The Mighty Revealer of Secrets

The apostle John emphasized in two places in the Epistle of 1 John the teaching ministry of the Spirit.  Notice in 1 John 2:20, he said, “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.” This “Unction” is a reference to the Holy One, the Spirit of God, as the Teacher of the believer. This Professor dwells within. Then John later emphasized this same truth in 1 John 2:27, which says, “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”  The “Anointing” in this passage is none other than the blessed sweet Spirit of God in the ministry of teaching believers the things of the Lord.  He remains in believers to teach and affirm the truth of the Word. Praise the Lord, the believer is not left to figure it out alone!  The Spirit will diligently teach the children of God.

THE REVEALER 

The Apostle Paul taught how believers can know God’s thoughts and plans through the study of the Scriptures. Revelation is what Paul emphasized in 1 Corinthians 2:9-12. He illustrated the futility of human wisdom, compared with the power and wisdom of God (1Cor. 2:1-8). The apostle reminded the Corinthians of his ministry among them and how he sought to glorify God and not himself.  Complete dependence and submission to God’s authority marked Paul’s ministry (Eph. 6:5; Phil. 2:12). He came to Corinth proclaiming the testimony of God, but not with excellent oratory or human wisdom. He was not at all interested in showing himself off as a gifted speaker or astute philosopher. His style of preaching was unimpressive from a human point of view (2 Cor. 10:10). Paul’s unembellished message was Jesus Christ, and Him crucified as the only means of salvation.

MacDonald and Farstad (1995, p. 1751) affirmed that the Apostle Paul recognized the difference between ministry that is soulish and that which is spiritual. By soulish ministry, he means that which amuses, entertains, or generally appeals to man’s emotions. Spiritual ministry, on the other hand, presents the truth of God’s Word in such a way as to glorify Christ and to reach the heart and conscience of the hearers. This is clearly the aim of the Holy Spirit as He open to believers the Scriptures. Therefore, as Paul preached the Gospel, dynamic faith was induced by a “demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1Cor. 2:4) and was not a product of human ingenuity or rhetorical excellence. Paul wanted to be sure their “faith” would not rest “in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1Cor. 2:5). Then Paul is lead by the Spirit to unveil the wisdom of God’s great plan of salvation. The result is insight into God’s thoughts and plans!

Never-the-less, I am reminded that people do not understand everything with respect to God’s Word and will!  This is why revelation is necessary. In 1 Corinthians 2:9, Paul said, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” This wonderful passage communicates how believers often are not ready to comprehend everything in reality as God knows it. Some things Christians may consider “hidden wisdom” (2:7) that are not understandable to them at the moment. The Spirit must lead believers into the deeper truths of God. Also a part of living by faith is trusting God with those things we do not, as of yet, understand. God did not promise to answer all of our questions. Everything consistent with salvation and spiritual growth needful for our, the child of God’s, current experience the Spirit will help us learn.

Through what the Spirit reveals to Christians, we can know the plans and thoughts of God through the Scriptures. In 1 Corinthians 2:10, Paul says “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” Clearly the primary Teacher of Christians is the Spirit of God!  The Bible Exposition Commentary (Wiersbe 1989, p. 575) affords some helpful insight into Paul’s emphasis.

We have considered two fundamental truths of the Gospel: this message centers in the death of Christ and it is part of the Father's vast eternal plan. The believers at Corinth had forgotten the cost of their salvation; they had gotten their eyes off of the cross. They … had lost the wonder of the greatness of God's plan for them. They needed to return to the ministry of the Holy Spirit…. 

The Holy Spirit then is the ‘Revealer’ of the mind of God.  The blessings of salvation were prepared by the Father, carried out by the Son, and applied by the Spirit (Eph. 1:3-14) to all believers. “God hath revealed them unto us by [through] His Spirit” (1Cor. 2:10)—these truths foretold in the Old Testament were made known to the apostles of the New Testament era. It was by the Spirit of God that the apostles and prophets were enlightened, because “the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1Cor. 2:10). In other words, the Spirit of God, a member of the Godhead, is infinite in wisdom and understands all the truths of God. He is able to impart such insight to Christians who are willing to learn. The only way the Corinthians could know God’s redemptive plan was by the Spirit, who knows and reveals these “deep things of God” about salvation. Certainly every believer should turn to Him for a spiritual education.  While it is good to listen and learn from gifted Bible preachers and teachers, the Christian must not overlook or ignore this ministry of the Spirit in their Bible study life.

Now that the Spirit is understood to be the Revealer, what is “revelation?” Revelation is the unveiling of something previously hidden so that it may be seen for what it is. “Revealed” in 1Corinthians 2:10 expresses how God has made known to men truths and realities that men could not discover for themselves (Deut. 29:29; 1Cor. 2:7-10). The Holy Spirit, as God, reveals God to people. He ministers to them and makes the Father real to them. Without revelation, people would not know anything about God or even that there is a God. Thus it is vital to accept the premise that God desires to make Himself known to man, and has in fact revealed Himself at various times and in different ways (Heb. 1:1-2). This automatically eliminates mere imagination, reason, philosophy, intuition, speculations, Aristotle, Plato, and any other love of knowledge as equals with the revelation of God in the Bible.  Only the Apostles and Prophets knew the mind of God; Christians have it today in the written Word of God.  God has revealed Himself to man and the Scriptures are the single authoritative disclosure of Him to modern humanity.  If believers really want to know God they must turn to the Scriptures.  No other writings should be placed on the same level with them. They are Spirit-given—His revelation of God to man—and He skillfully uses them to teach believers.

Professor Holy Spirit

Once a person comes to Christ for salvation, a life of discipleship begins. Teaching converts the things of God is another fundamental ministry of the Holy Spirit. A great deal is to be discovered about God, the Christian faith, life, and the Bible.  Even though a person may be intellectually exceptional, they still must not presume to be fit to unravel divine truths. God’s thoughts and ways are often infinitely different from the notions of a new convert.  The values and priorities of the world system are culturally incompatible with Christ’s in most regards. Though a person is indeed saved, they will not automatically think God’s thoughts. They must be educated in the truths, doctrines, and principles of the Christian Faith. This is true of the average convert; even for those reared in good Christian homes where the Bible is taught with accuracy and clarity. Simply put the new convert much still grasp and experience Christianity firsthand after conversion.

Because new converts are substantially uneducated in spiritual matters, God must undertake the function of Teacher.  Sonship to God is a whole new unexplored and fascinating reality for new believers.  Thus it is nothing short of a monumental undertaking to bring believers to maturity where they think God’s thoughts, live His values, and exercise themselves in His principles and priorities.  In fact this task is so tremendous, that none but God can do it. 

This is where the Holy Spirit plays the role of Professor. The Lord Jesus said in John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” Christ referred to the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of truth” Who will “guide” believers “into all truth.” The Spirit’s ministry is to guide in learning, instruction, and explanation of all truth concerning the faith. The Lord Jesus also said in John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” The Holy Spirit works in the office of a Teacher giving believers insight into the wisdom of Christ, instilling doctrines, and explaining the meaning for practical adherence.

But, how does the Spirit of God teach the Christian?  The short answer is the Spirit of the Living God divinely enables a Christian to understand Scripture in a way that he could not before becoming a Christian. Consider the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 2 to note this. Paul said,

 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. ¹⁰ But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. ¹³ Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴ But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. ¹⁶ For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:9-16).

THE SPIRIT WILL TEACH THE BIBLE

Clearly the Spirit of Grace uses the Bible to train believers in the Faith. This is not only a basic ministry of the Spirit but an essential one as well. Though the Scriptures are infallible and inspired, people need help understanding them. The illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit makes this possible. Because the Bible must be spiritually discerned, the natural mind unaided by the Spirit cannot grasp its truths (D. Williams, 1994, pp. 39-41). The believer can learn and grow under God’s direct tutelage. Without the Spirit’s ministry, people absolutely cannot know spiritual things.

I can recall when I was a pre-teen my pastor gave me a New Testament and instructed me to read it diligently every day.  Well, since this encouragement came from my preacher, I felt it was important to obey him.  Therefore, all through my teen years as a young person I read my New Testament and latter my grandmother’s Bible at the very least five to six days each week.  It was a part of my bedtime ritual.  I can recall understanding some of what I read and other parts simply went over my head.  Though I did not make many decisions based on what I was reading each day I still felt it important to read my Bible.  I still have that New Testament, and it has many places where I highlighted verses or placed them in brackets to indicate their significance.  Apparently I was impressed to some degree with the statements of the Lord Jesus and the passages on salvation.  Though I was not saved at the time, God was still communicating to me through the Bible and laying a foundation for my salvation.

But there was much that confused me; I could not make heads or tails of some passages. I can even recall debating the Bible’s instructions about sexual experimentation, heavy teen petting, and fornication among youths!  Though I attended church regularly, I evidently did not attend to learn the Bible. I was basically missing more than I was taking in from the Word.

Finally, I was saved August twenty-first in the year 1990 in Plattsburgh, New York.  I was now a young man serving in the Air Force on Plattsburgh Air Force Base.  After trusting Christ as Savior, God gave me a hunger for the Bible and a sense of obligation to read His Word and obey His requirements. I remember being deeply convicted about Bible reading a week after my conversion experience.  According to my recollections, I had not been instructed to do this through the church I was currently attending.  I believe it was God’s Spirit prodding me and directing me in this essential exercise. My girlfriend and I went to the local Christian book store and purchased two King James Bibles. My reading soon took off like a rocket.  Naturally, I started reading in the Book of Genesis.  But, now when I read the Bible, it comes alive with meaning.  No, I did not understand it all, far from it, but the stories and remedial lessons in them absolutely occupied my mind and deeply encouraged my reading. I could not get enough of it. I read on and on each day, consuming large portions at a time. I did not understand everything I read, but I was ecstatic with what I did know. So I read and read, not worrying about what I did not grasp, just trying to increase my knowledge of what I did.  I was seeing elementary truths like never before.  It became natural and normal for me to discuss what I was learning with fellow believers. I firmly believe the Spirit of God was teaching and training me with His Word.

I do not mean to imply that everyone will experience this exact kind of difference upon conversion. But it is an example of the illumining and teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit. What made the difference between my Bible reading in my teen years and when I tried to read the Bible as a new convert? As a convert I had the Holy Spirit living inside me, teaching me, opening my mind to the truths of Scripture, helping me understand.  I still deeply treasures this wonderful experience and Bible based reality. If you are serious about learn spiritual matters, I can hardily recommend the Professor Holy Spirit. He is a Teacher like no other...absolutely peerless!  

What Is Real Success? II

GENESIS 13:5-13

Beloved, the Christian who is directed by the Lord Jesus will lead a successful spiritual life. In contrast the Believer who persists in their self-satisfying plans while ignoring the leadership of the Lord is destined for serious and painful failures.

In this biblical account, the revived Abraham has learned to follow God by faith; he is leading a God-centered life. In contrast though, Lot, Abraham's nephew, persists in carnality choosing his own way living primarily by sight.  Because Abraham walks by faith he receives direction and comfort from the Lord; as a result he leads a successful spiritual life.  Lot, on the other hand, experiences one disaster after another because he habitually capitulates to his fallen motives. So, not only is Lot a Believer, he is also a Between-er!

Yes, Lot Is Also a Between-er

He loved bordering with the world. He did not really understand spiritual separation or holy insulation! He did not adequately insulate himself from the negative impact of a depraved culture. A "Between-er" avoids making the hard decisions about fully identifying with the Lord. They prefer trying to please everyone; they avoid taking a stand on anything except the need to be more tolerant. In contrast, living in intimate fellowship with the Lord makes Him our primary Influencer in daily life. Intimate fellowship with the Lord will lead to standing firmly for righteousness in loving and responsible ways. Lot appears to be straddling the fence in the OT account stalemating holy progress. Too much worldly influence or input will certainly contribute to spiritual failures. Lot's growth stagnated; he was not reaching new heights in worship, or exploring new depths of devotion to the Lord--He remains carnal (1 Cor. 3:1-3)! That within itself is a real tragedy!          

First Peter 2:2-3, says "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3, If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious."

Our Lord expects us to grow up and influence others for Him. If we are spiritually healthy people, then like a newborn baby we will have a carnivorous appetite for more milk. It is a consuming desire...we yearn for more.  A baby that is not hungry or thirsty for milk is sick! All through our Christian journey, regardless of our level of maturity, we should always have this insatiable thirst for the pure undiluted Word of God. Just like people need to eat to survive, a Christian requires spiritual nourishment from God's Word to sustain moral and holy development. If we do not hunger for the Lord, righteousness, and the Bible it may be because we have had far too much junk food from the world. Furthermore, each genuine Believer already knows that the Lord is good and gracious.  We all can testify to the fact that sitting at His table is a delicious experience indeed! O' taste and see that the Lord is good! Why not crave yearningly for more of God? 

This process of growth will stall if we are indecisive about spiritual pursuits and rather casual with God. So many Believers have one foot firmly planted in the world's values and philosophies while placing the other foot tentatively in the life of faith. Believers receive incredible doses of input from worldly venues while exposing themselves to spiritually healthy content once a week and occasionally when they remember to read the Word. So many cannot recall five minutes later what they read in the Bible. Too many never digest a Sunday sermon outside of the walls of the church. If the pastor asked his congregation what he had preached on the previous Sunday it is alarming how many Believers would struggle to recall the content. At the same time these same people can rattle off football and baseball statistics effortlessly. They can recall exactly what was said on Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and who tore their achilles tendon in last week's football game. If you asked them to recall the sixty-six books of the Bible too many will not be able to do so. Ask them to name the twelve original disciples and they cannot. When it comes to making decisions, they do not even think of seeking the face of God for direction. They simply decide as if God does not exist! They are unsure and indecisive about the things of God, but they think and cherish godless values. Worldliness and carnal pursuits dominate the way they think, and these determine what is really important. As such they do not stand decidedly for God or righteousness. Then there are those who will take a stand or a position at the drop of a hat, but their approach is godless, worldly, mean-spirited, and carnal. They may be saying the right things, but they clearly are not saying them in the right way. Such is the case for 'Believers' who are essentially 'Between-ers'. I understand we all have a great deal of maturing yet to realize, but that too requires a deliberate choice and utter dependence on God. 

Now think with me for a moment considering carefully the following statement,

On Jupiter, 318 times more massive than the earth, gravity at the surface is so intense that an astronaut in his space suit would weigh nearly half a ton.  Even if he could safely land, we cannot yet provide him with a propulsive force strong enough to get him off again. (Source Unknown)

The massive gravitational pull of self-centered pursuits can be incredibly powerful. Such influences can appear impossible to overcome. Sometimes our unsaved friends, social media connections, the things we read, internet surfing habits, what we watch on TV, what we hear on the radio, and the goals we have set for our lives can cause us to become “Between-ers” instead of being “Distinctively Christian”. The gravitational pull of some of these  things is greater than that of Jupiter, and the only thing that will give us the propulsion we need to break away from these harmful influences is the Power of  God’s Word! But, we must want to break away...we must yearn to be free and available to the Lord Jesus. By consuming God's Word we can grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord allowing His influence in our lives to become supreme.

If you are having trouble with being a “Between-er,” then concentrate more on the Word of God--it will pry your heart, mind, and soul away from the World, Sin, and Satan. Turn your TV off and open your Bible to the Gospel of John and start reading through the Book. Log off your social media account to spend more time in the Word. Schedule this as a priority. I realize we sometimes feel impressed to be loyal to unhealthy relationships, which in effect devalues our relationship with God. If we are not careful we can become more concern with being acceptable to others while forgetting the priority of pleasing the Lord first and foremost. Too often our plan trumps God's plan without much deliberation or internal conflict. Before long we have grown accustomed to turning to God only for emergencies.... A coldness replaces the warm fellowship with the Lord, and we simply are not as bothered with this development as we once were. 

Devotion to God brings us into the reality of belonging exclusively to Him and His Plan for our life finally becomes our priority! Once again God's precious Word is the key. There is incredible power available through the living Word. This is repeated frequently in the Scriptures. The Lord Jesus says in John 15:3, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." Cleansing of the soul, spirit, and lifestyle is through the powerful Word of God. Later in John's Gospel our Lord says in John 17:17, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." This is Christ's prayer to our heavenly Father! To sanctify is to set us apart reserving us for God's uses, purposes, pleasure, and glory. Clearly God's Truth sets us apart unto Him as we appropriate its precepts and principles into our thinking and behaviors. The Word can indeed do this and multiplied millions of genuine Believers can testify to its impact in their lives. The Bible will move us off the fence!

The sweet Psalmist of Israel tells us in Psalms 119:9, saying, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." Heeding and adhering to God's biblical instructions will result in cleansed lifestyles. This is true for the young and old alike; real changes are evident in the experience of the Believer who takes God's requirements seriously. This great chapter in the Bible also says in Psalms 119:11, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." As a strategy against habitually sinning against the Lord God we are instructed to place His Words in our hearts. That is memorizing portions of Scripture for the sake of recalling it whenever opportunity presents itself to think more on God's statements. This deepens our understanding of a passage while bringing it into different scenes of life revealing new applications and fresh ways to implement a truth in the most relevant ways. As we carry God's truth in our souls we become aware of potential violations or mild infractions against God's plan for us. Ultimately hiding the Word in our minds and hearts should result in fewer violations of God's holy standards. 
This great chapter affords one more helpful insight...God's Word can shape and inform our emotions. Read carefully Psalms 119:104, where David says, "Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way." God's precepts can increase our understanding of the Lord, His ways, and priorities. As such we become impressed with how God feels about certain issues, behaviors, and practices. Godliness in part is viewing things from His perspective; it is adopting His feelings about various things. What He hates, we in turn hate also; likewise whatever He appreciates and loves we come to love as well. Thus from deep within and because of the influence of God's Old Book we gravitate away from straddling the fence of compromise and indifference to become people of strong love and convictions. There is no question as to who we are loyal to. We live decidedly Christian.  

Beloved, ALLOW GOD TO BRAINWASH YOU WITH HIS PURIFYING TRUTH! Bring your heart and soul to God, and allow the Spirit of God to teach you life cleansing truth. For some individuals God will need to completely format their brain’s hard drives to reprogram their minds with His pure truth. Please do not feel bad, we all have been there.... First John 1:9 is still applicable to each of us and we have incredible reasons to be thankful for this gracious provision. Own your mistakes; confess them clearly to the Lord without watering them down. Ask Him for forgiveness, cleansing, power, and positive changes. Change your mind about your sin, and trust the Lord to empower positive changes. 

An illustration of genuine SPIRITUAL SUCCESS can be found in the biblical character Joshua. You recall God shared with him the key to spiritual success in Joshua 1:7-9, saying, Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9, Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

The same principles apply to us still today. There are no shortcuts to spiritual success, but the alternative of failure is not at all inviting. You see God has a plan for you just as He did for Joshua. He is available to encourage you to be strong and courageous as you select and pursue His plan for you. God does give spiritual success and prosperity as we walk with Him and trust Him to be our primary Influencer. Again these are spiritual blessings you and I can cash in on. No, we are not promised material riches; we actually have something much better. We have a life with Almighty God! And if all the truth is explored, we will discover that He is exceedingly gracious and generous to us. 

Therefore, Lot Was Vulnerable to Worldly Appeals

Yes, because Lot was weak in his devotions living as a Between-er, he was quite vulnerable to godless allurements and seductions. As a result he follows a path designed by Satan to lure him off the course that God had for him. Notice the steps to his plunge into compromise, worldliness and be warned. Beloved, these are the steps to spiritual failure!

       1) He Was Weak in His Devotions, No altar or direction from God    Vs 5

       2) He Experienced Strife     Vs 7

       3) He Walked By Sight    Vs 10

       4) He Chose Selfishly     Vs 11

       5) He Pitched His Tent towards Wickedness—No Separation    Vs 12

       6) He Stayed Away from God’s Man—No Spiritual Influence   Vs 12; 14:12, 13 (He would be the kind of Christian who stays away from church too much!)

       7) He sat in the Gates of Sodom (Political Power, local official) Vs 19:1

Well there you have it. Lot's trek to spiritual failures that marked his entire heritage. Again the overarching problem was the fact that he had no spiritual restraint in his life. This was the result of the fact that he was weak in his devotion to Jehovah. This predictably led to decision making without any input from the Word of God. There was little or no truth influencing this man's values and behaviors. He was piloting his own airplane and sailing his own ship. Beloved, God must be our captain! As a result he failed to realize God's plan and purpose for him. In addition, he paid an incredible price for this in his own family in multiple ways. 

I do not think I know anyone who wants to be a failure. Lot had wealth and some temporal power, but he was a failure in life. Still today many consider material wealth, power, and professional achievement as the marks of successful people. No, Lot's story is a bold warning against such thinking! We can know success in life, but only as God Himself defines it. Living oblivious of His direction and priorities will not result in real success. Such a life can only be viewed as a miserable failure. It cost Lot far more than he ever intended to pay. Let us learn from the failures of Lot and avoid making the same mistakes He did. It leads to failure on many different levels when we assume we can handle life on our own without the Lord's influence. Make a priority of living in harmony and intimate fellowship with God through prayer and His Word. Be sure to build your own altar unto God in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Spend time in the presence of God allowing Him to shape your values and direct your energies. As a result you will know real success! The kind of success and spiritual prosperity that is free of frustrations and regrets!

Balancing Love and Truth

2 John 1:1-6

   

Often we Independent Baptists are portrayed as zealous for the truth and lacking in love and compassion.  We stand strong and firm for the fundamentals and biblical Christianity regardless of the contemporary trends among other evangelical Christians. But we really could learn a lesson about grace, love, compassion, mercy and even Christian liberty. Unfortunately, we have bought the lie that “in order to be Bible-believing, we must be ungracious.”  Zeal for truth has manifested itself in a form of general intolerance of diversity or variety. Sometimes regarding matters where God is silent allowing us to choose according to conscience, some still insist on uniformity. According to my observations, this form of ‘group think’ is somewhat pervasive in our fundamentalist movement. But as we examine the Scriptures there are no conflicts between love and truth! No war exists between grace and faith! Truthfully, there is no need to compromise either to enjoy the blessings and benefits of the other.  The Bible presents these spiritual principles in awesome balance in the very brief letter we call 2 John. We must understand God’s requirements for our church and then learn to balance our zeal for truth with that of love, patience, grace, wisdom, and submission to God-ordained authority.  

Yes, the challenge is to live in love and truth faithfully! But, these are often viewed as irreconcilable opposites eternally sworn to clash. Supposedly they are irrevocably destined to an ultimate and climatic spiritual Armageddon! Clearly controversy and verbal altercations will fill a climate that does not value both. Please note the following counsel….    

Accept Truth And Love As Complementary. Vs. 1, “whom I love in the truth”

Contradiction is not at all the case; these principles are portrayed in Scripture in harmony, agreement, symmetry, and complete tranquility. They are not merely friends or sister truths, they are Siamese twin truths wonderfully inseparable.  Once again the real problem is with our perceptions or lack of it!

Notice the Wonderful Agreement and Balance in the Scriptures Regarding Truth, Grace, and Love (2Jn. 1:1-6).   The following affords a brief characterization of these biblical guidelines living in sweet harmony (also see Eph. 5:1-21.)

They are Linked.  Vs. 1, “whom I love in the truth”

The linking of "truth" and "love" is of great importance (vs. 1). Because John's readers are in the truth! They know Jesus as the Christ, the Father's Son—they are also the recipients of God's love as it is known and manifested in the church’s faith.  And the love received by the church comes from all who know the truth. The church in love is as encompassing as the truth that is believed and lived.

Knowing the truth leaves us with an awesome responsibility to live the truth! One way the truth is lived is through love for the brethren (2Jn. 1:1-6). Thus, to claim that we have the truth links us to an obligation to live it out in love towards faithful brethren. There is not even a hint that we should compromise faith, fact, and truth to exercise biblical love toward each other.  Instead we see that we do what is good, best and right for other believers because they also have fully embraced Jesus Christ the Son of the living God.

They are Lasting.  Vs. 2-3, “shall be with us for ever.”

Love relates to the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever (vs. 2).  Because it is the truth of God, it exists forever.  Love and truth are not passing sentiments! They are not dependent on great emotional feelings or the strength of personal commitment that some believers might or might not possess. Love and truth originate in God (vs. 3). Like Him, they endure without changing, and their splendor never fades. 

Thus their emphasis and significance to a church need not fade nor change. Regardless of what other Christians are doing, we must commit ourselves to maintaining this Biblical and balanced emphasis for the duration of our lives and ministries.

They are Loaded.  Vs. 3-6—3, “in truth and love.”

They are loaded with the promise of maturity, spiritual progress, and therefore the promise of ministry preparation and fitness.  When “truth and love” are maintained in proper balance, they promise growth.

John is praying that God would grant them His grace, mercy, and peace (vs. 3), but he presents it as a promise that God's mercy, peace and grace will be ours if we truly remain in His truth and love.  Thus the grace, mercy, and peace of God and the growth of saints flourish in the life and ministry that intentionally maintains this needed balance.

They are Loyal.  Vs. 4, “walking in truth,”   Vs. 5, “that we love one another,” & Vs. 6, “And this is love, that we walk after his commandments.”

According to verses 4-6 we see that to walk in the truth is to walk in love.  They are united and therefore loyal!  Since they are loyal, they are mutually supportive and correspondingly confirming. The use of the word walk denotes advancing and is a characterization of the church’s behavior corporately. Thus progress and growth for believers rests with maintaining love and truth as two foundational principles.  

We then must commit ourselves to maintaining a loyalty to the proper and balanced emphasis on them both, love and truth, in our individual and ministry life (Jn. 14:15, 21).

It is Amazing Noting Why Sincere Believers Sometimes Clash or Reject Each other! Some will even label the other as unscriptural, ungodly, and too liberal simply because the two differ on a few rather minor particulars.

A few years ago I read an interesting article from a Fundamental magazine dealing with this very issue of Balancing Grace, Zeal, and Separation.

QUOTE: It was a letter to the editor encouraging him as follows: "Your book on separation is very good, but you may want to add a section that a person must have a better church to separate to before he separates from a church. We were shocked at the liberal doctrines held by the fundamental churches in our city."—David Cloud, O Timothy Magazine

He Was In Disagreement With His Church.

What this gentleman was referring to were things in those Fundamental Baptist Churches of his city with which he disagreed. Later he wrote to the editor and shared with him more details about these issues.

He Referred to Such Things as the Following:

           1) His former pastor did not teach that women should not work outside the home, and the wife of the associate pastor worked (see 1Tim. 5:11-14; Tit. 2:3-5; Prov. 31:10-31).

           2) The church held parties or fellowships on Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and Christmas (Rom. 14:1-14).

           3) The pastor allowed a divorced person to work in the bus ministry (1Cor. 6:9-11; 15:9-10).

           4) The pastor failed to correct publicly certain erroneous statements which were given during testimony times and certain (supposed) erroneous statements which were made by visiting preachers.

           5) The pastor failed to do anything about missionaries who told jokes and stories in the pulpit.

           6) Though the church took a stand for the KJV, this man did not think there was sufficient teaching on the subject of Bible versions.

           7) The pastor "used humor to break the tension" in his preaching, whereas this gentleman felt sober-mindedness (1Tim. 3:2) forbids such levity in the pulpit.

           8) The pastor seemed to prefer to let God change people about some matters of appearance (long hair, ear rings on men, etc.) rather than approach them directly. (Cloud, D.)

He Eventually Left this Church.

This gentleman eventually wrote and said he had "separated" from this Fundamental Baptist Church and from its pastor "because of his liberal teaching on remarriage, women working outside the home and his refusal to correct error." (Cloud, D.)

In this series of articles, I will explore such issues for the purpose of finding the correct balance in the Lord. We must understand God’s requirements for our church home balancing our zeal for truth with that of love. As a result patience, grace, wisdom, and submission to God-ordained authority will create a climate where believers can grow and serve together. Balance is important to any entity in life.  Too much of anything can be unhealthy, and too little of an essential element can be devastating. Discovering and maintaining a balanced church life should actually be fundamental to the focus, emphasis, programs, and success of any church. Building a church must be balanced with battling error. Growing a church, ministry, or class numerically must be balanced with growing them spiritually. Building Christians and families doctrinally must be balanced with building them practically. A failure to achieve this equilibrium in the life of a church or and individual will result in stunted spiritual growth. It is also conceivable that unnecessary offences, ignorant zeal, overspending and overemphasis on one thing will result in substantial neglect of other equally important matters. Evangelism must be balanced with discipleship, worship must be balance with preaching, and edifying must be balanced with service.  Private devotion must be balanced with public instructions, and the special needs and interests must be balanced by corporate needs and interests. 

           

What Is Real Success?

GENESIS 13:5-13

What is your definition of success? Simply by mentioning the word "success" positive images immediately spring into our minds! Our spirits are lifted to a desired reality we deeply hope is a part of our future. But seriously... what is your view of success? Some would answer without any hesitation listing financial wealth, significant power or influence, a few homes, fame, and maybe even a few expensive toys. Others may identify a successful business,  a happy marriage and family, or perhaps even a good solid church home. I may be going out on a limb, but I wonder how many folks would say... knowing and satisfying the will of God is success. That is correct; I believe that success in life is discovering God's plan for you and fulfilling it entirely. Another way of communicating this is learning why God made you, and becoming that person...living to do His specifically designed will for you. Understand that God had a purpose in mind when He created you and me. Certainly He has an incredible plan for every child of God! Beloved, the Christian who is directed by the Lord Jesus will lead a successful spiritual life. In contrast the Believer who persists in their self-satisfying plans while ignoring the leadership of the Lord is destined for serious and painful failures.

In this biblical account, the revived Abraham has learned to follow God by faith; he is leading a God-centered life. In contrast though, Lot, Abraham's nephew, persists in carnality choosing his own way living primarily by sight.  Because Abraham walks by faith he receives direction and comfort from the Lord; as a result he leads a successful spiritual life.  Lot, on the other hand, experiences one disaster after another because he habitually capitulates to his fallen motives. He was without divine direction, peace, assurance, and comfort; according to the biblical account, Lot died as a complete spiritual failure. The comfort for Abraham can be seen in the fact that he is led by the Lord, and the catastrophe for Lot is revealed in the fact that he is not!

In Proverbs 14:12, the wise Solomon says, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Death is the outcome of insisting on our own way! To punctuate this important warning Solomon repeats it in Proverbs 16:25! If God repeats Himself, it is for our good and admonition--a demonstration of how much He really cares. These passages provide an apt summary for the life of Lot! I submit to you we can learn from the failures of Lot, and it is far better to learn from the mistakes of others thus avoiding some pain, regrets, and struggles. Once again Lot insisted on his own way ahead and this leads to death. That is correct... death to spiritual growth, death to valued relationships, death to God-given dreams, death to our true potential, and death to ever exploring the excellent plan of God for us. And yes, death....

In the life of Lot we witness how one decision can lead to others. How our choices can start us down a road we never initially intended to travel. A path riddled with frustrations, disappointment, disillusionment, and deeply perplexing pain. Our decisions are fundamentally rooted in our character--who we truly are. Lot’s character is revealed by the major decisions he made throughout his life. He chose to pitch his tent toward the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Perhaps he thought about how to farm his herds and how the well watered plains are ideal for raising livestock. It appears he was seeking riches and a better life for himself rather than the path of obedience to God. Indeed he prospered for a while, but this pivotal decision eventually led to his humiliation, the tragic loss of his wife and daughters, and he never realized God's grand plan for his life.

Lot’s life as a Believer was a catastrophe because He never knew the will of God; He did not take a single spiritual step after his salvation; finally he made an absolute shipwreck of all his potential to bring glory to God! His is a totally wasted life! The “WILL OF GOD” should be the desired goal of every Christian; to miss His plan is a gross failure!

Consider these insightful thoughts from The Bible Friend, and entertain for a moment the following points of inquiry. 

WHERE IS HAPPINESS?

Not in Unbelief---Voltaire was an infidel (God Denier) of the most pronounced type.  He wrote: “I wish I had never been born.”

Not in Pleasure---Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did.  He wrote: “The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone.”

Not in Money----Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that.  When dying, he said: “I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth.”

Not in Position and Fame--Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both.  He wrote: “Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret.”

Not in Military Glory---Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day.  Having done so, he wept in his tent, because he said, “There are no more worlds to conquer.”

Where then is happiness found?---The answer is simple... in Christ alone.--The Bible Friend

All the things people think will bring them happiness and success are mentioned and all of them failed to deliver! No... wealth, pleasures, fame, power, and atheism will not bring us happiness or success; they all are cheap substitutes for godly prosperity. So, what were the major contributing factors in Lot’s catastrophic failures? Will it not be advantageous to know how to avoid the path to major failures?  Certainly we will make our share of mistakes, but I believe the average person wants to keep those to a minimum...right? How can we avoid making the same mistakes?  How can an individual break a generational curse that has historically plagued their family tree? When we look back over our lives, what can we learn from our failures? What are the the underlying assumptions that lead to predictable and persistent spiritual failures? If you can appreciate the magnitude of such inquiries, then please keep reading.... The answers are far more practical than philosophical! 


First, consider the single point of failure in Lot's situation is the fact that he has NO SPIRITUAL RESTRAINT! He is not governed by his relationship and fellowship with the Most High God.  He appears to be operating under the assumption that he has all the internal resources within himself to decide well and forge his own path. His faith does not provide a constraining, guiding, directing influence in his experience. He does not live in utter dependence upon God.  It is not that faith in God is somehow deficient, but instead many, like Lot, persist in ignorance of Him as if He is a non-factor. Lot assumed he had enough experience, wisdom, intellectual prowess, and internal fortitude to forge his own way ahead independently. Generally speaking this results in many lives caught in an unbroken cycle of frustration--they each are essentially unbroken chains of failures.... 

Furthermore, some of these well meaning folks never or seldom pause to investigate why! Debt leading to more debt. Mild frustrations with our teens to zero communications with them for days...months. Marriage 'dead ends' that lead to further distrust and the harshest exchanges. Becoming slightly interested in an unhealthy relationship gravitating to a chain of shameful moral failures that lead to wholesale violations of core values. Experimenting with marijuana to 'fit in' with the crew devolving to semi-functional substance dependence finally degenerating to pervasive dysfunctional dependence on a substance. The common thread in each of these scenarios is each person thought they could handle it or that they were still in control. People keep looking to themselves or within themselves in vain.... Beloved, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different outcome. Without a healthy God-centered relationship and deeply held convictions we too can live without the highly beneficial influence of godly restraints. 

With this in mind, there are basically three things that seem to be major factors in Lot’s wrong choice to move closer to Sodom, farther away from God, and his ultimate failures in life. The first of them is addressed below--failures in his devotional life. 

FIRST, LOT WAS WEAK IN HIS DEVOTIONS....

In Genesis 13:5, God says, "And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents."

Lot had flocks and tents, just as Abraham, but Abraham had something that Lot did not. Abraham had an altar! That is, he inquired of the Lord, he worshiped God making sacrifices to Him, he cherished and nurtured a robust relationship with the Most High God, and he had a healthy daily devotional life. While Abraham was far from perfect, he did indeed love the Most High God. God's Word and promises framed his adventures, expectations, and plans for the future.

In contrast, there is not even a hint that Lot had an altar, nor is there any indication that he paused to inquire of the Lord for direction. There is zero record that Lot actually asked God, “Lord, this move is important to me and my family, what would you have me to do?” Lot had no quiet time with the Lord, no devotions, no period of waiting on God and no direction from God!  He had no altar. Lot was doing his own thing! God was not his primary Influencer; God was not the vital Object of Lot's devotion. Lot's beliefs, values, and feelings were not shaped by the Lord. He alone was his resource and source...self-sufficiency. He did not feel he needed God for things related to real everyday life. Therefore, he was weak in his devotions.

Yes, Lot Is a Believer

Is this surprising to you? Yes, it is difficult to tell form the Genesis account of Lot's life and family. Please note what Peter said, in Second Peter 2:7-8, "And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8, (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)".

When and where Lot was saved I am not sure. It could have been when Abraham disclosed his plans to leave Ur or it could have been when Abraham left Haran to come to Canaan (Gen. 12:4-5).  I do not know for sure, but I do know that he was a saved man. 

Peter describes him by the inspiration of God's Spirit, as "just," "righteous man," and possessing a "righteous soul." Therefore according to the testimony of God, Lot was a saved person. Evidently, he hated the sinfulness and blatant disrespect for Almighty God surrounding him. He did not like the foul language, sensuality, perversions of sex, vial music, gross injustice, manipulations of the poor, miscarriages of justice, and complete ignorance of God! He did not participate freely or indulge in the sinfulness surrounding him. No, he was deeply "vexed" by "their unlawful deeds." This means Lot was annoyed and frustrated with the lawless living in Sodom and Gomorrah (Ezek. 16:49). Pride, gluttony, laziness, and neglect of the poor were all sins that characterized Sodom. There were extremely corrupt social and political cartels, strong powerful mobs, complex and ruthless mafia organizations, a widespread practice of sodmy and homosexual orgies, and real estate racketeers preying on widows. These features in the culture of these ancient cities deeply disturbed Lot. The pervasive sensuality and perversion got on his nerves and troubled him deeply. He worried about these people and was concern for their welfare. The way the poor was treated bothered him to no end. The gross miscarriage of justice was perhaps something he tried to correct through social and political means. 

Perhaps he keep matters of faith to himself preferring to be a silent witness.... Maybe he was ashamed of his faith-life and kept it private.... One thing I know for sure is that God viewed him as a "righteous man" with a "righteous soul." Remember, Lot and his family were the righteous persons God rescued when He destroyed this wicked city (2Pet. 2:7-9). This righteous man was grieved and tortured deeply while living among a desperately vial people! 

But still I must say it is an awful thing when people can scarcely perceive that we really are Christians. It is difficult to draw these positive conclusions about Lot from the Old Testament accounts. In the book of Genesis, Lot comes across as a man who lost himself through compromises and very lax convictions. He seemingly was willing to put up with the filth as long as he could gain something of material benefit from the association. Perhaps, like so many today, he was convinced he could handle the situation and control its impact on himself and his family. The truth is... we can choose what we do, but we cannot control the consequences of our choices! Furthermore, it ought to be obvious to anyone associated with us that we truly love the Lord Jesus!  This is not so obvious in Lot's story. While we all execute through the prism of our unique personalities, the Lord Jesus should still shine through. So, though it is difficult to see, Lot truly was a Believer.