Paul's Answer to Felix

If someone was to ask you why you live how you do, why do you believe what you do, how would you answer? How would you use this single chance? We might talk about the gospel’s power to save, the good news contained in that message. We might appeal to the so-called steps of salvation. By these qualities, we might defend our hope.

Paul, in Acts 24, has this opportunity when he presents his defense before Felix, and he takes an approach quite different from one we might make. In verse 42 of this chapter, Felix and his wife inquire of Paul about the path he has chosen. In verse 25, Paul reasons from righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come.

On Righteousness
Righteousness is simply holiness in daily thought and action. Our conduct and our attitudes reflect our righteousness. Romans 12:1-2 instructs us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice in our spiritual service. Paul calls on us to be different from the world, separate and distinct in our thoughts and actions. I Peter 1:13-16 instructs to prepare our minds, setting our hope on God and reflecting His holiness in our lives. Romans 1:16-17 affirms God’s power to save through the gospel, demonstrated in those who live by faith, those whose lives are defined by their service to God.

Romans 10:1-3 records Paul praising the zeal of his national brethren, but he warns that they should not be satisfied by their own standard of righteousness. The same is true of us today. God does not compare our level of righteousness to those around us. He compares us to His standard, even if those standards call for changes in our lives that we may be hesitant to make. Our standards must raise to God’s standard.

On Self-Control
Self-control is a personal application of what we know to be right as guided by God’s will. Proverbs 25:28 calls one lacking self-control like a city whose defenses are destroyed. (Remember the importance of walls and defenses around cities during this time period.) Self-control is our defense against forces that can tear us down. Galatians 5:22-23 groups this quality with other fruits of the spirit like love and kindness. II Peter 1:5 instructs us to work on self-control as we develop the qualities of our faith. Also, Titus 1:8 applies this quality to those who would help oversee a congregation.

We don’t always want to be in control of self. We don’t like others to monitor us, and sometimes we neglect to monitor our selves. We want to do what we want to do, but God tells us to guide ourselves by His will rather than by our own will. In I Corinthians 7:5 warns against the devil’s willingness to tempt the limits of our self-control. We cannot drop our defenses, or our adversary will overtake us. We must use God’s word to equip us to control ourselves.

On Judgment
God’s judgment emphasizes personal accountability. Romans 13:12 warns that all will give an account before God, and Ecclesiastes 12:14 says all works will be brought to judgment, secret or otherwise. II Corinthians 5:10 tells us we will all be revealed for who we are before Christ’s judgment seat. However, we may convince ourselves that God will take us in even when we have rejected Him. He has demonstrated His love to us by offering up His own son in our place, but we cannot continue to resist Him. Matthew 25 depicts God dividing people on His right and His left. We should be living so, when we are judged, we know that we will have an Advocate in Christ.

Conclusion
The faith we have in Christ Jesus is not dependent on my feelings or my own standards. It is rooted in our confidence in God’s word and our submission to that word. In Acts 24, when presented with these arguments, Felix sends Paul away until a more convenient time. He leaves Paul in jail, does visit him in hopes of a bribe. It seems Felix’s convenient time never comes.
What are we waiting for to make the changes in our lives that we need? Will we, like Felix, simply put God off? He is waiting for us to come to Him, but we must come to Him on His terms, striving to reflect His righteousness, exercising self-control, and submitting to His mercy preparing for that judgment to come.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Faith In God Rather Than Man

Why should I go through the struggle of living faithfully? What makes the effort worth it? Sometimes, faithful Christians may look around and see the abuses in the name of Jesus, the hypocrisy demonstrated by too many who wear His name, and we wonder why we’re a part of this. Philippians 2:12 encourages us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Now, this is not indicating that we each figure out our own way to Jesus. Instead, Paul is warning us against attaching our faithfulness to what we see in others. Our journey to Heaven is a personal one. We may help others and be helped by others, but our faith cannot hinge upon them.

In I Corinthians 1:14, Paul deals with the issue of people hanging their faithfulness on those who converted them, and he calls this carnal thinking. Verse 29-31 says no flesh should glory before God but rather in the Lord. Chapter 2:4 records Paul saying his teachings are in the power of God rather than the wisdom of men. It makes no difference, he is explaining, who baptizes you. What matters is the adherence to God’s word.

Maintaining Hope
In Genesis 3 & 4, Adam and Eve are blessed by God, living in an idyllic garden called Eden. They have but one condition, and they disobey. Then, in chapter 4, we read of Cain and Abel. What if Abel had been a defeatist due to the failings of his parents? Instead, he gives his best. Additionally, what if Seth had given up based on his parents and the actions of his brother Cain. Genesis 4:16, Seth and his family maintain worshipping the Lord.

I Samuel 20:30 records Saul growing angry with his son Jonathan due to his son’s friendship with Saul’s perceived rival David. Saul goes as far as attempting to kill Jonathan. Again, what if Jonathan had given up on David because of this? I Samuel 20:41-42 has David and Jonathan affirming their friendship in spite of these obstacles. Jonathan could have turned on David based on his father’s influence, but he does not. In I Samuel 8:1-6, we see a contrast. God’s prophet Samuel has sons who do not walk in his ways or God’s ways. Where Saul’s wickedness does not impact his child, Samuel’s children do not negate his faithfulness.

In Colossians 4:14, Paul is writing from house arrest. As he concludes his letter, sending greetings to specific saints, and he mentions one named Demas who is working with him. He is also recorded in Philemon verse 24. II Timothy 4:10 records a contrast, though, where Demas abandons Paul, loving this present world. All of the good he does for Paul is not negated by his actions. Likewise, Diotrephes in III John verse 9 has fallen, but any good he had accomplished before is not erased by this.

Conclusion
Men are fallible, and even our personal heroes fall. Noah, David, Peter – these and more are heroes of faith. However, even these struggled and fell short of God’s word. We remember the those involved in the incestuous relationship of I Corinthians, but II Corinthians 7 speaks of godly sorrow that brings repentance. Just because we see others, even those we admire, fall short, we have no reason to throw aside our faith.

The children of Israel carried into Babylon captivity were surrounded by the unrighteous, but some return as a righteous remnant who maintained hope despite many reasons to cast it aside. Onesimus obeys the gospel despite being in the wrong, and Philemon remains faithful despite being wronged by Onesimus. In Revelation 2, God speaks of righteous individuals, even in congregations full of those displeasing to Him.

While we draw strength from each other, and we can be discouraged by each other, our faith is ultimately between ourselves and God. Our hope and our salvation is in Him alone, and no man can take that from us.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Ephesians 4 & Our Interactions

Ephesians 4:11 begins discussing diverse roles we can fill in a church, and the scope of these verses is the church at large. Ephesians 2 begins establishing the fact that Jew and Gentile are one in Christ. Imagine coming to the conclusion that Jesus can save you from your sins, but you will be working with those who hold you in contempt. Many Jews and Gentiles felt this way about each other in the first century. Conversation may have become hostile at times as their differences would come to a head, but Paul, in Ephesians 2:15, reinforces that Christ brings peace. He calls them fellow citizens, and he calls them one body in the next chapter.

Chapter 4:1-3 emphasize an attitude of humility that leads to unity in the church, and the makeup of the Ephesian congregation would have possibly had a hard time accomplishing this. Paul reminds them that they are no longer of the world, no longer Jews or Gentiles but new creatures. In Ephesians 4:25, Paul begins to discuss the conduct that should be reflected in these who have put on spirituality.

Four Principles of Godly Communication
Ephesians 4:25 is often applied to our speech – our language, lying, etc. While these are good applications, Paul is addressing some principles of communication in these verses. This passage outlines how we are to interact with our brothers and sisters.

Honesty. Ephesians 4:25 tells us to put away falsehood and to deal honestly with one another. This is for the sake of unity. Nothing divides Christians more than partisanship, misrepresentation, and suspician. While we may not have a problem with outright lies, we may have issues with misrepresentations. We may skew facts or events to cast ourselves in abetter light.

Think of Ananias and Sapphira who misrepresent the percentage of their finances that they give. God treats this as a lie. Think of the life of Jesus where the scribes and Pharisees would incite the people against Him by misusing and misrepresenting his words. In the book of Romans, Paul deals directly with others taking his words out of context to make him look like he was saying something untrue.

We may utilize hyperbole: “Everyone thinks that…;” “I’ve always seen…” We may exaggerate. We may leave facts out. We are a spiritual family, and we should avoid getting caught up in these kind of subtle falsehoods. Our goal should be unity, and that is accomplished through honesty, fairness, and openess in our conversations with one another.

Remain Current. In verses 26-27, Paul entreats us to avoid sin in our anger. There are things that happen, things that are said, that hurts our feelings, hurt our pride, and make us angry. Ephesians 4:1-2 calls for us to be long-suffering and to exercise forbearance. Do we hold on to our anger? Do we let it fester? Do we stew over our frustrations? Paul says we can be angry, after all.

In this passage, Paul may be quoting Psalm 4:4 which makes the same appeal, calling on us commune with our hearts and be still. In Ephesians, Paul warns us against letting the sun set on our wrath. Our moments of anger should only be brief. Psalm 4:5 says to worship God after we deal with anger, and Matthew 5:23-24 records Jesus telling his listeners to reconcile with those they’ve wronged before worshipping God.

When we dwell in anger, we open a door to the devil according to Ephesians 4:27. Anger is little more than wounded pride, leading to resentment and animosity. What if the Grecian widows of Acts 17 had held on to their hurt and continued to revisit it? What affect would that have had on the Jerusalem church. What if Philemon held Onesimus’ flight over his head instead of forgiving him? What if Peter and Paul had been unable to get past the events of Galatians 2? We must learn from the past, but we cannot use it as a weapon.

Address the problem, not the person. In Ephesians 4:29, Paul speaks of corrupt speech, and the only other times this Greek word is used is in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, speaking of rotten trees and fruit. It is defined as something unprofitable and worthless. We may say some rotten things toward each other, and it can be hard to separate what is said from who said it.

We can disagree without being disagreeable, and verse 30 encourages to use speech that is edifying, spiritually beneficial, and gracious. When we attack each other, we grieve God’s Spirit. Our actions can actually bring grief to deity. Rather, we should patient with each other as God is patient with us.

Act; don’t react. This takes serious self-control. Seldom do we speak of reacting to something in a positive light. We seldom think about our words or measure our actions when we are busy reacting. Proverbs 29:20 condemns the one who is hasty in his words, who is reactive, as hopeless. Proverbs 18:13 calls it shameful to give answer without listening to the other side.

We want to be quick in inserting our arguments into a discussion. However, Ephesians 4 tells us this type of conduct brings about bitterness, wrath, and anger. Negative reactions give birth to more negative reactions, so Paul says to put these qualities away in Ephesians 4:31. In verse 32, he asks us to put on kindness, forgiveness, and tenderness. Unlike the reactive qualities, these take effort and initiative.

Walking In Love
Ephesians 4:32-5:2 reminds us that we are imitators of God, and that we should be walking in the love of Christ. We are one in God’s eyes. In our group settings and private settings, we should look at Ephesians 4 and ask if we are conducting our relationships as God would have us. We can build each other up in how we interact with each other, patient and loving toward each other, helping each other toward our spiritual home.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Prevailing In Defeat

What if we had to flee our own country for our own safety? What if we had to return home, knowing that circumstances may not yet be safe? Imagine if, upon returning home, you knew an army was standing in your way. These are the circumstances upon which Jacob returns home after his time working for Laban. Jacob knows that Esau had vowed to murder him after the death of their fathers. He doesn’t know what to expect upon return.

In Genesis 32, Jacob sends messengers to meet Esau, and they tell Jacob that his brother is coming out to meet him with four hundred men. Jacob divides his house and prepares to die. He seems to expect Esau to fulfill the threat he made some twenty years prior. He prays to God, and someone appears to him and wrestles with him in verse 24. Hosea 12:3-4, the prophet identifies this man as an angel of God. As dawn breaks, the two are at a draw. The angel somehow dislocates Jacob’s hip, and he renames Jacob as Israel. In this, God is teaching Jacob a lesson, and He is teaching us through him.

Relating to God Through Jacob
When, in His word, we hear of God confronting man, that man represents you and me. This struggle demonstrates how a relationship with God is difficult. Up to this point, Jacob has been on a journey, and his views have turned more spiritual the longer he has been away. At this point, he has resigned himself to death. He has given up self, and the result is true blessings. Jacob once was a manipulator and a schemer. Now he is in God’s hands, and it’s in God that blessings will come.

This conflict ultimately results in a change in Jacob, and our relationship with God should change us. Jacob changed from usurper to Israel, prince of God. Likewise, we shed our old identity when we enter into our relationship with God. We displace the man of sin and become a nation of priests, heirs of God’s promise.

Victory in Defeat
A paradox exists in this struggle. Jacob receives his blessing because he prevails. Even after Jacob’s hip is dislocated, the angel says Jacob prevailed. Hosea says Jacob prevailed. He physically lost the struggle with the angel, but he prevails because of his defeat. He becomes bold in faith when he can no longer rely on self. Up to this point, Jacob has prevailed time and again by the world’s standards through carnal methods. In losing a conflict with God, Jacob wins spiritually. He now has to rely on God for his blessings.

In a way, this struggle illustrates the power of prayer. God opposes our sinful will, and we must wholly submit ourselves to Him. Like Jacob, we prevail in God’s eyes when we completely humble ourselves. Selfishly relying on our own resources, our own resources sets us as antagonists with God. It is only when we truly empty our selves and trust in Him that we can overcome.

Back in Genesis 32:11, Jacob asks for deliverance from Esau, and he reminds God of His promises. He treats his relationship with God as a bargain, and identifies God as belonging to his forefathers Abraham and Isaac. Contrast this with Genesis 33 after his teary reunion with Esau. In verses 9-11, a the brothers debate Esau’s acceptance of Jacob’s gifts. Jacob finally demonstrates his understanding of God’s role in his blessings. He recognizes God, in verse 20, as the God of Israel. God is no longer that of his fathers, but he takes ownership of his personal relationship with God.

We cannot rely on ourselves and on God. We cannot be full of His spirit and full of ourselves. Do we view God as God of our parents or grandparents? We must humble ourselves in His sight, so He can lift us up. We must defeat ourselves, so we can prevail in Him.

lesson by Tim Smelser