Therefore

Most of us learn the conclusion. Some of our favorite verses are the ones that start with a "therefore". However, we're missing some important lessons if we jump to the conclusion. I had a teacher once who taught that it's worth asking what the "therefore" is "there for".

Recently, at a retreat I asked the men who were gathered to think about Romans 11.36: "For everything comes from [God] and exists by his power and is intended for his glory." (NLT) Everything includes us. I then said, "Paul goes on to write 'therefore' or 'and so'. If you were Paul, how would you continue the thoughts of 11.36 that everything is intended for God's glory? What would be your concluding advice to that truth?"

Likewise, 2 Corinthians 7 starts out with a similar concluding remark: "Because we have these promises, dear friends..." (NLT). How would you continue Paul's thought? The prior verses deal with the truth that we are God's people. We are to be separate from unbelievers and not 'touch' filthy things. He will welcome us if we do. He will be our father and we his family. Therefore...what?

Therefore, it is not our suffering that defiles us. It is our attitude towards the suffering, towards the momentary troubles, to the traffic snarls, to the empty bin of our favorite soup, to the wrongfully made latte, to the dog-walker who ignores the dropping left in our yard...We are to put away filthy things that keep us from God's presence. We are to put away our respectable sins of anxiety, irritability and impatience. We are to be holy as our father in heaven is holy. We are to curb our tongue and guard our heart from lusts and hate. We are to be peacemakers. We are to hunger and thirst for righteousness.

That is my conclusion. Here is Paul's: "Let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God."

Great minds...ahhh, shucks.

God Meets Us Where We're At

One of my favorite stories that allows me to persevere is the one about Thomas after the resurrection. He's heard from others that Jesus is alive but he's not sure. He asks for proof. Christ in his compassion gives Thomas exactly what he asks for--the chance to touch the resurrected body (John 20.24-29).

Other doubters included John the Baptist, when he had been languishing in prison (Luke 7). "Are you really the one? I had thought so when I baptized you but some things have happened to me that make me not so sure," John seemed to be saying. Jesus sent back a message to John's prison cell that would reassure him, we think, enough to persevere even in the face of his eventual death. After the message was sent, Jesus seemed to tell the crowds, "Don't think that because John wanted reassurance that he's weak. No, there is no one with faith like this and he was doing exactly what God wills. He is the greatest in the kingdom. What you saw in him when he preached in the wilderness is still there; he's still the same man of God."

Gideon too was reassured multiple times as he doubted that he really got God's word. "Okay, you told me I was going to save the nation when it was being attacked by marauders, but now there are armies lining up against us. Am I still the leader you wanted?....Sure, I got that sign. Can we try it again just to make sure I'm not reading this wrong?"

In Second Corinthians, Paul has been reassuring the church there. His ministry has gone through rough patches, but Paul says they're still strong (2 Cor. 6.3-12). "We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!" (vv. 11-12 NLT). In response, as a sign of faith, Paul asks for one thing:

Don't team up with unbelievers! (vv. 14-16)

And God will be in our midst. Unbelief cannot reside with belief. Questions and doubts will bring God closer. "I will live among them," Paul quotes from Leviticus 26.12, "and walk among them." This should bring reassurance. We need to avoid being tainted by the scoffers and unbelievers. That will just drag us down till the doubts make us drift away.

If you find this is happening, that your faith-strength is waning because your ministering among those who don't believe, ask God to give you reassurance. What is it you need? A message like John and miracles that prove scripture? Do you need to sense His presence? Do you need a definitive sign that you are indeed on the right path? "Ask and you shall receive. Knock and the door will be opened." (Luke 11.9 abridged)

Disproving Ourselves

The recent book UnChristian notes that most people outside of the church don't like to be around people from the church. They find them too judgmental and political among other things. Jerry Bridges a few years ago wrote Respectable Sins about those subtle, everyday sins we ignore in ourselves and others. Everyone does them and they're not 'anything' like the big sins of murder, abortion, homosexuality, theft, etc. The respectable sins are ones we don't worry about and feel the need to correct in ourselves. We invite Jesus into our hearts, like our homes, but we don't let him rearrange the furniture or adjust the thermoset; we stay in control.

In 2nd Corinthians' chapter 6, Paul states that we "prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us." What are we proving? That we are followers of Jesus? Of course.

In statistics, you can't prove a hypothesis. You can only disprove it. In US and many other countries' courts, you don't need to prove your innocence, the prosecutor needs to disprove it 'beyond a reasonable doubt.'

In our spiritual walks, how would we disprove our 'being like Christ'? If people see the sinfulness in us, our godliness would be disproved. What are the respectable sins?

• Ungodliness--rarely doing anything for the glory of God, for the honor of God and developing a closer relationship with Him and becoming more conformed with His image;
• Anxiety and Frustration
• Discontentment
• Unthankfulness
• Pride
• Selfishness
• Lack of self-control
• Impatience and Irritability--my personal demons
• Anger
• Judgmentalism--what we are accused of by those outside the church
• Envy, Jealousy
• Sins of the Tongue
• Worldliness

Many of those, I'm sure, sound and look familiar. If you're filled with the Holy Spirit and are capable of bearing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5.22-23), would there be any evidence from the list above to disprove it?

I said impatience and irritability are my personal demons and I've been praying that God would reveal to me and help me to overcome them. Tough sometimes in traffic! But possible.