Pure Motives?

"So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do."

Luke 17:10 

This morning in church we talked about how Jesus has provided a pattern of being the servant of all.  Greatness in the kingdom of God comes through humble service and sacrifice motivated by the love of God.  Sometimes we aren't motivated to act by pure motives.  On the outside we might look like a servant, but in honesty we are serving ourselves.

After our monthly BBQ at church, I started breaking down the tables to clean up.  As I collapsed each leg, I considered how many different motivations I could have in packing up the tables.  Perhaps I had seen someone starting to do it and because of my pride - unwilling to be outdone - jumped in.  I could have started to work on the tables because I want to race home to watch a game on TV.  Maybe I just wanted to make a good impression on someone.  Because of the message preached this morning, maybe I wanted to show the pastor I was listening AND putting it into practice.  Or maybe as the pastor I want to make a point that I'm going to practice what I preach!  With the help of others, the clean tables were stacked neatly in short order.  Funny how I'm still thinking about it.

It occurred to me that throughout my life, my motivation in service has not always been pure.  How good we can look on the outside and have our hearts in the wrong place!  It is so easy to neglect to examine our motives in doing what we do.  Indeed, it is a wise practice to examine our hearts - but even better still to ask God to examine them and see what He finds.  He is the righteous Judge, and it is what He says that counts.  Jesus says that to be great in God's kingdom we must be the servant of all.  It is obedience compelled by the love of Jesus Christ which should motivate us:  not a desire to be seen, to build a reputation for ourselves, to receive praise or recognition, or out of guilt.

Praise God for the light of His Word and the penetrating insight of the Holy Spirit!  How good He is to expose our faults that we might repent so He can rectify them and free us from the rut of sin.  Instead of living in the past in shame and regret, we can look to Jesus now and into eternity with joy and steadfast love.  Thank you God for purifying my heart, and may all service I perform for you be truly unto you with honesty, always motivated by your love.  I am unprofitable, and you have done wondrous things to use me to transform menial tasks into an act of worship.

Jesus Is Life

As I stopped at a red light today, a banner featuring Bear Grylls adorned a fence outside an Anglican church.  It read, "My Christian faith is the backbone of my life."  It is wonderful when famous people freely proclaim they follow of Jesus Christ.  Being a born-again Christian myself, it made me think.  Is my Christian faith the backbone of my life?

The backbone (or spine) is the central part of the skeletal system.  Through the center of the spine runs the spinal cord which connects to the brain and together comprise the nervous system.  For human beings, the spine and spinal cord are a fundamental necessity of life.  The term "backbone" does not only relate to anatomy, but is used to describe someone who is true to their principles.  For me, Jesus is my life.  Without Him, I would be dead in sins and doomed to eternity separated from God in hell.  I agree with Bear Grylls:  Jesus has given me life, principles, and the power of the Holy Spirit to walk uprightly.  Christianity is not rules, but the personal experience of repenting from sin, trusting in Jesus, and receiving His love, grace, acceptance, and forgiveness.

It is faith in Christ which makes Christians, but my faith is not the central "backbone" of my life:  it is Christ.  To prevent this misunderstanding if I was printing posters, I would say Christ is the backbone of my life - or even simpler, Jesus Christ is my life.  This is not to say that I am perfect, or that I don't make mistakes.  Sometimes my faith falters and I forget to focus on Jesus.  But the only reason why I am alive in this body and born again with the Holy Spirit is because of Jesus.  It is His shed blood which has cleansed me, and by grace His righteousness has been imputed to my account.

Keep following Jesus, Bear Grylls.  Thank you for using your voice to promote your LORD and Saviour who has died so all might live through Him!

More than a Clergyman

I was perusing a quote on brainyquote.com and I wondered if Jesus would be listed.  To my surprise I did not find Jesus listed among the "J's."  Then it occurred to me that they might have placed Jesus under the "C's" not understanding that "Christ" is not the last name of Jesus:  it is His title.  Mary was told by the Angel Gabriel to name the the child conceived within her "JESUS" (Luke 1:31).  "Christ" is the title of the Messiah promised to the Jews, meaning "anointed one."  I suspect the folks at brainyquote.com are ignorant of this fact.

On the same page with Chevy Chase, Dick Cheney, Cher, and Linford Christie I found "Jesus Christ."  He is listed along with actors, musicians, entertainers, philosophers, and athletes.  And what "type" of "author" is Jesus Christ?  He is listed as a "clergyman."  I'm thinking that is selling Him short - ridiculously short.  How about changing it to "Son of God," "Saviour," "Redeemer," "Lamb of God," "Immanuel - God with us," "Prince of Peace," "Messiah," "I AM," "Bread of Life," "The Good Shepherd," "Anointed One," or "Faithful and True," "KING OF KINGS" or "All of the above?"  A clergyman?  That's like calling a man a molecule.

How about using Philippians 2:5-11 as an example description:  "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

I would also be happy to use Revelation 19:11-16:  "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵ Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

That sounds like no clergyman I know, but like a Clergyman I want to be like!  I bow before you, LORD JESUS, Maker of Heaven and Earth.  You are God, and there is no other.  I will love and worship you forever.  Glory to God in the highest!

What Distinguishes You?

Every person on earth has been created by God to be unique.  Twins may have the same genetic code, but their personalities can be worlds apart.  It is the soul of man which distinguishes him from all other living things.  God has breathed into each human being a living soul.

Though human beings have the same basic anatomy, we can be easily distinguished by appearance.  Silver hair is said to give a "distinguished" look.  Some people wear fine clothes which distinguish through elegance.  Being an American living in Australia, my accent is easily distinguished as foreign.  When I met with people on the west coast of Australia who had not yet spoken to me (aside from email), one of the first things said to me in conversation was, "Huh!  Another Yank!"  I had been distinguished as not Australian, and automatically grouped in with this man's perception of what an American is.  From the sound of it, it was a negative impression.  Thanks be to God, for He had prepared me years before for such a response.

When I was in third grade, I smashed my front teeth against the sidewalk while riding my skateboard on my knees.  My folks took me to the dentist and my teeth were adorned with temporary caps.  It was intended to be a temporary fix until permanent veneers could be made.  For whatever reason, I never made it back to the dentist for that procedure.  It was not until I attended university that the were caps replaced.  But for many years I wore those temporary caps which were composed of a porous material and turned rather yellow.  In high school it seemed only a matter of time before someone would ask, "Don't you brush your teeth?  Why are your teeth yellow?"  I was never self-conscious about my teeth.  I laughed and smiled just the same.  But my teeth were a distinguishing feature that seemed to be quite the conversation starter.  I don't think anyone wants to be distinguished by their bad teeth!

Yesterday I spent some time thinking about Jesus and what distinguished Him from other men.  We do not read that Jesus was a towering specimen of a man, that He had a beautiful voice, nor was He remarkably handsome.  He appeared ordinary in every sense.  Jesus was not deathly somber or giddy with happiness.  He was not quick to cry or wore an unshakably stoic countenance.  What distinguished Christ from other men?

The fact Jesus was born of a virgin distinguishes Him from all other men (Matt. 1:20).  Only Adam and Eve were made without the use of both man and woman - Adam made from the dust of the ground, and Eve made from a rib from Adam's side.  Another distinguishing characteristic people discovered early in His life was the wisdom and knowledge of Jesus (Luke 2:46-47).  Even as a pre-teen Jesus asked questions and gave answers to masters of the law which made all marvel.  When Jesus was baptized and transfigured (Luke 3:22, 9:35), the voice of God the Father spoke from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  Such a ringing endorsement from the heavens certainly distinguishes Christ from other men!  Another distinguishing mark upon the life of Christ is His love.  He loves all people, and it was the love of Christ which compelled Him to embrace the cross.  Romans 5:8 reads, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

If Jesus had remained dead, He would have been like all other men before Him.  But He is distinguished even in death, for after three days Jesus rose from the dead as the Conqueror of Death!  He was seen by over 500 people in His glorified bodily form before He ascended to heaven in the sight of many.  1 Corinthians 15:20-21 states, "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead."  Of all the distinguishing characteristics of Christ, this may be the most unconventional and unexpected of them all - though Jesus actually predicted it over and over again:  "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  John 2:22 confirms the account:  "Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said."

Every person alive has the choice of what will distinguish them from others.  The important thing is not "what" distinguishes a person, but "Who" distinguishes you!  The term "Christian" was once used to distinguish people who actually acted like Jesus Christ.  Unfortunately much of the weight and power of the term has dissipated over the years.  We can be such poor ambassadors for Christ that only a fool would want to "have what we have."  In this we do our Saviour a grave disservice.  I say it is time for Christians to be distinguished from the world by the love, power, forgiveness, wisdom, generosity, and sacrifice revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.  May it be Christ Himself who distinguishes Christians from all others for the glory of God.

It doesn't matter if you have yellow teeth, a wild shock of hair, or employ your own tailor:  let Jesus and His love, grace, and forgiveness be what distinguishes you.  May you experience the life Paul describes in Galatians 2:20:  "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."