Tag: christianity

Scripture Memory Challenge – Week 8

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical1 Comment

How did you do with memorizing Scripture last week? If you did not do so well, or you did not know what Scripture to start memorizing, I invite you to take up the Scripture Memory Challenge with me. You can read more about it, and get started with week one’s memory verses, by clicking here.

Memory Verses

This last week, I memorized Psalm 103:17-19. I challenge you to do the same.

Psalm 103:17-19

But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments. The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.  

Resource

Fighter Verses Set 2 Week 10

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Respectable Sins: 4 Manifestations of Pride | Part 2

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

In my last post in this series, I discussed the pride of moral self-righteousness. Today, I continue my discussion by focusing on the pride of correct doctrine.

The Pride of Correct Doctrine

This sin manifests itself when we think our belief system is superior to others. It often occurs in those who are theologically minded, or even in someone who believes doctrinal distinctions are erroneous or unnecessary. Personally, being theologically minded and having attended seminary, I struggle most with this form of pride.

What does Scripture have to say?

Scripture is not silent when it comes to the pride of correct doctrine. In 1 Corinthians 8:1 Paul addresses this form of pride, when he writes,

 “Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.”

In this verse, Paul does not disagree with their knowledge. He too believes that idols are nothing and that eating meat offered to idols is permissible. What he disagrees with is the pride associated with their knowledge.

Apparently, some in the church in Corinth had become puffed up because they thought themselves doctrinally superior to the other church members, since they realized food offered to idols was not wrong to eat.

Paul tells them that their knowledge is not to puff them up, but it is to cause them to act in love. Knowing that others will stumble when they eat meat offered to idols, should result in them limiting their eating of it to certain times and places; times and places when and where their weaker brothers are absent. In doing so, they would be acting out of love and not pride.

However, if they chose to partake when their weaker brother was present, they would not only cause them to stumble, but they would be acting out of pride. Since they would be touting their knowledge of correct doctrine.

How do we guard against this form of pride?

First, by treating others with respect. Realizing that many godly men and capable scholars hold differing beliefs than we do for good reasons. We should not down them, as if they are stupid, ignorant, or less intelligent. Rather, we should disagree with the system to which they hold, while still respecting them and their abilities.

Second, by being humble about our beliefs. So what if we have it right? Being doctrinally correct does not make us better than someone else.

Looking Forward

In my next installment in this series, I will focus on the pride of achievements. Until then, reflect on this post through the questions below.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Are you susceptible to this form of pride?
  2. What belief systems might we believe are better than others?
  3. Has God convicted you of this sin in the past? If so, how did you deal with it?
  4. How might it affect our church if we rid the pride of correct doctrine from our church?

Resource

Post Adapted from Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges, 89-100

Respectable Sins: 4 Manifestations of Pride | Part 1

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

This week we are going to discuss pride. To be more specific, I are going to dig a little deeper and look at certain expressions of pride that believers are easily susceptible to committing.

The expressions of pride I will focus on will be:

  1. The pride of moral self-righteousness
  2. The pride of correct doctrine
  3. The pride of achievement
  4. The pride of an independent spirit

In what follows, I will discuss how each of these manifests itself in our lives, what Scripture has to say, and how we can rid this sin from our lives.

Let’s start today by looking at the pride of moral self-righteousness.

The Pride of Moral Self-Righteousness

In Luke 18:11-12 Jesus tells a parable of a Pharisee who went down to the temple to pray. A tax collector went down at the same time he did. As the Pharisee stood before God, and next to the tax collecter, he prayed like this:

“‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’” (Luke 18:11–12, ESV)

The Pharisees’ prayer shows he thought himself to be morally superior to the tax collector. When reflecting on this prayer and Jesus’ teaching afterwards, we learn that anyone who believes they hold a moral high ground, whether that be in their spiritual life, or in politics, economics, or environmental policy are committing the sin of moral self-righteousness.

Why is Moral Self-Righteousness a common form of pride?

Amongst Bible believing evangelicals moral self-righteousness is a common form of pride. That is because it is easy to indulge in this sin when reflecting on the moral climate in our society. When we look around and see others either “committing or condoning such flagrant sins as immorality, easy divorce, a homosexual lifestyle, abortion, drunkenness, drug use, avarice, and other flagrant and scandalous sins,” which are sins we don’t commit, we tend to feel morally superior to them [1].

How do we guard against this form of pride?

First, by realizing none of us are naturally morally upright (Ps. 51:5). If it were not for God working in our lives, then we very well likely could be in the same or even worse place as the drug dealer on the other side of the tracks. Knowing that should lead us to have the attitude that:

“There but for the grace of God go I.”

Second, we can guard against this sin by identifying ourselves before God with the sinful society in which we live. Ezra did just this and so should we. In Ezra 9:6 we read,

“saying: “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.” (Ezra 9:6, ESV)

Did you notice that Ezra said, “our iniquities” and “our guilt”? Even though he was one who feared the Lord and sought to please Him with his actions, he still identified with his societies sins. He identified with their sins because he believed himself to be apart of his society. As a member of the nation of Israel, he felt he was just as guilty.

So then, instead of setting ourselves apart from our society, if we include ourselves in it, we will be hesitant to think ourselves morally superior to everyone else.

Looking Forward

In my next installment in this series, I will focus on the pride of correct doctrine. Until then, reflect on this post through the questions below.

Questions for Reflection

  1. What principle can we learn from the Pharisee? Are there other areas of life besides spiritual life that we can become morally self-righteous about?
  2. Why do you believe Moral Self-righteousness is a common sin amongst Bible believing evangelicals?
  3. Has God convicted you of this sin in the past? If so, how did you deal with it?

Resource

[1] Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, 90.

Post Adapted from Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges, 89-100.

Respectable Sins: Unthankfulness | Part 2

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

In my last post in this series, I defined unthankfulness, discussed why it was a sin, and look at what it would lead to. In this post, I am going to discuss when we are to give thanks.

When are we to give thanks?

(1) ALWAYS & IN EVERYTHING – Ephesians 5:20 tells us that we are to give thanks always and in everything. For all the blessings God gives us, we are to give thanks to Him.

(2) IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES – We are not only to give thanks to God for the blessings He pours out on our lives, but we are to give thanks to Him in all circumstances. In Paul’s final benediction and instruction to the Thessalonians, he tells them to:

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thess. 5:18).

This means no matter what is taking place in your life, whether it be good or bad, you are to give thanks to God. We can give thanks to God in these difficult circumstances because of Romans 8:28-29; 38-39.

In vs 28-29 Paul writes,

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

When we look at Paul’s command in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 in light of these verses in Romans 8, we see that we can give thanks in all situations because God works all things together for good.

The good Paul refers to here is found in vs 29, and it refers to conforming us to the image of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Since all circumstances are used by God to conform, or grow, us into the image of His Son, we can give thanks in all circumstances.

Commenting on this verse, Jerry Bridges says, 

“So in situations that do not turn out the way we hoped, we are to give God thanks that He will use the situation in some way to develop our Christian character. We don’t need to speculate as to how He might use it, for His ways are often mysterious and beyond our understanding. So by faith in the promise of God in Romans 8:28-29, we obey the command of 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to give thanks in [all] circumstances”[1].

We not only can give thanks because of Romans 28-29, but we can give thanks because of Romans 8:38-39, knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So then, no matter what we face in this life, if we are truly God’s children, nothing can separate us from Him, which means we can look forward to spending eternity with Him free from whatever terrible circumstances we have faced here on this earth.

Conclusion

As we have seen in these verses, we should develop the habit of continually giving thanks to God for everything we have and in all situations we find ourselves. For it is ultimately God who has given us everything we possess. This includes both tangible (possessions, job, family, etc) and intangible (intellectual and athletic ability, place we were born, etc) things.

Since God works all things together for good for all those who are in Christ Jesus, and since no circumstance can separate a true Christian from God, we should continually give thanks, knowing that even the worst circumstances we face are being worked together for our growth in Christlikeness. As well as no circumstance we face will pull us away from our Lord and Savior, whom we will spend all eternity worshipping and praising.

So may we always give thanks, never forgetting our all gracious and merciful Lord.

Questions for Reflection

  1. What are some circumstances that you would not think to give thank to give God thanks in?
  2. When you give thanks to God, is it heartfelt or nominal?
  3. Do you believe everything you have has come from the hand of God or do you believe you have earned some or most of what you have by hard work?

Scripture to Memorize 

Ephesians 5:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Romans 8:28-29; 38-39.

Resources

[1] Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, 85.

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Respectable Sins: Unthankfulness | Part 1

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

Do you thank God on a regular basis? When you do is it nominal or heartfelt? Do you see every circumstance as a reason to give thanks? Unthankfulness is common. So common we don’t really pay it much attention, which is why it is considered a respectable sin, and one we must deal with.

Unthankfulness Defined

When I say someone is unthankful, I mean that they do not show appreciation for the things they have been given.

Why is it a sin?

Unthankfulness is a sin because by not thanking God for all we have, we show we do not recognize everything we have is from God. Our lack of recognition and thankfulness means that we believe all we have is from our own hand. When we believe we have obtained in our own strength everything we have, then we are living ungodly lives, forgetting He is the One who has given us everything.

This is the attitude that Moses counseled against in Deuteronomy 8:11-14, 17-20. There he writes,

“Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery…Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.

Moses explicitly tells the Israelites that they should not forget the Lord, who has given them everything. They were to remember:

  • The works of the Lord, which He performed when He brought them up out of the Land of Egypt and led them to the Promised Land.
  • As well as they were to remember that the Lord has given them their power and ability to accumulate wealth.

This means that nothing is gained apart from the hand of the Lord, and we should thank Him for everything we have.

It Can Lead To

The sin of unthankfulness can lead to:

(1) DESTRUCTION – In the above passage, after reminding Israel of the works of the Lord, Moses makes it clear that those who do not remember the Lord’s provisions are prone to go after other gods, which will result in their destruction. So instead of forgetting the Lord, they are to remember Him.

We are to do the same:

We are to remember that everything we have, all our abilities and possessions, are the result of the Lord’s hand in our lives.

For we too are prone to chase after other gods, trusting in them, or even in our own selves, instead of the Lord, which will ultimately result in our destruction unless the Lord intervenes and saves us.

(2) MORAL DECLINE – In Romans 1:18-32, we are told that those who forget the Lord and do not give thanks to Him (vs 21) have their foolish hearts darkened and they are given over to the lusts in their hearts. The result is the heinous list of sins that follows in verses 26-31. Not only do these sins cause a lot of heartache and trouble, but they also ultimately result in destruction.

Looking Forward

In my next post in this series, I will look at when we are to give thanks, and offer some Scripture to memorize to help with unthankfulness. Until then, reflect on the following questions.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Have you thought in the past that unthankfulness was a sin?
  2. Can you think of things in your life that you have not thanked God for giving you? If so, want you go ahead and lift up thanks to God right now.
  3. Do you agree that unthankfulness is closely related to ungodliness? How does knowing that change the way you think about the sin of unthankfulness?
  4. Do you agree that the sin of unthankfulness will lead to destruction and moral decline?

Resources

Post adapted from Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges, 79-87.

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Why Suffering?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals10 Comments

Why do Christians suffer for their belief in the gospel? Does our suffering for the gospel even have a point? These are questions that Paul answers in his letter to the Philippians.

Context

The Philippians were being persecuted by those in Philippi for their Christian beliefs. They were being imprisoned, beaten, ostracized, and even killed. Paul, knowing this, writes to encourage them. One way he encourages them is by telling them the point of their suffering.

He writes, 

and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, (Philippians 1:28b-29 ESV)

Paul’s answer to why Christians’ suffer for the gospel in these verses is tied to the how and why of our salvation. So in order to answer the why question of suffering, we need to first answer the why and how question of salvation.

How and Why We are Saved

At the end of verse 28 and the beginning of verse 29, we are told that our salvation is from God and it is “granted on behalf of Christ.” Granted carries the idea of graced or gifted. This means that our salvation is given to us as a gift from God. It is not something we earn, nor is it something we have to accept. Rather, it is a gift from God.

The reason we are saved is for Christ’s sake. More specifically, we can say it is for His glory. This means that while salvation benefits us, it is not ultimately for us. It is ultimately for Jesus Christ and His glory.

Now that we understand how we are saved and why we are saved, we can take the same idea and apply it to suffering for the gospel.

How and Why We Suffer

In verse 29, Paul tells us that not only is our salvation for Christ’s sake, but our suffering is also for Christ’s sake. So we see that not only has God gifted us with our salvation for the glory of Christ, but God has gifted us with our suffering for the glory of Christ.

Application

This means that our suffering for the gospel is not pointless. It, just like our salvation, is for Christ’s glory. So when someone is fired from their job because of their belief in the gospel, it is for the glory of Christ. When someone is ostracized from their community, because of their belief in the gospel, like what is happening with Chick-fil-a right now, it is for the glory of Christ. When someone is beaten, jailed, or even martyred because of their belief in the gospel, it is for the glory of Christ.

Conclusion

So then, when we face persecution, we should be encouraged, knowing it is not pointless, but it is for the glory of Christ.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Have you ever thought that your suffering is for Christ’s glory?
  2. Does it provide you comfort knowing that your suffering is for Christ’s glory?
  3. What do you make of God gifting us with the privilege to suffer for Christ’s sake?
  4. How does suffering play into your understanding of Christianity?

Resource

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