A Life that Shines

In his book The Rise of Christianity Rodney Stark wrote:

“Let me state my thesis: Central doctrines of Christianity prompted and sustained attractive, liberating, and effective social relations and organizations.

“I believe that it was the religion’s particular doctrines that permitted Christianity to be among the most sweeping and successful revitalization movements in history. And it was the way these doctrines took on actual flesh, the way they directed organizational actions and individual behavior, that led to the rise of Christianity” (p. 211).

The implication of what Stark says is that the best evidence for the Christian faith is the conduct of Christians. When the followers of Jesus Christ make the doctrines come alive by the way they live, then much of the talking of Christianity’s critics will be silenced. Peter wrote about this reality in 1 Peter; For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people (1 Peter 2:15; ESV).

The key here is that we are to live counter-cultural lives. The Church in the United States has been good at speaking against the culture, but we have not been very good at actually living differently. We can say that we oppose gay marriage, but we also have to consider what our marriages say about God’s ideal for marriage. Opposition to recreational drugs is a good thing since they destroy so many lives, but what are we doing to alleviate the pain that drives people to these addictions? Being lights in this dark world is not just about taking the right stands, but more importantly it is about doing the right things.

We are expected to be shine in the darkness, just as the apostle Paul expected the Christians in Philippi to stand out for good in their wicked culture:

Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain (Philippians 2:14-16; ESV).

According to Paul we shine by the way we live. You and I will influence people more deeply by how we live than we will by what we say. That is why faithful living is such a powerful testimony of God’s work in the world.

Faithful living begins with what we believe. Paul says that we are to hold fast to the word of life. This requires that we keep God’s Word in front of us as much as possible. As Christ Followers we need to be intentional about daily reading the Bible. Yet we also need more than reading. We also need to be committed to studying the Bible. Study needs to take two forms in our lives. We need personal study as we study the Bible on our own through the help of books, podcasts, and different Bible Study methods. We also need group study. Learning in a community of faith, to be challenged and encouraged by the thoughts and reflections of other Christians is vitally important to our walk of faith. To Bible reading and Bible study we need to add meditation. Meditation is the act of reflecting, pondering, or thinking about a portion of Scripture. It is process that makes God’s truth a part of our lives, and thus becoming an influence in how we live.

To shine brightly requires that we don’t demand our rights. A life of faith is not about me first. Paul urged the Philippians to do all things without grumbling or questioning, because we are to live humble lives, putting others before ourselves. The way of the world looks to use other people for our own gain, which leaves a trail of wounded and broken people in our wake. While the world tells us to “look out for #1”; Paul tells us that the way of Jesus is the way of humility. In verses 5-11 of chapter Paul tells us that we are to follow the example of Jesus, the example of love and humility. Jesus came, not so He could use people for His advantage, but to serve people and save the world. By putting others first and helping those in need the follower of Jesus is set apart from the world.

We are to live blameless and innocent lives. That is the choice Paul is urging the Philippians, and by extension us, to make. The reality is that there are other choices that we can make. We can declare Christ as Savior and Lord and live like the world, but that wouldn’t make us lights because we are not standing in contrast to anything. We can declare Christ as Savior and live strange lives, like pulling out of society and living in a bomb shelter; that might make us odd, but it wouldn’t make us lights. We shine brightly in this world when we declare Christ as Lord and then align our lives to His will. It is the act of living according to Jesus’ will that sets us apart and makes us lights.

Living differently from the world isn’t going to happen by accident. Without making a decision to be different we will be pulled along by the current of our culture and end up being like everyone else. Therefore we need to make the choice to live differently from the world, not the choice to be strange, but the choice to follow the example of Christ in loving and humble service as we take the Good News of God’s love and forgiveness into the world. We are called to be the lights of the world. It is time to flip the switch and start shining.

Be a Foreigner

In her devotional book You're the Voice: 40 More Days with God Christian Contemporary recording artist, Rebecca St. James wrote:

“Do people know by our actions and lifestyles that we’re Christians? Can people see a love, a joy, and a sense of purpose and hope that can come only from knowing Jesus? Can people see a difference in us? More important, what does God see when He looks at our hearts? I hope that He finds deeply imprinted the words, ‘God rules here!’”

Different. It is a scary word. We don’t want to be different. To be different means to be unlike; distinct; not the same. Human nature tells us that we need to be part of the group, like everyone else. It is embarrassing to stand out and to have people know that we are not like them.

The sad truth is that many people would have no idea that we are Christians by watching us live. We watch the same shows on Television, tell the same jokes, make fun of the same people, and wear the same clothes. Rather than standing out, and up, for Jesus, we keep him tucked away in our hearts and only bring Him out for special occasions. We will be undignified for God, as long as I am not laughed at.

God has called us to be different. This is not a difference that we can hide or keep to ourselves. The difference that God want us to have is more that coming to worship or Sundays, Bible Study on Wednesday, reading our Bibles in the morning, and praying before we go to sleep. The difference God demands that we have spills over into every area of our life. It is seen in how dress, it is felt in how we treat people, it is heard in the conversation that we have, and is modeled in our behavior. The difference is simply this: living out God’s will.

We sure do a lot of talking about God’s will, but we don’t actually live it. To live it would require us to be different. Our problem is that we don’t want to appear different, so we spend time thinking about what we can get away with doing. “How close to the line can I go without going over?” is the question we ask ourselves. That is not the way it should be.

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. (1 Peter 2:11, 12; NLT)

We are to be different, not only for our sakes, but the sake of the people around us. When we seek to live as close to the line as possible we allow us selves to play around with the evil desires that fight against us. It is these evil desires that Satan uses to cause us to sin. They are just too dangerous to play with.

Being different gives other people the opportunity to see God at work and a chance to believe. Even if they don’t believe now, Peter says that our different lives will give them cause to believe and glorify God when Jesus returns.

Are you being different? Do you want to do God’s will or follow your heart? My challenge to you is: Live as a foreigner!

Don't be Ashamed

Since I have pledged my life to Christ Jesus, I need to live my life in such a way as to honor Him. To do anything else would bring shame to my life. One of the constant prayers of my life NEEDS to be: Father, grant me the wisdom, strength, and courage to live a life worthy of Your Son, Jesus.

This appears to be the prayer of the apostle Paul:

I honestly expect and hope that I will never do anything to be ashamed of. Whether I live or die, I always want to be as brave as I am now and bring honor to Christ. ~ Philippians 1:20; CEV

The Apostle knew that his honor was connected to his commitment to Jesus. Paul had pledged his allegiance to Jesus, and his honor depended on living out his loyalty to his Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

This isn’t just about not doing wrong, but also showing the bravery as we do the right thing. It would bring shame to Paul to avoid doing what he knew Christ called him to do because he was afraid. Prison, court trials, and beatings didn’t make Paul feel ashamed, in fact they were a source of pride for him. Paul saw these things as badges of honor he received for bravely following Jesus. In Paul’s mind it would have been shameful for him not to endure these things because he was too afraid to live out his commitment to Jesus.

Refusing to do good, because of my fear, is just as shameful as being caught doing something that is sinful. It may not seem like it since people won’t be able to see where I have refused to obey, but it brings dishonor into my life none the less. The sinful behavior and the refusal to obey are equal because they both rob Jesus of the honor that He deserves.

Courage is what is needed to live life that brings glory and honor to Christ Jesus. Where does courage come from? How can I live a life of courage?

Live Right and Follow Jesus

Living Right: Part 4

Life is tough. We all have stories about how our lives have been turned upside down and made difficult. When I look at the world, and at my life, it helps me to remember that there is an Enemy out there who hates us. He hates God and fears what we can become when we faithfully follow Jesus.

John Eldredge in his book Waking the Dead wrote:

“Until we come to terms with war as the context of our days we will not understand life. We will misinterpret 90 percent of what is happing around us and to us. It will be very hard to believe that God’s intentions toward us are life abundant; it will be even harder not to feel that somehow we are just blowing it. Worse, we will begin to accept some really awful things about God. That four-year-old girl being molested by her daddy--that is ‘God’s will’? That ugly divorce that tore your family apart--God wanted that to happen to? And that plane crash that took the lives of so many--that was desired by God?” (p. 17)

War is the context of our days, and the brutal assault that has been carried out against us is evidence to this fact. It is tough to follow Jesus. Life isn’t easy, but that doesn’t mean God has abandoned us or that Jesus isn’t worth following. It means that we are being attacked and opposed by someone who hates us and wishes to see us dead.

Because we live in a world, a universe, at war adds value to our lives. Who we are and how we live is how we fight this war. Consider what the apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1:

27 The only thing that matters is that you continue to live as good citizens in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come to see you or whether I stay away, I may hear all about you—that you are standing firm in one spirit, struggling with one mind for the faith of the gospel, 28 and that you are not intimidated by your opponents in any way. This is evidence that they will be destroyed and that you will be saved—and all because of God. 29 For you have been given the privilege for Christ's sake not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him. 30 You have the same struggle that you saw in me and now hear that I am still having. (Philippians 1:27-30; ISV)

We are in a struggle and Paul tells the Philippians that in order to be victorious in the struggle that they have to live right, as good citizens of God’s Kingdom. When we remain strong, when we don’t give up, and when we bring honor to Christ through the way we live, then we show the world that God’s victory is insured. Our enemies will be destroyed, and we will be saved. Make not mistake about it, this is not easy. That is why Paul uses the word struggling.

If we are honest with ourselves at times it seems like it would be so much easier if we just gave up. I don’t know you, but I have been to that point. Not because I don’t think God exists, but tired of the constant struggle to do right and live up to expectations. I wanted to throw in the towel and follow the path of least resistance. It was only through the grace of God, the encouragement I received from His Word and follow believers, that I didn’t.

That is part of what is behind John’s writing which we have looked at through this series (1 John 2:28-3:10). He wanted to offer his readers a reminder of why they should stick it out, why they should continue to struggle to do what is right. That reason is Jesus. The promises of Jesus give us hope that this struggle is just temporary and that better days await us when Jesus returns and makes all things right. The mission of Jesus gives us an example to follow. It helps us understand the dangers of sin and provides us with a purpose to give our lives away to as we follow Jesus into the unknown of the future.

Here is what I want you to remember from this series: To know Jesus is the only way to live righteous lives. Without knowing Jesus there is no way we can live lives that please God. This isn’t about living up to a certain morality, but it has everything to do with living a life of faith. Giving our lives away to doing good rather than just avoiding evil. It is joining Jesus in His mission to proclaim the Gospel and set the captives free. We can live a “moral” life without Jesus, but we cannot live a righteous life, a life set on doing God’s will, apart of Jesus.

Right now your life is being opposed. Jesus said that the thief has come to steal, kill, and destroy. Don’t be surprised if you are struggling right now, because Satan wants nothing more than for you to suffer. Yet we also have to remember what Jesus promised, I have come so you can have life, and have it abundantly. Our lives may be opposed, but the promise of Jesus is when we stick with Him we will find a life beyond our wildest imagination. It starts here today and contains into eternity. It is time to live right. It is time to follow Jesus.

• Point to Ponder: To know Jesus is the only way to live righteous lives.
• Passage to Remember: Philippians 1:27-30
• Question to Consider: How can you receive strength to continue to struggle to live right?

His Mission, My Example

Living Right: Part 3

We acknowledge that it is a struggle to live a life that honors Jesus. From the hardships of life, to the temptation to sin, to the little doubts from the lies of this world we are worn down. The result is that many of us want to give up. It isn’t like we are in danger of becoming atheists, but we just don’t want to try as hard and to go with the flow.

The Bible tells us that if we want to have life, real life, eternal life, then we have to stay connected to Jesus. We stay connected to Jesus by obeying His teaching, loving His creation, and believing His truth. When we give up, even if we remained involved in the church, we are in danger of severing that needed connection to life.

So we read throughout the New Testament that the encouragement to remain faithful and to persevere. One of the ways we do this is to keep our eyes on Jesus. Reading through 1 John I believe we can find two eyes of Jesus life that we need to focus on if we are going to keep our eyes on Jesus, and thus remain connected to Him. Yesterday, I pointed out that when we remember the promises of Jesus we have the hope we need to hang on through the difficulties of life.

The second area of Jesus’ life we must get to know is His Mission.

4 Everyone who keeps living in sin also practices disobedience. In fact, sin is disobedience. 5 You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and there is not any sin in him. 6 No one who remains in him goes on sinning. The one who goes on sinning hasn't seen him or known him.
7 Little children, don't let anyone deceive you. The person who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The person who practices sin belongs to the evil one, because the devil has been sinning since the beginning. The reason that the Son of God was revealed was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who has been born from God practices sin, because God's seed abides in him. Indeed, he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born from God. 10 This is how God's children and the devil's children are distinguished. No person who fails to practice righteousness and to love his brother is from God. (1 John 3:4-10; ISV)

John expected the mission of Jesus to have an effect on our lives. What is the mission of Jesus?

16 Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to tell them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read." (Luke 4:16-21; NET)

Jesus said that this prophecy from the book of Isaiah applied to Him. His mission had to do with setting captives free and making the wrong right. John puts it a little simpler: take away our sin and to destroy the work of the devil.

Before we can really understand Jesus’ mission we have to first understand the rebellion of Satan. It is the rebellion of Satan that gives context to the mission of Jesus Christ. Satan is absolutely opposed to the will of God. He is dedicated to hindering God’s work at every turn. Clinton Gill in his commentary on the letters of John wrote; “The devil sins as a matter of principle...” (Hereby We Know: A Study of the Epistles of John, p. 79). While God’s character can be described in the word love Satan’s character can be summed up with the word sin. Satan is the greatest sinner in the universe. His every action is opposed to God’s will.

From the very beginning with Adam and Eve we can see how Satan has been out to destroy all the good things God has created. Do we really believe that he has stopped? The biggest way Satan can oppose God’s will is to deceive people, men and women God loves, into opposing God as well.

John has to remind his readers of this because a very serious deception had crept into the church. That deception was found in the false teachings of the Gnostics. The entire letter of 1 John, and this passage in particular, is directed at undermining their false teachings. According to William Barclay the Gnostics taught:

“that the body was evil and that, therefore, there was no harm in sating its lusts, because what happened to it was of no importance. They said that the truly spiritual man was so armoured with the Spirit that he could sin to his heart’s content and take no harm from it. They even said that the true Gnostic was under obligation both to scale the height and to plumb the depths so that he might be truly said to know all things.” (pp. 76-77; The Daily Study Bible: The Letters of John and Jude)

The denial of sin and its effects in our lives is one of the quickest ways we can cut ourselves off from our source of life: Jesus. These false teachers said that sin didn’t matter and that you could sin with no fear of consequences. This, my friends, is a lie from the depths of hell. Of course it is an appealing deception because it means we don’t have to struggle with the temptations of life, we can do what we want, and not feel guilty. In the process Satan begins to undo all the work Jesus came to accomplish.

In this passage we find John contrasting the work of Satan, the lawless one, with Jesus, the obedient Son of God, and then John asks the question: which one are you following? To live a life of sin is to follow Satan not Jesus. To live a righteous life is to follow Jesus.

This whole passage deals with our commitment. John is not suggesting that we must never sin again for us to follow Jesus. The Apostle already told us in Chapter 2 verse 1 that if we do sin we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. What John wants us to understand is that we can commit ourselves to getting rid of the sin in our lives and struggling with the temptation that leads to sin. To live a lifestyle of sin is to ignore the example of Jesus and the fact that He came to destroy the work of Satan, which is sin, the opposition of God’s will. If we are born of God then the sin we have in our lives will have no place to dwell and we will do what it takes to get rid of it.

How do we know if we are striving to live a righteous life? Righteousness is tied to our love. If we are seeking to love our brother and our neighbor, then we are striving for righteousness. Love is the evidence that we are seeking to live righteously.

The mission of Jesus provides us with the example to live righteous lives.

• Point to Ponder: The mission of Jesus provides us with the example to live righteous lives.
• Passage to Remember: 1 John 3:4-10
• Question to Consider: Am I following Jesus or Satan?

Hope From His Promises

Living Right: Part 2

It is not always easy to do the right thing. In fact, it is one of the hardest thing to do in life. The easy way to live is to submit to the pressure, to give in, and not struggle to follow Jesus. Following Jesus is a struggle. It is a struggle because of the false teachings we hear from inside and outside the church. It is a struggle because life doesn’t go the way we planned. It is a struggle because the we get worn down by all the hassles and difficulties of life.

Yesterday we looked at Hebrews 12:1-4 and noticed that the author of that book tells us to look to the faithful of old and to Jesus to discover the encouragement we need to continue our struggle to live the life God created us to live. In 1 John 2:28-3:10 I think the apostle John helps us understand how we can keep our eyes on Jesus. John tells us we can keep our eyes on Jesus by focusing on two areas of His life.

The first area of Jesus’ life we must focus on are His promises:

28 Even now, little children, abide in him. Then, when he appears, we will have confidence and will not turn away from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born from God.

1 See what kind of love the Father has given us in letting us be called God's children! Yet that is what we are. For this reason the world does not recognize us, because it did not recognize him either.

2 Dear friends, we are now God's children, but what we will be like has not been revealed yet. We know that when Christ is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him as he is. 3 And everyone who has this hope based on him keeps himself pure, just as he is pure. (1 John 2:28-3:3, ISV)

John apparently takes Jesus at His word when Jesus promised to return. In John 14:1-4 we read Jesus’ promise:

1 "Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 There are many dwelling places in my Father's house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you. 3 And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too. 4 And you know the way where I am going." (NET)

What is the purpose of this promise? Jesus makes this promise in order to give His disciples hope. “Don’t let your hearts be distressed...” Hang in there, don’t grow weary and lose heart, I am coming back, Jesus is telling us. It is a word of encouragement that we need.

In 1 John 2:3-27 the Apostle warns his readers to be on guard against antichrists and false teachings. They needed to remain connected to Jesus, the true source of life. We know we are connected to Jesus when we obey Him (vv. 3-6), when we love (vv.7-14), and when we seek truth (vv.15-27). John wants these people to remain in Jesus.

Then John writes, “continue in him...” Translation: “Life is hard, don’t give up, because Jesus is coming back, and we want to be confident on that day.” Without this hope that Jesus is coming back to make everything right, then it is next to impossible to continue in him, and the trials of life will makes us want to throw in the towel.

Our confidence doesn’t come from our good behavior, but from our trust in Jesus. Remember that is what remaining in Jesus is all about: obeying His teachings, loving His creation, and believing His truth. Faith allows us to come to know the One has made the promise, and as we begin to know Him we discover that we can trust Him.

Not only can we be certain that Jesus is coming back, but John gives us an equally impressive claim: we are Children of God! Not that we will be, but that we are. In the language of the apostle Paul we have been adopted into the family of God, He has chosen us as His children. In the language of Jesus we are the prodigal son returning home. God wants to lavish His love on us, but we have to go back to Him in order to experience that love.

As children of God we are experiencing the lavish love of God through the transformation of our lives. And just as all of us have stories about our lives being opposed by Satan, I am certain we all have stories about how God has made a difference in our lives as we have followed Jesus.

We have seen evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives and we know that we are not the same people we were last year, let alone 5 or 10 years ago. Yet John makes another startling claim, what we will be has not yet been made known. But when he appears, we shall be like him...Wow. God isn’t finished with us. While we can see evidences of transformation in our lives, that transformation isn’t complete. It won’t be complete until Jesus makes His triumphant return.

When we live out this hope, this trust that Jesus will keep His promise and return, then, John writes, we purify ourselves. I think this is a verse we have difficulty with because it seems to say that it is our good works that purify us, and we have been taught that we are saved by grace through faith and not by good works.

Just as our faith is demonstrated through our actions, our hope is demonstrated through what we do as well. We show that we have hope in the return of Jesus because we take the necessary steps to clean up our lives and to struggle against temptation and overcome sin. We show that we have hope when we continue to prayer for our brother to know come to know Jesus, even though he has demonstrated hostility to the idea in the past. Hope gives us a new perspective on life.

“College football fans knew the late Woody Hayes as a fierce competitor whose passion for winning once led him to slug an opposing player who intercepted an Ohio State pass. But when columnist Bob Greene interviewed him just before his final illness and asked if anything was as important as winning, Woody said yes. ‘The important thing is not always to win. The important thing is always to hope.’

“Hope kept Red McDaniel going in his Vietnamese imprisonment. For him to abandon hope, he wrote, was to abandon survival itself and with it his sense of self and all his personhood. The Jews at Auschwitz and Treblinka lived in daily horror and fear of dying, even as they saw other Jews die. Still, they never lost hope that they personally would survive. ‘Where there is life, hope must never be relinquished,’ one said.” (Speakers Sourcebook of New Illustrations, p. 104).

Even though our lives are being opposed as Satan seeks to steal, kill, and destroy our lives, we can have hope because of Jesus’ promise to return and make everything right. We know Jesus can be counted on because God promised a Savior, and at just the right time Jesus appeared. The promise of Jesus first coming provides us with the necessary evidence to trust the promise of His second coming.

The promises of Jesus provide us with the hope we need to live righteous lives.

• Point to Ponder: The promises of Jesus provide us with the hope we need to live righteous lives.
• Passage to Remember: 1 John 2:28-3:3
• Question to Consider: How is hope made a difference in your life?

We Are Opposed

Living Right: Part 1

Jesus has come to us with the offer of life. That is the promise of John 10:10; “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly” (NET). Now we can be certain that we have access to this life when we remain in Jesus (John 15:1-8). To remain in Jesus means that we live our lives in faith. Our lives should be a reflection of Jesus’ life.

Yet, we know that just because we have this life-giving connection doesn’t mean our lives will be easy. Remember our lives are being opposed and that we are living in a world that is at war. Jesus reminds us of this fact before making His promise in John 10:10. Satan is in opposition to the will of God and that means he is opposed to us having life. The Enemy is going to do everything in his power to oppose us and to keep us from living the life God created us to live. That means life will be a struggle. I want you to consider this question: How has Satan opposed your life?

Perhaps you can relate to this couple’s Paris vacation:

“Some dear friends of mine just returned from a three-week vacation in France. It had been their dream for nearly twenty-five years. What could be more romantic that strolling the Champs Élysées in the evening, as lovers do? It seemed an ideal way to celebrated their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. They’d both served God faithfully for decades, but over the years a European rendezvous seem about as reachable as the moon. Then, late last fall, things suddenly came together.

“Friends of theirs were headed to Europe and offered two tickets to come along. TIme off was available. They were going to France. And right after they made it to Paris, it all fell apart. Craig down with walking pneumonia; Lori wanted to leave the third day. All sorts of issues in their marriage surface, but since they were with friends, the issues mostly played themselves out in their own thoughts--which tended toward divorce. It wasn’t romantic; it was hard. Afterward, as we talked on the phone about the whole thing, Lori said, ‘Life never seems to turn out the way you think it will, about 90 percent of the time.’ No kidding. Haven’t we all got a story that goes with that little bumper sticker?” (John Eldredge, Waking the Dead, p. 6)

Our lives are being opposed. Satan doesn’t want you to live life, he wants you life destroyed. Doesn’t this help us make sense of the world? Why do the evil seem to prosper and the good struggle? Why do tragic events happen that erase the joy of life? Only when the answers are built upon the fact that our lives are being opposed do we even begin to make sense of what is happening.

Put this in the context of your life: You have tried to become more obedient to Jesus, but you can’t seem to break free from the habit of gossiping. You just need to be “in the know”. You want to be more loving to your next door neighbor, but then he knocks on your door to let you know all the things that are wrong with your yard and house. He leaves and you are seething inside as you visualize putting your fist through his face. You want to be certain about the truth of the Bible, but last night’s program on the Discovery Channel has you wondering if naturalistic evolution isn’t right after all. It seems so ridiculous to believe in God the Creator in the face of “scientific evidence”.

The more we try to follow Jesus, the more we will be opposed by Satan. Things don’t go as planned because Satan is out to steal, kill, and destroy our lives. Because life is hard we will be tempted to give up and do our own thing. Please remember to do so would allow Satan to win the fight for our life.

Why should we continue our struggle against the opposition of the Enemy? The writer of Hebrews wrote:

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, 2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up. 4 You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed in your struggle against sin. (Hebrews 12:1-4; NET)

The inspired author of Hebrews tells us that there are two reasons why we should continue our struggle against the opposition to our lives. The first reason is because of the faithful people who went before us. Hebrews chapter 11, as many of you know, continues a list of men and women who remained faithful to God. He reminds us that not one of these people received everything God had promised them, but that they looked forward to the time when God would make everything right. We too must follow their example and look forward to Heaven.

The second is Jesus. Jesus experienced hardships, trials, and opposition, yet in the end He was obedient and faithful. Because Jesus endured so much for us, we should endure through the opposition that we will face. The life God created us to live is not going to be easy, it is going to filled with opposition, but if we endure we will discover it is the best life that we can possible live.

• Point to Ponder: The more we try to follow Jesus, the more we will be opposed by Satan.
• Passage to Remember: Hebrews 12:1-4
• Question to Consider: How has Satan opposed you?