Common-sense Christianity: hope, joy, and help
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Before I begin this week’s post, let me offer some praise to all of you who caught my “oops” in last week’s post. It flew to your inboxes with a reference to Proverbs 3:16 Christianity, and many of you caught the mistake! I use the idea of 3,5,6 Christianity OFTEN when I am teaching or speaking. I also use John 3:16 OFTEN when I’m sharing the gospel or trying to help someone else know how to share their faith. Needless to say, I combined two of my lessons into one and got it wrong. So, please forgive the “oops” and my thanks to all of you who caught it and, to my assistant, Trace, who quickly fixed my mistake on the website!
The whole process of fixing my “oops” inspired this blog post. We try to get things right at Denison Ministries, but we will never get everything perfect. Common sense and Scripture tell us that but nevertheless, we should make perfect a goal. Why? Because perfection is the promised hope of heaven.
Common-sense Christianity
The idea of “common sense” has been a subject of political news lately, which brought about an idea for this blog post I will try for the next several weeks. I’ve taught the book of James many times because it is, in many ways, a favorite book of mine in the New Testament. Not everyone shares my love for this epistle, however. The famous theologian and Protestant reformer Martin Luther called James “an epistle of straw.” Who am I to disagree with Martin Luther? But I do!
The Book of James is one of the most practical books in the Bible, filled with common-sense ideas about our faith. James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote it to the first-century Jewish Christians. Most of those early recipients had been forced to flee their homes in Jerusalem because of persecution and hardship. James wrote to tell them how to live their Christian faith well in the new cities and different cultures where they had relocated their lives.
Why is it a favorite of mine? Because it provides that same common-sense advice to Christians today. For the next few weeks, let’s look at the book of James and allow God’s word to remind us to live with the same practical, common-sense encouragement that James gave to the people he loved.
How can we accept, even appreciate, the hard times in our lives?
I would never say that James’ advice is easy to follow. In fact, apart from the help of God’s Holy Spirit, it is downright impossible! Thankfully, when Jesus taught us about the Holy Spirit, he described him using the word paráklētos, meaning “helper” or “aid” (John 14:26). I wish James had written, “You have been filled with the power of the Holy Spirit therefore you are able. . . to”:
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2–4).
If we sincerely consider the hard times of our lives, the times we ran in prayer to God’s throne for comfort, help, and direction, we can remember all that God taught us during those difficult moments. We probably wouldn’t choose to repeat those hard times, but we are truly grateful for the spiritual growth we experienced as a result. “Steadfastness” is a blessing that will help carry us through our next trial. The chance to be “perfect and complete, lacking nothing” is the promised hope of heaven that will one day become our reality.
Common sense tells us that we should never seek trials in this life, but Scripture teaches us that trials are a very real part of our Christian journey. Jesus promised that “in the world you will have tribulation,” but he also promised that we could “take heart” because he has overcome the world (John 16:33).
How can single-minded faith be wisdom?
The world encourages people to be “open-minded” and criticizes those who appear to be “single-minded,” only open to one idea or definition of truth. Common-sense Christianity requires us to trust the word of God more than we trust the ever-changing opinions in our culture.
Christianity doesn’t make sense to the world because it is “un-common” truth. Jesus taught his disciples, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). Non-Christians do not have the indwelling strength and guidance of God’s Holy Spirit. It’s essential for us to remember that it is our faith that makes our trust possible.
James understood that his first-century readers were surrounded by people who had been taught to worship and trust the many different gods of the Greco-Roman empire. They needed to share their faith with people who knew almost nothing about the one true Creator God. The lost people in our own culture have some of those same issues. James taught the early believers and us to be careful and live with a single-minded faith. God gives the wisdom we need for our daily lives and our witness to others. His advice:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:5–8).
It’s amazing to realize that God wants to give wisdom to all who ask for it. But that wisdom isn’t promised to those who want to consider his direction a possibility or option. God’s wisdom is given to those who ask with single-minded faith and trust in God’s perfection. When we seek God’s wisdom in the Bible, we must realize that we are seeking perfect truth that must be accepted and obeyed.
Common-sense Christianity believes in the one perfect and holy God
James began his letter with two truths that are common-sense Christianity.
- We can face the trials of life with hope and faith; if we do, we can trust God to redeem every trial for our spiritual good.
- We can ask for and trust God to give us his perfect wisdom if we will believe in the Lord with single-minded faith.
James wanted his friends to live among unbelievers as witnesses for Jesus. James knew it would be challenging and difficult. We face that same challenge today. Common-sense Christianity requires un-common faith. Our faith and our lives will not be perfect on this side of heaven but thankfully, we can live with the knowledge that we are being perfected through his word and the Spirit’s work in us.
Whatever trial you might be experiencing today, you can steadfastly choose to be faithful and trust in God. Whatever wisdom you need, you can ask for and then receive it from God as you accept and believe his word is perfect truth.
We are richly blessed when we live as common-sense Christians who hope in the Lord, live with his joy, and trust his help for each day.
