Tag: accountability

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Acts Devotionals

An unknowable God?

Acts

In this passage, we see that the Athenians worshiped an “unknown god.”

Basically, this was their way of covering their bases. They didn’t want to upset any god unintentionally.

But the truth was, when they actually heard who this God was and that they were accountable to him, many wanted nothing to do with him.

Many people today are the same way. They are comfortable with saying that there’s probably a God out there somewhere.

Unlike the Athenians, they tend to think that this God is generally benevolent, a doting grandfather in the sky, so to speak. But like the Athenians, they are content to think of him as someone that is basically unknowable.

“Oh, it’s all well and good to talk about God, but we can’t truly know him, can we?”

Why is it comfortable to think that way?

That kind of unknowable “God” is very convenient to “believe” in. You can basically shape him into whatever form you like. And in most cases, as I said, he is very non-threatening.

But do as Paul did, and present God as someone to whom we are accountable to and by whom will we be judged someday, and most people will run as fast as they can from him.

But as one song puts it,

You can’t package faith in some shrink-to-fit size.
You can’t market truth wrapped up in happy, happy lies. — Russ Taff

How about you? Are you content with an unknowable God? Or will you accept him as he truly is and submit to him?

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Matthew Matthew 5

Sermon on the Mount: Whatever it takes

Matthew

My favorite sports team is the Pittsburgh Steelers, and back in the 70s, their coach was a man named Chuck Noll.

Noll had a saying, “Whatever it takes.” In other words, “We do whatever necessary to win the game (within the rules, of course).”

Well here, we see that same kind of attitude. But it has nothing to do with winning games. It has to do with sin.

Jesus essentially tells us, “Do whatever it takes to get rid of sin in your life.”

He said,

If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. (Matthew 5:29-30)

Although some people have taken this literally, Jesus does not mean this literally. He doesn’t want you to literally gouge out your eye or cut off your hand.

What he is saying is to take sin seriously. Too often, we don’t. We just say, “Well, it’s okay. God will forgive me.”

And unlike what Jesus taught in the Beatitudes, we don’t mourn over our sin. Instead, we continue on in our sin.

But Jesus reminds us here that sin is the reason that he went to the cross.

Sin causes people to go to hell. You were going to hell because of your sin before you met Jesus. How then can you take it lightly and continue on in your sin?

And so Jesus says do whatever it takes to get rid of sin in your life. What does that mean practically?

First, it means prayer. We do not have the ability to fight sin on our own. We need the power of God working in us to conquer sin.

Second, it means avoiding problem areas in your life. In other words, if you have a problem with alcoholism, stay away from bars or parties where alcohol is served and you’ll be tempted to drink.

If you have a problem with lust, stay away from anywhere that sells pornography. Cut these things off from your life.

Third, it means accountability. Share with someone you trust your struggles and have them check up on you regularly. Not only that, have them pray with you and for you.

James writes,

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)

But whatever you do, don’t take sin lightly. Jesus didn’t. He went to the cross because of it.

So do whatever it takes to be holy as he is holy.

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John John 1 Luke Luke 3 Mark Mark1 Matthew Matthew 3

Telling it like it is

The gospels

We leap approximately 18 years in time from when Jesus was 12 years old to when he turned 30. And just before he began his ministry, his cousin John started his own.

The apostle John makes very clear who John the Baptist was and was not, saying,

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.

He came as a witness to testify concerning that light (i.e. Jesus), so that through him all men might believe.

He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. (John 1:6-8)

Or as John the Baptist himself put it when questioned by the priests, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees,

I am not the Christ…I am the voice of one calling in the desert, “Make straight the way for the Lord.” (John 1:20, 23)

His whole purpose in life was to pave the way for Jesus. To prepare people’s hearts to receive him.

It strikes me that as followers of Jesus, God has passed on that mission to us. To prepare people’s hearts for Jesus. We cannot make them follow him. All we can do is plant the seed.

Our message, really, isn’t much different from John’s. The main difference, of course, was that he was preaching that they needed to prepare their hearts because God’s salvation was coming. (Luke 3:6)

We preach that God’s salvation has already come in Jesus Christ.

But the other thing that strikes me is that John really didn’t mince words. When he saw the Pharisees and Sadducees coming down towards him, he said,

You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

And do not think you can say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.”

I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3:7-12)

Why did John come down so hard on these people? Because for the most part, they were hypocrites that looked good on the outside, keeping the letter of the law, while on the inside, they were utterly corrupt.

They thought they were in with God because they were Jews. Not only that, unlike the “ignorant,” they knew God’s law.

But on the inside, they were filled with pride and were utterly devoid of the mercy of God in their lives.

And though he was less harsh with the rest of the people, even the most hated of people in Israel, the tax collectors and astonishingly enough the Roman soldiers (although some would argue that the soldiers were Jewish soldiers), nevertheless, he called them to repentance as well.

He warned them that they could not just keep living the way that they were. Because as he told all of them, a day of judgment is coming.

We need to do the same. We need to tell people like it is.

We of course need to tell people that Jesus loves them. That he died to take the punishment for their sins, and that they can be forgiven and made whole.

But if they refuse to listen in their pride, stubbornness, or utter sinfulness, we also need to warn them that a day of judgment is coming.

Because if we don’t, God will hold us accountable. (Ezekiel 3:16-21; Acts 20:26-27)

How about you? Are you telling it like it is?

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Nehemiah

Rebuilding the walls

Nehemiah

Nehemiah had a massive task ahead of him as he looked to repair the walls around Jerusalem.

But it was an important one.  As long as the walls were down, the Jews were defenseless against their enemies.  And so after three days of rest, he started to inspect the damage.

After doing so, he told his fellow Jews his plan to repair the walls.  And taking heart from Nehemiah’s words and the authority they had received from King Artaxerxes, they started to work side by side to repair the walls.

What can we get from these chapters?  I think there are a few things.

First, like Jerusalem, we are people with broken spiritual walls.  And as long as those walls are broken down, we are vulnerable to the attacks of the Enemy.

He has no mercy on us, especially since we have declared war on him by becoming Christians.  He will keep attacking our weak points, trying to get us to fall and to drive us away from God.

For some of us, it’s a struggle with our temper.  For others, it’s a struggle with lust.  For others, it’s a struggle with unforgiveness.  For yet others, it’s a struggle with bitterness.

Whatever your struggle may be, they are broken walls in your life and must be repaired if you are to become whole as a Christian.

Like Nehemiah, we need to take a careful look at our lives in the light of God’s word and see just where the damage in our walls are.

Where are we often falling to temptation?  What are the areas Satan is attacking us in.

Satan isn’t stupid.  He doesn’t waste his time attacking us where we’re strong.  He attacks us where we are weak.

So inspect your walls and see what needs to be repaired.

Second, know that the King is on our side and that he has given us the resources to repair the walls.

Peter put it this way,

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  (2 Peter 1:3)

Finally, not only is God on our side, but we should be working side by side with our brothers and sisters to rebuild the walls in our lives.

James wrote,

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  (James 5:16)

In other words, we ought to be accountable to one another.  Find a Christian you can trust and share your struggles with them.  Have them pray for you.  Do the same for them.

And as you do, you’ll find the walls in your lives starting to be rebuilt.