Winsome Witness 4. Overcoming Hate with Love

On September 10, the disunity within the United States of America was highlighted once again by the assassination of Charlie Kirk.  The life of this young husband, father, and founder of Turning Point, USA was taken by an assassin’s bullet while Charlie was engaging in public dialog with college students at Utah Valley University.  Since that day, many who knew Charlie have been honoring him with praise for his bold witness for Jesus Christ and his love for America, and especially for the youth on our college campuses.

When we began this series of blogs on a “Winsome Witness” in July, we discussed our calling as “the salt of the earth” [Part 1 HERE.] and in August, “Being Salt in Controversy” [Part 2 HERE.].  Little did we know that we would be remembering the life and “winsome witness” of Dwayne Frank who went home to Heaven on September 7 [Part 3 HERE.].  And then, three days later, we mourned the assassination of God’s witness for the Gospel, Charlie Kirk.  So, in Part 4, we will consider how the love of God inspires Christ-followers to be “winsome witnesses” of the love of Christ in the face of hate and death.

The Gospel: 
Harsh Truth?
Charlie Kirk was a lover of God, His Word, and everyone he tried to reach with Truth.  Still, many are criticizing Kirk’s approach as having been too harsh and disrespectful.  Granted,  Charlie repeatedly made clear that his primary intention was to present his witness for Christ and the Gospel (“good news”) of salvation in a genuine and encouraging way.  However, his application of the Gospel message to various moral and social issues was not always favorably received by everyone across the diverse political and ethnic landscape of America.   

Charlie would have been the first to admit he was not perfect.  One can find recordings in which, during the heat of the moment, his words appeared inappropriate and may have hurt some of his listeners.  Add to these the snippets of Charlies speeches, often taken out of context and propagated in social media.  Regardless, it is easy to resort to fault-finding to evade a convicting message.  We believe that most of Charlie’s critics who judged his words as “hate speech” did so, not because they have reason to reject Charlie, but because they have not found justification and peace in their relationship to God.  To them in their broken spiritual and emotional state, even loving words of moral truth can appear hurtful and hateful. 

“Good News,
“Hate Speech?”
How can we account for the fact that what Almighty God and His children intend to be a witness for “Good News” is labeled by some as “hate speech?” The history of Christianity according to the Bible account helps us answer this perplexing question.  For example, the Apostle Peter who just days earlier had denied Christ and had run away in fear, suddenly began to boldly proclaim the Gospel of the Cross to the Jews and people of different nations and ethnic groups (Book of Acts, Ch. 2).  Some considered Peter's message as "hate speech." However, about three thousand in the crowd repented of their sin and were saved! 

It is no surprise that the Gospel is considered by many as hate speech.  The Apostle Paul who was hated, persecuted, and eventually martyred for his faith wrote, For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1: 18).  And, within hours of His crucifixion, Jesus prepared His followers with these words (John 15:18-19):  If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you.

Had Charlie simply preached a more “user-friendly Gospel” that “God is love, and God wants us to be happy in what we choose to do for ourselves,” few would have heard and responded in hate and violence.  But Charlie’s message was like the message of Stephen, the first Christian martyr (Acts 7).  According to Acts 7: 54, when Stephen’s audience heard him say they were disobedient to God, they were enraged and they gnashed their teeth at him. Then, they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him (v. 57).  Finally, they drove Stephen out of the city and stoned him to death. 

Like Stephen, Charlie boldly confronted his listeners and urged them to evaluate their personal beliefs in light of God’s Word.  As we noted in Part 2 of this series [Click HERE to read.], when Christ-followers take a firm stand against immoral or unethical claims or actions, they are acting as the "salt" that preserves our culture against decay.  However, they also risk being misunderstood and even under threat of violence and death.

Murder of God’s Messengers
Ultimately, like so many historic Christian martyrs, and like many more around the world today, Charlie was hated because of the Gospel message he presented.  His message was that God came in human flesh as Jesus Christ to reconcile rebellious, sinful mankind regardless of their socioeconomic status, ethnicity, religion, or political party (John 3: 14-21).  This Jesus lived a sinless life, died in our place as a substitutionary sacrifice for sinners, and rose again from the dead in victory over sin and death.  All who accept Jesus’s death and resurrection by faith and reason as payment for their sin can be saved from eternal separation from God (Romans 10: 8-13).  When a person submits to God in this way and is enlightened by God’s Word through His Spirit, he or she begins to put off the old person and lifestyle.  The Bible describes this transformation in mind, body, and spirit in Galatians 5: 19-23:

Now the deeds of the flesh [the old, sinful nature] are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions,  envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the [new life in the] Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Hatred Is Rooted in Our Hearts
Charlie Kirk recognized that he was engaged in a war, …not against flesh and blood, but against… the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6: 12).”  The weapons, or “flaming darts,” of spiritual darkness include hate, lies, deception, accusation, isolation, doubt, distraction, masquerade, pleasure, unforgiveness, and fear.  If we allow these weapons of Satan to penetrate the spiritual armor God provides and commands us to put on (Ephesians 6: 10-18), our minds become confused about who we really are and who our enemy really is.  Then, we mistakenly turn against others—our brother or sister in Christ, our spouse, our neighbor, our pastor, or our president and other leaders.  Sound familiar?  Sound close to home?

Let’s be honest!  (I’ll admit, I am speaking from experience.)  The inner attitudes and thoughts that I battle are the seeds that could grow into actions that make the daily news—hateful rhetoric, riots, and murder.  James 1: 14-15 describes a progression that occurs when we are “carried away” by our passions which, when they have conceived, give birth to sin which leads to death.  In Matthew 5: 22, we read Jesus’s claim: whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.  Notice that Jesus takes the sixth commandment, “Thou shall not murder,” and goes to the source within the human heart where the underlying sins of pride, hate, and envy are rooted.  Sin within the heart if unchecked leads to hateful speech and even murder.  To this we should cry, “God help us!”  And He will.

Choosing Better Weapons
But God through Christ and His Gospel pleads with us:
“Please don’t think that way.
Turn from your selfish, sinful ways.
They will destroy you. 
I have something better and
I want you to have it because I love you.”

In our culture where hateful hearts, violent rhetoric, guns, knives, and bombs are subjects of our daily news, true Christ-followers have access to three more powerful “weapons”—thankfulness, repentance, and forgiveness.  Each of these “weapons” are necessary if we are to gain victory against our fleshly passions and the flaming darts of spiritual wickedness hurled at us.

Thankfulness is our weapon or prescription against our tendency toward discontent, envy, boasting, and covetousness.  Thankfulness for what God has already provided frees our minds to realize the blessings of freedom and material provisions we have in Christ and in our country; and, for those both living and dead who have made these blessings possible.

Repentance is our second weapon.  When a disposition of fear, envy, or covetousness threatens our outlook, we need to be quick to repent—i.e. to confess (say what God says about) our lack of faith and any sin, and turn from it toward faith in our loving God.  Not easy, but in every circumstance, by prayer …[we are to let our requests] be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, will guard [our] hearts and [our] minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4: 7).

Forgiveness and a forgiving spirit may be the most powerful weapon of all.  It is the pure expression of God’s love, spoken through His Son while nailed to a Roman cross when He said, Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing (Luke 23: 34).  Charlie’s wife, Erika, chose to forgive Tyler Robinson who shot and killed her beloved husband.  Her statement of forgiveness is a powerful testimony and “winsome witness” of God’s love.

Charlie Kirk’s assassination on September 10 escorted him into the presence of an estimated 70 million Christians believed to have been martyred for their faith since the death of Stephen.

Charlie is quoted as saying, “What God wants from me is a life fighting for truth.  I want to be remembered for courage for my faith.”  He certainly fought hard for truth, and we fondly remember him for his outstanding courage and “winsome witness” right up to the moment God took him home to Heaven.

Further Encouragement:
The month of September has seen many challenging events, both encouraging and disheartening.  Thankfully, when our souls become frustrated and fearful, God stands ready with a three-part prescription from His Word.  During a similar time of turmoil in 2019, I shared my basic “three R’s” as an encouragement—not “Readin’, ‘Ritin’, and ‘Rithmetic;” but instead, REPENT, REJOICE, and RECONCILE.   [Read more HERE.]

#BlackHeartsMatter: Getting Our Hearts Right

This blog article originated partly from a social media exchange and partly from a phone conversation.  Both were related to our current national response to the tragic murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, on May 25.  During the phone conversation, my friend noted that one or more of her friends had been called “racist” for not including #BlackLivesMatter in their social media posts.

Watching Our Words and Hashtags
My first thought was to remember my own current blend of emotions over Floyd’s death and the passion now on display across America—the mixture of grief, disgust, anger, hate, hopelessness, etc.  These emotions have also embroiled social media.  Even well-meaning posts can erupt into exchanges that express the dark side of our hearts. 

I hope not to add to the tensions that already exist among people online.  But I am trying to make sense of what is being reported in the media, and through conversations I have had recently.  Forgive me, but it helps to write out my thoughts—hopefully, I am not worthlessly “spewing.”

First off, we may agree that virtual conversations involving brief repeated exchanges can easily be misunderstood by our inaccurate wording.  Even well worded sentences do not convey the tone of voice or facial expressions we normally see in real-time, face-to-face conversations.  On top of this, add a “hashtag” and suddenly, a well-meaning statement can become a flaming arrow with a life of its own, ricocheting about and stabbing into hearts of readers.

Today, “#BlackLivesMatter” is a potentially incendiary hashtag that carries with it much of the hurt, grief, passion, anger, and disgust that is driving both peaceful demonstrations and accompanying looting and violence.  I am honestly trying to be sensitive to these emotions.  I also believe there is justification for prolonged expression of these emotions along with respectful, impassioned calls for justice and reform.  However, it is also evident from the instance I cited at the beginning of this article that the use of #BlackLivesMatter (or other similar expressions--e.g. #BLM, the phrase “Black Lives Matter”), because of the connotations it carries, can easily squelch constructive conversation as well as legitimate public demonstrations.

Evaluating #BlackLivesMatter
As I am trying to understand some of the incendiary nature of #BlackLifesMatter, it seems to me that some who use this slogan have given in to the temptation to appoint themselves as the standard for how all others ought to think and act toward “Blacks” (or other ethnic minorities).  With all due respect, they seem to be the self-appointed “high priests of ‘blackness’.”  Therefore, to them, because I am “White” (or “white”), nothing I am writing here carries value or authority.  Neither am I perceived as one who understands or empathizes with Blacks, Black cultural heritage, or the current struggles of Blacks.

Because of my ethic background and my personal experience, I will admit that I have trouble understanding and empathizing with Black Americans.  Nor do I currently experience the kinds of ongoing, subtle or outright emotional and physical causes of anxiety, suffering, and death that have been or are currently being experienced by Blacks.  But then, who is worthy to represent Black lives and to define its mission?  And who possesses the authority to decide when the #BlackLivesMatter mission is accomplished?  And what will the area now occupied by the United States of America look like when the mission is accomplished?  The answers to these questions are not obvious to me but they would appear to be at least somewhat elusive.  In fact, many people wonder whether the Black Lives Matter movement has any consensus as to its actual mission and desired outcome.  For example, here are several points I’ve been pondering.

Biology and Politics of “Black”
First, we would assume “the worthy” person or persons of #BlackLivesMatter ought to be “Black.”  But how “Black?”  Biologically speaking, I have explained elsewhere that humankind is of one race, not many.  How black must a person’s skin be in order to be “Black?”  Or how “White” in order to be disqualified?  According to D. J. Witherspoon, S. Wooding, et al. publishing in the journal, Genetics (176: 351–359 May, 2007), “…most human genetic variation is found within populations, not between them.”  Rob DeSalle and Ian Tattersall, both at the American Museum of Natural History, conclude, “race is a totally inadequate way of characterizing diverse humankind or even of helping understand humanity’s glorious variety.” [See “Black History 3:  Bible and Biology Erase Racism”].
 

There are many Blacks such as Ben Carson (@SecretaryCarson), Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO), and Jack Brewer (@JackBrewerBSI) who disagree with the tenants of Black Lives Matter.  Therefore, some in #BlackLivesMatter dismiss these Blacks because they are not really “Black.”  Legitimate voices from both “Blacks” and “Whites” are rejected or silenced, often by both #BlackLivesMatter and some media outlets, if they do not meet the standard of “the worthy.”  But what constitutes the “standard” for being among “the worthy?”

Individual versus Institutional Sin
Turning our attention to a major source of the passionate cry for justice, our law enforcement officials across the nation, it is clear in at least some cases that there is need for reform, greater accountability, and justice to those who are proven guilty of abuse of their authority.  George Floyd would likely be alive today if Derek Chauvin had been held accountable for multiple earlier violations of proper police guidelines.  But, while it seems clear that Chauvin and his colleagues who were complicit in the murder of George Floyd should be charged and sentenced for their grievous crime, some in #BlackLivesMatter claim that all police regardless of ethnicity, professional record, or character are unworthy to be our protectors or enforcers of the law.  In fact, #DisbandPolice movements are emerging in major cities on the premise that all police are unworthy. 

If Black Lives really Matter, how can anyone who cares about Black Lives support dismissal of entire police departments and leave some of the most vulnerable communities including Black communities vulnerable to what will undoubtedly become vigilante law?  Here we can see the illogic of “throwing out the whole barrel of apples” when one or two “bad apples” are discovered.  It is both biblically and legally justified to condemn individuals who commit acts that clearly stem from bigotry.  It is also right to identify and reform institutions guilty of “institutional racism”—i.e. where one or few “bad apples” have spread their “rot” to the point of corrupting the mission and purpose of the institution.  However, it cannot be either biblically or legally justified to condemn a whole institution for the actions of one or a few.  This point brings us to the social media exchange I noted at the beginning.

Church Discipline or Demolition?
The following is a Facebook post from my friend followed by a response from one of his/her friends:
FRIEND:  The decline of Christianity in Europe and North America, whatever its proximate causes may be, is ultimately God saving the Church from white supremacy.  God can, in his time, rebuild what he tears down. But now is a time for tearing down (Ecclesiastes 3:3).  Let us not be found opposing God’s will.  I’m sure others have already said this, and I confess I am late in seeing it clearly.

RESPONSE:  Yes!!  Thank you, __ (name)!  The church has been one of, if not THE main agent in perpetuating white supremacy.

I love my friend and his/her family.  We have been friends for many years.  I do not know his/her friend.  I also understand and respect his/her genuine concern and desire for the Church to flourish in all of her roles on Earth to proclaim the good news of salvation, release to the captives held by sin’s bonds, to bring man sons to glory, and to glorify our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  But I also understand the tremendous diversity that exists within the true Church and within Bible-based local churches.  Therefore, I resist the pessimism that many seem to have.

Some local churches are almost entirely Caucasian, others are a mix of many ethnic groups, and some are almost entirely Black.  Our church is largely Caucasian.  Therefore, we may be unknowingly naïve or ignorant of ethnic diversity and struggles.  Ignorance is not sin unless we are not teachable and allow it to lead to wrong judgments.  We are fortunate to have a godly Black man who is married to a lovely Caucasian wife who serve on our pastoral staff.  We can learn from their example and teaching, first as our brother and sister in Christ, and secondly from the insights on cultural diversity which they bring to us.  But most of all, where the Scriptures are taught and sincerely followed, and where even biology is understood, there ought not to be a hint of bigotry or white supremacy.

Here, we must return to our question, “Who is Worthy?”  Specifically, who among #BlackLivesMatter is worthy to pass judgment on a local church, or upon “the Church” worldwide?  For those who reject the authority of God and His inspired Word in Scripture, nothing beyond this point in the article will be agreeable to you—I understand your rejection for reasons you can find taught in the New Testament.  If you are currently choosing to reject the teachings of the Bible, please consider what Jesus Himself taught in His parable of the sower and the seed (Luke 8: 5-15) and what the Apostle Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 2: 6-16.  Personally, neither can I discern these truths apart from God’s love and His grace that opened my eyes spiritually.  Regardless of our personal choices, we must be assured of this:  All men and women are created to live under authority—the question is which authority will we choose or allow?  If not our government and our local justice system, then who?   And will that authority have our good interests in mind?  Sadly, anarchist views are being directed toward both local police and toward our children to incite them to defy their parents.  

Church Discipline and Restoration
Based on the authority of Scripture, I also find no teaching in Scripture that licenses an individual to judge a local church or “the Church (worldwide).”  That right is reserved for God Himself and His Son Jesus Christ who condemned proud, corrupt religious leaders (e.g. Matthew 23).  He wept out loud over His holy city (Matthew 23: 37; Luke 19:41-44) and promised stern judgment against apostate and lukewarm local churches (Revelation 2 and 3).

But what if there are indications of bigotry among God’s people in a local church today?  The Scriptures teach the individual born-again believer how to interact in the body of Christ.  We find particularly in Paul’s Epistles instruction for right living for husbands, wives, children, employees, church leaders, etc. The focus is on individual responsibility and accountability before God for how we conduct ourselves in relation to God and toward our neighbor, whether they are a brother or sister in Christ or an unsaved person-- and we are to make no distinction between ethnic groups (1 Corinthians 12: 13; Galatians 3: 28 and Colossians 3: 1-17, especially v. 11).  Bigotry is a sin against God and our neighbor!

The Scriptures give clear instructions that it is the responsibility of mature Christ-followers to confront a brother or sister in Christ who is believed to be living in sin.  Galatians 2: 1-2 states, Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.  Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ [which, see Gal. 5: 14, is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves].  Jesus outlined our responsibility as individuals if we are offended to go directly to the offender privately (Matthew 18: 15) and if he or she doesn’t repent and turn from the sin, bring one or two others with you and confront again (v. 16).  If he or she still refuses, then the whole church membership should hear the matter and if there is still no repentance, the offender is to be dismissed from the local membership as a step toward their repentance and loving restoration when that occurs.  When local churches practice godly discipline, individual sin of any kind does not become “institutional sin.”

The question remains, “Who is Worthy?”  Answer?  None of us is ultimately worthy to judge his or her neighbor, regardless of ethnicity or spiritual condition for the purpose of condemnation.  Nor are we worthy to condemn our parents (Exodus 20: 12, the fifth Commandment), our churches, the Church, or our institutions of government for God has placed rulers in authority over us for our good (Romans 13).  Instead of pessimistically judging and condemning individuals and institutions, we are to exercise stewardship, living as salt and light to others—one at a time (Matthew 5: 10-16), even in our dutiful confrontation where necessary.

The Life and Death that Matters Most
In all of these claims, my authority is the Lord Jesus Christ who suffered the most unjust and horrible death imaginable, and He alone is with without any sin.  Read carefully Isaiah 53 and allow God’s Word to speak truth into your heart—Jesus died not only for your sin and mine, but also for our sorrow, our grief, our frustration.  Let us look into our own “black hearts” which can so easily express the fallen tendency of our sinful nature (Galatians 5: 16-21).  At the foot of Christ’s Cross, we see how much He suffered to take away sin from us (1 John 3: 5).  Praise God!  May God help us to adopt a lifestyle of repentance of our sin and arise in new life, yielded daily to the work of the Holy Spirit in us.  He alone can produce the Fruit pleasing to God and a blessing to our neighbor—Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, etc. (Galatians 5: 22-26). 

How About You and I?

Do you and I need to “call ourselves out” to repentance (James 1: 19-27)?  

If we do, repentance will help us rightly discern the error in the spirit behind #BlackLivesMatter.  Perhaps we will be directed to live by #BlackHeartsMatter, being among those who look first into our own hearts, taking the log out of our own eye first before pointing to sin in our brother or sister (Matthew 7: 3-5).  Above all, we must never forget that no one is truly Worthy except our Savior, our Redeemer, our Counselor, and our Friend.  Why not take time, as I want to do again, to read carefully the Scriptures I have cited in this article, especially Colossians 3: 1-17. Let's allow God’s Spirit to speak His Truth to our hearts?  I would recommend while you read, to listen to Chris Tomlin’s lovely song, “He is Worthy.”  Indeed, only Christ is Worthy!

Considerations for Our COVID-19 Conundrum

Indications are that the 3-month “war” on our “invisible enemy,” the COVID-19 virus, is beginning to show signs of success in flattening the “curve.”  Many states with minimal COVID-19 cases are working on plans to reinstitute “normal” operations of services and the economy.  However, there is much controversy over how and when to proceed.  Some medical experts still favor delay of opening to avoid more serious spread of the virus.  Others want to use personal tracking of the virus, a potential new invasion of our privacy.

While living under this very different experience, I am realizing that my disposition should be characterized by several attitudes or qualities.  These include thankfulness, repentance, realistic outlook, informed discernment, and intercession.

Thankfulness
In everything [even in a Coronavirus pandemic] give thanks for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5: 18).  As of this writing, I am thankful for the health of our family and friends, and for the following:
(a) recovery statistics are outpacing deaths by either direct causes (presumably by an overactive-immune system) and indirect causes (through pre-existing health factors in at-risk persons) causes. 
(b) infections and hospitalizations are far fewer than that of the swine flu (H1N1), in 2009-2010, and much smaller than other major causes of death (see table below).
(c) wise leadership of our president and the Coronavirus Task Force led by VP Pence, state governors, doctors and medical health care staffs, our armed forces, law enforcement, and church and para-church organizations (e.g. Samaritan’s Purse) deserves our thanks to God.
(d) alternative means of staying connected with our families and churches abound. Meanwhile,  we should recognize that many Christians in places like the Middle East, in China, and in North Korea cannot freely meet to worship even apart from the COVID-19.

Repentance
Repentance, confession of our sin, and worship should be an ongoing part of the lifestyle of a dedicated Christ-follower.  How blessed are the poor in [their] spirit (Matthew 5: 3).  We can be humbled to our knees when we read again the accounts in Scripture of how people reacted in repentance and worship when they bowed before the Living God.  Repentance and spiritual awakening often occurred when God’s people faced great challenges, opposition from mighty armies, or threat from pandemics.  Could it be that God lovingly desires to draw America back to a greater trust and obedience to Him through the pandemic? 

God’s Spirit and His Word revealed in Scripture cause us to humbly repent of our sin.  Of course the invitation to repentance stated in 2 Chronicles 7: 14 is very appropriate as we seek God’s face on behalf of our nation at this troubled time:  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Realistic Outlook
Repentance leads to cleansing from confessed sin, restored fellowship with God, and the clearer vision needed in difficult times.  Every day, many lives are spared by the herculean efforts of those listed in (c) above, functioning within an amazing social structure and enabled by a sovereign God.  However, in reality, people still die for various causes including what we call “accidents” (est. 169,936 deaths/year).  Nothing like a pandemic to help us realize the limited human ability to produce perfect outcomes, even when battling such a tiny, invisible enemy as a virus.  Death is inevitable for us all.

The likelihood of a person dying from a COVID-19 infection depends upon his or her health, particularly the condition of their immune system and respiratory system.  By analogy, violent wind passing through a forest usually does not equally damage and fell all the trees.  The older trees with weakened roots and trunks due to prior storm or lightning damage, internal infection, or decay, are most likely to be toppled or otherwise damaged. 

Like the wind passing through a forest, every pandemic operates by natural selection to cause greater mortality among those predisposed to the disease because of their age, genetic deficiencies, nutritional deficiencies, prior accidental injuries, or history of prior moral choices that had promoted or diminished physical and emotional health.  Some ethnic minorities experience higher mortality due to a history of discrimination and unfortunate moral choices that lead to disrupted family structure, poor education, and lack of spiritual development. 

Considering that death is inevitable and that any human population includes a wide range of susceptibility to, in this case, COVID-19, the question should be as follows: “In an attempt to protect as many people as possible from COVID-19 infection, how strict can a policy of social isolation be without weakening the entire population by causing socioeconomic disruption and physical-emotional effects that lead to increased addiction, crime, and deaths?

The table above reveals the seemingly inevitable high mortality due to influenza during most years, and particularly from the Swine Flu (H1N1) in 2009-2010.  Although Swine Flu caused a much higher case load of infections and hospitalizations than COVID-19 has to date, the response to the threat of Swine Flu did not include imposed social isolation leading over 22 million jobless claims (to date).

As of this writing, it is clear that President Trump and his team, and the nation’s governors need much discernment as they establish policy that limits deaths from COVID-19 infections without increasing deaths indirectly resulting from social isolation and disruption of our economy.

Informed Discernment
Difficult times test our faith.  We need to be informed of both current events and grounded in God’s Word.  These two disciplines can help us to exercise what I will call “informed discernment” to make wise decisions.  When I was employed by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, my laboratory chief would say, “You will always make the best decisions from the point of maximum information.”  Now, I will add, “having the best quality information.”  Here are some areas needing our discernment as American citizens in regard to policies on COVID-19:

(a)  News sources should report events with objectivity.  They should separate commentary from objective reporting of the news.  With the rapidity of news cycles, good news analysis includes timelines of unfolding events—e.g. the decisions and actions toward COVID-19 from December, 2019 to the present.  Who knew what, and said what, and when?  How have opinions changed?  Who was correct from the beginning, even when receiving opposition.

(b)  Scientific data and statistics:  I have already written of the importance of “good science.”

(c)  Responsible parties behind the COVID-19 pandemic need to be identified.  Why did the World Health Organization (WHO) and Chinese Communist leadership fail to lead with information that might have avoided the pandemic?  Some are recommending a stiff economic retribution for China.  But we need to consider how any penalty aimed at the tyrannical Chinese Communist leaders will indirectly affect the innocent Chinese people.

(d)  Scriptural ethics and understanding of the need to protect our 1^st Amendment right to privacy in any strategy to defeat the virus. For example, should personal smartphone tracking be used to track the spread of COVID-91?

(e)  Worship services been altered by social distancing policies. What are we learning from alternative approaches to “corporate worship” that can positively affect our worship afterwards?  The same is true of how we educate, how we do health care, and how we maintain our personal health. (e.g. preventive medicine).

(f)  Our view of death, pain, and suffering (physical and emotional) needs to be brought under the authority and insights of God’s Word.  For example, Jesus said, In the world, you will have trouble, but be of good cheer.  I have overcome the world (John 16: 33).  In 2 Corinthians 4, the Apostle Paul wonderfully addresses the realities of the present world and the promise of Eternal Life:
  i.    Ruler of this world (Satan) has blinded us (1 Corinthians 4: 3-4).
  ii.   Christ-followers are to be light and salt (v. 5-7).
  iii.  Christ-followers will suffer affliction (v. 8-15; Luke 21: 12-13).
  iv.  But we do not lose heart for very good reason (v. 16-18).
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8: 37).

Intercession in Prayer
If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?”
The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven… - Psalm 11: 3-4a

Historically, during times of trouble, men and women of faith have prayed to God on behalf of their own personal sin and the sin of their nation.  Here are several examples from God’s Word:  Psalm 51, Psalm 130, and Isaiah 6: 1-7 involve individual repentance; Daniel 9: 1-19 which is Daniel’s intercessory prayer for his nation; and the Apostle John’s call to repentance in 1 John 1: 5-10.

How should we pray?  Here are some prayer promptings that Abby and I are using, and that I have been using with a virtual prayer “meeting” with several men of our church:
(a)  Churches and their Pastors as they lead efforts to proclaim Truth and maintain the local body. 
(b)  People – that their hearts will be open to God’s Word, active in ministering to the needy.
(c)  Missionaries—to powerfully present the Gospel during times of opportunity
(d)  Government leaders— for humble submission to God’s wisdom in important decisions
(e)  Medical professionals— for renewed stamina, wisdom, professionalism, and compassion
(f)   Personal opportunities to assist materially, emotionally, and spiritually in this unique period.

What Do You Think?
If you’d like to leave a question or comment, please use the “Comment” link below.  Or, you may contact me at silviusj@cedarville.edu.

Creation’s Complexity Can Be Convicting

When we consider the amazing diversity of plants, animals, and microbes, we are bound by our very nature to ask the question:  Where did they all come from?  Our answer will likely fall under one of two claims.  Either they came into being “by time, chance, and natural causes;” or, “by the plan of an Intelligent Designer.”  If your answer is “intelligent design,” then you are in the company of most of humankind throughout recorded history.

Mechanical Cogs and Gears of the Planthopper Insect

On the other hand, those who attribute the “natural world” to “time, chance, and natural causes” are facing a higher and higher mountain of challenges to their logic.  When atheistic, naturalistic thinkers of the 18^th and 19^th centuries proposed “natural causes,” little was known of genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry.  Since then, science has been revealing an amazing intricacy and complexity within living cells.  When we view imaging and animations of living cells such as that shown in the video series, “The Secrets of the Cell—The X Factor in Life,” featuring biochemist Dr. Michael Behe, many of us have too little faith to believe such wonder could have assembled itself by “undirected natural causes.” 

The complexity of the world around us is not only amazing, it can speak conviction into our lives.  When I was a much younger man, I remember struggling with a particular pattern in my life.  I knew in my conscience and from reading my Bible that this pattern was something that I must not allow to continue.  I also knew enough about the Gospel message of God’s saving grace to know there was something more at work in my struggle than simply scoring high with God on a “checklist” of do’s and don’t’s.  For by grace are you saved, through faith, and [even] that is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2: 8-9).  I was convinced that, left unchecked, such a pattern of behavior and other similar allowances could eventually point my life in a direction away from that of a purpose-driven, God-pleasing life.

During this time of inner struggle, I remember hiking in an open meadow with scattered, large trees.  On this particularly hot day, I found it refreshing to sit beneath a large oak tree.  There I sat enjoying the cool air.  Then, I remembered that this coolness was made possible by the evaporation of water which carries heat away from the thousands of leaves on this oak tree.  This escape of heat-laden water vapor through tiny leaf pores (stomata) cools both leaves and the atmosphere around and under the tree.

While enjoying my cool comfort, I also enjoyed watching several squirrels scampering among the large branches of the giant oak.  Closer observation revealed that they were gathering acorns, perhaps to store them as a food reserve for winter.  Some of the acorns dropped to the ground near meadow wildflowers where honeybees and other insects were busily gathering nectar.

As I watched these animals and a nearby woodchuck poking his head out of his burrow, I realized that, in my state of moral conflict, I was the only living organism in this meadow that was not in tune with the purpose of God.  The oak tree had produced a fruitful crop of acorns and was functioning all the while to cool the microclimate around it.  The squirrels, insects, and woodchuck were all busily being and doing that for which they were created.  But me?  I was kicking against God’s moral guidelines—principles which He had lovingly provided to help me realize His purposes.  Yet I believed the evidence of God’s love for me, that Christ died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf (2 Corinthians 5: 15).

The choice was mine –to either continue to go my own way, or to yield to God.  I paused and remembered Hebrews 4: 12 which states that the word of God is alive and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4: 12).  Like using a mirror to shave and comb my hair, I needed to use God’s Word as a mirror and as a scalpel to reprove, correct, and train me in the path of God’s righteousness (2 Timothy 3: 16).

The choice is mine and yours to make. Thankfully, God led me to repent and turn from my sin, and to pursue His gracious forgiveness (1 John 1: 9).  Some people, instead of recognizing and repenting of their inner struggles and turning to God’s moral guidelines and purposes for them, choose to reject God’s plan and provisions.  By denying the reality of God and His design and purpose in creation, they may forge what seems to be a satisfactory worldview.  After all, if there is no God, then there is no accountability for our actions.  Yet, many remain unsettled every time they encounter the amazing intricacy and wonder of creation.

Molecular Motor of  a Bacterial Flagellum

An acquaintance of mine confided that his friend had confessed to him that he really didn’t believe in Darwinian evolution.  In fact, he had to admit that evolution was a means of avoiding being morally accountable to a purposeful God who will one day judge all of mankind (Hebrews 9: 27).   But God speaks through His creation and through His Scriptures like Romans 8: 20-22:

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools…

Please consider again my reflections in the meadow with the oak tree, squirrels, and insects.  Then, consider that our lives and the lives of trees, squirrels, and insects are all propelled by the intricate workings within microscopic living cells as shown in visual media like “The Secrets of the Cell—The X Factor in Life.”  Yet, above and beyond all of these intricacies, God speaks through His Word to convict us of our rebellion (sin) and to draw us into loving fellowship with Him.

To those such as this writer who have struggled with patterns of life that have competed with God’s moral purposes and plans, I pray with the Apostle Paul, to the God of purpose and design that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1: 18-20).

How About You?
Jesus taught His disciples, saying I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing (John 15: 5).  I realized that God was pointing out where I was missing the mark and that He was inviting me to repent, turn away from my rebellious direction, and yield to His path for me.  Abiding in Him and He in me!  What an amazing provision!  When we abide in Him, we can be fruit-bearers by the provision and power of God’s Holy Spirit within us.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Galatians 5: 22-23).

Helpful Reading:
Lee Strobel. 2005. The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence the Points toward God.  Zondervan.  Grand Rapids, MI.

A.W. Tozer.  1950.  God’s Pursuit of Man.  Moody Press.  Chicago.

God Speaks through Nature and through His Word.  Oikonomia.  May 3, 2016.

Regrets and Resolutions

The arrival of another year’s end and the New Year holiday is an important transition in time.  The Romans worshiped Janus as the god of beginnings and transitions.  Janus, from whom we get the name of the first month of each year, was depicted with two faces, one looking backward, the other looking forward.   

The image of Janus represents me today.  I’m thinking about the past and wondering about the future.  My natural tendency to look backward with regrets, and to look forward with a combination of doubt, fear, and determination to “do better.”  But today, I’m seeking a clearer understanding of how to “look both directions” in an emotionally and spiritually healthy way.  First off, I’m especially concerned about regrets from the past.

Last Sunday, our senior pastor, Zach Swift, in his message, "Immeasurably More," cited an interesting study.  A large chalk board was placed in lower Manhattan’s Petrosino Square with an invitation to passersby to “Write Your Biggest Regret.”  A camera was positioned to make a video recording of the interesting responses.  As you can see from the video, most respondents expressed various regrets including:
        Not getting involved
        Not being a better friend
        Never going after my dreams
        Not saying “I love you.”
        Not making the most of every day
        Not staying in touch
        All the self-hatred I put myself through

For every publicly admissible regret like these, there are dozens we tend to keep to ourselves.  Regrets emerge within us when we look backward into the silence of time gone by.

How do we dispel the regret, loneliness, helplessness, self-loathing, and even despair that erupt in our sad memories?  As time-bound humans, we are no match for the accusing voices from our past or the uncertain future that looms ahead.  Yet, it is during our low points that we must face a fundamental question: “Is there really a God who loves us and has shown His love and plan of redemption from our sins through His Gift of Jesus Christ?”  Each of us have already answered this question, if not by deliberate faith response, at least by the way we think and live.  Either we have believed in God and are learning to put our trust in Him, or we have rejected Him out of disbelief and have placed ourselves on the throne of our lives.  If we have “enthroned ourselves” as “god,” we are “on our own” in a stark, physical world governed by chance encounters and purposeless outcomes?  At one time, I experienced this reality.

King Solomon is noted for his outstanding wisdom (1 Kings 4: 30-34).  But later in life, Solomon fell into despair when he failed to find meaning and purpose in any of his wealth, pursuits, and pleasures “under the sun” (apart from a God-centered worldview).  He repeatedly cried, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity (Ecclesiastes 12: 8)!  However, when Solomon viewed time and eternity from God’s point of view, he wrote, Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end (Ecclesiastes 3: 11).

The Eternal God has created us to live in a time-bound world but He has also enabled us to imagine eternity.  At Christmas, many celebrate God becoming incarnate man in the bodily form of Jesus Christ.  God became man and stepped from Eternity into our finite world of time.  According to the Bible, our only hope against sin and regrets of the past is to accept Christ, God’s Gift of salvation from sin and death.  Then, we can develop a personal relationship with Christ through daily communion with Him by prayer and reading His Word, the Bible. 

When I abide in Christ (obey His commands for my good; John 15: 1-10), I can look backward and face my “chalk board of regrets.” Then, I can take each regret to God through a humble prayer of repentance where sin was involved (1 John 1: 9; Romans 7: 14-25).  Christ can also give me the humility, grace, and power to go to a person I have offended (Matthew 5: 23-26) or to a person who has offended me (Matthew 18: 15-17) to seek or give forgiveness and become reconciled.  Christ can also help me to forget my failings or turn them into lessons for victory in the future.  In these ways, as I appropriate the provisions of my loving Heavenly Father, my chalk board of past regrets can become a “clean slate.”

Returning to my “Janus” metaphor, when my backward-looking face (and my heart) sees real progress and victory over regret from my past, my forward-looking face (and heart) is encouraged.  With God as my strength and guide, I am encouraged to press on with purpose and courage. 

The Apostle Paul’s life is a testimony of how we can deal with past regrets and make resolutions for a victorious future.  In Philippians 3: 4-6, Paul “looks backward” and reveals his legalistic past as a Pharisee of the Jewish faith which included zealous persecution and imprisonment of Christians.  Then, in verses 7-11, Paul boldly contrasts the reputation he had treasured in his old life with the greater treasure of knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death….  In case his readers would think that he had arrived at perfection, Paul hastens to say (v. 12), Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

From my study of Paul’s experience, humility, and balance, I find real encouragement to look back into 2019 at my regrets, to repent of my sin, and seek reconciliation where necessary.  Then, I can look ahead into 2020 with particular resolutions, or better yet, spiritual goals.  I have written out my spiritual goals on a file card as a ready reminder, and I share them here in case you may benefit from them.  Please realize that I share them very much in the spirit of Paul expressed in Philippians 3: 12 above.  

If you think I am overdoing it, “overly spiritual,” or in any way high-minded, just realize that the more I become aware of my own bent toward sin and rejection of God’s rule in my life, the more I find the need to be “filled with His Spirit” (Ephesians 5: 15-21) and deliberate about feeding on God’s Word (Psalm 119: 9-12).  May you too, find joy, inspiration, and a real sense that God is abiding in you and using you through the power of His Spirit as you abide in His Word, commune with Him, and fellowship with God’s people in 2020.

How About You?  If you have never surrendered to the claims of Christ and asked Him to forgive you and be your Savior, I refer you to Steps to Peace with God which will explain how you can become a Christ-follower.  Without Christ, you are dead in sin and are facing eternal separation from God.  Romans 8: 6-7 states that without making peace with God, you remain hostile toward God [and your mind is not "tuned" to the Spirit of God].  In fact, according to Romans 8: 7-8, you are not even able to do so... With Christ on the thone of your life, and the hunger He can give you for His Word and fellowship with His Spirit, you can gain a new and clear perspective on your past (triumphs and regrets) and set fruitful spiritual goals for your future.  If you have questions, I'd be glad to communicate with you.  Just post a “Comment” below or e-mail me at silviusj@cedarville.edu

"Three R’s:” God’s Rx for Heart Health

The recent mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton deeply saddened me and stirred my sympathy for all who were affected.  Admittedly, this news also made me angry at the shooters.  Then, I began to reflect on the depravity that exists in my own heart.  Times of tragedy serve to remind us all of our need for repentance and forgiveness.  But sadly, our necessary reflection on universal human depravity is quickly interrupted by personal distractions and the noisy clamor and rancor of our culture in response to yet another tragedy.

On a social and political level, some argue that hate speech and racism incite mass shooters to act.  Others point to guns as the responsible tools that should be banned.  Still others point out that guns only fire when angry persons pull the trigger.  And anger arises from personal turmoil from within the hearts of shooters, often promoted by mental illness and/or drug addiction.  Violent tendencies are particularly common among young men who grow up without fathers and without supportive networks provided by good schools, churches, and community organizations.

Reasons for horrific tragedies are complex and multifaceted, so I don’t mean to oversimplify.  However, it should be obvious that finger-pointing and hateful rhetoric will not solve the deeper problems.  Nor will it be easy to “Red Flag” potential threats without an understanding of the origin and growth of anger, hate, and murder.  Therefore, I must begin by addressing the potential for hate and hateful responses within my own heart. 

From God’s Word, I am learning that the only difference between horrific atrocities and the “hidden sins” of hate and pride in my heart is a matter of scale.  Jesus alludes to this in His teaching as recorded in Matthew 5: 22 (emphasis mine):  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.  Notice that Jesus takes the sixth commandment, “Thou shall not murder,” and goes to the source within the human heart where the underlying sins of pride, hate, and envy are rooted.  Sin within the heart triggers the sins of the tongue such as hateful name-calling.  And one who speaks hatefully is capable of murder.  Christ takes very seriously this outward progression from the sinful heart to hateful words to murder.  So seriously that He considers sins of the heart as equivalent to murder.

Thankfully, when our souls become frustrated and fearful, God stands ready with a three-part prescription from His Word.   I am now considering them as my basic “three R’s”—not “Readin’, ‘Ritin’, and ‘Rithmetic;” but instead, REPENT, REJOICE, and RECONCILE.

REPENT
When I am becoming frustrated, fearful or angry toward others or in response to the daily news, I must look within my own heart, the seat of my personality.  There, I will find the cause of my unkind words and actions.  And there I should stop and repent. 

According to Charles Spurgeon,
“Repentance is a discovery of the evil of sin,
a mourning that we have committed it,
and a resolution to forsake it.
It is, in fact, a change of mind of a very deep and practical character, which makes the man love what once he hated, and hate what once he loved.”

Notice the emphasis on permanence in Spurgeon’s definition:  “resolution to forsake...change of mind…very deep and practical….”  Along the same lines, my former pastor, Dan Wingate calls us to adopt a “lifestyle of repentance.”  Such a humble, daily disposition helps us to recognize our own depravity and our tendency to wander like sheep away from God our Shepherd (Isaiah 53: 6).  Until we as individuals and as a society realize that sin is ultimately a rebellion against God who created us and therefore, owns us, we will not realize the seriousness of sin as the primary cause of our problems—individually and institutionally.  We will go on hating others instead of hating our own sin.

Don’t Substitute “Religion” for Repentance
Instead of recognizing that we are prideful rebels, we tend to focus on external problems that are not the primary cause of our broken world.  For example, the religious leaders of Jesus’s day criticized Jesus an

d His followers for not ceremonially washing their hands before they ate.  But Jesus said the primary problem is not what we do with our hands or even our tongues—but out of our heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.  But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone (Matthew 15: 18-20).

Emphasis on the externals leads to a religion of ceremony and legalism.  Rather than cultivating a love relationship with God, we rely on check-lists of our good deeds.  Both Christian and non-Christian alike can fall into this error.  Going to church, tithing, and abstaining from alcohol or meat, or rejecting plastic straws and gas-guzzling cars—none of these can make one person any more righteous in God’s eyes than another. The Apostle Paul condemned external comparisons as selfish and prideful when he wrote: When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise (2 Corinthians 10: 12). 

Our Strongholds to Resist Repentance

The alternative to a repentant heart is a heart that becomes increasingly calloused with thick walls reinforced by pride and self-righteousness.  Calloused hearts become insensitive, cold, and hateful toward others.  When we watch the news, I see anxious and fearful people and hear angry words.  Unrepentant, prideful people make arrogant and woeful predictions that the sky is falling and despise anyone who disagrees with their philosophy of government, ethnic relations, economics, and energy usage.  Of course, we should exercise morality and good stewardship in all of these areas.  But our pursuit of happiness is a fruitless effort unless we submit to God’s plan and purpose through repentance.  Repentance frees us from the wages of sin and moves our focus from a life of pride, comparison, envy, and fear to a focus on God who alone is perfect and judges rightly.  When the eyes of repentant souls are focused on God, He brings rest to their souls.

Repentance must be my “first stop” before I can experience the other two R’s, rejoicing and reconciliation.  Yet it is hard for me to read the Gospel accounts and imagine the ugly spectacle of the bleeding, sinless Jesus Christ I helped to nail to a Roman cross.  It was my sin that did this to Jesus!   Yet my pride—our pride as humans can cause us to turn away.  We avoid godly counsel, church, and God’s Word when we know they can help us.  The prophet Isaiah, over 500 years before Christ, prophesied how we would “despise and reject” the Suffering Servant whose sacrifice in our place would cast a spotlight on our sin and depravity.

So, I have a choice, and you have as well.  Either we focus on justifying ourselves before God and others by the good works we do, or we focus on what Christ did for us, dying in our place so we can claim His righteousness (right standing before God).  If we individually choose to reject God’s “love gift” of salvation through repentance, then God can offer neither of the other two R’s-- rejoicing and reconciliation.  Jesus warned: Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish (be separated from God for eternity) (Luke 13: 3).  In 2 Corinthians 7: 10, Paul describes repentance that leads to salvation.  The Apostle Peter summarized the Gospel when he wrote, For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit…  And, again Paul wrote that he was not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile (Romans 1: 16).  That is “Good News” indeed; enough to bring rejoicing!

REJOICE

To rejoice is to express joy and delight.   True joy comes from within our hearts.  Joy is one facet of the fruit of the Holy Spirit who comes to abide in the repentant sinner.  The Apostle Paul wrote, Now He who prepared us for this very purpose [to live for eternity in resurrection bodies] is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge (2 Corinthians 5: 5).  Salvation from sin (John 3: 16), freedom from the condemnation of sin (Romans 8: 1), and the gift of God’s Spirit to abide within us (Ezekiel 36: 27) is reason for rejoicing.  The psalmist wrote, The LORD has done great things for us; we are filled with joy (Psalm 126: 3).  The Spirit-filled, Christ-follower cannot help but rejoice!  What’s more, according to the prophet Zephaniah, God our Creator and Savior rejoices over us as His redeemed children!  Imagine that!  The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.

As a sinner saved by God’s grace, I experience joy and consolation when I reflect on God’s presence within me though His Holy Spirit.  The contrast of what I was before I came into a personal relationship with God through repentance and faith in Christ’s substitutionary death and who I am afterwards is described accurately by the Apostle Paul.   In Galatians 5: 16-18, we learn how our sinful nature (“the flesh”) sets itself against the work of the Holy Spirit in us.  After these words, Paul describes our lives “before” (5: 19-21) and “after” we submit to the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives (vv. 22-23).

Repentant Hearts Exude Joy in a Troubled World
Repentance prepares us to humbly invite God’s Holy Spirit to enter our lives.  The Spirit’s presence enables us to bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.   But you may ask, how can I be joyful when so many bad things happen?  Answer— we must remember that Joy and its expression of rejoicing springs from within and is independent of things that happen to us.  Bad happenings in our culture of hate and violence will not overcome the Christ-follower who relies on God’s Spirit and His Word.

After Jesus instructed His disciples about things that would happen in the future, He said, These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).  Jesus promised not only joy in the midst of a troubled world, but also that He would empower His followers to be ambassadors of reconciliation.

RECONCILE
By now, the importance the sequence of the three R’s, REPENT, REJOICE, RECONCILE, should be evident.  Repentance is the gateway to salvation and Eternal Life.  Where sin had once reigned within our unrepentant hearts, now God’s Spirit enables us to overcome sin and have victory.  Anger, hate, fear, envy, and lust are replaced by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self-control.

We Are Reconciled… to Be Reconcilers 
The Apostle Paul wrote (emphasis mine), Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5: 17-20).

This Scripture makes it clear that reconciliation between the sinner and God through faith in Christ gives birth to a new creation that in turn can become a force for reconciliation among the hurting and rejected of this world.  But you might say, how does the Bible address my friend or family member who is trapped in addiction or mental illness as a result of emotional and physiological problems.  Please realize that there is no human condition that cannot be helped by the care of loving friends and family combined with professional counseling and medical care.  Counseling and medications alone are weak and ineffective.  However, biblical witness and counseling by loving family, friends, and professionals are necessary to give purpose and desire within the hurting person, helping them to want to change. 

In conclusion, if you have chosen the path marked with the signs of REPENT, REJOICE, and RECONCILE, you know from experience how this sequence brings joy and reconciliation with God and other people.  You know from experience what it means to have victory over the sins of anger, hate, fear, and envy that once infected your heart and soul.  You may also be serving as an ambassador of reconciliation to hurting people around you as you humbly remember your struggles without Christ. 

Reconciliation Involves Both Spiritual with Mental Health
On the other hand, if you are hurting and in despair, feeling trapped in addiction and emotional turmoil, you can find help and hope.  For example, you may be familiar with the “Twelve-Step Program” of Alcoholics Anonymous.  This program is consistent with biblical teaching and the “three R’s” beginning with REPENT. 

Please check out the link to the “Twelve-Step Program” and notice how the first seven steps can provide instruction on how to acknowledge God and come to Him in a spirit of repentance.  This program is very effective when used in the presence of loving family and friends.   If you are hurting emotionally or struggling with addiction, I hope you will seek help from trusted individuals or organizations that can point you onto the path to recovery through the “three R.’s.”  If you wish to contact me with questions, I would be glad to assist you:  silviusj@gmail.com