September 16, 2015
That Would Be Good
James 3:13
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.
Good works are not passive in God’s economy and never code for letting everyone walk all over us. Simply, good works aren’t good works if they are not founded in wisdom.
I encourage everyone to take the time to listen to Rob’s message from Sunday
(click here) He articulates what the godly response to current issues should be... grounded in wisdom from God’s Word.
My favorite part is when Rob describes how some Christians today are mistaken about evil. Evil is evil, and God hates evil; it is a “good work” to hate evil too. (See Psalm 97:10 & 139:21-24)
Jesus’ call to follow him is not a call for pacifism towards evil. “Turning the other check” (Matthew 5:38-40) is personal instruction for personal living. But never did Jesus ever teach his followers to make that burden on behalf of others...especially the oppressed.
Rob said that Jesus never intends for Believers to treat the oppressed and defenseless as a sacrifice for our convictions. Passages like Romans 12:14-18 instructs individuals interpersonally: Bless those who persecute you... Live in harmony with each other... Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. And passages like James 1:27 clarify beyond interpersonal experiences: Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means (defending) orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. (Also see Psalm 82:3-4)
Refusing and defending are not pacifistic activities.
Interpersonally, Believers will seek peace, heap coals, and turn cheeks. But never at the sacrifice of another to a tyrant.
Bottom Line: Christian Americans should not be leading the charge to let Islam (which means submission NOT peace) seep into our nation. We are not to “turn the other cheek” as a group of individuals to any tyrant of any kind that would oppress the defenseless. Letting people be forced into submission by tyrants is not “good works.” Good works totally grounded in wisdom from the Word of God for the Believer in this instance is to fight tyrants off and get rid of them. Yes, that would be good.
Dear God,
I pray for the Christians easily being deceived right now thinking from their own human logic that you love everything. You don’t. You hate evil, and we need to hate what you hate – that is the good thing to do. But they’ve mistaken tolerance for holiness and it’s sending the wrong message. Help Believers to be bold, bold, bold these days and not sacrifice defenseless women and children or the elderly and the disabled to any tyrant of any kind. Help our good works to actually be good even if the politically correct police don’t think so. I love YOU and YOUR WAYS! Thank you for protecting us in these evil days. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
That Would Be Good
James 3:13
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.
Good works are not passive in God’s economy and never code for letting everyone walk all over us. Simply, good works aren’t good works if they are not founded in wisdom.
I encourage everyone to take the time to listen to Rob’s message from Sunday
(click here) He articulates what the godly response to current issues should be... grounded in wisdom from God’s Word.
My favorite part is when Rob describes how some Christians today are mistaken about evil. Evil is evil, and God hates evil; it is a “good work” to hate evil too. (See Psalm 97:10 & 139:21-24)
Jesus’ call to follow him is not a call for pacifism towards evil. “Turning the other check” (Matthew 5:38-40) is personal instruction for personal living. But never did Jesus ever teach his followers to make that burden on behalf of others...especially the oppressed.
Rob said that Jesus never intends for Believers to treat the oppressed and defenseless as a sacrifice for our convictions. Passages like Romans 12:14-18 instructs individuals interpersonally: Bless those who persecute you... Live in harmony with each other... Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. And passages like James 1:27 clarify beyond interpersonal experiences: Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means (defending) orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. (Also see Psalm 82:3-4)
Refusing and defending are not pacifistic activities.
Interpersonally, Believers will seek peace, heap coals, and turn cheeks. But never at the sacrifice of another to a tyrant.
Bottom Line: Christian Americans should not be leading the charge to let Islam (which means submission NOT peace) seep into our nation. We are not to “turn the other cheek” as a group of individuals to any tyrant of any kind that would oppress the defenseless. Letting people be forced into submission by tyrants is not “good works.” Good works totally grounded in wisdom from the Word of God for the Believer in this instance is to fight tyrants off and get rid of them. Yes, that would be good.
Dear God,
I pray for the Christians easily being deceived right now thinking from their own human logic that you love everything. You don’t. You hate evil, and we need to hate what you hate – that is the good thing to do. But they’ve mistaken tolerance for holiness and it’s sending the wrong message. Help Believers to be bold, bold, bold these days and not sacrifice defenseless women and children or the elderly and the disabled to any tyrant of any kind. Help our good works to actually be good even if the politically correct police don’t think so. I love YOU and YOUR WAYS! Thank you for protecting us in these evil days. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
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