Tag: god

Am I Hard-pressed?

November 16th, 2024

Am I Hard-pressed?

What does it mean to be hard-pressed? Paul uses this word in two different places….once in Philippians 1:23 and then again in 2 Corinthians 4:8. In both places, the word means intense pressure or affliction that seems to be surrounding him. It might feel like the walls are closing in at times. This pressure can be internal or external. In Philippians 1:23, Paul is hard-pressed internally. It is an internal struggle within himself. In 2 Corinthians 4:8, Paul is speaking of being hard-pressed externally, by circumstances and situations that he is put in as he travels around preaching the gospel. Either way….the struggle was real for Paul. What about our lives today? We have internal and external struggles in our lives as well. It may look different in today’s world, but the struggle is the same. Or rather….it should be the same. So here is the question that I am mulling over today. Am I hard-pressed? Listen to Paul in Philippians 1:21-24, and recognize the conflict within him, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.” In these verses, Paul is describing a dilemma that he has going on in his mind. He knows that he is a vessel for God. He knows that God needs him on this earth to take the gospel to the Gentiles. However, he is torn between wanting to live and continue to bear fruit for Christ, or die so that he can go and be with Christ. At the end of verse 24, we can see that he knows that God still needs him on earth to carry out his purpose. Paul is all about God’s will being fulfilled. Paul endured so much suffering as he went about preaching the gospel. I’m sure that he of all people realized how much better it would be with Christ. But….I ask myself….do I? I have had this on my mind a lot. Do I truly realize how much better it will be for me to “depart and be with Christ”? It’s just something to think about. So…..is my life all about Christ? If I want to “depart and be with Christ”, then I have to live for Christ, correct? It is your basic “if….then” statement. Can I honestly say, “for to me, to live is Christ”? What does that mean to me? I really need a wake-up call, folks. Why should I want to stay here on earth? I should want to stay here for the very same reason that Paul wanted to stay….. so that I can help others get to heaven. To start with, I want to stay here for my family…..my husband, my children and their spouses (of whom I think of as my own), and my grandson (and future grandchildren). I hope that I can be a help to them in their spiritual walk. I hope to be a Christian example and an encouragement to them to live a faithful Christian life. I also want to be here to help them through any hard things that any of them have to go through in this life. I want to be here to celebrate their victories in this life. Most of all….I just want to help them get to heaven. I know that God says there will be no sadness in heaven, but I can’t imagine heaven without all of them there with me. Next, I want to be here for my parents, my extended family, and my husband’s family. I want to be here to help take care of our parents, and other elderly family members as they grow older. I want to be here to bring them joy. Most of all….I just want to help them get to heaven. Again, I can’t imagine heaven without all of them there with me. I also want to be here for my sisters and brothers in Christ, aka the Lord’s church. I want to do my part to help the church grow so that more and more people can go to heaven when Christ returns. Last, I want to help the lost, whether I know them personally or not. I hope that I can help others through my writing or whatever other means I have. You might be asking, “why is she writing about reasons she wants to live?”. I’m writing about this, because I need a reminder of my sole purpose for being here. I also need a reminder that nothing on this earth is better than departing to be with Christ. No matter how awesome my husband is……no matter how wonderful my children are…..no matter how precious my grandson is……being with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be better. Our very best day here on earth can’t even come close in comparison to heaven. Our best day here will end after a few hours, but in heaven we will have a never-ending best day. And I need a reminder that my reasons for wanting to stay here should be completely Christ-centered, just like Paul’s reasons for wanting to stay. So….in a way, shouldn’t we have somewhat the same internal struggle going on within us? Are we hard-pressed internally like Paul was?

Then comes this question…..don’t we have it so much easier today than Paul did back then, you ask? In a lot of ways, yes….we do have it a lot easier than Paul did back then. I can honestly say that I haven’t ever been stoned, and left for dead. I haven’t been thrown in prison. I haven’t been shipwrecked. I haven’t been beaten. I would say that the majority of those reading this haven’t been subjected to any of those awful things either. All of Paul’s suffering was for the cause of Christ. What about me? Am I truly suffering for Christ? Suffering for Christ today looks different. It is more subtle….but it’s there, my friends. It is more of a mental type of suffering, than physical, isn’t it? Listen to how Paul describes his suffering in Philippians 4:8-10, “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” Are we as Christians, “hard-pressed on every side”? If we are living for Christ as we should be, then we are. If I’m not hard-pressed, then I’m living too much for the world. “To live is Christ” is not me if I’m not hard-pressed in some way. Here is just one example of how we are hard-pressed in the world today. Remember, Satan is subtle, my friends. Wednesday night used to be a night that was untouched as far as sports was concerned. Neither games nor practices were held on Wednesday nights. This is not true anymore. It is no different than any other night of the week. I found that out several years ago when my son’s baseball team practiced every Wednesday night from 7 until 9. Sunday, the Lord’s day, is just another day of the week to the world. Sporting events are now held on Sundays with no regard to the Lord’s day. If your child wants to play travel sports, then you better get ready to make a choice…..worship or ballgame. I’ve been there. Please make the right one, or find a way for your child to do both. Some tournaments wait to start games at 1:00 on Sundays, and I am appreciative of those, but most do not. This is Satan’s way of getting us to slip up, and make sports more important than God. What we hold as most important is more than likely what our babies will hold as most important when they are adults. They are watching us. Am I saying they can’t play travel sports? No, I’m not, but please don’t let it interfere with their spiritual upbringing. And…..think about the example you will set before others when you say, “we can’t make it to the 9:00 game on Sunday morning. We have church services at that time.” This is what God wants and needs from us as His people…..even if we are talked badly about or made fun of. This is one way that we can be hard-pressed mentally in this world today. I use this example, because I have been there with my own children. However, if we set the rules from the beginning that sports will not get in the way of worshiping God, then more than likely, that is what our children will remember and apply in their own lives as adults with their own children. Satan wants our children, and this is one area where he can get to them if we don’t stand firm. We are hard-pressed on every side with social media. We can get so wrapped up in Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms that we allow these things to monopolize a big bulk of our time. Again, I’ve been there. Social media is addictive. I truly believe it is. It takes away from our Bible study time, our prayer time, and our time with our husbands and children. We might begin to look to social media or the internet for help when we need to be going to God in prayer first. Why am I saying this? Because I am in the middle of trying to manage social media better myself. I haven’t been disciplining myself enough in this area, and I can see it in my lack of bible study and prayer time lately. Social media can be a good thing when used for the right purposes. Again….”to live is Christ”! Does my social media activity reflect a “to live is Christ” attitude? You see….my sisters in Christ…..we are hard-pressed. We just may not be pushing back against these things hard enough.

In our society, we are definitely hard-pressed on every side. We are bombarded with mental abuse from non-believers. We are called closed minded. We are called hateful. Hateful? Really? Nothing could be further from the truth. If we are the kind of Christians we ought to be, then everything we do will be done in love. Our motives should be pure…..always with the underlying goal of helping someone else get to heaven. (1 Corinthians 16:14) If that is our goal, then we certainly are not being hateful. We are also bombarded with false teaching everywhere we turn. We are often ridiculed because we won’t accept false teaching as the truth. We are criticized because we won’t fellowship with other religious groups who teach things that are not scriptural. This isn’t being closed minded, and it isn’t being done in a spirit of hate. It is being done in a spirit of love to set an example of obedience to the scriptures. Would we be taken seriously as the Lord’s church if we went along with doctrines not found in the Bible? Of course we wouldn’t. We are also tempted daily by Satan through the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. We are tempted every day…..all day. And we fall short every day. But….. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15) Of course….we know what that gift is. It is grace…..grace that God has shown us by sending His Son to die for our sins. We owe everything to Him…..our very existence, our lives, our blessings, and our salvation. It is all in His hands. And while it is true that we may not be suffering physically like the first century Christians, we are most definitely suffering mentally. The world (Satan) continually works to pull us in the opposite direction from where God, through His Word, tells us to go. And Satan does it subtly…..so that before we know it…..we are not suffering for Christ at all. We are just fine down here on earth. So……think about these verses again……but this time….imagine it is you saying it in the present day. Can you say this about your life….maybe not physically, but mentally or emotionally?

“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” (Phillippians 4:8-10)

I ask myself…..is this true of my life? Is Jesus’ life manifested in my Christian walk? If the answer is yes, then I will be hard-pressed. Do you remember Jesus’ words in John 15:18-20? “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” The bottom line is this….if I am living for Him, then I will be persecuted. So…..are we ready to be with Jesus at any moment? Do we desire to be with Jesus more than we desire to be in this world? Are we hard-pressed on every side? Just something to think about……

Everything that I write begins within me…..convicting myself. It is almost always something that I am struggling with internally or externally. Writing is my way of working through my struggles. I figure if I put it out there, then maybe someone else is having the same struggles. Maybe through our struggles, we can work through them together. If anyone reading this would like a bible study, please reach out, and I can help you or put in contact with someone who can.

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible.

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17)

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16)

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32)

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)
What is Truth?

November 11th, 2024

What is Truth?

Have you ever wondered how there can be so many forms of “the truth” when it comes to religion? In every other subject there is truth, and not only is there truth, but we all pretty much accept that truth. We accept that gravity holds us to the earth. We accept that the earth revolves around the sun as it turns on its axis. We accept that 2+2=4. We accept that pi is approximately 3.14. We accept so many things in this world as the truth. But when it comes to God’s Word, it seems as though everyone is allowed to come up with their own truth. Everyone wants to put their own spin on it. So how can we accept the truth about so many things, but not accept the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ? The gospel, which is Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, is the most important truth in the history of the world! Jesus conquered death for us. He made it so that we will be able to conquer death someday. We may die physically, but spiritually we will live on for eternity. Do you remember who in scripture asked the question, “what is truth?”. When Jesus was taken before Pilate, Pilate asked Jesus if He was indeed a king. Jesus said these words back to Pilate in John 18:38, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” At that point Pilate asked, “what is truth?”. What made Pilate ask that question? Did Jesus’ words, demeanor, and actions cause Pilate to wonder what this “truth” was that Jesus was speaking of? Was Pilate asking “what is truth” in a sarcastic way? I dare say that Pilate had never heard anyone speak about “the truth” in this way. Did you notice the phrase “the truth” in Jesus’ statement to Pilate? Isn’t that singular? Can there be more than one truth when it comes to matters of a spiritual nature? Let’s try and answer that question.

Who is the author of “the truth?” Who is the author of salvation? Most reading this will say that Jesus is the author of salvation. We know this to be true, because Hebrews 5:8-9 tells us that “though He (Jesus) was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him….” So…..clearly, through His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus is the author of our salvation, but….only “to all who obey Him”. That is made very clear in this verse. Jesus decided what “the truth” concerning the salvation of my soul would be. He set the terms for our salvation. There is a singular truth about how we are saved from our sins. It is found in the pages of God’s Word. Isn’t it dangerous to think that there is more than one truth about how to be saved? Since Jesus was God in the flesh (John 1:14), this means that God is the author of eternal salvation. God decides how a person is saved for eternity……not humans. He made this world, therefore He is who ultimately decides what “truth” is. No one else has the right. We cannot make up our own truth, no matter how bad we may want to at times.

Where do we find truth? In John 17:17, Jesus says as He prays to God, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth.” We find truth in God’s Word, which is the Bible. Whose word is truth? Everyone reading this will no doubt say that God’s Word is truth. What sanctifies us? Most people reading this will say that God’s Word sanctifies us if we follow it. Can His Word sanctify us if we don’t follow it? No, that would not make logical sense. In John 8:31-32, Jesus says that if we “abide” in His Word, then we are His “disciples”. So….we have to abide in His Word which is another way of saying we have to follow His Word. And if we follow Him, then we can “know the truth” and the truth will “make us free”! (John 8:32) So Jesus says that we can “know the truth”. If we can “know the truth”, then should we remain divided about what the truth actually is? The Bible says that we are to “all speak the same thing”. (1 Corinthians 1:10) Over and over, we are told to be united, and to be one in Christ. If we read Ephesians 4:1-6, and look at all the times the word “one” is used, we can see how important oneness is to God. Listen to the urgency in Paul’s writing as he addresses the issue of unity in his letter to the church/Christians at Ephesus. “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:1-6) Paul is literally begging them to have unity. I literally feel like I can hear it in his voice as if he were saying it. How can we be one in Christ if we don’t all agree on how to obey Him…..if we don’t all speak the same thing?

And what are we being set free from in John 8:32? Skip down to John 8:34, and Jesus tells us what we are set free from…..we are set free from sin. He says that “whoever commits sin is a slave of sin”. Obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ through repentance and baptism is the only way that we can be set free from the slavery of sin. (Acts 2:38, there are more scriptures at the bottom of this post) We have all been “slaves of sin” at one time or other in our lives, haven’t we? The world wants to make it seem like following God stifles us, and puts us in a cage. But….in reality, it is the world that has us trapped in a cage at that point. The cage is sin. Sin leads to the destruction of everything good in this world. Satan will trick us into thinking that freedom is found in living for our own fleshly desires. In my past, Satan told me the lie that freedom was found in not having to resist temptations that I was drawn to. Along with that, Satan told me the lie that freedom was found in using worldly coping mechanisms in order to deal with difficult feelings and emotions. And then…..when I freed myself from those lies, Satan began to tell me more lies. He told me that I would never be what God wants me to be, because of things from my past, and I believed him for a really long time. He told me that I was not capable of being as good of a Christian as other women in the church, and I believed him. His lies caused me to compare myself to others which we should never do. He made me feel weak and insignificant. Satan has told me so many lies in the past that I cannot even count them all. And he is still trying to lie to me. It is a constant fight. I allowed his lies to weigh down on me for a really long time. He lies constantly. It is what he does. He is the father of lies. (John 8:44) And don’t forget that he can make himself look like an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14) Remember all this about Satan the next time you hear something of a religious matter that is presented as truth, but is contrary to God’s Word…..and don’t be deceived by it. Please make sure that what you are being taught is the one and only truth found in God’s Word. Your soul is too precious.

So….where is true freedom found? True freedom is found ONLY in obedience to Christ. If something that you are hearing is not found in God’s Word, then it is not from God, therefore it is not truth, right? Just like Satan told Eve in the garden that she would not die, Satan tells us that we will not die. He tells us the lie that we are just fine….living for ourselves. It was physical death for Eve, but for us it will be spiritual death, and separation from God for eternity. God spoke the truth to Adam and Eve when He told them that they would die if they ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They indeed eventually died a physical death. He has spoken the truth to us through His Word. Let’s never forget that we don’t have to spend our life like Pilate wondering…..“what is truth?”. We have it. I’ve heard people say, “well…..the Bible was written by men, so how can we trust it to be true”. Well….guess what? God has explained that as well. God is so thorough, isn’t he? Listen to 1 Peter 1:20-21, “…..knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” God’s Word was written by men, but it did not come from the minds of men. It came from the mind of God. Men were just the vessels that God chose to use to speak and write His message down, and take it to the world. Is that not what we are called to be today…. His vessels to help spread “the truth”?

Does “truth” according to God’s Word ever change with the times? Has “the truth” changed over the years? Let’s consult God for the answer. He says in Malachi 3:6, “For I am the Lord, I do not change…” The God whom we serve today is the same God who formed the heavens and the earth on day one of creation…..and Jesus and the Holy Spirit were both with Him on that day. God has not changed His mind about how we are supposed to live while we are here on earth. He has not changed His mind about what He considers sin. He has not changed His mind about how we are saved or how we are to worship Him. Why would He? If God was someone who changed His mind on a whim, then how could we truly trust Him to keep His promises? Is God’s Word complete and perfect? God’s Word can answer that question as well. In Revelation 22:18-19, it reads, “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” If something is perfect or complete, then nothing would need to be added or taken away from it. If I bake a cake, and it turns out perfect and delicious, do I need to add anything or take anything away from the recipe to try to improve it? Of course not. It is the same with God’s Word. It cannot be improved upon. It is complete perfection.

The final scripture that I would like to leave you with today is 1 Peter 1:22-25. It reads, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

The people to whom Peter is writing in the above verses had “purified” their souls “in obeying the truth”. Again, Peter only mentions a singular “truth”. Jesus said that we can know that one and only truth, and that it will set us free if we abide in Him. Peter said that the Christians that he was writing to had obeyed the truth and were purified. Truth…..singular….. you can know it, you can obey it, and you can let it set you free.

What is truth? Look at the plan of salvation below. It comes straight from God’s Word, and God’s Word is truth.

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible.

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17)

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16)

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32)

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)
The Untamable Tongue- Part 1

August 10th, 2024

The Untamable Tongue- Part 1

What about teachers? (James 3:1, 11-12)

Does a spring give us fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? There is no spring that will give us both saltwater and fresh.

Where do these illustrations come from, and what are they being compared to? These illustrations come from James 3:11-12 where James addresses the untamable tongue. This one will be a two-part post.

Let’s do a background check on James before we get into the text. First of all, this is probably not James, the brother of John and the son of Zebudee, who was also one of the apostles, because he was killed by Herod the king around 44 AD, before the writing of the book. (Acts 12:2) The other apostle named James, who was the son of Alphaeus, and was referred to as “James the less”, was not mentioned very much in scripture, and is never really mentioned as a possible writer of the book. The book of James was more than likely written between 45-49 AD by James, the brother of Jesus. I’m not a scholar so I’m only saying that he is “probably” the author. And…..I’m only going by sources I’ve read or sermons/lessons that I have heard on this subject. Who is James speaking to in this letter? In James 3:12, he says “my brethren”, therefore we can safely say that he is speaking to his fellow Christians. He uses the word “brethren”, the phrase “my brethren” or “my beloved brethren” several times throughout his letter. (1:2, 1:19, 2:1, 2:5, 3:1, 3:12, 4:11, 5:7, 5:9, 5:10, 5:12, 5:19) This is a term of endearment. The fact that he uses this phrase so often shows how much love and care he has for his fellow Christians. To be specific, James is most likely writing to Jewish Christians, since James 1:1 says that the letter is written “to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad”. The “twelve tribes” would be referring to the Jewish Christians. These Christians had been “scattered abroad” away from Jerusalem, because of persecution by the unconverted Jews who still held to the law of Moses. I’m sure a letter from James was a great encouragement to them during a time of great turmoil and unsettledness. James was a prominent figure in the first century church. He is mentioned in Acts 12 just after Peter is freed from prison by the angel. The first thing Peter said after being let into a house where believers were praying together (probably for Peter) was this……“Go, and tell these things to James and to the brethren”. (Acts 12:17) James takes on the role of a spokesperson in Acts 15. He backed up Peter, Paul, and Barnabas when questions arose among the apostles and elders about whether the new Gentile converts should have to be circumcised. In Acts 15:19-20 James makes this statement, “Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.” The apostles and elders were in agreement with James, and sent the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia a letter instructing them to do the very things that James had said in the above verses. This tells me that James was held in high regard as a leader in the Lord’s church. In Acts 21:18, it reads, “On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.” From the sound of the above verses, it appears that James was an elder in the Lord’s church. Now…..Jesus’ earthly brothers, including James, rejected him during His ministry on earth. (Matthew 13:53-56, John 7:3-5) So….when did James finally believe in who his brother really was? It was more than likely after Jesus’ resurrection before James became a believer. In 1 Corinthians 15:5-8, Paul is giving an account of those who saw Jesus after He was resurrected. We see in 1 Corinthians 15:7 that Jesus “was seen by James, then by all the apostles”. So did Jesus appear to His brother James alone? It sure sounds that way. I wonder how James reacted. I can’t imagine how James must have felt knowing that he had rejected his own brother, and in doing so rejected God Himself.

The entire book of James is about faith. It is about how our trials in life, with the right attitude, will strengthen our faith. James 1:2-3 reads, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” Throughout the book of James, we are faced with many subjects that test our character as Christians. If we have true faith in Christ, we will be obedient to God. James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Just saying that we have faith in Jesus is not enough. James 2:1-13 discusses the problem of showing favoritism in the church. We should not show partiality to someone because of how rich or poor they are, or how much prestige they hold in the community. Everyone should be treated as equally important. Every person deserves to hear the gospel of salvation no matter what walk of life they come from. James 2:14-26 is all about faith and works. We have to have both in order to be pleasing to God. Some other subjects that James dives into are: seeking heavenly wisdom instead of worldly wisdom (3:13-18), pride and humility (4:1-12), boasting about things you will do in the future with no thought for God’s purpose for your life (4:13-17), rich people being selfish with their money (5:1-6), being patient daily, never giving up in our Christian walk and getting along with one another as Christians without backstabbing and arguing (5:7-12), always being there for each other as Christians to meet each others’ specific needs (5:13-18), and finally, bringing wayward Christians back into the fold of God (5:19-20). It is a lot of information, right? But….I present to you, that the key to all of these subject areas is found smack dab in the middle of the book in James 3:1-12. We will be ineffective in everything that James touches on in this book if we don’t adhere to what James says in these twelve verses.

In these verses, James addresses the untamable tongue. Here is a question that I ask myself as I study this wonderful book of James. Can I be a Christian if I have not tamed my tongue? Can I bring others to Christ without first taming my tongue? Can I show humility without taming my tongue? Sisters and friends, every bit of our influence as a Christian comes from our tongue first and foremost. I may be doing good works galore, but if I am complaining about all that I have to do, then what good do those good works actually do? Or if I am bragging about all that I am doing for others, then those good works are canceled out as well. I may sit in the church pew every time the door is open, but if I am joining in with friends or co-workers in using bad language, laughing at vulgar jokes, or engaging in gossip, then my influence for Christ is dead at that point.

But…..here is a side note…..should I call others out? No, absolutely not…..especially if they are not Christians! That does not work at all. That truly just pushes others away, and makes me look “holier than thou”. Do I act upset or mad at them? No, not at all, because I shouldn’t be. I was once where they are right now…..lost. I have not been and still am not perfect, and I don’t need to pretend that I am by calling others out. This ruins relationships, which in turn ruins my chances to win them to Christ. However, I can just choose not to respond in those situations. Maybe just excuse myself politely. I can choose to only speak wholesome and helpful words in every situation. Eventually others will see me for who I am, a Christian. They will respect me, and set boundaries for things that they say when they are with me. Now….if the person who is using foul language or gossipping or whatever is a sister in Christ…..that is a different situation all-together. If I have a somewhat close relationship with the person, I could talk to her privately expressing my love and concern for her. It also depends on whether the person is a new Christian or not. There are lots of “what ifs” when deciding whether to confront someone or not. But….whatever the situation, I can set the example, so that everyone knows where I stand. Every aspect of our lives as Christians is affected by one part of our body…our tongue. And this leads us back to our key verses from James 3:11-12, “Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.” Let’s dive into the verses that led up to this point.

Let’s begin with James 3:1, “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” This first verse is geared towards teachers, which makes perfect sense. Think about it…..teachers of God’s Word, whether in a children’s Bible class, a teen Bible class, or an adult ladies’ Bible class have a huge responsibility when it comes to the tongue. Teachers are the reason that the gospel is being spread. We were all taught by someone. What if I had not been taught the right way to be saved? Ultimately, it is my job to study, and make sure that I am being taught the right things, but that still doesn’t take away the responsibility of the teacher. Does James 3:1 mean that God’s judgment is stricter on people who have the talent to teach the gospel than on those whose talent is elsewhere? In a way, yes! That is what He is saying!

We are all going to be judged according to our deeds here on earth no matter who we are or what our talents for God include. But….teachers of the Word are naturally held to a higher standard, because of the responsibility that they have to “rightly divide the Word of truth”. (2 Tim. 2:15) In Ephesians 4:11, Paul says, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ….” Why are teachers to help “equip the saints”? Paul tells us the answer a few verses later, “….so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (Ephesians 4:14) Teachers are to help others in the body of Christ to grow spiritually, and stay grounded in the truth. They have the huge responsibility to help build up the body of Christ, starting with the cradle roll classes, and moving all the way up to the teen/young adult classes, and ladies Bible classes. All are of equal importance! But…..here’s a thought…..aren’t we all teachers in one way or another? We may not be Bible class teachers, but if we have children, we teach them don’t we? We also teach those around us simply with our way of life. We have all heard the phrase “practice what you preach (teach)”. We must live out the words that we teach others. If we happen to be Bible class teachers or parents who are teaching our children God’s Word, isn’t it imperative that they see us living out what we are teaching them? I have always heard the saying, “actions speak louder than words”. I believe that to be 100% true! So……referring back to the verses in James 3:11-12, we cannot teach good and right things from God’s Word to others, and then go out into the world, and speak and act in ways that are the opposite of what we have just taught. We also can’t leave out parts of God’s Word or add things to God’s Word when teaching others. (Rev. 22:18-19) Doing this is perverting the gospel of Christ. The Bible clearly says that we will be accursed for doing this. (Gal. 1:6-9) If we take it upon ourselves to be a teacher of God’s Word…..if that is our talent, and we desire to use it.…..then God will hold us accountable for what we teach. We will be under a “stricter judgment” because we choose to teach others. Just like the verses say, we are not a spring that can give both fresh water and bitter. We cannot give both fresh and salt water. Here is an example. We cannot teach others that they shouldn’t use God’s name in vain, but then go out in the world and do this ourselves, and this includes “OMG” on social media. You may be thinking that you mean “oh my goodness”, but most people see “OMG” as using God’s name in vain. I ask you to just consider your influence on others before you do this, my sisters in Christ. We cannot bear the fruit of a different type of tree than what we are. Fig trees can’t bear olives. Grapevines can’t bear figs. Using the illustration of a tree…..if I am a “Christian tree”, then I should be helping to make new Christians, either by planting or watering the seed of the gospel. Christians who teach others, but don’t live by what they teach cannot bear fruit for God. This includes parents who teach their children what to do and what not to do, but then do the opposite of what they tell their children. I know you’ve heard it…..”the do as I say, not as I do” statement. We will not bear fruit in our families or communities at all with this attitude. We are seen as hypocrites when we don’t live out what we teach. This behavior can ultimately lead others away from Christ. This is the “stricter judgment” that James is speaking of. If we have a talent for teaching, then we should use that talent to spread God’s Word. But….we can’t pick and choose what we teach people. For example, so many people have a talent for speaking. I see people on television and social media that can really speak. They have amazing gifts. They are super motivational. But……are they teaching people the truth about how to be saved? They say lots of warm and fuzzy things that people want to hear. This causes the “itching ears” that we read about in 2 Timothy 4:3-4. Another version says that they want “to have their ears tickled”. (2 Tim. 4:3-4 NASB) This is exactly what Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” This verse is exactly what is happening in the world today. And it is all directly related to the untamable tongue that James speaks of in his book. People are getting their ears tickled with just what they want to hear. Just imagine judgment day for these false teachers who use their tongue to spread untruth. It is heartbreaking to think about. Thousands, possibly millions of people have been drawn down all these different paths, but sadly, these paths are not leading to Jesus. I also can’t help but wonder…..what if one or more of these false teachers were to realize their error, and begin teaching the whole truth? I wonder….what kind of response would they get? Let’s just remember this….if we stand before God on judgment day, and we have led others down the path of destruction either by not living what we teach or by not teaching the whole truth, how will we feel at that moment? When James says, “let not many of you become teachers”, he is saying in modern language, “don’t become teachers if you aren’t prepared to live by what you teach, and teach the whole truth”. We all fall short of the mark sometimes. We lose our temper, and say things we don’t need to say. We make bad decisions. We mess up. I, personally, have fallen short so many times that I’ve lost count. But….I want to make up for the past as much as I can while I have time left. This is why I write…..because of all the times that I did not speak up, and live out my faith in the past.

So….the bottom line is that if we are Christians, then we are qualified to teach to a certain extent. Some have a talent for teaching. They know how to get a point across so that others can understand it. Some are talented speakers. They can get up and speak at ladies’ days, and teach ladies Bible classes. Some are good with young children. Some are good with middle school or teenage girls. Some are more geared to one-on-one Bible studies. Some people are simply encouragers, like Barnabus, and use their tongue to build others’ up. You may be a new Christian who has just been added to God’s kingdom. You might think that you don’t know much yet. But….think about it! You already know the most important information that this entire world needs right now. You know how to be saved! You know how you were added to God’s church, and you can tell others that! That is wonderful all by itself! Teaching may not be our talent per se, but we can all tell someone about Jesus and then tell our conversion story. We can all use our tongue to proclaim what we know. There may be questions that we can’t answer, or that we don’t need to answer at that moment. This is when we refer to God’s Word for answers or contact someone who can help us deal with those questions. We should never be ashamed to say, “I’m not sure about that, but I’ll study, and get back to you.” And most importantly…..speaking to myself most of all.….if we are going to “talk the talk” about Jesus, then we have to “walk the walk” with Jesus. I have to live Jesus if I am going to teach Jesus. I hope you all have a wonderful week! Love you all!

Part 2 of “The Untamable Tongue” will be posted in the coming weeks!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible.

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17)

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16)

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32)

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

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The Untamable Tongue- Part 1