disciple

I Am a Christian

“For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” John 17:19-23 (NASB)

I always love reading this passage in John which recalls part of Jesus’ prayer to the Father the night before His crucifixion. In those moments, He not only prayed for the cup to be removed from Him, yet the Lord’s will be done (Matt. 26:39, 42, 44), but He also prayed for His disciples, both those with Him then and for those who will become disciples. I believe that He, being God, knew what would happen with the church: division, arguments, dissension, differing teachings, etc; therefore, He prayed for unity among the disciples. More specifically, He prayed for such a unity that exists between Him and the Father with a significant result in mind: that the world would know Jesus Christ and the Father’s love for all mankind. The unity in the body is meant to be a testimony of God’s love and sacrifice. 

Yet, not long after Jesus ascended, disagreements arose between Jews and Gentiles regarding salvation and who was a follower of whom. It wasn’t until Peter’s vision in Acts 10 and the salvation of Cornelius’s family that the church realized that “God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18). Paul and Barnabas also met resistance from the Jews on their first missionary journey together, responding to their jealous and blasphemous words, “‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the LORD commanded us, ‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, that You may bring them salvation to the end of the earth.’’’ These words not only reflect Old Testament prophecy from Isaiah 49 but also Jesus’ words in John 10:16: “‘I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.’” Going even further back to the promise given to Abraham, the Lord always intended for the Gentiles to receive salvation: “‘And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed’” (Genesis 12:3). God made His intentions clear from the beginning, but sin, historical animosity and cultural norms and practices crept in to create division. Luckily, those whom the Lord put in charge were able to see the truth when the Lord revealed it to them. Guidelines were given to all the churches regarding what should and should not be imposed upon the Gentiles (Acts 15:28-29). 

Then Paul had to address some issues that had arisen in the Corinthian church (and was perhaps happening elsewhere since letters were shared amongst the churches). He writes in 1 Corinthians 3:1-7:

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not mere men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.”

In our modern culture, we could easily understand this verse when we say, “I am of Augustine” or “I am of Calvin” of “I am of Luther” or “I am of Wesley.” The list of early church figures and theologians goes on and on. The five churches on one street composed of various denominations prove it. Paul continues in verse 18 in the same chapter:

“Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, ‘He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness’; and again, ‘The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.’ So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.” 1 Corinthians 3:18-23

Whether we want to admit it or not, we have become a divided church, and part of the problem is that it is no longer sufficient to say that we are simply Christians. The word “Christian” does not carry the same weight as it did in Antioch where people became disciples in the face of persecution (Acts 11:19-30). We are a church that still needs milk instead of solid food, and instead of coming together to demonstrate God’s love to the world (as Jesus prayed in John 17), we’ve doubled down on hypocrisy and given into our culture to change the church rather than the church changing the culture. Instead of “Christians” we are Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Church of Christ, Pentecostal, Non-denominational, Baptists, etc. We often use emotionalism to create converts and wonder why the fire doesn’t last. We spew theological terms and have theological arguments which have further splintered the church. I don’t believe it’s a coincidence when Jesus says to those who accused Him of having a demon: “‘Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges’” (Luke 11:17-19). The same logic applies to the church: If we are divided, the church will not stand. Do you question what it means to be a Lutheran or Baptist or Pentecostal, etc.? Do you understand the church history behind the change and the beliefs that are a part of your denomination? Or have you been born into your current tradition, and therefore, there you will stay? What I find so powerful in Acts when the apostles and other disciples are sharing the Word of God is that they preach and teach directly from the Scriptures. To the Jews, this reminds them of what they should have already known and missed. To the Gentiles, it brings hope and life (see Acts 8:25-39 and Acts 10) because they didn’t know and the mystery has been revealed to them. It should mean something when I say, “I am a Christian.” Demons should tremble because I have the Spirit of God  inside of me. The world should wonder why I’m different because the love and light of Christ is evident in both my words and actions. It was enough for Jesus to choose men who were mostly uneducated and give them His power and authority, saying, 

“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” John 14:23-26

Luke also shares Jesus’ words regarding the Holy Spirit in Luke 21:12-15: “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.” Mark writes it this way: “When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13:11). 

Why say all this? I believe that many Christians hide behind the guise that because they aren’t theologians, ministers, or Bible teachers that they can’t have full understanding of the Word without someone else telling them or without reading a guidebook or topical book to help them. That’s a lie! In my experience, some of those same “teachers” get stuck in their own theology that they struggle to see the truth when it’s staring them in the face. Even Jesus Himself wasn’t born as a scribe or Pharisee or any kind of teacher of the Law but as a carpenter’s son. He relied on the Father to teach Him, which I believe was on purpose so that we also may follow His example to rely on the Father. The Father gives the Holy Spirit, but we aren’t to pray to the Spirit (as many have become in the habit of doing). We are to pray to the Father who hears and gives wisdom and insight into His Word. Too many “Christians” are satisfied with sitting in a Sunday and/or Wednesday service and being taught without questioning the teaching. Too many “ministers” and “teachers” are OK with that. And if leaders are questioned, they often take offense instead of bringing it before the Lord to see if there is some validity to the questions. A unified body edifies and admonishes, meaning that it’s not always a party. Sometimes hard questions need to be asked, answers need to be sought by the Father, and people need to be honest about the result. Traditions of men should not be above Scripture. It should be enough to bear the name “Christian” because Christ is the one who died for us, not Luther or Calvin or Wesley, or Aquinas, or Augustine. These are mere men who have given contributions to the church and exhibited faults. But bearing the name “Christian” should be worn with honor while also knowing that it invites the enemy to persecute us. That should encourage us to be in the Word all the more so that when persecutions come, we already have faith that the Spirit will call to our remembrance all that we have learned, and it is the Lord God who will come to our defense. The disciples didn’t have scholastic degrees, but they had a hunger to learn from Christ Himself. If we have been saved and baptized, we have received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38); therefore, we can also learn from Christ Himself for we are His temple as Paul says to the Corinthians: “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). 

Do you believe that you are a temple and the Spirit of God lives in you? If so, don’t you want to make sure that everything you’re taught aligns with the Spirit (1 Timothy 4)? Remember that no matter what position a person may hold within the body, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ called to both encourage and rebuke when necessary. Only when we come together in truth can we be united. It’s not about being under the theological leanings of a man or woman. It’s coming under the headship of Christ and following His Words that will bring us into the unity Jesus prayed for before He made the ultimate sacrifice for us. Let us honor Him by declaring that we will follow Him alone. Let us boldly proclaim: I AM A CHRISTIAN!

© Lauren Demuth

Discipleship: A Call to Serve

If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, no doubt you’ve learned about discipleship or at least have heard the term. We read about the disciples of Jesus– both the chosen Twelve and other faithful followers– in the Gospels, and learn from their examples, and yes, mistakes. As I’ve been reading through the Gospels again, the Lord brought to my attention what Jesus said to His disciples before the feeding of the five thousand. In the context, Jesus had just learned of John the Baptist’s death and went in a boat to a secluded place, but the people followed Him on foot (Matthew 14:13). When He arrived at the shore, Jesus had compassion on the people and healed them (v. 14). In Mark’s Gospel, he writes that Jesus “felt compassion for them because they were like a sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things” (Mark 6:34). Let’s look at what happened in Matthew 14:15-20:

“When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, ‘This place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!’ They said to Him, ‘We have here only five loaves and two fish.’ And He said, ‘Bring them here to Me.’ Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets.”

“You give them something to eat!” In Mark’s Gospel, the disciples ask, “Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them something to eat?” (Mark 6:37). A denarius was about a day’s wages so that would be at least 200 day’s worth of food! How often do we think of worldly issues over what God tells us? At this time, Jesus’ chosen Twelve had been with Him and witnessed many miracles, yet instead of thinking about the people’s needs first, they wanted them to go and take care of themselves. Now, this doesn’t sound unreasonable. A crowd full of 5,000 men (not including woman and children- see v. 21) would be quite overwhelming. But Jesus doesn’t say, “I’ll give them something to eat.” Rather, He presents it to the disciples as their responsibility. Jesus is teaching them what it means to be a disciple of Christ. It is not meant to be a lofty position but one of service.

 “He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.” After Jesus prays over the meager amount of food, He doesn’t hand out the food but gives it to His disciples to share it with the people. They not only physically served, but they had to have faith that the food would continue to multiply. The amazing miracle is that they had even more leftover than when they started! As disciples, we are called to be servants to those God calls us to and trust that if God asks us to do it (this is important to note), He will meet us there and provide. Jesus didn’t always feed every crowd, but in this case, He not only taught His disciples that the Lord can supply physical needs but spiritual ones as well. 

In John’s Gospel, the people who were fed followed Jesus and His disciples the following day to where they were ministering (John 6:22-25). Jesus used this opportunity to teach the people about Him being the bread of life. While food is important, it is only temporary; however, the Bread of Life provides salvation leading to eternal life. He later makes this incredible statement in vv. 53-55, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.” Just as Jesus was teaching the crowd, He was also teaching His disciples, separating the true followers from those who would go astray for they sought the temporary rather than yearning for spiritual truth and understanding. John writes in vv. 66-69:

“As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘You do not want to go away also, do you?’ Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.’”

Being a true disciple is focusing on the eternal. If people are given food, but their soul is going to hell, what benefit is it? If we are worried about the temporary issues of life, how do we expect God to do miracles? The people that were fed didn’t just eat a little. They ate and were satisfied! How much more will we be satisfied if we eat and drink the truth of His Word and understand who the LORD- Father, Son, and Spirit- truly is? What if we were dialed in to what the will of the Lord is that we were able to use the spiritual gifts God has blessed us with? 

When Jesus sent out His disciples to the cities to preach and perform miracles, He didn’t sugarcoat the trials that would come. He said things like, “I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16). He continues in vv. 21-23:

“‘Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.’”

If we think that this was only for the Twelve, we are mistaken. Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane right before death about His current disciples and the disciples who had yet to come: 

“‘I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.’” John 17:14-21

Being a disciple is accepting that the world hates you. It’s a matter of light versus darkness, flesh versus Spirit. As a person who has sought man’s approval my whole life, this is an area of struggle for me. I don’t like to be disliked or hated. But if I am doing everything that a disciple ought to be doing (and this is an ongoing process of growth), then that hatred is cause to rejoice because I am following the Lord. 

As stated earlier, being a disciple is not one who holds himself or herself in high esteem but rather is humble. Jesus’ disciples had to understand this as well. Luke writes in Luke 9:46-48:

“‘An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, and said to them, ‘Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.’”

Discipleship is the opposite from what the world teaches: wealth, fame, superiority. Is it wrong to be wealthy? Contrary to what some may teach and preach, the answer is no. Wealth becomes an issue when it comes before God and is sought after like an idol. The question is, if God asked us to give it up, would we? In Jesus’ response to His disciples, He uses a child to demonstrate who the greatest is. A child is the very image of humility and dependence on those in authority over them. Therefore, as disciples, we also are supposed to be humble and rely on our Heavenly Father.

Jesus also set the example of staying in communication with the Father. Throughout the Gospels, the writers convey that Jesus would often find a secluded place after being with crowds in order to pray. Sometimes He would take His disciples, but other times He went alone. Even though Jesus is God, He demonstrated the importance of talking with the Heavenly Father. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He asked the Lord to remove the cup of suffering from Him, “‘Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will’” (Mark 14:36). He prayed this three times demonstrating to His disciples (including us) that we can ask the Father for anything, but it must be in line with His will. The Father didn’t take the cup from Jesus, and He suffered as no one ever has. Yet, it was for His glory and for our salvation. As disciples, we have the blessing to approach the Lord before His throne and ask anything, but we always need to have a heart that desires His will. 

Scripture is full of examples of what discipleship should look like, but the main criteria from the passages discussed are: servanthood, faith, focus on eternal and spiritual truth, humility, and a lifestyle of prayer. There are more qualities to add to this list, but this is a challenging start. As we are about to enter into a new year full of possibilities, let us pray for our lives to become more like the disciples of Christ He desires for us to be. May we set ourselves apart for His service and glory so that those who are lost may be found in Him. 

~~~

Father, we thank You for another new year and all the blessings You’ve given us. We also thank You for being with us through the hardships. Help us to keep our focus ahead to eternity and live humble lives in service to You. Let us have ears to hear Your voice and minds to understand Your will and truth. May we live to gain Your approval alone. Thank You for your patience and grace You give us each day, even when we fail You. Thank You that You are a Father who never fails. We love You and pray for a wonderful year ahead. May Your will be done. Amen.

Culture’s War on the Biblical Family

It’s time to get real. The enemy has been in the business of causing division and strife within the family since creation. Eve, knowing what God had said about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was still deceived and ate from it, believing that she would be like God in wisdom. Adam, also knowing the word of the Lord, still ate when Eve offered him the fruit. Thus sin entered the world, and Adam and Eve were removed from the perfect Garden of Eden to face the consequences of their actions. Then we read about Cain and Abel where Abel gives an offering pleasing to God, but Cain’s offering was less pleasing than Abel’s so Cain murdered his brother. Jacob and Esau were rivals since birth, yet Jacob, being younger, gained Esau’s birthright and become the father of the nation of Israel. Skip ahead to the modern age and now we have homosexual and transgender families paraded around our culture as lampposts for the modern family. Divorce has become expected rather than being the exception. Movies, television shows, schools, social media, businesses, and news media have normalized these kinds of families to where we have become numb, or even worse, afraid to speak out. We have become complacent and think that this is just how life is supposed to be. What we forget is that mankind, since creation, has had the gift of free will.

Eve chose to eat the fruit knowing God’s warning, and Adam chose to follow his wife instead of God. In Genesis 4:7, Cain was warned by God that sin was at his door desiring him, and he must master it. But instead Cain chose to kill his brother. In Genesis 25:23, the Lord revealed to Rebekah that she had twins in her womb—two nations—and the older (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob). As they grew up, Esau became the hunter, but Jacob was peaceful. One day Esau came home famished and desired the food Jacob made. Jacob asked Esau for his birthright first, and Esau swore it to him (Gen. 25:31-34). Therefore, Esau had no regard for the blessing given to him. He chose to give away what was his over his temporary desire for food, and in the end he became the nation of Edom, separated from Jacob’s family, the nation of Israel. In everything, there is a choice. As the church, we can choose to remain silent about what has happened to the biblical family, or we can stand up for what is right, knowing that it can cost us dearly on earth. As Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth or rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Do we treasure the spiritual well-being of our home and the church over the riches and stature given to us in this world by remaining silent?

The main problem is that the church does not know how to defend the biblical family because it doesn’t know what the family is supposed to look like. We spend more time engaging with the world and its message rather than the truth of God’s Word. The average Christian can quote John 3:16, Jeremiah 29:11 and Philippians 4:13, but can he or she recall what Ephesians 5 says about marriage? Will a Christian woman say that a wife is commanded to submit to her husband as the church submits to Christ (Eph. 5:22-24)? Will a Christian man say that a husband is supposed to love his wife as Christ loved the church, giving Himself up for her (Eph. 5:25-30)? Will a Christian woman adhere to Paul’s instructions to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:9-15?:

“Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.”

In addition, after writing about the proper order within church gatherings, Paul instructs the church in Corinth (a letter that would have been read at other churches as well) about women: “The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church (1 Cor. 14:34-35).” If we say we adhere to Scripture, why do we overlook these passages? These passages also imply that husbands should understand the Word of God in order to be able to provide answers when asked. In 1 Corinthians 14:37-38, Paul makes an important statement: “If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.” He is referring to everything written to the Corinthians about the proper order in the church, including his instructions about women. Although Paul writes the letter, the message is from the Lord and is a commandment to be obeyed.

Will leaders in the church adhere to Paul’s message to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:4-7?:

“He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

How many times have we heard of pastors’ kids going off the rails or becoming estranged from their parents? Scripture tells us that if a leader in the church cannot manage his own home, he should not be a leader. And that brings me to probably the most controversial point—there is no mention in Scripture of female leadership in the church. Older women should teach younger women (Titus 2:3-5) and mothers should teach their children (Proverbs 1:8), but Paul is clear that a woman should not teach over a man (1 Timothy 2:12). It violates the order of submission within the church and home. The church has become disobedient to the Lord in that area, which has led to many women trying to be the spiritual leaders of their own homes. Yet there are plenty of roles for women in the church. Scripture talks about spiritual gifts being given to all members of the church, including women. We also know of prophetesses in Scripture such as Anna in Luke 2:36 and women who supported Jesus’ ministry and early church ministry (Matthew 27:55; Luke 8:2-3; Luke 10:38-42; Acts 16:13-15; Romans 16:1). The Lord created men and women and loves both equally; however, each one has his or her proper roles in the home and in the church.

The enemy knows all of these things and has used our culture to normalize what is not from God. He has caused the people of God to fear man more than fearing God to the point where not only has marriage been targeted but also our children. Innocence has been stripped away to normalize sexual behavior and deviance among children. If we cannot get our homes straight and back on the spiritual track to obeying God and His Word, the church will also fall apart. Each home is a mini church where the husband/father leads the home in truth, and the wife submits to him out of obedience to the Lord, and the children submit to their parents out of obedience to the Lord. The world will hate us for it, but Jesus already prayed to the Father on our behalf even before we decided to take the name of “Christian”:

“While I was with them (the disciples), I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that Scripture would be fulfilled. But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them in the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” John 17:12-23

Jesus spoke these words to the Father right before He was arrested and later crucified to take away our sins, even the ones we are now committing in the church. If we, as the church, want to be presented to Him as holy, spotless, and blameless when He returns (Ephesians 5:27), we must ask for forgiveness and remove the sin that we’ve allowed in the church. We must ask God to help us restore our families and our churches according to His Word and His order for how can He work through us if we have chosen to follow the world? It is our time to choose.

©Lauren Demuth

What’s Your Motive?

The word motive often brings to mind police-related/superhero-related TV shows where the good guys are trying to figure out why the bad guys are doing what they do. Sometimes the bad guys act out of what they perceive as good intentions, but the results are far from good.

The Bible also teaches about the importance of one’s motives. Many people separate the Old and New Testaments because they appear to be disjointed when in reality they share the same message: Mankind has sinned and fallen away from God, but God has provided a way for His people to be close to Him.

In the Old Testament we often read about sacrifices. Offering sacrifices is a foreign concept for most of us, and we often think that Israel was commanded to offer them for God; however, they were for the people. Sacrifices were God’s way of bringing His children in right relationship with Him, but He desired them to be given with the right motive. Let’s look at King Saul. He was officially chosen to be king in 1 Samuel 10 (although He was chosen by God prior to that occasion), and he proved himself to be a worthy king (in the eyes of the people) in 1 Samuel 11 by defeating Nahash the Ammonite. Not too long after this, Saul also destroyed a Philistine garrison, which caused the Philistines to rise up against Israel. Instead of waiting for Samuel to offer sacrifices at Gilgal, Saul was impatient and offered them himself. We find out in 1 Sam. 13: 8-12 that Saul offered sacrifices because he was afraid of the Philistines and his own people were scattering from him. Saul offered out of impatience and fear, but he also blatantly disobeyed the command of the Lord (v. 13). Something that seemed to be good (offering sacrifices) had bad results because of Saul’s motives. Unfortunately, it cost him his kingdom (v. 14). Jump ahead to 1 Sam. 15, and we see a similar situation. God wants Saul to destroy the city of Amalek and destroy every person and animal in it. The instructions are clear that nothing should live. Yet Saul disobeys once again. He captures Agag the king of the Amalekites instead of killing him, and he and the people spared the best livestock and “all that was good” (v. 9). It seems like God was giving Saul a second chance, but he blew it. God relays His disappointment to Samuel who then has to confront Saul. Saul tries to explain that he made his decisions to glorify God: “Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, ‘Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.’ But Samuel said, ‘What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?’ Saul said, ‘They (note: notice how Saul excludes himself here) have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed (note: he includes himself again when it comes to the destruction part)'” (1 Sam. 15:13-15).

When we read this, part of us wants to agree with Saul. Saving the best for the Lord sounds great. Offering sacrifices seems like what he should have done. Saul even tries to defend himself against Samuel again in vv. 20-21 by saying that he did obey the voice of the Lord. But Samuel imparts a different message: “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king” (v. 22). Only after this message did Saul finally relent and ask for forgiveness. He tried to make excuses for disobeying God. He may have thought his intentions were good, but God was not honored or pleased. Instead, He took away Saul’s kingship and gave it to David who would eventually become king after Saul’s death. David is described as a man after God’s own heart whereas Saul feared his own people and his enemies. Saul is just one example in the OT. Adam and Eve are the first people to act out of their own selfish motives, which gets passed on to the rest of mankind. Sacrifices were a way of drawing close to the Lord and being made right with Him, but He didn’t want these sacrifices if the person offering had the wrong motive. God desires obedience above all else. Well let’s see what the NT has to offer.

I can’t help but think of the Pharisees when discussing the topic of motive. In Matt. 5:20 Jesus tells His disciples, “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” He follows that by a number of short teachings, but then in Matt. 6:1 He expounds on the message given in 5:20, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” He gives examples about giving to the poor, prayer, and fasting. All of these things are great to do. But how are they supposed to be done? The hypocrites (I believe Jesus is alluding to the scribes and Pharisees here) make their giving obvious in the synagogues and in the streets. They toot their own horns, so to speak. Notice, these are men who know the Scriptures and believe they are following God (and the Law). In today’s terms, these are some church-goers who want to be acknowledged for their giving. Jesus says that such people have their reward in full now (Matt. 6:2). Their intentions may be good, but they only honor themselves. Jesus says that those who give in secret will be rewarded by their Father eventually.  The same is true for prayer and fasting. No true disciple of Christ should make a spectacle of himself in practicing righteousness (Matt. 6:5, 7, 16). If we practice righteousness in a way that honors God, people will see our good fruit. If we do it to be honored by men, we already have our reward. I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all done something good so that others will honor our actions. We want the praise. We probably have good intentions, but remember that the Lord should be honored in all things.

I want to look at one more example because I think it’s often been misunderstood. In Luke 18:18-25, Jesus is asked by a rich ruler, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” People tend to skip over v. 19, but I think it’s important. Jesus asks the ruler, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.” Some people may be confused by what Jesus says here, but in my opinion, Jesus is telling the ruler who He really is. He’s testing the man. In answer to the ruler’s original question, Jesus then mentions a few of the commandments and the ruler states that he has kept them from his youth. Now here comes the statement that many people have misunderstood in my opinion: “When Jesus heard this, He said to him, ‘One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me'” (v. 22). We read that the ruler became sad because of his great wealth (v. 23). Jesus has basically told the man that He’s God (v. 19). The man has already stated that he’s kept all of the commandments. Jesus is giving the man the opportunity to follow Him. Many people read that the man is rich, and Jesus wants to him to give his possessions away; therefore, being rich is not good, and we should all do what Jesus says here. I think these people are missing the point. Jesus is basically giving the man two choices: follow your wealth or follow Me. The ruler wanted to know what he should do to inherit eternal life. The answer is to follow God wholeheartedly. He knew God was asking him to do something, but he still couldn’t do it (In Matt. and Mark the man is described as going away grieving; Matt. 19:22, Mark 10:22). When Jesus says that the rich have a hard time entering the kingdom of God it’s because many are unwilling to follow God at all costs. The poor have little to lose, but the rich have much to lose. However, we see further in the NT how the church is made up of rich and poor Christians alike. The difference is that their motive is to serve God with whatever they have.

These are just a few examples out of many from Scripture, but I think you understand what I’m getting at. God is interested in our hearts. He desires complete obedience and repentance when we fall short. He doesn’t want excuses like Saul (I’m guilty of this). He doesn’t want outward righteousness with alternative motives. If God asks us to do something, we should do it wholeheartedly, and even cheerfully because He has chosen us for His purposes. He instituted sacrifices in the OT so that His people could be close to Him. He also gave us His final sacrifice, Jesus, not for His sake, but for ours. So that we may have eternal life with Him. Does He not deserve our obedience? Should He not take precedence in our hearts and minds? Let us serve the Lord with the right motives. May He be glorified above all else.

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One last thought. Let us also pray for those in the Middle East and in other places around the world who are experiencing persecution. Some have chosen Christ instead of recanting their faith, and now they are with Him. Let’s hope that more people will come to knowledge of Christ because of their bravery and sacrifice. May we pray for them to have courage, and for the Lord’s will to be done in all things.

© Lauren Heiligenthal