If Eating Cake Was Sin

I like chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Put a piece of this particular cake in front of me, with a nice scoop of ice cream beside it of course, and I am pretty content for the next 15 minutes. But what if eating chocolate cake was sin? I don't know about you but if eating cake was sin I would be in real trouble. Such a powerful temptation would be difficult to bear! But just for the sake of argument let's consider for a moment my alternatives if eating cake was sin.

I could of course choose to sin and eat all the cake I want! If I chose this road I would find great pleasure in eating the cake. After all, sin is pleasurable for the moment ( Hebrews 11:25). However, the pleasure of sin is a fleeting one and the results of my disobedience to God would be very unpleasant. If I am really a believer in Christ such capitulation would leave me with Godly sorry, a deep grief at having offended the heart of God. This sorrow would produce confession and repentance on my part and forgiveness from God. The choice to give in to the temptation is never a good one.

A second option is to fight the urge to eat chocolate cake with all of the willpower I could muster. I could muster my strength, give myself reasons for not eating cake and do all I could to convince myself eating cake is a bad thing. There is a major problem with this option in that it keeps my mind focused on the sin! This option keeps me focused on the temptation and the "law" of right and wrong. The entire time I am mustering and utilizing my willpower I am committing two critical mistakes: trusting in my own strength for victory over sin and remaining in the occasion of the temptation. As long as I keep cake on the kitchen table and consider why I am not supposed to eat it, I create a situation in which I am certain to fail. In the face of such circumstances I will eventually succumb to temptation and eat cake!

There is one other alternative in my battle against chocolate cake; I can actually take the way of escape and die to the sin itself. Scripture teaches there is always a way of escape when temptation calls our name. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." "Escape" implies a removal of oneself from the circumstance of temptation. The apostle Paul refers to this removal as "dying to sin" in Romans 6:2. The "kicker" is that we must continually choose death to sin in order for sin to be powerless in our life. Sin is alive and has great power to hurt our life if we do not choose to die to it when it appears in our life.

Dying to sin means removing oneself from the occasion of sin and putting one's mind on Christ instead of the temptation to sin. For instance, dying to chocolate cake means not baking cake, not buying cake, removing cake from my house and not thinking about cake. Dying to cake means when the thought of cake enters my mind I immediately pray, ask God to keep my mind off cake and intentionally put my mind on Christ so He can put my mind on the way of "escape." If I linger on the thought of cake I have chosen to give sin "life" and fight it in my own willpower again. Death to cake means total removal of cake from my thoughts (I don't fantasize about how good cake tastes) ,words (I don't talk about how good cake tastes) and deeds (I don't even nibble on cake!). But death to cake means life to something else, my relationship with Christ. Instead of being controlled by cake I am controlled by Christ and the life of freedom He gives me.

This little analogy may seem silly but consider for a moment the people in your life who are controlled by sin instead of Christ. How many people do you know who are continually defeated by sin because they fight against it using their own strength of character and willpower? Many people in our life need the message of the "chocolate cake!" Maybe you yourself are controlled by sin. Christ gives freedom to those who choose death to sin and life in Him. If you are controlled by sin be encouraged! You don't have to fight against sin and win the battle over it using your own willpower anymore! Die to sin and choose life in Christ. The power of Christ is all you need but you must choose life in Him!

James

Can You Fall Out of Love???

What does it really mean to love someone? We say we love our wife, mom, dad, brothers and sisters but what does the word really mean? What about God? How do we love God? A book came out a few years ago called "The Five Love languages" in which the authors outlined five different methods for loving your spouse and others: words, deeds, gifts, physical touch and quality time. While the book is encouraging and does give a lot of "pointers" on how to make your relationships stronger it begs the question, "Is love a matter of finding what someone likes and doing "that" repeatedly?"

Paul gives a very nice, although not inclusive, list of actions which represent an attempt at defining love in 1 Corinthians 13. The apostle says love is: patient, kind, does not envy, is not arrogant, is not rude, does not insist on its own way, is not irritable or resentful, does to rejoice in wrongdoing, rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things and never fails. Paul's definition draws our attention to the fact love is much more than a feeling or a few categories of action; love is an attitude of heart and a choice we make.

Jesus ultimately defines love in His sacrifice on the Cross for our sins. But before going to the Cross He demonstrates love by washing the feet of the disciples in John 13. Through this act of humility and service He demonstrated what it means to love. This act of humility, coupled with the Cross which soon followed, gives us a clear picture of how we are to live a life of perfect love. Paul writes in Romans 5:8, "God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." The love of Jesus was not something extended because of emotional attachments. Jesus demonstrated His love by choosing to give Himself for the sake of others...period. Jesus made a choice of attitude and action and in so doing shows us the definitive definition of love.

Obviously, our choice of attitude and action will affect how we feel emotionally. We know love has a real emotional aspect! The feeling of love is one of the most powerful and wonderful feelings we experience as human beings! We know Jesus felt the emotion of love because He was completely human when He walked the earth! But to simply define love as an emotion leaves a person vulnerable and in danger of missing out on genuine love at all. Infatuation and circumstantial emotional highs are a poor substitute for genuine love.

Often we hear people say they have fallen "out of love" with their spouse but the reality is something altogether different than the random accident or helpless tragedy to which they attribute the failure of their relationship. No person falls in or out of love! Love is not an accident or mysterious, allusive power upon which we stumble. Those who draw such conclusions have stripped love of what makes it such an emotional and powerful part of our lives; the choice of attitudes and actions which lead to feelings of emotion. If you take away this all important choice and reduce love to an accident or random chance, which is here today and gone tomorrow, you strip yourself of one of the most valuable gifts of your humanity...the CHOICE to love!

Choose to follow Christ, ask Him to help you love and let genuine love be a part of your life!

James

Do Atheists Know More About Christianity and Religion Than Christians Do?

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have." -- 1 Peter 3:15a

How well do you know your faith, world religions or the rights you have to practice your faith as an American? A recent survey done by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found less than half of Americans surveyed know answers to basic questions about Christianity, world religions and religious freedoms afforded in the Constitution. See Article About The Study Here Guess which group scored the lowest on the quiz given by the research group...Bible-belt southerners! The group who should know better than anyone else what the Bible says and what the world without Christ believes, apparently know the least about either. Perhaps most surprising is the identity of the group who scored highest on the survey, agnostics and atheists! Apparently non-believers and the confused know more about the truth than most who profess belief in it!

As believers we are charged to know our God and the Word he has given us. Are you ready to give an answer for the hope you profess in Christ?

UPDATE

From time to time I am reminded why it is not a good idea to trust CNN as your sole source on anything news related. The article I cited in my blog post today is misleading. I am going to link an article from the New York Times which gives a much better and broader view of the results in the above cited article READ NY TIMES ARTICLE HERE I must say, for perhaps the first time in my life, the New York Times has made me feel a twinge better about the world in which I live! Nevertheless, be ready to give the reason for your hope!

James

Genuine Change: Walking in The Light

"This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is Light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in darkness we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin." -- 1 John 1:5-7

"Light " in this passage is a metaphor which refers to the life we have in God as well as God's revelation of Himself to mankind. God has been kind and merciful to reveal Himself to us so we might participate in the life found in Him. Take a moment this morning to consider how dark and hopeless your life would be without the light and life found in Christ! John's use of "light" is an incredibly appropriate metaphor to use in reference to our God!

"Light" in this passage also indicates the kind of life we receive when we place faith in Christ. John contrasts light and darkness thereby indicating that the life we receive in Christ is completely perfect and holy. John wrote 1 John in part to confront those who were teaching a person could have life in Christ and yet not be changed morally. The Apostle begins his defense against such heresy with a statement concerning the character of God; God is perfectly holy. John's message is simply this, God has revealed Himself to mankind and all who receive Life found in God will be holy as God is holy. He is not teaching that Christians will always be sinless but rather that true believers in Christ would never be able to reconcile sin to their life as they had before coming to the Light of Christ.

God has revealed Himself so we might have a genuinely changed life in Him. If you have not experienced real transformation in your life come to the "Light" and have faith in Christ for a new life in Him today!

James

The Icing On The Cake

"We write this to make our joy complete." -- 1 John 1:4

The Apostle John wrote the above words in the context of a defense concerning the nature of Jesus. John had just written three verses of introduction in which he adamantly defended the truth concerning the humanity and deity of Jesus Christ. He wrote these words so others might believe and join the fellowship Christians enjoy with God and other believers through faith in Christ. John's joy would be complete when others joined the family of God by receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior.

As believers in Christ we are blessed with great joy because of the relationship we have with God. There are no words to describe the fellowship we have in Jesus! He is our life, love and hope! Nothing can compare to the life one receives when he or she places faith in Christ as Savior and Lord. But our joy in Christ becomes even greater when we see others believe and join the family of God with us. The joy of seeing one born from death to life in Christ is the "icing on the cake" when it comes to living and enjoying our faith!

Have you experienced the icing on the cake lately? Have you shared faith with someone and seen them accept Christ as Savior? Are you intentionally creating opportunities by which you might have the privilege of sharing your faith? Don't miss out on the added joy God intends for you to have! You and I are a part of God's plan for saving the world; each of us are called to be ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). Pray for opportunities, be intentional and share your faith so your joy may be complete!

James

The Spirit is Thicker Than Blood

"And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ." -- 1 John 1:3b

The word in our verse today which is translated into English as "fellowship" comes from the Greek word "koinonia" which means, "fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation or intercourse." Christians are united in "koinonia" or "Christian fellowship." Our individual faith in Christ has made us part of a great communion of believers, connecting us to the Body of Christ eternal. We are not alone!

The church is a fellowship of far greater significance than a mere civic organization or non-profit charity. We have the Holy Spirit, salvation, God's Word and the message of hope for the whole world! Unfortunately Christians often forget or overlook the One who unites us to our fellow believers, Jesus Christ! We are not united on the basis of mutual likes or dislikes. We are not united on the basis of personalities or preferences. Each of us have placed faith in Christ for salvation and in so doing have become part of the family of God, the great "koinonia." Christians are related to one another more intimately than any familial relationship they could ever enjoy here on earth. The Holy spirit is much thicker than blood! We are united in Christ!

Our personal fellowship with Christ is an amazing blessing for which we can never give enough thanks to God. Our corporate fellowship with other believers in Christ is a great blessing for which we should be thankful as well. Many people miss the blessing of Christian fellowship because of quarrels or conflict they have experienced with other believers inside the church. Much of the time these quarrels are over the silliest of things! I once heard of a church whose fellowship split over the question of whether or not Adam and Eve had a belly button! Don't allow Satan to drive a wedge between you and those for whom Christ died! Don't miss out on the "koinonia" God intends for you! We cannot be the person God intends for us to be apart from the Christian fellowship Christ died to create!

"Beloved, let us love one another,"

James

The Truth About Jesus

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched -- this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life." -- 1 John 1:1

One of the purposes for writing 1 John was to confirm the church's teaching concerning the incarnation of Christ. John was writing in response to a group of people who left the church and were teaching that the Christ was not really the human being Jesus, but was instead a spirit which came upon the body of Jesus at His baptism and left Him when He was on the Cross. This group of people, called Gnostics, were doing all they could to convince the church that Jesus was a man used by the Christ but that Jesus Himself was not God or the Christ. John wanted to assure believers Jesus was actually a human being and God our Savior. John was emphatic in his writing that Jesus was 100% human flesh and 100% God when He walked this earth!

John knew the importance of "getting it right" when it comes to Jesus. If you misunderstand the truth concerning Jesus, you miss the salvation He offers mankind. Muslims believe Jesus was just a prophet, a man and good teacher. Mormons believe Jesus was the brother of Lucifer and that his plan of salvation was chosen over Lucifer's plan for saving the world. Jehovah Witnesses believe Jesus was Michael the Archangel who came to earth in order to save the world. In each of these instances the followers of these various groups have misunderstood or denied the truth concerning Jesus. The result of this misunderstanding or denial is separation from God!

Each and every person who walks the earth must decide for themselves the answer to the question, "Who is Jesus?" Your answer to this very important question will determine whether you participate in the salvation Jesus brings through His death, burial and resurrection. What do you believe about Jesus? What do your neighbors believe about Jesus? What does your family believe about Jesus? The answer to this question really does matter! John wanted everyone in his day to know the truth about Jesus so he "proclaimed" his personal experience with Jesus. In order for everyone to "get it right" concerning the truth of Jesus in our day, we too must proclaim our experience with Him! Be not afraid!

James

Confess and Be Blessed!

"If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us of unrighteousness." -- 1 John 1:9

What does it mean to "confess our sins"? The word confess is defined in the English dictionary, "to declare or acknowledge one's sins." In a culture full of "blamers" it is often difficult to find true "confessors!" To genuinely confess means to declare what God says about our wrong thoughts, words or deeds is true; His standard of judgment is right. To confess means an admission of guilt and our need of forgiveness from God.

It seems today that most people play the "blame game" when it comes to sin. There appears to always be someone handy to blame for the wrong decisions, actions or deficiencies of one's life. People blame their parents, schools, government, churches and a myriad of other institutions or people for their mistakes. The hard fact, which John so plainly states at the beginning of his letter, is that there is no forgiveness or cleansing from guilt until one owns up to his or her sins. Until you come to a place where you agree with God about the things you have done wrong, you will have no forgiveness. Until you admit your sin you remain in the filth and guilt of your mistakes.

You can attempt to blame others for your failures or choose to take ownership of the wrong decisions you have made. Choose to agree with God's standard of right and wrong! Choose to admit your sin, be forgiven and cleansed! Get a fresh, clean start today!

James

What is Worth More To You Than Anything?

"Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." -- 1 John 5:21

What a curious conclusion to the book of 1 John! John has spent five chapters writing of love, obedience and what it means to be a true follower of Christ only to conclude his book admonishing his readers to abstain from idolatry. Weren't his readers Christians??? Didn't his readers already have faith in the true God of Heaven and His Son Jesus? Why warn such people of the dangers of idolatry?

We don't often think ourselves susceptible to the sin of idolatry. We are quite secure in our monotheism; the belief in only one God. However, our actions are much more an indicator of what we believe than the profession of our mouths. Do our thoughts and actions indicate a bent toward polytheism (belief in multiple gods)? The answer to such a question is found in what it means to worship and whether we are worshipping anything or anyone other than the one true God.

To worship means to "ascribe worth" or "reverence" something. Naturally we find worth and value in a myriad of people and things. We value our family, friends and even institutions like our alma mater and the company for which we work. But, if we ascribe as much (or greater) worth to these people or things as we do to God we become polytheistic and idolators. If we are to be true to the one and only God, Jehovah, we must give no thing or person equal or greater worth than that which we ascribe to Him.

Often, it is good to value some person or institution in our life, but to worship anyone or anything other than God is not good! Worship is the lifting up of God to a place of primacy, honor and value above all else.

"You shall have no other gods before me." -- Exodus 20:3

Take some time this morning to pray and ask God if there is anything or anyone in your life whom you have put on equal footing with God. Let there be no idols, no other gods, in your life! There is only one God and His name is Jehovah! "Keep yourselves from idols."

James

Oh, The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

I would like to follow up yesterday's post with a more detailed discussion of God's love. Of course we will never really wrap our mind around God's great love! In Ephesians 3:17-18 Paul prays that the church at Ephesus would have a greater comprehension of the incomprehensible love of God. What an incredible and comforting thought to consider during your day today; God's love for you is so big it is incomprehensible!

God never intended sin to be a part of our existence on earth. God never intended for mankind to suffer illness, terror, sorrow or death. We were created to enjoy intimate fellowship with God in a perfect creation that was created with us in mind. In the Garden of Eden there was no death; lions did not attack lambs and bears had no need of salmon. There was no death in the Garden of Eden for Adam, Eve and all of the animals ate the fruit of the field and suffered no defect or decay of body in any way. Death, destruction, decay and evil did not enter the equation until sin entered the creation.

Sin corrupted perfection and spoiled the intended order of the universe in which we live. Paul writes in Romans 8:20, "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it." We live in a broken world in which broken people do corrupt things to one another. We live in a broken world in which cells do not always divide as they should, arteries become clogged with plaque and bodies just wear out and die. We live in a world of confusing philosophies, endless religions and painful separation from God. The world we live in is not "working as intended."

God looked down upon the corruption of the world and had compassion on all of us. The reason Jesus came to earth and died on the Cross was to deliver us from the power and corruption sin birthed when man welcomed it into the Garden of Eden. God loves us so much that He gave His one and only Son to die on the Cross so all who have faith in Him might have eternal life. This world may not be "working as intended" but through Jesus it is being redeemed and remade into the perfection it was meant to always be. Someday the creation itself will be redeemed from the corruption of sin and there will be a new heaven and a new earth upon which all believers in Christ will live.

What a wonderful and loving God we serve!

James

Is God Always Good?

Lately, I have been spending some of my devotional time in the book of Joshua. This morning I read chapter 10 of this wonderful little history of Israel and found myself greatly troubled. How can a holy, loving, generous God call for the complete destruction of whole cities of people? How can God utterly destroy men, women and children by the sword of the army of Israel? Does this annihilation contradict the God of love, compassion and grace which we see in the person of Jesus?

Right about the moment my meditation on this passage started to get the best of me I felt the Holy Spirit bring to mind several thoughts in response to my questions:

1. God is holy and just. God cannot stand sin and will one day completely wipe it from existence. Those who practice sin will suffer spiritual death in what the Bible calls the "second death." God takes sin seriously and will never tolerate it (nor should it be by His followers). It should not surprise us to see sin and unrepentant sinners utterly destroyed.
2. Many of God's actions throughout the history of mankind are lost to recorded history. Joshua refers to a "Book of Jashar" in Joshua 10:13 of which there are no known copies. God may have dealt with the Canaanites in a myriad of redemptive acts before His act of judgement against them through the Children of Israel.
3. God extends grace and mercy in ways He Himself determines. In Romans 9:15, which is a quote from Exodus 33:19, God says, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." God's ways are higher than our own (Isaiah 55:9) and we won't always understand His decisions or methods...but that's ok! After all, if we always understood God we would be His equal!

I may not understand everything but I have a dependable God who absolutely knows everything and in every way acts absolutely just. God is always kind, loving, full of grace and merciful. We can depend on the God who knows everything, to be absolutely good, continually loving and perfectly just in all His ways.

James

God is Real: Faith for Real Change

Christians who are living less committed to Christ than they should often refer to themselves as, "Not living as I should." This little four word phrase usually means the person doesn't go to church regularly, spends little time with God in prayer or His Word and is involved in at least a few sins on a regular basis. I am mystified how so many Christians attempt to justify a lukewarm or cold relationship with Christ. I am often amazed at the lackadaisical attitude these folks have toward God and the salvation His Son purchased for them with His blood. Does God want more from His children? Did Christ die so we could live a half hearted, half committed, relationship with God? Did Jesus die so we wouldn't "sin as much" or did He die to give us victory over and freedom from sin?

I believe one of the great tragedies of the 21st century (and much of the 20th) is the failure of the church to demonstrate the reality of God. The result has been the failure of many, even those in church, to see God as a present reality. If a person fails to truly believe God is a real and persistent part of his life, he will fail to see the importance of a relationship with God. Once a person devalues any relationship in his or her life the priority and attention once paid to that relationship fades and disappears. Why pray, spend time in God's Word or do anything else to "relate" to God if you fail to see and believe the real existence of God in your life? Scripture tells us in Hebrews 11:6, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, for anyone who comes to Him must believe he exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him." Our relationship with God happens through the vehicle of our faith in God and the most integral part of that faith is actual belief in His existence!

I am reminded of an old sermon illustration in which a church prayed for God to close down and remove the saloon from their town. A few weeks after they began praying a thunderstorm came through and lighting struck the saloon, burning it to the ground. The proprietor of the saloon subsequently sued the church! In the courtroom, the owner of the saloon argued the church prayed for the destruction of his establishment and he wanted restitution. The church countered they had nothing to do with the destruction of the saloon. After listening to both sides the judge spoke, "It seems to me this saloon owner has faith and believes in the power of prayer whereas you church members do not!" Unfortunately, there are many in the church who suffer from the same lack of faith and belief in God as the church in this story. Too many Christians are in bondage to a life God never intended for them because they have failed to believe God exists and is at work in the world around them. God is real and He really does want to be a real part of your day to day life!

God really does exist and He is ready to make a difference in your life. Believe God exists, seek Him and ask Him to be real to you today.

James