Accessible Success

Some years ago I read this book, Killing Christians: Living the Faith Where It’s Not Safe to Believe by Tom Doyle. We talk about persecution here in the United States, and there is a little to talk about, but the people whose stories are in this book can tell you about real persecution. I found myself wondering how we would do under the conditions they endure. Across the Middle East today, being a Christian may cost you everything you have, your life, and the lives of those you love. We fear a bit of ridicule or even a bit of discrimination. As I read it, I had a thought. Jesus asks no less from all of us than these are compelled to give. Our heads may be safe for now, but what about our hearts? Are we prepared to give Him everything we are and everything we have? That is what He asks.

We are correctly taught that salvation is a free gift. That means we didn’t do anything to earn it. We don’t deserve it. The problem arises when we don’t know its value and fail to treat it with due respect. We are like the stereotypical spoiled rich kid. We think we have a right to it. We treat it lightly because we fail to appreciate what we have. We may even acknowledge the truth, but our lives don’t reflect it.

It’s different when we feel we’ve earned something. By definition then it is not a gift. We understand its value because we worked for it. We treasure and guard it. What is necessary for us to take the same attitude toward the gift? We must come to understand its true value. There is no price we can pay to obtain salvation for ourselves. We must come to know the cost to the giver. This concept isn’t foreign to us. A gift may be of little monetary value, but if we know that a loved one made a sacrifice to give it, we place a higher value on it. In the case of salvation, the gift is beyond value, and it cost Jesus everything.

We must realize that we desperately need it and don’t deserve it. The very idea that we are all sinners is abhorrent to our society. The word, sin, is itself losing meaning in our culture. We have put man in the place of God. We have decided that we, not He, determine what is good. Evil, if usually acknowledged, is never applied to us. To appreciate what God has done for us, we have to come to a place where we are conscious of our unworthiness. When we get a glimpse of His holiness, we can’t help but know that we are doomed unless He chooses to show mercy.

He does so choose, and when we commit ourselves to Him, everything changes. He has bought us with the price of his own life (1 Co 6:20.) He did so freely, but in accepting that gift, we give our lives in return. Whether we live in Palestine of Israel or Palestine of Texas, the call is the same.

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. ²⁵ For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ²⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷ “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and ‘will then repay every man according to his deeds.’”

Matthew 16:24-27 NASB 1995

A lot is happening in the chapter where these verses are found. The context is important, so let’s look at it. In verses 13-20 Jesus reveals Himself to the disciples by means of Peter’s confession. Verse 18 famously references Simon’s new name (Peter.) The proclamation that follows another topic that I won’t go into here. Peter’s revelation was not complete, as we see from what happens next.

Jesus goes on to foretell what will happen to Him when they get to Jerusalem. (v. 21) This isn’t the conclusion to the story that the disciples were expecting. Peter speaks up (22-23) and earns the stinging rebuke, “get behind me, Satan.” Why? He had a revelation of who Jesus was, but not what that meant. He’s thinking like we all do. A king comes to conquer, not to die. But Jesus will conquer death itself by dying.

Peter essentially says something we’ve all heard in some form today. “God wouldn’t do that!’ But He did do that, and it’s a very good thing He did. When we oppose God because we think that we know better what He should be doing, we are on the side of Satan. We would do well to remember this.

Next comes the passage above. We don’t know how much of a time gap is between them or that they are necessarily in order. We do know that Mark’s version says he gathered a crowd before he spoke these words (Mark 8:34.) The significant detail is that both writers group the events together. They have the same message. It is in the context of sacrifice that Jesus outlines what it means to be His disciple. He outlines what it takes with three points. A disciple must, “deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”  Let’s look at each one.

What does it mean to deny oneself? Some things are obvious. If the Bible clearly says something is sinful, we should resist the temptation to do it. We should resist any impulse or desire that would cause hurt to another. But Jesus’ statement goes further than that. Look at what just happened. Of course, we deny the lusts of the flesh, but we also put aside our own plans. We reject our own ideas about how things should be or what we want them to be. We subject our interests to His. The day of His return will come. Then he will conquer, and He will judge. But that is for Him to do. We will be with Him then, but we are here now, and He gave us the example to follow and the Holy Spirit to guide us.

Self-denial is not an end in itself. Neither is it a ritual to be practiced so that we appear more religious. That turns the whole concept upside down. That’s what the Pharisees did, and Jesus didn’t have anything good to say about it. God is not pleased by self-inflicted pain or privation for its own sake. He is pleased when we endure it for something greater. We deny ourselves in order to put Him and His first.

The second point would have been very real to the people Jesus was speaking to. They saw crucifixions firsthand. He’s just been telling them what is going to happen to Him. Mark’s account says he spoke plainly to them. Now He has taken it to another level. If there was any vagary in what He said before, it’s gone now. Not only that, He’s saying, “you too!” The disciples are going to be thinking right up to the time he ascends that He’s going to set up a kingdom and they’ll get prime positions. But He is showing them a very different path.

Then He says, “Follow Me.” To follow Him is to die. We die to our desires, our plans, and our ideals. We may be called upon to give up our physical lives. Nothing here is worth hanging onto. The truth is that’s the only way we can really live! That’s what He tells us in the next verse.

When we’re focused on ourselves, we will find that happiness is fleeting. Nothing in this world can sustain it. Read Ecclesiastes. In pursuit of our own desires above all else we will drive others away. Sometimes with intent and sometimes through negligence or apathy, we will do harm to them as well. In living this way, we will completely miss God. If this is the pattern of our lives, we need to ask ourselves if we ever met Him. 1 John, Chapter 3 makes it clear.

Then there’s the other side, “…whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” The key words here are “for My sake.” Know that your life is precious to Him. He gave it to you. He gave up His for you. He will not tell you to throw it away. You may be assured that a life dedicated to Him, even if shorter than we think it should be, is never lost. The way to truly lose your life is to spend it on things that have no eternal value.

Will we here in the West be required to offer our earthly lives for Him? Only He knows. The persecuted church around the world certainly has. Here we have had only isolated incidents, but if we keep on the way we are going, they will increase. What will we do?

We will do then what we do now. The call on our fellow believers in places like Syria, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, China, Nigeria, and across the world is no different than ours. We serve the same Jesus. We read the same Bible. The language may change, but the truth does not. Will we stand up for the truth now? Will we defend the helpless? Are we willing to sacrifice a little of our comfort to meet the needs around us? Will we choose righteousness when it costs us something? If we won’t do it when it’s relatively easy, what makes us think we would do it when things get tough? I ask myself the same questions.

But if we truly give our lives, we will find real life. We will find it in the joy that comes from blessing others. We will find it in the reward that comes from doing things God’s way. Life just works better when you live according to God’s design. Trouble still comes, but in the midst of it we can have the peace that comes from communion with the Holy Spirit. We will find it as we enter into the joy of our master (Matt 25:14-30.) We will find it in eternal life with Him.

Next Jesus tells us how serious this is for us. This truly is a life-or-death decision. Choose to live for yourself, and you will face death forever. Choose to die to yourself, and He will give you real life. What is the price of your soul? All the treasure in the world can’t buy it. Only One could pay the price, and He loved you enough to do it. He is our master. He paid the price for us. We either submit to His lordship or we live in rebellion against it. The day will come when we must answer for our decision.

He has told us that He is coming back. He will judge the world. The problem is we’re all guilty. We’ve all missed the mark of perfection. It is only because of what He did for us that we have hope. He served our sentence. Yet we are not without responsibility. Mark’s Gospel records this final warning in Jesus’ sermon.

“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Mark 8:38 NASB 1995

The paradox here has been a topic of hot debate between theologians for centuries. Millennia is probably more like it, but more recent records are better known. I won’t go into that much here, but I find interesting the cross references I found while studying this to the part of Jesus’ statement that is considered to be a quote from Old Testament passages. They present an interesting contrast and define our mission.

And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord, For You recompense a man according to his work.

Psalm 62:12 NASB 1995

The psalmist has just contrasted man’s insignificance with God’s power in the previous verses. Here, lovingkindness, (or faithful love, loyal love, mercy) is equated with this judgment. Love isn’t love without justice, but justice demands we all pay a price. Because of His love for us, He paid that price. Our salvation comes from His work, not ours. But when we become His, we get a mission. If we truly have given our lives to Him, things will begin to change. The next reference shows us something of what it looks like and serves as another warning.

¹⁰ If you are slack in the day of distress, your strength is limited. ¹¹ Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back. ¹² If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?

Proverbs 24:10-12 NASB 1995

We have a job to do. We were given a gift. It is the most valuable gift ever given. The One who gave it to us expects that we will share it. The nature of the gift compels us. It is the gift of life. No one truly lives without it. He who gave it to us is watching. What will we do? Here is another proverb.

²⁷ Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.  ²⁸ Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,” when you have it with you.

Proverbs 3:27-28 NASB 1995

This has more to do with the physical realm, but how much more the message of the Gospel? There’s an implication of asking here, and surely none of us who believe would delay sharing if asked directly. But it should never be far from our thoughts. Knowing that so many around us will die without what we have, how can we keep silent?

Paul packages it neatly in these verses from his letter to the Ephesians.

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10 NASB 1995

Salvation is a free gift that we can’t earn no matter how many good works we do. But God gave it to us with the intent that we would in fact do good works. Jesus gave His life for us. When we become His, our faith demands action. We give our lives for Him. That is only possible because of Him. We’ll be arguing about the details until His return. We don’t need to have all the answers. We just need to trust The Answer. Trust Him with everything.

I choose to laugh.  The alternatives are not productive.  Anyone living with an obvious disability has experienced it.  People go into verbal contortions to avoid using certain words deemed to be insensitive.  Sometimes I just tell people I’m blind now.  It’s easier to say. It’s true for legal purposes and functionally true in many situations.  I’ve used the term visually impaired most often I suppose because it’s more accurate and my dad used it, but that doesn’t sound much better.  “Almost blind” is my new favorite.  It’s the closest I can get to the truth of the situation, though I don’t think of myself that way.  This is all I’ve ever had, so to me it’s perfect vision.

I think the most uncomfortable appellation I’ve been saddled with is “sightless.”  I had never heard that one before at the time and thought no one else would have used it, but now I know others who do, some of them in fact sightless. So, there’s one less reason to take needless offense. I’m a big fan of calling a thing what it is.  All of us facing some kind of mental or physical insufficiency are lumped into one big category that has also acquired various politically correct labels over the years.  We’ve been disabled, a term I still use for the sake of peaceful coexistence.  We’ve been physically or mentally challenged.  We’ve been people with disabilities.  Then there are the real aberrations such as “differently able.”  What on earth is that supposed to mean?

My preference is probably the most politically incorrect of the bunch.  I think “handicapped” is actually the best word.  A common objection to this word is that it has its origin in the idea that people with disabilities had no option but to beg.  They had a cap in hand.

First, this is not true. Second, we get way too wrapped up in what was instead of what is.  Even if the supposed history of the word was correct, no one understands it to have that meaning today.  Generally, we know it to refer to one of two things.  It is either an adjective describing a person with a disability, or a noun used in competition to name an encumbrance placed on a contestant to equalize the field.  In fact, the latter is the true history of the word.  The handicap is put on the best horse to give the others a chance, so why would I resent that?  Bring it on.  I’m still going to win.

My thoughts and feelings about the Christmas season have changed over the years. Like most children, I looked forward to it growing up. We were told the truth about Santa, but we were not forbidden to pretend. There were still presents. Both sets of grandparents were within driving distance. We’d go to Mom’s family on Christmas Eve and Dad’s on Christmas Day. Mom’s family would come in from all over. There were lots of people, so we all drew names and bought for just one person. Dad’s mother, Grandmamma to us, always had something for everyone. She planned for Christmas all year. Months in advance she’d start asking what we wanted, and if I’d been smart enough to pick up on it she would sometimes give away the secret. My favorite present was probably the bike that I got at eight.

I remember the first year I had a little money of my own. I was in school away from home. I bought something for everyone. They were a bunch of cheap trinkets, but everyone seemed to appreciate the thought. By the next year, my life had taken a drastic turn, which you can read more about in the book. Every part of life came under scrutiny in an effort to find out what was of real value. Christmas as we practice it seemed to come up short.

Much has been written about the timing and traditions surrounding the holiday. I have been in the thick of it, but now I have come to the conclusion that the arguments accomplish little of use. Some traditions (though possibly fewer than we have been led to believe) do have pagan origins. However, few people who practice them today have any association with those roots. I believe that God is most concerned with the intent of our hearts. If we do what we do in genuine worship to Him, I believe He is pleased. That said, I do take issue with the practice of teaching children to believe in Santa. We give Santa God-like qualities and then children learn that we told them a pack of lies. How then do we expect them not to question what we tell them about Jesus?

Are we celebrating Christmas in honor of His birth? Let me answer with an illustration. It’s your birthday. We’ve been planning for it for more than a month. Excitement is everywhere. People you don’t even know are rushing around the stores picking up gifts. The big day finally comes. Where are the invitations? There are parties in your honor everywhere, but you haven’t been invited to any of them. All those presents weren’t for you. They were for other party guests. Nothing that you wanted was given to you. At most of the parties your name doesn’t even come up. That is what we call celebrating Jesus’ birthday.

Much good is done during this time of year. Jesus does get a little of what He wants, but I think it’s safe to say that our primary concern is ourselves. Let’s try a different kind of celebration this season. Involve yourself and your family in giving Jesus something He would like to have for His birthday. How does one give anything to the God of the universe? Jesus said, “…Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” (Matt 25:40 NASB 1995) Maybe you involve yourself in a traditional benevolence activity such as providing food for the hungry, or maybe you invite someone to your home who has no place to go. Maybe you give a special gift to the charity of your choice. The possibilities are limitless, but I suggest that the more personal you make it the more meaningful it will be. God made us in His image. He is a loving and giving God, so we are most fulfilled when we love and give.

Now I embrace Christmas time, though still admittedly with a bit of reluctance. At no other time of year are people more open to hearing the good news that we are celebrating. It’s a golden opportunity. Let’s take it! Jesus’ favorite present is a new member in His family.

Share a merry Christmas!

This time of year, we celebrate the birth of our Lord, and we often read the story of His birth from the Gospel according to Luke, Chapter 2, concluding with verse 14, ““Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (LSB) Has anyone seen that peace?

I don’t remember the last time Christmas came around without some kind of controversy over its practice. From nativity scenes to red cups, we’ve always got something to fuss over. I’m not saying we shouldn’t ever fight for our faith, but I do think sometimes we do a poor job of picking our battles.

Maybe we need to think about how we are conducting ourselves in the face of mounting pressure from our own society and around the world.  How should we respond to the persecution Jesus Himself told us we should expect?  Is there a time when we should fight?  This isn’t’ about Christmas.  This is about following Christ.  What will we do when they really start coming for us?  This is petty stuff.  If we can’t handle this in a Christ like manner, we certainly won’t do so under real threat.  I think something He said might give us a clue.

⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  ¹⁰ Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:9-12 NASB

What comes to your mind when you hear the word, peacemaker?  Two very different images come to mine.  The first is that of a mediator.  I imagine someone who steps in and resolves conflicts; someone who knows how to get people to settle their differences; a diplomat.  The second and seemingly opposite image is of a revolver.  Where I picked up this little tidbit I don’t remember, but I looked it up and sure enough there’s a pistol, the Colt Single Action Army Revolver, that was dubbed the Peacemaker.  Sometimes that’s what it takes.

What we want to know is what Jesus meant.  The Greek word that we translate as peacemaker only appears twice in the Bible.  In the form used here, it was typically applied to the Roman emperors who enforced peace.  This led St. Augustine to give us the concept of just war from a Christian point of view.  If we are protecting peace or punishing wickedness, we may engage in violence.  Paul’s letter to the Romans (Ch. 13) provides further justification for this view, but the verses around Matthew 5:9 suggest that isn’t what Jesus is saying to us here.  For more insight, let’s look at the other place where a similar form of our word appears.

and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross…

Colossians 1:20 NASB

This is the foremost way in which we are to be peacemakers.  We are His representatives, carrying the message of the cross into every situation.  Wherever we find ourselves, we should be asking how Jesus can be brought into it.  Whatever human problem we face, Jesus provides the answer.  Without Him, there is no hope.  He made peace between us and the Father by His sacrifice.  His is the example we follow.

Within the single verse (Matt. 5:9) is both our mission and our heritage.  Our mission is to share His peace wherever we go.  His promise to us is that we will be called God’s children.  He will always be the firstborn with all of the rights and respect due His position, but we are called heirs with Him.  That’s a staggering concept.  Even though it’s right there in the scripture and you can read it below, I find myself a little reluctant to say it.  It seems presumptuous to even think it.  But with this priceless gift there is an expectation.

¹⁴ For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”  ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Romans 8:14-17 NASB

Time and practicality impose limits on how much I choose to quote, but I urge you to read at least the chapter from which this is taken.  It will provide greater depth to the point I’m making.  The key is in verse 14.  We must be led by the Holy Spirit.  In the verses prior we learn that it is a choice we make.  We choose to deny our lusts.  We choose to turn our focus to God.  We choose to learn to hear from Him and to walk with Him.  The reward is a closeness that allows us to call out like the beloved children we are, “Daddy!”  We don’t have to do it alone.  In fact, we can’t.  But he made us a promise before He left. 

²⁶ “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

John 14:26-27 NASB

The Holy Spirit is the source of our peace.  That peace can guide us as we make decisions.  When it’s not there, we need to be asking why.  As we fulfil our mission, we must have the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  Without it, we will be at best inefficient and at worst harmful to His cause.

Now comes the hard part.  Our calling involves suffering.  We see it in the persecution Jesus speaks of in Matthew 5:10-11 and in the self-denial implied by Romans 8:17. We’re going to be rejected.  Jesus was.  What will be our response?  We might become angry at the injustice of our treatment.  We might want to do something about it.  Sometimes maybe we should, but we ought always to be checking our motivations.  Pride, revenge, and jealousy have no place.  If we are motivated by love, then we are more likely to be doing what He would want us to do.

How do we live this out?  What does it mean to be a peacemaker?  It means all of the above.  We should endeavor to quell conflict.  We should defend conditions that promote peace and resist evil.  Most of all we should seek to bring His peace to every person in every place in every situation.

We are told to pursue peace.  This is active.  The implication is that peace can be elusive.  We are not peaceful by nature and our world shows it.  One doesn’t have to pursue something that is easily found.  One doesn’t pursue anything by doing nothing.  To pursue peace is to actively participate in bringing it about.  It starts with us.  Look at how Peter says it as he then moves into a discussion of suffering as believers.

⁸ To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; ⁹ not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. ¹⁰ For, “THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS, MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT. ¹¹ “HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT.

1 Peter 3:8-11 NASB

When we look for the source of conflict, a good place to check is within our own hearts.  Why do we say and do the things we do?  Why do people offend us?  What is the reasoning, or lack thereof, behind our reaction to the people around us? 

¹³ Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. ¹⁸ And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James 3:13-18 NASB

We may also be motivated by fear from a threat real or imagined.  Natural fear is not a bad thing.  God gave it to us to protect us.  We get into trouble when we allow it to control us.  We become paralyzed into inactivity, or we react to the threat in a way that is disproportionate to its gravity.  Neither reaction is likely to produce a peaceful outcome.

When is it appropriate to pursue peace through violence?  You might have heard reference to Jesus’ words in the Garden when he was arrested and Peter started slashing, “all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. (Matt 26:52.)  Was He saying that the sword is never appropriate?  A little confusion on Peter’s part might be understandable.  Just a little while before this Jesus had said, “…whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.” (Luke 22:36.)  If one should never use a sword, or a gun in modern times, why would Jesus say such a thing?

Consider the context of the incident in the garden.    Jesus has already told them what is to happen.  There is a time for fighting, but this wasn’t it.  I may be taking some inappropriate license here, but Jesus might have said, “if you respond to every provocation with violence, you will die a violent death.  Besides I don’t need you to defend me.  If I want out of this, all I have to do is ask and my Father will show them some real shock and awe!  But that would make a lie of everything He has said up to now.”

There is a lesson here about fighting by God’s rules.  When we go outside of His will, we invite catastrophe.  Sometimes the right move is to endure the wrong for the greater good.  But piece at any price is no peace at all.  There is a time to fight.  The challenge, for which we need the Holy Spirit’s guidance, is to know when and how.

As it relates to taking up arms, God has provided the authority and the commission to do just that in pursuit of justice.  That is what government is for.  If only it would stick to that.  Paul writes, “… it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.” (Romans 13:4)  Evil must be resisted.  If peaceful means are available they are clearly preferable, but we only compound the evil when we allow it to go unchecked.

Peace is always the goal, but it is not always reachable.  A few verses back in Romans we read, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” (Romans 12:18) There are times when it will not be possible.  We ought always to seek it, but we also need to be prepared when we can’t find it.  Start back at the beginning of chapter 12 for some good advice on how to maintain it, especially in personal relationships.

We are most effective peacemakers when we carry the peace of Jesus to those who do not yet have it.  There is no other path to true peace.  Without the change that He brings to our lives, our efforts will always fail.  They fail because we are selfish.  We end up pursuing our own interests at the expense of others.  We can even do this in the name of peace.  It makes us feel good when we think we’re doing good, so the good becomes corrupted.  Our pursuit of peace must always be rooted in the One who gives it.  The pursuit of holiness is part of the pursuit of peace.

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

Hebrews 12:14) NASB

In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul writes of himself and the other apostles as ambassadors.  This is a roll we all have when we commit ourselves to Him.  Just as ambassadors of nations seek to maintain peaceful relationships between those nations, we seek to establish peace on behalf of our king, Jesus.  The world has been at war with its Creator from the time of Adam until now.  He could decide the issue at any time.  He created us with a word.  It would take no more than that for us to cease existence.  It is His right to do so and it would be just, but He desired peace.  So He sent Jesus to do what only He could do.  He paid the reparations for our rebellion.  He cleared the war debt with one selfless act.  Our job is to make the offer of piece that He already sealed.  There’s no negotiation.  There are no secret deals.  The transaction is simple:  His life in exchange for ours.  We can either accept His offer or remain in exile for eternity.

When we understand our mission, “What would Jesus do?” becomes more than a faddish slogan.  It becomes the question we should be asking ourselves all the time.  Jesus always called sin what it is, but He reserved his harshest words for the religious leaders who should have known better.  I think we would find Him the same today.  I think He would tell us to put our own house in order and get about the business He put us here to do.

Because whatever the question, Jesus is the answer.  As we draw toward the end, we’re told things are going to get worse.  We can expect persecution.  We can expect rejection.  We can expect the state of the world to continue declining.  But we cannot cease doing what we have been ordered to do.  I wonder.  Would Moslem terrorists be shooting us in our own country if we had been more diligently sharing Jesus in theirs?  Maybe, but we’ll never know.  Would atheists in our schools, courts, military and government be systematically erasing the slightest hint of Christianity if our country had remained faithful to the principles that brought it into existence?  Would we be in fear of our own government if we had not believed the lie that God has no place there?  Would our jails be full and our streets unsafe if we had not abandoned the family that God ordained?  There are practical things that must be done to meet the challenges we face, but they will all fail unless hearts are changed.  Hearts are only changed by Jesus.

So as you go about your life this season and beyond, remember why you’re here.  Be a peacemaker.  Defend it when necessary.  Spread it everywhere you go.  You represent Jesus.  He was rejected.  We will be too, but never lose sight of the goal.  He’s not just the reason for the season.  He’s the reason for everything!

Most people in the United States will celebrate Thanksgiving Day this week.  Though it has lost its true purpose for many of us and though some would like to take it off the calendar entirely, it is a wonderful thing that we still live in a country where a day of thanksgiving to the one true God can be celebrated.  We have much to be thankful for.

What is gratitude?  Is it simply a verbal expression of thanks?  That would be a good start.  In our culture of entitlement we tend to think we have a right to anything we need or want.  We don’t feel the need to give thanks for that which we consider our due.  True gratitude is more than words.  Here’s an example to explain what I mean.  I don’t see well enough to drive.  Public transportation sometimes doesn’t provide a way to get me where I need to go when I need to get there.  Suppose you respond to my request for help and give me a ride.  The least you will expect is verbal thanks.  Let’s suppose again that some time later you needed a little extra money to pay for gas.  You know that I most likely can spare the cash, but I turn you down.  How much was my gratitude really worth?  Even if you gave me your time and expense with no expectation of return, you’re probably going to be a bit less inclined to do so in the future.  True gratitude affects our actions.  We have been given many gifts, but the greatest gift by far is the life of the Son of God.  Jesus gave more than we can ever imagine to come as one of us to die for all of us.  True gratitude requires no less than our lives given freely to Him.  Learning what that means starts with a decision to do so and continues as long as we live.