Christian

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

1 John 4:11-12

What is acting like a Christian? I have long pondered the question ever since years ago someone pointed out to me non-Christians who they felt acted more “Christian” than most Christian they knew.

How does one act Christian then?

The answer could really be complex and involve study and prayer and spiritual discipline and displaying much fruit of the Spirit.  Or it could be simply 1 John 4:11-12.

Love one another.

All the other complex issues aside, love one another. That is how you ‘act like a Christian.’ 

Can non-Christians love one another?  Yes, in Reformed circles it’s called a ‘common grace’ of God and if you are like me I rejoice whenever I see common grace displayed.  Whenever. And it hurts when professing Christians don’t show it.

Because for Christians, it is the mark, the indelible stamp on our foreheads that all should see.  Love, in action.  We have no excuse for not loving one another; it is the mark of God abiding in us.  Struggle with it. Grow in it. But let your life show it abundantly.

Be a Christian.  Love one another.

Love

“…it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” - 1 Corinthians 13: 6-7

I know. It’s Valentine’s Day.  I’m a hopeless non-romantic, I guess. Don’t get me wrong, I love my wife, Susie. Dearly.  She’s had to put up with me for over 31 years now.

But the passage above is not really about romantic love, although if you are truly in love with someone one would hope and pray that those qualities of not rejoicing at wrongdoing, but rejoicing with the truth; bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things, enduring all things are an integral part of your relationship.  That is the singular reason that this passage gets read so often at weddings.

But the passage really shows a reflection of the qualities that really are the attributes of how God that sees and approaches us.  Because He does not rejoice when we do wrong, but celebrates when truth is shown.  He bears with us through all things (the good, bad, sweet and smelly). He loves when we believe all the things we have been taught about him, and trust, through faith, in the hope that has been presented to us through his Word.

And when I really think about myself and my foibles and shortcomings, I read that love “endures all things.”

All things.  Well that’s good, because I certain the Lord has been tested by myself far, far too often.

It’s about love.  A calling and consuming love of our creator towards the creation. Which is you.  And me.  In spite of ourselves.

God’s love for us “does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Righteousness

“Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.” - Proverbs 21:21

This passage really got me to thinking.  Whoever pursues righteousness…will find…righteousness.

Huh?

Pursue it and find it.

How does one pursue it?  Through virtue?  Through academia? Through philosophy? Through philanthropy? Through kindness (which the passage seems to link with righteousness)? Through politics? Through athletics (with the winter Olympics in mind)?  How does one pursue righteousness?

Is there some path; is there some track we can follow in this pursuit?  No doubt countless millions before me have pondered this question and dashed off in the pursuit.  And while there is nothing inherently wrong with virtue or academia or philosophy or philanthropy or kindness or athletics or even politics, none of these things will lead one to true righteousness.

The apostle Paul wrestled long and hard on this issue.  And this is what he discovered. “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” (visit Romans 3:21,22)

Let there be no doubt – Paul would have been one who dabbled in all the forms of righteousness seeking only to eventually find that they were ‘as rubbish.’ (visit Philippians 3:7)

Any righteousness we seek will only be found in Jesus Christ. He went to the cross so we could truly seek and find it.  The other pursuits? Well, they are fine, even the politics.

But pursue Christ. And you will find “life, righteousness, and honor.”

What are you pursuing this day?

Compromise

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  - Ephesians 6:12-13

When I was younger, it was easier for me to compromise.  Everything seemed less black and white; it was easier to see things that maybe weren’t so, as good.

Perhaps the beginning of the turning point for me was a negotiations class I took 30 years ago at the University of La Verne.  In the class we learned that compromise is a bad word.  In negotiations of any kind, if one side, or even both sides, compromise, it usually means that they had to give up something they feel is important and highly valued, and anger from having to do so will eventually surface.  The point of the class was to mine negotiations until an agreement (not compromise) could happen.

The passage above served as a reminder for me about compromise. First, the apostle Paul is reminds all that our issues as Christians are not so much against other people, but “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

And if there are cosmic powers and spiritual forces of evil that we are ultimately doing battle against, compromise will be deadly.

Here’s the real reality.  Whether we are doing battle against “rulers,” “authorities.” “cosmic powers,” spiritual forces; ” when we compromise, I believe we anger not just ourselves, but the One who  has given to us His word to live by.

A compromise in these realms will damage us, and ache the heart of our creator.  Think about it.  Aren’t most of us good at doing…both? 

And where will that get us?

I don’t want to find out.

Evildoers

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.” Psalm 37:1,2

I don’t know. I think I’m too much of a pacifist for this passage.  I don’t like calling out people as evildoers; even thinking of someone as a wrongdoer seems judgmental. I’m too much of a conflict avoidant person.

Still, one of the many things the Bible doesn’t sugarcoat is the existence of evildoers and wrongdoers.  Sometimes… they are even me.  After all there is that phrase that says something about all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (visit Romans 3:23).

Actually the passage is not about us judging evildoers and wrongdoers; we have no business doing so.  But what is made clear is that there will be a judgment for those who persist.  And… “they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.”  OK, maybe that won’t be soon enough for some of us.  I get it.

As for those of us who do not want to be evildoers and wrongdoers, I would guess that we are then called to work out our “salvation with fear and trembling.” (Visit Philippians 2:12).  And quit worrying about those who mean evil.  We’re not responsible for them; never have been.  But we are responsible for ourselves.  To not be evildoers and wrongdoers; instead let us “not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (visit Galatians 6:9)

We’re only responsible for ourselves. Let us approach that responsibility with fear and trembling.