Evil Suspicions

Evil suspicions!

“But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one” (1 Cor. 2:15).

“Suspicion” is primarily defined as “having a mistrustful nature; having doubt about someone’s honesty, integrity, or motives.” “Evil suspicions” (1 Tim. 6:4) involves impugning motives.  It is to deem something wrong or sinful due to mistrust or doubt (based on preconceived suppositions, or the mere appearance of a thing) without evidence of any actual wrongdoing.

Those who are guilty of evil suspicion are not usually prone to giving someone the benefit of the doubt when the occasion calls for it.  Instead of having an “innocent till proven guilty” attitude, they have a “guilty till proven innocent” mindset.  Such will often judge matters and people without knowing all the facts. Solomon said, “He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him” (Prov. 18:13).

To misinterpret one’s motives as evil or to pass judgment based on supposition (not facts) is to speak evil of that person. “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?” (Jas. 4:11-12).

Jesus and Paul were frequent victims of evil suspicion.  Their motives were often called into question by their opposition.  For example, Jesus was called into question for eating with tax collectors and sinners (Matt. 9:11).  Paul was falsely accused of teaching things he never taught and defiling the temple, which he never did (Acts 21:28-29).  Also consider Job.  His friend Eliphaz concluded that those who are innocent/upright do not suffer (Job 4:7ff).  Therefore, since Job was suffering, he had to have sinned (which, of course, he did not, 1:1, 8, 22; 2:10).  None of these righteous men committed the sins that they were suspected or accused of, but that’s not the way it looked to those who saw what they wanted to see.

We must be careful about jumping to conclusions with people for we may misinterpret their motives or actions, calling something good evil.  “Woe to those who call…good evil…” (Isa. 5:20).  Perhaps we can illustrate this best with a story that was told of Dr. Glenn Olds (a former President of Kent State University) who, in 1941, during his junior year in college, recalled the sight of Mt. Rushmore as he hitchhiked cross-country.  From 10 miles away, he easily made out presidents Washington and Lincoln, but in the middle was a figure that looked a lot like Adolf Hitler.  Yet, once he got closer he realized that what looked like hair combed over a forehead was really cable wires.  What looked like a mustache was really scaffolding.  This made an impression on him and he noted in his journal, “What was Adolf Hitler at 10 miles away was Thomas Jefferson under construction.”

Jesus said, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (Jn. 7:24). “…For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).  Therefore, friends, “…Do not be wise in your own opinion” (Rom. 12:16).  “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matt. 7:2).

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My Tattoo of Jesus

Ugly tattoos are everywhere. Some of the ugliness is because of body changes, but much of it is just poor workmanship and a lack of technology. Yet, there are tattoos which are truly works of art. Current technology and an influx of talented artists into the tattooing industry have revolutionized tattooing and helped to “beautify” the images. In previous generations, tattooing was predominantly limited to pagan religions, superstition, memorials, masculinity, brotherhood associations, gangs, marks of punishment, or marks of slavery. The industry had an obvious lack of female clientele. Its image was negative and most people chose to avoid association with it. Today, with the improved application of tattoos and the ability to make “pretty” tattoos, women and young people have entered the tattoo market in great numbers. Additionally, the arrival of “permanent makeup”, (the ability to apply tattooing which looks like makeup, but without the need to apply ever again) has piqued the interest of women. This has aided in changing the image of the industry. Yes, folks are still tattooed for most of the reasons previously mentioned, but cosmetology can be certainly added to the list. The ugly tattoo is not being created as frequently as before.

Christ has invited every man and woman of all races to His kingdom. Some of these people grew up in religious families, some grew up in Christian families, and others had no religious direction at all before coming to Christ. Increasingly, people with tattoos are being seen more and more in the Church. Many of these came to the Church after getting “inked”, but a growing number are getting “inked” as Christians. Some Christians decry the action, others accept it, however, a great many are not certain what to think about the recent trends. 2 Peter 1:3 is the beginning point for all those who believe in the inspiration of the Bible. That verse establishes that through true knowledge of God man has been granted everything necessary for his physical and spiritual life. This means, Christians who are not certain tattooing is acceptable, can come to an understanding of their questions by examining what God has to say in scripture. To be clear, everything in life is either approved under the general or specific authority of God; or it is disapproved. There is not a single function of man that cannot placed in the categories of approved or disapproved.

At the center of the tattooing issue is culture. The Bible never mandates principles which are only applicable locally. The principles which the Bible teaches are eternal and universal in scope. They are applicable to all men everywhere. Foot washing, the holy kiss, and the symbol of authority upon a woman’s head are often used as examples of cultural issues by critics opposing the belief that the Bible does not teach cultural principles. Yet, foot washing as used by Jesus was done so only to illustrate the eternal principle of servanthood for all people. The holy kiss was discussed by Paul as instruction on the eternal principle of purity for all people. The covering of a woman’s head was discussed by Paul as an eternal principle of submitting to God’s authority applicable to all mankind. There are other issues of this kind that are raised, but all are eternal principles, not cultural ones. The apostle Paul who spoke the inspired words of God which we have in scripture, established he taught all of the counsel of God, and he did it everywhere in every Church. Paul makes the following statements about his teaching:

Acts 20:27 – For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God.

1 Corinthians 4:17 – For this cause have I sent unto you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who shall put you in remembrance of my ways which are in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every church.

It must be clear then, by using the whole counsel of God, man having complete access to all that is necessary for life and Godliness, can without a doubt, determine what God authorizes regarding tattoos. It must further be understood the principles uncovered will not be culturally (locally) applicable, but universally mandated.

For many of those who are opposed to tattoos in the religious world, the typical verse which is used to voice their objection is Leviticus 19:28. The context of the verse is the Law of Moses. This law was a covenant for only the Israelites. The portion being discussed was admonition against following the practices of the pagans. In this specific verse, cutting the flesh and marking the body were the topic of concern. Both of these were deeply tied to the pagan way of life. Notably, the mutilation of the flesh and tattooing is still a practice of many pagan god worshippers still. What must be reemphasized here is: the Law of Moses was for only the Israelites and Christians today are not under that law. Christ fulfilled the Law of Moses and it was nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:13-15).

While man is not under that Law of Moses today, is there anything that can be observed about God from the Leviticus passage in regard to tattooing? Recall, God’s nature is unchanging, his principles eternal (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 1:12, Hebrews 13:8, Isaiah 40:8). Additionally, the things which were written in scripture were done so by God for the learning of all mankind (Romans 15:4, I Corinthians 10:11). Knowing this, in the context of Leviticus 19:28, there is an eternal principle which stands out.

The principle observed from Moses’ sharing the Word of God to the Israelites is: God does not want his people be associated with the practices of sinful people. This is a theme present throughout the Old Testament and most notably, the New Testament.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 – Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 – Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you,

Ephesians 4:17 – This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Colossians 3:2 – Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 – For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.

While the image of the tattoo industry has changed to a degree, no one should think it is viewed as a wholesome atmosphere. The same individual putting a tattoo of Minnie mouse on someone’s wrist is putting the image of a naked person, curse words, false religious symbols, and further atrocities on the bodies of others. A simple search on Google using the search term “tattoo” will result in numerous immodest pictures as well as immoral themes (and that is only on the first page of search responses). How about turning to Wickipedia for a history on tattoos? You will be met with the picture of a tattooed naked woman. Maybe you should visit a tattoo parlor to see “cosmetic body art”. You will be likely faced with books of pictures of immodest tattoos and/or walls with the same posted all over them. To find such a place, the best bet is usually the seedy part of town. Feel free to send your young teenage daughter with her girlfriends. They are likely to encounter individuals for whom the thought of Christianity is far from their minds.

Demographically according to the article “Ink Me Stud” (http://adage.com/article/american-demographics/ink-stud/43779/) in America 10% of people have or have had tattoos. Not exactly as main stream as people are made to believe. Consider these other statements from the article which presents the statistical data from the research company Harris Interactive:

“…lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Americans are twice as likely as the average American to be tattooed…”.

“Fifty-seven percent of Americans age 65 and older describe visible tattoos or body piercings as “freakish,”

“Eighty-five percent agree with the statement, “people who have visible tattoos or body piercings should realize that this form of self-expression is likely to create obstacles in their career or personal relationships.”

It is quite clear, even among typical American citizens; tattoos are not widely seen in a positive light. Among the Christian population the numbers are certainly not any better. For a people who are a possession of God, according to the first Biblical principle examined, in regard to being associated with sinfulness, it seems apparent that a Christian should not get “inked”.

Setting aside the Leviticus passage and taking a wider view at scripture, a second principle presented by the Bible is the principle of Christian Purity. Paul encourages the Philippian Christians to think on things true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of a good report, virtuous and praise worthy (Philippians 4:8). Tattooing does not have this image. It is practically impossible to approach getting tattooed without running into a plethora of immodest images and themes. Furthermore, where are you going to get the tattoo? To be modest, most regions your clothes cover would be unacceptable. Yet the back, breasts, stomach, and thighs are typical areas exposed to tattooing. One of the biggest fads in tattooing at the moment is for women to get the small of their back tattooed. While wearing shirts and pants that expose their midriff they tattoo can then be seen. Some believe this to be so cute and “sexy”. Consider the name for such a tattooing. It is referred to as the “Tramp Stamp”. How cute does that seem to a Christian now? Is this a vision of purity and wholesomeness?

A third principle the Bible presents which Christians must consider relates to personal influence. I Corinthians 8:9-13 discusses practices which if engaged in are likely to cause someone weaker in their Christianity to stumble. As a Christian, an individual may be able to walk into a place which has a negative connotation, widely sinful clientele, and an impure atmosphere and somehow not sin. However, will the people who try to walk in those footsteps be as strong? Being a stumbling block is warned against in scripture, yet being a proper example is encouraged throughout. If a person associates himself with something others view negatively, how likely is it they will be listened to in important matters? Their influence will have been tarnished. It doesn’t matter how good their tattoo of Jesus looks.

A fourth principle to be considered in regard to tattooing relates to submission. The practice of tattooing has for quite awhile has been associated with rebellion. Thus, a number of youths will flock to it. The parents don’t like it, the preacher doesn’t like it, the church doesn’t like it, therefore, let’s get it done! The idea is that the young person considers themselves wise enough to make a proper decision for their lives. Unfortunately, this is a mistaken belief. Additionally, like Adam and Eve trying to hide in the garden from God, young people also try to hide their tattoos from their parents. It is a lack of submission in opposition to Ephesians 6:1-3. When adult Christians, male or female, decide to get tattoos, they may make a statement such as “I just wanted to be a little bad”. Well, they were successful in that arena, violating many principles which God has established for them to walk in. “I don’t think it really matters”, someone might say. God points out that when men try to walk according to what they think, problems arrive at the doorstep (Proverbs 14:12). God doesn’t want man to be “a little bad”. He wants them holy. Yet, they refuse to submit.

A final principle which the Bible presents applicable to tattooing is: good stewardship. The Bible presents different passages discussing stewardship including a fine parable on the topic in Matthew 25. Consider the cost of getting a tattoo. Typically, the prices will range from $75-150 an hour and up. Also quite typically, a number of these “works of art” will take multiple sessions to finish. Pretty good chunk of change, but it is permanent correct? Unfortunately, according to the website for “Just Tattoo Removal” franchises here are the statistics:

“In the year 2000 over 40 million people had a Tattoo. In 2002 it was stated 1 in 8 people had a Tattoo. 50% of these people want it removed, according to American Society of Dermatological Surgery.”

Guess, what? To have a tattoo removed according to the same website costs $100 to $1000+ a treatment and typically at least 6 treatments are needed. Be aware even with treatment, not all tattoos go away, though they can be faded greatly. Sound like a good investment? Sound like good stewardship? It is certainly something the individual must consider before getting a tattoo.

Other articles will likely present principles such as the body being the temple of God and point out an individual should not defile it. Five eternal Biblical principles have been provided in this article and that is enough. Principles of association, submission, purity, influence, and good stewardship give a clear Biblical approach to tattooing. Rather than focus on any further Biblical principles that might be applicable, as final consideration for those thinking about a tattoo, contemplate the regret factor. As noted, a huge percentage of people want tattoos removed. They regret them. They may regret them for the look. Perhaps a tattoo is regretted for the shame and stigma that has come with it. Maybe the individual looks back and sees the tattoo as rebellion for which they do not want to be known. Perhaps it was just a foolish mistake for a man to get his first girlfriend’s name tattooed on his chest, but now that she is gone, he regrets it. Maybe it was cute to get Sylvester the cat tattooed on the ankle when a teenager, but as a mature business person or grandma, it’s a bit embarrassing. As someone who has made many mistakes in his life, it is this author’s plea to you, do not do something you will likely regret. This is advice for which you can make good whether a Christian or not.

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Who’s Choice

The Retailer, Restaurant, and Church of Who’s Choice?

A woman goes shopping. It has been a long, difficult week and it’s time for some “retail therapy.” She has combed through the sales flyers, clipped the coupons, and compared countless products. Out of the hundreds of stores in the city, she has sifted through and carefully chosen only the few that offer the styles, colors, and prices that she most desires, and is therefore willing to spend her precious time and personal resources on. After all, it is her own hard-earned money and time off that she is about to sacrifice, and so it should be her choice as to exactly which stores she will spend both in. Hence, out of the hundreds of choices available, it is only to these select few stores that she will go, as they are the ones most likely to offer what she wants…

A husband decides to take his wife out to celebrate a particularly meaningful event in their lives. Everything must be just right. And so, despite the fact that there’s a ‘restaurant on every corner’ in the city, after some in-depth research he carefully selects the restaurant he most desires for this occasion; the one with just the right atmosphere, location, personnel, cuisine choices and menu options. After all, it’s their special occasion, their personal investment, and therefore, their choice – and no one else’s. And certainly no one in their right mind would argue that.

But what about worship service and church attendance? Do the same rules of personal selection still apply? We’ve all heard the promotion to, “Attend the church of your choice,” but how biblically valid before God is that, really? Well, that depends on whom one is out to please; on whom one is most focused on fulfilling the desires of; and on whom we truly wish to worship and why.

After all, there are many – maybe even hundreds of – different ‘churches’ in most of our major metropolitan areas; churches, like competing stores and restaurants, all of which offer different and varied environments, doctrines, methods and services. And consequently, many people constantly go “church-shopping,” seeking just the right one to fit their particular wants, needs, whims and desires of the moment. But let’s suppose for just a moment that a person had actually fallen so truly and deeply in love with the Lord Jesus Christ for His selfless sacrifice on their behalf, that they were therefore only interested in pleasing Him with their worship – instead of themselves. Because of their deep and abiding love for Christ they would seek to do His will alone, and keep His commandments only, instead of seeking to selfishly fulfill their own desires (Jn. 14:15). To which church would this type of person go and belong – and why?

* To begin with, accepting and respecting God’s word as His unchanging and eternal truth (Ps. 19:7-11; 119:89; Jn. 8:31-32; 17:17) they would diligently search the Scriptures (Acts 17:11) in an effort to identify, seek, and find Christ’s church from in amongst all the others: the one He promised to build – the one He began on the Day of Pentecost through the apostle Peter’s opening it up just as He had promised (Matt. 16:18-19; Acts 2:37-47); the one He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28); His one bride/church that wears, and is identified by His holy name and His alone (Acts 4:12; Ro. 16:16).

* They would definitely not stop for more than a quick visit at any church that taught a different gospel, other than the one delivered in the first century as recorded on the pages of the New Testament (Rom. 16:17-18; Gal. 1:6-10; II Jn. 6-11). This would include immediately vacating any assembly that taught a different gospel plan of salvation other than the one seen in Scripture (a different one such as saying a prayer to be saved which is never found in any example of New Testament conversion to Christ); any church that taught salvation by some man-made method that didn’t include the obedience of faith or obeying the gospel (Rom. 1:5, 16:26; II Thess. 1:7-9) through water baptism, as an essential element specifically for the forgiveness of sins and placing a person in Christ’s body which is His church (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Jn. 3:3-5; Acts 2:37-47, 10:47-48, 22:16; Ro 6:1-4; Gal. 3:26-27; Eph. 1:22-23, 4:4-6; I Ptr. 3:21).

* In seeking Christ’s church as established, experienced, and explored in Scripture, they would search relentlessly until they found one that was wholeheartedly devoted to keeping and never tampering with the apostles’ doctrine in all things (Acts 2:42; I Cor. 4:6; II Cor. 4:1-6), realizing that the things written by the apostles were the very commandments of the Lord God Himself (I Cor. 14:33-37; I Thess. 4:1-8; II Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Ptr. 1:16-2:3, 3:1-3).

* They would not stay with any church which was either named after, or followed after, the teachings of any human being – of anyone other than Christ Himself – realizing that such division is sinful and completely contrary to the commandments and desires of God in Scripture (Lk. 6:46-49; Jn. 17:20-24; I Cor. 1:10).

* They would not worship anywhere where instruments of music were used in any setting to praise God, realizing that God told us a grand total of nine times in the New Testament exactly the type of worship music He wants, prefers, and desires – always vocal, never instrumental ever, at all (Matt. 26:30; Mk. 14:26; Acts 16:25; Ro. 15:9; I Cor. 14:15; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; Hebs. 2:12, 13:15; Jms. 5:13).

* Neither would they worship for one minute where women were serving as “pastors,” “preachers,” prayer, song, or worship leaders – no matter how perfectly or perhaps even far better than men they may have performed these tasks (I Cor. 14:33-37; I Tim. 2:11-15).

These people would realize that it was God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, who made the ultimate investment and sacrifice for the church (Eph. 3:8-12). They would appreciate the fact that since Jesus Christ was willing to leave heaven and equality with God behind in order to come, and suffer, and sacrifice, and pay the price for the church, that it is He (Phil. 2:1-8; Ro. 5:1-11) who gets to choose the church, the doctrine, and the practices and worship styles that He wants those who love Him to attend and participate in. Like the wife who would certainly not refuse but instead appreciate her husband’s hard-sought and carefully selected restaurant for their special celebration, those who sincerely appreciate the love and blood-sacrifice that Jesus paid for His church (Acts 20:28) would certainly not refuse His choice of location and activities for each Sunday’s special celebration of worship to Him either. Because they love the Lord their God with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength, they would be concerned only with doing His will instead of their own or anybody else’s (Matt. 7:21-27, 10:32-39; Gal. 2:20), and with being members of His church (Ro. 16:16) far above and beyond any other petty preferences or personal concerns. Their hearts’ desire would be to “Attend the church of God’s choice;” the one seen in His holy word from Acts two forward, centuries before any man-made and therefore man-honoring denominations and denominational doctrines ever came into existence. These would therefore, be exactly the kind of worshippers the Father Himself is constantly seeking (Jn. 4:23-24).

Those, on the other hand, who are less concerned with what God has clearly stated He wants them to do than with fulfilling their own desires, let’s say, for things such as entertainment, would have no problem attending where there’s instrumental music and drama skits – as opposed to the acappella music and full gospel preaching like the church we see in Scripture had. Those men and/or women who wish to see and hear women leading in the public worship assembly in order to promote whatever personal agenda they may have, instead of honoring God’s stated desires, requirements, and restrictions regarding such, would have no problem attending – and fully justifying said attendance – where these biblically-forbidden, age-old pagan practices relentlessly rage on. In like manner, those who want only ear-tickling, non-challenging sermons instead of the full and life-changing, unadulterated counsel of almighty God taught, will also attend where they can get what they prefer instead of what God does (II Tim. 3:12-4:4; Acts 20:26-27). While many other examples could be cited, these should suffice; just as Matt. 15:7-9 and Mk. 7:5-13 should suffice to show that all such personally preferred, biblically condemned doctrines, practices, and preferences of men, result only in vain, useless, unacceptable and pointless worship. This is because such is man-centered instead of God-centered; it is man-promoting instead of God-promoting; it is man-honoring instead of God-honoring. And quite frankly, God doesn’t deal with those who do that in the fashion they’d prefer (Matt. 22 + 23).

When one truly loves and appreciates what God has done for them in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, their love-response will be one of humble submission and awe-inspired obedience to His desires instead of their own. They will search the scriptures carefully to discover which church He promised, purchased, and established, and wants them to attend to celebrate and honor Him. (It’s the same church He Himself personally places them in upon their “by faith water baptism into Christ, specifically for the forgiveness of their sins” – See: Acts 2:37-47; Gal. 3:26-27; Col. 1:13-2:23). They will explore the pattern and practices (II Tim. 1:13) of that church seen in Scripture right down to the name which it honors and is described by, and will not settle for anything else. How could they? After all, these sincere seekers fully understand that worship is not at all about them, but all about Him! They will “Attend the church of God’s choice” as seen in Scripture, instead of attending “the church of their choice” and living in error. Doctrine matters! Obedience matters! What kind of worshipper do you want to be? Attend the church of God’s choice! Seek it out in God’s word today! Don’t settle for anything less! “…The churches of Christ greet you” (Ro. 16:16).

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Grow in Grace and Knowledge

At the close of his second epistle, in II Peter 3:18, the apostle Peter offers a stirring exhortation to all Christians: “…but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” (NKJV) Peter encourages followers of Christ to take action, to “…grow.” This word is translated from the Greek term AUXANO which means: “to grow (‘wax’), …enlarge…increase.” (1) Basically, we are told that we should increase our “knowledge” of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ and His gospel and enlarge our understanding of how to better serve Him. In so doing, we will then grow in God’s “grace”- in His unmerited favor for us. Truly, all Christians should aspire and be dedicated to this type of growth.

Yet, many times, we Christians fail to grow! We started off as “young” Christians – “young” in the faith. We learned some of the basic principles concerning salvation and the gospel of Christ and our relationship with God. The problem is that many of us did not progress beyond that point and continue to exist today as “spiritual” children or teenagers. We choose to remain in this spiritually juvenile/adolescent state. The Hebrew writer uses this as the subject of his admonition in Hebrews 5:12 – 6:3. He offers good, timely, constructive criticism of all Christians who should have “grown up” spiritually but have remained immature in the faith. In Hebrews 5:12 – 13, the writer states:

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.”

This brings up an obvious question: Why do Christians choose not to grow? One reason is that some do not become properly grounded in the faith and become easily discouraged when facing problems and crises that arise, especially criticism of their faith by friends and/or family. Others become too distracted by their jobs, family issues, hobbies, recreation, etc… and fail to set aside time for personal spiritual growth – time for Bible study, prayer, worship, and fellowship with those of “like precious faith.” Jesus examines some of these same reasons for failure of spiritual growth in His “Parable of the Sower” found in Matthew 13:18 – 23.

Another reason why many fail to grow can be attributed to plain old complacency. This where we believe that we have reached the state in which growth is no longer necessary or desirable. We buy into the sinful, deluded, arrogant thinking that states that we know everything we need to know. We become content, satisfied with our own “Christianity” and stop studying our scriptures and searching for God’s instructions for our lives. Instead of being “diligent” Christians that have been “transformed” by the gospel for a higher purpose and calling, we have become “dead” Christians that are too “…conformed to this world.” (See Romans 12:1 & 2.)

Brethren, we need to turn aside from all the reasons and excuses we have made for our continued spiritual immaturity and make the concerted effort, yes, effort, to grow in the faith. Let us dedicate ourselves to daily, yes, daily, study of God’s word, prayer, and service to our Maker. We need to emulate the attitude of the apostle Paul as he expressed it in Philippians 3:13 – 14. He was not complacent. He did not “rest on his laurels.” He was not distracted from his goal. In v. 14, he confidently states: “I press toward the goal…” He saw and understood the imperative need for further spiritual growth. Like Paul, let us continue to enlarge our faith and increase our knowledge of the gospel. Let us also never lose sight of our goal and look forward to our ultimate salvation and our eternal home in heaven.

Erik Smith

References
(1) James Strong, A Concise Dictionary Of The Words In The Greek Testament, in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1990), 17.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

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Barabbas

In 1951, a Swedish author named Par Lagerkvist wrote a novel that won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1951. He entitled it, “Barabbas,” fictionally portraying the days that followed one of the more interesting characters during the last days of our Lord. During the trial, Pilate offered to release either Jesus or a man named Barabbas. Since the Jews were prosecuting Jesus because of envy (Matt. 27:18), the chief priests and elders actually coerced the multitude of gathered citizens to request the offer of releasing this man in the place of Jesus. As far as Biblical record goes, we know nothing else of this infamous scoundrel. Yet, he provides a number of valuable lessons in the grand scope of redemption’s pinnacle.

First, he was a sinner. The gospel writers describe him with despicable language—he was a prisoner (Matt. 27:16), because he was convicted of murder (Luke 23:19), rebellion (Mark 15:7) and robbery (John 18:40). In fact, Matthew states that he was “notable” (Matt. 27:16). In other words, he would be compared today to an incarcerated criminal formerly on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List—a man everyone knew from his crimes. Thus, he represented the very one for whom Jesus died—he died for sinners (Rom. 5:6-10), and we are sinners (Rom. 3:10-11, 23). The great apostle John even declared, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us…If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:8, 10).

Second, Jesus substituted him in death. We ought to remember when Abraham was going to offer his beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice to God that God stopped him and substituted a ram [male lamb] (Gen. 22:13-14). Abraham named that place “Jehovah-jireh,” which means, “God will provide,” indicating, among other things, that God will provide a substitute. Thus, when we are worthy to die because of our sins, God substituted the Lamb of God (John 1:29) as a substitute for our sins.

Third, he was saved from death—he obtained a type of salvation in that his life was spared. No doubt, because of the severity of crimes he committed, he was likely on “death row.” Unexpectedly, he was “released” (Matt. 27:36), which indicates that he was pardoned. This is exactly what Jesus was doing as He was going to the cross—He was going to die to pardon our sins (cf. Matt. 6:12). Through His shed blood, we have forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7).

In Biblical record, we have no idea whether this had any impact on his life or not, but we can only hope that the influence of Jesus from that day changed the heart of this cold criminal into a constructive citizen in the community, as well as in the kingdom of God.

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