In Children of Dune by Frank Herbert, a character merely known as The Preachers asks this question of the multitudes looking for some form of religious satisfaction: “Is your religion real when it costs you nothing and carries no risk?” In this question, he challenges his listeners to examine what they are investing in their religion versus what they expect to get out of it.

We live in a world where ideas of service, self-sacrifice, and personal risk are avoided. It is easier to sit passively in a “moving” worship experience safe and secure than to puts one’s self at risk in God’s service. Whether we are talking about missionary work in an unfamiliar country or taking the risk of inviting a neighbor to services, we suffer from serious risk aversion. Unless we are certain the path is absolutely safe, we refuse to take it, therefore making our faith superficial and unreal.

In this lesson, we’re going to look at three examples of people whose faith cost them. They gave up security, safety, wealth, and influence to follow God and do His will. In doing so, though, they demonstrated real faith and had a positive impact on others around them. These individuals experienced true risk in their service to God.

Three Spiritual Risk Takers

Much can be said about Daniel and his companions in the early chapters of his book, but let’s focus of the most famous event in Daniel’s life: that of the lion’s den. By Daniel 6, the namesake figure has already served Babylon for many years, has survived two kings, and is now in service of Darius the Mede. Daniel oversees a third of the king’s regional governors, and chapter 6:3 describes him a distinguished above all his political peers due to his excellent spirit. This leads, predictably, to some political contrivances to bring Daniel down.

Daniel 6:6 records the other officials coming to King Darius, persuading him to sign an edict prohibiting any form of petition (including prayer) directed toward anyone but the king himself for thirty days. Daniel knows of this edict, and his initial reaction, in verse 10, is to pray to God. He did this, knowing it could cost him his career. It could cost him his possessions. It could cost him his income. It could cost him his life. Still, Daniel prays to God, resulting in his attempted execution in the lion’s den. Daniel risks all for God, and God delivers Him, resulting even King Darius being awed by God’s power. Daniel’s faith could have cost him everything, but he held fast.

Jeremiah suffers much in his service to God. He dedicates his life to the mission of reforming God’s people as the destruction of Jerusalem at the hand of Babylon looms ever closer. Other prophets, such as Hananiah in Jeremiah 28, oppose Jeremiah’s message, luring the people away with more attractive prophecies. We see Jeremiah’s life threatened for the first time in chapter 11:18-23 and again in chapter 18:18. King Jehoiakim seeks Jeremiah’s death in 26:21, and he is imprisoned for treason in 37:11 because of the content of his message. After this, Jeremiah is thrown into a dank dungeon in chapter 38:6, but he is saved only to witness the destruction of the city he worked so hard to save.

Wouldn’t it have just been easier for Jeremiah to write Jerusalem off and just go with popular opinion? Wouldn’t it have been easier for him to settle down with a wife and family and try to eek out a measure of happiness in the time he had left? Instead, he dedicates all to God, and few listen. A few are moved by his words, and those words still exist, showing God’s path to ultimate salvation and a new covenant with all nations. Jeremiah’s costly message speaks of eternal rewards.

Finally, we have Paul. Philippians 3:3-6 recounts a brief overview of Paul’s history before his conversion. He is a respected Pharisee. He is of the faithful tribe of Benjamin. Paul claims to have been blameless in the ways of the Levitical Law, and he pours his heart into defending his true faith from the heretic Christians. Philippians 4:8, though says he counts those past accomplishments as worthless when compared to his service for Christ.

Paul gives up a life of esteem and honor to be beaten, stoned, imprisoned, harassed, shipwrecked, plotted against, imprisoned again, and – quite possibly – eventually executed. In the midst of all these tribulations, however, Paul writes that he knows his Savior and trusts Him to keep His promises in II Timothy 1:12. Through this confidence, Paul sets up numerous congregation, turns countless souls to Christ, shares the gospel with government officials, and leaves us a legacy upon which we build much of our faith.

Willing to Face the Cost

In Luke 14:28-33, Jesus gives two examples of the need to count the cost of something. He cites building a tower and going into battle, how a failure to account for the cost of such projects will adversely affect the one undertaking said project. We can relate to this pretty easily. How many of us have made big purchases or started home projects that ended up overwhelming us monetarily or size-wise? Sacrifices are needed to see such projects to completion, but, in the end, we hope the sacrifices are worth it.

Jesus precedes these illustrations with the admonishment that those who are unwilling to take up their crosses cannot follow Him in verse 27. Too often, we speak of a “cross to bear” as some kind of inconvenience or physical malady, but, in the context of Jesus’ audience, a cross means death. Jesus is calling us to sacrifice self – self-interests, self-service, self-satisfaction, perhaps even self-preservation – in service to Him.

What am I willing to give up for Christ? What risks am I willing to take? Have I counted the cost in perspective of a priceless heavenly reward? Daniel, Jeremiah, and Paul serve as only three examples of faithful men who were willing to risk all and face terrible costs for the cause of Christ. Can we do any different in our service?

By Robert Smelser

Tags: examples, faith, my thoughts, paul, daniel

The subject of work is brought up more than six hundred times in the Bible. God views work as an honorable and desirable thing, and in I Corinthians 15 (while Paul is dealing with some resurrection doctrine issues), he concludes in verse 58 that we should always abound in the work of the Lord. Paul discusses the Lord’s work at least four times in Titus, and in Matthew 5:16, Jesus encourages us to let our light shine in the works we do, glorifying the Father.

A Scriptural Work

The term “glory” carries with it an ideas of being magnified, being honored and revered. Any of our efforts must be in harmony with God’s truth if they are to truly honor Him according to Colossians 3:17. Also, in John 4:34, Jesus claims that His mission is to do God’s will, and Matthew 7:21 warns that honoring God on any terms but His is vanity. This is applicable both in public service and in private.

A Motivated Work

In our work, we should consider the motivations that drive us, and gratitude toward God should be central to the motivations we care. Gratitude brings about humility, and, in I Corinthians 15:9-10, Paul expresses his humility and gratitude in light of his calling and God’s grace – driving him to greater direction and resolve. TIme and again in his writing, Paul expresses gratitude for God’s role in his life, and that thankfulness is a definitive motivator in Paul’s life.

Faith and trust should also be primary motivators. In II Timothy 1:12, Paul expresses great faith and trust in His God, and Galatians 2:20 expresses the faith by which Paul lives. Paul does not go through the motions here. He knows his labor is not in vain, and he presses on faithfully due to his trust in God.

A sincere desire to bring others to Christ should also drive our actions. I Corinthians 9:19-22 records Paul writing that he will try by all means to save those he can, and II Timothy 2:10 continues this theme. Romans 9:1-5 contains a heartfelt expression of Paul’s deep desire to save others – expressing a willingness to give up his own soul if it could save everyone else.

We must finally be able to see the unseen. II Corinthians 4:8-9, Paul lists many of the terrible things that have happened to him, but they have not brought him to give up. II Corinthians 4:16-5:1 reveals that he can endure these things through those eternal things that he cannot see now. If we can only consider this world, we will be unable to make choices that align with God. We have to be able to see beyond this temporary world.

An Abundant Work

I Corinthians 15:58 describes the congregation’s work as abounding, and the Greek word here carries an idea of being above and beyond expectations. It is used in Matthew 5:20 where Jesus encourages His listeners to exceed in righteousness beyond the Pharisees. Our efforts should go above and beyond others. Also, the word occurs in Luke 15, during the parable of the wasteful child, and in verse 17, the son reflects upon the rations his father’s servants have – enough and to spare. They have above and beyond what they need, and our work should be enough and to spare for God. We should not be trying to meet a minimum requirement. Finally, it is in Mark 15:14 where the people cry our exceedingly to crucify Christ. It is more than they had done before.

Returning to I Corinthians 15:58, we cannot rest on past successes. We have to make a sincere effort to continually improve, going beyond what we feel is expected of us. We should always be working to accomplish more for our Creator.

Conclusion

Our work must be zealously engaged in, scriptural, and motivated properly to truly glorify God. In John 9:4, as His disciples are discussing an academic issue, Christ admonishes them to work while there is still time. We don’t know when our night will come, but we do know that God expects us to do what we can while we have time and opportunity to do so.

By Tim Smelser

Tags: scripturality, worship, paul

We are continuing our look at Paul’s view of the cross. In the last lesson, we looked at the problem of sin in our lives and how all have sinned and have been separated from our God. In this lesson, we are going to look at how the cross intercedes in context of this problem.
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Earlier in his life, Paul strove against Christ in his attempt to live pleasing to God, and, when Christ appeared to him, the meaning of the cross and all it implies came crashing down on Paul. The cross is God’s salvation, and it is a culmination of all the Old Testament promised.
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The Role of the Cross

It Was the Culmination of God’s Promises. In Romans 1:1-2, Paul says that the gospel is promised through the prophets and the scriptures (the Old Testament). I Corinthians 15:3-4 states that Christ’s death and resurrection is according to those same scriptures. In Romans 10, Paul quotes Isaiah to teach Christ, and Galatians 3:8 claims the gospel was shared with Abraham when He made the promises. (See also verse 14.) It was important to Paul to impress on his audiences that Christ’s sacrifice and the gospel message is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament foretold.
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It Delivers Us. In Romans 6:1-2, Paul asks if we should sin more to gain more grace from God. He emphatically denies this idea, saying that Christians have died to sin, and this idea continues through verse 6 where he describes us as delivered from sin. (See also verses 16-17.) We are no longer dominated by sin. We are redeemed (Galatians 3:13), bought back from slavery to sin by the blood of Christ, and Galatians 4:4-6 reinforces the concepts of redemption and adoption. Finally, Galatians 5:1 says Christ’s sacrifice is for the purpose of freedom.
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It Justifies Us. Justification carries with it the idea of being acquitted of a penalty we deserve. Jesus stepped in and took that punishment we deserve. In Romans 3:21-26 we are described as justified through Christ who came to take our sins to the cross. Staying in Romans, chapter 5:9 and 18 speaks of free justification through Jesus. The demands of justice are met and God handles this process justly.
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It Reconciles Us. Romans 5:10 says we were reconciled even while we were enemies to God. (See also verse 8.) This all serves as an illustration of God’s infinite love, for God did not wait for man to become humble or pious before He set Christ up as the sacrifice for our sins. II Corinthians 5:18-20 states that we are reconciled to God through Christ and that His message is a message of reconciliation.
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It Sanctifies Us. Returning to Romans 6:22, the idea of sanctification is included with these concepts of deliverance and justification. In I Thessalonians 4:4-7 and 5:23, Paul says that God calls us to sanctification. Chapter after chapter in the Old Testament parallels sanctification with blood offerings, and, in the New Testament, Christ’s sacrifice provides that sanctifying blood.
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Conclusion

Sin affects all, and it separates us from Christ. However, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross intervenes on our behalf, acting as the fulfillment of all God’s plan had been pointing toward. The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ offers us deliverance, justification, reconciliation, and sanctification.

By Tim Smelser

Tags: sin, paul, salvation, forgiveness

Over the next three Sunday evening lessons, we are going to focus on the subject of the cross in Paul’s writings. In this specific lesson, we’re going to look at the cross and man’s plight as sinful individuals separated from God.
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All Have Sinned

In Romans 3:23, we simply read that all have sinned. Up to this verse, Paul has been dealing with the issue of sin, and the conclusion of the matter is that all are sinful. Backing up to Romans 1:16-17, we read that the gospel is salvation’s power for all. Jew and Gentile alike are guilty (see Romans 1:18-20 and 3:9) in God’s eyes, but salvation is open to all.
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Sin is a violation of our reason for existence – serving God and keeping His commandments. Paul plainly states that we are without excuse. There is nothing abstract about this. This is reinforced in Romans 3:9-20.
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The Consequences of Sin

Returning to Romans 1, verses 24, 26, and 28 all state that God “gave them up” as a result of sin. Romans 5:10 describes our state as enemies of God when we sin. Before the intervention of the cross, we were at enmity with God. Philippians 3:18, Colossians 1:21 use this same terminology, and these also carry the idea of alienation. Ephesians 4:18 describes those with hardened hearts as separated from God.
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Sin puts us at odd with and separated from God. Righteousness and justice cannot condone and fellowship with unrighteousness. Remaining separated bring God’s anger – Romans 2:5, Romans 1:18, and Ephesians 5:6. Disobedience does not please God, and in I Thessalonians 1:10, we are told that only Jesus can deliver us from God’s wrath.
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Finally, in Romans 6:23, the ultimate consequence of sin is described – death. Sin and death entered the world at the same time (Romans 5:12), both physical and spiritual death. Again, in Romans 5:15, there is only one solution to this death, and Romans 6:16 says that sin leads to death.
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Personal Application

We can treat sin so flippantly, but we need to realize what it does. Sin spiritually kills us, separates us from God, and it incurs God’s judgment. We can choose to sin, or we can choose to avoid sin. The good news is that all is not lost. Remember Romans 1:16: God’s message contains the power to save us. In the next lesson, we will look at the cross and that plan to save us from the wages of sin.

By Tim Smelser

Tags: sin, paul, judgment

Looking at Acts 24:24-27, we read of a man named Felix who comes to hear Paul’s case, but, in listening, Felix is partially convinced by Paul. However, he did not respond to the message. In this lesson, we’re going to look at what Paul talks about and the reaction Felix has during this testimony.
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The Message & Response

In this address, Paul speaks to three issues in speaking of faith in Christ: righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come.
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Righteousness is sometimes referred to “rightness with God.” It is trying to emulate godly attitudes and conduct every day of our lives. Consider Romans 12:1-2 where Paul reminds Christians that service to God is being a living sacrifice. This carries an idea of holiness and separateness between the world and ourselves. I Peter 1:13-16 tells us to be obedient and holy in every aspect of our lives – just as God is holy.
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Felix may have felt himself a good person. He may have been comfortable with his own standard of righteousness, and we have to ask ourselves if we have this same problem. We use comparative standards in measuring ourselves, and we sometimes choose intentional ignorance of God’s standard.
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Self-Control is a concept we often try to get our children to exercise. Christian self-control goes beyond us controlling our actions – it is following God’s will in guiding our choices. Proverbs 25:28 says a man with no self control is like a defenseless city. He becomes defenseless against Satan. In Galatians 5:22-23, self-control is enumerated as a Christian characteristic (Fruits of the Spirit), and II Peter 1:5-7 says self-control is a quality we are to be continually developing.
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Felix, like us, may not have been receptive to the idea of “no.” We are good at reacting thoughtlessly, at being impulsive. We are comfortable living out of control because it requires less effort and less discipline. Unfortunately, as Proverbs pointed out, lack of self-control opens us up to temptation.
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The Coming Judgment is a difficult topic to absorb because of the personal accountability involved. How have we been living? What have we been told? What opportunities have we ignored? Romans 14:12 enforces the fact that each one will give account before the Lord. Ecclesiastes 12:14 concludes its book with a reminder of the coming judgment.
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Did Felix hope he would slip through the cracks and not be judged? Do we hope the same? Was he, like us, resistant to the idea that he would be held to a standard other than his own? Did he assume he had enough time to fix his life later? He puts Paul off. Are we persistently putting God off, hopefully delaying acceptance of the accountability inherent in acknowledging Him.
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Conclusion

As far as we are told, Felix’s “convenient time” never came. Felix frequently met with Paul, apparently interested but never taking that final step of obedience. Will we be stuck in the same position as Felix? There is no more convenient time to do what is right than now.

By Tim Smelser

Tags: paul, examples, judgment, morality

Can you think of individuals that have had a positive impact on your life? Perhaps they had a big influence on your major decisions, a source of inspiration, or, perhaps, they were simply a source of encourage on a regular basis. People can impact others in so many different ways.

Philemon is an example of an individual who could have been seen as a positive influence, and we’re going to take some time in the book of Philemon and examine the effect Philemon had on others.

Philemon – An Example of Encouragement

The congregation that Philemon belongs to is the church in Colossi by necessary inference (Colossians 4:9,17). What are some of the qualities Paul mentions regarding Philemon?

• Beloved brother & fellow worker (Philemon 1)
• Love & faith (Philemon 5)
• Fellowship & knowledge (Philemon 6)
• Obedient (Philemon 21)

In verse 7, joy and comfort are results of these qualities. He goes on to say in the same verse that this individual refreshes other Christians as well. Much like we find kindness and manners refreshing in a society permeated with rudeness and cruelty, Paul and other Christians found similar comfort in Philemon’s demeanor. As Christians, we should be the most encouraging people others will meet.

How does the rest of the book play out? Paul appeals to Philemon’s spiritual nature on behalf of a servant named Onesimus – one who had once served Philemon and is now an encouragement to Paul. Verse 20 is a request from Paul for that same refreshment Philemon has given to others by simply doing the right thing.

Our Encouraging Example

John 13:34, I Thessalonians 4:9, Hebrews 13:1, I peter 1:22, Romans 12:10, Romans 12:16, Romans 15:7, John 13:14, Ephesians 5:2, Ephesians 5:21, and many other verses speak to the comfort and encouragement we should be for each other. We are to be refreshing to others and to each other.

Unfortunately, some Christians are very talented at tearing down as opposed to building up. We can too easily focus on the wrong we perceive in the congregation and the members. However, what do we want to accomplish? Do we want to answer for the hope within us, or do we want to answer for our sour attitudes?

Am I living my life in such a way that I bring joy, comfort, and refreshment to others? Am I an encouragement to others? How can I achieve this goal? Philemon’s example, along with the multitude of scriptures referencing our attitude and behaviors toward one another, is a good place to start.

By Ben Lanius

Tags: examples, our example, paul