Category: 2024

Does “Judge not” Mean what we all Think it Means?

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters. The one who speaks against a brother or sister, or judges his brother or sister, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. – James 4:11 NASB

 Judge not lest you be judged (Matthew 7:1) is without question, the best known, most memorized verse in the history of history. Bible believing Christians as well as those who have never darkened the door of a church know it by heart.  Precious few hesitate to whip it out anytime a discussion veers into any sort of moral judgement call about any activity under the sun. 

But what did Jesus really mean when He said “judge not”? 

Is Matthew 7:1 really a blanket condemnation of condemnation? Is Jesus flatly forbidding the making of moral judgements? 

Nope.

 Jesus made all sorts of hard and fast judgments concerning all sorts of issues. Those issues include (but are not limited to) divorce and remarriage (Matthew 19:1-10), those who refused to care for aging parents (Mark 7:6-9), murder (Matthew 5:21-22), unforgiveness (Matthew 5:23-26) and adultery (Luke 18:19). Moreover, the entire New Testament was in a very real sense written by Jesus (John 1:1-3, 1st Timothy 3:15-16). The New Testament includes all sorts of passages that make judgments concerning a myriad of behaviors and attitudes (1st Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5:19-21, Colossians 3:8-10, 2nd Timothy 3:1-5, 1st Thessalonians 4:3-8). Furthermore, Jesus is God, if He was concerned about the Bible coming off as judgmental He could have easily done something about it. 

Seriously. 

 The notion that Jesus somehow forbids moral judgments concerning right and wrong is absurd. Matthew 7:1 is (in my opinion) more about making assumptions (which are really just judgments) concerning how and why people end up in certain situations. Jesus wants us to understand no one can really know anyone else’s backstory. Therefore, it is totally inappropriate for anyone to make judgments about who does and does not deserve to be in a particular situation. 

Individuals have always tended to assume every mess or bad situation is a consequence of sin. Jesus confronted this thinking head-on in John chapter nine. Jesus and His disciples met a man born blind. The disciples just naturally assumed that the man was blind because someone sinned. They weren’t sure if it was the man or his parents but they KNEW someone in this situation must be a terrible sinner. 

 Jesus responded with: 

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him”-John 9:2-3. 

 Christians today are every bit as inclined to believe people in difficult situations “did something” to deserve their misery as those in Jesus’ day.  This is because the modern-day church has been intensely impacted by the enlightenment and modern psychology.  

The enlightenment was a period of scientific discovery that impacted every sphere of life. Prior to the enlightenment individuals were utterly clueless as to why stuff happened. Superstition was the norm. This was not good. Prior to the enlightenment many people groups were convinced a baby born with red hair (who didn’t have a parent with red hair) was a bad omen. The vast majority of people believed illness was the result of sin and judgment.

Enlightenment scientists taught that things happen for a reason.

Thanks to the enlightenment now we know recessive genes can be tricky and illness are caused by microorganisms called germs. Modern psychology sought to explain the roots (or reasons) for human behavior. Freud normalized the idea that everything we do is directly related to our childhood experiences. The western world has been deeply impacted by the teachings of Freud, they literally color how we see almost everything (Colossians 2:8). 

It’s not wrong or sinful to believe there are explanations for why things happen. It is wrong and sinful to assume that we know the “reason” why certain things happen, it is (in my opinion) a direct violation of Matthew 7:1. There are scenarios that breed judgement concerning the backstories. Some of those include:

Divorce

Cirrhosis of the liver 

Problems with their adult children 

Getting fired 

In the case of divorce, our assumptions will depend a little bit on our life experiences but typically we tend to assume the woman wasn’t a good wife or the man was abusive. We assume no one ever gets cirrhosis of the liver unless they’re a raging drunk. We assume issues with adult children are always due to bad and/or abusive parenting. Everyone assumes one ever gets fired unless they “deserve” it. 

I have been deeply convicted of my own tendency to make these kinds of assumptions. I do not believe I am alone in this. We all do it. However, truth-be-told, none of the above are universally true. Sometimes bad things happen. Period. Anytime, we make an assumption concerning a backstory we quickly lose our compassion. Or we stop listening to the hurting person and look for opportunities to instruct them on how to fix the problems that we believe got them in the bad situation in the first place. When we do this, we often end up giving advice that’s not related to the person’s problem and it ends up isolating the hurting person (Colossians 3:12, 1st Peter 3:8)

However.

Because we know Jesus we do better. We can learn to withhold judgment, we can take the time to really listen to their stories without assuming anything at all. We can love them like Jesus loves them.   

The Real Reason Holiness Matters-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment


Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God- 2nd Corinthians 7:1 NIV

Holiness. 

It’s a weirdly contentious subject these days (more on that later).

The Bible defines holiness as being separate from sin and/or being set apart and dedicated to the service of God (Genesis 2:3, Exodus 40:9-10). Holiness falls into two categories. The first is: 

Behavioral holiness- 

Behavioral holiness is what we see (for the most part) in the Old Testament. In some ways this type of holiness is less about inside-out-righteousness that comes from the heart and more about conforming human behavior to the will of God.  

Here’s the thing:

People are by their very nature fallen, sinful and powerless to do good from the heart. (Genesis 3:1-24, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 7:25, 1st John 1:8). No one but God can be righteous without a great deal of help from God. That being said, even sinful people are capable of managing their behavior, so that’s what people did pre-Jesus if they wanted to please God. Humans in the Old Testament followed rules, modified their behavior and avoided things on the naughty list in order to be good enough to be in a relationship of sorts with a completely HOLY God (Exodus 3:5, Exodus 22:31, Leviticus 6:17). Most of the Old Testament law is basically just a big rulebook telling people how to be “good enough” in their actions. It was a system filled with all sorts of issues. However, the system was essential until Jesus showed-up and changed the whole structure of how people relate to God (more on that later).

The other category of holiness is:

Positional holiness- 

When humans put their faith and trust in Jesus they become positionally holy. When Jesus died on the cross, He became a substitute for us (2nd Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 3:11-14, 1st Peter 2:24, Romans 3:23-25). This was necessary because God is totally holy and totally just. Because God is just He can’t just ignore the most serious thing ever: sin (Romans 5:12, 1st Corinthians 15:56). Because we all sin, we all deserve to die and be punished eternally for our sin. However, because God is totally loving, Jesus took the bullet (metaphorically speaking) we all deserve (Romans 4:25, Hebrews 2:14). All we have to do to avoid the penalty of death is to put our faith and trust in Jesus and the work He did on the cross.  The fancy pants theological term for this exchange is propitiation.  When we choose faith in Jesus, Jesus takes our sin and unrighteousness, in exchange we are given the righteousness of Jesus and the Holy Spirit has a guide and helper.  When God sees us, He doesn’t see our sin, instead He sees the righteousness of Christ. The fancy-pants theological term for this exchange is justification (Romans 4:25).  Because this kind of holiness is accompanied by the Holy Spirit it has the power to actually change our hearts, something behavioral holiness alone could never do. 

There are Christians who believe there is no need for Christians to modify or change their behavior in any way. These folks believe that because God has forgiven all our sin, we can keep on sinning without problems or penalty.  Some even believe it’s legalistic to insist on behavioral holiness. This is remarkably horrendous theology because it ignores two critical issues: the point of salvation and the nature of God 

The point of salvation is not simply to rescue our sorry tail ends from hell, although that is one of many benefits’ salvation offers. Salvation is mainly about restoring humanity to a pre-fallen state and a pre-fallen relationship with God (Genesis 1-2, Revelation 21:3-5).  Once we are justified (made positionally holy) our primary task is to get to know God on a personal level and (with the help of the Holy Spirit) let go of all the behaviors and attitudes that marked our pre-Jesus life (Colossians 3, Romans 12, 2nd Peter 1:5-11). The fancy-pants theological term for this process is sanctification. The more sanctified we are the more like Jesus we become. 

It’s a beautiful thing.

However, these are not the only reason behavioral holiness matters. The other reason has to do with the nature of God and the reality of salvation. God is totally holy. There is zero sin in Him (Leviticus 19:2). Once a person becomes a Christian, the God of the universe literally lives inside them (I know, it’s crazy). This means that everything we do God becomes a part of. Paul touched on this idea in his letter to the Corinthian Christians:

 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.”But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 1stCorinthians 6:15-17

Paul insisted Christians avoid sexual immorality, not because it was icky. But, because every time anyone has sexual relations outside of the marriage covenant they force the Holy Spirit (God) to become an unwilling accomplice to their immorality. Anytime we sin in any way, we force a holy, righteous God into our sin. When we gossip, lust, commit sexual immorality, think unkind thoughts about others, practice injustice, lie or steal God is right there. We are forcing a holy God into unholy situations.

Yikes. 

This is how a Christian grieves the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).  It is critical we understand God does not abandon us when we sin post-salvation (John 10:27-29, Romans 8:38-39). God is not mean. He is patient and kind. He is also quick to forgive ANY repentant sinner. That being said, progressive sanctification (the process of becoming holy in our attitudes and behavior as well as our position) is fundamental to spiritual maturity and growth because virtue, holiness and righteousness make us like Jesus (Romans 6:13-16). When we become like Jesus it pleases the Father. 

Every child of God wants that.

The Idols We are Okay With-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Even while these people were worshipping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did- 2nd Kings 17:41 NIV

I have known a lot of Christians over the years, all sorts of people who love Jesus and have dedicated their lives to serving Him. Jesus is their God and they are His people (John 10:2-4, Matthew 16:24). 

 Not one of these God-fearing people had a little statue somewhere in their house they bowed down to (1st John 5:1). The notion of a born-again Jesus follower bowing down to a statue is unthinkable to modern Christians.  Even the most broad-minded of Christians know better than to get mixed up in that kind of pagan monkey business.

However. 

This does not mean contemporary Christians are in the clear when it comes to idolatry. People are people and at the root of the human condition is a propensity towards idolatry (Ecclesiastes 1:9, Psalm 106:36, Jeremiah 2:5). We are just a bit more discreet and sophisticated in our acts of idolatry. 

An idol is anything that takes the place where God rightfully belongs. Idols steal our devotion and fidelity away from God and direct it towards something or someone else. An idol can also be an activity, thing or substance we get something out of that we should only get from God. I’m talking about things like security, comfort or feelings of wellbeing. The whole issue of idolatry is complicated by the sad reality that an idol is often a good thing we are giving too much space to in our lives.  The problem with idols is that they blow us off course spiritually and lead us away from Jesus, sometimes without us even knowing it. 

We all need a good self-check now and again, especially when it comes to this issue. The four idols that sneak up on us are: 

Marriage- 

Marriage is a noble, good, God-ordained thing (Proverbs 18:22, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Ecclesiastes 9:9, Mark 10:6-8, Hebrews 13:4). I would never argue against marriage in a million years. That being said, many Christians have some really messed up ideas about marriage. There are those who genuinely believe a person cannot be complete or whole unless they marry. If this were true Jesus would be insufficient because He never married. Moreover, many Christians put their marriage first to the detriment of their relationship with God. They will forgo obedience in some area or put their faith on the back burner in an effort to please (or appease) their spouse. Still others, willingly tolerate all kinds of sinful behavior (adultery, abuse, lying, drug and alcohol addiction) in their spouse simply to keep the peace.  All of these behaviors give marriage a place it was never intended to occupy.  The apostle Peter encourages those who find themselves unequally yoked in marriage to put their faith first and live exemplary lives in the hopes of leading their spouse to Jesus (1st Peter 3:1). It is critical we understand God gave us marriage to make us better not as a safe harbor for our worst tendencies to run wild. If marriage isn’t leading us towards greater holiness, it’s probably an idol. Some adjustments are needed. Pronto.

Kids-

Making our children into an idol is nothing new. Eli the priest allowed his sons to have first place in his life.  (1stSamuel 2:12-4:11). Many parents have followed Eli’s lead and made their kids their everything. Parents worry endlessly about their kids comfort and happiness to the detriment of their character. Parents are oftentimes so concerned about damaging the relationship with their kids they refuse to discipline or confront clear and obvious sin. This is not good. We should always do our best to be kind to everyone, including our kids. That said, our call as parents is not to have a “great relationship” with our kids (adults or youngsters). Our call is to lead them to Jesus and sow godly character traits into them.  We can’t do that if we are more concerned with their feelings towards us than we are the state of their souls. 

Addiction- 

An addiction is not just a bad habit, nor is addiction simply an outgrowth of trauma, an indicator of poor coping skills or genetic predisposition that’s run amok. Addiction does have emotional, physical and genetic factors. However, ultimately addiction is a deeply spiritual issue. The addicted person always receives something real and tangible from the addiction, usually a sense of peace or an ability to cope or some other feeling of wellbeing we should only get from God. The addict pays for their peace or ability to cope by becoming physically and/or emotionally dependent on the substance. Eventually, the addict grows to love their addiction more than they love God or anything else. Choosing to live a life free of addiction also means we have less idolatry in our lives. 

And finally:

Boundaries.

Boundaries can be a good thing. A boundary is simply a limit we put up. Everyone needs a few boundaries in their life. Even Jesus said “no” sometimes (Mark 1:35-38, Luke 10:38-42, 2nd Corinthians 12:7-10, Acts 16:6-10) A boundaryless life is a fast-track to resentment, bitterness and disillusionment with God and people.  Boundaries are good and healthy until they become more important to us than obeying Jesus and doing the hard things He asks us to do, things like serving, honoring our parents and working through relational issues. When boundaries become a reason to say “no” to things that are obviously God’s will, they are an idol. 

Here’s the thing:

With the notable exception of addiction all the above-mentioned things are good things. God does NOT want anyone to dump their kids, divorce their spouse or scrap the whole notion of boundaries just because they let their love for those things get out of hand. Instead, He wants us to get into His word, find truth and the pray for wisdom in putting all things in their proper place. 

The Three Letter Word that Changes Everything-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

My soul waits in hope for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning- Psalm 130:6 NASB

Malaise. 

It’s real.

The dictionary defines malaise as:

An uncomfortable feeling that something is wrong, especially with society, and that you cannot change the siltation. 

In recent weeks, I have been afflicted with a persistent sense of malaise. It has manifested itself in an uncomfortable, uneasy sense that there are a lot of things wrong with a lot of things. 

The feeling intensified following a quick visit to the West side of the state (the progressive side). It was supposed to be a fun trip, instead I was left feeling glum, despondent and depressed. It was more than the woke monkey business that passes for morality and the sin that’s celebrated with wild abandon on that side of the state that left me feeling forlorn.

It was literally everything. 

It was coming across the statistic that a mere nine-percent of Gen-Z (12-27-year-olds) identify as Christians. This means the American college town I visited last week is in desperate need of a Christian missionary presence, probably more so than most remote African villages. It also means the enormous stacks of cash collectively spent on Church youth and children’s programs over the last three decades did not get the job done. The money, time and energy expended on those programs might have been better spent elsewhere. 

Sigh.

But there’s more. 

The political realm is legitimately really terrible and the terribleness is not unique to my city, state or country. The terribleness is global. I used to love the intrigue of politics, I actually thought politics were fun, those days are in the rear view now. The political realm is just too dark, icky and hopeless these days. Political leaders worldwide are all about an agenda that has nothing to do with promoting what’s best for the average person (Isaiah 10:1-3, Psalm 64:2, Proverbs 16:27). 

Moreover. 

I totally get that there have always been bad people in this world. However, the process of normalizing sin has been going on for decades, and now a large portion of our population appears to be going feral right before our very eyes (Isaiah 5:20-21). At the same time good Christian people are struggling to have their voices heard over the din of culture (2nd Timothy 3:12-14).  

And last but not least,

The organization tasked by God with fostering healthy behavior in every society on earth—the church—is struggling to get her bearings and find her voice in the midst of all this social upheaval and moral mayhem (Ephesians 3:9-10.

It was a lot.  

I might have wallowed around in my discomfort indefinitely. However, I just happened to come across an unlikely Bible passage that snapped me out of my malaise and left me with a fresh sense of hope for the future.  

Here it is:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God- 1stCorinthians 6:9-11 NASB

Okay, so, I will be the first to admit that the first couple of sentences of this passage are not particularly encouraging or hopeful. Truth-be-told, they are the worst kind of a bummer. We, like the first readers who read these words have all fallen somewhere on the spectrum of unrighteousness described in this passage at some point in our life. That wasn’t the good part.  It was the little three letter word “but” that changed everything and brought hope:

BUT you were washed-

BUT you were sanctified-

BUT you were justified-   

The word but is not just good news for those of us who have been washed, sanctified and justified in the name of Jesus. Those of us who know Jesus can and should rejoice in the hope this passage offers to those of us who have been redeemed. 

 There’s also a whole lot of good news in here for our sin-sick world. The first people who read Paul’s words (the Corinthian Christians) lived in a world that was at least as messy the one we live in. There was more moral filth, more political intrigue, more sin and less righteousness in the ancient world than we see in our world today and that world changed.

 It got better. 

Christians kept the faith, spread the word and lived out the gospel. As a result, all sorts of unlikely people came to know Jesus and the ancient world slowly but surely became a better place. Over time governments became more just and human rights became a thing. If it happened it can happen now. 

So.

Don’t lose hope (Romans 5:5, Romans 12:12). Don’t let malaise wear you down and steal your joy (Hebrews 6:10-12). Instead remember that one sweet, hope-filled little word: but. I’m convinced it’s the best word ever. It stands as a reminder that God is on His throne, life is fluid and hope is real (2nd Corinthians 1:10, Galatians 5:5). The things that look bleakest today might just be a source of rejoicing tomorrow.  

What is the Key to Receiving God’s Blessing?

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Blessed are those who fear to do wrong, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble- Proverbs 28:14 NLT

God’s blessing.

Good people and not-so-great people alike all want God to bless their lives, families and the country they live in. Ne’er-do-well’s who’ve never darkened the door of church and folks who wouldn’t know a Bible verse if it bit them on the backside have been known to ask God to bless them, their country, their family and their livelihood.  Heck. In my country we want God’s blessing so badly we demand it on our currency. 

So.  

Exactly, what does it take for God to bless a person and/or their country?

There are many people who genuinely believe getting the right person elected will get the job done. Others believe the key to God’s blessing lies in the Church loving people and working to bring about justice in this world.  

Both feel like really good answers. 

Getting the right person elected sounds awesome. Electing a man or woman who loves God and knows right from wrong sounds like a good plan.  Finding someone who is willing to do the right thing even when its hard sounds like a solution that could lead this messy muddle back to a place of blessing and good things.

 It worked in the Old Testament so why not today? 

Getting the Church to healthy place where the people are loving their neighbors and doing justice also sounds like it could be the win we need to get the blessing machine working again. After all, it’s all stuff God has made clear He is definitely into blessing (Psalm 11:7, Psalm 140:12, Matthew 22:36-40, 1st Corinthians 13:4-7, James 1:27). 

However. 

God tends to give nations the leaders they deserve (Judges 3:12). This country and the people in it haven’t exactly set themselves up for an amazing, wise, godly leader who is able to rally the people into voluntarily doing good and honoring God. Seriously. We live in a nation where half the people have proven they want the right to end a pregnancy anytime, for any reason more than they want economic security. This reality has been confirmed repeatedly based on who and what the people routinely vote for. God cannot bless a people with that little regard for righteousness and stay true to who He says He is in Scripture. Period. Furthermore, the Old Testament leadership pattern was not great. Israel had a habit of devolving morally and spiritually. Then, because He’s good God would bless Israel with a godly leader. The people would straighten-up and fly right (metaphorically speaking) right up until the minute the leader died.  Then the people would all go back to doing all the outrageous, wicked stuff they were doing before the godly leader came along. As a result, the inevitable was delayed but it always became a reality.  

Loving people and laboring to usher in biblical justice IS a really good thing. Nonetheless, many have forgotten there can be no authentic biblical justice without authentic biblical righteousness (Psalm 33:5, Isaiah 1:21, Isaiah 59:14, Micah 6:8).  They work in conjunction with each other. The biblical justice crowd is often unwilling to call people out on the sin that prevents biblical justice from becoming a reality. 

Sigh. 

If an individual or nation wants the blessing of God it is critical they position themselves for blessing.  Literally, no one in the history of forever has positioned themselves for a blessing simply by asking for it, voting for the “right person” or doing one small portion of God’s will. Nor is there anyone righteous enough to get blessed by doing whatever seems right to them in the moment. 

Intentionality is the key.  

Blessing always begins and ends with the actions and attitude of God’s people.  When God’s people live life according to God’s rules they position themselves and the culture they live in for blessing. It’s important to note that Christians cannot force anyone to live righteously (1st Corinthians 5:12-13). Attempting to do so always fails, in a big way. Nor, does God cease to love His people when they fail to according to His rules. God’s love for His own never ceases (John 10:27-29). That being said, when Christians choose to lead the way and honor God with their lives and bodies God blesses. Genuine revival and tangible blessings are always the result of obedience (Acts 2:38-47). 

We could use some of that right about now.

Seriously. 

For a generation, well-intended but tragically misguided church leaders have attempted to eliminate legalism by teaching God’s “grace” is a gift that allows for Christians to live any way they wish with zero negative consequences (Titus 2:11-12). As a result, many believers have all but forgotten there really is a “right” way to live the Christian life (Romans 8:4-5). The ugly consequences of our willful amnesia are unfolding in our culture. The church is literally the body of Christ, do when the church fails at biblical living the culture has no reliable guide for how to do life God’s way. 

This means the whole world is literally feeling the pain of our folly.

 The world will be blessed when Christians from every tribe and nation return to a form of living that leads to blessing, justice and human flourishing. God has graciously shown us the way in easily understood passages such as Colossians chapter three, Romans chapter twelve and 2nd Peter 1:5-11. 

It’s up to us go to those passages and do what we are told.

The Scriptures Christians Ignored to get to 2nd Timothy 3:1-5-

Lisa M. Price4 Comments

Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray- Proverbs 10:17 ESV

A couple of months back, I did a deep dive into 2nd Timothy 3:1-5. I carefully studied the original definition of all the Greek words used. I did so because 2nd Timothy 3:1-5 is a prophetic passage of Scripture. Paying careful attention to prophecy (2nd Peter 1:19, Hebrews 2:1) prevents spiritual drift and keeps us focused on the things that matter most (Matthew 22:37-40). 

Truth-be-told. 

The whole experience was a bit startling and deeply disturbing. Startling because the words we read in our English Bibles fail to do justice to the colorful and extremely expressive language found in the original writings. It was disturbing because I gathered pretty quickly we have arrived at and are living in a 2nd Timothy 3:1-5 world.   

Not good.

 2nd Timothy 3:1-5 describes a world where the vast majority of people, including many who identify as Christians will be hopelessly self-focused and evil in a very understated kind of a way. An inordinate number of people will lack natural affection for their parents and other family members. They will purposefully slander others to gain an advantage and have zero desire to forgive anyone for even the tiniest of offenses. People will be monumentally ungrateful and unkind. They will also love money and celebrity and the pleasures that can be bought with both. A lot. 

Yikes.  

However, these same folks will have a pretense of goodness that will fool many into believing they are as Christian as they pretend to be. The term “having a form of godliness but denying its power” means people will behave properly (at least outwardly) and will be very focused on having “Christian values”. However, they will lack holy fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 16:6, Psalm 128:1). This produces people who are selfish, conniving, deceitful and incredibly dangerous in every sense (2nd Timothy 3:5). 

I spent a great deal of time wondering how we got from a world filled with normal sinners to the kinds of deceitful, underhanded, super-sinners Paul depicts in such detail 2nd Timothy (Jeremiah 17:5). It occurred to me that prophecy is never accomplished in a vacuum. There is always a pattern of disobedience that opens the door for the prophecy to be fulfilled. In this particular case I believe the church has followed the world’s lead when it comes to character development, self-image and moral training. Even Christians have focused on fostering and building “self-esteem” in themselves and others rather than obedience to God, Christ-like humility and godly confidence. I concluded that in order to get to where we are now we have had to ignore the following biblical directives: 

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought- Romans 12:3 

For a generation we have been told we should feel good about ourselves simply because we exist. Our mere presence in this world makes us worthy of praise and special treatment. The Bible teaches we should only feel good about ourselves when our motives are pure and our actions are good.  God knows the inner working of every human heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Therefore, He cautions us to think about ourselves with “sober judgment” and to apply a great deal of self-examination to our motives (Proverbs 3:5-6, 1st Peter 5:8). God wants us to seek to understand the reason why we are doing whatever it is we’re doing. Good “self-esteem” without healthy dose of self-knowledge paves the way for all kinds of wrong thinking about ourselves and others. It also makes it easy to justify almost anything that ultimately works in our favor. 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit- Philippians 2:3 

Nothing in this world is more harmful or likely to end in an ugly moral failure than ambition motivated by a craving for money, attention or followers (Daniel 4:1-33). The anecdote to that kind of trouble is passion for giving God the glory only He is due (Daniel 4:36-37, 1st Peter 2:12, Psalm 63:3).

Never stop adding to what God began in you- 2nd Peter 1:5-11

For decades now, many Christian teachers have taught that salvation is the end-goal of the Christian life.  Once we are saved there is nothing left to do but wait for Jesus to come get us. The Bible teaches that salvation is a beginning. It’s the starting point of a whole new life that will completely reorder our entire existence (2ndCorinthians 5:17).  In order to get all the new life has to offer, we must be willing to walk with our Savior and Lord through the long, grueling process of sanctification (Revelation 3:20, Colossians 3:1-17, Romans 12:1-21,1stThessalonians 4:3-8). Sanctification is not “works theology” rather it is the essence of James 2:14-26. Sanctification is the practical process of working out our salvation with “fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12-13). When we choose to get to know God through Bible study and prayer, He empowers us to shed all the sinful attitudes and behaviors of our old life. In time, we are transformed into the image of Jesus (Romans 12:2) The lack of emphasis on sanctification has made space for “Christians” who have a form of godliness but no real understanding of what it means to be a Christian.  

And finally, the Bible teaches all people (even Christians) have narcissistic tendencies that can take over our personalities. In order to avoid being overcome by those tendencies we must make a regular practice of examining ourselves to see if we are really walking in the truth of the gospel (2nd Corinthians 13:5, 1st John 1:6, 3rd John 1:3).  Doing so ensures we are part of the solution to our world’s problems rather than the problem. 

How We Cultivate a Good Heart-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

 As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart– Proverbs 27:19 NIV

The heart. It’s the biggest of deals. 

the Bible teaches that the human “heart” is more than just an organ in our body. It is who we really are. It is the source of all our thoughts, feelings, actions and words (Proverbs 4:27, James 3:14). Because it is the source of so many critical aspects of our character, it is ultimately the determiner of our path in life. If our heart is good and pure, our choices and actions will be (for the most part) honoring to God, good for us and life-giving to those we love. Conversely, those with a sinful, prideful, unbelieving or hard heart are incapable of submitting their lives to God in a meaningful way, no matter how much they SAY they want to do good and honor God (1st Samuel 24:13, Matthew 15:8, Matthew 15:17-19, Proverbs 21:4, Proverbs 19:3). 

The Bible teaches we have a measure of control over the spiritual state of our own heart and the choices we make (Psalm 73:1, Matthew 5:8, 1st Timothy 1:5, 2nd Timothy 2:22, Hebrews 10:22). This is in direct contrast to the worldly belief that our choices (good or bad) are due to how we have been treated or are a result of trauma we have experienced. The Bible holds adults accountable for the choices they make because those choices are a direct result of the state of their heart, not the fault of other people. Wise Christians monitor, protect and deal with the condition of their heart because they understand it is one of the primary tasks of the spiritual growth process (Luke 21:34, Philippians 4:6-8). If one fails at this critical task they will be unable to live the Christian life with any degree of real success.

Sigh. 

No one wants that.

We cultivate a heart that pleases God by making a commitment to the following five action steps.

Taking our spiritual temperature often-  

Our life is full of indicators that reveal the state of our heart. Ww ought to ask ourselves the following questions on a regular basis: What is my go-to for entertainment? Is it full of sex, violence and darkness? Or is it pretty clean? Do I have a problem with lust? What kind of language do I use? Is it encouraging and spiritual or is it full of innuendos and cursing?  Do I routinely pray, read the Bible and attend church?  How and where do I spend my money? If, after asking ourselves these questions we discover our lives are mostly focused on the worldly, carnal and selfish, it is incumbent on us to change direction (Mark 7:21, Luke 6:44-45, Ephesians 5:3-5, 2nd Corinthians 9:6-7). Pronto. 

Choosing to walk in the righteousness of Jesus daily-  

In Ephesians 6:14 the apostle Paul tells his readers to put on the “breastplate of righteousness”. The purpose of a “breastplate” in biblical times was to protect the heart from damage. Paul wants his readers to understand that righteous attitudes and behavior protect our hearts from spiritual damage and moral defilement. There is good and bad news here. The bad news is that none of us (saved or unsaved) have any righteousness of our own. Our greatest acts of righteousness and goodness are like filthy rags compared to the righteousness and goodness of God (Isaiah 64:6). The good news is that Christians do have access to all of Jesus’ righteousness. When we put on righteousness of Jesus we are doing two things, first we are asking Jesus to empower us to walk in HIS righteousness. Second, we are reminding ourselves to act like Jesus instead of our own sinful, rotten, self-involved selves. When we choose to walk in the righteousness of Jesus our hearts are safeguarded from defilement and sin (Psalm 24:4). That’s why it’s called a breastplate of righteousness. 

Maintaining emotional distance from things and people that do not share our beliefs- 

It is perfectly okay to participate in secular activities and have friendly relationships with non-Christians (Matthew 9:9-12). It is impossible to impact the world for Jesus without relationships with non-Christian people. However, it is spiritually unwise to make our greatest emotional investments in people and activities that do not enrich our faith (1st Corinthians 15:33, 1st John 4:5, James 4:4). Anytime we habitually choose the secular over the sacred we run the very real risk of turning our hearts away from the sacred. When that happens loving the world becomes our new normal and our hearts become hard toward the things of God (1st John 2:15-17). 

Feeding our minds and souls good things- 

A healthy soul and a pure heart don’t just happen. We must go after them persistently (Proverbs 2:1-11, Psalm 19:7-14). Intentionality about reading the Bible, spending time with Christian friends, prayer and listening to Christian music goes a long way towards cultivating a healthy soul and a pure heart (James 1:27, Psalm 119:105, Acts 2:42, Matthew 26:41). 

And finally:

Life is full of events, people and situations that can weigh our hearts down with unresolved anger, unforgiveness and just plain old spiritual weariness (2nd Timothy 3:12, 1st Thessalonians 3:3).  If we are not extremely watchful and wise, Satan will use these times to plant seeds of bitterness, resentment and cynicism.  Our responsibility during these painful seasons is to rest in the Lord, trust His plan and be obedient to the things we do understand (Romans 15:13, Ephesians 4:26-27, Matthew 6:15, Proverbs 3:5-6, James 1:1-2). When we do that we have a good heart and live a life that pleases, honors and glorifies God (Matthew 5:8, Matthew 25:23). 

It doesn’t get any better than that. 

Jesus’ Two Rules for Surviving Crazy Times-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Those who have insight will shine like the glow of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever- Daniel 12:3 NASB 

We live in weird, scary and truly unprecedented times. 

Seriously. 

Believers and even some unbelievers are stupefied at the rate culture is changing and the direction the world appears to be headed in. Governments are becoming more authoritarian. Robots are taking over. People are more calloused and attitudes and behaviors that were once thought to be totally out of bounds are not only accepted, but defended and even celebrated with wild abandon.  

Sigh.

Some believe all this craziness this means are living in what the Bible calls “the end” (Daniel 8:17-18, Daniel 12:9, Daniel 12:13, Matthew 24:3, 1st Peter 4:7). 

I don’t know if we are or we aren’t. 

Seriously. I don’t. 

No one does. It will be tough to tell for absolute certain if we’re living in the end times until Jesus shows up or doesn’t (Matthew 25:31, Matthew 24:36-42). 

That being said.

 In Matthew twenty-four Jesus gives two commands or rules for those living in the end times. Both are excellent advice for anyone living in weird, scary and or unprecedented times. This is because the temptations will be the same whether one is living in the end times or in just really weird times. These “rules” precede everything else Jesus says about what will happen just prior to His return. This means if we don’t take these two rules seriously at all times we will be done for when the really crazy-town stuff starts to go down (Matthew 24:4-27, Daniel 12, Revelation 13-18)

Jesus’ two rules for surviving scary times are:

See to it that no one deceives you- Matthew 24:4 NASB

See to it that you are not afraid- Matthew 24:6 NASB

That’s it. 

Jesus’ instruction tells me God totally has the inside scoop as to what our go-to’s are as human beings. God knows we need routine reminders not to turn our brains off and let fear run the show.  There are at least three different ways people can be deceived about Jesus and at least one really good reason to not give into fear (Isaiah 41:10, Romans 8:15).   

It’s critical we remember anyone can be deceived about Jesus’ true identity (2nd Corinthians 11:4, Galatians 1:6). There are all sorts of folks who have a relationship with a really nice, really cool Jesus who is ultimately nothing more than a figment of their imagination. All humans tend to create gods in their own image, it’s kind of our thing (Romans 1:18-23). The closer we get to the end the more prone people will be to proclaim and worship a Jesus who bears no actual resemblance to the Jesus of the Bible. The real Jesus is offensive to those who don’t want to submit themselves and their desires to God, so instead, they construct a new (and in their minds) improved Jesus who is totally affirming of all sorts of attitudes and behaviors the Bible calls evil. It is incumbent on anyone who calls themselves a Christian to make sure the Jesus they worship looks and acts like the Jesus found in the gospels. The real Jesus would never be okay with or bless anything the Bible calls sinful (Galatians 5:19-21, 1st Corinthians 6:9-11, Colossians 3:5-11). 

People can also become deceived about what Jesus is all about, meaning there will be those who claim Jesus’ main purpose in coming will be political in nature. Some will actually claim they are the savior of the world. They will get people to follow them rather than God.  Others will circumvent religion altogether and attempt to construct secular governments (kingdoms) they promise will create a heaven here on earth. In exchange for access to these kingdoms, people will be forced to swear their allegiance to the leaders of these governments. Christians are told to pray for earthly leaders and to obey any laws that do not contradict God’s commands but Christians are never to worship or swear absolute allegiance to a human leader (1st Timothy 2:1-3, Matthew 22:21. 

 Another common deception revolves around the coming of Jesus, or the lack thereof. The Bible makes it clear that even some of His followers will claim Jesus’ return is a myth or a fairy tale that will never happen. Others will say they are really Jesus and should be worshiped. Still others will say the return of Jesus has already taken place and therefore its nothing to worry about (Matthew 24:4-5, 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-3, 2nd Peter 3:1-10).  The problem with denying the second coming is that it causes us to become like the servants Jesus warns about at the end of Matthew twenty-four. Writing off the return of Jesus as a myth causes us to doubt God altogether and become focused on money, pleasures and self. This inevitably leads to sin and the exploitation of others (Matthew 24:42-51).  

Yikes. 

The biggest issue with fear is it turns off the logic center of our brains. When we embrace fear, we forfeit our ability to think clearly. This causes us to doubt everything we know about God and the Bible. When we are afraid and walking in doubt rather than faith, we will do anything to make the fear go away (Hebrews 11:6). Anything includes sin, worshiping humans and swearing our allegiance to people and ideas that are in direct contradiction to everything the Bible calls good and life-giving. 

No wonder Jesus was so opposed to fear. 

How to Pull out a “Root of Bitterness”-

Lisa M. Price3 Comments

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery- Galatians 5:1 NIV

Bitterness is literally the worst.

Literally.

Bitterness is when chronic cynicism, resentment and hostility become a constant in a person’s life.  Other indicators bitterness is a problem are a tendency to isolate, a lack of compassion, relentless faultfinding and the inability or unwillingness to see the good in people and situations.  Bitterness hits its peak of awfulness when a person gets to the place where they want to see others suffer the way they feel they have suffered.   

Bitterness is one of those issues we rarely see in ourselves until after it has become an entrenched issue. This is because the emotions that lead to bitterness feel personal and private and more often than not: justified. When we perceive that we have been hurt or wronged it FEELS defensible and reasonable to allow our most negative, ugly emotions to run wild. However, when we let hurt or pain run the show we give the devil an opportunity (foothold) to sow chaos in our lives. One of Satan’s favorite things is a Christian who has been corrupted and hardened by a bitter spirit (Ephesians 4:26-27).   

The writer of Hebrews compares bitterness to a “root”. Feelings like anger, hurt, disappointment, jealousy or resentment create fertile soil for bitter roots to sprout. If left unattended bitter roots grow, spread and eventually choke out everything good, healthy and live-giving in a person’s life. Even more alarming, bitterness not only impacts the bitter person it also defiles (corrupts) the people closest to them (Hebrews 12:15, Ephesians 4:31, James 3:14). 

Yikes. 

It is on us to pray often that God will make us aware of any bitter roots that have sprouted up.  (Matthew 5:30).  Once bitterness has taken hold, the only way to get rid of it is to pull it out (metaphorically speaking). The keys to dealing with bitterness is as follows:

We must fully understand the implications of not dealing with a bitter root- 

Bitterness is no inconsequential thing. Making space for a bitter spirit is the fast track to spiritual uselessness, broken relationships and unanswered prayer (Leviticus 19:18, 1st Peter 3:12, Hebrews 5:7). Refusing to deal with the sin of bitterness is basically just acquiescing to the fact that you will be less spiritually productive than you could be. It also means accepting that your feelings of resentment will ultimately impact your kids, grandkids, church family and friends adversely. None of those realities should ever be acceptable to a follower of Jesus. Furthermore, Christians are commanded by Jesus to bear an abundance of good fruit and be a peaceful presence in the lives of others (Matthew 7:17-19, Luke 13:6-8, John 15:1-8, Colossians 1:10, Ephesians 6:15, John 14:27, Galatians 5:22-23). There is simply no way to fulfill that calling with a bitter heart. 

Stop nursing the dang thing- 

The most efficient way to kill a plant is to simply stop watering it. The same is true with bitterness. If we want to stop feelings of bitterness we must stop nurturing and indulging the feelings that lead to the bitterness in the first place. This means we must stop thinking about or talking about the situation or people who caused the bitter root to spring up. Instead, we must practice self-discipline in our thought life and conversations (Hebrews 12:11, 2ndTimothy 1:7). The easiest and most productive way to make that happen is to simply commit to only discussing the issue with mature fellow believers who are actively helping you to find freedom from the problem 

Bathe it in prayer- 

The most efficient way to kill a bitter root is to cover the situation and people involved in prayer. Prayer is the spiritual equivalent of a powerful weed killer (Philippians 4:6, James 5:16). Prayer is essential to pulling out a bitter spirit because it keeps us from ruminating on the situation or gossiping about the people involved. Gossip and ruminating on our pain are like pouring fertilizer on the bitter root (Matthew 26:41, Ephesians 6:18, 1st Thessalonians 5:17).

Let God be God in your situation- 

Most of the time, people do not become bitter without some sort of reason. There are situations where a very sensitive, immature or prideful person will become angry and bitter about something that wasn’t a big deal (like being called out on their sin or being slighted in some way). However, most of the time bitterness is the result of genuine hurt, loss or disappointment. In one sense bitterness is really just a desire for revenge that’s running amok in a person’s heart. The Bible is clear: revenge is best left to God (Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30). This is because He is far better at it than we are and the desire for revenge twists us up and turns us into a sad parody of what we could have been. Nobody wants that.

And finally,

The only way to totally break free of bitterness is to make the hard, sometimes painful choice to fully forgive those who have sinned against us (Matthew 6:14-15, Matthew 18:21-35).  Forgiveness is rarely easy, nor, is it typically a one and done. It’s a process that takes time. It often requires help from a mature friend, Christian counselor or pastor. Forgiveness is difficult but it’s also worth whatever effort it takes because it frees us from the ugly consequences of a bitter spirit and sets us free to be the people Jesus calls us to be (1st Peter 2:9). 

Who and What have the Power to “cut in” on our Faith?

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith- Hebrews 12:1b-2a NASB

 The New Testament is packed with the literary device known as a metaphor. 

A metaphor (for those who have been out of school a while) is when one compares two totally dissimilar things WITHOUT using the words “like” or “as”. The Apostle Paul was especially fond of this particular figure of speech. He REALLY liked metaphors related to athletics. At least nine times Paul compares the Christian life to running a race or participating in an athletic contest (Acts 20:24, Romans 9:3, 1st Corinthians 9:24, 1st Corinthians 9:26, Galatians 2:2 Galatians 5:7).  In his letter to the Galatian church, Paul used the following metaphor to describe their spiritual state:

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? Galatians 5:7

The “who cut in on you” part got me thinking. It is simply a fact that life is full of events, situations and people that have the potential to “cut in on” our faith journey and sideline us spiritually. 

Sigh. 

The most common things that have the potential to “cut in” on our race of faith are:

The trials of life- 

 Trials are painful, frustrating, life-altering events. Some of the most painful trials involve broken relationships and betrayal. Trials can include (but are not limited to) difficulties in or with our marriages, children, careers, families, friendships, health and money (1st Peter 1:6, 1st Thessalonians 3:2-4). When trials pile-up or go on for an extended period of time, they create a sense of hopelessness. Unfortunately, the only way out of most trials is through them. The only way to survive an excess of trials is be intentional about making prayer a regular part of our routine. Prayer will not make a trial go away. However, a robust prayer life does give us the strength to power through the painful stuff of life with our faith and sanity intact (Romans 12:12, Proverbs 28:14). A commitment to trust, obey and stay faithful to God no matter how difficult, painful or weird life gets is also essential because those commitments are faith in action. Without faith we cannot please God, nor will we survive spiritually (Hebrews 11:6, 1st Corinthians 16:13). When we choose faith, we survive the trials of life, and as an added bonus we go on to become better, wiser, healthier versions of ourselves (James 1:2-4).  We also forge a closer connection to Jesus in the process. All wins. 

A spirit of jealousy and/or competition-

Jealousy and its foul cousin, a spirit of competition, rarely get the credit they deserve for the trouble they cause in our spiritual lives. These sins are problematic because Christians are called to unity (John 17:20-23, Ephesians 4:1-3, 1st Corinthians 12:12, 1st Corinthians 3:3). Jealousy and competition make unity in the body of Christ impossible. Jealousy and competition turn our focus entirely onto ourselves and what we don’t have, this leads to thanklessness, covetousness and eventually even idolatry (Romans 1:21-23, James 4:1-3, Galatians 5:19-21). Jealousy, covetousness and/or disunity will cut in on or race of faith. Every. Single. Time. These sins must be dealt with quickly and decisively or moral chaos WILL ensue (Matthew 5:30)  

Bitterness- 

Bitterness is a defiling force in our lives and a fast track to spiritual ineffectiveness and even generational brokenness (Hebrews 12:15, Ephesians 4:31). Sadly, hurt, pain, loss, betrayal and disappointment are inevitable in this life (Psalm 90:10, John 16:33, Psalm 22:11). Everyone experiences these things at one time or another. However, we get to decide for ourselves whether or not we will allow our pain and disappointment to morph into bitterness, cynicism, resentment and hostility.  The keys to preventing bitterness are to choose forgiveness when hurt and to commit to trusting God with the stuff in life we are helpless to understand or process (Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 4:5, Psalm 9:10, 1st Peter 2:6). 

Bad doctrine- 

Many (not all) modern-day Christians tend to think the finer points of doctrine are irrelevant at best and divisive at worst. It feels much kinder and more inclusive to just let people believe whatever they want to believe. Nevertheless, it was bad doctrine that was tripping up the Galatian Christians. Wrong doctrine always leads to wrong thinking. Wrong thinking always leads to wrong behavior. It’s critical Christians know the Bible and do their level-best to live it out (1st Timothy 4:13, 2nd Timothy 3:16, 2nd Peter 3:16). 

Bad company- 

There is nothing wrong with being on friendly terms with immature, unsaved or even shady people. Christians are called to influence, inspire, lead and evangelize all people, not just nice people who follow the rules (Matthew 5:13-16, 2nd Corinthians 5:20, 2nd Timothy 2:15, 1st Peter 3:15). However, we are also called to be very cautious about who we allow to influence, inspire and lead us (Proverbs 12:26, 1st Corinthians 15:33). Those closest to us ought to be people who inspire us to better things in every area. Anyone else will cut in on our race of faith. 

It is up to us as individuals to be aware of the things or people that have “cut in” on our race of faith (Hebrews 2:1). Anytime we sense ourselves becoming less faithful or interested in the things of God we must do some soul searching, repent of any sin we may be harboring and seek Jesus (Proverbs 26:13, Matthew 3:8, 2nd Corinthians 7:10). Then we need to ask God for the spiritual refreshment necessary to get back in the race of faith (2nd Corinthians 13:5, Revelation 2:4-5)