Where’s the Blush?

Grieving Over Sin

do you blush or feel shame over sin

Do You Blush or Feel Shame Over Sin?

The prophet Jeremiah lived among people who had become insensitive toward sin. Through the prophet God declared, “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD” (Jer. 6:15).  We too, live in a generation that is insensitive toward sin and wickedness.  Like those in Jeremiah’s time most do not even blush at the immorality and ungodliness around them.  In fact, there are many, “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (Rom. 1:32).

Now, the people of God, regardless of the acceptance of evil around them, should always sorrow concerning sin and the shortcomings it brings.  Jeremiah was one who wept concerning the wickedness of his generation and the punishment that they would face.  In Jer. 9:1-6, Jeremiah fled into the wilderness, far away from his people because of such corruption which made life unbearable.  He wept because they were adulterers, treacherous men, deceiving their brother and neighbors, filled with lies, trading evil for evil, and had forgotten the Lord.  This sounds much like our society who no longer hold sanctity in marriage, who let lies prevail in the land, where evil is traded for evil and where many do not know God.  Jeremiah cried out, “But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears . . .” (Jer. 13:17).  But, what is your attitude toward wickedness?  Are you like Jeremiah who sorrowed over these things?  Is your heart pained at the evil around you? Do you blush at vulgarity and immodesty, or does it not bother you?

The people of God should always be grieved over sin.  The psalmist declared, “Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.” (Psa. 119:136).  Centuries later the apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth in which he stated with affliction and anguish of heart, he wrote them with “many tears” (2 Cor. 2:4).  It was sin and wickedness of his brethren that brought him to tears.  We are not told if Jesus shed a tear while He face the torturous death on the cross.  But the Scriptures tell us as He approached the city of Jerusalem shortly before His death He “wept over it” (Lk. 19:41) saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matt. 23:37).

Those who love God not only blush at sin, but lament over sin and wickedness.  They turn from it and seek forgiveness through repentance and baptism (Acts 3:19; 22:16).  They then strive to live faithfully and turn others from unrighteousness (Matt. 5:13-16).

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Medicinal Wine

Looking at Timothy and Paul’s Wine Command

In First Timothy 5:23, Paul writes to Timothy, “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.” Occasionally, I hear people say, “Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine for his illness. Therefore, it is all right for me to drink a little wine once in a while, it is all right for me to drink a little alcoholic beverage every once in a while, or it is all right for me to drink a little beer every once in a while, because Paul instructed Timothy to do that.”

there is no question that wine is not always alcoholic

There is no question that wine is not always alcoholic.

However, let us notice the context. Friends, Paul was writing to a man whom he described as his “son in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:12), and on this occasion, Timothy was a sick individual, physically speaking. The indication is that he had been drinking water, and many scholars suggest to us that there was something wrong with the water that Timothy had been drinking [i.e., cholera outbreak]. Because it was bad water, Paul says to him, “Do not drink any more water, because the water is not helping your condition any more. Drink a little wine.”

Of course, it was not wrong to drink all “wine,” because this biblical term also referred to non-alcoholic, non-fermented grape juice. In this issue, please read about the process of fermentation and see the differences between taking grape juice and deliberately creating a fermented beverage that is intoxicating and would actually make one drunk. Obviously, I have never heard of a man who was addicted to Welch’s grape juice, but I know of many who are alcoholics and drink the intoxicating kind.

It is still difficult to be convinced that Paul recommended alcoholic wine to Timothy; it is not a foregone conclusion that this refers to inebriating wine, since the evidence from antiquity exists to suggest that he was referring to the addition of grape juice to his drinking water for medicinal purposes. However, let us grant that it was for just a moment. Please note the following: (1) Timothy had been abstinent up until this point—are we going to overlook this important trait of faithfulness in this godly young man? (2) The apostle Paul said, “…a little wine,” which ought not to endorse the type of socialized drinking for which people are searching for justification; (3) he would probably dilute the juice with water (or vice versa, mixing juice in with his water); (4) he gave the specific reason for doing so, which was medicinal in nature—not social, casual or recreational. In fact, one must not automatically assume that the wine itself possessed medical properties. The wine may have simply been the antiseptic means of purifying polluted water that Timothy had been drinking by killing germs and bacterial organisms. If so, then Paul was not commending wine, but commending a method of cleansing contaminated water; (5) it took the directive of an apostle for Timothy to introduce it into his life. If Timothy had been a drinker and had been involved with drinking in the past, Paul would not have had to tell him to do so. One ought to wonder if the Christian lifestyle that Timothy chose to follow would have been patterned in a similar fashion as the Nazarite vow, in which one would “separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk” (Num. 6:3-4).

Therefore, Paul said, “…take it for thy stomach’s sake and his infirmities.” People say, “Preacher, this passage gives me the right to drink wine, because Timothy did it on this one occasion for medicine, and I need a lot of medicine!” Friends, this passage does not legalize or endorse drinking alcoholic beverages. In fact, Paul goes on to say in First Thessalonians 5:22, “Abstain from all appearance of evil,” which Timothy was sure to do—so much so, that it took a directive from his mentor to aid him in overcoming his sickness. How we need more Christians who are as concerned with their influence in public! Should this be the case, I cannot think of anyone who would want to mislead anyone concerning the dangers that alcoholic beverages poses in our society!

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Born Again or Repent

Coming to Repentance

I recently had the privilege of preaching a sermon designed to answer the question, as to whether or not an accountable person, once baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins early on, who then falls away from Christ and turns his/her back on Christ and His church for several decades, needs to be ‘re-baptized’ should they “come to their senses” and want to repent and return home to their Father and His house (Luke 15:11-24; 1 Timothy 3:15; hear full lesson at: http://www.clevelandcoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/474-4-5-15-PM-Should-I-Be-Re-Baptized.mp3).

should one be rebaptized to repent

Should one be “re-baptized” to repent?

During the delivery of that lesson, the definitive conclusion reached, was that no, they didn’t have to be baptized again as long as they were originally baptized for legitimate biblical reasons – and here’s why: Just as with a physical or biological family, once a baby is born into it, they are always a member of it – no matter how they may live their life afterward. Even if, after a baby is born into a physical family, they grow up and go off to live a terribly sinful and contrarian life for a while and then want to straighten out and return home, they don’t have to be physically conceived, carried, and born into the family again! Nicodemus tried that absurd line of reasoning once already – didn’t work then, won’t work now (John 3:4).

The same exact thing is also true in the spiritual world. Having been previously “born again of the water and the Spirit” as Jesus said one must be in order to see and enter the kingdom (or church, or family) of God (John 3:3-5); that is to say, once one has repented, and then by faith been baptized in water for the forgiveness or washing away of their sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38, 22:16), they have at that exact point, been “born again of the water and the Spirit” and thus have been born into and become a member of God’s family (Galatians 3:26-27).

But what happens if they then later fall away, or fall from grace (Psalm 101:3; Luke 8:13; Hebrews 3:12, 6:6; Galatians 5:4; And yes one can “fall away,” or “fall from grace” according to the bible: http://www.clevelandcoc.com/?page_id=130)? What happens if they turn their back on God their Father and go back into the world of sin (2 Peter 2:20-22)? Some might be inclined to exclaim, “Surely they cannot still be considered a child of God in such a sinful state… can they?”

Well, let us first look to the Scriptures for our answer. As we read the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15, the son takes his inheritance and turns his back and travels away from his home, his family, and his father, and lives a terribly wanton, wasteful, wicked and sinful lifestyle. But despite all that, when he comes to his senses and decides to return to his father, how is he addressed by his father? Verse 24 says, “For this my son was dead…” He may have been living a dead and separated in his sins lifestyle, but he was still – and always had been, despite the worst of sins he had been committing and indulging in of late – still his father’s son and a member of the family! Of course his father didn’t approve of his sin! Of course he was acting as a woeful and sinful and awful son! But he was still a son and a member of the family – no matter how terribly an acting and/or erring one!

The same can be readily evidenced from the life of David, the “man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) and father of Absalom. Absalom was a sneaky, conniving, treacherous and bloodthirsty son, seeking to take both his father’s throne and life by force (see 2 Samuel, chapters 13-19). But when Absalom was finally killed in battle against his father’s forces which he was seeking to overthrow so as to kill his father as well, what did his father David do and how did he refer to Absalom?  And Joab was told, “Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people. For the people heard it said that day, “The king is grieved for his son.” And the people stole back into the city that day, as people who are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. But the king covered his face, and the king cried out with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son” (2 Sam 19:1-4)!

Some of you may have had children which you raised in the church; children who obeyed the gospel early on but then later turned their backs on the Lord and His church and walked away from both their physical as well as their spiritual families and out into the swine fields of sin. Perhaps it went even further. Perhaps they wound up either incarcerated or incapacitated by their bad choices. Let me ask you a question: Are they still your child no matter what mess they might have gotten themselves into? Or, will they have to be born into the family again should they ever decide to return? No, of course not – they’re still your child! Now, there is no doubt they may have to repent and make some changes just like the prodigal did. They cannot “continue in sin that grace may abound! Certainly not” (Romans 6:1-2)! But as to their sonship, they are still sons – even if desperate and destitute ones – and yes, even when in the swine fields. This is why a person who was once born into the family of God by virtue of their being “born again of water and the Spirit” when baptized into Christ, in water, “for the forgiveness of their sins” and to “receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38), need not be baptized or born again, again, upon their return home, should they have fallen away since. Many will need to make some major changes and commit themselves to some life-altering repentance when they return to their Father’s house for sure. But they are still children of the living God by virtue of the blood of Christ, and have been since their baptism – even if terribly erring and apostate ones in the interim.

Now; what happens if these still-children of God never decide to repent and return to their Father and His house? Well, like Absalom they make themselves enemies of their loving and adoring Father, and will undoubtedly perish in their rebellion. Yes, there will be actual children of God, suffering in eternal hell (Hebrews 10:26-31). And just like many Hollywood depictions of one-time police officers who turned to crime and were caught and imprisoned amongst those whom they once arrested and convicted, can you imagine the horrors that will be inflicted on those who were once faithful children of God, testifying against the impenitent reprobates whom they will now be spending eternity imprisoned alongside/amongst? Perhaps that’s a portion of what the Apostle Peter had in mind in 2 Peter 2:20-22.

Therefore, let us thank God for each and every rebellious member of the family that returns, and pray to God we can reach more of our erring brethren – yes our erring brothers and sisters still – before it’s too late!

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Lost and Found

Navigating the Maze

“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost” (Matt. 18:11).

have you ever been lost in a maze

Have you ever been lost in a maze?

Have you ever tried to get through a maze?  Once, while on a family vacation many years ago, my youngest brother and I tried to get through one.  It looked simple enough at first, however, once we embarked on our quest it quickly became evident that we were lost. Finally, the attendant came to us and said, “Follow me,” and then showed us the way out.

Trying to navigate this life perfectly on our own is simply impossible.  All who enter this maze end up lost.  For this reason God sent His only begotten Son to seek us and to save us (Lk. 19:10). “Follow Me,” He said (cf. Matt. 9:9), and then He showed us the way (cf. Jn. 14:6).

Friends, if you are not following Christ then you are lost indeed.

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Effectual Prayer

The Effectual Fervent Prayer of a Righteous Man

Prayer is the statement of the sincere desire of the heart to our Creator. Personally, I do not believe that we can study this subject enough, and this issue will examine the prayer lives from some of the most righteous men contained in the Bible. Several verses previous to our text, James encourages his readers to pour out their hearts unto God in the midst of suffering (James 5:13) and in sickness (James 5:14-15).

is your heart right in prayer

Is your heart right in prayer?

By making a comparison between those who are physically sick and spiritually sick, James writes, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). By inspiration, James designed this statement to encourage us to pray, which is why James has said everything previously to this grand declaration. Unfortunately, it may actually have the opposite effect on some of us. Instead of reading this as an encouragement to pray, one may say, “Well, I know that God will hear and answer the prayers of a righteous man, but I am a person with human frailties, and I fall very short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Thus, I guess that God does not hear or answer my prayers,” and we quit praying. How tragic that a statement of encouragement by design becomes a statement of discouragement through our misunderstanding of it. As Christians, we are made righteous, not by living a perfectly sinless life, but by virtue of the fact that the Lord died for us, and His shed blood keeps us cleansed and forgiven of our sins (cf. 1 John 1:7-10). Therefore, God may hear our prayers!

What a great blessing to know that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much!” To illustrate this, James mentions Elias (Elijah), the prophet. He “was a man subject to like passions as we are” (James 5:17). We find the expression “of like passions” only one other time in the New Testament (Acts 14:11-15), and it points to our same sorrows, heartaches, joys, human weaknesses and frailties. In other words, here was a man who was not sinlessly perfect like God, but as James continues, God heard his prayer! When we pour out our joys, our sorrows, our obstacles, our heartaches, our confessions, our admissions of human frailties, weaknesses and imperfections, then I know that God will hear me, just as he heard Elijah. When I become discouraged in life, then God will be there to hear me, just as He listened to Elijah! When I become fearful and afraid, then God will hear me, just as He heard Elijah! When I tread near the point of wanting to become critical with God for situations that have happened in my life, then God will be there to hear me, just as He heard Elijah! How fascinating that James picks Elijah as an example of “a righteous man” whom God heard in prayer.

I realize that a miracle is used in connection with God’s answer to Elijah’s prayer (James 5:17), which some may try to allude back to the previous verses. Yes, the miracle was only in connection with the revelation that God gave Elijah concerning the rain that would come after a drought that lasted three and a half years. We can read of this account in First Kings 18, and as Andy Griffith would say, “It came a frog’s rain!” Nevertheless, the point in this passage is that through James, God used Elijah as a divine illustration to show that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much,” and if Elijah was “a man subject to like passions as we are” and God heard his prayer, then we ought never to doubt the power of prayer! May this series of articles point to our need of living righteous lives, ever leaning fervently on Jehovah God through prayer, and realizing the great power that God works through them!

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