February 15 – Division

        Matthew 10:34f – "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies will be the members of his own household."

        In my local hometown newspaper, there is one whole page reserved for church service advertisements, business advertisements for those who support such activity (at least in name), and for a short devotional (such as this one), written by a member of the local clergy association. A non-clergy member is not allowed to offer any advice in said column. (After all, it is a free column in the newspaper, and there must be some regulations as to who can spout free spiritual advice.) In one February 2019 issue, the writer speaks about the need for brotherly love in our politically polarized country, and for the same globally. He is correct; there is much need for love in action in the United States these days, especially when one understands and practices the action of love as described in 1 Corinthians 13.

         However, there was one statement in the column that was vague, but unitarian in nature: "Divisive politics, fractured religion, the Cowboys versus the Redskins...we focus too much on what makes us different, instead of what brings us together, namely the call to love one another." I can't tell from this statement if the writer is addressing this to Christians only, or to us and the world at large. If he is writing to Christians only, then his sentence makes perfect sense, admonishing us to show love in action. Jesus did say that the world would know that we are his followers by our love for our fellow followers (John 13:35).

        The problem comes into the picture if the writer is address his statement to U.S. residents in general. Not everyone is a Christ-follower in this country; as a matter of fact, the majority are not. Therefore, it is not expected that sinners act like saints, to love someone in general, much less someone with whom they disagree or dislike. What brings us together as a nation of believers and non-believers is the U.S. Constitution, namely the Bill of Rights put forth in the first ten amendments. That coming together is sometimes only an agreement to have the right to disagree with each other. When the Spirit of God brings repentance and forgiveness to the new believer, he starts to work in the Christian to change his actions, in keeping with the repentance that originally changed his mind and opened his blinded eyes to his true spiritual condition and standing in God's eyes. As the cultural morality continues to decline in this nation, our disagreement as believers with the same will continue to grow as well, causing an even greater divide among our fellow countrymen. Therefore, in the midst of a moral dilemma, there will be strife and arguments, as Jesus stated in the leading scripture to this devotional.

        The questions, then, are thus: Will we believers speak the truth in boldness, but with gentleness and kindness, not in a mean-spirited way? Can we show respect for a person to have the right to speak his opinion, without needing to respect the opinion. Several times in the New Testament, we are commanded to "hate what is evil, and to cling to what is good" (Romans 12:9; 1 Thess. 5:21, 22). When Jesus caustically confronted the Pharisees for their self-righteous hypocrisy (Matthew 23:1-39), was he not speaking the truth in love? He had to point out the evil that they were promulgating. Did he hate them for their sinfulness? Or did he hate the sin living inside a creature that God loved?

        The balance for Christians is a tough one – loving the sinner, but hating the sin. May God teach us how to love sinful people, while still standing for the truth that can rescue them.

January 15 – Live Resolutely

       Galatians 6:14 - “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

       Living in an ever-increasingly depraved society in 2019, it can sometimes be discouraging to see the older generation rejecting the morality with which they grew up, and the younger generation who knows nothing of morality, except for what is expedient. The generation from the 50s and 60s knew of God's morality. They either embraced it or discarded it as outdated cultural clothing. At the very least, however, they knew of it. The younger generation, by and large, were not raised knowing God's ways; they are foreign to them, since the cultural stigmatism of moral disobedience has disappeared. Conservative people who still believe in a higher moral code are now considered bigots and narrow-minded. One can see the amoral societal agenda being promulgated through the TV commercials, which are widespread.

       We Christians, who desire to please God in everything we do, are warned in Galatians, chapter 5:7-9 “You were running a good race; who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who called you. 'A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.' “ While this chapter in context is debating the importance of circumcision in a gospel of grace versus works, the concept itself in the above verses works in every facet of our lives. Do we want the world to dictate to us how we should think, act and react? No, we need to guard our hearts against the poisonous waters of the world's fountains of “wisdom”. Psalm 119:9-11 gives us the key to staying true. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you [God] with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

        Paul argued in Galatians that the “circumcision group” was pushing their agenda, in order to avoid persecution. It is the offense of the cross that brings persecution. Why? Because the cross was God's punishment for sin, mine and yours. If we proclaim the need for forgiveness and redemption, then we are insinuating that the human race is in rebellion toward God, both in heart and in action. That is what the world finds offensive. So, where is our allegiance? Is it with God, or with the world? We can only serve one master.