Anger: Don’t Let it Destroy You

A young couple recently admitted that they were blindsided by anger in their relationship. The wife didn’t even realize how much anger was in her heart. She grew up in a home where anger was not handled well. She vowed not to let it be part of her life but the intensity of marriage produced too many occasions for anger. “Why is it so hard to recognize an anger problem in your life?” she asked me. “Perhaps” I recommended, “because anger always carries an element of self-justification.” When we feel “right” to be mad, we don’t see our anger as a destructive force. Often, as with this couple, anger isn’t fully recognized until the damage is too great to be ignored.

I’ve read that ninety percent of all counseling on relationship difficulties involves the problem of anger. This corresponds well with my experience over the last 25 years of pastoral counseling. For some people anger is a serious personal problem. Others face the challenge of living or working with people who don’t control anger. When we say, “It doesn’t take much to set him off” or “You have to walk on eggshells around her”, we are referring to people with severe anger management problems.

Some people are always angry; others store up their anger for periodic (often unpredictable) explosions. Even more frustrating are those who lash out on those close to them while publicly hiding their tyrannical ways behind a pleasant façade. How sad when strangers receive more kindness than those close to us. Many relationships (especially marriages) have been destroyed

by anger.

The fact that anger itself is an important component to healthy living makes anger a cloudy issue for those who have severe problems with it. Anger is not always a wrong response. But handling anger rightly requires a careful look at what it actually is and how it works. Anger has been described as a strong feeling of irritation or displeasure. It’s an emotional readiness to defend or retaliate. Anger can be directed toward people, things, or circumstances. It can be rational or irrational; beneficial or destructive.

Anger is often related to our sense of right and wrong. The person deficient of strong displeasure toward evil lacks good moral character. Scripture even associates a righteous anger with God. Yet, unlike humans, God is only angry when it is right to be angry.

“Sometimes we get involved in a legitimate issue and discern, perhaps with accuracy, the right and the wrong of the matter. However, in pushing the right side, our own egos get so bound up with the issue that in our view opponents are not only in the wrong but attacking us. When we react with anger, we may deceive ourselves into thinking we are defending the truth and the right, when deep down we are more concerned with defending ourselves.”

“In none of the cases in which Jesus became angry was his personal ego wrapped up in the issue. More telling yet, when he was unjustly arrested, unfairly tried, illegally beaten, contemptuously spit upon, crucified, mocked, when in face he had every reason for his ego to be involved, then, as Peter says, ‘he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats’ (I Peter 2:23). From his

parched lips came forth rather those gracious words, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing’ (Luke 23:34). Let us admit it – by and large, we are quick to be angry when we are personally affronted and offended, and slow to be angry when sin and injustice multiply in other areas.” (D. A. Carson).

For humans, Scripture repeatedly emphasizes the need to control anger. “The fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control” (Proverbs 29:11).

How well do you handle anger? Do you internalize it? Perhaps you withdraw from conflict by leaving the room, hiding behind work or other activities or turning to substance abuse. Sadly, this response never resolves anything; it fails to deal with root causes of anger. Internalizing anger often leads to more subtle forms of expression – manipulative mood swings, sarcastic verbal jabs, slander, and other less aggressive responses.

Equally tragic is the person who internalizes anger in public and redirects it to undeserving family members. The scenario looks like this: The boss yells at an employee. The man takes it out on his wife. The wife yells at the children. The children kick the dog. The dog bites the cat … Sound humorous? In real life, it’s misery.

Others externalize anger with direct aggression. When provoked, this person lashes out with verbal and physical attacks on the object of his anger (or the most accessible object). This response often leads to violence and abuse. It leaves a trail of broken people and damaged property – tending to multiply until a major crisis occurs.

Scripture highly commends those who control anger. “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city” (Proverbs 16:32). “A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression” (Proverbs 19:11). The emphasis on being slow to anger warns us to respect its power and control. It’s wise to be aware of anger producing situations and anger provoking people. Knowing the sources of anger can help us minimize it.

Sources for anger include: An unorganized life, over commitment to low priorities, unresolved guilt, hurtful experiences from our past, unfulfilled expectations, violation of legitimate or perceived rights, feeling misunderstood or unappreciated and imposed circumstances out of one’s control.

Learned patterns of anger are a much deeper issue. Parents who do not handle anger properly pass their habits to their children. Scripture warns about learned anger: “Do not associate with one given to anger, and with a wrathful man do not keep company, lest you learn his ways and get yourself in a snare” (Proverbs 22:24-25). People with serious anger problems should seek counseling before their destructive ways destroy others.

To handle anger constructively, we need to identify the sources without blaming behavior on others. We must take full responsibility for our actions if we hope to gain freedom. Rationalizing and justifying anger only leads to more destructive consequences. The first step to victory is to acknowledge that you can control your anger with God’s help.

Several other action points are important for conquering anger. Admit your failure to value the objects of your anger. Avoid reading into the actions of others. Communicate instead of exploding. Refuse to allow anger to escalate. Resolve anger daily! Scripture says, “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” (Ephesians 4:26). Replace anger with kindness and love - remembering the love God has shown to you.

Steve Cornell

Spiritual Inventory: Guidelines and test

by Steve Cornell

More than any other, the Christian life is an examined life. We refuse to be conquered by complacency or status quo living.
 
I Corinthians 11:28 – “A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.” II Corinthians 13:5 – “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”
 
When something is important to us, we usually find a way to evaluate it.
        1.) Businesses – take inventory and even hire consultants to assess
              progress and success.
 
        2.) Schools – give tests and other assignments.
 
        3.) Relationships – when valued are worth examining, taking inventory.
              (marriages, parenting, choosing a mate)
 
         4.) Health – checkups and all kinds of tests
 
Question: Shouldn’t we also examine our spiritual health– our walk with God?

Key Scriptures:

Old Testament – Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” * A prayer asking God to examine our inner life – heart and thoughts. This is no superficial encounter with God.  My life is an open book–have at it!

New Testament – Hebrews 4:12-13 “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (cf. II Timothy 3:15-17). * The power of God through His word to expose the inner life based on God’s all-knowing surveillance. God’s word and all-seeing eye work together.

First considerations in Spiritual Examination
(Guiding principles for doing spiritual inventory)

1.    Salvation

Question: “If you died and stood before God and He asked, “Why should I allow you to enter heaven?” how would you answer? There are three types of answers:
      a. by works,    b. by works and grace,    c. only by grace (the right response)

·      Ephesians 2:8,9

·      John 1:12-13

2.    Humility: Distrust your opinion of yourself

·      Psalm 25:9 – God guides the humble

·      Isaiah 66:1-2 – To this one will I look…

·      I Peter 5:5-6—Humble yourselves

·      Romans 12:3—Do not think too highly of yourself

3.    Comparison: Stop looking critically at others (or comparing yourself with others)

·      Matthew 7:1-5 – “Take the log out…”

·      II Corinthians 10:12 – It is unwise to “compare yourselves among yourselves.”

4.    Past: Don’t get stuck in it

·      Philippians 3:12-13- Some of us need this word about “forgetting what is behind” and “pressing on” or “straining toward what is ahead.” “The only thing you can change about the past is how you let it affect you I the future.”

5.    Eternity: Get focused on eternity (You’ll be there before you know it.)

·      I John 2:15-17; II Corinthians 4:16-18; Colossians 3:1-2

6.    Heart: Conquer the beast of complacency

·      Colossians 3:23; I Corinthians 10:31.

7.   Counsel: Ask others (selectively) to give you input

“To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction” (Proverbs 12:1). “Listen to your father, who gave you life; and don’t despise your mother when she gets old.” Proverbs 23:22 “Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.” Proverbs 11:14

10 Tests for Spiritual Inventory

1. The test of anger: What makes you mad? What gets under your skin?

“While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed (provoked within) to see that the city was full of idols” (Acts 17:16). “He (Jesus) looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts” (Mark 3:5)

2. The test of humor: What makes you laugh? What is really funny to you?

“There’s a time to laugh, and a time to cry” (Ecclesiastes 3:4). “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22). “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh” (Luke 6:21) (See: Ephesians 5:3-4)

3. The test of music: What makes you sing? What is your favorite music?

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts” (Ephesians 5:18-19). “Let my tongue sing about your Word,
for all your commands are right” (Psalm 119:172)

4. The test of anxiety: What makes you worry? What are you afraid of?

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe” (Prov. 29:25)
“Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God” (John 12:42-43)
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28; cf. Ps. 111:10; )
(see also: Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:6-7; I Peter 5:6-7; Isa. 41:10)

5. The test of money: How important is it to you? What do you do with it?

“Honor the Lord with your wealth” (Prov. 3:9a). “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). “You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” (Luke 16:11). Loving money condemned: Luke 16:14; I Timothy 6:9-10; II Timothy 3:2

6. The test of value: What is most important to you?

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well: (Matthew 6:33; cf. Colossians 3:23). “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (I John 2;15-17). “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:36-37)

7. The test of influence: What difference are you making in others?

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16; cf. Philippians 2:14-16)

8. The test of companionship: Whom do you prefer to hang out with?

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?” (II Cor. 6:14-15)
“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20) (cf. Psalm 1:1-3;Proverbs 22:24-25;Amos 3:3;I Corinthians 5:9-13;

9. The test of speech: What do you like to talk about?

“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:32). “Brothers, do not slander one another” (James 4:11; cf. Prov. 11:12-13; 16:28; 18:7-8; 21:23)

10. The test of time: What do you use it for?

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23). “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16).

Final Spiritual Inventory: The Judgment seat of Christ  

II Corinthians 5:9-10 –“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

I Corinthians 3:10-15—“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Hot Tub Religion

by Steve Cornell

In the summer of 1990, my wife and I had the privilege of attending a conference in southern California at the church led by Dr. John MacArthur. One afternoon on that memorable occasion, we were invited to the home of the Academic Dean of the Master’s Seminary (His brother was a former professor of mine). The dean (the late Dr. Charles Smith) lived in a private neighborhood that had a common pool and hot tub in the middle of it. We wasted no time making our way to the hot tub where we enjoyed some deep theological discussions.

Not too long after that enjoyable visit, I purchased a book that intrigued me with the title, “Hot Tub Religion.” I had been familiar with the author (J. I. Packer) whose writings had deeply enriched my life many times. In “Hot Tub Religion,” Dr. Packer shares a hot tub experience that led him to some deep thoughts about a common approach to religion. He related the following:

“The other day I was one of a crowd who spent much of a wet Saturday afternoon in a hot tub. My student advisees, who formed the crowd, had advised me to try it; you’ll like it, they said. Previously I had thought of hot tubs as reserved for hedonists in Hollywood and sybarites in San Francisco, but now I know that under certain circumstances members of Regent College’s teaching faculty may also use them. Every day, it seems, one learns something new.”

“As I sat there savoring hot tubness, cracking small jokes and adjusting to the feel of being bubble over from all angels, it struck me that the hot tub is the perfect symbol of the modern route in religion. The hot tube experience is sensuous, relaxing, floppy, laid-back: not in any way demanding, whether intellectually or otherwise, but very, very nice, even to the point of being great fun.”

“Many today want Christianity to be like that, and labor to make it so. As I hot tubbed on, slumping deeper into uninhibited floppiness, I saw why the chromium-plated folk-religion of which I am speaking has gained such a hold. Modern life strains us. We get stimulated till we are dizzy. Relationships are brittle; marriages break; families fly apart; business is a cutthroat rat race, and those not at the top feel themselves mere cogs in another’s machine. Automation and computer technology have made life faster and tenser, since we no longer have to do the time-consuming routine jobs over which our grandparents used to relax their minds. We have to run more quickly than any generation before us simply to stay where we are. No wonder, the, that when modern Western man turns to religion what he wants is total tickling relaxation, the sense of being at once soothed, supported and effortlessly invigorated: in short, hot tub religion. He asks for it, and up folk jump to provide it. What hot tub religion illustrates most clearly is the law of demand and supply.”

“What, then, should we say of hot tub religion? Certainly a rhythm of life that includes relaxation is right; the forth commandment shows that. Alternating hard labor with fun times in right too; all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and Jesus so often went to banquets, the fun times of the ancient world, that he got called glutton and drunkard. Enjoying our bodies while we can, as opposed to despising them is part of the discipline of gratitude to our Creator. And uninhibited exuberances like clapping, dancing, shouting praise and crying out in prayer can be approved too, provided we do not hereby stumble others.”

“Without these hot tub factors, as we may call them, our Christianity would be less godly and less lively, for it would be less human. But if there were no more to our Christianity than hot tub factors- if, that is, we embraced a self-absorbed hedonism of relaxation and happy feelings, while dodging tough tasks, unpopular stances and exhausting relationships– we should fall short of biblical God-centeredness and of the cross-bearing life to which Jesus calls us, and advertise to the world nothing better than our own decadence. Please God, however, we shall not settle for that.”

Good points from Dr. Packer! It ’s not at all uncommon for people to approach God, church, and religion in the manner described. They reason that they have so much stress in their lives that when it comes to church and God, they want their experience to be soothing relaxation and support. When they to come Church, they want to sit back in the hot-tub as everything around them effortlessly invigorates their stressed out lives. But the greater mistake comes when they approach God this way— as if He is the convenient on/off switch to the hot tub.

The danger of this hot tub mentality is not only that it loses sight of the place of service and of self-giving love as the true path of joyful Christianity, but in the words of J.I. Packer, it also “loses sight of the place of pain in sanctification, whereby God trains his children to share his holiness.” Packer explains, “The New Testament shows us that in the school of sanctification many modes of pain have their place— physical and mental discomfort and pressure, personal disappointment, restriction, hurt, and distress. God uses these things to activate the supernatural power that is at work in believers (2 Cor. 4:7-11); to replace self-reliance with total trust in the Lord who gives strength (1:8f, 12:9f); and to carry on his holy work of changing us from what we naturally are into Jesus’ moral likeness ‘with ever-increasing glory’ (2 Cor. 3:18). Thus he prepares us for that which he has prepared for us.”

No doubt, we all need to be led by green pastures and still waters from time to time. But the normal Christian life is marked by the sufferings of Jesus. It takes god-given wisdom to trace God’s good hand in the hardships of life. The writer of Hebrews reminded the believers, “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:36). Perseverance is needed because trials are real and they are also normal to Christianity.

What does poor in spirit mean?

In a think group I participate in a question was asked about Jesus’ beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Does this refer to actual poverty or spiritual humility? Does blessed mean happy? These are good questions. I shared a few thoughts and decided to post them for others. 

Blessed or happy?

I do not prefer understanding “blessed” as “happy.” Jesus was not making statements about the emotional well-being of his audience. This is a bit of an anachronism. Western culture is preoccupied with analyzing moods and feelings but “blessed” is much deeper and much more than an assessment of emotion. I view Jesus’ “blessed” as a declaration of divine approval. The beatitudes are the qualities of the true disciples of Jesus. What do true believers look like?— poor in spirit, mourn, meek…. I agree with Lloyd-Jones in seeing these even as progressive spiritual experiences with lasting character transformations. Note that the eight beatitudes are sandwiched in a literary envelop between the repeated phrase “theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.

Jesus is describing those to whom heaven belongs.

Who will inhabit heaven? Look at the beatitudes. This is true Christianity. Whatever superficial substitute you’ve seen must be measured by these qualities. Blessed—approved of God—are the poor in spirit. To be poor in spirit is to recognize one’s spiritual bankruptcy before God. It is to stand before God, broken and empty without anything to commend me to His approval. It is to beat oneself upon the chest and plead for God’s mercy– “I tell you,” Jesus said elsewhere, “that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14). Nothing of spiritual consequence happens in life apart from poverty of spirit.

It is equally important to notice that Jesus shifts from third person address (”theirs” is…”they” shall….) in 5:3-12 to second person address in verses 13-16: “You” are the salt of the earth; “You” are the light of the world. Who is Jesus talking about? The ones he just described in the beatitudes. Who can claim such a role in the world as salt and light? Only those described by Jesus in the beatitudes.

“Poor” vs. “Poor in spirit”



Luke’s gospel uses the socio-economic designation without the spiritual addition. This fits with the overall emphasis in the gospel of Luke. And, “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (James 2:5). “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. ( I Corinthians 1:26-29). Why is it that our material need often helps us see other needs?

Steve Cornell 

10 Tests for Spiritual Inventory

by Steve Cornell

Everything meaningful is worth evaluating. Businesses do inventory and hire consultants to better market themselves, schools give tests, those who care about their health get regular check-ups and when we value our relationships, we frequently evaluate them. Spiritual check-ups are also important to those who desire to live for God.

Here’s an example of someone asking God to evaluate his life:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24:

This is not a superficial encounter with God. It is a way of saying, “My life is open before you God. I don’t want to hide anything. Search my heart and my thoughts.”

For another example of the deep, searching work of God in our lives consider: Hebrews 4:12-13: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Here the word of God and the sight of God work as one. They perceptively uncover the deepest parts of a human being. The thoughts and attitudes are evaluated before God’s all-seeing eye through His word. It is important to let God’s Word do the work God ordained for it to accomplish (Cf. II Timothy 3:15-17).

When doing spiritual inventory, I suggest a 10 point test covering important areas of our lives:

1. The test of anger: What makes you mad? What gets under your skin?

2. The test of humor: What makes you laugh? What is really funny to you?

3. The test of music: What makes you sing? What is your favorite music?

4. The test of anxiety: What worries you? What are you afraid of?

5. The test of money: How important is it to you? What do you do with it?

6. The test of value: What is most important to you?

7. The test of influence: What difference are you making in others?

8. The test of companionship: Who do you prefer to hang out with?

9. The test of speech: What do you like to talk about?

10. The test of time: What do you give your time to? How do you use your time?

Our final evaluation:

II Corinthians 5:9-10

“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

The passage from Hebrews 4:13 teaches that “we must give an account” before God. When we appear before Christ in this final evaluation the focus will not be on our eternal destiny. Only those who belong to Christ will stand before Christ’s judgment seat. The focus will be on our service to Christ. Our works will be proven to be of good or bad quality. (Cf. I Corinthians 3:11-15 “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”)

Audio message:

“Doing Spiritual Inventory”

Download Sermon (8.69 mb)

True Worship: How Does God want me to worship him?

The narrative of John 4:3-26:

Jesus “… left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?”13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”

The account of Jesus and the Samaritan woman offers some of the most specific information about Worship in all of scripture. Here we have direct statements from the Lord Jesus Christ concerning true worship of God.

Setting the stage for vv. 21-24:

Jesus is traveling from Judea in the south to Galilee in the north. The most direct route is through Samaria. But the most popular one for the Jews is to cross over the Jordan River, avoiding Samaria, by traveling east of the Jordan.  The reason for taking the longer route is stated in verse 9: “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.”  The tensions between Jews and Samaritans extend back to Old Testament times when a group of Jewish people intermarried with foreigners and later became known as Samaritans.

History of Samaritans

The name given to the new and mixed inhabitants whom Esarhaddon

(B.C. 677), the king of Assyria, brought from Babylon and other

places and settled in the cities of Samaria, instead of the

original inhabitants whom Sargon (B.C. 721) had removed into

captivity (2 Kings 17:24; comp. Ezra 4:2, 9, 10). These

strangers (comp. Luke 17:18) amalgamated with the Jews still

remaining in the land, and gradually abandoned their old

idolatry and adopted partly the Jewish religion.

After the return from the Captivity, the Jews in Jerusalem

refused to allow them to take part with them in rebuilding the

temple, and hence sprang up an open enmity between them. They

erected a rival temple on Mount Gerizim, which was, however,

destroyed by a Jewish king (B.C. 130). They then built another

at Shechem. The bitter enmity between the Jews and Samaritans

continued in the time of our Lord: the Jews had “no dealings

with the Samaritans” (John 4:9; comp. Luke 9:52, 53). In contempt,

our Lord was called “a Samaritan” (John 8:48). Many of the

Samaritans early embraced the gospel (John 4:5-42; Acts 8:25;

9:31; 15:3). Of these Samaritans, there still remains a small

population of about one hundred and sixty, who all reside in

Shechem, where they carefully observe the religious customs of

their fathers. They are the smallest and oldest sect in the World.”

(Easton’s Bible Dictionary)

 

This brief history helps to explain why the woman at the well was surprised that Jesus, being a Jew, would talk with her. The Jews looked on the Samaritans as unclean. Yet we should remember that there is no partiality with God. Jesus’ decision to go through Samaria was not one of geographical convenience. It was a matter of Divine Appointment for a woman whose heart had been prepared by God for salvation.

The narrative is direct. It is  the noon hour (v. 6) and Jesus is tired and weary from his long journey. He stopped at a well and a woman came to draw water from it. Jesus said, “Give me a drink.”

She expresses shock that He would even talk with her. Jesus then redirects the conversation. He said, “If you knew who I am, you would ask for living water.  In v. 11, she responds pragmatically asking, “Just how do you expect to get this living water since you have nothing to draw with?”

In vv. 13-14,  Jesus in essence says:  “You don’t get the point!” “Drink this water and you thirst again. Drink the water I give you and you’ll never thirst again.” At this point (v.15) she seems to almost humor Jesus. But he knows she is not ready so he turns the conversation again (see: vv. 16-18).  In these verses, Jesus exposes the obstacle to being a true worshipper of God. What is it? Sin. This woman must face the reality of the sin in her life. But instead (vv. 19-20) she decides to change the subject and this is typical. She starts with a compliment and then moves to a controversial religious issue. People consistently use these distractions to avoid dealing directly with their sin. Her religious diversion was over the right place to worship God. Was it Mount Gerizim, the central place of Samaritan worship or Jerusalem, the central place of Jewish worship? Her point was similar to those who say, “There are so many different religions, how can I know what is right?” But Jesus offers a very direct answer (v. 21). And Jesus’ answer introduces the subject of worship.

Jesus addresses three truths related to worship:

1.     The WHERE of worship (v. 21).

2.     The WHAT of worship (v. 22).

3.     The HOW of worship (vv. 23-24). 

1. The where of worship:

Worship among the Jews and the Samaritans focused on right places, times and seasons. The right rituals, sacrifices, temples, Sabbaths, feast days, altars, and priesthood were paramount. Of course, these things had a proper role related to worship, but an improper emphasis was placed on externals over the condition of the heart. It is the dangerous belief that if you’re in the right place, at the right time, performing the right rituals, repeating the right words, then all is well with your soul before God!

When God hates our worship:

There were many times in Israel’s history when God rejected their worship because they were going through the motions without true devotion of the heart and life.

Consider God’s Word to Israel:

“I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.  Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; and I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings.  Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.  But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:21-23).

 Another Word from God:

 “’What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?’ says the Lord.  ‘I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed cattle.  And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats.  When you come to appear before Me, who requires of you this trampling of My courts?  Bring your worthless offerings no longer, incense is an abomination to Me.  New moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies- I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.  I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, they have become a burden to Me.  I am weary to bearing them.   So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you, yes, even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen.”” )Isaiah 1:11-15).

God hates ritual without reality. “God delights in loyalty more than sacrifices and the acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:4-6). “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and contrite heart O God, You will not despise” (Ps. 51:17).

Think about it:

“Worship is not energized by artificial methods. If you feel you must have formalized ritual, or certain kind of mood music to worship, what you do isn’t worship.  Music and liturgy can assist or express a worshipping heart, but they cannot make a non-worshipping heart into a worshipping one. The danger is that they can give a non-worshipping heart the sense of having worshipped.” 

“So the crucial factor in worship in the church is not the form of worship, but the state of the hearts of the saints. If our corporate worship isn’t the expression of our individual worshipping lives, it is unacceptable. If you think you can live anyway you want and then go to church on Sunday morning and turn on worship with the saints, you’re wrong” (John MacArthur Jr., The Ultimate Priority, pp. 103-104).

With the coming of Jesus, we enter God’s presence in a new and living way (Heb. 10:19-25). Our bodies are the very Temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:19). The Church is not a building; it is a community of redeemed believers (I Cor. 3:16-17).

Think about it:

“The source of most of the problems people have in their Christian lives relates to two things: either they are not worshipping six days a week with their life, or they are not worshipping one day a week with the assembly of the saints. We need both! If you go to church only when it is convenient, you will never be victorious and productive as a Christian. You can’t succeed on your own; you need to have the spiritual stimulation of fellow believers. We live in such an easy-come, easy-go, casual, flippant society that people don’t make consistent, faithful commitments, and then they wonder why they fail. The answer is clear. Spiritual success requires commitment to others.”  (Ibid, p. 105)

In corporate worship, emphasis must not be on the building, the rituals and the ceremonies, but on God’s glory and the importance of being among his redeemed people.

2. The what of worship:

Jesus briefly addressed the “what” of worship. (“You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.” v.22) The Scripture used by the Samaritans only contained the first five books of the Old Testament. They rejected the rest. As a result, their worship was based in ignorant. It was not worship “in truth.” Imagine the Old Testament without the Psalms and Proverbs, the prophets and their prophecies of the Christ to come. Their understanding of God and his plan was profoundly inadequate.

Think about it:

Because they rejected so much of God’s revelation, they worshipped in ignorance. Is there a similarity with the believer today picking and choosing only parts of the Bible? Could this lead to inadequate worship based in ignorance? Are the liberal scholars and their pastor students guilty of this when they reject certain words of Jesus or certain doctrines about God? Perhaps they worship but their worship is in ignorance and therefore dangerous.

Jesus concluded, “We worship that which we know, for salvation is from the Jews.” The Jewish people had the right knowledge. Yet, as far as their worship was concerned, many of the Jewish people had the truth of worship without the proper spirit of worship (especially the leaders). The Samaritans had a spirit of worship without the truth of worship. Both are deadly to true worship. This is important to recognize as Jesus moves the discussion to the “How” of worship. 

3. The how of worship

In verse 24, Jesus addresses the how of worship (“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth”).  Notice that Jesus did not say, “It would be a good idea for you to worship this way.” Nor did he say, “It would be better if you worshipped this way.” Jesus said, “you must…” If you desire to be a true worshipper, the kind that the Father seeks, you must worship him in spirit and truth!

True worshippers worship the Father in spirit and truth.

“In our free and easy democratic ways we often feel that worship in an individual matter. Each of us may worship when and how he or she chooses. It is all up to the individual. But Jesus is denying this. He is saying that our worship must accord with the kind of being God is” (Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John, Vol. I, p. 145).

What does verse 24 say about God? “God is spirit,” therefore, you must worship him in spirit. 

Scripture teaches that we come: -to God the Father –through God the son –by God the Holy Spirit. God being spirit cannot be reduced to an image, an abstract truth or confined to a mountain or a building.

God is a living, personal, perfect, invisible spirit. But the central thing Jesus wanted to emphasize is that place is not the issue. Rather “those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.”

Questions to ponder:

Do you worship God in Spirit and in truth? What does it mean to worship this way?

Worship in spirit:

Is this a reference to the Holy Spirit or the devotion of the human spirit in worship? If the human spirit, it would seem to emphasize the internal aspect of worship. This is what the apostle Paul referred to when he wrote, “God whom I serve with my spirit” (Rom. 1:9). Other scriptures address the role of the Holy Spirit in worship (see: Rom. 8:26;Phil. 3:3). Since Jesus emphasized a contrast between place of worship and the heart of worship which is spirit and truth worship.

The words for worship in the Bible are defined in terms related to attitudes and actions:

Attitude worship includes: awe, reverence, and fear

Action worship includes: bowing down, serving, giving glory and praising God.

Worship is responding to God in a giving way (Matt.5:2-23). One writer defined worship as:

“The total adoring response of man to the one eternal God self-revealed in time.” (Evelyn Underhill).

When Jesus spoke of worship in spirit and truth, was he emphasizing worship with our total being? The Psalmist wrote, “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name” (Ps. 103:1).  Inner worship is expressed in the words: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…” (Ps. 42:2).

Worship in spirit is not some activity that we plan as part of our day or week. It is the proper internal response to all that we know God to be, to do, or to say. It involves the right spirit or attitude toward God.

Thoughts from others:

“Worship is personal and passionate, not formal and cold.” (Warren Wiersbe, Real Worship).

“When thou prayest, rather let thy heart be without words, than thy words without heart” (John Bunyan).

“Christ can never be known without a sense of fear and awe companying the knowledge.  He is the fairest among ten thousand, but He is also the Lord high and mighty. He is the friend of sinners, but He is also the terror of devils. He is meek and lowly in heart, but He is also Lord and Christ who will surely come to be the judge of all men. No one who knows Him intimately can ever be flippant in His presence” (Moody Magazine).

The Father seeks worshippers:

God is seeking worshipers who will have the proper internal response to Him. Worshipers must approach Him with the right attitude. God reveals this very pointedly in Is. 66:1-2:

“Thus says the Lord, ‘Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool.  Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being, declares the Lord. ‘But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.’”

Worship in truth:

Truth must include honesty and sincerity:

We cannot approach God with a deceptive and dishonest heart. We must worship God with honesty and sincerity.

“Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation” (Psalm 24:3-5).

 “We may truly said to worship God, though we lack perfection; but we cannot be said to worship Him if we lack sincerity” (Stephen Charnock, The existence and attributes of God, p. 225-226).

“To pretend a homage to God, and intend only the advantage of self is rather to mock Him than worship Him” (Ibid., p. 241).

Truth could also refer to Revelation from God:

This is worship consistent with what God has revealed in scripture about Himself. It is simply not possible to correctly worship God separate from biblical truth. Such effort would lead to erroneous worship.

Think about it:

“Word and worship belong indissolubly to each other. All worship is an intelligent and loving response to the revelation of God, because it is the adoration of his Name. Therefore acceptable worship is impossible without preaching.  For preaching is making known the Name of the Lord, and worship is praising the Name of the Lord made known. Far from being alien intrusion into worship, the reading and preaching of the word are actually indispensable to it. The two cannot be divorced. Indeed, it is their unnatural divorce which accounts for the low level of so much contemporary worship.  Our worship is poor because our knowledge of God is poor, and our knowledge of God is poor because our preaching is poor. But when the Word of God is expounded in its fullness, and the congregation begins to glimpse the glory of the living God, they bow down in solemn awe and joyful wonder before this throne. It is preaching which accomplishes this, the proclamation of the Word of God in the power of the Spirit of God. That is why preaching is unique and irreplaceable” (John Stott, Between Two Worlds).

What is taught from the pulpit should enhance your knowledge of who God is, what he has done, what he requires, and how He works. In this way, it will strengthen your worship of God. The worship of the Church depends on the centrality of ministry in the Word of God. Without the objective truth about God in Scripture, worship is inadequate at best.    

                          Questions for application:

Is your worship personal and passionate or formal and cold?

Have you been going through the motions of worship without the internal reality?

Do you worship God with your innermost being? 

Do you have the right attitude toward God? A humble and contrite heart that trembles at God’s Word?

Are you honest with God or is there an area you have closed out to Him?

Are you in God’s Word, learning, growing and being transformed?

Read it again:

Jesus said, “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.”  (John 4:23) 

Two things to help you worship in spirit and truth:

1. Never lose the wonder of it all 

“The wonder of it all- to think that God loves me.”

“Beneath the Cross—“…from my smitten heart with tears two wonders I confess- the wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.”

“What is man that you are mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:4; cf. also, I Chron. 17:16-18, Psalm 139:1-18;I John 3:1).

“When wonder is dead, the soul becomes a dry bone” (Bishop William Quayle). (see: II Peter 1).

A prayer for worshippers:

“Remove the scales form his eyes, the callousness from his heart, the stubbornness from his will to enable him to enjoy the wonder of it all.” (Warren Wiersbe, Real Worship, p. 47)

2. Appreciate and reflect on the mystery of it all (Rom. 11:33, Eph. 3:19, Phil. 4:7).   

Think about it:

“This is the paradox of Christian worship: we seek to see the invisible, know the unknowable, comprehend the incomprehensible, and experience the eternal. Like David, we thirst after God and we are both satisfied and dissatisfied. Like Moses, we cry out for His glory, all the while knowing that our mortal eyes could never behold God’s glory in its fullness. Like Peter, we wrestle with a tension within:  we want to follow Him, and yet we cry out, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man!’” (Warren Wiersbe, Real Worship p. 45).

Steve Cornell

Delivered in 1990 at Millersville Bible Church

How can I develop a heart for God?

by Steve Cornell

Have you ever thought of comparing passion for God to thirst for water? This is the way the psalmist described his longing for God: “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?” (Psalm 42:1-2).

Would you describe your longing for God this way? Do you thirst for God? Do you long to be in His presence? In another place, the psalmist prays, “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1).

Fellowship with God is as necessary and satisfying as water to those who are thirsty. As thirst is ongoing, so passion for God is unquenchable. When I find joy in God’s presence, I am satisfied with an unsatisfied satisfaction. When I taste and see that the Lord is good (psalm 34:8), I realize I have only tasted of His goodness. I long for more. The psalmist said to God, “You fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand?” (Psalm 16:11).

Think about it. Soon we will leave this world and enter the presence of God. Do you look forward to being with God? Will it be for you a continuation of the fellowship and joy you find with God in this life?

In this amazing journey of developing a heart for God, some have only recently discovered that it is possible to know God through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life no man comes to the father except through me” (John 17:3). His invitation, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:27-28), has been answered by countless people. We can know God the Father—but only through Jesus Christ, His Son. The Son, our savior, has made the way for our sins to be forgiven and for us to be restored to a right standing with God.

If you have recently turned Jesus Christ as your savior and confessed Him as Lord, it is important to understand that the basis of your relationship with God will always be what Jesus did for you on the cross (see: http://thinkpoint.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/doomed-without-my-advocate/). Yet God desires to draw you into a deeper knowledge of Himself and a stronger love for Him. As His child, He wants you to be fully devoted to Him—in fact, He requires your undivided allegiance!

Full devotion and total surrender to God should be understood as (what Jesus called) the greatest commandment of the Law. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38). This is an all-consuming love for God. It is what God is producing in our hearts (Philippians 2:13).

How does God develop our hearts for Him?

Developing this fully devoted love for God is an adventuresome, joyful and challenging journey. Sometimes it will come through God’s loving discipline. Scripture says, “The Lord disciplines those he loves.” Although God’s discipline at times is painful, it is designed by God to draw us closer to Him, and to remove from our lives obstacles to deeper devotion.

One writer greatly used by God to help people develop a heart for God is the late A.W. Tozer. He reminds us that, “the way to deeper knowledge of God is through the lonely valleys of soul poverty and abnegation of all things. The blessed ones who possess the kingdom are those who have repudiated every external thing and have rooted from their hearts all sense of possessing. These are the ‘poor in spirit.’ They have reached an inward state paralleling the outward circumstances of the common beggar in the streets of Jerusalem—that is what the word poor as Christ used it actually means. These blessed poor are no longer slaves to the tyranny of things. They have broken the yoke of the oppressor; and this they have done not by fighting but by surrendering.” (The Pursuit of God)

Tempted to avoid the hard road?

Listen to Tozer: “Let me exhort you to take this seriously.” Following hard after God, “… is a path chiseled against the steep sides of the mount of God. We dare not try to bypass it if we would follow on in this holy pursuit.”

A powerful illustration:

The challenging side of following hard after God is profoundly illustrated in the Old Testament account of Abraham offering Isaac. I have never read a more perceptive description of this scene than the one by Tozer. Reflect deeply on his words:

“Abraham was old when Isaac was born, old enough to have been his grandfather, and the child became at once the delight and idol of his heart. From the moment he first stooped to take the tiny form awkwardly in his arms, he was an eager love slave to his son. God went out of his way to comment on the strength of this affection. And it is not hard to understand. The baby represented everything sacred to his father’s heart– the promises of God, the covenants, the hopes of the year and the long messianic dreams. As he watched him grow from babyhood to young manhood, the heart of the old man was knit closer and closer with the life of his son, till at last the relationship bordered upon the perilous.”

“It was then that God stepped in to save both father and son from the consequences of an uncleansed love. ‘Take now your son,’ said God to Abraham, ‘Your only son Isaac, whom you love, and get into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell you of’ (Genesis 22:2). The sacred writer spares us a close-up of the agony that night on the slopes near Beersheba when the aged man had it out with his God, but respectful imagination may view in awe the bent form wrestling convulsively alone under the stars. Possibly not again until One greater than Abraham wrestled in the Garden of Gethsemane did such mortal pain visit a human soul. If only the man himself might have been allowed to die. That would have been a thousand times easier, for he was old now, and to die would have been no great ordeal for one who had walked so long with God. Besides, it would have been a last, sweet pleasure to let his dimming vision rest upon the figure of his stalwart son who would live to carry on the Abrahamic line and fulfill in himself the promises of God made long before in Ur of the Chaldees.”

“How could he slay the lad! Even if he could get the consent of his wounded and protesting heart, how could he reconcile the act with the promise, ‘In Isaac shall your seed be called?’ This was Abraham’s trial by fire, and he did not fail in the crucible. While the stars still shone like sharp white points above the tent where the sleeping Isaac lay, and long before the gray dawn had begun to lighten the east, the old saint had made up his mind. He would offer his son as God had directed him to do, and then trust God to raise him from the dead. This, says the writer to the Hebrews, was the solution his aching heart found sometime in the dark night, and he rose ‘early in the morning’ to carry out the plan. It is beautiful to see that, while he erred as to God’s method, he had correctly sensed the secret of God’s great heart. And the solution accords well with the New Testament Scripture, ‘whosoever will lose for my sake shall find’ (Matthew 16:25).”

“God let the suffering old man go through with it up to the point where he knew there would be no retreat and then forbade him to lay a hand upon the boy. To the wondering patriarch He now says in effect, ‘It’s all right, Abraham. I never intended that you should actually slay the lad. I only wanted to remove him from the temple of your heart that I might reign unchallenged there. I wanted to correct the perversion that existed in your love. Now you may have the boy, sound and well. Take him and go back to your tent. Now I know that you fear God, seeing that you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’”

“Then heaven opened and a voice was heard saying to him, ‘by myself have I sworn, says the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice’” (Genesis 22:16-18).

“The old man of God lifted his head to respond to the Voice, and stood there on the mount strong and pure and grand, a man marked out by the Lord for special treatment, a friend and favorite of the Most High. Now he was a man wholly surrendered, a man utterly obedient, a man who possessed nothing. He had concentrated his all in the person of his dear son, and God had taken it from him. God could have begun out on the margin of Abraham’s life and worked inward to the center. He chose rather to cut quickly to the heart and have it over in one sharp act of separation. In hurt cruelly, but it was effective.”

“I have said that Abraham possessed nothing. Yet was not this poor man rich? Everything he had owned before was his still to enjoy: sheep, camels, heads, and goods of every sort. He had also his wife and his friends, and best of all he had his son Isaac safe by his side. He had everything, but he possessed nothing. There is the spiritual secret. There is the sweet theology of the heart which can be learned only in the school of renunciation.”

“Let us never forget that truths such as thse cannot be learned by rote as one would learn the facts of physical science. They must be experienced before we can really know them. We must, in our hearts, live through Abraham’s harsh and bitter experiences if we would know the blessedness which follows them.”

“The ancient curse will not go out painlessly; the tough, old miser within us will not lie down and die in obedience to our command. He must be pulled out of our heart like a plant from the soil; he must be extracted in agony and blood like a tooth from the jaw. He must be expelled from our soul by violence, as Christ expelled the moneychangers from the temple. And we shall need to steel ourselves against his piteous begging, and to recognize it as springing out of self-pity, one of the most reprehensible sins of the human heart.” (The pursuit of God)

Pride: Should it be removed from the seven deadly sins?

Is it wrong to be proud? For many years, pride was regarded as the first of the seven deadly sins. In Scripture, “a proud look” or “haughty eyes” tops the list of seven things God hates (Proverbs 6:16-17). Most agree that there is a type of pride that is good. It seems good to take pride in your work or in an achievement of excellence. We feel right about encouraging our children to be proud of themselves — not in an egotistical sense but in a way that promotes healthy self-esteem. If pride is a feeling of satisfaction at a job well done or a healthy sense of worth as one made in God’s image, it is a good thing.

But there is an uglier side to pride. Sometimes it comes in “the form of inordinate self congratulations” or a “blend of narcissism and conceit that we detest in others and sometimes tenderly protect in ourselves” (C. Plantinga).

When pride involves this blend of self-absorption and an overestimation of one’s ability or worth, it is a destructive force; it is anti-community and more importantly, it is anti-God. “What sin makes God seem more irrelevant? God wants to fill us with his Holy Spirit, but when we are proud we are already full of ourselves. There’s no room for God” (Plantinga).

Augustine depicted pride as the great political enemy in the city of God. Scripture teaches that “God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble” (I Peter 5: ).  “According to traditional Christian wisdom, a main problem with pride is that it recognizes neither sin nor grace; in fact, pride hammers them flat and discards them” (Plantinga). This is why a proud heart is opposed by God.

For a long time there was widespread agreement in our culture about the evils of sinful pride. But attitudes toward pride have shifted significantly. “What has changed is that, in much of contemporary American culture, aggressive self-regard is no longer viewed with alarm. Instead, people praise and promote it.” Are we now living in an ego-centered culture in which “human life degenerates into the clamor of competing autobiographies?” In such a culture, the self exists to be explored, indulged and expressed but not disciplined or restrained” (Plantinga).

For a cultural gut-check, enter American Idol. One columnist referred to this program as “the self-esteem movement on steroids.” It stretches credulity to believe that most of those who audition really think they can sing well. Is this what we wanted to accomplish by making self-esteem the primary goal of education? It appears that we have facilitated new levels of delusional self-perception. Scary stuff if you ask me! Perhaps this is a contributing factor to the pervasive struggles with depression in our culture. Our expectations are too high because our egos are too inflated. What a set-up for disappointment!

The original sin was pride. It was the sin that occasioned the fall of Satan himself. We learn this in a New Testament list of qualifications for church leaders. The leader “…must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil (I Timothy 3:6, NIV). Conceit is defined in another scriptural passage which says, “I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us” (Romans 12:3, NLT). Another translation warns not to “think more highly of yourself than you ought.” This is at the heart of sinful pride.

While exposing pride, we must not encourage false humility. Some people are so humble they’re proud of it. Pre-tending to be humble isn’t the same as actually being humble. Pretentious humility is self-refuting. Those who use humility to seek out praise are perhaps the most proud. Discerning people will see through this behavior.

Humility does not ask us to continually engage in self-deprecating statements. We must learn to think soberly about ourselves. This often necessitates the help of others when we miss the mark. True self-perception is slippery territory but it is possible to be both humble and aware of one’s giftedness. Admitting our sins, faults and limitations fosters stronger humility. Being humble involves showing deference to others in a courteously respectful manner. It is the opposite of arrogance, boasting and self-absorption.

Jesus taught and demonstrated humility as God’s way for us (See: Luke 22:24-30; John 13:1-17; Philippians 2:3-10). According to Jesus, humility is the mark of true greatness. “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:1-4). “And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. (Matthew 23:12 NAS)

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?’” (Matthew 16:24-26).

It’s time for all of us to return to Jesus and learn the joy and freedom that comes with humility and self-denial. Those who take the path of self-denial in an age of self-expression, self-worth and self-indulgence, will be set free! A proud heart is an imprisoned and hardened heart. A humble heart that turns to God is free and full of grace.

Steve Cornell

Deep thoughts about prayer

I go through seasons of prayer when I feel I am not being heard. During these times, I question my motives (James 4:3) and the condition of my walk with God (Psalm 66:18; James 5:16). I know these are important considerations to effective prayer. At a deeper level, I wonder if my requests are according to God’s will (I John 5:14). And then there is the matter of presumption vs. faith. Perhaps I am presuming on God in my request. Is this faith or presumption? 

 

Like Jesus’ early disciples, I have times when I say, “Lord teach me to pray” (Luke 11:1). The well-known saying, “Prayer changes things” often turns out to be ”Prayer changes me.” Yet, in the midst of my uncertainty, I cannot stop praying (I Thessalonians 5:17).  I remind myself of the words of the psalmist, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8). I want to be bold in my prayers for the advancement of God’s work. I have persevered in prayer through many uncertain seasons (Luke 18:1) and witnessed many amazing answers from God! But each new season offers deeper challenges. 

Can you identify with my struggles? A friend facing a turning point in life recently shared some helpful thoughts about prayer. His thoughts are based on two verses:    

“We do not know what to do, our eyes are upon you” (2 Chronicles 20:12).  

“But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge”(Psalm 141:8). 

 

“I am among those who struggle against the fear of praying presumptuously, and the net effect is that I become a purveyor of timid prayers carefully calculated to save face in the event that my request conflicts with God’s mysterious will. I am like the fortune teller who couches her predictions so vaguely that almost any event could be construed as a fulfillment.” 

 

“I still don’t know where to draw the line between faith and presumption, but I wonder if the verses above provide some clarity. It is one thing to acknowledge that I depend on God to meet my need, it is quite another to look to Him in reverent expectation, and it is still another for my prayers to cause others to look to Him in reverent expectation. Unlike mere acknowledgement of my dependence on God—which is often followed by my own effort, expectation looks to God through the lens of a specific need that is beyond my capacity to achieve.”  

 

“If my prayers result in no sense of expectation, then certainly I have avoided presumption, but I may well have missed faith. And isn’t that what prayer is about anyway? The answer is not the point, but the means by which God proves Himself faithful and loving, and so wins my trust.” 

 

“So the clock is ticking, the need remains. Lord, may it be said of us that ‘our eyes are upon You.’” (Dave Hart) 

 

Good words about prayer!

 

 

Your thoughts?

 

 

Steve Cornell   

Do not accept defeat by sin!

What should I do when I fail:              

I John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Proverbs 24:26a

“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.”

“After each failure ask for forgiveness, pick yourself up and try again. For however important chastity may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul which are more important still. It cures our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on God. We learn, on the one hand, that we cannot trust ourselves even in our best moments, and on the other, that we need not despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven. No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep on picking ourselves up each time. We shall of course be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put out, and the clean clothes in the airing cupboard. The only fatal thing is to lose one’s temper and give up. It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present in us: it is the very sign of His presence.”   C.S. Lewis 

I Corinthians 15:58 

“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 

Proverbs 3:5-7

5. Trust in the LORD with all your heart
       and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
       and he will make your paths straight.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
       fear the LORD and shun evil.

Steve Cornell

Amazing what the fear of God brings to life!

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Proverbs 1:7).

  

Let this one sit in your soul:

The fear of the Lord is the pre-requisite to every right attitude. “…This truth keeps the shrewdness of proverbs from slipping into mere self-interest, the perplexity of Job from mutiny, and the disillusion of Ecclesiastes from final despair.”

(From: The Wisdom of Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes, Derek Kidner (InterVarsity Press, 1985).  (Great verses on the fear of the Lord: Genesis 22:12;Deuteronomy 5:29)  

Do you have a bad attitude toward God?

 By Steve Cornell

Some Christians are not experiencing spiritual growth because they have a bad attitude toward God. Life didn’t turn out as they desired. They feel as though God let them down. Is it possible that they have forgotten the reminder of Scripture that, “The Lord disciplines those he loves”? Here is a truth we can’t afford to ignore, misunderstand or underestimate. If you have known the Lord for any length of time, you have learned this truth. You understand the words of Hebrews 12:11: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” You know that “. . God disciplines us for our good that we may share his holiness” (Hebrews 12:10). Discipline is part of God’s plan for spiritual transformation for all of His children.

If you are new in the Lord, however, it is possible that you have not yet experienced the reality of God’s discipline. Or, having been thrust into hardship, you question whether God has forgotten you. “Perhaps I have angered him and he has turned from me,” you think to yourself. You are confused. You thought life with God would fix everything but now you face new challenges and old ones continue to frustrate you. What should you think?

In an excellent passage, Dr. J. I. Packer wrote, “the God of whom it was said, ‘He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms’ (Is. 40:11), is very gentle with very young Christians, just as mothers are with very young babies.  Often the start of their Christian career is marked by great emotional joy, striking providences, remarkable answers to prayer and immediate fruitfulness in their first acts of witness; thus God encourages them and establishes them in ‘the life.’ But as they grow stronger, and are able to bear more, he exercises them in a tougher school.  He exposes them to as much testing by the pressure of opposed and discouraging influences as they are able to bear — not more (see the promise, 1 Cor. 10:13), but equally not less (see the admonition, Acts 14:22). Thus he builds our character, strengthens our faith, and prepares us to help others.  Thus he crystallizes our sense of values. Thus he glorifies himself in our lives, making his strength perfect in our weakness. There is nothing unnatural, therefore, in an increase of temptations, conflicts and pressures as the Christian goes on with God — indeed, something would be wrong if it did not happen” (p. 246, Knowing God). 

Dr. Packer then raises the question of how God carries out His purposes in drawing us closer to himself: “Not by shielding us from assault by the world, the flesh and the devil, nor by protecting us from burdensome and frustrating circumstances, nor yet by shielding us from troubles created by our own temperament and psychology; but rather by exposing us to all these things, so as to overwhelm us with a sense of our own inadequacy, and to drive us to cling to him more closely. This is the ultimate reason, from our standpoint, why God fills our lives with troubles and perplexities of one sort and another: it is to ensure that we shall learn to hold him fast. The reason why the Bible spends so much of its time reiterating that God is a strong rock, a firm defense, and a sure refuge and help for the weak, is that God spends so much of his time bringing home to us that we are weak, both mentally and morally, and dare not trust ourselves to find, or to follow, the right road.”

“When we walk along a clear road feeling fine, and someone takes our arm to help us, as likely as not we shall impatiently shake him off; but when we are caught in rough country in the dark, with a storm getting up and our strength spent, and someone takes our arm to help us, we shall thankfully lean on him. And God wants us to feel that our way through life is rough and perplexing, so that we may learn thankfully to lean on him. Therefore he takes steps to drive us out of self-confidence to trust in himself – in the classical scripture phrase for the secret of the godly life, to ‘wait on the Lord’” (p. 250, Ibid). 

In Proverbs 3, the father reminded his son that the Lord disciplines those he loves. First, however, the father challenged his son to trust in the Lord with all his heart and acknowledge the Lord in all his ways. To respond this way to God, the son must avoid the temptation to lean on his own understanding. He must fear the Lord and shun evil, lest he become wise in his own eyes. If he responds to the Lord in this way, He will “make his path straight or smooth” and the son will find that it will “bring health to his body and nourishment to his bones.”  If he honors God with his wealth, “with the firstfruits of his crops” he will have an overflowing provision of his necessities.   

Will things always go this way for His son? The father knew better. In his helpful commentary on Proverbs, David Hubbard suggested that the father “. . . knew that perfect obedience was an impossibility. The temptations were too pressing and attractive; individuals were too gullible and willful. No matter how clearly God marked out the paths of righteousness, some would miss them by carelessness and others would leave them by stubbornness. And when they did, because their basic trust was in God and their deep-seated desire was to please Him, He would meet them as a disciplining Father determined to point out their mistakes and return them to the right road” (pp. 72-73, Communicators Commentary, Proverbs). 

The words of Proverbs 3:11 suggest the possibility that the son will be tempted to misunderstand the Lord’s discipline and respond adversely to it. “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke.” Like a child who resents his father’s or mother’s discipline, so God’s children sometimes resent his discipline. It is this same concern that occasioned the New Testament use of these verses in Hebrews 12.   

The Hebrew Christians, to whom the book was written, were facing intense persecution and suffering. They were being persecuted mostly by their Jewish friends and relatives who opposed their turn to Jesus as Messiah. “The affliction had largely been in the form of social and economic pressure, though some of them had been imprisoned (10:34). We can imagine the arguments they heard for rejecting the new faith. ‘Look at what you have gotten yourselves into. You have become Christians and all you have had are problems, criticism, hardship, and suffering. You have lost your friends, your families, your synagogues, your traditions, your heritage — everything.’ Some believers perhaps were wondering why, if their God was a God of power and of peace, they were suffering so much. ‘Why are we not winning out over our enemies, instead of our enemies seeming always to have the upper hand? Where is the God who is supposed to supply all our needs and give us the answers to our questions, and fulfillment to our lives? Why, when we turned to a God of love, did everyone start hating us?’” (MacArthur, Hebrews, p.384).

These believers were in danger of being overwhelmed with discouragement based on a false reading of their circumstances. It is this that occasioned a very significant use of Proverbs 3:11-12: “And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son’” (Hebrews 12:5,6). 

Notice how the New Testament author takes a text of scripture written centuries earlier and treats it as the voice of God conversing with suffering believers in NT times. He personalizes the text in verse 5; “addresses you.” Then, in verses 7-13, the writer actualizes the authority of the text from proverbs by expounding its implications — resulting in one of the most in-depth treatments of the subject of discipline. 

Not unlike other New Testament uses of the Old Testament, this one freely re-applies the Old Testament text, without drifting outside its original intention. The quote runs this way, “do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you.” It picks up the Septuagint (Greek translation of the O.T.)  addition: “and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” But the main truth is that “the Lord disciplines those he loves.” The readers of the book of Hebrews needed to hear this so they would not misread their hardships as an indication that God had abandoned them—that he was unconcerned for their well-being.   

In fact, the author of Hebrews argues for the opposite position. “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:7-11).   

The statement in Hebrews 12:7 is significant: “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.” Their hardships were brought on primarily by mistreatment from others. Here they are encouraged to “endure it” — (don’t collapse and give up) — as God’s discipline. As an example, verses 2-3 appeal to Jesus. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Emphasis mine). 

Perhaps it is most difficult to discern the hand of God or, “God treating us as sons,” when difficulties come from hostile treatment by others. Yet it is at these times that we must rise above the circumstances and see God as superior to the evil intentions of people. We must resolve to see our situation as from our heavenly father — not from those who treat us with hostility. We must confess our Father’s greater love and ask him to sustain us and thank him that he is willing to take so much time to conform us to his likeness. “God disciplines us for our good that we may share his holiness” (Hebrews 12:10).   

Endure the unpleasant work of the planting and growing season by being mindful of the harvest (see Hebrews 12:11). What did Joseph say to his frightened brothers in Genesis 50:20?  “Although you intended evil against me God meant it for good to bring about the saving of many lives.” The Psalmist recognized another benefit in suffering when he wrote: “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word” and “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I may learn your decrees” (119:67, 71).   

Sometimes God uses afflictions to promote obedience. Other times he allows suffering to prevent disobedience as in the case of the apostle Paul. In II Corinthians 12:7-10 Paul wrote, “To keep me from being conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 

God protected the spiritual well-being of Paul by means of a thorn in the flesh. Whatever this thorn was, it was clearly tormenting and something Paul pleaded with God to remove. But God allowed it to remain to protect Paul from the devastating effects of what would prove to be a greater disaster — conceit. Although the thorn was a “messenger of Satan”, it was also given to Paul by God for a higher purpose. 

In application, one author suggested that, “Our sickness, lack of business success, or other problems may be God’s way of keeping us from something much worse.  If God’s children accepted His preventive discipline more willingly and gratefully, He would have much less need for administering His corrective discipline” (MacArthur, P.387). 

I appreciate what A.W. Pink recommended concerning our response to hardships: “Remind yourself of how much dross there is yet among the gold and view the corruption of your own heart and marvel that God has not smitten you more severely.  Form the habit of heeding His taps, and you will be less likely to receive His raps.” The conclusion?  “. . . do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves . . .” (Proverbs 3:11-12).  

Steve Cornell  http://thinkpoint.wordpress.com/2007/05/21/discipline-why-does-life-have-to-hurt-so-much/  

No stalemate

In the battle between flesh and Spirit there is no stalemate.

 

When we think about the power of God by His Spirit, we should not see ourselves as passive recipients of this power but active appropriators of it. When the apostle wrote, “live/walk by the Spirit”, it should be understood as a call to, “let your conduct be directed by the Spirit.” It is a command that requires our obedience.  And it comes with an emphatic promise based on a double negative in the Greek language –(aorist subjunctive) “you will by no means fulfill the desires of the flesh (or sinful nature).” Victory requires, “The voluntary subjugation of one’s will to the Spirit who leads.”  But, as v. 17 indicates, it will involve a battle: “Does man choose evil, the Spirit opposes him; does he choose good, the flesh hinders him.”

“So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

(Romans 7:21-25).

A hand from heaven to deliver you from besetting sins?

Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor of historic Moody Church, traces a common pattern of sin through five steps. “We’ve all experienced the pattern,” he wrote. ”Sinful habits begin innocently enough, but if we don’t master them, they will surely master us.” 

1. Enjoy a forbidden pleasure 

2. Feel guilty 

3. Determine never to do it again

4. Take pride in brief moments of self-control

5. Then fail once more. 

“Each time we repeat the pattern, the ruts are cut a bit deeper, the chain pulls tighter” (Lutzer).

A Roman Philosopher once cried out, “Oh that a hand would come down from heaven and deliver me from my besetting sin!” “His plea,” wrote Lutzer, “has been echoed throughout the centuries. We’ve all wished for the same miracle.”

“Can we really be delivered from the one-step-forward and two-backward routine? At times I’ve thought the answer to the question was No. Despite my sincere attempts at yielding myself to God. I retained certain weaknesses (sins is a more honest word) that I concluded I would simply have to live with. After all, no one is perfect!  But I knew my private failure was no credit to Christ, who won the victory on the cross. Did He not promise that we could be free indeed? Through many failures and a few victories I’ve discovered that the most persistent sin can be dislodged. We can be free from sins, even the ones safely tucked away in the crevices of our souls.”

“Imagine a city that is constantly being attacked at a vulnerable point along one of its walls. The enemy habitually exploits the same weakness—with startling success.  Don’t you think that the inhabitants would rebuild the defective fortification in preparation for the next assault? Yet countless Christians repeatedly succumb to the same temptations without a constructive program for strengthening their defenses. They have accepted failure as a way of life, reasoning, ‘That’s just the way I am.’”

“God has a different plan—for which He has given us a message of deliverance and hope. True, there are no easy miracles. Our success is neither instant nor automatic. Slick and easy solutions lead to false expectations which, in turn, spawn disappointment and unbelief. Applying biblical principles takes time and discipline. But steady progress is possible. Even long-established and sinful behavior patterns can be replaced by wholesome attitudes and actions” (Lutzer).

What was the cry of the Roman Philosopher? “Oh, that a hand would come down from heaven and deliver me from my besetting sin!” This is the cry of a man who reaches the point in his struggle against sin where he realizes that without intervention from heaven, he will forever be bound to besetting sin. Like so many others, he wanted freedom from the controlling power of sin and he knew he couldn’t gain it in his own strength.             

The good news for those who feel bound by sin’s power is that more than a hand has come down from Heaven! God Himself came down from Heaven! The apostle John wrote, “the Word, (i. e. the Lord Jesus Christ) who was with God and who was God became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (Jn. 1:1,14,29). When he came, his earthly father Joseph was told to give Him the name Jesus, “because He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21)         

In His death for our sins, Jesus not only removed sin’s penalty, he also broke sin’s power (I Jn. 3:7-9; Rom. 6:1-14a). Those who are united with Christ can be free from the controlling power of sin. Through our union with Jesus at salvation, “sin shall not be our master” (Romans 6:14).          

After Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended to the Father, he sent the Spirit (Jn. 7:37-39; 14:15-17; 16:5-15; Acts 1:4-9). Ever since the Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, all who place faith in Jesus as Savior and confess Him as Lord (at that moment) receive the gift of the Spirit. Scripture teaches that, all believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 6:19-20; II Cor. 1:21-22; Gal. 3:2-5; Ja. 4:5). If you are a believer, God dwells in you by His Spirit!           

And, the Spirit of God in us is the agent and power for enabling us to live a life that pleases God.  Galatians 5:16 says, “so I say”, (better, “but” I say). This is a common formula, used by Paul, to alert his readers to an emphatic point. ”Here is my advice.” Or, “Here is the remedy for the situation described in v. 15.” (Phillips). To protect the community from destruction, each member must “live or walk by the Spirit.”   

Galatians 5:16 is a command with a promise attached to it. The command:  “live or walk by the Spirit” The promise: “you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature (or flesh).”

The RSV translates this as two commands, the second being, “do not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Yet, although there are similar commands (e.g. Rom. 6:12-13; 13:14; I Peter 2:11). Galatians 5:16 is a promise or word of assurance indicating the means for gaining victory over sin, “Paul was making a strong assertion that once the Galatians allowed the Spirit to guide them, then they would ‘never satisfy the flesh’”(Moffatt). 

Galatians 5:17 expands on the conflict that confronts every believer. It is a conflict between two wills: My will and God’s will – “the ought to” and  “the want to.” Of course, it’s great when they work in unity. When I will to do what God wills for me to do, when I want to do what I ought to do, life is so much better! Often we experience an ongoing conflict or tension between these two forces. Sometimes it becomes intense and unrelenting (Rom. 7:19, 21-25). 

Where do we look for strength and power to overcome? “Walk by the Spirit…” (a present tense verb) “Keep on walking…” (Galatians 5:16). This is not something one must do from time to time. It’s a way of life! It is long obedience in the same direction. We cannot get to a place where we no longer experience the tension. There is no secret spiritual technique or second blessing that will put us above the battleground. “We all stumble in many ways” (James 3:1). “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (I Corinthians 10:12). The moment you think you are invulnerable to the allurement of sinful desires—you are most vulnerable. If you think you have reached some higher plane of spirituality—above the conflict between flesh and spirit—you are truly self-deluded and in greater danger of sinning.           

“No Christians” one wrote, ”are so spiritually strong or mature that they need not heed his warning, but neither are any so weak or vacillating that they cannot be free from the tyranny of the flesh through the power of the Spirit…In the battle between the forces of flesh and Spirit there is no stalemate, but the Spirit takes the lead, overwhelms, and thus defeats evil.”         

There are four verbs used in Galatians 5 to describe the dynamic involvement of the Spirit in the life of the believer, (all of them roughly equivalent in meaning).

          v.16 – “live/walk by the Spirit”

          v.18 – “led by the Spirit”

          v.25a – “live by the Spirit”

          v.25b – “keep in step with the Spirit”

Add to these the call to bear the fruit of the Spirit and sow to the Spirit (Galatians 5,6). All of these fit under the command in Ephesians 5:18, “Be filled with the Spirit.” They also send a strong reminder of how completely dependent we must be on the Spirit’s presence and power in our lives.  

A man once came to a Pastor and explained about how impossible it was to live a Christian life. The Pastor agreed and the man was taken back! He expected to be rebuked and set straight. Instead, the Pastor congratulated him for learning the most important lesson for living a victorious Christian life. What is it? That you cannot do it in your own strength! You must live in total dependence on God.         

But this is not the “let go and let God” approach. We are not passive recipients of God’s activity in our lives. We are active participants (Philippians 2:12-13). It requires a constant practice of humbling oneself before God and learning to lean on Him and look to Him (cf. Deut. 8:1-3- God will teach you this). It involves commitment to all the spiritual disciplines out of recognition of need and dependence on the Lord.           

Steve Cornell

8 Dynamics of Addiction and A plan for change

Overcoming Addiction

Do you struggle with addictive behavior? I have repeatedly counseled people caught in the grip of addiction. This would include addictions to alcohol, spending money, tobacco, food, gambling, pornography, drugs, exercise, sleeping, televised sports, and more. The pain in the lives of the addict and those close to him is often significant. Addictions have the power to leave a trail of shattered lives in their wake. The first steps to overcoming a bad habit include an understanding what it is and an admission to having a problem with it. But what does addiction look like? Consider eight dynamics of addiction:

1. Repetition of pleasurable and therefore habit-forming behavior, plus escalating tolerance and desire.

2. Unpleasant after effects of such behavior, including withdrawal symptoms and self-reproach.

3. Vows to moderate or quit, followed by relapses and attendant feelings of guilt, shame and general distress.

4. Attempts to ease this distress with new rounds of the addictive behavior (or with the first rounds of a companion addiction).

5. Deterioration of work and relationships, with accompanying cognitive disturbances, including denial, delusions, and self-deceptions, especially about the effects of the addiction, and the degree to which one is enthralled by it.

6. Gradually increasing preoccupation, then obsession, with the addictor.

7. Compulsivity in addictive behavior; evidence that one’s will has become at least partly split, enfeebled, and enslaved.

8. A tendency to draw others into the web of addiction, people who support and enable the primary addiction.  These “co-dependents” present certain addictive patterns of their own—in particular, the simultaneous need to be needed by the addict and to control him.  The co-dependent relationship is thus one in which primary and parasitic additions join.

(From: Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be, Cornelius Plantinga Jr.)

Do you find it hard to break bad habits? Many realize they need to break from wrong behavior but have given up trying. After having tried and failed so many times, they’ve lost all hope of change.

If you’ve accepted failure as a way of life, a change of attitude is your first need. No easy formulas exist for changing deeply ingrained habits, but change itself is impossible for those who accept defeat. We are deeply affected by the mindsets we choose for ourselves. Change must begin in our thinking before it affects our behavior. Lasting change requires daily choices to look at life through the right lens. Defeat is the wrong lens!

“Mary was overweight. The doctor assured her that the cause was not a physical problem, but was caused by her overeating. She tried several diets over a period of months.  This wasn’t easy for her; she unrealistically expected dramatic and immediate results.  Repeatedly, she broke her promises to herself. Eventually, discouragement turned to hopelessness, and Mary gave up trying to lose weight.” (Erwin Lutzer)

If you’ve accepted failure as a way of life, a change of attitude must occur before other changes are possible. There are no easy formulas for changing deeply ingrained habits, but change itself is impossible for those who accept defeat. Our lives are significantly affected by the mindsets we choose. Change must begin in our thinking before it affects our behavior. Lasting change requires a daily choice to look at life through the right lens. I have repeatedly learned this truth.

As a teen I wasted two years in rebellion against God and all authority. I left home and joined the gang life on the streets of Philadelphia. I quickly spiraled down a bad path. After hitting the bottom, I turned to God and made a recommitment to serve him with my life. I found change to be very hard to accomplish. I also learned that my main obstacle was my mind.

During my rebellion, I had accumulated bad memories that continually pulled me in the wrong direction. I knew that change would only occur if I could wash my mind of wrong thoughts and fill it with good ones (see: Philippians 4:8). This led me to an intense commitment to memorize scripture. Through the discipline of filling my mind with God’s Word, I was able to change the way I thought about life. This progressively led to the changes I desired in my behavior.

The psalmist prayed, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. … I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:9-11). I recommend a 20/20 approach to scripture: read for 20 minutes; contemplate for 20 minutes. In Scripture, we find the hope and power for change.

In his book, “How to Say ‘No’ to a Stubborn Habit,” Dr. Erwin Lutzer wrote, “A young man, caught in the grip of homosexuality, struggled with this sin for a period of months. God eventually changed him so radically that he developed normal attractions for the opposite sex. Today he is a godly, sensitive young man. God taught him principles of commitment which he has been able to apply to all areas of his life. He memorized more than 200 verses of scripture during those months of agonizing struggle.  His sinful habit drove him to seek God and become intimately acquainted with the Almighty. He began by being occupied with his problem; today he is occupied with his God.”

Although there are no easy solutions for breaking long-established behavior patterns, change is possible. Through patient and persistent application of biblical principles, we can make steady progress. Victory is possible!

Setbacks are often part of the struggle, but as Lutzer suggests, “God uses your struggle to give you a thorough housecleaning, reorganize your priorities and make you dependent on His grace … You must want spiritual freedom, not merely for our own sake, but for God’s sake as well.  Only then will you find the victory he promises.”

Here is a suggested prayer to help you stay on the path of victory:

“Lord, I confess my sin, particularly my rebellion against your authority. In agreeing that I have sinned, I also agree that this sin must be forsaken. Thank you for your forgiveness. I am grateful for this powerful temptation, which gave me the chance to prove that I love you more than any pleasure in the world. I thank you that the temptation is not greater than I can bear, and I rejoice at how you will use it in my life. I look forward to getting to know you better, and I am glad that you have sent me this trial as a reminder of how desperately I need you” (Erwin Lutzer).

Steve Cornell

5 resources for spiriual growth

1.      God’s Spirit  (Ephesians 5:18-21; Galatians 5:16-17, 22-23)  

2.      God’s people (Hebrews 3:13-14;13:17; Ephesians 4:11-16)  

3.      God’s Word  (Hebrews 4:12; I Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:21-25; I Peter 1:23;2:1)   

4.      God’s throne (Hebrews 4:16; Colossians 4:12; James 4:8; I Pe. 5:7-8)   

5.      God’s discipline (Hebrews 12:1-11; James 1:2-5; I Peter 1:6-8)

By Steve Cornell 

  

How to Listen to a sermon (From George Whitefield)

In one of the late George Whitefield’s sermons, he exposited Luke 8:18 where Jesus said, “Therefore consider carefully how you listen.” 

Whitefield said, “Here are some cautions and directions, in order to help you hear sermons with profit and advantage.”

1. Come to hear them, not out of curiosity, but from a sincere desire to know and do your duty. To enter His house merely to have our ears entertained, and not our hearts reformed, must certainly be highly displeasing to the Most High God, as well as unprofitable to ourselves.

2. Give diligent heed to the things that are spoken from the Word of God. If an earthly king were to issue a royal proclamation, and the life or death of his subjects entirely depended on performing or not performing its conditions, how eager would they be to hear what those conditions were! And shall we not pay the same respect to the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and lend an attentive ear to His ministers, when they are declaring, in His name, how our pardon, peace, and happiness may be secured?

3. Do not entertain even the least prejudice against the minister. That was the reason Jesus Christ Himself could not do many mighty works, nor preach to any great effect among those of His own country; for they were offended at Him. Take heed therefore, and beware of entertaining any dislike against those whom the Holy Ghost has made overseers over you.

Consider that the clergy are men of like passions with yourselves. And though we should even hear a person teaching others to do what he has not learned himself, yet that is no reason for rejecting his doctrine. For ministers speak not in their own, but in Christ’s name. And we know who commanded the people to do whatever the scribes and Pharisees should say unto them, even though they did not do themselves what they said (see Matt. 23:1-3).

4. Be careful not to depend too much on a preacher, or think more highly of him than you ought to think. Preferring one teacher over another has often been of ill consequence to the church of God. It was a fault which the great Apostle of the Gentiles condemned in the Corinthians: ‘For whereas one said, I am of Paul; another, I am of Apollos: are you not carnal, says he? For who is Paul, and who is Apollos, but instruments in God’s hands by whom you believed?’ (1 Cor. 1:12; 2:3-5).

Are not all ministers sent forth to be ministering ambassadors to those who shall be heirs of salvation? And are they not all therefore greatly to be esteemed for their work’s sake?

5. Make particular application to your own hearts of everything that is delivered. When our Savior was discoursing at the last supper with His beloved disciples and foretold that one of them should betray Him, each of them immediately applied it to his own heart and said, ‘Lord, is it I?’ (Matt. 26:22).

Oh, that persons, in like manner, when preachers are dissuading from any sin or persuading to any duty, instead of crying, ‘This was intended for such and such a one!’ instead would turn their thoughts inwardly, and say, ‘Lord, is it I?’ How far more beneficial should we find discourses to be than now they generally are!

6. Pray to the Lord, before, during, and after every sermon, to endue the minister with power to speak, and to grant you a will and ability to put into practice what he shall show from the Book of God to be your duty.

No doubt it was this consideration that made St. Paul so earnestly entreat his beloved Ephesians to intercede with God for him: ‘Praying always, with all manner of prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and for me also, that I may open my mouth with boldness, to make known the mysteries of the gospel’ (Eph. 6:19-20). And if so great an apostle as St. Paul needed the prayers of his people, much more do those ministers who have only the ordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit.

If only all who hear me this day would seriously apply their hearts to practice what has now been told them! How ministers would see Satan, like lightning, fall from heaven, and people find the Word preached sharper than a two-edged sword and mighty, through God, to the pulling down of the devil’s strongholds!

Spiritual Inventory: It’s worth the time!

A Spiritual self-inventory by Richard Rogers (1603, Puritan )

How would our lives change if we asked these questions at least once each week?

1. Whether I continually keep a narrow watch over my heart, words and deeds.

2. Whether I am careful to redeem the time now, and to make sure time in the future is not idly, carelessly or unprofitably spent.

3. Whether I attend to private prayer and meditation at least once each day.

4. Whether I have been careful to do good and receive good from others with whom I spend time.

5. Whether my family is instructed, watched over and governed with diligence.

6. Whether I have given more time and care to earthly pleasures and worldly profits than necessary.

7. Whether I have stirred myself and others up, to love God’s people, and especially to suffer for doing good.

8. Whether I have given too much freedom to wandering thoughts and carnal emotions.

9. Whether I have prepared myself to bear the cross, no matter when or where it might please God to exercise me.

10. Whether I have carved out any time, not only to mourn for my own sins, but also for the sins of my time and the age in which I live.

11. Whether I have looked daily with longing for the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ, for my full deliverance out of this world of sin and misery.

12. Whether I have sought out (as my need requires) the acquaintance of some honest, godly and faithful person, with whom I may converse and open my heart, for the quickening of God’s grace in me.

13. Whether I have observed the vanity of all earthly things, in order to condemn them and long after heaven; and whether I have noted the mortality and deaths of other people, and thought often and earnestly of my own passing.

14. Whether I have read daily (when I could with convenience) out of Scripture, for the further increase of my knowledge and conscience.

15. Whether I have renewed my covenant with God to strive against sin, especially against those sins and corruptions of my own heart and life, by which I have dishonored the Lord most.

16. Whether I take note of how sin dies and is weakened in me, and keep myself from returning to my old sins, wisely avoiding all occasions that might lead me to them.

17. Whether I have not lost my first love and liking of God’s word, and all the holy exercises of religion (e.g., prayer, reading, meditation, fellowship, etc.).

18. Whether I have been occupied often in reflecting on God’s benefits and works, in order to sound forth his praises for them.

19. Whether I have fought to cherish my faith, by taking comfort and delight in the great benefit of my redemption by Jesus Christ.

20. Whether I have not made spiritual exercises (see 17. above) and practices of repentance matters of course and custom, rather than matters of conscience.

From: http://theconventicle.blogspot.com/

 

Spiritual Disciplines for developing a heart for God

by Steve Cornell

Study Texts: Ephesians 4:17-24; I Peter 1:14-16

Letting go: The Disciplines of Abstinence (I Peter 2:11- putting off)

Solitude – Spending time alone with God. This is hard in our incredibly busy times but it is indispensable to spiritual growth. We must let go of some of our busyness.

Fasting – Abstaining from food to express dependence on God – It is meant to be an act of humbling oneself before God to seek His help and deliverance. It is often associated with repentance (Matthew 4:2;6:16-18).

Denial – Intentionally denying yourself certain legitimate pleasures to find your sufficiency in God (or) a higher fulfillment in God (Matthew 16:24-26).

Sacrifice – Giving of our resources beyond what seem reasonable to remind us of our dependency on God. (Time/service/money) C.S. Lewis has written: “… if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot because our charitable expenditure excludes them.”                 (Matthew 6:24; Luke 17:10)

Secrecy – Living before an audience of one. Doing things without others knowing about it (Matthew 6:5-6; 25:34-40; Philippians 2:3; Hebrews 6:10).

Simplicity – Learning to live with less. Meeting basic needs. (Proverbs 30:7-9; I Timothy 6:6-8). “We resolve to renounce waste and oppose extravagance in personal living, clothing and housing, travel and church buildings. We also accept the distinction between necessities and luxuries, creative hobbies and empty status symbols, modesty and vanity, occasional celebrations and normal routine, and between the service of God and slavery to fashion. Where to draw the line requires conscientious thought and decision by us, together with members of our family.” (Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, March 1980).

Silence – Talking less and listening more. Being quiet before the Lord and others (Psalm 23:2; Isaiah 30:15; James 1:19). This is a lost discipline.

Putting On: The Disciplines of Activity (Romans 13:12-14; Ephesians 6:10-12)

Study – Reading, meditating on and investigating the Scriptures. Nourishing your soul on God’s Word (Deuteronomy 8:3; Psalm 19,119: I Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12).

Worship – Offering wholehearted praise to God (contra. Matthew 15:8); giving God glory, exalting God, declaring His excellencies/praises (I Peter 2:9; Psalm 95:6-7; Revelation 5:11-14). Use psalms, hymns, spiritual songs – “singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord” Ephesians 5:18-19

Prayer – Pouring out your heart to God in: Adoration,

Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication (I Peter 5:7; Phil. 4:5-7; Hebrews 4:16 – invitations to come to God: – James 4:8 – “Draw near to God…” see: Psalm 73:25-28)

Fellowship – Mutual caring and ministry in the body of Christ. To try to live for Jesus disconnected from a body of believers is to neglect a key resource for spiritual growth (Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 10:23-25).

Submission – Humbling yourself before God and others–being accountable (Psalm 51:17; James 4:7; I Peter 5:5-6; Hebrews 13:17)

Service – God intends for us to find our greatest joy in giving our time, talent and resources for the benefit of others (Mark 10:45; Luke 17:10; John 13:13-17; Galatians 5:13; Ephesians 4:16; Philippians 2:3-8).

Witnessing –– Inviting others to believe on Christ. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me – so send I you” (John 20:21; See also: Matthew 5:13-16; 28:19-20; Acts 1:8).

Check yourself regularly by these disciplines. Where do you need attention? Intentionally stretch yourself in these disciplines and you will develop a heart for God.

Remember: Although we do not accomplish spiritual maturity in our own strength (because it is the work of the Holy Spirit– II Corinthians 3:18), we are not passive recipients of it. Spiritual maturity is the by-product of a spiritually disciplined life that is lived in constant dependence on God (Ephesians 6:10-12).

There is no easy path to spiritual maturity but the rewards of giving yourself wholeheartedly to it are deeply satisfying.