Together # 45
A Together of Involvement in the World
A Together of Involvement in the World
Be Wise and Win the Respect of Outsiders
copyright by Dick Wulf, 2018
Use God's wisdom in dealing with nonbelievers. Work together with other Christians to solve confusing situations involving non-Christians. In doing so, God's name will be glorified.
Prov 2:6; Matt 5:16; Col 4:5; 1 Thess 4:12; 1 Tim 3:7
The church of the New Testament was instructed to wisely relate to those who did not believe in Jesus. We can safely assume that the need for the unbelievers around us to respect us today is for the very same reasons. Our Lord wants Christians to live in such a way in the midst of non-Christians that, even though they do not agree with us, they have respect for us. This is both so that we can go about living together as Christians in peace as well as that God may be glorified.
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
Col 4:5
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
Col 4:5 (NIV)
Col 4:5
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
Col 4:5 (NIV)
The brand new churches meeting in homes were vulnerable to persecution, particularly from Jewish non-believers. The Apostle Paul would come to a new Gentile city and teach about Jesus. Many would respond and believe. Then a few opponents would provoke crowds against the apostles and other church leaders. The need to have outsiders think well of the Christians was so that they could go about living God’s way with minimal disruption from opposition. These beginning churches needed peace so that they could develop. It was a whole lot easier if those outside of the church regarded them positively. When allegations were made against them, it helped to have their neighbors and the Romans in power think well of them.
. . . aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
1 Thess 4:11-12
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Even the top church leaders, the elders, were to be respected by those outside of the faith.
[Therefore an overseer] . . . .
Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders,
so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
1 Tim 3:7
Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders,
so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
1 Tim 3:7
We must win the respect of unbelieving society and its people in two ways, each one of the Togethers of Scripture. (1) We are to be salt to the world and make it a better place to live, and (2) we are to live true to the Bible in our interactions with outsiders. This respect opens the door for us to proclaim the gospel.
It is wise as well as our critical responsibility to positively impact secular society. It is tragic for the culture to be without Christian influence. Christians together are to impact society for the overall good. And most of that impact will come from Christian friendships, Christian families, and Christian marriages stepping up to help their unbelieving acquaintances and communities. Nothing can beat personalized love. Church programs are good, but they can be more organizational than personal. (This way of relating to outsiders that can help them respect us is covered by the Together to be salt together in the world.)
This Together is to be wise in interacting with non-believing people and society (Col 4:5). It is to have lives true to Scripture, living our faith in such a way that those outside of Christianity respect us. They may not agree with us, and they may not particularly like us. But, they might respect us and our faith if we live what we believe.
It takes wisdom to interact with unbelievers in such a way that they will respect us even though we live differently than they and our biblical way often challenges their morals. (1) First of all, we must not be hypocritical and deserve their disrespect. We must live what we preach. (2) Secondly, we should not provoke them by forcing on them or expecting from them Christian values and behaviors that can only be powered by the Holy Spirit.
We need each other if we are to live wisely and gain respect of those who are uncomfortable around us, oppose us, or despise us. It can be particularly difficult and complicated to maintain a loving response to criticism, derision, and occasional outright attacks from outsiders, especially those with whom we have close relationships.
Let’s first look at living our faith so that outsiders don’t scoff at us for saying one thing and doing another.
We have all known people who talked of righteousness that they were not even trying to live. Unbelievers can respect us if we, for example, believe in forgiving others but sometimes struggle to do so. What earns their disrespect is knowing that Christ taught forgiveness and seeing Christians comfortable with unforgiveness and revenge.
Those in our extended families who do not know Christ look carefully at us, ready to criticize our faith for its lack of application to real life. An uncle who wants to dismiss Christian truth as superstition, for example, will be looking for inconsistencies of faith in his niece’s Christian family. Particularly juicy for his appetite will be unloving behavior within that family without recognition that sin has been committed and forgiveness requested.
If an electrician says he is well-trained and makes mistakes on the electrical work we have him do for us, we do not respect him. We may tell others not to use him. If that electrician advertises as a Christian and does a poor job, we not only do not respect him as an electrician but also as a Christian.
If we loan a tool to an unbelieving neighbor, good for us. If, however, that neighbor breaks it by accident and we become overly upset and do not have the peace of God in us because He will provide for us, we do not live out the life we say we have in Christ. To the extent that our neighbor knows what the Bible teaches, he or she will see that we don’t truly believe what the Bible says about God’s provision and develop disrespect for us. If that neighbor knows no other Christians who live the Bible, the disrespect will not be just for us but for Christianity itself.
Think of the Amish people. Both Christians and non-Christians do not believe what they believe about lifestyle, but they respect them for their consistency. And they let them be. They even put up with horses dropping road apples on the streets.
If we are to be respected by the unbelievers around us, we need to live consistently with our beliefs. Nobody listens or respects us if we speak like a Christian but do not live like one.
Secondly, we will be respected if we respect the right of outsiders to live like outsiders, as long as it is within the law. (Remember that respect does not mean agreement or approval.) We are not to approve of behavior dishonoring to God, but by trying to force them to do only what the redeemed can do will provoke disrespect and opposition.
We have to ask ourselves how similar to the beginning church God wants us to be now. The early church focused on their own society of believers, instructing them how to live to honor God. They were to be “in” Christ and act like it. They were struggling to comprehend and implement faith coming out of the new reality that Jesus had died for their sins, cleansed them, brought them into the presence of God, and given them an eternal home in heaven.
These early Christians had their hands full trying to grasp and live out new beliefs and behaviors. They did not try to change the behaviors of heathens. Instead, they focused on helping new believers let go of their old sinful selves as well as demonic supernaturalism. Eventually, by living a faith that turned heads, the Roman Empire became Christian, not by political action, but by the power of God in the church that convinced Romans to take a close look.
Let’s take the hottest topic I can imagine: abortion. Hopefully, we Christians want it stopped.
While we battle to remove laws that make abortion easy for those getting pregnant through recreational sex, we spark hostility in the ranks of those who do not believe the Bible and its prohibition of killing needlessly. If it were not for the testimony of our value to society, we might not be able to live as peacefully as we do in our culture. Yet, are we going to turn things around just by legal action? And, if not, what can we do to gain such respect that might lead to eventual change in the laws? We can start by exercising the sacrificial love of our faith, living the Bible, rather than hoping non-Christians will live like born-again believers.
What if we were to save babies rather than just trying to stop abortion? While secondarily working to change abortion laws, we could live in such a way that proves we really, really value children in the womb. We could ask every middle class Christian to do without one vacation every five years to save a child. Then we could offer a pregnant woman who might want an abortion the option to live with a Christian household and be paid to bring the child into the world.
Outsiders might not like our opposition to their laws, but they would appreciate that we “meant business” and were offering a solution other than abortion. They would certainly see that we believed what we preached.
Eventually there would be so many children saved, who lived rather than died, who played in neighborhoods and attended schools, that supporting abortion would be acknowledged as callous and evil. Then many wanting abortion to stay legal would change their minds because they would know and interact with non-aborted children in their extended families, neighborhoods and schools.
We need to be more courageous and focus more on what we can do within the church rather than controlling those outside of it. This does not necessarily call into question our trying to impact and control society through laws, but it questions whether or not we are starting with ourselves to do all we can to have our opponents respect us. Even though they disagree with us, they would listen to our actions that will be more powerful than our words.
Opportunity to Become More and More Like Jesus Christ
It is wise as well as our critical responsibility to positively impact secular society. It is tragic for the culture to be without Christian influence. Christians together are to impact society for the overall good. And most of that impact will come from Christian friendships, Christian families, and Christian marriages stepping up to help their unbelieving acquaintances and communities. Nothing can beat personalized love. Church programs are good, but they can be more organizational than personal. (This way of relating to outsiders that can help them respect us is covered by the Together to be salt together in the world.)
This Together is to be wise in interacting with non-believing people and society (Col 4:5). It is to have lives true to Scripture, living our faith in such a way that those outside of Christianity respect us. They may not agree with us, and they may not particularly like us. But, they might respect us and our faith if we live what we believe.
It takes wisdom to interact with unbelievers in such a way that they will respect us even though we live differently than they and our biblical way often challenges their morals. (1) First of all, we must not be hypocritical and deserve their disrespect. We must live what we preach. (2) Secondly, we should not provoke them by forcing on them or expecting from them Christian values and behaviors that can only be powered by the Holy Spirit.
We need each other if we are to live wisely and gain respect of those who are uncomfortable around us, oppose us, or despise us. It can be particularly difficult and complicated to maintain a loving response to criticism, derision, and occasional outright attacks from outsiders, especially those with whom we have close relationships.
Let’s first look at living our faith so that outsiders don’t scoff at us for saying one thing and doing another.
We have all known people who talked of righteousness that they were not even trying to live. Unbelievers can respect us if we, for example, believe in forgiving others but sometimes struggle to do so. What earns their disrespect is knowing that Christ taught forgiveness and seeing Christians comfortable with unforgiveness and revenge.
Those in our extended families who do not know Christ look carefully at us, ready to criticize our faith for its lack of application to real life. An uncle who wants to dismiss Christian truth as superstition, for example, will be looking for inconsistencies of faith in his niece’s Christian family. Particularly juicy for his appetite will be unloving behavior within that family without recognition that sin has been committed and forgiveness requested.
If an electrician says he is well-trained and makes mistakes on the electrical work we have him do for us, we do not respect him. We may tell others not to use him. If that electrician advertises as a Christian and does a poor job, we not only do not respect him as an electrician but also as a Christian.
If we loan a tool to an unbelieving neighbor, good for us. If, however, that neighbor breaks it by accident and we become overly upset and do not have the peace of God in us because He will provide for us, we do not live out the life we say we have in Christ. To the extent that our neighbor knows what the Bible teaches, he or she will see that we don’t truly believe what the Bible says about God’s provision and develop disrespect for us. If that neighbor knows no other Christians who live the Bible, the disrespect will not be just for us but for Christianity itself.
Think of the Amish people. Both Christians and non-Christians do not believe what they believe about lifestyle, but they respect them for their consistency. And they let them be. They even put up with horses dropping road apples on the streets.
If we are to be respected by the unbelievers around us, we need to live consistently with our beliefs. Nobody listens or respects us if we speak like a Christian but do not live like one.
Secondly, we will be respected if we respect the right of outsiders to live like outsiders, as long as it is within the law. (Remember that respect does not mean agreement or approval.) We are not to approve of behavior dishonoring to God, but by trying to force them to do only what the redeemed can do will provoke disrespect and opposition.
We have to ask ourselves how similar to the beginning church God wants us to be now. The early church focused on their own society of believers, instructing them how to live to honor God. They were to be “in” Christ and act like it. They were struggling to comprehend and implement faith coming out of the new reality that Jesus had died for their sins, cleansed them, brought them into the presence of God, and given them an eternal home in heaven.
These early Christians had their hands full trying to grasp and live out new beliefs and behaviors. They did not try to change the behaviors of heathens. Instead, they focused on helping new believers let go of their old sinful selves as well as demonic supernaturalism. Eventually, by living a faith that turned heads, the Roman Empire became Christian, not by political action, but by the power of God in the church that convinced Romans to take a close look.
Let’s take the hottest topic I can imagine: abortion. Hopefully, we Christians want it stopped.
While we battle to remove laws that make abortion easy for those getting pregnant through recreational sex, we spark hostility in the ranks of those who do not believe the Bible and its prohibition of killing needlessly. If it were not for the testimony of our value to society, we might not be able to live as peacefully as we do in our culture. Yet, are we going to turn things around just by legal action? And, if not, what can we do to gain such respect that might lead to eventual change in the laws? We can start by exercising the sacrificial love of our faith, living the Bible, rather than hoping non-Christians will live like born-again believers.
What if we were to save babies rather than just trying to stop abortion? While secondarily working to change abortion laws, we could live in such a way that proves we really, really value children in the womb. We could ask every middle class Christian to do without one vacation every five years to save a child. Then we could offer a pregnant woman who might want an abortion the option to live with a Christian household and be paid to bring the child into the world.
Outsiders might not like our opposition to their laws, but they would appreciate that we “meant business” and were offering a solution other than abortion. They would certainly see that we believed what we preached.
Eventually there would be so many children saved, who lived rather than died, who played in neighborhoods and attended schools, that supporting abortion would be acknowledged as callous and evil. Then many wanting abortion to stay legal would change their minds because they would know and interact with non-aborted children in their extended families, neighborhoods and schools.
We need to be more courageous and focus more on what we can do within the church rather than controlling those outside of it. This does not necessarily call into question our trying to impact and control society through laws, but it questions whether or not we are starting with ourselves to do all we can to have our opponents respect us. Even though they disagree with us, they would listen to our actions that will be more powerful than our words.
Opportunity to Become More and More Like Jesus Christ
One of the reasons that the members of Trinity Church are tolerated in their city and respected by community leaders is that they take the time to be careful about how they act with nonbelievers. Even though the non-Christians of their community know they are very different morally and spiritually, the members of Trinity never act better than others.
In larger congregational fellowships, Trinity Church leaders often role play complex predicaments dealing with outsiders and discuss Christlike ways of handling them. Then real life situations are discussed in Christian friendships, families and marriages as they arise. These circumstances require such attention to Scripture and how Jesus handled people that members of Trinity Church are becoming exceptionally more like their Savior. |
Jesus acted completely consistent what He taught. Thus, Jesus had the respect of even those who did not believe in Him for salvation. Our Lord only had real trouble with the ultra-religious Jews, and they were held in check because the common people respected Jesus so much. When we live consistent with what we believe to be true in the Bible, we are being like Jesus.
But, we need to do this together. Jesus being both fully God and fully human could operate totally within truth by Himself. We, on the other hand, are descended from Adam whom God declared would need help. Therefore, we must assist one another to be wise and win the respect of outsiders. It is Jesus and Christianity that we represent. It might not be so destructive if unbelievers do not respect one of us if all of us together live as though the Bible is truly God speaking to us and, thus, very true.
Christians say they believe in heaven as their real and final home. Do we live like heaven is real? If so, unbelievers would see us wanting to change spiritually more and more in order to prepare for citizenship there. They would see us interacting with one another to encourage change into godliness (aka Christlikeness), the only type of “ness” allowed in heaven.
Do we live like this is the only opportunity for enjoyment in life? When we are older, do we act as if we have eternally lost recreational pursuits we enjoyed earlier in life?
People who have no concept of heaven might think we are foolish to not take them up on offers of luxury because we are committed that day to help someone move. We can tell them, “Gee, I would love to go fishing on your boat with you this weekend, but there are people in my church who need a hand moving. I guess I will have to catch up on fishing when I get to heaven. But, I hope you will invite me again.” They will very likely respect us for helping others out, but be watching to see if we really believe in heaven.
Jesus also did not expect those who did not believe to live for God. He urged everyone to have faith and then live for God. He did not pressure people to live righteously. But He sure did invite them to do so, often lending them a vision of how good it would be.
But, we need to do this together. Jesus being both fully God and fully human could operate totally within truth by Himself. We, on the other hand, are descended from Adam whom God declared would need help. Therefore, we must assist one another to be wise and win the respect of outsiders. It is Jesus and Christianity that we represent. It might not be so destructive if unbelievers do not respect one of us if all of us together live as though the Bible is truly God speaking to us and, thus, very true.
Christians say they believe in heaven as their real and final home. Do we live like heaven is real? If so, unbelievers would see us wanting to change spiritually more and more in order to prepare for citizenship there. They would see us interacting with one another to encourage change into godliness (aka Christlikeness), the only type of “ness” allowed in heaven.
Do we live like this is the only opportunity for enjoyment in life? When we are older, do we act as if we have eternally lost recreational pursuits we enjoyed earlier in life?
People who have no concept of heaven might think we are foolish to not take them up on offers of luxury because we are committed that day to help someone move. We can tell them, “Gee, I would love to go fishing on your boat with you this weekend, but there are people in my church who need a hand moving. I guess I will have to catch up on fishing when I get to heaven. But, I hope you will invite me again.” They will very likely respect us for helping others out, but be watching to see if we really believe in heaven.
Jesus also did not expect those who did not believe to live for God. He urged everyone to have faith and then live for God. He did not pressure people to live righteously. But He sure did invite them to do so, often lending them a vision of how good it would be.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.”
Matt 5:6
for they shall be satisfied.”
Matt 5:6
And Jesus did not threaten, as we might be tempted to do. But, He did state facts that He knew were true.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Matt 6:24
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Jesus did not say, “You better not live for money!” He calmly stated truth without forcing it on those who were listening.
Therefore, to be wise and win the respect of the unbelieving we must live in line with our faith. We must be like Jesus, whom most unbelievers respect.
Opportunity to Worship God
Therefore, to be wise and win the respect of the unbelieving we must live in line with our faith. We must be like Jesus, whom most unbelievers respect.
Opportunity to Worship God
The Sandoval Family is participating in the national movement called “Redeem for the Redeemer” where churches compensate someone who was bound and determined to abort her child. Rescuing children in this way stops the murder and opens up adoption rather than abortion.
When their church announced this opportunity to redeem the unborn, the Sandovals immediately saw it as parallel to Jesus purchasing them to save them from death. They determined that it would be a worshipful way not only to follow in the footsteps of Jesus but to express their thankfulness to God for their own redemption. The Sandoval Family is not a wealthy middle-class family. So, they convinced their good friends Mark and Jessie to also help financially to save an unborn child. A single woman from their church also joined in, and all gave up a vacation to free up funds. It costs about $2,500 to save a child this way, less than to buy a used car in its last days. The woman who would carry her child to term would to be paid $200 a month and $1,000 after delivery. Pregnant women who come from impoverished situations or hostile environments usually need housing for up to nine months. This was true of the pregnant, reluctant mother whose baby is being redeemed by the Sandoval Team. The Sandoval’s church recruited three homes to provide housing and shelter rotating two times at six weeks each. The primary reason for this was to have some safeguard against a family or two roommates abusing the pregnant mother in any way. Since mean behavior or any inappropriate sexual conduct would likely be reported to the next host home, this provided a deterrent that was not likely to be needed but all too necessary. Of course, the church screened homes beforehand as well. The Sandovals hosted the first six-weeks and have the fourth shift beginning soon. They have two daughters ages 12 and 15 who have already witnessed the discomfort and struggles of the pregnant woman who wishes she was not. This has convinced them to not go the way of the humanist culture that surrounds them, and they decided to stay pure until marriage. The pregnant woman has never been so surrounded by loving people in her life. The three host homes have taken her in, helped her make plans for her life, showed her God’s love, and told her about the new life available through Jesus Christ. Who knows, maybe she will decide to keep and raise her baby. Maybe she will also enter the kingdom of God. |
God has given us the ability to work together and be wise in order to win the respect of outsiders. When we help one another live by the truth of the Bible and not return evil for evil, always be truthful in a helpful way whether or not it is received correctly, solve problems rather than get even, and always act for the other’s good, we worship God by reflecting back to Him his own consistently righteous behavior.
God is holy and pure, and He doesn’t ever change. In our efforts to not be hypocritical, we must help one another be persistent in righteousness, as is God. Our Christian Inner Circles, everyone guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit, should be activated to make sure our faith is consistent with our beliefs. This is primarily for God, but also to gain the respect of others. Our dependability in our faith is worship because it reflects to God His own unchanging righteousness.
God never contradicts Himself. To gain the respect of outsiders, as well as one another, we do not want our behavior to contradict our faith. Helping one another steadily match behavior with beliefs is critical to gaining the respect of outsiders. Even more importantly, it is worship that honors God and brings Him praise.
God also does not force Himself on others. He offers salvation, even empowers it, but He does not force people to accept salvation in Christ. So, when we live out our faith before others consistently without hypocrisy and then explain our faith without being so forceful as to generate insincere statements of belief from outsiders, we reflect God’s way of bringing people to Himself.
Since God says it is okay for people to believe other religions, we can do the same. God does not say their religions are true, but He lets them exercise their own choice of religion and still tries to communicate His love. He lets a Buddhist be a Buddhist, but He sends His rain for the Buddhist to grow food.
God is holy and pure, and He doesn’t ever change. In our efforts to not be hypocritical, we must help one another be persistent in righteousness, as is God. Our Christian Inner Circles, everyone guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit, should be activated to make sure our faith is consistent with our beliefs. This is primarily for God, but also to gain the respect of others. Our dependability in our faith is worship because it reflects to God His own unchanging righteousness.
God never contradicts Himself. To gain the respect of outsiders, as well as one another, we do not want our behavior to contradict our faith. Helping one another steadily match behavior with beliefs is critical to gaining the respect of outsiders. Even more importantly, it is worship that honors God and brings Him praise.
God also does not force Himself on others. He offers salvation, even empowers it, but He does not force people to accept salvation in Christ. So, when we live out our faith before others consistently without hypocrisy and then explain our faith without being so forceful as to generate insincere statements of belief from outsiders, we reflect God’s way of bringing people to Himself.
Since God says it is okay for people to believe other religions, we can do the same. God does not say their religions are true, but He lets them exercise their own choice of religion and still tries to communicate His love. He lets a Buddhist be a Buddhist, but He sends His rain for the Buddhist to grow food.
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Matt 5:44-46
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How good are we at dealing with people’s free will to chose something other than the Way of God? All around us are hedonists, Christians in name only, atheists, agnostics, Muslims and others. Do we get upset with them that they are what they are? Jesus started His communication with us as we were – sinners. He showed us love, not scorn.
If we are to win the respect of outsiders, we need to do it the way Jesus did and still does. This is worship.
What is not worship is telling people off for believing what they believe. Why, if they were to do that to us, and sometimes they do, we would not like it and would not respect them pushing their hedonism or Islam on us.
We need to teach, counsel and disciple one another to patiently deal with those outside of our faith. We can learn to listen to them and reason with them God’s way.
If we are to win the respect of outsiders, we need to do it the way Jesus did and still does. This is worship.
What is not worship is telling people off for believing what they believe. Why, if they were to do that to us, and sometimes they do, we would not like it and would not respect them pushing their hedonism or Islam on us.
We need to teach, counsel and disciple one another to patiently deal with those outside of our faith. We can learn to listen to them and reason with them God’s way.
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 1:18-20
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 1:18-20
We can read the last part of the above passage as said harshly, but it is a warning spoken firmly, but with love. It follows an invitation to talk things out in a way that salvation and its benefits can be offered. Someone hearing it should feel fear, but respect God because of the nature of the delivery – as One who loves and does not want something disastrous to be chosen.
Imagine two women befriending an obnoxious sexual predator at work. They ask him to explain why he seems to prey on women. He responds defensively and justifies his behavior. They ask more questions with a curious, non-judgmental tone to understand him better. Then, they say, “We don’t believe what you are doing is right. It is hurtful. We would like to ask you to stop. And, we want to warn you that you are going to bring horrible things upon yourself if you keep it up. You may lose your job. Worse yet, you may meet God and be sentenced to a horrible eternity. Again, please stop. We care for you. And we care for those you are hurting.”
That man may not like these two women, but you can bet he will respect them. And, by the way they handled it, true to the Bible, they will have worshiped God.
Let’s help one another learn how to not be hypocritical and bring scorn rather than respect. Let’s also help one another to not be too forceful in imposing the way of the redeemed on those not indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This is worship because we are reflecting back to God His way of dealing with unbelievers.
How Used in Battle to Defeat Evil and Satan
Imagine two women befriending an obnoxious sexual predator at work. They ask him to explain why he seems to prey on women. He responds defensively and justifies his behavior. They ask more questions with a curious, non-judgmental tone to understand him better. Then, they say, “We don’t believe what you are doing is right. It is hurtful. We would like to ask you to stop. And, we want to warn you that you are going to bring horrible things upon yourself if you keep it up. You may lose your job. Worse yet, you may meet God and be sentenced to a horrible eternity. Again, please stop. We care for you. And we care for those you are hurting.”
That man may not like these two women, but you can bet he will respect them. And, by the way they handled it, true to the Bible, they will have worshiped God.
Let’s help one another learn how to not be hypocritical and bring scorn rather than respect. Let’s also help one another to not be too forceful in imposing the way of the redeemed on those not indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This is worship because we are reflecting back to God His way of dealing with unbelievers.
How Used in Battle to Defeat Evil and Satan
Sierra knew that she was going to an office party in a few weeks where a lot of gossiping would take place. She wanted to go and tell everyone that it was just plain wrong to talk about people behind their backs. There had been a couple of times in her past where gossip hurt her, and she had no tolerance for it. However, Sierra knew that she would come across judgmental and pompous and lose the respect of others with whom she wanted to be a witness.
Sierra sat down and considered each person in her Christian Inner Circle and picked those who seemed most familiar with such situations and seemed to have the respect of the non-Christians in their lives. Then she met with them to get their ideas on how to deal with the gossiping that was sure to come. Soon the time came for the office party at a nice restaurant. Sierra sat quietly while others gossiped about bosses and people in other departments. Some of the things said were mean-spirited, but Sierra knew these people were not dedicated to God or His ways. Furthermore, they did not have help from the Holy Spirit to convict them what was right. Since the secular culture loves gossip, their hurtful talk would not even be challenged by standard moral principles. However, Sierra is usually a talkative person and soon the group turned to her and asked why she was not saying anything. Sierra knew this would come up, and she could imagine the devil peeking around the corner waiting gleefully for her to foul up this challenging situation. But, Sierra was prepared by her Christian advisers. She answered, “As you know, I’m just a bit different than you in that I know God and have learned from the Bible that gossip hurts people. So, I do not participate. I just have been waiting for topics to change. For example, I would just love to know every person’s favorite kind of dessert.” |
We can be sure that Satan does not want us to be respected by those who do not believe, because then they might be interested in what we know to be true. Thus, the devil and his “cosmic powers over this present darkness” (Eph 6) do all they can to cause us to be hypocritical and arrogant in the expression of our faith.
Those who withhold their support for our expression of Christian faith are watching most carefully for hypocrisy. It can justify their indifference to the teachings of the Bible. Hypocrisy can bring disgrace, identified by the apostle Paul to Timothy as a snare of the devil (1 Tim 3:7). Disgrace leads to a lack of respect, allowing others to freely justify discounting anything we say. Satan is a real fan of Christian pretense of virtuous character.
If we do not prove ourselves authentic on the turf of our non-Christian counterparts, why would they listen to our witness or think that we have anything useful for them? We have to at least outdistance nonbelievers in consistency to what we believe. And let’s not put much weight in our church attendance on Sunday. They probably know that in His preaching over two thousand years ago Jesus did not say that being in church is proof of adherence to the basic truths and behaviors of Christianity.
Those who withhold their support for our expression of Christian faith are watching most carefully for hypocrisy. It can justify their indifference to the teachings of the Bible. Hypocrisy can bring disgrace, identified by the apostle Paul to Timothy as a snare of the devil (1 Tim 3:7). Disgrace leads to a lack of respect, allowing others to freely justify discounting anything we say. Satan is a real fan of Christian pretense of virtuous character.
If we do not prove ourselves authentic on the turf of our non-Christian counterparts, why would they listen to our witness or think that we have anything useful for them? We have to at least outdistance nonbelievers in consistency to what we believe. And let’s not put much weight in our church attendance on Sunday. They probably know that in His preaching over two thousand years ago Jesus did not say that being in church is proof of adherence to the basic truths and behaviors of Christianity.
He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.
Matt 13: 24-30
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Every time we think of acting outside of our basic Christian beliefs, we are battling the devil. One of the major battlegrounds is anxiety.
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Phil 4:5-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:6-8
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We believe that God will meet our needs, but do we believe more than just intellectual assent? If we lose our jobs, outsiders will be watching, and most likely caring about our situations. Will we be solid in our belief that God is in control? Will we have no anxiety and be confident that we can ask God to take care of us? Will we convey to all around us that we are open to wherever God is sending us in the way of employment? Do we know that false bravado in such a situation is different than calm assurance? Our unbelieving friends and acquaintances will question over-stated belief in God’s direction and calling.
Our Christian friends and our spouses, if we have them, will likely be the first to learn from us that we lost our jobs. Thus, they are on the front lines of battle and need to spend time with us until we have no doubt that God will watch out for us after a job has disappeared. These close persons of our Christian Inner Circles can help us downsize our lifestyles when necessary and not see it as loss but as beneficial pruning by the Lord. If they do their work, we will have that calm assurance that non-believers around us will notice, and they will respect us that we are true to our faith.
Satan also knows that people don’t like people shoving anything down their throat. Too much force backs people away, and the devil will try to get us to insensitively present our beliefs and the gospel with excessive power. We believe that God is in control, so we do not need to argue a person into the faith. Nor do we need to be overly desperate. We need to calmly present what we believe, let others tell us what they believe, give information they should consider in a tone that recognizes that they can think it through, and tell them not to take too much of a chance and wait to take God up on His offer.
Our Christian friends and our spouses, if we have them, will likely be the first to learn from us that we lost our jobs. Thus, they are on the front lines of battle and need to spend time with us until we have no doubt that God will watch out for us after a job has disappeared. These close persons of our Christian Inner Circles can help us downsize our lifestyles when necessary and not see it as loss but as beneficial pruning by the Lord. If they do their work, we will have that calm assurance that non-believers around us will notice, and they will respect us that we are true to our faith.
Satan also knows that people don’t like people shoving anything down their throat. Too much force backs people away, and the devil will try to get us to insensitively present our beliefs and the gospel with excessive power. We believe that God is in control, so we do not need to argue a person into the faith. Nor do we need to be overly desperate. We need to calmly present what we believe, let others tell us what they believe, give information they should consider in a tone that recognizes that they can think it through, and tell them not to take too much of a chance and wait to take God up on His offer.
For he [God] says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
2 Cor 6:2
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
2 Cor 6:2
We can talk over with our Christian friends, families, and spouses when we want to say something to unbelievers about the Christian faith. These trusted people can help us identify ways to convincingly present the truth we want to convey without overdoing the power tactic. If we remember that we go into battle against Satan together, we will hold off confrontations with outsiders until we have had guidance from the Holy Spirit through other Christians we trust.
Let’s recognize that every encounter with outsiders needs to fit with our faith because we are in a battle with the devil and his evil. And, let’s not fight so much with powerful argument, but with loving, gentle statements that cannot be so easily dismissed. Let’s help one another with these things necessary to gain the respect of unbelievers and influence their lives. Let’s battle Satan with truth and love.
How in the Sinful Environment this Together Prepares Us for Heaven
Let’s recognize that every encounter with outsiders needs to fit with our faith because we are in a battle with the devil and his evil. And, let’s not fight so much with powerful argument, but with loving, gentle statements that cannot be so easily dismissed. Let’s help one another with these things necessary to gain the respect of unbelievers and influence their lives. Let’s battle Satan with truth and love.
How in the Sinful Environment this Together Prepares Us for Heaven
Franklin and Lovella responded to God’s call to start a neighborhood association in their troubled area. They knew that this would surround them with all types of unbelievers. This married couple realized that they would have to rely on each other to discuss how to interact with all kinds of people.
While the relationships they fostered to build the association were based on neighborhood needs such as reducing crime and identifying needed services, Franklin and Lovella found that their faith showed though and drew attention. Mentioning these situations to their closest Christian friends and relatives, they were urged to always remember God in their interactions with those outside of the faith, to be consistent in the biblical instructions of loving others as well as to not be too forceful when someone might ask about their faith. The Holy Spirit often showed these two faithful servants of the Lord wise ways to interact and solve problems with people. |
Loyalty is at the heart of avoiding hypocrisy. It is tempting when with unbelievers to fit in and go along with their thinking and behavior. If such is consistent with our beliefs and righteousness, all is good. But, if such adaptation to the situation is not consistent with our faith, it is disloyal to our Lord and inconsistent with our beliefs. And, it is terrible preparation for heaven.
Therefore, when we have to figure out how to stay true to our faith when around outsiders, we need wisdom and loyalty to Jesus Christ. We must pray for help from the Holy Spirit which often will come through the counsel of those in our Christian Inner Circles.
Putting forth this kind of effort rather than avoiding contact with non-Christians is well worth it when we arrive in heaven. The complexity of figuring out how to handle each difficult situation trains our minds and spirits to be more and more loyal to God, His truth, and His way of living. In heaven we will have allowed our Lord to have molded us into people who know at a deeper level God’s heart about things. Even though in heaven we will not need to know how God wants us to act with unbelievers because they will not be there, it will have been great practice for thinking of God and how He wants us to treat the citizens of heaven.
There will be plenty of challenge in heaven in learning how to be sensitive to believers coming from different cultures and different centuries. How should we relate to an Aboriginal saint from Australia? How would God like us to uniquely treat them? How should we show respect for a Roman convert from the first century? Just having had a life of figuring out how to relate to unbelievers God’s way will prepare us to be thoughtful of others God loves in heaven.
There is a greater joy than being blessed by God. That is blessing Him. This transition from self-centeredness to being God-centered should, as much as possible, be made before we arrive in heaven. And, one of the things we can do to grow in our capacity to be a blessing to God is to honor truth, which is really honoring Jesus. We will be doing that forever!
Therefore, when we have to figure out how to stay true to our faith when around outsiders, we need wisdom and loyalty to Jesus Christ. We must pray for help from the Holy Spirit which often will come through the counsel of those in our Christian Inner Circles.
Putting forth this kind of effort rather than avoiding contact with non-Christians is well worth it when we arrive in heaven. The complexity of figuring out how to handle each difficult situation trains our minds and spirits to be more and more loyal to God, His truth, and His way of living. In heaven we will have allowed our Lord to have molded us into people who know at a deeper level God’s heart about things. Even though in heaven we will not need to know how God wants us to act with unbelievers because they will not be there, it will have been great practice for thinking of God and how He wants us to treat the citizens of heaven.
There will be plenty of challenge in heaven in learning how to be sensitive to believers coming from different cultures and different centuries. How should we relate to an Aboriginal saint from Australia? How would God like us to uniquely treat them? How should we show respect for a Roman convert from the first century? Just having had a life of figuring out how to relate to unbelievers God’s way will prepare us to be thoughtful of others God loves in heaven.
There is a greater joy than being blessed by God. That is blessing Him. This transition from self-centeredness to being God-centered should, as much as possible, be made before we arrive in heaven. And, one of the things we can do to grow in our capacity to be a blessing to God is to honor truth, which is really honoring Jesus. We will be doing that forever!
Jesus said to him,
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6
Loyalty to God’s truth blesses our Father in heaven. Truth tells us how to act here on earth and bless Him.
Your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Matt 6:10
on earth as it is in heaven.
Matt 6:10
That same truth will tell us how to act in heaven to bless our Lord.
Even now we should get more joy in making someone else happy than having them make us happy. To be sure, when someone does something nice for us, we should be happy and grateful. However, it is necessary spiritual growth for heaven to begin finding more joy in doing good things for others, especially for God, to make His heart glad.
Even now we should get more joy in making someone else happy than having them make us happy. To be sure, when someone does something nice for us, we should be happy and grateful. However, it is necessary spiritual growth for heaven to begin finding more joy in doing good things for others, especially for God, to make His heart glad.
“. . . and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said,
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive."
Acts 20:35b
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive."
Acts 20:35b
Taking God into account, whether with one another or in the presence of unbelievers, helps us avoid hypocrisy and prepare for heaven. How it must hurt Him when we do not live in accordance with what He has revealed to us. Imagine a father telling his little girl that he loves her very much and that daughter acting like her father does not love her, won’t protect her, and does not have what is best for her in his mind. How that would hurt.
So, the more difficult the challenges to acting consistent with our faith, the more we can gladden the heart of our Lord. Since in heaven it will be all about making God glad, anything now that can help us not betray God by acting as if the Bible is entirely true is very valuable. Having to be consistent in our faith in challenging interactions with non-Christians is therefore one of the most valuable ways of preparing for heaven.
There will be hundreds of situations with unbelievers that will force us to seek God’s wisdom to be able to apply our faith without wavering. It may be tempting from time to time to compromise our faith and avoid uncomfortable confrontation. But, finding through wisdom how to stay true to our faith and not be overly self-righteous helps transform us from people who watch our for our own comfort to those who seek that joy of making God’s heart glad.
Think how it will bless Jesus if we seek God’s wisdom in dealing with outsiders sensitively while being faithful to the truth. How should a couple handle the visit of the wife's mother who will continually blaspheme the Lord with her foul language? The guys at work want a young Christian man to go out with them after work to a strip club. How should he respond? One family's neighbor wants to split the cost of a very expensive fence, one they could afford but feel is extravagant and not the Lord's will. How should they handle this? A woman has been attacked at work for her beliefs and people are now giving her the silent treatment. What should she do?
To handle such situations in ways that does not compromise the truth for Christian behavior and is sufficiently humble requires great wisdom. The search for how to deal with such situations must usually be done with the help of Christian friends, family members, and spouses. Those in our Christian Inner Circles need to remember that these challenges are to be desired as preparation for heaven. These close Christians need to help us discover how to handle outsiders in a way that pleases God.
When we get to heaven, we all will want to honor God with joy. Our behavior will be consistent with our faith because of the lack of sin there. But, some of us will be more practiced in thinking of God’s heart. We will see enormous opportunities to apply spiritual truth to life in heaven. Others will have to learn to do so.
Bending over backwards to be righteous, helpful and not overly offensive with unbelievers is great training for interacting also with other believers, here and later in heaven. Concentration on how to interact lovingly with others, whether they be Christians or those outside of the faith, is the way to learn how to be more and more naturally wise for life – from this point on throughout eternity.
How this Together Can Make It Really Good in Heaven
So, the more difficult the challenges to acting consistent with our faith, the more we can gladden the heart of our Lord. Since in heaven it will be all about making God glad, anything now that can help us not betray God by acting as if the Bible is entirely true is very valuable. Having to be consistent in our faith in challenging interactions with non-Christians is therefore one of the most valuable ways of preparing for heaven.
There will be hundreds of situations with unbelievers that will force us to seek God’s wisdom to be able to apply our faith without wavering. It may be tempting from time to time to compromise our faith and avoid uncomfortable confrontation. But, finding through wisdom how to stay true to our faith and not be overly self-righteous helps transform us from people who watch our for our own comfort to those who seek that joy of making God’s heart glad.
Think how it will bless Jesus if we seek God’s wisdom in dealing with outsiders sensitively while being faithful to the truth. How should a couple handle the visit of the wife's mother who will continually blaspheme the Lord with her foul language? The guys at work want a young Christian man to go out with them after work to a strip club. How should he respond? One family's neighbor wants to split the cost of a very expensive fence, one they could afford but feel is extravagant and not the Lord's will. How should they handle this? A woman has been attacked at work for her beliefs and people are now giving her the silent treatment. What should she do?
To handle such situations in ways that does not compromise the truth for Christian behavior and is sufficiently humble requires great wisdom. The search for how to deal with such situations must usually be done with the help of Christian friends, family members, and spouses. Those in our Christian Inner Circles need to remember that these challenges are to be desired as preparation for heaven. These close Christians need to help us discover how to handle outsiders in a way that pleases God.
When we get to heaven, we all will want to honor God with joy. Our behavior will be consistent with our faith because of the lack of sin there. But, some of us will be more practiced in thinking of God’s heart. We will see enormous opportunities to apply spiritual truth to life in heaven. Others will have to learn to do so.
Bending over backwards to be righteous, helpful and not overly offensive with unbelievers is great training for interacting also with other believers, here and later in heaven. Concentration on how to interact lovingly with others, whether they be Christians or those outside of the faith, is the way to learn how to be more and more naturally wise for life – from this point on throughout eternity.
How this Together Can Make It Really Good in Heaven
I did not realize that the depth of relationships in heaven would vary. Some differences in relationships are because of different racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds back on the First Earth. But, it is clear that some people did not learn to relate biblically with humility to the challenges of interactions with those not destined for heaven. They do not have the same capacity for complexity in relationships.
Just yesterday I was in a group of lovely citizens of heaven and the discussion was about some complicated but, of course, not unrighteous interaction. Some of us, when frustration hit were able to keep talking things through. Others did not have that ability. Since frustration in heaven is not sinful, just a challenge for the level of righteousness in our spirits, no one got angry. But, some just became non-verbal, even though they were normally talkative. |
At most large family reunions there are more superficial conversations and there are more complex conversations. Both are meaningful. But, it seems that when everyone goes home they remember the interactions that contained more substance. Upon thinking back, they can categorize their loved ones at different levels of relationship depth. For whatever reason, some family members were what might be called “shallow”, not able to discuss things perhaps for fear of controversy or insensitivity.
In heaven this will not necessarily change. It seems quite logical that those who struggled before death with how to relate to non-believers and gain their respect will have had to be more thoughtful. All that thinking will have given them abilities for depth in the relationships of heaven. Yet, those who did not think more deeply how to get along with people and stay true to their faith will not have developed skills for such depth of relationship. They will be like the lovely yet “shallow” people at the family reunion.
People who often deal with complicated situations with unbelievers and are successful in gaining their respect are those who have, with the help of the Holy Spirit and other Christians, spent time in thinking about those relationships. This gives them practice in considering the deeper mechanisms of human interaction. Their spirits develop, and those spirits enter heaven with abilities that some others will not have.
All relationships will be enjoyable and without conflict in heaven. But not all relationships will experience the same depth of love and undersanding. Just as in an organized church all interactions are warm and accepting, or should be, most of those interactions lack depth. As we enjoy heaven’s many relationships, some will not feel so connected, while a few will be linked deeply – just like relationships in large church gatherings now.
In our current relationships now, on this fallen planet, we see that some people are able to know how to relate to people more than others. Perhaps an aunt is the one everyone goes to for advice on how to handle a sticky situation with a relative in the family who will be encountered at the family reunion. At the reunion itself, everyone will know the simple rules of love that will prevent ruining the treasured family event. That is just like heaven where everyone will know the basics of how God wants everyone treated. But, there will be those who are able to go further in relationships than others. They will know God’s heart better because before death they put time, effort and prayer into knowing how God wanted the most confusing unbelievers handled.
Let’s look forward to a fuller life in heaven’s interpersonal relationships because we did not avoid the carefulness required in relating to unbelievers and gaining their respect.
Opportunity for a Closer Relationship with God through Empathy
In heaven this will not necessarily change. It seems quite logical that those who struggled before death with how to relate to non-believers and gain their respect will have had to be more thoughtful. All that thinking will have given them abilities for depth in the relationships of heaven. Yet, those who did not think more deeply how to get along with people and stay true to their faith will not have developed skills for such depth of relationship. They will be like the lovely yet “shallow” people at the family reunion.
People who often deal with complicated situations with unbelievers and are successful in gaining their respect are those who have, with the help of the Holy Spirit and other Christians, spent time in thinking about those relationships. This gives them practice in considering the deeper mechanisms of human interaction. Their spirits develop, and those spirits enter heaven with abilities that some others will not have.
All relationships will be enjoyable and without conflict in heaven. But not all relationships will experience the same depth of love and undersanding. Just as in an organized church all interactions are warm and accepting, or should be, most of those interactions lack depth. As we enjoy heaven’s many relationships, some will not feel so connected, while a few will be linked deeply – just like relationships in large church gatherings now.
In our current relationships now, on this fallen planet, we see that some people are able to know how to relate to people more than others. Perhaps an aunt is the one everyone goes to for advice on how to handle a sticky situation with a relative in the family who will be encountered at the family reunion. At the reunion itself, everyone will know the simple rules of love that will prevent ruining the treasured family event. That is just like heaven where everyone will know the basics of how God wants everyone treated. But, there will be those who are able to go further in relationships than others. They will know God’s heart better because before death they put time, effort and prayer into knowing how God wanted the most confusing unbelievers handled.
Let’s look forward to a fuller life in heaven’s interpersonal relationships because we did not avoid the carefulness required in relating to unbelievers and gaining their respect.
Opportunity for a Closer Relationship with God through Empathy
I am sitting on this boulder in heaven stretching my brain to know how it is God wants me to treat my new neighbor. She is a Muslim convert who came to know the Lord Jesus Christ in a refugee camp. Of course, with all sin gone from my mind, body and spirit I want to be sensitive in our new friendship.
Unfortunately, before I died I paid little attention to how God would want me to lovingly interact with people different than myself. I see others around me here who more naturally know how to think such things through. Unlike myself, they put much more effort into considering how to relate to others back on the Old Earth, especially those outside of the faith. Instead, I restricted my friendships to Christians like myself and kept associations with unbelievers to a minimum. That did not prepare me well for this aspect of living in heaven. And here I am, sitting on a boulder stretching my thinking to be able to participate more in the life of heaven. I am glad for others who are receiving letters of appreciation from God. They showed those headed for hell back on the Old Earth a life so consistent to God’s wishes that they opened doors for them to at least consider His offer of salvation in Jesus Christ. |
God will appreciate those who believed the Bible to the point of consistently living it out relatively free of hypocrisy. This will add something good to the relationship with Him in heaven for all of eternity.
Consider an 80-year-old mother who has to live with her three daughters for four months at a time. Over the past 50 years she has mentioned what she likes and does not appreciate. All three of the daughters have heard these things many times. Now, however, each four-month period of rotation into the different homes of her daughters this 80-year-old must adjust to being treated differently with regard to her likes and dislikes.
One daughter hardly listened to her needs and related to her mother for what her mother could do for her. She claimed to love her mother a lot, but it was hypocrisy. Another daughter was a little better at living out her love for her mother. But one daughter remembered what her mother said about her desires and worked hard to accommodate her mother’s wishes.
Which of the three homes do you think the mother enjoyed the most when she came for her four-month stay? The latter, of course. And, which daughter enjoyed the closest relationship with her mother? Again, it was the latter.
Why would it be any different with God in heaven? If He has said that He would bless those of pure heart with the ability to see Him, won’t He be closer to those who lived with a pure heart more than those who claimed to have a pure heart but hypocritically lived impurely?
Consider an 80-year-old mother who has to live with her three daughters for four months at a time. Over the past 50 years she has mentioned what she likes and does not appreciate. All three of the daughters have heard these things many times. Now, however, each four-month period of rotation into the different homes of her daughters this 80-year-old must adjust to being treated differently with regard to her likes and dislikes.
One daughter hardly listened to her needs and related to her mother for what her mother could do for her. She claimed to love her mother a lot, but it was hypocrisy. Another daughter was a little better at living out her love for her mother. But one daughter remembered what her mother said about her desires and worked hard to accommodate her mother’s wishes.
Which of the three homes do you think the mother enjoyed the most when she came for her four-month stay? The latter, of course. And, which daughter enjoyed the closest relationship with her mother? Again, it was the latter.
Why would it be any different with God in heaven? If He has said that He would bless those of pure heart with the ability to see Him, won’t He be closer to those who lived with a pure heart more than those who claimed to have a pure heart but hypocritically lived impurely?
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Matt 5:8
Matt 5:8
Since special privileges of relationship with God the Father and the Son are promised if commandments are obeyed, is that not irrefutable evidence that in heaven there will be a closer relationship with God for those who are not hypocritical?
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them,
he it is who loves me.
And he who loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and manifest myself to him.
John 14:21
he it is who loves me.
And he who loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and manifest myself to him.
John 14:21
Furthermore, God will draw nearer to those who represented Him well to unbelievers, humbly without arrogance. Just as a father is quite proud of a child that represents the family well in school, so God will have a higher quality of relationship with those of us who make Him proud by handling ourselves in such a way with outsiders that they respect us as His representatives.
Praise and Prayer Regarding this Together
Dear God of Great Holy Wisdom, I and those in my Christian Inner Circle will need Your help to grow our spirits to be extremely loyal to You when we are with outsiders. Help us to yield to the Holy Spirit for wisdom in interacting with unbelievers on their own turf in such ways as results in their respect for us.
Please help us all to become more like Jesus in consistent loyalty to You when immersed in relationships with those who do not believe. Help us to work together to find ways to relate to situations with unbelievers that are loving and consistent with the Bible. And, as Jesus did not expect those without faith to live and believe as Christians, help us to not expect outsiders to live for You or for Your glory.
May our lives worship You more because we reflect Your nature and consistently righteous behavior by not returning evil for evil, by always having love as our motive and manner with those who do not believe, and by attempting to better the lives of unbelievers.
Make us strong in Your power to defeat the devil by being loving and not hypocritical and arrogant in the expression of our faith when with outsiders. May we be so loyal to You under the challenges of non-believing relationships and society that Satan will be humiliated.
Help us all to grow in more loyalty to You and Your ways so that we will have spirits with deeper understanding of Your heart about complex situations now and later in heaven. Give to us wisdom now to deal with unbelievers, because they are different from us. And let that wisdom follow us to heaven where most citizens, although believers, will not be like us because of different cultures and customs and present challenges to relationship.
Ever increasing practice of the Togethers of Scripture will (1) create in you the loving essence of Jesus, (2) give Jesus the kind of love He requested, (3) provide you with the most significant spiritual lifestyle which is attainable only through Christian community, (4) offer significant worship to God by reflecting his own character back to him through your behavior, and (5) bring God’s kingdom to earth as asked for in the Lord’s Prayer. And for heaven, such growing obedience to Scripture now will later (6) qualify you for a more responsible place of service as reward in heaven, and, (7) most important of all, give you greater empathy with God for a closer relationship with Him for all of eternity.
Praise and Prayer Regarding this Together
Dear God of Great Holy Wisdom, I and those in my Christian Inner Circle will need Your help to grow our spirits to be extremely loyal to You when we are with outsiders. Help us to yield to the Holy Spirit for wisdom in interacting with unbelievers on their own turf in such ways as results in their respect for us.
Please help us all to become more like Jesus in consistent loyalty to You when immersed in relationships with those who do not believe. Help us to work together to find ways to relate to situations with unbelievers that are loving and consistent with the Bible. And, as Jesus did not expect those without faith to live and believe as Christians, help us to not expect outsiders to live for You or for Your glory.
May our lives worship You more because we reflect Your nature and consistently righteous behavior by not returning evil for evil, by always having love as our motive and manner with those who do not believe, and by attempting to better the lives of unbelievers.
Make us strong in Your power to defeat the devil by being loving and not hypocritical and arrogant in the expression of our faith when with outsiders. May we be so loyal to You under the challenges of non-believing relationships and society that Satan will be humiliated.
Help us all to grow in more loyalty to You and Your ways so that we will have spirits with deeper understanding of Your heart about complex situations now and later in heaven. Give to us wisdom now to deal with unbelievers, because they are different from us. And let that wisdom follow us to heaven where most citizens, although believers, will not be like us because of different cultures and customs and present challenges to relationship.
Ever increasing practice of the Togethers of Scripture will (1) create in you the loving essence of Jesus, (2) give Jesus the kind of love He requested, (3) provide you with the most significant spiritual lifestyle which is attainable only through Christian community, (4) offer significant worship to God by reflecting his own character back to him through your behavior, and (5) bring God’s kingdom to earth as asked for in the Lord’s Prayer. And for heaven, such growing obedience to Scripture now will later (6) qualify you for a more responsible place of service as reward in heaven, and, (7) most important of all, give you greater empathy with God for a closer relationship with Him for all of eternity.