1 Corinthians 4:1, “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.”
How are we to evaluate one’s success in ministry? What criteria should we use? From man’s perspective we might consider a person’s number of followers or the size of their church budget (i.e., “nickels and noses”). Some might cite a man’s influence by way of degrees garnered, souls saved, or books written. But what does God look for? What constitutes “success” in ministry or Christian living from God’s perspective?
The church in Corinth was characterized by a spirit of partisanship. The church was prone, in a spirit of “jealousy and strife” (1 Corinthians 3:3), to elevate men and divide in a partisan way behind their preferred leader. Given their fleshly tendencies, they were spiritually ill-equipped to even properly discern the role of a godly leader. Paul repeatedly addressed their error (1 Corinthians 1:11-13, 3:1-7). Indeed, much of this chapter is devoted to the correction of that specific problem.
A part of the answer is rightly esteeming the relationship of the leader to Christ in the role he has been given. Paul used two terms in addressing this. He identified himself to be a “servant” with respect to Christ. The term “servant” translates the Greek “huperetes” which was used in that day of an “under rower.” An under rower was a galley slave who served in the lowest level on board ship. He was subjected to the hardest labor, cruelest punishment, and least appreciation of all the slaves on board. The term later evolved in use to refer to “any subordinate acting under another’s direction” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary). That’s the term Paul used of himself in expressing his relationship to Christ. It also spoke of the manner in which he wanted his readers to regard both himself and Apollos. He could have thought and responded otherwise. He could have pridefully asserted his ministry credentials. But he understood who he was—he was but a servant doing the bidding of his Master. We are all, regardless of our unique positions or ministries, servants of the same Master (1 Corinthians 7:22b).
He was a “steward” of the mysteries of God. The term “steward” translates a Greek term that literally means “house manager.” A steward’s role was to manage the household or property of his master. A steward bears the responsibility of overseeing that which has been put in his care. He is not the owner and has no authority or right to step outside the bounds of his assigned responsibilities. His job is to do that which he has been given to do. Here, Paul referred to himself and Apollos as “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1). They were responsible for proclaiming the truth that had been revealed to them—no more, no less (2 Corinthians 4:1-3). That is a responsibility borne by every minister of the gospel (2 Timothy 4:1-2).
A steward is successful to the extent that he is found faithful in discharging his responsibility. This is the standard which God uses to measure a person’s “success.” The same term is used in the parable of the talents in expressing the master’s response to the servant for his wise use of his gifts and responsibility (Matthew 25:20-23).
James R. Sizoo once wrote, “Let it never be forgotten that glamor is not greatness; applause is not fame; prominence is not eminence. The man of the hour is not apt to be the man of the ages. A stone may sparkle, but that does not make it a diamond; people may have money, but that does not make them a success. It is what the unimportant people do that really counts and determines the course of history. The greatest forces in the universe are never spectacular. Summer showers are more effective than hurricanes, but they get no publicity. The world would soon die but for the fidelity, loyalty, and consecration of those whose names are unhonored and unsung.”
James R. Sizoo
As a servant of Christ, your name might remain “unhonored and unsung” before men, but it is God’s perspective that matters (1 Thessalonians 2:1-6). He deems faithfulness praiseworthy.
God measures success in terms of our faithfulness to do His bidding in our lives.
A charge to keep I have, A God to glorify, A never-dying soul to save, And fit it for the sky. To serve the present age, My calling to fulfill: Oh, may it all my pow’rs engage To do my Master’s will!
1 Corinthians 3:1-4, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?”
The church in Corinth had a problem—the people were quarreling with each other, acting in a partisan matter regarding their preferred leaders. But their quarrelsome divisiveness was just a symptom of an underlying debility. The real problem was that they were fleshly in their behavior. “Jealously and strife”—sure evidence of their fleshliness—were at the heart of the discord. Because of their fleshly ways, Paul could not speak to them as spiritual people. They had no heart for the truth, and their lives reflected that.
God had called them to a higher plane of living. They were called to be “saints,” but were not acting like “holy ones” (1 Corinthians 1:2, saints = “holy ones”). They were indwelt by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13), but His fruit was not apparent in their lives (Galatians 5:22-23). Though destined in Christ to grow and to love, they were wallowing in the mire of selfish sins. They were called to a different, holy, manner of life, but their lives looked no different than those of the lost (Ephesians 4:17). They were behaving as though they were “mere men” (1 Corinthians 3:4), though God had called them to a superhuman manner of life.
While walking through the forest one day, a man found a young eagle who had fallen out of his nest. He took it home and put it in his barnyard where it soon learned to eat and behave like the chickens. One day a naturalist passed by the farm and asked why it was that the king of all birds should be confined to live in the barnyard with the chickens. The farmer replied that since he had given it chicken feed and trained it to be a chicken, it had never learned to fly. Since it now behaved as the chickens, it was no longer an eagle.
“Still, it has the heart of an eagle,” replied the naturalist, “and can surely be taught to fly.” He lifted the eagle toward the sky and said, “You belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth your wings and fly.” The eagle, however, was confused. He did not know who he was, and seeing the chickens eating their food, he jumped down to be with them again. The naturalist took the bird to the roof of the house and urged him again, saying, “You are an eagle. Stretch forth your wings and fly.”
But the eagle was afraid of his unknown self and world and jumped down once more for the chicken food. Finally, the naturalist took the eagle out of the barnyard to a high mountain. There he held the king of the birds high above him and encouraged him again, saying, “You are an eagle. You belong to the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly.” The eagle looked around, back towards the barnyard and up to the sky. Then the naturalist lifted him straight towards the sun and it happened that the eagle began to tremble. Slowly he stretched his wings, and with a triumphant cry, soared away into the heavens.
It may be that the eagle still remembers the chickens with nostalgia. It may even be that he occasionally revisits the barnyard. But as far as anyone knows, he has never returned to lead the life of a chicken.
The believer is a “new creation” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), delivered through His death and resurrection from the penalty and power of sin, that he might “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). He is Christ’s “workmanship” (His masterpiece), saved by grace “for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). The lost selfishly scavenge in the chicken yard for scraps, the believer is one who has been delivered from sin that he might soar above in a higher plane—loving Jesus by loving others to God’s glory. Don’t scavenge in the chicken yard in fleshly pursuits, by the Spirit spread your wings and fly (Galatians 5:16, 22-23).
“This book (the Bible) will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.”
I’m pressing on the upward way, New heights I’m gaining ev’ry day; Still praying as I’m onward bound, “Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.” Lord, lift me up, and let me stand By faith, on heaven’s tableland; A higher plane than I have found, Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
A love rivers and streams. Always have. I’ve fished in many, boated some, and walked for miles along many a riverbank. I scarcely remember my first fishing trip, but Dad has shared the story with me countless times. When I was four, he took me to Dairy Creek to go fishing. It was a small stream near where I grew up and held a lot of family memories. I got lost on that first fishing trip; my dad having left me with my cousins along the bank of the creek as he walked off to his fishing hole. He returned only to find me absent and my cousins not knowing where I’d gone. Frantically, he searched for me, fearing that I’d fallen into the water and drowned. To his glad-hearted relief, some folks from a mile downstream found me and returned me to my dad. My memories of Dairy Creek start there.
The roots of my family lie along that little creek. My uncle Chet owned a homestead near its headwaters at a place called Fern Flat. He had a mill and worked to harvest the old growth timber that filled the property in those days. As a teenager, Dad worked at that mill. He worked hard, sawing logs, hauling lumber and doing whatever else his sister and brother-in-law demanded of him. He’s told me many stories of those days. They had a much-loved pet deer they adopted. To get to school, he’d ride a horse named Ronny four and a half miles to the nearest bus stop. Leaving it at a home in Snooseville, he’d climb aboard a bus that would meander some 27 miles, picking up students as it made its way to Hillsboro High School. They’d pass by a Bureau of Land Management recreation site named Little Bend Park, the old Mountaindale School and store, a turn off to the Restful Haven nudist colony, a lot of old farms, including the farm on which his future wife, my mother, lived. That was his daily routine. And though life wasn’t easy, he has fond memories of those days.
My uncle eventually lost that homestead and all the virgin timber that was still standing. He had failed to pay all the taxes on an employee’s wages. The IRS found out and demanded payment, so the homestead was sold. The farm my mom grew up in was sold off too. My grandma had spent too much time at the tavern, and too much money at the grocery store to feed eight kids. The store demanded payment of the grocery tab, so they lost the farm. Still, in the years to come, dad took me to Dairy Creek to fish on lots of occasions. It was the place where I caught my first trout. As I recall, I shed a tear for that little hatchery trout, having killed a creature for the very first time.
I visited my 92-year-old dad some weeks ago and suggested that we take a trip up memory lane, up Dairy Creek Road, up to the old homestead at Fern Flat. He was eager to go. He gave me directions, describing the journey and landmarks along the way. As one would expect, businesses are gone, houses have changed hands, and landmarks have altered. We made our way up the windy gravel road along the creek until we arrived at Fern Flat. Looking around, to his delight, we found the old, rusted platform on which the big saw for the mill used to sit. Several old logging roads met at an intersection there, but it didn’t take him too long to recognize the way to the old homestead, which lay a mile and a half further beyond a locked gate. We thought for a moment of making the hike to the top of the hill but decided against it. Still, he was entranced. We drove back down the road, trying to find the site of Little Bend Park along Dairy Creek, but any sign of the park was long gone. We made it to the little town of Snooseville, but it didn’t look at all like he remembered it from the 1940s. Further along, the road to the nudist colony was still there, but the signs were gone, as was the colony itself. We passed by the road to Meacham’s Bridge, the place where I caught that first trout. And passed by the farm that was lost to pay the overdue grocery tab.
I was thinking afterwards of all that had changed since my dad worked at that mill so many years ago. My uncle Chet and aunt Bobbie died years ago. The homestead is long gone. All that is left of the sawmill is an old rusting away platform half hidden in the brush. Long gone are the pet deer and the horse named Ronny. Little Bend Park no longer exists. The Mountaindale School and Store closed years ago. And Snooseville has quietly napped away until only a few houses remain.
It all makes me think of a Scripture passage that’s become even more familiar to me as I’ve worked these past couple of years as a hospice chaplain. 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:4 confronts head-on the issues of growing old (4:16), enduring trials (4:17), and death (5:1-5). At one end of the passage, we are encouraged to “not lose heart” (4:16) and at the other end, it speaks of how we “are always of good courage” (5:6). How are we to maintain such a positive hopeful attitude amidst our ongoing challenges?
Amongst the answers is what we find in verse 18, where it says, “as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” This passage reminds us that there are temporary realities and eternal realities. And whereas the things that we can see are transient, the things that we cannot see are eternal. Instead of focusing on the temporary realities that are a part of our here and now, we are to look to the eternal realities we find in God – in which we find “strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow” as the great hymn puts it (“Great is Thy Faithfulness,” verse 3).
“How in the world am I to look to the things that are unseen?” you might ask. That seems kind of oxymoronic! But just because you can’t see a thing doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Do you believe that you’ve a physical heart that pumps life-sustaining blood through your veins? Have you ever seen it? Jesus is real, though you’ve not seen Him (1 Peter 1:8). Heaven is a real place (2 Corinthians 12:2). So are the riches of the imperishable and unfading inheritance promised to the believer in Christ (1 Peter 1:4). But to see them, you must look through eyes of faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). The believer in Christ has another set of eyes through which he can gaze into these eternal realities. The Apostle Paul’s prayer in Ephesians chapter 1 was that the “eyes of (our) hearts” might be opened to see all that is ours in Jesus—hope for today, riches in heaven, and strength to uphold us on the journey there (Ephesians 1:16-19).
Note that it is the Spirit who works to open the eyes of our heart to these spiritual realities (Ephesians 1:17). His primary mission is to unveil to us and in us and through us the glory of the Lord Jesus (John 16:14). It was He who first opened our blinded eyes to the glory of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:6). That means we can’t expect to abound in hope if we aren’t careful to walk by the Spirit. And we can’t expect to be much aware of the riches of God’s provision amidst our struggles if we aren’t listening to the Spirit speak to us through the Word. It is impossible to look to the unseen realities that will encourage and strengthen us apart from spending time in the Word.
Helen Keller was only two years old when an illness struck her blind and deaf. Unable to communicate with the outside world, her life was filled with a hopeless despair so great that one can only imagine. Miss Anne Sullivan was brought to assist her and worked patiently to break through the darkness. One day she and “Teacher”—as Helen always called her—went to the outdoor pump. Miss Sullivan started to draw water and put Helen’s hand under the spout. As the cool water gushed over one hand, she spelled into the other hand the word “w-a-t-e-r” first slowly, then rapidly. Suddenly, the signals had meaning in Helen’s mind. She knew that “water” meant the wonderful cool substance flowing over her hand. Quickly, she stopped and touched the earth and demanded its letter name and by nightfall she had learned 30 words. Helen later wrote of the experiences of that day: “As we continued to the house every object which I touched quivered with life. That was because I saw everything with a strange, new sight that had come to me. It would have been difficult to find a happier child than I was as I lay in my crib… and for the first time longed for a new day to come.”
Life isn’t easy. As a hospice chaplain, I’ve said farewell to dozens in the past couple of years. Before that, as a pastor for almost thirty years, many many more. I’ve witnessed a lot of sadness and a lot of tears. God has been so good in it all, but still Laura’s six and a half years of battling cancer has been an arduous journey for us both. How are we to confront such challenges? Understandably, Helen Keller was an angry and out-of-control child before Anne Sullivan came along. She did not know what was happening in her life and what the future held. Anne Sullivan worked so that she could see the unseen realities that made up her world—therein she found hope. Just like that, we’ve a helper in the Holy Spirit who can open the eyes to our heart to the eternal realities that lie ahead at the end of our journey. There’s an abundance of hope in that for those who are growing old and for those who are facing big trials. And for those who are about to pass from this life. We need to be careful to not hold on too tightly to anything in the here and now lest God must one day wrestle it from our grasp. One day, you’ll say goodbye to the temporary realities that encompass this world and all that you now possess. Not so when it comes to Jesus and the eternal realities He has and will provide! Jesus never changes! There will come a day when you will marvel at Him in the glory of heaven. The unseen will be unseen no more! So don’t lose heart, your long journey leads to a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5:1). A home that is imperishable and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for you (1 Peter 1:4)! The long and winding road leads home.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5, “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
Some of the believers in Corinth were enamored with gifted speakers in their oratorical abilities to impart human wisdom. They were prone to elevate such men and depreciate the message of the gospel. But Paul reminded them of how he had come, not “with lofty speech or wisdom” (1 Corinthians 2:1), but “in weakness and in fear and much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3). He spoke to them not “plausible words of wisdom,” but “in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). He did so deliberately—that their faith might rest in God, not man.
We live in a day when people are prone to that Corinthian kind of error. The biggest church in America is a church full of charisma but devoid of the word of the cross. The church growth movement has focused less on what Christ has done and more on man-engineered schemes for reaching the lost. I once saw a video produced by a church that puts on a show every week to get people in the door. The church set up a motocross jump track on the platform in front of the church. Two motorcycle riders simultaneously rode their bikes up the ramps over the head of the Pastor in opposite directions. The entire display was done as an illustration, according to the Pastor, to display the power of the gospel.
God doesn’t need man’s cleverly devised schemes or antics to save souls. He is well-pleased to use ordinary men (possessing “treasure in jars of clay”) in the sharing of His extraordinary message. By this means it is demonstrated that “the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).
A 15-year-old teenager headed off to church, as he normally did on Sunday mornings. But there was a blizzard that day and the heavy snow kept him from going to his usual place of worship. Instead, he found himself in a Primitive Methodist Church. As a young man, from a long line of pastors, he knew all about Christianity, but he didn’t know Christ. Later, he would write of those days, “It was my sad lot to feel the greatness of my sin without a discovery of the greatness of God’s mercy.”
The Primitive Methodist Church almost didn’t open that morning, but the caretaker, thinking that a few people might show up, opened the doors, and lit the stove. By 11:00 some 12-15 people had come inside, but not the Pastor. He had apparently been unable to get there because of the snow. Finally, one of the laymen of the congregation reluctantly took the pulpit. As he looked down, he could see the small congregation, hundreds of empty seats, and the young 15-year-old boy seated under the gallery. The text for his sermon was “Look unto me and be ye saved” (Isaiah 45:22), and after about ten minutes of repeating himself, the man was about to step down from the pulpit. But before he did, he addressed the teenager. “Young man,” he said, “you look very miserable, and you will always be miserable if you don’t obey my text. But if you do obey now, this moment, you will be saved.” He paused again, then shouted at the young man with more animation, “Young man, look to Jesus! Look! Look! Look!”
That young man was Charles Spurgeon. Years later, Spurgeon wrote of his experience, “There and then the cloud was gone, the darkness was rolled away.” God used the preaching of an unprepared and ordinary laymen to save Charles Spurgeon. He was an ordinary man—just like the man who had first shared that extraordinary message with him. An ordinary man, just like any of us. But Charles Spurgeon went on to leave a lasting legacy in preaching the gospel to thousands over the course of his ministry! God is well-pleased to use such ordinary folks to do extraordinary things!
God is well pleased to choose and use ordinary men and women to do His bidding. With twelve ordinary men, He worked to turn the world upside down!
Would you be free from the burden of sin? There’s pow’r in the blood Pow’r in the blood Would you o’er evil a victory win? There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood
1 Corinthians 1:23, “But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to show how are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and wisdom of God.”
In his book “The Cross,” Martyn Lloyd Jones wrote, “My dear friends, there never can be a more important question than this: what does the cross do to you? Where do you find yourself as you think of it and face it? It is the test of our church membership, indeed, of our whole position and profession. There is no more subtle test of our understanding than our attitude toward the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, the cross passes judgment upon us all, immediately and out of necessity. You cannot remain neutral in the presence of the cross. It has always divided mankind and it still does. And what the Apostle says is that there are ultimately only two positions in respect to it. The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is either an offence to us or else it is a thing above everything else in which we glory.”
Martyn Lloyd Jones
With respect to the message of Christ-crucified radically divergent opinions are held by various groups. To the Jews it is a stumbling block, to the Gentiles it is “folly.” “Folly” translates the Greek word “moria” which is related to our English word moron. It refers to that which is stupid, silly, or absurd. Some years ago, someone passed on to me a letter to the AARP magazine they had come across. The writer said, “Every day I am shocked by how many superstitious people live in our country. They choose to accept, without proof, a reality involving an invisible man who determines whether you go to an invisible place after death. I am seriously amazed by how many intelligent people think this way.” The writer of that letter considered the message of Christ crucified to be sheer folly. Such is the view of the perishing and theirs is the majority opinion.
But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and by a work of the Spirit, the believer is led to behold the glory of the person and work of Christ (John 16:14; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6). Divine power, wisdom, and love—indeed all of God’s glorious attributes-are all visibly demonstrated in Christ’s willing sacrifice. What love is this that would compel God to send and sacrifice His own Son for rebel sinners (John 3:16; Romans 5:8)? The “manifold wisdom of God” orchestrated a work that man would have never devised (Ephesians 3:10). Divine power, to save from sin and death, was availed to man when Christ died for sins and rose from the dead. The world might deem the message foolish, but it alone represents “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).
Paul repeatedly affirmed his wholehearted devotion to the “Christ-crucified” message (1 Corinthians 1:17, 23, 2:2, 9:16). He was not ashamed of the message (Romans 1:16). He called it “the gospel of the glory of the blessed God” (1 Timothy 1:11). He thanked and praised God for it (1 Timothy 1:12, 17). By that message he himself had been saved and radically transformed from a “blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent” into a loving Apostle and faithful servant of Christ (1 Timothy 1:13, 11). He gloried in the cross, saying, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14).
The story of told of a small English village that had a tiny chapel whose stone walls were covered by traditional ivy. Over an arch was originally inscribed the words: WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED. There had been a generation of godly men who did precisely that: they preached Christ crucified. But times changed. The ivy grew and pretty soon covered the last word. The inscription now read: WE PREACH CHRIST. Other men came and they did preach Christ: Christ the example, Christ the humanitarian, Christ the ideal teacher. As the years passed, the ivy continued to grow until finally the inscription read: WE PREACH. The generation that came along then did just that: they preached economics, social gospel, book reviews, just about anything. We live in the later times. The ivy has covered and obscured the message so that it is hardly discernable anymore. But regardless of what anyone else says or thinks, the word that God has given to us to believe and proclaim is Christ crucified. There is power in that message, and that message alone, unto the salvation of souls.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and by a work of the Spirit, the believer is led to glory in the beauty of Christ’s work on the cross!
O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous attraction for me; for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above to bear it to dark Calvary.
Romans 16:17-18, “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naïve.”
As with most of the New Testament epistles, the letter to the Romans includes a warning regarding the danger of false teachers. This admonition to “watch out for” comes at the end of Paul’s letter and succinctly summarizes the reason for concern.
Two commands are given: 1) Watch out for; and 2) Avoid. The term translated “watch out for” is the Greek “skopeo” from which we derive the term scope in microscope or telescope. It carries the meaning of looking at or observing with intensity. Because it is in the present tense, it speaks of an ongoing practice. The second command, avoid, means to “avoid association” or “have nothing to do with.” It is also in the present tense.
The days in which we live are a time of unprecedented naivety and gullibility when it comes to doctrinal issues. The time when they “will not endure sound teaching” has come (2 Timothy 4:3). As a result of this doctrinal deficiency, some in the church lack any ability to exercise discernment. The believer in Christ is well-served to take to heart the repeated admonition to be on the alert to the presence of false teachers (Matthew 7:15, Acts 20:28, Philippians 3:2, Colossians 2:8, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 2 Peter 2:1, 1 John 4:1).
The false teachers are recognizable by their fruit (Matthew 7:15). They cause divisions. Lacking the Spirit they practice the deeds of the flesh— “enmities, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions” (Galatians 5:20). They “create obstacles” (Romans 16:17). The term “obstacles” translates the Greek “skandalon”. According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary, the term “originally was the name of the part of a trap to which the bait is attached, hence, the trap or snare itself.” Vine’s goes on to say, “In the NT “skandalon” is always used metaphorically, and ordinarily of anything that arouses prejudice, or becomes a hindrance to others, or causes them to fall by the way.” As with the snare of an animal trap into which the bait is placed, the faith-upsetting hindrances of the false teacher are not obvious. Their false teaching is cleverly disguised and dressed-up in Christian-sounding garb lest it be readily identified. Deceptively disguised, their false teaching is doubly dangerous.
False teachers are deceptively charismatic with their words. Their speech is characterized by “smooth talk” (i.e., eloquent, attractive, pleasant sounding words) and “flattery” (i.e., speech adapted to captivate the hearer; 2 Timothy 4:3; Isaiah 30:10). By way of contrast, the Apostle Paul refused to tamper with God’s Word or water it down by telling people what they wanted to hear (2 Corinthians 4:1-2).
The false teacher sets his sight on the naïve, those lacking the spiritual wherewithal to know better—the unsuspecting and easily duped. They are those spoken of elsewhere by Paul and likened to “children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).
The only sure antidote for doctrinal naivety is Spirit-imparted doctrinal discernment and growth in spiritual maturity. And to exercise discernment, one must pay careful attention to the Word (1 Peter 2:2). The Bereans were commended because they “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Every believer is exhorted to follow that example and to “test everything” and “hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). The standard by which all teaching is to be measured is the Word of God — “the doctrine you have been taught” (Romans 16:17). With respect to all matters of faith and practice, believers must continually sift all matters through a “But what does the Bible say?” filter, lest they be deceived. False teachers and their teaching need to be recognized and avoided. Because doctrinal naivety characterizes so much of the modern church, the admonition given in this passage is especially timely and relevant.
“Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather it is telling the difference between right and almost right.” – Charles Spurgeon
Thy Word is a lamp to my feet, O Lord, And, trusting in Thee as my all, Whatever of evil may cross my path, I never, no, never can fall.
Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
My first car was a 1952 Plymouth Station Wagon. It was a beast of a vehicle, with a flathead 6 engine, a 3 speed on the column, and a top “safe” speed of about 60 miles per hour. The one thing it didn’t have was a working fuel gauge, so unsurprisingly, on more than one occasion, I ran out of gas. That happened once at the entrance to the high school I attended. Kind of embarrassing! We humans don’t come with “hope gauges,” but if we did, what would we see? I’ve personally run out of gas, so to speak, when it comes to hope. Have you ever felt so discouraged, the only word left in your prayer vocabulary is “help!” I’ve been there, and thankfully God responded to my plea.
God longs for His people to be filled with hope. Because of His lovingkindness, we have good reason to be, even amidst our troubles. Romans 15:14 constitutes a prayer by the Apostle Paul, a beautiful prayer, that we might “abound in hope.”
A confident expectation regarding the believer’s favorable future is given to us by the God of hope. God is both the source and giver of hope. God Himself—who declares “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10)—has no need of hope. He who “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11), will frame the future according to His plan. Hope is a creature need. Unlike God, we live and exist in the realm of uncertainty. On our own, we lack the ability to foresee, or dictate the future. Confidence regarding a favorable destiny must be ministered to us from One who is faithful, who has the power and ability to achieve that which is hoped for. He is our reason for hope (Lamentations 3:21-24).
God is able to fill His children with hope. The Holy Spirit indwells every born again believer. Jesus called Him the Helper (parakletos, lit. “called to one’s side”). Preeminent amongst His many tasks as the Helper is His work in directing our hearts “Christward” (John 16:13-14). It is in Jesus Christ we find “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.” It is He who caused us to be “born again to a living hope” through His resurrection (1 Peter 1:3). It is He who has become, in His imminent return, the “blessed hope” of the believer (Titus 2:13). As the Spirit of God–the “Spirit of Promise” (Ephesians 1:13, KJV)–works to apply the Word of God to our hearts (Romans 15:4), He ministers a confident expectation in Christ regarding all He has provided and prepared for us. He works to turn our eyes upon Jesus. And in Him we find hope!
God’s desires that we “abound in hope.” The word “abound” translates a Greek term meaning “to be abundantly furnished, to abound in a thing” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary). It is elsewhere used of the fragments left over after the feeding of the multitude (John 6:12-13). In this context the term speaks of an overabundance of confident expectation! It is in the present tense and because of that, pictures God’s saints as continually abounding in Spirit-imparted hope.
J B Phillips paraphrases Paul’s prayer this way, “May the God of Hope fill you with joy and peace in your faith, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, your whole life and outlook may be radiant and alive.” Is your outlook “radiant and alive? By the Spirit it can be. These are troubling times. “Out in the highways and by-ways of life, many are weary and sad.” God gives us the ability to “carry the sunshine where darkness is rife.” He desires for us to be filled with this kind of hope to such an extent others will see it in us and wonder where we got it (1 Peter 3:15).
In the God of hope, we have One who can fill us to overflowing with hope! Take some time to pray this beautiful prayer for yourself and others.
We worship you, Lord Christ, our Savior and our King; to you our youth and strength adoringly we bring: so fill our hearts that all may view your life in us, and turn to you!
Romans 14:1, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.”
Romans 14:13, “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.”
The instructions in this chapter were particularly relevant to circumstances that had arisen in the early church. Some in the church were from a Jewish background and had been raised and taught to avoid eating certain foods. But there are, of course, no ceremonial or dietary restrictions for the believer in Christ (Colossians 2:21-23; 1 Timothy 4:1-3). Some of the Jewish brethren struggled to adapt. Then there was the problem in Rome and in other places regarding the eating of meat that had been offered to idols (1 Corinthians chapters 8-9). Prior to their salvation, some of the Gentiles had offered meat to idols. Now, as believers, some were afraid to eat any meat at all. Other believers held no such reservations.
Paul spoke of two differing groups of people. The first, those “weak in faith,” were those who lacked understanding of truths associated with the believer’s freedom in Christ. Amongst this group were those of a more legalistic bent. William Barclay commented regarding this, “Such a man is weak in the faith for two reasons: 1) He has not yet discovered the meaning of Christian freedom; 2) He has not yet liberated himself from a belief in the efficacy of works.” The second group, those described as “strong” (Romans 15:1), were more doctrinally astute regarding such matters and, as a result, felt free to “eat anything” (Romans 14:2).
The principles laid out in this chapter have relevance to other matters commonly referred to as “non-essentials” or “matters of conscience.” Many modern-church-era disagreements fall into these categories. It is always wrong to commit adultery, fornicate, get drunk, lie, steal, etc. Regarding such issues, God has spoken—these things are clearly wrong and forbidden. Christians are exhorted in response to lovingly rebuke, exhort, and reprove according to the instructions given in God’s Word. Other matters fall into the category of “non-essentials.” Amongst such concerns are questions regarding whether it is okay for a Christian to drink alcohol, work on Sunday, wear anything to church other than a suit or a dress, etc. Amazingly, many disagreements, and even church-splits, have arisen over trivial matters (Romans 14:17). The “weak in faith” are prone to passing judgment (Romans 14:4). The “strong” are prone to disregard the sensitivity of others (Romans 14:15).
Someone has written this satirical poem which sadly is not too far from the truth in some settings: “Believe as I believe, No more, no less; That I am right, And no one else, confess; Feel as I feel, Think only as I think; Eat what I eat, And drink but what I drink; Look as I look, Do always as I do; Then, and only then, Will I fellowship with you.”
Kent Hughes commented on the problem addressed by the Apostle Paul, “The ‘easy’ solution to the problem would have been to form two churches, ‘The Church of the Carnivores’ (perhaps not a bad name for some churches I have heard of!) and ‘The First Church of the Vegetarians.’ Paul, fortunately, was committed to the nobler, though far more difficult, solution.”
Kent Hughes
The nobler, albeit far more difficult solution, is to walk in love (Romans 14:15). Love involves sacrifice, and the situation gave rise to opportunities for both groups to express that. The “strong” were admonished to “welcome” and “not despise” those who were weak in faith (Romans 14:1, 3). They were also exhorted to sacrifice their freedom to “eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes a brother to stumble” (Romans 14:21). The “weak in faith” were called upon to set aside their propensity to pass judgment on their liberated brethren (Romans 14:3, 10, 13), understanding that each believer “will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). All were commanded to “pursue what makes for peace and mutual upbringing” (Romans 14:19), that unity might be preserved amidst diversity in the church (Romans 15:5-7).
“Believers are never told to become one; we already are one and are expected to act like it.” – Joni Eareckson Tada
We are the Body of which the Lord is Head, Called to obey Him, now risen from the dead; He wills us be a family, Diverse yet truly one: O let us give our gifts to God, And so shall his work on earth be done.
Romans 13:14, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
There used to be a show on TV called, “What Not to Wear.” The format of the show was to find some poorly attired person who would then be assisted by fashion experts to make drastic alterations to his or her wardrobe. Afterwards, the now well-attired person was introduced to family and friends, who would then respond to the dramatic improvement with corresponding amazement.
Spiritually speaking, we live and exist in a “What Not to Wear” reality. Adam and Eve were the first to experience the trauma of being inappropriately dressed (Genesis 3:7). By God’s grace, their wardrobe was later upgraded (Genesis 3:21). But they have left to us all, in sin, a legacy of being inappropriate attired before our thrice-holy God (Romans 5:12; Isaiah 6:1-5; Zechariah 3:1-5).
The believer in Christ is one who has experienced a radical change of identity. By a work of the Spirit of God, he has been created anew, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Positionally speaking, the believer is one who even now attired with the very righteousness of Christ (Romans 5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The command to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” is a command to the believer to live according to his new identity (who he truly is).
The phrase “put on” means to “put on as a garment or to cause to get into a garment.” It is used here figuratively and speaks not just to external matters, but to intimate identification with Christ in all respects. The command is to put on practically that which has already been put on positionally (Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ”). The “put on” terminology is likewise used elsewhere by the Apostle Paul to describe the need to live according to one’s new identity in Christ (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10).
The same phrase is used in Luke 15:22, where we find a wonderful illustration of a dramatic change in attire. In his pursuit of sin, the prodigal son ultimately found himself in a most dreadful estate—feeding the pigs and longing for pig food. In caring for the pigs, he was no doubt smelly and unbearable to be around, his clothes being covered with pig mire and all! He came to his senses and returned to his father. His father then saw him, embraced him, and put on him a robe, a ring, and new sandals on his feet. One would suppose that he was henceforth delighted to have exchanged his noxious smelling garments for new and better ones. His new garments identified him to be a member of his father’s household and testified to his father’s love.
Kent Hughes once commented on Romans 13:14, “The fact is, we have this new self if we are Christians. We received the old man at birth, and we were given the new man in our heavenly birth. The new man is not our work—it is God’s creation and gift. Our task is not to weave it, but to wear it. Paul is commanding a daily appropriation of that which we already possess…We have our part to do in dressing ourselves with the divine wardrobe, for here, clothes do make the man—and the woman! We must daily set aside the rotting garments of the old man. We must formally reject sensuality and selfish pride and materialism and bitterness. We must read the Word and ask God to renew our minds through the Spirit. We must work out our salvation by doing those things that will develop a Biblical mind. We must put on our new, shining garments of light. We must put on what we are!”
Kent Hughes
The appropriate attire for the believer in Christ is Spirit-borne, Christ-like attitudes and actions (Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 3:12-14). By God’s grace, in the Lord Jesus Christ, we’ve been made recipients of an appropriate and glorious wardrobe. All we must do is put it on.
In putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be well attired before God and man for any occasion and for whatever task God calls upon you to do!
May His beauty rest upon me As I seek the lost to win, And may they forget the channel Seeing only Him.
Romans 12:21, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
“The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). And sinful man is “filled with all manner of…evil” (Romans 1:29). It is only by God’s intervention in our lives that any of us can be or behave otherwise (Mark 10:18; Romans 3:12; Galatians 5:22; Romans 15:14; 3 John 11). It should not surprise us when our lives are confronted by evil from time to time. But how are we to respond?
The immediate context of Romans 12:21 has to do with the response of the believer to personal injuries suffered at the hands of others. It is never permissible to take one’s own revenge (Romans 12:19). The believer, in following in Jesus’ steps, is to respond in an altogether different manner. It matters not the degree or consequence of the injustice, by the Spirit he is instructed and empowered to follow Christ’s example (1 Peter 2:21-25, 3:9; Galatians 5:22). Others might seek vengeance in such situations, to respond in kind to an injury (i.e., hate for hate, anger for anger, violence for violence, etc.), but the believer in Christ is commanded to “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
“Good is the only weapon which in this dread conflict we are permitted to use, and we may rest assured it will be sufficient and effectual. To use any other weapon is not only unlawful but altogether impossible, for he who wields the sword of evil is no longer Christ’s soldier at all. The reference in the text is to personal injuries…though the principle is capable of very great extension. In fighting with sin and error our weapons must be holiness and truth, and these alone.”
Charles Spurgeon
Mitsuo Fuchida was the lead pilot in the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. He later trusted in Christ for salvation. And eventually became a missionary traveling the world to speak about Jesus. A part of what God used to reach him was the experience of a fellow airman that was related to him after the war. That man, Kazuo Kanegaski, survived the sinking of the carrier Hiryu only to be rescued by the Americans. He was sent to a prison camp/hospital near the Utah-Colorado border.
Kazuo spoke of his experience in that camp, “Something happened at my camp which made it possible for all of us interned there to stop nursing our resentment and to return to Japan with lightened hearts…Shortly after the end of the war, an American girl about 18 years old came to the camp as a volunteer social worker. She ministered to the Japanese with tireless energy and kindness. Her name was Margaret Covell. The men called her Peggy, as did her American friends. She spoke no Japanese, but the prisoners had picked up enough English to communicate with her. ‘If you’re uncomfortable or need anything, let me know,’ she would say. ‘I’ll do anything I can to help.’ With her conscientious care she touched the prisoners. She also puzzled them. Some three weeks after her first visit, one of the men asked her curiously, ‘Why are you so kind to us?’ ‘Because Japanese soldiers killed my parents,’ she answered.”
As the prisoners stared at her in astonishment, she explained that her parents were missionaries who had fled Japan to Manila where they thought they would be safe. When the Japanese captured the city, they fled to the mountains. Japanese soldiers ultimately found Peggy’s parents and, in their possession, a small portable radio they mistook for a secret communications apparatus. They tried the couple as spies and convicted them. They were blindfolded, their hands bound behind their backs, and forced to their knees. As the husband and wife prayed—asking God to forgive their executioners—the Japanese soldiers beheaded them.
“Peggy, who had been living in the United States, didn’t learn of her parents’ fate until the end of the war. At first, she choked with hatred for the Japanese. Then she began to meditate on her parents’ selfless service to them. Slowly, she became convinced that her parents had indeed forgiven their executioners before death. Could she do less? So, she volunteered to work with Japanese prisoners of war. Her example of charity and gentleness greatly impressed the men, and they loved her with a pure tenderness.” Peggy could have chosen a different route. Others would have considered it both natural and acceptable for her to seethe in bitterness and nurture thoughts of revenge. Instead, led by the Spirit and in looking to Christ’s example, she took the higher route. Her other-worldly response corresponded to the example of Christ who Himself had overcome evil with good in His death on the cross. Mitsuo Fuchida’s experience and quotes from excerpts from the book, “God’s Samurai: Lead Pilot at Pearl Harbor;” Katherine V. Dillon; Potomac Books Inc.; 2003.
Anyone can return evil for evil, or even good for good. Evil for good is the devil’s way, but good for evil is God’s.
God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name And in Jesus’ name I come to you To share His love as He told me to He said, “Freely, freely you have received Freely, freely give Go in my name, and because you believe Others will know that I live”
LookingtoJesus 