The Real Opposition!

 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

 2 Tm.2:24-26

This is an enduring scripture, full of wisdom and practicality. It is sound advice for those trying to teach, stand up for, be examples of and proclaim truth in a world that is surrounded by those who would have nothing better than to stamp it out. Indeed, it is hard to sway the opinion of those who have either chosen to abandon God or refuse to accept that God is something that they should even acknowledge. This passage strives to teach both believers as well as non-believers.

1.) If you are a believer, expect opposition! In that event, you as a believer should not be

quarrelsome or combative in your approach. In that, there is some practical advice for you in this passage:

• Be kind. Don't stoop to name calling, slurs, innuendos, or acting like people in the world you are trying to teach.
• KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TEACHING! This is part of being able to teach. If you are going to take it upon yourself to teach someone, at least know what you are talking about and preferably be living what you are talking about. No one wants to listen or will listen to a hypocrite. 
• Expect insults and hurt. The world isn't going to be nice - so don't expect it.
• Be Gentle. This goes back to being kind, it is a further modifier of that term, giving you the HOW.
• Remember who's doing the changing of the hearts here. All God expects you to do is present and live the truth. He's the one who changes hearts, not you!

2.) KNOW THE REAL SOURCE OF THE OPPOSITION!

• People of the world and its thinking are ensnared by the Devil, with his lies and deceptions. In fact the world has swallowed them hook, line, and sinker! 
• It is no coincidence, that in Rev.12:10, that Satan is called the "Accuser of our brethren." All of the opposition against good, radical or not, has one purpose and one purpose alone -- to do anything he can to be able to accuse godly people of wrong so as to smear and/or draw people away from God. 
• All of the unseen battles being waged around us every day, is pressure to keep you from doing what is right and acknowledging God.   Ephesians 6:12 says, “We are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world” 

Satan cannot attack  God directly, so he attacks those who follow Him. The advice Paul gave to Timothy in the 1st Century, is good for us to remember today. Stay away from senseless arguments, don't be like the world you are trying to teach, be humble.

How did Jesus treat those who opposed him? “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.” The same is true with those who would oppose those who claim to follow God.  They don’t know what they’re doing. So, don't be like them!  Learn to let God live in you, and be His example. Let Him deal with the world, you live to let His glory be seen in everything you do!

Jim

UNITY - is not a musical!

And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

  Acts 2:44,45

It is easy sitting in a living room with a cup of coffee and a Bible to somewhat romanticize the Biblical world of the First Century.  It is nice to imagine that they were all dancing around like they were in a musical and that everything was rainbows and roses. However, First Century Jerusalem was not like that. The famous events of Pentecost, we must remember, is only 50 days from the events of the crucifixion. The same political and social world is still in play. The believers of the day (that would become known as Christians in just 10 years) were still looked upon with disdain. The Jewish leadership is still in panic and cover up mode (Acts 4:1-3). The Romans still disdained Jews and had no empathy for Christians, especially Jewish Christians. Because of the events of the cross, Jerusalem is a police state. It is an occupied city and people are still people. No one, especially if they know that someone is a believer in Jesus wants to have anything to do with them. They are afraid that the Jewish leadership or Romans will come down on them, so they want them gone. Pentecost is still a feast day in 1st Century Jerusalem, so activities especially around the Temple were high. This did not set well though with the Roman Authority, who thought just 50 days previous that they had quelled a rebellion. The Jewish Authority as evidenced from Mt.28:11-15, is still on their guard not to let anything regarding Jesus come to the surface. Acts 4 backs that fact up.  No one, is willing to openly show any hospitality to those who follow Jesus, much less kindness or open sympathy. 

All of this sounds familiar doesn't it?  Being a Christian is bad - being looked at as sectarian. To openly walk as a Christian or say you're a Christian, especially in public or civic oriented jobs, is to face censorship or the loss of your job. Here's one thing for sure....just as Christians in the first century did not need a bunch of infighting neither do we today. It is hard enough to live in a world that is hostile, without having to worry about whether your brothers or sisters in Christ are going to devour you. So, looking to the example of Christians of the first century let's look at how they worked and acted with and among one another..

1.) Jn.13:14,15  - Jesus' teaching was to love as He loved. To treat others as their servant

- not their Lord - especially one another.  To understand that in God's kingdom, we are NOT to be like the world or act like the world AT ALL!

2.) Acts 2 All things in common Distributing to all that had need.  There is an attitude of desire and generosity,  to work together on everyone's part. A desire to help, be concerned about the welfare of everyone that was among them. Acts 4 One heart and soul  This echoes Jn.13 and Acts 2 and shows how different this was from the world in which they lived. 

It is interesting, that even as today the first schism in God's house came from the all to familiar worldly mind set of ethnicity (Acts 6). And did you notice that when this happens and divisions and hurt occur, the less like Jesus their Lord they looked?  What does this tell you? 

 You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, "How have we wearied him?" By saying, "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them." Or by asking, "Where is the God of justice?"

Mal 2:17 

Jim

UNITY - What Jesus SAID!!

" A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." 

Jn.13:35,36

This is what Jesus said.  To add anything to this, or to take anything away from it is wrong. Period.  It is the hallmark of what it means to be HIS follower. Love One Another!  The word LOVE here is agape....best defined as "love as God loves." So, this begs a question for Christians in their behaviors toward one another, are we loving each other as God loves us? Does our words, behavior, actions, show that love? If not, we are missing the mark! Wait...isn't that called sin? Missing the mark? 

Now, let's get a little definitive. Love one another as Jesus states this here is the same as  "Love the brotherhood" (1 Pt.2:17, see also 1 Pt.3:8; 1 Jn.3:16). Admittedly, the first question is what define's a "brother." Answer? ANYONE who "believes and is baptized shall be saved (Mk.16:15,16)." is my brother, regardless of whether we see everything eye to eye. A brother or sister may be erring, but that does not make them NOT a brother or sister and does not cancel out anything with regard to the way that I am to act toward or treat them.  I may not agree with them, I may not even be able to worship with them, but they are still my brother or sister. The name over the door does not matter with regard to that. Family is family, even if or when estranged. 

If I understand Jesus correctly in the parable of the Good Samaritan, I am to consider everyone as a brother. So, that defines my actions, words and demeanor towards all people. Yet, there seems to be more emphasis to those who have put on Christ in baptism. Yet, the question comes up, "the bible says to withdraw yourself from brethren who sin." Many have not studied what this means and take the traditional religious "Amish" view of this to "cut off, shut out, shun" people. Yes, the Bible teaches to "mark" brethren for teaching a false doctrine, behaving seditiously, and to withdraw from brethren under certain situations.  What people fail to apply here is that this in no way is an authorization for ME to behave "badly" and use Biblical Authority as an excuse to do so. So the question to ask with Jn.13 as our model, is "Would God behave, act, say the way that I am getting ready to, toward this person?" If the answer is no....then you better NOT! 

Please do not misunderstand. This and this commandment is not a carte blanche to just lovingly accept anything that claims a sense of being godly. Sin is sin and I am not to support it or condone its behavior. But be careful in taking a stance against sin, that the Devil does not cause you to sin. When do we have the tendency to sin the most?  With family or in situations where I let my guard down. Where family dynamics introduces different thoughts, behaviors, and words. What is interesting to me, is while the Prodigal Elder Brother wanted to "write off" the younger brother, the Father reminded him, that the Prodigal son was still a son, and thus still the Elder brother's brother.

Complicated isn't it?  The next several articles will follow this theme and we will discover more about the idea of what God means by UNITY!

Jim