"Christian Walk"

CHRISTIAN WALK

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise” Eph. 5:15

As the title suggests, we’re speaking to Christians (those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ to save their never-dying soul). So, if you have not yet put your trust in Jesus Christ, please pause and consider the great, eternal salvation that is available to you at this very moment. The transaction is simple: there is no cost and the benefits are eternal. We would that all who read this article are assured of their eternal salvation before they finish reading.

So what is meant by “Christian Walk” or more broadly “our Walk”? Simply put, it is our manner of life, how we conduct ourselves or why we do what we do. As we live our lives, we are observed by many people (family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.). And it is important to remember this observation is not limited to folks on earth but extends to include Heavenly beings, even God. Our walk, though individual to each of us, is on display to many observers.

First, let’s consider our Walk as viewed by non-Christians. In I Thessalonians 4:12 we are encouraged to “walk honestly toward them that are without”. Does our manner of life demonstrate a character that would cause other to ask why we act the way we do? Do we have significant mood swings or are we overly pessimistic or optimistic? Are we honest and truthful or is there an element of deceit in our conversation?  If we want to be a good testimony for our LORD, then our Walk needs to be characterized by qualities that demonstrate His merits.

Second, how is our Walk viewed by other Christians? Do we look for occasions to help others or is there an element of selfishness in our actions? We all want others to think well of us, but how we conduct ourselves cannot be based solely on how we want to be observed. If we remember who sees our actions and also knows what is in our hearts, then our Walk should be directed by what we read in Hebrews 10:24 “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.”

And finally, we need a consistent guide to help us focus on the goal before us.  And how gracious of God that He gives us such a guide in the person of the Holy Spirit. The charge to each of us is highlighted in Galatians 5:16, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of flesh.” So as we are tempted, we need to yield to the prompting of Holy Spirit to walk wisely. And by walking in the spirit, we will fulfil the direction noted in Ephesians 5:15 “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise”.

Do I walk to satisfy myself?

What’s my motive, please?

Are my emotions kept on the shelf,

Hid so other can’t seize.

I do not dare to boast aloud,

As I daily live my life.

But my nature’s to be very proud,

And this emotion brings much strife.

How better would my outlook be,

Had I a pattern in view.

Are there steps to follow, let’s see,

I’ll give the Spirit of God his due.

I now can Walk and others aid,

Along my life-long way.

Remembering Jesus, the full price paid,

To lead me to Heavenly day.

Author: Jim Johnston

Contend for the Faith - Part II

Contend for the Faith - Part II

Author ~ John Spence

“Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints”  Jude v.3

Church Message

Something quite noticeable to me, and also quite disturbing, is the evident lack in most preaching today of a focus upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning death upon the Cross, “Christ died for our sins”, 1 Corinthians 15:3. I checked out the messages of a mega church here in Southern California for the past 6 months and there was not one on the work of Christ upon the Cross, the power of his Blood, and his atoning work to forgive and to save.  The apostle Paul said, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world”. Galatians 6:14.  The motivation to accept Jesus into your life is often presented as a desirable addition to your life’s portfolio rather than confessing your sins to God, repenting, and receiving Jesus as personal Lord and Savior.

Church Life

The local church is a microcosm of the Church as a whole.  It is a gathering of believers who function together in worship, in teaching one another, in growing toward maturity in Christ, in fellowshipping together in love, in developing and using the local gifts Christ has given to it and which also reaches out to a lost world with the gospel.  “You are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit”.  Eph. 2:19-22. The Church is God’s current representative in the world.  It is separate from the evil of the world but also should have a large heart to all true believers whom they should consider “fellow citizens with the saints”.

Church Structure

The Bible teaches that the church is the body of Christ and that He is the head of the church.  “He (Christ) is also head of the body, the church.”  Colossians 2:18. As believers we are all members of that body.  “Now there are many members, but one body”. 1 Corinthians 12:20. We do not ‘join’ the Body of Christ; we are born into it by the Spirit of God taking residence in us. There is no need to be a member of anything else. The apostle Paul taught that the Church was not to structure itself after the organizational hierarchies of men.  Each member has a role to play and a function to perform. “ From whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love”.Eph.4:16. The pattern given us by God is that Jesus is the Head in Lordship over his Body (us) and ALL the members of that Body in subjection to one another. God’s people have no reason to join and submit to any of the organizations and denominations of man. We can congregate and function as the Body of Christ without belonging to a religious organization.

Church Leadership

The biblical pattern of oversight and guidance in the Body of Christ is clearly a multiplicity of elders. Basically it is the older sheep looking out for the younger sheep. The apostle Peter wrote, “I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God”.1 Peter 5:1,2. The concept of a ‘Pastor’ sitting as ‘head’ of a church is not biblical. You will not find any example of this in the New Testament. Actually the word “pastor” is only found once in the entire KJV version of the NT. It simply means “shepherd”’

The ‘pastor-rule’ model historically came from a misplaced ‘clergy over lay people’ concept.     It stems from the human tendency of men to rule over people they believe are under them. It is not the chosen way of God. The biblical pattern of multiple elders in submission to each other (and also to the entire church) provides a safety of accountability, as well as a more balanced expression of ministry and authority.  A pastor who thinks he is the ‘head’ of a church and that the flock is ‘his flock’ is far from the pattern of the Word, and has usurped the headship of Christ. 

Church Worship

The manner of worship, and methods for creating it in most churches bear absolutely no resemblance to the pattern of worship we see in the Bible. The worship is often performed in front of the congregation by a so called “worship team”.  The congregation is hardly a participant in it. The emphasis is often on what man will get out of what is called worship rather than upon what God will get from it. Both believers and unbelievers are often encouraged to participate in this time of worship.  True worship is when God's people worship Him in Spirit and in truth, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."  John 4:24.
An unbeliever cannot be a true worshiper for he is not indwelt by the Holy Spirit and he does not accept, nor does he have the truth of God within his heart and mind.  Jesus said, "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."  Matthew 12:30

This is a broader biblical definition of worship in the church, “When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation..” 1 Cor. 14:26   “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God” Colossians 3:16. It is obvious from these two passages that individuals from within the congregation are participating in worshipping the Lord and not just observing it.  Worship is the music of the heart and not the music of a band performing in front of the congregation. It is not loud music and raised hands and words flashing on a screen.  It is believers reverently with open hymnbooks opening their hearts and lips to God the Father and Jesus Christ in praise and thanksgiving. When we come to worship, we should be concerned the most at directing our worship toward God? After all, God is the one who is seeking our worship.

Church Future

The Bible describes the Church as the bride of Christ.  “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word; that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless”. Eph. 5:25-27 Notice the use of feminine pronouns in describing the Church

The Church has a wonderful future.  It is to be with Christ in heaven.  In order to be with Christ in heaven the Church will be removed from the earth at the Rapture.  Christ will come to remove his bride, the Church, from the earth before the Tribulation.  The coming of the Lord Jesus for His Church is presented in the New Testament as an imminent hope and expectancy. That the coming of Christ is "imminent” simply means that our Lord may come at any time. Nothing needs to happen before He comes. No prophecy needs to be fulfilled before He comes.   Then there will be a wedding in heaven as described in Revelation 19:7, “ Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”

Many in what are called “Reformed Churches” do not teach the heavenly hope for the Church.  They believe the role of the Church is to convert the world and get it ready for Jesus to come back to earth to set up His kingdom.  The Bible teaches that God’s judgment during the 7 year tribulation is what will prepare the world for Christ’s kingdom and not the Church.  The Lord Jesus who loves his Church as a husband loves his wife will remove his bride from the world before these judgments begin. 

Are you ready to go?

Contend for the Faith - Part I

Contend for the Faith - Part I

Author John Spence

“Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints”  Jude v.3

The main point of the book of Jude is that there is a faith that was once delivered to believers and that it is worth fighting for.  “The faith” is not a reference to a Christian’s personal faith in Jesus Christ whom we have trusted for our salvation but is a description of the truths we believe about the One in whom we have trusted.  It was “once for all delivered to the saints”. This was a delivery that was completed by the transmission of truths from Jesus Christ to the apostles and prophets when the Church was founded in the New Testament. 

This faith was then passed down from the apostles. It was not thought up by the church. It was revealed by God to his apostles and their close associates and then taught to the churches as the "whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). “The faith” is constantly under attack from outside the church and also from within the church.  Jude is emphasizing that every believer should contend for it.

“Contend” is a word from which we get our English word “agonize”.  It is a word that really means to strive or go all out or give it your best.  You can think of a track man who is finishing a long distance run striving to cross the finish line. Or you can think of a wrestler who is trying his hardest to defeat his opponent.

My high school did not have a track team.  When I was a senior, the coaches decided we should start a track program.  We did not have a track at our school so we had no place to train.  So the coaches decided we should just go compete in track meets anyway.  I was not quite fast enough to run the 100-yd dash so I was put in the 440-yd run.  The 440-yd run is once around the track, going as fast as you can go. I remember gasping for air as I finished the last 50 yards of the race.  My problem was I was not prepared to run in this event because I had not trained.  It is also true that we cannot “Contend earnestly for the faith” if we have not trained for it.

A Personal Relationship with Jesus

It is important to stress that Christianity is primarily a relationship with Jesus rather than affirming a set of facts or ideas from the Bible. The reason this is vital is because no one is saved by believing a set of facts or concepts from the Bible. Unless a person has a living trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, all the teachings of the church will not get him into heaven.  I had an office mate for many years who was a brilliant engineer and professed to be a Christian. He had grown up in a mainline church and had attended “confirmation” classes from the 6th to the 9th grade. Confirmation is a curriculum of teachings of a church from which the student is taught. By completing the course in the 9th grade my roommate was “confirmed” to be a Christian and was subsequently baptized.  But in my many discussions with my partner and professional mentor, Gary, I realized he was not saved and did not have a personal relationship with Christ.  Thankfully, this changed later on, but that is another story. 

But, if our stress on the personal relationship with Jesus leads us to minimize the set of truths essential to Christianity, we make a serious mistake.

Doctrinal Truth

Doctrine is the teaching of the principles of truth that are defined in the Bible. There are truths about God and Christ and man and the church and the world and history and prophecy which are essential to the life of Christianity. If they are lost or distorted, the result will not be merely wrong ideas, but misplaced trust. Our inner life of faith is not independent from the doctrines of the faith. When doctrine goes bad, so do hearts. There is a body of doctrine which must be preserved and defended.  The compromising mindset in many churches today is that “doctrine” divides; therefore, let’s coalesce around the things that we have in common.  As a result many of the truths of the Bible are diluted and end up being discarded.

Contending for the faith is a very broad subject.  The purpose of this article is to concentrate on the purpose, distinctive, and structure of the Church.

Church Purpose

The church is described in1 Timothy 3:15 as “the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth”.  The apostle Paul is not referring to “the church” as the source of truth or the creator of truth.  He is describing it as the repository or storehouse for God’s truth. He is not saying either that the Church is the infallible source for interpreting spiritual truth. 

This verse refers to “the truth” which is a reference to Scripture.  It is the concept of sola scriptura; Paul is assigning authority to the written Word. He does not say, “The church will tell you what this letter means. Paul is not saying that the leaders in a church have the sole responsibility to interpret the Scriptures and explain what they mean. Individual believers also have the responsibility to study and understand the Scriptures as well.

Paul refers to the church as stewards of the truth, not the source of it. “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” 1 Corinthians 4:1 Elsewhere, Paul explicitly says there is only one “true” foundation for our faith, which is Christ. “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” 1Corinthians 4:11

Church Distinctive

The Church is a distinct body of believers which was not present on earth during the Old Testament period and which was not the subject of Old Testament prophecy. The apostle Paul was given role of revealing this truth, “Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit ..His body, which is the church”.. the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,  to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” Col. 1:25-27 

Israel and the Church are distinct in the Bible.  The Church has not replaced Israel in God’s prophetic program.  National Israel still has a future even though they rejected their Messiah.  God made literal promises for the future of Israel in the Old Testament.  These promises include land and prosperity during the future Millennial Kingdom.  In order for these promises to be fulfilled, a believing remnant in Israel (representing in God’s view, true Israel) will need to repent and recognize Jesus as their true Messiah.

It is so important in studying the Bible to keep this distinction in mind.  We can apply individual spiritual experiences, moral truths, and figurative types of Christ to our time.  However, there are verses in the Old Testament that apply strictly to Israel as such.  For example, in Psalm 109 David calls on God to destroy his enemies (the enemies of Israel) and rightly so, “Let there be none to extend loving kindness to him.. let their name be blotted out”.  Compare that to the New Testament in Romans 13:20,21, ““But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” What is the difference? In the NT God is saving people out of the nations.  In the OT God established Israel as a nation where his truth was to be honored and practiced.  Those who opposed this were to be destroyed.  During the Tribulation the nation of Israel will be reinstituted. Those who oppose this national revival will be judged and destroyed conforming to the appeal of David in Psalm109. So in reading your Bible keep in mind what applies strictly to Israel, or what applies strictly to the Church, or what applies to both.

Part II continued August.

REPENTANCE

The Key to Salvation & Victorious Living

  7 STEPS OF REAL REPENTANCE - THAT WE FIND IN THE SCRIPTURES

The Bible teaches that faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ cannot save a person unless it is also accompanied by repentance.

• “God now commands all men everywhere to repent” Acts 17:30

• “Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’" Mark 1:1-

• After salvation, repentance still plays a vital role in a believer’s life because, until we are perfected in heaven because we will continue to struggle with problem of sin.

• “godly sorrow works repentance not to be repented of…2 Cor. 7:8-11a

STEP # 1: Admit to yourself that you have sinned  “I have sinned” 2 Samuel 12:13

STEP # 2: Confess to God Himself that you have sinned. “Against You (God), You only, have I sinned” Psalm 51:1-4

STEP # 3: Confess to God that you were born with a bad root of sin inside of you.

“Behold I was brought forth in iniquity andin sin did my mother conceive me.” Psalm 51:5

See also Romans 7:18-19 and Romans 7:23-25

STEP # 4: Turn away from the specific sin that you have committed, and also, away from any other sin that the Holy Spirit identifies in your life.

“Behold You desire truth in the innermost being…” Psalm 51:6

See also 2 Cor. 7:11 for the changes that the believers in Corinth went through in their repentance.

STEP # 5: Build up your resistance against falling into sin in the future.

 “Your word have I treasured in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me your statutes.” Psalm 119:11-12

 “Who can understand his errors? Acquit (cleanse) me of hidden faults. Also keep back your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me…let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:12-14

STEP # 6: Ask God for His help in order that you might have a renewed walk with Him.

“Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors (sinners) Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You.” Psalm 51:12-13

STEP # 7: Pray continually to God that He will search your heart for evil tendencies, and that He will lead you in a better way (His way).

“Search me O God and know my heart; Try (test) me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful (sinful) way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24

“You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble. I (God) will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” Psalm 32:7-8

NOTE:   In addition to the seven steps of repentance that I have been pointed out above, when our sin(s) also involves transgressing against another person who has been injured by our sinful actions, we are
instructed to go to that person and humbly ask for their forgiveness as well. We read the following in the New Testament Scriptures:

“Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother (or sister) has
something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” Matthew 5:23-24

Author ~ Dave Zwicker

SALT AND LIGHT

 Jesus often used common substances to teach spiritual lessons.  He told his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world”.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how Shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”  Matthew 5:13

The first reference to salt is in the Bible is Job 6:6, “Can an unsavory thing be eaten that is not seasoned with salt?”  Job is describing a very important use of salt to flavor food. Salt was once so scarce and precious that it was used as money, and Roman soldiers received part of their pay in common salt.

The first thing that we think of when we think of salt is that salt provides flavor. It is salt which makes our food tasty. Food without salt is often bland.Christianity is to life what salt is for food. It makes life worth living.
Without Christianity our Western society would not be anything like what it is (although it has degenerated) was it not for the Christian influence in the founding of our nation.

The second thing that stands out about salt is that it preserves from corruption. Salt is an antiseptic necessary to prevent corruption. Salt kills some types of bacteria, effectively by sucking water out of them. Before the days of refrigeration or icehouses salt was used to preserve meat.  Beef was salted and dried and eaten as beef jerky and pork put in barrels with a salt brine to keep it from spoiling.

The reason for having salt pork was certainly not because anyone liked salt that well, or that much of it, but because the salt kept the pork fresh. And so salt prevents corruption and decay.  The statement that the Lord makes has interesting implications. “You are the salt of the earth.” That suggests that were it not for the Christians who are present in society we would see a great deal more corruption in the world than we do. This truth preserves us from two important errors that people have:

First the world is basically not good. The world is basically rotten. If it was not for the Bible and the testimony of Jesus Christ to it, then what would happen is that the microbes of sin would eventually reduce this earth to a stinking, unlivable mass. So when the Lord Jesus says, “you are the salt of the earth”, he intends that the believer should be an influence in the world to retard its moral decay.

Secondly there is another error that Christians should be preserved from, and that is that the believer should
isolate himself because the world is so evil. But Jesus does not preach isolation. A salt cannot be a preservative if it is kept on the shelf in the pantry. We are to be separate, but not in isolation, and are to have the effect in our society to help slow it from becoming corrupt.

Ana is a missionary in Uruguay who has an outreach ministry with other women at a hospital in Montevideo.  She and these women go to the hospital to encourage un-wed Moms not to abort their babies but to preserve their lives.  They bring them blankets, baby’s diapers, and clothes and brochures to help them with the job of caring for their babies.  They also give them gospel tracts so they might also become Christians. 
Ana and her friends are like “salt” and are using their influence to preserve the lives of babies who otherwise might be aborted and also using that service to bring the gospel to their mothers.

A third thing about salt is that it creates a thirst.  The apostle Paul said in Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt”.  Believers should talk to unbelievers in such a way that they will have a thirst for the gospel. Jesus kindly asked a Samaritan woman in John 4 for a drink of water. She responded, ““How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” Jesus then used this conversation to tell her about a more important thirst, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is
who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10

Lastly, how does salt lose its flavor and become good for nothing.  The salt we obtain in the modern world is extracted from salt ponds or underground deposits of salt and is very pure.  In Bible times salt was not that pure.  It was often found in swamps mixed with dirt and other impurities. It was not uncommon for it to be washed away by the surrounding water leaving only the dirt behind.  This is a warning to Christians to not slip and let the influences of the world corrupt their Christian testimony. If that happens, their Christian witness will be “thrown out and trampled underfoot by men”

Jesus also said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16

This is a great compliment paid to believers by the Lord Jesus. He says that we are the light of the world,
because that’s what He is. And so, He has in effect told us that we are to be what he himself said that he was. “I am the light of the world. He that follows me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12. Jesus is saying that we should be a spiritual illumination in a dark world because light removes darkness.

Because Christians are to be lights of the world, they must have some understanding of the gospel of the Lord Jesus.  In other words, it is because they have been saved that they are able to be lights. They are in Him, which makes it possible for them to be lights in the Lord,

The world is in darkness and it needs the light of the gospel. The world thinks that a man can save himself. It does not accept the Bible teaching of original sin. It does not believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God came into the world. It believes He was a great teacher but does not believe He is God in human flesh. It does not believe that the only way of salvation is through the Lord Jesus Christ. It does not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It does not accept His work on the cross as the only way of salvation. It does not believe He will come again to judge all mankind.

Jesus told his disciples they were like a city set on a high hill that cannot be hidden. Christians are to be like a
lighthouse beaming the light of the gospel to all mankind.  A lighthouse is placed on a high spot to keep ships from running aground.  The gospel is a warning that all men are in danger of sin destroying their lives.  But Jesus is the true light who can save them from destruction because he said, “I am the Light of the world, he that follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the Light of Life”. John 8:12

Jesus then warns believers not to hide their Christian testimony by putting their light under a “bushel” so it cannot be seen.  This happens when we make the things of the world such as business or a career get in the way of giving the light of the gospel to unbelievers. Jesus said for believers to put their light on a lamp stand which suggests that each of us have some means of communicating the gospel.  It can be by personal witnessing, handing out Bibles, conducting a Bible study, etc.

Finally, the communication of the gospel is to be backed up by good works in the lives of believers, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”.  Often times it is the Christian’s life that is the most powerful “light” convincing un-believers to accept the truth of the gospel.

My brother was all dressed to go to a wedding and had a neighbor lady who lived across the street who came over and said her car had a front wheel problem. Her husband was at work and so he was unable to help.  My brother took off his wedding clothes and put on work clothes and took several hours to repair the front axle of the lady’s car.  She had just become a Christian but her husband had not.  When he came home from work, he was so impressed that he said to himself, “This must be the way the early Christians lived”.  He went to his room and prayed, “God, I want to know the truth”, and a few months later he became a Christian because he saw the “light” in my brother’s life.

                                                                              Author ~ John Spence

Desire the Best Gifts - 1 Corinthians 12:31

It is clear from the Scriptures that when Jesus Christ ascended back to heaven and
the Church was formed on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) that He gave gifts tomen. These gifts were for believers and were intended for the common good of the Church and to strengthen her mission to evangelize the world.  “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up
of the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-12 

The early church was built on the foundation of the apostle’s and prophet’s teaching. The apostle’s teaching (primarily the New Testament Scriptures) was for the whole church as the apostles were directed by the Holy Spirit.  The prophets taught and received revelations from the Lord in the local church before the text of the New Testament was available. “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment.  But
if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent.  For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets”. 1
Corinthians 14:29-32

Both the apostle’s and prophet’s teaching formed the foundation of the Church. Paul wrote to the Ephesians:” you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household (the church), having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone”. Ephesians 4:19-20 There are no apostles today and in a technical sense no prophets.  However, there are still evangelists,
pastors, and teachers in addition to many other gifts.

Romans 12:6-8 gives a list of gifts that God gives believers. Included in the list are serving gifts, teaching gifts, exhortation gifts, giving gifts, leadership gifts, and mercy gifts.  These gifts were given to individuals by
God’s grace. They are often a combination of natural abilities and more importantly spiritual gifts that are given to believers by the Holy Spirit after they are saved.  They are not intended to lie dormant but are to be recognized, developed, and used to benefit the members of the body of Christ. 

All believers have a gift or gifts, so it is important to recognize what that gift is. Paul told Timothy to “stir up the gift that is in you”.1 Timothy 1:6    Timothy was a timid person and was afraid to use his gift.  Paul encouraged
him to step out and use his God given abilities because “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”  Later on, Paul would tell Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist”.

In 1 Corinthians 12 the apostle Paul expands on the list of gifts.  He says that there are a variety of gifts given by the Spirit of God. These are sometimes “short term” or “in the moment” gifts that may be given for a particular need at a particular time such as a word of wisdom or a word of knowledge. They are intended to be for the “common good” to be used to benefit others.

Paul then expands on the list of gifts given by the Holy Spirit.  It includes faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues (speaking in foreign languages), and interpretation of tongues (foreign languages}.

All Christians have faith but Paul is writing about a special faith the Holy Spirit gives, for example, to begin a ministry or to go to the mission field, depending on the Lord to supply the resources needed for this.  The gift of discernment includes knowledge and wisdom to be able to distinguish truth from error.

In the list of gifts also are healing, miracles, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. These are what are called “sign gifts”.  In the book of Acts, we see these gifts being used when the Gospel was first proclaimed. 
They were intended to impress unbelievers with the supernatural source and power of Christianity.  For example, the ability to speak in a foreign language was first used on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down to indwell individual believers and the Church at large.  The writer of Acts (Luke) described the event this way, “the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.  Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who
speak Galileans?  And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?”

Later on, there were individuals who had this gift of tongues and misused it in the church to impress other believers and increase their own self-importance.  Paul is very critical of this in 1 Corinthians 14 because the listeners did not understand what the “tongue speakers” were saying. There was nobody to interpret what was being said. Paul had the gift of tongues but he did not use it to impress others.  He said, “I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.” Paul had a purpose in using his gift. 
He wanted it to benefit others. He also said, “So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers”.  They were not to be used in the church to demonstrate a superior supernatural ability.

Gifts of healing, miracles, and tongues were an early part of Christianity.  The gospel “was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will”. Hebrews 2:3,4 The
gift of healing and the working of miracles, were sign-gifts for the inauguration of the Christian dispensation. There is no intimation that these miraculous gifts were to continue in the church throughout this age. When Paul wrote the later letters of the New Testament, he did not speak of these gifts existing or being used in the
Church. In fact, he said that he had left Trophimus at Miletum sick and advised Timothy to use a little wine as medication for his stomach problems.  He did not offer to cure their sicknesses.

Paul wrote at the end of 1 Corinthians 12, “And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds
of tongues.  All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings,

All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? But earnestly desire the best gifts And I show you a still more excellent way”

Paul advised the Corinthians to seek “the best gifts” because some are more significant in the functioning of the church than others.  What Paul is about to describe is a proper way to use a gift. The way to use a gift is to seek the good of others before oneself. This is the way to edify the church and seek the common good. Paul
says that in this way we will “pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts” 1 Corinthians 14:1 It is not love
versus gifts that Paul has in mind, but love is to be the primary motivation for using spiritual gifts; for without love, gifts have no usefulness at all.  It is love that makes gifts spiritual (from the Holy Spirit).

We should give attention to cultivating love and cultivating abilities that will be beneficial in Christ’s body, the Church. As important as sharpening our abilities are, it is even more important that we excel in loving.

The Spirit doesn’t give us gifts in order that each of us gets our self-important moment in the spotlight. He gives us gifts so that for the greater glory of Christ we are able to pursue love through serving one another. Then the more honorable members will have no place to boast and the less honorable members will have no thought to think they are insignificant.

“Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts”, 1 Corinthians 14:1 This way no one will to think that he is
not needed or that he doesn’t need anyone else.

Author: John Spence

SPIRITUAL EXERCISE

SPIRITUAL EXERCISE: Part II (I Timothy 4:7-9)

A first key to becoming disciplined is commitment.  Paul told Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God”, 1 Timothy 2:15. He was urging Timothy to make a commitment to God that he would train himself spiritually.  Paul said, “Train yourself.” Timothy was personally responsible for his progress in godliness. He was not to just trust the Lord for that progress and then relax, though he certainly understood that any progress he made was only through divine enablement. 

The concept of commitment occurs repeatedly throughout the Bible. It is found in David’s cry to God, “earnestly I seek you”, Psalm 63:1. It is found in God’s promise to the captives in Babylon, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”, Jeremiah 29:13. It lies behind such exhortations as “Make every effort…to be holy”, Hebrews 12:13 and “make every effort to add to your faith…godliness”, 2 Peter 1:5-7. None of this seeking, pressing on, or making every effort will occur without commitment on our part.

We Christians may be very disciplined and industrious in our business, our studies, our home life, or even our ministry, but we tend to be lazy when it comes to exercise in our own spiritual lives. We would much rather pray, “Lord, make me godly,” and expect Him to “pour” some godliness into our souls in some mysterious way. God does in fact work in a mysterious way to make us godly, but He does not do this apart from the fulfillment of our own personal responsibility. 

Secondly it is important to have a training routine.  Just as athletes have a particular time of the day for their training program, Christians should have a regular quiet time for reading and studying the Bible and for prayer and meditation.  No one makes it to the level of Olympics, or even national, competition without a willingness to pay the price of rigorous, daily training. And similarly, no one ever becomes godly without a willingness to pay the price of the daily spiritual training which God has designed for our growth in godliness.  It is to be a daily “workout”.  Paul told the Philippians, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” Philippians 2:12-13

Thirdly we must have a motivation for training ourselves unto godliness.  THE FACT OF THE LIVING GOD SHOULD MOTIVATE US TO DISCIPLINE OURSELVES FOR GODLINESS “For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God”,1 Timothy 4:10. “We have fixed our hope on the living God.” This means, God is real. God is not the projection of our minds. He created the universe and all that is in it. Because He is the living God, we can live each day in fellowship with Him.  And this motivation means that we are not just living for the present time but we are preparing ourselves now for our future in heaven.

If that’s not true, we’re wasting our time. If there is no eternity with the living God, then “eat, drink, and be merry, because tomorrow you die”,1 Corinthians 15:22. But since it’s true that God is living, and we have fixed our hope on Him, then it should motivate us to discipline ourselves for godliness.

Fourthly we must have good nutrition.  Athletes develop their bodies with good diets.  They eat the right kind of food and drink.  Junk food is not on their menu.  We must continually feed on God’s Word, or “sound doctrine.”  So it’s crucial that we feed our mind on God’s Word through every means—by hearing it preached; by reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on it. God’s Word shows us what God is like and how He wants us to live. There is no such thing as godliness apart from constant nourishment from God’s Word of truth.       

Author: John Spence