Walking in Darkness

Have you ever tried to walk in the dark? I do it frequently because of having to get up during the night. I also usually walk in the dark for a few moments after everyone has gone to bed when I turn out the lights. When I do walk in the dark, I don’t run; I don’t even walk confidently. I’m usually feeling around with my hands and arms trying to identify objects that are where I know they should be. I walk very gingerly making sure of my steps before I put my feet flat on the floor (you never know when there is going to be a small metal toy car there, and while they aren’t that big, they sure hurt when you step on them without any shoes on). Then, after I am sure of my step, I’ll put that foot down and pick the other one up. I’m also very careful to make sure that I know where furniture and other objects are so that I don’t stub my toe or bang an arm. Even when you know what the basic layout of the house is and where the furniture is located, walking in the dark is at best, difficult. It is so much easier to just turn on the light and walk in confidence.

Picture yourself, however, in unfamiliar territory and with no light whatsoever. I once found myself in such a situation when touring a cave. My family and I went to explore a part of the cave that the guide thought had water in it (but it didn’t). He went another direction and said that he would meet us. We were almost happily at the junction when he turned off the lights on us! It was completely and totally dark. Being as tall as I am, I immediately got down on my knees so as not to bump my head on the roof. Then, I began groping around in the dark to feel for my wife and kids who were near by. (The kids could hear me, but my wife couldn’t, as she is deaf.) What did we do? We started yelling for the guide to turn the lights back on! He eventually did and we got out of the cave safely, but it was an experience to shake one’s confidence that I will never forget.

Why would someone want to walk in darkness? Physically, it just doesn’t make any sense unless one is forced into it. Spiritually, however, many desire it on a regular basis. In Ecclesiastes 2:14a we read, “The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness.” It is foolish to walk in darkness. I suppose if someone wanted to be foolish, they would walk in darkness. In Isaiah 59:9, we read, “Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.” The person who does not desire to have justice and judgment in his life desires to walk in darkness. In Proverbs 2:12 we read, “Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness.” Those who don’t desire righteousness walk in darkness. Regarding the wicked in Psalm 82:5 we read, “They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.” Those who are ignorant desire to walk in darkness. John writes in 1 John 1:6 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” To claim fellowship with God while practicing evil is walking in darkness. Hypocrites desire to walk in darkness. Desiring to walk in spiritual darkness doesn’t exactly put one in good company. It just doesn’t make any sense to do so.

In John 12:35 we read “Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.” The metaphor is so appropriate. We know how difficult it is to walk in the dark. We know how pleasant it is to walk in the light. We know the difference between darkness and light! Is the same not true for truth? As far as truth goes, Jesus is the light of the world. If we follow Jesus’ example and teaching, then we will walk in the light and what a pleasant and wonderful experience it will be! However, if we fail to follow Jesus’ example and teaching, then we will grope in the darkness and what a miserable and awful experience that will be! In the light we have confidence, joy, direction, faith and progress. In the dark we have timidity, fear, confusion, doubt, and regression. Jesus said in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” We’ve seen how dangerous it is to walk in darkness. We’ve seen how invigorating it is to walk in the light. Now, in what path will I walk today? Darkness? Or Light? As for me, I’m keeping the light on.

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Unthankful

Romans 1:21 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

One of the hallmark traits of those who would reject God in their knowledge is that they become unthankful. It was, therefore, with great interest that I read from the Disaster Relief Effort News a report that according to an article by David Streitfeld of the Los Angeles Times, Katrina relief workers say, “We don’t want any more used clothing.” The article goes on to say, “There is also a moral component: Just because someone is homeless doesn’t mean he or she should be wearing hand-me-downs.” Is there something wrong with saying, “We don’t want any more used clothing”? Not if one has enough. But to say, “We don’t want any more used clothing because used clothing isn’t good enough” and “it is morally wrong to expect someone to wear used clothing” is completely unacceptable. My mother used to have a saying, “Beggars can’t be choosers.” It’s really a fact of life. If one is in need and someone offers something to them that satisfies that need, then one ought to be thankful for having that need satisfied. To complain and say, “This isn’t new so I’m not going to wear it” is simply being unthankful.

Now, I’m certainly not talking about used clothing that is worn out. If clothing is old and unusable then obviously one ought not to expect another person to accept it; it would defeat the whole purpose. However, if the clothing is in good condition and can be worn, then why would one turn one’s nose up to such? Let us consider the many people who shop garage sales and purchase used clothing on a regular basis. If used clothing is good enough for them, then shouldn’t it be good enough for those who are homeless? Consider also those who shop at stores such as “Good Will” or some other thrift type store. If the clothing in those stores is good enough for them to purchase, then why wouldn’t it be good enough for someone who is homeless to accept? Certainly, it would be. So what causes people to have such an attitude of unthankfulness? The fact of the matter is that there are many in this nation who are spoiled. They simply won’t accept used clothing when they ought to be thankful that they have someone who cares enough about them to give them something.

I make no exception for myself. On occasion I purchase new clothing, if the price is right. However, I don’t turn my nose up to used clothing simply because it is used. There have, on occasion, been several who have given me used suits or other clothing that I can use. I go through it; if it is my size, then I will wear it. If not, then I try to find someone else who can wear it. I’m thankful for those brethren who consider me in that regard. I’m also thankful for those who give old children’s clothing to me. Some have recently done that. But were I to say to them, “I’m sorry, but your used clothing isn’t good enough for me”, then I would be no better than those who made the statement above. There is nothing immoral about expecting someone who is looking for clothing to accept used clothing! So there is certainly nothing immoral about expecting someone who is homeless to accept used clothing!

I dare say that any individual who came out of the depression would have turned their nose up at used clothing. Those individuals knew what it took in order to survive. Not only did they accept used clothing, but any scrap of cloth upon which they could get their hands. They used that cloth to stitch together clothing that would work. They were thankful for every single bit they could get. Why? Because they knew that they may not have the opportunity to get a bit the next day. What would this generation say regarding the generation that turned down what they valued? They would rise up and call them by what they are, unthankful!

What does the rest of the Romans chapter one say about those who are unthankful? “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves�” (Romans 1:22-24) Are we, in this country, not currently fulfilling the exact same words as the Gentiles of old? Awake to righteousness, dear friend.

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The Sin of Idolatry (Part 1)

When the word “idolatry” is mentioned, most religious folks probably call to mind a debunked religious system that is outdated and not generally practiced. Why ought the worshipper of God be concerned with the sin of idolatry? The truth is that there are many in the religious world today practice idolatry. People of the Hindu religion have various wooden and stone carvings and manifestations of their deities. Buddhists typically have a “Buddha” statue to which they give offerings of one kind or another. And in recent years there has been a revival of paganism which goes hand in hand with idolatry. Even some who profess Christianity have unwittingly substituted idol worship for the worship of the living God. The fact of the matter is that idolatry is still alive and well in our world today.

From reading the Old Testament, one would think that the sin of idolatry would be clearly enough defined that those who believe in the Bible wouldn’t have anything to do with practicing it today. Leviticus 19:4 states, “Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 26:1 says, “Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.” And in the Ten Commandments God says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me” (Exodus 20:3-5). We get the picture from these verses that an idol is any carved, fashioned, or molded image that is in the likeness of anything that exists in heaven or earth which has been erected for devotees to serve or worship.

What kind of service or worship would one offer to an idol? The scriptures are clear. One is not to make an idol (Leviticus 19:4, 26:1). One is not to follow an idol (1 Kings 21:26). One is not to bow down to an idol (Leviticus 26:1). One is not to pray to an idol (Isaiah 44:17, 45:20). One is not to offer sacrifices to idols (Hosea 13:2). One is not to seek idols (Isaiah 19:3). One is not to bless an idol (Isaiah 66:3). One is not to set up an idol (Leviticus 26:1). One is not to lift up one’s eyes to idols (Ezekiel 18:6, 12, 15, 33:25). One is not to praise an idol (Isaiah 42:8). Any kind of religious devotion that one may consider is forbidden in the concepts of worshipping or serving an idol.

Unlike the Old Testament writers, who give us multiple detailed descriptions of idolatry, New Testament writers expect one to understand the definition of the term from the Old Testament (Romans 15:4). What we find in the New Testament is the simple prohibition of idolatry. The Apostles commanded Gentile Christians to abstain from the pollution of idols in Acts 15:20, 29. Idolaters are people with whom we are to have no fellowship (1 Corinthians 15:11). Those who practice such will not inherit the kingdom of God according to 1 Corinthians 6:9. Idolatry is listed among the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:20. And in 1 John 5:21, John says, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” Idolatry is explicitly forbidden under the New Covenant.

Between the Old Testament and the New, there isn’t much room for one to practice idolatry. However, when people want to do something, they will think of all kinds of excuses, rationalities, and justifications. In the next article, we’ll take a look at one major religion’s “rationale” for what amounts to nothing more than idolatry.

The Sin of Idolatry (Part 2)

One would think that those who profess to believe in the God of the Bible wouldn’t practice idolatry; however, it is commonly practiced among the Catholic Church. Not too long ago, I visited a Cathedral in Brazil. In this Cathedral, there was a carved wooden image of “Mary” that had been found in a river several hundred years ago (evidently someone had made this statue and then tossed it into the river as rubbish). The entire Cathedral was built near the site of this image on account of this event. Inside the Cathedral, the image had an honored place. Members of the Catholic Church there had placed on its head a crown and a robe. There was a security guard near the image to protect it.

The whole scene reminded me of the words of the Old Testament prophets as they exposed the folly of idolatry. Habakkuk wrote, “Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it” (Habakkuk 2:19). Isaiah said, “They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed � And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?” (Isaiah 44:9-19).

There are also those who seek to defend such practices. They suggest that they are not actually worshipping these things, merely “venerating” them. Indeed, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states regarding these idols:

The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, “the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype,” and “whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it.” The honor paid to sacred images is a “respectful veneration,” not the adoration due to God alone � Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward that whose image it is.

Evidently the Catholics need to learn the second commandment because that one states, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” And they also need to learn the second part of the second commandment because that states, “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me” (Exodus 20:4-5). Did God say, “except if your worship is REALLY directed toward me?” Did God say, “except if the image is of me and you’re not really worshipping it in your own heart?” Did God say, “except if your worship doesn’t terminate in the image?” In fact, he said just the opposite in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” God does not give His glory to graven images, ever!

What did the prophets say? Hear Isaiah: “They that make a graven image are all of them vanity” (Isaiah 44:9a). All graven images are VANITY! “Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?” (Isaiah 44:10) All graven images are profitable FOR NOTHING! Hear what Jeremiah has to say, “Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.” (Jeremiah 10:14 and 51:17). They are falsehoods! Hear Habakkuk, “What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?” (Habakkuk 2:18). They are no profit; they are teachers of lies. What does Paul say? “� we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one” (1 Corinthians 8:4). They are nothing! There is only ONE God. The plain teaching of scripture utterly refutes the Catholic rationalization for having “images.”

So why have graven images at all? There can only be one reason. To satisfy the fleshly desire to have something that one can see and touch. This is exactly what the people of Israel desired after they came out of Egypt. When Moses was up in the mountain for forty days, Aaron made a golden calf. Exodus 32:4-5 state, “And he received [the gold] at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD.” Aaron made an idol. He proclaimed that idol the gods that brought them out of Egypt. He then said that the next day there would be a feast to the LORD. Aaron did exactly what the Catholics claim to do today. He made an idol and then proposed to worship God through the idol. But what did God say about this? God said that they had corrupted themselves (Exodus 32:7) and that they had turned aside from the commandment (Exodus 32:8). It was sinful then and it is sinful now.

The Sin of Idolatry (Part 3)

In looking at the sin of idolatry, we’ve noticed some of the more brazen forms of such activity. However, idolatry doesn’t have to be in the form of a carved image or statue. Idolatry is anything that monopolizes our attention away from God. It could be television, fishing, golf, family, our jobs, the Internet, and any other thing that would interfere with our relationship with God; anything can be an idol. It is important, therefore, that we identify anything that would hinder our relationship with God and take appropriate steps to remove that stumbling block from our life.

Ezekiel prophesied to individuals who were guilty of setting up idols in their hearts in Ezekiel 14:1-11. These individuals appeared to be seeking God by coming to inquire of God’s will (Ezekiel 14:3). However, God told Ezekiel that they had come hypocritically. They really had not abandoned their idolatry; it was still foremost in their own minds. So while their external actions appeared to be correct, their hearts were still wrong because they had not abandoned their idolatry in their thinking. They were placing something else before God in their own minds.

Let’s note that some attitudes are inherently idolatrous. Colossians 3:5 makes it clear that covetousness is idolatry. Covetousness is a desire to gain something, anything, to the point that we would be willing to abandon what is right to get whatever it is that we desire. When we are Covetous, in essence, we are placing something in the world (whether it be an object or a person [i.e. Exodus 20:17]) above God; we are desiring some thing more than we desire God and such is the essence of idolatry. Consider as an example of such behavior the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-23). He had placed God high up in his priority list. He had kept God’s commandments from his youth. However, when Jesus told him to sell all of his goods and give them to the poor, he went away sorrowful. God may have been high on his priority list, but God wasn’t number one. He loved something more than he loved God.

Idolatry can be either external (outward display of worship to a graven image) or internal (putting God in second place in our heart) or both external and internal. This is in essence why we have what Jesus calls the first and great commandment. “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength�” (Mark 12:30). If God is first in our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, then both the internal and the external are focused upon loving God instead of other things. Jesus made it clear that even physical concerns such as food, clothing, and shelter ought not to take priority in our mind. It is His kingdom and righteousness that always comes first (Matthew 6:33).

Physical idolatry is still a problem in many parts of the world today, and even among some who profess to be Christians. However, spiritual idolatry is likely the bigger temptation in our culture. We are surrounded by a society that places a high value upon possessions and bombarded each day with appeals to pursue such possessions. In such a society we must constantly be aware of the condition of our heart to ensure that we do not become complacent and succumb to putting God less than first in our lives. By understanding our priorities and analyzing our decisions through a Christ centered perspective we can maintain the kind of relationship with God that He desires for us to have with Him.

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Will All Israel Be Saved?

In what sense will “all Israel” be saved in Romans 11:26? Does this refer to the church and the inclusion of both Jew and Gentile (vs. 25; cf. Acts 15:6-11; Gal. 6:15-16)?

In Romans 11, Paul addresses the question that he sets forth in verse 1. “Has God cast away his people?” It was a question that was being asked by some Gentile Christians (vs.13) because Paul was preaching the gospel to them instead of the Jews as was his habit to do, after he first approached the Jews with the gospel (cf. Acts 13:46).

One key verse of the passage is in verse 7, “What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded….” Israel, as a nation, had not accepted Jesus as the Messiah. Some, however, did accept Jesus as the Messiah. Those who accepted Him were saved; those who did not fell (vs.11, 12) and through their fall, grace came to the Gentiles.

Does this mean that they cannot be saved? No, in fact, Paul wanted them to be saved. He was preaching to the Gentiles partially to provoke the Jews into accepting salvation (vs.14). Paul then gives us the Allegory of the Olive Tree. In this allegory, it is those who are grafted into the tree that are saved. The Jews are represented as the natural branches, but which had been broken off due to their rejection of the gospel. The Gentiles are represented as those who were grafted in due to their acceptance of the gospel. Toward the end of the allegory, however, Paul discusses those Jews who had first been broken off and what would happen to them if they accepted the gospel. He says, “And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again” (vs.23). Notice, “IF they abide not still in unbelief.” They have to become believers to be grafted back into the tree.

Verse 26 of Romans 11 is a conclusion to the allegory. Notice that Paul says, “And SO all Israel shall be saved.” Paul doesn’t say, “all Israel shall be saved,” but “SO all Israel shall be saved.” The word “so” is an adverb of manner. It means in such a way, or in such a manner, all Israel shall be saved. The idea is that they will be saved in the same manner in which they are grafted back into the Olive Tree, through belief that Jesus is the Messiah.

The covenant that God has with Israel now is the same that He has with the whole world. It is the covenant in which sins are taken away (vs.27). We need but look in Hebrews 10:16, 17 to understand this: “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” What is this covenant? It is the new covenant; the first covenant has been taken away, that the second could be established (Hebrews 10:9).

Verse 26 concludes Paul’s reasoning: “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.” Now, both Jews and Gentiles are saved through the same method–the mercy of God.

Today, God is no respector of persons (Acts 10:34, 35). All are saved in the same way, through belief in the gospel of Christ, both Jew and Gentile. To answer your question, yes, this refers to the salvation that is afforded in Christ, through the church (Ephesians 3:23).

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Renegade Christian?

A couple of weeks ago I was watching the coverage of Hurricane Katrina on the news and one of the experts, in essence, said, Don’t just jump in your car and go to help, we don’t want renegade volunteers. The phrase gave me pause. Renegade Volunteer? What an unusual combination of words. The concept, however, was immediately understood. If you simply jump in your car and go to help, you will become part of the problem instead of the solution. Working individually, one could, in such a circumstance, become a victim to the looting and violence that was so prevalent. Working with a team, however, one can accomplish more because the resources of a team are so much greater.

The concept got me to thinking about how some people view being a Christian. In essence, they are Renegade Christians. They believe that they can do their own thing without being associated or affiliated with the Lord’s church. Such puts one into a dangerous situation. Why? Several reasons.

First, a renegade Christian doesn’t have the protection of the shepherds of the church. Satan loves to isolate Christians and attack with all of his forces of evil. On our own, he can devour us handily. However, when we stay with the church, he has a harder time getting to us.

Second, a renegade Christian can’t do the works that the church, as a whole, can do. Some projects need more than one individual. They need a team of individuals. The Lord’s wisdom is evident in that the pattern for the church involves more than one person. When more than one is involved in an activity, there is more interest, encouragement, and accomplishment.

Finally, a renegade Christian won’t have the encouragement that those who are part of the church have. To whom may the renegade turn in times of crisis? There is no one. But the faithful member has a wonderful Christian family upon whom to depend.

There are all kinds of benefits to being part of a team. The church is the Lord’s team and as such we are expected to be members of that team. Are you a part of the Lord’s team, or are you a renegade Christian?

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