In This Issue

• HAVE YOU DIED LATELY

• THE PROBLEM OF PRIVATE LUST

• TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH

• MORE INFORMATION...

HAVE YOU DIED LATELY

Paul said, "I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily" (1 Cor. 15:31). Moffat translates: "Not a day but what I am at death's door." Paul is saying that his work and life as a Christian placed him in daily danger. 

In like vein he said to the Romans, "as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long ..." ( 8:36 ). Again, the faithful Christian must be prepared to "die daily." Paul was called upon to do so, and so may we be. 

But when we think about it, how long has it been since I was "killed" for the Lord? How long has it been since I "died" for his cause? You say, "but I have not been faced with a critical situation that would call for this." Perhaps so, and this is the ideal, and is probably so in most cases. But there are more subtle ways of "dying" for the Lord than having to face the persecution of the world.

Have you recently been called upon to make a decision between what you might want and what the Lord might expect of you? Would you sacrifice your "feelings" in the matter to please God? If not, you refused to "die" for him. 

It may be a "small" thing, such as a failure to give financially for the work of the church in order to have something that you might want. In order for you to have it, you must withhold what is rightfully the Lord's. Yes, we are faced with insignificant decisions compared to those faced by Paul - it ought to make us ashamed.

When the well known "peer pressure" is brought to bear on you, do you yield to that rather than what God tells you is right? Does it really mean that much to look good in the eyes of your associates? The decisions you make are probably pretty good indicators of how you would act under more trying and difficult circumstances.

Read Second Corinthians 11:24-33 and see what Paul had to face. Read the life of Jesus and see what he was called upon to endure. Our lives are never in danger such as were theirs - and yet they were willing to face this every day in order to be right with God. We ought to be willing to demonstrate the same spirit and "die daily" if need be.

- Bill Moseley, Taylors, South Carolina

THE PROBLEM OF PRIVATE LUST

Lust has gone public in America. No subject is too delicate for a television or movie script. Pornography is big business. Absolutely nothing is left to the imagination. Yet, this business would utterly fail were it not for the fact that it feeds the private yearnings of corrupted hearts. It is from this private cesspool of defilement that this flowing well of licentiousness comes. Polluted minds demand a diet of contamination to gratify illicit hunger. This creates a climate in which the problem only feeds itself.

No man ever rises above the quality of his own mind. One cannot be more perverse than his heart allows him to be. Conversely, pure and noble words and deeds first proceed from hearts that are pure and noble. "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23). "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7).

The potentiality of private lust was recognized by Jesus when He said, "Whoso looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). In this context Jesus not only condemned the act of adultery, but also the progressions of thought which culminate in this forbidden act. It is not wrong to recognize beauty. Some have a charm and grace which is at once attractive and appealing. But it is a far different thing to allow the mind to descend to the level of fantasizing about sexual relations with one we have found to be appealing. So then, the heart must keep a distinction between admiration and lust. It is in the heart that reserves are broken down and that schemes are devised to gain attention, then seduce the one who become the object of our obsession. Adultery committed in the heart, but which proceeds no farther, may not have the frightful consequences which the overt act does -- but it is still an affront to God and destructive to the character of the one who entertains it. Recognition of the wrong and repentance are surely required.

The problem is pervasive in our society. Many streams strive to erode a channel into our hearts to pervert them. Modern television programming, to say nothing of the movie industry, grind out a continual stream of coarseness, vulgarity, sexual innuendo and compromising scenes which could wear down the best defenses of the most godly were these allowed constant entry into the mind. The print media carry reports which often titillate the senses. Even television news programming often resorts to this device; I suppose to add what is conceived to be "spice" to an otherwise dry business. The music of our time, with incessant beat, preaches moral permissiveness and does much to break down convictions and moral reserves. Perhaps the two worst offenders in this area are today's rock and country-western music. The lyrics are not even subtle. They are brazen. How can any of us listen repeatedly to such lyrics without being affected to some degree?

What about pornography? Is it nobody's business what a person reads or views in his own home? Should he have the Playboy channel hooked up to his cable TV? First, those who defend such right are the losers because they defile and debauch their own hearts to the destruction of their souls. Next, they contribute to a sordid business which promotes vice of every kind. Then, they run the risk of reaching a point where they cannot separate fact from fantasy and that can lead to criminal action. Unrealistic expectations develop which create disillusionment between spouses. The price for gratification of mental lust can become very expensive.

The divine mandate to "flee fornication" (1 Cor. 6:18) must surely include flight from whatever channels of thought might lead us to this tragedy. We must not be filthy dreamers" (Jude 8) with defiled minds. In contrast to that, "Unto the pure all things are pure" (Titus 1:15). It is not enough to root out impurity of thought. These must be replaced with that which is decent, ennobling, gracious, uplifting and pure. "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:22). Whatsoever things are...pure...lovely...of good report...think on these things" (Philippians 4:8).

Ultimately, the victory over private lust is bound up in the admonition of Paul to bring "into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). Christ must not only be Lord of my external conduct; He must rule my mind. "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Rom. 8:6). Paul wrote, "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members" (Rom. 7:23). Folks, this is a war we must win. Shall private lusts conquer us, or shall we bring our thoughts into captivity to our Lord Jesus Christ?

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer (Psalm 19:14). "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God" (Psalm 42:1).

Indeed, "a mind is a terrible thing to waste!" It was God's purpose to put His law into our hearts and write His precepts in our minds (Heb. 10:16). When the mind is so filled with the knowledge of truth and right, then whatever thought-form is inconsistent with that divine system is rejected as repulsive. It cannot grow in unprepared soil. The antidote to private lust is a constantly growing knowledge of the will of God accompanied by an active life of service in which the fruits of righteousness may be seen by others.

- Connie W. Adams, Christianity Magazine, Vol. 1, Number 5

TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH

While going through some old clothes I tried on a shirt that had seen many good days of enjoyable wear. Unfortunately, when I tried it on this time I realized that the faithful old garment did not cover as well as it did at one time. (Obviously it had shrunk.) I concluded, “Clothes do better and look better when we don’t ask them to do too much.” I have since discovered other situations where we ask some things to do too much:

Sometimes we ask our jobs do too much. We try to make our jobs our identity. We try to make our jobs our reason for being. We try to make our jobs the fulfillment of all our dreams. Our jobs were never intended to be everything.

Sometimes we ask our possessions to do too much. We think if we can have the newest outfit, the latest gadget, the shiniest model, the biggest house, and the fastest car our life will be complete. Our possessions were never designed to give our life meaning.

Sometimes we ask our relationships to do too much. A wife asks her husband to give her life meaning. A husband asks his wife to build him up and make him feel important. A mother asks her children to fill her life with purpose and significance. Relationships were never supposed to make life abundant.

Sometimes we ask our words to do too much. We ask our words to prove our love. We ask our words to convince people of our faith. We ask our words to replace our physical presence. Our words were never created to do all those things.

The Gospel of Mark records this story about a woman who did not try to do too much, she did what she could: Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.” 

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (Mark 14:1-8, NIV)

This woman was commended for simply doing what she could. She did not try to do too much. She just did what she could. Maybe we would do well to just do what we can and not try to do too much.

Today . . . just do what you can. 

– Tom Norvell © Copyright 2005 All Rights Reserved.

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