GLORIFYING THE NAME OF JESUS

II Ths. 1:12 ... "That the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you."    

      One of the great blessings which God bestows upon those who respond to His gospel with faith and obedience is the right to wear a new name, Christian, after that of His Son, Jesus Christ. He planned this honor from of old, for in Isa. 65:15 He promised, "The Lord God will slay you (apostate Israel). But My servants will be called by another name." Some seven centuries later, after the church had been established and its door opened to both Jews and Gentiles, it is reported in Acts 11:26 that "the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." Only in the name of Christ will God forgive sin and save your soul, as Peter stated in Acts 4:12, "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." Jesus declared, "Where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst," (Mat.18:20). Christian assemblies must therefore be called together in Jesus' name, after which acceptable worship may be offered to  God. Prayers to God in Jesus' name will be acknowledged and answered, for so He promised in Jno. 14:14, "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." In the name of Jesus His disciples are commissioned to evangelize the world. Just before He ascended to heaven, Jesus ordered His disciples to "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," (Mat. 28:19). These Scriptures just quoted are only a sampling of the many in the New Testament which emphasize the meaning, the power, and the incomparable value of the name of Jesus as it relates to people. The one who makes an exhaustive study of these Scriptures will be greatly rewarded with deeper appreciation and greater reverence for that name.

      Among other functions, a name signifies identity. For example, my surname indicates that I belong to the Whited family, thus excluding me from the millions of other families on earth. My first and middle names, Burton and Franklin, distinguish me from the thousands of other people who bear the name Whited, and so far as I know, isolates me from every other person in the world. It pinpoints my identity. To wear the name "Christian" legitimately identifies one as a disciple of Christ, distinguishing him from infidels, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and those of all other religions. It is, therefore, a great honor to be allowed to wear this name, since Jesus is the only case where divinity came to earth, lived in human form, paid the penalty for every sin committed here, established God's kingdom among men, and then returned to heaven to serve as man's advocate before God. In response to our being permitted to wear Jesus' name, we must devote ourselves to fashioning our lives according to His example. To receive His name to wear requires that you accept it as your primary goal to subject yourself to the patterns of thought, style of behavior, personal objectives, and social affiliations taught in the gospel. When you enact this kind of response to being given the name "Christian," you are complying with the instruction of the lead text above, "That the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you."  

      The world generally respects a person whose lifestyle is congruent with the standard which he affirms, even though many may deny and reject the standard itself. Much of the world repudiates the Christian religion, but it will nevertheless usually admire the one who truly and consistently lives it, especially when it means the denial of personal advantage in material wealth, social position and physical pleasure. That respect and admiration will then reflect from the Christian to the source of his power, even to his Lord Christ Jesus, who Himself reflects the glory of His Father. Jesus summed it up in these words: "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven," (Mat. 5:16).    

HOLD FAST TO WHAT IS GOOD

I Ths. 5:21 ... "Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good."

      While we live in this world, we must of necessity sustain relationships with other people and things about us. The variation in things and in human activities formulate different situations which confront the lives of Christians and require some kind of response. And then, from within the restless working of the human mind arise ideas and imaginations that are projected to other people as ideologies, theories, theologies and philosophies which often take possession of them. Perhaps the great majority of us hold the opinions we have about religion, politics, morality, the meaning and purpose of life, and many other fundamental issues because of the influence of some belief system we learned at home, in school, or from the mass media. Relatively few people expend the time and toil required to compare as many of the varied belief systems as possible to discover the one that seems to explain best the human condition and maximizes the meaning and quality of life. To neglect this careful examination is to experience life at the lowest level and put to least use the capacity to think with which we have been endowed. In fact, Socrates in his Apology went so far as to say that "the unexamined life is not worth living." The men who, by inspiration, wrote the Bible teach us to put the things in our world to a test to determine their value, durability, and impact upon our welfare physically, mentally, and spiritually. The text quoted above is only one of many that urge this important task.

      The chameleon, a small reptile found near creeks and ponds, has the ability to change its color to blend into the surroundings in order not to attract the attention of predators. For them this is a valuable survival skill. Many people are like chameleons when they are confronted by the various situations in life surrounding them. They readily adapt to its complexion, adjusting without discernment to whatever prevails. They easily blend with the masses in possessing the same faddish products, in wearing the same style of clothing, and in grooming themselves to look like others. They learn to speak the same jargon, pursue the same entertainment, and follow the herd to the same centers of attraction. Without hesitation or resistance they yield their thinking to the popular, prevailing construction of thought about what life is, what it means,  and what purpose it has. The ultimate impact thereof upon society as a whole, or upon oneself, never seems to be a concern. If it is in vogue right now, to adopt it and become a part of it, is the only thing that matters. Least of all is any consideration given to ultimate reality and to the sovereignty of God over the world.

      Christians, however, must not let themselves become chameleons with respect to the world, its varied operations, or its human factor. We must keep ourselves aware that human activity is usually rebellious to God. We are told in Jas. 4:4 that "friendship with the world is hostility toward God" and that "whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." Human thought is too often controlled by pride, motivated by greed, and driven by lust. Therefore, as Paul counsels in I Ths. 4:21, we must always subject our thinking and resulting behavior to the test of righteousness, using the supreme standard of measure given us by God. All that fails the test we must reject, no matter how entrenched it is in common practice or how popular in society. Only that which passes the test, "that which is good," is acceptable for us to receive, incorporate into our behavior, and adopt into our pattern of thinking. If this displeases friends and acquaintances and even draws upon us the derision of society, then SO BE IT! We are required, as citizens of the Kingdom of God. to "obey God rather than men," (Acts 5:29); and in II Cor. 6:17 we are told to "come out from their midst and be separate." Why should we be concerned to please the mass of unregenerate, worldly people when they can do nothing for us when we come before God in the Final Judgment?  (see II Cor. 5:10).

CALLED UNTO HOLINESS

I Ths. 4:7 ... "For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification (or, 'unto holiness,' KJV)."

      A major part of the Christian religion, which is "pure ... undefiled," is the effort to "keep oneself unstained by the world," (Jas. 1:27). And a primary objective in our relationship with God is to imitate His perfect holiness (I Pet. 1:15-16). Moral pollution and holiness are opposites, and both lie within the scope of human experience. Moral pollution is a product of the world, but holiness comes only from God. Living in absolute purity, God allows only those who purify themselves to come unto Him. His kingdom on earth is the church, which is also described as the bride of Christ. Those who enter this kingdom must develop lives characterized by purity in mind, purity in speech, and purity in behavior. In Eph. 5:25b-27 it states that "Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her (make her holy), having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless." It is the never-ending task of those who would be members of this church to examine their lives daily to detect any defilement that might creep into them and to purge it from them.

      The world is full of corrupting influences, and God through His word is diligent to alert us to their presence and destructive influence. In Gal. 5:19-21, for example, a list of them is arranged into three categories. In the first are sensual impurities: immorality, impurity, sensuality, drunkenness and carousings. In the second are religious impurities: idolatry and sorcery. And in the third are attitudinal impurities: enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions and envyings. A similar list is given in Rom. 1:29-31, where the course of Gentile degeneration into moral perversion is traced. An amplification of some of the specific pollutants is provided in vs. 21-28, including especially the sin of homosexuality. Anyone who bothers to survey the current human scene can easily find these contaminations prevalent. They are real and imminent dangers to anyone who hopes to be a son of God who will be permitted to live in His presence. After listing these defilements, the text in Galatians 5 concludes with this statement in v.21b, "Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Equally specific is the statement of Rev. 21:27 where, in describing heaven as a perfect city, it says that "nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it."

      To live in the world is also to be brought into contact daily with one or more of the impurities that permeate society. Paul comments on this situation in I Cor. 5:9-10, "I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world." There is no possibility of "go[ing] out of the world" to escape the moral pollution that surrounds us, except by death, and that is not our choice to make. Instead, we must continue to live among the immoral without allowing them to defile us. And that is a very difficult task, because many moral pollutions are very popular and offer the appearance of pleasure, advancement, and success. These rewards, however, are only apparent and fleeting. They do in the beginning bring pleasure and desired elevation in worldly position, but they eventually plunge those who embrace them into destruction. Therefore, throughout Holy Scripture the Lord calls us away from their ruinous deception. He warns us, e.g., in I Jno. 2:17 that "the world is passing away, and also its lusts." Then He promises that "the one who does the will of God abides forever." The blood which Jesus shed on the cross will cleanse us of every impurity, if we will submit our lives to Him. With loving care He calls us patiently and incessantly unto His holiness and thence unto eternal security in His glory.

ABOUNDING IN LOVE

I Ths. 3:12 ... "May the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all people."

      Long before Christ came to earth Jewish scholars debated the question about which of the Mosaic laws was the greatest. Or, to express it another way, which of the laws was most fundamental? What law was the base upon which all the others rested? A couple of generations before the birth of Jesus there was an eminent rabbi named Hillel. It was said that one day a Gentile, contemptuous of the bulky Mosaic Law, met Hillel and challenged him to stand on one foot while he recited the whole of it. Without expression the old man lifted one foot and quoted Dty. 6:5, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your might." Then he said, "The rest is commentary." Putting his foot back on the ground, he resumed his walk down the street. Hillel and the other rabbis reached this conclusion by careful, analytical study of the Scriptures, and they were entirely correct. The apostle Paul stated the same conclusion by divine inspiration in these words of Rom. 13:8-10, "Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law. For this, 'You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law."

      Jesus Himself declared that the first commandment is to love God with all your ability. He then said that the second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself, (Mat. 22:37-40). Paul called the way of love a "more excellent way," (I Cor. 12:31). Then, comparing it to the other things men covet, he said that "the greatest of these is love," (I Cor. 13:13). One's identity in Christ is established by the love he has for Him (Jno. 14:15), and for God the Father (I Jno. 4:8), and for the children of God (I Jno. 4:12, 21). In fact, one of the major requirements of Christianity is to love even one's enemies (Mat. 5:44). Perfect love is the thing on earth that is most like heaven. According to Gal. 5:22, the first fruit which the Holy Spirit imparts to the Christian is love. The same thing is stated in Rom. 5:5, "The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

      Love is therefore so essential to Christian life that, if it is removed, nothing remains but a pale corpse. The love that permeates Christians with the color and energy of spiritual vitality does not come by inheritance. Though it is developed by the grace of God and through the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit, as we have just seen, it is not bestowed as a gift in all its fullness. Neither is it absorbed from other Christians by some sort of spiritual osmosis. Rather, love must be sought by one who recognizes its supreme value and its ability to lift one upward toward God, who is the pure essence of love (I Jno. 4:8). It must be learned by diligence and developed through steadfast exercise. The great objective of Christianity, which is the theme of the lead text above, is to "increase in love" continually until it "abounds" in your life, that is, until it runs over with the excess of its beautiful, constructive fruit in your attitude, speech and conduct. All of this is possible when you look unto the Lord, who is the Epitome of love, and who nurtures the same in those who prize it and labor for it.

      In I Jno. 4:19 it says that "we love, because He first loved us." When we begin to fathom the great love that God has for us, love so great that He gave His only Son to die for a lost and inimical world. our response is to begin to love Him in return. As love toward God grows, it spreads out to encompass love for our fellow men (I Jno. 4:20), who are also made in the similitude of God. Love lifts us out of a shell of selfishness and directs us toward God. Then it leads us to bless people about us, enabling us to introduce them to the same grace which has so blessed us.