This is a crack up! Drugged kids are funny! Gotta get me some of what this kid got!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
After the dentist...
Do not judge...
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:1-2, NIV)
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." (Luke 6:37, NIV)
Are these words a prohibition against teaching the truth of God's Word? Are they designed to silence a believing man when he sees a believing friend walking in sin? Are these verses the duct tape over the mouth of a converted woman who seeks only the good of another confessing woman headed in the wrong direction?
They are not. When Jesus says, "Judge not," he is not telling his children to be silent about sin. He is not suggesting that you and I look the other way when our fellow Jesus-followers violate his commands as laid out in the Bible, his revelation of himself and his standards. He is not telling us we have no business whatsoever correcting the errors of others in his church. The Bible clearly teaches that correction, even judgment, in the church is good and right.
In 1 Corinthians 5, after talking about a man in the church who was in a sexual relationship with his father’s wife, Paul calls the church into action. He tells the believers in Corinth to "hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of God." (v. 5, NIV)
A few verses later, he has this to say: "I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people - not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. 'Expel the wicked man from among you.'"(v. 9-13, NIV)
That sounds like judgment doesn't it? It is. It is good and right judgment of a sinful man who claims Christ based on a correct reading of God’s word. That is what I do every time I preach about sin. It is not what Jesus is condemning in Matthew 7 and Luke 6.
What Jesus is calling us to refrain from in these passages is harsh criticism of others - criticism that offers no hope, criticism that offers no helping hand, criticism that flows from a haughty heart. That he will not tolerate. It is out-of-bounds for every disciple of Jesus. We have been given grace by God. Grace we must give to others. We have been forgiven. Forgive we must.
God inspired Solomon to pen these wise words: "A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." (Proverbs 19:11, NIV)
Overlooking offenses, showing patience toward others - that is what Jesus is calling us to. Our knee-jerk reaction when we're annoyed or offended or wounded is to assume the guy meant us harm. But we cannot see his heart. Only God can. We do not know his motivation. We dare not presume ill intent. We dare not judge him.
Think about it. The man whose words have raised your hackles may have been directed by God to correct you. If his words match up with the Bible, you would do well to pay attention and mend your ways. He may be rescuing you from a devil-trap you didn’t know you were in.
If he is not well-intentioned, if he is harshly judging you, let God take care of it. "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." (Romans 12:18, NIV)
You gain nothing by retaliating with your own harsh judgment. "Do not repay anyone evil for evil." (Romans 12:17, NIV)
To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." (Luke 6:37, NIV)
Are these words a prohibition against teaching the truth of God's Word? Are they designed to silence a believing man when he sees a believing friend walking in sin? Are these verses the duct tape over the mouth of a converted woman who seeks only the good of another confessing woman headed in the wrong direction?
They are not. When Jesus says, "Judge not," he is not telling his children to be silent about sin. He is not suggesting that you and I look the other way when our fellow Jesus-followers violate his commands as laid out in the Bible, his revelation of himself and his standards. He is not telling us we have no business whatsoever correcting the errors of others in his church. The Bible clearly teaches that correction, even judgment, in the church is good and right.
In 1 Corinthians 5, after talking about a man in the church who was in a sexual relationship with his father’s wife, Paul calls the church into action. He tells the believers in Corinth to "hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of God." (v. 5, NIV)
A few verses later, he has this to say: "I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people - not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. 'Expel the wicked man from among you.'"(v. 9-13, NIV)
That sounds like judgment doesn't it? It is. It is good and right judgment of a sinful man who claims Christ based on a correct reading of God’s word. That is what I do every time I preach about sin. It is not what Jesus is condemning in Matthew 7 and Luke 6.
What Jesus is calling us to refrain from in these passages is harsh criticism of others - criticism that offers no hope, criticism that offers no helping hand, criticism that flows from a haughty heart. That he will not tolerate. It is out-of-bounds for every disciple of Jesus. We have been given grace by God. Grace we must give to others. We have been forgiven. Forgive we must.
God inspired Solomon to pen these wise words: "A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." (Proverbs 19:11, NIV)
Overlooking offenses, showing patience toward others - that is what Jesus is calling us to. Our knee-jerk reaction when we're annoyed or offended or wounded is to assume the guy meant us harm. But we cannot see his heart. Only God can. We do not know his motivation. We dare not presume ill intent. We dare not judge him.
Think about it. The man whose words have raised your hackles may have been directed by God to correct you. If his words match up with the Bible, you would do well to pay attention and mend your ways. He may be rescuing you from a devil-trap you didn’t know you were in.
If he is not well-intentioned, if he is harshly judging you, let God take care of it. "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." (Romans 12:18, NIV)
You gain nothing by retaliating with your own harsh judgment. "Do not repay anyone evil for evil." (Romans 12:17, NIV)
To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
What about?
My earlier-this-morning post, Divorce and Remarriage, has, as I knew it would, generated several conversations. Most have been very encouraging. A few have raised important questions. It's those "what abouts" that I want to address in this post. (I suppose I'm just opening another can of worms by responding, but the worms are already loose on this issue so I'll go ahead and answer as best I can. The additional issue of remarriage for widowed persons is covered in Death and Remarriage, so I will not repeat my answer to that question here.)
What about those who were divorced because of marital unfaithfulness?
This was the question posed to me almost immediately after my message was out.
In Matthew 19:9 Jesus says, "I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." (NIV)
This would seem to indicate that those who were cheated on are allowed to remarry and that in doing so they are not, like others, commiting adultery.
What do you say to the kids who are born to couples who have been divorced and remarried?
This question was asked by a concerned divorcee whose kids had brought up the issue in the past. Their son had asked, "So I wasn't supposed to be?"
Bible is not really clear on this issue. God never mentions the children who are conceived in an adulterous relationship. Moses says nothing of it. Jesus is silent. Paul never brings it up. No one was inspired by God to take up the subject.
In the past, the kids of adulterous relationships have been treated poorly. They were shamed publicly for their parents' sin. While that is not so much true today, it remains vivid enough in our cultural memory to spawn the question in the context of the previous discussion about divorce and remarriage.
In the Bible, the children are not held accountable for their parents' sins.
Deuteronomy 24:16, "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin." (NIV)
Jeremiah 31:29-30, "In those days people will no longer say, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.' Instead, everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes - his own teeth will be set on edge." (NIV)
So, the child of an adulterous coupling will have to deal with God concerning their own sin, but their parents' sin is not their responsibility. Their parents should not have been connected sexually. They were sinning. But that does not make the child illegitimate as earlier generations suggested. They are people of great worth. Jesus died for them so they could, if they believe, be free from their own sin.
Is someone who has had sex married to their partner?
The question came to me: If a girl has a baby out of wedlock, then the Dad to the baby is her first husband, even if they were not married, right? She's bound to him spiritually so to speak? Or how does that work?
The Bible says that when a man and woman come together the two become one flesh, so in a technical sense any couple who has sexual union is one flesh with their "partner in crime." Does that mean they're married? Not absolutely sure.
In Jewish culture, it would mean so. In fact the first sexual encounter, if a couple did things right, was at the wedding itself. They had a ceremony in the man's family's courtyard then ran off to the room groom had built for her there, consummated their marriage, then returned for the party. They were officially married when they were sexually united to each other. So, yes, it would seem that anyone who has sex is married to their partner.
(The baby is really irrelevant in this argument. Sex without pregnancy is still a union which makes the two one flesh. Conceiving a baby is just the byproduct of the union, not the union itself.)
In 1 Corinthians 6:15-16, Paul writes: "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, 'The two will become one flesh.'" (NIV)
There's that one flesh stuff again. In other passages, the two becoming one applies to marriage. Does it here? Not abundantly clear, is it?
What is clear is that we are to avoid sexual sin. Just one verse later, 1 Corinthians 6:18, Paul says: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body." (NIV) And he closes out the chapter with these instructions: "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." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV)
What about those who were divorced because of marital unfaithfulness?
This was the question posed to me almost immediately after my message was out.
In Matthew 19:9 Jesus says, "I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." (NIV)
This would seem to indicate that those who were cheated on are allowed to remarry and that in doing so they are not, like others, commiting adultery.
What do you say to the kids who are born to couples who have been divorced and remarried?
This question was asked by a concerned divorcee whose kids had brought up the issue in the past. Their son had asked, "So I wasn't supposed to be?"
Bible is not really clear on this issue. God never mentions the children who are conceived in an adulterous relationship. Moses says nothing of it. Jesus is silent. Paul never brings it up. No one was inspired by God to take up the subject.
In the past, the kids of adulterous relationships have been treated poorly. They were shamed publicly for their parents' sin. While that is not so much true today, it remains vivid enough in our cultural memory to spawn the question in the context of the previous discussion about divorce and remarriage.
In the Bible, the children are not held accountable for their parents' sins.
Deuteronomy 24:16, "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin." (NIV)
Jeremiah 31:29-30, "In those days people will no longer say, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.' Instead, everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes - his own teeth will be set on edge." (NIV)
So, the child of an adulterous coupling will have to deal with God concerning their own sin, but their parents' sin is not their responsibility. Their parents should not have been connected sexually. They were sinning. But that does not make the child illegitimate as earlier generations suggested. They are people of great worth. Jesus died for them so they could, if they believe, be free from their own sin.
Is someone who has had sex married to their partner?
The question came to me: If a girl has a baby out of wedlock, then the Dad to the baby is her first husband, even if they were not married, right? She's bound to him spiritually so to speak? Or how does that work?
The Bible says that when a man and woman come together the two become one flesh, so in a technical sense any couple who has sexual union is one flesh with their "partner in crime." Does that mean they're married? Not absolutely sure.
In Jewish culture, it would mean so. In fact the first sexual encounter, if a couple did things right, was at the wedding itself. They had a ceremony in the man's family's courtyard then ran off to the room groom had built for her there, consummated their marriage, then returned for the party. They were officially married when they were sexually united to each other. So, yes, it would seem that anyone who has sex is married to their partner.
(The baby is really irrelevant in this argument. Sex without pregnancy is still a union which makes the two one flesh. Conceiving a baby is just the byproduct of the union, not the union itself.)
In 1 Corinthians 6:15-16, Paul writes: "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, 'The two will become one flesh.'" (NIV)
There's that one flesh stuff again. In other passages, the two becoming one applies to marriage. Does it here? Not abundantly clear, is it?
What is clear is that we are to avoid sexual sin. Just one verse later, 1 Corinthians 6:18, Paul says: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body." (NIV) And he closes out the chapter with these instructions: "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." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV)
Death and remarriage...
Shortly after posting my previous post on divorce and remarriage, someone emailed me a question about widows and remarriage. I thought her question was one that many others might be asking, so here's what I told her.
Widows are released from the law of marriage. Paul says this at the beginning of Romans 7: "Do you not know, brothers - for I am speaking to men who know the law - that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man." (v. 1-3 NIV)
I have no problem whatsoever remarrying those who have lost a spouse to death. A new relationship can be a comfort to the widow.
Widows are released from the law of marriage. Paul says this at the beginning of Romans 7: "Do you not know, brothers - for I am speaking to men who know the law - that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man." (v. 1-3 NIV)
I have no problem whatsoever remarrying those who have lost a spouse to death. A new relationship can be a comfort to the widow.
Divorce and remarriage...
Almost 21 years ago, in the early days of my first pastorate in rural Indiana, I made a resolution that would from time to time cause a considerable amount of discomfort for me and for others. I decided way back in 1988 that I would not marry divorced persons who were seeking to remarry.
My reasoning was, and still is, simple. Jesus stated very clearly God's intention for marriage to be for life. Some Pharisees asked him if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife, pointing out that Moses allowed for it. "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Mark 10:5-9, NIV)
A little while later, in a more private setting, Jesus' disciples asked him about this matter. He answered them, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery." (Mark 10:11-12, NIV)
Hearing Jesus speak these difficult but plain words, I came to the conclusion that it would not be right for me as a Christ-following pastor to encourage a joining together of two people who would, according to Jesus, be entering into an adulterous relationship.
Do not imagine that this was an easy choice to make. I wrestled with it for many days. I knew the heartache that would come as a result of it. I knew the hurt others would experience. I knew the harsh words I would have to endure. But God had spoken through his Son. I could not just ignore the conviction he had placed in my heart as I read his words. I had no choice, really. I could not do other than what he had said to me. God is my boss, my judge, my ultimate authority. He drew a line in the sand which I have chosen not to cross. Despite pressure, sometimes extreme pressure, I have not bent on this issue.
That is not to say that I have not become more gracious and gentle in approaching the subject. At first I was a bit defensive about my conviction. I don't recall all that I said, but I'm pretty sure it was less compassionate than it should have been. The angry words directed at me on more than one occasion were likely not just about what Jesus said, but also about how I had reported his words and announced my decision not to marry them. I'm sure I came across as judgmental, condemning, harsh to several couples.
To every couple who comes to me today to be married after one or the other has been divorced, I say these words after sharing with them Jesus' words: "I love you and want God’s best for you. I cannot, however, marry you because of what Jesus said. I feel like I would be encouraging you to enter into a relationship that Jesus says is wrong. Please understand that I am not judging you at all. It is not a personal issue with you. I've said this to many couples in your situation. If you choose to get married and another pastor performs the ceremony, I will not think, 'Adulterers!' every time I see you. I will love you and care for you as I would any other married couple. I will pray for the success of your marriage. I just cannot marry you myself. My conscience won't allow it."
If you have been divorced and remarried, I hope you heard my heart for you in those words. I do not judge you. I am, like you, a sinner in constant need of God's grace. The words of Jesus on many other topics rebuke me and correct me often.
If you have struggled with Jesus' words, I urge you to go to him with your heart wounds. Be open and honest with him. Tell him your feelings about his words. Express your frustration and anger and fear and doubts. Repent of sin if you need to. Then allow him to heal you. Allow him to forgive you. Allow him to express his deep, deep love for you. Allow him to give you grace and grant you peace.
To a woman caught in adultery Jesus spoke these words. "...neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 10:11, NIV) Those words are a comfort to me as a sinner. Let them encourage you and direct you.
To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.
My reasoning was, and still is, simple. Jesus stated very clearly God's intention for marriage to be for life. Some Pharisees asked him if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife, pointing out that Moses allowed for it. "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Mark 10:5-9, NIV)
A little while later, in a more private setting, Jesus' disciples asked him about this matter. He answered them, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery." (Mark 10:11-12, NIV)
Hearing Jesus speak these difficult but plain words, I came to the conclusion that it would not be right for me as a Christ-following pastor to encourage a joining together of two people who would, according to Jesus, be entering into an adulterous relationship.
Do not imagine that this was an easy choice to make. I wrestled with it for many days. I knew the heartache that would come as a result of it. I knew the hurt others would experience. I knew the harsh words I would have to endure. But God had spoken through his Son. I could not just ignore the conviction he had placed in my heart as I read his words. I had no choice, really. I could not do other than what he had said to me. God is my boss, my judge, my ultimate authority. He drew a line in the sand which I have chosen not to cross. Despite pressure, sometimes extreme pressure, I have not bent on this issue.
That is not to say that I have not become more gracious and gentle in approaching the subject. At first I was a bit defensive about my conviction. I don't recall all that I said, but I'm pretty sure it was less compassionate than it should have been. The angry words directed at me on more than one occasion were likely not just about what Jesus said, but also about how I had reported his words and announced my decision not to marry them. I'm sure I came across as judgmental, condemning, harsh to several couples.
To every couple who comes to me today to be married after one or the other has been divorced, I say these words after sharing with them Jesus' words: "I love you and want God’s best for you. I cannot, however, marry you because of what Jesus said. I feel like I would be encouraging you to enter into a relationship that Jesus says is wrong. Please understand that I am not judging you at all. It is not a personal issue with you. I've said this to many couples in your situation. If you choose to get married and another pastor performs the ceremony, I will not think, 'Adulterers!' every time I see you. I will love you and care for you as I would any other married couple. I will pray for the success of your marriage. I just cannot marry you myself. My conscience won't allow it."
If you have been divorced and remarried, I hope you heard my heart for you in those words. I do not judge you. I am, like you, a sinner in constant need of God's grace. The words of Jesus on many other topics rebuke me and correct me often.
If you have struggled with Jesus' words, I urge you to go to him with your heart wounds. Be open and honest with him. Tell him your feelings about his words. Express your frustration and anger and fear and doubts. Repent of sin if you need to. Then allow him to heal you. Allow him to forgive you. Allow him to express his deep, deep love for you. Allow him to give you grace and grant you peace.
To a woman caught in adultery Jesus spoke these words. "...neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 10:11, NIV) Those words are a comfort to me as a sinner. Let them encourage you and direct you.
To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Maturity?
I read the account of the twelve spies sent in to check out the Promised Land this week in Numbers 13. As I was thinking about the events recorded, I noticed something. The mature people - Moses, Aaron, Caleb, Joshua - were pushing the people to move forward in faith. They were the ones shouting, "We can do this! God is with us!"
Then I thought of those who are considered mature today. Most of them are not shouting, "Let's go! God is for us!" They are asking questions like, "Can we afford this?"
No offense intended to anyone or any age group, but where'd the faith go? Where are the mature believers who are ready to take the hill country?
Then I thought of those who are considered mature today. Most of them are not shouting, "Let's go! God is for us!" They are asking questions like, "Can we afford this?"
No offense intended to anyone or any age group, but where'd the faith go? Where are the mature believers who are ready to take the hill country?
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