"And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death." Revelation 12:11 (esv) Rev.12:11 Web Site

Confess to One Another

Jas 5:15-20 “And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

I cannot begin to express the power and freedom there is in confessing to one another, and then praying for one another. We do not always have to reveal our deepest darkest secrets; those should be reserved for husbands and wives or special counseling if it is needed. Then again if true Godly love is in the heart of two Christian men the fear of being exposed by a brother should not even exist, because love covers a multitude of sins and in that we are doing what out Lord Jesus does and are in obedience to the command to “Love one another.”

I know men who are often concerned and at times consumed with the thought that some secret sin from their past may be revealed. They have deep regrets over their mistake and pour it out to the Lord more times than they can count always asking the Lord to protect them. Because of the blood of Christ, God does not hold those against us once we confess and repent, even thought he may require us to suffer the consequences.

But men will always try to hold something over us to try to control us. So the danger is real and causes fear. There is a blessing though if you really think about it. The blessing is that we are forced to trust in the faithfulness of God and the blood of Christ. We are turned to our knees with our heads bowed and our eyes on the Word of God that says,

(Psa 139:3-5) “You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.”

I have gone through this very thing and this is the scripture the Lord gave me. He made me understand and gave me the hope that I was protected from the past mistakes, and possible future ones. He gave me the comfort of believing that his hand is on me to protect me and guide me. The sealing stamp of that scroll was bringing me to confess out loud what I had done that I was so afraid of.

Because it was a dark and terrible mistake, I could not confess to anyone with absolute trust but the Lord had given me a gift. My wife whom I love is a blessing of blessings and I trust only God more than her. Knowing the blessing of God to me that is my wife Teresa and my love for her meant I had to give her the opportunity to act in Godliness for my sake. I had to trust God first that he had truly filled her with His Spirit and His Word, and I had to trust my wife and just believe her love for me was true. I was not disappointed!

It’s an incredible paradox, this confession principle. If we act in obedience and confess to one another, it causes us to have to place our trust in God alone and it gives our fellows the opportunity to be responsible to God alone and act in a Christ-like manner toward us. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Yes we are, we are to bear one another’s burdens. It is a fantastic thing to see how the principles of the Gospel truly work together for our good and exalt the Lord, and how He is the very center of it all. “Where two or more are gathered in my name…”

I made some terrible mistakes in my life but the one that caused me the most grief and fear lingered like a specter waiting to drag me to a torture chamber. My paranoia about things coming to light was getting unbearable and causing me to grow angry and despondent toward God and my family. Once I confessed to my wife and having her forgiveness, as well as the Lord’s faithful grace set me free and gave me strength and courage.

Another principle that Jesus taught is in perfect harmony, “The truth will set you free and you shall be free indeed.” To tell those ugly things about me to my wife took incredible faith, trust, and courage. It strengthened our relationship and increased our knowledge of one another’s weaknesses so we would know how to bear one another up. It gave my wife an incredible sense of responsibility toward me as my “Helper” and made me love her more and give God the praise for such a gift as this woman. I had to trust her and God and when I did I had to really humble myself. My wife now has more respect and honor toward me and more confidence in God and our marriage.

That is an example from my life of an extreme need to confess such things but there are less severe moments that do just as much good and free us because of the truth. The other day my brother and I were talking about some plans we had made. He asked me what I needed to finish a particular project but I had to tell him I had not been out to the area where I was working in more than a month. He asked me why. I had to tell him how I had completely lost my temper and walked away from my project and how I was ashamed and it hurt to go out and look at the mess.

Having told him all that and explaining my anxieties, he was very understanding and told me I should get over it, let it go and do what I needed to do to finish. I appreciated his candor and straightforward talk. Our dependence on each other became more evident and necessary. Displaying my humanness and talking about my guilt over such foolishness was a witness to him about true faith and the grace of God. It showed him humility and my trust in him and made him look at his own frustrations.

The Holy Spirit urged him to take the higher ground of encourager and minister to me, an opportunity for him to give me the same grace he has know in Christ and from me! We are bund in honesty and truth with a sense of responsibility for each other’s godly character.

We all must walk in this kind of honesty. There is no one who keeps himself perfect all the time. We need one another, and we need to learn how the principles of the Gospel really work throughout the brotherhood. The things the Apostles wrote are for our good and when we live and act in the manner of Our Lord and the Apostles, the greatness and glory of God is visible and amazing. When we do these things we will be seen as a peculiar people and the Gospel will spread exponentially!

Take time to read Psalm 139 and really think about how God has been involved with keeping you and how he knows your deepest innermost parts. Pray for the courage to confess to one another, and TRUST GOD above all. He not only knows you and me, He also knows the people we are speaking to. When you do pray for one another and praise God for the grace we have in Christ Jesus.

It might just be that what you have to confess is exactly the opportunity someone needs in order to obey the Gospel and know God’s grace all the more. Now that is something to think about.

Men like me.

Luke 18:9-14 (esv) He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

For years I have struggled with sin and habits that just seem so difficult to put away once and for all. I know I am not alone in that struggle, and I am sure there are a few out there who have overcome incredible obstacles that few of us would be able to endure. There are also those who would say something like, “If you are holding on to those habits I would question whether your were really saved.” That has been said to me and I have heard it preached from the pulpit and many other places. As if we don’t have enough accusations from our own hearts and from demons!

I don’t think people realize how many Christians question the validity of their confession and live in the fear of hell fire and brimstone because ot it. Everyone makes mistakes; everyone gives into some lust some time. The command to love one another and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves demands our understanding in these matters. I have often questioned if I was truly saved, especially when my heart is afflicted. And there are many passages in scripture that out of context could lead me to think I just don’t measure up to the task of good merit for God’s favor. Believe me, I have done things that deserve nothing better than painful death and eternal suffering and I have to live with those memories and I suffer now from the results of foolish choices. Thank God we are not saved by our own merit but by grace through faith in Christ Jesus alone!

The memories of my sins after my confession of Christ is ever before my eyes, so I have no choice but to trust God that the blood of Christ and His resurrection is sufficient for the likes of me. I have found that at least in a man like me repentance is an ongoing task and obedience is an ongoing practice. The more we bow ourselves in obedience to the Word of God in faith the more peace we have in the inner parts, and the more conflicts of the flesh we fight and are able to endure. We become more aware of the weaknesses of the flesh because of The Holy Spirit in us and this is ONLY because of true faith in the blood and resurrection of Christ Jesus, The Gospel.

God desires a broken and contrite spirit and “the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” That is because he fears God and that fear is the evidence of truly believing God is, and He is able to change a man. That is Faith. Our failure is in our faithfulness. That is, “when we are faithless He remains faithful.” Without Christ we have no hope of ever attaining to the righteousness of God, this is what the commandments show us, we just don’t measure up. That is why Christ Jesus had to die on our behalf, The Only Begotten Son of God, The Holy One who obeyed God even to death upon a cross. There is no other way to be reconciled and forgiven forever. This is what grace is and we exist for His glory not ours; that is where mankind’s thinking gets backward which leads to disobedience and sin. We tend to think God and His Son exist for us, but He is the Creator, we are the creation.

Psa 25:8-15 (esv) “Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great. Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land. The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.”

When I begin to question salvation in my life I am always reminded of the great and awesome things the Lord has done for me. Who am I that the lord would think of me? I have cried out to God and watched as He provided incredible undeserved grace in less than a day. I have slowly grown to understand what it means to love people and how forgiving and non-accusing that kind of attitude is. I am not perfect in every deed or choice I make but God is perfect, and in the deepest part of me I have committed my life to him in faith that He is able to complete a good work in me.

A large part of bringing me to perfection is proving His faithfulness and my faith through trials, and through temptations. The blood of Christ and more importantly His resurrection is proven sufficient and reassures us of the hope of eternal life with Him. The hope that this sinful flesh will be changed to be like He is. The more of this incredible grace we know the more submissive we become to The Word, and to His will growing in the understanding of God’s Almighty power and majesty. He is above all and able to change us according to who we are because he knows us better than we know ourselves.

Jas 1:2-4 (kjv) “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

I only know myself because I know God who created me, and teaches me according to the needs of my heart. I do not have to know the enemy, I know the Almighty God because of faith in Christ who knows the enemy better than anyone. What I have to have to do is submit in obedience to Him and His Word, but I would not know the peace of that obedience without knowing the sorrows of discipline for disobedience. This is the evidence of the love of God toward us and makes us able to give the same grace to others.

Heb 11:6 (kjv) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Here is somthing to think about; If we do good in the sight of others and they are blessed, then in order to keep that good reputation we are constrained to continue doing good to others. Other wise we are percieved as liars and make the Gospel seem questionable. We can only do that by the Holy Spirit in us who teaches us obedience to the Word of God.

Mat 18:21-35 (esv) Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

The Shield and The Sword

1Co 10:12-14 (esv) “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”

How often have we read this verse or thought of it from memory after we have given in to our lusts? How often have we read it and re-read it trying to figure out where or what our means of escape is or was? There is wisdom in these verses for everyday and every moment, “Patient Endurance.” Using hindsight as a means to foresight we should to look to see (with the help of the Holy Spirit) where we zigged when we should have zagged. Actually we probably should have stayed on the straight and narrow way.

The first line is in perfect harmony with Rom 12:3,

(esv) “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

After the appetites of the lusts are satisfied it is like waking up the morning after a blackout drunken stupor wandering why or what we had done. Often called “The morning after blues.” Our thinking is what was out of kilter to start with; nine times out of ten we were thinking we could not fall. (“Pride goeth before a fall…”) The fact is we were selfish and not faithful or trusting God and his perfect will.

One of the problems in our society today is that most people think of only themselves and care for others second, usually only if they stand to gain from an act of kindness. Selfishness causes division and separation and ultimately the disintegration of society. In a marriage relationship if the husband is pursuing his desires and the wife is pursuing her own desires, the only outcome is separation. The Lord Jesus said it like this, “A kingdom divided shall surely fall.”

But when the two are doing everything for one another with a common desire, goal, or destination then they will only grow closer together, “the two shall become one flesh.” This is at least part of the reason for the command to us to “love one another” and is a primary teaching throughout the Bible. If you read the chapter context of 1corintians 10 you will see the example about the Israelites who died because they thought only of themselves rather than trust in God and the word given to Moses. They died because of their selfishness, which became idolatry. 

Envy leads to frustration, and frustration leads to anger, and the root is more than likely fear. Pride is the root of the fear of man, not the fear of the Lord.  When we cannot have what we want right now we get frustrated and then become angry. Anger may smolder for a long time and we may not even realize it’s growing in us. But eventually it will surface and then there is a vicious spiral into despondency. We are angry at God because we can’t have what we want, or disappointed for having to wait, so we get angry at ourselves because we are frustrated with God’s will and round and round it goes. If we do not confess and repent it will lead to deep depression and possibly suicide.

Look at these verses:
Jas 1:19-21 (esc) “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

1Jn 2:15-17(litv) “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that which 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 is passing away, and its lust. But the one doing the will of God abides forever.”

·    The lust of the eyes, that’s envy or covetousness.
·    The lust of the flesh, which is what the body desires.
·    The pride of life, which is what we want others to think of us.

The root of our frustration and strife is that all of these things are not of our Father but opposed to Him. When we begin to look to the things of the world and take our minds off the Word of God we are in disobedience. Inside the deepest part of us we know it because we have been born into the Spirit through faith in Christ Jesus. That is why we are ashamed when we sin. The things of the world are a lure that appeals to the flesh to give in to idolatry placing our own desires above the will of God. Obedience to the Word of God is “Wait upon the Lord.” Submission to the Word of God in faith is not something unbearable and trusting in God, faith in His perfect will is the escape. “Patient endurance.”

What was the escape for those Israelites? When the serpent was lifted, they were to look up to it believing and trusting the Word of God and continue looking at it with faith. Those who did not look at it did not believe the Word and died from the snakes on the ground. That is a good definition of Idolatry, snakes on the ground. When we take our eyes off of Jesus and our minds off of the Gospel and look at the appeal or threat of the world is when we fail. As I said before we did not capture every thought and bring it into submission TO THE GOSPEL.

The escape then is faith in the Word of God. What did Jesus say when he was tempted? “It is written.” The Lord showed us exactly what the escape is and how we must endure with patience; this is the exercise of faith, that shield by which the flaming arrows of the evil one are extinguished! When The Lord was tempted he had already been fasting for forty days and was weak and hungry. His faith was in God and the promise of His Word. Talk about the possibility for “burn out.” The Lord’s example was to continue in faith no matter what because His Word is unchanging like He is unchanging. And He was faithful even to death upon the cross.

The questions we need to answer everyday are,

·    Where is our faith?
·    Is our faith in the Gospel or in what we have right now?
·    Is our desire to trust in and do the will of God or is it something we want for ourselves?
·    How do we prepare our minds, define our thoughts for the day, everyday?
·    Have we humbled ourselves in submission to God?
·    Or are we bowing to our own fear of what mankind would think of us?

That helmet of salvation seems to represent having the Gospel in our minds to protect our thinking, we are “saved by grace through faith” is what we ought to have in our heads all the time. Then we can use that shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God together like a well-trained warrior.

God is faithful, he has provided the way of escape and if we fail he disciplines us bringing us to confession and repentance. Every time we come under attack, we learn the more of the strength, the faithfulness, and the love of God in Christ Jesus. We must learn to recognize the enticements that are so subtle in this world especially in our society of the “American dream” mentality. The only way to do that is to submit to the Gospel, to the Lord God in faith believing that His will is best, whether we like it or not. Learn to use that shield, and learn to wield the Sword well at the right time and place.

It is a matter of faith.