The Cost of Compromise

Our men’s group has been studying the book “Model Man” by Larry Stockstill. Chapter two deals with the subject of compromise and shows how costly moral compromise can be. In Judges 13 we see how the parents of Samson were told by an angel of the Lord that their child born to them would deliver Israel from their enemies and was to be a Nazirite from birth. The Nazirites had only three rules they were required to follow. 1. Never touch a grape or drink wine. 2. Never touch a dead body. 3. Never cut your hair.

Samson did follow these rules most of his life, and God used him mightily to deliver Israel.  Yet slowly, Samson allowed compromise to seep into his life. In Judges 14 we see him in a vineyard putting his hand into the carcass of a lion to gather honey. What was Samson doing in a vineyard, and why did he touch a dead lion? Breaking the first two rules of a Nazirite made it easy for Samson to break the third rule when he let Delilah cut his hair.  The result was his supernatural strength left him and the waiting Philistines whom Delilah worked for gauged out Samson’s eyes. Samson’s compromise cost him dearly, even ending his life prematurely.     

Compromise starts very subtly. Samson did not wake up one morning and decide to “sell out” all his moral convictions. Compromise brought the “sell out” over a period of time. The answer to compromise is to first be a person of conviction. To be convinced God’s way is the right way, and choosing to walk in the Spirit, in God’s power every day. As we yield to the Holy Spirit, He provides the power to walk in grace, in integrity and obedience to God. Not compromising our moral convictions will yield benefits not only for us personally, but for generations to come.

What is Spreading in Our Lives?

Leaven is a term used 39 times in the bible, and scripture usually refers to leaven as a type of sin.  When God gave Moses instructions for celebrating the Passover, they were told to remove all leaven from their houses and eat unleavened bread.  This was the way Israel prepared for the Passover, which set the stage for their deliverance from judgment.

In the New Testament, Jesus tells his followers to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees."  Here, Jesus explains leaven is the corrupt teaching of the Pharisees.  In 1Corinthians 5 the Apostle Paul refers to leaven as sexual immorality and pride. Paul tells the church to purge out the old leaven (of sin and wickedness) and be a new lump of truly unleavened dough.  Paul is saying that just as leaven is able to spread quickly and thoroughly through the whole batch of dough, so sin can spread through the church if it is not addressed.  

We all know sin is displeasing to God, and the scripture say’s “all have sinned”.  But, is it really possible to do what Paul is telling the church?  Is it possible to “purge out sin” from our lives?  Jesus said, “What is impossible with man, is possible with God."  Only through the saving grace offered by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary can we be forgiven.  And only through the power of God that comes when a life surrenders to the lordship of Jesus Christ can we live a life that pleases Him.  Removing leaven is a type of consecrating our lives for the Lords service.  We can simply say, “Lord Jesus, I turn away from sin and wickedness and commit my life to You.  Help me to follow You and live a life that is pleasing to You.  Amen.”

The Value of Salvation

Salvation is one of the greatest gifts Almighty God has offered to man. Hebrews 2:2 asks the question “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation”? Have we neglected God’s salvation? In our world today, the subject of salvation has been so watered down that almost everyone thinks that they will receive it, yet very few have taken the time to find out what God says is necessary to receive it. 

To get an idea of the worth of any item, one must first get an idea of how much it cost to make this item. The same is true of salvation. What was the cost when God sent His only Son Jesus to come to this earth to offer His life as a ransom for our sins? What did it cost our Lord Jesus, when on the cross after taking the sins of the whole world on himself uttered, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me”? What is the value that God places on salvation, and do we approach salvation with the reverence and respect it and God deserves? 

The good news is that God did not make salvation difficult, yet it came at a great cost. Jesus said “He who comes to Me, I will by no means cast out”. Jesus also said “He who does not forsake all and follow me, cannot be my disciple." And again, “whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me, cannot be My disciple."

Salvation is a free gift, yet it’s worth is beyond anything we could imagine. Salvation is free, yet it costs our complete surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Count the cost, then realize the benefit of receiving Jesus as Lord of your life. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

Being a GREAT Father

As we celebrate Father's Day, we honor all of our fathers.  Being a father is not an easy job, but God has made His grace available for this great calling.  Being a great father starts with being the man God has called us to be.  To do this, look to our Lord Jesus Christ.  He is the perfect example of firmness and gentleness: a man of velvet and a man of steel, a man of compassion, yet willing to confront evil head-on. 

Next, look to our Heavenly Father.  Hebrews 12 tells us that because of love, our Heavenly Father disciplines every son whom He receives.  His correction truly is for our benefit.  If we love our children, we will care enough to correct, train and discipline them because we love them too much to leave them to their own devices.  This passage goes on to tell us that in the end, discipline yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness.  Discipline ministered in love results in peace in the heart of a child.

Next, look to the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said that the Spirit of Truth whom He would send, will guide us into all the truth.  There are many ideas out there regarding raising children that do not line up with what God's Word has to say on the subject.  Ask God for His wisdom, and rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you in the path that is most pleasing to Him.

Finally, forgive.  Whether your earthly father was a great example of fatherhood or was a terrible example of fatherhood, forgive him for any of his shortcomings.  God's grace to be a great father is available when we forgive others. 

Happy Father's Day!

Forgive to Live

Forgiveness is one of the most powerful expressions of love that one person can show another.  It is not only beneficial to the one being forgiven, but is essential for the well-being of the one offering forgiveness.  Jesus tells a story of a servant who was forgiven of an exorbitant debt, yet he would not forgive his servant of a very small debt.  This is a picture of our lives.  God offers to forgive all of our sins through the sacrifice of His only Son Jesus, but we in turn are required to forgive others.  It is not an option, it is a command from God.

Some would say, “But you don't know how they hurt me, I just don't feel I can forgive."  This is where we realize the limits of our natural human love, and see how much we need God's love.  1 Corinthians 13 tells us that God's love is patient and kind, and keeps no record of being wronged.  Natural human love is not able to love like that.  Romans 5:5 tells us, “God's love has been placed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit."  Our part is to yield to that love.

Also, while we are talking about forgiveness, forgive yourself.  Many people struggle with letting go of mistakes they have made.  They say, “I just can't forgive myself for that."  If Almighty God is willing to forgive us of our sins, who are we to hold onto them?  We need to receive the forgiveness God offers us, forgive ourselves, and then forgive others.  Freely you have received, freely give.

In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray to our Heavenly Father, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."  If we really want to live, forgive.

The Great Exchange

When Jesus came to this earth as the sinless Lamb of God, He took my sin and gave me the gift of righteousness. This is sometimes referred to as “The Great Exchange.”  Jesus took my sin, and in exchange, gave me a life free from the curse of sin.

2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  Isaiah 53:4-5 says that He bore our sickness and carried our pains in His own body, and by His wounds we are healed.

Galatians 3 tells us how Jesus became a curse for us so that the blessing of Abraham could come on the Gentiles.  In verse 14 it says “that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”  The great exchange is available when we choose to put our faith in what Jesus accomplished at Calvary.  In Jesus, I exchanged a sinful life for His righteousness, sickness for His wholeness, and poverty for His abundant provision. If this is true, this is good news.

When you think about all that Jesus accomplished at the cross, do you see yourself as a full participant in the great exchange, or do you see yourself wishing and hoping that God might accept you some day? Through Jesus Christ, God allows us to exchange the curse of sin for the blessing of the Lord. We are offered peace in our hearts through knowing God, and ultimately, a home in heaven for eternity with God.  God freely offers to us these gifts when we choose to participate in this great exchange through faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus said “Come unto me all you who are weary, and I will give you rest”. Do you think you might have something to bring to God in this great exchange?

Believing God for a great New Year

Beginning a new year is a good time to give thanks to God for His faithfulness and blessings.  It is also a time to look forward in anticipation to what God has in store.  Each new year brings promise of a new day, a new day in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Scripture talks about "a new day of restoration."  If 2014 was not the greatest year you have ever experienced, if it was a really tough year, let me encourage you that God is the God who can turn the worst of circumstances into blessing if we look to Him and allow Him to work in our lives.

Over and over in scripture, we see God's people facing tough challenges, but in the midst of tough challenges, we see a God who is “more than enough.”  In Psalm 27:13, David said, “I would have fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."  In Philippians 3:12-13, Paul says, “I press on toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus.  Forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead."

It is so easy to look back in life and think about what could have been, but there is no help there.  Real help comes when we begin to believe we will see God's goodness, no matter what circumstances we may currently face.  Believe that God loves me and has a good plan for my life.  Believe “Greater is He who is in me than he that is in the world."  Believe that God is able to deliver me from all the powers of darkness and put me in a place where His blessings freely flow.  If we will believe these truths and press into the things of God, we are well on our way to a great new year.