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OPEN EYES FAITH

Thursday, March 04th, 2010 | Author: Skip Moen

Sometimes I think we get the idea that God leaves us in the dark on purpose. We have the bump-into-things view of faith, like walking through a room with the lights off. This morning my wife and I read our devotional page from Oswald Chambers’ book. We talked about our current situation. Nothing seems to have changed to correct the financial crisis we face. The external evidence still points to a dwindling bank account and not enough income. She said to me, “I know that God has His reasons. But I would just like to know what they are”. As I thought about her request, I was reminded of people in history whom God directed.

Abraham is a good example. We have a heroic view of Abraham. We think of him as a pillar of faith. We know the story of his willingness to sacrifice Isaac. We remember his negotiation with God to rescue Lot. But we often forget that Abraham had years of struggle and doubt. We forget that he was very human – just like us. And God still chose him.

Abraham started out well. God called him away from his culture, family and friends. God said, “Follow me to a place I will show you” and Abraham responded. Now that takes faith! How many of us would pack up everything we had, sell the house, leave the job and just go somewhere based only on a voice from God. God didn’t even bother to tell Abraham where he was going. He just said, “Get on the road and I will let you know when you need to know”. Abraham made his first stop at a sacred grove on a mountain. There he made an altar and worshipped God. He demonstrated his faith even though he still had no idea what the plan was all about. Things seemed to be settling down.

God showed up and explained that some day Abraham’s descendents would inherit all the land that surrounded Abraham. God would see to it. Of course, there was only one small problem. Abraham didn’t have any descendents. But God told him not to worry. Things would work out exactly as God intended.

Then Abraham got his first real test. There was a famine in the land. Nothing to eat, provisions running low and plenty to worry about. Abraham decided to head for Egypt where food was available. But on the way he realized that Pharaoh would see how beautiful his wife was and would probably want her for himself. Abraham reasoned that if that happened, Pharaoh might just kill him to get Sarah. So, he came up with a plan. He would tell Pharaoh that Sarah was his sister. That way, nothing would happen to him. Of course, a lot would happen to Sarah, but Abraham didn’t seem too concerned about her. After all, he had to protect himself so that he could get what God promised. It wouldn’t do much good if he were killed. So, he lied. And things got very bad indeed when his lie was discovered.

Abraham failed the test. Do you think that God would have let Abraham be killed in Egypt if God had already promised that Abraham was going to be a great nation? You have to wonder why Abraham didn’t trust God to take care of the situation. Abraham lied to protect his own skin. But his lie denied God’s promised protection. The Father of Faith made a big mistake (and, as we see when we read the stories, he seems to have made the same mistake more than once).

Of course, after Pharaoh kicks Abraham out of Egypt, Abraham regrets his lack of faith. He comes back to worship God. He straightens out his trust problem. But he has set the tone for the family. Lot follows uncle Abraham’s lead and ends up in a real mess. And Sarah does the same thing. She shows the sin of impatience. God’s promise is only good when she can see how it is going to work out. And as the years go by, she figures that it’s time for her to take over. That decision results in an internal family nightmare, an illegitimate son, more broken relationships and thirteen years of silence from God. And, by the way, just in case we start thinking that it is all Sarah’s fault, we are reminded that Abraham is the one who agreed to have sex with Hagar in order to produce the required descendent. Did Abraham have a momentary mental lapse? Did he forget completely that God was able to handle every problem? Or was the offer to have sex with someone else, with his wife’s blessing, more than any man could refuse?

God returns to the lives of these fractured people and renews His covenant. Abraham finally seems to understand. But there are still trials and failures and regrets and restorations ahead. The Father of the Faith is quite human. The Bible could have painted him as a great saint. But it doesn’t. I am convinced that God wants us to see the ups and downs of his life, and the lives of many of the saints. Why? Because the story is about what God does, not about how wonderful and spiritual we are. God gets the credit. He takes the time to show us that we are all cut from the same cloth. And that should give us great comfort. Our faith is just like the faith of those Bible heroes – struggling, rough and in need of purification. But it is faith nevertheless, and God recognizes it for what it is. If God didn’t give up on Abraham, a man who caused one family problem after another with lies, loose morals and doubt, then God won’t give up on us either.

Let’s look at what Paul (another one of those Bible heroes with a very checkered past) has to say about faith:

“for the righteous man shall live by faith” Romans 1:17

“having been justified by faith, we have peace with God” Romans 5:1

“whatever is not of faith is sin” Romans 14:23

“and without faith it is impossible to please [God]” Hebrews 11:6

A few more references will help.

“but he must ask in faith without any doubting” James 1:6

“for we walk by faith, not by sight” 2 Cor. 5:7

“now faith is the assurance of things hope for, the conviction of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1

Let’s see if we can draw some conclusions from these verses. Faith begins with God’s grace toward us. God was faithful in His promise long before we came to realize that what He says about us is true. Just like Abraham, we responded to something that God had in mind before He asked us to get up and follow Him. In other words, God’s intentions for us came first. That is the essential meaning of “the righteous man is justified by faith”. In the case of Abraham, God looked on Abraham as faithful in spite of Abraham’s human failings. The Old Testament word is “accredited” or “counted”. God counted Abraham as faithful – He decided to see Abraham as faithful. God had something in mind for Abraham. God had no intention of letting Abraham’s human failures stand in the way of divine plans, so God just kept after Abraham, reminding him that the promise was based on God, not on Abraham’s efforts.

We need to see our faith in the same light. God has something in mind for each of us. He has this in mind long before we get started on our journey toward the place He is going to show us. Along the way, most of us get off track. There is a Greek word for this. It is planasthe. It means “to cause to wander, to lead astray, to seduce or mislead” but we translate it as “deceive”. Abraham got off track when he deceived himself into thinking he had to protect his own life in order for God’s promise to be fulfilled. We do the same thing. We don’t see how things are going to work out for us. We worry about the money, our health, the job or any number of “protection” items. And so we begin to take care of those things our own way. We deceive ourselves into thinking that God needs us to lend a hand to His promise. Just like Abraham, we eventually discover that we have made a mess. The first thing we need to know about faith is that it is God’s plan for us, not our plan worked out with an acknowledging nod toward God.

Faith does not begin with us. Faith begins with God. First, God acts on our behalf. His intentions always precede ours. In fact, about the only thing He asks is for us to follow. He didn’t say to Abraham, “Now, get out there and make things happen. Go up the road until you think you have arrived. Set up shop. Build a city. Make babies. Get wealthy and build a big church. Then, when you have done all that, I’ll come back and inspect your efforts”. No, God said, “Follow along and I will show you something. I’ll show you when I’m ready. You just tag along behind”. Funny thing. Jesus said almost the same words. “Follow me”.

Faith begins with God. Actually, it’s a good thing that it does. If faith began with us, we would certainly mess it up. And even better, when we do mess it up, God can still bring about His intentions for us. Abraham messed it up several times. God still produced the results He wanted. God had to deal with all the mess that Abraham made along the way. Extra children. Broken relationships. Bad company. An abused wife. But God was more than able to manage all that mess and still get Abraham where God wanted him to be. Just a bunch of extra baggage that Abraham packed into the trip.

If faith begins with God, why do we carry along so much extra stuff? Why are we always trying to “fix” things that God forgot about? “Wait a minute, God! Did you forget that I have to pay that bill? Did you forget about that assignment I need to do? Hey, what about my plans to take that job? Did you forget I need a new car? Don’t you remember that my husband doesn’t treat me right?”

When faith begins with God, we have absolute assurance that faith will arrive at its intended destination. We’re not in charge, thank God! So, relax! Follow along. Stop adding to the pile you’re carrying. God knows what you need. It’s His train. You’re just a passenger. The greatest struggle of faith is to remember who owns the train. Faith is remembering who’s who. The reason the Bible includes all those stories about the failures of faith’s heroes is to remind us that faith is about God, not about us. And God is able. He is able to take any mess, any circumstance and any problem – the stuff that just seems like there is no way in the world it will ever work – and bring about His intentions.

A ninety-year-old woman gets pregnant. An altar covered in water gets consumed with fire. A starving man in the desert gets fed by birds. A blind man knocks down a temple. And God dies. All of these things are impossible. But they happened because God had His own plans in mind. Isn’t he able to manage your journey?

Paul tells us that once we see our faith in terms of God’s promise toward us, we will have peace. “having been justified by faith, we have peace with God” Romans 5:1

The Greek word for “peace” is eirene. In the New Testament, the word is about relationships, not external conditions. The word is not primarily associated with resolution of political conflict, good health, personal well-being or even prosperity. It is associated with words like love, grace, glory, honor, righteousness and mercy. Its opposites are also words about relationships: anxiety, anguish, fear, confusion, division, distress. Peace is the settled confidence that my relationship with God has been repaired. Jesus tells us that he “gives” this peace and “leaves” this peace with us. It is not an announcement that we have accomplished something. It is a gift left behind for us to enjoy. Jesus is giving his followers a going-away present. That present is unbroken fellowship with God. It is a present that we can have right now and it will last forever. It places a safety net over our lives that nothing can take away.

So, the second thing about faith is also about God. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. God has purposes for you. He will see that they are carried out. And to do that, He is ready to give you peace. It is the confidence that God is on my side, that I can trust Him completely. He knows what He is doing. I don’t have to second-guess His arrangements.

That’s exactly what got Abraham in so much trouble. He knew God had plans. He knew God made promises. But he second-guessed how it was going to be done. So, he did what we all do – the commonsense thing. He went to Egypt. He lied to protect himself. He decided that sex with Hagar wasn’t such a bad idea. He told the kings another lie. Instead of waiting for God, he said to himself, “Hey, what gives here anyway? God made me a promise but things look pretty bad. I guess I’d better do something to make all this come true”. God repaired the damage, but the damage didn’t need to be done. Abraham was an impatient man.

Aren’t we the same? Are we ready to wait for God? Do you rely completely on the peace that we have? We know that God has restored the relationship. Why can’t we find comfort in that restoration? Is anything more important? Jesus tells us the same thing (isn’t is amazing that Jesus just reminds us of all those Old Testament lessons we forgot). He says, “Why do you worry about what will happen to you? Don’t you know that your heavenly Father knows all of your needs? Seek Him first – follow along – and let Him take care of the rest”. Jesus is a great tour guide. He keeps putting us back on the train when we decide that there is a shorter way to glory and we fall off the track.

Faith is God first – and God second. First, God comes after us. Second, God looks after us.

If we just kept those two things in mind, we would have the mind of faith. But Paul knows that we struggle. So he provides us with a warning.

“whatever is not of faith is sin”

What is not of faith? Not remembering rule 1 and rule 2. Rule 1: God is in charge. Rule 2: God is able. He draws us to Him. He restores our relationship with Him. He protects and cares for us. As long as we act in accordance with these simple facts of Life (for that’s what they are), we will exhibit faith. As soon as we forget one of these simple things, we step off the train. The biggest problem with stepping off the train is that it is still moving. We get hurt.

The New Testament word for sin is hamartia. It literally means “missing the mark”. In this case, it might as well mean “doing it our way”. It is the Frank Sinatra principle (“I did it my way”). And, by the way, just in case you didn’t know it, Frank Sinatra was not God (neither was Elvis). If I think that I can assist God by doing things my way, I am certainly going to miss the mark. Abraham found out the hard way. God didn’t visit him for thirteen years while Ishmael grew up. For thirteen years, Abraham looked every day on the consequences of doing it his way. For thirteen years, Sarah and Abraham had to deal every day with the results of doing it their way. Not a very happy marriage. And the other mother, Hagar, was right there in their faces every day. There was no option of divorcing and moving across the country. There were no restraining orders. There was no child visitation. Sometimes the consequences of our foolishness need to stay with us to remind us that faith is about God’s way, not ours.

“and without faith it is impossible to please [God]” Hebrews 11:6.

Why is it impossible to please God without faith? Well, think about it. Faith is recognizing those two simple rules. If I act without taking rule 1 and rule 2 into account, I will automatically be singing along with Frank. Notice that the verse in Hebrews doesn’t say, “Without faith it’s pretty hard to please God”. It doesn’t say, “Most of the time without faith it’s tough to please God”. It says that it is impossible. The Greek word is adunaton. It literally means “is not able” or “can’t be done”. Isn’t that amazing! With faith, God is able. Without faith, we are not able. In other words, if I remember that God is in charge, then I know that God is able. But if I forget that God is in charge, then it turns out that I am not able ultimately to please Him because I did not let Him do what He is able to do. How simple is that! God is able. Let Him do it. Sin is just deciding that God is not able and I need to do it. That insults God. No wonder He is displeased.

Sarah wants to enjoy the prestige of being associated with a great man – her husband. God has promised he will be the father of many, a high honor indeed. But Sarah doesn’t have a child. She knows that she doesn’t have a child because God has not yet allowed her to have a child. She recognizes God’s sovereignty when it comes to her body, but she is not willing to recognize God’s sovereignty over the rest of her world. So, she decides to sing along with Frank. She thinks, “God is not able to take care of this. I’ll have to do it myself”. She knows Abraham has eyed Hagar a few times. Every wife knows this sort of thing. So, she comes up with a plan that she knows Abraham won’t refuse. Pretty soon they are all humming along with Frank. When we think God is not able, we deny God’s faithfulness toward us. We call God a liar. It doesn’t work out very well.

“but he must ask in faith without any doubting” James 1:6

There are times when doubt is a good thing. If you are about to step off a moving train and you catch yourself doubting if you can make the step without injury, doubt is good. It probably saved your life. Oswald Chambers reminds us that whenever we encounter doubt in our walk behind God, we need to stop. God does not promote doubt. God is very clear about what He wants us to do, even if what He tells us is only a tiny step of the whole plan. In fact, I don’t know a single person who ever knew the whole plan from the beginning. I doubt (there’s that word again) that even Jesus knew it all for day one. The Bible tells us that he had to grow up learning obedience just like we have to. That’s very comforting. If Jesus had to learn to follow, why should I think that I can just run ahead?

Now James tells us that if we are going to do something with our faith, we need to not start an internal dispute with ourselves. That’s what this word means. The Greek is diakrino. It comes from the idea of separating or choosing between one thing and another.

There are two other words that are translated “doubt”. One is dialogismos. It means “to debate through words” or “argument”. It is used in the New Testament for the idea of evil thoughts or argument. It usually has the sense of trying to justify your actions – arguing with God about how “right” your sin really is.

The other is distazo. Here the idea is that you are stuck between two courses of action. There are two pictures that help us see the meaning: a man standing at a crossroads, not knowing which way to go and a balance scale, equally weighted on each side, tipping back and forth. It means, “to hesitate, to waver, to be uncertain”. It is not argumentative or evil. There is no sin here. It is just being stuck in the middle. God help me, I don’t know which way to go!

James uses diakrino because he does not want us to think about trying to justify ourselves before God nor does he want us to think about simple hesitation. He wants us to see that this kind of doubt is about debating what is the right selection.

We come to a crossroads as we tag along behind God. But God is out just out of sight. We can’t quite see which way He went. So, we have to choose. Right or left. We waver (distazo). We remember Oswald Chambers. Stop! We fix our mind on the mind of Christ and then we feel we should go right. We don’t argue with God about it (“You know, God, you really didn’t make it clear and besides, it looks so nice down the road on the left and I just couldn’t help it”). We take a step to the right. Suddenly we are besieged with doubt – the diakrino kind. Wait! What if this isn’t the right way? Maybe I didn’t hear it correctly? Maybe I should have prayed more? How do I know I am really doing what God wants? Maybe I need a sign? I should open the Bible and find a verse. But what if that doesn’t work either? Diakrino is the doubt that stops acting on faith because it doesn’t believe that God can repair mistakes. It believes God has only one way and if I miss it, I will never recover. The entire universe depends on me making the right choice. The pressure is too much. What will I do now?

James says, “Go forward. God is able to correct you if you are on the wrong path. He’ll get you back on track. But He can’t do anything until you start to move. Just standing there debating with yourself will accomplish nothing”.

Once again Oswald Chambers reminds us that when we move forward on faith, God will simply close the doors if we are off course. Then we can retreat and start again. Remember, it’s God journey. He’s in charge. So get up and get moving. Don’t be afraid to put your trust on Him. He is able.

Rule number 1: God’s in charge.

Rule number 2: God is able.

Rule number 3: Go forward.

Now comes the greatest blessing.

“for we walk by faith, not by sight” 2 Cor. 5:7

“now faith is the assurance of things hope for, the conviction of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1

If we know the rules, we don’t have to know where we are going. In fact, this is a journey of just following with our eyes wide open. It is not “blind” faith at all. We know God is in charge. We know God is able. All we have to do is go forward. Faith is exercised on a “need to know” basis. When you need to know, God will tell you. Faith is realizing that you don’t need to know. But everything is still OK, because He knows.

Our world is convinced that we have to know. We want to know the outcome before the event. What plans do you have for your life? What will you become? How will it all work out? What if it doesn’t come out the way that I want?

Maybe we should think of our need to know like a box. If we knew all the answers, we would be nicely packaged but we would lose the possibility for creative change. God doesn’t tell us everything because we are in a cooperative process of creative change with Him. Our lives are not boxed. Faith is simply knowing that the plans are being revised along the way. And that’s a good thing. When I mess up, the master Architect can redraw the plans and still get the results He wants. God’s disclaimers about life are true: past promises do guarantee future rewards. Past events do guarantee present and future relationships.

So, we’re left with hope and conviction. “now faith is the assurance of things hope for, the conviction of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1

Hope is telling yourself that what God says is true is really true. It’s reminding yourself about rule number 1 and rule number 2. God is in charge. God is able.

Conviction is acting on that hope. Rule number 3: Go forward.

Faith isn’t blind. It’s open eyes obedience.

Category: Articles | Tags: Abraham, faith, obedience, peace, waver | 7 Comments

Theological Psychology

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 | Author: Skip Moen

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Assurance – From 300 BC until 1500 AD, this word was about something very different than “assurance.” But when Martin Luther accepted this translation suggestion of another theologian 500 years ago, the landscape of this word changed and the world of faith became a different place. If you want to recover the older meaning, you’ll have to do a little digging.

Most modern translations follow Luther. By using the word “assurance,” Luther shifted the idea of faith into the realm of inner personal conviction. “Assurance” means self-confidence or personal guarantee. Suddenly faith rests on how I feel. In its current form, faith is now a private religious experience. This view fosters the modern idea of tolerance: that what I believe is my inner conviction and should not be forced into the public arena. Everyone has his own inner convictions. Everyone’s faith is unique to the individual and not subject to outward, objective scrutiny.

With great regret, Christianity is moving in this direction, helped along by changes in the translation. In a culture that advocates “whatever believe-ism,” true Christian belief has been subtly separated from objective attestation and reduced to the same level as all other “faiths.”

But here’s the amazing fact. The Greek word hupostasis never meant inner personal conviction prior to Luther’s translation. This Greek word was a scientific and medical term that meant “the underlying reality behind something.” It has nothing to do with personal conviction. It is a word that says, “this demonstrates the true but hidden reality.” The Hebrew author picked a Greek word that captures the dual reality of this world.

So what does this mean for Hebrews 11:1? The author of Hebrews tells us that the real world is not this world as it appears but rather the world as it is demonstrated in the future, hidden reality of what is hoped for. This is faith. Not the personal, subjective, inner feelings of private confidence, but the outward demonstration of a world that is based on what is to come: the world of God’s kingdom values lived out here and now as a sign of what will be. And how is that outward demonstration revealed? It is revealed in the community of the obedient. It is displayed first and foremost in the life of Yeshua and secondarily in those who follow Him. This is not a private, inner experience. This is a tangible, outward expression of living according to a reality that is hidden for the time-being but will show itself to be the true reality soon enough. In other words, faith is the demonstration of God’s coming kingdom by living according to kingdom instructions right now!

This is a heavyweight verse. The impact that its proper translation has on believers is shocking. Faith has nothing to do with my groping in the dark to try to find the right feelings or the proper inner conviction. Faith is walking in obedience to a reality that is not yet obvious. Faith is doing according to God’s truth regardless of what I see.

Do you have faith? Ah, that’s a Greek question, isn’t it? The real question is this: Are you faithful? Is your life characterized by a reality that others do not see yet? Do you live by a code that is hidden from the world? Faith is a verb. To have faith is to do what God asks.

Topical Index: faith, hupostasis, Hebrew 11:1

Category: Today's Word | Tags: faith, Hebrew 11:1, hupostasis | 24 Comments

The Man of Faith

Wednesday, January 06th, 2010 | Author: Skip Moen

“and you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man do, he shall live by them. I am YHWH.” Leviticus 18:5

Live By Them – Is there a more important Hebrew phrase? Hardly! God provides an answer to the question, “What does it mean to live by faith?” “Wait,” you say. “This verse in Leviticus says nothing about faith. It’s about keeping the commandments, not about faith.” Ah, you’re suffering from a bad case of corrupted intertextuality. “What is that?” Well, intertextuality is the connection between one verse and another; connections that are not related to historical, cultural or authorial context. In other words, these are connections where the phrasing of the words or the use of vocabulary is the same. So, the connection here is the verb hayah, “to live.” The Hebrew vachai bahem (literally, “shall live in them”) is related to the proclamation of the prophet Habakkuk: “The just shall live by faith.” What does it mean to live by faith, something we commonly associate with the declaration of grace? It means (by intertextual connection) to live in God’s statutes and judgments. Unless you make the mistake of thinking that God somehow changed His mind about living, then you will have to account for your behavior according to these standards. That is living by faith. But Hebrew faith displays itself in action. So, here are some of the actions that show up when faith is present:

To love all human beings who are of the covenant (Lev. 19:18).

Not to stand by idly when a human life is in danger (Lev. 19:16).

Not to wrong any one in speech (Lev. 25:17).

Not to carry tales (Lev. 19:16).

Not to cherish hatred in one’s heart (Lev. 19:17).

Not to take revenge (Lev. 19:18).

Not to bear a grudge (Lev. 19:18).

Not to put any one of the covenant community to shame (Lev. 19:17).

Not to curse any other Israelite (Lev. 19:14) (by implication: if you may not curse those who cannot hear, you certainly may not curse those who can).

Not to give occasion to the simple-minded to stumble on the road (Lev. 19:14) (this includes doing anything that will cause another to sin).

To rebuke the sinner (Lev. 19:17).

To relieve a neighbor of his burden and help to unload his beast (Ex. 23:5).

To assist in replacing the load upon a neighbor’s beast (Deut. 22:4).

Not to leave a beast, that has fallen down beneath its burden, unaided (Deut. 22:4).

What have we learned? The 613 are expressions of living by faith. This small sample of actions you would readily approve is part of what it means to demonstrate righteousness, and it comes about because you trust the character of the One who asks you to live this way. You live differently because the expression of faith guides your life.

Now, if these fourteen are so clearly part of faithful living, why do we balk at the rest?

Topical Index: 613, faith, live, Leviticus 18:5, Habakkuk 2:4

Category: Today's Word | Tags: 613, faith, Habakkuk 2:4, Leviticus 18:5, live | 5 Comments

Altered State

Friday, December 18th, 2009 | Author: Skip Moen

But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? James 2:20 NASB

Useless – According to this translation, James doesn’t say, “faith without works is false belief.” He doesn’t say, “faith without works is carnal.” He doesn’t say, “faith without works is hypocrisy.” According to this translation, he says that it is useless. It doesn’t accomplish its intended purpose. It has no place in God’s grand scheme. It is insipid, sick and ineffective. It doesn’t produce. It isn’t natural.

But the Greek is a bit stronger. The word is nekra. Dead! Oh, it’s useless alright. But the reason it’s useless is not simply because it is weak, insipid or ineffective. The reason it’s useless is because it is dead! It doesn’t have any life. It is the unnatural bastardization of what God intended. Faith produces spiritual fruit. Spiritual fruit produces lasting, tangible transformation. This is the natural and inevitable consequence of faith. Wherever there is real faith in the God of Israel, things happen. God guarantees it because He is jealous over His children. He puts His spirit into us, resulting in the natural outgrowth of His character in our lives. So, those who espouse faith but do not bear fruit are dead! They aren’t carnal, confused or incapacitated. They are tombstones. Softening the blow by altering the translation from “dead” to “useless” doesn’t do anything but provide a back-handed excuse. James won’t have it. Faith without works isn’t just sick. It’s terminal!

Do you agree with James? Do you recognize that a claim of faith necessarily means an obligation to produce good fruit? If you agree, then you should be able to look around at the fruit that grows naturally from your life with God. You should see real results. Of course, the fruit you produce isn’t for you. It’s for others to enjoy. The transformation that is occurring in your life must be recognized as blessing to others. A tree does not eat its own production. So, if you really are in flow with God, then others will be blessed by your efforts and your presence. They will see transformation even if you don’t recognize it. But if they aren’t discovering blessings through you, then you may want to take a closer look. You just might be planted in a graveyard.

Does any “work” qualify? No. The fruit of the Spirit is quite specific. You can find the list in Galatians 5. But that’s only the beginning. You see, “works” is a Hebrew idiom for tzedakah, the Hebrew word for the acts that we call “charity” in English. However, the nature of tzedakah is very different from our idea of charity. The word “charity” suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and powerful for the benefit of the poor and needy. But the word tzedakah is derived from the Hebrew Tzadei-Dalet-Qof, meaning righteousness, justice or fairness. In charitable application, giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act; it is simply an act of justice and righteousness, the performance of a duty, giving the poor their due. Furthermore, since “works” includes righteousness and justice, it implies a life governed by Torah, the ultimate guide to righteousness and justice. “Works” are not what I want to do. “Works” are what God instructs me to do.

Faith without the committed application of God’s instructions is dead. It might look noble and religious, but it is not aligned with God’s view of truth, justice and righteousness. God’s way of living is not some nebulous “love each other” feeling. It is specific behaviors covering every aspect of life. It is the glorious privilege of serving Him by doing what He asks. It is life as He defines it.

Ah, but you already knew that, didn’t you? You are already living according to God’s instructions, aren’t you? That’s why life is such a wonderful adventure, right?

Topical Index: faith, works, dead, nekra, tzedakah, James 2:20

Category: Today's Word | Tags: dead, faith, James 2:20, nekra, tzedakah, works | 9 Comments

Do You See Me? (1)

Friday, October 30th, 2009 | Author: Skip Moen

“O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish.” Matthew 15:28

Faith – If love is what we all want, rejection is what we all fear. There is nothing quite as damaging as being told that you don’t belong. “Don’t bother me. Can’t you see I’m busy?” “What are you doing here anyway?” “Who told you to come? You’re not welcome.” You can add your own variations to the theme from your life story. Somewhere along the way we have all felt the cold sting of dismissal. Sometime in our past we knew the flash of shame that comes when we weren’t welcome. If the world needs love, it has a very strange way of showing it.

Turned away! Worse than that! Not only turned back but rejected. “Not good enough for God’s care.” This is not what we expect from Yeshua. How could He turn away someone in need?

In what must be one of the strangest stories of the Gospels, Yeshua deals with rejection. But He seems to be on the wrong side of the equation. He seems to be handing out the dismissal, shunning someone in desperate need. Is Yeshua really this callous, this demeaning? The story compels us to look deeper, to find a way inside the window in order to feel the emotions released in this encounter. What does the heart of God have to say when we feel as though we have been pushed away, even by Him?

You are walking along the street with several friends. It is a pleasant day in the city and soon you will be enjoying good conversation over a great meal at the nearby restaurant. But as you and your friends pass by the alley, you see the pitiful sight of a homeless mother with her child. For one brief moment, your eyes lock. As though her eyes suddenly become yours, you see what she sees – the chosen ones, passing through life as though God’s favor belongs only to them, ignoring the plight of a mother who has known only sorrow. The flash of identity passes. But the woman in rags knows. She steps forward. “Please, please help me. My little girl is sick. I have nothing to feed her. Won’t you help us?”

The matted hair, the dirty face, the smell, the voice – an emotional assault that catches you off guard. You were thinking about a nice lunch and good company when your world confronted this outsider. You fight between panic and pity. You want to get away but her words tug at your heart. You did not come to minister to the homeless today. You aren’t dressed for it.

Your friends push you forward. “Oh, that’s disgusting. How can people allow themselves to live like that? There must be a shelter or somewhere she can go.” As they try to urge you along, you see the woman following. She is crying.

“You know, you just can’t be sure. If you give her something, how do you know she won’t just buy drugs? I hear that’s all they really want anyway.” But the woman cries out, “Please, lady, help me.” Now you realize that she is young. The time on the street has aged her. She could be your child. Children bearing children. You wonder about the tiny body clutched in her arms. Was it really a child, or just a doll? Your steps falter.

“Look, just send her away.” One of your friends touches you reassuringly on the arm. “We can’t have her following us like this. Everyone will stare! It’s embarrassing.”

Come with me to Cite Soleil in the port district of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 300,000 people living on a two-square mile garbage dump. Water so polluted that it smells. Open sewers like the tentacles of a diseased monster. And children. Everywhere! Digging for scraps. Flies covering their faces. Bellies swollen from malnutrition. Slowly dying. By the thousands! Once noted as the poorest place in the Western hemisphere, Cite Soleil has a new badge. It is now the most dangerous place in the Western hemisphere. Rape, murder, robbery, beatings and every other kind of violence is an everyday way of life here. 245 miles from South Beach, 7 million people are starving to death in Haiti while the glittering crowds of south Florida drink $9 martinis and eat $100 dinners. These are the outcasts, rounded up and put into the concentration camp of the global economy. Surrounded by a prison of bright blue water, they have nothing to offer the world except the cry of their need. And the world does not respond to need unless there is something to gain. So, tip the valet parking attendant and drive away in your new Lexus. There is no reason at all to think about Cite Soleil.

The first step in understanding this encounter with Yeshua is acknowledging which role we play. Are we the socially annoyed or the clamoring needy? Are we the righteous or the refugees? This is a story about personal pride. It is a story about who matters. Unless we stand with the Canaanite woman, Yeshua will be nothing more than the leader of the acceptable. God’s grace falls on outcasts of the world because they know their need. To lead like Yeshua is to see our outcast faces in the mirror, accepted only because He cares.

Yeshua encountered a refugee on this trip to Tyre. This woman from nowhere begins to cry out, “Son of David, help my daughter.” The Greek word that describes her cry is onomatopoetic. It makes its own sound. Krauge. It is the sound of a cry. The crying of an old crow. Caw. Caw. The annoying sound designed for only one purpose – to get attention. Krauge, krauge. Yeshua does not respond.

How do you get God’s attention when you have nothing but your need? This woman teaches us a great lesson. Need is enough. She does not stand on protocol. She does not consider the consequences. She does not wait for the right setting, the right attitude or the right contact. She “caws” after God. She steps boldly forward and makes her need known. She has no other way. On every other basis, she is excluded. But need overcomes all other reasons.

Do you have needs worth “cawing”? Why are you waiting to cry out to Him?

Topical Index: krauge, cry, faith, Cite Soleil, Matthew 15:28

Category: Today's Word | Tags: Cite Soleil, cry, faith, krauge, Matthew 15:28 | 12 Comments

Taking A Stand

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 | Author: Skip Moen

Do we nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. Romans 3:31

Establish – Put yourself in Rome in the first century. You are part of a small group of believers. You have heard the good news of peace with God through Yeshua, the Messiah. How did that happen? Since we’re imaging, we’ll pretend that you’re just as much a Gentile then as you are today. You’re one of the masses of people who are under Roman rule; not Jewish, just part of the Empire. Perhaps you heard the news from someone you know. Perhaps you were merely curious. But one thing is certain. When you became a believer, you joined the Jewish synagogue. How do we know this? Everything that Paul teaches assumes a thorough understanding of Scriptures, and in the first century, the only Scriptures available were the Old Testament books (Tanakh). You are an adopted, proselytized Messianic believer grafted into the commonwealth of Israel. You might not be Jewish by birth, but you are certainly Jewish by life choice. That’s why Sha’ul can say, “Faith establishes the Law.” When you came to believe, you took a stand. That stand was on Torah. You decided God’s instructions for living would be your instructions for living. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. Ruth all over again.

Sha’ul uses the Greek verb histemi. It means “to stand, to place on firm footing, to stabilize.” The Hebrew equivalent is qum, a verb that means “to rise up, to set up, to establish.” Where do we find this verb in Hebrew thought? We might look in Genesis 6:18 where God establishes a covenant with Noah or in Exodus 6:4 where God reminds Moses of His covenant established with Abraham. You can see Sha’ul’s choice in Greek points us to the permanency of God’s covenants. Those covenants are the basis of the Law. In fact, from the perspective of God’s unwavering character, the Law, in its entirety, is a covenant. Can faith ever undo a promise God made? Impossible! “Don’t even think like that,” says Sha’ul. Just the opposite is true. When we become believers through the promised Messiah, the one who re-establishes our relationship with the Father, we take a stand for the Torah. We say to the on-looking world, “By these principles I live.” That establishes the Law for us, and it happens because of faith, not in contrast to faith.

Sha’ul makes a lot of assumptions about his readers. He assumes they know the promises. He assumes they know the story. He assumes they know Torah. But he does not assume that they cannot be confused about this issue. That’s why he spends so much time elaborating the connection between faith and Torah. One endorses the other. One validates the other. They are both necessary. They just have different spheres of operation. One (faith) brings us into community. The other (Torah) shows us how to live in the community. Some Christians speak as if Paul is a convert to Christianity. They think he left Judaism behind and moved toward a Hellenistic, Torah-free religion later called Christianity. He would say, “Impossible!” No man who claims that faith puts the Law on firm footing could ever be accused of setting it aside.

Where do you stand? Where does your community stand? If you aren’t standing at the foot of the mountain saying “All these things we will do,” then why are you here?

Topical Index: Law, Torah, faith, establish, histemi, qum, Romans 3:31

A view on the canal – click here

Category: Today's Word | Tags: establish, faith, histemi, law, qum, Romans 3:31, Torah | 9 Comments

Dictionary Definitions

Thursday, August 20th, 2009 | Author: Skip Moen

If you will not believe, surely you will not be established. Isaiah 7:9

Believe – What is faith? Ah, it seems like such a simple question until you try to give your definition. Faith is _____________. You’ll probably need a pretty big blank space to fill in. Just remember faith is a verb, so don’t use static concepts, nouns or “beliefs” in your definition. Before you get too frustrated, let’s see if we can get some help from the biblical texts.

The Greek word is pistis. It is usually defined as a relationship with God – or something like that. But immediately we have a problem. You see, John never uses faith as a noun, so it can’t be a “relationship”. Paul and John consider “faith” from a Hebrew context. The actual word “faith” is very rare, but we do find words like hope, fear and trust. That takes us to the Old Testament idea of the Greek pistis. The word occurs in the LXX, but what we find most of the time is nothing like hope, fear or trust. What we find is the Hebrew root ‘mn. It’s the same root that shows up in the word amen. Now this seems really confusing. What does amen have to do with faith?

The most common expression based on the root ‘mn is ‘emet, the Hebrew word for “truth.” Amen, of course, expresses the thought that what I have just heard is vouched as true before God. So, the Old Testament idea of faith is not tied to my “beliefs.” It is tied to establishing myself in the truth. In other words, it is setting my feet on the solid rock of God’s unassailable character. Faith is not my relationship to Him. It is gaining the stability that comes from Him.

Isaiah helps too. This verse includes a wordplay. “If not ta-aminoo (you will believe), surely not te-amenoo (you be established).” The root ‘mn is used in both words – to believe and to establish. In other words, there is a direct connection between believing and securing. The opposite of believing is not doubting. It is tearing down. If I believe (verb), I secure God’s truth as the foundation of my actions. If I do not believe, I tear down God’s truth and am left without a firm foundation.

We often adopt the Greek idea that faith is about certain beliefs. We think faith is about true statements. “I know my Redeemer lives” becomes a statement of faith. The focus of our attention is on the connection between what we claim to know and the relationship that it fosters. We think of faith in connection with correct doctrine. But the Old Testament seems to say something else. The Old Testament says faith is truth in action! If I believe, I set myself on God’s word. I engage His promise and make it my reality. Faith is something I do for me. I move myself from instability to stability. I step onto a sure foundation. It hardly matters what I say or what I claim. It matters where I stand, so help me God.

Topical Index: faith, ‘mn, amen, pistis, ‘emet, truth, foundation, Isaiah 7:9

Category: Today's Word | Tags: amen, faith, foundation, Isaiah 7:9, pistis, truth, ‘emet, ‘mn | 4 Comments

Why Go To School?

Wednesday, June 03rd, 2009 | Author: Skip Moen

But now that faith has come, you are no longer under a tutor. Galatians 3:25

Tutor – Aside from the fact that education in some countries is compulsory, why would you want to go to school? Do you spend your time in school only to occupy your day? Do you feel as though you are a captive of the system, serving time until you are finally set free to do what you want with your life? I hope not. The purpose of school is not to confine you but rather to educate you. Why? So that when school is over, you have a much clearer understanding about how life works and how to make your way in it. Those who attend only because they have to are usually those who demonstrate their ignorance about living once they are released. For most of us, school is the delightful opportunity of learning.

Apparently, a great number of theologians have forgotten why they went to school. According to their views, the tutor was an evil tyrant from whom you learned nothing at all. He simply kept you chained to the desk until the Messiah arrived and threw open the schoolhouse door so that you could escape to freedom. So, R. Y. K. Fung comments that the preceding verse divides time into two epochs, the first under the imprisoning law and the second under the freedom of Christ. When Christ came, the law was “displaced” by justification by faith. The “dispensation of faith which was inaugurated by the coming of Christ” entails that the “law has ceased to be valid” for believers. In this new dispensation, “believers become sons of God through faith” while the tutorial function of the law is set aside (Fung, Galatians, NICNT, pp. 170-178).

Does this seem reasonable to you? Do you think that God gave us the law simply to keep us in chains until Jesus arrived and set us free from those terrible study hours? Is the law a jailer? Furthermore, does Fung imply that Abraham was not justified by faith because he lived before the dispensation of faith? Was Moses deluded when he said that the law was God’s instruction book of life? Does the history of Israel demonstrate that God had two plans; the first designed to compel everyone to attend school in order to be judged guilty of not getting straight A’s and the second designed to get rid of the school so we could all live unfettered lives?

Fung is a noted scholar. His contribution to the series The New International Commentary on the New Testament demonstrates his inclusion in “conservative” Christian thinking. But his adoption of the two covenant theory prior to exegesis of the text leads to some pretty difficult questions – questions that Paul would have found unbelievably naïve, I’m afraid.

Why do we go to school? To learn, that’s why! Does that mean that learning guarantees you a place in the palace? Of course not. Your place in the palace is only guaranteed by the invitation of the King. It is a gift, not a degree. But did you imagine that all that schooling had no effect on you? Did you think that the law didn’t show you how much you were in need of the gift? If you went to school in order to be invited, and along the way you discovered that all your education only confirmed that an invitation isn’t earned, wouldn’t you have learned something critically important? Of course, you would. You would have learned that the tutor could only prepare you for accepting the gift, not for getting the gift. And isn’t that a good thing?

That’s what Abraham learned. That’s what Moses learned. That’s what we also must learn if we are to be ready when the RSVP arrives. But if you throw out the education when you hear that the King has arrived at the palace, how will you know what to do when the envelope is delivered? Why does Paul say that we are no longer under a tutor (the Greek is paidagogos meaning “one who leads a child”)? Could it be that we have learned that our degrees won’t earn us a place at the banquet table? Could it be that we have grown up, recognizing like Abraham that God gives when we are ready to receive?

Topical Index: dispensation, justification, faith, law, tutor, Galatians 3:25

Category: Today's Word | Tags: dispensation, faith, Galatians 3:25, justification, law, tutor | 12 Comments

Direction Signals

Saturday, April 11th, 2009 | Author: Skip Moen

for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God Hebrew 11:10

Looking For – You could say that Abraham was a man without direction. He spent most of his life following a God toward a place he never arrived. He demonstrated his faith by obedience in spite of his lack of a map because he learned to operate according to today’s immediate instructions. But he never stopped looking. That’s the point of this passage. Abraham never arrived at the city built by God, but he was always on his way there.

The Greek word here is oregomai, a verb that means “to reach for,” or “to strive for.” It is used only four times in the New Testament, but it is not used in the way that Classical Greek thinking uses this word. For the Greeks, oregomai was the key attitude that propelled a man toward enlightenment through reason (striving for the Good, the True and the Beautiful) or took a man toward corruption through the passions (desires). For the Greeks, if a man devoted himself to the primacy of reason, he would progress up the scale of Logos toward divinity. This is the same philosophical approach that we find in New Age thinking. It’s very, very old. On the other hand, a man who let his passions control his striving would slip into debasing actions like lust, greed and avarice. For the Greeks, striving could go either way. The critical factor is the priority given to rational control. A lot of our thinking about moral training finds its home in this idea. Our culture advocates Greek-based decision-making when it promotes a “rational” ethics.

The author of Hebrews has a very different point of view. Striving is a function of faith, not rational primacy. We learn two very important lessons here. First, we learn that faith is not emotional excitement or passion. I don’t build up my faith by singing more stanzas of “How Great Is Our God.” I may be passionate about the music, the words or the atmosphere, but that is not faith. Faith is striving for something not yet a present reality. In other words, faith is work. It might be enjoyable (or not) but it is not emotional highs (or lows).

Secondly, we learn that faith is a life-direction in obedience. In other words, faith characterizes my entire orientation in life. It isn’t just a part of my human experience. It is the complete expression of my whole life. Faith is how I see things in the world, not just how I relate to my religion. I cannot have faith in church and act unfaithfully in the world. Faith is the summary of my whole life’s direction, even if I have not yet arrived at the city built by God. As Eugene Peterson said, it is “a long obedience in the same direction.”

Now we see why Abraham is the example. Faith characterized his entire life orientation. He was always on the way to the city of God, even when he stumbled. His faith did not depend on his feelings. It depended only on his obedience. He demonstrated his life orientation over and over and that is why he is our example. Even though he never arrived at God’s city, he knew where he was going and he acted accordingly.

Please don’t imagine that this implies any form of legalism (work to gain merit) or earned salvation. We are talking about demonstrating our faith, not about God’s demonstration of faithfulness toward us. Grace is the result of God’s faithfulness. Our faith is the response to His grace and the way that we show our faith is through striving for the city He builds. We work, act, think, walk, speak and live with His Kingdom in mind. That is faith for even though we have not yet seen it, we know it is real and we live “in” it without having its full reality visible.

So, that just leaves us with one question for today: Is your life direction in pursuit of the Kingdom?

Topical Index: faith, oregomai, striving, obedience, city of God, Hebrews 11:10

Category: Today's Word | Tags: city of God, faith, Hebrews 11:10, obedience, oregomai, striving | One Comment

“Not my problem, man”

Saturday, February 07th, 2009 | Author: Skip Moen

“You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” James 2:24

Thursday night, 7 PM. The weekly Bible study at our home. We’re making our way through Genesis, one verse at a time. We read the passage where God establishes the covenant with Abram. We followed the reference as it is used Romans and James. One of the women looks frustrated. “I know that it says justification by faith. All my life my church talked about “imputed” – whatever that means. But what about James? He says it takes works too. How can both of these be right?”

Sometimes we have to look across many different passages to make sense of just one. That’s the case here.

James says, “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone”. What a confusing and difficult passage! Paul’s central focus is justification by faith alone. It is the theme of Romans. It is the argument of Galatians and Corinthians. Now it looks like James is saying that we need faith, but we also need something else. How do we resolve this dilemma?

The Greek word for “works” here is ergon. We get the word “energy” from this root. There are other words that James could have used. That gives us a clue to the meaning behind James’ assertion. He uses a word for active zeal. This is the word that John uses over and over to describe the miracles (signs) that Jesus performs. In the New Testament, it is action that follows submission to God.

With that in mind, let’s look at the context. James is writing about a real issue in the church. He tells his readers, “Suppose someone says that they have faith. Then they meet a person who is in great need. The person is destitute. He needs clothes and food. But the one who claims to have faith tells him – “Oh, don’t worry. Let peace warm you and fill you. Let me show you the door.” Now James says, “Is that faith any good?”

The first point that James is making is this: faith means nothing if it does not result in actions.

I have hundreds of theology books. They sit on shelves in my library. They are the documentation of my faith. But if my life shows no active zeal for God’s purposes, what good is my claim to believe? I have had some of those books for decades. The content of those books hasn’t changed. Not a single word has been altered since I bought them. But for many years my life did not reflect what was written about my faith on those pages. God and I fought for control. I did many things I now regret and am ashamed of. The content of the beliefs did not change, but it was not being practiced. James wants me to know that unless my faith is demonstrating itself in active zeal, I am giving up God’s attempt to restore me (justify me).

Recently disaster struck my family. Everyone who knows about it says to me, “Oh, I’m so sorry”. Their emotion is genuine. Many are encouraging. “Don’t worry. Soon you’ll be back on top.” Then the conversation turns toward less uncomfortable things. Only a few people have come quietly and said, “I want you to know that you can count on me. I want to help you. Do you need anything now? Just ask. What’s mine is yours”.

We all know this story. It is the “not my problem, man” theology. James is giving us a little spiritual evaluation test – which group are you in, the ones who say, “Oh, what a tragedy. If there’s anything I can do, just call” or are you in the group that says, “You don’t even have to ask. Here, take this. I know you can use it”.

Once I was in the “in-between” camp. I had money, lots of it. So, when the situation seemed right, when I was feeling generous, I gave. But there were plenty of times when my first thought was, “Why should I always be the one to take care of this? It’s my money. I can do what I want with it.” I was so wrong. God saw my mishandling of the fortune he entrusted to me and He called in my loan. “I want you to learn about mercy and debt”, He said. “So, I going to put you on the other side of the coin. You need an experience in dependence”. He is right. He always is. I am learning to be a much better waiter because I am now a busboy.

I used to be the one who said, “I’m so sorry”. Now I need to be the one who doesn’t wait to help. James doesn’t say, “Wait in comfort until God directs you to do something”. He says, “When you see someone in trouble, get your faith going. Do something to help”. James’ command comes from his understanding that God spreads His treasures around so that we can have the privilege of sharing them. When I took care of only myself, God realized that I needed an attitude adjustment. I needed to be the one who was in trouble so that I could experience the design of divine sharing. A lesson like mine is never forgotten.

But James is also fighting another problem.

James is concerned about the idea that I can earn my way to God. The flip side of “justification by works” is not “justification by faith alone”. It is “justification through works”. The Jewish community was greatly influenced by their Rabbis. These men taught that God dealt with us on the Principle of Right Action. If you did the right thing, God would bless you. If you did the wrong thing, God would punish you (either now or later). They believed that doing the right thing obligated God to reward you. Therefore, they sought justification with God through (because of) their efforts. In other words, they put works before justification. They kept a celestial scorecard. Do the good deeds, reap the rewards.

But this is not what James is saying. James tells us that faith should produce good works. He uses the example of Abraham’s willing sacrifice of Isaac. He says Abraham was justified in the active zeal of this sacrifice (verse 21). But then he goes on to say, “And the Scripture was fulfilled saying, “Abram believed God and it was counted righteousness to him” (verse 23). This is a direct quote of Genesis 15:6. But verse 21 comes from Genesis 22:9. Which event came first? Genesis 15:6 or 22:9? Of course, the statement that Abram’s belief was counted as righteousness came before the sacrifice. What James is saying is that the active zeal found in the sacrifice put the behavior stamp of commitment on the previous internal belief. Unless Abraham believed, he would never have gone through with the sacrifice. But unless he went through with the sacrifice, there was no behavioral evidence of his belief. Faith spills into action. Action confirms faith. The proof of justification is that life is changed.

Abraham was counted righteous (justified) the moment his heart validated God’s promise in the covenant. But Abraham behaved in accordance with his belief when he put Isaac on the altar. Works justified his commitment.

In order to fight the theology of the Principle of Right Action, James shows that the sacrifice is tied to the covenant belief. They are inseparable. Abram did not earn the covenant promise. He wasn’t even a party to it. He was the recipient of its benefit. But it changed everything in his life. And he demonstrated that change in his behavior.

The Principle of Right Action is motivated by control. It seduces us into believing that right action produces right standing. Both James and Paul agree that this is wrong. Right standing before God is evidenced in right action. There is no manipulation.

So James says, “If we claim to be believers but we don’t act out that belief in our actions, does our claimed-faith make any difference?” Real faith automatically produces real energy toward the needs of others. Faith without energy is dead.

I worked in a church in Chicago. This church was once in a very upscale neighborhood, but over the years, the rich moved to the suburbs and now it was surrounded by a ghetto. The white consistency was very uncomfortable with the black population. When I started a tutoring program and a basketball team, some church members wanted it stopped. There was no room in their church for kids from the street. Believing all the right things without putting them in action “profits nothing”, James would say.

What James is fighting is the idea that once I adopt the right set of beliefs, no further effort on my part is needed. “I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that he died for me. I’ve got the right “theology”. So, my salvation is assured”. This reasoning is no different than the Pharisees. It basically says, “If I do this, then God has to do that”. It’s an “earn my way to God through right thinking” theology.

James calls it on the carpet. The test of real faith is that it produces active zeal – things happen. Don’t tell me that you have faith and then ignore those in need!

How many times today we will cross paths with someone in need? Do you have a faith that spills out in action? Or do you walk by? Why not read the story of the crippled man at the pool of Siloam? It’s in John chapter 5. Ask yourself what motivated Jesus to heal this man? If you can’t figure it out, you don’t understand the aimlessness of compassion.

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