Walk In Love

The Bible calls us to “walk in love” by following the example of the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 5:2).  Walking in love is not about doing what feels good to me, but about doing what is best for the other person. In the face of danger, loving action may even seem harsh in the moment, such as when I remind my children to look both ways at intersections to avoid getting hit by a car while riding their bikes. 

Many would like us to believe that the only way to love an individual is to allow them to do whatever makes them happy for the moment, but God would have us understand that there are actions that are “unfruitful works of darkness” (Ephesians 5:11).  There are actions that feel good for the moment (like riding a bicycle at high speed through an intersection), but in the end they lead to only to pain and destruction (like being hit by a car).  The Bible calls these destructive actions “sin” because they violate God’s holy law for how we as people were designed to live. Therefore, we find true love, life, and fulfillment by “finding out what is acceptable to God” (Ephesians 5:10) and avoid the things that are unacceptable to God.  This passage in Ephesians lists some actions that are unacceptable to God, such as, fornication (i.e. all sexual sin outside the bounds of Holy Matrimony between a man and woman), covetousness (greed for money and possessions), and mouths that cannot be controlled.

But wait! Isn’t listing sins judgmental and unloving?!  Certainly it is if we put ourselves in the position of the Judge – God himself. There is, however, a solemn responsible for us to loving warn others about the consequences of their self-destruction actions. We are not the judges, but God is the judge, and he will both judge and punish sin (Ephesians 5:6).

Part of loving others must include warning them of sin and its painful consequences.  Loving others means showing the way of safety and salvation. In the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the only remedy for sin and he is the only one who can reconcile us with God and bring us into eternal life, joy, and peace.

So yes, as people who believe in the Bible, we will continue “walk in love” warning people of sin and sharing the wonderful good news about the Lord Jesus.

What Did Jesus Do? (How do we respond to bullies?)

Recently in a discussion regarding bullying the question was asked, “What would Jesus do?”  Yes, it is good to know what Jesus would do in response to various things in life we face, but in this situation we don’t have to ask the question WWJD, but rather WDJD (What Did Jesus Do?).  Jesus gave us a pattern to follow when it comes to responding to those who do us wrong.

 It was prophesied over 400 years ahead of time.

Isaiah 53:5–7 (NKJV) ⁵But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. ⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. ⁷He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

Then it was confirmed by eye witness account under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 2:21–24 (NKJV) ²¹For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ²²“Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; ²³who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

If we answer the question, “How does God want us to respond?”  Peter tells us in

1 Peter 3:8–12 (NKJV) ⁸Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; ⁹not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. ¹¹Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. ¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

This is pretty amazing considering this is the guy Jesus had to tell to put away his sword.  (cf. Mt. 26:52)  His life and outlook had totally changed once he saw the risen Christ and was indwelled by the Holy Spirit!

The Story of a Train

Recently, while walking through town, I saw Bill and some other young men walking on what I thought were train tracks.  I said to Him, “Bill, if you keep walking on there you will get hit by a train.”    Later Tom, the father of one of the boys said to me, “There is no such thing as a train.  Why do you bother the boys with such ridiculous ideas?”  Another Father , Sam, said, “I don’t know if there are trains or not I’ve never seen one so I think it would be loving if you just let the boys alone and let them decide if they think there is a train or not.  Then you can have your beliefs about trains and Tom can have his belief about trains and we can just love each other and get along.” 

Well, I had never seen a train before either, but I had heard from others that had seen one, some who had even ridden on one, and one that was nearly run over by one.  I heard others talk of some who were less fortunate and they were destroyed by a train.  I had also seen houses from Sears that I was told were delivered by the train.  I had seen piles of coal that came off of a train, as well as piles of sand and grain.  So my faith that there were trains was not a blind faith rather it was a faith built upon observations and testimony!  Because I so strongly believe that there are trains I have to encourage Bill and his friends to stay off the tracks.  If I am wrong I will have “bothered” them and cost them a few extra steps.  Yet, if Tom and Sam continue with their attitude and influence and they are wrong there is a good possibility that Bill and/or his friends will be run down by a train.

In a similar way my faith in God is not a blind faith, therefore I have to be faithful to share my belief with others that they too might avoid His just punishment of sin…

God's response to the repentant going back!

In the book of Nahum God reveals how He responds to a country that once turned from its sin (read Jonah) only to go back to it again.  where does this put the USA? once a nation that had a majority who feared God but now don't give him the time of day.

Competent to Counsel

In Romans 15:14 Paul commended the Romans by saying, “Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. (NKJV)”  The final thing mentioned here is the Romans’ being “able to admonish” or some might translate it “competent to counsel.”   The word “admonish” comes from the Greek word “noutheteo” and carries the idea of warning, encouraging, or advising.  It is a comprehensive word for counseling and involves believers coming alongside other believers for spiritual and moral counseling.  This is not a gift or a job of just the clergy but it was the members of the Roman church that were being commended for this and it is the responsibility of every believer.

This is what John MacArthur has to say regarding this subject,

“Tragically, many Christians today have been convinced that competent counseling can only be accomplished by a person who is trained in the principles of secular psychology—despite the fact that the various schools of psychology are, for the most part, at extreme odds with God’s Word and frequently with each other. Although they may profess that “all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16), many evangelicals—both those who give and those who receive counseling—do not rely on the full sufficiency of God’s Word.

There is no such thing as a psychological problem. All personal problems are either spiritual or physical. Anyone who suggests that so-called psychological problems can exist apart from or between those two realms of human existence does not understand either the nature of man and the power of sin or the nature and power of God’s Word and Spirit.^[1]

With him, I whole-heartedly agree.  In modern psychology individuals are often given a title that they are then stuck with for life.  If one searches the scriptures for these behaviors rather than finding a sickness that I will be stuck with for the rest of my life we find “sin”.  Though taking on the title of a sinner is not pleasant it is not permanent in that Jesus Christ paid the price for sin and for all those who recognize their sin and trust in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to pay the atonement for their sin there is victory.

God gives us two tools to help in this, first the Holy Spirit who indwells all who put their faith in Christ and the Scriptures.  Hebrews 4:12-13 “The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  In “Nouthetic” counseling we apply Scripture to problems and challenge people to be honest about their sin so that they confess it and forsake it.  This is when one is freed from the bondage of sin and is able to live the life that God intends them to live.

One who is given a title by a psychologist may be helped to get by in life to the point that they do not cause difficulty in their family or in their neighborhood.  In other words they are helped to “survive”.   But Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly.”  He doesn’t want us just to survive, He wants us to THRIVE!

If you are tired of just surviving, a constant struggle with your own life or with your children and you desire to have a life that is thriving let one of us sit down with you and show you the freedom that you can have in Christ Jesus.  For more information see: www.fbclittletonil.org

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^[1] John F. MacArthur, Jr., Romans, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1991).