In the midst of his grander point in one of Sunday's lessons, I found a great deal of wisdom in one of brother Tack's short asides. Here's a quick reminder of his point and then a reflection on it from me:

To deviate to the right side of the path of faithfulness to God is to wander into legalism; the belief that you must be good enough to redeem yourself from sin and its consequences. And to deviate to the left side of the path of faithfulness to God is to wander into libertine religion; the belief that God's grace will freely cover even the sins we commit willingly—that we should continue in sin so that grace may abound.

Of course, neither of these is the God-given, Biblical path to redemption, and the reason they both fall short is a fundamental truth that both of them misunderstand in the same way.

What do both liberalism and legalism have in common? They both underestimate the horror of sin. Legalism purports that sin's contaminating power is small enough that I have the power to overcome it on my own. Liberalism imagines that sin is not really all that bad in the first place, so its consequences toward us are negligible. Both misunderstand the compulsory life-debt incurred by sin and imagine that it is something small.

Which leads to the other problem with both deviations from Biblical truth: by downplaying the gravity of sin, both erroneous philosophies trivialize the grace of God. It's either not necessary at all (the legalist), or it is just a cheap band-aid for a petty problem (the libertine). Neither is the case when we look at what the apostle Paul says about the grace of God.

"...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." (Rom. 3:23-25)

- Dan Lankford, minister

“Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”  (Heb. 13:1-2)

The possibility of entertaining angels in the passage above is an idea full of potential excitement. Some of God’s people did show hospitality to angels before they realized they had done so (Gideon, Abraham, Lot, etc). However, in our excitement about that possibility, I think we can easily overlook the most obvious implication of it: they would have never entertained angels if they were not given to hospitality.

The simplest things are often the easiest to overlook, and such is the case with demonstrations of hospitality. Contrasted with the grand scope of a missionary journey, hosting a visiting preacher or an elderly couple for dinner in your home may not seem like much of a contribution to the kingdom… but it is. Contrasted with the notoriety of a preacher who publicly proclaims the eternal gospel in front of large crowds, thanklessly welcoming a repentant and recovering brother to live with might not seem like much of a contribution to the kingdom… but it is. When contrasted with the high commendations spoken at the funeral of a long-tenured elder in the church, perhaps the simple act of giving gifts to a few widows seems insignificant… but the Lord once raised a woman from the dead to continue giving such gifts.

Don’t show hospitality in hopes of entertaining angels. But do show hospitality. Be a blessing. Love your brothers. Live as a Christian.

- Dan Lankford, minister

The experience is common in which we begin work on a particular problem and a deeper problem is discovered. Sometimes a minor surgical procedure leads to the discovery of a dangerous, previously unknown disease. Sometimes a home repair which seems minor leads to an expensive overhaul of plumbing, electrical, or foundations. Even a routine pickup of a room can reveal the need for a second-level deep clean when we begin to see dirt more clearly than we had before.

The apostle Paul encouraged the Corinthian Christians to, “examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.” (2 Cor. 13:5). When we follow instructions like that, we very often discover that our problems are far deeper than we had initially expected.

Maybe an effort to work on our continual fearfulness and anxiety reveals the underlying grime of selfishness. Maybe the beginning stages of work on a problem of continual irritability reveals the contaminating poison of pride at a deeper level of the heart. Maybe it is and effort to lesses some indulgent spending that reveals an embarrassing lack of self-control which has henceforth just been swept under the rug.

Does all of that mean that we should not examine ourselves so we do not find these problems? That’s tempting, but it is unbiblical. Do not avoid the examination and all its accompanying baggage; embrace it! Just be ready to confess your sins—on both levels. That’s the only way that the first-level cleaning gets done, and it is the only way that a soul can get to that second-level deep cleaning that we so desperately need.

The Lord has laid claim on the whole heart of any who will surrender to him. We should expect that will lead all of us to some deep cleaning of the soul.

- Dan Lankford, minister

While we need to resist the temptation to be smug on these occasions, it can be good fun for believers to see our secular-minded world realize the value of Biblical truth. Such is the case with the recent story from the Perspective section of the Washington Post bearing this title: Divorcing sex from love hasn’t made sex more fun, more safe or less complicated.

The article explains that while so-called "science" (often a code-word for the philosophy of naturalism) has told us that sex is nothing more than a biological process and should therefore be unfettered, behaving like that has proved incredibly disappointing for men and women. The risks of continually changing sex partners, in the writer's words, has "turned sex into just another social interaction and emptied it of any supposedly sacred or taboo elements." The result is sex that lacks any emotional fulfillment at all, which inevitably leads to a decline in the physical pleasure it brings. The article cites a 2012 study which found that "78 percent of women and 72 percent of men who had 'uncommitted sex' reported a history of feeling regret after the encounter." Because God has designed sex as an activity fully engaging the soul, the mind, and the body (see 1 Cor. 6:12-20); it makes perfect sense that if we fail to respect it one of those areas, it will lose its glory in the other areas.

The most fascinating (and most tragic) aspect of the article is that while it acknowledges the failures of much modern ideology, it doesn't even come close to proposing monogamous, faithful marriage as the solution to these massive problems. The best it offers is this assessment: "those with freer, more casual sexual lives can miss out on something: the joy of intimacy with someone who knows them deeply and well." So let's go ahead and remember the full solution to the problem: "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous."  (Heb. 13:4)

- Dan Lankford, minister

All things are possible to him who believes; still more to him who hopes; still more to him who loves; and most of all to him who practices all three. All  of us who believe as we should and are baptized have taken the first step toward perfection. We will attain perfection if we practice the following principles of Christian conduct.

First of all, we need to be considerate of God in everything we do and say. Our goal should be to become perfect in our adoration of Him throughout this earthly life in preparation for all eternity. We must make a firm resolution to overcome, with God's grace, all the difficulties encountered in a spiritual life.

From the outset of our Christian walk, we should remember who we are and that we are unworthy of the name of Christian, except for what Christ has done for us. In cleansing us from all our impurities, God desires to humble us and often allows us to go through a number of trials or difficulties to that end.

We must believe with certainty that it is both pleasing to God and good for us to sacrifice ourselves for Him. Without this complete submission of our hearts and minds to His will, He cannot work in us to make us perfect.

The more we aspire to be perfect, the more dependent we are on the grace of God. We begin to need His help with every little thing and at every moment, becasue without it we can do nothing. The world, the flesh, and the devil wage a fierce and continuous war on our souls. If we weren't capable of humbly depending on God for assistance, our souls would be dragged down. Although this total dependence may sometimes go against our human nature, God takes great pleasure in it. Learning to do so will bring us rest.

- from The Practice Of The Presence Of God, by Brother Lawrence (c. 1614-1691 AD)

Churches of all types experience a spike in attendance around the beginning of the year. It seems that many people who have even a generic awareness of the need to make some life improvement naturally associate attendance at religious assemblies with that. And far from being something to ridicule, this is something that all believers should be glad about.

The lasting good of faithfully assembling is demonstrated throughout all of the Bible. God's people were given several times when they would attend the house of God for worship as family units and as a whole congregation. During the time between the testaments, the Jews began weekly assemblies in synagogues—something which Jesus himself made a habit of attending. And after the gift of the Holy Spirit was bestowed on the believers in Acts 2, we frequently see them regularly assembling in the book of Acts and in the letters of those brethren.

All of that points us to the fact that church attendance is always a good idea. I feel that there is an inherent risk that a preacher will sound self-serving when he brings up the necessity of faithful church attendance, but it’s a risk I’ll take for the sake of presenting the truth. Because the truth is that while it is not the sum total of faithfulness to God, worshiping him with a group of his people is one of the defining elements of faithful living.

So I encourage you to constantly make a renewed determination that you will be present and engaged whenever the people of God are gathered. As our website tells to all our potential guests, the services "may not always make you feel better (though they will often do that), but it will always challenge you to be better!"

In a sermon two Sundays back, we made note of the example of Jesus as he spoke to the woman at the well (John 4), and we made a point that in doing evangelism, we will often have to talk about real life. We will have to talk to people about all the facets of their lives where the gospel will have an impact, and that gets personal. But perhaps a warning is in order against one of the potential pitfalls in doing that.

In balancing the idea of helping people surrender the most intimate parts of their lives to Jesus, the Bible warns us not to be nosy. Our commission to talk about real life should not be seen as a license to be gossips and busybodies. The apostle Paul writes a few warnings about these things:

"But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ...Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not." (1 Tim. 5:11-13)
"...we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living." (2 Thess. 3:11-12)
"I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder." (2 Cor. 12:20)

Often, this is an area of life of which we are unaware of our own behavior. Make some time to think carefully about your life, to pray that God will show you where you are weak and where you can grow better in this area. These warnings must be taken seriously. They will help us keep a proper perspective on evangelism and guiding folks thru the turmoils of real life without indulging in mindless gossip.

This time of year inherently comes with potential pitfalls. Particularly in a season where so many gifts are given, we would do well to heed a couple gentle warnings about spending and debt. Certainly, the Bible never makes black-and-white, do-or-don’t statements about borrowing money, but it does give us some wisdom in regard to credit, creditors, and self-control.

Here are a few things the Bible does and does not say on the subject:

• It does not say it is a sin to borrow money, even at a high interest rate. Sometimes, this is just necessary (medical expenses, job layoffs, etc.).
• It also does not say that this is wise, even if it’s for the sake of giving to others.
• It does not say that God will providentially bail you out if your debt gets too great.
• The Bible does say that it’s wrong to leave our debts unpaid. “The wicked borrow and do not repay” (Psa. 37:21). There may be exceptions, but the rule is that we have a moral obligation to repay to the best of our ability.
• The Bible also warns us against presuming upon the future. James said,   “…you do not know what will happen tomorrow” (Jas. 4:13). That being true, we should be careful in presuming upon tomorrow’s ability to provide enough to pay off today’s debts.
• The Bible also warns us against being controlled by anything, even something that is good in its own right. Paul said, “‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything” (1 Cor. 6:12). Think: who is in control when the debt piles up? Are you in control of the money or is the money in control of you?

Again, none of this creates black-and-white rules, but it is wisdom that deserves careful thoughtfulness, especially during the next few weeks.

- adapted for our bulletin from Focus On The Family blog; see original here.

Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:4-8)

Jesus’ recurring notion, “abide in me,” can carry an array of meanings. It can convey the importance of memorizing scripture & biblical wisdom—are we allowing our hearts to abide in the teachings of Jesus? It can reflect on the moral quality of our lives—are we making choices that show we are living in Jesus’ example? Jesus himself will go on the context to remind us of the importance of our relationships—are we godly toward another person because that’s what Jesus would do and we live in him?

In John 15, Jesus finishes the whole section about “abiding” in him with this: “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11)  For the Christian, there should be no greater joy than that found in Jesus. Can you imagine a scenario in which a king would invite you to live in his house and be part of his family? People dream of things like that—can you imagine the elation you would feel if it actually happened? The offer is already there for you to abide in with the King of kings; the one who eternally sits on David’s throne. You can abide in him and be partaker of all the joys of knowing him and being known by him.

Do you want that kind of joy? The question is: do you live in Jesus?

- Dan Lankford, minister

Over the past ten days, the news has revealed allegations of sexual misconduct against TV stars, stand-up comedians, Hollywood producers, and politicians. One of my friends recently suggested redesignating Twitter to "Where To Find Out Who Is Being Accused Of Sexual Misconduct Today" because it's all that people are talking about on there. It's a mess. So here are a couple of randomly-ordered reminders about how the Christian worldview makes sense of all of it:

First, we should be reminded not to be too hasty in believing either the initial accusations or the initial denials in these situations. Solomon said, "The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him" (Prov. 18:17). We should exercise patience and wisdom to wait until the truth is known. Hasty judgments on matters which simply cannot be accurately known does not reveal godly wisdom.

Secondly, if a believer is accused of gross immorality while he is innocent, he should say that he is innocent. There is a difference between Jesus' being accused of blasphemy because of the controversial words which he spoke and a man being accused of gross sexually immoral behavior. Sometimes, the world will see behavior that is characteristically Christian and demand that it is wrong—in that case, we will choose to be silent as a lamb led to slaughter. "...if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God" (1 Pet. 2:20). But if the world accuses a Christian of genuine sin which he has not committed, no Christian should resign himself to the world thinking that he is a flagrant hypocrite. If a believer is accused of a crime of this nature, and if he is truly innocent, he should take Job's behavior toward his friends as an example and maintain that innocence (cf. Job 31:1-40).

Third, remember that your choices MATTER. All of them. All the time. Whether or not you can fathom a way that a moment of impurity might come back to haunt you, make the right choice. Deuteronomy 30 is from the old covenant, but that does not, in any way, diminish the bearing of truth stated there: "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days..." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)  Maintain your integrity. Refuse to compromise the principles of holiness which ought to govern our hearts and our actions. And while you may yet suffer for doing good, you can be assured that you will not garner unnecessary suffering down the road as a consequence of your own immorality.

- Dan Lankford, minister