Masks

With Halloween just around the corner, our minds turn to the excitement and activities surrounding the popular autumn holiday… telling scary stories, trick-or-treating, and especially dressing up in costumes.  You never know who or what will show up at your door on Halloween night…  You might encounter anything as ghoulish as ghosts and goblins or harmless and cute as princesses and superheroes.   

Last year it was estimated that Americans spent a combined $3.4 billion on Halloween costumes – that’s a lot of money for outfits that will be worn for just one night!  Others delight in the ingenuity of crafting their own homemade costumes.  Some collect masks as a hobby that they enjoy year-round.  

Certainly, there is a great appeal in wearing a disguise.  It’s a fun distraction to masquerade as someone or something else for a time.

It’s amusing to see people get into character.  Putting on masks can sometimes cause people to act in ways they wouldn’t normally.  They might get carried away by the charade and find themselves taking on the characteristics of the character they have put on.  They might talk differently, change their gait and demeanor.  Again, it’s all in good fun…  But is that always the case?

The Haunted Mask

Back in elementary school I was an avid collector of author R.L. Stine’s “Goosebumps”, a series of spooky, horror-themed chapter books for younger audiences.  The very first book from the series I got (ordered from a Scholastic Book Order – Aw, memories!) was entitled “The Haunted Mask”.  In this story a timid young girl, Carly Beth, seeks out the scariest mask possible for her Halloween costume, doing so as an act of rebellion against her doting mother and revenge against her younger brother and a group of neighborhood bullies who delight in scaring her.

Her search leads her to a run-down costume shop which she has never noticed before.  There she finds an assortment of horrifying deformed masks in a back room which feel less like plastic and more like flesh.  The shopkeeper reluctantly sells her a mask from the collection.  As Carly Beth puts on the hideous mask, it seems as though it conforms to the shape of her head.  

She seeks out her tormentors to exact her revenge, but finds that the more she wears the mask, the less she acts like herself.  She becomes increasingly aggressive; she even attacks her only friend while wearing the mask.  Shaken by the incident, Carly Beth attempts to remove the mask – only to find that she can’t!  The more she struggles to take it off the tighter it grips around her face!  The mask is alive and it won’t let her go!

Of course, by the end of the story much of this is resolved, but the story – and that last moment I recounted in particular – really made a big impression on me. 

The Haunted Mask and other, similar stories challenge us to question ourselves as we prepare to join a masquerade:  Are you wearing the mask?  Or is the mask wearing you?

Masks We Wear

“We understand how dangerous a mask can be.  We all become what we pretend to be.” – Patrick Rothfuss

Though we do not always wear masks on just Halloween night…  We wear them all the time, year-round; perhaps even our entire lives.  The way we present and conduct ourselves is just a charade and every day is a masquerade.  We seek to fool the rest of the world – or maybe just ourselves – that we are someone that we actually are not.  

Real-life mask wearers may play a part in front of certain groups of people, but take it off in front of a select group of others to reveal their true self.  The intentions of those wearing such masks vary, perhaps they seek to cover up the past or maybe they hope to deceive others for some kind of gain.  Or maybe they just want to please others.

Obviously, perpetuating an act of deception leads one down a very lonely and dangerous path, especially for one desiring to please God.  Let us examine some masks that we wear everyday…

“I’m Alright…”

A mask that all too many wear is one that declares “I’m alright, I’m OK… I’m just fine.”  The mask-wearer of this type hopes to communicate to other that they have it all together.

In our society especially, this is an all-too-common mask.  Browsing through Facebook and other social media it’s all smiles and picture-perfect posing.  But it’s all a ruse…  We know that physical imperfections can be covered up with Photoshop and people generally share what they want others to see.  Hardly anyone posts their bad hair days or shares their failures.  

Sometimes we seek to fade into the crowd and hope that nobody will take notice of our shortcomings.  We buy into the false message that everyone else has it all together and we wonder why we ourselves aren’t as happy.  If only we could realize that it’s OK to not be OK, we could all actually make some real progress!

Galatians 6:2  Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

When we feel inferior or find ourselves struggling with something, we need to share it with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  How can we bear one another’s burdens if we don’t show them our true selves and reveal our weaknesses?  We will likely be surprised to find that others have the same vulnerabilities that we do.  Through loving and supporting each other – with the help of Jesus – we can overcome any challenge.

Psalm 34:17-18 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV) But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Jesus encourages us to be sincere and to give ourselves fully to him.  Only then can we truly have a fulfilling life.

John 10:10  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Worldliness

We often find ourselves frustrated by people who act one way around a particular group, but then completely different around others.  Maybe they talk differently, saying words or phrases that they would not normally.  Or perhaps they even act differently in an attempt to fit it with the rest of a particular crowd.

A group mentality can cause people to do many things that they would not typically ever dream of.  Revelers celebrating a sports victory cause property damage by flipping over cars and setting things on fire.  Peer pressure causes people to try out gateway drugs which lead to cycles of addiction.  Mob mentality lead large groups of people into destructive, murderous riots.

Though we may never – hopefully – find ourselves in any of those kinds of situations, we are not immune to the influence of those who surround us.  Have you ever found yourself avoiding the topic of religion around co-workers or certain groups of friends?  I sadly admit that I myself am often guilty of such.  We should not be ashamed of our belief in Jesus.  In fact, we are told that if we are ashamed of Him that He will be ashamed of us!

Matthew 10:32-33  Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

We are regularly reminded throughout the Bible that seeking to “fit in with the crowd” is displeasing to God!

Romans 12:2 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.

Jesus Himself calls for us to be apart from the crowd.

Matthew 7:13-14 Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

In moments in which we are tempted to go along with the rest of the world, we need to ask ourselves who we are truly seeking to please…  God or man?

Galatians 1:10 (NIV)  Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Covering up Sin

Another mask we wear seeks to cover up sin altogether.  A step up from the previous mask we discussed.  This mask seeks to broadcast that we are sinless, when we know that is simply not true.  

This mask is particularly damaging because in attempting to cover up one sin we end up sinning even more in a sort of snowballing effect.  How many of us have told a lie and then got ourselves entangled in a web of lies that stemmed from the original lie?  

We know that King David lusted after Bathsheba and then sought to hide the sin of adultery by committing more and more sins: attempting to deceive, conspiring against, and eventually murdering her husband (2 Samuel 11-12).  

David described how it felt to try and hide his sins in the 32nd Psalm…

Psalm 32:3  (NIV) When I kept silent, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.

How many of us have struggled with this before?  Hiding sin only to have the guilt of it “eat” away at us; Investing so much energy in covering up the sin for fear of being exposed that we are drained at the end of each day?

Notice the contrast of how David felt upon confessing his sin…  

Psalm 32:5-7 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. 

Psalm 32:1-2 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Surely there is a sense of a burden being lifted and an immense relief when one finally decides to be open with God (and with others).  There is great joy in forgiveness!

When we seek to merely hide our sin we must realize that it is only God who can truly cover up sin.  

1 John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Proverbs 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

There is sometimes danger in taking off a mask.  Some will proudly “take off their mask” to reveal a sinful lifestyle as a point of pride.  They might say “living in an open sin is more truthful and therefore more liberating than pretending to be something I’m not.”  They deceive themselves into thinking that since they are no longer lying that whatever the sin they are involved in is somehow okay with God.  

While they may not be lying, open sin is still open rebellion to God.  To think that God would bless an open display of sin under the pretense of “I’m no hiding it anymore,” is self-deceiving, self-defeating, and self-condemning.

Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins…

Romans 6:1-4 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Pretense of Righteousness

Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

There may be those that seek to – willingly or unknowingly – lead us astray.  They may come to us in the guise of having our spiritual best interests in mind, but they are actually agents of the devil.  Therefore we must always be on our guard!

1 John 4:1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Even if we are not deceived by false prophets, we could still deceive ourselves.  The mask of righteousness is a manifestation of self-righteousness!

Unfortunately, there are those that are “Sunday only” Christians.  They wear the name of Christ, know the Bible, and attend church services, but their conduct the rest of the week is ungodly.

It’s these “religious” folks that give Christianity a bad name among the rest of the world.  Why should unbelievers come to know God when those that claim to be His followers are two-faced hypocrites?

Jesus reserved His harshest criticisms for the religious class of His day, the Pharisees.  The Pharisees were infamous for their self-righteousness.  They thought that their righteousness stemmed from their Hebrew heritage and their knowledge of and adherence to the Old Law.  Yet, they merely put on a facade of righteousness when they were actually spiritually dead on the inside.

Matthew 23:27-28 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Harsh judgement awaits those that simply wear the mask of righteousness…

Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

It’s not enough to wear the name of Christ…  We must allow Christ to transform us completely!

God Sees Through Any Mask

No matter what mask we might be wearing, we would do well to remember that God can see through any disguise…  We cannot hide from the Almighty!

Jeremiah 23:24 Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?”declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?”declares the Lord.

Hebrews 4:12-13  For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

To some this idea that “God is always watching” is disturbing and it may even instill fear.  I remember my sister and I always being freaked out by the song “Watching You” in which God was described as an “all-seeing eyeing watching you.”  

However, if we are in Christ, this should actually be a comforting thought!  

Romans 8:38-39  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Just as we cannot hide from God, there is also nothing that can keep us apart from Him.

“The Masks”

We began this lesson with my recalling of a scary story, so we might as well wrap-up with one.

The Twilight Zone was a great Science Fiction and Horror anthology TV show back in the ‘60’s.  One episode that always disturbed me was simply titled “The Masks”.  

Set during Mardi Gras, a wealthy dying man gathers his relatives to his deathbed.  As part of the conditions of his will and in order to inherit his vast wealth he coerces his family members to wear grotesque masks that serve as a reflection of their true personalities. They are compelled to wear the masks until midnight, but when the old man dies, they rejoice in the fact that they are now all rich.  However, upon finally removing their masks, they are horrified to discover that their faces have conformed to the awful, twisted shapes of their mask.

In the closing narration of the episode, Rod Serling said, “Mardi Gras incident, the dramatis personae being four people who came to celebrate and in a sense let themselves go. This they did with a vengeance. They now wear the faces of all that was inside them—and they'll wear them for the rest of their lives, said lives now to be spent in the shadow. Tonight's tale of men, the macabre and masks, on the Twilight Zone.”

Conclusion: Put on Christ

As we have learned from this lesson, we must be careful to not wear masks as Christians.  Masks such as the ones we have discussed can severely damage our relationship with God and negatively affect our spiritual well-being.

However, the Bible does encourage us to put on Christ…

Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

1 John 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

This is the reverse of the aforementioned Twilight Zone…  While a worldly mask may conform us to the ways of the world and cause us to live life ashamed and in the shadows, putting on Christ allows us to stand justified before God.

I've heard preachers often use the illustration of a "spiritual mirror" that could somehow allow ourselves to see the condition of our own soul.  They ask how disfigured and stained we might appear in such a mirror as our life is marred by sin.

But - approaching this illustration from a different, more positive angle - how amazing would it be for us to one day look in that spiritual mirror and no longer see ourselves, but the image of Christ?

If we put on Christ, imitate the character of God, and walk as Jesus walked we will become more like Him!  More than just a mere disguise, taking on Christ-like characteristics can transform our heart and soul!

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Matters of the Heart

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

As the Paul reminds us, the Word of God yields results in the hearts of men!  However, those results can be vary greatly...

For example, we see that a variation of the following phrase appears twice in the book of Acts:

 “When they heard these things they were cut to the heart…”

This first instance is found in Acts 2:36-42 on the day of Pentecost when the Jews were confronted by Peter with the charge that they were guilty of putting to death the Son of God.  Upon hearing this they were deeply affected – “cut to the heart” – and asked what they should do to atone for this awful sin.  Soon thereafter, they acted upon Peter’s command to repent and be baptized.

However, in Acts 7:54-60 Stephen preached essentially the same message, proclaiming Christ as Lord.  His audience, members of the Sanhedrin, were also said to have been “cut to the heart” (NKJV), but they responded by becoming so angry that they literally killed the messenger, stoning Stephen to his death.

Why were there such drastically different reactions to what was essentially the same message?

Proverbs 27:19 As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man.

The difference in these two events was the condition of the hearts of those involved!  Of course I’m not talking about the physical condition of their hearts, but rather their spiritual well-being…

"Heart" (Hebrew lebab/leb [b'bel], Gk. kardia [kardiva]) occurs over one thousand times in the Bible, making it the most common anthropological term in the Scripture. It denotes a person's center for both physical and emotional-intellectual-moral activities; sometimes it is used figuratively for any inaccessible thing.

Therefore we see that when someone is exposed to the Gospel, results will vary depending on the heart of the hearer.

Jesus illustrates this Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23) in which the soil represents different hearers.

Sometimes people don’t understand the Gospel, become distracted after a time, or are too caught up in the cares of the world to retain the message. On the other hand, “good ground” – people with an open heart – will allow Jesus’ message to grow within them and they will develop and grow as Christians and share what they have learned with others!

God Knows Our Heart

The Bible frequently reminds us that God knows us better than we know ourselves.

1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For  the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Jeremiah 17:9-10 The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.

While we may put on a pretense of righteousness, God has the ability to looks inward and examine our true self. Furthermore, God judges the heart as the root of our actions.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

“Guard Your Heart”

Therefore, if we seek to please God, we must examine ourselves and be aware of the condition of our heart.

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)  Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.… 

This may sound like a strange concept, the idea of guarding our heart.  Guard it from what?

As we know from the Parable of the Sower, truth can take root in the heart; unfortunately, however, so can sin…

In Matthew 5:21-22, 5:27-28 Jesus reminds us that just as murder begins as hate and adultery begins as lust.  Thus, we understand that all sin has its origin in the heart.

Mark 7:15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.

In Matthew 12:34 Jesus states that  “… out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Surely, every action –  good or bad  –  starts from within.

Therefore, if we do indeed seek to serve God, we must be actively cultivating a heart that yearns to please Him.  This requires regular self-examination, diligent prayer, and consistent meditation on God’s Word.  In this way we firmly embed Christ’s teachings within our hearts.

Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Hardened Hearts

Another danger to the condition of one’s heart is the development of a callous heart.

Throughout the Bible we read of people who had “hardened” their hearts toward God.  This phrase has several meanings.  In the case of Pharaoh in Exodus, he hardened his heart by refusing to release God’s people from bondage in Egypt; an act of arrogant pride.

Elsewhere (Mark 8:17-19, John 12:40), hardening of the heart leads to a lack of understanding despite clear reasoning or a lack of faith despite abundant evidence.  In this way, a hardened heart can lead to apathy or insincerity.

Worse yet: a hardened heart can yield a “seared” or corrupt conscience.

1 John 3:18-20 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

The conscience acts as our God-given “moral compass”.  When functioning as God intended, a conscience warns us against sin (Romans 2:15), but a misguided conscience can pave the way for the perversion of truth and lead us toward destruction.

Romans 1:25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Before long, one with a hardened heart can find themselves believing the complete opposite of what God’s Word teaches.  This is why we are frequently warned about false teachers (1 Timothy 4:1-2).

Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

Thus, we see that a hardened heart can have no place for love and no tolerance for truth.  A hardened heart is the epitome of pride.  A hardened heart is displeasing to God.

Obadiah 3 The pride of your heart has deceived you,You who dwell in the clefts of the rock, Whose habitation is high; You who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’

Job 9:4  God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?

The Bible is filled with accounts of people who hardened their heart to God by ignoring His commandments, and outright rebelling against Him.

Ruin is the fruit of a hardened heart.  If we are not careful, we too could face the wrath of God.

A Heart Pleasing unto God

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Surely, though, we desire a heart that is pleasing unto God.  What kind of heart does God desire in His followers?

A heart pleasing unto God is Pure –  A pure heart is blameless and genuine.

1 Timothy 1:4-5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith...

A heart pleasing unto God is Repentant – A repentant heart humbly appeals to God for forgiveness of sins.

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.

A heart pleasing unto God is Obedient – An obedient heart strives to live according to God's Word.

John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.

A heart pleasing unto God is Devoted – A devoted heart loves God and diligently follows and serves Him.

Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and great commandment.

A heart pleasing unto God is Loving – Not only should we love God, but also our brothers and sisters and all we come into contact with.

Matthew 22:39-40 "...And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’   On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Where is the Treasure of Your Heart?

In conclusion, we see that it is vital that we are aware of the condition of our heart, knowing that from it we do good or evil.  We see that God knows us better than we do ourselves and that He will judge us according to the type of heart we have.  Therefore, we shouldn’t harden our heart to God, but rather strive to cultivate a heart that is pleasing unto God.

One final question before we conclude the lesson:  Where is the treasure of your heart?

Matthew 6:19-21 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Does your heart yearn for God? 

Do you wish to spend eternity with your Heavenly Father? 

Is your heart right with God?

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References:

https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/heart/

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

Psalm 107: 28-30 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.

It’s no secret that our world is in pain.

Families are torn apart by apathy, sickness, car accidents, substance abuse, and suicide.  Our nation is plagued by racism, gun violence, and terrorism.  Around the world, even as we speak, people are dying from war, famine, poverty, disease, natural disasters, and a myriad of other terrible circumstances.

One of the most common challenges directed at Christianity by unbelievers is the age-old question:   “Why does God allow so much suffering?”

The argument goes that the Bible presents us with an image of a loving, benevolent God, and yet billions have suffered throughout all of human history.  Unbelievers ask why anyone would choose to believe in a God that claims to be compassionate but permits such grief.

Even believers – perhaps experiencing suffering in their own life or witnessing the misfortunes of others – find themselves struggling with this conundrum.  Indeed, suffering is a great challenge to faith!

Faith in the Face of Disaster

Recent disasters have prompted unbelievers to ridicule believers by mocking their “thoughts and prayers”.  Believers questioning their faith in the will of God sometimes ask why God doesn’t miraculously act to prevent disasters from happening to begin with.

A good starting place for anytime we don’t understand something that God does (or doesn’t do) is to remember:

Isaiah 55:8-9  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Indeed, sometimes it’s difficult to understand God’s will.  Some things we may never comprehend in this life.  Yet, this is what faith is all about, trusting God even when we don’t understand His workings.  We can rest assured in our faith in God.  He knows what He is doing, even if we don’t see the clarity of His plan through the fog of our day-to-day existence.

But at the same time maybe we fail to give God proper credit.  Many will point to disasters as evidence that God either doesn’t care or He simply doesn’t exist.  But that reasoning can be turned in on itself:  Surely the good of this world outweighs the bad - so by the same logic, all the good that happens is evidence for the existence of our benevolent God.

Matthew 5:45 …For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

In fact, our very sense of justice points to this inescapable reality.

“My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust.  But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.  What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?”  – C.S. Lewis

Additionally, we should consider that perhaps God is involved when disaster strikes, maybe even minimizing the damage in ways that we fail to recognize. We have all heard stories of people who have somehow avoided disasters due to seemingly coincidental circumstances.  I always think of the man who reported running late and got stuck in traffic the day that the Twin Towers fell.  Just the other day my wife missed being at the scene of a terrible car accident because she was struggling to fix my daughter’s hair.

Rather than wonder why God allows bad things to happen I find myself often wondering how much worse situations would be had God not been involved at all.  Perhaps the damage would have been greater, the body count higher, all tragedies all the more heartwrenching if God were not present!

The True Source of Suffering

1 Peter 5:8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

When one blames God for suffering they are pointing their finger in the wrong direction.

We live in a fallen world and Satan is a very active force.  He is constantly working behind the scenes to sow discord and malice.  Certainly, the devil has amassed a large number of followers and it is clear to see that most suffering is perpetrated by humanity against itself.

“…In fact, a commonly estimated figure is that as much as 90 percent of suffering in the world comes through human causes:  wars, genocide, human trafficking, murder, torture, racial discrimination, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, rape, and the list goes on...” – Mark Mittelberg

“In the past hundred years or so, the most powerful atheist regimes – Communist Russia, Communist China, and Nazi Germany – have wiped out people in astronomical numbers…  Focusing only on the big three – Stalin, Hitler, and Mao – we have to recognize that atheist regimes have in a single century murdered more than one hundred million people.” – Dinesh D’Souza

One must concede that even the most devastating of natural disasters do not wreak as much havoc as humans have unleashed upon each other...  And in response to this, unbelievers choose to blame God – the very God who warns against and condemns such evils?

But believers can be just as guilty in wrongly assigning blame for suffering...  We’ve all heard of preachers who have declared that a disaster has occurred because of a particular region’s religion, politics, etc.

Luke 13:1-5  Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

We know that various natural disasters occur haphazardly as a result of weather patterns, plate tectonics, and other natural processes.  We do not know the mind of God in these situations and therefore cannot allow ourselves to make such proclamations.  It only serves to disturb and hurt others, making them far less willing to listen to the Truth of the Gospel that we should be proclaiming.  When others are suffering, we should not presume to know God’s will for the situation, but reach out to them and love them as God commanded.

It’s difficult to think of a Biblical example of one who lost as much as Job did, and yet through all of the hardships and loss that he faced, we see that even he recognized that God was not the source of his suffering.

Job 1:22  In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Blessings in Suffering

We simply have to accept that suffering is a part of life.  In fact, Jesus spoke of this truth on a number of occasions.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation…

Basically, as long as we live here on Earth, a fallen world, we will face hardship.  Yes, Jesus didn’t sugarcoat it, but he also offered His assistance in dealing with suffering.

John 16:33 …But take heart!  I have overcome the world!

It’s strange to think that heartache and grief brought on by suffering could yield any good, but God is able to do just that.  Let us examine three ways in which God blesses us through suffering…

1.  Suffering can bring out our Best

Romans 5:3-4 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

If you’ve ever exercised in your life, you’re probably familiar with the cliché: “No pain, no gain.”  To word it a bit more eloquently:

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet.  Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” – Helen Keller

Many have pointed out the process by which caterpillars change into butterflies, sand into glass, and coal into diamonds, it is through time and pressure, adversity that these things turn out so beautiful and stronger than their beginnings.

1 Peter 1:6-7 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Our faith is tested by the fire of suffering, but in the process it is purified like a precious metal.

James 1:2-5 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Sometimes our suffering is brought on by our own failures or even by our own sin.  In this way suffering can make us examine our faults.

No matter what the cause of the suffering we face turns out to be, ultimately God will turn a bad situation to good if we allow Him to.  Suffering can force us to mature as Christians.  The testing of our faith produces patience, perseverance, and a stronger faith in God.

2.  Suffering makes us Appreciative

Paul suffered much in his journeys to spread the Gospel, yet we see that even when he was imprisoned that he had a deep appreciation for those around him.

Philippians 1:3-8 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

Suffering can make us more thankful.  It puts things into perspective and makes us recognize God’s blessings, causing us to truly appreciate all that God has done for us.

As a byproduct of that appreciation, suffering can also teach us how to pray more genuinely.  We sometimes fall into the habit of saying the same prayers over and again.  But when we suffer we pray more earnestly and more frequently.  In those difficult moments we are praying because we want to, not because God wants us to.

Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

Suffering causes us to rely on God and acknowledge that He is the source of our strength.

Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

3.  Suffering helps us to be Sympathetic

We couldn’t understand the hurts of others without going through some manner of suffering ourselves.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

By going through suffering ourselves we are better equipped to help and comfort those around us who are going through rough times.

Of course, it is important to remember that Christ can sympathize with us because He Himself suffered too!

Hebrews 2:17-18 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Christ’s suffering is probably the definitive example of God being able to bad to good.  God could even bend the evil of Christ’s crucifixion into the ultimate act of love and mercy!

It’s truly amazing to consider that God, through Jesus, loves us so much that He would be willing to humble Himself and suffer as one of us just so He could save and comfort us!

Hebrews 4:14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

4.  Suffering keeps this World from becoming too Attractive

It’s only natural that we consider this world our home; it’s all we’ve ever known!

But when suffering rears its ugly head, we’re reminded that it’s a fallen world.  In times of hardship, it’s a wonderful comfort to know that our ultimate goal is Heavenward.

Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…

We would do well to be mindful that we are “just a’passing through” and that if we are faithful that Heaven can indeed be our home once we’ve left this mortal plane.

Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

God Promises an End to Suffering

As we’ve learned through this lesson, suffering is something that we will all face.  Sometimes it’s difficult to understand why we’re going through dark times and we may even question God in trying moments.  However, it’s important that we remember the true source of suffering in this world is the devil and his agents, more often than not, other people.

As difficult as it may be, we should look at suffering as being a blessing and recognize that through Christ trials can actually strengthen us by making us more thankful to God and more sympathetic to others.  Through it all, we need not lose sight of our final objective:  A home in Heaven, a place that is free from suffering.

Revelation 21:3-4  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

In the meantime, we can rely on Jesus to be our strength in times of weakness, to comfort us when the grief is too much to bear, to remind us that our sufferings are only temporary and when we are with Him in Heaven it will all have been worth it.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

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References:

“Why Does God Allow Suffering” a sermon outline by Steve Burdine

“The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask” by Mark Mittelberg

Citizenship in the Kingdom

A citizen is a person who legally belongs to a country and therefore has the rights and protection of that country.  Citizens adopt the culture and practices of the nation or kingdom to which they belong.
As believers, we aspire to be citizens of God’s Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven.

Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…

Exiles from the Kingdom

Some subscribe to belief that we as humans have inherited “original sin” and are born as sinful creatures.  However, I would argue that all of us are born into God’s Kingdom, but lose our way at some point (Why would Jesus tell His followers to “become as little children” if children were born sinful?  See Matthew 18:3).

We are not born fallen, yet we are born into a fallen world.  It’s from the moment we learn right from wrong yet choose to do wrong that we are first guilty of sin and are thereby exiled from God’s Kingdom.

Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

We must realize that this is a self-imposed exile; God desires that we remain innocent and free from sin, yet being imperfect, we all fall short.

Romans 3:23 …For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

Enticed and seduced by the temptations of the world, we become servants of sin.

Romans 6:16  Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

We may even live our lives unaware that we’re outside of the Kingdom of God, in exile so long that we forgot where we truly belong.

Philippians 3:18-19 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.

Entering the Kingdom

Yet, it doesn’t have to be this way!  Though we deserve judgement and destruction for the wrongs we willingly chose to commit, Jesus came to save us from ourselves.

Ephesians 2:1-6 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),  and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Thus, we have the ability to once again become citizens of God’s Kingdom.

Ephesians 2:19-21  Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…

How do we attain citizenship in God’s Kingdom?  Just as earthly nations have procedures for naturalization for immigrants, so do believers seeking citizenship within the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Bible provides a clear pattern for those seeking to become part of the kingdom:

1.  Hearing the Gospel

Acts 18:8 Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.

How can travelers even begin to migrate to a new country if they do not know the way?  In the same manner, it stands to reason that one could not believe in Jesus if they never heard anything about Him!  It may sound kind of redundant, but faith can come no other way!

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

2.  Belief

Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Recall that Jesus is the ruler of God’s Kingdom.  Just as an earthly citizen puts their trust in a king or president, we must have faith in Jesus.  Indeed, faith is essential!

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

3.  Repentance

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

When travelling from one earthly country to another, we understand that laws may be different from one side of the border to another.  What is legal in one country may be illegal in another and vice versa! If we truly seek to be citizens of God’s Kingdom, we must commit to obeying God’s Law.  This starts by renouncing our former lawless ways of sin.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

4.  Confess Jesus

Acts 8:37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

The United States, as part of the naturalization process, has immigrants recite an “Oath of Allegiance”.  The confession of Jesus before men is kind of like an oath of allegiance.  In confessing Jesus as our Lord are essentially swearing loyalty and obedience to our new King!  Furthermore, this is something that we commit to from this point on in our life as a citizen…  We should be proud to proclaim our Lord before others!

Matthew 10:32-33 Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

5.  Baptism

Acts 22:16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

A final part of the “naturalization process” required for entrance into God’s kingdom is baptism for the remission of sins.  This is not a “work” that negates God’s grace in the process of salvation, but rather a God-ordained, symbolic reenactment of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Through baptism we are cleansed from sin, our former life of the flesh is put to death and we are reborn to begin life anew.  Upon being baptized become a citizen in God’s Kingdom!

Rights and Responsibilities in the Kingdom

Once an immigrant has officially joined a new nation they become entitled to the rights and/or freedoms allowed within that country's borders.  Additionally, they also may have a set of responsibilities and civic duties as citizens.  Let us examine rights and responsibilities within God's Kingdom:

Rights

As American citizens we have a multitude of rights and freedoms, including:  Freedom of speech, freedom of worship, the right to a trial by jury, the right to vote, and the freedom to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

As citizens of God’s Kingdom, we also enjoy certain rights and freedoms, including: Freedom from sin, and a God-granted right to eternal life.

Romans 6:6-7  We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.

John 5:24  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Responsibilities

American citizens must respect and obey federal, state, and local laws.  They must pay taxes to the appropriate authorities.

Likewise, as citizens in God’s Kingdom, we have laws we must obey.

Mark 12:30-31 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Micah 6:8  He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

There’s a lot packed in those verses and Christians spend a lifetime working to understand and obey God’s laws.

Forfeiting Citizenship

It’s very rare, but it is possible for a naturalized U.S. citizen to have their citizenship stripped through a process called “denaturalization”.  Sometimes naturalized citizens, for whatever reason, pledge their allegiance to another country by joining their government or military.  Some may even go as far to commit acts of treason.  Through such acts, these citizens willfully give up their citizenship.

Similarly – though far more common and certainly more tragic – citizens of God’s Kingdom can forfeit their citizenship.

2 Peter 2:20-22  For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

As citizens of God’s Kingdom, we must live faithfully, continue to obey God’s laws remain faithful to God.

Revelation 2:10  … Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Thankfully, God gives us yet another chance at rejoining His kingdom and being renewed.  If we stumble in a Christian walk, He allows us the opportunity to repent once more and recommit to His Kingdom.

Acts 8:22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.

Abundant Life

John 10:10  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

How can we obtain the “abundant life” that Jesus speaks of?

First, it might help to understand what Jesus meant when He spoke of an abundant life.  It’s interesting that in the verse this lesson is based on, Jesus begins by illustrating what an abundant life isn’t, so let’s start our study there.

The Alternative to An Abundant Life

John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…

I wonder if “the thief” Jesus mentions here is an allusion to the devil.  Certainly, stealing, killing, and destroying sound like the activities that Satan would be involved in.  As the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4) the devil has deceived mankind by appealing to our worldly lusts.

The worldly pattern for success in life has everything completely backwards.  We are constantly bombarded by the message to “do whatever makes you happy”.  The world trains us to selfishly pursue fame, wealth, sex and ignore the pursuit of righteousness and a relationship with God.  Then the worldly wonder why the home is broken and society is in such disarray!

We could have everything we think we want in this life – only to wake up and discover that we still feel hollow and empty inside. This isn’t an opinion, this is a sad reality.  It’s an endless cycle played out nearly every single time by someone who attains all the world has to offer, and they yet still turn to addiction because they still feel lacking… or they end up losing it all through a gluttonous attempt to attain even more… or they tragically commit suicide to escape the loneliness at “the top”.

If material abundance was what Jesus spoke of, then Solomon should have been the happiest man of all time.  However we read that despite having material blessings available to a man, Solomon actually found life to be meaningless.

Ecclesiastes 5:10-15 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. When goods increase, They increase who eat them; So what profit have the owners Except to see them with their eyes? The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep. There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt. But those riches perish through misfortune; When he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand. As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, To go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which he may carry away in his hand.

No, meaning in life isn’t gained by the pursuit of the things of this world.  It’s found by seeking a higher purpose.

Matthew 16:26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

How Do We Attain an Abundant Life? 

Thus, we understand that an abundant life is not about the material, but rather spiritual abundance.  True fulfillment is found only in a right relationship with God!

So how do we attain an abundant life?  It sounds odd and backwards, but one of the first steps involves giving up your life!

Matthew 10:39 …Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

Lose yourself to Jesus.  Turn over your will to Him.  Put your faith, your trust in Jesus.  Allow God to be the ruler of your life and you will transcend the cares of this world.

Faith, submission to God, turning your life and will over to Christ…  These are the first steps in having an abundant life.

Submission and obedience are the culmination of faith.  Unfortunately I think a lot of people miss out on the abundant life that Jesus offers because of their failure to submit.  To them “submission” and “obedience” are ugly, archaic words.  The idea of giving in to someone else puts a sour taste in their mouth; even they have a sincere belief in God.  But if we truly have faith in God and seek to please Him, obedience is necessary!

John 14:15  If you love me, keep My commandments

Why are submission and obedience so important to God?  And is it really so bad to submit to and obey God?

“Honor thy Father and thy Mother”

Our relationship with God in many ways echoes our relationship with our parents (or perhaps, more accurately, it’s the other way around).  It’s little wonder then that God calls for us to honor our parents time and again throughout the Bible.  This instruction is one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12).  Jesus reiterated this command in the Gospels (Matthew 15:3-5).  What does commandment have to do with living an abundant life?
Paul explains in Ephesians.

Ephesians 6:1-3  Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

Let us assume that all parents either were committed to the Lord or – at the very least – had their children’s best interest in mind through the course of their raising.  We know that this is not always the case, but let’s pretend that it is so we can see the wisdom of following God’s pattern.
Parents wish their children well. They want them to be safe, successful, and happy in life.  Parents do not seek to harm their children in any way nor hinder their happiness, although children do not always see it this way.

Parents direct their children in what to do and what not to do.  Whether it’s “look both ways before you cross the street” or “don’t hang out with that group of people”, parents seek to spare children the despair, harm, and consequences of bad choices.  Parents have typically lived long enough that they have gained wisdom from experience and seek to pass on this knowledge to their children.
Isn’t that similar to the relationship between God and mankind?  We’re familiar with the phrases “Mother knows best” and “Father knows best”.  If our earthly parents are wise in their instruction, then how much more is our Heavenly Father?

God’s Commandments are for Our Own Good

In discussing appropriate principles of the marriage relationship, Paul said the following…

1 Corinthians 7:35 …And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper…

Whether it’s proper conduct in marriage or any other commandment given to us in the Bible, unfortunately so much of mankind fail to recognize that God’s instructions are for our own good.  Instead, they indeed see it as a leash.  To them, the Bible is a nothing but a bunch of thou shalt not’s.   They see God’s Law as a long list of restrictions.

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?

Indeed, some of God’s commandments may require self-denial on our part.  But in the long-run we discover that they have been for our very best all along.  He didn’t give us these commands to burden or harm us, but rather to help us.  It’s when we disregard or rebel against God’s commands that we experience the consequences.  The sooner we realize this, the better chance we have at having a fulfilling life (Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14).

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. The burden that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.

Jesus says that His yoke is easy and that His burden is light.  Why not take Him at His word?

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Being Content

We have already established that an abundant life isn’t a life spent in pursuit of the material.  Therefore, whatever our lot is in life, we need to learn to be content with what we have.

Think back to the example of Solomon from the beginning of this lesson and compare his mindset to that of the Apostle Paul.  Solomon had everything on a silver platter, yet felt unfulfilled while Paul, despite his life of hardship learned the value of contentedness.

Philippians 4:11-13  Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

Isn’t that the kind of attitude we need to have to live the abundant life that Christ offered?

A recent global statistic shows that if one has a roof over his head and a meal on his table he is richer than 93 percent of the world’s population.  If a person wears a pair of shoes he is richer than 75 percent of the people in the world.  And yet in the United States credit card debt averages more than $16,000 per household… and yet the discontentment never seems to be satisfied!  We should always consider and be thankful for how blessed we truly are!

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” – Friedrich Koenig

1 Timothy 6:6-8 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

Aside from forfeiting the constant desire for more, there is much to be said about the contentment that comes from being free from worry.  We’ve all experienced stress from jobs or various situations beyond our control.  And yet, in trusting God, we can turn our worries and cares over to Him.

1 Peter 5:6-7  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Believers have a great advantage over unbelievers.  We can put our trust and confidence in God – and while their lives may not be completely worry-free – we have direct access Almighty Creator.  Surely we can rest assured know that He will care for us and that in the end everything will work out!

Romans 8:28   And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Serving God through Serving Others

Matthew 23:11-12  But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

In a roundabout way, mankind has created its own morality.  It’s sad and ironic that society looks down on and disparages Christianity, yet embrace so many of Christ’s teachings despite attempting to bypass Christ Himself.  Even these unbelievers have come to recognize the psychological and emotional benefits of helping others.  Contributing rather than consuming:  Giving time, money, and energy to charitable causes is a fulfilling act that gives purpose to life.

But to the Christian, we recognize that in serving others there is an even deeper meaning.

Matthew 22:36-40  “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Through serving others, we our fulfilling our God-given purpose!   In showing love to our neighbors we are introducing them to Christ!  The abundant life is about lifting others up, supplying their needs and thereby emulating the example that Jesus set.

Matthew 20:28 …Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Living Redeemed

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.

While this verse applies to eternal death and eternal death, I think it is appropriate to apply it to life on this Earth.  Sin is a heavy burden to bear.  Who would want to go through life having to bear the guilt and regret of past mistakes? Thankfully, Christ offers us an out, a chance to be forgiven and go forward with a clear conscience.

Hebrews 9:14 …How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

So many people live life looking backward and dwelling on past mistakes, but if God forgives us we can forgive ourselves.  And if God forgives us, that’s really all that matters.  Once again, we can move forward in life with the assurance that God is on our side; if that’s the case, then who could be against us?

Romans 8:31-39 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What a blessing it is to be forgiven by God and have a second chance at life!

Psalm 32:1-5 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Christians living the abundant life enjoy not just in this world, but also – more importantly –  the next!

Heavenly Hope

Another major advantage that believers have over unbelievers is the assurance of a home in Heaven with Jesus.

John 14:1-4  Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.

We know that this life is short and that whatever hardships we may face are temporary.  When this life is over we will linger on.  Though we ultimately aspire to a home in heaven, we can enjoy the blessing of living that abundant life in the meantime!

Acts 3:19 Repent then and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

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References:  
https://www.gotquestions.org/abundant-life.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-contentment.html