Discussion

The Will of Man

Posted on by Bob Mathews

Those who abuse the will of man by being self-willed are counted among the unjust (2 Peter 2:4-11).  Such persons are unyielding, persistent, and exaggerate one’s own worth in an overbearing manner.  They adhere to a course in spite of reason, argument, or persuasion, and are commanding and domineering.  They easily violate biblical regulations concerning judgmental pursuits (Rom. 14) and may threaten others in pursuit of fulfilling self-will.  Listed below are some of the potential effects of being self-willed.

 

  1. Personal relationships may be strained if not damaged.
  2. Others may be encouraged to be unyielding toward such a person.
  3. Others may be encouraged to retaliate against another.
  4. Personal influence may become more limited.
  5. One may become a law-breaker in other matters.
  6. Respect from others may be lost.
  7. Peace may be threatened in the home and in the church.
  8. Potential progress in various contexts may be impaired.
  9. Christian cooperation and fellowship may be challenged.
  10. Genuine spiritual growth in others may be impaired.
  11. The leadership of a congregation may be undermined.
  12. One is disqualified from serving as an elder in the church.
  13. One may tear down the progress of another.
  14. A congregation may be misdirected.
  15. A congregation may develop competing factions.
  16. The Christian spirit of God’s people may be quieted.
  17. Dreams and visions may be destroyed.
  18. One may be viewed more so as a radical rather than sensible.
  19. The future of a congregation may be radically affected.
  20. One may lose his soul.

 

In view of the potential devastation that may result from the free exercise of self-will, may each of us be gently guided away from such an attitude and be guided more toward a cooperative spirit as we labor together in the context of Christian fellowship.

Burden of Loneliness

Posted on by Bob Mathews

When we are sad from being alone or when we long for home and family while absent from them, we thus experience first hand the burden of loneliness. The painful experience of loneliness may be the result of our continuing need to have social interaction with other human beings.  It may also be the consequence of our strong desire to be reunited with another whom we love so dearly, which may not be possible in the near future or in this life.  Though loneliness may be experienced as we have no one else with us, we may also be lonely in the midst of a large crowd because the emotional needs which have been addressed in specifically nurtured relationships may not be fulfilled in any other context.

In one sense, Jesus was alone in this world: “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not” (John 1:10).  Most certainly, Jesus was absent from His heavenly home and family (John 1:1-2, 14).  Question:  What does the biblical record affirm that Jesus did during the time when He was away from His heavenly home? What things did He do which would in some measure minimize or neutralize the burden of loneliness which He no doubt experienced during His earthly ministry?  Though we may not be able to fully address this question, we may observe several traits of Jesus which, if applied in our individual lives today as needed in connection with our personal hardships, may provide some means by which we may alleviate or lessen the burden of loneliness which we alone face in our everyday struggle to find peace and rest in the midst of pain and despair.  This article will hopefully present at least a partial answer to the above question and will provide some means by which the burdens of life may be eased.

We may observe that Jesus freely left home when responsibilities took Him away (Matt. 4:12-13, 17).  He was not compelled under personal duress to place Himself in a context which may produce loneliness as He was absent from the Father. Notably, Jesus demonstrated the course to follow while facing the prospect of loneliness.

  1. He busied Himself with His work rather than idling time away (Matt. 4:23; John 4:34-35).
  2. He drew close to new friends instead of allowing the absence of former associates to overcome Him (Matt. 4:18-22).
  3. He became emotionally bonded to those about Him rather than maintaining distant friendships (Matt. 9:36; John 11:33-36).
  4. He communed with righteous men while enduring a more distant fellowship with the Father (Matt. 17:1-3).
  5. He valued private time alone, providing for timely personal reflection, instead of being cut off from both past and future (Matt. 14:22-23).
  6. He maintained communication with His heavenly Father rather than totally breaking off old ties that bound Him closely to the Father (Matt. 11:25-26).
  7. He spoke openly of His relationship with His Father, thus sharing the joys of the relationship, instead of being excessively private (John 5:17-24).
  8. He looked joyfully to the future rather than dwelling excessively upon His separation from the Father (Matt. 19:27-29).
  9. He never lost sight of His point of origin instead of failing to draw upon His spiritual heritage (John 6:33-35,38; 8:42).
  10. He was ever aware that He would be reunited with His Father (Matt. 10:32; John 7:33), being separated from His Father but not alone (John 8:15-16; 8:28-29; 10:30).  May we possess the courage and the ability to follow the course of Jesus and thereby alleviate the anguish of spirit that engulfs us as we endure loneliness in this life.

Jumping to Conclusions

Posted on by Bob Mathews

Many times, the question, “How could you?” is asked prematurely in situations. It is a query of suspicion that has somewhat already placed the blame before the facts have been gathered. It is an assessment that has been made prior to carefully weighing all the evidence.

The Israelites had taken over Canaan’s land. Joshua had divvied up the territorial boundaries of the land each tribe was to possess. Those tribes that had been given an allotment by Moses on the east side of the Jordan (Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh) were returning there to the wives, children, and cities they had temporarily left behind to fight for their brothers.

One the way back home, these 2½ tribes set up an altar by the Jordan. After hearing of this, the immediate response of the tribes west of the Jordan was to gather the assembly of Israel together at Shiloh to make war on Reuben, Gad, and the ½ tribe of Manasseh. The greater part of Israel was zealous for the Law of God and was not going to tolerate what they perceived to be a breach of the covenant, an act of infidelity.

To their credit, the Israelites sent ambassadors to talk with their (wayward) brothers before shooting the first arrow, slinging the first stone, or thrusting the first sword. These representatives leveled the charge: “The whole assembly of the Lord says: ‘How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now?’” (Joshua 22:16).

To their credit, the Israelites also gave them an opportunity to come over and live among them where the true altar of God was set up at Shiloh. Their problem was, however, that they had assumed too much. They had made a rash judgment based on the way things appeared on the surface.

The 2½ tribes responded: “The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows! And let Israel know!” (Joshua 22:22). Then they proceeded to explain that they had not built the altar for sacrificial purposes as the rest of Israel had presumed. Israel had misjudged their motives. Rather, they had built the altar as a witness that they were also a part of Israel. They too had a right to bring their sacrifices to the sanctuary of the Lord. Israel rejoiced at their response.

This story is convicting when it comes to interpersonal relationships, especially inside the body of Christ. We discover the following principles:

  • We should suspend judgment until we have gathered all the facts.
  • We should go to those who are caught in or suspected of sin.
  • We should not be accusatory in our approach to others (“How could you?”).
  • We should offer those caught in sin a way of escape.
  • We should rejoice when we find that they are right with God.
  • We should take solace in the fact that whenever others misunderstand us, God knows our hearts.