Nobody's Perfect

I think we’ve all heard the expression, “Nobody’s perfect.” That’s true; God doesn’t create perfect people. Even the best of us have our faults and foibles. A lot of us are painfully aware of our own, although there are many that seem to be blissfully aware of theirs. To be honest, that kind of makes me wonder if I don’t have traits that I am unaware of, that other people are all-too aware of…

Part of the problem with that is that people outside the church will often judge the church by the people in it. If that person is a Christian, shouldn’t they act better? To be honest, all of us should be acting better than we are. Unfortunately, our human selves get the best of us, sometimes. All of us know, on some level, what we should be doing (or not doing), but find ourselves doing the wrong thing instead. I mentioned Paul’s writing recently, where he talks about doing things that he doesn’t want to do. Paul is talking about wanting to do the right thing, but then not doing it, or doing something he doesn’t want to do. He goes on to say that “it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”

Does that mean that we shouldn’t worry about how we treat people outside the church? Should we assume that if God really wants them to be saved, that He will blind their eyes to ours faults? Let me first point out that there is no “if”—God wants them to be saved (“For God so loved the world…). Let me also point out that Apostle Paul started out as one of those nitpickers; he found fault with everything the early church did, until God opened his eyes. Let me also remind you that Jesus taught us about taking care not to offend. Okay, if you look at the accounts in Matthew and Mark, it’s clear that Jesus was talking about new Christians, but someone who has yet to be won to Christ isn’t going to become a new Christian if they become offended before they get the chance. So, we need to do the best we can with unbelievers (although not to neglect the believers) and then pray that God would cover our shortcomings.

Now, to those outside the church who are considering taking the plunge, but are having a hard time dealing with the apparent hypocrisy inside the church, I say: I understand that much of what we do seems hypocritical. We say, “Judge not,” and then we tell people how to live their lives. We say, “Love one another,” but we have lists of the type of people that we won’t associate with (as though sin were contagious). We say, “Look not on the outward appearance,” and yet look down our noses at a woman whose skirt is perhaps a little too short, or a man whose pants sag too much. Many times we worry way too much about the actions of those that don’t even claim to be Christian. If a person has no interest in Christ, and is a drunkard, does it matter that he drinks? He isn’t going to Hell because he drinks, he’s going to Hell because isn’t saved. Now, it might be much easier to get him to church if he were sober, and we certainly shouldn’t let him think that it’s okay with God if he spends his life in a drunken stupor, but the important thing is that he know what he needs to do to get right with God. Even then, if he honestly isn’t interested, then telling him about Jesus is essentially casting pearls before swine. I think that sometimes we get too involved in making sure people understand what it means to live right, when they aren’t interested in living right to start with. Often we avoid those who don’t live the life that we lead; we strengthen each other by sticking together. The point here is, we’re doing the best that we can, but we aren’t perfect, just forgiven. If you had a job to do, and you didn’t do it, and then when the boss asked you why you didn’t get your work done, all you could do is point at other people, you probably wouldn’t be collecting a paycheck for very long, at least, not if your boss was wise and fair. God is very wise and fair, and if, on judgment day, all you can say in your defense is that I wasn’t persuasive enough; that, in your mind, my mistakes outweighed the righteousness that I have tried to show you, He will remind you that your life is your responsibility. I will regret, and I will feel bad that I was unable to convince you (at least until God removes you from my memory), but, ultimately, your choice is your own, and I can only do what I can do. If my problems are really that much of a barrier to you finding your way to Christ, then I would ask that you pray for me. What good are the prayers of an unbeliever? I don’t know for sure, but I know that God listens to sincere prayer, and I know that He wants you to be saved, so if you pray for me to be a better Christian so that you can become one also, perhaps He will grant that request. Please don’t let me get in your way.

Dealing With Urges (Part II)

The last time a posted a blog, I discussed the difference between urges and sin. It occurs to me that I may not have made one point in that discussion as clearly as I could have, so I will try to rectify that now.

Jesus said that if a man looks after a woman to lust after her, he has committed adultery with her already in his heart. John said that a man who hates his brother is guilty of murder. I think that it’s a pretty safe assumption that that same train of thought applies to other things, as well. If you plan out a bank robbery, and the only thing that keeps you from carrying out that plan is the fear of getting caught, well, in God’s eyes, you’ve already been caught. Now, if you walk past a bank, and it occurs to you that it would be nice to have the money in that bank, and keep walking, and don’t think about it any more, that’s completely different. Of course, if you keep walking by that bank, thinking about how much you could use that money, then, eventually, you’re going to start thinking about robbing the bank. By the same token, if you notice a person that you find attractive walking down the sidewalk as you are driving down the street, that really just shows that your eyes and brain still work. On the other hand, if you circle the block to get another look, then you’re in trouble with God.

There’s also a difference between being angry with someone, and hating them (thank goodness). Even the best of friends have arguments occasionally. If you stop and think about it, if you and your best friend always agree on everything, then what is either of you getting out of the relationship? Oh, sure, you can have some good times, and you would probably enjoy each others company tremendously, but neither one of you is growng. The Bible says that iron sharpeneth iron. I don’t imagine that would feel too good to the iron (if iron could feel), but it’s important that your knife or sword be sharp; a dull blade doesn’t cut well. An occasional disagreement can help you to see a different perspective, to expand your horizons, as it were. Sometimes we take those unpleasant discussions too personally; a friend who points out what he or she thinks is a mistake on your part is really only trying to help you. If the mistake is actually theirs, in thinking that you have erred, well, be patient with them and explain yourself the best you can. On the other hand, if they are right that you are not acting in your own best interest, then it’s better that you listen to them. Either way, you gain valuable experience.

By the way, one other thing, when we think of lust, we generally associate that with physical attraction. I suppose that’s the most common form of sexual lust, although that doesn’t necessarily follow. For one thing, lust isn’t necessarily sexual; one can lust for money or power as well. If you desire someone because they have money, that is just as much lust as if your interest in them was purely physical. On the other hand (by now you’re probably thinking that I have too many hands), if you desire someone even though they don’t have money and you don’t find that person particularly attractive, that may or may not be lust. The real test is what do you hope to accomplish by being with them. Do you want to get married, and raise children, or maybe just grow old with them; or, do you just want what you want, with no regard for the long term? One of the problems here is that we often confuse our own motives. Amnon, the son of David, had a half-sister named Tamar that he wanted badly. If he had asked his father the king for her hand in marriage, David probably would have let them wed. I’m not sure why he didn’t ask; maybe he was afraid that David would refuse, and take steps to keep those two apart, or maybe he was afraid that he would actually wind up married to her. In any case, he got what he wanted by subtlety, and his guilt turned into hatred towards her. I feel pretty confident that he wouldn’t have done what he did if he had realized that it would cause him to hate her; I also feel confident that if he had really loved her, he would have simply married her. In any case, he wanted what he wanted, and he spent way too much time trying to figure out how to get what he wanted by trickery without thinking through the consequences of his actions. If he had just walked away from the urge…

Dealing with Urges

I recently heard from someone who has written a great many Christian songs, with powerful lyrics, and, if I understand him correctly, has chosen to give up the fight. His logic comes down to, God made me what I am, but what I am doesn’t conform to Scripture, therefore, the Scripture must be wrong. Surely God created me as He wanted me to be.

That’s a strong argument, and, to be honest, one that I have fallen for myself, in the past. I will admit that I get urges that don’t conform to the dictates of scripture. It would be nice if, once one has dedicated one’s life to Christ, all the negative influences just went away. Some of the thoughts that pop into my head are just incomprehensible, yet they keep coming. As I spend more time studying Scripture, and praying, they come less frequently, and less powerfully, but they still come. Scripture tells us that the creation has no right to ask the creator, “Why hast thou made me thus?” Yet, we, as human beings, can’t seem to help but wonder why it is that God created us as we are. I think that it is significant that we are not just slaves to our DNA, but we are affected by environment, as well.

Still, Apostle Paul once wrote that he was aware that in his flesh was no good thing. David wrote that he was conceived in sin, even though his parents were married at the time. None of us are strangers to temptation. Even Jesus was tempted, but He withstood the temptation, and set an example for the rest of us. It is important that we be prepared to fight ourselves. It is not by accident that scripture says that the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent taketh it by force. It isn’t Heaven that we are fighting, though, it is ourselves, our sins, our transgressions, and our temptations.

We have been commanded to walk in the Spirit, so that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. It is important that we strive. The Bible also says that the righteous are scarcely saved. It is important to remember the difference between being “good” and being “righteous.” There are a lot of good people; there are not so many righteous. We have to remember that we are not worthy of the gift of salvation, but we shouldn’t use that as an excuse to sit back and do nothing. We have a duty and a responsibility to do what is right, even when we don’t feel like it, and when it isn’t convenient. God didn’t call us to watch. It’s easy to say that if it’s truly God’s will, it will come to pass, but it’s much more convicting to say that if it is to be, it’s truly up to me.

Jonah ran from God, and God had to persuade him to do God’s will. I’m not sure of Jonah’s motivation; it’s been suggested that Jonah didn’t like the Ninevites, and was afraid that if he preached to them, they would repent, and God wouldn’t destroy them. He seemed to understand that God wanted to save them. We can’t count on God holding off on judgment until we get ready to preach, though. The Bible talks about people being in the valley of decision; what if there is someone ready to receive while I am busy with my own concerns, but it is their last chance? That person may not make it, because I wasn’t focused on following the leading of the Holy Ghost. What can I say to that person?

The bottom line is, there will always be distractions, urges, temptations; anything to keep us from doing what God has called us to do. We need to remain focused, allow ourselves to be led of God, and do whatever it is that needs to be done. How do we grow closer to God so that we can hear His voice more clearly? I would recommend prayer and fasting.

Tithing

It occurs to me that there seems to be some confusion concerning tithing in the New Testament.

Really, not a lot is said about tithing in the New Testament. Jesus once got onto the Pharisees about paying tithes of mint, cumin, and anise. He didn’t say that they were wrong for tithing, but he did tell them that they had neglected the weightier (or more important) parts of the law. I had someone tell me once that the Pharisees were so legalistic that they were counting the leaves on the plants in their gardens and cutting off one-tenth of the new leaves to give to the temple. I have two problems with that: One, Jesus didn’t even suggest that they were wrong for doing what they did, in fact, he said, “These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” Two, these plants are not known for their blossoms. All three are known for their aroma; they are sometimes used in perfumes, and in cooking. Even today, in many countries where rainfall is scarce, spices such as these are used to mask the unpleasant smells that result from infrequent bathing. It may occur to you that Ancient Israel didn’t get a lot of rain. My point is that the Pharisees were probably not growing these plants as a hobby, they were probably making a living by selling these spices. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the Pharisees didn’t start out growing these plants specifically to be used in the Temple, but then were allowed to sell the excess to pay their living expenses. If that were the case, though, wouldn’t they be expected to tithe of the money they received by selling the excess, rather than to simply tithe of what they were ostensibly growing for the Temple? I don’t know for sure, that’s really just supposition on my part.

In any case, a lot of people seem to think that tithing was part of the law, and, since we are not under the law, but under Grace, then tithing is no longer required. I would have to argue that. Very little is actually said about tithing in the New Testament. There is the passage mentioned above, and a similar passage in Luke (although this one mentions rue—also known for being very aromatic—and “other herbs” rather than cumin and anise); there is also a passage in Luke where Jesus compared a proud Pharisee to a humble sinner who were praying in the Temple at the same time; and then there is a passage in Hebrews where Apostle Paul reminds us of the Priest Melchisedec, to whom Abraham paid tithes after the slaughter of the kings. Now Abraham lived long before Moses the Lawgiver, so clearly he did not do what he did because of any requirement of the Law. We, of course, claim to be led of the Spirit. Are we not led by the same Spirit that led Abraham to pay tithes to Melchisedec? If the spirit that’s leading you isn’t directing you to pay tithes, then I would strongly suggest that you carefully examine yourself, and see what spirit it is that you are following.

Another argument that has been made is that, “God doesn’t need my money.” You’re right, He doesn’t. He didn’t need Esther to approach King Ahasuerus, either, but it was His will that she do that. By giving you an opportunity to pay tithes, God is offering you the chance to reap a blessing. I would advice caution, though; there are a lot of people out there that claim to be ministers of the Gospel that are no different than the money-changers in the Temple… Before you pay a tithe to a man, an organization, or even a church, spend some time in prayer asking God’s direction that you can pay your tithes in such a way that your offering will be used for the glory of God. I’m sure that there are more than a few theologians out there that will rush to tell me that an offering is not the same thing as a tithe; technically that’s true: a tithe is one-tenth of one’s income, and an offering is anything above that. Still, if one’s tithe is not offered freely, then there is no reward from God for that. In other words, if you pay a tithe only because you feel you have to, then you may as well keep your money. How’s that for a conundrum? But, if the tithe is offered freely, then, to my mind, it is an offering. Besides, grammarians will no doubt understand why I chose not to use the word tithe twice in one sentence (although they will object to my starting a sentence with a conjunction. Sigh. You can’t please everybody, but if you can please God…).