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A Christ Like Walk

A CHRIST-LIKE WALK
Mike Cunningham
August 24, 2014

Have you ever made the statement, “divorce is always wrong?” I honestly can’t remember having done so, but I suppose it’s possible. How about you folks? If you have, you’re in very good company. For instance, Dallas Willard, world-renowned theologian and scholar, in his book “The Divine Conspiracy,” admits to having this conviction. However, anyone familiar with the UCLA professor of philosophy would have a hard time believing what I just said. But, if I were to put his remark in context, they would be quick to praise God for this humble man’s honesty and spiritual maturity.

Allow me to explain. Willard once blurted out that remark years ago to a group of seminarians and no one challenged him. In the passing of time however, the Lord opened his eyes to reality. For instance, he went on to inform his readers that, “Later I came across a situation of a devout woman whose husband had married her as a cover for his homosexually. He consummated the marriage so it couldn’t be annulled and after that he had nothing to do with her. They had no personal relationship at all. He would bring his male friends home and, in her presence, have sex in the living room or wherever else they pleased any time they pleased.

Her religious guides continued to tell her that she must stay in “the Marriage” while she died a further death, year after year.” I was simply an ignorant young man full of self-righteous ideas,” he added. “This and later episodes of discovery educated me in the hardness of the human heart. But Jesus, of course always knew.”

Many Christians might concede the abused woman’s justification in fleeing from such an evil environment. But, they are unwilling to acknowledge divorce is permissible. Sad to say, I once knew a young mother of three small children who, after all available means to save her marriage, finally divorced her very abusive alcoholic husband. Guess what? Her church excommunicated her. You and I are also aware of churches, which stigmatize and treat with contempt remarried couples that also were victimized by a former non-Christian spouse in their first marriage. They do this by denying them the right to fulfill their obligation to do something that Jesus commanded His followers to do “in remembrance of Him.”

A passage frequently used to justify “no divorce or remarriage under any circumstance” is found in Matthew 19:6, “Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate” (NKJV).

Now allow me to ask you folks this question: do any of you believe the marriage I described in the beginning of this message was actually made in Heaven? In my wildest imagination, I can’t believe the One who is the very personification of love, the One who is perfect in holiness and righteousness, ever called homosexual predators, gluttons, drunkards and other addicts, womanizers and the like, men who, unless they repent, will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Nor, do I believe that God called such men into His church where they were free to masquerade as priests and ministers, and in His name, join men and women together in marriage.

Even if a godly man united a couple in a marriage; often “the passing of time” has revealed that there had been a phony “pre-marital conversion” just as “the doing of time” often produces “jail house conversions.” Can you imagine God forbidding one of His children who had been deceived this way not to remarry an obviously “born again” follower of Christ?

You and I may not have endured such suffering as the woman who was deceived into marrying the despicable homosexual was, but, in one way or another, we also know what it feels like to be treated with contempt. Are any of you folk’s strangers to being put down, despised, ignored or viewed as being inferior or worthless by another person, or persons, or have you somehow managed to escape other peoples scorn and ridicule? Of course not! That’s the sad reality of this sin-drenched world that we live in. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s pretty difficult not to become angry with people who treat us so despicably and God doesn’t tell us that we shouldn’t. For instance,

The Apostle Paul reminded the first century Christians to:

26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
27 and give no opportunity to the devil. Ephesians 4:26-27 (ESV)

God wants us to deal with our anger on a daily base’s. If we don’t, we will open the floodgate of our heart and the spirits of resentment, bitterness, and even out-right hatred will come swarming into a black hole of depression and despair. And all because we won’t let go of and get rid of those angry feelings before going to sleep.

I’m not suggesting that it’s always easy to get rid of our angry feelings because it isn’t. In fact, sometimes it’s very difficult. Nevertheless, with God’s help and His Spirit living within us we can overcome the temptation to hang on to it. If we sincerely plead with Him, even beg Him to incline us to not want to sin in dealing with our anger He will give us the strength to do so. God will also give us the instructions as to what we must do. For instance, Jesus said we are to,

3 Pay attention and always be on your guard [looking out for one another]. If your brother sins (misses the mark), solemnly tell him so and reprove him, and if he repents (feels sorry for having sinned), forgive him.
4 And even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and turns to you seven times and says, I repent [I am sorry], you must forgive him (give up resentment and consider the offense as recalled and annulled).
5 The apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith (that trust and confidence that spring from our belief in God). Luke 17:3-5 (AMP)

The apostles knew that to forgive someone who has wronged us greatly requires a ton of faith.

6 And the Lord answered, If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.
7 Will any man of you who has a servant plowing or tending sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, Come at once and take your place at the table?
8 Will he not instead tell him, Get my supper ready and gird yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; then afterward you yourself shall eat and drink?
9 Is he grateful and does he praise the servant because he did what he was ordered to do?
10 Even so on your part, when you have done everything that was assigned and commanded you, say, We are unworthy servants [possessing no merit, for we have not gone beyond our obligation]; we have [merely] done what was our duty to do. Luke 17:6-10 (AMP)

Jesus is saying that even a faith which is as tiny as a grain of mustard seed, is all the faith that His disciples, and you and I need to enable us to forgive those who trespass against us, and to manifest that God’s love is alive and well within us.

1 Corinthians 13:3-8 (AMP)
3 Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing.
4 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].
Christ-like love knows with absolute certainty that it cannot judge another persons heart, nor should it attempt to do so. Furthermore, it will always give the offender the benefit of the doubt. Jesus continued asking the apostles rhetorical questions such as the time in Luke 17 when He asked,

7 Will any man of you who has a servant plowing or tending sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, Come at once and take your place at the table?
8 Will he not instead tell him, Get my supper ready and gird yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; then afterward you yourself shall eat and drink?
9 Is he grateful and does he praise the servant because he did what he was ordered to do?
10 Even so on your part, when you have done everything that was assigned and commanded you, say, We are unworthy servants [possessing no merit, for we have not gone beyond our obligation]; we have [merely] done what was our duty to do. Luke 17:7-10 (AMP)

This is where today’s self help groups miss the mark when they give someone a medallion or bake them a cake when the person reaches a certain milestone in their so-called “recovery.” Why reward someone for not doing something that God commands His creatures not to do? Can you imagine honoring a pervert from abstaining from molesting little children for ninety days, or throwing a party for the guy who hasn’t seduced a woman for a year or who has forsaken committing the sin of drunkenness?

Forgiving someone won’t necessarily remove our pain and anxiety right away. That’s going to take time. But, we can take comfort in knowing that by forgiving those who trespass against us we are emulating “the Lord of all forgiveness.” He wants us to forgive the same way that He has unconditionally forgiven us. In addition, whenever we forgive someone who truly feels sorry for what he or she has done, we should promise the person, that, with the Lord’s help, we will not keep reminding them of what they did or didn’t do. Nor will we go all over town telling everyone about their sin. We also ought to ask them to pray for us, so that; with the Lord’s help, we will be able to resist the temptation to obsess over the person’s sin. Then ask them to follow our example and plead with our Lord to help them to do everything he or she possibly can to forget the offense.

When we respond in such a manner, it becomes obvious that, we aren’t giving “lip service” to our act of forgiveness. I believe it’s also helpful to meditate on the following passages of scripture, not only when we are having difficulty forgiving someone but all of the time. In other words, those divinely inspired writers are describing what is best described as “A Christ-like life.”

1 I THEREFORE, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God’s service,
2 Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.
3 Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3 (AMP)

32 And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 (AMP)

3 Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves]. Philippians 2:3 (AMP)

12 Clothe yourselves therefore, as God’s own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper].
13 Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]. Colossians 3:12-13 (AMP)

15 See that none of you repays another with evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 (AMP)

14 Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 (AMP)

11 [My] brethren, do not speak evil about or accuse one another. He that maligns a brother or judges his brother is maligning and criticizing the Law and judging the Law. But if you judge the Law, you are not a practicer of the Law but a censor and judge [of it].
12 One only is the Lawgiver and Judge Who is able to save and to destroy [the One Who has the absolute power of life and death]. [But you] who are you that [you presume to] pass judgment on your neighbor? James 4:11-12 (AMP)

9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you [yourselves] may not be judged. Look! The Judge is [already] standing at the very door. James 5:9 (AMP)

10 By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ).
11 For this is the message (the announcement) which you have heard from the first, that we should love one another, 1 John 3:10-11 (AMP)

14 We know that we have passed over out of death into Life by the fact that we love the brethren (our fellow Christians). He who does not love abides (remains, is held and kept continually) in [spiritual] death.
15 Anyone who hates (abominates, detests) his brother [in Christ] is [at heart] a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding (persevering) within him. 1 John 3:14-15 (AMP)

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him].
8 He who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 (AMP)

20 If anyone says, I love God, and hates (detests, abominates) his brother [in Christ], he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, Whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20 (AMP)

21 And this command (charge, order, injunction) we have from Him: that he who loves God shall love his brother [believer] also. 1 John 4:21 (AMP)

In closing I wish I didn’t have to tell you what I’m about to say, but I must. The time may come when it becomes obvious that the person is ignoring your loving forgiveness just as most people want nothing to do with the love of Jesus, and His gift of forgiveness to sinners such as we all are. If that’s the case, then, in a spirit of deep humility, and because you love the person so very, very much, you may have to say, “That’s it!” and sever your relationship with him or her completely. But not before assuring the person that their well being and the abode in which they will spend eternity, will be in your frequent thoughts and prayers. Let the person know that your love for him or her is so great that you cannot, nor will you, do anything that will enable them to continue sinning against you and thereby condemning themselves to an eternal separation from God and His children.

I firmly believe that if you and me follow the directives that I have shared in this message we will be displaying “A CHRIST-LIKE WALK.” I would love to know your thoughts.

Lord willing, next week….

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August 24, 2014 Posted by Categories: Uncategorized Tagged with:
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