Things Revealed

This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you're not on my side, you're the enemy; if you're not helping, you're making things worse.

Matthew 12:30 (The Message)

On this issue, there are no shades of gray. We are either with Jesus or against him. Whether overturning tables in the temple, speaking to the woman at the well or warning that “anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me” cannot be his disciple, the choice is always the same. Joshua put it this way: "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve..."

We tend to forget how significant this choice is. And we can barely comprehend all the life-changing ramifications of choosing Christ. But Jesus knows every one of them, including this one: He knows that not everyone will embrace the choice you’ve made. In fact, many will hate it. And they will hate you for making it. Because for those who are perishing, for those who reject Christ, we are the scent of death. Even if you don't say a word about whom you have chosen, some will be repulsed by you. Somehow, they will know, and they will leave you wondering why they don't like you.

Peter explained it this way: “you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do — living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.” To your friends, your coworkers, even to members of your own family, you are no longer the same. Now, by the choice you've made, something about your life makes them uncomfortable. It's this: You have become the very presence of God in their lives—a living epistle—and the Holy Spirit in you brings conviction like a two edged sword, piercing their hearts and exposing the choices they have made.

We may think you we can work out our differences with those who continue to follow the ways of the world. That maybe, by compromising with them on some things, by keeping our faith to ourselves, by biting our tongue when we ought to speak out, our relationships won't change and our old friends won’t be offended. It would seem, however, that no such compromise is possible. Jesus so much as told us so with this parable:

Suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

We are in a battle to the death. Everything is at stake. And it is the Prince of Peace who will have his way and who is dictating the terms of engagement. We are called to be holy as Christ is holy. We are called to be pure. And we are called to follow Christ wherever he leads, to surrender only to Him. Compromise with God's enemies—even with those who don't realize they oppose Him—compromises us. Jesus demands everything. Compromise means Jesus gets something less than everything, while the enemy gets something in us, something to leverage and use to separate us from God's loving embrace. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy our relationship with Christ. Jesus comes that we may have eternal life by being crucified with him.

Such is the cosmic battle for our hearts and souls, a paradox with eternal consequences: Our enemy wants us dead. So too does Jesus, only he wants us to willingly pick up our cross and lay down our old lives that we might find new life in Him. That is what it means to be on the side of Jesus, to be for Him.

Let the world think it strange that we no longer plunge into the same old flood of dissipation, let the abuse come and let us celebrate that we have been changed into His likeness enough to offend anyone!

Paul says we are the aroma of Christ to those who are being saved and the scent of death to those who are perishing.

Either way, we carry a fragrant offering to those around us.

If they don't know that it's Christ in us, the hope of glory, we owe it to them to say so.

Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.

Isaiah 59:15

Although Isaiah was talking about ancient Israel, what he said could apply to America today. In fact, it could apply to most western nations. Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life,” but his place in our culture has been challenged for the past 50 years, and public references to him are the exception rather than the rule. Our culture's twisted view seems to be that if Jesus is the way, he's the wrong way. Oddly, one of the remaining places where limited references to God are acceptable is the courtroom. Witnesses still must swear to tell the truth while laying hands on the Bible. Yet if a potential witness was asked if he really believed what the Bible said—if he believed in angels and demons, heaven and hell, gifts of the spirit, in healing and speaking in tongues—his credibility would be in shambles before he uttered a single word under oath.

Because in these days, Truth is no where to be found.

In Moses' time, the Lord moved in profound sea-parting and earth-shaking ways. There were plagues. There were signs and wonders. There was a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God’s fingerprints were everywhere and it didn’t require great discernment or wisdom to see what he was doing. Yet even in those miraculous times, the people of Israel grumbled and complained and fell into sin as soon as Moses took a little too long to return from the Mountain of God. The Lord saw the gold calf they had created while Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments and told him, your people have become “corrupt.”

Becoming corrupt about the things of God is man’s natural tendency. In science, it’s called “entropy”—the process of degradation or trending toward disorder. In man, it’s called sin. And the environment in which sin flourishes is one where man and the culture in which he lives forget about God.

So God told Moses to teach the Israelites about God’s laws and decrees and to “be careful to obey” them. But it was more than a warning. It was an exhortation to remember:

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6: 1-12

Moses finished by admonishing God’s people to “be careful that you do not forget the Lord.” But in spite of the warning, they forgot anyway. Again and again, bringing God’s wrath and discipline upon them, causing them to be dragged into captivity and to live, to this very day, in constant struggle in the land God gave them, rather than in the peace he promised (a promise which will yet be fulfilled).

Are we living in peace? Are we remembering Jesus and being careful not to forget the Lord? Is our culture honoring him in any way? or are we squirming uncomfortably to avoid any quote, parable or reference to him out of fear of offending or being politically incorrect? Think about it: we live in times fraught with danger on every front: Nuclear weapons are being developed by outlaw nations. Pornography, always just a click away, is one of the biggest businesses on the planet, supported by the slave trade of women and children. Terrorism is a global problem that strikes locally and randomly. The world economy teeters on the brink of collapse. There’s supposed global warming, cooling relations with Russia and the disaster du jour on the front page of any newspaper you see. And we are busy trying to forget God, and worse ,trying to prohibit references to him in public and by people in government.

The Apostle Peter knew how important it was to remember God. He called on believers to “participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption of the world” or they would become "ineffective and unproductive" in their knowledge of God. In fact, he says such people are nearsighted and blind, “having forgotten" that they have been cleansed from their past sins and having forgotten that "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3

He then says “I will always remind you of these things” and that “it’s right to refresh your memory” and that “I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.” Not satisfied that his point had been made, Peter begins chapter 3 of 2 Peter by saying this: “Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as a reminder to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.” Why? Because the world is constantly reminding and overstimulating us about the pleasures of corrupt thinking and living, enticing us to go the way of the world and embrace sin wholeheartedly. Peter, however, wants us to be on our guard so that we “may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from [our] secure position.” 2 Peter 3:17

We live in a time of lawlessness, of false teachings without end, of moral relativism and the embracing of all sorts of sin under the rationalization of tolerance, and in a time when man’s systems and creations are being shaken to their foundations. The people of Israel did not remember God less than 40 days after he parted the Red Sea and delivered them from Egypt. How in this world of more subtle moves of God can we remember him?

By making our “calling and election sure.”

We need to know who we are. We need to constantly remember that we have been empowered by God. Chosen by him. We need to know we are God’s heirs. That we are his children. Individually called. That we have repented and have been redeemed. That we are transformed, renewed, born again, spirit filled, and are overcomers who are able to take a stand for God. That we are different than the world, aliens, pilgrims and sojourners whose home is in heaven and who have received the promise of salvation and eternal life. That we are Ambassadors of Christ, salt and light in a land of darkness, a land corrupted by the ruler of the kingdom of the air. And we need to remember it by being in the word, by talking about God with our children, by talking about him when we sit at home and when we walk along the road, when we lie down and when we get up. By encouraging and reminding ourselves and by encouraging and reminding each other daily about who God is and what he has done.

If we don’t remember daily, moment by moment, making our election sure and being effective and productive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are destined to fall. There’s a tidal wave of temptation, sin, fear and false teaching trying to sweep us up in its destructive power, and resisting its force is exhausting and futile, unless we stand in the power of our God. We cannot do that unless we remember what Jesus Christ has done in us and the power he has made available to us by the Spirit of truth. Paul exhorted us this way:

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:12-18

Only those who truly know God know that he hears their prayers. Only those dwell in God's word can remember daily that he is with them. Only believers who are armed (in the spirit) and dangerous (wielding the sword of the spirit) can withstand the pounding surf of dissipation that wants to drown us in sin. And only those who constantly remember what Jesus has done, can do and is doing, will stand firm. There just is no other way to persevere.

Because “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”

One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?'

Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.

And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Matthew 22:35-40

Not only do all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments, so too does the true nature of our relationship with God. Once we grasp the magnitude of what Jesus did on the cross, we begin to appreciate who he is. The more we understand, the more we respond. And the more we pursue God, the more likely we are to love him. But it is not enough to simply profess our love for Jesus, however wonderful that may be, because the idea of loving Jesus is both alluring and deceiving.

It’s easy to proclaim love for God, to read and attend meetings in pursuit of the object of our affections and to be genuinely enamored with the Him. And who would dare to question the depth of our relationship with the Almighty, for who really knows it? Certainly a changed life can be proof of a changed heart. But not always. Sometimes the outward changes are just that, the first and last fruits of our encounter with the Eternal One. Which is why John identifies a more reliable standard by which to measure a life transformed by God:

If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1 John 4:20-21

To this he adds the following: "This is love for God: To obey his commands." 1 John 5:3. And this: “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:18.

Professing love for God is the easy part. The true measure of your love for him comes down to obedience and to this: If you do not love your brother, you cannot love God.

But we do love you Lord, we protest. Can't you see how our hearts are toward you? Yet his command to love the brethren exposes our own unwillingness to yield and reveals a heart steeped in worldly ways. After all, there are so many people who have done us wrong. Unthinking people. Selfish people. Dishonest people. Manipulative and unfaithful people. And not just people we read about. But people we know! People with names and with common history. People who were once part of our lives. Surely there’s room for us to claim an exemption from the requirement of loving those people, or at least room for us to merely tolerate them from a distance. The Lord must know our feelings are justified—he's seen what they've done. Yet Jesus, who suffered fools and evil men, who hated their arrogance, rebelliousness and religion, loves them still and said even of those who nailed him to the cross, “forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

There's no getting around it. God loves the brethren. So too must we.

Brotherly love is one thing. But loving your brothers—real people in your life who push only your blood pressure heavenward—is the measure of your love for God and your willingness to obey his commands. Because loving someone is way harder than loving everyone.

Dean Koontz describes the difference in Odd Hours:

To love all the world at once is pretense or dangerous self-delusion. Loving the world is like loving the idea of love, which is perilous because, feeling virtuous about this grand affection, you are freed from the struggles and the duties that come with loving people as individuals...

Loving actual people is a never-ending struggle. It is the place where flesh bows to Spirit. Where anger and resentment yield to obedience. Where we choose to love and forgive rather than respond in kind. That’s what loving with actions and in truth is about.

Love with actions is an effort. To love those who hurt us is incredibly difficult. To forgive those who persecute and defame us doesn’t seem fair. To hold one’s tongue when there’s so much to say and defend and set right feels like injustice. And to love those who mock and hate Jesus is painful. Nevertheless, lovers of God are called to love them anyway—to love them supernaturally. Because supernatural love is the lifeblood of the Body of Christ. We are told that “God is love.” And on this side of Heaven, we who are transformed by the Spirit of God must translate that love into action. Such love takes care of the poor and the widows. It encourages both the lowly and those in high position. It is selfless. It is forgiving. It seeks no recognition. No reward. And most of all, it seeks no vengeance or retribution. Instead, it grows and multiplies through obedience to God and through the struggle to love those who hate or hurt us.

Love with actions and in truth is a spectacle to behold. Praying for those who see us as enemies, forgiving them, releasing them—not to God’s judgment or Satan’s plans—but from the icy grip of our own heart’s bitterness toward them, is a supernatural act without equal.

Don’t underestimate how profoundly freeing and life changing supernatural love is. And don’t be surprised when what you do in obedience to God’s commands gets more attention and has more impact than the words of love you share with those around you. Love with actions and in truth does that. For many, it’s the only evidence they can see that the transforming power of Jesus Christ is more than mere words and wishful thinking.

It's proof that the Kingdom of God is real.

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13

Peter had just healed a well known man crippled from birth, telling him, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." When the man arose on his newly restored legs, not only was he shocked and ecstatic, jumping and walking and praising God, but the people who knew of him were equally amazed (well, maybe not equally amazed, but amazed nonetheless). Everyone was caught up in what happened, and there was a great commotion. Peter seized the moment: he reminded his fellow Hebrews that they had disowned “the Holy and Righteous One,” had rejected him as Messiah and had been party to his death on the cross, only to see God raise him from the dead. And he told them “By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.” Basically, Peter told them, it wasn’t me—it was Jesus. And he called on his people to repent and acknowledge that Jesus was Messiah.

The Book of Acts reports that 5000 men became believers that day.

Now this was troublesome to the rulers, elders and teachers of the law. Jesus had already been crucified, and now—after his death—thousands decided he was the Messiah. These same rulers, elders and teachers had already rejected that claim. They had already discounted his miracles. And they had treated his teachings as blasphemy. But the people were not so sure, and apparently, not so hard hearted. In fact, Peter said they all acted out of ignorance and his message hit home with 5000 of them.

Nothing Jesus had done astonished the rulers, elders and teachers of the law because they were not open to see with the eyes of the spirit. What he had done provoked them. It infuriated them. And it challenged their authority. Now, however, what really astonished these same men wasn't that the crippled man had been healed—that was just an inconvenient fact—but something that hit closer to home. It was the boldness of Peter and John and that they were “unschooled, ordinary men.” Why? Because men without title, men who had not been trained in the proper religious schools, men of no importance, fame or reputation, men who did not have a birthright claim to be part of the priesthood, men who were not rabbis or part of the ruling council, men who did not pay their dues and advance by proper channels—such men simply did not go about preaching with authority to the people, or even more outrageously, to the Chief Priest and the Sanhedrin.

This was just not how things were done. There was an established order and Peter and John were out of order.

But Jesus had changed the way things were done. And when those 5000 came to Christ, something became apparent to those paying attention. Jesus had not only overturned the tables in the temple courts, he overturned the existing order of things. He made us all priests (not just the Levites), he proclaimed that he would destroy and rebuild the temple in three days, he made us the temple of the Holy Spirit and he became our Sabbath rest. He commissioned tax collectors, fishermen and tent makers to preach the Gospel. He sent out the twelve Apostles on his behalf, and 72 others who were nameless, positionless, without fame and without title, all of whom returned proclaiming “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He broke down the religious barriers and commissioned ALL OF US to act and speak on his behalf.

For the leaders of Israel, they had already made a decision, like many of our family members and friends, and they were not ready to reconsider it: they had already rejected Jesus. For them the miracles weren’t important. The message wasn’t important. That Jesus was crucified wasn’t important. But something still got their attention. It was that ordinary, uneducated men spoke boldly to the crowd and had the courage to take a stand before the Sanhedrin. Since the leaders had already rejected Jesus, all they could do was “note that these men had been with Jesus.”

Maybe that’s the first witness we have. People notice us. That’s what it means to be salt and light. They should note that there’s something different about us. Something special. Something that sets us apart—something supernatural. Which is why, like Peter and John, we must spend time with Jesus.

We are called to learn the word of God. To pray about all things. To worship. To fellowship with one another. To lay hands on the sick. To speak about Jesus. To proclaim his Lordship. To "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” To be transformed.

We are ordinary and uneducated people, changed by the Spirit of God. That's what the Lord has ordained through Jesus Christ. A new order! Not only have we been given Kingdom authority, but we have been given boldness in God. We are priests called to proclaim the Gospel, to heal the sick in the name of Jesus and to lead others to repentance and salvation. With all that has been given to us, something ought to be different! And it ought to be obvious to those around us.

Our friends and family should note that we have been with Jesus. That’s the first step for them. To see something new. Something other than what they see in everyone else. For us, being with Jesus—abiding in him—is the only thing that will ever set us apart and make us noteworthy. And it is often the very thing that will lead our friends and families to Christ.