Confession: I am not a good Christian - Purity 903

Confession: I am not a good Christian -  Purity 903

Purity 903 12/01/2022  Purity 903 Podcast

Purity 903 on YouTube: 

Good morning,

Today’s photo of a sidewalk pathway lined with park benches and street lamps, on the shore of the Oswego River, under the cover of darkness, and the light of a full moon comes to us from yours truly as I captured this scene during my “night walk” around the west side of Oswego NY back on my November 9th. 

Well, It’s Thursday again and as is my habit, I share a picture of a pathway as an encouragement to anyone reading or hearing this message to get on or to stay on the path of Christian Discipleship with a warning that if you should choose to pick up your cross and follow Jesus, you will be condemned or persecuted for your faith.  

You would think that when we choose to turn from our sinful, selfish, or worldly ways that our family, friends, and acquaintances would applaud our decision to “get right with God” but if you think that you haven’t read or listened to the word of God that tells us quite a different story.  

Jesus warned his disciples: 

John 15:18-20 (NKJV)
¹⁸  "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
¹⁹  If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
²⁰  Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. … 

Paul wrote: 

2 Timothy 3:12 (NKJV)
¹²  Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

Peter wrote:

1 Peter 4:12-13 (NKJV)
¹²  Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
¹³  but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

So, it shouldn’t be surprising when you lose relationships after you come to faith in Christ. Following Jesus divides us from the world. Even family ties will be torn apart by the gospel that leads us to faith in Christ and repentance. Christ said:

Matthew 10:21-22 (NKJV)
²¹  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
²²  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

So this reveals that the world really is under the sway of the evil one and that we will have to endure in our faith even if it costs us the good opinion of others.  

Now that we know that we  will be persecuted for our faith and that Christ also commanded that we love our enemies, and love our neighbors as our self, that we wouldn’t do or saying anything to provoke persecution.  

After all Paul said in Romans

Romans 12:18 (NKJV)
¹⁸  If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

So you would think that we should walk humbly before men and not say or do anything to offend anyone, right?  

So how did meek and mild Jesus address those who disagreed with Him?  What did Paul say when faced with opposition.  How about Peter who told us to take persecution joyfully?  

Jesus said:

Matthew 23:33 (NKJV)
³³  Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?

John 8:44 (NKJV)
⁴⁴  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Rather than turning the other cheek, when Paul was hit by the order of the high priest Ananiss said:

Acts 23:3 (NKJV)
³  … "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?"

And,

Peter said, to Simon who wanted the Holy Spirit bad enough to pay for it,: 

Acts 8:20-23 (NKJV)
²⁰  … "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! ²¹  You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. ²²  Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³  For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."

I point these passages out to not encourage open rebuke to our unsaved contemporaries but would like to discourage the caricature of the silent, peaceful Christian that dare not say anything that may offend anyone.  

I am hyper sensitive to this issue today because in an exchange with someone from my past yesterday, that was admittedly a little contentious, I was told that I was “not a good Christian” and that I was “a hypocrite”.  This person would claim to Christian as well I am sure, although they would perhaps openly admit to being of the “nonpracticing” sect of Christianity for most of the year.   Although if I were a betting man, I might put money against it, they may actually visit a church Christmas service this month, but I doubt it.  

So why does someone who doesn’t have a robust and rich relationship, evidenced by fruit in their character or practice, feel comfortable calling me a hypocrite and not a good Christian? 

Because their spiritually blind of course, but because their also exists this false view that Christians are “perfect people” that never would say anything that would offend anyone regardless of how they live or what they say.  Admittedly, I was pointing out a matter in which this condemner was not being responsible in, and so they lashed out with what they thought would be the worst thing that could say about me. 

I consider my relationship with the Lord and my intention to live out my faith authentically to be very important to me.  I seek to do the Lords will in how I live my life and continually repent to be more in line with God’s ways.   

So being sarcastic and unkind in my “encouragements” to be responsible were definitely not Christ like… or were they?  Jesus and the Apostles didn’t always say nice things.  So in the Spirit of Christ and the Apostles, I tried to provoke repentance, I guess. My choice of words were born out of frustration. You see I have had this “encouraging” talk before. It’s an ongoing thing, and proves to get worse apparently. 

Previously, I encouraged in general terms without the sarcasm and unkind words and was condemned as “not a good Christian” then too! So when the situation came up AGAIN, I was short on patience and wisdom, and by the way things look I will require much of each in the days, weeks, months, and possibly years until this situation is resolved.

Currently there is no end date on this drama. There is no promise of a good end. There may be sizable negative consequences because of it.  So, I will have to deal with it, either through legal action or by endurance and letting things resolve themselves with or without suffering. I will deal with it, eventually, and accept what ever comes.  

But my issue in this situation, is not the highlight here.  Our Christian response is. 

We are forgive. We are repent.  But we don’t let the words of others allow us to doubt who we are in Christ.

Romans 8:1 (NKJV)
¹  There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

So, I’m going to live in the Spirit. I need the forgiveness that comes through Christ alone, and I got it.  So forgive me Lord for my unwise and unkind words, and help me to do your will.  

I am not a good Christian.  But the thing is, none of us are good. 

Romans 3:10-12 (NKJV)
¹⁰  As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;
¹¹  There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.
¹²  They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one."

So don’t believe the myth of the “good Christian”.  We are trying to be more like Christ but there is only one Jesus.  Until we see Him face to face, we will struggle and fail at times. But nothing, will separate us from His love.  

So take the hits, but keep on walking and talking with God. 

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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.

Today we continue sharing from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “Discipleship”, also known as “The Cost of Discipleship”

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase Bonhoeffer’s books for your own private study and to support his work.  This resource is available on many websites for less than $20.00.

The Messengers

(An Interpretation of Matthew 10)

The Fruit

“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward” (Matt. 10:40–42).

Those who carry Jesus’ word receive one last promise for their work. They have become Christ’s coworkers and helpmates. They are to be like Christ in all things. Thus, for the people to whom they go, they are also to be “like Christ.” With them, Jesus Christ himself enters the house that takes them in. They are bearers of his presence. They bring the people the most valuable gift, Jesus Christ, and with him, God, the Father, and that means forgiveness, salvation, life, blessedness. That is the reward and the fruit of their work and their suffering. Every service done to them is done to Jesus Christ himself. In the same way, that is grace for both the community and the messengers. The community will be all the more willing to treat the messengers well, to honor them and serve them, for with them the Lord himself has entered their house. And the disciples may know that their entry into a house will not be in vain and empty, but that they bring an incomparable gift. It is a law in the realm of God that everyone comes to participate in the gift, when they willingly receive it as a gift from God. Those who take the prophets in, knowing what they are doing, shall come to participate in their cause, their gift, and their reward. Those who take in the righteous shall receive the reward of the righteous, for they have participated in their righteousness who give a cup of water to one of the least, the poorest, who bear no honorable name, to one of these messengers of Jesus Christ; they have served Jesus Christ himself and the reward of Jesus Christ shall be given them.

In this way, the final thought of the messengers is guided, not to their own way or their own suffering or their own reward, but to the purpose of their work: the salvation of the faith-community.^[1]

---------------------------more tomorrow------------------------

Join our “Victory over the Darkness”, “The Bondage Breaker”, "Freedom in Christ" series of Discipleship Classes via the mt4christ247 podcast!

at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, You can also find it on Apple podcasts

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These teachings are also available on the MT4Christ247 You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MT4Christ247

Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be encouraged.

My wife, TammyLyn, also offers Christian encouragement via her Facebook Group: Ask, Seek, Knock (https://www.facebook.com/groups/529047851449098 ) and her podcast Ask, Seek, and Knock on Podbean (https://feed.podbean.com/tammalyn78/feed.xml)

Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

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^[1] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship, ed. Martin Kuske et al., trans. Barbara Green and Reinhard Krauss, vol. 4, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2003), 197–198.