Life Matters - January 25, 2023
“Then said Jesus… ‘If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free...If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.’” (John 8:31-32, 36) The church of Jesus Christ is called to be free in spirit. And to be on the offense. Finding those who are seeking for truth and pointing them, helping them, onto the way of God, the way of Truth, the way of eternal life.
Perhaps we have been too long on the defense? Or perhaps we have been too long on da-fence? Trying a balancing act between the world and the church? Or rather, between the world and Jesus Christ, as not all churches are in a good place at all times. (Revelation Ch. 2) It seems we are at times tempted to think we can keep our eyes to the grindstone while straddling the fence and keeping both feet firmly planted in mid-air. “How long halt ye between two opinions,” (1 Kings 18:21) may well be asked of this generation. If mankind, corporations and big government be god, then serve it, but if God be God, then serve Him. We cannot serve two masters (Luke 16:13) if ever there was a need (which there was, is, and always will be) for God’s people to put on the whole armor of God, to “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians 6:14-18) that time is now. This is not the time to occupy ourselves with handwringing. The signs of the times are a call for the church to “toughen up.” As the saying goes; “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” The Word of God says it this way, instructing us to “Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (II Timothy 2:3)
This is not a hardness nor a toughness towards our fellow wayfarers, but rather, a hardness and a toughness toward the enemy of our souls and our own bent to be careless among the spiritual land mines (the explosions against truth) and the sabotages (the undermining of Truth) of the enemy. A hardness and toughness about the dangers many of our fellow wayfarers so carelessly persist in, a hardness and a toughness about the bent we ourselves have towards sin. Concerning others, we are called to “restore such as one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” (Gal. 6:1) We all have a natural bent to become weaker, not stronger.
Someone asked the founder of Dubai, Sheik Rashid, about the future of his country and he said “My grandfather was on a camel, my father was on a camel, I’m in a Mercedes, my son is in a Land Rover, my grandson is probably going to be in a Land Rover too, but my great-grandson will be back on a camel…”
“Why is that?”
“Tough times create strong men.
Strong men create easy times,
Easy times create weak men,
Weak men create tough times.”
Spiritually, weak men live in the moment, weak men ignore the future because they aren’t living in it, the future has nothing to do with “this moment.” When Jesus said, “take no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself,” (Matthew 6:34) none of us expect that He was instructing us to not think nor plan ahead, else we would plant no crops, milk no cows, not raise any meat, nor plan for the spiritual welfare of our families. We intuitively know that He was referring to worry, to attempt bearing the burdensome load of future needs ourselves instead of "Casting our care upon Him for He careth for [us].” (1 Peter 5:7) “Let us cast our care upon Him who offers to be yoked together with us” (Matthew 11:29-30) Because he cares. And then. Then we shall have the freedom to take on the enemies of Truth. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
Life Matters!