The Carrot

In the parable of the prodigal son, the good son showed contempt for the mercy and forgiveness his father gave his unfaithful brother. The son who squandered his inheritance, using it to engage in all manner of sin and indulgences was welcomed back with open arms upon his humble return. All the while, the faithful son looked on, judging his brother and stewing in his anger as he considered why his father would show such love and attention toward someone so rebellious. It is human nature to pass judgment on those who we think are less righteous than ourselves, and to show contempt toward those who seem to be rewarded for their bad behavior even if in our heart we know that we are susceptible to that same sin. It is difficult to comprehend the extreme mercy of our God, but it is his desire, and his nature, to show incredible kindness, tolerance and patience toward mankind because he wants his kindness, not his judgment, to lead us to repentance. Paul says this in Romans, chapter 2, verses 3 and 4: 

“So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” 

It is God’s desire to use the carrot, not to stick to lead us to repentance; to use kindness, tolerance and patience, not the punishment, rebuke and condemnation that we would expect. Though we may want to strike the guilty with a stick to correct their sinful behavior, God wants to use the carrot to kindly lead them back to himself. And when he does; when he shows love to the rebellious, we witness firsthand someone avoiding what they deserve. We see that they are not being punished for their rebellion. Even if they repent and are broken and contrite before God, to us, a lack of consequence still may seem unjust. To us, it may seem like they are being rewarded for their bad behavior. But in reality, it is a merciful and forgiving God using his kindness to lead them to repentance. So I would challenge you to honor the methodology God chooses to use to lead us back in right relationship with him. Because when we, ourselves, fall and rebel, there is no question that we would want God to use the carrot over the stick in leading us back to him as well.

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Like the angry crowd who caught the woman in the act of adultery, we are so ready to throw our stones at those who sin. But God is different. Instead of a stone, Jesus gave the woman his hand. Instead of condemnation, Jesus showed mercy. If God, who is holy, all powerful and the one who created the laws and commands chooses to show mercy, shouldn’t we who are sinful, weak and who are just as guilty do the same? This portion of scripture doesn’t only show us the character of God, it is a lesson to us. God uses love over judgment to draw those who are rebellious back to him. So we should be likeminded?

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Wedding Clothes

We cannot comprehend the eternal impact of our earthly actions this side of heaven whether good or bad. We will never know what size of a ripple a small act of kindness will make in eternity. And we will never know how devastating a selfish act will have either, because the Bible only gives us a glimpse into what life after death will be like. We only understand the temporal; the here and now. But I would encourage you to keep your mind on your eternal destiny; to live primarily for what comes after this life. Yes, God wants us to enjoy life and to live it to the full, but we should never forget that this is not our home. God is calling us to the wedding banquet. He has invited us to prepare for what is to come. And those of us who accept his invitation must be dressed appropriately for the banquet or we will be denied. In a parable found in Matthew, chapter 22, Jesus says this in verses 11 through 14: 

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. Then the king told his attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are invited, but few are chosen.” 

Often times in the Bible, God refers to the church as his bride. And Christians make up the church. If you have accepted the gift of salvation that Jesus provided when he died for our sins and rose again, you are his bride. And no bride will go to her wedding without wearing the appropriate clothing. There is no way we can sneak into heaven, we must accept the invitation. If we haven’t before we die it’ll be too late. In the parable of the wedding banquet, Jesus mentions several who had been invited but, for one reason or another, they were unwilling to attend. Are you willing to attend or are the pleasures of life more important than your relationship with your betrothed? Will you be wearing the right clothes, or will you be thrown out into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth? I challenge you today to take your Christian walk seriously. I challenge you to always have your mind on God from when you rise in the morning to when you go to bed at night. Loving life and loving God are not mutually exclusive. You can, and should, do both. And if you are able, you will not find yourself at the banquet wearing the wrong clothes.

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In the parable of the wedding banquet, Jesus highlights someone who tries to attend the banquet, but wasn’t wearing the right clothes. He was immediately found out and was immediately cast out. Are you wearing the right clothes? If you are the bride, then you are. John 2:29 says: “The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.” We are the bride and God is the bridegroom. There is no way to eternally remain in his presence if we do not accept the wedding clothes that God is giving us, so to speak. How ready are you? How willing are you to wait and listen for him, as it says in John, and to love him like a bride loves her future husband? I encourage you to correctly prioritize your life today. I encourage you to make God the most important factor guiding your future; to love him with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength so that when you find yourself in his presence after this life, you will attend his banquet in eager expectation and that God can easily see with a glance that you belong to him.

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Yeast

I recently watched a video online from a pastor warning his congregation about false teachers. It was sent to me by a Christian friend who wanted me to understand why our church was questioning whether to continue singing songs produced by Hillsong and Bethel in our services. In the video, the pastor called out several famous teachers and preachers who he believed were teaching false doctrine, and for many of them he was able to prove it. Several of the people he claimed were false may be spiritual leaders and pastors that you follow. Many are household names and have hundreds of thousands of believers buying their books and listening to their podcasts. I appreciate the boldness of this pastor who preached an unpopular message in an effort to warn his flock about the dangers of false teaching. Jesus did the same. It says in Matthew, chapter 16, verse 6: 

“‘Be careful,’ Jesus said to them. ‘Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”

After Jesus chastised his disciples for not understanding his meaning, they eventually got the hint as it says in verse 12:

“Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 

There are hundreds of preachers, teachers and spiritual leaders who have gained quite the following. Some of them are teaching the scriptures accurately, but there are others who have strayed away from the truth. There are some who are subverting the scriptures, teaching what is false either on purpose or in ignorance. The preacher that I watched on YouTube warned his congregation about such people. Jesus warned his disciples concerning the spiritual leaders of his time. And now, I hope that you can consider yourself warned as well. The Pharisees and Sadducees were heralded as spiritual rockstars in Jesus’ day, people who were believed to have known what was right and true. Even still, Jesus warned his disciples about their teaching because even though they were clergy, they were teaching falsehoods. So I would challenge you also, to test what you hear. Make sure that what is being taught in your church lines up with scripture, because in the end, none of us wants to be deceived.

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When it comes to spiritual matters, Jesus, as well as Paul, teaches us to test what we hear. We are warned against false preachers and false teachings. They were present in Jesus’ time and they are present today. So I challenge you to test what you hear from your pastors. Test what you read in Christian books. Test the validity of the Christian songs you listen to. And test the truth of the Christian podcasts you hear, including this one. Many believers are being led astray. Don’t be one of them. Become intimately familiar with the Bible so that you can identify what is counterfeit when you see it because you’ll know the truth so well. We are living in a time where you can find Christian materials anywhere and any time with the click of a button. I encourage you to only accept what is biblically true. Because there is no other way to protect yourself from being led astray.

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Three Strikes

In First Corinthians 5:12 and 13, Paul tells us that we are not to judge those outside of the church, but that it is our job to judge those inside. He said: “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked man from among you.’” But what does it look like to judge those inside the church? Is there some kind of protocol that we are to follow? Is there any mention of a method that could help us in this difficult task? I believe there is, and I believe that it is outlined by Jesus himself in Matthew, chapter 18, verses 15 through 17 which says: 

“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” 

It can be incredibly difficult to call our Christian brother or sister out on their sin. After all, who are we? We are imperfect Christians who are subject to sin as well. But the main difference between a repentant believer and a non-repentant one is our ability, or inability, to agree with God that we are in error. We must agree that we have sinned; that we have rebelled against God and that we need to adjust our ways. When a believer is unwilling to acknowledge his or her sin, Jesus outlines three opportunities we are to give them to repent from their behavior. First, talk with them one on one. Second, put together a small intervention with a few believing friends. And third, take the issue to the church itself. After three strikes, Jesus said that we are to treat them as we would a pagan. It is our collective job, as believers, to hold our Christian brothers and sisters accountable. If we don’t, we will begin to see what is happening in many churches around our country, where they allow sin into the church, and like yeast, it works its way throughout the congregation.

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It may sound like an incredibly daunting task to speak to a Christian brother or sister who has sinned and is unrepentant. But that is what Jesus calls us to do. Even in our imperfection, through the Holy Spirit and through the words of the Bible, we can discern what is right and wrong; what is permissible and what is sinful. It is our duty to make an effort to bring our brother or sister back in right relationship with the Father. In truth, it is an act of love. And I would submit that if the body of Christ were active in practicing this principle, we wouldn’t see so many churches who have veered away from what is right and true. We wouldn’t see so many congregations accepting the values of the world over the steadfast truth of the scriptures. So I would challenge you, as I challenge myself, to exercise the kind of love that Jesus has for us toward our fellow brothers and sisters. Follow the principle Jesus outlined in Matthew and lend a helping hand to the one who seems to be unrepentant. Who knows, you may be the very person God wants to use to bring them back in right relationship with him.

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Faithful Come Home

We’ve all seen it - a handful of men and women of God consistently living a life that is biblically faithful, mature, and an example to all believers; people who are models of what it means to be a Christian. From iconic servants such as Billy Graham and Martin Luther King, to martyrs in hostile countries who are only known by a few, their identity is intertwined with their Christian walk in a way that serves as a lesson to us all. Inevitably, as with everyone on this earth, they pass away. And for those of us who looked up to these modern day saints; those of us who want to live a life similar to theirs, feel a tremendous loss when they leave this earth to be with the Father. But did you know that it affects our God as well? They were faithful servants on this earth and as Psalms proclaims, as they return home, they are considered precious in God’s sight. It says in Psalms, chapter 116, verse 15: 

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.” 

There are several believers who’ve sown into my life while they lived and have since gone to heaven. But there are only a few who’ve made a major impact, living as if they had life all figured out. They knew what it looked like to live a life that was pleasing to God, and they seemed to never waver. I realize they were subject to sin just like you and me. Even still, I wasn’t able to see any crack in their armor. They were true followers of Christ, loving their fellow man and faithful servants to God. Fortunately, there are still a few that I know who are still alive. But I also know that one day they too will go on to be with the Lord. When they do, I’m sure I’ll remember Psalm 116:5; “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.” Knowing this truth will hopefully give me peace. If you know a faithful servant of God who passed away, I hope this verse gives you peace as well.

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We will all die one day. No matter if you are young or old, your days are numbered. Are you one of God’s faithful servants? I’m sure there are several Christians who truly believe in the salvation that Christ provides, Christians who faithfully attend church on Sunday, and pay their tithe faithfully. But are they one of God’s faithful servants as referenced in Psalm 116? Maybe. A different NIV version uses the word “saints” instead of “faithful servants”. And when I think of saints, I conjure in my mind someone who serves Christ with abandon; someone who makes it their mission to be about the work of the Lord, and loves the Lord their God with all of their heart, mind, soul and strength; someone whose mind is on what pleases God over what pleases themself; a true reflection of God’s son. No one is perfect. Even still, Jesus calls us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. That is the goal. That is the bar. And some have done such a good job of pursuing it that even God feels it when they die. May we all seek to attain that level of favor with God.

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