Worth Living (and Dying) For

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

— 2 Timothy 2:3

 

If you want to be a Christian, it is not going to be easy. Wimps need not apply. But if you want to be a man or woman of God, this is what Jesus says about living this life in the real world:

"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11–12)

Our faith in Jesus Christ is worth living for. And our faith in Jesus Christ is worth dying for. But if it is not worth dying for, then it is certainly not worth living for. So we need to man up—or woman up—and be mature followers of Jesus Christ.

For some, it is not the kind of life they want to live. For others, it is very appealing. But here is what we need to know: as we pursue Christ and put God first, happiness will come as a byproduct. Happiness will not come as a result of chasing after it; we will never find happiness from seeking it. But if we seek God and put Him first in our lives, we will end up being happy people.

Not only that, but Jesus promises the guaranteed destination of heaven to the person who believes. No prophet or guru or religious leader can bring that to us. Nor can any material thing. Nor can any relationship. No personal experience can bring it. But Christ can—as we follow Him and as we believe in Him.

The Mark of a Spiritual Person

I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

— Philippians 3:12

 

It has been said that he has the most need of righteousness who least wants it. In other words, if you think, I am really doing well. I don't really know that I need more righteousness, then you are in greater need than you realize.

The apostle Paul, after years of walking with the Lord, said, "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me" (Philippians 3:12).

A real mark of a spiritual person is they are always hungry and thirsty for more and more and more. But there are certain things that spoil our appetite. Sometimes we feed on spiritual junk food and diminish our spiritual appetites. They are not even bad things in and of themselves, but some things just take the edge off our appetite.

So periodically we need to ask ourselves a question: Is this thing I am engaged in—this relationship, this pursuit, this activity—making me more or less hungry for spiritual things? Does it draw me closer to God, or does it in some way keep me away from Him? Is it a wing or a weight in the race of life? Does it speed me on my way, or does it slow me down?

Hebrews 12:1 tells us, "Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." If you are really hungry and thirsty for righteousness, you will find it. Because if you really want something, then you will put yourself in that place where you will get it.

Meekness, Not Weakness

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

— Matthew 5:5

 

Meekness is not weakness. Sometimes we confuse the two. But the difference between a meek person and weak person is this: a weak person can't do anything. A meek person, on the other hand, can do something but chooses not to.

Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). The word "meek" from the original language was used to describe reining in a stallion. It is the idea of a horse being controlled by a bit and bridle. The horse is choosing to submit to authority. That is meekness. It is power under constraint.

Although Jesus said, "Blessed [happy] are the meek," we don't celebrate meekness in our culture. Instead, we celebrate assertiveness. We celebrate getting things from other people, sometimes even taking advantage of other people. When is the last time you saw a movie that celebrated the virtue of meekness? When is the last time the big buildup for the movie was the moment when the good guy meekly restrains himself, even though he was wronged? We don't want to go to a movie like that. We want to see a payback movie in which the first half consists of bad things happening to the hero, and the last half consists of bad things that come to the people who did those things to the hero. That is what entertains us. That is what our culture celebrates.

How different this is from what the Bible teaches. The Bible celebrates meekness. The biblical worldview says last is first. Giving is receiving. Dying is living. Losing is finding. The least is the greatest. Meekness is strength. The idea is that we are living by God's truth—not by what our culture says should make us happy.

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

What Breaks God's Heart

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes."

— Luke 19:41–42

 

As Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the crowds were celebrating. They were laughing. They were cheering. They were having a great time. And what was Jesus doing? He saw the city, and He wept over it. Here was the crowd, whipped into a frenzy, and Jesus was weeping. The crowd was rejoicing, and Christ was sobbing.

Why did Jesus weep when He saw Jerusalem? Being God and having omniscience, Jesus knew these fickle people who were crying out, "Hosanna!" would soon be shouting, "Crucify Him!" He knew that one of His handpicked disciples, Judas, would betray Him. He knew that another disciple, Peter, would deny Him. He knew that Caiaphas, the high priest, would conspire with Pilate, the Roman governor, to bring about His death. And, He knew the future of Jerusalem. Looking ahead 40 years, He saw the destruction that would come upon the city at the hands of the Emperor Titus and his Roman legions.

Jesus also wept because His ministry was almost over. Time was short. He had healed their sick. He had raised their dead. He had cleansed their lepers. He had fed their hungry. He had forgiven their sins. Yet for the most part, He had been rejected. John 1:11 says, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him." And so He wept. This broke His heart, and it still does.

Unbelief and rejection breaks God's heart, because He knows the consequences. But when the door of the human heart is shut, He refuses to enter forcibly. He will only knock, wanting to gain admittance. He has given us the ability to choose. But when we choose the wrong thing, He knows the repercussions that will follow—in this life and the one to come. And His heart is broken.

When Jesus Got Angry

We all have things that irritate us, and we display our anger in different ways. Yet research has proven that it is not good to be angry. One study found that bad-tempered people are three times more likely to have heart attacks. And a 2006 Harvard study revealed that 10 million men in the U.S. are so angry, they are sick. In fact, their disease has a name: Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED).

Having said all that, not all anger is bad. The Bible records a time when Jesus Christ, God incarnate, was angry. Very angry. After making His triumphal entry into Jerusalem with crowds cheering and palm branches waving, Jesus "went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, 'It is written, "My house is a house of prayer," but you have made it a "den of thieves" ' " (Luke 19:45–46).

Was Jesus having a temper tantrum? Hardly. It was righteous indignation. He went into the temple. He took stock of the situation. And He overturned tables. Why such a display of anger? Because the people engaged in temple commerce were keeping others from God. They had a little racket going in which they found fault with the sacrificial animals the people brought in and then sold them an "approved" animal at an inflated price. And this made Jesus angry.

God is angry when people stand in the way of sinners coming to know Him. God doesn't like it when we get in the way, and it happens all too often in the church. But the church is not supposed to be a museum for saints; it is supposed to be a hospital for sinners—a place for people to know God.

Something God Hates

These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.

— Proverbs 6:16–19

 

God hates lying. In fact, God thinks so much of truth that He uses the very word to describe His character. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). And we are told in Scripture that it is impossible for God to lie (see Hebrews 6:18). Lying is not in God's nature; He cares a lot about truth.

When we lie, we are behaving more like a child of the devil than a child of God, because the Bible describes Satan as "the father of lies" (John 8:44). And we all may lie a little more than we think. A study was done in which people were asked why they lie. Ninety-eight percent of respondents said they lied to keep from offending someone else. I can understand that to a certain degree, because telling the truth isn't always easy—especially when you are asked a difficult question like, "How did you like dinner?" or "Do you like my new outfit?" Even so, lying is still a sin.

There are subtle ways in which we tell lies, such as through flattery and exaggeration. We also lie when we say things like, "Oh, I forgot" (when we didn't), or "It's good to see you" (when it isn't), or "I was just getting ready to call you" (when we weren't). We also lie through gossiping and backbiting. Proverbs 20:19 NLT says, "A gossip goes around telling secrets, so don't hang around with chatterers." We love to dispense gossip, and unfortunately, we love to hear it far too often.

Have you ever had someone gossip about you? Lie about you? Lie to you? Then you know how destructive it is. God hates lying—and we should too.

The Eighth Commandment

Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

— Ephesians 4:28

 

Stealing is so widespread in our culture today that I don't know if we are even aware of how bad it has become. We habitually lock everything. We have grown accustomed to seeing gas station attendants behind bulletproof glass. We have car alarms, even though no one seems to be concerned anymore when a car alarm goes off. We post signs on our front lawns stating that we have a security system, even if we may not have one.

A Newsweek article entitled "The Thrill of Theft" pointed out that $13 billion in merchandise is stolen every year. In fact, one retail manager in a Los Angeles-area mall said she uses shoplifting as a guide, saying, "We know what's hot among teens by seeing what they steal."

And according to a University of Florida study, retail stores lose more to employee theft than to shoplifting. Most employee theft goes unreported, but employee screening company Guardsmark estimates it to be $120 billion per year. Stealing is rampant.

A poll taken among youth who were asked why they do not steal revealed that the number-one reason was the fear of getting caught. The second most frequently cited reason was fear the theft victim might seek revenge. The third reason given was the item may not be needed. How about not stealing because it is wrong? How about not stealing because it is a sin?

Here is what God says about stealing: "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need" (Ephesians 4:28). Stealing is wrong before God, and He thought enough about it to include it in His Top Ten list, the Ten Commandments: "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15).

Safeguard Your Mind

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

— Philippians 4:8

 

In our culture today, it is pretty hard not to see some things that you wish you had not seen. You don't have to even go out looking for it. You can just be standing in line at the supermarket, and there it is on the cover of the magazine. Or you are driving down the street, and there it is on the billboard. There it is flashing on the video screen. There it is, emblazoned on someone's T-shirt.

Wickedness is just a mouse click away. Click, click, click, and you open up a Pandora's Box of perversion. According to an Internet filter review that analyzes and rates Web content filters, revenues of pornography exceed those of all professional football, baseball, and basketball franchises combined. There are 4.2 million porn sites, representing 12 percent of all Web sites in the world. Pornographic search engine requests total 68 million a day.

Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27–28). The word that Jesus used for "look" in the original language does not refer to a casual glance, but to the continuous act of looking. In this usage the idea is not that it is incidental or involuntary, but it is an intentional and repeated gazing. Granted, it is worse to commit adultery than to look lustfully at someone. But at the same time, looking lustfully is a violation of this commandment as well.

This is why we need to guard our minds. This is why we need to put safeguards in place. We want to be careful of what we see and what we expose ourselves to.

When You Don't Know What to Pray

One of the things the Holy Spirit does in our lives is to help us with our prayers.

Why? Because there are times when we don't really know what or how to pray. Maybe you are overwhelmed by a burden. You find yourself discouraged, depressed, and overwhelmed. It is at that point that the Holy Spirit will help you.

Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as a "comforter." In John 14:16, He said, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever" (NKJV).

We have lost the meaning of the word "comforter." It comes from the Greek word paracletos, which means "called alongside to help," a helper, aide, or assistant.

Some versions translate paracletos as the word "advocate," which is applied to Jesus in 1 John 2:1: "If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous" (NKJV).

The purpose of an advocate is to plead the cause of another—to be an intercessor. This is part of the work that the Holy Spirit has come to do in your life.

Here's the good news: sometimes just a sigh or groan will do. Why? Because we don't always have to put words to our prayers. The Holy Spirit will do the rest.

Trust me; I have done this many times. I don't know what to say, or how to say it. I just know that I am in pain; so I sigh, I groan, and sometimes I cry.

That's where the Holy Spirit comes in.

Romans 8:26–27 tells us, "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will" (NLT).

The Name with Power

"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain."

— Exodus 20:7

 

Commandment number three of the Ten Commandments tells us not to take God's name in vain. The words "in vain" mean empty, idle, insincere, or frivolous. So to take God's name in vain means to say it in a way that is empty, idle, insincere, or frivolous. And one of the most obvious ways this is done is through the use of profanity.

We all have heard people use the name of Jesus to punctuate a point. I have even said to people who do this, "Be careful. He might answer you some time." Interestingly, I never hear the names of various religious leaders or so-called gurus being used when someone is angry or upset.

So why do people, including avowed atheists, use the name Jesus Christ in this way? I believe that in their hearts, they know there is power in that holy name. Sure, they are taking it in vain. They are violating the third commandment. But in a way, they are acknowledging the existence of God. Otherwise, why invoke the name of a God you don't believe in? Why say the name of a person you don't think ever existed? Why say His name? Because there is power in that name. And when you say it, people pay attention.

Philippians 2:9–11 reminds us, "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

The name of Jesus has power. God wants us as His followers to never take His name in vain, but to honor it instead.

A Zealous Love

They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.

— Psalm 115:6–7

 

We tend to equate jealousy with pettiness and selfishness. We see it as a vice, not a virtue. But when God was giving Moses the Ten Commandments and said He was a jealous God, this is not the type of jealousy He was speaking of. If we were to substitute the term "zealous" for "jealous," it would help in our understanding of it.

God is zealous in His love for you, and He wants you to be zealous in your love for Him. God loves you and wants an exclusive relationship with you. For example, doesn't a wife want her husband to be faithful to her? Doesn't a husband want his wife to be loyal to him? Doesn't a parent look out for his or her children and care about their welfare? Of course.

This is essentially what God was saying when He told Moses, "I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods" (Exodus 20:5). In other words, "I want your complete love. I don't want you to bow down before other gods."

When the Israelites worshipped the golden calf while Moses was on Mt. Sinai, they rationalized their behavior by saying it was "a festival to the Lord" (Exodus 32:5). Call it what you like, but it was blatant idolatry. And a person who really knows God, who has experienced a new birth, and is living in fellowship with Him should not need an image or representation to be able to pray. Something is not right when believers feel they need that.

This is a problem because it gives us a false concept of what God is really like. And if the image is false, then the thought of God is false—and ultimately it will produce a character that is false.

The Purpose of a Testimony

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

— Romans 5:8

 

When you tell other people about what God has done for you, you are sharing your testimony. A testimony is when you share your story of how you came to faith. Every Christian has a testimony.

Some Christians have dramatic testimonies where they tell of being delivered from a life of drug addiction or crime or some sordid deeds. Other Christians don't have testimonies that are quite as dramatic—but they are just as significant.

I like to hear how people came to Christ, but I don't like it when people go into gory details about their past. Then there are testimonies where people tell how much they have given up for Jesus. They'll say things like, "I gave up this and that for Jesus. I have made such sacrifices for the Lord. I have done it all for Him!"

Your testimony is not about what you gave up for Jesus. It's about what He gave up for you. Don't share what you have done for Jesus. Share what Jesus has done for you. Jesus is the one who has done the work. It is Jesus whom we are proclaiming.

A good, strong testimony will lift up what Christ has accomplished. The fact of the matter is that all of us were sinners hopelessly separated from God, traveling in the same boat on our way to hell; and the same gospel came and transformed us. That is the testimony we all have.

Our Need to Worship

Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts.

— 1 John 5:21

 

Believe it or not, idolatry comes naturally to all of us. Why? Because we must worship, and we will worship. Even as nature abhors a vacuum, so does the human soul. The human soul always will find an object of worship, either on the shelf or on the altar or in the mirror or in heaven. But we will find something to worship, because we are idolaters.

Maybe we don't give these gods the names they were once given, like Dagon or Baal or Zeus or Thor, but they are gods nonetheless. An idol or false god is anyone or anything that takes the place of God in our lives. And know this: everyone has a god—even atheists.

When someone comes up with their own version of God, that is worshipping a false god as well. Making statements like, "Well, I don't believe in a God who would. . . ." is creating your own god, and that is idolatry.

The Bible warns us, "Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts" (1 John 5:21). But why would we worship an object or a thing or something else instead of the true God? Because in our minds, it gives us control. In his book, Words from the Fire: Hearing the Voice of God in the Ten Commandments, R. Albert Mohler wrote, "Idols imply control—human control. . . . We will devise our own worship because we have devised our own god."

An idol or false god is whatever you get excited about, whatever you are passionate about. People get excited about a lot of things. They may not call these things their gods, but in effect they are. What is the focus of your life? That, for all practical purposes, is your god.

Don't Conform-Transform

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

— Romans 12:2

 

A recent survey revealed that America's youth now spend, on average, over seven-and-a-half hours each day involved in electronic media. And that number doesn't include the amount of time spent texting or talking on cell phones. The problem is that a lot of that time spent in front of media screens will influence them in the wrong way.

The Bible tells us to fill our minds with the things of God. Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."

Romans 12:2 tells us, "Do not be conformed to this world. . . . " As the J. B. Phillips translation puts it, "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould [sic]." The word "conformed" refers to the act of assuming an outward appearance that does not accurately reflect that which is within. Of course, we all just want to fit in. We don't want to be thought of as dorks, nerds, fools, or idiots. We don't want to be classified as uncool. So we will do things that we think others want us to do. But let's not try to appear to be of this world when we are not.

By "this world," Romans 12:2 means a culture, a mentality, a way of thinking that is largely hostile to God. As 1 John 2:16 tells us, "For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world."