Monday, March 24, 2008
Ron Paul Statement on the War in Iraq
I will return to my posts on Christian Leadership soon, but for now, have a look at a quote from Rep. Ron Paul on the war in Iraq over at my other blog http://nateslifethoughts.blogspot.com/
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Christian Leadership
I've been studying 1 and 2 Timothy recently, and just moved on to Titus. While this wasn't really planned on my part, this happened just as I am stepping out into a leadership position in my church. So, the timing couldn't be more perfect, as church leadership is pretty much what all of these books are about!
So, in my studies, I have been encouraged, challenged and equipped as I step out into a leadership role that I know I cannot perform of my own strength, but need the empowering and enabling of the Spirit of God to perform. But, I have also seen some of the areas that we often overlook when putting people into leadership in the American church. I think that a better understanding of biblical church leadership would get rid of a lot of the problems that we face in the church in the US today. Over the next few posts, I will touch on just a few areas that I think are key considerations when appointing people to leadership positions in the church.
1. Holiness
1 Timothy 3
1It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.
I know, I know, holiness is not a topic we american christians like to discuss very often. It brings to mind thoughts of judgment and condemnation. BUT, God has called his people to be Holy... especially then, the leaders of his people.
Leviticus 11:45
For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.
Leviticus 19:2
Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.
Leviticus 20:7
You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 20:26
Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.
1 Peter 1:15
but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
1 Peter 1:16
because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
Matthew 5:48
Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
OK, so we know from these scriptures that we, as followers of Christ, are to be Holy, to be set apart for God. To live righteous lives. "But," we say "aren't we forgiven from sin?" "Doesn't God accept us just the way we are because of the blood of Christ?" Of course He does! But, he does not want to leave us in the state that we were in when He saved us, He wants to set us free from our sin, and bring us into life in Him. He has called us to be Holy, not to ruin our fun, but for our own good.
I'm sure you've seen the bumper sticker, "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven!". While there is an element of truth to this, we will not be completely free from sin and error while we are on this earth, and we are forgiven our sins, this is also a statement that makes an excuse for our living in sin, and makes a mockery of the grace of God.
God has not forgiven us so that we can keep on sinning. He did not die to give us a get out of jail free card, and then leave us to our own devices so we could keep committing crimes against Him.
1 John 3:5-9
5But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
Hebrews 10:26-27
26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Romans 6:1-3
1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
So then, God has called us to holiness, to leave our lives of sin, take up our cross and follow Him. He has called ALL believers to this, how much more then, those who are in leadership? How can we expect to lead, or shepherd the flock of God, pointing them in the direction of Holiness, when we ourselves are living in sin?
I am not saying that we will never sin, we still battle the flesh, and we will fall, we will make mistakes, we will sin. But as believers and as leaders, we must live lives that reflect Christ, who knew no sin. We must strive for holiness, and not make light of the grace God has given us by the death of His son Jesus Christ on the cross. When we make light of sin, we make light of the sacrifice that He made for us. When we make light of sin, we give it room to take hold in our lives, and that road leads to destruction. We need a healthy outlook on sin, and to not avoid the subject because it makes us uncomfortable.
So then, Holiness is an essential quality for those who would be leaders. Looking at the way some of the church leaders in America have been behaving lately, you would think Holiness has all but left the church. I know this is not the case, but that's the way it looks to non-believers. We preach a good life, and then live in sin. We need to take a good look at people's lives before we appoint them to leadership, and then when they are in leadership, we need to keep them accountable to God. To make sure that they are staying on track.
So, Holiness being an essential quality, how do we achieve it? Because we on our own are not Holy, we cannot be Holy, we are fallen creatures, destined to keep sinning. We achieve holiness by the power of the Spirit moving in our hearts. It is only by the power of the Spirit that we can do anything good for God. We, on our own strength are feeble, but He makes us strong by His powerful Spirit that moves within us. He, by His Spirit, delivers us from sin, and gives us the strength to avoid sin, when temptation crosses our path.
Romans 8:12-13
12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
If you read through the gospels, the twelve apostles are constantly whining and bickering and fighting over who's the greatest. They were cowards, and sinners. This is because they were living on their own strength. But, in contrast, if you look at the apostles in the book of Acts, suddenly the Apostles are preaching and teaching with authority, they are calling out the religious leaders, they are performing miracles. This is not because they were great men, as we have just seen, they were not. This is because they were operating in the power of the Holy Spirit of God.
This is our power for holiness, this is our power for righteousness. Let us leaders aspire to be people of Holiness, who by the Spirit of God, put to death the deeds of the sinful nature.
So, in my studies, I have been encouraged, challenged and equipped as I step out into a leadership role that I know I cannot perform of my own strength, but need the empowering and enabling of the Spirit of God to perform. But, I have also seen some of the areas that we often overlook when putting people into leadership in the American church. I think that a better understanding of biblical church leadership would get rid of a lot of the problems that we face in the church in the US today. Over the next few posts, I will touch on just a few areas that I think are key considerations when appointing people to leadership positions in the church.
1. Holiness
1 Timothy 3
1It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.
I know, I know, holiness is not a topic we american christians like to discuss very often. It brings to mind thoughts of judgment and condemnation. BUT, God has called his people to be Holy... especially then, the leaders of his people.
Leviticus 11:45
For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.
Leviticus 19:2
Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.
Leviticus 20:7
You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 20:26
Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.
1 Peter 1:15
but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
1 Peter 1:16
because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
Matthew 5:48
Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
OK, so we know from these scriptures that we, as followers of Christ, are to be Holy, to be set apart for God. To live righteous lives. "But," we say "aren't we forgiven from sin?" "Doesn't God accept us just the way we are because of the blood of Christ?" Of course He does! But, he does not want to leave us in the state that we were in when He saved us, He wants to set us free from our sin, and bring us into life in Him. He has called us to be Holy, not to ruin our fun, but for our own good.
I'm sure you've seen the bumper sticker, "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven!". While there is an element of truth to this, we will not be completely free from sin and error while we are on this earth, and we are forgiven our sins, this is also a statement that makes an excuse for our living in sin, and makes a mockery of the grace of God.
God has not forgiven us so that we can keep on sinning. He did not die to give us a get out of jail free card, and then leave us to our own devices so we could keep committing crimes against Him.
1 John 3:5-9
5But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
Hebrews 10:26-27
26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Romans 6:1-3
1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
So then, God has called us to holiness, to leave our lives of sin, take up our cross and follow Him. He has called ALL believers to this, how much more then, those who are in leadership? How can we expect to lead, or shepherd the flock of God, pointing them in the direction of Holiness, when we ourselves are living in sin?
I am not saying that we will never sin, we still battle the flesh, and we will fall, we will make mistakes, we will sin. But as believers and as leaders, we must live lives that reflect Christ, who knew no sin. We must strive for holiness, and not make light of the grace God has given us by the death of His son Jesus Christ on the cross. When we make light of sin, we make light of the sacrifice that He made for us. When we make light of sin, we give it room to take hold in our lives, and that road leads to destruction. We need a healthy outlook on sin, and to not avoid the subject because it makes us uncomfortable.
So then, Holiness is an essential quality for those who would be leaders. Looking at the way some of the church leaders in America have been behaving lately, you would think Holiness has all but left the church. I know this is not the case, but that's the way it looks to non-believers. We preach a good life, and then live in sin. We need to take a good look at people's lives before we appoint them to leadership, and then when they are in leadership, we need to keep them accountable to God. To make sure that they are staying on track.
So, Holiness being an essential quality, how do we achieve it? Because we on our own are not Holy, we cannot be Holy, we are fallen creatures, destined to keep sinning. We achieve holiness by the power of the Spirit moving in our hearts. It is only by the power of the Spirit that we can do anything good for God. We, on our own strength are feeble, but He makes us strong by His powerful Spirit that moves within us. He, by His Spirit, delivers us from sin, and gives us the strength to avoid sin, when temptation crosses our path.
Romans 8:12-13
12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
If you read through the gospels, the twelve apostles are constantly whining and bickering and fighting over who's the greatest. They were cowards, and sinners. This is because they were living on their own strength. But, in contrast, if you look at the apostles in the book of Acts, suddenly the Apostles are preaching and teaching with authority, they are calling out the religious leaders, they are performing miracles. This is not because they were great men, as we have just seen, they were not. This is because they were operating in the power of the Holy Spirit of God.
This is our power for holiness, this is our power for righteousness. Let us leaders aspire to be people of Holiness, who by the Spirit of God, put to death the deeds of the sinful nature.
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