His Love Shows us How to Love

1 Corinthians 13:13And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I was thinking about love today.  Can you tell?  One of my brothers in Christ, Paul, passed away in the last week.  You'd say he died of all age but really it was pneumonia that got him while he was in a rehabilitation center.  I'd suggest that it was a sad way to go, but I believe that all manner of death is a sad way to go.  A death of sacrifice or martyrdom might be more honorable, but it's still a sad affair.  There's no such thing as a happy death.

Sort of.

As Christians we have our sights set on something beyond this life.  So while I am sorry for Paul's struggle toward the end of his life, I rejoice in the newness of life that is surely within him.  And though I will miss him, I am grateful for the example he set.  In particular, I find myself reflecting on his love he showed for others.

I think love is an often misunderstood emotion, and its importance is undoubtedly underestimated.

John 13:34-35"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Love is so important that we can use it to help us find the right church to attend.  Chances are that if members of a church are selfish and show no love for you then they're probably selfish in how they handle worship as well, doing what they prefer rather than what God commands.

It is important to understand, however, what love truly is.  Some think it is unloving to tell someone hard truths, or that it is unloving to do anything other than make them feel good.  My mother did not feel loved in the Lord's church and for the longest time I believed that the Church of Christ where I attend did not stand for the truth.  She told me about a letter that the elders had sent her where they "kicked her out" and I thought that was the most horrible thing.  Then, one day, I read the letter myself (I was surprised she had kept it around for so long) and learned that my mother did not see love where there clearly was plenty.  The elders of the church had come to her (and my father) about their attendance in worship.  What was an honest attempt to reach out to her and my father to see if anything was wrong, to see how they could help, was seen as an affront.  Their reaching out to my parents was interpreted as the elders judging my parents and being unfair... even rude.  But we know from scripture that we are to admonish one another when the situation calls for it.

1 Thessalonians 5:11-13Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.  And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

Church isn't a place that you visit to hear some music and a lecture before returning home.  It is a place where you commune with your spiritual family to worship the Lord God.

In John 13:34, previously quoted, we see that we are to love each other as Christ loved us.  There are many different kinds of love according to the secular world, but it is Christ's love that we need to show each other, and the Lord admonished people too, even His apostle Peter.  We need to exhibit the kind of love that brings great pain.  Just as Christ died for us, we should be willing to die for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Just as He told us to sin no more, we need to be willing to point out to our brethren when they are in sin.  Their eternal security is the most important thing.  If you saw someone in a burning building would you hesitate to tell them because you were afraid they'd be offended?  Of course not.  Likewise, we should not hesitate to help our brothers and sisters see what they cannot see in themselves.  And, for our sakes, we need to remember to listen when we are admonished by another and not take it personally.  They are doing it out of love, not spite.

My brother in Christ, Paul, serves as a reminder to love the people of the church with a Christ-like love.  My biggest regret is that I didn't pay him that courtesy while he was still with us.  I am a shy man and prefer to be alone, but if I do not show love then I stand in the way of someone else visiting the church and knowing they are in a place where they can hear the gospel.  If a person is supposed to be able to know the Lord's disciples by their love for one another, what am I if I lack the love Christ has for us?

We are so very blessed that Christ has shown us how to love each other so that we do not get caught up in the world's definition of love.  And I'm glad that my brother, in his death, served to stir me up by way of reminder toward that goal.

Do scripture and tradition contain different truths?

John 20:30

Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book...

This passage, along with John 21:25, is often cited by Catholic and Orthodox Christians as evidence that the bible does not contain the entire word of God.  The reasoning goes:  if we know there were things said which were not recorded, then we know that the bible alone cannot be the complete source of God’s word.  Therefore, we must rely on Sacred Tradition to guide our walk in service of Christ,  because He, being divine, said things which are undoubtedly truth yet were not written down.  These sayings, or traditions, by Christ and inspired apostles were passed down orally and since we know this is the case we can conclude that all truth, no matter how it was passed down to us, is important and vital to our walk in the faith.

To be clear, here is what the Catholic Catechism says about Sacred Tradition....

“And [Holy] Tradition transmits in its entirety the Word of God which has been entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It transmits it to the successors of the apostles so that, enlightened by the Spirit of truth, they may faithfully preserve, expound, and spread it abroad by their preaching.”

(paragraph 81, www.usccb.org)

But what did the apostles preach?

Acts 10:42

"And He [Christ] ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.

Acts 14:7

...and there they continued to preach the gospel.

Acts 14:15

...and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM.

Romans 1:15

So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

Romans 10:15

How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!"

Romans 15:20

And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man's foundation....

1 Corinthians 1:23

...but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness...

1 Corinthians 9:16

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.

2 Corinthians 10:16

...so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.

The apostles preached the gospel, or good news, of Christ crucified.  This is a matter well covered in scripture and therefore there is no cause for its continued delivery through Sacred Tradition.  That is not to say that tradition cannot be a terrific learning tool, but it is delivering the same message which is also recorded for us in the bible.

Consider the following passage....

2 Thessalonians 2:15

So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

This verse is pointed to by many as proof that Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture are two separate things.  But it’s important to note that in the reading of this passage the word “or” is used, not “and.”  It says to hold to the traditions we were taught by word of mouth or by letter.  Either will suffice because both contain the same information.  One was just easier to access than the other at this time, but the information was in no way unique.

Both the bible and tradition deliver the gospel.  Both the bible and tradition instruct us on the organization of the Lord’s church.  Both the bible and tradition tell us how to be saved.  But in this day and age when we are far removed from the original source of oral tradition, it is the bible, which is now complete for us, that we rely on.  And we see by the words of the apostles that our reliance on scripture was intended.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

It is often pointed out to me that the above verse does not say that all truth is in scripture.  True enough.  However, it does tell us that scripture is capable of equipping us for every good work.

There is no other work to be equipped for that Sacred Tradition can provide.  Therefore, the tremendous authority the Catholic and Orthodox churches give their traditions is unfounded.  If the bible contains all that is necessary for our salvation then anything else is either optional or outright heretical.

Many traditions across various Christian denominations are in no way sinful and are perhaps even appealing to some as a means of embracing the Christian faith.  Let us not, however, expend so much effort to keep such teaching and rituals which do not come from God.  Let us strengthen ourselves in what is necessary and useful.

We have a pope?

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the next pope of the Catholic Church as of today.  The name he is taking is Pope Francis, for Saint Francis of Assisi.

I am not catholic myself, and have many misgivings over certain teachings of the church in particular, but I have enjoyed following the conclave and resulting papal selection.  Pope Francis seems like a humble man, based on the bare minimum I know about him.  I read a Wikipedia biography of him, and I saw him speak.  Of course, he did not speak in English, so I had to read a translation later.  But the soft manner of his speaking, and the mere polite wave he gave to his audience, were things I found endearing about this man I do not know and feel exercises no authority over me.  On first impression it feels like the cardinals picked a good man to be pope, but of course, time will reveal all.

Because of this recent news I have been thinking more and more about the assertion that Matthew 16 is biblical evidence for the necessity of a papal office.

Matthew 16:18-19
"I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."

After all these years I do not find it any more compelling than I did previously, but I will admit that I can understand it from a Catholic perspective more readily.  After all, though I am not Catholic, I believe in that the Church does hold authority.  I believe that overseers and deacons make up the body of Church offices for the guiding and help of other members of a particular congregation.  So while I used to deny the basis of papal authority without a second thought with a snide "pfft, God is the head of the Church NOT MAN DUH," I now realize in my growth that earthly authority was certainly planned for by the Lord God Himself.  After all, the authority of the Lord's Church is quite prevalent in the New Testament.

But it always comes back to the same question.  Is this what the Lord intended for His Church?  I don't question whether or not God could establish an environment in which we are guided by a lone man acting as bishop over the entirety of the earthly members (with Christ as the head over all).  I don't question the possibility of a man being gifted with infallibility at certain times as guided by the Holy Spirit.  I don't doubt that God could have designed the Church this way if He wanted because he's God.

The question is whether God did, not whether he could.

Yet it is well and good that this man, humble as he seems, is taking the role of someone who oversees a great many people.  Far be it from me to wish any crisis or scandal on the Catholic Church.  A humble man can inspire a humble people and that is always a good thing.

What is truth?

John 18:37-38 (NASB)
Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."
Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" . . .

It is a popular belief that there is no absolute truth in this universe.  One man’s truth is another man’s myth and, therefore, we should all stop worrying so much about what is true and just “get along.”  Even some who claim to be Christians believe there is no absolute truth.  They cite the many different denominations that do not agree with each other and suggest that is evidence not only that there is no absolute truth, but that God doesn’t actually care.  As long as you “follow” Him then you’re good, but if you try to describe what following God means then you’re suggesting that there is one truth, one path to salvation, and that won’t fly well with many people.

In my experience, those who deny an absolute truth do so to prevent looking at themselves.  If there is one truth then there are many wrong answers and the thought of practicing their faith improperly is a scary thought for many people to face.  The denial of truth is ceded in a denial of the self.  As long as there is no truth then there is no wrong.

Yet there is one truth.  Scripture itself subscribes to this fact.

Matthew 7:21-23 (NASB)
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

There are not many ways into heaven.  There is only one.  There are not many truths.  There is only one.  There are not many saviors.  There is only one.

John 14:6 (NASB)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

If scripture itself subscribes to one path to salvation, to one manner in which the faithful ought to behave and work together, then how can Christians argue?  Instead of being comfortable in our differences we should care enough to debate with others who desire to be of the faith so that we might all understand the truth that is before us.  We have a collection of writings thousands of years old passed down through the ages and preserved by the Lord’s grace.  We owe it to ourselves to not only accept the fact there is an absolute truth, but to discern it accurately.  Christ said that everyone who is of the truth hears His voice.  Let us listen.

It is common for those who aren't religious to be doubly convinced that there is no absolute truth in the universe and we're not helping the cause by disagreeing with each other. Divisions among the churches are not only bad for our own worship, but also a terrible example to those outside the church. We can do better. We should do better.

Does the Lord commit genocide?

Job 37:5 (NASB)

"God thunders with His voice wondrously, Doing great things which we cannot comprehend."

It is popular these days for atheists to dismiss God because he's "an evil proponent of genocide."  It's true, there are times in the Old Testament when the Lord took the lives of human beings and to the typical person of the world, who knows that killing is wrong, they have a hard time understanding why anyone would love a God who would kill.  In short, they do not understand God.  They think God has sinned and because the bible claims that God cannot sin they see a contradiction and because they see a contradiction they look at the bible as a house of cards that slowly crumbles to the ground.  But Gods ways are not man's ways.  This is something the atheist does not consider.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NASB)

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.  "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts."

God has many times commanded the death of people, but we must not forget that this is the result of judgment. The Lord has every right, being the creator, to destroy what He has created.

Isaiah 45:9 (NASB)

"Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker-- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands'?"

It's hard not to quote a billion bible verses for this topic.  There's a tremendous amount of input in the scripture to relate to us how man and God are not on the same level.  The fact that Isaiah 55:8-9 sees God explaining the difference between His ways and our ways surely shows us that God knew we'd need this understanding.  We cannot fully relate to an infinite being that knows no sin or death.  We live with sin and death every day of our lives.  But let us not be so arrogant to assume that God is to be held accountable for the same things we are.  We must always remember that God has certain rights to his creation that we do not to other men.  Furthermore, we must always remember that the Lord's ways are just and therefore, even when we do not understand His actions, we know that the fault is ours and not His.

The ancient Hebrews were a warring nation that God sent out to slay His enemies.  This is where thoughts of genocide arise.  But there's also the flood of Noah.  The flood killed every living thing save for Noah, his family, and the animals that were on the ark.  As the atheist cries out that the Lord has killed babies and is therefore evil, they ignore the fact that God being just and merciful, would no doubt have taken care of those young innocent children.

When you are a Christian and you realize that life on this earth is temporary, that it is only a precursor to an afterlife in Heaven, then you really don't care so much how short your life is here.  Sure, we all want long lives, it's hard not to want more of what you are familiar with, but what shame is there in a short life when it brings you to Heaven?  And for all those who were adults in the flood, who were caught up in it and destroyed.  They were at an age of reason and they chose their ways.  And the Lord has a right to judge his creation.

For anyone struggling with how they perceive the Lord's actions, I highly recommend a reading of Job.

Job 1:21-22 (NASB)

He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD."

Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

The Eternal Patriot

"I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country." - Nathan Hale

The world would have you believe that there is nothing more noble than patriotism.  It's the ultimate selfless act to be of service to your nation.  However, as Christians, we are not of the world and so there are a few things worth considering before enlisting in military service.  Military life can put a strain on your ability to serve the Lord by interfering with church attendance and sufficient time for bible study.  But today I'd like to talk about one thing in particular that, for many, is completely glossed over.  Military life can put you in a position in which you will have to kill.  Can a Christian kill in battle without committing murder?

Murder?


The bible makes a distinction between murder and killing in battle.  The ancient Jews often went to war at the Lord's command and, as happens in battle, many deaths occurred.  As these deaths were the result of action that the Lord commanded we know that killing a fellow human does not always fall under the definition of murder.  However, the key point to remember here is that the Lord commanded these battles.

Numbers 33:50-53 (NASB)
Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying,
"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places; and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it.

In a typical battle in which random country goes to battle against other random country, this is not due to a command of the Lord.  Therefore, whether or not the act of killing is murder or not must be decided through other reasoning.

The bible does not explicitly give approval for self defense, but it's certainly eluded to...


Luke 22:36 (NASB)
And He said to them, "But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one."

Here the Lord is discussing when his followers will go into the world and preach.  We know that if self defense were not acceptable that Jesus would not have encouraged the purchasing of one.

So we've established that taking a life can be acceptable under certain circumstances.  So if a soldier were sent out to battle during World War II, for example, because he was drafted, he could defend himself from the enemy without guilt.  But if the soldier opted for moments of personal vengeance or the killing of prisoners then it is likely that murder has entered into his heart.  In fact, it is my opinion that two soldiers in a squad could both fire into the same group of enemies, but receive different judgments for their behaviors.  One soldier may have acted in defense while another may have committed murder.  It depends on the heart of the individual.  In this example, the innocent soldier was drafted.  He did not want to be fighting in the first place but he was there to protect his fellow men and himself.  The guilty soldier, meanwhile, joined up with the express intention to kill as many of the enemy as possible.

To be clear, I'm not suggesting that every soldier that volunteered for service during World War II is a murderer and all innocent soldiers were drafted.  I believe it would be a righteous thing, given the dire circumstances of World War II, to want to defend your country and its people from an enemy that was so obviously evil.  Again, it depends on the heart of the individual.  I merely wish to point out that killing in a battle during a war does not mean murder cannot exist.

This world is full of much darkness and even for the Christian a time might come to take up arms against his fellow man.  However, we must always remember that this is to be a last resort.  If we were slapped on the face the Lord would rather us turn the other cheek than to seek retribution.  Likewise, death cannot always be justified in a time of war.

Though eventually the time for war will come.

Ecclesiastes 3:8 (NASB)
A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.

Belief vs. Practice

There can often be a huge difference between what a church believes and what a church practices.  Many will agree, for example, that love is paramount.  We must show love to all.  However, many will not follow the Lord’s teaching on love, but the world’s teaching.  For the world, love means “I will accept you.”  For the Lord, love means “I will help you.”  It is important that we adhere to what God wants for us in our worship and not what we want for ourselves.  Otherwise the whole process can become empty and even a detriment to our own spiritual growth.

1 Corinthians 11:17-18  (NASB)
But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.
For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it.

Now my writing here isn’t about divisions in church, a grave thing that must be avoided at all costs, but I did want to demonstrate the concept that the act of “going to church” isn’t enough.  You must find a church that practices sound doctrine and whose members strive for what God intended for the church.  We can assemble for the worse.  Say you approach a elder or deacon of a church and you ask them to compose a list of how they know the church they manage is Christ centered and theologically sound... you’ll no doubt get many pleasant bullet points (we love each other, we believe in Christ’s sacrifice, etc) but will there be substance?  Will there be sound practices to corroborate these sound teachings?

The church is made up of men and women, all fallible human beings corrupted by sin.  Therefore, though many may try hard to follow God’s Word, they can fail.  They can give into the world’s twist on what the right doctrine or theology is on any given subject.  People will go against what the Lord specifically says because they have decided that their way is the more loving way.  They may not deliberately choose to think of it that way, but their actions speak louder than words.  Say, for example, there is a church that does not believe in the necessity of water baptism.  They might dismiss it because they feel it limits the opportunity for salvation.  It makes it harder to attain, perhaps.  But their sound teaching, that through Christ one must be redeemed, is lacking in the substance of water baptism... an act that Christ commanded.

Matthew 7:15-20 (NASB)
"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
"You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
"So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
"A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
"So then, you will know them by their fruits.

According to scripture, we will know who teaches what is right by their fruits or good works.  A preacher who roams the country on tour, taking all the money from offerings to buy a big house is probably not someone bearing good fruit.  It is not my job to tell you how to judge someone’s fruits, but perhaps that can give you a perspective.

But how can we know what qualifies as good or bad fruit?  If mankind is corrupted by sin, if no one is perfect, then how can I trust myself to follow appropriate teaching?  This is why we have the written Word: the bible.  It is our guide to discern these matters.  The bible lays an example for us to examine the words of those who teach us.

Acts 17:11 (NASB)
Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

Churches will agree on many things.  Various denominations will say, “Yes, Christ is the Son of God.”  They’ll emphasize the importance of love and prayer.  They’ll say there is one God and He created the heavens and the earth.  These are all true things.  But how does this church actually behave?  How does it manage itself?

The only way to really understand if the church in question is sound is by observing it in the light of the scriptures.  Too many denominations agree on who Christ is but ignore what He says.  They’ll highlight His miracles and ignore His commandment for water baptism, for example.  This comes to a matter of picking and choosing.  We must follow the entire Word or none of it.  We must adhere to its teachings and heed its examples.

But in addition to the my emphasis on following the bible’s teachings let us not forget the importance of prayer.  If you ask for help from the Lord in discerning these matters logically and soundly, then He will help you.

Matthew 7:7-8 (NASB)
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
"For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”