ResponsiveReiding

Colossians 3:12–17 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Somehow, I do not know exactly how or when, but the idea that we grow in Christ has taken a back seat to once-for-all thinking, in areas it doesn’t belong.

It is true, that some things in Christianity are once for all. Things like Justification, or being born again. These are one time events which are never repeated. But just as in our natural birth, we are “born” only once, that’s not the whole story. We are never MORE human than the day we were conceived. And yet there is a whole lot of growing up into our humanness that needs to take place. Maturity never happens all at once. It is a process. And so it is with a text like ours today.

When we read a set of imperatives like we see in this passage, and hosts of others, we must keep from imagining that we “put on” once, and that’s the end of it. Just like physical clothing, we get dressed every day. Spiritual clothing is the very same in this respect.

Compassion is not put on once, and then – ZAPPO! – we simply are compassionate from then on. We need to put on compassionate hearts, as often as we are called upon to be compassionate. The same with kindness – it is not one act of kindness, but a lifestyle of putting on kindness repeatedly. Again, this is the same with humility, we don’t just “get” humble we keep on humbling ourselves, and being patient with others and bearing with one another and forgiving one another, etc.

These are not once-for-all bestowals or radical changes to our entire being in a lump – they are the daily working out of our salvation. And if we are serious about it, it is done with fear and trembling.

Alexander Whyte quotes an anonymous ancient source as saying: “The perseverance of the saints, is made up of ever new beginnings.” That’s right. The Christian is starting over again all the time. 1000 times a day. No, not getting saved again – but starting over in living out our redemption. Every misstep, every failure, every sin, every neglect of holy things, every slide back into fleshly thoughts, attitudes and behaviors. As Luther said, the Christian life is a life of repentance – constant, repetitive repentance.

Do not give up because you need to start afresh in some area today Christian – this is nature of the Christian life. Your perseverance will be wrought out in that endless chain of picking up, putting on – anew. Until the day when all is perfected in us by His Spirit. Keep putting on!

Proverbs 19:1–3  Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. 2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. 3 When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.

This trio of verses pack a powerful punch. They are at once laser sharp in their insight into human nature and revelatory of divine truth. How we need the mirror of God’s Word to open up the reality of our own hearts before us. We love deceiving ourselves. And how we need the light of God’s Word to show us Christ again – on every page and in every circumstance.

Three things are unpacked here.

First, in verse 1, notice that it is better to be lacking whatever it is that makes me feel deprived – and do so trusting in the Lord – than to be scheming and manipulating God and man to bring my desires about.

Our culture deems any sense of need as inherently bad. As though even thirst and hunger are themselves enemies, rather than indicators. So we’ll immediately try to quash the desire with whatever is at hand, rather than analyzing our desire, to see if it is legitimate, and/or what is best suited to truly satisfy it, rather than just feed it in the moment.

Our writer here tells us that it is OK to be lacking in some things. Not every perceived need, is a real need, nor HAS to be met. That walking in integrity – within the boundaries of being a creature made in the image of God – made to reflect His glory – is more important that scratching every itch. And that if we abandon this course, we will be found misrepresenting the truth at least to ourselves if not others, making ourselves fools in the pursuit of our whims.

Hence it is that verse 2 warns us about not understanding our own desires. Both at their base in how we were made (what we were MADE to rightly desire) and in how sin has impacted our desires. Such driving desire, not knowing why God may have withheld what I want, will lead me to mistrust Him: It will kill faith. I will miss His path.

Additionally, aimlessly seeking to fill up inward desires we have not even properly identified will lead us into all kinds of wickedness. The lost person does not realize their deepest need is Christ. And often, even the Believer fails to recognize that deep, still unmet desires, must be brought to Him. He, wants to satisfy us fully. The problem is, we, do not WANT to be satisfied in Him. We do not see that our desires unmet in Him, are desires for Him that are mis-labled, mis-understood or perverted from their rightful object. Heavenly Father – open our eyes!

Verse three then tells us the result of pursuing this path. The strange truth is, when we see how empty our pursuits have been, or we suffer the disastrous results of such pursuits – amazingly, we blame God! He, who all the while waits to be our satisfaction, who loves us immeasurably and fully, who desires our best, gets blamed because WE did not stop to recognize it was Him we were meant to be satisfied in all the while.

Heavenly Father – open our blind eyes. Bring light into our sin-darkened minds. And lead us back to Jesus. Teach us to see all of our desires as lights pointing to Him – and to seek Him until those desires are fully met in Him. Do not leave us to ourselves.

Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.

Haughtiness is fake honor – generated in the person’s own mind. True honor issues out of humility, not haughtiness. But how many men imagine they deserve “honor” or “respect” and rage when they think themselves somehow robbed of it by others – especially wives or children. All the time never recognizing that honor is the fruit of humility, and not an inflated sense of self that demands others acknowledge it.

Men, are you feeling dishonored, disrespected? Humble yourself. In humbling yourself you will at least be honorable – even if not truly honored by others. In the end, the honorable one receives their reward from One whose opinion is worth far more than any human being’s could ever be.

This after all is the mind of Christ. The One who truly deserved all honor and respect and glory. Who did not blink to understand that He was equal with God, and yet humbled Himself. He took on the form of a servant, not one to be honored. And He took on that Servant’s heart even to the point of dying on the Cross. He did not consider the humility of being publicly vilified, mocked, dishonored, mistreated – indeed abused, brutalized and at last savagely murdered as though a worthless cur – anything in comparison with the joy that was set before Him. Joy consummated in resurrection to the Father’s smile, and the purchase of the lost.

How many still do not honor Him. Even among those who would call themselves Christians – disregarding His desires and commands while giving lip service to being His Disciples. And even still He remains humble, and does not rise up in indignation (and in His case just indignation) and berate or punish us in our failure to worship at His feet as is His due.

Oh what a Savior!

Heavenly Father – give us hearts like our Jesus. And forgive us our haughtiness. For His name’s sake – that He might be truly honored as is fitting.

Proverbs 14:11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.

Sometimes a tremendous amount of theology can be packed into a very few words. Then too, what isn’t said in such an economy of compactness can be as powerful as what is. The short text above is one such case in point.

Note first that there is NO assumption that the upright necessarily dwell in houses, and the wicked in tents. Just the opposite is cited. Being upright doesn’t earn you an earthly station of wealth or even guarantee living above the poverty level. Paul reminds Timothy that there are those who believe that godliness is a means to of gain – of obtaining earthly and material goods. (1 Timothy 6:5–11) And prefaces his comments in that regard by saying that those who do such “are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth.”  Heavy words for sure.

We need to be clear on this point – being a Christian is in no way to be construed as either a promise or an inference of material wealth or even financial stability. The upright often dwell in hovels, while the wicked often luxuriate in palaces. So be it.

Note secondly, that “flourishing” is not dependent upon either status or material possessions. Solomon chose his word carefully here – or rather – the Spirit gave him the best of choices in words here. As an agricultural term – to “flourish” is to bud, to grow, to have shoots like a beautiful flower. To grow in beauty, no flower needs a nice house. Only good soil, water, sunshine and air. Imagine, the Believer needs no external props to grow and blossom in beauty before God. Material wealth vs. organic beauty are two things which simply aren’t even on the same plane. They belong to different realms of life. The humblest, most poverty stricken and broken saint can flourish in Christ and in godliness without limitation. And would we rather other human beings admire our houses, or that our Savior and King inhale our fragrance, and delight in our beauty?

Note lastly that there is no shame in a tent, and no virtue in a house. In God’s eyes, they are ultimately irrelevant. Meaningless. Flowers don’t grow in granite counter tops, sealed concrete garage floors, drywall, wood frames, shingles or fireplaces. Nor do they grow in canvass walls or ceilings. They grow in soil. They blossom and bloom in the ground where they are planted – without regard to being surrounded by architectural paving stones, or simple cobblestones drawn from the field. It is the soil, not the dwelling. The sun, not the lights. The water, not the wine or the coffee. The air, not the forced air heat or the air-conditioning.

Let no one ever make you ashamed of small means, nor elevate you because you’ve obtained or inherited much. Take your sense of self-worth from the smile of your Redeemer. That, Dear one, is the most lavish reality one can experience.

Proverbs 13:1 (ESV) — A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

Here is the essence of what it means to be a “scoffer” – one who gives little or no weight to anyone else’s opinion or understanding, but assumes their own understanding is complete, and superior to all others.

We live in the Age of The Scoffer.

I submit two examples: Congress, and The Five on FOX News. Though in truth, the Five is just one example of what occurs on virtually every news network – the problem is not exclusive to them. It is a human problem amplified in our media environment.

Here’s how the Scoffer thinks: They do not simply take what others offer with a grain of salt – they dismiss it out of hand. They look down upon and thus scoff at the thoughts, opinions, views, or observations of everyone else. They alone are the arbiters of truth. You are right, if you agree with them. That is the only criterion. Conversely, you are wrong if you disagree with them – end of discussion.

Oh, the discussions go on, and on, and on, and on. But no one ever changes their opinion. No one ever (if perhaps ever so rarely) concedes the other’s opinion, or adopts modification. It is an exercise in endless clashes. Each simply hashing and rehashing why they disagree. And it ends there. Hence our Government faces nearly total gridlock on every major decision, and the talking heads in the newsrooms rail hour after hour at one another, and argue with their “guests”. But no one changes. No one seems to be capable of learning anything from one who disagrees with them. They – we – simply “scoff.”

As I said, we live in the age of The Scoffer. It infects the way we interact with our spouses, our children, our parents, and anyone else we have to do with. It is a trap. One which inoculates us from being able to truly grow in Christ. Prevents us from being corrected. Hampers us from being able to ever adopt a better way. Our feelings are hurt, the way we want it done is thwarted, and we are soon at war.

The word in the original includes scorn, ridicule, boasting, mocking and dismissiveness. One lexicon notes that it includes being carried away with oneself.

Scoffers never grow. We cannot be corrected, so there is no means to bring us to a better place. We give lip service to saying we’ve not “arrived” – but we interact with others as though we have. It is a plague on the soul of the Christian.

Do not be sucked into it Beloved. Be humble enough to still learn – from any and all who bring truth. Especially as you daily peer into the mirror of God’s Word. Let it show you the blemishes, the smudges, the distortions. And listen to the counsel it brings to make you better and better – as it conforms you more and more to the image of your Savior. Whether that confrontation with Biblical truth comes through your direct interaction with the Word in study and prayer – or through the lips of your spouse, friend, parent or child. Be willing to hear the Father’s instruction irrespective of the delivery method. And you will be a “wise son” indeed.

Wisdom dictates that good advice is best derived from those with real-life experience, above mere theoreticians. And that is one of the reasons I was excited to read Bruce Ray’s slender gem: “HELP! My Friend is Suicidal.” Help it is indeed.

In what can be easily read in one brief sitting, Bruce Ray offers the practical, clear, concise and Biblical counsel that can only come from one who has grappled with this tragedy firsthand. Repeatedly. So it is as both a career law enforcement officer, and as a seasoned pastor, Bruce unpacks one of the most emotionally charged issues many of us face today in the most helpful manner possible.

With the rare combination of palpable compassion coupled with unsparing honesty, you cannot help but read this resource and come away feeling surprisingly well equipped to face the situation none of us ever wants to face, and far too many must. You may be (as I was) surprised to learn that roughly 4 people in every hour of every take their own lives in the United States – 36,000 per year. With such numbers, the odds are you or someone you know has been touched personally by this unspeakably painful reality.

While dismantling many common an unhelpful myths like: “Suicide is always caused by depression” (Ray in fact cites at least 4 other prominent factors); or “People who talk about suicide won’t really do it – they just want attention”; or “Once suicidal, always suicidal”, the author goes on to address “Who is at Risk and Why?”; How the Bible treats the subject of suicide; and powerfully – in chapter 3 how to meaningfully engage and help your suicidal friend.

This little book is a no-nonsense treasure. It is both full of its own solid and practical direction, as well as pointing the reader to a host of well chosen additional resources. Gospel centered and Biblically sound, it is a must read for everyone involved in ministry, and anyone who is simply wanting to be of genuine assistance to a friend who may have attempted, or you fear might be contemplating taking their own life.

Buy it, read it, refer to it, and recommend it to others.

Unity comes in two flavors: Shared “things” and shared “life”. And true Christian unity has both of these elements, which distinguishes our unity from mere uniformity. Both of these show themselves in Jesus’ “high priestly prayer” in John 17. And both are necessary for true, Biblical, Christian unity.

Recently, our leadership was involved in the local John 17 Conference. And in so doing, I began to reflect upon and explore the theme of Christian unity a bit, in light of Jesus’ prayer for our unity in John 17.

What do we mean when we use the word “unity” as opposed to “uniformity”?

Uniformity (like everyone wearing the same uniform, or looking or sounding alike”) is something that is purely external. My brother and I might both be in the Army, and wearing the uniform links us together with everyone else in the Army. The external clothing gives us a kind of unity – which is best understood as uniformity. People can be uniform in the way they talk or the clothes they wear or the cars they drive – almost anything. Every sports team has a uniform to distinguish them from every other team. And even churches can have their “uniforms”. Formal dress, casual, one particular translation of the Bible, certain songs, etc. there’s nothing wrong with that at all. It is perfectly natural.

The problem is – people who may be truly uniform (like teammates) may have this external oneness, but in fact may be bitter enemies. And in that case, their unity is ALL in the uniform. And nothing more. That’s why externals like “uniforms” aren’t all there is to Christian unity. To complicate matters even more, even as all the teams in NFL all have different uniforms and look somewhat different, they are all still part of the same league. That is a different kind of unity. Just like with my brother and me. If we are both in the Army – there is a bond between us that transcends the external uniform. A bond that would be there even if we were in different branches of the service (wearing different uniforms), or if one of us was just a civilian. It is an “organic” unity. We share the same bloodline.

So in Jesus’ prayer, He notes some of the external “uniform” of all Christians. Here are 3 key things every true Christian shares.

1. (vs. 6) He says that all His have kept God’s word. No true Christian rejects the Bible as God’s word.

2. (vs. 7) All Christians know that everything Christ has was given to Him by the Father. That He was acting on the Father’s behalf.

3. (vs. 8) All Christians know that Christ was sent from God the Father. He was not just a mere man, but the God/man who came down to us from Heaven.

Now as important as those things are, they are still not enough for true Christian unity. Why? Because as James 2:19 says “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe – and shudder.” All true Christians believe God is one, but so do the demons! Just believing certain truths, even key truths, doesn’t fully unify us – or we’d be unified with the demons! No. There must be something more. And what that something is Jesus also mentions in John 17:2 & 3. What is it? It is the “organic” element, like with me and my physical brother – we must share the same “life.”

The eternal life that indwells every true believer, is what ultimately makes us truly “one”.

“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

And this unity makes us all one in an amazing way. Just like in our example of the various teams in the NFL all having different uniforms so that we can tell them apart. They are also still part of the same league, all play the same game by the same rules – and as different as all their uniforms are, they also all have the very same equipment.

But let’s go one step farther to understand Biblical unity among Christians with the Bible’s example of Believers all being part of one “body”: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. ¹⁴ For the body does not consist of one member but of many. (1 Cor. 12:12-24)

Here, we get this sweet, amazing and wonderful truth. Not every part of your own physical body looks the same. Ears don’t look like noses. Noses don’t look like feet. Feet don’t look like lungs. And eyes don’t look like livers. But they are one. How? They all share the very same life. And every part contributes to sustaining the whole.

This beloved is the unity of the Body of Christ. And it is so much more than any “uniform” could ever make it. We share the life of Christ – the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. And this, in spite of all the differences which may exist – makes the Body of Christ – ALL Believers, one. Truly one. The closest “oneness” to that which the Trinity shares that can be had on earth. One being one with Christ by faith, makes us one with Him, His Father, His Spirit, and the rest of His people.

Now! If we would but begin to live that way. Soon we would put an end to the old rhyme:

To live above, with the saints we love, Oh, that will be glory.

But to live below, with the saint we know – now that’s a different story!

May we begin to taste Heaven now, in entering into the full unity that Christ prayed we would have in John 17, and died that we might have in Him.