The Scourge Of Racism
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One of our readers this past week became the one millionth to read this Blog since its launch on this Web Site back on January 28, 2014. While one million is small potatoes in the blog universe, having been a pastor that considered six people in Sunday service a good day during one of the lowest points in my ministry, I fully appreciate all that turn aside each week to read what the Lord has given me to write. To God be the glory! It is exactly because I have been around churches a long time that I am able as the Lord leads to write about what I have seen and heard as I do in another post this week on character featuring an edited 2011 Commentary.
Originally Published August 2011
Serving the Lord and His churches over the past thirty years I have found a troubling lack of consistent courage among too many leaders in standing for the truth and righteousness of God's Word. Many of these men--pastors and denominational leaders--will stand firm and even get ugly defending or protecting concerns for which they have a personal stake. However, in the face of potential suffering for taking a stand for God's Word, I have seen no small number wimp out as a matter of course.1 While I also have had my instances of failed courage standing for God's Word, spiritual and moral timidity among men appears to be rife and growing in our churches and nation today.
Next month Sherwood Pictures, the Christian film studio operated by Sherwood Baptist Church of Albany, Georgia and producers of the greatly acclaimed Fireproof, will release another excellent picture focusing on men, Courageous. The movie weaves together the lives of four police officers and one Hispanic construction worker. It opens with an incredible display of courage by a black officer. After tragedy strikes the family of one of the white officers, the men begin meeting to challenge themselves to a higher standard of commitment to their families and character. Their commitments are tested requiring each to live up to the courage of his commitment. One of the men does fail.
I highly recommend Courageous be seen by men (especially with their families) most importantly for its attempt to restore the sense of honor that used to attend the display of courage by men on and off battlefields. Important also (in light of my July 2011 Commentary)2 is the film’s intentional effort to show white, black and brown men equally called upon to display the character trait of courage. The film does not sugar coat the reality that acting in the courage of your convictions may cost you as I have painfully experienced in my years of ministry. Even so, when the conviction one has is of the cause, truth and righteousness of Christ in God's Word, I am learning it is worth it.
Courage is defined in Webster's Dictionary as "the ability to face danger without fear." Lack of courage has caused many of the leaders I have known over the years not to stand with or help me in my ministry for fear of exposure as spiritual frauds or hypocrites, the loss of jobs, comfortable lives etc. while knowing my work and message are biblically solid. The Bible is filled with examples of men that stood in the courage of their convictions, suffered for it, but were rewarded by God. Among them are Joseph who would not commit adultery (Genesis 39, 41:38-45), David who slew Goliath (1 Samuel 17:26-51), Daniel who defied a king (Daniel 6) and Christ, death (John 2:18-22).
The aspiring strong man of God will be taught courage by Him as a matter of building into us the character of Christ. Indeed, courage is one of twelve character traits of Christ I write about in The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics that God forms in willing Christian men through the crucible of painful life experiences.3 This is why it has been so troubling to me about the many pastors and leaders I have encountered that have lacked not only the courage of conviction, but other basic character traits of Christ such as humility, obedience, faithfulness, zeal and integrity. The Bible is clear; God does not give any of His true sons a pass on possessing the character of Christ.4
It is God’s express will that we be “conformed to the image of His Son,” (Romans 8:29, NKJV). Christ’s character is also the purposeful mission of His discipline in our lives (Hebrews 12:3-11; 2 Peter 1:1-8). So, either the spiritually timid men I speak of have been outright religious impostors or they are stubbornly resisting God's character building program which the apostle Peter indicates is not at all a good thing (2 Peter 1:9-11). This resistance is no doubt a major reason so many of our leaders fall into sin bringing shame upon themselves, Christ and His Church. It is also why so many of the men under them in the churches rise no higher in the faith than they have.
The courage of conviction and boldness to speak or act accordingly comes from the Lord and is to characterize the lives of His aspiring strong men as we “stand fast” in Him (Acts 4:13-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:15, NKJV).5 Unless professed Christian men do step up in droves aspiring to be strong men of God in the image of Christ that possess among their character traits His courage, American Christianity will continue its slide into irrelevance. Unprepared to stand fast in the severely trying days shortly ahead, many will be destroyed in the cowardice of apostasy (Matthew 10:24-33, 13:20-21; Revelation 14:9-13, 21:7-8). Not so God’s aspiring strong men (Hebrews 10:38-39)! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 See the August 9, 2015 repost, Silent Endorsers Of Evil under the category, The Faith.
2 This Commentary, Biblical Equality And Equity, was posted July 5, 2015 under the category, Call To Repent.
3 My book and the companion instructional resource, The Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study are both available in the Strong Man Store.
4 Read the January 28, 2018 post, Character Is Required Of Christian Men and Men Of Integrity posted on January 6, 2019 both under the category, Instruction.
5 See the November 25, 2018 post, Standing In The Evil Day, under the category, Encouragement.
In the opening weeks of 2018, the Lord led me to write about the dire need and His requirement for character among all professed Christian men.1 Now, as a measure of His urgent stress on the issue, in the very first week and post of 2019 I write about the important character trait of integrity even this morally deteriorating world still values to some extent, but apparently not all professed Christians! Integrity with other godly traits of character God values are not just about honoring what pleases Him or modeling the divine image and likeness as a witness as important as these are. In the Spirit’s power, being men of integrity also helps enable our faithful living for Christ.
Microsoft Encarta Dictionary defines integrity in three parts. First, it is “the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards.” Second, it is “the state of being complete or undivided.” Third, “it is the state of being sound or undamaged.” The Bible incorporates all three aspects of this definition and related synonyms in its use of integrity. For example, Abimelech falsely sought to assure Abraham he was acting with the highest morality toward his wife (Genesis 20:1-7). God charged Solomon to live up to his father’s completely devoted heart (1 Kings 9:4-9). Paul exhorts young Christian men to be sound in doctrine and speech (Titus 2:6-8).
In biblical Christianity, Christians are not to just be known for what we do not do in sin, but what we do in accord with Kingdom righteousness! In His powerful instruction “on a mountain,” the Lord Jesus Christ, our King, teaches among many things that we of the Kingdom are to be men of integrity that need not swear to give authenticity to our words (Matthew 5:1-2, 33-37, NKJV).2 We are honest and truthful as the moral standard of God’s Kingdom; we do not lie because He does not and cannot lie (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:1-2). And so, as a matter of integrity Christians are not supposed to lie to each other or anyone else; our word is our bond (Colossians 3:9-10).
Telling me what I and the Lord know full well that lying is endemic among professed Christians (hence, this post) does not change the truth of His Word or amend His eternally firm will as some appear foolishly to want to believe. Dishonesty and lying are sin! The sovereign God pure in absolute truth is who He is, has been and will be forever; He does not change (James 1:16-18)! As a result, professed Christian men of integrity not only do not lie, but steal from or cheat anyone nor do they conspire together as many do in the churches to do these things, harm others in any way or cover up sin (Leviticus 19:11, 13, 35-37; Mark 10:17-22; 1 Corinthians 6:1-8; Ephesians 4:28).
This latter business of church leaders and members conspiring to in some way harm others and cover up sin so sadly, but accurately portrayed in many contemporary fictional dramatic films and television shows, is thoroughly scandalous and reprehensible to the Most High God! They clearly forget He hears and sees as He has also enabled them to do (Psalm 94:8-9; Proverbs 20:12). Indeed, the Lord knows the very secrets of their hearts since He searches the hearts of all men to reward each according to their deeds (Jeremiah 17:10; Revelation 2:18-23). This is why it is completely ludicrous to plot or do evil or cover it up thinking no one saw it when in fact the living God who judges did (Psalm 37:12-15; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Romans 1:29-2:16; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11)!
The Bible is filled with examples of men and women with a lack of integrity as a momentary or lifestyle issue that God exposed and dealt with. Adam and Eve “sewed fig leaves together” in an attempt to cover up their sin guilt and shame before God (Genesis 3:6-11, 16-17 NKJV). Achan let Joshua go through an extended process to discover him as the one guilty of sin in the camp (Joshua 7:10-26). David conspired to murder Bathsheba’s husband after he got her pregnant (2 Samuel 11:1-17, 12:1-15). Jezebel conspired to steal a field for her husband (1 Kings 21). Religious leaders conspired to murder Christ, Ananias and Sapphira to deceive the church about their property sale proceeds and magistrates to cover up Paul’s mistreatment (Matthew 26:1-5; Acts 5:1-11, 16:16-40).
Now, if it is all like that from Scripture, ought we not all that profess to be Christians to take due warning? God expects His sons to be men of integrity who are always joyfully conscious of His living presence within and seek to please Him by living holy, righteous, transparently honest and truthful lives. Rather than attempting to hide or cover up our sins to our hurt knowing God knows (Numbers 32:20-23; Luke 12:1-3) and certainly not sharing in the sinful deeds of others (1 Timothy 5:22), we instead, confess and repent from our sins as they occur to obtain forgiveness and cleansing (Psalm 32:1-5; 1 John 1:5-10); rising up afresh to welcome God’s inescapable work of building Christ’s holy character traits in us such as integrity. Therefore, let the guilty repent now (2 Corinthians 7:1-12)!
In being men of character generally and integrity in particular through the power of the Holy Spirit, professed Christian men are enabled to live faithfully, pleasing God and doing His will as His aspiring strong men in the image of Christ; standing out brightly “as lights” in an ever darkening world (Philippians 2:12-16, NKJV).3 Such men also welcomed and allowed to flourish in the churches as leaders obedient to Christ’s command to “love one another” surely will not think themselves lofty enough before the Lord to justify conspiring to deceive, manipulate, cheat, mistreat or otherwise harm any of God’s people especially through sinful, manmade religious rules or cover up anyone’s sin including their own (John 15:12; Romans 13:8-10; 1 John 3:10-23, 4:7-12, 20-5:3, NKJV). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 See the January 28, 2018 post, Character Is Required Of Christian Men, Instruction.
2 Not because He needed to as the writer of Hebrews instructs, but only to give double confirmation to Abraham and his heirs that He would do as He promised, God
swore an oath (Hebrews 6:11-20).
3 The Lord leads me to present the character traits of Christ He wills to build in redeemed men in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics and its compan-
ion instructional resource, The Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study. Both are available in the Strong Man Store. Incidentally, I name Nehemiah in the book and
men’s group study as among the Bible’s many aspiring strong men of God in the image of Christ that are men of integrity. New Testament stand outs beyond the
apostles include Joseph, the Lord’s surrogate father and Simeon (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:25-35).
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