Holidays

Holidays That Honor Men

“Honor all men . . . .” (1 Peter 2:17)

When I consider holidays that honor men, I naturally think about the birthdays of George Washington or Abraham Lincoln.  Come the third weekend in February we’re bombarded with pictures of Abe and George popping out of the television screen urging us to head down to the local used car dealership and buy one of those fixer uppers.  These holidays have been commercialized to the point that they are no longer recognizable or meaningful except to those militant bargain shoppers.

holidays

Should We Celebrate Holidays Honoring Men?

Perhaps more meaningful holidays would include days that honor not just one man, but many, such as Memorial Day, or Veterans Day.  On these occasions the nation pauses to reflect upon the sacrifices made by others so that we can have the liberties we enjoy in our nation.

In more recent years there has been a political push to add additional holidays that honor men such as Martin Luther King Jr., or César Chávez.  The honoring of these men is associated with a specific ethnic group and their work to bring certain liberties and equalities to these groups.  In that regard they are not unlike Memorial Day or Veterans Day in that the protection and expansion of liberty (albeit for a sub-culture) is being recognized.

The Bible doesn’t specifically address the formation and observance of any secular holidays designed to honor men.  However, it does address the subject of civil obedience (Romans 13).  The Bible also talks about living in harmony with the laws and culture of a particular society (1 Corinthians 9:19-22).  So long as those laws or culture do not come into conflict with God’s revealed will, (Acts 5:29) all is well.  It is for these reasons that secular holidays regarding men may be observed by Christians in a secular and non-religious way.

Some may ask, “Were not some of these men sinful?  Don’t we honor their sin when we remember them?”  Of course, only one man ever lived without sin: Jesus (Hebrews 4:15).  If it were the case that we couldn’t honor any men who had sinned, then neither would we be able to honor George Washington or Abraham Lincoln.  Moreover, we would not be able to have birthday parties or funerals as these also are events that honor men.  Nor could we honor the men or women of Memorial or Veterans Day, for all have sinned.

So, just how can we honor these men?  Let’s notice a few ways to do such.  First, we can be thankful to God for the good that these men did.  If anyone ever did any good thing, it was because God was good first.  God is the ultimate source of good (James 1:17) and it is to God that we can be thankful for all good things that men do (1 Timothy 2:1).

Second, we can note the example of good things that these men did and follow that example inasmuch as they are examples of that which is morally worthy of imitation.  This is precisely what the writer of the book of Hebrews urges us to do in looking at the examples of the great men and women of faith in Hebrews 11.  These were men and they sinned!  Obviously the writer isn’t encouraging us to follow their sinful example, but to follow their faithful one.   If the inspired pen can be used to honor the faith of men, then we can honor the good in secular men and follow that example.

Third, we can note the failures of these men and resolve not to imitate those actions in our lives.  Paul would do this very thing in pointing back to the children of Israel in 1 Corinthians 10:1-12.  In verse 11 he writes, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”  When we realize that even “great” men in our own times had failures due to sin, this ought to reinforce in our minds the potential for our falling into sin as well.

The observance of secular holidays that honor men does not inherently involve a sinful situation.  The Bible teaches that we are to respect the culture in which we live so long as there are no conflicts with God’s word.  There is no inherent conflict in the word of God in honoring men.  To the contrary, it is commanded (1 Peter 2:17).  So long as our honoring of these men stays on a secular level and does not involve unholy and unrighteous religious devotions (cf. Revelation 19:10), we do well.  Let us praise God for the good, follow that example, and eschew the evil that men have done.

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Legislating Morality

You Cannot Legislate Morality!

The CEO of a major American corporation was forced to resign after admitting to a sexual affair with a female subordinate (Merle, 2005). The incident triggered the oft’-debated ethical question: “Should one’s personal behavior in moral matters have any bearing on one’s position in public life?” Conventional wisdom now says, “no.” You’ve heard the claims—over and over again ad nauseam: “What a person does on his own time is none of the company’s business.” “Public life and private life are separate issues.” “After all, you cannot legislate morality and personal behavior.” From the president of the United States and the CEO of a large corporation to the public school teacher, Americans in large numbers have swallowed the baseless and ludicrous assertion that personal conduct and moral choices have no bearing on one’s employment position and credibility. Character, integrity, and ethical behavior increasingly have been detached from job performance as people compartmentalize their lives into separate and distinct spheres.

But such ethical schizophrenia is irrational, nonsensical, and destructive to the fabric of society. When a person manifests immorality in one aspect of his life, he demonstrates a character flaw that has become a part of his being. This circumstance must inevitably and naturally permeate a person’s character. If he is willing to lie in his private life, logically his propensity for lying can know no boundaries. The person who becomes comfortable with lying in one area of his life will eventually feel comfortable lying in other areas as well. Once a person sacrifices her integrity by embracing one illicit behavior (e.g., lying), she instantaneously opens herself up to embracing additional illicit behaviors (e.g., stealing, cheating). If a man cannot be trusted with your wife, why would you trust him with your money or your business?

God’s Word is the only reliable guide for human behavior (Psalm 119). In the Bible, God has given rules for the regulation of human behavior. Only He is in a position to establish the parameters of proper behavior. Without law, humans would have no guidance and no framework for assessing their actions. They would be free to conduct themselves in any manner whatsoever. One person may choose to murder while another may choose not to murder. There would be no ultimate difference between those two choices—no objective basis upon which to assign any ethical or moral significance. The person who engages in immoral behavior would be open to being immoral in any and every area of his or her life. Only incidental circumstances would decide when and where the immorality manifested itself. If a CEO would sacrifice his sexual integrity, given the right circumstances, he would be willing to sacrifice his financial integrity as well.

Human civilization is, in fact, grounded and dependent on the fundamental principle that human behavior can and must be regulated. Laws, by definition, regulate human behavior! Why do we have traffic laws? Why do we require people to drive their automobiles on the correct side of the road, stop at red traffic lights, or yield to pedestrians in crosswalks? Weren’t we told that we could not legislate human behavior? Why do we have laws governing the food industry’s handling of food for human consumption? I thought we could not legislate human behavior? Why do we have laws that make murder, stealing, and perjury in court illegal—if human morality cannot be legislated? The fact of the matter is that human behavior can and must be governed. The very fabric and functioning of society depends on it!

Ultimately, morality must be based on the laws of God, with the understanding that one day all humans will stand before the Supreme Judge of the world Who will “render to each one according to his deeds” (Romans 2:6): “For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:10-11).

REFERENCES

Merle, Renae (2005), “Boeing CEO Resigns Over Affair with Subordinate,” Washington Post, Tuesday, March 8, [On-line], URL: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13173-2005Mar7.html.

Dave Miller – Apologetics Press – http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=7&article=1507

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The Gospel of Christ

I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ

Romans 1:16-17 provides the theme for this epistle from Paul to the Romans; it has to do with the proclamation of the gospel by Paul in contrast with the misunderstanding of the Jews:

gospel of christ

I am not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ!

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Rom. 1:16-17)

They thought the Law of Moses without Christ would enable them to have salvation, which is why the Judaizing teachers demanded the Gentiles to undergo circumcision in order to keep the Law of Moses. Nevertheless, Paul taught that those who lived under the Law of Moses by faith that looked forward to the coming of the promised seed of Abraham would lead them to Christ, who would save them, which is what the Law of Moses properly taught and what Paul emphasizes in this epistle. Only with Christ would the Law of Moses lead them to find salvation.

The same thing is true relative to the gospel—the good news concerning the death, burial and resurrection of the Son of God (cf. 1 Cor. 15:1-4). Paul was not ashamed of this gospel, and we are not to be ashamed of this gospel as well. Please examine some reasons why we are not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

First, we are not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ because of what it is—it is power! There are different types of power. God demonstrated power in creation, for when He spoke, “Let there be light,” there was light (Gen. 1:3). “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth” (Ps. 33:6). God demonstrated power by the miracles He performed. In fact, whenever God performed a miracle, no one could resist it! Yet, the gospel has moral power: “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (cf. 1 Cor. 1:18). It has the power to transform lives! The gospel is powerful because of the relationship Christ has to it (cf. 1 Cor. 2:2; Rom. 8:3-4).

Second, we are not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ because of what it can provide—“unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). This is why Paul wrote to them in this letter.
For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death… There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Rom. 7:9-10; 8:1)

Third, we are not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ because of whom it affects. There is no need to be ashamed of the gospel because it is universal (Rom. 3:9). Nevertheless, it is conditional, which is what Paul urges his Roman readers in Romans 9-11. We are to follow and obey the law of faith (Rom. 3:27).

Therefore, because the faith of the Old Testament leads us to the complete faith of the New Testament, wherein is the righteousness of God (Rom. 1:17), we do not have to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ!

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Hearing What We Want to Hear

In a recent conversation the subject came up about how children sometimes hear things.  While many names or words are simply hard for children to pronounce, sometimes the problem lies in the fact that how they say it is how they perceive it.  In a sense, they “ hear what they want to hear. ”

As childhood memories go, when I was about five, I thought the hymn “ Jesus Meek and Gentle” was really “ Jesus Meek and Gentile. ”  (Jesus was a Jew not a Gentile).  Someone else confessed that “Low in the grave He lay… ” was to them “ Low in the gravy lay.”  A third person admitted that they thought “ Let’s have a little talk with Jesus… ” was really “ Let’s have a little chocolate Jesus. ”  The list could go on and on.  While these childhood examples may be comical, it strikes me that children are sometimes the best teachers that adults have.  Think of it: how many grown ups suffer the same problem?  Frequently in the religious world people hear the truth preached or taught, but they somehow miss the point, “ hearing what they want to hear. ”  Paul spoke of such in Acts 28:25-28.  Friends, if you will not “ hear ” the truth, you cannot be saved (Acts 11:14; Heb. 4:2; Rom. 10:17). The choice is yours. “ He who has ears to hear, let him hear! “ (Mk. 4:9).

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Adultery and Fornication

Avoiding Adultery and Fornication

Adultery

Adultery is a Sin Against God.

The sin of adultery and fornication is quite prominent in our society today. The media has desensitized its effects by glamorizing it and renaming it into a less harmful word, as an “affair.” Yet, no matter what man may say, God has never changed His feelings about the subject; He still knows the damage and destruction that it causes within families. Thus, Christians should be people with a disposition to avoid such a strong and dan­gerous temptation. Thanks be unto our God that He has revealed unto us a wonderful example of such in virtuous Joseph (Gen. 39). By the providence of God (Gen. 39:2-3), Joseph was a slave in the house of Po­tiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh. In fact, be­cause of the righteous living exemplified by Joseph, Potiphar elevated Joseph to oversee his entire house (Gen. 39:4), giving him a level of responsibility un­heard of at that time (Gen. 39:6). Yet, Potiphar’s wife noticed that Joseph was a handsome man [the phrase “a goodly person, and well favored” (Gen. 39:6) in the Hebrew denotes his physical attractiveness]. Consequently, when one becomes prominent and is good looking, people take notice, and she was among the first in line for Joseph. She tempts his purity by offering herself (Gen. 39:7), but he refuses. His re­sponse and actions thereafter give a wonderful pat­tern in how to avoid adultery and fornication.

First, Joseph recognized her for who she re­ally was—“his master’s wife” (Gen. 39:7-8). Thus, he would respond to her in reference to her husband, Potiphar: “…thou art his wife” (Gen. 39:9). Joseph knew that she did not belong to him. He knew that because Potiphar was married, he had no rights whatsoever to become involved in “a fling,” “an af­fair” or whatever anyone might want to designate. In the heart of Joseph, she was off-limits. He knew, believed, appreciated and obeyed the matrimonial principle that would later become a foundational ba­sis for Israel from God: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife” (Exod. 20:17). When marriage es­tablishes a man and woman together with God (cf. Gen. 2:24), there is no room for anyone else.

Second, Joseph recognized that Potiphar kept back his wife from him (Gen. 39:8-9). When Potiphar promoted Joseph to be responsible for overseeing his house, he knew that did not include liberties with his wife: “There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee” (Gen. 39:9). Joseph clearly understood that Po­tiphar kept back his wife from Joseph. What a great principle! Husbands need to keep back their wives from others, and wives need to keep back their hus­bands from others. If spouses would work more in such ways, there would be less cases of adultery and fornication, and consequently, less divorce. Spouses need to keep back their mates by continually reaf­firming their love, devotion and loyalty to each other. Spouses need to keep back their mates by assuring that each are dressing modestly in public.

Third, when Joseph initially recognized the temptation, he did everything he could to avoid such (Gen. 39:10). While she did not relent, but kept tempt­ing him daily, he not only verbally refused, but also even made every effort not “to be with her.” It was only when she seized an opportunity when no men were around that she persisted further by grabbing his garment, only to find herself holding an empty gar­ment in hand as he ran away. He exemplified what we find in the New Testament: “Flee fornication” (1 Cor. 6:18). “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteous­ness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim. 2:22). When temp­tations of such happen, Christians who value purity will immediately seek to avoid all such encounters. When coworkers make advances, we should avoid such people to the greatest extent possible.

If we will seek to follow the guidelines that Joseph demonstrated, we may protect our marriages and homes, and adultery and fornication will only be a problem in the world where people do not respect divine matrimonial laws.

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