Tag: christian

Respectable Sins: Self-Control | Part 2

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Practical, Respectable Sins2 Comments

This week, I am focusing on the Respectable Sin of Self-Control. In my last post, I dealt with self-control with our eating and drinking. In this post, temper will be the main subject.

Temper

Let’s start by painting a quick picture of a person with a hot temper:

A person with a hot temper tends to be one who has quick but intense bursts of anger often followed by a calm disposition. They tend to become easily angry or irritable, and they exercise little or no control over their emotions.

What is often the cause of these outbursts of anger and who are they directed towards? 

Outbursts of anger are usually directed against anyone who displeases us. A driver on the highway who cuts us off. An umpire who makes a bad call. A family member who challenges us. A dog who constantly play bites when play time is over. These all can cause outbursts of anger, as well as they are the ones’ the anger is typically directed towards.

What does Scripture have to say?

Scripture has a number of warnings about those who are quick tempered. Let’s look at some of those:

“A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.” (Pr 14:17)

“Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” (Pr 16:32)

“A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.” (Pr 17:27)

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (Jas 1:19-21)

So we see that a quick tempered person is quick to speak. His words are not carefully consider. Rather he speaks foolishly. He is not wise. And he does not produce the righteousness of God. Not a great list of qualities.

How do we rid ourselves of our temper?

We have to put away all filthiness (moral uncleanliness) and rampant (something spreading unchecked) wickedness. We do that by allowing the word of the gospel implanted in us to convict and teach us. After which we must exercise self-control with our temper, which we can only do through the power of the gospel.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Can you think of a time when you spoke too quickly because of your quick temper? What was the result?
  2. Can you think of any Scripture you would point others to who are dealing with a lack of self-control in regard to temper?
  3. When do you notice your temper flaring?

Resources

[1] Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, 112

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Respectable Sins: Self-Control | Part 1

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Practical, Respectable Sins1 Comment

This week, we will focus on three areas in which Christians fail to exercise self-control. This list is not meant to be exhaustive; rather it is meant to get us thinking about self-control and the areas in which we might not exhibit it. The three areas we will focus on are:

Before we deal with each area, let’s start by defining self-control.

Self-Control Defined

“It is a [governing] or prudently controlling of one’s desires, cravings, impulses, emotions, and passions. It is saying no when we should say no. It is moderation in legitimate desires and activities, and absolute restraint in areas that are clearly sinful. It would, for example, involve moderation in watching television and absolute restrain in viewing Internet pornography”[1].

Why is self-control so important?

A lack of self-control opens the door to other sins.

For example:

  • “A lack of control of our tongue…opens the door to all manner of defiling speech such as sarcasm, gossip, slander, and ridicule”[2].
  • A lack of control of our eyes opens the door to watching pornography, or adultery.

Now that we have the definition and know why it is important, let’s turn to the first area where we commonly do not restrain ourselves, and that is in our:

Eating and Drinking

I have to admit, I personally struggle with self-control in this area, especially when it comes to sweets. I have a major sweet tooth, making it hard for me to turn down a counter full of amazing desserts. Even though it is difficult, I must practice self-control.

Why would it be important that I, and we, practice self-control when it comes to eating and drinking?

If we do not practice self-control with our eating and drinking, we may be doing a number of things:

(1) We may open ourselves up to health problems

  • These could range from a heartache to a stroke or even to diabetes. All of which can either take our lives, or severely hinder our ability to function, which means our work and impact for God’s kingdom is then hindered.

(2) We may be weakening ourselves when it comes to other critical areas where exercising self-control is necessary 

  • We cannot pick and choose in what areas we exercise self-control. Instead, we must exercise self-control in all areas of life. For if we don’t, then we may be opening ourselves up to a lack of control in other more critical areas.

How do we exercise self-control in our eating and drinking?

(1) Remove the Temptation – The best way to exercise self-control in this area is by removing the temptation. For me, this means not keeping sweets on hand at our house. Or when I go to Starbucks, it means that I walk past the case of delicious looking pastries quickly, while telling myself they are too expensive and the calories are not worth it.

(2) Prayer – Beyond exercising sheer will, thinking about the calories, and the cost, we need to pray. Pray that the Lord would strengthen us in this area.

(3) Accountability – Along with prayer we need to develop an accountability system. Tell someone your struggles and your plan, then have them hold you accountable.

(4) Think on Christ – Lastly, we must realize our joy and comfort is found in Christ. It is not found in the food we eat or the drinks we drink. While we can enjoy food and drink, we need not run to them for our joy and comfort. Christ is our perfect comforter, who will never leave us, nor forsake us.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do you struggle with self-control when it comes to eating and drinking? How do you handle it?
  2. Do you find more comfort in food and drink than in Christ?
  3. Have you thought of setting up an accountability relationship? If you have, what does it look like?

Resources

[1] Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, 110
[2] Ibid.

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Respectable Sins: Anxiety, Worry, & Frustration

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Practical, Respectable Sins2 Comments

Recently I began a series on Respectable Sins, you can read the introductory post here and week two here. This week, we will deal with the second of many sins we as Christians ignore, that being anxiety, frustration, and worry.

Definitions

Anxiety, worry, and frustration are common terms that we use everyday, but what do they mean?

  • Anxiety | It is the feeling of nervousness or unease, which generally occurs when an event is imminent or something is uncertain.
  • Worry | While a synonym for anxiety, it tends to be associated “with more long-term difficult or painful circumstances for which there appears to be no resolution” [1]. 
  • Frustration | It is the feeling of being upset or annoyed especially because you do not have the ability to change or achieve something you would like to change or achieve.

Why are these Labeled as Sins?

Anxiety and Worry

When we are anxious or worried, we show that we are fearful of the future, whether that be immediate or long-term. We do not trust that God’s sovereign plan is right.

Frustration

Frustration is similar, but it does not involve fear. Rather, it involves us being upset or even angry at someone or something for getting in the way of our plans. When we do this we forget that God is sovereignly in control of everything that happens in our lives. Instead of trusting in God, we trust in our own intellect or know how [2].

Summary

All three, anxiety, worry, and frustration, are sins because they show a “distrust in God” and “a lack of acceptance of God’s providence in [o]ur lives” [3]. They also are closely akin to ungodliness because during these times we are living as if God is not in control of our lives [4].

How Does Anxiety and Frustration Manifest Itself?

Anxiety and worry manifests itself in many different ways. Here are just a few examples:

  • Being uneasy and constantly thinking about making your connecting flight.
  • Being uneasy and constantly thinking about if you will have a job in order to provide for your family.
  • Being uneasy and constantly thinking about if you will be able to have kids when you and your significant other start trying.
  • Being uneasy and constantly thinking about a public speaking engagement, interview, date, conversation, etc.

Frustration manifests itself in many different way, as well. Here are just a few examples:

  • Being angry and upset when your computer will not print so you can turn in your paper on time.
  • Being angry and upset when others do not see your point of view or agree with you.
  • Being angry and upset when you are sitting in five o’clock traffic and only moving one inch every few minutes.

Remedy

We can begin to rid these sins from our lives:

First, by realizing God will take care of us in times of need.

Matthew 6:25-34 is a perfect verse in which to turn, when we are anxious or worried. Six times we are told not to be worried or anxious. Instead, we are to trust in God, realizing He is the sovereign Lord, who will take care of us.

Second, by meditating on Scripture.

Take for instance, Psalm 139:16, it can help us remember God is in control when we get frustrated, anxious, or worried. The Psalm reads,

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

We learn from the Psalmist that God does have a plan for our lives. While His plan may not be our plan, we can trust Him in every situation, believing that His plan for our life is perfect and holy.

Psalm 139 is not the only Scripture we can look to when we are anxious, worried, or frustrated. Matthew 6:25-34, Philippians 4:6, 1 Peter 5:7, Ephesians 4:31, and James 1:19-20 are a few others that would be helpful for us to meditate on during seasons of frustration, worry, or anxiety.

Third, by learning to rest in the fact that there is a reason for everything that happens.

Since no event is purposeless, we should take that opportunity to ask God what He would have us learn. It may be that God is using a situation to show us that we lack trust in Him, that we want to plan things on our own, or that we are living our life with no regard for His will.

“Sometimes God uses events that tempt us toward frustration [or anxiety] to get our attention, or even to push us further in an area we need to grow in. In any case, there are no events in our lives that do not ultimately come to us from the invisible hand of God, even though they come through some visible cause [5].”

Fourth, by praying.

We should pray that the Holy Spirit would work in our lives to remove our anxiety, worry, or frustration, allowing us to react to a situation in a godly manner. We should also pray that God would provide us with the practical wisdom we need in order to handle the situation. If our printer is broken, we need to know how to fix it or where we can go and print our document, so we can meet our deadline [6].

Scripture to Memorize

Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:6; 1 Peter 5:7; Psalms 139:16; Ephesians 4:31; James 1:19-20

Questions for Reflection:

  1. What causes you to worry, be anxious, or get frustrated? Is there anything you can learn from these situations?
  2. Do you write these sins off, thinking they are natural for everyone or are apart of my temperament, so they must be ok?
  3. Does knowing that God is sovereign help you when it comes to these sins?
  4. Do you believe frequent frustrations show you have a control issue?

Resources

[1] Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, 67.
[2] Ibid., 69-70.
[3] Ibid., 64.
[4] Ibid., 69.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.

Structure of post taken from Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, 63-70.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What are the Types of Idols We Make?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn PracticalLeave a comment

Idolatry is just as common today as it was in the ancient world. While we often do not make man-made statues, we do produce idols. John Calvin once said that the heart is an idol factory. He meant that we constantly produce idols because we are good at making just about anything into an idol.

What is an Idol?

An idol can be anything that comes before or occupies the place of God in our lives. It is anything other than God that we allow to dominate and control us. It is any activity that we do more for our own self-image and unmet emotional needs than for the pure pursuit of Christ’s Kingdom [1]. We can make idols out of just about anything: our children, our work, our success, our church involvement, our home maintenance, our family obligations, or anything else that we find more joy, peace, acceptance, or worth in other than God. We all have them, we just need to know how to find them, so we can uproot them.

Three Categories of Idols

In Subversive Kingdom, Ed Stetzer, pulling from one of Tim Keller’s sermons, says that our idols tend to orient themselves around three broad categories: Personal, Religious, and Cultural [2]. Here is how he defines each of these categories:

Personal Idols

These are those desires and temptations that individuals commonly pursue: greed, sex, power, various forms of personal indulgence and experience.

Religious Idols

These are those beliefs and practices we employ to quiet our fears and invite inner comfort without having to resort to dependent devotion toward God.

Cultural Idols

These are those idols that present themselves whenever we pursue our hopes and ambitions through the deceptive promises of our world’s ideologies and values.

Conclusion

While we are good at making idols, we have been given the power through Jesus Christ to root these idols out of our lives, and that we must do. As Christians, we are to have no other gods before the One true God (Ex. 20:2). Our God is a jealous God (Ex. 20:5). He desires our singular devotion. So we must fight to shut down the idol making factory in our heart, keeping it closed for business.

The first way for us to rid idols from our lives is to understand the types of idols we make, those being personal, religious, and cultural. In addition, we must then pray that God, through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, would shut our idol factory down. After which, we must preach the gospel to ourselves. Always reminding ourselves of what Jesus has done for us, that we are fully accepted in Him, and that we have more joy, peace, and worth in Him than in any man-made object.

Questions for Reflection

  • Do you know the common idols in your life?
  • Are you willing to ask God to reveal your idols?
  • What do you think about the three categories Stetzer uses? Are they helpful?
  • Do you see your heart as an idol making factory?

Resources

[1] Ed Stetzer, Subversive Kingdom, 144-145.
[2] Ibid.

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Ungodliness: It is all in how you live?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals6 Comments

Note: This is a repost of a series I started last year but did not finish. I am currently teaching this series at my church Sycamore Baptist Church, so I will be reposting the few articles I already wrote along with the new ones that will finish the series.

Last week we began our series on Respectable Sins, you can read the introductory post here. This week, we will deal with the first of many sins we as Christians ignore, that being ungodliness.

Clarification and Definition

When thinking of ungodliness, do not confuse it with unrighteousness. Unrighteousness refers to sinful actions, while ungodliness describes our attitude toward God.

Specifically, ungodliness is defined as “living one’s everyday life with little or no thought of God, or of God’s will, or of God’s glory, or of one’s dependence on God” [1].

With this definition in mind, we can see how someone can be morally good, yet still ungodly. In fact, there are a lot of people who are morally good, yet ungodly. They help others, are courteous, and friendly, but they have no thought of God in their everyday lives. While our society would say that they are good people, God’s Word would say they are ungodly people.

Ungodliness is not just a sin the world commits. There are many in the church who are ungodly as well. They go about their daily lives thinking nothing of the Lord. While we expect those in the world to live as if God does not exist, it is not God’s will for His people to live with no thought of Him. Since this is the case, we must do all we can to rid the sin of ungodliness from our lives. In order to do that, we have to first understand how ungodliness manifests itself.

How Does Ungodliness Manifest Itself?

There are several ways ungodliness can manifest itself in the life of a Christian. The first way ungodliness manifests itself is through our planning. We prove we are ungodly when we do not include God’s will in our plans. Read what James writes,

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”” (Jas 4:13–15)

The second way ungodliness manifests itself is through our prayer. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul transcribes the way he has been praying for the Colossians. He writes,

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” (Col 1:9–12)

Here we see Paul is concerned for God’s will, glory, and desire for the Colossians lives. He prays they would grow in the knowledge of God’s will and in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. He also gives thanks to the Father for the Colossians’ salvation. When we observe the manner in which Paul prayed and compare it against our own prayers, do we see a similarity? I would argue our prayers are markedly different than Paul’s. Paul’s prayer is God-centered. He is concerned for God’s will and God’s glory. Our prayers are often more of a to-do list that we present to God. They consist of various health and financial needs, which are not necessarily wrong to pray about. Bringing these requests to God actually shows that we depend on Him for our daily sustenance. However, if that is all we pray about, then our prayers are essentially human-centered and we are treating God like a divine genie.

The third way we manifest ungodliness in our lives is through our work. Paul again writing to the Colossians says,

“Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.” (Col 3:22–25)

Paul tells the Colossians to work heartily for the Lord. This implies they have God in mind when they are working. They think about Him and what He desires in their work. How often do we think about God and representing Him well when we are at work?

The fourth way we manifest ungodliness is through neglecting God in all our actions. In 1 Corinthians Paul says,

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31)

Do we seek to bring glory to God in all our actions, in all our daily tasks, in all our meetings, in every meal? Do we even think about God as we walk through our day? When we do not have God in mind as we move through our daily tasks, we are living ungodly lives.

The final way we manifest ungodliness is through our lack of prayer. Read how the Psalmist viewed his relationship with the Lord:

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” (Ps 42:1–2)

The Psalmist’s soul thirsts after God, as a dear pants for a stream when he is thirsty. His desire to appear before the Lord in prayer is great. There are many of us, who do not know what it means to desire to come before the Lord as much as we desire a drink of water or our next meal. There are many men who are in full-time Vocational Ministry, many who teach a Sunday School class, or lead a Small Group Ministry, or work in the Children’s Ministry, who do not desire to commune with the Lord in prayer. Lest I leave anyone out, there are many who sit in the pews each week and never commune with the Lord outside bowing their head when the pastor prays on Sunday. If this is the case, then you are living an ungodly life.

Remedy

We can begin to remove this sin from our lives, by being more aware our lives are lived in the presence of God, and that He is the Sovereign Lord not only over this world, but us as well.

Scripture to Memorize

1 Timothy 4:7-8; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 1:9-10 and 3:23; Psalms 42:1-2; 63:1; 27:4

Questions for Reflection

  1. Why should we include God in our plans and seek His desire for what He would have us to accomplish?
  2. Are your prayers like Paul’s? Do you pray for God’s will and glory? Do you pray for the spiritual health of others?
  3. How often do you think about God while you are at work? Do you see your time there as an opportunity to glorify Him?
  4. How could you better think about God in all that you do?
  5. Do you desire to meet with the Lord like the Psalmist does? Is your desire to spend time with Him in prayer and Bible reading as strong as your desire for your next meal?

Resources

[1] Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, 54.
Structure of post taken from Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, 53-61.

Image: Damian Brandon / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Identity: Where do you find yours?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

Where do you find your identity? That is a great question to ask yourself. If you are like most Americans you probably find your identity in your career, your family, your success, or your possessions, just to name a few things. But these things will fail you.

In Surprised by Oxford, a past professor offers up this crucial advice concerning identity to Carolyn:

“What is important is that my identity doesn’t lie primarily in being a professor, or being a wife, or even in being a mother. Those things will always fall short. Entire careers get swept away at a moment’s notice at the presentation of a pink slip, a vote of the elders, an accusation of a student, a cut in the budget. Marriages face infidelities, for instance, and end up like car wrecks from which people can recover but are never again the same. Children grow up and move far away and forget to write or call – as they should.” She smiled wistfully.

“The point is, if you have your identity in any of these things, it’s surefire disappointment. Anything man-made – or woman-made, for that matter – will and does fail you. Having my identity in Christ first and foremost gives me the courage – yes, the courage – to live my life boldly, purposefully, in everything I do, no matter what that is.”

I believe her professor is right. Jesus Christ is the only One who will never fail us. Everything else this world has to offer will, but Jesus will be there forever. So why find your identity in anything else?

Questions for Reflection

  • Where do you find your identity?
  • Do you realize that everything else will ultimately fail you? Agree or disagree?
  • Are you willing to commit to finding your identity in Jesus instead of in the world?

Recommended Reading

Resources