What Motivates You in Your Faith?

What motivates your Christianity? Legalism or Love?

Legalism is a word that is often misused. It's sometimes used to discredit Christians who speak up for God's commands or refuse to compromise their faith. That's not legalism. God expects us to do those things.

Those who are motivated by genuine legalism:

1. Ignore Romans 14 which tells us not to judge other believers for their non-essentials beliefs. There are essential beliefs that are non-negotiable, but there are also denominational differences and other non-essential beliefs that shouldn't separate Bible-believing Christians.

2. Do things to look good on the outside (Matthew 6:1) but remain unchanged on the inside (Matthew 23:25).

3. Compare themselves with others and feel superior (2 Corinthians 10:12).

Those who are motivated by love:

1. Graciously defend God's loving commands (Colossians 4:6; 1 Peter 3:15)

2. Keep a clear conscience before God (Hebrews 13:18).

3. Judge themselves by God's standards (Romans 12:3).

If we love Christ it will be our heart's desire to obey Him (John 14:21).

“May [our] roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love” so everything we do is done in love (Ephesians 3:17).

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For more on this subject see:

Thank You That I'm Not Like Other People

I'm a Recovering Pharisee

Paul Tells Us What to Think About It!

Fixing our thoughts on positive things will bring God's peace to our souls: 

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things...And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:8

I don't know about you, but peace is something I want and need!

So what are we to think about?

Whatever is: 

♥ True - Things which are accurate and correct, no rumors or unproven accusations. 

♥ Noble - Things of exalted moral excellence, not crude jokes or stories. 

♥ Right - Things in accordance with what is good, proper, or just, not profanity or slander. 

♥ Pure - Things uncontaminated and uncompromised by worldly values and philosophies. 

♥ Lovely - Things that are spiritually pleasing, not evil. 

♥ Admirable - Things worthy and inspiring, not discouraging. 

♥ Excellent - Things outstanding and superior, the best of things. 

♥ Praiseworthy - Things that deserve praise and inspire godly values.

Throughout our day, whenever we daydream or pause between tasks and whenever we wake in the night or have trouble sleeping, we should seek the peace of God. And one of the best ways to do that is to think about the love, wisdom, and glory of our God. 

Please see these one-minute devotions that give insights into this subject:

When You Can't Even Pray

Praise Music Therapy

And please check out the Bite Size Bible Study based on this study.

Be Prepared: Why Would a Loving God Send Men to Hell?

Some people claim that a loving God would never send men to Hell. But they're wrong.

Genuine human love is faithful. 

For example, a loving wife doesn't have affairs.

Genuine human love is offended by evil. 

For example, a loving father protects his child from molestation.

But God's love goes beyond human faithfulness and goodness. His love is perfect and pure. In addition, He's a perfect judge because He knows every detail of every life. 

He longs for men to turn to Him (1 Timothy 2:3-6): 

• He speaks to us through His creation (Romans 1:20).
• He writes truth on our hearts (Romans 2:12-16).
• He offers everyone His grace-filled love (John 15:13; John 3:16). 
• He promises that all who seek Him will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13; Luke 11:9-13).

But God won't force men to love Him and He won't let unrepentant men and women infect eternity (Revelation 21).  

Even if we don't fully understand the concept of Hell, we can trust God's just and loving character. 

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:23-24 

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For additional insights: 

What about People Who Never Hear the Gospel?

What Jesus Said about Hell

Why Hoping All Men Will Be Saved Is a Sign of Unbelief

I encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life Devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. And find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE. You can read the first four devotions in the book by clicking "look inside" on Lifeway or Amazon. In addition, you can buy the book in Kindle format on Amazon and as an ebook on other sites.

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8 Evening Habits of Maturing Christians

See note at bottom regarding questions I received about one of last week's posts.

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Most Christians don't make deliberate plans to grow in their faith, but it's something we all should do.

I've read articles about the evening habits of successful people, and that prompted me to consider some ways Christians might develop helpful evening habits. Here are eight suggestions:

1. Evaluate your day. Did you live it faithfully? Do you need to repent of something? 

See Everything We Do

 
2. Even if you had a quiet time earlier in the day, read a short passage before or after supper.

See Collect It Daily

 

3. Before bed, get offline and go "online" with God for at least a few minutes. 

See Mere Talk or Power?

 

4. Be sure to include some time to pray for your family members.

See 5 Ideas for Effective Prayer
 

5. Before falling asleep, think of ways God blessed you during the day. You might even want to keep a journal for this purpose.

See Journal Is a Verb

6. Ask God for wisdom and courage for the following day.

7. Get enough sleep (this is good for so many things, spiritual and physical). 

See Eat, Rest, Cry

8. If you have trouble getting to sleep, or if you wake in the night, meditate on a Bible verse. 

See Singing in the Shadow

These are practical ways to obey the commands in Philippians 2:12-13 and Romans 12:1-2.

Why not look over these possibilities and ask God if you need to add any to your evening routine. They may bless your life with spiritual "success."

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I encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life Devotional. It can also help you mature in your faith. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word: Wisdom for Life. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. Find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE. You can read the first four devotions in the book by clicking "look inside" on Lifeway or Amazon.

 

I also encourage you to sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes and get a free e-booklet. Find out more HERE.

 

Note: Within the next few weeks I hope to do some devotions on what the Bible teaches about women in church leadership because I've had a number of good questions from readers regarding my post Think God Needs Updating? Think Again.

 

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Rudeness, Pouting, Accusing, A Matthew 7:1-5 Diagnosis

I met her several moves ago and soon realized that our friendship would be challenging. I gave it my best, overlooking her rudeness and trying to focus on her good points (Philippians 4:8). 

But things kept getting worse. It got to the point where she criticized everything I did, thinking the worst of me, and pouting if I didn't fit my life into her plans. 

I finally suggested that maybe we weren't supposed to be close friends, just acquaintances. 

I believe God allowed me to meet this woman as a perfect example of how hypocrisy ruins our spiritual vision, keeps us from recognizing our sins, and causes us to misjudge the behavior of others. 

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5

This woman's example has been a good reminder to me that if I don't deal with my own sins, I'll start misjudging others. I never want my spiritual vision blocked by hypocrisy.

For more insights, see:

That's Just the Way I Am

Handling Unjust Accusations

What We Can Learn from Gnat-Strainers

Pouting Is Childish

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Do Old Testament Laws Apply to Us Today?

People often criticize Christianity by taking Old Testament laws out of context.

How can we respond to these criticisms? 

Does God still expect us to offer sacrifices or go through special cleansing ceremonies? Does eating pork or shrimp displease God? How do we know what applies to us today?

First, we need to realize that the Old Testament prepares us for the coming of Christ, and certain laws were temporary. 

But how do we determine which apply to us today and which don't?

There are complex theological answers to this question, but we don't need a seminary degree to understand the differences.

✔ Some Old Testament laws were civil laws given to the nation of Israel at a particular time in history. They don't apply to us.

✔ The sacrificial, cleansing, dietary, and ceremonial laws were given to symbolize and prepare our hearts for Christ and the New Covenant. Christ's sacrifice fulfilled the requirements for these laws (Hebrews 9-10). The New Testament offers ample evidence that the dietary laws don't apply to Christians (Matthew 15:11; Acts 10:9-16).

So how do we know if a law is moral and permanent? We just need to answer one question: Is it commanded in the New Testament? 

If so, it applies!

New Testament commands are important. They protect us, help us find fulfillment, and help us become more like God. They don't deal with externals like many of the Old Testament laws. They deal with our hearts.

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I strongly recommend the following resources:

Why Scripture Refutes The Chosen's "I Am the Law of Moses" Statement. This offers multiple passages explaining that Old Testament laws do not represent the New Covenant in Christ.

Did Jesus Really Say We Must Obey Old Testament Laws?

Laws, Commands, and Errors

Does God Hate Shrimp?

All or Nothing: Christ's Fulfillment of the Law, explaining the errors of the Hebrew Roots Movement.

If you're active on any of the social networks, I hope you'll help spread God's Word by following 1-Minute Bible Love Notes:
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It's a great time to buy Wisdom for Life for gift-giving because of the great sales  on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD.

 

 

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Think God Needs "Updating"? Think Again!

We’re called to apply Scripture to our present culture, but we must not “update” it to fit cultural values. Sadly, many Christians are doing just that. 

A 2015 article about women’s roles explained that many conservative Christian leaders and institutions were relaxing their views about female pastors so they could put their efforts into standing firm biblically on LGBTQ issues.

They knowingly sacrificed one Bible truth thinking they could maintain another (James 4:17).

Since 2015, false teachings about LGBTQ issues have exploded. Well-known pastors are hosting seminars with homosexual speakers.(1) An influential pastor previously known for biblical accuracy called American Christians "pharisees" because they confronted him for publicly encouraging Christians to attend trans weddings.(2) And Side A and B "Christians" emerged in our churches.(3)

Obviously, the 2015 strategy didn't work. 

Whenever we give up one principle to appease culture, we set a precedent, and more will follow. 

Do we really think that God's commands about female leadership in the church are unimportant? Do we think that our Creator is out of touch? Does He need our help in defining what’s best for us? 

Dear Christians, we can’t decide what matters and what doesn’t in God’s Word. That’s not our job. 

“Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Romans 15:4

Notes:

(1) Have We Misjudged Andy Stanley?

(2) Is Attendance Approval?

(3) Which Side Are You On: A, B, X, or Y?

See also:

Shall We Excuse the Darkness or Expose It?

A Well-Known Pastor Changes His View about Female Pastors

 

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Reflect on This

"Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this." 2 Timothy 2:3-7

✔ My husband was a career soldier. He moved where the Army told him, spent months each year away from home in field training, had to pass physical fitness requirements, doing all he was commanded to do. We must deny ourselves and even suffer at times to prepare for the spiritual battles our Lord and master calls us to fight.

✔ My son used to be an avid soccer player, and he diligently learned the rules of the game so he could compete without penalty. Our race of faith must be done with integrity.

✔ My uncle was a hardworking farmer, putting in half a day's work before breakfast, handling a variety of chores, providing a living for his large family. Patient, persistent effort brings reward.

2 Timothy 2:1-7 tells us to reflect on various aspects of these professions because they give us insights into our mission as Christians.

Why not take time today to consider how good soldiers, successful athletes, and productive farmers mirror godly faith. Are there some practical things you can do to strengthen your faith following these examples?

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Get additional insights in these one-minute devotions:

Soldiers:
Christ's All-Volunteer Army

Soaked Soldiers
Athletes:
Marathon Faith

Compete for the Faith!

Farmers:

Guarding Our Reputation

Would you like to look at some other verses that talk about soldiers, farmers, and athletes? Check out today's Bite Size Bible Study. 

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When We Speak Satan's Language Things Get "Lost in Translation"

A man once emailed me, accusing me of sharing a half-truth story on Bible Love Notes. He suggested I was intentionally seeking to falsely accuse a Christian leader.

The thing is, I hadn't written the story he accused me of writing. He must have read it somewhere else and got his source mixed up.

When I explained, he made no apology. Instead, he excused his rude accusation, saying things were simply “lost in translation.” 

It wasn't the first time I'd heard someone excuse their sins, but it was the first time I'd heard that unique excuse. 

And I realized he was right! 

 

Even though we were both English-speakers, he was letting Satan translate. And when that happens, false accusations prevail and honest repentance is “lost in translation.” 

Satan hates humble repentance because it's a key to Christian maturity and a safeguard against pride. And I'm sure he enjoyed the hypocrisy of this man's accusation: he falsely accused me of falsely accusing someone.

 

This passage is one we should periodically read and remember:

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”  1 John 1:8-10 

Satan loves to speak our language. Let’s not speak his.

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I also encourage you to read these one-minute devotions about ways we sometimes deflect our sins: 
 
Forgive Me or Else: He Didn't Genuinely Apologize for His Affair

That's Just the Way I Am

How Not to Say “I'm Sorry”

Self-Defense 
 
The Twist-a-Scripture App 

Note: When I had an opportunity to admit a genuine error in one of my posts (Beware of the IF Gathering for Women), I didn't want to claim my error was “lost in translation.” 

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Merry Heart Collection

This collection of 1-minute devotions addresses the "good medicine" described in Proverbs 17:22: A cheerful heart is good medicine.

Grateful, Joyous Laughter.
Laughter has many forms, both good and bad. This 1-minute devotion talks about our need for healthy, wholesome laughter.

Choose Your Wrinkles.
There are the right kind of wrinkles and the wrong kind, and Scripture encourages us to choose the right kind. 

Giggles.
This 1-minute devotion encourages you to ponder the silly question: "Does God get the Giggles?" Enjoy!  

Medicine with no Harmful Side Effects.
God prescribes this medicine in Proverbs and it has no side effects but lots of benefits. This 1-minute devotion explains.  

Heart Medicine.
Science Confirms Proverbs 17:22. This 1-minute devotion explains this joyful news.

5 Scriptural Truths about Fun.
This 1-minute devotion offers 5 ways that God has built fun into our lives. See what you think.  

 

Science Proves "Laughter Therapy" is Effective

Science and medicine prove that laughter can do wonderful things for us physically and emotionally, and God has recommended it all along. 

 

God Created Laughter.
God created laughter for our benefit and this short devotion shares 5 reasons it's good for us.