Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

Identifying God’s Enemies and Ours


Why does the Bible say we are “God’s enemies”?[1] The reason is less obvious as some think.
Atonement and God’s Enemies
Debates about atonement eventually come to this point. Compare a few common ideas.

Public Domain CC 2.01) God sees people as enemies
Those affirming penal substitution say: Because we sin, we are God’s enemies. Therefore, he will pour his wrath on us unless Jesus is punished in our place. This camp emphasizes God’s enmity towards sinners; i.e. God regards us as enemies (even while loving us).
2) People see God as enemies
Those opposing penal substitution argue that penal substitution directly contradicts Jesus’ command to love your enemies. This group suggests that people regard God as their enemy (not vice versa).
3) Both
Others throw their hands in the air (in my opinion) and simply assert, “It’s both”, with little or no defense from Scripture. Commenting on Rom 5:10, N.T. Wright says,

“We should not, I think, cut the knot and suggest that the enmity was on our side only. God’s settled and sorrowful opposition to all that is evil included enmity against sinners.”[2]​

Though Wright says this, some people worry about his emphasis on “Christus Victor.” According to this theory of atonement, Christ on the cross defeats sin, death, and demons. In this way, he frees us. According to many contemporary versions of “Christus Victor,” God regards Sin, death, and demons as enemies, but not us.
Naturally, some might wonder whether Christus Victor undermine the Bible’s teaching that we are God’s enemies?

Who is whose enemy?
Let’s first note the passages that describe people as God’s “enemies.”

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Rom 5:10)
For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. (Phil 3:18)​

Also, Col 1:21 (cf. Rom 1:30; 8:7).
I suggest we rethink a common assumption held by conservatives. Conservatives generally suppose we deny God’s wrath against sin if we don’t interpret being God’s “enemies” as “God regarded us as enemies,” i.e. had enmity towards us.
This is not true.

What do “enemies” do?
Allow Scripture to interpret Scripture. In the famous “love your enemy” passages, what do enemies do?

You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matt 5:43–44)
But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either… (Luke 6:27–29)​

What pattern do we see? Enemies seek our harm; they do not seek our good. What do we not see? Enemies are not (necessarily) people we hate.
Our feelings toward others do not determine whether they are “enemies.” Enemies decide whether they are enemies.

Elsewhere in the New Testament?
How does the New Testament describe enemies? Compare James 4:4.

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.​

Verse 4a explains v. 4b. “Enmity with God” is equivalent to what? “friendship with the world.” Who has a friendship with the world? People. So, it is the individual who has enmity making him an enemy of God.
In summary, saying “we are God’s enemies” means “we see God as an enemy.”


Here are other passages that reinforce the point.

• “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?” (Paul in Gal 4:16)
• “you enemy of all righteousness…” (Acts 13:10; Paul to Elymas)
• “…that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;” (Zechariah prophesies in Luke 1:71)

Cf. Matt 13:25, 28; Luke 19:27, 43.
“Enemies” are defined as those who hate us. This is essential; it’s not (necessarily) true that enemies are “those we hate.”[3]

What about God’s wrath?
Some people might hesitate to accept these observations. They fear we might subtly deny God’s wrath against sinners. That conclusion, however, is impossible for anyone reading the Bible.
The Bible is replete with references to God’s wrath. In fact, just before Paul calls people God’s “enemies” in Rom 5:10, he says,

“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God” (5:9).​

With a few possible exceptions, the New Testament routinely describes God’s wrath as something in the future. Yes, God’s wrath comes upon all who ultimately reject him. By contrast, Jesus “delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess 1:10).
The New Testament does not depict God as one who simultaneously loves those he hates.
Perhaps, someone might deduce that idea via systematizing; namely, claiming God loves everyone then citing OT passages where God hates people (Ps 5:5; 11:5). However, doing so requires we strip verses from their context, assume highly debatable interpretations of certain passages, and basically treat the Bible as a systematic theology book and not a text to be understood within context.

Who is our “enemy”?
Who is “our enemy”? What does it mean to love our enemy?
Jesus’ command to love our enemy does not mean we should love people reluctantly despite the fact we actually hate them. While pastors would not put it so directly, this “grit and bear it” attitude is precisely how people talk about Jesus’ commands.
The problem with that common impression is obvious. If “love your enemies” means “love those you hate”, we have a contradiction unless we do some verbal gymnastics.

One reason this insight matters is this: we ought not assume Christians will hate people but can simply “love them,” whether by tolerating them or doing good things for them. Jesus does not command us to act despite our feelings; rather, we are supposed to have changed feelings.
Biblically speaking, loving enemies means loving those who are against us.
In the present, God’s “enemy” is not someone towards whom He feel wrath. Instead, God’s enemy feels wrath against Him. Likewise, my “enemy” is not necessarily someone towards whom I feel wrath. Instead, my enemy has wrath against me.

 

[beensetfree]

Called to Suffering
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

1 Peter 4:12,13 KJV

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"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Matthew 5:10-12 RSV

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For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.

1 Peter 2:21 NASB

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Then Jesus said to the disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life."

Matthew 16:24,25 NLT

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“I sleep, but my heart waketh.”

Song of Solomon 5:2

Paradoxes abound in Christian experience, and here is one—the spouse was asleep, and yet she was awake. He only can read the believer's riddle who has ploughed with the heifer of his experience. The two points in this evening's text are — a mournful sleepiness and a hopeful wakefulness. I sleep. Through sin that dwelleth in us we may become lax in holy duties, slothful in religious exercises, dull in spiritual joys, and altogether supine and careless. This is a shameful state for one in whom the quickening Spirit dwells; and it is dangerous to the highest degree. Even wise virgins sometimes slumber, but it is high time for all to shake off the bands of sloth.

It is to be feared that many believers lose their strength as Samson lost his locks, while sleeping on the lap of carnal security. With a perishing world around us, to sleep is cruel; with eternity so near at hand, it is madness. Yet we are none of us so much awake as we should be; a few thunder-claps would do us all good, and it may be, unless we soon bestir ourselves, we shall have them in the form of war, or pestilence, or personal bereavements and losses. O that we may leave for ever the couch of fleshly ease, and go forth with flaming torches to meet the coming Bridegroom!

My heart waketh. This is a happy sign. Life is not extinct, though sadly smothered. When our renewed heart struggles against our natural heaviness, we should be grateful to sovereign grace for keeping a little vitality within the body of this death. Jesus will hear our hearts, will help our hearts, will visit our hearts; for the voice of the wakeful heart is really the voice of our Beloved, saying, “Open to me.” Holy zeal will surely unbar the door.

“Oh lovely attitude! He stands
With melting heart and laden hands;
My soul forsakes her every sin;
And lets the heavenly stranger in.”

 

[beensetfree]

God Restores the Broken


Has a recent season of suffering, or indeed your whole life to date left you feeling damaged? Do you feel broken, inadequate, ‘washed up’ and somehow past your sell by date? Welcome to the club. It’s certainly how I have sometimes felt since I was struck down by pneumonia.
God delights in taking people like you and I and ‘restoring’ us, or in other words, preparing, mending, making adequate to the task, and equipping us for what he has in mind.
In my last post I began examining the following verse, and today we will focus on just one word.

After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter 5:9-10)​

The same Greek word is used in Matthew 4:21 of fishermen mending their nets. You can imagine the care and attention to detail the fishermen must use as they examine large areas of nets for holes that have been torn by the demands of their regular use. Even one hole could allow a fish to escape, and so a net is not ‘mended’ until all the damage is fixed.
Today there are still some enthusiasts who will buy a broken, rusty old car and lovingly restore it to its former glory. God is one such enthusiast. But he loves to restore broken people like you and I. He meticulously reverses the damage caused by a world of pain and sin (some of which is admittedly self-inflicted).
So Christian, cling on to the promise that if you are feeling broken, after a little while of suffering, God will mend you. He will turn your mourning into dancing. He will comfort your heart, restore your mind, and help you to feel confident again, so that you can face life.

The truth is, even the most self-confident and arrogant person is actually broken. They just don’t know it yet. Perhaps your recent suffering has just revealed your frailty and vulnerability for what it always was. We are truly like grass: here today and gone tomorrow. When we really feel that vulnerability we are sensitive to the pain of others, and we also are humble enough to allow God and others to minister to us.
Rick Warren refuses to hire people to work in his church unless they have been through significant challenges in their lives:

“I only hire staff who’ve been hurt deeply. People who’ve never suffered tend to be shallow and smug about other’s pain.” Rick Warren on Facebook.​

When God restores a broken person, they are still marked in some way by that suffering. Those who have truly wrestled with God through pain, walk like Jacob with a limp. He comforts us so we can comfort others. Don’t be afraid to let those you are trying to help see a glimpse of the pain that you have been through.


J.R. Briggs says, “The entrance exam to the Christian life is admitting we are failures…yet so many pastors are scaraed to death to talk about their failures”

In a funny way, we should be glad that we are not the ‘perfect’ people some people imagine themselves to be. Paul makes clear that such so-called perfect people are actually not welcome in the Kingdom of God, which is instead looking for those who know they need God:

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (1 Cor 1:26-29)​

 

[beensetfree]

Concerning Joy
You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will
burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:12 NIV

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The LORD is my strength and song,
and is become my salvation.

The voice of rejoicing and salvation
is in the tabernacles of the righteous:
the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

Psalm 118:14,15 KJV

__________________

These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

John 15:11 NASB

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He brought out His people with joy,
His chosen ones with gladness.

He gave them the lands of the Gentiles,
And they inherited the labor of the nations,

That they might observe His statutes
And keep His laws.

Psalm 105:43-45 NKJV

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Those who have been ransomed
by the LORD will return to Jerusalem,
singing songs of everlasting joy.

Sorrow and mourning will disappear,
and they will be overcome with joy and gladness.

Isaiah 51:11 NLT

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“Who of God is made unto us wisdom.”

1 Corinthians 1:30

Man's intellect seeks after rest, and by nature seeks it apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. Men of education are apt, even when converted, to look upon the simplicities of the cross of Christ with an eye too little reverent and loving. They are snared in the old net in which the Grecians were taken, and have a hankering to mix philosophy with revelation. The temptation with a man of refined thought and high education is to depart from the simple truth of Christ crucified, and to invent, as the term is, a more intellectual doctrine.

This led the early Christian churches into Gnosticism, and bewitched them with all sorts of heresies. This is the root of Neology, and the other fine things which in days gone by were so fashionable in Germany, and are now so ensnaring to certain classes of divines. Whoever you are, good reader, and whatever your education may be, if you be the Lord's, be assured you will find no rest in philosophizing divinity. You may receive this dogma of one great thinker, or that dream of another profound reasoner, but what the chaff is to the wheat, that will these be to the pure word of God.

All that reason, when best guided, can find out is but the A B C of truth, and even that lacks certainty, while in Christ Jesus there is treasured up all the fulness of wisdom and knowledge. All attempts on the part of Christians to be content with systems such as Unitarian and Broad-church thinkers would approve of, must fail; true heirs of heaven must come back to the grandly simple reality which makes the ploughboy's eye flash with joy, and gladens the pious pauper's heart — “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.” Jesus satisfies the most elevated intellect when he is believingly received, but apart from him the mind of the regenerate discovers no rest. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” “A good understanding have all they that do his commandments.”

 

[beensetfree]

Guided Meditation


It's a normal day like any other. You're busy doing what you do. But as
you go about your daily routine, you sense someone wanting to spend
time with you. He wants you to come to him. He wants you to be with
him. You definitely recognize his voice, but it's been a while since you've
spent any real time together. Doesn't he know how busy your life can be?
After all, you've been busy doing what you do.

He sits there, hunkered down in the corner of your room waiting for you.
He's certainly not pushing himself on you, but you can definitely tell he
longs to spend some time with you. You tell him that you don't think you'll
have time to meet with him today as you head out the door again.

When you get back from your day, he's there again, waiting for you. He
smiles at you as you come in the door and asks you how your day has
been. He invites you to sit down and rest for a while. You can tell he wants
to hear about your day and everything else you've got going on in your life.
He seems very proud of who you are becoming. He asks you about what
seems to be pressing in on you and weighing you down. You can tell he
genuinely cares about you. He wants what's best for you. So you finally
decide to sit down for a few minutes to talk with him.

You start by telling him that you can't talk long because you still have a
lot to do before bedtime. But after a few minutes of talking together, your
whole world and all the worries of your day seem to simply melt away.
You haven't felt this relaxed in a long time. You find yourself pouring
your heart out to him. And then he looks you right in the eyes and tells
you how proud he is of you. He tells you how much he loves you and
enjoys spending time together.

At that moment you realize this friend who has been waiting to talk with
you day after day is Jesus. He has never made you feel guilty about
blowing him off day after day. He looks at you and smiles. It's at that
moment that you can tell for the first time in your life that you have a
true friend who cares about you for who you are. The time seems to fly
by as you continue talking together late into the night.


Scripture Guides Us

Would it surprise you to hear that Jesus enjoys spending time with
you? He loves you like crazy and just enjoys being with you. But he'll
never force himself upon you. He'll simply wait until you're ready to be
with him. And somehow it always ends up being some of the best
time of your entire day.

Take a few minutes to "chew on" the following Scripture verses,
allowing God's Spirit to speak to you.

MATTHEW 11:28-30
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my
yoke is easy and my burden is light."

PSALM 16:7-10
"I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart
instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my
right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my
tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not
abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful
one see decay."

PSALM 32:6-7
"Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found;
surely the rising mighty waters will not reach them. You are my

hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with
songs of deliverance."

PSALM 62:1-2
"Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly
he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken."

1 THESSALONIANS 5:17
"Pray continually."

Questions for Reflection

1. What does it look like for you to spend time with Jesus? What
do you enjoy most about your time with him? What are some of the
obstacles that prevent you from spending time with him?

2. Think about some of the best times you've had connecting with
God. What made them so special? How could you make that happen more often?

3. How does busy-ness and your schedule keep you from spending
time with God? What things could you stop doing in order to spend
some more time with him?

4. What does Matthew 11:28-30 say about the yoke Jesus offers
us? What does it make you feel like to know that Jesus is carrying
that yoke along with you?

5. What does it mean for God to be your hiding place? Where are some
of your favorite places to spend time with him?

6. What do you think it means to pray continually? Is that even possible?
And if it's not possible, why would God tell us to do it?

 

[beensetfree]

He is our Protector!
The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.

Proverbs 18:10 NIV

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The LORD is thy keeper:
the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil:
He shall preserve thy soul.

The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy
coming in from this time forth,
and even for evermore.

Psalm 121:5-8 KJV

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Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
And through the rivers,
they will not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire,
you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Isaiah 43:1-3 NASB

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He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

Psalm 91:1-7 ESV

You may want to look up and meditate on this complete psalm...it's wonderful!

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“Howl, fir tree, for the cedar is fallen.”

Zechariah 11:2

When in the forest there is heard the crash of a falling oak, it is a sign that the woodman is abroad, and every tree in the whole company may tremble lest to-morrow the sharp edge of the axe should find it out. We are all like trees marked for the axe, and the fall of one should remind us that for every one, whether great as the cedar, or humble as the fir, the appointed hour is stealing on apace. I trust we do not, by often hearing of death, become callous to it.

May we never be like the birds in the steeple, which build their nests when the bells are tolling, and sleep quietly when the solemn funeral peals are startling the air. May we regard death as the most weighty of all events, and be sobered by its approach. It ill behoves us to sport while our eternal destiny hangs on a thread. The sword is out of its scabbard—let us not trifle; it is furbished, and the edge is sharp — let us not play with it. He who does not prepare for death is more than an ordinary fool, he is a madman. When the voice of God is heard among the trees of the garden, let fig tree and sycamore, and elm and cedar, alike hear the sound thereof.

Be ready, servant of Christ, for thy Master comes on a sudden, when an ungodly world least expects him. See to it that thou be faithful in his work, for the grave shall soon be digged for thee. Be ready, parents, see that your children are brought up in the fear of God, for they must soon be orphans; be ready, men of business, take care that your affairs are correct, and that you serve God with all your hearts, for the days of your terrestrial service will soon be ended, and you will be called to give account for the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or whether they be evil. May we all prepare for the tribunal of the great King with a care which shall be rewarded with the gracious commendation, “Well done, good and faithful servant”

 

[beensetfree]

How Gossip Destroys A Church And Friendships




Gossip doesn’t only destroy the credibility of the gossiper, but it destroys relationships, so here’s how to stop it.
Bible Verses on Gossip
The Bible teaches that “A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends”(Prov 16:28). What will break up a friendship more quickly than gossip? I can’t think of anything that will drive a wedge between Christian brothers or sisters and friends more than spreading gossip, and as the Proverb says, “Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered” (Prov 11:13). This Proverb is spot on. When we reveal secrets about others like prayer requests that are given to us in trust and confidence, we are in effect slandering that person. The “trustworthy” person will keep it zipped. Gossipers “learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not” (1 Tim 5:13), and not only do some spread gossip, they go “from house to house.” Today, this may be by the means of phone calls, emails, Facebook posts, or even Bible studies, but Paul was clear that they are “saying what they should not.

Defining Gossip
Gossip does more to destroy a church than just about anything else that I can think of, so what are ways you can stop gossip in its tracks? The first thing pastors should do is to remind people that gossip is sin and then define for them. From the world’s standpoint, gossip is just as normal as surfing the Internet, having a cup of coffee in the morning, or sitting down to watch TV. It happens in the break room, in the restaurant, and just about anywhere that there are people and this includes church. The world sees no problem with gossip, but God does. Most people might think it’s “normal” but it is one of the worst things that can come out of a believer’s mouth.

To those who don’t know Christ they see nothing really wrong with it. It’s just idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, and they believe it’s just what everybody does, however listen to this serious and very frightening warning given by Jesus about idle words in Matthew 12:36-37 “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Notice that Jesus wasn’t speaking only to believers but He insinuated that all “people will give an account,” and so it’s not just those who are Christian! That includes me and you. Every single word, carefully or carelessly spoken, will be judged by or justified by them. No one’s off the hook on this one. The world might think it’s just idle talk but that is certainly not what God thinks about it, so what are some other ways that you can stop gossip before it starts, or it its already been spreading, how do you eliminate it.

The Destructiveness of Gossip
The pastor may be the last one to hear about gossip so I believe it is his job to preach a sermon about just how deadly gossip can be. If you don’t think gossip is serious, just see how Paul includes it in a group of detestable sins in 2nd Corinthians 12:20 where he writes of detestable sins as, “quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.” Even in the Old Testament there were warnings from God to “not go around as a slanderer among your people” (Lev 19:16). Did you catch that? Gossip is nothing less than slander and people are sued every day for that! It is serious enough to be convicted of a crime in the courts of the world. How much more serious then is it in the church? Does it really matter if it’s true or not because if it hurts or destroys someone’s reputation (or worse, their life), it is destructive. If someone finds out you gossiped about them, you’ve probably lost their trust forever.

Proverbs 20:19 says “Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets” will not be held guiltless by God. The only reason gossip is gossip is because there is someone that listens to it. Gossip needs at least one person for it to survive, so stop it in its tracks whenever you hear it. Put your hand up and say, “Hey, this sounds like it’s none of my business. I don’t think I want to hear this.” The proverb says, “For lack of wood the fire goes out and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases” (Prov 26:20). If there’s no one to throw any more wood on it, it goes out. The analogy of fire is used once more because gossip, like fire, can destroy. Stop feeding it and “it will eventually go out.”

Confronting the Gossiper


Before I came into the ministry, I heard of a great way to stop gossip in its tracks. It goes like this:

The Gossiper: “Hey, did you hear about so and so. They did this and that….”
The Recipient: “No, I had not heard that. Say, let’s go over right now and talk to them about that. Maybe we can help them. Tell them what you heard and let’s see if we can talk to them about it to see if we can help.”
The Gossiper: “No, no, I don’t think I’d like to do that at all. I don’t want to embarrass them. It might not even be true.”
The Recipient: “Well, that’s a good point. Who did you hear this from? If it’s not true we need to talk to your source. Let’s go talk to them and see if all three of us can sit down together to find the problem. Who was it that told you that? Can you tell me their name?”
The Gossiper: “Well, I can’t remember who it was that told me that now” (convenient amnesia?).

The Recipient: “Really! You can’t remember who told you but you can remember everything else? Then we should go to the pastor (or elder or a deacon) and talk to them about this. This sounds like this person is spreading gossip about someone who they believe is doing some pretty bad things and I think they need to know about it.”
The Gossiper: “No, maybe it’s not true anyway and I think it’s none of our business anyway.”
The Recipient: “Well, if I hear any more about this, I’ll come to you and maybe you can remember who it was and we can all get together and talk about this to the church leaders/pastors/deacon/elder.
By now, the gossiper is not interested in gossiping about that person any more.


“Unspoken Needs” Prayer Requests
Our church elder suggested that some of our prayer requests be “unspoken needs” if they were more of a personal nature. We had a prayer chain once and it was amazing that by the time the prayer request went to the last person on the chain, it was more like gossip and the problem that they sought prayer for had worsened exponentially. I remember hearing some gossip in the high school locker room about a girl that was “easy.” I don’t know if I was angrier at the guys or at the girl that I liked (if indeed it was true). I later found out that she heard about this rumor and she ended up quitting school and I never heard from her again. I always wondered what happened to her.

Gossip hurt her deeply and it may have changed her entire future. Gossip can destroy people’s reputations, it can destroy people’s self-image, it can separate the best of friends, and it can destroy lives. James spoke about the tongue when he wrote that the “the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell”(James 3:5-6). It takes only a tiny spark to burn an entire forest. Maybe that’s what James meant when he wrote that it can set “on fire the entire course of life.”

Conclusion
If gossip is a problem in your church, address it and “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up” (Eph 4:29). One of the six things that are an abomination to God is “a false witness who breathes out lies” (Prov 6:19) and it is breaking the Ninth Commandment, and “Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy” (Psalm 101:5), but the listener is not guiltless either as God declares that “An evildoer listens to wicked lips” (Prov 17:4). Gossip is not gossip without someone to listen to it, so the person who listens to it is just as guilty as the one who is doing it. Stopping gossip is not easy but it is necessary to preserve the peace, unity, and holiness of the church but also friendships.

 

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The God of All Comfort
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

__________________

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

Psalm 46:1-3 KJV

__________________

You who fear the LORD, praise Him;
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And stand in awe of Him,
all you descendants of Israel.

For He has not despised nor abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.

Psalm 22:23,24 NASB

__________________

God is with the righteous generation.

You would put to shame the counsel of the afflicted,
But the LORD is his refuge.

Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD restores His captive people,
Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.
Psalm 14:5b-7 NASB

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

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My Beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.?

Song of Solomon 5:4

Knocking was not enough, for my heart was too full of sleep, too cold and ungrateful to arise and open the door, but the touch of his effectual grace has made my soul bestir itself. Oh, the longsuffering of my Beloved, to tarry when he found himself shut out, and me asleep upon the bed of sloth! Oh, the greatness of his patience, to knock and knock again, and to add his voice to his knockings, beseeching me to open to him! How could I have refused him! Base heart, blush and be confounded! But what greatest kindness of all is this, that he becomes his own porter and unbars the door himself.

Thrice blessed is the hand which condescends to lift the latch and turn the key. Now I see that nothing but my Lord's own power can save such a naughty mass of wickedness as I am; ordinances fail, even the gospel has no effect upon me, till his hand is stretched out. Now, also, I perceive that his hand is good where all else is unsuccessful, he can open when nothing else will. Blessed be his name, I feel his gracious presence even now. Well may my bowels move for him, when I think of all that he has suffered for me, and of my ungenerous return.

I have allowed my affections to wander. I have set up rivals. I have grieved him. Sweetest and dearest of all beloveds, I have treated thee as an unfaithful wife treats her husband. Oh, my cruel sins, my cruel self. What can I do? Tears are a poor show of my repentance, my whole heart boils with indignation at myself. Wretch that I am, to treat my Lord, my All in All, my exceeding great joy, as though he were a stranger. Jesus, thou forgivest freely, but this is not enough, prevent my unfaithfulness in the future. Kiss away these tears, and then purge my heart and bind it with sevenfold cords to thyself, never to wander more.

 

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Setting up Boundaries


MAIN SCRIPTURE: "Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires." (Song of Solomon 8:4)

OTHER SCRIPTURES: Psalm 119:9; John 10:10; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20;
Ephesians 5:1-20; Hebrews 13:4

WHAT JESUS MIGHT SAY TO YOU:

I see the sexual messages society repeatedly tries to pound into your
head. Society wants you to think that sex is simply a physical act, that
there's nothing wrong with premarital sex. Don't believe it.

I'll get straight to the point: Premarital sex is sin. I'm not trying to make
life miserable for you, but your heart isn't ready to handle the intimacy
of a sexual relationship. Awakening your heart before the time is right will
have devastating effects--including in your life with the person you eventually
marry. Trust me.

So let's construct some boundaries together before you pass the point
of no return:

1. Invite me into your relationships. I didn't come so you would have an
unsatisfying life; I came so you might have an abundant life. And besides,
I'm present in all your relationships--don't you think it's about time you
acknowledge me in them? Make me an active part in your conversation,
and you'll discover a spiritual dimension of your relationship that few couples enjoy.

2. Don't ask how far you can go. When you do that, you're looking for
ways to get around me. Instead stay far enough from the boundary that
you won't have to ask that question. (Of course, asking me for a little
insight doesn't hurt.)

3. Take time to get to know the other person. Usually when a premarital
relationship becomes sexual, the two people stop exploring each other's hearts.

4. Do things in groups. This will go a long way toward preventing you
from placing yourself in compromising positions.

5. Ask your friends to help you stay pure. They're an important line of defense.

You have a lifetime of enjoyable sex ahead of you. Don't put it in jeopardy
by prematurely exploring it. And remember: If you've already explored, I love
you just the same as I always have--just ask for my forgiveness and start
your life and relationships anew.

Love, Jesus

SUMMARY CHALLENGE: Jesus wants you to enjoy a lifetime of sex
but he doesn't want you to lessen the joy by having sex before you're married.

 

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Let Us Be Content
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

Hebrews 13:5,6 NIV

__________________

But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

1 Timothy 6:6-8 NASB

__________________

Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:17,18 RSV

__________________

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:11-13 ESV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Go again seven times.”

1 Kings 18:43

Success is certain when the Lord has promised it. Although you may have pleaded month after month without evidence of answer, it is not possible that the Lord should be deaf when his people are earnest in a matter which concerns his glory. The prophet on the top of Carmel continued to wrestle with God, and never for a moment gave way to a fear that he should be non-suited in Jehovah's courts. Six times the servant returned, but on each occasion no word was spoken but “Go again.” We must not dream of unbelief, but hold to our faith even to seventy times seven.

Faith sends expectant hope to look from Carmel's brow, and if nothing is beheld, she sends again and again. So far from being crushed by repeated disappointment, faith is animated to plead more fervently with her God. She is humbled, but not abashed: her groans are deeper, and her sighings more vehement, but she never relaxes her hold or stays her hand. It would be more agreeable to flesh and blood to have a speedy answer, but believing souls have learned to be submissive, and to find it good to wait for as well as upon the Lord. Delayed answers often set the heart searching itself, and so lead to contrition and spiritual reformation: deadly blows are thus struck at our corruption, and the chambers of imagery are cleansed.

The great danger is lest men should faint, and miss the blessing. Reader, do not fall into that sin, but continue in prayer and watching. At last the little cloud was seen, the sure forerunner of torrents of rain, and even so with you, the token for good shall surely be given, and you shall rise as a prevailing prince to enjoy the mercy you have sought. Elijah was a man of like passions with us: his power with God did not lie in his own merits. If his believing prayer availed so much, why not yours? Plead the precious blood with unceasing importunity, and it shall be with you according to your desire.

 

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EXTREME FRIENDSHIP


Matthew 5:44

"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

START

Ever since third grade you've been feuding with the sorry excuse
for a human being who's just plunked down in the desk in front
of you. Last week your squabble erupted afresh when the guy
pelted your house with three dozen eggs--resulting in two giant
swaths of dimpled siding, three shattered windows, and one
traumatized family dog. If that wasn't bad enough, the police
interrogated you. Your parents blamed you. The only plus
about sitting behind him now is that he can't see your
laser-like eyes smoking holes in his skull.

How do you treat people who inflict pain on you?

READ Matthew 5:43-48
Jesus said: 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you, love your
enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that
you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes
his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on
the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who
love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax
collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own
people, what are you doing more than others? Do not
even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your
heavenly Father is perfect."

THINK

Perfect? Like God? If this command sounds over the top,
breathe deeply. Then answer this: Why does Jesus tell
you to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute
you"? (Look for what follows "that you may be...")

On whom does God shower his care--his warm sun and life-giving rain?

Even pagans who don't know God care about people who
love them. How can you do better than that?

LIVE

If you love people who cause you pain, are you excusing the
wrongs they do? Explain.

You've learned that God wants his care to spread around the
world and to every person on the planet. No doubt there are
some people you'd rather skip. Yet when you love the unlovable
and care for the incurable, you're like God. Perfect. Holy. Mature.
God never brushes off evil. In fact, he's the only being in the
universe who knows how it feels to have the whole human
race stand against him (Romans 5:10). But his undeserved
kindness busts through our sinfulness and makes us his
friends (Colossians 1:21-22). He wants us to pass on to
others the love he's given to us.

When you scan your world, who looks easy to love? Why?

Who is more challenging to love? Make a list. Next to each
name, jot down one tiny way you can show this person
the same brand of kindness God shows us.

WRAP

You might figure that Jesus received a lot of playground
thrashings as a kid. After all, he tells you not just to love
your enemies but to "turn your other cheek" (Matthew 5:39 NIRV).
One thing shows us for sure that Jesus was no wimp: He
was radically tough in his willingness to suffer for our sake.
Loving an enemy doesn't mean you're pathetically weak.
It proves you're incredibly strong.

MORE THOUGHTS TO MULL

What people in your world act with Christlike kindness?
Ask them how they pull it off.

Think about some of your ugliest thoughts about people.
Then ask yourself how you'd feel if God or other people
felt that way about you.

Some of the people who hurt you in life will be fellow Christians.
How does the fact that you and your archenemy may one day
share a pew in heaven alter how you act now?

MORE SCRIPTURES TO DIG

Your natural instincts tell you to dish back whatever others
dish at you. Jesus sums up that mentality in Matthew 5:38-42.
Then he tells us to go out of our way to be kind to people who
cause us pain. Clearly that's a massive challenge, but it's doing
love the way Jesus does it.

You might feel as though you're
letting evil slide if you don't take revenge for the wrongs done
to you. Actually, when you choose not to repay evil with evil,
you stomp on evil by doing good things. "If your enemy is
hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
Look for all of these deep thoughts in Romans 12:17-21.

None of this means you can't ask God to rescue you from
people who aim to crush you. Look at Psalm 25 for some
wise words. King David prays for safety. He asks for his
enemies' downfall. But David also asks God to forgive his
sins, and he invites God to guide him along the right paths
in every part of his life.

You have one enemy who's more evil than any other. And
he's one guy you don't have to love. Read about him in 1 Peter 5:8-11.

 

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Concerning Self Denial
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:24-26 NIV

__________________

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Titus 2:11-13 KJV

__________________

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:24,25 NASB

__________________

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Romans 6:16-18 ESV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

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A living dog is better than a dead lion.”

Ecclesiastes 9:4

Life is a precious thing, and in its humblest form it is superior to death. This truth is eminently certain in spiritual things. It is better to be the least in the kingdom of heaven than the greatest out of it. The lowest degree of grace is superior to the noblest development of unregenerate nature. Where the Holy Ghost implants divine life in the soul, there is a precious deposit which none of the refinements of education can equal.

The thief on the cross excels Caesar on his throne; Lazarus among the dogs is better than Cicero among the senators; and the most unlettered Christian is in the sight of God superior to Plato. Life is the badge of nobility in the realm of spiritual things, and men without it are only coarser or finer specimens of the same lifeless material, needing to be quickened, for they are dead in trespasses and sins.

A living, loving, gospel sermon, however unlearned in matter and uncouth in style, is better than the finest discourse devoid of unction and power. A living dog keeps better watch than a dead lion, and is of more service to his master; and so the poorest spiritual preacher is infinitely to be preferred to the exquisite orator who has no wisdom but that of words, no energy but that of sound. The like holds good of our prayers and other religious exercises; if we are quickened in them by the Holy Spirit, they are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, though we may think them to be worthless things; while our grand performances in which our hearts were absent, like dead lions, are mere carrion in the sight of the living God.

O for living groans, living sighs, living despondencies, rather than lifeless songs and dead calms. Better anything than death. The snarlings of the dog of hell will at least keep us awake, but dead faith and dead profession, what greater curses can a man have? Quicken us, quicken us, O Lord!

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Morning by Morning Devotional for Tomorrow, October 1
Charles H. Spurgeon

“Pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.”

Song of Solomon 7:13

The spouse desires to give to Jesus all that she produces. Our heart has “all manner of pleasant fruits,” both “old and new,” and they are laid up for our Beloved. At this rich autumnal season of fruit, let us survey our stores. We have new fruits. We desire to feel new life, new joy, new gratitude; we wish to make new resolves and carry them out by new labours; our heart blossoms with new prayers, and our soul is pledging herself to new efforts.

But we have some old fruits too. There is our first love: a choice fruit that! and Jesus delights in it. There is our first faith: that simple faith by which, having nothing, we became possessors of all things. There is our joy when first we knew the Lord: let us revive it. We have our old remembrances of the promises. How faithful has God been! In sickness, how softly did he make our bed! In deep waters, how placidly did he buoy us up! In the flaming furnace, how graciously did he deliver us. Old fruits, indeed! We have many of them, for his mercies have been more than the hairs of our head. Old sins we must regret, but then we have had repentances which he has given us, by which we have wept our way to the cross, and learned the merit of his blood. We have fruits, this morning, both new and old; but here is the point — they are all laid up for Jesus.

Truly, those are the best and most acceptable services in which Jesus is the solitary aim of the soul, and his glory, without any admixture whatever, the end of all our efforts. Let our many fruits be laid up only for our Beloved; let us display them when he is with us, and not hold them up before the gaze of men. Jesus, we will turn the key in our garden door, and none shall enter to rob thee of one good fruit from the soil which thou hast watered with thy bloody sweat. Our all shall be thine, thine only, O Jesus, our Beloved!

 

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MARKING THE LINES

You and your friends want to play some pickup football (touch, flag, tackle--whatever you prefer). You've got a ball. You've got a wide-open place to play. And you've got even teams.

Before you start the game, though, there's one important thing you have to do. You have to set your boundaries--sidelines, goal lines, and end lines. You have to determine what's inbounds and what's out-of-bounds.

You could try playing without boundary lines, but things would probably get frustrating and confusing pretty quickly. If you're going to play the game right, you need to know how far you can go. You need to know how much room you have to work with.

The same goes for sex.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY "SEX"?

God's plan is for guys and girls to save sex until marriage. (That sound you hear is millions of Christian parents and church leaders nodding their heads in agreement.) But that leads to a pretty obvious question: What is sex? And what, exactly, are you supposed to save?

To put it in football terms, where are the boundary lines? How much room do you have to work with? How far can you go? (That sound you hear is millions of Christian parents and church leaders going, "Um, um...")

It's not like there's a shortage of opinions on the subject. Lots of Christian guys have set boundaries for themselves, sexually speaking. The problem is finding agreement on where those boundaries belong.

Tony
When the Bible talks about sex, it's talking about intercourse. Or whatever you want to call it. That's what "two people becoming one flesh" means. That's what I'm saving for marriage. So if somebody asks me if I'm a virgin, I say yes. Even though I've had oral sex and stuff like that. Because those things don't count. They're not really sex.

Luis
I think there's a difference between teasing and sex. Teasing is when you're just messing around. You know, exploring bodies and stuff. How else are you gonna learn? You've gotta find out what feels good to a girl. Otherwise your wife's gonna be bummed on your wedding night. I say as long as you don't have an orgasm, it's not really sex.

Justin
I believe there's a difference between having sex and making love. I don't think God wants people doing it just because they feel like it or because they're drunk or whatever. But if you love someone, it's different. Then it's making love. It's something beautiful instead of something sleazy.

Mike
I think it depends on the person. There are some things I can do and not feel guilty about. But if another guy does the same thing, he might feel guilty. You have to be true to yourself. Don't make decisions based on what other people do or what other people tell you is right. Do what's right for you--and the person you love.

Shon
I don't really have a choice. My girlfriend won't let me do anything more than kiss her. I tried to get a little more a couple times, but she threatened to dump me. So now I'm a good boy. Well...almost. I told her I'd do the kissing thing. But I also told her she had to make it worth my while. And she has. She's a great kisser.

Kip
I made a pledge to save sex for marriage. To me that means not doing anything with a girl that I wouldn't want my future wife doing with another guy. I know it sounds weird. Especially since I have no clue who my future wife will be. But it just seems fair, you know?

How do your views of what's "too far" compare with these? How would you explain your boundaries when it comes to sex?

How do you think God feels about your boundaries? Think carefully before you answer. Raging hormones and wishful thinking have been known to cloud guys' judgments. With enough incentive, you could justify an orgy. And if you're really good, you could even make it sound biblical.

But God isn't swayed by lame excuses or desperate rationalizations. And fooling yourself is never a good idea, especially when the stakes are so high.

MYTH BUSTING

So how does an unmarried guy like you come up with a clear guideline for his love life? How can you enjoy the pleasures of the opposite sex without misusing your body?

You can start by finding out for yourself what God expects of you. You'd be surprised by how many well-meaning Christian guys have set sexual standards for themselves based on myths and mistaken ways of thinking when it comes to God and his Word. To help you avoid that mistake, let's take a look at three of the most common myths that can trip you up.

Myth #1: The Bible's silence is our gain.
You can search every book of the Bible and not find a verse that says oral sex before marriage is a sin. Nor will you find a passage about undressing a girl or tongue kissing. In fact, you won't find many specific guidelines about what's okay and what's not for sexually curious guys.

Some people use this fact to support the argument that (almost) anything goes. Their attitude is: If the Bible doesn't outlaw it, I'm allowed to do it.

The problem with this line of thinking, however, is that it assumes the Bible is nothing more than a rule book. A list of do's and don'ts. A fat book with countless ways God wants to ground us. And that's a really lame way to look at God's Word.

The Bible is actually more like a treasure map. A detailed plan for discovering the awesome things God has planned for you. A guide for making the best possible choices for yourself in every situation.

There's an old story about comedian W.C. Fields, who was quite well-known for his drinking, fooling around, and unwise lifestyle choices. Toward the end of his life--while Fields was living in a sanatorium--a friend entered his room and found Fields thumbing through a Bible. The friend was astonished. "Bill, I've never seen you with a Bible or within a mile of a church. What are you doing?" he asked.

"Looking for loopholes," Fields answered.

That story's kind of amusing as a joke, but it's tragic as a human episode. Now, if you are looking for loopholes in God's Word, you're missing about 99.9 percent of what it has to offer.

Besides, the Bible isn't nearly as silent on sexual matters as some people would like to believe. You can find plenty of clues scattered throughout Scripture that reveal God's attitude toward sexual experimentation.

One of the first clues can be found in 1 Corinthians 6:18: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body."

Look at that first sentence again. Run away from sexual immorality. Think of it as a ticking bomb at the beginning of an action movie. The people who see it and run away as fast as they can will probably survive. But the arrogant "expert" who thinks he can defuse it by himself will end up getting smeared across the room.

That's the kind of danger sexual temptation presents. If you're conceited enough to believe you can mess around with it safely, you're in for a nasty surprise. It's a matter of direction: If you're running away from sexual temptation, you're heading in one direction. If you're trying to see how close you can get to the boundary line without going over, you're heading in the opposite direction. And you have to admit that doing the opposite of what God commands is always a bad idea.

Clue number two can be found a few books later in the New Testament: "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people." That's what Ephesians 5:3 says. Not even a hint. Talk about setting the bar high!

Guys can make all the pitches they want about why certain things technically shouldn't be considered sex. But if those things have even a hint of sexual immorality, they're off limits.

Ephesians 5:3 makes that crystal clear.

And then there's clue number three, which comes courtesy of Colossians 3:5: "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry."

That doesn't sound like a God who's wishy-washy when it comes to his people playing around with sex. As far as he's concerned, you're in a fight to the finish with sexual sin. If you don't destroy it, it will destroy you. No matter how harmless it may seem right now.

Like it or not, God isn't going to spoon-feed you every bit of information you need to stay sexually pure. He's not going to supernaturally highlight every relevant verse in your Bible. Discovering his truth is your job. And it's not always an easy thing to do. Especially with so many other so-called truths competing for your attention. But if you commit yourself to learning what his Word says about sexual purity, he will help you discover his truth.

Myth #2: Setting sexual boundaries for yourself will take care of your problem.
Don't get me wrong. When it comes to sex, setting physical limits for yourself is a great idea. Especially if you commit yourself to respecting those limits. But it won't solve your problem completely.

You see, your fight isn't just physical; it's mental and spiritual, too. Jesus made that clear when he said, "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). How's that for a standard?

You can keep your pants zipped from now until your wedding day, but it won't keep you safe from sexual sin. The male imagination is a state-of-the-art, industrial-strength machine--especially when it's churning out sexual fantasies. Guys are ingenious when it comes to imagining erotic scenarios. There's no situation we can't turn into a sexual one if we just put our minds to it. So no matter where you draw the line physically, you still have to contend with your eyes and your thoughts.

Myth #3: More than anything else, God wants us to enjoy his gift of sex.
Don't be fooled into thinking that your enjoyment is at the top of God's priority list. It's not. "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God...For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." I didn't say that; the apostle Paul did in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, 7.

God wants you to be pure. He wants you to obey him. He wants you to honor him in the things you do and say. He wants you to live your life as an example to others. That's what God wants. You can certainly enjoy yourself doing those things. But enjoyment isn't your ultimate goal--not if you're serious about living a life that pleases God.

You see, this isn't about getting what you want. It's about giving up what you want--for God's sake. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." Those are Paul's words again, from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

God has a purpose for you. And getting as much as you can from girls isn't part of it. Living a holy life is a 24-7 commitment. You can't call time-out, go mess around for a while, and then come back to it. To be holy you have to completely change your perspective on satisfying your urges.

That doesn't mean you have to live like a monk and shut yourself off from the world. God's not boring! As I mentioned in chapter 1, he's the One who created the pleasure centers in your body. But living a holy life does mean you have to learn to say no to your body--even when it's screaming for action.

 

[beensetfree]

Long Life
The glory of young men is their strength,
gray hair the splendor of the old.

Proverbs 20:29 NIV

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LORD, make me to know mine end,
and the measure of my days, what it is:
that I may know how frail I am.

Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth;
and mine age is as nothing before thee:
verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.

Psalm 39:4,5 KJV

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Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Titus 2:2-5 NASB

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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.