Jesus - Believing in Him With Strings Attached

Probably the most recognized and popular scriptures in America is John 3:16.  And it's a wonderful verse, so it's great that people do recognize it!  The problem is that America, for the most part, probably doesn't know the rest of the scriptures around it that put it in context with the thought.

“God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. Those who believe in him won’t be condemned. But those who don’t believe are already condemned because they don’t believe in God’s only Son. This is why people are condemned: The light came into the world. Yet, people loved the dark rather than the light because their actions were evil. People who do what is wrong hate the light and don’t come to the light. They don’t want their actions to be exposed. But people who do what is true come to the light so that the things they do for God may be clearly seen.” John 3:16-21

And the end of the chapter goes along with it:

The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. John 3:35-36

You see, it's really easy to believe in God.  I can say I believe in Him and mean I believe He is in Heaven, even believe He created the world and believe Jesus is His Son.  The Greek word is πιστεύω pisteúō, pist-yoo'-o....which means to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ):—believe(-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.  (From blueletterbible.com).   It is more than just believe He is there.  There's faith, trust, and commitment involved.

Many want Jesus and His salvation, but they don't want the whole package.  The whole package includes Jesus' promises with strings attached.  "Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me," Luke 9:23.  And Matthew 7: 21: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

See how believing includes obeying?  You can't have true faith in Him without having both.  It isn't possible.

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:14-17

Reading the very first passage above, it says, "Yet, people loved the dark rather than the light because their actions were evil....they don't want their actions to be exposed."  When I want my way and do things my way, without regard to God's Will or His Word, then I'm "loving" the dark.  When you and I act in ways that aren't in accordance with the fruits of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control - Gal. 5:22-23), I am "loving" the dark.  When you or I lie, gossip, slander, steal, cheat....any of those things you and I are "loving" the dark.  And dark separates us from the light.  JESUS is the light.  Sin separates us from Him.  We still BELIEVE in Him, but our actions say otherwise.  Thankfully, God is full of grace and love and He will forgive us when we ask Him.  There's a difference in messing up sometimes and deliberately choosing to walk in darkness.  Our lights may dim, but they are still shining.  We can get back on track and shine brightly like Jesus!

So believe in Him - YES! Absolutely!  But believe in Him enough to not only accept Him for who He is, but for what He has done for YOU.  And be willing to believe enough to allow the Spirit to change you and mold you into who He knows you can be.  Believe in Him with the strings attached. It's worth it.

"Why Me?" "Why Not Me?"

Do you every go through something and think, "Why me?"?  Or do you ever see someone else going through something and think, "Why them?"?

I once heard or read something that simply asked this question, "Why not me?"  Ouch!  Makes me think, how about you?  It's true, though, why not me? Why shouldn't I go through something? Why shouldn't you?  We're all alike.  We're not too high and mighty to have calamity.  I'm not too special to have some major catastrophe in my life.  None of us are.  We're all the same.

Dear friends, don’t be surprised by the fiery troubles that are coming in order to test you. Don’t feel as though something strange is happening to you, but be happy as you share Christ’s sufferings. Then you will also be full of joy when he appears again in his glory. 1 Peter 4:12-13

Most likely nothing we will go through will even compare to what Christ went through, yet when we are hurting and suffering, we can reflect back to what he went through.  The verse above says we can "share" in His sufferings.  Perhaps as we "share" them, we will appreciate them even more.

It's really hard to see people suffer.  It's hard to suffer, ourselves.  But oftentimes, the suffering brings us closer to the Savior, and that's right where we need to be.  

 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed because the Spirit of glory—the Spirit of God—is resting on you.

If you suffer, you shouldn’t suffer for being a murderer, thief, criminal, or troublemaker.  If you suffer for being a Christian, don’t feel ashamed, but praise God for being called that name.  1 Peter 4:14-16

A Special Moment.....A Great Example

Last night our high school girls' basketball team played in their first game of the Regional Tournament.  We played Ryan (OK).  The Ryan girls set a great example....probably a tradition they've had for the whole season, if not for years.

As the two teams gathered in a circle right before the game, one of the girls prayed for the teams and the game.  The words were not clear to us in the stands, but the message to each of us was certainly clear!

Thank you, Ryan Cowgirls, for the example you are setting for others!  May we have the courage to use our lives in a way that sets an example to others, as well.  To God be the glory in all that we do and in all that we say!

Trust in the LORD with all your heart    

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him, 

and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

LOL - Living Our Legacy (Part 9)

LOL - Living Our Legacy (Part 9)

(To see other posts in this series, click Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8)

Our last housewarming gift is FAITHFULNESS. Leaving a legacy of faithfulness may be the very most important gift, but to have this gift, you must have all of the other gifts. Why? Because if you don't have love, if you don't have service, if you don't have time, if you don't have positive conversation – you can not have a legacy of faithfulness.

If you were going to define faithfulness, as Paul uses it in the N.T., how would you do it? Well, if you looked in the dictionary, you would find a technical definition that says, "To follow through with a commitment regardless of difficulty." That’s a good definition.

But let me give you one that I came across that may be easier to remember, "Faithfulness is love hanging on." It is love saying, "I will not quit." There may be misunderstandings, there may be disappointments, there may be discouragements, but I will not quit. It is love hanging on.

If someone says, "I really love the Lord," or "I really love the church," and then is unfaithful, then it’s hard to believe that he really does love the Lord.  Faithfulness and love always go hand in hand. Faithfulness is love hanging on. It is love saying, "I will not quit. There may be misunderstandings, there may be disappointments, there may be discouragements, but I will not quit." It is love hanging on.  We show our love to God and to Jesus by loving them faithfully.

You and I may get discouraged. You and I may be disappointed, but faithfulness says, "Even though there is discouragement and disappointment, I will not let go, I will not quit. I will keep on loving, attending, giving and serving, because God has called me to be faithful."

Listen to what the Bible says through these scriptures that challenge us to be faithful.

So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

1 Corinthians 4:1-2

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Revelation 2:10

Christians should be faithful in service, faithful in prayer, and faithful during trials....even to the point of death.  Sounds difficult, doesn't it?  But, it doesn't have to be difficult!  We don't have to, and in fact aren't even able to, go it alone.  We have a Savior, we have a Father, and we have the Holy Spirit!  Our power to be faithful comes from our dependence on their power.

Jesus is a perfect example of someone whose faithfulness never wavered.

Let's look at Matthew 16:21-23.

Satan was using Peter to try to get Jesus to quit, to be unfaithful. Again and again throughout His ministry Satan tried to tempt Jesus to be unfaithful. (paraphrased) "Don’t go to the cross. Don’t die for their sins. Just quit. It’s going to be too tough. There will be too many obstacles, too many difficulties. Just turn around and quit." Yet in Luke 9:51, (NIV) says, “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.”

Resolutely means firm, determined, or unwavering. Jesus went to the cross willingly – knowing he was doing His Father's will.  I like that, don't you?!

And then, even while He was hanging on the cross, the people below Him were mocking Him, saying, "If you really are the Son of God, come down from the cross." That’s what Satan was saying, too. "Quit! Come down. It’s not worth it. The pain is too intense. The people don’t care anyway. Just quit!"

But He continued to hang there until finally He says, "Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing." And "Into thy hands I commit my spirit." That’s faithfulness. That’s faithfulness unto death.

And the faithfulness of Jesus has inspired the faithfulness of others down through the ages, those who hung in there, through the good and the bad, and through times of want and need.

Our legacy of faithfulness comes from a life that is committed to worshiping God. It's a life that is full of love and positive conversation. It's a life that spends time on things that further the kingdom of God and the work of His church. It's a life that is lived in full service to Him.

Let your children see your own faith, so it’s “caught,” not just “taught.”

Live a legacy of faithfulness.

We will conclude our LOL - Living Our Legacy with a wrap-up post tomorrow.