Category: Reflections Articles
Articles printed in the weekly bulletin of the West Side church of Christ
Heaven
As is true with just about every other spiritual matter, people have their own unique concept of heaven. A little child asks their mother, “What is heaven like?” The response is, “Well sweetheart, to me heaven is…”
No wonder that atheists ridicule the Christian faith. To them the eternal concepts of heaven and hell seem to emanate from man’s imagination. “I like to think of heaven as a place where the flowers are always blooming!” Well, you might want to think that, but hopeful thinking is a far cry from reality. And so, the skeptic lumps Christianity in with the myriad false religions that had their origin in the imaginations of men.
Baptism as a “work of righteousness”
This week I received a short question via email from an individual I do not personally know. Below is his question, with his name withheld, and the answer I supplied:
Dear Mr. Cox,
Since you include baptism in salvation do you consider it a work of righteousness?
Mr. ______________,
Your question is an interesting one, taken, I presume, from Titus 3:5.
“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (3:4-5).
It seems you seek to put me on the horns of a dilemma (cf. Luke 11:53-54). If this is so, your reasoning might be, “If he says ‘no’ he is denying the righteousness of Baptism, and if he says ‘yes’, he is contradicting Titus 3.” This is only a presumption on my part, as your inquiry is concise. Regardless of whether you are seeking to catch me in some contradiction or not, my explanation of the part baptism plays in salvation is the same:
Islam – A Christian’s Perspective
Most are aware of the mass shooting in Orlando this past week. As of this writing, 49 are reported dead with 53 wounded. The shooter, Omar Mateen, claimed allegiance to ISIS in a telephone conversation with police prior to the SWAT team assault that ended the standoff.
Taking the man’s words at face value, there are several points I would like to make about Islamic terrorism and the religion of Islam in general, all from my perspective as a Christian.
How a common man can be special
Many people in the world can be categorized as generally good. They may treat their families well, and behave in their interactions with their fellow man. They may exhibit kindness and generosity toward others. It is important for us to realize, however, that it is not kindness or generosity that saves our souls. Scripture clearly reveals to us that salvation is in Jesus Christ alone. Paul wrote, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:8-9).
When Should You Have Sex?
Today it is typical for couples in a monogamous relationship to engage in sexual activity as a part of that relationship. This has been so for some time, and it has even led to a change in the meaning of words. For example, no longer is a person single until he is married. He is single until he is in a monogamous relationship. Commitment is not seen in the positive answer to the question, “Will you marry me?”, but in the question, “Do you want to live with me?” A person is considered to be a cheater, not if they have had an extramarital affair, but if they have committed fornication with a person other than their “partner.” The list goes on and on.
To illustrate, I recently did an internet search of the question, “When should I have sex?” Though many sites cautioned against quick “hookups”, the reality is that many, especially in their 20’s, have sexual relations within the first couple of dates. In the advice I found online, the idea of limiting sex to a marital relationship was completely absent.
The Problem with Euphemisms
Language is a problematic thing for Christians. They find themselves, time and again, caught in sin because of their tongue. Truly James knew of what he wrote when he penned the following: “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:2). Gossip, slander, idle words, profanity, taking the Lord’s name in vain — all of these corrupt fruits of the tongue cause brethren to sin. It is important we remember that “no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). If we keep a tight rein on our tongues, we can control them. But, we can never assume that we are beyond the danger of sinning with our speech.
One problem area of speech is that of exclamations. It is a natural thing when one is surprised, excited, angry or hurt to exclaim. Exclamations are the words and short phrases that we blurt out without forethought. And that is the problem, we engage our mouths without engaging our minds.
“Come over … and help us”
While in Troas during his second preaching tour, the apostle Paul had a vision in the night. In the vision, “A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us’” (Acts 16:9). The text reveals that Paul was obedient to the vision, Luke recording him as having concluded “that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them” (10).
The journey took Paul and his companions to Philippi, where they were beaten with rods, and placed into prison (cf. 16:22-24). After traveling through Amphipolis and Apollonia they went to Thessalonica, where again they fell afoul of the enemies of the cross (17:5). This necessitated a departure under cover of darkness to Berea. Some from Thessalonica followed them, and stirred up the crowds against Paul yet again (17:13). Finally Paul traveled to Athens, where his message was met with mocking (17:32).
The Suffering of Jesus – Our Example
Peter wrote, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). He was referring to the necessity of bearing up under persecution. We are no better than our Lord. He suffered despite the fact that He was without sin (cf. vs. 22-23). So, Peter wrote, “For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God” (vs. 20).
In the text we see a reason for Jesus’ willingness to suffer for us. “For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully” (vs. 19). Certainly this was the case with Jesus. He did not deserve the indignities he suffered while among men. However, He willingly endured them because of His Father’s will for Him. It was God’s plan to send Jesus to earth to die for our iniquities. Jesus could not, in good conscience, refuse to submit to His father’s will. Instead, He “humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). We are to emulate Him.
Taking Stock
In James 4, the Holy Spirit expressed the dangers associated with pride. For example, pride is one reason for strife among brethren. When one is selfish rather than selfless, the basis for conflict is present. James quoted the proverb, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (vs. 4).
Pride is also a contributor to worldliness. Men are wont to do as they desire rather than what God requires. They exalt themselves above the will of the Almighty. We are counseled, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (vs. 10).
Pride leads one to unrighteous judgment. Men tend to exalt themselves as judges, and arbitrarily condemn others who do not meet their standards. “There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?” (vs. 12).
7 Bad Habits of Superficial Christians
How often have you seen articles with titles like the one above shared on Facebook feeds? It is a common tactic, as authors and websites vie for the attention of readers. A catchy title or provocative picture will lead to clicks. Often the article itself has little to offer, but internet traffic leads to advertisers and revenue, so the trend will not soon change. Unfortunately, the trend is prevalent in material offered with the intent of aiding in spiritual growth.
Which leads me to note the first bad habit that leads to a superficial faith. Taking a Facebook mentality into matters of spiritual importance! I confess that I click on such titles myself, because they are attention getting. Too often the article is as much pop psychology as Biblical teaching. The quality of writing on spiritual matters is suffering as authors try to adapt to the short attention spans and novel cravings of a culture unduly influenced by social media. This is sad.
A Criticism of Our Worship
Yesterday evening I had an opportunity to join in worship with the saints at the Elm Street congregation in El Reno, Oklahoma. This fine congregation met in the final night of our gospel meeting, singing beautiful songs of praise to God, offering up sincere petitions in prayer, and kindly listening to my final effort to share a message from God’s word as our week together concluded.
My final plea was based on the text of Philippians 2:
“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” (vs. 9-11).
I noted that God has given all authority to Jesus Christ, and that at the judgment all will bow down before Him. I further pled with those present to ensure that they acknowledge His Lordship now, before it is too late.
An illogical attitude toward the Bible
This past week I read an extended article from the Los Angeles Review of Books website, titled “Evangelicals Are Losing the Battle for the Bible. And They’re Just Fine With That”, by Jim Finch. The article is rather lengthy, and notes a trend among evangelicals, (a group which has historically contended for the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible), toward a more modernistic view of scripture. Today, many who consider themselves evangelicals no longer regard the Bible as “inerrant, dictated by God, historically accurate in all of its claims or even internally consistent with itself.”
It is not surprising to note that many reject the inspiration of scripture. Modernists, secularists, and proponents of other religions have always done so. However, it is a far different matter when individuals who claim to be respectful of the Bible reject the same. This is a highly illogical and intellectually unsustainable position.
Angry Words and Actions
Perhaps you have read the following story:
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.
Liberal & Conservative
2016 is an election year. Though the national election will not take place until November, the political season is well underway. This is especially true with regard to the office of President. When you turn on the TV, you are inundated with political punditry, and the words liberal and conservative are bandied about with regularity.
The term liberal is defined by Webster as, “not opposed to new ideas or ways of behaving that are not traditional or widely accepted.” In the context of political discourse, a liberal believes “that government should be active in supporting social and political change .”
Looking at sin through God’s eyes
What is your attitude toward sin? The world in general are dismissive of the entire concept. A few years ago there were expressions of derision when our President referred to terrorists at “evildoers.” It seems that the idea of inherent evil is not too popular in our day. However, God used the term. In fact, the term is found 17 times in the text of the New King James translation. One example of this is in Isaiah 31:2, where the prophet promised, “Yet He [God] also is wise and will bring disaster, and will not call back His words, but will arise against the house of evildoers, and against the help of those who work iniquity.” It seems that God not only identified some as “evildoers”, but also proclaimed His strong opposition to their works.
