Exhortation – Snapshots

Casting Down Imaginations

In our daily battles with sin, if we’re not intentional we can find ourselves continually playing defense, reacting to our own sins after the fact, trying to recover and undo the damage.

Yet how can we ever win a battle if we’re always on defense? How do we go on the offensive in striving against our sin?

God says the weapons of our warfare are mighty through Him to pull down strongholds (2Co 10:4), enabling us to cast down our imaginations and every high thing within us that exalts itself contrary to the knowledge of God (5a), so we may bring all our thoughts under control to the obedience of Christ (5b) This war is not focused on changing the world: it’s about delivering ourselves from being slaves to sin. (Ro 6:16)

Once we become aware of a weakness in our spiritual defenses, a sin that’s getting the best of us (He 12:1), or any pattern of behavior which is un-Christlike (1Pe 2:21), where we are missing the mark (Ja 4:17), we can go on the offensive by engaging our imagination with the power of Christ and the sword of the Spirit: God’s Word. (Ep 6:17)

Reimagine the scenario in which we failed, replaying it in our mind while consciously inviting Father God into the experience. (Ep 4:6) Invite Him to show us the lies driving our behavior (Ps 139:23-24), empowering the stronghold holding us captive (Jn 8:32), and the related scriptures from His living Word which expose and address these lies. (He 4:12)

Then we speak the truth of God’s living Word along with Him into ourselves and ask Him to give us repentance to receive and acknowledge the truth in the very deepest places of our mind and heart. (2Ti 2:26) In this way we receive with meekness the engrafted Word which is able to deliver (save) our souls. (Ja 1:21) We cast down the imagination itself, by putting it under and making it subject to the Word of God until it has no more hold on us, and then ask God to bring that part of our spirit, heart, mind and soul into obedience and set us free. (Ro 7:24-25a)

Once we overcome a particular sin pattern like this, we can bookmark it and periodically check to ensure we’re still free by replaying related scenarios in our mind as part of an entire series where we’ve experienced failure and have been set free, noting in each one that we’re still responding as Jesus would. If we’ve lapsed at all, we can cleanse ourselves again with the washing of water by the Word in the same fashion to regain and maintain our freedom. (Ep 5:26) This is how we add virtue — moral excellence — to our Faith (2Pe 1:5), overcome the world and live in victory. (1Jn 5:4)

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His Heart Fretteth

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When we make unwise decisions and it doesn’t go our way, we may find ourselves blaming God for our suffering. (Pr 19:3) It’s as if we think God is obligated to serve us and arrange His universe for our convenience. We may resent the fact that He allows us to experience the consequences of our own foolishness.

But God doesn’t cause us to make unwise choices; we make them on our own. He isn’t responsible for them; we are.

In fact, God tells us to expect this. He even has a Law about it — the Law of Sowing and Reaping (Ga 6:7-8): we reap what we sow; we reap more than we sow, and we reap later than we sow. God is not unjust in this; it’s how all reality is designed.

Even when others make foolish choices which impact us, God isn’t responsible for these either. God is not obligated to protect us from the harm others would cause us, any more than He’s obligated to protect us from ourselves. God really doesn’t owe us anything. We have no right to be resentful in our suffering, to murmur against God. (1Co 10:10)

It’s actually an incredible mercy that God intervenes in our calamity at all (Ps 103:11), watching over us and protecting us in all the chaos of this broken world. (La 3:22) He does this frequently, more than we can ever really know. (Ps 103:4) Even so, we ought not to demand or expect it; we should be very grateful for His lovingkindness and protection. (Ps 107:21)

God’s promise to work everything out for out for good to those who love Him, for those whom He’s called according to His purpose (Ro 8:28), is so undeserved! His infinite benevolence should fill us with joy and hope regardless what He allows. We should give Him thanks in (1Th 5:18) and for all things (Ep 5:20), for He has a glorious purpose in it all. (Ep 1:11)

Living as if God is supremely victorious in every circumstance of life is how we glorify Him in this world. It’s all about Him, not about us. (Ro 11:36)

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Neither Murmur

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To murmur is to complain and grumble, resentfully and subversively, under our breath, in a rebellious, discontented manner. Murmuring against God is a serious sin; we should take a lesson from Israel on this one (1Co 10:10), avoid this wickedness and root it out of our lives.

Discontentment and resentment come from thinking we deserve better, so murmuring against God is accusing Him of treating us inappropriately.

Perhaps we’ve made some poor decisions and we’re now suffering for it. Is that God’s fault? It’s true He could have stopped us, but He didn’t. Was that unfair? Is God obligated to restrain us from our own foolishness? Is it right to be resentful? (Pr 19:3)

Or maybe someone sinned against us and we’re now suffering as a consequence. Is that God’s fault? It’s true He could have stopped them, but He didn’t. Was that unfair? Is God obligated to restrain others from their malice or negligence? Is it right to be resentful? (Ro 11:36)

Or we might be sick or in pain and we’re now suffering in the midst of it. Is that God’s fault? It’s true He could heal us and stop the pain, but He hasn’t, and we don’t see any rhyme or reason in it. Is that unfair? Is it unloving? Is God obligated to make our lives pain-free and easy? Does He need to explain everything to us? Is it right to be resentful? (1Pe 1:6-7)

If we harbor resentment toward God, if we aren’t giving thanks to Him in our circumstances (Ep 5:20), if we lose hope (1Co 13:7), we’re accusing Him of being unjust; we’re denying His goodness, fainting in the day of adversity. (Pr 24:10)

The remedy here is to humble ourselves; murmuring can only be grounded in pride, thinking we deserve better. If we’ve been foolish, let’s own it and seek wisdom. (Ja 1:5) If we’re suffering otherwise, let’s trust God’s plan for good in it (Ro 8:28), hope in Him (Ro 8:24) and wait on Him. (Ps 27:14) We can glorify God in all His ways. (Re 15:4)

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Righteousness Exalts

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When given a voice, a social platform or a vote, to influence a community or culture, should we promote a strictly biblical worldview, or should we soften it to accommodate diversity? In other words, should we fully promote what we think is true or neglect to point others toward what we believe is correct for fear of offending them?

Firstly, we should inform our choice here based not on how our fellow-citizens might react, but on whether our choice pleases God or not. In the end, our peers will not be our judges; God Himself will reward us all according to our deeds. (Ro 2:5-6) We ought to please God rather than Man. (Ga 1:10)

Secondly, we should acknowledge Torah as God’s universal standard of righteousness for all Mankind (Ro 3:19); it is not merely Jewish law. (De 4:8) Breaking it is the definition of sin, independent of race or nationality. (1Jn 3:4)

We should also recognize that righteousness exalts a nation, and that sin is a reproach to any people. (Pr 14:34) The more closely our nation’s laws and general civil order align with Torah, the better off all of us will be.

And we should not find it charitable to deviate from the Law of Love in the name of compassion and tolerance. All of Torah hangs on, depends on and is upheld by the Law of Love. (Mt 22:37-40) Denying the Law of Love is not love; this is fear.

Finally, we should observe that when Christ returns, He will rule the nations with a rod of iron (Re 2:25), enforcing Torah with justice, precision and rigor. (Mi 4:2) Freedom of religion is not on His radar.

We should be prepared to humbly yet unapologetically defend God and His laws in the face of those who presumptuously make up moral law as they go; we should not be ashamed of anything in Torah. (Lk 9:26)

Yet we should be careful to promote Torah itself, not man-made additions to it, and anticipate those who might legalistically abuse Torah to create a burden or twist it to impose injustice. This is especially true when our judges are fallible, when society itself is composed largely of unbelievers. Torah was originally imposed in just such a context, ancient Israel, and is perfectly designed for it.

So, we should pray for and encourage the enactment of laws which reflect both the letter and spirit of Torah, which focus on well-defined and achievable behaviors, and which are easily interpreted and supported with impartial, enforceable penalties.

We should also remember that God’s kingdom is not of this world, and that He is working all things out according to His own will and plan. We should expect to be in the small minority in our entire world view and glad for opportunities to engage others to understand and appreciate it as well as we can.

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Behold a Beam

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Christ warns us about judging others (Mt 7:1); we’ll be judged in the same way we judge. (2) This doesn’t mean we’re forbidden from observing and acknowledging sin in others (1Co 5:11); it evidently means we’re not to sit as judges and decide what penalty someone else deserves because of their sin: we’re to leave that to God. (Ro 12:19)

The cure for this mindset is humility: esteeming others better than ourselves. (Php 2:3) So Christ asks us, as we sit in judgment of another, looking at the spec in their eye, why we aren’t focusing on the beam in our own eye, the problem lurking within which is much worse. (Mt 7:3)

This evidently implies that if we’re judging others, deciding what they deserve, looking down on them or disvaluing them in any way, we’re exalting ourselves rather than dealing with our own sin, those carnal patterns embedded within, of which we ought to be aware, which are more diabolical than anything we can observe in others.

If we aren’t being observant, and remain unaware of the wicked potential within our own hearts, perhaps we haven’t been striving against sin (He 12:4), perfecting holiness (2Co 7:1); maybe we’re content in lukewarmness. (Re 3:16)

Humility freely admits that, were it not for the grace of God, I might very well be the most evil person who has ever lived. (1Ti 1:15) It has practical experience in the arena (Ro 7:18), battling the carnal mind. (Ro 8:7) Evidently, the only reason I’m not sinning worse than everyone else is God’s gracious restraint.

When we’re looking up at others in a moral context, figuring our neighbor’s likely on higher ground in spite of the sin they’re committing, it’s much easier to acknowledge the fact of their sin without concerning ourselves with what they deserve, knowing we’d deserve worse if God left us to ourselves.

If we can find this perspective, we’ll be pleased when God takes pleasure in being merciful to others, and truly wish them the best, rather than becoming resentful and bitter. (Jon 3:10-4:1) Rather than exalting ourselves, we’ll pity those who haven’t found the freedom to walk in the light, as He is in the light, in fellowship with Him (1Jn 1:7), and pray for them. (Mt 7:44)

How can we help others trapped in sin while we’re still enslaved ourselves? (Mt 7:4) Once we’ve discovered God’s deliverance from sin, and are experiencing more and more freedom, we can help others find the way (5), if they’re truly looking for it. (6)

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Flee From the Wrath

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The Bible says God is very angry with all who aren’t believing on Christ (Jn 3:36), and that Christ Himself is angry with all who aren’t worshipping Him. (Ps 2:12). How do we flee from the wrath of God and of His Son? (Lk 3:7)

Whether one believes in God or not, the possibility God might exist and that He might be angry ought to be sobering. (Ac 17:30) If God might exist it is rational to act as if He might, and if He might be angry then acting accordingly is likewise rational.

This follows from Pacal’s Wager: given the remotest prospect (any non-zero probability) of suffering the infinite fury of an angry God, the expected loss of neglecting to avoid it is infinite. (2Co 5:11) What does this look like in practical terms?

We might try to flee from God, but how does one flee Omnipresence? Presuming there’s a place where God is not is foolish at best. (Ac 17:28)

The only rational response is to order our lives to please God as well as we can (i.e. repent) (Lk 3:8-9) and search for a way to be reconciled with Him. No other path is acceptable. (Ro 1:18-19)

Once we start looking in earnest for evidence of God and of His ways, it’s not so difficult to find. Irreducible Complexity in Nature becomes sufficient proof of God’s existence, power and wisdom: only those blindly presuming Philosophical Materialism as a faith-axiom can miss this. (Ro 1:20)

Acting as if God exists also implies giving Him the benefit of the doubt regarding His nature: acting as if God is good – that He’s both loving and just. For if God is not good there’s no rational way to minimize our expected loss (i.e. all bets are off). Presuming God is good is rational since this minimizes the likelihood of offending Him.

Following this reasoning, seeking reconciliation with God is also straightforward: only Christianity portrays God as both just and loving; all other religions both downplay the potential of human sinfulness and offer reconciliation with divinity apart from justice, as if repentance and personal merit can somehow atone for eternal sin — all the while rejecting this concept in all of our civil institutions: no one really believes proper order can exist in the universe without justice.

And no other religion addresses how any sin against an infinitely good and holy God can be less than infinite … or justly atoned for without paying an infinite penalty. Christianity offers us both.

As we earnestly seek, we find we’re all guilty before God: He is justly angry with us for our sin and will punish us eternally unless we flee to His Son as our propitiation (1Jn 2:2), God Himself suffering the infinite penalty for our sin (1Jn 3:16), and hide ourselves in Him. (Ps 119:114) This is the only way to flee from the wrath to come.

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First Partaker

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“Practice what you preach”; I heard it often growing up, like a bedrock shaping my character and values. I’m grateful for the parental and cultural influences, but I never realized where this wisdom originally came from.

Turns out the credit goes to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, when He says, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.” (Mt 23:2-3) He calls out the “Do as I say, not as I do” crowd, unwilling to submit to the counsel they impose on others. Instinctively we agree; this is weak, undisciplined, presumptuous, hypocritical, harmful. (Mt 7:15-16)

Christ’s wisdom here may be key to understanding His exhortation: “The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.” (2Ti 2:6) It’s an interesting insight to offer His servants and it isn’t obvious what He’s driving at. Like any obscure spiritual nugget, it’s worth some prayerful meditation.

The immediate context is finding strength in Christ to live out the practical reality of the spiritual life (1) while discipling others in the Way. (2) God recognizes how incredibly difficult this is and exhorts us to think like soldiers, hardening ourselves, toughening up for battle. (3) He’s inviting us into 100% commitment and dedication, minimizing unnecessary temporal distractions to focus on pleasing only Him. (4)

He then employs the metaphor of athletes training to win the gold: we must compete according to the rules of the game. (5) Such is God’s set up for this intriguing insight: the laboring farmer must first partake of his harvest. (6) We should ponder what He’s saying, looking to God to help us understand it all. (7)

The farming metaphor appears to reference the Torah precept regarding a man who’s planted a vineyard but hasn’t yet eaten anything produced by it: he is not allowed to engage in battling God’s enemies. (De 20:6) Evidently, spiritual warfare is for those who’ve grown strong in Christ by living out of what they’ve been sowing, who’re thriving as they eat of the fruit of their own journey. (2Co 10:3-5)

As we encourage each other in living for Christ (as we’re all called to do – He 10:24-25), we must be living for Christ ourselves, working out the practical details of what it really means to follow Him in every aspect of our lives. In other words, our theology and doctrine must be down-to-earth, livable, and we must be following our own teaching: we must be practicing what we preach. (Php 4:9)

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Pray for Us

It’s good for saints to pray for each other (Ja 5:16a), and effectual, fervent prayers of righteous souls can make a real difference. (16b) Paul asks his brothers to pray for himself and for those working alongside him (He 13:8), at times even begging in the strongest possible language. (Ro 15:30) So, is it reasonable to ask saints in Heaven to pray for us?

Though all saints are part of Christ’s body, the Church (Ep 5:25-27), including those in Heaven (He 12:23), there are significant difficulties with this practice.

Firstly, it presumes the souls to whom we’re praying actually are in Heaven, that they’re true believers. However, unless scripture explicitly affirms this it’s presumption. There’s nothing stopping God from working through an unregenerate soul (Samson? King Saul? Jonah? Nebuchadnezzar?) to accomplish His purposes. We can therefore safely claim salvation for only very few, such as Abraham (Lk 16:23), the Twelve (except Judas: (Jn 17:12)), Paul (2Ti 4:7-8), etc. For example, scripture doesn’t explicitly tell us that Mary, Christ’s mother, ever came to true faith; she evidently lived many years after His birth without it. (Mt 12:47-50) She’s likely in Heaven, but there’s no way to be sure until we get there.

Secondly, praying to Heavenly saints presumes they can hear us across the immense expanse of the universe, which is, again, presumption; there is zero indication of this in Scripture.

Further, if it’s right to pray to saints at all, it’s right for a billion souls to pray regularly to a given saint (e.g. Mary), yet this is essentially attributing infinite capability to a finite soul, elevating them to godlike status. Distinguishing this from an affirmation of omnipresence and omniscience is semantics at best; the practice is therefore evidently unreasonable and problematic.

So, given such uncertainties, why would we spend any time at all asking saints in Heaven to pray for us? (Co 4:5) If it could be a waste of time (and it certainly could be), can it be excellent? (Php 1:10a) If we can’t prove it’s the will of God (Ro 12:2), why would anyone recommend it? On what authority?

If it’s good and right to ask saints in Heaven to intercede for us, and we’re unable to verify this from Scripture alone, Scripture must be incomplete as a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path. (Ps 119:105) We then require other (and necessarily fallibly human) sources of light. Yet this violates 2Ti 3:16-17; a fundamental claim that Scripture alone is sufficient to perfect us, to equip us to all good works. It’s one thing for teachers to show us how to rightly interpret Scripture, it’s another thing altogether to require secret, extra-biblical revelation or knowledge to live a godly life: this is Gnosticism.

Finally, since Christ Himself (He 7:25) and the Holy Spirit (Ro 8:26) are always praying for us, why would we need others in Heaven to intercede for us as well? They certainly aren’t any closer to God than God Himself.

God knows what we need before we ask (Mt 6:8); our prayers don’t inform God. Evidently, the purpose of prayer is primarily to engage us in pursuing and experiencing God’s will, which makes sense for believers on Earth. When we ask according to His will, we know He hears and answers us. (1Jn 5:14-15)

In presuming Christ came to start a new religion, which appears to be inherent in such ideas, we invariably find ourselves in error. He didn’t. (Mt 5:19) Ultimately, if what we’re saying and doing isn’t grounded in Torah itself, it’s darkness. (Is 8:20)

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The Beginning of Knowledge

Knowledge helps us orient ourselves in the world. As our brain stores information from our experiences our spirits and souls interpret it to help us avoid future pain and suffering and benefit ourselves and those around us.

Understanding facts about our world is certainly a type of knowledge, but there are simply too many facts to consider; in order to properly navigate complex circumstances, we must focus our attention and prioritize some facts above others. What we attend to depends on what we value, and this is driven by our moral frame of reference: our world view or story.

So, there’s a certain kind of knowledge which provides a foundation for all other knowledge; it forms the basis of our world view and dismisses facts which seem irrelevant or uninteresting. So, getting our world view wrong corrupts our minds and hearts, literally blinding us such that the facts we value don’t enable us to properly engage reality.

The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge (Pr 1:7); it is the first, foremost, chief or primary type of knowledge. Acknowledging and respecting Who God is, what He is like, and submitting to what He requires of us is the only point of view which makes sense of the world and rightly aligns us with reality. This is the essence of both wisdom and understanding. (Pr 9:10) Failing to choose the fear of God is equivalent to hating knowledge itself. (Pr 1:29)

The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil (Pr 8:13a), to despise the slightest tendency to turn away from God, to fail to love and obey Him with our whole heart. This is, of course, exceptionally rare (Ro 3:18); very few are able to find it. (Mt 7:14)

Consequently, we live in an age overwhelmed with information, and people filled with false hope in having instant access to whatever details they like. But without a suitable foundation we build on the sand (Mt 7:26), grounding our world view in our own pride and arrogance. (Pr 8:13b) It will not deliver in the time of trouble. (Mt 7:27)

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Cease From Anger

Anger is an emotional response that’s generally destructive; it aims to remove a threat to one’s well-being. But my anger is almost always rising up in me when I’m not in any danger: I’m not actually being threatened at all, yet I feel threatened.

This usually happens when I feel I am being disrespected; I feel disvalued when someone mocks, insults or wrongfully accuses me. Rather than simply acknowledging the offensive behavior for what it is (a broken sinner doing what comes naturally, whom God has chosen not to restrain), I act as if it meaningfully impacts my personal worth as an individual. This is, of course, a lie (1Co 4:3), but it’s one I tend to believe when I’m not grounded, focused and paying attention. (Pr 4:23)

The truth is, of course, God values me infinitely; He went to the Cross to rescue me, to redeem me from all iniquity and purify me unto Himself. (Ti 2:14) Nothing can ever separate me from His love and care. (Ro 8:38-39) All insults, mockings and accusations are irrelevant from a personal value perspective; they are altogether less than nothing. (Ps 62:9) Full stop.

The proper response to offensive behavior is to pay attention: listen and learn. (Ps 39:1) What is this person really saying about me? (Pr 18:17) What are they revealing about themselves? (Pr 20:11)

Are they exposing a belief or behavior in my life which I can adjust to become a better me? If so, this is a precious gift (Pr 15:32): God’s gracious answer to my daily waking prayer, that He would show me where I can improve. (Ps 139:23-24) Others can see our flaws much better than we can (Mt 7:3), so, regardless of the source or how it’s delivered, like finding a big gold nugget in the sewer — sift it out, clean it up (Pr 23:23) and be wealthier for it. (Pr 12:1)

But suppose in the offense there’s nothing evident for me to work on, what then? Again: listen and learn; rather than trying to even the score or holding a grudge (Le 19:11), try to understand my neighbor a little bit better. Why are they coming against me? (Php 2:4) Do they feel threatened? Are they acting out of a soul wound or a lie? Is there anything I can say or do to bless them, and point them in the right direction? (Mt 5:44) Show them some love and light? (Mt 5:16) How can I overcome evil with good? (Ro 12:21)

It’s hard for me to think of others when I feel vulnerable and threatened myself; my instinct is to protect and defend my own well-being by destroying those who threaten me. But this is sowing evil seed (Ga 6:7-8); it doesn’t help. (Pr 22:8) It’s letting pride get the best of me (Pr 29:28); it won’t work the righteousness of God (Ja 1:20) and I will soon regret lashing out. (Pr 11:2)

When I feel anger rising up in me, I need to slow down (Ja 1:19) and calm myself (Ec 7:9), check my real motives and not act on it right away. (Pr 14:29); If delaying my anger won’t endanger me or others it can wait (Pr 19:11); righteous anger will be so tomorrow, and sleeping on it will help me sort out my motives. (Ep 4:26)

To cease from anger as an instinctive response to personal offenses (Ps 37:8), I must be grounded in the love of Christ (Ep 3:17-18); then, filled with the fullness of God (19), I’m free to consider others in the midst of conflict and focus on helping them find The Way.

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