In the Day of Christ

Philippians 2:14-16 ESV

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.”

So, I looked up the words “grumbling” and “disputing” to get a good understanding of what these words mean, both in a thesaurus and in the Greek interlinear, and then in some Bible commentaries. And I just didn’t get any sense of “this is it!” from any of them until I got to Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary. He described grumblings as secret complaints against our fellow humans, and/or fellow Christians, which arise from selfishness. And he described “disputings” as doubting, referring to profitless disputings with our fellow humans which flow from “vain glory.”

So, it appears that these grumblings and disputings are self-driven, of a selfish nature, and that they are pointless and profitless. So this is not teaching that we shouldn’t have any disagreements with anyone about anything, but that we shouldn’t get into heated debates and arguments which result in name calling and false accusations and sharp tongues intended to stab people in the heart needlessly. We shouldn’t be grumpy and unhappy people who are bad-tempered and hard to get along with who just love to whine and complain about a lot of things.

So, this is not speaking against exposing lies and deceptions which are leading people astray and to hell on the promise of heaven. This is not speaking against correcting false doctrine which is leading people to continue in their sins without conscience. This is not saying that we can’t call out the lies and the liars and the false teachers and the hypocrites who are teaching the people lies which are leading them to follow the lies and not the truth. And it is not saying that we can’t feel passionate about exposing the lies and about getting out the truth to the people.

For if we are to shine as lights in the world in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, then we need to be people of God who speak the truth of God’s word to the people, and not the lies. And we need to be exposing the lies, for those lies are leading many people to hell. And that is not going to get us well liked by most people. For we live in a culture today where they are teaching us to “stay in your own lane,” and to just say “nice things” to people, and to not say anything to offend anyone, even if it is the truth that they need to hear in order to have genuine salvation from sin.

And “blameless” and “innocent” do not necessitate absolute perfection. Basically this means that we should be those who are living lives which are above reproach and morally pure. We should be those who have been crucified with Christ in death to sin and who have been raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. We should be those who die daily to sin and to self and who follow our Lord in obedience in living holy and righteous lives, by the grace of God, and his power and strength.

And this is how we should be living, in practice, wherever we are and no matter who we are with. For we are to be those who are living holy lives, separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed by God to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ. And this is how we are to be even and especially in the midst of this crooked and perverted generation out in the world, but which is also within the gatherings of what is called “church” here in America. For so many professers of faith in Jesus Christ are still walking in sin, still engaged in the trappings of the world.

We are not to be like them. We are to be those who are following our Lord in obedience in living morally pure, upright, godly, and self-controlled lives, by the grace of God, who are holding fast to the word of life, both in practice and in word, so that we are setting the right example for Christian living, and so that the people hear the truth and they are confronted with the lies, so that they have the opportunity to reject the lies and follow the truth. For all who continue in deliberate and in habitual sin, and not in obedience to God, will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what they profess.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

My Sheep  

An Original Work / June 24, 2012  

Based off John 10:1-18 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.

They listen to my voice and obey.

I call them and lead them.

They know my voice, so they follow me.

They will never follow strangers.

They will run away from them.

The voice of a stranger they know not;

They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that

I am the gate, so you enter in.

Whoever does enter

Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Nonetheless whoever enters

Not by the gate; other way,

He is the thief and a robber.

Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,

Who laid his own life down for the sheep.

I know them. They know me.

They will live with me eternally.

The thief only comes to steal and

Kill and to destroy the church.

I have come to give you life that

You may have it to the full… 

They know my voice, so they follow me.

https://vimeo.com/114938263