Old Erich Proverb - Servant

In the Christian church the organization should serve the congregation, not the congregation the organization.

A Voice from the Past - Leo the Great

But the wide extent of Christian grace has given us yet greater reasons for loving our neighbour, which, reaching to all parts of the whole world, looks down on no one, and teaches that no one is to be neglected.

Leo the Great, 400-460 AD, Sermons of Leo the Great, Sermon XII, II, (translated by Rev. Charles Lett Feltoe, The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, T & T Clark and Wm. B. Eerdmans  Publishing, 1997, Second Series, Volume XII, p.122)

What people might we be tempted to look down on or neglect? How does God's grace speak to this?

On Being Positive

If I just believe it hard enough, it will come true. This is an idea that has been around for a long time in various forms. And it is bogus. I have tried it on many occasions over the years, and it does not work. Now I have to admit there are occasions when the person who confidently forges ahead will succeed where the person who too easily gives up will fail. But I have also observed cases where the naive individual rushes in rashly and makes a mess of things where a more cautious, measured approach was really what was called for. I would suggest the ideal is the right mixture of confidence (best rooted in trusting God) and caution (from a realistic view of a world under sin and a curse). The unmixed extremes are dangerous.

But the biggest error is thinking that if we believe in something hard enough, it will make it so. It will not. Some would try to use the idea of faith to make this idea Christian. If we just have enough faith, things will work out the way we want them to. But this ignores the fact that Christian faith is faith in a Person and not some power we can use to manipulate God into doing what we want. Also, faith in God does not just involve the ability to trust God for a miracle but the ability to trust God even if no immediate miracle comes. David had the faith to trust God to enable him to kill Goliath. But he then had to trust God through the years of fleeing from Saul, when he did not see any evidence of God fulfilling His promise to give him a kingdom. Paul was used by God to heal many (Acts 19:11,12) but he was refused healing for himself (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). God's ways are often mysterious and beyond our understanding (Isaiah 55:8,9; Romans 11:33-36; 1 Corinthians 3:18-20). And often God's plan can only be understood, if at all, by looking back at a later time, as it was for Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 50:20).

But the bottom line is that reality is something that is beyond our simply being able to mold it to our wills. Some degree of cautious optimism is useful. Naive optimism is a hindrance. But what we really need is to trust God even if things do not seem to be going our way (Proverbs 3:5,6; Psalms 127:1,2; 37:3-6). However, we should avoid the idea that we have a magician's power to shape the world to our will. For this contradicts real experience and observation.  

Standing in Grace - Romans 5:1,2

The Path of Humility

One of the chief things required to live for God is humility (James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 5:5-9; Luke 14:7-11). But humility is not something that is highly respected in our current culture. We must assert ourselves. We must put ourselves forth. And if we do not, others will ignore us. But this is not the Biblical approach.

However, before we can talk about cultivating humility, we need to understand what humility is, not just our society's caricatures of it. To understand what Biblical humility is, we need to start with what it is based on. The common idea of our modern culture is that human beings and their desires are basically good and humans need to overcome their humility and reluctance, to express themselves and follow their true inclinations. This can often encourage people to charge heedlessly ahead into wrong and destructive behavior. However, it is equally destructive to decide you are worthless and your life is pointless. This leads to depression and hiding in the corner, avoiding doing anything not strictly necessary. And this latter view is really the natural result of the modern view that we are a meaningless accident spewed forth by a indifferent universe. So in reaction, we assert ourselves loudly, affirming we are somebody. The people we are trying to convince are ourselves.

The Biblical approach starts from the facts that we are created by God in His image (Genesis 1:26,27; 9:6; James 3:9), but we are also sinners in rebellion against Him (Romans 3:23; Jeremiah 17:9; Isaiah 64:6). But God still loved us and has made a way for our sins to be forgiven through the sacrifice of His Son (Romans 5:6-8; John 3:14-18; 1 John 5:11-13), not as a result of what we do, but through putting our faith in Him (Romans 4:4,5; Ephesians 2:8,9; Philippians 3:9). And even after accepting His salvation, we are unable to change ourselves (John 15:5; Romans 7:14; 8:8), but He is at work in our lives to transform us (2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 2:13; Colossians 1:29). Therefore, we should not sit trembling in a corner, but go out boldly, in confidence, trusting God (Proverbs 3:5,6; Psalms 127:1,2; 37:3-6). But we will keep ourselves in perspective, knowing that everything we have comes from Another (Romans 12:3; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Galatians 6:3-5). Rather, we will avoid trying to make a final judgment of ourselves or others (1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Romans 14:4: James 4:11,12), and leaving concern with ourselves behind, will press on to love God and others (Matthew 22:36-40; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 6:9-10). For this is true humility, not focusing on ourselves but on loving others.

A Touch of Humor - Choice of Values

What would a society look like that centered around looking out for number one? What are the problems with this?

Old Erich Proverb - Scam

We cannot scam God; He knows everything in our hearts.