Quotes from magazine
How do we grow in this thing called faith? It is simple. We just do what Israel did not. Whenever trials come upon us, we face them as opportunities to build faith, rather
than as calamities to be feared. We know that although the physical circumstances may look disastrous we look to an invisible circumstance that can affect the outcome.
God is that invisible reality standing beside us ready to make "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28).
Our daily troubles are opportunities to build faith. Problems intrude into all our lives. Our trials can come from almost any area of life school, work, home or play. We also have Satan's influence and the pull of the world to continually cope with. We have to contend with our own human nature. Unless we fearlessly approach these trials as
opportunities to build faith in God, life can become a tremendous burden. None of us enjoy adverse circumstances in our lives, but if we can accept them as necessary in building faith, then we can at least approach our trials with. a positive rather than negative attitude. Peter said "the trial of your faith" is "much more precious than ... gold" (I Pet. 1:7).
Why? Because faith is the essential element we must build in order to do the Work and enter the Kingdom of God. Without faith we would all fail. At times life seems filled with many "Red Seas," some little and some so big they look impossible for us to cross. But let us learn the beautiful truth that ancient Israel did not- that there is no "Red Sea" too big to cross with God. Let's view each day of our lives, with all its joys and sorrows, as just another step toward the Kingdom of God.
June-July 1980 Good News
What Kind of Example are You Setting
By David Carley
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Love Thy Neighbor Just What Does It Mean
Quotes from the Article
Trials and tests are common in all our lives. We have trials, and so does our neighbor. While Christ was undergoing the trial of His life, He was praying for Peter, a key disciple whom Satan wanted to destroy. And yet Christ Himself was about to be sacrificed. What a selfless love! Christ instructed Peter, "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:31-32). This is the type of love we must manifest toward our neighbor.
The same as loving God
God actually puts Himself in the place of our neighbor. Whatever we do to our neighbor, we are actually doing to God (Matt. 25:31-46). Do we always consider, as we deal with another human being, that we are doing to God whatever we do to that person? This knowledge should have powerful impact when we consider our relationship with our neighbor!
Do we begin to see the importance God places on relationships between human beings made in His likeness? Every human being is a potential member of the God Family, and we must not do anything to deter our neighbor from fulfilling God's purpose in his life. This must be the underlying premise upon which we base our every thought and deed toward our neigh bor.
Good News Feb.82
Love Thy Neighbor Just What Does It Mean
By Ellis LaRavia
Trials and tests are common in all our lives. We have trials, and so does our neighbor. While Christ was undergoing the trial of His life, He was praying for Peter, a key disciple whom Satan wanted to destroy. And yet Christ Himself was about to be sacrificed. What a selfless love! Christ instructed Peter, "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:31-32). This is the type of love we must manifest toward our neighbor.
The same as loving God
God actually puts Himself in the place of our neighbor. Whatever we do to our neighbor, we are actually doing to God (Matt. 25:31-46). Do we always consider, as we deal with another human being, that we are doing to God whatever we do to that person? This knowledge should have powerful impact when we consider our relationship with our neighbor!
Do we begin to see the importance God places on relationships between human beings made in His likeness? Every human being is a potential member of the God Family, and we must not do anything to deter our neighbor from fulfilling God's purpose in his life. This must be the underlying premise upon which we base our every thought and deed toward our neigh bor.
Good News Feb.82
Love Thy Neighbor Just What Does It Mean
By Ellis LaRavia
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Are You Just " Enduring To The End"?
Some in God's Church simply intend to "tough it out" until
Christ returns. Literally, they are "ENDURING to the end"
(Matt. 24:13) - but not the way Christ intended. Are you
making their mistake?
by Richard A. Wiedenheft
Good News Magazine
July-September 1973
THINK BACK to the time just before your first contact with the message proclaimed by God's Church. Your life had probably become somewhat frustrating and purposeless. You had problems and worries. You saw inequities and wrongs all around you. Perhaps you wondered, "What is it all about?"
Something was missing!
And them came the thrill and challenge of God's truth. You saw in it the answers to many gnawing doubts, the solutions to problems - real, positive, workable principles that could make your life fuller, happier and more abundant.
You seized God's way with zest and put those principles into action - at the cost of your hobbies, perhaps of your job, your friends, even your family. But it was well worth the sacrifice because your life now had meaning and direction - and you had the promise of eternal life! You abounded with the zeal that God calls the "first love" for His truth.
Routine of Christian Living
As the days, weeks and months rolled by, however, you discovered that you were still you, that life still had its frustrations, disappointments and heartaches. Even as a converted and changed Christian, you continued to have trials and tests, some of which were burdensome and wearing.
And so your "first love" began to fade, your original childlike excitement now tempered with the mature realization that God's way is not a magical, mystical solution to all ills - that it requires hard work on your part.
Are you now therefore one of those who are simply "waiting it out" - tolerating your problems and shortcomings - hoping that somehow when Christ appears in the clouds your whole mental attitude will be instantly changed? Are you looking for God's Kingdom to bring you "instant happiness"?
Brethren, don't be deceived. God is not going to end all our problems, trials and tests for us while we are rising to meet Christ in the air - we must be working on and conquering them now, by our own hard effort magnified and made effective through God's spiritual help!
God promises eternal spirit life and rulership in His Kingdom only to those who in this life develop righteous spiritual character - who practice love, joy, peace, happiness and overcome and solve their problems now!
God's People Should Be Happy
Jesus explained to His disciples that one who is faithful in little will be faithful in much (Luke 16:10). If we learn here and now to lead full, happy, purposeful physical lives, to master and overcome our afflictions, God knows we can be happy for all eternity in His Kingdom.
In John 10:10 Christ told the Pharisees: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." God intended our physical life to be an abundant one - not necessarily full of wealth and earthly possessions, but full of love, joy, peace and happiness.
"Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance . . ." are among the fruits of God's Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Notice that love, joy and peace head the list. These are the spiritual works by which God is judging us.
Can we really evidence love, joy, and peace if we are just "waiting it out"? Obviously not. Putting up with our shortcomings and allowing circumstances subject to our control to toss us about - hoping that Christ will return before our endurance runs out - is not the way to peace and happiness!
When Christ returns He wants to find His servants "so doing" (Matt. 24:46) - actively and aggressively making changes in themselves; actually solving problems - not simply "marking time" and putting up with their lacks - not relying on someone else to push them into overcoming. He wants to find in us ever-increasing joy and the sense of purpose that comes only with spiritual growth.
Take a test.
Can you say that since you were put into God's Church you have been very blessed - and that you are being spiritually blessed more all the time?
If not, something is amiss.
If you don't feel very blessed and happy - and increasingly so as time passes, you may be "missing the boat."
Trials, Yes! Unhappiness, No!
Certainly God did promise trials and tribulation for true Christians. Anyone who will live godly is in for some rough times.
But even in the face of trials, a Christian should not become unhappy and frustrated. James commanded, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations [trials]; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience" (James 1:2-3).
No crisis or dilemma seems cause for us to shout for joy - at least not in the immediate physical sense. But we are commanded by our Creator to rejoice in the long range good that a trial can produce. We can have the vision and foresight to know that God is absolutely in control, allowing a problem only for our ultimate spiritual good.
Trials can be traumatic; but they need not destroy the overall contentment and joy we have in knowing we are now learning how to live so we can reign for all eternity with Christ.
Nothing must be allowed to blur our vision of our goal. Then, nothing can destroy our happiness! Christ exhorted His disciples: ".. . rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you" - or because of any supernatural abilities we might be given - "... but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20). That is our cause for great rejoicing, regardless of our physical circumstances.
Be Deeply Converted
Although the temporary physical blessings of this life can add to our happiness, we must never let the lack or desire for them destroy or ruin our rejoicing. No attempt to base our life and happiness on physical things which an so easily be taken from us can ever succeed.
But to be able to get our minds off the physical things of this world, we must be deeply converted - we must strive to rid ourselves of the habits, aspirations and vanity of our carnal lives. We must understand and despise the carnality we see in our own minds. We must be willing to accept correction and admit our weaknesses and faults.
We should pray for God to show us our errors and shortcomings, to correct us in His mercy; and we should also ask God's ministers to help us see where we need to change.
Admitting error, accepting correction, then striving to overcome, must become a daily challenge for us --knowing that we are qualifying for an eternal goal which is the foundation of our happiness.
With this spiritual goal in mind, we can greatly appreciate any physical blessings God has granted us and use them to the fullest. Sin and unhappiness come from misuse or abuse - but happiness, peace and joy come from the proper appreciation and use of all that God has created.
Enjoy the taste of delicious food; be inspired by beautiful music; be thrilled by the fellowship of other members of God's family; appreciate the glory of God's creation. In proper balance drink in of all of God's physical creation, but always seek His Kingdom first (Matt. 6:33).
Solve Your Problems
As true Christians, we must actually solve the problems of this life. Never think or say, "I can't do things any different. That is the way I am," or, "I can't help it if conditions are that way" - and slip into a do-nothing attitude.
Too many of us are satisfied with second place - with less than a fulfilling marriage, with less than obedient children. We bounce from job to job without direction. We allow circumstances to shape our lives. We slip by from paycheck to paycheck just keeping our financial noses above water. We allow our own physical bodies to remain too fat, or enervated, or in pain, when it lies within our power to correct the situation - if we only would exert the effort to do so.
Are you developing and using your mind, broadening your mental horizons, learning in fields you have previously ignored or had no opportunity? Then again, perhaps you are already too broad in your interests and need to narrow them down and begin to specialize in certain fields.
Granted, there are limitations to what we can alter in this life - but are we really changing to the utmost? It's true that change is often arduous, embarrassing and traumatic, but are we really measuring it as we should in comparison to the jubilation beyond?
Are you solving and overcoming problems - putting them into the past? Or engaged in a simple endurance contest?
Accentuate the Positive
"A basic human tendency is to see the negative side of things. It doesn't matter who you are, you can always find something to be discouraged about if you want to. There is always trouble in the world, in the nation, in every community. There are aches and pains, discouragement and disappointment in our personal lives.
But one thing is sure: worrying about these problems, brooding about them, being unhappy about them, won't make them go away.
So what should we do?
We must learn to thrust our problems into the hands of God through prayer and meditate about the positive aspects of our life and His way. We of all people do know who we are - we know where we're going. We have the absolute promise that ".. . all things work together for good to them that love God . . ." (Rom. 8:28). Before us lies the greatest goal that a human being could imagine - the promised goal of being in God's family for all eternity.
Brethren, let's accentuate the positive!
Let's recapture the original zest and happiness we experienced when we first began to walk in God's way of life.
Remember, this physical existence is the training and testing ground for an eternal spiritual life in God's glorious family. Eternal happiness is available only to those who learn true happiness here and now!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brought to you as a study resource by the
Church of God Faithful Flock
Christ returns. Literally, they are "ENDURING to the end"
(Matt. 24:13) - but not the way Christ intended. Are you
making their mistake?
by Richard A. Wiedenheft
Good News Magazine
July-September 1973
THINK BACK to the time just before your first contact with the message proclaimed by God's Church. Your life had probably become somewhat frustrating and purposeless. You had problems and worries. You saw inequities and wrongs all around you. Perhaps you wondered, "What is it all about?"
Something was missing!
And them came the thrill and challenge of God's truth. You saw in it the answers to many gnawing doubts, the solutions to problems - real, positive, workable principles that could make your life fuller, happier and more abundant.
You seized God's way with zest and put those principles into action - at the cost of your hobbies, perhaps of your job, your friends, even your family. But it was well worth the sacrifice because your life now had meaning and direction - and you had the promise of eternal life! You abounded with the zeal that God calls the "first love" for His truth.
Routine of Christian Living
As the days, weeks and months rolled by, however, you discovered that you were still you, that life still had its frustrations, disappointments and heartaches. Even as a converted and changed Christian, you continued to have trials and tests, some of which were burdensome and wearing.
And so your "first love" began to fade, your original childlike excitement now tempered with the mature realization that God's way is not a magical, mystical solution to all ills - that it requires hard work on your part.
Are you now therefore one of those who are simply "waiting it out" - tolerating your problems and shortcomings - hoping that somehow when Christ appears in the clouds your whole mental attitude will be instantly changed? Are you looking for God's Kingdom to bring you "instant happiness"?
Brethren, don't be deceived. God is not going to end all our problems, trials and tests for us while we are rising to meet Christ in the air - we must be working on and conquering them now, by our own hard effort magnified and made effective through God's spiritual help!
God promises eternal spirit life and rulership in His Kingdom only to those who in this life develop righteous spiritual character - who practice love, joy, peace, happiness and overcome and solve their problems now!
God's People Should Be Happy
Jesus explained to His disciples that one who is faithful in little will be faithful in much (Luke 16:10). If we learn here and now to lead full, happy, purposeful physical lives, to master and overcome our afflictions, God knows we can be happy for all eternity in His Kingdom.
In John 10:10 Christ told the Pharisees: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." God intended our physical life to be an abundant one - not necessarily full of wealth and earthly possessions, but full of love, joy, peace and happiness.
"Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance . . ." are among the fruits of God's Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Notice that love, joy and peace head the list. These are the spiritual works by which God is judging us.
Can we really evidence love, joy, and peace if we are just "waiting it out"? Obviously not. Putting up with our shortcomings and allowing circumstances subject to our control to toss us about - hoping that Christ will return before our endurance runs out - is not the way to peace and happiness!
When Christ returns He wants to find His servants "so doing" (Matt. 24:46) - actively and aggressively making changes in themselves; actually solving problems - not simply "marking time" and putting up with their lacks - not relying on someone else to push them into overcoming. He wants to find in us ever-increasing joy and the sense of purpose that comes only with spiritual growth.
Take a test.
Can you say that since you were put into God's Church you have been very blessed - and that you are being spiritually blessed more all the time?
If not, something is amiss.
If you don't feel very blessed and happy - and increasingly so as time passes, you may be "missing the boat."
Trials, Yes! Unhappiness, No!
Certainly God did promise trials and tribulation for true Christians. Anyone who will live godly is in for some rough times.
But even in the face of trials, a Christian should not become unhappy and frustrated. James commanded, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations [trials]; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience" (James 1:2-3).
No crisis or dilemma seems cause for us to shout for joy - at least not in the immediate physical sense. But we are commanded by our Creator to rejoice in the long range good that a trial can produce. We can have the vision and foresight to know that God is absolutely in control, allowing a problem only for our ultimate spiritual good.
Trials can be traumatic; but they need not destroy the overall contentment and joy we have in knowing we are now learning how to live so we can reign for all eternity with Christ.
Nothing must be allowed to blur our vision of our goal. Then, nothing can destroy our happiness! Christ exhorted His disciples: ".. . rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you" - or because of any supernatural abilities we might be given - "... but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20). That is our cause for great rejoicing, regardless of our physical circumstances.
Be Deeply Converted
Although the temporary physical blessings of this life can add to our happiness, we must never let the lack or desire for them destroy or ruin our rejoicing. No attempt to base our life and happiness on physical things which an so easily be taken from us can ever succeed.
But to be able to get our minds off the physical things of this world, we must be deeply converted - we must strive to rid ourselves of the habits, aspirations and vanity of our carnal lives. We must understand and despise the carnality we see in our own minds. We must be willing to accept correction and admit our weaknesses and faults.
We should pray for God to show us our errors and shortcomings, to correct us in His mercy; and we should also ask God's ministers to help us see where we need to change.
Admitting error, accepting correction, then striving to overcome, must become a daily challenge for us --knowing that we are qualifying for an eternal goal which is the foundation of our happiness.
With this spiritual goal in mind, we can greatly appreciate any physical blessings God has granted us and use them to the fullest. Sin and unhappiness come from misuse or abuse - but happiness, peace and joy come from the proper appreciation and use of all that God has created.
Enjoy the taste of delicious food; be inspired by beautiful music; be thrilled by the fellowship of other members of God's family; appreciate the glory of God's creation. In proper balance drink in of all of God's physical creation, but always seek His Kingdom first (Matt. 6:33).
Solve Your Problems
As true Christians, we must actually solve the problems of this life. Never think or say, "I can't do things any different. That is the way I am," or, "I can't help it if conditions are that way" - and slip into a do-nothing attitude.
Too many of us are satisfied with second place - with less than a fulfilling marriage, with less than obedient children. We bounce from job to job without direction. We allow circumstances to shape our lives. We slip by from paycheck to paycheck just keeping our financial noses above water. We allow our own physical bodies to remain too fat, or enervated, or in pain, when it lies within our power to correct the situation - if we only would exert the effort to do so.
Are you developing and using your mind, broadening your mental horizons, learning in fields you have previously ignored or had no opportunity? Then again, perhaps you are already too broad in your interests and need to narrow them down and begin to specialize in certain fields.
Granted, there are limitations to what we can alter in this life - but are we really changing to the utmost? It's true that change is often arduous, embarrassing and traumatic, but are we really measuring it as we should in comparison to the jubilation beyond?
Are you solving and overcoming problems - putting them into the past? Or engaged in a simple endurance contest?
Accentuate the Positive
"A basic human tendency is to see the negative side of things. It doesn't matter who you are, you can always find something to be discouraged about if you want to. There is always trouble in the world, in the nation, in every community. There are aches and pains, discouragement and disappointment in our personal lives.
But one thing is sure: worrying about these problems, brooding about them, being unhappy about them, won't make them go away.
So what should we do?
We must learn to thrust our problems into the hands of God through prayer and meditate about the positive aspects of our life and His way. We of all people do know who we are - we know where we're going. We have the absolute promise that ".. . all things work together for good to them that love God . . ." (Rom. 8:28). Before us lies the greatest goal that a human being could imagine - the promised goal of being in God's family for all eternity.
Brethren, let's accentuate the positive!
Let's recapture the original zest and happiness we experienced when we first began to walk in God's way of life.
Remember, this physical existence is the training and testing ground for an eternal spiritual life in God's glorious family. Eternal happiness is available only to those who learn true happiness here and now!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brought to you as a study resource by the
Church of God Faithful Flock
Saturday, August 30, 2008
What is Your Idol?
A UNITED STATES senator preached a sermon in a Methodist pulpit in Los Angeles, Calif.
Of all things, imagine a well-known senator saying that patriotism is a false god to many people! And he was right.
"Love of country can transcend the love of God," he said, "and we must, in time of stress, avoid making patriotism a religion."
He said a number of other things I could have said, myself. Among the idols professing Christians worship, he cited prosperity, science, patriotism, peace - and some people actually make an idol of the Bible, strange as that may sound. Some, he said, worship the Bible for itself, NOT as containing TRUTHS necessary for salvation, and, I add, as a GUIDE to a WAY OF LIFE.
What is your idol? What are you really dedicated to? Is it earning a living - making money? What absorbs your mind, your thoughts, your time - what are you really devoted to?
Is it God - above all else? Or is it your hobby, your wife or husband, your children, your home, your sports - or amusements and entertainments?
What do you keep your MIND on most of the time? What most occupies your INTEREST? Is it friends - society? Is it PEOPLE - Or is it THINGS?
It surely couldn't be GOD, could it?
Probably not. And, if not, then it is an IDOL. You are breaking the First Commandment. You have this other god before Him.
Just WHAT IS RELIGION?
Is it merely an incidental interest, secondary to many other things, such as earning a living, your home, your family, your friends, hobbies, sports, entertainments? Possibly secondary to television or movies?
Religion is your CONNECTION WITH GOD - your relationship with Him.
Religion is realizing the PURPOSE of your life - the reason why God had you to be born - the reason you draw the breath of air and exist - the PURPOSE or end GOAL of your life, and HOW to live that life so as to arrive there.
I have written of the seven laws of SUCCESS. You may have the free booklet on The Seven Laws of Success by writing our office nearest you. They are really the seven laws of LIFE. They are the seven laws of RELIGION. Yet most people do not know or practice or apply a single one of them.
The first is to have the RIGHT GOAL.
That GOAL - God's PURPOSE for having put the breath of life in you - is that you be born of GOD, to share with Him the GLORY of creation, to inherit His divine NATURE, to be LIKE HIM - to do what He does, to accomplish what He accomplishes, enjoy what He ENJOYS - peace, happiness, joy, resplendent GLORY in LIFE EVERLASTING.
No other goal could be as great. It is superlative.
But what are you,now? Just a mass of matter, put together like a machine. Your present existence has to be constantly SUSTAINED. You have to keep drawing a breath of air into your lungs about every four or five seconds. You have to eat food on the average of at least three times every day. You have to take care of eliminating the impurities from food, and of bathing and cleansing your body.
Maybe you don't really have to "brush your teeth after every meal" as a certain toothpaste TV commercial keeps repeating like a phonograph record that got stuck.
But you do have to maintain and sustain your physical anatomy to keep on existing - and even then you are aging and degenerating every day and every year - and the most certain thing in this existence we call "life" is that this machine process is going to run down - You ARE GOING TO DIE.
Actually, we have to simply keep pumping life into ourselves constantly - daily - to continue existing - to continue consciousness.
Yet most people keep on, day after day, year after year, pumping that existence into themselves, with NO MORE PURPOSE than to try to be comfortable, free from pain, and to be pleasing the five senses - with their minds on the passing physical and material things of the moment - things that are not lasting, and are soon gone.
Unless God's own CHARACTER is being formed and developed in your mind and your life, replacing the carnality that is there now, you shall have missed your GOAL.
God's PURPOSE is to CREATE within you, during this life, a new and perfect CHARACTER, so that you may be given eternal life - self-containing, inherent life.
If you are converted - that is, if you do once establish actual contact with God - He supernaturally puts within you His HOLY SPIRIT. This impregnates you with HIS LIFE - begets you as His child, actually yet unborn.
Actually, what many professing Christians call "being born again" should be termed "being begotten."
Technically, to be "born of God" means to be changed in composition from flesh and blood matter to SPIRIT - no longer mortal, no longer human.
But it does put within you a NEW NATURE, entirely opposite to HUMAN NATURE with which you were first born.
You are, as Scripture says, given "exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE"(II Pet. 1:4). Of course the old human nature remains, and your mind makes the continual decisions whether to yield to the downward pull and appetites and established habits of human nature, or to resist it by yielding to the new divine nature - to BE LED BY GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT.
This, then, BECOMES your very life!
You can only succeed if your GOAL is kept constantly - continually - before your eyes.
When you drive a car, if you take your eyes and attention off what is in front of you (and sometimes coming from the side or behind) even for two or three seconds, you may find yourself "coming to" in a hospital, dying and saying "It all happened so suddenly!"
Driving carefully means BEING ALERT - being DILIGENT every second - KEEPING YOUR EYE and your mind and attention on the matter of DRIVING - not on conversation or other things.
In the same manner, if you let other interests, material pursuits, steal first place in your mind and heart and interest, even for a few days, you are in danger of a SPIRITUAL SMASHUP that will let you wake up being plunged into the LAKE OF FIRE, which will mean eternal DEATH.
That's why God doesn't want you to have these other gods BEFORE Him.
For your own sake - in your own interest - you must keep Him enthroned and enshrined constantly ABOVE ALL.
You must study His WORD in order to be instructed by Him.
Instructed in what? Instructed in true KNOWLEDGE - knowledge of God's PURPOSE for you - knowledge of and about God - and knowledge of HOW TO LIVE. Jesus Christ said you must actually LIVE BY the words of the Bible. It is your GUIDE TO LIVING - your INSTRUCTION BOOK the Maker sent along to instruct you HOW to OPERATE this mechanism that is YOU.
More, you must study His Word - your BIBLE - to find what you now believe that is wrong, and what you are now DOING that is wrong - to be CORRECTED and reproved by it. You must study it to let it INSTRUCT you in the ways of God's RIGHTEOUSNESS - His WAY OF LIFE. And then you must devote yourself to LIVING IT!
Still, without regular and constant PRAYER, you cannot maintain CONTACT with God. And when that contact is broken, you are CUT OFF from Him - and His spiritual LIFE, LOVE and very NATURE ceases flowing into you.
For, understand, these divine attributes of His Spirit DO FLOW! They are IN MOTION. They do not stagnate.
You either GROW spiritually - in knowledge - in grace - in God's character - or you deteriorate back toward becoming a mere physical animal, to die in ETERNAL PUNISHMENT in the lake of fire!
But if God, and the things of God - His revealed knowledge - His law - His love - His WAY for you to live - are constantly foremost in your mind, your thoughts, your interest, then you are PRAYING ALWAYS - that is, in a constant SPIRIT OF PRAYER - a constant MENTAL ATTITUDE of prayer.
The contact with God must be perpetual!
This kind of Christian life - the only kind that truly is Christian - requires, as the Bible emphasizes repeatedly, zealous DILIGENCE. YOU must CONCENTRATE on it. You must be DEDICATED to it. It requires utter CONSECRATION. It requires total EARNESTNESS.
Yes, it requires the application of the other six laws of SUCCESS - education, in which the Bible is the main textbook; good physical health; DRIVE, or concentrated DILIGENCE and EFFORT; resourcefulness; sticking to it - enduring; and continual contact with, and the guidance, help and power of, GOD.
True spiritual mindedness is not a sticky sentimentalism. It is NOT a certain emotional mood. It is not the use of a certain religious phraseology, saying constantly, "Praise the Lord," or, "Glory, hallelujah."
I have known many people whose TALK is so very "spiritual" - but whose hearts were as far from God as the prophet Isaiah described (Isa. 29:13).
Jesus Christ was a perfectly SPIRITUAL man. But He did not go about using such mushy language.
He was not a girlish, effeminate, sentimental or emotional weakling. He was a strong, virile, masterful, yet kind and gentle, MAN.
He possessed LEADERSHIP, STRENGTH, PURPOSE, SUPREME STRONG WILL - and yet these masculine qualities of strength and power were perfectly blended with wisdom, judgment, knowledge, understanding, justice and also patience, compassion and mercy. He was filled with PEACE, LOVE, FAITH.
And His WILL, strong as it was, was totally yielded and obedient to GOD. All this was the character of GOD.
He is our PATTERN. We must imitate Him - copy Him.
Look at the men of God in the Old Testament - Abraham, Noah, Joseph, David, Daniel, Elijah. They were all different from Christ in one respect - in which you and I must also be different - they had human weaknesses, and all did sin, yet these men all repented and strove to overcome.
But they were all men of strong PURPOSE, strong WILL guided by God; all possessed leadership, but also love and faith and a consecrated OBEDIENCE to the will of GOD. But they were not effeminate, sentimental men indulging in an affected, put-on, religious-sounding way of talking.
Look at the apostles Peter and Paul. They were the same. You don't find any of this pseudo "spirituality" in them - yet they were truly SPIRITUAL men, devoted to obeying God and serving the needs of the people.
But one thing to watch and guard against every second, in the way of attitude, is resentment, bitterness, hatred.
Don't let ANYTHING, no matter how unjust, make you sour and bitter.
That is the deadliest mental and spiritual POISON. We must LOVE even our enemies who perpetrate the greatest outrages - though we do not condone their evils.
If you ever think I'M wrong about anything, don't get sour or bitter about it - let God correct and punish me - vengeance is His, you know.
Resentment against me won't either punish me or benefit you, but it could consign you to eternal punishment!
Whether you believe it or not, I have come, by years of experience learning the HARD WAY, to have supreme faith that God will never neglect to correct or punish me wherever I deserve it! You may TRUST Him to do it!
Remember what a GLORIOUS GOAL we have before us!
How GRATEFUL we ought to be! How our hearts ought to be FLOODED with love and gratitude to the great God for His matchless LOVE toward us.
I'm sure we don't grasp what a supreme price He paid to make it possible. He wants us to be CHANGED - to overcome and root out this debasing, rotten carnality we all have in us - and to GROW into His righteousness, that we may SHARE His GLORY.
And, you know, I believe God wants and longs to share the supreme GLORY that He has with you! Make it your supreme overall life VOCATION, and WORK HARD AT IT!
The Japanese spy who stealthily and secretly obtained all the information the Japanese needed to bomb Pearl Harbor said that he was not a very brilliant man, and learning came hard to him, BUT HE WORKED HARD AT IT, relentlessly, with zeal, and with purpose, and with diligence. He SUCCEEDED - in terrible DESTRUCTION - in plunging the United States into World War II - and, finally, in the ignominious defeat of his own nation.
Let us work hard at our calling and mission of being real Christians. We shall succeed, with God's help - in final and eternal GLORY!
Of all things, imagine a well-known senator saying that patriotism is a false god to many people! And he was right.
"Love of country can transcend the love of God," he said, "and we must, in time of stress, avoid making patriotism a religion."
He said a number of other things I could have said, myself. Among the idols professing Christians worship, he cited prosperity, science, patriotism, peace - and some people actually make an idol of the Bible, strange as that may sound. Some, he said, worship the Bible for itself, NOT as containing TRUTHS necessary for salvation, and, I add, as a GUIDE to a WAY OF LIFE.
What is your idol? What are you really dedicated to? Is it earning a living - making money? What absorbs your mind, your thoughts, your time - what are you really devoted to?
Is it God - above all else? Or is it your hobby, your wife or husband, your children, your home, your sports - or amusements and entertainments?
What do you keep your MIND on most of the time? What most occupies your INTEREST? Is it friends - society? Is it PEOPLE - Or is it THINGS?
It surely couldn't be GOD, could it?
Probably not. And, if not, then it is an IDOL. You are breaking the First Commandment. You have this other god before Him.
Just WHAT IS RELIGION?
Is it merely an incidental interest, secondary to many other things, such as earning a living, your home, your family, your friends, hobbies, sports, entertainments? Possibly secondary to television or movies?
Religion is your CONNECTION WITH GOD - your relationship with Him.
Religion is realizing the PURPOSE of your life - the reason why God had you to be born - the reason you draw the breath of air and exist - the PURPOSE or end GOAL of your life, and HOW to live that life so as to arrive there.
I have written of the seven laws of SUCCESS. You may have the free booklet on The Seven Laws of Success by writing our office nearest you. They are really the seven laws of LIFE. They are the seven laws of RELIGION. Yet most people do not know or practice or apply a single one of them.
The first is to have the RIGHT GOAL.
That GOAL - God's PURPOSE for having put the breath of life in you - is that you be born of GOD, to share with Him the GLORY of creation, to inherit His divine NATURE, to be LIKE HIM - to do what He does, to accomplish what He accomplishes, enjoy what He ENJOYS - peace, happiness, joy, resplendent GLORY in LIFE EVERLASTING.
No other goal could be as great. It is superlative.
But what are you,now? Just a mass of matter, put together like a machine. Your present existence has to be constantly SUSTAINED. You have to keep drawing a breath of air into your lungs about every four or five seconds. You have to eat food on the average of at least three times every day. You have to take care of eliminating the impurities from food, and of bathing and cleansing your body.
Maybe you don't really have to "brush your teeth after every meal" as a certain toothpaste TV commercial keeps repeating like a phonograph record that got stuck.
But you do have to maintain and sustain your physical anatomy to keep on existing - and even then you are aging and degenerating every day and every year - and the most certain thing in this existence we call "life" is that this machine process is going to run down - You ARE GOING TO DIE.
Actually, we have to simply keep pumping life into ourselves constantly - daily - to continue existing - to continue consciousness.
Yet most people keep on, day after day, year after year, pumping that existence into themselves, with NO MORE PURPOSE than to try to be comfortable, free from pain, and to be pleasing the five senses - with their minds on the passing physical and material things of the moment - things that are not lasting, and are soon gone.
Unless God's own CHARACTER is being formed and developed in your mind and your life, replacing the carnality that is there now, you shall have missed your GOAL.
God's PURPOSE is to CREATE within you, during this life, a new and perfect CHARACTER, so that you may be given eternal life - self-containing, inherent life.
If you are converted - that is, if you do once establish actual contact with God - He supernaturally puts within you His HOLY SPIRIT. This impregnates you with HIS LIFE - begets you as His child, actually yet unborn.
Actually, what many professing Christians call "being born again" should be termed "being begotten."
Technically, to be "born of God" means to be changed in composition from flesh and blood matter to SPIRIT - no longer mortal, no longer human.
But it does put within you a NEW NATURE, entirely opposite to HUMAN NATURE with which you were first born.
You are, as Scripture says, given "exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE"(II Pet. 1:4). Of course the old human nature remains, and your mind makes the continual decisions whether to yield to the downward pull and appetites and established habits of human nature, or to resist it by yielding to the new divine nature - to BE LED BY GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT.
This, then, BECOMES your very life!
You can only succeed if your GOAL is kept constantly - continually - before your eyes.
When you drive a car, if you take your eyes and attention off what is in front of you (and sometimes coming from the side or behind) even for two or three seconds, you may find yourself "coming to" in a hospital, dying and saying "It all happened so suddenly!"
Driving carefully means BEING ALERT - being DILIGENT every second - KEEPING YOUR EYE and your mind and attention on the matter of DRIVING - not on conversation or other things.
In the same manner, if you let other interests, material pursuits, steal first place in your mind and heart and interest, even for a few days, you are in danger of a SPIRITUAL SMASHUP that will let you wake up being plunged into the LAKE OF FIRE, which will mean eternal DEATH.
That's why God doesn't want you to have these other gods BEFORE Him.
For your own sake - in your own interest - you must keep Him enthroned and enshrined constantly ABOVE ALL.
You must study His WORD in order to be instructed by Him.
Instructed in what? Instructed in true KNOWLEDGE - knowledge of God's PURPOSE for you - knowledge of and about God - and knowledge of HOW TO LIVE. Jesus Christ said you must actually LIVE BY the words of the Bible. It is your GUIDE TO LIVING - your INSTRUCTION BOOK the Maker sent along to instruct you HOW to OPERATE this mechanism that is YOU.
More, you must study His Word - your BIBLE - to find what you now believe that is wrong, and what you are now DOING that is wrong - to be CORRECTED and reproved by it. You must study it to let it INSTRUCT you in the ways of God's RIGHTEOUSNESS - His WAY OF LIFE. And then you must devote yourself to LIVING IT!
Still, without regular and constant PRAYER, you cannot maintain CONTACT with God. And when that contact is broken, you are CUT OFF from Him - and His spiritual LIFE, LOVE and very NATURE ceases flowing into you.
For, understand, these divine attributes of His Spirit DO FLOW! They are IN MOTION. They do not stagnate.
You either GROW spiritually - in knowledge - in grace - in God's character - or you deteriorate back toward becoming a mere physical animal, to die in ETERNAL PUNISHMENT in the lake of fire!
But if God, and the things of God - His revealed knowledge - His law - His love - His WAY for you to live - are constantly foremost in your mind, your thoughts, your interest, then you are PRAYING ALWAYS - that is, in a constant SPIRIT OF PRAYER - a constant MENTAL ATTITUDE of prayer.
The contact with God must be perpetual!
This kind of Christian life - the only kind that truly is Christian - requires, as the Bible emphasizes repeatedly, zealous DILIGENCE. YOU must CONCENTRATE on it. You must be DEDICATED to it. It requires utter CONSECRATION. It requires total EARNESTNESS.
Yes, it requires the application of the other six laws of SUCCESS - education, in which the Bible is the main textbook; good physical health; DRIVE, or concentrated DILIGENCE and EFFORT; resourcefulness; sticking to it - enduring; and continual contact with, and the guidance, help and power of, GOD.
True spiritual mindedness is not a sticky sentimentalism. It is NOT a certain emotional mood. It is not the use of a certain religious phraseology, saying constantly, "Praise the Lord," or, "Glory, hallelujah."
I have known many people whose TALK is so very "spiritual" - but whose hearts were as far from God as the prophet Isaiah described (Isa. 29:13).
Jesus Christ was a perfectly SPIRITUAL man. But He did not go about using such mushy language.
He was not a girlish, effeminate, sentimental or emotional weakling. He was a strong, virile, masterful, yet kind and gentle, MAN.
He possessed LEADERSHIP, STRENGTH, PURPOSE, SUPREME STRONG WILL - and yet these masculine qualities of strength and power were perfectly blended with wisdom, judgment, knowledge, understanding, justice and also patience, compassion and mercy. He was filled with PEACE, LOVE, FAITH.
And His WILL, strong as it was, was totally yielded and obedient to GOD. All this was the character of GOD.
He is our PATTERN. We must imitate Him - copy Him.
Look at the men of God in the Old Testament - Abraham, Noah, Joseph, David, Daniel, Elijah. They were all different from Christ in one respect - in which you and I must also be different - they had human weaknesses, and all did sin, yet these men all repented and strove to overcome.
But they were all men of strong PURPOSE, strong WILL guided by God; all possessed leadership, but also love and faith and a consecrated OBEDIENCE to the will of GOD. But they were not effeminate, sentimental men indulging in an affected, put-on, religious-sounding way of talking.
Look at the apostles Peter and Paul. They were the same. You don't find any of this pseudo "spirituality" in them - yet they were truly SPIRITUAL men, devoted to obeying God and serving the needs of the people.
But one thing to watch and guard against every second, in the way of attitude, is resentment, bitterness, hatred.
Don't let ANYTHING, no matter how unjust, make you sour and bitter.
That is the deadliest mental and spiritual POISON. We must LOVE even our enemies who perpetrate the greatest outrages - though we do not condone their evils.
If you ever think I'M wrong about anything, don't get sour or bitter about it - let God correct and punish me - vengeance is His, you know.
Resentment against me won't either punish me or benefit you, but it could consign you to eternal punishment!
Whether you believe it or not, I have come, by years of experience learning the HARD WAY, to have supreme faith that God will never neglect to correct or punish me wherever I deserve it! You may TRUST Him to do it!
Remember what a GLORIOUS GOAL we have before us!
How GRATEFUL we ought to be! How our hearts ought to be FLOODED with love and gratitude to the great God for His matchless LOVE toward us.
I'm sure we don't grasp what a supreme price He paid to make it possible. He wants us to be CHANGED - to overcome and root out this debasing, rotten carnality we all have in us - and to GROW into His righteousness, that we may SHARE His GLORY.
And, you know, I believe God wants and longs to share the supreme GLORY that He has with you! Make it your supreme overall life VOCATION, and WORK HARD AT IT!
The Japanese spy who stealthily and secretly obtained all the information the Japanese needed to bomb Pearl Harbor said that he was not a very brilliant man, and learning came hard to him, BUT HE WORKED HARD AT IT, relentlessly, with zeal, and with purpose, and with diligence. He SUCCEEDED - in terrible DESTRUCTION - in plunging the United States into World War II - and, finally, in the ignominious defeat of his own nation.
Let us work hard at our calling and mission of being real Christians. We shall succeed, with God's help - in final and eternal GLORY!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Gossip And Accusation Must Stop
Good News - 1978 July 31, Page 1
PREFACE BY GOD'S APOSTLE
by Herbert W. Armstrong
Perhaps the No. 1 problem -- yes, and even the No. 1 and most prevalent SIN IN God's Church today is careless GOSSIP and rumor spreading. Whether or not realized, it often becomes accusation and slander.
If a hostile student demonstration, such as organized and promoted by Communists, had appeared on the Ambassador campus I would have made it my business to identify the LEADER and get rid of him. Once such actions lose their leadership they disintegrate. It's the same on our problem of rumors -- especially those ugly rumors that discredit or accuse, actually, perhaps unrealized, a form of character assassination.
I fully realize that often this is mere carelessness -- a sort of thinking through the mouth -- with no deliberate intention to harm. But it DOES HARM! And sometimes it is intended to harm!
The subject came up in a conversation with David Antion. At my request he has prepared the following memorandum on GOD'S LAW covering this subject.
This sort of thing MUST BE STAMPED OUT OF GOD'S CHURCH. Our Leader and HEAD of the Church, Jesus Christ, is TURNING GOD'S CHURCH AROUND, though He uses His human servant in so doing.
However, because 1) we have perhaps carelessly neglected emphatic TEACHING on this subject, and 2) much of such gossip or rumor has probably been done carelessly without full realization of the seriousness of it, I have decided to hold off direct and definite punitive corrective action UNTIL THIS THING HAS BEEN EMPHASIZED by the ministry, and in print, before the membership.
I realize that even many of us, including myself, may have been guilty of this through carelessness, thoughtlessness or neglect. I have decided, therefore, that first we must PUT EMPHATIC EMPHASIS on this matter in teachings, sermons and articles.
But this is to be followed by DIRECT ACTION, seeking out the SOURCE -- the one who started the rumor, false accusation or whatever, and then making an example of that person, if necessary, before the whole Church. I feel that this is CHRIST'S WAY of stamping out this evil from God's Church, and I act, therefore, in His name.
Following is Mr. Antion's memo to me on this subject.
____________________________________________________
Here is the memo you asked me to write when I was in your office last Friday. It is on the subject of what God's Law has to say about false witnesses and accusation.
As you have taught for many years, the statutes of Scripture are derived from the GREAT LAWS of God in the Ten Commandments.
The Ninth Commandment
The Ninth Commandment -- "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor" -- is the basis for the other statutes and judgments in this category in the Bible.
Most people assume that the Ninth Commandment is only against lying. Though it does cover lying (Revelation 21:8, Colossians 3:9) it is mainly against false accusations made against another!
You have also taught that the main object of the last six commandments is love of your neighbor (Romans 13:9-10). And the Ninth Commandment forbids making a false witness against your neighbor -- thus harming him. The Moffatt and the New English Bible say, "You shall not give false evidence [against your neighbor]."
Not a light thing
Does God consider it a light thing for a man to falsely accuse his neighbor (brother)?
And what about Jesus' words: "Judge not that ye be not judged"? We know that we can judge a person's actions as being either in conformity or not with God's law. But can we judge his heart?
"But why doest thou judge thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ" (Romans 14:10). And in verse 13, "Let us not therefore judge another any more."
The apostle James must have had trouble with judging and accusing in his day, for he writes: "Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou are not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who are thou that judgest another?" (James 4:11-12).
Those who would speak evil of another and judge their brothers are in reality judging the law and speaking evil of GOD'S LAW! And like you have said, "The one who accuses us usually is guilty of the very thing he accuses others of."
False accusations divisive
If a minister got up in the pulpit and spoke evil of the Law of God (which is holy, just and good), he would be dismissed from the ministry! But what happens to him if he judges the intent, thought and beliefs of his brother?
For too long God's Work and God's MINISTRY have been divided BECAUSE OF FALSE ACCUSATIONS AND JUDGING! It is time that God's Law be applied and that God's own judgments be enforced against those who judge and falsely accuse.
It was false accusers that got Jesus crucified! Should God's Church house them now? Should it allow false accusers (thus encouraging them in their deeds) to continue their satanic actions?
What is the motive?
Many people don't mean or intend to be malicious with their words. They are just careless and neglectful. They say and pass on information without checking it out -- without responsibility! For some it is just habit. But God's Law also deals with neglect. And one can forfeit his life through neglect! (See Exodus 21:28-36.)
Sometimes people accuse because they want to get another person in trouble and see him thrown out of his job or the Church.
Whatever the motive, whether neglect, carelessness or malice, Jesus' words still ring true: "But I say unto you, that every idle [Moffatt says 'careless'] word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shall be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37).
Another translation says it this way: "I tell you this: there is not a thoughtless word that comes from men's lips but they will have to account for it on the day of judgment" (New English Bible).
God's judgment
BUT WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN TO PEOPLE WHO FALSELY ACCUSE?
HERE IS GOD'S JUDGMENT: "If a malicious witness appears against a man to accuse him of evil-doing, then the two parties in the dispute shall appear before the Eternal, that is before the priests and the presiding judges: The judges shall investigate the matter carefully, and if it turns out that the witness is malicious and that he has given false witness against his fellow, YOU MUST TREAT HIM AS HE MEANT HIS FELLOW TO BE TREATED: SO SHALL YOU ERADICATE EVIL FROM YOUR MIDST. THE OTHERS SHALL HEAR AND FEAR AND NEVER AGAIN BE GUILTY OF SUCH A SIN" (Deuteronomy 19:16-20 Moffatt translation).
But what should happen to the person who makes these accusations?
In the last few years God's Church has been a house divided and filled with this deadly evil. Accusers take verbal rifle shots at others trying to get them fired or excommunicated or to damage their reputations. But the only thing that happens to the accuser is that he is told he is mistaken. Or if confronted by his intended victim, he apologizes.
He -- the accuser -- risks absolutely nothing. He damages others, almost succeeds in getting them fired, demoted, thrown out of the Church or cast in suspicion, considered untrustworthy and avoided. At the very least, he causes them to consume enormous amounts of time trying to straighten out the problem and track down the rumor.
But NOTHING happens to the accuser. He is fine -- alive and well -- and ready for another try in the future.
Slander affects relationships
One of the worst things about all of this is that often the victim of the accusation doesn't even know that he is being slandered, accused, cast in suspicion, judged. Things are said that may stick in the minds of those who hear. Though no action is taken, these slanders affect the relationship that people have with the accused person. People avoid him. Mistrust him. He is passed over for important jobs or assignments. ALL OF THIS JUST BECAUSE OF A WORD OR TWO SAID CARELESSLY, NEGLECTFULLY OR MALICIOUSLY!
Only by applying God's Law -- HIS GOVERNMENT -- to the Church can we rid the Church of this evil and have the HAPPINESS, PEACE, UNITY AND JOY that God will approve and BLESS in His Church!
PREFACE BY GOD'S APOSTLE
by Herbert W. Armstrong
Perhaps the No. 1 problem -- yes, and even the No. 1 and most prevalent SIN IN God's Church today is careless GOSSIP and rumor spreading. Whether or not realized, it often becomes accusation and slander.
If a hostile student demonstration, such as organized and promoted by Communists, had appeared on the Ambassador campus I would have made it my business to identify the LEADER and get rid of him. Once such actions lose their leadership they disintegrate. It's the same on our problem of rumors -- especially those ugly rumors that discredit or accuse, actually, perhaps unrealized, a form of character assassination.
I fully realize that often this is mere carelessness -- a sort of thinking through the mouth -- with no deliberate intention to harm. But it DOES HARM! And sometimes it is intended to harm!
The subject came up in a conversation with David Antion. At my request he has prepared the following memorandum on GOD'S LAW covering this subject.
This sort of thing MUST BE STAMPED OUT OF GOD'S CHURCH. Our Leader and HEAD of the Church, Jesus Christ, is TURNING GOD'S CHURCH AROUND, though He uses His human servant in so doing.
However, because 1) we have perhaps carelessly neglected emphatic TEACHING on this subject, and 2) much of such gossip or rumor has probably been done carelessly without full realization of the seriousness of it, I have decided to hold off direct and definite punitive corrective action UNTIL THIS THING HAS BEEN EMPHASIZED by the ministry, and in print, before the membership.
I realize that even many of us, including myself, may have been guilty of this through carelessness, thoughtlessness or neglect. I have decided, therefore, that first we must PUT EMPHATIC EMPHASIS on this matter in teachings, sermons and articles.
But this is to be followed by DIRECT ACTION, seeking out the SOURCE -- the one who started the rumor, false accusation or whatever, and then making an example of that person, if necessary, before the whole Church. I feel that this is CHRIST'S WAY of stamping out this evil from God's Church, and I act, therefore, in His name.
Following is Mr. Antion's memo to me on this subject.
____________________________________________________
Here is the memo you asked me to write when I was in your office last Friday. It is on the subject of what God's Law has to say about false witnesses and accusation.
As you have taught for many years, the statutes of Scripture are derived from the GREAT LAWS of God in the Ten Commandments.
The Ninth Commandment
The Ninth Commandment -- "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor" -- is the basis for the other statutes and judgments in this category in the Bible.
Most people assume that the Ninth Commandment is only against lying. Though it does cover lying (Revelation 21:8, Colossians 3:9) it is mainly against false accusations made against another!
You have also taught that the main object of the last six commandments is love of your neighbor (Romans 13:9-10). And the Ninth Commandment forbids making a false witness against your neighbor -- thus harming him. The Moffatt and the New English Bible say, "You shall not give false evidence [against your neighbor]."
Not a light thing
Does God consider it a light thing for a man to falsely accuse his neighbor (brother)?
And what about Jesus' words: "Judge not that ye be not judged"? We know that we can judge a person's actions as being either in conformity or not with God's law. But can we judge his heart?
"But why doest thou judge thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ" (Romans 14:10). And in verse 13, "Let us not therefore judge another any more."
The apostle James must have had trouble with judging and accusing in his day, for he writes: "Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou are not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who are thou that judgest another?" (James 4:11-12).
Those who would speak evil of another and judge their brothers are in reality judging the law and speaking evil of GOD'S LAW! And like you have said, "The one who accuses us usually is guilty of the very thing he accuses others of."
False accusations divisive
If a minister got up in the pulpit and spoke evil of the Law of God (which is holy, just and good), he would be dismissed from the ministry! But what happens to him if he judges the intent, thought and beliefs of his brother?
For too long God's Work and God's MINISTRY have been divided BECAUSE OF FALSE ACCUSATIONS AND JUDGING! It is time that God's Law be applied and that God's own judgments be enforced against those who judge and falsely accuse.
It was false accusers that got Jesus crucified! Should God's Church house them now? Should it allow false accusers (thus encouraging them in their deeds) to continue their satanic actions?
What is the motive?
Many people don't mean or intend to be malicious with their words. They are just careless and neglectful. They say and pass on information without checking it out -- without responsibility! For some it is just habit. But God's Law also deals with neglect. And one can forfeit his life through neglect! (See Exodus 21:28-36.)
Sometimes people accuse because they want to get another person in trouble and see him thrown out of his job or the Church.
Whatever the motive, whether neglect, carelessness or malice, Jesus' words still ring true: "But I say unto you, that every idle [Moffatt says 'careless'] word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shall be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37).
Another translation says it this way: "I tell you this: there is not a thoughtless word that comes from men's lips but they will have to account for it on the day of judgment" (New English Bible).
God's judgment
BUT WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN TO PEOPLE WHO FALSELY ACCUSE?
HERE IS GOD'S JUDGMENT: "If a malicious witness appears against a man to accuse him of evil-doing, then the two parties in the dispute shall appear before the Eternal, that is before the priests and the presiding judges: The judges shall investigate the matter carefully, and if it turns out that the witness is malicious and that he has given false witness against his fellow, YOU MUST TREAT HIM AS HE MEANT HIS FELLOW TO BE TREATED: SO SHALL YOU ERADICATE EVIL FROM YOUR MIDST. THE OTHERS SHALL HEAR AND FEAR AND NEVER AGAIN BE GUILTY OF SUCH A SIN" (Deuteronomy 19:16-20 Moffatt translation).
But what should happen to the person who makes these accusations?
In the last few years God's Church has been a house divided and filled with this deadly evil. Accusers take verbal rifle shots at others trying to get them fired or excommunicated or to damage their reputations. But the only thing that happens to the accuser is that he is told he is mistaken. Or if confronted by his intended victim, he apologizes.
He -- the accuser -- risks absolutely nothing. He damages others, almost succeeds in getting them fired, demoted, thrown out of the Church or cast in suspicion, considered untrustworthy and avoided. At the very least, he causes them to consume enormous amounts of time trying to straighten out the problem and track down the rumor.
But NOTHING happens to the accuser. He is fine -- alive and well -- and ready for another try in the future.
Slander affects relationships
One of the worst things about all of this is that often the victim of the accusation doesn't even know that he is being slandered, accused, cast in suspicion, judged. Things are said that may stick in the minds of those who hear. Though no action is taken, these slanders affect the relationship that people have with the accused person. People avoid him. Mistrust him. He is passed over for important jobs or assignments. ALL OF THIS JUST BECAUSE OF A WORD OR TWO SAID CARELESSLY, NEGLECTFULLY OR MALICIOUSLY!
Only by applying God's Law -- HIS GOVERNMENT -- to the Church can we rid the Church of this evil and have the HAPPINESS, PEACE, UNITY AND JOY that God will approve and BLESS in His Church!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Can you recognize counterfeit faith?
Could you be fooling yourself about your faith?
Physically tired and spiritually exhausted, another minister and I sat in a coffee shop, sipping pensively on cups of Sanka and rehearsing the last two hours. We couldn't believe what had just almost happened.
We, two ministers of the Worldwide Church of God, had just visited a severely depressed woman and her husband (both "members"), and had come within an inch of being physically thrown out of the house!
Why.' Simply because we saw that the woman probably lacked the faith necessary to be healed of a serious tumor she had growing in her body, and we had. in love and tact, told her so.
The reaction we received gave us quite a jolt. She became furious! To think that we would "accuse" her — 'her' — of lacking faith.
She, after all, was a "leading member" and a constant server in the church. She said hello to the ministry each week, and she helped the elderly people, and, and . . . well, how could we accuse her of such a thing?
How could we? It was simple. She lacked faith. And we felt an obligation to, in love, tell her so she wouldn't continue to labor under the false notion that she had faith when she did not.
This woman's problem of misjudging the amount of her own faith is not unique. Many people
— perhaps all of us, at some time — have mistaken our natural, human desires, fears or emotions for faith. The woman I described above was deceiving herself by confusing her human, carnal longing for health as faith. Yes. she may have known what faith is — in other words, she may have been able to recite the Bible definition (Heb. 11:1) — but she didn't know what faith is not.
Do you?
Your need to discern your own faith is important, because the Stakes are high indeed, for the promises God makes to us to heal us or to answer our prayers or to put us into His Kingdom all
depend upon faith.
But take notice: God will save us, heal us or answer our prayers according to the real faith we have, not according to the faith we think we have, or wish we had, or want others to think we have, or that we should have. God is not fooled by our human substitutes for faith.
But are you?
False substitutes for faith
Sadly, some people, even in God's Church, are fooled by emotions, fears or wishes that disguise themselves as faith. And this is true even for people who may have been in God's church for years. That is why many people lack faith today. They think they have it when they do not.
But the real tragedy occurs when these people meet trials that demand real faith, and instead of real faith they find only a poor substitute. The substitute quickly crumbles under pressure and they are left with nothing. Such a person who finds his false faith crumbling beneath him quickly learns about his lack of faith the hard way by experience.
But there is a better way to learn. That way is to recognize how deceitful our human nature is and to identify the false substitutes for faith before they take root and block the growth of real, godly faith.
Here are some of the most common human substitutes and counterfeits for faith:
Wishing: Wishing is simply wanting something to happen. All of us at one time or another wish for something. We wish for a new house or a new car, or we even wish to be healed. And wishing may not necessarily be wrong as long as our wishing doesn't degenerate into daydreaming or coveting. But it's most important that we do not confuse wishing for faith. Wishing is wishing, and faith is faith.
Hope: Hope is an optimistic expectation that you will get the results you want. Hope is a necessary element of the human experience (Prov. 13:12). And 1Corinthians 13:13 shows that hope is a positive Christian quality. But that does not mean it is faith.
An example of a situation that most of us have experienced at one time or another will serve to illustrate the difference between faith and hope. Most people at some time must approach their bosses and ask for time off from their jobs. If the person has an optimistic expectation that the boss will grant his wish, then that person has hope.
But faith is more than just an optimistic expectation faith is believing that God will do what He says, in His Word, He will do. For instance, God has not said that He will not allow you to lose your job, although He has said that He will never allow the righteous to starve ( Ps 37:25).
The point is that faith and hope are different. We must be careful not to confuse the two.
positive attitude:. This is the ability to look at the facts and concentrate on a possible positive outcome. A good illustration is a gambler Everyone knows that the house always wins in the end, but a gambler is able to look at the odds, which are drastically against him, and somehow believe that with the next pull of the slot machine handle or roll of the dice he will be a big winner.
It certainly requires a positive altitude to concentrate only on the narrow potential for winning and ignore the overwhelming odds for losing. And it is true that having a positive attitude is a good quality — a characteristic we should all strive to obtain. We are, after all, to concentrate on good, happy positive things (Phil. 4:8). But a positive attitude is not faith and should not be confused with faith.
Emotional enthusiasm. A temporary surge of emotional enthusiasm is just that. A person who has thousands of dollars in the stock market on a day when his stock skyrockets may feel a flush of warmth and the prospect of potential wealth. Such an experience would give a person an emotional high. Certainly the children of Israel must have fell that way when they came out of the land of Lg\pt with a "high hand" (Ex. 14:8).
But the enthusiasm that comes from winning on the stock market or leaving the captivity of ancient Egypt or from hearing a powerful prayer for healing — is not faith.
Fear of punishment: It's amazing how some people can be motivated into doing something because they fear the punishment of disobeying. Ancient Israel, after refusing to enter the promised land, had a dramatic change of heart and wanted to charge in after being told they would be punished for not doing so (Num. 14:40).
It would be easy for some to assume that the Israelites had. overnight, developed a great surge of real faith, so that they now were ready lo put aside their fears of giants or war and, instead, stalk into the land with renewed bravery. But the fact is that they did not develop faith overnight.
Instead, they developed a fear of the punishment that would come upon them (wandering 40 years in the wilderness) if they didn't do what they were told.
Unfortunately, some people obey God only out of fear of punishment. Fear of punishment certainly should not be confused with faith. It may be a motivation in obeying God, but if we lack faith we should obey anyway and ask God for the faith.
Hear of a worse alternative: Some people put off operations or decide not to seek a doctor's help not because they have deep faith in God for healing, but because they are afraid of the surgery or afraid of the doctors.
This was the real reason why the woman I spoke of at the beginning of this article did not want to see a physician. She, clearly, did not have the faith. But she was also fearful of the alternative to trusting on God, a surgeon's knife. I could not blame her for having the fear, but can find fault with her for confusing the fear with faith. Such a mistake can be deadly.
Peer pressure: Suppose a person came into God's Church and had to ask his employer for time off to keep God's Sabbath, even though the person did not have the faith to trust in God if he were to lose his job. If the employer threatened to fire him, the person might capitulate and work on the Sabbath anyway.
Why would such a person not stand up to his boss and take off the Sabbath after he had asked for it? There could be many reasons, of course, but one reason is that, often, such a person does not have the faith to trust God in the first place His real motivation for asking for the Sabbath off was fear of what other people in the Church would think if he didn't keep the day. But unfortunately, not even peer pressure, in the long run, can make a person obey if he doesn't have the faith to back it up.
Guilt: A person's conscience can be a powerful motivator toward obedience. Someone may tithe, for example, not because he has real faith or not even because he might fear < rod's punishment. but because he would feel guilty if he didn't. The person is not motivated by faith but by guilt
Of course, tithing because of guilt may be better than not tithing at all — we truly understand God's way only after we begin following it (Ps. 111:10) - but the tither should not confuse and mis-diagnose his guilt as faith. God is not deceived, although the person might be. No wonder some are not blessed for tithing.
Intimidation: Have you ever bought something, not because you wanted it or needed it, but because the salesman was slick and aggressive and talked you into it? Sure you have. We all have. Many a used-car salesman has sold many a used car to many a person solely by intimidating him into the purchase. And a minister who gives a powerful sermon might unintentionally intimidate you into obeying God in some area.
Of course, obeying God is good. But someone who is obeying solely because he is intimidated is not obeying out of faith.
Resignation or hopelessness: Most of God's ministers, at one time or another, meet a person who, on his deathbed after having tried all of the doctors' methods and approaches, comes to us and asks to be anointed for healing (Jas. 5:14). Sometimes, of course, the person has real faith and will be healed (Luke 8:43-48). Other times, the person comes for anointing or for advice simply because there are no other alternatives left. Out of sheer hopelessness or resignation, a person may seek God's help.
Of course, we should lake all of our trials to God. Trials are a tool God Himself uses to draw men to Him. But one who seeks God or "prays about it" simply because there is nothing else to do is not exercising faith. He is simply exercising good old carnal logic and doing what any soldier in a foxhole, under the thunder of blasting shells, would do.
Self-righteousness: Believe it or not. people sometimes obey God, pray for healing or other needs or even endure trials not because they have the real faith that God is looking for, but simply because they have told other people in similar situations that they wouldn't do whatever the other "weak" people had done instead of seeking God.
One may put on a show of righteousness by toughing it out. But such a show of righteousness occasioned merely by self-righteousness is unrighteousness in God's eves ( Isa. 64:6).
Stubbornness: From time to time a person will be confronted by a great trial and will see it through to the end in grand Style, keeping a Stiff upper lip. We may assume the motivating factor behind his great steadfastness is a deep and abiding faith in God. It may be. But it also might be plain old human stubbornness.
Stubbornness can be a good quality at times. It may help a person or group of people hold on and endure in times of stress or trial. But it won't get you into God's Kingdom, because it's not faith. In fact, stubbornness can be as much of a liability as it may be an asset. If you don't believe that, read the story of ancient Israel and their legacy of being stiff-necked (Deut. 9:6).
What faith is
An article on what faith is not would not be complete without a simple definition of faith. Faith is easy to define: The Bible tells us, Faith is simply the belief that God exists and that He will do what He, in His Word, says He will (Heb. 11:6).
Read that again. Faith is not merely wishing, nor hoping, nor a positive mental attitude, nor a temporary surge of emotional enthusiasm, nor fear of punishment. nor fear of a worse alternative. nor peer pressure, guilt, intimidation, resignation, self-righteousness, nor stubbornness. But it is confidently knowing that God will do what He says He will do, when He says He'll do it.
This faith — real, saving faith — comes only from God. It is a gift only He can give, and it in no way comes, in any part or fragment, from our own human nature or attitudes, such as the false "faiths'" listed above do (Eph. 2:8).
True faith is a gift God wants to give you. He will give it to you when you ask. But you will not ask until you see that you don't have it and that you may have been fooling yourself with worthless counterfeits. For an in-depth study of the kind of faith required for salvation, write for a free copy of our booklet. What Is Faith?
And. finally, realize this: All of the false "faiths" have two deadly things in common: First, none of them fool God. And second, all of them can fool us humans unless we ask God to show us our human self-deceptions.
Don't you be fooled — know what faith is. and what it is not!
by Bernie Schnippert Good News October-November 1982
Physically tired and spiritually exhausted, another minister and I sat in a coffee shop, sipping pensively on cups of Sanka and rehearsing the last two hours. We couldn't believe what had just almost happened.
We, two ministers of the Worldwide Church of God, had just visited a severely depressed woman and her husband (both "members"), and had come within an inch of being physically thrown out of the house!
Why.' Simply because we saw that the woman probably lacked the faith necessary to be healed of a serious tumor she had growing in her body, and we had. in love and tact, told her so.
The reaction we received gave us quite a jolt. She became furious! To think that we would "accuse" her — 'her' — of lacking faith.
She, after all, was a "leading member" and a constant server in the church. She said hello to the ministry each week, and she helped the elderly people, and, and . . . well, how could we accuse her of such a thing?
How could we? It was simple. She lacked faith. And we felt an obligation to, in love, tell her so she wouldn't continue to labor under the false notion that she had faith when she did not.
This woman's problem of misjudging the amount of her own faith is not unique. Many people
— perhaps all of us, at some time — have mistaken our natural, human desires, fears or emotions for faith. The woman I described above was deceiving herself by confusing her human, carnal longing for health as faith. Yes. she may have known what faith is — in other words, she may have been able to recite the Bible definition (Heb. 11:1) — but she didn't know what faith is not.
Do you?
Your need to discern your own faith is important, because the Stakes are high indeed, for the promises God makes to us to heal us or to answer our prayers or to put us into His Kingdom all
depend upon faith.
But take notice: God will save us, heal us or answer our prayers according to the real faith we have, not according to the faith we think we have, or wish we had, or want others to think we have, or that we should have. God is not fooled by our human substitutes for faith.
But are you?
False substitutes for faith
Sadly, some people, even in God's Church, are fooled by emotions, fears or wishes that disguise themselves as faith. And this is true even for people who may have been in God's church for years. That is why many people lack faith today. They think they have it when they do not.
But the real tragedy occurs when these people meet trials that demand real faith, and instead of real faith they find only a poor substitute. The substitute quickly crumbles under pressure and they are left with nothing. Such a person who finds his false faith crumbling beneath him quickly learns about his lack of faith the hard way by experience.
But there is a better way to learn. That way is to recognize how deceitful our human nature is and to identify the false substitutes for faith before they take root and block the growth of real, godly faith.
Here are some of the most common human substitutes and counterfeits for faith:
Wishing: Wishing is simply wanting something to happen. All of us at one time or another wish for something. We wish for a new house or a new car, or we even wish to be healed. And wishing may not necessarily be wrong as long as our wishing doesn't degenerate into daydreaming or coveting. But it's most important that we do not confuse wishing for faith. Wishing is wishing, and faith is faith.
Hope: Hope is an optimistic expectation that you will get the results you want. Hope is a necessary element of the human experience (Prov. 13:12). And 1Corinthians 13:13 shows that hope is a positive Christian quality. But that does not mean it is faith.
An example of a situation that most of us have experienced at one time or another will serve to illustrate the difference between faith and hope. Most people at some time must approach their bosses and ask for time off from their jobs. If the person has an optimistic expectation that the boss will grant his wish, then that person has hope.
But faith is more than just an optimistic expectation faith is believing that God will do what He says, in His Word, He will do. For instance, God has not said that He will not allow you to lose your job, although He has said that He will never allow the righteous to starve ( Ps 37:25).
The point is that faith and hope are different. We must be careful not to confuse the two.
positive attitude:. This is the ability to look at the facts and concentrate on a possible positive outcome. A good illustration is a gambler Everyone knows that the house always wins in the end, but a gambler is able to look at the odds, which are drastically against him, and somehow believe that with the next pull of the slot machine handle or roll of the dice he will be a big winner.
It certainly requires a positive altitude to concentrate only on the narrow potential for winning and ignore the overwhelming odds for losing. And it is true that having a positive attitude is a good quality — a characteristic we should all strive to obtain. We are, after all, to concentrate on good, happy positive things (Phil. 4:8). But a positive attitude is not faith and should not be confused with faith.
Emotional enthusiasm. A temporary surge of emotional enthusiasm is just that. A person who has thousands of dollars in the stock market on a day when his stock skyrockets may feel a flush of warmth and the prospect of potential wealth. Such an experience would give a person an emotional high. Certainly the children of Israel must have fell that way when they came out of the land of Lg\pt with a "high hand" (Ex. 14:8).
But the enthusiasm that comes from winning on the stock market or leaving the captivity of ancient Egypt or from hearing a powerful prayer for healing — is not faith.
Fear of punishment: It's amazing how some people can be motivated into doing something because they fear the punishment of disobeying. Ancient Israel, after refusing to enter the promised land, had a dramatic change of heart and wanted to charge in after being told they would be punished for not doing so (Num. 14:40).
It would be easy for some to assume that the Israelites had. overnight, developed a great surge of real faith, so that they now were ready lo put aside their fears of giants or war and, instead, stalk into the land with renewed bravery. But the fact is that they did not develop faith overnight.
Instead, they developed a fear of the punishment that would come upon them (wandering 40 years in the wilderness) if they didn't do what they were told.
Unfortunately, some people obey God only out of fear of punishment. Fear of punishment certainly should not be confused with faith. It may be a motivation in obeying God, but if we lack faith we should obey anyway and ask God for the faith.
Hear of a worse alternative: Some people put off operations or decide not to seek a doctor's help not because they have deep faith in God for healing, but because they are afraid of the surgery or afraid of the doctors.
This was the real reason why the woman I spoke of at the beginning of this article did not want to see a physician. She, clearly, did not have the faith. But she was also fearful of the alternative to trusting on God, a surgeon's knife. I could not blame her for having the fear, but can find fault with her for confusing the fear with faith. Such a mistake can be deadly.
Peer pressure: Suppose a person came into God's Church and had to ask his employer for time off to keep God's Sabbath, even though the person did not have the faith to trust in God if he were to lose his job. If the employer threatened to fire him, the person might capitulate and work on the Sabbath anyway.
Why would such a person not stand up to his boss and take off the Sabbath after he had asked for it? There could be many reasons, of course, but one reason is that, often, such a person does not have the faith to trust God in the first place His real motivation for asking for the Sabbath off was fear of what other people in the Church would think if he didn't keep the day. But unfortunately, not even peer pressure, in the long run, can make a person obey if he doesn't have the faith to back it up.
Guilt: A person's conscience can be a powerful motivator toward obedience. Someone may tithe, for example, not because he has real faith or not even because he might fear < rod's punishment. but because he would feel guilty if he didn't. The person is not motivated by faith but by guilt
Of course, tithing because of guilt may be better than not tithing at all — we truly understand God's way only after we begin following it (Ps. 111:10) - but the tither should not confuse and mis-diagnose his guilt as faith. God is not deceived, although the person might be. No wonder some are not blessed for tithing.
Intimidation: Have you ever bought something, not because you wanted it or needed it, but because the salesman was slick and aggressive and talked you into it? Sure you have. We all have. Many a used-car salesman has sold many a used car to many a person solely by intimidating him into the purchase. And a minister who gives a powerful sermon might unintentionally intimidate you into obeying God in some area.
Of course, obeying God is good. But someone who is obeying solely because he is intimidated is not obeying out of faith.
Resignation or hopelessness: Most of God's ministers, at one time or another, meet a person who, on his deathbed after having tried all of the doctors' methods and approaches, comes to us and asks to be anointed for healing (Jas. 5:14). Sometimes, of course, the person has real faith and will be healed (Luke 8:43-48). Other times, the person comes for anointing or for advice simply because there are no other alternatives left. Out of sheer hopelessness or resignation, a person may seek God's help.
Of course, we should lake all of our trials to God. Trials are a tool God Himself uses to draw men to Him. But one who seeks God or "prays about it" simply because there is nothing else to do is not exercising faith. He is simply exercising good old carnal logic and doing what any soldier in a foxhole, under the thunder of blasting shells, would do.
Self-righteousness: Believe it or not. people sometimes obey God, pray for healing or other needs or even endure trials not because they have the real faith that God is looking for, but simply because they have told other people in similar situations that they wouldn't do whatever the other "weak" people had done instead of seeking God.
One may put on a show of righteousness by toughing it out. But such a show of righteousness occasioned merely by self-righteousness is unrighteousness in God's eves ( Isa. 64:6).
Stubbornness: From time to time a person will be confronted by a great trial and will see it through to the end in grand Style, keeping a Stiff upper lip. We may assume the motivating factor behind his great steadfastness is a deep and abiding faith in God. It may be. But it also might be plain old human stubbornness.
Stubbornness can be a good quality at times. It may help a person or group of people hold on and endure in times of stress or trial. But it won't get you into God's Kingdom, because it's not faith. In fact, stubbornness can be as much of a liability as it may be an asset. If you don't believe that, read the story of ancient Israel and their legacy of being stiff-necked (Deut. 9:6).
What faith is
An article on what faith is not would not be complete without a simple definition of faith. Faith is easy to define: The Bible tells us, Faith is simply the belief that God exists and that He will do what He, in His Word, says He will (Heb. 11:6).
Read that again. Faith is not merely wishing, nor hoping, nor a positive mental attitude, nor a temporary surge of emotional enthusiasm, nor fear of punishment. nor fear of a worse alternative. nor peer pressure, guilt, intimidation, resignation, self-righteousness, nor stubbornness. But it is confidently knowing that God will do what He says He will do, when He says He'll do it.
This faith — real, saving faith — comes only from God. It is a gift only He can give, and it in no way comes, in any part or fragment, from our own human nature or attitudes, such as the false "faiths'" listed above do (Eph. 2:8).
True faith is a gift God wants to give you. He will give it to you when you ask. But you will not ask until you see that you don't have it and that you may have been fooling yourself with worthless counterfeits. For an in-depth study of the kind of faith required for salvation, write for a free copy of our booklet. What Is Faith?
And. finally, realize this: All of the false "faiths" have two deadly things in common: First, none of them fool God. And second, all of them can fool us humans unless we ask God to show us our human self-deceptions.
Don't you be fooled — know what faith is. and what it is not!
by Bernie Schnippert Good News October-November 1982
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Just What do yo mean-Self Righteous?
There is a spiritual disease as common as the common cold — but seldom recognized for what it really is. What are its symptoms? How can you tell if you are afflicted with it?
All diseases have symptoms. Red eyes, runny nose and a hacking cough are all symptoms of the common cold.
Self-righteousness is a spiritual disease, and has its own peculiar symptoms which can be recognized, isolated and worked upon.
Of and by themselves the symptoms do not explain what self-righteousness is. They only point out the presence of the malady. But isolating the symptoms will nevertheless be of help in defeating and wiping out the disease.
Here then are seven symptoms of self-righteousness, and what can be done to curb and stamp it out.
Unteachability
First and foremost, a self-righteous person is not teachable. The patriarch Job, before his total conversion, was a classic example of self-righteousness. He was not teachable. We read his statement in Job 27:6, "My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go . . . ." Job was sure in his own mind that he was righteous and was not about to be taught to the contrary!
Another example of this symptom of unteachableness can be found in Jeremiah 2:35. Jeremiah wrote what God said to the ancient nation of Judah: "Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with you, because thou sayest, I have not sinned."
Ancient Judah was self-righteous. The people felt they were innocent; they felt they had not sinned. This made God's job of teaching them very difficult. It is virtually impossible to teach a person who thinks and is convinced he is right. However, whenever that person is willing to admit he may be wrong, he has begun to open his mind to instruction.
And so a clear sign of self-righteousness is resistance to being teachable. Are you teachable? Are you easy to be intreated? Or are you stubborn — difficult to instruct?
Pride in Obedience
In Luke 18:11-12, we read about the Pharisee who fasted twice in the week. He was proud of his obedience.
Today most of us are more sophisticated in the expression of our pride. Rather than telling people outright when we are fasting, or that we give tithes of all our increase and generous offerings besides, we go around dropping hints. But being more sophisticated about it does not make us any less self-righteous.
Do you glory in telling your friends you won't be able to accept a dinner invitation because you are fasting? Are you happy to share with your brethren the fact that you don't have finer things because you have "given most of your money to God"? Such hints are symptoms of self-righteousness. They show that in one form or another we are proud of our obedience to God.
The opposite of this attitude is humility. True humility leaves no place for self-righteousness. When we strive to do our best in fasting, giving or whatever, but without bragging, recognizing our own shortcomings at the same time, we won't be expressing self-righteousness.
The Self-Oriented Mind
To a self-righteous person, the main theme of conversation revolves around the self. "I," "me" and "my" become the center of conversation, since it is the focal point of one's thoughts.
In Job 29, we have an excellent example of the self-oriented mind. In just 25 short verses Job uses the personal pronouns, "I," "me" and "my" 52 times! Job was clearly self-oriented. This is epitomized in verse 14: "I put on righteousness, and it clothed me...."
A truly converted spirit-led mind is interested in other people. In Philippians 2:4 we read: "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." This Godly focus of attention is clearly away from self.
Have you ever listened to a candid tape recording of your own conversation? It is a very interesting exercise. You might be highly embarrassed if you did. It could show how oriented toward self you may really be.
Think about the topics of your daily conversations. Do you detect too much self-orientation? The Bible teaches us to love our neighbor as ourselves. We need to do this more every day, for only then will we truly have other people in our hearts and minds, instead of only the self.
"Doing God a Favor"
The fourth symptom of the disease of self-righteousness is that of feeling we are doing God a service. In Job 35:7 we read that Elihu pointed out to Job:
"If you be righteous, what give you him [God]? Or what receives he of your hand?" Job somehow felt that God was highly honored and helped by his service. But in reality God does not need us. We desperately need Him!
The self-righteous person remembers what he has "given up" to serve God. Rather than thinking about what he has gained by serving God, he feels he is a tremendous asset to God, and that God is tremendously benefitted by his servitude.
If your child were to come to you and tell you he really adds to the family and that you, the parent, just could not do without him (or her), you would tend to think that child was rather vain in his thinking. Wouldn't you much rather see your child come to you with the attitude, "Thanks, mom and dad, for allowing me to be a part of this family. Thanks for sharing all that you have with me."
In this analogy, we should be able to see the difference between the person who thinks he's doing God a service and the person who is grateful that God has allowed him to be part of His Church and His Family.
Lack of Compassion
The self-righteous person lacks compassion — an empathy and feeling for other people. (The word "compassion" comes from the Latin meaning "with feeling.") He is almost invariably critical of others when they sin and judges them harshly. "Why, I wouldn't do that," he tells himself. Thus he can't understand one who does. He is so "righteous" in his own sight it is difficult for him to make allowances for another's weaknesses!
He is quick to condemn and point out where he could have done better — but slow to empathize and admit he might have done the same thing under the same circumstances.
In Isaiah 65:1-5, we read of ancient Judah's attitude toward people who were sinners. God condemns the people who, while they themselves were sinners, said to other sinners, "Stand by your self, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou." This "holier than thou" attitude is typical of a self-righteous person. Not being able to see his own faults and sins, he is critical of others' mistakes and shortcomings.
The parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) gives us a good example of a self-righteous person. Three characters are mentioned in this parable, though we often overlook the elder brother of the prodigal son.
The elder brother was angry when the prodigal son received forgiveness. He lacked compassion for his licentious, wastrel brother, and was not happy to see him rescued from destitution and at home once again. He was proud of his own obedience while his brother sinned. Thus he was very self-oriented.
And lacking compassion, the elder brother was unable to understand that his brother had changed and repented. He thought his brother's return merely meant he — the "faithful" one — was about to lose even more of his patrimony. He was angry at his father for giving more of it to the spendthrift son. In his self-righteousness, he felt that he had been overlooked by his father.
Have you ever been prevented from having and expressing true Christian love and doing good deeds for others by similar feelings? Examine yourself to see if you have compassion for your fellow man — especially for your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Self-Pity
The sixth sign or symptom of self-righteousness is self-pity. We read in Genesis 4:13 that Cain said to God "My punishment is greater than I can bear." In this sense, Cain was self-righteous. He did not want to change his attitude; he didn't ask forgiveness for his sin; he just wanted to wallow in self-pity.
Was God so harsh that Cain could not have found forgiveness? The point is that Cain didn't feel truly sorry for his sin. He didn't want to repent. When he was punished, he only felt sorry for himself!
Self-pity is a cancer of the spiritual life. It eats away at a person's morale and well-being and destroys the desire to fight back at one's sins and hurdle one's difficulties.
Self-pity is a self-defeating attitude, You may recognize wrong in your life, you may see your mistakes, but self-pity will cause you to act as if the situation is hopeless. Self-pity is expressed in the attitude, "Que sera, sera — whatever will be, will be." Rather than change, fighting to pull yourself out of the rut, you just accept the way things are. But self-pity will never make you happy because it is a symptom of self-righteousness!
Justification of Sins
The seventh and last symptom of self-righteousness to be discussed in this article is justification of sin.
The truly self-righteous, self-oriented person will justify his own sins. Being righteous in his own eyes, it is easy for him to think he does not have any real sins. So when a fault or a problem is pointed out to him, he justifies and excuses it. This justification makes wrong seem right in his eyes.
Long before he comes to the point of calling out and out sin right and good, however, the self-righteous person hides his eyes from his own sins.
In Revelation 3:17 we see how this self-righteous attitude works. A great deal of self-righteousness is imputed to the Laodiceans. They have an "answer for everything," including their spiritual slothfulness. In the eyes of God, they are "lukewarm and neither cold nor hot...." But not so in their own eyes. They say, "I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing ...." They justify their lukewarm attitude. In their own minds they make it right.
In Job 32:1-2, we find that Job "justified himself rather than God." Job was experiencing a physical trial. He was seemingly being punished by God. So he searched his own heart but could not find a reason for his plight. Therefore, Job concluded that since he was not wrong, God had to be at fault. He felt all of his trials were totally undeserved — that God was unfair and unjust for treating him in such a manner. He wanted to argue the point with God.
In one translation we read that Job wanted an umpire or an unbiased judge to sit in judgment between him and God (Job 23). This is the height of self-righteousness!
God finally answered Job's self-justifying argument in Job 40:8, "Will you also disannul my judgment? Will you condemn me, that you may be righteous?" This, in fact, is what had happened.
Then God was able to convince Job that his attitude was wrong and Job finally saw his own folly. We read his repentant words in Job 42:3, "Therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not." He had come to real repentance, loathed himself, surrendered to God and now repented in dust and ashes (Job 42:6).
SELF-Righteousness — or GOD'S Righteousness?
Job had earlier said, as we read in Job 29:14, "I put on righteousness and it clothed me...." And he continued to boast of himself. But that righteousness clearly was not God's righteousness.
In Philippians 3:4-9 the Apostle Paul plainly defined the difference between human self-righteousness and God's righteousness. Paul began by listing the various things he could be "proud" of. He then went on to show in verse 8 that he counted all of these past glories as nothing — as so much dung!
In verse 9 we read why he had given it up, "[To] be found in him [Christ], not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is [comes] through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is OF God by faith."
Paul recognized the difference between self-righteousness and God's righteousness. Before his conversion, Paul had been self-righteous. But after his conversion he became filled with God's righteousness as a result of the faith of Christ in him.
In Romans 10:1-3, Paul showed the difference between the Israelites' righteousness and God's righteousness. Lacking the Holy Spirit, the Israelites
tried to establish their own righteousness, which became self-righteousness. In verse 3 we read, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God."
Brethren, are any of us still trying to do the same thing?
Seek God's Righteousness
Jesus said that of Himself He could do nothing (John 5:19). He knew it. He admitted it. As a result His righteousness was not self-righteousness; it was God's righteousness. He did not trust in His own power to be righteous. He prayed without ceasing and asked God to impart His righteousness to Him.
And just as Jesus looked to His Father for that strength, so we are admonished to "seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness..." (Matt. 6:33).
The fight against self-righteousness is a constant battle. It involves daily contact with God through prayer and Bible study — having God and Christ through the Holy Spirit living in you. As God continues to live in you, His righteousness will replace self-righteousness.
Galatians 2:20 shows Paul lived with the power of Christ in him. It was his contact with God that gave him the righteousness that he manifested daily. Zechariah 4:6 also explains it: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." It is total trust in God for the righteousness that can make you truly righteous. We must do our part, certainly, but the real strength and the help to do it comes from God. And we must seek His help in prayer every day.
So during this Passover season, let's each examine himself or herself, searching our hearts and examining our motives, and begin to root out every trace and vestige of self-righteousness!
by Stephen Martin January-March 1973 GOOD NEWS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brought to you as a Study Resource by the
Church of God Faithful Flock
All diseases have symptoms. Red eyes, runny nose and a hacking cough are all symptoms of the common cold.
Self-righteousness is a spiritual disease, and has its own peculiar symptoms which can be recognized, isolated and worked upon.
Of and by themselves the symptoms do not explain what self-righteousness is. They only point out the presence of the malady. But isolating the symptoms will nevertheless be of help in defeating and wiping out the disease.
Here then are seven symptoms of self-righteousness, and what can be done to curb and stamp it out.
Unteachability
First and foremost, a self-righteous person is not teachable. The patriarch Job, before his total conversion, was a classic example of self-righteousness. He was not teachable. We read his statement in Job 27:6, "My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go . . . ." Job was sure in his own mind that he was righteous and was not about to be taught to the contrary!
Another example of this symptom of unteachableness can be found in Jeremiah 2:35. Jeremiah wrote what God said to the ancient nation of Judah: "Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with you, because thou sayest, I have not sinned."
Ancient Judah was self-righteous. The people felt they were innocent; they felt they had not sinned. This made God's job of teaching them very difficult. It is virtually impossible to teach a person who thinks and is convinced he is right. However, whenever that person is willing to admit he may be wrong, he has begun to open his mind to instruction.
And so a clear sign of self-righteousness is resistance to being teachable. Are you teachable? Are you easy to be intreated? Or are you stubborn — difficult to instruct?
Pride in Obedience
In Luke 18:11-12, we read about the Pharisee who fasted twice in the week. He was proud of his obedience.
Today most of us are more sophisticated in the expression of our pride. Rather than telling people outright when we are fasting, or that we give tithes of all our increase and generous offerings besides, we go around dropping hints. But being more sophisticated about it does not make us any less self-righteous.
Do you glory in telling your friends you won't be able to accept a dinner invitation because you are fasting? Are you happy to share with your brethren the fact that you don't have finer things because you have "given most of your money to God"? Such hints are symptoms of self-righteousness. They show that in one form or another we are proud of our obedience to God.
The opposite of this attitude is humility. True humility leaves no place for self-righteousness. When we strive to do our best in fasting, giving or whatever, but without bragging, recognizing our own shortcomings at the same time, we won't be expressing self-righteousness.
The Self-Oriented Mind
To a self-righteous person, the main theme of conversation revolves around the self. "I," "me" and "my" become the center of conversation, since it is the focal point of one's thoughts.
In Job 29, we have an excellent example of the self-oriented mind. In just 25 short verses Job uses the personal pronouns, "I," "me" and "my" 52 times! Job was clearly self-oriented. This is epitomized in verse 14: "I put on righteousness, and it clothed me...."
A truly converted spirit-led mind is interested in other people. In Philippians 2:4 we read: "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." This Godly focus of attention is clearly away from self.
Have you ever listened to a candid tape recording of your own conversation? It is a very interesting exercise. You might be highly embarrassed if you did. It could show how oriented toward self you may really be.
Think about the topics of your daily conversations. Do you detect too much self-orientation? The Bible teaches us to love our neighbor as ourselves. We need to do this more every day, for only then will we truly have other people in our hearts and minds, instead of only the self.
"Doing God a Favor"
The fourth symptom of the disease of self-righteousness is that of feeling we are doing God a service. In Job 35:7 we read that Elihu pointed out to Job:
"If you be righteous, what give you him [God]? Or what receives he of your hand?" Job somehow felt that God was highly honored and helped by his service. But in reality God does not need us. We desperately need Him!
The self-righteous person remembers what he has "given up" to serve God. Rather than thinking about what he has gained by serving God, he feels he is a tremendous asset to God, and that God is tremendously benefitted by his servitude.
If your child were to come to you and tell you he really adds to the family and that you, the parent, just could not do without him (or her), you would tend to think that child was rather vain in his thinking. Wouldn't you much rather see your child come to you with the attitude, "Thanks, mom and dad, for allowing me to be a part of this family. Thanks for sharing all that you have with me."
In this analogy, we should be able to see the difference between the person who thinks he's doing God a service and the person who is grateful that God has allowed him to be part of His Church and His Family.
Lack of Compassion
The self-righteous person lacks compassion — an empathy and feeling for other people. (The word "compassion" comes from the Latin meaning "with feeling.") He is almost invariably critical of others when they sin and judges them harshly. "Why, I wouldn't do that," he tells himself. Thus he can't understand one who does. He is so "righteous" in his own sight it is difficult for him to make allowances for another's weaknesses!
He is quick to condemn and point out where he could have done better — but slow to empathize and admit he might have done the same thing under the same circumstances.
In Isaiah 65:1-5, we read of ancient Judah's attitude toward people who were sinners. God condemns the people who, while they themselves were sinners, said to other sinners, "Stand by your self, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou." This "holier than thou" attitude is typical of a self-righteous person. Not being able to see his own faults and sins, he is critical of others' mistakes and shortcomings.
The parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) gives us a good example of a self-righteous person. Three characters are mentioned in this parable, though we often overlook the elder brother of the prodigal son.
The elder brother was angry when the prodigal son received forgiveness. He lacked compassion for his licentious, wastrel brother, and was not happy to see him rescued from destitution and at home once again. He was proud of his own obedience while his brother sinned. Thus he was very self-oriented.
And lacking compassion, the elder brother was unable to understand that his brother had changed and repented. He thought his brother's return merely meant he — the "faithful" one — was about to lose even more of his patrimony. He was angry at his father for giving more of it to the spendthrift son. In his self-righteousness, he felt that he had been overlooked by his father.
Have you ever been prevented from having and expressing true Christian love and doing good deeds for others by similar feelings? Examine yourself to see if you have compassion for your fellow man — especially for your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Self-Pity
The sixth sign or symptom of self-righteousness is self-pity. We read in Genesis 4:13 that Cain said to God "My punishment is greater than I can bear." In this sense, Cain was self-righteous. He did not want to change his attitude; he didn't ask forgiveness for his sin; he just wanted to wallow in self-pity.
Was God so harsh that Cain could not have found forgiveness? The point is that Cain didn't feel truly sorry for his sin. He didn't want to repent. When he was punished, he only felt sorry for himself!
Self-pity is a cancer of the spiritual life. It eats away at a person's morale and well-being and destroys the desire to fight back at one's sins and hurdle one's difficulties.
Self-pity is a self-defeating attitude, You may recognize wrong in your life, you may see your mistakes, but self-pity will cause you to act as if the situation is hopeless. Self-pity is expressed in the attitude, "Que sera, sera — whatever will be, will be." Rather than change, fighting to pull yourself out of the rut, you just accept the way things are. But self-pity will never make you happy because it is a symptom of self-righteousness!
Justification of Sins
The seventh and last symptom of self-righteousness to be discussed in this article is justification of sin.
The truly self-righteous, self-oriented person will justify his own sins. Being righteous in his own eyes, it is easy for him to think he does not have any real sins. So when a fault or a problem is pointed out to him, he justifies and excuses it. This justification makes wrong seem right in his eyes.
Long before he comes to the point of calling out and out sin right and good, however, the self-righteous person hides his eyes from his own sins.
In Revelation 3:17 we see how this self-righteous attitude works. A great deal of self-righteousness is imputed to the Laodiceans. They have an "answer for everything," including their spiritual slothfulness. In the eyes of God, they are "lukewarm and neither cold nor hot...." But not so in their own eyes. They say, "I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing ...." They justify their lukewarm attitude. In their own minds they make it right.
In Job 32:1-2, we find that Job "justified himself rather than God." Job was experiencing a physical trial. He was seemingly being punished by God. So he searched his own heart but could not find a reason for his plight. Therefore, Job concluded that since he was not wrong, God had to be at fault. He felt all of his trials were totally undeserved — that God was unfair and unjust for treating him in such a manner. He wanted to argue the point with God.
In one translation we read that Job wanted an umpire or an unbiased judge to sit in judgment between him and God (Job 23). This is the height of self-righteousness!
God finally answered Job's self-justifying argument in Job 40:8, "Will you also disannul my judgment? Will you condemn me, that you may be righteous?" This, in fact, is what had happened.
Then God was able to convince Job that his attitude was wrong and Job finally saw his own folly. We read his repentant words in Job 42:3, "Therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not." He had come to real repentance, loathed himself, surrendered to God and now repented in dust and ashes (Job 42:6).
SELF-Righteousness — or GOD'S Righteousness?
Job had earlier said, as we read in Job 29:14, "I put on righteousness and it clothed me...." And he continued to boast of himself. But that righteousness clearly was not God's righteousness.
In Philippians 3:4-9 the Apostle Paul plainly defined the difference between human self-righteousness and God's righteousness. Paul began by listing the various things he could be "proud" of. He then went on to show in verse 8 that he counted all of these past glories as nothing — as so much dung!
In verse 9 we read why he had given it up, "[To] be found in him [Christ], not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is [comes] through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is OF God by faith."
Paul recognized the difference between self-righteousness and God's righteousness. Before his conversion, Paul had been self-righteous. But after his conversion he became filled with God's righteousness as a result of the faith of Christ in him.
In Romans 10:1-3, Paul showed the difference between the Israelites' righteousness and God's righteousness. Lacking the Holy Spirit, the Israelites
tried to establish their own righteousness, which became self-righteousness. In verse 3 we read, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God."
Brethren, are any of us still trying to do the same thing?
Seek God's Righteousness
Jesus said that of Himself He could do nothing (John 5:19). He knew it. He admitted it. As a result His righteousness was not self-righteousness; it was God's righteousness. He did not trust in His own power to be righteous. He prayed without ceasing and asked God to impart His righteousness to Him.
And just as Jesus looked to His Father for that strength, so we are admonished to "seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness..." (Matt. 6:33).
The fight against self-righteousness is a constant battle. It involves daily contact with God through prayer and Bible study — having God and Christ through the Holy Spirit living in you. As God continues to live in you, His righteousness will replace self-righteousness.
Galatians 2:20 shows Paul lived with the power of Christ in him. It was his contact with God that gave him the righteousness that he manifested daily. Zechariah 4:6 also explains it: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." It is total trust in God for the righteousness that can make you truly righteous. We must do our part, certainly, but the real strength and the help to do it comes from God. And we must seek His help in prayer every day.
So during this Passover season, let's each examine himself or herself, searching our hearts and examining our motives, and begin to root out every trace and vestige of self-righteousness!
by Stephen Martin January-March 1973 GOOD NEWS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brought to you as a Study Resource by the
Church of God Faithful Flock
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