Having resolved to quit every activity that does not work godliness, I am now continually faced with an evaluative process. To be precise, I must determine in each case whether that activity works godliness or not.
The question then becomes: How do I know if something works godliness or not? What guidelines can I have in place to evaluate my activities against? In other words, I need a way to say "This is not okay because..."
What is it that pushes an activity "over the edge," so to speak, from acceptable and godly to a state where it is not advancing the work of God?
I can set a standard for myself (and have), of certain things that I refuse to do -- but without an absolute principle behind it, the set of rules is really meaningless. The key is to find the principle; once the principle is made plain, I can then take it and apply it to whatever situation I find myself in.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Sermon Topics
I have been wondering over the last few days about the ministry of preaching the Word of God. How does a pastor, evangelist, preacher, or teacher choose a sermon topic? How do you select the passage of scripture or subject to expound, especially week after week?
I think I understand the mechanics of how to preach or teach on a given section, but how do I choose which topic to deliver?
I think I understand the mechanics of how to preach or teach on a given section, but how do I choose which topic to deliver?
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Sorry
When I was young, well, younger, after I had done something wrong, Mom would make me apologize. Often, in order to emphasize the attitude changes that should be occurring, she would ask, "What does 'sorry' mean?" So there was no mistake, she would tell us: "'Sorry' means that you don't do it again."
I think it works the same way with God. When we come to our senses and realize how much wrong we have done God by disobeying Him, we have to apologize, both to Him and to the people we have been ungodly towards. We tend to want to say it in more words, but essentially what we say is "God, I'm sorry."
My question is, are we sorry? Do we really give up what we were doing before, never to do it again? If we are, there should be a definite and distinct difference in both our attitude and our actions. When we are sorry, our outlook shifts from our own justification to being focused on what is right for the other person; our actions also reflect this -- we are willing to repay (when before we weren't), we place ourselves at their mercy (so they can exact whatever will propitiate them), etc.
Is this how we are toward God, letting Him take whatever He wants? How are we toward others? Do we take what we think is fair, or do we put their happiness first?
I think it works the same way with God. When we come to our senses and realize how much wrong we have done God by disobeying Him, we have to apologize, both to Him and to the people we have been ungodly towards. We tend to want to say it in more words, but essentially what we say is "God, I'm sorry."
My question is, are we sorry? Do we really give up what we were doing before, never to do it again? If we are, there should be a definite and distinct difference in both our attitude and our actions. When we are sorry, our outlook shifts from our own justification to being focused on what is right for the other person; our actions also reflect this -- we are willing to repay (when before we weren't), we place ourselves at their mercy (so they can exact whatever will propitiate them), etc.
Is this how we are toward God, letting Him take whatever He wants? How are we toward others? Do we take what we think is fair, or do we put their happiness first?
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Spots
"Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless." -- II Peter 3:14
If we are to be found without spot, what must we do? First, and most obvious I think, is that every individual who is looking "for such things" must give all diligence to "do these things" that Peter outlines in the first chapter (in verses 5-11).
Second, however, Peter also points out that there is a larger sense in which we must beware of (and thus also take care to eliminate) spots. He says, speaking of false teachers and their followers: "spots they are, and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you..." (II Peter 2:13)
So, in a corporate sense, as the body and bride of Christ, we must take great care to be alert to the existence and/or entrance of such people into the church -- and then remove them from the body. Thus, He may "present [us] to himself a glorious church, not having any spot or wrinkle, or any such thing." (Ephesians 5:27)
If we are to be found without spot, what must we do? First, and most obvious I think, is that every individual who is looking "for such things" must give all diligence to "do these things" that Peter outlines in the first chapter (in verses 5-11).
Second, however, Peter also points out that there is a larger sense in which we must beware of (and thus also take care to eliminate) spots. He says, speaking of false teachers and their followers: "spots they are, and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you..." (II Peter 2:13)
So, in a corporate sense, as the body and bride of Christ, we must take great care to be alert to the existence and/or entrance of such people into the church -- and then remove them from the body. Thus, He may "present [us] to himself a glorious church, not having any spot or wrinkle, or any such thing." (Ephesians 5:27)
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