Biddeford Church of Christ

I suspect that many of you who have had the opportunity to participate in the monthly classes on personal growth, have glanced ahead to see what the next topic is going to be.  It is called, The Law of Consistency, along with, The Law of Environment.  Although I have not been directly involved with the class upstairs (watching children downstairs), I have been working through the material: and it is challenging me in numerous ways.  One of those areas is that of having a level of consistency in my life where change is needed.  Consistency is defined as steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc.  It is this subject I wish to consider today.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded

by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay

aside every weight, and the sin which so easily

ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the

race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus…

Hebrews 12:1-2

In an email I sent out this past week, I shared this quote, “Consistency is the most overrated of all human virtues…I’m someone who changes his mind all the time.”  Oddly enough, this person is expressing a level of consistency: only that it is chaotic.  Intentionality seeks to take life out of the realm of chaos and into a thought-out plan to grow in an area.  As I gave this some thought, the above text came to mind.  Step one, so to speak, is to recognize those things which hinder your forward progress.  What is the “weight” or “sin” that seeks to derail your efforts to grow in Christ?  That is a challenging and sobering question.  It was the hardest thing for me to grasp concerning my present journey.  “Who was on the throne of my heart?” I had to ask.  Then, the next step is that of endurance; that is, sticking to the plan.  Here is where a new level of consistency comes into play.  Over the years, I have “consistently” de-railed my forward progress by getting ensnared in those things that hinder me from achieving a goal.  I simply would give up.  Endurance is so important!  The question is, where can we find it?  Well, in our Christian walk, there is no better place than Jesus, for He is the “author and finisher of our faith” (v2).  He has been there and done that, so to speak, “enduring the cross, despising the shame” until He completed His task, sitting “down at the right hand of the throne of God” (v2).  Along with Him, we have that “so great a cloud of witnesses” (v1) that have gone on before us, achieving their goal of a faith-driven life.

Since I have been working through this study, I have come to realize in my life that this idea of consistency is the very place where many, if not most, of my failures can be linked to.  I want this to change so I can be more effective and productive in my walk with Christ.  I want this to change because my transformation into Christ likeness depends on it.  How about you?  Are you consistently inconsistent in certain areas of your life…your walk with Christ?  Let’s renew our commitment to look unto Jesus to guide us homeward.

Dennis

With our focus being on this idea of growth, one might be wondering, “Why is growth so important to the Christian’s walk?  As long as I believe in Jesus and read the word of God once in a while, that’s sufficient…right?”  As was mentioned last week, the journey homeward is filled with peaks and valleys, where we experience times of tremendous challenge and great heights of joy.  Like the apostle Paul, I realize that I have not “already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on” (Philippians 3:12) towards my heavenly home.  Unlike the church in Laodicea, spoken of by John in Revelation 3:14-21, I don’t want the Lord to find me “lukewarm…neither cold nor hot” (v16).  Being purposed in maturing in Christ is what can help to keep this from happening.  In our mid-week study we have been going through Hebrews.  A letter written to Jewish Christians who seem to find themselves going back to their old teachings.

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need

someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God…

                                                                                                                                    Hebrews 5:12

The writer, guided by the Holy Spirit, appears to suggest a level of expectation from those reading this letter; that is, they “ought to be teachers”.  I thought of James 3:1 where Christians are cautioned, “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.”  So, which is it?  James is cautioning members from assuming a teaching role before they are ready.  The writer of Hebrews is saying, they should be ready and are not; instead, they need to be taught the “first principles of the oracles of God” again.  The essential nature of maturity is then stated, “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe” (v13).  Unskilled simply means inexperienced in, without experience of.  In Ephesians 4:14, Paul expresses why this maturity is so essential, for it will keep us from being “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine.”  When one comes to Christ, they should “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1^st Peter 2:2).  But that same word of God also contains solid food that can help us continue to grow in Christ, equipping us for every good work (2^nd Timothy 3:17).  What is some of that work?

But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by

reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

                                                                                                                      Hebrews 5:14

Listen to how the NIV translates part of this verse, “…who by constant use have trained themselves.”  This comes from the word the NKJV translates exercised; which means to exercise vigorously, in any way, either the body or the mind.  One commentator explains that this word “is used in Greek writings for the training which an athlete undergoes.”  This intentional effort enables the believer to discern; that is, distinguish both good and evil, or as one commentator writes, they can “pass discriminating judgment on moral situations as they arise.”  Thus, there was then, and there is now, a good reason for Christians to mature: for it is essential to the cause of Christ and to the Christian’s spiritual life!

Dennis

As we move forward this year, seeking to encourage growth on a variety of levels, I am aware of the concern that such efforts could minimize the gospel and water things down to merely a “self-help” type of spirituality.  Yet, as God’s word reminds us, there is a continuous need for us to give “all diligence” to adding to our faith (2^nd Peter 1:5).  I have been giving this a lot of thought lately, as I look at myself and the journey I am on, along with all of you.  I have concluded, that the road we must travel is not always a straight line.

But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You,

I will not deny You!”  And they all said likewise.

Mark 14:31

When it comes to one’s walk with Christ, we would like to see onward and upward maturity.  But the bible reminds us so often that such a view is unrealistic.  I believe the story of Peter is one of those reminders on how easy it is to have high expectations, only to falter in our follow through.  More importantly, I believe his story shows us how much God yearns for us to get back up.  It is about redemption!  Not only the saving of a soul, but the saving of a life meant to bring God glory.  So, let me ask you a question, “How many of you, like me, have made absolute promises to change?”  Peter’s was even supported by a noble effort to defend his Lord, drawing his sword as they came to arrest Jesus (John 18:10).  Yet, soon after, he is seen denying the One he was just a short while before, so willing to die for.  Spiritual growth, that inner transformation which God so desires, is not a straight line for most, if not all.

As the years would pass by, the growth of Peter is one to learn from.  He learned that his mission would include preaching to the Gentiles (Acts 10) and would defend that act before his fellow Jewish Christians (Acts 15).  But, for whatever the reason, he became fearful of “those who were of the circumcision” (Galatians 2:12), resulting in him influencing others in a not so good fashion.  The apostle Paul had to confront him because of his actions (Galatians 2:14).  No doubt, there was need for repentance; that is, a change in direction.

Why say all of this?  How many of us use failure to give up?  Spiritual growth is not defined by a straight line that reflects a constant upward trend.  Real spiritual growth has peaks and valleys, ups and downs.  God is the God of both peaks and valleys, ups and downs.  Consider the Mark 16:1-7, when the women who came to anoint the body of Jesus after His death, were startled by an angel.  The angel told the women, “But go, tell His disciples-and Peter- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you” (Mark 16:7).  Only days ago, Peter was distraught, in a deep valley, weeping “bitterly” (Luke 22:62) over his failure.  Jesus was there to reach out to him, to help lift him out, if he wanted.

Jesus had plans for Peter and He has plans for each one of us.  The road to spiritual growth is seldom, if ever, a straight line.  There will be times where godly sorrow will be needed and repentance exhibited.  There will be times when moving upward seems almost impossible.  Our Jesus is Lord over all those areas of life and is willing to help guide us through it all.  The only question we might need to answer is this, “Are we willing to travel the road before us, with all its peaks and valleys?”  Thank You Lord for being so patient with us, and empower us, Lord, to travel intentionally homeward.

Dennis

I want to take a moment and shift gears, so to speak, and talk about something that I believe is important to remember in our walk with Christ; that is, how we respond to a world that seemingly is getting more evil in its ways.  One need only to look briefly at the political arena to witness the slanderous words that get heaved in both directions.  Or we could look at the entertainment industry that seemingly has a vendetta towards the “Christian” community.  The words of Jesus ring loud and clear, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake” (Matthew 5:11).  Sometimes, it is so easy to get caught up in the moment and fall into the trap of this dark world of ours.  So, what can we learn from Jesus that can help equip us?

You have heard it said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

But I tell you not to resist an evil person.

                                                                                                                      Matthew 5:38-39

Jesus is reflecting back on the old law and how they approached wrong-doing under it.  The whole idea seems to be that of proportional punishment.  Where this idea is found in Exodus 21:22-25, it talks of how one should react if a pregnant woman is hurt during a fight between men and her baby is prematurely delivered and is harmed, possibly even unto death.  This same proportional punishment is seen again in Leviticus 24:19-22 and Deuteronomy 19:21.   Remember, this letter is being written to Jews who would understand what is being said.  Okay, so how were they (and how are we) to deal with evil people?

And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

                                                                                                           Matthew 5:41

Although in the lesson today, I will more than likely touch on each of the things mentioned by Jesus, but this one was brought to my attention this past week.  It is said that a Roman soldier had the right to demand someone to carry his luggage and they would be required to do so by Roman law.  The relationship between the Jews and Romans was filled with resentment and hatred.  Jesus says that instead of resisting, actually go beyond the law’s requirements.  This makes me think of Romans 12:21, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”   Herein seems to be the reason behind such a response; that is, when we respond with intentional kindness, it can help us from becoming overcome by evil (negatively influenced by it) and instead, possibly influence the one who was evil to repent.  That is a good enough reason of why not to respond in kind.  So how do you respond to evil?

Dennis

Well, I suspect that (and hope that), our first lesson on the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth has taken place.  For those who were able to attend, the subject looked at the idea that growth is intentional.  John Maxwell writes, “Growth is not an automatic process.  If you’re going to grow, you have to grow on purpose.”  The noun form of purpose is defined as the reason for which something is done or created or which something exists.  The point is simple, intentional growth, if it is going to be purposed (verb form meaning to have one’s intention or objective), must have a true purpose behind it.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but

I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

                                                                                                                           1^st Corinthians 15:10

As the apostle Paul seeks, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to defend his apostleship and exhort the church in Corinth to grow intentionally, he reflects for a moment on his own journey.  He acknowledges that he was “not worthy to be called an apostle” because he “persecuted the church of God” (v9).  This reality is vividly seen in Acts 9:1, where Paul (then named Saul), breathed “threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.”  Interestingly, Paul’s reflection on his past was not uncommon as he sought to teach others in regard to their personal growth needs (cf. Philippians 3:6; Galatians 1:13, 23; 1^st Timothy 1:13).  His “come to Jesus moment” was questioned by some of the early disciples, for they “were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple” (Acts 9:26).  Personal growth is always on display to those around us and some may doubt that change, and with good reason.  This caused me to think, “If the purpose for change is to change another’s mind, what happens if that mind never changes?”

Paul makes it clear, the driving force behind his change of direction was the grace of God.  By grace, I am talking about God’s favor towards man, with its core being the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.  It was the gospel of Christ (the power of God, Romans 1:16) that abruptly changed Paul’s direction in life (Acts 9:1-19).  Not only that, it was that very same message of hope that opened the doorway for Paul to “preach Him among the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:16), of which the church in Corinth is proof.  Thus, Paul’s expression, “I labored more abundantly than they all” is not patting himself on the back; but rather, his way of showing others that God is working through him.  He knew that where he was in life was because of “the grace of God which was with” him.

For change to be sustained, something has to be a driving force behind every intentional step we take.  There are multiple reasons for change, many of them reasonable and worthy of our thoughts.  But none can compare to God’s amazing grace, seen through the gift of His Son and the opportunities He gives us each day to grow in His love.  Maybe our purpose behind intentional growth can be summed up in these two verses: “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17) and “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him” (2^nd Corinthians 5:9).  For it is by His grace that I am who I am!

Dennis

If there is one thing my past has been used for by me over the years, is to echo the lies (self-talk) that so often become barriers to my spiritual growth.  Last week, I hope in some way, God reminded us that He is fully aware of the battle between the flesh (sinful nature) and the Spirit within, that “these are contrary to one another”.(Galatians 5:17).

Knowing that, He promises those in Christ that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son” will cleanse “us from all sin” (1^st John 1:7).  God is so faithful towards us…towards me!   That faithfulness is not simply offered after we fall short, but prior to it as well.

When it comes to God’s people, “the church of God which is at Corinth” (1:1) was a really good example of God’s patience with those who are now “a new creation” (2^nd Corinthians 5:17).  There were contentions between brothers (1^st Corinthians 1:11), along with other issues that resulted in Paul saying these words, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ” (1^st Corinthians 3:1).  The concerns, and often stern words, are vividly apparent as you read through this letter.  In the midst of these personal growth obstacles, created by their arrogance, as one commentator put it, is this faithful promise from God.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;

but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

                                                                          1^st Corinthians 10:13

This promise is on the heels of this verse, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1^st Corinthians 10:12).  There is no new temptation!  If we were to reflect back in this chapter, we read of some examples of sinful behavior, acts that took place hundreds of years before, but none of them were any different from what those in Corinth were faced with, especially with the idolatry that was going on.  The simplicity of sin is simple and common to all, finding its roots in man’s “own desires” (James 1:14).   God knowing that very thing, promises His children of two things.  First, He will not allow “you to be tempted beyond what you are able.”  Second, that He will provide a “way of escape” concerning that trial.  One may ask, “Which is it, will He give us strength to go through it or show us a way out of it?”  I believe the answer is yes.  Like with any escape route, there is a journey that must be traveled before the escape happens.  God’s promise is that He will provided both the strength and the escape route for us to faithfully travel.

So how does this fit into our present discussion on spiritual growth?  As Christians, we should be so thankful for God’s mercy continuously revealed to us through Christ daily.  At the same time, God wants us to know that we can look for His faithfulness prior to sin as well.  He knows what temptations we face (Hebrews 4:15) and yearns for us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us” (Hebrews 12:1).  We can do that, in part, by seeking God’s faithfulness and trusting Him to know our limits and provide relief.  Praise be to God.

Dennis