practical faith

Let’s Get Practical.

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Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:9-21 ESV

As Paul did in his letter to the believers in Corinth, he follows a discussion on the spiritual gifts with an emphasis on love. Chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians contains one of Paul’s most detailed treatments regarding the spiritual gifts, which he follows up with chapter 13, his incredible exposition on love. And in our verses for today, Paul stresses the need for genuine love within the body of Christ, when utilizing our Spirit-given gifts or in our daily interactions with one another. This is the point in his letter where Paul gets painfully practical, illustrating the characteristics of true Christ-likeness. Christianity is not to be some esoteric or academic pursuit, practiced in privacy and lived out in seclusion. It is to be relational and practical. The grace that God has shown us is to be shown to others. We are to love as we have been loved, to forgive as we have been forgiven. And our love is to be without hypocrisy. The Greek word Paul used is anypokritos and, as you can see, it is very similar to our word, “hypocrisy.” In the Greek world, a hypocrite was a literal play-actor, someone pretending to be something he wasn’t. It usually required wearing a mask or disguise. Paul tells his readers that their love is to be without hypocrisy. There is to be no play-acting or pretending. Our love is to be genuine and heart-felt, and it is to be practical. And Paul gives us a long list of examples of what that kind of love looks like for the believer.

Interestingly enough, in speaking of love, Paul tells us we are to hate what is evil or wicked. Notice that Paul does not tell us to hate the wicked, although we are to despise the impact of wickedness on the lives around us. Our animosity is not to be directed toward people per se, but against evil itself and its devastating effect on their lives. If our love is to be without hypocrisy, we must know the difference between what is truly good and what is evil. We must learn to see things the way God sees them. At its core, wickedness is anything that stands opposed to God and His will. That’s why, in the book of Proverbs, we read “There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests:” and then we are given the list – “haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family” (Proverbs 6:16-19 NLT). Notice that these are all relational issues. They end up having a negative impact on others. And in Paul’s list, he provides a counterpoint to these very things. We are to love one another like brothers. We are to outdo one another in showing honor, instead of demanding it for ourselves. We are to be zealous and enthusiastic in serving the Lord by loving, honoring and serving others. Our lives are to be marked by hope that translates into patience even in the midst of tribulation. We are to pray, give, and show hospitality to one another.

And here is where it gets really interesting. Paul tells us to bless those who persecute us. This should sound familiar, because Paul is simply expanding on the words of Jesus Himself. In His great Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told His audience, “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way” (Matthew 5:11-12 NLT). Jesus would go on to say…

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” – Matthew 5:43-48 NLT

Paul goes on to promote a lifestyle marked by empathy, harmony, the pursuit of peace, a trust in God and a willingness to suffer for the sake of our faith. These things are not easy. They are certainly not the ways of the world in which we live. But they are the characteristics of Christ. They are contradictory to the self-centered focus that marks fallen man. God has placed His Spirit within us so that the love and life of Christ may become evident through us. Our faith in Christ is to be evident to those around us, both believers and non-believers, by the way we live our lives in front of them. Faith is to have fruit. Which is why James wrote, “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions?” (James 2:14 NLT). Fruitless faith is no faith at all. God saved us in order to transform us into the likeness of His Son. We are to exhibit His character and model His behavior. Not through our own self-effort, but through the power of God’s indwelling Spirit. Salvation isn’t just our ticket to heaven, but the key to our sanctification, our ongoing holiness, in this lifetime.

Isaiah 7-8, 1 Peter 3

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Misplaced Allegiance.

Isaiah 7-8, 1 Peter 3

If you will not believe, you surely shall not last. – Isaiah 7:9 NASB

Ahaz, the king of Judah, faced a predicament. The kings of Syria and Israel had made an alliance and were threatening to attack Jerusalem. The news was not received well in Judah. “When the house of David was told, ‘Syria is in league with Ephraim,’ the heart of Ahaz and the heart of the people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind” (Isaiah 7:2 ESV). But God sent word to Ahaz through Isaiah, the prophet. “Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let you heart be faint…” (Isaiah 7:4 ESV). It seems that Ahaz’s real problem was not the threat of attack from Syria and Israel, but the danger of failing to trust God. Faced with eminent defeat at the hands of his enemies, Ahaz was encouraged to put his trust in His God. Isaiah warned him to place his hope in Yahweh alone. But it seems from the text that Ahaz had already come up with a plan of his own. He had probably made overtures to the Assyrians, turning to them as his real source of hope and help. But failing to trust God would prove to be far more risky than the mere presence of enemy armies outside the walls of Jerusalem. God said, “If you will not believe, you surely shall not last” (Isaiah 7:9 NASB). God even offered to give Ahaz a sign as proof of His word. But when Ahaz turned down the offer, God provided a sign anyway. By refusing to trust God, Ahaz and the people of Judah would miss out on His divine intervention. God indicted the people of Judah for their lack of trust. “My care for the people of Judah is like the gently flowing waters of Shiloah, but they have rejected it. They are rejoicing over what will happen to King Rezin and King Pekah. Therefore, the Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood from the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria and all his glory. This flood will overflow all its channels and sweep into Judah until it is chin deep. It will spread its wings, submerging your land from one end to the other, O Immanuel” (Isaiah 8:6-8 NLT). Failure to trust God would have devastating consequences.

What does this passage reveal about God?

God wanted to spare Judah. He wanted to rescue them from their enemies. But they were going to have to trust Him and allow Him to do it according to His plan and in His own timing. They could not afford to let their fears get the best of them and force them to take matters into their own hands. The presence of trouble in their lives should not have led to abandonment of their God. Instead, it should have driven them to a greater dependence upon Him. Amazingly, when they had the living God at their disposal, they would soon find themselves consulting the dead – using mediums and necromancers as a means to gain insight into their predicament. Loss of faith in God almost always leads to desperation and results in desperate measures. But God was there all along. He was ready to redeem and rescue. He was poised to act on their behalf. But it would require that they “Listen, calm down. Don’t be afraid. And don’t panic…” (Isaiah 7:4 MSG). Big problems require that we have a big perspective of God. Overwhelming odds can only be overcome when we understand the power of our God.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Turning to something or someone other than God is almost a sport for most of us. We do it so easily and so often, that it has become second nature. Most of the time, we don’t even know when we’re doing it. Our tendency to panic in the face of difficulties has trained us to look elsewhere and seek alternative options for our rescue. Tim Keller calls them “counterfeit gods.” Anything or anyone we place our hope in or seek help from becomes a cheap replacement for the one true God. One of the greatest threats to our lives as believers is that we would stop trusting in God. We face that temptation every day of our lives. And we face it in practical, real life ways. Peter knew how difficult it was for the believers in his day to live out their faith in daily life. He knew that they faced trials, troubles, temptation and tests on a regular basis. And he knew that they would be tempted to turn away from God and seek help and hope elsewhere. That’s why he encouraged wives to conduct their lives in such a way that even their unbelieving husbands “may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives” (1 Peter 3:1 ESV). It would have been easy for a believing woman who found herself married to an unbelieving man to rationalize and justify behavior that Peter would have deemed ungodly. It would have been tempting for her to question whether she had to honor her husband at all because of his unbelief. But in a way, Peter warns these women to trust God. Rather than come up with their own solution to their problem, they were to trust God by living godly lives. He told them to “do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. In the same way, husbands were to show their wives honor, whether they deserved it or not. They were to live with them in an understanding and respectful way at all times. To fail to do so would result in a hindered prayer life. There would be times when a man would find it extremely difficult to honor his wife. He would find it easy to rationalize doing just the opposite. But he was to trust God and do things His way. 

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

It all boils down to behavior. It is our actions that reveal just how much we truly trust God. That’s why Peter calls on his readers to “have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing” (1 Peter 3:8-9 ESV). Ahaz was encouraged to trust God – in spite of everything he saw happening around him. You and I are encouraged to trust God and live out our lives in such a way that our actions prove that we believe His way is the right way – whether it makes sense at the moment or not. Our trust in God must manifest itself in actions that prove we believe what He has promised. We must take Him at His word and live according to His standards, not our own. Peter reminds us, “but even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubles, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy…” (1 Peter 3:14-15 ESV). God did not promise Ahaz an immediate removal of his enemies. He simply said, “It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass…” (Isaiah 7:7 ESV). Ahaz was going to have to trust God for not only His deliverance, but for His timing. Sometimes the immediacy of our problems cause us to falter and faint. We grow desperate. We become doubtful. Then we start making plans of our own. But Isaiah’s words are a great reminder for all of us. “I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him” (Isaiah 8:17 ESV). 

Father, I want to learn to wait on You and hope in You. It is amazing how many times I turn to something other than You for help and hope. Please forgive me for my lack of trust. Help me to understand that the problems I face are simply opportunities to put my faith into action. I want to learn to listen, calm down, be unafraid, and not panic. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Proverbs 6

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Practical Piety.

“When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you.For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life..” – Proverbs 6:22-23 NLT

The life of godliness or Christlikeness was never meant to be impossible or impractical. It is impossible only if we attempt to live it in our own strength or on our own terms. It is impractical is we fail to apply its lessons to our daily lives. We can become so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good. Righteousness is highly practical. It is to be visible to those around us. It is to impact every area of our lives, changing the way we live, altering the way we think, and influencing our decisions. Righteous living is wise living. It is living according to God’s standards, and God is a highly practical God. Solomon took what he knew about God and applied it to everyday life. He warned his son against the dangers of co-signing on a loan for a friend. He is really warning against presumption, taking a risk based on a hope that all will turn out well. We don’t know the future. Only God does. So why risk the well-being of your family by putting your finances at risk. This could be applied to all kinds of investments, get-rich-quick schemes, business ventures, etc. And Solomon knows that pride plays a huge factor in so many of our decisions, so he warns, “Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do!” (Proverbs 6:3-4 NLT). Fear of man keeps us from living according to God’s terms. We make decisions out of pride and out of a fear of being rejected, judged, ridiculed, or thought less of by others.

Solomon also warns against laziness or the lack of discipline in our lives. Righteous people are hard-working, diligent people. They are good stewards of their time, talents and resources, including the hours given to them in each and every day by God. So they don’t waste and squander them. Laziness seems so innocent at first. What harm could there be in a few extra hours of sleep? But the life of laziness leads no where good. The godly are diligent, hard-working, and faithful to perform their daily responsibilities well.

Solomon goes on to give his son (and us) seven things the Lord hates. Once again, these are highly practical, everyday life things. He warns against pride, lying, murder, the intent to do harm and the desire to do wrong, false witnesses, and trouble making. Every one of these is a real life issue that each of us struggles with at some level. Even murder, or killing of the innocent, is something each of us is capable of. Solomon’s point seems to be that we need to know what God hates and learn to hate those things as well. We need to avoid them like the plague. We need to listen to wise counsel, from parents, peers, friends, and from the Word of God. Piety that is not practical is useless. It becomes hypocrisy. Our beliefs must impact our behavior. Our righteousness must result in right living. The way we live should reflect the God in whom we believe.

Father, You have called us to live different lives. We have been set apart and given a different agenda for our lives. We are Your children and are to reflect Your character to the world around us. Help us make our religion real and our beliefs practical. Don’t allow us to make them purely academic. Your Son died so that we might have life and life more abundantly. May our relationship with You radically alter the way we live on this earth. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org