Category: Judgmentalism - IRONSTRIKES

Can I Really Change?

5/14/2014

One of the things that is exciting about being involved in a church plant is the influx of new people coming to know Jesus, seeing miraculous things happening and being energized by new Christians. It is absolutely thrilling when a person who previously didn't regard Christ as his/her Savior experiences a life-changing decision. It boosts my faith when these people "who don't know better" really believe that God can do anything.

Having been a Christian for over 40 years, I think that I got this Christian thing down. I can easily become complacent and lazy. Yet, these new Christians are an inspiration. They remind me of how I need to rely more on Christ and less on myself.

I was in a small group from our church and we were praying for these new people. I was struck by a thought that I am sure came from God. I remember thinking, "you don't really believe that these new Christians are gonna make it, do you?" It was difficult for me to admit that to myself. But I sensed a further prompting, "tell these people in your small group what you have been thinking."  So I said, "this is hard to say but I'm gonna say it. I have to confess to the sin of pride, of elitisim. These new people that we have been praying would come to our church, I have been thinking that they wouldn't last. That they aren't really gonna make this Christian thing work for them. I've been thinking that they will never be as good of a Christian as I am." Now, I would like to say that my statements changed somebody but these statements only changed me.

I am glad that I was brave enough to say out loud what I have been thinking for a while. It was difficult but humbling. I didn't experience any condemnation from my small group friends but rather an open discussion about attitudes and how we need to allow God's Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out.

I was thinking about my comments and my attitudes a little later, and I had another thought, "If these new Christians don't make it, you will be partly to blame. It is up to you to offer encouragement, discipleship, friendship and support."

That's one of the many things that I like about the Holy Spirit. He's direct, to the point and doesn't just blast away at me. God's Holy Spirit is an expert marksman. He never misses His target. He sees something that needs to be corrected and all I have to do is listen, trust and obey Him.

I'm glad that after being a Christian for all these years, that God hasn't stopped with molding me into the image of Christ.

If I'm honest and humble, He will do just that.
He will do the same for you.

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

By what measure do you judge others?

4/24/2014

Are we called to evaluate and judge someone by what he or she did, or by what that person does, by way of habit? After insisting that people who live wicked and impure lives will not enter heaven, as such demonstrate that they have not been born again by grace through a genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul writes: "In the past, some of you were like that, but you were washed clean. You were made holy, and you were made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:11 NCV, emphasis added).

In the past, all of us have done (and said) ugly-natured, despicable acts. If one were to take a snapshot of a particular sin committed, as though that act were to encapsulate a person in his or her entirety, that would be wrong. No one who ever existed is defined by one or even a few negative or sinful acts. We all stumble in many ways (James 3:2), and none of us has yet arrived at perfection (Phil. 3:12). If we take one act, or one word, or even one unfruitful season in someone's life, and in a fit of strain force that moment to define a person, we not only falsely and unwarrantedly objectify the individual but we also incriminate ourselves because none of us has yet reached sinless perfection.

When I think of Samson, I do not necessarily think of his sin with Delilah and impose his infatuation and sin with her as the totality of his identity -- who he was as a human being. When I think of King David, I do not necessarily think of his sin with Uriah's wife Bathsheba and impose his sin with her as the totality of his identity -- who he was as a human being. I could admit the same with Solomon, whose life ended badly; and the apostle Paul, who murdered Christians prior to his conversion; or any number of people in the Bible who failed at moments in their life. Are we supposed to take snapshots of people's lives and claim, "This is who you are -- this defines you"?

I suppose the answer would be predicated upon an individual's repentance of certain failures or sins. For example, in the case of Jesus' betrayer Judas, we are never given glimpses of genuine repentance from his heart. What do we make, then, of Judas as a human being? What kind of man was he? Though called a disciple of Jesus Christ, we find his heart to be one of betrayal -- one of never really being loyal to Christ -- from the beginning.

Judas' heart and life differs significantly from that of the apostle Peter. Though Peter denied he knew Jesus on three separate occasions, he genuinely repented of his sin and was restored to a right relationship with Christ. Not so with Judas. Judas opened himself up to Satanic possession by his evil plans and motives. Instead of humbly, self-effacingly seeking repentance, he very selfishly committed suicide.

Portraying Judas as a betrayer can be derived not from a single event or a certain string of events but from the overall consistent attitude of his life. Portraying Peter as a betrayer, however, should not be derived from the three separate events of his having denied knowing Christ because his overall attitude was one of love for Christ in spite of his inconsistencies.

The reality is, however, that I no more want to be thought of as "that one who did this or that" than the apostle Peter wanted to always be thought of as "that guy who denied Christ," or David as "that guy who committed adultery and had her husband killed in battle." I remember someone's statement to another person who had committed a terrible act: "This is what you did -- this is not who you are; this does not define you."

When someone's sins and failures become public knowledge there is a temptation to take a snapshot and define him or her by that event. But there exists a type of deception within the hearts of those who take snapshots and define others by them. They tend to think that because their struggles and failures and sins are private then they are not or should not be defined by them.They are not willing to be as stringent with themselves as they are with others. But Jesus said that you "will be judged in the same way that you judge others, and the amount you give to others will be given to you" (Matt. 7:2 NCV).

The apostle Paul adds, "Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others" (Col. 3:13 NLT). Since "it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it" (James 4:17), and "the person who keeps all the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws" (James 2:10), then I think we need to extend a bit more grace to each other, not defining each other by any failure(s) but by the grace of God in Christ.

This post was written anonymously. You can find the original at: http://credendum.weebly.com/1/post/2014/04/by-what-measure-do-you-judge-others.html

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

Why 8 in 10 do not attend church

4/14/2014

Eighty percent of families with children who have disabilities do not attend church.

There are several reasons why these families don't attend church. Here are some of their reasons:

My child is not welcomed in any of the children’s activities, they said he is too disruptive.

I took my child to Sunday School class, but they wheeled him to the corner and he sat there until I came to pick him up.

They said I had to keep my child with me because they had nobody that could help care for her during Children’s church. I tried, but she can be noisy, so an usher asked us to please leave the sanctuary because she was disrupting the service.

I asked the pastor if we could possibly have someone help my child during Sunday School, they told me they were not responsible to find me babysitters.

It’s not worth it, my child cannot handle the sensory overload.

When my child is loud, people stare at us and shake their heads. I even had people tell me that my child needs discipline, my child has autism and they know it! I’m not going back.

My child is welcomed, but almost very Sunday they call me and I have to go get her from her class. Why bother.

I tried starting a special needs class for kids, the church leadership did not support me, they said there was no need.

For 20 years my wife and I took turns going to church. One Sunday she would go and I stayed home with our son, the next one we switched.

So isn’t it sad, isn’t it puzzling, that the only classroom where our kids with special needs are fully included is the public school classroom rather than the Sunday School class? Isn’t there something wrong when the public school setting is more accepting, loving, and supportive to kids with disabilities rather than the church?

Did you know that 80% of marriages end up in divorce when there is a child with a disability in the family? So shouldn’t the church support these families?

Did you know that special needs families feel isolated? So shouldn’t the church be the place where they feel included?

Did you know that special needs families feel constantly judged? So shouldn’t the church be a place where there is no judgement?

Did you know that people with disabilities are the largest minority in the world? Yes, the largest minority!!

Disability is a part of life. It has nothing to do with faith, it has nothing to do with healing. It has everything to do with being human, it has everything to do with being the body of Christ. People with disabilities are part of the Body, and we need them. We need them just as much as they need us. We are all connected in this journey, all of us. All of us!

We have an unreached people group in our own backyard. A people group that has been marginalized by society for too long. It is time that as a Church, we embrace them, we accept them, we celebrate them!

Instead of praying for healing, let’s pray for God to open our hearts and our eyes to the needs of people and children living with disability. Let’s figure out how to do life together. And let’s embrace, forgive, celebrate, accept, and love unconditionally.

And let’s never forget that people/children with disabilities are people first, fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139

We need to create awareness and educate our leaders, and in doing so, it is important that we extend grace and forgiveness. You and I can be a part of the solution. Grace and forgiveness…we all need it.

This post was adapted by a post written by E Stumbo.

Sunday Meditation

3/9/2014

If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. John 8:7

It is easy to judge other people. Judgmentalism and blame come naturally to us. Other people's faults and failures are not difficult to identify. Many of us can remember a time in our lives when throwing the first stone was not just easy - it was what we thought good Christians were supposed to do.

One of the most dramatic changes which takes place early in the recovery process is an increase in self-awareness. We begin to see patterns in our own lives that need changing. We see our own self destructive tendencies. We see how we have brought pain to others. As these insights dawn on us, we begin to lay down our stones.

Of course, as our self-awareness increases, many of us attempt to refocus the blame and judgmentalism from others onto ourselves. We can blame and judge ourselves as ruthlessly as we may once have blamed and judged others. But it's not really progress in recovery to give up throwing stones. . and then start banging our heads against a stone wall.

Judgmentalism and blame are not helpful in recovery. What makes recovery possible is when increased self-awareness leads to an increased capacity to experience forgiveness. Gradually we learn to accept forgiveness from God and others. We receive mercy. As a result, we begin to treat ourselves and others with mercy.

It is increased self-awareness and the humility which self-awareness makes possible that are the soil in which true community can grow. When we accept ourselves as humans even though we struggle and sometimes fail, we can become far more gentle with ourselves and with others.

Lord, you know how quick I have been to throw stones.
Thank you for the self awareness that has allowed me to see more clearly that
I am not without sin.
I know that I am in need of forgiveness.
Give me the courage to accept your forgiveness and mercy
and in this way begin to live in true community

Amen.

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan
National Association for Christian Recovery

No more judgmental attitude

2/18/2014

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. James 3:17

A lot of men--not every man—but a lot of us struggle to hold back a harsh and judgmental attitude toward the world around us . . . sometimes even toward those we love most. In the rush and charge of life, with the volatility of family, the pressure of work, the friction of this world, we too often give in to snap impulses to anger and criticism. They feel right in the moment, but they never are (Proverbs 14:17). More considered, gentler approaches are always better . . . less destructive, more effective, more powerful (Proverbs 19:11, 29:11; James 3:13-18).

These impulses also reveal something deeper—our pride. If we’re honest, they come from thinking too highly of ourselves, trusting ourselves too much, trusting our wisdom, our capabilities, and our “ways” too much . . . and thinking too little of those of the people around us. But, God is “opposed to the proud,” as pride leads only to hurt and separation (James 4:6; Proverbs 16:18).

So, we must engage this struggle. We mustn’t let another day, another year, another decade, slip by, doing nothing. These impulses are too hard on others. We must allow our guide, God the Holy Spirit, to train us in humility, to be “quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).

Okay, so what do we do?

Confess and repent to God, in prayer. Turn your back on that harsh, judgmental man. Declare that you want to be a different kind of man. Invite God’s training. That’s a bold prayer—so bring a brother (or a few) into the endeavour. Ask him/them to pray for you, speak truth to you, and keep you accountable as God begins to move in your life.

Copyright © 2013 Gather Ministries, All rights reserved.

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

What to do with your pain

1/6/2014

What do you do with your pain? Some people nurse a hurt, an emotional wound, so that they can keep on feeling its effects. For some people, this continually confirms how wronged they were, thus transforming themselves into quite the saintly martyr. This is an unhealthy way to live your life -- it cannot heal your soul; it cannot lead you to express forgiveness; and it will stunt your spiritual growth. But these truths do not mean you have to ignore your pain, either. One way or another, you must do something about that pain.

Jesus rhetorically said: "Then will not God give justice to his chosen, to whom he listens patiently while they cry out to him day and night?" (Luke 18:7 Revised English Bible) Those who have experienced an injustice -- some act or words spoken toward you that have caused you emotional pain -- think that what they really crave is justice. I've caused much emotional (even psychological) pain in others, and God brought about justice. (Remember that God does not deal with our sins as they deserve, cf. Ps. 103:10.) But sometimes even the justice does not satisfy. Why?

The justice does not always satisfy all people because what some victims really want is not justice but revenge -- they want the one who wronged them to suffer like they have suffered. While we can admit that this is a human reaction, what we cannot admit is that it is a biblical or righteous reaction. Seeking justice is a right response, especially since God is just, meaning He is justice, righteousness, holiness. Should justice never be met in your situation then you will still need to confront and do something with your pain; it will not go away on its own, and it can cause you further harm if not dealt with.

If you have lived for any decent amount of time, you have probably hurt someone in some way, no matter to what small degree. Surely, you wanted mercy and forgiveness when you wronged the person. Certainly, upon reflection, you wished you had not even started down the road that led to your offense. You cannot ease the pain of the one you hurt. That person was then in the position of needing to learn how to cope with being hurt by you. Now, if you are in a similar situation, you have to learn how to cope with being hurt by someone else. For your own emotional and mental well-being, you need to learn what to do with your pain.

First, you must express that pain to the Lord in prayer. I would suggest telling Him exactly how that pain made you feel; express your anger, frustration, pain, helplessness, hopelessness and difficulty in forgiving the one who wronged you. Admit to the Lord that you find forgiving the person very, very difficult -- be honest and transparent.

Second, I suggest sitting in silence (1) and try meditating on the goodness of God toward us undeserving sinners who are in Christ Jesus. Begin remembering how Jesus said on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34 NIV) None of us deserved forgiveness; we are equally offenders all. Not one of us is any more righteous than another, for all sinned and continue to fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).

Third, I would recall these words of Jesus: "For if you forgive others the wrongs they have done, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs that you have done." (Matt. 6:14-15 REB) Remember that while forgiving others may not be an easy task, such is the will of God, and that it will aid to your own healing.

The late Henri Nouwen encourages you -- out of his own deep, emotional pain -- to take the cup of sorrow you have been handed and to drink it fully (2). Take this pain that you have been given, embrace it, and then use it. Unless you own this sorrow, it will own you. This is the reality that was cast upon you -- begrudgingly, no doubt! Now, what will you do with this reality? Wrestle with it, overcome it, and then use it to your advantage. How? Others are also hurting. Show them what you have learned. Be for them a Christ-counselor.

Refusing to remain within a victim mentality, show them what an overcomer looks like. Testify to how God's goodness saw you through some of the darkest hours of your life. You'll be bringing Him glory and honor while also helping another hurting soul to heal. "Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (2 Cor. 1:3-4 NET)

If you find all of this to be very difficult, understand that is normal; yes, this is very difficult; it seems nearly impossible, and it takes much time and effort and prayer. Only in and through relying on Christ will you be able to heal and then help others. But also take some comfort in knowing that Jesus longs to see you come through this for His glory, your well-being, and the well-being of other hurting souls.

__________

1 Silence can be a wonderful aspect and agent of healing. Henri Nouwen writes: "This might come as a surprise, since being silent seems like doing nothing, but it is precisely in silence that we confront our true selves. The sorrows of our lives often overwhelm us to such a degree that we will do everything not to face them. . . .

"Silence is the discipline that helps us to go beyond the entertainment quality of our lives. There we can let our sorrows and joys emerge from their hidden place and look us in the face, saying: 'Don't be afraid; you can look at your own journey, its dark and light sides, and discover your way to freedom.' We may find silence in nature, in our own houses, in a church or meditation hall. But wherever we find it, we should cherish it. Because it is in silence that we can truly acknowledge who we are and gradually claim ourselves as a gift from God." Henri J.M. Nouwen, Can You Drink the Cup? Tenth Anniversary Edition (Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2008), 103-04.

2 Nouwen writes, "When we are fully committed to the spiritual adventure of drinking our cup to the bottom, we will soon discover that people who are on the same journey will offer themselves to us for encouragement and friendship and love." Ibid., 108.

This post was written by William Birch. For the original post, go to: http://classicalarminian.blogspot.com/2014/01/what-to-do-with-your-pain.html

Sunday Meditation

12/15/2013

He who ignores discipline despises himself,
but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. - Proverbs 15:32

None of us enjoy it when people point out that we need to change. We don't like being told that we have switched from one addiction to another. Or, that we are allowing someone's addiction to control our lives. Or that we are running from intimacy. Or that we are behaving in ways that are destructive to ourselves or to others. We don't like hearing these things.

But we need this kind of honesty. We are not 'wired' for honest self-assesment. At the first sight of a problem we experience shame. And our defenses go up. We put our hands over our ears and stop listening.

We need other people to keep us honest and to help us see what we cannot see about ourselves. Honest feedback is one of our best hopes for initiating change. As this text puts it, if we 'heed correction', we can gain a lot of understanding. So, it is good to pay attention to the 'correction' and 'discipline' we get from others. We are not helped, of course, by judgmentalism and shame - we have enough of that to last us a lifetime. But we need to cultivate relationships with people who will - with love and kindness - tell us the truth about ourselves. This information can be the starting point for change in our lives.

Lord, help me to build relationships that sustain honesty.
Give me friends who will love me enough to tell me the truth.
Help me to pay attention to correction.
Give me the courage to see myself clearly.
Keep me from shame and self-loathing.
Give me the openness to correction that makes change possible.

Amen.

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan
National Association for Christian Recovery

Selfish worship

12/4/2013

In 1992-1993 we were missionaries in Ecuador. I have worshiped with people from many different cultures and have enjoyed the different ways that Christians engage in worship. I remember one service in Esmeraldas that had a very African flavor to it and another in Guayaquil that was a tropical, Latin mix. I thoroughly enjoyed both and could tell that these were ernest Christians who REALLY enjoyed worship.

On another occasion we went to Riobamba to a church high in the Andes mountains. What I experienced there was quite different. We had traveled there to visit some people from America that were on a work trip to the area and wanted to make some friends. We had eaten supper together with them and the Quechua folk of that church. When we went to worship, we were fortunate to have a teen choir lead us in worship. The worship was more formal and the singing was in a very nasally, high voice. It was in the Quechua language so I had difficulty understanding what they were singing.

I was young, proud and had my wife and kids with me. After the service one of the Americans came over to me and we were talking about the service. I said something about the service that I shouldn't have said. I said, "that music was gross!"  It popped out and I didn't take it back. I was instantly convicted but was too stiff-necked to listen to God's Holy Spirit's chastening. After all, I was the missionary, they were just people visiting.

I have thought about my bad comment over the years, trying to analyze why I would say something like that. Now, I know that one of the tricks that Satan uses is to keep reminding Christians of their faults and sins to keep them feeling condemned and ineffective. I have been forgiven for my statement and my attitude and when I think about what I said, I still get a twinge of guilt but then I am reminded that was in the past and forgiven.

I recognized that I had in my mind certain ways that I approved of how worship was to be done. This third church, in Riobamba, stretched me and didn't fit my preconceived notions. I was clearly wrong.  I have prayed that the young American that I talked to (I have no recollection who he was) would not remember my insensitivity but the good things of his time in Ecuador.

Now it is 2013 and I am miles aways and 20 years away from that event. I have worshiped in several other cultures and other churches and have come to believe that I have put away such preconceptions. I no longer have the feeling that a certain style of worship is gross. I have matured. I have become more Christlike.

But have I? Have I really progressed?

I was recently at a worship service where we were lead by a worship team that had a decidedly "country" flavor to it. Part way thru this experience, I excused myself. As I walked past the sound booth, a friend asked me, "how do you like the worship team?" I said, "I am not a fan of country music..." I felt instant conviction, very similar to how I felt in Riobamba when I ignored the Holy Spirit. I immediately followed it with, "but I see that others are worshiping and the team is really doing a good job, so I can't complain. I'm trying to worship too."

OK. That was a bit better.

Then I was reminded of a statement, I don't know where I heard it, that says, "If your life is divided up between what you like and don't like and you just do what you like & avoid what you don't like, you're gonna have a miserable existence."  That statement is sooooo true. I close myself up to God's ability to work in my life if I just simply become opinionated about everything and complain/avoid things I don't care for.

So, I'm trying, I'm improving, I'm getting better, my intent is improving, my heart's getting into it....

but I still have a long way to go...

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

Sunday Meditation

12/1/2013

If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.

It is easy to judge other people. Judgmentalism and blame come naturally to us. Other people's faults and failures are not difficult to identify. Many of us can remember a time in our lives when throwing the first stone was not just easy - it was what we thought good Christians were supposed to do.

One of the most dramatic changes which takes place early in the recovery process is an increase in self-awareness. We begin to see patterns in our own lives that need changing. We see our own self destructive tendencies. We see how we have brought pain to others. As these insights dawn on us, we begin to lay down our stones.

Of course, as our self-awareness increases, many of us attempt to refocus the blame and judgmentalism from others onto ourselves. We can blame and judge ourselves as ruthlessly as we may once have blamed and judged others. But it's not really progress in recovery to give up throwing stones. . and then start banging our heads against a stone wall.

Judgmentalism and blame are not helpful in recovery. What makes recovery possible is when increased self-awareness leads to an increased capacity to experience forgiveness. Gradually we learn to accept forgiveness from God and others. We receive mercy. As a result, we begin to treat ourselves and others with mercy.

It is increased self-awareness and the humility which self-awareness makes possible that are the soil in which true community can grow. When we accept ourselves as humans even though we struggle and sometimes fail, we can become far more gentle with ourselves and with others.

Lord, you know how quick I have been to throw stones.
Thank you for the self awareness that has allowed me to see more clearly that
I am not without sin.
I know that I am in need of forgiveness.
Give me the courage to accept your forgiveness and mercy
and in this way begin to live in true community

Amen.

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan
National Association for Christian Recovery

Don't play dead

2/7/2013

If you stumble into sin, believer, don't give up; don't allow hopelessness to consume you, the deceitfulness of sin to blind you, or the weight of shame to defeat you. In the morning and evening prayer we pray, in part, the following: "I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not fall" (Ps. 16:8). Christ is at your right hand, and this fall shall not be final for you; He took the final fall.

Yes, you may feel as though your worst day has cast a shadow over you that will never break to show the light of day, but, happily, you're wrong. God, in Christ, has declared you to be righteous (2 Cor. 5:21). Of the righteous we read: "for though they fall seven times, they will rise again" (Prov. 24:16NRSV). You will rise, friend, because Christ will lift you up. He took the ultimate fall in order that you should rise.

No one knows how many times I've had to encourage myself, thinking these thoughts, repeating the words of this post to myself. How I didn't play dead but arose from sin is a testimony to God's sheer grace. This post is as much an exhortation to myself as it is for anyone else experiencing difficulties or tragedies, whether self-caused or otherwise.

What do you do on the worst day of your life? Rise: not because you're inherently worthy of being named righteous. Rise because the one who took the ultimate fall declares you righteous. Rise because, though you sinned, though you deserve the fate of the wicked like the rest of us, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1).

But rise, too, because you neither honor the Lord nor serve the body of Christ by remaining fallen. Don't play dead, possum. In Christ you have been made alive (Col. 2:13). Play dead to your old, sinful nature or past. But in Christ, even when you sin, don't play dead -- don't remain defeated. In Him you are more than one who has conquered all spiritually negative realities (Rom. 8:37). "So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1 NRSV).

You can avoid re-offending others by rising, and thinking healthy, spiritual thoughts: "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Phil. 4:8). All offenses begin with thoughts. We are instructed to destroy arguments raised up against the knowledge of God.

But the apostle Paul also added, "We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God" (2 Cor. 10:5 NRSV, emphasis added). How many thoughts rise up against the reality of God's holy existence and righteous standards? We are taught to destroy such thoughts, to take them captive and make them obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).

I picture such thoughts as personified. I imagine capturing them, putting them into a prison cell, while Christ stands watch over them as Guard. If I fail to do so, then I may entertain such thoughts, have them affect me emotionally, and then obey them. When I obey them, I sin. "But one is tempted by one's own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved" (James 1:15-16 NRSV).

But when you sin, no matter the degree, take it immediately to Christ. "If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9 NRSV). Don't let sin drag you into a hopeless, despondent, dejected place, out of which you feel impossible to escape. By His grace and forgiveness you rise up, and you keep rising up. You don't rise up only once. You will need to rise up every time you fall.

More than that, you will need to rise up every time you think about a past fall. Such thoughts about your past have a tendency to paralyze you emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Paralyzed, you will play dead. No: in Christ you must rise up from the guilt of your past. Though you fall seven times a day, you will rise -- you must rise (Prov. 24:16).

The Lord foreknew every sin you would ever commit when He by grace through faith in Christ saved your soul. You don't ever take Him by surprise by any thought, desire, or action. In Christ He has already declared you holy, sanctified (set apart from the world and for His service and care), and righteous. You don't let Him down because you don't hold Him up.

You are becoming more and more like Christ (Rom. 8:29), slow as such may seem, and your heavenly Father understands completely all of your eccentricities, particularities, and unique qualities. This is how, you see, you keep on rising. Give your defeats to the One who defeated sin, death, and hell (1 Cor. 15:56-57; 1 John 3:8). Give your hopelessness to the God of hope (Rom. 15:13). Whatever you do, don't play dead, possum, but rise.

This post was written by William Watson Birch. You can find the original post with comments here: http://www.classicalarminian.com/2013/01/saturday-devotion-dont-play-dead.html

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.