apostasy
Faith, Hope, and Expectations
March 12, 2008 Filed in: Christian
Living
Do you get what you want, or do you get what you
deserve? How many times have we heard the expression,
“I knew that was going to happen!” We have other
frustration statements we use, and many of these
express an expected negativity in our lives. What
makes a difference between good and bad expectations?
How does our faith and hope affect our expectations,
and how are these reflected in those expectations?
Hebrews 11:5-6 reveals some more details about the Enoch we are briefly introduced to in Genesis 5:24. He is described as having never seen death, and this is the direct result of his faith – the hopeful expectations he placed on God. II Corinthians 5:7 simply states that faith guides us, and Paul goes on to express His expectation to be delivered by Christ and present with God, an idea also reflected in Colossians 1:5.
James 1:5 speaks of us entreating God for wisdom, but verse 6 speaks to the expectations we should have when praying to God. We are to pray with the expectation that God will listen to and answer us. Our cynical expectations keep us from Him.
In verse 8, the author speaks of Abraham who left his home to seek a land he had not seen. Abraham expected to be led despite his ignorance of the destination. He had faith that God would work good in him. Romans 8:28 reflects this confidence, and the preceding verses encourages to have hopeful expectations and trust in God.
Ephesians 3:20 describes God as being able to deliver beyond anything we can imagine. So often, we set our expectations for God, for others, and for ourselves at such a low level, we can’t help but have those expectations fulfilled. Our expectations can only be enhanced by what we tell ourselves to expect. Edification starts within ourselves. I Peter 5:8-9 describes a devouring power, seeking to consume our souls, but faith resists this power. It gives us the hope to lift ourselves above those snares.
By Mike Mahoney
Hopeful Expectations
Faith, hope, and love are all elements that are supposed to fill our lives, and all of these imply a trust in our God. I Thessalonians 1:3 speaks of these three in terms of action and attitude. These work together, and they will affect the expectations we have in our lives. Faith relies on hope in God and His promises, expecting Him to deliver on those promises. I John 3:3 speaks of a hope we have fixated upon God, and I Peter 1:13 encourages us to hope in the grace of Jesus Christ.Hebrews 11:5-6 reveals some more details about the Enoch we are briefly introduced to in Genesis 5:24. He is described as having never seen death, and this is the direct result of his faith – the hopeful expectations he placed on God. II Corinthians 5:7 simply states that faith guides us, and Paul goes on to express His expectation to be delivered by Christ and present with God, an idea also reflected in Colossians 1:5.
James 1:5 speaks of us entreating God for wisdom, but verse 6 speaks to the expectations we should have when praying to God. We are to pray with the expectation that God will listen to and answer us. Our cynical expectations keep us from Him.
Triumph in Faith
Hebrews 11:1-3 gives us a definition of faith, and this definition includes expectations – hopeful expectations that may contradict what we see in this world. Then, the author goes on to describe several examples of people acting upon hopeful faith. Abel is cited as one acting upon faith based on his sacrifice to God, and Noah took action to prepare for an event he had no physical evidence on which to base expectations.In verse 8, the author speaks of Abraham who left his home to seek a land he had not seen. Abraham expected to be led despite his ignorance of the destination. He had faith that God would work good in him. Romans 8:28 reflects this confidence, and the preceding verses encourages to have hopeful expectations and trust in God.
Ephesians 3:20 describes God as being able to deliver beyond anything we can imagine. So often, we set our expectations for God, for others, and for ourselves at such a low level, we can’t help but have those expectations fulfilled. Our expectations can only be enhanced by what we tell ourselves to expect. Edification starts within ourselves. I Peter 5:8-9 describes a devouring power, seeking to consume our souls, but faith resists this power. It gives us the hope to lift ourselves above those snares.
Conclusion
Our faith and hope motivate the expectations in our lives. We can set our bar high, or we can set it low. However, if we set it on God, we know that He will help us achieve our goal of being with Him.By Mike Mahoney
Remarkable Reproductions
February 16, 2008 Filed in: The Church
In Florida, there used to be a Billboard on U.S. 119
with a picture of the Mona Lisa and the logo,
“Remarkable Reproductions.” It was an ad for an art
studio that specialized in creating low-cost
facsimiles of famous pieces of artwork. You could
have something that was close to the original, but
was close. You had to settle for poorer quality,
value, and workmanship, but it served as a passable
substitute for the original.
As Christians, we comprise our Lord’s kingdom, and Matthew 16, beginning in verse 13, we read of Jesus asking his apostles what others and themselves think of Him and His identity. When Peter confirms Christ’s deity, Jesus reinforces his statement and speaks of the building of His church or assembly. They would be a people called out of the world to assemble before Jesus.
We cannot walk into a reproduction shop and expect to find something of the same worth, workmanship, and quality of the original. In Matthew 16, Jesus identifies the church possessively, and Acts 20:28 describes it as purchased by Jesus’ blood. Christ knew the cost he would pay for His church, and it is beyond any value we can place upon it.
I Corinthians 3:10 records Paul warning us to be careful how we build upon the foundation of Christ. He speaks to the workmanship of our ministry. When it comes to the church, the only foundation it can have is Jesus Christ. If any man is at the center of a congregation, it will falter. In I Corinthians 1:10, Paul appeals to Christ’s authority in asking the members of that church to avoid divisions among them based on individuals they identified with. Galatians 1:6-10 warns us that anything not from Christ is not truly the gospel.
Returning to Matthew 16, Jesus speaks to the quality of His church in verse 18. He states that no power – physical or spiritual – that will destroy His kingdom. The writers of the New Testament call it an eternal kingdom. In Matthew 7:20-23, Jesus speaks to the quality of fruits brought forth by those who claim to be spiritual, and, in this, He speaks of some who are close but still do not accurately follow the pattern He set forth.
If something is not from Christ, it is from man, and it is not of the original. It is a forgery where our ideas and values are substituted for God’s. It may not always be the convenient or easy thing to do, but we should be settling for nothing less than the original. This is not a label of elitism or self-righteousness. Rather, striving to follow the original pattern should inspire an attitude of humility, laying aside our own pride to do things God’s way rather than our own way.
By Tim Smelser
As Christians, we comprise our Lord’s kingdom, and Matthew 16, beginning in verse 13, we read of Jesus asking his apostles what others and themselves think of Him and His identity. When Peter confirms Christ’s deity, Jesus reinforces his statement and speaks of the building of His church or assembly. They would be a people called out of the world to assemble before Jesus.
Seeking the Original
When we consider the numerous groups claiming to follow Christ with all of the inconsistencies and contradictions, it is easy to see how people can become disenchanted with the idea of organized religion. In this, what should we be looking for – the original or remarkable reproductions?We cannot walk into a reproduction shop and expect to find something of the same worth, workmanship, and quality of the original. In Matthew 16, Jesus identifies the church possessively, and Acts 20:28 describes it as purchased by Jesus’ blood. Christ knew the cost he would pay for His church, and it is beyond any value we can place upon it.
I Corinthians 3:10 records Paul warning us to be careful how we build upon the foundation of Christ. He speaks to the workmanship of our ministry. When it comes to the church, the only foundation it can have is Jesus Christ. If any man is at the center of a congregation, it will falter. In I Corinthians 1:10, Paul appeals to Christ’s authority in asking the members of that church to avoid divisions among them based on individuals they identified with. Galatians 1:6-10 warns us that anything not from Christ is not truly the gospel.
Returning to Matthew 16, Jesus speaks to the quality of His church in verse 18. He states that no power – physical or spiritual – that will destroy His kingdom. The writers of the New Testament call it an eternal kingdom. In Matthew 7:20-23, Jesus speaks to the quality of fruits brought forth by those who claim to be spiritual, and, in this, He speaks of some who are close but still do not accurately follow the pattern He set forth.
Conclusion
When it comes to originals in the art world, there is only one, and the same is true of the Lord’s church. If we are doing things outside Christ’s authority, whether in practice, organization, or beliefs, then we are no more than a lesser-quality reproduction. Ephesians 1:22-23 speaks to Christ’s headship over the church, and that church is described as His body. We have one head and one body. Ephesians 4:4-6 reinforces this concept of inner unity. Christ did not establish and die for a divided and scattered body. They were united in cause and faith. They wore His name in unity – more than a label or a tag.If something is not from Christ, it is from man, and it is not of the original. It is a forgery where our ideas and values are substituted for God’s. It may not always be the convenient or easy thing to do, but we should be settling for nothing less than the original. This is not a label of elitism or self-righteousness. Rather, striving to follow the original pattern should inspire an attitude of humility, laying aside our own pride to do things God’s way rather than our own way.
By Tim Smelser
Sliding Toward Apostasy
January 20, 2008 Filed in: Christian
Living
In Romans 1, Paul begins discussing signs that one is
falling away from God. He describes at least some
steps toward apostasy beginning in verse 21, and he
does so in context of a larger falling away by an
entire people. He describes the Gentile nations
turning away from God and toward their own creations,
but he begins by saying they once knew God. Each of
us in this assembly would claim to know God, but the
danger is that simply knowing is not enough. We might
acknowledge God’s existence, but our actions betray a
different master in our lives.
We fail to give thanks to God. Socially, there are few traits that annoy us more than ingratitude. We are familiar with Luke 17:11-19 when Jesus heals ten lepers. However, only one glorifies God and gives thanks. I Thessalonians 5:17-18 reminds us to consistently pray and give thanks to our God for what He has done. If we are not grateful to Him, then that reveals a deeper lack of trust in Him.
We rely on the world. In Genesis 6:5, God looks upon man and sees the continual evil that fills his heart, trying to satisfy himself with the things of this world. This is what the Ecclesiastes author would say is like grasping wind. Focusing on self takes my attention away from God’s plan, spiritual things, and those others I might influence through my behaviors. We cannot find true meaning and purpose without God.
Our hearts grow hard. As God is removed from my heart, it becomes filled with the darkness and bitterness of this life. There are many things in this world that can bring us a measure of joy, but it is easy to allow the various problems to overwhelm our hearts. Bad news bombards us from every angle, and it can darken our hearts. In Matthew 13:14-15, Jesus quotes Isaiah regarding those who turn their hearts away from His teachings. When we do so, our eyes are closed, and our hearts are hard.
We glorify self. In Romans 1, Paul speaks of those who became fools in God’s eyes while considering themselves wise. In Proverbs, the term fool is most commonly used as someone bound for destruction. He is hopeless. In I Corinthians 1:20, Paul asks of the wise, and he determines that mortal wisdom is foolishness next to God, and he also concludes that trying to find God by one’s own wisdom does nothing but separate that one from God all the more. To find Him, we must take our focus off of ourselves and point our thoughts toward spiritual things. Jeremiah 10:23 admits our need for God to direct our steps.
We mold God after ourselves. In Romans 1, Paul may be directly referencing idolatry, but are we not guilty of the same when we try to fill our lives with something other than God – even a self-defined image of God? Without God, we have a void in our lives, and we will fill that void with something, godly or otherwise. II Timothy 3:1 begins describing a time of apostasy in which people hold a form of godliness but falling short of true obedience. To remain faithful, we have to keep our focus in the right place.
By Tim Smelser
Seven Signs of Apostasy
We fail to glorify God. In John 17:4, Jesus says He has glorified God by doing the work given Him to do. In our daily lives, are we glorifying God in what we do and say? Are we following the plan He has given us? John 15:8 records Jesus speaking that bearing spiritual fruit glorifies God, and I Peter 4:16 speaks of suffering that leads to glory. FInally, Romans 4:20 describes Abraham as glorifying God in his faith. In everything we do, no matter the difficulty, we have to faithfully reflect God in our lives and thereby glorify Him.We fail to give thanks to God. Socially, there are few traits that annoy us more than ingratitude. We are familiar with Luke 17:11-19 when Jesus heals ten lepers. However, only one glorifies God and gives thanks. I Thessalonians 5:17-18 reminds us to consistently pray and give thanks to our God for what He has done. If we are not grateful to Him, then that reveals a deeper lack of trust in Him.
We rely on the world. In Genesis 6:5, God looks upon man and sees the continual evil that fills his heart, trying to satisfy himself with the things of this world. This is what the Ecclesiastes author would say is like grasping wind. Focusing on self takes my attention away from God’s plan, spiritual things, and those others I might influence through my behaviors. We cannot find true meaning and purpose without God.
Our hearts grow hard. As God is removed from my heart, it becomes filled with the darkness and bitterness of this life. There are many things in this world that can bring us a measure of joy, but it is easy to allow the various problems to overwhelm our hearts. Bad news bombards us from every angle, and it can darken our hearts. In Matthew 13:14-15, Jesus quotes Isaiah regarding those who turn their hearts away from His teachings. When we do so, our eyes are closed, and our hearts are hard.
We glorify self. In Romans 1, Paul speaks of those who became fools in God’s eyes while considering themselves wise. In Proverbs, the term fool is most commonly used as someone bound for destruction. He is hopeless. In I Corinthians 1:20, Paul asks of the wise, and he determines that mortal wisdom is foolishness next to God, and he also concludes that trying to find God by one’s own wisdom does nothing but separate that one from God all the more. To find Him, we must take our focus off of ourselves and point our thoughts toward spiritual things. Jeremiah 10:23 admits our need for God to direct our steps.
We mold God after ourselves. In Romans 1, Paul may be directly referencing idolatry, but are we not guilty of the same when we try to fill our lives with something other than God – even a self-defined image of God? Without God, we have a void in our lives, and we will fill that void with something, godly or otherwise. II Timothy 3:1 begins describing a time of apostasy in which people hold a form of godliness but falling short of true obedience. To remain faithful, we have to keep our focus in the right place.
Conclusion
Apostasy is far more subtle than we sometimes define it. Paul warns us in Romans 1 of how apostasy grows, and we should be diligent in avoiding it in any form. If we keep God at the center of our decisions, our gratitude, our faith, and our lives, we can remain faithful in His eyes.By Tim Smelser