Unfaithful

The word unfaithful has a negative connotation in our society, and for good reason. When I hear the word unfaithful I think of an unfaithful spouse that broke a marriage vow; I also think of an unfaithful parent that continually breaks promises to children. The word also brings to mind the unfaithfulness of a friend, the ones who stab us in the back and betray our trust.

Wives unfaithful to their husbands.

Fathers unfaithful to the children.

Friends unfaithful to friends.

How many times does a person have to be unfaithful to us before we stop trusting them? Usually just once.

If you have been let down by someone’s unfaithfulness, then you will probably like the first three words of 1 Corinthians 1:9—“God is faithful.”

God is faithful. He will never cheat, make excuses, or stab in the back. He will faithfully be who He has promised to be, and He will not go back on His word. He has promised to forgive us as often as we repent, and He will be faithful to do so. He promises an unconditional love, and He will faithfully love us. He has promised a home in heaven to all who call Him Lord, and He will not let us down.

God is faithful. But that verse continues: “who has called us into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” He is faithful and He has invited us into a relationship with Himself.

Maybe you once had a relationship with God but you are not as close as you once were. Guess which one of you was unfaithful.

For many of us, if someone lets us down we are not too quick to welcome them back. If you have walked away from God then He has felt the sting of your unfaithfulness, but He will gladly welcome you back the second you call out to Him in repentance.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:9

Our Advocate

I used to enjoy watching courtroom scenes on TV. For a long time I thought it would be fun to be a lawyer—giving a passionate opening remark, demanding to know where someone was on the night of June 13^th, and springing into action with an “Objection!” I also always wanted to ask someone on the stand a question, then follow it up with, “And let me remind you…you are under oath.”

Although it doesn’t look like that is where my career is heading, I still know that one day I will stand in a higher court. God will be Judge, and Satan, my adversary and the accuser of the brethren, will be the prosecutor. He will badger me with the evidence of the crimes I have committed, and there will be no good response from me. No insanity plea; no “you got the wrong guy.” Everyone will know I am guilty.

But there is good news: I have an advocate. An advocate is like a defense attorney, and it means “called to one’s side.” This advocate won’t manipulate the system or push for a mistrial; this advocate won’t even use some clever tactic to try to sway the Judge. No, this advocate will join me in admitting my guilt. He won’t try to set me free based on my innocence, but based on His righteousness.

1 John 2:1 “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

Jesus will tell the Judge, “He is guilty, but he trusted in me, and I have covered him with my blood.” This exhibit A blood evidence changes everything, and from the bench will come the verdict: Not Guilty.

Losing Control

Many people are familiar with the life of Israel’s first king Saul. Many people know that his rule was not a good one, that he was jealous, dishonest, slow to act, and he never fully put his trust in God. Because of the way he lived he lost control of his kingdom in only his second year as king.

In I Samuel 15 God uses the prophet Samuel to tell the king that God has rejected him, and that the kingdom will be ripped from his hands (v. 23,28). Where did Saul go wrong in just two short years? Was it when he took the credit for his son’s military victory, or when he offered a sacrifice that only the priest was allowed to (and then lied about it)? Was it when he ordered a mandatory fast and threatened to kill anyone who broke it, or when he failed to carry out God’s orders against the Amalekites (and then lied about it)?

I don’t believe that there was one single offense that caused Saul to lose control. Instead, I believe this rejection was the culmination of two years worth of poor decisions. After each infraction he received a warning from the Lord, but we never see him heeding that instruction.

It is important that as Christians we remember that God is not out waiting for us to commit a single mistake so that He can pour out His wrath. Make no mistake about it—His wrath will come if we continue in disobedience. But if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).

You probably won’t lose control of your life with one bad decision. After any bad choice, repent, and get back on the straight and narrow. 

Elephant Ears

This week we went to the Union County Fair and I ate my first elephant ear. No, this was not the ear of Dumbo; this was a funnel cake’s bigger, stronger uncle, complete with half a stick of butter and a pound of cinnamon sugar. This would be one of those snacks that a family could walk around and enjoy together. The problem was that I ate it all myself. You see, I can’t eat like I used to; last week I gained 3 pounds just from driving by Krispy Kreme.

In high school I could have an elephant ear-like feast and not be affected, but now I have to guard what I put into my body. Or so I thought. Now I realize that in high school I only thought I could ingest whatever I wanted; my unbridled sweet tooth led to me sweet addictions that I struggle with now. Today I see the affects of the things I once thought didn’t affect me.

That is where many people see themselves. They think they can put anything into their lives without consequence. But the truth is, the images you put into your mind, the language you put into your ears, the substance you put into your system, the ideas you put into your heart—they all have an impact, even if years down the road. You might think you can live a life of carefree sin, but that lie and lifestyle will slowly destroy you like quicksand.

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

1 John 2:16-17

Crazy

My friends from the Christian rock band My Heart’s Cry just released a new EP, and one of the tracks is called “Crazy,” which does a great job lyrically of summing up the Christian life.

Part of the chorus says, “Oh, some people think that we’re crazy for the way that we’re living, but I don’t mind, I don’t mind.”

That chorus is in contrast to the verses which describe people of the world: a girl who strives to be thin and have nice jewelry, a gambler whose goal is to win big, a working man who wants the American dream and all its toys, a drunk, etc. For a Christian, when we choose to separate ourselves from the passions of this world, we will look crazy in the eyes of the world.

And what exactly is it that makes Christians choose to be so different from the world? As the bridge of the song says, it is our faith. If we truly put our faith in Jesus Christ then we will believe Him when He says in I John 2:15, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

If you are a Christian and you do not look crazy to the non Christians around you, then something is wrong. Jesus called us to live a radically different life than the world. I’m proud to say that some people think I’m crazy.

And I don’t mind. 

Being Hated

If we are honest with ourselves we would probably all admit that we don’t want to be hated. It is only natural to want to be loved and have people genuinely enjoy our company.

But as weird as this might sound, I wonder about people who are not hated at all. Jesus said that Christians are going to be hated; Jesus was hated and even murdered, and we should expect nothing less for following Him. I John 3:13 says, “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.” In other words, we should not be surprised when we are hated by the world.

Think about it. Billy Graham is adored by millions of people, but do you not think he is also hated by some? A person who hates Jesus or thinks there is no God would hate the message that Jesus is the only way to heaven, and then naturally hate the messenger.

Furthermore, when we call out sin for what it is, the one guilty of living that sinful lifestyle will respond with hate.

So whether the hatred comes from the ones who hate God, or from the ones who love Him with their lips but not their lives, we should not be caught off guard by it.

Some people think if we constantly do good deeds than the world will love us, but Jesus was the best do-gooder of all, and He was hated. Thousands of charities do good deeds, but when we mention the name of Jesus, some people will respond with hate.

If you are not hated, then you have to wonder, are you keeping your Christianity to yourself?

I’m not worried about being hated. I have a Father that loves me.

A Powerful Weapon

Throughout history technology has given way to new and powerful weapons. From the first to realize that riding on a horse provided an advantage in the trenches, to the modern day missiles that can be fired from a jet and hit precise targets, we are continually developing new weapons. But there was one bomb that guaranteed immediate victory. This, of course, was the atomic bomb.

Developed during the second World War, this bomb was highly anticipated. When President Harry S Truman received word that the bomb was ready, he gave the order to drop it, a decision that he knew would guarantee victory, and unconditional Japanese surrender. He was right.



But the Bible tells us of another weapon that guarantees victory. It is found in 1 John 5:4. “For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that overcomes the world: our faith.”

Our faith guarantees us victory. Put your faith in the promises of God so that you can have victory over the enemy. For example, the enemy wants you to think that God could never love someone like you, but God has promised you His love. You can have God’s love but lose the battle if you give in to fear and worry. But our faith gives us immediate victory.

There is one promise of God that we cannot receive without faith, and that is His promise to prepare us a home in heaven. Our faith in Jesus Christ alone will lead us to victory if we allow that faith to change our lives. Our faith is not in anything we have done, but in what Jesus has already done for us.

President Truman heard the news that the bomb was ready, and he put his faith in his engineers and intelligence, and he made the decision to go with it. It is the same for us. When we hear the good news of what Jesus has done on the cross, we put our faith in Him and go with it.

March on in faith to victory!