June 28, 2010

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." Proverbs 14:34

Leading up to this week-end's 234th celebration of America's freedom, I am going to explore some of the things that has made the USA an exceptional place. And it IS an exceptional place!

In just a dozen words, Solomon, who knew about greatness, captures its essence. "Rigtheousness" is the key word.

I contend it is impossible to understand the greatness of America without comprehending the vital role righteousness plays.

So, what about righteousness? What it is you need to understand?

The first aspect of righteousness that is significant is justice. Notice, I said "justice" and not "fairness". God has no real interest in fairness but He is extremely interested in justice. Why?

Justice presumes a moral standard. Justice acknowledges that there is a right and there is a wrong according to an absolute standard. For the Founding Fathers that absolute moral standard was the Ten Commandments. Don't take my word for it:

"We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We’ve staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” - James Madison, 1778 to the General Assembly of the State of Virginia

“ The Law given from Sinai [The Ten Commandments] was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code.” - John Quincy Adams. Letters to his son. p. 61

“All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.” - Noah Webster. History. p. 339

When you begin to grasp the thinking of these great men, when you get your mind around the concept of justice then you gain a better understanding of the importance of righteousness. Righteousness at its elementary level is "rightness". You can paraphrase this verse to say, "Rightness exalts a nation....."

America has been exalted as a nation because it has always valued "rightness" and has sought to reconcile unjust situations based on this absolute standard of "rightness".

America is great because America seeks to be right!

June 27, 2010

"If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery" also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!" James 2:8-13

Remember when you were in school and your teacher tried to challenge by reminding you that the grade you earned for this class would go on your "permanent record"?

Sometimes that motivated you and sometimes it didn't. Your permanent record only mattered if you were concerned about your long-term success. The contents of your permanent record could help open or close some doors for you in the future.

If you weren't concerned about your future, your "permanent record" didn't matter to you. Maybe at that point in your life you were more concerned about spending time with your friends or watching TV or playing video games or anything more pleasurable than studying!

In this portion of Scripture James reminds you that you have a "permanent record" and how you treat others goes on your "permanent record". When it comes time to determine your eternal destination God will look at your "permanent record" and reward you accordingly.

If you believe your "permanent record" matters, make sure you show love and respect to others. Always be sure you treat others as you like to be treated. Don't prejudge others and don't let your prejudices prevent you from helping connect people with God. Your purpose must always be more important than your personal preferences.

Make sure your "permanent record" is pleasing to God. If it is, you'll become permanent!

June 26, 2010

"Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!" James 2: 12-13

How do you respond under pressure?

It has been suggested that who you are under pressure is revealing of who you really are. I tend to believe that.

You must keep in mind as you read and study James that these are Christians under pressure. Pressure most of us have never known, the pressure of persecution.

As James describes what faith should look like and how people of faith should live, it is being lived out under pressure. Faith is giving your best when life deals the worst! Do you return mercy for malice?

In these verses he reminds you that you will be judged and your faith will be judged based on how well your actions and attitudes match those of the Savior. If you say you have faith but do not demonstrate love your faith will be judged as insincere.

The context for faith in this instance is within the meeting of believers. How do you show love to a guests who comes into you meeting? Do you size them up or do you serve them? Do you act differently to a wealthy looking person than to a shabbily dressed one? Faith looks for what it can give rather than what it can gain. Here's an example:

In his autobiography, Mahatma Gandhi wrote that during his student days he read the Gospels seriously and considered converting to Christianity. He believed that in the teachings of Jesus he could find the solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India. So one Sunday he decided to attend services at a nearby church and talk to the minister about becoming a Christian. When he entered the sanctuary, however, the usher refused to give him a seat and suggested that he ought to worship with his own people. Gandhi left the church and never returned, “If Christians have caste differences also, “ he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu.” That usher’s prejudice not only betrayed Jesus but also turned a person away from trusting Him as Savior.

Bad judgment.

Your faith is being continually judged by how you treat others. You will be ultimately judged by how you treat others. If you want to be judged mercifully, give mercy. Show kindness and love to whoever comes into your fellowship. Start tomorrow at church!

June 25, 2010

"If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" James 2:3-4

How do you determine the value of something?

In this consumer-driven, value-oriented world, how do you decide what is a good price to pay for an item.

Generally, there are several factors.

First is the brand name. Over the years, certain companies have distiguished themselves as being an industry leader in their product. The quality and reliability of their product has earned them trust with consumers. So, when shopping for that item, one of the first considerations of value is the name brand. Some are willing to even pay a higher price to purchase that item made by that company.

Second is the need of the consumer at the time. If an important appliance goes out and needs to be replaced in a hurry, the urgency of the situation may require you to pay more for the first available unit. Urgency sometime dictates the price.

Third, there is the more subjective issue of personal preference. You may pay more for an item just because it strikes your fancy or touches you emotionally. It has greater value because of the happiness it brings you. Because you like it better you are willing to pay more for it.

So, when it comes to value, there are market forces that come into play, and there are some economic forces that factor in and there are subjective issues, as well.

In James 2, he deals with how you determine the value of a person who comes into your fellowship. There should be one determining factor - God created them, God loves them and Jesus died for them. That makes them valuable to God and you are to ascribe that value to them. If you judge their value based on outward factors or selfish subjective factors - you are sinning and will answer to God.

Everyone is valuable to God! Everyone who enters your church or your LIFE groups or simple crosses your path during the day is a person of great worth to God and should be treated as such by you.

Failure to do so will cost you - big time!

June 24, 2010

"If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers." James 2:8-9

What's love got to do with it?

Everything!

What's faith got to do with it?

It's the deal!

Faith enables you to be loving toward those you don't favor. Actually, that's the point of this exhortation!

Again, I call your attention to the fact that James says you should not "show" favoritism. It does not say you shouldn't feel favoritism or have favorites.

In our 21st Century culture there is WAY too much emphasis on how you feel or what you think. Faith is about what you actually DO! That is one of the main truths James is communicating in his Book of James - "faith is demonstrated by works". It doesn't say anything about how you feel or what you think!

Faith is a commitment to live out the Law of Love toward those who you may not even like on an emotional level!

Anyone can embrace someone they have "warm fuzzies" for - but it takes a person of faith to be loving toward another they may not feel favorable toward.

Faith is fleshing out love and truth and Christian character!

Faith is not limited to how you feel or what you favor! Faith acts on what is true and what glorifies God.

How is your faith?

June 23, 2010

"My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism." James 2:1

For a church fellowship to be healthy and transformational their must be an atmosphere of love and acceptance. In this first half of the second chapter, James makes the argument against showing prejudice.

Verse 1: Partiality contradicts faith in Jesus Christ as the Lord of glory.

God calls us to express His unconditional love to anyone who comes under the influence of our church. It doesn't mean that everything goes and we can't have standards, but we must welcome and include everyone He sends our way.

2. Verses 2-4: Partiality reveals a judging heart and behind it evil thinking.

Members of a healthy fellowship relate to each other and guests based on Scriptural principles and not on superficial personal preferences.

3. Verse 5: Partiality to the rich contradicts God's heart, because he has chosen many of the poor for himself.

This sounds like God prefers poor people over the rich. Isn't that hypocritical? I am not prepared to question the motives of a Holy and omniscient God. But the fact is poor people are generally more receptive to the Gospel than rich people.

4. Verse 6a: Partiality dishonors people created in the image of God.

It is not for us to choose whom we will minister the grace of God. It is our calling to love whomever He leads into out fellowship. If we focus on the superficial we will be ineffective in developing the spiritual.

5. Verses 6b-7: Partiality to the rich backfires and becomes your downfall.

If you are preferring the wealthy because of what you think they can offer your church financially you will be building on the superficial rather than the spiritual and that always backfires.

6. Verse 9-11: Partiality makes you a transgressor of the law of liberty.

Anytime love is given with conditions there is bondage. Extending grace to everyone without regard to who they are or what they can offer creates an environment of unconditional love and freedom. People are free to be themselves without the feeling they have to measure up in order to be accepted.

7. Verse 13: Partiality is not mercy. But if you don't show mercy, you will perish.

Mercy means we believe the best of others and give them the benefit of the doubt. We treat others as we have been and want to be treated. Mercy means I offer the grace of God even to people I may have a prejudice against.

Favoritism and partiality are deadly for any organization, but especially so with a church where the love of God must operate. As human beings we will have favorites and we have have biases, but as Christians we cannot allow those human judgments to influence how we respond to those who come into our fellowship.

Love 'em or lose 'em.

June 22, 2010

"Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" James 2:2-4

Everyone has favorites don't they? How is it possible to not prefer some people or some things over another? If you had to choose between guacamole and a banana split, I'll bet you could do that. So, why would James tell us not to have favorites?

The short answer is - He doesn't.

Really?

He doesn't tell us not to have preferences or favorites, but he commands us to not allow them to influence how we treat others. Believers are to treat people the same regardless of personal preferences.

Isn't that fake?

No, it is faith. Faith does what is right not what is comfortable or easy.

When you treat a rich person better than a poor person does that necessarily mean you like the rich person better than you like the poor person? Probably not! It probably means that you like what the rich person can do for you. So, is that not fake? Of course it is!

A church should be a faith place and not a fake place. So, love must rule the day and love treats everyone the same regardless of personal preferences.

Did Jesus have personal preferences? Where there people He liked better than others? Of course! He had twelve disciples but there were three in His inner circle. His favorite place to go was the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

Many of the Pharisees and religious leaders were exceedingly cruel and critical of Jesus. He didn't like anything about them and let them know it. They were far from being His favorites.

When Jesus died on the cross He died for everyone. He didn't die for just the people He cared most about.

If we in the Church are to be the people of the Christ, and we are. And if we in the Church are to be people of the cross, and we are. Then we must, like Christ on the cross, treat everyone with love and respect regardless of our own personal preferences or biases.

Easier said than done - but it must be done for the glory of God and the health of the Church.