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Listeners vs. Heeders

“It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to a song of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:5). It may have been always so, but at present we seem to have plenty of songs from many fools. We also seem to be short on wise men. The greatest shortage, however, is in heeders . A heeder is one who listens (pays attention) and obeys what he has heard. James said it this way: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). In my early Christian life, I memorized many verses of Scripture. I succeeded in deceiving myself . I was not obeying; I was not heeding. I thought I was spiritual. Being a listener is a dangerous position to be in. There are many good teachers of the Word. There are many more listeners. They flock to good teachers. The teacher should not be pleased that he has many listeners, unless he is going to teach them how to be heeders . This is one of the clear requirements in the Great Commission: “…teaching them to obey every...
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The Solution for Emotional Dependency

Some time ago, I received this question: “Someone told me that I am emotionally dependent. Is that like being addicted to someone? What is the cure for emotional dependency?” You may be emotionally dependent, obsessive, or “addicted” to someone, but you should not think in these terms. As soon as you define yourself that way, you have hindered the cure. You end up focusing on the problem. Here is the solution. It requires some homework. ·        Think of yourself as a child of God. ·        “ His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3). Believe it. ·        Realize where you are in Jesus Christ. Read Ephesians 1:13 through chapter 3 and Colossians 1 and 2. Do not think about doing . Think about being . Look at what these passages say you are in Christ. ·     ...
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My Life for Yours

“Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up” (Romans 15:2). I want. I need. I desire. I deserve. These are much different expressions than he needs or she needs . We think in terms of another person’s needs if they are negative, as in, “He needs a spanking,” or “He deserves to go to Hell.” Both of these may be true, but the text is speaking about what pleases and builds up the other person , rather than what pleases us . We see the same in a different way in Ephesians 4:29: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” What we do and what we speak should be only for the other person’s benefit, not for our own. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com . We would love to have you reading with us.
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Enabled to Be Holy

“I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness” (Romans 6:19). Notice that righteousness leads to holiness . “To rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days” (Luke 1:74-75). Jesus is our “enabler.” He does not enable us to continue in sin, but the opposite, holiness and righteousness. He does this all our days. Righteousness is purity that comes from God when we receive Jesus Christ. We are cleansed from our sin. Holiness is also pure. However, it does not cleanse us. It does not take place until after we are clean. Holiness is not getting dirty. Holiness starts out being clean by the righteousness that comes from God. Most of my life has been spent getting people righteous with the gospel a...
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The Humility Harness

  “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). Notice the word “completely.” Apparently, it is possible to be completely humble and gentle. We see it Philippians 2:5-7 as well: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” ·        Made Himself nothing. ·        Humbled himself and became obedient to death. ·        Even death on the cross. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” We are to be humble, completely humble, just like Jesus. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). Get into the humility harness with Jesus. Thi...
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A Word of Encouragement

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business. Blessed is ...
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No Fear Before His Eyes

Every day, I come across verses of Scripture I want to preach, proclaim, shout, or sing. Here is one: “An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin” (Psalm 36:1-2). This is such a good description of the sinfulness of the wicked. The wicked man cannot see, much less hate his own sin. The reason is that he flatters himself. This is the ultimate expression of selfishness and self-conceit. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com . We would love to have you reading with us.
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