Having a heart of worship

What does it mean to have a heart of worship?

John 4:23-24
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Paul frequently refers to worship as something other than abstract artistic creativity. Paul encourages his readers to praise God through their actions -- by living a godly life and loving others, you are worshiping God.

Romans 12:1
"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."

Romans 15:5-7
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, ⁶ so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷ Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

The phrase "living a godly life" often seems to be met with a brief stint of unattainable panic in many Christians. If your heart is in the right place, that is, if your heart is willing to sacrifice all else for the glory of Christ, then God teaches you how to glorify Him in the simplest of manners. The way you great your co-workers, the way you respond with patience to a difficult person, the way you conduct yourselves in your careers or at school -- these are all actions that show Christ to other people. It's really amazing how people receive a genuine act or word of kindness from others; it seems to be magnified tenfold when Christ is behind it. If you're living a Christ-like life, it simply means that you are allowing Christ to live through you. All of the glory automatically goes to Him, because you recognize that you cannot be holy on your own.

God's people must be wary of turning into people who worship rules rather than God, as the author of Colossians warns about:

Colossians 2:20-23
Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ²¹ “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²² These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. ²³ Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.


How can I worship God in every day aspects of life?

I believe your spiritual gifts go a long way in determining your tendencies toward worship. Feel free to read the previous post about spiritual gifts! I often find that those who are gifted to administrate take joy in administration; it is their spiritual act of worship. They are doing exactly what God has called them and blessed them to do.

Music (and all art in general) is another form of worship that is universally recognized. Even if you don't prefer to sing or play an instrument, just listening to music and worshiping with your heart can be suitable. It really depends on who you are. Visual arts are also extremely powerful. I witnessed people who were silently acting out prayers with their bodies, and it was extremely touching and effective. One of my favorite poets is Gerard Manley Hopkins; his words paint a beautiful picture of God.

Nature is one of my favorite forms to worship God. Nature is so undeniably powerful that there is no possible way for a human to claim it as his or her own. I frequently recall this verse: 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." It is impossible for me to claim that I created the power of Niagara Falls or the beauty of the Rocky Mountains. I am so overwhelmingly small compared to Nature, and yet its smallest function is tinier than me. The God who created photosynthesis is the same God who knows every hair on my head. The God who created the galaxy is the same God who gave me a body that is miraculous in itself. Have you ever just stared at a leaf and considered its integral function in the world (much like an individual human)? How did it get there, how does it know when to change colors and circulate water to its veins? Nature at once brings me back to my rightful place and reveals to me the beauty and complications in humanity.

Intelligence is another form of worship. I think science is a very powerful way to glorify God. I don't see how you can study the galaxy and not be humbled. How can you know exactly what minerals were needed to create a substance, exactly what made it possible for life to be sustained on earth, and not think of God? Science is a very powerful tool for a Christian, as is philosophy and other areas of intelligence. I encourage you to check out this very interesting video if you have time called Everything is Spiritual by Rob Bell: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=77024018179262526#

Prayer, quiet times, and fellowship are obviously very important forms of worship. Finding a community of believers to grow with is one of the perks of being a Christian! Speaking directly to God is really as good as life can get. How magnificent is it that we have a God who hears, who responds, and who encourages us to keep coming back for more?

Battling Inadequacy with Spiritual Gifts

As a musician in a conservatory, I know what it's like to deal with inadequacy. My colleagues and I struggle with it almost daily. We are in the business of expected perfection with imperfect results. Sound familiar? The church is very similar. I do not mean to suggest that Christians inevitably sin; I am merely saying that Christians are not God. As faithful as we are to God, we do not possess all of His attributes. I think this is obvious. However, God did bless us with spiritual gifts, an evident manifestation of a part of himself. These gifts allow us to help others in a world of imperfection. Satan will always work to make Christians believe that they are not making a difference in the world, and many times he will attempt to make the Christian feel inadequate in the face of evil. This is far from the truth -- Christians have spiritual gifts, and they have a whole team of people who have different spiritual gifts to help them battle for souls.


What is the difference between a spiritual gift and a natural-born talent or skill?

Many times people are confused by spiritual gifts. They think that the things they are naturally good at are spiritual gifts, like playing the violin or teaching chemistry. While those types of things are certainly skills and talents that God has blessed us with, it does not necessarily mean that they are spiritual gifts. Just because a Christian is a virtuoso violin player does not make him or her an automatic worshiper. A spiritual gift is bestowed by the Holy Spirit after conversion to Christ; it's often something you did not realize you had the knack for, or it is an extreme enhancement of a born talent. Oftentimes it aids you in times of crisis, or in unexpected events. It always blesses people, and it is never used for self-interest. Some people who open up their home to friends in need or strangers do not even recognize they have the gift of hospitality; they assume all people do this because it is common courtesy. Others experience a blatant increase of wisdom by the Holy Spirit in times of crisis. It is typically very clear to those witnessing the gift in action that the person is spiritually endowed. This is one of many ways for God to show his glory on earth. He works through the weak to reveal His strength.


What are the different types of spiritual gifts?

I am not going to explain each individual spiritual gift. There are several excellent resources out there for further research. I read a fascinating book on spiritual gifts. It was one of those old and forgotten books in my parents' library, called Rediscovering our Spiritual Gifts: building up the Body of Christ through the Gifts of the Spirit by Charles V. Bryant. It reminded me of the Myers-Briggs personality test, as it was a deep analysis of spiritual gifts.


Here are some Bible verses concerning gifts your reference:

Romans 12:4-8 "4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."

Ephesians 4:7-8, 11-13
"But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:
“ When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."


Battling inadequacy on the personal level:

I firmly believe that Satan tries to use our spiritual gifts against us. I have the gift of wisdom, but I am lacking discernment. Sometimes I mourn this, as discernment would be very useful at times! I go to my brothers or sisters who have discernment and get their help, as I cannot do everything on my own. God created us to be in a community of believers, and He uses the analogy of a body to explain it to us in 1 Corinthians 12. I am only one part of the body of Christ, but my part is essential to my community. I stop mourning that I do not have certain gifts whenever God reminds me that I am not alone in my ministry, and I cannot expect myself to single-handedly save the world. That's ridiculous. But that is what Satan tries to get Christians to believe. He whispers lies of "you're not good enough, your gift is useless here, you failed this person because you weren't what they needed".


A friend once told me that her faith was saved by a mutual friend's unrelenting persistence. Our friend had been with her through thick and thin, and it seemed as though everyone else had abandoned her. I felt truly horrible that I could have done something more than I did, and I felt that I must have neglected my duties somehow. But God reminded me that I had my own situation do deal with -- I was pursuing somebody else with unrelenting persistence and saving their faith. God orchestrated it so that every person was taken care of during this time. We each have our own battles to fight, and God makes them clear to us through time and prayer. We cannot be everything to everybody; the only person who can fulfill that is Jesus.

1 Corinthians 12:27-31 "27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way."


Every gift looks different. Every combination of gifts is different and can be used in unique ways. We must remember that all gifts are relevant and important, no matter how small they seem. We are all an integral part of the body of Christ, and each gift was given for a reason. Prophesy might seem more flashy than Administration, but the prophet would never have been able to organize an event without the administrator, thus making his prophesy useless!

1 Corinthians 12:20-22 "But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary."


Battling perceived inadequacy in the church:

There will always be those upset with the church. You know the type. They feel like Christians aren't out-going enough, or they should be trying harder to save Africa because homeless kids in America aren't enough. Some Christians get tricked into believing their own church isn't working hard enough simply because they are not tackling every single major issue in the world.


The sad reality is that churches have limited resources. Churches must maintain the emotional, spiritual, physical health of all of their members, as well as reaching out to the lost, as well as spearheading some major issue God laid on their hearts. Churches would do well to remember that they cannot save the world single-handedly. It is okay for a church to focus on one major issue and do it well, as opposed to depleting resources by being spread too thin. There are other churches and organizations that are dedicated to solving world issues. If God makes it clear that He wants the church to have a team dedicated to solving starvation in African children as well as finding homes for homeless children in America, then God bless! There is nothing stopping you, as God will find you the resources you need. People with the gift of generosity will find their gift out soon enough if they haven't already!


Recognizing strengths

I encourage you to think about the gifts God has given you. How have you used them lately? Do you have a Christian friend or mentor who know you well enough to tell you which gifts they think you have? It is very encouraging to hear what your strengths are from someone you love and respect. Dwell on what God has accomplished or will accomplish through you. Spiritual gifts are extremely powerful tools, and they are given and driven by God himself. We can use them to fight evil, to fight the lies of Satan and spread Truth to those lost in the world. Praise be to God that He would trust us with such a precious gift!

Attitude Toward Sin: Flippant or Inevitable?

I can't tell you how many times I hear a speaker attest to the wonderful things God has done in his or her life. The speaker is very passionate, gets emotional when discussing previous sinful state, and joyfully announces the victory found in Christ. The audience feels a great sense of hope and encouragement from this talk, especially when it concludes with a crescendo of passion such as "God saved me from my life of sin so that I may live a life in freedom and serve Him! Praise God!" There is an appropriately animated response of Praise God indeed. But then -- as if this is an obligatory and mandatory addendum to the speaker's testimony, he or she will say (lest they are thought of as arrogant) -- "I'm still imperfect, that's a given -- I mean, we're all still sinners" to which the audience will reply with applause and hearty head bobs. Yet, I bury my head in sadness. Why do we prize sinfulness and assume it is a necessary part of the Christian life? What should the Christian attitude be toward sin?

You might be thinking, "What's the big deal? What the speaker said is absolutely true!" The reason I get so upset when people have this flippant attitude toward sin is because it's 1) confusing to unbelievers 2) misleading to believers and 3) blasphemous to God (therefore not true). I don't mean to offend those who have ascribed to this belief all their lives, so bear with me as I explain. Again, this is a good time for me to say that if you have any issues with my analysis, please feel free to email me or talk to me.

The modern Christian church teaches that sin is inevitable and it is likely a daily part of the Christian walk. Lately confession of sin has been mistaken for humility; saying that you are not a sinner is akin to saying you believe in works-based salvation (i.e. others find you blasphemous and proud and will quote 1 John 1:8 at you). No, they will say, the proper thing to do in the church is to admit that you sin, confess your sins, and try not to do it again (but you inevitably will – because you’re a sinner). The problem with this flippant attitude, upon closer examination, is that it is unbiblical and wildly hypocritical. There, I said it. Please don’t wag your finger at me and tell me I’m not saved. I am no proponent of the works-based salvation. I simply believe that Christ is serious when He says “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Don’t think this is possible? Think this was just something to aspire to? Please continue reading.

Somebody once compared this flippant church attitude to a vegetarian who still eats meat. "I only eat meat when I can't resist it, or when it's more convenient. I'm still a vegetarian, don't get me wrong." But how does this practice look to outsiders? Instead of unbelievers thinking it's great that Christians are not holy rollers, they get disgusted that church-goers call unbelievers out on their sin, deny them marriage rights, and speak out against evil, and yet these so-called Christians still commit the same acts! What's the difference, a few spoken words of commitment? Romans 2:21-24 “you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? ²²You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? ²⁴For "THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU," just as it is written.”

It's damaging to both the unbeliever and believer to have a flippant "oh we can't beat it" attitude about sin. It's a very negative and unbiblical view. Jesus is all about freedom! Galatians 5:1 “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” He came to set us free from the bondage of slavery so that we would know the fresh air of righteousness and live to serve Him. Some of the first words of His public ministry were Isaiah 61:1-3 (as seen in Luke 4:18-19 below).

¹⁸"THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,
BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.
HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES,
AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND,
TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,
¹⁹TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD."

To say that Christians are free from sin yet still live in it does not make any sense. Think about that statement for a second. How are you set free if you are still enslaved to sin?! It's absurd! It's the biggest lie of Satan. Jesus tells us we cannot serve two masters as shown in Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other You cannot serve God and wealth.” John reiterates it in 1 John 3: 6-9 “No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. ⁷Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; ⁸the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. ⁹No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

It is NOT inevitable for Christians to sin! What flesh we had that hindered us is now crucified and removed; there is nothing barring us from following Jesus with all of our hearts, minds, souls, and strength!

Galatians 5:19-24
¹⁹Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,²⁰idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,²¹envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.²⁴Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

I've seen a popular quote from Blaise Pascal: "There are two kinds of men: the righteous, who believe themselves sinners; & sinners who believe themselves righteous." Yet the Bible says, "Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous." (1 John 3:7) A truly righteous man knows he is righteous. The Bible states it plainly. Pascal's intention was probably influenced by a bit of Truth. It's true that the only way Christians are righteous is because they've accepted Christ (therefore admitting they were unrighteous), allowed Him to purify them, and then walk in righteousness with the Holy Spirit's leading. You cannot be righteous by your own works. Those who have not accepted Christ, who believe they need no redemption, are the unrighteous who believe they are righteous. This is what is meant by 1 John 1:5-9 “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. ⁶If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; ⁷but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

When you read this passage in context, it is a gospel message, but I frequently hear 1 John 1:8 used to say “see? Christians still sin!” In order to be redeemed, you have to be redeemed of something. All have sinned (Romans 3:23) but those who accept Christ are purified and do not keep on sinning. To say otherwise is to say you walk in light and yet you walk in darkness as shown in 1 John above. 1 John 2:3-6 ^“By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. ⁴The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; ⁵but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected By this we know that we are in Him: ⁶the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

I am so very passionate about this topic because I believe the current teachings and attitudes about sin are straight from Satan himself. It's a disturbing thought, that the blind are leading the blind. My friends, do not serve Satan, do not even say you serve him. Make your testimony "I have been redeemed and freed from sin" and keep it at that! God gives you a way out of every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) and He fights the battles for us. For goodness' sake, Jesus has already won! Live in victory and freedom, please do not allow Satan to ensnare any part of your heart. If you are a child of God, you are free. You are no longer enslaved to sin. It is not inevitable! That is the real gospel message! Praise God for His unending grace, His promise of life and freedom, and His sacrifice on the cross that makes all of this possible.

The Importance of Forgiveness: Part 3 -- The Unrepentent

I recommend reading The Importance of Forgiveness Parts 1 and 2 before reading this particular blog. Part 1 is about the definition of forgiveness; Part 2 is the definition of true repentance; and Part 3 will deal specifically with the unrepentant. What do Christians do when somebody refuses to repent? There are several different underlying factors when a person does not repent (ie recognize and change sinful behavior). Are we still required to forgive the person even if they have not yet asked for forgiveness? It is impossible to forgive somebody if they have not yet asked for forgiveness. Is there something to forgive? Yes. But how can it be done if there is no repentance? Jesus says in Luke 17:3-4 " Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him." Again, forgiveness is the act of pardoning a person's sins or mistakes and not holding it against them ever again; repentance is the act of changing a behavior (or sin) as a result of remorse or contrition for that behavior (or sin).

I think it's fantastic and heart-warming when a Christian proclaims to the world that they have forgiven the person(s) responsible for murdering their loved ones. It is a bold statement, it is honorable, and it certainly sheds a good light on Christianity. However, I would argue that it is not the exact model of forgiveness the way our Lord lays it out. Before God forgives us, we must come to Him, renounce our ways, and ask Him to pardon us for our sins. Then He faithfully and lovingly forgives us and cleanses us from our sin. What did He do before we asked for forgiveness? He made it clear that He wanted to forgive us. (Matthew 18:14 "So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.") He showed us how wrong our behavior was, and promised us that He would cleanse us from it and teach us to change it. But He did not forgive us until we asked for it. If God forgave everyone for sins before they asked for it, they would have no need to repent and they would go to Heaven. That is the doctrine of the Universalists, which is completely unBiblical and wrong.

Now, just because a Christian does not have to officially forgive a person unless that person repents, that does not mean the Christian is allowed to harbor anger in their heart toward the person. In fact, Jesus says this in Matthew 5:43-44: "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." A Christian must be ready to forgive a person as soon as they ask for it the same way Jesus is ready to forgive a sinner when a sinner repents. Jesus does not say, "No, I can't forgive you yet -- I'm still ticked about the way you used my name in vain." It is essential for a Christian's heart to be prepared to forgive a person the moment they ask for forgiveness! Since we do not know when a person will ask for forgiveness, our hearts must always be willing to forgive, that is, pardoning a person's sins and not ever holding it against them again. Christians do not have the liberty of holding a grudge or reveling in anger. Sometimes a person will ask for forgiveness when you did not even realize they sinned against you. I remember back when my fiance (at that time my boyfriend) and I asked for forgiveness from his parents for lying to them about something for years. They had no idea, and yet they forgave us on the spot. They were still crushed and heartbroken, but they pardoned us and did not ever hold a grudge or use it against us. That is a model of God's forgiveness. It is awe-inspiring to know that we, once sinners, came to the Father in humility and asked to be forgiven -- and He did it! Our sins are no more and He does not count them against us. Praise be to God for His love!

Here's a sticky situation: What do we do when a friend who professes Christianity sins against God and does not repent? You've probably known a person like this. Perhaps it is a person in your Sunday School who occasionally lies, or a college buddy in your Fellowship who is an underage drinker. Most of the time these kinds of people are not unwilling to repent -- most of the time they say they really want to repent but just end up sinning again in some way. We should not, as some claim, "cut them some slack because we all sin too". This statement really gets me upset. It's about the most hypocritical statement I've ever heard in my life. Not only should we not excuse sin, we should not engage in it! Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? May it never be! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2) No, the proper response would be to go to your friend in love and try to help them correct their behavior so that they may be reconciled to God. Normally this involves many interventions, late-night chats, Bible studies, and accountability partners. Ask your spiritual leaders for help, for they will undoubtedly have good ideas about disciplining a brother. Jesus gives us some instructions in Matthew 18:15-17 "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." It's pretty straight-forward. For the most part, the person in question will only get to Stage Two before they wise up and taking measures to stop sinning.

If you know somebody who has surpassed Stages 1 and 2 of Jesus' Helpful Guide to Bringing Back the Unrepentant, then this person is probably in deeper darkness than you initially realized. Commit them to serious prayer. They need it. This person is in great spiritual danger and might need to experience a very hardcore kind of love. If a person calls him or herself a Christian and obviously lives a life contrary to God's standards and refuses to change, even after countless hours of pleading and explaining why their lifestyle choices are unBiblical, you and your church are required to cut that person out of the church as a last resort. That seems quite harsh and almost contrary to the modern (albeit Biblical) exhortations to love that person no matter what. But here's the kicker: sometimes kicking a person out of the church is the most loving thing you can do. Paul talks about this extensively in 1 Corinthians 5. Verse 5 specifically explains why this is a loving act. "I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." This person is obviously not saved, but thinks they are. Paul even refers to this kind of person later in the chapter as a "so-called brother". This is the most dangerous spiritual state to be in. If a person believes they are saved when they are really not, they have no incentive to change their ways or repent. They believe they are forgiven already and going to Heaven when really they are doomed to Hell.

Here is an instance of this in Matthew 7:18-23 --
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. 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.'

Paul, like Jesus, talks about not associating with a so-called Christian in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 --
"I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; ¹⁰I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. ¹¹But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one. ¹²For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? ¹³But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES." (CAPS part of NASB version)

While the modern church has it right that we are to love those who wrong us, we must attempt to correct their sins for their sakes. This is love in the most heart-wrenching form. To outsiders and to the person described in 1 Corinthians 5, this does not look like love. If you or your church feels called to carry out the actions of 1 Corinthians 5 as a last resort, it will be painful and difficult, especially if that person is a loved one. But God calls us to love others more than ourselves. How can we love someone if we refuse to tell them their sin will doom them to hell? How can we love someone if we sit back idly and allow a person to sin because it is easier and safer for us to ignore the issue? That is not love; that is selfishness. It is also heresy. If a so-called Christian blasphemes God's holy name by claiming to be a holy child of God and yet refuses to repent -- what does that say about our perfect and holy God?! How does that look to non-believers? If you refuse to cut a person like this out of their life because you love them so much you couldn't bear to see them in pain, then you are treading into dangerous territory. Jesus says in Matthew 10: 37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." Take care that your love is agape love, as shown in 1 Corinthians 13, not the kind of false love that stifles a person's well-being for your own sake.

This is a difficult topic, especially since I have a loved one in this situation. I do not write this because I enjoy the idea of cutting out those who defile God's name. I do this out of love, the kind of love that requires me to love another more than myself, to put their salvation as my top priority. It is a love that "does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth" (1 Cor 13:6). This kind of love requires absolute faith in God's holy Word, trust in His judgment, and absolute reliance on His wisdom. God knows best, and if He says we should do something a specific way, it is because He has a good reason. Oh how glorious that day will be with the unrepentant finally humble themselves before the Lord!

Effects of the Media: Part 3 -- "Femininity" and (de)Masculinity

Similar to the topic of love, the roles of men and women in today's society is worthy of a string of blogs. I will concentrate on the direct effect of the media on the portrayal of roles and shy away from the controversial topics of equality and leadership. I think we will all agree that America changed its views on the roles of men and women in society quite often in the past century. While some changes brought liberation to the enslaved, more recent and disturbing changes are bringing the "land of the free" into a lifestyle of sin and extreme unhappiness.

Media portrayal as it relates to intimate relationships

Women are only considered mature when they are sexual objects, to be conquered and appraised. Women should appreciate the attention, as it gives them a better selection of mates. Do you ever notice that female child stars will not be given older roles in movies unless they "put out" first? Female singers dress like strippers and the ultimate beauty contest has women walking around in bikinis onstage. The mark of a woman's worth is her transparent sexuality.

Young men are typically portrayed as glamorous womanizers, marking their masculinity by "conquering" the most females. Middle-aged men are shown as disgruntled and sexually dissatisfied husbands who seek elsewhere to fulfill their needs; the majority of movies and TV shows I have seen portray this in a negative light, but this behavior has become more socially acceptable in recent years on TV and real life.

Consequences: I already discussed some consequences of a sex-drenched media in my earlier blog, "Effects of the Media: Part 2 -- Warped Love and Sexuality". Among the divorce rates and rampant rise in sexually transmitted diseases, there is an insatiable thirst for sex. Sex was never meant to be the thing to base a relationship on or to find fulfillment in; however, our society has made everything sexual in a vain attempt to find lasting satisfaction. Sex is glamorized in the media and gives people a false sense of its true purpose and function, ultimately disappointing the millions who believed it to be a necessary and lasting proponent of a relationship. ^"15To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. ¹⁶They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed." Titus 1:15-16

Media portrayal as it relates to work and the home

Women must react against the chauvinist pigs and propel their worthiness by refusing to be "just a mother". Women must hold down a demanding job while nearly single-handedly rearing their children into responsible adults. They typically feel resentment toward their husband, who is either too focused on his career or not enough. This leaves the wives feeling unappreciated and overwhelmed with juggling duties. The wife finds solace in asserting her intelligence; after all, what are husbands good for if she does it all?

Men are inept at raising children and allow the children to do precisely what the mother said not to do, as long as they keep it a secret. The men feel trapped in a career they no longer love and must remain in it to support the growing family and the demands of a materialistic life; conversely, they love their career too much and neglect their family emotionally while providing for them physically. Most of the time the men feel like they deserve something for their sacrifices. When the wife does not provide this "something", whether it be sex or respect, they seek elsewhere to find it.

Consequences: Marriages are more of a business transaction than a relationship. The husband and wife resent each other and feel trapped in a loveless, draining marriage based entirely on rearing children. There is no unity among husband and wife, no lasting affection, and no respect. ²²"Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity." Acts 8:22-23

The new "norm" of society due to the media portrayals: Do it all, be it all

Men are expected to sow their wild oats, lead a monogamous life, and inevitably stray. They are expected to be dangerous, exciting, able to make decisions but defer to the woman (lest they be called a chauvinist). The men must also tap into their feminine side by improving their communication skills; however, if they do this they must be gay. Men must be perfect gentlemen and open doors for women, but if they do they must believe women are weaker!

Women are expected to be as sexually appealing as they can be to attract the straying men, ensnare them with their womanly wiles, have children to trap the men into a monogamous lifestyle, raise successful children while holding down a demanding career.

The men in our world are being thrown contradicting half-lies. They are always receiving criticism and never respect or encouragement. Instead of being encouraged to lead, they must be submissive so that the equality of their relationship with their wife is never questioned by outsiders. But if they don't make decisions they are considered weak. The men cannot win! Why should they even bother trying? The women in our world have always suffered from low self-esteem and crippling doubt. The one thing women have that men do not is their alluring sexuality. Women know they can typically succeed in manipulating men with their sexual advances. "And I discovered more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her." Ecclesiastes 7:26 While they have been treated unfairly in the past, women now equate anything that men typically do that women are not encouraged to do with inequality and chauvinism. This can range from legitimate concerns about prejudice in the workforce to paranoid complaints about men automatically paying for dinner. In their search for equality and freedom, women found slavery to the belief that they can be just like men -- only better.

"It is a naive sort of feminism that insists that women prove their ability to do all the things that men do. This is a distortion and a travesty. Men have never sought to prove that they can do all the things women do. Why subject women to purely masculine criteria? Woman can and ought to be judged by the criteria of femininity, for it is in their femininity that they participate in the human race. And femininity has its limitations. So has masculinity." Elisabeth Elliot, Let me be a Woman

What if?

But what if the majority of America did not look like this? What if Christians took a noble stand and defied the media and public expectations? It would look a lot like this:

^"2Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. ³Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, ⁴so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. ⁶Likewise urge the young men to be sensible;⁷in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, ⁸sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us." Titus 2: 2-8

^"The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will." 2 Timothy 2: 24-26

"⁹How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word." Psalm 119:9

Why is this not so easy?

Honestly, it IS that easy. Follow Jesus' example, rejoice in the will of the Father, and He will faithfully teach you His commandments. God would not give you a commandment if it were impossible to follow. Most of the time, people are enslaved by fear. They fear that the world will hate them if they follow Jesus' teachings. They fear losing their worldly respect and endangering their promotion. Is this a good enough reason to defy the living God? NO. This is absolutely hypocritical behavior! Of course we will be persecuted for standing up against evil and leading a life of Absolute Truth.

⁸"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. ⁹Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. ¹⁰Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:8-12

^"18For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, ¹⁹promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. ²⁰For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. ²¹For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them." 2 Peter 2:18-21 (bold mine)

" ⁹But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?" Galatians 4:9

We must speak out against the media when it spouts lies. If a TV show says that women are entitled to view men as sexual objects because men do it to women, I encourage you to speak out against it at the appropriate time. Even just a "well that's horrible" will stick in a person's mind and make them wonder why you disliked that statement. They might think you take things too seriously or they might get into a conversation because of it. More than just speaking out against it, we must model the Biblical approach to our relationships, work and home lives. We cannot defeat evil by encouraging evil; we must fight it with Truth.

May God grant you the strength you need to appropriately fight media's lies.

Change of Heart: Part 3 -- The Promises of God

Dear friends,

I tried my best to explain the Problem, Truth, and Stumbling Blocks with Scriptural evidence and world application. Tonight I will "tie the knot" by focusing on the Results of Applied Truth -- what happens when humans change through the power of Jesus. At the same time I hope to open a can of worms by asking a question I cannot satisfactorily answer: "If you can only be truly trustworthy with Jesus, is it wise to trust non-Christians?"

The question of trusting non-Christians (or even so-called Christians) depends entirely on a case-by-case basis. Certainly, I can make sweeping judgments about the evilness of such sinners (indeed sin is evil no matter how big or small), but then I would only be contributing to the original Problem God pointed out to me. I do not want to contribute to the cynicism of this age by teaching humans cannot change for the better, but I do want to be smart and encourage the guarding of hearts until Jesus comes into a non-Christian's life.

Trust permeates all areas of life, from anything as simple as trusting that your friend closed your locker properly to trusting someone with your life. There are varieties of trustworthiness in non-Christians and so-called Christians as well. Over time I have learned who has a trustworthy spirit. Thankfully, I do not have many examples of non-Christians I cannot trust at all. Most of the non-Christians I know are kind and thoughtful people who work hard and love me for who I am. No dramatic conversion story of a famed drug addict here.

I can trust Person X to tell me when I look fat and I can trust Person Z to drive safely. I do not, however, automatically trust Person X and Z's spiritual advice. Do I listen respectfully and consider their spiritual advice? Yes. But more often than not, I cannot follow their advice when it significantly affects my spiritual life. It would be unfair of me to expect that their advice would be as Biblically sound as my pastor's. 1 Corinthians 2:14-15 says "A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are Spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one." That may ring as true for you as it does for me! I cannot tell you how many times a well-meaning friend or family member has told me to do something that I know blatantly disobeys God's Word. It may be as simple as being recommended a "funny" (raunchy) film or being told that I am sexually repressed and ought to express myself before I spontaneously combust.

We have to be able to judge when to trust people. Jesus gives us a clue here: "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." Matthew 7:17-19 God is the only one who can truly know a person's heart, but that person's actions can reveal a lot about their heart to us. We should take care in trusting humans, for "The heart is more deceitful than all else/ and is desperately sick;Who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9

Some of you might be upset that I assert we ought to judge people's actions, but let me try to explain myself. 'Do not judge' is probably the most misused and misapplied passage I have ever heard in my life. It would be ridiculous if people blindly follow others without using discernment of character, but we are not supposed to judge a person's salvation and say they are permanently damned. Does this sound familiar? Refer to the Problem: "Humans have been scorned so often they tend to believe people cannot permanently change for the better; as a result, most expect and model failure and distrust for future generations." We need to be able to judge whether a person needs God or not and if we can trust them. This does not give us free reign to call out a person's sin as often as we please, mind. Use discretion when speaking out against sin. If you are in the presence of sin, dissuade it in the most appropriate manner possible, whether that is with a calm "hey, I don't think you should say that" or a flat-out rebuke to Satan. Just remember, lovingly judge their character, not their salvation.

Jesus judged the deceitfulness of human hearts, and yet He intentionally placed Himself in their midst. "Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples,'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.'" Matthew 9:35-37 I love this passage about Jesus because it highlights his compassion. He judged their characters and knew they were lost, yet He reacted by showing them love. Even though we cannot completely trust non-Christians in certain ways, we always need to be showing them compassion and love, revealing to them the ways Christ has transformed our once deceitful hearts. They will see the light in us! Some may resent it or try to sabotage it, but they cannot help but see.

The Truth that people see is God's Truth, His promise, which is "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17 God changes us permanently in His image! When you fully realize the Truth and apply it to your life, you will change the world. I'm not even kidding.

If you were once a sinner and have now been saved by the shed blood of the Lamb, your light will shine forth in darkness and you will shatter society's conventions and transform the ideas and ideals of men. Walk boldly in Christ in your school and your peers will follow suit. Pretty soon your whole school will be transformed by the ideals of Christ, whether they convert or not. Now imagine all of the Christian undergraduates moving on to graduate school and in the work force. Christ's light will shine in all the world. This is God's promise, that He will bring redemption and transformation to all who seek His kingdom and righteousness!

Can I get a Hallelujiah?!

The more light we shine, the more the darkness tries in vain to fight. The Lord has already won the war, my friends; we are on the winning side! We must stand our ground and fight for the name of our Lord God. We must attack sin as hard as it attacks us. Apply the Truth and beauty of God's Word and let your light shine!