicked ways? Notice the Lord isn’t speaking to the world – He is speaking to His people. He is calling His Church to repentance and consecration.

I believe a great battle is coming in this nation. The sounds of war are loud and clear.  Beloved, will you repent and set yourself apart exclusively for Christ?

The People of God

I found something today in Numbers 9 this morning that is burning a hole in my soul. Please verses 1-8 and hang with me through a brief history lesson. The Lord called for the Passover celebration – their first as free people after four hundred years of slavery in Egypt. The first Passover was the day they were rescued from bondage and made their dramatic escape.

He had a list of requirements for anyone observing this sacred day. There was a specific menu they were to eat and restrictions as to who could celebrate: only native-born Israelites, and only those who were ceremonially clean- who were “pure” in a formal, religious sense. This was crucial because eating the Passover meal in an unworthy manner would bring about their death. God was serious about it.

But “some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean” (v. 6). So they went to Moses to plead their case. “We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the Lord’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?” (v. 7).

Now consider the recent state of the church. God’s Word is clear about certain things. That life is precious, that homosexuality is a sin, that marriage is sacred, that children are to be protected, among many other matters. But men wanted their way so they appealed to other men who disregarded God’s Word and wrote their own rules that deny the Scriptures and the Holy One. So people sit comfortably in the pews who march for the “right” to murder unborn babies and approve of sexual sin in every variety, who dishonor the marriage bed, and parade men dressed as women before their children as “normal.” And God is appalled.  

Look back at Numbers 9. When the unclean people came to Moses, he did not say, “Well, I don’t see a problem here. Sure you can come to the party!” He said, “Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you” (v. 8). Moses took the matter to the Lord, and the remainder of the passage shows that God made a way for them to celebrate – after they were restored to cleanliness.

Church, it is time to find out what God commands. And then submit our lives to it. We must stop listening to people who “do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (Mk 8:33). It is time to be the pure and holy people of the Lord.