Hebrews 13:17 Watch Over Your Souls

Hebrews 13:17  Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. (NASB)

Membership in the Church universal is accomplished in one way and one way only.  Upon salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by grace out-poured we are brought into a right relationship with God, sins are forgiven and we are issued eternal membership cards as it were.  This frankly is the only path.  “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” John 14:6 (NASB) 

But there are a lot of Christians out there bumping into one another with these “Membership” cards who don’t even know each other.  There is a master directory, “The book of life” Philippians 4:3 (NASB) but it is locked away in heaven, not something we can access on the Internet.  So how do we identify with and have fellowship with our fellow believers as called for in Scripture? 

There is another membership that is much more tangible where the other various commands of Scripture a lived out.  This is membership in the local church.  Much of the New Testament was addressed to the “Local church” and how it was to live out the Gospel with which it had been entrusted.  Some these days balk at whether local church membership is even a valid concept.  Is it?  Let Scripture be the guide.

Take this passage from Hebrews 13 as an example.  How is this possible without the local church and membership in it?  Let’s take a closer look.

It starts with, “Obey your leaders.”  Straight forward enough for you?  Okay, who do you point to for your church leaders?  The Pope?  The head of some denomination?  What about all you non-denominational folks?  Does this mean you are all disobedient to the Scripture because you have no church leadership?  Not at all!  This is a reference to your local church leaders, your elders from your local body.  You are to submit to them. 

Why?  Because, “They keep watch over your souls.”  Now do universal Church leaders watch over the souls of every Christian?  Not the way local elders are able to watch over the souls of individuals in their local church.  Are you able to submit to universal Church leaders?  Not in an accountable way as you can local church leaders.  Why accountable?  “For they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account”.  You see those God has appointed to lead the local church have an accountability to watch over you.  That simply isn’t possible in the universal Church setting.

So membership in the local church helps both member and leader in this regard.  How you ask?  Membership identifies you as one to be cared for and looked after by these church leaders.  They know you and you in-turn know them.  The bonus that we won’t cover today is that you begin to know “One another” in the local assembly and you care for each other.  That is also a screaming argument for membership in the local church; mutual care.

The writer continues with a comment on how your behavior in submitting to leaders in membership affects them.  It says, “Let them do this with joy and not grief.”  In other words, do not behave in such a way as members that you cause your leaders to grieve.  Hmmmm!   

Now why would my leaders grieve over their leadership of me?  There could be a number of specific reasons but they all settle on SIN!  When we let sin win in our lives, it brings grief to our leaders because they are the ones that are to be looking out for us and teaching us and helping us to grow in righteousness.  When sin wins our leaders grieve.  And, “This would be unprofitable for you.”  So, why is that – because my church leaders are going to take their pound of flesh?  Not at all.  It is not profitable to you because no sin is profitable and anything your church leaders face grief over cannot be profitable for you because it is rooted in sin.  Your church leaders are called to a mission of restoration and healing but it begins with confession and repentance.  Those first steps are often the stumbling block, the hindrance to recovery.

So, the Biblical model is one of local churches exhibiting mutual care.  Follow this model and get plugged in to a local assembly and heed the Scripture, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” AMEN!

Hebrews 4:12-14 Hidden Sin, Really?

Hebrews 4:12-14  “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.   Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” (NASB)

So, I was in Boise this week and stayed at a hotel downtown where the company had arranged the meeting that I came to attend.  This particular hotel chain is one that I frequent a lot although I had never been to this particular property.  My experience is that the rooms are always clean and comfortable and I can always count on a comfortable bed.  I’ll start by saying my overall experience was different this time.

I always have road warrior travel stories.  This one started in near tragedy when the shuttle driver handed me the other guy's bag at the second to last stop upon arrival Monday night.  In the darkness I didn’t notice, just toted it in and started to check in.  Oddly when I let go of the bag to reach for my wallet it flopped over – NOT MY BAG.  Well, that’s just how this visit went with the TV remote not working, the key reader to the outside door not working and etc.

Well after the first day of meetings I returned to my hotel room briefly to drop my computer bag and rejoin the group for dinner.  When I walked in, I saw something that didn’t register at first.  Something odd about my suitcase; something out of place.  When I looked purposely at it I saw the maid had left her rubber gloves behind.  Not only left them behind in my room, she left them behind IN MY SUITCASE!

Now, I don’t really know the ins and outs of housekeeping down to the last detail.  I couldn’t make a hotel bed just the way they do and I don’t have an endless supply of those tiny mints.  But I’m pretty sure the first page of the housekeeping manual says – DON”T PUT YOUR DIRTY RUBBER GLOVES IN THE GUEST'S SUITCASE!

So, she knew what she was doing was wrong – she just thought she would get away with it.  You know, she worked all alone in that room with her cart strategically placed so no one could follow her in.  What she did in there was completely HIDDEN!  Or was it?

You see, as benign as this little housekeeping incident seems it is sinful behavior; it is sin.  And it is sin that I’m quite certain the maid had not intended to reveal.  You know, sometimes there are sinful behaviors that people do flagrantly – IN YOUR FACE sins.  The parades in San Francisco come to mind as examples.  It would be hard to argue that anyone involved in some of that outlandish behavior regardless of their misguided beliefs could think what they do in some of those parades is upright and wholesome behavior.  That’s IN YOUR FACE sin.  The maid’s actions were not, she committed her deed in private.

The problem with hidden sin is that it can sometimes fool the perpetrator into living a double life; putting on the sparkling image in public but knowing secretly of their dark and shameful behavior.  Sin is that way – it eats at us – it ultimately will KILL us.  That is if it is not dealt with.

Scripture tells us of the remedy.  As believers the Word of God – Scripture itself is referenced in the passage quoted today.  “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  So, as Christians the Word of God is at work in our lives as a spiritual scalpel.  It can actually cut through with surgical precision to “Judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  That precision work of rooting out the evil that continually creeps into our lives because of our sin nature is a preservative surgery we need on a continual basis as believers.  We’re all sinners – all of our hearts are darkened by that stain of sin that fell upon our kind since the fall of man.

But, I’ll just HIDE!  My sin is mine alone!   

Baloney!!!

“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”  Scripture is pretty clear here – THERE IS NO HIDING!  You can’t get away from the black and white facts.  You may fool your fellow man.  You may even tidy up after yourself most of the time by picking up those gloves you left in the customer’s suitcase – but your sin is not hidden from “His sight”.  “All things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him.”  So, who are you fooling?  Yourself?  Your family?  Your friends?  Your fellow church goers?

Some years ago the elders went through study called, “Experiencing God” together.  It is an intensive study and I highly recommend it to anyone individually but especially to a small group.  That said, my own experience when it came time in the book to “Walk with God” was quite profound.  The instruction was to go someplace alone with no distractions and simply bare all before your creator.  It took me several days to figure out how and where to accomplish my “Walk with God”.  I finally did it on a lonely drive home one night.  It is something I will never forget as I finally understood standing before my God, “Naked and ashamed.”  I came to terms with the truth that was always there but finally was real to me – there are no secrets with God, there are NO HIDDEN SINS!  I shook in the reality of that moment and unexpectedly I am sobbing even now.

But, our God is good!  He doesn’t leave us alone in that state of weakness and vulnerability.  He’s been there, done that.  Read on in the passage, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.´  We can trust in Jesus because He has walked among us and experienced every temptation and worse and yet did NOT sin.  That’s a great thing because it gives us a Savior in whom we can confide, in whom we can trust.

And although previously unquoted I will close today with the end of the chapter which sums things up nicely, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  Hebrews 4:15-16 (NASB)  AMEN!

Romans 14:20-23 My Confession

Romans 14:20-23 “Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.  Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.  It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.  The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God.  Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.  But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith.  For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin”.  (NASB)

Ok – I have to confess I blew it last night.  I have been at a company meeting here in Minneapolis all stinking week and we had a big dinner with about 180 managers.  It was a big deal.  When it all finally broke up some of us from our unit thought it would be a good idea to go somewhere alone.  We did.  Around the block was a place we had actually found the night before, “Ike’s”.  And, like the night before we each ordered a drink.  ONE!  “Last call” the waiter said and out we went back to the hotel.  There we found the group that had left the restaurant had reassembled in the lobby lounge adjacent to the elevators and there was no escaping the gravity.  So, we joined back in the social revelry of the company banter over another beverage.  “Last call” there was indicated when the lights went up and we all scattered back to our rooms.

So what’s wrong Dale?

Here’s what is wrong.  After my reminding all to “Shoot Straight or Don’t Shoot” very recently I managed to come back to the room and give the glamorous FaceBook rendition of the evening.  “Closed two pubs tonight, haven’t done that in awhile”, I wrote.

Yep!  I blew it with that post because it violated the Scripture shown above.  I had not behaved in violation of my conscience and understanding of Biblical standards of conduct for myself for the evening.  But, I may have led others to believe that I had with that post.  And, I have to confess I thought it was kind of cool that a just turned 53 year old guy that barely can stay up past 10 could actually stay up late enough to close not one but two establishments.  Of course “Pub” was a stretch too in reference to the hotel lobby lounge.  So, I was off the reservation with my comments.

No excuses, I blew it and someone may have read that and wondered, “What the heck” I thought this Dale Nicol was the guy that wrote all this stuff about the Bible and here he is out getting drunk and closing down pubs all over Minneapolis.  Although that isn't what happened someone might have thought so, and then taken liberty they believed wrong but since Dale did it ...  That's causing, "Your brother to stumble".   

The key violation was not my behavior but allowing it to be viewed or misconstrued or even twisted by my own hand into something it was not that could have tripped someone up.  
“Do not for the sake of food, destroy the work of God”.

Well, here’s maybe the biggest lesson.  We all blow it, and I did.  You will too.  If so, suck it up and admit it. It's not so easy but here's my confession in black and white. And ... don’t do what I did.  It's easier to avoid the problem than have to explain and confess it!  AMEN!

Jeremiah 17:13-14 Healing

Jeremiah 17:13-14  “O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD.  (14)  Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, For You are my praise.” (NASB)

Today my dad is having surgery and I’m sitting in the waiting room with my mother and brother anticipating a good outcome.  As we wait I decided to search through Scripture on healing and find many references.  It is clear Jesus and the Apostles performed miraculous healing during their ministries.  But what about today?

The first Scripture I’d like to share is this passage from Jeremiah.  I think the attitude shown here is the key and a lesson for us to remember today.  First, the prophet acknowledges God, “The Hope of Israel” and the stark reality that all will not accept Him.  He says, “All who forsake You will be put to shame.  Those who turn away on earth will be written down”.  That is remembered but not in a good way.  The truth of who God is and our relationship to Him is the foundation for what comes next.

The prophet yields to God as he writes, “Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, For You are my praise”.  This yielding to God’s will is the attitude we are to have with regard to His healing and His saving us.  In other words, the position is one of faith in the Lord and acceptance of His will; “Your will be done” Matthew 6:10.  So with regard to our reliance on God’s healing it is to be from a position of reliance, hope, faith and submission.  “Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed”.

In the New Testament, James 5:14-16 addresses the topic.  It begins by giving instruction to call on the elders to offer prayers for the sick.  I have been involved in that process several times and there is something special in both praying for and being prayed over in this situation.  The key remains praying for God’s will to be done.  This passage goes on, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” James 5:16 (NASB)

The first step again is getting right with God through confession.  Then, it says to “Pray for one another so that you may be healed”.  This means that when we get right with God and come to Him with our prayers, yielding to His will, He hears our prayers and will accomplish healing in our bodies.  Please don’t misunderstand, it is when we pray according to His will that healing is accomplished.  “Heal me. O LORD, and I will be healed”.

All this to say, when we offer to pray for one another we are following the instructions provided in Scripture.  It is a good thing we do.  So today, as you read the BLOG please pray for my dad, Ken Nicol.  “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much”.  AMEN!

Romans 5:18-19 Willing Spirit, Weak Flesh

Romans 5:18-19  “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.  For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” (NASB)

Do you ever wonder “Why” you do the things you do?  Do you think, “That was really bad; that’s not the way I want to behave”.  The conviction occurs nearly simultaneously with the act.  You’re not alone.

Just last week shortly after posting one of my devotionals my wife Sharon accusingly said I hadn’t done something I had agreed to do.  I didn’t think it was anything we had ever even discussed before.  My response was quick and harsh and I used language I shouldn’t have used.  She of course wasn’t happy about that and told me so.  I just shut up being convicted by both her response and the Holy Spirit letting me know that I’d blown it.

Where did all that come from?  I love Jesus, I try to live a life that honors Him in my behavior and yet I screwed up.

Paul wrote to the Romans about this explaining in Chapter 5 verse 18 that all men are sinners because of the, “One transgression”.  He’s referring to the original sin of Adam in the garden.  That sin resulted in the imputation of sin to all men.  So as descendents of Adam we are all sinners.

But Paul also shares that, “As through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners” that, “Through the obedience of One the many will be made righteous”.  The One of course is Jesus Christ and this being made righteous is the result of his work on the cross imputed to those who believe by faith.

So why do believers still sin?  Chapter 7 of Romans holds Paul’s answer.  There is in fact a war that rages in the believer between flesh and spirit.  Paul says, “But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.  I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.” Romans 7:20-21  Christ is quoted in Mathew’s gospel, "Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Mat 26:41 

So the bottom line is we sin in our weak moments because sin is in our flesh, our damaged DNA.  Even as believers saved by grace we sin.  The response when we do though should be different.  We should understand by the conviction of the Holy Spirit that we have sinned then deal with it.  We do this by confession of the sin and making the decision not to sin in that way again (repentance). 

One day our sinful flesh will be replaced with a perfect sin free body built for eternity.  That discussion we’ll save for another day.  AMEN!