What must I do to be saved?

Changing Roles

At age 55, Mike Huss recently became the principal at Ione Elementary School in Ione, California, a small town of 5,000 people that is approximately 34 miles southwest of Sacramento.  Huss’ journey to his new role is inspirational.

Huss began working at Ione Elementary, his alma mater, as a night-time janitor from 1989 to 2003.  At times he would work double shifts; this allowed him to interact with the students.  Some students would stop and chat with him while he was working.  Others would show off their class projects when he would clean their classrooms.  Sometimes at recess or after school, Huss would play basketball or soccer with some of the children.

“Looking back,” Huss reminisced, “it was a pretty special time because most school janitors are kind of seen and not talked to or seen and not heard.”

Huss and his wife, Karen, became parents to Matthew in 1996.  Staff members at Ione Elementary encouraged Huss to become a teacher so he could spend more time with his family.  Huss followed through with the idea and enrolled in Sacramento State to earn a degree in education.  He and his wife supported one another and shared in their parenting duties while he was in school and both of them worked full-time.  After four years, Huss earned his degree and immediately became a teacher at Ione Elementary in 2003 – the same year that Karen gave birth to their daughter, Mia.

Huss taught children at Ione Elementary for 19 years.  He was Mia’s 1st and 5th grade teacher.

During his third year of teaching, Huss was named “teacher-in-charge” at Ione Elementary which essentially made him a vice-principal.  For 16 years, he handled administrative and disciplinary responsibilities as needed while also teaching in the classroom.

A week before the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, Huss was offered the role of principal of Ione Elementary.  He accepted the opportunity and desires to continue in this profession as long as he is able.  “I don’t want to be one of those one- or two-year principals. I plan on staying for seven to 10 years if [the district] will let me,” Huss said. “I want to be present for the students.” *

From janitor to teacher to principal – quite a change in roles.  What a journey!

Here’s an even greater change in “roles” that is possible in your life and mine: from being a slave to being a beloved child.

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34).  All of us are sinners (Romans 3:23), therefore all of us are in bondage to sin.  Sin is a cruel taskmaster and brings about a fatal end (Romans 6:23).

But God loves us so much that He gave His one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay the price for our redemption (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:7).  When we accept His offer of salvation from sin, we are set free from the bondage of sin and we become children in God’s family (Romans 8:15-17).

Jesus also said, “Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever” (John 8:35).  In and through Christ, we are children of God and enjoy all the blessings of being in His family.

God will save from sin, add to His family, and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  Then as His children seek to live obediently to the Father’s instructions, God will continue to cleanse them from sin (1 John 1:7-9).

From being a slave to sin to becoming a child in God’s family – what a glorious transition!  All of this is possible because of the love of God.

— David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from “California man, a former custodian, becomes principal: ‘You can change course and achieve something’” by Cortney Moore of Fox News, www.foxnews.com.

REVIEW OF LESSON 2

Last week we observed that God implemented leadership in the church from the beginning that was different than what He intended to endure for all times. The apostles were a vital part of that leadership, and they imparted miraculous abilities to other Christians that assisted the early church until God’s Word was fully revealed and confirmed. Then, as well as now, Jesus serves as head of His church (see Eph. 5:23). Today we will take a brief look at God’s plan for church leadership which is intended to continue until the Lord’s second coming. (We will not discuss any further at this time the role of Christ being the head of the church.)

PHILIPPIANS 1:1 – “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.”

This passage provides us with the very basic structural plan for the local church. The fully developed church consists of saints (or, Christians), elders and deacons.

OVERSEERS

God’s plan for the church is that it be led by overseers. (Overseers, elders and shepherds [pastors] all refer to the same leadership role – see Titus 1:5, 7; Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Pt. 5:1-2).

1. Only men can serve in this capacity (see 1 Tim. 3:2).
2. A man must meet several qualifications in order to serve as an elder (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). Many of these have to do with his character.
3. Elders are only leaders of the local church that they are a part of (1 Pt. 5:1).
4. There is to be a plurality of men who serve as elders (see Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23).
5. Elders have the oversight of the church, caring for, or shepherding, the flock (see Acts 20:28; 1 Pt. 5:2-3). A part of this responsibility is protecting the church from false teachers and false teaching (see Acts 20:28-31; Titus 1:9-16).
6. Elders rule the church (1 Tim. 5:17), but are not to be domineering (1 Pt. 5:3).
7. Elders serve as examples to the church (1 Pt. 5:3).
8. Serving as an elder is not merely about making decisions.

DEACONS

1. Deacons are servants of the church under the elders who provide another level of leadership.
2. Acts 6 illustrates well the work of deacons as men were selected to serve in an area of neglect that was causing tension in the church. The appointment of these men remedied the situation and permitted the apostles to give themselves to prayer and ministry of the Word, which led to the further growth of the church (see vv. 1-7). Deacons alleviate a burden from the elders and also help involve others in the work of the church.
3. 1 Timothy 3:8-13 sets forth the qualifications for these men.

This basic framework is by God’s design to fulfill His eternal purposes in the church. They are perfectly suited for preparing souls for eternal life in heaven. God knows what He is doing. We cannot improve upon His plan and should never try!

I hope you will continue this study and better hone in on your place in the church.

Daren Schroeder

    You and I both have, from time to time, looked at the beauty of God’s creation and stated – “How can anyone not believe in God?” That sentiment is expressed here in Psalm 104, our fifth psalm we will study together this year.

GOD’S GREATNESS – 104:1-4:

    We begin here with the greatness of God. The psalmist – whomever it may have been – calls on his soul to bless the Lord, which is a statement of praise and honor. Why? Because God is great. How can we say more about the nature of God than that?

GOD’S GREATINESS IS SEEN IN THE CREATION OF THE EARTH – 104:5-9:

    God designed man to need water – lots and lots of water. So, verse 6 points out that God covered the earth with water. In the beginning, God covered even the mountains with water. That’s how deep the water is. 

    Notice in verse 9: God set a boundary for the waters not to pass over, so that they will not return to cover the earth. Doesn’t that sound like global warming is not going to flood the world? It certainly sounds like it.

GOD’S GREATNESS IS SEEN IN PROVIDING WATER – 104:10-13:

    Notice what the psalmist says: God provides springs in the valleys (ver. 10). God gives drink to every beast of the field. God provides for the wild donkeys to quench their thirst (ver. 11). Even the birds of the heavens sing praises to God – so to speak (ver. 12). They have their  needs provided. In verse 13, from His upper chambers, God waters the mountains. The earth is satisfied with the fruit of God’s works. In other words, God provides for everyone and everything!

GOD IS GREAT WHEN WE LOOK AT HIS NATURE – 104:14-23:

    The trees – they drink their fill. Specifically the psalmist praises the well-known “cedars of Lebanon.” The trees in which the birds of the heavens can build their nests and the stork who lives in the trees.

    Everything has its place. Everything has its cycle. 

GOD’S GREATNESS IS SEEN IN THE OCEAN AND SEAS AND EARTH – 104:24-30:

    How many are Jehovah’s works? Quite frankly, they are innumerable! Yet, in wisdom, God made them all. The beauty and perfection of the earth shows that a wise and discerning God had designed and created it all. It all belongs to Him (ver. 24).

    The ships move as well as “Leviathan” (ver. 26). I do not believe the “Leviathan” is any more a mythological creature than the lion, the birds, the mountain goats and the wild donkey that he has already mentioned. It is quite baseless to suggest that the Leviathan is some kind of mythological creature. From the description in Job (chapter 41), it very much sounds like it could be a dinosaur but it was surely an animal that no longer lives on the earth. Look up Leviathan up apologeticspress.org. Here, the psalmist quite plainly says that God formed the Leviathan to sport in the seas.

A FINAL EXHORTATION – 104:31-35:

    In this final paragraph, the psalmist calls on God’s glory to endure forever. In other words, it is a wish that all future generations of human beings glorify God because of His marvelous works (ver. 31). So the psalmist will sing to the Lord as long as there is breath in his body (ver. 33). He will sing praises to God while he has his being.

    He ends with a call for his soul to bless God and he concludes with the Hebrew word, “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!” That Hebrew expression is found 27 times in the book of Psalms and no where else. 

    We should always and frequently praise God for the creation of the world around us in all of its intricacies. The evidence of God’s wisdom, power, and love are all around us. How can we doubt?

Paul Holland

Bob Drury and Tom Clavin wrote the instant New York Times bestseller book, Blood And Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America’s First Frontier. The book is gripping and informative, and the title speaks to the price paid by not only Boone but so many others who waded into dangerous conflict with Native American tribes which cost so many lives on both sides and depleted resources from these conflicts but also from the French, British, and even newly-formed American governments. Boone, who narrowly escaped death on many occasions, outlived six of his ten children. James and Israel died violent deaths in conflicts with Native Americans. He lost a brother, Ned, to the same fate. The authors do a masterful job of speaking to the costs paid by many in search of a “better life.”

Daniel Boone had a sister named Hannah Pennington. Her first husband, John Stewart, was killed by Indians. They had four daughters together. She then married Richard Pennington and had four more children, three sons and a daughter. They ultimately migrated to the area right outside the small community of Tompkinsville, Kentucky. The year was 1798, and it was in the area known as “Mill Creek” that the local Baptist preacher named John Mulkey would begin to have misgivings about John Calvin’s teachings on subjects like unconditional election. Ultimately, it would lead him in the fall of 1809 to stand before his congregation and ask all that agreed with him that the Bible alone should be their guide follow him out the west door of what is still to this day called the Old Mulkey Meetinghouse. 150 of the 200 present did so, and Hannah Pennington was in that number. It is estimated that both John Mulkey and his son, also named John, would each baptize about 10,000 people and establish congregations all across the “western reserve” and beyond. 

What price she paid for breaking with the religion of friends and family we are not really told. She died in the home of her son, Daniel Boone Pennington, in 1828 at the age of 82. But she lived at a time when many were making the painful decision of leaving behind the religious tradition of ancestors in favor of following simple New Testament Christianity, participating in an effort that is today often called “The Restoration Movement.” It is an effort we should continue to attempt, to have no book but the Bible and no creed but the Christ. It may be unpopular in a culture that is moving further from the Bible and opposing a great many biblical principles.

What price are we willing to pay? The writer of Hebrews commends the Christians in his audience for their sacrifices as new Christians, who “endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated” (10:32-33). He told them, “…You showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one” (34). But, he expressed this concern about them now, some years later, telling them that “you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons” (12:4-5). 

We are searching for something better than a new land on some new frontier on this earth. We seek “a better possession and a lasting one.” What will that cost us? It is hard to say. The writer of Hebrews says it might cost “blood and treasure.” Whatever it costs us, we must be willing to pay in order to “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (12:1). 

Sources Consulted:

https://parks.ky.gov/sites/default/files/listing_documents/eeb4dad9c3ecba127de59abd08485d9b_OldMulkeypocketbrochureconversion1.pdf

https://www.anyplaceamerica.com/directory/ky/monroe-county-21171/streams/mill-creek-498255/

https://www.therestorationmovement.com/_states/kentucky/mulkey,john.htm

https://www.therestorationmovement.com/_states/kentucky/mulkeymtnghse.htm

Neal Pollard

Matthew 23:1-12

    You and I tend to take baths or showers fairly frequently. Maybe daily – some take showers more than once a day. Maybe every other day. It’s pretty frequently. We like to be clean on the outside, get rid of the smell of sweat and dirt. 

    How much thought do we put into being clean on the inside? How much thought do we put into making sure our heart is healthy? And our liver? Our kidneys?

    An even more important question is: How much thought do we put into making sure our spirit is clean? That our spiritual heart is pure and holy?

    Matthew 23 is the last public sermon Jesus will give and He unleashes His wrath, mixed with disappointment, against the religious leaders, specifically the Pharisees. 

WOE #1 – 23:13-14:

    The hypocrisy of the Pharisees is elaborated in this paragraph. The Pharisees claimed to be “teachers of the law” (see John 3:10) but they “shut off” the kingdom of heaven from others, refusing to enter (through faith in the gospel and repentance as well as baptism, see Luke 7:29-30) and not allowing others to enter through their discouragement, threats, and false teaching (see 9:33-34; 11:19; 12:23-24; 21:15; John 9:22). 

WOE #2 – 23:15:

    These proselytes had the characteristics of hell twice as worse as their teachers!

WOE #3 – 23:16-22:

    If a man swears an oath, he is obligated to fulfill that oath if it is at all possible. God is truth as we discussed last week and lying has no place in God’s nature nor in the nature of God’s followers. 

WOE #4 – 23:23-24:

    They were willing to be careful about the “little things” such as the tithe and in doing so, they would strain out the gnat, an unclean animal, from their water or wine. But in the process, they neglected broader, more important principles, such as fairness, mercy, and faithfulness and, in doing so, they swallowed a larger unclean animal, the camel.

WOE #5 – 23:25-26:

    Jesus challenges the Pharisees to be consistent, to be people of integrity: clean the inside of the cups and platters so that it can be clean inside and out. Spiritually speaking, the Pharisees’ hearts should be aligned with God’s word and then their behaviors should be aligned with their hearts. That is a person of character. 

WOE #6 – 23:27-28:

    They were like tombs having been whitewashed; they appeared externally as if they were holy and righteous and good. But, as with the cup and platter before, on the inside, they were actually full of hypocrisy and lawlessness, performing acts or behaviors which did not have God’s authority behind them. 

WOE #7 – 23:29-33:

    Jesus is directly applying the parable of the farmers (21:35-39) and the parable of the wedding celebration (22:3-5). Subsequently, the application of each parable (21:41, 44; 22:7) will be made to Jerusalem and her temple (23:38). Consequently, they were bringing to a completion (“filling up the measure˝) of their fathers. The full wrath of God, which had been delayed for centuries for the sake of bringing Jesus into the world, was now going to be poured out in full upon the Jewish nation for all their past sins and evils against God and His prophets, most notably against His Son, Jesus Christ. 

    The judgment of God the Father, in fulfillment of the two parables, will fall on that generation of Jews. The “blood of all the prophets” (punishment for their murders) who had been shed on the ground will be laid on the heads of that generation.

    One’s outward behavior must reflect his inward moral compass, which must be aligned with the word of God. Many people can go to church / worship, can pray, or perform other acts of “religious service,” but if their actions are not authorized by Jesus Christ, they are condemned as “lawless” ones. 

    The sins Jesus rebukes in the Pharisees are not unique to the Pharisees. We could easily be guilty of the same sins. We need to make sure that our outward behavior matches the inward convictions, which match the expectations of God’s word. 

Paul Holland

In James 5:1–6, the Lord’s half-brother pronounces judgment with a tone of finality that ought to lead us into serious self-examination. Like the prophets of old, James lays out a series of charges against the evil rich who oppressed God’s people (cf. James 2:6). Each of these sins comes from a misplaced prioritization of the earthly over the eternal.

First, James says the evil rich have hoarded their wealth (vv. 2–3). They have hoarded so much that their possessions and their money have literally wasted from sitting unused. This hoarding of wealth reflects an earthly mindset. It is unjust because it ignores the needy who cannot meet their basic necessities. Their corroded wealth will condemn the evil rich on the day of judgment as evidence of their injustice.

James must have in mind Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:19– 20. Jesus directs his followers to lay up treasures in heaven, rather than on earth. When we examine our lives, can we say we have spent more time and energy laying up treasures on earth or in heaven?

Second, James indicts the evil rich for defrauding their day laborers by withholding their wages (v. 4). Such a practice has several implications. It violated the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 24:14–15). It also had the potential to cause great harm, as many day laborers depended on their daily wages not just for their livelihood, but also for their survival. The Lord of hosts, the God of human and angelic armies (cf. 1 Sam 17:45; Isaiah 6:1–3), has taken notice of this injustice, and will not allow it to stand.

Once again, Jesus’ instruction in the Sermon on the Mount helps us recognize how to rise above the sin of the evil rich. Instead of defrauding or taking advantage of others, we should treat them the way we would like to be treated (Matthew 7:12).

Next time we will consider the third and fourth charges against the evil rich. Let us examine ourselves, the way we use our physical and financial resources, and the way we treat those who fall under our authority. If James were writing about you, what would he say? Do you prioritize the earthly or the eternal?

Clay Leonard

“An Italian newspaper recently carried an interesting story about a young couple in Milan who had a wonderful attendance record at a particular cathedral. The priest assumed they were very devoted to their faith because they regularly spent an hour before one of the statues in the church’s worship area.  He thought they were doing some intense praying.  Only later did he discover the couple simply came to re-charge their cell phone from the electrical outlet behind the statue” (King Duncan, via Waterview, Richardson, TX, 3/16/14).

My first reaction to that was to chuckle, then be a little indignant, and then become introspective.  The thought that someone may come to church services for apparent honorable intentions but be serving some baser motive may be shocking, but it is not unheard of.  Jesus taught, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me” (Mat. 15:9).  Jesus is quoting Isaiah, and it was a problem in that prophet’s day, too.  Think of what another prophet wrote.  Ezekiel said, “They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain” (Ezek. 33:31).

When I come before the Great I Am, not only must I keep from distractions.  Deeper than that, I must examine my overall motivation for being at worship or serving the Lord.  Why am I a Christian?  Self-examination is as important as any spiritual exercise there is (2 Cor. 13:5).  Nobody else may know why we are before the Lord in worship, but He does.  May He see our motivation as transparent and true, honest and sincere!

Neal Pollard

QUICK REVIEW OF LESSON #1: Understanding the Purpose of the Church

The ultimate purpose of the church is preparing souls for God (see Col. 1:28). This is the greatest task on earth! Related to that objective is the following:

1. Worshiping together (Jn. 4:23-24; 1 Cor. 11-14). Offering thanks and praise to God.
2. Evangelizing (Lk. 19:10; Mt. 28:18-20; 1 Tim. 3:15). Teaching the Gospel to the lost.
3. Edifying one another (Mt. 28:20; Heb. 10:24). Teaching and encouraging Christians.
4. Benevolence (James 1:27; Gal. 6:10). Doing good works which shows our love, the love of God, and also cultivates receptivity to the Gospel message.

INTRODUCTION:

In this lesson we will give brief attention to leadership in the first century church, and why this differed from God’s ongoing plan. We should keep in mind that His plan for leadership is perfectly designed for carrying out the primary mission of the church of reaching lost souls with the Gospel of Christ and maturing those who are in Christ.

FIRST CENTURY CHURCH LEADERSHIP

Before looking at some basics of that leadership, we should note that the church was not born full-grown. In other words, though the church was definitively born on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, it did not begin fully organized.

1. CHRIST IS HEAD OF THE CHURCH. Here certainly is a constant. From the beginning Christ has served as head of His church (see Eph. 5:23; Col. 1:18). This indicates that He rules over His church and everything in the church is subject to His authority (see also Col. 3:17; Mt. 28:18; Eph. 3:21). This was true when the church began and will remain the case until the Lord comes back for His kingdom (see 1 Cor. 15:24).
2. THE APOSTLES. While on earth Jesus selected twelve men who were called apostles (see Mt. 10:1-4). The word “apostle” means “sent one,” which obviously gives insight into God’s design for them. Jesus intensely trained these men through teaching and “on the job training” for three years or so. Additionally, authority was given to them to perform miraculous works so that their teaching could rationally be accepted as being from God (see Mt. 10:7-8; Mk. 16:15-20). After Jesus ascended to heaven, He sent them the Holy Spirit, as He had promised, so that they could teach the Word of God perfectly and completely (see Jn. 14:26; 16:13). In the very beginning of the church, they were perfectly suited to lead and guide the newly found church in the ways of the Father (see Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 14:37). Jesus gave them the authority to bind and loose (see Mt. 16:19; 18:18). Of course, none of this was of their own accord since they were guided by the Holy Spirit.

3.   MIRACULOUS LEADERSHIP ROLES. The first few decades or so of the church were very unique times. Growing out of this infant stage involved a process. To assist with the growth, maturing and confirmation process, the Lord endowed the apostles with the ability to impart miraculous gifts to Christians through the laying on of their hands (see Acts 8:17-18; 19:6). Some of these miraculous gifts included the ability to fulfill vital roles in the church which otherwise could not have been filled. Such would include prophets, administrators and teachers (see Eph. 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:28) since the Word of God had not been fully revealed. Extraordinary measures were essential for the church at this stage.
   These as well as other miraculous gifts and roles would continue, Paul said, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God…” (Eph. 4:13). When the Word of God was fully revealed and confirmed, such means would no longer be needed (see 1 Cor. 13:8-12).

It becomes very clear that the apostles and miraculously endowed men of the first century were temporary leaders in the first century church. Of course, anything that inspired men have revealed in Scripture remains authoritative for the church today. Lord willing, next week we will give attention to God’s perpetual plan for leadership in the church. This will greatly assist us as we slowly begin to hone in on our own role in the church that was in the mind of God before creation (see Eph. 3:10-11).

Daren Schroeder

One of the biggest challenges Christians face is looking at what someone else has and then being jealous of that. And the object of jealousy does not necessarily have to be money or material possessions like a car or a house. It could be the relationship one has with a spouse, or children, or jealous of someone else’s relationship with God. Jealousy is nothing new; it is nearly as old as the human race. 

When Jesus’ brother, James, writes the churches of Christ which grew up out of the synagogues scattered throughout the Mediterranean world, he dealt with this jealousy – even animosity – between wealthy Christians – the “haves” – and the poor Christians – the “have-nots.” As early as 1:9-10, James talks about the brother in “humble circumstances” and the “rich man.” James will use the word “rich” five times in his five chapters. He uses the word “poor” four times, all in chapter 2 (2:2-3, 5-6), but there appears to be that issue that is behind practically all James has to say.

YOU DO NOT HAVE BECAUSE YOU DO NOT ASK – 4:1-5:

    I believe in this first paragraph that the major idea James wants to get across is in verse 2: “You do not have because you do not ask.” Do you need something? Do you want something? Are you asking God for it? We know that Jesus has promised us on numerous occasions that He will give us what we ask; just to give two examples: Mark 11:24; 1 John 5:14. Instead of being jealous, or envious, why don’t we just ask God?

BE HUMBLE – 4:6-10:

    In the context of our relationship with each other, James emphasizes in this paragraph that we need to be humble. Humility is mentioned twice in this paragraph, in verses 6 and 10. First, James writes that God gives a “greater grace.” Greater than what? Greater than what we can give ourselves. If we are patient and pray to God for what we need, based on His love and wisdom, then the gifts God gives us will be greater. But to experience those greater gifts, we need humility. We need humility to be patient with God; we need humility to wait for God to give us what God knows is best for us, at the right time, to the right degree.

WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE YOUR NEIGHBOR – 4:11-12:

    The third point James makes in this context goes back to the use of the tongue which he cautioned about in the previous chapter. Be careful how you judge your brother. If your brother is wealthier than you, be careful how you judge him, his motives, his choices, and his heart. If your brother is poorer than you, be careful how you judge him, his motives, his choices, and his heart.

LIFE IS A VAPOR – 4:13-16:

    James cautions us in verse 14 to remember that we don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow. We better prepared to stand before God tomorrow because it might just happen. Life is a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Life is short; life is fragile; and our physical life is very unimportant compared to our spiritual lives. So why get caught up in envy and jealousy about material things when they are not ultimately significant? Solomon had warned God’s people in Proverbs 27:1 that they should not boast about tomorrow for they do not know what a day can produce. 

CONCLUSION:

    James’ conclusion is in verse 17: “Therefore,” if we know the right thing to do and then fail to do it, we have sinned. That’s a fairly fundamental definition of sin. We need to do the right thing. 

    You do not have, because you do not ask. Humble yourself in the presence of God. Do not judge your neighbor. Life is a vapor. Do the right thing.

Paul Holland

As we study the “art of loving” each month this year, we observe in 1 Corinthians 13:6 that “love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.” This means that “loving hearts” are committed to honesty. They have integrity. They can be depended on to do what they have promised.

GOD IS TRUTH:

Among the many “I am” statements Jesus made is the one in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” When Jesus made that statement, He affirmed Himself to be deity, to be equal in essence with Jehovah God. No human being can make that statement. He clearly set Himself equal with God…

In Deuteronomy 32:4, Moses said of God, “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness (or truth) and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.”

Again, in Numbers 23:19, Moses said of God, “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”

God should not lie; indeed, God cannot lie Paul tells us in Titus 1:2 and in Hebrews 6:18, the writer says it is “impossible” for God to lie.

If we are to be like God, then we cannot lie. We must be truthful. We must be honest. We must be dependable. Toward everyone – not just our family and friends.

The temptation is strong to be dishonest, especially when we find ourselves backed into the corner. When we lived in Romania, it was common to sign two contracts when you rented or bought an apartment or house. One contract contained the real amount you paid and the second contract was for a smaller amount, the amount that the owner would use to pay his taxes. This was dishonest. But, it was so prevalent that even our lawyer told us to sign the second contract. Rachel and I paid $60 a month more in rent when we rented our apartment so we would not have to sign that second contract – in effect, paying our landlord’s taxes for him.

But he fussed every 6 months, every time we had to sign a new contract. When we finally decided to buy an apartment so we could stop that hassle, we were at the lawyer’s office and that second contract was set in front of me. On one hand, I told myself – “This will be the last time we have to deal with this second contract” On the other hand, I also knew it was dishonest. Because we humans find it easy to rationalize our behavior, I signed that second contract! I knew it was wrong but I reasoned that I would not have to do it again. I don’t remember why, but we had to go back to the lawyer’s office the next day. That evening, Rachel pointed out to me – That wasn’t right. And I knew it. So, the next day when we want back, I told the lawyer that we could not send that contract. I had done something wrong. The lawyer said, “But everyone does it and no one will know!” By which he mean the government would not know. But I told him, “God will know.”

Satan had tempted me and he had succeeded for a short time. But if we’re going to be honest people, we’ve got to be honest all the time, in every situation. That’s the art of loving. Love rejoices in truth.

When Rachel was a little girl, she took an eraser from the store. In the parking lot, when her dad saw what she had done, he made her go back into the store and confess what she had done and give it back. It’s those types of decisions parents have to make if they want their children to grow up to be people of integrity.

Love always rejoices in truth. And honesty. And integrity

The Art of Loving: Drawn to Truth
1 Corinthians 13:6

As we study the “art of loving” each month this year, we observe in 1 Corinthians 13:6 that “love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.” This means that “loving hearts” are committed to honesty. They have integrity. They can be depended on to do what they have promised.

GOD IS TRUTH:

Among the many “I am” statements Jesus made is the one in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” When Jesus made that statement, He affirmed Himself to be deity, to be equal in essence with Jehovah God. No human being can make that statement. He clearly set Himself equal with God…

In Deuteronomy 32:4, Moses said of God, “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness (or truth) and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.”

Again, in Numbers 23:19, Moses said of God, “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”

God should not lie; indeed, God cannot lie Paul tells us in Titus 1:2 and in Hebrews 6:18, the writer says it is “impossible” for God to lie.

If we are to be like God, then we cannot lie. We must be truthful. We must be honest. We must be dependable. Toward everyone – not just our family and friends.

The temptation is strong to be dishonest, especially when we find ourselves backed into the corner. When we lived in Romania, it was common to sign two contracts when you rented or bought an apartment or house. One contract contained the real amount you paid and the second contract was for a smaller amount, the amount that the owner would use to pay his taxes. This was dishonest. But, it was so prevalent that even our lawyer told us to sign the second contract. Rachel and I paid $60 a month more in rent when we rented our apartment so we would not have to sign that second contract – in effect, paying our landlord’s taxes for him.

But he fussed every 6 months, every time we had to sign a new contract. When we finally decided to buy an apartment so we could stop that hassle, we were at the lawyer’s office and that second contract was set in front of me. On one hand, I told myself – “This will be the last time we have to deal with this second contract” On the other hand, I also knew it was dishonest. Because we humans find it easy to rationalize our behavior, I signed that second contract! I knew it was wrong but I reasoned that I would not have to do it again. I don’t remember why, but we had to go back to the lawyer’s office the next day. That evening, Rachel pointed out to me – That wasn’t right. And I knew it. So, the next day when we want back, I told the lawyer that we could not send that contract. I had done something wrong. The lawyer said, “But everyone does it and no one will know!” By which he mean the government would not know. But I told him, “God will know.”

Satan had tempted me and he had succeeded for a short time. But if we’re going to be honest people, we’ve got to be honest all the time, in every situation. That’s the art of loving. Love rejoices in truth.

When Rachel was a little girl, she took an eraser from the store. In the parking lot, when her dad saw what she had done, he made her go back into the store and confess what she had done and give it back. It’s those types of decisions parents have to make if they want their children to grow up to be people of integrity.

Love always rejoices in truth. And honesty. And integrity.

Paul Holland