Tag Archives: Ephesians

Having the proper attitude matters

Posted on December 10, 2014 by | Comments Off on Having the proper attitude matters

bible-sepiaIn Monday’s post, we shared about making the decision on becoming an obedient servant of Christ. As I was preparing the notes and scripture references for it, I began to realize that I hadn’t even covered an important part of the lesson – having the proper attitude – and already had a long post. As a part of our decision to place ourselves in the position of being a servant for the Lord Jesus Christ, we must do so with the proper attitude. Actually, this important part of our faith has a profound impact on our spiritual growth, our relationship with other Christians, our church we attend, and even our own walk with the Lord.  Our attitude affects so much more than what we sometimes like to admit.

Having the proper attitude is important as we try to live daily for the Lord. Through the leading of the Holy Spirit, And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offering and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22). The Lord counts our obedience as being more important to Him than any sacrifice that we could ever make but that obedience must be with the proper attitude. David wrote, I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore (Psalms 86:12) and I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word (Psalms 119:58). In both of these verses, we see that David has set the Lord as his heart’s desire. In spite of all David’s failings and faults, and in spite of the sins he committed, David had the proper attitude towards the Lord. He wanted to serve the Lord, to study the scriptures, and to please the Lord in all that he did.

The Bible often uses common relationships to teach some of its most simplest truths. Having the proper attitude is one of these truths. There are many passages where marriage, friendships, and even the relationship of a master and servant are used to illustrate this teaching. As any person who has been married knows, there is no such thing as just giving marriage fifty percent and it work. Personally, I believe that is why so many marriages in our nation are failing today because we enter into them with the attitude of “I’m going to give my fifty percent, do my part, and don’t expect anything more…” Ask any couple that has been married for forty or fifty years or more and a few things that each have in common: the attitude of both husband and wife is one of whatever comes up, they are in the marriage until death, they don’t keep score and there is no thing as a fifty/fifty marriage as both give all they can to one another, and everything they do, they do in submission to each other and the Lord.  They do these things not because they have to, but because they want to – they have the proper attitude within their marriage. When we read our Bible, when we pray, when we give tithes and offerings, the Lord does not want us to do these things because we have to, but because we want to out of our love for Him – we must have the proper attitude or all that we do for the Lord will come up short.

There is a story told in the beginning of the Bible that demonstrates how having the proper attitude pleases the Lord. There are two parts to the story, but the first one is And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering – God accepted the offering because it had been done with an attitude of obedience. It had been carefully prepared to meet the exact standards that God required (Genesis 4:4). God accepted Abel’s sacrifice because it had been offered in the way that had been prescribed by the Lord, but because it was offered with the proper attitude of gratefulness and worship the Lord desired. The second part of the story, And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell (Genesis 4:3, 5) shows that Cain did the opposite. He attempted to approach God on his own terms, he did not come to worship God with an attitude of obedience, gratefulness, and worship,  but an attitude of disobedience and defiance. The result was that God rejected Cain’s offering.

Within the writings of the apostle Paul, the importance of having the proper attitude is also taught in the verse,  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). Although most people associate this verse with giving of tithes and offerings, it actually applies to all that we do. Whatever we are doing for the Lord, we must have the proper attitude. It is not enough just to go through the motions of doing something for the Lord. It must come from our heart. This is really nothing new, because even during the exodus out of Egypt, the Lord told Moses, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering (Exodus 25:2). From my understanding of this verse, the Levites were only instructed to accept the offerings that came from those who had the proper attitude. Could you imagine if more people had their tithes and offerings received at the local church returned to them if their giving was out of the wrong attitude?

Again, the apostle Paul adds to this concept of having the proper attitude when giving by writing to the Christians at Corinth, For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not (2 Corinthians 8:12), clearly teaching that there must be a willing mind and not one that simply gives out of duty. So much of what we do as Christians depends on us having the proper attitude. some of the clearest warnings about the importance of the attitude are found in these verses: And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever (1 Chronicles 28:9), I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 17:10), and Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart (Ephesians 6:6). So it becomes important for us to not only be an obedient servant, but whatever we do, we do it with the proper attitude.

 

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A commonsense faith in Christ

Posted on December 3, 2014 by | Comments Off on A commonsense faith in Christ

bible_and_candle_krx5While growing up, one of my favorite shows I loved to watch was the Andy Griffith Show. Some of the things that drew me to that television show was the way that Sheriff Taylor was able to take a complex problem and find a commonsense solution for it and when Opie would find himself in trouble and again, Sheriff Taylor would use good old-fashioned commonsense to steer Opie into making the right decision. Although I have had a lot of people tell me that the show does not show reality, I often think that one of society’s biggest problems is the knack to take something simple and turn it into a complex process. The Andy Griffith Show’s popularity was not that it was a complex, advanced, and witty television show; it was quite the opposite. It was a simple show that relied on country wisdom, commonsense solutions to life’s problems, and had a natural appeal to its audience.

A commonsense faith of promise

Earlier this week, while I was on the community college campus before class, a former student stopped me in the parking lot and began to ask me questions about my faith. After a few minutes of answering some very basic questions, the student actually said, “Mr. Simmons, that’s why I like asking you questions about Christianity. You always give a commonsense answer that makes it easy to understand and simple…” I had never really thought about it before yesterday, but just as with everything else, we have changed the simplicity of the gospel into a complex religion that no longer has the appeal of being a simple faith. I believe that this is one of the reasons for Jesus’ warning: Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein (Mark 10:15). When I think of my four-year old daughter, there are things she just accepts as fact; she doesn’t seek an explanation. During the summer, while coming home one night from church, she asked about why the moon was so bright. After I told her that it was because there were no clouds in the sky and the moon was a circle, the light seemed brighter. Her response to my answer was, “wow, that’s neat!” There was no other explanation needed because the simplest answer I could give met her needs.

The faith that Jesus was teaching to the crowds, the faith that would ultimately become known as Christianity, was from its beginning to be a simple faith. Jesus taught this concept by example: And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:2-4). Jesus is not saying that we have to accept Jesus when we are a child to be saved, but what He is saying is that we simply need to take Him at his word. Just as my daughter took me at my word in the explanation about the brightness of the moon, as an adult, I need to be willing to accept what the Lord says at His word. This was something that the Lord continually taught, even in the presence of the religious leaders during His time on Earth. The gospels are full of encounters where Jesus explained in a commonsense way, the very meaning of the laws and practices that the Jewish scholars had made overly complex with their traditions.

One of the best examples of Jesus’ confrontations with the religious leaders during the days of His earthly ministry is found in the gospel of Mark: And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:  And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question (Mark 12:28-34).

Continued on next page.

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Beware of growing icicles

Posted on December 1, 2014 by | Comments Off on Beware of growing icicles

Icicles13There’s a Christmas movie where the main character, a young boy, has just gotten his desired present – a Red Ryder BB gun – and in his haste to take out the imaginary bandits, he shoots a paper target taped to a metal sign. The BB ricocheted and hits his glasses. Fearing the wrath of his father and the “See, I told you so…” of his mother, he concocted a story that he was shooting icicles off the roof and one hit him in the eye. His mother, apparently willing to believe his story, adds “those icicles can be dangerous, you’re lucky it didn’t put your eye out…”  There is a profound but simple lesson and warning within her simple statement: beware of growing icicles.

Icicles do not start off large, but start with a single drop of water that freezes. Under the right conditions, freezing temperature and more water, they will begin to grow larger and larger. When I was still in the military, I remember one February where I and a few others from the office I worked in had been tasked to go outside and break off the icicles that were hanging off the fire escape to prevent them from falling and hurting someone below. Just as growing icicles can grow to become dangerous, we can foster growing icicles within our heart. Just as an icicle starts as a drop of water, an unkind word or deed done is all it takes to begin the process within our hearts. Once that seed is planted and it takes root, it begins to grow. There’s a warning about this found within the Bible: Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief (Proverbs 28:14). When we allow our hurt feelings to dominate our spiritual life we essentially put our fleshly nature ahead of the Lord. This is one of the many reasons that the Lord warned us during His earthly ministry: No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).

We’ve all had someone at church or within our family, someone who we know is a Christian, say something or do something that causes us to hurt. Oftentimes, it is unintentional and no harm was ever meant. Instead of talking to the other person, we will often bury the hurt for any number of reasons; maybe it is because we are ashamed we were hurt so easily, maybe we don’t want to admit that the person actually hurt us, or maybe we think we are keeping the peace. Whatever the reason may be, we forget the advice given by the apostle Paul, Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath (Ephesians 4:26). When we think about wrath, most of us think of someone having an intense anger; however, there are times that anger is driven by hurt feelings. I know that there have been times I decided not to follow Paul’s advice and before I knew it, my hurt feelings, the anger, and even confusion over the entire situation began impacting my walk with the Lord. Soon, things that I once found comfort and joy in didn’t appeal to me. I was allowing the growing icicles to gain strength and size.

It is hard to appreciate the blessings and joy that the Lord brings into our lives when we have allowed our love of the Lord to be overcome with hurt and sorrow. We begin to question the motives of those who do try to reach out to us. We lash out at the smallest gesture of concern or kindness, often accusing them of either not understanding what we are feeling or being less than sincere in their efforts. It becomes easy to hide from others and to become spiritually cold, bitter, and shut off from others as the icicles begin to grow larger. I believe this is exactly what David was experiencing when he wrote, Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. T0 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit (Psalms 51:7-12) . David has emotionally reached the stage where he realizes what is going on and is asking the Lord to help him to overcome the hardening of his heart. He wants to be restored to the place where he was truly joyful in his salvation.

Allowing our hearts to become hardened is actually harboring sin. As I look back at the times I had allowed my heart to grow cold, I now think of the admonition of the apostle Paul, This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart (Ephesians 4:17-18). As Christians, we shouldn’t harbor ill feelings the way we did before we knew the Lord Jesus as our personal savior. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to be filled with coldness and bitterness simply to find ourselves alienated from the Lord because we are unwilling to forgive someone else because they have wronged us. During his earthly ministry, Jesus even warned But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses (Mark 11:26). When we hold onto our bitterness and our hurt feelings, we place a wall between ourselves and the Lord. It does not change that we are a child of God, but it does prevent us from being in a place of blessing.

The question becomes how should I handle this hurt caused by someone else and the answer is found in scripture. The apostle Paul wrote Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof (Romans 13:10-14). The first step is ours – we must show the love of Christ towards others, even those who we believed have wronged us.

There is no excuse or justification for us to ever allow our hearts to become bitter and hardened. Paul ends the passage by telling us to put on Christ and don’t give a place to the flesh. Don’t give in to the temptation to grow bitter. Don’t give in to the temptation to let the hurt fester. Follow the model of Christ: Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do… (Luke 23:34). It is the opposite of what the flesh wants to do. It is the opposite of what the world teaches. It is why Paul wrote, If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:21-24). 

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