The South West Newfrontiers churches have just returned from the Together in the South West bible weekend. David Devenish spoke 3 times on The Big Story. He did a supreme job of showing that God’s intention for the world has been consistent from the beginning. To dwell with a holy people who will love and enjoy him in holiness.
Penstowe manor holiday park provided an excellent venue for 450 of us who gathered for the weekend.
The ninth commandment, found in Exodus 20 v 16 states
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
What is immediately interesting is that the command is set in the context of community. Don’t lie about your neighbor, rather than simply ‘Don’t lie’. Are we to believe that lying in other contexts is acceptable? Clearly not!!
There is a principle at work here. Isaiah 30 v 18
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Isaiah knew this fundamental truth about God. Any perversion or distortion of this is to undermine the very character of God.
It is impossible to lie without effecting someone else. Consider this for a moment.
For many telling lies becomes a way of life, simply a way to get out of trouble or prompt action in others. Lies fall into the more general category of unrighteousness, which also flies in the face of God’s revealed righteousness.
Lies are often spoken to hide our sins or mistakes, yet to mask one wrong with another is simply nonsensical.
The enemy is described in John 8 v 44 as ‘the father of lies’. To reject honestly is to embrace not only lies but the one from whom all lies proceed.
Solomon knew the great value of honesty.
A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies.
Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth.
An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
Paul helps us to apply all this into the context of life together.
speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Honesty and love go hand in hand. Together the Kingdom of God advances.
Paul teaches us, as he has in many other places, that the christian life is a battle. The moment a person receives Christ they are pitched into the battle of their lives.
So much contemporary christian teaching not only leaves this out but actually teaches something quite different. If many modern preachers are to be believed becoming a christian is like winning the lottery, all your dreams will now come true!! You’ll be rich and comfortable, successful and popular!!
This was clearly not the case for those early disciples, the first to follow Jesus. In fact their experience was much more as Paul is now describing. Andrew and Peter were first to be called by Jesus.
Their battle started immediately, the cost of following Jesus was high. For them it meant…
1.Leaving family traditions.
2.Leaving financial security.
3.Leaving their family business.
4.Leaving home.
5.Leaving everything that was familiar.
6.Attracting attention of authorities.
7.Being confronted with their own shortcomings.
8.Spending long periods of time not really sure what was happening.
9.Seeing friends mistreated and killed.
10.Crossing impossible cultural boundaries.
11.Being imprisoned.
12.Both killed on crosses.
It is safe to deduce that this is a model for all who would follow in their footsteps, and so it has been down the centuries.
Next time we will begin to look at the armor and equipment God has given us to fight and win.