WHICH WAY FROM HERE?

I Tim. 6:11 ... "Flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness."

      As we make our way through life, we are traveling through a region on a journey that we make only once. We have never been this way before and shall never come this way again. We are informed in Heb. 11:13 that we are "strangers and exiles on the earth."  We are therefore unable to rely on previous experience at any particular point since we have never before been there to acquire the experience of it. But we are much in need of experience in choosing the best course among several alternatives that lead ahead from any given situation.

      A little assistance might be found in looking backward into one's life to similar situations and using the experience gained from the decision then made and the consequences that followed. We are pointed in this direction by the proverb that "experience is the best teacher." Perhaps, but what do we do when we face a situation for the first time? J.A. Froude, the English historian, answers, "Experience teaches slowly, and at the cost of mistakes." The lesson that experience has taught many can never be applied, because their mistakes resulted in death. More help might come from tapping into the experience of other people who have already passed through approximately the same life context we are now facing. The accumulated experience of people from ages past is one definition of history, and the German philosopher Goethe warned that "those who ignore the lessons of history are bound to repeat the calamities that taught them." Nevertheless, this source of help is valuable only up to a point and must not be trusted without reservation. The best of human wisdom can be wrong when the basic issues of the cause of our existence, the meaning of life, and future destiny are concerned. We are advised in Jer. 10:23 that "a man's way is not in himself; nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps." There is always a risk in relying on one's own past experience, or that of other people, in choosing the best path ahead from a current situation. Life has so many variables that almost never do they occur in the same patterns of relation and emphasis. In other words, no two contexts of life are ever quite the same.

      This is where the Bible becomes so important in our lives, for God has given it to us out of His own perfect wisdom to guide us in making the best decisions. Psa. 119:105 announces that "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path." It will show us the best course from any point in life, if we will hold it up in faith to let it illuminate the way before us. The One who gave us the Bible is supreme in wisdom, has the vision to see clearly as far into the future as He wishes, and possesses the power to manipulate world forces to accomplish His will. If we will yield the course of our lives to His holy guidebook, God has promised to apply His infinite abilities to our welfare. The lead text above has its application in this frame of thought. As we stand at any crossroads in life and survey the many ways that radiate out into the future, where they are immediately shrouded in the mists of the unknown, the revealed divine wisdom warns us that there are some which we must avoid. The words, "O man of God, flee from these things," refer to the avenues to trouble. The context of this statement warns us against roads that pass through resentment of others, pride, envy, strife, vain speculation, and the lust for wealth. Only one road is pointed to as the best for us travel, the one that leads through "righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness." This is, of course, the only safe way that traverses the turmoil of the world safely to end in eternal happiness. It is the road of life that sometimes in the New Testament is called The Christian Way, (Acts 24:14).

KEEP FREE FROM SIN

I Tim. 5:22 ... "Do not ... share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin."

      If sin always immediately produced the effects that it invariably does in time -- misery, pain, shame, failure, loss and death -- it's doubtful if many people would choose to engage in it, or if anyone would sin carelessly or very often. But the horrible results of sin are usually deferred, and then take effect gradually. It is characteristic of people to think they can sin with impunity, for each individual tends to think he is the exception to the rule stated in Gal. 6:7-8, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption." The alcoholic, the drug addict,the criminal on death row, and the man dying of aids did not intend to come to such an end, but at the beginning of the road that brought them there they each thought the first drink, the initial "high" of some narcotic, robbing a convenience market and killing the clerk, or a night of being promiscuous, would bring them to harm. But sin cannot be outrun. It usually gives the one who commits it a headstart, so that for a while he thinks he is getting away with the transgression. Then sin begins the pursuit, which is both tireless and persistent. We are strictly warned in Num. 32:23 that we can "be sure your sin will find you out." And when it does, it destroys the one who committed it.

      Sin should therefore be avoided at all costs. Initially, it offers pleasure, delight, exaltation, progress, and what is often called "the good life." It is readily admitted in Heb. 11:25 that one might indeed "enjoy the pleasures of sin," but then adds that they are only "passing," ("for a season," KJV). If sin did not offer pleasure in committing it, few would care to indulge in it. No one deliberately sits down in thorns, walks on glass, or reaches in the fire to take out a red coal with bare fingers. Such acts produce instant pain and tissue damage and are considered by everyone to be foolish. But sin at first feels good, is exciting and fashionable, and that is why it draws us into it so easily and quickly.

      It is often quite tempting to a Christian to watch as people about him revel in the pleasures of sinful activities and feel the urge to experience the thrill of it himself. Not only may the illicit activity itself seem rather appealing to the senses, but the camaraderie of the group practicing it broadens its scope and intensifies its impact. In the face of such magnetic evil persuasion, a Christian needs all the power available to him to resist being overcome. To succeed, he first must look up to God who is offended by sin, who will at last crush it and those who practice it, but who will also empower anyone, who wishes, to share His opposition to it.  Second, the Christian must look back to Jesus for the perfect example of meeting and defeating sin. And third, he must look into God's word which has the power to identify sin, unmask its deceptive facade, and condemn it to eternal destruction.

      Though "the way of the world" is enslaved to the appeal of sin, the undeceived Christian will turn his back upon what is popular, fashionable, and prevalent to walk the uncrowded path of righteousness. His goal is to keep himself pure in body, mind, and spirit in order to be presentable to God. Those who choose to live in sin to enjoy the pleasures it offers, will be excluded from God's home.  We are told in Rev. 21:27 that "nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." The people whom John saw in heaven in Revelation 7 were those who "come out of the great tribulation (i.e., this world of temptation and sin) ... and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." The ultimate in pleasure and social acceptance for a long lifetime on earth is a wretchedly paltry exchange for an eternity of glory in heaven, (see Mat. 16:26). This is why the thoughtful Christian refuses to participate in the sins of those about him.

      

THE GREAT VALUE OF GODLINESS

I Tim. 4:8 ... "Bodily exercise is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."

      The human life is composed of more than just one part, and in its comprehensive application to human beings the Bible brings attention to bear upon every part. In contrast, the effort is often made by science to reduce man's nature to a single component, matter, and then to deal with him only in that dimension. Dismissing the soul as imaginary, the mind is explained as a complex system of interrelated functions that are biochemical and electrochemical. Man and his brain are ranked as the current highest achievement of the materialistic evolutionary phenomenon that characterizes life on this planet. This conclusion of science has won such acceptation that the physical dimension of life claims nearly our entire attention. So we occupy ourselves with the effort to keep our bodies in the best possible condition through proper diet, exercise, rest, and medical care. We pamper our bodies with the best clothing, cosmetics, and new body care products in order to maximize their beauty and strength, prolong their youthful vitality, and derive the greatest pleasure from their sensual gratification.

      Up to a point the Lord approves of our taking the best possible care of our bodies, since they are the temples in which His Holy Spirit dwells. We are told in I Cor. 3:16-17 that "you (Christians) are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you. If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are." (See also I Cor. 6:18-20.) The proper maintenance and care of our material bodies is what the lead text is referring to when it says that "bodily exercise is only of little profit." Such attention preserves the body as God's temple so long as God gives it life. But the Bible insists that the unseen part of man, the soul, the part of us that is created "in the image of God," (Gen. 1:27), is the more important part and must never be neglected.

      Godliness is the careful attention given to the soul's welfare that corresponds to the care and attention one gives his body. This is not an equivalent correspondence, however, for in the grand scheme of things the importance of the soul far outranks that of the body. The body is composed of earthly elements and will eventually disintegrate into them, but the soul is made from a spark of divinity which can never be extinguished. Thus the text says that "godliness ... holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." There are two components of godliness, right attitude toward God and right conduct which proceeds as a result. Right attitude toward God embraces the conviction that He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, that He is the Author of human life, and that He is Ruler of all men through grace and love in perfect justice. This conviction generates devotion within one's soul toward God, and it is upon this response that "godliness" may be equated with reverence. Until godliness is established within your soul, whatever right conduct you can manage in outward behavior will be stiff and mechanical. But once the godliness is there, right conduct will flow without force in your outward conduct. No one can fully explain the way this works, for there is "the mystery of godliness," (I Tim. 3:16). We do know, however, that there is a power in godliness that drives it along to accomplish great results, (II Tim. 3:5).

      My welcomed reader, unto what do you devote your greatest attention, to your temporal physical body, or to your eternal spiritual soul? If it is to the body, then your major concern is health, exercise, nutrition, and outward appearance. If it is to the soul, your major attention is fixed upon knowing God more intimately and building godliness in your soul.

CONCERNING CHRISTIAN CONDUCT

I Tim. 3:15 ... "I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God."

      When someone visits the home of another, he ought to be conscious that he is entering the context of a private world that functions according to its own peculiar habits, tastes, and policies. These may differ a great deal from those to which the visitor is accustomed in his own home. Certain pieces of furniture there may be objects of appreciation rather than objects of utility. Mealtimes and bedtimes have their distinctive schedules. Smoking may not be allowed in the house, and the television may be played only at certain times. Because of such domestic distinctions, the person who wants to please his host and maintain his welcome will be very alert to learn them and very diligent to adapt his behavior to them.

      When we are admitted into "the household of God," we must realize we are entering a domain that is not our own. We are neither its designer, builder, or sustainer, nor are we the formulator and executor of its policies. The architect and constructor of this great "house" is God, and thus it is called "the household of God." We must accordingly remember that in His house, "which is the church of the living God," we are His guests, and He is the Host. The code of conduct that must prevail in it is that of God. To try to bring your own style of behavior into that sacred precinct is to act presumptuously and rudely and be irreverent and offensive to God. Such an approach is intrusive and begs countermeasures from God, who indeed preserves the sanctity of His realm.

      One who reads the foregoing comments, from both I Tim. 3:15 and this writer, might easily get the idea that the object of interest is human behavior in a church building.  But this would be a wrong conclusion. Neither the inspired writer (Paul) nor this uninspired one, has any reference whatsoever to a material structure. Paul was not instructing Timothy, nor other Christians after him, how to conduct themselves within the walls of church buildings. Historians report that Christians did not have buildings devoted exclusively to worship and Bible study activities for more than two centuries after the time of the apostles. The word "church" in the New Testament does not refer to a building, but rather to the body of people redeemed by the blood of Christ, who rules over them as Lord and King. It is to our disadvantage that the word "church" has been degraded in meaning to refer to a physical building.

      The phrase, "the household of God," is equivalent to "God's family," or "the kingdom of God," or "the assembly of Christians." What I Tim. 3:15 speaks of, therefore, is a person's conduct as a Christian in the community of other Christians. Whether it be within the precincts of a building dedicated to the purposes of worship and Bible study, or rather at home, at work, at school, on the playground, on the streets, or wherever, a Christian as a member of "the household of God," must be conducting himself by the standard of behavior imposed by God upon His people. This Scripture may indeed be used to correct those who are misbehaving during a worship service within a church building, but it may just as appropriately be applied to a Christian who is exhibiting bad sportsmanship on a basketball court, or who is telling dirty jokes to co-workers at lunch, or who is resorting to road rage on the highway. One of the great purposes for which the book of First Timothy was written, and the rest of the books of the New Testament for that matter, is to instruct Christians in every generation how to behave anywhere, at anytime, and in any set of circumstances. Every Christian must remember always that he is a member of "the household of God," and as such, that he represents that special family in whatever setting he may happen to be.