Believing: The Key to Everything!

What if I told you that you could go to Fort Knox , Kentucky , and all the security gates would swing open for you, all the armed guards would bow down before you, all the doors would unlock automatically, and you could withdraw any amount of gold you desire? You would hesitate just long enough to pack and gas up your car. Spiritually speaking, God has done this for us, but far too many people won’t even check it out because of their unbelief.

I grieve for those held in the bondage of unbelief, resigned to their chains as though it were their fate. Some remain skeptical of all spiritual things. Some do not believe they are worthy or important enough. Some don’t believe they are capable of receiving anything from God. Some think the circumstances are too hard for God to overcome. Some only want to believe their own version. Some are afraid to believe because they are unsure of the results.

But the Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life… He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16, 18). Also, “Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb. 11:6)

Believing is not difficult. It is simply the condition or state of mind in which one accepts something or someone as true. It is the willingness to act in full faith upon something. The simple act of believing secures all the spiritual treasures, all the eternal wealth that God has ever created for us. Think of it: Forgiveness of sins, remission of sins, the promise of Abraham, the baptism of the Holy Ghost, justification, salvation—-all of these powerful spiritual truths are triggered by believing!

God wants you to believe. In fact, the objective of the miracles, the signs and wonders, the reaching of the gospel and even of the Bible itself is to lead us to believe. “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” John 20:31. The condition of unbelief, however, is fatal to God’s will, and it is precisely what the devil wants out of every soul. “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” Matthew 13:58.

It’s time to proclaim what you believe, and stand on your faith. Believe that God created the heavens and the earth; in the Garden of Eden; in the rod of Moses turning into a serpent; that the sun stood still for Joshua; that Jesus turned the water into wine; that the axe-head did swim; that Jesus fed the five-thousand with five loaves and two fishes; that Elijah was taken up in a chariot of fire; that Jonah was swallowed by the whale; that Daniel was not eaten by the lions.

Believing in the name of Jesus in baptism makes the sins go away. Believing in the promise of Jesus is what grants the gift of the Holy Ghost. Believing is what moves you from wistfully standing in front of your spiritual Fort Knox, and instead, marching boldly through the open doors. Belief or unbelief is not your assigned fate—it is your choice!

Jesus upbraided his disciples because they chose to obey their fears rather than operate through their faith. “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.” Mark 15:14 .

You possess an awesome power: the power to believe.  No one else can use it for you.  No one else can do your believing for you.  It all comes down to a very personal choice for you.  Choose it.  Use it. 

Another Look at the Harvest

“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” John 4:35

Jesus told a parable about an enterprising farmer who hired workers at dawn for a penny. At mid-day, the farmer hired more for the same pay, and then hired still more at the eleventh hour for one penny as well. Given this glaring inequality in pay, many modern laborers have a difficult time understanding this parable.

The fact is, however, that this hiring practice had nothing to do with the wage scale, the skill level of the workers or the employer’s questionable business ethics. The disproportionate wage was a function of the value of the harvest. The farmer knew that the grain was too valuable to let it rot, unharvested, in the field. Even though he paid dearly for more laborers to bring it in, it was worth it.

Anyone who contemplates the harvest of men for God’s kingdom understands that the same principle applies. Who among us can—or dares to—measure the inestimable value of a soul? Here, at the close of the last days, souls must not be forgotten and left to die in the fields. They are far too valuable for us to write off as a loss. Several aspects of the harvest intrigue me. Look at the following:

The field belongs to God. Yes, the world lies in wickedness, but it doesn’t belong to the devil. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. It is His world. We must denounce Satan’s claim to ownership and not feel like we are trespassing when we witness. We are on a legitimate mission for the owner.

The souls were created by God. Who breathed the breath of life into man? Certainly not Satan! That means that every soul we see has the stamp of divinity on his or her life. In fact, to redeem means to buy back that which was originally owned. Every soul, even before finding Christ, really belongs to God anyway. We commit a spiritually unconscionable act to see drug addicts, prostitutes or thieves instead of souls. We do a despicable disservice to the Lord of the Harvest to see blasphemers, mockers and pagans instead of souls. Which one of them did Jesus omit from his blood-soaked redemption? Which one of them ranks so low on God’s scale that they don’t qualify for one gospel sermon, one prayer or one altar call?

The harvest doesn’t come easily. Farmers will tell you that not all workers are the same. Some laborers glean far more than others, even though they work side by side with others through the same fields. Why? They harvest more because they attack the harvest with greater determination, vision and work than fellow workers! Some work for a living; others live to work. Some put in their time with their eye on the paycheck; others work to please their boss knowing that the paycheck will take care of itself. But our passion to reach souls must surge past selfish motives, outlast the fatigue factors and pit our will against the stubborn barriers to the harvest. Here’s what we must do:

Push back the foliage. As fruit often hides behind leaves, so souls hide behind facades of disinterest, rejection, or false argumentation. Push back the leaves and you may find a glorious harvest.

Climb a tree and get out on a limb. Sometimes the harvest requires risk. How far are you willing to go to reach someone? How much are you willing to invest to reclaim a soul for Christ?

Expect thorns and briers. Many gatherers of blackberries have pulled thorns from their flesh. They knew it would happen because blackberry bushes grow thorns. The love of the fruit made them do it. Likewise, soulwinners often feel the painful prickings of anger, resentment and pent-up bitterness. The love of souls drives them onward.

Ignore the pain . No one manhandles a sickle or scythe for very long without blisters and sore muscles. Wimps quit at the first little red mark, but the veteran laborer works through the pain. He knows that after a while it will let up. Calluses will form and muscles will become stronger. He just keeps on going.

Keep your implements in good condition. Sharpen your blades, oil your machinery, repair your broken parts and your chances of reaping a good harvest will increase. Spiritually, stay prayed up, read up, paid up and you will increase your effectiveness as a witness.

The ripened harvest is there. God put it there. Go after those souls with a greater determination and perseverance than you’ve had in the past. The field will yield her fruit to the good laborer.

Ambulance Chasers

“Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.” John 6:26

Rescue and emergency workers, along with fighting fires, administering CPR, cutting people from mangled wrecks and all the other myriad tasks they perform, battle the nuisance people. Popularly called ambulance chasers, gawkers or rubber-neckers, these people snarl traffic and generally hamper the crews from doing their job. They have no official business at the site, and they don’t particularly want to help. Mainly, they just want to see something gruesome or bizarre to titillate their imagination so they can command the attention of their neighbors and friends as someone “in the know”. Their interest in the misfortunes of others centers on their own personal needs and drives. For similar reasons, people chase movie stars, sports personalities, politicians and other celebrities around the country to obtain photographs and autographs. They seek to elevate their own importance by getting close to important people. With no true success of their own, they feed off of the legitimate successes of others.

Seekers thronged Jesus for a host of reasons. Some wanted to satisfy their curiosity. Some went wherever the crowd went. Some wanted a break from work. Some saw a good chance to eat. Some thought Jesus was a rebel. Some looked at him as an alternative to the oppressive Roman regime. Some thought he would lead Israel back to its former glory. Others, however, possessed a revelation about his true identity. Jesus understood the difference.

The same situation prevails in church circles today. Many estranged husbands and wives fall apart at an altar of prayer, not because they seek genuine repentance, but so God might put their homes back together. In church services, many addicts anguish over their compulsions, not so they can walk away from the drugs or alcohol, but so they can find relief from the financial, social and physical troubles their indulgences have caused. Even more complicated than these situations, others follow through with religious teaching and requirements, embrace sound doctrine and re-structure their lives for a time, but their motives remain mired in selfish interests. Whenever they get bored, experience difficulties, get hurt, or fail to make a clean break with carnal relationships, they wander off in search of something else.

Self-Centered Believers. Some always seek their own advantage. They manipulate every situation in a way that they come out on top. The Apostle John told of such ones in the early church. “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.” 3 John 9-10. (NIV)

Self Esteem Seekers. The need for self-importance or to find affirmation dominates the discipleship of many. Though they often appear spiritual, close examination of their behavioral patterns discloses that they always place themselves at the top of their priority list. Their service to God rises or falls on the positive attention they get from others. They never grasp the concept of crucifying the flesh. Yet, the bible teaches the very opposite. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Material Gain Followers. Many people still come to the church with their hands out. They see dollar signs, sympathy-givers, baby-sitters, car repairmen, grocery-providers, bill-payers and handful of freebies. Whereas the faithful believers look around and see the blessings of God in bricked buildings, paved parking lots and carpeted floors, those whose eyes focus on material gain see opportunity for personal wealth. Jesus directly referred to such people in the text. They followed him only as long as he provided natural food for them.

Complete divestiture of selfish motives remains the purest way to follow Jesus. Consider every blessing, every physical healing, every instance of personal gain, every miracle, and every instance of a supplied need, as a by-product to your relationship with him. He doesn’t just give prizes—-he IS the prize! We don’t serve him because he is our meal ticket, but because he is our life. The multitude wanted the loaves, but they spurned the hand that produced the loaves. When you lose yourself in Jesus, you gain far more than self-aggrandizement, dubious rewards of self-esteem and the temporary gifts of material gain. You get God, himself.

Assumptions of Forgiveness

“I thought you were going to forgive me. How much longer are you going to hold this over my head? How can you love God when you can’t even let me get past this. Some Christian you are.”

Most of us have heard these stinging statements at some point in our lives. Often, they throw us into gut-wrenching, soul-searching convulsions. Self-doubt and feelings of guilt overwhelm us because we wonder whether or not the charge is true. Are we so callused, so bitter, so deeply offended that we refuse to truly forgive? Don’t we have a genuine experience with God? Don’t we understand Calvary ? On and on, the questions go. Meanwhile, the person who transgressed in the first place succeeds in deferring the blame once again to the innocent. Instead of the victims reaping sympathy over the initial hurt, some accuse them of becoming nasty hypocrites. Something is wrong with this picture.

Forgiveness can be far more complicated than most people expect it to be. The way it actually works differs greatly from some popular assumptions we hold. Some of these assumptions are either categorically or partially untrue. For example, the following beliefs about forgiveness demonstrate how many people have distorted it:

• Forgive and forget.
• If you don’t trust me, you haven’t forgiven me.
• You are obligated to forgive me.
• If you don’t overlook my repeated offenses, you haven’t forgiven me.
• You must forgive me whether or not I ever make things right.
• You must forgive me even if I don’t ask for it.

Granted, forgiveness can be a daunting challenge. The depth of the hurt, the way an offense came about, the person who did the wrong and the person against whom the deed was done may all make forgiveness a torturous experience. Yet, we know it must be done. We cannot dismiss the scriptural teaching we find in Matthew 6:12. “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Those who must forgive may struggle for years to completely accomplish the task. That becomes a matter for them to deal with in the eyes of God. What is often overlooked, however, is the behavior of the offending party in the equation. How should the person act who needs forgiveness?

It is a distortion of truth to taunt people about their obligation to forgive. Forgiveness was never meant to become a weapon in the hands of a person who demands it. Its purpose is to provide a viable avenue for restoration, not a way to turn justice inside out. Its intent is to give someone a chance make amends. Those who need forgiveness must keep several definite principles in mind.

Never minimize your transgression. You add insult to injury when you casually dismiss your wrongdoing as an insignificant mistake. Do not make excuses such as, “I’m only human,” or “I suppose you’re perfect.” Never blame others, or laugh off the thing you’ve done. Never belittle the offended person for being too sensitive or too petty.

Keep a humble attitude. Always remember that forgiveness indicates graciousness on the part of the offended person. Never display an arrogant or “entitlement” attitude, as though you are doing them a favor by allowing them to forgive you. Forgiveness may indeed be a divine requirement, but you are not personally responsible to enforce it.

Expect certain changes. Offending parties need to understand that relationships may well end as the result of a problem. Depending on the details of the situation, you may not continue on in a job, or you may have to make other drastic changes in your life. In fact, the person who committed the wrongdoing should volunteer to make these changes, rather than make the innocent person change his or her life.

Make a real attempt at restoration. Forgiveness does not exempt one from punishment. Sincere apologies, restitution for damages or losses, and compliance with any other reasonable request to make up for the wrongdoing are all in order. The depth of a person’s repentance can be measured by the extent of follow-up on restitution and restoration.

Live so that the offended party will forget. Do you really want all to be forgotten? Show such a turnaround in your behavior and attitude that the person you hurt will grow to love you. Be so grateful for a second chance that you will virtually erase the memory of the sin.

Many of us are far too cognizant of what we think is owed to us, rather than what we owe to others. Always keep in mind that, while all of us need forgiveness, none of us deserve it. The moment we start acting like we deserve it is the very moment we are likely to lose it.

Never minimize your transgression.

Keep a humble attitude.

Expect certain changes.

Make a real attempt at restoration.

Live so that the offended party will forget.

The Middleman

“We pray you in Christ’s stead.” II Corinthians 5:20

All of us know about the middleman. He is that person, or company, who buys a product from a wholesale manufacturer and passes it on to the consumer, with a slight markup. He doesn’t produce or use the product. He only handles it for the customer’s convenience. Most of the time, we try to “cut out the middleman” as an unnecessary expense. But there are some things that we have no time, equipment or know-how to make happen. We need a bridge between the producer and the consumer. The middleman runs the pivot position for us.

For salvation, we have no other mediator than Jesus Christ. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5. Only Jesus can save a soul. But lost humanity needs a middleman who can link the world to the gospel. That task belongs to the church. We may not produce salvation, but neither are we mere consumers. We have received something that must be conveyed to others. The Apostle Paul staked out the church’s commission in the clearest terms possible. “[God] hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself… and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” II Corinthians 5:18-20.

An awesome responsibility weighs upon our shoulders to be the middlemen of peace, joy and blessing to our world. The parable of Jesus about the rich man who built bigger barns to store his great harvest provides an important insight here. Like the farmer, our spiritual ground is in abundance, producing a harvest of quality, quantity and value. The question looms, “What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? The farmer’s response was wrong. “This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.” He made three huge mistakes. He left God out of his decision. He believed that the harvest was his, not God’s. Finally, he thought he was the end-user of the bounty. The church must not repeat his error.

Instead of being the middleman, however, I wonder if too many of us could be better described as the “bottleneck?” We have the abundance of God’s blessings flowing unimpeded into our lives, but how much of it flows out? Can you answer these questions honestly?

• Are you the reason people serve God, or the reason they don’t?
• Are you the accelerator or the brakes?
  
• Are you a door or a wall?
  
• Are you the road sign or the roadblock?
  
• Are you the hand that serves or the hand that steals?
  
• Are you the sweet refrain or the sour note?
  
• Are you the encouraging smile or the forbidding frown?
  
• Are you the stepping-stone or the stumbling block?
  
• Are you a following sheep or a cantankerous goat?

Two principles govern the economy of the saints. First, the love-forgiveness principle equates the magnitude of forgiveness to the magnitude of love. “To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” Luke 7:47. When Mary broke the alabaster box and spilled precious ointment over Christ, she showed her depth of understanding about forgiveness and love. To the extent that the church appreciates its divine pardon, it engages in ministry and evangelism. Second, the greater-blessing principle demands that the level of responsibility be tied to the level of blessing. “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” Luke 12:48. We stand as the repositories of truth. Will you let the blessings of God flow through you to the world, or will you misappropriate his blessings to waste them on selfish interests? If God placed you in his body, he wants to use you for his purposes. If God gave you a ministry, he wants you to use it for his gain, not yours.

God has mandated the church to represent him on this earth. It is the agency to dispense the gospel message; the vehicle of missionary service; a soul-saving station; the city set on a hill; the light which cannot be hidden; the hands and feet of God; the voice of truth; the middleman to preach Christ. Only through these functions do we validate our purpose.

Why Love Has To Be More Than A Feeling

Bring back that lovin’ feeling,
Whoa, that lovin’ feeling
Bring back that lovin’ feeling,
‘Cause it’s gone…gone…

So sang the Righteous Brothers many years ago…oh yeah, that “lovin’ feeling.”  That certain euphoric, caring feeling one person has toward another person, according to the popular belief, is love. People either fall in or out of love and no one can control whom, when or why. Many honestly think that they still love someone as long as they have that special feeling. In their minds, their behavior has no relationship to the reality of their love. This thinking has lead to huge problems in our culture.

In fact, our culture is so drunk with visual and verbal hype that anything we say or feel becomes reality. When people today say, “I love you,” they don’t mean “I will do anything for you.” They simply mean, “I have a loving feeling toward you.” When you point out that their actions contradict their expressions of love, you get an incredulous stare, as though you have no clue about life. They have been taught to give such total affirmation to their feelings that no one can tell them that they love or do not love. “I know how I feel,” they protest.

Many irresponsible adults, for example, leave the care of their aging parents to brothers and sisters, alleging that they are too busy, too poor, too tired or too far away to lend a helping hand (or send a helping dollar). Yet, these same people would become enraged should someone question their love for their parents. Many irresponsible moms and dads shift the burden of raising their children onto their parents, relatives or sitters while they run half the night with friends, hit the bars or generally loaf around. They would fight anyone, however, who accused them of not loving their kids. Many other examples exist which represent these same odd phenomena: people who loudly proclaim their love, but whose actions do not back up their grandiose claims. These outrageous ideas exist because our society thinks of love as a feeling.

Love that has no corresponding supportive action, however, is an emotional delusion.

Self-absorption and selfish indulgence actually become destructive of true love. True love can never be measured by how one feels, but by what one does. One who loves does not abandon or desert. One who loves does not prefer self to others. One who loves does not shift personal responsibilities off on others for any convenient reason that comes down the pike. Indeed, if love were still possible in spite of such selfish acts, then love would be gutted of all its value and meaning. The glory of love remains rooted in its selflessness.

The Bible exhorts us to love God. If this love could be expressed in mere words, why would God find it so valuable? He loves love precisely because of the actions, the life decisions, the sacrifices and the dedication it births. God is not into fake tears, pious prayers or short-lived shouts. God does not care how many colored lights we flash on our assertions of love, or whether or not they are strobed, dimmed or hazed. He remains unimpressed with confetti volcanoes, simulated blizzards or black-light effects. When the lights go out and the sound clicks off, God simply wants us to love Him with our actions. When the tears dry up and the dramatic crescendos fade, he wants our lives to be in submission to His will.

The pop-Christian culture has brought a tidal wave of superficial statements of love into the church and prostituted true praise and worship. Love for God, it seems, bursts out from everywhere, but with no relationship to the actions of those who profess the love. Too many people think that a verbal confession of faith and love needs no further proof of legitimacy. But is it really possible to love God and not serve God? Is it possible to love God and live in seemingly blissful disobedience to His Word? Is it possible to love God and mock holy and righteous living? Is it possible to love God and still indulge oneself in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life? The only way such egregious inconsistencies can exist is if love is thought to be just a feeling, nothing more.

The Church that Would Not Shut Up

“For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20

Forgive me for using such crude language. I really do know better, but I’m trying to make a point here. Besides that, given the downgrading of public discourse these days, “shut up” is certainly one of the milder forms of expression you hear. The recent book by Marvin Kitman, The Man Who Would Not Shut Up: The Rise of Bill O’Reilly, got me started on this. O’Reilly, the in-your-face, sometimes belligerent, always provocative radio and TV talk show host has made a name for himself by refusing to ignore the outrageous happenings in contemporary culture. I disagree with much of O’Reilly’s commentary, but his confrontational manner and his unwillingness to back down from the heavy hitters in politics, law enforcement, Hollywood and the mainstream media has to be admired. To the chagrin (or delight) of many, he simply will not shut up.

The church in the book of Acts had huge reasons to shut up. They were hauled in before the most powerful group of leaders in the land and forbidden to speak. The Council of all the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, including Annas the High Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander other relatives of the High Priest exerted collective pressure on them to cease and desist. (Acts 4:5-7). The widely recognized authority of the Council to carry out their threats usually throttled their enemies. These disciples of Jesus, however, were a different breed. They had gained the favor of the crowd, they were full of the Holy Ghost, and they had an experience that insulated them against intimidation. Still, the Council told them “not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.” The early church proceeded to go directly back to the streets and pick up where they left off. Not only did they not shut up, the threat became a rallying cry among believers to intensify their efforts. They regrouped, solidified and became a formidable force in their world.

The twenty-first century brings new threats to the church to back off from our mission to “Go ye therefore into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” All of the old, discredited heresies of the past still dog the church, now enabled by new technologies and methods that make the spiritually invasive tactics of Satan far more seductive and effective than ever. “Shut up” assaults the ears of the church today from every quarter. Politics, education, pagan religions, entertainment and culture—all these and more clamor for the New Testament church to retreat from our dogmatism and passively blend in with religion in general. Of course, our detractors themselves demand complete freedom to promulgate their false beliefs. Marsha West, February 2, 2007 , NewsWithViews.com, says: “Some readers are thinking, “Christians who try to evangelize unbelievers are religious fanatics. I don’t want to hear about Jesus!” That’s your choice. But remember that Christianity is not the only religion trying to win souls.

She says, “Serious environmentalists are trying to save planet Earth [by] exposing people to their pantheistic worldview and they’re guilty of preaching about it. Radical environmentalists do not come with truth. They come with lies and half-truths. The Secular Humanists push their godless religion on society. Hollywood , the liberal media, public schools and universities are preaching their message. They believe the only way to save society from religious moralists and anyone else who doesn’t agree with them is to shut down all dialogue. Liberal Christians spread the Gospel of Confusion. Half of [them] feel that they don’t have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs with others, in spite of the fact that Jesus commanded His followers to proselytize.”

What we desperately need today are churches that will not cave into the pressure from humanists, radical environmentalists, liberal Christians or the political correctness crowd to abandon evangelism. Despite the shrill threats to shut up or be shut down, we must preach the unpopular, practice the unappreciated and believe the inflammatory. One experience with the power of the Holy Ghost is enough to inoculate us against rivals to the gospel.

Even more insidious than the external enemies, however, are terminal attitudes rising from within. Too many saints think they have to shut up because…“I’m too busy; I have too many jobs already; I don’t know how; it’s not my personality; it embarrasses me to talk about my faith; my workplace doesn’t allow talk about religion; people hate Jesus freaks; I don’t have any opportunities; I’ve tried it and it doesn’t work for me; nobody wants to hear it anymore; we have too much competition; let people alone because they are okay in their own churches and beliefs.” All are excuses for the fearful and spiritual impotent.

Aggressive evangelism doesn’t have to turn us into the Bill O’Reilly’s of the Apostolics. Speaking the truth in love remains in force. But the oneness of God, baptism in Jesus’ name, the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues, righteous and godly living need a clarion voice. Let’s take the gag off, shake the confusion off and quit biting our tongue. Will you be the church that won’t shut up?

Watch Your Language!

The potential power underlying our relationship with God, a power that is probably the most under-utilized and neglected source of strength in the known universe, may be best illustrated in the way we refer to Him in our ordinary speech. We usually speak of God as “thee, thou, He, Him or you.” In grammatical terms, we see him as second or third person singular. For example, the old hymn, “How Great Thou Art” is written in second person singular. “Our God Is An Awesome God” is third person singular. Simply put, these references force us to think of God as “that being over there” or “that power up there.” Thus, we limit the God who comes to live inside us as the God who lives outside us; we view the resident Spirit as our next-door neighbor, or even our absent landlord; we accept his indwelling theologically, but we deny his indwelling as a practical reality.

What would happen if we were to speak of God as “we”, meaning he and us together? I believe that a simple, yet fundamental change in the way we talk would make and incredible difference in the way we think. Linguists tell us that language provides strong delimiters to our thinking, and that we unwittingly confine our concepts to the language we use to communicate with each other. In fact, today’s cutting edge innovators have a bold saying, “Change the language to change the culture.”

“The biggest human resources challenge we face in Government is changing its culture,” stated Morley Winograd, former advisor to the Vice President in a speech to Office of Personnel Management. “We need to create a culture that is more empowering, results-oriented, integrated across boundaries, and, above all else, externally focused. We should be interested in changing the culture of government by changing its conversation—when you change what people talk about, you change the culture.”

The concept of referring to God as “we” and “us” has not received much face time before the church, but it holds a solid place in scripture. Jesus explained this to the woman at the well in John 4:14. “The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” Indeed, the very foundation of our redemptive relationship with God rests on the premise of God’s indwelling presence. “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” John 14:20. In Romans 8:9, Paul writes, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” Note, this is not God down the street or across town, but God in us!

This truth inspired the Apostle Paul to write, “For we are labourers together with God.” I Corinthians 3:9. Again, he said, “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.” II Corinthians 6:1. When you think of “working together,” no picture comes closer to depicting the concept than the old-fashioned Amish barn raising.  One man cannot do what fifty can do, when they work in harmony with each other.  Clearly, God envisioned a close relationship with his church. He wants us to think of him as a friend, a fellow-worker and even a husband.

The force of this concept becomes even greater when we look at the last verse of the gospel of Mark. “And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” Mark 16:20 . The phrase “working with them” comes from a single Greek word, “sunergountos”. Translated, it is the popular term in use today, synergy. It has two primary meanings: “1. The working together of two or more things, people, or organizations, especially when the result is greater than the sum of their individual effects or capabilities. 2. The phenomenon in which the combined action of two things, for example, drugs or muscles, is greater than the sum of their effects individually.” Microsoft® Encarta®. Divine synergy occurs when the church exercises its true partnership with God in fulfilling its earthly mission. From God’s perspective, the church is a joint venture with him, a combined effort to spread the gospel and advance the church’s frontiers around the world.

Perhaps some shun speaking of God as “we” in a desire to be humble, as though only an arrogant person would say such a thing. But failure to speak of God as “we’ or “us,” rather than “him, thee or thou” leads to spiritual anemia. We work in tandem with God with his full blessing. He is not remote, indifferent or reluctant to work with us. It is time to let “him” become “we.” This is the essence of his plan. “In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:21-22.