24 January 2010

Caducity

(Kent Heaton)

The first bicycle brand-new-out-of-the-box is a special moment. It stands gleaming with bright colors, clean crisp wheels, painted without a flaw and the chain is oiled just right for smooth control. Riding the first time is like flying with the wind. If the bicycle is lucky it will be washed a few times the first week. The second week is when the change takes place and after the first month a remarkable change happens. What once was carefully nurtured to retain the sparkling look of a new bike gives way to being left in the rain, paint scarred from spills and potholes and tubes needing replacement. The new wears off and time brings on rust and decay.

Everything seems to be like that. A new car smell becomes the spilled coffee, stained seats from children playing hard, paint scrapped from bumps and dings and time wears the new car down to a used car; if lucky an antique. On the other hand every antique was new once – a long time ago. We become antiques. We wear down, wear out and lose that new youthful look we had a long time ago.

The wise man said, “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them": while the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, are not darkened, and the clouds do not return after the rain; In the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow down; when the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look through the windows grow dim; When the doors are shut in the streets, and the sound of grinding is low; When one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of music are brought low. Also they are afraid of height, and of terrors in the way; When the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper is a burden, and desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets. Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well” (Ecclesiastes 12:1-6). Life changes is what the wise man is saying. Youth is replaced with growing older.

Earlier the wise man declared “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2). The nature of life is temporary, transitory and perishable. Paul wrote, “The things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). The most important lesson we must learn is that life is only a brief whisper in the eternal ages to come (James 4:14). We must heed the prayer of Moses to “number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalms 90:12). When we understand the nature of transitory life we can see more clearly the reality of our eternal existence.

Everything is temporary except the promises of God (Titus 1:1-2). What belongs to God will never end. What belongs to man will change and end. The word “caducity” is being removed from modern dictionaries. It is one of many words that have lost their use in the English language. The temporal nature of our language proves the temporal nature of life. Ironically, the meaning of caducity spelled its own doom. Caducity is the “quality of being transitory or perishable” (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1986 edition). Such is life – transitory and perishable. Eternal life is without end (1 John 2:17).

I Was Formerly

(Paul R. Blake)

“This a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1Timothy 1:15). What joy it gives to the penitent believer to know that upon baptism into Christ his sins are all forgiven! From the beginning, humankind has sought to return to fellowship with God after losing that blessed Garden of Eden relationship with Him (Acts 17:26-28). Now in Jesus Christ, one can be free from that which separates him from God... sin.

The apostle Paul describes himself as the former chief of sinners. Before he obeyed the gospel, he was a persecutor of Christians. In Galatians 1:13, he describes his activities: “I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.” In Acts 9, he sought a commission from the high priest to arrest Christians in Damascus and bring them to Jerusalem for trial. So eager was he to hinder the work of the Lord that he traveled in the middle of the day, refusing to seek shelter from the hot sun until the temperature became more suitable for journeying. Jesus characterizes Saul's zealous anti-Christian fervor as self-destructive. He said that Saul was kicking against the goads (Acts 9:5). An ox goad was designed to prod the animal in the direction desired by the master. For the ox to kick back into the point of the goad was to risk impalement on the goad. Saul was kicking against Christ to his self-injury. Jewish historian and secretary to Golda Meir wrote that the two things that did the most damage to first century Judaism were the fall of Jerusalem to Titus in 70 AD and the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. That Saul was an enemy of Christ is beyond dispute.

However, Paul praised God for the forgiveness of these sins. Though he was an insolent man, he obtained mercy; though he was a blasphemer, he became the beneficiary of God's grace; though he was a persecutor, he was treated patiently by the Lord (1Timothy 1:13-16). In addition, Paul expressed wonder that Jesus would put him into the ministry that he might preach the gospel he once tried to destroy.

Paul was blessed. Even though he was a sinner, he was forgiven of those sins. In spite of the fact that he once hated Christians, he was now permitted to convert others to Christ. End of story? Other than having obeyed the gospel, what significant change made it possible for Paul to rejoice in his saved state? He abhorred and forsook the sins he once committed.

It is not insignificant that Paul said: “I was FORMERLY (emphasis mine - prb) a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man” (1Timothy 1:13). Paul was not a blasphemer, persecutor, nor an insolent man any longer. He had given these things up. He told the Philippians: “...concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. But indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:6-8). Paul gave up those things from his past that he might remain in Christ.

Had Paul chosen to hold on to those things that gave him glory and pleasure as one who rebelled against the Lord, he would not have been able to remain in Christ. His former life of sin was not compatible with his present life in Jesus. Therefore, he had to abandon all sinful practices to stay in a saved state.

Because Paul rid himself of all ties to his former insolent life, he was able to labor more freely for the Lord. He found freedom from sin to be enabling, making him a more effective servant of the Lord. He wrote: “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1Corinthians 15:9-10).

Paul ensured that the grace of God given to him would not be in vain by means of completely giving his own life over to the Lord's direction and guidance. Paul chose to be led by faith in the word of God rather than by his own worldly impulses and whims. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). It is only fitting for one who has received forgiveness of sins by the giving of Christ's life to give his own life back to the Lord in return.

How is then that so many who obey the gospel later fall from grace and return to the world they once left? It is because, after they were baptized, they were not former sinners, but currently sinners. They have not given up the sins that originally brought them under condemnation; and therefore, remain beset by weakness and sin.

The drunkard who obeys the gospel must cease ALL drinking of booze, or else he will not enjoy the ongoing blessings in Christ for the faithful. The penitent liar must ALWAYS tell the truth, or the blood of Christ will do him no lasting good. The lazy must work, the thief must not steal, the gossip must be silent, the contentious man must control his urges if any of them are to stay in Christ. The believer who repents of his sins before being baptized should not merely be disgusted by his sins, he must also resolve to forsake his sins to the uttermost and determine never to return to them.

If one believes in God and His word, repents of his sins, publicly confesses his faith in Jesus Christ, and is baptized, and then returns to the sins he repented of, he cannot enjoy salvation. He has once again lost his fellowship with God (1John 1:6). In fact, his condition is worse than it was before he obeyed the gospel. “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning” (2Peter 2:20).

Gentle Reader, if you call yourself a Christian, cease from sin and serve the Lord faithfully. Misery is the fate of those who try to live in the world and in Christ at the same time. Joy is the lot of one who is loyal to the Lord.

Conduct "In The Lord"

(Rick Liggin)

To the Colossian brethren, Paul writes about the “renewal” or “renovation” that should be taking place in us now that we are Christians (Colossians 3:1-17; esp. 3:11); and according to the apostle, this “renovation” should also have an affect on our families.

Paul begins by addressing wives, urging them to “be subject to your husband as is fitting in the Lord” (3:18). Now, I am aware of the fact that submission to a husband is “counter-cultural” conduct. Our culture (or society) says, “You are his equal!” And that certainly is true in terms of value: in God’s eyes, women and men are of equal value; but God has clearly given women a role different from men. Our culture says to our women, “Assert yourself! He has no authority over you! You take the lead! You take control!”

But the Lord consistently demands that wives be submissive to their husbands (cf. Ephesians 5:22-24; Titus 2:5; 1 Peter 3:1-6). And this submission, says Paul, is “fitting in the Lord” (Colossians 3:18); literally, it “comes up to” His standards. Now please note well that the text does not say, “fitting to the Lord,” but “fitting in the Lord.” This is “in the Lord” conduct.

If we were “in the world,” then worldly conduct would be “fitting” for us. But we’re not “in the world!” We are “in the Lord,” and that means that our conduct (our behavior) must “come up to” His standards --not the world’s.

This brings me to the real subject of this article. Because we “have been raised up with Christ” (Colossians 3:1) and are now “in the Lord,” our conduct, even at home, must no longer reflect worldly standards, but rather the standards of our Lord. As Christians, we’ve been called out of the world, and are now “in the Lord”--and our conduct must reflect this change in relationship. Our conduct, even in the home, must “come up to” the standards of the Lord, rather than just the standards of the world. Christ calls on us to live in a “counter-cultural” way. He calls on us to live in a way that is “fitting” to Him.

We see this same point made when Paul says to young folks: “Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord” (Colossians 3:20--check your marginal note for this more correct literal translation). Conduct that is acceptable or “well-pleasing in the Lord” may not be acceptable or well-pleasing “in the world.” Young folks in the world may rebel against their parents, but a young person “in the Lord” whose life is being renovated after the image of Christ obeys his parents and submits to their authority.

The point is that we are “in the Lord!” We are not “in the world”--not anymore! And because this is so, our behavior must “come up to” the Lord’s standards; it must be “fitting” to Him--everywhere--and in every relationship…even at home!

If we really want to build better families, we must start living in a counter-cultural way--even at home. And this must be true, not just of wives and children, but of all of us--husbands included. Our conduct must reflect the fact that we are “in the Lord”--and not in the world! Is your conduct “in the Lord”?

The Cost of Indecision

Former President Ronald Reagan says he learned the need for decision-making early in life. An aunt had taken him to a cobbler to have a pair of shoes made for him. The shoemaker asked young Ronald Reagan, "Do you want a square toe or a round toe?" Reagan hemmed and hawed. So the cobbler said, "Come back in a day or two and let me know what you want." A few days later the shoemaker saw Reagan on the street and asked what he had decided about the shoes. "I still haven't made up my mind," the boy answered. "Very well," said the cobbler. When Reagan received the shoes, he was shocked to see that one shoe had a square toe and the other a round toe. "Looking at those shoes every day taught me a lesson," said Reagan years later. "If you don't make your own decisions, somebody else will make them for you!" The sovereign God has made us people, not puppets. We have His Word to guide us, His love to redeem us, and His assurance that we are capable of making choices.