Opposing the Enemy Within

Mrk. 7:20-23 ... "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within out of the heart of man, proceed the evil thoughts and fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."

In warfare the commander of any army is always focused upon the strategy of the opposing commander, trying to determine what he intends to do next so that he might parry his movements and attack him where he is weakest or unsuspecting. At the same time, the commander must be aware of elements with-in his own army, or the country he is defending, that are actually covert enemies. Often called a "fifth column," this internal enemy uses opportunity to commit acts of sabotage and insurrection that greatly weaken the frontline army. In some cases, such activity behind an army brings about its defeat. In I Samuel 29, the Philistine army set out to attack Israel. At that time, David with a band of about 600 men, all outcasts from Israel, were in the service of Achish, one of the Philistine lords. When the other lords noticed it, they became angry and demanded that Achish send these Israelite retainers back, "lest in the battle he (David) become an adversary to us." So, David and his men were expelled and went back to Philistia.

In the warfare of each Christian against the force of evil, he must be aware of the very real likelihood of any enemy within him that weakens him and makes him vulnerable to "the schemes (strategies) of the devil," (Eph. 6:11). How does the devil, or the spirit of evil, find a place within a Christian who is trying to serve the Lord and even be one of His warriors against evil? By infiltration! Due to weakness, lack of attention, distraction, social influence, and especially the desire (lust) for what is not best, (see Jas. 1:14-16), evil penetrates our minds and hearts and begins its work. If a Christian is not aware of it, the fruits of evil germinate and begin to grow. What are these fruits? Jesus names several of them in the Mark 7 passage quoted above: evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, covetous deeds, deceit, sensu-ality, envy,  slander, pride and foolishness." Sin is a rottenness within a person, which, if not seen and resisted, will spread. One sin will lead to another, and that to another, spreading the rottenness until the Christian loses his identity and deserts the army of Christ to serve Satan.

In the New Testament we are often warned of this ever present danger and told how to deal with it. First, we are told in I Pet. 5:8-9 to "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert, your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, but resist him, firm in your faith." The aperture through which evil enters one's life is temptation, and our natural desire for what seems "good ... that ... (is) a delight to the eyes ... that (is) desirabe to make one wise," (Gen. 3:6), is often an open invitation for sin to enter. Anyone who does not stay conscious of this threat and just takes life experience as it comes, will admit sin without realizing it. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus said that some of His disciples are like seed that was "sown among the thorns ... who hear the word, (but) the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful," (Mat. 13:22). The admittance of sin precludes the development of good fruit and produces an ever greater abundance of the fruit of evil listed above. Every Christian must be very aware of the enemy within and oppose it strongly.

Justification - Part 2

Rom.4:20-21 ... "With respect to the promise of God, he (Abraham) did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform."

In Romans 4, Paul refutes the entire Jewish doctrine of justification. He points out that Abraham was not saved by works, but rather by his faith which prevented him from "faltering at the promises of God." Even the works he did in response to God's commandments were not the works of the Mosaic Law, since that Law was then 400 years in the future. From Rom. 2:28-29 we learn that being a Jew by direct descent from Abraham was no longer important with God. What matters now is being a Jew spiritually, an identity available only by faith in Christ and obedience to Him. The same logic applies to being a "child of Abraham." There is no longer a distinction in being descended from that Patriarch, and his righteousness is not passed down to his heirs. Only when, like Abraham, we put our faith in God, "who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead," is our own faith "counted to (us) for righteousness," (cf. vs. 23-24). Although this faith requires obedience (Rom. 1:5), it is not obedience which has merit and obligates God to save us. We are not saved by works.

From Rom. 4:20-21, we learn that we cannot construct a doctrine of justification to suit ourselves. Since the Protestant Reformation began in 1519, many have done that, and it led to great division in Christi-anity. What we must do is study the New Testament to see what it teaches about the problem of sin and how it may be forgiven. As Rom 4:21 says, "What God has promised, He is also able to perform." The critical point is to understand what it is that "God has promised." It is not for me or anyone else to speak for God and then demand that everyone accept what I have decided leads to justification. God Himself has already spoken, and what He has said is all that matters, because only He justifies. It is not some-thing that happens automatically when we follow an A - B - C prescription. God has given us the intelli-gence to understand what He has said. He will be pleased with us if, like Abraham, we respond in humble faith to the Gospel, which Rom. 1:16 says is "the power of God for salvation." When God for-gives our sin, that is justification. When motivated by faith we follow His instructions in the Gospel, He will reckon our faith to us for righteousness. Only then will be justified.

Justification - Part 1

Rom.4:20-21 ... "With respect to the promise of God, he (Abraham) did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform."

Justification is not a word of common daily use. In fact, few people use it once a week or once a month, at least not in the Biblical sense. But justification refers to something the importance of which is monu-mental to everyone. It refers to God pardoning a person of sin and treating him as if he had never com-mitted the sin. How is this so important to every person who walks the earth? Two Scriptures show us that importance. The first is Rom. 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." The second is Rom. 6:23, "The wages of sin is death." In short, every person sins, and sin leads directly to death. Were it not for justification, the future for each of us would be as barren as the Sahara Desert ... and a great deal hotter! God's mercy and love offer everyone justification and the renewal of the pros-pect of eternal life. It is the purpose of this essay and the next to outline how we may be justified by God. In the following presentation in this post, the Jewish idea (of ancient Judaism) is presented. In the following post, the Christian idea is presented. The latter is the way to justification that God offers to the world through Christ. 

For several tears after the church was established in Jerusalem, it had a strong Jewish identity. Jewish prejudice against Gentiles was very strong. Eph. 2:14 called it a "dividing wall" and a "barrier" which kept Jews and Gentiles separate. Within the church the influence of Jewish thought and custom was powerful and posed a challenge to Gentiles who came into the church without this mental and cultural baggage. In fact, many Jewish Christians did not want Gentiles in the church. God found it necessary to prepare Peter with a vision (in Acts 10) to persuade him to enter the house of the Gentile Cornelius, teach him the Gospel, and baptize him. And Acts 15 is devoted to a great conference of apostles, elders, and others at Jerusalem to deal with the consternation it caused Jewish Christians to accept Gentiles as brothers in Christ.

One of the major challenges that faced the early church centered on the doctrine of justification. The Jews thought that because they were genetically descended from Abraham, justification was their birth-right. Abraham was their spiritual hero, being the "father of the faithful" and having the distinction of being called "the friend of God," (Jas. 2:23). His faith was the epitome of human response to divine promise, so much so that Gen. 15:6 reports that "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness," which is quoted by Paul in Rom. 4:3. Since all Israel were genetically in Abraham when righteousness was conferred upon him as reward for his faith, they believed it was also conferred upon everyone descended from him as well. Therefore, so they argued, to be a descendant of Abraham was to be justified the moment one was born. The Jew thought he was born righteous, lived righteous, died righteous, and joined Abraham after death.

Beyond all this, the Jews also thought they accumulated righteousness by the scrupulous performance of the rituals and other religious acts taught in the Mosaic Law. The Pharisees, the most conservative party within Judaism, carried this doctrine of righteousness by works to the ultimate by "hedging the Law about" with endless deductions from Mosaic requirements to ensure that everything would be done that could be done to increase one's righteousness through participation.

(In the next post, Paul's refutation of the Jewish doctrine of justification will be presented. Then the Gospel doctrine of justification will be revealed.)

Ingratitude - No. 7

Rom. 12:10 ... "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor."

You owe it to yourself most of all to be grateful and express meaningful, convincing appreciation when someone gives you something or does a favor for you. When you receive something like that and show no recognition of what motivated the giving, you prove yourself unworthy of it. A person is giving you a part of their life (as explained in a previous article), and you show no sign you are touched by it. This reflects an entrenched attitude of selfishness, which I am convinced is the origin of all sin. It projects the idea that, "I am first and most important, and everything is for me. I owe you no gratitude, because you are only doing what for me is natural ... getting!" There are now millions of people on public wel-fare in this country, but few of them feel any gratitude. They think the country owes them what they get, and they are never satisfied. Rather, they want more, always more, and ... often even demand it.

Paul dealt with this very attitude of selfishness and ingratitude among the Christians of the church in Corinth. They had received a great deal at the expense of the time and even the sacrifice of others. Those gifts had enlarged their welfare and lifted them up, but they did not acknowledge it. Rather they took pride in their advancement and began to feel superior. So, Paul admonished them in I Cor. 4:7-8, "Who regards you as superior? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did not receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" That is amazing! The riches those Christians had was given to them; they had not earned them by work and merit. But once they had them in their possession, they boasted of having them and felt superior.

About 20 years before I moved to the city where I now live, I came one day to visit a gentleman about his possession of certain material in which I was interested. He said something I have not forgotten after the passage of 45 years: "I got this material by the generosity of others. I have it because they gave it, not because I obstained it myself. So, I owe it to them and take no credit for having it." It was intellec-tual property, and he could have put a price on it. But he did not and willingly shared it with me. This contrasts with so many people who only share what they have received as a gift by putting a big price on it. If you gain access to it otherwise and use it, they will sue you for as much as they can because you have diminished their personal domain a little. In contast, some intellectual material carries this gener-ous offer: "If this will benefit you, use it freely. For that was how I was blessed to get it."

Note: There is much more to be written on this subject, but I hope that in these 7 articles I have made the case convincingly that ingratitude is a sin derived from selfishness. I hope these articles will produce both in myself and every reader a sense of obligation to express the kindness of gratitude to those who give us a part of their life in the form of a gift or helpful service. It is unto this goal I have written and published these articles, and not just to publish something on a blog for the sake doing it.

 

Ingratitude - Part 6

II Tim. 3:1-2 ... "Realize this, that in the last days difficult  times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy."

It is important to recognize something about ingratitude that is rarely noticed -- TO BE UNGRATEFUL IS A SIN! It is one of the 19 that are listed in II Tim. 3:1-9. It occurs there together with being "brutal, haters of good, and treacherous," which no one doubts are sins. Being ungrateful is not restricted to one's relation to God who gives us everything that's good; it extends to being ungrateful to people about us who show us favor with gifts, helpful deeds, and shared time. It is covered by the principles of "lov-ing others as you love yourself," (Mat. 22:39), and "doing to others as you would have them do to you," (Mat. 7:12). We are taught in Rom. 13:8 to "owe nothing to anyone except to love one another."

From a previous article in this series, remember that the word translated "ungrateful" in II Tim. 3:2 essentially means "not expressing kindness for kindness received." According to I Cor. 13:4, kindness is a major component of pure love (agapê). This means God holds you accountable for returning kindness -- in the form of sincere gratitude -- for kindness received. There is a great deal of sin among Christians of which they are not aware, because they fail to show real gratitude when someone gives them a part of their life in the form of a gift or service. In fact, such favor shown is very often not even considered to be a gift. 

Perhaps most ingratitude is due to ignorance and indifference, which are products of a self-centered life. Such a person receives the gift and feels no motivation to express gratitude. In many cases, however, the recipient is so self-centered that he thinks lesser people than he somehow owe him special favor. But sin is not mitigated by ignorance, indifference, or conceit.  God has said that being ungrateful is a sin, (II Tim. 3:2), and so it is. I appeal to each reader, examine yourself objectively. If you recognize the fault of ingratitude, train your mind and heart to return kindness for kindness received. You will then recognize that, indeed, "It is more blessed to give than to receive," (Acts 20:35).

Ingratitude - Part 5

Rom. 13:8 ... "Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another."

The word translated "ungrateful" in IITim. 3:2 is acharistoi, which is formed of the root charis (kind) and the prefix a- (not). The idea expressed is that of not responding to kindness someone has shown in giving you something or doing something for you. There is something about receiving a gift that is seldom recognized. Suppose someone gives you $100 as a gift. What did you receive? Well, $100! But there is a lot more to it than that. How did the person get the $100 he gave? He had to work for it! Now suppose he earns $25 an hour for his work. That means the $100 he gave you really amounts to four hours of life in hard work. When someone gives you a gift, they are really giving you a part of their life, that is, the time it took to earn what the gift cost. No one can give you anything more precious to themself that a part of their life. When I receive a gift, that is what I think about, and it truly touches my heart very much. If it is cash, or a book, of a visit when I am sick, what I consider is the part of that person's life expressed in what they have given or done for me.

To show gratitude really does not mean to return something of equal value to recompense for the gift, because that negates the gift. If someone gives you a part of their life, what you really owe them is a part of your heart in sincere thankfulness. When I receive a letter or card expressing appreciation and thankfulness, it means a hundred times more than a return gift to "pay me back." I prize such written letters and notes and save them. I enjoy reading them again and again. To me the only thing that corresponds to a part of life someone has given me via a gift is a significant expression of love and kindness in a sincere statement of gratitude ... preferably in writing so that it can be read, reread, and truly "felt."

Ingratitude - Part 4

Luke 17:17-18 ... Jesus said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine -- where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?"

In the list of sins in II Tim. 3:1-9, the seventh is being "ungrateful." Perhaps every reader knows what that means ... or do you? Of course, anyone can tell what it means in words, but do we show the mean-ing by our deeds? We know in our head what many things mean, but the deeds that proceed therefrom frequently indicate we do not show the meaning in what we do. And, my friends, true meaning is shown in action far more effectively than in words. In Jas. 1:22 we are told to "prove yourselves doers of the word (of God) and not merely hearers who deceive themselves." A "hearer" in the Biblical sense is one who both hears with the ears and understands with the mind. James refers to those who hear and per-haps understand well enough, but who feel no motivation to express in action the message coveyed in what they heard.  In the New Testament we are often taught to be grateful for what people give or do for us in kindness rather than to repay a debt.  But so much of the time we show little gratitude for the favor received.

In Luke 17, Jesus healed ten lepers who were doubtless jubilant they were rid of the loathsome disease. And yet, of those ten, only one returned to thank Jesus. That man was a Samaritan, a member of the non-Jewish enclave in their land whom they despised. It is generally claimed by those who must deal with large groups of people, that we in the United States are typically the most ungrateful people on earth. In agreement with that is my own experience as an educator. Quite a number of seniors (12th graders) asked me to write a letter of referral to help them gain admittance to a perferred university. I always wrote those letters, each one consuming an hour of my precious time when I was very busy. Only three times in my 42-year career did a student bother to thank me for the effort. One was a girl from China, one a girl from Cuba, and the third was the mother of a girl from Germany. Not one Ameri-can student ever showed such gratitude. Evidently, they thought I owed them the favor, which I did not. Thus I see ingratitude as a great problem here that needs to be addressed. In future articles in this series, I intend to do just that.

Ingratitude - Part 3

II Tim. 3:1-9 ... "In the last days difficult times will come, for men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, ... etc."

In the two previous articles I have stated that the origin and energy of sin is self-interest. That is what II Tim. 3:1-2 clearly states: "In the last days difficult times will come, for men will be lovers of self." In the following eight verses a list of 18 sins is given. It is my conclusion that each of them is an express-ion of self-interest, being a "lover of self," or simply being selfish.

Consider the first-named in that list, being a "lover of money." What is more selfish than that? Money buys good clothing, fashion, pleasure and power. To a great many people money is the Golden Rule ... "He who has the gold is the one who rules." In an election year in this country, every candidate for an office persistently begs people of their political party to donate money on regular schedule (monthly). If you dare ask, "How much should I give?," the immediate answer is, "MORE!" It takes mountains of money to win an election. The idea is paramount that money has power. Furthermore, the Bible strongly emphasizes that money buys pleasure, a reality obvious to everyone. In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, what did Jesus say the young man did with the bag of coins his father gave him? (Luke 15:13, 30).

What has just been said of self-interest leading to the love of money can also be demonstrated by the third and fourth sins in the list in II Timothy 3 ... boasting and arrogance. I would like to go through the entire list and demonstrate from Scripture the way in which self-interest leads to each sin named. It is a very easy task, and so relevant to daily life. But that would take far more space and time than I am willing to give in this series of articles. There is, however, one of them that claims central attention in the development of this series. It is something rarely recognized as being a sin, because it has taken control of the mind of so many people. Even in the church it is prevalent, and yet it is ignored without thought or consideration. There are occasional lessons given on ingratitude, but they seldom boldly proclaim and emphasize that it is a SIN! The usual assessment is that it is unbecoming and the result of distraction, then the emphasis shifts to the need to be grateful. No one is confronted with the realtiy that ingratitude is a sin, named in the same list with being "brutal, haters of good, treacherous and reckless." (Read the list!) Everyone recognizes the sinful nature of these other spiritual malignities of human char-acter, but we glide over ingratitude and do not emphasize it as sin.

One may argue that being ungrateful refers only to the failure to show gratitude to God. But the text in II Timothy does not limit the direction of being ungrateful. It is a sin to be ungrateful either to God or to people who give you of their time and material resources. In future articles, this theme will be discussed further in the hope that it will generate a dominant spirit of gratitude within all of us.

Ingratitude - Part 2

Mat. 16:24 ... "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."

It is my axiom, which 65 years of careful Bible study and life experience have revealed to me, that the origin and basis of all sin is selfishness. And a corollary to that axiom is that selfishness, and not hate, is the opposite of love. Hate is just one expression of selfishness.

This may come as a new thought to many, but when you consider all things, it gradually becomes an irrefutable truth that selfishness is the origin and driving force of all sin. It is evident in nearly all of life that what consumes the attention, the interest, and the modus operandi of anyone's life is selfishness,  the desire to get what YOU want, to make YOU get ahead, and to make YOU feel good. If you do not agree, I challenge you to take any sin mentioned in the Bible. Then with a mind free of bias (unselfish thinking!) and willing to recognize truth, carefully analyze that sin to discover what motivates it and what it is meant to achieve. Then you will convince yourself, and there will be no room left for doubt, argument, and debate. Consequently, a new vision appears. The way to circumvent sin and live a pure life in the goodness of God's grace is to work strenuously to minimize self-inerest in your life and be willing to benefit others for their sake.

This is exactly what Jesus meant when He declared in Mat. 16:24, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." For two centuries in the Church of Christ it has been preached that there are five distinct steps that lead to salvation and conversion to Christ: -1- hear the Gospel, -2- believe it, -3- repent of sin, -4- confess Jesus as the Son of God, and -5- be bap-tized into Christ for the remission of sin (Acts 2:38). Then it gradually was recognized there is also a sixth step ... to be faithful unto death (Rev. 2:10). But, dear reader, I am now telling you that there is a seventh essential step which must precede baptism. It is what Jesus made perfectly clear in Mat. 16:24, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself."

Until a person denies himself, he is not ready to follow the path that leads to foregiveness and disciple-ship. However, very strangely this is seldom pointed out and emphasized. Consequently, many people (perhaps most!) become "disciples" with self-interest still dominant in their thinking. And that unabated, undiminished self-interest is the source of 100% of the problems experienced in our personal lives and in the corporate welfare of the church. The "five steps" that end with baptism are like spiritual surgery. But not denying yourself is like leaving the wound open and unbandaged. And then self-interest surges right into the new life in Christ, just like bacteria into an open wound. And that continuing power of selfishness contaminates Christian life, preventing spiritual growth and development. Without being aware it is happening, Satan appears and begins to "sift you like wheat" the way Jesus told Peter he would do with him during the night when Jesus was arrested, (Luke 22:31).

Ingratitude - Part 1

Acts 20:35 ... "Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

In II Tim. 3:1-9, there is an extended statement of what lies ahead in the progress of Christianity. It begins with an ominous prophecy: "In the last days difficult times will come." There follows a list of 19 sins that will become prominent among people in general, and it is that mix of sin that shall bring about what is called "the last days." Sin is, after all, what brings difficulty into life. Were it not for sin, we would have no difficulty.

There was no problem in Eden until Adam and Eve produced it by believing Satan's lie and disobeying God. After that, all kinds of problems arose; and ever since then such problems have multiplied, become more difficult, and produced greater damage. The first problem was, that sin separated man from God. The second was that it made man mortal and set him on the path that ends in death and decay. Sin led to man being expelled from the Paradise of Eden into the raw world of nature where he was exposed to dangers of all kinds -- vicious animals, disease, accidents, storms, droughts, floods, and earthquakes. Sin brought into human experience jealousy, envy, hatred, cruelty, vain competition, and murder. And then man became his own worst enemy. Finally, sin imposed on man a new lord and master, Satan. The spirit and dominion of evil spread all over the world and enslaved everyone who lives, for we all sin (Rom. 3:23; I John 1:8) and yield our souls to Satan (Rom. 6:16).

In II Tim. 3:1-9, we are told that, when we enter the last period of world history, which is referred to as "the last days," the prevalence of sin and ensuing difficulties will progressively become worse, especi-ally for Christians and the Lord's church. It's both interesting and revelaing that the first of the 19 sins listed is selfishness, which is indicated by the phrase, "Men shall be lovers of self." Their primary interest will be whatever pleases themselves, not what pleases God or benefits fellow humans in need. So much of what is called "benevolnce" is really selfishness in disguise. By giving, the person is look-ing ahead to gain more than he gave -- credit form God, coveted recognition and praise, and the activation some strange law that giving yields dividends with interest to a giver.       

....... (to be continued)

For Whom There Is No Peace, Part One

Isa. 48:22 ... "There is no peace for the wicked, says the Lord."

One of the central concepts of the Bible is peace, and it is also a frequent subject of concern for people in every age. There are many aspects of peace, and it would take a lengthy dissertion to present and dis-cuss them all. This brief article assumes the usual meaning of peace as the welfare, safety, and pleasant course of life that prevails when there is no strife, conflict, or disturbance. Unfortunately, such a condi-tion is seldom entirely present, and when it does occur to our great satisfaction, it does not last very long. It is God's desire, however, that peace prevail so that we may live pleasantly. He sent His own Son down from heaven, to live among us in human form, to promote peace on earth. In Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is called the "Prince of peace." And when He was born in Bethlehem, God sent a host of angels to pro-claim, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

The way to peace is revealed in Rom. 5:1, "Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." The way to real and enduring peace is therefore "through our Lord Jesus Christ." There is, however, an esential prequisite, being "justified by faith." This means the recognition and total conviction that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God," (Mat. 16:16). This is the faith that motivates the individual to submit His life to Jesus, (Mat. 16:24-27).  More is required than the pious cry of "Lord, Lord!" as hands are clasped and eyes are lifted upward. This is so often an emotional reaction in a church service that reverts to routine human behavior during the week following. One's appeal to the Lord must proceed into modeling your attitudes, speech, and routine conduct to the stan-dard of life which Jesus taught and then modeled in His own way of life displayed before us and des-cribed in Scripture. So Jesus said in Mat. 7:21, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven."

The lack of real and enduring peace, which would make the world a wonderful place to live, is the result of rejecting the Prince of Peace sent by God. That rejection is often deliberate, resolute, and overt. There are many places in the world where the mention of Christ and His teaching are banned. Some of those places are in the United States, which was once called a "Christian nation." I myself was twice warned not even to mention God's name in the public high school where I taught in Nashville. Others have lost their jobs for mentioning Christ and commiting to His teaching on subjects that are no longer accepted in an organization. When the conscience of a generation is not formed and buttressed by a moral stand- ard that advocates morality, honesty, human dignity, and the unselfishness of real love, the result is the climate of conflict, danger, and outbursts of cruelty that occur practically on a daily basis in the USA and other countries.

When peace is established and maintained by force, it will never be fully successful or endure for long. The annals of history prove that statement to anyone who will bother to read them. When there is no higher being to whom a person yields than himself, or perhaps his group, there is the urge to defy authority, the peace-by-force entity. Thus, we see continual public protests, which often beome destruc-tive and inflict injury and sometimes death. The very enactment of a law to define human conduct becomes a provocation to many to oppose it, defy it, and use all means to dismantle it.  The only peace that will be effective and endure is that not based in power and managed by force, but that which God has offered to the world in His Son and the message of life, truth, salvation and righteousness which He brought down from heaven and gave to us for our greatest good, (Heb. 2:1-4).

Many will reject this brief discourse with the argument that Christ and His teaching have been with us for 2000 years and have failed. I will answer with this story. A well-known evangelist came to a town to offer the appeal of Christ and His Gospel to the public. Thre was a large factory in town that produced soap, and many earned their living by working in that factory. Somehow, the owner of the factory, to show good will to the preacher, invited him to lunch. In his car, driven by a chauffeur, the owner picked up the preacher at the place he was staying and took him to the restuarant. On the way, they passed through a slum where dirty kids played in the street, drunks staggered down the sidewalks, and harlots appealed to men on street corners. The factory owner said, "Just look at all this corruption! Christianity has been in the world 2000 years, and it hasn't prevented all this." The preacher then pointed to the dirt and squalor that motteled the skins and clothes of the people along the street and answered, "You mass produce soap here, and it hasn't made your town any cleaner." The owner rebutted, "That's an unfair statement. Common sense makes it obvious that soap will not clean unless it is used!" The preacher replied, "Precisely, sir! And Christianity won't lift people up to a level of dignity, morality, and good conduct unless it is used."

(This subject will be continued in later posts, if I may further write them.)

Joy vs Happiness

John 15:11 ... "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."

Contrary to popular opinion, at least in the Biblical context, joy and happiness are not the same thing. Though this has for years been occasionally publicized in sermons and various publications, many speakers and writers go right on equating the two. Some even say that "happiness" is the better term because people use it more in daily speech than they do "joy." To me, this is deplorable!  I am disgusted with a speaker or writer who puts "happiness" in the place of "joy." Joy is a pure, basic Biblical term, but happiness is not. Of course, the words "happy" and "happiness" are used in recent versions of the Bible rather than "joy," but in the original language that is not the essential meaning of the words so translated. Joy is a gift of God; happiness comes from within us. It is the product of our emotion when things go to suit us, when we are made to feel good, when we succeed in something important to us.

The words "happy" and "happiness" come from the root HAP, which signifies "chance." If a combina-tion of things line up to produce something that is pleasant, you are happy. But when those things fall out of alignment, according to the vagaries of the flow of daily events, happiness disappears and you are left flat, empty, and let down. Such alignment of the components of happiness is a chance occur-rence, and thus happiness is the product of chance. Daily life is a succession of such a rise and fall in chance. But joy, as a gift of God, is not by chance. It is an act of God. And it stays with you, unchanged, unless you choose to hand it back to God through sin and foolishness.

If further proof is needed that joy is a gift of God, then consider Gal. 4:22, where it lists the "fruits of the Spirit." Of the nine things named, the second is joy! The expression "fruits of the Spirit" means "precious results that the Holy Spirit produces in our life." And such is JOY! It is indubitably a gift of God. Nowhere in Scripture does it say "happiness" is a "fruit of the Spirit" or a gift of God. That is because, as I have just shown, happiness is the product of chance.

In the past, when I have spoken on this subject, I have heard the comment that it is "just a matter of word meanings." That dismisses all the testimony and proof presented. And that, my friends, is sheer foolishness and the product of mental laziness. Words express units of thought; it's the main way we communicate ideas. And we can accurately communicate ideas only with words that have accurate meaning. When we are talking about the things of God and His revelation, we absolutely MUST use words that express in truth the meaning involved. I take word meaning seriously, and I try very hard to use language that is faithful to the meaning intended. Extemporaneous speaking, while appealing to most listeners, very often fails in using words accurately.

Will You Be Remembered?

 Luke 22:19 ... "Do this in remembrance of me."

When Jesus presided over the final meal with His disciples in an upper room somewhere in Jerusalem, He was facing death by crucifixion the next day. In His human state, He dreaded the torture and inde-scribable agony He would suffer; and surely, He was sad at leaving His friends. He knew they would be devastated by His terrible death, and He sympathized with their sorrow. He loved them and wanted them never to forget Him and what He did for them. It was the future mission of these men to make disciples of Christ of as many people as possible. And that mission continues from one generation to the next as long as the world stands. Jesus' desire to be remembered by every generation was His purpose for instituting the Lord's Supper to be observed by His disciples until He returns again.

It is common among people to hope that a person will not be forgotten when he passes from the worldly scene. So, we often leave behind mementos of ourselves ... pictures, personal items, letters, diaries, objects we have made, etc. Especially, we want a monument to be set up at our grave that displays our name, vital dates, perhaps a picture, a pertinent motto and, in special cases, a statue. But practical obser-vation should convince us that, in spite of all effort, those who survive us will not remember us for very long. Memory gradually fades as days past; grief is relieved by daily occupations until the person can again smile and enjoy life. The mind dwells less and less upon the life of the departed, though for some people it may take years before they can go through a day without a flashback of memory.

Of course, family and loved ones retain good memory when they wish to retrieve it, especially in con-versation or browsing through a photo album. But when one comes to the end of life's journey, the following generation will think with less detail and affection of the lives of his parents. Looking to the past, dear reader, can you name each of your 8 great-grandparents? or, each of your 16 great(x2)-grand-parents? Unless you are an avid genealogist, you may not know the name or anything about even one of your great(x3)-grandparents. So, let us face reality; we will be forgotten and unknown within three or four generations. Even if you leave behind a detailed biography, it will be of slight interest to few and of no interest to most within a century. So, as we are told in Rom. 12:3, "I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think."

When a person becomes a Christian, however, he is given status as a child of God and granted a place in God's holy family that is eternal. Then, as we are assured in Rev. 21:27, "those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life" will be taken into heaven to live in glory forever. God does not forget the name and life of anyone who lives "faithful (in Christ) until death." His name is enrolled in the Book of Life in heaven, and beyond death he will be given by Christ a "crown of life," (Rev. 2:10). To run the course of life in this world with no interest in religion, no relationship with Christ, and no thought of answering to God beyond death, (see Rom. 14:11-12), is to be forgotten not only in the world you leave behind, but in the spiritual world everyone enters beyond death. To deny future exis-tence does not make it null and void. To disregard it by living as you wish, by "doing it my way" as Sinatra sang it, is to boast now of your independence and then bitterly regret it for an eternity. The first step to true wisdom and eternal identity is, therefore, to "deny (yourself) and take up your cross (assume your responsibility), and follow (Christ)." These are the best words it is possible for me to offer to any-one, and they are here offered for your benefit rather than mine.

Your Unavoidable Choice

Rom. 12:9 ... "Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good."

There is one final component of Christian character to add to those presented in the previous 17 articles on this subject. It is to make the right choice, which no one can avoid, between following the path of evil or the path of good in one's course through life. This involves the concept of dualism, which views the world as divided into two spheres, good and evil. Behind the good, supporting and promoting it, is God; behind the evil, promoting and supporting it, is Satan. These two beings are diametrically opposed to each other and in perpetual deadly conflict. Satan's goal is to overthrow God and destroy Him, annihilating everything that is good. It is God's purpose to overthrow and destroy Satan, annihilating all that is evil.

God has already won the first phase of this great conflict, (see Rev. 12:9). Satan is no longer in heaven, but he is for sure here on earth, where he continues in fury to wage war against God and all that comes from God. His chief weapon is deception, by which he blinds our eyes to his presence, his ambitions, and his opposition to all that is good. Satan's work in deceiving people is exposed throughout the Bible, and it's quite evident in every sin recorded from Genesis to Revelation. In John 8:44, Jesus was speak-ing of Stan when He declared that "there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies."

Satan's greatest lie is that there is NO difference between good and evil, that everything is relative, and the words good and evil are subjective in meaning. The Bible and the religion it projects are ridiculed because they teach there are "absolutes" and "imperatives" that condemn certain ideas and behaviors. When we are told that the difference between good and evil is nothing but prejudice and intolerance, we are hearing the voice of Satan. It is like what John saw in Rev. 13:11, "I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke as a dragon."

A part of Christian character concomitant to the one being discussed is discernment, the ability to see that good and evil are distinct and opposing forces in everything that moves and operates in the world about us. But there is more to it than just discernment; there is also the accompanying driving urge to embrace what is good and then support and promote it with all the force you can. And that is because we recognize that whatever is good comes from God. Love for God, reverence for God, and faith in God motivate us to exalt whatever comes from Him and then cling to it. This is why everyone who rejects the God of the Bible, who sent Christ here to save us, can never possess Christian character.

It is a character flaw to fail to discern the presence of evil in so much of life about us and carelessly accept it as just a part of our culture. There is a great mixture of evil from Satan in every part of con-temporary life that we have come to tolerate and even adopt as normative -- in lifestyle, speech, cloth-ing, entertainment, grooming, and even in the context of worship. This character flaw will continue until we become serious about what Rom. 12:9 demands of us, "Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good."

The Importance of Loveliness

Php. 4:8 ... "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

In recent articles the effort has been made to show that essential elements of good character (Christian character) are found in Php. 4:8. The first two, being truthful and being honorable, were emphasized in the two previous essays. The third and fourth in the series, devotion to what is right and exalting what is pure, have really already been featured in the exposition of Jesus' beatitudes in Mat. 5:3-12. Devotion to what is right is the same as Beatitude No. 4, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; and exalting what is pure is the same as Beatitude No. 6, "Blessed are the pure in heart." There is no need, therefore, to add anything further to these, although a great deal more could be said about each of them. Thus we shall proceed to the fifth thing presented in Php. 4:8, "Whatever is lovely."

The word thus translated from the original Greek text is prosphilê, which means "that which calls forth love." What is featured here is a quality in a person's life that induces others to love them. We all can think of someone whom it is very easy to love. There is something about them that makes you feel good in their presence and quickly wins your heart. Jesus saw that quality in unusual measure in the Apostle John, because four times in the Book of John this apostle is called "the one whom Jesus loved." The first is in John 19:26-27. As Jesus was being crucified, it says, "When (He) therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved, standing nearby, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold your Son!' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold your mother!' And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household."

Jesus loved all His apostles, as well as friends like Mary, Martha and Lazarus of Bethany, in a special way. But there was something about John that called forth His love in an exceptional manner. That is what this character trait is -- loveliness -- a power within someone's personality that "calls forth" your love. You notice it quickly; you appreciate it greatly; and you start loving them.

To explain this power, it is tempting to produce a list of things that together "call forth your love": an habitually pleasant facial expression, frequent smiling, a pleasant disposition, being mild-mannered, being genuinely sympathetic, and being kind and polite. Several other qualities can be added to this list. A person who has them will win your heart easily and quickly; you will not even have to try. So it would be easy to say that the presence and combination of them is what "calls forth your love" and that the combined effect is what loveliness is.

But I don't think that is the case. Rather, what we see here is a single component of Christian character that produces the wonderful effect mentioned above. This elemental compoent is what the New Testa-ment calls prosphilê (loveliness). It is what produces a beautiful personality that "calls forth love" when you are with such a person. Let us not confuse the effects with the underlying cause; let us recognize that cause and learn to call it by its proper name, loveliness.

At birth God gives us certain special potentials that He does not give everyone, at least not in the same meausre. We call them "talents." They are inclinations and abilities to do something in a way better than others. For example, some people are born with musical talent. That does not mean that at age six they can sit down at a piano and play Beethoven, Mozart, and Brahms easily. But it does mean they can learn quickly, easily, and perfectly the skills that would enable them at an early age to play the music of the Masters like the Masters. A person without talent, with diligent effort, could learn to play them also. But they would never do it with the ease, the skill, and the grace of the person with real talent. The same is true with any talent ... art, athletics, eloquence, intelligence. Nearly anybody can be taught art, but their work will never hang in the Metropolitan Gallery in New York. Many youngsters become local stars in the various sports, but they never make the professional teams, or in most cases, even college sports. God does not give everyone the capacity to compose a symphony, paint a masterpiece with uni-versal appeal, set athletic records in the pros, rival the great orators, or win a name alongside Einstein in intelligence.

The reader may now think I have "gotten off track"; what does this have to do with loveliness? Well, here is the point: God grants the potential to be lovely to some people more than others; it is, therefore, a talent. Some people almost from birth display the attributes that "call forth love" in those about them. The rest of us have to work for it ... and work hard! I have been told that my usual facial expression is somewhat forbidding; I do not smile a lot of the time; some of my students said my disposition is stern; I do not think I'm good at being mild-mannered; I have to work to be sympathetic; I have to remind my-self to be kind, especially in stressful situations; and sometimes I suffer a lapse in politeness. So, I am reconciled to the fact that I was not born with the talent of loveliness. But that does not mean I cannot develop it to a level that will be acceptable to God. I just have to try! And that is the case with most who read this. So, indeed, let us make that effort, resolutely and consistently.                    

                                                                                                                                             [Character 17]

Character 16

Php. 4:8 ... "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things."

In this statement eight essential attributes of good character, or more expressly, Christian character, are presented to us.  Although the word "character" is not mentioned in context, we are urged to "let your mind dwell on these things." What resides in a person's mind within determines the nature of his external life in mood, speech, conduct, and response to the fluctuations of daily experience. This is what we are told in Pro. 23:7, "As [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he." In the last article (Character 15) the first thing in this verse, truth, was featured and commended. In the present essay, the second thing, honorable, will be discussed and also commended to the reader.

The word in the original so translated is semnos, which may also be translated "dignified" or "serious." In the King James Version, it is rendered as "honest/" Although honesty is very much involved in the idea expressed, it is not the fundamental meaning. When the New Testament writers wished to deal with honesty, they used other words or phrases, such as "being truthful, speaking the truth, being sincere, and being just." The New American Standard and the Revised Standard translate the term as "honorable"; the NEB uses "worthy," and the translations of Goodspeed and Moffatt choose "noble." Basically, Php, 4:8 teaches us that, to set our minds upon whatever is dignified, has real merit, and is serious, in con-trast to what is silly or frivolous. What we are being told here is to lift our mind above the level of most people about us and elevate it to the plane of what is noble, worthy, and dignified.

Previously discussed has been the subject of "character flaws." These appear in situations where someone lacks a component of good character. Being dishonorable is such a character flaw. Not only is it prevalent, but it is actually capitalized upon in society. There are so many people who seem to be serious about nothing and let their minds run free toward anything that is trivial, meaningless, useless and inappropriate. Led by such people as the TV variety show hosts, they spin raw humor out of everything, trash public figures, and laugh at tragedy. They are not fit to listen to, and Christians ought to avoid them. 

The Bible often forbids this kind of dishonorable, undignified practice. In essence, it warns us about a character flaw and thus clears the way to plant a real trait of good character within us. We are instructed in Eph. 5:4 that "there must be no filthiness, silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting; but rather, [the] giving of thanks." Paul ordered Titus in his ministry in Crete to "urge the young men to be sen-sible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, in order that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us," (Tit. 2:6-8). He was told to teach "women likewise [to] be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things." This character component of being honorable essentially means to say nothing that embarrasses others, disgraces yourself, or casts reproach upon your Lord. 

This does not mean we should be like the Puritans in early Colonial America who lived in fear that "someone, somewhere was actually having a good time." Eccl. 3:4 says that there is "a time to laugh." In fact, there are instances of humor to be found in the Bible. Being honorable allows occasional humor, but it excludes trivializing what is serious. Eccl. 3:4 also says there is "a time to weep." And Rom. 12:15 points out one of those times: "Weep with those who weep."

Character 15

Php. 4:8 ... "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things."

This passage presents to us a set of eight mental dispositions that will develop genuine Christian character in anyone who will admit them into his personal psychology. In earlier articles in this series I have asserted that only Christ is the standard of good character, for He is the only person in the Bible to whom that word is applied, (Heb. 1:3). If space permitted, it would not be difficult to show that Jesus exemplified each quality in this set in His life. That is, in fact, the last thought expressed before these things were thus named: "And the God of peace, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus," (v.7).

There is something to be noticed in this statement that is very important:  It shows that the essence of character resides in your inner being, not in your outer being. The typical prescription for character development taught in public venues addresses the external features of a person. They present a formula of conduct that regulates outward behavior. Not only do they fall short because they ignore Christ, but also because they address only the surface of our human nature.  But the essence of a person is the inner self, and that means his mind and heart. Observe that the eight qualities presented in Php. 4:8 have a dual reference, first, they involve the mind and heart, and second, they involve one's union with Christ.

The first one named is TRUTH. To possess Christian character, a person must recognize truth, esteem truth, and commit himself to truth. This is the case with Jesus in a way that far exceeds even the best person among us, for He is equated with truth. He is the very embodiment of truth. This is what we are told in John 1:14, "The Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." This declares that Jesus is "full of truth," and recall that Heb. 1:3 states that He is 'the exact representation of God's nature." This means that truth is a part of Jesus' character, because God is true. Of this we are assured in Heb. 6:18 which says that "it is impossible for God to lie." God is the essence of truth; He speaks nothing but truth; and all His actions are in perfect harmony with truth.

As the impression of God's nature into the baby born in Bethlehem was His character, the impression of Jesus into the life of a person is Christian character. And one great part of that impression is conformity to truth. Until Christ is admitted into a person's life, commitment to truth is not established within him. In the description of unregerate men in Rom. 3, it states that "their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving. The poison of asps is under their lips." In v.4 preceding it says, "Let God be true, though every man be found a liar." None of us want to think we don't look good, that what we say is silly, and that what we believe is wrong. So, we take care to compliment each other, approve each other, and agree with each other, even though our heart sees "the other" quite differently. It takes cour-age to speak only the truth. Actually, when a time comes that you cannot speak the truth because it would hurt too much, the proper thing to do is say nothing. It is not necessary always to give a reply.

A great part of Christian character is being truthful. That means to search for what is fundamentally true in everything, expel from your thinking whatever you find not true, and stand by the truth no matter what. Pro. 23:23 says it thus, "Buy truth and do not sell it. Get wisdom and instruction and understand-ing." Truth is pure gold, anything less is iron pyrite. Something false is often very popular and attract-ive, but in reality it has no value. I like what Anatole France (1844-1924, Nobel Prize in Literature) once said, "If 50 million people say something stupid, it's still stupid!" To be like Christ in character, always search for truth, incorporate it in your thinking, and cling to it though others may ridicule you for doing so.

Character 14

Mat. 5:10-12 ... "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

To be persecuted implies there is something you believe in that others reject, and when you refuse to give up your belief to please them, they make you suffer for it. Therefore, to have this component of good character, loyalty, there must be something you hold to be very important and very precious. And for Christians, that is, above all else, Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior. This final Beatitude extends the thought and meaning of the fourth in v.6, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for right-eousness." In the essay in this series on it, it was stated that faith in Christ and obedience to His teach-ing results in Him conferring His righteousness upon you. A person who has Christian character will forfeit his life rather than compromise his faith or forsake obedience to Christ, because he puts first "the Kingdom of God and His righteousness," (Mat. 6:33). When you rank something first, everything else is second, third, or less in order. The fear of being persecuted is therefore of lower importance and persuasion than "the Kingdom of God and His righteousness," and the adamant Christian will submit to terrible treatment rather than deny them.

The history of Christianity has preserved a record of the fortitude of men and women who were so loyal to Christ that they submitted to horrible treatment rather than deny and desert allegiance to their Lord. They were beheaded, hung, burned at the stake, slain by gadiators or fed to wild animals before a multi-tude of blood-thirsty spectators. They are immortalized in the moving hymn, "Faith of Our Fathers," which is frequently sung in church assemblies. Though dedicated Christians are persecuted with cruel physical torment, or emotionally with demonizing ridicule, they will not give up their superior desire to praise Christ. Their commitment to please Him is far greater than the urge to please an ungodly society to escape its ire and brutality.

To abandon loyalty to Christ will quieten the ungodly multitude, but the reward is no greater than to be left alone and ignored. Jesus said that to stand resolute and immoveable against the sinful mass will lead you to a "reward in heaven (which) is great." That reward is depicted in Rev. 7:7-17. I urge you to turn to that passage and carefully read it, for space here will not admit its quotation. You, the reader, may then decide which reward is greater and more enduring, forsaking loyalty to Christ to avoid present persecution, or enjoying the beauty and bliss of heaven for eternity.

It is my observation that a great many "Christians" are not so loyal to Christ and yield to the pressure of an ungoldly society in countless particular attitudes, values, behavior and lifestyle. It seems obvious our real guiding principle is to be like the norm about us to fit in and not draw attention to ourselves. When "put on the spot" in some situation -- yield to pop culture to blend in, or oppose it to maintain loyaly to Christ and His model of mind and conduct -- so many of us chose the prevailing lifestyle. We may make this choice and harmonize with the ungoldy lifeview and behavior, but it betrays a character flaw. And, it costs us in more ways than we care to admit. It is very often true that there is so little difference between a "Christian" and the admittedly irreligious that they can hardly be differentiated. Would to God we had a change of heart and put loyalty to Christ first, even if it displeases others and riles society against us. 

Character 13

Mat. 5:9 ... "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called 'sons of God'."

In other articles in this series, we have seen that Jesus is the only model for best character, for the word "character" is used only one time in the New Testament, and then it is applied to Jesus, (Heb. 1:3). In this article, the emphasis is upon peace as an essential of true character, for it is exmplified in Christ. We are told in Isa. 9:6 that He is the Prince of Peace. His great work on earth was to establish peace between man and God, as well as peace between man and his fellow man. He taught His disciples to be peacemakers. When He sent them out on a tour of Galilee to proclaim His gospel, He told them, "What-ever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house'," (Luk. 10:5). In Rom. 12:18, all Christians are instructed, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." If peace cannot be estab-lished between a Christian and someone else, it should not be because the Christian has not gone to the limit in the effort to bring it about. A disciple of Christ must always be open to making peace, being ready and willing to put away tension and suspend the agitation that prevents peace.

There are people with whom it is not possible to achieve peace and maintain it.  They are intractible, suspicious of everyone's intentions, and seem to think anyone who approaches them is a threat. This is inplied in the words, "if possible," in Rom. 12:18. This writer once knew a man who attended church each Sunday and thought himself a Christian. But he criticized everyone, found fault with everyone, and was quick to argue with anger. He obviously had a character flaw and was detrimental to the local church's effort to project the spirit of Christ to the surrounding community. The good character of the many was compromised by the irrascible temper of this one person. When someone is of this nature, he is blind to Jesus' model, which features peace.

It is the mission of Christians to persuade people who are not disciples to discover in Jesus the best way of life in this world and the reward of life in heaven in eternity. The effort to persuade is not (speaking metaphorically) by "closing doors, building walls, and burning bridges" in relating to people about you. Such hostile and repulsive action will present a false image of Christ and turn people more completely away from Him and from the salvation of their souls. It is the goal of the genuine Christian to "open doors, dismantle walls, and build bridges" to gain friendly access to people about them. This is the Way of  Peace, the Way of Christ, and a large part of the essense of good character.

Character 12

Mat. 5:8 ... "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

In this series of articles the objective is to advocate the best model of character to be that which is seen in the life of Christ and in His teaching as recorded in the New Testament. In earlier articles the case was presented for Jesus' life to be the superior character model. Then, attention was turned to the Beati-tudes which Jesus stated in Mat. 5:3-12 in the effort to commend each of them as a component of true character. Thus far, five of them have been featured: humility, feeling sorrow for the presence of sin and its damage in human life, gentleness, righteousness, and being merciful. In this article we shall focus our attention upon the sixth, which is given in v.8, "Blessed are the pure in heart."

The word "heart" is here used metaphorically for affective mental activity.  It has nothing to do with the physical organ that pumps blood through the body. But there is an analogous relationship involved. As the work of a healthy heart is essential to keep the body alive, the work of the mental heart is neccesary to maintain spiritual life. We all know people whose physical heart failed. They died and were buried. If one's mental heart ceases to function, they become spiritually dead. They keep on living physically and go about the regular course of daily life as usual. But spiritually they are dead. A great many people of the earth's population are physically alive but spiritually dead. Because they do not have pure hearts, in the sense Jesus used the word, they have no spiritual life.

I have not invented this idea, but rather took it from the New Testament, where people whose hearts have not been purified from sin are spoken of as being spiritually "dead." One of the many such state-ments is Eph. 2:1, "You were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world." The people to whom these words were first addressed were very much alive in the usual sense; they were going about their ordinary daily activities. But their hearts were defiled by "trespasses and sins," that is, their way of life was beyond the limit (trespass) of God's stand-ard, and it fell short (sin) of what God intended for them . Trespasses and sins soil the heart just as dirt and mud soil the body. Soap and water will remove dirt and mud from your skin, but it will not remove the moral filth of trespasses and sins from your heart. Only the grace of God through Christ can do that, as it did for the Ephesians. We are told that "even when we (the writer and his readers) were dead in our transgressions," God "made us alive together with Christ ... and raised us up with Him." As Jesus was resurrected to life after He was crucified, those who respond to God's will by faith and obedience are "raised up" from spiritual death to the fulness of spiritual life. In being "raised up," which is the same as being "born again" (John 3:3,5), the "heart" is purified, spiritually cleansed. This is essential to attaining Christian character, the major thesis of these articles.

Once the heart has been cleansed, it is the individual's task to keep it pure. This is an essential task for a very important reason, which is revealed in Pro. 23:7, "As (one) thinks in his heart, so is he." Our exterior self is determined by our our interior self, which is our heart. A person with an impure heart cannot have good character, for sooner or later the impurity within will emerge in his speech, behavior, and disposition and betray what his real nature is. What constitutes an impure heart? And what kind of action does it produce in outward activity? Jesus answers these questions in Mat. 15:19, "Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders." The human activities that warp society and make it dysfunctional, have their origin in the attitudes, thoughts, ideas, and moods of the heart. There is a common belief that you can think whatever you like, if you keep it to yourself. That is, you can imagine or fantasize anything, as long as you keep to yourself. This cannot be done, according to the Lord. You cannot "keep the lid" on your inner self always; eventually the rotten-ness will escape. It is like the decaying matter at the bottom of a swamp. The decay emits foul gas, which colletcs into noxious bubbles that break loose, rise to the top, burst on the surface of the water, and befoul the atmosphere. How often do we see such happen in human behavior? A person who has never attracted attention enters a school one morning and kills as many little children and teachers as he or she can with an automatic rifle.

If you keep your heart pure, only goodness, kindness, and benevolence will surface in your speech, deeds, and moods. You will be an asset to society, promote the welfare of many people, and brighten the scene wherever you happen to be. Your character will fit the model of Jesus, for He never displayed anything but what was pure.