Chapter 19 - Are You Just A Sunday Christian?

Freedom from Captivity

Chapter 19

Are You Just A Sunday Christian?

We read in Luke 23:43, Jesus said to him, "I can guarantee this truth: Today you will be with me in paradise." (GW) 

These are the words of Lord Jesus as he hung on the cross, to the thief who hung on a cross adjacent to Him. In his last dying moments, as the man called out to Lord Jesus to have mercy on him, these were the comforting words of Lord Jesus to him. Our Lord Jesus assured him that there was a certainty of life after death, and He also ensured him that he would have a place with Him in paradise.

In Luke 16:23we read, “And in Hades he lifted up his eyes as he was in torment and saw Abraham from a distance, and Lazarus at his side.” (LEB)

For a background to the above mentioned verse, this was an incident that Jesus shared with the people about a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus.  In this event, Jesus is talking about a place called Hades or Hell that the rich man found himself in after his death, a place of intense torment.

Many people in the world today live complacently, completely engrossed in the temporal, giving no thought whatsoever to what lies ahead after their death. There are others who when faced with struggles and hardships decide that the only option for them is to end their own lives, not realizing that their life is not just for here and now, but that they have a soul that lives on to eternity. As much as our physical life on earth is a reality, we must constantly remind ourselves that the life after death is also a reality. The important thing to realize is that while paradise is a place of joy and comfort, hell or hades is a place of unending agony and torment.

In Luke 16:19 we read, “There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:” (Webster)

This is the description that Jesus gave about the man mentioned in the verse above; He was a rich man, dressed in expensive clothes, ate the best of food and had a good house.  Here was a man who had everything that a person on earth would wish and desire to have.

In Luke 16:20-21, we read,“And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores,  And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.” (Webster)

If one were to compare the poor beggar Lazarus with the rich man, he had a very pathetic life. He was a poor man, with no proper clothes, a body filled with sores, had no food and longed to be fed from crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table, he was also so weak that he couldn’t even drive away the dogs that came and licked his sores.  Obviously he had no home as he lay helplessly at the gate of the rich man. However the Lord referred to the poor man by his name Lazarus, which means ‘God is my helper’ and true to the meaning of his name, God helped him.

Both of them died, but after his death the rich man went to Hades while Lazarus was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. Strangely the Bible says that when the rich man looked up from the place of torment, he recognized Abraham and Lazarus in paradise. The fact that he identified Abraham implies that he must have been familiar with the scriptures and probably went to the temple regularly. Though he was a man with great affluence and pomp, the Lord Jesus did not even care to mention his name, except for the fact that he was a rich man.

The rich man had his trust placed entirely on his wealth and didn’t care one bit about poor Lazarus. When the Lord looked at the rich man, he perceived him as one in deep poverty with no empathy whatsoever for the one who was destitute and helpless. Moreover the rich man had the wrong understanding that because of the kind of wealth he possessed, he could continue to live in ease and extravagance forever.  The poor man Lazarus on the other hand had to depend on the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table for his very sustenance.

In Luke 12:21, "Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God." (NLT)

The Lord calls him a fool who has all of the worldly wealth, is so obsessed and enthralled by it, that he misses out on having a relationship with the God of the universe. There are so many who are simply satisfied with the thought that all is going well with them, and do not care to reach out the lost, the sick, needy or anyone else.

The Priest and Levite who walked away

In Luke 10:31-32, we read,“It so happened that a priest was going down that road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by on the other side.In the same way a Levite also came there, went over and looked at the man, and then walked on by on the other side.”(GNB)

Jesus shared the parable of the Good Samaritan, where a man was waylaid by robbers who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him and left him half dead. We notice how both the Priest and the Levite, probably going on to perform their duties at the temple, chose to walk away and ignore a helpless man in need, while that was the precise reason they were called by God.

The Good Samaritan on the other hand was a picture of Jesus who stopped, bound the wounds of the man with wine and oil, put him on his own donkey and took him to the safety of an inn. In doing so, his work was disrupted but he knew what his real purpose was. So too, the purpose of the church is that we be a blessing and serve those outside who are in all kinds of needs. When we meet those wounded people on the way, those whom Satan has robbed of their joy, peace, health etc., instead of walking away, let us take time to reach out and bring them into fellowship of a church.

The bondage of being content with church attendance only

There are many who are simply content with being members of a church where they worship regularly, give their tithes and offerings, being content with thought that they have an institution where they can get their children married and their funerals taken care of. Here’s a word of caution to such, if we know the word of God, but have no personal relationship with the Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we too like the rich man are destined for hell. Our church attendance is of no value, if there is no transformation in our everyday lives, and if we don’t go and share the good news of the gospel to those outside. If our only goal is to receive all God’s blessings and keep it to ourselves and don’t share the love of Jesus and the salvation he offers to those needy ones outside the gates of our church, we too are selfish and in no way better than the rich man who kept all the good things God bestowed on him to himself. We may not realize it, but this is a bondage the Lord must free us from. It is only when we are freed from this bondage can we be a blessing to others.

The rich man was probably renowned and accomplished but the Lord did not even care to mention his name. Though Lazarus was a poor and destitute man, he must have had great faith in God, for the Lord was mindful to mention his name. He may not have been able to go to church, but right where he was he must have sought after the Lord. Like the poor beggar we may be those not recognized by society, but the point we must ponder is, whether the Lord know us, for only then are we assured of a place in paradise.

There are so many leading self-centered and self-indulgent lives, amassing wealth, never considering the needs of those around, not grasping the reality that when we die they can take nothing with them. It is only when we come to terms with this fact, will we change the way we live. Our physical death is not an end in itself, it is the beginning of an eternal life in either one of two destinations, paradise or hell. In order to get to paradise, it is imperative that we live the life of obedience to the word of God as Jesus commanded us to. Our zeal must not be for the church we attend or for leaders, our caste or language but our zeal must be only for the Lord.

We read in James 4:17, “If, however, a man knows what it is right to do and yet does not do it, he commits a sin.” (WNT) James explains it this way, sin is not only doing wrong things but if we don’t do the right things (acts of love and service to others) deliberately, that too is sin.

Many people downplay the incident of the rich man and Lazarus because they don’t want to believe that there is a place called hell. This is not a parable as some would like to think, but an event Lord 

Jesus Himself explained as He went on to specifically mention the names of Lazarus, Abraham and Moses. Two destinations were also clearly portrayed, hades or hell where the rich man ended up in and paradise where Lazarus was seen with Abraham. Let us not deceive ourselves to believe that there is no life after death or that there is no place called hell.  It is only when we keep these two destinations in perspective, will we be guided to live in a way that is pleasing to God.

In Luke 16:22, we read, “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.”(NKJV)

When the poor man died, his body might have been unclaimed, but he was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. On the other hand the rich man might have had a good burial with much honor but he ended up in hell.

There are so many who are gripped with the fear of death, but for those who believe in the Lord Jesus and live in obedience to His word, we have the assurance that we will be with the Lord forever.

In Luke 16:23-24, we read, “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’”(CSB)

As the rich man agonized in hell, he looked up and recognized Abraham and Lazarus and was in total shock. He begged Abraham to have mercy on him, to send Lazarus to dip his finger and place a drop of water on his tongue to cool it down, as the heat and torment in hell was unbearable. The one who didn’t care to show sympathy to poor Lazarus, was now in a place begging for benevolence.  If we turn away from those who are in dire straits, one day we too will call on the Lord and receive no favor or mercy from Him.

We read in Luke 16: 25-27, But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, or I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ (NKJV)

Our physical death spells a finality, and there is no way anyone can make changes or redo those things that were left undone after we die. The rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth to warn his brothers, but it was too late. We must be burdened for the lost while here on earth. Let us make the best use of this life the Lord has gifted to us, to share the good news with others, serve the needy, wipe their tears and pray for others, for only then will we find our way to the place that the Lord has prepared for those who love Him. Life after death is a certainty, and we can choose to be in either one of two places forever. We can live with the Lord in that place of explainable joy where He reigns forever as Lord Almighty or the place of unending turmoil and agony, shut out from the Lord’s presence forever. The decision is ours, and it has to be made while we are here on earth.

Prayer

Loving Heavenly Father, I pray that I should never be a Christian believer with two standards.  I don't want to be a Christian only on sundays but I need to live a life of faith every day.  Thank you for teaching me that You have taught us about the rich man and Lazarus to understand that heaven and hell are for real.  Help me to set my priorities right.  In Lord Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Br. A.Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com

Chapter 18 - A Good Conscience

Freedom from Captivity

Chapter 18

A Good Conscience

We read in Act 23:1, “And looking intently at the council, Paul said, "Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day."(ESV)

As the Apostle Paul stood on trial before the council of religious leaders, he bravely testified that he had lived his life before God with all good conscience. These leaders who tried Paul, were those who adhered to the Law of Moses meticulously, who were bound by religious traditions, but in reality had no personal relationship with God. No wonder then, that Jesus when He was here on earth, was indignant with these religious leaders and referred to them as white-washed tombs. Outwardly they were doing it all right, but inside they were filled with every form of evil. When Paul was confronted by these leaders, whose conscience was actually defiled, he courageously announced that his conscience was clear and untainted before God. Paul understood these religious leaders better than anyone else, as he himself as a Pharisee had once been a part of this group before He met the Lord.

We have looked at our conscience as a good thing God has placed inside of us, which serves as an internal audit to help us assess ourselves and live right. That is also the reason why when someone behaves unjustly, we refer to them as those who act against their conscience or have no conscience at all. Therefore, if we claim to have a good conscience, it would mean that all of our words, thoughts and actions that we engage in all through the week seen and unseen, are totally pleasing to God and have the Lord’s approval. Our desire must be to strive to lead lives that are transparent which the Lord favors and approves of, so that we can stand before Him with a clean conscience.  The evil one’s crafty scheme is to trap us into sin, and then accuse us of wrong doing. In order to be overcomers we need God’s grace and strength, for only those who are victorious can stand before God with a good conscience. We must be determined to do nothing that would displease or dishonor the Lord in any way.

Paul’s testimony

In Act 22:3 we read, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here in Jerusalem as a student of Gamaliel. I received strict instruction in the Law of our ancestors and was just as dedicated to God as are all of you who are here today.” (GNB) 

In Act 22:4, we read, “And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison.” (NLT)

This is the testimony of Paul that he shared with the members of the council. Paul, (who was earlier named Saul), was a religious Jew who underwent strict religious training and instruction in the Law of Moses under Gamaliel.  Not only was he zealous about the traditions of his fathers, he was antagonistic to Jesus and his teachings. His mission was to arrest, persecute and put to death those who followed Jesus and His Way. Strange as it may seem, Paul did not think it wrong to even kill those who believed in Jesus, though he believed in the Law of Moses which forbid murder, because Paul believed that he was doing God a favor by eradicating those who believed in Jesus. All of what Paul did, he did with a good conscience, in ignorance, not realizing he was doing wrong, because he believed with all his heart on what he had been taught.

Traditions that bind us today

Let us list some of the traditions that people follow today, all of which is done with a good conscience, but do need to be scrutinized to see if they are in keeping with God and His word. Many people observe lent, they fast for 40 days in a year, abstain from meat, drinking alcohol and try not to indulge in any sinful habits for that period of time.  Some observe this strictly with the anticipation that by so doing, they can please God somehow, and can thereby receive favors from God. There are those who believe that irrespective of how they earn their money, if they go to church and give their tithes to God regularly, He will be pleased with them. There are those who have been taught that by repeating the Lord’s Prayer for a certain number of time or certain phrases repeatedly, they will be blessed by God.

There is another tradition called the observance of ‘Palm Sunday’.If we recall that day Jesus entered triumphantly into Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowds followed him shouting ‘hosanna to the Son of David’ casting their garments and palm branches before Jesus. But sadly it was the same people who when Jesus stood trial before Pilate, shouted along with the Pharisees that Jesus be crucified.  Not understanding the significance of what Jesus really did, many place their importance on the palms that are distributed on that Sunday. They believe that if they make a cross out of the palm leaf and fasten it to their door frames, they could ward off the attack of the evil one. Some have the habit of keeping their Bibles next to their pillow when they sleep, hoping that evil spirits will be kept at bay.

If we were to analyze our lives, we may realize that there are so many traditions that bind us and it seems almost impossible for us to be rid of them. It is a worthy reminder to all of us that these meaningless traditions will never save us from our sins, and the Lord is not pleased with them. The traditions we follow may be done with a good conscience, but they are of no value and are literally worthless in the sight of God.

So also the Jewish leaders in Jesus’ day were so bound by the Law of Moses and blinded by the traditions that they had been taught, that they failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. The ones who got Jesus arrested and sent to be crucified were not the Romans but these Jewish leaders, the Pharisees, the scribes and chief priests. These were so blinded by their traditions, that they could not perceive who Jesus was, neither could they accept His teachings and were hostile to Him. They were so entrenched in what they had been taught, that they did not hesitate to do anything to those who did not subscribe to their teachings.

When Jesus came down to the earth to save mankind from their sins, He left or willingly gave up all the glory and splendor of heaven. If the Lord Jesus did not do that, there would be no way any of us could be saved and make it to heaven.  The Lord who gave it all up for our sakes, is inviting us to abandon all the traditions, which we could otherwise call as our ‘comfort zones’ and follow Him. There are many who want to hold on to both Jesus and their traditions, not realizing that it is an impossibility, as Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “No one is able to serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and he will love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and he will despise the other. You are not able to serve God and mammon.” (BLB)

Paul’s encounter with Jesus

In Act 22:6-8, Paul says, "As I was traveling and coming near Damascus, about midday a bright light from the sky flashed suddenly around me.  I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute,' he said to me.”(GNT)

Paul who was then called Saul, had this amazing encounter with the risen Lord Jesus on the way to 

Damascus. Though Paul was ardently persecuting the people of God, when the Lord confronted Paul He asked him, ‘Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?’ Though the persecution was aimed at God’s people, the Lord considered it a directed towards Himself. It was this astonishing meeting with Jesus that made Paul realize that all the traditions he held on for so long were of no value in the sight of God.  He had been actually fighting against God.

Whenever the people of God are persecuted, isn’t it an overwhelming thought to know that the Lord empathizes with us and regards it as being wronged Himself. In order to enter the Kingdom of God we too like Paul must have a personal relationship with Jesus, for He alone can transform us.  We must not fear but be willing to discard all those traditions that the Lord does not approve of and only then we will see radical changes in our lives. Once we begin this journey of following Jesus, we will find that we will face opposition from all quarters because we will suddenly get noticed as those who truly follow Jesus. We must bear in mind that only the ones who follow the word of God and live in accordance to the will of God will enter heaven.

Transformation in Paul

Here’s what Paul says in Philippians 3:8, “Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ.” (CEV)

When Paul met Jesus Christ, everything else he held on to earlier became garbage or rubbish. In his ignorance he had earlier followed the traditions of men. Thevery faith that Paul tried to destroy, the Lord chose and called him to rebuild. The ones whom Paul hated and persecuted in his blindness, became the very ones that Paul dearly loved and built up.

Many are fearful of change because it goes against the grain of people around them, and the society they live in. If we seek to have a good conscience that is alignment with God and His word, then there is no room for double standards, we are called to let go of all those unnecessary traditions that profit us nothing.

In 2 Timothy 1:12, Paul says “For which cause I suffer also these things: yet I am not ashamed; for I know him whom I have believed.” (ASV) and in Philippians 1:21, he goes on to say further “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”(ESV)

The change that the Lord brought in Paul was so astounding, that Paul no longer considered sufferings for Christ as something to be ashamed of.  The one who persecuted the people of God was now ready, and willing to be persecuted for the cause of Christ. He was even ready to face death, because He knew whom He had believed, and knew that death was not the end, but would only be his gain as he would be with Jesus for all eternity.

Before his conversion Paul followed the traditions of men with a good conscience, and persecuted the church of God. However, after that encounter with Jesus, Paul’s good conscience was totally depending on God and His word. He was used by the Lord to build the church that he once so vehemently destroyed.

And so we need to ask ourselves another question, ‘who is guiding our conscience?’ If we live only for worldly positions, possession, fame and earthly blessings, seeking to compromise with the standards of this world, we will never obtain a good and clean conscience. Instead of being ardent about our church, the building, our caste, our language, our work etc., we must chose to be zealous only about the Lord. Sadly, the major hindrance for many to come to believe and follow the Lord Jesus, is not those outside the church, but those of us within. We have failed to live consistent lives in obedience to the Lord and His word, thereby forsaking a good conscience. Like Paul each of us should be able to stand and testify as he did before the council in Acts 23:1, that ‘we have lived our lives before God in all good conscience’. When we live this way, others will certainly see the difference in our lives and will earnestly desire to follow Jesus and become His disciples.

Prayer

Our Heavenly Father, I learnt about Paul and how he claims to have lived with a good conscience.  I now know that it is possible and I ask for Your grace to help me live my life according to the standards of Your Word and not the ever changing standards of this world.  Thank you for giving me a good conscience.  In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, I pray, Amen.

Br. A.Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com

Chapter 17 - When emotions stifle our conscience

Freedom from Captivity

Chapter 17

When emotions stifle our conscience

In Genesis 42:21, we read, “Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” (ESV)

These are the words of the brothers of Joseph as they stood before him, unaware that the Governor of Egypt before whom they stood, was their own brother Joseph whom they mercilessly threw in a pit, and later sold as a slave to some merchants. They attributed the predicament they were in, to the hardness of their hearts when they ignored their brother Joseph’s plea, when he begged them in his distress and pleaded with them to have mercy on him.

When jealousy overpowers our conscience

In Genesis 42:9-12, we read, “And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.  And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.”(WBT)

For a background to this story, Joseph was sold by his brothers as a slave, but the Lord intervened and raised Joseph to become a ruler, next in command to Pharaoh, King of Egypt. The severe famine in Israel had forced the brothers of Joseph to go to Egypt to buy food for their families. The Lord was with Joseph and has raised him up to be the Governor in Egypt, but his brothers were unable to recognize him.  When Joseph accused them of being spies, who had come to survey the land of Egypt, the brothers of Joseph felt compelled to give Joseph a background to their family. They mentioned that they were twelve sons of the same father, and that one of the son’s was lost, and the youngest was back home with their Dad.

When Joseph refused to believe their explanation, his brothers begged him to have pity on them, but he turned a deaf ear and threw them in prison for three days. Joseph later released them on the condition that they bring back their younger brother, when they come back for more food. As Joseph’s brothers stood before Joseph with fear and dread of what would happen to them, they recalled a similar situation many years ago, when they had ruthlessly sold their brother Joseph into slavery, and had completely ignored his cries for mercy. They perceived that the reason for their predicament was because of what they connived and did most heartlessly to their brother, not giving heed to his intense cries for help. Even though their conscience bothered them as they sold their brother, the brothers of Joseph were so overwhelmed with the feelings of jealousy, that their conscience got dulled in the process. Their jealousy was so extreme that they stilled the voice of their conscience, and sold their own brother for money, as a slave to strangers.

The reasons Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him was that their father favored him. Joseph was also a young man of integrity, who would not tolerate any indiscipline from his elder brothers and would report them to his father. The Lord gave Joseph dreams about his glorious future, which Joseph shared with his brothers, all of which made his brothers even more envious of Joseph. Joseph however, lived with the awareness that the Lord was with him and watching over him.

As we have looked at in the previous chapters, our conscience is God’s precious gift to us, that cautions us before we do wrong, convicts us when the deed is being done and worries us with guilt when we are done with wrong doing.  When we like Joseph, are rejected by our family or society, we can be sure that the Lord is working out something amazing in our lives.  The very people who despise us will one day come to us, to seek our favor and therefore there is no need to despair.

Many people are struggling with these intense emotions of jealousy. Notice how jealousy arises in our hearts only when we compare ourselves with others, their looks, their position, possessions etc. Most often our comparisons are only with those who are doing better than us, never with those who have much less than us.  If we don’t train ourselves to be content with what we have, we will be overpowered by jealousy. When feelings of jealousy, overtake us, we will find the voice of our conscience will be stifled and sometimes stilled within us, thereby prompting us to do things that are contrary to God’s will and plans.

Joseph’s brothers stood where he stood once

We read in Acts 7:9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him.” (ESV)

Though the evil deed of selling their own brother was done more than thirteen years ago, the brothers of Joseph stood convicted and condemned because of the voice of their conscience, which was awakened by their predicament, as they stood before the Governor of Egypt.  The reason for their hatred towards Joseph was their intense feeling of jealousy, which when left uncontrolled, stilled the voice of their conscience.

The brothers of Joseph who treated him so unkindly and harshly now stood in exactly the same place before their brother, begging his benevolence. The only difference was that when Joseph begged for their mercy, they knew him but now they begged mercy to the Egyptian Governor, unaware that it was their own brother.

God can turn every unfavorable event to a favorable one, if only we listen and live in obedience to the voice of our conscience.

When anger overpowers our conscience

We read in Genesis 4:4-5, “Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.” (ESV)

Cain and Abel desired to worship God and both of them presented an offering to the Lord.  The Lord examined their hearts before he approved their offerings, and by so doing God accepted Abel and his offering while He rejected Cain and his offering.  When God shunned Cain’s offering, instead of feeling remorse, Cain was filled with anger towards God and his brother. Cain’s anger was heightened by the thought that his brother found favor with God, and he did not.

We must keep in mind that God always looks deep into our heart, and can assess the true motive behind every action of ours. Like in Cain, the other emotion that is very strong in most of us is anger. Anger is a God given emotion, but if our anger is uncontrolled it displeases the Lord.

We read in Genesis 4:6-7, “The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” (ESV)

God graciously spoke to Cain and cautioned him as to what lay ahead of him, and surely his own conscience spoke to him, but Cain’s anger was so intense that it stilled the voice of God and his conscience. God being a loving God, encouraged him that if he did well, he too would be accepted but Cain was so filled with anger, he failed to hear God and chose not to respond to Him. Cain failed to heed God and the voice of his conscience, but he let his anger take control of his life. As God spoke to Cain, he remained silent and refused to respond back to God because anger had overpowered him. He had also decided beforehand, on what he would do to his brother Abel. Cain masked his anger, took his younger brother Abel to the field and killed him. When anger conquered Cain he did the unthinkable, and later pleaded with God that his life be spared.

Anger is good if it is for the right reason, but our anger should always be under control.  Uncontrolled anger will ruin our lives, and the lives of those around us. Extreme anger will also smother the voice of conscience within us, and make us do things that we will most certainly regret later.

When lust overpowers our conscience

King David had many wives and many children. Among his children, some were blood brothers and sisters while others were half-brothers and half-sisters (which refers to those who had the same father but different mothers). David’s son Absalom and David’s daughter Tamar were half-brother and half-sister.

We read in 2 Samuel 13:1, “After this, Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David fell in love with her.”(MEV)  

Though Amnon was well aware of his relationship with Tamar, Amnon lusted after his sister Tamar because she was very beautiful.  He was so infatuated by her beauty, that he was completely disoriented and obsessed by Tamar.

In 2 Samuel 13:3, we read, “But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very crafty man.” (AMPC)

Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, who was a cunning man and when Amnon asked Jonadab for advice, he led him astray. He counselled Amnon to pretend to be sick, request that his sister Tamar be made to bring food and take care of him, so he could turn the situation to his advantage to have her as he desired. Amnon had a conscience that convicted him that what he craved for, and was about to do to his sister was a detestable thing.  However, he was so overcome with his lust for Tamar, that he was not inclined to listen to the voice of his conscience. He went ahead and sexually abused Tamar, and the consequence he faced later was death. Amnon who could have been king in the place of his father David, was a later avenged by Tamar’s brother Absalom who murdered him. 

Many young people today are confused between the emotions of love and lust.  Someone said it this way, ‘love is blind, but marriage is the eye-opener.’  When overtaken by lust, the emotions are heightened and our conscience becomes silent. We should also be cautious as to the kind of friends we choose to have. There are lot of people who are crafty in their ways, and are being led by the evil one. If we go to such people for counsel, we can be sure that we will be misled into making wrong choices, and end up doing inappropriate things. Our counsellors and friends should always be godly people, who will lead us in the right ways of God.

In Ephesians 4:31, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”(NIV)

If we study this verse closely, we see that there is a process explained; it begins with bitterness, which leads to rage and anger, resulting in quarrels, followed by slander which then opens the door to all forms of malice. Many are unaware of the evil power of bitterness, which if left unchecked as the word of God says, can be compared to a root that remains deeply embedded in our hearts, which then leads us into every form of malice.

We must be conscious of the emotions that rule our lives. We have looked at jealousy, anger and lust, all of which must be under the control of the Holy Spirit.  We must never allow our emotions to overrule the voice of our conscience which the Lord has graciously placed inside of us.

Let us ask the Holy Spirit of God to awaken our conscience.  As long as we live in this world we will constantly struggle with our emotions. But let us be mindful to not let the jealousy of Josephs’ brothers, the anger of Cain or the lust of Amnon overpower us. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can keep our emotions under control, and live our lives in a way that is completely pleasing to the Lord.  Let us live in obedience to the prompting of the conscience that the Lord has instilled inside each one of us. Let us make it our goal to live like Jesus did, a life of holiness that pleases God in every way.

Prayer

Our Heavenly Father, help me to be careful about how I deal with my emotions.  I understand that if I do not keep my emotions under control by the power of the Holy Spirit, I will not be able to live a life that pleases You.  I decide today that all my emotions will be under control and I will live according to the leading of Your Holy Spirit. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.

Br. A.Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com

Chapter 16 - The Reason We Submit to Authority

Freedom from Captivity

Chapter 16

The Reason We Submit to Authority

In Romans 13:5 we read, “We must obey therefore, not only in order to escape punishment, but also for conscience' sake.” (WNT)

All of us are familiar with the principle that if we don’t obey rules and submit to those in authority, we will get punished, and this convention is manifested in various spheres of our lives. For example, parents in order to get their children to study, often admonish them with various consequences, schools punish children for late coming by imposing fines on them, employers threaten employees at work place with pay cuts for uniformed leave or absence from work, relations are often compelled into participating in family functions fearing being ostracized by them in future and so also many people comply to the rule of wearing helmets only because of the apprehension of being caught by the cops. By and large we have become a society, who conform to rules and accede to authority only because we fear punishment for non-compliance.

For instance, a father advises his son to wear a helmet while driving his motorbike. The youth argues with his Dad that this won’t be necessary, as he has the money to pay the fine if caught. He also justifies his behavior further with the reasoning that, even if he were to be caught, he would pay the fine once and then he could go around the whole day with the receipt in his pocket and have no fear of being taken again. Here is an example of a young man who is willfully breaking a rule, willing to pay the fine and chooses to operate against his conscience.

When this kind of behavior is translated to our relationship with God, we choose to obey Him only because we are gripped with fear and dread of retribution by God, not realizing that our God a loving God, and we are totally safe only when we submit to His Lordship and authority.

Obedience that originates from this kind of fear of penalty is not true obedience. That is the reason why the apostle Paul exhorts us in Romans 13:5, that our obedience must stem from our conscience and not because we fear the consequences of disobedience. Our conscience is that inner voice and testimony from within our own heart, and is something that cannot be stilled or manipulated. We might be able to deceive people with our behavior and talk, but we can never defraud our own conscience.

It is in the context of submitting to every kind of authority placed over us, Paul admonished believers to live by the directive of their conscience. The primary reason we are required to submit to authority, is that all authority has been ordained by God Himself. When we disrespect authority, we are dishonoring the Lord who established the same.

If the only reason we obey authority is fear of retribution, we will scheme and look for ways to evade every possible rule. Many people look at people in authority as their adversaries, rather than those appointed by God for their good.

In Romans 13:1 we read, “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” (NLT)

Authority starts at home, the Lord has placed the wife under the authority of her husband, children are under the authority of their parents and this extends to our schools, our work place, in society and in every single area of our daily lives. Authority is something we will never be able to evade. Even a person in business may be functioning independently, but he too is accountable to the government and is obligated to follow certain rules and regulations set by them. Every form of authority comes from God alone, but many people consider authority as a burden, and therefore choose to disrespect any form of authority.

Let us look at the various relationships where God has established this authority.

Parent – children relationship

At home, parents exercise authority over their children and constantly instruct them entirely for their good, but often children may not perceive it as such. The parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15: 11-20, is a valuable example, where the younger boy rebelled against the authority of his father, and chose to go on his own. He demanded his share of property, which should have rightfully come to him only after his father’s death. As the young man had no respect for his father, he confiscated his share from his Dad while he was still alive, which the father being a kind man relinquished to him. The younger son we read in Luke 15:13, stayed on for a few more days with his family, probably pretended to be a good chap and then took off with everything that belonged to him, moved to a distant land and spent all that he had in riotous living.

In Luke 15:16 we read, “The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.” (NLT)

After having wasted all of his father’s wealth, the younger son was now, famished and in a deplorable state where even the pods that pigs ate seemed good enough to satisfy his intense hunger. The reason for the arduous situation the young man was in, was because he did not respect the love and authority of his father, but chose to walk away in disobedience and rebellion.

Many children rebel and walk out of their homes without realizing that the authority that is exercised over them by their parents, is only for their welfare and in no way for their detriment. As parents if we don’t use the authority God has entrusted to us and discipline our children whenever necessary, we are in a way abdicating the responsibility that God has committed to us. Our disciplining our children is for their good, and it will ensure that their future is great. We must teach our children to respect everyone, and this respect must firstly be modelled at home. If we tolerate disrespect from our children at home, we can be sure they will never respect others outside. Children must be taught that though discipline seems hard at the present time, it is for their benefit so that they have a blessed life ahead of them. It is also important for us to remember that every decision and action of ours will have consequences which will be faced by no one but ourselves.

Teacher – student or disciple relationship

Many children are in fear of their teachers and dissent any form of authority in their schools. They are unwilling to accept any kind of discipline from their teachers. When teachers reprimand children, many parents blindly support their children and question the school authorities. Instead we should teach our children to respect the authority of the teachers who are placed over them, to enable them to grow up to be respectable young men and women.

In that encounter when Jesus first called Peter to follow him, we recall how Jesus was preaching from Peter’s boat. As soon as he finished, he asked Peter to go a little deeper and throw his nets for a catch. Peter was a seasoned fisherman, who after a whole night’s work had returned to the shore having caught nothing. However, because of his respect for Jesus he said to Him in Luke 5:5, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” (NKJV) Peter could have thought, Jesus was a carpenter by profession, what would He know about fishing, but instead Peter readily submitted himself to the authority of Jesus and the result was mind blowing. They had such a great catch of fish that their nets were breaking and their boats sinking. But when Peter realized who Jesus was and the call to become a ‘fisher of men’ he submitted himself to the Lordship of Jesus, left everything and followed after Him.

The same Peter after having spent three and a half years with Jesus, after His death, burial and resurrection, decided to go back fishing and took along with him six other disciples. When Peter decided to move away from being submissive to the Lord, he found himself again in a similar situation he had been in, when Jesus first called him. He toiled all night and caught nothing. He stood again with his nets empty, and his labor unproductive. Peter’s life was blessed only as long as he was submissive to the authority of the Lord.

There will be fruitfulness in our lives only as long as we submit to authority. All our efforts will be meaningless and void, if we are not submissive to every authority that the Lord has placed over us.

Master – servant relationship

We read about the story of the Syrian commander Naaman in 2 Kings Chapter 5, who came to the prophet Elisha to be cured of his leprosy. When Elisha commanded Naaman to go and dip himself in the river Jordan, Naaman had to submit to the authority of the prophet and do as he was told to experience that miraculous healing. He came back and offered generous gifts to Elisha as a token of appreciation and thankfulness, but Elisha refused to accept anything from Naaman.

Elisha’s servant Gehazi was completely of a different mind. He had a rebellious spirit that stopped him from submitting to the authority of the prophet. He ran after Naaman, coveted some of the gifts, left it at his home and went back to the prophet Elisha. Elisha knew what Gehazi did, as a result, the leprosy that left Naaman was contracted by Gehazi and his family forever. That was the gruesome consequence Gehazi had to face, for not submitting to the authority of the man of God whom God had established over him.

We too must learn to submit to authority not only for fear of punishment or just to appease those who are over us, but because every authority had been set up by God Himself.

Many people are of the view that as we living in a period of grace and it is perfectly fine to live any way we like. There is a warning for us from the life of the early church. When the believers in the early church genuinely sold and gave all of their property to the apostles, there was a couple named Ananias and Sapphira who also wanted to make a show and pretend to give their all just like everyone else. They sold their fields and withheld a portion of it deliberately, and laid the rest at the apostle’s feet. What happened as a result of that deception was that both of them lost their lives.

Anything we do, must be done sincerely and with the only motive as unto the Lord and not to please men. When we rebel against authority, we must be cautioned that instead of receiving blessings, we will only receive curses as did Ananias and Sapphira.

Irrespective of whether we are at home with the family, at school, at our work place, in society or at church let us decide to be subject to every authority placed over us, for it has been set up for our good, and has been more importantly established by God.

If we were to think about it, any rule that is imposed on us like, to wear a helmet or seat belt have all been implemented only for our good and safety. Laws are not enforced for the benefit of policeman, neither are lawmakers killjoys, but rather those who are placed over us have been placed in position of authority, just to enhance our safety and well-being. We will be a lot happier if we follow the rules and will surely avoid loads of dangers.

Our life will be filled with joy if we learn to submit to all authority that is placed over us. There are lots of rules and regulations that are imposed on us which are really meant for our good and to bring order in our lives. We must truly be thankful to God for every authority that He has placed over us; our husband, wife, parents, teachers, employers, government and pastor.

The greatest blessing we all have is our conscience within us. We must decide to submit to all authority not fearing punishment or consequence, but only because of conscience sake. We must constantly tune ourselves to listen to the voice of our conscience and live in obedience to it. By doing so our lives will be peaceful, blessed and joyful.

We looked at 3 examples, the prodigal son whose conscience must have bothered him when he left home, but his willful disobedience landed him in a place of filth and want with pigs. Peter decided to go back to fishing against his conscience, and ended up in a place of failure and emptiness. Gehazi ran against his conscience and coveted gifts from Naaman, and the consequence was he lost the anointing that would have been his, and contracted the leprosy of Naaman. Let us remind ourselves from Romans 13:5, “We must obey therefore, not only in order to escape punishment, but also for conscience' sake.” (WNT) and learn to live every day in obedience to the voice of our conscience and in submission to every authority the Lord has established over us.

A prayer :

Our loving Heavenly Father, thank you for teaching me that every authority is given by You and without You no authority can exist. And I also have learnt that I need to submit to authorities in accordance to Your will. I decide to obey, O Lord not for fear of punishment but for the sake of my conscience. I pray that in every relationship I will be careful to obey Your will for me. In the mighty name of Lord Jesus Christ I pray. Amen

A.Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com

Chapter 15 Shape your conscience – Part 2

Freedom from Captivity

Chapter 15

Shape your conscience – Part 2

In the past few chapters, we have delved deep into the subject of our conscience. To summarize briefly, we understand that our conscience is placed inside of us by God Himself, it is God’s gift to us, which serves as our internal audit to help us be aware of what is right and wrong. Our conscience we learnt enables us keep our life in order and in accordance with God’s word, so we can stand without fault before God’s judgment seat, which can be referred to as the external audit. We recognized that this conscience is instilled inside all human beings, both believers and non-believers alike. Conscience is also something uniquely gifted only to humans, and not to other animals. For instance an animal which kills another animal or even a man feels no sense of remorse.

We looked further at how the standards of this world are in conflict with God’s standards, and therefore we must constantly shape our conscience to be aligned with God’s word, as the standards of this world is altering according to the whims and fancies of people. If we allow the world’s standards to shape our conscience, we will begin to lead sinful lives that will not please God in any way.

God’s standard versus the world’s standard

In Matthew 5: 27-28 we read, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (NKJV)

The above mentioned verses, which are Jesus’ teachings on adultery refers to two standards. The one which is accepted by the world, as is also mentioned in the Law of Moses is ‘you shall not commit adultery’. However in Matthew 5:28, Jesus however taught another standard which is far higher than what the law demands. According to this standard set by the Lord, if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed the act of adultery with her in his heart.

The Lord warns us that our eyes should be trained to be pure. Many are struggling with the sins of the eyes, because while there is much restriction as to what one can do with their hands and legs, there is no restraint set as to what one can do with their eyes. We will be shocked to know that many of our sins originate from the eyes, but often people justify themselves that the sins they commit with their eyes, like pornography for example affect no one but themselves. Many youth are so addicted to the lust of the eyes, that they are struggling and unable to free themselves from these bondages. The standards of this world is dictating to people, that it is acceptable to be hooked on to obscenity, and the conscience inside of them has been quietened by the voice of the world.

We read in Matthew 6:22, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.”(NKJV)

The eye, Jesus said is the lamp of the body, and that is why what we fill our eyes with, determines what our life is filled with. Only when our eyes behold the good things can our life be filled with light. Everyone irrespective of how old or young they are, man or woman must certainly exercise caution in this area.

In the book of Job we read about Job, a man who had everything and lost it all, his wealth, his family and his health because the Lord chose to allow him to be tested. When the friends of Job joined together in judgement and accused him of wrong doing as the cause for his predicament, this is what Job replied to prove his innocence before the Lord, in Job 31:1, “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?”(KJV) Job had made a covenant with his eyes to not sin against the Lord with his eyes, and so he was very certain that none of the calamities on his life were a consequence of sin in his life.

Some of us use our eyes so extensively to watch movies, serials and memes on cell phones, and often justify ourselves that this is just harmless entertainment. What happens over a period of time, is that our minds get filled with all the values and standards that are portrayed through the various forms of media. There was a time when people would shy away from looking at anything obscene, but today there are loads of uncensored images that are readily available on our phones and many adults, youth and children too have become enslaved to these indecencies.

In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said again, “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

The Lord cautions us further that if our eyes are tuned to seeing things that are bad, the light within us will be replaced by darkness and that darkness will be very great. If we don’t make a covenant with our eyes to look only on those things approved by the standards set by God and His word, we will not enter into the Kingdom of God. Jesus clearly warned us that the gate and way to eternal life is narrow and only a few will enter it. We must discipline ourselves to be those who keep walking in that narrow path that the Lord has set before us.

In days gone by, adultery was unaccepted, homosexuality was shunned and looked at with disgust by society, but today it has become an acceptable lifestyle to many, including those in the church. If we as those who believe in Jesus don’t take precaution and shape our conscience and teach our children to live by the standards of God’s word, soon a day will come when our children will go astray, and will chose to go the ways of the world.

As parents we must be good examples, and make sure we are watching things that are useful and edifying to us and our children. Lot and his family are an example of how children can deviate from God’s law and standards. As long as Lot was with Abraham, he was in safety, but when he parted from Abraham we find that Lot moved towards Sodom, pitched his tent outside at first, moved into Sodom and later became an elder there. After Lot’s wife died, his daughters did the thing that was detestable in the eyes of the Lord. The reason for this was that their eyes while living in Sodom, was filled with the evil that they beheld all around them, which deviated them from the ways of God.

Every little detail we feed our eyes with are like tiny seeds that are being planted inside of us. If we are constantly viewing the immoral, indecent and obscene, they will over a period of time get accumulated inside of us, and we will end up doing those things we never thought we were capable of doing.

We too like Job must make a covenant with our eyes to only look on those things that please the Lord. In the Old Testament, one of the first things that many kings did when they captured a foe, was to gouge out his eyes. The reason for this gruesome act was that they knew that more than 70% of a man’s strength lies in his eyes. Samson was a strong and mighty warrior, anointed and chosen by God to be a deliverer for God’s people, but when Samson chose to let his eyes wander and lust after many women, he ended up in captivity to the Philistines. The first thing that the Philistines did when they captured Samson, was to gouge out his eyes so as to incapacitate him.

The woman caught in adultery

In John 8:3 we read, “Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst,” (NKJV)

Here was a situation where the scribes and Pharisees caught a woman in adultery and brought her to Jesus for judgement. Adultery as we looked at earlier begins with the eyes, and here was a woman who let her eyes go astray, and was now stood condemned.

In John 8:4-5 we read, “they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” (NKJV)

The ones who brought this woman to Jesus were the religious leaders, who were not only well versed with the scriptures, but whose conscience was shaped by the Law of Moses, which made them feel so self-righteous, that it was almost impossible for them to identify their own sins and short comings. They were so caught up with the faults of others that they failed to see the major flaws in their own lives.

Many people are so busy finding fault with everyone around them that they have no time to stop and check their own lives to see where they have failed before God.

The punishment to stone and kill a person may sound so harsh to us, but the reason the Lord dispensed such a crude punishment was because He is a covenant keeping God. Marriage is a covenant, and the Lord expects us to honor the covenant we made to our spouse. God is also zealous about the covenant He has made with each one of us as His children. The blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross of Calvary He said, is the blood of the new covenant poured out for our redemption and salvation. That is why when we break our covenant to be holy before the Lord, the Lord is deeply grieved because it amounts to being an act of betrayal.The Lord called Israel His son, but when the people of Israel made a golden calf and bowed down to it, the Lord was angered, and punished them only because they broke their covenant with Him.

As the leaders continued to bother Jesus to pass judgement on the woman here’s what Jesus said in John 8:7,“So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (NKJV)

John 8:9, “Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.” (NKJV)

These religious leaders who could not see any of their own faults were now in a spot as Jesus answered them this way ‘he who is without sin, let him throw the stone at her first’. Suddenly they were all struck in their conscience, as all of their sins loomed large before them, some probably far greater than what the woman had committed. The only difference was that she was caught, while most of them had managed to cover up their sins. No wonder then that all of them walked away from the eldest to the youngest, leaving the woman standing alone before Jesus, for they were smitten in their conscience by the words of Jesus directed to them.

Here’s a word of caution to those who have the habit of constantly finding fault with others, what could happen in the process is that we can become blinded to our own sins and failings. It is only when we concede the word of God to shape our conscience, that we can keep our conscience alive and sensitive to the promptings of God and His Holy Spirit. It is only in heeding to the voice of our conscience constantly, will we become so perceptive to the minutest mistakes in our lives and will be able to set our lives in order. The conscience always convicts us, but if we silence the voice of our conscience deliberately, we will soon find that our conscience will not bother us anymore, which can be a dangerous place to be in.

A little child may get caught when doing wrong only because he or she does not know how to cover up their mistakes, but the older we get the better we become at hiding our mistakes. The reason why the older ones left first was probably because they realized the many grave sins that they had committed.

In John 8: 10-11, we read, “When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusersof yours? Has no one condemned you?”She said, “No one, Lord.”And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; goand sin no more.” (NKJV)

Our God is a God of great love. He was going to the cross for the sins of this woman also, and that is why He out of His great love and mercy pardoned and set her free.

When man sinned and disobeyed God at the Garden of Eden man lost much, but thank God that He still kept the conscience inside of us. The question we need to ask ourselves every day is whether our conscience is shaped by God’s word or by the standards of this world? The word of God and the standards of God are consistent and will never change. Let us spend time with the word and allow our conscience to be shaped by the standard of the word.Our eyes are God’s gift to us so we can behold Him. That is why Jesus said in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (NKJV) which implies that for one to see God the heart must be pure, and for the heart to be pure the eyes must look on those things that are pure. Only a heart that’s pure can truly behold God in all His splendor and holiness.

A prayer :

Our loving Heavenly Father, I know that looks of lust grieve You. Knowingly and unknowingly I have sinned with my eyes. I make a covenant now with my eyes just as your servant Job did to keep it undefiled. I desire to see You, O Lord and Your glory In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

Br. A. Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com