Finding What We Are Looking For

A few weeks ago, we discussed the concept of losing God, and, when we lose things, we tend to search for them until we find them. In Matthew 7, Jesus admonishes that we will find what we are looking for is we keep asking, seeking, and knocking. This also applies to our searching the scriptures. What are we looking for? How are we looking, and why are we looking?

For What Are We Looking?

Are we looking for loopholes? In Judges 21, during the aftermath of a small civil war against Benjamin in Israel, the people swore to never help Benjamin rebuild and repopulate. In verses 20-21, however, the people destroy Jabesh-Gliead to undo their harm, and they even go so far as exploiting a loophole in their customs to rescind the oath they have already made to God. In Joshua 24, Balaam cannot curse God’s people. Instead, he teaches Balak how to lead them into disfavor with God. He simply searches for a loophole.

We may study with the intent of disproving another. At the well in John 4, the woman Jesus meets looks for an answer from Him to resolve a technical dispute on the location of worship. In John 5:39, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for not seeing what the scriptures point to, looking for their own justification more than God’s. John 12:47-48, John 8:31-32, Hebrews 4:12 – these verses point to the power the scriptures should be having in our lives.

How Are We Looking?

In Acts 24, Felix sends Paul away until a “more convenient time” that never comes. Contrast this with the Bereans of Acts 17 who search the scriptures with an open mind. The difference is between passive learners and active learners, and Hebrews 11:6 calls God a rewarders of those who seek Him diligently. There is nothing passive about diligence. In II Timothy 2:15, Paul encourages Timothy to be diligent in his preparation to work God’s word. Do we search God’s word diligently, or do we let ourselves passively be exposed to that word.

Why Are We Looking?

God’s word is the standard by which we will ultimately be judged. In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus pictures many who claim to have served God but have done so without knowledge of God’s word. Jesus goes on to compare those who build their lives upon God’s word with one who builds his home upon a firm foundation. We should want to be free from our sin, able to stand before God on the day of judgment, having lived by the statutes of God’s will. We need to know our Bibles so we may correct error. In Romans 10:1-4, Paul speaks of zealousness without knowledge. Without that knowledge, our efforts fall short.

Conclusion

As Peter says in John 6:68, it is in Jesus alone we find eternal life. We may not always like the answers we find. We may have to change when we search God’s word and learn of His will. We must overcome our fears or our indifference. Only then can we let God’s word make the changes in our lives we need.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Idolatry: A Family Heritage

There are certain memories indelibly etched into our minds – possibly of times with our family, historical events through which we lived, births, deaths, etc. In Jeremiah 17:1-2, the prophet says the people of Israel have thoughts of idols etched upon their hearts in this time. Back in chapter 7:17, God asks Jeremiah if he sees the idolatry in which God’s people are engaging. These sacrifices and offerings are a family occasion, and they form substantial memories. In Gideon’s time, that judge had to start in his own home, removing idolatry from Israel. Rachel, when leaving her home with Jacob, hides her family idols to take with her. II Kings 17:41 illustrates the idolatry entrenched in Israel’s culture by the time of the Assyrian captivity. The children and grandchildren do as their parents and grandparents.

Our Family Idols
Idolatry is a family heritage, and we all have idols we should be removing from our own lives, lest our children and grandchildren also follow after those same idols.

Social Acceptance
In Genesis 3, Eve and the serpent discuss the nature of God’s statutes within the garden. The serpent talks Eve into partaking of the forbidden fruit and then offering it to her husband. Both Adam and Eve succumb to simple peer pressure. I Samuel 15:24 records Saul acknowledging his transgression from God’s commands, compromising to please the masses. He gives in to the pressures surrounding him. Adam, Eve, and Saul all know, in these passages, what is right and what is wrong, but they have bowed down to the idol of social acceptance.

This pressure knows no age limits. We, as parents, do not want our children to stand out or be targeted, and we compromise our convictions and encourage them to compromise their own. Romans 12:2, however, encourages to avoid conformity and to be transformed into a spiritual being. I Corinthians 15:33 and Psalm 1:1-2 both admonish us to be wary of the influences we allow into our lives, and I Thessalonians 5:21 encourages to test the value of everything, abstaining from evil. We know what we should be doing, but we bow down to the idol of social acceptance.

Weak Marriages
In our culture, weak marriages are a given. We assume failure. Do our children see little hope in their own future relationships because of what they see in ours? Ephesians 5:25-28 reinforces the self-sacrificial love husbands should have for their wives. I Corinthians 13 explores this love more deeply – illustrating a love that prefers others over self, seeking the best in others, and shuns the selfishness that is the root of so many marital problems.

The end of I Peter 2 and the beginning of chapter 3 explore the concept of submission, upholding Christ as the ultimate example of submission. Peter uses Abraham’s wife Sarah as an example of this relationship. Remember, Sarah is a strong Bible woman, even insisting Ishmael should be expelled from her household. God sides with her in this matter, but her behavior remains selfless, and I Peter 3:7 goes on to remind husbands to value and honor wives as irreplaceable and precious. We would not be idolizing weak marriages if we could remove selfishness and pride from our family relationships.

Criticism
Proverbs 13:3, Proverbs 6:19, Proverbs 16:28 – these and more verses criticize critical mouths. I Peter 3:10 (quoting Psalm 34) admonishes us from keeping our moths from evil and deceit, instead seeking peace. Do our children see an idol of criticism in our homes? Do they see us complaining about our brethren and worship on the way home from worship? Do they see us complaining about authority, about secular issues, about our jobs, about our families? We need to tear down our idol of negativity and criticism to preserve our youths.

Indifference
Apathy is the greatest enemy the Lord’s people can face. Genesis 35:1-2 records Jacob preparing to travel to Bethel to praise Jehovah. He plans and prepares for this journey. We cannot drift along in indifference, hoping to simply run into God on the way. Likewise, Hebrews 10:24-25 admonishes us to plan to worship together, to build one another up, to anticipate the time together because it is important to us. The Lord’s Day does not sneak up on us; it is always the same day. The idol of indifference, though, allows other things to push God out of our lives.

Replacing the Idols
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 records Moses instructing the children of Israel to etch God’s words upon their hearts. His words should always be on their lips and before their eyes. Whatever the idols in our own lives, we can remove those and teach our children to know God. Throughout the Old Testament, we see the children of Israel turn to idols while never considering themselves having forsaken God. What do we need to remove from our lives to avoid those distractions from God? Let us resolve to focus on Him and make His word and His ways the heritage we leave for our children.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Choosing Grace Over Harm

When the Philistines capture the Ark of the Covenant in I Samuel 5-6, disaster and misfortune follows it as they move it from one location until another, until the nation concludes they must return the Ark to its proper owners. It takes seven months for them to reach this conclusion, and death, rats, tumors, and boils follow the Ark this whole time. Why does it take them so long to decide they are finished enduring these hardships? Is it pride; stubbornness; rebellion? There is no knowing, but chances are that pride had something to do with it.

When we look into our own lives, we can recognize things that are harmful to us spiritually. We can identify things we hold onto regardless of the negative influence they have on our lives. It can take a long time to get these harmful influences out of our lives. Sometimes, we are no better than these Philistines – holding fast to something that is harming us more and more despite the damage.

Self Destructive Stubbornness
I Samuel 18 contains some of the first hints of Saul’s decline as king. He had made mistakes before this chapter, but this chapter shows a shift in Saul’s character, consumed with jealousy and bitterness. This animosity grows to the point of tearing apart his family and leaving his nation vulnerable. This hatred becomes a monster in his life, occupying his time and energy, and he allows it to grow in its destructive power rather than eliminating it from his life.

We know the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4 where Abel offers God a more excellent sacrifice. In verse 5, Cain festers in anger; he allows bitterness to rot within him. God questions Cain in verse 6 regarding his bitterness and warns against the dangers of allowing these feelings to grow. He tells Cain it is within his power to rule over his rage and rid it from his life. Instead, Cain stoops to murder to fulfill his anger.

Turning Instead to Grace
The Philistines, Saul, and Cain contain three parallel events that illustrate individuals that hold onto something to their own destruction. In contrast, in II Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul speaks of an elusive thorn of the flesh. We do not know what this thorn is, whether it is a physical ailment, pangs of conscience, reminders of severed friendships; but we do know it wears on the apostle and gives him pain. He repeatedly pleads for its removal, but God responds that His power is completed in Paul’s struggle.

In times of anxiety or strain, we often draw closer to God and seek His power in our lives. Unlike Saul‘s and Cain’s circumstances, this is beyond Paul’s control, but, unlike those examples, Paul endures. Furthermore, God expresses the completion of His grace in the face of this trial. Time and again, we can see God’s grace alive in the life of Paul as well as in our own.

As a final example, we have Peter denying the Lord three times in Matthew 26:69-75. He weeps bitterly when he realizes what he has done, but Jesus has grace on Peter in John 21:15-19, and Peter does not allow this regret to eat him up. I Corinthians 15:3 records that Jesus appears to Peter even before this event. He is one of the first to Lord seeks out. What did that conversation look like? Why would Jesus seek Peter so quickly? Regardless, we know the man Peter grows into despite the pain his denial might have caused, and this is possible for Him because of Jesus’ grace.

There might be things in our lives we consider thorns. There may be things that hurt us spiritually and drag us away from God. Like Peter and Paul, though, we can press on to our goal, forgetting the things behind and reaching forward to the hope laid before us. We can be perfected in God’s love and grace if we are willing to put our pasts behind us and seek a future in Him.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Controlling Self

We know the history of Alexander the Great who conquered much of his word, able to control armies and nations but unable to control himself, having drunk himself to death at age 32. Controlling our selves, our impulses, using self restraint – the Bible has much to say on this topic. Proverbs 25:26 calls one without control as an undefended city, left open to invasions from outside: vulnerable to temptation and unguided by principle.

When David sees Bathsheba, he has the choice to exercise restraint, but he lacks self control, dwells on Bathsheba, and acts on his impulse. For a time, he becomes vulnerable to temptation and forgets his principles. Solomon allows his numerous political wives to turn him from God despite his great wisdom. Judas betrays Jesus for meager wages, driven by unrestrained and uncontrolled greed. Each of these illustrate how far we can fall without the defense of self control.

Giving God Control
Self control may be defined as a willingness to be guided by God’s wishes rather than our own, restraining ourselves from the things we should avoid. It can also be ensuring we act upon the opportunities we have to do good. In Galatians 5:22-24, self control is included among those fruits of the spirit we should be practicing. Paul, in Titus 1:8, qualifies spiritual leaders as having self control, and I Peter 1:5-8 lists this control as a trait we should be nurturing in our own lives.

Why be concerned with self control? In Acts 24:24-25, Paul teaches Christ to Felix and other officials with him. In this message, Paul links self control with righteousness. David, Saul, and Judas fall short of the measure of righteousness when they fail to exercise self control. In Matthew 16:21-23, Peter, after having recently professed his faith in Jesus, rebukes Him for going to His death and is rebuked in turn. Then, in verse 24, Jesus says any who follow Him must deny self and crucify self. Self control is key to sincerely following Jesus.

What Does Self Control Look Like?
Romans 12 makes it clear that living a godly living requires restraint. Romans 12:2 calls us to be transformed rather than conformed. This takes rethinking, re-prioritizing, controlling those impulses we might have once followed. Verses 16-21 encourages to avoid revenge, to live peacefully, to show kindness and mercy, overcoming evil with good. It takes control and restraint to demonstrate God’s grace to all – even those who are ungracious to us.

Philippians 4:8 tells us to dwell on honorable things in our lives, to look for the good, to consider the best around us. Self control begins with our minds. We have to control our thoughts before we can control our bodies.

• We have to recognize our need. I have to admit I need better self control before I can improve, being guided by God’s principles before my own.
• We have to identify the areas in which we need more control. On what do my thoughts dwell? In what areas of my life do I struggle most?
• We have to study. Psalm 119:9 encourages us to take heed to God’s word to cleanse our ways. Verse 105 calls that word a light for our feet. We have to know His will for it to guide us.
• We have to weigh the consequences. In Mark 8:35-36, Jesus asks what a soul is worth. Is giving into our impulses worth losing our souls?
• We need to pray about our struggles. I Peter 5:6-7 encourages us to call on the Lord, casting our cares on Him, so He can comfort us.

Conclusion
In Acts 24, as Paul studies with Felix, the governor is alarmed and send Paul away until a better time. Felix is concerned by the challenge of practicing self control. Do we see this subject as concerning and alarming? If so, we should not follow Felix’s example, whose better time would never come. Instead we should submit to His mercy. Hebrews 5:8 discusses the self control Jesus practices in His obedience to the Father’s plan. We should follow His example of restraint and obedience and allow God’s principles to guide us, removing self from the throne and exalting God.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Attitudes & Outlooks

Our attitudes and outlooks affect much of our lives. We can approach our lives as pessimists, expecting the worst. We might be cynical, expecting the worst out of the individuals in our lives. We could be fatalistic – “It was meant to be.” In our spiritual journey, we may reflect some of these negative qualities that can be harmful to ourselves, our fellow Christians, and our church as a whole. We may say to ourselves, “I’ve tried that before,” or we could cynically see our brethren as having ulterior motives. We might also see our spiritual lives as useless because we can make no difference.

Checking Our Attitudes

These negative attitudes cannot characterize Christians. James 4:13 cautions us against the assumptions we make, that anything is fated, understanding that we should always factor God into our plans. Nothing is fated, and we can appeal to God in our lives as James 5 points out. God does not take away our free will, nor does He predetermine the states of our lives or of our souls. He has given us power over our lives.

I Corinthians 13 discusses the love we should have for each other. Verse 7 says that love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things. A loving Christian believes the best about others rather than denies the sincerity of others’ motives. Cynicism, however justified we may feel it is, demonstrates a lack of love. If we love as Christ loves, we will avoid a cynical outlook.

Romans 8:28 assures us that all things work together for goodness, even when we cannot see the long-term benefits. Paul goes on to ask how any could stand against those with whom God stands. This view is not pessimistic, fatalistic, or cynical. Instead, a child of God takes the most hopeful view of matters. We are to be optimists.

An Optimistic Outlook

In James 1:2-4, we see trials as a time of joy because of the endurance such trials produce. Romans 5:3 reaffirms this hope found in times of trials. Being a good Christian is not an easy task, and those trials and tribulations make us stronger and help us focus on the hope we have in things above. Peter, in I Peter 1:6, expresses concern for the struggles of those Christians, but he reminds them that such struggles can lead to glory and honor before God. With all of the things these disciples would go through in their lives, they encourage us to overcome the challenges we face with optimism.

Our attitudes and outlooks inform our conduct, our thoughts, and our lives. The child of God can recognize the hope set before us, allowing us to approach our lives optimistically, knowing our hope is in the Incorruptible.

Seeing Ourselves As God Sees Us

In I Thessalonians 5:21, Paul tells the saints of Thessolenica that they should test or prove all things. Having tested all things, they should tenaciously cling to all good things while abstaining from evil. We do this with choosing a job, a house, a car, even what we eat. We come to conclusions based on an examination process. We undergo similar scrutiny in our reputation and self-esteem – what others think of us and what we think of ourselves. In both these metrics, there may be some bias one way or another, but God sees our character, the person we are when no one else is looking.

To see what God sees, we have to honestly look inward. We cannot always rely on our opinions of ourselves, and we cannot always rely on the assessment of others. To truly examine one’s self, to test ourselves in the way of I Thessalonians 5, is to see ourselves as God sees us. When we see ourselves the way God sees us, when we examine our true character, we are more capable of growing closer to our God.

A Righteous Standard

It’s possible to divide the Old Testament into a massive list of right and wrong. In contrast, the New Testament serves as a set of guidelines and principles guiding our moral character. It divides righteousness from unrighteousness. The New Testament creates a picture of the type of person a Christian should be, and it is ours to apply those principles in our own lives.

To get a picture of how God would like to see us, we’ll start in James 1:27 where the disciple defines pure religion as behaving charitably and keeping ourselves unspotted by the world. I Timothy 5:22 records Paul writing that we should not be quick to align ourselves with those who could lead us to sin, and I Peter 1:14 admonishes to be holy in all manners of life. In Romans 12:1-2, Paul writes we should be transformed to a new mind, and Philippians 4:8 calls on us to set our minds things of purity and peace. The New Testament paints a picture of those who comes out of the world to keep themselves clean and pure, whose character is uncorrupted.

II Peter 2:20-22 warns against knowing the word of righteousness and turning away from it. I Corinthians 15:33 warn against our associations, and I Peter 2:11 encourages us to avoid worldly desires. I Corinthians 10:12 challenges us to self-examine, lest we fall without knowing. These passages leave us with a sense of responsibility for what we should do with the ability God has given us, the ability to know His will, to know ourselves, and to conform to His word.

A Work in Progress

In Philippians 2:12, Paul encourages us to work. The Christian life is a work in progress. It is never complete. Sometimes there are setbacks. Sometimes the unexpected occurs, but Paul reminds us to work on our own salvation. It’s so much easier to point out your own challenges than my own, to wish for you to carry me with you to salvation, but no one can fulfill our Christian work but ourselves. The end of this effort, though, is salvation – a home in Heaven.

What should our work look like? II Corinthians 5:17 says our work begins with a change. This means new speech, new outlook, new priorities, now attitude. This means keeping ourselves pure from the influence of sin. Our work is a transformation and a separation from the world. I Corinthians 6:17 calls on us to come out from these influences, cleansing ourselves in the hope of God’s promises. Our character should reflect righteousness in all we say and do, and Galatians 6:9-10 encourages us to endure this work, not growing weary in our spiritual conduct, and doing good to all. Paul, in Colossians 3:1, encourages us to seek things above.

Conclusion

We have things in this life that tie up our time and resources, that interest us, or that distract us. Other times, this life can can discourage us in its unfairness or lack of justice. When our emphasis is on the world, there is much to drag us away from God. We know the rewards of reaching toward and obtaining personal goals. We have days where we see that the work we have put into an effort is worth it. God promises that such a day will come for our spiritual efforts. In I John, John uses the phrase, “we know,” roughly twenty times. We can have confidence that we are growing closer to our God when we know we are living as we should, when we know our character reflects the picture we see in scripture. We may not always know what standards to which others hold, but we can know God’s standard as presented in His word. We can know that we know Him when we walk in His truth.

lesson by Tim Smelser

A Refreshing Resolution

Sometimes we make resolutions, but our hearts are just not in them. There is benefit in recognizing a time of renewal as we perhaps saw with the dawning of a new year. It is beneficial to sinner and saint alike. In Acts 3, Peter and John heal a crippled man, and they take the opportunity to preach Christ to the amazed crowds, and Peter speaks of seasons of refreshing from the Lord in verse 19. He encourages these people to make a conscious change in their lives, made possible through the forgiveness of sins – refreshing our souls.

In David’s life, he needed seasons of refreshing as he was fleeing from Saul who sought his life. In Psalms 32 and 51, however, we can see that his greatest relief comes from forgiveness from those sins he confesses to God. He pleads to be washed and purified of his iniquities, asking for a clean heart and a renewed spirit. Like all of us, David is keenly aware of the sin he carries with him in these verses, and he finds renewal in God taking that burden from him.

Finally, in I Peter 5:10, Peter makes reference to the God of grace who will restore, establish, and strengthen His faithful. Perhaps some of us are glad to have one year behind us with a new one before us, a new start, a fresh slate. We can accomplish a new start in our own lives by cleansing our hearts in the grace of God, allowing Him to restore us and renew us in His love.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Reprogramming Ourselves

In early December, I went through a seminar called Breaking Through, and one lesson from the lectures was that we have a great deal of extra content in our minds. We operate consciously about 10% of the time and subconsciously about 90% of the time, and the speaker emphasized that we have to reprogram our subconscious thoughts to influence our conscious actions.

The first principle to reprogram is that we do, in fact, have the ability to change. James 1:19-26 affirms that we have the ability to look into God’s perfect law and become a doer of that word. Do we truly believe this? Do we believe God’s word is powerful, and do we believe we are capable of following it? When we are indecisive about our goals, we seldom get far. Romans 12:1-2 encourages to renew our minds and focus on God’s plan, but we have to overcome our self-limiting thoughts if we are to attain this goal.

Being Versus Having

We have a Have-Do-Be culture. The condition upon us being happy is us doing what we want and having want we want in this world, but the mark is always moving in this approach. There are always better opportunities and better things toward which to reach. I Corinthians 4:11-13 speaks of being content in all economic conditions because of his trust in God. Instead of looking for having things and doing things that lead to peace. Paul finds peace independent of his situations. He sets his mind on peace, then pursues his life. In Colossians 1:1-3, Paul reminds us to set our minds on things above first. Contentment and peace is with God, and through Him, Paul could remain at peace despite any other challenges.

Creative Versus Reactive

When we choose contentment and peace, we will seek after things that promote those conditions. It is having a creative mind rather than a reactive mind. When we are reactive to our lives, we seek to place the responsibility for our actions and attitudes upon others. Someone else is to always to blame. Accepting responsibility, however, is ultimately liberating. We stop worrying about how others impact our lives, and we become the driving forces in our lives. We can live as God wants us to live, and Acts 5:41-42 records Jesus’ disciples doing just that – living a godly life despite persecution that could have led them away. When we react to situations, our choices immediately become limited, but the creative mind is unlimited and free. In Ephesians 3:14-21, Paul writes that we can be filled with God’s fulness.

When we are reactive, we see things from the middle of problems and circumstances we are unable to control. When we create, we take control of the opportunities and possibilities before us. It takes commitment to be creative, though. Are we committed to being the example we should be? Are we committed to being the Bible students we should be? Are we committed to having the character we should have? WHen it comes to commitment, we may fall under one of five categories.

When we commit ourselves to a goal, we often convince ourselves we do all we can by simply wishing to do better or trying to improve without making any real progress. Other times, we let other factors come between us and our commitment, showing that those interferences are actually more important to us than our goal. Instead, we should let nothing stand in our way. Paul writes of his peace and contentment despite all odds. He is a godly person no matter the cost. We should be so committed to God’s work that we will pursue it whatever it takes.

Conclusion

Where are your commitments, and how committed are you to those goals? What if Christ showed as much commitment to my salvation as I show to His service. Romans 5:8 makes it clear that Jesus would fulfill His mission regardless of the cost. II Corinthians 11:20-33 records the measures to which Paul goes to fulfill his ministry. At what point in his story would we have simply given up? Our church family depends on our commitment to better themselves. We are all here to edify each other. We are here to encourage one another. We cannot, however, be the example we should be if we are letting the world dictate our attitudes and actions. We should commit ourselves to being the Christians we should be, and we have to decide first that we will possess God’s peace and contentment despite all around us. We can do all things in Him.

lesson by Donn Koonce