Jesus was impressed with the simple and ready faith of Nathanael. There are those who are ready to believe, and there are those, like Thomas, who need to see the “holes in His hands” before they can believe. We should feel sorrow for those who need such confirmation, for their skepticism is misdirected. Almost without exception, upon interview we will find that those who have no faith in what they cannot see (where spiritual things are concerned) seem to place all faith in what others claim to see (where the natural and temporal is concerned). It is as if they trust other’s vision more than their own in science and psychology, but trust only their own sight, feel, reason and understanding in religion and theology.

It seems that we place our trust first in the world’s philosophy and science. That misplaced priority is exposed when we say things like, “We’ve done all we can do. All we can do now is pray.” Faith in God’s provision and love could only do us good, but it is with doubt and with demand of proof that we reluctantly carry out His plan, place faith in His way, or trust Him with our lives. Jesus was amazed that Nathanael was so willing to do this.

The response He was expecting was more like Thomas’ reaction to the news of His resurrection.

“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20)

It makes me sad to read this story. Think of the sorrow and hurt the Lord must have felt when He held out His hands and said, “Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side.” The point to note here is that Jesus did accommodate Thomas – even in his unbelief. Though we may not arbitrarily apply this promise of meeting a person halfway to every searcher lacking in faith, it is cause for great hope, and shows the heart of Christ was with this disciple.

He then said, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

(This story can be found in John 20.) That blessing Jesus mentioned is directed toward us – we who believe, having not seen. We hold the entire Gospel story by faith. There are great measures afoot to “prove” the Gospel is true and there are equal strides to “prove” that it is adulterated, exaggerated, or false.

These measures simply do not apply to us of unfeigned faith. What scientists, preachers, or mystics say does not move us. No matter what life itself tells us, we are men and women of faith in Christ. We do not believe because “the facts” line up and declare we should believe; we believe because He is alive in us and His Spirit is working in us, sustaining our very lives. As Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

True faith in God is rarer than you might deduce by polls taken in the United States. To say that we believe in God is much different than saying we live by faith in God. Yet, the Scriptures say, “…the just shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4) If you are waiting for science to prove God to you, or you are waiting for men of faith to prove that scientific theories are wrong, you are waiting in vain. You must now believe from your heart in Christ. You must hold to whatever shred of belief still remains in you and cultivate it into a life based in faith. The Scriptures give little hope to those who ignore the inner promptings of God within them, claiming that the Spirit will not always work in man.[1]

 The Faith Perspective

If you are one who doubts the existence of God, consider this. Perhaps your focus is too narrow. Maybe you secretly want God to do parlor tricks, or maybe it is that your focus is upon yourself. In the Psalms, the writer, having a keen sense of the immense nature of God, had an opposite notion. He was amazed that the God of all creation would have anything to do with him at all! He asked, “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Psalms 8:3-4) Yet selfishly we may ask, “Why don’t you do something for me?” It may be that life, society or those around you have taught you to be too self-centered and self-important. If that is the case you may never see God as the Psalmist did.

Testimony of the Christian faith is not to be based upon scientific consultation, or theological perfection, but it is to be one of experience. The internal witness and life within, by the presence of the Holy Spirit, is how we know that He is risen and is seated at the right hand of God.

We need not visually see Him there to proclaim it. C. S. Lewis, a former atheist said, “I know that the sun is risen, not because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.”

Nevertheless, when your focus shifts from the mundane and temporal, when your goal becomes getting to know your God instead of proving His existence, and your life become less egocentric, new realms of faith and Spirituality await you. Not an ethereal, non-existent, ignorant faith, but one of depth and reality known by the power of God extended to us on our behalf.

Our Savior knows that this does not come easy for some. He knows it has its difficulties. Nathaniel took Him by surprise when he so readily and quickly believed. The story of Nathaniel is not told us to set him apart from us, but for us to covet his faith. To believe simply because Christ said so is a wonderful trait and full of promise.

You, as a Christian, should require no more than the word of Christ to believe. If you do, it will be said of you that “you will see greater things” but first, you must stop putting God to the test. You desire “great” faith, when what you need is “easy” faith – faith that comes quickly and easily. The greatest things will only be seen as your faith becomes easier and easier to exercise. To act on His word to your heart alone is the greatest faith.

When Christ speaks words to your heart, be quick to receive them, without doubt. Surprise the Lord when He requires faith of you. What joy you will feel when He says, “Do you believe because of what I said? You will see greater things than these.”

[1]

Genesis 6:3, “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man,

for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”

Question 13. What were you looking for?

All Israel was awaiting the return and ministry of the Prophet Elijah. This was misunderstood to mean a visitation from a man who would call himself Elijah (something John did not do) and would introduce the Messiah (something John did do). John, for whatever reason, went unnoticed as the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1)

John did not fill the description that they had developed (or had been developed for them) in their mind. They were convinced he could not be “that Prophet.” The fact that John did not consider himself to be “that Prophet” did not help matters either. He was once asked, “…Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias [Elijah]? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou?

That we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? John said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias [Isaiah].” (John 1:19-23)

The disciples had no better understanding of the prophecy. Peter, James and John, after witnessing the transfiguration, seeing and recognizing Elijah with Christ, decided that this event that they witnessed must be the coming of Elijah for which all Israel had been waiting. Jesus corrected their thinking, “…Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed [pleased]. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” (Matthew 17:11-13)

The coming of Elijah was a monumental event in the lives of all Israel and they waited for it with anticipation and delight. They set a place for the Prophet Elijah at every Passover meal and looked out the door to see if he was coming. They knew that he was the forerunner to Christ. They had, unfortunately, created an idea in their mind that the prophet for whom they waited would be much different than John the Baptist actually was.

Consequently, they missed the prophet for which they waited for centuries.

In our imagination we may see Jesus with his hands out at His sides, palms up, with a slight shrug in His shoulders as he asks, “When you came out here to see John, what were you looking for? Did you come out here to enjoy nature (a reed in the wind)? Were you disappointed that He was not finely dressed and did not represent the epitome of all your own earthly desires? Those who have the things you desire to see are Kings, not prophets.

Is that what you wanted to see? A prophet? John was much more than a prophet. But what did you expect to see? You are looking for signs and wonders, prophets, and mighty men, and are disappointed with all who are sent to you.

What are you looking for?”

This is a good question. What are we looking for? What would get us out of our houses and down to the riverbank? What would get our attention? We all have in our mind our own description of what a proper person, a prophet, a church, or a philosophy would be. The descriptions we have in our minds need to be brought out and analyzed. It could reveal what we seek and why. Jesus listed a few of the motivations that men may seek and these may help us categorize our own

What Are We Looking For?

A Naturist? He is someone with answers that fit into the natural scheme of things but are, in a sense, benign, ineffectual, and undemanding of change. A reed, shaking in the wind. He is sought by those who can see God in a sunset, but have trouble with His presence in the Commandments.

A Representative of our Humanity? This man will satisfy those who look for someone who has the answers, or has conquered the trials of life, who has overcome, a winner, one who has raised above the norm, a man in fine clothes, handsome and successful.

A Man of God? This is the man sought by those who are looking for a prophet, a Seer, or preacher who has the ear of God, and was commissioned or empowered by God. Someone above the average man. Those seeking this, feel that their quest is more noble than that of others; that they are seeking higher or “spiritual” things. They are often taken in by tricks, lofty language, goose bumps, platitudes, flattery, and promised acceptance by God.

Which one of these could take you in? Perhaps a combination of two, or all three? What would you go out to see? We all need to examine our motivations and desires and make sure they are as they should be.

Which leads to the query, how should they be?

Your answer is not around you; it is in you. “To whom God would make known … Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) Not surprisingly, Christ perfectly satisfies all three of the attributes He listed. His ministry and His very life teach that you are not to look for answers in the creation (sunsets and nature); you are to look to the Creator.

Jesus was the “Representative of our humanity.” He was the “Man of God” there is no other. Yet the one who waited for Messiah missed Him, too. You will not be able to recognize fulfillment of prophecy by comparing what you see to your Bible’s pages, recognition will come from the Spirit within you. Nowhere in the Scripture does it say that when Messiah comes He will tell you how many husbands you have had, but some how the woman at the well knew.

She ran to her friends and said, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” (John 4:29)

Do not forget that He warned that deception was a possibility and even a probability. Remember His admonitions from Matthew 24, “Many will come… and will deceive many. Pay attention so you won’t be deceived. … when they say, ‘look, He is in the desert,’ go not forth.” Who are these “many” who are being deceived? Don’t they own Bibles? Don’t they know prophecy? It is not enough to know the book, you must know Him.

He knows that you have a tendency to look around before you look within. If you consider in advance, what you like and what you are like, you will be fore-armed against deception. The history of man shows that false teachers are sought and true prophets are killed. Even the Son of God Himself was not safe among us. One of the most dangerous deceptions is the one that convinces you that you are immune from deception.

If you feel that you cannot be deceived, you are presently in the throes of the worst deception of all. You needn’t think that deception always leads to communes, poison Kool-Aid, space ships and suicide pacts. Sometimes it just subtlety corrodes a person’s faith till there is nothing left in him but questions and doubt and fear of the unknown. Sometimes deception takes the form of knowledge.

Heaps of education can console and comfort those who once searched for Truth -- becoming a bulwark of defense against simple and uncomplicated faith in God. In every case, deception replaces Truth – the Truth that sets men free. Once it is gone nothing remains but a hollow shell where there once was a budding, burgeoning faith in God. What are you looking for?

Among us there are those who have a propensity for kindness when considering man’s fallen state. Some think that mankind is in a totally depraved condition and lacks no ability to fully develop any evil thought, word, or deed. Then, the contradistinctive position is assumed that we are good beings that are getting a bad deal through no fault of our own (Adam) and God has since apologized by sending His son to die for us and we are all eventually going to live forever with God in bliss. In the mean time, the world is rampant with sin and not getting better.

In our day we are overrun with books and tapes explaining the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” We must admit that unpleasant things happen all the time to people who appear undeserving. Contrariwise we must admit that pleasant things happen to people who appear undeserving, unappreciative and unthankful and even unaware of any heavenly Father of lights from whom the good and perfect gifts come.

There are a couple of points to keep in mind when considering these hard questions about the good and bad happening to all, that don’t seem to surface in the discussions on “why.” One point is that bad things don’t happen to good people. There are no good people. “ALL we like sheep have gone astray, EVERY one of us has turned to his own way.” (Isaiah 53:6) All have sinned and come short, all have missed the mark. Jesus Himself said, There is none good – but God. Is this a technicality? Is this inapplicable when considering whether man is good or not, whether he deserves bad things or not?

We must not look at the “bad things” as getting what we deserve as much as fruit that has come to the tree. We must make either the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt or make the tree good and the fruit good, but we cannot say that a good tree is bringing forth corrupt fruit.

In Matthew 5:45, Jesus taught that we should bless and give gifts as God does, revealing that God gives the good things of life to all – without partiality. Life is indeed a gift from God. What if the rain only fell on the crops of those who love Him? “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Here we see the impartial loving favor of God, but what about the unpleasant things? In Ecclesiastes 2:14, where he was considering the fate of fools and wise he said, “… I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.” The only thing that separates God’s people from the rest is how the disaster is handled, not whether or not it comes. “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” (Proverbs 24:16)

After the initial point (that there are no good people) is accepted, some will alter the question and ask, “Why do bad things happen to God’s people?” The question is yet moot, for just as there are no “good” people, we must consider that there are no “bad” things. The things that we insist on calling bad, really, are unwanted, unpleasant, painful, or costly.

Who would call a new baby a bad thing? Yet no one would look forward to hours of painful labor; or, if a man suddenly came into a great deal of money and it eventually caused him to turn from God and lose out on the eternal reward laid up for him, who could call the windfall a “good thing?” Jesus asked, “What would it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” Just because things are unpleasant and painful, we cannot label them “bad” until we see their effect on us in the long run. Just because we gain what we want, we cannot call the experiences “good” until we see how these things effect us long term.

From where do these things come? How are these pleasant and unpleasant things set into motion and suddenly appear in our lives? Jesus said that they come from our hearts and our mouths. We, who dwell on the wickedness in us and in this world, cause this wickedness to manifest and eventually (in the form of unpleasantness) appear in our lives.

They do not necessarily appear as unpleasant items mind you, but our reaction to ANYTHING – pleasant or unpleasant, good or bad, welcome or unwelcome, riches or poverty, sickness or health, causes our downfall, failure, hardship, or it brings about deliverance, joy, and accomplishment. We have the ability to make castles from sand or make sand of our castles. All this creative power comes from the ABUNDANCE of our heart.

Realization of this idea (that you have the power within you to make any situation a stumbling block or a stepping stone) has caused an erroneous teaching. The error is that the abundance is in your control, namely in the words you speak. This is not a matter of learning to speak right, avoiding certain words or making good confessions of faith, nor is it control of your own will. You cannot decide to fill your heart with good things so your life will be better. You must lay down your life filled with evil, your heart filled with evil things, and exchange them for the abundant life and a heart full of good things.

This exchange is only accomplished through repentance and conversion.

Cry out to God for His mercy, and surrender your will to His. He will fill your heart with good things so that your reaction to the evil things, the “bad” and unpleasant things, will bring about goodness and blessing in your life.

 Out of the Abundance of Your Heart

The abundance of your heart will cause you to speak good things. These words will not be a forced or wooden parroting of positive thinking verses; they will be true and genuine representations of the contents of your heart. There will be heard from your mouth the most gracious words of acceptance and goodwill. You will bless, and not curse, the things seemingly invading your life. ANY thing, good or bad will have the same effect of blessing. You will be surprised how the things that ruined you before will encourage and strengthen you now. From the abundance of your heart your mouth will speak.

Your own wickedness causes your grief. As soon as you realize that, you will be well on your way to repairing it. God waits for you to change your evil and selfish way. When you go His way, He will change your heart. That will change your acceptance of His will and your attitude toward your own life and the “good” and “bad” things that happen in it. This change will be heard in your speech. Complaints, condemnation, and confusion will disappear, and be replaced with blessing.

Your speech should sound as if God were in control. You need to smile and bless, and not condemn and not complain. It is true, your words need to change, but “How can ye, being evil, speak good things?” James 1:17

Anyone remotely familiar with spiritual things has heard about the doctrine of the unpardonable sin. It has made its way into nearly every discussion, and usually it is never dealt with in a final way, settling the issue. What is it? How can someone commit such a sin? Is there no hope afterward?

Jesus had just performed a miracle of unmistakable credit. A lunatic that was mute and blind was brought to Jesus. This man was known in the area and it was obvious that there was a spirit on this man that had bound him physically. Jesus healed him so that the man could both speak and see. The religious leaders who witnessed this event could not attribute it to God for this confession would convict them. If they were to remain segregated from Christ, and they were to continue to teach that He was not who He said He was, they must condemn what He did and attribute it to some other power. So they said, “By the Lord of the Flies, (Beelzebub) this man casts out Satan, not by YHVH.” Jesus looked at them and said, “My Father will forgive anyone…of anything…but that.”

Many of the charlatans involved in “miracle” ministries today use this ploy. The idea of doubting their credibility is considered “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” and they warn those who do, of committing an unforgivable sin. Some others, playing on words, say that, “not accepting Christ” is the unforgivable sin. It has also been attached to specific sins such as using the name of God in vain. What exactly is “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?”

It is clear that anyone who watched this miracle take place could not doubt that the source of the miracle was none other than YHVH the Creator. It was only stubborn pride and arrogance and a filthy heart that would conceive Christ’s collaboration with demons and let such an accusation spew out of their mouth.

When these men who were steeped in religion purposefully turned their eyes from the evidence and determined to harden their heart against accepting the clear witness of the Messiah, Jesus said that they had sealed their fate. Their rejection of the Father, who graciously sent them an irrefutable sign to believe in Messiah, was not only rejected and ignored, but then attributed to the archenemy of all mankind, the first rebel and hardener of hearts. The glory of God’s grace and power that was lovingly sent to us to help us and save us was sullied and ascribed, as though given by Satan to deceive us. It was the ultimate insult, done by intent, done by rebellion.

The miracle was incontrovertible. This was no parlor trick that could be done by slight of hand or mirrors. This miracle was unquestionably genuine, an attribute to which the “miracles” of today would have difficulty laying claim. When this miracle occurred, look at the reaction from the religious people there. It divided them into two. “But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting [testing] him, sought of him a sign from heaven.” (Luke 11:15-16) In another place the Scriptures say, “And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?” (John 7:31) One group dismissed Him out-of-hand and rejected Him as a deceiver, the other’s attitude showed interest in more spectacular signs.

The group that is not mentioned is the family and friends of this poor man who was no longer dumb and blind. As the commotion rose from the religious leaders, some condemning Jesus and some urging Him on to do other miracles, there was a man looking at the world around him for the first time in his life.

He looked into the faces of his brothers and friends and was able for the first time to speak to them. The din of the crowd lessened to give way to the thoughts now rushing through His mind. He stood thoroughly fascinated with the world he beheld. There was opening before him, in full color, a world that, before today, he had only heard. Satan had been cast out.

Darkness was replaced by light; abundant life was now in the stead of misery. Jesus, ignoring the selfish requests for miracles, looks back over his shoulder at this man who now sees for the first time his own way home and his friends flocking around him, patting him and shaking his hand, wonders how anyone could see such a deliverance as the work of Satan. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) He looks at the religious leadership and wonders to Himself, ‘Why would this miracle cause them to blaspheme God…How can they think this is the work of Satan?’ Then Jesus looks at them, holds His hand up and asks them out loud, “Why would Satan cast out Satan?”

 Us Four…And No More

Sometimes we become so group oriented that we start to think that our group is the only one through which God moves and works. We are dangerously close to blasphemy when we attribute the wonderful work of God that occurs in circles we do not frequent, to forces that are considered to be at enmity with Heaven. We should thank God for the fruit no matter at which end of the vine it grows.

The deliverance from sins, the freedom in Christ, the healing of bodies and lives are reason enough to thank God, no matter from whose camp it came. None of us are the possessors of all truth; we walk in obedience (at least that is our goal) and take the path He lays before us. As Paul says, “Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth…” (Romans 14:4) We should rejoice and follow Christ. We are not to chase miracles we deem proper, nor are we to condemn those we determine are not. We are to follow.

Once when John, one of Jesus’ disciples, found another ministering in Christ’s name he came to Jesus and said, “…Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, “Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part.” (Mark 9:38-40)

Jesus feels no threat when someone outside your denomination does a wonderful work in His name. You should not either. If good is being accomplished then so be it, and thank God for it. When you see Satan’s kingdom suffer, no matter at whose hands, you can rest assured that our God has commissioned someone to do the job. When you think that the Devil is in the one who “followeth not us” you can easily determine the source by asking the same question Jesus asked of the doubting Pharisees, “Why would Satan cast out Satan?”

An immutable law of nature is that all life brings forth of its kind. Thus the question, do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? The answer is no, they do not, and Jesus implied, they cannot.

This Scripture is often misunderstood through misapplication. It does not instruct us how to discover “true Christians” nor provide a touchstone for self-evaluation. Also, it is often erroneously tied to Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Well-meaning teachers have led us through the evaluation of our Christian walk and made claims that the absence of this listed fruit in our lives is an indicator of not being converted (or completely converted). Absence proves nothing. It is the PRESENCE of fruit that determines the family of the vine.

For example, you may walk through a garden and see a vine with no fruit on it. Discounting the ability to identify by foliage, can you accurately say this is not a pumpkin vine because you see no pumpkins? Of course not. It may be fully under way growing pumpkins at that very minute, but perhaps it’s diseased or malnourished, or at that moment it’s too young, or hindered in some other way to bear fruit. The presence of a watermelon, however, proves it is not a pumpkin vine.

The question remains, to whom does this Scripture apply? In context, the Lord was warning us of false prophets. He says that we will know false prophets by their fruit, “Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:17-20)

Jesus was telling those who would hear, “These men are thorns, not vines.” If you find a grape on a thorn it is because it was stuck there, it did not grow there. How it got stuck there is a matter for consideration.

A false prophet is a deceiver. This is a person falsely speaking for God (without authority) or a person speaking falsely for God (saying things that are not true). The difference is subtle, but important. The latter speaks lies in the name of God. These are usually not a threat to biblically sound people. The words of a false prophet are weighed and found in error by way of the axiomatic truth that the Spirit of God will not contradict Himself. Neither will the Spirit within us nor will the Spirit who brought forth the Scriptures, allow the lie to be believed. But, the other is more deceptive.

The person falsely speaking for God however, may be saying very nice things, Scriptural things, and things without the least contradiction; they are being said, however, without unction, without compulsion, without authority to speak. Through this kind of false prophet we are led into creaturely activity (fleshly motivated good works) and this subsequently causes an erosion of active communion with God to take place.

 The Clothing of a Shepherd

All that being said, we are warned to beware of the false prophets because they wear the “clothing of a shepherd” (sheep’s clothing) and are inwardly starving, and desperate wolves. Sometimes “sheep’s clothing” is misunderstood to mean that these starving wolves dress themselves up like sheep, but it is, more correctly, the clothing of a shepherd that they don in order to deceive. They don’t try to look like sheep; they try to look like a shepherd, which is an office awarded to only one, our Christ Jesus. It is the intention of these wicked “shepherds” not to feed, but to fleece and flay, and the first step, toward that end, is deception.

A person intending to deceive must work first at appearances. With the warning that we will “know them by their fruits,” the deceiver must surround himself with fruit. This is why we may find grapes on thorns but must realize they didn’t grow there. There are many who tout their accomplishments – not to gloat, but to deceive.

Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I [will] in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” (John 15:4) From this verse, you must realize that any fruit borne OUTSIDE of Christ is corrupt fruit. This is not as easy to prove as it is to sense. If you are born of the incorruptible seed, you have within you the Holy Spirit who will witness to this, and therefore, you must maintain a clear conscience and contrite heart in order to hear the slightest whisper of His warning.

These issues of life from your heart are the only true defense against the false prophets, the endless parade of literature, books, movies, preachers, Bible translations and close dear friends and family who mean well, but are in error. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

You must be vigilant and even suspicious to every twitch within you as you read, hear, and see things from all sources, accepting only that which the Lord reveals to you as true and worthy. The Scriptures secondarily, are never to be compromised as they were penned by men under the unction and authority of the Holy Spirit of God.

It would never insult a true prophet for someone to doubt, then check, and wait for confirmation from God on any revelation given them. Paul commended the Bereans for this. “These were nobler than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11) It is only the false prophet that leads people away from Christ’s witness within, and the Scripture’s witness without.

There are many fruits which are ascribed only to the children of God, and many which are found only on the withered and diseased branch of the false prophet. These fruits are well worth your attention and study.

When you determine a man to be truthful and faithful by the fruit abounding around him, you must be careful that you are not ascribing fruit to his ministry that did not grow there. I have seen whole churches full of proselytes.

A grape stuck on a thorn is not abiding in the vine. Although you may find a bramble bush loaded with grapes, Jesus wants us to know that they did not grow there. You should ask yourself, “Do men gather grapes from thorns?”

Sometimes we direct this reprimand of Christ toward the Pharisees, but this particular reproof was a general one. Let us accept the question as though it was directed to us. We have no good answer to His question. We cannot even claim concern for our neighbor as motivation for this behavior. He constructs an idea with this question that makes the operation of “mote removal” a dangerous one. His metaphor implies that we are performing eye surgery while blinded.

This question begins with the statement, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1) Whenever I hear this verse quoted by the ungodly I envision one of those little “promise boxes” on their breakfast table. Every morning they open it and remove a card and read the verse for today, only, in their box, it is the same Scripture everyday. For people who live their own way, it is the Scripture of choice! It is tirelessly quoted by everyone from the heroine addict in the alley to the deacon called before the church board, but is it truly understood by any of us?

Are we really never to call into question the behavior of anyone? Are we never to voice God’s displeasure about the sinful acts of anyone? How will those who never their lives in the light of righteousness understand the judgment that is upon them? How will they ever come to know forgiveness? Furthermore, if our duty is to reprove or correct one another, as the Scripture plainly teaches, how do we honor the clear command to “judge not?”

As in the days of Christ, we are occasionally found in the company of those who judge us unfairly. In Luke it is written this way, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven…” (Luke 6:37) This is more complete in thought than the Matthew account.

This verse teaches that we must keep in mind our own condition as we help or guide others on their way. We should judge like we want to be judged, condemn as we wish condemnation for ourselves and forgive as we desire forgiveness to be granted us. That should take the edge off of our high and mighty tone.

 It Is Love That Is Lacking

In harsh judgment, it is the love that is lacking. The purity of empathetic love can enable a counselor to say, without reprisal, things that no one else would dare even approach. When I was involved in the children’s home ministry, I instructed my teachers and staff in this concept: a child is only to be disciplined or corrected if he is absolutely sure that he is loved by the one who disciplines him. A great test for loving involvement in the child’s life was questions like, “Do you know the child’s middle name? Do you know his best friend? Do they have brothers and sisters?” If they are sure you love them, you can say nearly anything, but if they doubt your love at all, you can offend with the most delicate of correction.

Love is not the only thing missing in counsel to our brethren; it should also be noted that the standard by which we judge is deficient. We can only speak from our own perspective. As much as we would like to be the holders of all truth, we are not. Things change, people change, and situations are viewed assorted ways by different people at various times. We cannot know all, to finally and completely judge anyone. After all, are you the same person today you were 10 years ago? Did you have an opinion then? Did you offer it to others? Did you not demand that you were right? Are there things you understand today that you didn’t understand then? All these things should be considered when you find yourself offering differing or judgmental opinions.

Humility will serve well in this situation. Love will present common ground. As you live, you learn. As you look back, you may see that you had a “beam” in your eye, or actions that displeased God, which were never revealed to you. As they came to light and you dealt with them, you were amazed that God had tolerated them (and you) for all those years! Have you come to realize that you should do the same for your brothers and sisters in Christ?

Let God reveal the faults of your brethren to them. We can count on Him to do so clearly, distinctly and mercifully. Meanwhile, if you have not created a situation of enmity between you and those with whom God is dealing, they may come to you for guidance.

Also, consider that if you have recognizably grown in the Lord, it is probable that you will continue to do so. Ten years from now you may have “beams” removed, that today, you are not even aware that you have.

As these beams are removed, you become a better Christian, a better person, and a better counselor. You may then see clearly and be in a better position to help your brother with his “mote.” Remember the Scripture didn’t tell you to be unconcerned with your neighbor’s mote, it asks why you are attempting to remove it while blinded by a “beam.” As the verses continue: “…first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.”

Notice how the language has changed from “beholdest the mote” to “cast out the mote.” To “behold” is an Elizabethan term (King James) used to call attention to something. To behold is not simply to notice or to know of its existence. It is to expose, to uncover, or bring to the fore.

It is obvious the person who is only beholding the mote is more interested in framing the flaw for exposition than in helping to make positive changes.

It goes without saying that when the flaw is put on display, it is an attempt to compare –to make someone look better (or worse) than someone else. Our responsibility is clear that we must not judge, condemn, or neglect forgiveness. But, as things are discovered in our brother that will eventually condemn him, if we are keeping vigilant watch over our own life and remaining clear before God we must, in humility, help him to remove it, but only as the need for its removal is revealed to him and he seeks our assistance. As we find there, things for which we feel God’s judgment will be incurred, we are obliged to keep our own life free of that which blinds us and hinders our helping him.

Judgment that is beneficial, and that is not condemned in Scripture, is done in love and humility and order. You must love those you evaluate. If you do not love them, they will know it – whether consciously or sub-consciously and they will despise your assessment and suggestions. You cannot fake it, so don’t try it.

The humility factor is made plain by the apostle in the book of Galatians (6:1), “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” We are never far from possessing the very same fault we find in another; we are indeed all in the same precarious condition.

The order, that is so necessary, is clear in the words of Jesus Christ, “…first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.” The words “first” and “then” show the order. It would seem simple but it is easily forgotten. Many hours of self-examination, prayer and comparison of your life to the examples in Scripture and to the yardstick of the Spirit need to take place before you reach for the splinter in your brother’s eye.

You must remember that you are the salt of the earth, and the light of the world, not the x-ray machine. You are to add and enhance – to enlighten what is already visible. Not discover and reveal what is hidden. When you judge, you are assuming an office that is to be occupied by God alone. As Christ was leaving this world, He told of the Holy Spirit’s ministry. He will lead and guide and He convinces the world of sin. It is simply not your job.

Jesus asks, “Why do you call attention to your brother’s problem?” If you are doing this you need to examine why. It may be that you are becoming aware of a shortfall in your own life. The revealer of men’s hearts may be convincing you, at this moment, of a problem. If you are to fulfill Christ’s order to “see clearly” so you can help your brother, you will have to remove your ocular barrier. Perhaps this is why Jesus called the Pharisees “blind guides” and “blind leaders of the blind.”

Your brother’s splinter is aggravating him. It hurts and hinders his ability to see. He only thinks it is normal by comparing his tiny sliver to other’s two by four boards.

There is no good answer to Christ’s question. It is your board you are trying to conceal when you make your brother’s splinter known. A confession of this is the only honest answer to Christ’s question, “Why do you call attention to splinters in your brother’s eye?”

The Pharisees overheard Jesus say, “Thy sins be forgiven thee” and asked among themselves, “Who is this that speaks blasphemies?” “And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?” (Mark 2:8, Luke 5:22)

As Jesus went about doing good He perceived from time to time that someone would tune in to His mission or purpose and indeed start to realize who He was. This time, with the Pharisees, was different than the others. Usually when the scribes or Pharisees mumbled to themselves, Jesus blasted them for being treacherous to the Kingdom of God. But this time He was pleasant, as if He saw in them a glimmer of hope. For a moment they asked within themselves, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” … They thought, “Maybe this is Messiah.”

Jesus perceived this and was willing to take them a little farther, and so to accomplish this, He showed them a miracle. The Mark 2 account records no negative reaction, but rather a response as “...insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.”

Why reason ye in your hearts? Do you have an opinion about the motivations of Jesus? Was He a performing a true miracle? Was it just hypnotism? Was it fraud or deception? Why have you formed that opinion? You must never underestimate the power of the Scriptures on this regard. When these stories are read, they demand an opinion. Information creates an opinion. You must decide whether to believe or not. Jesus perceived they were approaching faith as they watched Him. He gave them more information to process as He asked, “What are you thinking?”

We must ask ourselves what are we thinking as we listen to Christ make assertions, such as, “I am the door… anyone climbing up some other way is a thief.” (John 10:1) When we hear Him plainly say that He is the ONLY way, what reason ye in your hearts? What about when He says, “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30) When Jesus makes Himself equal with God, what reason ye in your hearts? Do you search for or invent ways for His message to be different than it is written, or do you accept it as an accurate record? Why are you reasoning in your heart?

When our Lord makes demands like, “Take no thought for your life,” why reason you in your heart? What about when He says, “No man can serve two masters,” or “Judge not, that ye be not judged” or “…depart from me, ye that work iniquity, I never knew you” Consider to yourself what Christ asks, “Why reason ye in your hearts?”

Listen closely as you study your Bible, or as you meditate, or as you listen in prayer, or as you listen to others minister the Word of God. Listen to what you reason in your heart. We may be dismissing God’s Word, His revelation, or His miracle by lack of sound reasoning. Is your reasoning carrying you toward Christ or away from Him? Is your inclination to believe and follow, or doubt and prove in order to hold to your own way? “What reason ye in your hearts?” “Why reason ye in your hearts?”

When demand is made on us by way of the Scriptures, ministry, or revelation, or even by life’s burdens, we may be prone to excuse our behavior. For some reason of incompatibility between the source of this demand and our “peculiar” circumstances we dismiss it as impertinent. We must be very careful with conviction. Our consciences are the ONLY natural sense that can keep us along the way and recover us when we falter. We must consider the care of our convictions and promptings as important or more so, than the care of our sight or hearing, knowing that when it's gone there is no second chance[1].

Sometimes in traumatic situations the human psyche has the ability to block out facts seen and heard, skew them into fantastic illusion and believe them. We have all disbelieved what we saw or heard in some painful or frightening situation.

 Disregarding Our Consciences

We know it is possible to DISREGARD what we take into our five senses. We also know that a constant disregard can lead to a numbing or in some cases an atrophied condition of the senses that can cause a dangerous situation. So it is with our consciences. If we disregard or explain away our discomfort, we run a risk of losing the most valuable sense we have – the sense of right and wrong – the sense that our acts are hurting our God, thwarting His purposes, short-circuiting His plan, or breaking His Commandments.

The conscience is more than knowing. The word is a Latin cognate (com- + scire) that means exactly that – more than knowing. The Scripture mentions it, using the Greek word suneidesis {soon-i'-day-sis} to know within. I am convinced that it is “the light” John spoke of. “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” (John 1:9) It is the lamp to our path – the Word of God to our heart to lead us to Christ. John recognized it, Paul protected it, and Peter saw it as a guide toward righteousness.

And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. (John 8:9)

And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. …And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. Acts 23:1 - Acts 24:16

Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: (1 Timothy 1:19)

For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. (1 Peter 2:19)

Your conscience is protected by your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. You protect it by never grieving your guide (the Holy Spirit), by remaining pliable, willing, and subject to the subtlest movement of the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is the force by which you are sealed unto the day of redemption. To interfere with, frustrate, or grieve Him is a dangerous action.

The apostle warns in Ephesians 4:30, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” It would behoove us to cultivate this sense, attempt to increase our sensitivity to that which displeases God so that our actions would be more in line with His will and way.

As this sensitivity improves, it starts to merge with our other physical senses and soon we can know good and evil by sight, by touch, and intuition. The writer of Hebrews claims this intuition is the mark of one who has come to full age in Christ. “… even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14)

The Pharisees in the story were on the verge of recognizing Messiah and possibly believing on Him and changing their entire destiny. They were playing games of rationalization, justification and in their own minds, they finally decided that if someone was wrong, they reasoned, it had to be this carpenter’s boy. Alas, they reasoned – they reasoned incorrectly. They toyed with their better judgment – their conscience. They ignored the truth that was becoming apparent to them. They turned from the light given them that day. They shunned their conscience and in doing so, they shunned the God of the whole earth. Maybe the Spirit would deal with them again, possibly once more, twice perhaps – who’s to say?

You must protect your conscience. It is your only defense against an insincere conformity to religious codes. It is your first defense against sin. It is your lifesaver when you stumble. Remember 1 Timothy 4:2, and the use of the phrase”… having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” A sinful man with no conscience is in a condition of little hope – a religious man without one is likely a hypocrite.

The Pharisees moved, slowly but surely, through this time of reasoning to final and total rejection of the Messiah. Although total apostasy may be remote for you, you may find yourself with severe gaps in theology, understanding, or comprehension of spiritual concepts and values.

When you encounter pricks in your conscience, don’t reason it away. When you feel leadings of the Spirit, convictions of displeasing behavior, you must be quick to respond.

When at the crossroads of decision, see clearly in your mind the Lord Jesus, perceiving the movement of the Spirit in you, looking your way, and asking, “Why reason ye in your hearts?”

Ephesians 4:30, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

Mentioned in this episode:

TRI Radio App

Luke 11:11, “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?”

We are often reluctant to pray “Thy will be done.” It is even taught today that it is a sure sign of a lack of faith to pray, “Not my will but as thou wilt” although that is a quote from the Son of God, Christ Jesus. Many use this phrase out of obligation to the commandment or fear of rejection. After giving God the list of needs and wants, “Thy will be done” is added to offset any disappointment of not receiving our selfish petition. More thought must be given to prayer than this.

If we have no assurance that the things we desire are the will of God for our lives, we have no business asking for them. It is a basic distrust of God as a “good father” that causes us to hold aloof the words, “Thy will be done.” “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?”

Prior to this question in Matthew 7, Jesus was teaching that we are to ask for God’s will to be done, here, just as it is done in heaven; and that an honest, seeking person will not go away empty-handed. He was assuring us that we need not fear asking for God’s will to be done. To make the point clear He asked the following question:

“…what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”

When Luke recorded this, he added, “Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?” (Luke 11:10-13) This further makes the point that this is a rhetorical question, because it evokes the response, “Of course we would not do that!” He wants us to know that praying for God’s will and our good are not crossed purposes.

 A Part of Our Model

Jesus places this concept into the model prayer and therefore puts it into a category of richness beyond the first glance. As with all of the Lord’s model prayer, it demands we make personal changes. To make the prayer comfortable or natural, you must either change it, or you are forced change yourself. When you see your life not conforming to the words of the prayer, it shows that you are out of sync with the life that Christ intended for you. Who, but a few, could honestly pray for “daily bread” with a week’s supply of food on hand? Who can say, “Forgive me because I forgive everyone who sins against me?” You must therefore make your life fit the prayer.

We have, rather, attempted to change the prayer, or at least made it impotent. We set aside the power of this prayer by teaching it as a nursery rhyme and saying it with the cadence of a limerick. But for this prayer to truly have its intended effect, we must make “Thy will be done" as easy to pray earnestly, and in truth, as it is to say from memory.

When you say the first words “Our Father,” these words should truly reflect your feelings of community with other believers and your place in family of God. “Thy Kingdom come” should roll from lips truly desirous to see the His Kingdom established. “Forgive us our debts,” ought to be said in full assurance of being granted because no grudge or debt is being held by you toward anyone. Then, “Thy will be done” can be said and felt sincerely, clearly, and confidently. After all, “…what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?”

The imagery in the words used by Jesus is astounding. Notice all the desired articles mentioned: bread, an egg, a fish – all items of sustenance and nourishment. Notice the articles we assumed to receive from God were a stone, a scorpion, or a serpent – items that are common, useless, dangerous, and even deadly. Is this how we consider His will for us? Are these the “gifts” we presume to avoid by evading the prayer, “Thy will be done?” Shame on us for thinking our God to be such a father.

As you become increasingly aware of the goodness of God, and understand that His demands are not unfair, that His commandments are not grievous, and that His way is not arduous, you will accept (and soon even desire) His will above your own. Yes, you will wonder why you avoided His will before.

You will find that it was your idea of bread that should be considered a stone when compared to His bread; much like a hungry child may want cake over potatoes or candy over vegetables, your desire for the poison of your own will is only a misunderstood hunger for true sustenance.

From God’s viewpoint, the eggs you ask for may in fact be scorpions, and although you ask for fish with your mouth your fingers are pointing at serpents. Let our loving heavenly Father feed you from the table of His will and you will never reach for serpents, stones, or scorpions, while hungry for bread.

 Good Things

In Luke, we find that the author replaced the words “good things” with “the Holy Spirit.” “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13) Many who interpret this to mean a “gift” of the Holy Spirit, seem to miss the point. “…to them that ask Him”… ask Him for what? The Holy Spirit? No, the Holy Spirit is not a gift given to anyone who simply asks for it as a gift. It is a state of being, an indwelling, set aside for those who surrender their will to Him and those who can honestly pray “Thy will be done” without reservation, without hypocrisy, and with a sincere heart. Can you say, “Lord, don’t give me what I want…give me what you want me to have, no matter what”? It is then that you are able to be indwelled.

It is then that you are qualified to receive the “gift.” As you make an inhabitable home for the Holy Spirit, by humility and surrender, you become capable of receiving the good things that He desires you to have. The Holy Spirit of God would not, indeed could not, be in harmony with simultaneous distrust of YHVH as a good Father.

When you doubt His will and disbelieve His good intentions, when you are skeptical and distrusting about praying, “Thy will be done,” and when you think that your desires are honorable and His are suspect, you make an antagonistic environment for the Holy Spirit.

For the Spirit of God knows God only as thoroughly good[1] and appreciates no will other than His. In this condition of doubt and fear of an untrustworthy God, you can expect never to experience in fullness the indwelling Christ, nor the warmth of the Comforter, nor the uninhibited fellowship of the Father. The Holy Spirit, spoken of by Jesus, will never be a gift to you.

Why do we distrust Him so? Why do we fear to say, “Thy will be done?” Why, in our deepest distress, when loss of life or a loved one is before us, when life’s tragedies are imminent and sorrow seemingly unavoidable, can we not cry out to God in full assurance that our good and ultimate joy is considered when we pray “Thy will be done?” Do we really think that what He offers is more grief, more sorrow, and more heartache? If His will is so far from ours, should we not make the changes necessary to reconcile the two?

He loves you more than you can know. You can only trust Him as much as you love Him and love Him as much as you trust Him. As you inch your way by faith to more love and more trust, isn’t it a lovely thought to contemplate the question, “If a son shall ask bread…will a father give him a stone?”

1 Corinthians 2:10-11, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”

Mentioned in this episode:

TRI Radio App

Matthew 6:28, “And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin...”

If we are going to answer this question honestly, we must first accept the premise that we do take thought for raiment. Could there be anyone who does not agree with this? Clothes are some of the most important things we use in judging status in our society. Clothing is a major visual clue we use to decide “who” we are talking to, what place in society he or she holds, what they may do for a living, and into what financial bracket they fall.

These clues are apparent to us, whether consciously or unconsciously; by the clothes we see them wear. Secondly we may look to the face and expression, third to the conversation and deportment, and fourth to the claims they make with their words, but for the most part, we judge and decide, criticize and condemn, or justify and idolize by the clothes a person wears. With objective consideration, we would discover this behavior to be shameful at least, and at worst, insane.

 The Clothes Make The Man.

Or so it is said. We are all subjected to this “Dress for Success” mentality in one form or another. Any of us will feel different, and indeed, be different to one degree or another, if given a different outfit of clothes.

We all look for the clothes to be, at least congruent to the station in life to which that person lays claim. Imagine a policeman with no emblem of authority, no uniform, without anything to separate him from the crowd and nothing to show his authority? What could he accomplish? Imagine what respect a stockbroker would get at an investment strategy meeting who was dressed in tatters. Or conversely, wouldn’t an employee who dressed better than all his peers be considered first for promotion? Consider what changes would come over even a homeless man with a new suit of clothes. We must concede – there is power in appearance.

In our society, we are trained to look at the cloth with which a person is wrapped, from Barbie dolls to CEO’s. Life and society has taught us that we are no greater than how we appear, we are no more noble, no richer, no more intelligent, no better, than the clothes on our back.

Although nearly all of society judges and is judged by dress, is a Christian to participate in this masquerade party? Opinions are many on this subject, so let us defer to the Scriptures.

“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? …If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.” (James 2:1-9)

Some may argue that this Scripture only deals with our attitude toward the way someone is dressed and says nothing about whether we should give so much care to the way we dress ourselves. But consider this: When we dress ourselves in clothing finer than our peers are we not respecting a person’s outer appearance? Albeit, we are respecting ourselves, are we not expecting others to have respect toward us and hold us in higher esteem because of our clothing? Are we not guilty of creating in others, the very sin we are admonished to reject in ourselves? A few moments of consideration will reveal the convoluted reasoning we have used to dress according to our pride and avarice while simultaneously condemning “respect of persons” as sin. When we expect others to respect us, or form opinions about us, by the way we dress, we are cultivating characteristics in others that are unwelcome in ourselves.

Another consideration is mockery. When we drape our body with garnish, gold, and finery, do we not mock God? After all, clothes are only a necessary part of our life because of mankind’s sin. Can you see the connection in sin and clothing? These elements, present at the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, are consistently appearing in our list of present-day struggles with righteousness. Clothes, food, pride, and every lust of the eye, are all present in our daily quest to avoid sin and please God. To take pride in our covering, indeed in our atonement, is a strange (if not evil) behavior, is it not? None put it better than did the Quaker apologist, Robert Barclay speaking on simplicity in dress…

“In the first place, the use of clothes originally came from the fall of Adam, and otherwise man would apparently have had no use for them. But his miserable state made them necessary to cover his nakedness and keep him from becoming cold. Both are good and sufficient reasons for wearing clothes, and the principal reason we do so. But it can in no way be lawful for a man to delight himself with the fruit of his iniquity and the consequences of his sin. Any superfluous additions or extensions beyond their real use are clear abuses of the creation and therefore they are not lawful for Christians. Those who love gaudy and ostentatious clothing demonstrate little concern for mortification or self-denial. They apply themselves more to beautifying their bodies than to improving their souls. Those who have so little regard for their mortal condition are more nominal than real Christians.”[1]

“…let it not be that outward…”

What waste we would avoid and what equality we would enjoy if we were to gain mastery over this insidious flaw in the character of man. What thrift, what humility, what reality would we be brought to if only we evaluated each other as God does?

 “…for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b)

 “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” (1 Peter 3:3-4)

Jesus said, Behold, [for example, let me present] the flowers. They don’t work until they’re weary so they can wear the best fashions. They wear what is provided and eat what is provided. What outstanding examples of faith in their God, and what great examples of health and beauty.

If our lives reflected such health, beauty, and faith, what excellent examples we would be to behold.

Clothes have a power far beyond their basic and intrinsic ability for weather protection and obscuration of nakedness. This power must be respected and held in check. Do you place more value upon clothes than is just and right? Do you judge God’s children by the cut and price of the mere cloth draped over their shoulders? Are you more concerned with a garment’s fashion than its function? You should consider, the question of Christ, “Why take ye thought for raiment?”

[1] From Barclay’s Apology in Modern English edited by Dean Freiday p. 406 ã1991 Barclay Press

The ad says, “Eat all you want and lose weight.” We should be ashamed that we are so willing to lay aside common sense (not to mention unchangeable laws of physics) to embrace a lie conceived in avarice, propagated by greed and believed only by the selfish and foolish. Why do we do this? In an interview with a confidence man convicted of bilking older people out of their fortunes by wild investment promises, he was asked how he could convince his victims of such ridiculous schemes. He stated, “We all believe in what we want to be true.” It could be added that if the plan involves indulgences, count us in; if it involves abstinence, count us out.

We are willing to do anything that adds to us, whether to our bank account, our indulgent lifestyle, or our circle of friends. We are awash in advice and counsel on how to live longer and have more and we take it into our heads, our homes, our Meetings, and our hearts. We have become obsessed with the prospect of having all we want to eat and still looking thin.

We are fascinated with schemes of being paid more and more for less and less work. We are sold toys and gadgets making impossible promises of less work and more enjoyment.

Because of this philosophy, the average American is manacled to credit card debt. The mail, delivers monthly the tenacious reminders of reality left over from the accumulation of things he was convinced he wanted and needed (or the things he convinced himself) that he “could not live” without. The fact that our spiritual subsistence and our physical proliferation are at opposite ends of the scale of our care, our attention, and importance, seems to elude our thinking. We know it; we just can’t seem to remember it when we see something we want. We need to reassess our condition and consider the question Jesus asked here, “Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?”

Granted, some of our sloth in these areas is due to weakness but some is due to plain inattentiveness. You would likely be surprised at the difference in the portion of your fortune that is given toward the advancement of the Kingdom of God and what portion is allotted to restaurants. What is the difference in time devoted to preparing the soul and mind by meditation, worship, and prayer, and the time devoted to dressing, preparing, and feeding the body? An evening with a calculator and your credit card statements can be very enlightening. (These figures more than surprised me— I was ashamed.) We simply have not paid attention. Where a man’s treasure is (or is spent) there is where you will find his heart. This is elementary, but a lesson from which many seem to have never graduated. “Is not the life more than food, and the body than clothes?”

 Aahhh… This Is The Life!

It is interesting to note that Jesus asks, “Is not THE life… more than food…etc. I like the way He asks us about the life. Not life – but the life. In our vernacular we use this same term when things are as we think they should be. When all is in place, and life is working well, when we are comfortable and happy, we sigh and look to our companion and say, “This is the life!” Contrarily, when things are not so great, when our toys and machines break down, when we hear our neighbor or our companion complain about the way things are, we answer with futility and say, “Well, that’s life!”

Somehow, there is a message in the words of Jesus here for us Americans. “Is not the life more than food?” Sure, life, subsistence, survival, basic biological propagation is hardly more than the acquisition of food, but the life is a different question altogether. Life in its basic and biological form is continued by what we can add to it, food, water, shelter, all the basic necessities, but, the life, where all is as it should be, I am convinced, is obtained by what we can leave out of it.

This may be the most difficult of all paradoxes in life to apprehend. I have seen the idea pass through the minds of many, but I have seen it take root in few. I have seen envy on the face of men worth millions when they meet a man with nothing more than basic necessities, but it was just a fleeting notion. I am sure this idea of simplicity and minimalism was being considered by the rich young man who came to Jesus and asked Him, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus said, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven… But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” Many days in this young man’s life, he likely said, “Aahhh… this is the life!” – but, he knew it wasn’t.

The saddest part of the question posed by Jesus, too, is the answer. When we consider in full, our lives, how they are spent, the things over which we worry and complain, we must answer His question with a resounding, “No.” He asks, “Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” “No, dear Savior, it is not,” our answer must come back. “Our life is no more than an opportunity to acquire our delicacies and our body, only a hollow mannequin with no other purpose than to display our fashionable clothes. Our bank accounts are there only to hold in store for us our treasures and to serve our wants and desires at our beck and call.

Our pantries store goods for many days and as in the Bible story[2] we say to our soul, ‘Soul, eat drink and be merry!’” Indeed, an honest answer would be shameful one.

Jesus taught that taking thought for these things will hinder your ability to let go of your life, a necessary action for true conversion. This focused concern for your belly causes you to be able to see no further than the plate of food in front of you, and when it is gone your thoughts can extend no further than the source of your next morsel. It causes difficulties for faith as related in Luke 12:29, “And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.” The stories of Jesus mention an activity common among the unjust, the faithless, the doubtful, and the wicked.

Can you guess what it was?

 Drunkenness And Gluttony

They were nearly always eating and drinking. Matthew 24:49, “And shall begin …to eat and drink with the drunken.”

Luke 12:19-45

The Church has done poorly at keeping the words eating and drinking linked together as equally wicked sin. Eating (or better called gluttony) is a favorite pastime of those who profess Christ. It is a behavior accepted by the conventional church while emphatically condemned by the Scriptures! It is no different than drunkenness. You will be hard pressed to find many Scriptures that do not show these two horses in the same harness.

A staggering alcoholic and a body laden with fat are as near kin as are thieves and liars. The religious say nearly nothing when the health of a friend is taxed from excessive eating and if something were said, it certainly would never equal the stir that would come from a churchman with alcohol on his breath.

A drug addict, whose health stands in jeopardy and whose wellbeing is set aside as he purchases and prepares another fix, is not a whit different than anyone who ignores their palpitating heart, their shortness of breath and their ever-increasing size to sidle up to the table and swallow another mouthful of unnecessary food. Although they are equally wicked, and equally dangerous to body as well as the soul, the fact that they are both blatant sins against God and good sense, has somehow escaped us.

Jesus taught that overeating could cause the day of Christ to overtake you while you are “unaware.” It is the “unawareness” that is so dangerous. When you understand that it is the “unawareness” that you seek when overeating and it is the “unconsciousness” provided by indulgence that you are looking for, you will treat overeating with the same disdain as drunkenness. Perhaps you will avoid overeating as you avoid intoxication in other forms. “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” (Luke 21:34)

Have you a problem with dullness of mind? Do you anguish over your indifference to spiritual things? Surfeiting (overeating) is the main cause of apathy and ennui.

When was the last time a fast of several days found its way into your schedule? You know that your heart, your spirit, even your very soul is affected by indulgence in any form, yet, as helpless as any alcoholic or drug addict the behavior continues. Perhaps you may gain strength in contemplation of the question of Jesus, “Is not the life more than food?”

Matthew 19:16-22,

Luke 12:16

Mentioned in this episode:

TRI Radio App