How does God view us with all our sin? Does He give up on us, does He release us from those efforts of grace we extends to others?? Does He say, "You've done enough ...it's not your responsibility, just don't bother with them??"
How is it again, that the priest and the Levite passed on the other side? After all, he was just harmed. But, who did stop?? Yes, a Samaritan. I can easily visualize this, but it was a surprise to them at the time.
Was it a surprise because few would think one of your own kind of people wouldn't help ...no, I think the surprise is how we sometimes have to admit it is our bias, and our fault, not so much theirs.
"Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." Yes, this is the advice of Jesus. There many contrary ways of the world ...and many influences, some as cunning as serpents. In the story I mentioned above, there was the fact that there were robbers who did beat the man and strip him of everything he had. When we seek to help others, and we should, it would benefit us to also keep us out of possible danger.
How do we first discern the proper things the proper way, so we can avoid and resist that which we should?? We have to be wise as they are ...yet, we need to also realize that those who are often involved in questionable things are influenced by that which they are not always aware of. So, yes, we need to be wise ...but, not harsh with our criticism. We need to be harmless as doves ...compassionate and understanding, sincere with our motivation.
We should not be so defensive about what we believe others believe. Remember, it is supposed to be the joy we share, not a bitter defense. Yes, we need to be clear in standing for what we believe in ...but, more importantly we need to clearly communicate that which we know to be true, not what we believe to be true.
In the mission field, if someone appears ready to accept Jesus as their Savior ...we get excited, and we expect aspects of their life to begin to improve. Yet, we are prepared for the likelihood that it may take some time, and there may be set-backs.
But, if we communicate with someone we believe is a Christian ...our instrument gauge begins registering 'warning' signals to our brains if we hear one thing we don't personally believe in. And we begin playing the game of opposites ...which is often as effective as a skunk's spray is in keeping people at bay. We accuse them of being intolerant ...because we can't tolerate their views. We view where we are at in our lives, and have little patience for those who express different views. And we begin to isolate the very ones that we would otherwise admit we are trying to reach out to.
Remember, God is ...Love.
So, in looking through this new lens of what we consider peace, tolerance, and acceptance of everyone ...our problems have now all gone away, right?
Or is there still a problem??
"You just won't let things be ...will you?" Yes, I've been told this. And it could also be said that we should let sleeping dogs lie ...but, I'd be telling you a lie if I told you that things are as easy as some people make them out to be. Yes, I also know that some people make things more difficult than they should be.
Okay, let's give those some people a rest here. We also know that letting sleeping dogs lie ...may mean we are trying to sneak past the dog. And in that case we are trying to make trouble, we are trying to avoid trouble ...or we are waking the dog up to the fact that we are trouble.
But, back to the original title statement of whether it is clear where we are at, and the confidence we have concerning where we are going. We say we believe in Jesus ...and that's where we are at. Well, it's good we can agree on that ...as I'd like you to have the best available future, and I hope you'd feel the same about me. Yet, beyond that point, you may not have confidence in where I am going ...not in the sense of going to heaven, but where am I going with this conversation.
I believe that our salvation is through Jesus ...and it isn't lessened by how early we get up in the morning, whether we read the Bible before having coffee, while having coffee, or even a couple hours after coffee ...when we settle down enough from the coffee to be able to sit down to read. And there are many Bible believing churches we can attend that teach that Jesus is the Son of God, who died for our sins. It doesn't make sense to me to think my salvation is somehow affected by whether I believe Paul was an actual apostle or not (but, by the way, I do believe Paul was an apostle ...as an apostle is one who is sent out by Jesus, and the fact that he was blinded and then led, is a good enough indication of this to me). And I also think there are many other criteria that we create of our own standards ...as if we have to add to the list of necessary growth requirements.
No, salvation is salvation ...through Jesus.
So, am I saying everything else is unimportant??
Not quite!
There is clearly salvation for us ...yet, it may not be so clear to others.
What I'm saying, is the same as I said to our children ...that aside from all the other stuff in our lives, there are two primary purposes for us:
- To learn of who God is, and that Jesus is God's Son.
- To share that with others, so they will have equal opportunity to know Him.
I've already addressed the first issue. Now, I'm going to address the second issue ...of our witness to others of the truth.
Though other things may not affect our salvation, some of those things may affect the path to salvation of others. To be believers ...naturally, it makes sense that we'd have to believe.
To me, the saddest statement in the Bible is, "I never knew you." Of course, Jesus knows all of us, so how do we look at this without saying it is something other than what it is?? Well, with Jesus, knowing is a two-way process ...so if we don't know Him, then it is not knowing. I could go on with this point, but I will not.
Though ...at this point, I will ask how we get to that point. Well, in the Book of Revelation, it is written, as it is said, unto the various churches, by the Alpha and Omega ..."I know ...nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee," and "I know ...but I have a few things against thee," and "I know ...notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee," "I know ...as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."
We often seem to grasp a hold of that last part, as if we can manage it ...like we have a business sign, "Official Repentance! Enter Here." Yes, repentance is a vital part of our salvation. Repenting means to change our mindset ...and that is crucial to our growth, yet we should not be caught up in that which is the last mentioned in a list of abominations, "one who sows discord among believers".
So, again ...applying to the second point, it is with spreading the truth with love. And that being said, in telling the truth, we have to point out the truth, not a menagerie of emotions and opinions. If we discount an item, we look at lessening its value by dropping its price. If we do not acknowledge the price that Jesus paid for our sins ...we are lessening His value in our lives.
And we often also discount truths, viewing them as not as worthy of our consideration ...in professing doubt or claims of lack of credibility. If we don't believe the Bible as the Word of God, a bibliography of who He is, for us to read ...then by what criteria do we claim to know Him??
And if we pick and choose what we believe is worthy to believe, how can we believe any, if we choose not to believe the whole. It is either the truth, or it is not. And if we are not confident that it is, then how can we then display that confidence to others ...so that they can have the confidence to believe??
And if we do not have the confidence of belief, we generally don't share it (though the tendency of this appears to be reversing itself, but mostly only with those who believe untrue things ...confidently). Yet, those of us who should have the confidence to share, seem to get lazy, despondent, or discouraged. These are not encouraging traits to proclaim, yet I pray our case is not one we've entered into as a result of our familiarity with the realm of apathy.
We should glorify God, telling others of the correctness of who He is. We are not to give testimony to the lessening of this. We must understand that if we do lessen it ...there is less of the truth for others to grasp onto, and more of everything else which just breeds confusion into our lives. We would want everyone to have every opportunity to accept Jesus.
So, I am so happy for your salvation, yet I am also reading of God's heart ...that none would perish.
Let's not be a part of the confusion. If we are given a brush, we may eagerly participate with sincere and enthusiastic intentions. We may think we are cleaning everything up with a fresh new coat of white paint ...but, unknowingly we may be helping to whitewash it. It may seem like the quickest and easiest way ...and it looks good, but perhaps it would be better to do some sanding first to smooth out rough spots, then consider applying a sealer.
(Chapter 1, Ephesians: In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.)
To me, the saddest statement in the Bible is, "I never knew you." Of course, Jesus knows all of us, so how do we look at this without saying it is something other than what it is?? Well, with Jesus, knowing is a two-way process ...so if we don't know Him, then it is not knowing. I could go on with this point, but I will not.
Though ...at this point, I will ask how we get to that point. Well, in the Book of Revelation, it is written, as it is said, unto the various churches, by the Alpha and Omega ..."I know ...nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee," and "I know ...but I have a few things against thee," and "I know ...notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee," "I know ...as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."
We often seem to grasp a hold of that last part, as if we can manage it ...like we have a business sign, "Official Repentance! Enter Here." Yes, repentance is a vital part of our salvation. Repenting means to change our mindset ...and that is crucial to our growth, yet we should not be caught up in that which is the last mentioned in a list of abominations, "one who sows discord among believers".
So, again ...applying to the second point, it is with spreading the truth with love. And that being said, in telling the truth, we have to point out the truth, not a menagerie of emotions and opinions. If we discount an item, we look at lessening its value by dropping its price. If we do not acknowledge the price that Jesus paid for our sins ...we are lessening His value in our lives.
And we often also discount truths, viewing them as not as worthy of our consideration ...in professing doubt or claims of lack of credibility. If we don't believe the Bible as the Word of God, a bibliography of who He is, for us to read ...then by what criteria do we claim to know Him??
And if we pick and choose what we believe is worthy to believe, how can we believe any, if we choose not to believe the whole. It is either the truth, or it is not. And if we are not confident that it is, then how can we then display that confidence to others ...so that they can have the confidence to believe??
And if we do not have the confidence of belief, we generally don't share it (though the tendency of this appears to be reversing itself, but mostly only with those who believe untrue things ...confidently). Yet, those of us who should have the confidence to share, seem to get lazy, despondent, or discouraged. These are not encouraging traits to proclaim, yet I pray our case is not one we've entered into as a result of our familiarity with the realm of apathy.
We should glorify God, telling others of the correctness of who He is. We are not to give testimony to the lessening of this. We must understand that if we do lessen it ...there is less of the truth for others to grasp onto, and more of everything else which just breeds confusion into our lives. We would want everyone to have every opportunity to accept Jesus.
So, I am so happy for your salvation, yet I am also reading of God's heart ...that none would perish.
Let's not be a part of the confusion. If we are given a brush, we may eagerly participate with sincere and enthusiastic intentions. We may think we are cleaning everything up with a fresh new coat of white paint ...but, unknowingly we may be helping to whitewash it. It may seem like the quickest and easiest way ...and it looks good, but perhaps it would be better to do some sanding first to smooth out rough spots, then consider applying a sealer.
(Chapter 1, Ephesians: In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.)
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