Taking a short stroll through Philippians 3:7-10

After several years in ministry and many more as a member of the kingdom of God I can surely and securely say that I am fully aware of my relationship with Christ and that it is a blessing to be secure in that relationship. I have known many pastors, preachers, evangelists, Christian workers and laymen over my 35 years as a believer but those that come across or have stated their relational security in Christ have been few and far between. Please do not think that I am saying that all of these people that I have known are lost, I am not saying that. Nor am I saying that they were not safe and secure in Christ. What I am referring to is that the majority of them knew only the legal aspect of their salvation and never experienced the true freedom and blessing that we have once we understand our relational position in Him.


There is a passage in Scripture which says, “I had But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. (8) Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ (9) and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; (10) That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,” (Philippians 3:7-10). I had preached on this passage several times over my 20 years of pulpit ministry and I know that the Apostle Paul had a deeper meaning to this other than what I had thought it to mean. I am safe in my relationship with Christ so I know him but it wasn’t until about 10 years ago that I really understood Paul’s thought process. What I have and what I continue to gain in life are nothing in the light of eternity. They are nothing in the light and presence of Christ. He is all in all and all I really want in this life.


Like most, I have a wife and family, I have a job that produces the funds needed to survive. I have a ministry within the local church. All is good but all is nothing in the light of my precious Savior. Paul stated in verse 8, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” After we receive Christ as savior we at best are His beloved brethren which is a wonderful thought but we are more than that, we are His slaves. He owns us and as a true master is conscious of our needs, our wants and works in and through us to meet them or give us understanding of why not. Paul said “I also count all things loss…” why? Was he giving up? Not so, he understood that all else drastically pales in the light of His presence. If we allow things to get in the way of this relationship the relationship truly suffers. His goal was to “count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus…” He wanted nothing to get in the way of this relationship. Once we truly begin to understand all that we have in Christ we too can begin to understand this thought of Paul’s.


Why most fail to experience this closeness is his statement, “… for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, ...” We let the things of this world grasp a tight hold upon us and actually stunt the possibility of our growth in Christ. Paul wants us to go the extra mile so that you can freely understand and grow in our relationship with Christ. It is only then that we can learn that there is nothing here on earth that is worth getting in the way of the preciousness of this relationship. Paul concludes verse 8 by saying, “…and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Not only are we to learn to let go of earthly things but we need to see them as what they are. They are rubbish, they are scrap in the presence of Christ. Many hold onto the scrap pile longing for a relationship with Him but their hold upon things will not let them reach for that which the Lord Jesus offers us. When we do so we soon learn to understand the depth of verse 9 which says, “And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;”


We are not just in Christ but we are found righteous in Him because He has given /extended to us His righteousness. Righteousness that is given to us by grace through faith, notice, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast. (10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) It is through grace and saving faith that we receive the Righteousness of Christ. We are as Paul said, His workmanship we are his property but above all we are His beloved.


I want to finish this thought looking back at Philippians 3:10, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” It is because of faith that we can obtain his righteousness. For some that is good enough, for some they are content just know that they are saved but it was not enough for me. As I continued to study the Word of God and labored in prayer for a better knowledge of Christ I finally received that for which I asked and now because of His Grace I can plead as Paul, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” I do know Him better and more intimately than ever before. I also have both the knowledge of this relationship but also a fear of displeasing Him. Along with this knowledge comes “the fellowship of his suffering” this includes the rejection of those we call brethren, of those that we call friend. This includes the ability to overlook their faults, their reasoning’s and their imperfections and see Christ. In doing so, I have found and experience this passage including the last statement which says, “…being conformed to His death.” Without trying to sound super pious and Holy, I believe that I have learned that sometime being conformed to His death means to do and recognize His will and place it over mine. It shows me that His will be done and He can get the glory even when I do not see it or it hurts me in the end. I can clearly state that this week I have found a closeness in the Lord through rejection that I have ever known and I praise His name for it.

Hold that Sword!

I often sit across the desk from couples both young and old, married for years or just recently. They come to me with a plethora of marital problems or stumbling blocks and many expect an immediate return for their visit. They come in expecting that I will take one side over the other. The only side that I am to take much to their chagrin is that of God’s. After allowing them time to lay their cards on the table, to lay out their issues and sometime to vent, I begin by letting them know that with God there is hope. More often than not one of the major issues that people have is that they lack communication. They may talk to each other but they fail to communicate with each other. As a matter of fact, by the time they come to me, most of the communication between many couples is in the form of yelling or strait out accusations in nature. Here is a couple that had come together with visions of grandeur. They had come together as two in love ready to board the ship called marriage and sail off into the sunset of life. Now after a dose of reality they are at whit’s end. The glamour of marriage had manifested itself into something that neither party had expected. They come face to face with the reality that the person they thought that they married was in fact just a front to please the other. Now committed to one another in the commitment of marriage all they let the façade fall and the real personalities are manifested back into shapes of laziness, anger, bitterness and selfishness. The pristine ship that sailed off into the sunset now sails into my office resembling something like the Flying Dutchman from “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Sails worn and tattered, the hull showing signs of being dashed against the rocks. The gunnels damaged because of enemy fire and sitting heavy in the water due to the excess baggage it now carries. The once happy crew is now bitter and sad after facing many hours of rough seas, heavy winds and tumultuous storms. Instead of a couple they now look more like two people who cant wait to find a safe harbor in hopes to abandon ship. Couples come in with their own agenda in mind saying that they communicate but resemble Captain Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones at then end of “At World’s End”. Earnestly attacking each other with the goal to win and at the same time the ship is in dire straits as it is caught in a Maelstrom (a very powerful whirlpool). I am of course using this film sequence as a metaphorical picture of this couples marriage going down “the proverbial toilet” because they fail to recognize the damage that they are doing to each other or to the marriage. When we argue with someone it is your full intent to win. No one ever gets into an argument to lose it. We are in it to win, no matter the cost. We are to win even to the harm of the one we are arguing with. All too often couples will argue with one another causing undue harm to one another because they have to win, refusing to give ground, even to the one that they love. The Bible clearly tell us in Ephesians 4 that we are to speak to each other, “…’Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another.” (Ephesians 4:25) In the eyes of God a couple is one, made one flesh in marriage and we are on in Christ as well. We must remember that this verse reminds every couple that we must speak to each other. Next we find in Ephesians 4:15 that Paul says that we are to speak and that we are to do so in love, “…speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ.” Speaking the truth in love means no hurtful or cutting words. Remove your selfish desires and motives remembering that words can and do cut deep. Who ever coined the words, “Sticks and stones may break my bones (but words will never hurt me,” must have lived alone somewhere because words truly do hurt. So when we do speak we are to do so in love, we do so lovingly. Finally, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29). So before you go charging in like Captain Jack, prepared to hack and cut away at your partner that God tells us that this type of communication is NOT allowed. If we follow His rules of communication we find that we can get our point across in love and at the same time save the relationship with our spouse.

Disappointed In God Part 2

As I have mentioned before, I do believe that one of the main proponents that cause’s believers to be enter a state of disappointed with God is because they do not want to wait for God’s timing. They ask and then sit watching and waiting, some even checking their watch to check on the time elapse waiting for their answer. The faster our advance into the fast service way of life in which we live in the more disappointed believers become with God because He does not perform on their time line. It is possible to see the help come if we concentrate hard enough for it but that too takes time and it can also be hard to do. Matthew 17:20, “So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." It is our unbelief that feeds our disappointment in God. Dr. B.M Page used to quote this passage often adding, “faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain, the problem is, most believers do not have enough faith to move the mustard seed.” When we pray, we may not have the faith to move mountains. We may pray that God will make the tumor just disappear (and He can do so) but our unbelief can cause it to fall short. We often pray for relief from pain, for a good night’s sleep, a better doctor, better medication, or for simple safety and or a night’s protection. What we must understand is that when you do pray, look for the leading of the Holy Spirit but at the same time refrain from looking for an expedient answer. God works but not always in the time frame that we expect. You may want to see a loved one healed and that is great. It is wonderful if it is God’s moment for it, but it is very often disappointing if it is not. It is right to expect an answer but all too often we are not willing to accept the answer that is given. If we go to the Scriptures to the night of Jesus’ betrayal, we find that He went to the Garden of Gethsemane where He prayed fervently for the strength to go through the trial ahead. He was not asking to not go through what lay ahead as some believe (Matthew 26:36-46). I believe that He was asking for strength for the trial at hand (that which He was going through in the Garden with Satan) and strength for the test of the Cross which lay ahead of him. If we follow the beliefs of some this would be disappointing if it were not for one small Biblical truth. Jesus was prepared to go wherever God took him. In this test or trial there is no voice or light from heaven. What we do find is something very subtle, we find out how God truly works in the lives of a believer. We find the Saviour on His face before God praying and sweating due to this wrestling with Satan, we also find in the wings of this arena an angel who appeared to Him, and was there to strengthen Him through this battle (Luke 22:41-43). As God did for His Son, He will do for you and me. In this setting we find Jesus bringing His all to the Father and being willing to adapt His hopes to the Father’s plan and to do the will of God. Too often we face disappointed and discouragement because we fail to do the same, we fail to adapt our hopes and to do the will of the Father. The truth of the matter is that whether we are asking for something big or little we need to look for the subtlety of God, listen for the still small voice and be prepared to join Him in winning the fight before the enemy. We are not to give up, nor are we to give in but remember that at all times that the Battle is the Lord’s. We are to go forth in the power and strength of the Lord. When Jesus sent out his disciples, he said, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16. Notice he did not send them to fight, He sent them out into the battle not as warriors but as wise servants. Not aggressively but subtly, patiently, not self serving but doing their best to be God serving. Paul told the Romans, “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? (25) But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (26) Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:24-26 We are to make our requests known to God and then trust Him. You can ask as big as you want. Trust God to do that which He does in His own timing, not yours and do not forget to be thankful for it. Hebrews 13:5-6, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ (6) So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” If you are to truly break free of the shackles that have held you captive and allow God to be God. Renew your relationship with Him and refresh yourself in Him. There are a lot of verses in Scripture that will help you to do so. I have listed a few verses below that I suggest that you begin with. Write them down, meditate on them, trust them re refresh your relationship with the Heavenly Father and renew yourself in Him. Psalm 68:5; John 1:10-13; Romans 8:22-25; Galatians 4:1-7; Ephesians 1:3-6 One final thought and that is to offer you a word of caution. As you begin this process be prepared to face the fact that there might be an issue in your past that you have not dealt with. If this is true, He will bring them to light and they must be dealt with. If we have past issues that have not been confronted and dealt with they can and will affect your relationship with God. It could possibly be that the disappointment that you are currently experiencing may be a direct result of some unconfessed sin or unresolved issues that you hold onto. I do believe that they can and will affect us in ways that we are not even aware of. This is especially true in how we view God and our relationship with Him and with others. Some will not need to dig as deeply as others to find something He will want you to deal with. I do encourage all to trust God to reveal to you anything that He wants you to look at. Disappointment is often a direct result of a struggling or stagnant relationship with the Lord. Too often, we find that our desire for God turns out to be the direct result of some selfish desire on our part to use Him and not for Him to reveal Himself in and through us. If this is true in your life I encourage you that you do not sacrifice your relationship with God because of some damaged emotions, do not to cast blame on Him but reach out to Him. Trust in Him and accept the hope that lies with Christ. If you are to gain an understanding of your situation and if you desire to gain insight into why you are going through the trials that you are then your path begins with a returning to the Lord. Once you restore your relationship out with the Lord, He will help you with the other issues that you are dealing with. He can and will help you to understand and cope with your struggles in the light of His Word. With that being done you will see that He will have also provided you that which is needed in regards to your feelings and emotions.

Taking Time to Help and to Heal / Part II

Counseling is my passion and my calling, to be able to take the Word of God and applying it to their problems of those who are hurting and see The Holy Spirit work is just an amazing blessing. Being able to see people change and heal because of the Word is an indescribable experience. What hurts or bothers me more are not the problems that people have but the bad counseling that they have received prior to coming to the office or church where our counseling ministry is.

The Apostle Paul was well aware of what the pressures of helping others can do and knew that he had keep his heart and mind focused upon God. Like Paul we must not allow the pressures of helping others to wear us down at the same time we must not lose heart in helping them. We have had to help those who have fallen into some snares that they had not anticipated.

First, I have noticed that some counselors get caught up in helping others with their burdens that they unfortunately get caught up in the praise received from the one they are helping. This is a danger that Paul mentions, “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” (Galatians 6:3) I have often been told and passed on the belief that one of the worst forms of deception is self deception, thinking yourself better than you are. It is easy to get caught up in the accolades and forget to remember that we are a vessel of God first and that He is the one who does the work not the counselor, we are just the tool that He uses. God is faithful to His Word so that through their counsel those who are hurting to rise above their problem. It is unfortunate that some counselors will at the same time take the opportunity to exalt themselves. In the end they will find themselves crashing and burning because it is not long before they are in a situation far greater than they can handle. Sadly they have a tendency to pull others down with them as they fall. The Word of God clearly tells us, “But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” (Galatians 6:4) The Bible also says, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3)

Second, I have also noticed that some counselors may get so involved in helping others with their burdens that their own get laid aside and accumulate adding an oppressive weight that catches will catch up with them. They may be able to help the one hurting raise up above their problem but fall to their own because they are drained in the battle helping other at the expense of their own. They become a casualty to the pressures of their own problems and feel as if they are trapped as if being stuck in mire, not able to move even one inch. Paul’s warning against this is found in Galatians, “For each one shall bear his own load.” (Galatians 6:5) We need to make sure that we pay attention to our own burdens. If we are to help others with their’s burdens, we counselor at the same time must not lose sight of our own burdens. We must be careful that we are not lost in the battle by being over come by our own burdens. I am reminded of Matthew 6:34 which says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Through the help of God we can help others at the same time not neglect burdens of our own.

Third, another danger that I have noticed that counselors face is failing to deal with issue separation. This is an issue that we have to be very leery of. We are responsible for our own burdens as noted above in Galatians 6:5 and we are also responsible to help others with theirs as Paul stated in Galatians 6:2. If the counselor does not provide a release; if there is no outlet for the pressures they may face; they may soon succumb to the problems of others. They soon find themselves unable to separate the counselee’s problems from their own. By not maintaining a certain level of separation they may soon face a different kind of separation from friends and family as they draw to close to the counselee. Soon after, they may even believe they experience a separation from the Lord himself. Paul states in verse 9, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Part of the weariness that we are to be constantly on guard against is the possibility of being overcome by the burdens of others. Peter said, “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;” (2 Peter 3:17). Anyone who takes the time to offer a helping hand can fall victim to this. If you do not offer yourself time and opportunity to properly vent you can be overcome by these pressures. I do believe that this is the basis behind this verse, “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (I Corinthians 9:27)

Part of the discipline that Paul spoke about was learning how to vent and whom to vent to. Without an avenue of release we can easily succumb to the stress and pressures that come with counseling. We cannot vent to just anyone yet there is a need to vent. We can do so with God but there also arises a need for some form of feedback. So where do we turn, to whom can we turn to? “For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 24:6) I believe that it is important to discuss with other counselors that which you are going through with counselees. You do not have to expose any vital information but use the opportunity of the fellowship with another counselor to discuss that which has crossed your desk. Their counsel is invaluable, they are a resource that is plentiful and they provide a proper avenue to vent, to release the burdens that have been gathered. They help clear a way to better focus on personal burdens. And above all it is biblical notice Proverbs 24:6 above and Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

Taking Time to Help and to Heal / Part 1 of 2

All verses taken from the NKJV unless other wise noted.

If you have been saved for any length of time you have most likely spent a part of your time helping someone who is hurting. It is what God had intended for us to do; we are to help one another. For those, who like myself, are Biblical counselors, we spend a part of our lives weekly counseling others through their problems that life had thrown at them. We search the Scriptures for that which will help bring hope, or bring relief from problematic situations which may be as minor as choosing the hard left over the easy right while others we deal mostly with devastating lives that have been train-wrecked (so to speak.) It is the calling of all of God’s people to help one another, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. (2) Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:1-2) it is also the calling of God for the few who will take the time to dig deeper, to step into the mire with the hurting and help them to break free of the bondage that sin has them in.

God tells us that we are to make ourselves available to others helping them to recover from a fall. As we help those who come to us we must also maintain our closeness with God, family and reality. If we fail to do so we can fall victim to the pressures that we are helping others with and end up in a ditch on the side of the road, not able to help anyone not even our selves. Whether we are a trained counselor or a layman reaching out to help someone, I hope that these thoughts may be of help to you as I attempt to address a problem that I have seen among counselors.

When I speak of counseling, I am referring to the help offered to others which is Christ-centered, comprehensive, and compassionate. It will be Biblically based and rely upon the Holy Spirit to provide the truths needed in regards to the problems people face. We are called to provide solutions to those in need through the hope of the Scriptures. We also seek to empower people and encourage them to exalt and enjoy God and to love others as taught in Matthew 22:35-40. If we do so we help bring them into agreement and communion with Christ.

What frightens most believers is that this involves a certain amount of confrontation of which they strive to shy away from. It takes confrontation but more so it must be done in a spirit of love and it must be Biblical. Biblical confrontation a vital part of every believer’s personal ministry. It involves more than witnessing it also includes counseling which is the giving of hope, comfort and care to those in need. This is evident in Colossians 1:28, where Paul declared: “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” I have noticed that fear drives many believers away from helping others and that is more of a fear of the sin of the other. A good example of this thought is found in Jude. “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (22) And on some have compassion, making a distinction; (23) but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” (Jude 1:22-24) In this passage we find that the flesh referred to is basically the sin nature. What Jude is speaking of here primarily is in regards to sexual sins. These sins that spring forth from man’s sin nature. They become manifest in the many inappropriate deeds done in the body. The sin is not transferable but does cause many to shy away from those caught in sexual sins. We often find believer treating those caught up in sexual sins as if they are lepers and avoid them instead of helping them.

Like Precious Faith

It is a beautiful Wednesday morning and I am reading my Bible enjoying the birds singing as the sun comes up. I am reading the second Epistle of Peter and I had to jot this down while it is fresh on my mind. Peter’s second epistle begins this way, “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:” II Peter 1:1 (NKJV) I have always liked that statement, “To those who have obtained like precious faith…” It to me is one of the “Awesome” quotes that God has placed throughout His precious Word. It is statements such as this that that help us to go on even when troubles and trials have us at wits end. He is writing this epistle to me, one like him who has obtained like precious faith, and there are no greater words we can use to describe than “Precious Faith.”

This “Precious Faith,” is ours and is something that we obtain by (or through) “the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:” He gives us a privilege that we do not deserve but in our state of unworthiness He grants us this faith through His Grace. One of the most precious aspects of this faith is that it is that which links our fellowship with Christ. It is this faith that helps us to hold on. It is this faith that helps us to grow closer to Christ and the closer we grow to Him the more Precious He is to us.

When taking time to write a letter to help encourage and exhort a fellow believer (Titus) the Apostle Paul wrote, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, (12) teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, (13) looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” Titus 2:11-13 (NKJV) This Precious Faith walks hand in hand with the Blessed Hope that Paul speaks of here to Titus. This Blessed Hope is sustaining to me and it just sounds better and better because His Glorious appearing is what I am longing to see. It is the knowledge of the Glorious appearing of Jesus that is my hope it is the promise and sealant of the precious faith that I have in Him.

This precious faith holds and binds us, sealing the truth of the blessed hope within us and as we see in the following verse. “And everyone who has this hope purifies himself, just as he is pure.” I John 3:3. If we have this hope it purifies us just as He is pure. What a thought, what a hope and what faith it takes to hold and to maintain this hope. If we do so, we purify our hearts, our minds and our lives. In this truth we grow in the Lord and we become more like the Lord Jesus.

Would not our lives be exceedingly better if we would strive to be more like Christ? This is especially true in this day and age that we currently live in. The world and even this precious country of ours is turning away from Christ. We who are His must make it our goal, our mission to do more for the cause of Christ especially as we see the day approaching. How sad it would be for a country such as ours which has experienced the blessings of Christ to disappear from the annuls of history.

Hebrews 10:38, “Now the just shall live by faith: but if anyone draws back, my soul shall has no pleasure in him.” (NKJV) We are to live by faith, if we do not we will be as those who draw back, as those who shrink away for Christ, In doing so we cause Him to turn His face from us, to take his hands of protection off of us.

An Odd Church Encounter

I like court room dramas just for the sheer intensity of their atmosphere. One of my favorite courtroom scenes is from “A Few Good Men.” Col. Nathan Jessep (Jack Nicholson) is on the stand and is being interrogated by Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise). In one of the scenes you get one of the famous movie line quotes when Col. Jessep says, “You can’t handle the truth.” How true this is in almost every relationship that we are in. Case in point some other lines that we are faced with and we know that “they can’t handle the truth.” “Does this make me look fat?” “Do you care if I go shopping with my mother?” “One drink will not hurt.” etc.

We have taken this to the point that we often keep from saying things to some people in fear of offending or hurting them. We struggle with truth with some because we know that they are insecure in their relationship with you. So many people carry their feelings on their shoulders and blow off at the smallest of matters.

The other day I was talking to someone in the church before the service mostly making small talk nothing serious. Though the conversation was not serious but something was very serious and that was their breath. I did not want to hurt their feelings or say something wrong. What if they had a sour stomach or some other stomach problem? What if they had a dental problem? What if they leave me some clean air to breathe?

I tried to break the conversation off, I tried to move away but they kept encroaching pushing me more and more into a corner. Sometimes I wish that I had the brashness of Lt. Callahan (Clint Eastwood) in Dirty Harry when he was confronted by Captain Briggs (Bradford Dillman) and said, “Your mouth wash ain’t cutting it.”

Those words are not edifying but they sure would feel good rolling off of my tongue. What a grand violation of God’s rules of communication. That would be a giant step backward in my efforts to speak as God would have me to, as He would have all believers to do. We find in Ephesians 4: 25 God’s command to speak the truth, “Therefore, putting away lying, Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.” (NKJV) Speaking the truth is really not enough because we can do so in a harmful way. So to avoid this we add to this the truth that which we find in verse 15 of that same chapter, “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--” (NKJV).

We are to speak, speak truth but speak truth lovingly. This truth Is sealed in verse 29 which reads, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Some of the strongest preaching we do needs to be directed back at ourselves. I am so glad that I do not have the brashness of a Dirty Harry but still long for the compassion of the Saviour when I do speak to others.

What is the Truth?

“Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (38) Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.” John 18:37-38

This is an all too familiar passage with believers; we know of the questioning of Jesus by Pilate and have often wondered what was really going through Pilate’s mind when he was face to face with the Saviour.

Here standing before him is a true picture of the lamb being lead to slaughter. He is standing ministering to the one who will impose the force of Roman brutality upon Him. What a picture of our Saviour’s grace and love. With full knowledge, Jesus stands peacefully and confidently before Pilate, knowing that which lies ahead. We see in this conversation Jesus’ passion and commitment to the truth. “…Jesus answered, “…For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth…” Verse 37

Pilate’s answer to this statement is, “What is truth?” This suggests that he is either not clear that absolute truth exists or is stating a rhetorical question. It could be that perhaps that the world Pilate observed was oblivious or absent of truth. In turn, Jesus answers Pilate’s question with silence. Could be that Jesus knows the heart of Pilate, and the gulf that separates them was so great that the only answer to the question “What is truth,” can be nothing other than silence? Even Claudia, Pilate’s wife, had even had a dream about it. “When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, ‘Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.’ ” (Matthew 27:19). It’s as if God the Father was giving Pilate every chance to come to faith in Christ, perhaps planting seed for his future.

The question “What is truth?” is a question which people have struggled with and sought to answer in every way imaginable. Many today, when confronted by the truth of Jesus stand oblivious or worse yet threatened by what truth is. They have the choice to either embrace him or reject him. The forces that often surround men sadly drive their decision in the wrong direction. Jesus is standing by to offer all men the choice to accept Him, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

The truth is, “…It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) God’s words are that which holds this world together, they mold and shape us into that which God would have us to be. They offer us salvation or they will be that which condemns us to an eternity of destruction if we reject Christ.

Pilate’s response to the silence was unfortunate for Jesus because after this conversation Pilate step back outside in a futile attempt to defend Jesus before the gathered mob. The mob reinforced their accusation against Jesus by implying, that Pilate’s attempt to free Jesus made him an enemy of Rome. With this possible threat confronting Pilate, he needed some immediate help. He needed an out, a loop hole if you will, to quickly separate himself from this mob and Jesus. In doing so he stepped his way into history as the one who judged the Saviour.