Peter writes that we believers have been given everything we need “that pertain to life and godliness.”¹  And these things allow us to “become partakers of the divine nature!”²  In other words, we can possess the characteristics of Jesus! Although we describe it as becoming more like him, the truth is that Jesus takes over our nature. His nature becomes ours! But this transformation does not occur automatically. It is accomplished when we make an effort, actually “every effort”³ to know Jesus more and more.

            The list of Jesus’ qualities that Peter gives us is quite amazing. They include virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. And Peter concludes that if “these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”⁴  So, the more we know Jesus—walk with him, talk with him, study about him in God’s Word—the more effective and fruitful we will be!

            Well, this is the best news ever! This is the way to live a victorious life no matter what comes our way! So . . . why aren’t we? Why don’t we? What is our problem? Peter addresses that issue, too. He writes, “for whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.”⁵ Our problem is that we are “so nearsighted.” What does this mean? To be nearsighted is to only see what is right in front of us. The term also refers to someone lacking in foresight and having a narrow perspective, not seeing the whole picture. Distant things are blurry. One would think that the solution, then, would be the ability to be farsighted, right? But Peter does not reference farsightedness, the ability to see far ahead, as the solution. Instead, he says the problem is that we have forgotten the past—that our sins have been forgiven; therefore, the solution, then, is to remember the past, for if we forget the past we become blind to our future! And being blind would really impede our progress, don’t you think?

            Hmm. But what does forgetting that we have been “cleansed from [our] former sins” have to do with lacking the qualities of Christ? Great question! If we are still living with the weight of our sin, that guilt and shame will hinder our growth. It is not that we do not acknowledge our sins, but that we do acknowledge them! And feel unworthy of God’s love. And rightfully so! Because the truth of the matter is that we were never worthy of God’s love and can never be through our own efforts. So, really, we need to stop trying to be worthy. And, instead, allow the love of God to truly set us free, “cleansed from [our] former sins.”

            Our sins have been forgiven! Never forget that! How can we, then, learn to live the victorious life that Peter is describing? Well, he gives us the answer for that, too! He writes, “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election.”⁶  God has chosen us! That’s how we are to live! As “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”⁷  That “chosen race”? That “royal priesthood” and “holy nation”? That’s us!

            And so we are called to live in “his marvelous light,” as people who have been called “out of darkness,” and untethered from our past sins and able to possess the qualities of Jesus. When we are sure about our “calling and election,” we live in hope and security. We are free and safe! And that’s when Jesus begins to live through us. His qualities become ours. And then Peter writes, “if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”⁶

            Peter is adamant about this point. He writes, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities.”⁸  So, we, too, need to remind ourselves that these qualities can be ours! Peter ends his letter with the way to attain them: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”⁹ Knowing Jesus and growing in his grace is the key to living a victorious life. But this will only occur if we stop being so nearsighted!

¹2 Peter 1:3   ²2 Peter 1:4   ³2 Peter 1:5   ⁴2 Peter 1:8   ⁵2 Peter 1:9   ⁶2 Peter 1:10   ⁷1 Peter 3:9   ⁸2 Peter 1:12   ⁹2 Peter 3:18

Our question is what part of the body of Christ is our part? What gift have we been given by God in order to fulfill our service and find our place and purpose in the world? The list of gifts is found primarily in 1 Corinthians 12 but then alluded to in other books. If we were to divide the list into categories it could include teaching gifts, service gifts, and administration gifts. And there is a place for everyone, but the purpose of all of the gifts is to give them away. In other words, find our role and spend our lives working it out. Paul says to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”¹  Why “fear and trembling”? It is a reminder to guard against settling for less than the best. It sounds like a daunting task until we understand that “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”² God gives us the desire and the capability to work, which not only fulfills our need of being needed, but it gives God, the creator, great pleasure to see us become who we were created to be.

Therefore. As we study the list, we should find ourselves in at least one of the three areas. As we mature in Christ, our tasks might shift, but probably not the category. The main idea in the Corinthian passage is that every gift is as important as another. Believing our gift is more significant or less significant than any other position in the body of Christ is to misunderstand the roles entirely. “For the body does not consist of one member but of many.”³ That is precisely why we should consider ourselves different from everyone else. And wishing we had been given a different part than the one we have is not only a waste of time it is an impertinent response to God because “God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.”⁴

But there is one more thing to consider when we hear ourselves say, “I do not belong to the body.”⁵  And that is this: maybe it is true! Maybe we do not belong to the current body we find ourselves in. Maybe we were a good fit at one time but not anymore—and for various good reasons. However, before we abruptly leave or rashly move on, we should ask ourselves this question: Have we finished our work? Is our job completed? Paul encouraged Timothy: “Fulfill your ministry.”⁶  In other words, we are to do our work because no one else can do what we are designed to do in that body. But then there might be a stopping point.

The purpose to our gifts should be “for the common good”⁷ and to “equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”⁸ If our job is done, then perhaps we do not belong to that body of Christ, utilizing that particular gift. But it does not give us license to quit using our gifts altogether. We are simply to serve elsewhere or serve in a different capacity. We are never to retire completely. You see, “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”⁹ God is never done with us and our work is never done! Talk about job security!

Finding out where we belong is really discovering how to use our gifts. And this discovery is the most gratifying part of life. It is to finally understand the good purpose for which God created us. And this good purpose, his plan for our lives, is the perfect fit for us, and much better than we could possibly imagine “for no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.”¹⁰  Understand this, however. To go after God’s good purpose for us, to live as a disciple of Christ, is an intentional sacrificial lifestyle. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”¹¹ It’s a choice. Why would anyone want to do that? Because of the reward: “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”¹² We find the purpose of our lives when we lose ourselves in our designated work—the work designed for us particularly—and then use it for God’s glory.

Most people will never understand or embrace this discipleship lifestyle. They simply discover what they love to do and then reduce it to a hobby of some sort, but it is rarely their primary work. Sadly, it is usually pushed aside. Our work that God has created for us reaches down into the center of our souls, where our creative self lies. This creative urge inside us is where being made in God’s image is elevated to its greatest illumination. God, the great creator, made us in his image, and we, therefore, are created to create as well. And our work is never done!

Our purpose in life, then, is to find our gift, perfect our gift, and then give it away. Which is the purpose of a gift, is it not?

¹Philippians 2:12   ²Philippians 2:13   ³1 Corinthians 12:13   ⁴1 Corinthians 12:18   ⁵1 Corinthians 12:15   ⁶2 Timothy 5:4   ⁷1 Corinthians 12:7   ⁸Ephesians 4:12   ⁹Romans 11:29   ¹⁰1 Corinthians 2:9   ¹¹Matthew 16:24   ¹²Matthew 16:25

Sometimes we feel out of place in our world. We look around and think, I do not belong.  And this is not merely a 21^st century feeling. There were some people in the church at Corinth who felt the same way. They examined themselves and said, “I do not belong.”¹ Why do we feel that way at times? There are several reasons. First, it could be that our perception of things is incorrect, and that our weariness or our anger or our impatience is distorting our view. That’s the first thing to check.

So, let’s pause here and ruminate on this feeling of not belonging. Believing we do not belong is quite often attached to our desire to make a difference somewhere, to be of use, to matter. Which is understandable, albeit quite self-centered. Oswald Chambers addresses the issue this way: We have to get rid of this notion—“Am I of any use?” and make up our minds that we are not, and we may be near the truth.* As harsh as that sounds, it hits the mark. We are created by God, and he has given us certain gifts that are to be used for others. Just how useful we are is not only immeasurable, it is irrelevant. Embracing this truth is liberating. It will enable us to truly focus on giving our gifts away with no expectations—which is the point of a gift, is it not? And this act of recklessly giving, ironically, is where we become useful! Paul says that it does not make sense to even bring up the issue: “if the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body.”¹  Therefore, the correct response to the statement, I do not belong, is Poppycock! Yes, you do! Of course, you do!  

Second, the feeling of not belonging could be in our hearts because we are comparing ourselves with everyone else (never a good idea) and have deduced that we are different—which is the correct conclusion! Of course, we are different! Paul exclaims, “If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing?”² Our part to play is not like someone else’s part. Actually, we might be the essential element to the body that no one else can give.

Third, believing we do not belong might be linked to wondering what others think about us. At Corinth, it seems a church member or two might have told those who were different, “I have no need of you,”³   but Paul reprimands those folks harshly. And our response is to remember whom we are serving, “For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God?”⁴ It truly matters not, what other people think. When Peter asked Jesus if John was going to join them, Jesus responded, “What is that to you?”⁵

            What we need to determine is not if we fit in, but where we fit in, to figure out the part we are designed to play in the body of Christ. And I know that some people will argue that these gifts really only apply to a Christian or religious setting, not a secular situation. To which I (again) say Poppycock! There is no secular part of our lives once we have surrendered to the will of God! It’s all inclusive. Everything is connected. Every issue is a spiritual issue.

So, again, our question is what part of the body of Christ is our part? What gift have we been given by God in order to fulfill our service and find our place and purpose in the world? It’s an essential question to answer. And it probably should be asked at different points in our lives. Paul gives us a pretty good list of gifts that God gives to all his children, which, by the way, are applicable in the secular (if you cannot give up the idea of secular) as well as the Christian world. They include sharing wisdom, imparting knowledge, possessing great faith, being able to heal (think about wounded people here), working miracles (think about transforming lives), prophesying (preaching God’s truth), speaking in different languages, interpreting different languages, and administrating things in general. This list is found in 1 Corinthians 12. But also, Paul includes apostles, evangelists, and shepherds in Ephesians 4.  And then in Romans 12, he mentions those who are gifted servers, gifted encouragers, those who love to give generously (think monetary giving), and those who are zealous leaders.

There is so much more to say about this, but let’s pause here and ponder our gifts—not if we belong or have a purpose, for those things are a given—but which gifts we have, and how we can give them away. Which is the point of a gift, isn’t it?

¹1 Corinthians 12:15   ²1 Corinthians 12:17   ³1 Corinthians 12:21   ⁴Galatians 1:10   ⁵John 21:23   *”February 21.” My Utmost for His Highest: The Classic Daily Devotional, by Oswald Chambers, Barbour Books, 2015.

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”¹  And then “the Jews who had believed him” proceeded to argue with Jesus—even though they “believed him.” In this particular scenario, they argued about . . . you know what? It doesn’t really matter what they argued about. For at this point, we must concede that we are very much like these Jews. When God speaks to us about something, we often have a comeback: Yeah, but . . . or I know, I know. And we proceed to argue our case—as if God does not understand our situation or he does not know the whole truth about it.

     Anyway. Back to the story. These “Jews who had believed him” had a great case to argue. When Jesus told them that the truth would set them free, they promptly told Jesus they did not need to be set free. Their evidence was irrefutable. They were descendants of Abraham and children of God and had “never been enslaved to anyone.”²  I guess they were overlooking the 400 years the Israelites were slaves to the Egyptians! But anyway, they were certainly free now! So, Jesus’ message was irrelevant to them.

     The truth for the Jews was that they believed Abraham and the law was all they needed to live a good and godly life.  They were offended that Jesus questioned them and called them slaves and liars and even murderers! After all, they were good people—really good people! They looked at Jesus and arrogantly asked, “Who do you think you are?”³

     And I think many people today respond in the same way. They believe certain things and consider God as a threat to their freedom to think a different truth. They have countless arguments about why God’s truth is not only irrelevant to them, they consider God and all Christians as an affront, an insult that cuts them to the core, and they defiantly point their fingers at Christians and wave their fists at God and yell out, “Who do you think you are?”

     Many people have a twisted view of God. They think God is trying to take away their freedom. When actually the opposite is true. Jesus came to set us free. But we also have a twisted view of freedom. We think it has to do with our rights to be who we want to be, live how we want to live, and express ourselves in any manner that aligns with our true inner being. Many people are enslaved to their “freedom.” As we all once were. And as we all still are. We battle with our “freedom” all the time!

     Paul explains it so well. “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”⁴ The freedom that we are all longing for is the freedom and the power to say No to the things that promise freedom, but, instead, enslave us. If we want to be free, however, we must first admit that we are slaves. Paul cried out, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?”⁵  It is an agonizing state to be in—enslaved to our freedom.

     Jesus knew the struggle for the Jews, that they were enslaved to the law. And he lovingly told them, “The truth will set you free.”⁶  But they didn’t get it. It didn’t make sense to them. They did not want to give up their truth. They held on to it tightly. They believed they were already free and could not listen to what Jesus was saying. Jesus saw it. He told them, “You cannot bear to hear my word.”⁷  He even pointed out to them “you seek to kill me.”⁸ But they kept arguing: “Are we not right?”⁹

     The story ends quite sadly.  The Jews “picked up stones to throw at him.”¹⁰  And proudly stood their ground. And maintained the rights to their freedom because they believed they had “never been enslaved to anyone.” And never would be! And they refused to believe the truth that they were already enslaved, and Jesus really did come to set them free.

¹John 8:31   ²John 8:33   ³John 8:53 NIV   ⁴Romans 7:15   ⁵Romans 7:24   ⁶John 8:32   ⁷John 8:43   ⁸John 8:40   ⁹John 8:48   ¹⁰John 8:59

As Jesus was discussing fears, worries, and anxious thoughts, he said this to his disciples: “Do not be anxious about your life.”¹ Then he highlighted a specific situation regarding worrying over food and clothing, using flowers and birds (who do not worry, yet God takes care of them) as a good example.

     But . . . I don’t worry about food and clothing—except for how much food I consume and how my body looks in certain clothes. Okay. I do worry about food and clothing. But I think there is more to Jesus’ point than our diet! In order to really understand it, let’s try a little fill-in-the-blank exercise.

     Jesus said, “Do not be anxious about your life, what you _____________, nor about your _______________.”¹ So, fill in the blanks with what you are worried about and then read on.

     Jesus said this about that: “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”²  His point? We need to let go of things that are out of our control. Here’s what Jesus said next: “If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?”³  What’s the small thing? Adding “a single hour” to our lives. Hmm. Is our real worry that we do not have enough time to take care of everything? I think perhaps it is! Or at least it is very closely attached to our worries.

     How often do we say that there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that we are required to do or desire to do? We believe that if we only had enough time, all things would be done, all things would be resolved. But then . . . there comes the next day. The other thing to consider is that Jesus referred to adding an hour “as small a thing as that.” It might be a small thing for Jesus, but it is an impossible thing for us! Which, I think, is the real point.

     Consider this: “Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.”⁴ Why are we anxious about things over which we have no control? Why do we doubt that God, who created the world, would have difficulty with our request?

     So, how do we eliminate anxiety from our lives?  Paul elaborates on the idea in his letter to the Phillipians. He wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”⁵  The instructions are clear: pray about anything and everything. And then? Don’t worry!

     But Jesus is not done with this message yet. He adds, “O you of little faith! And do not seek ________ and __________, nor be worried.”⁶  So, fill in the blanks again by adding more things you are worried about, and then read on.

     Why should we not worry? Jesus answers that one for us, too. “Your Father knows that you need them.”⁷  God knows our needs and he knows our tendency to be anxious—especially over things out of our control. But Paul writes that if we would only pray, then “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”⁸  God’s peace can guard our hearts and minds from being anxious.

     And it is only with the peace of God guarding our hearts can we then do what we are supposed to be doing (rather than worrying); that is, “instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.”⁹ This clarifies for us, then, that we must prioritize “these things” so that they do not interfere with seeking the kingdom, i.e. “doing the good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”¹⁰

     So, here is the real problem. We want things and worry about things more than we “seek his kingdom.” That’s one reason we are anxious. Our loves are out of order. These things that we want—these things that we worry about—are not bad things (necessarily), but they can rob us of peace. And the one thing precedes the other, by the way. Seeking God’s kingdom comes before the things we generally worry about are provided. Plus, one more observation. This peace? Don’t try to understand it before you experience it. Don’t question it; don’t challenge it; don’t diminish its power, wrestle with it, ruminate over it, cogitate on it, or try to analyze it. Because it “surpasses all understanding.”⁸  But here’s a hint as to how it works: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”¹¹

     Frances Havergal (1836-1879) knew something about it. She wrote the famous hymn “Like A River Glorious” in 1874, the refrain of which reads:

“Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest,

Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.”

¹Luke 12:22   ²Luke 12:25   ³Luke 12:26   ⁴Jeremiah 32:17   ⁵Philippians 4:6   ⁶Luke 12:29   ⁷Luke 12:30   ⁸Philippians 4:7   ⁹Luke 12:31   ¹⁰Ephesians 2:10   ¹¹Isaiah 26:3

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”¹ It sounds more demanding written in the King James Version, doesn’t it? But what does it mean, this third commandment that we have conveniently overlooked and almost completely eliminated from our minds? The first response would probably be not to use God’s name as a curse—which certainly is a good rule of thumb. But we live in a culture where curses and vulgar language are quite acceptable. This is one area where believers should stand out. The New Testament is filled with messages regarding how we should speak. My favorite is probably “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths.”² Many believers feel quite pious regarding this command thinking they have it conquered. Even if that is true (which I seriously doubt), to wave the third commandment in the face of people who curse would be rather ineffectual. And unkind. And unhelpful.

            So, how do we handle the third commandment? Does the concept of taking God’s name in vain only apply to cursing?  Absolutely not! “Vain” is a multi-faceted word. In this context, we can break it down to mean having no real value. Therefore, to take God’s name in vain would be to believe that the name of God has no worth, that it is of no use, and it has no power.

            If that definition is true, then most of us who call ourselves believers break this commandment frequently! We break it every time we question God’s omnipotence—when we question if God is really at work in us, when we give up on God and our purpose and our prayers and our efforts and ourselves because we have concluded everything we do really is in vain. When we reach this depressing point, we are, in effect, saying that who God is does not matter and has no effect on our lives.

            To “take the name of the Lord thy God in vain,” is to agree with Solomon who exclaimed, “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.”³  It is to believe that the name of God means nothing and to strive after him is futile and even a bit ridiculous. This is where many nonbelievers “live.” And, sadly, it is a place where many believers “visit.” A lot.

            To treat the third command lightly is to almost ensure that we will break it, and, at times, decide our lives are pointless, futile, and in vain because to call upon God’s name is pointless, futile, and in vain. But David wrote, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”⁴  And Paul proclaimed, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”⁵  So, the name of the Lord has real value after all!

            Although those facts are absolutely wonderful and essential, they are actually the elementary facts about God. There is so much more to embrace when it comes to not taking God’s name in vain. During difficult times in our lives, when God seems absent or cruel, it is tempting to believe that God’s name means nothing, and his power is far removed from us. And we will be tempted to curse God—quietly in our hearts, visibly in our countenance, and audibly in our words. We often walk away from our faith temporarily, and many walk away permanently. It happens subtly. In our despair, we find ourselves no longer honoring God for we believe it is futile to do so, thereby taking the name of God in vain! Paul writes, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”⁶

            When our thinking is darkened by futile thoughts, we tend to give up. We find ourselves believing the lie that God does not care for us, that living for him is in vain, and that “all is vanity and a striving after wind.” At that point, what are we to do? Can our hearts ever be light again? Is it possible to return to God in faith? Is it possible to believe that God’s love for us and our love for him is not in vain? Yes. Picture the prodigal son returning to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”⁷

            Some seasons of our lives are wanderings, with futile thoughts and time spent in vain. But God, with arms outstretched, waits patiently for us to return. As we learn to trust that God’s name is powerful and his love is unending, we will also learn how to “not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”

            And we can say with Paul, “His grace towards me was not in vain.”⁸

¹Deuteronomy 5:11     ²Ephesians 4:29    ³Ecclesiastes 1:14    ⁴Psalm 124:8    ⁵Romans 10:13   ⁶Romans 1:21    ⁷Luke 15:20   ⁸1 Corinthians 15:10

Before there were kings that ruled nations, there were judges. The judges’ job was to instruct and encourage the Israelites to serve God as their king, but some judges were not very good at their job. Over and over we read “the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.”¹  The Israelites finally concluded that their sin was a result of poor leadership and decided the system needed to change. Finally, in obstinate rebellion they refused to follow any authority, and “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”²

It sounds very modern, doesn’t it? It is the definition of tolerance—everyone doing whatever is “right in his own eyes.” Believing that everyone should figure out for themselves how to live. Encouraging everyone to make up his/her own set of rules and follow his/her own desires. Assuming that everyone knows inherently the best path he/she should take. The end result, therefore, is that as people decide who they want to be and how they should live, we should all be tolerant.

But tolerance is foolish and deceitful—not my words but the apostle Paul’s. He warns believers about “false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ,”³ who were preaching “a Jesus other than the Jesus”⁴ Paul was preaching. And then he says to these false preachers, “You gladly put up with (tolerate) fools since you are so wise! In fact, you even put up with (tolerate) anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face.”⁵  Seriously, how “wise” is that? And please remember, Paul is talking about preachers! Preachers who are misleading believers to be tolerant.

Paul’s response? He mockingly retorts, “To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!”⁶  In other words, Paul and his colleagues were not “wise” enough or strong enough to tolerate that kind of behavior. He tells them that since they were listening to and tolerating fools, he would like to join in: “Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting.”⁷

And then he proceeds to boast! Which actually, doesn’t sound very Christ-like, does it? But in comparison with those who “masquerade as servants of righteousness,”⁸ Paul’s resumé was quite impressive. Of course, Paul does not lean on his accomplishments as something to be admired. He, in fact, tells the church at Philippi: “I consider them garbage.”⁹

But that’s not the point of his message to the Corinthians. His point? Believing in a different gospel, a gospel that “puts up with fools” who tolerate anything and every lifestyle, leads to “discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.”¹⁰ And then he adds that some may even indulge in “impurity, sexual sin and debauchery”¹¹ (extreme indulgence in immoral behavior). The gospel of tolerance is deceitful. It appears to be kind and compassionate, and it is often argued that tolerant people are more “Christian” than Christians. But in reality, it is a destructive force—especially amongst believers who will likely “be led astray from [a] sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”12

So, what should our response be to this deceitful gospel? Should we demand that our beliefs be tolerated as well? Ironically, no. Paul concludes that as others boast about their ability to tolerate all beliefs, he will “boast all the more gladly about [his] weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on [him.]”¹³  He, in fact, tells us to “delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.”¹⁴  Why? Because that is how Christ makes us strong.

So, should we tolerate the tolerant? It’s a tricky thing. Paul tells those who are listening to the false teachers: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”¹⁵  Sadly, some people (including churchgoers and preachers) mistakenly believe they are believers! They do not know Christ at all, even though they appear to be good and tolerant people.

Our response, then, is to encourage tolerant people to examine themselves, to help them see the truth about Christ—not to point out their failures. Here is our specific responsibility: “We pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right.”¹⁶ And then Paul ends by saying that “the authority the Lord gave me [is] for building you up, not for tearing you down.”¹⁷

Our response, then, is to build up the body of Christ, to be an example of Christ’s love, and to “strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.”¹⁸ To do anything else would be intolerable.

¹Judges 10:6   ²Judges 21:25   ³2 Corinthians 11:13   ⁴2 Corinthians 11:4   ⁵2 Corinthians 11:19-20   ⁶2 Corinthians 11:21   ⁷2 Corinthians 11:16   ⁸2 Corinthians 11:15   ⁹Philippians 3:8   ¹⁰2 Corinthians 12:20   ¹³2 Corinthians 12:9   ¹⁴2 Corinthians 12:10   ¹⁵2 Corinthians 13:5   ¹⁶2 Corinthians 13:7   ¹⁷2 Corinthians 13:10   ¹⁸2 Corinthians 13:11

     If God is sovereign, why do people suffer? If God is good, why are there storms? Luke tells a great story that answers those questions. It’s his story—one that he experienced when he was accompanying Paul, who was a prisoner on his way to Rome. They were on board a ship sailing on the Adriatic Sea, when “a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land.”¹  It was so violent that the sailors were instructed to throw cargo and the ship’s tackle overboard to lighten the load. But even after that, Luke writes “when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.”² When they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up and shared with them this message: “Take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.”³ He told them he had been visited by an angel of God who promised him that he must arrive safely in order to stand before Caesar, and, therefore, all who traveled with him would arrive safely as well.

     The storm continued for fourteen days though. And some men, afraid for their lives, lowered a lifeboat to try to save themselves. But Paul discovered their mission and reported to the centurion, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.”⁴ So, the other sailors cut the ropes of the lifeboat and let it float away.

     But wait a minute! What would it matter if these guys got in the lifeboat? God had already promised Paul that no life would be lost. Now he says that unless the guys got back on the ship, the centurion (and the rest of the crew) would die. If God is sovereign and he promised no one would die, what difference would it make what the sailors chose to do? Is God sovereign (have all authority) or not?

    The answer is yes, God is sovereign, and yes, it makes a difference what people do. God’s will will be done. What he wants to happen happens. So . . . that means it does not matter what we do because nothing can stop God from doing what God wants to do, right? Wrong. We have the choice of being in God’s will or not being in God’s will. If we want what God wants, God’s will reigns in our lives. If we do not want what God wants, our will reigns in our lives. Our sovereign God gives us the option.

     The sailors trying to escape in the lifeboat did not trust that God would be faithful. God, in fact, appeared to be absent to them in the midst of the storm. Therefore, they stepped out of God’s will. And almost caused the death of everyone. God loves all people and wants us to trust him with our lives. Those who trust him are saved. Those who don’t, perish. So, what we do impacts God’s will for our lives. God is still in charge, but he will not force his will upon us. That’s partly why there is so much suffering in the world—so many people are out of God’s will, not doing what they were created to do.

     After Paul told the sailors that they would not perish, the storm continued for fourteen days. If God is sovereign, he could have calmed the sea immediately. If God is good, why did he allow the storm to continue? Lots of reasons. During their storm, the sailors were forced to “undergird the ship”⁵ to keep it from falling apart, and so we will be forced to strengthen our foundation to withstand the storms of our lives. Here are our instructions: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”⁶ And just as the sailors “lowered their gear (anchor)”⁵ to keep from drifting, so will we be forced to rely on our anchor to keep from crashing into the rocks. Here is our promise: “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.”⁷  During their storm the men had “to jettison the cargo”⁸  and we will need to do the same. Here is our task: We must “also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”⁹ Storms are where we discover our weaknesses, our limitations, and the depth of our faith. The storms are where God seems absent, but we become faithful. And usually, later on, we discover that God was present after all!

     But here’s the hardest part of the story to read. What saved these sailors? Cutting the ropes of the lifeboat and letting it float away. This is the essential part of our journey. Although we want God’s will in our lives and trust that God loves us with an unending love, we all have lifeboats handy—just in case things don’t work out. It’s our “plan B.” In order for God’s will to really be played out in our lives, we must cut the ropes to our lifeboats and eliminate every other safe route. And only trust in God. Trusting in anything else is disastrous.  Here is our reminder: “In God alone, oh my soul, wait in silence. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.”¹⁰

     So, to sum up this paradoxical message—God is sovereign; our choices matter; storms can be beneficial; lifeboats can be dangerous.

¹Acts 27:14   ²Acts 27:20   ³Acts 27:22   ⁴Acts 27:31   ⁵Acts 27:17   ⁶Matthew 7:24-25   ⁷Hebrews 6:19   ⁸Acts 27:18   ⁹Hebrews 12:1   ¹⁰Psalm 62:5-6

     Our earthly lives require us to move at different speeds. The same is true of our life in Christ. At times we need to “be still.”¹  We must also make time to be like Mary “who sat at the Lord’s feet.”²  Other times we need to “stand firm.”³ Sometimes we will need to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.”⁴ But mostly . . . mostly our goal simply needs to be this: “as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.”⁵ 

     What does it mean to “walk in him”? It is to “walk by the Spirit,”⁶ to “live by the Spirit,”⁷ and to “also keep in step with the Spirit.”⁷  As believers, we have the Spirit of Christ living inside us, but that Spirit only becomes a daily walking—not sitting, or standing, or running—but walking part of our lives as our knowledge of him grows. It makes sense that the more we know about Christ, the more likely we will become like him. Make no mistake about it, though, growing in Christ—to “leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity”⁸—is a choice. Many believers are satisfied with the basics of their faith and remain “unskilled in the word of righteousness,”⁹ which results in being unable “to distinguish good from evil.”¹⁰  Which is a very important skill!

     So to “walk by the Spirit,” although it is not necessary, is the smarter thing to do! Paul says this about that: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”¹¹ Paul urges us “to walk in a manner worthy” of our calling. But be advised: the goal for walking in Christ is not to feel better about ourselves—as mature believers we are secure, not insecure about who we are. Nor is the goal for walking in Christ that we become better people—which will naturally happen as we “walk by the Spirit.” No. The goal for this manner of walking is because we should be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”¹²  Our goal? Unity.

     What’s so important about unity? It is the very prayer Jesus offered to God in our behalf. He prayed, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us.”¹³  Only as we become mature in Christ will we be able to experience the oneness that Christ experienced with God. This unity with God then spills over to the whole family of God! Jesus continued to pray: “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one.”¹⁴  And that is the goal: unity with God through Jesus and unity with fellow believers. But there is one more reason that Jesus prayed that we would “become perfectly one.” He concludes “so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”¹⁵

     Walking daily with Christ, being led by his Spirit, results in oneness with God himself. It can only be experienced as we grow in faith.  Our calling is to grow in Christ.  It is a high calling and that’s why Paul urges us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling.”¹¹ When we begin to walk more and more by the Spirit of Christ, we will live “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.”¹⁶  This is how Jesus lived. This manner of living leads to unity. And this is what it looks like to walk in Christ.

¹Psalm 46:10   ²Luke 10:39   ³Ephesians 6:13   ⁴Hebrews 12:1   ⁵Colossians 2:6   ⁶Galatians 5:16   ⁷Galatians 5:25   ⁸Hebrews 6:1   ⁹Hebrews 5:13   ¹⁰Hebrews 5:14   ¹¹Ephesians 4:1   ¹²Ephesians 4:3   ¹³John 17:21   ¹⁴John 17:22   ¹⁵John 17:23   ¹⁶Ephesians 4:2

   “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ they do not belong to Christ.”¹  That’s pretty clear. And not only do believers have his Spirit, they also “have the mind of Christ.”² Which is pretty amazing! But if believers have Christ’s mind and his Spirit, then why do so many struggle so much? Perhaps it is because many do not “live by the Spirit.”³  We do not access the power that we have!

     And here’s what Paul writes about believers who do not “live by the Spirit.” They are “still worldly.”⁴  Hmm. Here’s what else he says: they are “mere infants in Christ.”³ It appears that some believers just won’t grow up! Why? Because growing up in Christ is optional. We can all remain immature, not knowing anything but the basics, “the elementary truths of God’s word.”⁵ And get along just fine—but not great.

     But here’s the really interesting thing. Paul asks those “mere infants in Christ” a critical question: “Are you not acting like mere humans?”⁴ “Mere humans”? Are we not all “mere humans”? No! Not at all! Why? Because we have the Spirit of Christ and the mind of Christ! (Am I repeating myself?) It’s just that we often do not act like we do and instead refuse to grow in Christ. We act like children, who do not eat solid food but still need milk. And “everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.”⁶  Is to be “skilled in the word of righteousness” really necessary? No. But it will result in living life as a “mere human.”

     On the other hand, if we choose to grow up, we will be eating solid food, and “solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”⁷ This discerning ability to “distinguish good from evil” is crucial; without it we are lost, tossed back and forth not knowing what to believe and how to act and what to do. Paul prayed this prayer for believers: “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”⁸

     Discernment also gives us the ability to “approve what is excellent,”—to know what is right and to then do what is right. That is a mature person. And as we do what is right, we will be “filled with the fruit of righteousness.” And that, my friend, is the reward for living by his Spirit.

     So our choice as believers is twofold: 1) to remain “mere infants in Christ,” “worldly,” who “need milk, not solid food,”⁵ and to act like “mere humans,” or 2) to grow up and to be “conformed to the image of his Son,”⁹  and then we will be amazed at the fact that “in this world we are like Jesus.”¹⁰  Which is way better than living as “mere humans”!

     C. S. Lewis’ book Mere Christianity is a great one and I advise everyone—Christians mere and not so mere—to read it. But the title is a bit misleading because some might suppose that Lewis means that Christianity is a small thing when what he actually means is that there is nothing ordinary about the Christian life. Therefore, to live as a “mere human” is to ignore all of what Christ has given us in order that we might live an abundant glorious life. The question for us is this: Are we acting as “mere humans”?

¹Romans 8:9   ²1 Corinthians 2:16   ³1 Corinthians 3:1   ⁴1 Corinthians 3:3   ⁵Hebrews 5:12   ⁶Hebrews 5:13   ⁷Hebrews 5:13-1   ⁸Philippians 1:9-11   ⁹Romans 8:9   ¹⁰1 John 4:17