Do Not Judge?

October 11, 2023

Besides perhaps John 3:16, one of the best-known Bible verses by those outside of Christ is Matthew 7:1 which says, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” (Matthew 7:1 NAS95) These words have become a battle cry for many in the world.  When a Christian points out sin in this world, here comes the reply, “Don’t judge!”  When some behavior is decried as evil, you may hear the refrain, “Jesus said don’t judge!” What did Jesus mean by these words?  Did He mean that Christians should not make determinations or statements about what is right and wrong, what is good and evil?

Of course, Jesus did not mean any such thing.  Christians must be able to distinguish between good and evil.  We must “abhor what is evil and cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9 NAS95) This requires that we must distinguish, according to the word of God, what is good and evil.  A judgement must be made!  We are to “have our senses trained to discern good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14b NAS95).  To have this discernment is a mark of Christian maturity.  In 1 Corinthians chapter 5, the apostle Paul instructs the church at Corinth to judge those who are within the church and to “remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” (1 Corinthians 5:13 NAS95) In this case of flagrant sexual immorality, the church needed to make a judgement about what was right and what was wrong and act accordingly.

What then did Jesus mean when He said, “Do not judge”?  The context indicates that Jesus is speaking of hypocritical judgment where we would criticize and condemn another when we ourselves are practicing the same, or worse.  We should not try to remove the speck in our brother’s eye when we have a wooden beam in our own.  We must be careful to not harshly condemn one another, because by our standard of measure, it will be measured back to us.

But we must never let the world talk us into blurring the lines between right and wrong.  We must never let them cow us into believing that there are no standards of morality.  Christians must judge what is right and what is wrong according to the word of God and we must stand upon the truth.   

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Faith is the Answer

October 3, 2023

Four times in the gospel of Matthew Jesus says these words: “You of little faith!”  A lack of faith is the root cause of many of our problems in this life.  What help, what joy we could find if we would learn to trust our Heavenly Father and rest in His promises.

Faith is the answer to worry and anxiety.  Jesus tells us that we can stop worrying about our lives—even the necessities of life—because our Father will take care of us.  Listen to these words of Jesus: “But if God so clothes the grass of the field… will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!” (Matthew 6:30 NAS95) We all struggle with worry at times.  What is the cause? Jesus goes right to the heart of the problem.  It is a matter of faith.  When we let worry overcome us it is because we do not believe that God knows about our needs, or that God does not care, or that God is unable to help.  If we would turn to Him in faith, knowing that He does know, He does care, and He is able, it would help us to overcome our worries.

Faith is the answer to fear.  When a great storm arose on the sea so that the boat the disciples were in was about to sink, they came to Jesus and said, “‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing!’ He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?’” (Matthew 8:25-26 NAS95) We see a similar scenario when Peter asked Jesus to command him to walk to Him on the water.  Peter saw the wind, became frightened, and began to sink.  “Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31 NAS95) All of us have been overcome with fear at times.  It can hit us hard.  Jesus again pinpoints the root cause.  It is because we have little faith.  We fail to remember that Jesus is not only the Master of the sea, but of all things.  And He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us.  Why do we fear?  Why do we doubt?  Do we trust Him? 

Faith is the answer to spiritual forgetfulness.  Sometimes we forget how God has worked in our lives in the past, and this clouds our view of the future.  Jesus said to His disciples, who had witnessed His great power, “You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread?  Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand… or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets full you picked up?” (Matthew 16:8-10 NAS95)

We all struggle with these things from time to time.  That is why we need to be growing in our faith.  May God help us to listen carefully to His voice and take His promises to heart.  Let us trust in our loving Father.

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Who Are Deacons and What Do They Do?

September 25, 2023

“Deacon” is not a translation but a transliteration. A transliteration is when you spell a word of one language in the corresponding letters or characters of another language. The Greek word is “diakonos” (Strong’s number G1249). It is usually translated as servant or minister. The definition in the standard Greek dictionary of the New Testament is: (1) one who serves as an intermediary in a transaction, agent, intermediary, courier, and (2) one who gets something done, at the behest of a superior, assistant.* A number of groups and individuals are called “diakonos” in the New Testament.

  • Servants of a king: Matt. 22:13

  • Servants at a wedding: John 2:5, 9

  • Governmental rulers: Romans 13:4 (2x)

  • Christ: Romans 15:8, Galatians 2:17

  • Satan’s servants: 2 Corinthians 11:14-15

  • A number of individuals: Paul and Apollos (1 Cor. 3:5), Paul (Eph. 3:6-7, Col. 1:23, 25), Timothy (1 Tim. 4:6), Phoebe (Rom. 16:1), Tychicus (Eph. 6:21, Col. 4:7), and Epaphras (Col. 1:17).
• Disciples: Matt. 20:25, 23:11, Mark 9:35, 10:43, John 12:26, 2 Cor. 3:6, 11:23. • Deacons: Phil. 1:1, 1 Tim. 3:8, 3:10 (verb form), 3:12

It is not unusual for words to have a general use and a technical term use. There is a proper sense that all Christians are servants. Yet, it is also clear that there is a special group of servants in Philippians 1:1 who are distinguished from the other church members (i.e., the saints) and the overseers. The fact that we have qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 also indicates a specially appointed group of servants. Not everyone has the qualifications mentioned in this text.

But what do deacons do? The New Testament doesn’t give specifics. The word itself suggests that deacons assist the work of the overseers in some way. They are said to serve (diakoneō, G1247) in 1 Timothy 3:10. Acts 6:1-6 may at least be a case of proto-deacons. The men in this passage are not called deacons. Years later Philip is referred to as “one of the seven” (Acts 21:8). Yet the passage speaks of the “daily ministry” (diakonia, G1248) in Acts 6:1, and the apostles do not want to neglect the preaching of the word of God “to serve tables” (diakoneō, G1247) in Acts 6:2. Certainly to serve tables could refer to serving food at a table, but it could also mean “serve as accountants.”** The word table is associated with money changers and banking in the ancient world and therefore accounting. Even our English word “bank” comes from the “bench” of the money lender. The seven of this passage are either distributing food or funds.*** At any rate, the seven assisted and served in the work of the church so that the Apostles did not lose the focus of their ministry. It would seem that deacons function in the same way in relationship to overseers.

—Russ Holden

*A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Earl Christian Literature (abbreviated as BDAG), p. 230

**BDAG, s.v. trapeza, p. 1013

***Several English translations say in Acts 6:1 “daily distribution of food.” However, the Greek text only has “daily ministry” or “daily service” (cf. the KJV or ASV). I think it is an open question as to whether the Seven were distributing food or money. The bottom line was that they were taking care of widows.

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Posted by Russell Holden

The Two Pillars of Salvation

September 21, 2023

“But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 NAS95)

God chose, before time began, that those who are in Christ Jesus will experience His salvation. Because God called us to Himself through the gospel, you and I can be saved, and we can share in the glory of Jesus. What a blessed thought! But notice in this passage that our salvation comes through two very important concepts. You might say our salvation rests upon two pillars.

The first pillar upon which salvation is built is sanctification by the Spirit. If we do not have the Spirit dwelling within us, we have no hope of salvation, for if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ (Romans 8:9). And if the Spirit dwells within us, His presence should produce tangible effects within our lives. The Spirit will lead us into sanctification. Sanctification is holiness of life. Are you growing in holiness? Are you putting away the sinful things in your life and putting on the things of God?

Is the fruit of the Spirit evident in your life? We must be diligent to walk by the Spirit in holiness. Without sanctification, no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).

The second pillar is faith in the truth. It was faith in the truth of the gospel message that brought us into a saved condition, and it is continuing faith in the truth that will lead us all the way home. To have faith in the truth is to trust in it. If we trust in the word of God, we will strive to live by it. If we have faith in the truth we won’t merely hear the word, but also act upon it. The word of truth is of no profit to us if we do not take what we hear and unite it with faith (Hebrews 4:2).

If you are in Christ, if you are pursuing sanctification by the power of the Spirit, and if you are continuing to have faith in the truth, you will be saved. You will gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is for this that He has called us through the gospel of Jesus!

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Russell Holden

How Hard It Is for the Wealthy

September 19, 2023

Have you listened carefully to some of the faith-based advice out there on getting out of debt and building wealth? Some of the advice I have heard is good and right, but some of it is very dangerous and unbiblical. We always need to approach “Christian” advice cautiously to make sure what is being said lines up with the word of God. This is especially true on the topic of wealth since the Lord has spoken with many sober warnings about the grave dangers of wealth.

It is said to try very hard to get out of debt. I believe this is generally good advice. It is said to spend at a level well below your means. This is also good advice. It is said to build up your savings and retirement accounts. I don’t see anything inherently wrong with this statement. It is advised to work hard at your job. This is sound biblical advice! We can do all these things with a heart to honor God with our wealth, to be generous, and to be good stewards of His blessings.

But listen carefully! Does some of the advice begin to go off the rails? It is advised: You should work a second and third job to build up your wealth more quickly. You should max out your retirement accounts so that you can live the good life someday. You should throw everything into building wealth now so that you can be generous with your money later. What is wrong with statements like these? Couldn’t they encourage us to make the gaining of wealth our main focus in life? While we’re working three jobs, are we neglecting our spiritual lives? Our families? While we’re setting ourselves up to live the good life someday, do we consider that our souls may be required of us today? While we tell ourselves that we’re doing this to be more generous someday, has it occurred to us that our hearts can become clouded with the pursuit of riches and that we may no longer want to be generous when “someday” arrives? Have we considered that God wants us to be generous and share now (as we are able)?

The words Jesus spoke about wealth need to be burned into our minds and our hearts: “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” (Luke 18:24 NAS95) Are we hearing Jesus? Will we heed the warning? When we make being rich our focus in life, we are putting ourselves in great danger. Yes, the rich can enter, but Jesus said, “how hard it is!” That should make us stop and think about our priorities in life! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle! This is only possible by a miraculous act of God. Brethren, let us be very careful that we do not fall into the love of money. Examine the advice you are given very carefully in light of the word of God. Our souls are at stake!

— Scott Colvin

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Posted by Russell Holden

Fasting: What is it About?

September 12, 2023

Have you given much thought about fasting?  Many references to fasting fill the pages of scripture, and yet we don’t talk about it much, and many Christians do not practice it.  What is fasting all about?  Is fasting something we are “commanded” to do?  While fasting may not be commanded for Christians, it is clearly something that has great spiritual value.  Jesus Himself fasted (Matthew 4:1-2) and pronounced that God will reward those who fast with the right motives (Matthew 6:18).  We also can see that both the saints of old and the saints of the 1st century church practiced fasting.  Let us turn to the word to see some of the important purposes of this spiritual practice.

Fasting is a way in which we can humble ourselves before God as we pray to Him.  Listen to the words of Ezra: “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey…” (Ezra 8:21 NAS95)

Fasting is a way in which we can more fully turn our attention to the Lord and seek His face, as the prophet Daniel wrote, “So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting… (Daniel 9:3 NAS95)

Fasting is associated with repentance from sin.  The prophet Joel writes: “‘Yet even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning’…” (Joel 2:12 NAS95)

Fasting was practiced by the early church when embarking on an important work.  It is said of the prophets and teachers in Antioch, “While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’  Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:2-3 NAS95) Thus began the first missionary journey of Barnabas and Saul.  In this account, it seems that the apostles and teachers were fasting as part of their usual ministry, but then, upon receiving word from the Spirit to commission Barnabas and Saul, they fasted some more as they prayed for the work they were about to begin. There are many other passages that we could mention, but these should suffice to show us the value of fasting.  Perhaps it is something you and I can incorporate into our own walk with God. 

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Trustworthy Speech

August 29, 2023

Psalm 15 is a beautiful description of the character that God wants in His people.  The psalm begins in this way: “O LORD, who may abide in Your tent?  Who may dwell on Your holy hill?” (Psalm 15:1 NAS95) Who is it that God will allow into His presence?  Who may live in God’s tent on His mountain?  Much of the answer that follows is focused on our speech.  Only those who have integrity of speech may come before the Lord.

Who may come into God’s presence?  It is the one who “speaks truth in his heart.” (Psalm15:2 NAS95)What does this mean?  To speak truth is to speak what is correct (to the best of our ability), but also that our words would be trustworthy.  Can people rely on the things you say? When you speak, can people take it to the bank?  Do you follow through on your verbal commitments?  What does it mean to speak truth in the heart? Our words must be sincere.  The things we say should truly line up with the thoughts of our heart.  Contrast this with the ungodly and unfaithful person of Psalm 12.  “They speak falsehood to one another; With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak.” (Psalm 12:2 NAS95)  

The one who may dwell in God’s presence is one who “does not slander with his tongue.” (Psalm 15:3 NAS95) Our words should never tear down another person.  Perhaps, in our hearts, we have a low opinion of someone, or think negatively of something they have done.  In those cases, it is wise to think very carefully before we speak.  Slander is a serious offense in the eyes of God.

In verse four, we see once again the importance of integrity of speech. The one who may dwell in God’s presence is one who “swears to his own hurt and does not change…” (Psalm 15:4 NAS95) This is a person who will not go back on his word, even if it later becomes clear that it is going to cost him.  Yes, to go back on what you said you would do is sometimes necessary (in cases of emergency or serious unforeseen circumstances) but doing so should never be done lightly.  As the people of God, let us make sure that our word is as good as gold.

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Today

August 18, 2023

I like the emotional honesty of Augustine’s Confessions. His mother, Monica, had believed in Jesus Christ and prayed for her son all his life. But Augustine was ambitious and lustful. He had pursued philosophy and rhetoric. He had made money. He had satisfied his bodily appetites even having a mistress and a son out of wedlock. He admitted that he had opposed Christian belief “out of malice.” This became his prayer: “I had prayed to you for chastity and said ‘Give me chastity and continence, but not yet.’”*

The words, “but not yet,” tell a cautionary tale. We have another expression “sow your wild oats.” The problem with sowing wild oats is the law of harvest. “You reap what you sow.” “For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.” I have known some people who sowed their wild oats and came to their senses. The story of the prodigal son has been repeated by many a son or daughter. But sometimes there are painful consequences even when forgiveness is found. David sowed to the wind with Bathsheba, and he reaped the whirlwind of a rapist Amnon and a treacherous, mutinous Absalom. “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1). But better is it to learn this lesson sooner than later.

“But not yet” has another danger. There are other prodigals who have simply stayed in the far country. The danger of repentance put off is that sin has way of deceiving and hardening our hearts. “But exhort one another every day … that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13, ESV).

“But not yet” also presumes that opportunities for repentance are unlimited. I deliberately left out part of the quote from Hebrews 3:13 in the above paragraph because it is fitting here: “as long as it is called ‘today.’” Hebrews is reminding its readers that not all the wilderness generation made it to the promised land. The quotation from Psalm 95 sums up the issue and is repeated twice in the chapter for emphasis. “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” (Hebrews 3:7-8, 3:15, ESV)

Today is the day we have. Maybe we will have tomorrow, and maybe we won’t. As Paul states, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2, ESV). “But not yet” is tempting.

Yet, repentance and salvation are too important. God will help us say no to our sinful past if we trust him. May all of us seize the opportunity called today!

—Russ Holden

*Augustine, The Confessions, 8.7

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Posted by Russell Holden

God, the Examiner of Hearts

August 8, 2023

One theme that we find in the Sermon on the Mount is that God sees the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, and that those inner thoughts and intentions will determine our standing with God.  It’s not merely our actions that God is concerned about, but the condition of our inner being.  For example, in the Beatitudes, Jesus pronounces a blessing upon those who are “poor in spirit,” on those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” and on those who are “pure in heart.”  Each of these qualities are first and foremost a condition of the inner person (though they certainly create noticeable, external effects).

Later in Jesus’ sermon, He continues teaching about the condition of our hearts.  “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court…” (Matthew 5:21-22a NAS95) We all get angry at times, but Jesus is teaching us that to continue in anger toward another, to nurse our anger and hold on to it makes us guilty before God.  This is entirely a matter of the heart!  Notice that Jesus hasn’t said anything about the words we say in anger, or the things we do in anger.  It’s all about what is going on inside—things that only God could know!  Yes, Jesus deals with the words that we might say in anger (later in the same verse). But notice that it all starts as thoughts within the heart.

Similarly, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28 NAS95) Here is another case where no physical act is taking place.  One might think they are in a right relationship with God because they didn’t “do” anything.  But Jesus says that God looks at lust in the heart as adultery.

Sometimes people will flippantly say, in order to lightly excuse their sinful behavior, “God knows my heart!”  Yes, God does indeed know our hearts, and the sin that dwells there can condemn us eternally.  We must have a deep concern about the condition of our hearts!  The teaching of Jesus, when heard carefully, will not cause us to casually dismiss our sinfulness, but will drive us into the arms of Jesus to beg for His mercy, His cleansing, and His continual transformation of our hearts through His Spirit.  Thank God for the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus!      

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

A Heart for God

July 28, 2023

God has always been supremely interested in the heart of man. He is always looking inside of us to see if we have a genuine love in our hearts for Him. The scriptures are quite clear that God has never been interested in religion without heart. In fact, going through religious motions when our hearts are disengaged is a great offense to Him. Jesus said to the Pharisees of His day, “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’” (Matthew 15:7–9 NAS95) The Pharisees were simply going through the religious motions. They were doing things by rote and thought that this pleased God. Their religion was an external one—it may have had the correct form, but in God’s eyes—because He didn’t have their hearts—it was all in vain. It meant nothing to God.

Why is God so interested in our heart? It is because everything about our lives flows from our hearts. When the heart is set on God and His ways, wonderful, God-honoring things flow out of our lives. But when our hearts are far away from God, our lives become defiled. As Jesus said in the same passage as above, “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man…” (Matthew 15:18-20 NAS95). And how do you think God will feel when our actions are continually in direct opposition to Him, yet we come before Him with empty praises and simply go through the motions? Will God accept worship such as this?

Does God have your heart? Do the words that you sing and the prayers that you pray genuinely reflect the life you are striving to live? If not, what should you do? Be honest with Him. Admit your sin to Him. Ask for His help. Cry out for His mercy and grace. Genuine, heartfelt responses such as these will always find favor with God. He desires truth in our innermost being, and a broken and contrite heart He will not despise. May God help us all to offer a genuine, heartfelt worship to Him today.

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Russell Holden

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