Trackbacks

• No trackbacks exist for this post.

Comments

• 5/12/2008 2:01 PM Student wrote:
  oohhh - a venue for questions and discussion!!! Now, which question to ask first?!?!?!?! I'll have to think about this.
  Reply to this
• 5/13/2008 5:44 PM Student wrote:
  Devotion
  I'm not sure I comprehend the extent to which devotion or zealousness in our day and age even remotely compares to what the godly men of the scriptures knew and committed to in their lives. I understand that the Islamic world has regimented times of prayer and fasting, etc. It seems that we are so far removed from any structured picture in our mind of what should/could be in terms of a life devoted to the Lord . . . that even with all of our modern conveniences and time saving devices - which should afford us more time for prayer, meditation, and spiritual service, I find myself busier than ever and suffocating from a lack of spiritual study and time of reflection. And yet - I would assess myself (as if that counts for squat) devoted. Possibly, a look into the guidelines and examples of godly men and women as revealed in the Scriptures would provide a more vivid example that I could more readily incorporate into my life. Any ideas?
  Reply to this
  1. 5/21/2008 10:09 AM Workman wrote:
     

     Question of Devotion:

               Achieving such a feat as to get our thoughts wrapped around the idea of devotion/zeal is indeed consistent with the Lord’s command/wishes for his followers to be “zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14 ), and it is for this purpose we have been “created in Christ Jesus…that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10 ). The apostle Paul spoke of a charge to “remember the poor,” as he says, “I was also zealous to do” (ASV). The KJV uses the term forward, i.e., to use speed, that is, to make effort, be prompt or earnest. The term zealous, as utilized by Paul (Titus 2:14 ), comes from the term zelotes, i.e., a zealot. The words of the apostle Peter encouraged the brethren, when he said, “And who is he that will harm you, if ye be zealous of that which is good?” The term translated zealous (ASV) is translated followers in the KJV, and the term is defined as, an imitator. The term imitator (ASV) or follower (KJV), in 1 Corinthians 11:1, emphasizes who it is we are to follow, i.e., Christ, and that zeal must be properly coupled with knowledge (Romans 10:2).

               Comprehending the extent to which devotion or zealousness in our day and age even remotely compares to what the godly men of the scriptures knew and committed to in their lives, is accomplished by understanding what motivated them. What motivates zeal? The Lord utilized three basic principles to motivate individuals: 1) Fear of Punishment: “Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6); “for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God. So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:10-12); “For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10); “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). With is in mind, we can readily understand the motivation of Paul, in the preaching of the gospel: “Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men…” (2 Corinthians 5:10). 2) A Promise of Reward: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you…” (1 Peter 1:3-4); Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8); As also affirmed the Hebrew writer, revealing that, “without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him” (11:6). 3) Love: This motivator tops the list. Jesus said, “If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments” (John 14:15 ). Continued love will prevent disobedience. John also said, “We know that whosoever is begotten of God sinneth not; but he that was begotten of God keepth himself, and the evil one toucheth him not” (1 John 5:18 ). If we love Christ, we will keep his commandments and will not go on sinning. When we do so, the evil one cannot fasten himself to us. Thus, being in subjection to God, we “resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:6). Parents can well understand this principle: You may chasten your child, and even impose physical punishment, if they fail to do as instructed. You may reward the child either monetarily or with some desired privilege, when they do well. However, when the child reaches a state of maturity and responds to the wishes/desires of the parent, out of love, the reward is great. How much greater when we respond to the desires/wishes of Jesus, out of love? “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16 ), and “While we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly…God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6, 8). To this principle, the apostle Paul wrote, “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died; and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14). The love of Christ “constraineth us.” To constrain is to preoccupy, to compel, hold. Why was Paul preoccupied with the preaching of the gospel?: the love of Christ. There were two prominent sects, in the first century: Pharisees and Sadducees. “The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit” (Acts 23:8). Josephus says, “The doctrine of the Sadducees is this: — That souls die with the bodies” (Antiquities of the Jews, Book XVIII, Chapter I). “They also take away the belief of the immortal duration of the soul, and the punishments and rewards in Hades” (Ibid., Wars of the Jews, Book II, Chapter VIII). What motivated the Sadducees? It wasn’t out of a fear of punishment, or the promise of reward. What motivates us to devote ourselves to God?

               When comparing our day and age with that of the godly men of the scriptures, it appears that our day and age reflects more the mind of Belshazzar: “thou are weighed in the balances, and art found wanting” (Daniel 5:27), than the mind of Paul: “Howbeit what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ” (Philippians 3:7), and that is due to unbelief. In a Psalm of David, he said, “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, That his iniquity will not be found out and be hated” (36:1-2). If the wicked really believed that “God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14 ), it would cause the wicked to imitate the demons that believe, “and shudder” (James 2:19 ). Often times individuals appeal to the difference in our day and age for justification to do evil. The word of God, however, affirms that it is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12 ). When Israel sinned, during the time of Jeremiah, they were not encouraged to view obedience from an our day and age point of view, they were told, “Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16 ). One beauty of the word of God is that it does not change with the passing of time: “forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). If our lives do not even remotely compare to what the godly men of the scriptures knew and committed to in their lives, the problem is not with God, it’s with our hearts. The words of the apostles should echo in the deepest recess of our heart: “Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1) and “The things which ye both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (Philippians 4:9) and “Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble” (2 Peter 1:10) and “Remember them that had the rule over you, men that spake unto you the word of God; and considering the issue of their life, imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7). The only difference between then and now is veneer: our transportation is quicker, our houses are cooler/warmer, and our sunglasses are multicolored, but the heart of man remains the same; the need to preach the gospel remains the same; the efforts of false teachers to “speak perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:30) remains the same; our responsibility “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2) remains the same. Which brings us to our next subject: having a structured picture in our mind of what should/could be in terms of a life devoted to the Lord.

                Structure is good, “God is not a God of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:32 ). Prior to this statement, Paul had instructed the Corinthians in the proper protocol of worship, all of which implied structure. Structure comes from the top down. God “gave some to be apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ:…of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:12 , 16). In the church this structure was carried out and implemented by those responsible for the care/feeding of the body, i.e., the bishops/elders/shepherds. To those that have that responsibility, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account that they may do this with joy, and not with grief: for this were unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17 ). When we look to the authorized functions of individuals and the church in the first century, we become aware of their various practices regarding prayer and fasting. “Now Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour (Acts 3:1). “Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him…many were gathered together and were praying” (Acts 12:5, 12). The prophets and teachers in Antioch that were ministering to the Lord “fasted and prayed” (Acts 13:1-3). Even during the time of the Babylonian captivity we find at least one man that had a regimented time of prayer: “And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house…he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime” (Daniel 6:10).  I am unaware of any particular structure the church may have followed in regard to prayer (apart from their regular assemblies), other than to know they did so. Why doesn’t the church do so today? It’s very possible that it goes back to the sin that so easily besets us, i.e. unbelief. Collectively, we desire that the borders of the kingdom be broadened in our area, yet, “ye have not because ye ask not” (James 4:2). Why did God grant Jabez “that which he requested,” i.e., “Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it be not to my sorrow!” (1 Chronicles 4:10 )? Maybe it was because he asked! If Christians truly believe that “The supplications of a righteous man availeth much in its working” (James 5:16 ), maybe we’d be more attuned to the lifting up of our voices in prayer collectively. With that said, as the line of authority comes to the elders, etc., a regiment of prayer is often not implemented. And brethren who lack the wisdom of qualified shepherds are, more times than not, “distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36 ), and fail to listen to anything outside of their own surmisings. On an individual basis, however, the responsibility lies squarely on the shoulders of the saints to continue “steadfastly in prayer” (Romans 12:12 ).

               “God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Tim. 1:7), i.e., self control. Paul said, of himself, “I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected” (1 Corinthians 9:27 ). He also admonished the Ephesians, when he said, “Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; redeeming the time” ( 5:15 -16).

               Your suffocation from a lack of spiritual study and time of reflection is an all too common malady. The remedy, albeit simple in principle, is readily available. What guidelines were given to godly men, to lead them in life? To Joshua: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate thereon day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8). Kings of Israel: “And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book, out of that which is before the priests the Levites: and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this law and the statutes, to do them; that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in the kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel” (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). Timothy: “Till I come, give heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching…Be diligent in these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy progress may be manifest unto all. Take heed to thyself, and to thy teaching. Continue in these things; for in doing this thou shalt save both thyself and them that hear thee” (1 Timothy 4:13 , 15-16). What guidelines were exercised by godly men and women, in regard to prayer? Paul: “I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers in a pure conscience, how unceasing is my remembrance of thee in my supplications, night and day…” (2 Tim. 1:3). Godly men: “I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands…” (1 Timothy 2:8). Anna, a prophetess, “she…departed not from the temple, worshipping with fastings and supplications night and day” (Luke 2:37 ). A widow indeed: “she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, hath her hope set on God, and continueth in supplication and prayers night and day” (1 Timothy 5:5). (It is true that circumstances placed Anna and the widow indeed in their various positions, however, there attention to prayer is not something that would come only after their youth had passed. Men/women cannot be lacking in their attention to prayer in their youth, and then be equipped to exercise it in their latter years). What guidelines were given to godly men and women, in the area of labor in the kingdom? Aged Women: “that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children…” (Titus 2:4). Elders: “I gave you an example, that so laboring ye ought to help the weak” (Acts 20:35 ). The term laboring is to toil resulting in weariness. Brethren generally: “…God and our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:13-14).

               Vivid examples that I could more readily incorporate into my life, are numerous. Those mentioned above are only a few, but they set a premise for the devotion of those who have gone before us.

               There is no such thing as godliness made easy. Prophets, Kings, Apostles, and brethren generally were, in essence, not given the option to find avenues to more readily incorporate into their life, time for spiritual study and time of reflection. They were, however, told to “redeem the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16 ).

               It is understandable that time and opportunity is fleeting, and there simply does not seem to be enough hours in the day. However, we have no less time in our day and age than those who came before us, and as admitted, with all of our modern conveniences and time saving devices – which should afford us more time for prayer, meditation, and spiritual service, we actually have a greater opportunity to schedule our time, than they. Paul told the brethren of Philippi, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58 ). You will be in our prayers, always.

     
     Reply to this

Leave a comment